Friends of old, and casual hit-n-runners, here’s one of my favorite riddles. There is a correct answer to it, but let’s see how many good answers you can discover. Good luck!
“All crew officers, report to main deck.”
From all around the place, officers run to the main deck.
“I want status.”
“Engines running 60% load, no damage, sir, yes sir, enough fuel to reach there and back again,” says chief engineer.
“Shields down, no danger detected in 10 parsec range, sir, yes sir,” says chief armorer.
“Kitchen supplies will only last one more week, sir, yes sir,” reports chief chef.
“All right,” says the captain, then addressing to his first officer, “number one, suggest solution to potential problem.”
“I suggest, sir, yes sir, we teleport potatoes from Jojoba system on board to address crisis,” says first officer.
“Do you suggest perhaps we play target shooting with potatoes, number one?”
First officer blushes, realizing that he just made a gaffe.
“Sir, no sir, accept my apologies, sir, yes sir.”And the riddle: why did the first officer apologize? What’s the gaffe?
Note: Official riddle answer: The Best Attack is a Good Defense
15 comments ↓
I’m sure I should be able to see that there’s an ammo shortage somewhere, but I can’t.
Shoes! Oh, sorry. I’m a day late.
Potatoes, potatoes. I’m guessing that since this is one of your favorite riddles, the solution must be particularly clever or funny. If there is no damage, no danger, and plenty of fuel, I’m guessing the vessel is not on a combat mission. Maybe they’re on vacation? I’ll have to think some more…
OK - teleporting potatoes onto a moving spaceship could constitute a problem?
They’re not on a spaceship and cannot teleport stuff? Maybe they’re on a boat, and the first officer is crazy?
One of them says kitchen supplies last only one more week, but there’s no indication of how long their trip will last. Perhaps, it is actually less than one week? Someone does say “Shields down” however, so it seems that there is some problem, the question is what is it?
I’m guessing it has something to do with the fact that there’s no status report from the chief gunner? At a loss for anything else, lol!
The Captain doesn’t eat potatoes. LOL
The First Officer is primarily responsible for all things related to the security of the ship and the welfare of the crew. A “solution” is often a _firing solution_ not having more food delivered to the ship. However, depending on the size of the vessel and her crew, welfare can often encompass the “stores” upon/within the vessel (that includes food, often, as well as ammunition).
If, this was taken from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, then, potatoes ARE well within the First Officers bailiwick.
Heh-heh-heh …
And, this is coming from an ex-US Air Force guy. So, if I haven’t achieved a complete “lock-on” and therefore utilizing the “pickle button” is useless, then ask me what an RSO is … I can enlighten …
GREAT RIDDLE, thanks!
potatoes make you grow fat, that’s why the captain doesn’t want them… he is on a diet and he cannot eat them, thus the entire crew is forbidden from eating potatoes
Very well, good answers everybody, most of them matching all clues… It’s one of my favorite riddles because it’s so open to many, many possibilities…
@Stine: I doubt that potatoes could be used as ammo, but yes, depending on the technology used, I imagine that teleporting something on a moving ship might be a problem.
@GeekMom: the first officer might be crazy, but it’s unlikely… you know what kind of tests those people must undergo, and how often they are repeated, due to the very nature of their mission.
@Wan Kong Yew: Exactly! The problem is the key to this riddle, but because it’s an open riddle, the problem could be anything you think of
@Louie, altu: Good solution, I like it. Potatoes aren’t good today, so there’s little chance that will change in the future. But maybe the potatoes from Jojoba system are different? Who knows, personally I’ve never been there.
@Steve: Thanks for the informative comment, I’ll probably use something in a future riddle. RSO = ReStocking Order? Or Radiation Safety Officer? Or perhaps Riddle Solutions Officer
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I’m going to try a guess. The chef says kitchen supplies will only last for one more week, but not food! Perhaps they have plenty of raw food but lack the supplies required to actually cook them, so getting more potatoes would actually be useless?
Potatoes from Jojoba system explodes?
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