Federation Commander

[off topic, I know ...]

gurps_gm wrote:Space 1999's rationale for the Moon being blasted out of orbit had some "mysterious magnetic radiation." I remember older guys in one of my classes laughing about it.

I haven't actually watched it since it was on TV, but I am pretty sure the reason for being blasted out of orbit was because of nuclear waste, not "magnetic radiation" or some such. Still just as silly, as I don't think you could get a big enough blast to move the moon out of orbit without simply turning it into debris. (I don't know the math on that, either, but using mysterious magnetic radiation would probably be more plausible.) But I still think the in-show reason for the blast was nuclear waste.

Scoutdad wrote:Good thing it careened out of orbit, instead of pulling a Praxis on us...

That might have been a better option for the planet. To push the moon away from Earth means that the blast was probably pointed AT the Earth. And any blast that would dislodge the moon from orbit would likely cause noticeable harm (e.g. scorch the atmosphere, boil the oceans). Ignoring the blast, simply removing the moon magically (i.e. no direct harm to Earth) would completely blow up our climates and ecology. While we probably could end up surviving the transition, it would still be cataclysmic and cause widespread extinctions.

The "magnetic radiation" was a McGuffin for how the stored nuclear waste could suddenly achieve critical mass and chain-react explosively.

I see. I did say it has been a long time since I saw the show. At least I was half correct.

The Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual probably has some info on how antimatter is generated. My understanding is that they use a transstator to change hydrogen to anti-hydrogen, which takes less energy than doing it normally, for a net energy gain.

terryoc wrote:The Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual probably has some info on how antimatter is generated.

No, not really.

Terry is probably thinking about the Okuda/Sternbach TNG Technical Manual, not the classic FJS Technical Manual.

The TNG manual does indeed have some text about antimatter sourcing, but none of that is tied to the SFU.

It is my belief that the warp engines must produce thier own Anti-Matter.
If it is to be assumed that one has to introduce anti-matter into the warp engines, then that anti-matter would become a highly controlled substance. I would put that on par with Nuclear Weapons grade materials of today. Which means then, that Star Fleet would have to manage those anti-matter means of production.

Since there has never been anything like that mentioned in any of the cannon or novels thereof, (at least as far as I know.) Its safe to declare that anti-matter is only produced, and then subsequently used in a warp engine. For fiction and Role Playing perposes, you could totally have any numbers of scenarios develope for a storytelling point of view. One only has to use their imagination and get people to buy into thier storyline to make it good for gaming perposes.