10 Things We Wish Were On Gene Roddenberry's Hard Drive
The sci-fi writer's Mac is up for sale; what could be hidden inside?
By Corinne Iozzio | Published Sep 19, 2009 12:46 AM
The very first Macintosh Plus is up for auction, but that's not all: serial number 0001 was a gift from Apple Computer to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry in January 1986. Bidding on the system — with its 1MB of RAM — will start at $800 (original sticker was $2,600) through auctioneer Profiles in History in October.
The real treasure, though, is what could be on the hard drive. Here's our wish list:
1. A form fan-letter response titled "That's-Star-Wars.doc"
2. A record of the bet he lost that let Shatner direct Star Trek V.
3. Transcribed notes from the set on the first day of shooting the original TV series including the stage direction: "You NEED..to..E.NUN.ci.ATE….MORE!…clearly."
4. Rejected audition tapes for the role of Jean Luc Picard from Ben Kingsley, F. Murray Abraham, and Carl Reiner.
5. A patent illustration for the transporter.
6. Documentation that proves The Borg is real, and lists Lindsay Lohan and Madonna among the members of the collective.
7. Hatemail from J. Michael Stracyzinski and Harlan Ellison.
8. A abandoned crossover script with the working title Tribbles vs. Ewoks
9. A folder called "Uhura – PRIVATE!"
10. Brainstorming notes for the Top Ten Uses for Data's Disembodied Head
Did we forget anything? Tell us in the comments.
Corinne Iozzio
Corinne Iozzio is the former Editor-in-Chief of Popular Science. In that role, she oversaw an award-winning crew of science journalists—both editors and writers—who are obsessed with shining a light on the thousands of ways science and technology transform our lives daily. She lives in Washington Heights in New York City (or, as she affectionately refers to it, "Upstate Manhattan") with her partner, an ever-expanding collection of vintage hand-blown glass, and a talkative tuxedo cat hellbent on knocking it all to pieces.