trope-a-day
Shock Collar: Unsurprisingly used (because in a universe with extensive automation possibilities and, moreover, the ability to use perverted sophotechnology to edit people into compliance, the only reason to go for conventional slavery is sadism For The Evulz) by the absolute worst of the Galaxy’s slaver civilizations and subcultures;
INFERNO ANTEDILUVIAN
INVOKE INVOKE INVOKE CASE INFERNO ANTEDILUVIAN UNCLASSIFIED IMMEDIATE ACTION ORDER PROCEED UNLESS CANCELED SUMMARY: There have been determined to exist within DANGER CLOSE range of Associated Worlds space two stellar bodies (full galactographic coordinates in file) profiled as existing in pre-supernova state within planning time horizon 129, these bodies identified
trope-a-day
Shining City: Oh, my, yes. If there is a city anywhere in the Empire that isn’t competing in these leagues, it’s because it’s pursuing some other stylistic city trope just as hard as it can. And in various styles, of course, riffing off their general tastes in
Darkness Within
MET 184-17-12 Air! Delicious air! …well, no, not delicious air, but I get ahead of myself. I made accessing the for’ard mess my third priority after rigging the air feed for the pod, rigging the k-blanket, and pulling the hardware, because rebuilding these scraps into an airlock-style depressurizer will
trope-a-day
Shock and Awe: See Lightning Gun. Also, obviously, some military uses of weather control, should you be lucky enough to have or be able to pervert a local weather control grid.
trope-a-day
Shapeshifting: Not really practical for most natural biology (although there are the myneni, who can shape their crystalplasm fairly effectively), but a property that more than a few specially designed bodies can have; from relatively-close-to-baseline changeling-shells that can vary their appearance within their species quite well, to advanced nanoswarm bodies
trope-a-day
Sex By Proxy: The slinky (i.e., recorded full-sensory and emotional data) erotica market. Also, possible by techlepathy (see: Psychic Powers) if you have the consent of the people you’d be eavesdropping on. Also, in a more friendship/romance-oriented way than strictly sexual, a consequence of the metamind feedback
seed AI
“…and asked them their wish. So the lovers told the Unwise GenAI that they needed neither goods nor gift, and that all they wanted was to live happily ever after and love always. And the Unwise GenAI said, ‘By your command,’ and bade his servants seize the lovers and place
trope-a-day
Service Sector Stereotypes: Played differently due to low-pop demographics and high-wealth culture; namely, waitstaff (for one example) are near-universally highly professional and competent in order to justify the expense of having them at all (the low end of the restaurant market automates the job away). (Also, “service with a smile”
Imperial Military Service
(Sorry, folks – I had really meant to give you the next section of Darkness Within today. Unfortunately, I’m feeling pretty plague-ridden right now and can’t really give it the degree of attention it deserves, so instead, I’m giving you some non-fic notes on the evolution of the
trope-a-day
Semper Fi: The Imperial Legions – while obviously there is no direct causal connection – do have many things in common with the Marines. (Apart from the obvious troperiffic ones – yes, we all know they’re a Proud Soldier Race all their own, commanded by Colonel Badasses, the truest devotees of The
Moments in History
The greatest period of growth of cryonics came about in 1793, with the tragic death of Empress Emeritus Octavia I Cyprium (reigned 1425-1644) in a laboratory accident. In accordance with her previously stated wishes, her body was preserved in liquid nitrogen and immured in a specially constructed capsule in the