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| Maeve Sitting Quietly, Awaiting Directions |
Farpoint's creative team met this morning at Renaissance Academy to review new ideas for the Vanguard simulator scheduled to open in September 2014. While we imagineered things never thought before by humankind, Farpoint's Programming Department met in the computer lab down the hall. I popped my head around the door to see what the student programmers were up to. They were hunched over their dark computer screens. Each screen was dripping with green computer code which cascaded down the page like a heavy rain.
I stopped by the Discovery Space Center at Stone Gate Center for the Arts in Pleasant Grove to say hello to our Farpoint cadets assigned to their ships for the day. Maeve sat quietly, awaiting directions from Bradyn Lystrup and Sarah Glad.
Up a flight of stairs and down a hall are the control rooms for the Endeavor, Challenger and Columbia simulators. I'd heard that Jorden O. was flying the Columbia.
I opened the control room door and found this. "Wow, Jorden - you seriously need a shave!" I said. Jorden came out from behind the door and introduced me to his simulator's mascot. He told me the name, which I promptly forgot due to my affliction. I suffer from selective memory syndrome. Irrelevant information goes in and right out. It's a condition common to folks my age. The condition is very frustrating to teens and early 20 somethings. They think we're not listening, but we are. It's just that selective memory syndrome only allows us to retain important things. Fluff is quickly discarded.
I interviewed Kassidy, our newest Farpoint Cadet. Kassidy recently finished her two DSC observations and is excited to volunteer. Welcome to the Farpoint Kassidy!
Having finished my search for pertinent news at the Discovery Space Center, I turned my attention to the CMSEC at Central School.
Seriously, our friends at the CMSEC need more room. Look at them all crowded into Megan Warner's office. Megan is working on the staff schedule (left). Above her, Jacqueline Wallace is doing something important on the computer. I thought it rude to ask, so I didn't. Connor L. was napping between Magellan missions. My arrival disturbed his hibernation. He poked his head over the desk to see who I was. "It's only Mr. Williamson," Jon assured him. "Go back to sleep. I'll let you know when your flight arrives." Connor grunted and collapsed into a coma. Alex was smiling, which is what Alex does all the time - whether or not he has something to smile about.
Suddenly Alex's computer beeped. It was an incoming message from Farpoint's Computer Department. "We've got a problem," Brent Anderson said.
"Is this for me?" I asked. Alex nodded. "Go ahead."
Brent looked frightened. He cleared his throat. "My laptop has disappeared with all our Farpoint secrets, Vanguard designs, programming, and worse of all, it had the only known copy of my grandmother's red devils food cake recipe."
"Oh the HUMANITY!" I exclaimed. It took me a moment to compose myself before continuing. "Who's behind this?"
"Fortuna?" Brent queried.
"No, stealing a laptop is not her MO." We both thought for a moment before the obvious answer came to us at the same time.
"KAOS!" we both whispered. The "Kommittee Against Operational Simulators" is a throwback to the old Soviet KGB (hence the "K" in the spelling of committee). Their mission was to stop the Space Center from teaching higher ordered thinking skills to American's youth, knowing the consequences of unleashing such highly trained individuals against their evil plans for world domination.
"OR......" Brent interrupted my conspiratorial thoughts. "I could have left it in your classroom after our meeting this morning."
I drove back to Renaissance and found the offending computer in my classroom. Our secrets are safe. I won't comment on Brent's memory.
I found the Voyager Simulator's mascot sitting quietly in Megan's office. He looked lonely. I assured him we would find a nice prominent place for him in the Vanguard's control room once we open.
Apparently slavery is still practiced at the CMSEC. Nathan arrived with an arm full of tacos and drinks. I asked who they were for. "Who do you think?" he shot back angrily. "I'm the Go To boy today, and yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that..."
I stopped him there. I'd heard enough. My concern got the better of me because I knew if I stood there listening to his complaining any longer the tacos would get cold. "Get moving," I ordered.
I'm pleased to announce that Farpoint cadet Lissa was given the opportunity to work Magellan Second Chair today. She said she was far better at it than Cadet Jake H. Jake wasn't there to defend his honor.
Farpoint Cadet Michael, on the other hand, had a harder time of it operating the Magellan's video station. I walked in while he was getting a royal chew out from Connor.
"I expect everyone who works that video station must be able to read my mind and switch when I think it, not when I say it because of the time it takes for the thought to make it from my brain and into my mouth, not to mention the time it takes my mouth and tongue to form the right words, and by then the moment has passed and the mission is a disaster. GOT IT?"
Michael nodded and surrendered the station to one of the Magellan's supervisors.
The Magellan has a cool new training screen.
Farpoint Cadet's Michael and Dayna modeled the USS Phoenix's new uniforms. They are Lorraine Houston originals, imported from her sweat shop in south Orem. They look awesome. You know you're dressed to the Nines when you're wearing a Lorraine Houston frock. And, needless to say, they are only found in the finest simulators.
Oh, before I forget, this is Josh A., Christine G., and Farpoint cadet Harrison working an Odyssey mission. I won't say more because it took them a whole three seconds to say Hello when I walked into their busy control room.
Have a Great Weekend,
Mr. W.
Where Imagination Will Set You Free
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