Congressional tech Q&A

[Brian]

I haven't yet had a chance to write up the technology FAQ for the game, and it may be a few days.  If you've got questions about anything in the game, or if something will be in the game, you can post it here, and I'll explain it to the best of my ability.  If that fails, then blaster canons will be installed throughout the ship, in addition to the inexplicable pits of lava, spikes, acid, and just simply botomless holes, moving platforms, robots that can only move back and forth and fire on a level plane.

:D

[Bjorn]

Artificial gravity, yay or nay?

What's the basis of most weaponry?  Projectile, energy, what?

What's the status of spacesuits?  Big heavy exoskeletons, or skin-tight pressure suits?

[Brian]

No antigravity, or contragravity, or anything like that.  Gravity is provided with that most convenient of forces: acceleration.  (Yeah.  Run with it. >_>)

Weapons tend to be projectile on planets, electric in space.  The military tends to employ all sorts of fantastic and fun weapons of both flavors.  The standard projectile weapon is configured and designed to operate in gravity (it actually comes with a gauge to adjust for local gravity so your sniper scope works correctly on whichever planet you're on).  Various types of ammo are used, mostly slugs, occasionally hollow-points, or more exotic explosive and chemical rounds.

Energy weapons are a good deal less friendly.  Lasers tend to have a short range, auto-sensing the distance and then aligning the internal mirrors to burn that exact spot.  One good burn is all a pressure suit can handle, though, so it doesn't take much.  Disruptor (or "blaster") pistols are a bit more effective against armor, exciting small segments of physical matter and causing them to explode (no, not an entire person, just chunks of them).

Spacesuits tend to actually be both.  You have a skin-tight suit that can be worn comfortably beneath clothing and is standard issue.  This is generally worn before donning a bulkier suit of lead-seamed padding or a bulkier exoskeleton, depending on the activity.

The skin-suit can't protect much against radiation, and needs a helmet and oxygen tank aside from that.  It is, however, designed to allow moisture out in an atmosphere, but seal to the skin in vaccuum.  The gloves (and feet) of the suit can be peeled away when in a ship.  In an emergency all crew is expected to be able to seal their skin-suits and find an air supply within one minute at least (Spacers tend to keep track of exactly how many seconds it takes, as this is often a matter of life-and-death, especially if in a smaller craft).  The standard helmet is "smart-glass" which means it is aware of where your eyes are, and where bright sources of light are, and blots them out accordingly with red outlines to indicate that the light is there.

The bulkier padded suit is really just insulation and radiation protection.  It protects from the heat and cold, and maintains breathable atmosphere within, but that's mainly for insulation.  This is the suit used when in an unsafe environment where full manuverability is required.  This suit's helmet has a more versatile light-shield, but it has to be toggled manually, and isn't selective.

Alternately, there are also more thickly shelled exoskeletons, with extra arms to grip onto brace-points outside the ship, able to withstand quite a beating and bearing multiple mount-points for various tools -- lights, prybars, and so on.  They're a nuisance to operate, but essential for operating in high radiation conditions, such as operating on the external engine components without adequate cool-down.  Because this suit can be set to maintain a grip and allow a worker to operate with hands free (falling with a cable could mean that the cable destroys any number of sensor antena or other components about the ship's hull) it's more or less ideal for everyone's least favorite task ... FTL EVA.  This suit's helmet has the best light-shielding, with smart-glass that's really smart, as it can recognize what is a component and must be seen to be worked on, but will still adjust the light of an arc-welding torch to allow the worker using it to see what they're doing.

[Dracos]

Yeah.  Computer systems.  Anything special I should know about?

Dracos

[Brian]

There are two forms of data storage for computers, holistic (hollographic, actually, but, hey, they've abused the language over the aeons) crystals which retain information in the form of light.  It's fast, and easily accesible, but very delicate.  A strong tremor can disrupt a crystal, and an EMP would completely render it unreadable.

The other systems are more old fashioned circuitry and wire, which need to be manually activated.  They're too slow to process Astrogation data at FTL speeds, so are used primarily for simpler systems, and backups.

Aboard the Eidolon, an EMP would wipe out the AI, but leave the hard-systems intact so the crew would have full control.  The subsystem could then automatically recompile a new AI in the holistic system based off of the last backup, and all archived data.

These systems had failsafes and would automatically start the system back up if there was any kind of massive failures.  The system would be able to take care of itself (presumably) with a few shipboard repair and maintainence robots (all hard-wired circuitry, of course) to repair any parts that wore down.

[Carthrat]

How good is the medical technology of the time?

Probably the most important question is what *can't* be cured?

[Bjorn]

If I bounce a graviton particle beam off the main deflector dish, can I energize naturally-occuring tachyonic streams to create an impromptu magnetokinetic mass accelerator?

[Brian]

C-rat: With the equipment on the ship, you couldn't regrow missing limbs, and someone who's dead is going to stay that way ... but that's about the limit.  Medicines should be able to counter any disease that you discover.

[Brian]

Bjorn: No.  But if you sing into Data's knees, I'll reconsider.

[Ebiris]

What do we eat on spaceships?

[Brian]

Aaaaah!  A good question.

Nanite assembly isn't feasible with the current level of technology.  But the pioneers of your age can easily have a system that assembles arrangements of various matter together.  Your synthensizer can only make purely organic matter; there are no bones in your chicken drumsticks and t-bone steaks.  On the other hand, everything also comes across very blandly.  For what it's worth, the condiments the synthesizer generates are good, and in fact more nutricious and vitamin-enriched than the food itself.

Where does it get its matter from?

A sizable store.  And the ship's waste system.

Theoretically, the system will last as long as there is energy to power it, and unless matter is intentionally removed from the cycle, continue to make edible food.

And Now You Know!

You eat in small rooms that are padded, with attractant (a type of attraction like magnetism involving super technology (well placed wires)) that causes utensils and plates to stick to it.  Food comes in sealed containers that won't cause a mess in 0g, but can be opened up and eaten without a straw.

If you're wondering about safety features on any piece of technology so far, just remember that the engineers of Heaven are, if anything, over-engineers.  Rumor has it that the Eidolon's design was sent to Congress, and reviewed for ten months before recieving a note that (officially) read: "We don't understand it, but have no reason not to trust you.  Go ahead." for approval.

The AI was designed by an Angel Spacer working on Corvalis with a programmer, who designed the AI with certain foolproof fail-safes (aren't you lucky?) and multiple redundant systems in the event of an emergency.  The position of living beings aboard the ship proved to be a (sizeable) liability, but the human spirit of adventure and discovery propelled the movement not to dismiss the crew that had been assembled.

For the record, if any of you return, you will recieve (at minimum) 40 years of pay, 70% of which is assumed to be with an automatic danger bonus of +85%.  In addition, you are all granted rights and privelages in specific systems.

Angels are given homes in Seraphis, the theoretical paradise in one of Eden's only smooth and hospitable stretches, and accorded the title of Seraph.  (In social standings, this means that you can expect to have your voice heard in any gathering, even if it is far from your home, as well as the ability to officiate as a member of the government in the event of a crisis.  Essentially, it's becoming minor nobility.  Surprise!)

Selken are given homes on Corvallis, away from the busy cities, in the area where the Tribal heads meet, and often (but not always) accorded the title of Dragon.  (In social situations, this means that you are given a badge of rank, which is a tattoo that runs from your hip to your opposing earlobe, circling around the body once.  All in your society who see this automatically know that you are a minor government official, essentially a policeman with no set duties or tasks to keep you busy unless you feel like it.  You are also required to represent those who live in your immediate area in the event of a Tribal gathering, if you remain in an area habitually.  And if you're a Dragon, everyone who sees you will know it, too.  :D )

Congressionals are awarded homes in the Kennedy Estates of Landon (now relocated from Stygia), and if they are of the mind-set, may pursue the title of Attourney, granting the rights and privelages that are, with all holdings, belonging to of ownership thou henceforth columnize romanisation on the party of the first part.  But you can shape the laws of the system, so it's not all bad.

In addition, you can all expect to be approached to write a novel, or star in a show/tri-d series based on the adventures, with the addition of hostile but stupid aliens, scantily clad members of the opposite sex, and equally plausible happenings in the interest of entertainment.

Most of you can also expect endorsements, titles in prestigious schools, scholarships, grants, and possibly small social awards, like an award from the town they happen to choose as a home.

Of course, the guys who had all that to begin with and joined up anyway are the First Crew.

Welcome to your mission, Eidolon Crew!

[Bjorn]

Were the First Crew.

I'm-a just sayin'.

No bitterness or petty revenge here!

[Dracos]

Hard to be petty and vengeful when they died miserably.

Dracos

[Brian]

See, Hale wasn't psycho.  He was just being diplomatic!

[Bjorn]

So I take it that Eidolon generally functions in low-to-no gravity conditions?

A bit afield from tech, but... what's the general society like?  Is this the perfect utopia of Star Trek, the chain-smoking megacorporation-dominated world of Alien/Blade Runner/Gibson, or the semi-hedonistic/cultural progress through natural selection of Ringworld?

For purposes of backstory, how exactly did people get chosen/volunteer for the Eidolon mission?