An idea is fermenting...
Dec. 21st, 2008 08:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gridloreOne of my resolutions is start actually writing fiction this year, and today I was literally struck by an epiphany. I think I have my setting.
There are two forms of FTL travel. The first is available to any ship of reasonable size, but is slow. Average speed is around 60c, taking about 3 weeks to get to Alpha Centauri. It's also risky, ships sometimes vanish or are found badly damaged with no life left aboard. The second way is by using large gates. These pass ships between points with almost no elapsed time, and can also pass signals. The problem here is the gates are hideously expensive, difficult to build and maintain, and are quite fragile.
Obviously, placing these gates can make or break a colony. Having a gate means regular trade, near instant access to other worlds, and near-realtime news. Not having a gate means you become a backwater, which is bad if your colony is on an inhospitable planet. The competition for having a gate is fierce, and often takes place under the table.
History geeks probably see where this is going. The County Seat Wars of the American west. Fighting over getting named county seat and getting the railroad led to range wars in the 19th century.
Oh, one more thing. To increase efficiency of the gates, smaller ships are docked to large transporters that take them through all at once to reduce system disruption... All aboard!
There are two forms of FTL travel. The first is available to any ship of reasonable size, but is slow. Average speed is around 60c, taking about 3 weeks to get to Alpha Centauri. It's also risky, ships sometimes vanish or are found badly damaged with no life left aboard. The second way is by using large gates. These pass ships between points with almost no elapsed time, and can also pass signals. The problem here is the gates are hideously expensive, difficult to build and maintain, and are quite fragile.
Obviously, placing these gates can make or break a colony. Having a gate means regular trade, near instant access to other worlds, and near-realtime news. Not having a gate means you become a backwater, which is bad if your colony is on an inhospitable planet. The competition for having a gate is fierce, and often takes place under the table.
History geeks probably see where this is going. The County Seat Wars of the American west. Fighting over getting named county seat and getting the railroad led to range wars in the 19th century.
Oh, one more thing. To increase efficiency of the gates, smaller ships are docked to large transporters that take them through all at once to reduce system disruption... All aboard!
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