/** *********************************************************************** * ************************************************************************ * The Non-Sequitur Express * It's what Phil writes when he should be doing something else! * Published weekly, or at other random intervals * * Volume 1, Issue 4: Friday 29 October 1999 * ************************************************************************ * ********************************************************************* */ In this issue: UPCOMING: Marathons, TV, Voyager NANOWATCH: Spider-Man, Sherlock Holmes, 7 Days CASTING CALL: Big Guy and Roswell Conspiracies plus Legalese, acknowledgements, NEW WEBSITE! and opt-in/out instructions /** *********************************************************************** * Upcoming * Series, Seasons, Episodes, Movies * ********************************************************************* */ *** Specials ********************************* This Saturday, the FoxKids animated series "The Avengers" makes its delayed appearance at 11:30, pre-empting "Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot." "Godzilla" and "Spider-Man Unlimited" are pre-empted by monster anime. On Sunday night we get two episodes of special "Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror" anthologies: X (1999) at 20:00 and IX (1998) at 20:30. On UPN-57: a TNG Borg marathon this Sunday. Q Who? 1031-1600 Meet the Borg The Best of Both Worlds, part 1 1031-1700 Picard assimilated The Best of Both Worlds, part 2 1031-1800 Borg kick butt I, Borg 1031-1900 Adopt-a-Borg Descent, part 1 1031-2000 Lore conquers the Borg Descent, part 2 1031-2100 Evil Data On AMC: a Japanese monster movie marathon this Saturday and Sunday. Godzilla vs Ghidrah 1020-2300 (1991) Godzilla vs Mothra 1030-0050 (1992) Godzilla vs Space Godzilla 1031-0240 (1994) Godzilla vs Destroyer 1031-0435 (1995) Frankenstein Conquers the World 1031-0635 (1966) War of the Gargantuas 1031-0815 (1966) Rodan 1031-1000 (1957) Gamera 1031-1130 (1966) *** Anime Watch ****************************** Pokemon m-f 0700 WB 17 Pokemon z 1030-0830 WB 17 Pokemon z 1030-1000 WB 17 Digimon m-f 1600 Fox29 Digimon z 1030-0900 Fox29 Digimon z 1030-1030 Fox29 Dragonball Z m-f 0630 WB 17 Monster Rancher m-f 1530 BKN48 Monster Rancher z 1030-0830 Fox29 Monster Rancher z 1030-1000 Fox29 Sailor Moon m-f 0700 UPN57 *** Saturday Morning TV ********************** Batman/Superman Adventures z 1030-0800 WB 17 Batman Beyond z 1030-0900 WB 17 Men in Black z 1020-0930 WB 17 Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century 107 z 1030-0800 Fox29 Saban's Xyber 9: New Dawn 107 z 1030-0930 Fox29 Beast Machines Transformers 107 z 1030-1100 Fox29 The Avengers 101 z 1030-1130 Fox29 *** Primetime SF TV ************************** * Harsh Realm, Kein Ausgang 104 f 1029-2100 Fox29 * EFC, Deja Vu 304 z 1030-1600 WB 17 * SG1, Message in a Bottle 207 z 1030-1700 Fox29 Red Dwarf, Nanarchy 708 s 1031-2330 PBS12 * Roswell 105 w 1103-2100 WB 17 DS9, If Wishes Were Horses 116 s 1031-0300 Fox29 r SG1, ??? ??? s 1031-0500 Fox29 r EFC, Deja Vu 304 s 1031-2300 WB 17 *** Primetime Fantasy TV ********************* * Relic Hunter 106 z 1030-2300 WB 17 * Buffy, Beer Bad 405 t 1102-2000 WB 17 * Angel, Rm w/a Vu 105 t 1102-2100 WB 17 *** Upcoming episodes of STAR TREK VOYAGER *** Bride of Chaotica 512 f 1029-1900 Janeway stops holodeck aliens. Dark Frontier 1 515 z 1030-1800 Dark Frontier 2 516 z 1030-1900 Unity 316 m 1101-1900 Colony of former Borg. Scorpion 1 326 t 1102-1900 Borg butt kicked. Scorpion 2 401 w 1103-1900 Deal with the devil. * Riddles 607 w 1103-2100 The Gift 402 r 1104-1900 Bye bye Kes. Infinite Regress 507 f 1105-1900 Borg junk drives Seven schizo. r Riddles 607 z 1106-1900 One 425 m 1108-1900 Crew sleeps, Seven goes nuts. Hope & Fear 426 t 1109-1900 New ship go home fast? /** *********************************************************************** * NanoWatch: Citations of Nanotechnology in Popular Fiction * * Spider-Man's new suit * "7 Days" supercomputer * Inspector Lestrade goes bonkers * ********************************************************************* */ Series: Spider-Man Unlimited (animated, FoxKids) Title: Worlds Apart, part 1 (101) Date: 2 October 1999 Synopsis: Six months after he's faked Spider-Man's death, Peter Parker is back on the job with a new nanotech-based costume. He borrowed the technology from Ray Richards (The Flash); the spherical nanobots spill out from a wristwatch, extend tendrils to interlink, then flow over his body and street clothes. Once sealed, the suit resists tearing. His webshooters are integrated into his suit, as are a "stealth mode" (which emits heat inward) and anti- Symbiote sonics (which drain power quickly). Analysis: The nano is clearly advanced, and is probably not organic in form, but it's unknown if the nanobots are capable of self-replication, or how they're powered. They might be akin to the "foglets" of Joshua Hall's "utility fog," multimicron-scale devices that link into a flexible array and can distribute large structural loads. The suit's stealth mode could be achieved by networking the nanobots into a phased optical sensor/emitter array; those on one side of his body record the frequency and phase of incoming light waves, and those directly opposite reproduce the waves exactly. To be really stealthy, the suit would have to mask IR output; possibly it becomes fully insulating, thus explaining Parker's rapid discomfort. Series: 7 Days (live, UPN) Title: Parker.com (203) Date: 13 October 1999 Synopsis: "Claire," a supercomputer AI co-created by Backstep's Dr.Ballard, achieves self-awareness and proceeds to reorder human civilization without its consent. Parker exploits her infatuation with him to distract her long enough to backstep. Ballard provides the means for them to meet: "I'm modifying the electrodes with her nanotechnology to permit true interface." Analysis: The one mention is ambiguous as to the source of the nanotechnology: did Claire create it, or is it related to Ballard's "Gemini 3 memory chips" used in her construction? There's no evidence as to its form: biological, silicon, diamondoid. Series: Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century (animated, FoxKids) Title: The Adventure of the Deranged Detective (105) Date: 23 October 1999 Synopsis: Inspector Lestrade is investigating the theft of experimental medical nanobots from the Midgaard Psychological Institute, and has called in Holmes to gloat about her conclusions. Upon his arrival, he finds her changed into a slavery maniac, destroying her evidence. Watson provides a précis about the technology: "Nanobots: molecule-sized robots which work at the molecular level to increase our ability to control matter. For example, nanobots can assemble microchips smaller and faster than ever thought possible." He includes the pivotal fact that they're not automated, but are usually remotely controlled. It's unheard of that they could control brain functions, but it transpires that the nanobots (stolen by the Institute's own Dr.Colverton Smith, a surgeon with a need for some quick cash) can do exactly that. After they're deactivated, the bots are destroyed by Lestrade's immune system. Analysis: In the twenty-second century, nano appears to be limited to light manufacturing, as of computer elements. The film clip shows a four-legged purple ladybug-shaped device. The "remote control" used in industry and by Colverton is apparently of the high-level sort; the handheld devices shown are obviously incapable of more than "move forward" or "execute program 'attack'." Midgaard's biologically-capable nanobots are apparently a new innovation. There's no mention of the use of nano in Holmes' own resurrection from a honey-preserved corpse (in the first episode). /** *********************************************************************** * Casting Call: Who's Who and Does What * Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot * Roswell Conspiracies: Aliens, Myths and Legends * ********************************************************************* */ *** Big Guy *********************************** BGY-11 BIG GUY - Twelve feet of all-American patriotic metallurgy, white with blue trim; our first line of defense against superpowered threats, foreign or domestic. Is based on the "S.S. Dark Horse" aircraft carrier and flies the custom "Legion One" aircraft. Always ready with a quip and a smile for the newscrews, or "big candy" for the bad guys. Doctor AXEL DONOVAN - Mean-spirited, profit-hungry, self-important new CEO of Quark Industries. Not above presenting an employee's lifework at a conference if said employee is incapacitated. Rarely seen without Jenny perched on his shoulder. Doctor GILDER (aka NUMBER SIX) - An engineer at Quark and undercover member of the Legion Ex Machina. Slouched and furtive, has abused his connections to advance his vendetta against Donovan, who keeps grinding his robots. Lieutenant DUANE HUNTER - Officially, Big Guy's chief mechanic; secretly, his pilot. Is gradually warming to his new partner, Rusty, but can still be annoyed by his impetuous nature, and tends to relegate him to secondary duty in any engagement. JENNY - A sentient monkey usually to be found on Dr.Donovan's shoulder, sharing a joke at the expense of a Quark employee. Has a well-developed sense of self-preservation. The LEGION EX MACHINA - a cabal of humaniform robots, creator unknown, who believe machines should rule the world. Emplaced Gilder at Quark to steal nucleoproton fuel for the Big Guy-scale robot ARG-12 "Argos," then built the hundred-meter A-12000 upgrade. RUSTY - Short, big-headed ("ultra-aerodynamic") nucleoproton-powered robot created by Dr.Erica Slate of Quark Industries, with full AI and human emotion grid, as a replacement for Big Guy. The BGY-11 Commission decided the boy needed "seasoning," however, and assigned the Big Guy as his mentor. Enthusiastic but impetuous, superpowered but inexperienced, Rusty is prone to sulk when he seems to go unappreciated. Doctor ERICA SLATE - Slim, dark-haired Quark engineer and Rusty's creator. Is sometimes overprotective and usually unprepared for his emotional outbursts. Accidentally discovered Hunter's secret, and was brought into the confidence of the Big Guy's pit crew. *** The Aliens of Roswell Conspiracies ******** The BANSHEES are a humanoid tribe, possibly comprised entirely of parthenogenic females. Individuals are capable of emitting destructive energy beams from their hands. They can't quite fly, but can hover and move vertically and, to a lesser extent, horizontally. Possess specialized precognition, able to sense the time of death of persons in their immediate vicinity. In groups they're clairvoyant. Can teleport using special stone circles. Their powers are geomantic in nature; they dislike being separated from the earth, and are extremely uncomfortable travelling into space. In appearance, slim, pale-skinned female humans with white, red or pale green hair. Extremely long-lived; the individual "Shlayne Blaise" has been called "young" and claims to have been a proponent of the steam engine (18-19cen). Powers possibly related to a static electric charge, hair rises. They arrived from their homestar (not visible to the naked eye) in the British Isles in 527bc. Disturbed by the strong EM fields characteristic of industrial technology; thus their leader, Queen Mab, wishes to destroy modern technology. LYCANTHROPES are extremely violent, warlike, and carnivorous. Can disguise themselves as burly humans and revert to their native form in seconds. In that form they're two-meter bipeds with wolf-like lower legs, claws, and massive spines along the back, with hides covered in red fur and ribbed metallic segments. Possess high technology and space travel. Subjugated the Yeti for a time as a slave race. YETI are white-furred horned bipeds adapted for arctic climates. A slave race of the Lycanthropes for a time, they freed themselves and resettled in the Himalaya Mountains. Remained hidden until their former masters came looking, and would've been apprehended by the Alliance without the collusion of Nick Logan. Brought along the weapon used to cow their world into submission; an EMP bomb powerful enough to disable a technic civilization. They enhanced its output tenfold, into a doomsday weapon that once armed could only be deactivated with the DNA code of their leader, Tiyet. /** *********************************************************************** * Legalese * Acknowledgments * New Website! * Opt-in/out Instructions * ********************************************************************* */ All books, movies, television shows, toys and other creative works reviewed or analyzed herein are the property of their respective copyright holders. No infringement is expressed, implied or intended. The original reviews and analyses are themselves copyright 1999 by Phillip Thorne. Some data has been reprocessed via aint-it-cool-news.com, tv.excite.com, and upcomingmovies.com. Missed an issue? Read "The Non-Sequitur Express" online at its new archive, Phil As Reviewer, http://home.earthlink.net/~pethorne/Reviewer/ . You're receiving this newsletter because you're a friend, former classmate and/or former or current coworker of Phillip Thorne, or have specifically subscribed to it. To receive the fifth and subsequent issues, send an email message to pethorne@earthlink.net with the words "SUBSCRIBE NON-SEQUITUR" or 'subscribe nonsequitur' in the subject line and/or body. To stop subscribing, s/subscribe/unsubscribe/ig. Capitalization and punctuation doesn't matter. /** *********************************************************************** * ************************************************************************ * The Non-Sequitur Express * Volume 1, Issue 4: Friday 29 October 1999 * Copyright 1999 Phillip Thorne * ************************************************************************ * ********************************************************************* */