And we have a follow-up FAQ. Mark Atwood asks: Follow up question: how compatible are various worlds and polities nanofacs and slurrys? Polities that are colonies of existing polities will likely use compatible slurries and facs, but independent invention and/or long-enough separation in time will lead incompatible tags, inline
Sometimes, a Floating Market forms. No-one knows when or where – they are emergent phenomena. Free traders accumulate oddities in their holds, the detritus of a thousand speculative trades on a thousand worlds – some trash, some too unique or exotic to sell, some which could be either. Slash-traders, smugglers, walkers of
Having mentioned Gilea & Company’s policy on this, and even storified it, I should perhaps head off at the pass the inevitable someone pointing out that “sovereign debt doesn’t work that way”. No, it doesn’t work that way here, where we are accustomed to extending a certain
Mega Corp: Oh, quite a few. (Well, bearing in mind the cultural, demographic, and technological differences that mean that while an Earthly multinational might hit millions of employees, its Imperial counterpart probably has a couple of dozen executives, a large computronium core, and millions of jobs being done by subcontractors,
Yes, folks, it’s that time again for the first time when I answer y’all’s background questions! We have one question this month. James Sterrett asks: What precursor elements do autofacs require for fabrication? The same elements in the same proportions as the finished product (plus waste etc)
Mechanical Monster: Ooh, fun-sized mobile agony and death dispensers? Well, of course. Given the eldraeic low population growth rate and taste for automation, the mechanical monster has been a staple of, ah, “military and security applications” ever since they could build a decent steam engine to power them and a
Mechanical Lifeforms: Arguably, digisapiences, although if we’re being picky, they’re information lifeforms that, from time to time, may choose to inhabit mechanical bodies. Also certain worlds which have been given over to experiments in mechanical ecology, with basic mechanical elements handed a number of simple forms, limited intelligence,
As it’s nearing the end of the month, that time at which Patreon charges people’s cards, today I deem an excellent day to thank my Patreon patrons for their contributions to my writing time and funds. Thank you, gentlesophs, most kindly; your generosity is most appreciated. Of course,
She slipped quietly into the busy room through the servitor passage, anonymous in the grey and dark crimson livery of the House staff, and placed the goblet of wine on the arm of the throne at the speaker’s right hand. Not waiting for acknowledgement, she turned to leave, and
EMERGENCY ALERT FLASH FLASH FLASH FLASH FLASH VNS Social Harmony destroyed in antimatter explosion, cause unknown. Admiral Tarqar and his command staff lost. All Guardian Fleet units go to Case Black. Message repeats. VNS Social Harmony destroyed in antimatter explosion, cause unknown. Admiral Tarqar and his command staff lost. All
Mechanical Horse: While recognizing the general principle of the occasional usefulness of walkers, the Imperials generally prefer mechanical spiders, or at least hexapods. Extra stability is always nice. (They’re also not generally used for military applications [but see also Spider Tank]. The legs, and the joints in particular, are
Spider Tank: The classic eight-legged war walker is mostly averted these days, thanks to vector control and modern power reactors letting you build hovering tanks, with rather lower maintenance requirements and fewer vulnerable joints, but it was quite the staple back in the day. (Not to replace regular tanks, which