Left is subjective. If Hunt is facing the back of the bridge, his left is the ship's right. The whole purpose of the port/starboard is so that when the captain yells an order at the helmsman, the helmsman doesn't have to shout: "Your left, or mine?!"
------------------ Star Trek Gamma Quadrant Average Rated 8.32 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with seven eps posted) *** "Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!" -Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001 *** Card-Carrying Member of the FlareAPAO *** "I think this reason why girls don't do well on multiple choice tests goes all the way back to the Bible, all the way back to Genesis, Adam and Eve. God said, 'All right, Eve, multiple choice or multiple orgasms, what's it going to be?' We all know what was chosen" - Rush Limbaugh, Feb. 23, 1994.
posted
Unless they're all smart enough to realize that "left", in such a context, means "the ship's left". Otherwise, they might even have to ask "your port, or my port"?
posted
No, because port is the ship's left. Whether you're facing aft or fore, when someone yells, "HARD A PORT!", you know that they're talking about the ship's port. Port and starboard aren't interchangeable, like right and left are, depending on a person's orientation.
------------------ Star Trek Gamma Quadrant Average Rated 8.32 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with seven eps posted) *** "Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!" -Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001 *** Card-Carrying Member of the FlareAPAO *** "I think this reason why girls don't do well on multiple choice tests goes all the way back to the Bible, all the way back to Genesis, Adam and Eve. God said, 'All right, Eve, multiple choice or multiple orgasms, what's it going to be?' We all know what was chosen" - Rush Limbaugh, Feb. 23, 1994.
Port & Starboard has been Naval tradition for centuries. Besides, what if something's blowing up on your left?
"JOHN! LOOK TO YOUR LEFT!"
::John turns to port::
"NO, JOHN! YOUR LEFT! YOUR LEFT!"
------------------ Star Trek Gamma Quadrant Average Rated 8.32 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with seven eps posted) *** "Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!" -Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001 *** Card-Carrying Member of the FlareAPAO *** "I think this reason why girls don't do well on multiple choice tests goes all the way back to the Bible, all the way back to Genesis, Adam and Eve. God said, 'All right, Eve, multiple choice or multiple orgasms, what's it going to be?' We all know what was chosen" - Rush Limbaugh, Feb. 23, 1994.
posted
Well, then, they say "John! Look to Starboard!"
And remember, this takes place eight millenia in the future, and humanity was hardly the founding member of the Systems Commonwealth. Other species' traditions may have crept in. Not that we ever SEE any of these species...
Another thing: the Balance of Judgement was male. Huh? I mean, it was necessitated by the storyline, unless you want to make Rommie bisexual or something, but they specifically stated in a previous ep that ship avitars are supposed to be female, because Humans, Than, etc. all liked it that way. Was the ship originally crewed by some other, minor species that prefered male avitars? Or did the avitar self-rewrite once it went insane?
------------------ "How do you define fool?" "I don't attempt it. I wait for demonstrations. They inevitably surpass my imagination." - CJ Cherryh, Invader
------------------ Star Trek Gamma Quadrant Average Rated 8.32 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with seven eps posted) *** "Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!" -Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001 *** Card-Carrying Member of the FlareAPAO *** "I think this reason why girls don't do well on multiple choice tests goes all the way back to the Bible, all the way back to Genesis, Adam and Eve. God said, 'All right, Eve, multiple choice or multiple orgasms, what's it going to be?' We all know what was chosen" - Rush Limbaugh, Feb. 23, 1994.
posted
But when giving an order to steer the ship, or some such, it would be obvious that "left" or "right" means that of the ship.
I think you give the pilots' intelligence too little credit...
------------------ Quintesson 1: "It is a day so long in coming that I am uncertain how to celebrate it." Quintesson 2: "Perhaps a quiet chuckle..." Quintesson 1: "Very well, then. Let us... chuckle." Quintessons: "Hehehehe..." -The Transformers, "Five Faces of Darkness, part 3"
quote: Another thing: the Balance of Judgement was male. Huh? I mean, it was necessitated by the storyline, unless you want to make Rommie bisexual or something, but they specifically stated in a previous ep that ship avitars are supposed to be female, because Humans, Than, etc. all liked it that way. Was the ship originally crewed by some other, minor species that prefered male avitars? Or did the avitar self-rewrite once it went insane?
I may be way off here, but it is my understanding that all the ships were designed by the Vedran. Centariods.
------------------ yes, I'm very dutrnk at the moment, and i'm doing my type to best so shut up! JK
posted
You also have to consider that any maneuvering order might well be given directly to the ship verbally. Thus, "right" would be the right of the person executing the turn, because that's the ship.
Another possibility that's occured to me is that the Balance WAS female, but went through an identity crisis when her captain was killed. Or perhaps she chose to rewrite because she felt that a male presence was required to attract other restors. Either way, that avitar may have been a duplicate of the actual captain of the Balance of Judgement.
As for the Vedrans designing the ships, I don't think I'd heard that. Nor the bit about their being centauroid. Though it would make sense, given Harper's comment about the women having four legs...
------------------ "How do you define fool?" "I don't attempt it. I wait for demonstrations. They inevitably surpass my imagination." - CJ Cherryh, Invader
quote:I think you give the pilots' intelligence too little credit...
Dude, it's navy jargon. Are you saying the people stearing the submarines and aircraft carriers and battleships of the vast majority of the naval fleets of the world have low intelligence? Please, dude, try and think about what you type ...
Port & Starboard is used to refer to all ship's operations, whether a bunch of people are going to lower some life rafts or steer the ship, the orders given (in the US & British fleets), are Port & Starboard ... now, perhaps that's different in the future, but insulting the Naval officers and crew of the US and British fleets (and whomever else uses similar jargon -- which is, I imagine, all) is just really petty.
quote:You also have to consider that any maneuvering order might well be given directly to the ship verbally. Thus, "right" would be the right of the person executing the turn, because that's the ship.
Now that is a good explanation! Except, a) why is there a helm if the ship steers itself? And, b) was Rommie even on the bridge?
------------------ Star Trek Gamma Quadrant Average Rated 8.32 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with seven eps posted) *** "Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!" -Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001 *** Card-Carrying Member of the FlareAPAO *** "I think this reason why girls don't do well on multiple choice tests goes all the way back to the Bible, all the way back to Genesis, Adam and Eve. God said, 'All right, Eve, multiple choice or multiple orgasms, what's it going to be?' We all know what was chosen" - Rush Limbaugh, Feb. 23, 1994.
"I think you give the pilots' intelligence too little credit..."
"Dude, it's navy jargon. Are you saying the people stearing the submarines and aircraft carriers and battleships of the vast majority of the naval fleets of the world have low intelligence? Please, dude, try and think about what you type ..."
Are you an idiot? I just said that they have more intelligence than you give them credit for! I'm not the one who needs to think before typing here...
And, as you say, it's navy jargon. On Earth. In English-speaking countries. Does Andromeda take place on Earth, w/ any connection to an English-speaking country? Not the last time I checked...
------------------ "Even the colors are pompous!" -a friend of mine, looking at a Lexus brochure
posted
Of course Rommie was on the bridge. She's ALWAYS on the bridge. And everywhere else, for that matter.
And the helm is required for slipstream maneuvering, because that requires an organic sentient. Which raises the question of how the "Balance" moved around with no crew...
The helm would also be useful if the AI ever went down, or if you wanted to execute maneuvers that couldn't be easily described verbally.
------------------ "How do you define fool?" "I don't attempt it. I wait for demonstrations. They inevitably surpass my imagination." - CJ Cherryh, Invader
Printer-friendly view of this topic
