Re: (TFT) Re: TFT Digest V4 #225

[PvK <pvk@oz.net>]

Jay, you are right that Star Trek has many inconsistencies, but you're not right that Star Trek's "five year mission" was about heading towards the center of the galaxy. There is enough consistency in the original show to make it clear that is not what is happening. The Federation is a defined territory, and sometimes they are well inside it visiting established Federation starbases or member planets, and sometimes they are on various different frontiers (e.g. there is a frontier with the Romulans (and a map is shown on screen briefly in "Balance of Terror"), a frontier with the Klingons, and some episodes where they go to the "energy barrier" at the edge of the galaxy, a frontier with the Gorns, etc... Clearly the model is that space is vast and full of planets, and ships can zoom from one place to another, but it takes a while (and significant risk) to explore all the systems in between. There is no call to head towards density because there is more than they can explore even within their own frontiers.

--- maou.tsaou@gmail.com wrote:

From: Jay Carlisle <maou.tsaou@gmail.com>
To: tft@brainiac.com
Subject: Re: (TFT) Re: TFT Digest V4 #225
Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:57:25 -0800

On Sun, Jan 29, 2012 at 1:09 AM, Dan Tulloh wrote:
> Radiation probably increases exponentially as you approach the galactic
> center, as does the possibility of getting caught in a supernova, etc. B  So
> it probably makes sense that you'd find more life in the outer arms than in
> towards the center.
>

Hummm... good point perhaps Dan.
My thoughts are that this kind of thing mainly hinges on how the
technology works.
Here's a nice consolidation of various space travel "techs" from
fiction and speculation.
http://www.projectrho.com/stardrv.txt
I throw in a little red mercury for system drives and a bit of
unobtainium for warp drives.
Associating the resources with Pop II stars would make the galactic
center more attractive.

I hear you too Peter and agree.
My off the cuff thought probably isn't in the "flavor" of Star Trek.
I note however that Star Trek wasn't what I'd call well conceptualized
to start with.
I don't mean it was a bad programe, rather I mean they didn't plan on
"franchise" status and left a lot of those type of issues mostly
unaddressed.
"Wagon Train to the stars" didn't really need star maps of galactic
empires or detailed descriptions of advanced technologies.
As a matter of fact such information in that style is probably a bad idea.
Much like playing a series of D&D modules Star Trek wasn't so
interested in the logistics and the actual travel.
That's fair enough.
But then it got iconic, or whatever you want to call it.
A significant portion of detail and background were added after the
thing was already "running".
I'm not knocking that, but note it's not "ideal" from a design pov.
Also, Star Trek Voyager (my fav Captain) was only out about 20
kiloparsecs according to the site to start the "long voyage home".
The plane of the Milky Way is around 30 kiloparsecs in diameter.
Even by the Star Trek info these guys aren't flitting about the whole
of the galaxy at whim.
Call it 700 kiloparsecs for the galactic plane area and about 175
kiloparsecs per "quadrant" in area.
We're already about 10 kps out from center and Kirks Enterprise was an
older ship than Voyager so I'd still reckon the mission was pointed
inward rather than out.
But again, for all I know there's an "official" rout for the original
series nowadays.
I'm not saying I'm right, just that I feel little though was given to
the actual direction the thing went off in when it first left and why.
IMO you head for density.
If Janeway has the journey of a lifetime to get home from 20 kps then
heading toward galactic center doesn't mean actually trying to reach
galactic center.

I really dig the analogy you mention twixt warp ships and english
ships of the line during the age of sail in total sustainable numbers.
Is that official Trek mythos?
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