Answer any TWO of the scenarios postulated in part 5 of Question Two. You may NOT answer your own scenario.
quote:Originally posted by Paladin: The question of whether or not we are alone in the universe was answered one night for an inventive Zemch youth who broadcasted a signal into the night sky and then several days later heard a response. A merchant ship had picked up the signal and mistaking it�s origin for a second merchant ship, responded back. This wouldn�t have been so bad had they only responded once, but thinking the other ship rude they called again and again. On Zemch the youth informed the authorities who have now heard the merchant ships crass communiqu�s and have now begun a government organization to find the source of the �Great Out There Messages�. How do you contain this and prevent future contamination?
There's nothing that really could be done to "contain" this "contamination." In a roundabout way, it's ALMOST a natural development, in that someone on the Zemch developed the ability to send and receive subspace communications. They would've naturally been able to pick up all the subspace comms traffic flying about.
However, this DOES mean we have to step up our plan for making official First Contact with the Zemch. By this I mean preparations and intelligence-gathering, not the actual deal yet. The Dakota would be reassigned to a long-term observation mission in the Zemch system, to get more of a feel for their culture, and specifically, their reactions to this "Great Out There Message." To go into more detail, more info about their governmental structures (assuming there's not a unified global authority yet) would be needed, and some sort of contingency emergency contact plan should be developed in case some kind of unforeseen incident occurs and contact needs to be made before everything's ready. Barring that, it'll still be years, perhaps even decades, before any official contact takes place. Also, standing protocols should be developed to inform civilian ships traveling in the vicinity of the
To break off on a philosophical tangent, I wonder if the Federation's policy (inherited from the Vulcans) concerning the development of warp drive as the definitive point where First Contact can be made is really the wisest course of action. Certainly in the case of Earth, the Vulcans didn't have any long-term surveillance established (aside from spotty short-term checkups), so they just popped over the instant they realized we could travel to other stars. Certainly, once warp drive is established, it's then inevitable that the newly-starfaring race will encounter other species. But the critical question for any First Contact is not whether they're capable of traveling to other stars, but instead whether their culture is ready to absorb the existence of other inhabited worlds.
I would argue that the case could be made moot by the development of subspace communications before warp drive. With subspace communications � or even short-range (i.e. 5-20 light-year) RF transmissions � there's still the unequivocal knowledge that life Out There does in fact exist. Certainly, it remains to be seen how the Zemch will absorb this information, and this kind of development is probably best taken in small steps. (I refer readers to the late 20th century human scientist and author Carl Sagan's s strangely prescient fantasy novel, Contact, for more insight into this theory.)
I guess what I'm saying is, perhaps the Prime Directive needs to broaden its criteria slightly. Make the whole event of "First Contact" into a little more of a gradual affair, focused more on a society's interest and awareness in the universe beyond their world (and their capacity to listen/explore/observe it, obviously) rather than the act of a successful warp drive test on its own. Dare I mention the Malcorians, for example?
quote:Originally posted by Timo: A Kaelon science vessel docks at SB 403, with a delegation led by a Dr Rtsonaman insisting on seeing you. The Doctor's somewhat controversial research has indicated that one of the Zemch reservate stars is on the brink of destruction, and will provide the ideal testing grounds for a technique that could save the Kaelon home star from a similar fate. If Rtsonaman is allowed to proceed, the Zemch star will require several decades of careful husbandry lest it go wild and wreak havoc in that system, potentially in the neighboring ones as well. If not, he predicts the star will explode anyway within the next 300 years, and will be worthless for the Zemch. Rtsonaman may be a kook, but he has political backing - the Kaelon membership in the UFP (not to mention the survival of the Kaelon species) may depend on this experiment. Rtsonaman wants to start right now - and reveals that he has already sent a reconnaissance team to the system to prod the star.
With all due respect to the good doctor, the star system may be uninhabited, but that doesn't mean it's ours to do with as we please. A Prime Directive Trusteeship means exactly that... it's held in trust for those to whom it actually belongs (whether they realize it or not). Besides, regardless of whether the star will explode or not, he's forgotten to consider the effects of the stellar explosion's shockwave... the one that would effectively irradiate and sterilize many planets within a radius of several dozen light-years. Some planets may be able to protect themselves with advanced technology (or so I presume, or supernovae would be considered a much more dire threat than they've been treated in most of Trek), but what about planets like Zemch or Semma? I refuse to sacrifice one potential (eventual) Federation member in favor of another. At this time, the possible threat to the Kaelons is still relatively low, and they have time to continue their research elsewhere.
Therefore, I'd dispatch the Proteus to intercept Doctor Whatshisname's ship for intruding on a Federation restricted area � specifically, the Zemch Trusteeship Zone, into which all civilian traffic is forbidden. (I haven't read Prime Directive, so I'm making this part up, but IMO it's perfectly reasonable, to avoid situations like emergency crash landings and the like.)
== Part 2 ==
The new information does not change the situation a whole lot, unfortunately. I will conduct discreet inquiries to see what the attitudes of the Dorzan rebels are towards the Federation. If they're favorable, I can use the Federation's leverage as a mediator, plus our own moral and diplomatic support for their cause. However, I will remain in contact with the Dorzan government, and if it seems like the discussions with the rebels can proceed, I will at the very least inform them of the basic events, but also stress that we have no interest in supporting violence or bloodshed, and especially not any violent overthrow of their system. The Federation stands for progress and change, but not VIOLENT change, because that's not considered progress. I will make the same thing clear to the rebels, as well.
All this will hopefully allow me to establish a dialogue towards ending the standoff and creating some kind of workable compromise, or at the least getting the ball rolling on gradual change.
Should diplomacy fail, however, I will explore options for some kind of low-impact special operations mission, with the sole goal of extracting all Federation citizens. We can assume that the rebels have some kind of shielding capabilities, but our advanced sensors should at least be able to locate the various Federation citizens for some kind of quiet infiltration. Of course, rapid beamouts would be greatly preferred! However, this mission would be dependent on an absolute minimum � i.e. zero � impact on the rebels' defensive fortifications and a major condition would be zero casualties. This assumes that the Federation citizens are in harm's way, but are not being actively sought or already held hostage by the rebels.
Should there be a direct threat to the rebels, however, most bets would be off. A special ops mission would be cleared with a minimum of necessary force, and one of the goals would be to avoid doing the Dorzan government's job for them (i.e. blowing up shield generators and destroying defenses for an incursion), but I will not allow innocent Federation civilians to be used as bargaining chips for any internal conflict. That immediately would make them de facto enemies of the Federation, regardless of any other issues. (I'd make it clear to the Dorzan government, though, that their repressive policies didn't help the matter, though, and I'd continue pressure on that front.)
To effect all this, the Proteus would be assigned to the operation, with Runnymede in a support role.
== Part 3 ==
Meh. I certainly have an interest in learning about the Semman ships, so I would be interested in making some sort of trade. However, I will certainly never agree to accept the information in exchange for some unknown favor to be returned in the future. Who knows what that could lead to? (Something like the mysterious disappearance of every copy of the ancient Earth television series Robots in Disguise from every historical archive, I'd bet. No one's ever figured out why they were suddenly replaced by images of some armored guy yelling "BWAHAHAHAHAHA!") So, I'd be willing to make some sort of reasonable exchange with immediate payment, and be done with it.
The reasoning is simple... the Federation needs information about the Semmans, and given the apparent incompetence of this civilian crew, I'd be willing to bet that the Semmans knew they were being scanned, and just didn't care. They seem like a decent bunch, just not interested in much contact. And at the very least, what they don't know can't hurt them. It's not like we're going to use this information to launch a major planetary invasion anyway, right?
== Part 4 ==
First, I'd want to know exactly how long the Zemch Trusteeship Zone (ZTZ) has been in effect. (Shik, can you tell us?) I'm guessing it's been around for about fifty to eighty years, based on the dates of First Contact with Dorza (80 years) and Semma (120 years). Therefore, the ZTZ is well established and will easily predate any supposed Gorn claims. If they do claim any previous right to the systems, those claims are quite obviously either unenforced or unenforceable, and in either case effectively abandoned.
Furthermore, a trusteeship is legally an extension of Federation territory, held in express reserve to be freely released for use of the trustee culture � in this case the Zemch, and the Zemch only. In effect, it's a protectorate � with the key difference being that there is no governmental or bureaucratic interference; the Federation's sole role is as guardian to keep others away from those systems until the Zemch can claim the territory for themselves.
Therefore, I will head out to the ZTZ with most of my fleet: the Heracles (Akira), the Bayreuth (Saber), the Antietam (Defiant), and the Paladin (Intrepid). The goal will be the protection and enforcement of the ZTZ against possible incursion, with the same vigilance as protecting any Federation home territory. (After all, how different would things have been if the planets that eventually became the thriving billion-person settlements of Alpha Centauri, Tau Ceti, Terra Nova, and Deneva were all occupied by the Vulcans, or the Klingons, centuries before we made it into space? Every race deserves some breathing room to expand on their own.)
However, I will still be happy to recognize the Gorn claim to the star designated AJ-946, which is also perfectly habitable and not within the ZTZ. I will "politely" offer to escort them away from the ZTZ and offer any assistance necessary, as well as establish direct relations concerning activities in the sector. I certainly won't take an aggressive stance with the Gorn, but I will remain firm.
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Shik
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Nice maps as usual, sir. I will also stipulate to your time assessment of the ZTZ's existence.
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Speaking of nice maps, I'll just take this opportunity to post an evil teaser... With Mark's permission, once we are done here in Dorza Sector (no rush of course, Shik!), we will be returning to that most infamous of sectors. That's right:
However, as I've already told Mark, I will only start posting this once he has finally finished with Sector Gamma as well! [insert evil grin here]
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Shik
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So bascially, we're never getting there.
I've already planned out my next one as well...but no reason we can't have multiples!
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Well, Mark was enthusiastic about my idea to return to Sector Beta, so I decided to try a little carrot-and-stick enticement...
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I never promised to finish Gamma - too busy to think ahead that far. I've got the general outline for what is SUPPOSED to happen there, but I don't see myself able to sit down and actuall write the rest of the scneario out first before posting, which is the only way I would like to do it. OTOH, I'd be willing to pass this outline onto someone who would like to finish it for me...
I love this concept, and I dearly want to return to it - but Gamma is likely not to be finished by me. So you guys, you just go crazy.
Renaissance-class USS Hornet Sabre-class USS Battleaxe Defiant-class USS Superb (with engine trouble) Miranda-class USS Runnymede Nova-class USS Quasar Oberth-class USS Feynman Istanbul-class USS Sofia Danube-class USS Yalu Danube-class USS Amur Danube-class USS Aisne
3.a.(i) For Paladin181�s question, it appears that the Zemch have gone a somewhat different route in their technology, acquiring a subspace communications breakthrough before warp technology. From the repeated messages received, they are now convinced that there is intelligent life in the universe, and the government organization creation confirms that they have been significantly affected. If they seem to be an overall stable species (a Danube can be assigned with a team to collect information quickly), it is probably time to initiate contact with them (though this would be finally decided by upper-level admirals, I would recommend yes if they are stable). Perhaps there is precedent for this if a species discovered spectra of another planet with altered atmosphere? At any rate, if they have a government organization and a subspace breakthrough, it is probably time to significantly revise estimates of when they will have warp drive (they might now get it by the time the paperwork is done).
(ii) For Tim�s question, the answer would be absolutely not! If the entire sector is 20 cubic light years, then those stars in the Zemch system are really close (even assuming you mean each side is 20 light years in the first post � was this already mentioned?). That means that if the Rtsonamans even damage, much less destroy, the star, things will get very irradiated in Zemch-land quite soon. It seems that their research isn�t solid enough to confirm that the star will remain in good condition. However, perhaps a greater research effort could be put into these decaying stars, since in 300 years, the star exploding would affect the Zemch homeworld and other stars in the area too.
3.b. Though this is an internal matter, the Federation should strongly suggest that negotiations between the parties be initiated (an attack when other options might exist would not be looked upon kindly when considering Federation membership). Meanwhile, the Federation citizens must be evacuated, even if it means a full-scale raid (the prime directive no longer applies if the Federations citizens are hostages). The Sofia with a complement of security forces from the starbase can handle this situation. If possible, perhaps and agreement can be reached allowing the evacuation of all willing colonists (the rebels might be content with holding an important piece of the economy hostage).
3.c. Why did the captain take scans of the vessel without mentioning it in his report? This warrants a full investigation. Meanwhile, after waiting for the crewmembers drunkenness to pass, we can inform him that it would be wise to turn over the information, lest his captain learn that he offered the scans. Of course, his captain might have told him to offer them in the first place. There are many possibilities, so hopefully the investigation will uncover more specifics. If the crewman is willing to offer the scans, the most he could expect is perhaps a favor of our choosing sometime in the future. Barring any kind of tricky business, I doubt a few low-quality scans are very valuable, though, so not much would be offered.
3.d. Uh oh, maybe I should have taken more ships� At any rate, negotiations would be pursued with the Gorn. The Federation would be willing to offer other nearby stars suitable for colonization, but not the Zemch zone. As an added bonus, information could be provided about the other star systems from the recent surveys, perhaps making it better for the Gorn to colonize an area in which they have more information about. It would be recommended that high-level negotiations be held between the two governments, and the Gorn colonization postponed until the negotiations are concluded. Nevertheless, the situation might degenerate. All combat capable vessels would be ordered to the area (all but the the Sofia , the Feynman , and two Danubes, which have other duties or are too far away) and set to red alert on contact with the Gorn. The Superb would take awhile to meet the Gorn, so the concentration point would have to be in the Zemch trusteeship itself. If the Gorn begin colonization operations after a final warning on arrival at their destination, then the Federation would have no choice but to attack. A sudden strike would be launched targeting the Gorn weapons systems of the battlecruiser with all ships. Then as the battle proceeds, the Federation should be more concerned with destroying the Gorn�s combat capability (weapons and shields) then destroying them completely. However, if the Gorn appear to be fighting to destroy rather then disable the Federation ships, then the Federation would return the favor if tactically advisable. After the initial strike, if the battlecruiser is disabled, it should go fairly quickly. Otherwise (or if the Gorn strike first), the Battleaxe would deal with one of the light cruisers, the Runnymede and Quasar the other, and the Hornet and Superb the battlecruiser. Hopefully the Gorn would withdraw if their primary ship was sufficiently damaged.
quote:Originally posted by Timo: Wait, the rest of the ships arrived already?
Re-read part four of the last question.
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Shik
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Question Four rolls this weekend. You have been warned.
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QUESTION FOUR (three parts)
Both sides in the Dorzan conflict have accepted your offer of Federation mediatorship. Of course, as usual, nothing comes easy. The Dorzan government will not accept anyone over the age of 30 while the rebels refuse to accept a mediator under they age of 45. A brilliant solution came to your mind, but after checking with Starfleet Command it's shot down--there simply are no El-Aurians within a 5-sector radius. The longer you wait, the testier both sides get: the Dorzans are chomping at the bit to send in the clow--er, troops, & the rebels are willing to wait until everyone on the colony is over 40. Both sides respect your command authority but it's evident that you are not the choice to mediate. Solve for x.
The Gorn have been stopped for the moment half a light-year from the ZTZ border. Placations & barbs have been traded between your fleet commander & theirs, & it's a standoff that would make Pancho Villa beam in pride. But of course it can't stay static: the morning intelligence briefing is headlined by a flash action message from Starfleet Intelligence. Their listening posts along the Gorn border have intercepted orders from Gorn High Command for a heavy assault force dispatched to your backyard to knock over the Federation force blocking their way.
Since the force was already underway & given time for decryption, Intelligence estimates that the Gorn reinforcements will cross the sector border in 2 days, be at the ZTZ in about a week. A Starfleet rapid-response fleet is available, but should they leave immediately, they would still only arrive in about 10 days. You adjutant points out that the Dorzan military is available for drafting under the current terms of treaty governing their protectorate status as a last resort should the sector commander feel that Dorza is threatened. Plan your defense. Describe your elements & reasons for their usage.
In all the running around, somehow the Semmans have snuck a task force out of their area; it wasn't even noticed until a small courier noticed it & notified Starbase 403. Long-range scans identify it as a force of about 5 vessels, size & composition unknown. Extrapolated course tracks show them headed for....you guessed it. It's just not your day, is it?
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Dang, now I wish I'd paid more attention in my xenobiology classes. I've got a couple of ideas, but I don't know if they're likely to work. One possibility would be to recruit a couple of Bynars, but I'm not sure how their pair bonds work. Are they usually the same age? Can they change their bonds easily, or is their pairing like a lifelong mating bond? If it's the former, then I'd recruit a pair, one who fit the government's demands, and the other who fit the rebels' demands. They would effectively function as a single mediator, though, through their telepathic connection.
I had another idea, but unfortunately no one on my personal staff was willing to subject themselves to a "Rascals"-style transporter accident.
Maybe I could find a "young" Vulcan... (wasn't T'Pol around 66 Earth years?). One who could easily pass for a 35-year-old on Dorza, but is numerically far older.
Assuming my Bynar and Vulcan solutions don't pan out, I will point out to both sides that a compromise is a solution that both sides can accept, but that neither is satisfied with. I'll gently point out that if they're serious about some kind of diplomatic solution, then they'll each have to make some kind of concession. I'll try to get someone acceptable around the age of 35 or so.
Finally, if all else fails, I'll simply demand the safety of the Federation citizens (if they haven't already been retrieved from the colony), and wash my hands of the matter. The Federation has no direct jurisdiction, the government obviously would rather settle the dispute by force, and we don't have the authority to hold them off. I'll try to force a continuation of the stalemate by threatening the Dorzan government with a souring of relations with the Federation if they choose to launch an attack, but that's about all I can do.
==Part 2==
I'm going to have to operate on the assumption that the Gorn are planning a feint, or are otherwise bluffing, and that they're mainly intending to test Federation resolve to see if we back down without a fight. I'm going to put up a vigorous defense, and hope that they're not looking to make an enemy of the Federation right now. However, if they manage to establish a beachhead on any of the planets, then it's obviously going to end up being the purview of the diplomats.
Therefore, I'll be calling in every single ship in the sector. Even the Grand Teton will be drafted to serve as an ad hoc carrier for my twelve Peregrines. To review my forces:
* USS Heracles, Akira class, NCC-62504 * USS Paladin, Intrepid class, NCC-74836 * USS Proteus, Saber class, NCC-61998 * USS Bayreuth, Saber class, NCC-61949 * USS Antietam, Defiant class, NCC-76874 * USS Cheng Ho, Nova class, NCC-72389 * USS Dakota, Nova class, NCC-73617 * USS Runnymede, Miranda Class, NCC-15017 * USS Grand Teton, Istanbul class, NCC-38411 * 114th Fighter Squadron, 12 Peregrine-class heavy fighters
So, I've got five fully combat-capable vessels, two modern scouts that can fight in a pinch, a combustible flying human shield, and an unarmed tin can with a dozen fighters that may or may not be effective against Gorn warships.
Cheng Ho (Nova) will be dispatched to establish an early-warning perimeter, performing long-range scans to get advance notice of the size, composition, and ETA of the Gorn fleet. Their orders will be to return to fleet as soon as the incoming Gorn are detected.
The key to any defense will be a limited but strong strike against the transport itself. If the transport can be disabled, then their whole mission will be delayed until more Starfleet support can arrive. Therefore, I will attempt to force the issue before the reinforcements arrive. I will transmit advance notice that if we detect the approach of any new military vessels, we will launch a preemptive strike against their forces in our own defense. I'll make it sound military to them, as if I'd be focusing on taking out their escorting warships, but I'll really be aiming to stall the transport.
My five combat ships can easily pin down the three Gorn warships long enough for the 114th to slip in and make a quick surgical strike against the transport's engines, leaving her completely dead in space but with minimal injuries and hopefully no casualties. Thus, any further incursion into the ZTZ would be pointless for the next week or two, as far as the Gorn would be concerned.
Meanwhile, the Dakota (Nova) is going to be busy getting ready my backup plan... nothing quite as inspired as James Kirk's infamous Corbomite bluff, sadly, but hopefully one that's effective. Dakota will begin projecting increased warp fields and launch a few accompanying decoy probes equipped with verterium cortenide ingots to create enough sensor resonance on the Gorn's instruments to make it seem like the Starfleet reinforcements are arriving sooner than expected. The decoys will be a couple of light-years out, hopefully close enough to seem threatening (to make the Gorn think they can't win before our help arrives), but far enough for them to be tough to detect and to not discover the deception.
Finally, I'll send in an emergency request for Klingon assistance... legally, the ZTZ is Federation territory, so I'm perfectly within my rights to request their assistance under the terms of the Second Khitomer Accords for defense. If I'm lucky, a few ships might be close enough to help in time.
Oh yeah, the Dorzans. Meh. This isn't their fight, they're not under threat, so I won't ask for their help. They obviously have no respect for the Prime Directive anyway...
==Part 3==
The Semmans definitely get the benefit of the doubt, because of the extremely limited contact they've had with the Federation; although we might've sent them a copy of the Encyclopedia Galactica a while back, they probably haven't read it all the way through. So I will send Runnymede out to intercept the fleet and politely inform them that the ZTZ is restricted territory, reserved for the Zemch. I'll gently offer to provide them information on YS-2 or KM-45 (the two other unclaimed, habitable worlds in the sector, since AJ-946 is now [probably] a recognized territory of the Gorn Hegemony) for settlement purposes.
(It's too much to hope that the Semman ships are coming to assist in blockading the Gorn, I imagine?)
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Shik
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"...a combustible flying human shield..."
Man...you REALLY hate that Miranda, don't you? Makes me giggle.
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