We're all fans of Joss Whedon's Firefly and Serenity here on SFX. Blogger Laura McConnell reveals the fans who are keeping the dream alive:

Based On A True Story

Somewhere just outside Washington DC, a solitary figure sneaks into an abandoned warehouse. The shadow that flits under the flickering bulb of a dying street lamp shows that the person is a large man, and he comes complete with a suspicious package under one arm.

He slips into the warehouse mostly undetected, but he cannot escape me. I’ve been watching him for a long, long time. I know who this mystery man is, and I know what he’s doing here in the outskirts of my nation’s capitol under cover of darkness.

I know that he’s meeting a small cabal of trusted individuals who have all been sworn to secrecy, and I know what this group is up to. I know the truth. I’ve finally found it. It’s here - right under my nose. And I’m going to share it with the world. You deserve to know. They can’t keep this a secret forever.

For right here, right now, this secret society is building a spaceship - one that will never make the NASA newsreels. The sounds of construction are unmistakable, and these pictures and videos (brought to you at great personal risk to myself and my informant) give me the proof I need to come forward with this.

Yes, that’s a spaceship, folks.

It might not be what you expected, but it’s a spaceship all the same.

A Scarab, to be precise.

A Scarab, you ask? Yes, I say, a Scarab.

As in the beetle. The beetle with the dirty job whose history nonetheless includes worship by the ancients. The one belonging to the Coleoptera order.

In case you still can’t place this bug, here’s a clue. There’s another Coleoptera member you might be more familiar with.

Ever hear of a Firefly?

Ah, there you are.

Yep, this little Scarab is kin to that most famous ship of the insect line: Serenity.

She may not be as well-known as her more publicized cousin, but this Scarab has got it where it counts, and she’s bound not for the black of space, but for your living room.

See, this here is “Redemption,” and she’s one of the stars of an upcoming fan film entitled, appropriately enough, Browncoats: Redemption.

The shadowy figure in the dark is Mike Dougherty, director and executive producer of the film. And the box under his arm is no weapon, though it is awfully dangerous - it’s a Terrify’n Space Monkey!

The secret cabal this duo is meeting are volunteers from all over the east coast of the United States, and their ship is due for launch at Dragon*Con next September.

Some folks might say that a Firefly (or her cousin the Scarab) is just a wreck: a lot of cheap parts that’ll never unload. But I know better. I can see the whole.

Redemption is not only a fine spacecraft, she’s a dream.

One that’s giving back to the world by raising money for charity (all proceeds from this film will be donated to various Browncoat charities), and one that’s beyond true to her heritage.

Don’t tell Redemption she’s a relic. Don’t tell her she’s a souvenir of a washed-up television series and a movie that disappointed at the box office. Don’t tell her that there will never be a sequel to that movie or that the stories she dearly loves are all done, with no more to be told. She’ll never believe you, and she’s quite likely to conveniently open an airlock just as you happen by it. Don’t tell her those things because she’s kin to a Firefly, and she has a story of her own that will be told.

The men and women gathering even now are making sure of that. After all, their secret cabal isn’t all that secret. They’re “just” Browncoats, and Browncoats keep on flying, even if they have to build their own spaceship to do so.

Mike Dougherty disappears into the warehouse, and a smile slides across my face. I’d love to join this little group, but that is not my place. I’m too far removed from the action, and it’s clear that keeping a secret isn’t exactly my forte. So I slink away into the darkness… but I will be back… and I’ll be watching.

*Note: the events in this blog are fictitious, or at least highly exaggerated. However, any similarities to actual events or persons, quite real and alive, is entirely intentional. If you’d like to know more about Browncoats: Redemption, please visit browncoatsmovie.com. You can also follow the film on their Twitter account, @browncoatsmovie.

This is a personal article by Laura McConnell, one of our site contributors. Are you a Browncoat? Do you follow the fan film scene? Your thoughts about Serenity/Firefly welcome as always.