By Ben “Zombie” Bedgood
April 5th, 2063
Dr. Zefram Cochrane launched his ship the Phoenix, from an abandoned missile silo in Bozeman, Montana. He then conducted the first flight that broke the speed of light, in turn ushering in a new era for humanity.
In the late 2050’s and early 2060’s, the world was in disarray after the end of World War III. With over 600 million dead and most major cities and government’s destroyed, survivors clung together in tightknit communities. One such community was in Bozeman, Montana where Dr. Zefram Cochrane began a project that he hoped would make him wealthy. He and his team of scientists began converting a Titan II missile into a spacecraft. In 2061, he achieved a successful demonstration of light speed propulsion. However the creation and realization of warp theory took him another two years.
On April 5th, 2063 at 1100 hours Dr. Cochrane launched the Phoenix with the selfish intent of personal wealth. What he found instead was a unifying event that brought humanity together. It was the beginning of a new era. One free of poverty, and rich in technological expansion and exploration or the universe. His warp flight caught the attention of a Vulcan research vessel near the SOL system. Realizing that there was a civilization capable of warp flight they redirected to earth and made First Contact with humanity.
The Vulcan ship T’Plana-Hath landed in a field near the launch site. The Vulcan’s greeted the first human to break the warp barrier with the traditional greeting of “Live long and prosper” with the Vulcan split hand salute. Dr. Cochrane having difficulty matching the gesture. Offered a handshake and welcomed the advanced alien visitors on behalf of humanity. In the years after this fabled day, Dr. Cochrane went on to aid the advancement of humanity into the stars.
“Don’t try to be a great man. Just be a man and let history make its own judgements.” – Dr. Zefram Cochrane 2073
