Traveller-digest      Monday, December 2 1996      Volume 1996 : Number 711



(R)1996. Traveller is a registered trademark of FarFuture Enterprises.
All rights reserved.

The following topics are covered in this digest:

Re: Thanksgiving
Re: Rebellion
Re: Traveller-digest V1996 #709
Re: Imperium "too big"?
re: prisoners
Re: Traveller-digest V1996 #710
Re: Prisons+law and order
Holidays (was: Re: Thanksgiving)
Re: Rebellion
Re: Real Space Drives
WHAT MORE COULD WE DO IN THE CLASSIC TRAVELLER SETTING?
CORE Site Up
Vaccuum fluctuations and Zero-G
Re: Chirpers as food
Re: The Rebellion (kinda long)
the rebellion
the rebellion
Re: zero point energy fluctuations?
Re: zero point energy fluctuations?
Heirs of Lucan (was Re: Rebellion)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sun, 1 Dec 1996 21:27:35 -0800
From: "Rich Ostorero" <stormhvn@inreach.com>
Subject: Re: Thanksgiving

> > What the hell is a thanksgiving? Is it some kind of post-Election
ritual?
>     AFTER WE RE-ELECTED CLINTON?!?!? <GRIN>

No, that turkey, aka Three Dollar Bill, was spared for Thanksgiving.

>     Seriously, it's a celibration dreaded and feared by Turkey's across
the
> North American continent.  In a orgy of ritualistic frenzy, average
people get
> this gleam in their eyes and this craving for Turkey meat.  For almost a
month
> before the day Turkey's are cruelly hunted and slaughter for their flesh.
 Then
> on the appointed day people gather round tables and consume the cooked
flesh of
> these murdered Turkeys in huge numbers.

. . . as a symbolic sacrifice for all those losing politicians. :)

> 
>     And on the Traveller note...  You know there has to be worlds which
> celibrate holidays like this.  Founders Day and such, anyone want to put
in
> their two cents here and toss in some ideas?

How about a liscentatious holiday -- hardcore partying like a Mardi Gras,
but purely secular in nature -- on a Law Level 2 world? Sounds like just
the kind of thing that would be popular on the Core Subsector world of
Ordun in my game.


- --Rich Ostorero
stormhvn@inreach.com

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 1 Dec 1996 21:48:40 -0800
From: "Rich Ostorero" <stormhvn@inreach.com>
Subject: Re: Rebellion

> 
> Just a little question - does everyone here really hate Dulinor?

I never really simpathized with Dulinor, but I've never really  hated him,
either. 

> I was 
> always kind-of pulling for him in the Rebellion. Succession by 
> Assassination is perfectly valid in the Imperium after all.

If that assassination is sanctioned by the Moot -- _THAT_ was the precedent
for ending the reigh of Cleon the Mad. Dulinor's assassination of Stephron
was _not_ so sanctioned.

> 
> And as for the entire Norris+Strephon recapture the Imperium - well, I 
> GUESS this could happen, but there were so many ifs in your hypothesis. 
> Personally, I don't think Norris had all THAT many forces to begin with,
I 
> don't think the Vilani would be in any mood to talk, I don't think
Margaret 
> would come to any easy accomodation, Lucan may have been mad, but he was 
> pretty good at killing all who opposed him, so a palace coup would be 
> unlikely.

And if it looked likely to happen, do you think thre Zhodani would be in
favor? Empress Wave or no, I say "no." Five hundred years of Zho foreign
policy toward the Imperium has been aimed at containing Imperial
expansionism, so the last thing the Joes want is a unified Imperium.

There's also the Hivers to consider, too . . . they just might encourage
Margaret to act as a trailing counterweight to Norris' spinward
juggernaught.


- --Rich Ostorero
stormhvn@inreach.com

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 1 Dec 1996 21:57:51 -0800
From: "Rich Ostorero" <stormhvn@inreach.com>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1996 #709

> 
> 
> I'm confused. How do you Floridate water? Put a sundress on it and have
it
> go sit on the beach? Buy it a beer and let it sit in the stands and watch
a
> Spring Training baseball game? Take it to Disney World? Feed it an
orange?  :)
>                                         Allen
> 

No, you take it to Miami and ask it to buy you a kilo of cocaine . . . . ;)

- --Rich Ostorero
stormhvn@inreach.com

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 2 Dec 1996 02:54:09 -0500
From: TPeterAZ@aol.com
Subject: Re: Imperium "too big"?

In a message dated 96-12-01 01:30:51 EST, Glenn M. Goffin wrote:

> Why does a campaign have to involve a threat to the Imperium?  A threat to
a 
> single 
>  world could endanger billions of lives.

Again I refer to the truly outstanding CT module "Tarsus."  Perfect setting
for a campaign, lots of subplots, lots of angles and plenty of raw source
material begging to be exploited by the eager referee.  And although there
aren't enough people on Tarsus for billions to be put at risk, it has been my
experience that putting the players much-beloved characters at risk is all
the motivation that they needed to drive the campaign forward;)

Tim Peter
<TPeterAZ@aol.com>
"Never let your schooling get in the way of your education."--- Mark Twain

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 02 Dec 96 09:40:54 -0800
From: Timothy Collinson <tc@library.solent.ac.uk>
Subject: re: prisoners

Leonard writes:

>Another method would be to infect prisoners with something like Chronic
>Fatigue Syndrome. Not terribly infectious, but it'll render you
>incapable of escaping, or even giving much trouble. At release, you
>cure them.


I love the idea but wouldn't that count as 'cruel and ususual' 
punishment?

tc  ;-)

------------------------------

Date: 02 Dec 1996 09:53:58 GMT
From: ajpursell@babylon.montreal.qc.ca (Alan Pursell)
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1996 #710

Hey there,

gone south to get some sun and recover from the snow that just keeps on
coming... back next tuesday. 

see ya...

alan j

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 2 Dec 1996 02:26:15 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: Prisons+law and order

In mail you write:

> ps.  Venor Vingh has criminals being put into status bubbles for long
> periods, 100+ years, as punishment for their crimes.  The punishment is
> that they return to the world with everything, and everyone, they knew
> gone.  I didn't buy it, it might work for a few people, but sociopaths
> wouldn't care.

Not quite correct. I re-read that recently...

The punishment for "involuntary bobbling" (putting someone in a long
term bobble against their will) was to bobble the offender in a bobble
calculated to last a while longer than that of their victim, and place
it, well marked, near the bobble containing the victim. 

In other words, they let the victim deal with it...


- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 2 Dec 1996 02:38:18 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Holidays (was: Re: Thanksgiving)

In mail you write:

>     And on the Traveller note...  You know there has to be worlds which
> celibrate holidays like this.  Founders Day and such, anyone want to put in
> their two cents here and toss in some ideas?

See if you can find a copy of the December 1996 issue of Analog and
read the cover story "A Replant Day Carol".

"Replant Day" (rep-lant, not re-plant) is a holiday on the colony world
and it commemorates the discovery of how to survive on the world. It's
not a "nice" story. But it'd fit well on many a low pop colony world.
*Especially* a rediscovered one in Millieu 0.

The story makes you guess at most of the details, but if anyone can
figure them out, let me know, I think I have it figured...

- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 2 Dec 1996 13:52:01 GMT
From: Stewart Eyres <spe@astro.keele.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Rebellion

Hi there

I think I may have contributed to the post-Rebellion era debate in a
previous incarnation, but here is my 2pen'th on how to go into the
post-Rebellion era.  The basic premise is: Kill Lucan & Dulinor.  This
pivotal event is called The Death of Fools.  My idea is to reduce the
changes from the published news, etc. to a minimum.

THE DEATH OF FOOLS
==================

Dulinor "marches" on Capital with his new Victory Fleet, sweeping a
research station as he travels, and destroying it and its contents.
He fights and defeats several elements of Lucan's forces, finally
reaching Capital and capturing the Imperial Palace.  Lucan is arrested
by his own guard, and brought to the Imperial Throne Room as part of
an amnesty deal.  On worldwide holo-vid (also transmitted to waiting
courier vessels), Dulinor convenes a court, tries and convicts Lucan
of crimes ranging from fratricide to genocide, various shades of
treason, and a whole range of war crimes - the court sentences Lucan
to death, and Dulinor "demonstrates [his] willingness to hand down
justice" by personally and publically executing him there and then.
At this point, before Dulinor can proclaim his return to the Iridium
Throne, the Throne Room is entered, via passages normally reserved for
the Emperor and his family, by a platoon (or maybe a company?) of
Aslan.  These are a number of Assassins from the Hierate (acting in
revenge for the murdered ambassador - Aslan hold an honourable grudge
idefinitely) accompanied by members of the (disbanded & disgraced)
Aslan Guard, intent on cleansing their Honour (the Aslan Guard have
been able to provide access to the Imperial Palace for their Hierate
cousins).  While the Guard hold off Dulinor's troops in a suicidal
action, Dulinor is challenged by an Aslan assassin.  Instead of
agreeing to fight the Aslan in an honourable manner, he attempts to
shoot him, and is set upon by the remaining assassins, who disarm him,
give him one more chance to fight honourably, and when he refuses,
kill him, and then commit suicide.  A small explosive then destroys
the interior of the Throne Room, rendering any possible efforts to
save Dulinor impossible.  News of Dulinor's (dishonourable) death is
carried away from Capital only slightly slower than that of Lucan's
execution.  Lucan's forces fall apart, some commanders attempting to
control their little areas of space, others fleeing in fear of
military justice, and still others prosecuting vendettas while they
have the chance.  Some attempt to atone for crimes of the past by
resolving to defend the people local to their assigned positions.
When news reaches the Federation of Illelish, it initially remains
intact, but after a few months shatters when it is clear that none of
Dulinor's advisors has the charisma or vision to fill the void.  Lady
Isis (Dulinor's daughter) refuses to continue the "genocidal war of
revenge" started by her father, and eventually comes to rule
"Matriarchy of Dlan", a small state at the centre of the former
Federation.

The result of the Death of Fools is two fold: Firstly, with the
removal of the to main antagonists in the Rebellion fighting, the
genocidal war subsides, but at the same time the impetus to maintain
the Imperium virtually vanishes.  Secondly, coupled with the death of
Brzk at Antares, there is a swathe of chaos extending from Verge in
the spin-rimward region to Antares in the trailing-coreward region.

On one side of this we have Strephon (failed ruler or imposter,
doubting his own competency, and wallowing in guilt at the destruction
of his subjects), Duke Norris (cut off from the main Imperium region
by the Vargr incursions, and moving increasingly away from mainstream
Imperial politics to deal with Vargr and Aslan problems, and the Zho
threat - such as the acceptance of Psionics - a precarious border
province is not a good place to start a drive to a new Empire), and
the Ziru Sirkaa (an increasingly insular state viewing the destruction
of the empire with horror and impotence - unable to recognise Strephon
as the true empire, as that would mean that they had been wrong in the
past - unable to build a new empire due to the restrictions imposed of
their culture).  On the other side of the chaos are Margaret's Domain
(where the ship's still run, but there is a split between the coreward
worlds, increasingly relying on slave trade, and the rimward worlds,
which are exposed to the Hiver through trade), the Solomani (who are
split by internal divisions, and have lost much of the reason for the
Confederation - ie. the Imperium - so they fall apart, leaving the
rimward parts of the Imperium in a mess), and Daibei, (which bolsters
its defences, hires some Aslan mercenary/settlers, and prepares itself
for dealing with the results of the chaos surrounding it - it also has
the fall back of trade with Reaver's Deep and the Hierate, and looks
likely to be one of the survivors of the coming collapse).

The coreward sectors are under attack from Vargr incursions, with only
Vland, the Spinward Marches, and parts of Deneb relatively free.  In
some areas, the Vargr equivalent of order is being established, but
Lishun is spearheading raids into the newly opened Antares and Core
sectors.

The central regions consist of independent worlds, small defence
cooperatives, and minor empires ruled by warlords.  Small wars and
minor catastrophes are common - but on a scale that PCs can deal with
and influence.

Comments welcome.

Stewart Eyres <spe@astro.keele.ac.uk>

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 2 Dec 1996 08:08:56 -0500
From: "Chris Cox" <chriscox@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Re: Real Space Drives

Bolie IV wrote:
> I'm looking for web sites, books, magazines, newsgroups, etc... on
designs
> for actual space drives that we could build now or in the near
future.

A good stating place would be the Lunar Institute of Technology
(http://sunsite.unc.edu/lunar/sdhp.html).  Not only are there some
designs for "real" starships, but there is also has a library page
which may have some useful refencece and links to other sites.  Hope
this helps.

Chris Cox
"Let's hang ten for justice!" so speaks the Talking Tourist Tick
(chriscox@ix.netcom.com)
The Draconis Cluster Traveller pages
(http://users.aol.com/yanbeck/trav.htm)

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 02 Dec 1996 15:01:23 +0000
From: Andy Lilly <a.s.lilly@nortel.co.uk>
Subject: WHAT MORE COULD WE DO IN THE CLASSIC TRAVELLER SETTING?

"Glenn M. Goffin" <sudet@well.com> said:
>The "classic" setting has been pretty thoroughly done.  It's a great time in
>which to set adventures (I set all of my stuff then), in part because it so
>rich in detail, but what more could be published? DGP and HIWG have filled in
>all of the sectors.  The great mysteries of that time have been solved.  What
>more can Marc Miller do in the classic setting?

There are, in my opinion, 1001+ things that were never fully covered in
either the Classic Traveller era or MegaTraveller. Add in the opportunities
presented by the new T4 Milieu settings and I can't begin to list the number
of possible supplements and adventures possible. The CORE group is currently
overwhelmed with ideas just for Milieu 0 - what I'm trying to do is sort out
a coherent strategy addressing our mission statements and fulfilling our
core values while focusing our proactive contributors towards our Traveller
vision. CORE/BITS never forgets that our customers are our strength. Or is
it our people? Perhaps our shareholders? Nope. Don't have any of those. Oh
well, there goes another core value.

Bustard One retreats into his cave mumbling management gibberish...

BUSTARD FOUR

>And you thought TEDs (Technologically Elevated Dictators) were bad, wait

Please ignore this message accidentally sent without ASP encryption to the
TML by Bustard Four. We Bustards know what he's talking about, but
accidental release of further commercially confidential material could halt
Cleon's entire expansion process, especially if passed to any of those
exploitation mining sites - sorry, I mean newly rediscovered native worlds
awaiting repatriation with their loving Imperium.

------------------------------

Date: 02 Dec 1996 15:01:16 GMT
From: Rob_Prior@nynet.nybe.north-york.on.ca (Rob Prior)
Subject: CORE Site Up

The CORE web site is up at temporary quarters:

http://www.interlog.com/~dmci104/GamingClub/CORE/

Note: on my browser I had to type CORE in upper-case letters (got the 'URL
not found' error otherwise).

This is a temporary location, until Jo and Andy can locate a reliable service
provider.  When we move the site we will leave a pointer to the new location,
at least for a while.  Anyway, check it out, lots of neat stuff.

And if you use a Mac (and thus can't use the CORE software), check out the
DMCI gaming pages, which have Macintosh Traveller applications, and well as
other material for Traveller and Space 1889.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 2 Dec 1996 10:17:09 -0500
From: "Gerald S. Williams" <gsw@aloft.micro.lucent.com>
Subject: Vaccuum fluctuations and Zero-G

As I understand it, there is no issue about conservation of mass/energy
with vaccuum fluctuations. Even in empty space, there are electromagnetic
fields. This energy can excite empty space to produce a particle and an
anti-particle that (usually) instantly annihilate each other. It takes a
mild leap of faith, but the energy *is* there in the first place.

Regarding anti-gravity:

I found a web page describing one theory that gravity is (or at least
can be) caused by some sort of "null-space" that does not contain any
particles. The web page says that even empty space is not really empty
but "null-space" is truly empty, so I guess it precludes even vaccuum
fluctuations. The theory goes on to say that our sun is really held
together by some sort of electromagnetic process that also generates
"null-space" and thus its gravity. I must confess it sounded rather
wacky to me. I haven't heard of any theories in which you could use
vaccuum fluctuations to counter gravity, though.

The most interesting anti-gravity claim I heard involved inducing a
current in a superconducting disk. I believe there were claims by some
famous scientists that you might be able to affect gravity by changing
the spin on particles (a superconducting disk could do this). But I
haven't seen this hit the news yet, so I'm getting a bit skeptical.

- -O Gerald Williams / Bell Laboratories - PAI830 55E-224 O-
- -O gsw@lucent.com /   1247 South Cedar Crest Boulevard  O-
- -O (610)712-3370 /       Allentown, PA  18103-6209      O-
- -O -------------/ "Innovations for Lucent Technologies" O-

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 2 Dec 1996 17:31:15 GMT
From: Carlos Alos-Ferrer <alos@merlin.fae.ua.es>
Subject: Re: Chirpers as food

I wrote:

>> humans). So, the question: Are chirpers edible? Could the humans substitute
>> imported food by Chirper herding?

shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) answered:

>What are you feeding the chirpers? And why can't the humans eat that
>*instead*. 
>Remember, if the humans *can* eat it, it'll support roughly ten times
>as many people as feeding it to chirpers, then eating the chirpers will.

        Chirpers and humans are the unique source of meat in this planet at
the moment of the Collapse... in the first months, there is just not enough
food for everybody to survive, so humans start eating everything...
including a few cannibalism cases. Most chirpers are going to die anyway,
because there is not enough food to feed them.
        Later on, the population has been reduced and everything
stabilizes... but the surviving humans have already eaten chirpers, and
chirpers are still the sole source of meat in the planet apart from humans,
so... there is no need to become vegetarians, continue herding chirpers.
Moreover, there are other pressures: most people oppose sacrificing the
whole population of chirpers, but food is still a constraint, so the only
way to keep them alive is making them productive.. and that means food.

        Does this sound convincing enough....?
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carlos Alos-Ferrer                          E-mail: Alos@merlin.fae.ua.es
Dpt. Fundamentos del Analisis Economico     Phn: (34) 6 5903400, Ext. 3226
Universidad de Alicante                          (34) 6 5903614
03071-Alicante (Spain)                      Fax: (34) 6 5903685
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 02 Dec 1996 08:32:30 -0800
From: Derek Stanley <dstanley@direct.ca>
Subject: Re: The Rebellion (kinda long)

Rob Beck wrote:
> I liked TNE because it gave the characters, maybe even relics left over 
> from the Third Imperium, the chance to make things right and to reform 
> the Imperium in some form or another. All the major players had to have 
> time to disappear or change their minds for their to be any real > 
> reconstruction. Something had to wipe the slate clean, be it Virus, > 
> economic collapse, time, whatever.
> Of course, that's just my opinion. :)

I think the advantage to using Virus for the collapse is that it was 
quick and sudden as opposed to a slow meaningless meat-grinder.  The 
recovery could begin on a number of world quick enough that there were 
still people alive who remembered what it was like before.  If the war 
had continued without some kind of sudden death knell, whatever your own 
personal choice is, I beleive that the recovery would have been much 
slower, centuries in coming.

My two pennies worth.

Derek Stanley

------------------------------

Date: 2 Dec 1996 16:04:29 -0000
From: "Neil Simpson" <zedron@hotmail.com>
Subject: the rebellion

Nice idea-Dulinor executes Lucan and then is assassinated by the kitties.This of
course assumes that Dulinor`s daughter or followers aren`t interested in
avenging his death(murder),which of course,some of them will be,the same can be
said for Lucan.                        As to who I support-Go SolSec!          
                                                Terra for the pure Terrans,    
                                                           Neil


- ---------------------------------------------------------
Get Your *Web-Based* Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
- ---------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date: 2 Dec 1996 16:05:05 -0000
From: "Neil Simpson" <zedron@hotmail.com>
Subject: the rebellion

Nice idea-Dulinor executes Lucan and then is assassinated by the kitties.This of
course assumes that Dulinor`s daughter or followers aren`t interested in
avenging his death(murder),which of course,some of them will be,the same can be
said for Lucan.                        As to who I support-Go SolSec!          
                                                Terra for the pure Terrans,    
                                                           Neil


- ---------------------------------------------------------
Get Your *Web-Based* Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
- ---------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 02 Dec 1996 09:21:12 -0700
From: Jon Goff <jongoff@et.byu.edu>
Subject: Re: zero point energy fluctuations?

Eric Freitas wrote:
> 
> Harry wrote:
> 
> >Eric Wrote:
> >
> >> The gist of it is that gravity is generated when particles are
> >> subjected to zero-point fluctuations.
> >
> >Pardon my complete ignorance on the topic, I must have fell asleep
> >during that lecture.
> >What are zero-point fluctuations?
> >Are they fluctuations from +ve to -ve with zero as a baseline?
> 
> Zero-point-fluctuations or zero-point-field (ZPF) are the electric and
> magnetic fields that result from virtual particles (having nothing to
> do with VR ;).  Virtual particles are positive and negative particles
> that appear out of nothing (apparently) and then meet, anhilating
> each other in a matter anti-matter reaction (I'm assuming here).
> 
> Normally under Einstein's Relativity, particles,and therefore energy
> cannot appear from nothing, since this breaks (I believe) the second
> law of thermodynamics (energy can neither be created or destroyed),
> but under the right circumstances, when two such particles appear and
> then almost immediately destroy each other it can occur.  The only
> thing that is left to react with normal space and reality are the
> electromagnetic fields which can interact with other particles.
> 
> To go a little farther one would have to wonder where these virtual
> particles come from.  I've read that they are allowed to exist due
> to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle also known as the
> Indeterminancy Principle (that says you can never know both the
> momentum and position of a particle at the same time to any
> great degree).  I have however read an article by a famous
> military strategist (Stefan T. Possony) in which he contends that
> there are new kinds of weapons being tested by the Soviets that
> use a "different" kind of physics.  He goes on to quote a book that
> discusses work by David Bohm:
> 
>         Empty space ... is not empty at all; it's full,
>         an immense sea of energy on top of which matter as
>         we know it is only a "small quantized wavelike
>         excitation ... rather like a tiny ripple."
> 
>         The entire universe of matter ... is to be
>         treated as a comparatively small pattern of excitation
>         on the energy sea.
> 
>       In other words, the virtual particles and the ZPF they generate
> are created when potentials in the energy sea line up correctly.
> Gravity and inertia under Haisch's description is nothing more than
> the resistance to acceleration put up by the energy sea (well at
> least the inertia part, gravity works a little differently).
> 
>         Gravity under this description seems to work like the
> early universe was described to me.  Particles are always oscillating
> at specific frequencies, thereby giving off radiation.  The ZPF (energy
> sea) is constantly creating particles and their anti-particles of a
> wide range of energies (and therefore frequencies).  A particle under
> this system damps the zpf around it, and when two particles near
> each other, there exists a line between them that holds slightly
> weaker zpf fields.  Particles will then tend to move toward each other
> along this line.  This motion would be akin to gravity.
> 
> You could use this mechanism to establish a mechanism for artificial
> gravity.  Simply lower the amount of Zero-Point-Fluctuations (creating an
> area of negative energy) in say a grav plate and you have instant gravity.
> If you want a one way grav plate, instead of one that attracts things to both sides, you might be able to shield the area underneath (cool gravitic shielding!  or an
> inertial compensator).  This same method could probably be used
> in tractor beams.
> 
> Anti-gravity on the other hand might be achieved in two ways.
> 1. Shield a vehicle, or part of a vehicle (like CG lifters) from all ZPF.
>     This would serve to act much like Thruster Plates, with a decrease
>     in thrust the farther you get from a massive object. (I don't
> advocate shielding the entire vehicle completely due to possible
> time dilation effects suffered by the occupants.)
> 
> 2. Create a volume of higher than normal ZPF, and shield it in
>     every direction except the thrust direction.  This would essentially
>     provide you thrust, however unlike the Thruster Plates,
>     this effect will work away from planets & massive objects, since it
>     pushes against the ZPF instead of another objects gravity.
> 
> Type 1 could be used for tractor beams, and type 2 could be used for
> pressor beams.
> 
> I use type 2 to make my anti-grav drives work.  It makes ships much
> faster, and combat _very_ different from classical traveller.  My drives
> (I have two types) work in the following manner:  For type A the drive is
> made up of two main sections in a cylindrical shape.  The foreward part
> is a spherical hot fusion reactor (which burns prodigious amounts of fuel
> to produce the power needed), and the aft section is the actual drive
> mechanism.  The drive mechanism is made up of a number of type 2
> partly shielded thrust chambers.  These chambers are mounted on a
> spinning axis and all face aft.  The reason for spinning the thrust chambers
> is to "slice" into an area of normal space across from the area of
> "compressed" space (my term for increased zpf space).  This method
> increases the velocity achievable by this method of propulsion.  It is akin to
> a propeller pushing air backwards. Note that the spinning is not necessary
> to get propulsion from this method, it simply increases the amount of
> thrust the engine produces.
> 
> I call the engines "Spin Gravs", a term created by author Bill Baldwin
> of the _Helmsman_ series of novels (great space opera's).
> 
> Well hope I answered your questions.
> 
> Eric Freitas
> 
> note - my basis for using Stefan Possony in this article can be found in
>          a book created by Jerry Pournelle:
> 
>         Warrior:  There Will Be War, Volume V
>         created by Jerry Pournelle (ISBN  0-812-54959-7)
> 
>         "Defense In A N-Dimensional World: Technilogical Surprise
>              Must Be Prevented", by Stefan T. Possony, copyright 1986
>         pages 217 - 230

	All the above is correct.  Read Morray B. King's Tapping the Zero Point
Energy for further info...


....BTW, I now have reason to beleive that mass and energy are five
dimensional.....

....email me if you want further info....

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 02 Dec 1996 09:24:52 -0700
From: Jon Goff <jongoff@et.byu.edu>
Subject: Re: zero point energy fluctuations?

Anders Backman wrote:
> 
> >The only
> >thing that is left to react with normal space and reality are the
> >electromagnetic fields which can interact with other particles.
> >
> >To go a little farther one would have to wonder where these virtual
> >particles come from.  I've read that they are allowed to exist due
> >to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle also known as the
> >Indeterminancy Principle (that says you can never know both the
> >momentum and position of a particle at the same time to any
> >great degree).
> 
> They CANNOT interact with other particles. They do NOT break the
> conservation of energy constraint. These spontaneous particle
> generation/destruction occurs within the limits of Heisenbergs uncertainty
> principle and are therefore undetectable. Hawking postulates that such
> pairs appearing on either side of the event horizon of a black hole could
> be detected as they cannot again annihilate each other.
> Hawking combines quantum physics and general relativity, two theories that
> are thus far NOT possible to use together and the black hole radiation
> effects are of course not experimentally verifiable.
> 
> Conservation of momentum, charge and energy will prevail "forever" in
> physics but other laws of nature will probably "change" as new discoveries
> are made IMHO.
> 
> /Backman

No offense, but....

	....They HAVE detected those "undetectable" interactions.  If you do it
right, You can interact with those interactions.

	Also, just some food for thought.....Conservation of mass, conservation
of energy, and Heisenburgs principle only work in 3-D.  Take it to 4+
dimensions and well........you get the idea.....

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 2 Dec 1996 18:51:28 GMT
From: Carlos Alos-Ferrer <alos@merlin.fae.ua.es>
Subject: Heirs of Lucan (was Re: Rebellion)

        After all the discussion on the possibilities of re-unifying the
Imperium (maybe under Norris) in an alternate setting, I have a couple of
things to say. First, it seems to me that the idea was that the Rebellion
was simply "too much", that everything was too disrupted, so that
re-unifying the Imperium would be imposssible after, say, 1122. IIRC, the
interviews with Prof. Kuligaan set the tone.
        But, just for fun, there is an alternate setting I considered some
time ago and that I never used. Please allow me to Cut & Paste here...

(Paste)

        ALTERNATE TRAVELLER 1150: HEIRS OF LUCAN

        By Carlos Alos-Ferrer

1116-1128 Rebellion, Hard Times: MT setting.
1128 A fully operative version of The Virus is complete and functional,
under Lucan's control. This Virus does not operate when introduced in a ship
wearing Lucan's adequately modified transponder's (a version of the Virus
itself), and includes a "safety code" in the form of a coded instruction
that allows high security personnel to disconnect it. Lucan's scientific
personnel have an excellent understanding of the Virus and their possible
mutations. Enough to guarantee that it is not going to backfire immediately.
1129 Lucan releases the Virus when Dulinor's Fleet is on the way. The Virus
sweeps through known space. There are some filtrations of the safety codes,
but the advance is so quick that all factions apart from Lucan's are
collapsed. One exception: "Domain of Deneb goes off the air immediately. We
Keep the Flame. Good Luck". Dulinor's death reported. Strephon vanishes.
1130 Lucan's empire effectively wins the war. The Core is still economically
viable (HT: Lucan has never been interested in economics.). Re-building of
the Imperium begins. Lucan orders to proceed to former faction cores.
1132 Birth of Lucan's son.
1140 A paranoid Imperium under the rule of Lucan covers a big area of space,
including Solomani Rim, Vland, Daibei, Ley, and everything in between.
Domain of Deneb (now The Regency) re-contacted. Norris opposes Lucan's
orders and Lucan orders massive attack. The Deneb War erupts.
1141 The Regency learns about the safety codes of the Virus.
1142 A small group of worlds re-found the Solomani Confederation after
discovering the safety codes of the Virus.
1143 First organized Resistance strikes.
1145 Lucan dies (circumstances unclear). Fleet Admiral Traianus becomes High
Regent after some minor fighting. Lucan's 13-year old son declared Emperor
as Lucan II.
1150 Lucan II is 18. High Regent Traianus becomes First Counselor.

        What do we have now?
        A paramilitary, paranoid, "Lucanian", oppresive Third Imperium still
badly shaken but economically recovering.
        An 18-year old "Lucanian" emperor taking advise from naval counselor
used to "Lucanian" paranoia.
        An interstellar undercover anti-imperial movement, the "Resistance".
        The Regency, waging war at the Imperium in Deneb and Corridor sectors.
        All former Imperium neighbours (Solomani, Aslan, Vargr, K'Kree,
Hiver) trying to recover from the Collapse, with the Third Imperium growing
towards them, and mutant Virus still around (some of them unaffected by
safety codes).

(End Paste)

        Well, I suppose that a re-unified Imperium under Lucan was not what
the original poster was thinking about, but... isn't it the easiest way to
do the job? :-)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carlos Alos-Ferrer                          E-mail: Alos@merlin.fae.ua.es
Dpt. Fundamentos del Analisis Economico     Phn: (34) 6 5903400, Ext. 3226
Universidad de Alicante                          (34) 6 5903614
03071-Alicante (Spain)                      Fax: (34) 6 5903685
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

End of Traveller-digest V1996 #711
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