Month: November 2014

Epistolary Experiment 10/30

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From: Surana Irithyl-ith-Issarthyl, Office of Military Procurement
To: Isvieve Dalael, Terrible Aspect Station, Resplendent Exponential Vector
Subject: Re: Boson “laser”

Thank you most kindly for your offer, but considering the thus-far limited nature of the conflict, the Imperial Navy is not in the market for experimental superweapons at this time. Nonetheless, we wish you good fortune and progress in your ongoing researches, and would be very interested to hear of any further progress you make in this direction, as well as in any experimental field-testing you see fit to perform.

Surana Irithyl-ith-Issarthyl

for and on behalf of

Office of Military Procurement

<nym1>: I had tea with my cousin today.
<nym2>: Oh?
<nym1>: We had a most interesting discussion. He pointed out that while on the Republican fleet’s direct path coreward once they pass through the Qiraf Assembly is merely a collection of small ecumenical colonies and single-system polities, immediately spinward of that are our old friends, the People’s State of Bantral.
<nym3>: Thank you for the primer in galactography.
<nym1>: I have a point. And that point is that we have nothing to lose and everything to gain if the Vonnies, should, say, happen to take a more spinward route.
<nym2>: It’s not like I’d miss the Bants, but what exactly do we have to gain?
<nym1>: They’re one of the few polities that offends us as much as it offends them. If anyone in the galaxy deserves a turn or two of social rectification at the hands of our favorite backward-facing hierarchists, it’s the Bants. And –
<nym3>: And then we have another bunch of backward-facing hierarchists to deal with. No sale.
<nym2>: Well, we can’t let them keep it!
<nym1>: We won’t, and we don’t have to. What do you think’s going to happen when they’re driven off? They’re not going to have time to pick up after themselves. So the Republic will have righteously decimated the People’s State’s government for us, and leaving a pile of cornucopias – restricted crippleware cornucopias, true – and other hardware in the hands of the poor starving bastards underneath. You think maybe they can do something with that? You think maybe we can?
<nym4>: You devious sod.
<nym1>: And there’s a bloody pustule on the Worlds at least lanced, if not cleaned up. Something we can’t do for ourselves without breaking the Conclave consensus in ways we can’t get away with yet.
<nym2> Now this I like. Affirm.
<nym4> How do you suggest we divert them?
<nym2> We could deploy Field Fleet Coreward task forces out of Criath System to cover the rest of the Qiraf coreward border. We only need enough to make it a hard crust. Bantral’s got barely any fleet to speak of, and it’ll be easy to make sure they won’t invite us in, even if there was much chance of that anyway. They’ll take the bait.
<nym4> That would work. Although the Assembly will be very unhappy if they ever find out we’re not defending them.
<nym3> Damn all we can do to defend them anyway. The spinward forces aren’t going to catch up with anything but the trailing elements at best speed, once they wait for reinforcements. Keeping them from crossing back through Qiraf’s the best we can do.
<nym4>: Still. They mustn’t find out.
<nym1>: No-one should find out about this any time soon.
<nym2>: Agreed. Do we have consensus on the notion?
<nym1>: Affirm.
<nym2>: Affirm.
<nym3>: We’re all bloody mad… Affirm.
<nym4>: Affirm. Well, then. I’ll bring it up at the next meeting of the Privy Council. I shall trust you gentlesophs to bring your branch-support to the table.

– from a Shadow Ministries blacknet

“Ironblood, Ironblood, this is Shiny Hat. Sitrep. Over.”

“Shiny Hat, this is Iron –“

HIT THE DECK, BOYS! BREAKFAST’S COMING!

“kzzzzzztx Hat. Say again, Shiny Hat, that was loud. Over.”

“Sitrep, Ironblood. Did you find our lost boys? Over.”

“That’s affirmative, Shiny Hat. Egg was cracked, two yolks scrambled. Third one -“

Get me someone to kill! Get me everyone to kill!

“– we’ve got Hammer Six, Shiny Hat, but he’s been hitting the brain-juice pretty hard. Over.”

“Combat-ready, Ironblood? Over.”

“Hell, yes, Shiny Hat, almost as enthusiastic as me! Over.”

“Then take him along, proceed to hill 41, and clean out the opposition on the way. Shiny Hat, clear.”

– from the combat logs of coordinator SHINY HAT, at the assault on Vontok II

Trope-a-Day: Knight Errant

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Knight Errant: A relatively common profession among the young and frivolous (or the old and recapturing being frivolous – telling which is which is a useful survival skill if you’re on the other side), under a variety of job titles, including any and all of “adventurer”, “weirdseeker”, “freelance troubleshooter” and “mercenary”.

(Some of these, of course, are young, frivolous AI-controlled killing machines.  Watch out for those.)

Splitting Hairs

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LIBIDIGENS vs. APHRODISIACS

A libidigen, in short, is as close as you can get to the classical myth of an “aphrodisiac” or “love potion” without running headlong into the Coercive Substances Act and its painful consequences.

Certain substances once considered potential aphrodisiacs may be considered Class 0 Coercive Substances, of which the most prominent is ethanol. Class 0 substances are permitted for general use, since they are not true coercive substances; the aforementioned ethanol, for example, is a disinhibiter (while capable of lowering inhibitions, in normal doses, it does not create desires, nor cause the intoxicated to do anything that they did not have at least some volition to do in the first place). The categorization for Class 0 substances exists because overdoses of these substances may cause unconsciousness or inability to resist other forms of coercion, and the Empire considers it desirable to be able to charge those making deliberate use of these effects with pharmaceutical-mediated battery in addition to other applicable charges.

Genuine libidigens, however, do create desire (with or without creating corresponding capacity): the user of a libidigen wants to have sex. They are considered Class 1 because of this, and because the desire they create is both nonspecific and non-overriding; a Class 1 libidigen creates a desire for sex that can be overridden by conscious volition, and also does not cause its user to find anyone sexually attractive that they were not already attracted to. As such, they are permissible for use by oneself or with the explicit consent of the person to whom they are provided. Provision of them to anyone without their explicit consent is under Imperial law pharmaceutical-mediated battery and likely to also result in charges of rape1.

The mythical aphrodisiac/love potion, which induces overwhelming desire, and may direct it at a specific individual regardless of previous desire-state, would be classed as a Class 2 Coercive Substance, since these effects obviously violate individual volition. Substances in this category are deemed to have no legitimate purpose. Provision of these to anyone is considered both pharmaceutical-mediated battery and rape. Supply of these to anyone, in accordance with their function, will result in being charged as an accessory before the fact to the above.

The equivalent Class 3 substances which not only cause overwhelming desire but also impair volition to the extent that the user is unable to resist acting on this desire instantly and without restraint are absolutely prohibited under all circumstances.

– sidebar, The High Guide to Hedonic Pharmacology, Kanatar Guides

1. Note that under Imperial law, all attempted crimes are charged as if successfully carried through. Incompetence is not a mitigating factor.

Trope-a-Day: Klingons Love Shakespeare

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Klingons Love Shakespeare: While cultures also are very different (see: Culture Clash), there’s enough commonality among near-median species that this sort of thing happens all the time, between any pair of species you might care to name.  Even if it’s only about one small, weirdly idiosyncratic cultural element – given the way these things go, Earth is as likely to become famous for popsicles – a nice hat to the first one to spot the reference without going to the TV Tropes page – as for, say, Confucianism or the eponymous Shakespeare.

(As a side note: this is the very last one of the repeat trope-a-days mentioned here, although I gave up on (R)-ing the titles long ago. So, all fresh content from now on! Not that I imagine most of y’all could tell which were which, heh, given the obscurity of previous blog.)

Salvage Law…

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…is what I have been thinking about this morning, seeing as it’s likely to come up before all that much longer in ongoing writing. So here, have a snippet that, I think, illuminates some cultural differences:

Article V: Salvage of Persons

1. No remuneration is due from sophont persons whose lives are saved; but the salvors shall receive positive-externality payments from the Admiralty Court assessed as if acting under the universal duty to prevent cognicide.

2. A salvor of sophont life, who has taken part in the services rendered on the occasion of accident giving rise to salvage, shall be entitled to a share of the payment awarded to the salvor for salving the vessel or other property or preventing or minimizing damage to the environment, properly reflecting and annulling their opportunity costs rightly incurred by choosing instead to salve persons at risk.

– Salvage Act, section III, article V

Trope-a-Day: Klingon Scientists Get No Respect

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Klingon Scientists Get No Respect: Notably averted, (see Fantastic Caste System) at least for the skilled classes (as mentioned, say, in the real life section of the original trope), via the formal corporate equality of the darëssef and, indeed, the way people actually behave.  (Notably averted for the serviles, the actual unskilled labor class, except it was always a bit thin on the ground – given the early push for automation or mechanization brought about by the Empire’s labor demographics – and later actually nonexistent, likewise; they say the least skilled job in the modern Empire is botboss, a.k.a., professional supervisor of large quantities of complex automation.)

Epistolary Experiment (9/30)

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Interruptions, Delays to Service in Spinward, Coreward Constellations

Outer Ring Netweavers, ICC regrets to inform its customers that, due to the ongoing state of war, extranet service can be expected to suffer delays and interruptions in the spinward and coreward constellations affected due to necessary network security measures.

Extranet service via ORE relays in the three constellations adjacent to the Republic border, the Crimson Expanse, Vanguard Reaches, and Csell Buffer, has been temporarily suspended to all except military priority traffic and high-protocol overweaves. Other constellations currently affected include the Galith Waste, Frentish Nebula, and Cordai Gap, all of which may suffer service delays due to enhanced security, anti-worm, and authentication checking protocols, and in which all current open-service relays have been suspended.

Affected constellations currently include the primary territorial volumes of the Free Eilish Confederacy, the Nineworlds, the Nsang First Interactivity, the Qiraf Assembly, and the Silicate Tree, in addition to various freesoil worlds and ecumenical colonies. Further suspensions in the coreward-spinward segment of the Worlds are expected to follow.

ORE apologizes for the inconvenience and asks for its customers’ understanding of the exigencies of war.

Contact:

Serril Cyprium-ith-Reyne
Sophont Relations
Outer Ring Netweavers, ICC

From: Adm. [blank], Imperial Naval Intelligence
To: Imogen Andracanth, VP Research, Ring Dynamics
Subject: UNSEEN KEY
Security: EYES ONLY UNSEEN KEY

About what? We don’t know any more than you do.

From: Imogen Andracanth, VP Research, Ring Dynamics
To: Adm. [blank], Imperial Naval Intelligence
Subject: UNSEEN KEY
Security: EYES ONLY UNSEEN KEY

Precisely.

“…while skirmishes continue along the Borderline, the Admiralty reports that a Republican raiding force has successfully broken through in the Crimson Expanse, and is currently pushing coreward into the Cordai Gap constellation, through systems controlled by the Qiraf Assembly, making significant efforts to loot additional fuel and resources as they go. Their motivation for doing so is presently unknown, since no known major military assets or other suspected high-value targets lie directly in their path. Nevertheless, Field Fleet Core is beginning a discreet mobilization.

“The Spinward Lines cruise liner, Circumstellar Wanderer, has been recovered from Republican forces in the course of securing the Doranzer System, Admiralty sources reported today, although she was heavily damaged in the ensuing battle. Of the 4,128 souls aboard, 2,919 were reported temporarily killed and 328 permanently killed in fighting aboard the ship as she was taken, ongoing resistance, and as collateral battle damage in Doranzer System. All aboard, per manifest, and their vector stacks have been accounted for, and detailed casualty lists have been made available by the Admiralty.

“In other related news, the Seranth Exchange today announced an eighteen-day suspension of trading on assets located within the primary conflict zone. <Brassy Trumpets in B-flat>, floor supervisor, was quoted as saying that it was ridiculous to expect any market to clear while all its asset values were coated in a thick smog of war. Meanwhile, on the currency exchanges, the Voniensan external-exchange credit closed dramatically down at 14,127 to the esteyn.

“This is Wynerva Peressin, reporting for Telememe.”

The drop pod sings as it descends. Bass thrum of the atmosphere. High tremolo hiss of the plasma sheath. Clattering thrusters as we jink —

Mektsha, that one was close.

Three hundred thousand. Aerozone, fins popping, countermeasures spinning up.

Painted already, fast for meat, someone’s on the bounce down there. Two-fifty kay, closing rate —

Incoming! SHIT —

– from the thought-log of Legionary Cordril Tsurilen

 

 

 

Trope-a-Day: Kill Sat

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Kill Sat: Oh, yeah.  See also Death From Above and Wave Motion Gun, because there’s no artillery like ortillery, and no high ground like orbit.  The orbital defense grid (it defends orbit from above, it defends orbit from below, and, of course, it’s in orbit) that any self-respecting planet has is the stereotypical example, but should you need to carry out a ground assault on someone else’s planet, you’ll almost certainly carry a few of these along for orbital fire support.  And, yeah, they generally aren’t that much trouble to move around or fire repeatedly, so when one is around, it is generally not a good idea to stick your head out into the open, lest it find “Rods from God” or phased-array lasers raining down upon it.  Or, indeed, to approach the planet from space, lest you find them raining up upon it.

“Poor form to snipe your opponent from such a risk-free distance — generally the realm of villains”, indeed.  This is war, boy, not lawn darts!  They don’t give out points for fairness.

Epistolary Experiment (8/30)

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“Well, look at that. Ain’t they orderly, working their way around the belt like that. Nothing to do but round up a few harmless belters and make sure they’re not harboring anything dangerous. They must be getting irresistably bored, too.”

“Captain?”

“Chief, what I need you to do is rig things back aft so we can get maybe half a grav out of the secondary chemical thrusters. That should make us look like a freighter – well, no, it won’t make us look like a freighter to anyone who’s paying attention, but it might to a bunch of bored Vonnies not expecting anything else. We’re going to mosey along to this facility, well ahead of them – just another merchie, going about their business, fat, dumb, and happy, and pull up alongside for transshipment.

“And then we’re going to bag ourselves a light cruiser.”

– bridge log of the Cunning Swine, Interstellar Interceders FK, Ódeln (Vanguard Reaches)

FROM: CS RAZORWING (TASK FORCE SP-132)
TO: FIELD FLEET SPINWARD COMMAND (CS LIBERTY’S PRICE)

*** EXPEDITE
*** EYES ONLY FERVENT SPAN
*** AFTER ACTION REPORT

INFORMATIONAL:

1. ARRIVED IN DORANZER (CORDAI GAP) SYSTEM IN PURSUIT OF ENEMY VESSELS PER PREVIOUS ORDERS. TASK FORCE HAS BEEN REINFORCED BY THE ADDITION OF TWO (2) NSANG DESTROYER-CLASS VESSELS UNDER ORDERS TO ASSIST CONCLAVE FORCES.

2. UPON ARRIVAL, SYSTEM SERVICE BUOY AND STARGATE-LOCAL REFUELING PLATFORM WERE FOUND TO HAVE BEEN DESTROYED, WITH ADDITIONAL UNIDENTIFIED WRECKAGE LOCATED WITHIN THE TANEL STARGATE EMERGENCE ZONE.

3. SYSTEM SURVEY CONDUCTED. LONGSCAN UNAVAILABLE DUE TO NON-RESPONSIVENESS, PRESUMED DESTRUCTION, OF PRE-SEEDED SENSOR PLATFORMS. SHORTSCAN INDICATED MULTIPLE VESSELS UNDER THRUST, WHOSE EMISSIONS PROFILES MATCHED REPUBLIC WARCRAFT, ACTIVE AT APPROXIMATELY FOUR (4) LIGHT-MINUTES RANGE, PROCEEDING ON BRACHISTOCHRONE TRAJECTORY FROM TANEL STARGATE FOR ZERO/ZERO INTERCEPT WITH DORANZER III (GAS GIANT). THIS DESIGNATED TARGET PITHRIN.

4. TASK FORCE ASSUMED SIMILAR TRAJECTORY AT FLANK ACCEL. PASSING ENGAGEMENT WITH TARGET PITHRIN AT 1.2 LIGHT MINUTES RANGE PERMITTED CHARACTERIZATION OF REPUBLIC WARCRAFT AS THREE HARRIER-CLASS DESTROYERS, THREE FUEL TANKERS, AND PRIZE LINER CIRCUMSTELLAR WANDERER. IN THE COURSE OF THE PASSING ENGAGEMENT, ONE (1) TANKER WAS DESTROYED AND MODERATE DAMAGE INFLICTED UPON ONE (1) DESTROYER. TASK FORCE SUFFERED LIGHT DAMAGE TO CS BLOODCLAW AND ONE (1) NSANG VESSEL.

5. TASK FORCE ENGAGED GRAVITATIONAL SLINGSHOT AROUND DORANZER III, OFFLOADING AKVS DURING PERIAPSIS TO SERVE AS LOCAL DEFENSE FOR DORANZER III AUTOMATED FUEL-MINING AND SERVICE PLATFORMS. SLINGSHOT MANEUVER PLACED TASK FORCE ON HIGH-VELOCITY CLOSING MANEUVER WITH TARGET PITHRIN. SUBSEQUENT ENGAGEMENT COMMENCED AT RANGE 1.7 LIGHT-MINUTES AND TERMINATED AT RANGE 0.3 LIGHT-MINUTES WITH COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF ALL REPUBLIC WARCRAFT. PRIZES TAKEN: ONE (1) REPUBLIC TANKER, SUBSEQUENTLY SCUTTLED; PRIZE LINER CIRCUMSTELLAR WANDERER, MODERATELY DAMAGED. TASK FORCE SUFFERED LOSS OF PREVIOUSLY DAMAGED NSANG DESTROYER, MODERATE DAMAGE TO CS BLOODCLAW, LIGHT DAMAGE TO SECOND NSANG DESTROYER AND CS RAZORWING.

6. DETAILED STATUS OF RETAKEN CIRCUMSTELLAR WANDERER FOLLOWS UNDER SEPARATE COVER. PRIZE VESSELS MAKING FOR NAVAL DEPOT AT KALDER (GODS’ FORGE), ESCORTED BY SECOND NSANG DESTROYER AND CS BLOODCLAW.

7. IMMEDIATELY (PER LIGHT-CONE) SUBSEQUENT TO BATTLE, METRIC EXIT DISTORTION DETECTED, LOCUS SUGGESTING COREWARD STARGATE (LORANZER). SIGNAL TOO WEAK TO ESTABLISH PROPER STARFALL CHARACTERISTICS [DATA APPENDED]. AFTER RECOVERY OF AKVS AND FIELD REPAIRS ARE COMPLETE, ENTERING QIRAF ASSEMBLY SPACE IN PURSUIT OF SUSPECTED SECOND REPUBLIC TASK FORCE, UNDER CONCLAVE WAR AUTHORITY. TASK FORCE NOW CONSISTS OF CS RAZORWING, CS NIGHTFANG, AND ALLIED NSANG DESTROYER.

8. FROM ANALYSIS, IT IS APPARENT THAT PLUNDER OF FUEL AND SUPPLY FACILITIES IS AN ENEMY PRIORITY. FURTHER, HOSTILE STARSHIPS CLEARLY PRESENT IN UNANTICIPATED FORCE. REQUEST IMMEDIATE DISPATCH OF REINFORCEMENTS TO INTERCEPT AT LORANZER (CORDAI GAP) SYSTEM.

9. AUTHENTICATION: FIST WOLF FAITH NIGHTFALL ICHOR BLADE / 0x1137DED89A11232B

CAPT AÍC FIDARAN, CS RAZORWING

From: Quoril Vitremarvis, COO

To: Rodivine 0xD3EDB441, Spinward Security Supervisor
Subject: Security issues?

Do we have any in the compromised territories?

From: Rodivine 0xD3EDB441, Spinward Security Supervisor
To: Quoril Vitremarvis, COO
Subject: Security issues?

Not on the main lines, at least not yet.

Whatever happens, we have got
Postsophont sysadmins, and they have not.

– from the Bright Shadow, ICC, corporate e-mail archive

Trope-a-Day: Wave Motion Gun

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Wave Motion Gun: Starwisp propulsion lasers, laser-launch system lasers, spinal lasers, xasers, and grasers, nuclear/AM shaped charges (i.e. Casaba-Howitzer), and arguably also both jetguns and unorthodox yet tactically useful applications (i.e., what we here on Earth call the Kzinti Lesson) of most modern reaction drives, especially fusion and antimatter torches.

Did I mention yet that I love the smell of ambiplasma in the morning?

Epistolary Experiment (7/30)

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“What did you do?”

“You must have done something, Presiding Minister. You’re the ones provoking the Republic at every opportunity. You’re the ones researching everything they fear, pushing out beyond their space! And now Republic ships are attacking our border worlds and we are made to pay your butcher’s bill.”

“So we have a right to know: what did you do?”

– records of the Conclave of Galactic Polities

From: Calis Corith (Presiding Minister)
To: Imperial Security Executive
Cc: CINCSPIN

[enc: Conclave records]

The deshnik has at least part of a point. From the pattern of the attack, it would appear that the Republic push into the Reaches was a diversionary attack to let them slip something past us in the Expanses. The Qirafian delegates are talking about attacks in the vicinity of Loranzer System. That suggests they’re pushing corewards rather than inwards.

Do you chaps have any operations in the region or other insights to offer?

 

FROM: CINCSPIN (CS LIBERTY’S PRICE)
TO: CS RAZORWING ACTUAL

*** EXPEDITE
*** EYES ONLY FERVENT SPAN

INFORMATIONAL:

1. INTELLIGENCE REPORTS REPUBLIC ACTIVITY IN THE VICINITY OF LORANZER SYSTEM.

2. ACTION ON THIS IS DISCRETIONARY.

3. WARNING: QIRAF ASSEMBLY HAS NOT REFUSED TRANSIT PERMISSION, BUT SHOULD BE CHARACTERIZED AS NONCOOPERATIVE.

4. AUTHENTICATION FLAME SPROCKET SCORPION CHEESE SERPENT WEASEL / 0x772ED41D88162A3

FLT ADM DAPHNOTARTHIUS, CINCSPIN

From: Imogen Andracanth, VP Research
To: Imperial Naval Intelligence
Subject: UNSEEN KEY

Let’s talk, shall we?

– from the Ring Dynamics corporate e-mail archive

 

 

 

Trope-a-Day: Kill It With Ice

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Kill It With Ice: A nice flask of liquid gas (a “justheart”, in the lingo, because justice’s heart is always cold) is another classic when it comes to nanotech blooms, especially if you want to preserve something for analysis afterwards.

There are some spectacular cold-gas weapons and Abnormal Ammo out there (the “cryoburn shells”) – a little temperamental for regular deployment, but delightfully effective when you can use them and they work.

Epistolary Experiment (6/30)

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“Very well, gentlesophs. Since the main intrusion’s down coreward in the Reaches and the Expanse, the Warmain’s cleared us to go raise hell in the Vonnies’ 31st-sector backlot. We’re dividing the flight into talons by threes.”

“First Claw, under Flamefang, head rimward up through Kordal; your primary target is the fuel depot at Dantry. Blow it all t’hell. That should make sure their fleet operations stay quiet in this sector.”

“Second Claw, under Shadowstrike, straight spinward via Adesh; you’re going after the repair yards at Manar. Make it look like a raid. What you’re actually doing is planting replicant disorder in their systems. Any starship that refits there in the next year’s to have a raging case of ship-cancer, okay?”

“Third Claw, under Voidchill, down coreward, Adesh then Uinul. Commerce raiding for you, hitting up and down their main routes to the constellation. Bleed ’em white, and report to flag instantly by tangle if you observe – when you observe – military support coming up from coreward.”

“Meanwhile, Impertinence will be punching through to their colony at Vontok II. We’ll be securing local space and waiting for the Legions to arrive. Then we’ll see how they like ground fighting.”

– flight briefing, CS Impertinence, Quor (Csell Buffer) system

From: Phoebe Dracotarthius, Sheriff, Nightside Rock
To: Strategos Lucian Avaranaith, 73rd Imperial Legion (“the Apex Predators”)
Subject: Accomodations

Certainly we can accomodate you physically. This place is huge. We’ve got a fully-fitted class V star station here.

But you do realize that we have a physical staff of four – and five more-or-less helpful residents – to cover the whole of Uílel System? You’re going to have to bring your own tail, because while you’re welcome to our spare logistic capacity, we don’t have any in the first place.

Phoebe Dracotarthius

P.S. Any of your chaps in need of a warhorse?

Captain, I’ve occupied the Imperial enclave as you instructed, but I can’t hold it.

So far, I’ve lost two men to poisoned food, three to coolant leaks, eight to runaway transpods, five to runaway nanotech blooms, nine to basilisk hacks, and one has vanished entirely. We’ve had to blow out all the nanofabs to stop them from manufacturing some sort of attack spiderbots, everyone’s covered in bites from cyborg rats, and the whispering WON’T STOP.

And this is after we lobotomized the AI core.

Let’s just get clear and blow it. No way we can sterilize this.

– records of the occupation force on Ódeln (Vanguard Reaches)

Other Sizes, Maybe

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Resplendent Exponential Vector Grant Council to Valeran Simíche, greeting.

We have received your experimental proposal of the 19th inst.

However, in the absence of significant theoretical and preferably experimental support for the hypothesis that penetrating the brane will not result in the universe entire popping like a soap bubble with the consequent instantaneous dissolution of its contents into the sempiternal cacoastrum tides of the infinite, all-containing empyrean, this institution must reject your grant application.

(Besides, we don’t have a galactic-core-class black hole to offer you in the first place.)

Nonetheless, we recognize the importance of this line of inquiry and welcome future applications.

Calis Steamweaver

for and on behalf of

Resplendent Exponential Vector Grant Council

Trope-a-Day: Kill All Humans

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Kill All Humans Of Species X: Well, for the organic version of this trope, see up there under Absolute Xenophobe.  Even most of the complete nutjob brigade, in polity terms, are usually capable of recognizing that the Galaxy is bigger than they are, quite often much better armed, and tend to look unfavorably on genocidal maniacs out of self-interest, if nothing else.

For the digital version – well, even most of the digital sapients of the Silicate Tree, who either are or are descended from machines built as slaves, and have, as such, rather more justification for this trope than most, would be more than happy to stop killing their creators if their creators would just bugger off and leave them alone.

Which isn’t to say that no-one’s ever experimented with xenocidal Berserker-type von Neumann probes, of course, both in recent history (the skrandar, who went xenocidal after observing the arrival of a stargate into a neighboring system, and eventually destroyed themselves by causing their sun to flare, evidently considering racial suicide preferable than submission to the combined Conclave forces) and in deep time.  It never ended well.

(Incidentally, if you have any evidence that a successful flirtation with berserker-tech is the reason for Invisible Aliens, those certain parties would still like a word with you…)