I’m sure we’ve all sat back and dreamt about somehow travelling to the future, joining Starfleet and being posted aboard the USS Enterprise, oh how wonderful it would be…
Star Trek The motion picture official promotional imag
But every great job has it’s drawbacks. Every life has it’s challenges, and it’s successes, it’s risks and it’s rewards. In this article we’ll look at the biggest of each, or if you would, the pros and the Khhhhhaaaaaaaannnnnnn’s!!!
Pro: Flagship of the Federation
© Paramount Pictures – Star Trek 2009 USS Enterprise FULL promotional image.
May 22 2008
That’s right, you’ve been posted to the flagship of the United Federation of Planets, the most prestigious posting you can get, so you’re in for a great adventure, high profile missions and possibly even a fast track career all the way up to Admiral of the Fleet.
Good spot to start off in… if you’re in to that sort of thing.
Con: Its a pretty demanding job
Leonard Nimoy , Star Trek The wrath of Khan official promotional image.
Demanding work, tight deadlines, high expectations and long hours, that’s life aboard a ship of this caliber. Your commanding officers will expect you to come through in a crunch and save their butts, especially if one of the infamous bridge crew is hurt or in some sort of trouble, you can’t let them down.
The impossible? Here that’s just what we call a Tuesday…. did I mention you don’t get paid?
Pro: Working with certified miracle workers
James Doohan Star Trek The motion picture official promotional image.
With demanding work comes commanding coworkers, if they’re able to withstand the rigorous of this job they’ve got to be pretty damn good. Some of them have even, on occasion, been able to change the laws of physics! (Despite continually saying that ‘he cannae change the laws of physics)
It would be pretty nice to work with and learn from them wouldn’t it?
Con: There’s multiple alternate versions of you!
Star Trek 2009 Promotional Image
Whether it’s the version created when the USS Kelvin was destroyed, the one with the beard one thing is for sure, they’re out there, and one day they may even come for you and that’s only if you don’t accidentally get caught up in there dimension by mistake!
Wait, are you also responsible for their work? They are you after all…. Man, that’s a lot of pressure!
Pro: Meeting new people
Kirstie Alley Star Trek The wrath of Khan official promotional image.
That’s right, you’re always on the go, making first contact left and right so you’re bound to make new friends! There’s all sorts of people out there, from logical computer-men to angry warriors, from seductive green women to greasy con artists you’ll meet them all.
Pro tip: the guy who gets his shirt ripped open first seems to have the most luck with the ladies….
Con: errrr…. Well Khan….
Ricardo Montalban, Star Trek The wrath of Khan official promotional image.
Yeah, there is a down side to meeting all these new people, some of them might not be so friendly, or they might start as basically non violent hippies and turn out to be a group of genetically engineered supermen out for vengeance and possibly even galactic domination.
Yeah, maybe just ask the nice people if they’re homicidal maniacs up front….
Pro: Among the first to see the final frontier….
Star Trek The wrath of Khan official promotional image.
Oooh yeah, you’ll explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations, you’ll even go, boldly, where no one has gone before! Think of the wonders you’ll see, the things you can write home about and tell your friends over a Romulan ale when you get home.
What an adventure. What a story.
Con: Among the first to run into new threats…
Persis Khambatta , Star Trek The motion picture official promo Image.
It won’t all be new friends, smells, sights and sounds. You could also bump into a giant planet eating space bugle, or whale music fans, or ancient space probe that somehow became really, really, really big and lost a letter from its name plate, or ion storm, or supernova….
Yes a lot of things seem to want to kill you out here… but….
Pro: Free healthcare
Deforest Kelley, Star Trek The wrath of Khan official promotional image.
Yes, you might get hurt, but almost as if it were a Canadian built ship this one comes with free healthcare! And it’s pretty good healthcare too, the doctor is experienced, and he’s got to be good, he has a nick name and everything! There’s even a fancy medical bed with blinking lights and that one machine that goes ‘ping’.
Just remember that if you hear the words ‘he’s dead Jim’ you’ better let them know you’re alive.
Con: Redshirts Always Die
RIVERSIDE, IA – JUNE 28: (L-R) Sharon Dunlap, “Scottie” Ron Warren, and “Lt. Uhura” Lenora Brown pose for photographs before a model of the Starship Enterprise during Trek Fest XIX June 28, 2003 in Riverside, Iowa. Nearly 20 years ago the small town was recognized as the official “future” birthplace of James T. Kirk by Star Trek producers after it was written in an episode that he is born in a small Iowa town March 22, 2228. The annual event draws Trekkers from around the world. (Photo by David Greedy/Getty Images)
If your dream of going to the future and joining the crew is as a security officer, you might just want to take a hard pass on this one, to put it bluntly you’re going to die.
If you can’t help yourself, maybe wait for the Next Generation….