This week on Episode 523 of Priority One: the Roddenberry Foundation continues to promote a positive future, while Star Trek already wins some Emmys this year; in gaming, Star Trek Online takes us through a mirror darkly with “Reflections” and On Screen: Lower Decks Season 2 Episode 6!

TREK IT OUT

Edited by Thomas Reynolds

Star Trek Wins at the Emmys

By Elio Lleo

On the heels of the Star Trek Day event, the franchise had cause for more celebration. During the two-day Creative Arts Emmy Event this last week, Star Trek walked away with two wins. First up, an Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Single episode for Star Trek: Discovery’s Season 3, “Su’kal.” Then, Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series for the Discovery episode, “If Memory Serves.” Now, Star Trek has been nominated for a total of 10 Emmys and the 75th Annual Awards show is set to air on Sunday, September 19th on CBS. So, let’s keep our fingers crossed that Star Trek takes home several more! 

The 2321 Emmys will use photon torpedoes in place of play-off music. Image: Television Academy.

Praise the Word of Rod

By Elio Lleo

As Gene Roddenberry’s centennial celebrations continue, his son and CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment, Rod Roddenberry, spoke with Forbes’s Simon Thompson about the last 55 years and the future of Star Trek. With the first four original movies being remastered in 4K UHD, Rod remarks about how great it is to see how there’s still a hunger for the original incarnations of Trek, saying:

I think it makes Star Trek new again, especially for our new audiences. You’ve got the TV series now that has brought in a newer, younger demographic, and I think some people are resistant to look at older stuff. When it comes out in 4K, it looks fresh and new. I’m excited by them being introduced to Star Trek through the original movies.

...oh, UNITY, that's what the shirt says. Image: Paramount Pictures, via Forbes.

What about NuTrek? Well, for Rod, it’s all about ensuring that any of the recent incarnations stay true to the core of what his father’s vision was all about saying:

He wants people like J.J. Abrams and Alex Kurtzman and others to come along and do that. He also wanted to make sure that it remains Star Trek… [a]s long as they are continuing the tradition and the idea of it making you think. Having it entertain is extremely important, absolutely, but let’s be considering different points of view on this as well.

Rod goes on to discuss his own personal history with the franchise and how it was he grew to be so invested in his father’s legacy.

What Escapes In Vegas...Stays In...Hmmm…

By Cat Hough

If you’re headed to Vegas anytime soon, you should definitely trek out the new Star Trek: Discovery-themed escape room launched by Escapology. The game is set during the third season of Discovery and has opened just in time to coincide with the 4th season premiere on Paramount+. 

Your role in the game is acting as a civilian engineer tasked with inspecting the U.S.S. Discovery NCC-1031 as it undergoes the refit and upgrade to the 1031-A. However, sci-fi things happen during your inspection and Discovery collides with a quantum filament, causing major hull damage. The filaments' quantum resonance has also caused a polarity shift in the antimatter containment system, leading to a progressive degeneration in the containment field. If field strength falls below 15%, it will collapse, destroying the vessel and everyone aboard.

Because sci-fi stuff happened, the main computer has closed emergency bulkheads across the ship and the turbolift control system has been disabled, leaving the bulk of the crew trapped and unable to begin repairs. In a convenient turn of events, your turbolift stopped near the Auxiliary Control section, so all you have to do is override its systems. At this point, you’re the best option for helping Discovery and its crew avoid this disaster.

Another reason to hate this design. Image: ViacomCBS, via CBR.

Then, you, and your team, must escape the turbolift and communicate with a senior officer. You can save everyone if you can just re-establish communications and work together to repair the antimatter containment field before the strength falls below 15% which is projected to be in precisely 60 minutes time. Or that’s how long you can book the room for: packages can be reserved at the Las Vegas Town Square location via the Escapology website and they currently show the price for 6 people is a little under $250. 

Festivity Will Now Commence

By Thomas Reynolds and Rosco McQueen

It’s practically cliché at this point: the commercial Christmas season starts earlier every year, with candy canes and carols drowning out the trick-or-treaters and turkey dinners. But...what if December isn’t merely encroaching on the other months? Isn’t Christmas adding their celebrational distinctiveness to its own? Are they not being adapted to service Saint Nick? Yes, Christmas is assimilating the calendar–and your holidays, as they have been, are over.

The Elf on the Shelf was the first to fall to the Collective; the angel tree topper is next. Image: Eaglemoss.

Festivity may be irrelevant, but that hasn’t stopped Eaglemoss from creating a grim messenger of holiday cheer.  Invading Sector 001 on September 30th, the Borg Cube Advent Calendar brings 24 Trek accessories and gifts to all good little Trekkies. Socks, coasters, coffee mugs: each item included in the box also includes a short note with trivia and stories behind it. The Calendar sells for a considerable $149.95, so your bank account might look like New Providence if there’s more than one Trekkie on your gift list.

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