On Sat, 14 Jul 2001 02:02:50 -0400 "Dana Shilling" dshilling@worldnet.att.net writes:

Yes, but quite apart from the personal characteristics of Gan and Vila, Blake hasn't obtained ENOUGH of a crew--at a minimum, he should have one qualified pilot to cover each eight-hour shift, plus at least five people per shift for things like going downplanet to rescue each other so there'll still be a full crew on the flight deck when the inevitable three pursuit ships turn up.

Maybe there WERE enough people on the ship for two extra shifts - they just avoided the one we know like the plague. Had there been any episodes about them, they would have been something like -

Opening scene: Liberator flight deck, night shift comes on board.

Rebel 1: What a mess

Rebel 2: Why do they always leave this place like a pigsty? Zen, what happened this time?

Zen: There was a battle with three Federation pursuit ships followed by an army of aliens attempting to take over the ship when Gan picked up their lifepod. Then, Avon had blow up half the flight deck when another group of aliens, taking advantage of the distraction, tried to take over Orac. The damage wouldn't have been so bad except that Vila had left a bottle of highly flammable liquor right next to Dayna's bomb experiment, and-

Rebel 1: IOW, business as usual. Anything to report?

Zen: There are three Federation pursuit ships approaching. We are currently just outside their detector range.

Rebel 1: Then keep us out of their detector range and start flying _away_ from them. Anything else?

Zen: A lifepod, claiming to be full of young orphans, is asking permission to board.

Rebel 2: What do your life detectors say?

Zen: It seems to be full of large, multi limbed, carnivorous aliens with very big guns.

Rebel 2: Permission to board denied. Anything else?

Orac: If I may be allowed a word in edgewise-

[Rebel 1 pulls out key, connects it to Zen's power hookup before reinserting]

Rebel 1: OK, Zen, if Orac starts acting like aliens or evil androids are taking him over, cut the power. Is there anything else?

Zen: We are receiving a message from the planet that looks suspiciously like the one Ripley and those others landed on in the movie Aliens. They want us to teleport down.

Rebel 2: Pass it on to the Stellar Coast Guard. That's what they're paid for. Is that it?

Zen: Yes.

Rebel 2: Great. How's the cable hook-up to your visual screen? They didn't blow that up, did they?

Zen: All ten thousand channels are functioning normally.

Rebel 2: Sounds good. You know, Rebel 1, I really don't understand why the day shift always complains about monitor duty. It's a piece of cake.

PS--since the flight deck arguments are my favorite part of the show, sometimes I like to think that one of Blake's rescue missions resulted in collecting Tarrant, so he and Jenna can fight all the time...

Leaving poor Avon with nothing to do but all that research he keeps claiming he wants to get around to but seems so very good at avoiding. I like it.

Ellynne ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.