Keyboard

A **keyboard** is a data entry device with command control buttons, letters, and numbers used on a ship's computer and in Environmental Simulators. By the early 25th century, information is typically entered into the computer through spoken commands, but keyboards were used for faster or more discrete input.

## Description

Keyboards are found in the offices of the Planetary Union's section chiefs from the Captain, to First Officer, to Chief of Security to the Chief Medical Officer, and their layout reflects the needs of a department head. A top bar of buttons are communication hotkeys to speak with the crew. Just below, in the top left, are system information request commands, used for things such as pulling personnel records. Two sections in the bottom and right are for information input.

The keyboards of Environmental Simulators are used for programming and designing simulator programs.

## History

In the fall of 2419, Commander Kelly Grayson looks up the personnel records of the Vega Mining Consortium to see if there is a "Pria Lavesque" on file. Hours later, Kelly approaches Alara Kitan in her office where she is working on a keyboard.

Captain Ed Mercer struggles to type a letter to the family of the late Lieutenant Harrison Payne informing them of his death.

After a month in orbit over Regor 2, Captain Mercer uses his keyboard to communicate with Admiral Tucker who orders him to leave the planet within 24 hours.

Doctor Claire Finn uses her keyboard to writing a paper on the use of nanosynthesis in Xelayan tissue regeneration. Needing some help "on the tech side", she summons Isaac to Sick Bay, telling him that her draft is a little long so she needs to verify the sections pertaining to angiogenesis in the vascular system. Reading the doctor's draft, Isaac quickly detects numerous errors which he immediately revises. A few days later, Dr. Finn is working with her keyboard when she receives a message from Isaac, requesting that she meet him in Simulator 2 at 8.

When Isaac spontaneously deactivates, Captain Mercer uses his keyboard to contact Admiral Tom Halsey, requesting permission to deliver Isaac to his people. Later, on Kaylon 1, Captain Mercer makes contact with the Kaylon Primary, who claims that his people are still deliberating as to whether or not they will join the Planetary Union.

## Production

Keyboards were created early into production of *The Orville*by Lorena Buitrago of the visual graphics department as part of the show's user interface panels (other panels include command control screens and comscanners). "It was a long process of concept creation and iteration with [creator Seth MacFarlane] and the entire art department, and lots of concept testing," Buitrago later wrote. "We needed to create user interfaces that not only were logical but aesthetically innovative and graceful."

## Appearances

Because keyboards are ubiquitous across the series, only instances when the keyboard is used are shown.

* *Episode 1x05: Pria*
* *Episode 1x07: Majority Rule*
* *Episode 1x10: Firestorm*
* *Episode 1x11: New Dimensions*
* *Episode 1x12: Mad Idolatry*

## References

1. ↑ Episode 1x05: Pria
2. ↑ Episode 1x10: Firestorm
3. ↑ *Episode 2x05: All the World is Birthday Cake*
4. ↑ *Episode 2x06: A Happy Refrain*
5. ↑ *Episode 2x08: Identity, Pt. 1*
6. ↑ The Orville. *LoreBui.com*. Last accessed Aug. 25, 2018.