Oh, yes. I’ve been hoping for something like this.
And I appreciate that then-modern prefix codes are both absurdly long and apparently not just numeric. I’d always wondered what would happen if a hacker started spinning the proverbial tumblers on a TOS-movie-era ship’s codes…
Not only were TOS-era prefix codes mere five digit numbers, limiting them to 100,000 possible codes, but apparently they were entered by manually flipping a single set of switches numbered 0 through 9, meaning a given digit could only appear once in a given code, which further reduces the number of possible codes to a mere 30,240.
Or do I just watch TWoK too many times? (What am I supposed to do, tho, watch Into Darkness?)
MAD Magazine had some fun with that in its TWOK satire. If I recall correctly, Spock tells Kirk he can take over the Reliant (“Refinanced”) if he can figure out the code. Kirk protests: “It would be impossible for one to … ” Spock interrupts: “4-1-2! Brilliant, Admiral!”
“16309? That’s the kinda thing an idiot would have on his luggage!”
I like the way the first panel is composed and lit.
Agreed!
Oh, yes. I’ve been hoping for something like this.
And I appreciate that then-modern prefix codes are both absurdly long and apparently not just numeric. I’d always wondered what would happen if a hacker started spinning the proverbial tumblers on a TOS-movie-era ship’s codes…
My goodness, yes.
Not only were TOS-era prefix codes mere five digit numbers, limiting them to 100,000 possible codes, but apparently they were entered by manually flipping a single set of switches numbered 0 through 9, meaning a given digit could only appear once in a given code, which further reduces the number of possible codes to a mere 30,240.
Or do I just watch TWoK too many times? (What am I supposed to do, tho, watch Into Darkness?)
TWOK-specific, not TOS-era. 🙂
MAD Magazine had some fun with that in its TWOK satire. If I recall correctly, Spock tells Kirk he can take over the Reliant (“Refinanced”) if he can figure out the code. Kirk protests: “It would be impossible for one to … ” Spock interrupts: “4-1-2! Brilliant, Admiral!”