Alternate juror Barbara Adams refused to appear dressed in anything but her Starfleet regulation uniform. Whitewater Trekkie From the Files of Fortean Slips by D. Trull Enigma Editor dtrull@parascope.com When real life and fantasy collide, the results can be disastrous, and more than a little sad. When alternate juror Barbara Adams refused to appear at the Whitewater trial dressed in anything but a Star Trek uniform, an established American institution was flouted and trivialized by ephemeral cultural detritus. One can only hope that Gene Roddenberry's noble legacy will overcome this petty association with a ludicrous hillbilly real estate farce and the hideous beast that lies beneath it. Adams, the president of her Arkansas area's Star Trek fan club (or, more properly, commander of her sector's starship), wears her Starfleet uniform virtually at all times. She believes it to be especially appropriate at formal gatherings, just as any military officer's uniform is, she says. Commander Adams simply wishes to express her pride in Starfleet and the virtues for which it stands. Quite understandably, the prosecution and the defense in the Little Rock trial both agreed to admit Adams during jury selection, not even requiring that she surrender her phaser and tricorder during the proceedings. Adams was dismissed from the jury after discussing her grooming habits with the TV tabloid "American Journal," which violated restrictions against jurors speaking to the media. Obviously, this was a clever ploy to extricate herself from the situation purposely. Adams must have realized, as Captain Kirk did in the "City on the Edge of Forever" episode, that interacting with 20th Century humans is a violation of the Prime Directive. This cardinal law of Starfleet prohibits interference with the galaxy's undeveloped societies. Now, once the Whitewater trial is over, we can all rest assured that the legal system has run its proper course, and Hillary will not be able to get Scotty to beam her out of prison. (c) Copyright 1996 ParaScope, Inc. Next: Scully Versus the X-Cat Fortean Slips Index What do you think? Share your views in the message boards!