# Identify this sci-fi quote **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 16, 2007, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321 "2007-05-16T14:24:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/1 "2007-05-16T14:24:24Z")
I remember being stirred by this quote not knowing its source. Now I have some time to read, would like to find the source. I will now proceed to butcher the quote for you: “I have seen (somethings) on fire at the edge of a galaxy or something or other. I have seen various other extraordinary things that are space-related.” It’s longer than this. Laugh at me, then point me in the right direction. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/2 "2007-05-16T14:28:33Z")
[It’s from the ending of Bladerunner.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRY6fO8AajE) (video clip) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/3 "2007-05-16T14:28:35Z")
Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/4 "2007-05-16T14:28:51Z")
Hahahah! 🙂 Blade Runner, Roy Batty’s last speech. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/5 "2007-05-16T14:30:22Z")
Damn everyone for being so fast. It’s Roy Batty from Blade Runner > [@](#): > > I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams … glitter in the dark near Tanhauser Gate. All those … moments will be lost … in time, like tears … in rain. Time … to die. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/6 "2007-05-16T14:30:55Z")
"I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die. " \*\*Roy Batty \*\* (Rutger Hauer) in _ **Bladerunner** _. ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/7 "2007-05-16T14:31:09Z")
Nice- no wonder. So… is it in the Electric Sheep version? Or is it solely from the movie? ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/8 "2007-05-16T14:33:22Z")
Also, I still think my version is better 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Papermache\_Prince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Papermache\_Prince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papermache_Prince)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/9 "2007-05-16T14:38:13Z")
It might be in the book but I wasn’t able to find it using Amazon’s Search Inside the Book feature. It’s possible a similar idea is expressed as I don’t have the actual book here. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/10 "2007-05-16T14:50:28Z")
What are “c-beams,” anyhow? ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/11 "2007-05-16T14:50:37Z")
I just checked and it’s certainly not in the book where he dies; it might be earlier and transposed to when he dies in the film, I suppose ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/12 "2007-05-16T15:02:54Z")
[QUOTE=stolichnaya] Or is it solely from the movie? [/QUOTE] If I recall correctly (sorry, no cite), it’s Rutger Hauer’s own contribution. I have a vague memory of this but have been unable to google up confirmation. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/13 "2007-05-16T15:25:41Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] What are “c-beams,” anyhow? [/QUOTE] From context, I would surmise they are something to do with faster-than-light travel. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/14 "2007-05-16T15:33:40Z")
I haven’t watched this in so long; thanks for the clip, **slortar** (what a great movie). ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/15 "2007-05-16T15:39:21Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] From context, I would surmise they are something to do with faster-than-light travel. [/QUOTE] Or a weapon? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/16 "2007-05-16T15:40:48Z")
It’s definitely not in the book. The film is quite different from the movie. The book, frankly, is full of lots of interesting but not quite connected ideas, only some of which made it into the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/17 "2007-05-16T15:41:31Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] If I recall correctly (sorry, no cite), it’s Rutger Hauer’s own contribution. [/QUOTE] [Confirmed](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannhauser_Gate). Hauer himself wrote this little speech. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/18 "2007-05-16T16:08:43Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] What are “c-beams,” anyhow? [/QUOTE] It is a rather common phenomenom around Tannhauser Gate. What? You don’t know where Tannhauser Gate is? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/19 "2007-05-16T16:11:44Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] It is a rather common phenomenom around Tannhauser Gate. What? You don’t know where Tannhauser Gate is? [/QUOTE] I believe it’s the entrance to the [Venusberg.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannhauser) ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321/20 "2007-05-16T16:23:48Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] I believe it’s the entrance to the [Venusberg.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannhauser) [/QUOTE] Exactly, the c beams are connected to the b columns using 3 k bolts and the l nuts (remember to use the m washers). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-sci-fi-quote/404321.md?page=2)