Relay Station Bravo

Aaron: 00:02

The following is a production of the Bravo Fleet Communications Office. Welcome to Relay Station Bravo, episode 2. My name is Aaron, and I am the podcast communications officer for Bravo Fleet. And I'm happy to welcome you back to the first official full length episode. That's today.

Aaron: 00:25

Today, we have on deck an interview with MJ. He is one of our Bravo fleet senior staff and has held a numerous amounts of roles and positions within the organization. He's been with Bravo Fleet for about 14 or so years, And his interview is coming up next, and it's it's a really I enjoy I I had a lot of lot of fun interviewing MJ and asking questions and getting some insight into his life, his Star Trek life, his science fiction life. All of that is coming up here in just a moment. If you're listening, that means you listen to episode 1, hopefully, hopefully, and you're back for more.

Aaron: 00:59

We're looking to do weekly episodes of varying contents and varying types and kinds, and I'm really glad to have you back with us. My name is Aaron. This is Relay Station Bravo, the Bravo Fleet podcast. Our website is bravofleet.com. If you're interested, there's FAQs.

Aaron: 01:15

There's all kinds of cool stuff there. So without further ado, grab your cup of coffee if you're a captain Janeway or grab your cup of tea if you are Jean Luc Picard or if you're any captain in between. Grab your beverage of choice. Mine, I'm the Picard guy. I love me some earl grey hot with a splash of milk and one lump sugar.

Aaron: 01:35

Whatever your variation is, welcome aboard. Relay Station Bravo, the podcast starts now. All right. Welcome to relay station Bravo. This is a segment we're looking to do a little bit with.

Aaron: 02:07

Over time, we our goal is to interview both Bravo senior staff, Bravo fleet free, Bravo Fleet senior staff, and also, task force commanders, XOs, members, and just kind of to build kind of a a historical piece, but also just kind of some some cool some cool background with folks. And so today, we have been lucky enough, and he's accepted it, for our for MJ to join us here on the podcast for an interview. So, MJ, what I kind of what is your what is what do you what do you do for Bravo fleet? What is your history? There's a there's a it's it's a very loaded question because there's, you know, you've done a lot of things.

MJ: 02:52

I have. Yeah. Yeah.

Aaron: 02:54

You're one of the old, only longer serving members of Bravo fleet. You've been around for it says on the it says on the BFMS 14 years, which I'm I'm thinking that's accurate. But kinda just walk us through, like, what do you do? What have you done? Why are you here and why do you?

MJ: 03:11

Sure. Yeah. So right. So I suppose start off with it started about 20 years ago actually for me. So, I started off when I was about 17, 18.

MJ: 03:23

So you can probably work out how I am now from that. And in between all of that, I've done lots of different roles of taking breaks from Rufferly and come back and take another break and come back. And I suppose now, kind of where things have been going for the last 4 to 5 years has been, I would say, the best part that I've seen our community, grow and change in a direction that makes sense, ensures that we're not just for role playing. It's more than that. And I love that.

MJ: 03:59

That's what for me, I've enjoyed the most, watching and seeing and that change. You have whole lots of different positions. Currently, roughly operations officer. So that is the best way to kind of describe it is coordinating, managing, supporting, and encouraging our kind of our task force senior staff. So it's kind of my job to just make sure that they are clear on procedures, policy, supporting them with nominations, and encouraging our members with their activity.

MJ: 04:35

And it's, you know, it's been such a great role to have. I've been doing it for over a year, maybe I think might be coming up for 2 years, a few months time. And it's one more I suppose at the time I wasn't, planning to kind of do. But when I was asked to step up to do it by, Vince and David, it was kinda like, yeah. Okay.

MJ: 04:54

Why not? I've been in that role myself, working as a task force officer and then, getting to do the fun things you get to do there. And then I went into the chief of staff role for a few months, and I absolutely loved that role, and had a great time, kind of picking up where Vince was doing it. And then I took over from him and kind of having that time with, Dave before he took over. That was a great role.

MJ: 05:21

But yeah. No. So in the past, I have been the commanding officer, brother. I held that for a few months. It was a bit of a tricky time and to be honest, it was

Aaron: 05:32

Well, and so so to be clear, so there, MJ is being very and and we're we're obviously being very there's there's history in Bravo fleet.

MJ: 05:39

Oh, yeah.

Aaron: 05:40

There's history that is sometimes just better left. Unsaid and undiscussed because there are people who the and events and and and people that are still in and around the world of of Star Trek fan clubs and Star Trek communities. And so it's not that we're we're trying to lack that transparency that people might be like, well, what's the story there? Yeah. It's it's not it's it's stories that almost and and you can correct me if I'm wrong, MJ.

Aaron: 06:06

It's stories that almost don't need to be told. Yeah. Like, it's it's just it's better left in the past. Those are moments and things that just it just kinda go, we just yeah. Not not a great time for a lot of folks, and we're just gonna look more to the future.

MJ: 06:19

Definitely. And it was and you know what? It was, several months, I would say. I did absolutely enjoy it, but I was at the time, I was actually at university, and I couldn't keep up with kind of in that role, even at that time and even in now, you know, there's so much that needs to be kind of you keep on top of and to maintain Yep. And keep the vibes going, keep the energy flowing.

MJ: 06:42

I just I need you to focus on real life at the time. So yeah. No. So I've I've done quite a bit. I mean, I'm currently I've got one of your former roles.

MJ: 06:51

I'm, you know, Yep.

Aaron: 06:52

You're in test you're test 472.

MJ: 06:54

Yeah. And, again, I'm absolutely loving that time with the guys and girls over there. They're actually amazing. And, yeah, it's just just having the opportunity to give back to something that has given me so much fun in so many years. It's great.

Aaron: 07:07

Definitely. Well, and so you when you talk about Task Force and again, so there's there are things that our members who are listening to this podcast are going to go, Oh, yeah, I know what that is. But if you're listening to this out out of brand new. So when when when he's talking about task forces, we we basically kind of group our membership, as they as they sign up through barberfleet.com, We we group them into task forces, and currently, we have 5 of them. We have 17, 47, 7286, and 93.

Aaron: 07:35

And And each of them, you can go and check it out as you're as you're listening to this interview in this podcast, bravo fleet.com. You go up to units, you click on the drop down, and there they all are. And each of them has a unique and historical kind of, story and kind of an operating theater that we kind of say, hey. If you wanna write some stories in this in this world, you can. You can write your stories anywhere in in our in this in the Bravo fleet world.

Aaron: 07:56

But those task forces are built in a way so that you can have what MJ is doing. He is the, CEO of 72, a previous position I held, for about 5, 6 almost 6 months. Almost made it full 6 months. Mhmm. And then there's an XO, which is an executive officer.

Aaron: 08:14

And so the the CO is basically in charge and and in charge of overseeing the whole task force while the XO is there to support. There's there to learn. They're they're they're there to be mentored, because eventually, and MJ obviously can speak to this. The goal is we want people to be able to assume larger roles and be able to diversify their what what how they serve in within Bravo fleet and and give back. And I think that's a huge part of when I started in April 2022, I, you know, I started with RPGs.

Aaron: 08:42

I started with my primary commands. I started writing and doing all those things. And then the opportunity came for an XO gig with 72 to come along, and I was like, well, I I've I've taken advantage of so much. I've done so much in Bravo fleet so far. I'd I'd like to do more.

Aaron: 08:55

And so that was even my mindset of like, hey. I need to I need to give back and and take part in that. I guess for the question that, is what so Bravo fleet is a Star Trek fan club, and so it's really hard. You it's it's not like just a fan club for people to hang out and do stuff. It's a fan club specifically kind of tied to, the Star Trek fandom.

Aaron: 09:18

The question that is on that I am very curious to hear from everyone as we go through this interview process is, what is your Star Trek story, and where did it begin?

MJ: 09:28

Wow. That's a great question. For me, it started off when I was about I think about I think it was 11 or 12. Okay. And at the time I mean, I've gotta be honest.

MJ: 09:41

I was never really into kind of science fiction or anything like that at the time.

Aaron: 09:45

Kind of Why was that? Why why why why was, like was it just at your age or you just did Yeah.

MJ: 09:50

I don't know. I I mean, I suppose at the time, like, I tell you, it wasn't I was aware of it, if that makes sense. Yeah. But, as a genre, I suppose I wasn't really into it. And, over here, like, because I don't know if anyone was recognized from my accent.

MJ: 10:06

I'm from Britain. We've got kind of, that kind of saying is there's, saying that a kind of bit in between now. So I kinda see him myself as kind of a little bit nerdy, but kind of in between kind of things. I was at that age, I was reading some sports and things like that. I was loved basketball, rugby, swimming, things like that.

Aaron: 10:26

So in the in the American verbiage, you would be a jock. You you you would and that's not a pejorative statement on you, to be clear. I'm not oh, well, MJ is a jock. This interview is over. I'm done.

Aaron: 10:37

Yeah. It's it's the you know, there's there's a certain like, when you when you live that life where you have those interests, you have almost, like, loose horse blinders on where you're like, man, I love playing rugby. I love I love getting physical. I love exercising. I love doing this.

Aaron: 10:49

And you don't make a lot of time to, you know, go watch your Doctor Who or, you know, whatever. You're just you're

MJ: 10:54

you're a

Aaron: 10:54

sports player. You you play ball, and that's what you do.

MJ: 10:56

Yeah. And what if for me, I always when I saw, when I saw the question about this, this might be a laugh because I love this story. And I was about 11, 12. And my dad, he was a huge, huge star Trek fan. I always knew of it because of him.

MJ: 11:16

And me and my mate had been out that day and we come back. I think it's back to mine. I remember my mom saying, your dad wants to go to cinema tonight. In fact, not your dad, my mates dad as well. Yeah.

MJ: 11:29

Cool. We're gonna say, and that's why we're gonna see the new Star Trek film. I was like, okay. Cool. Alright.

MJ: 11:35

And it was Star Trek First Contact.

Aaron: 11:38

Oh, no. That's oh, you got it. You got the best introduction possible.

MJ: 11:42

I really did. And

Aaron: 11:45

I'm a little jealous. Yeah. A little jealous.

MJ: 11:46

Me and my mate went along. Knew nothing about it. Sat down in the cinema between her dad's in that effect. And that it's opening that credit line, you know, where there's Picard in the Borg scene. And it's just that thing where, you know, the Borg, tube goes into his eye.

MJ: 12:00

Like, you're gonna sit there. Oh my goodness. Me? What what what's the thing? What's that?

MJ: 12:03

And then the next thing is is in his ready room, and then he goes to the the sink, and he spat his face. And then, you know, the nanoparticles spurts out. And I was like, oh my god. This is amazing. Yeah.

MJ: 12:14

And it just the whole the whole film just, I was just absolutely just loved it. Like for it wasn't just the action part that I loved. Yeah. It was, you know, the storytelling and kind of a hopeful for best, side of things in the future for human beings. That whole second Cochrane, the the Lily storyline between her and the card

Aaron: 12:32

of the money. For those of you who those of you who are listening first, like, everyone has their favorite Star Trek film. They did. Yeah. There's there's there are debates about the even and odd numbers,

MJ: 12:41

and that's

Aaron: 12:41

great. That's for a later episode. We're not gonna dig into that. It's just too much. But First Contact, I think and this is a very much of a a big painting with a pretty big brush on my part, but it is one of the more beloved Star Trek films because it it has equal parts, like you said.

Aaron: 12:59

It's that that kind of adventurous, like, you've got the enterprise e, like, this just big old rocket ship, and you're just

MJ: 13:06

like, oh, I have

Aaron: 13:07

to go. And then but there's also those moments where you so for free 1st contact, spoiler alert, the movie's been out for years. So tough tough. If you if you haven't watched it,

MJ: 13:14

you can see it now.

Aaron: 13:15

Yeah. You go go now, put a pause, and then go whatever. But first contact is the idea behind so John John Luke Picard is the capital of the enterprise, and and he had invested both worlds in the in the next generation show Had been taken by the board to use his knowledge and his his presence and his gravitas to to try and subjugate the the federation. And so there was this whole where Jean Luc Picard was a bore. He was Locutus.

Aaron: 13:37

And so what First Contact does is it takes that story thread that we thought was long gone and long done. And, okay, cool. Back with that. There's no there's no echoes. There's no haunting.

Aaron: 13:47

And First Contact pulls that thread and says, no. No. No. No. There's more to this story, and it it's a nice echoing of, like, the struggles of a lot of people that deal with, like, PTSD and trauma.

Aaron: 13:57

And so it's that moment of going, oh, this story isn't over. And it's really cool how it just and it takes us it flips the script, and then we end up in Montana with like, we go back in time. We do the whole time traveling bit, and it's it's just it's like for you to have the that your first start to experience. Like, it would have been like, if you had said, oh, I went and saw generations and been like, oh, MJ, you Porsche.

MJ: 14:19

You're a

Aaron: 14:20

child. Like, that was that was not the best introduction. I mean, it was good, but it Yeah. So the fact that you got first contact. So you hit for you like, how what was your feeling when you walked out of that theater?

MJ: 14:29

It was amazing. I remember getting into the car and me and my mate was at the back and our dad's in the front. And I have to admit, I'd there was one I remember this one question I say to, my dad. And it's my mate said that literally just jumped in and answered it. I was like, I thought the ship's gonna crash on the planet because I'd seen the trailer for generations on the TV.

MJ: 14:51

And I felt that's what it was gonna happen. They're like, no. No. No. That happened before.

MJ: 14:54

And I was like, what is another more to this. Like, my dad was like, yeah. What what are you calling from? And me and my mate sat in the back of the car just talking about what parts you love and everything. And both of us say, like, our favorite scene and I love it is the scene where Picard smashes up the case of the enterprises and the glass and the observation round and then makes the decision that, you know, actually, I've got to give up and I've got a set of ships, you know, or structure to go off.

MJ: 15:22

I love that bit and everything. And then from there, which kind of carried on my school. Oh, my God. It's really quite cool. Yeah.

MJ: 15:31

And that night, we were back at mine, after school, and Voyager was on.

Aaron: 15:38

Okay. Even better.

MJ: 15:40

Invest. And we sat down. We watched an episode of Voyager. It was one of the early ones. And I just absolutely fell in love with Voyager.

MJ: 15:48

And that's why if you've seen them on writing on Bravo, The Odyssey particularly is set in the Delta Quadrant because I grew up with Voyager. That was my first kind of the TV series introduction into it. And then kind of that kind of build on. And if from there, me, my mate were absolutely engrossed with Voyager and DS9. And then obviously, TNG was on repeats and things like that.

MJ: 16:10

And then it came kind of like, a tradition. The next kind of Trek films to come out, we went with our dads to the cinema. So we went and saw insurrection together and we were kind of

Aaron: 16:21

like,

MJ: 16:22

oh, that's alright.

Aaron: 16:24

Yes. For those of you listening at home, insurrection is one of the more polarizing.

MJ: 16:28

Yeah. Definitely.

Aaron: 16:29

It there's there's a couple, and it's unfortunate that both and I think Nemesis was next. Yep. Neither of those and Nemesis is the work Nemesis was the worst was the harder one to love. Instruction was different because it did like, it told a Star Trek story, but it just was like

MJ: 16:46

Yeah. Really? Yeah. But, you know, for me at that time, when it all came out, I was like, oh my god. It's amazing.

MJ: 16:51

Yeah. But yeah. So for me, like, that was kind of my into kind of Star Trek. And from there, it was nice that actually, it grew within both of our families. And in a sense that my mate's younger brother, he got into Star Trek and he was laughing.

MJ: 17:08

And we ended up going. We didn't have any conventions over here in the UK.

Aaron: 17:12

Right.

MJ: 17:13

But we had, like, kind of like, I don't know how to put it, like, exhibits and things like that. My dad was working up at the National Science Museum. Okay. And they had a star trek exhibit up there. And it was amazing.

MJ: 17:28

So he was, like, he was like, fanning that. He was like, you guys gotta come up and see this. They had the cards, captain's staff and the enterprise d there, the different models, the different things. So for which was amazing. We had such a great day up there and obviously get to see behind the scenes stuff, things like that.

Aaron: 17:45

Yeah.

MJ: 17:46

And then anytime anything like that happened over here, you know, both families would go out and we would do it. And it can you know, even the mom's got involved. I got mine by my mate's mom. They had a thing for doctor on DS 9. And, you know, it's like, like, Queens were these teenagers.

Aaron: 18:01

Of course. She

MJ: 18:02

did. Of course. Your mom's talking about that. It was just, but then obviously, later on in Voyager, we kinda got a bit, you know, as a teenage boy, 7 or 9 turns out.

Aaron: 18:11

Right. Oh, yeah. No. Oh my god. Yeah.

Aaron: 18:13

UPN definitely knew what they were doing.

MJ: 18:15

Oh, good job.

Aaron: 18:16

There was no there was no subtlety. No pretense. It was like, how can we make our show better? Jerry Ryan, here we go.

MJ: 18:22

Yeah. So, yeah. So and obviously then, you know, also, we got Itau, you know, when DS9 finished and Voyager. And then, obviously, once Enterprise,

Aaron: 18:32

came out, Another another another, like, litmus test for a Star Trek fan.

MJ: 18:38

It's re it's one of those ones I I was gonna say it's one of those ones that you that you love what you hate. Yeah. And and for me, I was kinda like, wasn't too sure of the whole thing. And there was just so many things at the time.

Aaron: 18:49

Yeah.

MJ: 18:50

I think people just the class of the ship and the Kiera class, things like that. But again, I enjoyed I enjoyed that. And I think from there, it's just kind of it stuck with me and then kind of enjoying, like, even, the films come out, then myself come and dad myself. Even my son now, he's into it. And it's brilliant.

MJ: 19:14

It's been nice. And it's a nice thing that we've kind of shared, like, generations up thing. And I kind of introduced him through through Prodigy first. Okay. And then he said, oh, I wanna watch more and everything.

MJ: 19:25

And he's now at the age where, you know, I can actually get much lower decks. And he me and him, obviously, love watching Mobitz together. Yeah. And then he's also he wants to watch the card when it came out. So it's like, yeah.

MJ: 19:36

No worries. We'll do that and everything, and, you know, Discovery as well. And then, you know, we did a whole thing, during lockdown, actually, where we started watching all the Star Trek films. Okay. And I did actually the first one he watched was First Contact.

Aaron: 19:52

That's awesome. Because

MJ: 19:53

I love that. If I have to do it Yeah. Like, my dad did this, mate. I will do everything as well. And he

Aaron: 19:57

Yeah.

MJ: 19:57

Oh, don't go. He's saying it to me. And I can see he's like, oh, dad. What the hell was that? It's okay, mate.

MJ: 20:03

Don't worry. It's it's

Aaron: 20:04

Don't worry. It'll all make sense in the end.

MJ: 20:05

Exactly. Yeah. So, yeah, he's got into it now and, kind of like he he he thinks it's sent me call and, like, you know, when he keeps saying, oh, I wanna play startup online. And I was just like, yeah. No.

MJ: 20:17

Yeah. You know, you could use a credit card that night.

Aaron: 20:21

Right. Yeah. It's just because it's there's money to be made at Star Trek Online. Well, I think it's interesting. So you mentioned so there's been a couple of documentaries that have come out, about Star Trek fans over the years.

Aaron: 20:31

Yeah. 1, a couple others. And what is a consistent kind of thread is is that a lot of times it is in to to you in evidence of your experience, it's a family kind of thing where, you know, the dad's watching it and the kids like, oh, that's kind of interesting. Like, let me, you know, what was going on? And then it just becomes this whole it's it's a weird thing because Star Wars we we're gonna we're gonna slightly nudge over to Star Wars Star Wars I think before a lot of the more not so there's a lot more controversy with Star Wars movies made.

Aaron: 21:05

We're not gonna we're not gonna get into it. But I think that the the lack of stability that is within the Star Wars universe, that's it's uneven. The the beauty of Star Trek is we have a really stable catalog of shows and movies to fall back on. Yeah. And that is a beautiful thing for families because you can get your family together and watch an episode of Voyager, and you know the quality.

Aaron: 21:29

You know the writing. You know that it's it's Gene Roddenberry's vision that's gonna be on screen, and that you're gonna have some intellectual cerebral conversations eventually about, hey. What's the story they're telling here? Hey. Why did that character do that?

Aaron: 21:41

Hey. Why did Janeway like, there's a lot more I don't know. I don't know if the word is like because I'm not trying to say that it you know, Star Wars isn't intelligent, but, like, Star Trek is more of that kind of, like, you can talk with people about it.

MJ: 21:52

Yeah. It is. Yeah. I agree. I think there's I think there's diversity there, isn't it?

MJ: 21:56

Yeah. The story lines that they can explore compared to some of the other kind of, like, big sci fi series out there. Yeah. You you take things like even, strangely well. It's in fact that it's set before Kirk and kind of being discovered.

MJ: 22:11

And, again, it's recent. I think what I've enjoyed the most watching that is that as a diversity, but actually, there's 4 different characters and there could be a recurring theme throughout everything. You know what you're gonna get Yes. As well.

Aaron: 22:23

Well and I think when and that's kind of the the cool thing is is that for me again so we're both old enough, I think, to have lived through the dark times where there was no star cast.

MJ: 22:32

Yeah. Absolutely.

Aaron: 22:33

Where there was no movies. There was no shows. We were just that's and I think part and, again, this is maybe a bit of a bit of, again, a hyperbole painting with a brush in excess in excess. But those dark times, I think, is where a lot of what we talk about when we talk about, like, RPGs and Star Trek writing and Star Trek fan clubs, where that exploded and became a huge place for Star Trek fans to hang out in. Yeah.

Aaron: 22:57

And for them to find kind of that, like, comforting, hey, we don't have anything currently that we're able to watch or engage with. Hey. There's people out there who love Star Trek and are writing it and creating and doing things with it. Hey. I wanna be a part of that.

Aaron: 23:10

I and that. So the p b the play by email world, how and how that's been shaped and and kind of fallen and risen and and kind of I don't know where it's at right now, but that a lot of that exploded during that kind of the desert of of Star Trek content.

MJ: 23:24

I think you're right.

Aaron: 23:25

And now we've got more. We've got stranger roles. We've got project. We've got discovery. We've got all this stuff going on.

Aaron: 23:31

And it's but it's really interesting because even on Bravo fleet, we're still seeing people come in. So and I think that's another side of it is, oh my gosh. Star Trek is alive. Oh, there's clubs that are doing stuff. I'm gonna go check that out.

Aaron: 23:43

I'm gonna be a part of this. And so the fact that we've been around since 97, and we've had a lot of history, and we've had we have a lot of cool things that have been going on the last couple years. They think that's driving a lot of folks to come back into the world of Star Trek fandom and Star Trek fan comes because they now know that, hey, there's a place where I can engage in this conversation, and kinda go from there. So it's I don't know. It's it's a weird it's weird having come from from my time when I was watching next generation with Relics and Yeswit Enterprise.

Aaron: 24:10

And now it's it's there there there's so much more stuff happening. And whether or not Terry Matalas gives us, you know, legacy, which is probably not gonna happen. But we're just gonna yeah. Just I keep him I know I know there's a lot of talk about it. Like, oh, like, maybe.

Aaron: 24:24

And it's like, no. You're just no. We all know this is that and it's it's a paramount decision, and we know that Paramount's decisions have him historically interesting in how they choose to what what shows they choose to do anyway. So so here's there's a couple of one off questions. And I think I I'm very I'm curious because you you talk a lot about the your exposure to Star Trek started with First Contact, and then you kinda caught up and caught up from there.

Aaron: 24:50

What which of the shows and this is a hard one because Trek fans love their shows.

MJ: 24:54

Yeah.

Aaron: 24:54

Which of the shows is your ride or die? Like, if if someone says, look. We're either gonna throw you out the airlock or you have to answer the question. Like, what's your show and why?

MJ: 25:03

It will be Voyager because it was my Okay.

Aaron: 25:05

It

MJ: 25:05

was my first love. But more than anything, I think kinda kinda like I really did enjoy just the I think it was the the kind of the the exploration side of things and the fact that there was out in the middle of nowhere. Don't get me wrong. You're like, you when you look at some of things, think, oh my god. You know?

MJ: 25:23

That well, that really would have happened. And, you know, you think, you know, the ship could be a bit more damaged as they got home type of thing and

Aaron: 25:28

Yeah.

MJ: 25:28

Things like that. But, yeah, for me, it would be it would be Voyager.

Aaron: 25:33

Well, I think her Voyager is it's almost I just just it was in my head. It's almost like a reinvention of of the original series. Because in the original series, the the the enterprise was on that 5 year mission, and there was a lot of unknowns. They were they were running into Romulans for the first time in in 100 of years, and there was so much unknown out there, the undiscovered country. And with Voyager, it was like, okay.

Aaron: 25:53

We're not gonna have an established little federation world. We're we're throwing them out in the deep end. And then I think to your point is, that's where the power of that show comes into play because now it's now it's on the characters and how are they gonna survive and how are they gonna find their way home? And why that show, I think, lasted for long as it did is because people people were the the vision of Gene Roddenberry was the great unknown, the great, you know, the the great exploration of of the worlds beyond our own, and Voyager really ran with it. And of all the shows, I think, in my opinion and my opinion matters a little, but it it it's it's my opinion, and that's how I feel about it, is Voyager ended the best.

MJ: 26:33

It did. Yeah. And I think for me as well, there was a nice balance in kind of the stories that were told between the characters, with action, with the science, technobabble, and, you know, even things like the city things like, you know, the romances and the comedy. And for me, the comedy, I absolutely loved. And one of my, one of my moments as a teenager growing up is, actually, I've got to meet Robert Picardo.

Aaron: 26:59

Oh, I'm a little jealous.

MJ: 27:00

And, he was over here in the UK, and I live near to one of the biggest shopping centers in the in the UK, actually, and it's huge. And, they had them me and my mate used to go all the time. They had one of these shops where you can you can buy all the, autographs of all, you know, famous stars and things like that. And he came along, and we queued up, for an hour. And we was about the front when he when he was there.

MJ: 27:26

And I had a picture taken with him. He's such

Aaron: 27:28

a

MJ: 27:28

cool, cool guy. And for me Yeah. I actually then seen him in Voyager, like, kind of the next week. He was like, that's so surreal. Like, that's a doctor.

MJ: 27:35

He's a real guy, and he was so cool and such a nice guy. And and even I remember when we when he came into the shop and where he was queuing up, essentially, down straight away, he went along down the queue and just greeted everybody. Hi. Hi. Hi.

MJ: 27:49

How are you doing? Thanks so much for coming out and everything. Yeah. Oh my god. I can't believe you're here.

MJ: 27:52

This is this is immense. I I just remember being such a, you know, humble person. Right. And so his kind of comical side, I absolutely loved. I mean, the moment in, actually, this is me kinda geeking out here when he becomes the emergency command hologram from that episode, it just packs it packs up every time.

MJ: 28:12

Like, you know, just I just love that. I just I absolutely love that part. So yeah. I think

Aaron: 28:17

I think to your point, like and I've I've I talk about this so much, and I probably should stop at some point and let the story breathe for a little bit. But I got to re I got to meet Jonathan Frakes out of Star Trek at a at a fan at a fan comfort. And it was it was like it's exactly what you said. Like and I feel this is an I feel statement. It's not based in fact or studies or scientific anything.

Aaron: 28:36

Yeah. But I feel like a majority of star trek actors are are people who genuinely care about the property. They genuinely care about the story. They genuinely carry care and carry on the the the Gene Roddenberry vision. I don't know if you've ever watched it, but there's the the documentary on Deep Space 9, what we leave behind.

MJ: 28:57

Yeah. I have. Yeah.

Aaron: 28:59

And watching that show and watching that and if you're out there, you've not seen it. I believe it's on Netflix. I think it's for free or you can rent it. But listening to each of those characters, you know, Nana Visitor, all those guys talk about what what that show meant to them and then how important it was at the time and and just what they were doing. And there's just this this you can't you can't, like, measure it with a millet with a beaker, but you can look and listen and go.

Aaron: 29:24

They do care about this property. Do you care about the show? They care that Star Trek has a story to tell, and they so they get excited to tell that story. And the same with Robert Picardo and even, like, Jonathan Frakes. Dude's been in Star Trek for a long time.

Aaron: 29:39

He's directed. He's written. He's done he's done it all. Mhmm. And I got to sit with him for, like, what I felt like was time in.

Aaron: 29:44

It was probably just 5, but it was just like talking with a fellow star Trek fan. It wasn't Jonathan Frakes, you know, star Trek megastar. It was Jonathan Frakes who has an investment and a love and a genuine care for Star Trek and what Star Trek means to him, but not just to him, but to Riker and the rest of the world. And I just I walked away from that going, I'll never leave Star Trek. Like, there are people who genuinely have a drive to make this.

Aaron: 30:11

I just I just it it blows my mind every time I reflect on that. I go, this is a guy who could have just been like, okay. Here's your autograph. Nice to meet you. Your name.

Aaron: 30:19

Okay. See you later. Bye. Yeah. He said, no.

Aaron: 30:21

What's what's your story? What's going on? How what what and I was like, mister Frakes, you don't understand. And he's like, I do. And I was like, I know, but you don't understand my like, you don't understand my thing.

Aaron: 30:29

I love Star Trek. It was just like I I say this all the time, and I've I've come to realize this. I always come back to Star Trek.

MJ: 30:36

Yeah.

Aaron: 30:37

You you can tempt me with doctor to doctor who. You can tempt me with any kind of, you know, sci fi, whatever, but I will never ever, ever, ever, ever walk away from Star Trek because I come back to those ideals and the characters in the stories. And speaking of characters, I'm probably this might be the answer we have. We'll see if you just answered it. What is your favorite character above with with all Star Trek?

MJ: 30:59

Right. Do you know what? This is a really tough one for me because I've got so many. I absolutely do.

Aaron: 31:03

We'll we'll we'll we'll bend the rules when we say top 3 if you have to. If you gotta if you gotta pick your 3 No.

MJ: 31:07

As you know, I'm gonna do top 1. No. Top 2. I'll do top 2. Top 2.

Aaron: 31:11

Okay. We'll do top 2. We'll we'll negotiate.

MJ: 31:13

The the doctor will be definitely. Because not just me. In fact, I've got to meet, you know, Robert Gardo. I just I just I do love his performance, and the kind of his character as well. The fact that when he's if you look back at when he started in season 1, he's very much, I don't know, almost quite flat as a character Yeah.

MJ: 31:31

And how far he comes across. I just love that that journey. Absolute journey. And then my number one, is Catherine Janeway. It's Catherine Janeway.

Aaron: 31:41

Okay.

MJ: 31:42

I learned because of the fact that she was just so badass. That's the best I can describe it. You know, the fact that actually how much she kind of kept herself together, kept to her principles and kinda and I admire that a lot. And even Kate Mulgrew as a as a as an actress as well. Yeah.

MJ: 32:02

I think I think she's I think she's really impressive. And, actually, as an author, her I don't know if you've ever had a chance to read any of her, the autobiography that she's done and things like that. Her most recent one, particularly around her parents and everything.

Aaron: 32:16

Yeah.

MJ: 32:16

My mom went through quite a bad time when, well, at least the loss of my grandparents and everything can kind of assume a journey. And my mom absolutely loves reading. And, actually, when I heard about her, Kate Mogul's, book about that, I actually bought it from my mom, and my mom absolutely loved it and related it so much. And I think those that that kind of character, that kind of that character that Jamie takes on, but being, like, command and actually quite a motherly character. Yeah.

MJ: 32:42

We I don't think we ever truly saw that in the previous, kind of captions. Like, you know, the car was very distant at the beginning, wasn't he? And it took time for him to kind of build up that family. You know, Cisco was already kind of a dad.

Aaron: 32:57

Yeah.

MJ: 32:57

And I do relate to him as well, actually, Cisco as well. And I think so being a a dad as well and kind of seeing his son grow up and, you know, kind of once you follow him for Cisco, actually, you know, giving them that space to go and do do what you wanna do. But, yeah, Jane away from me would be the top one just because, you know, she's just stuck to guns and, you know, she took on the ball queen and, you know Yep. Killed her a few times and things like that.

Aaron: 33:19

I just

MJ: 33:19

I don't know. I just think to me, she's you know, again, she was the I know she wasn't the official first female captain, but, you know, the sense of leading a a serious thing like that. I just that just impresses me. It really does impress me.

Aaron: 33:30

Well, and I think she her character's complex.

MJ: 33:33

Yeah.

Aaron: 33:33

She's not she's not flat. She well, so I you've you've probably watched this, but there was a previous Janeway before we got Kate Mulgrew. And if you've ever and and if you're if you're listening, you should best definitely hit the pause button. Go to YouTube and do, you know, Kate Mulgrew versus whoever for Star Trek, you know, Voyager captain. And she the the woman that she originally read for it was a classic, like, Broadway actor, actress, and she had done she was very much, like, almost the Academy Award kind of level of of of gravitas to the role.

Aaron: 34:03

And so she they they made it, like, I think, 2 days with her, and they just let then she realized and the producers realized this is not a good fit. This is you are not you are not ready for, like, television hours that it's gonna take to make this program. And they do there's a video out there where you can watch the 2, and you can watch her portrayal portrayal, and you can watch Kate Mulgrew's portrayal. And it is like, there's no question who owns that role and who could have

MJ: 34:30

brought

Aaron: 34:30

the depth to it. Because and it's interesting, like, when you evaluate, like, an actor, like a Jean Luc Picard. You know? Like, Patrick Stewart is that guy. Like, he is

MJ: 34:39

Oh, he's not a question. Yeah.

Aaron: 34:41

He's the man. Yeah. But he also had played he'd played roles in Shakespeare. He he was in the original Dune.

MJ: 34:46

Yeah.

Aaron: 34:46

Like, you know, he's been around for a bit and the same thing with Robert Picardo. Robert Picardo has a science fiction science fiction background that has that has stretched across many, many fandoms and stuff. And just it's interesting that all of them had their own major, you know, stuff that they've done. But Star Trek and this is a very large painting with a large brush again. I do that a lot.

Aaron: 35:08

I just don't wanna be very mindful. So people don't be like, oh, how dare you say that about Kate Mulgrew? I'm just just just let it let me let me let me say my thing and then then you can yell at me later. Or, you know, write an angry email or something is that they have they really settled into who they were. And, yeah, Kate was in Orange is the New Black and all these other like, they've gone on to bigger and better things.

Aaron: 35:28

But when you look at what really put them in the consciousness of a lot of people, a lot of viewers is Kate Mulgrew is Janeway in Star Trek. Like, she came back, and she's played in prodigy. She's done different kinds of things. And so there's always I mean, every single Star Trek actor from a lot of the shows, they always seem to come back to Star Trek eventually in some way, be it a director or writer or whatever. So I yeah.

Aaron: 35:52

I I agree. I think Janeway, I love watching Voyager. I mean, I'm both watching Voyager for all the other characters. Yeah. But when she's on screen, I'm like, oh, baby.

Aaron: 36:01

Here we go.

MJ: 36:02

Let's see

Aaron: 36:02

what Janeway's got.

MJ: 36:03

I would say my favorite one of my favorite scenes with her is and this is my favorite episode of Voyager and episodes of all Star Trekking is Year of Hell. I absolutely love that 2 parter, and it's that bit. Then she's sat in the bridge, and there's no one else. She sent all everybody off. Know, the crew's abandoned ship, and this is the last bit.

MJ: 36:21

They're gonna go save Thomas Chikote, and they're gonna defeat Alex. Absolutely love that storyline. And she sits there after saying farewell to Turok, and she's just by herself. And just the way even just she just sits there. She's she's she's still got that commanding presence.

MJ: 36:36

Even though everything around her has fallen apart, she's still determined I'm gonna do this, and we're gonna get home eventually. Yeah. And then that last week, she just rammed the ship inside. I mean, don't get run. The action, I was like, yeah.

MJ: 36:46

Rammie.

Aaron: 36:49

Yeah. Wait for president. Bring it on. Let's do it. Yeah.

MJ: 36:51

Yeah. But yeah. No. So, yeah, I would say it anyway without the Well,

Aaron: 36:55

that was gonna be my next question. My next question was gonna be what is your favorite episode and why? Yeah.

MJ: 36:59

Hell, absolutely.

Aaron: 36:59

I mean, you've you've and you've answered that question really about it. So here's the last kind of Star Trek ish question.

MJ: 37:06

Sure.

Aaron: 37:06

And we may have answered this, and you may wanna expand a little bit. But what is it about Star Trek that, like, when you step back and you look at that at how much time you spent in Star Trek, both, like, through shows, through Bravo fleet, through everything, what is it about Star Trek that just resonates, that you can't shake?

MJ: 37:27

I think as as you mentioned, kind of Genevodenbrand's vision of kind of this future where things should be better, where things can be better and the best of humanity does survive and takes things to the next level. I think for me, that's so inspirational

Aaron: 37:48

and I

MJ: 37:48

think very aspirational to have as well. In fact, that I feel that world is, you know, is such a strong vision and a dream that you had. And the fact that that's just carried on for so long through so many generations, I think that impresses me so much. And the fact that in his I I deal well, you know, doesn't matter who you are, what background you come from. I think when you compare that to other sci fi shows and other things out there, there's not many of them that have a strong kind of those core values that continue throughout.

MJ: 38:22

And even though the different shows and series and films can bend it and twist it and turn it around, it always comes back to those things. And I think that's what impresses me the most. And for me, I think that's what kind of draws me back into it because there is that kind of fantasy that, you know, you just kind of feel that one day we would be like that as as a as a race, as a, you know, as humanity itself. And it too, you know, even as parent is what you'd hope. You know, you want that for your children.

MJ: 38:55

And I would hope that from my son when he grows up. You know, that's why I draw them back every time.

Aaron: 39:00

I think you're right. I think there's, you know, and it's again, I I'm not trying to start a war with the start Star Wars community that's not here. That's that's we're not we're not we're not here to do that. Trek. You're all idiots.

MJ: 39:21

We're, you

Aaron: 39:21

know, taking run. Yeah. We're joking. We're kidding. We're being

MJ: 39:23

sarcastic. Absolutely.

Aaron: 39:24

But, like, I think it's Gene Roddenberry was so unique in that vision for what the future could be. And if you watch a lot of those original, you know, original series

MJ: 39:36

Yeah.

Aaron: 39:37

There's a lot of heavy stuff that he that they that they threw in there.

MJ: 39:40

Isn't it?

Aaron: 39:40

A lot

MJ: 39:40

of politics in there, you know, around the

Aaron: 39:42

cold war. There's a lot of stuff that you're just like, woah. I guess They really pushed some boundaries.

MJ: 39:47

Yeah. And even in early TNG as well when he used to sit around for that, I think, you know, there's a lot there. And also it always makes me laugh as well. It's like, when when we talk about these things, particularly in Brotherfly, Kath makes me laugh and she says, there's always that kinky side to him as well. And there is because that makes me laugh.

MJ: 40:03

I I wish I absolutely but but it it makes me because because you've got the serious stuff stuff, and then it's just that kind of the innuendo that can come out of every so often. And, you know

Aaron: 40:12

Yeah. Roddenberry was he wasn't perfect. There's actually there's a documentary, about I think there's been a documentary about him and also about Leonard Nimoy. Mhmm. But the documentary about Roddenberry, it's it's equal parts, like, amazing and brilliant.

Aaron: 40:26

I think it's his son who did it and talked about his father and the legacy, but his father wasn't perfect when it came to relationships. And so there is that element of, like, oh, man. But he did he did care to put he like, they dared to tell some stories. And, like, what you said with even with TNG, they dared to put some real like, I and I wouldn't even say dare. They risked.

Aaron: 40:48

They decided, okay. We're gonna try and tell the story. We're taking a risk. And it's interesting how and and you could this this may be a little bit too much of prognostication. But if you if we have the next generation that was starting in 2023, 2024, I don't know if they could have done the things they did with the show given the the the amount of social media and and and and people who are just ready to to jump on shows for what they may perceive as, oh, that's not the that's not that's a bad story, or what are you what are you doing with my show?

Aaron: 41:19

You know, stuff like that. I wonder if those risks that were taken in TOS and TNG, if those wouldn't have been possible in a in a later generation or a later time because people would have been like, oh, I don't know if I'm I don't I don't know if we can do that. I don't know if we can take that risk to tell that story to push the boundaries of conversation about this modern or current issue that the world is struggling with, and we're gonna tell it through, you know, morality play based in space, but it's still very much about what we deal with here in our modern age. I don't I don't know if that I don't know if it I mean, obviously, Strange New Worlds discovery and all those shows are are doing okay. But you think about the story lines that they dared to tell with with TOS and TNG and even a little with Blake d s 9 and Voyager.

MJ: 42:00

Yeah.

Aaron: 42:00

Like, some of that stuff was like, well, alright. Let's let's get into it. Let's do it. But that was also before you could get on Twitter and yell and shout in the void and tell people that they were wrong.

MJ: 42:09

I think so. I think I think I think even now, I think they're still, like, you look at things like discovery.

Aaron: 42:14

Mhmm.

MJ: 42:14

I kinda think how they've kind of, I wouldn't say push the boundary. I think my opinion is it's it's saying that we've had so much social change in our world and all for the right reasons and good reasons. And they're showing, actually, this continues and there is continuation of that and actually build upon those characters that, you know, perhaps they couldn't have completely shown in, you know, the original series, TNG era type of thing, but kind of build on the type of things that you said that, you know, back in, you know, the time when it was, you know, TNG, DS9, Voyager, that they Yeah. Wanted to push out and try and do more of. So I think that's another thing that comes with Star Trek is that, actually, it it does do that.

MJ: 42:57

It does push every so often.

Aaron: 42:59

Yeah.

MJ: 42:59

And it does, you know, say, you know, stop thing. Look. It shines a light on either that issue or this issue. Mhmm. Yep.

MJ: 43:06

Where I think certain other sci fi kind of series and franchises don't always get the opportunity to do that because Mhmm. They have perhaps themselves got such a huge legacy behind them. You know?

Aaron: 43:17

Yeah. You look

MJ: 43:18

at the Marvel Universe, for example, so much behind that, isn't there already? Already established. Yeah. Whereas with Star Trek, you know, I think there's more, you know, there that is fresh and, like, it it can kind of, as you said, take kind of that issue and plunk it out into it.

Aaron: 43:32

Well and and Star Trek has that history of being about issues. Like, it's not like all of a sudden with t and g, they started doing this crazy thing where they were telling morality plays in space. No. It started episode 1, Star Trek original series. Like, man, we were we were going at it.

Aaron: 43:46

And so that I think the brilliance of having that as a start and doing it in some ways, it was gentle. In other ways, it was more assertive when the storytelling. But the the Star Trek legacy is in confronting something about us or something about the Klingons or the Romulans or the Wilkins or whoever. And through confronting that, we're able to confront it, safely through a storytelling mechanism versus, you know, having to face it head on here, it allows us to sit back and go, okay. I might not agree with that, but that's a very interesting story, and I need to think more on that and decide where I where I sit or stand.

Aaron: 44:23

And that is the part of Star Trek I have appreciated because I'm like, I don't

MJ: 44:26

Absolutely.

Aaron: 44:27

They're not telling me what I have to do or what to believe. They're saying, hey. Here's a story about a thing that happened on this planet with this other thing and this thing, and now you gotta figure out what you feel. And if you feel this way or that way, it's understandable because we're telling a story that is is gonna require multiple paradigm shifts and multiple perspectives to examine the issue. You know, it's an 8 sided cube versus just a, you know, a box where it's just like, okay.

Aaron: 44:49

Well, there's 4 sizes of this issue, and that's it. And it's like, no. Star Trek has always played a more complicated game of good and evil in the world. And that's there are there are there are places for that story to be told Star Wars. And so again, I'm just being kidding.

Aaron: 45:13

Please don't cover me. But like that's what like when I when I go to a Star Wars movie, especially like a new hope and all those like those first 3, well, I'm sorry, 4, 5, and 6. They those that is the good versus evil. This is a Darth Vader versus, you know, Luke Skywalker and the epic battle of good versus evil in the dark side of the force and the dark side light light side of the force and the back and forth, and I'm like, oh, I wanna see that. That's a it's incredible.

Aaron: 45:36

In Star Trek, there is more. It's it's it's nuanced. It's it's subtle, and it's unique and complex. So, anyway, that's what I love about that. Definitely.

Aaron: 45:44

Okay. Last question of, the, interview here, I think, and this is one that I'm very curious to hear everyone's response as we go through different folks. Do you believe that there are aliens out there and why?

MJ: 45:59

I would hope so because I just feel like if we're the only kind of sentient beings, if that's the way to call us,

Aaron: 46:06

then it'd

MJ: 46:07

be a really boring place, wouldn't it? I mean, don't get me wrong. I would love to be able to go and explore the wider space and things like that, just like to do with Star Trek. But, I I I've gotta believe that we're not the only intelligent being out there that could take a further step. I would hope that Yeah.

MJ: 46:24

As vast as our universe is, that there is

Aaron: 46:26

Yeah. Somewhere outside. There's still somebody out there somewhere.

MJ: 46:29

Definitely.

Aaron: 46:29

And a follow-up question to that is, what if you had the chance to meet a species from Star Trek that you could meet in real life as we reach for the stars and beyond, which of those species would be the one you would want?

MJ: 46:40

Right. Do you know what? I would say there's 3. I can't I can't pick between those.

Aaron: 46:45

That's okay. You're you're allowed to bend the rules. You're you're on the senior staff. You can do what you want.

MJ: 46:50

I would say that's that's 2 that really do fascinate me, is are are the the the because of their their culture, their history, their religion, and how do you know what? That's one thing with DS9 that I really enjoyed, was that religion versus science debate and that kind of thing. And that really fascinated me, how deep their beliefs and faith and how they could work that with what they were doing. The next one is the beta zoids because I just think it's so cool that they the any of the top half of species, but particularly beta zeros, I suppose, you know, Deanna try and the comedy side with Lux Wallachoy, but kind of the whole thing where, you know, reading somebody else's mind, reading how they're feeling, I would love to be able to know how that is like. But, I thought it's controversial when I say the de novials.

MJ: 47:42

I would love to see them because out of all the star trek species that we we make, I kinda think that the Danobians are kind of that next level of evolution for humanity because they go through their own wars. They're very curious about the universe because we see a lot of them doing things like science Yeah. In enterprise, But also kind of that optimism and that love of family community, I admire a lot. And I kinda like that, even though I'm not saying that, you know, I wanna marry those people and things like

Aaron: 48:15

that. Right.

MJ: 48:17

I'm just like kind of their family values. I suppose everyone's close and they won't get to know each other, you know, well, it's a thing. So I suppose, yeah, those kinds of 3, I would, if it was to happen now, I would love to have to meet those those 3 particularly. I think that'd be fantastic.

Aaron: 48:31

Well, I think I think the the character of doctor Flox as the as the Danublian that we got to see was definitely well done. Like that portrayal

MJ: 48:39

Yes.

Aaron: 48:39

It it was just this innocence and this this but also this confidence. And so it's like like we talked about earlier. Like Star Trek, it's it's it's simple, but it's also incredibly complex. And there's so much between the shows, the movies, the books, everything in in. I mean, the canon stretches from alpha to beta to whatever, And it's fascinating to see the stories that have been told, the characters that have been created, the species have been created, to reflect, both ourselves because you look at a lot of the aliens in Star Trek, and each of them from Klingons to Romulans to Vulcans, they speak to us as humans and that we struggle with emotion.

Aaron: 49:18

We struggle with the want to fight and be warriors. We want we struggle with pride. We struggle with shame. We struggle with all these things, and what we get what we get is those stories resonate with us because those alien species in in in some and sometimes small or even larger ways or ways that we don't think we find in them our identity and we go, man, I I understand war struggle with his house and his family. And I understand Deanna Trois struggle with her mother who is absolutely crazy with, like, love and was just I I love my my Jill Barrett's Absolutely.

Aaron: 49:52

Yeah. But it's but that's the power of it.

MJ: 49:56

That that's it. And as I said, that's for me, as I mentioned, Star Trek, I love the fact that you could have those themes in the science fiction genre. More than anything, when in track, you know, the comedy side is the love side alongside the technobubble. And

Aaron: 50:11

Absolutely.

MJ: 50:12

I think that's what, as I said, that makes my special. So, yeah, so I would say, yeah, those 3 definitely. And the fact that they so many look at, as you said, starter experiences and racism and anything and aliens that come across, they are they are a reflection of us as humans. And Yeah. A different as you said, whether it's values, principles, or beliefs or even history as well.

MJ: 50:30

Yeah. That's what makes them so rich.

Aaron: 50:32

Well, I think so to kinda finish out this conversation, what as as as a writer in in in Bravo, what I've come to write and what I've come to understand when I write characters and their encounters with alien species and whatever stuff like that is is that kind of what you were alluding to is is that as different as we are from a the aliens in the shows and the movies, we're you know, your shared experience is like, we share this massive consciousness with the I don't know how to I don't know how to explain it without going really, like, almost like I don't even know what I don't even know what the word is for it, but, like, we all we all the characters and the aliens and the species, they have a shared experience.

MJ: 51:12

We've

Aaron: 51:12

all we've all felt what they felt. We've all been where they've been. You know? Even in the board, like, we get we're like, we just wanna be a part we just don't wanna have to worry. We just wanna go along and be a robot and not have to deal with the drama.

Aaron: 51:24

We just, you know, be part of the collective and just get out of this world and be done with being an adult or whatever. You know, we've all and it's weird because it's fun when you start to go down the list of meetings to go. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.

Aaron: 51:34

Oh my gosh. And that's, I think, the power of it. Okay. So is there is there one what's the what's the closing what's what's the closing comment or the closing thought from MJ about Star Trek, Bravo fleet? I don't even you know, you're this the last word.

Aaron: 51:52

We'll call this the last word for our for our for future episodes because, again, you're you've been our experimental Frankenstein, and we appreciate you, not rising from the table and strangling us as the creator. Because that would be unfortunate. It would be a very, very short lived podcast. It would be. Yeah.

Aaron: 52:10

All it would be is, like, Frankenstein monster just yelling into the mic all the time. So what is the, I guess, the last word from MJ?

MJ: 52:17

I think I would say, to all of our members, I think, you know, where we've come from as a as a club, as a community, and where we're going is so incredible. And it's one of those things I know when you talk to other members and you get a chance to speak to them and take time with them, just having this nice little bit of escapism and getting away from things can make such a big difference to yourself as a person, I think.

Aaron: 52:43

Yeah.

MJ: 52:44

You know, we all live busy lives. We all have jobs, families, and things like that. And I just think for us, having that little kind of place where we can go to and we can be who we wanna be, in the sense of enjoying something that is so enriched and so inviting to so many people, I think it's amazing. And I just I just love the fact that, as a community, that we we all come from all different parts of the world. And you look at even just the makeup of those in kind of the leadership side of in the management of it all, you know, we all come with a different point of view.

MJ: 53:19

We all come with some experience. I think that's what makes it so appealing, and that's what makes Trek so appealing. It's about that. You know, we all come from different backgrounds and have our own different stories, and we all wanna share our own story as well. So I absolutely love that.

MJ: 53:35

And I've absolutely loved doing the work I've been doing, for the last few years. And, I can't make I think this year is gonna be a good year for us. And and what we just now shared at the beginning of the year is kind of the the road map. Everybody because what I I have to say, I can't tell you everything that I obviously I know of what's been behind behind the scenes. But How

Aaron: 53:57

much money is it gonna take?

MJ: 54:00

I can tell you now, like, particularly what fleet assets is gonna be. I'm seriously, I am buzzing for this. It's gonna be such a great new system. And it's gonna be I as somebody who I love writing, and I love doing that. It's gonna change a lot of things.

MJ: 54:20

And I think people are gonna absolutely enjoy it so much. And I I hope everyone takes, an opportunity to explore it, to have a go at it, and to just keep being involved because there is so much fun from our competitions to Yeah. Even this weekend. I mean, we've had our first, you know, a lot of new things going on with Stash Online with the, with the security department. You know, Starbucks doing a great job with that.

MJ: 54:47

Even today as well, which had, you know, first, start of adventures, you know, tabletop going on.

Aaron: 54:54

And I I listened into it. I listened Was

MJ: 54:56

it good? I missed it. I was

Aaron: 54:57

I was fine. It was it was app like, there was so much laughter, but there was so much, like, like, creativity going. Like, okay. Well, how am I gonna react? What am I gonna do?

Aaron: 55:05

How am I gonna solve this? And it was and it was a small it was a small little group that was participating. But, again, I think to your point, it's that community. And the what I what I've all what I've what was something I joined in April 2022. A lot of what I people would say either from the command standpoint or just everybody members is, you know, Bravo fleet is supposed to be fun.

Aaron: 55:24

Yeah. Like, this is it's it's not supposed to be like, oh my gosh. I have to complete an essay for this requirement. No. It's you we want you to have fun.

Aaron: 55:30

We want you to laugh. We want you to enjoy. We want you to find that joy in Star Trek that drew you to it at first and to continue to find that joy at every turn through all the various activities that we have

MJ: 55:43

Absolutely. You were in probably. That that's the great thing about our community is that there there's so much to do. Like, you know, it there's nothing that you know, somebody couldn't go and do something. Right.

MJ: 55:55

And I just love I mean, even, as I said, when I get to see so much behind the scenes and when it comes out, it's time like, last year when we spoke about, the 2 fleet actions and where things are we gonna go with that, I was buzzing behind the scenes. So I'm gonna go bring the dominion back. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

MJ: 56:15

The moment that I still still remember now. The moment when I, I had seen the episode of guitar where turns out the changes that turned up. Yeah. And the next day in our little room, and, it was, Vincent Cavan. Oh, man.

MJ: 56:30

They put the dominion back, and I was like, what? No. What are you talking about? Like, they're they're spoilers. And she's like, oh, like, months months of work.

MJ: 56:36

And we're like, no. No.

Aaron: 56:37

Sometimes we

MJ: 56:37

can we can change this around.

Aaron: 56:39

Yeah.

MJ: 56:40

It's those things and the conversations with with the team of kind of where things are going is just Yeah. When they come out, then we see everyone's reaction to, oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. It's it's a lot of fun work.

MJ: 56:51

And, you know, even getting to do things like, building those stories up or even silly things like the graphics. I absolutely love doing the graphics when they all come together. So, like, the challenge coins or the posters, things like that. I just give that little snippet of this is God's coming.

Aaron: 57:06

Yeah.

MJ: 57:06

That is so much fun. It's so and see everyone's reactions and things like that. So,

Aaron: 57:10

yeah,

MJ: 57:10

that's that's the nice thing. And, and when the reports come out, you know, as you know, writing the task report, you know, going through everybody's stuff and what they've been up to, it's a great way to kind of take time to reflect, see what how everyone's doing. And I love that. I just absolutely love the fact that we've got that. So, yeah, just keep enjoying it, guys and girls.

MJ: 57:29

I really would do that.

Aaron: 57:31

There you go. That's the last word from MJ, and that is that is as far as we've got on this interview. We we talked for 50 minutes. So this is this will be a good deep dive for folks to listen to out there. If you're if you're still listening, please keep listening with us as we continue through our process of this episode and future episodes where we bring in, members from command.

Aaron: 57:51

We bring in members. We bring in Bravo, fleet senior staff for these cool conversations about what what is Star Trek to you? And and I you if you're listening to MJ, you you get that sense of this is fun. We love to do these things and to engage in it, and it should always it should always be that kind of fun experience. I'd like to thank MJ for joining us.

Aaron: 58:10

MJ, I appreciate you coming on and being the experimental Frankenstein. I think we I think we got you back off the table without too much damage. I think you'll be able to walk back out in the world with not too much, scars and or bolts in your neck, and we will look forward to possibly doing this again to talk about other aspects of of what's going down and what's coming. Absolutely.

MJ: 58:29

I'd love to do Okay. Absolutely.

Aaron: 58:30

Absolutely. Well, thank I appreciate it, and we will catch you next time on here on release station bravo. Night by Relaxzine are licensed under an attribution, non commercial, share alike 4 point o international license. You can find their music on their free music archive page at freemusicarchive.org/music slashrelaxsene.