JC's Trek Talk

Throwback Thursday Star Trek Technical Manuals Star Trek technical manuals.  The favorite reads of the geekier fans and generally hard core trekkies who want to learn more about their favorite ships and technologies from an in universe perspective.  From schematics and cutaways, to diagrams of shuttlecrafts, bridge layouts, and even the inner workings of warp drives, phasers and transporters, Star Treks various technical manuals, both official and unofficial, licensed and unlicensed are a gold mine of starship design and treknology information.  Here, in chronological order, are four classic fan favorite Star Trek technical manuals. Star Trek Starfleet Technical Manual by Franz Joseph The original, the classic.  Despite its status as unlicensed and non canon Franz Josephs 1975 Technical Manual covers the original series Starfleet, the ships, the equipment, the uniforms and much more.  In additional to giving blueprints and specs for the classic TOS Constitution ...

USS Enterprise NCC-1701 Timeline 2244 USS Constitution and USS Enterprise begin construction at San Fransisco Ship Yards 2245 USS Enterprise is commissioned, enters service, begins a five year mission under Captain Robert April Dr. Sarah Poole-April, wife of Captain April is Chief Medical Officer 2246 USS Enterprise renders aid to Tarsus IV following the massacre by Kodos the Executioner 2248 Una Chin-Riley is assigned to USS Enterprise as science officer 2249 Christopher Pike is assigned to the Enterprise as first officer under Captain April 2251 USS Enterprise's first five year mission ends Robert April is promoted to Admiral, placed in charge of the Constitution Class program Christopher Pike is promoted to Captain, placed in command of USS Enterprise USS Enterprise begins a new five year mission under Captain Pike, Una Chin-Riley is assigned as first officer, Dr. Philip Boyce is assigned as Chief Medical Officer 2253 USS Enterprise docks at Starbase 40, Ensign Spock is assigned...

Trek Throwback Thursday Star Trek in the 1990s The 1990s.  Arguably Star Trek's golden age.  Many would call it the peak of the franchise.  The Next Generation hit it's stride, Deep Space Nine ran it's entire seven seasons, Voyager ran it's first five, Kirk and company made their final motion picture appearances, and The Next Generation cast starred in three motion pictures of their own.  Whether you watched reruns or new episodes of TNG or DS9 on whichever channel had the first run syndication rights in your area or caught Voyager on UPN (remember UPN?), you saw some of Trek's finest hours: TNGs "The Best of Both Worlds", "The Inner Light" and "Chain of Command", DS9s "Duet", "The Visitor", "In the Pale Moonlight and "Far Beyond the Stars" and Voyagers "Scorpion", not to mention some of the franchises greatest movies, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and Star Trek First Contact.  The h...

From the Federation historical database The following speech "The Path to Peace" was delivered by Admiral Nyota Uhura, director, Starfleet Intelligence at the second Khitomer Conference in 2344.   Stardate 21789.4 Earth date 22 July 2344   Madam president, Chancellor, Ambassadors, honored guests. 90 years ago the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire fought a bitter, bloody war that resulted in unimaginable death and destruction, a loss of life on both sides totaling perhaps as much as 100 million souls.   From that conflict the Federation emerged battered, bloody, embittered, but resolute.   From that conflict the Empire emerged battered, bloody, but unified.   From two dozen great houses splintered, infought and in conflict came a single strong unified force under one leader.   80 years ago the Federation and the Empire found themselves on the brink of a second war, fueled by mutual distrust as weapons fire lit the sky over O...

Star Trek Most Memorable Movie Quotes The Next Generation Movies Star Trek: Generations Soran: "Time is the fire in which we burn" Data: "Lifeforms doo da doo doo doo.  You tiny little lifeforms doo da doo doo doo.  You precious little lifeforms.  Where are you? doo da doo doo doo doo doo. Doo doo doo." Data: "Ohhhhh shit!" Star Trek: First Contact Data: "I believe I speak for everyone here sir when I say: to hell with our orders." Troi: "Timeline!?  This is no time to argue about time!  We don't have the time!  What was I saying?" Borg Queen: "I am the beginning, the end, the one who is many.  I am The Borg." Zephram Cochrane: "And you people, you're all...astronauts...on some kind of star trek? Lily Sloane: "Borg? Sounds Swedish." Zephram Cochrane: "I gotta take a leak." Geordi: "Leak? I'm not detecting any leak." Zephram Cochrane: "Don't you people from the 24th centur...

Star Trek Most Memorable Movie Quotes The Classic Movies Star Trek: The Motion Picture Ilia: "Kirk unit!  Disclose the information.  Why has the creator not responded?" Ilia: "The creator must join with V'ger." Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Spock: "Were I to invoke logic, logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Kirk: "KHAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNN!!!" Spock: "I have been...and always shall be...your friend" Kirk: "Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most...human." Star Trek III: The Search For Spock Sulu: "Don't call me tiny" Kirk: "You Klingon bastard...you've killed my son!" Kirk: "My God, Bones, what have I done?" McCoy: "What you had to do.  What you always do.  Turn death into a fighting chance to live." Spock: "My father says you have been my friend.  That you came back for me.  Why did you do this?"...

Star Trek: Nemesis Star Trek Nemesis.  Not my favorite Star Trek movie.  In fact, my least favorite TNG movie and my least favorite of the first 10 trek movies.  Some of my biggest grievances with the movie:  Shinzon.  Not the strongest trek movie villian.  The basic concept is not a bad one, a corrupt/ "evil" clone of Picard, a mirror for Picard (paralleling B4 being a "mirror" of sorts for Data), but I feel like the message would have been stronger if Shinzon had just been a straight mirror, not a clone that looks different because he was never "aged up" to Picard's age (to explain away the visual differences between the actors.  Nothing against Tom Hardy, but I firmly believe that it would have been better and simpler to have had Patrick Stewart play Shinzon.  And Patrick Stewart is a high enough caliber actor to play both Picard and Shinzon. The "truck chase" scene.  Not my favorite scene.  Not a bad scene necessarily, but - and othe...

Star Trek Timeline The Lost Era (2294-2363) 2294 • USS Jenolan carrying retired captain Montgomery Scott disappears en route to Norpin V • The Federation-Klingon Neutral Zone ceases to exist • Rachel Garrett is born 2295 • Qagh the Albino uses a retrovirus to infect the firstborn children of Klingon warriors Kang, Kor and Koloth. The three warriors swear a blood oath to avenge their sons deaths • Outbreak of plasma plague on Obi VI 2296 • Ra-Ghoratreii of Efros is re-elected to a third term as UFP president • The Kobayashi Maru no-win scenario at Starfleet Academy is re-written to feature the Romulan Neutral Zone as the setting and Romulans as the enemies • The Ansata separatist group on Rutia IV are denied a bid for independence and begin a long terrorist campaign against the Rutian government 2297 • Turkana IV colony is established • The 40 Eridani A Starfleet Construction Yards become operational 2298 • Klingon Ambassador Kamarag, facing discommendati...

Trek Throwback Thursday: SNES (and Genesis) Treks Boldly going into 16-bits The 16-bit era.  Better graphics, deeper gameplay, more colors.  The fourth generation of consoles gave us a bit of a mixed bag of titles for the SNES/Genesis/32X.   Star Trek Starfleet Academy Bridge Combat Simulator Developed by: Interplay Published by: Interplay Released: 1995 Adapted from Interplay's Star Trek Starfleet Academy, Bridge Combat Simulator puts players it the shoes of a Starfleet Academy cadet, working with your simulator crew of fellow cadets completing simulated assignments to level up in class rank (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior) and gain the ability to command different simulated starship classes.  Each "year" consists of 5 simulator missions, for a total of 20, plus one final mission to graduate (the infamous Kobayashi Maru scenario).  The game also includes a simulator room mode which allows for one on one (or two or three) combat simulations, as well as...

Star Trek Timeline The Motion Picture Era (2270-2293) 2270 • USS Enterprise NCC-1701 ends its historic 5 year mission under James Kirk, returns to Earth for a major refit • James Kirk is promoted to admiral • The Klingon K’tinga class battle cruiser enters service • Drs. Carol and David Marcus begin Project Genesis research at a lab on Deneva  2271 • The Klingon/Romulan alliance of 2268 ends with battle of Klach D'Kel Brakt (the Briar Patch) • The Tholian Assembly opens formal diplomatic ties with the Federation • Willard Decker is assigned to command the USS Enterprise during and after the refit • Demora Sulu is born 2272 • Betazed becomes a member of the Federation • USS Oberth is launched, the Oberth class enters service 2273 • The V'ger entity destroys several Klingon ships and station Epsilon 9 en route to earth. • Admiral Kirk assumes command of USS Enterprise to investigate the V'ger threat. • Following the departure of V'ger to ...