The Five-Minute Forums  

Go Back   The Five-Minute Forums > FiveMinute.net > Science Fiction

 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Prev Previous Post   Next Post Next
  #32  
Old 06-30-2022, 08:22 PM
Nate the Great's Avatar
Nate the Great Nate the Great is offline
You just activated his Trek card
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 4,859
Default

PICARD: I don't want anyone else going in alone.
LAFORGE: I can probably create a large enough subspace field to encompass everyone.

The idea of sending the entire senior staff is just ridiculous. First of all, why is Worf being considered, they know it goes to 19th century Earth. You can't just cover up his ridges with a hat like Spock did. Second of all, if the 1701 had a historian on staff to help in situations like this, I expect the E-D to as well. What has Whalen been up to, anyway?

WORF: If we find Commander Data, it may be our fate to die with him in the past. If our remains are in that cavern, they would have turned to dust long ago.

Bones will decompose in soil in a few decades, maybe a century. But in that cavern they'd last five hundred years easy.

GUINAN: It's a Tzartak aperitif. It's very, very touchy.

In a DS9 novel Tzartak apertifs were the most expensive drink sold at Quark's.

(Data picks up the anvil with one hand, then realises what he's done wrong and drops it)
DATA: Ow.

Saying Sound Effects Out Loud is always funny.

BELLBOY: What are you going to do with the anvil?
DATA: I require a low intensity magnetic field core. I believe the iron mass of the anvil will provide that.

And I believe that the odd shape of the anvil would result in an odd shape for the magnetic field. Stone knives and bearskins indeed...

CLEMENS: The eminent scientist Alfred Russell Wallace has revived the theory that Earth is at the centre of the stellar universe.

Wallace discovered the theory of natural selection/evolution independently of Darwin. He was one of the first scientists to worry about the environmental impact of human activity. He opposed eugenics, supported women's suffrage, and opposed militarism. His Wikipedia page indicates many opinions that indicate he would be an easy convert to the Federation gospel.

I don't find any references to Earth being the center of the universe, however.

CLEMENS: According to our best geologic estimate, the Earth is approximately one hundred million years of age. Perhaps it is less, perhaps more.

These days we think the Earth is four and a half billion years old.

GUINAN: But if the Earth is not alone, and there are millions of inhabited planets in the heavens.
CLEMENS: Quite my point. Man becomes a trivial creation, does he not? Lost in the vastness of the cosmic prairie, adrift on the deep ocean of time. A single one among countless others.
GUINAN: Someone may argue that a diamond is still a diamond, even if it is one amongst millions. It still shines as brightly.

There's a lot to break down here, however I won't do so.

DATA: The Enterprise.
GUINAN: Is that a clipper ship?
DATA: It is a starship.

In 1893 the USS Enterprise was a screw sloop being used as a training ship. "Screw" means steam-powered propellers, "sloop" means a sloop of war, a warship with only one level of large calibre guns.

CLEMENS: A starship? What registry would that be?

Shouldn't Clemens wonder what a "starship" is? The current Enterprise didn't have a registry.

GUINAN: Ah. Did my father send you here?

Guinan's father is mentioned in "Rascals" as still being alive.

DATA: I am from the twenty fourth century, where you and I serve aboard a starship.

Guinan may have an "official" civilian posting, but I'm not sure if that counts as "serving".

The Fiver

Captain's Log: The Enterprise has received an emergency summons to Earth. We're not overly concerned -- from here in orbit, Florida looks fine.

Grrrr, Enterprise, grrrr...

Picard: Your evidence that aliens were in California in the 1800s is all well and good, but why is it worth this specific ship's time? We're very important.

"We're supposed to be escorting ambassadors to a conference at this very moment!"

Yes, I'm sure there's a nebula somewhere that hasn't been scanned enough yet. So much for boldly going...

Picard: Mon Dieu! Data, is... is that....
Data: Fascinating. I am certain I did not leave my head in San Francisco.

"I Left My Heart in San Francisco" was written in 1953. The best known rendition is by Tony Bennett, but as a Millennial I best remember the reference from Joey on Friends.

Data: Do not be upset, Geordi. It is a relief to me to know that I am mortal.
Geordi: What, just because you don't want to outlive your friends? You'll always have Commander Riker -- he plans to live forever.

"Generations" reference aside, I think Riker's victory against the Borg has ensured his immortality already.

Riker: We can't let this happen! We have to find a way to keep Data's head and body together!
Troi: We could "accidentally" beam them into an enclosed space for a while, forcing them to work out their differences.
Riker: It's just crazy enough to work! And then more crazy, so no.

Groan.

Geordi: Anyway, the point is we can't see these aliens without a phase discriminator. And none of the ones on the ship are sensitive enough....

I think this joke was stretched a bit too far.

Data: I am afraid I possess no currency. My wallet was caught in a mechanical ricepicker.

City of the Edge of Forever references aside, the ricepicker story is hilarious and uncomfortable at the same time...

Picard: All right, I know we're all concerned about Commander Data....
Riker: We've got to get him back! He's worth fifty Dr. Crushers!

Where did that one come from?

Clemens: I have tried, Madam Goldberg, but such opponents tend to insist on getting a word in.
Data: Guinan! It is me. Your friend Data, whom you know.
Guinan: Huh?
Data: We serve on a starship together.
Guinan: Whoa. Uh, would you folks excuse me for a minute? This is my nephew, um, Rube... he tends to hit the sauce.

As much as I like Rube Goldberg, this joke was too much of a stretch.

Guinan: Starship, huh? Did my never-again-to-be-mentioned father send you?

Actually, he was mentioned back in "Rascals" as well...

Data: In my time, the opposite has been demonstrated. Even the Vulcan Science Directorate finally conceded the point when a disgruntled Starfleet captain arranged for their headquarters to be brought into the 653rd century for --

I can't find a reference to the 653rd century at Memory Alpha. What is this a reference to?

Memory Alpha

* Last TNG appearance of Marc Alaimo. Dukat appearances kept him busy after this.
* Data identifies the 1873 Colt 0.45 as being double action. It's only a single action, oops.
* Apparently Data used this definition of friendship in a conversation with Ishara back in "Legacy." I didn't remember that. Then again, I'm not fond of Ishara or that episode.

Nitpicker's Guide
* Captains not going on away teams is treated as official policy when in fact it's Riker who made up that "rule" specifically to keep Picard safe.
* Once again people board a turbolift and the thing starts moving without the new occupants giving a destination.
* Phil accepts the time offset creates invisibility thing, but thinks that Data should've just winked out instead of phasing out.
__________________
mudshark: Nate's just being...Nate.
Zeke: It comes nateurally to him.

mudshark: I don't expect Nate to make sense, really -- it's just a bad idea.

Sa'ar Chasm on the 5M.net forum: Sit back, relax, and revel in the insanity.

Adam Savage: I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

Crow T. Robot: Oh, stop pretending there's a plot. Don't cheapen yourself further.
Reply With Quote
 

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 08:20 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.