HD04 - Science Cadet Amanda Mendoza

[Amelina Whittaker]

== Welcome to your holodeck Cadet Mendoza, 

Read the following information carefully, because it has a fair amount of important information for you.  If you have any questions or difficulties at any time, please contact one of the following people for assistance.  We’d be glad to help you out.

Commander Jasal 
Commander Shanth  
Captain Allen  

Remember during your time at Academy people have responsibilities such as school, jobs, and family, as well as maintaining our site. There are times when we may have to wait longer than we’d like for a reply to a post or a question. Patience and treating each other with respect and dignity are two things that are absolutely required of all members.

On the flip side, the Constitution states that players need to post at least twice a week.  If you find you are unable to keep up due to something coming up in real life responsibilities or you’re just going to be on holiday, please let one of the Admins know.  You can be granted a leave of absence for the length of time you think you’ll be away.  If you don’t let us know and you suddenly disappear, this could end up with you being considered AWOL and eventually removed from the active cadet roster.

Now… with all of that said, let’s get to your character’s bio!

Please begin by posting your bio using the template below. Once posted, your bio will be reviewed by an Evaluations representative. They will post comments for you and suggest any adjustments your bio might require.  Once they approve your bio, you will be assigned an instructor and your adventure will begin!

Federation Space is a written RPG. With that said, we ask that you try to pay attention to spelling and grammar in your posts.  Posts properly formatted are easier and more enjoyable for everyone to read. I strongly recommend you run your bio and any posts you make through a spell check before posting them.

Next are a few resources that can help you as you write your bio:

Be sure to check out playable races.

Our character development page is a great resource to help you fill out your bio form.

One last thing, please take time to read and understand our site’s canon page.  This will help you understand what 'Trek' related information is included on our site.

Again, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!  And as always - have fun!

== Physical Description ==
Name:
Species:
Gender:
Age:
Height:
Weight:
Build/Body Type:
Complexion:
Hair Color:
Hair Style:
Eye Color:
Voice:
Off-Duty Clothing Taste:
Distinguishing Features:

== Personal History ==
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Marital Status:
Siblings Name & Ages:
Mother's Name:
Father's Name:
Parent's Status:
Pets:
Best Friend:
Personal History:

== Personality ==
Academy Majors:
Academy Minors:
Hobbies & Past-Times:
Short-Term Goals:
Long-Term Goals:
Personality:
Sense of Humor:
Phobias:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Pet Peeves/Gripes:
Bad Habits / Vices:
Achievements:
Disappointments:
Illnesses:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Fears:
Prejudices:

== Questions ==
Most Painful Experience:
Best Time:
Most Crucial Experience:
Role Model:
Referrer / How you found Fed Space (If 'Google' or 'Search Engine' please specify the search engine and the term searched for):

==

[Amanda Mendoza]

Name: Amanda Mendoza

Species: human

Gender: female

Age: 24

Height: 1.65 cm

Weight: 60 kg

Body type: lean and wiry, not bulky, with a low body fat percentage due to all the running she does. Her legs are especially well developed, her core appears strong and stable which helps with her posture. Her arms are lean with defined biceps while not being overly large. Her shoulders are broad but not massive and her back well defiened.

Complexion: has a fair complexion with warm undertones, indicated by her rosy cheeks and subtle freckles. She gets easily tanned due to her south american roots.

Hair color: chocolate brown hair.

Hair style: her hair is long and easily reaches her waist. They’re straight, which makes it easier to fix in the morning. While she usually keeps it loose, when needs she puts it up in a high ponytail. The hair on the side of her face are shorter than the rest.

Eye color: deep brown, almond shaped. Very expressive.

Voice: her words are always clear, easily understood by everyone which is helped by good grammar and her avoidance of dialect phrasing. With her superiors, she’s overly formal as she would never think of being anything but respectful. Her tone is mild and never raises her voice as she prefers using disappointment to express her discontent. She always sounds like shes’s telling a secret jock.

Off-duty clothing taste: she likes to wear comfy and casual clothing as she finds anything else too stuffy. Her wardrobe is made out of leggings and mom jeans, paired with sweaters and long shirts. Only rarely does she wear skirts but you’ll never see her with skin-tight dresses that show a lot of skin.

Distinguished Features: she always looks like she’s blushing.


Date of birth: 12/12

Place of birth: San Francisco, US

Marital status: single, just got out of a 1-year old story with another cadet.

Children: none

Siblings: she has two older sisters with whome she’s very close to. The oldest is named Sara Thatcher (28): she spend more time in space than any of her siblings and when she wasn’t there, she was kept with her single aunt Sabrina who she keeps being close to. She grew up to be a very cal and quite girl, especially as she was responsible for two other children. She learnd early on to be independent to the point of refusing help from the people close to her. Her dream was to become a lawyer, a goal that she had to put on pause when her parents deemed her old enough to look after her sisters on her own. Thankfully, she met her now husband Luca, who helped her a lot and encouraged her to achieve her dreams. Now she lives happily with him and her four year-old son Parker.The middle child is called Juliet (26) and she’s definetely the most troublesome of the trio. She took her parents non presence very hard and their absence took a toll on her mental health, especially because she doesn’t like space and confined areas. At thirteen, she took up drinking and was forced to go to rehab for six months. Her favourite sport is teasing her younger sister and having a different boyfriend every week. She likes to have fun and is often scolded by her family for her daredevil attitude. When she was twenty, she got the opportunity to manage a bar and later open one of her own in a seedy part of San Francisco.

Mother’s name: Elizabeth

Father’s name: Milo

Parent’s status: still alive and currently traipsing around the solar system promoting their products while their daughters are left on Earth. They met white vacationing in a resort on Risa and got married soon after. Most of their life together was spend exploring different places and cultures which they then recounted to their children. This didn’t stop when they decided to start a family, often prefering taking the girls with them or living them with relatives, at least until the eldest daughter grew old enough to play babysitter.

Pets: no

Best friend: Thisbe Sh’zokrir is a thirty years old Andorian who Amanda met at Starfleet Academy. She was stopped from fighting anther cadet who insulted her and her family. Amanda’s calm personality tames her firy temper and often prevents her from doing things she might regret. She’s very loyal to her friend and will defend her every time. She’s very funny and never fails to make other people laugh, which she takes great proud in. She is often the reason Amanda gets in trouble but she will also make sure she relaxes every once in a while. At one point she had a small crush on her friend but it went away quickly.

Personal history: she was born in a hospital in San Francismo and her first three years of her life she lived with her parents and sisters. But Milo and Betty couldn’t fight off the urge to go to space, so they dumped her with her cousins, while her two older sisters were passed on other family members. She grew up immersed in nature which fueled her love for sports. When she was eight, her parents ship disappeared and were found only a week later; it was the scariest week of her life and it promped her parents to decide that Sara was old enough to take care of everyone so that they could be together again.


Her teen years were more calm and she spent lots of time going out with friends and hiking on the weekends. During this time she found out her love for anthropology and vowed to become one in the future. As a way of dealing with the stress of school, she started gardening and soon she had a full room made out of plants.


She had to donate them when she went away to the Academy and couldn’t take them with her. They were the best four years of her life. She took studying seriously and as a way to show the professors that she was serious about her life dream. Nothing could have distracted her from her goals. Thanks to her one friend, she didn’t completely burn-down and even had some fun.


Academy majors: Anthropology

Academy minors: Diplomacy and Stellar Cartography

Hobbies & past-times: she likes running and hiking, but also botany. When she can, she volunteers to help people in need.

Short-term goals: take up climbing, get better at navigation and run the Santiago’s trail.

Long-term goals: discover new civilisations, make her family proud and help other people understant alien’s culture better.

Personality: she always has a calm demeanour that makes other people think of her as dependable, which she is. She also likes other people to be able to see her as someone who can help, even at the cost of her mental health. She avoids conflict whenever she can by using logic and compassion to bring everyone together. With her superiors she is professional without coming across as stiff and robot-like. 

Sense of humor: she likes telling private jocks that only she seems to understand without hurting anybody’s else feelings. She doesn’t like pranks or being sarcastic.

Phobias: large animals because she was never around them when she was young.

Likes: running, pushing her limits, learning about other cultures, growing plants and navigation.

Dislikes: disrespect of a superior and not living up to expectations.

Pet Peeves/Gripes: people who are always late and gossips too much.

Bad habits/vices: biting her lips when nervous and skipping meals when stressed.

Achievements: first place in the running tracks of her high school which taught her the art of self-motivation and pushing her limits. It also started her love for running which continued in adulthood. When she was 20, with great difficulty, she mastered the Grand canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim. It was hard and she often got turned-around and stopped by the elements, but she pushed on anyway. It taught her the importance of relying only on yourself and your ability, to keep calm in difficult situations and the value of pacience and resilience.

Disappointments: everytime her parents told her they would be there and weren’t.

Illnesses: when she was a child she used to have rosacea on her cheeks which was cured by the time she started elementary school. Paired with that she also discovered she had exercise-induced asthma which got worse every time she run. Thankfully it was managed with medicines and rarely gave her problems anymore unless she was in a very cold or humid environment.

Strengths: being very resilient and remaining calm in difficult situations. Always ready to help someone.

Weaknesses: shes’s overly critical of herself and prefers doing everything herself instead of delegating. Even in her own free time she has difficulty relaxing.

Fears: failing a mission and being responsible for people’s death.

Prejudices: she thinks thata anyone who like weapons too much are stupid.


Most painful experience: when her parents ship desappeared for a week and no one could find them. Turned out they were captured by a band of space pirates. They were saved by Starfleet officers and released soon after. It was during this time that Amanda relised the danger of space and she promised herself she would make space travels a little bit more safe.

Best time: her time spent hiking.

Most crucial experience: when she was a teen bored out of her mind, she watched on tv a documentary about the danger of introducing new concepts and technologies in civilisations that had never seen them without preparation. It had interested her so much that she had decided to study it at the Academy.

Role model: her older sister Sara who sacrificed a lot to make sure she grew up with all the love she needed. She wants to make her proud and looks up to her on how to act. She got her calm exterior and the will to help anyone who needs it from her.


Referrer: on Chrome by writing ‘Star Trek rpg’
Requested Department: 1.science 2.tactical 3.security

[Amelina Whittaker]

Apologies for the delay Cadet, but I can now confirm that your bio has been approved :-) 

Your lessons will begin shortly :-)

[Amelina Whittaker]

== Hello Cadet Mendoza, and welcome to Federation Space RPG, otherwise known as Fed Space. Fed Space is a great game and community.  I’ll be your Academy Instructor, helping you get ready for your time on ship. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me here or dm me.
Before we move on to the first lesson, I want to make sure you're aware of the great resource our wiki provides. It has a lot of information, including what your department duties will be. Take some time to review:
https://wiki.fed-space.com/index.php?tit...ce_Officer

The wiki also includes an Academy section that contains a lot of resources for you. Be sure to take some time to review them, especially the New Cadet FAQ, while you’re there. We’ll use the wiki later in our lessons, so it’s helpful for you to start navigating it now.

With that out of the way, let’s get started: Lesson one: Formatting basics

Third Person, Past Tense:
Fed Space has players all over the world, so we use a standardised set of formatting rules. By using one style, it makes it easier for everyone to follow and understand each other’s posts.

The first thing to know is that we post in third person, past tense.  An example of this style of writing would be: Amelina was so excited to be finally taking her final examination, she fell off her seat.  NOT: I fell off my seat because I was so excited to take my final examination.

We also use double spacing between paragraphs and character’s spoken lines. This means when you write a spoken line with quotation marks “ ”, leave a space after. This makes it easier for players to follow.  A good rule to follow is ‘When in doubt, double space!’

Your Character’s Internal Thoughts
To show your character’s own thoughts, we use italics.  When writing your character’s thoughts, it’s acceptable to write in first person.  An example of showing my character’s thoughts would look like: I can’t wait to visit my home town again and see my Father

Showing Emphasis
To make something really stand out in your post, such as if your character was shouting, we use bold text. An example of showing emphasis for my character would look like: Amelina loved a good cup of coffee, especially with a bit of cinnamon.

Telepathic Communication
In general, it is rare for a character to have the ability to communicate telepathically, and because of this, it is closely monitored by our Senior and Commanding Officers to make sure it isn’t abused.  With that said, there are a few telepathic races on Fed Space, and on occasion, telepaths will speak to each other through this unique skill. Telepathic communication is shown like this:

~ Hello, I am speaking directly into your mind. ~

If your character is not telepathic, then, in general, you won’t need to worry about this technique, but I want you to be aware it exists in case you see crewmembers on your ship or others using it.

Using Communication Badges or Comm Badges
Characters can often receive verbal communications through a communication device, such as a comm badge, from another crew member or the computer.  When receiving a message, you should drop the quotations “ ” and instead use brackets [ ].

For example, if I received a message from another officer, it would look something like this:
[Captain Allen to Lieutenant Whittaker, please report to Holodeck 4]

If you are the one speaking to somebody through a comm device, you would still use the quotations “ ”.

Out Of Character posting or OOC:
OOC posting is what I’m doing now. OOC text is surrounded by == ==.  Use OOC when you want to talk to another player and not write it as part of the storyline.  You won’t need to do this in general discussion areas, such as your ship’s OOC sections like Crew Announcements, as well as in Hailing Frequencies.

Proofing Posts:
When writing a post, it’s important to take time to run your posts through the spell check that many writing software offers. Spell check won’t find all grammar and spelling errors, but it will find many and help correct errors found. Rereading your post can help catch errors. We don’t need anyone to be a speller or grammar whiz, but taking the time to do this extra step will make it easier for everyone to understand what’s written.

A good way to get the feel of these formatting rules and to get a feel of the site in general is to browse the different ship forums. Take some time to look at the different ships. Take time to notice how our players use the elements listed above. 

With all that said, let’s get to some posting!  Your first assignment is to respond to my post using the above formatting elements. If you have any questions, ask.  Good luck and have fun! ==

== Holodeck 04 - 12:00 hrs ==

After a busy morning welcoming new Cadets and directing final year Cadets to their prearranged holodecks, it was time for Amelina to do what she loved and that was overseeing Cadet Mendoza's final examination. The very one that would take her to the stars, something that the brunette Instructor occasionally missed. However her life was here on Earth now, and she had made it count not only with her career at the Academy but also with her private life. A smile appeared on her face as she thought about Miles, a thought that easily slipped away as Amelina arrived at Holodeck  4 and ensured that everything was ready for Mendoza's arrival.

Satisfied that the programme was good to go, Amelina then waited for Mendoza to arrive.

== Tag Mendoza ==

[Amanda Mendoza]

== Holodeck 4 - 12:00 hrs ==

Amanda was rarely anxious. She took the Academy like she took anything else in life: seriously and confidently. In the current moment, while waiting for her final examination, the only thing in her mind was the well being of her sister. Her oldest sister Sara had taken ill the week before and still hadn’t recovered, which she knew was normal as this flu was particularly nasty. She had been infected by her son who at 4 years old had began kindergarten, taking with him all sort of germs.


Amanda could confidently say that she was not usually a worrywart but the stress of finishing all her courses on time had taken its toll on her mental health and she was unusually restless that day. She resolved to send another message before the examination.


She took out her pad from where it rested in her bag and that’s when she noticed the time; she wasn’t late by any means but she would soon need to make her way to Holodeck 4. Reluctantly, she put away anything she didn’t need and threw her already finished coffee in a nearby trashcan.


The weather was sunny and warm just enough to be comfortable, and as she walked she noticed a sense of sadness wash over her. She had spent four years at the Academy surrounded by people like her and she would miss everything about it. With a last look of the Campus, she headed towards the Holodeck where her examiner was waiting for her.


She arrived five minutes early and waited to be let in.

[Amelina Whittaker]

== A good first post Cadet, however in order to move on I'd like you to redo it to include showing emphasis & using internal thought as described in the first lesson. Once that's done we can proceed :-) ==

[Amanda Mendoza]

Amanda was rarely anxious. She took the Academy like she took anything else in life: seriously and confidently. In the current moment, while waiting for her final examination, the only thing in her mind was the well being of her sister. Her oldest sister Sara had taken ill the week before and still hadn’t recovered, which she knew was normal as this flu was particularly nasty. She had been infected by her son who at 4 years old had began kindergarten, taking with him all sort of germs.


Amanda could confidently say that she was not usually a worrywart but the stress of finishing all her courses on time had taken its toll on her mental health and she was unusually restless that day. She resolved to send another message before the examination.


She took out her pad from where it rested in her bag and that’s when she noticed the time; she wasn’t late by any means but she would soon need to make her way to Holodeck 4. Reluctantly, she put away anything she didn’t need and threw her already finished coffee in a nearby trashcan.

It's fine, I'll do it later. 

Amanda stood outside the Campus and as the sunny rays warmed her skin she noticed a strange sense of longing settle in the middle of her chest. Surrounded by the chatter of people, she felt more alone than ever before. For the past four years she had been in the company of people like her, hungry for knowledge and a sense of purpose. They had understood each other and now that everything was coming to an end she felt the urgent need to cling to this space that was so special to her. She looked around for the last time, imprinting everything to memory before walking away.


Get a grip Amanda. Moping won’t change anything.


Heading towards Holodeck 4 she tried to put away this thoughts. She won’t let them dictate her life. She can’t. So many things were sacrificed in order for her to be there and she won’t let that be in vain.


As she stood in front of the Holodeck, she waited for the final exam to start.

[Amelina Whittaker]

== Excellent Cadet, much better :-), as we progress just be mindful to use that throughout and to also use double spaces between each paragraph ==

== Lesson two: Plots, GM Input, Character Hijacking, and New Content:

We have two types of plots here on Federation Space: the main plot and subplots. Main plots affect the entire ship and are directed by a Game Moderator (GM). Subplots are an underlying story being told within the main plot. A subplot can be run by any player with prior approval of the ship’s CO (or FO).

An example of the difference between the two:  The main plot is about the ship falling under attack. A subplot would be a character dealing with an on ship pregnancy or maybe trying to write the next great holonovel.

GMs:
Game Moderators (GMs) guide the ships’ missions along. Every ship has a mission, of which only the GMs of a ship know the mission details. 

Your job is to write what your character sees and what their reaction is. The GM will provide any unknowns about the plot.  This input will have significance to the direction of the mission. This is why characters should keep posts open ended on anything that might affect the mission’s direction or outcome.  As your character performs an action, such as performing a diagnostic scan, leave the result of the scan unknown.  The GM will explain what the outcome of the action is.

When you need GM input on something, for example results of a diagnostic scan, one only has to make a request at the end of the post.  The request can look like:

== GM Input, please? == 

Or it can also be a more specific request, such as:

== GM Input: Result of the diagnostic, please. ==

Take a look around at the active ships on Federation Space to see characters ask for GM input.

Character Hijacking:
The next element we’re going to cover is character usage. Unless you have permission from the player, you cannot post any speech, thoughts or movements for another character (PRC or NRC) that isn’t yours, unless the character has already done so in game. This is called character hijacking and is not permitted on Fed Space. Some players might not mind, but even minor things such as a nod of the head or a shrug of the shoulders can be considered hijacking.

For example, if you write in your next post that Captain Maddie Allen suddenly appeared and started dancing the Hokey Pokey, you would have hijacked another character.

Character Movement on Ships:
I’m sure you have noticed a ship has multiple threads on it for various locations that a player can post, such as the bridge, sickbay, and security offices.  Oftentimes while on a mission players travel throughout the ship to accomplish their orders. To help follow the plot when a player is transitioning from one thread to another they should make a notation at the end their post like this:  >> Sickbay >>  The arrows and location found at the bottom of a post tells readers where this character will post next. 

When the player makes their next post, the player should make a notation at the beginning of their post like this:  << Bridge <<  The arrows and location  found at the top of a post indicate that is where a player has just come from.

Time for more writing!  In your next post, continue showing your use of our formatting techniques you learned in lesson one and ask for GM input. I will be acting as your GM.

== Holodeck 04 ==

Amelina had spotted Mendoza approach the holodeck, and offered her a warm reassuring smile as she came to a stop and awaited what would come next. The Instructor also noted that she had made it with time to spare, which showed the importance of wanting to be ready, and present for what was a very important step in becoming a Midshipman. Amelina also knew that small talk would be kept to a minimum, and she would always be available after should anyone wish to talk about their experience or something else. 

" Ah Cadet Mendoza, welcome to your final examination, in a moment you'll step through these doors and begin".

Activating the programme, Amelina stood to the side of the holodeck doors, and once Mendoza was ready and stepped inside, she would find herself inside a space station as part of an away team from the USS Vixen. Their orders were to investigate and find out why the scientists and researchers who called it home, had stopped checking in regularly. From a first glance everything appeared to be normal, with the equipment and consoles running as they should, apart from the distinct lack of anyone being there to welcome them.

== Tag Mendoza ==

[Amanda Mendoza]

== Holodeck 04 ==

Instructor Amelina Whittaker offered her a warm, reassuring smile and something inside her seemed to loosen up. She offered one back but was content to leave it at that. Stepping thru the doors she prepared herself mentally for what she would find on the other side.

She was surrounded by white: the ceiling, the tiles, the chairs, everything seemed to be made of that colour. It was disconcerting as things blended with one another until nothing seemed real anymore. What was even more weird was the complete silence that engulfed them; this space station was supposed to have hundreds of people in it - between scientists and researchers – and those made noise even when they were trying to be quiet. Nothing in this space made sense.

As she walked deeper inside, she found herself in what looked like the cafeteria but was more similar to what you would find in a shop. Everything was pristine, any clutter suspiciously absent and nothing appeared out of place.


So no fight of any kind then.


The air smelled like usual of clining product and recycled air, which ruled out more serioud engineering problems. At least in that aspect. She will have to look into that as soon as possible but for now her main mission was to find someone there who could tell them at happened.

She was about to continue forward when, from the corner of her eyes, she saw a fast movement that seemed out of place in such a still environment.


== GM: Input, please? ==

[Amelina Whittaker]

== An excellent post, Cadet, a couple of spelling errors, but that can happen sometimes. As for the GM input, that was good too, a useful tip is to look at the active missions and see how others ask for input :-) ==

== Lesson three: NRCs, character usage, and site navigation:

Non-rated characters, or NRCs, are characters used by players as well as GMs to help fill crew gaps in ships. Starships usually have large crews, and since we don’t have enough players to fill all those roles, we use NRCs.

We have two types of NRCs: Independent and Temporary.

Independent NRCs are like a Player Rated Character (PRC), in that they get played as their own character. These NRCs are registered, and you can distinguish them through their character names. You’ll see something along the lines of Ensign Doe {Allen}, with the PRC character’s last name in brackets at the end. And while these NRCs are similar to PRCs, they are not a second rated character (SRC). They also do not earn points or medals as you would with your PRC.  Also, your PRC must be a Lt [JG] or higher and have the approval of your Commanding Officer to create an Independent NRC.

Temporary NRCs, on the other hand, can be created by anyone. They are not as developed as Independent NRCs or PRCs, and they do not have bios. They are usually created for quick tasks, and are used for times when you need to post with other players on the ship.

To make a Temporary NRC post, all you need to do is place an OOC notation at the top of the post. You’ll probably see several variations, but they typically look like:

==Ensign Amira Vezula , Temp Science NRC ==

In the case of both NRCs, you play the character from the NRC's perspective, almost as if you have a second character.  You can only play an NRC that is one rank higher than your own. This means that if you’re an Ensign, you can have NRCs that are Midshipmen, Ensigns, or Lieutenant Junior Grades.


Navigating the Fed Space Wiki
The Fed Space wiki offers a great resource to help you out with your posts.  Be sure to spend some time checking it out.  The information on the wiki is also ‘Fed Space canon,’ which can sometimes differ from Star Trek canon, so look there first when you’re researching something.  Don’t feel limited to only looking at the wiki pages for your department, because the other departments will have information you’ll find quite useful.

As previously mentioned, the Fed Space canon differs slightly from that of Star Trek, mainly because this game happens 40+ years after the Dominion War. Since the Dominion War, there have been many conflicts and wars. It’s been very rocky, but all the history from the start of Year 1 to the last entry on that page has been written and played here on Federation Space.  Make sure you spend some time checking out our site history. 

To help you get used to the organisation of our wiki, please answer the following questions in OOC.

1. What is a Class 2 probe?
2. What is the left side of a ship called?
3. How long does it take to cross a sector at Warp 5?

After answering the questions, continue with another post and include the formatting and spacing as discussed in previous lessons. In your post, please continue the story and use Ensign Amira Vazula - Temp Science NRC or one of your choosing as your Temporary NRC. Have fun! ==

== Results of the GM input ==

Mendoza wasn't seeing things, and whatever was moving fast soon became apparent as a medium-sized blue merle border collie came bounding up to the science officer, almost knocking her over. However, this wasn't because she wanted to play or because she was eager, but something more akin to being terrified of someone or something. Mendoza could try and calm the dog, but it wouldn't do any good as she turned around and scurried off the way she came, as if she wanted the away team to follow her. 

== Tag Mendoza ==

[Amanda Mendoza]

== An excellent post, Cadet, a couple of spelling errors, but that can happen sometimes. As for the GM input, that was good too, a useful tip is to look at the active missions and see how others ask for input :-) ==

== Lesson three: NRCs, character usage, and site navigation:

Non-rated characters, or NRCs, are characters used by players as well as GMs to help fill crew gaps in ships. Starships usually have large crews, and since we don’t have enough players to fill all those roles, we use NRCs.

We have two types of NRCs: Independent and Temporary.

Independent NRCs are like a Player Rated Character (PRC), in that they get played as their own character. These NRCs are registered, and you can distinguish them through their character names. You’ll see something along the lines of Ensign Doe {Allen}, with the PRC character’s last name in brackets at the end. And while these NRCs are similar to PRCs, they are not a second rated character (SRC). They also do not earn points or medals as you would with your PRC.  Also, your PRC must be a Lt [JG] or higher and have the approval of your Commanding Officer to create an Independent NRC.

Temporary NRCs, on the other hand, can be created by anyone. They are not as developed as Independent NRCs or PRCs, and they do not have bios. They are usually created for quick tasks, and are used for times when you need to post with other players on the ship.

To make a Temporary NRC post, all you need to do is place an OOC notation at the top of the post. You’ll probably see several variations, but they typically look like:

==Ensign Amira Vezula , Temp Science NRC ==

In the case of both NRCs, you play the character from the NRC's perspective, almost as if you have a second character.  You can only play an NRC that is one rank higher than your own. This means that if you’re an Ensign, you can have NRCs that are Midshipmen, Ensigns, or Lieutenant Junior Grades.


Navigating the Fed Space Wiki
The Fed Space wiki offers a great resource to help you out with your posts.  Be sure to spend some time checking it out.  The information on the wiki is also ‘Fed Space canon,’ which can sometimes differ from Star Trek canon, so look there first when you’re researching something.  Don’t feel limited to only looking at the wiki pages for your department, because the other departments will have information you’ll find quite useful.

As previously mentioned, the Fed Space canon differs slightly from that of Star Trek, mainly because this game happens 40+ years after the Dominion War. Since the Dominion War, there have been many conflicts and wars. It’s been very rocky, but all the history from the start of Year 1 to the last entry on that page has been written and played here on Federation Space.  Make sure you spend some time checking out our site history. 

To help you get used to the organisation of our wiki, please answer the following questions in OOC.

1. What is a Class 2 probe?
2. What is the left side of a ship called?
3. How long does it take to cross a sector at Warp 5?

After answering the questions, continue with another post and include the formatting and spacing as discussed in previous lessons. In your post, please continue the story and use Ensign Amira Vazula - Temp Science NRC or one of your choosing as your Temporary NRC. Have fun! ==

== Results of the GM input ==

Mendoza wasn't seeing things, and whatever was moving fast soon became apparent as a medium-sized blue merle border collie came bounding up to the science officer, almost knocking her over. However, this wasn't because she wanted to play or because she was eager, but something more akin to being terrified of someone or something. Mendoza could try and calm the dog, but it wouldn't do any good as she turned around and scurried off the way she came, as if she wanted the away team to follow her. 

== Tag Mendoza ==

Hi! Can the answers to the questions and the post be in the same post or in two different ones? And the next post needs to be from Mendoza's pov or from Amira?

[Amelina Whittaker]

== The answers & next post can be in the same post, you would put the answers at the top of it and use == to denote that the answers are out of character. So they would look like :

== 1. Answer
2. Answer
3. Answer ==

It would be from Mendoza & Amira's point of view, usually when using a NRC we separate them by using as described in the lesson so it would be == Ensign Amira Vezula - Temp Science NRC :-) ==

[Amanda Mendoza]

== Okay, so I need to make a post from both of their point of view? ==

[Amelina Whittaker]

== That's correct :-) ==

[Amanda Mendoza]

== 1. A Class probe 2 is an automated spacecraft used to gather informations. Often used in starships for tasks they are not able to handle. The Class 2 is a short range probe that analyzes EM radiation, interstellar chemistry and subspace fields.
2. It is called the port side.
3. Approximately 3 months. ==


== Ensign Amira Vazula, Temp Science NRC ==


Amira hadn’t been excited about going on this mission: creepy space station? No, thanks! She had seen too many horror movies to be comfortable waltzing in an abandoned building like nothing could hurt her. And it was abandoned; there didn’t seem to be a single person present in the entire station, which in her opinion was weird as hell. But it was part of her duties and as such she found herself part of an away team to discover why there was no contact from the scientists who lived there.


She followed the group on a tour of the space station, ending up in the cafeteria which was completely white and almost looked fake. She woudn’t be surprised if it was and everything was just a test to see how long it would take for someone to go crazy.




Maybe that’s what happened…




The room was filled with the buzzing sound of chatter coming from the other people in the team: some were taking readings on their tricorder and others were trying to find proofs that someone had been there. She snorted and muttered a ‘good luck on that’. She hadn’t seen anything that clean since the last time she visited her uncle in the mental hospital where he was residing.


She moved her fingers across the table and looked at them with curiosity: nothing, not even a crumb. She was so busy wondering the strangeness of the situation that it was almost too late when, what looked like a weirdly shaped being, sprinted across the room like their butt was on fire, almost ending up in Mendoza’s lap. Thankfully, it stopped just in front of her. With her heart beating a mile per minute, Amira whipped out her phaser and directed it at what she now realised was a dog. It was similar to a Border Collie se had when she was younger but it looked terrified of something. It didn’t seem to stay long because as soon as it got their attention, it rushed out of the room just as quickly as it came. It was like seeing a ghost: one moment it was there and the other it was gone, and you ended up looking crazy.


She could see the others staring at the door with a mix of interest and apprehension. It really was a peculiar situation.




“That was weird, uh?” She asked science officer Mendoza. “I wonder what it wanted?”




== Amanda Mendoza, Holodeck 04 ==


Everything happened too quickly for Amanda to truly understand the gravity of the situation. One moment she was looking around the cafeteria, aware only of how strange the room looked, and the next a shadow was bounding towards her at lightening speed. She didn’t even have time to whipp out her phaser that the figure stopped right in front of her feet. It was a dog, some type of breed she didn’t know about, and it looked terrified. Its eyes were huge and scared, ears pinned back on its skull and its tail was in between its legs. It resembled every abused puppy she had seen on tv.


By the time she managed to take a step back, the dog had already disappeared again. Now freed from her surprise, she took stock of what happened. A strange dog had run into the room, gathered everyone attention and then run away again without waiting for help.




“That was weird, uh?” Said Ensign Vazula. “I wonder what it wanted?”




She didn’t know enough about dogs to make an educated guess and she didn’t believe in offering opinons when facts were all that mattered. That’s why she did what she did next.




“I don’t know, but maybe we should find out.”




And then she chased after the animal, not waiting for backup but knowing the rest of the team would be right behind her. She soon passed the exit doors and continued thru the hallway until she reached another white colored door. She looked behind her and a moment of hesitation crossed her mind.




Maybe I should wait for the others to get here? But someone could be in danger…

[Amelina Whittaker]

== Well done Cadet, just remember about using double spaces between each paragraph. The only thing missing is the GM request which you still need to do for this lesson and the next. I'd like you to redo the post and add a Gm input request, as the dog might not have gone towards a door ==

[Amanda Mendoza]

+= yes, sorry. In my rush to do everything today, I forgot to put the Gm input. Can i ask what I should do (open the door or not)?

[Amelina Whittaker]

== That's okay & yep absolutely you can ask ==

[Amanda Mendoza]

== 1. A Class probe 2 is an automated spacecraft used to gather informations. Often used in starships for tasks they are not able to handle. The Class 2 is a short range probe that analyzes EM radiation, interstellar chemistry and subspace fields.
2. It is called the port side.
3. Approximately 3 months. ==


== Ensign Amira Vazula, Temp Science NRC ==


Amira hadn’t been excited about going on this mission: creepy space station? No, thanks! She had seen too many horror movies to be comfortable waltzing in an abandoned building like nothing could hurt her. And it was abandoned; there didn’t seem to be a single person present in the entire station, which in her opinion was weird as hell. But it was part of her duties and as such she found herself part of an away team to discover why there was no contact from the scientists who lived there.



She followed the group on a tour of the space station, ending up in the cafeteria which was completely white and almost looked fake. She woudn’t be surprised if it was and everything was just a test to see how long it would take for someone to go crazy.




Maybe that’s what happened…




The room was filled with the buzzing sound of chatter coming from the other people in the team: some were taking readings on their tricorder and others were trying to find proofs that someone had been there. She snorted and muttered a ‘good luck on that’. She hadn’t seen anything that clean since the last time she visited her uncle in the mental hospital where he was residing.



She moved her fingers across the table and looked at them with curiosity: nothing, not even a crumb. She was so busy wondering the strangeness of the situation that it was almost too late when, what looked like a weirdly shaped being, sprinted across the room like their butt was on fire, almost ending up in Mendoza’s lap. Thankfully, it stopped just in front of her. With her heart beating a mile per minute, Amira whipped out her phaser and directed it at what she now realised was a dog. It was similar to a Border Collie se had when she was younger but it looked terrified of something. It didn’t seem to stay long because as soon as it got their attention, it rushed out of the room just as quickly as it came. It was like seeing a ghost: one moment it was there and the other it was gone, and you ended up looking crazy.



She could see the others staring at the door with a mix of interest and apprehension. It really was a peculiar situation.




“That was weird, uh?” She asked science officer Mendoza. “I wonder what it wanted?”




== Amanda Mendoza, Holodeck 04 ==


Everything happened too quickly for Amanda to truly understand the gravity of the situation. One moment she was looking around the cafeteria, aware only of how strange the room looked, and the next a shadow was bounding towards her at lightening speed. She didn’t even have time to whipp out her phaser that the figure stopped right in front of her feet. It was a dog, some type of breed she didn’t know about, and it looked terrified. Its eyes were huge and scared, ears pinned back on its skull and its tail was in between its legs. It resembled every abused puppy she had seen on tv.



By the time she managed to take a step back, the dog had already disappeared again. Now freed from her surprise, she took stock of what happened. A strange dog had run into the room, gathered everyone attention and then run away again without waiting for help.




“That was weird, uh?” Said Ensign Vazula. “I wonder what it wanted?”




She didn’t know enough about dogs to make an educated guess and she didn’t believe in offering opinons when facts were all that mattered. That’s why she did what she did next.




“I don’t know, but maybe we should find out.”




And then she chased after the animal, not waiting for backup but knowing the rest of the team would be right behind her. She soon passed the exit doors and continued thru the hallway until she reached another white colored door. She looked behind her and a moment of hesitation crossed her mind.




Maybe I should wait for the others to get here? But someone could be in danger…



== GM input: should Amanda open the door or wait for the team? ==

[Amelina Whittaker]

== Much better Cadet, just remember to not put so many spaces between paragraphs, as they only need to be double spaces. It could be a copy & paste thing so always double check before submitting your post. Good use of the NRC & GM input but whenever the GM responds they give you everything you need to know and use, never assume and if you're unsure of anything you can always ask.  :-), let's continue and use the NRC in the next post ==

b]== Lesson Four: Participation Points, Rank, Chain of Command: [/b]
Participation Points and Rank:
Participation points are issued on the first of every month. This system is in place to allow for the progression of ranks. Once a character earns a certain amount of points, they’ll receive a promotion to the next rank. There are a few caps in place because, let's face it, over time without the caps the site would be overrun with captains and admirals with nowhere for them to go. 

To access the monthly points charts, click on the Red Alert thread on our forums page, then Monthly Point Tables. Read more about participation points, positions, and rank caps in the Federation Space Constitution.

Participation points are awarded by the Commanding Officer (CO) and approved up the chain of command by the Fleet Commander (FC) and finally, the Commander in Chief (CinC). Everyone earns participation points every month, depending on how active a player you are, and can vary between each CO. If you have any questions about how your CO awards points, please go up your chain of command when you are assigned to a vessel. They will gladly let you know their policy.  

Another way for you to earn points is to hold various site positions, such as Department Head (DH), First Officer (FO), Commanding Officer (CO), etc. or through earning medals. A list of medals and their point values are found on the medals page on the wiki. Medals are typically awarded to players who go above and beyond what is expected on the site.

While we do have a points system in place, it is suggested you don’t play for the sole reason of collecting points or positions. Your enjoyment will be more if you write and take part in things for the fun of it, and not an attempt to ‘win’. This community is about writing, growing your character, and being a part of the Fed Space family.

As mentioned above, there are several ranks you can achieve over time. The abbreviated forms and names are listed below.

• Mid – Midshipman
  
• Ens – Ensign
  
• Lt (JG) – Lieutenant (Junior Grade)
  
• Lt – Lieutenant
  
• LCdr – Lieutenant Commander
  
• Cdr – Commander
  
• Capt – Captain
  
• Cmdr – Commodore
  
• RAdm – Rear Admiral
  
• VAdm – Vice Admiral
  
• Adm – Admiral
  
• FAdm – Fleet Admiral
  

Chain of Command:
The Chain of Command is the order in which you should follow should you require any assistance with an issue or have any questions or concerns in or out of game. There are explanations of each rank provided in our Constitution.  

We’ll start with the first person you would contact and continue from there:

1. Department Head (DH)
   
2. First Officer (FO)
   
3. Commanding Officer (CO)
   
4. Fleet Commander (FC)
   
5. Commander in Chief (CinC)
   
6. President
   

Posting Rates and Leave of Absence:
Fed Space is an RPG that is made of players from all over the world. Because of this, we ask you to have patience with other players, realizing it might take a few days for a reply. As in our Constitution, you should post a minimum of twice a week.  

If you find you can’t make that posting rate, email your DH, FO, and CO and request a Leave of Absence (LOA). In your email, request your need for an LOA, letting them know the reason and when you expect to return. Doing this can avoid players wondering where you’ve gone to, or you wondering where another player has gone to. It can also keep you from being considered Absent Without Leave (AWOL), which will cause your account to be suspended. 

More questions for you to answer:
1. What is the chain of command for the science department on the USS Artemis?
2. How many points would you need to reach the rank of Ensign?
3. Where would you find the Observation Lounge on the USS Zephyr?
4. Have a look at the active starships on the site. List your top three ship assignment preferences. This doesn’t mean you will be assigned to one of those you list as another ship might be in need of an officer in your department. 

== Result of GM Input ==

In her haste to go after the dog, and not wait for the others, Mendoza had gone in the wrong direction and there was nothing behind the door.  Which soon became apparent when the border collie could be heard growling and barking some distance away likely from another corridor, along with loud moans that didn't sound quite human ==

== Tag Mendoza ==