THE WRIGHT STUFF

Vol XVIII w No 6 The Official Newsletter of the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk w NCC-1659 Nov / Dec 2007 C O N T E N T S

A VIEW FROM THE CATBIRD SEAT ...... 3 J.R. Fisher MEDICAL REPORT ...... 3 Amy DeJongh VOYAGER - LEGACY ...... 4 Brad McDonald SCIENCE REPORT ...... 6 Elaine Pischke

Volume 18 - Number 6 SECURITY REPORT ...... 7 Spring Brooks is a publication of the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, the COMPUTER OPERATIONS REPORT ...... 8 Raleigh, N.C., chapter of , an John Troan international fan organization. This publication is provided free of charge to A STARSHIP CHRISTMAS ...... 9 all chapter members in good standing. Elaine Pischke Subscriptions for non-members are $12.00 per year (six issues). Please address all corres- UPCOMING EVENTS ...... 10 pondence to CATBIRD Publications, 5017 Glen Forest Dr., Raleigh, N.C. 27612. This publication is a non-profit and is not meant to infringe upon any copyright or trademark held by Paramount Pictures, Gulf & Western, or any other holder of STAR TREK copyrights or trademarks. Unless otherwise noted, ENTIRE CONTENTS ARE COPYRIGHT Ó 2007 CATBIRD Publications, THE WRIGHT STUFF. Nothing in whole or in part may be used without the written permission of the publisher. THE WRIGHT STUFF assumes all material submitted for publication is gratis. The publisher and editors reserve the right to edit all submissions.

Publisher ...... J.R. Fisher Editors ...... Jane Fisher John Troan TOOL BOX: Pentium IV-3.0GHz; HP LaserJet 1200 & DeskJet 722C; Lotus WordPro; Adobe Acrobat. IMAGES - Title Banner Wright Flyer from NASA/Ames PAO photo archive; U.S.S. Kitty Hawk (USN CV-63) from navicp.navy.mil; Constitution class cruiser from gwu.edu/~rljones/khawk. IMAGE - Featured Front Page Computer-generated rendering of the space station after the Dec. 26 docking of the Progress 27 cargo carrier, with 2.5 tons of fresh supplies. From nasa.gov. A View From the Catbird Seat By J.R. Fisher

I would like to thank all STARFLEET's database current. There ØAlastair Browne to Senior Chief Petty of you that were able have been many lapses over the last few Officer to attend our Kitty years. We will be updating everyone's Hawk anniversary files and let you know where you stand on Congratulations to all of the crew dinner at the Kanki on the ship and especially regarding rank receiving promotions at this time. As we Sunday, December and assignments. We ask that every review the records of all of the crew, we 16th. Some of you department head assume their assigned expect more members to be recognized have been away from roles and do their paperwork as well. for their efforts on the ship and in their us for far too long and it was nice to see This means you should each write a communities. Keep up the fine work. you again. report for each newsletter and bring a As we start off a new year, I ask that I especially want to thank Tom report to the meetings. each of you bring your STARFLEET Mukoyama, manager of the Kanki, for In regards to rank, I want to report memberships up to date and provide me hosting us and giving us the discount. the promotion of several of our crew: with your cards. I personally suggest printing out the application/renewal form The food was wonderful and the service ØAlastair Browne to Chief Petty Officer superb as always. We all had a great along with your check so that you have a ØT. Keung Hui to Chief Petty Officer time. record of it. Having our party in December, one ØSally Lanoza to Chief Petty Officer Likewise, this starts our new year on day away from our actual anniversary, ØMatt Mitchum to Senior Chief Petty the Kitty Hawk, and that the crew voted to was nice and parking was not all that Officer (pending OTS conf) continue the current dues structure, that everyone pay their dues in a timely difficult. We may consider trying for that Tom Mukoyama to Master Chief Ø manner. These are the funds we use to time again next year. Petty Officer Our major emphasis for the coming do our charitable work. Anthony Dowling to Crewman year is to get back on track as the civic Ø I wish each and every one of you a group we used to be. In that vein, Meg Officers: very merry Christmas and hope that the new year is the best and happiest one yet. Hale is researching a project for the ØSpring Brooks to Commander coming year to help disadvantaged If you do any traveling, please be extra families both at Christmas and throughout ØJohn Troan to Commander careful. Enjoy you holidays and let's the year. Larry Pischke is investigating ØLarry Pischke to Captain come together in January for a great new the possibility of doing our highway ØElaine Pischke to Captain adventure because you do have the cleanup again. Wright Stuff. Crewmember of the Year: For my part, I am trying to get all of Esse Quam Videri the Kitty Hawk's back paperwork and Medical Report By Amy DeJongh

Are Poinsettia Plants Poisonous? body or kill you, it may lead to nausea Ÿ If the product is not cheap, get in According to the POISINDEX and vomiting in some cases. Since the touch with the manufacturer or retailer information source - the primary resource taste of poinsettia leaves is reportedly and talk about your lead content used by the majority of poison control very unpleasant, it is unlikely that a child concern. centers nationwide - a child who weighed or animal who attempts to eat or chew the Ÿ If paint is peeling off any of the 50 lbs. would have to eat over 500 leaves will continue to do so after the first product's surfaces make sure children poinsettia leaves to reach an even taste. While ingestion of house plants is cannot get to it, as children may potentially toxic dose of compounds in the never a good idea (some popular plants swallow the bits that peel off. poinsettia plant. Doctors at the Children's can be extremely dangerous when eaten) Hospital of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburg parents of young children can be assured Ÿ If you think your child might have Poison Center conducted a review of that the poinsettia plant is not a swallowed something which contains 22,793 reported cases of poinsettia dangerous risk in the home. lead contact a health care professional exposures, the majority (93%) of which immediately. With all the concerns over lead occurred in children, and found that 92% Ÿ If your child has been sucking or containing toys, how can you protect of those exposed did not develop any chewing something which you believe your kids? symptoms at all. Ninety-six per cent of may contain lead, and this has been those exposed were not even treated in a Ÿ If you are not sure about a child's toy happening regularly, contact a health health care facility. Furthermore, no or jewellery item, if you have a care professional and ask for a blood deaths resulting from poinsettia ingestion suspicion, make sure it is out of the test. have ever been documented. reach of children. Above all this holiday season, relax Even though accidental ingestion of Ÿ If it is a cheap product you can discard and enjoy yourself! poinsettia leaves will not damage your it with your normal household waste.

THE WRIGHT STUFF PAGE 3 NOV / DEC 2007 VOYAGER - "Legacy" By Brad McDonald

ACT FIVE on such a risky undertaking. I doors on either side leading to various FADE IN: can do this alone. rooms. EXT. MORNING - NEO JANEWAY JANEWAY WORLD (OPTICAL) I may be responsible for this, so Nobody here? I will share the risks. Looks like The away team transports in to a TUVOK we both bear a bit of deserted alley in the capitol city. Difficult to ascertain, this vault is responsibility, right Tuvok? heavily shielded against scans. I JANEWAY TUVOK suggest a room by room search. Location of that last It would seem so. transmission? The two move carefully room to room (beat) until the fourth. KIM Whenever you are ready. Two-five-five, one hundred JANEWAY Janeway turns to face the rest of the meters. Tuvok, in here! team. JANEWAY JANEWAY ROOM #4 Couldn't we have transported Cover us, then remain here until closer? we signal. If you don't hear from Tapara is on the floor, unconscious, with us, within fifteen minutes, return others nearby. Janeway taps her comm TUVOK to the ship, and leave this sector. badge. Sensors show that this is one of the few places of concealment in Kim begins to protest. JANEWAY an otherwise open area. Doctor? I need your services. JANEWAY Bring the others and be careful. JANEWAY Those are orders, understood? Are the T'ka in this area? TUVOK KIM Most of these people are dead. SEVEN Aye, Sir. No. The ones we talked with, are Janeway goes to Tapara's side as Tuvok Janeway and Tuvok leave, with Seven on the other side of the city. scans her. and Paris taking up support positions. TUVOK TUVOK Our chances of locating Tapara PARK AND OBELISK Several injuries but none without being discovered are serious. However, her breathing We see Tuvok and Janeway running remote. However, if you will all is irregular. It is fortunate we across the open park They arrive at the follow me. discovered her. Obelisk without incident. Janeway looks at the others and nods At Janeway's touch, Tapara wakes up JANEWAY approval, as Tuvok moves out, they all and smiles That was much easier than I follow. thought it would be. TAPARA I knew you'd come. I was trying NEW ANGLE - AWAY TEAM'S P.O.V. TUVOK to get the ancient records... (off ) From the end of the alley, they see a Whatever transpired here, it JANEWAY large park with an obelisk in the center. would seem the combatants Just rest, our doctor is on the Tuvok points to it. There is evidence of have moved on. way. prior conflict with minimal damage. (beat) The rest of the away team arrives and the TUVOK There is an entry located just the doctor immediately attends to Tapara. (off tricorder) other side of the obelisk. Our objective. She should be TAPARA somewhere near the obelisk. NEW ANGLE When I returned from visiting you, I found that Sarn and Tlan Janeway considers what she has heard The two move around the obelisk and find had taken over. Several of my for a moment. an open door. loyal aides got me out of my JANEWAY JANEWAY office and we came here. This is Very well, Tuvok and I will make All clear? the Chambers Of Records. our way across the park, phasers Tuvok nods and moves in, phaser drawn. Janeway looks around, but there is little to on stun. see. TUVOK INT. VAULT ROOM JANEWAY Excuse me Captain, but you're There is a large chamber, poorly lit with (to Doctor) much too valuable to endanger evidence of a recent battle. There are Will she be all right?

THE WRIGHT STUFF PAGE 4 NOV / DEC 2007 DOCTOR TUVOK ON JANEWAY (working) It would appear we waited too JANEWAY If we return to the ship, soon. long to return to the ship. And I was worried about JANEWAY Two more blasts hit and Janeway taps providing the spark. So what I see little reason to remain. Are her comm badge. now? Let me guess, you'll any of the others still alive? exchange us for some of the NEW ANGLE technology that we have. KIM Only two. Shall we beam them From across the park, a group of N.D. AS BEFORE up? UNIFORMED NEO VULCANS approach, led by Tlan. TLAN JANEWAY Very good, Captain. You are Affirmative. Let's all leave before TLAN quite perceptive. Then, there will someone comes back. Stay right where you are! Do not be an unfortunate struggle move! PARIS between you and the T'ka. All We'll need to move out of here, The Neo Vulcans arrive and take the evidence and the 'trouble the shielding is still interfering weapons away from Janeway and the makers' will be eliminated. with signals. others. TAPARA'S VOICE TLAN (o.c. ) EXT. OBELISK AND PARK If you're looking for the Ancient Put your weapons down, Tlan! As the group emerges, there are Neo Records, you're too late. This time, you are surrounded. Vulcans waiting. Paris takes aim, but JANEWAY Tuvok restrains him. NEW ANGLE Actually we found what we TUVOK wanted, Tapara. She is well and We can see a very large number of N.D. They are T'ka members and safe. ARMED NEO VULCAN CITIZENS friends. gathered around. Tapara is in the middle, Tlan stiffens at Janeway words. looking weak but determined holding a NLEN TLAN weapon. We had heard that someone had Impossible! She died here while broken into the Chamber Of TAPARA attempting to take the records. Records, but I didn't expect to Don't make me use this, Tlan. find you. NLEN Your 'coup' is already over. I No, I saw Tapara leave just have contacted loyal citizens all TUVOK before you arrived. Check the over the planet. As we speak, the It was not us. We are here to chamber if you doubt us. military is rejoining the legitimate rescue Tapara and her aides. government. Sarn is already in TLAN Nlen stiffens and raises her weapon. custody. Not necessary. We will soon NLEN control the planet. She can not Tlan and the others give up without a Sarn and Tlan are here?! stop us. fight. Janeway approaches Tapara. TUVOK TUVOK TWO SHOT - TAPARA AND JANEWAY No. They are responsible for the Controlling the planet is quite hostilities. different than controlling the JANEWAY people (to Tapara) The remainder of the away team emerges Are you all right? from the chamber with the wounded NLEN Tapara and the others. Nlen watches as He is right. Already the people TAPARA the group transports out, o.c. Janeway are banding together. Tapara Just a bit weak. You Doctor is approaches. may not have been the best quite remarkable, but I wish he leader, but she was beginning to had a better disposition. He NLEN see the light. became quite impossible when I We thought it was Tapara... The told him I was returning here. military began killing our people TLAN earlier today. Most of us escaped Why do you think we initiated the JANEWAY and many other citizens have coup? Sarn and I have been (amused) joined us. How can we help you? working on it for years. A little So you were monitoring my problem here, a few seeds of signal? JANEWAY dissatisfaction there. Voyager Unnecessary. Is there anything TAPARA and its crew simply provided the we can do for you? Actually, that was Chakotay. He backdrop. When we found out was about to come here when I NLEN Tapara was about to remove us told him it was my responsibility. No, this is our fight. Just care of from power. we activated our He's much nicer than the Doctor. Tapara and -- plan. (beat) A large weapons blast hits the obelisk and I thank you for your assistance sends everyone scrambling for cover. but I'm afraid I can't keep my

THE WRIGHT STUFF PAGE 5 NOV / DEC 2007 promise. Tlan and Sarn encouraged her people to review destroyed all the old records the words of Surak. I trust you while trying to get to me. helped in that respect as well. Science Report Janeway is visibly disappointed at the TUVOK By Elaine Pischke news. Her thoughts are interrupted by an I downloaded the entire works of argument behind her. Surak. Nlen has promised they We all know about alternative will be distributed to those who energy sources. Wind, solar, AS BEFORE wish it. It would be interesting to return in another millennia to see geothermal, photoelectric cells, any Nlen has stepped between an armed T'ka what has transpired. number of ideas that are supposed to and Tlan. JANEWAY help us reduce our need for T'KA #1 In any case, you have an petroleum. But did you know that Step aside Nlen. He must pay for amazing story to tell your people what he has done. algae is 50% oil? Scientists around when you get back home. the world are racing to find a way to TUVOK Imagine, a lost group of Vulcans That is unnecessary. He has lost so far from home, and they didn't extract that oil economically. and is powerless. Would you kill turn out to be . Chevron and the U.S. Department of an unarmed person? TUVOK Energy are interested. Besides NLEN Nor do I think they will. What having a much higher oil content than Tuvok is right. Remember the about the Prime Directive? other crops used for biofuels, it will be words of Surak. We must treat JANEWAY easier to grow. An acre of corn all on our world as brothers and If Ambassador Spock can use sisters. Our peace is their peace produces 20 gallons of oil a year. An logic to justify what he's done on as well. acre of algae could produce 15,000 Romulus... Tuvok is impressed by Nlen's words and gallons of oil per year. And it can be TUVOK actions; T'ka #1 lowers his weapon. harvested from sea water. Another Perhaps you're right. TUVOK advantage to algae oil is that algae JANEWAY Quite right. It would seem that can be grown near sewage treatment I do have a question for you, my lessons have' already begun though. I have heard of Surak's plants where it can feed on the to bear some fruit. teachings, but not the actual nitrates found there and absorb the SPACE - VOYAGER AND NEO VULCAN lessons. Do you think you could carbon dioxide that is a pollutant from PLANET (OPTICAL) be a teacher, again? the treatment process. Don’t look for Voyager is leaving orbit and headed to TUVOK it at the pump anytime soon, but in open space. I would be honored Captain. ten years time we could all be putting When would you like to begin? JANEWAY'S READY ROOM algae oil in our tanks. JANEWAY For those interested in Janeway and Tuvok are engaged in Since we failed to find the informal conversation. Janeway is sipping wormhole, we appear to have the conventions within driving distance, on a cup of tea. time. Tea? here is a link to SheVaCon in Roanoke, Virginia. http://www. JANEWAY Janeway rises to get a refill and indicates So, another very long day. We her cup. shevacon.org coming up in February. don't get to go home, again. But Word is that Ray Parks (Darth Maul) TUVOK I did manage to keep you Thank you, yes. Earl Grey, very is in negotiations to come, but needs aboard. So I suppose it's not a hot. a guaranteed number of autographs total loss. Janeway reaches the food sold to commit, so anyone interested TUVOK should contact the con and let them I felt my presence was not JANEWAY entirely necessary. It would Earl Grey, very hot. know. Another Star Wars guest is seem that the words of Surak (to Tuvok) also in negotiations, but my source explain themselves. So where do we begin? was not at liberty to release the JANEWAY TUVOK name. I think you're being a bit hard on It all began over two millennia yourself. After all, the number of ago. Vulcan had experienced a TUVOK casualties was remarkably low. series of bloody and particularly As I was saying, another major Nlen was deeply affected by your devastating wars, and another war was about to begin... lessons. Perhaps you did more was about to begin. FADE OUT. good than you realize. You Janeway returns and hands Tuvok his tea words moved Tapara as well. END ACT FIVE and sits down. Because of you, she has THE END

THE WRIGHT STUFF PAGE 6 NOV / DEC 2007 Security Report By Spring Brooks

The Kitty Hawk Security Team is Ÿ In his book Ranting Again, Ÿ In the freeware computer game looking for a few good people for an comedian Dennis Miller comments Adventures in the Galaxy of exciting career. This article was lifted that his movie roles mirror the Fantabulous Wonderment by Ben from Wikipedia. redshirts: "Every movie I'm in, I get "Yahtzee" Croshaw, redshirts are a A redshirt is a stock character, killed halfway through. I'm like the commodity and are central to the used frequently in science fiction but guy on Star Trek in the red shirt." gameplay. The player must earn also in other genres, whose purpose Ÿ In the original Star Trek: Voyager money by trading in order to buy is to die soon after being introduced, Elite Force, the default multi-player enough redshirts and then use thus indicating the dangerous name for the player is "RedShirt." them to complete missions, usually circumstances faced by the main In multi-player matches, the player with unavoidable demises at the characters. The term comes from the who dies the most is given the end. science fiction television series Star "Red Shirt Award." In the single Ÿ In the webcomic Schlock Trek, in which security officers wear player campaign, if the player dies Mercenary, a character named red shirts and are often killed on in a fire fight, the message "What John Der Trihs (words "red shirt" in missions under the aforementioned color shirt were you wearing?" reverse) is seriously wounded on a circumstances. appears. The player's character regular basis. In the original 1966 Star Trek always wears a red shirt. series, security officers, who wear Ÿ In the Game Boy Advance video red, meet tragic ends in many Ÿ The Xbox 360 version of the game Sigma Star Saga, protagonist episodes. Typically, a landing party computer game Star Trek: Legacy Ian Recker, upon being assigned includes at least one red-shirted has the "Anonymous Red-Shirt his first mission by Commander security officer who is dead soon after Award" achievement awarded when Bloss of the Krill, remarks "Just call the mission begins. the player is the first to die in a me Ensign Expendable." In the Pocket Books Star Trek four-player multi-player game. Five Ÿ The song "He's Dead Jim" from novel Killing Time, a time-tampering gamerscore points are given when M.O.D.'s album Loved by plot twist turns Captain James T. Kirk this is achieved and the unlocked Thousands, Hated by Millions is into an ensign. While he is dressing description notes: "You have no completely about being a redshirt. for duty, a fellow crew member says, name. You wear red. You're Ÿ In Gears of War, two soldiers are "Let's just say that on this ship — or expendable." violently killed in Act 1 of the game. probably any other — you don't want During Comedy Central's roast of Ÿ The first, Pvt. Carmine, is shot in to wear a red shirt on landing-party William Shatner, Shatner calls duty." the head by a sniper (carmine is a Greg Giraldo a faceless drone, and shade of deep red similar to the Examples: says that: "If this were an episode color used in the Star Trek security of Star Trek, you'd be wearing a Ÿ In the South Park episode "City on uniforms). Another Gear is ripped red shirt, and would have been apart by a Berserker shortly the Edge of Forever" a kid wearing killed by now." a Star Trek red-shirt tries to leave afterwards; he is identified as In Kim Possible episode the school bus and is killed by a Ÿ "Redshirt Gyules" in the credits - gigantic black monster (voiced by "Dimension Twist", when Kim is Gyules is presumably derived from Henry Winkler). temporarily sent to a Star "gules", the heraldic term for red. Trek-esque TV show and given a Ÿ In Kill-team, an optional skirmish Ÿ In the video game Quest for Glory red uniform, the captain tells her V: Dragon Fire, a non-player variant for the Warhammer 40,000 she's expendable and sends her on tabletop game, the player can character called Kokeeno an away mission. Pookameeso is the first to be killed. choose an option called "Redshirt" Kokkino poukamiso is Greek for Ÿ The volunteer security services at in which an extra model is used as red shirt. Polaris, a Canadian sci-fi an addition to the team. The convention, have worn red shirts upgrade describes how "[t]he Ÿ In the Stargate SG-1 episode "The with a bulls eye on the back. Kill-team has been lumbered with Other Guys," aboard an enemy an extra member against their vessel when the main characters of Ÿ In the computer game Space Quest V: The Next Mutation, when Roger wishes, and it's entirely possible that episode come under attack, that this inexperienced rookie will Coombs turns to Felger and says, Wilco and Droole beam down to a sinister decimated settlement, get himself killed in a gory and "Oh come on Felger, we might as spectacular way at the first well be wearing red shirts" Droole insists on splitting up because Roger is wearing a red opportunity". shirt.

THE WRIGHT STUFF PAGE 7 NOV / DEC 2007 Ÿ In the Futurama episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before", the Computer Operations Report Planet Express team lands on a By John Troan forbidden planet with a Star Trek convention. They encounter the As yet another year finishes, life and lots of training ahead of time -- to lost cast members of Star Trek, is getting busy. It seems that we swap-out the bad parts. We'll find out including a previously-unknown always have some project at work more as the engineers on the ground "Welshie", who wears a Red Shirt that needs to be done during the go through everything and determine and is killed by Melllvar, the holidays. It's been like that for six how to do the fix. Until the problem is self-proclaimed Ultimate Star Trek fan. years running and this year is no fixed, the available power will be exception -- five intertwined projects limited for the Japanese lab module, Ÿ In the Family Guy episode "I Never that all need to be done. The due up during the next three Met the Dead Man", Captain Kirk challenge is the short schedule that's launches. announced that the landing party to a planet would consist of himself, been handed to us. Also slated for 2008 is the Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy and a This year has been mostly delivery of the fourth set of solar certain Ensign Ricky wearing a treading water in Comp Ops. The two panels, but that schedule is now very redshirt, to which the ensign public-access servers have both had much subject to being changed. It'll interjects "Ah, crap!". As a result of problems that caused them to be depend on what repairs need to be this episode, the term "Ensign down, but (so far) not at the same done and which shuttle mission they'll Ricky" has caught on as another time. I'm currently running solely on be scheduled for. generic term for redshirts. the just-rebuilt backup server while Ares I work is progressing around Ÿ In the computer game Uplink the the primary undergoes its own the country. The final major hardware developers deliberately hid easter complete rebuild. (I'm glad the timing contract was awarded in December. eggs of various kinds for hackers. worked out well on this one.) There Now it's just a matter of letting the To get to a group of them one had will be another system upgrade design, build, and test activities run to 'break' a very basic encryption (a sometime in 2008, but I haven't quite their courses. At Stennis Space bytewise 128 rotation). This figured out when I want to tackle that. Center, the A-1 test stand has gone encryption algorithm was dubbed In NASA news, engineers are through its first engine testing for the 'red-shirt-code' by developers and working on the external tank to fix the Ares I. community, as it was meant to fall first. sensor problem that scrubbed The Michoud Assembly Facility, (canceled) the latest shuttle flight. just outside of New Orleans, will Ÿ In the Comedy Central show Lil The problem has occurred before, but continue its work on the Bush, Lil' George makes a new not in a long while. Based on some Lockheed-made tanks. For Ares I, it's friend at camp he names "Red Shirt." The character ends up killed testing done last week, they've the Stage 2 hardware, including by terrorists from a rival camp by determined that it's a set of putting all the parts for it together and the episode's end. connectors that pass the sensor shipping it out to Florida. Both liquid signals through the ET shell. As a stages of the Ares V will also be Ÿ In the Robot Chicken episode "The Munnery," a redshirt was stranded result of the problem, testing, and made there. on a planet and was chosen to be fixing, this mission has been delayed. In Florida, work has started on eaten first so that the others could (The most recent target of Jan. 10 Pad 39B to get it ready for Ares I survive. However, this redshirt had has also been nixed while the tank is launches. The first task is to build the foresight to bring a phaser and fixed.). This gives plenty of time to new lighting towers around the kills all the others, eating them. do the work -- and gives everyone a concrete pad area. The shuttle-era Ÿ On the Eureka (TV series on SciFi chance to spend some time with their gantry structure will remain in place Channel), during the episode families during the holidays. When through most of the year, in case the "House Rules", one of the this mission does eventually launch, pad is needed for one last shuttle characters, a non-recurring, it'll carry the European research launch. Pad 39A will start its changes red-shirt wearing, pizza-delivery module Columbus to the station. after the last shuttle launch in 2010. guy, promptly gets vaporized by an At the station, the crew did a NASA has announced that "Altair" angered domicile. spacewalk as the first step to figure will be the name for Constellation's out why the starboard solar arrays are lunar landers. In a change from having problems when they turn and Apollo, Altair will launch on its own rotate. They solved half the problem Ares V vehicle into Earth orbit before (turning), but the bigger problem is the capsule launches and docks likely to require a shuttle mission -- before heading to the moon.

THE WRIGHT STUFF PAGE 8 NOV / DEC 2007 A Starship Christmas By Elaine Pischke

It's a starship Christmas, what a beautiful sight; Ten-Forward is decked out in holly and light. Guinan serves egg nog and a nice synthehol toddy while Riker (as Santa) sorts out the nice from the naughty.

Humans place presents under a tall tree while aliens silently wonder about our sanity The replicators are as busy as Santa's elves trying to restock the supply room shelves.

It's snowing like crazy in one, and everyone wants to join in the fun. A snowball fight broke out in there for a while, and Deanna insists she saw Worf crack a smile.

Beverly directs another holiday show, a Christmas time classic that we all know. Data plays Cratchitt, Alexander Tiny Tim, and Picard plays Ebenezer Scrooge, on a whim.

Geordi waits patiently under the mistletoe for a pretty young lady who'll want to, well, you know. And, just because it's Christmas, one lovely young miss walks up and gives Geordi a great big kiss.

There's peace in the galaxy, at least for one night; Even doesn't feel like picking a fight. So from Mystery and Spot - a wish for good cheer, Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year.

THE WRIGHT STUFF PAGE 9 NOV / DEC 2007 Upcoming Events

Jan 6 4 p.m. Ship Meeting, Fisher Home

Feb TBD 4 p.m. Ship Meeting, Fisher Home TBD Festival @ UNC-TV

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK YOUR STARFLEET STATUS

THE WRIGHT STUFF U.S.S. KITTY HAWK P.O. BOX 52112 RALEIGH NC 27612-2112

THE WRIGHT STUFF PAGE 10 NOV / DEC 2007