Traveller-digest     Wednesday, August 11 1999     Volume 1999 : Number 940



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

The following topics are covered in this digest:

Re: Ethically-challenged merchants (was re: A New Traveller)
Re: Steller Data
Damocles Drop Robot
Re: PRB
Re: Fast food (was Re: PRB)
Re: Ethically-challenged merchants (was re: A New Traveller)
Re: Atmospheres : #2 Taints and Not-so-Inert Gases
Re:  Geonee & Vilani
Re: People's Republic of Berzerkley
re: Ethically Challenged Merchants
Atmospheres #4 : Sulphur, Phosphorous and others. (long)
Re :- Geonee & Vilani [TML]
Re: A New Traveller
Berkeley (fellow) Travelers (was Re: Fast food (was Re: PRB))
Re: test, and hello everyone
Re: Fast food (was Re: PRB)
Re: <no comment> 
Re Atts
Re Radios

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 02:04:26 -0500
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net>
Subject: Re: Ethically-challenged merchants (was re: A New Traveller)

Legate Legion wrote:
> 
> From: Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella <xrp@sierratel.com>
> Subject: Re: Ethically-challenged merchants (was re: A New Traveller)
> 
> >Yes indeed, this is the way I see it working in many cases. And don't
> forget
> >that historically many pirates or privateers were actually subsidized by
> >governments to prey on the ships of other countries.
> 
>     Thank you.  Or at the very least, no looked at too closely by that
> nations customs service.  I.e. given a place where they could sell their
> booty at full market value.

But wouldn't the local Vice Squad object to sophonts selling booty (at
least outside any established red-light district)?  <pops HC smoke and
breaks contact>

<<snip sig>>
- -- 
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 00:05:23 -0700
From: "Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella" <xrp@sierratel.com>
Subject: Re: Steller Data

I've finally started to get a grasp on the steller data, and I don't even 
have First In yet! So I started thinking: Shouldn't the maps start
reflecting this? In CT the central bit of data in a hex was the world.
Shouldn't it now be the star(s)? I have always had a problem with the world
being central, as I see the society of a TL9+ system as being much more
complicated. Even the Sol system would be more complex with colonies on
Luna, Mars, Titan, Highports at the various trojan points, oribital research
stations around Pluto, etc. The type of star(s) would give some indication
as to what one would find, and major features could be displayed like the
bases and ports and GGs were, around the central steller position as if in
orbit. Perhaps binary and trinary systems could display the smaller stars on
top of the larger. The only problem would be if a system had two identical
size stars. Just thinking. Any opinions?
BZA
////////////////////////////////////////
Akella 0609 C654474-6 S kk+ hi++ as+ va+ dr+ da+ so@ zh- vi+  A523
IMTU tc++ ?t4 ru@ 3i+(-) c+ jt au@ st- ls+ pi+ ta@ he+

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 03:08:28 EDT
From: Clifford N Linehan <cnl.rubicon@juno.com>
Subject: Damocles Drop Robot

Bruce Johnson wrote:
> 
>...and out in the OORT cloud a small bright light appears, as the
>thrusters lashed to a small rock are turned on for their months long
>journey aimed a BD (with comfortable shoes!) wearing Aslan talking to
>the pirate about their tame Virus infected computer...
>

I can see it now, a 10,000 dT transport ship comes out of jump at the
oort cloud of a star system. The cargo bay doors open and thousands of 
spheres with tentacles begin dropping out and scatter in all directions.
Each sphere finds a rock and attaches itself with its tentacles. Once
attached, the rocks begin moving toward the inner system.

Damocles Drop Robot
By Kaiser Weapons, Ltd.
Damocles Drop Robot      7320D-06-MP325-PF65(A)   Cr728,988   607 kg
Fuel=35.2    Duration= 9.8    TL=12    Thrust=5000kg	
40/100 (mesh)	
6 med tentacles, 2 visual sensors ( +tele +LI +PIR +AIR ), 1 magnetic
sensor, 1 radiation sensor, 1 mass sensor, 1 neutrino sensor, 1 zero-g
package, 1 radio (5km), electronic circuit protection	
Programs: Pilot-1, Navigator-1, Tactics-1, Ship Tactics-1, Fleet
Tactics-1	


Clifford Linehan
cnl.rubicon@juno.com
One man's magic is another man's engineering.

___________________________________________________________________
Get the Internet just the way you want it.
Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month!
Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 02:10:12 -0500
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net>
Subject: Re: PRB

"Glenn M. Goffin" wrote:
> 
> > From: Jetrock <jetrock@emrl.com>
> 
> > ObTrav: Any standard fast-food restaurants in your Traveller universe? My
> > preferred characters' dining spot is Arg's Groat Burger, a Vargr-owned and
> 
> Well, my Traveller universe now has Arg's Groat Burger  Thanks!

As a native St. Louisan, I always figured that White Castle would
eventually become an interstellar franchise.  Gotta _love_ those Whitey
One-Bites!  (Except for those maladjusted beings who _hate_ "sliders"
with an equal passion....)

For those of you from the Deep South, imagine Krystalburgers, but with
dill pickles in lieu of mustard.  (%#&*!^@ barbarians down here....)

- -- 
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 02:13:04 -0500
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net>
Subject: Re: Fast food (was Re: PRB)

"Glenn M. Goffin" wrote:
> 
<<snip>>
> 
> Another Traveller player in Berkeley?  Let's take this Berkeley thing to
> email sometime.  Maybe we should do a Berkeley dinner.  (I'll be out for
> the next couple of weekends, however.)

Sounds like the basis for another TML K'kree Barbecue.... ;-)

K'kree:  The _other_ red meat.

- -- 
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 00:31:06 -0700
From: "Legate Legion" <legate@futureone.com>
Subject: Re: Ethically-challenged merchants (was re: A New Traveller)

From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net>
Subject: Re: Ethically-challenged merchants (was re: A New Traveller)

>But wouldn't the local Vice Squad object to sophonts selling booty (at
>least outside any established red-light district)?  <pops HC smoke and
>breaks contact>


    Depends upon Law Level.
    No, what I am talking about is Ill-Gotten Gains.

Legate Legion
ICQ # 8973001
legate@futureone.com
http://www.futureone.com/~legate/index.htm

"A man may fight for many things; his country, his principles, his friends,
the glistening tear on the cheek of a golden child. But personally, I'd
mudwrestle my own mother for a ton of cash, an amusing clock, and a stack of
French porn." - Edmund Blackadder

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 00:33:25 -0700
From: "David P. Summers" <summers@alum.mit.edu>
Subject: Re: Atmospheres : #2 Taints and Not-so-Inert Gases

>Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1999 23:51:03 -0400
>From: Thad Coons <Sapience@compuserve.com>
>Subject: Re: Atmospheres : #2 Taints and Not-so-Inert Gases
>
>Robert O'Connor wrote:
>
>>    Carbon dioxide is an excellent greenhouse gas and more than
>>0.2 atm would eventually lead to a Venus style runaway. I will
>>discuss it with other carbon compounds, halogens and sulphur
>>compounds later.

>Hmmm. This figure presents some problems for the early earth,
>Some studies suggest a CO2 pressure of 10 atm for the time when
>the first large-scale deposits of carbonate minerals started
>appearing, and there would have already been liquid water.

The CO2 pressure for a runaway greenhouse depends on how
much energy the planet recieves from the star.  Its hard to
keep liquid water on Mars, let along a runaway greenhouse,
in the early solar system at any reasonable CO2 pressure.

However, the 10 atm estimate for the early Earth is only
one, and not the currently most favored one.  Other estimates
range as low as a few percent.  The most common number I've
seen is 0.2 atm.

>Maybe the sun was cooler back then?

It was.  25% cooler.
______________________________
summers@alum.mit.edu
(This is the net.  My e-mail address may be in Boston, but I'm in California.)

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 00:10:05 -0700
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <gmgoffin@pacbell.net>
Subject: Re:  Geonee & Vilani

> From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Helge=20Hudel?= <h_hudel@yahoo.de>

> What leads to the physiological differences between Vilani and Geonee
> who appear almost to look like dwarfs while the Vilani look merely a
> little bit stocky ?

Well, the Geonee have been eating too many Arg's Groat Burgers.

- --Glenn

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 00:19:10 -0700
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <gmgoffin@pacbell.net>
Subject: Re: People's Republic of Berzerkley

> From: "Douglas E. Berry" <dberry@hooked.net>

> that attracted anybody in Berkeley with an ax to grind along with The Naked
> Guy{1}.

I missed The Naked Guy (tm) when I went by during the protests.  (That's
not a complaint.)

> [1] The Naked Guy is an ex-UC Berkeley student who lost several court cases
> in which he demanded the right to attend classes nude.  He still wanders
> around naked.  They've given up arresting him.  He seems to enjoy it.

Actually, the naked people (there are more than just TNG) did pretty
well in court.  The city usually couldn't get a conviction out of a
Berkeley jury.  Eventually the city downgraded the offense from
misdemeanor to infraction, so the cops could just write a ticket, and
there was no jury trial right.  I don't know if that's led to any
convictions, but I don't seek the naked people anymore.

There's surely an Ob Traveller in there somewhere.

- --Glenn

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 00:28:25 -0700
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <gmgoffin@pacbell.net>
Subject: re: Ethically Challenged Merchants

> From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU>

> One of the other problems of pirate ops - due to the lack of any 
> interstellar communications faster than ships, it's hard to get 
> intelligence to a pirate in time for him to do anything about it.

That didn't stop the pirates of the 16th-18th centuries.  They would
figure out where a merchant ship should be going at a certain time of
year and attack it.  Can that be translated to space?  Or maybe I should
not add anymore gasoline to this frequently-restarted fire.

- --Glenn

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 17:35:43 +1000
From: "Robert O'Connor" <robocon@ozemail.com.au>
Subject: Atmospheres #4 : Sulphur, Phosphorous and others. (long)

* Sulphur
Sulphur compounds mainly appear in atmospheres from volcanism and
industrial activity. On some unusual worlds they may be substitutes for
water or otherwise figure prominently in local geology e.g. Io.

Data
Compound	mp	bp
SO2		-73	-10
SO3		17/30	45	mp for alpha and beta form given
H2S		-83	-62
SO2F2		-120	-52
SOF2		-110	-30
SF6		-51*	-63

* - sublimes ; estimated melting point is at an ambient pressure of 10
atm.

- - Sulphur oxides 
These are strong irritant gases, forming sulphurous and sulphuric acid
on combination with water.

SO2 levels	Effect
mcg/m3
80
365		Typical urban atmosphere
800		Mild hazard in susceptible persons
1600		Moderate hazard in susceptible persons
2100		Moderate hazard, everyone
2620		Severe hazard, everyone

- - H2S
Hydrogen sulphide is a chemical asphyxiant, binding avidly to
respiratory cytochromes. It is more potent than cyanide.

ppm	Effect
0.002	Odour threshold : 'rotten-egg smell'
10-15	occupational exposure limit
100-150	nose/eye irritation
250-500	sore throat, cough, chest tightness, pulmonary oedema
500-1000 headache, confusion, cyanosis, convulsions
>1000	death

Treatment of poisoning is currently unsatisfactory. Antidotes for
cyanide are ineffective.

The fluorine compounds of sulphur are simple asphyxiants. SF6, sulphur
hexafluoride, is very poorly soluble in water and has been used in
respiratory physiology research. The occupational limit for SF6
exposure is 1000ppm.

* Phosphorus
Data
PF3	-160	-95
PF5	-92	-85
PH3	-133	-88

Phosphine (PH3) is used as a fumigant and pesticide and as a dopant in
the semiconductor industry.
	The adult lethal dose by ingestion is 1.5g (PH3 in salt form).
	Occupational exposure level 0.3ppm
	Maximum concentration tolerated 100-190ppm for one hour.
	Levels above 2000ppm are lethal within 5-10 minutes.
Toxicity acutely is to the liver and heart. Chronic low level exposure
leads to liver disease (yellow degeneration of the liver) and gradual
breakdown of the lower jaw bone ('phossy jaw').

The fluorophosphates are simple asphyxiants.

* Halogens
i. Chlorine (Cl2)
MW 70.9, mp -101C, bp -35C, critical temperature 144C

This green-yellow gas is as reactive as oxygen and could be an important
part of an alternate biochemistry. It is unlikely to be found in
significant amounts in an atmosphere without biological regeneration.

Industrially, it is a very important chemical, being used in the
synthesis of a wide variety of substances. Hypochlorite (HClO-)
solutions are commonly used as bleaches.

Chlorine is a powerful irritant gas.
Initially irritation of the eyes, nose and throat are the dominant
symptoms. With further exposure, nausea and vomitting ensue, with the
eventual onset of permanent eye damage, pulmonary oedema, laryngeal
spasm and respiratory arrest. 

Statutory exposure limits :-
Occupational : 1 ppm
Ceiling : 3mg/m3 air

- - Hydrogen chloride (HCl)
Data : mp -114C, bp -85C, critical temperature 51.4C

Dissolved in water, this is hydrochloric acid. It is therefore a strong
irritant to eyes and mucous membranes.

Occupational limits to exposure : 5 ppm
Ceiling limit : 100ppm

ii. Fluorine (F2)
Data
Compound	mp	bp	Occupational exposure limit
F2		-220	-188	1 ppm
HF		-83	-19	3 ppm
OF2		-224	-145	0.05 ppm

Fluorine is extremely reactive, and will not be encountered in its
elemental state in nature under most conditions.
	HF is hydrofluoric acid or hydrogen fluoride ; OF2 is oxygen difluoride
or fluorine oxide. HF is much more stable than OF2 (the latter is almost
as reactive as F2).
	From the exposure standpoint, fluorine and its compounds are very
similar to chlorine.
	Fluoride salts are potent poisons to Earthly life ; the lethal dose of
sodium fluoride (NaF) in man is 5-10mg/kg.

* Miscellaneous
These two compounds might be present as unusual taints :-
Compound	mp	bp
Arsine	(AsH3)	-116	-57
Diborane (B2H6)	-165.5	-92.5

Arsine is used in the semiconductor industry as a dopant. Like most
arsenic compounds, it is highly toxic.
	Levels of 25-50ppm will be fatal within 30 minutes, 250 ppm within a
minute.
	Occupational levels for all arsenic compounds are about 0.01mg/m3 air
(just under 0.01ppm).

Diborane is used in the manufacture of semiconductors and organoboron
compounds. It is *very* reactive and will combine explosively with most
oxidising agents (diborane is a good rocket fuel).

Low level lung toxicity will ensue at the occupational ceiling levels of
0.1ppm, similar to that seen with ozone.

Arsine and diborane exposures have similar clinical effects to the
halogens and their compounds ; they are potent irritant gases.

Compounds of selenium, germanium and antimony behave like arsenic (as
one might expect from the Periodic Table).

* Metal Fume Fever
A name applied to a syndrome produced by the inhalation of metals or
metal salts. Dusts of zinc, copper, magnesium, cadmium, nickel,
aluminium, chromium, manganese, beryllium, silver and vanadium can lead
to the following symptoms :-
	fever, chills, drooling, headache, cough, shortness of breath.
	This can progress to an overwhelming acute lung inflammation, which is
rapidly fatal, especially in the cases of beryllium, cadmium and nickel.
	Low level, long term exposure can lead to a variety of other pathology
:-
	beryllium - chronic lung inflammation
	manganese - a syndrome like Parkinson's disease
	chromium - recurrent ulceration of the skin and mucous membranes, which
often gets infected.
	cadmium - kidney and liver failure
	silver - argyrism (a slate-grey discolouration of the skin)
	aluminium - degeneration of the central nervous system
	copper - deposition of copper salts in the eyes and liver with eventual
liver failure.

Dose levels are roughly similar to those described generally for
particulates.
	The mainstay of treatment (apart from prevention) is administration of
chelating agents and usual supportive care (remember Airway, Breathing,
Circulation). 

* Closing Remarks and Exotic, Corrosive and Insidious Atmospheres
Many of the compounds described in this series of posts represent
distinct fire hazards in the presence of oxygen, or in their own right
(strong oxidisers like chlorine, fluorine and fluorine oxide) :-

H2S, AsH3, B2H6, N2O, N2H4, CO, and the hydrocarbons and alcohols.

However, it's certainly possible that they could be present in 'tainted'
atmospheres, given the potency of some of the compounds.

Let's look at three more unusual atmosphere types :-
i. Exotic - defined as a gas mix where 'an oxygen supply is required but
no protective suit is necessary'.
	So the basic requirements are a hypoxic gas mix (less than 0.01 atm
oxygen) and a temperature and pressure range where sealed clothing isn't
needed. There is no need for a separate 'low oxygen' taint : all such
worlds have 'exotic' atmospheres by definition.
	Irritant or chemical asphyxiant gases can only be present at very low
levels.	

ii. Corrosive - temperature or gas mix necessitates protective clothing.
	This category combines temperature extremes with high levels of
irritant or chemical asphyxiant gases.  

iii. Insidious - extreme conditions will defeat portable protective
measures within 2-12 hours. As per (ii), but worse. Hydrogen is offered
as the prototypical insidious atmosphere gas via its diffusion
properties and subsequent explosion/fire risk. Other substances that
react readily with oxygen are good candidates as well.

* Summary
Inert : N2, noble gases, N2O, CO2, hydrocarbons, alcohols
Irritant : O3, NO and higher oxides, NH3, N2H4, Cl2, HCl, HF, F2, F2O,
CS2, SO2, B2H6
Chemical asphyxiant : NO, CO, cyanides, H2S
Other toxic effects : radon, N2O, CO2, CS2, PH3, AsH3


Robert O'Connor
Medico, Gamer

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 17:37:27 +1000
From: "Robert O'Connor" <robocon@ozemail.com.au>
Subject: Re :- Geonee & Vilani [TML]

h_hudel@yahoo.de wrote :-
<given that the surface gravity of Vland and Shiwonee are the same> :-
> What leads to the physiological differences between Vilani and Geonee
> who appear almost to look like dwarfs while the Vilani look merely a
> little bit stocky ?
> Anybody out there to explain?

My Cr 0.02 :-
1. The higher atmospheric pressure on Shiwonee (Vland's surface
atmospheric pressure is ~1.0) :- work of breathing is harder, so more
muscle mass is required to move air in and out - the Geonee will be
'stockier'.
1a. The higher pressure in itself could lead to a decrease in stature
(it's a more extreme environment compared to human normal, which will
lead to decreased vertical growth velocity - inferring from
anthropometric studies done on mountain dwellers).
2. The same process that leads to Great Danes and Dachshunds existing on
the same planet : selective breeding.
[3. Artistic or narrative license.]


Robert O'Connor
Medico, Gamer

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 00:46:58 -0700
From: Evyn MacDude <wmacdude@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: A New Traveller

Anthony Salter wrote:

> >The debates, and debators, can rage all they want, but MTU, is MTU,
> >so I basically ignore them when they start up.  The same goes for
> >Virus, lesbian Aslan, and near-c rocks.  ;->
> >
> >Eris
>
> I am so damn glad I joined this list :)
>
> Badman (lesbian Aslan?)

 K'Kree Bar-b-que...

Better yet near C rocks...

- --
Evyn...
Wish I was a better person...   with more control...
Turn the other cheek...   and when the punch comes, roll...
Wish I was a kinder person...   could see the others pain...
Not over react, not judge...   and shrug off the spreadin' stain.
Damaged, by John Shirley/Donald Roeser, BOC, Heaven Forbid 1998.

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 00:40:45 -0700
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <gmgoffin@pacbell.net>
Subject: Berkeley (fellow) Travelers (was Re: Fast food (was Re: PRB))

> From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com>
> Subject: Re: Fast food (was Re: PRB)

> The mainland and HK have different laws, even since the takeover.  The Brits
> were no way no how going to permit the Chinese to eat dogs.  Especially not

Somehow I missed that you were referring to HK law.

> >Another Traveller player in Berkeley?  Let's take this Berkeley thing to
> email sometime.  Maybe we should do a Berkeley dinner.  (I'll be out for
> the next couple of weekends, however.)
> >
> I live in SF, not Berserkeley, but I hang out in Berserkeley often.  A lot
> of my friends are there.  I would take it to email (I have with you) but i
> don't know who else to mail it to.

That third person who seems to be a Goth -- I've deleted the digests
already.  Whoever you are, please email me.

- --Glenn

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 00:52:21 -0700
From: Evyn MacDude <wmacdude@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: test, and hello everyone

Eris Reddoch wrote:

> On 08/10/99 at 10:57 AM,  intrepadv <intrepadv@geocities.com> said:
>
> >hello, hope this works, new to the list.  Wondering if there is any
> >resource with a list of players, and their relative locations
> >compiled? I am in Alexandria, Va and looking to play traveller,
> >however am new to the area, so.....
>
> Good question.  Didn't someone do a TML roster...once upon a time? It might be time to update it.
>

Yep... It looks like time.

Now that I have abandoned the desert...

BTW, I am now permanatly in the Greater Bay Area.

- --
Evyn...
Wish I was a better person...   with more control...
Turn the other cheek...   and when the punch comes, roll...
Wish I was a kinder person...   could see the others pain...
Not over react, not judge...   and shrug off the spreadin' stain.
Damaged, by John Shirley/Donald Roeser, BOC, Heaven Forbid 1998.

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 01:04:18 -0700
From: Evyn MacDude <wmacdude@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Fast food (was Re: PRB)

Black ICE wrote:

> "Glenn M. Goffin" wrote:
> >
> <<snip>>
> >
> > Another Traveller player in Berkeley?  Let's take this Berkeley thing to
> > email sometime.  Maybe we should do a Berkeley dinner.  (I'll be out for
> > the next couple of weekends, however.)
>
> Sounds like the basis for another TML K'kree Barbecue.... ;-)
>
> K'kree:  The _other_ red meat.

Hot and spicy, or Sweet and Tangy?

Or how bouts with a nice peanut Satai?

- --
Evyn...
Wish I was a better person...   with more control...
Turn the other cheek...   and when the punch comes, roll...
Wish I was a kinder person...   could see the others pain...
Not over react, not judge...   and shrug off the spreadin' stain.
Damaged, by John Shirley/Donald Roeser, BOC, Heaven Forbid 1998.

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 04:15:08 -0400
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@accesstoledo.com>
Subject: Re: <no comment> 

> "Keven R. Pittsinger" wrote:
> > 
> > > I once wrote an adventure whereby Virus found a way to transmit itself
> > > using long chemical compound chains that it would release into the air.
> > > When a non-infected ship's sensors scanned the airborne molecules and tried
> > > to analyze them, there was a chance the Virus sequence would infect the
> > > computer...
> > >
> > > Needless to say, all my players decided to switch to AD&D instead :)
> > 
> > No offense, but that's just a *bit* of a stretch for me.  Especially since
> > long-chain molecules would tend to sink in air and hit the ground eventually.
> >  The sheer *length* needed of the chain involved would make them almost
> > visible to the naked eye.  Remember, Virus is pretty big.  In small machines,
> > it rarely developes, but stays in 'egg' form.
> 
> Keven, while I agree with you that this is a _highly_ implausible means
> of Virus propagation (even in comparison with all the canonical
> highly-implausible means of propagation), I must salute a referee who
> could sell this method to the group's players.

Um, I kinda question the *success* of the attempt.  Remember, he said his 
players went off to play AD&D.  It's what they call in Cleveland an 'almost a 
good idea'.  <grin>
 
> Anthony must have been a Paranoia ref at some point in his career....

No doubt.  <grin>

Keven

- -- 
tc++ tm+ tn t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In Reavers' Deep

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 04:19:53 -0400 (EDT)
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net>
Subject: Re Atts

>>I use Att/3.
>>15-17 = +6 (note: K'Kree can get this high on Str, and Aslan, Vargr,
>>Virushi, etc can also reach 16 or 17 in one or two stats each.)
>
>Virtually identical to a system I came up with, with one exception - why
>the jump from +4 to +6?

typo.... =) should have been a five... Gotta stop writing replies at 3am.

William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click
interface!"
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-
533
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis http://www.alaska.net/~mhaa
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 04:19:54 -0400 (EDT)
From: "William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net>
Subject: Re Radios

>Still, they could probably use a satellite in orbit to evesdrop,
>which comes back to the question of can a satellite, in orbit 100km
>up, listen in on a communication between two 10km radios?

Well, in the US Civil Air Patrol, I've encountered this problem. The VHF
aircraft radios (nominal range ~1000km w/los) can pick up the VHF handhelds
(nominal range 10km) if there is LOS within about 100km... From a glider
(using a handheld), we could only hit another handheld from about 10km, but
aircraft could pick us up about 100km, and we could pick them up about the
same.

Simple rule of thumb taught to us was "For each two orders of magnitude
difference in nominal comm range, increase the effective range by one
magnitude"... It isn't *quite* right, but VHF Aircraft radios in the
115-140 frequencies (MHz, IIRC) are Line of Sight.

What we did to keep in tough with ground teams some 200-400km distant was
put a plane up (Highbird), and have highbird relay... on one excercise,
with LOS, at 20 km, we couldn't hit each other, but highbird could read us
both and peg both of our handhelds, and would relay. We could physically
see the other ground team (using powerful bioncs... spotted the van..) but
had to have relay.

IMTU, I'm a little more strict...
I use watts/(maxRng^2) as the min signal strength.
Eff Signal strength is watts/(range^2) for signal at a given range.
Det a signal is routine at min signal strength, locking it in is difficult.
Shift up one diffmod per order of magnitue lower (EG, if MSS is 100w, and
ess is  10w, that is one order of magnitude lower, and an ess of 2w is two
lower.) and down one difmod per order of magnitude higher.

While it is slightly inaccurate, I simply use the wattage of the radio-set
as the wattage; since I use it for both, and the losses should be similar,
it is close enough for quick figures....

note that it is often easy to detect a signal, but hard to tune a weak
signal in  clear enough that you can understand the conversation.

William F. Hostman  |  "Smith & Wesson: THe original Point and Click
interface!"
Aramis 0602 C55A364-C S kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge-
533
Mailto:aramis@gci.net http://home.gci.net/~aramis http://www.alaska.net/~mhaa
ICQ:14640742          AIM:AKAramis	ARM 1.0: 3 R H++ P+
IMTU 1.0: tc tm++ tn- t4-- tt+ to- tg-- ru+ ge 3i+ c+ jt-() au+ st- ls
pi+() ta+ he+(-) kk+ as+ hi+ dr+ va++(--) so+ zh++ vi+ da++ sy- ge- pi+

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

End of Traveller-digest V1999 #940
**********************************

To unsubscribe to Traveller-Digest, send the command:

unsubscribe traveller-digest

in the body of a message to "traveller-request@lists.imagiconline.com".
If you want to subscribe something other than the account the mail is
coming from, such as a local redistribution list, then append that
address to the "subscribe" command; for example, to subscribe
"local-traveller":

subscribe traveller-digest local-traveller@your.domain.net

A non-digest (direct mail) version of this list is also available; to
subscribe to that instead, replace all instances of "traveller-digest"
in the commands above with "traveller".

Multi-Player Games Network http://www.mpgn.com
