Anvil July 2017 by USS Hephaestus NCC-2004

The Anvil U.S.S. Hephaestus: NCC-2004

ALWAYS ONWARD A MEMBER OF STARFLEET INTERNATIONAL

JULY 2017

The Anvil

NCC-2004

From the Ready Room

XO Briefing

Resistance is Futile…

While on an Away Mission

Exploring Trek

HEPHAESTUS is the Greek name for the Roman god of the forge, Vulcan. Birmingham has the world’s largest iron statue, that of the Roman god, Vulcan. We named our STARFLEET chapter the Hephaestus to give us ties to our city and to Star Trek, which has had its own Vulcan since 1966. Hephaestus forged armor and weapons for the gods. We create our own “armor and weapons” here, in our newsletter, so it is called The Anvil.

The Hephaestus Redshirt Challenge

Cover: Enterprise and Borg ship

Quotable Quotes

Reviews

Star Trek News & More

Inside This Issue

Recommendations

The Captain’s Top 10

Ship’s Log

Personal Log Special Report – Star Trek: The Cruise 11 Crew Happenings

STARFLEET Academy

STARFLEET Marine Corps

Anvil Focus Schedule

Do You Know this Alien…

Hunt for the Icon

Name the ____ Answers

STARFLEET Renewal Reminders

Away Team and Activity Schedule

Area Conventions & Exhibits

Command Structure

Web Links STARFLEET www.sfi.org Region 2 www.region2.org USS Hephaestus - Group www.facebook.com/groups/Hephaestus2004/ USS Hephaestus – Page www.facebook.com/USSHephaestus/ Twitter www.twitter.com/Hephaestus2004 Anvil Back Issues www.issuu.com/ncc2004

Editor

MarkAdam Miller

Layout, Graphics and Publishing

Brenda A. Miller

NASA Reporter

Curtis Salors

Doctor Who Reporter

Matt Boyd

Field Reporter

James Davis

The Anvil, Issue 311 is the monthly newsletter of the USS Hephaestus, NCC-2004, of STARFLEET, The International Star Trek Fan Association. All terms and phrases from Star Trek are owned by Paramount Pictures Corporation, a division of Paramount Communications and all rights are reserved.

The Anvil

NCC-2004

From the Ready Room Greetings from your Captain, Many things are going on this month. I hope you will be at our Captain’s Cookout on Saturday July 8th. This is one of our big socials where we eat, play games and have a lot of fun. It starts in early afternoon and runs until late. Don’t forget that at the end of the month we have the Hoover Library Sci-Fi/Fantasy Festival! It is July 28 30 with several panels dealing with Star Trek. If you want to help please let me know and I will see where I can plug you in. Let’s look at also seeing if we can start going to different conventions to promote the club. Magic City Con, Play-On-Con, and Hoover Library Sci-Fi/Fantasy Festival are always looking for help both as volunteers and booths. Let me know how you would like to help and let’s get the Hephaestus name out there. I am always looking for people to write articles, fiction and reviews for The Anvil. Feel free to send me your submissions and we will get it printed in The Anvil.

Live Long and Prosper and see you around the ship, Fleet Captain MarkAdam Miller cohephaestus@bellsouth.net, www.facebook.com/groups/Hephaestus2004/

XO Briefing Greetings, It's that time of the year to be outside and going on trips. I am going to start going on day trips on my off days like going to Atlanta or Chattanooga to see the attractions. There are several interesting movies in the coming months to go see. Let's start making plans to see them. If you need me, I’ll be with Section 31, Lt. Commander Phillip Mangina, phillip3056@charter.netv USS Hephaestus

Always Onward

The Anvil

NCC-2004

Resistance is Futile… By Fleet Captain MarkAdam Miller The Borg were first seen as antagonists in several episodes in ST: TNG. Later they were used in Star Trek: First Contact and then in ST: VOY and Enterprise. They were first introduced in the TNG: Q Who. The Borg were supposed to be in the beginning of Season 2 but because of the writers’ strike of 1988 the Borg did not come in until about half way through the second season. The second season was to pick up were the episode The Neutral Zone left off. It was to explain the missing outposts. With careful study of Q Who we able to tell that the missing outpost in The Neutral Zone episode was because of the Borg

back to life, who had learned that humans do not want to be assimilated. Data’s brother Lore took advantage of this disruption by making himself a leader in the chaos that was created by the Hugh drone. Hugh realized what Lore was trying to do and helped the TNG crew defeat Lore. In Star Trek: First Contact we get to see the Borg Queen and see what truly runs the Borg hive mind. The Borg still have working unit mentality but there is a leader who is directing all the actions. This concept is used in ST: VOY as we see the Borg Queen several times go up against Captain Janeway. The Borg Queen uses Captain Janeway to find a way to defeat humans and add them to the collective. Janeway gets the best of the queen and uses her to get what the Voyager crew needs.

The Borg were created to be a better antagonist than the failed Ferengi. The Ferengi came off as buffoons and seemed no match for the TNG crew. The Borg, though, with their “Resistance is Futile” speech and their superior technology was a force to be reckoned with. The Borg would invade a ship and take whatever technology they thought would help them. They would also take personnel to become Borg drones. If attacked, they would adapt to protect themselves. You may be able to destroy one Borg but the next Borg would have figured out what was needed to prevent you from using the same tactic to destroy it.

The Borg were a good antagonist for the Star Trek universe. Also, the writing of the episodes had to be good, as you couldn’t use the same trick every time to defeat the Borg because they would have learned from their past mistakes. The Borg Queen was a little over the top. This makes the Borg dependent on one Being to control the whole society. If they truly are working for the best of the community then there should be no need for someone to make sure it is doing that. This may be the flaw that makes the Borg looking for perfection fail. As long as they depend on one Being to direct them, they are not truly perfect. Perfection is when we all do what is needed of us without being told. Perfection would also be knowing everything but that can’t happen because knowledge is infinite.

The Borg were to be an insect like creature but they were turned into the half biological and half machine to cut costs. The insect parallel of drones and Queen did not materialize until Star Trek: First Contact. The Borg in TNG were more working as a unit instead of being commanded by a leader. The cohesiveness of the group was interrupted when the TNG crew introduced Hugh, a Borg they brought

Borg Collective: We will return your crew members in exchange for specific technology. Torres: Talk about unusual behavior. The Borg negotiating? – ST: VOY, Collective, S06E16 USS Hephaestus

Always Onward

The Anvil

NCC-2004

While on an Away Mission By Fleet Captain MarkAdam Miller interrogation about USS Hephaestus’ involvement in the Amanda Grayson investigation. They have not given us any indication of when the captain will return.

Second Officer Brenda Miller here. We just got a message from Starfleet Command, Section 31 that FCapt MarkAdam Miller has been taken to a secluded base for

Exploring Trek This month, Exploring Trek was on people and places in Star Trek we have seen in other shows and movies. We discussed actors who are better known for another part other than being in a certain episode of Star Trek. We also discussed the use of different places including the Mayberry set that was used in TOS: City on the Edge of Forever and TOS: Miri. The biggest surprise was the lake used in TOS: Shore Leave and TOS: The Paradise Syndrom. It is the same lake that Opie and Andy are going fishing at in the title sequence of The Andy Griffith Show. We had a small turn out because of the weather and the online video was lost later that night by Facebook. We may need to look at a different way of broadcasting the discussion. If you have suggestions on how we can do that please contact me The next Exploring Trek will be July 27, 2017, 7PM at Kingdom Comics. We will be discussing Klingons.

Kingdom Comics – the place for all your Star Trek needs

The Hephaestus Redshirt Challenge Sorry for the lack of posting on the challenge, the recent rain has kept me from walking. I am cutting back on soda and trying to drink more water. I am going to post on the FB page to see if more people are willing to meet MarkAdam and me somewhere to walk. – Lt. Phillip Mangina Jr. (1st Officer), Director, Hephaestus Red Shirt Challenge I seemed to get a good workout while I was at Magic City Con. I roamed throughout the convention helping vendors and guests with whatever they needed. Roaming a convention for four hours will get you a lot of steps. My phone exercise app counted over 7000 steps on Friday. Because I did not have my phone with me on Saturday, I do not know how many steps I did that day. So, if you want some exercise then roam a convention. Keep an eye on the website for updates: https://www.facebook.com/Red.Shirt.Challenge/. – Fleet Captain MarkAdam Miller, Trying to lose weight. (If you have a goal for weight loss, quitting smoking or getting something done then let us know what you are working on through the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Red.Shirt.Challenge/ so we can encourage you)

USS Hephaestus

Always Onward

The Anvil

NCC-2004

Quotable Quotes I am Locutus… of Borg. Resistance… is futile. Your life, as it has been… is over. From this time forward… you will service… us. – Locutus of Borg (formerly Captain Picard), DS9: The Best of Both Worlds, S03E26

I am the beginning, the end, the one who is many. I am the Borg. – Borg Queen, Star Trek: First Contact

[introducing herself to Janeway and Tuvok] Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One. But you may call me Seven of Nine. – Seven of Nine, VOY: Scorpion (part 2), S04E01

Seven of Nine… be efficient. – Borg Queen, DS9, Dark Frontier, S05E15/16

I don't know how you do it. All those voices talking at once. You must get terrible headaches. – Admiral Janeway, DS9: Endgame, S07E25

USS Hephaestus

Always Onward

The Anvil

NCC-2004

Reviews Games Star Trek: Bridge Crew – Review by Lt James Davis Hello crewmates!! This month I have a special treat as a review. I recently played Start Trek: Bridge Crew. For those of you who haven’t heard, it is a virtual reality bridge simulator in which you experience the voyages of the USS Aegis (NX-1787). You serve as the captain, helmsman, tactical office, or engineer aboard this amazing ship, or you can unlock play aboard the beloved Enterprise (with an additional challenge). The goal is relatively simple – you must fulfill the Aegis’ assigned mission using the crew at your disposal without losing the ship. Let me tell you, however, this will not be easy. After logging in, you choose to play either single-player or multi-player. Single player is not impossible, but players may find using AI crew members to be somewhat limiting. In my experience, I had a difficult time focusing on my objective as I felt as though my helmsman had a death wish, running headlong into every passing asteroid or mine. The tutorial walked me quickly through each crew position and all of its controls fairly quickly to the point that I felt competent at each station. I played a few of the missions in single-player mode to familiarize myself with the missions and ship before setting off into the multi-player quadrant. Now, if you know me, you know I’m not necessarily big in playing multi-player environments, especially when that requires direct voice interaction with complete strangers. However… playing Bridge Crew in virtual reality with complete strangers ended up being one of the most fun gaming experiences I ever had. Let me tell you why! First of all, the immersion was unbelievable. I was LITERALLY aboard a starship as far as my mind was concerned. In my first round, I played as the tactical officer. When I turned around to address the captain, I looked straight at his face. He was looking at me and I was looking at him. When he spoke, his mouth moved. When I returned to my console, I discovered that my left hand had been on my thigh, just where it was in reality. When I addressed someone at a station on the other side of the bridge, I felt myself speaking more loudly than I did to the helmsman next to me. Once, I even leaned back against the back of my station’s chair. The only problem was that my chair didn’t have a back, so I ended up nearly tumbling backwards, reminding myself that I was in fact not a member of Starfleet on a bridge. Gameplay is exciting, though I wouldn’t call it fast-paced. In fact, if you are the engineer, be prepared for long bouts of little-to-no responsibilities, followed by some Scotty-inspired magic assigning repair crews, modifying power levels, and doing emergency re-routing of power to other systems (once you get proficient enough to feel comfortable trying it). As a tactical officer, you run an endless series of scans for the captain while managing phasers, torpedoes and shields, scanning and targeting particular systems for maximum effectiveness while minimizing the enemies’ ability to detect your ship. As the helmsman, you maneuver through space (limited perhaps by available engine power – blame the engineer) and ready courses in both impulse and warp speeds, including the warp drive throttle for when the captain commands “Engage!” As Captain, you can’t help but yell that when the warp coils are ready and the ship is aligned with your destination. The amazing thing, however, is that as a single player, Bridge Crew allows you to use IBM’s USS Hephaestus

Always Onward

The Anvil

NCC-2004

Watson voice recognition to use around forty commands, including “Engage”, “On-Screen”, “Analyze our target” and “Ahead full, Ensign.” The players I was assigned with were fun and respectful, and made for a truly engaging experience. After even a few missions, I felt truly competent at every station, finding challenge in the threats and missions sets we had been asked to complete. We regularly found ourselves at a disadvantage, using hit-and-run tactics, disabling enemy systems, and transporting federation crew out of harm’s way. Occasionally (perhaps more than occasionally), there would be a minor glitch in a mission that might prevent us from getting 100% mission completion, but this ended up being a rather minor point. I progressed through the rank structure and made great friends doing it. I can’t wait to beam up again. Maybe next time I’ll serve aboard the Enterprise, in which I have only the classic colored buttons to work with and not the fancy, well-designed consoles to which I have grown accustomed and quite fond. This game is incredibly immersive, very challenging, and unquestionably Trek. Minor mission glitches and a limited breadth of ships and missions leave room for improvement, but I can’t think of a better way to Trek out for a few hours with some new friends. I give Start Trek: Bridge Crew for the PSVR and Oculus a 4.5 combadge out of 5 stamp of approval! Rate: AAAA+a Star Trek Road Trip – Review by Fleet Captain MarkAdam Miller Star Trek Road Trip is an interesting game. The goal is to pick up 4 Federation tokens (Dillithium Crystals, Tricorder Readings, Medical Flower and Alien Contact) off of unexplored planets. The game play is sort of like a cross between Monopoly and Sorry. It has the two decks of cards that are like Chance (50/50) and Community Chest (Action) that can make your position better or worse depending on the card. There is also a blockade that acts like the Jail in Monopoly. The Sorry part is trying to get what you need and get it back to your home spot. Other players can stop you by attacking you and taking your object away from you. The game board has two rings that you travel around. You travel the outer ring clock wise and the inner ring counterclock wise. Your dormitory (home spot) is in one of the four corners of the outer ring. You need to travel around the outer edge at least once to pick up an access chip token (red, blue, green, yellow, and Master) to get into the inner ring. There are four entry points into the inner circle that are color-coded like the tokens. You need either the correct color token or the Master Token to enter in to the center. The inner ring has four corner squares that are called unexplored planets which each have one of the four Federation Tokens you need to win. You need to pick up one Federation Token at a time and take it back to your dormitory. The hard part is the hostile attacks. This is either against other players or against the bank if you are trying to get one of the four objects. Hostile attacks use phaser counters to see if you win or not. You are given 10 phasers tokens at the beginning and can earn more through drawing cards or winning hostile attacks. If you lose all your phaser tokens you are sent back to your dormitory and lose one object if you have at least one. You are resupplied with 10 phasers tokens and lose one turn. The game is real fun. Draw backs: Up to only four people can play; it can take a bit to get the four Federation tokens. If you like Star Trek and board games then this is a good game to have. Rate: AAAAA USS Hephaestus

Always Onward

The Anvil

NCC-2004

Star Trek News & More Star Trek: Discovery – Premiere Date Set Star Trek: Discovery is set to sail on September 24, 2017, 8:30PM – 9:30PM ET/PT. This time is subject to change depending on football and the program 60 Minutes that will broadcast before it. The second episode will follow on the CBS All Access channel. Star Trek: Discovery’s first season will be 15 episodes. Each episode will premiere weekly on CBS All Access on Sunday with the first 8 episodes premiering between September 24th and November 5th. The last six will start in January 2018. Looking forward to a new Star Trek. (www.startrek.com)

Will Orville Steal Discovery’s Audience? The Orville is to premiere Sunday September 10, 2018, 8PM ET with a second episode the following Sunday. It will then go to it scheduled spot on Thursday, September 28th, 2018, 9PM. With this earlier premiere, will The Orville put on such a good show that Star Trek fans will not tune in to Star Trek: Discovery? Seth MacFarlan’s series looks to be a comedy drama that may outclass Galaxy Quest in its parody of Sci-Fi. Directing talents from Star Trek include Jonathan Frakes (ST: TNG), Robert Duncan McNeill (ST: VOY) and Brannon Braga (ST: TNG, ST: VOY, Enterprise). If this show takes off then CBS might have to move its Star Trek: Discovery from CBS All Access to broadcast TV. Here is hoping. (www.treknews.net)

NASA News – Cassini: A 'Ringside Seat' at an Orchestra of Gravitational Harmony – By Curtis Salors (passenger) SPACECRAFT CASSINI: New developments from NASA's Cassini include findings about the intricate relationships between Saturn's moons and her rings. Ripples and waves in Saturn's A ring are believed to be created by Saturn's moons much like the Earth's moon affects oceanic tides. The rings made visible to Earth by Cassini's onboard camera show a close-up of the ripple effects believed to be caused by the moons that lie beyond the planet's enormous rings. The images transmitted to NASA also show a very distinct kink in Saturn's Encke ringlet. This is, apparently, the work of Pan, one of the moons smitten by Saturn's celestial charm, which orbits the planet day and night (a full day on Saturn is only just above ten hours). Pan lies within the rings interior, which, scientists believe, is how the moon can create kinks in the ring with its gravitational pull. Cassini was initially Cassini-Huygens at lift-off on October 15, 1997. A two-part spacecraft, the Ship was designed to commute to Saturn and then divide in two. Cassini would orbit and study Saturn, while Huygens would make landfall on Saturn's moon Titan and gather data there. Cassini's abovementioned image/data was accumulated on March 22, 2017 at a distance of 63,000 miles from Saturn; the image featured was taken in visible light using the Cassini spacecraft's narrow-angle camera. Meanwhile, back on Titan, Huygens' last contact with Earth was January 14, 2005. The Titan-exploring, break-off probe communicated images and data directly to Cassini via a radio link facilitated by Probe Data Relay Subsystem (PDRS). Because of the immense distance between Earth and Titan, transmissions to Earth could not be facilitated directly. The Saturn Orbiter and Titan Lander began together as one Spacecraft, but the Orbiter has far outlived her twin companion. September 15, 2017 is Cassini's End of Mission. She will run out of fuel and crash and disperse into Saturn's atmosphere... a finale of a near 20-year lifespan of service to Earth. USS Hephaestus

Always Onward

The Anvil

NCC-2004

Star Wars Update – By Lt James Davis Hello, fans of the Force! This month brought us a new piece of info that gave us all a bit of a sigh of relief. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were the fantastic directors behind the Lego movies, but I’m not sure any us truly wanted them to be at the helm of the new Han Solo film, set for release in 2019 (giving us some Star Wars content between Episodes VIII and IX). The problem is that the directors had some, shall we say, creative differences with Lucasfilm. It’s widely believed that the directors were attempting to blend in some of their hit humor from the Lego movies into the SW franchise, something not quite in line with either the light side or the dark side of the Force (read the June Anvil for my thoughts on the sides). I don’t know if cheeky fun humor would really fit the Han Solo mode. So, where does that leave us? Alone on Dagobah by a scary force cave like in Heir to the Empire? Scrapping together a movie like a bunch of Jawas looking for droid parts to peddle? No! On June 22nd, Lucasfilm announced that the new director for the upcoming film would be none other than Ron Howard! So, why am I excited about this? Well I’ll tell you… Ron Howard has a long history with Lucasfilm. From acting on the Andy Griffith Show to working alongside the original Hans Solo in American Graffiti, Ron Howard has shown his talents in the film industry. His work has garnered not one, but two Oscars, one for Best Picture and one for Best Director. Put the story of one of the greatest bad-boy anti-heroes in American film history into proven hands like that and I think we’ll see another Oscar on his shelf in the near future! Ron Howard’s credits include Willow, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, The DaVinci Code, and Rush. He will be directing actors like Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Thandie Newton, and Donald Glover in addition to our new hero Alden Ehrenreich. As exciting as this is, don’t forget that we have The Last Jedi to look forward to on Dec 15th! See you all there. I am one with the Force. The Force is with me.

Doctor Who News – By Ensign Matt Boyd Hello Whovians! The Lie of the Land ends the three-part storyline and the Doctor once again defeating a creepy baddie. The episode, Empress of Mars, brings the return of the Ice Warriors. The makeup effects people have worked hard to make a classic Doctor Who alien look better for today’s audience, while still maintaining a somewhat classic look for the fans of classic Doctor Who. While a new version of the Ice warriors is being created for the new series an original Ice Warrior has reared its ugly head. A 1967 original Ice Warrior head was found. It has been restored and preserved by Toybox Treasures. The Ice Warriors have appeared in both the Troughton and Pertwee era Doctor Who. Fans of Star Wars The Force Awakens and Whovians will notice an actor in the episode The Eaters of Light, Brian Vernal, who played Bala-Tik in The Force Awakens. He plays a Celtic Warrior in the episode. In The Force Awakens he played an agent of the Guavian Death Gang who had run-ins with Han Solo. The Doctor Who Experience is closing at the end of the 2017 summer. It opened in 2012 and has been a goto place for Whovians all over the world. Their lease has run out and after five years they will close. I don’t know if they will open in a new location or if they will do anything, I can only hope they will reopen somewhere else. USS Hephaestus

Always Onward

The Anvil

NCC-2004

Seeing Stars James Cromwell – Jail in Orange County, New York. Armin Shimerman - Shakespeare professor at the University of Southern California Zoë Saldana – Hollywood walk of Fame (at least you can see her star) Kate Mulgrew – Denver Comic Con (know of a sighting of a Star? Let you fellow crewmen know where they could have or can see Stars. Send you knowledge to cohephaestus@bellsouth.net)

Never Forget… Bill Dana – June 15, 2017 (age 92) Bill Dana is better known as his comedic personality Jose Jimenez. One of his better sketches is Jose as a reluctant astronaut. This was so appreciated by the Mercury 7 astronauts that they considered him as an 8th astronaut. He also was included in to the Astronaut Hall of Fame. His routine on the Steve Allen Show was include in the movie The Right Stuff. He is ed with the trademark “Would you Believe?” line of jokes that Don Adams used in his stand up and on the Get Smart. Bill Dana would later drop his Jose Jimenez in the 1970’s because of political correctness. Our condolences to family and friends of Mr. Dana. Check out his astronaut routine here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncBSOyte6lA&list=PLMJMbgNntqyieb085YNRUusa78NB9ZzwG Stephen Furst – June 16, 2017 (age 63) Stephen Furst is known to the Sci-Fi community as Centauri Vir Cotto on Babylon 5. He is better known as Flounder from Animal House and Dr. Axelrod on St. Elsewhere. He also so was a director which included three episodes of Babylon 5. Our sympathies to his family and friends at their loss. Mr. Furst died due to complications from diabetes. Loren Janes – June 24, 2017 (age 85) Loren Janes was a stuntman and stunt coordinator. His stunt work for many actors is a list of Who’s Who in Hollywood which include Paul Newman, Jack Nicholson, Frank Sinatra, Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas and female Stars Easter Williams and Debbie Reynolds. He doubled for William Shatner in Charlie X and Richard Tatro (Norman) in I, Mudd. Thanks for your help Mr. Janes in making Star Trek great. George Vincent "Skip" Homeier – June 25, 2017 (age 86) Skip Homeier will be remembered in Star Trek as the Dr. Sevrin, leader of the space hippies in The Way to Eden. He was also Ekosian Deputy Führer Melakon on the episode Patterns of Force. Mr. Homeier was known for his westerns (The Gunfighter, The Tall T, Comanche Station) but he was no stranger to sci-fi (The Outer Limits, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space). Our support goes to the family, friends and fans in this loss to Star Trek. (Did I miss a news item or news item that might be of interest to your fellow crew members? Then write it up and send it to cohephaestus@bellsouth.net)

USS Hephaestus

Always Onward

The Anvil

NCC-2004

Recommendations By Fleet Captain MarkAdam Miller Cosplay items.

These are the nicest looking of the phaser rifles that were shown on Star Trek. I hope to fine or build either of these for cosplay.

The Captainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top 10 Top Ten Actresses I Would Like To Have Met. 1. Carrie Fisher 2. Majel Barrett 3. Grace Kelley 4. Grace Lee Whitney 5. Patricia Neal 6. Elizabeth Montgomery 7. Frances Bavier 8. Anne Francis 9. Yvonne Craig 10. Gracie Allen (the greatest space cadet) Great ladies who have done their best to entertain people.

USS Hephaestus

Always Onward

The Anvil

NCC-2004

Ship’s Log June 10, 2017 –Social

June 22, 2017 – Exploring Trek

The social went very well. We had a great turn out. We played a new game, Star Trek: Road Trip. (See review of the game on pg. 6). It was a long game. Andi Boyd won it in the end by proxy. He had to leave so MarkAdam Miller finished for him bringing in the win. Videos were also shown throughout the evening. Snacks and drinks were available.

Exploring Trek went well. It was a small group because of the weather. We discussed people and places that were in Star Trek but also in other TV shows and movies. The meeting was shorter than usual because of the low attendance. It was broadcast on the Hephaestus – STARFLEET Facebook Group and later shared on the U.S.S. Hephaestus page. Facebook lost the video later that night.

Attendance: 15 people

Attendance: 6 people

Personal Log Special Report By Lt James Davis to ask what they could do to make the day an unforgettable experience! The 10:00 am beach yoga with Terry Farrell became an onboard yoga comedy experience as Kendra and I attempted to do yoga with our fellow hippies on the heaving pool deck. Terry never lost her cool as she used her extensive yoga coaching experience to provide a truly relaxing and enriching experience, narrating and laughing right along as we inevitably tipped over with the waves. A sand castle competition on the shore gave way to a poolside showing of Star Trek: Beyond, while the hot tubs stayed hot and the pool and company stayed cool.

Stardate 2017.01.13 – At Sea??? The cruise ship Enterprise approached Risa for a long-awaited shore leave (30 hours) on the sunsoaked beaches of the private island of Greta Stirrup Cay. However, there was a massive ion storm in the system that prevented any shuttlecraft from delivering crew to their scheduled leave. Just like a plot device from Star Trek: TNG, we now had to find a way to placate over two-thousand crewmates aboard a ship orbiting the long-awaited destination below.

Remember my report from our first day aboard, in which Denise Crosby ran away with the scene introducing “Where No Man Has Gone Before” with no audio whatsoever? Today that technical difficulty paid off, as we were treated to a full recreation of the experience. Absolutely not to be missed (but missed by the vast majority of the ship unbeknownst to them), Denise led a Mystery Science Theater 3K-esque showing of the same episode. She voiced the female characters,

The scheduled festivities included excursions on dune buggies, water slides, dolphin tours, and a scavenger hunt on the private beaches, but the crew would have to do with makeshift entertainment. Look no further that the cast of Star Trek to entertain its loyal fans! Without hesitation, cast members lined up

USS Hephaestus

Always Onward

The Anvil

NCC-2004

while Robert Picardo voiced Kirk, plus any aliens. The catch? Ethan Phillips voiced every other character in the show, a challenge that became abundantly clear to him a few times throughout the showing to great hilarity. Denise was somehow in love with everyone, the captain had some desires unsuitable for children, and the key to unlocking a mysterious robot was to pee on it. Thankfully, we got the whole event on video (which the company asked for so they could plan a similar performance next year).

vows ceremony with a very Trek-themed set of “I do’s”, including “You are the ‘purrrr’ to my tribble”. We jumped in on the fun and got a good picture of our “renewal” certificate and Terry after the fun. We then ran from 13 Forward to share in a STARFLEET group photo. Having met about a dozen new friends, we made our way to an amazing presentation by Chase Masterson in support of here organization, Pop Culture Hero Coalition (PCHC). The PCHC utilizes the power of pop culture heroes to give young people strength to overcome bullying and violence in favor of selfesteem and belonging. After a heart-warming presentation about the origins and work of the coalition, we were able to write postcards with words of encouragement and learn how to contribute to PCHC’s mission – something we’re very keen to do.

John de Lancie performed an encore of Billy Markham, the dirty epic limerick of gambling, vice and revenge. During the show, everyone’s favorite Klingon Chancellor, Robert O’Reilly, put on a show entitled Klingon Opera, which was essentially a Klingon-themed karaoke performance, only without the music. It was yet another brilliant example of how the best shows were the least planned. I even got to sing a Klingon rendition of a classic fighter pilot song I re-titled, “The Little Brown Targ”. I’m still thrilled to have gotten applause and a hearty “Qapla’” from the Chancellor himself!

After the presentation, we joined the Festival of the Moon party on the pool deck for a final wave at the shore we didn’t really even miss. We had too good a time aboard to feel like we missed out thanks to out Trek friends and the amazing cast and crew of our voyage.

Next was a regularly scheduled program called “Ferengi Love Songs”, which was a delightfully tacky music performance with Max Grodenchik and Chase Masterson reflecting on Leeta and Rom’s quirky relationship. We got a chance to meet Chase and Max and snap a few photos, which was a great introduction considering we would see Chase again shortly. We had to scoot from there to 13 Forward (on the 13th deck) to see Terry Ferrell leading a renewal of

Next month, shark-infested waters!

{ ------------------------------------------------------------ U USS Hephaestus

Always Onward

The Anvil

NCC-2004

Crew Happenings The Captainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hobby

USS Hephaestus

Always Onward

The Anvil

NCC-2004

STARFLEET Academy STARFLEET Academy has changed its address: http://main.sfiacademy.org/ Why are there things in STARFLEET Academy that don’t deal with Star Trek? The reason, I feel, is twofold. 1. We all have many different interest and may want to do something outside of Star Trek. This is a chance to look at not only our own interests but interests of others. For an example, someone said that if I wanted to get to know Walter Koenig better then talk to him about football. I am not a fan of football but I could learn about it in the Academy and have a conversation with Mr. Koenig. 2. Some people may be in STARFLEET because a Significant Other is in STARFLEET. They really are not into Star Trek but go along to be with their SO. This gives them a chance to be part of STARFLEET but still follow their own interests. These two reasons are the basis for the diversity in STARFLEET Academy. These two points go to the goal of IDIC (Infinite Diversity Infinite Combinations). Look at STARFLEET Academy and go learn things. Live Long and Prosper

STARFLEET Marine Corps Ah-ten-hutt! Happy Independence Month, crewmates! This month I had the opportunity of a lifetime. Let me tell you about it. As you may know, I am obsessed with scuba diving. I’m a certified rescue diver and have diving experience in three oceans, including shipwrecks ranging from tugboats to a German WWI destroyer. On June 9th, I was given the chance to escort Mr. Jim Marley, who just became a certified diver, on a great adventure. What you may not know is that Mr. Morley served as an avionics technician in Fighter Squadron 111 (VF-111) on the USS Oriskany aircraft carrier during ’66-67. You may know that the USS Oriskany caught fire in 1966 when a flare accidentally lit and the man holding it threw it in a locker to isolate it, not realizing it was an equipment locker full of other flares and explosives, leading to the deaths of 44 men To get to the point, I had the honor and privilege of being Mr. Morley’s dive buddy, escorting him to his old ship fifty years after he last set eyes on it. We brought along some nickels as tributes to our fallen friends, including my classmate Capt Will “pyro” DuBois and the three men from the VF-111 that perished in the Oriskany fire. While there, we took a photo with the US flag and unfurled the POW remembrance flag, fighting a 2-knot current to do so (stronger than it sounds). During the hour-long trip from Nihui Dive Charters we had some pleasant conversations about his service time, shared pictures of our war buddies, and discussed what serving aboard the Enterprise would really be like. Remember, if you would like to add a little military flare to your STARFLEET experience, consider signing up as a STARFLEET Marine in the 654th MSG!!! Give ’em the cold steel! USS Hephaestus

Always Onward

The Anvil

NCC-2004

Anvil Focus Schedule

Do you know this Alien?

August: Deanna Troi, Counselors September: The Future of Star Trek October: Romulans (Feel free to send me an article on any of these topics. Your fellow crew members would love to know your thoughts on these.)

Hunt for the Icon Did you fine the Five Vulcan science officers five then they were:

hidden in the June issue of The Anvil? If you did not find the

1. Pg. 4, The Hephaestus Red Shirt Challenge, end of 1st paragraph 2. Pg. 9, Doctor Who News, end of the 1st paragraph 3. Pg. 12, Personal Log Special Report, after Day 4 4. Pg. 14, bottom of the poster in the middle 5. Pg. 18, bottom of the page at the end of the last paragraph Five Borg cubes are hiding in this issue of the Anvil. The five doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t include this example. The first to send me the correct locations gets to choose next monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hidden Icon.

Name the ____ Answers We did not have this challenge in the June issue. If you have suggestions for new challenges or questions, then send them to cohephaestus@bellsouth.net Answer to Do you know this alien? (pg. 16) the Mutant (Regis Parton), This Island Earth (1955)

STARFLEET Renewal Reminders Tiner Green Lindsay Family Miller Family Davis Family Boyd Family Carr Family Baxter Hicks Family USS Hephaestus

09/13/16 06/27/17 07/08/17 08/26/17 08/31/17 09/17/17 09/19/17 09/24/17 10/03/17

Youngblood-Yawn Bentley Stockham Potts Family Arnold Mohney Family Mangina Holsey Bishop 15

11/30/17 12/21/17 03/02/18 03/07/18 04/19/18 05/10/18 05/15/18 05/30/18 05/29/18 Always Onward

The Anvil

NCC-2004

Away Team and Activity Schedule Date Jul 1, 2017 Jul 6-9, 2017 Jul 8, 2017 Jul 15, 2017 Jul 27, 2017 Jul 28-30, 2017 Aug 5, 2017 Aug 12, 2017 Aug 18-20, 2017 Aug 24, 2017 Aug 26, 2017 Sep 2, 2017 Sep 9, 2017 Sep 16, 2017 Sep 24, 2017 Sep 28, 2017

Event/Time Anvil Deadline PLAY ON CON Captain’s Cookout – 2 pm Poker – 2 pm Exploring Trek – 7pm Sci-Fi/Fantasy Festival Anvil Deadline Social – 7 pm SFI International Conference (IC) Exploring Trek – 7pm Poker – 2 pm (later because of IC) Anvil Deadline Social – 7 pm Poker – 2 pm Tentative - ST: Discovery Premier Exploring Trek

Location cohephaestus@bellsouth.net 4-H Center, Columbiana, AL Mohney Miller Kingdom Comics Hoover Library, Hoover, AL cohephaestus@bellsouth.net Best Western Plus, Gardendale New Orleans, LA Kingdom Comics Evans cohephaestus@bellsouth.net Mohney Mohney Best Western Plus, Gardendale Kingdom Comics

ALL EVENTS AND TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE, PLEASE REFER TO THIS SECTION FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION Looking for the following people to help with the Anvil:

News Repoters Wanted For Hephaestus Anvil

Reporters for the Following: Star Wars News (assigned) Dr. Who News (assigned) Firefly News NASA News (assigned) Latest Sci-Fi/Fantasy books

USS Hephaestus

Reviewers: Books, Movies Games, Conventions Convention Scouts: Someone to find conventions in a 2 3 hr driving distance of Birmingham. Write a short synopsis and give possible websites

Always Onward

The Anvil

NCC-2004

Area Conventions & Exhibits For additional Cons please check out www.southernfan.com/calendar.htm

July July 6-9, 2017 – Play On Con, Alabama 4-H Center, Columbiana, AL www.playoncon.com Play On Con (POC) is a family-friendly four day fantasy and science fiction fandom convention held each year in Birmingham, Alabama--the Magic City! We focus on four main areas for our attendees: (1) Shows: Interactive and energetic programming that welcomes new fans as well as old. (2) Gaming: The best board, RPG, live action, video, and card gaming available. (3) Parties: Nightly (and daily!) hospitality events thrown by award-winning party hosts. (4) Community: Active personal involvement with related fandom events throughout the year. July 28 - 30 2017 – Sci-Fi/Fantasy Fest, Hoover Library, Birmingham, AL www.hooverlibrary.org/sci-fi-fantasy, www.facebook.com/hplscifi The Annual Sci-Fi & Fantasy Fest will be a 3-day event with 3x as much geeky, nerdy fun! Like our previous events, we'll have gaming, cosplay, discussion panels and more.

August August 18-20, 2017 – IC 2017, New Orleans, LA www.ic2017.org/ The STARFLEET International Conference is the annual members’ conference where the members of STARFLEET: The International Star Trek Fan Association, Inc. gather to meet the organization’s leadership, participate in panels related to science fiction and the organization; attend informational sessions, formal banquets, award ceremonies and other events; sight-see the city before and after the conference; and socialize with friends from around the world. August 31 – September 4 – Dragon Con, Atlanta, GA, www.dragoncon.org/ The largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art and film in the universe.

Does The Anvil cover stuff that you are interested in? Did you disagree with a review or point of view in one of the articles? Did we miss some news article that you think should have been covered? The staff is looking for your feedback to help us send out something that you are interested in. Send your feedback to: cohephaestus@bellsouth.net

USS Hephaestus

Always Onward

The Anvil

NCC-2004

Local Attractions (Only events relative to Star Trek are shown, Check the website for more information) Alabama Theater – Birmingham, AL - www.alabamatheatre.com Birmingham Zoo – Birmingham, AL - www.birminghamzoo.com McWane Center – Birmingham, AL - www.mcwane.org/ Southern Museum of Flight – Birmingham, AL - www.southernmuseumofflight.org/ U.S. Space and Rocket Center – Huntsville, AL - www.rocketcenter.com /

USS Hephaestus

Always Onward

USS HEPHAESTUS COMMAND STRUCTURE Command Staff

Marines

MarkAdam Miller, Fleet Captain – Commanding Officer Phillip Mangina, Lt Cmdr – 1st Officer Brenda Miller, Captain – 2nd Officer

Neil Yawn, Lt General, SFMC Roy Green, Brigadier, SFMC (Reserves) James Davis, Capt, SFMC (Reserves)

Executive Committee

Unassigned Crew and Civilians

Sue Ellen Mohney, Captain Denby Potts, Rear Admiral Danny Potts, Admiral

Navigation Pete Mohney, Admiral

Sciences Roy Green, Brigadier, Fleet Captain – Archaeology and Anthropology

Computer Sciences Danny Potts, Admiral

Engineering

Donald Arnold, Ensign 1st Class Kendra Baxter, Crewman Nicole Bentley, Lt JG Kris Bishop, Crewman Andrew Boyd, Ensign 1st Class Karen Burtyk, Civilian Renda Carr, Ensign Timothy Carr, Civilian Anya Davis, Civilian Pat Hicks, Fleet Captain Mark Lindsay, Captain Michelle L. Lindsay, Crewman Pamela Lindsay, Cmdr Matthew Potts, Crewman Lewis, Stockham, Crewman Carly Strickland, Civilian Brenda Tiner, Crewman 3rd Class Haley Youngblood, Crewman

MarkAdam Miller, Fleet Captain Flo Hurst, Cmdr

Operations

Ambassadors

Sue Ellen Mohney, Captain – Chief of Ops and Counselor Brenda A. Miller, Captain – Ship Admin Assistant Lynnette Yawn, Lt – Ships Galley Officer

Mike Burtyk Shirley Burton

Security

Retired

Roy Green, Fleet Captain – Chief of Security Intelligence Sandra Hosley, Lt

Dennis Evans, Fleet Captain Pat Simmons, Lt Cmdr

Communications

Cadet Training

Brenda A. Miller, Captain Matthew Boyd, Ensign 1st Class James Davis, Lt Curtis Salors, Civilian

Katrina Mohney, Crewman Apprentice Tara Mohney, Cadet 1st Class Athena Youngblood, Cadet 1st Class Kimberly Davis, Cadet in Training

For More Information Contact: Fleet Captain MarkAdam Miller 1204 Southwind Dr. Helena, Al 35080 cohephaestus@bellsouth.net

Lt. Phillip Mangina 3056 Fox Trail Fultondale, AL 35068 phillip3056@charter.net