Star Fleet: TROM Discussion Thread (Spoilers)

[Vanessa]

Been a bit quiet of late 'round 'ere, so I thought I'd disturb the peace First a question: Captain Halley hasn't had a mention (yet) in TROM. What's happened to 'ol Halley?I note you've got Lamia returning to Humanoid form in ROTDW, does Halley also make an appearance?I've also been giving some thought to a possible means by which the Great Skull could open "Warp Gates" to allow travel to and from the GSW and other places.As I have set the GSW on the edge of a Nebula, it goes without saying that to form a Nebula filled with elements for the GSW inhabitants to "trawl", then a Red Giant Star in it's death throes must have collapsed in on itself and exploded, thus creating the Nebula. But also, a Neutron Star is formed (if my fuzzy old memory serves me correct) in the centre of the Nebula. This has had it's core compressed until the density reached is near 100%, and close to that of a Dark Star (black hole). Such high density matter has a huge gravitational power, and it is thought that this can have the ability to "bend" the very fabric of Space-Time.So, as you can see, the GSW is close to a possible source of a great power, which could, with a little artistic licence, be used to create "Warp Gates".I thus postulate that the Great Skull, using his ancient abilities, could have obtained a piece of this Neutron Star Matter, and hence use it to travel through space and time. This could give a little plausibility to his powers maybe?Perhaps this piece of "Dark Matter" could be located in the hilt of his sword or his eyepatch (it only has to be very very small even though it is so powerful).Just a thought.

[Shane]

Yeah, Halley, I was wondering when someone was going to mention him.   I know Andy has him incorporated in Genesis, but I haven't even considered him in TROM or ROTDW. I guess my own take was that Halley's essence had merged with Lamia's at the cosmic alignment and so I've been treating them as one being with Lamia's voice and the F01's (which is colder and more to the point due to the subtle influence of Halley) taking it in turns, although this has only been briefly hinted at so far.Personally as a viewer I'd always thought that was it for Halley. He made a sacrifice at the end of the series, with maybe only an abstract portion of his personality remaining within the F01. Now that I'm actually writing the story though, and linking with all the other fanfics, it seems like I should address the Halley situation especially when Lamia returns to the physical realm. I'm going to have to have a think though; it'll probably be a very subtle reference, so as not to rock the continuity boat. I can always have him on an 'off camera mission' if Halley is required for future fanfics. Any ideas?That's a really plausible explanation for how The Great Skull can travel through time and space. I like it! I'd definitely incorporate that as it plays a part in The Great Skull's duel with Makara. It would be ideal to have the dark matter as part of the power core of the ship, with The Great Skull's symbionts as the triggering mechanism for each space/time jumpI originally have The Great Skull as a 'renaissance man' who lived on The Great Skull World (really really does need a name   ). He was a great fighter, fine artist and superb inventor. He builds a time ship, but his contemporaries mock him. On his maiden flight, with your dark matter installed, he is unable to space/time jump. Humiliated and dejected he leaves The Great Skull world. Not long after when he is alone amongst the stars, his ship automatically jumps into the early Star Fleet universe. He has been drawn there by the 7 pure ancient spirits who possess him and turn him into, what people would come to refer to as, The Great Skull.I have Lamia/F01 and The Imperial Master only able to create warp gates in Sargasso (an area of space where I'm using a bit of artistic licence, will start a thread on this as the tv show has some very odd logic), and I've limited her powers to only the Star Fleet universe, just for the sake of my plot, but there's no reason why she can't be more powerful in future fanfics.With your ideas based on scientific principles there's no reason why in a few years there isn't a new breed of Star Fleet vessels with time jump capability. I smell a time travelling Steam punk X-Bomber spin off.   Loving how hard science is being weaved into all of this fantasy. I'm actually learning things.  

[Vanessa]

Speaking personally I wasn't going to be writing much about Halley in TEC, but I did wonder on why he hasn't appeared in TROM.Although, you've hinted that there should be some emotional angst for Lamia and Shiro to ponder over in the first few chapters of ROTDW. So I was thinking of having Lamia being torn between Shiro and Halley. But if Halley's not around, that would not be a good idea.I'm really pleased you like the "Neutron Star Matter" idea for Time/Space travel. I'd thought for a long while about it's workings (thank you Prof. Brian Cox!)   Having the Dark Matter held deep within the Great Skull's ship, triggered by his symbionts is really cool.Now, I was thinking of having the Great Skull as a god-like figure that the inhabitants of the GSW worshipped, but your idea of a banished and failed inventor and rennaisance man (a kind of SF "Da-Vinci maybe?) is just as clever.I'll incorporate this into my GSW chapters for ROTDW.Maybe he later returns to the GSW as the Great Skull, and is then revered and worshipped?He needs to have gained power and reverence on the GSW to enable him to muster a great armada to fight the Alliance.I'm really warming to the whole Steampunk X-Bomber spin off, and having a time-travelling twist makes it even more fun I can't wait to see what the future holds, although, if I had such a ship I wouldn't have to... I wouldn't say my ideas are exactly "hard science"     But they do have a basis in scientific principles, to try to add an air of plausibility to keep things more Sci-fi and less Fantasy. I'm glad you're enjoying it all though, as am I

[Shane]

Yeah, I was definitely thinking of The Great Skull as a Da Vinci figure. I think both ideas would work though. We can have him go back to the GSW and become, like you say, a god-like figure. That will give him a bit more clout when he returns in your chapters. It will also be interesting how the people will react to him, as he is an absolute mad-man. I guess that would probably only endear him to his people more. I was thinking of having Halley's spirit stay in the ethereal plane while Lamia is in the physical world. We could maybe address the fact that Lamia is effectively married to Halley (albeit in a very unconventional way). I like to keep things scientifically plausible whenever possible, but I do like to play the fantasy card now and again. Some things just can't be explained, and I like that. Especially with things like the F01 and Sargasso (which although looks to be a black hole doesn't particularly act like one and seems more like a separate dimension).

[Vanessa]

Aha! I knew I was right about Da Vinci It's cool we are able to thrash all this stuff out so easily.So the Great Skull is a madman as well! He sounds to me like an eccentric but likeable loon! Now do you want me to write about the origins of the Great Skull in my chapters of ROTDW, incuding his original eccentric "Da Vinci" self and his return as a "god"?Or do you want to handle this in TROM, or even in ROTDW yourself?I like your idea of keeping alive Halley's "spirit" on the ethereal plane. Having them unconventionally "married" would be a good analogy. This does also mean I can mention him occasionally as well, as I have him as the son of Captain Corliss in TRA.I must admit, my engineering brain does tend to try and plausibly explain away everything, when TBH, it's not always necessary, or indeed possible! It's good to have some things that are just magical and not scientific, to keep imagination and interest high. That's not something I am that great at writing about, so it's good you have that covered As someone pretty cool once told me, it helps to have an air of awesome mysteryness at times

[Shane]

Yeah, Da Vinci is a hero of mine. Later on I'll write down a brief history of The Great Skull which we can use as a blueprint to reveal things about him gradually. I'm actually giving very little away about him in TROM, so you'll be in a much better position to trickle some of his history out in your chapters.In TROM he has a duel with Makara, disappears and then returns right at the end so he really gets to shine more in your chapters.The Makara/Great Skull fight I'm soon going to write will be quite challenging as I want to capture all of the symbiont voices that speak to him in a rather creative way. It should give you an idea of the extent of his madness when you come to write for him in your own chapters. I'm going to have to get the balance just right, otherwise the people on The Great Skull world will just think he is a complete basket case.

[Shane]

I thought I'd write a brief for The Great Skull and GSW type things. It might be a bit of a ramble, as I'm coming down with a bit of a head cold, but I think the basics are there.The Origin of The Great SkullTrel Vitruvius was born on the planet (Drum roll please...) Aeolus. He was a childhood prodigy who excelled in the subjects of art, science and war. In his teens he became a world renowned engineer who served on the King's flagship vessel during the Nebula Wars. Vitruvious was also an expert swordsman and displayed these skills to the many boarding parties that were foolhardy enough to attack his ship during war-time. He saved the King's life in one such battle against incredible odds, but lost an eye in the process. The King honoured his loyal and brave servant with a crystal skull eye patch and a vessel of his own, dubbed The Great Skull.After the war, and aged 30, Trel settled down and became a famous inventor and scholar in the city of Beltarus. He spent the last 10 years of his life there before disappearing at the age of 40.He was initially well respected in the city of Beltarus, but his unconventional theories went against the grain of the conservative order. The latter part of his time there was spent on an obsessive project to convert The Great Skull into a time ship. The idea was met with many raised eyebrows from his fellow academics who thought his ideas were the work of a fantasist. The test flight of the time ship was held in the capital city in front of the New King and the world's leading scientists and academics. It was a complete failure and ruined the already tarnished reputation of Trel.He went back to Beltarus for a time, but grew tired of being sarcastically referred to as 'The Great Skull' by its citizens. He decided that he would leave Aeolus and go into exile. He only spent a short time roaming space when inexplicably the time engine on his ship powered up and sent him into the early Star Fleet universe.In the early Star Fleet universe a powerful energy being, who had the ability to draw entities from other dimensions was waiting for Trel. The energy being had also called 6 other energy beings from various dimensions. (They are actually the same main energy beings from the different dimensions, but are slightly weaker due to being detatched from their home dimension). Trel was deemed to be the 'chosen one' by the main energy being who had nullified Trel's time engine (which had actually worked all along) and only allowed it to function once The Great Skull had left Aeolus.The energy beings possess Trel and he becomes The Great Skull with the energy beings becoming the first symbionts. The main energy being resides in The Great Skulls eye patch and is responsible for waking him between slumbers over the many eons and initiating dimensional jumps whenever necessary, although these are often seemingly illogical and random.He is called upon to undertake many missions over time with one such mission taking him back to Aeolus many thousands of years before the events of ROTDW, which results in him becoming proclaimed as a god.That's the basics, please feel free to add or subtract. I think he's going to be quite a versatile character for fanfics though.If there's a plot hole you need fixing just call The Great Skull.  

[Vanessa]

He he that's just brilliant! I'll reply more soon, am mega busy at work I simply love it

[Vanessa]

Da Vinci was indeed an incredible person, I can see why you admire him.Thanks for the History of the Great Skull. Now I know his original name, and also that the GSW is called Aeolus!I can now form some more ideas to let this info trickle out during "my" chapters of ROTDW.My appetite is certainly whetted for the next installment of TROM... Interesting that war is classed as a subject of study on Aeolus.I now know that Aeolus is a kingdom as well, I did wonder if it was to be so, or a republic. It's a Star Fleet tradition to have kingdoms I'm feeling... I like the Nebula Wars idea, very good...I can concentrate my writings on Aeolus around Beltarus, that can be where the huge Inference Engine Commmunication House is situated. I can postulate that communication is now the great mainstay of scientific interest in Beltarus, and the Inference Engine House can be a shrine to The Great Skull.I like the idea that the name "The Great Skull" could've been once used sarcastically against Trel.I love the way you've picked up on my idea of the seven dimensions from my TEC muses. That will help me with my next fanfic immensely I'm glad you've mentioned The Great Skull returning to Aeolus to handily receive god-like status. I'll maybe use this visit for him to meet Corliss and set about the events to save Lamia.As you say: "Plot hole? Who ya gonna call?!"TGS!

[Shane]

Groovy.   I wanted Trel to be handy with a sword, so I made the early Aeolusians a people who understood how to make war. Trel found himself in a transitional time on Aeolus after the Nebula Wars. The new King's Utopian ideals saw a rejection of their old war-like ways which eventually results in Aeolus becoming a pacifist society. I like the idea that Beltarus becomes a centre for the study of communications. I'm looking forward to seeing what TGS gets up to on his return visit and then much later when he arrives there again in ROTDW.This should all be a good set-up for your chapters as I know you want The Great Skull and the lads to whip the current aeolusians into shape. Looking forward to that as well. I have a montage in my head accompanied by the music from The A Team played on a harpsichord.   Yes, the 7 energy beings (actually the same being) is a direct reference to your idea of the 7 dimensions that Makara has travelled through. I have an idea that you don't have to use, but it might be really sweet if The Great Skull had a display room on his ship with objects that he has collected on his missions throughout the 7 dimensions. You mentioned that one of the dimensions that Makara's spirit inhabits is actually the TV series itself so it might be cool if he actually saved one of the puppets (could even be Makara's puppet) or models from the actual studio fire.I have it that because the Prime energy being has drawn his other selves from the other dimensions it has caused a certain amount of instability within these other dimensions and so The Great Skull has to travel around in a non-linear fashion ensuring that certain events take place, which will allow him to achieve his prime mission which revolves around the Star Fleet universe and the affairs of F01/Imperial Master.If you have a plot problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find him, maybe you can hire The Great Skull.