Browncoats' Redemption
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Publication of the U.S.S. Chesapeake Star Trek and Science-Fiction Club OCTOBER, 2010 CAPTAIN’S LOG: “Browncoats’ Redemption” I usually keep my comments in the was assembled for the independent produc- newsletter in the Star Trek universe, but I tion even though a number of characters in know some folks are interested in the fan- the film made cameos so it felt like an epi- made “sequel” to Serenity/Firefly, so I’m sode of the Firefly TV series. making a little exception this time. At the start of the story, the crew of the A group calling themselves the Brown- Redemption has just finished a difficult coats produced a feature-length film called cargo run and is taking some “down time” “Redemption,” at one of their which takes favorite pubs, place in the with even Serenity uni- Captain Laura verse on a dif- Matthews ferent cargo (played by ship years after Heather Fa- the end of the gan) taking previous series. some time to The project relax. You utilizes the know that concept that as won’t last humanity long. spreads out Sure into the galaxy, Which one is Charity? enough, people will re- Feldman vert to something like the”Wild West,” as (Steve Lebens), a regular customer of the was the case more than 120 years ago in the ship’s cast and crew, tells Matthews he has U.S. a job that will pay handsomely for the Re- As a result, the series is a combination demption if the crew can agree to one spe- of a cowboy story with science-fiction ele- Continued on page 2 IN THIS ISSUE: ments, and of course, a new cast and crew Art Credits 3 Fall back to Hard Times Café for our meeting Captain’s Log 1 The next monthly meeting of the During this month’s meeting, we’ll talk Club Members Insert front U.S.S. Chesapeake Star Trek and Science about what fellow club members have been Coming Events 6 Fiction Club will be held on Saturday, Oc- up to and catch up on the latest sci-fi televi- Directions to Meeting tober 16, at the Hard Times Café in Col- sion shows and feature films. For direc- Insert front Meeting Minutes lege Park, Maryland. tions to this month’s meeting, get the latest Insert back We’ll start the stuffing our faces about insert. Blah, Blah, Blah. Reflections 4 5:00 p.m., then talk with our mouths full Science Trek 3 about 7:00 p.m. Volume 19, Issue 10 CAPTAIN’S LOG: “Browncoats’ Redemption” [continued] cial provision: using a pilot of Feldman’s provides the money to enable the crew to choosing. buy enough oxygen for the ship, the cap- Even though she doesn’t like that tain still has her reservations. idea, Matthews agrees to the terms, which But just after the crew finishes the means that Miriam Pultra (Petra Jo delivery, Captain Matthews receives a Chen) joins the group. Right from the message from Stevens, who tells her he start, she clashes with her new captain has a long list of crimes she and her crew even though she’s a good pilot and needs have committed. However, the military the money the contract will pay. officer gives her one chance to save her Pultra gets along much better with friends: She must turn herself in to his the rest of the crew, including Cameron Alliance vessel. Alan (Guy Wellman) Matthews immedi- who serves as both ately accepts his medical officer and terms of surrender psychoanalyst; the and prepares to leave Copyright 2010 U.S.S. Chesa- crew’s businessman, the Redemption de- peake NCC-9102, John Patrick Barry spite her crewmates’ a not-for-profit organization. All (James Banks III); strenuous pleading rights reserved, and two hyperactive with her not to go. including repro- ducing parts of geniuses: Michael Since the Firefly this document. Levy (Brett Gray) fan film (I just love and P. J. Megaw writing that) is being Check out our (Jack Haddington); released on some- club website: and last but not thing of a scattered www. usschesa- peake.org least, African- schedule, I won’t American crewman spoil the conclusion The opinions ex- pressed in this Lux Lucre (Kevin to the movie, but I publication do not Troy). will give you a few necessarily repre- But back on clues as to the big sent those of the entire club. Earth, Minister of finish. Parliament Darius First, Matthews is a “Star Trek, ” Turner (Ted Taylor), very good fighter, “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” who is a member of and many elements “Star Trek: Deep the evil Alliance, of the story are re- Space Nine,” “Star Trek: Voyager,” enlists Lieutenant vealed in the fight and “Star Trek: Commander Thad- It’s brown and it’s a coat, what’s your problem? between her and Ste- Enterprise,” as deus Stevens (Kurt vens. well as the terms “starship” and Skarstedt) in a strategy to clamp down on Second, I only saw two cameos, “starship Enter- the lawlessness of people out on the fron- which take place in the middle of the pro- prise,” are regis- tier. With his stand-up-straight behavior duction. There may be more, but I just tered trademarks of Paramount Pic- and by-the-book demeanor, Stevens im- recognized Captain Malcolm Reynolds tures Corporation. mediately chooses the vessel on which to (Nathan Fillion) and Adam Baldwin, who All rights re- start: Redemption. played overzealous security officer Jayne served. Abso- lutely no infringe- On the ship, Pultra earns the affec- Cobb in the series. If anyone finds some- ment on these tion of the crew by taking a route that one other than those, let me know be- gets the Redemption to the rendezvous point hours ahead of schedule, which COMSTAR, page 2 Continued on page 5 SCIENCE TREK: Space Race This conversation never took place, is, unless some of them really are aliens, but if it had here’s how it would have but that’s a column for another month). gone: In the end science fiction (good science Reporter: “How long have you been fiction) is not about the gee-whiz science an African-American Vulcan?” or the whiz-bang technology, it’s about Doug Williams: the human condi- “That concept is tion. Who are we, not logical.” really? What do we We’ve had this really believe and conversation be- why? Is cherry fore, I believe, but brandy really the it’s worth discuss- nectar of the gods? ing again. As we This is all not to saw in the previous sat that African- months’ columns, American Vulcans race and racism are impossible. Had may never go out of Amanda Grayson fashion, despite the hopeful wishes of the been from say, Kenya, and Sarek one of Great Bird of the Galaxy. And then the tired, poor huddled masses that emi- Randy said something one page back that grated to America, then Spock would in- got me thinking: take a read at the end of deed be an African- the paragraph by the outstretched elbow American Vulcan. next door. I’ll wait a minute for you. Just like that guy who Back already? Did you see what I’m lives at 1600 Pennsyl- talking about: “...and last but not least, vania downtown. African-American crewman Lux Lucre (Kevin Troy).” Maybe in this case it’s Web Notes: true, but it still started the old hamster-a- running—if the guy isn’t from Earth or http:// doesn’t trace his ancestors back to those groups.google.com/ continents or countries, then how can we group/ call him African or American? I’m just Hanna-Barbera’s saying, is this what they called “political rec.arts.startrek.current/ African-American correctness” back on Earth in the old msg/89e9b231964099eb?pli=1 Vulcan. days? Tuvok wasn’t the first to be called an http://www.bscreview.com/2009/01/race- ART CREDITS: “African-American Vulcan.” That honor and-science-fiction-part-i-by-sarah- Bt3a.com 3 falls on the actress Fran Bennett who por- zettel/ Chicagofree.info 6 gmroper.mu.nu trayed one of Amanda’s midwives during Insert - front Spock’s birth in a scene cut from the the- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ fanpop.com ?, 6 atrical release of Star Trek V (but restored Black_Vulcan Randy Hall 1,2,5 YouTube 4, 6 on disc). Wikipedia.org When the sci-fi soup boils off, we are http://schwabelstudio.com/blog/wp- 3, Insert - back left with this truth: there are no aliens on content/uploads/2009/12/wpid2547- TV or on the movie screen. They’re just DSC0007-Edit-Edit-2.jpg people in funny masks or as Rick Berman preferred silly putty on their faces. (That Second Officer Phil Margolies COMSTAR, page 3 REFLECTIONS: Andromeda, Season Two, Part II “A Heart for Falsehood Framed” – He is a male version of her and their mu- Ethlie Ann Vare tual attraction may jeopardize the mis- The crew choose to lead negotiations sion. to resolve the return of The biggest sur- the Hegemon’s Heart, prise is that Dylan ac- a relic held sacred by tually came up with the Than and stolen by the plan to heist the Doge Miskich. Hegemon’s Heart. Welcome to Pier- This in and of itself is pont Drift, space sta- totally unlike Mr. tion for the criminal, Hunt. His negotiation the dishonest and the skills ans his patience wayward soul. A place is severely tested when where theft is legal, if dealing with Clarion of you’re a resident, ille- Loss(The unreasonable gal if you’re just visit- Than played by Nicole ing.