A Free Star Trek Christmas Present

Long before Al Gore invented the Internet, back in 1966, Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future—the long-lived space opera named Star Trek—started to bring us engineering marvels including the warp drive, force-field shields, transporters, phasers, and a galaxy full of English-speaking aliens. It also brought us the concept of the one, big, fast processor in the form of the lone ship’s computer. (Ol’ Gene didn’t get it all right.) The Internet and other developments previously only found in science fiction now enables Star Trek’s continuing mission, literally. A band of advanced not-for-profit auteurs has capitalized on free, worldwide communications via Skype and PC-based editing packages such as Adobe Premiere and Sony Vegas to produce more episodes of this durable adventure epic using a dispersed, planet-wide cast.

A new audio episode called Ghost Ship (remember, it’s space opera, not SF) will be downloadable at www.continuingmission.com, starting on December 25. Two audio trailers are available now. They’re bound to bring a smile to your face, if only to hear immortal lines such as:

“There is an energy buildup like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

“Get us the Hell out of here.”

“I’ve got to disengage the engines or they’ll blow.”

They don’t write ‘em like that anymore. Well, maybe they do. Live long and prosper.