Every news junkie is familiar with the Star Trek Juror, a.k.a. Barbara Adams, the Arkansas fan club "commander" who wore her full Star Trek uniform to the infamous Whitewater trial. Far lesser known is the postscript to her whimsical story, immortalized in the brilliant 1999 documentary, "Trekkies."
Adams worked the binding machines at the Sir Speedy Printing shop in Little Rock. Proving her Whitewater antics were not a one-time publicity stunt, the woman continued to show up to work each day wearing her Starfleet officer's badge and communication devices. As she refilled copy machine toner and processed customers' orders, Adams insisted that co-workers call her "Commander."
Here's the amazing part: Instead of giving her a lecture about Sir Speedy professionalism, her bosses giddily went along with the charade. Aside from a few initial rolling of the eyes, Adams' co- workers agreed to respect her officer's rank, too. Eventually, referring to her as "Commander" became as natural as saying "Barbara."
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Capt. Kirk and Mr. Spock's intergalactic adventures aboard the USS Enterprise, a milestone marked by special conventions, new DVD releases and tomorrow's high-profile memorabilia auction at Christie's New York in Rockefeller Center.
Although Star Trek fever in the workplace rarely matches the intensity of the Sir Speedy case, fans are assertively making themselves known in the office. At Boston's Video Transfer, Inc., a multimedia duplication company on Harrison Avenue, some employees now sip "Raktagino" on their coffee breaks.
Never heard of Raktagino? It's a Klingon blend of non-dairy creamer, cocoa powder, sugar, instant coffee, cinnamon and hot water. Ken Chase, an 11-year Video Transfer veteran, brewed up the concoction and claims it is so tasty that even his "non-Trek friends" are drinking it at work.
Chase debuted his sci-fi beverage at a recent Star Trek potluck barbecue hosted by colleague Jason Green, who runs the accounts payable department. Although he sports a red Trek uniform when he's playing bartender (Romulan Ale, anyone?), Chase doesn't wear his costume on the job.
"Being a Star Trek fan is a bit like being a leper," jokes Green, who also extended invites to "Trek-tolerant" co-workers. "It is not something you want to admit to. And when you do, if you are in the wrong circles, you are easily dismissed and cast out. So it is fun to be around any people who can get into the spirit of a party like this."
"Working in a dubbing house makes it easier to find these things out," he adds, "due to the fact that the nature of the work attracts people who love film, period. Although a myriad of film genres are discussed, sci-fi always comes up."
Regardless of your level of "Trek tolerance," a Starfleet-like communicator badge may soon be pinned to your chest during the workday. A prototype voice-activated badge now under development at the MIT Media Lab promises to interface with cell phones, PDAs, laptop computers and other Bluetooth-compatible devices.
The project, under the direction of graduate student Daniel Olguin Olguin and professor Alex "Sandy" Pentland, is expected to be ready for testing within the next two months. Employees at Hitachi's Japanese headquarters are slated to wear the badges, with possible additional participation from sponsors such as Cisco Systems, IBM, Motorola and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management.
"Growing up in Mexico, I was aware of the show, but I wouldn't call myself a fan," says Olguin Olguin, who stresses that the device will not be officially branded as a Trek product, nor be shaped like one.
"But whenever we mention Star Trek, people can instantly visualize what we're talking about."
In addition to serving as a walkie-talkie, the badge will contain audio sensors that record and analyze speech patterns (and moods), accelerometers to study employee movement and infrared sensors that capture facial expressions. Olguin Olguin says the data can be used to give managers a better understanding of the social networks within their organizations, adding there is no intention to record the content of employee conversations.
"There are some privacy issues that need to be worked out," he concedes.
The concept of wearing such a badge doesn't excite Jason Green, the Star Trek potluck guy.
"It is a brilliant leap forward in technology and communications," he says. "But at the same time, I don't like the idea of my boss or anyone being able to keep those kinds of tabs on me."
Me either, Jason. But look on the bright side: Maybe soon we can both insist that our co-workers call us "Commander."
Companies interested in possibly testing MIT's prototype communicator badges may inquire at dolguin@mit.edu. Darren Garnick's "Working Stiff" column runs every Wednesday in the Boston Herald. Stories or rants from the workplace are welcomed at heraldstiff@gmail.com.
BOX: Christies to sell Star Trek stuff
Captain Picard, please return to your cubicle!
Wanna wear a genuine Starfleet communicator badge to work?
Christie's "40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection" auction, which runs tomorrow through Saturday, includes numerous badges among the hundreds of original props and memorabilia up for bid. According to the auction catalog, the Starfleet emblem first doubled as a personal communicator device in the 1980s on the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" TV show.
Communicator badges attached to uniforms are expected to fetch between $2,000 and $8,000. The devices by themselves are projected to sell in the range of $200 to $600.
But buyer beware: Unlike the MIT prototypes, these badges are all nonfunctional.
The Christie's Star Trek catalog is available for browsing at www.christies.com/special-sites/startrek/overview.asp Various communicator badges are included in Lots 318-19, 557-59 and 805. For information on telephone bidding credentials, call 212-636-2436.
- DARREN GARNICK
CAPTION: TO BOLDY GO: In MIT's Lizst Center, research assistant Daniel Olguin Olguin holds up the Star Trek-style communicator that he wears aronund his neck.
CAPTION: WORK TREK: `Star Trek' fans Ken Chase, left, and Jason Green show off their toys at their workplace, Boston's Video Transfer Inc.
STAFF PHOTOS BY PATRICK WHITTEMORE
Credit: By Darren Garnick
Chase debuted his sci-fi beverage at a recent Star Trek potluck barbecue hosted by colleague Jason Green, who runs the accounts payable department. Although he sports a red Trek uniform when he's playing bartender (Romulan Ale, anyone?), [Ken Chase] doesn't wear his costume on the job.
Regardless of your level of "Trek tolerance," a Starfleet-like communicator badge may soon be pinned to your chest during the workday. A prototype voice-activated badge now under development at the MIT Media Lab promises to interface with cell phones, PDAs, laptop computers and other Bluetooth-compatible devices.
Christie's "40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection" auction, which runs tomorrow through Saturday, includes numerous badges among the hundreds of original props and memorabilia up for bid. According to the auction catalog, the Starfleet emblem first doubled as a personal communicator device in the 1980s on the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" TV show.