Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Space: Above and Beyond

Some tidbits from the first half of the Pilot of Space: Above and Beyond

In the years leading up to 2063, humanity has begun to colonize other planets. Without warning, a previously unknown alien species, the "Chigs", attack and destroy Earth's first extra-solar colony and then destroy a second colony ship. The bulk of the Earth military forces sent to confront the Chigs are destroyed or outflanked. In desperation, unproven and under-trained outfits like the 58th "Wildcards" are thrown against the Chigs. The Wildcards are the central focus of the series, which follows them as they grow from untried cadets into veterans. Although the unified Earth forces come under the control of a reformed United Nations, the UN has no armed forces of its own and therefore navies such as the U.S. Navy and the Royal Navy operate interstellar starships.

The Space: Above and Beyond milieu includes an underclass race of genetically engineered and artificially gestated humans who are born at the physical age of 18, and are collectively known as In Vitroes or sometimes, derogatorily, "tanks" or "nipple-necks". The In Vitroes have replaced the previous underclass, the artificial intelligences known as Silicates. These human-looking androids, referred to as "walking personal computers", have rebelled, formed their own societies, and wage a guerrilla war against human society. The Silicates are also suspected of having some involvement with the Chigs.

According to the producers, the main fictional work that influenced Space: Above and Beyond was the 1974 science fiction novel The Forever War by Joe Haldeman, in addition to other fictional works such as the 1948 World War II biographic novel The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer, the 1895 American Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, and the Iliad, and the 1962 television series "Combat!."[1] At the same time, Space: Above and Beyond also shares conspiracy elements with other television shows co-produced by the same team, such as The X-Files and Millennium.

"Tonight we stand beneath a new heaven, after a 150 years of calling out the silence (Cylons? ;p) of the universe. It shows life is unique, we are alone. You and I are among the first to bring life to the stars, to this planet. The furthest any human has ever ventured. I know there are those at home who'd say that we are here only as a status symbol. Others say that we are fortune hunters, or that we're running away. But I know we're here because of faith. Faith in each other. For a better world. The rocket fuel that brought us here can be burned away, but our belief in ourselves, in one another, in the future, never can be. Never will be."

Pentagon Clock
A romantic couple of Astronauts try to kiss but are blocked by their helmets. Technology comes between human affection, hmm.
A burning Earth flag
Corpus Christi, the body of Christ.
3 stars
Cross Eye in Triangle
Tellus was a Roman Earth Goddess, the counterpart of the Greek Gaia
Inside of Rocket is Stargate shaped
"Not to mention the severe legal consequences of breaking your contract." says the superior when the couple of Astronauts threatens to quit when forced to choose one of them to go and one to stay, instead of going both. Later the superior says there is a possibility for the other to get there through the marines.
Look at that footprint
Another eye in the triangle
Marine Symbol, Spread Eagle and an 'anchored' world
Winged Disc of Lightning, logo of the "Angry Angels" Squadron
While news of an alien attack comes on tv, the human pilots are fighting each other... The Chig War begins, six years after the AI wars, which apparently went better than in the Terminator universe.

1 comment:

The Secret Sun said...

Space was a really good show, but pretty much just a Starship Troopers riff. I was bummed when they cancelled it, though. I should get the box.