Cptn Elias Moore

Well, for the sake of compromise... in 2161 Starfleet is chartered by the Federation, not necessarily formed. That comes right out of the encyclopedia, so it's clear why confusion arises. :D Now, maybe when Starfleet becomes a UFP agency, it's considered something totally different and it's Earth roots are forgotten (due, perhaps, to efforts by the Andorians to minimize our role in history ;P). So the novel can still make sense. But, if there are contradictions, novels are non-canon and we always go with the shows. :)

"Enough is nice. But Moore is better." :lol:

"Shock Absorption" Commander Elias Moore Challenger Project Foreman's Starlog: September 4, 2154 The warp core purred like a kitten, even under the tremendous stress being exerted upon it. The catwalk beneath Elias' feet barely stirred as Challenger's heart pulsed below. It was the third of what would be ten Warp 4 tests on the core itself, each test increasing the energy output one step toward Warp 5, the core's maximum stress level. The field coils would not be energized until Challenger actually left drydock, but the ability of the warp core and the EPS network to handle this sort of output was the ultimate test of an NX ship's construction. So far, General Electric's work was earning top grades. Elias smiled, recalling the stress tests on the NX-01 engine. Three years ago he had stood, beside his father, at this very spot in Enterprise's engine room, as the same tests were performed prior to her launch. He recalled the vibration of the engine room as Warp 4.6 was exceeded, the loud hum which prevented conversation at anything below a light yell, his apprehension at the possibility that the gangways would all collapse under the structural pounding. In the three years since, warp drive technology had advanced a great deal. Even with the core humming along at Warp 4.3, Elias could hear approaching footsteps on the catwalk. He looked over at his secretary, Albert Shrippert. Albert had settled into the secretary position very nicely over the last three months, his filing skills proving to be an invaluable asset. He was still not too fond of Elias, however. "Your 0930 coffee, Commander." He held out the cup. "Wonderful. I think it's been two months, exactly, since you were even a minute late with one of my coffees Albert." Elias grabbed the cup, smirking at the grimace on Albert's face. "So what's the latest?" Albert got right underway with his hourly status report. "Notable cargo pickups today include the shuttle pods and the science probes, scheduled for delivery at 1130 hours and 1440 hours respectively. You will need to inspect them before Challenger takes them on. Additionally, the Challenger quartermaster will be arriving today, some time from 1100 hours to 1300 hours. He will be bringing the first wave of uniforms and equipment for crew assignment." Elias gulped at this. He knew that the crew assignment phase was underway, but to know that several people had already been assigned troubled him. Perhaps his letter had gotten lost in the mail. "I'll see to the cargo shipments, you meet up with the quartermaster and escort him to his quarters. Anything else?" "Yes. Admiral Forrest is here and wishes to meet with you at your earliest convenience." "Here, now, on the ship?" Elias' brow furrowed. "Why didn't you say so already? I'll see him now, bring him here." Elias felt a surge as he looked down at the engine, thrilled that it was running so smoothly. Gunter Seiben and his GE workers had, indeed, done a fine job. But they were civilians and not eligible for active duty on Challenger. Who else could have his sort of shot at the chief engineer's position? "Commander, how go the tests?" The Admiral approached with an amiable expression but a purposeful stride, all the poise of someone coming to deliver a much welcomed assignment notice. "Superbly, Admiral." Elias grinned confidently. "It seems that I may have been exaggerating when I anticipated that problems would arise after the launch. As I told you, a little Martian help can go a long way. We haven't pushed her to the limit just yet, but I'm sure she'll perform beyond our expectations." "I don't doubt it." Forrest looked down at the workers scurrying around the engine. "But I've been reviewing your status reports and I agree with many of your points. We don't want to take any chances. The engineering chief will need some familiarity with the construction." Elias could have done a jig at that moment, if it wasn't unbecoming of an officer in the presence of an Admiral. "Sorry if I sounded overbearing in my reports, Admiral, but you know how protective I am of my engines. I can't tell you how glad I was when the NX-01 was put in Charles Tucker's capable hands." He fought a wave of nausea. "Indeed. Rest assured, this engine will be under the best care available." Forrest smiled at Elias, then looked back down at the engine. "We assigned a capable chief just this weekend in fact. Just to make sure he's prepared, though, I'll want to you to give him a thorough tour of the ship, not to mention all the construction schematics you've compiled through each stage of the project. He's going to be arriving before the 8th, along with the rest of the crew." Elias stared blankly at the Admiral, belying the fact that his insides were crashing down. It took him more than a moment to compose himself enough to speak. "Oh, you've assigned someone already, then? I suppose I'll have plenty of time to brief him since you'll again be offering me a position on the engineering staff?" Elias masked his sarcasm well, an art he'd managed to perfect. "Oh, goodness no. You've graduated from the command training, Elias. In fact, that's why I'm really here." The Admiral looked up and turned to face Elias, who immediately put on a contented face. "I have a proposal for you, Commander. It might seem a little strange, but these are strange times we find ourselves in. The Vulcans, you see, are balking on any further involvement in the NX project, for the time being at least. I can't exactly say that this upsets me, but more important is that their withdrawal from the project may be the only thing keeping the Andorians off of our backs. And, believe me, we do *not* want the Andorians on our backs." Elias shook his head, conflicts between alien races holding little interest to him, especially in his current state of mind. "What could any of this possibly have to do with me?" "We need a First Officer, Commander. And, I'm somewhat glad to say, we're no longer under pressure to select one from a pool of Vulcans. Last I checked, your qualifications check out." Elias was visibly taken aback by this. "Wait a minute... you want *me* to be the First Officer?" "Try not to look so shocked, Commander." The Admiral frowned. "If you're as confident about it as you are about your engines, you may just be able to excel in this role. And you've come a long way from the Elias Moore who scorned anything resembling brass. So do you want the position or not? I do have other options to fall back on, but I'd like to have a name on the roster tonight." Elias looked at the engine, considering this turn of events. He wasn't exactly sure how he felt about the added responsibility that accepting such a role would bring upon him. But it was a ticket aboard Challenger, and an opportunity to see this vessel, that's construction he had nurtured, out of the star system. He had no idea how terribly he'd perform, but it was a chance he couldn't pass up. "I'll take it." "Excellent. Congratulations, Commander." The Admiral extended his hand to shake Elias'. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to head to Madrid. There are worries that the Tactical officer is going to party himself late for the launch." He nodded and walked off. "Admiral..." Elias said. Forrest stopped and turned at the lift. "Those other options you mentioned. There must have been a few who've turned down the position already. I mean, I can't believe that I'm the most qualified candidate for this assignment." Forrest shrugged. "Frankly, you could be right. There are others with far more experience... who requested the position, no less. But this wasn't my call. You were requested." Elias blinked. "By whom?" "The same person who requested you as foreman." Forrest stepped into the lift and closed the gate. "You have a benefactor, Commander. Or an oppressor, depending on how you view positions of authority. Either way, you're right where you should be, and you can trust in that." He tapped the control panel and the lift descended out of view. Elias stood on the catwalk in half-shock, wondering what he'd just gotten himself into, when an EPS manifold on C Deck finally protested the stress by overloading and rupturing. The entire ship rumbled, the lights on C Deck flickered, alarms blared throughout the corridors, and Elias was pulled back into the reality of a hastily constructed ship that still needed plenty of tweaking and testing... a curse against GE muttered under his breath, of course...

STARFLEET OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE TO: Admiral Maxwell Forrest, NX Project Leader Stationed at Starfleet HQ, San Francisco FROM: Commander Elias Moore, Challenger Project Foreman Stationed at Utopia Planitia, Mars RE: Project Relocation Report: August 3, 2154 Admiral, you'll be pleased to know that, despite the enormous setback dealt by its total relocation, the Challenger project is now progressing smoothly in its new environment. As I promised you, interest among the colonial population was high and the turnout of new labor was substantial. We lost many Earth-native workers who refused the transfer to Mars, not to mention all those who abandoned the project in the wake of the changes I initially implemented, but we more than made up for their numbers (if not their skills) with the addition of the Martian element. All told, almost 500 able-bodied men and women of the colony have been put to work in various areas of the project, mostly the manual labor and menial work, burdens which are now lifted from Starfleet's brightest. And those were only the first wave; interest will continue to spread among the colony, and there's plenty of room for extra hands. When we arrived at Mars, all components of the Challenger project were hopelessly behind schedule. They were already behind schedule when we left Earth; the move only made matters worse. Now, however, with the Martian element successfully inserted, our projections are much brighter. Many components of the project are actually running ahead of schedule. The rest may come down to the wire when we reach the testing phase of the project... and our new projections do rely on a continued influx of Martian labor... but no one ever said a September launch was a rational possibility. We just recently received your shipment of new atmospheric processors and they're being set up now. It's a good thing too. The spare processors the colony loaned us weren't exactly top notch; heck, the processors the colony is using aren't even up to Earth's standards. Many of the Earth-native workers weren't handling the thin atmosphere too well, and it was reaching a point where the construction efforts would begin to suffer. But now life in Utopia Planitia is much more tolerable for them. You think, maybe, you could convince Earth to send the actual colony a few processors now? Relations between the two workforces are... tense right now. There are a lot of people here on Mars who feel that they've been severely neglected by Earth all these years. And a lot of the Martians do appear a bit rough around the edges to the Earth-native workers. I've been trying to get across to them that this joint effort could pave the way to better relations between the two peoples. Many of them simply aren't willing to recognize the common goal that we're sharing here. A few days ago, for example, I was approached by a couple of Earth-natives who had no idea that I was Martian born. I neglected to tell them the truth... not so much to maintain their respect in me as a leader as to make sure I have a few folks on the other side of the fence who can entrust their opinions to me. The belief they expressed was that the Martians are only volunteering their efforts because they expect something in return--better atmospheric processors, for instance. Knowing the colonists better myself, I know that at least the majority of them have a far more exploratory attitude than that. Thinking like that can lead to trouble the longer these two elements are in proximity to one another. But I, as foreman, am confident that I will be able to hold the workforce together. Have you begun assigning positions yet? How is the engineering department looking? You know me, I like to know who's got their hands on my engines. :mellow: One issue on everyone's mind is security. The sabotage attempt last month, not to mention the rumors that our alien neighbours are taking an increased interest in us, has everyone on edge. The drydock is secured pretty tightly, but down here it's a different story. A few roaming security personnel are all we have to protect the yards. There's never been a need for the Martians to develop particularly rigid systems of security; a few petty criminal elements in the colony have been their only concern over the years. If we're going to get help on this one, it will have to come from Earth. We could use some advanced security equipment, not to mention the technicians to install it and the personnel to operate it. And a few extra pairs of eyes to just keep a lookout down here would be appreciated. I don't know what sort of political problems you've had to deal with lately, and I don't want to make the shipyards look like a fortress if you aren't willing to take the risk, but... if you could get the security division to send us a few MACO's, I'm sure the workers would feel a lot safer. And while I'm on the topic, my resident medical chief is beginning to issue death threats to me. Would you mind assigning some more hands to his department? Having reviewed the projections that I've gathered from all of my departments and revising some of the construction schedules, my best estimate is August 30th as the date that we begin the shipwide equipment testing phase. By that time, we'll have constructed... what should be able to pass as a spaceworthy vessel. I warn you now, Admiral, that while we should be able to meet your launch date, you may not have a 100% completed vessel at that time. You'll be able take the ship out of drydock, circle a couple of planets in the system, send some pictures back to Earth to appease the public... but realize that it's very likely that some phases of construction and testing will still need to be carried out by the ship's engineering crew after launch. You might have some holes in the interior hull, some minor or redundant equipment that still needs to be installed, some connections that need to be established and brought online. Even if I get the best turnout of Martian help that I'm hoping for, these gaps in the construction will be unavoidable. Consider also that we'll be accelerating the testing phase, and you should realize that some equipment failures are to be expected early on in Challenger's maiden voyage. I only hope you assign a chief engineer who's familiar enough with the ship to both continue my work and deal with those problems as they arise. How's the weather in San Francisco? -EM

"Interference" Commander Elias Moore Challenger Project Foreman Foreman's Starlog: June 13, 2154 Elias read over the memo from crewman Weedman regarding uncertainty about the warp drive specifications. He then brought up the reports of lighting systems being installed and reinstalled up to three times throughout the center sections of the saucer and warp coil units being swapped around between drydocks. The workforce needed to function as a single unit, every worker operating on the same page. But already there was confusion and dissent, not to mention setbacks being caused by outside agencies. Issues like this would only serve to slow down the construction process. Two letters jumped off of both reports--GE. "Unacceptable." Elias said to himself. "GE doesn't run this project. And neither do the Vulcans." The workforce needed to be united, and that meant the project being brought under the control of a single agency. Elias typed out a response to crewman Weedman, assuring him that the matter would be looked into and dealt with. He then prepared and sent memos to Gunter Seiben and Phillip Ellis, requesting (the only thing he could do considering their civilian status), that they meet with him in his office Thursday morning. He would have a proposition for them both. The proposition would first need to be discussed with Admiral Forrest in person. Elias closed down his computer console and headed for the door... That's when the alarms began blaring. "What the hell is this, now?" Elias looked around the office. The lights were flashing red to indicate alert status. He left the office and grabbed a crewman passing through the corridor outside. "What's going on?" "Alien intruders, sir. Klingon, the reports say. They somehow infiltrated the main docking bay. There's been gunfire, lots of casualties. We think they're headed for the fusion reactors." "You've got to be kidding me! The reactors? If there's open fire down there, they're liable to take out the whole drydock." Elias cursed under his breath. "Notify the armory and get some medics down to the bay." "Aye, I'll see to it. There aren't many hands in those departments, though." The crewman took off down the corridor. Elias punched the wall and sprinted towards the nearest lift. The Vulcans ... GE ... now Klingons? The sabotage of this project was coming in many forms, and Elias was ready to bust some heads over it ...

"First Day on the Job" Commander Elias Moore Challenger Project Foreman Foreman's Journal: June 7, 2154 0730 hours -- Reported promptly fo my first day of foreman duty and was greeted in my new office by a mob of angry workers. Apparently, some people were a bit upset by the shfit changes I made. I directed the workers to make appointments with my secretary, only to learn that I don't have one. If only I could explain to them that help will be arring soon from the Martian colony. It's a bit tough to do that when I myself am not even sure if the help will be arriving soon, or at all for that matter. 0814 hours -- Encouraged the last of the workers to exit my office and finally had a chance to look around. Very nice office, I must say. Spaceous, good architecture, well lit, atmosphere recycled to near perfection. A large viewport looking down on the construction site. A large desk, a comfortable pvoting chair, two cushy sofas situated around a low sleek table, and, built into the wall beside the door, an industrial-sized coffee machine. Even as chief engineer on Venture, I never had accomodations like this. 0815 hours -- First cup of coffee. 0816 hours -- Checked out the office computer and found my mailbox flooded with even more complaints than were brought to my office personally. Well, at least they were courteous enough to let me settle into my new workspace peacefully. Some of them, that is. A few of the complaints, I noticed, were from people that were also in the mob that greeted me. At least they believe in redundancy... that makes a good engineer. 0858 hours -- Second cup of coffee. 0914 hours -- After dealing with many of the electronic complaints, I started calling workers to the office to hear them out. Much of what you'd expect. They don't feel they can handle the workload, they have chronic health problems, they have families waiting for them back home. I simply assured them that more hands would be brought onto the project in good time, and recommended that they transfer to the Columbia project if they felt overburdened by my demands. I don't need soft workers. Let them be replaced by Martians if they can't take a little grind. 0937 hours -- One worker called me inhumane, complaining that I view the workers as nothing more than robots. This came from one of my filing clerks, a man whose job it is to simply keep records of the construction and relay reports to headquarters. What, precisely, is his complaint, I wonder? I worked shifts as long as 56 hours on Venture, digging through tight maintenance tunnels baked to 60 degrees and filled with possibly toxic fumes to race against cascading EPS overloads that threatened to kill everyone on board. And he doesn't want to store folders in a filing cabinet and send messages back to Earth? To hell with him. Let him request a transfer, and I can give his office to someone more deserving. 0941 hours -- Third cup of coffee. 1046 hours -- Speaking of deserving. I reviewed the project roster in order to gauge the trends among my workforce. There are obvious patterns among most of the complainers, and they have nothing to do with health problems or family issues. Most of them, it seems, are children of privilege, who have gotten their degrees from various universities back on Earth and who have never done an honest day's work in their lives. The ones who aren't complaining, openly at least, those are the ones to look out for, the ones who can really contribute something to this project. They probably mumbled complaints under their breaths when they read my memo, but they're keeping their comments to themselves and doing the job that's expected of them. Just like me, when Venture was threatened by one catastrophic system failure after another and any complaints sent to the those in charge would only be met by a "we're all going to die if you don't work yourself into a coma!" There's something to be said for motivation like that. Maybe something along those lines could be used to encourage my more reluctant bumble bees... 1059 hours -- Fourth cup of coffee. 1129 hours -- Checked out the spiffy Xiang Technologies construction software installed on the office computer. A very impressive diagram of an NX class vessel complete with deadlines for every component's installation is among one of the templates installed. I cut the overall completion deadline down from five years to three months to see how that would affect the deadlines for each individual component. Interestingly enough, the ship's frame is scheduled to be completed yesterday, and the industrial systems installed within the next five hours. My bumble bees will be overjoyed when I pass these deadlines along to them. 1132 hours -- Fifth cup of coffee. 1214 hours -- Sat down for my lunch. I'm not sure why the workers would complain about a ten minute lunch break. On Venture, the only lunch breaks we had occured when our attempts to eat and keep the ship together at the same time resulted in hull breaches and/or fractured limbs. 1216 hours -- Sixth cup of coffee. 1332 hours -- Spent the last hour fielding yet more complaints, one from another filing clerk, a tiny, scrawny man with eyeglasses named Albert Shrippert. Deciding that I needed some time away from my office, I assigned Albert the vacant secretary position. He resisted, I threatened to throw him out of an airlock, he took the position. Indeed, the extreme motivation techniques work even on the laziest bees. 1333 hours -- Grabbed cup of coffee #7 on the way out. 1412 hours -- Completed a quick tour of the starbase and found myself in Admiral Forrest's office. Deciding I'd received enough complaints that day, I would dish a few out just to promote a fair bit of balance. I let the Admiral know just how I felt about eight filing clerks being assigned to the project when there is a grand total of five people working on the wiring, the gravity plating, and the water reclamation system. Also requested an update on the Martian situation. He assured me only that his invitation was relayed through Earth Gov's colonial relations division and that no word has been heard from Mars since. 1416 hours -- Helped myself to coffee cup #8 in the Admiral's office. 1445 hours -- Back in my own office, I checked the astrometrics charts and noticed that Earth and Mars are on roughly opposing ends of their orbits. That means that if Mars does send help (for which I'm confidently hopeful) the only chance of that help arriving at the drydock before the week's end depends on Earth sending some of its high warp transports to pick them up (for which I'm dismally devoid of hope). 1515 hours -- A tear-stricken young crewmen came into my office to ask how she could possibly meet any of the tight deadlines with hostile aliens gunning for Earth. I assured her that there was little chance that any of our big, bad, technologically advanced neighbours care about we primitive humans and our little Warp Five ship. Honestly, doesn't she realize that these aliens have more important concerns? 1530 hours -- Ninth cup of coffee. 1638 hours -- A notice on my computer conveniently reminded me that the deadline for Challenger's industrial systems had passed. I checked the crew progress reports... percentage of industrial systems installed--2%. Well, looks like we missed the deadline. 1640 hours -- Tenth cup of coffee. 1712 hours -- I instructed Albert to schedule appointments for some of the "worthy workers," the people who haven't taken it upon themselves to barge into my office yelling and screaming at me. I'd like to outline some agendas with them. They all seem to have the fortitude needed to help me talk some sense into the softer workers. 1734 hours -- I resisted the urge to grab an eleventh cup of coffee. I really need to start cutting back. 1758 hours -- I decided to show Albert that I'm not as devoid of feelings as he thinks. I allowed him to head home early. 1800 hours -- I punched out, headed to the docking bay, and grabbed the controls of an unused shuttle pod to take a few trips around the Challenger embryo. No matter how tight the deadlines, no matter how many Admirals are breathing down your neck, no matter how many workers you have banging on your door and flooding your inbox, there's nothing more exhilerating than a huge pile of useless and unremarkable scraps being assembled into one streamlined machine of magnificent workmanship. Even if I have to get my hands dirty and help the workers build this ship from scratch myself, I'll enjoy seeing Challenger come together...

Starfleet Construction Yards Official Communique To: All crew assigned to Challenger Project Re: Project changes Greetings, Allow me, first, to introduce myself. Effective immediately, I am the new foreman of the Challenger construction project. Commander Murphy did a commendable job during his short tenure as foreman and his services will still be contributed to the project in a reduced role. However, Command feels that changes to the project are necessary, and, I assure you, those changes will come under my supervision. You are, no doubt, all aware of Starfleet's announcement that Challenger will launch on September 12th. Many of you may feel overwhelmed by this accelerated launch schedule. But, with a little teamwork and ingenuity, I am sure we can accomplish this lofty goal to the satisfaction of the officials in charge of the project. Teamwork and ingenuity can take us a long way. So, of course, can some sweat and strife. Those of you who are not just recently joining the project are used to a relatively light work schedule. This is the first item that will change. Effective next Monday, June 7, all workers will be expected to report to duty by 7:30 AM EST, and the work day will conclude at 6:00 PM. All workers will be entitled to one 10 minute lunch break. Any workers wishing to contribute more than the required amount of hours is free to do so. All workers will also be required to report to duty on Saturdays, when the work day will run from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Sunday duty is optional. Be assured that while the number of hours you are expected to put in is being expanded, Starfleet Headquarters is in the process of bringing more labor onto the project to ease your workload. On behalf of Starfleet Command, I thank you all for your contribution to this grand endeavour and hope that you will all keep your vision of a completed NX-05 starship alive despite what is expected of you as a workforce. Queries, comments, and complaints can be forwarded to my office from now on. Please be discreet in the wording of any complaints. Yours truly, Commander Elias Moore Challenger Project Foreman

Starfleet Biographical File Challenger, NX-05 Elias Moore Rank: Captain Position: Commanding Officer Sex: Male Birthdate: June 14, 2126 Place of Birth: Mars Colony Phys. Attr.: 5'10", 165lbs, Blue eyes, Lt. Brown hair Education: Masters in Starship Engineering & Bachelors in Warp Physics from Mars Aerospace Institute, Starfleet Command Training Father: Dr. Derek Moore, Ph.D. in Starship Engineering, Starfleet Construction Yards, Senior Project Leader Mother: Dr. Alyssa Moore, Ph.D. in Terraforming, Mars Terraforming Team Sister: Cadet Judith Moore, Student, Starfleet Academy Personal History Elias Moore was born in the Mars Colony. The unstable artificial climate, lack of supply shipments, and dissent among many Mars citizens opposed to the level of Earth jurisdiction made life in the colony difficult. Elias spent a large part of his life being transferred between Mars and Earth, where his father worked on warp drive design and construction. From observing his father's work, Elias picked up his passion for starship engineering. Throughout his early years of schooling, Elias was very devoted to his science and engineering studies, though he excelled at most other material, possessing a wit sharpened by the neccessity of Martian living. Eventually, Elias enrolled in the Mars Aerospace Institute to study Starship Engineering and Warp Physics. There was not a much wider choice of institutions for higher learning on Mars. In two years, Elias earned Bachelors in both fields before going on to MAI's graduate school to continue studying Starship Engineering. He received his Masters three years later. During these years, Elias formed a romantic relationship with Julie Wagner, a Literature student. After Elias received his Masters, Starfleet began putting pressure on him to join their ranks. Though it ruined his plans of starting a family with Wagner, he eventually chose the military life. He joined the Starfleet Academy and followed the engineering curriculum for three years. His academic achievements were exceptional, but he received condemnation for several incidents of misconduct, mostly involving scuffles with fellow Academy students. None of these incidents were serious enough to threaten expulsion. He graduated in 2150. After exiting the Academy, Elias was assigned to the Starfleet Construction Yards as an assistant to his father, Dr. Derek Moore, Associate Project Leader of the NX-01 Warp Drive development. He contributed to both the design and construction of the Warp Five Engine, showing his ingenuity and leadership skills in the process. In two years aboard the Construction Yards, he rose to the rank of Full Lieutenant. Elias requested transfer to the completed Enterprise, and was offered the position of first assistant to Commander Charles Tucker, ship's chief engineer. For reasons unknown, he turned down the position and revoked his request for an Enterprise assignment. After the Enterprise position was turned down, most expected Elias to remain a member of the NX design team, but he surprisingly took an open position aboard one of Starfleet's deep Solar vessels, Venture. Venture's Warp One engine was easy enough for the engineering prodigy to handle. Within only a year, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander and earned the chief engineer's position aboard Venture. At the advice of Venture Captain Thomas Julan, Elias began studying for Starfleet's command level training. He performed the first level of command exercises under Captain Julan's supervision. Quickly, the experience, and discussions with Captain Julan, offered the often cynical, rudely outspoken officer a new outlook on Starfleet duty. Wishing to pursue a career in command, he returned to Starfleet Academy and continued his training under the tutelage of Admiral Frank Richards. He completed the training without incident and was promoted to the rank of Commander in 2154. Pressured by the Earth Government to accelerate its deep space program, Starfleet Command shuffled the NX design team. Starfleet ordered Elias to their Construction Yards where he was to assume his promoted father's former position of Warp Drive Project Leader. His only major responsibility in this position would be to oversee the accelerated design and construction of the NX-05 after a severe structural collapse caused a 6-month setback of the NX-02 project. At his suggestion, Starfleet integrated a substantial Martian element into the construction process. The NX-05 project was relocated to Martian orbit, and, with the size of the labor force increased five-fold, Elias was able to meet the tight construction deadline. Elias was chosen to serve as first officer of the newly completed Challenger, and he accepted the position. During the year that Elias served in this capacity, Challenger's encounters included the Acamarian and Caitian first contacts, the first Khitomer crisis, and mysterious confrontations (the details of which are deemed confidential) with both Andorian and Suliban agents. Elias' first command came with the Orion abduction of Challenger's commanding officer, Commodore Fitzgerald Moose. Elias oversaw the successful retrieval of Moose and several other kidnapped crew in an operation that exposed the most recent threat to Starfleet interests--the Orion wormhole-ship. Challenger was MIA for six months following the Caitian first contact, a period of time missing from the crew's memories. During this time, Commodore Moose vanished without a trace and Challenger returned to Earth without its commanding officer. Elias was promoted and placed in command of Challenger in the Commodore's stead. Challenger's current primary mission is the establishment of a colony and orbital starbase in the Nequencia system, a project which Elias heads in addition to his command responsibilities. Career Timeline June, 2144--Received Bachelors degrees in Starship Engineering and Warp Physics May, 2147--Received Masters degree in Starship Engineering September, 2147--Entered Starfleet Academy May, 2150--Graduated from Starfleet Academy, Posted at Starfleet Construction Yards, Assigned to Enterprise Project, Warp Drive Design & Construction--Assistant under Dr. Derek Moore November, 2150--Promoted to Lieutenant (Junior Grade) by Admiral Frank Richards October, 2151--Promoted to Full Lieutenant by Admiral Frank Richards, Transferred to Venture--Assistant Engineer under Captain Thomas Julan, Commander Daniel Kognedo, and Lieutenant Jeffery Fawkes September, 2152--Assigned Chief Engineer of Venture, Promoted to Lieutenant Commander by Captain Thomas Julan, Began Command Level Training on Venture June, 2153--Transferred to Starfleet Headquarters to complete Command Training April, 2154--Promoted to Commander by Admiral Frank Richards May, 2154--Transferred to Starfleet Construction Yards, Assigned to Challenger project, Warp Drive Design & Construction--Project Leader September, 2154--Appointed First Officer of Challenger July, 2155--Assigned Commanding Officer of Challenger, Promoted to Captain by Admiral Daniel Leonard

"A Not Too Distant Miracle" Commander Elias Moore Fleet Officer's Starlog: June 2, 2154 "So you not only want me to finish the warp drive in less than four months. You want me to direct the entire workforce?" Elias looked at Admiral Forrest in the pilot's seat, a grin of disbelief on his face. "Why not?" The Admiral asked. "You're a command officer now. Completed the training, didn't you? You have the credientials to oversee an operation like this." Elias looked out the front viewport at the Challenger drydock and what hardly managed to pass itself off as the skeleton of a starship. He had assumed he would see at least a completed frame on the way to the shipyards. "And this isn't the Columbia drydock that we're looking at, right?" "Oh, no. Columbia looks a lot worse." Elias nodded. "Glad to see you're still running a top-notch operation out here Admiral." Forrest allowed the comment to slide. Lord, was this kid brash! But Moose had a point. He may have been Challenger's only remaining hope for the September deadline. And as the project foreman, he wouldn't be directing that point-blank attitude of his at Admirals. Which was another consideration altogether. The crews were used to Murphy's more liberal supervision. How would they respond to the changes that were certain to come? "Unbelievable." Elias looked up from the datapad in his hand. "Eight to three with a half hour lunch break?" He was obviously thinking along the same lines. "Was this guy directing a construction crew or a starship engineering class?" "Commander Murphy believed that driving the workers too hard would only drain their long-term capabilities. You'd get results over a period of a few weeks, then it would all collapse." Forrest glanced at Elias and noticed his skeptical sneer. "And operating multiple shifts would be just as damaging. Each crew would act as a separate, independent entity, and there would be no cohesion to the finished product. The results could end up being disastrous" Elias laughed. "Let me guess. That's what happened to Columbia?" Forrest threw him a scolding look, but it had little effect. "Admiral," Elias continued. "We both know that you don't have enough manpower to operate multiple shifts. There just isn't all that much interest in this project back on Earth." "Ridiculous!" Forrest replied. "Quite the contrary. In fact we're kicking up the construction of Challenger because--" "Yes, yes!" Elias cut him off. "Public outcry for increased presence in space. Spare me, Admiral, please. I can read between the lines, I'm not stupid. Your press releases aren't reporting outcry, they're doing their best to encourage it. But you're just going to have to face the fact that a lot of people on Earth aren't too keen on thinking outside the solar system. To them, it's a foolish waste of resources, a dangerous venture for the officers, and an invitation for more of our wonderful stellar neighbours to grace us with their presence. The attack on Florida didn't do much to relieve that concern." Admiral Forrest sat in silence for almost a whole minute, staring at the drydock, which now encompassed most of the viewport. "... they'll just need time. Not everyone is going to agree with our plans at first. It's like the Vulcans keep telling us, we all need time to develop as a people, despite the setbacks and the hardships. This only stresses the importance of the NX project even more." "You're preaching to the choir, Admiral." Elias looked across at him. "You're also missing the point." Forrest raised an eyebrow at him, a habit he'd been reluctantly picking up over the past few years. "Your problem is a shortage of labor. We agree that this is because of lack of interest among the candidates you're targetting. But don't you realize, Admiral, that right on your doorstep, there's a whole planet of candidates who ... A, as proven by their very existence, support space exploration ... B, have lived under conditions that make them perfectly suited to this kind of work ... and C, have had some sort of training in the work that's required?" Forrest took a moment to register what he was hearing. When it hit him, he realized where, once again, Elias was going. He was not in the mood for this discussion, even after the three years since Elias' last stint on the NX project. "I assume you're referring, of course, to Mars?" "Yes, Admiral, what else?" Indeed, what else. "Whatever training the Mars colonists might have, I would have to doubt your claims of any interest. The NX project is an Earth-run operation, and you know better than I do how passionately the Mars colony avoids getting itself involved in any of Earth's affairs." "Then what am I doing here, Admiral? Why was I assigned as project foreman? Have you even asked the colony for support? Has anyone considered making an open invitation?" Forrest took a deep breath, not wanting to get into this same old political spatfest. "And what qualifications would they have to offer, having so little exposure to the technology we're utilizing now?" "There are a few graduates of the Aerospace Institute who haven't left Mars, who use the knowledge they've acquired to assist the colony. But just like me, they know their warp drive technology. Maybe they just assume that Earth's space program wouldn't welcome them. And forget about the graduates. I'm not even talking about the engineers and the physicists. You don't need a degree to operate simple tools and perform the most basic tasks. And you certainly don't need one to carry materials around all day. I'm talking sheer workforce. Maybe the problem with the engineers and physicists you have working now is that they have to bear too much of the physical load to concentrate on what they were educated to do. Introduce a Martian element, Admiral, and productivity overall will improve. If you don't extend the invitation, I will." How tempted Forrest was to just turn the pod around and take this unruly toddler back to his crib! Setting an ultimatum to him?! His hand almost reached for the keypad. Then he thought of Moose--Elias was his choice. And while the NX project belonged to Forrest, Challenger belonged to Moose. The man on whose shoulders all of Forrest's hopes for the NX project rested. A Captain has to get his way, Forrest thought to himself. "I see many of your points." He kept his tone under control, wanting dearly to avoid a conflict. "I'll see if I can't have an invitation sent to the Martian colony. And I'll include mention of your involvement in the project to encourage participation. Though I can't see that there will be much enthusiasm, regardless." "You'll get enthusiasm and more." Elias grinned. "You don't build an entire colony almost from scratch without some kind of endurance and fortitude. If anything, they'll want to prove their worth to you. And a joint Earth-Mars project? Maybe we'll end up building more than a starship, eh, sir?" Forrest looked at him suddenly. It was the first time Elias had ever called him "sir" without being prompted or ordered, even going back to his days as an Ensign. Maybe Venture had changed the kid a bit. "Quite the aspirations, Commander." He remarked with a smile. "It's no wonder Admiral Richards has spoken so highly of you." "Ahh..." Elias gave him a look of sudden understanding. "So it was the good Admiral who recommended me for this assignment?" "As a matter of fact, it wasn't." Elias furrowed his brow. "Well, if he didn't. And my father didn't. You?" Forrest just shook his head. "... then whose crazy idea was this?" Forrest merely chuckled to himself and piloted the shuttle pod into the starbase docking bay.

"Unresolved Issues" Commander Elias Moore Fleet Officer's Starlog: June 1, 2154 Doctor Macey stared across the wide marble table (and the heavy silence that hung over it) at her patient. Another one of her Starfleet officers. The wider Earth's space program expanded, the more her clientele grew (as did the ratio of Fleeters to civilians). The space program was bringing wonderful technological advances to the people of Earth, there was no doubt. But space travel just wasn't the ticket to psychological well-being. "How are you feeling today, Elias?" Doctor Macey broke the silence as it was clear that the Commander was not going to initiate the discussion. He was too busy staring out the window at the ocean, probably lost in one of his warp-induced daydreams. Whenever was Starfleet finally going to start assigning qualified therapists to their starships? "... Commander?" Elias snapped his attention back to Doctor Macey. "Oh... fine... wonderful. Enjoying life as a Commander, undoubtedly." He lifted the datapad that he had been holding at his side and slid it across the marble table. "My first command orders." Doctor Macey lifted the pad and read. "Ah, you're returning to the orbital construction yards. This was your first Starfleet assignment, correct?" "That's right." Elias nodded. "Same thing. Warp Five Drive." "Which means you'll be working under your father again?" Elias laughed and grabbed the bridge of his nose. "Nope, nope, not this time. He's been promoted. He's now a Senior Project Leader ... mostly paperwork, forming schedules, dealing with Fleet Command--more of the bureaucratic aspect, really. I'll still send my reports to him and his colleagues, but the two of us will mostly be out of contact. I'm replacing him as the Warp Drive Project Leader." "Ah, so this will be your first serious command assignment." Doctor Macey smiled. "You must be excited." Elias signed and rose from his chair. He walked to the window and resumed his staring. Of course, Doctor Macey thought, he isn't staring at the ocean at all. He's staring at the sky. A typical trait of her experienced Fleet officers ... they all felt out-of-place when there was Earth beneath their feet. "Four months. They want me to oversee the construction of a Warp Five Drive, a construction that was originally slated to reach completion over a year from now ... in four months. And that doesn't just include the construction itself. It includes exhaustive testing, meticulous safety inspections, and the eventual installation. Apparently, Starfleet's gone into some sort of emergency mode after the attacks on Earth, so they want the ship launched in September. And after everything I'll have to go through over the next few months to meet their deadlines, they sure as hell better give me the chief engineer post this time!" Macey stifled a sigh and looked down to straighten out a wrinkle in her skirt and to hide any expressions of annoyance that might have shown themselves. Here we go again. "You're still upset about being left off the Enterprise roster?" "No!" Elias shot a look at her and lapsed into his old tone. "Not left off the roster! They offered me an assistant position. An assistant position! As if I was going to take it. The chief position, Charles Tucker got. Or was given ... by his good buddy Archer. And now he's out there ... with my Warp Five Engine! The engine that I was slaving over in the trenches. There wasn't an officer in the fleet who knew more about that engine than I did, who deserved to be its caretaker more. But pretty boy got the position." He looked back at the window and mumbled something inaudible, most likely about "Earthers sticking together," Macey was sure. Martian patients were rare, but she got one from the Academy every now and then, so she knew them well enough. "But your prospects of earning the position on this ship, the ... " Macey glanced at the datapad. "The Challenger are significant, correct? And you'll be working on the warp drive for this one as well. Isn't it basically the same thing?" Elias shook his head. "It's not. I mean, don't get me wrong, I want out of the Solar system, I want to be out there exploring, and this should be my opportunity. But it will only be the second ship launched. There's a big difference between the frontiersman who takes the first steps into bold, new territory ... and the one who just follows in his footsteps." "Your choice of words there is interesting." Doctor Macey remarked. "'Follows in his footsteps.' You still look at an assignment like this as an opportunity to prove yourself to your father." Elias let out his trademark derisive laugh again. "There you go, twisting my words around again. I have nothing to prove to my father. So he broke the Warp 4 threshold. So everyone who works for him respects and admires him. So his name's been mentioned in one science journal after another. So what? I'm a Commander in Starfleet. If I have to prove anything, it's to the baboons running Starfleet that I should have gotten the Enterprise job, not Pretty Boy Trip." Doctor Macey raised an eyebrow at him. "It's very easy to unleash your animosity on someone you don't know very well personally, when it's someone who's much closer that you won't admit is the cause of it." Elias turned away from the window and narrowed his eyes at her. There was another moment of silence before he pulled away and headed toward the door. Halfway through, he stopped and faced her. "I leave San Fran for the fleet yards tomorrow. This is probably the last time you'll see me. Your assistance has been invaluable, Doctor. I'll transfer the funds for this session before I leave." "You've confessed a lot of yourself to me, Elias." Macey cut him off before he could shut the door. "During our sessions. Because you needed someone to talk to, and it's my job to listen and keep what you say between us. But once you're out that door, you'll climb back into your shell. You'll bury your feelings again." "And do my duty." Elias responded. "It's required of a Fleet officer." "I'm not so sure of that. I don't know Starfleet well, but I know that times are changing, and even the military must be changing with them. If you do find yourself outside of our star system, I hope there will be someone on your ship in whom you can confide yourself, as you've done in this office." Elias didn't respond. "Good luck up there, Commander." "Thank you Doctor." Elias nodded and stepped out the office, half wishing he could have spent more time with his therapist, half resenting that he exposed himself to her ...