Flare Sci-Fi Forums: Sisko naming ships ($)

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Posted by The First One (Member # 35) on :

There was a scene in an episode when Kira tells Sisko that the new runabout has arrived, and she asks him what he wants to call it. He chooses a name on the spot.

Now, how the hell can he do that? I mean, there must be hundreds if not thousands of Danube-class runabouts. . . unless it's only a DS9 tradition to actually name them after rivers, then surely there might be another runabout somewhere with the same name? Heck, even a proper starship!

But there's more. . . we've argued about registry numbers, and one of the things I believe is that the reason they've got so high is because of small ships like runabouts. But. . . I think the registry of the USS Danube is known and canon? And that it's in the 70,000s? Yet, after 5 years, numbers have only gone from the 74,000s (the Defiant, NX-74205) to the mid-75,000's (the Sao Paulo, NCC-75633) - despite the large numbers of runabouts they must have built.

There can be only one of two explanantions for this:

1) Most runabouts are assigned to starships and don't have registries (whether the one from the E-D in "Timescape" had one we don't know), only those assigned to Starbases etc.

2) The Sao Paulo isn't that new. Even so, registries can't have got much higher than the 76,000s which still isn't a great increase.

Well, they are just outsized shuttles, so we may never know.

Now, there's also the possible renaming of the Sao Paulo as the Defiant-A. Again, done by Sisko. I sincerely hope not, for personal, aesthetic and logical reasons. The first two are obvious, the latter needs explaining:

*scene from "The Best of Both Worlds"*

Picard: "She's a good ship, Will."

Riker: "Nah, that was the other Melbourne, which Captain Murgatroyd renamed as the Hilda after his wife. THIS Melbourne used to be the Gerratana, and when Captain Aden took it over he decided he preferred the name Melbourne. And who wouldn't?"

Picard: "My god, you're right. Forget that then. That ship's such a dog, it wouldn't last five minutes against the Borg before getting its saucer half blown off."

. . . where's it going to end? And suppose they start changing registries too? Complete chaos! Mind you, it would explain TSN's fave two subject's, the Nebula Melbourne and the Yamato's registry. . . 8)

Thoughts?

Posted by Trinculo on :

My thoughts-
I prefer the naming system of the American navy. In that system, no captain can name a ship. I do not want to see the USS Sao Paolo renamed the USS Defiant. If the new ship is to be the USS Defiant, then why destroy the second USS Defiant?

Posted by Galen (Member # 72) on :

The Sao Paolo?

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"Victory is Life!"

Posted by Elim Garak (Member # 14) on :

Galen: See "$$ MAJOR SPOILER! DS9's New Ship! $$".

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Quark: "Lesson number one: No one involved in extra-legal activity considers himself nefarious." (DS9: "The Sound of Her Voice")

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

Well, I think he can go ahead and call it "Defiant", if he wants to, but it wouldn't be official. Those of you who read The Return (I think it was that one), remember how they renamed the Monitor "Enterprise" toward the end? It wasn't official, as far as Starfleet was concerned, but that didn't really matter to them (i.e. those who renamed it).

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"I see you've found your Nausicaan friend. You seem unimpaled so far..."
-Q to Picard, "Tapestry"

Posted by Deep6 on :

Sisko can call the Sao Paulo whatever he wants, but thats just his name. Whether Sisko likes it or not, it has an official name. But if he wants to call it the Defiant for sentimental reasons, there isnt much anyone can do to stop him.

As for the new runabout.....why wouldn't it have been named already before arriving at DS9? That seems kind of odd that Starfleet would let their captains just pick a name from anywhere....

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"Well yeah ok thats just about the most awful thing I've ever seen"

Posted by Bernd (Member # 6) on :

Is "The Return" one of the infamous Shatner novels?

Anyway, I think only Starfleet Command should be aithorized to name and number ships.

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I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer. (McCoy in "Devil in the Dark")
www.uni-siegen.de/~ihe/bs/startrek/

Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :

It is indeed, Bernd.

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"Some people call me the Space Cowboy. Yeah! Some call me the Gangster of Love. Some people call me Maurice. Whoo hoo! 'Cause I speak of the Pompatus of Love!" - Steve Miller Band's The Joker

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

Actually, it's one of those infamous Reeves-Stevenses novels that have Shatner's name and face on them... :-)

And I think SF is the only body authorized to number ships, but, since they aren't named until later, they probably let captains name them sometimes. I mean, why would they worried about the name of a runabout that's more thatn likely to be blown up in a couple weeks? :-)

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"I see you've found your Nausicaan friend. You seem unimpaled so far..."
-Q to Picard, "Tapestry"

Posted by Elim Garak (Member # 14) on :

"I name thee the (non-Rio Grande name)."

*bottle hits hull*

::BOOM!::

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Quark: "Lesson number one: No one involved in extra-legal activity considers himself nefarious." (DS9: "The Sound of Her Voice")

Posted by Federation Shipmaster (Member # 15) on :

It's probably some committee in Starfleet Command.

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What bloke invented signatures?

Posted by Deep6 on :

Your probably right.....imagine some of the crazy off-the-wall names they'd get if they allowed captains to name ships at their pleasure...

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"Well yeah ok thats just about the most awful thing I've ever seen"

Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :

"I christen thee the USS "Kenny McCormick!"

"Captain, we just lost the "Repulsive.""
"Damn! The "Transmetal Decepticon" and the "Mumble-something" are supposed to be covering that flank!"
"The "Sheik Yerbouti" and the "Flying Circus" are falling back..."
"The "My Aunt Melba" has broken through."

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You're just JEALOUS because the little voices talk to ME!

Posted by Warped1701 (Member # 40) on :

"The 'Myocardial Infarction' is at a dead stop, sir!"

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"Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us"
-Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV

Posted by Curry Monster (Member # 12) on :

I get to rename ships eh? Kewl.

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there's a bird in the chimney,and a stone in my bed
when the road's washed out,they pass the bottle around
and wait in the arms,of the cold cold ground

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

"Captain, the Borg have destroyed nearly the entire fleet!"
"Damn it!"
"Yes, sir, USS Damn It! seems to have been destroyed as well."
"What?"
"USS What? has been patrolling the Neutral Zone for months, sir. They weren't even in the battle."
"Oh, shut up!"
"USS Shut Up does appear to have been damaged, but I think it's salvagable."
"ARGH!"
"USS Argh! is still fighting, sir..."

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"I see you've found your Nausicaan friend. You seem unimpaled so far..."
-Q to Picard, "Tapestry"

Posted by Deep6 on :

My point exactly

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"Well yeah ok thats just about the most awful thing I've ever seen"

Posted by The First One (Member # 35) on :

Braga, Moore and Piller have had their chance. . . I say Tim should write the next movie. 8)

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

I agree. :-)

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"I see you've found your Nausicaan friend. You seem unimpaled so far..."
-Q to Picard, "Tapestry"

Posted by monkeyboy on :

Uss What.

Who's on first, What's on second and I don't know is on third base."Abott and Costello"

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I did'nt do it.

Posted by Bernd (Member # 6) on :

Unless TSN names a ship "USS Nix" which would be German (slang) for "USS Nothing".

I'm sure he'd prefer the Latin reference for Nix.

Posted by The First One (Member # 35) on :

You could have the Nix-class - members of which could be Niente, Nada, Zip, Bupkiss, and Buggerall. 8)

Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :

Another cut scene from Generations - when the E-D is about to crash into Veridian III

Data: "Oh Shit"
Worf: "The USS Oh Shit?? She's too far, to help us now..."

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"I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die, while you discuss this invasion in a committee" Queen Amidala - Star Wars: Episode 1, The Phantom Menace

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

*once saw a last name "Zilch" and found himself commenting on having a name meaning "nothing", before suddenly remembering what his own name was* :-)

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"Sew, very old one! Sew like the wind!"
-Martin Short, The Three Amigos

Posted by The First One (Member # 35) on :

Ah, yes, the Zilch - that new Klingon Bird-of-Prey type. . . 8)