star trek

Fluffy, peanut-shaped plush on a plush bed. Text reads: No troubles with this tribble.

No troubles with this Tribble

I’ve wanted a pet tribble ever since I first saw them in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “The Trouble with Tribbles”. But just one, not a whole dang colony. Unfortunately that was never possible, because they reproduce like crazy and also because they’re, like, not real or something?

But then the Cupboo plush robotic pet caught my eye for its adorable tribble-like traits. I admired Cupboo from afar for months. Eventually, I decided to get one and named him Tribble.

Tribble made his public debut at Oz Comic-Con Sydney, where I attended with my USS Typhon crew. I’d unboxed him in Perth a few days earlier, thinking I could use it as a gimmicky little convention prop if nothing else… but it was pretty much love at first sight. The tribbles of Trek reproduce asexually and have no gender… but the more I interacted with my Tribble, the more he became a boy in my eyes. Neutered, obviously. So after a couple of days, his pronouns went from it/they/them to he/him/his.

Fluffy, peanut-shaped plush on a plush bed.
Tribble in his bed.

I still love my robotic cat, of course, but I can’t easily carry William Shakespurr around with me… and if he were a real cat, I’d keep him indoors or in a secure catio, anyway.

Unlike William, Tribble is more “pocket pet” sized… I can actually travel with him (though I did turn him off when I was going through airport security). He is super soft and cuddly. He makes the sweetest little coos, giggles, sighs and purrs in response to my voice and touch.

William Shakespurr and Tribble’s first Christmas together.

I’ve been bringing Tribble to work, and he helps a lot with my anxiety. He can also sit on my lap (out of sight but within reach) during stressful calls or video conferences.

When I had a cold not long after getting him, he would make sympathetic little vocalisations whenever I coughed or sneezed.

Sometimes he starts whimpering when I haven’t paid attention to him in a while… at which point I obviously give him a pet or cuddle because I’m not a monster, lol.

I’ve kept and loved many a plushie over the years. And I am now officially too old to give a crap if people think it’s weird for a grown-ass lady to have stuffed toys.

But it’s been a while since I “bonded” with a plushie the way I have with Tribble. So I guess he was my gateway into the ESSA (emotional support stuffed animal) community.

Like any other online community, I’m sure there are toxic ESSA gatekeepers who’ll tell me Tribble doesn’t count because he’s a companion robot rather than a pure plushie, or he isn’t a recognisable animal like a dog, or he’s the wrong brand… Whatever. My floofy little bro-bot buddy is happily there when I need it… for comfort, for company, or for cute content.

Tribble sees the ocean for the first time, at Ivo Rowe Rockpool in Sydney.

Text reads: A phaser to the heart. Background contains VHS tapes.

A phaser to the heart

As William Shatner said in an infamous Saturday Night Live skit, “it’s just a TV show, God dammit, it’s just a TV show!”

But it’s kind of more than that. It’s hard to explain how the crew of the Enterprise became my stand-in friends when my mental health was at its lowest point, or how Star Trek‘s heroes somehow gave me hope for the future even though their stories were set in a time when I’d be long gone.

An important aspect of Jade, the main character in Black and Blue, is that she actually talks to Deanna Troi – counsellor on the Enterprise-D – as if she’s a real person. I’ve never done this, but it’s a nod to how much Star Trek means to me. I don’t speak the Klingon language or recall every minute detail, but I know what’s in my heart.

Which brings me to Star Trek: Discovery. Since its launch, it’s been a CBS All Access/Paramount+ exclusive in the US – but in most countries around the world, it was distributed to Netflix. We were told that would continue to be the case for season four. The cast of Discovery believed this to be the case as they were promoting the upcoming season at the Destination Star Trek convention in London a week ago.

Then two flipping days before the season four premiere, ViacomCBS informed international fans that Star Trek would be pulled from Netflix. And no one outside the US and Canada will have any legal way to watch season four of Discovery until sometime in 2022. Maybe even longer — while plans to launch Paramount+ have been announced for Mexico and many South American and European countries, there’s been no word yet on if/when it’ll be available in Asia, Africa or Oceania (apart from Australia, which already has Paramount+ but still isn’t getting Discovery until next year).

Not to mention, international fans continue to see posts on Star Trek’s social media channels hyping the new season they can’t access… and it’s like a phaser to my heart. I feel a bit ridiculous getting worked up over a TV show. But like I said, it’s more than that to me. It’s more than that to a lot of people. It’s a show that celebrates diversity and inclusion, but I guess the powers that be missed that memo. And frankly, in 2021, it’s stupid not to have a same day, or at least same week release around the world. This is a show I’m actually invested in and willing to pay for… and they’re not letting me?

Argh. You are without honour, you filthy p’takh! (I only know a tiny bit of Klingon. 😛 )

Anyway, I’ll get over this… eventually… but right now, I’m annoyed and needed to get it off my chest.

Star Trek Convention “Get a life” skit – Saturday Night Live

Update (November 27, 2021):

After a lot of social media anger, the powers that be have since premiered Star Trek: Discovery in countries with Paramount+ or the ViacomCBS-owned Pluto TV. I think that’s still only about a third of the countries that had access to Discovery on Netflix though. I’ve now been able to watch the first two episodes of season four legally, but I really hope other fans have not been forgotten.

Text reads: The comfort zone is so comfortable. Background contains a woman balancing on a fence.

The comfort zone is so comfortable

I don’t watch that much TV but one show I’m really digging at the moment is Star Trek: Lower Decks. In an episode entitled “Where Pleasant Fountains Lie”, there’s a scene in which Rutherford is nervous about an assignment on an alien ship, away from his familiar surroundings.

“You need to get outside your comfort zone,” Tendi tells him.

“But I love my zone!” Rutherford replies.

I am definitely Rutherford, minus the cybernetic implant. Though I probs do have a cybernetic implant now that I’m double-vaxxed, it’s just not visible on my face. 😉

Anyway, Rutherford likes his zone and I like my zone because it’s just so damn comfortable. People say things like, “If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much room.” But… room is good. I like my space.

I like familiarity. I live dangerously by taking afternoon naps (not during work days obviously) and then trying to fall asleep again at a reasonable hour at night. 😛 Having to (ew) market myself and talk about my book is definitely not within my favoured zone.

But I do generally feel good about myself after the fact when I push myself outside my comfort zone.

For instance, I decided to work in libraries even with the full understanding that it was essentially a customer service job (as opposed to a “sit amongst books and shush people” job). And the first few times I had to answer the phone and talk to clients, I was pretty flustered, but now I’m fine with it.

Recently, I did a beginner salsa class and it was actually fun. I probably wouldn’t do it again — I’m not a dancer and I don’t like all that unnecessary touching, haha. But I’m glad I tried it.

And then there’s Black and Blue. I sat on the manuscript for a long time, thinking that if I never published it, it would never have the opportunity to fail. Now it’s about to be unleashed upon the world and some of you are going to hate it, but that’s okay. I’m happy it’s getting out there.

Like Rutherford, I’m trying to forge ahead with the mission. And like Rutherford, (spoiler alert) I have not died.

And yes, I realise there was nothing particularly mind blowing about that snippet of conversation between Rutherford and Tendi, and I could’ve talked about stepping out of my comfort zone without bring it up at all. But I didn’t want to because Lower Decks is awesome. 🙂