Newfoundland trekkies create their own Star Trek web series

Itmight be an understatement to say Darren Hann loves Star Trek, but just watching the show on TV wasn't enough.

"I've been collecting Star Trek merchandise all my life," Hann, aMount Pearl sci-fi junkie, toldThe Corner Brook Morning Show.

"I can't remember not having a time of my life when I wasn't watching Star Trek in some form or another."

Four years ago, Hann made the leap to become part of the Star Trek universe itself, gatheringa group of fellow hard-core fans to produce the web series Star Trek: Reliant.

"It's a growing trend now on the internet. Alot of people make their own fan films, " Hann said.

Hann and his friends have made 11 short episodes so far, featuring everything a Star Trek fan would expect: Vulcans, Borgs, transporters, and of course, a variety of alien worlds.

Hann himself portrays Capt. Miles Edward O'Brien, the commanding officer of the USSReliant.

The seriesfeatures original material, performed by actors with some community theatre experience.

Hann said he has no shortage of storylines.

"Inspiration from anything, that's the best way to say it. I could be out, hear something on the newsor Icould see somebody doing something, and it's like, 'Ohm that would make a great story.'"

Newfoundland-inspired storyline

The latest webisode, Stalemate, finds the crew on an alien world similar to Earth, but with its water poisoned by hydraulic fracturing.

Hann said he was inspired by developments on Newfoundland's west coast. He looked into similar plotlines from actual Star Trek episodesand blended the two into his script, which he said has generated a lot of comments since being posted last September.

"I like it when we put out a story that people sit down and think about it," Hann said.

"Star Trek has always been about what's happening in the world, but we just tell it in a futuristic way, and get both sides of the story."

Hann said what has surprised him is the lack of negative comments about Star Trek Reliant.

"Because there's a lot of that out there, with other fan series," Hann said. "'Oh, you done this wrongor you portrayed this actor wrong.`We actually haven't had that yet, which I'm thankful for."

Hann and his crew also spend their spare time visiting science fiction festivalslike last weekend's Atlanti-Con in Corner Brook.

In between those events, Hann promises more adventures from the crew of the Reliantwith the next webisode due to premiere on YouTube before this Christmas.