25: From Hactar to the Happy Vertical People Transporters

Mark and Jon Bounds are joined by Danny Smith to start work on the H section of Douglas Adams’ Hitchhikers’ universe. Hactar Hactar is the first computer ever to be shocked. The Silastic Armorfiends of Striterax disintegrated it into dust, but it still functioned, slowly. In the radio series, he was played by Leslie Philips. Haggunenons The Haggunenons of Vicissitus Three have the most impatient chromosomes in the Galaxy. Whereas most races are content to evolve slowly and carefully over thousands of generations, discarding a prehensile toe here, nervously hazarding another nostril there, the Haggunenons would do for Charles Darwin what a squadron of Acturan stunt apples would have done for Sir Isaac Newton. Hamlet Adams uses a Hamlet reference when writing about the story Arthur wants to tell Fenchurch, upon their first actual meeting, where they’re able to talk while he drives her to Taunton. Han Dold City A dangerous part of the universe. Ford ends up at the Old Pink Dog Bar, where there’s a bird that screaches out the names and numbers of local contract killers, as a free service to patrons. Han Wavel A world which consists largely of fabulous ultra-luxury hotels and casinos, all of which have been formed by the natural erosion of wind and rain. Happy Vertical People Transporters Modern elevators are strange and complex entities. The ancient electric winch and “maximum-capacity-eight-persons” jobs bear as much relation to a Sirius Cybernetics Corporation Happy Vertical People Transporter as a packet of mixed nuts does to the entire west wing of the Sirian State Mental Hospital. This is because they’re able to travel to the floor you want, even before you realised you wanted it. They ended up sulking in basements because their passengers wouldn’t take them anywhere interesting. Links Vote for our show in DiscoverPods’ March Madness round 1 (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdt6qhQ1ztFM4Ryupa423JsJsbRqPIgWNx5jFc-yxt0KEdwhA/viewform) Follow Jon on Twitter (https://twitter.com/bounder) Follow Danny on Twitter (https://twitter.com/probablydrunk) Follow Mark on Twitter (https://twitter.com/iamsteadman)