Ya know... to date I've designed, lets see, two whole ships of my own and I couldn't tell you what anything really was on them
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Well, on the Orion ship (which is a cleverly disguised rip-off of Masao's work) I could tell you a few things. I have no idea what Brian had in mind on any of his designs and I don't ask. It's because I just don't think these things through like you guys (a failing really - noodle whipping likely to have to occur now!) But.. Yeah, I'm thinking it is some type of antenna.
As to the handsome stranger - I wished I looked that good. It is actually a real 5'4" fully pose able model of an alien visitor. My company had this ad campaign running and one of the stories had this alien dude in it. The agency had worked with a guy who made it and then did some cleaver PS work to make two of them show up in the picture. To make it more convincing he made it pose able in the event we would want full body shots. No idea what ever came of him since.
Here is the
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