Trekkie Central Magazine Issue 17

`

Welcome to our alternative universe issue, We have a bumper packed issue for you starting with our new news pages that Entitled Situation Room.

We also have two interviews in this issue, our first is with Casey Sullivan, creator of Star Trek fan film Dark Frontier and our second is with George Kayaian who has spent the last twenty years working on his series The Multiverse Crisis.

Finally we also have two reviews and one article included; the reviews are on Dark Frontier and The Multiverse Crisis, focusing mainly on the first episode The Infinite Chain.

The article we have is written by Camren T Burton and it deals with the Mirror Universe set during the original series and Deep Space Nine eras.

We all hope you enjoy this issue Live, Long and Prosper Richard Editor Trekkie Central Magazine

TREKKIE CENTRAL 3

Situation Room Bringing you the latest Trek News 6 Casey Sullivan Interview

9

Mirror Mirror A look at the Mirror Universe With Camren T. Burton

15

George Kayaian Interview

30

Star Trek Dark Frontier A Review

36

Star Trek Infinite Chain A Review

40

Captains Log With Casey J Sullivan

45

Next Issue

46

TREKKIE CENTRAL 4

Trekkie Central Magazine Special Thanks: Interviewees: George Kayaian and Casey J Sullivan Writers: Camren T Burton; Richard Miles and Casey J Sullivan Images Supplied by: George Kayaian and Triple Fiction Productions Additional Images Supplied by: Google Images and Bing Images Staff: Writers: Camren T. Burton; Gerri Donaldson; Michael A Martin; Richard Miles; Eugenia Stopyra; Casey Sullivan.

Head Writers: Gerri Donaldson and Eugenia Stopyra Creative Consultants: Michael Hudson and Rick Pike Graphic Artists: Richard Miles Assistant Editors: Camren T Burton and Alex Matthews Editor: Richard Miles Publishing Company: RJPCM Publications

TREKKIE CENTRAL 5

Work is progressing well on the music for Odyssey Season 3. Most of the composing has been done with one or two segments needed to be completed. As we go to press it is expected that the movie will be released at some point in March or April.

For more information go to www.hiddenfrontier.com

Leonard Nimoy, Star Treks Spock, is returning to TV series Fringe as William Bell.

TREKKIE CENTRAL 6

Star Trek Online was nominated and has won an award in the Massively’s 2010 Players Choice Awards and won Best Launch of 2010. Star Trek Online also dominated various other categories in the poll including Best Crafting in a 2010 MMO, Best PVP in a 2010 MMO, Best Capacity for Role Playing in a 2010 MMO, Biggest Surprise Hit of 2010 and Overall Best New MMO of 2010. With Cryptic recently having launched Season 3: Genesis the future certainly looks rosy for Star Trek Online.

GAMEFORCE RELEASE INFINITE SPACE IMAGES Gameforce the computer game developer behind the free-to-play online game ‘Star Trek Infinite Space’ has released some images of the game they are due to release this summer.

Developed in Germany this game is set in the Deep Space Nine and only requires you to install a plugin rather than download an entire game.

To view some actual game footage please visit the link here: http://startrek-is.com/gamefacts/

TREKKIE CENTRAL 7

TREKKIE CENTRAL 8

TREKKIE CENTRAL 9

TCM: What can you tell us about the reasons why you created Star Trek Dark Frontier?

CS: After seeing Star Trek Hidden Frontier, my best friend and I, were inspired to create our own series. I had recently become familiar with Lightwave 3D as I had purchased it about a year before. I took what I had learned and set out to make a series. David and I can tell you, there were several story ideas before we actually settled on Dark Frontier. There was going to be a Starfleet Academy series first, then a few other similar ideas came after that. But we wanted to really incorporate our experiences into the series.

Since nether of us had been to collage that was going to be hard. To say the least. So we took a long hard look at the world around us. The political, social and economical situations in the world. We drew our greatest influence from that. Then we realised, that there were no Mirror Universe type stories being told. Not since DS9 at least. This grabbed our attention. We wanted to be the first. We watched a few other other fan series and took notes. Wanting to improve upon their techniques where possible.

After about 4yrs of planning and 6months of actual filming. Episode One of Dark Frontier came to life.

TCM: Why did you set your show in the mirror universe?

CS: Mostly because it had not been done before.

We thought that by doing so, we would have more creative control. Little had been seen of the Mirror Universe in cannon Trek. So we endeavoured to make a series with the dark, edgy and sinister appeal of the Mirror Universe.

While pulling a lot from the world of today.

After making the first 2 full hour episodes, we were approached by a fan/writer on our forums.

He presented an idea which instantly struck a cord with me. It would give us the chance to tie the TOS style Star Trek to the universe that we have created. After a few weeks the pilot was written and Dark Frontier: Operation Deliverance was born. The 5 part mini-series, in opinion. Was more of a success than we ever could have imagined.

TREKKIE CENTRAL 10

TCM: You have finished working on Star Trek and started producing your own original show, what prompted this decision?

CS: After the successful run of 7 episodes, under our belts. An with so many fan series (at the time) popping up. We wanted to take the road less travelled. Seeing how easy our studio is to work with and how a team of 2 can push out episodes like we do. Our cast and fellow film makers, were and are behind us 100%. A desire to create something marketable, soon took focus. Many of our cast are inspiring actors/actresses from a wide range of backgrounds. I don't think any of them are quite ready to quit their day jobs, but they certainly deserve a chance to profit from their talents. This being said. We changed gears in mid drive. Some would say, it was not the best idea. Since we did end up cutting a 3rd episode from the Dark Frontier storyline. However, after hearing about our vision of the 'new' Dark Frontier. Many people quickly became excited about the new direction.

An fully support it. I have been asked, why did we keep the name Dark Frontier... Well, that is quite simply a business decision. I own the copy right to the name and logo of Dark Frontier and didn't want to just see it end.

The series has been re-branded as Dark Frontier “The Original Series�. With a logo which is currently in the process of being revised through the copyright office.

TCM: What was your favourite part of working on Dark Frontier?

CS: Personally I think my favourite part, was meeting some amazingly talented and inspired people. Actors, actresses, and our fantastic composer, Wendell.

Without them, we would not be where we are today. It has been a learning process and something that I never thought would be as fun and exciting and rewarding as it has been.

TREKKIE CENTRAL 11

TCM: What can you tell us about the original series you are currently producing?

CS: Hmmm... What to say without giving to much away. I guess I could point out some of the highlights that people might be interested in knowing. In our new series... The (Good Guys) are The Terran Confederacy and the (Bad Guys) are The Forces of Draconus Yurikina. The series is set in the year 2405 A.D. It takes place in an alternate reality/future where during the Civil War in the United States; the war was won by the Confederate Army instead of the Union Army. By the time of the series, The Confederate States of the Americas is one nation and consists of both North and South America.

There will actually be a divorced gay couple with an adopted 17yo son. This will give us a chance to show the dynamics of married/divorced gay couples.

There will also be a gay doctor... Dr. Tovenaar, played by David Pass. (Because we all know what a good doctor he is.

LMAO) There will also be a gay operations/communications officer.

Tylar Kuan, played by JB Pafford. (Who is better know for his role as Dr. Aron, in Dark Frontier: Operation Deliverance) So a total of 4 gay characters. Possibly 5, depending on the son's story development.

There will also be a nude female bisexual character. Who's outfit will consist of a black leather harness and nipple pasties.

"Make peace with it people, because it's happening!"

There will also be 3 furry character's... The couple Nero and Kitara. An Toma, who is Nero's best friend. So you can expect some yiffing going on at some point. If you don't know what yiffing is, than I suggest you google it. Or ask a member of the Furry Fandom. All furies know what it is, and they are some of the most loyal of all fans. But don't get the wrong idea, sex, is not the primary focus of the series. In fact, there will be a wide range of aliens and alien worlds. Both to explore and to conquer.

TCM: What future plans do you have for your original series?

CS: Currently, the plan to is to release a Prequel Episode/Movie first. This will introduce the audience to the Dark Frontier Universe and show them some of the events leading up to the first episode of the series. The first season of the series will consist of Eight (7), 15min episodes. Which will be put together in a DVD/Blue Ray release later in 2011.

Each episode will also be available for viewing online. But they will be edited and censored. Due to the graphic nature of the series.

TREKKIE CENTRAL 12

TCM: What else can you tell us about Triple Fiction Productions, do you have any other series planned?

CS: Dark Frontier “The Original Series� is our current project. There aren't any others on our plate at the moment. There have been talks of doing a possible music video featuring one of the characters from the series. But as yet, that is still just an idea.~

TREKKIE CENTRAL 13

TREKKIE CENTRAL 16

“Almost a century ago, a Terran starship captain named James Kirk exchanged places with his counterpart from your side, due to a transporter accident. Our Terrans were barbarians then, but their Empire was strong. While Kirk was on this side, he met a Vulcan named Spock and somehow had a significant impact on him.”

With those words, spoken by Intendant Kira Nerys of the Terok Nor mining station, in orbit of Bajor, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) took viewers back into reality’s evil twin, the Mirror Universe.

TREKKIE CENTRAL 17

Originally seen on The Original Series (TOS), the Mirror Universe was a place where murder, scheming, and brutality were what got you ahead in life. Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy, Uhura, and Scotty spent some time in this universe, leading Kirk to convince the Mirror Spock that their civilization must change, or it would end in less than three centuries. Spock claimed he would consider pushing for change as he sent Kirk and his party back to this universe, with seconds to spare!

A hundred years later, Major Kira and Dr. Bashir, returning from a mission in the Gamma Quadrant, experienced a malfunction in their warp drive as they entered the Bajoran wormhole, which deposited them in the Mirror Universe – which had much changed since Kirk’s visit!

The Terran Empire was no more.

Humans (called Terrans in this universe) were now slaves of the Alliance, another oppressive regime run by the Klingons and the Cardassians, of which Bajor was an influential member, led by Kira’s own double, the Intendent, who also commanded Deep Space Nine’s duplicate, Terok Nor. The Intendent was also a psychotic bisexual megalo-homicidal maniac (Is that a word?), as displayed down through the subsequent episodes.

Bashir is put to work in Terok Nor’s ore processing center, under the cold supervision of the Mirror Odo, who doesn’t hesitate to smack Bashir at the slightest sign of cheek, alongside the Mirror O’Brien, nicknamed “Smiley”. Elsewhere on the station, Major Kira attempts to find a way back to her own universe, even going so far as to ask the Mirror Quark for help, but although the Ferengi is willing, he is immediately arrested for helping Terrans escape from the station, for which the Intendent cheerfully sentences him to death, and planning a party afterward.

Kira even attempts to solicit Captain Sisko for help, but he is a self-centered pirate captain, unwilling to raise his finger for anyone unless there’s something in it for him.

Bashir also attempts to convince Smiley to stand up against the Alliance, but Smiley is unwilling, not wanting to be sentenced to death.

First Officer Garak makes overtures to Major Kira to replace the Intendent as he plans to assassinate her in a clandestine bid for her position, promising Bashir’s death if she refuses.

TREKKIE CENTRAL 18

While the two Kiras celebrate in Quark’s bar (the Intendent far more so), there is an accident in the ore processing center, during which Bashir grabs Odo’s phaser and kills him. As he flees security through the station’s conduits, he encounters Smiley and finally convinces him to find an escape route, on the condition that Smiley be allowed to accompany Kira and Bashir back through the wormhole. But they are caught by security, and brought before the Intendent who is outraged at Odo’s death. When she sentences them to death, Captain Sisko draws his weapon on Garak and helps Kira, Smiley, and Bashir escape, along with his pirate crew. Kira and Bashir make it back to their universe, barely escaping the weapons of an Alliance Klingon Attack Cruiser.

A year later, Commander Sisko is forced into the transporter by Smiley and beamed over to the Mirror Universe. Smiley reports that since Kira and Bashir left, the Mirror Sisko has led a rebellion against the Alliance, but on his last mission, Sisko was killed when his ship was destroyed by the Cardassians, and Smiley wants Commander Sisko to replace him, to complete his final mission – to remove a Terran scientist from Terok Nor, who is designing a new sensor array that would allow the Alliance to locate the Rebellion bases in the Badlands and destroy them – the twist? The scientist is the Mirror Jennifer Sisko, the double of Sisko’s late wife. Sisko agrees, unwilling to let Jennifer die again, on the condition that he’s free to go after they get her off Terok Nor. Among the Rebel leaders are a bad-tempered Julian Bashir, Quark’s brother Rom, Tuvok (from Star Trek: Voyager), and a sexy short-haired Jadzia Dax who was Captain Sisko’s mistress, leading to a steamy scene between an uneasy Sisko and the amorous Trill, who later helps him develop a rescue plan. After a hostile briefing, which includes Sisko knocking Bashir over a table, Rom betrays the Rebellion to the Alliance, advising none other than the Intendent of Sisko’s attempt to reach Terok Nor. As Sisko and Smiley head for the station, they are intercepted by cloaked Klingon and Cardassian ships, who take them into custody and bring them before the gloating Intendent.

(Note: The use of cloaks in this episode creates a continuity error with the seventh season episode “The Emperor’s New Cloak”.) She sends Smiley back to ore processing and invites Sisko to join her for a special ‘reunion’, after which, she allows him to meet with Jennfier.

After allowing her to vent her hatred for her husband, Sisko convinces her to defect, leading to a shoot-out with the Klingons and the Cardassians, while Smiley leads the slaves in ore processing to a rendezvous at their ‘captured’ docked ship, only to find Rom’s dead body plastered onto the

TREKKIE CENTRAL 19

the airlock door.

As they all flee, they are cornered by the Intendent and Garak, who boast of their ‘persuading’ Rom to tell them the whole plan. Thinking quickly, Sisko leads the Terrans back to ore processing, and engages the station’s self-destruct sequence, and changes the code, much to the Intendent’s disbelief. In exchange, she releases Sisko and the others, promising to hunt him down. Back in the Badlands, Jennifer admits to Sisko that she’s realized he’s not her husband, but is grateful for his rescue. Smiley then sends Sisko back to his universe.

After a confrontation on the Promenade with Quark, Jake returns home to find his father sharing glasses of champagne with Jennifer Sisko. Sisko explains that she is the Jennifer from the Mirror Universe, but Jake is fascinated by the similarities between Jennifer and his mother.

Sisko is called away to a meeting, and leaves Jake and Jennifer to visit, but when he returns, he finds that they are no longer on the station, and in his quarters is a multi-dimensional transporter, the same device Smiley used to abduct him, and realizes that Jennifer must have taken him over to Terok Nor, which is now under the control of the Terran Rebellion. Determined to bring Jake back, Sisko beams over to the Mirror Universe, intending to bring Major Kira and Chief O’Brien, who are unable to make it through.

Once aboard Terok Nor, Smiley’s people take Sisko’s equipment, as he informs Sisko that neither he nor Jake are going anywhere. Smiley then explains to the angered Sisko why they’ve brought him back – they’ve built a duplicate of the Defiant, after Smiley copied the schematics during his sojourn to Sisko’s universe, but it’s not functioning correctly. Sisko immediately identifies the problem, but Smiley admits that an Alliance fleet is already on its way to retake Terok Nor, and will arrive in four days – and fixing the Defiant’s malfunction took two weeks.

On the Promenade, Jake’s attempt at friendship is flatly rebuffed by the Mirror Nog, who is now running his uncle’s bar. Sisko demands to speak with Jennifer, who admits that she used Jake’s interest in her to lure him over to Terok Nor. Sisko insists that she leave Jake alone, but she refuses, because Jake won’t leave her alone.

TREKKIE CENTRAL 20

The Alliance fleet, being led by the Klingon warship Negh’var, has a new prisoner – First Officer Garak of Terok Nor, who fled the station when the Rebels attacked, much to the disgust of the fleet commander, Regent Worf. He blames Garak for losing Terok Nor, but Garak manages to shift the blame to the Intendent who surrendered to the Terrans. Worf vows that every rebel on Terok Nor will soon lie dead at his feet.

As Sisko works with the repair teams on the unfinished Defiant, an angry Dax smacks him in the face for pretending to be her lover during their previous encounter, even threatening him with a knife if he touches her again. But their reunion is cut short by a scream, and they rush to the source, where Bashir is torturing the captive Intendent with an updated version of the agonizer.

Sisko puts a stop to it, but refuses the Intendent’s promise of gratitude if he helps her escape.

Worf listens with displeasure as he is briefed on the Rebellion’s construction of a ship of ‘unknown classification’. Reluctantly, he takes Garak’s advice and orders the fleet to warp nine, in hopes of reaching the station before the ship is completed.

After learning the Alliance fleet is less than eight hours away, repairs to the Defiant are expedited. Bashir and Dax make plans to take a raider out to slow down the enemy fleet. Wanting to ensure their return, Sisko manages to convince the Intendent to divulge a weakness in the Alliance warships’ targeting sensors – warp shadows.

Aboard the Negh’var, Worf brutally interrogates Garak, demanding to know where the key to his prison collar is, despite the Cardassian’s vehement protest that he does not have it, and where could he be hiding it, since he’s been searched three times?

Worf speculates Garak swallowed it, and stabs him in the stomach to find out, just as Garak’s guard finds the key in his boot.

As Garak is taken off the bridge for treatment, Bashir and Dax’s raider diverts the fleet’s attention, projecting warp shadows which successfully fool the enemy.

TREKKIE CENTRAL 21

On the Defiant, Jennifer assists Sisko with some final recalibrations to the ship’s torque sensors, and tells him that she’s admitted the truth of her visit to Deep Space Nine to Jake, but that he doesn’t care about that. Touched by his kindness, Jennifer promises to send Jake back to Deep Space Nine before Sisko finishes his work on the Defiant, trusting him to finish. Sisko agrees.

Jennifer also asks if the connection that once existed between them is gone, because of her actions, but Sisko isn’t sure it was ever real.

Hurt, Jennifer leaves to find Jake.

On Terok Nor’s Promenade, Nog chases Jake away from outside the bar, when Jennifer asks to speak with him. In the detention area, the bored Intendent makes a pass at her guard, who growls that she sentences his wife to death. The Intendent is delighted that he isn’t married. Nog arrives with dinner for the Intendent and uses the dinner tray to knock out the guard and release her, informing her he has a ship waiting for her, out of gratitude for her killing his father and uncle, thus transferring ownership of the bar to him.

The Alliance fleet arrives and attacks. As Sisko prepares to leave, Smiley unintentionally lays a guilt trip on the captain, who assumes command of the Defiant for the battle. They enter the fray, while on the station, the Intendent decides not to leave any witnesses and shoots Nog, and then takes Jennifer and Jake hostage as they make their way to the ship.

The battle is a tricky one as the Defiant and Klingon Birds-of-Prey duke it out, weaving in and out of Terok Nor’s complex structures, as the station holds off the Cardassian ships in the fleet.

When Jennifer agrees to surrender to the Intendent, in exchange for leaving Jake behind, she raises her phaser but Jennifer throws herself in the way, taking the blast. The Intendent asks why she protected him and Jake admits she’s his mother – and the Intendent realizes who is, and orders him to tell his father that she spared him, and it’s a debt she intends to collect.

The Defiant makes its way toward the Negh’var, Sisko takes the helm and flies at the cruiser, with extremely close strafing runs at the supership, too close for them to target. The Negh’var suffers heavy damage as Bashir and Dax return in their raider and join the attack.

TREKKIE CENTRAL 22

Worf reluctantly retreats from the battle, but Garak convinces him that the one at fault has to be the Intendent, and he promises to give her a most agonizing death as only he can provide.

Despite his defeat, Worf is pleased at this notion.

Sisko rushes to the station’s infirmary where Jennifer lays dying.

There is nothing that can be done for her. As they exchange words of forgiveness, Jennifer dies . . . again, leaving both Jake and Sisko to mourn her again.

As Major Kira and Lt. Cmdr. Dax report to Ops at the start of their shifts, a transporter signal from out of nowhere deposits a man on the transporter pad. He raises a phaser at Kira who recognizes him immediately – it is Bareil Antos, or rather, the Bareil Antos from the Mirror Universe. Bareil takes her hostage, demanding a ship. Sisko authorizes it, and Bareil drags Kira all the way from Ops to the airlock at an upper pylon, where Odo overpowers him. After he’s thrown in a holding cell, Bareil requests that Kira destroy the multidimensional transporter that he used to beam over to Deep Space Nine, and allow him to remain in this universe.

Kira declines to file charges, much to Sisko’s surprise. He warns her not to let herself see the late Vedek Bareil in this double, but she asserts that she won’t have any problem with it. On the Promenade, Kira encounters Bareil, who is uncomfortable with every Bajoran staring at him. She invites him to accompany her to services, but he declines, joking that if he attended, people really would think he was the late Vedek Bareil. During services, he sneaks in beside Kira, admitting his curiosity about the Prophets, since the Mirror Universe’s Bajor apparently lacks any religious guidance.

Afterward. Kira invites Bareil to join her for dinner with newlyweds Worf and Dax, where he proves the life of the party by telling stories of his escape from an Alliance prison run by the Klingons, though Worf refuses to believe it, claiming Bareil’s purported theft of a warrior’s mek’leth impossible. Bareil calmly counters by carving dessert with Worf’s mek’leth. Bareil then joins Kira in her quarters for a raktajino (Klingon coffee), where he tells her of a love he lost in a barfight. At the end of the evening, Kira invites Bareil to stay the night.

The next day, Kira arranges for Bareil to undergo an Orb experience, at his request. It leaves him rather overwhelmed, and after attempting to discuss it with Kira, he heads to his quarters where an unexpected guest awaits – Intendent Kira Nerys, from his universe!

TREKKIE CENTRAL 23

She inquires how the plan is proceeding – and it’s couldn’t be better!

Cuddling up to an uncomfortable Bariel, the Intendent lays out her plan (mainly for viewer benefit) of stealing the Orb in the shrine and using it to unite the Mirror Bajor in a war against the Alliance, with Bariel as the ceremonial figurehead.

The next day, Bariel is to be found in Quark’s bar, drinking heavily.

Quark offers him a partnership, charging people admission to see ‘Vedek’ Bariel, but he refuses, seeing too much of himself in the Ferengi, and not liking either one of them at the moment. As he stumbles out the door, Quark laments a great opportunity gone to waste, but also noticing Bariel studying the shrine.

When Bariel returns to his quarters, the Intendent is waiting, having changed into one of Kira’s uniforms, making them perfect duplicates. Bariel gives her two combadges he lifted, and they set their plan into motion. The Intendent attempts to enter a secured cargo bay with a transporter, but is stopped by a security guard when she doesn’t know the access code. She responds by tricking him into lowering his guard while massaging her ‘injured’ shoulders, and knocking him out, dragging him into the cargo bay to avoid witnesses.

In another cargo bay, while his employees pick up a shipment, Quark advises Kira of Bariel’s behavior on the Promenade, though she initially doesn’t want to believe him.

But when she checks out the Bajoran shrine, she finds Bariel attempting to steal the Orb. Keeping her phaser trained on him, Kira entreats him to give up his plan, until the Intendent arrives, gloating at Bariel’s complete deception, that there’s nothing redeemable about him. Bariel admits she’s right, that he’s not worth saving. Kira refuses to believe it, amusing the Intendent who further gloats that every time Bariel even touched her, it was her double he was thinking of. Prompted to confirm the Intendent’s boasts, Bariel instead shoots her with his phaser, stunning her. Kira asks Bariel to stay, but he sadly says he’s a thief, and belongs with the Intendent, despite the pleasant future he saw with Kira during his Orb experience. He taps the key on the Intendent’s multidimensional transporter, and they beam back to their universe, leaving a saddened Kira alone once again.

As Odo and Quark converse in the bar as they observe Dr. Bashir and Ezri. It seems Quark is convinced that Ezri is in love with him, although Bashir - and Ezri as well, according to Odo - is not aware of it. Quark's obsession is interrupted when Rom runs in and anxiously informs him that Grand Nagus Zek has gone missing while on a business trip. Quark is unconcerned, assuring Rom the Nagus probably stopped on Risa. By the time he gets rid of Rom, Bashir and Dax have left together, much to Odo's delight.

TREKKIE CENTRAL 24

Later that evening, Quark prays (and pays) to the Blessed Exchequer for Bashir to be taken out of the way while he attempts to ‘close the deal’ with Ezri. Shortly thereafter, the door chime rings; it is Ezri Tigan, dressed in black and not acting at all like Dax. She assertively forces her way into the room, but as Quark learns in a recorded message from Zek, this is not some strange therapeutic role play, but the mirror universe Ezri. In the message, Zek reveals that he is in the hands of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance in the alternate universe. Apparently the Nagus is being held for ransom. Quark has three days to secure a cloaking device for the Alliance or Zek will die.

As Quark and Rom exit the airlock, they appear to be carrying something extremely heavy, although we see only faint occasional glimmer of light from the cloaked cloaking device they have stolen from the Rotarran. They slowly approach the habitat ring when they hear someone coming and put the cloaking device down. Captain Sisko and General Martok walk by, but they do a double-take as they realize Quark and Rom are idly staring at a bulkhead. Although the Ferengi give no particular reason and Sisko is confused as to what they are doing, Martok grows impatient as they do not have time for such things. Once the soldiers are gone, Quark manages to find the invisible device but burns his finger on an induction coil.

They bring the cloaking device to Ezri in cargo bay 16, where she has apparently set up the interdimensional transporter needed to travel to the alternate universe. As she gets it ready, Rom observes the striking resemblance to the Ezri he knows. However, before she leaves, Quark decides that he and Rom need to go with her to ensure they get Zek back. Ezri does not think doing so is a good idea, but as Martok angrily enters the cargo bay and comes after them, the mirror universe looks a lot more appealing.

The three of them transport across with the cloaking device.

TREKKIE CENTRAL 25

Once in the alternate universe, Rom observes how normal the cargo bay on that side looks. The similarities soon end when a nonholographic Vic Fontaine backs into the room, a phaser in each hand, followed closely by Bashir and a pair of Terrans. Fontaine is shot dead in front of Quark, Rom, and Ezri.

With Fontaine dead, Bashir turns his attention to the newly-arrived trio and the hostile emotions make it clear that Bashir and Ezri know one another, when he decks her. However, contrary to Rom's expectations, the Terrans hold them in no higher regard.

They take the Ferengi and the Trill to a holding cell.

Bashir and "Smiley" O'Brien visit them in their holding cell, and we learn that Ezri has sided with the Alliance against the Terran Rebellion, for money rather than out of loyalty. Bashir is eager to execute the Ferengi, but Smiley figures that Quark and Rom's Sisko would not want them in the mirror universe and suggests sending them back where they came from (sans cloaking device). Quark is determined to get the Nagus back though, so they give him until morning to decide. Ezri suggests they take the offer and leave, but the Ferengi firmly refuse despite the hopeless odds.

Aboard the Alliance's Negh'Var-class flagship, Kira gently massages Zek's lobes, intent on securing her freedom. Zek has promised Quark and Rom will deliver the cloaking device, and so long as the Intendent believes him, she appears dedicated to pleasing the older Ferengi.

That night Brunt breaks into DS9's brig to rescue Ezri.

Unlike the ‘normal’ Brunt, he is incredibly kind and compassionate. He even offers to take Quark and Rom along, offering them food and water. Quark finds this Brunt scarier than the ‘normal’ one.

During the ride in Brunt's shuttle to meet the Alliance's Regent, Rom eagerly feasts on fried tube grubs, but becomes perplexed by the paradoxical logic of the mirror universe, figuring that tube grubs should be poisonous here, since they aren’t back home. He and Ezri head to bed, leaving Quark and Brunt alone.

Brunt then confesses he hates the Alliance, but helps them because Ezri is his closest friend - although he hints that she is "very particular" about men, when Quark inquires about the nature of their relationship.

Regent Worf, meanwhile, has discovered the sinus-clearing wonder of beetle snuff and impatiently awaits the cloaking device. His pet Garak is eager to kill the Intendent, but Worf remains firm in making his own decisions. When Quark, Rom, Ezri and Brunt deliver the cloaking device, the Intendent comes out to seductively greet Ezri with a warm kiss, and the Regent reneges on his deal with the Ferengi before releasing the Intendent for coming up with TREKKIE CENTRAL 26

the idea to acquire the cloaking device. Quark and Rom are then imprisoned.

As Zek reveals that he stole the interdimensional transporter schematics from Rom's PADD and came to the mirror universe to find new business opportunities, Brunt feels guilty about what he and Ezri have done to the innocent Ferengi. He attempts to convince Ezri to ask the Intendent to get them out of prison, but Kira enters as he is speaking and notes that she does not want to waste a favor from the regent on them. She proceeds to kill Brunt, claiming she felt he was going to betray her and holding Ezri close, lamenting about the betrayals she’s suffered from the men in her life, naming Sisko and Bariel alongside Brunt. (Theory: It would seem that after the events in “Resurrection”, he was killed. – C.) On the bridge, an officer announces that long-range sensors have detected the Defiant, so Regent Worf decides to test his new cloaking device. However, it is not yet operational, so he sends Ezri to fetch Rom. Quark claims they have no reason to help someone who has betrayed them, but Rom and Zek are eager to do whatever is necessary, as they believe Rom's help may allow them to survive. Despite her prior treachery, Ezri's motives appear genuine.

Rom grows impatient with Garak's inability to serve as his assistant, growing defiant when Garak threatens him; he knows Garak needs him more than he needs Garak.

Meanwhile, the Intendent gets on Worf's good side in order to re-gain control of Terok Nor rather than the Alliance ships destroying it. Once Rom installs the device and the ship cloaks successfully, the satisfied regent allows Garak to "get rid of" the Ferengi as he sees fit.

Ever a sadist, Garak relishes the thought, intending to test out a deadly and painful virus on them.

As usual, Quark uses his Ferengi cunning to get them out of a tight spot; when Garak enters the brig with the virus, Quark and the others slyly try to convince him that they have valuable information he should want to know and negatively compare him to "their" Garak.

The Terrans meanwhile begin to suspect something is wrong, knowing they should have caught the Ferengi ship by now. Smiley wonders if the regent has the cloaking device already, but Bashir is sure that, even if he does, it could not be functional yet.

However, the regent's ship is right behind them, matching the clueless Terrans' warp speed in anticipation.

TREKKIE CENTRAL 27

Right when the Regent's ship decloaks and tries to fire on the Defiant, its power grid shuts down, having been sabotaged by Rom. The Ferengi (and Zek's silent Hupyrian servant, Maihar'du) jump Garak when the force field shuts down. Though he manages to overpower them and is ready to inject Quark with the virus, Ezri steps in and injects Garak instead.

At the airlock, Ezri and company find the Intendent, and both she and Ezri are armed. Neither appears to trust the other, but they both lower their phasers slowly. However, Ezri decides not to go with the Intendent, having developed a conscience, but she lets the Intendent go, owing her that much.

The Terrans return to Terok Nor triumphantly with the Regent in their custody and Ezri now on their side. After their recent ordeal, Quark offers to take Ezri back to his home universe, but she decides to turn over a new leaf with the Terrans. Suddenly Leeta shows up, much to Rom's delight; however, it is the mirror Leeta, who has never seen him in her life and has been sent to "debrief" Ezri, as the two look seductively at one another. Rom suddenly wants to go home after seeing this, to which Quark agrees wholeheartedly. Zek, on the other hand, finds the Mirror Universe “quite a fascinating place”.

“The Emperor’s New Cloak” was the last of the Deep Space Nine Mirror Universe episodes, leaving several issues unresolved. With the capture of Worf, was the Alliance finally forced to give the Terrans their freedom? Did the battle continue? What happened to the Intendent, and what devious schemes is she dreaming up now? Many of these questions were answered in the Deep Space Nine relaunch books, but to prevent spoilers, those answers will not be shown here. However, it is a great read!

In many interviews on the Mirror Universe episodes, cast members have reportedly enjoyed taking the break from their usual characters, getting the chance to explore the darker sides of their characters and even themselves. Always keep your eyes open, especially if someone you know suddenly starts behaving strangely, in ways completely foreign to their regular selves. You can never tell – they might be from reality’s evil twin, the Mirror Universe!~

TREKKIE CENTRAL 28

The props we create at Triple-Fiction Productions, are developed with Independent Film & Fan-Film Creators/Producers in mind. They are designed to handle the standard use that comes from being on a film set. They are constructed to handle 'most' drops/falls, moisture, and accidents which sometimes occur during the filming process. They are produced at a lower cost of comparable props and offered with starting prices which are intended to ease the financial burden of buying props for said Independent Film & Fan-Film Productions. That being said, our company is honored to have sold props to Independent Film & Fan-Film Productions both in the US and abroad. - Casey J Sullivan, Executive Producer

TREKKIE CENTRAL 30

TREKKIE CENTRAL 31

TCM: What can you tell us about the reasons why you created Star Trek Multiverse?

GKI created the trilogy as a means to get more deeply involved with Star Trek. I grew up watching the adventures of Captain Kirk and crew, and my love of those episodes, and later the movies, has never diminished.

But I felt there were untapped stories during this time featuring other crews and ships that travelled on behalf of the Federation that we never got to see. I also wanted to see if I was up to the challenge of making a Star Trek movie. So, I decided to take the leap. I also wanted to make a point and solve some of Trek’s greatest riddles mixed in with the new stories.

TCM: You wrote your series over a number of years, why is that?

GK: That’s a great question! To be honest, making a Star Trek movie is very difficult! The first one took me five years to complete and at that point I thought I was finished forever with making my own Trek. I was exhausted, and it took everything I had to make my adventure with my meagre finances. I went on to make other films, some comedies, some dramas, and years passed. But then, I wanted to solve the issues with the Klingon Race, to explain how they had changed and why (from the series to the movie looks) and I thought if I could come up with a good solution, I would attempt another Trek film. (Keep in mind this was before Star Trek: Enterprise finally addressed the problem in their last season.) Things came together much easier the second time attempting to do a trek project, and I figured out what, I considered to be, a reasonable solution to address the Klingon continuity problem. I decided to add a second plot line to help connect this film with my first one, still leaving some mystery to be solved if I wanted to do a third film. Which is of course what happened. (The third one solves the mystery about the energy gates, which appear in all three adventures.) So the trilogy grew out of itself so to speak, and it felt like a natural progression, although not originally planned that way. Also writing for Star Trek is a very structured format because of all the things established. I partially adapted a trek novel to help me get started on the first movie, but ended up changing the majority of action sequences and characters to better suit my imagination and budget. For the second and third films, I had no trouble writing them because I had a clear vision about where I wanted the story to go. I would love to do an entire series if I had the resources!

TCM: Can you tell us a bit about each of the episodes in this series?

GK: I would love to! The first movie; Star Trek: The Infinite Chain introduced us to Captain Navarro and her crew aboard the U.S.S. Hannibal. Several energy gates had appeared in Federation space, and this starship was sent out to investigate why they appeared and functioned. A special ambassador, named Dr. Crandall, came along to see if the new scanning equipment his labs built, worked out in real emergency situations. Suddenly, one of the energy gates captures the Hannibal and sends it to another part of the universe, and in the blink of an eye, they are faced with being lost forever. To make matters worse, the local planets are engaged in a galactic war with each other, trusting nobody—especially the arrival of the Hannibal! Crandall suffers a nervous breakdown and causes all sorts of problems, even as Captain Navarro tries to stop the war and save her ship at the same time! The second film: Star Trek: Incident at Beta 9 takes place about two years later. The Hannibal is sent to explore the Beta system along the neutral Zone, to monitor increased Klingon activity.

An ion storm strands two federation officers (Dan Sagan and Thomas Roth) on Beta 9, where they decide to wait the storm out and do some exploring. Shortly after, two Klingons (Krenak – klingon scientist based on classic Trek) and (General Krikor – based on the movie heavily forehead-ridged species) arrive on Beta 9. The General is clearly trying to kill the scientist --but why? Meanwhile the U.S.S. Aristarchus is on a mission to deliver medical supplies. Suddenly an energy gate appears and traps the ship in a vortex that threatens to destroy them. They have only enough power to avoid their fate for a short time…distress calls are sent out, but will anybody hear them and arrive in time to save them? Back on the planet, the Federation officers and the Klingons find each other, and discover that their survival depends on what happens next when the ultimate Klingon mystery is revealed. The third film: Star Trek: The Final Darkness is a movie that concludes the loose ends from the first two films. The U.S.S. Hannibal has completed her five year mission and has come home. Captain Navarro is offered a promotion, but will she take it? And what will happen with the rest of her crew? Meanwhile, a new elusive enemy has attacked the Federation with a weapon so unique, that it threatens the very existence of Starfleet itself! A specialized, and secret mission is undertaken, which involves Dan Sagan, Thomas Roth and Section 31. How far will the forces of “good” go to destroy that which is considered “bad”?

And will we finally discover what’s behind the energy gates?

TREKKIE CENTRAL 33

TCM: What was your favourite part of working on Star Trek The Multiverse Crisis? The absolute joy of playing in the Star Trek universe! I work hard to capture the feeling of classic trek, and be respectful of what came before, but simultaneously, continue to add new adventures. I guess the actual filming was my favorite part…seeing everybody dressed in their uniforms on the set, ready to create a new trek film. My one rule is that when I make a film it has to be as much fun as watching it…so I treasure the laughs and sense of family that occurs during filming.

Another favorite part is the actual assembly of all the elements-because it’s the editing where the magic really comes together.

You are currently enhancing the episodes, what prompted you to do this? I wanted all three movies to have a consistent look to them. Back in 1994, I did the best I could, but was frustrated by the limitations of my abilities. Again, budget was always a factor! Now, thanks to the many incredible tools we have at our disposal, I can finally realize the films closer to what I imagined originally. And Star Trek fans deserve to see the material created as close to the standards of the television series and movies as possible. I am the luckiest person alive to have amazing family and friends help me realize my Trek visions. My mom plays Captain Navarro. My Dad is the chief engineer… I play a Klingon.

My brother built and designed the original models. My wife helps me fund my films and acts in them. My dear friends, Larry Strong and Michael Arbouet, handle the CGI work, and act in my films. All the names in my film credits show you a loving and dedicated group that made it all possible. I am humbled and honoured by all of them!

TREKKIE CENTRAL 34

TCM: What future plans do you have for your series?

GK: I just would love for them to be seen by my fellow Trek fans. It really was made to share with them in particular. I admire and enjoy other fan productions myself, and if my films are experienced in any way, then my primary reason for doing this, is accomplished. It’s not about ego- but sharing in the trek adventure. Right now, I am hard at work, updating my trilogy, and will continue posting the new work as it’s finished. I look forward to hearing from fellow fans about what they thought about it… And who knows? I might eventually create new adventures in the universe of Trek if a storyline comes into my mind I find worth exploring.

TCM: Is there anything else you can tell us?

GK: I just wanted to say that Star Trek will continue to live as long as the fans support it. For me, Fan films are very important because it gives us a voice to express our love and a forum to continue Gene Roddenberry’s amazing creation. Star Trek has always been about communicating ideas and advancing concepts about technology and the human condition. There has always been a real optimism about it, and in this day and age, we still need that. I’ve made over twenty films, but it’s my Trek films which garner the most passionate feedback and response, because it really covers such a rich and fertile ground regarding who and what we are.~

TREKKIE CENTRAL 35

TREKKIE CENTRAL 36

As I start to write this review I should state that this is a review of the two hour long episodes that Triple Fiction Productions has produced. A review of Star Trek Dark Frontier: Operation Deliverance will come in a later issue.

My first thoughts as I started watching these two episodes were are they going to compare to Rob Caves and his Hidden Frontier group and I must admit I had my doubts, however I was pleasantly surprised almost from the word go as to how well these episodes were done. They are obviously made on a tight budget but with the exception of Phase 2 find me a Star Trek fan series that isn’t. I was immediately impressed by the computer generated backgrounds which are most definitely on a par with Hidden Frontiers Season 7 episodes and in some cases as good as Odyssey Season 1 and the fight scene at the beginning of the first episode was really well planned out and executed so it looked just right. My other concern was the fact that this series is set in a different universe from the actual Star Trek timeline. I am not against looking at other universes in Star Trek and I personally love most of the Mirror Universe episodes that have been done over the years, but it was always within that safety net of in the end they would return to our universe and carry on with their lives, this series however is permanently set in an alternate universe from our own and therefore does not have that safety net. I gave these first two episodes a go and I can say that it didn’t bother me in the end that it was set away from the normal Star Trek stuff in some ways it gave the series a lot more scope. The writers could write pretty much what they wanted and get away from it because it was this darker meaner universe that is familiar yet different.

TREKKIE CENTRAL 37

The vast variety of characters was impressive, as was the vast array of makeup jobs that had been done to create these alien races, including a never seen before Catian. The storyline for both episodes progressed well, although they were a bit slow at points. In someways they were closer to Next Generation style storytelling then later Deep Space Nine episodes in the fact that they didn’t rely on permanent action to tell a story. I really liked the inclusion of a hologram that is specifically designed to serve the captain and only the captain, I have a feeling that if this show had progressed then that character would have become a thorn in the side of the captain and possibly more members of the crew.

The way the episodes were written was good and the way the writers developed tensions between the characters and also showed us the viewer that these people although pleasant on the surface could, if pushed far enough, become a darker person. One incident that stands out is when Captain Mathis confronts his chief tactical officer, Commander Mathew Connor, about his report he had filed with the Lord Marshall, commander of the sector, that questioned Mathis’ ability to commander in battle, due to the shields not being raised in battle with the Klingons. The way Mathis attacks then slices a knife into Connors cheek indicates that Mathis isn’t a man to be messed with.

In closing, is this a series I would happily burn to DVD and watch again and again, probably yes, have these first two episodes encouraged me to go on and watch Operation Deliverance yes they have, can I see future potential again yes. The series has its flaws one of the main ones being that I sometimes struggled to hear the dialogue over the sound effects but this is something that can be worked on and improved. I would recommend Star Trek Dark Frontier to anyone that wants something different from the Star Trek universe as for people that like the safety net of Star Trek like I did then give it a go if you don’t like it then you have lost nothing except for some time. I would give Star Trek Dark Frontier an 8 out of 10.~

TREKKIE CENTRAL 38

TREKKIE CENTRAL 40

What can I say about this series.

Well firstly the series is only three movie length episodes long they are broken in to the following titles; The Infinite Chain, Incident at Beta Nine and The Final Darkness. I will therefore breakdown this review accordingly.

I will first review The Infinite Chain, this episode was created in 1992 and was therefore a very early Star Trek fan film and considering this I found it extremely well made and entertaining. The version of this movie I watched was lacking in the graphics department but I have been made aware and taken a look at an updated version with proper computer graphics added and the creator George Kayaian has certainly brought this show into the 21st Century. Graphics aside I really enjoyed this episode and will probably watch it again in the future.

The story of this first episode is as follows. The U.S.S. Hannibal is sent out to investigate the appearance of energy gates, along with a special observer in the form of a Federation Ambassador.

While investigating these gates the Hannibal is pulled into one and transported to another galaxy where they happen to enter an old war zone. In this new galaxy the crew of the Hannibal meet three new alien species two of which are extremely fearful of the Federation Starship believing them to be the return of the Destoryers an alien race who have destroyed ‘a thousand planets’. As the episode progresses so does the storyline we learn that these alien races have taken to hiding in the shadows and around their home planets, the locations of which they keep secret. These two races betray the Hannibal leading to the Hannibal having to flee for their lives. They pick up an energy signature, that is stronger than anything they have seen so far, so they divert to a nearby planet in the hopes of finding help. They do find help in the form of a species who were also dragged to this galaxy over 5,000 years ago, this species has the ability to get the Hannibal back to Federation Space which they do.

The next review is for Incident at Beta Nine, this episode was created in 2001 and is an attempt to explain the difference between the Original Series Klingons and The Next Generation Klingons. I should take this moment to point out that the creator does acknowledge the differences between his show and the explanation Enterprise came up with during its 4 year run.

The episode starts with two Starfleet officers surveying a planet near the Federation/Klingon border when they observe a ship crash land on the planet. The two officers set off to find the crash and investigate what has happened. They split up to do this and one of the officers finds the crashed ship and discovers it is a Klingon ship, which has no occupants.

TREKKIE CENTRAL 41

The other officer is attacked by a TNG style Klingon and captured. This Klingon is over come and the officer escapes. While this is happening the officer that found the ship comes across an injured TOS style Klingon who he treats and then talks to discovering that they Klingon race is infact two separate strands of DNA. One race that has the physical strength and the head ridges and the other race that has no head ridges but superior intelligence. As the story develops we also learn that the TOS style Klingon is a scientist who was given the task of finding out why the differences in DNA had happened in the first place and if there was a way of correcting the difference to make the weaker of the two sides more like the TNG Klingons. He discovered a way and was administering the changes, but when it came to his turn he decided he couldn’t go through with it and ran away to seek refuge within the Federation and to tell them what was happening. The other Klingon had been sent to kill him to stop him letting the Federation know what was going on.

TREKKIE CENTRAL 42

The final episode I haven’t watched so therefore can’t review however going on what creator George Kayaian has told me it is designed to look at 9/11 and terrorism through the Star Trek universe. He goes on to say that it is a story that tells us how far the Federation will go to stop an attack on it and to safe guard its citizens.

Overall the two episodes I watch were very good and I would recommend them to anyone who just enjoys Star Trek and its story telling abilities, if you are someone looking for superb graphics or acting then you need to look elsewhere, these stories give us a traditional style Star Trek storytelling and should be classified as such.

If I were to give this series a rating I would give it a 7/10.

To view these episodes click here: The Multiverse You Tube page. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCbiEXcWfcM&playnext =1&list=PLBDBA035125C9F6F7&index=1

TREKKIE CENTRAL 43

"Space, the final unconquered frontier... Our story takes place after the Terran Rebellion successfully ceased control of Terok Nor from the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. Exact Stardate unkown. What is clear, is that the Rebellion continued to cross between the normal and mirror universes. In order to gain schematics and possibly materials for which to rebuild their fleet. Sometime between 2270-2370, Earth was attacked and incinerated by the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. In 2372, a fleet yard was constructed on Bajor and defended by Terok Nor. In 2388, the Alliance turned his aggression on the Romulan Star Empire, who bordered Klingon space. The Romulan Star Empire, having been forced out of hiding and confronted by the Alliance, came to the Terrans in-search of help. The Romulan's passive nature, made them easy to prey on, but with the Terrans joining the fight; the Alliance was unable to claim territory and hold it long enough to make a difference. The two Empires would later form a coalition. Working together to combat the Alliance, the Imperial Coalition became a powerful military force and soon was slowly pushing back their oppressors. By 2391, the coalition had continued to evolve and had reclaimed many of the previous Empire's fallen territories. With advanced technology and recruitment of soldiers on the rise, the coalition shifted it's focus from offense back to defense. Command of the coalition forces had previously been based on Romulus, but soon would be shifted to fortified locations throughout Imperial controlled space. "You can't strike at the heart of a beast, which does not have one." Terok Nor has become one of the more infamous command posts. Commanded by a human only known as The Lord Marshall." - Casey J Sullivan

COMING FEBRUARY 2011

Brit Trek Issue

Nick Cook Interview Caitlin Dar Interview Star Trek Armada Reviewed One of Our Own Reviewed British Audio Series also reviewed.