Status and Support

[Alelou]

You can only do what you can do. I suck at it right now. I haven't touched North Star in months and months. Had a couple of pokes, too. I haven't even been reading fanfic, and I'm way behind reading the books of various new indie novelist friends.

Everything just takes so much time! That is something in enormously short supply for me right now. I can't wait until this house is sold and I can settle into a new routine, hopefully a much simpler one with A LOT more reading and writing time.

On the plus side, we finally got a new (used) washer and new (really new) stove this week. What a joy to not have to be trying to plan a trip for the laundromat when the most machines will be available with the least amount of jockeying.

[Linda]

Having to go to the laundromat does suck! And being in the process of selling a house is ever worse. It makes my complaint shrink to microscopic! But misery loving company, though trite, is oh so true. Thanks, Alelou, it helps. I guess I will just have to apologize to the impatient reader and concentrate the best I can on getting things done.

[Cap'n Frances]

I hope both of you will have more time soon for fan fic projects. I'm looking forward to more of North Star and to seeing what Linda has been working on. I'm sure both will be worth the wait.

I'm working on a multiple-chapter story now. It is giving me more appreciation of what is involved in creating something like that. I've been considering posting one or two chapters before the rest is finished. Unfortunately, I'm having a lot of trouble with chapter 2. It won't surprise me if that is the last part I finish.

I'm impressed that so many of you have been able to create such complex and excellent stories. I hope to join that club before too long.

[Transwarp]

I too, hope you join the multi-chapter story club! As for me, I hope to one day join that even more exclusive club: those who *finished* their multi-chapter stories...

[Cap'n Frances]

Thanks, Transwarp. I'm looking forward to you joining the club of those who have finished multi-chapter stories. I've really enjoyed your stories and want to read more.

Frances

[putaro]

Actually got some writing done on The Ocean of Night, thanks to my new trick of getting things done by procrastinating on something else (sorry Weeble). I need to wrap up this little Edos arc and get on to the real meat of the story!

[Asso]

Well, what matters is that the story can continue!

[Cap'n Frances]

Actually got some writing done on The Ocean of Night, thanks to my new trick of getting things done by procrastinating on something else (sorry Weeble). I need to wrap up this little Edos arc and get on to the real meat of the story!

I'm glad you got it done. I hope we'll see more of the story soon.

[panyasan]

Can some one help me? I am thinking about the scene that takes place during the Romulan war. Trip is assigned to come up with a new method to keep the warp core quicker on line and to power up a vessel more quickly and to more speed.

I have no idea how a warp core works, so what would you suggest that makes the above possible? How do you fire up a warp core?

[putaro]

Oooh, techno babble.

Hmmm....the way the warp reactor is described, the basic power is provided by matter and anti-matter being combined. Since this tends to make a big boom, it must be done very precisely (1 milligram of antimatter mixed with matter results in a blast equivalent to 40 tons of TNT) and in precise quantities.

The result of this anti-matter reaction is plasma, which is the fourth state of matter, and usually at a very high temperature. This plasma gets routed to the warp nacelles and warp coils via the EPS (Electro-Plasma System) to make things go.

So, let's assume that we need to get the warp reactor and EPS grid up to operating temperature so that the plasma doesn't condense. I don't think you could keep a reserve of hot plasma, but maybe you could if there was a really well insulated container. Fluorescent lights get started with an electrical arc. Perhaps a large capacitor (based on some new alien technology) would allow a big electrical discharge to be run through a gas in the reactor, turning it to plasma and heating everything up quickly.

[Distracted]

Oooooo. Shiny.
I am in awe of your technobabble skills, sir.

[putaro]

Techno babble is sometimes too much babble and you have to be careful your babble doesn't go in the wrong direction. One thing I was forgetting about plasma - it's star temperature hot so if it touches anything solid it will either melt it or cool off so much it's not a plasma anymore (I think Elessar actually knows about this for real). Containing plasma has been a real challenge for nuclear fusion research (e.g. tokamaks). Usually it's done with magnetic fields. Star Trek has cool things like force fields as well so maybe a force field could be used to contain it and insulate it if you think having a hot reservoir would be cool.

[panyasan]

Oooh, techno babble.

Hmmm....the way the warp reactor is described, the basic power is provided by matter and anti-matter being combined. Since this tends to make a big boom, it must be done very precisely (1 milligram of antimatter mixed with matter results in a blast equivalent to 40 tons of TNT) and in precise quantities.

The result of this anti-matter reaction is plasma, which is the fourth state of matter, and usually at a very high temperature. This plasma gets routed to the warp nacelles and warp coils via the EPS (Electro-Plasma System) to make things go.

So, let's assume that we need to get the warp reactor and EPS grid up to operating temperature so that the plasma doesn't condense. I don't think you could keep a reserve of hot plasma, but maybe you could if there was a really well insulated container. Fluorescent lights get started with an electrical arc. Perhaps a large capacitor (based on some new alien technology) would allow a big electrical discharge to be run through a gas in the reactor, turning it to plasma and heating everything up quickly.

Thank you so much! This is really helpful and one suggestion fits very well with a particular story line.

[Eireann]

If any of you kind people out there could oblige, advice is required please, for my latest blockbuster! (ahem!)

At what age would you think an officer cadet would leave Starfleet Academy - and am I right in thinking that they would start at the rank of Ensign and receive a posting at their graduation ceremony?

Grateful for any words of wisdom on the subject!

[Transwarp]

Since Starfleet doesn't exist yet, feel free to do whatever works best for the story.

Usually a graduation/commissioning ceremony is all about graduating. Getting an assignment or orders is a separate event, and may come before OR after graduation. In the real world, a newly commissioned officers first assignment is some sort of specialty training (infantry, armor, artillery, submarines, surface warfare, etc...)