Utah Geek Magazine #4 (Mar-Apr 2015)

Publisher & CEO Dennis Lundstrom

Executive Editor & VP Leonard Simon Nimoy, the man we knew and loved as "Spock" in the Star Trek franchise, beamed up for the last time after his 83 year visit to Earth. The iconic First Officer passed away after fighting a long term battle with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease on Friday, February 27. 2015.

Adrian Broadhead

Contributing Editor Ricky Alvarez

Contributing Writers David J. West, Deborah Moore, Carter Reid, Daniel Swenson, Nick Montelongo, Ashlee Johnson, Tom Carr, Zac Johnson, Brian Wiser

We knew him best as our logical friend Mr. Spock, but he was also a film director, singer, song-writer, poet, and photographer. His 1967 debut album, Mr. Spock Presents Music From Outer Space reached #86 on Billboard's music charts and included his hit single, "A Visit to a Sad Planet". Blending traditions of his past and his art form, Leonard used half of a hand-shape from a Jewish ceremony to create the now ubiquitous Vulcan gesture for "Live Long and Prosper”. The symbolic greeting spread, giving Star Trek fans the opportunity bless one another each time they meet.

Utah Geek Magazine may, or may not, agree with the articles, interviews, ads, or reviews herein. Copyright Utah Geek Media LLC. Reproduction without our expressed permission is prohibited.

Mourning the actor alongside his beloved character, fans have gathered in chatrooms, and on Nimoy's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They’re leaving tokens, consoling one another, and reigniting the art form of Spocking the Currency once again in Canada.

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Nimoy was a champion of women since the 1960's (insisting on fair and equal pay for co-star Nichelle Nichols), and of body size acceptance. His photographic collection The Full Body Project (2007) featured images of plus-size women laughing, dancing and staring proudly into the camera. "These women are projecting an image that is their own,” he said. “And one that also stems from their own story rather than mine." Spock's Captain, and Leonard’s long time friend, William Shatner, was seen crying at the airport just hours after hearing the news of Nimoy's passing. Shatner was unable to attend the funeral due to a prior commitment at a Florida Red Cross fundraiser. "I feel really awful,” Shatner said on his Twitter feed. "Here I am doing charity work and one of my dearest friends is being buried." Fans and tabloids dug in, labeling him "Captain Jerk" for missing the funeral, but his daughters attended in his place, and he took to Twitter to defend himself shortly after. Shatner led fans through a discussion of Leonard's life the next day. "Leonard was a gem of a man," he said, "Serious, practical, but unlike Spock very warm and loving." Thoughts echoed by Rabbi John L. Rosove, who spoke of the deep passionate love Nimoy shared with his wife, Susan Bay. "He was unflappingly honest and warm-hearted. He was humble and a gentleman...who recognized his family as his greatest treasure and gift." Leonard Nimoy was a tremendous treasure and gift. He taught us to stay calm, to trust logic, and that change is the essential process of all existence. We may not want to celebrate this change, but we can honor his memory with a traditional Vulcan funeral dirge. - Stephanie Sharp Utah Geek Magazine

On the Cover: Cover: Photo of the Baron Woolen Mills, taken by Dennis Lundstrom, Utah Geek Magazine, on July 25, 2014, a month after the fire.

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Pi Time for Fun By Deborah Moore

March has a unique holiday that is celebrated all over the globe, and our family enjoys it, too. What holiday are we celebrating? St. Patrick’s Day? Palm Sunday? Purim? Try again. We’re celebrating International Pi Day on March 14th. So why is March 14 so special? When writing out March 14 as a decimal, the number 3.14 represents the first three digits of pi. This year is especially unique because we can add in the year 2015 to make the first five digits of Pi (3.1415). And, at 9:26 AM and 53.59 seconds, we’ll hit 12 digits (3.14159265359)! Ok, I’m not a mathematician. What is pi? Pi is the mathematical constant that represents the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, so it’s used to calculate one when you only have the other. It is also an irrational number, which means that it won’t take any guff! Actually, it means that it never ends and has no pattern or repetition to the digits, even when calculated to over a trillion digits. People typically celebrate March 14 by buying pie, but not at our house. Instead, we’re going out to The Pie Pizzeria because they sell pizza pies, it’s called Pi, the pi symbol is right there on their label, and their pizza is round! Here, I’m going to share with you how you can share the love of pi with your children, by calculating the circumference of a pizza. But beware, the following activity isn’t for those parents who adamantly tell their children not to play with their food! Once you have your pizza, let your children measure the distance from one edge to the other, known as the diameter, with a tape measure. Be sure to help younger children with this so they don’t turn the tape measure into a new topping that’s unlikely to catch on. Photo: www.piday.org

Now, show them how to multiply the diameter by pi and they will have the distance around the entire pizza, known as the circumference. You can do the same thing with their plate, assuming it is round and not one of those modern square ones, which would probably be a bit less messy. If this is all a bit low tech, or messy, for you, have no worries. Bring up YouTube on your smartphone and have the kids watch “The Pie Episode: Math Bites with Danika McKellar”. McKellar is an actress, math major, and education advocate. The video will teach you and your kids a few more fun facts about pi by using a Star Trek tiein and a song with guys in tutus. Needless to say, my daughters love the video. I’m looking forward to enjoying the pizza and showing my girls how fun math is. So what about you? Go ahead and have some pizza from The Pi, or any pie that you love, on March 14 and enjoy it in the name of mathematics! What’s not to love?


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T

he feeling I got as I walked into that building was like being hit by a bolt of lightning. It was more addictive, and more thrilling than anything you could imagine. The rush I felt would become an obsession to me. The Baron Woolen Mills would become my “hunting” grounds of the paranormal for

the next eight years. I recall the first time I saw it, the mix of old and new architecture. It had a soul that could not only be seen, but felt. Regrettably, one of Brigham City’s oldest historical sites, along with one of Utah’s most paranormal, burned to the ground last year. Videos of it turning to smoke and ash can be seen online, but the feelings of those who loved it, as much as I did, can never be felt. The Baron Woolen Mills was built in the eighteen sixty’s and was the crown jewel of the city of Brigham. The small community put its faith and hopes into its foundation, only to see it burned to the ground, the first time, on its opening day.

Five years would go by before it would open again, but only to fall under government bureaucracy. It wouldn’t produce a single product until the early nineteen hundreds. That’s when a pioneer family who had come across the plains took ownership of the building and began a family business, a textile business that would last almost a hundred years. Their blankets would be owned by Presidents, Heads of State and even Kings and Queens. They kept our men at war warm, gave women jobs in sales for the first time, and employed hundreds in a time of depression. The Baron Woolen Mills was not just a place to work; it was a place for families to come together. Many would hold their first job at the mill, and retire from it many years later. This building would not only become my second home, it was like finding a long lost friend. As a Paranormal Investigator, just having the chance to walk in a building like this was an honor. Later, I would be given keys. I would become one of its caretakers, and I felt as if part of me was in this place as well.


Many people gave their time and energy to keep this great historical site alive, and not all of them were of this plane. One ghost we believed still walked the halls was the original caretaker himself. We called him Phil, and he would be the first spirit I saw in its halls. Not long after I was given keys to the Baron’s, I, and many others, were there doing yard work and general cleaning. Years of being empty had caused the property to fall into disarray. It was late afternoon, the sun was setting, and we were done cleaning. I was climbing some stairs, heading towards the front of the building, when I saw him for the first of many times. He was a little over six feet tall, had gray hair, wore an old baseball cap and dirty coveralls, and had a shovel in his hand. It was more than just a flash, or a trick of the eyes. He stood there watching me, as if not sure what to think of this other man doing the job that used to be his. I could only stop and stare at this full apparition, this ghost from another time. I would see him time and time again, as would many others, over the years to come. Phil is not the only ghost I would encounter in these spiritually filled halls.

Mary was a young woman I believed to be about sixteen, who met her untimely death by the hands of a local man. He abducted her and dragged her into her into the darkest and coldest room this factory had, and kept her there. The building was abandoned, with no one would care for it, and she spent a week in her own, personal hell. Her torment would last long after her death, though. When on ghost hunts at the mill, women who approached the area where she was held captive would find themselves turning away. Some would feel sick, others would be brought to tears and not know why. Mary’s spirit spent almost a hundred years trapped here. After his death, the man who took her life would spend his own hell here, too, keeping her stuck in fear and judgment for what he had done. I, along with others spent many nights trying to let her know it was not her fault, and that it was time for her to move on. Not all of the spirits that haunted the mill were sad; some played and sang. A young boy was seen playing down the halls. A young girl was heard singing, and

even felt, holding the hands of women who had come to the mill for ghost hunts late at night. Others are darker, trying to strike fear into those who walked though this building. I called him Lurch. He would only ever be seen as a dark shadow, and he had this twenty-year experienced ghost hunter running away from the mill one night. I never felt as though he was demonic, but he sure was evil, and he enjoyed feeding off others fear. Not far from where Mary died, a small room would be Lurch’s hole. He waited for others to come in and feed off their fear. It was as if he would wrap you in a cold, wet blanket, with no escape. The air in the room would become thick; your temper would grow the longer he seemed to cling to you. Even feelings of hate would fill your mind. I recall standing in this room losing my breath and feeling as if I was slowly drowning in my own sweat. I ran from that room and would not return for months.

a fire. The old dry wood and wool was no match, and it quickly turned into a fivealarm blaze that could be seen for miles. The mill was destroyed. I have not returned to the mill since its fatal night. The city of Brigham has not only lost its crown, but we as paranormal investigators have lost a home. Trust me when I say I could have spent the rest of my life caring for and loving this great historical site. If you had the chance to explore it with me, I am honored to have walked its halls with you. If you never had the chance, I am sorry you missed out on so much history. What will become of it now? I don’t know. There is a small part of me, though, that hopes Phil is still trying to keep it alive, that Mary has a smile on her face, that the little girl we heard singing, and who held the hands of women who visited the mill, has found some peace. But most of all, I am happy I had the chance to explore this haunted spot of Utah history.

On June 29, 2014 a young man entered the Baron Woolen Mills and started


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By Daniel Swenson

After Batman vs Superman, they will release nine more films, and then rently holds the movie launch into the Justice League universe, rights to the publisher’s starting with the 2016 Suicide Squad adaptamost recognizable hero, tion. What’s Suicide Squad? Why do you Spider-Man. So, Marvel had to go a different want to watch Suicide Squad? How does route to counter DC Comics’ The Dark Knight, Suicide Squad work with Batman, Superman, released the same year, and still considered or anything else? by many to be the greatest comic book film Batman vs Superman will likely explain the ever released. As a result, we have a Robert connection, but DC is taking a gamble that Downey Jr. film about a billionaire playboy audiences across the country will buy into with a fancy red suit as the foundation for a an entire franchise after spending a mere franchise. two hours with them. On the other hand, And let's face facts, Iron Man isn’t a nobody Marvel hedged its bets, and spent careful The plans for “Phase 3″ of their movie in the comic book universe, but he isn’t near- time on feature films for the core of its frandevelopment calls for scripts featuring a black lead character (Black Panther in 2017), ly as mainstream as some of the other Marvel chise. Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and heroes like the The Hulk, Captain America, or The Incredible Hulk were all given their own and a woman (Captain Marvel in 2018). films before The Avengers in 2012, which There are other things to note, like the fact even Daredevil. That’s exactly why he was the perfect place to start the Marvel Cinegave the audience multiple windows into Marvel plans to release three films every matic Universe. Fans could like Iron Man, and the franchise. Not big into Iron Man? Try year, and when you factor in the existing still have plenty of room for other heroes as Captain America. Like your comics with a television show Agents of SHIELD, and the upcoming Netflix series, Daredevil, you real- well. dash of sci-fi? Have a little Thor. ize that they have really decided to truly Commitment to the Marvel Universe There will always be a market for good make their mark on the future of entertainmovies Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy was segregated ment. to a fault. These were movies about Batman The inevitable worry that the comic book In contrast, DC Comics has failed in capital- and only Batman. This segregation worked genre would grow stale by the end of Marize on its success with Christopher Nolan’s for Nolan’s purpose, but left DC Comics and vel’s 2019 run is understandable. It will have brilliantly done Dark Knight trilogy, muster- Warner Bros. with absolutely nothing to build been 11 years and 21 films since Iron Man, ing just one film since the 2012 release of on. Not so with Marvel. and that might be just too much big screen Dark Knight Rises. DC will be starting its own geekdom for anyone to handle. But what With the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there offensive on the box office, but not until also must be considered is that each film 2016. I fear this is just too long of a wait for were subtle clues sprinkled throughout the Marvel has made is excellent on it’s own, films hinting at the stories to come, including fans, and ultimately it will be too late for while still fitting in to an epic series. Batman, Superman, and the rest of the Jus- examples of Captain America’s unfinished shield and Nick Fury’s query about the Some films are better than others, of tice League. Avengers Initiative. They had a plan from the course. But collectively, they have always Marvel has taken an expansive universe beginning, and has always aimed for more. been at least good, if not great, films. Ultiwith near-limitless dimensions and layers, mately, that’s the key to any franchise. Peoand has made it accessible to even the most Timing is everything ple want to watch quality entertainment, casual of viewers, including those who Since Iron Man in 2008, Marvel has reand that’s what Marvel is offering. They aren’t comic book fans. They’ve made their leased an additional nine films, and at least have compelling characters with nuanced cinematic universe financially bulletproof one every year, except 2009. By staying con- storylines, and it just so happens that their and virtually indestructible. It’s an achieve- stantly relevant, they have also built up an particular brand of entertainment also inment unlike any other in the entertainment audience that not only wants a new comic cludes superpowers, spandex, and Norse industry, and they’ve managed to do it with- book movie every year, they expect it. mythology. out the three most popular superheroes of DC Comics plans are to release Batman vs Marvel’s foundation has always been qualall-time. Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016, four ity, and it’s their quality has won over HollyNo Batman, no Superman, no Spider-Man. years after The Dark Knight Rises, and three wood execs, has continued to make them years after Man of Steel. There’s absolutely money, and has made it easier for all the The Marvel revolution started back in no continuity here – Batman won’t even be comic book fans, like myself, to once again 2008 with the launch of Iron Man starring revel in our comic book geekdom in public. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. Sony cur- played by the same person. I remember growing up loving comics, but back then it wasn’t something you really told your buddies about. With Marvel's latest movie announcements revealing another five years of comic book movies, culminating with the Avengers: Infinity War in May of 2019, the scope of their plans are completely unrivaled. However, the most impressive move that this comic book publisher made has been in its diversity.


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http://david-j-west.blogspot.com

by David J. West The story so far: Kenaz, an information broker, can step outside his own body to gather secrets. He has been blackmailed by multiple sinister parties. If he doesn’t give them what they want—a powerful artifact known as the Reliliqy—many lives besides his own will pay the price. He has less than a day to get it all together…

Chapter 4. Burning Ice and Freezing Fire Feeling like a lamb led to the slaughter, I was guided up the hundred and one steps of The Salamander’s tower. At the top we entered a circular stone room devoid of any furniture but the rectangular ensorcelled platform. “Lay down on it.” Lysandra commanded. “Please?” I said, smiling at her, but she’d have none of it. Behind these bizarre preparations, Pike, a wastrel conjurer, finished his final evocation of ice. “Black sewers of Shahor! Do I have to be this frozen?” I shot up. “Yes,” Lysandra answered sharply, forcing me back down. How did I get into this mess? Witches, that’s how. Now I need all sorts of assistance from law-challenged people such as The Salamander, Pike, and Lysandra here. I forced myself to lie across the platform as Lysandra put thick leather straps over me. If she wasn’t known for cutting things I’d probably enjoy being this close to her. Ah, the lovely Lysandra. Beautiful, tall, cut -you-like-a-dagger-for-looking-at-herwrong—Lysandra. She and her Moon Sisters, are near the top of, let’s call it ‘the redistribution ladder’. In Tolburn, where You worship what you can afford, they have made a fortune by stealing from the rich to sell to the richer. “Hold still,” said Lysandra. “I don’t need you conscious.” “Sorry, Love.”

Lysandra frowned. “Don’t you dare call me that again.” I don’t rub shoulders with Lysandra and the Moon Sisters much. We do each other favors on occasion. Presently, I’m not happy with the Witches of Vavath, and I need Lysandra’s skill to help retrieve the Reliliqy, along with the current pressing matter that requires immediate attention. “Die and Rise!” I cursed. “It’s cold!” “Relax,” Lysandra said, tightening the straps on my limbs. She put a tourniquet on my left arm just above the bicep cutting off circulation. Did I mention I’m laying upon a platform of magically crafted ice? Something awful hard to come by here in the summer month of Quong, no less. “My grandmama used to ask me ‘You know why it’s called the month of Quong? Because it’s so hot we all stink like giant apes!’.” “Have I cut the blood to your brain? You’re talking about your grandma?” asked Lysandra incredulous. Pike snorted. “Don’t know why I’m thinking of her,” I said. Good memories, not like now. A demon worm—courtesy of the Witches of Vavath—is burrowing through my arm to feed on my brain. My new employer, The Salamander, was almost as upset about the situation as me. He said Lysandra had a formula to rid me of the vile thing. Apparently, it involved torture of bindings and conjured ice. Lysandra said the tower was the most advantageous place to deal with my unwelcome guest. “Don’t you ever shut up? How can you be an information dealer if you’re always telling everyone everything?” she asked. “All right, you tell me something. You’re a thief with the Moon Sisters, how did you come by this freezing remedy for witchcraft?” I asked, trying to make her smile. She doesn’t smile. “Let’s just say some bitter people have cast hexes. Not the first


time Pike made an ice bed.” “For the Moon Sisters?” I asked, gritting through my teeth. She tightened another strap. Pike nodded behind Lysandra’s gaze, his turban dipped sideways. He caught it just in time to set aright. “Be silent and still for once, if the worm thinks you’re even a little bit alive, it won’t leave,” she snapped, before straddling me and making sure I was pressed firmly against the ice everywhere. She attached the last strap across my forehead and tightened the chest strap once more for good measure, until I could hardly breathe. “Is this my last ride?” Pike chuckled. Lysandra drew a Nybo dagger and like the old saying about looks killing . . . “I was joking.” Instinct said to raise my hands but I couldn’t move anything but my mouth at this point. “I told you to shut up!” She waved her blade dangerously close and on a whim let the edge shave a swath across my cheek. “Thanks?” She stuffed a silken rag into mouth. “For a smart man Kenaz, you’re awfully stupid. You can’t shut up to save your own life.” Pike stroked his beard and yawned. Only my eyes could move now. She looked her handiwork over. “If this works . . .” If? “. . . it will all be over in a moment. I must be swifter than eagles, stronger than lions,” she said to herself. The ice beneath me burned, searing my soul. My arm felt dead from the tourniquet and I wondered if this wasn’t a worse fate than just doing the job for the witches in the first place. Lysandra poised over me, blade at the ready. She looked beautiful and deadly as the Furies. I was momentarily in love and

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fear of her. She looked me in the eye and said, “It’s all right if you want to step-out, as you call it, the absence of your spirit might even assist in the worm deciding to leave you.” I was in that strange place I go when the pain is too much and I leave my body. I let go and stepped out. Everything is more authentic when you step out of your body and into the spiritual realm, it’s so genuine and beyond the pale shade of reality. You sense things greater than you would ever consciously think possible, you feel thoughts and know things on a level where you are in touch with the full universe, sometimes it’s too much and you can only let so much in at a time. It can be like taking a drink from a waterfall but far more quenching than I possibly have mortal words to express. You also see ghosts. I saw my grandmama, she stood watching me, somehow on a level above me. I waved hello and she waved back. Outside and above my own body I saw Lysandra ready to pounce with her Nybo blade, a knife with an edge that cuts sharper than anything else known to man. I felt her dedication and skill, her thoughts focused on but this one task and for that I only found myself more enamored of her. I could feel Pike’s deep hunger for his next cup of wine and the startling fear he held for Lysandra bidding him wait until this was done. I was even aware of the demon worm with its own completely alien thought and hunger. It bore me no animosity, it merely craved more than I was willing to give. I felt its confusion and disappointment as it began to sense the cold within my flesh and lack of blood flow. It believed its host had expired and it must now find a new one, and Lo! There was a pair of warm bodies nearby, and it would feed on either of them. Grandmama watched attentive but silent. The infernal worm pushed it’s way through my muscles and used its jaws against my skin. It did all of this in moments and I now worried about my body, lying there cold and dying, the ice and bindings trapping me in frozen claustrophobic embrace. Then I sensed another presence, one behind me, farther into the shadows. It was the same black demon form I had seen the very first time I had stepped out years ago! That horrible creation who attempted to steal my body. I had barely managed to regain myself before the demon took hold of my body! I knew that it had

been watching me for years and yet this time it seemed to stand afar off, as if simply waiting for the right time. There would be no struggle this time. Perhaps it wanted to be sure I would not die at the hands of the worm? That was unsettling, that even a body -envious demon waited to see if I would die. I looked to my spectral grandmama and she made a power ward against the Shadow. The worm writhed through my flesh on its way to escape my corpse and find a new host. Its struggle through my skin was hindered by the very ice that Lysandra used to persuade its evacuation. Pike watched with a slight raising of his bushy brows. I looked again at my ghostly grandmama and she held a garland of purple flowers. Odd, they looked like poisonous Kingsbane. Turning back to face the Shadow demon, it had vanished. “Come on out you fiend,” said Lysandra, with a growl. I glanced back at my grandmama’s specter and horror! She was eating the garland of Kingsbane flowers. No! They’re poisonous! Wait, she’s dead? Why is she eating the flowers? Pike coughed, drawing me back to look upon my own body. An inch above my exposed elbow the cold flesh spasmed. Glancing back to grandmama, she held out the garland of Kingsbane. No! A tiny black beak cleft through my skin like a chick pecking its way out of an egg. Blood ran like honey, slower than I have ever seen, but the worm itself was not sluggish. It jumped as Lysandra’s blade arced. Ice flew across the chamber. The puny monster evaded her strike and launched itself over the crags of ice about my arm. “Nine hells!” Pike’s staccato curse was the first fully audible sound he had made since his conjuring. He tripped over his own stained robes in a panic. Lysandra slashed at the diminutive nemesis. I was thankful she was skilled enough not to be slicing me to ribbons with the keen Nybo blade. The worm hid in the ice beside my stiff corpse, its white segmented body perfectly camouflaged. Lysandra chopped at the ice blocks, making my body lurch to the side as one of the straps holding me gave way along with a corner chunk of the ice platform. I was slammed back into my body. Strange, I have never been forcibly taken


back before. What happened? Oh—I’m dying from the cold and confining straps, receiving bizarre visions of my grandmama. Is this what happens? One last moment before I am ejected from this mortal coil-insanity? One more breath of burning pain from the imprisoning cold? One more moment of silent suffering. Lysandra grunted curses at herself for missing the creature. She scanned the glittering ice field, blade ready. I raged but the gag held me mute. “Be silent. Dying is the only thing keeping you alive!” Lysandra snapped. She kicked at the ice globules and swore again. Pike watched attentively but stayed back several paces, lest he become a host to the worm. “Enough of this,” Lysandra growled, striding toward Pike and out the doorway. I seethed vainly against my gag and bindings. Shocked, Pike stared after Lysandra. “Mistress, are we done?” he called after her, still watching for the threat of the worm hidden somewhere in the jumble of ice. He was just about to follow when Lysandra pushed back thru with a blazing torch. “Mistress, no!” Pike chided. Ignoring him, she swept the floor with the torch, her Nybo blade ready to slay. Firelight glistened on blade and ice. “You mustn’t! Back away with—” Pike’s words were extinguished in a blinding ignition of greenish-white flames as the worm exploded in size, just as it had shrunk when the Witches of Vavath had conjured it in that demonic fire but a day and half ago. Lurching upright, the giant worm attacked. Cold lime fire swirled around its diabolic bulk. Its multi-hinged beak dripped bile, snapping at Lysandra who had been knocked aside with its explosive growth. Pike recovered himself, slapping hands together evoking dagger like ice at the monster. Its beak champed at the reaching icicles, shattering them. I strained futilely against my bonds. Lysandra leapt up, slashing her Nybo blade across the flaming aura of the gargantuan worm and wounds burst open upon its fiery, squamous hide, releasing fetid ooze. The foul reek of the grub tore into my nostrils. Its cold witch-fire destroyed another block of my icy platform beneath my right shoulder. I lay with my shoulders near the (Continued on page 14)

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Utah Browncoats was founded in 2005 by Brian Wiser and Jeremy Neish, after being inspired by Joss Whedon's TV series Firefly, being extras in the sequel movie Serenity, and producing the documentary film Done The Impossible. Browncoats are fans of Firefly and Serenity, as well as great supporters of charity – especially Joss Whedon's favorite charity Equality Now that works for the protection of the human rights of women, and ending violence and discrimination against women worldwide. Every year Utah Browncoats show Serenity in a theater with proceeds going to Equality Now. William Pace and many other local Browncoats have been instrumental in making that happen. Their next "Can't Stop the Serenity" screening is May 16.


In addition to the

By Brian Wiser existing Utah

Browncoats fan group, they recently created Utah Browncoats Society to be a nonprofit extension for aiding our charitable fundraising efforts. With over 1,000 members, they have shindigs, as well as booths and panels, at local events to keep the Firefly community connected and inspired. Visit them online, and join them for “Can't Stop the Serenity” and Comic Con. Stay Shiny!

utahbrowncoats.com twitter.com/utahbrowncoats facebook.com/groups/171390859583757

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By Nick Montelongo and Ashlee Johnson

David J. Butler is a Utah local. He is also an author in a state of transition. On February 14, at the LTUE writer’s symposium in Provo, UT, he told Utah Geek Magazine that he is shifting from being an indie author, to working with the bigger traditional publishers. Butler’s self-published his previous works, but many will soon be republished by Wordfire Press. This means that we should be seeing his books on the shelves at Barnes and Noble and other mainstream locations in a year or so. David Butler is a family man who loves music as well as writing. Even as kid he would get enviable remarks from his school teachers about his story-telling ability. Rather than actually writing once he actually reached adulthood, he worked as a lawyer for 13 years. He took his opportunity to start writing full-time in 2010 when he received a severance pay from his last job, and he hasn’t looked back since. One of his early books, City of the Saints, is a Mormon Steampunk novel. As a member of the LDS Church, Butler wrote this book as an action-adventure story, and as a way to celebrate the adventurous, risk-

taking roots of the Mormon pioneers. It’s hard to imitate the way in which he pitched his book to us, but here’s an attempt. . .”In 1859, Sam Clemens is on a mission for the United States government to secure the alliance of the Kingdom of Deseret, with its fleet of air-ships and artillery, against the confederacy. Up against him is secret agent Edgar Allan Poe (the rumors of his death were greatly exaggerated, it would seem) and Captain Richard Burton, a subject of Queen Victoria.“ Butler also wrote a series of pulp-horror stories called Rockband Fights Evil, in which a group of damned rockers fights against the forces of darkness to reclaim their souls. He’s also very proud of his sci-fi young adult novel, Crecheling, about a girl who is to become a leader of a planetary system but not before having to pass an onerous test: murder. And finally, coming in 2016 from Knopf is Butler’s newest book, The Extraordinary Journeys of Clockwork Charlie, a story that takes place in an alternate London. Charlie is a boy who wants to become an adventurer, but his father barely lets him out the door. When his father is kidnapped, Charlie goes

off to save him, not knowing that he isn’t even human, but actually a weapon. During our talk with Butler, he commented about how the world is changing for writers. “Being an author is like one part carny freak and one part shaman”, he said, when describing the modern writer. The author remains the storyteller who conjures tales for people that will help them with their daily lives, but in order for the shamans to get any attention, they need to be performers as well. Writers are no longer recluses. They still write, but nowadays they need to meet and greet with the public too. Butler definitely played both parts when speaking with us, seizing our attention with his imagination and keeping us involved with his amiable personality. He strikes a good balance between the fun side of a creator and the focused side of a professional, and he is a joy to speak with.

diamond cutting, 3D printing, and other tech applications. It is one of the many ways that the council piques teenage girls’ interest in this field. Cyndi’s own career is a testament to the places that tech can take you, and she has received recognition for her dedication. She was listed as one of the top 30 businesswomen to watch, she was a Finalist in the Stevie Awards for Top Women Entrepreneur, and she received recognition as a v100 Top Venture Entrepreneur. She is honored by the recognition that she has received, and how it has given visibility to women in technology, though she did not actively seek after these awards. “I’ve been taking this path of building great companies, being passionate about what I do and building a great network of people,” Cydni said. “I think that it’s important that you have these great women role models, that we talk about and showcase them,” Cydni said. Her support of her peers, for those who have come before her, and for the new rising generation, make her a truly inspirational example. She exemplifies the power of passions, working hard, helping those around you, and trusting in your own abilities.

iconic super heroes from Marvel and Warner Brothers, to sports stars from Major League Soccer and Baseball. This isn’t the only place in Cyndi’s life where By Deborah Moore she helps to empower individuals. She is the Cyndi Tetro inspires and empowers wom- Cofounder and Executive Director of Women en and girls with her career and volunteer Tech Council, a non-profit charity she runs with work. She has spent her career building, pro- a team of volunteers. Their goal is to mentor moting, and selling technological products. women in technical fields, to give them net“I’ve always had an affinity for technology working opportunities, and to support technoltrends, what they enable, and what new mar- ogy companies that women either run or own. They focus on the economical impact that kets they create” Cyndi said. During her cawomen have on technology, and giving women reer, she also cofounded NextPage, was the in this field opportunities to showcase their COO for a social media network called Famihard work and skills. lyLink, and worked at Disney Research. Cyndi loves creating platforms to highlight Currently she is working as the director for the work that women are doing with technolo3DPlusMe, a gy, and one way she does this is by hosting the company she Women Tech Awards every September. “It’s also founded. not just about a career. It’s about giving back to They use 3D the community,” she said. Over the past eight printing techyears, they have recognized over 115 women nology to crethrough the program. ate action figures with cusThe council is also hosting an event for High tomers’ faces School girls on March 13 at the University of Read more about Cyndi on our website at on them, every- Utah. Students will have a chance to have thing from hands on experiences with technology such as ugeek.us/cydni-tetro

Creating Heroes: Cydni Tetro


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ground, and what curdling blood I had left pooled inside my brain, making me lightheaded. Pike again tried his frozen attack with the same fruitless result. “Try something else!” cried Lysandra, stabbing at the eyeless horror. “I don’t have any other offensive spells!” Pike shouted. “Now it knows that!” Lysandra shouted. The demon worm flailed across the room smashing me and my icy pyre against the far wall. Free at last! It tried to bite at Lysandra and clobber Pike with its tail. Tearing out the gag, I took a deeper breath and felt about to faint with the effort. The worm’s tail slapped down beside me as it repositioned itself against Lysandra and I was almost thumped senseless. Ripping the tourniquet from my arm, no feeling remained, but now the worm’s exit wound gushed freely. Pike conjured a blinding white light and directed a force beam at the worm. Lysandra shouted, “It doesn’t have eyes, you idiot!” Freeing myself from the bindings about my legs and struggling to stand, I promptly toppled over. Lysandra sliced off a piece of the worm’s beak, but this didn’t hinder the beast. The other wounds she had dealt didn’t faze it. Whatever wretched god had dreamt up this monstrosity had intended this demon son to be immortal. Pike coughed and invoked a bizarre cantrip—dark smoke in impossible quantities suddenly billowed from his nose, filling the room as if an entire opium den had been concealed inside his turbaned head. He shouted, “Now! Run! Let us escape down the stairwell!”

I was blind and could not see, but felt a gust of air about my neck swirl as the worm’s beak snapped a hairs breadth away from my throat. A strong grasp took my shoulder and yanked me backward to the stair. The gluttonous monstrosity lurched after us, smashing through the doorway a mere second after our escape. Lysandra pushed me beyond my own capabilities, keeping my falling descent upright enough to continue down the spiraling stairwell. I don’t think that in my plummet I could have stopped had I wanted too. We tumbled down the darken stair swifter than eagles, weaker than kittens with the blubbery worm nipping at our heels. Daylight shone false safety at the bottom of the stair as we exited the tower and were ushered into the fragrant courtyard of our host and employer, The Salamander. “Bolt that door! Now!” shouted Lysandra. A pair of Valchiki guardsmen, looked askance at each other but did as they were commanded. They laid a bar across the oak and jumped as the door frame beat like a drum to the monsters tune. Lysandra pushed me to the edge of a bricked flower bed, which in my collapsing daze looked like a stone crypt filled with earth and replete with bright purple flowers. Was I about to die? At least this would be a more beautiful place than the lonely tower keep. “Worthless Mancer! Smoke? For a fiend without eyes? You’re useless!” shouted Lysandra, at Pike as she turned to face the shuddering door. The demon worm slammed its bulk against the doorway, and for a frozen moment longer, it held. Then stone catapulted from the entrance. Lysandra slashed at the monster joined by the pair of Valchiki guardsmen, but the monster was not dissuaded by their savage

assault. Ever the pragmatist, Pike was out of spells and knew it. He turned and ran for his life. The worm batted a Valchiki guardsman aside with its tail and lurched toward me. I couldn’t run anymore, I could barely breathe and my left arm hung uselessly at my side. Lysandra’s Nybo blade cut a gash across its back which oozed more putrid filth, but still the monster was intent on me. It heaved and champed its wicked beak. Sitting beside the purple flowers, I remembered my grandmama. These flowers surrounding me were Kingsbane! That’s what her specter was trying to tell me! I plucked a handful of the brilliant stalks and tossed them into the worm’s terrible maw. The Kingsbane went down its infernal gullet with a wretched snap. For a moment there was no change but a halting to its attack. Then the bizarre witchfire extinguished and the worm lost a shade of blank color I hadn’t noticed before. It choked and cringed, curling and writhing into itself until it was still. The Salamander now stood beside me and clapped his massive hands. “Wonderful! Everything has a weakness does it not?” Lysandra was breathing heavily but nodded. “Fetch Pike back here, he needs to heal Kenaz immediately or I’ll have his hide. There is still your third task yet to complete before the day is through,” said The Salamander with a sardonic grin. All I could do was nod before passing out. Next time Chapter 5. Silence Falls on Tolburns Walls

About the Author David has been writing as long as he can remember, winning a number of secretive awards too prestigious for you to have heard of. He lives in Utah with his wife and children. Among his other published works are Heroes of the Fallen, Bless the Child, Whispers of the Goddess, the sci-fi horror collections of Space Eldritch 1 & 2, Weird Tales of Horror and his latest The Mad Song and other Tales of Sword & Sorcery. You can visit him online at: http://david-j-west.blogspot.com http://twitter.com/David_JWest http://davidjwest.tumblr.com/


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Reprinted with permission

By Zac Johnson

Quotes 1) "Theatricality and deception; powerful agents to the uninitiated... but we are initiated, aren’t we…?" 2) "A good death is its own reward." 3) "Their bones will turn to ice! Their blood will freeze in my hands!" 4) "If it's all the same to you, I'll have that drink now." 5) "I have lived most of my life surrounded by my enemies. I will be grateful to die among my friends."

7) "My journey took me some what further down the rabbit hole than I intended and though I dirtied my fluffy white tail I have emerged, enlightened." 8) "Everyday I wake up knowing that no matter how many lives I protect, no matter how many people call me a hero, someone even more powerful could change everything." 9) "I imagine that right now, you're feeling a bit like Alice. Hmm? Tumbling down the rabbit hole?" 10) "Men get arrested. Dogs get put down."

Movies A) The Matrix B) Dark Knight Rises C) Star Trek into Darkness D) The Watchmen E) Batman Forever F) Man of Steel G) The Amazing Spider-Man 2 H) The Avengers I) Guardians of the Galaxy J) Sherlock Holmes 2009 Answers at www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

Match the movie quotes to the movies:

6) "I wanted you to know why I couldn't let you die... why I went back for you..."

Submit your own Quiz Questions at www.UtahGeekMagazine.com/Contribute


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