The Journal of Rockett Science

I’ve been reading a series of Star Trek (original) novels by Kevin Ryan, collectively entitled Errand of Fury. Trek novels are often not good, but this is solid, exciting storytelling that focuses on the minor characters in the Trek universe: the redshirts who are always on the front lines whenever some terrible crisis is going down.

Anyway, blah blah blah. Here’s the thing: at one point, two security officers on a battle-damaged starship are escaping from one part of the ship to another, before the part they’re in blows up. As they try to manually hot-wire a turbolift, one of the characters recalls that these lifts can also be used as lifeboats: if they cross the wires the wrong way, they will rocket up and out through the ship’s hull into space, and smash into the ship’s shields.

At which point I stopped, re-read the passage, and put the book down so I could collect my thoughts. Turbolifts can also be used as lifeboats? Those elevators that Kirk, Spock and the rest were always casually riding around the ship in…those elevators were also space ships? With their own propulsion and life support systems? And at any moment just by pressing a button, passengers could punch through the hull and launch themselves out into the void?

That’s FANTASTIC.

Photo by Vulcan Willi

“There are Klingons in the White House. But unlike the real Klingons of Star Trek, these Klingons have never fought a battle of their own. Don’t let faux Klingons send real Americans to war. It’s wrong.”

-  Rep. David Wu, Oregon, speaking before Congress

“What’s been said of me is that I’ve always had the lowest profile in the Oregon delegation. You know what? This is not the way that I would have chosen to raise my profile.”

- Rep. David Wu to The Oregonian