h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Coelacanth. Wonderful links from your site, thank you!

*looks up and wonders why it's all gone a bit dark*

Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoyed them. I see you are somewhat gifted in the growth department. I *do* like tall men. *swoon*

Since I seem to be somewhat lacking in height, how about I give you some of the space in the world that I've had no use for so far? I've been hoping that someone would come along and find that they needed it.

Well!
If I took you up on that, there would be a pun involved.

'A Fish Caught In Time'! Recommended reading for anyone who has an interest in ancient fish. Gold flecked, deep blue, deep, impressive.

It certainly is. I'm glad you enjoyed the read.

A long time ago on h2g2 we only had one fish. It was yellow and didn't look like this: but was smaller with a little eye and a tiny black tail which hardly showed up against blue goo. It's gone now.

Then one day, 4 years ago, I climbed up on the knee of a nice gentleman with a beard and asked a special question. See F29509?thread=93500 . 7 months later, in a site upgrade known as Ripley 1.5 I got my wish.

From that I learned that if I am a good fish and polite to bearded gentlemen I'll get something nice.

Well. Christmas can be special, can't it? But there is a darker coelacanth with gold flecks - perhaps among others that still lurk around the world.
But you sound like the blue one. Do you stand on your head like they do?
I understand there is a captain in your life: all captains need good crew, particularly someone who reads the charts and keeps a look out for shallows and storms. Then a life at sea isn't all at sea.

-- oh, and being a bit thoughtless, I forgot to say how important good crew is to a captain. A captain would be adrift without good crew.

A captain needs a navigator?

Sometimes I use a different fish. Its almost golden. This is what happens when the bluefish blushes.

I think that there is this remarkable thing a navigator does, so obviously a navigator would be an excellent position on any vessel that takes to the sea of life.
Between them a captain and a navigator can maintain a ship: if it storms, the captain can say what the ship can stand and how it should face the waves. But the navigator must say where the ship should go and in what direction, and what places it must stop in between in order for the whole journey to be properly complete.
And that's another thing: the journey never finishes for a good vessel, it can go on for a very long time, captain asks the navigator for a course to steer, the navigator takes into account how the captain sets the vessel against the sea.
And in the calms, and light winds, I understand there is peace. And rum, and salt pork and sea biscuits with weevils, and a bit of deck scrubbing. It's not all plain sailing, you know.
As navigator and/or deep swimming blue fish, you will provide an interesting combination for this man. You must insist he look after the ship as well as he can!

Many new things since last I left a message: a whole new and almost infinite chart of seas and oceans! That's wow!

Some already sailed and yet so many more ahead I hope. Just show me where the maps and charts are kept and how to follow a true course. Oh, and let me steer sometimes.

I think your Captain will teach you well, and you will steer him well: and when you navigate him through all sorts of waters, it will be a great and long journey. I am very sure that this is what he wants.