"'Next Generation' got me hooked," Murphy says.

But just because he's got a Star Trek alarm clock, phone and figurines, he's not obsessed - he can distinguish between the real world and that of a television show.

"It's an escape," Murphy says. "It's something to get your mind off things."

Since his wife isn't the biggest Star Trek fan, she made Murphy a promise - once they had an extra room, he could decorate it to his heart's content, but the rest of the house was off limits. So when the two moved to Anderson, Murphy went about creating his very own Star Trek-inspired bar. Now, after three months, a little silver paint, solar-system wallpaper and a few black lights, he's got the space to match his sci-fi passion.

"We do a lot of entertaining," he says. "I don't really have any Star Trek friends, but everybody seems to like it."

He eventually hopes to build on his room in the future, adding to his collection of ornaments. Murphy also has plans to start a Trekker group in the Upstate. Meetings will be held in his "Hive" of course.