“Vortex: the Gryphon” Update 5c.14-17: Belters and breakups

Fellow role-players, here is my update for Sessions 5c.14 to 17 of the “Vortex: the Gryphon” telecom space opera campaign, which met via Skype on Sundays in November 2012. We’ve been using FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures/Mindjammer, Bulldogs, and an online dice roller.

In one future, humanity has begun to colonize the Sol system, but environmental degradation, population pressures, and internecine conflict persist. The rediscovery of mystical abilities and open and official First Contact with galactic societies, themselves at war, threaten Terra’s very survival. Can heroes rise to the challenges?

>>FATE 3e “Vortex” Team 3 (5c) telecom Player Characters, crew of the Gryphon, as of autumn 2012:

“Hector Chavez“ [Beruk A.]-male Latin American Terran human, former spy and communications expert/engineer of the Appomattox and Gryphon
“Jasmine“ [Sara F.]-female Martian Felinoid (Synth, “Uplifted” tiger), former professional pit fighter and onetime crewmember of the Appomattox, now apart from the grifters in “MarSoupAiL” with boyfriend Darcy
“Chris McKee/Agent Prometheus” [Josh C.]-male Terran human cyborg, former sniper for the North American Aerospace Marine Corps. and eugenicists at Black Box Security Co.; onetime crewmember of the scout ship Blackbird
“Orion Starchaser“ [Geoff C.]-male [blue humanoid alien] outcast, irrepressible mystic and adrenaline junkie
“Dr. Srinu Pahul“ [Byron V.O.]-male Indian Terran “near-human” (bioengineered) xenobiologist, shadowed by scandal and confident in survival skills
“Jax“ [Robin H.]-male human from the Asteroid Belt, vain space pirate and pilot of the Slipstream and Gryphon
“Jim Delaney” [Robert A.S./absent]-male Terran “near-human” gambler and psi

Belters and breaking up

Terran colony in the Asteroid Belt — Terran colonists in the Asteroid Belt

“8 April to 8 May 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 Terran Galactic Era:” After meeting at New Gdansk in Earth orbit and visiting the Mars Confederacy, the crew of the Gryphon got involved in intrigues around Mars before heading to the Jovian Commonwealth.

The yacht then traveled from Jupiter’s moons to New Kansas, Jax’s home colony in the Asteroid Belt. Hector Chavez, Jasmine, and Jax visit the pilot’s family, who turn out to be prosperous merchants. Jax’s real name is Eugene Plaf, and his parents are Beauford and Martha.

Jax is surprised to find wealthy groupie Cassandra with his parents. She apparently learned his whereabouts from friend Bonnie Kawagura in the Jovian system. Engineer Hector is more interested in acquiring enhancements for the ship.

Still paranoid after various encounters on Mars, sniper Chris McKee stays aboard the Gryphon with Dr. Srinu Pahul, Orion Starchaser, and Darcy. Orion telepathically senses a familiar presence nearby.

In space dock, another blue-furred alien named Vovéstomósanéhe asks to come aboard to help his student find enlightenment. Chris grants permission but calls the others back to the ship. Orion isn’t thrilled to see his exasperated mentor, and Jax is even less pleased to be around two extraterrestrial mystics.

Jasmine and Darcy catch up on rest, while Dr. Pahul tinkers with his robots MEGAN and PEPE. Hector and Chris contact trader Wilfred about military-grade gear. Orion and Vovéstomósanéhe go to train in the Gryphon‘s swimming pool.

Jax hangs out at a dive bar with Cassandra and learns that the Black Pearl II, an infamous pirate ship, has been in a firefight nearby [apologies to Pirates of the Caribbean]. Jax hopes to take control of a larger vessel and build his reputation as the “best damn space pilot in the galaxy.”

Srinu plans to deliver his report on the threat of Zarkonian probes to the Union of Solar Nations (U.S.N.). He later tells Hector and Chris that he has heard that the U.S.N. has had a falling out with Black Box Security Co. and that Sen. Francis Xavier Joseph is a Belter civilian friendly to the military and intelligence services.

Hector also learns from onetime rival Annamaria Balzana that the Musashi battle group is stationed in the Asteroid Belt and is commanded by Adm. Raul Xinshang. Jax’s associates may not want to deal with the navy, but others aboard the Gryphon may want to.

Sometime later, Hector, Chris, and Srinu meet with Beuford and Wilfred in New Kansas. Over glasses of vodka, they discuss trading favors for technology. Hector and Chris agree to find out about potential U.S.N. buyers in return for armored space suits [which can absorb up to 3 consequences each].

Dr. Pahul can’t afford the autodoc he wants, so he turns his attention to a replacement surgery theater that can be ejected in an escape pod. Srinu had used a previous version to examine the nanites (microscopic robots) emitted by the Zurmiz Krott/Harbingers of the Righteous Order of Submission.

Hector reminds Srinu of related investigations into mysterious murders near Jupiter and of Chris’ desire to catch up with slower-than-light generation ships headed in the direction of Zarkonian-controlled space.

Darcy tells Jasmine that he needs time to himself to explore and help the Synth Liberation Front. The “Uplifted” tiger is upset, but she lets her boyfriend leave. Orion takes a break from his martial arts practice to console Jasmine. He also recommends that she go after Darcy to make sure he knows what he’s doing.

Jax stays at the “Soggy Bottom” pub late until barkeep Leonard ejects him [apologies to O Brother, Where Art Thou?]. In an alley, Jax runs into a crewman he recognizes from the Satan’s Strumpet who tried to board the Gryphon back at Jupiter. The pirate draws a khukri, but Jax readies a rifle.

The spacemen are joined by three more toughs, who escort Jax to Capt. Vijay Bhaghwandra. After some pleasantries and posturing, the captain offers Jax a cargo to smuggle from the Asteroid Belt to Earth, since the Satan’s Strumpet is still being repaired. Jax agrees to a share of the profits.

Jasmine enlists the aid of her crewmates in searching for Darcy. The Synth gets a whiff of reptilian scent at a turbolift, possibly from Martian crocolisks or alien Ru’ulok. The group follows the trail to a crowded lounge, where they learn that wayward Darcy is about to board a transport leaving the Sol system!

Hector hacks into the station’s systems to delay departures from Dock 7, while Srinu claims a medical quarantine to apprehend Darcy. The humans also find a bug on him, so Hector hacks the computers of the Anaconda.

The former spy studies the ship’s passenger manifests and finds entries for Darcy and Kraythor, a notable Ru’ulok (heavy-gravity reptilian alien) among the “Takers.” Hector also plants a virus in the Anaconda‘s systems.

Hitchhiker Orion happily studies the Terrans in the lounge as Jasmine tells Darcy that he’s free to go, just not with Ru’ulok pirates. Chris warns the Felinoid to beware of alien slavers such as the slug-like Encegulans. On the Slipstream, Jax recognizes the heavily armored and damaged Black Pearl II float by.

When the Gryphon‘s crew decides against attacking a large frigate, Jax makes a counteroffer of a “milk run” to Earth. The others agree on the condition of meeting Capt. Bhaghwandra themselves.

At the Satan’s Strumpet — reregistered as the “Mellow Cutter” — Jax, Hector, Chris, Jasmine, and Darcy learn of the sizable payment they’d receive for smuggling “Jovian kumquats” to Earth. Capt. Bhaghwandra says that they’re to deliver the cargo to Col. Pyotr Tsilovich, a rising star in Slavic League, at the Baikonur Spaceport. Hector later checks references with his former handler Max on Earth.

Jax makes preparations to take the cargo in a ship-to-ship transfer away from New Kansas. Hector learns from Annamaria that his former companions from the Appomattox have regained faster-than-light capability and are likely heading after the Vatican treasure hidden near Epsilon Eridani.

Jasmine keeps watch after Darcy leaves, while Jax tells his parents and Cassandra that he’ll return soon. When the Gryphon is hailed by Lt. Clark Faddil of the Interplanetary Patrol ship Pinkerton as it passes, Chris decides to disguise himself as a neohippie.

During the zero-G container transfer, Chris recognizes one of the men from the Satan’s Strumpet as Timothy Dugan, a former colleague at Black Box Security Co. The sniper isn’t happy to find Dugan trying to stow away on the Gryphon so that he can report back to Earth.

Hector talks Jax out of shooting Dugan, whom Chris hopes to rehabilitate as he was by the crew of the Blackbird. “Agent Prometheus” puts Dugan in the brig and asks Dr. Pahul and Orion to remove the conditioning left by the eugenicists at Black Box. Vovéstomósanéhe also agrees to help. Jasmine guards Dugan, as Srinu prepares to operate to remove his cybernetic implants.

Sometime after leaving the Satan’s Strumpet and New Kansas, Orion and Hector decide to investigate the cargo. Scans indicate that it’s denser and requires more power than mere refrigeration of Jovian kumquats.

The boxes contain heavily shielded spheres of alien technology with an external interface for Terrans. They are zero-point explosives, more powerful than thermonuclear bombs! Hector, Srinu, and Chris are horrified to be bringing weapons of mass destruction back to factionalized Earth.

The crew and passengers on the Gryphon notice a shift in its artificial gravity and inertial dampeners. Rather than take a Terran day to smuggle the goods, Jax has taken the ship out of the ecliptic plane and jumped through faster-than-light Transit, cutting the travel time to mere hours!

Surprised, Hector locks down the yacht’s controls and informs his companions that they’re in Earth orbit. He had hoped to study the zero-point devices and question Dugan further. Jax puts on a space suit and heads to the cargo bay, as do Chris, Orion, and Vovestomosanehe.

In the cargo bay, Jasmine asks Jax what he’s doing. The Belter pilot tells the onetime wrestler that he wants to make sure that delivery and payment occur without further interference. Chris arrives and shoots at Jax for a second time!

Tiger-woman Jasmine steps between her shipmates, while Orion helps deflect the blast. Hector takes the gun from Chris and asks him to stand down. Srinu goes to the empty bridge, sees the scuffle on internal monitors, and orders MEGAN to ready stunning strobe lights and anesthetizing gas.

Jax is furious to be shot at again by Chris, and burly Jasmine yells at everyone to stop fighting. Hector suggests that Jasmine be nominal captain. Jax heads to the hangar bay, while the others prevent Chris from following. Orion talks with Dugan but is initially unable to determine whether his allegiances have turned from Black Box.

Hector releases the launch controls, allowing Jax to leave in the Slipstream. Srinu asks Jasmine to take control of the Gryphon‘s guns, since he doesn’t trust Chris (who is also worried about Dugan) not to fire. Dr. Pahul also scans the ships for loose nanites, since the Zurmiz Krott could induce insanity in Terrans, but he finds none.

Cmdr. Alfonso Balaz of the U.E.V. Steel Sanguinis hails the Gryphon and asks to come aboard because of reports of smuggling. Capt. Jasmine and company realize that Jax has told Interplanetary Patrol about their cargo and prisoner, but they reluctantly grant permission.

Chris, Orion, and Vovestomosanehe go to the pool/hydroponics garden. At Dr. Pahul’s instruction, MEGAN knocks out Dugan with an injection. Hector goes to the cargo bay to watch the officers’ inspection. Jax brings the Slipstream about, cornering the Gryphon.

Cmdr. Balaz and his assistants scan the cargo and unconscious Dugan. At Hector and Jasmine’s request, Srinu, Orion, and Vovestomosanehe lead the patrolmen to the Gryphon‘s conference room and erase their short-term memories with a combination of drugs and psionics.

Jasmine escorts the groggy officers back to the Steel Sanguinis, and Chris goes to the turret. Hector undocks, and Dr. Pahul returns to the bridge. Orion uses his telepathy to distract Jax as Srinu takes the Gryphon on a blind Transit jump to the edge of the Sol system.

Although they have escaped Interplanetary Patrol scrutiny and various pirates, the explorers aboard the Gryphon still have a hot cargo and need to report to various authorities on Earth….

While “Jim Delaney,” “Jax,” and “Darcy” have left, there are still lots of adventures for the Gryphon in the “Vortex” universe. See my other posts regarding advancement (7 aspects, 30 skill points, and 10 refresh).

I look forward to seeing most of our group virtually tonight, as well as to continuing Josh’s “A New Beginning: Mystic Adventures in the ‘Big D‘” and my face-to-face “Vanished Lands: Vistel’s Circus” games. -Gene

Star Trek: the greatest generation

On Thursday, 29 November 2012, I met former co-worker and fellow blogger Ken G. and members of the Boston Sci-Fi Meetup for dinner, drinks, and conversation at Boston Beer Works near Fenway Park. We then went to the screening of Season 2 episodes of Star Trek: the Next Generation that have been remastered in preparation for the Blu-Ray release. I enjoyed the camaraderie, the special features, and the look back at one of the best space opera TV shows as it reached its prime 25 years ago.

Cast photo for ST:TNG Season 2 — Command crew of the starship Enterprise, NCC 1701-D, as of Season 2

“Q Who?” introduced the Borg, who would become one of the franchise’s greatest villains. John de Lancie’s nearly omnipotent mischief maker played off nicely against Patrick Stewart’s Capt. Jean Luc Picard and the rest of the command crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701-D. The remastered special effects were clean, although the colors and lighting seemed a bit too dark at times. The audio was excellent, with the starship sounds more pronounced during the opening credits and space battles.

“A Measure of a Man” included 13 minutes of restored scenes from Melinda Snodgrass’ thoughtful script. Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William T. Riker, Stewart, and Brent Spiner as Lt.Cmdr. Data all got to shine in their roles exploring android Data’s legal rights as a sentient being in the United Federation of Planets. The episode included references to the original 1960s TV series (TOS) and held up remarkably well. I’m glad that Snodgrass’ character moments were added back in.

Both episodes showed the crew of the Enterprise growing more comfortable with one another as the storylines improved. While I disagree with the producers and many fans who wanted darker, more conflict-driven episodes in defiance of Gene Roddenberry’s wishes, I think Next Gen‘s (TNG) middle seasons did a great job of balancing character, episodic plots, and Roddenberry’s hopeful vision of the future.

The interviews with cast members, bloopers, and glimpses at the restoration process for Seasons 1 through 3 of TNG added much insight. It was nice to see the actors still joking around, learn about why Gates MacFadden was really fired (for protesting sexist scripts), and whet our appetite for remastered versions of “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” “Sins of the Father,” “Best of Both Worlds, Part 1.”

Reunion of ST:TNG cast — Reunion of the cast of Star Trek: the Next Generation

Star Trek, including The Next Generation, helped set the template for many other genre television in the decades that have followed. Like Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate, and Babylon 5 had an initially successful military space opera — TOS, the 1970s show, the 1980s movie, and the 1990s TV series, respectively. The best of these showed teams of co-workers become friends as they saved humanity and the galaxy time after time.

Each was followed by a ship-based TV revival (TNG, Ron Moore’s BSG, and Stargate SG1), a darker and more intricate stationary show (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Caprica, and Stargate: Atlantis) and a weaker return to a ship-based action series (Voyager/Enterprise, Razor/Blood & Chrome, Stargate: Universe, and Crusade, respectively). All had episodes featuring time travel or flashbacks, shared hallucinations, foes turned friends, and many other speculative fiction tropes codified by Trek.

Even space operas that didn’t have spinoffs owe a heavy debt to Roddenberry and crew, such as Andromeda, Farscape, and Firefly/Serenity. I’ve been a fan of all of these shows, but the familial relationships of TNG and Roddenberry’s heroic idealism still resonate with me more than many of that show’s peers, spinoffs, and successors.

Now that more information is becoming available for the sequel to J.J. Abrams’ reboot, I’m still cautiously optimistic. I’d prefer a less villain-driven plot, which looks to use Benedict Cumberbatch’s Khan Noonien Singh or Gary Mitchell as an analogue for Osama Bin Laden. Star Trek‘s final frontier still beckons. Live long and prosper!

Skyfall review — Bond is back!

I hope that those of you in the U.S. had a happy Thanksgiving. I visited my in-laws in Upstate New York, where I fought a bad cold, ate too much good food, and watched my nephews play lots of video games.

Taking a step back, on Tuesday, 20 November 2012, I met Thomas K.Y. & Kai-Yin H. for dinner at Erewan of Siam on Waltham’s Moody Street. We then joined Beruk A. at the Embassy Cinema for Skyfall, the latest James Bond film. We all liked the British superspy’s latest adventures.

The latest James Bond flick — James Bond has returned

After a four-year wait, the movie launches right into action, with 007 pursuing a stolen hard drive in Istanbul. Bond fights an enemy agent atop a train and is shot, then Adele’s retro theme song plays amid the usual psychedelic images of gambling, guns, and dames. Skyfall reintroduces some of the franchise’s gadgetry and humor, paying tribute to its 50 years of cloak-and-dagger fantasies.

Blond and beefy Daniel Craig is still believable as the resilient man with a license to kill. Even if he wasn’t my first choice to inherit the role, in Skyfall, Craig properly shows the physical and emotional toll of being Ian Fleming’s master assassin (it’s hard to believe that he’s my age).

In Skyfall, Craig carefully balances the grit of Sean Connery and Timothy Dalton with the slickness of Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan, coming close to George Lazenby’s short-lived portrayal. Craig is still closer to Connery, but given current moviegoer sensibilities, that’s for the best.

Director Sam Mendes adds a good amount of character development while including exotic locales, one fight in silhouette and another with menacing komodo dragons, and even a glimpse of Bond’s ancestral home in Scotland, the titular Skyfall. (I find it interesting that, like Sherlock Holmes, another quintessentially English hero, Bond is actually part French.)

Skyfall‘s cast is a mix of old and new, young and old. Among the relative newcomers is Ben Whishaw as the new “Q” or quartermaster, now an impudent hacker. Naomie Harris is the winsome agent Eve, and Berenice Marlohe and Tonia Sotiropoulou are Bond’s stunning lovers.

By contrast, Craig gets seasoned support from Judi Dench as his boss “M,” Ralph Fiennes as ambitious bureaucrat Gareth Mallory, and Albert Finney as Skyfall groundskeeper Kincade. Javier Bardem, no stranger to weird haircuts and homicidal characters, chews the scenery gleefully as villain Silva. As with the best bad guys, Silva’s motivations are a dark mirror of Bond’s own.

I’m a longtime Bond fan, so I won’t give away any “spoilers.” Of the recent run, I’d put Skyfall slightly above Quantum of Solace, if a bit below 2006’s Casino Royale, which tautly and successfully rebooted the series in the post-Austin Powers and Jason Bourne era.

Overall, I’d give Skyfall, which is rated PG-13 for violence and sensuality, a B+, three to four out of five stars, or an 8 out of 10. I’d definitely recommend it to fans of James Bond and action movies.

Of the trailers we saw, I’m most interested in Quentin Tarantino’s over-the-top western Django, Stephen Spielberg’s Lincoln, and of course, Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit [Part 1 of 3]: An Unexpected Journey. I also plan to screen some remastered Season 2 episodes of Star Trek: the Next Generation and the unconventional Rise of the Guardians soon.

Reunion in Brooklyn

On Friday, 9 November 2012, Janice and I took Amtrak from the Route 128 station near Boston to New York’s Penn Station to visit ailing Steve A.L. in Brooklyn. While I wish that our trip was under better circumstances, we still had a good time catching up with friends from college, as well as some from high school and grad school. On the train, I enjoyed the manga adaptation of Gail Carriger’s supernatural steampunk Soulless.

We checked into the Hotel Indigo, where our room was small but the staff was responsive. Janice and I then walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and back to Steve’s place, where we met him, his wife Michele, and their athletic son Nate. We ordered dinner from Gandhi Palace and picked up dessert at Lassen & Hennings.

On Saturday, Janice and I grabbed bagels for breakfast before meeting Steve at the Brooklyn Museum. Damon F.P. and Carlo R. came down from Westchester to join us, and Dexter V.H. stopped by from Queens on the way to visit his father. Janice had never been to that museum before, and Steve took us through its impressive collections of ancient Egyptian and early American art.

In addition to grabbing a late lunch at the museum’s renovated cafeteria, we chatted about history, current genre television, relationships, and religion. It’s always nice to be able to have such wide-ranging conversations.

Janice and I later rejoined Steve at his place, where we met Corbin A.Y., Dave F.R-B., and John Z.G. & Kim A.G. and their teenage son Mark. Steve & Michele were gracious hosts, supplying us with lots of munchies and beverages and ordering proper New York pizzas from Monty Q’s.

John then ran an AD&D2 “Gwynedd in Greyhawk” game. We slipped back into character easily, even though that high fantasy campaign originally ran from 1984 to 1995, and we hadn’t role-played that particular group of characters in more than 20 years.

At SUNY-Binghamton, spring 1987 — The college gang, back in spring of 1987

Janice, Michele, and Nate didn’t participate, but Andy M., another SUNY-Binghamton alumnus now living in Chicago, joined us via Skype (which I use for my regular Sunday night scenarios). Corbin had tracked him down online, and it was great to reconnect after many years. It was also nice to play alongside Mark, who has inherited his parents’ love of games.

Hughes Hall reunion game — “Bellevue-Camelot” reunion, 1986 to 2012

I may eventually write up my notes of what happened within the session, but our jokes and camaraderie were more important than any old rules set or storylines. That said, our adventuring party reunited to raid the tower of a necromancer who had cursed the son of Steve’s Halfling Thief “Branador.”

Of all the Dungeon Masters I’ve been lucky enough to know, my former roommate John is the best at depicting memorable Non-Player Characters, gory battles, and an environment for creative teamwork.

Despite rolling lots of critical fumbles — 1 on 1d20, made worse because I had brought extra dice — we managed to fight our way through various Undead. My Grey Elf Ranger “Aldarion” had some good scouting scenes and was among those to get clobbered in combat. Our group (now about Level 15) had to bargain with extraplanar entities to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Good times!

On Sunday, Janice and I met the gang again. While waiting, I got to see Nate’s blazing pitching ability. While he needs to hone his skills, his strength is undeniable. We went to the Park Plaza Diner for brunch. Although Dave left his wife and son back in Buffalo, N.Y., Corb brought his wife Andria and cheerful daughter Maia.

Steve then took us to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, where we saw a small bit of the damage left by Hurricane Sandy. The others left, and Steve, Janice, and I stopped by St. Mark’s Comics and later met Carlo, Brian D.H., and Erik B.L. and his precocious daughter Emma at the Park Plaza Diner for dinner. (All of the children of our friends resemble their parents in the best ways.) As always, our discussions were illuminating, if too brief.

Reunion in New York City — Friends and family in Brooklyn, November 2012

We returned to Steve & Michele’s place to watch Disney/Marvel’s The Avengers, which Janice and others hadn’t yet seen. The next morning, Janice and I again grabbed breakfast at Montague Street Bagels before heading to Penn Station and back to Massachusetts.

It was great to catch up with old friends, and I hope that we won’t have to wait another 20 years for another fun reunion!

Catching up: Raiders, Halloween, and the Rhode Island Comic Con

On Sunday, 28 October 2012, Janice and I went to the Brattle Theater in Harvard Square, Cambridge, to screen a remastered print of Raiders of the Lost Ark. I broke out my fedora and leather bomber jacket (but not my whip) for the occasion.

The cliffhanger movie has held up well after 30 years, and it was great to see Harrison Ford again as the charming scoundrel, John Rhys-Davies and Denholm Elliott as Indy’s pals, and most of all, Karen Allen as the spunky Marion Ravenwood, who’s every bit the equal of the adventuresome archaeologist and his Nazi nemeses.

Janice and I also browsed among our usual bookshops and had a good meal at Grendel’s Den. Unfortunately, former co-worker and fellow blogger Ken G. wasn’t able to join us because his return flight from Peru had been delayed.

For Halloween, I dressed in full chain armor for my weekly historical weapons class. It was fun to practice our moves with metal weapons for once.

At GuardUp! — Dueling in Norman-style chain armor

On Saturday, Nov. 3, I drove down to Providence, R.I., for the first Rhode Island Comic Con. The genre entertainment convention was a success, with strong attendance, numerous dealers and artists, and several celebrities, including (but not limited to) the following:

Star Trek: John De Lancie, Robert Picardo, Gary Graham
Star Wars: Peter Mayhew, Tom Kane
Buffy: the Vampire Slayer: Nicholas Brendon
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: Gil Gerard, Felix Silla

And last, but not least, from the original Battlestar Galactica:

Richard Hatch (Cmdr. Apollo and Tom Zarek)
Dirk Benedict (Lt. Starbuck)
Herbert Jefferson Jr. (Lt. Boomer)
Jack Stauffer (Capt. Bojay)
Sarah Rush (Cpl. Rigel)
Noah Hathaway (Boxey)

As a child of the 1970s, I was excited to meet more actors from one of my favorite military space operas of all time. While I was disappointed that Laurette Spang (Cassiopeia) and Anne Lockhart (Lt. Sheba) couldn’t make it, it was still cool to see so many classic BSG actors together.

The actors still resemble their characters, almost 35 years later. Hatch was as gracious and philosophical as I remember from our previous meeting, and Jefferson still has his military bearing and is down to earth. Rush was perky as ever, and during the BSG panel discussion, ailing Stauffer talked about giving back to the acting community.

Benedict was as roguish as ever, soft-spoken one on one but sarcastic and funny during the panel. Hathaway, who was also Bastian in The Neverending Story, has grown into a tattooed, wiry guy with an attitude closer to that of Starbuck than adoptive father Apollo.

Everyone spoke highly of the professionalism and courtesy of the late Lorne Greene, a.k.a. Adm. Adama. They acknowledged classic Galactica‘s debt of inspiration to Star Wars, as well as the problems with producing a grand space adventure in the face of TV network opposition to its budget and tone. The cast even mentioned the derivative Galactica 1980 and Ron Moore’s grim BSG reboots, as well as plans to return the Galactica franchise to movie theaters.

Among other people, I enjoyed chatting about Buck Rogers with Gil Gerard (I had met Erin Gray at a previous event) and about Alien Nation with Gary Graham. I was pleased to find both actors approachable and good-humored about their respective television careers.

It was also nice to chat with artists Bob Eggleton and Craig Rousseau, whose works I’ve followed and whom I’ve met at past conventions. I also talked with Star Wars reference book author Ryder Windham, who agreed with me in being optimistic about Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm and plans for more films in the saga.

In addition, there were many creative and confident cosplayers at RICC, and I was impressed when a zombie flash mob broke into dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” I didn’t have time to participate in any of the games that were being played in one ballroom.

I’d definitely consider attending the Rhode Island Comic Con if it is held again next year. Sure, the organizers could have done a better job of handling the crowds for certain panels, but I hope that the event was profitable enough that it can join the Boston Comic Con and this coming weekend’s annual Super MegaFest.