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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!sun!qubix!ios!wjvax!paul
From: paul@wjvax.UUCP (Paul Summers)
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: re: Warp Drive
Message-ID: <148@wjvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 25-Jul-84 16:55:20 EDT
Article-I.D.: wjvax.148
Posted: Wed Jul 25 16:55:20 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Jul-84 06:18:24 EDT
References: <2813@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: Watkins Johnson, San Jose, Calif.
Lines: 22

<I've been told that this line doesn't make it to all hosts>

As I recall, Star Trek was created with an eye on the past.
A "Wagon Train to the stars" was the way a certain executive
producer of reknown referred to it.  Kirk's character was, I 
believe, based on Captain Horatio Hornblower, of the Royal Navy.
The similarites are very strong between the historical situations
of intercontinental travel on a tall ship, and interplanetary travel
on the Enterprise.  The captains of either ship must be bold, independent
thinkers, and be representatives of the political association behind them.

Anyway, back to the topic of Warp Drives, (the above was to set the
mood for the point I am about to make), I believe that the speed at
which the old sailing ships travelled was measured in "warps".
(Aha! I hear you cry)  Therefore, an analogy is being made between
the Enterprise and a tall ship.  Didn't Kirk at one point quote a poem
by an ancient earth poet "...And all I ask is a tall ship/ And a star
to steer her by"? (Quick, name the episode!, argggg, it's on the tip
of my tounge)

			Paul Summers