From: jacquispeel@netscape.net

Apart from Vila saying that there were several prison ships in operation

(there would be wouldn't there) the London does 'flit over' a planet and, before it leaves Cygnus Alpha the command 'secure the prisoners' is given - (which might mean in the holding cell). I think one can assume that the prison ships did go to a number of planets on their journey.

Vila does indeed mention 'these prison ships' so there would have to be more than one.

I cannot find the 'secure the prisoners' command in any of the first three scripts (using Ctrl+F on 'secure' and 'prisoners'), though in 'Cygnus Alpha' Artix asks a guard to ensure that the prisoners are secure within the holding cell.

The shot of the London flitting past a swiftly revolving ball of rock means only that the ship flitted past a swiftly revolving ball of rock. I don't think we can assume that prison ships *did* visit more than one planet, though it's perfectly possible that they *might* have done (perhaps to pick up more prisoners on the way).

(and could the 'missing four months' on the Liberator be accounted for by

the incident with negative hyperspace?)

I see the 'missing four months' simply as a script anomaly (and a careless Nationism). I tend to think that Blake's bid for freedom was made pretty much towards the end of the voyage. Very little time seems to pass between boarding the Liberator and reaching Cygnus Alpha. in fact, right at the very last minute, since we first see the London arrive over the planet, *then* cut to Blake et al exploring the ship they have *only just* acquired. It might be that a day or two has passed since Jenna pulled the Liberator away from the London, but even this seems a bit generous.

Jenna sends the ship hurtling through 'negative hyperspace' after the London is spotted over Cygnus Alpha but before the prison ship makes a landing. Liberator reaches the planet while the London is still on the surface (and is still in orbit when the London takes off, though London fails to notice Liberator). So assuming we see events in the order that they actually happen, the negative hyperspace trip can't have delayed Liberator's arrival by more than a few hours at most.

In other words, the 8 months cited early in Spacefall and the 4 months mentioned later on are incompatible. One or the other is probably wrong. Giving precedence to the first, Blake should have said that Avon had had eight months, not four, to do a deal with the London's crew.

Alternatively, Avon might not have been working on the plan until 4 months into the voyage, even though Blake seems to put the idea into his head shortly after leaving Earth. (Avon might have bided his time, getting to know the crew and deciding who best to work on. He had plenty of time, after all.)

Or maybe the voyage to CA was not eight months, but only four, and the first reference is wrong. A possible reconciliation - a roundabout voyage to CA, with stopovers to pick up more prisoners, would normally take eight months, but the ship's flight plan was - off camera - altered to a direct path, halving voyage time.

All in all, a very tricky anomaly to explain.

Neil