Tactical officer
A tactical officer is a member of a ship's command crew and is usually in charge of a ship's shield capabilities and onboard weaponry. They usually coordinate battle attack strategies with the ship's commanding officer. Tactical officers may be found on small warships, larger starships or on fleet capital ships. Tactical officers may also serve as department heads for a vessel's security detachment.
(See Also: Weapons Officer; Starfleet Tactical Officers)
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Technician
A technician is a specialist in any number of applied sciences including medical and mechanical engineering. Technicians are usually found working in a laboratory or some research facility specializing in their chosen field. In Star Wars, technicians in service to the Galactic Empire could be found working on the Death Star space station or any number of capitol ships. Technicians in service to the Alliance to Restore the Republic often made certain that the Rebels' starfighters were in top shape and ready to fly. Technicians could also be found as background characters on any of the Star Trek television programs. They were seen working either on a starship, at a starbase or at Starfleet Academy (though this was rare). Technicians were often used by Starfleet's engineering department. Specialists who had the misfortune of being called upon for away missions, often did not survive the experience and have been colloquially nicknamed redshirts. In Stargate SG-1, the United States Air Force and Stargate Command had a crew of specially trained technicians on hand inside the Gate Room at the Cheyenne Mountain facility. One technician of note was Staff Sergeant Laura Davis who was a minor recurring character on the series.
(See Also: Technician)
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Tenka
A Tenka is the singular form of a unique biological appendage possessed by Luxans in the mythology of the Farscape television series. Luxans possess eight tenkas, or tentacles, which extend downward from the base of their skull. They also possess a shorter, flatter chin tenka which on males is considered an erogenous zone. Members of the Ilanic race, genetic cousins to Luxans, possess similar tentacles, though there's are significantly more prominent. It is a common practice in Luxan culture to have one's tenkas tatooed. This may be reflective of a Luxan's standing amongst the warrior caste.
(See Also: Luxans; Ka D'Argo)
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Terrestrial
Terrestrial refers to things have to do with the land or the Earth.
(See Also: Extraterrestrial)
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Thug
Thug is a rather generic term for a common criminal. These guys usually serve as nameless antagonists or background fodder in shows that involve some kind of criminal cartel. Thugs may also serve as bodyguards and henchmen. Though often played by extras, thugs are also commonly portrayed by stunt performers, particularly in scenes that involve violence or physical interaction with another actor. Examples of a thug could be found just about anywhere. In the old Batman live-action series, the villain du jour usually had a gang of accomplices or henchpeople, many of whom were often required to adhere to a strict, albeit unconventional dress code.
(See Also: Thug; Henchman)
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Time dilation
Time dilation is a phenomenon described by the theory of relativity. It can be illustrated by supposing that two observers are in motion relative to each other, and/or differently situated with regard to nearby gravitational masses. They each carry a clock of identical construction and function. Then, the point of view of each observer will generally be that the other observer's clock is in error (has changed its rate).
Time Slip
Time slip is a phenomenon found in temporal mechanics in which a specified period of time repeats itself as if it were a skipping record. Time slips usually occur near an area where the space/time continuum has been adversely affected, usually caused by scientific experimentation. An example of a time slip was demonstrated in the "City of Death" storyline of Doctor Who wherein the Fourth Doctor and Romana experienced a time slip while at the Louvre in Paris.
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Time travel
Time travel is the process by which a person or object moves itself through the timestream through unconventional means. This process can be achieved through an artificial construct that allows one to translocate their corporeal form backward or forward through time, usually referred to as a time machine. Some may develop a psychokinetic ability to transpose their consciousness through the timestream while their physical body remains at its origin point. Time travel has been featured in a multitude of science fiction stories, novels, films and television programs such as Doctor Who, the Back to the Future film franchise and the Time Cop film and television franchise.
(See Also: Time travel in film; Time travel in television; Time travel appearances|)
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Tractor beam
A tractor beam is a hypothetical device with the ability to attract one object to another from a distance. Since the 1990's technology and research has changed the tractor beam from science fiction to reality. However, there is no mainstream science which is equivalent to the magnitude in which it is used in science fiction but university research has allowed for advancement on the microscopic level (see optical tweezers). Tractor beams are frequently used in science fiction. Less commonly, a similar beam that repels is called a pressor beam or repulsor beam. The exact specifics vary, but there are generalities. Gravity impulse and gravity propulsion beams are areas of research from fringe physics that coincide with the concepts of tractor and repulsor beams.
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Translator microbes
In the continuity of Farscape, Translator microbes are microscopic organisms that colonize the base of the brain, enabling those infected by them to understand the speech of other life forms, even if they are being spoken to in a language that they are unfamiliar with. Translator microbes are usually delivered into a person's body by way of Diagnostic Repair Drones (DRDs). Most life forms are injected with these microbes at birth, but they can also be administered at any time during the growth cycle. In function, they are similar to the Babel Fish featured in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
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Transporter
A transporter is a device, facility or person that is responsible for the transportation of people or goods from one location to another. On starships, a transporter is incorporated into the Engineering section of a ship and is housed within a transporter room and is operated by a Transporter Chief. A transporter consists of several pads atop a platform, which discorporates a volume of matter, keeps its molecular structure locked inside of a buffer pattern and then transported to a destination point where it is re-assembled into its previous form.
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