The Ur-Quan Masters Discussion Forum

"Our clever ward has found our nook in *time*!"

"We are not from your space, or your... *time*. Some of your more broad thinkers refer to such realms as other dimensions. Though trivialized, this is a suitable metaphor for your intellect."

"We have never been your enemy, though your people may once have thought so. But we are also not your ally. That would require a degree of involvement in this *time* which is not presently permissible. For now, we are simply your friends... who have much to give."

"Forgive us if we forget the importance you attach to such events as this. Our... context, is infinitely broader than yours in scope, both in space and *time*."

"We are many places, at many *times*. This place is an easy place... one of the ten easy places. At different times, we explore different easy places. That is our way."

"The Dnyarri were the most inimical race this galaxy has known. In other dimensions, other *times*, there are far, far worse beings but they do not threaten you at the present time."

So let's try to make out what *space*, *time* and *colors* are.

My own theory is viewable here.

Except for " *time* ", which I'm pretty sure is just the Arilou putting emphasis on a word. There are no italics in Star Control.

That's the lazy man's way out. :P

All-caps are used for emphasis in Star Control. And really, it makes no sense to emphasize "time" in those places.

But the Arilou at the intercom is clearly speaking of time as defined in a dictionary. If you read what he says and just accept time as time, the statement makes sense. If the italics aren't an emphasis, then they must be referring to time on a different scope than a human being would typically think of it.

It's neither clearly "time as defined in a dictionary" nor are the asterisk pairs "italics" (especially when it comes to *Nnngn*).

but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun pretending we can understand them, right?

Try substantiating that with something. The Arilou's use of the word "time" makes sense if interpreted plainly.

You know, I don't really get this whole idea of "things beyond human comprehension".

1. They don't really understand it themselves.
2. They don't understand our natural language.
3. They don't understand us (what we know and don't know).
4. We couldn't care less about it (we find it irrelevant and boring).

(By the way, funny how I first make this thread, then I say myself that it bores me. :P)

Good points, though I think there's a discrete difference between one who practices science and one who doesn't, so I can't really buy the dog and no-arithmetic allegories.

Personally I think it's fairly simple. The concepts do not have words that adequately describe them. The concepts may be understandable, after all look at the Androsynth, but human languages can't handle them at this point so the translator glitches. Whatever word the translator picks may, or may not, have any relation to the concepts.

BTW I always took *many bubbles* to refer to individuals. The Orz are a single entity not individuals. If you stick your fingers through a sheet of paper they look like separate living objects because you can't see where they are connected. I assume the Orz are the same.

I'd like to play, but I can't access the website. How do I do that?

The Orz are a single entity not individuals. If you stick your fingers through a sheet of paper they look like separate living objects because you can't see where they are connected. I assume the Orz are the same.

This is just a thought, but I have another *many bubbles* theory. Couldn't the Orz be calling us *many bubbles* because we are multicellular? It seems to me that the true Orz (i.e., the force behind the *fingers*) are likely some form of sentient energy. The notion that the Orz we know of are but *fingers* of some greater power suggests that said power appears to be able to exist across multiple spectrums of existence simultaneously. To me, this suggests that the Orz are not "flesh and blood" creatures, but something else. Now, what this else is "made of" is open to debate, but, just maybe, *energy* would be our own "best-fit" for describing the Orz.

I know, I know, this is all just idle speculation, but there are no easy answers when *fingers* begin to punch through to our region of space from *below*.