So let’s talk a little about the setting of our ongoing fiction, the Associated Worlds. First: they’re big. Really, really frakkin’ big. Sci-fi writers with a sense of scale big. I mean, you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemists’, but… Ahem.
Utopia Justifies The Means: The motivation behind any number of Renegades – usually inspired by some form of Post Historical Trauma who have plans to “bring order/freedom to the galaxy”. Reminders that the “order” in the Empire’s “Order, Progress, Liberty” motto is supposed to be emergent order, or just
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.
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
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
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
…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
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
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
Klingon Promotion: Usually averted even in those places (like, say, among the kaeth) that embrace Asskicking Equals Authority. Losing a lot of talent this way because their subordinates happened to be more devious, more lucky, or more awake is not, shall we say, evolutionarily advantageous vis-a-vis species with less wasteful
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
“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