Science Fiction Trivia

[ffutures]

Okay... let's think of something...

Two facilities in two different fictional universes - one is called The Raft, probably not its official title, the other is colloquially known as The Birdcage. Both serve the same purpose.

What is their common purpose, what is the OFFICIAL TITLE of the Birdcage, and which universe does it come from?

[Old Murgh]

Looks like this one is outside my register. I briefly thought maybe the birdcage could be jargon for the "carriage" under a balloon craft, such as the Kon-Tiki in Meeting with Medusa, but it feels very reachy. Hardly belonging to a "fictional universe"..

[ffutures]

First clue - airships are not involved. Both facilities are designed to be as inaccessible and secure as possible; Both are depicted as occasionally failing in this goal. With regards being part of a vehicle, any mobility that might exist is NOT a primary function but might be incidental to the goals of inaccessibility and security.

[JD]

The Raft could be a reference to the novel "Snowcrash", by Neal Stephenson. In that story, the Raft is a large collection of ships and boats, tethered together, housing a population of refugees. I think it's been travelling the oceans for some time, and during the novel is close to the US west coast.

[ffutures]

The Raft could be a reference to the novel "Snowcrash", by Neal Stephenson. In that story, the Raft is a large collection of ships and boats, tethered together, housing a population of refugees. I think it's been travelling the oceans for some time, and during the novel is close to the US west coast.

Have a meaningless bonus point - not the right answer, unfortunately, but a nice idea.

Okay, second clue - Both are associated with the same aspect of government.

[ffutures]

Third clue: Both are from universes with superpowers.

And a hint - it's probably easier to find The Raft, once you know what it is it's fairly easy to find The Birdcage.

[Old Murgh]

Third clue: Both are from universes with superpowers.

And a hint - it's probably easier to find The Raft, once you know what it is it's fairly easy to find The Birdcage.

I knew I had heard of that Raft from somewhere, so its equivalent The Birdcage, is it the Baumann Parahuman Containment Center that does what it says on the tin, from the Parahumans/Worm-verse universe?

[ffutures]

Third clue: Both are from universes with superpowers.

And a hint - it's probably easier to find The Raft, once you know what it is it's fairly easy to find The Birdcage.

I knew I had heard of that Raft from somewhere, so its equivalent The Birdcage, is it the Baumann Parahuman Containment Center that does what it says on the tin, from the Parahumans/Worm-verse universe?

Exactly right - they're both prisons for supercriminals - The Raft is from Marvel.

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Raft - the film version is a submarine, not an island

https://worm.fandom.com/wiki/Baumann_Pa ... ent_Center - a VERY nasty prison that nobody is ever allowed to leave.

The ball is in your court!

[Old Murgh]

Exactly right - they're both prisons for supercriminals - The Raft is from Marvel.

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Raft - the film version is a submarine, not an island

https://worm.fandom.com/wiki/Baumann_Pa ... ent_Center - a VERY nasty prison that nobody is ever allowed to leave.

The ball is in your court!

A good hint can make the difference. At least I was sure I had the movie 'The Raft' from somewhere.

My court..

Which (at least two) sci-fi works apply the term "skin job" to androids, and which is the most attractive skin job?

[ffutures]

No problem finding two works, describing which one is the most attractive is the hard part.

OK - the easy choices are Battlestar Galactica (2005 onward), can't remember if it was also used in Caprica but I think not because the skin jobs come as a surprise in BSG, and Blade Runner, based on Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep? which was probably the first source for the term. I'd be surprised if it isn't also used in Blade Runner 2049 but I haven't actually seen that. I think it may have also been used in the Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles TV series but I'm not 100% sure.

Since I have to pick "the most attractive" I'll choose one option for each source: Rachael, the posh totty from Blade Runner who doesn't actually know that she is is a skin job. Caprica 6 from BSG because I'm that shallow and she's really hot in a red dress. And Cameron from TSCC because hey, it's Summer Glau and she's awesome although a bit young for my tastes.

https://youtu.be/VSOzdFoZsho - Blade Runner
https://youtu.be/pHUEYIE_MZA - Battlestar Galactica
https://youtu.be/LczkDCiIceQ - Terminator

[Old Murgh]

No problem finding two works, describing which one is the most attractive is the hard part.

OK - the easy choices are Battlestar Galactica (2005 onward), can't remember if it was also used in Caprica but I think not because the skin jobs come as a surprise in BSG, and Blade Runner, based on Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep? which was probably the first source for the term. I'd be surprised if it isn't also used in Blade Runner 2049 but I haven't actually seen that. I think it may have also been used in the Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles TV series but I'm not 100% sure.

Since I have to pick "the most attractive" I'll choose one option for each source: Rachael, the posh totty from Blade Runner who doesn't actually know that she is is a skin job. Caprica 6 from BSG because I'm that shallow and she's really hot in a red dress. And Cameron from TSCC because hey, it's Summer Glau and she's awesome although a bit young for my tastes.

https://youtu.be/VSOzdFoZsho - Blade Runner
https://youtu.be/pHUEYIE_MZA - Battlestar Galactica
https://youtu.be/LczkDCiIceQ - Terminator

Lol, very thorough.
I didn't know about the Terminator series, but the answers I was looking for were of course Blade Runner and BSG. (Surely it can't come up in Caprica, wasn't that a prequel series?), and full marks for the honesty (reading between the lines here) of admitting that ahead of Rachael (and Pris), #6 is indeed the most sultry android ever created.

[ffutures]

Going by the plot summary on Wikipedia, "Caprica shows how humanity first created the Cylon androids who would later turn against their human masters," so is presumably set when Cylons were bulky metal robots and couldn't pass for human. Since I've only ever seen a couple of trailers I can't say if there are any skin jobs in it, but I agree it's unlikely.

OK, I guess it's my turn again. Oh joy...

A 1980s record was briefly no. 1 in the charts, and features various characters from a major SF series. The official music video featured claymation animation.

Name the song, the performers, and the show

[ffutures]

Belated thought on the previous question - looking at the photos for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles I think that on the whole the T-1001 known as Catherine Weaver is hotter than Cameron - also a LOT scarier, but I think that comes with being a shape-changing assassin/weapon from the future...

https://terminator.fandom.com/wiki/Catherine_Weaver

https://youtu.be/TE-9Lt8bpME

[Old Murgh]

Belated thought on the previous question - looking at the photos for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles I think that on the whole the T-1001 known as Catherine Weaver is hotter than Cameron - also a LOT scarier, but I think that comes with being a shape-changing assassin/weapon from the future...

The singer from Garbage? I had never seen her murder before. It wouldn't appear that her part comes with the alluring complexities on a level with BSG Six.

On the question at hand, I suspect I remember a music video that ticks the boxes, except the song was so annoying there's no way it was #1 in the charts.

[spud42]

gonna guess Peter Gabriel Sledgehammer. cant think of the show but i will guess star trek ?