Babylon 5 question

[Miss Chicken]

It has been a while since I have seen the two episodes involved in this question and i can't remember exactly the name of the episodes.

There is an episode in which Susan, Garibaldi, Sheridan are having breakfast. Garibaldi complains about having the same thing for breakfast for years. Then a waiter brings Susan a plate of food, real bacon and eggs that Marcus has sent as a thank you.

Garibaldi says that it is impossible to get fresh eggs as they spoil before they can reach Babylon 5.

In another episode Sheidan and Delenn take a White Star to Mars because a Shadow ship has been found and they don't want Shadow technology to fall into the hands of Clarke and his followers. I am pretty certain that Sheridan says that it is a two day jump to Mars.

If this is so how can eggs possibly spoil on their way to Babylon 5?

Am I remembering these two episodes rightly (and does anyone know the name of the episodes concerned)?

 

[DonIago]

The second episode is, I believe, Messages from Earth.

 

[John Clark]

I think both were mentioned in "Messages from Earth"?

Beaten to it

 

[Miss Chicken]

I think both were mentioned in "Messages from Earth"?

Beaten to it

It is very bad writing if both are from "Messages from Earth" as they contradict each other.

I will look at that episode tonight.

 

[John Clark]

It is very bad writing if both are from "Messages from Earth" as they contradict each other.

In-Universe arguement - The Whitestars can make the trip faster than the general issue transport ships.

Real-Life argument - Oops, missed it

 

[Jan]

Yes, both scenes are from "Messages from Earth". Garibaldi doesn't mention spoilage, though, what he says is:

I can get anchovies. Olive oil.​

Anything that's pre-packaged. I

haven't seen a fresh chicken egg in​

three years. Cooked or otherwise.

When asked about it, JMS replied:

Why aren't eggs and bacon available?
Mainly it's the expense involved per volume. It still costs big bucks, and you generally need refrigeration.

Jan

 

[Guy Gardener]

Don't forget the X number of days quarantine either side of the x number of Jumpgate customs.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Why don't they simply keep a few chickens on Babylon 5?

 

[Jan]

Why don't they simply keep a few chickens on Babylon 5?

Because they smell worse than the pak'ma'ra? Dunno, I don't recall any mention of there being anything more than the hydroponic gardens on B5.

Jan

 

[Guy Gardener]

They do. Blackmarket, if nothing else.

But when a 1/4 million humans and aliens all want an egg from the same chicken, those eggs are going to be insanely expensive. A few thousand credits per unit expensive.

That's even if the permit to range animals is permissible considering the disease and noise inherent with the safe care and disposal of waste and other such issues.

 

[Neroon]

I would expect that the reason for no chickens, even for just a couple, is that resources on this space station are still necessarily conserved. There isn't a whole lot of leeway to be used for something liek that which would consume a number of resources on its own.

 

[Miss Chicken]

The solution would be to park a battery hen ship close to Babylon 5.

Some enterprising businessman could have a thriving industry supplying both eggs and chicken meat.

 

[Guy Gardener]

However consider diminishing returns? The greater the supply of eggs, the less people will pay. A steady constant regular supplier will see a sharp decrease on unit price from thousands of credits to a handfull of change.

That's a ridiculous business model.

 

[DWF]

It has been a while since I have seen the two episodes involved in this question and i can't remember exactly the name of the episodes.

There is an episode in which Susan, Garibaldi, Sheridan are having breakfast. Garibaldi complains about having the same thing for breakfast for years. Then a waiter brings Susan a plate of food, real bacon and eggs that Marcus has sent as a thank you.

Garibaldi says that it is impossible to get fresh eggs as they spoil before they can reach Babylon 5.

In another episode Sheidan and Delenn take a White Star to Mars because a Shadow ship has been found and they don't want Shadow technology to fall into the hands of Clarke and his followers. I am pretty certain that Sheridan says that it is a two day jump to Mars.

If this is so how can eggs possibly spoil on their way to Babylon 5?

Am I remembering these two episodes rightly (and does anyone know the name of the episodes concerned)?

It's a two day trip to Ganymede one of Jupiter's moons not Mars, now it's a short hop to earth for a White Star but I'm sure that going by jumpgate to jumpgate would take longer.

 

[Candlelight]

Why don't they simply keep a few chickens on Babylon 5?

A home to diplomats, smugglers, chickens and wanderers. Two million five hundred thousand tons of spinning feathers, all alone in the coup. It was our last, best hope for eggs.

 

[Neroon]

Why don't they simply keep a few chickens on Babylon 5?

A home to diplomats, smugglers, chickens and wanderers. Two million five hundred thousand tons of spinning feathers, all alone in the coup. It was our last, best hope for eggs.

If you see anything about this big, feathers and a beak let me know... I have to kill it before it develops range-finding skills.

 

[faubert]

If you watch the episode carefully Garibaldi is saying it can be done but that it costs to much. He says do you know how much it costs to bring eggs here before it spoils and that he has tried for years.

 

[Guy Gardener]

only (some of the) the habitat area's of human vessels have gravity because of rotating sections, so ships wouldn't have to be that old at all to have no gravity at all.

What effect does Zero g have on a chicken egg?

 

[Miss Chicken]

I am not sure if gravity it has much of an effect at all. After all the egg is formed within the chicken and comes out solid.

But if it does then the business man would have to be a Mimbari as I believe that they have worked out artificial gravity quite nicely (if I remember correctly).

 

[Mike Farley]

While a direct jump between B5 and Sol is relatively quick, I would assume that cargo ships don't make direct jumps. They probably stop at every port of call between any two points to drop off stuff and pick up other stuff. It probably takes weeks for a cargo vessel to arrive at B5 from Earth. Kind of like how a trip that might take 2 hours in your private car might could take 6 hours in a Greyhound bus.