Travis's back story and the Horizon

[Distracted]

I'd like to do a Travis-centered storyline for my series finale. I looked him up on Startrek.com and I know the basics. Horizon supposedly is still going back and forth between Draylax and Vega colony hauling dilithium ore at a maximum speed of warp 1.8 under the command of Travis' brother Paul Mayweather. His mother Rianna is medic and chief engineer. My idea is that due to Romulan encroachment the run has become too dangerous for civilians and Starfleet has ordered non-military personnel out of the area. Armed military freighters have taken over the run. Understandably, Paul is seriously pissed. To placate him, Starfleet has offered the Horizon an engine upgrade to a warp 5 engine (the fastest the old j-class freighters will go without falling apart even with structural reinforcement) and operating expenses. In return, they expect a change from dilithium hauling to materiel...and even diplomatic courier in a pinch, for the duration of the war. Following that, the engine is theirs. This is how the Horizon ends up headed to Earth with Vulcan passengers on board at the same time as Enterprise is headed to Earth. I haven't decided where they'll meet up. I think it will probably be on Jupiter Station. I'm asking for advice. Does this scenario seem totally unreasonable to anyone? Does anyone have any recommendations?

[Rigil Kent]

Wow. They're jumping it up to warp 5? Are all of the Starfleet ships at warp 5 or higher?

[Distracted]

In my stories, the warp six project was a great success, and there are shipyards pumping out warp six capable vessels at several Earth allied locations. Enterprise and Columbia have been refitted, and all of the older military vessels are being refitted with the new engines, so I figured there would be some spare warp 5 engines hanging around. Is it too extreme to be believable?

[TSara]

I'd like to do a Travis-centered storyline for my series finale. I looked him up on Startrek.com and I know the basics. Horizon supposedly is still going back and forth between Draylax and Vega colony hauling dilithium ore at a maximum speed of warp 1.8 under the command of Travis' brother Paul Mayweather. His mother Rianna is medic and chief engineer. My idea is that due to Romulan encroachment the run has become too dangerous for civilians and Starfleet has ordered non-military personnel out of the area. Armed military freighters have taken over the run. Understandably, Paul is seriously pissed. To placate him, Starfleet has offered the Horizon an engine upgrade to a warp 5 engine (the fastest the old j-class freighters will go without falling apart even with structural reinforcement) and operating expenses. In return, they expect a change from dilithium hauling to materiel...and even diplomatic courier in a pinch, for the duration of the war. Following that, the engine is theirs. This is how the Horizon ends up headed to Earth with Vulcan passengers on board at the same time as Enterprise is headed to Earth. I haven't decided where they'll meet up. I think it will probably be on Jupiter Station. I'm asking for advice. Does this scenario seem totally unreasonable to anyone? Does anyone have any recommendations?

I actually like this idea alot...can't wait to read it!

[blacknblue]

The thought of ending your series, and the way you plan to kill Trip off, makes me think I won't be able to force myself to read it.

[enterprikayak]

Is it too extreme to be believable?

I love us! We're all such freaks. Here's Dis asking this weighty question and I'm all, y'know, considering it and giving it my weighty attention and then I look up and realise WHAT I'M DOING!!! Go write your story Dis. It'll be fine. It'll kick ass.

[CoffeeCat]

Is it too extreme to be believable?

I love us! We're all such freaks. Here's Dis asking this weighty question and I'm all, y'know, considering it and giving it my weighty attention and then I look up and realise WHAT I'M DOING!!! Go write your story Dis. It'll be fine. It'll kick ass.

Yep. Me too. And I'm pretty sure you can pull it off, Dis, considering the stuff I just wrote and then the shit I plan to write...

[Distracted]

The thought of ending your series, and the way you plan to kill Trip off, makes me think I won't be able to force myself to read it.

I didn't kill Trip off, BnB. The abomination did. The relaunch novels aren't compatible with the rest of my stories, so I'm forced to disregard them. I don't, however, plan to write Trip's death. I've already written my version of the aftermath which you are welcome to ignore if you so choose. This story won't touch on it at all with the exception of a single OC who also appears in "Charlie". In the timeline I've assumed for these stories, Trip's death occurs after the war is over in 2160 or so, and it's only 2156. The war's about to begin in earnest for our intrepid crew, though, and I'm not very good at war stories, so this series will end as they head off to the front lines.

enterprikayak, I'm honestly looking for criticism or objections to my proposed storyline mainly because a general uprising by the populace regarding the unbelievability of a dilithium ore freighter becoming a diplomatic courier AFTER I've written and posted the story would be hurtful to me at this point. I'm trying to avoid going out with a fizzle. Thanks for the encouragement.

[Rigil Kent]

I'm honestly looking for criticism or objections to my proposed storyline mainly because a general uprising by the populace regarding the unbelievability of a dilithium ore freighter becoming a diplomatic courier AFTER I've written and posted the story would be hurtful to me at this point. I'm trying to avoid going out with a fizzle. Thanks for the encouragement.

Okay. Here's my thoughts ...

While I don't think it's too unbelievable that a freighter would be pressed into service in this manner since Starfleet would likely be very stretched in regards to both warp-capable ships and manpower. I do question adding a warp 5 engine. Considering the size of the Henry Archer reactor, I'm not sure that you could actually put it onto the Horizon. There simply isn't the space on the J-Type ... nor is there, from my recollection, a twin nacelle design which is necessary for the stable warp field.

Exactly how many ships is Starfleet fielding with warp 5s? There's obviously the NX-01 and NX-02, but how many others?

However, that's just my opinion and worth the digital paper I typed it on.

[Dinah]

First of all, I know absolutely nothing about technology, aeronautics, astrophysics, etc. but this seems to be a bit of a stretch to me. I'm not sure that the ships would just have to be reinforced; they might have to be completely redesigned. This would be like saying that they've increased the speed of the stealth bomber or the fastest fighter plane today and now they're going to take all those outdated engines and put them in old UPS planes or old DC-10s, not because they're compatible with the structural integrity of the plane, but just because they're lying around catching dust and making the old planes go faster sounds like a really great idea. How special will Enterprise and Columbia be -- flagships of your fleet -- when your freighters are almost as fast as they are?

I would think that a bump up to warp 3 would have Paul feeling a whole lot better about things. All of those warp 5 engines are probably going into ships like the Intrepid or the Shenandoah which previously could do only warp 3 or warp 4. The obsolete engines from Intrepid et al., are probably what's going to get passed down to the Horizon.

[pookha]

maybe up to warp 3. i think there was a line in fortunate son about upgrading some of the older freighters to that.
remember horizon is old. her engine was built by cochrane himself.

so you are killing off trip so soon.
well, for me the thing so contradicts pegasus i cant take it seriously.
and if you were i could still think of why trip would want to fake his deatth beyond what the relaunch says.

but whatever..

[JadziaKathryn]

Well, science and what warp factor would work isn't really my strong point, but I like the exchange idea and how Starfleet compromises with the Boomer ships. It works for me!

[Distracted]

Okay, warp 3 it is.

Pookha, I didn't "kill off Trip". The abomination is canon, whether we like to admit it or not. In my finale fix I chose to be original. Unlike EVERYONE ELSE, I didn't assume that Trip faked his own death. At this point, any new story variant of "Trip fakes his death" is derivative and unoriginal, IMO. Not only that, but I've ALREADY WRITTEN my finale fix. I wrote it last year, prior to the release of the relaunch novels when all of us were trying to come up with original ways to continue the story of our favorite couple. In my story "Charlie" I assumed the finale was a holonovel account but that Trip's death was provable and therefore correct... and then I wrote a story about cloning a host for Trip's katra. It's done, but you don't HAVE to consider it part of the series. The series can end when Enterprise goes to war if you want, but I like my solution to the problem. I think it's original and I'm not going to change it just because some people don't like the idea.

Thanks for the pointers about Horizon and her engines. I didn't know she didn't have warp nacelles, Rigil. She already goes warp 1.8. I thought all warp engines had nacelles. What's the difference?

[Rigil Kent]

Unlike EVERYONE ELSE, I didn't assume that Trip faked his own death.

Hey, I don't assume that either. I just ignored the finale and treat it as the anti-Riker propaganda that it clearly is. Because, put simply, that was neither the ENT crew nor Riker from Pegasus that I was watching ... so its clearly nonsense.

Thanks for the pointers about Horizon and her engines. I didn't know she didn't have warp nacelles, Rigil. She already goes warp 1.8. I thought all warp engines had nacelles. What's the difference?

I was in error. She does have two nacelles. See Here for some nice images. I stand by the mass thing, though. The warp 5 engine would just be too big to fit into this tiny little tub.

[blacknblue]

Okay, warp 3 it is.

Pookha, I didn't "kill off Trip". The abomination is canon, whether we like to admit it or not. In my finale fix I chose to be original. Unlike EVERYONE ELSE, I didn't assume that Trip faked his own death. At this point, any new story variant of "Trip fakes his death" is derivative and unoriginal, IMO. Not only that, but I've ALREADY WRITTEN my finale fix. I wrote it last year, prior to the release of the relaunch novels when all of us were trying to come up with original ways to continue the story of our favorite couple. In my story "Charlie" I assumed the finale was a holonovel account but that Trip's death was provable and therefore correct... and then I wrote a story about cloning a host for Trip's katra. It's done, but you don't HAVE to consider it part of the series. The series can end when Enterprise goes to war if you want, but I like my solution to the problem. I think it's original and I'm not going to change it just because some people don't like the idea.

Thanks for the pointers about Horizon and her engines. I didn't know she didn't have warp nacelles, Rigil. She already goes warp 1.8. I thought all warp engines had nacelles. What's the difference?

Um, no offense intended Dis. And I didn't assume he faked his own death either. I used the magic reset button that Rigil hates so vociferously. I postulated that Trip committed suicide by pirate because Elizabeth dying, plus losing T'Pol sapped his will to live and he just didn't give a damn anymore. Then I dragged in Daniels to make it not happen.