Captain Jones Drives Model T Ford in First Starfleet Cadet Graduation Parade

Story By: Tom Sloan
Starfleet Deep Space Twenty Gazette

Starfleet Captain Benjamin Jones, commanding officer of the Federation space station Deep Space Twenty, was very difficult to miss yesterday as he drove through Paris, France in Starfleet's first annual graduation parade for their newly graduated cadets from Starfleet Academy.

Captain Jones was driving a newly built ancient 20^th century Earth 1913 Model T Ford. Jones, along with a small team of Starfleet, Ferengi and Federation engineers and historians, built the ancient automobile from scratch on Deep Space Twenty by using replicated parts and pieces of scrap metal that could be found aboard the space station and on nearby uninhabited planets and asteroid belts in Federation space.

"The ancient automobile has real kerosene lights and you have to crank it by hand to turn on its internal combustion engine,'' Captain Jones said. "It took me six months to complete the project. I had to build the automobile during my spare free time when I wasn't busy attending to my regular duties as commanding officer of Deep Space Twenty."

When asked what the most difficult challenge was of building the Model T Ford and why he chose to do it, Captain Jones replied, "The most challenging part of building the automobile was convincing my first officer, Commander John Mynar, that I hadn't completely lost my mind and that I was building it as a hobby. I also wanted to do something special for the new graduating class of Starfleet Academy during their very first graduation parade."

After Captain Jones finished driving through the streets of Paris in the graduation parade, Admiral Cathy McDonald of Starfleet command approached Jones and asked if he would be willing to donate his Model T Ford to the Federation Museum of Ancient Earth History in San Francisco.

Captain Jones accepted Admiral McDonald's offer and today he no longer has his Model T Ford. However, Jones is still pleased that Starfleet is recognizing the hard work and contribution of both himself and his team to the graduation parade with the creation of the ancient automobile.

"I am very pleased that Starfleet command will be able to place the Model T Ford on display in the Federation Museum of Ancient Earth history where it will be preserved for generations to come," replied Captain Jones. "Hopefully by creating something from Earth's ancient past, we can teach our future young people the importance of studying history and become inspired to learn more about it."

Admiral McDonald couldn't agree more with Captain Jones' statement. "I think what Captain Jones and his team accomplished by building the ancient Model T Ford on Deep Space Twenty was a marvelous feat of engineering skill and creativity," McDonald said. "I am very proud of Captain Jones and his team and I think the ancient automobile they created will become a wonderful addition to the Federation Museum of Ancient Earth History."

Tomorrow, Captain Jones will be returning to Deep Space Twenty without his Model T Ford sitting in the cargo bay of his Galaxy-class starship, the U.S.S. Aquarius. When asked how he felt about returning to his space station without the ancient automobile, Jones replied, "I will certainly miss not having the automobile around after working hard to build it for the past six months, and I know everybody who worked on the project will feel the same way. However, we are all proud knowing that our hard work is being appreciated by having the Model T Ford placed on display at the Federation Museum of Ancient Earth History. I am happy knowing the automobile will soon be serving a greater historical cause for the citizens of the Federation."