Drinking Wine with a Vulcan

“You don’t seem like the Trekkie type,” people say. I suppose they are referring to my lack of computer skills or that I would much rather shop instead of argue over which “Star Trek” series had the best captain. I guess it’s obvious to a life-long Trekkie that I have only been a fan for a relatively short time. It was only seven years ago since I saw an entire episode. I remember it well: I was 24, single and knocked up. I had moved back in with my mother and alcoholic stepfather on a horse farm in Athens, Ala. The only places to shop were Wal-Mart and Goodie’s. I was in hell. I spent most of my time alone, hiding in my room, doing everything I could to avoid interaction with my stepfather in case the rum and Coke flipped on his meanie switch.

The night I discovered “Star Trek: Voyager” I was waiting in my room for dinner, which my mother was required to cook every night to help keep peace around the house, watching television with my cup of hot tea resting on my huge pregnant belly. While flipping through the three channels I could pick up in my room, I paused on a channel when I saw a woman with a tiny frame and ridiculously huge up-do firing a phaser and shouting commands at her crew with a raspy Katherine Hepburn-type voice. Momentarily amused by the enormity of that hairstyle, I kept watching, but I didn’t expect to start liking it. The episode was called “The 39s,” in which Captain Kathryn Janeway, the lady with the crazy up-do, and her crew discover the secret to Amelia Earhart’s mysterious disappearance: She was abducted by aliens.

During the show, I actually forgot about my troubles. It became the perfect escape. I looked forward to watching it every day, and I even began to relate to some of the characters’ issues. There was B’Ellana, the half-Klingon woman who struggled constantly with her human side and the deep pain of her hidden past. There was Seven-of-Nine, who never quite fit in because of her intelligence and her assimilation by the Borg. And as I was pregnant at the time with no man around, I loved watching Janeway, a single woman who was captain and matriarch of a starship.

I was hooked.

Eventually, I watched the other series and all of the movies. I even traded in my usual heavy science-fiction books from Orson Scott Card, Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein for the more escapist “Star Trek” books. It was just what I needed at the time: a thinking person’s way to escape a seemingly hopeless situation.

Luckily, my mother, strong-willed woman that she is, left my stepfather, and I was finally able to relax and enjoy my pregnancy. “Star Trek” even helped me pass the time during my 22-hour labor. I remember making a slightly drug-induced “Star Trek” joke while hearing the epidural needle squeaking into my spine: “Please don’t assimilate me!” I don’t think the anesthesiologist got it.

After understanding what attracted me to “Star Trek,” you can imagine my excitement when I got the chance to write about the convention that took place May 4-5 here in Jackson. I put on one of my cutest dresses and headed to the convention with a million questions in my head. I knew two “Voyager” actors would be there, along with actors from “Enterprise,” “Next Generation” and “Deep Space 9.” Unfortunately, I arrived before any of the guests of honor, though I got to meet members of the USS Hays, a local “Star Trek” organization that hosted the convention.

The next day, I put on an even cuter dress and went, a little more prepared, to the convention. After meeting some fellow Trekkies and taking some photos, I saw Garrett Wang, who plays Ensign Harry Kim on “Star Trek: Voyager,” and I was about to approach him when I realized he was walking toward me.

“Jackson Free Press, right?” he asked. “We’ve been expecting you.” My surprise at being recognized must have shown on my face because he went on to explain: “Yeah, CBS was here earlier, but everyone was like, ‘That’s nothin’. Wait ’til you see the chick that’s coming later.’ And here you are.”

I immediately went into interview mode in a failed attempt not to blush. He was extremely open, easy to talk with and entertaining. He told me some behind-the-scenes stories, like the petty rivalry between Kate Mulgrew and Jeri Ryan, and that the entire cast would pat each other on the butt at the end of a shoot.

I was surprised when he asked, “So does your husband watch the show with you?”

“I don’t have one,” I replied, and he got quite snugly while we had our picture taken together.

I talked with several other “Star Trek” actors that day, but one in particular stood out. Tim Russ, who played Tuvok on “Voyager,” was a musician before becoming an actor. He explained to me that it was a relief to get an acting job for such a long period of time considering the difficulties of breaking into the music business.

“I would have been happy to be cast as a puff of smoke seeping from a planet to have a seven-year job,” he said of being cast as a Vulcan. Later that evening, he performed with his guitar. His music was an uplifting blend of folksy soul and blues. He performed “Kushangaza,” one of his more popular songs, which means “amazing” in Swahili. “The song,” he explained, “was written about the two strongest female influences in my life.”

After his performance, the subject drifted to local music venues. Having played a gig there myself, I knew he would like 930 Blues Café. To my surprise, he met my boyfriend and me there after the convention came to a close. Periodically, I would look over and think to myself, “I’m drinking wine with a Vulcan.” I got to sing “Stormy Monday” with the band that night for him. The whole thing was surreal.

I loved the convention, and I even learned a bit about myself. If I’d had this experience at 21 instead of 31, I likely would have been star-struck and swept off my feet by Garrett Wang, who fellow actors claim is a big fan of gambling and strip clubs, instead of having the maturity to wait for the more intellectually satisfying experiences I had with Russ. Just as I discovered “Star Trek” at just the right time, I discovered “Star Trek” conventions at the perfect time, too. Once again, I’m hooked.

Previous Comments

I’m glad the convention went well. Great article. 🙂 And it’s USS Haise: named after Fred Haise of Apollo 13.

#67717 | Author: Lady Havoc | Date: May 24 2007

The convention was a blast. I’ve never got to cockblock someone famous before. haha

#67718 | Author: Ray | Date: May 30 2007