I first saw Bill Lyons, 50, and his wife Pam Lyons, 54, (pictured) dragging a suitcase behind them like any tourists going to a convention. I decided to follow them because I thought they would lead me to the convention I was covering. I did not say to them "I am from Earth. Take me to your leader." But maybe I should have.

Bill Lyons says: "We like the attention we get when we are in costume."

They are both dressed as otherworldly characters from the movie "Star Trek: Insurrection."  Pam Lyons tells me "My character doesn't have a name. I am a skin-stretching specialist." The movie came out in 1998. That was the year Star Trek: The Experience opened at the Las Vegas Hilton. Since then the franchise has fallen on hard times. There has only been one movie since then and the last television show ended in 2005. That is not the future but ancient history in Vegas, and the next "Star Trek" movie is not scheduled to come out until 2009. Vegas is not a town with patience.

By 2009 the convention will have to take place without what has come to be known informally as the Star Trek Experience ride, and the bar Quark's next door that has become a hangout for convention attendees. Both are closing at the end of the month. On Sept. 1, one of the most successful tourist rides in Vegas history will be "decommissioned" after more than a decade, twice as long as the USS Enterprise's five-year mission on the original series. The Star Trek convention in Vegas has lasted even longer. But it grew from a small affair at places like the Plaza downtown to a convention that attracted thousands with the arrival of the Experience. For a couple of years the convention and the ride were at different casinos. But inevitably the two proved a perfect complement after the convention moved to the Hilton. So perfect I wondered what impact closing the ride would have on the annual convention.

In fact, I was curious about the age factor of Trekkies in general. Has the time of "Star Trek" fans passed like the days when Foghat's music packed stadiums and every city of a certain size had a theater with a weekend midnight showing of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"?

Gary Berman, co-chief executive officer for the convention, says absolutely not. He estimated that the average age of the attendees this year was people in their late 40s. This is a perfect demographic for a casino. And Berman knows that: "When we came to the Hilton about five years ago they discovered our people gamble and have fun, and buy good food." He estimates attendance this year at 10,000 to 13,000. The convention is contracted to be at the Hilton next year too. Even though the ride is closed, Berman expects similar attendance or more, because of rekindled interest and new fans brought by the release of the next movie.

"I don't know after that," Berman said about staying at the Hilton. "Next year we will have the movie. And the convention has been coming to Las Vegas long before the Experience." So, there will be a Star Trek convention.  As to other possible homes in Vegas, Berman says it is too early to speculate. Most of the casinos that used to host the old Star Trek convention, such as the Hacienda, are no longer standing. Berman thinks that, in the end, the enduring popularity of "Star Trek" will win out, and the convention will retain its draw in Vegas, if not at its current location. And any convention capable of drawing more than 10,000 people will have resorts bidding for its business.

But not every longtime fan is content to return to Vegas for another convention without the ride that has become such a part of going each year. In the food court, friends and convention attendees Mitchell Johnson, Lawrence D. DeSoto and Diane Diamond (pictured) were not so sure they would be back next year. 

According to DeSoto, 34, who was dressed as a resident of the planet Bajor and had been at this convention six times before: "Vegas is nice, but what made this convention special was the Experience. Honestly, without the Experience everybody is thinking of not going next year and saving money for Comic-Con in San Diego. Star Trek will be at Comic-Con. But for this convention, everyone meets at Quark's or goes shopping between the two. You can take pictures that look like we are on Deep Space Nine. But without the Experience, well, I am heavily doubting that I am coming next year.  Comic-Con is much bigger and you have to be conscious of the cost."

His friend Diamond adds, "This (the Star Trek Experience) makes the difference between a good and great Con experience. It is not going to be the same without the ride. Everyone here is saying that."

On the other hand, slightly older fans like the Lyonses have no intention of one less ride altering their fun. Bill Lyons says: "It is sad to lose the ride. But we will probably be back next year." As for the years after that, "We are hoping to get our grandchildren interested in 'Star Trek.' "   (Photos by Sarah Gerke)