"Our first road trip!"
"This is going to be so much fun!"
"Can you imagine the look on their faces when they see us!"
I was still very concerned about the actual transportation and who we were going to pay for the gas.
I had talked with Henry by phone, asking if anyone from the IKV Praksis would be interested in "going for the ride". I was actually looking for another vehicle. He was not interested in members of the Praksis being involved.
Two days before we were scheduled to go to Sydney, I attended another committee meeting. Henry brought up my little road trip and offered me a voucher for a fifteen passenger van and gas coupons. I felt a huge relief. I was driving a Firebird at the time, and I had only the one car to commit. I could have asked my wife for hers, but that wouldn't have been much better. Her car was a Chevette.
There was a new member of the MarFest committee in attendance, Karen. This was the first time I had met Karen. When Karen heard that I was going on a "Road Trip" to Sydney to do a "Klingon Space Kamp", she asked if she could go too.
I have to admit, at first I was hesitant. We were going to Sydney to; to what? I wasn't sure. I had seven people in the van so far. Costumes and gear would take up most of the other available space. I had to wonder why Karen would want to spend ten hours in a vehicle out of curiosity.
I asked Karen why she wanted to come along and she told me that she had made a Klingon costume, and had not had the opportunity to wear it.
Talk about two birds with one stone. I had: another 'body' for the road trip; and a new member for the SonchIy. I had also hit the jackpot. Karen, as it turned out worked with amateur theater, and her contribution was costuming.
Henry was obviously affected by this revelation as well. There was an unofficial competition for members on the various ships in the area. By the end of September 1996, the SonchIy had sixteen members. To qualify as a ship, a minimum of five members was the requirement.
The night before we left, Henry phoned me saying he now wanted members of his ship, the IKV Praksis in the van for our trip to Sydney. I was not happy with this request. I asked him, who in my crew I should tell is not going to Sydney? I had built this up to get maximum participation, and I was not going to disappoint anyone who had committed to going.
Besides Karen and myself, Jason, Rick, Jane and three others were in the van in the early hours of Saturday March 30 1996.
When we arrived in Sydney I can remember the comments as we drove up. The store was about a third the size, maybe, of an IGA store in Halifax. When we walked into the store there was a feeling of awkwardness. It wasn't until we got into costume that the staff - and us started to relax. We were joined by two Sydney locals who also had costumes. This was their first time in costume, and for most of us it was the second time.
Oh, and Karen. Karen's costume was by far the best. I believe she set the tone for what was to follow. We went for a walk outside of the store to a McDonald's. Karen, literally, stopped traffic.
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