Concordia's final resting place

frostytheplebe

frostytheplebe

Seventh Part of the Seal
So i know this has been hacked nearly to death (After this, it will most likely be to death.)

I would just like to reopen the discussion of the theory (or was it accepted canon?) that the Concordia split in two either on entry into the atmosphere or on impact.

There is evidence both ways if you ask me, but of lot of this is based on assumption, so let's examine what we can, shall we?

For starters, I'm will to chalk this up to a misguestimate, but the Concordia appears to be less then a mile out on the Minstral Coast. IF she came down intact, that would indicate a massive drop off pretty close to the shore. This is something that is not unheard of on earth, but not really common for one that deep so close to the shore.

Then again, this isn't Earth.

Does that prove anything one way or another? Not really...

So where do we go from there?

Let's make a few assumptions, JUST FOR ARGUMENT'S SAKE!
Blair and Paladin weren't wearing gravity boots or have some sort of mystical enviornmental field around them, at least none that were ever mentioned.

So with that in mind, it does appear that Vespus has similar Gravity, and similar atmosphere. How do we deduce this? Blair and Paladin are breathing normally, and their cloaks are slightly blowing in the breeze. Also, we see fire errupting from the Concordia. So something allows for these conditions to be met.

COULD they possibly be a different set of elements combined and Blair and Paladin COULD be able to breathe for a short time on the planet, but if exposed for too long could be poisoned by the atmosphere, we've seen that before in other various sci fi movies and games.

But, wild theories aside, let's stick with the assumption that this was meant to be a habitable world. With gravity similar to Earth.

Why is this important? Look at the way the Concordia is slanted. If she were split in half, all the weight would be distributed to the forward section where the PTC, the radar housing, and gun turrets are. With that theory, would the Concordia be able to stay upright like that? If she sank enough into mud on the ocean floor, maybe, but unlikely even then. Plus if you look at the terrain, its rocky instead of sand and mud.

There is also the theory that the debris we see off to the right of Concordia is in fact the other half that split off. Honestly, I find that difficult to believe. The debris is way to close to the front half and too small in size to be the correct piece.

So where is the other half if it did break in half?
Well There are a few explanations:

1. It broke apart and burnt up in on entry.
2. It broke up upon crashing and spread all over the sea.
3. It's off screen.

So this is just the priliminary piece. Let's open up the floor for debate on this one. Anyone who wishes to add more evidence/info/wild theories, please do.

My opinion: The Concordia did not break apart on entry. It did not break up when she hit. My best estimate is that she landed mostly intact, sank into the sea and that is how she is remaining upright for the time being.
The best I can fathom is that the lack of apparent distance from the shore is either explained by an error on the artist's part, or a massive drop off right off shore.
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The most worrisome thing is that it somehow ended up at the same beach Blair and Angel had recently visited for their romantic vacation.
 
Bandit LOAF said:
The most worrisome thing is that it somehow ended up at the same beach Blair and Angel had recently visited for their romantic vacation.
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Are you joking? Or was that established in dialogue? Either way... I enter the theory that maybe Thrakath drove the Concordia to that system and had her torpedoed there to send Blair a message.

Anything else is just poor storytelling.
 
I was joking, but only half--it is established in the novel that they're on /a/ beach on Vespus.

(... which actually makes sense, since it's a major base and where the Concordia was assigned... so it only makes sense that that's where her Wing Commander would take leave.)

I can answer the original question, though--the Concordia's hull is said to be "half sumberged" in the novelization.

Edit: SUBMERGED. And not corrected, because "sumberged" is a hilarious word.
 
We also have experience with large capships entering into atmospheres. The Tarawa plunges into Igrathi's atmosphere in ER and lands, under a cliff no less, in FA while hiding from Kilrathi forces.

Perhaps something like that played a role in her final resting place.
 
Wondering if it was a bit of a Battlestar Galactica moment...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2enjkVJb4Mw

Imagine the Midway in its place...

In regards to the Concordia... I would imagine with the mass of a capship, plus velocity of it entering the water, it may very well have dug its own hole in the ocean floor... you can see its almost resting in a crater of its own, which would have been created had it hit the surface with some speed. Which it probably did given its size. So the front half is probably stuck in mud & dirt, which may be enough to hold the rest of it up at that crazy angle.

Either that, or it stays up because its artistically 'right'. See hitchhikers guide in reference to the statue of Arthur Dent throwing a teacup.
 
Well not to bring real physics into it - because this is a computer game afterall, but I would think that 93,000 tonnes of starship hitting the ocean from orbit would probably obliterate the ship.
 
Sylvester said:
Well not to bring real physics into it - because this is a computer game afterall, but I would think that 93,000 tonnes of starship hitting the ocean from orbit would probably obliterate the ship.
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It could be that it was already in the atmosphere, you're assuming that it was in orbit. Tarawa operated in atmo all the time - even setting down on a planet in Fleet Action. And we see that in the movie, too.
 
Yes I was imagining that 'crashing' was probably too strong a word... more likely it came to a rather rough and unintended landing ;)
 
I'm gonna throw my two cents into the argument here. I'd say the Concordia WAS blown in half, but the rear half (with the engines, power generators and fuel) vapourised itself, blowing the forward half down into the planet's gravity well, which made it crash down. That's my theory anyway. (and my theory for it's angle in the water? There's a big rock underneath it.)
 
I would assume there was some attempt at a controlled landing (or at least expectation thereof)--otherwise, Blair wouldn't have been tasked with evaluating whether or not it was a total loss.
 
Mahak said:
Wondering if it was a bit of a Battlestar Galactica moment...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2enjkVJb4Mw

Imagine the Midway in its place...

In regards to the Concordia... I would imagine with the mass of a capship, plus velocity of it entering the water, it may very well have dug its own hole in the ocean floor... you can see its almost resting in a crater of its own, which would have been created had it hit the surface with some speed. Which it probably did given its size. So the front half is probably stuck in mud & dirt, which may be enough to hold the rest of it up at that crazy angle.

Either that, or it stays up because its artistically 'right'. See hitchhikers guide in reference to the statue of Arthur Dent throwing a teacup.
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I agree with this... can't believe i didn't think of it. I also think that the way they had her land was correct if she remained intact, because the back half appears to have more mass then the rest.
 
Booo. Total loss my #$@. It doesn't look like an Arizona to me, more like a West Virginia just begging to be returned to the fight to prove her continued worth!

I've got it. The next WC game should feature a mix of dejected and apathetic has-beens near retirment mixed with new green recruits who find themselves on a reconditioned but somewhat neglected (and only 80% restored) Concordia. Morale blows but Confed expects them to be only a farce - the Kilrathi, instead, EXPECT her with her storied career to be the focal point of continued resistance. Instead, she's relegated to diversionary missions and feints. That is, until her crew decides to join together in a humble, coming-of-age meets super-sappy-positive human condition tale to prove the opposite. There will be romance, conflict, tears and triumph, mixed with a bit of booze and combat.

Wing Commander: Connie's Crew
 
If I am not mistaken, that is the front half of the ship sticking up.

If the Concordia was ridden into the ground (think of Serenity or the opening crash in Star Wars III) then the crew might have had her turned backwards so the enginges could take all the re-entry friction and possibly fire intermittently to slow the descent. That would indicate that the mass of the ship was intact. Any breakup would have been upon impact. Since the WC3 novel states half submerged, this leads to the remains of the engines being buried in the ocean floor.

Breaking apart in space, The front half would have impacted uncontrolled into Vespa, a la the Chixalub meteor that may have wiped out the dinosaurs. If that is only a quarter of the ship sticking out, that theory might work, as the other quarter stuck in the seafloor would anchor it up.

I like the idea of the water being in the crater Concordia formed on impact, and the soil Blair and Taggart are standing on is a berm raised up by the impact.

I REALLY like Eltee's idea for a fanfic: The back half of the Concordia survived in space or a controlled crash onto Vespa and was rebuilt into a fighting or even armed merchant ship. The Tarawa survived having the front quarter of it blown off and returned under her own power in End Run. The Landreich is excellent at cobbling ships together, and the Union of Border Worlds could use everything it could get.

On a side note, this is the second ship destruction Blair has survived. I wouldn't be surprised if he was considered a jinx in some circles of the Confed Navy. He could have gotten the Victory assignment because Adm. Tolwyn considered that carrier either expendable or sooooooo lucky to have survived the war for so long that it could break Blair's "curse".
 
On a side note, this is the second ship destruction Blair has survived. I wouldn't be surprised if he was considered a jinx in some circles of the Confed Navy. He could have gotten the Victory assignment because Adm. Tolwyn considered that carrier either expendable or sooooooo lucky to have survived the war for so long that it could break Blair's "curse".
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I don't know if the Concordia counts--Blair hadn't served on her for six months.
 
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