[239] There are actually ring stations in the UF universe that are larger in diameter than Halo - a number of planets have what are called "worldwheels", stations that basically form artificial equatorial rings - but those are nowhere near as massive as Halo. Not even the Zeta Cygni II shipyard worldwheel, which is the biggest and most extensively equipped of its kind, comes anywhere near Halo's mass, and you certainly couldn't live on any of its exterior surfaces. Tali's seen space habitats big enough that, with a little imagination and some holography, you could pretend you were outdoors - but never one where you could actually be outdoors.

[248] In City of Heroes, I believe this animation can actually be triggered by entering the command "/e overhere".

[302] Not actually a Mass Effect 2 reference! This is how the Gallant works in Mospeada (though I think the ejection system might be automatic; I did have G do it manually here for just for style's sake).

[389] Zoner and I used to have some actual "emergency rations" bars that were just like this. They came in an earthquake survival kit he bought when we lived in California. He kind of liked them. I didn't.

[391] An actual game mechanic governing, if memory serves, iron rations in Earthdawn.

[410] Galactic Standard Time, which, to the BBC's eternal annoyance, is the same as North American Eastern Time (GMT minus 5), because that time zone most closely corresponded to that of Saenar when Salusia Standardized on Earth units in the early 2000s.

[512] This is the actual Shipping Forecast for whatever day I wrote this scene. Subsequent appearances were adapted from that writing day's forecast as well, though sometimes with minor alterations.

[554] In 1911.

[624] Quotation from "If" by Rudyard Kipling.

[628] Quotation from Kipling's "The Explorer".

[686] Quarians don't have backward knees, but there's a definite up-on-the-toes curve to the calves.