![\"Ethan](\"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/phoenix-1.jpg\")
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The space center missions are based on the universe of Star Trek<\/em>, and in this case, the crew was to fly from Federation space, across the Neutral Zone and into the territory of the Romulan Star Empire. There they were going to steal a prototype for a new Romulan cloaking device with the help of a Federation spy who had inflitrated the science installation where the device was being developed. Of course, this was a violation of all kinds of treaties, so the Phoenix, <\/em>equipped with a cloaking device itself, would need to sneak past Federation safeguards as well as Romulan patrols.\u00a0<\/p>\n Each member of the bridge crew had a specific assignment, such as helm control, engineering, or operations. Ethan opted out of his birthday boy privilege to\u00a0be captain and instead chose tactical. After all, he explained, tactical is in charge of the ship’s weapon systems, and the captain doesn’t even get a computer station.<\/p>\n Operating the ship was not trivial. I\u00a0heard a little of Gerrit’s training on operations, which included all communications, transporter control, and the tractor beam. He could send close-range, real-time transmissions on bands used by the three main “nations” as well as contact areas in\u00a0the Phoenix’s<\/em> simulated additional decks. He could also jam transmissions of other ships, adjusting the beam’s width for highly localized, effective jamming or wide, less effective jamming. Gerrit, as the youngest officer on the bridge, looked a bit overwhelmed at all of the possibilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n From a simulation perspective, the stations all\u00a0were really nicely done. I talked with one of the lead programmers, a student aspiring to be a software engineer. All the code was written in-house using the Revolution<\/a> programming environment running on Macintosh computers.\u00a0 The full magic of the simulator, though,\u00a0required the talents of the flight director, very much the “man behind the curtain” to the Wizard of Oz.<\/p>\n Megan, the flight director for this mission, let me observe in the control room — an extremely cramped room stuffed full of computers and\u00a0audio and video equipment. Through various voice modulators she played the roles of the onboard main computer, a crew member that made helpful (and sometimes urgent) suggestions to the bridge, as well as the spy on the science facility. She controlled Romulan patrols that bridge sensors would detect as well as damage to the ship during combat and numerous other details that I couldn’t follow.<\/p>\n There were several funny exchanges during the mission. One boy shouted “There’s a roman numeral ship out there!” Another time, the boys were trying to silence an alarm that was sounding because they had entered the Neutral Zone.<\/p>\n Officer: Computer, turn off that beeping! Each time the boys accomplished one of the tasks\u00a0that would further their objective, they raised their arms in a triumphant “Yes!” But even though they were clearly engaged by the simulated mission, suspension of disbelief wasn’t always in effect. One boy sat back during an encounter and said, “Listen to this cool music!”<\/p>\n After transporting the Romulan prototype to their ship, things started falling apart. The Phoenix’s<\/em> cloaking device went down and Romulan ships started closing in. The boy at helm control\u00a0couldn’t figure out how to break orbit from the planet and so they started taking enemy fire. Finally they began a mad dash for the Neutral Zone, and in very Star Trek fashion, demanded warp speeds in excess of what the ship was capable of. With the red alert blaring, and the engineering officer trying frantically to fix more and more failing systems, they became sitting ducks on the edge of the Neutral Zone when the warp drive was damaged.<\/p>\n![\"Ethan](\"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/phoenix-2.jpg\")
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\nComputer: Unauthorized.
\nOfficer: Captain, I think you have to turn it off.
\nCaptain: Um, computer, turn off!
\nComputer: Main computer shutting down.
\nEveryone: No! No! No!<\/p>\n![\"Windows](\"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/windows-media.jpg\")
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![\"Triumph\"](\"https:\/\/esmithy.net\/sparks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/phoenix-3.jpg\")
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