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"SF is a controlled way to think and dream about the future."
- Gregory Benford
 |
| Vision Plate | ||
| A flat panel monitor. |
This is a variant on the word visiplate.
| KARDEL Palur came into the control-tower of Space Ship Number One as the Spatial Exploratory Expedition was about to sail. He made his way to the side of the commander, who was seated before his controlboard, and bowing, handed him a sheaf of papers.
"The other vessels report everything ready, sir," he said. “Here are the photo-records of their reports.” Malben Robar, Expeditionary Commander, glanced at the papers. “Fine, Kardel Palur,” he replied. “Wait, stay here; I may want to send a message. And in the meanwhile, Kardel, do we need to be so formal?” “I suppose not, Malben, but after all, this is a disciplinary organization.”“But you rank next to me, and besides, we have been friends too long to speak to each other by titles. Can you stay here with me until after we start? You’re not needed in the communication room, are you?” “No, I’m not on duty now. I only came in here to watch. The photo-records could have been made right here at your own vision-plate, you know. I’m curious about the workings of this ship. ”Malben laughed. “All right. I wanted company, and I would as soon talk to you as anyone on Iona.” He turned to the control-board, a large slate slab set with an array of switch-levers and push- buttons of various kinds surmounted by several vision-plates and phono-discs, with a microphone and vision pick-up in the center. By pushing a lever, he brought the vision-plates to life. “Give me the rest of the fleet on plates one, two and three,” he instructed the communications operator whose features were mirrored in the viewing discs. As the operator made his connections, the vision-plates lighted up, each showing the interior of one of the other three craft which comprised the Expedition. |
| Technovelgy from When the Moons Met,
by Clyde F. Beck. Published by Wonder Stories in 1930 Additional resources -
|
Murray Leinster used the same expression in his famous 1945 short story First Contact:
The skipper studied the [stereophotos] of Tommy's taking, and put them aside. He went back to his uneasy contemplation of the vision plates ahead.
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'Space-sickness is one of the most unpleasant sensations that a human being can experience. Not all are subject to it...'
'...I saw a nice black heavy-looking cloud sailing by just now, and I can get the electrical machine out in five minutes to draw it down.'
'From a distance it could resolve the cosmic rays reflected from various substances.'
'The answer to the dumb student's prayer.'
'He had travelled the space-lanes of the solar system for the greater part of his life...'
'The dinner was excellent. It was completely vegetarian — grown in specially prepared gardens in this Moon base...'
'Telepaths had their sensitiveness enlarged to an immense range by the pin-sets, which were telepathic amplifiers adapted to the mammal mind.'
'It was a relief to enter one of the comfortable autos, whisper a direction down the tube, and just know that you would be taken to your destination in the quickest, safest, and cheapest manner.'
'But he didn't get very far with it before another noise in his ear radio scattered his thoughts. George winced...'
