Okay, I suppose we shouldn't be too surprised, considering how the five Xindi species have been at odds before -- a dependence on one of the other species for space travel would be suicidal as far as power among the others would go. But how the heck would you build a spaceship under water?
By definition, fire is impossible. I suppose that "importing" some specially-designed equipment from dry land would be possible -- if there were sufficient power, some kind of torch for welding and all the many other related jobs would probably work. But again, that would create some important reliance on the land-based species, which wouldn't be a good thing.
I briefly thought that maybe the Xindi-Aquatics evolved from dry land and returned to live in the water -- perhaps being amphibious at one point. But that requires evolution spanning millions or billions of years, and the Xindi certainly don't seem that ancient a race.
Any thoughts for how the heck this might be contorted around to be possible?
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Registered: Nov 2000
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posted
I'm of the opinion that Aquatic ships would have had to be designed based on other Xindi tech - no way they'd ever be able to acheive spaceflight independently. Water is friggin HEAVY, man!
Man, hull breaches would really suck without forcefield tech...
"Man, hull breaches would really suck without forcefield tech... "
No no, hull breaches don't suck, they blow. Doesn't matter if it's air or water. And get yer minds outta the gutter, that's not what I meant!
Anyway, yeah, I hadn't even thought about the mass of water. That must be murder to propel, even in space! Here's hoping that they at least make the ship look a bit more massive, bulky, and with extra-large engines...
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted
It's possible that the aquatic Xindi use some kind of water-filled encounter suits on their ships to keep down the water mass. I'd imagine one large, water-filled communal area on board wouldnt make the ship too massive though.
As for evolution....I'm still of the opinion that ALL the Xindi are engineered by the race that madde the Spheres.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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Who says they "BUILD" them? They could GROW them as a species was doing in a Piers Anthony book. Afterall, think of the benefits of aquatic spacecraft.
1. No need for artificial gravity. 2. No need for acceleration dampering or stasis fields. 3. Fuel and atmosphere in one handy ship. 4. Water acting as radiation shielding. 5. Structurally stronger do to ocean pressures.
You could possibly use thermal vents on the ocean floor as a source for melding materials. Possibly even a source for dilithium or equivalent power supplies. The ship could be highly biological with special enzymes for coatings much like coral and honeycombed for structural integrity. Perhaps their tech isn't silicon based at all but, and with apologies to Species 8572, "Fluidic" in nature.
After all, not all technologies must be based in what we interpret as the sciences. As I believe PsyLiam posted somewhere: "Any technology sufficiently advanced will appear as magic" I think the same would be true for any tech that doesn't operate along conventional lines that we have developed.
See: Iconians, how to build a Stargate without a Stargate.
-------------------- I am the Anti-Abaddon. I build models at a scale of 2500/1
Registered: Aug 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Jason Abbadon: As for evolution....I'm still of the opinion that ALL the Xindi are engineered by the race that madde the Spheres.
Would that be "The Tall Man" and his midget monks?
-------------------- I am the Anti-Abaddon. I build models at a scale of 2500/1
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Regardless of what was stated in "The Naked Now" (?), the reality is that they do both, because it's all one and the same.
Registered: Mar 1999
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That scene is one of TNG's best bloopers. I think they shot that six times because Spiner and Frakes kept losing it and giggling.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
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Registered: Mar 1999
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From the description of Archer's encounter with the Water Xindii - reminds me of "The Abyss".
Also - I don't know if anyone here has noted how the Water Xindii sound like the "Whale Probe"? Or even the one from "Think Tank".
Registered: Mar 1999
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"I think they shot that six times because Spiner and Frakes kept losing it and giggling."
That's not a blooper. A blooper is a mistake seen on screen. By the definition I have just made up.
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