K-021: Independent Transporter Welcome Wagon, Chief Steward’s Office (Nonoop System, near the Nav Buoy)

She nods, gestures at a display on the wall, which now reads 7.29.

“Ultrad 7, Minad 29, or seven-twenty-nine for short.

“The base time unit – our Secad – is the same as the Dominion Second; apparently too many standard measurements rely on that to change it, though I’m told that was proposed shortly after the Treaty of Separation was signed as part of our calendar reforms.  There are sixty Secads to the Minad and 60 Minads to the Ultradian.

“Twenty-four Ultrads make a Circadian, which is equal to a Dominion Cycle, though the standard Circadian doesn’t match the standard Dominion Cycle.  Your Red-Red-One occurs at eleven-forty-five, and our Ultradian Zero occurs at the start of your Green-Green-Seven.  Apparently they started counting our clock and calendar from the exact time the Treaty was signed, which was about midway through your Green Shift on Cycle 10,382.  For us that’s Circad One of Gestad One.

“Seven Circads to the Infradian – equivalent to your dekaCycle but shorter.  Then four Infrads to the Mensadian – I know the Dominion uses a period of thirty Circads – Cycles – for a lot of things but don’t have a name for it; we do, but it’s 28 Circads to a Mensad not thirty.  What we don’t have is an equivalent for your hectoCycles – we’d say about three and a half Mensad’s instead. 

“Then there are nine Mensads to the Gestadian, which is culturally equivalent to your kiloCycle but only a quarter of the length.  If people ask your age you may want to multiply by 4.”

“Also, while people often use numbers for Infrads and Mensads, they also have names.  Infrads are called Ba, Di, Ko and Ai.  Mensads are called Menspaoli, Mensburke, Menstokvil, Menskemal, Menssolon, Mensyatsen, Menswalesa, Menshuntington and Mensakeeno.”

She pauses to fish around in a drawer and comes out with a pamphlet, “Here, take these.”  

The first pamphlet is obviously written for children, with friendly, cartoonish letters and graphics, but it does contain some useful tables:

Did you know?

Timey-Wimey says:  “At the Constitutional Convention a competition to design our new calendar was held, and our New Beginnings calendar was the winner!” 

How Much Time?

• 60 Secads in one Minad on a Clock
• 60 Minads in one Ultradian on a Clock
• 24 Ultradians in one Circadian on a Clock
• 7 Circadians in one Infradian on a Calendar
• 4 Infradians in one Mensadian on a Calendar
• 9 Mensadians in one Gestadian on a Calendar

Timey-Wimey says:  “Ultradians or Ultrads?  Secads or Secadians?  You can use either, but the proper names are shown above!”  

Names of The Infradians

Names of The Mensadians

Timey-Wimey says:  “The Mensadians are named in honour of the first Council of Separation!”  

Writing Dates and Times

Always write dates and times from largest to smallest unit!

Dates are written with dashes ‘-‘ (you can leave them out if you’re writing the names of Mendads and Infrads.)

123-9-4-7

123-MA-Ai-7

Gestad 123 – Mensad 9 – Infrad 4 – Circad 7

Gestad 123 Mensakeno Ai Seven

Times are written with dots ‘.’

23.59.59

Ultrad 23 . Minad 59 . Secad 59

Together with a space between, like this:  123-9-4-7 23.59.59

The second is a simple conversion table, and does not have the cartoonish style of the first.

New Beginnings to Dominion Calendar    

Dominion to New Beginnings Calendar    

Calendar Alignment

Circadian 1  of the New Beginnings calendar (1-1-1-1) began on 10.382 at GG07-1-1.

Note:  There is no Gestadian 0 in the New Beginnings calendar, Gestads prior to that date count up from 1 and are suffixed with ‘BS’ for ‘Before Separation’.

Dominion Cycle Zero is 42BS-8-1-7.

Note that in the official Dominion Calendar there are no dates before Cycle Zero, however most informal conventions use negative numbers of Cycles where dates prior to that are required.

She gives Oliver a short time to glance at the pamphlets, meanwhile hunting around in the same drawer again and retrieving a cheap Dominion wrist clock, which she consults.

“So in the Dominion it’s 211.491 BG05-1-62, but here it’s 799-1-2-7 7.31.”

She allows him time for the info dump to sink in then asks, “Any other questions?”