That being said, there is one group of people who could start noticing similarities: the team sent to setup the outer perimeter net. As they head out, they have to be on the lookout for critters and such. Of course most critters would probably stay away from them (assuming they’ve come out of hiding from the crash). And as for fauna…well, I can’t tell the difference between an oak and a pine so there’s no reason to think they could.

I can think of two reasons the perimeter team would bother to say they’re on “Earth”; they figured “why bother; some Earth team forces will show up soon enough” (and they don’t know about the lack of expected communications), or they didn’t have the chance to say anything once they’ve figured it out (or they’re dense enough to think, “wow, life here is very similar to that on Earth” ).

Alas, since this new drive seems to be a form of Jump drive, that would imply (though not require) they currently use a Hyperspace drive (they’re used to going extra-dimensionally…well, to a point ).

I was going to say that this was a big assumption, but now I don’t think so. Unless the theories around the new engine suggest they could end up anywhere, there’s no reason to believe this new engine is that much above-and-beyond their current tech. Still, he’s got to recognize that they could be there for a long while (probably why he decided to save power).

And what self-respecting naval service allows beards and goatees? Oh, wait, that’s a shadow. It’s just a scruffy nurf-herder’s beard.

Unless, of course, the residents of this Earth did something to their planet which caused the ecosystem to completely collapse, and forced them to go live underground.