…in addition to the common standbys found on almost every world (Blue Brew, Soléä’s, Don’t Eat Vat, and so forth), the Starfall district also includes more than a few unique, local restaurants. Here are three of our favorites: Rhúäghz Vhúeff (2A4 Star Ln., at Meryn Ave.) is a
An excerpt from today’s idea development process, as I discuss random thoughts with Amy in the middle of other things: “Hm. What should I write about today?” “– pizza.” “I can’t write anything about pizza.” “Do they even have pizza?” “Well, I don’t know the details, but there
Psychic Powers: Of course, there is absolutely no such thing as psychic powers. Don’t exist. No place in a rationally organized universe, like any relatively firm-to-hard SF universe. Can’t seriously believe otherwise. But that said… Telepathy/Empathy: Do you believe in wireless networking? Evidently the Precursors did, and
The bundle of program code identifying itself as EPS****β7 flitted silently across the extranet, transmitting itself by laser and tangle from relay node to relay node, Meridia Central to Meridia Rim, to Janiris, to Sy, to Pentameir, to Tanel, and onwards, drunkard’s-walking its way out towards the Expansion
The Imperial Infoclast Supplementing Your Memeplex Since 2042 EMPIRE Sidar Colony Celebrates Ecopoesis Bicentennial The Sidar Colony in the Principalities will celebrate the 288th anniversary of the initiation of its ecopoesis program next month, with a series of low-lying valleys being opened to habitation for the first time by unmodified
Everyone Is Armed: Due to cultural tradition and the mutual agreement in the Imperial Charter that you will defend the rights of other citizen-shareholders as if they were your own, played very straight in the Empire. (See also: Guns in Church and Apathetic Citizens.) It’s actually a not inconsiderable
[excerpts from] A Charter to Establish, Under the Fundamental Contract and the Seal of the Guild of Formal Obligation, And in Accordance with the Traditions of the Stellar Empire, A Coadunation Marital, Between and Among: Runeth Allatrian-ith-Ancalyx DiarĂ Octarthius-ith-Octantis For the Purposes of Perpetual and Mutual Love, in the Light
Guns in Church: Averted in the Empire, in the direction that there is pretty much no inappropriate place to take a pistol, reasonably compact carbine, or either or both of the two swords, except for technical reasons, specifically including banks, grocery stores, airports, starports, in transit, in school, in court,
Interesting comment in this post by Cat Valente over at antipope.org: On top of that, it’s damnably hard to fashion a sympathetic protagonist out of someone who has never struggled in the way we struggle in our own lives, to present someone who does not come off as
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! With the voice and under the authority of the Galactic Volumetric Registry of the Conclave of Galactic Polities, this buoy issues the following warning: The designated volume, including the englobed moon and its satellites, is a SECURED AREA by order of the Presidium of the Conclave. This
Choice of Two Weapons: Historically, more like choice of three. The traditional weapons of the Old Empires were the Two Swords, one long with a gentle recurve that could be wielded either one- or two-handed; the other short and stabby on the pattern of the Roman gladius, which doubled as
From the logs of the CS Proximate Valiance, assigned to the MĂrlan system: At Courtly falling 17 standard, CS Proximate Valiance, having recently departed the refueling facilities of the gas giant CálmĂerĂ©, received a distress call from the vicinity of Chanith, the 87th moon of the said gas giant. This