The Portland Pulse - March 1, 2392

March 1, 2392

Note:  This issue of the Portland Pulse is dedicated to the memory of Leonard Nimoy. As Mr. Spock, he had touched us all and was a huge figure in this universe that we all know and share. Sadly, a couple short days ago, he embarked on a journey beyond the final frontier, to the undiscovered country. Godspeed.

Ambassador Spock Found Dead
Clark Kent


The entire quadrant is in mourning as last night, Ambassador Spock was found dead in his home on Vulcan at the tender age of 161. A towering figure in Starfleet, he played a major role in numerous important historical events, including the Sherman’s Planet Incident, the probe incursion of 2286, and the Khitomer Accords.

Spock had served honourably in Starfleet, most prominently as the Chief Science Officer and First Officer of the USS Enterprise. In 2285, Spock gave his life to save the Enterprise and her crew, but was reborn shortly afterwards in the aftermath of the Genesis explosion. Later, he applied his brilliance in the diplomatic arena, following in his father’s footsteps to serve as a Federation ambassador.

“Today, the entire known galaxy is in mourning,” said Federation President Kellessar zh’Tharash. “Ambassador Spock was the sort of figure that one might see once in a century – no, once in a millennium. We have suffered a major loss today.”

Condolences flowed from beyond the Federation as well. Chancellor Martok of the Klingon High Council issued a statement, praising Spock as “an honourable warrior” and “an architect of peace.” In an official communique to Starfleet, he noted that “Ambassador Spock’s foresight saved the Klingon Empire from collapse. For that, we salute him.”

In accordance with his wishes, a small, private ceremony is being held on Vulcan. President zh’Tharash has declared a Federation-wide day of mourning, and ceremonies will be held on dozens of worlds, honouring his memory.


Bajoran Apocalypse Imminent?
Paddy Glynn


An emergency meeting of the Council of Vedeks was held today on Bajor, with Vedeks from the entire Bajoran system in attendance. While the Vedeks remain cloistered in their council chambers and the subject matter of the meeting remains classified, a number of rumours have already surfaced, mostly connecting theTolic Shards, Gamia III, and Captain Alenis of the USS Portland.

“It’s the apocalypse!” proclaimed a shopkeeper in the jewel district of Hathon as he packed up his belongings. “Kosst Amojan will return! We’re all doomed!”

All Bajoran military units have been placed on high alert. The Federation News Service will continue to monitor the situation as it develops.


Chief Morale Officer’s Report
Acting Ensign Ko-ko


We had 37 posts this month, slightly down from last month. However, we also have a number of posts in the JP workshop, so I suspect we’ll beat that number this month. Of course, the numbers only tell half the story, and in the past month, we’ve advanced the plot towards an awesome conclusion.

The main success has to be the Lower Decks forum. We have a couple cool stories unfolding there, the Rigel Cup of 2390 and an incursion into the mirror universe. It is wonderful to see the Lower Decks being used like this, the way they were intended.

We also welcomed aboard our new Chief Operations Officer, Lieutenant (J.G.) Luka Mahone. All players are encouraged to give Lieutenant Mahone a warm welcome, and to shower him with JP offers.


Better Know A Player - Sera Williams

For the third installment of our hopefully long-running series “better know a player,” we’re getting to know the player behind Sera Williams, the Assistant Chief Engineering Officer of the USS Portland.

Q: Tell us a little about the player behind Sera.

A: My real name is Sean. I work in GIS mapping, and I'm from the U.S. I love movies, games, and spending time with the kids.

Q: How did you get into Star Trek?

A: TNG started before I was one and my parents loved Star Trek. I grew up watching TNG and reruns of the original movies. I then watched DS9, Voyager and Enterprise. So, I was born into it.

Q: And how about Simming? How did you find simming, and how did you find your way to our little corner of the simming universe?

A: In college I found a browser based Star Wars (evil I know) game that relied heavily on RPing on each of its factions own forums for fun. I found the Portland by complete accident, Google found OF and I liked the Miranda class that had an open position.

Q: What is your favorite part about simming?

A: I love seeing a story come together and the character development that happens in simming. I also enjoy the connection to the other players.

Q: Tell me about Sera. What makes her tick, and how did you come up with the character?

A: Because this is my first character I've had, I wanted my first character to be naive and embody the idealistic side of Starfleet. That way I would force myself to learn when and how a character should change how to fit in. What makes Sera tick is the no-win scenario or being confronted with something 'evil.'

Q: And what about mirror Sera, aka Tamara? What is she like?

A: She is Sera's opposite. She is aggressive, wild, and dirty. Tamara is what Sera fears.


Q: Aside from Sera, what characters do you play?

A: I sort of jumped in after being here:
- William Lynch, Chief Tactical on the Endeavor
- Christopher Taylor, Chief of Operations on the Asphodel
- Carissa Rion, CO of the Wolff

Q: Tell us a little more about these three characters. What are William, Christopher, and Carissa like?

A: William Lynch is a complicated guy. On the outside he will seem almost cocky and overconfident, but really he's torn by his past and really has a good heart.

Q: One interesting thing we have on the go right now is our Rigel Cup prequel of sorts. How did you come up with the idea for this? Do you have any more plans that you're willing to share with us?

A: The idea came from the TNG episode "The First Duty." My original thought was to have a few small posts to give some background on Sera's past, but it grew and is almost a mini-mission now. As for more plans for the Portland, with the MU trip, the Rigel Cup, and the main mission I think it's getting pretty busy. Once we finish a few of them I may have some ideas.

Q: You've recently become CO in Obsidian Fleet. What made you decide to take on the center chair?

A: Power mainly. Really, it was because I wanted to do something that was my own. I wanted to be my own Kirk/Picard/Sisko/Janeway.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your new ship, the USS Wolff? Do you have any plans for missions and themes yet?

A: My first mission will be a shakedown cruise that turns into a Prime Directive conflict. We will be running a skeleton crew(explains why not all officers will be aboard) to test the engines, then get called on a mission to recover some technology that winds up on a primitive world.

Q: You put a lot of thought into choosing a class for your ship. Can you explain why you decided on the Luna Class?

A: I first wanted an Excelsior or Cheyenne. Then I thought about the the two. The Excelsior would be too big for me while the 47A already had a for nacelled beast. Then I chose the Luna because it can do any type of mission from Combat to Science. It could also accommodate side missions galore because it is a technological speed demon. I felt like the Luna could really explore and give its missions a 'Star Trek' feel.

Q: Last Question - we just have to know - what is your favorite Star Trek series, movie, and captain?

A: Series is TNG, movie is either Wrath of Khan or Undiscovered Country, and Captain is Sisko but Kirk is 1b.

Thank you for your answers, and consider yourself Better Known!

Quotes of the Month

“Awwww, Ko-ko.” Luring the bird out onto her desk, she petted her gently. “I know I’m not the real Meru, but let’s be friends anyways.”
-Alenis Meru

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"Wait," Tim suddenly said. "Do we have permission to fire?
"You’re kidding me right," Judith said in shock. “Now you're thinking about permission?”
-Timothy & Judith Rouse

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"Why didn't you shoot when I hit him?"
"I didn't believe it was a prudent action to take."
-Parker Hudson and Jason Beauvoir

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“What does it mean?”
“Armageddon.”
-Vinn Orona & Vedek Aara

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“…soon the pah-wraiths will be free, and you, my child will be bestowed with the greatest honour of all. It is as it has been told in the prophecies. It is you who will be a vessel for Kosst Amojan, liberator of the Pah-Wraiths. It is you who will reconstitute the Orb of the Pah-Wraiths, freeing their spirits from the purgatory of the fire caves! It is you who will lead them into the heavens, into the celestial temple, for the final conflict!”
-Kai Sellra

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"As you are surely aware of my name is Captain Andrew Rouse. Commanding Officer of the ISS Portland."
-Andrew Rouse

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"True, but part of life is change. Often it's difficult, sometimes even painful… but if change wasn't difficult, it wouldn't be worth it."
-Coln Jena