Scriptwriting

Trek Quest Pre-Show

Written for my MFA thesis in Themed Entertainment Design (SCAD 2026), based on a template developed by Prof. Abigail Taylor-Sansom. Full script available upon request.

When guests check into Trek Quest, a shuttle ferries them from Starfleet Headquarters to the resort. During the shuttle ride, they are treated to a brief pre-show, which introduces them to the “alien of the week” story at play and teases the game’s conflict (Appendix TK). In it, Captain Pike greets the guests through a hail screen. He informs them that they are Starfleet ensigns (junior officers) newly assigned to the Enterprise, thus establishing their role within this universe. This grants die-hard guests the wish fulfillment of pretending to be Starfleet officers. Meanwhile, guests who find the LARP aspect embarrassing or awkward don’t have play into their characters, but the pre-set roles nonetheless offer them guardrails and guidance on how to proceed.

While teaching guests how to receive missions and play the game using their Com-Band—an RFID bracelet—Pike also says that the Enterprise has been tasked with beginning trade relations with the Lacerteans, with the Federation taking special interest in a naturally occurring thermal resource called luebels. The screen suddenly glitches. The lights flash red. A shadowy figure replaces Pike on screen and threatens Starfleet—the guests’ first real hint that not every Lacertean welcomes these trade negotiations