Sevencyclopaedia - D

DIME

A coin of the United States of America, valued at ten cents, or a tenth of a dollar, one of which was part of a ring worn by Jenna on the fourth finger of her left hand from The Way Back to Seek-Locate-Destroy. The coin was established as one of the denominations of the currency of the United States in a Coinage Act passed on 2 April 1792. Section 9 of the Act originally called such coins 'dismes', pronounced 'deem', an English word for tenth, taken from Old French.

The type of dime seen mounted onto the band of Jenna's ring was minted in the period 1916-45, and called the Winged Liberty Head dime. This was because the obverse of the coin, clearly seen in Cygnus Alpha, depicted Liberty wearing a winged cap, intended to symbolise freedom of thought. Because the Roman god Mercury also wore a winged cap, as well as wings on his feet, this type of dime was popularly called the Mercury dime. It was replaced by a new design, issued in 1946 with a portrait of the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

See also JEWELLERY.

DIRECTIONAL INDICATOR

Self-explanatory. The directional indicator Avon was given on Terminal was spherical, programmed to check user identity by palm and voice print, and presumably tuned into a continuous, fixed position, homing signal.

DIRECTIONAL PROBES

Part of Liberator's navigational system. Their function was impaired by interference from the energy barriers around Sardos. Also mentioned were the forward navigation probes and starboard navigation probes; presumably there were port and possibly aft navigation probes as well.

DISENTASTRA

Populated planet mentioned by Zen during Liberator's journey to Terminal.

DISORIENTER

Interrogation device, used on Blake and Jenna, and probably Cally, on Horizon. From comments made by Ro, intensive, protracted experience to the effects of a disorienter could be fatal.

DISRUPTION BOMB

Explosive device, apparently of small burst radius, fitted to Orac by Avon. It was primed to detonate if Orac's energy levels ever deviated from very precise limits, preventing Orac being utilised by an alien force such as the Darkness.

DISTAR

A prisoner held on UP-Project Avalon, in cell A12.

DOCHOLLI

First mentioned by a dying Provine on Albian as the only man who knew where Star One was located. A Federation cybersurgeon, Docholli operated on the technicians who built Star One, removing all trace of its whereabouts from their memories. Realising that he would in turn be operated on in case he had found out the location for himself, he faked the operation on another cybersurgeon (Lurgen) and fled. He finally arrived on Freedom City in the company of Travis, having risked his life to save people trapped by the explosion on the Bari. An habitual drinker, he was hidden by Chenie, who arranged for him to be shipped off planet by a Trantinian planet hopper. Travis persuaded him to repair his prosthetic arm, booby-trapped by Servalan, after which Blake appeared. Docholli was last seen leaving for the planet hopper with its pilot.

Zee called him a "drunken butcher", Blake said that he had had "Servalan on his heels since he escaped", and Travis mentioned not having seen him for two years. This is somewhat at odds with his earlier claim (in Pressure Point) that Control had been moved from Earth thirty years previously. For his own part, Docholli claimed that he tried "to keep out of politics", and considered the thirty technicians he had operated on had every right to want to kill him.

DOCKING

Written By Murray Smith

The joining of a space vehicle to another in space. The first docking operation between two space vehicles seperately launched from Earth happened on 16 March 1966, between Gemini 8 and Agena 8 of the United States. Ten docking operations were wholly or partly shown during the series:

Space Fall: The London with the Liberator. Time Squad: The Liberator with a space projectile, the most elaborate and painstaking docking operation shown. Redemption: The Liberator with Space World. The Harvest of Kairos: The Liberator with the Kairopan transporter. Children of Auron: A disabled Auron C-type patrol vessel with Servalan's cruiser. Animals: The scout ship carrying Ardus with Servalans ship. Gold: The Scorpio with the pleasure cruiser Space Princess twice. Orbit: Egrorians shuttle with the Scorpio. Warlord: Servalan's ship with Zukan's.

The Liberator with the Kairopan transporter

See also DOCKING CRADLES.

DOCKING CRADLES

A feature of Freedom City and doubtless many other places as well. The docking cradles were very close to the loading bays: Chenie referred to a fifty yard walk for Docholli.

See also DOCKING.

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