Brian Young's new website is up!

[2046]

Okay, I decided to bite.

Within just a minute he starts claiming things about nebulas that don't follow from the evidence provided, then makes claims about the viewscreen based on similar faulty logic.

In both cases the issue is faulty generalization. For instance, Tom Riker hiding in a nebula doesn't mean sensors are affected in the nebula . . . it means they hid within an opaque cloud, one which we have no information about the size of. Similarly, a nebula with specific and unusual particles that Data says will screen against Borg sensors doesn't mean all nebulas screw with sensors . . . it means that specific one with its specific stuff did. And there's "Chain of Command", where a nebula that eats starship hulls is treated, again, like a bog-standard nebula by Young.

That said, he does pick up on and expand my old argument regarding combat veterans and computer projection of the bombardment. But he does weird things with it, and in the process paints himself into arguing that Cardassian ships must use disruptors, whereas their actual weapons loadout varied significantly throughout their appearances. Jellico ordered phaser coils ejected, the Cardies armed their colonists with Galor phaser banks, et cetera. It is an unforced error.

Also, "Power generation determines maximum weapons firepower" . . . a brain-bug among the opposition, made all the more amusing by the Star Wars use of shells. Just as the firepower of a pistol in my hand has nothing to do with my metabolism, a shell-based weapon's firepower (e.g. an Iowa Class battleship gun) has nothing to do with the speed of the engine.

Nobody hates him. We just don't like illogic posing as analysis. The only thing he has going for him is how he aims for what he considers fairness, which means that instead of blundering wildly into froth-mouthed absurdity for either side, he sort of blunders into a mish-mash of conclusions that at least in aggregate almost look reasonable, which is a neat circular-logic trick of the whole fairness thing. But really, poor analysis is not fair to either side, and a reasonable-sounding conclusion arrived at through illogic is not nearly as reasonable as it sounds.

But hey, at least he's getting some DS9 in there, unlike before where he had clearly stopped at TNG.

[Mike DiCenso]

Similarly, a nebula with specific and unusual particles that Data says will screen against Borg sensors doesn't mean all nebulas screw with sensors.

Indeed. Haven't we seen several occasions where nebulae haven't interfered at all with sensors? One good example comes to mind; FGC 47 from TNG's "Imaginary Friend". Sensors worked just fine there. Another is the Azure Nebula from VOY's "Flashback". Neither the U.S.S. Excelsior or Kang's K'tinga battlecruiser had any trouble with their sensors there. Nor did the E-D's sensors have much of a problem scanning the Borgolis Nebula as far as I can tell in TNG's "Lessons".

So clearly there are nebulas, that for technobabble reasons, will have sensor-blocking properties, while there are others that don't. Is there any proof provided that the Omarian Nebula blocked or otherwise interfered with sensors? None that I can find.
-Mike

[359]

So clearly there are nebulas, that for technobabble reasons, will have sensor-blocking properties, while there are others that don't. Is there any proof provided that the Omarian Nebula blocked or otherwise interfered with sensors? None that I can find.

Later the Romulan pilot stated that they detected ships, the Jem'Hadar, were coming out of the nebula. This indicates that:

1) The fleet is in a clear area within the nebula, so the ships could then emerge from the nebula into the clearing.

2) The nebula can block their sensors as they did not detect the Jem'Hadar's approach.

3) Their sensors are operating within the clearing, they were able to detect the incoming Jem'Hadar ships after they entered the clearing.

Also, the fact that they were able to scan the planet earlier and receive false life-signs readings shows that their sensors were operating.

[Mike DiCenso]

That's a good piece of logical reasoning, but how does that match up to the Defiant being in the Omarian Nebula in previous outings?
-Mike

[359]

The only other time the Defiant entered the Omarian Nebula was in DS9: "The Search Part II", at the end of the episode. We aren't given any more information than the ship is in orbit of the Founder's home world. So there isn't anything to match it to.

[Mike DiCenso]

There's one more piece of information missing here. Odo and Kira's shuttlecraft. At the end of "The Search, Part, Part I", the two have taken refuge in one of the Defiant's shuttles during the ambush with by Dominion attack ships. Later on, Odo, following his need to return home takes them to the nebula and the following occurs:


KIRA: (waking up) Where, where am I?

ODO: You're in a shuttlecraft. You were wounded. Try not to move around.

KIRA: Odo, what happened? We were under attack.

ODO: The ship was boarded. You were wounded in the attack. I managed to get us to this shuttlecraft, but I don't know much more than that. The last time I saw the Defiant, she was dead in space and surrounded by Jem'Hadar ships.

KIRA: Sisko? Bashir?

ODO: I don't know.

KIRA: Where are we?

ODO: Approaching the Omarion Nebula.

KIRA: You should have taken us back to the wormhole.

ODO: You didn't object at the time.

KIRA: I was unconscious. Have you found anything? (she checks sensors) There's a class M planet, no star system. A rogue planet?

ODO: Yes.

The (presumably) inferior sensors of the shuttle have no trouble at all picking up the presence of the Founder's homeworld in the Omarion Nebula, nor is there any reference to interference with the sensors by the nebula, nor mention of a pocket of space inside it, etc.
-Mike

[359]

Ah, I missed that one.

It doesn't contain very precise information about the nebula, or where they are when they run the scans. But it does seem likely that they were outside the nebula when Kira checks the sensors, which would imply they could scan through the nebula. So there is support for either position. It is annoying when two instances conflict.

[2046]

So clearly there are nebulas, that for technobabble reasons, will have sensor-blocking properties, while there are others that don't. Is there any proof provided that the Omarian Nebula blocked or otherwise interfered with sensors? None that I can find.

Later the Romulan pilot stated that they detected ships, the Jem'Hadar, were coming out of the nebula. This indicates that:

1) The fleet is in a clear area within the nebula, so the ships could then emerge from the nebula into the clearing.

2) The nebula can block their sensors as they did not detect the Jem'Hadar's approach.

3) Their sensors are operating within the clearing, they were able to detect the incoming Jem'Hadar ships after they entered the clearing.

Also, the fact that they were able to scan the planet earlier and receive false life-signs readings shows that their sensors were operating.

Alternately, it indicates simply that the bugs were far away,deeper inside the nebula, perhaps even in a dense pocket. Remember, most nebulae aren't of the small soupy Trek type. It's just a few extra particles per cubic kilometer, spread across light-years.

[359]

Remember, most nebulae aren't of the small soupy Trek type. It's just a few extra particles per cubic kilometer, spread across light-years.

I am aware of a nebula's density, but in this case it is not that important. Using the word "clearing" was possibly and exaggeration. It would not need to be the same density as a vacuum, only less dense than the parts which the Jem'Hadar emerged from. Which, according to the Romulan tactical display, was all around them.

Alternately, it indicates simply that the bugs were far away,deeper inside the nebula, perhaps even in a dense pocket.

The average Star Trek sensor range for detecting vessels is somewhere around 10 to 15 light-years, even at maximum warp that distance would take some time to traverse. So the Jem'Hadar needed to be hiding within sensor obscuring regions at fairly close range to be counted as "ships coming out of the nebula" rather than incoming ships at high warp. Even a single light-year away would take to long to travel in order to fit with what is seen in the episode.

So while some parts of the nebula around the planet obscure sensors, at least the area in the direct vicinity the planet does not offer significant interference to the ship-board sensors.

This could also fit with the events from DS9: "The Search Part II" if there were only pockets of interference throughout the nebula, instead of some special clear area around the planet, and the shuttle had a clear line-of-sight to the planet without any of the pockets in the way, or close enough to a line-of-sight for the sensors to detect the planet. So maybe the two aren't actually conflicting evidence.

[Picard]

Also, "Power generation determines maximum weapons firepower" . . . a brain-bug among the opposition, made all the more amusing by the Star Wars use of shells.

I remember Trade Federation using shells; but AFAIK, Republic didn't use them, and we don't have anything about Empire using them.

[Lucky]

You guys still hate him?

http://www.scifights.net/TDiC.mov

Where is the bibliography? I didn't even hear him name the episodes he used.
_____
One problem with is his rapid fire nebula clips is that it makes it seem like he is trying to hide something about the events. The nebulas in question were often stated to have properties that would help to hide the ships. It comes across as sloppy because the nebulas need their own video, and the clips in question should be a little longer so that the context and details are more easily understood.

He assumes the nebula was hiding the Dominion fleet when it could have just as easily been a computer program installed by a founder.
_____
That is an interesting point about the view screens though one would expect cameras to be part of the sensor sweat.
_____
Good point about the briefing about the capabilities of the Romulan/Cardassian fleet. I'd missed the part about the ships being manned by veterans, and I forgot that Star Fleet knew of it, and thought it could succeed.

I find that Rebel briefing to be too vague as we don't know for certain what weapons are being talked about. It lacks the clarity of The Die Is Cast.
_____
I fail to see how the power generation figures given are not consistent? La Forge says they normally have a plasma output in the terawatt range, but that in no way contradicts Data's 12.75 billion gigawatts because La forge was not stating maximum output.

I fail to see what a small portable fusion reactor has to do with Starship capabilities? We know that the Phase Cannons on the NX-01 were rated at 500 gigawatts, but considered weak even in their own time. Logically a small phaser bank that is talked about would be used to fight something far less capable then an Archer era Klingon warship.

Why no Voyager clips? There is a statement about a plasma conduit that fits rather well with what Data says.
_____
Where does Brian get the idea that transporters don't use lots of energy? Wasn't Data's statement about 12.75 billion gigawatts made while there was heavy transporter use? Transporters turn matter to energy and back while containing the energy. it should require large amounts of energy to contain the object in transport.

Why should we assume Phasers and Disruptors get far more bang for your buck?

So Brian can't figure out a way to calculate disintegration, but would you be able to do that figure out how much energy is stored in a hand phaser magazine, and then figure out how many shots it has when set to disintegrate? It wouldn't be perfect, but you could get a general idea I would think?

There is the old Decibels eighteen to the twelfth power for defensive weapons.
_____
Cardassians use both phasers and disruptors on their ships. In the die is cast the Cardassian ships seem to fire something that appears to be a phaser.

Romulan disruptors leave behind some antimatter, but how much? Is it enough to even matter?

Brian's antimatter as a weapon leaves much to be desired as antimatter does at least as we know it does not account for many things the antimatter weapons do.
_____
Romulans tested and perfected plasma torpedos back in Kirk's era. Why would it be odd that they use them in The Die Is Cast?

I thought the reddish part on the front of a Cardassian ship was a navigational deflector?
_____
He makes the assumption that phasers and disruptor are used do to being more effective against matter then things like lasers in spite of the fact we are told lasers do very poorly against shields. This is one of those things that require a level of work I'm not sure he is willing to do.

slug throwers are also useless against a ship with a navigational deflector as illustrated by Kirk going to warp in Earth's atmosphere, a shuttle's ability to perform Titan's turn, and the year of hell.
_____
Yup, Star Trek is an apocalypse how setting. There is a reason Kirk expected Memory Alpha to have shields.

Probably not after this.

Hate is a rather strong emotion to feel towards a guy I have never talked to, and only have videos about sci-fi he makes, and he honestly has some of the best Babylon 5 analysis on the internet.

[Lucky]

Also, "Power generation determines maximum weapons firepower" . . . a brain-bug among the opposition, made all the more amusing by the Star Wars use of shells.

I remember Trade Federation using shells; but AFAIK, Republic didn't use them, and we don't have anything about Empire using them.

I don't recall evidence that those "shells" used by the C.I.S. were cartridges.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartridge_(firearms)

The "shells" could be something like a capacitor, or a tank of gas(like hydrogen).

[Mike DiCenso]

I fail to see how the power generation figures given are not consistent? La Forge says they normally have a plasma output in the terawatt range, but that in no way contradicts Data's 12.75 billion gigawatts because La forge was not stating maximum output.

Interesting that after having watched VOY, Brian seems to conveniently have forgotten several big episodes where the latter power generation figure is given, namely "Revulsion" and "Riddles". Here are the quotes:


"Revulsion"
SEVEN: It is. The optical assembly is properly aligned. I'm ready to access the main power supply.

KIM: After you. Wait! What are you doing? There are five million gigawatts running through there!

SEVEN: The exoskeleton on this limb can withstand it.

"Riddles"

KIM: Here we go, Captain. A nine million terawatt cloaking field in grid two one six.

CHAKOTAY: Nine million terawatt. Whatever they're hiding, it's huge.

JANEWAY: Alter course, Mister Paris.

PARIS: Yes, ma'am.

JANEWAY: Bridge to Astrometrics. Status.

SEVEN [OC]: The deflector array is ready, Captain.

JANEWAY: Raise shields.

KIM: Aye, Captain.

PARIS: We're within range.

JANEWAY: All right, Seven. Light them up.

In one case we know that millions of gigawatts runs through a conduit while the ship is on impulse power and no combat systems are running, while in the other, the alien ship they are looking for is capable of generating 9 million terawatts, but the crew does not panic out and run away because the Ba'neth are too powerful for them. They raise shields and hold their ground while they negotiate for information, even under the threat of being fired upon, indicating that Voyager, a relatively small TNG-era ship, can go toe-to-toe with such a powerful ship.

Other examples, such as "One Small Step" and "Fair Haven", have examples of Voyager being inside or very close proximity to phenomena stated to be radiating in the tens of millions of terajoules of energy, again suggesting shields and thereby extension power generation in the millions of terawatts to handle such things, and all over an extensive period of time.

I fail to see what a small portable fusion reactor has to do with Starship capabilities? We know that the Phase Cannons on the NX-01 were rated at 500 gigawatts, but considered weak even in their own time. Logically a small phaser bank that is talked about would be used to fight something far less capable then an Archer era Klingon warship.

Brian ignores other examples, like TNG's "A Matter of Time where we learn that the second largest phaser array on the E-D cannot have a slight variance in output of more than 0.06 terawatts (60 gigawatts) or they will burn off the atmosphere of an Earth-like planet. Therefore 4.2 gigawatts for a small phaser bank, not an array, is not indicative of large capital ship weapon firepower. Context is everything, and once again Brian fails to provide his listeners with that all important infomation.

Hell, we even know from VOY's "Good Shepherd", that the ship's main sensor array requires at minimum 10 terawatts of power. Would anyone in their right mind suggest that phasers on a starship of that size or larger are only a few gigawatts? I don't think so....

Oh well, at least Brian was honest enough to admit that he doesn't know how much power disintegration takes.
-Mike

[mojo]

The "shells" could be something like a capacitor, or a tank of gas(like hydrogen).

what do you mean when you say the shell could be 'like a capacitor'? what would it be its' function? because it sort of seems like you somehow managed to get a copy of the script i've been working on.

Scene Begin:
Interior: Doc Brown's Laboratory: Day
The camera faces the driver's side of the Delorean, Doc Brown stands on the passenger side. He is staring down at the car, mouth agape. He looks up, furious, as Marty Mcfly enters the lab drinking a milkshake.
Marty: Hey, Doc, my mom is getting all up on my junk. I was just at the diner where the kids hang out, and she was there, and she wouldn't stop telling me about how she wasn't wearing any underwear under her skirt and asking me if I wanted her to prove it.
Doc Brown: MARTY GODDAMMIT, YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH! I ASKED YOU TO DO ONE GODDAMN THING! WATCH THE TIME MACHINE WHILE I GO TO THE BATHROOM! I WAS GONE FOR THREE MINUTES!
Marty: She must have said it fifty goddamn times, and then she took my hand and put it right on her-
Marty: Wait, what?
Doc Brown: ARE YOU SOME KIND OF GENIUS AT FAILING, SHITHEAP? SOMEONE BROKE IN HERE AND STOLE THE FLUX CAPACITOR WHILE YOU WERE OFF FINGERBANGING YOUR MOTHER! *slams his fist on the delorean's hood, breaking three fingers* FUCK! FUUUUUUUUUCK!
Marty: *backing away nervously* C-calm down, Doc. Whatever I did, I'm sorry.
Doc Brown: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH MY HAND! MY FUCKING HAND! DO SOMETHING!
Marty: *watches Doc Brown flail around, screaming* Hold on a minute. *stares silently for fifteen seconds*
Marty: Doc, I think you hurt your hand!
Doc Brown: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! AMBULANCE! AAAMBULANCE! *faints, falling to the floor*
Marty rushes to Doc's side. The camera follows him, panning around to the passenger side of the delorean. The passenger side window has been shattered, glass litters the ground.
Marty: *disgusted* GOOD GOD YOUR HAND!
Doc Brown: *moans* aaaaaaamberlaaaaaaance pleeeeeeeease..
Marty: Definitely! Where's the phone?!
Doc Brown: uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurghle.. *begins snoring*
Marty: The phone is on the urghle? WHAT THE FUCK IS AN URGHLE?!
Marty: *looks around desperately, notices the broken window* What the..?
Marty leans into the car. The camera follows him and the interior of the delorean comes into view. The flux capacitor is missing. Sparks jump from the ends of broken wires in the gaping hole.
Marty: DOC! WHERE'S THAT BLUE THING? THE FLUNX COMPASS-EATER IS GONE! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE? *turns around, looks down at Doc Brown* Oh right, you fainted.
Marty: *bends down, inches from Doc Brown's face* WAKE! UP! DOC! BROWN! THE! RUGS! DISPATCHER! IS! GONE!
Doc Brown does not react. There is a knock at the door.
Marty: *panicked* UH, GO AWAY! I'M- UH- I'M NOT.. DECENT!
Marty's Mom: *from the other side of the door* Really? Nice! And hey, I'm not wearing anything under this-
Marty: YES I KNOW ABOUT YOUR STUPID SKIRT! GO AWAY, I'M BUSY!
Marty's Mom: ...doing what?
Marty: I'M CLEANING THE.. THE.. I'M WRAPPING PRESENTS! GO AWAY! YOU DON'T WANT TO SPOIL CHRISTMAS!
Marty's Mom: Marty? I mean, Calvin?
Marty: Yeah?
Marty's Mom: Are you from the future, or space, or something?
Marty: UH, NO! Why do- why do you ask?
Marty's Mom: Well, there's this weird bow-tie shaped car or space ship or something sitting out here, and- hold on, it's leaving. Never mind.
Marty: Bow-tie shaped.. *facepalms* THAT'S why they're called 'tie fighters'!
Scene End.

Scene Begin:
Interior: That Ship with the Retarded Lasers That Take Bullets: Day/Night? Who Knows? It's in fucking space.
The camera faces those idiotic cannons. Sidious/Palpatine stands watching as clone troopers/storm troopers load them with those giant bullets. Anakin Skywalker listens attentively as Palpatine speaks.
Palpatine: No. Watch. You load the cannon with the giant bullet thing, and then the cannon fires. *loud boom* See? The laser fired.
Anakin: So the laser is stored inside the bullet? Why does it look like a giant bullet from a handgun?
Palpatine: No, there is no laser IN the bullet. The bullet acts as a capacitor, allowing-
Anakin: Then where is the laser?
Palpatine: What?
Anakin: The laser is NOT inside the bullet?
Palpatine: No, I just said that.
Anakin: Then where is the laser?
Palpatine: It fired out of the cannon. It's gone now.
Anakin: But where was the laser before it fired out of the-
Palpatine: SHUT UP! I don't know. I guess it was in storage somewhere.
Anakin: Laser storage?
Palpatine: Sure, why not.
Anakin: Where is that? Because I want to see-
Palpatine raises a hand and slowly closes his thumb and forefinger together. Anakin's hands go to his throat and he begins to sputter.
Anakin: *gasps* M-master..
Palpatine: Haha! When I do this, it looks like I'm crushing your head!
Anakin: *lowering his hands* Oh, so you weren't doing the choking thing.
Palpatine: I CRUSH YOU HEAD! I CRUSH YOU HEAD!
Several troopers stop working and watch.
Palpatine: Ahem. GET BACK TO WORK! Anyway, Anakin, here comes the NEW SUPERWEAPON.
A trooper walks in carrying a giant bullet. Duct-taped to the back is the flux capacitor, glowing neon blue.
Palpatine: Ah, yes. The UNIVERSE CRUSHER GALAXY BUSTING CHRONO-TEMPORAL DIE REBEL STAR MASHY BULLET CANNON-O-TRON!
Anakin: *confused* What is that glowy thing, master?
Palpatine: That is the flux capacitor, Marty. I mean, Anakin. It's what makes time travel possible.
Anakin: Really? I saw this movie once where these guys travelled through time just by flying around this star and-
Palpatine: NEVER SPEAK OF THAT AGAIN.
Anakin: Yes, master.
Palpatine: Alright. When this bullet-thing is loaded into one of those laser cannons and the cannon is fired, the flux capacitor will send the laser back through time to the Earth year 1955 and KILL GENE RODDENBURY.
Anakin: Who is-
Random Trooper: SIR! SPACE STORM DEAD AHEAD!
Palpatine: *lays a hand on the UNIVERSE CRUSHER GALAXY BUSTING CHRONO-TEMPORAL DIE REBEL STAR MASHY BULLET CANNON-O-TRON protectively* NAVIGATION STATION! Heh, that rhymed.
Suddenly, space lightning strikes the UNIVERSE CRUSHER GALAXY BUSTING CHRONO-TEMPORAL DIE REBEL STAR MASHY BULLET CANNON-O-TRON, activating the flux capacitor. Palpatine screams, there is a blinding flash of light, and both Palpatine and the UNIVERSE CRUSHER GALAXY BUSTING CHRONO-TEMPORAL DIE REBEL STAR MASHY BULLET CANNON-O-TRON vanish.
Anakin stands silently, unmoving, astonished.
Anakin: M-master?
A Western Union van flies in through the airlock and lands.
Anakin: He's gone!
A man climbs out of the van and walks toward Anakin.
Anakin: The master's gone!
Anakin notices the Western Union man. He wears a trenchcoat and looks very mysterious.
Anakin: Huh?
Western Union Man: Is your name Anakin Skywalker?
Anakin: Yeah?
Western Union Man: I've got something for you. A sith holocron.
He pulls the holocron out.
Anakin: A holocron for me? That's impossible. Who the hell are you?
Western Union Man: Western Union. Actually a bunch of us guys at the office were kinda hoping maybe you could shed some light on the subject. You see, we've had that holocron in our possession since the time of the old republic.
Anakin activates the holocron.
Western Union Man: It was given to us with the explicit instructions that it be delivered to a young sith with your description....
He gets his umbrella out.
Western Union Man: ...answering to the name of Marty, I mean, Anakin, at this exact location, at this exact minute, today. We had a little bet as to whether this sith would actually be here - looks like I lost! *he laughs*
Anakin: *incredulous* Did you say THE OLD REPUBLIC?
Western Union Man: Yeah, 4070 years, 2 months and 12 days to be exact. Here, thumbprint please, here you are.
He gives Anakin a datapad and Anakin presses his thumb to the screen. He looks back to the holocron - it says "'Sidious' Palpatine, September 1st, Old Republic Era"
Anakin: It's from my master! *reads aloud* "Dear Ani, if my calculations are correct you will receive this letter immediately after you saw the UNIVERSE CRUSHER GALAXY BUSTING CHRONO-TEMPORAL DIE REBEL STAR MASHY BULLET CANNON-O-TRON struck by space lightning. First let me assure you that I am alive and well. I've been living happily these past eight months in the time of the Old Republic, but there are fucking jedi everywhere. The space lightning bolt-" THE OLD REPUBLIC?! *again from the holocron* "September in the era of the Old Republic!" Argh!
Western Union Man: No wait kid, wait a minute, what's this all about?
Marty: He's alive! My master's alive! He's in the Old Republic but he's alive!
Western Union Man: The Old Republic? Time Travel? What did he do, fly a Klingon Bird of Prey-
Anakin: WE NEVER SPEAK OF THAT!
Western Union Man: Tell me kid, are you all right? Do you need any help?
Anakin: There's only one man who can help me.
Scene End.

Scene Begin:
Exterior: Hill Valley Courthouse: Night.
The camera faces Doc Brown at the clocktower. He's on it holding the cables. He watches the DeLorean from the first movie, with 1955 Marty inside, approach the clocktower. Doc finishes connecting everything and then slides down the rope.
Doc Brown: Argh!
The DeLorean hits 88mph and lets off blue flashes - it's about ready to travel through time. Cut to Doc. Doc gets the cable out of the branch. Lightning strikes it, and the lightning causes electricity to go down the cables, which Doc reconnects just in time, getting himself a slight electric shock as he does so.
Doc Brown: Ahh!
The lightning enters the flux capacitor. 1955 Marty gets sent back to 1985. Doc dances with delight because the experiment was successful.
Doc Brown: Yoo! It works! Ha, ha, ha!
He turns to the Courthouse. After looking at it, he turns to his car - and Anakin's jedi starfighter lands in the middle of the street. Anakin leaps out and comes running up to him.
Anakin: Doc! Doc! Doc!
Doc Brown: What?
Anakin: Doc!
Doc turns and sees Anakin.
Doc Brown: Argh! A sith!
Anakin: OK, relax Doc, it's me, it's me, it's Anakin Skywalker!
Doc Brown: No it can't be you...Even the original trilogy won't be made for years!
Marty: I know, but- wait, how do you even know about- ah, fuck it. I need your help! We have to save my master!
Doc: Great Scott!
He faints, and Anakin bends down to tend to him.
Anakin: Doc. C'mon Doc, wake up.....
Scene End.

i wish rain could've seen that. in all seriousness, though, what do you mean by 'like a capacitor'?

[Lucky]

The "shells" could be something like a capacitor, or a tank of gas(like hydrogen).

what do you mean when you say the shell could be 'like a capacitor'? what would it be its' function? because it sort of seems like you somehow managed to get a copy of the script i've been working on.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor# ... nd_weapons

Capacitors are good for storing energy, and then releasing that stored energy very quickly. This is why capacitors are used in things like rail guns, lasers, and electric cars.