The Continuity Guide
by Martin Willey

Thermal Lance

Laser cutter (named a Sonarscope in The Mark Of Archanon script) seen in The Mark Of Archanon, The Bringers Of Wonder part 2 & The Immunity Syndrome

In Year One, Victor Bergman's telescope has the same design as the thermal lance. It is seen in Ring Around The Moon (in his quarters, LQ12), and in Another Time Another Place on Earth. It seems to be a Newtonian reflecting telescope (probably 6" aperture) with an equatorial mount, tripod, two eyepieces and finder scope- all features still seen on the thermal lance. The primary mirror extension rods are closed up when seen on the thermal lance.

In The Mark Of Archanon, we see the thermal lance being used to analyse rock and break apart surface layers. The beam looks like a spotlight and causes rock to steam and shatter. Although rapid changes in temperature can cause erosion, in reality it's not a very practical mining tool. The text (seen clearly in the other two episodes) calls it a "thermal laser". The operators use the finder scope, and fiddle with the eyepieces while pointing the wrong end of the telescope at the rock.

In The Bringers Of Wonder part 2, the thermal lance is used again, and we see some close ups of the other side (a "Danger:Beam" sign points to the wrong end of the telescope, and the legend "Thermal Laser" is seen). Again it works like a spotlight, this time melting electronics.

In The Immunity Syndrome, the spotlight is gone and now we see a green laser beam. The lens cap on the end of the telescope reads "Thermal Lance".

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