The Star Trek franchise has introduced the world to many alien species, many of which are now household words. Even if you’ve never seen an an episode of Trek in your life, it’s likely that you’d recognize a Vulcan or a Klingon if you saw one. Another smaller and more cuddly Trek alien race that are just as famous and beloved are those adorable little furballs known as Tribbles.
Introduced on the original series’ classic episode “The Trouble With Tribbles,” these lil’ guys were the cuter and less mean precursor to the Gremlins. Because if you fed them, they’d replicate like crazy and you’d drown in Tribbles just like poor Captain Kirk did.
Now, Trek fans will be able to own a Tribble of their own, as Science Division and CBS Consumer Products unveiled an app-enabled life-like Tribble—complete with Klingon-seeking abilities. These furry Science Division Tribbles come with three operating modes: “At Ease” mode will set it to trill and vibrate when you pick it up; “On Duty” will make your Tribble determine if it is in the hands of an ally or a Klingon each time that it moves, by either cooing or screaming accordingly; and “Watchdog Mode” will set your Tribble to guard an object – if someone picks that object up, your Tribble will scream to alert you. But don’t worry, these Tribbles don’t replicate. You starship — or your apartment — is safe.
You can check out an image of one of these new take-home Tribbles down below:
Once the Tribbles ship, customers will be able to download the free Section K-7 app to join a covert operation (Section K-7), tasked with seeking out disguised Klingons with anti-Federation sentiment. (K-7 was the space station in the original series on which the Tribble infestation occurred). The app allows you to communicate with your Tribble or Tribbles. You can name them, assign them modes, change their volume, choose which ship they are assigned to, and even prank your friends by triggering your Tribble to scream at them. The app is not required for interaction with the Tribbles.
The company will debut the Tribbles at the Star Trek Las Vegas 2019 convention from July 31st to August 4th. Special pre-sale incentives, including convention-exclusive offerings, are available for a limited time. Visit the company’s website for more details on how to pre-order. Science Division expects Tribbles to begin beaming to customers in early 2020.
Images: CBS / CBS Consumer Products
