Starfleet | Geek Life: Augmenting Reality

One of the coolest geek events available right now is the Star Trek Starfleet Academy Experience, currently at Telus Spark in Calgary, AB. It's a fun aptitude test of 7 crucial skills that make up Starfleet's career paths, to see which branch you would excel at most. Are you destined to command your own Galaxy-class starship, like Picard? Will you save the lives of the away-team, from their latest encounter with alien goo? Or are you going to figure out how duct tape can help overclock the warp engines for that breath-taking escape from a hostile race? Last month, I was invited by Tourism Calgary for an epic exploration of #GeekTravel during Calgary's Comic and Entertainment Expo weekend, and during that time, I got to find out what kind of Starfleet cadet I would be at the Academy. To get the fun going, you're equipped with a special wristband that will help you keep track of your test scores. Before each test of wit and skill, you will be asked to scan your band, and will be emailed your results at the end. Highlights from the Star Trek Starfleet Academy Experience Honestly? The entire skills-testing experience is a highlight, but here are some of my fave moments. Sickbay - Trying not to kill the Klingon. Paging Dr. Beverly Crusher! What a trip it was to step up to a bed in sickbay, and have a medical tricorder in hand to diagnose what was ailing an alien being. Be prepared to use the tricorder to scan your patient for clues. Here's a tip: run this particular scanner as close to the body in front of you as you can. Unlike "real" tricorders, this one needs to be super close to ping the three owwies you need to find to determine what's wrong. [caption id="attachment_10306" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Star Trek Starfleet Academy - Examining a Klingon in a sickbay.[/caption] Tactical Training with Phasers Unfortunately, I didn't get a great photo of the training screen, but that might actually be a good thing. Leaves you with a bit of suspense right? If you enjoyed playing Duck Hunt on your original Nintendo, you'll enjoy phaser training. You'll quickly learn that a phaser has different settings, and you'll need to remember and use those settings wisely in order to defeat the oncoming foes! [caption id="attachment_10319" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Star Trek Starfleet Academy Calgary - Tactical Phaser Training[/caption] The Kobayashi Maru Test If it's too hard to read the screen, here's what it says: "The Kobayashi Maru Test will challenge your critical thinking skills and your character. Starfleet uses this test to evaluate all of their potential captains." [caption id="attachment_10318" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Star Trek Starfleet Academy - The Kobayashi Maru Test!! WWCKD? That is, What Would Captain Kirk Do?[/caption] I was so hoping that this test would be part of the Star Trek Starfleet Academy Experience! Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to do what Captain Kirk did (spoiler: he cheated the test by reprogramming it.) According to my Starfleet Personnel File (hahaha, I have a Starfleet Personnel File!), I sucked at the test, but that's okay. It was so freaking cool to be able to walk out of there and be able to say, "I tried the Kobayashi Maru test!!" What a GEEK, I know! The secret of this test? If you're not familiar with Star Trek lore, this test gives every cadet an ulcer, simply because it's a no-win situation. A science vessel, the Kobayashi Maru, is stranded in Klingon territory, and there is no way out. They send a distress call, which your ship answers. When you get there, three Klingon ships decloak, and your options or limited. Do you back off? It's possible that the whole scenario is a ruse by the Klingons that just happen to be there, waiting for you to come to the rescue. Do you cross into Klingon territory, violating the agreement between Starfleet and the Klingon Empire, effectively becoming the catalyst that could start a war? You could try to beam the survivors over before their ship explodes, but that means lowering your shields, and the Klingons will take advantage of your vulnerability. Instead of one ship exploding, you're now at risk of two ships having that same fate. There are a few more options to choose from, but the end result will always be the same. You'll FAIL. What Starfleet wants to know is what will you, as Captain, will do when the situation becomes dire. Star Trek Starfleet Museum The Starfleet experience also includes a nicely curated museum-like collection of well-loved moments from all the iterations of Star Trek. From troubling tribbles, evolving weapon designs, to Data's other brother's head, there is a ton of memorabilia to coo over while taking a break from Starfleet training. Tribbling Troubles [caption id="attachment_10308" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Star Trek Starfleet Academy - Trouble with Tribbles in Engineering. Where's a Klingon ship when you need one?[/caption] I was told that you can purchase chirping tribbles in the gift store at the end of the experience, but due to a tight schedule I didn't get a chance to find them! *pout* Let me know if you picked one up! Set Your Phaser to Stunning [caption id="attachment_10323" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Star Trek Starfleet Academy Calgary - Differing phaser technologies throughout the series.[/caption] Can you tell which phaser was used in which series just by looking at these? I'm Just Waiting For B-4 to Blink [caption id="attachment_10309" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Star Trek Starfleet Academy in Calgary, AB Canada - Alas, poor B-4![/caption] This might be a perfect example of how thorough a geek's imagination can be. In reality, I know that there's nothing but either a wire frame, or styrofoam, or both to shape the android head. Yet, that doesn't stop me from fully expecting to find circuitry boards hidden just beneath the scalp of B-4. Star Trek Starfleet Academy Experience Recruit Results So after all the rigorous testing, measuring skills in Starfleet's seven career models, I got the results I was hoping for. Move over La Forge, there's a new Engineer in town! *beems* I'm entirely okay with not taking command. Someone else can have the final say, as I'm all about developing an eco-friendly warp engine, and making sure life support is still a thing when needed. https://www.instagram.com/p/BThfH6XAZAs Starfleet Academy Personnel File I'm totally geeking over having a personnel file. It's the little details like this profile report that made the Starfleet Academy Experience absolutely fun and intriguing for all ages. I'm laughing over having zero risk-taking feels, yet totally a bad-girl when it comes to following the rules, heh. You can have your full report sent to you by your email address, which is awesome. I wish though, that there was a printing service on site for a plaque version. I would have made room in my luggage to carry one home! Have you tried the Star Trek Starfleet Academy Experience? What career is in your future? If you're in Calgary, I think there may be only a few days left to see if you have what it takes to be a Starfleet cadet. The Tour should be continuing on to another city (in North America I believe,) but unsure as of yet on where we'll find it next. I hope to see it in Toronto sometime soon! Also, stay tuned! I had a ton of fun in Calgary for the #GeekTravel Fest, and can't wait to show you what else I got to explore, and the very awesome geeks I got to experience this fun with! Psst! Wanna share this awesome with your friends?? PIN Me!

Tag: Starfleet

Star Trek Starfleet Academy: Testing Your Wit and Might

Technology. Collectibles. Travel.

Technology. Collectibles. Travel.