A Forest and a Mocha

PERSONAL POST :: Sam Archer

Sometimes you just have to commune with nature, even if it’s just projected on the holostage in the PAO lounge, and you’re sitting at a table, sipping a mocha and watching the leaves rustle on the trees.

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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April 23, 2371 – (Legacy Trek Timeline)

Communication Lost

This afternoon, we lost contact with the Alpha Quadrant. It was as if the line went dead, and Starfleet stopped receiving our messages. We have no other insight at this time, other than to say that our supernatural connection with Starfleet/Earth, in the Alpha Quadrant, has stopped working.

We can no longer communicate with home.

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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April 22, 2371 – (Legacy Trek Timeline) – (*DS9: “Past Tense”)

Easter Church Service

PERSONAL POST :: Sam Archer

Happy Easter! Join me as I share my faith, and celebrate the reason for today’s Christian holiday. Perhaps you are celebrating as well.

This video comes from the Federation archives. It is a contemporary “livestreamed” church service, from Easter Sunday, in the year 2025. It was produced by a Christian/Lutheran church called The CORE, in the city of Appleton, Wisconsin, United States – on Earth. Appleton is near the city of Brillion, where I grew up (in the 24th century). I thought you might enjoy the message, and the music.

We featured this service/video on our holostage movie screen -- in the PAO lounge -- earlier today. Nearly four dozen people showed up to watch with us.

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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April 20, 2371 – (Legacy Trek Timeline)

Enterprise Tour: PAO Lounge & Holostage

TOUR PHOTO :: Public Affairs :: USS Enterprise-D:

Our Public Affairs lounge, on deck 2, has a holographic stage. We will be using it for performances by holographic musicians, celebrities, historical figures and other photonic guests. In addition, we can program a big screen for movie nights, host holographic individuals at game nights, present holographic jazz groups, Country Music singers, religious chats, and other unique events. I, myself, even use it as a creative holo-programing lab (since holography is a hobby of mine).

Other select lounges, aboard the USS Enterprise-D, have similar (small) holographic stages, however, ours will likely be the most unique, and well-known.

In this photo of our PAO lounge, the door on the far wall leads to our staff conference room. A similar door, on the wall behind the camera, leads to the PAO kitchen. Next to the door on the far wall is one of the food replicators. On the right, are a set of floor-length windows overlooking the exterior forward sloping edge of the Enterprise saucer. Doors leading out into our primary PAO corridor are on the left.

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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April 17, 2371 – (Legacy Trek Timeline)

Enterprise Tour: Public Affairs Corridor

TOUR PHOTO :: Public Affairs :: USS Enterprise-D:

Looking down the secondary corridor of the deck 2 Public Affairs Deck, from inside one of our port turbolifts. The two red doors in the center of this image lead to escape pod launch rooms. The cross corridor, on the left, leads to the primary PAO corridor (where our PAO offices, lounge, conference room, kitchen, and two quarters are located).

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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April 15, 2371 – (Legacy Trek Timeline)

Duties of the Public Affairs Office

What do our Public Affairs officers do?

Here are the duties of those who work in the Public Affairs Office aboard the USS Enterprise-D.

Lieutenant Sam Archer’s Duties:

• Manage and maintain the Public Affairs office.
• Provide information to the public via the PAO Facebook channel.
• Advise Captain Picard in order to shape vital decisions and communications with three main audiences: media, internal Starfleet and the public.
• Develop communication plans to meet the goals and objectives of the USS Enterprise-D.
• Develop content strategies and create data stories.

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Lieutenant (JG) Tessa Kensington’s Duties:

• Advise and prepare command staff for media interaction and press conferences.
• Speak to the press on behalf of the command staff.
• Conduct ship tours for high-profile individuals and foreign dignitaries.
• Supervise the writing and delivery of press releases.
• Schedule and conduct news conferences.

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Ensign Cassie Queen’s Duties:

• Oversee the content and production of radio and video programs, newspapers, and magazines.
• Manage the work of enlisted personnel, including writers, photographers, videographers and graphic designers.

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Enlisted Mass Communication Specialist’s Duties:

• Develop print publications and multimedia content including video, still images, digital graphics, news and feature stories, and press releases.
• Operate and maintain state-of-the-art photography and video equipment.
• Conduct research, identify target audiences, analyze data and provide feedback to leadership.
• Identify communication issues and come up with solutions based on research.
• Work directly with local and shipboard news organizations to release stories and develop public relations campaigns.

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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April 14, 2371 – (Legacy Trek Timeline)

Somehow, Some Way...

"We're alone, in an uncharted part of the galaxy. We've already made some friends here, and some enemies. We have no idea of the dangers we're going to face, but one thing is clear. All four crews are going to have to work together if we're to survive. As the only Starfleet vessel assigned to the Delta Quadrant, the Enterprise will continue to follow our directive to seek out new worlds and explore space. But our primary goal is clear. Even at maximum speeds, it would take seventy-five years to reach the Federation, but Captain Picard and I are not willing to settle for that. There's another entity like the Caretaker out there somewhere, who has the ability to get us there a lot faster. We'll be looking for her, and we'll be looking for wormholes, spatial rifts, or new technologies to help us. Somewhere, along this journey, we'll find a way back."

- Captain Kathryn Janeway (to her rescued crew)

And the Enterprise will find a way back to our timeline -- and our Earth -- too. Somehow. Some way. We will get home.

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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April 11, 2371 – (Legacy Trek Timeline)

An Alternate Timeline

Earlier today, we received our first communication response from Starfleet Command -- in the Alpha Quadrant. It was received by our manifested, and “enhanced”, communications array (a result of our thoughts-made-real, from the Traveler incident). That Starfleet message, however, was one of curiosity and concern, since there has already been another Galaxy-class USS Enterprise-D operating within Federation space for the past eight years.

After some assessment, our resident android, Lieutenant Commander Data, believes that we have crossed over into an alternate timeline. He surmises that our Enterprise-D was commissioned, in 2363, within our own original timeline, and then crossed over into another timeline [the 2371 Prime Star Trek timeline] during the Traveler cross-galactic warp test incident. When the “Caretaker” of this timeline pulled the USS Voyager, runabout USS Rio Grande, and the Federation Port Guard ship from the Badlands into the Delta Quadrant, and our Enterprise rescued the USS Voyager (after the Caretaker’s array was destroyed), a point of divergence was created, and a new timeline branched off [which we are calling the “Legacy Trek Timeline”].

The USS Voyager, USS Rio Grande, Maquis-stolen Port Guard ship, and their rescued crews are all native to this timeline. Our USS Enterprise-D is not. As a result, the Earth that we have a supernatural direct line of communication to, is not our Earth. We are trapped in the distant Delta Quadrant, of an alternate timeline, heading for a home that is not our own.

We truly are lost, in every sense of the word.

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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April 10, 2371 – (Legacy Trek Timeline)

The Journey Begins

The USS Enterprise-D has begun its long journey through the Delta Quadrant. We are 70,000 light years from home -- from Federation space, and we are the only known Starfleet ship operating in this part of the galaxy.

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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April 9, 2371 – (Legacy Trek Timeline)

Our Public Affairs Staff

Come and meet your friendly USS Enterprise-D Public Affairs staff: Lieutenant Sam Archer, Lt. (JG) Tessa Kensington, and Ensign Cassie Queen. Check out our public bios, now available, here, on our official website.

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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April 1, 2371 – (Legacy Trek Timeline)

One Ship, One Crew

Here in the Delta Quadrant, the decision has been made to scuttle the USS Voyager. She’s too far damaged to travel anywhere. The Voyager has suffered severe damage to her deflector dish, her warp engines, her hull, and the rear shuttle bay. Her crew, as well as the surviving crews from the other two Federation vessels, have been brought aboard the USS Enterprise-D. The runabout, USS Rio Grande, has been salvaged, and added to our auxiliary vessel compliment, and we are presently in the process of obtaining whatever cargo and technology we can save from the USS Voyager.

The USS Enterprise-D is now trapped in the distant Delta Quadrant. We have decided to set a course -- 70,000 light years -- for home, and to make the best of our journey as one Galaxy-class starship, and one integrated crew.

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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March 30, 2371 – (Legacy Trek Timeline)

Time Travel to 2371

Yesterday, while taking scans in the Delta Quadrant, we detected a massive explosion nearby. Upon investigation, we discovered another Starfleet ship, the USS Voyager, which had just destroyed a large space station, and driven off three large alien vessels. The Voyager was critically damaged, as was a second friendly vessel, a Danube-class runabout, the USS Rio Grande. A third friendly vessel, a small Federation Port Guard ship, was destroyed in the battle, although her crew (minus her captain) was safely beamed aboard the Voyager.

We contacted the commanding officer of the USS Voyager, Captain Kathryn Janeway, and discovered that, not only are we trapped in the Delta Quadrant, we also appear to have traveled eight years into our future. The year, here, is 2371. Construction had not yet begun on the USS Voyager in our 2363.

The Enterprise has been trapped in the Delta Quadrant as a result of a mysterious engine test. The USS Voyager, USS Rio Grande and Port Guard ship were pulled into the Delta Quadrant by a being known as “The Caretaker”. The Rio Grande can be salvaged, and brought aboard the Enterprise. If we cannot fix the damage to the USS Voyager, we may have to scuttle the ship, and bring her crew aboard as well. We’ll know which course to take in a couple days.

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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March 20, 2371 – (Legacy Trek Timeline)

Lost in the Delta Quadrant

And, just like that, the USS Enterprise-D appears to be trapped – deep in the Delta Quadrant -- 70,000 light years from Federation space.

Earlier today, just outside the Sol System, we undertook some tests on the warp engines, overseen by specialist, Peter Kosinski, and his mysterious assistant, known only as the Traveler. Something went terribly wrong during the first test, and we were unexplainably propelled into another galaxy, 2.7 million light years from Earth. It would have taken us over 300 years to get home -- at high warp. Our attempt to correct the mistake, and return home (with the Traveler’s mysterious help), resulted in us going to a part of the universe where thoughts become reality. We’ve added a few manifested crew members, objects and animals to our ship as a result.

Our second attempt to get home, brought us here, 70,000 light years short of our destination. Unfortunately, the Traveler disappeared – phasing out of existence, and he was unable to get us the rest of the way home. As a result, here we sit, in the Delta Quadrant, trying to figure out what to do next.

Remarkably, the Enterprise is undamaged. We are currently taking sensor scans of the area, to determine our next course of action.

On a related note, one of the manifestations from our thoughts (my own thoughts, it would appear), seems to be Enterprise-specific “technology” that allows us to communicate directly with Earth -- even all the way across 70,000 light years. I can’t explain it, it shouldn’t be possible, but I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue posting Public Affairs messages for all of you to read. I will share more information once I figure out how this works.

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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March 17, 2363 – (Legacy Trek Timeline)

A Beautiful Starship

The USS Enterprise-D. One of the most beautiful starships ever built.

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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March 16, 2363 – (Our Enterprise's Native Timeline)

Early Arrival

Yesterday, in a surprise turn of events, the USS Hood (Excelsior-class) arrived at Earth. On board were our first officer, William Riker, and our new chief medical officer, Doctor Beverly Crusher, as well as a number of other crew transfers. They have all boarded the USS Enterprise-D, thereby providing us with our full and complete crew.

At present, the Enterprise remains in orbit of Earth. On Monday we will go through a number of scheduled engine tests, after which we will then depart on our first mission, to the distant planet of Deneb IV.

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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March 15, 2363 – (Our Enterprise's Native Timeline)

Commissioning Day, 2363

The USS Enterprise-D has entered the fleet. We are now an active Starfleet ship.

As of right now, we have a full crew, although we are still waiting on our Chief Medical Officer. Commander Beverly Crusher is scheduled to transfer to the Enterprise, however, she is currently aboard the USS Prometheus (Nebula-class) on deep space assignment, and won’t be available until early April. Our new medical staff will cover the position until she arrives.

We are also waiting for our newly promoted first officer, Commander William Riker. He will transfer aboard, from the USS Hood, in the coming weeks.

Now that we are active in the fleet, and the day’s events are behind us, we can sit back and unwind a bit. I did write, and release, a full recap of the day’s events, I just won’t post it here due to the length. You can, however, find it contained within the Enterprise public events packet that I sent out to the media a few hours ago.

In summary, it was a good commissioning ceremony. Nearly 1,200 civilians, media and dignitaries showed up, as well as a surprise contingent of Vulcan officials from the Vulcan Embassy in Paris (on Earth). Admiral Edward Janeway was the presiding flag officer who opened the ceremony, and issued our orders. The Starfleet Command chaplain gave an invocation, the Federation Anthem was played, flags were hoisted in the commissioning hall, and Captain Jean-Luc Picard accepted command.

Our ship’s sponsor, the sister of Captain Rachel Garrett (the captain of the USS Enterprise-C, killed at Narendra III, 19 years ago), also shared some remarks, as the first crew shift took their stations on the bridge, and then she issued the traditional order, “Man our ship and bring her to life.” The honor guard fired a rifle salute, Admiral Janeway delivered an inspirational address, a brief video tour of the Enterprise was shown on the hall screen, gifts were presented to Captain Picard by the ship sponsor, builder, and USS Enterprise Society, and the ceremony came to a close.

An hour later, the Enterprise slipped out of her moorings at McKinley Station, and we are now, currently, in orbit of Earth, as we wait for the rest of our mission supplies to be delivered.

The Enterprise-D is a ship of the fleet now. We’re ready – and eager -- to go boldly.

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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March 10, 2363 – (Our Enterprise's Native Timeline)

Commissioning Day -1

Tomorrow is a big day. Tomorrow, the USS Enterprise-D is commissioned as an active vessel in Starfleet. After that, we explore the Galaxy!

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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March 9, 2363 – (Our Enterprise's Native Timeline)

Welcome to the USS Enterprise-D

Stardate 41016.3 -- March 6, 2363.

Greetings from the USS Enterprise-D, the fourth Galaxy-class starship in Starfleet. My name is Lieutenant Samuel Jonathan Archer (although, you can call me Sam). I have been assigned to serve as one of the officers in the USS Enterprise Public Affairs Office, on deck 2.

My job will be to maintain both our USS Enterprise Facebook page, and our website, and to keep you, and the rest of the Federation, updated on the missions and adventures of this great starship. My colleagues – Lieutenant (JG) Tessa Kensington, and Ensign Cassie Queen -- will fill the other responsibilities within this department.

At the moment, the Enterprise is docked at McKinley Station, orbiting Earth.

In terms of timeline, the USS Enterprise-D was launched from drydock, above Mars, back on November 24, 2362 (last year), and after a few shakedown deployments in the outer Solar System, she was transferred here to McKinley Station. I, as well as my staff, arrived onboard earlier this week, and we are preparing for the ship to be commissioned into the fleet on Monday -- March 10th.

For now, though, we are live, and I will begin posting regular updates. I will be sharing news about our crew, information about our missions, a look at some of the physics behind space travel and the technology we use, even a photo tour of the Enterprise itself. I am excited to be assigned here, and I hope my posts bring you joy as well.

In addition to our Facebook Page, you are also invited to visit our Facebook fan group (linked from our Facebook page). You’ll be able to interact with other fans of the Enterprise-D, ask behind-the-scenes questions, and learn more about who we are and what we do. We aim to be as social and interactive as possible, and we would love to have you join us as we go boldly, where no one has gone before.

Welcome to the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-D!

-Lieutenant Sam Archer

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March 6, 2363 – (Our Enterprise's Native Timeline)