explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2765: Escape Speed/Tables

2023-06-06T16:45:31Z

172.68.139.32: /* All Objects with Explanations */ Finished Death Star

__TOC__

Here the long tables needed for the explanation of the interactive comic [[2765: Escape Speed]] could be moved.

=Table of planets=
{{incomplete|
'''This is a different attempt to list and explain all the planets and other objects that have gravity and can be landed upon and explored'''.

The description and explanations may be incomplete or incorrect. Please help improve them. Try to keep separate the ''description'' (i.e. how the planet looks and what general features it has) and ''explanation'' (i.e. what the name and look represent, what they refer to both in the real and fictional worlds and what xkcd comics may have been a source or an inspiration. Please describe the planets only, not the objects that can be found on them.
}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Name <code>code-name</code>
! Tiles (X, Y)
! Directions
! Description
! Explanation
|-
| '''Starting Planet''' <code>tiny-world</code>
| (6024, -8976)
| To get here, click the "Home" button in the lower right corner of the comic.
|
The planet is tiny, grassy, has a few trees and bushes and features several people. Initially the navigation is difficult because of low initial engine thrust and strong gravity of the Origin planet nearby affecting movement.
|
This is where the game starts. Pressing the "Home" button to go back to the starting planet shows the message, "Welcome back, pilot", which may be a reference to the greeting that plays when re-entering a Titan in the ''Titanfall'' video games.

|-
| '''Origin''' <code>origin</code>
| (3096, -5904)
| To get here, launch from Beret Guy saying "Wow!" on the Starting Planet.
|
The planet is fairly big, has vegetation, and features many people, landscape objects, items and upgrades. It has a shaft through the center. The planet is hard to leave without any upgrades unless one uses the shaft to gain more momentum by thrusting while moving through the middle of it. Many of the landmarks of the surface mark the directions to different planets.
|
The planet has a sign saying 'Welcome to Origin! You can never leave™'. The name may also refer to the fact that the planet lies almost at the center of the game world, or that it is the starting point for exploration as it provides many navigational hints.

|-
| '''Hollow Planet''' <code>hollow-shell</code>
| (-13952, 1848)
| To get here, launch from the St. Louis Arch on Origin.
|
The planet is just a shell with some gaps. On the outside, there are a few signs that mark the directions to different planets.
|

|-
| '''Round Planet''' <code>orb</code>
| (-19154, -7288)
| To get here, launch from the tower with an orb on it on Origin or the sign on the Hollow Planet.
|
The planet is moderately small with no vegetation and some architecture such as Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China. It also features a few people and items.
|
|-
| '''Uzumaki''' <code>uzumaki</code>
| (-3904, -26904)
| To get here, launch from Origin's spiral landmark, the sign on the Hollow Planet, or below the plane-towed banner on the Round Planet.
| The planet is a large spiral overgrown with grass and some other vegetation. It has very weak gravity.
| The shape of the planet is inspired by the {{w|manga}} {{w|Uzumaki}} by {{w|Junji Ito}}.
|-
| '''Guitar Ship''' <code>guitar-ship</code>
| (-12000, -30000)
| To get there, launch from Uzumaki, a little to the left of the caffeine molecule item.
| The planet is shaped like a guitar seen in perspective looking from the bottom of the body, with a dome on the back side. Within the dome there's the Boston skyline.
| This is a reference to the cover art of the album {{w|Boston (album)|Boston}} by the like-named American {{w|Boston (band)|rock band}}. It's one of many references to {{w|Boston}} in the game.
|-
| '''Spacetime Soccer Field''' <code>soccerfield</code>
| (6048, 4048)
| To get here, launch from Origin, from the pyramid with a soccer ball on top of it.
|
This is a tiny planet with a smooth surface and a distorted soccer field marked around it. The goals and goal area lines are on the opposite sides of the planet (let's say, to the east and west), distorted into curved trapezoids. The touch lines (side lines) are sections of hyperbolas with the vertices closest to the planet at the north and south poles, extending symmetrically to some distance from the planet. There is no goal line; in this geometry it should be the extended axis. What seems to be penalty lines, but drawn incorrectly to join the side lines instead of going back to the goal line, are sections of an ellipse. The halfway line appears twice, joining the four ends of hyperbolic side lines. The center circle appears as two separate halves stemming from the two copies of the halfway line.
|
The space soccer field utilizes the concept from [[2705: Spacetime Soccer]], but inversed: in the original comic the center point of the field was located in a gravity well, causing the ball to be pulled away from the goals; here the goals are located close to the center of the planet, so the ball naturally tries to fall towards them, probably making the game more interesting.
|-
| '''Saturn''' <code>saturn</code>
| (2600, 14000)
| To get here, launch from the pyramid with Saturn on it on Origin. If you see the Spacetime Soccer Field, you're too far left.
| The planet resembles Saturn with its rings, however it is translucent: a soccer ball can bee seen inside. One of the ball's white hexagons is surfacing in the north pole area.
| It is a reference to [[2513: Saturn Hexagon]]
|-
| '''Andal''' <code>platform-planet</code>
| (12048, 14048)
| To get there launch from a monument on Origin, featuring a round shape with a small "T" on top.
| This is a small partly rocky and partly grassy planet with a strange T-shaped tower.
| A reference to ''{{w|Animorphs}}'' book series featuring fictional sapient species of [https://aliens.fandom.com/wiki/Andalite Andalites]. Two such (or similar) creatures can be found on the planet. In the original books, the planet the Andalites come from is unnamed.
|-
| '''Projection of Earth''' <code>earth-map</code>
| (-15808, 22192)
| To get there by follow the sign on the hollow planet or launch from the Earth map monument on Origin.
| The planet is shaped like a huge distorted map of all land masses of Earth. The player's spaceship can fly where water would be, but it can't go over land. Some straights between islands are to narrow for the ship to pass, especially in the {{w|Southeast Asia}} area. Some {{w|mediterranean seas}} are also inaccessible.
| Probably a reference to [[977: Map Projections]] or, more generally, to the Randall's obsession about [[:Category:Maps|maps]].
|-
| '''Voyager 1''' <code>voyager-1</code>
| (1606, -14282)
| To get here, launch from the "Receiving transmission" communication device near the spiral landmark on Origin.
| This is a recreation of the {{w|Voyager 1}} space probe.
|
|-
| '''Voyager 2''' <code>voyager-2</code>
| (10682, -5172)
| To get here, launch from the "Receiving transmission" communication device near the spider landmark on Origin.
| This is a recreation of the {{w|Voyager 2}} space probe.
|
|-
| '''SafetySat''' <code>safetysat</code>
| (17024, 1024)
| To get here, launch from the cell tower on Origin.
| A cube satellite with an absurd set of assorted objects on board.
| This is a reference to [[1992: SafetySat]].
|-
| '''Shuttle Skeleton''' <code>space-shuttle</code>
| (-30200, 14576)
| To get here, launch from the Shuttle Skeleton landmark on Origin or in the northwestern direction from Alaska on the Projection of Earth.
| The planet looks like an outline of the space shuttle with a strange skeleton inside.
| This is a reference to [[2630: Shuttle Skeleton]].
|-
| '''Giant Spider''' <code>spider</code>
| (26982, -8714)
| To get here, launch from the spider landmark on Origin.
| The object is a giant spider floating in space with eight people standing on top of his legs.
| [[:Category:Spiders|Spiders]] is a recurring theme on xkcd.
|-
| '''Diffraction Spikes Star''' <code>diffraction</code>
| (-19944, 11240)
| To get here, launch from the back of the left "hand" of the Shuttle Skeleton or the north of Alaska.
| The object is a star with very long spikes.
| This is a reference to [[2762: Diffraction Spikes]].
|-
| '''Roche Lobe Earth''' <code>earth-roche</code> ''and'' <code>normal-moon</code>
| (-9952, -3952)
| To get there, launch from the like-shaped statue on Origin.
| This is a small, distorted, drop-shaped Earth with oceans and continents of the northern hemisphere. There's the Moon close by. The distortion looks like if the Moon's tidal forces are pulling northern Atlantic Ocean really hard.
|
|-
| '''Dark Matter Planet''' <code>dark-matter</code>
| (-2892, 2640)
| To get here, launch from the goal on the half of the field with just one person on it on Spacetime Soccer Field.
| This is a small, irregular planet with a black center (normal planets have white centers) and an inscription "DARK MATTER" inside, repeated three times.
|
{{w|Dark matter}} is a hypothetical form of {{w|matter}} sought by {{w|Astrophysics|astrophycists}} as a possible cause of behavior of {{w|Galaxy|galaxies}}, which cannot be explained by the current theory of {{w|gravity}} and observations. The anomalies would be explained if there was extra {{w|mass}} in the galaxies, which is not observed, but is theorized as dark matter presence. The dark matter is named this way not because it has some dark color, but because it supposedly does not interact (or interacts very weakly) with {{w|electromagnetic field}}, therefore does not emit {{w|light}} and can't be seen.

This is also a reference to [[2186: Dark Matter]]
|-
| '''Jurassic Park Planet''' <code>gravity-qwantz</code>
| (20000, 11000)
| To get here, launch from the dinosaur on Origin or from the Andalites on Andal.
| It's a big planet with weak gravity, a lot of grass, and many dinosaur figures, some repeating a few times.
|
This is a reference to the 1993 {{w|Jurassic Park (film)|''Jurassic Park''}} film and the related {{w|Jurassic Park|media franchise}}. It contains images of dinosaurs taken from the [https://www.qwantz.com/ Dinosaurs] web comic, which, similarly to xkcd, uses a random string of letters for its domain name: <code>quantz.com</code>. It also reflects Randal's avid interest in [[:Category:Dinosaurs|dinosaurs]]. This is an exact copy of the Dinosaur Planet from [[2712: Gravity]].
|-
| '''Comet 67P''' <code>67p</code>
| (18048, -11152)
| To get here, launch from the duck next to the 'Caution: long vertical drop' sign on Origin.
| This is a small, potato-shaped body, modelled after the {{w|67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko}} comet.
|
This is a reference to the 2004–2016 {{w|Rosetta (spacecraft)|Rosetta}} spacecraft mission, which was the first to place a lander ({{w|Philae (spacecraft)|Philae}}) on a comet core. The mission was also commemorated in [[1446: Landing]] and the spacecraft are mentioned in [[1402: Harpoons]] and [[1740: Rosetta]].
|-
| '''What If? Planet''' <code>gravity-earth</code>
| (22000, 34000)
| To get here, launch from the two people explaining where Boston is on Origin, the left of Stonehenge on the Round Planet, or the left rim of the Guitar Ship.
| This is a huge, round planet with many bodies of water. The planet contains several scenes from ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' and [[2712: Gravity]]. Megan and Cueball are floating inside a small space in the center of the planet.
| This is an almost exact copy of the Earth planet from [[2712: Gravity]], however all text spoken by the characters has been removed, making puns difficult to grasp without referring to the original. Some scenes have been removed, some modified slightly.
|-
| '''Subway Planet''' <code>subway-planet</code> ''and'' <code>black-hole-3</code>
| (-46000, -24000)
| To can get there take off from the "secret glade" item next to the the bush where someone says "Shhh" on Origin.
|
This is a huge planet with a subway system connecting places named after U.S. cities, similar to the one from [[1196: Subways]]. In the area where Boston should be according to that system, there is a giant round hole with rugged sides consisting of a lot of broken planks. There's a black hole inside, off the center, in the Washington, D.C. area. There are many people and features both on the surface and within subway tunnels.
|
This is a key planet to solve the puzzle in the game, and contains several out of many in-game references to {{w|Boston}} (in many meanings of the name) and the {{w|Massachusetts Institute of Technology}}, which currently is located in {{w|Cambridge, Massachusetts}}, but was founded in 1861 in Boston.

Obviously, it's also a reference to [[1196: Subways]]
|-
| '''Boston Planet''' <code>mbta</code>
| (-42000, 8000)
| To get here, launch from the back of the Shuttle Skeleton.
|
This is a big, perfectly round planet with a subway system. It is invisible until the player finds uncloaking device switch. Initially, all underground tunnels are blocked by huge round rocks with the letter "T" at the entrances and smaller round rocks down the tunnels. To unblock the tunnels, player needs to find subway tokens scattered in the universe; they appear only after the Boston planet is uncloaked. Subway stations on the surface and inside are marked with Boston district names.
|
This is the other key planet to the game puzzle. It is apparently the round part ripped off the Subway Planet, but drawn not to scale. The tunnels inside the planet roughly correspond to the Boston part of the scheme in [[1196: Subways]], but with few additions (e.g. Union Sq, Mattapan). The codename comes from the abbreviation of {{w|Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}.
|-
| '''Crystal Sphere''' ''from'' <code>ring-1</code> ''to'' <code>ring-36</code>
|
| To get here, launch from anywhere and keep avoiding planets until you hit it.
|
Most planets and celestial objects are inside of a thick enormous ring called Crystal Sphere. Both the interior and exterior edges of the Sphere are almost smooth, but have a few dents. There's a wide navigable crack leading out of the Sphere, which sides are rugged and riddled with broken planks, similarily to the Boston hole in the Subwau Planet. The gravity increases significantly as the spaceship goes through the crack, it gradually feels the pull from the parts of the sphere it has left. It is not possible to leave the Sphere without the hyperdrive, however having collected all the engine upgrades inside the Sphere one can barely reach the outer surface, but moving along is very difficult. Above the crack, there is an arch made up of the repeating words "The End", which is reminiscent of the "Don't leave the play area" message in [[1608: Hoverboard]] that appeared when the player tried to get out of it.
|
The Crystal Sphere may be a reference to {{w|The Crystal Spheres}}, a short story by {{w|science fiction}} author {{w|David Brin}}, which suggests that each star with habitable planets in the universe is surrounded by a crystal sphere that can be broken only from the inside and is otherwise completely impenetrable.

It may also be a reference to {{w|celestial spheres}}, an early concept trying to explain apparent movement of planets and stars.
|-
| '''Star Destroyer''' ''from'' <code>star-destroyer-a</code> ''to'' <code>star-destroyer-i</code>
| (18192, -130000)
| To get here, launch from the crack in the Crystal Sphere.
|
This is a gigantic starship; it could have barely fit within the Crystal Sphere. It is located out of the Sphere, right up from the crack, but it can't be reached without the Hyperdrive. It has many corridors and chambers inside, and a lot of people, objects and other features both inside and outside of it. The gravity of the Sphere is still strong around here, but the starship has its own center of gravity; the "down" direction generally points towards the ventral part of the starship, but not quite, making orientation somewhat difficult as the surfaces supposed to be level seem to tilt to the left near the stern and to the right near the bow of the starship. Below it, down a stream of torpedoes fired from a turred, there's a much smaller starship.
|
This is a reference to {{w|Star Destroyer}}s and the {{w|Tantive IV|CR90 Corellian corvette}}, spaceships from the fictional ''{{w|Star Wars}}'' universe.

The whole scene is copied from [[1608: Hoverboard]], with the only difference being that {{w|Darth Vader}}'s dialogue was changed from referencing {{w|Steven Universe}} to {{w|The Murderbot Diaries}}.
|-
| '''Click and Drag Planet''' <code>clickdrag-nw</code>, <code>clickdrag-ne</code>, <code>clickdrag-sw</code>, ''and'' <code>clickdrag-se</code>
| (-31808, 111808)
| To get here, launch from the bow or stern of the Star Destroyer tangentially to the Crystal Sphere to orbit it and keep the stars in the background moving horizontally on the screen until you see a dot around the spaceship guiding you.
|
The planet is huge, larger than any other in the game world, but smaller than the Star Destroyer. It is located outside the Crystal Sphere roughly opposite the Star Destroyer. It is mostly round, with many landscape features and scenes partly copied from [[1110: Click and Drag]], but arrayed in a circular, instead of linear shape. What's missing in comparison to the Click and Drag comic, is a few of the scenes, some textual content like dialogues (leaving persons intact), the underground parts, upper parts of the very high objects, and objects high above the surface.
|
|}

=Tables and Lists of Objects=

==Collectables==

===Plain list of collectables===
This is a quick list for those who want to check if they found everything.

The ''You found...'' sections directly show the names that appear in the player's list of found items. Some upgrades are also items and appear on the list, in such cases the names are the '''bolded''' parts of messages.

* '''Starting Planet'''
** You found...
**# a rock with neat stripes
**# a cool bug
**# a pretty leaf
** Messages
**# Wheeee!

* '''Origin'''
** You found...
**# a secret glade
**# a holographic Charizard business card
**# a 5G seagull
**# a DVD of The Core (2003)
**# a normal-looking leaf
**# a marsh wren
**# an orb wren
**# a single grain of salt
**# 11 squares packed into a larger square
**# a tumbleweed
** Upgrades
**# Nice flying! (Your tanks recharge faster now.)
** Messages
**# You found a tiny meteorite!
**# Welcome to liminal space
**# The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.
**# Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting!

*'''Hollow Planet'''
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a sixth Lagrange point'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# You found '''a glass of heavy water''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Round Planet'''
** You found...
**# a swatch pop-out wristwatch
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a sensible cheese platter''' (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now)
**# ''[no message]'' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Uzumaki'''
** You found...
**# a golden radio tuned to 1.618 MHz
**# a scroll lock key
**# a primordial black hole
**# a cool pair of shoes with flames on the side
**# an ink cartridge
**# a podcast episode
**# a festive but somehow unnerving holiday card from Junji Ito
**# a friendly bee
**# a spiral-cut diamond
**# a burrito
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a tree-filled grove and a nice spot for quiet contemplation''' (Your thrusters are significantly more efficient now.)
**# You found '''a single caffeine molecule'''! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
** Messages
**# Exit Only
**# You're going the wrong way!

* '''Guitar Ship'''
** You found...
**# a guitar pick
** Tokens
**# Orange line deactivated!

* '''Spacetime Soccer Field'''
** Upgrades
**# GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''the 3 million point line''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# You found '''a sunspot'''! (Your launch speed has increased.)

* '''Saturn'''
** You found...
**# a really cool data point
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a pair of platonic solids, not quite touching'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a block of scandium'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Andal'''
** Upgrades
**# You found '''two Andalites, one canonical'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# What a nice place for a ship to sit! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
**# You found '''a friend''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# You found '''baby shoes (and baby)'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Projection of Earth'''
** You found...
**# the Heart of the Ocean (The message adds: "It was drifting around in space.")
**# a whale shark
**# some microbial life
**# some tin from the Pantai Remis mine
**# a sparkling gem
**# a piece of pumice (The message says: "You found a piece of pumice floating in space!")
** Upgrades
**# You found '''the Principality of Sealand'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a Rhode Island the size of an ant'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found an icosahedral d10 (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
** Tokens
**# Red line deactivated!

* '''Voyager 1'''
** Upgrades
**# You found '''Voyager 1'''! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)

* '''Voyager 2'''
** Upgrades
**# You found '''Voyager 2'''! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)

* '''SafetySat'''
** You found...
**# a first of its kind
** Upgrades
**# ''[no message]'' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# The more refined oil had a dinner engagement (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)

* '''Shuttle Skeleton'''
** You found...
**# a piece of space shuttle food
** Upgrades
**# A little upgrade works wonders on fuel efficiency (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)

* '''Giant Spider'''
** You found...
**# a spider-silk scarf
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a friendly jumping spider''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Diffraction Spikes Star'''
** You found...
**# a hydrogen ion
**# a piece of coronium (iron) (The message says; "You found a piece of coronium! Wait, no, iron.")

* '''Roche Lobe Earth'''
** You found...
**# a curious Humboldt squid
**# a bathyscaphe (The message says: "You found a bathyscaphe at the Marianas Trench!")
**# a wayward Roomba full of moondust
** Tokens
**# Green line deactivated!

* '''Dark Matter Planet'''
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a delicate music box'''. (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Jurassic Park Planet'''
** You found...
**# a tiny pteranodon
**# a baby hedgehog
**# a tattered knapsack containing about $194,00 in $20 bills
** Upgrades
**# Today is a good day I think for space exploration (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# But what if gravity doesn't actually exist? (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)

* '''Comet 67P'''
** Upgrades
**# Some people believe that when the Earth appears in the sky, it's a harbinger of doom. (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
**# You found '''a broken smoke machine''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# Anyone for Scrabble later? (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''The Long Now Foundation's''' nickel paperweight containing an '''archive of every''' published '''Animorphs book'''! (Your launch speed has increased.)

* '''What If? Planet'''
** You found...
**# an eye in the sky
**# a stick
**# an asterisk (The message adds: "it doesn’t seem to refer to anything.")
**# a sterile neutrino
**# a secret leaf
**# a pair of squirrel goggles
**# a large hadron
**# a smooth green snake
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a sunken treasure''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# The Yellowstone Super What? (Your launch speed has increased.)
**# Nutritional Facts - Serving Size: 1 Cloud, Total Calories: 0 (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You captured the flag! You decide to leave it there, but it's yours. (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a steam calliope'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a DNA base pair'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Subway Planet'''
** You found...
**# a relativistic bowling ball
**# a Cybiko® wireless handheld computer for teens (2000)
**# a handful of quantum foam
**# a normal-sized apple
** Upgrades
**# You get the feeling you're not in Kansas anymore (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
**# There is no parking in the white zone (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# The next stop is Interplanetary Terminal G (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You feel accomplished (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a hot dog''' (Your launch speed has increased.)
**# You found '''a bottle of Coke Absolute Zero!''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# You found '''a beige electron'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''$30 in Yahoo'''! cash! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a friendly cat'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a brightly-lit billboard''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
** Messages
**# Transfer here for Mornington Crescent
** Tokens
**# MIT Cloaking Device deactivated! Boston detected. (Blue, red, green, and orange lines activated.)

* '''Boston Planet'''
** You found...
**# a strangely heavy subway token
** Tokens
**# Blue line deactivated!
**# Welcome to MIT! You acquired a hyperdrive!

* '''Crystal Sphere'''
** You found...
**# a necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out your name (The message adds: "(note: hopefully you are not named 'katherine' or 'Brandon')!")
**# the platinum cylinder formerly used to define the kilogram
** Upgrades
**# A significant boost to the engines for a curious pilot (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
**# You found '''the gold crown Archimedes stole'''! (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
**# You found a handful of the quantum foam that makes up the fabric of space! (Your tanks recharge much faster now.)

* '''Crack in the Crystal Sphere'''
** Upgrades
**# There is a way out (Your launch speed has increased.)
** Messages
**# Right lane must turn right
**# Left lane must turn left

* '''Star Destroyer'''
** You found...
**# an unread email (The message adds: "Better leave it unread.")
**# a glass slipper with a glass foot in it
**# a lymphocyte
**# a forged resume
**# a serif
**# a Bursa of Fabricius
**# a cluster of data points
**# a premium subscription to food (The message has: "food.net")
**# two goats and a new car
**# an out-of-control trolley
**# a helium-238 nucleus
**# the Death Star plans
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a perpetual motion fidget spinner'''! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
**# You found '''a vintage Juicero juicer'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
** Messages
**# Hmmm.

* '''Click and Drag Planet'''
** You found...
**# an ant the size of Rhode Island
**# a pin with 17 angels dancing on it
** Upgrades
**# The vehicle below gives you a boost (Your launch speed has increased.)
**# We should turn back (Your engine gets a bit more powerful.)
**# You found '''an expert at underwater ropes'''. (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# You found '''a trisected angle'''! (Your launch speed has greatly increased.)

* '''Open Space Outside the Crystal Sphere'''
** Upgrades
**# It is very lonely out here (Your tanks recharge much faster now.)
**# You found '''a needle in a haystack''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# From here you can view the source of it all. (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)

===Sortable table of collectables===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! rowspan="2"|Planet
! colspan="4"|Collectable items
|-
! You found...
! Upgrades
! Messages
! Subway tokens
|-
| '''Starting Planet'''
|
* a rock with neat stripes
* a cool bug
* a pretty leaf
|
|
* Wheeee!
|
|-
| '''Origin'''
|
* a secret glade
* a holographic Charizard business card
* a 5G seagull
* a DVD of The Core (2003)
* a normal-looking leaf
* a marsh wren
* an orb wren
* a single grain of salt
* 11 squares packed into a larger square
* a tumbleweed
|
* Nice flying! (Your tanks recharge faster now.)
|
* You found a tiny meteorite!
* Welcome to liminal space
* The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.
* Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting!
|
|-
| '''Hollow Planet'''
|
|
* You found '''a sixth Lagrange point'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a glass of heavy water''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Round Planet'''
|
* a swatch pop-out wristwatch
|
* You found '''a sensible cheese platter''' (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now)
* ''[no message]'' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Uzumaki'''
|
* a golden radio tuned to 1.618 MHz
* a scroll lock key
* a primordial black hole
* a cool pair of shoes with flames on the side
* an ink cartridge
* a podcast episode
* a festive but somehow unnerving holiday card from Junji Ito
* a friendly bee
* a spiral-cut diamond
* a burrito
|
* You found '''a tree-filled grove and a nice spot for quiet contemplation''' (Your thrusters are significantly more efficient now.)
* You found '''a single caffeine molecule'''! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
|
* Exit Only
* You're going the wrong way!
|
|-
| '''Guitar Ship'''
|
* a guitar pick
|
|
|
* Orange line deactivated!
|-
| '''Spacetime Soccer Field'''
|
|
* GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''the 3 million point line''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a sunspot'''! (Your launch speed has increased.)
|
|
|-
| '''Saturn'''
|
* a really cool data point
|
* You found '''a pair of platonic solids, not quite touching'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a block of scandium'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Andal'''
|
|
* You found '''two Andalites, one canonical'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* What a nice place for a ship to sit! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
* You found '''a friend''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''baby shoes (and baby''')! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Projection of Earth'''
|
* the Heart of the Ocean
* a whale shark
* some microbial life
* some tin from the Pantai Remis mine
* a sparkling gem
* a piece of pumice
|
* You found '''the Principality of Sealand'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a Rhode Island the size of an ant'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found an icosahedral d10 (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
* Red line deactivated!
|-
| '''Voyager 1'''
|
|
* You found '''Voyager 1'''! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
|
|
|-
| '''Voyager 2'''
|
|
* You found '''Voyager 2'''! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
|
|
|-
| '''SafetySat'''
|
* a first of its kind
|
* ''[no message]'' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* The more refined oil had a dinner engagement (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
|
|
|-
| '''Shuttle Skeleton'''
|
* a piece of space shuttle food
|
* A little upgrade works wonders on fuel efficiency (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
|
|
|-
| '''Giant Spider'''
|
* a spider-silk scarf
|
* You found '''a friendly jumping spider''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Diffraction Spikes Star'''
|
* a hydrogen ion
* a piece of coronium (iron)
|
|
|
|-
| '''Roche Lobe Earth'''
|
* a curious Humboldt squid
* a bathyscaphe
* a wayward Roomba full of moondust
|
|
|
* Green line deactivated!
|-
| '''Dark Matter Planet'''
|
|
* You found '''a delicate music box'''. (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Jurassic Park Planet'''
|
* a tiny pteranodon
* a baby hedgehog
* a tattered knapsack containing about $194,00 in $20 bills
|
* Today is a good day I think for space exploration (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* But what if gravity doesn't actually exist? (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
|
|
|-
| '''Comet 67P'''
|
|
* Some people believe that when the Earth appears in the sky, it's a harbinger of doom. (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
* You found '''a broken smoke machine''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* Anyone for Scrabble later? (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''The Long Now Foundation's''' nickel paperweight containing an '''archive of every''' published '''Animorphs book'''! (Your launch speed has increased.)
|
|
|-
| '''What If? Planet'''
|
* an eye in the sky
* a stick
* an asterisk
* a sterile neutrino
* a secret leaf
* a pair of squirrel goggles
* a large hadron
* a smooth green snake
|
* You found '''a sunken treasure''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* The Yellowstone Super What? (Your launch speed has increased.)
* Nutritional Facts - Serving Size: 1 Cloud, Total Calories: 0 (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You captured the flag! You decide to leave it there, but it's yours. (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a steam calliope'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a DNA base pair'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Subway Planet'''
|
* a relativistic bowling ball
* a Cybiko® wireless handheld computer for teens (2000)
* a handful of quantum foam
* a normal-sized apple
|
* You get the feeling you're not in Kansas anymore (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
* There is no parking in the white zone (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* The next stop is Interplanetary Terminal G (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You feel accomplished (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a brightly-lit billboard''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a hot dog''' (Your launch speed has increased.)
* You found '''a bottle of Coke Absolute Zero'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a beige electron'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''$30 in Yahoo'''! cash! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a friendly cat'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
* Transfer here for Mornington Crescent
|
* MIT Cloaking Device deactivated! Boston detected. (Blue, red, green, and orange lines activated.)
|-
| '''Boston Planet'''
|
* a strangely heavy subway token
|
|
|
* Blue line deactivated!
* Welcome to MIT! You acquired a hyperdrive!
|-
| '''Crystal Sphere'''
|
* a necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out your name
* the platinum cylinder formerly used to define the kilogram
|
* A significant boost to the engines for a curious pilot (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
* You found '''the gold crown Archimedes stole'''! (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
* You found a handful of the quantum foam that makes up the fabric of space! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Crack in the Crystal Sphere'''
|
|
* There is a way out (Your launch speed has increased.)
|
* Right lane must turn right
* Left lane must turn left
|
|-
| '''Star Destroyer'''
|
* an unread email
* a glass slipper with a glass foot in it
* a lymphocyte
* a forged resume
* a serif
* a Bursa of Fabricius
* a cluster of data points
* a premium subscription to food
* two goats and a new car
* an out-of-control trolley
* a helium-238 nucleus
* the Death Star plans
|
* You found '''a perpetual motion fidget spinner'''! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
* You found '''a vintage Juicero juicer'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
|
* Hmmm.
|
|-
| '''Click and Drag Planet'''
|
* an ant the size of Rhode Island
* a pin with 17 angels dancing on it
|
* The vehicle below gives you a boost (Your launch speed has increased.)
* We should turn back (Your engine gets a bit more powerful.)
* You found '''an expert at underwater ropes'''. (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a trisected angle'''! (Your launch speed has greatly increased.)
|
|
|-
| '''Open Space Outside the Crystal Sphere'''
|
|
* It is very lonely out here (Your tanks recharge much faster now.)
* You found '''a needle in a haystack''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* From here you can view the source of it all. (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
|
|}

==All Objects with Explanations==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="5"|Features and Items
|-
! Planet
! Type
! Location
! Description / Message
! Explanation
|-
| rowspan="5" valign="top"|'''Starting Planet'''
| Message
| Above starting position
| ''Wheeee!''
| Probably reflects the excitation of a new visitor to this XKCD comic, seeing a promising game.
|-
| Item
| Above ground left of the starting position
| a rock with neat stripes
|
|-
| Item
| In the grass right of the starting position
| a cool bug
| A reference to 'Cool Bug Epoch' from [[2240: Timeline of the Universe]]
|-
| Item
| Up a tree
| a pretty leaf
|
|-
| People
| On the opposite of the starting position
| Beret Guy pointing his arm up and exclaiming ''WOW!''
| This is a reference to the title text of [[1117: My Sky]], and it could also be a reference to [[502: Dark Flow]].

|-
| rowspan="41" valign="top"| '''Origin'''
| Landscape
| Close to the Starting Planet
| A sign saying: ''Welcome to Origin! You can never leave™''
| The sign names the planet, and also indicates that it is not possible to leave it by just launching off the surface during early gameplay, when the player has not collected any upgrades. May be a reference to the song by The Eagles: "Hotel California".
|-
| Message
| Right of the welcome sign, above the rollercoaster
| ''Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting!''
| A hint for the hidden shaft going through the planet; one of the entries is right below here.
|-
| Landscape
| On the right side of the rollercoaster
| A sign saying: ''Caution: Long vertical drop''
| Another hint for the hidden shaft.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the rollercoaster
| A spider-shaped monument
| Marks the direction to the Giant Spider planet
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the spider monument
| A radio telescope with its antenna pointed straight up. ''Receiving transmission''.
| Marks the direction to Voyager 2. The message is an additional hint as radio telescopes are often used to communicate with distant space probes, including receiving probes' measurements and other scientific data, like photos.
|-
| People
| Right next to the cell tower
|
Cueball and White Hat talking.
:'''Cueball''': I bet the voyager spacecraft could teach you a thing or two about speed. Of course, you'd have to catch up to them first...
|
Voyager spacecraft are {{w|List_of_vehicle_speed_records#Spacecraft|not among}} the speed record holding space probes as of 2023, however they are the first in history to reach Solar System's {{w|escape velocity}}. They have also executed two {{w|gravity assist}} maneuvers each, so they are good examples on how to increase speed in this way, presumably allowing them to "teach" another spacecraft how to increase speed. Cueball's metaphor goes on to having to meet (catch up with) someone in order to learn something from him. The Voyagers are currently the farthest man-made objects in space; however in the game world they are quite close to the Origin planet.

This is also a hint regarding the upgrades located near both Voyager spacecraft, which add more thrust to the player's ship than regular thrust upgrades.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the radio telescope located near the spider monument
| A cell tower with 5G antennas. On top of it a strange object is mounted.
|
The strange object is a downscaled image of cube satellite from [[1992: SafetySat]]. Normally nobody puts cube satellites on top of fixed towers.

This landmark shows the direction to the SafetySat "planet".
|-
| Item
| Next to the top of the cell tower
| a 5G seagull
| {{w|5G}} is a modern emerging standard for {{w|cellular networks}} promising really high download speeds and much higher network capacity (i.e. the number of active devices in an area). Probably a reference to [[1656: It Begins]]
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the cell tower
| A tyrannosaurus
| Marks the direction to the Jurassic Park planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Right next to the tyrannosaurus
| A St. Louis Arch shaped hole in the ground
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the left of the three pyramids
| A monument shaped like a sphere with a "T" on top
| This is a miniature of the Andal planet and marks the direction to it.
|-
| Landscape
| The leftmost of three pyramids
| A pyramid with a soccer ball on top
| Marks the direction to the Spacetime Soccer Field.
|-
| People
| The middle pyramid
|
Ponytail sitting on top of a pyramid, Megan standing at the base of it.
:'''Ponytail''': If you want a better spaceship, you need to visit another planet.
:'''Megan''': But if I want to visit another planet, I need a better spaceship!
|
An in-game reference to the fact that the player's ship initially has too little thrust to launch right off the surface of the Origin planet and needs an upgrade to become a "better" spaceship able to visit other planets. On the other hand, all engine upgrades are located off Origin, creating the apparently unsolvable {{w|Chicken or the egg|chicken-and-egg problem}} – unless the player follows other hints and finds a way to escape Origin anyway.
|-
| Landscape
| The rightmost of three pyramids
| A pyramid with Saturn on top of it
| Marks the direction to Saturn.
|-
| People
| Next to the pyramid with Saturn on top
|
Cueball and White Hat talking.
:'''Cueball''': I can't believe the Air and Space Museum's new exhibit has a real black hole!
:'''White Hat''': Is that... safe?
:'''Cueball''': It's OK, they've got a protective case around it.
|
Normally, it would not be possible to have a real black hole as a museum exhibit.{{citation needed}} Also, there's a misunderstanding between White Hat and Cueball. White Hat asks if it is safe for the public to keep a black hole in a museum. Cueball thinks White Hat is concerned about safety of the black hole itself, and responds that it is protected from unscrupulous visitors by putting it in a special case.

This is an in-game hint regarding the Subway Planet and the black hole present in its tunnels. It's also a reference to the real-world {{w|Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum|''Intrepid'' Sea, Air & Space Museum}}.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the pyramids
| A monument shaped like Earth's land masses
| Marks the direction to the Projection of Earth.
|-
| People
| Right next to the Projection of Earth monument
|
:'''Hairy''': Even if you did find a crack in the crystal sphere, there's no way you'd be able to escape its gravitational pull. You'd need some kind of a hyperdrive for that.
| An in-game reference to the Crystal Sphere, the navigable crack through it and the hint regarding the hyperdrive.
|-
| Landscape
| On the left side of the St. Louis Arch
| A monument of a strange spaceship
| This is a reference to [[2630: Shuttle Skeleton]] and marks the direction to the Shuttle Skeleton planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Opposite the rollercoaster
| A large arch
| This is a reference to the {{w|Gateway Arch}} located in {{w|St. Louis}}, {{w|Missouri}}. Marks the other end of the shaft going through the planet core.
|-
| Message
| A sign next to St. Louis Arch's right leg
| ''The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.''
| The creator of the Arch, Finnish-American architect {{w|Eero Saarinen}}, reportedly said that the arch symbolizes "the gateway to the West" understood as the {{w|American frontier}} and the expansion of American colonies into the western parts of the continent.

In-game, the Arch marks one of the "gateways" into the larger space of the game, namely the exits of the inner shaft, which allows the player to leave Origin by performing the Oberth maneuver (see below for further explanation).
|-
| Upgrade
| High above the St. Louis Arch
| ''Nice flying! Your tanks recharge faster now.''
| Congratulations for getting your orbital mechanics right and skillfully executing Oberth maneuver (see below).
|-
| People
| Right next to the St. Louis Arch
|
Ponytail with a group of three kids looking like Hairy, Megan and Cueball.
:'''Ponytail''': The St. Louis Arch is also known as the gateway to space.
| Ponytail acting as a guide repeats (or reads) to the kids the slogan written on the sign next to the Arch. See above for the explanation of the slogan.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the St. Louis Arch
| A monument with a pear-shaped structure connected to a small sphere
| It's a miniature of the Roche Lobe Earth, marking a direction to it.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the St. Louis Arch
| A small structure and a tower with a strange-looking orb on top
| Marks the direction to the Round Planet.
|-
| Item
| Close to the top of the orb tower.
| an orb wren
| {{w|Wren}}s are a common family of birds. Their bodies are rather stocky with short wings, sometimes resembling an orb, especially when perched with ruffled feathers such as when enduring cold weather. There's no species actually called an "orb wren".
|-
| Item
| Hidden at the base of the orb tower.
| 11 squares packed into a larger square
| A reference to [[2740: Square Packing]].
|-
| People
| To the right of the orb tower
|
Hairbun and another person.
:'''Hairbun''': Boston? That's in North America, on the Subway planet. It's straight up from the secret glade, you can't miss it.
|
This is an in-game reference and a hint on how to find Boston and the Subway Planet
|-
| Item
| Hidden in a grassy area to the right of the orb tower
| a tumbleweed
| {{w|Tumbleweed}} is an above-ground part of some species of plants in a form of a round, dense bush, which detaches as the plant dries in the summer season and is pushed by winds, rolling along the landscape.
|-
| Item
| Over a grassy area to the right of the orb tower
| a marsh wren
| {{w|Marsh wren}} is a species of North American songbird.
|-
| People
| To the right from the grassy area
|
A quintet of hairy and bearded or moustached people playing and singing:
:It's more than a feeling
:More than a feeling
| This is a reference to the popular song ''{{w|More Than a Feeling}}'' by the {{w|Boston_(band)|Boston}} rock band. It is also an in-game reference and pun regarding multiple Bostons present.
|-
| Message
| Above ground to the right of the musical band
| ''You found a tiny meteorite!''
| {{w|Meteorite}}s are fragments of small celestial bodies that have fallen onto the surface of Earth, surviving a high-speed passage through the atmosphere. Some are really tiny, being a result of a fragmentation of a larger one caused by the forces exerted during atmospherical entry. This particular one has not quite reached the surface, and should be called a {{w|meteoroid}} or a {{w|Meteoroid#Meteors|meteor}} instead.
|-
| Item
| High above ground to the right of the musical band
| a single grain of salt
|
|-
| Landscape
| Between the grassy area and the forest left of the welcome sign
| A spiral-shaped monument
| Marks the direction to the spiral Uzumaki planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Between the grassy area and the forest left of the welcome sign
| A radio telescope with its antenna pointed straight up. ''Receiving transmission''.
| Marks the direction to the Voyager 1. See also the entry on Voyager 2 above.
|-
| People
| Next to the voyager 1 radio telescope.
|
Cueball and Megan.
:'''Megan''': It's like my astronomy teacher always said: "Shoot for the Moon -- even if you miss, you might make a crack in the crystal sphere that imprisons us all in this universe."
| This is an in-game reference to the crack in the crystal sphere of the universe. If you go straight up from them, you can find the crack pretty easily.
|-
| Item
| At the left edge of the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a holographic Charizard business card
|
This is a reference to a particular {{w|Charizard|character}} from the {{w|Pokémon}} media franchise. {{w|Holography|Holographic}} {{w|business card}}s are a fairly novel form of business or personal presentation.
|-
| Item
| In the middle of the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a secret glade
|
|-
| Item
| Up the widest tree in the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a normal-looking leaf
|
|-
| Message
| In the exact middle of the planet
| ''Welcome to liminal space''
|
|-
| People
| In a chamber next to the planet's center
|
Megan with her hair floating around her head.
:'''Megan''': The Oberth effect states that firing thrusters deeper in a gravity well adds more kinetic energy.
|
The {{w|Oberth effect}} is a physical phenomenon and orbital maneuver when a spacecraft fires its thrusters as close to the perycenter (the point on the orbit closest to the center of the orbited body) as possible, being deeper in the "gravity well", to gain more kinetic energy than if the same impulse (amount of propellant used and therefore speed difference) has been applied away from the center, in effect using its propellant more effectively. The kinetic energy is what allows a spacecraft to leave the proximity of the orbited body. A special case of such a maneuver may be accelerating in a theoretical shaft going through the core of the body, which is the case simulated in the game. Applying the principle according to Megan's hint the player is able to "swing" the spaceship a few times along the shaft, accelerating close to the center and allowing the "energy" to regenerate while away, and leave Origin in spite off low initial thrust.

The fact that inside of a spherical body the gravity of the outer layers cancels out creates a local microgravity environment, causing Megan's hair to freely float around her head.
|-
| Item
| In a chamber next to the planet's center
| a DVD of The Core (2003)
| A {{w|DVD}} is a digital {{w|optical disc}} format used most commonly for distributing {{w|film}}s, in his case the 2003 American {{w|The Core|science fiction disaster film}}. As the title suggest, it is inconveniently located at the core of the Origin planet.

|-
| rowspan="8" valign="top"| '''Hollow Planet'''
|People
| In the hollow center of the planet.
|
Ponytail and White Hat floating in microgravity. White Hat's hat has come off his head.
:'''White Hat''': It's weird how a hollow shell doesn't exert gravitational force on objects inside it.
:'''Ponytail''': Oh, so ''that's'' why we don't feel a pull from the crystal sphere.
|
White Hat experiences a practical application of an unintuitive, and since "weird" in his words, {{w|shell theorem}}, as applied to gravity: that inside a hollow, spherical shell the forces of the gravity exerted by the shell cancel out for every object inside, regardless of its position within. Ponytail gets an epiphany, that it also applies to the gigantic Crystal Sphere surrounding the most part of the world she is in.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Close to the center of the planet.
|
a sixth lagrange point

''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
{{w|Lagrange point}}s are places relative to two heavy bodies orbiting one another, where a third, much lighter body will stay in equilibrium with the large two, orbiting the common center of gravity with the same period and keeping a constant distance from both. There are only five Lagrange points.

In theory, a small body located in the center of a hollowed-out massive body will stay put as well (see the previous explanation), creating the sixth Lagrange point; however a hollow massive body can't exist, it will collapse under its own gravity.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface of the planet.
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Round Planet''
| Marks the direction to the Round Planet.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Over the surface to the right of the ''Round Planet'' sign
|
a glass of heavy water

''Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
|
{{w|Heavy water}} is a form of water that contains only {{w|deuterium}} (hydrogen-2) atoms in place of the much more common {{w|Hydrogen|hydrogen-1}} atoms. It is approximately 10% {{w|Density|denser}} than the regular water, hence its name. Heavy water is not normally poured into glasses as for drinking.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface of the planet to the right of the ''Round Planet'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''EXIT''
| Marks the direction to the crack in the Crystal Sphere.
|-
| Landscape
| Next to the ''EXIT'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Uzumaki''
| Marks the direction to Uzumaki
|-
| Landscape
| Across a gap in the surface to the right of the ''Uzumaki'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Origin and Subway''
| Marks the direction to Origin and (not quite precisely) to the Subway Planet.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface opposite the ''EXIT'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Earth (compromise projection)''
| Marks the direction to Projection of Earth.

|-
| rowspan="10" valign="top" | '''Round Planet'''
| People
| On the middle part of the Great Wall
|
Cueball and Megan.
:'''Cueball''': The Great Wall of China is the only human-made structure you can see space from.
|
This is a pun on the commonly voiced misconception that the {{w|Great Wall of China}} is the only man-made object on Earth that can be seen from {{w|Outer space|space}} (or the Earth's orbit at least).
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| To the right of the Great Wall over a field of boulders
|
a sensible cheese platter

''Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
A cheese platter is a common dish served in restaurants as a starter or sometimes as a main dish, as well as a final course in a formal meal (following the sweet, or as an option instead of one) composed of a selection of cheeses served on a large platter. However, often it may just be a random collection of what's available (e.g. a hard cheese, a soft cheese, a blue cheese of either hard or soft variety, possibly a small serving of butter; and a selection of crackers that are either far too many or far too few for the other products). A "sensible" plate, i.e. well-composed by a competent chef, might be considered rare.
|-
| Item
| Within Stonehenge
| a swatch pop-out wristwatch
|
|-
| People
| To the right of the Stonehenge
| Hairbun walking on absurdly high stilts
| People walking on stilts are a fairly common theme in xkcd. References include [[482: Height]], [[1608: Hoverboard]], [[1663: Garden]], [[2603: Childhood Toys]], [[2669: Things You Should Not Do]] and possibly other comics.
|-
| Landscape
| Next to Hairbun on stilts
|
Three spaceships flying just above the surface. The leading one transmits a message:
:''Rogue group, use your harpoons and tow cables! Go for the legs!''
|
This is a quote from ''{{w|Star Wars}}'' episode V ''{{w|The Empire Strikes Back}}''. In the original context the starships were attacking {{w|Walker (Star Wars)#All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT)|AT-AT}} four-legged armored vehicles, trying to immobilize them by entangling their legs. In the game, they are attacking Hairbun on stilts instead.
|-
| Upgrade
| Above the middle spaceship attacking Hairbun
| ''Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
| A regular engine upgrade.
|-
| People
| To the right of the three spaceships
| A volleyball net. Cueball is jumping in the air to hit a volleyball on the right side of the net while Ponytail is juggling three bowling pins on the left side.
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the volleyball field
|
An airplane towing a long, narrow banner with a message printed across, not along it:
:''Does any one know how to get this thing to print in land scape mode?''
| A reference to [[2757: Towed Message]].
|-
| People
| To the right of the airplane towing a banner
| Beret Guy climbing a cell tower with some fruit hanging off the antennas. Cueball is standing next to it.
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the cell tower
| Huge gallows with a large flag on a pole hanging on it. The pole of the flag is twisted into a shape partly resembling an infinity sign; the loose end of the pole pierces the flag. A relatively large Cueball figure stands next to it.
|

|-
| rowspan="16" valign="top" | '''Uzumaki'''
| Item + Upgrade
| On the outside of the spiral
| a single caffeine molecule
''Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
{{w|Caffeine}} is a chemical substance present in many plants including {{w|coffee bean}}s. Beverages containing it have a refreshing effect on people, reducing fatigue and increasing performance. It may be pun implying that after collecting this item, the spaceship is similarly "recharged" as a person after a cup of {{w|coffee}}, however a single {{w|molecule}} would not make a big difference.
|-
| Message
| The entrance to the spiral
| ''Exit Only''
| In real world doors or gates are sometimes marked ''Exit Only'' to facilitate optimal movement of people or vehicles in an area or within a building, especially in an emergency. However, for such one-way passage to be useful, the structure must have some other entry points. The spiral has only one entry point.
|-
| Item
| Within the spiral
| a festive but somehow unnerving holiday card from Junji Ito
| {{w|Junji Ito}} is the author of {{w|Uzumaki}}, which inspired the spiral planet. He specializes in {{w|Japanese horror}} genre, therefore a postcard with his original artwork on it might be perceived as "unnerving".
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a podcast episode
| A {{w|podcast}} is a primarily a {{w|digital audio}} (now more commonly also a {{w|video}}) show or presentation similar to a {{w|radio program}}, but instead of being {{w|Broadcasting|broadcast}} at a predetermined time, is made available for {{w|download}} and later review at leisure. Being digital data, a podcast is intangible, therefore finding a podcast episode just lying around is a bit absurd missing some recording medium. On the other hand a digital video found on the Origin planet is recorded on a DVD (see above).
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a friendly bee
|
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| an ink cartridge
| An ink cartridge is a container filled with {{w|ink}}, packaged for direct use in a device that dispenses the ink for drawing, writing, printing etc. It may refer to a cartridge for an old-fashioned {{w|fountain pen}} or an {{w|ink cartridge}} for a modern {{w|Inkjet printing|inkjet printer}}.
|-
| Landscape
| Further within the spiral
|
A free-roaming Roomba

:'''Roomba''': WHIRRR
| {{w|Roomba}} is a line of {{w|robotic vacuum cleaner}}s popular in the {{w|hacker culture|hacker community}}. Roombas are a [[:Category:Roomba|common theme]] on xkcd, but this is likely a direct reference to [[1558: Vet]].
|-
| Message
| Just above Roomba
| ''You're going the wrong way!' ''
| Probably a reference to the ''Exit Only'' message above.
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a spiral-cut diamond
| Raw {{w|diamond}}s are {{w|Diamond cut|cut}} to form {{w|Gemstone|gems}} used in {{w|jewellery}}. To expose the natural beauty of the mineral, the cut has to create symmetrical flat surfaces (facets) at specific angles to each other so {{w|White#White_light|white light}} {{w|refraction|refracts}} and {{w|Reflection (physics)|reflects}} within the finished gem, possibly multiple times, also {{w|Dispersion (optics)|dipersing}} on its way back to the viewer's eye, creating a brilliant look. Cutting a diamond in a spiral shape would be likely counter-productive and very difficult because of the material's {{w|brittleness}}.

It is a self-reference to the spiral "planet" the item is located on.
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a golden radio tuned to 1.618 MHz
|
A {{w|Broadcasting|broadcast}} {{w|radio receiver}} (often called simply ''radio'') is an electronic device for receiving and listening to {{w|radio program|radio programming}} and has to be {{w|Tuner (radio)|tuned}} to a particular {{w|frequency}} to listen to the desired program. Frequency is measured in the unit of {{w|hertz}} or its {{w|Metric prefix|multiplies}}, in this example in megahertz. 1.618 MHz is located in the part of {{w|High frequency|HF}} (high frequency) range of the {{w|electromagnetic spectrum}} assigned (in the USA {{w|Frequency plan|band plan}}) to broadcasting, however not aligned to actual station assignments; the closest assignment is 1.620 MHz (1620 kHz) for {{w|WDHP}} station in {{w|Frederiksted, U.S. Virgin Islands}}. Due to inaccuracies involved with tuning and the 10 kHz {{w|channel spacing}} of American {{w|AM broadcasting|AM radio broadcasting}}, setting a real radio receiver to exactly 1618 kHz will allow listening to the mentioned station, as well as a few others which have nearby frequencies allocated, maybe with some distortion.

This is a pun referring to the {{w|golden ratio}}, being an {{w|irrational number}} of approximately 1.618 and to the {{w|golden spiral}}.
|-
| People
| Further within the spiral
|
:'''Beret Guy''': I like spirals!
|
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a burrito
| {{w|Burrito}} is a {{w|Mexican cuisine|Mexican}} and {{w|Tex-Mex}} cuisine dish consisting of various ingredients tightly wrapped in a {{w|flour tortilla|wheat tortilla}}. This is a rather nonsense joke; a possible connection to Uzumaki is that wrapping the tortilla creates a spiral cross section.
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a cool pair of shoes with flames on the side
|
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a scroll lock key
|
{{w|Scroll Lock}} is a key on {{w|IBM Personal Computer|IBM}}-compatible {{w|computer keyboard}}s, often accompanied with a status light. It was originally intended for changing the function of {{w|arrow keys}} between moving the {{w|Cursor (user interface)|cursor}} around the screen (Scroll Lock off) and {{w|scrolling}} the contents of the screen (Scroll Lock on). Later, different systems and applications repurposed the key for other functions, such as pausing and resuming automatic scrolling of copious textual output, or for other obscure purposes such as {{w|debugging}} or the ''{{w|Magic SysRq key}}'' on {{w|Linux}}. As such, the key has almost fallen out of use in modern computing, prompting manufacturers of small computers such as {{w|laptop}}s or small {{w|Form factor (design)|form factor}} keyboards to make it smaller, move it to a non-standard place in the {{w|keyboard layout}} or drop it altogether. Most laptops missing the Scroll Lock key on their keyboards implement some key combination which acts as if Scroll Lock was pressed, allowing advanced users to use the mentioned obscure functions anyway.

Placing this item quite deep in the spiral is a pun referring to difficulty in finding a Scroll Lock key or the equivalent combination on some modern computers. A few xkcd comics refer to the key: [[978: Citogenesis]], [[1465: xkcd Phone 2]], [[1854: Refresh Types]] and [[2206: Mavis Beacon]].
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a primordial black hole
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the center of the spiral
| a tree-filled grove and a nice spot for quiet contemplation
''Your thrusters are significantly more efficient now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | '''Guitar Ship'''
| Item
| Just over the dome on the back of the guitar
| a guitar pick
| A {{w|guitar pick}} is a small flat tool for playing a {{w|guitar}}.
|-
| Token
| Close to guitar's neck
| ''Orange line deactivated!''
|

|-
| rowspan="4" valign="top" | '''Spacetime Soccer Field'''
| Upgrade
| Within one of the goals
| ''GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Within the other goal
| ''GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| On the surface of the planet between goals
| a sunspot
''Your launch speed has increased.''
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| At the center spot on one of the soccer field
| the 3 million point line
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | '''Saturn'''
| Item
| At the equator, below the rings
| a really cool data point
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| At the south pole
| a block of scandium
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| At middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere
| a pair of platonic solids, not quite touching
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|

|-
| rowspan="6" valign="top" | '''Andal'''
| Upgrade
| At the top of the T-shaped tower
| ''What a nice place for a ship to sit! Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the T-shaped tower
| Two fantasy animals: one looks like a centaur, the other as a horse-headed centaur.
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Over the animals
| two Andalites, one canonical
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the grass close to some hills
| baby shoes (and baby)
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| In the grassy area between two hilly regions
|
Cueball and Megan facing each other
:'''Megan''': The M.I.T. cloaking device only affects the electroweak and nuclear forces. Gravity is the odd one out, as usual.
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to Megan
| a friend
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="10" valign="top" | '''Projection of Earth'''
| Item + Upgrade
| The North Sea
| the Principality of Sealand
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item
| Northern Atlantic Ocean
| the Heart of the Ocean
| The whole message says: ''You found the Heart of the Ocean! It was drifting around in space.''
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to Rhode Island
| a Rhode Island the size of an ant
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Token
| Next to Boston, Massachusetts
| ''Red line deactivated!''
|
|-
| Item
| By the Alexander Island of Antarctica
| some microbial life
|
|-
| Item
| Off the West African coastline
| a whale shark
|
|-
| Item
| On the western coast of Myanmar near the Strait of Malacca
| some tin from the pantai remis mine
|
|-
| Item
| Next to the Celebes Island of Indonesia
| a sparkling gem
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Off the southern Australian coast
| an icosahedral d10
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item
| Near the Kamchatka peninsula in Eastern Russia
| a piece of pumice
| The whole message says: ''You found a piece of pumice floating in space!''

|-
| valign="top" | '''Voyager 1'''
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to the dish antenna
| Voyager 1
''Some of its great speed rubs off on you. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.''
|

|-
| valign="top" | '''Voyager 2'''
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to the dish antenna
| Voyager 2
''Some of its great speed rubs off on you. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.''
|

|-
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | '''SafetySat'''
| Item
| In front of laser pointers
| a first of its kind
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Next to software-defined radio
| ''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Next to crude oil tank
| ''The more refined oil had a dinner engagement. Your launch speed has increased.''
|

|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | '''Shuttle Skeleton'''
| Item
| At the tip of the ship's bow
| a piece of space shuttle food
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Next to the left-hand engine
| ''A little upgrade works wonders on fuel efficiency. Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | '''Giant Spider'''
| Item
| Next to the tip of the spider's abdomen
| a spider-silk scarf
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to the spider's mouth
| a friendly jumping spider
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|

|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | '''Diffraction Spikes Star'''
| Item
| At the tip of a long spike
| a hydrogen ion
|
|-
| Item
| At the tip of a short spike
| a piece of coronium (iron)
| The whole message says: ''You found a piece of coronium! Wait, no, iron.''

|-
| rowspan="4" valign="top" | '''Roche Lobe Earth'''
| Item
| Off the California coastline
| a curious humboldt squid
|
|-
| Item
| Off the Japan coast
| a bathyscaphe
| The whole message says: ''You found a bathyscaphe at the Marianas Trench!''
|-
| Token
| Near Boston
| ''Green line deactivated!''
|
|-
| Item
| On the far side of the Moon
| a wayward Roomba full of moondust
|

|-
| valign="top" | '''Dark Matter Planet'''
| Item + Upgrade
| A little above the surface to the left of Ponytail
| a delicate music box
''Your engine is a little more powerful now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="6" valign="top" | '''Jurassic Park Planet'''
| People
| On the surface
| A person with a hat facing a couple
:'''dr John Hammond''': Welcome... to Jurassic Park.
|
|-
| Upgrade
| To the right of the people close to a dinosaur's mouth
| ''But what if gravity doesn't actually exist? Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Further to the right between two dinosaurs
| ''Today is a good day I think for space exploration. Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item
| Still further to the right
| a tiny pteranodon
|
|-
| Item
| Still further to the right, low above the grass
| a baby hedgehog
|
|-
| Item
| Below surface down from the middle of empty grassy area between two dinosaurs to the left of the people
| a tattered knapsack containing about $194,00 in $20 bills
|

|-
| rowspan="7" valign="top" | '''Comet 67P'''
| Landscape
| On the surface opposite the large bulge
| Remains of a crashed spacecraft
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Just above the crashed spacecraft
| The Long Now Foundation's archive of every Animorphs book
''You found The Long Now Foundation's nickel paperweight containing an archive of every published Animorphs book! Your launch speed has increased.'
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the left of the bulge
| A small three-legged spacecraft.
:'''Spacecraft''': BEEP BOOP
|
|-
| Landscape
| On the bulge
| Cueball standing next to some apparatus
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to the apparatus
| a broken smoke machine
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| To the right of the bulge
| ''Some people believe that when the Earth appears in the sky, it's a harbinger of doom. Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Further to the right, next to a signpost
| ''Anyone for Scrabble later? Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|

|-
| rowspan="36" valign="top" | '''What If? Planet'''
| Upgrade
| On the flag flying from a flagpole
| ''You captured the flag! You decide to leave it there, but it's yours. Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| To the right from the flagpole
| A cave in the ground. Inside it there's Beret Guy and two rabbits.
|
This is a reference to an English-language expression [[wikt:rabbit hole|''rabbit hole'']] which means a complex, bizarre or difficult situation, esp. such that one does
not want to be involved in. The expression is itself a reference to {{w|Lewis Carroll}}s ''{{w|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland}}'' in which the protagonist follows
the {{w|White Rabbit}} down a rabbit hole to find herself in the {{w|Wonderland (fictional country)|Wonderland}}. Here, Beret Guy literally enters a {{w|Burrow|rabbit hole}}.

In the original version from [[2712: Gravity]] there was a text spoken by Beret Guy: "I don't know why people complain about going down rabbit holes. These lil guys are adorable!"
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the rabbit hole
| a dna base pair
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| To the right from the rabbit hole
| Two stones with sails attached, sliding on the ground towards Ponytail and Megan
|
This is an overly literal reference to the natural phenomenon of {{w|Sailing stones}}.

In the original version, Ponytail was saying: "Ahh, the mysterious natural wonders of sailing stones"
|-
| People
| To the right from sailing stones
| Black Hat aiming a bow at a satellite not far above the ground
| Probably a reference to "Consequence archery" from [[1920: Emoji Sports]]
|-
| Item
| Just above the satellite
| an eye in the sky
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the satellite
| A lake with an eel swimming in it
|
|-
| Item
| In the grass near the eel-lake
| a smooth green snake
| The whole message says: ''You found a smooth green snake! It curls up in your hand and naps.''
|-
| Landscape
| On the other side of a grassy area by the eel-lake
| A small erupting volcano
| In the original version, the volcano was making a ''DOOT!'' sound. It is a reference to the "Doot cone" of [[1714: Volcano Types]]
|-
| People
| To the right of the volcano cone
| White Hat and Cueball standing, another person charging them with a sword held above head. Cueball is holding a small object in his left hand, the arm stretched towards the attacker.
|
|-
| People
| To the right of the person with sword
| Baby Hairbun running towards baby Megan. Megan is making a kicking move like in a soccer game, but there's no ball drawn.
|
|-
| People
| To the right of the girls playing
| A person with a wide-rimmed hat driving a tractor. The ground strangely sticks to its wheels.
|
This scene and three following ones are references to ''What If? 2'' Chapter 64: Lemon Drops and Gumdrops, where it rains candy.

{{w|Lemon drop (candy)|Lemon drops}} and {{w|gumdrop}}s are made mostly of {{w|sugar}} and {{w|pectin}}s to create thick, sticky texture.
If such confectionery would fall on the ground in copious amounts such as during heavy rainfall, and partially dissolve in water bodies
or ground water, it would make the surface sticky and gross,{{citation needed}} affecting movement, such as the farmer's tractor having
trouble going. {{w|Tractor}}s used e.g. in agriculture may already have trouble going on really muddy soils, the addition of candy
makes it worse.
|-
| People
| To the right of the tractor
| Megan and Cueball standing on a shore of a shallow lake, Cueball is poking a stick into the water which strangely sticks to it.
| A candyfall happening for a prolonged time would replace some water in lakes etc. and dissolve in them, turning them into a {{w|syrup}}.
|-
| Landscape
| Over the shallow lake of sticky water
| A hummingbird flying
|
The only creature satisfied with the candyfall is the {{w|hummingbird}} which feeds on {{w|nectar}}, which is essentially {{w|syrup}}
produced naturally within {{w|flower}}s. In the original version, the bird exclaims ''YESSSSSSS!''
|-
| People
| To the right of the shallow lake
| Cueball with his head apparently tilted back, being hit by something falling from above.
PLINK
:'''Cueball''': OW!
PLINK
:'''Cueball''': OW!
|
Seeing the candyfall, Cueball attempts to eat some of it, by just opening his mouth and letting the candy fall in.
However, as anybody who tried a trick of throwing a piece of candy upwards and catching it in one's mouth knows,
having the candy hit one's teeth is a rather painful experience.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| At the bottom of the shallow lake
| a sunken treasure
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| People
| Further to the right from the shallow lake
| A person (Hairy?) sitting on a large heap of bananas, Cueball standing aside.
|
In the original version Hairy says: "I'm Bananas Georg. Every year our company publishes global per capita banana consumption numbers,
so to make the printing easier, I eat enough bananas of December 31st to make sure it's a round number."
|-
| People
| Next to Bananas Georg
| Megan standing on a brim of a small valley, another person standing in the valley with a small animal by his feet.
:'''Megan''': Hi, Ryan!
|
|-
| Item
| Just above Ryan
| an asterisk
| The whole message says: ''You found an asterisk. it doesn’t seem to refer to anything.''
|-
| People
| To the right from the valley with Ryan
| Cueball and Megan are standing in a dugout. Cueball holds a spade.
| In the original version Cueball says: "Weird, I feel ''heavier''."
|-
| Upgrade
| Next to Cueball with a spade
| ''The Yellowstone Super What? Your launch speed has increased.''
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the dugout
| A river, a waterfall and a lake below the falls. On the top of the waterfall Cueball faces two persons with police hats on. There's a fat hose labelled "Niagara water" leading from the waterfall into a building labelled "LHC". Someone in the building shouts:
:Hey!
| The abbreviation "LHC" stands for the {{w|Large Hadron Collider}}. This scene is a reference to {{what if|147|Niagara Straw}}.
|-
| Item
| Next to the LHC
| a large hadron
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the LHC
| A large, rippled body of water. Two people in a boat are sailing towards an UFO-shaped large rock being ejected from the water into space. Another two people are standing on the rock.
| This is a reference to ''What If? 2'' Chapter 50: Japan Runs an Errand
|-
| Landscape
| In the large body of water
| A tube to the bottom of the ocean. Megan is standing at the bottom.
| This is a reference to ''What If? 2'' Chapter 50: Mariana Trench Tube
|-
| Upgrade
| To the right of a large rippled body of water, on a big cloud
| ''Nutritional Facts - Serving Size: 1 Cloud, Total Calories: 0. Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| To the right of a bunch of clouds
| Megan sitting on a rectangular block, facing another upright block.
|
|-
| People
| To the right of blocks and stones area.
| White Hat walking through a patch of grass along Hairbun, who's looking at her mobile phone.
| In the original version, Ponytail was saying: "I checked downforeveryoneorjustme.com and it says just me." to what White Hat responded: "Yeah, I guess down isn't down for everyone."
|-
| Item
| In the middle of a patch of forest
| a secret leaf
|
|-
| Item
| Under a large tree in the rightmost part of the forest
| a stick
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the forest
| A tower crane lowering a comet onto a place with two dinosaurs
| This is a reference to {{what if|162|Comet Ice}}
In the original version, crane operator was saying: "How am I supposed to cause the extinction of the dinosaurs if they keep moving out from under my comet?"
|-
| Item
| Under the crane's beam
| a sterile neutrino
|
|-
| Item
| To the right of the crane
| a pair of squirrel goggles
|
|-
| People
| To the right of the crane
| Knit Cap observing an object moving at supersonic speed next to him.
:''BOOM''
| This is a reference to ''What If? 2'' Chapter 56: Walking Backward in Time, where these squirrels are surprisingly present in the past.
In the original version, Knit Cap was saying: "Unusually high-speed squirrels."
|-
| People
| To the right of a supersonic squirrel.
| Danish standing in a swimming pool, Cueball on the brim.
| In the original version, Danish was exclaiming: "Jump in! The water's fine!"
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the swimming pool next to Danish
| a steam calliope
''our engine gets a little more powerful.''

|-
| rowspan="40" valign="top" | '''Subway Planet'''
| Landscape
| Many places
| '''Warning! Air and Space Museum black hole ahead! Turn back while you still have enough engine thrust!''
|
This warns the player about a black hole present inside the planet in the center of Washington, D.C. area.
Once the player gets close and is pulled onto the surface of the black hole, it is not possible to launch off of it without the Hyperdrive.
The only way to get unstuck is pressing the Home button.

It's a reference to the {{w|Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum|''Intrepid'' Sea, Air & Space Museum}}.
|-
| Upgrade
| At a large opening in the planet's surface
| ''You get the feeling you're not in Kansas anymore. Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
|-
| People
| On the right side of the large opening in the planet
| Megan and Cueball standing on the edge. Cueball is leaning forward, looking down.
:'''Cueball''': Where's Boston?
:'''Megan''': I think M.I.T. kids took it.
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the entrance to a triple-wide tunnel leading down to NYC
| a hot dog
''Your launch speed has increased.''
|
|-
| People
| On the surface to the right of the tunnels leading to NYC
| Cueball and Danish walking.
:'''Cueball''': Why did those M.I.T. kids keep talking about Morgantown?
:'''Danish''': They're just transit enthusiasts, I guess.
:'''Cueball''': But Morgantown is tiny. It can't possibly have a subway, can it?
:'''Danish''': Not exactly...
|
|-
| People
| On the surface above Santo Domingo
| Hairy and White Hat.
:'''Hairy''': A lot of people don't realize that North America only has one subway system; each city's metro is just one part of the network.
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| At the entrance to a tunnel leading to Santo Domingo / Monterrey area
| a bottle of Coke Absolute Zero
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| People
| On the surface to the right of the Mexico City
|
:'''Ponytail''': Welcome to the Subway Planet, home of all North America's metro systems!
|
|-
| People
| Further to the right
| Ponytail and Cueball. Cueball is holding a four-wheeled suitcase.
:'''Ponytail''': Boston? No, that's on the other side of the planet. Or used to be, anyway.
|
|-
| People
| Further to the right
| Ponytail and Megan walking.
:'''Ponytail''': My favorite thing about visiting Origin is all the pointing sculptures. They make it so easy to navigate!
|
|-
| People
| On the surface next to San Francisco
| Cueball and Megan standing on the opposite sides of a tunnel entrance.
:'''Cueball''': If you're looking for someone to track down those M.I.T. kid, you could try asking CalTech.
:'''Megan''': But we're in San Francisco; Isn't CalTech in Pasadena?
:'''Cueball''': Yeah, it's down there somewhere.
|
|-
| People
| Between San Francisco and Vancouver
| Ponytail jumping across a tunnel entrance.
:'''Ponytail''': Vancouver!
|
|-
| People
| Vancouver
| Cueball and Ponytail looking up.
:'''Cueball''': Huh, I never noticed that crack in the crystal sphere before.
|
|-
| People
| Down in the tunnels in Montreal
|
:'''Knit Cap''': Bienvenue à Montréal!
|
|-
| People
| At the bottom of the large hole in the planet's surface
| Blondie and Megan.
:'''Blondie''': I hear M.I.T. kids were working on a cloaking device. Boston could be anywhere.
|
|-
| Item
| In a short dead-end tunnel near the right side of the hole
| a Cybiko® wireless handheld computer for teens (2000)
|
|-
| Item
| In a short dead-end tunnel down in NYC
| a handful of quantum foam
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Down in the tunnels of New York City
| a brightly-lit billboard
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Item
| Down in NYC
| a normal-sized apple
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the tunnel leading from New York City to Washington, D.C.
| a friendly cat
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| Down in Mexico
| Cueball sitting on a ledge, Megan standing below, looking down
:'''Megan''': You'd need some powerful thrusters to make it down there and back.
|
|-
| People
| Monterrey
| Megan looking at her phone
<code>xkcd.com/1196</code>
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In a short dead-end tunnel near Miami
| a beige electron
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item
| In a short dead-end tunnel in Toronto
| a relativistic bowling ball
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Further down in Toronto
| $30 in Yahoo
''You found $30 in Yahoo! cash! Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Down in San Francisco
| ''The next stop is Interplanetary Terminal G. Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| Down in Los Angeles
| A rectangular chamber connected to a tunnel. Megan is standing at the entrance to it, Hairbun and Cueball are inside.
:'''Megan''': Welcome to CalTech!
:'''Hairbun''': The M.I.T. cloaking device control? It's in Morgantown, WV.
:'''Cueball''': Figures.
|
|-
| People
| Left and down from the CalTech chamber
| Science Girl standing in the tunnel.
:'''Science Girl''': Stop! This line goes to D.C.! Ever since the Air and Space Museum put in the black hole exhibit, it's been difficult to return without enough engine thrust.
| This is a more elaborate version of the warning plastered all over the inside of the planet. See the first entry on the Subway Planet above.
|-
| Upgrade
| In a tunnel between Los Angeles and Philadelphia
| ''There is no parking in the white zone. Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| In a long straight dead-end tunnel near Philadelphia
| ''You feel accomplished. Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| Down in Philadelphia
| Cueball sitting on a slope.
:'''Cueball''': Morgantown? You could get there via Philly and Baltimore, but that would take you near the Museum. Might be safer to take the red line from Atlanta.
|
|-
| Message
| In a tunnel in Washington, close to the black hole
| ''Transfer here for Mornington Crescent''
|
|-
| Landscape
| In the center of Washington, D.C.
| The Air and Space Museum's black hole pictured as a dark circle with shiny rings around it. It is impossible to escape it without the Hyperdrive. If caught there, hit the Home button.
|
This object does not behave like a real {{w|black hole}} as anything getting close enough (below the {{w|Schwarzschild radius}}) will never emerge from it again.
In the game, however, one can land on the surface of it and launch off it, provided that the engine thrust has been greatly increased by the Hyperdrive.
The object behaves like a dense, spherical solid having a large mass and hence exerting significant gravitational force, more like a {{w|super-Earth}}.
|-
| Landscape
| In the tunnel leading from Washington to Morgantown
| A sign with an arrow, saying ''WV''
| ''WV'' is a common abbreviation for the U.S. state of {{w|West Virginia}} in which {{w|Morgantown, West Virginia|Morgantown}} lies.
|-
| People
| In Morgantown
| Cueball sitting at a subway station (a round chamber a bit wider than the tunnel) at a strange angle to the surface
:'''Cueball''': Welcome to Morgantown!
|
|-
| Token
| In Morgantown
| ''MIT Cloaking Device deactivated! Boston detected.''
|
|-
| Landscape
| Along the tunnels from Morgantown up to the surface near Mexico
| A grey line with a circle at Morgantown end and an arrow at the other end
| This line appears only after the Cloaking Device is deactivated and points to the Boston planet.
|-
| People
| In the tunnel leading from Morgantown to Atlanta
| Megan standing at a subway station at a strange angle to the surface
:'''Megan''': Welcome to Morgantown!
|
|-
| People
| Further along the tunnel from Morgantown to Atlanta
| Megan sitting
:'''Megan''': I think I'm stuck. I can't even see the black hole from here!
|
|-
| People
| At the joint of the tunnels leading to Morgantown and Washington, D.C.
| Cueball sitting on the edge, his elbow on his thigh, and his chin resting on his hand.
:'''Cueball ''': Where does that line go?
|

|-
| rowspan="15" valign="top" | '''Boston Planet'''
| People
| Next to the entrance of the blue line, labelled "Wonderland"
|
:'''Cueball''': There's a token to open each T line. The blue line token is right here in Boston.
|
|-
| Token
| Over the blue line entrance
| ''Blue line deactivated!''
|
|-
| People
| On the other side of the entrance of the blue line
| White Hat with his arms stretched facing Ponytail
:'''White Hat''': Welcome to Wonderland!
|
|-
| People
| Next to the entrance of the red line, labelled "Braintree"
| Cueball and Megan
:'''Cueball''': Transfer here to Skinflower and Bonevine.
|
{{w|Braintree, Massachusetts}} is a real-world town in the {{w|Greater Boston}} area, where the {{w|Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|MBTA}} {{w|MBTA subway|subway}}
{{w|Red_Line_(MBTA)|red line}} terminal {{w|Braintree station (MBTA)|station}} is located.
The funny-sounding name of the town has inspired Randall to create two fictional station names following the same pattern of animal organ + plant form: Skinflower and Bonevine.
These names also appear on the map in [[1196: Subways]].
|-
| People
| Next to the entrance of the green line, labelled "Riverside"
|
:'''Cueball''': I can't believe the green line goes all the way to Los Angeles.
|
|-
| People
| Next to the other entrance of the green line, labelled "Boston College"
| Megan and Ponytail talking.
:'''Megan''': Boston is a lot of places. It's on the East Coast of North America, but it's also on the surface of the Earth.
:'''Ponytail''': And on some playlists.
:'''Megan''': And of course it's right here!
|
|-
| People
| Next to another entrance of the green line, labelled "Medford/Tufts"
|
:'''Cueball''': I can't believe the green line extension is finally open.
|
|-
| People
| Down the blue line tunnel
|
:'''Cueball''': The red line token? It's in Boston.
| rowspan = "4" valign = "center" |
Cueball states the fact that there are many places named Boston or alluding to Boston in the game and the remaining subway tokens
(besides the blue line one, which was needed to get into the blue line tunnel in order to read Cueball's hints)
are located in or near such places. To find where the other tokens are, sort the table by the '''Type''' column and look up entries named "Token".
|-
| People
| Further down the blue line tunnel
|
:'''Cueball''': The green line token is in Boston, too.
|-
| People
| Still further down the blue line tunnel
|
:'''Cueball''': The orange line token is also in Boston.
|-
| People
| Near the intersection of the blue and orange lines tunnels
|
:'''Cueball''': There are a lot of Bostons in this universe.
|-
| People
| In the red line tunnel, down from Braintree.
| Megan and Cueball walking.
:'''Cueball''': You know, the locals actually pronounce it "Quinchy"
|
This is a reference to {{w|Quincy, Massachusetts}}, a city through which the {{w|MBTA subway|Boston subway}} {{w|Red_Line_(MBTA)|red line}} goes.
Four stations are located within the city limits: {{w|North Quincy station|North Quincy}}, {{w|Wollaston station|Wollaston}},
{{w|Quincy Center station|Quincy Center}} and {{w|Quincy Adams station|Quincy Adams}}. The word "quinchy" is a rather obscene slang expression, look it up in Urban Dictionary.
|-
| People
| In the red line tunnel, next to a place labelled "MIT".
|
:'''Megan ''': The hyperdrive works pretty well, but use it carefully. Try not to fly into walls at full speed.
|
|-
| Upgrade
| In the red line tunnel, next to a place labelled "MIT".
| ''Welcome to MIT! You acquired a hyperdrive!''
|
|-
| In the center of the planet
| Item
| a strangely heavy subway token
| This item is only accessible before the Boston planet is uncloaked.

|-
| rowspan="6" valign="top" | '''Crystal Sphere'''
| Close to the interior edge to the left of the crack
| Upgrade
| ''A significant boost to the engines for a curious pilot. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.''
|
|-
| On the interior edge approx. a quarter of the full circle to the right of the crack
| Item + Upgrade
| the gold crown Archimedes stole
''Your engine thrust has increased significantly.''
|
|-
| On the interior edge almost opposite the crack
| Item
| a necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out your name
| The full message says: ''You found a necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out your name (note: hopefully you are not named 'Katherine' or 'Brandon')!''
|-
| On the exterior edge approx. a quarter of the full circle to the left of the crack
| Item
| the platinum cylinder formerly used to define the kilogram
|
|-
| Some distance off the exterior edge approx. a quarter of the full circle to the right of the crack
| Item + Upgrade
| a needle in a haystack
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Inside the Crystal Sphere between Boston and Round planets
| Upgrade
| ''You found a handful of the quantum foam that makes up the fabric of space! Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|

|-
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | '''Crack in the Crystal Sphere'''
| On the left side of the entrance to the crack in the sphere
| Message
| Left lane must turn left
|
|-
| On the right side of the entrance to the crack
| Message
| Right lane must turn right
|
|-
| Inside the crack more than a halfway though it
| Upgrade
| ''There is a way out. Your launch speed has increased.''
|

|-
| rowspan="18" valign="top" | '''Star Destroyer'''
| colspan="4" |
The two ships (the Destroyer itself and the smaller Corellian Corvette aka Rebel Blockade Runner below it) are copied from [[1608: Hoverboard]] with minor alterations
and with this comic's specific features added: items, powerups and messages. They feature a lot of scenes with people and many strange objects.

The below list contains only the specific game objects and a couple of scenes that have been altered with regard to the original.
For explanations of the puns, dialogues and scenes on board the ships, go to the [[1608: Hoverboard#Table with references|table with references]] on the explanation
page of the Hoverboard comic.
|-
| Item
| In an empty room of the Destroyer on the other end of the tunnel leading aft from the room with piñata party
| a lymphocyte
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the room in the center of the Rotary (round tunnel)
| a vintage Juicero juicer
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Item
| In a room to the right of the Rotary inside hamster ball Megan is riding in
| an out-of-control trolley
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| On the upper surface of the Destroyer, to the left of the cowboy
| a perpetual motion fidget spinner
''Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
|-
| Item
| In the dance hall
| a glass slipper with a glass foot in it
|
|-
| Item
| In the rotunda within the Imperial Park Chamber
| a helium-238 nucleus
|
|-
| Message
| In the ventral dome, next to the warning sign
| Hmmm.
|
|-
| Item
| In the ''Prince of Persia'' maze
| a cluster of data points
|
|-
| Item
| In the ''Prince of Persia'' maze
| a premium subscription to food
| The whole message says: ''You found a premium subscription to food.net!''
|-
| Item
| Next to a giant light bulb in the lowest aft chamber
| a Bursa of Fabricius
|
|-
| Item
| In the middle aft chamber
| two goats and a new car
|
|-
| Item
| Under the top dome
| an unread email
| The whole message says: ''You found an unread email. better leave it unread.''
|-
| People
| In the control room below the top dome
| Darth Vader talks to Hairy
:'''Darth Vader''': (breathe) But all murderbot really wants is watch Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, (breathe) which is a soap – are you getting all this?
:'''Hairy''': Yes, my lord!
| '''Note:''' the dialogue has been changed from what was present in the original version.
|-
| People
| The control room of the Corellian Corvette
| Danish standing next to a console on the upper deck of the bow section, Hairbun right behind, her fists clenched.
:'''Danish''': Captain's log, stardate April 3rd, 2023...
:'''Hairbun''': Augh! No!
| '''Note:''' the dialogue has been changed from what was present in the original version by updating the date.
|-
| Item
| At the entrance to the control room
| a forged resume
|
|-
| Item
| At the end of the tunnel leading fore from the main chamber
| the Death Star plans
|
|-
| Item
| At the focal point of the upper dish antenna
| a serif
|


|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" |
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|

|-
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
|}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2765}}
[[Category:Comic subpages]]

2765: Escape Speed/Tables

2023-06-06T12:46:30Z

172.68.139.32: /* Table of planets */ typo

__TOC__

Here the long tables needed for the explanation of the interactive comic [[2765: Escape Speed]] could be moved.

=Table of planets=
{{incomplete|
'''This is a different attempt to list and explain all the planets and other objects that have gravity and can be landed upon and explored'''.

The description and explanations may be incomplete or incorrect. Please help improve them. Try to keep separate the ''description'' (i.e. how the planet looks and what general features it has) and ''explanation'' (i.e. what the name and look represent, what they refer to both in the real and fictional worlds and what xkcd comics may have been a source or an inspiration. Please describe the planets only, not the objects that can be found on them.
}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Name <code>code-name</code>
! Tiles (X, Y)
! Directions
! Description
! Explanation
|-
| '''Starting Planet''' <code>tiny-world</code>
| (6024, -8976)
| To get here, click the "Home" button in the lower right corner of the comic.
|
The planet is tiny, grassy, has a few trees and bushes and features several people. Initially the navigation is difficult because of low initial engine thrust and strong gravity of the Origin planet nearby affecting movement.
|
This is where the game starts. Pressing the "Home" button to go back to the starting planet shows the message, "Welcome back, pilot", which may be a reference to the greeting that plays when re-entering a Titan in the ''Titanfall'' video games.

|-
| '''Origin''' <code>origin</code>
| (3096, -5904)
| To get here, launch from Beret Guy saying "Wow!" on the Starting Planet.
|
The planet is fairly big, has vegetation, and features many people, landscape objects, items and upgrades. It has a shaft through the center. The planet is hard to leave without any upgrades unless one uses the shaft to gain more momentum by thrusting while moving through the middle of it. Many of the landmarks of the surface mark the directions to different planets.
|
The planet has a sign saying 'Welcome to Origin! You can never leave™'. The name may also refer to the fact that the planet lies almost at the center of the game world, or that it is the starting point for exploration as it provides many navigational hints.

|-
| '''Hollow Planet''' <code>hollow-shell</code>
| (-13952, 1848)
| To get here, launch from the St. Louis Arch on Origin.
|
The planet is just a shell with some gaps. On the outside, there are a few signs that mark the directions to different planets.
|

|-
| '''Round Planet''' <code>orb</code>
| (-19154, -7288)
| To get here, launch from the tower with an orb on it on Origin or the sign on the Hollow Planet.
|
The planet is moderately small with no vegetation and some architecture such as Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China. It also features a few people and items.
|
|-
| '''Uzumaki''' <code>uzumaki</code>
| (-3904, -26904)
| To get here, launch from Origin's spiral landmark, the sign on the Hollow Planet, or below the plane-towed banner on the Round Planet.
| The planet is a large spiral overgrown with grass and some other vegetation. It has very weak gravity.
| The shape of the planet is inspired by the {{w|manga}} {{w|Uzumaki}} by {{w|Junji Ito}}.
|-
| '''Guitar Ship''' <code>guitar-ship</code>
| (-12000, -30000)
| To get there, launch from Uzumaki, a little to the left of the caffeine molecule item.
| The planet is shaped like a guitar seen in perspective looking from the bottom of the body, with a dome on the back side. Within the dome there's the Boston skyline.
| This is a reference to the cover art of the album {{w|Boston (album)|Boston}} by the like-named American {{w|Boston (band)|rock band}}. It's one of many references to {{w|Boston}} in the game.
|-
| '''Spacetime Soccer Field''' <code>soccerfield</code>
| (6048, 4048)
| To get here, launch from Origin, from the pyramid with a soccer ball on top of it.
|
This is a tiny planet with a smooth surface and a distorted soccer field marked around it. The goals and goal area lines are on the opposite sides of the planet (let's say, to the east and west), distorted into curved trapezoids. The touch lines (side lines) are sections of hyperbolas with the vertices closest to the planet at the north and south poles, extending symmetrically to some distance from the planet. There is no goal line; in this geometry it should be the extended axis. What seems to be penalty lines, but drawn incorrectly to join the side lines instead of going back to the goal line, are sections of an ellipse. The halfway line appears twice, joining the four ends of hyperbolic side lines. The center circle appears as two separate halves stemming from the two copies of the halfway line.
|
The space soccer field utilizes the concept from [[2705: Spacetime Soccer]], but inversed: in the original comic the center point of the field was located in a gravity well, causing the ball to be pulled away from the goals; here the goals are located close to the center of the planet, so the ball naturally tries to fall towards them, probably making the game more interesting.
|-
| '''Saturn''' <code>saturn</code>
| (2600, 14000)
| To get here, launch from the pyramid with Saturn on it on Origin. If you see the Spacetime Soccer Field, you're too far left.
| The planet resembles Saturn with its rings, however it is translucent: a soccer ball can bee seen inside. One of the ball's white hexagons is surfacing in the north pole area.
| It is a reference to [[2513: Saturn Hexagon]]
|-
| '''Andal''' <code>platform-planet</code>
| (12048, 14048)
| To get there launch from a monument on Origin, featuring a round shape with a small "T" on top.
| This is a small partly rocky and partly grassy planet with a strange T-shaped tower.
| A reference to ''{{w|Animorphs}}'' book series featuring fictional sapient species of [https://aliens.fandom.com/wiki/Andalite Andalites]. Two such (or similar) creatures can be found on the planet. In the original books, the planet the Andalites come from is unnamed.
|-
| '''Projection of Earth''' <code>earth-map</code>
| (-15808, 22192)
| To get there by follow the sign on the hollow planet or launch from the Earth map monument on Origin.
| The planet is shaped like a huge distorted map of all land masses of Earth. The player's spaceship can fly where water would be, but it can't go over land. Some straights between islands are to narrow for the ship to pass, especially in the {{w|Southeast Asia}} area. Some {{w|mediterranean seas}} are also inaccessible.
| Probably a reference to [[977: Map Projections]] or, more generally, to the Randall's obsession about [[:Category:Maps|maps]].
|-
| '''Voyager 1''' <code>voyager-1</code>
| (1606, -14282)
| To get here, launch from the "Receiving transmission" communication device near the spiral landmark on Origin.
| This is a recreation of the {{w|Voyager 1}} space probe.
|
|-
| '''Voyager 2''' <code>voyager-2</code>
| (10682, -5172)
| To get here, launch from the "Receiving transmission" communication device near the spider landmark on Origin.
| This is a recreation of the {{w|Voyager 2}} space probe.
|
|-
| '''SafetySat''' <code>safetysat</code>
| (17024, 1024)
| To get here, launch from the cell tower on Origin.
| A cube satellite with an absurd set of assorted objects on board.
| This is a reference to [[1992: SafetySat]].
|-
| '''Shuttle Skeleton''' <code>space-shuttle</code>
| (-30200, 14576)
| To get here, launch from the Shuttle Skeleton landmark on Origin or in the northwestern direction from Alaska on the Projection of Earth.
| The planet looks like an outline of the space shuttle with a strange skeleton inside.
| This is a reference to [[2630: Shuttle Skeleton]].
|-
| '''Giant Spider''' <code>spider</code>
| (26982, -8714)
| To get here, launch from the spider landmark on Origin.
| The object is a giant spider floating in space with eight people standing on top of his legs.
| [[:Category:Spiders|Spiders]] is a recurring theme on xkcd.
|-
| '''Diffraction Spikes Star''' <code>diffraction</code>
| (-19944, 11240)
| To get here, launch from the back of the left "hand" of the Shuttle Skeleton or the north of Alaska.
| The object is a star with very long spikes.
| This is a reference to [[2762: Diffraction Spikes]].
|-
| '''Roche Lobe Earth''' <code>earth-roche</code> ''and'' <code>normal-moon</code>
| (-9952, -3952)
| To get there, launch from the like-shaped statue on Origin.
| This is a small, distorted, drop-shaped Earth with oceans and continents of the northern hemisphere. There's the Moon close by. The distortion looks like if the Moon's tidal forces are pulling northern Atlantic Ocean really hard.
|
|-
| '''Dark Matter Planet''' <code>dark-matter</code>
| (-2892, 2640)
| To get here, launch from the goal on the half of the field with just one person on it on Spacetime Soccer Field.
| This is a small, irregular planet with a black center (normal planets have white centers) and an inscription "DARK MATTER" inside, repeated three times.
|
{{w|Dark matter}} is a hypothetical form of {{w|matter}} sought by {{w|Astrophysics|astrophycists}} as a possible cause of behavior of {{w|Galaxy|galaxies}}, which cannot be explained by the current theory of {{w|gravity}} and observations. The anomalies would be explained if there was extra {{w|mass}} in the galaxies, which is not observed, but is theorized as dark matter presence. The dark matter is named this way not because it has some dark color, but because it supposedly does not interact (or interacts very weakly) with {{w|electromagnetic field}}, therefore does not emit {{w|light}} and can't be seen.

This is also a reference to [[2186: Dark Matter]]
|-
| '''Jurassic Park Planet''' <code>gravity-qwantz</code>
| (20000, 11000)
| To get here, launch from the dinosaur on Origin or from the Andalites on Andal.
| It's a big planet with weak gravity, a lot of grass, and many dinosaur figures, some repeating a few times.
|
This is a reference to the 1993 {{w|Jurassic Park (film)|''Jurassic Park''}} film and the related {{w|Jurassic Park|media franchise}}. It contains images of dinosaurs taken from the [https://www.qwantz.com/ Dinosaurs] web comic, which, similarly to xkcd, uses a random string of letters for its domain name: <code>quantz.com</code>. It also reflects Randal's avid interest in [[:Category:Dinosaurs|dinosaurs]]. This is an exact copy of the Dinosaur Planet from [[2712: Gravity]].
|-
| '''Comet 67P''' <code>67p</code>
| (18048, -11152)
| To get here, launch from the duck next to the 'Caution: long vertical drop' sign on Origin.
| This is a small, potato-shaped body, modelled after the {{w|67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko}} comet.
|
This is a reference to the 2004–2016 {{w|Rosetta (spacecraft)|Rosetta}} spacecraft mission, which was the first to place a lander ({{w|Philae (spacecraft)|Philae}}) on a comet core. The mission was also commemorated in [[1446: Landing]] and the spacecraft are mentioned in [[1402: Harpoons]] and [[1740: Rosetta]].
|-
| '''What If? Planet''' <code>gravity-earth</code>
| (22000, 34000)
| To get here, launch from the two people explaining where Boston is on Origin, the left of Stonehenge on the Round Planet, or the left rim of the Guitar Ship.
| This is a huge, round planet with many bodies of water. The planet contains several scenes from ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' and [[2712: Gravity]]. Megan and Cueball are floating inside a small space in the center of the planet.
| This is an almost exact copy of the Earth planet from [[2712: Gravity]], however all text spoken by the characters has been removed, making puns difficult to grasp without referring to the original. Some scenes have been removed, some modified slightly.
|-
| '''Subway Planet''' <code>subway-planet</code> ''and'' <code>black-hole-3</code>
| (-46000, -24000)
| To can get there take off from the "secret glade" item next to the the bush where someone says "Shhh" on Origin.
|
This is a huge planet with a subway system connecting places named after U.S. cities, similar to the one from [[1196: Subways]]. In the area where Boston should be according to that system, there is a giant round hole with rugged sides consisting of a lot of broken planks. There's a black hole inside, off the center, in the Washington, D.C. area. There are many people and features both on the surface and within subway tunnels.
|
This is a key planet to solve the puzzle in the game, and contains several out of many in-game references to {{w|Boston}} (in many meanings of the name) and the {{w|Massachusetts Institute of Technology}}, which currently is located in {{w|Cambridge, Massachusetts}}, but was founded in 1861 in Boston.

Obviously, it's also a reference to [[1196: Subways]]
|-
| '''Boston Planet''' <code>mbta</code>
| (-42000, 8000)
| To get here, launch from the back of the Shuttle Skeleton.
|
This is a big, perfectly round planet with a subway system. It is invisible until the player finds uncloaking device switch. Initially, all underground tunnels are blocked by huge round rocks with the letter "T" at the entrances and smaller round rocks down the tunnels. To unblock the tunnels, player needs to find subway tokens scattered in the universe; they appear only after the Boston planet is uncloaked. Subway stations on the surface and inside are marked with Boston district names.
|
This is the other key planet to the game puzzle. It is apparently the round part ripped off the Subway Planet, but drawn not to scale. The tunnels inside the planet roughly correspond to the Boston part of the scheme in [[1196: Subways]], but with few additions (e.g. Union Sq, Mattapan). The codename comes from the abbreviation of {{w|Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}.
|-
| '''Crystal Sphere''' ''from'' <code>ring-1</code> ''to'' <code>ring-36</code>
|
| To get here, launch from anywhere and keep avoiding planets until you hit it.
|
Most planets and celestial objects are inside of a thick enormous ring called Crystal Sphere. Both the interior and exterior edges of the Sphere are almost smooth, but have a few dents. There's a wide navigable crack leading out of the Sphere, which sides are rugged and riddled with broken planks, similarily to the Boston hole in the Subwau Planet. The gravity increases significantly as the spaceship goes through the crack, it gradually feels the pull from the parts of the sphere it has left. It is not possible to leave the Sphere without the hyperdrive, however having collected all the engine upgrades inside the Sphere one can barely reach the outer surface, but moving along is very difficult. Above the crack, there is an arch made up of the repeating words "The End", which is reminiscent of the "Don't leave the play area" message in [[1608: Hoverboard]] that appeared when the player tried to get out of it.
|
The Crystal Sphere may be a reference to {{w|The Crystal Spheres}}, a short story by {{w|science fiction}} author {{w|David Brin}}, which suggests that each star with habitable planets in the universe is surrounded by a crystal sphere that can be broken only from the inside and is otherwise completely impenetrable.

It may also be a reference to {{w|celestial spheres}}, an early concept trying to explain apparent movement of planets and stars.
|-
| '''Star Destroyer''' ''from'' <code>star-destroyer-a</code> ''to'' <code>star-destroyer-i</code>
| (18192, -130000)
| To get here, launch from the crack in the Crystal Sphere.
|
This is a gigantic starship; it could have barely fit within the Crystal Sphere. It is located out of the Sphere, right up from the crack, but it can't be reached without the Hyperdrive. It has many corridors and chambers inside, and a lot of people, objects and other features both inside and outside of it. The gravity of the Sphere is still strong around here, but the starship has its own center of gravity; the "down" direction generally points towards the ventral part of the starship, but not quite, making orientation somewhat difficult as the surfaces supposed to be level seem to tilt to the left near the stern and to the right near the bow of the starship. Below it, down a stream of torpedoes fired from a turred, there's a much smaller starship.
|
This is a reference to {{w|Star Destroyer}}s and the {{w|Tantive IV|CR90 Corellian corvette}}, spaceships from the fictional ''{{w|Star Wars}}'' universe.

The whole scene is copied from [[1608: Hoverboard]], with the only difference being that {{w|Darth Vader}}'s dialogue was changed from referencing {{w|Steven Universe}} to {{w|The Murderbot Diaries}}.
|-
| '''Click and Drag Planet''' <code>clickdrag-nw</code>, <code>clickdrag-ne</code>, <code>clickdrag-sw</code>, ''and'' <code>clickdrag-se</code>
| (-31808, 111808)
| To get here, launch from the bow or stern of the Star Destroyer tangentially to the Crystal Sphere to orbit it and keep the stars in the background moving horizontally on the screen until you see a dot around the spaceship guiding you.
|
The planet is huge, larger than any other in the game world, but smaller than the Star Destroyer. It is located outside the Crystal Sphere roughly opposite the Star Destroyer. It is mostly round, with many landscape features and scenes partly copied from [[1110: Click and Drag]], but arrayed in a circular, instead of linear shape. What's missing in comparison to the Click and Drag comic, is a few of the scenes, some textual content like dialogues (leaving persons intact), the underground parts, upper parts of the very high objects, and objects high above the surface.
|
|}

=Tables and Lists of Objects=

==Collectables==

===Plain list of collectables===
This is a quick list for those who want to check if they found everything.

The ''You found...'' sections directly show the names that appear in the player's list of found items. Some upgrades are also items and appear on the list, in such cases the names are the '''bolded''' parts of messages.

* '''Starting Planet'''
** You found...
**# a rock with neat stripes
**# a cool bug
**# a pretty leaf
** Messages
**# Wheeee!

* '''Origin'''
** You found...
**# a secret glade
**# a holographic Charizard business card
**# a 5G seagull
**# a DVD of The Core (2003)
**# a normal-looking leaf
**# a marsh wren
**# an orb wren
**# a single grain of salt
**# 11 squares packed into a larger square
**# a tumbleweed
** Upgrades
**# Nice flying! (Your tanks recharge faster now.)
** Messages
**# You found a tiny meteorite!
**# Welcome to liminal space
**# The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.
**# Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting!

*'''Hollow Planet'''
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a sixth Lagrange point'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# You found '''a glass of heavy water''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Round Planet'''
** You found...
**# a swatch pop-out wristwatch
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a sensible cheese platter''' (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now)
**# ''[no message]'' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Uzumaki'''
** You found...
**# a golden radio tuned to 1.618 MHz
**# a scroll lock key
**# a primordial black hole
**# a cool pair of shoes with flames on the side
**# an ink cartridge
**# a podcast episode
**# a festive but somehow unnerving holiday card from Junji Ito
**# a friendly bee
**# a spiral-cut diamond
**# a burrito
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a tree-filled grove and a nice spot for quiet contemplation''' (Your thrusters are significantly more efficient now.)
**# You found '''a single caffeine molecule'''! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
** Messages
**# Exit Only
**# You're going the wrong way!

* '''Guitar Ship'''
** You found...
**# a guitar pick
** Tokens
**# Orange line deactivated!

* '''Spacetime Soccer Field'''
** Upgrades
**# GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''the 3 million point line''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# You found '''a sunspot'''! (Your launch speed has increased.)

* '''Saturn'''
** You found...
**# a really cool data point
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a pair of platonic solids, not quite touching'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a block of scandium'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Andal'''
** Upgrades
**# You found '''two Andalites, one canonical'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# What a nice place for a ship to sit! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
**# You found '''a friend''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# You found '''baby shoes (and baby)'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Projection of Earth'''
** You found...
**# the Heart of the Ocean (The message adds: "It was drifting around in space.")
**# a whale shark
**# some microbial life
**# some tin from the Pantai Remis mine
**# a sparkling gem
**# a piece of pumice (The message says: "You found a piece of pumice floating in space!")
** Upgrades
**# You found '''the Principality of Sealand'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a Rhode Island the size of an ant'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found an icosahedral d10 (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
** Tokens
**# Red line deactivated!

* '''Voyager 1'''
** Upgrades
**# You found '''Voyager 1'''! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)

* '''Voyager 2'''
** Upgrades
**# You found '''Voyager 2'''! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)

* '''SafetySat'''
** You found...
**# a first of its kind
** Upgrades
**# ''[no message]'' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# The more refined oil had a dinner engagement (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)

* '''Shuttle Skeleton'''
** You found...
**# a piece of space shuttle food
** Upgrades
**# A little upgrade works wonders on fuel efficiency (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)

* '''Giant Spider'''
** You found...
**# a spider-silk scarf
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a friendly jumping spider''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Diffraction Spikes Star'''
** You found...
**# a hydrogen ion
**# a piece of coronium (iron) (The message says; "You found a piece of coronium! Wait, no, iron.")

* '''Roche Lobe Earth'''
** You found...
**# a curious Humboldt squid
**# a bathyscaphe (The message says: "You found a bathyscaphe at the Marianas Trench!")
**# a wayward Roomba full of moondust
** Tokens
**# Green line deactivated!

* '''Dark Matter Planet'''
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a delicate music box'''. (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Jurassic Park Planet'''
** You found...
**# a tiny pteranodon
**# a baby hedgehog
**# a tattered knapsack containing about $194,00 in $20 bills
** Upgrades
**# Today is a good day I think for space exploration (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# But what if gravity doesn't actually exist? (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)

* '''Comet 67P'''
** Upgrades
**# Some people believe that when the Earth appears in the sky, it's a harbinger of doom. (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
**# You found '''a broken smoke machine''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# Anyone for Scrabble later? (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''The Long Now Foundation's''' nickel paperweight containing an '''archive of every''' published '''Animorphs book'''! (Your launch speed has increased.)

* '''What If? Planet'''
** You found...
**# an eye in the sky
**# a stick
**# an asterisk (The message adds: "it doesn’t seem to refer to anything.")
**# a sterile neutrino
**# a secret leaf
**# a pair of squirrel goggles
**# a large hadron
**# a smooth green snake
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a sunken treasure''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# The Yellowstone Super What? (Your launch speed has increased.)
**# Nutritional Facts - Serving Size: 1 Cloud, Total Calories: 0 (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You captured the flag! You decide to leave it there, but it's yours. (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a steam calliope'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a DNA base pair'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Subway Planet'''
** You found...
**# a relativistic bowling ball
**# a Cybiko® wireless handheld computer for teens (2000)
**# a handful of quantum foam
**# a normal-sized apple
** Upgrades
**# You get the feeling you're not in Kansas anymore (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
**# There is no parking in the white zone (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# The next stop is Interplanetary Terminal G (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You feel accomplished (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a hot dog''' (Your launch speed has increased.)
**# You found '''a bottle of Coke Absolute Zero!''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# You found '''a beige electron'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''$30 in Yahoo'''! cash! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a friendly cat'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a brightly-lit billboard''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
** Messages
**# Transfer here for Mornington Crescent
** Tokens
**# MIT Cloaking Device deactivated! Boston detected. (Blue, red, green, and orange lines activated.)

* '''Boston Planet'''
** You found...
**# a strangely heavy subway token
** Tokens
**# Blue line deactivated!
**# Welcome to MIT! You acquired a hyperdrive!

* '''Crystal Sphere'''
** You found...
**# a necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out your name (The message adds: "(note: hopefully you are not named 'katherine' or 'Brandon')!")
**# the platinum cylinder formerly used to define the kilogram
** Upgrades
**# A significant boost to the engines for a curious pilot (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
**# You found '''the gold crown Archimedes stole'''! (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
**# You found a handful of the quantum foam that makes up the fabric of space! (Your tanks recharge much faster now.)

* '''Crack in the Crystal Sphere'''
** Upgrades
**# There is a way out (Your launch speed has increased.)
** Messages
**# Right lane must turn right
**# Left lane must turn left

* '''Star Destroyer'''
** You found...
**# an unread email (The message adds: "Better leave it unread.")
**# a glass slipper with a glass foot in it
**# a lymphocyte
**# a forged resume
**# a serif
**# a Bursa of Fabricius
**# a cluster of data points
**# a premium subscription to food (The message has: "food.net")
**# two goats and a new car
**# an out-of-control trolley
**# a helium-238 nucleus
**# the Death Star plans
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a perpetual motion fidget spinner'''! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
**# You found '''a vintage Juicero juicer'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
** Messages
**# Hmmm.

* '''Click and Drag Planet'''
** You found...
**# an ant the size of Rhode Island
**# a pin with 17 angels dancing on it
** Upgrades
**# The vehicle below gives you a boost (Your launch speed has increased.)
**# We should turn back (Your engine gets a bit more powerful.)
**# You found '''an expert at underwater ropes'''. (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# You found '''a trisected angle'''! (Your launch speed has greatly increased.)

* '''Open Space Outside the Crystal Sphere'''
** Upgrades
**# It is very lonely out here (Your tanks recharge much faster now.)
**# You found '''a needle in a haystack''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# From here you can view the source of it all. (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)

===Sortable table of collectables===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! rowspan="2"|Planet
! colspan="4"|Collectable items
|-
! You found...
! Upgrades
! Messages
! Subway tokens
|-
| '''Starting Planet'''
|
* a rock with neat stripes
* a cool bug
* a pretty leaf
|
|
* Wheeee!
|
|-
| '''Origin'''
|
* a secret glade
* a holographic Charizard business card
* a 5G seagull
* a DVD of The Core (2003)
* a normal-looking leaf
* a marsh wren
* an orb wren
* a single grain of salt
* 11 squares packed into a larger square
* a tumbleweed
|
* Nice flying! (Your tanks recharge faster now.)
|
* You found a tiny meteorite!
* Welcome to liminal space
* The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.
* Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting!
|
|-
| '''Hollow Planet'''
|
|
* You found '''a sixth Lagrange point'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a glass of heavy water''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Round Planet'''
|
* a swatch pop-out wristwatch
|
* You found '''a sensible cheese platter''' (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now)
* ''[no message]'' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Uzumaki'''
|
* a golden radio tuned to 1.618 MHz
* a scroll lock key
* a primordial black hole
* a cool pair of shoes with flames on the side
* an ink cartridge
* a podcast episode
* a festive but somehow unnerving holiday card from Junji Ito
* a friendly bee
* a spiral-cut diamond
* a burrito
|
* You found '''a tree-filled grove and a nice spot for quiet contemplation''' (Your thrusters are significantly more efficient now.)
* You found '''a single caffeine molecule'''! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
|
* Exit Only
* You're going the wrong way!
|
|-
| '''Guitar Ship'''
|
* a guitar pick
|
|
|
* Orange line deactivated!
|-
| '''Spacetime Soccer Field'''
|
|
* GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''the 3 million point line''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a sunspot'''! (Your launch speed has increased.)
|
|
|-
| '''Saturn'''
|
* a really cool data point
|
* You found '''a pair of platonic solids, not quite touching'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a block of scandium'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Andal'''
|
|
* You found '''two Andalites, one canonical'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* What a nice place for a ship to sit! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
* You found '''a friend''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''baby shoes (and baby''')! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Projection of Earth'''
|
* the Heart of the Ocean
* a whale shark
* some microbial life
* some tin from the Pantai Remis mine
* a sparkling gem
* a piece of pumice
|
* You found '''the Principality of Sealand'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a Rhode Island the size of an ant'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found an icosahedral d10 (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
* Red line deactivated!
|-
| '''Voyager 1'''
|
|
* You found '''Voyager 1'''! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
|
|
|-
| '''Voyager 2'''
|
|
* You found '''Voyager 2'''! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
|
|
|-
| '''SafetySat'''
|
* a first of its kind
|
* ''[no message]'' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* The more refined oil had a dinner engagement (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
|
|
|-
| '''Shuttle Skeleton'''
|
* a piece of space shuttle food
|
* A little upgrade works wonders on fuel efficiency (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
|
|
|-
| '''Giant Spider'''
|
* a spider-silk scarf
|
* You found '''a friendly jumping spider''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Diffraction Spikes Star'''
|
* a hydrogen ion
* a piece of coronium (iron)
|
|
|
|-
| '''Roche Lobe Earth'''
|
* a curious Humboldt squid
* a bathyscaphe
* a wayward Roomba full of moondust
|
|
|
* Green line deactivated!
|-
| '''Dark Matter Planet'''
|
|
* You found '''a delicate music box'''. (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Jurassic Park Planet'''
|
* a tiny pteranodon
* a baby hedgehog
* a tattered knapsack containing about $194,00 in $20 bills
|
* Today is a good day I think for space exploration (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* But what if gravity doesn't actually exist? (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
|
|
|-
| '''Comet 67P'''
|
|
* Some people believe that when the Earth appears in the sky, it's a harbinger of doom. (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
* You found '''a broken smoke machine''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* Anyone for Scrabble later? (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''The Long Now Foundation's''' nickel paperweight containing an '''archive of every''' published '''Animorphs book'''! (Your launch speed has increased.)
|
|
|-
| '''What If? Planet'''
|
* an eye in the sky
* a stick
* an asterisk
* a sterile neutrino
* a secret leaf
* a pair of squirrel goggles
* a large hadron
* a smooth green snake
|
* You found '''a sunken treasure''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* The Yellowstone Super What? (Your launch speed has increased.)
* Nutritional Facts - Serving Size: 1 Cloud, Total Calories: 0 (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You captured the flag! You decide to leave it there, but it's yours. (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a steam calliope'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a DNA base pair'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Subway Planet'''
|
* a relativistic bowling ball
* a Cybiko® wireless handheld computer for teens (2000)
* a handful of quantum foam
* a normal-sized apple
|
* You get the feeling you're not in Kansas anymore (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
* There is no parking in the white zone (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* The next stop is Interplanetary Terminal G (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You feel accomplished (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a brightly-lit billboard''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a hot dog''' (Your launch speed has increased.)
* You found '''a bottle of Coke Absolute Zero'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a beige electron'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''$30 in Yahoo'''! cash! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a friendly cat'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
* Transfer here for Mornington Crescent
|
* MIT Cloaking Device deactivated! Boston detected. (Blue, red, green, and orange lines activated.)
|-
| '''Boston Planet'''
|
* a strangely heavy subway token
|
|
|
* Blue line deactivated!
* Welcome to MIT! You acquired a hyperdrive!
|-
| '''Crystal Sphere'''
|
* a necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out your name
* the platinum cylinder formerly used to define the kilogram
|
* A significant boost to the engines for a curious pilot (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
* You found '''the gold crown Archimedes stole'''! (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
* You found a handful of the quantum foam that makes up the fabric of space! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Crack in the Crystal Sphere'''
|
|
* There is a way out (Your launch speed has increased.)
|
* Right lane must turn right
* Left lane must turn left
|
|-
| '''Star Destroyer'''
|
* an unread email
* a glass slipper with a glass foot in it
* a lymphocyte
* a forged resume
* a serif
* a Bursa of Fabricius
* a cluster of data points
* a premium subscription to food
* two goats and a new car
* an out-of-control trolley
* a helium-238 nucleus
* the Death Star plans
|
* You found '''a perpetual motion fidget spinner'''! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
* You found '''a vintage Juicero juicer'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
|
* Hmmm.
|
|-
| '''Click and Drag Planet'''
|
* an ant the size of Rhode Island
* a pin with 17 angels dancing on it
|
* The vehicle below gives you a boost (Your launch speed has increased.)
* We should turn back (Your engine gets a bit more powerful.)
* You found '''an expert at underwater ropes'''. (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a trisected angle'''! (Your launch speed has greatly increased.)
|
|
|-
| '''Open Space Outside the Crystal Sphere'''
|
|
* It is very lonely out here (Your tanks recharge much faster now.)
* You found '''a needle in a haystack''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* From here you can view the source of it all. (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
|
|}

==All Objects with Explanations==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="5"|Features and Items
|-
! Planet
! Type
! Location
! Description / Message
! Explanation
|-
| rowspan="5" valign="top"|'''Starting Planet'''
| Message
| Above starting position
| ''Wheeee!''
| Probably reflects the excitation of a new visitor to this XKCD comic, seeing a promising game.
|-
| Item
| Above ground left of the starting position
| a rock with neat stripes
|
|-
| Item
| In the grass right of the starting position
| a cool bug
| A reference to 'Cool Bug Epoch' from [[2240: Timeline of the Universe]]
|-
| Item
| Up a tree
| a pretty leaf
|
|-
| People
| On the opposite of the starting position
| Beret Guy pointing his arm up and exclaiming ''WOW!''
| This is a reference to the title text of [[1117: My Sky]], and it could also be a reference to [[502: Dark Flow]].

|-
| rowspan="41" valign="top"| '''Origin'''
| Landscape
| Close to the Starting Planet
| A sign saying: ''Welcome to Origin! You can never leave™''
| The sign names the planet, and also indicates that it is not possible to leave it by just launching off the surface during early gameplay, when the player has not collected any upgrades. May be a reference to the song by The Eagles: "Hotel California".
|-
| Message
| Right of the welcome sign, above the rollercoaster
| ''Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting!''
| A hint for the hidden shaft going through the planet; one of the entries is right below here.
|-
| Landscape
| On the right side of the rollercoaster
| A sign saying: ''Caution: Long vertical drop''
| Another hint for the hidden shaft.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the rollercoaster
| A spider-shaped monument
| Marks the direction to the Giant Spider planet
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the spider monument
| A radio telescope with its antenna pointed straight up. ''Receiving transmission''.
| Marks the direction to Voyager 2. The message is an additional hint as radio telescopes are often used to communicate with distant space probes, including receiving probes' measurements and other scientific data, like photos.
|-
| People
| Right next to the cell tower
|
Cueball and White Hat talking.
:'''Cueball''': I bet the voyager spacecraft could teach you a thing or two about speed. Of course, you'd have to catch up to them first...
|
Voyager spacecraft are {{w|List_of_vehicle_speed_records#Spacecraft|not among}} the speed record holding space probes as of 2023, however they are the first in history to reach Solar System's {{w|escape velocity}}. They have also executed two {{w|gravity assist}} maneuvers each, so they are good examples on how to increase speed in this way, presumably allowing them to "teach" another spacecraft how to increase speed. Cueball's metaphor goes on to having to meet (catch up with) someone in order to learn something from him. The Voyagers are currently the farthest man-made objects in space; however in the game world they are quite close to the Origin planet.

This is also a hint regarding the upgrades located near both Voyager spacecraft, which add more thrust to the player's ship than regular thrust upgrades.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the radio telescope located near the spider monument
| A cell tower with 5G antennas. On top of it a strange object is mounted.
|
The strange object is a downscaled image of cube satellite from [[1992: SafetySat]]. Normally nobody puts cube satellites on top of fixed towers.

This landmark shows the direction to the SafetySat "planet".
|-
| Item
| Next to the top of the cell tower
| a 5G seagull
| {{w|5G}} is a modern emerging standard for {{w|cellular networks}} promising really high download speeds and much higher network capacity (i.e. the number of active devices in an area). Probably a reference to [[1656: It Begins]]
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the cell tower
| A tyrannosaurus
| Marks the direction to the Jurassic Park planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Right next to the tyrannosaurus
| A St. Louis Arch shaped hole in the ground
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the left of the three pyramids
| A monument shaped like a sphere with a "T" on top
| This is a miniature of the Andal planet and marks the direction to it.
|-
| Landscape
| The leftmost of three pyramids
| A pyramid with a soccer ball on top
| Marks the direction to the Spacetime Soccer Field.
|-
| People
| The middle pyramid
|
Ponytail sitting on top of a pyramid, Megan standing at the base of it.
:'''Ponytail''': If you want a better spaceship, you need to visit another planet.
:'''Megan''': But if I want to visit another planet, I need a better spaceship!
|
An in-game reference to the fact that the player's ship initially has too little thrust to launch right off the surface of the Origin planet and needs an upgrade to become a "better" spaceship able to visit other planets. On the other hand, all engine upgrades are located off Origin, creating the apparently unsolvable {{w|Chicken or the egg|chicken-and-egg problem}} – unless the player follows other hints and finds a way to escape Origin anyway.
|-
| Landscape
| The rightmost of three pyramids
| A pyramid with Saturn on top of it
| Marks the direction to Saturn.
|-
| People
| Next to the pyramid with Saturn on top
|
Cueball and White Hat talking.
:'''Cueball''': I can't believe the Air and Space Museum's new exhibit has a real black hole!
:'''White Hat''': Is that... safe?
:'''Cueball''': It's OK, they've got a protective case around it.
|
Normally, it would not be possible to have a real black hole as a museum exhibit.{{citation needed}} Also, there's a misunderstanding between White Hat and Cueball. White Hat asks if it is safe for the public to keep a black hole in a museum. Cueball thinks White Hat is concerned about safety of the black hole itself, and responds that it is protected from unscrupulous visitors by putting it in a special case.

This is an in-game hint regarding the Subway Planet and the black hole present in its tunnels. It's also a reference to the real-world {{w|Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum|''Intrepid'' Sea, Air & Space Museum}}.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the pyramids
| A monument shaped like Earth's land masses
| Marks the direction to the Projection of Earth.
|-
| People
| Right next to the Projection of Earth monument
|
:'''Hairy''': Even if you did find a crack in the crystal sphere, there's no way you'd be able to escape its gravitational pull. You'd need some kind of a hyperdrive for that.
| An in-game reference to the Crystal Sphere, the navigable crack through it and the hint regarding the hyperdrive.
|-
| Landscape
| On the left side of the St. Louis Arch
| A monument of a strange spaceship
| This is a reference to [[2630: Shuttle Skeleton]] and marks the direction to the Shuttle Skeleton planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Opposite the rollercoaster
| A large arch
| This is a reference to the {{w|Gateway Arch}} located in {{w|St. Louis}}, {{w|Missouri}}. Marks the other end of the shaft going through the planet core.
|-
| Message
| A sign next to St. Louis Arch's right leg
| ''The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.''
| The creator of the Arch, Finnish-American architect {{w|Eero Saarinen}}, reportedly said that the arch symbolizes "the gateway to the West" understood as the {{w|American frontier}} and the expansion of American colonies into the western parts of the continent.

In-game, the Arch marks one of the "gateways" into the larger space of the game, namely the exits of the inner shaft, which allows the player to leave Origin by performing the Oberth maneuver (see below for further explanation).
|-
| Upgrade
| High above the St. Louis Arch
| ''Nice flying! Your tanks recharge faster now.''
| Congratulations for getting your orbital mechanics right and skillfully executing Oberth maneuver (see below).
|-
| People
| Right next to the St. Louis Arch
|
Ponytail with a group of three kids looking like Hairy, Megan and Cueball.
:'''Ponytail''': The St. Louis Arch is also known as the gateway to space.
| Ponytail acting as a guide repeats (or reads) to the kids the slogan written on the sign next to the Arch. See above for the explanation of the slogan.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the St. Louis Arch
| A monument with a pear-shaped structure connected to a small sphere
| It's a miniature of the Roche Lobe Earth, marking a direction to it.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the St. Louis Arch
| A small structure and a tower with a strange-looking orb on top
| Marks the direction to the Round Planet.
|-
| Item
| Close to the top of the orb tower.
| an orb wren
| {{w|Wren}}s are a common family of birds. Their bodies are rather stocky with short wings, sometimes resembling an orb, especially when perched with ruffled feathers such as when enduring cold weather. There's no species actually called an "orb wren".
|-
| Item
| Hidden at the base of the orb tower.
| 11 squares packed into a larger square
| A reference to [[2740: Square Packing]].
|-
| People
| To the right of the orb tower
|
Hairbun and another person.
:'''Hairbun''': Boston? That's in North America, on the Subway planet. It's straight up from the secret glade, you can't miss it.
|
This is an in-game reference and a hint on how to find Boston and the Subway Planet
|-
| Item
| Hidden in a grassy area to the right of the orb tower
| a tumbleweed
| {{w|Tumbleweed}} is an above-ground part of some species of plants in a form of a round, dense bush, which detaches as the plant dries in the summer season and is pushed by winds, rolling along the landscape.
|-
| Item
| Over a grassy area to the right of the orb tower
| a marsh wren
| {{w|Marsh wren}} is a species of North American songbird.
|-
| People
| To the right from the grassy area
|
A quintet of hairy and bearded or moustached people playing and singing:
:It's more than a feeling
:More than a feeling
| This is a reference to the popular song ''{{w|More Than a Feeling}}'' by the {{w|Boston_(band)|Boston}} rock band. It is also an in-game reference and pun regarding multiple Bostons present.
|-
| Message
| Above ground to the right of the musical band
| ''You found a tiny meteorite!''
| {{w|Meteorite}}s are fragments of small celestial bodies that have fallen onto the surface of Earth, surviving a high-speed passage through the atmosphere. Some are really tiny, being a result of a fragmentation of a larger one caused by the forces exerted during atmospherical entry. This particular one has not quite reached the surface, and should be called a {{w|meteoroid}} or a {{w|Meteoroid#Meteors|meteor}} instead.
|-
| Item
| High above ground to the right of the musical band
| a single grain of salt
|
|-
| Landscape
| Between the grassy area and the forest left of the welcome sign
| A spiral-shaped monument
| Marks the direction to the spiral Uzumaki planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Between the grassy area and the forest left of the welcome sign
| A radio telescope with its antenna pointed straight up. ''Receiving transmission''.
| Marks the direction to the Voyager 1. See also the entry on Voyager 2 above.
|-
| People
| Next to the voyager 1 radio telescope.
|
Cueball and Megan.
:'''Megan''': It's like my astronomy teacher always said: "Shoot for the Moon -- even if you miss, you might make a crack in the crystal sphere that imprisons us all in this universe."
| This is an in-game reference to the crack in the crystal sphere of the universe. If you go straight up from them, you can find the crack pretty easily.
|-
| Item
| At the left edge of the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a holographic Charizard business card
|
This is a reference to a particular {{w|Charizard|character}} from the {{w|Pokémon}} media franchise. {{w|Holography|Holographic}} {{w|business card}}s are a fairly novel form of business or personal presentation.
|-
| Item
| In the middle of the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a secret glade
|
|-
| Item
| Up the widest tree in the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a normal-looking leaf
|
|-
| Message
| In the exact middle of the planet
| ''Welcome to liminal space''
|
|-
| People
| In a chamber next to the planet's center
|
Megan with her hair floating around her head.
:'''Megan''': The Oberth effect states that firing thrusters deeper in a gravity well adds more kinetic energy.
|
The {{w|Oberth effect}} is a physical phenomenon and orbital maneuver when a spacecraft fires its thrusters as close to the perycenter (the point on the orbit closest to the center of the orbited body) as possible, being deeper in the "gravity well", to gain more kinetic energy than if the same impulse (amount of propellant used and therefore speed difference) has been applied away from the center, in effect using its propellant more effectively. The kinetic energy is what allows a spacecraft to leave the proximity of the orbited body. A special case of such a maneuver may be accelerating in a theoretical shaft going through the core of the body, which is the case simulated in the game. Applying the principle according to Megan's hint the player is able to "swing" the spaceship a few times along the shaft, accelerating close to the center and allowing the "energy" to regenerate while away, and leave Origin in spite off low initial thrust.

The fact that inside of a spherical body the gravity of the outer layers cancels out creates a local microgravity environment, causing Megan's hair to freely float around her head.
|-
| Item
| In a chamber next to the planet's center
| a DVD of The Core (2003)
| A {{w|DVD}} is a digital {{w|optical disc}} format used most commonly for distributing {{w|film}}s, in his case the 2003 American {{w|The Core|science fiction disaster film}}. As the title suggest, it is inconveniently located at the core of the Origin planet.

|-
| rowspan="8" valign="top"| '''Hollow Planet'''
|People
| In the hollow center of the planet.
|
Ponytail and White Hat floating in microgravity. White Hat's hat has come off his head.
:'''White Hat''': It's weird how a hollow shell doesn't exert gravitational force on objects inside it.
:'''Ponytail''': Oh, so ''that's'' why we don't feel a pull from the crystal sphere.
|
White Hat experiences a practical application of an unintuitive, and since "weird" in his words, {{w|shell theorem}}, as applied to gravity: that inside a hollow, spherical shell the forces of the gravity exerted by the shell cancel out for every object inside, regardless of its position within. Ponytail gets an epiphany, that it also applies to the gigantic Crystal Sphere surrounding the most part of the world she is in.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Close to the center of the planet.
|
a sixth lagrange point

''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
{{w|Lagrange point}}s are places relative to two heavy bodies orbiting one another, where a third, much lighter body will stay in equilibrium with the large two, orbiting the common center of gravity with the same period and keeping a constant distance from both. There are only five Lagrange points.

In theory, a small body located in the center of a hollowed-out massive body will stay put as well (see the previous explanation), creating the sixth Lagrange point; however a hollow massive body can't exist, it will collapse under its own gravity.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface of the planet.
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Round Planet''
| Marks the direction to the Round Planet.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Over the surface to the right of the ''Round Planet'' sign
|
a glass of heavy water

''Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
|
{{w|Heavy water}} is a form of water that contains only {{w|deuterium}} (hydrogen-2) atoms in place of the much more common {{w|Hydrogen|hydrogen-1}} atoms. It is approximately 10% {{w|Density|denser}} than the regular water, hence its name. Heavy water is not normally poured into glasses as for drinking.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface of the planet to the right of the ''Round Planet'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''EXIT''
| Marks the direction to the crack in the Crystal Sphere.
|-
| Landscape
| Next to the ''EXIT'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Uzumaki''
| Marks the direction to Uzumaki
|-
| Landscape
| Across a gap in the surface to the right of the ''Uzumaki'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Origin and Subway''
| Marks the direction to Origin and (not quite precisely) to the Subway Planet.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface opposite the ''EXIT'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Earth (compromise projection)''
| Marks the direction to Projection of Earth.

|-
| rowspan="10" valign="top" | '''Round Planet'''
| People
| On the middle part of the Great Wall
|
Cueball and Megan.
:'''Cueball''': The Great Wall of China is the only human-made structure you can see space from.
|
This is a pun on the commonly voiced misconception that the {{w|Great Wall of China}} is the only man-made object on Earth that can be seen from {{w|Outer space|space}} (or the Earth's orbit at least).
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| To the right of the Great Wall over a field of boulders
|
a sensible cheese platter

''Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
A cheese platter is a common dish served in restaurants as a starter or sometimes as a main dish, as well as a final course in a formal meal (following the sweet, or as an option instead of one) composed of a selection of cheeses served on a large platter. However, often it may just be a random collection of what's available (e.g. a hard cheese, a soft cheese, a blue cheese of either hard or soft variety, possibly a small serving of butter; and a selection of crackers that are either far too many or far too few for the other products). A "sensible" plate, i.e. well-composed by a competent chef, might be considered rare.
|-
| Item
| Within Stonehenge
| a swatch pop-out wristwatch
|
|-
| People
| To the right of the Stonehenge
| Hairbun walking on absurdly high stilts
| People walking on stilts are a fairly common theme in xkcd. References include [[482: Height]], [[1608: Hoverboard]], [[1663: Garden]], [[2603: Childhood Toys]], [[2669: Things You Should Not Do]] and possibly other comics.
|-
| Landscape
| Next to Hairbun on stilts
|
Three spaceships flying just above the surface. The leading one transmits a message:
:''Rogue group, use your harpoons and tow cables! Go for the legs!''
|
This is a quote from ''{{w|Star Wars}}'' episode V ''{{w|The Empire Strikes Back}}''. In the original context the starships were attacking {{w|Walker (Star Wars)#All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT)|AT-AT}} four-legged armored vehicles, trying to immobilize them by entangling their legs. In the game, they are attacking Hairbun on stilts instead.
|-
| Upgrade
| Above the middle spaceship attacking Hairbun
| ''Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
| A regular engine upgrade.
|-
| People
| To the right of the three spaceships
| A volleyball net. Cueball is jumping in the air to hit a volleyball on the right side of the net while Ponytail is juggling three bowling pins on the left side.
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the volleyball field
|
An airplane towing a long, narrow banner with a message printed across, not along it:
:''Does any one know how to get this thing to print in land scape mode?''
| A reference to [[2757: Towed Message]].
|-
| People
| To the right of the airplane towing a banner
| Beret Guy climbing a cell tower with some fruit hanging off the antennas. Cueball is standing next to it.
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the cell tower
| Huge gallows with a large flag on a pole hanging on it. The pole of the flag is twisted into a shape partly resembling an infinity sign; the loose end of the pole pierces the flag. A relatively large Cueball figure stands next to it.
|

|-
| rowspan="16" valign="top" | '''Uzumaki'''
| Item + Upgrade
| On the outside of the spiral
| a single caffeine molecule
''Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
{{w|Caffeine}} is a chemical substance present in many plants including {{w|coffee bean}}s. Beverages containing it have a refreshing effect on people, reducing fatigue and increasing performance. It may be pun implying that after collecting this item, the spaceship is similarly "recharged" as a person after a cup of {{w|coffee}}, however a single {{w|molecule}} would not make a big difference.
|-
| Message
| The entrance to the spiral
| ''Exit Only''
| In real world doors or gates are sometimes marked ''Exit Only'' to facilitate optimal movement of people or vehicles in an area or within a building, especially in an emergency. However, for such one-way passage to be useful, the structure must have some other entry points. The spiral has only one entry point.
|-
| Item
| Within the spiral
| a festive but somehow unnerving holiday card from Junji Ito
| {{w|Junji Ito}} is the author of {{w|Uzumaki}}, which inspired the spiral planet. He specializes in {{w|Japanese horror}} genre, therefore a postcard with his original artwork on it might be perceived as "unnerving".
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a podcast episode
| A {{w|podcast}} is a primarily a {{w|digital audio}} (now more commonly also a {{w|video}}) show or presentation similar to a {{w|radio program}}, but instead of being {{w|Broadcasting|broadcast}} at a predetermined time, is made available for {{w|download}} and later review at leisure. Being digital data, a podcast is intangible, therefore finding a podcast episode just lying around is a bit absurd missing some recording medium. On the other hand a digital video found on the Origin planet is recorded on a DVD (see above).
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a friendly bee
|
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| an ink cartridge
| An ink cartridge is a container filled with {{w|ink}}, packaged for direct use in a device that dispenses the ink for drawing, writing, printing etc. It may refer to a cartridge for an old-fashioned {{w|fountain pen}} or an {{w|ink cartridge}} for a modern {{w|Inkjet printing|inkjet printer}}.
|-
| Landscape
| Further within the spiral
|
A free-roaming Roomba

:'''Roomba''': WHIRRR
| {{w|Roomba}} is a line of {{w|robotic vacuum cleaner}}s popular in the {{w|hacker culture|hacker community}}. Roombas are a [[:Category:Roomba|common theme]] on xkcd, but this is likely a direct reference to [[1558: Vet]].
|-
| Message
| Just above Roomba
| ''You're going the wrong way!' ''
| Probably a reference to the ''Exit Only'' message above.
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a spiral-cut diamond
| Raw {{w|diamond}}s are {{w|Diamond cut|cut}} to form {{w|Gemstone|gems}} used in {{w|jewellery}}. To expose the natural beauty of the mineral, the cut has to create symmetrical flat surfaces (facets) at specific angles to each other so {{w|White#White_light|white light}} {{w|refraction|refracts}} and {{w|Reflection (physics)|reflects}} within the finished gem, possibly multiple times, also {{w|Dispersion (optics)|dipersing}} on its way back to the viewer's eye, creating a brilliant look. Cutting a diamond in a spiral shape would be likely counter-productive and very difficult because of the material's {{w|brittleness}}.

It is a self-reference to the spiral "planet" the item is located on.
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a golden radio tuned to 1.618 MHz
|
A {{w|Broadcasting|broadcast}} {{w|radio receiver}} (often called simply ''radio'') is an electronic device for receiving and listening to {{w|radio program|radio programming}} and has to be {{w|Tuner (radio)|tuned}} to a particular {{w|frequency}} to listen to the desired program. Frequency is measured in the unit of {{w|hertz}} or its {{w|Metric prefix|multiplies}}, in this example in megahertz. 1.618 MHz is located in the part of {{w|High frequency|HF}} (high frequency) range of the {{w|electromagnetic spectrum}} assigned (in the USA {{w|Frequency plan|band plan}}) to broadcasting, however not aligned to actual station assignments; the closest assignment is 1.620 MHz (1620 kHz) for {{w|WDHP}} station in {{w|Frederiksted, U.S. Virgin Islands}}. Due to inaccuracies involved with tuning and the 10 kHz {{w|channel spacing}} of American {{w|AM broadcasting|AM radio broadcasting}}, setting a real radio receiver to exactly 1618 kHz will allow listening to the mentioned station, as well as a few others which have nearby frequencies allocated, maybe with some distortion.

This is a pun referring to the {{w|golden ratio}}, being an {{w|irrational number}} of approximately 1.618 and to the {{w|golden spiral}}.
|-
| People
| Further within the spiral
|
:'''Beret Guy''': I like spirals!
|
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a burrito
| {{w|Burrito}} is a {{w|Mexican cuisine|Mexican}} and {{w|Tex-Mex}} cuisine dish consisting of various ingredients tightly wrapped in a {{w|flour tortilla|wheat tortilla}}. This is a rather nonsense joke; a possible connection to Uzumaki is that wrapping the tortilla creates a spiral cross section.
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a cool pair of shoes with flames on the side
|
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a scroll lock key
|
{{w|Scroll Lock}} is a key on {{w|IBM Personal Computer|IBM}}-compatible {{w|computer keyboard}}s, often accompanied with a status light. It was originally intended for changing the function of {{w|arrow keys}} between moving the {{w|Cursor (user interface)|cursor}} around the screen (Scroll Lock off) and {{w|scrolling}} the contents of the screen (Scroll Lock on). Later, different systems and applications repurposed the key for other functions, such as pausing and resuming automatic scrolling of copious textual output, or for other obscure purposes such as {{w|debugging}} or the ''{{w|Magic SysRq key}}'' on {{w|Linux}}. As such, the key has almost fallen out of use in modern computing, prompting manufacturers of small computers such as {{w|laptop}}s or small {{w|Form factor (design)|form factor}} keyboards to make it smaller, move it to a non-standard place in the {{w|keyboard layout}} or drop it altogether. Most laptops missing the Scroll Lock key on their keyboards implement some key combination which acts as if Scroll Lock was pressed, allowing advanced users to use the mentioned obscure functions anyway.

Placing this item quite deep in the spiral is a pun referring to difficulty in finding a Scroll Lock key or the equivalent combination on some modern computers. A few xkcd comics refer to the key: [[978: Citogenesis]], [[1465: xkcd Phone 2]], [[1854: Refresh Types]] and [[2206: Mavis Beacon]].
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a primordial black hole
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the center of the spiral
| a tree-filled grove and a nice spot for quiet contemplation
''Your thrusters are significantly more efficient now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | '''Guitar Ship'''
| Item
| Just over the dome on the back of the guitar
| a guitar pick
| A {{w|guitar pick}} is a small flat tool for playing a {{w|guitar}}.
|-
| Token
| Close to guitar's neck
| ''Orange line deactivated!''
|

|-
| rowspan="4" valign="top" | '''Spacetime Soccer Field'''
| Upgrade
| Within one of the goals
| ''GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Within the other goal
| ''GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| On the surface of the planet between goals
| a sunspot
''Your launch speed has increased.''
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| At the center spot on one of the soccer field
| the 3 million point line
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | '''Saturn'''
| Item
| At the equator, below the rings
| a really cool data point
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| At the south pole
| a block of scandium
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| At middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere
| a pair of platonic solids, not quite touching
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|

|-
| rowspan="6" valign="top" | '''Andal'''
| Upgrade
| At the top of the T-shaped tower
| ''What a nice place for a ship to sit! Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the T-shaped tower
| Two fantasy animals: one looks like a centaur, the other as a horse-headed centaur.
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Over the animals
| two Andalites, one canonical
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the grass close to some hills
| baby shoes (and baby)
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| In the grassy area between two hilly regions
|
Cueball and Megan facing each other
:'''Megan''': The M.I.T. cloaking device only affects the electroweak and nuclear forces. Gravity is the odd one out, as usual.
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to Megan
| a friend
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="10" valign="top" | '''Projection of Earth'''
| Item + Upgrade
| The North Sea
| the Principality of Sealand
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item
| Northern Atlantic Ocean
| the Heart of the Ocean
| The whole message says: ''You found the Heart of the Ocean! It was drifting around in space.''
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to Rhode Island
| a Rhode Island the size of an ant
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Token
| Next to Boston, Massachusetts
| ''Red line deactivated!''
|
|-
| Item
| By the Alexander Island of Antarctica
| some microbial life
|
|-
| Item
| Off the West African coastline
| a whale shark
|
|-
| Item
| On the western coast of Myanmar near the Strait of Malacca
| some tin from the pantai remis mine
|
|-
| Item
| Next to the Celebes Island of Indonesia
| a sparkling gem
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Off the southern Australian coast
| an icosahedral d10
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item
| Near the Kamchatka peninsula in Eastern Russia
| a piece of pumice
| The whole message says: ''You found a piece of pumice floating in space!''

|-
| valign="top" | '''Voyager 1'''
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to the dish antenna
| Voyager 1
''Some of its great speed rubs off on you. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.''
|

|-
| valign="top" | '''Voyager 2'''
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to the dish antenna
| Voyager 2
''Some of its great speed rubs off on you. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.''
|

|-
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | '''SafetySat'''
| Item
| In front of laser pointers
| a first of its kind
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Next to software-defined radio
| ''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Next to crude oil tank
| ''The more refined oil had a dinner engagement. Your launch speed has increased.''
|

|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | '''Shuttle Skeleton'''
| Item
| At the tip of the ship's bow
| a piece of space shuttle food
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Next to the left-hand engine
| ''A little upgrade works wonders on fuel efficiency. Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | '''Giant Spider'''
| Item
| Next to the tip of the spider's abdomen
| a spider-silk scarf
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to the spider's mouth
| a friendly jumping spider
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|

|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | '''Diffraction Spikes Star'''
| Item
| At the tip of a long spike
| a hydrogen ion
|
|-
| Item
| At the tip of a short spike
| a piece of coronium (iron)
| The whole message says: ''You found a piece of coronium! Wait, no, iron.''

|-
| rowspan="4" valign="top" | '''Roche Lobe Earth'''
| Item
| Off the California coastline
| a curious humboldt squid
|
|-
| Item
| Off the Japan coast
| a bathyscaphe
| The whole message says: ''You found a bathyscaphe at the Marianas Trench!''
|-
| Token
| Near Boston
| ''Green line deactivated!''
|
|-
| Item
| On the far side of the Moon
| a wayward Roomba full of moondust
|

|-
| valign="top" | '''Dark Matter Planet'''
| Item + Upgrade
| A little above the surface to the left of Ponytail
| a delicate music box
''Your engine is a little more powerful now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="6" valign="top" | '''Jurassic Park Planet'''
| People
| On the surface
| A person with a hat facing a couple
:'''dr John Hammond''': Welcome... to Jurassic Park.
|
|-
| Upgrade
| To the right of the people close to a dinosaur's mouth
| ''But what if gravity doesn't actually exist? Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Further to the right between two dinosaurs
| ''Today is a good day I think for space exploration. Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item
| Still further to the right
| a tiny pteranodon
|
|-
| Item
| Still further to the right, low above the grass
| a baby hedgehog
|
|-
| Item
| Below surface down from the middle of empty grassy area between two dinosaurs to the left of the people
| a tattered knapsack containing about $194,00 in $20 bills
|

|-
| rowspan="7" valign="top" | '''Comet 67P'''
| Landscape
| On the surface opposite the large bulge
| Remains of a crashed spacecraft
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Just above the crashed spacecraft
| The Long Now Foundation's archive of every Animorphs book
''You found The Long Now Foundation's nickel paperweight containing an archive of every published Animorphs book! Your launch speed has increased.'
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the left of the bulge
| A small three-legged spacecraft.
:'''Spacecraft''': BEEP BOOP
|
|-
| Landscape
| On the bulge
| Cueball standing next to some apparatus
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to the apparatus
| a broken smoke machine
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| To the right of the bulge
| ''Some people believe that when the Earth appears in the sky, it's a harbinger of doom. Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Further to the right, next to a signpost
| ''Anyone for Scrabble later? Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|

|-
| rowspan="36" valign="top" | '''What If? Planet'''
| Upgrade
| On the flag flying from a flagpole
| ''You captured the flag! You decide to leave it there, but it's yours. Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| To the right from the flagpole
| A cave in the ground. Inside it there's Beret Guy and two rabbits.
|
This is a reference to an English-language expression [[wikt:rabbit hole|''rabbit hole'']] which means a complex, bizarre or difficult situation, esp. such that one does
not want to be involved in. The expression is itself a reference to {{w|Lewis Carroll}}s ''{{w|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland}}'' in which the protagonist follows
the {{w|White Rabbit}} down a rabbit hole to find herself in the {{w|Wonderland (fictional country)|Wonderland}}. Here, Beret Guy literally enters a {{w|Burrow|rabbit hole}}.

In the original version from [[2712: Gravity]] there was a text spoken by Beret Guy: "I don't know why people complain about going down rabbit holes. These lil guys are adorable!"
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the rabbit hole
| a dna base pair
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| To the right from the rabbit hole
| Two stones with sails attached, sliding on the ground towards Ponytail and Megan
|
This is an overly literal reference to the natural phenomenon of {{w|Sailing stones}}.

In the original version, Ponytail was saying: "Ahh, the mysterious natural wonders of sailing stones"
|-
| People
| To the right from sailing stones
| Black Hat aiming a bow at a satellite not far above the ground
| Probably a reference to "Consequence archery" from [[1920: Emoji Sports]]
|-
| Item
| Just above the satellite
| an eye in the sky
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the satellite
| A lake with an eel swimming in it
|
|-
| Item
| In the grass near the eel-lake
| a smooth green snake
| The whole message says: ''You found a smooth green snake! It curls up in your hand and naps.''
|-
| Landscape
| On the other side of a grassy area by the eel-lake
| A small erupting volcano
| In the original version, the volcano was making a ''DOOT!'' sound. It is a reference to the "Doot cone" of [[1714: Volcano Types]]
|-
| People
| To the right of the volcano cone
| White Hat and Cueball standing, another person charging them with a sword held above head. Cueball is holding a small object in his left hand, the arm stretched towards the attacker.
|
|-
| People
| To the right of the person with sword
| Baby Hairbun running towards baby Megan. Megan is making a kicking move like in a soccer game, but there's no ball drawn.
|
|-
| People
| To the right of the girls playing
| A person with a wide-rimmed hat driving a tractor. The ground strangely sticks to its wheels.
|
This scene and three following ones are references to ''What If? 2'' Chapter 64: Lemon Drops and Gumdrops, where it rains candy.

{{w|Lemon drop (candy)|Lemon drops}} and {{w|gumdrop}}s are made mostly of {{w|sugar}} and {{w|pectin}}s to create thick, sticky texture.
If such confectionery would fall on the ground in copious amounts such as during heavy rainfall, and partially dissolve in water bodies
or ground water, it would make the surface sticky and gross,{{citation needed}} affecting movement, such as the farmer's tractor having
trouble going. {{w|Tractor}}s used e.g. in agriculture may already have trouble going on really muddy soils, the addition of candy
makes it worse.
|-
| People
| To the right of the tractor
| Megan and Cueball standing on a shore of a shallow lake, Cueball is poking a stick into the water which strangely sticks to it.
| A candyfall happening for a prolonged time would replace some water in lakes etc. and dissolve in them, turning them into a {{w|syrup}}.
|-
| Landscape
| Over the shallow lake of sticky water
| A hummingbird flying
|
The only creature satisfied with the candyfall is the {{w|hummingbird}} which feeds on {{w|nectar}}, which is essentially {{w|syrup}}
produced naturally within {{w|flower}}s. In the original version, the bird exclaims ''YESSSSSSS!''
|-
| People
| To the right of the shallow lake
| Cueball with his head apparently tilted back, being hit by something falling from above.
PLINK
:'''Cueball''': OW!
PLINK
:'''Cueball''': OW!
|
Seeing the candyfall, Cueball attempts to eat some of it, by just opening his mouth and letting the candy fall in.
However, as anybody who tried a trick of throwing a piece of candy upwards and catching it in one's mouth knows,
having the candy hit one's teeth is a rather painful experience.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| At the bottom of the shallow lake
| a sunken treasure
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| People
| Further to the right from the shallow lake
| A person (Hairy?) sitting on a large heap of bananas, Cueball standing aside.
|
In the original version Hairy says: "I'm Bananas Georg. Every year our company publishes global per capita banana consumption numbers,
so to make the printing easier, I eat enough bananas of December 31st to make sure it's a round number."
|-
| People
| Next to Bananas Georg
| Megan standing on a brim of a small valley, another person standing in the valley with a small animal by his feet.
:'''Megan''': Hi, Ryan!
|
|-
| Item
| Just above Ryan
| an asterisk
| The whole message says: ''You found an asterisk. it doesn’t seem to refer to anything.''
|-
| People
| To the right from the valley with Ryan
| Cueball and Megan are standing in a dugout. Cueball holds a spade.
| In the original version Cueball says: "Weird, I feel ''heavier''."
|-
| Upgrade
| Next to Cueball with a spade
| ''The Yellowstone Super What? Your launch speed has increased.''
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the dugout
| A river, a waterfall and a lake below the falls. On the top of the waterfall Cueball faces two persons with police hats on. There's a fat hose labelled "Niagara water" leading from the waterfall into a building labelled "LHC". Someone in the building shouts:
:Hey!
| The abbreviation "LHC" stands for the {{w|Large Hadron Collider}}. This scene is a reference to {{what if|147|Niagara Straw}}.
|-
| Item
| Next to the LHC
| a large hadron
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the LHC
| A large, rippled body of water. Two people in a boat are sailing towards an UFO-shaped large rock being ejected from the water into space. Another two people are standing on the rock.
| This is a reference to ''What If? 2'' Chapter 50: Japan Runs an Errand
|-
| Landscape
| In the large body of water
| A tube to the bottom of the ocean. Megan is standing at the bottom.
| This is a reference to ''What If? 2'' Chapter 50: Mariana Trench Tube
|-
| Upgrade
| To the right of a large rippled body of water, on a big cloud
| ''Nutritional Facts - Serving Size: 1 Cloud, Total Calories: 0. Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| To the right of a bunch of clouds
| Megan sitting on a rectangular block, facing another upright block.
|
|-
| People
| To the right of blocks and stones area.
| White Hat walking through a patch of grass along Hairbun, who's looking at her mobile phone.
| In the original version, Ponytail was saying: "I checked downforeveryoneorjustme.com and it says just me." to what White Hat responded: "Yeah, I guess down isn't down for everyone."
|-
| Item
| In the middle of a patch of forest
| a secret leaf
|
|-
| Item
| Under a large tree in the rightmost part of the forest
| a stick
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the forest
| A tower crane lowering a comet onto a place with two dinosaurs
| This is a reference to {{what if|162|Comet Ice}}
In the original version, crane operator was saying: "How am I supposed to cause the extinction of the dinosaurs if they keep moving out from under my comet?"
|-
| Item
| Under the crane's beam
| a sterile neutrino
|
|-
| Item
| To the right of the crane
| a pair of squirrel goggles
|
|-
| People
| To the right of the crane
| Knit Cap observing an object moving at supersonic speed next to him.
:''BOOM''
| This is a reference to ''What If? 2'' Chapter 56: Walking Backward in Time, where these squirrels are surprisingly present in the past.
In the original version, Knit Cap was saying: "Unusually high-speed squirrels."
|-
| People
| To the right of a supersonic squirrel.
| Danish standing in a swimming pool, Cueball on the brim.
| In the original version, Danish was exclaiming: "Jump in! The water's fine!"
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the swimming pool next to Danish
| a steam calliope
''our engine gets a little more powerful.''

|-
| rowspan="40" valign="top" | '''Subway Planet'''
| Landscape
| Many places
| '''Warning! Air and Space Museum black hole ahead! Turn back while you still have enough engine thrust!''
|
This warns the player about a black hole present inside the planet in the center of Washington, D.C. area.
Once the player gets close and is pulled onto the surface of the black hole, it is not possible to launch off of it without the Hyperdrive.
The only way to get unstuck is pressing the Home button.

It's a reference to the {{w|Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum|''Intrepid'' Sea, Air & Space Museum}}.
|-
| Upgrade
| At a large opening in the planet's surface
| ''You get the feeling you're not in Kansas anymore. Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
|-
| People
| On the right side of the large opening in the planet
| Megan and Cueball standing on the edge. Cueball is leaning forward, looking down.
:'''Cueball''': Where's Boston?
:'''Megan''': I think M.I.T. kids took it.
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the entrance to a triple-wide tunnel leading down to NYC
| a hot dog
''Your launch speed has increased.''
|
|-
| People
| On the surface to the right of the tunnels leading to NYC
| Cueball and Danish walking.
:'''Cueball''': Why did those M.I.T. kids keep talking about Morgantown?
:'''Danish''': They're just transit enthusiasts, I guess.
:'''Cueball''': But Morgantown is tiny. It can't possibly have a subway, can it?
:'''Danish''': Not exactly...
|
|-
| People
| On the surface above Santo Domingo
| Hairy and White Hat.
:'''Hairy''': A lot of people don't realize that North America only has one subway system; each city's metro is just one part of the network.
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| At the entrance to a tunnel leading to Santo Domingo / Monterrey area
| a bottle of Coke Absolute Zero
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| People
| On the surface to the right of the Mexico City
|
:'''Ponytail''': Welcome to the Subway Planet, home of all North America's metro systems!
|
|-
| People
| Further to the right
| Ponytail and Cueball. Cueball is holding a four-wheeled suitcase.
:'''Ponytail''': Boston? No, that's on the other side of the planet. Or used to be, anyway.
|
|-
| People
| Further to the right
| Ponytail and Megan walking.
:'''Ponytail''': My favorite thing about visiting Origin is all the pointing sculptures. They make it so easy to navigate!
|
|-
| People
| On the surface next to San Francisco
| Cueball and Megan standing on the opposite sides of a tunnel entrance.
:'''Cueball''': If you're looking for someone to track down those M.I.T. kid, you could try asking CalTech.
:'''Megan''': But we're in San Francisco; Isn't CalTech in Pasadena?
:'''Cueball''': Yeah, it's down there somewhere.
|
|-
| People
| Between San Francisco and Vancouver
| Ponytail jumping across a tunnel entrance.
:'''Ponytail''': Vancouver!
|
|-
| People
| Vancouver
| Cueball and Ponytail looking up.
:'''Cueball''': Huh, I never noticed that crack in the crystal sphere before.
|
|-
| People
| Down in the tunnels in Montreal
|
:'''Knit Cap''': Bienvenue à Montréal!
|
|-
| People
| At the bottom of the large hole in the planet's surface
| Blondie and Megan.
:'''Blondie''': I hear M.I.T. kids were working on a cloaking device. Boston could be anywhere.
|
|-
| Item
| In a short dead-end tunnel near the right side of the hole
| a Cybiko® wireless handheld computer for teens (2000)
|
|-
| Item
| In a short dead-end tunnel down in NYC
| a handful of quantum foam
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Down in the tunnels of New York City
| a brightly-lit billboard
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Item
| Down in NYC
| a normal-sized apple
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the tunnel leading from New York City to Washington, D.C.
| a friendly cat
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| Down in Mexico
| Cueball sitting on a ledge, Megan standing below, looking down
:'''Megan''': You'd need some powerful thrusters to make it down there and back.
|
|-
| People
| Monterrey
| Megan looking at her phone
<code>xkcd.com/1196</code>
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In a short dead-end tunnel near Miami
| a beige electron
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item
| In a short dead-end tunnel in Toronto
| a relativistic bowling ball
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Further down in Toronto
| $30 in Yahoo
''You found $30 in Yahoo! cash! Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Down in San Francisco
| ''The next stop is Interplanetary Terminal G. Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| Down in Los Angeles
| A rectangular chamber connected to a tunnel. Megan is standing at the entrance to it, Hairbun and Cueball are inside.
:'''Megan''': Welcome to CalTech!
:'''Hairbun''': The M.I.T. cloaking device control? It's in Morgantown, WV.
:'''Cueball''': Figures.
|
|-
| People
| Left and down from the CalTech chamber
| Science Girl standing in the tunnel.
:'''Science Girl''': Stop! This line goes to D.C.! Ever since the Air and Space Museum put in the black hole exhibit, it's been difficult to return without enough engine thrust.
| This is a more elaborate version of the warning plastered all over the inside of the planet. See the first entry on the Subway Planet above.
|-
| Upgrade
| In a tunnel between Los Angeles and Philadelphia
| ''There is no parking in the white zone. Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| In a long straight dead-end tunnel near Philadelphia
| ''You feel accomplished. Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| Down in Philadelphia
| Cueball sitting on a slope.
:'''Cueball''': Morgantown? You could get there via Philly and Baltimore, but that would take you near the Museum. Might be safer to take the red line from Atlanta.
|
|-
| Message
| In a tunnel in Washington, close to the black hole
| ''Transfer here for Mornington Crescent''
|
|-
| Landscape
| In the center of Washington, D.C.
| The Air and Space Museum's black hole pictured as a dark circle with shiny rings around it. It is impossible to escape it without the Hyperdrive. If caught there, hit the Home button.
|
This object does not behave like a real {{w|black hole}} as anything getting close enough (below the {{w|Schwarzschild radius}}) will never emerge from it again.
In the game, however, one can land on the surface of it and launch off it, provided that the engine thrust has been greatly increased by the Hyperdrive.
The object behaves like a dense, spherical solid having a large mass and hence exerting significant gravitational force, more like a {{w|super-Earth}}.
|-
| Landscape
| In the tunnel leading from Washington to Morgantown
| A sign with an arrow, saying ''WV''
| ''WV'' is a common abbreviation for the U.S. state of {{w|West Virginia}} in which {{w|Morgantown, West Virginia|Morgantown}} lies.
|-
| People
| In Morgantown
| Cueball sitting at a subway station (a round chamber a bit wider than the tunnel) at a strange angle to the surface
:'''Cueball''': Welcome to Morgantown!
|
|-
| Token
| In Morgantown
| ''MIT Cloaking Device deactivated! Boston detected.''
|
|-
| Landscape
| Along the tunnels from Morgantown up to the surface near Mexico
| A grey line with a circle at Morgantown end and an arrow at the other end
| This line appears only after the Cloaking Device is deactivated and points to the Boston planet.
|-
| People
| In the tunnel leading from Morgantown to Atlanta
| Megan standing at a subway station at a strange angle to the surface
:'''Megan''': Welcome to Morgantown!
|
|-
| People
| Further along the tunnel from Morgantown to Atlanta
| Megan sitting
:'''Megan''': I think I'm stuck. I can't even see the black hole from here!
|
|-
| People
| At the joint of the tunnels leading to Morgantown and Washington, D.C.
| Cueball sitting on the edge, his elbow on his thigh, and his chin resting on his hand.
:'''Cueball ''': Where does that line go?
|

|-
| rowspan="15" valign="top" | '''Boston Planet'''
| People
| Next to the entrance of the blue line, labelled "Wonderland"
|
:'''Cueball''': There's a token to open each T line. The blue line token is right here in Boston.
|
|-
| Token
| Over the blue line entrance
| ''Blue line deactivated!''
|
|-
| People
| On the other side of the entrance of the blue line
| White Hat with his arms stretched facing Ponytail
:'''White Hat''': Welcome to Wonderland!
|
|-
| People
| Next to the entrance of the red line, labelled "Braintree"
| Cueball and Megan
:'''Cueball''': Transfer here to Skinflower and Bonevine.
|
{{w|Braintree, Massachusetts}} is a real-world town in the {{w|Greater Boston}} area, where the {{w|Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|MBTA}} {{w|MBTA subway|subway}}
{{w|Red_Line_(MBTA)|red line}} terminal {{w|Braintree station (MBTA)|station}} is located.
The funny-sounding name of the town has inspired Randall to create two fictional station names following the same pattern of animal organ + plant form: Skinflower and Bonevine.
These names also appear on the map in [[1196: Subways]].
|-
| People
| Next to the entrance of the green line, labelled "Riverside"
|
:'''Cueball''': I can't believe the green line goes all the way to Los Angeles.
|
|-
| People
| Next to the other entrance of the green line, labelled "Boston College"
| Megan and Ponytail talking.
:'''Megan''': Boston is a lot of places. It's on the East Coast of North America, but it's also on the surface of the Earth.
:'''Ponytail''': And on some playlists.
:'''Megan''': And of course it's right here!
|
|-
| People
| Next to another entrance of the green line, labelled "Medford/Tufts"
|
:'''Cueball''': I can't believe the green line extension is finally open.
|
|-
| People
| Down the blue line tunnel
|
:'''Cueball''': The red line token? It's in Boston.
| rowspan = "4" valign = "center" |
Cueball states the fact that there are many places named Boston or alluding to Boston in the game and the remaining subway tokens
(besides the blue line one, which was needed to get into the blue line tunnel in order to read Cueball's hints)
are located in or near such places. To find where the other tokens are, sort the table by the '''Type''' column and look up entries named "Token".
|-
| People
| Further down the blue line tunnel
|
:'''Cueball''': The green line token is in Boston, too.
|-
| People
| Still further down the blue line tunnel
|
:'''Cueball''': The orange line token is also in Boston.
|-
| People
| Near the intersection of the blue and orange lines tunnels
|
:'''Cueball''': There are a lot of Bostons in this universe.
|-
| People
| In the red line tunnel, down from Braintree.
| Megan and Cueball walking.
:'''Cueball''': You know, the locals actually pronounce it "Quinchy"
|
This is a reference to {{w|Quincy, Massachusetts}}, a city through which the {{w|MBTA subway|Boston subway}} {{w|Red_Line_(MBTA)|red line}} goes.
Four stations are located within the city limits: {{w|North Quincy station|North Quincy}}, {{w|Wollaston station|Wollaston}},
{{w|Quincy Center station|Quincy Center}} and {{w|Quincy Adams station|Quincy Adams}}. The word "quinchy" is a rather obscene slang expression, look it up in Urban Dictionary.
|-
| People
| In the red line tunnel, next to a place labelled "MIT".
|
:'''Megan ''': The hyperdrive works pretty well, but use it carefully. Try not to fly into walls at full speed.
|
|-
| Upgrade
| In the red line tunnel, next to a place labelled "MIT".
| ''Welcome to MIT! You acquired a hyperdrive!''
|
|-
| In the center of the planet
| Item
| a strangely heavy subway token
| This item is only accessible before the Boston planet is uncloaked.

|-
| rowspan="6" valign="top" | '''Crystal Sphere'''
| Close to the interior edge to the left of the crack
| Upgrade
| ''A significant boost to the engines for a curious pilot. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.''
|
|-
| On the interior edge approx. a quarter of the full circle to the right of the crack
| Item + Upgrade
| the gold crown Archimedes stole
''Your engine thrust has increased significantly.''
|
|-
| On the interior edge almost opposite the crack
| Item
| a necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out your name
| The full message says: ''You found a necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out your name (note: hopefully you are not named 'Katherine' or 'Brandon')!''
|-
| On the exterior edge approx. a quarter of the full circle to the left of the crack
| Item
| the platinum cylinder formerly used to define the kilogram
|
|-
| Some distance off the exterior edge approx. a quarter of the full circle to the right of the crack
| Item + Upgrade
| a needle in a haystack
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Inside the Crystal Sphere between Boston and Round planets
| Upgrade
| ''You found a handful of the quantum foam that makes up the fabric of space! Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|

|-
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | '''Crack in the Crystal Sphere'''
| On the left side of the entrance to the crack in the sphere
| Message
| Left lane must turn left
|
|-
| On the right side of the entrance to the crack
| Message
| Right lane must turn right
|
|-
| Inside the crack more than a halfway though it
| Upgrade
| ''There is a way out. Your launch speed has increased.''
|


|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" |
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|

|-
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
|}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2765}}
[[Category:Comic subpages]]

2765: Escape Speed/Tables

2023-06-01T15:25:48Z

172.68.139.32: /* Table of planets */

__TOC__

Here the long tables needed for the explanation of the interactive comic [[2765: Escape Speed]] could be moved.

=Table of planets=
{{incomplete|
'''This is a different attempt to list and explain all the planets and other objects that have gravity and can be landed upon and explored'''.

The description and explanations may be incomplete or incorrect. Please help improve them. Try to keep separate the ''description'' (i.e. how the planet looks and what general features it has) and ''explanation'' (i.e. what the name and look represent, what they refer to both in the real and fictional worlds and what xkcd comics may have been a source or an inspiration. Please describe the planets only, not the objects that can be found on them.
}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Name <code>code-name</code>
! Tiles (X, Y)
! Directions
! Description
! Explanation
|-
| '''Starting Planet''' <code>tiny-world</code>
| (6024, -8976)
| To get here, click the "Home" button in the lower right corner of the comic.
|
The planet is tiny, grassy, has a few trees and bushes and features several people. Initially the navigation is difficult because of low initial engine thrust and strong gravity of the Origin planet nearby affecting movement.
|
This is where the game starts. Pressing the "Home" button to go back to the starting planet shows the message, "Welcome back, pilot", which may be a reference to the greeting that plays when re-entering a Titan in the ''Titanfall'' video games.

|-
| '''Origin''' <code>origin</code>
| (3096, -5904)
| To get here, launch from Beret Guy saying "Wow!" on the Starting Planet.
|
The planet is fairly big, has vegetation, and features many people, landscape objects, items and upgrades. It has a shaft through the center. The planet is hard to leave without any upgrades unless one uses the shaft to gain more momentum by thrusting while moving through the middle of it. Many of the landmarks of the surface mark the directions to different planets.
|
The planet has a sign saying 'Welcome to Origin! You can never leave™'. The name may also refer to the fact that the planet lies almost at the center of the game world, or that it is the starting point for exploration as it provides many navigational hints.

|-
| '''Hollow Planet''' <code>hollow-shell</code>
| (-13952, 1848)
| To get here, launch from the St. Louis Arch on Origin.
|
The planet is just a shell with some gaps. On the outside, there are a few signs that mark the directions to different planets.
|

|-
| '''Round Planet''' <code>orb</code>
| (-19154, -7288)
| To get here, launch from the tower with an orb on it on Origin or the sign on the Hollow Planet.
|
The planet is moderately small with no vegetation and some architecture such as Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China. It also features a few people and items.
|
|-
| '''Uzumaki''' <code>uzumaki</code>
| (-3904, -26904)
| To get here, launch from Origin's spiral landmark, the sign on the Hollow Planet, or below the plane-towed banner on the Round Planet.
| The planet is a large spiral overgrown with grass and some other vegetation. It has very weak gravity.
| The shape of the planet is inspired by the {{w|manga}} {{w|Uzumaki}} by {{w|Junji Ito}}.
|-
| '''Guitar Ship''' <code>guitar-ship</code>
| (-12000, -30000)
| To get there, launch from Uzumaki, a little to the left of the caffeine molecule item.
| The planet is shaped like a guitar seen in perspective looking from the bottom of the body, with a dome on the back side. Within the dome there's the Boston skyline.
| This is a reference to the cover art of the album {{w|Boston (album)|Boston}} by the like-named American {{w|Boston (band)|rock band}}. It's one of many references to {{w|Boston}} in the game.
|-
| '''Spacetime Soccer Field''' <code>soccerfield</code>
| (6048, 4048)
| To get here, launch from Origin, from the pyramid with a soccer ball on top of it.
|
This is a tiny planet with a smooth surface and a distorted soccer field marked around it. The goals and goal area lines are on the opposite sides of the planet (let's say, to the east and west), distorted into curved trapezoids. The touch lines (side lines) are sections of hyperbolas with the vertices closest to the planet at the north and south poles, extending symmetrically to some distance from the planet. There is no goal line; in this geometry it should be the extended axis. What seems to be penalty lines, but drawn incorrectly to join the side lines instead of going back to the goal line, are sections of an ellipse. The halfway line appears twice, joining the four ends of hyperbolic side lines. The center circle appears as two separate halves stemming from the two copies of the halfway line.
|
The space soccer field utilizes the concept from [[2705: Spacetime Soccer]], but inversed: in the original comic the center point of the field was located in a gravity well, causing the ball to be pulled away from the goals; here the goals are located close to the center of the planet, so the ball naturally tries to fall towards them, probably making the game more interesting.
|-
| '''Saturn''' <code>saturn</code>
| (2600, 14000)
| To get here, launch from the pyramid with Saturn on it on Origin. If you see the Spacetime Soccer Field, you're too far left.
| The planet resembles Saturn with its rings, however it is translucent: a soccer ball can bee seen inside. One of the ball's white hexagons is surfacing in the north pole area.
| It is a reference to [[2513: Saturn Hexagon]]
|-
| '''Andal''' <code>platform-planet</code>
| (12048, 14048)
| To get there launch from a monument on Origin, featuring a round shape with a small "T" on top.
| This is a small partly rocky and partly grassy planet with a strange T-shaped tower.
| A reference to ''{{w|Animorphs}}'' book series featuring fictional sapient species of [https://aliens.fandom.com/wiki/Andalite Andalites]. Two such (or similar) creatures can be found on the planet. In the original books, the planet the Andalites come from is unnamed.
|-
| '''Projection of Earth''' <code>earth-map</code>
| (-15808, 22192)
| To get there by follow the sign on the hollow planet or launch from the Earth map monument on Origin.
| The planet is shaped like a huge distorted map of all land masses of Earth. The player's spaceship can fly where water would be, but it can't go over land. Some straights between islands are to narrow for the ship to pass, especially in the {{w|Southeast Asia}} area. Some {{w|mediterranean seas}} are also inaccessible.
| Probably a reference to [[977: Map Projections]] or, more generally, to the Randall's obsession about [[:Category:Maps|maps]].
|-
| '''Voyager 1''' <code>voyager-1</code>
| (1606, -14282)
| To get here, launch from the "Receiving transmission" communication device near the spiral landmark on Origin.
| This is a recreation of the {{w|Voyager 1}} space probe.
|
|-
| '''Voyager 2''' <code>voyager-2</code>
| (10682, -5172)
| To get here, launch from the "Receiving transmission" communication device near the spider landmark on Origin.
| This is a recreation of the {{w|Voyager 2}} space probe.
|
|-
| '''SafetySat''' <code>safetysat</code>
| (17024, 1024)
| To get here, launch from the cell tower on Origin.
| A cube satellite with an absurd set of assorted objects on board.
| This is a reference to [[1992: SafetySat]].
|-
| '''Shuttle Skeleton''' <code>space-shuttle</code>
| (-30200, 14576)
| To get here, launch from the Shuttle Skeleton landmark on Origin or in the northwestern direction from Alaska on the Projection of Earth.
| The planet looks like an outline of the space shuttle with a strange skeleton inside.
| This is a reference to [[2630: Shuttle Skeleton]].
|-
| '''Giant Spider''' <code>spider</code>
| (26982, -8714)
| To get here, launch from the spider landmark on Origin.
| The object is a giant spider floating in space with eight people standing on top of his legs.
| [[:Category:Spiders|Spiders]] is a recurring theme on xkcd.
|-
| '''Diffraction Spikes Star''' <code>diffraction</code>
| (-19944, 11240)
| To get here, launch from the back of the left "hand" of the Shuttle Skeleton or the north of Alaska.
| The object is a star with very long spikes.
| This is a reference to [[2762: Diffraction Spikes]].
|-
| '''Roche Lobe Earth''' <code>earth-roche</code> ''and'' <code>normal-moon</code>
| (-9952, -3952)
| To get there, launch from the like-shaped statue on Origin.
| This is a small, distorted, drop-shaped Earth with oceans and continents of the northern hemisphere. There's the Moon close by. The distortion looks like if the Moon's tidal forces are pulling northern Atlantic Ocean really hard.
|
|-
| '''Dark Matter Planet''' <code>dark-matter</code>
| (-2892, 2640)
| To get here, launch from the goal on the half of the field with just one person on it on Spacetime Soccer Field.
| This is a small, irregular planet with a black center (normal planets have white centers) and an inscription "DARK MATTER" inside, repeated three times.
|
{{w|Dark matter}} is a hypothetical form of {{w|matter}} sought by {{w|Astrophysics|astrophycists}} as a possible cause of behavior of {{w|Galaxy|galaxies}}, which cannot be explained by the current theory of {{w|gravity}} and observations. The anomalies would be explained if there was extra {{w|mass}} in the galaxies, which is not observed, but is theorized as dark matter presence. The dark matter is named this way not because it has some dark color, but because it supposedly does not interact (or interacts very weakly) with {{w|electromagnetic field}}, therefore does not emit {{w|light}} and can't be seen.

This is also a reference to [[2186: Dark Matter]]
|-
| '''Jurassic Park Planet''' <code>gravity-qwantz</code>
| (20000, 11000)
| To get here, launch from the dinosaur on Origin or from the Andalites on Andal.
| It's a big planet with weak gravity, a lot of grass, and many dinosaur figures, some repeating a few times.
|
This is a reference to the 1993 {{w|Jurassic Park (film)|''Jurassic Park''}} film and the related {{w|Jurassic Park|media franchise}}. It contains images of dinosaurs taken from the [https://www.qwantz.com/ Dinosaurs] web comic, which, similarly to xkcd, uses a random string of letters for its domain name: <code>quantz.com</code>. It also reflects Randal's avid interest in [[:Category:Dinosaurs|dinosaurs]]. This is an exact copy of the Dinosaur Planet from [[2712: Gravity]].
|-
| '''Comet 67P''' <code>67p</code>
| (18048, -11152)
| To get here, launch from the duck next to the 'Caution: long vertical drop' sign on Origin.
| This is a small, potato-shaped body, modelled after the {{w|67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko}} comet.
|
This is a reference to the 2004–2016 {{w|Rosetta (spacecraft)|Rosetta}} spacecraft mission, which was the first to place a lander ({{w|Philae (spacecraft)|Philae}}) on a comet core. The mission was also commemorated in [[1446: Landing]] and the spacecraft are mentioned in [[1402: Harpoons]] and [[1740: Rosetta]].
|-
| '''What If? Planet''' <code>gravity-earth</code>
| (22000, 34000)
| To get here, launch from the two people explaining where Boston is on Origin, the left of Stonehenge on the Round Planet, or the left rim of the Guitar Ship.
| This is a huge, round planet with many bodies of water. The planet contains several scenes from ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' and [[2712: Gravity]]. Megan and Cueball are floating inside a small space in the center of the planet.
| This is an almost exact copy of the Earth planet from [[2712: Gravity]], however all text spoken by the characters has been removed, making puns difficult to grasp without referring to the original. Some scenes have been removed, some modified slightly.
|-
| '''Subway Planet''' <code>subway-planet</code> ''and'' <code>black-hole-3</code>
| (-46000, -24000)
| To can get there take off from the "secret glade" item next to the the bush where someone says "Shhh" on Origin.
|
This is a huge planet with a subway system connecting places named after U.S. cities, similar to the one from [[1196: Subways]]. In the area where Boston should be according to that system, there is a giant round hole with rugged sides consisting of a lot of broken planks. There's a black hole inside, off the center, in the Washington, D.C. area. There are many people and features both on the surface and within subway tunnels.
|
This is a key planet to solve the puzzle in the game, and contains several out of many in-game references to {{w|Boston}} (in many meanings of the name) and the {{w|Massachusetts Institute of Technology}}, which currently is located in {{w|Cambridge, Massachusetts}}, but was founded in 1861 in Boston.

Obviously, it's also a reference to [[1196: Subways]]
|-
| '''Boston Planet''' <code>mbta</code>
| (-42000, 8000)
| To get here, launch from the back of the Shuttle Skeleton.
|
This is a big, perfectly round planet with a subway system. It is invisible until the player finds uncloaking device switch. Initially, all underground tunnels are blocked by huge round rocks with the letter "T" at the entrances and smaller round rocks down the tunnels. To unblock the tunnels, player needs to find subway tokens scattered in the universe; they appear only after the Boston planet is uncloaked. Subway stations on the surface and inside are marked with Boston district names.
|
This is the other key planet to the game puzzle. It is apparently the round part ripped off the Subway Planet, but drawn not to scale. The tunnels inside the planet roughly correspond to the Boston part of the scheme in [[1196: Subways]], but with few additions (e.g. Union Sq, Mattapan). The codename comes from the abbreviation of {{w|Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}.
|-
| '''Crystal Sphere''' ''from'' <code>ring-1</code> ''to'' <code>ring-36</code>
|
| To get here, launch from anywhere and keep avoiding planets until you hit it.
|
Most planets and celestial objects are inside of a thick enormous ring called Crystal Sphere. Both the interior and exterior edges of the Sphere are almost smooth, but have a few dents. There's a wide navigable crack leading out of the Sphere, which sides are rugged and riddled with broken planks, similarily to the Boston hole in the Subwau Planet. The gravity increases significantly as the spaceship goes through the crack, it gradually feels the pull from the parts of the sphere it has left. It is not possible to leave the Sphere without the hyperdrive, however having collected all the engine upgrades inside the Sphere one can barely reach the outer surface, but moving along is very difficult. Above the crack, there is an arch made up of the repeating words "The End", which is reminiscent of the "Don't leave the play area" message in [[1608: Hoverboard]] that appeared when the player tried to get out of it.
|
The Crystal Sphere may be a reference to {{w|The Crystal Spheres}}, a short story by {{w|science fiction}} author {{w|David Brin}}, which suggests that each star with habitable planets in the universe is surrounded by a crystal sphere that can be broken only from the inside and is otherwise completely impenetrable.

It may also be a reference to {{w|celestial spheres}}, an early concept trying to explain apparent movement of planets and stars.
|-
| '''Star Destroyer''' ''from'' <code>star-destroyer-a</code> ''to'' <code>star-destroyer-i</code>
| (18192, -130000)
| To get here, launch from the crack in the Crystal Sphere.
|
This is a gigantic starship; it could have barely fit within the Crystal Sphere. It is located out of the Sphere, right up from the crack, but it can't be reached without the Hyperdrive. It has many corridors and chambers inside, and a lot of people, objects and other features both inside and outside of it. The gravity of the Sphere is still strong around here, but the starship has its own center of gravity; the "down" direction generally points towards the ventral part of the starship, but not quite, making orientation somewhat difficult as the surfaces supposed to be level seem to tilt to the left near the stern and to the right near the bow of the starship. Below it, down a stream of torpedoes fired from a turred, there's a much smaller starhip.
|
This is a reference to {{w|Star Destroyer}}s and the {{w|Tantive IV|CR90 Corellian corvette}}, spaceships from the fictional ''{{w|Star Wars}}'' universe.

The whole scene is copied from [[1608: Hoverboard]], with the only difference being that {{w|Darth Vader}}'s dialogue was changed from referencing {{w|Steven Universe}} to {{w|The Murderbot Diaries}}.
|-
| '''Click and Drag Planet''' <code>clickdrag-nw</code>, <code>clickdrag-ne</code>, <code>clickdrag-sw</code>, ''and'' <code>clickdrag-se</code>
| (-31808, 111808)
| To get here, launch from the bow or stern of the Star Destroyer tangentially to the Crystal Sphere to orbit it and keep the stars in the background moving horizontally on the screen until you see a dot around the spaceship guiding you.
|
The planet is huge, larger than any other in the game world, but smaller than the Star Destroyer. It is located outside the Crystal Sphere roughly opposite the Star Destroyer. It is mostly round, with many landscape features and scenes partly copied from [[1110: Click and Drag]], but arrayed in a circular, instead of linear shape. What's missing in comparison to the Click and Drag comic, is a few of the scenes, some textual content like dialogues (leaving persons intact), the underground parts, upper parts of the very high objects, and objects high above the surface.
|
|}

=Tables and Lists of Objects=

==Collectables==

===Plain list of collectables===
This is a quick list for those who want to check if they found everything.

The ''You found...'' sections directly show the names that appear in the player's list of found items. Some upgrades are also items and appear on the list, in such cases the names are the '''bolded''' parts of messages.

* '''Starting Planet'''
** You found...
**# a rock with neat stripes
**# a cool bug
**# a pretty leaf
** Messages
**# Wheeee!

* '''Origin'''
** You found...
**# a secret glade
**# a holographic Charizard business card
**# a 5G seagull
**# a DVD of The Core (2003)
**# a normal-looking leaf
**# a marsh wren
**# an orb wren
**# a single grain of salt
**# 11 squares packed into a larger square
**# a tumbleweed
** Upgrades
**# Nice flying! (Your tanks recharge faster now.)
** Messages
**# You found a tiny meteorite!
**# Welcome to liminal space
**# The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.
**# Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting!

*'''Hollow Planet'''
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a sixth Lagrange point'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# You found '''a glass of heavy water''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Round Planet'''
** You found...
**# a swatch pop-out wristwatch
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a sensible cheese platter''' (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now)
**# ''[no message]'' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Uzumaki'''
** You found...
**# a golden radio tuned to 1.618 MHz
**# a scroll lock key
**# a primordial black hole
**# a cool pair of shoes with flames on the side
**# an ink cartridge
**# a podcast episode
**# a festive but somehow unnerving holiday card from Junji Ito
**# a friendly bee
**# a spiral-cut diamond
**# a burrito
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a tree-filled grove and a nice spot for quiet contemplation''' (Your thrusters are significantly more efficient now.)
**# You found '''a single caffeine molecule'''! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
** Messages
**# Exit Only
**# You're going the wrong way!

* '''Guitar Ship'''
** You found...
**# a guitar pick
** Tokens
**# Orange line deactivated!

* '''Spacetime Soccer Field'''
** Upgrades
**# GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''the 3 million point line''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# You found '''a sunspot'''! (Your launch speed has increased.)

* '''Saturn'''
** You found...
**# a really cool data point
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a pair of platonic solids, not quite touching'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a block of scandium'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Andal'''
** Upgrades
**# You found '''two Andalites, one canonical'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# What a nice place for a ship to sit! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
**# You found '''a friend''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# You found '''baby shoes (and baby)'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Projection of Earth'''
** You found...
**# the Heart of the Ocean (The message adds: "It was drifting around in space.")
**# a whale shark
**# some microbial life
**# some tin from the Pantai Remis mine
**# a sparkling gem
**# a piece of pumice (The message says: "You found a piece of pumice floating in space!")
** Upgrades
**# You found '''the Principality of Sealand'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a Rhode Island the size of an ant'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found an icosahedral d10 (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
** Tokens
**# Red line deactivated!

* '''Voyager 1'''
** Upgrades
**# You found '''Voyager 1'''! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)

* '''Voyager 2'''
** Upgrades
**# You found '''Voyager 2'''! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)

* '''SafetySat'''
** You found...
**# a first of its kind
** Upgrades
**# ''[no message]'' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# The more refined oil had a dinner engagement (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)

* '''Shuttle Skeleton'''
** You found...
**# a piece of space shuttle food
** Upgrades
**# A little upgrade works wonders on fuel efficiency (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)

* '''Giant Spider'''
** You found...
**# a spider-silk scarf
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a friendly jumping spider''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Diffraction Spikes Star'''
** You found...
**# a hydrogen ion
**# a piece of coronium (iron) (The message says; "You found a piece of coronium! Wait, no, iron.")

* '''Roche Lobe Earth'''
** You found...
**# a curious Humboldt squid
**# a bathyscaphe (The message says: "You found a bathyscaphe at the Marianas Trench!")
**# a wayward Roomba full of moondust
** Tokens
**# Green line deactivated!

* '''Dark Matter Planet'''
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a delicate music box'''. (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Jurassic Park Planet'''
** You found...
**# a tiny pteranodon
**# a baby hedgehog
**# a tattered knapsack containing about $194,00 in $20 bills
** Upgrades
**# Today is a good day I think for space exploration (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# But what if gravity doesn't actually exist? (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)

* '''Comet 67P'''
** Upgrades
**# Some people believe that when the Earth appears in the sky, it's a harbinger of doom. (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
**# You found '''a broken smoke machine''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# Anyone for Scrabble later? (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''The Long Now Foundation's''' nickel paperweight containing an '''archive of every''' published '''Animorphs book'''! (Your launch speed has increased.)

* '''What If? Planet'''
** You found...
**# an eye in the sky
**# a stick
**# an asterisk (The message adds: "it doesn’t seem to refer to anything.")
**# a sterile neutrino
**# a secret leaf
**# a pair of squirrel goggles
**# a large hadron
**# a smooth green snake
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a sunken treasure''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# The Yellowstone Super What? (Your launch speed has increased.)
**# Nutritional Facts - Serving Size: 1 Cloud, Total Calories: 0 (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You captured the flag! You decide to leave it there, but it's yours. (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a steam calliope'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a DNA base pair'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Subway Planet'''
** You found...
**# a relativistic bowling ball
**# a Cybiko® wireless handheld computer for teens (2000)
**# a handful of quantum foam
**# a normal-sized apple
** Upgrades
**# You get the feeling you're not in Kansas anymore (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
**# There is no parking in the white zone (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# The next stop is Interplanetary Terminal G (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You feel accomplished (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a hot dog''' (Your launch speed has increased.)
**# You found '''a bottle of Coke Absolute Zero!''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# You found '''a beige electron'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''$30 in Yahoo'''! cash! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a friendly cat'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# You found '''a brightly-lit billboard''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
** Messages
**# Transfer here for Mornington Crescent
** Tokens
**# MIT Cloaking Device deactivated! Boston detected. (Blue, red, green, and orange lines activated.)

* '''Boston Planet'''
** You found...
**# a strangely heavy subway token
** Tokens
**# Blue line deactivated!
**# Welcome to MIT! You acquired a hyperdrive!

* '''Crystal Sphere'''
** You found...
**# a necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out your name (The message adds: "(note: hopefully you are not named 'katherine' or 'Brandon')!")
**# the platinum cylinder formerly used to define the kilogram
** Upgrades
**# A significant boost to the engines for a curious pilot (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
**# You found '''the gold crown Archimedes stole'''! (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
**# You found a handful of the quantum foam that makes up the fabric of space! (Your tanks recharge much faster now.)

* '''Crack in the Crystal Sphere'''
** Upgrades
**# There is a way out (Your launch speed has increased.)
** Messages
**# Right lane must turn right
**# Left lane must turn left

* '''Star Destroyer'''
** You found...
**# an unread email (The message adds: "Better leave it unread.")
**# a glass slipper with a glass foot in it
**# a lymphocyte
**# a forged resume
**# a serif
**# a Bursa of Fabricius
**# a cluster of data points
**# a premium subscription to food (The message has: "food.net")
**# two goats and a new car
**# an out-of-control trolley
**# a helium-238 nucleus
**# the Death Star plans
** Upgrades
**# You found '''a perpetual motion fidget spinner'''! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
**# You found '''a vintage Juicero juicer'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
** Messages
**# Hmmm.

* '''Click and Drag Planet'''
** You found...
**# an ant the size of Rhode Island
**# a pin with 17 angels dancing on it
** Upgrades
**# The vehicle below gives you a boost (Your launch speed has increased.)
**# We should turn back (Your engine gets a bit more powerful.)
**# You found '''an expert at underwater ropes'''. (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
**# You found '''a trisected angle'''! (Your launch speed has greatly increased.)

* '''Open Space Outside the Crystal Sphere'''
** Upgrades
**# It is very lonely out here (Your tanks recharge much faster now.)
**# You found '''a needle in a haystack''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
**# From here you can view the source of it all. (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)

===Sortable table of collectables===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! rowspan="2"|Planet
! colspan="4"|Collectable items
|-
! You found...
! Upgrades
! Messages
! Subway tokens
|-
| '''Starting Planet'''
|
* a rock with neat stripes
* a cool bug
* a pretty leaf
|
|
* Wheeee!
|
|-
| '''Origin'''
|
* a secret glade
* a holographic Charizard business card
* a 5G seagull
* a DVD of The Core (2003)
* a normal-looking leaf
* a marsh wren
* an orb wren
* a single grain of salt
* 11 squares packed into a larger square
* a tumbleweed
|
* Nice flying! (Your tanks recharge faster now.)
|
* You found a tiny meteorite!
* Welcome to liminal space
* The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.
* Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting!
|
|-
| '''Hollow Planet'''
|
|
* You found '''a sixth Lagrange point'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a glass of heavy water''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Round Planet'''
|
* a swatch pop-out wristwatch
|
* You found '''a sensible cheese platter''' (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now)
* ''[no message]'' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Uzumaki'''
|
* a golden radio tuned to 1.618 MHz
* a scroll lock key
* a primordial black hole
* a cool pair of shoes with flames on the side
* an ink cartridge
* a podcast episode
* a festive but somehow unnerving holiday card from Junji Ito
* a friendly bee
* a spiral-cut diamond
* a burrito
|
* You found '''a tree-filled grove and a nice spot for quiet contemplation''' (Your thrusters are significantly more efficient now.)
* You found '''a single caffeine molecule'''! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
|
* Exit Only
* You're going the wrong way!
|
|-
| '''Guitar Ship'''
|
* a guitar pick
|
|
|
* Orange line deactivated!
|-
| '''Spacetime Soccer Field'''
|
|
* GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''the 3 million point line''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a sunspot'''! (Your launch speed has increased.)
|
|
|-
| '''Saturn'''
|
* a really cool data point
|
* You found '''a pair of platonic solids, not quite touching'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a block of scandium'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Andal'''
|
|
* You found '''two Andalites, one canonical'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* What a nice place for a ship to sit! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
* You found '''a friend''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''baby shoes (and baby''')! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Projection of Earth'''
|
* the Heart of the Ocean
* a whale shark
* some microbial life
* some tin from the Pantai Remis mine
* a sparkling gem
* a piece of pumice
|
* You found '''the Principality of Sealand'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a Rhode Island the size of an ant'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found an icosahedral d10 (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
* Red line deactivated!
|-
| '''Voyager 1'''
|
|
* You found '''Voyager 1'''! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
|
|
|-
| '''Voyager 2'''
|
|
* You found '''Voyager 2'''! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
|
|
|-
| '''SafetySat'''
|
* a first of its kind
|
* ''[no message]'' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* The more refined oil had a dinner engagement (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
|
|
|-
| '''Shuttle Skeleton'''
|
* a piece of space shuttle food
|
* A little upgrade works wonders on fuel efficiency (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
|
|
|-
| '''Giant Spider'''
|
* a spider-silk scarf
|
* You found '''a friendly jumping spider''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Diffraction Spikes Star'''
|
* a hydrogen ion
* a piece of coronium (iron)
|
|
|
|-
| '''Roche Lobe Earth'''
|
* a curious Humboldt squid
* a bathyscaphe
* a wayward Roomba full of moondust
|
|
|
* Green line deactivated!
|-
| '''Dark Matter Planet'''
|
|
* You found '''a delicate music box'''. (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Jurassic Park Planet'''
|
* a tiny pteranodon
* a baby hedgehog
* a tattered knapsack containing about $194,00 in $20 bills
|
* Today is a good day I think for space exploration (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* But what if gravity doesn't actually exist? (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
|
|
|-
| '''Comet 67P'''
|
|
* Some people believe that when the Earth appears in the sky, it's a harbinger of doom. (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
* You found '''a broken smoke machine''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* Anyone for Scrabble later? (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''The Long Now Foundation's''' nickel paperweight containing an '''archive of every''' published '''Animorphs book'''! (Your launch speed has increased.)
|
|
|-
| '''What If? Planet'''
|
* an eye in the sky
* a stick
* an asterisk
* a sterile neutrino
* a secret leaf
* a pair of squirrel goggles
* a large hadron
* a smooth green snake
|
* You found '''a sunken treasure''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* The Yellowstone Super What? (Your launch speed has increased.)
* Nutritional Facts - Serving Size: 1 Cloud, Total Calories: 0 (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You captured the flag! You decide to leave it there, but it's yours. (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a steam calliope'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a DNA base pair'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Subway Planet'''
|
* a relativistic bowling ball
* a Cybiko® wireless handheld computer for teens (2000)
* a handful of quantum foam
* a normal-sized apple
|
* You get the feeling you're not in Kansas anymore (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
* There is no parking in the white zone (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* The next stop is Interplanetary Terminal G (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You feel accomplished (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a brightly-lit billboard''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a hot dog''' (Your launch speed has increased.)
* You found '''a bottle of Coke Absolute Zero'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a beige electron'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''$30 in Yahoo'''! cash! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a friendly cat'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
* Transfer here for Mornington Crescent
|
* MIT Cloaking Device deactivated! Boston detected. (Blue, red, green, and orange lines activated.)
|-
| '''Boston Planet'''
|
* a strangely heavy subway token
|
|
|
* Blue line deactivated!
* Welcome to MIT! You acquired a hyperdrive!
|-
| '''Crystal Sphere'''
|
* a necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out your name
* the platinum cylinder formerly used to define the kilogram
|
* A significant boost to the engines for a curious pilot (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
* You found '''the gold crown Archimedes stole'''! (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
* You found a handful of the quantum foam that makes up the fabric of space! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Crack in the Crystal Sphere'''
|
|
* There is a way out (Your launch speed has increased.)
|
* Right lane must turn right
* Left lane must turn left
|
|-
| '''Star Destroyer'''
|
* an unread email
* a glass slipper with a glass foot in it
* a lymphocyte
* a forged resume
* a serif
* a Bursa of Fabricius
* a cluster of data points
* a premium subscription to food
* two goats and a new car
* an out-of-control trolley
* a helium-238 nucleus
* the Death Star plans
|
* You found '''a perpetual motion fidget spinner'''! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
* You found '''a vintage Juicero juicer'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
|
* Hmmm.
|
|-
| '''Click and Drag Planet'''
|
* an ant the size of Rhode Island
* a pin with 17 angels dancing on it
|
* The vehicle below gives you a boost (Your launch speed has increased.)
* We should turn back (Your engine gets a bit more powerful.)
* You found '''an expert at underwater ropes'''. (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a trisected angle'''! (Your launch speed has greatly increased.)
|
|
|-
| '''Open Space Outside the Crystal Sphere'''
|
|
* It is very lonely out here (Your tanks recharge much faster now.)
* You found '''a needle in a haystack''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* From here you can view the source of it all. (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
|
|}

==All Objects with Explanations==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="5"|Features and Items
|-
! Planet
! Type
! Location
! Description / Message
! Explanation
|-
| rowspan="5" valign="top"|'''Starting Planet'''
| Message
| Above starting position
| ''Wheeee!''
| Probably reflects the excitation of a new visitor to this XKCD comic, seeing a promising game.
|-
| Item
| Above ground left of the starting position
| a rock with neat stripes
|
|-
| Item
| In the grass right of the starting position
| a cool bug
| A reference to 'Cool Bug Epoch' from [[2240: Timeline of the Universe]]
|-
| Item
| Up a tree
| a pretty leaf
|
|-
| People
| On the opposite of the starting position
| Beret Guy pointing his arm up and exclaiming ''WOW!''
| This is a reference to the title text of [[1117: My Sky]], and it could also be a reference to [[502: Dark Flow]].

|-
| rowspan="41" valign="top"| '''Origin'''
| Landscape
| Close to the Starting Planet
| A sign saying: ''Welcome to Origin! You can never leave™''
| The sign names the planet, and also indicates that it is not possible to leave it by just launching off the surface during early gameplay, when the player has not collected any upgrades. May be a reference to the song by The Eagles: "Hotel California".
|-
| Message
| Right of the welcome sign, above the rollercoaster
| ''Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting!''
| A hint for the hidden shaft going through the planet; one of the entries is right below here.
|-
| Landscape
| On the right side of the rollercoaster
| A sign saying: ''Caution: Long vertical drop''
| Another hint for the hidden shaft.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the rollercoaster
| A spider-shaped monument
| Marks the direction to the Giant Spider planet
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the spider monument
| A radio telescope with its antenna pointed straight up. ''Receiving transmission''.
| Marks the direction to Voyager 2. The message is an additional hint as radio telescopes are often used to communicate with distant space probes, including receiving probes' measurements and other scientific data, like photos.
|-
| People
| Right next to the cell tower
|
Cueball and White Hat talking.
:'''Cueball''': I bet the voyager spacecraft could teach you a thing or two about speed. Of course, you'd have to catch up to them first...
|
Voyager spacecraft are {{w|List_of_vehicle_speed_records#Spacecraft|not among}} the speed record holding space probes as of 2023, however they are the first in history to reach Solar System's {{w|escape velocity}}. They have also executed two {{w|gravity assist}} maneuvers each, so they are good examples on how to increase speed in this way, presumably allowing them to "teach" another spacecraft how to increase speed. Cueball's metaphor goes on to having to meet (catch up with) someone in order to learn something from him. The Voyagers are currently the farthest man-made objects in space; however in the game world they are quite close to the Origin planet.

This is also a hint regarding the upgrades located near both Voyager spacecraft, which add more thrust to the player's ship than regular thrust upgrades.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the radio telescope located near the spider monument
| A cell tower with 5G antennas. On top of it a strange object is mounted.
|
The strange object is a downscaled image of cube satellite from [[1992: SafetySat]]. Normally nobody puts cube satellites on top of fixed towers.

This landmark shows the direction to the SafetySat "planet".
|-
| Item
| Next to the top of the cell tower
| a 5G seagull
| {{w|5G}} is a modern emerging standard for {{w|cellular networks}} promising really high download speeds and much higher network capacity (i.e. the number of active devices in an area). Probably a reference to [[1656: It Begins]]
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the cell tower
| A tyrannosaurus
| Marks the direction to the Jurassic Park planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Right next to the tyrannosaurus
| A St. Louis Arch shaped hole in the ground
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the left of the three pyramids
| A monument shaped like a sphere with a "T" on top
| This is a miniature of the Andal planet and marks the direction to it.
|-
| Landscape
| The leftmost of three pyramids
| A pyramid with a soccer ball on top
| Marks the direction to the Spacetime Soccer Field.
|-
| People
| The middle pyramid
|
Ponytail sitting on top of a pyramid, Megan standing at the base of it.
:'''Ponytail''': If you want a better spaceship, you need to visit another planet.
:'''Megan''': But if I want to visit another planet, I need a better spaceship!
|
An in-game reference to the fact that the player's ship initially has too little thrust to launch right off the surface of the Origin planet and needs an upgrade to become a "better" spaceship able to visit other planets. On the other hand, all engine upgrades are located off Origin, creating the apparently unsolvable {{w|Chicken or the egg|chicken-and-egg problem}} – unless the player follows other hints and finds a way to escape Origin anyway.
|-
| Landscape
| The rightmost of three pyramids
| A pyramid with Saturn on top of it
| Marks the direction to Saturn.
|-
| People
| Next to the pyramid with Saturn on top
|
Cueball and White Hat talking.
:'''Cueball''': I can't believe the Air and Space Museum's new exhibit has a real black hole!
:'''White Hat''': Is that... safe?
:'''Cueball''': It's OK, they've got a protective case around it.
|
Normally, it would not be possible to have a real black hole as a museum exhibit.{{citation needed}} Also, there's a misunderstanding between White Hat and Cueball. White Hat asks if it is safe for the public to keep a black hole in a museum. Cueball thinks White Hat is concerned about safety of the black hole itself, and responds that it is protected from unscrupulous visitors by putting it in a special case.

This is an in-game hint regarding the Subway Planet and the black hole present in its tunnels. It's also a reference to the real-world {{w|Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum|''Intrepid'' Sea, Air & Space Museum}}.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the pyramids
| A monument shaped like Earth's land masses
| Marks the direction to the Projection of Earth.
|-
| People
| Right next to the Projection of Earth monument
|
:'''Hairy''': Even if you did find a crack in the crystal sphere, there's no way you'd be able to escape its gravitational pull. You'd need some kind of a hyperdrive for that.
| An in-game reference to the Crystal Sphere, the navigable crack through it and the hint regarding the hyperdrive.
|-
| Landscape
| On the left side of the St. Louis Arch
| A monument of a strange spaceship
| This is a reference to [[2630: Shuttle Skeleton]] and marks the direction to the Shuttle Skeleton planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Opposite the rollercoaster
| A large arch
| This is a reference to the {{w|Gateway Arch}} located in {{w|St. Louis}}, {{w|Missouri}}. Marks the other end of the shaft going through the planet core.
|-
| Message
| A sign next to St. Louis Arch's right leg
| ''The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.''
| The creator of the Arch, Finnish-American architect {{w|Eero Saarinen}}, reportedly said that the arch symbolizes "the gateway to the West" understood as the {{w|American frontier}} and the expansion of American colonies into the western parts of the continent.

In-game, the Arch marks one of the "gateways" into the larger space of the game, namely the exits of the inner shaft, which allows the player to leave Origin by performing the Oberth maneuver (see below for further explanation).
|-
| Upgrade
| High above the St. Louis Arch
| ''Nice flying! Your tanks recharge faster now.''
| Congratulations for getting your orbital mechanics right and skillfully executing Oberth maneuver (see below).
|-
| People
| Right next to the St. Louis Arch
|
Ponytail with a group of three kids looking like Hairy, Megan and Cueball.
:'''Ponytail''': The St. Louis Arch is also known as the gateway to space.
| Ponytail acting as a guide repeats (or reads) to the kids the slogan written on the sign next to the Arch. See above for the explanation of the slogan.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the St. Louis Arch
| A monument with a pear-shaped structure connected to a small sphere
| It's a miniature of the Roche Lobe Earth, marking a direction to it.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the St. Louis Arch
| A small structure and a tower with a strange-looking orb on top
| Marks the direction to the Round Planet.
|-
| Item
| Close to the top of the orb tower.
| an orb wren
| {{w|Wren}}s are a common family of birds. Their bodies are rather stocky with short wings, sometimes resembling an orb, especially when perched with ruffled feathers such as when enduring cold weather. There's no species actually called an "orb wren".
|-
| Item
| Hidden at the base of the orb tower.
| 11 squares packed into a larger square
| A reference to [[2740: Square Packing]].
|-
| People
| To the right of the orb tower
|
Hairbun and another person.
:'''Hairbun''': Boston? That's in North America, on the Subway planet. It's straight up from the secret glade, you can't miss it.
|
This is an in-game reference and a hint on how to find Boston and the Subway Planet
|-
| Item
| Hidden in a grassy area to the right of the orb tower
| a tumbleweed
| {{w|Tumbleweed}} is an above-ground part of some species of plants in a form of a round, dense bush, which detaches as the plant dries in the summer season and is pushed by winds, rolling along the landscape.
|-
| Item
| Over a grassy area to the right of the orb tower
| a marsh wren
| {{w|Marsh wren}} is a species of North American songbird.
|-
| People
| To the right from the grassy area
|
A quintet of hairy and bearded or moustached people playing and singing:
:It's more than a feeling
:More than a feeling
| This is a reference to the popular song ''{{w|More Than a Feeling}}'' by the {{w|Boston_(band)|Boston}} rock band. It is also an in-game reference and pun regarding multiple Bostons present.
|-
| Message
| Above ground to the right of the musical band
| ''You found a tiny meteorite!''
| {{w|Meteorite}}s are fragments of small celestial bodies that have fallen onto the surface of Earth, surviving a high-speed passage through the atmosphere. Some are really tiny, being a result of a fragmentation of a larger one caused by the forces exerted during atmospherical entry. This particular one has not quite reached the surface, and should be called a {{w|meteoroid}} or a {{w|Meteoroid#Meteors|meteor}} instead.
|-
| Item
| High above ground to the right of the musical band
| a single grain of salt
|
|-
| Landscape
| Between the grassy area and the forest left of the welcome sign
| A spiral-shaped monument
| Marks the direction to the spiral Uzumaki planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Between the grassy area and the forest left of the welcome sign
| A radio telescope with its antenna pointed straight up. ''Receiving transmission''.
| Marks the direction to the Voyager 1. See also the entry on Voyager 2 above.
|-
| People
| Next to the voyager 1 radio telescope.
|
Cueball and Megan.
:'''Megan''': It's like my astronomy teacher always said: "Shoot for the Moon -- even if you miss, you might make a crack in the crystal sphere that imprisons us all in this universe."
| This is an in-game reference to the crack in the crystal sphere of the universe. If you go straight up from them, you can find the crack pretty easily.
|-
| Item
| At the left edge of the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a holographic Charizard business card
|
This is a reference to a particular {{w|Charizard|character}} from the {{w|Pokémon}} media franchise. {{w|Holography|Holographic}} {{w|business card}}s are a fairly novel form of business or personal presentation.
|-
| Item
| In the middle of the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a secret glade
|
|-
| Item
| Up the widest tree in the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a normal-looking leaf
|
|-
| Message
| In the exact middle of the planet
| ''Welcome to liminal space''
|
|-
| People
| In a chamber next to the planet's center
|
Megan with her hair floating around her head.
:'''Megan''': The Oberth effect states that firing thrusters deeper in a gravity well adds more kinetic energy.
|
The {{w|Oberth effect}} is a physical phenomenon and orbital maneuver when a spacecraft fires its thrusters as close to the perycenter (the point on the orbit closest to the center of the orbited body) as possible, being deeper in the "gravity well", to gain more kinetic energy than if the same impulse (amount of propellant used and therefore speed difference) has been applied away from the center, in effect using its propellant more effectively. The kinetic energy is what allows a spacecraft to leave the proximity of the orbited body. A special case of such a maneuver may be accelerating in a theoretical shaft going through the core of the body, which is the case simulated in the game. Applying the principle according to Megan's hint the player is able to "swing" the spaceship a few times along the shaft, accelerating close to the center and allowing the "energy" to regenerate while away, and leave Origin in spite off low initial thrust.

The fact that inside of a spherical body the gravity of the outer layers cancels out creates a local microgravity environment, causing Megan's hair to freely float around her head.
|-
| Item
| In a chamber next to the planet's center
| a DVD of The Core (2003)
| A {{w|DVD}} is a digital {{w|optical disc}} format used most commonly for distributing {{w|film}}s, in his case the 2003 American {{w|The Core|science fiction disaster film}}. As the title suggest, it is inconveniently located at the core of the Origin planet.

|-
| rowspan="8" valign="top"| '''Hollow Planet'''
|People
| In the hollow center of the planet.
|
Ponytail and White Hat floating in microgravity. White Hat's hat has come off his head.
:'''White Hat''': It's weird how a hollow shell doesn't exert gravitational force on objects inside it.
:'''Ponytail''': Oh, so ''that's'' why we don't feel a pull from the crystal sphere.
|
White Hat experiences a practical application of an unintuitive, and since "weird" in his words, {{w|shell theorem}}, as applied to gravity: that inside a hollow, spherical shell the forces of the gravity exerted by the shell cancel out for every object inside, regardless of its position within. Ponytail gets an epiphany, that it also applies to the gigantic Crystal Sphere surrounding the most part of the world she is in.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Close to the center of the planet.
|
a sixth lagrange point

''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
{{w|Lagrange point}}s are places relative to two heavy bodies orbiting one another, where a third, much lighter body will stay in equilibrium with the large two, orbiting the common center of gravity with the same period and keeping a constant distance from both. There are only five Lagrange points.

In theory, a small body located in the center of a hollowed-out massive body will stay put as well (see the previous explanation), creating the sixth Lagrange point; however a hollow massive body can't exist, it will collapse under its own gravity.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface of the planet.
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Round Planet''
| Marks the direction to the Round Planet.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Over the surface to the right of the ''Round Planet'' sign
|
a glass of heavy water

''Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
|
{{w|Heavy water}} is a form of water that contains only {{w|deuterium}} (hydrogen-2) atoms in place of the much more common {{w|Hydrogen|hydrogen-1}} atoms. It is approximately 10% {{w|Density|denser}} than the regular water, hence its name. Heavy water is not normally poured into glasses as for drinking.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface of the planet to the right of the ''Round Planet'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''EXIT''
| Marks the direction to the crack in the Crystal Sphere.
|-
| Landscape
| Next to the ''EXIT'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Uzumaki''
| Marks the direction to Uzumaki
|-
| Landscape
| Across a gap in the surface to the right of the ''Uzumaki'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Origin and Subway''
| Marks the direction to Origin and (not quite precisely) to the Subway Planet.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface opposite the ''EXIT'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Earth (compromise projection)''
| Marks the direction to Projection of Earth.

|-
| rowspan="10" valign="top" | '''Round Planet'''
| People
| On the middle part of the Great Wall
|
Cueball and Megan.
:'''Cueball''': The Great Wall of China is the only human-made structure you can see space from.
|
This is a pun on the commonly voiced misconception that the {{w|Great Wall of China}} is the only man-made object on Earth that can be seen from {{w|Outer space|space}} (or the Earth's orbit at least).
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| To the right of the Great Wall over a field of boulders
|
a sensible cheese platter

''Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
A cheese platter is a common dish served in restaurants as a starter or sometimes as a main dish, as well as a final course in a formal meal (following the sweet, or as an option instead of one) composed of a selection of cheeses served on a large platter. However, often it may just be a random collection of what's available (e.g. a hard cheese, a soft cheese, a blue cheese of either hard or soft variety, possibly a small serving of butter; and a selection of crackers that are either far too many or far too few for the other products). A "sensible" plate, i.e. well-composed by a competent chef, might be considered rare.
|-
| Item
| Within Stonehenge
| a swatch pop-out wristwatch
|
|-
| People
| To the right of the Stonehenge
| Hairbun walking on absurdly high stilts
| People walking on stilts are a fairly common theme in xkcd. References include [[482: Height]], [[1608: Hoverboard]], [[1663: Garden]], [[2603: Childhood Toys]], [[2669: Things You Should Not Do]] and possibly other comics.
|-
| Landscape
| Next to Hairbun on stilts
|
Three spaceships flying just above the surface. The leading one transmits a message:
:''Rogue group, use your harpoons and tow cables! Go for the legs!''
|
This is a quote from ''{{w|Star Wars}}'' episode V ''{{w|The Empire Strikes Back}}''. In the original context the starships were attacking {{w|Walker (Star Wars)#All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT)|AT-AT}} four-legged armored vehicles, trying to immobilize them by entangling their legs. In the game, they are attacking Hairbun on stilts instead.
|-
| Upgrade
| Above the middle spaceship attacking Hairbun
| ''Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
| A regular engine upgrade.
|-
| People
| To the right of the three spaceships
| A volleyball net. Cueball is jumping in the air to hit a volleyball on the right side of the net while Ponytail is juggling three bowling pins on the left side.
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the volleyball field
|
An airplane towing a long, narrow banner with a message printed across, not along it:
:''Does any one know how to get this thing to print in land scape mode?''
| A reference to [[2757: Towed Message]].
|-
| People
| To the right of the airplane towing a banner
| Beret Guy climbing a cell tower with some fruit hanging off the antennas. Cueball is standing next to it.
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the cell tower
| Huge gallows with a large flag on a pole hanging on it. The pole of the flag is twisted into a shape partly resembling an infinity sign; the loose end of the pole pierces the flag. A relatively large Cueball figure stands next to it.
|

|-
| rowspan="16" valign="top" | '''Uzumaki'''
| Item + Upgrade
| On the outside of the spiral
| a single caffeine molecule
''Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
{{w|Caffeine}} is a chemical substance present in many plants including {{w|coffee bean}}s. Beverages containing it have a refreshing effect on people, reducing fatigue and increasing performance. It may be pun implying that after collecting this item, the spaceship is similarly "recharged" as a person after a cup of {{w|coffee}}, however a single {{w|molecule}} would not make a big difference.
|-
| Message
| The entrance to the spiral
| ''Exit Only''
| In real world doors or gates are sometimes marked ''Exit Only'' to facilitate optimal movement of people or vehicles in an area or within a building, especially in an emergency. However, for such one-way passage to be useful, the structure must have some other entry points. The spiral has only one entry point.
|-
| Item
| Within the spiral
| a festive but somehow unnerving holiday card from Junji Ito
| {{w|Junji Ito}} is the author of {{w|Uzumaki}}, which inspired the spiral planet. He specializes in {{w|Japanese horror}} genre, therefore a postcard with his original artwork on it might be perceived as "unnerving".
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a podcast episode
| A {{w|podcast}} is a primarily a {{w|digital audio}} (now more commonly also a {{w|video}}) show or presentation similar to a {{w|radio program}}, but instead of being {{w|Broadcasting|broadcast}} at a predetermined time, is made available for {{w|download}} and later review at leisure. Being digital data, a podcast is intangible, therefore finding a podcast episode just lying around is a bit absurd missing some recording medium. On the other hand a digital video found on the Origin planet is recorded on a DVD (see above).
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a friendly bee
|
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| an ink cartridge
| An ink cartridge is a container filled with {{w|ink}}, packaged for direct use in a device that dispenses the ink for drawing, writing, printing etc. It may refer to a cartridge for an old-fashioned {{w|fountain pen}} or an {{w|ink cartridge}} for a modern {{w|Inkjet printing|inkjet printer}}.
|-
| Landscape
| Further within the spiral
|
A free-roaming Roomba

:'''Roomba''': WHIRRR
| {{w|Roomba}} is a line of {{w|robotic vacuum cleaner}}s popular in the {{w|hacker culture|hacker community}}. Roombas are a [[:Category:Roomba|common theme]] on xkcd, but this is likely a direct reference to [[1558: Vet]].
|-
| Message
| Just above Roomba
| ''You're going the wrong way!' ''
| Probably a reference to the ''Exit Only'' message above.
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a spiral-cut diamond
| Raw {{w|diamond}}s are {{w|Diamond cut|cut}} to form {{w|Gemstone|gems}} used in {{w|jewellery}}. To expose the natural beauty of the mineral, the cut has to create symmetrical flat surfaces (facets) at specific angles to each other so {{w|White#White_light|white light}} {{w|refraction|refracts}} and {{w|Reflection (physics)|reflects}} within the finished gem, possibly multiple times, also {{w|Dispersion (optics)|dipersing}} on its way back to the viewer's eye, creating a brilliant look. Cutting a diamond in a spiral shape would be likely counter-productive and very difficult because of the material's {{w|brittleness}}.

It is a self-reference to the spiral "planet" the item is located on.
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a golden radio tuned to 1.618 MHz
|
A {{w|Broadcasting|broadcast}} {{w|radio receiver}} (often called simply ''radio'') is an electronic device for receiving and listening to {{w|radio program|radio programming}} and has to be {{w|Tuner (radio)|tuned}} to a particular {{w|frequency}} to listen to the desired program. Frequency is measured in the unit of {{w|hertz}} or its {{w|Metric prefix|multiplies}}, in this example in megahertz. 1.618 MHz is located in the part of {{w|High frequency|HF}} (high frequency) range of the {{w|electromagnetic spectrum}} assigned (in the USA {{w|Frequency plan|band plan}}) to broadcasting, however not aligned to actual station assignments; the closest assignment is 1.620 MHz (1620 kHz) for {{w|WDHP}} station in {{w|Frederiksted, U.S. Virgin Islands}}. Due to inaccuracies involved with tuning and the 10 kHz {{w|channel spacing}} of American {{w|AM broadcasting|AM radio broadcasting}}, setting a real radio receiver to exactly 1618 kHz will allow listening to the mentioned station, as well as a few others which have nearby frequencies allocated, maybe with some distortion.

This is a pun referring to the {{w|golden ratio}}, being an {{w|irrational number}} of approximately 1.618 and to the {{w|golden spiral}}.
|-
| People
| Further within the spiral
|
:'''Beret Guy''': I like spirals!
|
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a burrito
| {{w|Burrito}} is a {{w|Mexican cuisine|Mexican}} and {{w|Tex-Mex}} cuisine dish consisting of various ingredients tightly wrapped in a {{w|flour tortilla|wheat tortilla}}. This is a rather nonsense joke; a possible connection to Uzumaki is that wrapping the tortilla creates a spiral cross section.
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a cool pair of shoes with flames on the side
|
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a scroll lock key
|
{{w|Scroll Lock}} is a key on {{w|IBM Personal Computer|IBM}}-compatible {{w|computer keyboard}}s, often accompanied with a status light. It was originally intended for changing the function of {{w|arrow keys}} between moving the {{w|Cursor (user interface)|cursor}} around the screen (Scroll Lock off) and {{w|scrolling}} the contents of the screen (Scroll Lock on). Later, different systems and applications repurposed the key for other functions, such as pausing and resuming automatic scrolling of copious textual output, or for other obscure purposes such as {{w|debugging}} or the ''{{w|Magic SysRq key}}'' on {{w|Linux}}. As such, the key has almost fallen out of use in modern computing, prompting manufacturers of small computers such as {{w|laptop}}s or small {{w|Form factor (design)|form factor}} keyboards to make it smaller, move it to a non-standard place in the {{w|keyboard layout}} or drop it altogether. Most laptops missing the Scroll Lock key on their keyboards implement some key combination which acts as if Scroll Lock was pressed, allowing advanced users to use the mentioned obscure functions anyway.

Placing this item quite deep in the spiral is a pun referring to difficulty in finding a Scroll Lock key or the equivalent combination on some modern computers. A few xkcd comics refer to the key: [[978: Citogenesis]], [[1465: xkcd Phone 2]], [[1854: Refresh Types]] and [[2206: Mavis Beacon]].
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a primordial black hole
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the center of the spiral
| a tree-filled grove and a nice spot for quiet contemplation
''Your thrusters are significantly more efficient now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | '''Guitar Ship'''
| Item
| Just over the dome on the back of the guitar
| a guitar pick
| A {{w|guitar pick}} is a small flat tool for playing a {{w|guitar}}.
|-
| Token
| Close to guitar's neck
| ''Orange line deactivated!''
|

|-
| rowspan="4" valign="top" | '''Spacetime Soccer Field'''
| Upgrade
| Within one of the goals
| ''GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Within the other goal
| ''GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| On the surface of the planet between goals
| a sunspot
''Your launch speed has increased.''
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| At the center spot on one of the soccer field
| the 3 million point line
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | '''Saturn'''
| Item
| At the equator, below the rings
| a really cool data point
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| At the south pole
| a block of scandium
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| At middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere
| a pair of platonic solids, not quite touching
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|

|-
| rowspan="6" valign="top" | '''Andal'''
| Upgrade
| At the top of the T-shaped tower
| ''What a nice place for a ship to sit! Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the T-shaped tower
| Two fantasy animals: one looks like a centaur, the other as a horse-headed centaur.
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Over the animals
| two Andalites, one canonical
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the grass close to some hills
| baby shoes (and baby)
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| In the grassy area between two hilly regions
|
Cueball and Megan facing each other
:'''Megan''': The M.I.T. cloaking device only affects the electroweak and nuclear forces. Gravity is the odd one out, as usual.
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to Megan
| a friend
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="10" valign="top" | '''Projection of Earth'''
| Item + Upgrade
| The North Sea
| the Principality of Sealand
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item
| Northern Atlantic Ocean
| the Heart of the Ocean
| The whole message says: ''You found the Heart of the Ocean! It was drifting around in space.''
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to Rhode Island
| a Rhode Island the size of an ant
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Token
| Next to Boston, Massachusetts
| ''Red line deactivated!''
|
|-
| Item
| By the Alexander Island of Antarctica
| some microbial life
|
|-
| Item
| Off the West African coastline
| a whale shark
|
|-
| Item
| On the western coast of Myanmar near the Strait of Malacca
| some tin from the pantai remis mine
|
|-
| Item
| Next to the Celebes Island of Indonesia
| a sparkling gem
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Off the southern Australian coast
| an icosahedral d10
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item
| Near the Kamchatka peninsula in Eastern Russia
| a piece of pumice
| The whole message says: ''You found a piece of pumice floating in space!''

|-
| valign="top" | '''Voyager 1'''
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to the dish antenna
| Voyager 1
''Some of its great speed rubs off on you. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.''
|

|-
| valign="top" | '''Voyager 2'''
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to the dish antenna
| Voyager 2
''Some of its great speed rubs off on you. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.''
|

|-
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | '''SafetySat'''
| Item
| In front of laser pointers
| a first of its kind
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Next to software-defined radio
| ''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Next to crude oil tank
| ''The more refined oil had a dinner engagement. Your launch speed has increased.''
|

|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | '''Shuttle Skeleton'''
| Item
| At the tip of the ship's bow
| a piece of space shuttle food
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Next to the left-hand engine
| ''A little upgrade works wonders on fuel efficiency. Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | '''Giant Spider'''
| Item
| Next to the tip of the spider's abdomen
| a spider-silk scarf
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to the spider's mouth
| a friendly jumping spider
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|

|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | '''Diffraction Spikes Star'''
| Item
| At the tip of a long spike
| a hydrogen ion
|
|-
| Item
| At the tip of a short spike
| a piece of coronium (iron)
| The whole message says: ''You found a piece of coronium! Wait, no, iron.''

|-
| rowspan="4" valign="top" | '''Roche Lobe Earth'''
| Item
| Off the California coastline
| a curious humboldt squid
|
|-
| Item
| Off the Japan coast
| a bathyscaphe
| The whole message says: ''You found a bathyscaphe at the Marianas Trench!''
|-
| Token
| Near Boston
| ''Green line deactivated!''
|
|-
| Item
| On the far side of the Moon
| a wayward Roomba full of moondust
|

|-
| valign="top" | '''Dark Matter Planet'''
| Item + Upgrade
| A little above the surface to the left of Ponytail
| a delicate music box
''Your engine is a little more powerful now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="6" valign="top" | '''Jurassic Park Planet'''
| People
| On the surface
| A person with a hat facing a couple
:'''dr John Hammond''': Welcome... to Jurassic Park.
|
|-
| Upgrade
| To the right of the people close to a dinosaur's mouth
| ''But what if gravity doesn't actually exist? Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Further to the right between two dinosaurs
| ''Today is a good day I think for space exploration. Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item
| Still further to the right
| a tiny pteranodon
|
|-
| Item
| Still further to the right, low above the grass
| a baby hedgehog
|
|-
| Item
| Below surface down from the middle of empty grassy area between two dinosaurs to the left of the people
| a tattered knapsack containing about $194,00 in $20 bills
|

|-
| rowspan="7" valign="top" | '''Comet 67P'''
| Landscape
| On the surface opposite the large bulge
| Remains of a crashed spacecraft
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Just above the crashed spacecraft
| The Long Now Foundation's archive of every Animorphs book
''You found The Long Now Foundation's nickel paperweight containing an archive of every published Animorphs book! Your launch speed has increased.'
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the left of the bulge
| A small three-legged spacecraft.
:'''Spacecraft''': BEEP BOOP
|
|-
| Landscape
| On the bulge
| Cueball standing next to some apparatus
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to the apparatus
| a broken smoke machine
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| To the right of the bulge
| ''Some people believe that when the Earth appears in the sky, it's a harbinger of doom. Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Further to the right, next to a signpost
| ''Anyone for Scrabble later? Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|

|-
| rowspan="40" valign="top" | '''Subway Planet'''
| Landscape
| Many places
| '''Warning! Air and Space Museum black hole ahead! Turn back while you still have enough engine thrust!''
|
This warns the player about a black hole present inside the planet in the center of Washington, D.C. area.
Once the player gets close and is pulled onto the surface of the black hole, it is not possible to launch off of it without the Hyperdrive.
The only way to get unstuck is pressing the Home button.

It's a reference to the {{w|Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum|''Intrepid'' Sea, Air & Space Museum}}.
|-
| Upgrade
| At a large opening in the planet's surface
| ''You get the feeling you're not in Kansas anymore. Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
|-
| People
| On the right side of the large opening in the planet
| Megan and Cueball standing on the edge. Cueball is leaning forward, looking down.
:'''Cueball''': Where's Boston?
:'''Megan''': I think M.I.T. kids took it.
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the entrance to a triple-wide tunnel leading down to NYC
| a hot dog
''Your launch speed has increased.''
|
|-
| People
| On the surface to the right of the tunnels leading to NYC
| Cueball and Danish walking.
:'''Cueball''': Why did those M.I.T. kids keep talking about Morgantown?
:'''Danish''': They're just transit enthusiasts, I guess.
:'''Cueball''': But Morgantown is tiny. It can't possibly have a subway, can it?
:'''Danish''': Not exactly...
|
|-
| People
| On the surface above Santo Domingo
| Hairy and White Hat.
:'''Hairy''': A lot of people don't realize that North America only has one subway system; each city's metro is just one part of the network.
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| At the entrance to a tunnel leading to Santo Domingo / Monterrey area
| a bottle of Coke Absolute Zero
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| People
| On the surface to the right of the Mexico City
|
:'''Ponytail''': Welcome to the Subway Planet, home of all North America's metro systems!
|
|-
| People
| Further to the right
| Ponytail and Cueball. Cueball is holding a four-wheeled suitcase.
:'''Ponytail''': Boston? No, that's on the other side of the planet. Or used to be, anyway.
|
|-
| People
| Further to the right
| Ponytail and Megan walking.
:'''Ponytail''': My favorite thing about visiting Origin is all the pointing sculptures. They make it so easy to navigate!
|
|-
| People
| On the surface next to San Francisco
| Cueball and Megan standing on the opposite sides of a tunnel entrance.
:'''Cueball''': If you're looking for someone to track down those M.I.T. kid, you could try asking CalTech.
:'''Megan''': But we're in San Francisco; Isn't CalTech in Pasadena?
:'''Cueball''': Yeah, it's down there somewhere.
|
|-
| People
| Between San Francisco and Vancouver
| Ponytail jumping across a tunnel entrance.
:'''Ponytail''': Vancouver!
|
|-
| People
| Vancouver
| Cueball and Ponytail looking up.
:'''Cueball''': Huh, I never noticed that crack in the crystal sphere before.
|
|-
| People
| Down in the tunnels in Montreal
|
:'''Knit Cap''': Bienvenue à Montréal!
|
|-
| People
| At the bottom of the large hole in the planet's surface
| Blondie and Megan.
:'''Blondie''': I hear M.I.T. kids were working on a cloaking device. Boston could be anywhere.
|
|-
| Item
| In a short dead-end tunnel near the right side of the hole
| a Cybiko® wireless handheld computer for teens (2000)
|
|-
| Item
| In a short dead-end tunnel down in NYC
| a handful of quantum foam
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Down in the tunnels of New York City
| a brightly-lit billboard
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Item
| Down in NYC
| a normal-sized apple
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the tunnel leading from New York City to Washington, D.C.
| a friendly cat
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| Down in Mexico
| Cueball sitting on a ledge, Megan standing below, looking down
:'''Megan''': You'd need some powerful thrusters to make it down there and back.
|
|-
| People
| Monterrey
| Megan looking at her phone
<code>xkcd.com/1196</code>
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In a short dead-end tunnel near Miami
| a beige electron
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item
| In a short dead-end tunnel in Toronto
| a relativistic bowling ball
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Further down in Toronto
| $30 in Yahoo
''You found $30 in Yahoo! cash! Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Down in San Francisco
| ''The next stop is Interplanetary Terminal G. Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| Down in Los Angeles
| A rectangular chamber connected to a tunnel. Megan is standing at the entrance to it, Hairbun and Cueball are inside.
:'''Megan''': Welcome to CalTech!
:'''Hairbun''': The M.I.T. cloaking device control? It's in Morgantown, WV.
:'''Cueball''': Figures.
|
|-
| People
| Left and down from the CalTech chamber
| Science Girl standing in the tunnel.
:'''Science Girl''': Stop! This line goes to D.C.! Ever since the Air and Space Museum put in the black hole exhibit, it's been difficult to return without enough engine thrust.
| This is a more elaborate version of the warning plastered all over the inside of the planet. See the first entry on the Subway Planet above.
|-
| Upgrade
| In a tunnel between Los Angeles and Philadelphia
| ''There is no parking in the white zone. Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| In a long straight dead-end tunnel near Philadelphia
| ''You feel accomplished. Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| Down in Philadelphia
| Cueball sitting on a slope.
:'''Cueball''': Morgantown? You could get there via Philly and Baltimore, but that would take you near the Museum. Might be safer to take the red line from Atlanta.
|
|-
| Message
| In a tunnel in Washington, close to the black hole
| ''Transfer here for Mornington Crescent''
|
|-
| Landscape
| In the center of Washington, D.C.
| The Air and Space Museum's black hole pictured as a dark circle with shiny rings around it. It is impossible to escape it without the Hyperdrive. If caught there, hit the Home button.
|
This object does not behave like a real {{w|black hole}} as anything getting close enough (below the {{w|Schwarzschild radius}}) will never emerge from it again.
In the game, however, one can land on the surface of it and launch off it, provided that the engine thrust has been greatly increased by the Hyperdrive.
The object behaves like a dense, spherical solid having a large mass and hence exerting significant gravitational force, more like a {{w|super-Earth}}.
|-
| Landscape
| In the tunnel leading from Washington to Morgantown
| A sign with an arrow, saying ''WV''
| ''WV'' is a common abbreviation for the U.S. state of {{w|West Virginia}} in which {{w|Morgantown, West Virginia|Morgantown}} lies.
|-
| People
| In Morgantown
| Cueball sitting at a subway station (a round chamber a bit wider than the tunnel) at a strange angle to the surface
:'''Cueball''': Welcome to Morgantown!
|
|-
| Token
| In Morgantown
| ''MIT Cloaking Device deactivated! Boston detected.''
|
|-
| Landscape
| Along the tunnels from Morgantown up to the surface near Mexico
| A grey line with a circle at Morgantown end and an arrow at the other end
| This line appears only after the Cloaking Device is deactivated and points to the Boston planet.
|-
| People
| In the tunnel leading from Morgantown to Atlanta
| Megan standing at a subway station at a strange angle to the surface
:'''Megan''': Welcome to Morgantown!
|
|-
| People
| Further along the tunnel from Morgantown to Atlanta
| Megan sitting
:'''Megan''': I think I'm stuck. I can't even see the black hole from here!
|
|-
| People
| At the joint of the tunnels leading to Morgantown and Washington, D.C.
| Cueball sitting on the edge, his elbow on his thigh, and his chin resting on his hand.
:'''Cueball ''': Where does that line go?
|

|-
| rowspan="15" valign="top" | '''Boston Planet'''
| People
| Next to the entrance of the blue line, labelled "Wonderland"
|
:'''Cueball''': There's a token to open each T line. The blue line token is right here in Boston.
|
|-
| Token
| Over the blue line entrance
| ''Blue line deactivated!''
|
|-
| People
| On the other side of the entrance of the blue line
| White Hat with his arms stretched facing Ponytail
:'''White Hat''': Welcome to Wonderland!
|
|-
| People
| Next to the entrance of the red line, labelled "Braintree"
| Cueball and Megan
:'''Cueball''': Transfer here to Skinflower and Bonevine.
|
{{w|Braintree, Massachusetts}} is a real-world town in the {{w|Greater Boston}} area, where the {{w|Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|MBTA}} {{w|MBTA subway|subway}}
{{w|Red_Line_(MBTA)|red line}} terminal {{w|Braintree station (MBTA)|station}} is located.
The funny-sounding name of the town has inspired Randall to create two fictional station names following the same pattern of animal organ + plant form: Skinflower and Bonevine.
These names also appear on the map in [[1196: Subways]].
|-
| People
| Next to the entrance of the green line, labelled "Riverside"
|
:'''Cueball''': I can't believe the green line goes all the way to Los Angeles.
|
|-
| People
| Next to the other entrance of the green line, labelled "Boston College"
| Megan and Ponytail talking.
:'''Megan''': Boston is a lot of places. It's on the East Coast of North America, but it's also on the surface of the Earth.
:'''Ponytail''': And on some playlists.
:'''Megan''': And of course it's right here!
|
|-
| People
| Next to another entrance of the green line, labelled "Medford/Tufts"
|
:'''Cueball''': I can't believe the green line extension is finally open.
|
|-
| People
| Down the blue line tunnel
|
:'''Cueball''': The red line token? It's in Boston.
| rowspan = "4" valign = "center" |
Cueball states the fact that there are many places named Boston or alluding to Boston in the game and the remaining subway tokens
(besides the blue line one, which was needed to get into the blue line tunnel in order to read Cueball's hints)
are located in or near such places. To find where the other tokens are, sort the table by the '''Type''' column and look up entries named "Token".
|-
| People
| Further down the blue line tunnel
|
:'''Cueball''': The green line token is in Boston, too.
|-
| People
| Still further down the blue line tunnel
|
:'''Cueball''': The orange line token is also in Boston.
|-
| People
| Near the intersection of the blue and orange lines tunnels
|
:'''Cueball''': There are a lot of Bostons in this universe.
|-
| People
| In the red line tunnel, down from Braintree.
| Megan and Cueball walking.
:'''Cueball''': You know, the locals actually pronounce it "Quinchy"
|
This is a reference to {{w|Quincy, Massachusetts}}, a city through which the {{w|MBTA subway|Boston subway}} {{w|Red_Line_(MBTA)|red line}} goes.
Four stations are located within the city limits: {{w|North Quincy station|North Quincy}}, {{w|Wollaston station|Wollaston}},
{{w|Quincy Center station|Quincy Center}} and {{w|Quincy Adams station|Quincy Adams}}. The word "quinchy" is a rather obscene slang expression, look it up in Urban Dictionary.
|-
| People
| In the red line tunnel, next to a place labelled "MIT".
|
:'''Megan ''': The hyperdrive works pretty well, but use it carefully. Try not to fly into walls at full speed.
|
|-
| Upgrade
| In the red line tunnel, next to a place labelled "MIT".
| ''Welcome to MIT! You acquired a hyperdrive!''
|
|-
| In the center of the planet
| Item
| a strangely heavy subway token
| This item is only accessible before the Boston planet is uncloaked.

|-
| rowspan="6" valign="top" | '''Crystal Sphere'''
| Close to the interior edge to the left of the crack
| Upgrade
| ''A significant boost to the engines for a curious pilot. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.''
|
|-
| On the interior edge approx. a quarter of the full circle to the right of the crack
| Item + Upgrade
| the gold crown Archimedes stole
''Your engine thrust has increased significantly.''
|
|-
| On the interior edge almost opposite the crack
| Item
| a necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out your name
| The full message says: ''You found a necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out your name (note: hopefully you are not named 'Katherine' or 'Brandon')!''
|-
| On the exterior edge approx. a quarter of the full circle to the left of the crack
| Item
| the platinum cylinder formerly used to define the kilogram
|
|-
| Some distance off the exterior edge approx. a quarter of the full circle to the right of the crack
| Item + Upgrade
| a needle in a haystack
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Inside the Crystal Sphere between Boston and Round planets
| Upgrade
| ''You found a handful of the quantum foam that makes up the fabric of space! Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|

|-
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | '''Crack in the Crystal Sphere'''
| On the left side of the entrance to the crack in the sphere
| Message
| Left lane must turn left
|
|-
| On the right side of the entrance to the crack
| Message
| Right lane must turn right
|
|-
| Inside the crack more than a halfway though it
| Upgrade
| ''There is a way out. Your launch speed has increased.''
|


|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" |
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|

|-
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
|}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2765}}
[[Category:Comic subpages]]

Talk:2780: Physical Quantities

2023-05-26T15:23:06Z

172.68.139.32: Erdős

Planck Length here actually refers to the length of Planck himself. The same may apply to other names. [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 03:02, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
: And here I was thinking it meant the length of Planck ''planking''. [[User:Thisfox|Thisfox]] ([[User talk:Thisfox|talk]]) 22:00, 25 May 2023 (UTC)

I wonder if this is alluding to the [[wikipedia:Smoot|Smoot]], a unit of measure devised by MIT students to represent the height of Oliver R. Smoot. Probably worth a mention in the description nonetheless. [[User:Trimeta|Trimeta]] ([[User talk:Trimeta|talk]]) 03:45, 25 May 2023 (UTC)

Hawking radiation: ~100 W (through heat)

Planking is a thing.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planking_(fad) One pretends that one is a board, or plank. Are some funny pics. The opposite of planking would be good god how? How can even a cat!?!! [Special:Contributions/172.69.58.161|172.69.58.161]] 06:26, 25 May 2023 (UTC)

Hubble length is {{w|Hubble Space Telescope|13.2 m}}. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.64|141.101.98.64]] 10:30, 25 May 2023 (UTC)

The m³ unit for Broca's area is surely a typo, right? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.94.47|162.158.94.47]] 14:55, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
:That would be my guess. I sent a note to Randall to ask. [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 21:24, 25 May 2023 (UTC)

Just a couple of others: 1 Watt is what it takes to invent the condensing steam engine and Euler's number doesn't exist, because he died before telephones were invented. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.247.45|172.69.247.45]] 15:08, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
:There are lots of <someone>'s Number constants. We could have an entire phonebook of these. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 17:53, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
::I tried phoning Graham's Number, once. I'm still not yet finished dialling! [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.186|172.70.91.186]] 19:22, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
:::I thought you meant Alexander Graham Bell's number. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.129|172.69.22.129]] 23:04, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
:Chandresekhar's Limit = 3 pints? [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 17:53, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
:Don't forget that numbers are now [[2721|Euler letters]]! [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.137|172.70.85.137]] 20:41, 25 May 2023 (UTC)

From a friend, regarding Fermi's current temperature:
''The typical ground temperature of a burial plot in Chicago depends on the depth and the season. According to the Illinois State Climatologist Office, the average soil temperature at 4 inches depth ranges from about 25°F in January to about 75°F in July. The average soil temperature at 8 inches depth ranges from about 30°F in January to about 77°F in July. These measurements are made under grass, so the soil temperature under other ground covers or under bare ground may vary somewhat from those shown here. In the winter, when the ground is frozen, cemeteries are able to continue burying the dead by using special equipment such as frost rippers or steamers to break through the frozen layer of soil. They also use heaters or blankets to keep the graves open until the burial service is completed.'' [[User:RandalSchwartz|RandalSchwartz]] ([[User talk:RandalSchwartz|talk]]) 23:09, 25 May 2023 (UTC)
:Assuming his grave is 6 feet deep and his body is at 5 feet deep, he's going to be below the frost line, which is 40" in Chicago, so the temperature is never going to drop below 32°F. Based on the charts at https://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Cooling/EarthTemperatures.htm, he should see temperatures ranging from 40° to 62°. Interestingly enough, at that depth, the soil temperature will lag behind the surface temperature enough that the coldest temperatures will be in March and the warmest will be in September. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.89|162.158.63.89]] 03:36, 26 May 2023 (UTC)

Pretty sure the Schwarzschild radius is the radius of a curled up child, not of Mr. Schwarzschild. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.40|162.158.203.40]] 08:49, 26 May 2023 (UTC)

: 68cm diameter of a person curled up seems about right. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.139.32|172.68.139.32]] 15:23, 26 May 2023 (UTC)

Besides Smoot, there's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erd%C5%91s_number Erdős number].

: The Erdős number (Hungarian: [ˈɛrdøːʃ]) describes the "collaborative distance" between mathematician Paul Erdős and another person, as measured by authorship of mathematical papers.

The Erdős number or Paul Erdős is 0. Anyone who collaborated with him has Erdős number 1, and anyone who collaborated with someone with Erdős number 1 (but not Paul Erdős himself) has Erdős number 2 - and so on. Taking this comic's interpretation, the Erdős number should be either 1, 'cause there was only one Paul Erdős, or 0, because he's dead. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.139.32|172.68.139.32]] 15:23, 26 May 2023 (UTC)

2765: Escape Speed/Tables

2023-05-23T10:16:20Z

172.68.139.32: /* All Objects with Explanations */

__TOC__

Here the long tables needed for the explanation of the interactive comic [[2765: Escape Speed]] could be moved.

=Table of planets=
{{incomplete|
'''This is a different attempt to list and explain all the planets and other objects that have gravity and can be landed upon and explored'''.

The description and explanations may be incomplete or incorrect. Please help improve them. Try to keep separate the ''description'' (i.e. how the planet looks and what general features it has) and ''explanation'' (i.e. what the name and look represent, what they refer to both in the real and fictional worlds and what xkcd comics may have been a source or an inspiration. Please describe the planets only, not the objects that can be found on them.
}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Name <code>code-name</code>
! Tiles (X, Y)
! Directions
! Description
! Explanation
|-
| '''Starting Planet''' <code>tiny-world</code>
| (6024, -8976)
| To get here, click the "Home" button in the lower right corner of the comic.
|
The planet is tiny, grassy, has a few trees and bushes and features several people. Initially the navigation is difficult because of low initial engine thrust and strong gravity of the Origin planet nearby affecting movement.
|
This is where the game starts. Pressing the "Home" button to go back to the starting planet shows the message, "Welcome back, pilot", which may be a reference to the greeting that plays when re-entering a Titan in the ''Titanfall'' video games.

|-
| '''Origin''' <code>origin</code>
| (3096, -5904)
| To get here, launch from Beret Guy saying "Wow!" on the Starting Planet.
|
The planet is fairly big, has vegetation, and features many people, landscape objects, items and upgrades. It has a shaft through the center. The planet is hard to leave without any upgrades unless one uses the shaft to gain more momentum by thrusting while moving through the middle of it. Many of the landmarks of the surface mark the directions to different planets.
|
The planet has a sign saying 'Welcome to Origin! You can never leave™'. The name may also refer to the fact that the planet lies almost at the center of the game world, or that it is the starting point for exploration as it provides many navigational hints.

|-
| '''Hollow Planet''' <code>hollow-shell</code>
| (-13952, 1848)
| To get here, launch from the St. Louis Arch on Origin.
|
The planet is just a shell with some gaps. On the outside, there are a few signs that mark the directions to different planets.
|

|-
| '''Round Planet''' <code>orb</code>
| (-19154, -7288)
| To get here, launch from the tower with an orb on it on Origin or the sign on the Hollow Planet.
|
The planet is moderately small with no vegetation and some architecture such as Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China. It also features a few people and items.
|
|-
| '''Uzumaki''' <code>uzumaki</code>
| (-3904, -26904)
| To get here, launch from Origin's spiral landmark, the sign on the Hollow Planet, or below the plane-towed banner on the Round Planet.
| The planet is a large spiral overgrown with grass and some other vegetation. It has very weak gravity.
| The shape of the planet is inspired by the {{w|manga}} {{w|Uzumaki}} by {{w|Junji Ito}}.
|-
| '''Guitar Ship''' <code>guitar-ship</code>
| (-12000, -30000)
| To get there, launch from Uzumaki, a little to the left of the caffeine molecule item.
| The planet is shaped like a guitar seen in perspective looking from the bottom of the body, with a dome on the back side. Within the dome there's the Boston skyline.
| This is a reference to the cover art of the album {{w|Boston (album)|Boston}} by the like-named American {{w|Boston (band)|rock band}}. It's one of many references to {{w|Boston}} in the game.
|-
| '''Spacetime Soccer Field''' <code>soccerfield</code>
| (6048, 4048)
| To get here, launch from Origin, from the pyramid with a soccer ball on top of it.
|
This is a tiny planet with a smooth surface and a distorted soccer field marked around it. The goals and goal area lines are on the opposite sides of the planet (let's say, to the east and west), distorted into curved trapezoids. The touch lines (side lines) are sections of hyperbolas with the vertices closest to the planet at the north and south poles, extending symmetrically to some distance from the planet. There is no goal line; in this geometry it should be the extended axis. What seems to be penalty lines, but drawn incorrectly to join the side lines instead of going back to the goal line, are sections of an ellipse. The halfway line appears twice, joining the four ends of hyperbolic side lines. The center circle appears as two separate halves stemming from the two copies of the halfway line.
|
The space soccer field utilizes the concept from [[2705: Spacetime Soccer]], but inversed: in the original comic the center point of the field was located in a gravity well, causing the ball to be pulled away from the goals; here the goals are located close to the center of the planet, so the ball naturally tries to fall towards them, probably making the game more interesting.
|-
| '''Saturn''' <code>saturn</code>
| (2600, 14000)
| To get here, launch from the pyramid with Saturn on it on Origin. If you see the Spacetime Soccer Field, you're too far left.
| The planet resembles Saturn with its rings, however it is translucent: a soccer ball can bee seen inside. One of the ball's white hexagons is surfacing in the north pole area.
| It is a reference to [[2513: Saturn Hexagon]]
|-
| '''Andal''' <code>platform-planet</code>
| (12048, 14048)
| To get there launch from a monument on Origin, featuring a round shape with a small "T" on top.
| This is a small partly rocky and partly grassy planet with a strange T-shaped tower.
| A reference to ''{{w|Animorphs}}'' book series featuring fictional sapient species of [https://aliens.fandom.com/wiki/Andalite Andalites]. Two such (or similar) creatures can be found on the planet. In the original books, the planet the Andalites come from is unnamed.
|-
| '''Projection of Earth''' <code>earth-map</code>
| (-15808, 22192)
| To get there by follow the sign on the hollow planet or launch from the Earth map monument on Origin.
| The planet is shaped like a huge distorted map of all land masses of Earth. The player's spaceship can fly where water would be, but it can't go over land. Some straights between islands are to narrow for the ship to pass, especially in the {{w|Southeast Asia}} area. Some {{w|mediterranean seas}} are also inaccessible.
| Probably a reference to [[977: Map Projections]] or, more generally, to the Randall's obsession about [[:Category:Maps|maps]].
|-
| '''Voyager 1''' <code>voyager-1</code>
| (1606, -14282)
| To get here, launch from the "Receiving transmission" communication device near the spiral landmark on Origin.
| This is a recreation of the {{w|Voyager 1}} space probe.
|
|-
| '''Voyager 2''' <code>voyager-2</code>
| (10682, -5172)
| To get here, launch from the "Receiving transmission" communication device near the spider landmark on Origin.
| This is a recreation of the {{w|Voyager 2}} space probe.
|
|-
| '''SafetySat''' <code>safetysat</code>
| (17024, 1024)
| To get here, launch from the cell tower on Origin.
| A cube satellite with an absurd set of assorted objects on board.
| This is a reference to [[1992: SafetySat]].
|-
| '''Shuttle Skeleton''' <code>space-shuttle</code>
| (-30200, 14576)
| To get here, launch from the Shuttle Skeleton landmark on Origin or in the northwestern direction from Alaska on the Projection of Earth.
| The planet looks like an outline of the space shuttle with a strange skeleton inside.
| This is a reference to [[2630: Shuttle Skeleton]].
|-
| '''Giant Spider''' <code>spider</code>
| (26982, -8714)
| To get here, launch from the spider landmark on Origin.
| The object is a giant spider floating in space with eight people standing on top of his legs.
| [[:Category:Spiders|Spiders]] is a recurring theme on xkcd.
|-
| '''Diffraction Spikes Star''' <code>diffraction</code>
| (-19944, 11240)
| To get here, launch from the back of the left "hand" of the Shuttle Skeleton or the north of Alaska.
| The object is a star with very long spikes.
| This is a reference to [[2762: Diffraction Spikes]].
|-
| '''Roche Lobe Earth''' <code>earth-roche</code> ''and'' <code>normal-moon</code>
| (-9952, -3952)
| To get there, launch from the like-shaped statue on Origin.
| This is a small, distorted, drop-shaped Earth with oceans and continents of the northern hemisphere. There's the Moon close by. The distortion looks like if the Moon's tidal forces are pulling northern Atlantic Ocean really hard.
|
|-
| '''Dark Matter Planet''' <code>dark-matter</code>
| (-2892, 2640)
| To get here, launch from the goal on the half of the field with just one person on it on Spacetime Soccer Field.
| This is a small, irregular planet with a black center (normal planets have white centers) and an inscription "DARK MATTER" inside, repeated three times.
|
{{w|Dark matter}} is a hypothetical form of {{w|matter}} sought by {{w|Astrophysics|astrophycists}} as a possible cause of behavior of {{w|Galaxy|galaxies}}, which cannot be explained by the current theory of {{w|gravity}} and observations. The anomalies would be explained if there was extra {{w|mass}} in the galaxies, which is not observed, but is theorized as dark matter presence. The dark matter is named this way not because it has some dark color, but because it supposedly does not interact (or interacts very weakly) with {{w|electromagnetic field}}, therefore does not emit {{w|light}} and can't be seen.

This is also a reference to [[2186: Dark Matter]]
|-
| '''Jurassic Park Planet''' <code>gravity-qwantz</code>
| (20000, 11000)
| To get here, launch from the dinosaur on Origin or from the Andalites on Andal.
| It's a big planet with weak gravity, a lot of grass, and many dinosaur figures, some repeating a few times.
|
This is a reference to the 1993 {{w|Jurassic Park (film)|''Jurassic Park''}} film and the related {{w|Jurassic Park|media franchise}}. It contains images of dinosaurs taken from the [https://www.qwantz.com/ Dinosaurs] web comic, which, similarly to xkcd, uses a random string of letters for its domain name: <code>quantz.com</code>. It also reflects Randal's avid interest in [[:Category:Dinosaurs|dinosaurs]]. This is an exact copy of the Dinosaur Planet from [[2712: Gravity]].
|-
| '''Comet 67P''' <code>67p</code>
| (18048, -11152)
| To get here, launch from the duck next to the 'Caution: long vertical drop' sign on Origin.
| This is a small, potato-shaped body, modelled after the {{w|67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko}} comet.
|
This is a reference to the 2004–2016 {{w|Rosetta (spacecraft)|Rosetta}} spacecraft mission, which was the first to place a lander ({{w|Philae (spacecraft)|Philae}}) on a comet core. The mission was also commemorated in [[1446: Landing]] and the spacecraft are mentioned in [[1402: Harpoons]] and [[1740: Rosetta]].
|-
| '''What If? Planet''' <code>gravity-earth</code>
| (22000, 34000)
| To get here, launch from the two people explaining where Boston is on Origin, the left of Stonehenge on the Round Planet, or the left rim of the Guitar Ship.
| This is a huge, round planet with many bodies of water. The planet contains several scenes from ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' and [[2712: Gravity]]. Megan and Cueball are floating inside a small space in the center of the planet.
| This is an almost exact copy of the Earth planet from [[2712: Gravity]], however a few scenes and all text were removed.
|-
| '''Subway Planet''' <code>subway-planet</code> ''and'' <code>black-hole-3</code>
| (-46000, -24000)
| To can get there take off from the "secret glade" item next to the the bush where someone says "Shhh" on Origin.
|
This is a huge planet with a subway system connecting places named after U.S. cities, similar to the one from [[1196: Subways]]. In the area where Boston should be according to that system, there is a giant round hole with rugged sides consisting of a lot of broken planks. There's a black hole inside, off the center, in the Washington, D.C. area. There are many people and features both on the surface and within subway tunnels.
|
This is a key planet to solve the puzzle in the game, and contains several out of many in-game references to {{w|Boston}} (in many meanings of the name) and the {{w|Massachusetts Institute of Technology}}, which currently is located in {{w|Cambridge, Massachusetts}}, but was founded in 1861 in Boston.

Obviously, it's also a reference to [[1196: Subways]]
|-
| '''Boston Planet''' <code>mbta</code>
| (-42000, 8000)
| To get here, launch from the back of the Shuttle Skeleton.
|
This is a big, perfectly round planet with a subway system. It is invisible until the player finds uncloaking device switch. Initially, all underground tunnels are blocked by huge round rocks with the letter "T" at the entrances and smaller round rocks down the tunnels. To unblock the tunnels, player needs to find subway tokens scattered in the universe; they appear only after the Boston planet is uncloaked. Subway stations on the surface and inside are marked with Boston district names.
|
This is the other key planet to the game puzzle. It is apparently the round part ripped off the Subway Planet, but drawn not to scale. The tunnels inside the planet roughly correspond to the Boston part of the scheme in [[1196: Subways]], but with few additions (e.g. Union Sq, Mattapan). The codename comes from the abbreviation of {{w|Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}.
|-
| '''Crystal Sphere''' ''from'' <code>ring-1</code> ''to'' <code>ring-36</code>
|
| To get here, launch from anywhere and keep avoiding planets until you hit it.
|
Most planets and celestial objects are inside of a thick enormous ring called Crystal Sphere. Both the interior and exterior edges of the Sphere are almost smooth, but have a few dents. There's a wide navigable crack leading out of the Sphere, which sides are rugged and riddled with broken planks, similarily to the Boston hole in the Subwau Planet. The gravity increases significantly as the spaceship goes through the crack, it gradually feels the pull from the parts of the sphere it has left. It is not possible to leave the Sphere without the hyperdrive, however having collected all the engine upgrades inside the Sphere one can barely reach the outer surface, but moving along is very difficult. Above the crack, there is an arch made up of the repeating words "The End", which is reminiscent of the "Don't leave the play area" message in [[1608: Hoverboard]] that appeared when the player tried to get out of it.
|
The Crystal Sphere may be a reference to {{w|The Crystal Spheres}}, a short story by {{w|science fiction}} author {{w|David Brin}}, which suggests that each star with habitable planets in the universe is surrounded by a crystal sphere that can be broken only from the inside and is otherwise completely impenetrable.

It may also be a reference to {{w|celestial spheres}}, an early concept trying to explain apparent movement of planets and stars.
|-
| '''Star Destroyer''' ''from'' <code>star-destroyer-a</code> ''to'' <code>star-destroyer-i</code>
| (18192, -130000)
| To get here, launch from the crack in the Crystal Sphere.
|
This is a gigantic starship; it could have barely fit within the Crystal Sphere. It is located out of the Sphere, right up from the crack, but it can't be reached without the Hyperdrive. It has many corridors and chambers inside, and a lot of people, objects and other features both inside and outside of it. The gravity of the Sphere is still strong around here, but the starship has its own center of gravity; the "down" direction generally points towards the ventral part of the starship, but not quite, making orientation somewhat difficult as the surfaces supposed to be level seem to tilt to the left near the stern and to the right near the bow of the starship. Below it, down a stream of torpedoes fired from a turred, there's a much smaller starhip.
|
This is a reference to {{w|Star Destroyer}}s and the {{w|Tantive IV|CR90 Corellian corvette}}, spaceships from the fictional ''{{w|Star Wars}}'' universe.

The whole scene is copied from [[1608: Hoverboard]], with the only difference being that {{w|Darth Vader}}'s dialogue was changed from referencing {{w|Steven Universe}} to {{w|The Murderbot Diaries}}.
|-
| '''Click and Drag Planet''' <code>clickdrag-nw</code>, <code>clickdrag-ne</code>, <code>clickdrag-sw</code>, ''and'' <code>clickdrag-se</code>
| (-31808, 111808)
| To get here, launch from the bow or stern of the Star Destroyer tangentially to the Crystal Sphere to orbit it and keep the stars in the background moving horizontally on the screen until you see a dot around the spaceship guiding you.
|
The planet is huge, larger than any other in the game world, but smaller than the Star Destroyer. It is located outside the Crystal Sphere roughly opposite the Star Destroyer. It is mostly round, with many landscape features and scenes partly copied from [[1110: Click and Drag]], but arrayed in a circular, instead of linear shape. What's missing in comparison to the Click and Drag comic, is a few of the scenes, some textual content like dialogues (leaving persons intact), the underground parts, upper parts of the very high objects, and objects high above the surface.
|
|}

=Tables and Lists of Objects=

==Collectables==

===Plain list of collectables===
This is a quick list for those who want to check if they found everything.

The ''You found...'' sections directly show the names that appear in the player's list of found items. Some upgrades are also items and appear on the list, in such cases the names are the '''bolded''' parts of messages.

* '''Starting Planet'''
** You found...
*** a rock with neat stripes
*** a cool bug
*** a pretty leaf
** Messages
*** Wheeee!

* '''Origin'''
** You found...
*** a secret glade
*** a holographic Charizard business card
*** a 5G seagull
*** a DVD of The Core (2003)
*** a normal-looking leaf
*** a marsh wren
*** an orb wren
*** a single grain of salt
*** 11 squares packed into a larger square
*** a tumbleweed
** Upgrades
*** Nice flying! (Your tanks recharge faster now.)
** Messages
*** You found a tiny meteorite!
*** Welcome to liminal space
*** The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.
*** Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting!

*'''Hollow Planet'''
** Upgrades
*** You found a handful of the quantum foam that makes up the fabric of space! (Your tanks recharge much faster now.)
*** You found '''a sixth Lagrange point'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
*** You found '''a glass of heavy water''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Star Destroyer'''
** You found...
*** an unread email (The message adds: "Better leave it unread.")
*** a glass slipper with a glass foot in it
*** a lymphocyte
*** a forged resume
*** a serif
*** a Bursa of Fabricius
*** a cluster of data points
*** a premium subscription to food (The message has: "food.net")
*** two goats and a new car
*** an out-of-control trolley
*** a helium-238 nucleus
*** the Death Star plans
** Upgrades
*** You found '''a perpetual motion fidget spinner'''! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
*** You found '''a vintage Juicero juicer'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
** Messages
*** Hmmm.

* '''Click and Drag Planet'''
** You found...
*** an ant the size of Rhode Island
*** a pin with 17 angels dancing on it
** Upgrades
*** The vehicle below gives you a boost (Your launch speed has increased.)
*** We should turn back (Your engine gets a bit more powerful.)
*** You found '''an expert at underwater ropes'''. (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
*** You found '''a trisected angle'''! (Your launch speed has greatly increased.)

* '''Subway Planet'''
** You found...
*** a relativistic bowling ball
*** a Cybiko® wireless handheld computer for teens (2000)
*** a handful of quantum foam
*** a normal-sized apple
***'''a brightly-lit billboard''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)

** Upgrades
*** You get the feeling you're not in Kansas anymore (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
*** There is no parking in the white zone (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
*** The next stop is Interplanetary Terminal G (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
*** You feel accomplished (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
*** You found '''a hot dog''' (Your launch speed has increased.)
*** You found '''a bottle of Coke Absolute Zero!''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
*** You found '''a beige electron'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
*** You found '''$30 in Yahoo'''! cash! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
*** You found '''a friendly cat'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
** Messages
*** Transfer here for Mornington Crescent
** Tokens
*** MIT Cloaking Device deactivated! Boston detected. (Blue, red, green, and orange lines activated.)

* '''Boston Planet'''
** You found...
*** a strangely heavy subway token
** Tokens
*** Blue line deactivated!
*** Welcome to MIT! You acquired a hyperdrive!
* '''Projection of Earth'''
** You found...
*** the Heart of the Ocean (The message adds: "It was drifting around in space.")
*** a whale shark
*** some microbial life
*** some tin from the Pantai Remis mine
*** a sparkling gem
*** a piece of pumice (The message says: "You found a piece of pumice floating in space!")
** Upgrades
*** You found '''the Principality of Sealand'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
*** You found '''a Rhode Island the size of an ant'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
*** You found an icosahedral d10 (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
** Tokens
*** Red line deactivated!

* '''What If? Planet'''
** You found...
*** an eye in the sky
*** a stick
*** an asterisk (The message adds: "it doesn’t seem to refer to anything.")
*** a sterile neutrino
*** a secret leaf
*** a pair of squirrel goggles
*** a large hadron
*** a smooth green snake
** Upgrades
*** You found '''a sunken treasure''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
*** The Yellowstone Super What? (Your launch speed has increased.)
*** Nutritional Facts - Serving Size: 1 Cloud, Total Calories: 0 (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
*** You captured the flag! You decide to leave it there, but it's yours. (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
*** You found '''a steam calliope'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
*** You found '''a DNA base pair'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Uzumaki'''
** You found...
*** a golden radio tuned to 1.618 MHz
*** a scroll lock key
*** a primordial black hole
*** a cool pair of shoes with flames on the side
*** an ink cartridge
*** a podcast episode
*** a festive but somehow unnerving holiday card from Junji Ito
*** a friendly bee
*** a spiral-cut diamond
*** a burrito
** Upgrades
*** You found '''a tree-filled grove and a nice spot for quiet contemplation''' (Your thrusters are significantly more efficient now.)
*** You found '''a single caffeine molecule'''! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
** Messages
*** Exit Only
*** You're going the wrong way!

* '''Round Planet'''
** You found...
*** a swatch pop-out wristwatch
** Upgrades
*** You found '''a sensible cheese platter''' (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now)
*** ''[no message]'' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Jurassic Park Planet'''
** You found...
*** a tiny pteranodon
*** a baby hedgehog
*** a tattered knapsack containing about $194,00 in $20 bills
** Upgrades
*** Today is a good day I think for space exploration (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
*** But what if gravity doesn't actually exist? (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)

* '''Andal'''
** Upgrades
*** You found '''two Andalites, one canonical'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
*** What a nice place for a ship to sit! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
*** You found '''a friend''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
*** You found '''baby shoes (and baby)'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Comet 67P'''
** Upgrades
*** Some people believe that when the Earth appears in the sky, it's a harbinger of doom. (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
*** You found '''a broken smoke machine''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
*** Anyone for Scrabble later? (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
*** You found '''The Long Now Foundation's''' nickel paperweight containing an '''archive of every''' published '''Animorphs book'''! (Your launch speed has increased.)

* '''Guitar Ship'''
** You found...
*** a guitar pick
** Tokens
*** Orange line deactivated!

* '''Saturn'''
** You found...
*** a really cool data point
** Upgrades
*** You found '''a pair of platonic solids, not quite touching'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
*** You found '''a block of scandium'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Roche Lobe Earth'''
** You found...
*** a curious Humboldt squid
*** a bathyscaphe (The message says: "You found a bathyscaphe at the Marianas Trench!")
*** a wayward Roomba full of moondust
** Tokens
*** Green line deactivated!

* '''Giant Spider'''
** You found...
*** a spider-silk scarf
** Upgrades
*** You found '''a friendly jumping spider''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Dark Matter Planet'''
** Upgrades
*** You found '''a delicate music box'''. (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)

* '''Shuttle Skeleton'''
** You found...
*** a piece of space shuttle food
** Upgrades
*** A little upgrade works wonders on fuel efficiency (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)

* '''Diffraction Spikes Star'''
** You found...
*** a hydrogen ion
*** a piece of coronium (iron) (The message says; "You found a piece of coronium! Wait, no, iron.")

* '''SafetySat'''
** You found...
*** a first of its kind
** Upgrades
*** ''[no message]'' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
*** The more refined oil had a dinner engagement (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)

* '''Spacetime Soccer Field'''
** Upgrades
*** GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
*** GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
*** You found '''the 3 million point line''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
*** You found '''a sunspot'''! (Your launch speed has increased.)

* '''Voyager 1'''
** Upgrades
*** You found '''Voyager 1'''! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)

* '''Voyager 2'''
** Upgrades
*** You found '''Voyager 2'''! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)

* '''Crystal Sphere'''
** You found...
*** a necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out your name (The message adds: "(note: hopefully you are not named 'katherine' or 'Brandon')!")
*** the platinum cylinder formerly used to define the kilogram
** Upgrades
*** A significant boost to the engines for a curious pilot (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
*** You found '''the gold crown Archimedes stole'''! (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)

* '''Crack in the Crystal Sphere'''
** Upgrades
*** There is a way out (Your launch speed has increased.)
** Messages
*** Right lane must turn right
*** Left lane must turn left

* '''Open Space Outside the Crystal Sphere'''
** Upgrades
*** It is very lonely out here (Your tanks recharge much faster now.)
*** You found '''a needle in a haystack''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
*** From here you can view the source of it all. (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)

===Sortable table of collectables===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! rowspan="2"|Planet
! colspan="4"|Collectable items
|-
! You found...
! Upgrades
! Messages
! Subway tokens
|-
| '''Starting Planet'''
|
* a rock with neat stripes
* a cool bug
* a pretty leaf
|
|
* Wheeee!
|
|-
| '''Origin'''
|
* a secret glade
* a holographic Charizard business card
* a 5G seagull
* a DVD of The Core (2003)
* a normal-looking leaf
* a marsh wren
* an orb wren
* a single grain of salt
* 11 squares packed into a larger square
* a tumbleweed
|
* Nice flying! (Your tanks recharge faster now.)
|
* You found a tiny meteorite!
* Welcome to liminal space
* The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.
* Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting!
|
|-
| '''Hollow Planet'''
|
|
* You found a handful of the quantum foam that makes up the fabric of space! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a sixth Lagrange point'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a glass of heavy water''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Star Destroyer'''
|
* an unread email
* a glass slipper with a glass foot in it
* a lymphocyte
* a forged resume
* a serif
* a Bursa of Fabricius
* a cluster of data points
* a premium subscription to food
* two goats and a new car
* an out-of-control trolley
* a helium-238 nucleus
* the Death Star plans
|
* You found '''a perpetual motion fidget spinner'''! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
* You found '''a vintage Juicero juicer'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
|
* Hmmm.
|
|-
| '''Click and Drag Planet'''
|
* an ant the size of Rhode Island
* a pin with 17 angels dancing on it
|
* The vehicle below gives you a boost (Your launch speed has increased.)
* We should turn back (Your engine gets a bit more powerful.)
* You found '''an expert at underwater ropes'''. (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a trisected angle'''! (Your launch speed has greatly increased.)
|
|
|-
| '''Subway Planet'''
|
* a relativistic bowling ball
* a Cybiko® wireless handheld computer for teens (2000)
* a handful of quantum foam
* a normal-sized apple
|
* You get the feeling you're not in Kansas anymore (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
* There is no parking in the white zone (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* The next stop is Interplanetary Terminal G (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You feel accomplished (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a brightly-lit billboard''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a hot dog''' (Your launch speed has increased.)
* You found '''a bottle of Coke Absolute Zero'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a beige electron'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''$30 in Yahoo'''! cash! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a friendly cat'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
* Transfer here for Mornington Crescent
|
* MIT Cloaking Device deactivated! Boston detected. (Blue, red, green, and orange lines activated.)
|-
| '''Boston Planet'''
|
* a strangely heavy subway token
|
|
|
* Blue line deactivated!
* Welcome to MIT! You acquired a hyperdrive!
|-
| '''Projection of Earth'''
|
* the Heart of the Ocean
* a whale shark
* some microbial life
* some tin from the Pantai Remis mine
* a sparkling gem
* a piece of pumice
|
* You found '''the Principality of Sealand'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a Rhode Island the size of an ant'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found an icosahedral d10 (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
* Red line deactivated!
|-
| '''What If? Planet'''
|
* an eye in the sky
* a stick
* an asterisk
* a sterile neutrino
* a secret leaf
* a pair of squirrel goggles
* a large hadron
* a smooth green snake
|
* You found '''a sunken treasure''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* The Yellowstone Super What? (Your launch speed has increased.)
* Nutritional Facts - Serving Size: 1 Cloud, Total Calories: 0 (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You captured the flag! You decide to leave it there, but it's yours. (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a steam calliope'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a DNA base pair'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Uzumaki'''
|
* a golden radio tuned to 1.618 MHz
* a scroll lock key
* a primordial black hole
* a cool pair of shoes with flames on the side
* an ink cartridge
* a podcast episode
* a festive but somehow unnerving holiday card from Junji Ito
* a friendly bee
* a spiral-cut diamond
* a burrito
|
* You found '''a tree-filled grove and a nice spot for quiet contemplation''' (Your thrusters are significantly more efficient now.)
* You found '''a single caffeine molecule'''! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
|
* Exit Only
* You're going the wrong way!
|
|-
| '''Round Planet'''
|
* a swatch pop-out wristwatch
|
* You found '''a sensible cheese platter''' (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now)
* ''[no message]'' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Jurassic Park Planet'''
|
* a tiny pteranodon
* a baby hedgehog
* a tattered knapsack containing about $194,00 in $20 bills
|
* Today is a good day I think for space exploration (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* But what if gravity doesn't actually exist? (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
|
|
|-
| '''Andal'''
|
|
* You found '''two Andalites, one canonical'''! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* What a nice place for a ship to sit! (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
* You found '''a friend''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''baby shoes (and baby''')! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Comet 67P'''
|
|
* Some people believe that when the Earth appears in the sky, it's a harbinger of doom. (Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.)
* You found '''a broken smoke machine''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* Anyone for Scrabble later? (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''The Long Now Foundation's''' nickel paperweight containing an '''archive of every''' published '''Animorphs book'''! (Your launch speed has increased.)
|
|
|-
| '''Guitar Ship'''
|
* a guitar pick
|
|
|
* Orange line deactivated!
|-
| '''Saturn'''
|
* a really cool data point
|
* You found '''a pair of platonic solids, not quite touching'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''a block of scandium'''! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Roche Lobe Earth'''
|
* a curious Humboldt squid
* a bathyscaphe
* a wayward Roomba full of moondust
|
|
|
* Green line deactivated!
|-
| '''Giant Spider'''
|
* a spider-silk scarf
|
* You found '''a friendly jumping spider''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Dark Matter Planet'''
|
|
* You found '''a delicate music box'''. (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
|
|
|-
| '''Shuttle Skeleton'''
|
* a piece of space shuttle food
|
* A little upgrade works wonders on fuel efficiency (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
|
|
|-
| '''Diffraction Spikes Star'''
|
* a hydrogen ion
* a piece of coronium (iron)
|
|
|
|-
| '''SafetySat'''
|
* a first of its kind
|
* ''[no message]'' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* The more refined oil had a dinner engagement (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
|
|
|-
| '''Spacetime Soccer Field'''
|
|
* GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* You found '''the 3 million point line''' (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
* You found '''a sunspot'''! (Your launch speed has increased.)
|
|
|-
| '''Voyager 1'''
|
|
* You found '''Voyager 1'''! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
|
|
|-
| '''Voyager 2'''
|
|
* You found '''Voyager 2'''! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
|
|
|-
| '''Crystal Sphere'''
|
* a necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out your name
* the platinum cylinder formerly used to define the kilogram
|
* A significant boost to the engines for a curious pilot (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
* You found '''the gold crown Archimedes stole'''! (Your engine thrust has increased significantly.)
|
|
|-
| '''Crack in the Crystal Sphere'''
|
|
* There is a way out (Your launch speed has increased.)
|
* Right lane must turn right
* Left lane must turn left
|
|-
| '''Open Space Outside the Crystal Sphere'''
|
|
* It is very lonely out here (Your tanks recharge much faster now.)
* You found '''a needle in a haystack''' (Your engine gets a little more powerful.)
* From here you can view the source of it all. (Your thrusters are more efficient now.)
|
|}

==All Objects with Explanations==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="5"|Features and Items
|-
! Planet
! Type
! Location
! Description / Message
! Explanation
|-
| rowspan="5" valign="top"|'''Starting Planet'''
| Message
| Above starting position
| ''Wheeee!''
| Probably reflects the excitation of a new visitor to this XKCD comic, seeing a promising game.
|-
| Item
| Above ground left of the starting position
| a rock with neat stripes
|
|-
| Item
| In the grass right of the starting position
| a cool bug
| A reference to 'Cool Bug Epoch' from [[2240: Timeline of the Universe]]
|-
| Item
| Up a tree
| a pretty leaf
|
|-
| People
| On the opposite of the starting position
| Beret Guy pointing his arm up and exclaiming ''WOW!''
| This is a reference to the title text of [[1117: My Sky]], and it could also be a reference to [[502: Dark Flow]].

|-
| rowspan="41" valign="top"| '''Origin'''
| Landscape
| Close to the Starting Planet
| A sign saying: ''Welcome to Origin! You can never leave™''
| The sign names the planet, and also indicates that it is not possible to leave it by just launching off the surface during early gameplay, when the player has not collected any upgrades. May be a reference to the song by The Eagles: "Hotel California".
|-
| Message
| Right of the welcome sign, above the rollercoaster
| ''Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting!''
| A hint for the hidden shaft going through the planet; one of the entries is right below here.
|-
| Landscape
| On the right side of the rollercoaster
| A sign saying: ''Caution: Long vertical drop''
| Another hint for the hidden shaft.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the rollercoaster
| A spider-shaped monument
| Marks the direction to the Giant Spider planet
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the spider monument
| A radio telescope with its antenna pointed straight up. ''Receiving transmission''.
| Marks the direction to Voyager 2. The message is an additional hint as radio telescopes are often used to communicate with distant space probes, including receiving probes' measurements and other scientific data, like photos.
|-
| People
| Right next to the cell tower
|
Cueball and White Hat talking.
:'''Cueball''': I bet the voyager spacecraft could teach you a thing or two about speed. Of course, you'd have to catch up to them first...
|
Voyager spacecraft are {{w|List_of_vehicle_speed_records#Spacecraft|not among}} the speed record holding space probes as of 2023, however they are the first in history to reach Solar System's {{w|escape velocity}}. They have also executed two {{w|gravity assist}} maneuvers each, so they are good examples on how to increase speed in this way, presumably allowing them to "teach" another spacecraft how to increase speed. Cueball's metaphor goes on to having to meet (catch up with) someone in order to learn something from him. The Voyagers are currently the farthest man-made objects in space; however in the game world they are quite close to the Origin planet.

This is also a hint regarding the upgrades located near both Voyager spacecraft, which add more thrust to the player's ship than regular thrust upgrades.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the radio telescope located near the spider monument
| A cell tower with 5G antennas. On top of it a strange object is mounted.
|
The strange object is a downscaled image of cube satellite from [[1992: SafetySat]]. Normally nobody puts cube satellites on top of fixed towers.

This landmark shows the direction to the SafetySat "planet".
|-
| Item
| Next to the top of the cell tower
| a 5G seagull
| {{w|5G}} is a modern emerging standard for {{w|cellular networks}} promising really high download speeds and much higher network capacity (i.e. the number of active devices in an area). Probably a reference to [[1656: It Begins]]
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the cell tower
| A tyrannosaurus
| Marks the direction to the Jurassic Park planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Right next to the tyrannosaurus
| A St. Louis Arch shaped hole in the ground
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the left of the three pyramids
| A monument shaped like a sphere with a "T" on top
| This is a miniature of the Andal planet and marks the direction to it.
|-
| Landscape
| The leftmost of three pyramids
| A pyramid with a soccer ball on top
| Marks the direction to the Spacetime Soccer Field.
|-
| People
| The middle pyramid
|
Ponytail sitting on top of a pyramid, Megan standing at the base of it.
:'''Ponytail''': If you want a better spaceship, you need to visit another planet.
:'''Megan''': But if I want to visit another planet, I need a better spaceship!
|
An in-game reference to the fact that the player's ship initially has too little thrust to launch right off the surface of the Origin planet and needs an upgrade to become a "better" spaceship able to visit other planets. On the other hand, all engine upgrades are located off Origin, creating the apparently unsolvable {{w|Chicken or the egg|chicken-and-egg problem}} – unless the player follows other hints and finds a way to escape Origin anyway.
|-
| Landscape
| The rightmost of three pyramids
| A pyramid with Saturn on top of it
| Marks the direction to Saturn.
|-
| People
| Next to the pyramid with Saturn on top
|
Cueball and White Hat talking.
:'''Cueball''': I can't believe the Air and Space Museum's new exhibit has a real black hole!
:'''White Hat''': Is that... safe?
:'''Cueball''': It's OK, they've got a protective case around it.
|
Normally, it would not be possible to have a real black hole as a museum exhibit.{{citation needed}} Also, there's a misunderstanding between White Hat and Cueball. White Hat asks if it is safe for the public to keep a black hole in a museum. Cueball thinks White Hat is concerned about safety of the black hole itself, and responds that it is protected from unscrupulous visitors by putting it in a special case.

This is an in-game hint regarding the Subway Planet and the black hole present in its tunnels. It's also a reference to the real-world {{w|Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum|''Intrepid'' Sea, Air & Space Museum}}.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the pyramids
| A monument shaped like Earth's land masses
| Marks the direction to the Projection of Earth.
|-
| People
| Right next to the Projection of Earth monument
|
:'''Hairy''': Even if you did find a crack in the crystal sphere, there's no way you'd be able to escape its gravitational pull. You'd need some kind of a hyperdrive for that.
| An in-game reference to the Crystal Sphere, the navigable crack through it and the hint regarding the hyperdrive.
|-
| Landscape
| On the left side of the St. Louis Arch
| A monument of a strange spaceship
| This is a reference to [[2630: Shuttle Skeleton]] and marks the direction to the Shuttle Skeleton planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Opposite the rollercoaster
| A large arch
| This is a reference to the {{w|Gateway Arch}} located in {{w|St. Louis}}, {{w|Missouri}}. Marks the other end of the shaft going through the planet core.
|-
| Message
| A sign next to St. Louis Arch's right leg
| ''The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.''
| The creator of the Arch, Finnish-American architect {{w|Eero Saarinen}}, reportedly said that the arch symbolizes "the gateway to the West" understood as the {{w|American frontier}} and the expansion of American colonies into the western parts of the continent.

In-game, the Arch marks one of the "gateways" into the larger space of the game, namely the exits of the inner shaft, which allows the player to leave Origin by performing the Oberth maneuver (see below for further explanation).
|-
| Upgrade
| High above the St. Louis Arch
| ''Nice flying! Your tanks recharge faster now.''
| Congratulations for getting your orbital mechanics right and skillfully executing Oberth maneuver (see below).
|-
| People
| Right next to the St. Louis Arch
|
Ponytail with a group of three kids looking like Hairy, Megan and Cueball.
:'''Ponytail''': The St. Louis Arch is also known as the gateway to space.
| Ponytail acting as a guide repeats (or reads) to the kids the slogan written on the sign next to the Arch. See above for the explanation of the slogan.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the St. Louis Arch
| A monument with a pear-shaped structure connected to a small sphere
| It's a miniature of the Roche Lobe Earth, marking a direction to it.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the St. Louis Arch
| A small structure and a tower with a strange-looking orb on top
| Marks the direction to the Round Planet.
|-
| Item
| Close to the top of the orb tower.
| an orb wren
| {{w|Wren}}s are a common family of birds. Their bodies are rather stocky with short wings, sometimes resembling an orb, especially when perched with ruffled feathers such as when enduring cold weather. There's no species actually called an "orb wren".
|-
| Item
| Hidden at the base of the orb tower.
| 11 squares packed into a larger square
| A reference to [[2740: Square Packing]].
|-
| People
| To the right of the orb tower
|
Hairbun and another person.
:'''Hairbun''': Boston? That's in North America, on the Subway planet. It's straight up from the secret glade, you can't miss it.
|
This is an in-game reference and a hint on how to find Boston and the Subway Planet
|-
| Item
| Hidden in a grassy area to the right of the orb tower
| a tumbleweed
| {{w|Tumbleweed}} is an above-ground part of some species of plants in a form of a round, dense bush, which detaches as the plant dries in the summer season and is pushed by winds, rolling along the landscape.
|-
| Item
| Over a grassy area to the right of the orb tower
| a marsh wren
| {{w|Marsh wren}} is a species of North American songbird.
|-
| People
| To the right from the grassy area
|
A quintet of hairy and bearded or moustached people playing and singing:
:It's more than a feeling
:More than a feeling
| This is a reference to the popular song ''{{w|More Than a Feeling}}'' by the {{w|Boston_(band)|Boston}} rock band. It is also an in-game reference and pun regarding multiple Bostons present.
|-
| Message
| Above ground to the right of the musical band
| ''You found a tiny meteorite!''
| {{w|Meteorite}}s are fragments of small celestial bodies that have fallen onto the surface of Earth, surviving a high-speed passage through the atmosphere. Some are really tiny, being a result of a fragmentation of a larger one caused by the forces exerted during atmospherical entry. This particular one has not quite reached the surface, and should be called a {{w|meteoroid}} or a {{w|Meteoroid#Meteors|meteor}} instead.
|-
| Item
| High above ground to the right of the musical band
| a single grain of salt
|
|-
| Landscape
| Between the grassy area and the forest left of the welcome sign
| A spiral-shaped monument
| Marks the direction to the spiral Uzumaki planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Between the grassy area and the forest left of the welcome sign
| A radio telescope with its antenna pointed straight up. ''Receiving transmission''.
| Marks the direction to the Voyager 1. See also the entry on Voyager 2 above.
|-
| People
| Next to the voyager 1 radio telescope.
|
Cueball and Megan.
:'''Megan''': It's like my astronomy teacher always said: "Shoot for the Moon -- even if you miss, you might make a crack in the crystal sphere that imprisons us all in this universe."
|
|-
| Item
| At the left edge of the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a holographic Charizard business card
|
This is a reference to a particular {{w|Charizard|character}} from the {{w|Pokémon}} media franchise. {{w|Holography|Holographic}} {{w|business card}}s are a fairly novel form of business or personal presentation.
|-
| Item
| In the middle of the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a secret glade
|
|-
| Item
| Up the widest tree in the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a normal-looking leaf
|
|-
| Message
| In the exact middle of the planet
| ''Welcome to liminal space''
|
|-
| People
| In a chamber next to the planet's center
|
Megan with her hair floating around her head.
:'''Megan''': The Oberth effect states that firing thrusters deeper in a gravity well adds more kinetic energy.
|
The {{w|Oberth effect}} is a physical phenomenon and orbital maneuver when a spacecraft fires its thrusters as close to the perycenter (the point on the orbit closest to the center of the orbited body) as possible, being deeper in the "gravity well", to gain more kinetic energy than if the same impulse (amount of propellant used and therefore speed difference) has been applied away from the center, in effect using its propellant more effectively. The kinetic energy is what allows a spacecraft to leave the proximity of the orbited body. A special case of such a maneuver may be accelerating in a theoretical shaft going through the core of the body, which is the case simulated in the game. Applying the principle according to Megan's hint the player is able to "swing" the spaceship a few times along the shaft, accelerating close to the center and allowing the "energy" to regenerate while away, and leave Origin in spite off low initial thrust.

The fact that inside of a spherical body the gravity of the outer layers cancels out creates a local microgravity environment, causing Megan's hair to freely float around her head.
|-
| Item
| In a chamber next to the planet's center
| a DVD of The Core (2003)
| A {{w|DVD}} is a digital {{w|optical disc}} format used most commonly for distributing {{w|film}}s, in his case the 2003 American {{w|The Core|science fiction disaster film}}. As the title suggest, it is inconveniently located at the core of the Origin planet.

|-
| rowspan="8" valign="top"| '''Hollow Planet'''
|People
| In the hollow center of the planet.
|
Ponytail and White Hat floating in microgravity. White Hat's hat has come off his head.
:'''White Hat''': It's weird how a hollow shell doesn't exert gravitational force on objects inside it.
:'''Ponytail''': Oh, so ''that's'' why we don't feel a pull from the crystal sphere.
|
White Hat experiences a practical application of an unintuitive, and since "weird" in his words, {{w||shell theorem}}, as applied to gravity: that inside a hollow, spherical shell the forces of the gravity exerted by the shell cancel out for every object inside, regardless of its position within. Ponytail gets an epiphany, that it also applies to the gigantic Crystal Sphere surrounding the most part of the world she is in.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Close to the center of the planet.
|
a sixth lagrange point

''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
{{w|Lagrange point}}s are places relative to two heavy bodies orbiting one another, where a third, much lighter body will stay in equilibrium with the large two, orbiting the common center of gravity with the same period and keeping a constant distance from both. There are only five Lagrange points.

In theory, a small body located in the center of a hollowed-out massive body will stay put as well (see the previous explanation), creating the sixth Lagrange point; however a hollow massive body can't exist, it will collapse under its own gravity.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface of the planet.
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Round Planet''
| Marks the direction to the Round Planet.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Over the surface to the right of the ''Round Planet'' sign
|
a glass of heavy water

''Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
|
{{w|Heavy water}} is a form of water that contains only {{w|deuterium}} (hydrogen-2) atoms in place of the much more common {{w|Hydrogen|hydrogen-1}} atoms. It is approximately 10% {{w|Density|denser}} than the regular water, hence its name. Heavy water is not normally poured into glasses as for drinking.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface of the planet to the right of the ''Round Planet'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''EXIT''
| Marks the direction to the crack in the Crystal Sphere.
|-
| Landscape
| Next to the ''EXIT'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Uzumaki''
| Marks the direction to Uzumaki
|-
| Landscape
| Across a gap in the surface to the right of the ''Uzumaki'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Origin and Subway''
| Marks the direction to Origin and (not quite precisely) to the Subway Planet.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface opposite the ''EXIT'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Earth (compromise projection)''
| Marks the direction to Projection of Earth.

|-
| rowspan="10" valign="top" | '''Round Planet'''
| People
| On the middle part of the Great Wall
|
Cueball and Megan.
:'''Cueball''': The Great Wall of China is the only human-made structure you can see space from.
|
This is a pun on the commonly voiced misconception that the {{w|Great Wall of China}} is the only man-made object on Earth that can be seen from {{w|Outer space|space}} (or the Earth's orbit at least).
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| To the right of the Great Wall over a field of boulders
|
a sensible cheese platter

''Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
A cheese platter is a common dish served in restaurants as a starter or sometimes as a main dish, as well as a final course in a formal meal (following the sweet, or as an option instead of one) composed of a selection of cheeses served on a large platter. However, often it may just be a random collection of what's available (e.g. a hard cheese, a soft cheese, a blue cheese of either hard or soft variety, possibly a small serving of butter; and a selection of crackers that are either far too many or far too few for the other products). A "sensible" plate, i.e. well-composed by a competent chef, might be considered rare.
|-
| Item
| Within Stonehenge
| a swatch pop-out wristwatch
|
|-
| People
| To the right of the Stonehenge
| Hairbun walking on absurdly high stilts
| People walking on stilts are a fairly common theme in xkcd. References include [[482: Height]], [[1608: Hoverboard]], [[1663: Garden]], [[2603: Childhood Toys]], [[2669: Things You Should Not Do]] and possibly other comics (maybe we need a new category).
|-
| Landscape
| Next to Hairbun on stilts
|
Three spaceships flying just above the surface. The leading one transmits a message:
:''Rogue group, use your harpoons and tow cables! Go for the legs!''
|
This is a quote from ''{{w|Star Wars}}'' episode V ''{{w|The Empire Strikes Back}}''. In the original context the starships were attacking {{w|Walker (Star Wars)#All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT)|AT-AT}} four-legged armored vehicles, trying to immobilize them by entangling their legs. In the game, they are attacking Hairbun on stilts instead.
|-
| Upgrade
| Above the middle spaceship attacking Hairbun
| ''Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
| A regular engine upgrade.
|-
| People
| To the right of the three spaceships
| A volleyball net. Cueball is jumping in the air to hit a volleyball on the right side of the net while Ponytail is juggling three bowling pins on the left side.
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the volleyball field
|
An airplane towing a long, narrow banner with a message printed across, not along it:
:''Does any one know how to get this thing to print in land scape mode?''
| A reference to [[2757: Towed Message]].
|-
| People
| To the right of the airplane towing a banner
| Beret Guy climbing a cell tower with some fruit hanging off the antennas. Cueball is standing next to it.
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the cell tower
| Huge gallows with a large flag on a pole hanging on it. The pole of the flag is twisted into a shape partly resembling an infinity sign; the loose end of the pole pierces the flag. A relatively large Cueball figure stands next to it.
|

|-
| rowspan="16" valign="top" | '''Uzumaki'''
| Item + Upgrade
| On the outside of the spiral
| a single caffeine molecule
''Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
{{w|Caffeine}} is a chemical substance present in many plants including {{w|coffee bean}}s. Beverages containing it have a refreshing effect on people, reducing fatigue and increasing performance. It may be pun implying that after collecting this item, the spaceship is similarly "recharged" as a person after a cup of {{w|coffee}}, however a single {{w|molecule}} would not make a big difference.
|-
| Message
| The entrance to the spiral
| ''Exit Only''
| In real world doors or gates are sometimes marked ''Exit Only'' to facilitate optimal movement of people or vehicles in an area or within a building, especially in an emergency. However, for such one-way passage to be useful, the structure must have some other entry points. The spiral has only one entry point.
|-
| Item
| Within the spiral
| a festive but somehow unnerving holiday card from Junji Ito
| {{w|Junji Ito}} is the author of {{w|Uzumaki}}, which inspired the spiral planet. He specializes in {{w|Japanese horror}} genre, therefore a postcard with his original artwork on it might be perceived as "unnerving".
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a podcast episode
| A {{w|podcast}} is a primarily a {{w|digital audio}} (now more commonly also a {{w|video}}) show or presentation similar to a {{w|radio program}}, but instead of being {{w|Broadcasting|broadcast}} at a predetermined time, is made available for {{w|download}} and later review at leisure. Being digital data, a podcast is intangible, therefore finding a podcast episode just lying around is a bit absurd missing some recording medium. On the other hand a digital video found on the Origin planet is recorded on a DVD (see above).
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a friendly bee
|
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| an ink cartridge
| An ink cartridge is a container filled with {{w|ink}}, packaged for direct use in a device that dispenses the ink for drawing, writing, printing etc. It may refer to a cartridge for an old-fashioned {{w|fountain pen}} or an {{w|ink cartridge}} for a modern {{w|Inkjet printing|inkjet printer}}.
|-
| Landscape
| Further within the spiral
|
A free-roaming Roomba

:'''Roomba''': WHIRRR
| {{w|Roomba}} is a line of {{w|robotic vacuum cleaner}}s popular in the {{w|hacker culture|hacker community}}. Roombas are a [[:Category:Roomba|common theme]] on xkcd, but this is likely a direct reference to [[1558: Vet]].
|-
| Message
| Just above Roomba
| ''You're going the wrong way!' ''
| Probably a reference to the ''Exit Only'' message above.
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a spiral-cut diamond
| Raw {{w|diamond}}s are {{w|Diamond cut|cut}} to form {{w|Gemstone|gems}} used in {{w|jewellery}}. To expose the natural beauty of the mineral, the cut has to create symmetrical flat surfaces (facets) at specific angles to each other so {{w|White#White_light|white light}} {{w|refraction|refracts}} and {{w|Reflection (physics)|reflects}} within the finished gem, possibly multiple times, also {{w|Dispersion (optics)|dipersing}} on its way back to the viewer's eye, creating a brilliant look. Cutting a diamond in a spiral shape would be likely counter-productive and very difficult because of the material's {{w|brittleness}}.

It is a self-reference to the spiral "planet" the item is located on.
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a golden radio tuned to 1.618 MHz
|
A {{w|Broadcasting|broadcast}} {{w|radio receiver}} (often called simply ''radio'') is an electronic device for receiving and listening to {{w|radio program|radio programming}} and has to be {{w|Tuner (radio)|tuned}} to a particular {{w|frequency}} to listen to the desired program. Frequency is measured in the unit of {{w|hertz}} or its {{w|Metric prefix|multiplies}}, in this example in megahertz. 1.618 MHz is located in the part of {{w|High frequency|HF}} (high frequency) range of the {{w|electromagnetic spectrum}} assigned (in the USA {{w|Frequency plan|band plan}}) to broadcasting, however not aligned to actual station assignments; the closest assignment is 1.620 MHz (1620 kHz) for {{w|WDHP}} station in {{w|Frederiksted, U.S. Virgin Islands}}. Due to inaccuracies involved with tuning and the 10 kHz {{w|channel spacing}} of American {{w|AM broadcasting|AM radio broadcasting}}, setting a real radio receiver to exactly 1618 kHz will allow listening to the mentioned station, as well as a few others which have nearby frequencies allocated, maybe with some distortion.

This is a pun referring to the {{w|golden ratio}}, being an {{w|irrational number}} of approximately 1.618 and to the {{w|golden spiral}}.
|-
| People
| Further within the spiral
|
:'''Beret Guy''': I like spirals!
|
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a burrito
| {{w|Burrito}} is a {{w|Mexican cuisine|Mexican}} and {{w|Tex-Mex}} cuisine dish consisting of various ingredients tightly wrapped in a {{w|flour tortilla|wheat tortilla}}. This is a rather nonsense joke; a possible connection to Uzumaki is that wrapping the tortilla creates a spiral cross section.
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a cool pair of shoes with flames on the side
|
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a scroll lock key
|
{{w|Scroll Lock}} is a key on {{w|IBM Personal Computer|IBM}}-compatible {{w|computer keyboard}}s, often accompanied with a status light. It was originally intended for changing the function of {{w|arrow keys}} between moving the {{w|Cursor (user interface)|cursor}} around the screen (Scroll Lock off) and {{w|scrolling}} the contents of the screen (Scroll Lock on). Later, different systems and applications repurposed the key for other functions, such as pausing and resuming automatic scrolling of copious textual output, or for other obscure purposes such as {{w|debugging}} or the ''{{w|Magic SysRq key}}'' on {{w|Linux}}. As such, the key has almost fallen out of use in modern computing, prompting manufacturers of small computers such as {{w|laptop}}s or small {{w|Form factor (design)|form factor}} keyboards to make it smaller, move it to a non-standard place in the {{w|keyboard layout}} or drop it altogether. Most laptops missing the Scroll Lock key on their keyboards implement some key combination which acts as if Scroll Lock was pressed, allowing advanced users to use the mentioned obscure functions anyway.

Placing this item quite deep in the spiral is a pun referring to difficulty in finding a Scroll Lock key or the equivalent combination on some modern computers. A few xkcd comics refer to the key: [[978: Citogenesis]], [[1465: xkcd Phone 2]], [[1854: Refresh Types]] and [[2206: Mavis Beacon]].
|-
| Item
| Further within the spiral
| a primordial black hole
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the center of the spiral
| a tree-filled grove and a nice spot for quiet contemplation
''Your thrusters are significantly more efficient now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | '''Guitar Ship'''
| Item
| Just over the dome on the back of the guitar
| a guitar pick
| A {{w|guitar pick}} is a small flat tool for playing a {{w|guitar}}.
|-
| Token
| Close to guitar's neck
| ''Orange line deactivated!''
|

|-
| rowspan="4" valign="top" | '''Spacetime Soccer Field'''
| Upgrade
| Within one of the goals
| ''GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Within the other goal
| ''GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| On the surface of the planet between goals
| a sunspot
''Your launch speed has increased.''
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| At the center spot on one of the soccer field
| the 3 million point line
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | '''Saturn'''
| Item
| At the equator, below the rings
| a really cool data point
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| At the south pole
| a block of scandium
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| At middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere
| a pair of platonic solids, not quite touching
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|

|-
| rowspan="6" valign="top" | '''Andal'''
| Upgrade
| At the top of the T-shaped tower
| ''What a nice place for a ship to sit! Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the T-shaped tower
| Two fantasy animals: one looks like a centaur, the other as a horse-headed centaur.
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Over the animals
| two Andalites, one canonical
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the grass close to some hills
| baby shoes (and baby)
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| People
| In the grassy area between two hilly regions
|
Cueball and Megan facing each other
:'''Megan''': The M.I.T. cloaking device only affects the electroweak and nuclear forces. Gravity is the odd one out, as usual.
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to Megan
| a friend
''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="10" valign="top" | '''Projection of Earth'''
| Item + Upgrade
| The North Sea
| the Principality of Sealand
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item
| Northern Atlantic Ocean
| the Heart of the Ocean
| The whole message says: ''You found the Heart of the Ocean! It was drifting around in space.''
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to Rhode Island
| a Rhode Island the size of an ant
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Token
| Next to Boston, Massachusetts
| ''Red line deactivated!''
|
|-
| Item
| By the Alexander Island of Antarctica
| some microbial life
|
|-
| Item
| Off the West African coastline
| a whale shark
|
|-
| Item
| On the western coast of Myanmar near the Strait of Malacca
| some tin from the pantai remis mine
|
|-
| Item
| Next to the Celebes Island of Indonesia
| a sparkling gem
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Off the southern Australian coast
| an icosahedral d10
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item
| Near the Kamchatka peninsula in Eastern Russia
| a piece of pumice
| The whole message says: ''You found a piece of pumice floating in space!''

|-
| valign="top" | '''Voyager 1'''
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to the dish antenna
| Voyager 1
''Some of its great speed rubs off on you. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.''
|

|-
| valign="top" | '''Voyager 2'''
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to the dish antenna
| Voyager 2
''Some of its great speed rubs off on you. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.''
|

|-
| rowspan="3" valign="top" | '''SafetySat'''
| Item
| In front of laser pointers
| a first of its kind
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Next to software-defined radio
| ''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Next to crude oil tank
| ''The more refined oil had a dinner engagement. Your launch speed has increased.''
|

|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | '''Shuttle Skeleton'''
| Item
| At the tip of the ship's bow
| a piece of space shuttle food
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Next to the left-hand engine
| ''A little upgrade works wonders on fuel efficiency. Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | '''Giant Spider'''
| Item
| Next to the tip of the spider's abdomen
| a spider-silk scarf
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to the spider's mouth
| a friendly jumping spider
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|

|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | '''Diffraction Spikes Star'''
| Item
| At the tip of a long spike
| a hydrogen ion
|
|-
| Item
| At the tip of a short spike
| a piece of coronium (iron)
| The whole message says: ''You found a piece of coronium! Wait, no, iron.''

|-
| rowspan="4" valign="top" | '''Roche Lobe Earth'''
| Item
| Off the California coastline
| a curious humboldt squid
|
|-
| Item
| Off the Japan coast
| a bathyscaphe
| The whole message says: ''You found a bathyscaphe at the Marianas Trench!''
|-
| Token
| Near Boston
| ''Green line deactivated!''
|
|-
| Item
| On the far side of the Moon
| a wayward Roomba full of moondust
|

|-
| valign="top" | '''Dark Matter Planet'''
| Item + Upgrade
| A little above the surface to the left of Ponytail
| a delicate music box
''Your engine is a little more powerful now.''
|

|-
| rowspan="6" valign="top" | '''Jurassic Park Planet'''
| People
| On the surface
| A person with a hat facing a couple
:'''dr John Hammond''': Welcome... to Jurassic Park.
|
|-
| Upgrade
| To the right of the people close to a dinosaur's mouth
| ''But what if gravity doesn't actually exist? Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Further to the right between two dinosaurs
| ''Today is a good day I think for space exploration. Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Item
| Still further to the right
| a tiny pteranodon
|
|-
| Item
| Still further to the right, low above the grass
| a baby hedgehog
|
|-
| Item
| Below surface down from the middle of empty grassy area between two dinosaurs to the left of the people
| a tattered knapsack containing about $194,00 in $20 bills
|

|-
| rowspan="7" valign="top" | '''Comet 67P'''
| Landscape
| On the surface opposite the large bulge
| Remains of a crashed spacecraft
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Just above the crashed spacecraft
| The Long Now Foundation's archive of every Animorphs book
''You found The Long Now Foundation's nickel paperweight containing an archive of every published Animorphs book! Your launch speed has increased.'
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the left of the bulge
| A small three-legged spacecraft.
:'''Spacecraft''': BEEP BOOP
|
|-
| Landscape
| On the bulge
| Cueball standing next to some apparatus
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Next to the apparatus
| a broken smoke machine
''Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| To the right of the bulge
| ''Some people believe that when the Earth appears in the sky, it's a harbinger of doom. Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
|-
| Upgrade
| Further to the right, next to a signpost
| ''Anyone for Scrabble later? Your engine gets a little more powerful.''
|

|-
| rowspan="6" valign="top" | '''Subway Planet'''
| Upgrade
| At a large opening in the planet's surface
| ''You get the feeling you're not in Kansas anymore. Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
|-
| People
| On the right side of the large opening in the planet
| Megan and Cueball standing on the edge. Cueball is leaning forward, looking down.
:'''Cueball''': Where's Boston?
:'''Megan''': I think M.I.T. kids took it.
|
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| In the entrance to a triple-wide tunnel leading down to NYC
| a hot dog
''Your launch speed has increased.''
|
|-
| People
| On the surface to the right of the tunnels leading to NYC
| Cueball and Danish walking.
:'''Cueball''': Why did those M.I.T. kids keep talking about Morgantown?
:'''Danish''': They're just transit enthusiasts, I guess.
:'''Cueball''': But Morgantown is tiny. It can't possibly have a subway, can it?
:'''Danish''': Not exactly...
|
|-
| People
| On the surface above Santo Domingo
| Hairy and White Hat.
:'''Hairy''': A lot of people don't realize that North America only has one subway system; each city's metro is just one part of the network.
|
|-
|
|
|
|


|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" |
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|

|-
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
|}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2765}}
[[Category:Comic subpages]]

2765: Escape Speed/Tables

2023-05-18T10:39:37Z

172.68.139.32:

2765: Escape Speed/Tables

2023-05-18T09:42:37Z

172.68.139.32:

*Here the long tables needed for the explanation of the interactive comic [[2765: Escape Speed]] could be moved.

==Table of planets==
{{incomplete|
'''This is a different attempt to list and explain all the planets and other objects that have gravity and can be landed upon and explored'''.

The description and explanations may be incomplete or incorrect. Please help improve them. Try to keep separate the ''description'' (i.e. how the planet looks and what general features it has) and ''explanation'' (i.e. what the name and look represent, what they refer to both in the real and fictional worlds and what XKCD comics may have been a source or an inspiration. Please describe the planets only, not the objects that can be found on them.
}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="7"|Planets and Planet-like Objects
|-
! Name <code>code-name</code>
! Tiles (X, Y)
! Directions
! Description
! Explanation
|-
| '''Starting Planet''' <code>tiny-world</code>
| (6024, -8976)
| To get here, click the "Home" button in the lower right corner of the comic.
|
The planet is tiny, grassy, has a few trees and bushes and features several people. Initially the navigation is difficult because of low initial engine thrust and strong gravity of the Origin planet nearby affecting movement.
|
This is where the game starts. Pressing the "Home" button to go back to the starting planet shows the message, "Welcome back, pilot", which may be a reference to the greeting that plays when re-entering a Titan in the ''Titanfall'' video games.

|-
| '''Origin''' <code>origin</code>
| (3096, -5904)
| To get here, launch from Beret Guy saying "Wow!" on the Starting Planet.
|
The planet is fairly big, has vegetation, and features many people, landscape objects, items and upgrades. It has a shaft through the center. The planet is hard to leave without any upgrades unless one uses the shaft to gain more momentum by thrusting while moving through the middle of it. Many of the landmarks of the surface mark the directions to different planets.
|
The planet has a sign saying 'Welcome to Origin! You can never leave™'. The name may also refer to the fact that the planet lies almost at the center of the game world, or that it is the starting point for exploration as it provides many navigational hints.

|-
| '''Hollow Planet''' <code>hollow-shell</code>
| (-13952, 1848)
| To get here, launch from the St. Louis Arch on Origin.
|
The planet is just a shell with some gaps. On the outside, there are a few signs that mark the directions to different planets.
|

|-
| '''Round Planet''' <code>orb</code>
| (-19154, -7288)
| To get here, launch from the tower with an orb on it on Origin or the sign on the Hollow Planet.
|
The planet is moderately small with no vegetation and some architecture such as Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China. It also features a few people and items.
|
|-
| '''Uzumaki''' <code>uzumaki</code>
| (-3904, -26904)
| To get here, launch from Origin's spiral landmark, the sign on the Hollow Planet, or below the plane-towed banner on the Round Planet.
| The planet is a large spiral overgrown with grass and some other vegetation. It has very weak gravity.
| The shape of the planet is inspired by the {{w|manga}} {{w|Uzumaki}} by {{w|Junji Ito}}.
|-
| '''Guitar Ship''' <code>guitar-ship</code>
| (-12000, -30000)
| To get there, launch from Uzumaki, a little to the left of the caffeine molecule item.
| The planet is shaped like a guitar seen in perspective looking from the bottom of the body, with a dome on the back side. Within the dome there's the Boston skyline.
| This is a reference to the cover art of the album {{w|Boston (album)|Boston}} by the like-named American {{w|Boston (band)|rock band}}. It's one of many references to {{w|Boston}} in the game.
|-
| '''Spacetime Soccer Field''' <code>soccerfield</code>
| (6048, 4048)
| To get here, launch from Origin, from the pyramid with a soccer ball on top of it.
|
This is a tiny planet with a smooth surface and a distorted soccer field marked around it. The goals and goal area lines are on the opposite sides of the planet (let's say, to the east and west), distorted into curved trapezoids. The touch lines (side lines) are sections of hyperbolas with the vertices closest to the planet at the north and south poles, extending symmetrically to some distance from the planet. There is no goal line; in this geometry it should be the extended axis. What seems to be penalty lines, but drawn incorrectly to join the side lines instead of going back to the goal line, are sections of an ellipse. The halfway line appears twice, joining the four ends of hyperbolic side lines. The center circle appears as two separate halves stemming from the two copies of the halfway line.
|
The space soccer field utilizes the concept from [[2705: Spacetime Soccer]], but inversed: in the original comic the center point of the field was located in a gravity well, causing the ball to be pulled away from the goals; here the goals are located close to the center of the planet, so the ball naturally tries to fall towards them, probably making the game more interesting.
|-
| '''Saturn''' <code>saturn</code>
| (2600, 14000)
| To get here, launch from the pyramid with Saturn on it on Origin. If you see the Spacetime Soccer Field, you're too far left.
| The planet resembles Saturn with its rings, however it is translucent: a soccer ball can bee seen inside. One of the ball's white hexagons is surfacing in the north pole area.
| It is a reference to [[2513: Saturn Hexagon]]
|-
| '''Andal''' <code>platform-planet</code>
| (12048, 14048)
| To get there launch from a monument on Origin, featuring a round shape with a small "T" on top.
| This is a small partly rocky and partly grassy planet with a strange T-shaped tower.
| A reference to ''{{w|Animorphs}}'' book series featuring fictional sapient species of [https://aliens.fandom.com/wiki/Andalite Andalites]. Two such (or similar) creatures can be found on the planet. In the original books, the planet the Andalites come from is unnamed.
|-
| '''Projection of Earth''' <code>earth-map</code>
| (-15808, 22192)
| To get there by follow the sign on the hollow planet or launch from the Earth map monument on Origin.
| The planet is shaped like a huge distorted map of all land masses of Earth. The player's spaceship can fly where water would be, but it can't go over land. Some straights between islands are to narrow for the ship to pass, especially in the {{w|Southeast Asia}} area. Some {{w|mediterranean seas}} are also inaccessible.
| Probably a reference to [[977: Map Projections]] or, more generally, to the Randall's obsession about [[:Category:Maps|maps]].
|-
| '''Voyager 1''' <code>voyager-1</code>
| (1606, -14282)
| To get here, launch from the "Receiving transmission" communication device near the spiral landmark on Origin.
| This is a recreation of the {{w|Voyager 1}} space probe.
|
|-
| '''Voyager 2''' <code>voyager-2</code>
| (10682, -5172)
| To get here, launch from the "Receiving transmission" communication device near the spider landmark on Origin.
| This is a recreation of the {{w|Voyager 2}} space probe.
|
|-
| '''SafetySat''' <code>safetysat</code>
| (17024, 1024)
| To get here, launch from the cell tower on Origin.
| A cube satellite with an absurd set of assorted objects on board.
| This is a reference to [[1992: SafetySat]].
|-
| '''Shuttle Skeleton''' <code>space-shuttle</code>
| (-30200, 14576)
| To get here, launch from the Shuttle Skeleton landmark on Origin or in the northwestern direction from Alaska on the Projection of Earth.
| The planet looks like an outline of the space shuttle with a strange skeleton inside.
| This is a reference to [[2630: Shuttle Skeleton]].
|-
| '''Giant Spider''' <code>spider</code>
| (26982, -8714)
| To get here, launch from the spider landmark on Origin.
| The object is a giant spider floating in space with eight people standing on top of his legs.
| [[:Category:Spiders|Spiders]] is a recurring theme on xkcd.
|-
| '''Diffraction Spikes Star''' <code>diffraction</code>
| (-19944, 11240)
| To get here, launch from the back of the left "hand" of the Shuttle Skeleton or the north of Alaska.
| The object is a star with very long spikes.
| This is a reference to [[2762: Diffraction Spikes]].
|-
| '''Roche Lobe Earth''' <code>earth-roche</code> ''and'' <code>normal-moon</code>
| (-9952, -3952)
| To get there, launch from the like-shaped statue on Origin.
| This is a small, distorted, drop-shaped Earth with oceans and continents of the northern hemisphere. There's the Moon close by. The distortion looks like if the Moon's tidal forces are pulling northern Atlantic Ocean really hard.
|
|-
| '''Dark Matter Planet''' <code>dark-matter</code>
| (-2892, 2640)
| To get here, launch from the goal on the half of the field with just one person on it on Spacetime Soccer Field.
| This is a small, irregular planet with a black center (normal planets have white centers) and an inscription "DARK MATTER" inside, repeated three times.
|
{{w|Dark matter}} is a hypothetical form of {{w|matter}} sought by {{w|Astrophysics|astrophycists}} as a possible cause of behavior of {{w|Galaxy|galaxies}}, which cannot be explained by the current theory of {{w|gravity}} and observations. The anomalies would be explained if there was extra {{w|mass}} in the galaxies, which is not observed, but is theorized as dark matter presence. The dark matter is named this way not because it has some dark color, but because it supposedly does not interact (or interacts very weakly) with {{w|electromagnetic field}}, therefore does not emit {{w|light}} and can't be seen.

This is also a reference to [[2186: Dark Matter]]
|-
| '''Jurassic Park Planet''' <code>gravity-qwantz</code>
| (20000, 11000)
| To get here, launch from the dinosaur on Origin or from the Andalites on Andal.
| It's a big planet with weak gravity, a lot of grass, and many dinosaur figures, some repeating a few times.
|
This is a reference to the 1993 {{w|Jurassic Park (film)|''Jurassic Park''}} film and the related {{w|Jurassic Park|media franchise}}. It contains images of dinosaurs taken from the [https://www.qwantz.com/ Dinosaurs] web comic, which, similarly to xkcd, uses a random string of letters for its domain name: <code>quantz.com</code>. It also reflects Randal's avid interest in [[:Category:Dinosaurs|dinosaurs]]. This is an exact copy of the Dinosaur Planet from [[2712: Gravity]].
|-
| '''Comet 67P''' <code>67p</code>
| (18048, -11152)
| To get here, launch from the duck next to the 'Caution: long vertical drop' sign on Origin.
| This is a small, potato-shaped body, modelled after the {{w|67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko}} comet.
|
This is a reference to the 2004–2016 {{w|Rosetta (spacecraft)|Rosetta}} spacecraft mission, which was the first to place a lander ({{w|Philae (spacecraft)|Philae}}) on a comet core. The mission was also commemorated in [[1446: Landing]] and the spacecraft are mentioned in [[1402: Harpoons]] and [[1740: Rosetta]].
|-
| '''What If? Planet''' <code>gravity-earth</code>
| (22000, 34000)
| To get here, launch from the two people explaining where Boston is on Origin, the left of Stonehenge on the Round Planet, or the left rim of the Guitar Ship.
| This is a huge, round planet with many bodies of water. The planet contains several scenes from ''[[what if]]? '' and [[2712: Gravity]]. Megan and Cueball are floating inside a small space in the center of the planet.
| This is an almost exact copy of the Earth planet from [[2712: Gravity]], however a few scenes and all text were removed.
|-
| '''Subway Planet''' <code>subway-planet</code> ''and'' <code>black-hole-3</code>
| (-46000, -24000)
| To can get there take off from the "secret glade" item next to the the bush where someone says "Shhh" on Origin.
|
This is a huge planet with a subway system connecting places named after U.S. cities, similar to the one from [[1196: Subways]]. In the area where Boston should be according to that system, there is a giant round hole with rugged sides consisting of a lot of broken planks. There's a black hole inside, off the center, in the Washington, D.C. area. There are many people and features both on the surface and within subway tunnels.
|
This is a key planet to solve the puzzle in the game, and contains several out of many in-game references to {{w|Boston}} (in many meanings of the name) and the {{w|Massachusetts Institute of Technology}}, which currently is located in {{w|Cambridge, Massachusetts}}, but was founded in 1861 in Boston.

Obviously, it's also a reference to [[1196: Subways]]
|-
| '''Boston Planet''' <code>mbta</code>
| (-42000, 8000)
| To get here, launch from the back of the Shuttle Skeleton.
|
This is a big, perfectly round planet with a subway system. It is invisible until the player finds uncloaking device switch. Initially, all underground tunnels are blocked by huge round rocks with the letter "T" at the entrances and smaller round rocks down the tunnels. To unblock the tunnels, player needs to find subway tokens scattered in the universe; they appear only after the Boston planet is uncloaked. Subway stations on the surface and inside are marked with Boston district names.
|
This is the other key planet to the game puzzle. It is apparently the round part ripped off the Subway Planet, but drawn not to scale. The tunnels inside the planet roughly correspond to the Boston part of the scheme in [[1196: Subways]], but with few additions (e.g. Union Sq, Mattapan). The codename comes from the abbreviation of {{w|Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}.
|-
| '''Crystal Sphere''' ''from'' <code>ring-1</code> ''to'' <code>ring-36</code>
|
| To get here, launch from anywhere and keep avoiding planets until you hit it.
|
Most planets and celestial objects are inside of a thick enormous ring called Crystal Sphere. Both the interior and exterior edges of the Sphere are almost smooth, but have a few dents. There's a wide navigable crack leading out of the Sphere, which sides are rugged and riddled with broken planks, similarily to the Boston hole in the Subwau Planet. The gravity increases significantly as the spaceship goes through the crack, it gradually feels the pull from the parts of the sphere it has left. It is not possible to leave the Sphere without the hyperdrive, however having collected all the engine upgrades inside the Sphere one can barely reach the outer surface, but moving along is very difficult. Above the crack, there is an arch made up of the repeating words "The End", which is reminiscent of the "Don't leave the play area" message in [[1608: Hoverboard]] that appeared when the player tried to get out of it.
|
The Crystal Sphere may be a reference to {{w|The Crystal Spheres}}, a short story by {{w|science fiction}} author {{w|David Brin}}, which suggests that each star with habitable planets in the universe is surrounded by a crystal sphere that can be broken only from the inside and is otherwise completely impenetrable.

It may also be a reference to {{w|celestial spheres}}, an early concept trying to explain apparent movement of planets and stars.
|-
| '''Star Destroyer''' ''from'' <code>star-destroyer-a</code> ''to'' <code>star-destroyer-i</code>
| (18192, -130000)
| To get here, launch from the crack in the Crystal Sphere.
|
This is a gigantic starship; it could have barely fit within the Crystal Sphere. It is located out of the Sphere, right up from the crack, but it can't be reached without the Hyperdrive. It has many corridors and chambers inside, and a lot of people, objects and other features both inside and outside of it. The gravity of the Sphere is still strong around here, but the starship has its own center of gravity; the "down" direction generally points towards the ventral part of the starship, but not quite, making orientation somewhat difficult as the surfaces supposed to be level seem to tilt to the left near the stern and to the right near the bow of the starship. Below it, down a stream of torpedoes fired from a turred, there's a much smaller starhip.
|
This is a reference to {{w|Star Destroyer}}s and the {{w|Tantive IV|CR90 Corellian corvette}}, spaceships from the fictional ''{{w|Star Wars}}'' universe.

The whole scene is copied from [[1608: Hoverboard]], with the only difference being that {{w|Darth Vader}}'s dialogue was changed from referencing {{w|Steven Universe}} to {{w|The Murderbot Diaries}}.
|-
| '''Click and Drag Planet''' <code>clickdrag-nw</code>, <code>clickdrag-ne</code>, <code>clickdrag-sw</code>, ''and'' <code>clickdrag-se</code>
| (-31808, 111808)
| To get here, launch from the bow or stern of the Star Destroyer tangentially to the Crystal Sphere to orbit it and keep the stars in the background moving horizontally on the screen until you see a dot around the spaceship guiding you.
|
The planet is huge, larger than any other in the game world, but smaller than the Star Destroyer. It is located outside the Crystal Sphere roughly opposite the Star Destroyer. It is mostly round, with many landscape features and scenes partly copied from [[1110: Click and Drag]], but arrayed in a circular, instead of linear shape. What's missing in comparison to the Click and Drag comic, is a few of the scenes, some textual content like dialogues (leaving persons intact), the underground parts, upper parts of the very high objects, and objects high above the surface.
|
|}

==Table of Objects==

===All Objects with Explanations===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="5"|Features and Items
|-
! Planet
! Type
! Location
! Description / Message
! Explanation
|-
| rowspan="5" valign="top"|'''Starting Planet'''
| Message
| Above starting position
| ''Wheeee!''
| Probably reflects the excitation of a new visitor to this XKCD comic, seeing a promising game.
|-
| Item
| Above ground left of the starting position
| a rock with neat stripes
|
|-
| Item
| In the grass right of the starting position
| a cool bug
| A reference to 'Cool Bug Epoch' from [[2240: Timeline of the Universe]]
|-
| Item
| Up a tree
| a pretty leaf
|
|-
| People
| On the opposite of the starting position
| Beret Guy pointing his arm up and exclaiming ''WOW!''
| This is a reference to the title text of [[1117: My Sky]], and it could also be a reference to [[502: Dark Flow]].

|-
| rowspan="41" valign="top"| '''Origin'''
| Landscape
| Close to the Starting Planet
| A sign saying: ''Welcome to Origin! You can never leave™''
| The sign names the planet, and also indicates that it is not possible to leave it by just launching off the surface during early gameplay, when the player has not collected any upgrades. May be a reference to the song by The Eagles: "Hotel California".
|-
| Message
| Right of the welcome sign, above the rollercoaster
| ''Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting!''
| A hint for the hidden shaft going through the planet; one of the entries is right below here.
|-
| Landscape
| On the right side of the rollercoaster
| A sign saying: ''Caution: Long vertical drop''
| Another hint for the hidden shaft.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the rollercoaster
| A spider-shaped monument
| Marks the direction to the Giant Spider planet
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the spider monument
| A radio telescope with its antenna pointed straight up. ''Receiving transmission''.
| Marks the direction to Voyager 2. The message is an additional hint as radio telescopes are often used to communicate with distant space probes, including receiving probes' measurements and other scientific data, like photos.
|-
| People
| Right next to the cell tower
|
Cueball and White Hat talking.
:'''Cueball''': I bet the voyager spacecraft could teach you a thing or two about speed. Of course, you'd have to catch up to them first...
|
Voyager spacecraft are {{w|List_of_vehicle_speed_records#Spacecraft|not among}} the speed record holding space probes as of 2023, however they are the first in history to reach Solar System's {{w|escape velocity}}. They have also executed two {{w|gravity assist}} maneuvers each, so they are good examples on how to increase speed in this way, presumably allowing them to "teach" another spacecraft how to increase speed. Cueball's metaphor goes on to having to meet (catch up with) someone in order to learn something from him. The Voyagers are currently the farthest man-made objects in space; however in the game world they are quite close to the Origin planet.

This is also a hint regarding the upgrades located near both Voyager spacecraft, which add more thrust to the player's ship than regular thrust upgrades.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the radio telescope located near the spider monument
| A cell tower with 5G antennas. On top of it a strange object is mounted.
|
The strange object is a downscaled image of cube satellite from [[1992: SafetySat]]. Normally nobody puts cube satellites on top of fixed towers.

This landmark shows the direction to the SafetySat "planet".
|-
| Item
| Next to the top of the cell tower
| a 5G seagull
| {{w|5G}} is a modern emerging standard for {{w|cellular networks}} promising really high download speeds and much higher network capacity (i.e. the number of active devices in an area). Probably a reference to [[1656: It Begins]]
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the cell tower
| A tyrannosaurus
| Marks the direction to the Jurassic Park planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Right next to the tyrannosaurus
| A St. Louis Arch shaped hole in the ground
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the left of the three pyramids
| A monument shaped like a sphere with a "T" on top
| This is a miniature of the Andal planet and marks the direction to it.
|-
| Landscape
| The leftmost of three pyramids
| A pyramid with a soccer ball on top
| Marks the direction to the Spacetime Soccer Field.
|-
| People
| The middle pyramid
|
Ponytail sitting on top of a pyramid, Megan standing at the base of it.
:'''Ponytail''': If you want a better spaceship, you need to visit another planet.
:'''Megan''': But if I want to visit another planet, I need a better spaceship!
|
An in-game reference to the fact that the player's ship initially has too little thrust to launch right off the surface of the Origin planet and needs an upgrade to become a "better" spaceship able to visit other planets. On the other hand, all engine upgrades are located off Origin, creating the apparently unsolvable {{w|Chicken or the egg|chicken-and-egg problem}} – unless the player follows other hints and finds a way to escape Origin anyway.
|-
| Landscape
| The rightmost of three pyramids
| A pyramid with Saturn on top of it
| Marks the direction to Saturn.
|-
| People
| Next to the pyramid with Saturn on top
|
Cueball and White Hat talking.
:'''Cueball''': I can't believe the Air and Space Museum's new exhibit has a real black hole!
:'''White Hat''': Is that... safe?
:'''Cueball''': It's OK, they've got a protective case around it.
|
Normally, it would not be possible to have a real black hole as a museum exhibit.{{citation needed}} Also, there's a misunderstanding between White Hat and Cueball. White Hat asks if it is safe for the public to keep a black hole in a museum. Cueball thinks White Hat is concerned about safety of the black hole itself, and responds that it is protected from unscrupulous visitors by putting it in a special case.

This is an in-game hint regarding the Subway Planet and the black hole present in its tunnels. It's also a reference to the real-world {{w|Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum|''Intrepid'' Sea, Air & Space Museum}}.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the pyramids
| A monument shaped like Earth's land masses
| Marks the direction to the Projection of Earth.
|-
| People
| Right next to the Projection of Earth monument
|
:'''Hairy''': Even if you did find a crack in the crystal sphere, there's no way you'd be able to escape its gravitational pull. You'd need some kind of a hyperdrive for that.
| An in-game reference to the Crystal Sphere, the navigable crack through it and the hint regarding the hyperdrive.
|-
| Landscape
| On the left side of the St. Louis Arch
| A monument of a strange spaceship
| This is a reference to [[2630: Shuttle Skeleton]] and marks the direction to the Shuttle Skeleton planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Opposite the rollercoaster
| A large arch
| This is a reference to the {{w|Gateway Arch}} located in {{w|St. Louis}}, {{w|Missouri}}. Marks the other end of the shaft going through the planet core.
|-
| Message
| A sign next to St. Louis Arch's right leg
| ''The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.''
| The creator of the Arch, Finnish-American architect {{w|Eero Saarinen}}, reportedly said that the arch symbolizes "the gateway to the West" understood as the {{w|American frontier}} and the expansion of American colonies into the western parts of the continent.

In-game, the Arch marks one of the "gateways" into the larger space of the game, namely the exits of the inner shaft, which allows the player to leave Origin by performing the Oberth maneuver (see below for further explanation).
|-
| Upgrade
| High above the St. Louis Arch
| ''Nice flying! Your tanks recharge faster now.''
| Congratulations for getting your orbital mechanics right and skillfully executing Oberth maneuver (see below).
|-
| People
| Right next to the St. Louis Arch
|
Ponytail with a group of three kids looking like Hairy, Megan and Cueball.
:'''Ponytail''': The St. Louis Arch is also known as the gateway to space.
| Ponytail acting as a guide repeats (or reads) to the kids the slogan written on the sign next to the Arch. See above for the explanation of the slogan.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the St. Louis Arch
| A monument with a pear-shaped structure connected to a small sphere
| It's a miniature of the Roche Lobe Earth, marking a direction to it.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the St. Louis Arch
| A small structure and a tower with a strange-looking orb on top
| Marks the direction to the Round Planet.
|-
| Item
| Close to the top of the orb tower.
| an orb wren
| {{w|Wren}}s are a common family of birds. Their bodies are rather stocky with short wings, sometimes resembling an orb, especially when perched with ruffled feathers such as when enduring cold weather. There's no species actually called an "orb wren".
|-
| Item
| Hidden at the base of the orb tower.
| 11 squares packed into a larger square
| A reference to [[2740: Square Packing]].
|-
| People
| To the right of the orb tower
|
Hairbun and another person.
:'''Hairbun''': Boston? That's in North America, on the Subway planet. It's straight up from the secret glade, you can't miss it.
|
This is an in-game reference and a hint on how to find Boston and the Subway Planet
|-
| Item
| Hidden in a grassy area to the right of the orb tower
| a tumbleweed
| {{w|Tumbleweed}} is an above-ground part of some species of plants in a form of a round, dense bush, which detaches as the plant dries in the summer season and is pushed by winds, rolling along the landscape.
|-
| Item
| Over a grassy area to the right of the orb tower
| a marsh wren
| {{w|Marsh wren}} is a species of North American songbird.
|-
| People
| To the right from the grassy area
|
A quintet of hairy and bearded or moustached people playing and singing:
:It's more than a feeling
:More than a feeling
| This is a reference to the popular song ''{{w|More Than a Feeling}}'' by the {{w|Boston_(band)|Boston}} rock band. It is also an in-game reference and pun regarding multiple Bostons present.
|-
| Message
| Above ground to the right of the musical band
| ''You found a tiny meteorite!''
| {{w|Meteorite}}s are fragments of small celestial bodies that have fallen onto the surface of Earth, surviving a high-speed passage through the atmosphere. Some are really tiny, being a result of a fragmentation of a larger one caused by the forces exerted during atmospherical entry. This particular one has not quite reached the surface, and should be called a {{w|meteoroid}} or a {{w|Meteoroid#Meteors|meteor}} instead.
|-
| Item
| High above ground to the right of the musical band
| a single grain of salt
|
|-
| Landscape
| Between the grassy area and the forest left of the welcome sign
| A spiral-shaped monument
| Marks the direction to the spiral Uzumaki planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Between the grassy area and the forest left of the welcome sign
| A radio telescope with its antenna pointed straight up. ''Receiving transmission''.
| Marks the direction to the Voyager 1. See also the entry on Voyager 2 above.
|-
| People
| Next to the voyager 1 radio telescope.
|
Cueball and Megan.
:'''Megan''': It's like my astronomy teacher always said: "Shoot for the Moon -- even if you miss, you might make a crack in the crystal sphere that imprisons us all in this universe."
|
|-
| Item
| At the left edge of the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a holographic Charizard business card
|
This is a reference to a particular {{w|Charizard|character}} from the {{w|Pokémon}} media franchise. {{w|Holography|Holographic}} {{w|business card}}s are a fairly novel form of business or personal presentation.
|-
| Item
| In the middle of the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a secret glade
|
|-
| Item
| Up the widest tree in the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a normal-looking leaf
|
|-
| Message
| In the exact middle of the planet
| ''Welcome to liminal space''
|
|-
| People
| In a chamber next to the planet's center
|
Megan with her hair floating around her head.
:'''Megan''': The Oberth effect states that firing thrusters deeper in a gravity well adds more kinetic energy.
|
The {{w|Oberth effect}} is a physical phenomenon and orbital maneuver when a spacecraft fires its thrusters as close to the perycenter (the point on the orbit closest to the center of the orbited body) as possible, being deeper in the "gravity well", to gain more kinetic energy than if the same impulse (amount of propellant used and therefore speed difference) has been applied away from the center, in effect using its propellant more effectively. The kinetic energy is what allows a spacecraft to leave the proximity of the orbited body. A special case of such a maneuver may be accelerating in a theoretical shaft going through the core of the body, which is the case simulated in the game. Applying the principle according to Megan's hint the player is able to "swing" the spaceship a few times along the shaft, accelerating close to the center and allowing the "energy" to regenerate while away, and leave Origin in spite off low initial thrust.

The fact that inside of a spherical body the gravity of the outer layers cancels out creates a local microgravity environment, causing Megan's hair to freely float around her head.
|-
| Item
| In a chamber next to the planet's center
| a DVD of The Core (2003)
| This is a reference to the 2003 American {{w|The Core|science fiction disaster film}}.

|-
| rowspan="8" valign="top"| '''Hollow Planet'''
|People
| In the hollow center of the planet.
|
Ponytail and White Hat floating in microgravity. White Hat's hat has come off his head.
:'''White Hat''': It's weird how a hollow shell doesn't exert gravitational force on objects inside it.
:'''Ponytail''': Oh, so ''that's'' why we don't feel a pull from the crystal sphere.
|
White Hat experiences a practical application of an unintuitive, and since "weird" in his words, {{w||shell theorem}}, as applied to gravity: that inside a hollow, spherical shell the forces of the gravity exerted by the shell cancel out for every object inside, regardless of its position within. Ponytail gets an epiphany, that it also applies to the gigantic Crystal Sphere surrounding the most part of the world she is in.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Close to the center of the planet.
|
a sixth Lagrange point

''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
{{w|Lagrange point}}s are places relative to two heavy bodies orbiting one another, where a third, much lighter body will stay in equilibrium with the large two, orbiting the common center of gravity with the same period and keeping a constant distance from both. There are only five Lagrange points.

In theory, a small body located in the center of a hollowed-out massive body will stay put as well (see the previous explanation), creating the sixth Lagrange point; however a hollow massive body can't exist, it will collapse under its own gravity.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface of the planet.
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Round Planet''
| Marks the direction to the Round Planet.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Over the surface to the right of the ''Round Planet'' sign
|
a glass of heavy water

''Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
|
{{w|Heavy water}} is a form of water that contains only {{w|deuterium}} (hydrogen-2) atoms in place of the much more common {{w|Hydrogen|hydrogen-1}} atoms. It is approximately 10% {{w|Density|denser}} than the regular water, hence its name. Heavy water is not normally poured into glasses as for drinking.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface of the planet to the right of the ''Round Planet'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''EXIT''
| Marks the direction to the crack in the Crystal Sphere.
|-
| Landscape
| Next to the ''EXIT'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Uzumaki''
| Marks the direction to Uzumaki
|-
| Landscape
| Across a gap in the surface to the right of the ''Uzumaki'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Origin and Subway''
| Marks the direction to Origin and (not quite precisely) to the Subway Planet.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface opposite the ''EXIT'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Earth (compromise projection)''
| Marks the direction to Projection of Earth.

|-
| rowspan="10" valign="top" | '''Round Planet'''
| People
| On the middle part of the Great Wall
|
Cueball and Megan.
:'''Cueball''': The Great Wall of China is the only human-made structure you can see space from.
|
This is a pun on the commonly voiced misconception that the {{w|Great Wall of China}} is the only man-made object on Earth that can be seen from {{w|Outer space|space}} (or the Earth's orbit at least).
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| To the right of the Great Wall over a field of boulders
|
a sensible cheese platter

''Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
A cheese platter is a common dish served in restaurants as a starter or sometimes as a main dish, as well as a final course in a formal meal (following the sweet, or as an option instead of one) composed of a selection of cheeses served on a large platter. However, often it may just be a random collection of what's available (e.g. a hard cheese, a soft cheese, a blue cheese of either hard or soft variety, possibly a small serving of butter; and a selection of crackers that are either far too many or far too few for the other products). A "sensible" plate, i.e. well-composed by a competent chef, might be considered rare.
|-
| Item
| Within Stonehenge
| a Swatch pop-out wristwatch
|
|-
| People
| To the right of the Stonehenge
| Hairbun walking on absurdly high stilts
| People walking on stilts are a fairly common theme in xkcd. References include [[482: Height]], [[1608: Hoverboard]], [[1663: Garden]], [[2603: Childhood Toys]], [[2669: Things You Should Not Do]] and possibly other comics (maybe we need a new category).
|-
| Landscape
| Next to Hairbun on stilts
|
Three spaceships flying just above the surface. The leading one transmits a message:
:''Rogue group, use your harpoons and tow cables! Go for the legs!''
|
This is a quote from ''{{w|Star Wars}}'' episode V ''{{w|The Empire Strikes Back}}''. In the original context the starships were attacking {{w|Walker (Star Wars)#All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT)|AT-AT}} four-legged armored vehicles, trying to immobilize them by entangling their legs. In the game, they are attacking Hairbun on stilts instead.
|-
| Upgrade
| Above the middle spaceship attacking Hairbun
| ''Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
| A regular engine upgrade.
|-
| People
| To the right of the three spaceships
| A volleyball net. Cueball is jumping in the air to hit a volleyball on the right side of the net while Ponytail is juggling three bowling pins on the left side.
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the volleyball field
|
An airplane towing a long, narrow banner with a message printed across, not along it:
:''Does any one know how to get this thing to print in land scape mode?''
| A reference to [[2757: Towed Message]].
|-
| People
| To the right of the airplane towing a banner
| Beret Guy climbing a cell tower with some fruit hanging off the antennas. Cueball is standing next to it.
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the cell tower
| Huge gallows with a large flag on a pole hanging on it. The pole of the flag is twisted into a shape partly resembling an infinity sign; the loose end of the pole pierces the flag. A relatively large Cueball figure stands next to it.
|


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| rowspan="2" valign="top" |
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|
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|-
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{{DEFAULTSORT:2765}}
[[Category:Comic subpages]]

User:Malgond/Drafts/Escape Speed

2023-05-17T10:49:33Z

172.68.139.32: /* Planets */

=== Planets ===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="7"|Planets and Planet-like Objects
|-
! Name <code>code-name</code>
! Tiles (X, Y)
! Directions
! Description
! Explanation
|-
| '''Starting Planet''' <code>tiny-world</code>
| (6024, -8976)
| To get here, click the "Home" button in the lower right corner of the comic.
|
The planet is tiny, grassy, has a few trees and bushes and features several people. Initially the navigation is difficult because of low initial engine thrust and strong gravity of the Origin planet nearby affecting movement.
|
This is where the game starts. Pressing the "Home" button to go back to the starting planet shows the message, "Welcome back, pilot", which may be a reference to the greeting that plays when re-entering a Titan in the ''Titanfall'' video games.

|-
| '''Origin''' <code>origin</code>
| (3096, -5904)
| To get here, launch from Beret Guy saying "Wow!" on the Starting Planet.
|
The planet is fairly big, has vegetation, and features many people, landscape objects, items and upgrades. It has a shaft through the center. The planet is hard to leave without any upgrades unless one uses the shaft to gain more momentum by thrusting while moving through the middle of it. Many of the landmarks of the surface mark the directions to different planets.
|
The planet has a sign saying 'Welcome to Origin! You can never leave™'. The name may also refer to the fact that the planet lies almost at the center of the game world, or that it is the starting point for exploration as it provides many navigational hints.

|-
| '''Hollow Planet''' <code>hollow-shell</code>
| (-13952, 1848)
| To get here, launch from the St. Louis Arch on Origin.
|
The planet is just a shell with some gaps. On the outside, there are a few signs that mark the directions to different planets.
|

|-
| '''Round Planet''' <code>orb</code>
| (-19154, -7288)
| To get here, launch from the tower with an orb on it on Origin or the sign on the Hollow Planet.
|
The planet is moderately small with no vegetation and some architecture such as Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China. It also features a few people and items.
|
|-
| '''Uzumaki''' <code>uzumaki</code>
| (-3904, -26904)
| To get here, launch from Origin's spiral landmark, the sign on the Hollow Planet, or below the plane-towed banner on the Round Planet.
| The planet is a large spiral overgrown with grass and some other vegetation. It has very weak gravity.
| The shape of the planet is inspired by the {{w|manga}} {{w|Uzumaki}} by {{w|Junji Ito}}.
|-
| '''Guitar Ship''' <code>guitar-ship</code>
| (-12000, -30000)
| To get there, launch from Uzumaki, a little to the left of the caffeine molecule item.
| The planet is shaped like a guitar seen in perspective looking from the bottom of the body, with a dome on the back side. Within the dome there's the Boston skyline.
| This is a reference to the cover art of the album {{w|Boston (album)|Boston}} by the like-named American {{w|Boston (band)|rock band}}. It's one of many references to {{w|Boston}} in the game.
|-
| '''Spacetime Soccer Field''' <code>soccerfield</code>
| (6048, 4048)
| To get here, launch from Origin, from the pyramid with a soccer ball on top of it.
|
This is a tiny planet with a smooth surface and a distorted soccer field marked around it. The goals and goal area lines are on the opposite sides of the planet (let's say, to the east and west), distorted into curved trapezoids. The touch lines (side lines) are sections of hyperbolas with the vertices closest to the planet at the north and south poles, extending symmetrically to some distance from the planet. There is no goal line; in this geometry it should be the extended axis. What seems to be penalty lines, but drawn incorrectly to join the side lines instead of going back to the goal line, are sections of an ellipse. The halfway line appears twice, joining the four ends of hyperbolic side lines. The center circle appears as two separate halves stemming from the two copies of the halfway line.
|
The space soccer field utilizes the concept from [[2705: Spacetime Soccer]], but inversed: in the original comic the center point of the field was located in a gravity well, causing the ball to be pulled away from the goals; here the goals are located close to the center of the planet, so the ball naturally tries to fall towards them, probably making the game more interesting.
|-
| '''Saturn''' <code>saturn</code>
| (2600, 14000)
| To get here, launch from the pyramid with Saturn on it on Origin. If you see the Spacetime Soccer Field, you're too far left.
| The planet resembles Saturn with its rings, however it is translucent: a soccer ball can bee seen inside. One of the ball's white hexagons is surfacing in the north pole area.
| It is a reference to [[2513: Saturn Hexagon]]
|-
| '''Andal''' <code>platform-planet</code>
| (12048, 14048)
| To get there launch from a monument on Origin, featuring a round shape with a small "T" on top.
| This is a small partly rocky and partly grassy planet with a strange T-shaped tower.
| A reference to ''{{w|Animorphs}}'' book series featuring fictional sapient species of [https://aliens.fandom.com/wiki/Andalite Andalites]. Two such (or similar) creatures can be found on the planet. In the original books, the planet the Andalites come from is unnamed.
|-
| '''Projection of Earth''' <code>earth-map</code>
| (-15808, 22192)
| To get there by follow the sign on the hollow planet or launch from the Earth map monument on Origin.
| The planet is shaped like a huge distorted map of all land masses of Earth. The player's spaceship can fly where water would be, but it can't go over land. Some straights between islands are to narrow for the ship to pass, especially in the {{w|Southeast Asia}} area. Some {{w|mediterranean seas}} are also inaccessible.
| Probably a reference to [[977: Map Projections]] or, more generally, to the Randall's obsession about [[:Category:Maps|maps]].
|-
| '''Voyager 1''' <code>voyager-1</code>
| (1606, -14282)
| To get here, launch from the "Receiving transmission" communication device near the spiral landmark on Origin.
| This is a recreation of the {{w|Voyager 1}} space probe.
|
|-
| '''Voyager 2''' <code>voyager-2</code>
| (10682, -5172)
| To get here, launch from the "Receiving transmission" communication device near the spider landmark on Origin.
| This is a recreation of the {{w|Voyager 2}} space probe.
|
|-
| '''SafetySat''' <code>safetysat</code>
| (17024, 1024)
| To get here, launch from the cell tower on Origin.
| A cube satellite with an absurd set of assorted objects on board.
| This is a reference to [[1992: SafetySat]].
|-
| '''Shuttle Skeleton''' <code>space-shuttle</code>
| (-30200, 14576)
| To get here, launch from the Shuttle Skeleton landmark on Origin or in the northwestern direction from Alaska on the Projection of Earth.
| The planet looks like an outline of the space shuttle with a strange skeleton inside.
| This is a reference to [[2630: Shuttle Skeleton]].
|-
| '''Giant Spider''' <code>spider</code>
| (26982, -8714)
| To get here, launch from the spider landmark on Origin.
| The object is a giant spider floating in space with eight people standing on top of his legs.
| [[:Category:Spiders|Spiders]] is a recurring theme on xkcd.
|-
| '''Diffraction Spikes Star''' <code>diffraction</code>
| (-19944, 11240)
| To get here, launch from the back of the left "hand" of the Shuttle Skeleton or the north of Alaska.
| The object is a star with very long spikes.
| This is a reference to [[2762: Diffraction Spikes]].
|-
| '''Roche Lobe Earth''' <code>earth-roche</code> ''and'' <code>normal-moon</code>
| (-9952, -3952)
| To get there, launch from the like-shaped statue on Origin.
| This is a small, distorted, drop-shaped Earth with oceans and continents of the northern hemisphere. There's the Moon close by. The distortion looks like if the Moon's tidal forces are pulling northern Atlantic Ocean really hard.
|
|-
| '''Dark Matter Planet''' <code>dark-matter</code>
| (-2892, 2640)
| To get here, launch from the goal on the half of the field with just one person on it on Spacetime Soccer Field.
| This is a small, irregular planet with a black center (normal planets have white centers) and an inscription "DARK MATTER" inside, repeated three times.
|
{{w|Dark matter}} is a hypothetical form of {{w|matter}} sought by {{w|Astrophysics|astrophycists}} as a possible cause of behavior of {{w|Galaxy|galaxies}}, which cannot be explained by the current theory of {{w|gravity}} and observations. The anomalies would be explained if there was extra {{w|mass}} in the galaxies, which is not observed, but is theorized as dark matter presence. The dark matter is named this way not because it has some dark color, but because it supposedly does not interact (or interacts very weakly) with {{w|electromagnetic field}}, therefore does not emit {{w|light}} and can't be seen.

This is also a reference to [[2186: Dark Matter]]
|-
| '''Jurassic Park Planet''' <code>gravity-qwantz</code>
| (20000, 11000)
| To get here, launch from the dinosaur on Origin or from the Andalites on Andal.
| It's a big planet with weak gravity, a lot of grass, and many dinosaur figures, some repeating a few times.
|
This is a reference to the 1993 {{w|Jurassic Park (film)|''Jurassic Park''}} film and the related {{w|Jurassic Park|media franchise}}. It contains images of dinosaurs taken from the [https://www.qwantz.com/ Dinosaurs] web comic, which, similarly to xkcd, uses a random string of letters for its domain name: <code>quantz.com</code>. It also reflects Randal's avid interest in [[:Category:Dinosaurs|dinosaurs]]. This is an exact copy of the Dinosaur Planet from [[2712: Gravity]].
|-
| '''Comet 67P''' <code>67p</code>
| (18048, -11152)
| To get here, launch from the duck next to the 'Caution: long vertical drop' sign on Origin.
| This is a small, potato-shaped body, modelled after the {{w|67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko}} comet.
|
This is a reference to the 2004–2016 {{w|Rosetta (spacecraft)|Rosetta}} spacecraft mission, which was the first to place a lander ({{w|Philae (spacecraft)|Philae}}) on a comet core. The mission was also commemorated in [[1446: Landing]] and the spacecraft are mentioned in [[1402: Harpoons]] and [[1740: Rosetta]].
|-
| '''What If? Planet''' <code>gravity-earth</code>
| (22000, 34000)
| To get here, launch from the two people explaining where Boston is on Origin, the left of Stonehenge on the Round Planet, or the left rim of the Guitar Ship.
| This is a huge, round planet with many bodies of water. The planet contains several scenes from ''[[what if]]? '' and [[2712: Gravity]]. Megan and Cueball are floating inside a small space in the center of the planet.
| This is an almost exact copy of the Earth planet from [[2712: Gravity]], however a few scenes and all text were removed.
|-
| '''Subway Planet''' <code>subway-planet</code> ''and'' <code>black-hole-3</code>
| (-46000, -24000)
| To can get there take off from the "secret glade" item next to the the bush where someone says "Shhh" on Origin.
|
This is a huge planet with a subway system connecting places named after U.S. cities, similar to the one from [[1196: Subways]]. In the area where Boston should be according to that system, there is a giant round hole with rugged sides consisting of a lot of broken planks. There's a black hole inside, off the center, in the Washington, D.C. area. There are many people and features both on the surface and within subway tunnels.
|
This is a key planet to solve the puzzle in the game, and contains several out of many in-game references to {{w|Boston}} (in many meanings of the name) and the {{w|Massachusetts Institute of Technology}}, which currently is located in {{w|Cambridge, Massachusetts}}, but was founded in 1861 in Boston.

Obviously, it's also a reference to [[1196: Subways]]
|-
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
|}

=== Objects ===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="5"|Features and Items
|-
! Planet
! Type
! Location
! Description / Message
! Explanation
|-
| rowspan="5" valign="top"|'''Starting Planet'''
| Message
| Above starting position
| ''Wheeee!''
| Probably reflects the excitation of a new visitor to this XKCD comic, seeing a promising game.
|-
| Item
| Above ground left of the starting position
| a rock with neat stripes
|
|-
| Item
| In the grass right of the starting position
| a cool bug
| A reference to 'Cool Bug Epoch' from [[2240: Timeline of the Universe]]
|-
| Item
| Up a tree
| a pretty leaf
|
|-
| People
| On the opposite of the starting position
| Beret Guy pointing his arm up and exclaiming ''WOW!''
| This is a reference to the title text of [[1117: My Sky]], and it could also be a reference to [[502: Dark Flow]].

|-
| rowspan="41" valign="top"| '''Origin'''
| Landscape
| Close to the Starting Planet
| A sign saying: ''Welcome to Origin! You can never leave™''
| The sign names the planet, and also indicates that it is not possible to leave it by just launching off the surface during early gameplay, when the player has not collected any upgrades. May be a reference to the song by The Eagles: "Hotel California".
|-
| Message
| Right of the welcome sign, above the rollercoaster
| ''Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting!''
| A hint for the hidden shaft going through the planet; one of the entries is right below here.
|-
| Landscape
| On the right side of the rollercoaster
| A sign saying: ''Caution: Long vertical drop''
| Another hint for the hidden shaft.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the rollercoaster
| A spider-shaped monument
| Marks the direction to the Giant Spider planet
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the spider monument
| A radio telescope with its antenna pointed straight up. ''Receiving transmission''.
| Marks the direction to Voyager 2. The message is an additional hint as radio telescopes are often used to communicate with distant space probes, including receiving probes' measurements and other scientific data, like photos.
|-
| People
| Right next to the cell tower
|
Cueball and White Hat talking.
:'''Cueball''': I bet the voyager spacecraft could teach you a thing or two about speed. Of course, you'd have to catch up to them first...
|
Voyager spacecraft are {{w|List_of_vehicle_speed_records#Spacecraft|not among}} the speed record holding space probes as of 2023, however they are the first in history to reach Solar System's {{w|escape velocity}}. They have also executed two {{w|gravity assist}} maneuvers each, so they are good examples on how to increase speed in this way, presumably allowing them to "teach" another spacecraft how to increase speed. Cueball's metaphor goes on to having to meet (catch up with) someone in order to learn something from him. The Voyagers are currently the farthest man-made objects in space; however in the game world they are quite close to the Origin planet.

This is also a hint regarding the upgrades located near both Voyager spacecraft, which add more thrust to the player's ship than regular thrust upgrades.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the radio telescope located near the spider monument
| A cell tower with 5G antennas. On top of it a strange object is mounted.
|
The strange object is a downscaled image of cube satellite from [[1992: SafetySat]]. Normally nobody puts cube satellites on top of fixed towers.

This landmark shows the direction to the SafetySat "planet".
|-
| Item
| Next to the top of the cell tower
| a 5G seagull
| {{w|5G}} is a modern emerging standard for {{w|cellular networks}} promising really high download speeds and much higher network capacity (i.e. the number of active devices in an area). Probably a reference to [[1656: It Begins]]
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the cell tower
| A tyrannosaurus
| Marks the direction to the Jurassic Park planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Right next to the tyrannosaurus
| A St. Louis Arch shaped hole in the ground
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the left of the three pyramids
| A monument shaped like a sphere with a "T" on top
| This is a miniature of the Andal planet and marks the direction to it.
|-
| Landscape
| The leftmost of three pyramids
| A pyramid with a soccer ball on top
| Marks the direction to the Spacetime Soccer Field.
|-
| People
| The middle pyramid
|
Ponytail sitting on top of a pyramid, Megan standing at the base of it.
:'''Ponytail''': If you want a better spaceship, you need to visit another planet.
:'''Megan''': But if I want to visit another planet, I need a better spaceship!
|
An in-game reference to the fact that the player's ship initially has too little thrust to launch right off the surface of the Origin planet and needs an upgrade to become a "better" spaceship able to visit other planets. On the other hand, all engine upgrades are located off Origin, creating the apparently unsolvable {{w|Chicken or the egg|chicken-and-egg problem}} – unless the player follows other hints and finds a way to escape Origin anyway.
|-
| Landscape
| The rightmost of three pyramids
| A pyramid with Saturn on top of it
| Marks the direction to Saturn.
|-
| People
| Next to the pyramid with Saturn on top
|
Cueball and White Hat talking.
:'''Cueball''': I can't believe the Air and Space Museum's new exhibit has a real black hole!
:'''White Hat''': Is that... safe?
:'''Cueball''': It's OK, they've got a protective case around it.
|
Normally, it would not be possible to have a real black hole as a museum exhibit.{{citation needed}} Also, there's a misunderstanding between White Hat and Cueball. White Hat asks if it is safe for the public to keep a black hole in a museum. Cueball thinks White Hat is concerned about safety of the black hole itself, and responds that it is protected from unscrupulous visitors by putting it in a special case.

This is an in-game hint regarding the Subway Planet and the black hole present in its tunnels. It's also a reference to the real-world {{w|Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum|''Intrepid'' Sea, Air & Space Museum}}.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the pyramids
| A monument shaped like Earth's land masses
| Marks the direction to the Projection of Earth.
|-
| People
| Right next to the Projection of Earth monument
|
:'''Hairy''': Even if you did find a crack in the crystal sphere, there's no way you'd be able to escape its gravitational pull. You'd need some kind of a hyperdrive for that.
| An in-game reference to the Crystal Sphere, the navigable crack through it and the hint regarding the hyperdrive.
|-
| Landscape
| On the left side of the St. Louis Arch
| A monument of a strange spaceship
| This is a reference to [[2630: Shuttle Skeleton]] and marks the direction to the Shuttle Skeleton planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Opposite the rollercoaster
| A large arch
| This is a reference to the {{w|Gateway Arch}} located in {{w|St. Louis}}, {{w|Missouri}}. Marks the other end of the shaft going through the planet core.
|-
| Message
| A sign next to St. Louis Arch's right leg
| ''The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.''
| The creator of the Arch, Finnish-American architect {{w|Eero Saarinen}}, reportedly said that the arch symbolizes "the gateway to the West" understood as the {{w|American frontier}} and the expansion of American colonies into the western parts of the continent.

In-game, the Arch marks one of the "gateways" into the larger space of the game, namely the exits of the inner shaft, which allows the player to leave Origin by performing the Oberth maneuver (see below for further explanation).
|-
| Upgrade
| High above the St. Louis Arch
| ''Nice flying! Your tanks recharge faster now.''
| Congratulations for getting your orbital mechanics right and skillfully executing Oberth maneuver (see below).
|-
| People
| Right next to the St. Louis Arch
|
Ponytail with a group of three kids looking like Hairy, Megan and Cueball.
:'''Ponytail''': The St. Louis Arch is also known as the gateway to space.
| Ponytail acting as a guide repeats (or reads) to the kids the slogan written on the sign next to the Arch. See above for the explanation of the slogan.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the St. Louis Arch
| A monument with a pear-shaped structure connected to a small sphere
| It's a miniature of the Roche Lobe Earth, marking a direction to it.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the St. Louis Arch
| A small structure and a tower with a strange-looking orb on top
| Marks the direction to the Round Planet.
|-
| Item
| Close to the top of the orb tower.
| an orb wren
| {{w|Wren}}s are a common family of birds. Their bodies are rather stocky with short wings, sometimes resembling an orb, especially when perched with ruffled feathers such as when enduring cold weather. There's no species actually called an "orb wren".
|-
| Item
| Hidden at the base of the orb tower.
| 11 squares packed into a larger square
| A reference to [[2740: Square Packing]].
|-
| People
| To the right of the orb tower
|
Hairbun and another person.
:'''Hairbun''': Boston? That's in North America, on the Subway planet. It's straight up from the secret glade, you can't miss it.
|
This is an in-game reference and a hint on how to find Boston and the Subway Planet
|-
| Item
| Hidden in a grassy area to the right of the orb tower
| a tumbleweed
| {{w|Tumbleweed}} is an above-ground part of some species of plants in a form of a round, dense bush, which detaches as the plant dries in the summer season and is pushed by winds, rolling along the landscape.
|-
| Item
| Over a grassy area to the right of the orb tower
| a marsh wren
| {{w|Marsh wren}} is a species of North American songbird.
|-
| People
| To the right from the grassy area
|
A quintet of hairy and bearded or moustached people playing and singing:
:It's more than a feeling
:More than a feeling
| This is a reference to the popular song ''{{w|More Than a Feeling}}'' by the {{w|Boston_(band)|Boston}} rock band. It is also an in-game reference and pun regarding multiple Bostons present.
|-
| Message
| Above ground to the right of the musical band
| ''You found a tiny meteorite!''
| {{w|Meteorite}}s are fragments of small celestial bodies that have fallen onto the surface of Earth, surviving a high-speed passage through the atmosphere. Some are really tiny, being a result of a fragmentation of a larger one caused by the forces exerted during atmospherical entry. This particular one has not quite reached the surface, and should be called a {{w|meteoroid}} or a {{w|Meteoroid#Meteors|meteor}} instead.
|-
| Item
| High above ground to the right of the musical band
| a single grain of salt
|
|-
| Landscape
| Between the grassy area and the forest left of the welcome sign
| A spiral-shaped monument
| Marks the direction to the spiral Uzumaki planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Between the grassy area and the forest left of the welcome sign
| A radio telescope with its antenna pointed straight up. ''Receiving transmission''.
| Marks the direction to the Voyager 1. See also the entry on Voyager 2 above.
|-
| People
| Next to the voyager 1 radio telescope.
|
Cueball and Megan.
:'''Megan''': It's like my astronomy teacher always said: "Shoot for the Moon -- even if you miss, you might make a crack in the crystal sphere that imprisons us all in this universe."
|
|-
| Item
| At the left edge of the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a holographic Charizard business card
|
This is a reference to a particular {{w|Charizard|character}} from the {{w|Pokémon}} media franchise. {{w|Holography|Holographic}} {{w|business card}}s are a fairly novel form of business or personal presentation.
|-
| Item
| In the middle of the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a secret glade
|
|-
| Item
| Up the widest tree in the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a normal-looking leaf
|
|-
| Message
| In the exact middle of the planet
| ''Welcome to liminal space''
|
|-
| People
| In a chamber next to the planet's center
|
Megan with her hair floating around her head.
:'''Megan''': The Oberth effect states that firing thrusters deeper in a gravity well adds more kinetic energy.
|
The {{w|Oberth effect}} is a physical phenomenon and orbital maneuver when a spacecraft fires its thrusters as close to the perycenter (the point on the orbit closest to the center of the orbited body) as possible, being deeper in the "gravity well", to gain more kinetic energy than if the same impulse (amount of propellant used and therefore speed difference) has been applied away from the center, in effect using its propellant more effectively. The kinetic energy is what allows a spacecraft to leave the proximity of the orbited body. A special case of such a maneuver may be accelerating in a theoretical shaft going through the core of the body, which is the case simulated in the game. Applying the principle according to Megan's hint the player is able to "swing" the spaceship a few times along the shaft, accelerating close to the center and allowing the "energy" to regenerate while away, and leave Origin in spite off low initial thrust.

The fact that inside of a spherical body the gravity of the outer layers cancels out creates a local microgravity environment, causing Megan's hair to freely float around her head.
|-
| Item
| In a chamber next to the planet's center
| a DVD of The Core (2003)
| This is a reference to the 2003 American {{w|The Core|science fiction disaster film}}.

|-
| rowspan="8" valign="top"| '''Hollow Planet'''
|People
| In the hollow center of the planet.
|
Ponytail and White Hat floating in microgravity. White Hat's hat has come off his head.
:'''White Hat''': It's weird how a hollow shell doesn't exert gravitational force on objects inside it.
:'''Ponytail''': Oh, so ''that's'' why we don't feel a pull from the crystal sphere.
|
White Hat experiences a practical application of an unintuitive, and since "weird" in his words, {{w||shell theorem}}, as applied to gravity: that inside a hollow, spherical shell the forces of the gravity exerted by the shell cancel out for every object inside, regardless of its position within. Ponytail gets an epiphany, that it also applies to the gigantic Crystal Sphere surrounding the most part of the world she is in.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Close to the center of the planet.
|
a sixth Lagrange point

''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
{{w|Lagrange point}}s are places relative to two heavy bodies orbiting one another, where a third, much lighter body will stay in equilibrium with the large two, orbiting the common center of gravity with the same period and keeping a constant distance from both. There are only five Lagrange points.

In theory, a small body located in the center of a hollowed-out massive body will stay put as well (see the previous explanation), creating the sixth Lagrange point; however a hollow massive body can't exist, it will collapse under its own gravity.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface of the planet.
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Round Planet''
| Marks the direction to the Round Planet.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Over the surface to the right of the ''Round Planet'' sign
|
a glass of heavy water

''Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
|
{{w|Heavy water}} is a form of water that contains only {{w|deuterium}} (hydrogen-2) atoms in place of the much more common {{w|Hydrogen|hydrogen-1}} atoms. It is approximately 10% {{w|Density|denser}} than the regular water, hence its name. Heavy water is not normally poured into glasses as for drinking.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface of the planet to the right of the ''Round Planet'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''EXIT''
| Marks the direction to the crack in the Crystal Sphere.
|-
| Landscape
| Next to the ''EXIT'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Uzumaki''
| Marks the direction to Uzumaki
|-
| Landscape
| Across a gap in the surface to the right of the ''Uzumaki'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Origin and Subway''
| Marks the direction to Origin and (not quite precisely) to the Subway Planet.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface opposite the ''EXIT'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Earth (compromise projection)''
| Marks the direction to Projection of Earth.

|-
| rowspan="10" valign="top" | '''Round Planet'''
| People
| On the middle part of the Great Wall
|
Cueball and Megan.
:'''Cueball''': The Great Wall of China is the only human-made structure you can see space from.
|
This is a pun on the commonly voiced misconception that the {{w|Great Wall of China}} is the only man-made object on Earth that can be seen from {{w|Outer space|space}} (or the Earth's orbit at least).
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| To the right of the Great Wall over a field of boulders
|
a sensible cheese platter

''Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
A cheese platter is a common dish served in restaurants as a starter or sometimes as a main dish, as well as a final course in a formal meal (following the sweet, or as an option instead of one) composed of a selection of cheeses served on a large platter. However, often it may just be a random collection of what's available (e.g. a hard cheese, a soft cheese, a blue cheese of either hard or soft variety, possibly a small serving of butter; and a selection of crackers that are either far too many or far too few for the other products). A "sensible" plate, i.e. well-composed by a competent chef, might be considered rare.
|-
| Item
| Within Stonehenge
| a Swatch pop-out wristwatch
|
|-
| People
| To the right of the Stonehenge
| Hairbun walking on absurdly high stilts
| People walking on stilts are a fairly common theme in xkcd. References include [[482: Height]], [[1608: Hoverboard]], [[1663: Garden]], [[2603: Childhood Toys]], [[2669: Things You Should Not Do]] and possibly other comics (maybe we need a new category).
|-
| Landscape
| Next to Hairbun on stilts
|
Three spaceships flying just above the surface. The leading one transmits a message:
:''Rogue group, use your harpoons and tow cables! Go for the legs!''
|
This is a quote from ''{{w|Star Wars}}'' episode V ''{{w|The Empire Strikes Back}}''. In the original context the starships were attacking {{w|Walker (Star Wars)#All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT)|AT-AT}} four-legged armored vehicles, trying to immobilize them by entangling their legs. In the game, they are attacking Hairbun on stilts instead.
|-
| Upgrade
| Above the middle spaceship attacking Hairbun
| ''Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
| A regular engine upgrade.
|-
| People
| To the right of the three spaceships
| A volleyball net. Cueball is jumping in the air to hit a volleyball on the right side of the net while Ponytail is juggling three bowling pins on the left side.
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the volleyball field
|
An airplane towing a long, narrow banner with a message printed across, not along it:
:''Does any one know how to get this thing to print in land scape mode?''
| A reference to [[2757: Towed Message]].
|-
| People
| To the right of the airplane towing a banner
| Beret Guy climbing a cell tower with some fruit hanging off the antennas. Cueball is standing next to it.
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the cell tower
| Huge gallows with a large flag on a pole hanging on it. The pole of the flag is twisted into a shape partly resembling an infinity sign; the loose end of the pole pierces the flag. A relatively large Cueball figure stands next to it.
|


|-
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|
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|-
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|-
| ...
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|}

User:Malgond

2023-05-12T11:18:55Z

172.68.139.32:

I am an addicted reader of this wiki and an occasional editor. Drop me a note on the [[User_talk:Malgond|talk page]] page if you have any comments on my edits, suggestions and corrections are appreciated.

==== Experiment ====

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="7"|Planets and Planet-like Objects
|-
! Name
! Tiles (X, Y)
! Directions
! Description
! Explanation
|-
| '''Starting Planet'''
<code>tiny-world</code>
| (6024, -8976)
| To get here, click the "Home" button in the lower right corner of the comic.
|
The planet is tiny, grassy, has a few trees and bushes and features several people. Initially the navigation is difficult because of low initial engine thrust and strong gravity of the Origin planet nearby affecting movement.
|
This is where the game starts. Pressing the "Home" button to go back to the starting planet shows the message, "Welcome back, pilot", which may be a reference to the greeting that plays when re-entering a Titan in the ''Titanfall'' video games.

|-
| '''Origin'''
<code>origin</code>
| (3096, -5904)
| To get here, launch from Beret Guy saying "Wow!" on the Starting Planet.
|
The planet is fairly big, has vegetation, and features many people, landscape objects, items and upgrades. It has a shaft through the center. The planet is hard to leave without any upgrades unless one uses the shaft to gain more momentum by thrusting while moving through the middle of it. Many of the landmarks of the surface mark the directions to different planets.
|
The planet has a sign saying 'Welcome to Origin! You can never leave™'. The name may also refer to the fact that the planet lies almost at the center of the game world, or that it is the starting point for exploration as it provides many navigational hints.

|-
| '''Hollow Planet'''
<code>hollow-shell</code>
| (-13952, 1848)
| To get here, launch from the St. Louis Arch on Origin.
|
The planet is just a shell with some gaps. On the outside, there are a few signs that mark the directions to different planets.
|

|-
| '''Round Planet'''
<code>orb</code>
| (-19154, -7288)
| To get here, launch from the tower with an orb on it on Origin or the sign on the Hollow Planet.
|
The planet is moderately small with no vegetation and some architecture such as Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China. It also features a few people and items.
|

|-
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="5"|Features and Items
|-
! Planet
! Type
! Location
! Description / Message
! Explanation
|-
| rowspan="5" valign="top"|'''Starting Planet'''
| Message
| Above starting position
| ''Wheeee!''
| Probably reflects the excitation of a new visitor to this XKCD comic, seeing a promising game.
|-
| Item
| Above ground left of the starting position
| a rock with neat stripes
|
|-
| Item
| In the grass right of the starting position
| a cool bug
| A reference to 'Cool Bug Epoch' from [[2240: Timeline of the Universe]]
|-
| Item
| Up a tree
| a pretty leaf
|
|-
| People
| On the opposite of the starting position
| Beret Guy pointing his arm up and exclaiming ''WOW!''
| This is a reference to the title text of [[1117: My Sky]], and it could also be a reference to [[502: Dark Flow]].

|-
| rowspan="41" valign="top"| '''Origin'''
| Landscape
| Close to the Starting Planet
| A sign saying: ''Welcome to Origin! You can never leave™''
| The sign names the planet, and also indicates that it is not possible to leave it by just launching off the surface during early gameplay, when the player has not collected any upgrades. May be a reference to the song by The Eagles: "Hotel California".
|-
| Message
| Right of the welcome sign, above the rollercoaster
| ''Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting!''
| A hint for the hidden shaft going through the planet; one of the entries is right below here.
|-
| Landscape
| On the right side of the rollercoaster
| A sign saying: ''Caution: Long vertical drop''
| Another hint for the hidden shaft.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the rollercoaster
| A spider-shaped monument
| Marks the direction to the Giant Spider planet
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the spider monument
| A radio telescope with its antenna pointed straight up. ''Receiving transmission''.
| Marks the direction to Voyager 2. The message is an additional hint as radio telescopes are often used to communicate with distant space probes, including receiving probes' measurements and other scientific data, like photos.
|-
| People
| Right next to the cell tower
|
Cueball and White Hat talking.
:'''Cueball''': I bet the voyager spacecraft could teach you a thing or two about speed. Of course, you'd have to catch up to them first...
|
Voyager spacecraft are [[wikipedia:List_of_vehicle_speed_records#Spacecraft|not among]] the speed record holding space probes as of 2023, however they are the first in history to reach Solar System's [[wikipedia:Escape velocity|escape velocity]]. They have also executed two [[wikipedia:Gravity_assist|gravity assist]] maneuvers each, so they are good examples on how to increase speed in this way, presumably allowing them to "teach" another spacecraft how to increase speed. Cueball's metaphor goes on to having to meet (catch up with) someone in order to learn something from him. The Voyagers are currently the farthest man-made objects in space; however in the game world they are quite close to the Origin planet.

This is also a hint regarding the upgrades located near both Voyager spacecraft, which add more thrust to the player's ship than regular thrust upgrades.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the radio telescope located near the spider monument
| A cell tower with 5G antennas. On top of it a strange object is mounted.
|
The strange object is a downscaled image of cube satellite from [[1992: SafetySat]]. Normally nobody puts cube satellites on top of fixed towers.

This landmark shows the direction to the SafetySat "planet".
|-
| Item
| Next to the top of the cell tower
| a 5G seagull
| [[wikipedia:5G|5G]] is a modern emerging standard for [[wikipedia:Cellular network|cellular networks]] promising really high download speeds and much higher network capacity (i.e. the number of active devices in an area). Probably a reference to [[1656: It Begins]]
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the cell tower
| A tyrannosaurus
| Marks the direction to the Jurassic Park planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Right next to the tyrannosaurus
| A St. Louis Arch shaped hole in the ground
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the left of the three pyramids
| A monument shaped like a sphere with a "T" on top
| This is a miniature of the Andal planet and marks the direction to it.
|-
| Landscape
| The leftmost of three pyramids
| A pyramid with a soccer ball on top
| Marks the direction to the Spacetime Soccer Field.
|-
| People
| The middle pyramid
|
Ponytail sitting on top of a pyramid, Megan standing at the base of it.
:'''Ponytail''': If you want a better spaceship, you need to visit another planet.
:'''Megan''': But if I want to visit another planet, I need a better spaceship!
|
An in-game reference to the fact that the player's ship initially has too little thrust to launch right off the surface of the Origin planet and needs an upgrade to become a "better" spaceship able to visit other planets. On the other hand, all engine upgrades are located off Origin, creating the apparently unsolvable [[wikipedia:Chicken or the egg|chicken-and-egg problem]] – unless the player follows other hints and finds a way to escape Origin anyway.
|-
| Landscape
| The rightmost of three pyramids
| A pyramid with Saturn on top of it
| Marks the direction to Saturn.
|-
| People
| Next to the pyramid with Saturn on top
|
Cueball and White Hat talking.
:'''Cueball''': I can't believe the Air and Space Museum's new exhibit has a real black hole!
:'''White Hat''': Is that... safe?
:'''Cueball''': It's OK, they've got a protective case around it.
|
Normally, it would not be possible to have a real black hole as a museum exhibit.{{citation needed}} Also, there's a misunderstanding between White Hat and Cueball. White Hat asks if it is safe for the public to keep a black hole in a museum. Cueball thinks White Hat is concerned about safety of the black hole itself, and responds that it is protected from unscrupulous visitors by putting it in a special case.

This is an in-game hint regarding the Subway Planet and the black hole present in its tunnels. It's also a reference to the real-world [[wikipedia:Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum|''Intrepid'' Sea, Air & Space Museum]].
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the pyramids
| A monument shaped like Earth's land masses
| Marks the direction to the Projection of Earth.
|-
| People
| Right next to the Projection of Earth monument
|
:'''Hairy''': Even if you did find a crack in the crystal sphere, there's no way you'd be able to escape its gravitational pull. You'd need some kind of a hyperdrive for that.
| An in-game reference to the Crystal Sphere, the navigable crack through it and the hint regarding the hyperdrive.
|-
| Landscape
| On the left side of the St. Louis Arch
| A monument of a strange spaceship
| This is a reference to [[2630: Shuttle Skeleton]] and marks the direction to the Shuttle Skeleton planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Opposite the rollercoaster
| A large arch
| This is a reference to the [[wikipedia:Gateway Arch|Gateway Arch]] located in [[wikipedia:St. Louis|St. Louis, Missouri]]. Marks the other end of the shaft going through the planet core.
|-
| Message
| A sign next to St. Louis Arch's right leg
| ''The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.''
| The creator of the Arch, Finnish-American architect [[wikipedia:Eero Saarinen|Eero Saarinen]], reportedly said that the arch symbolizes "the gateway to the West" understood as the [[wikipedia:American frontier|American frontier]] and the expansion of American colonies into the western parts of the continent.

In-game, the Arch marks one of the "gateways" into the larger space of the game, namely the exits of the inner shaft, which allows the player to leave Origin by performing the Oberth maneuver (see below for further explanation).
|-
| Upgrade
| High above the St. Louis Arch
| ''Nice flying! Your tanks recharge faster now.''
| Congratulations for getting your orbital mechanics right and skillfully executing Oberth maneuver (see below).
|-
| People
| Right next to the St. Louis Arch
|
Ponytail with a group of three kids looking like Hairy, Megan and Cueball.
:'''Ponytail''': The St. Louis Arch is also known as the gateway to space.
| Ponytail acting as a guide repeats (or reads) to the kids the slogan written on the sign next to the Arch. See above for the explanation of the slogan.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the St. Louis Arch
| A monument with a pear-shaped structure connected to a small sphere
| It's a miniature of the Roche Lobe Earth, marking a direction to it.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the St. Louis Arch
| A small structure and a tower with a strange-looking orb on top
| Marks the direction to the Round Planet.
|-
| Item
| Close to the top of the orb tower.
| an orb wren
| [[wikipedia:Wren|Wrens]] are a common family of birds. Their bodies are rather stocky with short wings, sometimes resembling an orb, especially when perched with ruffled feathers such as when enduring cold weather. There's no species actually called an "orb wren".
|-
| Item
| Hidden at the base of the orb tower.
| 11 squares packed into a larger square
| A reference to [[2740: Square Packing]].
|-
| People
| To the right of the orb tower
|
Hairbun and another person.
:'''Hairbun''': Boston? That's in North America, on the Subway planet. It's straight up from the secret glade, you can't miss it.
|
This is an in-game reference and a hint on how to find Boston and the Subway Planet
|-
| Item
| Hidden in a grassy area to the right of the orb tower
| a tumbleweed
| [[wikipedia:Tumbleweed|Tumbleweed]] is an above-ground part of some species of plants in a form of a round, dense bush, which detaches as the plant dries in the summer season and is pushed by winds, rolling along the landscape.
|-
| Item
| Over a grassy area to the right of the orb tower
| a marsh wren
| [[wikipedia:Marsh wren|Marsh wren]] is a species of North American songbird.
|-
| People
| To the right from the grassy area
|
A quintet of hairy and bearded or moustached people playing and singing:
:It's more than a feeling
:More than a feeling
| This is a reference to the popular song [[wikipedia:More Than a Feeling|"More Than a Feeling"]] by the [[wikipedia:Boston_(band)|Boston]] rock band. It is also an in-game reference and pun regarding multiple Bostons present.
|-
| Message
| Above ground to the right of the musical band
| ''You found a tiny meteorite!''
| [[wikipedia:Meteorite|Meteorites]] are fragments of small celestial bodies that have fallen onto the surface of Earth, surviving a high-speed passage through the atmosphere. Some are really tiny, being a result of a fragmentation of a larger one caused by the forces exerted during atmospherical entry. This particular one has not quite reached the surface, and should be called a [[wikipedia:Meteoroid|meteoroid]] or a [[wikipedia:Meteoroid#Meteors|meteor]] instead.
|-
| Item
| High above ground to the right of the musical band
| a single grain of salt
|
|-
| Landscape
| Between the grassy area and the forest left of the welcome sign
| A spiral-shaped monument
| Marks the direction to the spiral Uzumaki planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Between the grassy area and the forest left of the welcome sign
| A radio telescope with its antenna pointed straight up. ''Receiving transmission''.
| Marks the direction to the Voyager 1. See also the entry on Voyager 2 above.
|-
| People
| Next to the voyager 1 radio telescope.
|
Cueball and Megan.
:'''Megan''': It's like my astronomy teacher always said: "Shoot for the Moon -- even if you miss, you might make a crack in the crystal sphere that imprisons us all in this universe."
|
|-
| Item
| At the left edge of the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a holographic Charizard business card
|
This is a reference to a particular [[wikipedia:Charizard|character]] from the [[wikipedia:Pokémon|Pokémon]] media franchise. [[wikipedia:Holography|Holographic]] [[wikipedia:Business card|business cards]] are a fairly novel form of business or personal presentation.
|-
| Item
| In the middle of the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a secret glade
|
|-
| Item
| Up the widest tree in the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a normal-looking leaf
|
|-
| Message
| In the exact middle of the planet
| ''Welcome to liminal space''
|
|-
| People
| In a chamber next to the planet's center
|
Megan with her hair floating around her head.
:'''Megan''': The Oberth effect states that firing thrusters deeper in a gravity well adds more kinetic energy.
|
The [[wikipedia:Oberth effect|Oberth effect]] is a physical phenomenon and orbital maneuver when a spacecraft fires its thrusters as close to the perycenter (the point on the orbit closest to the center of the orbited body) as possible, being deeper in the "gravity well", to gain more kinetic energy than if the same impulse (amount of propellant used and therefore speed difference) has been applied away from the center, in effect using its propellant more effectively. The kinetic energy is what allows a spacecraft to leave the proximity of the orbited body. A special case of such a maneuver may be accelerating in a theoretical shaft going through the core of the body, which is the case simulated in the game. Applying the principle according to Megan's hint the player is able to "swing" the spaceship a few times along the shaft, accelerating close to the center and allowing the "energy" to regenerate while away, and leave Origin in spite off low initial thrust.

The fact that inside of a spherical body the gravity of the outer layers cancels out creates a local microgravity environment, causing Megan's hair to freely float around her head.
|-
| Item
| In a chamber next to the planet's center
| a DVD of The Core (2003)
| This is a reference to the 2003 American [[wikipedia:The Core|science fiction disaster film]].

|-
| rowspan="8" valign="top"| '''Hollow Planet'''
|People
| In the hollow center of the planet.
|
Ponytail and White Hat floating in microgravity. White Hat's hat has come off his head.
:'''White Hat''': It's weird how a hollow shell doesn't exert gravitational force on objects inside it.
:'''Ponytail''': Oh, so ''that's'' why we don't feel a pull from the crystal sphere.
|
White Hat experiences a practical application of an unintuitive, and since "weird" in his words, [[wikipedia:Shell theorem|shell theorem]], as applied to gravity: that inside a hollow, spherical shell the forces of the gravity exerted by the shell cancel out for every object inside, regardless of its position within. Ponytail gets an epiphany, that it also applies to the gigantic Crystal Sphere surrounding the most part of the world she is in.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Close to the center of the planet.
|
a sixth Lagrange point

''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
[[wikipedia:Lagrange point|Lagrange points]] are places relative to two heavy bodies orbiting one another, where a third, much lighter body will stay in equilibrium with the large two, orbiting the common center of gravity with the same period and keeping a constant distance from both. There are only five Lagrange points.

In theory, a small body located in the center of a hollowed-out massive body will stay put as well (see the previous explanation), creating the sixth Lagrange point; however a hollow massive body can't exist, it will collapse under its own gravity.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface of the planet.
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Round Planet''
| Marks the direction to the Round Planet.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Over the surface to the right of the ''Round Planet'' sign
|
a glass of heavy water

''Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
|
[[wikipedia:Heavy water|Heavy water]] is a form of water that contains only [[wikipedia:Deuterium|deuterium]] (hydrogen-2) atoms in place of the much more common [[wikipedia:Hydrogen|hydrogen-1]] atoms. It is approximately 10% [[wikipedia:Density|denser]] than the regular water, hence its name. Heavy water is not normally poured into glasses as for drinking.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface of the planet to the right of the ''Round Planet'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''EXIT''
| Marks the direction to the crack in the Crystal Sphere.
|-
| Landscape
| Next to the ''EXIT'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Uzumaki''
| Marks the direction to Uzumaki
|-
| Landscape
| Across a gap in the surface to the right of the ''Uzumaki'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Origin and Subway''
| Marks the direction to Origin and (not quite precisely) to the Subway Planet.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface opposite the ''EXIT'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Earth (compromise projection)''
| Marks the direction to Projection of Earth.

|-
| rowspan="10" valign="top" | '''Round Planet'''
| People
| On the middle part of the Great Wall
|
Cueball and Megan.
:'''Cueball''': The Great Wall of China is the only human-made structure you can see space from.
|
This is a pun on the commonly voiced misconception that the [[wikipedia:Great Wall of China|Great Wall of China]] is the only man-made object on Earth that can be seen from [[wikipedia:Outer space|space]] (or the Earth's orbit at least).
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| To the right of the Great Wall over a field of boulders
|
a sensible cheese platter

''Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
A cheese platter is a common dish served in restaurants as a starter or sometimes as a main dish, as well as a final course in a formal meal (following the sweet, or as an option instead of one) composed of a selection of cheeses served on a large platter. However, often it may just be a random collection of what's available (e.g. a hard cheese, a soft cheese, a blue cheese of either hard or soft variety, possibly a small serving of butter; and a selection of crackers that are either far too many or far too few for the other products). A "sensible" plate, i.e. well-composed by a competent chef, might be considered rare.
|-
| Item
| Within Stonehenge
| a Swatch pop-out wristwatch
|
|-
| People
| To the right of the Stonehenge
| Hairbun walking on absurdly high stilts
| People walking on stilts are a fairly common theme in xkcd. References include [[482: Height]], [[1608: Hoverboard]], [[1663: Garden]], [[2603: Childhood Toys]], [[2669: Things You Should Not Do]] and possibly other comics (maybe we need a new category).
|-
| Landscape
| Next to Hairbun on stilts
|
Three spaceships flying just above the surface. The leading one transmits a message:
:''Rogue group, use your harpoons and tow cables! Go for the legs!''
|
This is a quote from [[wikipedia:Star Wars|''Star Wars'']] episode V [[wikipedia:The Empire Strikes Back|''The_Empire_Strikes_Back'']]. In the original context the starships were attacking [[wikipedia:Walker (Star Wars)#All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT)|AT-AT]] four-legged armored vehicles, trying to immobilize them by entangling their legs. In the game, they are attacking Hairbun on stilts instead.
|-
| Upgrade
| Above the middle spaceship attacking Hairbun
| ''Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
| A regular engine upgrade.
|-
| People
| To the right of the three spaceships
| A volleyball net. Cueball is jumping in the air to hit a volleyball on the right side of the net while Ponytail is juggling three bowling pins on the left side.
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the volleyball field
|
An airplane towing a long, narrow banner with a message printed across, not along it:
:''Does any one know how to get this thing to print in land scape mode?''
| A reference to [[2757: Towed Message]].
|-
| People
| To the right of the airplane towing a banner
| Beret Guy climbing a cell tower with some fruit hanging off the antennas. Cueball is standing next to it.
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the cell tower
| Huge gallows with a large flag on a pole hanging on it. The pole of the flag is twisted into a shape partly resembling an infinity sign; the loose end of the pole pierces the flag. A relatively large Cueball figure stands next to it.
|


|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" |
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|

|-
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
|}

User:Malgond

2023-05-12T11:17:17Z

172.68.139.32: /* Experiment */

I am an addicted reader of this wiki and an occasional editor. Drop me a note on the [[User_talk:Malgond|talk page]] page if you have any comments on my edits, suggestions and corrections are appreciated.

==== Experiment ====

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="7"|Planets and Planet-like Objects
|-
! Name
! Tiles (X, Y)
! Directions
! Description
! Explanation
|-
| '''Starting Planet'''
<code>tiny-world</code>
| (6024, -8976)
| To get here, click the "Home" button in the lower right corner of the comic.
|
The planet is tiny, grassy, has a few trees and bushes and features several people. Initially the navigation is difficult because of low initial engine thrust and strong gravity of the Origin planet nearby affecting movement.
|
This is where the game starts. Pressing the "Home" button to go back to the starting planet shows the message, "Welcome back, pilot", which may be a reference to the greeting that plays when re-entering a Titan in the ''Titanfall'' video games.

|-
| '''Origin'''
<code>origin</code>
| (3096, -5904)
| To get here, launch from Beret Guy saying "Wow!" on the Starting Planet.
|
The planet is fairly big, has vegetation, and features many people, landscape objects, items and upgrades. It has a shaft through the center. The planet is hard to leave without any upgrades unless one uses the shaft to gain more momentum by thrusting while moving through the middle of it. Many of the landmarks of the surface mark the directions to different planets.
|
The planet has a sign saying 'Welcome to Origin! You can never leave™'. The name may also refer to the fact that the planet lies almost at the center of the game world, or that it is the starting point for exploration as it provides many navigational hints.

|-
| '''Hollow Planet'''
<code>hollow-shell</code>
| (-13952, 1848)
| To get here, launch from the St. Louis Arch on Origin.
|
The planet is just a shell with some gaps. On the outside, there are a few signs that mark the directions to different planets.
|

|-
| '''Round Planet'''
<code>orb</code>
| (-19154, -7288)
| To get here, launch from the tower with an orb on it on Origin or the sign on the Hollow Planet.
|
The planet is moderately small with no vegetation and some architecture such as Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China. It also features a few people and items.
|

|-
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="5"|Features and Items
|-
! Planet
! Type
! Location
! Description / Message
! Explanation
|-
| rowspan="5" valign="top"|'''Starting Planet'''
| Message
| Above starting position
| ''Wheeee!''
| Probably reflects the excitation of a new visitor to this XKCD comic, seeing a promising game.
|-
| Item
| Above ground left of the starting position
| a rock with neat stripes
|
|-
| Item
| In the grass right of the starting position
| a cool bug
| A reference to 'Cool Bug Epoch' from [[2240: Timeline of the Universe]]
|-
| Item
| Up a tree
| a pretty leaf
|
|-
| People
| On the opposite of the starting position
| Beret Guy pointing his arm up and exclaiming ''WOW!''
| This is a reference to the title text of [[1117: My Sky]], and it could also be a reference to [[502: Dark Flow]].

|-
| rowspan="41" valign="top"| '''Origin'''
| Landscape
| Close to the Starting Planet
| A sign saying: ''Welcome to Origin! You can never leave™''
| The sign names the planet, and also indicates that it is not possible to leave it by just launching off the surface during early gameplay, when the player has not collected any upgrades. May be a reference to the song by The Eagles: "Hotel California".
|-
| Message
| Right of the welcome sign, above the rollercoaster
| ''Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting!''
| A hint for the hidden shaft going through the planet; one of the entries is right below here.
|-
| Landscape
| On the right side of the rollercoaster
| A sign saying: ''Caution: Long vertical drop''
| Another hint for the hidden shaft.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the rollercoaster
| A spider-shaped monument
| Marks the direction to the Giant Spider planet
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the spider monument
| A radio telescope with its antenna pointed straight up. ''Receiving transmission''.
| Marks the direction to Voyager 2. The message is an additional hint as radio telescopes are often used to communicate with distant space probes, including receiving probes' measurements and other scientific data, like photos.
|-
| People
| Right next to the cell tower
|
Cueball and White Hat talking.
:'''Cueball''': I bet the voyager spacecraft could teach you a thing or two about speed. Of course, you'd have to catch up to them first...
|
Voyager spacecraft are [[wikipedia:List_of_vehicle_speed_records#Spacecraft|not among]] the speed record holding space probes as of 2023, however they are the first in history to reach Solar System's [[wikipedia:Escape velocity|escape velocity]]. They have also executed two [[wikipedia:Gravity_assist|gravity assist]] maneuvers each, so they are good examples on how to increase speed in this way, presumably allowing them to "teach" another spacecraft how to increase speed. Cueball's metaphor goes on to having to meet (catch up with) someone in order to learn something from him. The Voyagers are currently the farthest man-made objects in space; however in the game world they are quite close to the Origin planet.

This is also a hint regarding the upgrades located near both Voyager spacecraft, which add more thrust to the player's ship than regular thrust upgrades.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the radio telescope located near the spider monument
| A cell tower with 5G antennas. On top of it a strange object is mounted.
|
The strange object is a downscaled image of cube satellite from [[1992: SafetySat]]. Normally nobody puts cube satellites on top of fixed towers.

This landmark shows the direction to the SafetySat "planet".
|-
| Item
| Next to the top of the cell tower
| a 5G seagull
| [[wikipedia:5G|5G]] is a modern emerging standard for [[wikipedia:Cellular network|cellular networks]] promising really high download speeds and much higher network capacity (i.e. the number of active devices in an area). Probably a reference to [[1656: It Begins]]
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the cell tower
| A tyrannosaurus
| Marks the direction to the Jurassic Park planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Right next to the tyrannosaurus
| A St. Louis Arch shaped hole in the ground
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the left of the three pyramids
| A monument shaped like a sphere with a "T" on top
| This is a miniature of the Andal planet and marks the direction to it.
|-
| Landscape
| The leftmost of three pyramids
| A pyramid with a soccer ball on top
| Marks the direction to the Spacetime Soccer Field.
|-
| People
| The middle pyramid
|
Ponytail sitting on top of a pyramid, Megan standing at the base of it.
:'''Ponytail''': If you want a better spaceship, you need to visit another planet.
:'''Megan''': But if I want to visit another planet, I need a better spaceship!
|
An in-game reference to the fact that the player's ship initially has too little thrust to launch right off the surface of the Origin planet and needs an upgrade to become a "better" spaceship able to visit other planets. On the other hand, all engine upgrades are located off Origin, creating the apparently unsolvable [[wikipedia:Chicken or the egg|chicken-and-egg problem]] – unless the player follows other hints and finds a way to escape Origin anyway.
|-
| Landscape
| The rightmost of three pyramids
| A pyramid with Saturn on top of it
| Marks the direction to Saturn.
|-
| People
| Next to the pyramid with Saturn on top
|
Cueball and White Hat talking.
:'''Cueball''': I can't believe the Air and Space Museum's new exhibit has a real black hole!
:'''White Hat''': Is that... safe?
:'''Cueball''': It's OK, they've got a protective case around it.
|
Normally, it would not be possible to have a real black hole as a museum exhibit.{{citation needed}} Also, there's a misunderstanding between White Hat and Cueball. White Hat asks if it is safe for the public to keep a black hole in a museum. Cueball thinks White Hat is concerned about safety of the black hole itself, and responds that it is protected from unscrupulous visitors by putting it in a special case.

This is an in-game hint regarding the Subway Planet and the black hole present in its tunnels. It's also a reference to the real-world [[wikipedia:Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum|''Intrepid'' Sea, Air & Space Museum]].
|-
| Landscape
| To the right from the pyramids
| A monument shaped like Earth's land masses
| Marks the direction to the Projection of Earth.
|-
| People
| Right next to the Projection of Earth monument
|
:'''Hairy''': Even if you did find a crack in the crystal sphere, there's no way you'd be able to escape its gravitational pull. You'd need some kind of a hyperdrive for that.
| An in-game reference to the Crystal Sphere, the navigable crack through it and the hint regarding the hyperdrive.
|-
| Landscape
| On the left side of the St. Louis Arch
| A monument of a strange spaceship
| This is a reference to [[2630: Shuttle Skeleton]] and marks the direction to the Shuttle Skeleton planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Opposite the rollercoaster
| A large arch
| This is a reference to the [[wikipedia:Gateway Arch|Gateway Arch]] located in [[wikipedia:St. Louis|St. Louis, Missouri]]. Marks the other end of the shaft going through the planet core.
|-
| Message
| A sign next to St. Louis Arch's right leg
| ''The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.''
| The creator of the Arch, Finnish-American architect [[wikipedia:Eero Saarinen|Eero Saarinen]], reportedly said that the arch symbolizes "the gateway to the West" understood as the [[wikipedia:American frontier|American frontier]] and the expansion of American colonies into the western parts of the continent.

In-game, the Arch marks one of the "gateways" into the larger space of the game, namely the exits of the inner shaft, which allows the player to leave Origin by performing the Oberth maneuver (see below for further explanation).
|-
| Upgrade
| High above the St. Louis Arch
| ''Nice flying! Your tanks recharge faster now.''
| Congratulations for getting your orbital mechanics right and skillfully executing Oberth maneuver (see below).
|-
| People
| Right next to the St. Louis Arch
|
Ponytail with a group of three kids looking like Hairy, Megan and Cueball.
:'''Ponytail''': The St. Louis Arch is also known as the gateway to space.
| Ponytail acting as a guide repeats (or reads) to the kids the slogan written on the sign next to the Arch. See above for the explanation of the slogan.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the St. Louis Arch
| A monument with a pear-shaped structure connected to a small sphere
| It's a miniature of the Roche Lobe Earth, marking a direction to it.
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the St. Louis Arch
| A small structure and a tower with a strange-looking orb on top
| Marks the direction to the Round Planet.
|-
| Item
| Close to the top of the orb tower.
| an orb wren
| [[wikipedia:Wren|Wrens]] are a common family of birds. Their bodies are rather stocky with short wings, sometimes resembling an orb, especially when perched with ruffled feathers such as when enduring cold weather. There's no species actually called an "orb wren".
|-
| Item
| Hidden at the base of the orb tower.
| 11 squares packed into a larger square
| A reference to [[2740: Square Packing]].
|-
| People
| To the right of the orb tower
|
Hairbun and another person.
:'''Hairbun''': Boston? That's in North America, on the Subway planet. It's straight up from the secret glade, you can't miss it.
|
This is an in-game reference and a hint on how to find Boston and the Subway Planet
|-
| Item
| Hidden in a grassy area to the right of the orb tower
| a tumbleweed
| [[wikipedia:Tumbleweed|Tumbleweed]] is an above-ground part of some species of plants in a form of a round, dense bush, which detaches as the plant dries in the summer season and is pushed by winds, rolling along the landscape.
|-
| Item
| Over a grassy area to the right of the orb tower
| a marsh wren
| [[wikipedia:Marsh wren|Marsh wren]] is a species of North American songbird.
|-
| People
| To the right from the grassy area
|
A quintet of hairy and bearded or moustached people playing and singing:
:It's more than a feeling
:More than a feeling
| This is a reference to the popular song [[wikipedia:More Than a Feeling|"More Than a Feeling"]] by the [[wikipedia:Boston_(band)|Boston]] rock band. It is also an in-game reference and pun regarding multiple Bostons present.
|-
| Message
| Above ground to the right of the musical band
| ''You found a tiny meteorite!''
| [[wikipedia:Meteorite|Meteorites]] are fragments of small celestial bodies that have fallen onto the surface of Earth, surviving a high-speed passage through the atmosphere. Some are really tiny, being a result of a fragmentation of a larger one caused by the forces exerted during atmospherical entry. This particular one has not quite reached the surface, and should be called a [[wikipedia:Meteoroid|meteoroid]] or a [[wikipedia:Meteoroid#Meteors|meteor]] instead.
|-
| Item
| High above ground to the right of the musical band
| a single grain of salt
|
|-
| Landscape
| Between the grassy area and the forest left of the welcome sign
| A spiral-shaped monument
| Marks the direction to the spiral Uzumaki planet.
|-
| Landscape
| Between the grassy area and the forest left of the welcome sign
| A radio telescope with its antenna pointed straight up. ''Receiving transmission''.
| Marks the direction to the Voyager 1. See also the entry on Voyager 2 above.
|-
| People
| Next to the voyager 1 radio telescope.
|
Cueball and Megan.
:'''Megan''': It's like my astronomy teacher always said: "Shoot for the Moon -- even if you miss, you might make a crack in the crystal sphere that imprisons us all in this universe."
|
|-
| Item
| At the left edge of the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a holographic Charizard business card
|
This is a reference to a particular [[wikipedia:Charizard|character]] from the [[wikipedia:Pokémon|Pokémon]] media franchise. [[wikipedia:Holography|Holographic]] [[wikipedia:Business card|business cards]] are a fairly novel form of business or personal presentation.
|-
| Item
| In the middle of the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a secret glade
|
|-
| Item
| Up the widest tree in the forest to the left from the welcome sign
| a normal-looking leaf
|
|-
| Message
| In the exact middle of the planet
| ''Welcome to liminal space''
|
|-
| People
| In a chamber next to the planet's center
|
Megan with her hair floating around her head.
:'''Megan''': The Oberth effect states that firing thrusters deeper in a gravity well adds more kinetic energy.
|
The [[wikipedia:Oberth effect|Oberth effect]] is a physical phenomenon and orbital maneuver when a spacecraft fires its thrusters as close to the perycenter (the point on the orbit closest to the center of the orbited body) as possible, being deeper in the "gravity well", to gain more kinetic energy than if the same impulse (amount of propellant used and therefore speed difference) has been applied away from the center, in effect using its propellant more effectively. The kinetic energy is what allows a spacecraft to leave the proximity of the orbited body. A special case of such a maneuver may be accelerating in a theoretical shaft going through the core of the body, which is the case simulated in the game. Applying the principle according to Megan's hint the player is able to "swing" the spaceship a few times along the shaft, accelerating close to the center and allowing the "energy" to regenerate while away, and leave Origin in spite off low initial thrust.

The fact that inside of a spherical body the gravity of the outer layers cancels out creates a local microgravity environment, causing Megan's hair to freely float around her head.
|-
| Item
| In a chamber next to the planet's center
| a DVD of The Core (2003)
| This is a reference to the 2003 American [[wikipedia:The Core|science fiction disaster film]].

|-
| rowspan="8" valign="top"| '''Hollow Planet'''
|People
| In the hollow center of the planet.
|
Ponytail and White Hat floating in microgravity. White Hat's hat has come off his head.
:'''White Hat''': It's weird how a hollow shell doesn't exert gravitational force on objects inside it.
:'''Ponytail''': Oh, so ''that's'' why we don't feel a pull from the crystal sphere.
|
White Hat experiences a practical application of an unintuitive, and since "weird" in his words, [[wikipedia:Shell theorem|shell theorem]], as applied to gravity: that inside a hollow, spherical shell the forces of the gravity exerted by the shell cancel out for every object inside, regardless of its position within. Ponytail gets an epiphany, that it also applies to the gigantic Crystal Sphere surrounding the most part of the world she is in.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Close to the center of the planet.
|
a sixth Lagrange point

''Your thrusters are more efficient now.''
|
[[wikipedia:Lagrange point|Lagrange points]] are places relative to two heavy bodies orbiting one another, where a third, much lighter body will stay in equilibrium with the large two, orbiting the common center of gravity with the same period and keeping a constant distance from both. There are only five Lagrange points.

In theory, a small body located in the center of a hollowed-out massive body will stay put as well (see the previous explanation), creating the sixth Lagrange point; however a hollow massive body can't exist, it will collapse under its own gravity.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface of the planet.
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Round Planet''
| Marks the direction to the Round Planet.
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| Over the surface to the right of the ''Round Planet'' sign
|
a glass of heavy water

''Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
|
[[wikipedia:Heavy water|Heavy water]] is a form of water that contains only [[wikipedia:Deuterium|deuterium]] (hydrogen-2) atoms in place of the much more common [[wikipedia:Hydrogen|hydrogen-1]] atoms. It is approximately 10% [[wikipedia:Density|denser]] than the regular water, hence its name. Heavy water is not normally poured into glasses as for drinking.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface of the planet to the right of the ''Round Planet'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''EXIT''
| Marks the direction to the crack in the Crystal Sphere.
|-
| Landscape
| Next to the ''EXIT'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Uzumaki''
| Marks the direction to Uzumaki
|-
| Landscape
| Across a gap in the surface to the right of the ''Uzumaki'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Origin and Subway''
| Marks the direction to Origin and (not quite precisely) to the Subway Planet.
|-
| Landscape
| On the surface opposite the ''EXIT'' sign
| A sign with upwards-pointing arrow saying: ''Earth (compromise projection)''
| Marks the direction to Projection of Earth.

|-
| rowspan="9" valign="top" | '''Round Planet'''
| People
| On the middle part of the Great Wall
|
Cueball and Megan.
:'''Cueball''': The Great Wall of China is the only human-made structure you can see space from.
|
This is a pun on the commonly voiced misconception that the [[wikipedia:Great Wall of China|Great Wall of China]] is the only man-made object on Earth that can be seen from [[wikipedia:Outer space|space]] (or the Earth's orbit at least).
|-
| Item + Upgrade
| To the right of the Great Wall over a field of boulders
|
a sensible cheese platter

''Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.''
|
A cheese platter is a common dish served in restaurants as a starter or sometimes as a main dish, as well as a final course in a formal meal (following the sweet, or as an option instead of one) composed of a selection of cheeses served on a large platter. However, often it may just be a random collection of what's available (e.g. a hard cheese, a soft cheese, a blue cheese of either hard or soft variety, possibly a small serving of butter; and a selection of crackers that are either far too many or far too few for the other products). A "sensible" plate, i.e. well-composed by a competent chef, might be considered rare.
|-
| Item
| Within Stonehenge
| a Swatch pop-out wristwatch
|
|-
| People
| To the right of the Stonehenge
| Hairbun walking on absurdly high stilts
| People walking on stilts are a fairly common theme in xkcd. References include [[482: Height]], [[1608: Hoverboard]], [[1663: Garden]], [[2603: Childhood Toys]], [[2669: Things You Should Not Do]] and possibly other comics (maybe we need a new category).
|-
| Landscape
| Next to Hairbun on stilts
|
Three spaceships flying just above the surface. The leading one transmits a message:
:''Rogue group, use your harpoons and tow cables! Go for the legs!''
|
This is a quote from [[wikipedia:Star Wars|''Star Wars'']] episode V [[wikipedia:The Empire Strikes Back|''The_Empire_Strikes_Back'']]. In the original context the starships were attacking [[wikipedia:Walker (Star Wars)#All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT)|AT-AT]] four-legged armored vehicles, trying to immobilize them by entangling their legs. In the game, they are attacking Hairbun on stilts instead.
|-
| Upgrade
| Above the middle spaceship attacking Hairbun
| ''Your engine gets a bit more powerful.''
| A regular engine upgrade.
|-
| People
| To the right of the three spaceships
| A volleyball net. Cueball is jumping in the air to hit a volleyball on the right side of the net while Ponytail is juggling three bowling pins on the left side.
|
|-
| Landscape
| To the right of the volleyball field
|
An airplane towing a long, narrow banner with a message printed across, not along it:
:''Does any one know how to get this thing to print in land scape mode?''
| A reference to [[2757: Towed Message]].
|-
| People
| To the right of the airplane towing a banner
| Beret Guy climbing a cell tower with some fruit hanging off the antennas. Cueball is standing next to it.
|


|-
| rowspan="2" valign="top" |
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|

|-
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| ...
| ...
| ...
| ...
|}

User:Malgond

2023-05-05T20:16:36Z

172.68.139.32: /* Experiment */

User:Malgond

2023-05-05T20:09:38Z

172.68.139.32: /* Experiment */

User:Malgond

2023-05-05T20:09:12Z

172.68.139.32: /* Experiment */

User:Malgond

2023-05-05T20:08:56Z

172.68.139.32:

2765: Escape Speed/Transcript

2023-04-28T13:33:09Z

172.68.139.32: Upper surface of the Star Destroyer

Below, you will find a '''complete transcript''' for [[2765: Escape Speed]].

*Overview

:[An interactive comic featuring a large world with many planets and objects, navigable by a small spaceship. The ship is affected by the gravity of the planets and objects and controllable by arrow keys. The up arrow activates the main engine, adding forward speed; the down arrow activates reverse (bow) thrusters. Left and right arrows activate thrusters which rotate the spaceship. The spaceship features a "radar" - grey dots around it. The placement of the dots around indicate directions to nearby planets; the size and shade of gray indicate distance. The playing field is a viewport into space, the ship is always in the center and the viewport scrolls as the ship moves through space - the player sees only relatively small part of the overall game world. Orientation is a bit difficult, exacerbated by the fact that the view automatically rotates according to the local gradient of gravity. The world features collectible items (small gray circles) and powerups (grey hollow stars). Sometimes these are collocated, i.e. a gray circle appears in the hollow center of a gray star. When the ship flies close to a collectible or powerup, it disappears and a message is shown in the lower part of the viewport. After picking up most collectibles, their names are added to the "You've found" list below the playing field; unless you are viewing a mobile-device version, where the playing area is optimised to full-screen. Some collectibles display a message only and do not add an item to the list. The player can return to the starting position (keeping all powerups and collected items) by clicking the Home button in the bottom right of the playing field.]

*Starting planet

:[A tiny grassy planet with a few trees and bushes and four collectibles. A planet is so tiny that it can be seen whole in the game's viewport. This is where the player starts, or returns after clicking the Home button. Initially the navigation is difficult because of low initial engine thrust and strong gravity of the Origin planet nearby affecting movement. There's a collectible right up from the starting position (shows a message only and is not reflected in the "You've found" list)]
:Wheeee!
:[Other features of the planet, as they are encountered by carefully moving just above the planet's surface in the clockwise direction are:]
:[A tree, about twice as high as the spaceship]
:[A collectible low in the grass]
:You found a cool bug!
:[A small tree and a larger tree to the right, with a collectible up its branches]
:You found a pretty leaf!
:[A tree sapling]
:[Beret Guy pointing his arm up. From that position the surface of the Origin planet can be seen above.]
:Beret Guy: WOW!
:[A large tree]
:[Cueball and Megan standing together.]
:[A small tree]
:[Another collectible just off the surface]
:You found a rock with neat stripes!
:[A small tree]

*Origin planet

:[The planet has vegetation and features many people, landscape objects and collectibles, and it has a shaft through the center. To get there, just launch off the starting planet and let the gravity pull the ship towards Origin. The planet is hard to leave without any powerups, unless one uses the shaft to gain more momentum by thrusting while moving through the center. The features of the planet include (clockwise from the point closest to the starting planet):]
:[A billboard]
:Welcome to Origin! ''You can never leave™''

:[A rollercoaster with a duck sitting on it. At the middle of it there's a (hidden) entrance to the shaft. There's a collectible item above.]
:Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting! ''(message only)''
:[A billboard to the right of the rollercoaster]
:Caution: Long vertical drop

:[A spider figure; going straight up from there you can reach the Giant Spider planet]

:[A radiotelescope; going up you can reach Voyager 2]
:Receiving transmission

:[Cueball and White Hat]
:White Hat: I bet the voyager spacecraft could teach you a thing or two about speed. Of course, you'd have to catch up to them first...

:[A cell tower with 5G antennas and the satellite from xkcd comic 1992: Safety sat on top. There's a collectible next to it.]
:You found a 5G seagull

:[A tyrannosaurus, Ponytail and Cueball standing next to a St. Louis Arch-shaped hole in the ground. Launching from where the T-Rex stands, you can reach the Jurassic Park planet.]
:[A miniature of the Andal planet, marking the direction to it.]
:[A pyramid with a football on top; leads to the Space Soccer Game planet]
:[Ponytail sitting on top of a pyramid, Megan standing at the base of it]
:Ponytail: If you want a better spaceship, you need to visit another planet.
:Megan: But if I want to visit another planet, I need a better spaceship!

:[A pyramid with Saturn on top; leads to the Saturn]
:[Cueball and White Hat]
:Cueball: I can't believe the Air and Space Museum's new exhibit has a real black hole!
:White Hat: Is that... safe?
:Cueball: It's OK, they've got a protective case around it.

:[A few clouds]
:[A recess in the ground with a monument shaped as Earth continents in a hyperelliptical projection. Hairy is standing next to it.]
:Hairy: Even if you did find a crack in the crystal sphere, there's no way you'd be able to escape its gravitational pull. You'd need some kind of a hyperdrive for that.

:[A spaceship from xkcd comic 2630: Shuttle Skeleton. Going up from there you can reach Shuttle Skeleton planet.]
:[St. Louis Arch. There's a hidden entrance to the tunnel under it; launching from the tunnel you can reach the Hollow planet. An intelligible sign is posted next to it. When the spaceship passes near the sign, a message appears:]
:The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.
:[To the right of the Arch Ponytail stands with three kids looking like Hairy, Megan and Cueball.]
:Ponytail: The St. Louis Arch is also known as the gateway to space.

:[A miniature of the Roche Lobe Earth, marking the direction to it]
:[A small building and a strange tower with a spiked orb on top and two collectibles next to it, one close to the tower top, another one hidden at the base on the right side.]
:You found an orb wren!
:You found 11 squares packed into a larger square!

:[Hairbun and another person; launching from there you can reach the What if? planet]
:Hairbun: Boston? That's in North America, on the Subway planet. It's straight up from the secret glade, you can't miss it.

:[A grassy area with two collectibles]
:You found a tumbleweed!
:You found a marsh wren!

:[A quintet of hairy and bearded people playing and singing]
:It's more than a feeling 
:More than a feeling

:[A collectible high off the surface right to the band]
:You found a tiny meteorite! ''(message only)''

:[Another collectible higher off (reachable only after you visit another planet and find engine powerup)]
:You found a single grain of salt!

:[A spiral on a pedestal; going straight up from there leads you to the Uzumaki aka the Spiral planet]
:[A radiotelescope; going up you can reach Voyager 1]
:Receiving transmission

:[Cueball and Megan]
:Megan: It's like my astronomy teacher always said: "Shoot for the Moon -- even if you miss, you might make a crack in the crystal sphere that imprisons us all in this universe."

:[A collectible clockwise from Megan]
:You found a holographic Charizard business card

:[A patch of trees and bushes]
:A bush: SHHH.

:[A collectible between two lower trees next to the talking bush; launching from there you can reach the Subway planet.]
:You found a secret glade
:[Another collectible hidden up a large tree next to the secret glade]
:You found a normal-looking leaf!

:[In the center of the planet there's a round hollow with a collectible in the exact middle]
:Welcome to liminal space ''(message only)''
:[Next to the hollow there's a cave with another collectible]
:You found a DVD of The Core (2003)!
:[In the cave there's Megan, her hair flying around her head in microgravity]
:Megan: The Oberth effect states that firing thrusters deeper in a gravity well adds more kinetic energy.

:[Applying the above hint from Megan, you can launch high above the St. Luis Arch to reach a star-shaped powerup (subtracts 1.5 from thrust recovery time)]
:Nice flying! Your tanks recharge faster now.

:[Launching like that you can reach the Hollow planet]

*Hollow planet

:[The planet is just a crust with a few holes through which you can fall into the center. Near the center, Ponytail and White Hat fly in microgravity.]
:White Hat: It's weird how a hollow shell doesn't exert gravitational force on objects inside it.
:Ponytail: Oh, so '''that's''' why we don't feel a pull from the crystal sphere.

:[Next to White Hat and Ponytail there's a powerup (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found a sixth Lagrange point! Your thrusters are more efficient now.

:[On the surface of the Hollow planet there's a bunch of signs with arrows pointing up and the names of the planets which lay in the direction. These are (clockwise):]
:Origin and Subway
:Earth (compromise projection)
:Round planet
:Exit
:Uzumaki

:[There's a powerup between "Round planet" and "Exit" signs]
:You found a glass of heavy water! Your engine gets a bit more powerful.

*Round planet

:[A perfectly round planet, somewhat smaller than the Origin, without any vegetation but with some architecture and people on it. You can reach it by following a sign on the Hollow planet or by launching from the Origin planet from the tower with an orb on top. Its features are (clockwise):]
:[The Great Wall of China]
:[Two small figures of Megan and Cueball on the Great Wall]
:Cueball: The Great Wall of China is the only Human-made structure you can see space from.

:[A few stones with a collectible and powerup above them (-0.75 to thrust recovery time)]
:You found a sensible cheese platter. Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.

:[The Stonehenge with a collectible between megaliths and Cueball standing next to it]
:You found a swatch pop-out wristwatch!

:[Hairbun walking on absurdly high stilts]

:[Three spaceships flying just above the surface. The leading one transmits a message:]
:Rogue group, use your harpoons and tow cables! Go for the legs!

:[A powerup just above the middle ship]
:Your engine gets a bit more powerful.

:[A volleyball net. Cueball is jumping in the air to hit a volleyball on the right side of the net while Ponytail is juggling three bowling pins on the left side.]

:[An airplane towing a long, narrow banner with a message printed across, not along it]
:Does any one know how to get this thing to print in land scape mode?

:[Beret Guy climbing a 5G tower with some fruit(?) hanging off the antennas. Cueball is standing next to it.]

:[A small volcano cone]

:[Huge gallows with a large flag on a pole hanging on it. The pole of the flag is twisted into a shape partly resembling an infinity sign; the loose end of the pole pierces the flag. A relatively large Cueball figure stands next to it.]

*Uzumaki

:[A large spiral overgrown with grass and some other vegetation. Features (clockwise):]

:[The outside of the spiral]
:[A collectible and a powerup (-0.75 to thrust recovery time)]
:You found a single caffeine molecule! Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.
:[A single tree]
:[A pack of three birds flying]
:[A group of stones in an area free of vegetation]
:[The "entrance" to the spiral with a collectible, displaying a message only]
:EXIT ONLY

:[The inside of the spiral]
:[Cueball running]
:[A collectible]
:You found a festive but somehow unnerving holiday card from Junji Ito!
:[A bush]
:[A collectible]
:You found a podcast episode!
:[Another collectible]
:You found a friendly bee!
:[A dead bush]
:[A collectible]
:You found an ink cartridge!
:[A free-roaming Roomba]
:Roomba: WHIRRR
:[A collectible just above Roomba]
:'You're going the wrong way!' ''(message only)''
:[Another collectible]
:You found a spiral-cut diamond!
:[Still another collectible]
:You found a golden radio tuned to 1.618 MHz!
:[Beret Guy standing]
:Beret Guy: I like spirals!
:[A collectible]
:You found a burrito!
:[Another collectible]
:You found a cool pair of shoes with flames on the side!
:[Still another collectible]
:You found a scroll lock key!
:[A small tree]
:[A collectible]
:You found a primordial black hole!
:[A collectible and a powerup right at the center of the spiral (+2.5 to thrust duration)]
:You found a tree-filled grove and a nice spot for quiet contemplation Your thrusters are significantly more efficient now.
:[The center of the spiral is a dead end - one needs to fly all the way back out or just hit the Home button]

*Guitar Ship planet

:[A planet shaped like a guitar seen in perspective looking from the bottom of the body, with a dome on the back side. The planet lies close to Uzumaki, one can reach it by observing the spaceship's radar. Within the dome, there's the Boston skyline. Just over the dome there's a collectible.]
:You found a guitar pick!
:[When the Boston planet is uncloaked, orange line subway token appears near the guitar's neck]
:Orange line deactivated!

*Spacetime Soccer game planet

:[A tiny planet with a smooth surface and a distorted soccer field marked around it. You can get there by launching from the pyramid with a soccer ball on top, located on the Origin. The goals and goal area lines are on the opposite sides of the planet (let's say, to the east and west), distorted into curved trapezoids. The touch lines (side lines) are sections of hyperbolas with the vertices closest to the planet at the north and south poles, extending symmetrically to some distance from the planet. There is no goal line; in this geometry it should be the extended axis. What seems to be penalty lines, but drawn incorrectly to join the side lines instead of going back to the goal line, are sections of an ellipse. The halfway line appears twice joining the four ends of hyperbolic side lines, together with two halves of the center circle. The field utilizes the concept from xkcd comic 2705: Spacetime soccer, but inversed: the gravity well is located at both goals, not in the center. Hairy, Megan, Cueball and Ponytail are playing. Ponytail has just kicked a football. Each goal has a powerup inside (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! Your thrusters are more efficient now.
:GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! Your engine gets a bit more powerful.
:[Another powerup lies at a pole of the planet]
:You've found a sunspot. Your launch speed has increased.
:[Still another power up lies at the center spot on one of the copies of the half-way line (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found the 3 million point line. Your thrusters are more efficient now.

*Saturn

:[A planet with rings, and a soccer ball inside; one of the ball's white hexagon is surfacing in the north pole area. You can reach it by launching from a Saturn-topped pyramid on Origin. There's a collectible at the equator, below the rings.]
:You found a really cool data point!
:[A powerup is located at the south pole]
:You found a block of scandium! Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[Another powerup at middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere]
:You found a pair of platonic solids, not quite touching! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

*Andal

:[A small rocky and grassy planet. Features (clockwise):]

:[A T-shaped tower with a powerup on top (-0.75 to thrust recovery time)]
:What a nice place for a ship to sit! Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.
:[Two fantasy animals: one looks like a centaur, the other as a horse-headed centaur. Both have sickle-shaped blades at the ends of their tails. There's a powerup above them. (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found two Andalites, one canonical! Your thrusters are more efficient now.
:[A powerup in a small recess in the ground]
:You found baby shoes (and baby)! Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[Cueball and Megan facing each other]
:Megan: The M.I.T. cloaking device only affects the electroweak and nuclear forces. Gravity is the odd one out, as usual.
:[A powerup next to Megan (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found a friend. Your thrusters are more efficient now.

*Compromise Projection of Earth

:[A huge distorted map of all land masses of Earth, freely floating in space like asteroids. You can get there by following the sign on the hollow planet or the Earth map monument on Origin. You can navigate your ship within the spaces where oceans and seas would be. There are several collectibles and powerups.]
:[A collectible and a powerup at the North Sea]
:You found the Principality of Sealand! Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[A collectible in the northern Atlantic Ocean]
:You found the Heart of the Ocean! It was drifting around in space.
:[When the Boston planet is uncloaked, red line subway token appears next to Boston, Massachusetts]
:Red line deactivated!
:[A collectible off the West African coastline]
:You found a whale shark!
:[A collectible and a powerup next to Rhode Island]
:You found a Rhode Island the size of an ant! Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[A power up off the southern Australian coast]
:You found an icosahedral d10. Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[A collectible by the Alexander Island of Antarctica]
:You found some microbial life!
:[A collectible on the Western coast of Myanmar near the Strait of Malacca]
:You found some tin from the Pantai Remis mine!
:[A collectible next to the Celebes Island of Indonesia]
:You found a sparkling gem!
:[A collectible near the Kamchatka peninsula in Eastern Russia]
:You found a piece of pumice floating in space!

*Voyager 1

:[The Voyager 1 space probe. You can reach it by launching from a radiotelescope next to the spiral monument on Origin. There's a collectible and a powerup next to its dish antenna.]
:You found Voyager 1! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.

*Voyager 2

:[The Voyager 2 space probe. You can reach it by launching from a radiotelescope next to the spider monument on Origin. There's a collectible and a powerup next to its dish antenna.]
:You found Voyager 2! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.

*SafetySat

:[The cube satellite from xkcd comic 1992: SafetySat. There's a collectible in front of its laser pointers.]
:You found a first of its kind
:[A powerup next to software-defined radio (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:Your thrusters are more efficient now.
:[A powerup next to crude oil tank (+0.5 to launch speed)]
:The more refined oil had a dinner engagement. Your launch speed has increased.

*Shuttle Skeleton planet

:[A small planet shaped like a spaceship from xkcd comic 2630: Shuttle Skeleton. You can get there by launching from like-shaped monument on Origin or in northwestern direction from Alaska on Compromise Projection of Earth.]
:[A powerup next to the left-hand engine (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:A little upgrade works wonders on fuel efficiency. Your thrusters are more efficient now.
:[A collectible at the tip of the ship's bow]
:You found a piece of space shuttle food!

:[By launching straight from the engines of the Skeleton Shuttle you can find a lone collectible in the void of space, where the hidden Boston planet is. You can try finding it by observing the radar, because the hidden planet still has gravity. Once you've visited Shuttle skeleton, it is a good chance to get it, or it will be inside the Boston planet once it is de-cloaked].
:You found a strangely heavy subway token!

*Giant Spider

:[A giant spider floating in space. You can get there by launching from the spider figure on Origin. Eight people are standing on the tips of the spiders legs: Hairbun of fourth left leg, Hairy on third left one, White Hat on second left, Cueball on front left, Megan on front right leg, another Cueball on second right one, Beret Guy on third right and Black Hat on the fourth right leg. There's a collectible next to the tip of the spider's abdomen.]
:You found a spider-silk scarf!
:[The spider holds a powerup in its pincers]
:You found a friendly jumping spider. Your engine gets a little more powerful.

*Diffraction Spikes Star

:[A very spiky star shaped like the one from xkcd comic 2762: Diffraction Spikes]
:[A collectible at the tip of a long spike]
:You found a hydrogen ion!
:[A collectible at the tip of a short spike]
:You found a piece of coronium! Wait, no, iron.

*Roche Lobe Earth

:[This is a small, distorted, drop-shaped Earth with oceans and continents of the northern hemisphere. There's the Moon close by. The distortion looks like if the Moon's tidal forces is pulling northern Atlatic Ocean really hard. The planet can be reached by launching from the like-shaped statue on Origin. Cueball is standing on the surface roughly about the place of the southern U.S.A. There's a collectible off the California coastline.]
:You found a curious Humboldt squid!
:[Another collectible lies off the Japan coast]
:You found a bathyscaphe at the Marianas Trench!
:[When the Boston planet has been uncloaked, the green line subway token appears on the East Coast of U.S.A., where the city of Boston is located]
:Green line deactivated!
:[There's a collectible on the far side of the Moon]
:You found a wayward Roomba full of moondust!

*Dark Matter Planet

:[A small, irregular planet with a black center (normal planets have white centers) and an insciption "DARK MATTER" inside, repeated three times. On its surface there are two squirrels and Hairbun.]
:Hairbun: I found it!
:[There's a powerup anti-clockwise from Hairbun]
:You found a delicate music box. Your engine is a little more powerful now.

*Jurassic Park planet

:[A big planet with weak gravity, a lot of grass, and many dinosaur figures, some repeating a few times. You can get there by launching form a dinosaur statue on Origin. At one place on the surface Hairy and Megan are being greeted by dr John Hammond.]
:Welcome... to Jurassic Park
:[There are several powerups and collectibles, going clockwise from the visitors:]
:[A powerup (-0.75 to thrust recovery time)]
:But what if gravity doesn't actually exist? Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.
:[Another powerup]
:Today is a good day I think for space exploration. Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[A collectible]
:You found a tiny pteranodon!
:[Another collectible]
:You found a baby hedgehog!

*Comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko

:[A small, potato-shaped body. You can get there by launching form the rollercoaster on Origin. Features (clockwise):]
:[Remains of a crashed spacecraft, presumably Rosetta, with a powerup and a collectible (+0.5 to launch speed)]
:You found The Long Now Foundation's nickel paperweight containing an archive of every published Animorphs book! Your launch speed has increased.
:[Hairbun standing]
:[A small three-legged spacecraft, presumably Philae]
:Philae: BEEP BOOP
:[Cueball standing next to a smoke machine. There's a powerup to the left.]
:You found a broken smoke machine. Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[Another Cueball and a powerup (-0.75 to thrust recovery time)]
:Some people believe that when the Earth appears in the sky, it's a harbinger of doom. Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.
:[A powerup next to a signpost]
:Anyone for Scrabble later? Your engine gets a little more powerful.

*What If? planet

:[A huge, round planet with many bodies of water. You can get there by launching from the left part of Stonehenge on the Round Planet. Some scenes from the book "what if? 2" and the xkcd comic 2712: Gravity appear here. Features (clockwise):]

:[A flagpole with a powerup on the flag]
:You captured the flag! You decide to leave it there, but it's yours. Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[A cave in the ground. Inside it there's Beret Guy, two rabbits, and a powerup.]
:You found a dna base pair! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[Two stones with sails attached, sliding on the ground towards Hairbun and Megan]

:[Black Hat with a bow, shooting an arrow upwards towards a spy satellite. There's a powerup just above it.]
:You found an eye in the sky

:[A lake with an eel swimming in it]

:[A collectible in the grass]
:You found a smooth green snake! It curls up in your hand and naps.

:[A small erupting volcano]

:[White Hat and Cueball standing, another person charging them with a sword held above head. Cueball is holding a small object in his left hand, the arm stretched towards the attacker]

:[Hairbun running towards Megan. Megan is kicking something.]

:[A person with a wide-rimmed hat driving a tractor(?). The ground strangely sticks to its wheels.]

:[Megan and Cueball on a shore of a shallow body of water, Cueball is poking a stick into the water. Some creature is flying over the water. There's a powerup at the bottom (+0.4 to thrust duration).]
:You found a sunken treasure. Your thrusters are more efficient now.

:[Cueball standing on the other side of the water, taking hits from some objects falling from above.]
:PLINK
:Cueball: OW!
:PLINK
:Cueball: OW!

:[Hairy sitting on a large heap of something, Cueball standing aside.]

:[Megan standing on a brim of a small valley, Ryan standing in the valley with a small animal by his feet.]
:Megan: Hi Ryan!
:[There's a collectible over Ryan]
:You found an asterisk. It doesn’t seem to refer to anything.

:[A dugout. Cueball and Megan are standing there. Cueball holds a spade. There's a powerup above (+0.5 to launch speed).]
:The Yellowstone Super What? Your launch speed has increased.

:[A river, a waterfall and a lake below it. On the top of the waterfall Cueball faces two persons with police hats. There's a fat hose labelled "Niagara water" leading from the waterfall into a building labelled "LHC". Someone in the building shouts:]
:Someone: ''HEY''
:[There's a collectible next to the LHC building]
:You found a large hadron!

:[A body of rippled strangely-behaving water, like it was a solid. Two people in a sailboat. To the right there's a gap in the water from which a huge UFO-shaped rock has been ejected, with two people on it. Further right Megan is standing at the bottom of a shaft in the water, next to some water plant]

:[A few clouds and Cueball standing. The largest cloud, a cumulonimbus, features a powerup.]
:Nutritional Facts - Serving Size: 1 Cloud, Total Calories: 0. Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[Megan sitting on a rectangular block, another block standing upright, a few stones.]

:[White Hat walking along Hairbun, holding a rectangular object in her hand.]

:[A patch of trees with two collectibles]
:You found a secret leaf!
:You found a stick!

:[A small Cueball figure]

:[A tower crane lowering a comet, on a place with two dinosaurs. A collectible below the crane's beam.]
:You found a sterile neutrino!

:[Knit Cap holding a remote control. An object is moving at supersonic speed next to him.]
:BOOM
:[There's a collectible to the left of Knit Cap]
:You found a pair of squirrel goggles!

:[Danish standing in a swimming pool, Cueball on the brim. There's a powerup in the pool.]
:You found a steam calliope! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[A large figure of Cueball]

*Subway Planet

:[A huge planet with a subway system connecting places named after U.S. cities, similar to the one from the xkcd comic 1196: Subways. In the area where Boston should be according to that system, there is a giant round hole with rugged sides consisting of a lot of broken planks. You can get there by taking off from the secret glade on Origin planet. There's a black hole inside, off the center, in the Washingon, D.C. area. There are many people and features both on the surface and within subway tunnels.]

:[On the surface of the planet, clockwise from the Boston hole, there are:]

:[Megan and Cueball standing on the edge of the Boston hole. Cueball is leaning forward, looking down.]
:Cueball: Where's Boston?
:Megan: I think M.I.T. kids took it.

:[Three consecutive entrances to tunnels leading to New Yourk City area, a tunnel leading a little below and back up, another three entrances; Cueball standing next to the middle one. There's a power up just a bit into the third (+0.5 to launch speed).]
:You found a hot dog. Your launch speed has increased.

:[Cueball and Danish walking]
:Cueball: Why did those M.I.T. kids keep talking about Morgantown?
:Danish: They're just transit enthusiasts, I guess.
:Cueball: But Morgantown is tiny. It can;t possibly have a subway, can it?
:Danish: Not exactly...

:[Hairy and White Hat standing]
:Hairy: A lot of people don't realize that North America only has one subway system; each city's metro is just one part of the network.

:[A sequence of seven tunnel entrances leading to Monterrey area. There's a warning message just below the surface:]
:Warning! Air and Space Museum black hole ahead!
:Turn back while you still have enough engine thrust!
:[The above message repeats many times within the maze of subway tunnels]

:[A powerup next to the second entrance (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found a bottle of Coke Absolute Zero! Your thrusters are more efficient now.

:["Mexico City" label just below the surface, an entrance to a tunnel leading to Atlanta and a warning message about the black hole, Ponytail]
:Ponytail: Welcome to the Subway Planet, home of all North America's metro systems!

:[Ponytail and Cueball. Cuaball is holding a four-wheeled suitcase.]
:Ponytail: Boston? No, that's on the other side of the planet. Or used to be, anyway.

:[Ponytail and Megan walking]
:Ponytail: My favorite thing about visiting Origin is all the pointing sculptures. They make it so easy to navigate!

:[Two tunnel entrances leading to Los Angeles. A "San Francisco" label next to them. Cueball and Megan standing on opposite sides of the first entrance.]
:Cueball: If you're looking for someone to track down those M.I.T. kid, you could try asking CalTech.
:Megan: But we're in San Francisco; Isn't CalTech in Pasadena?
:Cueball: Yeah, it's down there somewhere.

:[Ponytail jumping across a tunnel entrance]
:Ponytail: Vancouver!

:[A "Vancouver" label and another tunnel entrance. Cueball and Ponytail are looking up.]
:Cueball: Huh, I never noticed that crack in the crystal sphere before.

:[An entrance to a tunnel leading to Toronto]

:[A "Montreal" label and two tunnel entrances. The left edge of the Boston hole. Next to the right edge, there's a powerup (-0.75 to thrust recovery time).]
:You get the feeling you're not in Kansas anymore. Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.

:[Features inside the metro system, in no particular order:]

:[Knit Cap in Montreal]
:Knit Cap: Bienvenue a Montreal!

:[Blondie and Megan at the bottom of the Boston hole]
:Blondie: I hear M.I.T. kids were working on a cloaking device. Boston could be anywhere.

:[A collectible in a short dead-end line near the right side of the Boston hole:
:You found a Cybiko® wireless handheld computer for teens (2000)!

:[A power up down the tunnels of New York City (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found a brightly-lit billboard. Your thrusters are more efficient now.

:[A collectible in a dead-end tunnel in NYC]
:You found a handful of quantum foam!

:[A collectible somewhere in NYC]
:You found a normal-sized apple!

:[Down in NYC: another copy of the black hole warning message and a powerup next to it]
:You found a friendly cat! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[Mexico, Cueball sitting on a ledge, Megan standing below]
:Megan: You'd need some powerful thrusters to make it down there and back.

:[In Monterrey, Megan is using her smartphone to look up the subway scheme in xkcd.com/1196]

:[A collectible and a powerup in a short dead-end tunnel near Miami]
:You found a beige electron! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[A collectible in a dead-end tunnel in Toronto]
:You found a relativistic bowling ball!

:[A collectible and a power-up further down from Toronto]
:You found $30 in Yahoo! cash! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[A powerup down in San Francisco]
:Your engine gets a little more powerful. Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[Down in Los Angeles there's a rectangular chamber connected to a tunnel. Megan is standing at the entrance to it, Hairbun and Cueball are inside]
:Megan: Welcome to CalTech!
:Hairbun: The M.I.T. cloaking device control? It's in Morgantown, WV.
:Cueball: Figures.

:[A small distance left and down from the chamber Science Girls is standing in the tunnel]
:Science Girl: Stop! This line goes to D.C.!Ever since the Air and Space Museum put in the black hole exhibit, it's been difficult to return without enough engine thrust.

:[A powerup in a tunnel between Los Angeles and Philadelphia (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:There is no parking in the white zone. Your thrusters are more efficient now.

:[A powerup in a long straight dead-end tunnel near Philadelphia]
:You feel accomplished. Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[Down in Philadelphia, Cueball sitting on a slope]
:Cueball: Morgantown? You could get there via Philly and Baltimore, but that would take you near the Museum. Might be safer to take the red line from Atlanta.

:[Further down from Philadelphia, close to Washington, D.C. Cueball is barely balancing himself on a slope of a tunnel leading to the black hole.]

:[A collectible in a tunnel in Washington, close to the black hole]
:Transfer here for Mornington Crescent ''(message only)''

:[At the center of Washington there's the black hole pictured as a dark circle with shiny rings around it. It is impossible to escape it without hyperdrive. If caught there, hit the Home button].

:[A sign in the tunnel leading from Washington to Morgantown]
:WV

:[Further along the tunnel Cueball is sitting at a subway station (a round chamber a bit wider than the tunnel) at a strange angle to the surface, affected by black hole gravity]
:Cueball: Welcome to Morgantown!

:[A gray circle with a letter "T"]
:MIT Cloaking Device deactivated! Boston detected.
:[Grey line appears, leading out of the tunnels exiting the Subway Planet interior near Mexico City. The line end with an arrow and a label "To Boston". A similar line appears on the Origin Planet, leading from the bush sayin SHHH, then through the shaft, and up the St. Louis arch. It ends with a similar arrow and label.]

:[Megan standing at a strange angle at the next station]
:Megan: Welcome to Morgantown!

:[Further along the tunnel Megan is sitting]
:Megan: I think I'm stuck. I can't even see the black hole from here!

:[Cueball sitting further along the Morgantown tunnel, where it joins another tunnel]
:Cueball: Where does that line go?

*Boston planet

:[A big, perfectly round planet with a subway system. It is invisible until the player finds uncloaking device switch near Morgantown on the Subway Planet. Initially, all underground tunnels are blocked by huge round rocks with the letter "T" at the entrances and smaller round rocks down the tunnels. To unblock the tunnels, player needs to find subway tokens scattered in the universe; they appear only after the Boston planet is uncloaked. Subway stations on the surface and inside are marked with Boston district names. There are two trees and several people on the surface of the planet, described below (clockwise):]

:[Two large trees growing at both sides of a tunnel entrance of the orange line, labelled "Oak Grove"]

:[Cueball standing next to the entrance of the blue line, labelled "Wonderland"]
:Cueball: There's a token to open each T line. The blue line token is right here in Boston.

:[The blue line token is located just above the entrance]
:Blue line deactivated!

:[White Hat and Ponytail are standing on the other side of the blue line entrance]
:White Hat: Welcome to Wonderland!

:[Red line tunnel entrance labelled "Braintree". Cueball and Megan are standing next to it]
:Cueball: Transfer here to Skinflower and Bonevine.

:[Entrance to the second red line branch labelled "Mattapan"]

:[Cueball standing next to green line branch entrance labelled "Riverside"]
:Cueball: I can't believe the green line goes all the way to Los Angeles.

:[Entrances to another two branches of the green line labelled "Cleveland Circle" and "Boston College". Some way from the Boston College Megan and Ponytail are talking."
:Megan: Boston is a lot of places. It's on the East Coast of North America, but it's also on the surface of the Earth.
:Ponytail: And on some playlists.
:Megan: And of course it's right here!

:[Cueball at the entrance of another green line branch labelled "Medford/Tufts"]
:Cueball: I can't believe the green line extension is finally open.

:[There are several people down the Boston Subway tunnels. Down the blue line tunnel, Cueball is walking.]
:Cueball: The red line token? It's in Boston

:[Another Cueball further down]
:Cueball: The green line token is in Boston, too.

:[Still another Cueball, climbing]
:Cueball: The orange line token is also in Boston.

:[Cueball again, close to intersection with the orange line]
:Cueball: There are a lot of Bostons in this universe.

:[In the redline tunnel, down from Braintree Cueball and Megan are walking]
:Cueball: You know, the locals actually pronounce it "Quinchy"

:[Following the red line past the center, the player arrives at the M.I.T. Megan is standing there.]
:Megan: The hyperdrive works pretty well, but use it carefully. Try not to fly into walls at full speed.

:[There's a powerup in front of Megan]
:Welcome to MIT! You acquired a hyperdrive! Your engine thrust has increased significantly.

*Crystal sphere

:[All the "planets" described above lie within a huge ring called the Crystal Sphere. You can get there by flying in any direction, provided that you don't hit any planet. The interior edge of the Sphere is almost perfectly smooth, but has a few dents and cracks. At a point closest to the Subway Planet, there's a large crack leading all the way to the outside. At the entrance to the crack, on both sides, there are two collectibles.]
:Left lane must turn left ''(message only)''
:Right lane must turn right ''(message only)''

:[Along the interior edge there are a few objects (clockwise from the large crack:]

:[A collectible and a powerup]
:You found the gold crown Archimedes stole! Your engine thrust has increased significantly.

:[A collectible]
:You found a necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out your name (note: hopefully you are not named 'Katherine' or 'Brandon')!

:[A collectible and a powerup]
:A significant boost to the engines for a curious pilot. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.

:[The walls off the large crack in the Crystal Sphere are rugged, looking like a rumble of broken wooden planks. Some distance from the entrance there's a powerup (+0.5 to launch speed)]
:There is a way out. Your launch speed has increased.

:[From around the location of the "way out" powerup, gravity is increasing significantly. It is difficult to get out of the sphere unless one has collected almost all powerups from the locations inside the sphere. Even though, moving on the outer surface is difficult. There's an arch around the outer exit of the crack consisting of repeating words "THE END". There's a collectible on the outer surface, quite far anticlockwise from the crack.]
:You found the platinum cylinder formerly used to define the kilogram!

*Star Destroyer

:[A gigantic starship; it could have barely fit within the Crystal Sphere. It is located out of the Sphere, right up from the crack, but it can't be reached without the hyperdrive. It has many corridors and chambers inside, and a lot of people, objects and other features both inside and outside of it. The gravity of the Sphere is still strong around here, but the ship has its own center of gravity; the "down" direction generally points towards the ventral part of the ship, but not quite, making orientation somewhat difficult as the surfaces supposed to be level seem to tilt to the left near the stern and to the right near the bow of the ship.]

:[On the outside of the ship, going anti-clockwise from a spherical dome on top of the ship's bridge, there are:]

:[On a ledge just below the dome, Cueball and Megan are standing next to a dish antenna, Megan is manipulating it]
:Megan: Such a pain adjusting this thing every time we move.

:[There's a collectible just over the antenna's support pole]
:You found an unread email. Better leave it unread.

:[Below a forward-protruding section of the ship's bridge, Ponytail has launched a paper plane from a small balcony. The balcony is an entrance (#1) into the Star Destroyer's huge network of corridors]

:[Below, on the flat upper surface of the ship, some distance fore from the bridge's base, a figure with a wide-rimmed hat crouches, holding reins]
:Cowboy: Giddyayup!

:[A rectangular block protruding from the surface. An entrance (#2) with stairs, protected be a handrail]

:[A ledge over a small drop on the surface of the ship. A basketball hoop on a pole, Cueball, Ponytail and Megan standing next to it watching a smaller Cueball chasing a basketball bouncing down the sloped surface. A powerup not far fore of the basketball (-0.75 to thrust recovery time).]
:You found a perpetual motion fidget spinner! Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.

:[An entrance shaft (#3). A ledge over a small diagonal drop, a cannon turret at the base of the drop.]

:[A thick ledge over a large drop on the surface. An entrance (#4) to a tunnel. Another two drops without ledges. A shallow entry shaft (#5).]

:[A large drop with a ledge. A shaft (#6) some way fore, a small drop. Another shaft (#7) some distance away. Still fore, a small drop with a ledge, an entrance (#8) to a shaft below the ledge.]

:[Another shaft (#9), a slightly protruding, long block just next to the #9 shaft, still another shaft (#10), another block. Some distance from there there's a flat bow of the ship. At the bow, there are two entrances (#11 and #12) leading into the ship. Cueball stands next to entrance #12.]

*Stream of torpedoes

*Corellian Corvette

:[A spaceship borrowed from the Star Wars universum. It is quite big, its length is larger than the diameter of the Origin planet, but smaller than Boston planet. It is found most easily by following a stream of torpedoes fired from the Star Destroyer. There are several people both inside and outside of it, standing on the upper surface. Gravity in the area is quite strong, coming from the huge Crystal Sphere. Starting clockwise from the stern you can find:]

:[Cueball standing on a ledge next to engine nozzle. Megan is pulling him by his arm as if trying to prevent him falling off. Cueball, leaning over the ledge, is holding a long stick with a huge marshmallow the size of his head on it, right over the center of the nozzle.]

:[On a ledge next to the ventral laser cannon turret Cueball is standing with a fishing rod, fishing line lowered into the space below, a square-shaped bait on the hook. Two birds are flying next to the bait.]

:[On the top of the round bow section of the ship, Cueaball is standing next to some device]

:[There's a rugged hole in upper side of the middle section of the ship, two Cueball figures stand next to it]
:Cueball 1: So you just came down and made a hole in our ship without permission?
:Cueball 2: Yup.
:Cueball 1: Wow, rude.

:[A collectible in the focal point of the dorsal comms dish]
:You found a serif!

:[Two Cueballs to the right of the dish, looking up]
:Cueball 1: That thing is ''huge''. ''Imperial''-class?
:Cueball 2: Yeah. Maybe a Mk-I. Depends on whether this is the expanded universe or not.

:[Ponytail and Cueball shooting bows towards a stream of torpedos]
:''TWANG''

:[An explosion causing a shallow crater on the ship's surface]
:BOOM

:[A bunch of torpedos coming in diagonally from above. One torpedo half-buried itself in a dome-shaped side of the ship. Two Cueballs next to it.]
:Cueball 1: Why are they still firing?
:Cueball 2: Oh, the turret operators pretty much do their own thing. It's definitely a pain sometimes.

:[A large rectangular chamber in the middle section of the ship with comms dishes. Hairy, and two Cueballs talking.]
:Cueball 1: The Death Start plans are ''not'' in the main computer.
:Cueball 2: Darn. See, if we had found them in the main computer, that would be good news, since it would mean no one else had them. But since we didn't find them, we need to keep searching for anyone with a copy. That all makes sense and I ''definitely'' understand how computers work.

:[A collectible in a short dead-end section of a corridor leading fore from the big chamber]
:You found the Death Star plans!

:[In a parallel corridor just above, Ponytail is walking, singing]

:[In a small chamber just below the dorsal turret there's a container labelled "Bullets". Cueball is pouring small bullets into it from a bucket.]

:[Further down the corridor a small device is moving towards the bow of the starship.]

:[Danish standing next to a console on the upper deck of the bow section, Hairbun right behind, her fists clenched.]
:Danish: Captain's log, stardate April 3rd, 2023...
:Hairbun: ''Augh!'' No!

:[Right in the entrance to the upper deck chamber there's a collectible]
:You found a forged resume!

:[On the lower deck, Ponytail is holding a lightsabre. A small round object is floating next to her. To the right, Megan stands next to a open container labelled "Shirts", holding a strange device.]
:Megan: Good against remotes is one thing, but a ''true'' Jedi trains with a T-shirt cannon.

{{DEFAULTSORT:2765}}
[[Category:Comic subpages]]

2765: Escape Speed/Transcript

2023-04-27T21:02:33Z

172.68.139.32: Finished the transcript of all things inside the Crystal Sphere (hopefully)

Below, you will find a '''complete transcript''' for [[2765: Escape Speed]].

*Overview

:[An interactive comic featuring a large world with many planets and objects, navigable by a small spaceship. The ship is affected by the gravity of the planets and objects and controllable by arrow keys. The up arrow activates the main engine, adding forward speed; the down arrow activates reverse (bow) thrusters. Left and right arrows activate thrusters which rotate the spaceship. The spaceship features a "radar" - grey dots around it. The placement of the dots around indicate directions to nearby planets; the size and shade of gray indicate distance. The playing field is a viewport into space, the ship is always in the center and the viewport scrolls as the ship moves through space - the player sees only relatively small part of the overall game world. Orientation is a bit difficult, exacerbated by the fact that the view automatically rotates according to the local gradient of gravity. The world features collectible items (small gray circles) and powerups (grey hollow stars). Sometimes these are collocated, i.e. a gray circle appears in the hollow center of a gray star. When the ship flies close to a collectible or powerup, it disappears and a message is shown in the lower part of the viewport. After picking up most collectibles, their names are added to the "You've found" list below the playing field; unless you are viewing a mobile-device version, where the playing area is optimised to full-screen. Some collectibles display a message only and do not add an item to the list. The player can return to the starting position (keeping all powerups and collected items) by clicking the Home button in the bottom right of the playing field.]

*Starting planet

:[A tiny grassy planet with a few trees and bushes and four collectibles. A planet is so tiny that it can be seen whole in the game's viewport. This is where the player starts, or returns after clicking the Home button. Initially the navigation is difficult because of low initial engine thrust and strong gravity of the Origin planet nearby affecting movement. There's a collectible right up from the starting position (shows a message only and is not reflected in the "You've found" list)]
:Wheeee!
:[Other features of the planet, as they are encountered by carefully moving just above the planet's surface in the clockwise direction are:]
:[A tree, about twice as high as the spaceship]
:[A collectible low in the grass]
:You found a cool bug!
:[A small tree and a larger tree to the right, with a collectible up its branches]
:You found a pretty leaf!
:[A tree sapling]
:[Beret Guy pointing his arm up. From that position the surface of the Origin planet can be seen above.]
:Beret Guy: WOW!
:[A large tree]
:[Cueball and Megan standing together.]
:[A small tree]
:[Another collectible just off the surface]
:You found a rock with neat stripes!
:[A small tree]

*Origin planet

:[The planet has vegetation and features several people, landscape objects and collectibles, and it has a shaft through the center. To get there, just launch off the starting planet and let the gravity pull it towards Origin. The planet is hard to leave without any powerups, unless one uses the shaft to gain more momentum by thrusting while moving through the center. The features of the planet include (clockwise from the point closest to the starting planet):]
:[A billboard]
:Welcome to Origin! ''You can never leave™''

:[A rollercoaster with a duck sitting on it. At the middle of it there's a (hidden) entrance to the shaft. There's a collectible item above.]
:Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting! ''(message only)''
:[A billboard to the right of the rollercoaster]
:Caution: Long vertical drop

:[A spider figure; going straight up from there you can reach the Giant Spider planet]

:[A radiotelescope; going up you can reach Voyager 2]
:Receiving transmission

:[Cueball and White Hat]
:White Hat: I bet the voyager spacecraft could teach you a thing or two about speed. Of course, you'd have to catch up to them first...

:[A cell tower with 5G antennas and the satellite from xkcd comic 1992: Safety sat on top. There's a collectible next to it.]
:You found a 5G seagull

:[A tyrannosaurus, Ponytail and Cueball standing next to a St. Louis Arch-shaped hole in the ground]
:[A miniature of the Andal planet, marking the direction to it.]
:[A pyramid with a football on top; leads to the Space Soccer Game planet]
:[Ponytail sitting on top of a pyramid, Megan standing at the base of it]
:Ponytail: If you want a better spaceship, you need to visit another planet.
:Megan: But if I want to visit another planet, I need a better spaceship!

:[A pyramid with Saturn on top; leads to the Saturn]
:[Cueball and White Hat]
:Cueball: I can't believe the Air and Space Museum's new exhibit has a real black hole!
:White Hat: Is that... safe?
:Cueball: It's OK, they've got a protective case around it.

:[A few clouds]
:[A recess in the ground with a monument shaped as Earth continents in a hyperelliptical projection. Hairy is standing next to it.]
:Hairy: Even if you did find a crack in the crystal sphere, there's no way you'd be able to escape its gravitational pull. You'd need some kind of a hyperdrive for that.

:[A spaceship from xkcd comic 2630: Shuttle Skeleton. Going up from there you can reach Shuttle Skeleton planet.]
:[St. Louis Arch. There's a hidden entrance to the tunnel under it; launching from the tunnel you can reach the Hollow planet. An intelligible sign is posted next to it. When the spaceship passes near the sign, a message appears:]
:The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.
:[To the right of the Arch Ponytail stands with three kids looking like Hairy, Megan and Cueball.]
:Ponytail: The St. Louis Arch is also known as the gateway to space.

:[A miniature of the Roche Lobe Earth, marking the direction to it]
:[A small building and a strange tower with a spiked orb on top and two collectibles next to it, one close to the tower top, another one hidden at the base on the right side.]
:You found an orb wren!
:You found 11 squares packed into a larger square!

:[Hairbun and another person; launching from there you can reach the What if? planet]
:Hairbun: Boston? That's in North America, on the Subway planet. It's straight up from the secret glade, you can't miss it.

:[A grassy area with two collectibles]
:You found a tumbleweed!
:You found a marsh wren!

:[A quintet of hairy and bearded people playing and singing]
:It's more than a feeling 
:More than a feeling

:[A collectible high off the surface right to the band]
:You found a tiny meteorite! ''(message only)''

:[Another collectible higher off (reachable only after you visit another planet and find engine powerup)]
:You found a single grain of salt!

:[A spiral on a pedestal; going straight up from there leads you to the Uzumaki aka the Spiral planet]
:[A radiotelescope; going up you can reach Voyager 1]
:Receiving transmission

:[Cueball and Megan]
:Megan: It's like my astronomy teacher always said: "Shoot for the Moon -- even if you miss, you might make a crack in the crystal sphere that imprisons us all in this universe."

:[A collectible clockwise from Megan]
:You found a holographic Charizard business card

:[A patch of trees and bushes]
:A bush: SHHH.

:[A collectible between two lower trees next to the talking bush; launching from there you can reach the Subway planet.]
:You found a secret glade
:[Another collectible hidden up a large tree next to the secret glade]
:You found a normal-looking leaf!

:[In the center of the planet there's a round hollow with a collectible in the exact middle]
:Welcome to liminal space ''(message only)''
:[Next to the hollow there's a cave with another collectible]
:You found a DVD of The Core (2003)!
:[In the cave there's Megan, her hair flying around her head in the microgravity]
:Megan: The Oberth effect states that firing thrusters deeper in a gravity well adds more kinetic energy.

:[Applying the above hint from Megan, you can launch high above the St. Luis Arch to reach a star-shaped powerup (subtracts 1.5 from thrust recovery time)]
:Nice flying! Your tanks recharge faster now.

:[Launching like that you can reach the Hollow planet]

*Hollow planet

:[The planet is just a crust with a few holes through which you can fall into the center. Near the center, Ponytail and White Hat fly in microgravity.]
:White Hat: It's weird how a hollow shell doesn't exert gravitational force on objects inside it.
:Ponytail: Oh, so '''that's''' why we don't feel a pull from the crystal sphere.

:[Next to White Hat and Ponytail there's a powerup (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found a sixth Lagrange point! Your thrusters are more efficient now.

:[On the surface of the Hollow planet there's a bunch of signs with arrows pointing up and the names of the planet which lay in this direction. These are (clockwise):]
:Origin and Subway
:Earth (compromise projection)
:Round planet
:Exit
:Uzumaki

:[There's a powerup between "Round planet" and "Exit" signs]
:You found a glass of heavy water! Your engine gets a bit more powerful.

*Round planet

:[A perfectly round planet, somewhat smaller than the Origin, without any vegetation but with some architecture and people on it. You can reach it by following a sign on the Hollow planet or by launching. Its features are (clockwise):]
:[The Great Wall of China]
:[Two small figures of Megan and Cueball on the Great Wall]
:Cueball: The Great Wall of China is the only Human-made structure toy can see space from.

:[A few stones with a collectible and powerup above them (-0.75 to thrust recovery time)]
:You found a sensible cheese platter. Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.

:[The Stonehenge with a collectible between megaliths and Cueball standing next to it]
:You found a swatch pop-out wristwatch!

:[Hairbun walking on absurdly high stilts]

:[Three spaceships flying just above the surface. The leading one transmits a message:]
:Rogue group, use your harpoons and tow cables! Go for the legs!

:[A powerup just above the middle ship]
:Your engine gets a bit more powerful.

:[A volleyball net. Cueball is jumping in the air to hit a volleyball on the right side of the net while Ponytail is juggling three bowling pins on the left side.]

:[An airplane towing a long, narrow banner with a message printed across, not along it]
:Does any one know how to get this thing to print in land scape mode?

:[Beret Guy climbing a 5G tower with some fruit(?) hanging off the antennas. Cueball is standing next to it.]

:[A small volcano cone]

:[Huge gallows with a large flag on a pole hanging on it. The pole of the flag is twisted into a shape partly resembling an infinity sign; the loose and of the pole pierces the flag. A relatively large Cueball figure stands next to it.]

*Uzumaki

:[A large spiral overgrown with grass and some other vegetation. Features (clockwise):]

:[The outside of the spiral]
:[A collectible and a powerup (-0.75 to thrust recovery time)]
:You found a single caffeine molecule! Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.
:[A single tree]
:[A pack of three birds flying]
:[A group of stones in an area free of vegetation]
:[The "entrance" to the spiral with a collectible, displaying a message only]
:EXIT ONLY

:[The inside of the spiral]
:[Cueball running]
:[A collectible]
:You found a festive but somehow unnerving holiday card from Junji Ito!
:[A bush]
:[A collectible]
:You found a podcast episode!
:[Another collectible]
:You found a friendly bee!
:[A dead bush]
:[A collectible]
:You found an ink cartridge!
:[A free-roaming Roomba]
:Roomba: WHIRRR
:[A collectible just above Roomba]
:'You're going the wrong way!' ''(message only)''
:[Another collectible]
:You found a spiral-cut diamond!
:[Still another collectible]
:You found a golden radio tuned to 1.618 MHz!
:[Beret Guy standing]
:Beret Guy: I like spirals!
:[A collectible]
:You found a burrito!
:[Another collectible]
:You found a cool pair of shoes with flames on the side!
:[Still another collectible]
:You found a scroll lock key!
:[A small tree]
:[A collectible]
:You found a primordial black hole!
:[A collectible and a powerup right at the center of the spiral (+2.5 to thrust duration)]
:You found a tree-filled grove and a nice spot for quiet contemplation Your thrusters are significantly more efficient now.
:[The center of the spiral is a dead end - one needs to fly all the way back out or just hit the Home button]

*Guitar Ship planet

:[A planet shaped like a guitar seen in perspective looking from the bottom of the body, with a dome on the back side. The planet lies close to Uzumaki, one can reach it by observing the spaceship's radar. Within the dome, there's the Boston skyline. Just over the dome there's a collectible.]
:You found a guitar pick!
:[When the Boston planet is uncloaked, orange line subway token appears near the guitar's neck]
:Orange line deactivated!

*Spacetime Soccer game planet

:[A tiny planet with a smooth surface and a distorted soccer field marked around it. You can get there by launching from the pyramid with a soccer ball on top, located on the Origin. The goals and goal area lines are on the opposite sides of the planet (let's say, to the east and west), distorted into curved trapezoids. The touch lines (side lines) are sections of hyperbolas with the vertices closest to the planet at the north and south poles, extending symmetrically to some distance from the planet. There is no goal line; in this geometry it should be the extended axis. What seems to be penalty lines, but drawn incorrectly to join the side lines instead of going back to the goal line, are sections of an ellipse. The halfway line appears twice joining the four ends of hyperbolic side lines, together with two halves of the center circle. The field utilizes the concept from xkcd comic 2705: Spacetime soccer, but inversed: the gravity well is located at both goals, not in the center. Hairy, Megan, Cueball and Ponytail are playing. Ponytail has just kicked a football. Each goal has a powerup inside (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! Your thrusters are more efficient now.
:GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! Your engine gets a bit more powerful.
:[Another powerup lies at a pole of the planet]
:You've found a sunspot. Your launch speed has increased.
:[Still another power up lies at the center spot on one of the copies of the half-way line (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found the 3 million point line. Your thrusters are more efficient now.

*Saturn

:[A planet with rings, and a soccer ball inside; one of the ball's white hexagon is surfacing in the north pole area. You can reach it by launching from a Saturn-topped pyramid on Origin. There's a collectible at the equator, below the rings.]
:You found a really cool data point!
:[A powerup is located at the south pole]
:You found a block of scandium! Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[Another powerup at middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere]
:You found a pair of platonic solids, not quite touching! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

*Andal

:[A small rocky and grassy planet. Features (clockwise):]

:[A T-shaped tower with a powerup on top (-0.75 to thrust recovery time)]
:What a nice place for a ship to sit! Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.
:[Two fantasy animals: one looks like a centaur, the other as a horse-headed centaur. Both have sickle-shaped blades at the ends of their tails. There's a powerup above them. (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found two Andalites, one canonical! Your thrusters are more efficient now.
:[A powerup in a small recess in the ground]
:You found baby shoes (and baby)! Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[Cueball and Megan facing each other]
:Megan: The M.I.T. cloaking device only affects the electroweak and nuclear forces. Gravity is the odd one out, as usual.
:[A powerup next to Megan (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found a friend. Your thrusters are more efficient now.

*Compromise Projection of Earth

:[A huge distorted map of all land masses of Earth, freely floating in space like asteroids. You can get there by following the sign on the hollow planet or the Earth map monument on Origin. You can navigate your ship within the spaces where oceans and seas would be. There are several collectibles and powerups.]
:[A collectible and a powerup at the North Sea]
:You found the Principality of Sealand! Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[A collectible in the northern Atlantic Ocean]
:You found the Heart of the Ocean! It was drifting around in space.
:[When the Boston planet is uncloaked, red line subway token appears next to Boston, Massachusetts]
:Red line deactivated!
:[A collectible off the West African coastline]
:You found a whale shark!
:[A collectible and a powerup next to Rhode Island]
:You found a Rhode Island the size of an ant! Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[A power up off the southern Australian coast]
:You found an icosahedral d10. Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[A collectible near the Kamchatka peninsula in Eastern Russia]
:You found some microbial life!
:[A collectible on the Western coast of Myanmar near the Strait of Malacca]
:You found some tin from the Pantai Remis mine!
:[A collectible next to the Celebes Island of Indonesia]
:You found a sparkling gem!
:[A collectible near the Kamchatka peninsula in Eastern Russia]
:You found a piece of pumice floating in space!

*Voyager 1

:[The Voyager 1 space probe. You can reach it by launching from a radiotelescope next to the spiral monument on Origin. There's a collectible and a powerup next to its dish antenna.]
:You found Voyager 1! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.

*Voyager 2

:[The Voyager 2 space probe. You can reach it by launching from a radiotelescope next to the spider monument on Origin. There's a collectible and a powerup next to its dish antenna.]
:You found Voyager 2! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.

*SafetySat

:[The cube satellite from xkcd comic 1992: SafetySat. There's a collectible in front of its laser pointers.]
:You found a first of its kind
:[A powerup next to software-defined radio (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:Your thrusters are more efficient now.
:[A powerup next to crude oil tank (+0.5 to launch speed)]
:The more refined oil had a dinner engagement. Your launch speed has increased.

*Shuttle Skeleton planet

:[A small planet shaped like a spaceship from xkcd comic 2630: Shuttle Skeleton. You can get there by launching from like-shaped monument on Origin or in northwestern direction from Alaska on Compromise Projection of Earth.]
:[A powerup next to the left-hand engine (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:A little upgrade works wonders on fuel efficiency. Your thrusters are more efficient now.
:[A collectible at the tip of the ship's bow]
:You found a piece of space shuttle food!

:[By launching straight from the engines of the Skeleton Shuttle you can find a lone collectible in the void of space, where the hidden Boston planet is. You can try finding it by observing the radar, because the hidden planet still has gravity. Once you've visited Shuttle skeleton, it is a good chance to get it, or it will be inside the Boston planet once it is de-cloaked].
:You found a strangely heavy subway token!

*Giant Spider

:[A giant spider floating in space. You can get there by launching from the spider figure on Origin. Eight people are standing on the tips of the spiders legs: Hairbun of fourth left leg, Hairy on third left one, White Hat on second left, Cueball on front left, Megan on front right leg, another Cueball on second right one, Beret Guy on third right and Black Hat on the fourth right leg. There's a collectible next to the tip of the spider's abdomen.]
:You found a spider-silk scarf!
:[The spider holds a powerup in its pincers]
:You found a friendly jumping spider. Your engine gets a little more powerful.

*Diffraction Spikes Star

:[A very spiky star shaped like the one from xkcd comic 2762: Diffraction Spikes]
:[A collectible at the tip of a long spike]
:You found a hydrogen ion!
:[A collectible at the tip of a short spike]
:You found a piece of coronium! Wait, no, iron.

*Roche Lobe Earth

:[This is a small, distorted, drop-shaped Earth with oceans and continents of the northern hemisphere. There's the Moon close by. The distortion looks like if the Moon's tidal forces is pulling northern Atlatic Ocean really hard. The planet can be reached by launching from the like-shaped statue on Origin. Cueball is standing on the surface roughly about the place of the southern U.S.A. There's a collectible off the California coastline.]
:You found a curious Humboldt squid!
:[Another collectible lies off the Japan coast]
:You found a bathyscaphe at the Marianas Trench!
:[When the Boston planet has been uncloaked, the green line subway token appears on the East Coast of U.S.A., where the city of Boston is located]
:Green line deactivated!
:[There's a collectible on the far side of the Moon]
:You found a wayward Roomba full of moondust!

*Dark Matter Planet

:[A small, irregular planet with a black center (normal planets have white centers) and an insciption "DARK MATTER" inside, repeated three times. On its surface there are two squirrels and Hairbun.]
:Hairbun: I found it!
:[There's a powerup anti-clockwise from Hairbun]
:You found a delicate music box. Your engine is a little more powerful now.

*Jurassic Park planet

:[A big planet with weak gravity, a lot of grass, and many dinosaur figures, some repeating a few times. You can get there by launching form a dinosaur statue on Origin. At one place on the surface Hairy and Megan are being greeted by dr John Hammond.]
:Welcome... to Jurassic Park
:[There are several powerups and collectibles, going clockwise from the visitors:]
:[A powerup (-0.75 to thrust recovery time)]
:But what if gravity doesn't actually exist? Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.
:[Another powerup]
:Today is a good day I think for space exploration. Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[A collectible]
:You found a tiny pteranodon!
:[Another collectible]
:You found a baby hedgehog!

*Comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko

:[A small, potato-shaped body. You can get there by launching form the rollercoaster on Origin. Features (clockwise):]
:[Remains of a crashed spacecraft, presumably Rosetta, with a powerup and a collectible (+0.5 to launch speed)]
:You found The Long Now Foundation's nickel paperweight containing an archive of every published Animorphs book! Your launch speed has increased.
:[Hairbun standing]
:[A small three-legged spacecraft, presumably Philae]
:Philae: BEEP BOOP
:[Cueball standing next to a smoke machine. There's a powerup to the left.]
:You found a broken smoke machine. Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[Another Cueball and a powerup (-0.75 to thrust recovery time)]
:Some people believe that when the Earth appears in the sky, it's a harbinger of doom. Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.
:[A powerup next to a signpost]
:Anyone for Scrabble later? Your engine gets a little more powerful.

*What If? planet

:[A huge, round planet with many bodies of water. You can get there by launching from the left part of Stonehenge on the Round Planet. Some scenes from the book "what if? 2" and the xkcd comic 2712: Gravity appear here. Features (clockwise):]

:[A flagpole with a powerup on the flag]
:You captured the flag! You decide to leave it there, but it's yours. Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[A cave in the ground. Inside it there's Beret Guy, two rabbits, and a powerup.]
:You found a dna base pair! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[Two stones with sails attached, sliding on the ground towards Hairbun and Megan]

:[Black Hat with a bow, shooting an arrow upwards towards a spy satellite. There's a powerup just above it.]
:You found an eye in the sky

:[A lake with an eel swimming in it]

:[A collectible in the grass]
:You found a smooth green snake! It curls up in your hand and naps.

:[A small erupting volcano]

:[White Hat and Cueball standing, another person charging them with a sword held above head. Cueball is holding a small object in his left hand, the arm stretched towards the attacker]

:[Hairbun running towards Megan. Megan is kicking something.]

:[A person with a wide-rimmed hat driving a tractor(?). The ground strangely sticks to its wheels.]

:[Megan and Cueball on a shore of a shallow body of water, Cueball is poking a stick into the water. Some creature is flying over the water. There's a powerup at the bottom (+0.4 to thrust duration).]
:You found a sunken treasure. Your thrusters are more efficient now.

:[Cueball standing on the other side of the water, taking hits from some objects falling from above.]
:PLINK
:Cueball: OW!
:PLINK
:Cueball: OW!

:[Hairy sitting on a large heap of something, Cueball standing aside.]

:[Megan standing on a brim of a small valley, Ryan standing in the valley with a small animal by his feet.]
:Megan: Hi Ryan!
:[There's a collectible over Ryan]
:You found an asterisk. It doesn’t seem to refer to anything.

:[A dugout. Cueball and Megan are standing there. Cueball holds a spade. There's a powerup above (+0.5 to launch speed).]
:The Yellowstone Super What? Your launch speed has increased.

:[A river, a waterfall and a lake below it. On the top of the waterfall Cueball faces two persons with police hats. There's a fat hose labelled "Niagara water" leading from the waterfall into a building labelled "LHC". Someone in the building shouts:]
:Someone: ''HEY''
:[There's a collectible next to the LHC building]
:You found a large hadron!

:[A body of rippled strangely-behaving water, like it was a solid. Two people in a sailboat. To the right there's a gap in the water from which a huge UFO-shaped rock has been ejected, with two people on it. Further right Megan is standing at the bottom of a shaft in the water, next to some water plant]

:[A few clouds and Cueball standing. The largest cloud, a cumulonimbus, features a powerup.]
:Nutritional Facts - Serving Size: 1 Cloud, Total Calories: 0. Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[Megan sitting on a rectangular block, another block standing upright, a few stones.]

:[White Hat walking along Hairbun, holding a rectangular object in her hand.]

:[A patch of trees with two collectibles]
:You found a secret leaf!
:You found a stick!

:[A small Cueball figure]

:[A tower crane lowering a comet, on a place with two dinosaurs. A collectible below the crane's beam.]
:You found a sterile neutrino!

:[Knit Cap holding a remote control. An object is moving at supersonic speed next to him.]
:BOOM
:[There's a collectible to the left of Knit Cap]
:You found a pair of squirrel goggles!

:[Danish standing in a swimming pool, Cueball on the brim. There's a powerup in the pool.]
:You found a steam calliope! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[A large figure of Cueball]

*Subway Planet

:[A huge planet with a subway system connecting places named after U.S. cities, similar to the one from the xkcd comic 1196: Subways. In the area where Boston should be according to that system, there is a giant round hole with rugged sides consisting of a lot of broken planks. You can get there by taking off from the secret glade on Origin planet. There's a black hole inside, off the center, in the Washingon, D.C. area. There are many people and features both on the surface and within subway tunnels.]

:[On the surface of the planet, clockwise from the Boston hole, there are:]

:[Megan and Cueball standing on the edge of the Boston hole. Cueball is leaning forward, looking down.]
:Cueball: Where's Boston?
:Megan: I think M.I.T. kids took it.

:[Three consecutive entrances to tunnels leading to New Yourk City area, a tunnel leading a little below and back up, another three entrances; Cueball standing next to the middle one. There's a power up just a bit into the third (+0.5 to launch speed).]
:You found a hot dog. Your launch speed has increased.

:[Cueball and Danish walking]
:Cueball: Why did those M.I.T. kids keep talking about Morgantown?
:Danish: They're just transit enthusiasts, I guess.
:Cueball: But Morgantown is tiny. It can;t possibly have a subway, can it?
:Danish: Not exactly...

:[Hairy and White Hat standing]
:Hairy: A lot of people don't realize that North America only has one subway system; each city's metro is just one part of the network.

:[A sequence of seven tunnel entrances leading to Monterrey area. There's a warning message just below the surface:]
:Warning! Air and Space Museum black hole ahead!
:Turn back while you still have enough engine thrust!
:[The above message repeats many times within the maze of subway tunnels]

:[A powerup next to the second entrance (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found a bottle of Coke Absolute Zero! Your thrusters are more efficient now.

:["Mexico City" label just below the surface, an entrance to a tunnel leading to Atlanta and a warning message about the black hole, Ponytail]
:Ponytail: Welcome to the Subway Planet, home of all North America's metro systems!

:[Ponytail and Cueball. Cuaball is holding a four-wheeled suitcase.]
:Ponytail: Boston? No, that's on the other side of the planet. Or used to be, anyway.

:[Ponytail and Megan walking]
:Ponytail: My favorite thing about visiting Origin is all the pointing sculptures. They make it so easy to navigate!

:[Two tunnel entrances leading to Los Angeles. A "San Francisco" label next to them. Cueball and Megan standing on opposite sides of the first entrance.]
:Cueball: If you're looking for someone to track down those M.I.T. kid, you could try asking CalTech.
:Megan: But we're in San Francisco; Isn't CalTech in Pasadena?
:Cueball: Yeah, it's down there somewhere.

:[Ponytail jumping across a tunnel entrance]
:Ponytail: Vancouver!

:[A "Vancouver" label and another tunnel entrance. Cueball and Ponytail are looking up.]
:Cueball: Huh, I never noticed that crack in the crystal sphere before.

:[An entrance to a tunnel leading to Toronto]

:[A "Montreal" label and two tunnel entrances. The left edge of the Boston hole. Next to the right edge, there's a powerup (-0.75 to thrust recovery time).]
:You get the feeling you're not in Kansas anymore. Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.

:[Features inside the metro system, in no particular order:]

:[Knit Cap in Montreal]
:Knit Cap: Bienvenue a Montreal!

:[Blondie and Megan at the bottom of the Boston hole]
:Blondie: I hear M.I.T. kids were working on a cloaking device. Boston could be anywhere.

:[A collectible in a short dead-end line near the right side of the Boston hole:
:You found a Cybiko® wireless handheld computer for teens (2000)!

:[A power up down the tunnels of New York City (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found a brightly-lit billboard. Your thrusters are more efficient now.

:[A collectible in a dead-end tunnel in NYC]
:You found a handful of quantum foam!

:[A collectible somewhere in NYC]
:You found a normal-sized apple!

:[Down in NYC: another copy of the black hole warning message and a powerup next to it]
:You found a friendly cat! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[Mexico, Cueball sitting on a ledge, Megan standing below]
:Megan: You'd need some powerful thrusters to make it down there and back.

:[In Monterrey, Megan is using her smartphone to look up the subway scheme in xkcd.com/1196]

:[A collectible and a powerup in a short dead-end tunnel near Miami]
:You found a beige electron! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[A collectible in a dead-end tunnel in Toronto]
:You found a relativistic bowling ball!

:[A collectible and a power-up further down from Toronto]
:You found $30 in Yahoo! cash! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[A powerup down in San Francisco]
:Your engine gets a little more powerful. Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[Down in Los Angeles there's a rectangular chamber connected to a tunnel. Megan is standing at the entrance to it, Hairbun and Cueball are inside]
:Megan: Welcome to CalTech!
:Hairbun: The M.I.T. cloaking device control? It's in Morgantown, WV.
:Cueball: Figures.

:[A small distance left and down from the chamber Science Girls is standing in the tunnel]
:Science Girl: Stop! This line goes to D.C.!Ever since the Air and Space Museum put in the black hole exhibit, it's been difficult to return without enough engine thrust.

:[A powerup in a tunnel between Los Angeles and Philadelphia (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:There is no parking in the white zone. Your thrusters are more efficient now.

:[A powerup in a long straight dead-end tunnel near Philadelphia]
:You feel accomplished. Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[Down in Philadelphia, Cueball sitting on a slope]
:Cueball: Morgantown? You could get there via Philly and Baltimore, but that would take you near the Museum. Might be safer to take the red line from Atlanta.

:[Further down from Philadelphia, close to Washington, D.C. Cueball is barely balancing himself on a slope of a tunnel leading to the black hole.]

:[A collectible in a tunnel in Washington, close to the black hole]
:Transfer here for Mornington Crescent ''(message only)''

:[At the center of Washington there's the black hole pictured as a dark circle with shiny rings around it. It is impossible to escape it without hyperdrive. If caught there, hit the Home button].

:[A sign in the tunnel leading from Washington to Morgantown]
:WV

:[Further along the tunnel Cueball is sitting at a subway station (a round chamber a bit wider than the tunnel) at a strange angle to the surface, affected by black hole gravity]
:Cueball: Welcome to Morgantown!

:[A gray circle with a letter "T"]
:MIT Cloaking Device deactivated! Boston detected.
:[Grey line appears, leading out of the tunnels exiting the Subway Planet interior near Mexico City. The line end with an arrow and a label "To Boston". A similar line appears on the Origin Planet, leading from the bush sayin SHHH, then through the shaft, and up the St. Louis arch. It ends with a similar arrow and label.]

:[Megan standing at a strange angle at the next station]
:Megan: Welcome to Morgantown!

:[Further along the tunnel Megan is sitting]
:Megan: I think I'm stuck. I can't even see the black hole from here!

:[Cueball sitting further along the Morgantown tunnel, where it joins another tunnel]
:Cueball: Where does that line go?

*Boston planet

:[A big, perfectly round planet with a subway system. It is invisible until the player finds uncloaking device switch near Morgantown on the Subway Planet. Initially, all underground tunnels are blocked by huge round rocks with the letter "T" at the entrances and smaller round rocks down the tunnels. To unblock the tunnels, player needs to find subway tokens scattered in the universe; they appear only after the Boston planet is uncloaked. Subway stations on the surface and inside are marked with Boston district names. There are two trees and several people on the surface of the planet, described below (clockwise):]

:[Two large trees growing at both sides of a tunnel entrance of the orange line, labelled "Oak Grove"]

:[Cueball standing next to the entrance of the blue line, labelled "Wonderland"]
:Cueball: There's a token to open each T line. The blue line token is right here in Boston.

:[The blue line token is located just above the entrance]
:Blue line deactivated!

:[White Hat and Ponytail are standing on the other side of the blue line entrance]
:White Hat: Welcome to Wonderland!

:[Red line tunnel entrance labelled "Braintree". Cueball and Megan are standing next to it]
:Cueball: Transfer here to Skinflower and Bonevine.

:[Entrance to the second red line branch labelled "Mattapan"]

:[Cueball standing next to green line branch entrance labelled "Riverside"]
:Cueball: I can't believe the green line goes all the way to Los Angeles.

:[Entrances to another two branches of the green line labelled "Cleveland Circle" and "Boston College". Some way from the Boston College Megan and Ponytail are talking."
:Megan: Boston is a lot of places. It's on the East Coast of North America, but it's also on the surface of the Earth.
:Ponytail: And on some playlists.
:Megan: And of course it's right here!

:[Cueball at the entrance of another green line branch labelled "Medford/Tufts"]
:Cueball: I can't believe the green line extension is finally open.

:[There are several people down the Boston Subway tunnels. Down the blue line tunnel, Cueball is walking.]
:Cueball: The red line token? It's in Boston

:[Another Cueball further down]
:Cueball: The green line token is in Boston, too.

:[Still another Cueball, climbing]
:Cueball: The orange line token is also in Boston.

:[Cueball again, close to intersection with the orange line]
:Cueball: There are a lot of Bostons in this universe.

:[In the redline tunnel, down from Braintree Cueball and Megan are walking]
:Cueball: You know, the locals actually pronounce it "Quinchy"

:[Following the red line past the center, the player arrives at the M.I.T. Megan is standing there.]
:Megan: The hyperdrive works pretty well, but use it carefully. Try not to fly into walls at full speed.

:[There's a powerup in front of Megan]
:Welcome to MIT! You acquired a hyperdrive! Your engine thrust has increased significantly.

*Crystal sphere

:[All the "planets" described above lie within a huge ring called the Crystal Sphere. You can get there by flying in any direction, provided that you don't hit any planet. The interior edge of the Sphere is almost perfectly smooth, but has a few dents and cracks. At a point closest to the Subway Planet, there's a large crack leading all the way to the outside. At the entrance to the crack, on both sides, there are two collectibles.]
:Left lane must turn left ''(message only)''
:Right lane must turn right ''(message only)''

:[Along the interior edge there are a few objects (clockwise from the large crack:]

:[A collectible and a powerup]
:You found the gold crown Archimedes stole! Your engine thrust has increased significantly.

:[A collectible]
:You found a necklace of element samples whose symbols spell out your name (note: hopefully you are not named 'Katherine' or 'Brandon')!

:[A collectible and a powerup]
:A significant boost to the engines for a curious pilot. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.

:[The walls off the large crack in the Crystal Sphere are rugged, looking like a rumble of broken wooden planks. Some distance from the entrance there's a powerup (+0.5 to launch speed)]
:There is a way out. Your launch speed has increased.

:[From around the location of the "way out" powerup, gravity is increasing significantly. It is difficult to get out of the sphere unless one has collected almost all powerups from the locations inside the sphere. Even though, moving on the outer surface is difficult. There's an arch around the outer exit of the crack consisting of repeating words "THE END". There'a a collectible on the outer surface, quite far anticlockwise from the crack.]
:You found the platinum cylinder formerly used to define the kilogram!

{{DEFAULTSORT:2765}}
[[Category:Comic subpages]]

2765: Escape Speed/Transcript

2023-04-27T18:36:14Z

172.68.139.32: More on Subway Planet

Below, you will find a '''complete transcript''' for [[2765: Escape Speed]].

*Overview

:[An interactive comic featuring a large world with many planets and objects, navigable by a small spaceship. The ship is affected by the gravity of the planets and objects and controllable by arrow keys. The up arrow activates the main engine, adding forward speed; the down arrow activates reverse (bow) thrusters. Left and right arrows activate thrusters which rotate the spaceship. The spaceship features a "radar" - grey dots around it. The placement of the dots around indicate directions to nearby planets; the size and shade of gray indicate distance. The playing field is a viewport into space, the ship is always in the center and the viewport scrolls as the ship moves through space - the player sees only relatively small part of the overall game world. Orientation is a bit difficult, exacerbated by the fact that the view automatically rotates according to the local gradient of gravity. The world features collectible items (small gray circles) and powerups (grey hollow stars). Sometimes these are collocated, i.e. a gray circle appears in the hollow center of a gray star. When the ship flies close to a collectible or powerup, it disappears and a message is shown in the lower part of the viewport. After picking up most collectibles, their names are added to the "You've found" list below the playing field; unless you are viewing a mobile-device version, where the playing area is optimised to full-screen. Some collectibles display a message only and do not add an item to the list. The player can return to the starting position (keeping all powerups and collected items) by clicking the Home button in the bottom right of the playing field.]

*Starting planet

:[A tiny grassy planet with a few trees and bushes and four collectibles. A planet is so tiny that it can be seen whole in the game's viewport. This is where the player starts, or returns after clicking the Home button. Initially the navigation is difficult because of low initial engine thrust and strong gravity of the Origin planet nearby affecting movement. There's a collectible right up from the starting position (shows a message only and is not reflected in the "You've found" list)]
:Wheeee!
:[Other features of the planet, as they are encountered by carefully moving just above the planet's surface in the clockwise direction are:]
:[A tree, about twice as high as the spaceship]
:[A collectible low in the grass]
:You found a cool bug!
:[A small tree and a larger tree to the right, with a collectible up its branches]
:You found a pretty leaf!
:[A tree sapling]
:[Beret Guy pointing his arm up. From that position the surface of the Origin planet can be seen above.]
:Beret Guy: WOW!
:[A large tree]
:[Cueball and Megan standing together.]
:[A small tree]
:[Another collectible just off the surface]
:You found a rock with neat stripes!
:[A small tree]

*Origin planet

:[The planet has vegetation and features several people, landscape objects and collectibles, and it has a shaft through the center. To get there, just launch off the starting planet and let the gravity pull it towards Origin. The planet is hard to leave without any powerups, unless one uses the shaft to gain more momentum by thrusting while moving through the center. The features of the planet include (clockwise from the point closest to the starting planet):]
:[A billboard]
:Welcome to Origin! ''You can never leave™''

:[A rollercoaster with a duck sitting on it. At the middle of it there's a (hidden) entrance to the shaft. There's a collectible item above.]
:Be careful; this roller coaster can be disorienting! ''(message only)''
:[A billboard to the right of the rollercoaster]
:Caution: Long vertical drop

:[A spider figure; going straight up from there you can reach the Giant Spider planet]

:[A radiotelescope; going up you can reach Voyager 2]
:Receiving transmission

:[Cueball and White Hat]
:White Hat: I bet the voyager spacecraft could teach you a thing or two about speed. Of course, you'd have to catch up to them first...

:[A cell tower with 5G antennas and the satellite from xkcd comic 1992: Safety sat on top. There's a collectible next to it.]
:You found a 5G seagull

:[A tyrannosaurus, Ponytail and Cueball standing next to a St. Louis Arch-shaped hole in the ground]
:[A miniature of the Andal planet, marking the direction to it.]
:[A pyramid with a football on top; leads to the Space Soccer Game planet]
:[Ponytail sitting on top of a pyramid, Megan standing at the base of it]
:Ponytail: If you want a better spaceship, you need to visit another planet.
:Megan: But if I want to visit another planet, I need a better spaceship!

:[A pyramid with Saturn on top; leads to the Saturn]
:[Cueball and White Hat]
:Cueball: I can't believe the Air and Space Museum's new exhibit has a real black hole!
:White Hat: Is that... safe?
:Cueball: It's OK, they've got a protective case around it.

:[A few clouds]
:[A recess in the ground with a monument shaped as Earth continents in a hyperelliptical projection. Hairy is standing next to it.]
:Hairy: Even if you did find a crack in the crystal sphere, there's no way you'd be able to escape its gravitational pull. You'd need some kind of a hyperdrive for that.

:[A spaceship from xkcd comic 2630: Shuttle Skeleton. Going up from there you can reach Shuttle Skeleton planet.]
:[St. Louis Arch. There's a hidden entrance to the tunnel under it; launching from the tunnel you can reach the Hollow planet. An intelligible sign is posted next to it. When the spaceship passes near the sign, a message appears:]
:The St. Louis arch is also known as the gateway to space.
:[To the right of the Arch Ponytail stands with three kids looking like Hairy, Megan and Cueball.]
:Ponytail: The St. Louis Arch is also known as the gateway to space.

:[A miniature of the Roche Lobe Earth, marking the direction to it]
:[A small building and a strange tower with a spiked orb on top and two collectibles next to it, one close to the tower top, another one hidden at the base on the right side.]
:You found an orb wren!
:You found 11 squares packed into a larger square!

:[Hairbun and another person; launching from there you can reach the What if? planet]
:Hairbun: Boston? That's in North America, on the Subway planet. It's straight up from the secret glade, you can't miss it.

:[A grassy area with two collectibles]
:You found a tumbleweed!
:You found a marsh wren!

:[A quintet of hairy and bearded people playing and singing]
:It's more than a feeling 
:More than a feeling

:[A collectible high off the surface right to the band]
:You found a tiny meteorite! ''(message only)''

:[Another collectible higher off (reachable only after you visit another planet and find engine powerup)]
:You found a single grain of salt!

:[A spiral on a pedestal; going straight up from there leads you to the Uzumaki aka the Spiral planet]
:[A radiotelescope; going up you can reach Voyager 1]
:Receiving transmission

:[Cueball and Megan]
:Megan: It's like my astronomy teacher always said: "Shoot for the Moon -- even if you miss, you might make a crack in the crystal sphere that imprisons us all in this universe."

:[A collectible clockwise from Megan]
:You found a holographic Charizard business card

:[A patch of trees and bushes]
:A bush: SHHH.

:[A collectible between two lower trees next to the talking bush; launching from there you can reach the Subway planet.]
:You found a secret glade
:[Another collectible hidden up a large tree next to the secret glade]
:You found a normal-looking leaf!

:[In the center of the planet there's a round hollow with a collectible in the exact middle]
:Welcome to liminal space ''(message only)''
:[Next to the hollow there's a cave with another collectible]
:You found a DVD of The Core (2003)!
:[In the cave there's Megan, her hair flying around her head in the microgravity]
:Megan: The Oberth effect states that firing thrusters deeper in a gravity well adds more kinetic energy.

:[Applying the above hint from Megan, you can launch high above the St. Luis Arch to reach a star-shaped powerup (subtracts 1.5 from thrust recovery time)]
:Nice flying! Your tanks recharge faster now.

:[Launching like that you can reach the Hollow planet]

*Hollow planet

:[The planet is just a crust with a few holes through which you can fall into the center. Near the center, Ponytail and White Hat fly in microgravity.]
:White Hat: It's weird how a hollow shell doesn't exert gravitational force on objects inside it.
:Ponytail: Oh, so '''that's''' why we don't feel a pull from the crystal sphere.

:[Next to White Hat and Ponytail there's a powerup (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found a sixth Lagrange point! Your thrusters are more efficient now.

:[On the surface of the Hollow planet there's a bunch of signs with arrows pointing up and the names of the planet which lay in this direction. These are (clockwise):]
:Origin and Subway
:Earth (compromise projection)
:Round planet
:Exit
:Uzumaki

:[There's a powerup between "Round planet" and "Exit" signs]
:You found a glass of heavy water! Your engine gets a bit more powerful.

*Round planet

:[A perfectly round planet, somewhat smaller than the Origin, without any vegetation but with some architecture and people on it. You can reach it by following a sign on the Hollow planet or by launching. Its features are (clockwise):]
:[The Great Wall of China]
:[Two small figures of Megan and Cueball on the Great Wall]
:Cueball: The Great Wall of China is the only Human-made structure toy can see space from.

:[A few stones with a collectible and powerup above them (-0.75 to thrust recovery time)]
:You found a sensible cheese platter. Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.

:[The Stonehenge with a collectible between megaliths and Cueball standing next to it]
:You found a swatch pop-out wristwatch!

:[Hairbun walking on absurdly high stilts]

:[Three spaceships flying just above the surface. The leading one transmits a message:]
:Rogue group, use your harpoons and tow cables! Go for the legs!

:[A powerup just above the middle ship]
:Your engine gets a bit more powerful.

:[A volleyball net. Cueball is jumping in the air to hit a volleyball on the right side of the net while Ponytail is juggling three bowling pins on the left side.]

:[An airplane towing a long, narrow banner with a message printed across, not along it]
:Does any one know how to get this thing to print in land scape mode?

:[Beret Guy climbing a 5G tower with some fruit(?) hanging off the antennas. Cueball is standing next to it.]

:[A small volcano cone]

:[Huge gallows with a large flag on a pole hanging on it. The pole of the flag is twisted into a shape partly resembling an infinity sign; the loose and of the pole pierces the flag. A relatively large Cueball figure stands next to it.]

*Uzumaki

:[A large spiral overgrown with grass and some other vegetation. Features (clockwise):]

:[The outside of the spiral]
:[A collectible and a powerup (-0.75 to thrust recovery time)]
:You found a single caffeine molecule! Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.
:[A single tree]
:[A pack of three birds flying]
:[A group of stones in an area free of vegetation]
:[The "entrance" to the spiral with a collectible, displaying a message only]
:EXIT ONLY

:[The inside of the spiral]
:[Cueball running]
:[A collectible]
:You found a festive but somehow unnerving holiday card from Junji Ito!
:[A bush]
:[A collectible]
:You found a podcast episode!
:[Another collectible]
:You found a friendly bee!
:[A dead bush]
:[A collectible]
:You found an ink cartridge!
:[A free-roaming Roomba]
:Roomba: WHIRRR
:[A collectible just above Roomba]
:'You're going the wrong way!' ''(message only)''
:[Another collectible]
:You found a spiral-cut diamond!
:[Still another collectible]
:You found a golden radio tuned to 1.618 MHz!
:[Beret Guy standing]
:Beret Guy: I like spirals!
:[A collectible]
:You found a burrito!
:[Another collectible]
:You found a cool pair of shoes with flames on the side!
:[Still another collectible]
:You found a scroll lock key!
:[A small tree]
:[A collectible]
:You found a primordial black hole!
:[A collectible and a powerup right at the center of the spiral (+2.5 to thrust duration)]
:You found a tree-filled grove and a nice spot for quiet contemplation Your thrusters are significantly more efficient now.
:[The center of the spiral is a dead end - one needs to fly all the way back out or just hit the Home button]

*Guitar Ship planet

:[A planet shaped like a guitar seen in perspective looking from the bottom of the body, with a dome on the back side. The planet lies close to Uzumaki, one can reach it by observing the spaceship's radar. Within the dome, there's the Boston skyline. Just over the dome there's a collectible.]
:You found a guitar pick!

*Spacetime Soccer game planet

:[A tiny planet with a smooth surface and a distorted soccer field marked around it. You can get there by launching from the pyramid with a soccer ball on top, located on the Origin. The goals and goal area lines are on the opposite sides of the planet (let's say, to the east and west), distorted into curved trapezoids. The touch lines (side lines) are sections of hyperbolas with the vertices closest to the planet at the north and south poles, extending symmetrically to some distance from the planet. There is no goal line; in this geometry it should be the extended axis. What seems to be penalty lines, but drawn incorrectly to join the side lines instead of going back to the goal line, are sections of an ellipse. The halfway line appears twice joining the four ends of hyperbolic side lines, together with two halves of the center circle. The field utilizes the concept from xkcd comic 2705: Spacetime soccer, but inversed: the gravity well is located at both goals, not in the center. Hairy, Megan, Cueball and Ponytail are playing. Ponytail has just kicked a football. Each goal has a powerup inside (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! Your thrusters are more efficient now.
:GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! Your engine gets a bit more powerful.
:[Another powerup lies at a pole of the planet]
:You've found a sunspot. Your launch speed has increased.
:[Still another power up lies at the center spot on one of the copies of the half-way line (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found the 3 million point line. Your thrusters are more efficient now.

*Saturn

:[A planet with rings, and a soccer ball inside; one of the ball's white hexagon is surfacing in the north pole area. You can reach it by launching from a Saturn-topped pyramid on Origin. There's a collectible at the equator, below the rings.]
:You found a really cool data point!
:[A powerup is located at the south pole]
:You found a block of scandium! Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[Another powerup at middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere]
:You found a pair of platonic solids, not quite touching! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

*Andal

:[A small rocky and grassy planet. Features (clockwise):]

:[A T-shaped tower with a powerup on top (-0.75 to thrust recovery time)]
:What a nice place for a ship to sit! Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.
:[Two fantasy animals: one looks like a centaur, the other as a horse-headed centaur. Both have sickle-shaped blades at the ends of their tails. There's a powerup above them. (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found two Andalites, one canonical! Your thrusters are more efficient now.
:[A powerup in a small recess in the ground]
:You found baby shoes (and baby)! Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[Cueball and Megan facing each other]
:Megan: The M.I.T. cloaking device only affects the electroweak and nuclear forces. Gravity is the odd one out, as usual.
:[A powerup next to Megan (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found a friend. Your thrusters are more efficient now.

*Compromise Projection of Earth

:[A huge distorted map of all land masses of Earth, freely floating in space like asteroids. You can get there by following the sign on the hollow planet or the Earth map monument on Origin. You can navigate your ship within the spaces where oceans and seas would be. There are several collectibles and powerups.]
:[A collectible and a powerup at the North Sea]
:You found the Principality of Sealand! Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[A collectible in the northern Atlantic Ocean]
:You found the Heart of the Ocean! It was drifting around in space.
:[A collectible off the West African coastline]
:You found a whale shark!
:[A collectible and a powerup next to Rhode Island]
:You found a Rhode Island the size of an ant! Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[A power up off the southern Australian coast]
:You found an icosahedral d10. Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[A collectible near the Kamchatka peninsula in Eastern Russia]
:You found some microbial life!
:[A collectible on the Western coast of Myanmar near the Strait of Malacca]
:You found some tin from the Pantai Remis mine!
:[A collectible next to the Celebes Island of Indonesia]
:You found a sparkling gem!
:[A collectible near the Kamchatka peninsula in Eastern Russia]
:You found a piece of pumice floating in space!

*Voyager 1

:[The Voyager 1 space probe. You can reach it by launching from a radiotelescope next to the spiral monument on Origin. There's a collectible and a powerup next to its dish antenna.]
:You found Voyager 1! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.

*Voyager 2

:[The Voyager 2 space probe. You can reach it by launching from a radiotelescope next to the spider monument on Origin. There's a collectible and a powerup next to its dish antenna.]
:You found Voyager 2! Some of its great speed rubs off on you. Your engine thrust has increased significantly.

*SafetySat

:[The cube satellite from xkcd comic 1992: SafetySat. There's a collectible in front of its laser pointers.]
:You found a first of its kind
:[A powerup next to software-defined radio (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:Your thrusters are more efficient now.
:[A powerup next to crude oil tank (+0.5 to launch speed)]
:The more refined oil had a dinner engagement. Your launch speed has increased.

*Shuttle Skeleton planet

:[A small planet shaped like a spaceship from xkcd comic 2630: Shuttle Skeleton. You can get there by launching from like-shaped monument on Origin or in northwestern direction from Alaska on Compromise Projection of Earth.]
:[A powerup next to the left-hand engine (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:A little upgrade works wonders on fuel efficiency. Your thrusters are more efficient now.
:[A collectible at the tip of the ship's bow]
:You found a piece of space shuttle food!

:[By launching straight from the engines of the Skeleton Shuttle you can find a lone collectible in the void of space, where the hidden Boston planet is. You can try finding it by observing the radar, because the hidden planet still has gravity. Once you've visited Shuttle skeleton, it is a good chance to get it, or it will be inside the Boston planet once it is de-cloaked].
:You found a strangely heavy subway token!

*Giant Spider

:[A giant spider floating in space. You can get there by launching from the spider figure on Origin. Eight people are standing on the tips of the spiders legs: Hairbun of fourth left leg, Hairy on third left one, White Hat on second left, Cueball on front left, Megan on front right leg, another Cueball on second right one, Beret Guy on third right and Black Hat on the fourth right leg. There's a collectible next to the tip of the spider's abdomen.]
:You found a spider-silk scarf!
:[The spider holds a powerup in its pincers]
:You found a friendly jumping spider. Your engine gets a little more powerful.

*Diffraction Spikes Star

:[A very spiky star shaped like the one from xkcd comic 2762: Diffraction Spikes]
:[A collectible at the tip of a long spike]
:You found a hydrogen ion!
:[A collectible at the tip of a short spike]
:You found a piece of coronium! Wait, no, iron.

*Roche Lobe Earth

:[This is a small, distorted, drop-shaped Earth with oceans and continents of the northern hemisphere. There's the Moon close by. The distortion looks like if the Moon's tidal forces is pulling northern Atlatic Ocean really hard. The planet can be reached by launching from the like-shaped statue on Origin. Cueball is standing on the surface roughly about the place of the southern U.S.A. There's a collectible off the California coastline.]
:You found a curious Humboldt squid!
:[Another collectible lies off the Japan coast]
:You found a bathyscaphe at the Marianas Trench!
:[There's a collectible on the far side of the Moon]
:You found a wayward Roomba full of moondust!

*Dark Matter Planet

:[A small, irregular planet with a black center (normal planets have white centers) and an insciption "DARK MATTER" inside, repeated three times. On its surface there are two squirrels and Hairbun.]
:Hairbun: I found it!
:[There's a powerup anti-clockwise from Hairbun]
:You found a delicate music box. Your engine is a little more powerful now.

*Jurassic Park planet

:[A big planet with weak gravity, a lot of grass, and many dinosaur figures, some repeating a few times. You can get there by launching form a dinosaur statue on Origin. At one place on the surface Hairy and Megan are being greeted by dr John Hammond.]
:Welcome... to Jurassic Park
:[There are several powerups and collectibles, going clockwise from the visitors:]
:[A powerup (-0.75 to thrust recovery time)]
:But what if gravity doesn't actually exist? Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.
:[Another powerup]
:Today is a good day I think for space exploration. Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[A collectible]
:You found a tiny pteranodon!
:[Another collectible]
:You found a baby hedgehog!

*Comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko

:[A small, potato-shaped body. You can get there by launching form the rollercoaster on Origin. Features (clockwise):]
:[Remains of a crashed spacecraft, presumably Rosetta, with a powerup and a collectible (+0.5 to launch speed)]
:You found The Long Now Foundation's nickel paperweight containing an archive of every published Animorphs book! Your launch speed has increased.
:[Hairbun standing]
:[A small three-legged spacecraft, presumably Philae]
:Philae: BEEP BOOP
:[Cueball standing next to a smoke machine. There's a powerup to the left.]
:You found a broken smoke machine. Your engine gets a little more powerful.
:[Another Cueball and a powerup (-0.75 to thrust recovery time)]
:Some people believe that when the Earth appears in the sky, it's a harbinger of doom. Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.
:[A powerup next to a signpost]
:Anyone for Scrabble later? Your engine gets a little more powerful.

*What If? planet

:[A huge, round planet with many bodies of water. You can get there by launching from the left part of Stonehenge on the Round Planet. Some scenes from the book "what if? 2" and the xkcd comic 2712: Gravity appear here. Features (clockwise):]

:[A flagpole with a powerup on the flag]
:You captured the flag! You decide to leave it there, but it's yours. Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[A cave in the ground. Inside it there's Beret Guy, two rabbits, and a powerup.]
:You found a dna base pair! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[Two stones with sails attached, sliding on the ground towards Hairbun and Megan]

:[Black Hat with a bow, shooting an arrow upwards towards a spy satellite. There's a powerup just above it.]
:You found an eye in the sky

:[A lake with an eel swimming in it]

:[A collectible in the grass]
:You found a smooth green snake! It curls up in your hand and naps.

:[A small erupting volcano]

:[White Hat and Cueball standing, another person charging them with a sword held above head. Cueball is holding a small object in his left hand, the arm stretched towards the attacker]

:[Hairbun running towards Megan. Megan is kicking something.]

:[A person with a wide-rimmed hat driving a tractor(?). The ground strangely sticks to its wheels.]

:[Megan and Cueball on a shore of a shallow body of water, Cueball is poking a stick into the water. Some creature is flying over the water. There's a powerup at the bottom (+0.4 to thrust duration).]
:You found a sunken treasure. Your thrusters are more efficient now.

:[Cueball standing on the other side of the water, taking hits from some objects falling from above.]
:PLINK
:Cueball: OW!
:PLINK
:Cueball: OW!

:[Hairy sitting on a large heap of something, Cueball standing aside.]

:[Megan standing on a brim of a small valley, Ryan standing in the valley with a small animal by his feet.]
:Megan: Hi Ryan!
:[There's a collectible over Ryan]
:You found an asterisk. It doesn’t seem to refer to anything.

:[A dugout. Cueball and Megan are standing there. Cueball holds a spade. There's a powerup above (+0.5 to launch speed).]
:The Yellowstone Super What? Your launch speed has increased.

:[A river, a waterfall and a lake below it. On the top of the waterfall Cueball faces two persons with police hats. There's a fat hose labelled "Niagara water" leading from the waterfall into a building labelled "LHC". Someone in the building shouts:]
:Someone: ''HEY''
:[There's a collectible next to the LHC building]
:You found a large hadron!

:[A body of rippled strangely-behaving water, like it was a solid. Two people in a sailboat. To the right there's a gap in the water from which a huge UFO-shaped rock has been ejected, with two people on it. Further right Megan is standing at the bottom of a shaft in the water, next to some water plant]

:[A few clouds and Cueball standing. The largest cloud, a cumulonimbus, features a powerup.]
:Nutritional Facts - Serving Size: 1 Cloud, Total Calories: 0. Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[Megan sitting on a rectangular block, another block standing upright, a few stones.]

:[White Hat walking along Hairbun, holding a rectangular object in her hand.]

:[A patch of trees with two collectibles]
:You found a secret leaf!
:You found a stick!

:[A small Cueball figure]

:[A tower crane lowering a comet, on a place with two dinosaurs. A collectible below the crane's beam.]
:You found a sterile neutrino!

:[Knit Cap holding a remote control. An object is moving at supersonic speed next to him.]
:BOOM
:[There's a collectible to the left of Knit Cap]
:You found a pair of squirrel goggles!

:[Danish standing in a swimming pool, Cueball on the brim. There's a powerup in the pool.]
:You found a steam calliope! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[A large figure of Cueball]

*Subway Planet

:[A huge planet with a subway system connecting places named after U.S. cities, similar to the one from the xkcd comic 1196: Subways. In the area where Boston should be according to that system, there is a giant round hole with rugged sides consisting of a lot of broken planks. You can get there by taking off from the secret glade on Origin planet. There's a black hole inside, off the center, in the Washingon, D.C. area. There are many people and features both on the surface and within subway tunnels.]

:[On the surface of the planet, clockwise from the Boston hole, there are:]

:[Megan and Cueball standing on the edge of the Boston hole. Cueball is leaning forward, looking down.]
:Cueball: Where's Boston?
:Megan: I think M.I.T. kids took it.

:[Three consecutive entrances to tunnels leading to New Yourk City area, a tunnel leading a little below and back up, another three entrances; Cueball standing next to the middle one. There's a power up just a bit into the third (+0.5 to launch speed).]
:You found a hot dog. Your launch speed has increased.

:[Cueball and Danish walking]
:Cueball: Why did those M.I.T. kids keep talking about Morgantown?
:Danish: They're just transit enthusiasts, I guess.
:Cueball: But Morgantown is tiny. It can;t possibly have a subway, can it?
:Danish: Not exactly...

:[Hairy and White Hat standing]
:Hairy: A lot of people don't realize that North America only has one subway system; each city's metro is just one part of the network.

:[A sequence of seven tunnel entrances leading to Monterrey area. There's a warning message just below the surface:]
:Warning! Air and Space Museum black hole ahead!
:Turn back while you still have enough engine thrust!
:[The above message repeats many times within the maze of subway tunnels]

:[A powerup next to the second entrance (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found a bottle of Coke Absolute Zero! Your thrusters are more efficient now.

:["Mexico City" label just below the surface, an entrance to a tunnel leading to Atlanta and a warning message about the black hole, Ponytail]
:Ponytail: Welcome to the Subway Planet, home of all North America's metro systems!

:[Ponytail and Cueball. Cuaball is holding a four-wheeled suitcase.]
:Ponytail: Boston? No, that's on the other side of the planet. Or used to be, anyway.

:[Ponytail and Megan walking]
:Ponytail: My favorite thing about visiting Origin is all the pointing sculptures. They make it so easy to navigate!

:[Two tunnel entrances leading to Los Angeles. A "San Francisco" label next to them. Cueball and Megan standing on opposite sides of the first entrance.]
:Cueball: If you're looking for someone to track down those M.I.T. kid, you could try asking CalTech.
:Megan: But we're in San Francisco; Isn't CalTech in Pasadena?
:Cueball: Yeah, it's down there somewhere.

:[Ponytail jumping across a tunnel entrance]
:Ponytail: Vancouver!

:[A "Vancouver" label and another tunnel entrance. Cueball and Ponytail are looking up.]
:Cueball: Huh, I never noticed that crack in the crystal sphere before.

:[An entrance to a tunnel leading to Toronto]

:[A "Montreal" label and two tunnel entrances. The left edge of the Boston hole. Next to the right edge, there's a powerup (-0.75 to thrust recovery time).]
:You get the feeling you're not in Kansas anymore. Your tanks recharge a bit faster now.

:[Features inside the metro system, in no particular order:]

:[Knit Cap in Montreal]
:Knit Cap: Bienvenue a Montreal!

:[Blondie and Megan at the bottom of the Boston hole]
:Blondie: I hear M.I.T. kids were working on a cloaking device. Boston could be anywhere.

:[A collectible in a short dead-end line near the right side of the Boston hole:
:You found a Cybiko® wireless handheld computer for teens (2000)!

:[A power up down the tunnels of New York City (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:You found a brightly-lit billboard. Your thrusters are more efficient now.

:[A collectible in a dead-end tunnel in NYC]
:You found a handful of quantum foam!

:[A collectible somewhere in NYC]
:You found a normal-sized apple!

:[Down in NYC: another copy of the black hole warning message and a powerup next to it]
:You found a friendly cat! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[Mexico, Cueball sitting on a ledge, Megan standing below]
:Megan: You'd need some powerful thrusters to make it down there and back.

:[In Monterrey, Megan is using her smartphone to look up the subway scheme in xkcd.com/1196]

:[A collectible and a powerup in a short dead-end tunnel near Miami]
:You found a beige electron! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[A collectible in a dead-end tunnel in Toronto]
:You found a relativistic bowling ball!

:[A collectible and a power-up further down from Toronto]
:You found $30 in Yahoo! cash! Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[A powerup down in San Francisco]
:Your engine gets a little more powerful. Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[Down in Los Angeles there's a rectangular chamber connected to a tunnel. Megan is standing at the entrance to it, Hairbun and Cueball are inside]
:Megan: Welcome to CalTech!
:Hairbun: The M.I.T. cloaking device control? It's in Morgantown, WV.
:Cueball: Figures.

:[A small distance left and down from the chamber Science Girls is standing in the tunnel]
:Science Girl: Stop! This line goes to D.C.!Ever since the Air and Space Museum put in the black hole exhibit, it's been difficult to return without enough engine thrust.

:[A powerup in a tunnel between Los Angeles and Philadelphia (+0.4 to thrust duration)]
:There is no parking in the white zone. Your thrusters are more efficient now.

:[A powerup in a long straight dead-end tunnel near Philadelphia]
:You feel accomplished. Your engine gets a little more powerful.

:[Down in Philadelphia, Cueball sitting on a slope]
:Cueball: Morgantown? You could get there via Philly and Baltimore, but that would take you near the Museum. Might be safer to take the red line from Atlanta.

:[Further down from Philadelphia, close to Washington, D.C. Cueball is barely balancing himself on a slope of a tunnel leading to the black hole.]

:[A collectible in a tunnel in Washington, close to the black hole]
:Transfer here for Mornington Crescent ''(message only)''

:[At the center of Washington there's the black hole pictured as a dark circle with shiny rings around it. It is impossible to escape it without hyperdrive. If caught there, hit the Home button].

:[A sign in the tunnel leading from Washington to Morgantown]
:WV

:[Further along the tunnel Cueball is sitting at a subway station (a round chamber a bit wider than the tunnel) at a strange angle to the surface, affected by black hole gravity]
:Cueball: Welcome to Morgantown!

:[Megan standing at a strange angle at the next station]
:Megan: Welcome to Morgantown!

:[Further along the tunnel Megan is sitting]
:Megan: I think I'm stuck. I can't even see the black hole from here!

:[Cueball sitting further along the Morgantown tunnel, where it joins another tunnel]
:Cueball: Where does that line go?

{{DEFAULTSORT:2765}}
[[Category:Comic subpages]]

2765: Escape Speed/Transcript

2023-04-26T19:04:14Z

172.68.139.32: More on Subway Planet

2765: Escape Speed/Transcript

2023-04-26T14:55:54Z

172.68.139.32: Added Jurassic Park planet

2765: Escape Speed/Transcript

2023-04-26T13:18:58Z

172.68.139.32: heavy subway token

2765: Escape Speed/Transcript

2023-04-25T18:57:43Z

172.68.139.32: Corrected transcript of starting planet and Origin based on messages extracted from code; other corrections

2765: Escape Speed/Transcript

2023-04-25T14:39:16Z

172.68.139.32: