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To: Dan Corrin <dan%engrg.uwo.ca@RELAY.CS.NET>
Subject: TML Bundle #159: Msgs 1971-1981
Reply-To: TML Administrator <traveller-request%metolius.wr.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET>
Precedence: bulk
Date: Mon, 07 Jan 91 12:12:15 PST
From: James T Perkins <jamesp%metolius.wr.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET>
Status: RO


-------- TML Message #1971 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1971
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 90 08:17:54 -0500
From: al646@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (T. L. Hayes)
Subject: Trade




From: Vote For NoneOfTheAbove Write In Candidate  06-Dec-1990 1654 <baranski@meridn.enet.dec.COM>

>RE: al646@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (T. L. Hayes) Date: Wed, 5 Dec 90 07:51:38 -0500
> 
>"Unless the planet can not grow its own food because of its composition or
>atmosphere but turns out to have a fortune if raw materials and is a handy
>place to manufacture things."
>
>My point is that a population will not be someplace where the bulk necessities
>of life do not exist without a ***good*** reason.  Sure, a people may be on a
>planet to exploit a resource, but they are more likely to be as small a number
>as possible, existing on the native resources or synthetics, rather then
>*expensively* haulling the necessities of life to the planet, just so that
>people can live there.
>
>In short, there has to be a good reason for people being where the necessities
>of life are not.

Ok picture it, the Imperium, 1101, the TL Megacorporation discovers a planet 
dripping with raw materials.  Duke Hayes, the president and owner gets the
official governmental OK to exploit the planet for all its worth (I pulled
some strings of course).  The atmosphere is poisonous, the soil is so 
metalic that it won't support any editable plants.  The corporation set up a
colony to mine the planet.  Since its a waste to send empty ships to pick
up the raw material I send full ships!  Ships full of food, water, clothes,
anything I can sell.  This way I get some of the money I'm paying them back
and my ship's make money going *both* ways!  Keep in mind that I am paying
these people a small fortune to live and work here under these conditions.

Because this is a long term project the miners marry and have children or
bring their families with them (for the promise of money "Honey, its only
2 or 3 years then will be rich!" except I'm charging outragous prices for
basic goods and the miners never make much of a profit).  The children
grow up thinking of this as home.  But I'm getting a head of myself.

Once things are going smoothly, I set up manufacturing facilities because
it cheaper to make the stuff here then to export the raw materials.  This
requires more people and more support people to do the mining, manufacturing,
starport services, schools for my employee's children etc, etc.  Boom! Planet
pop is now say 4-5 (not bad).  There is minimum self support because of the
poor conditions for growing food.  Now that there is a starport however those
damnable independant traders start showing up with their cheap foodstuffs and
other supplies so I must lower my import prices to avoid loosing money.  Now
my miners are really begining to make money, tangable money that is.  By now
many have invested many years in the company and this is their home (such as
it is) and they don't want to leave.

By this time I have made a pile of money and maybe others have successfully
petitioned for access to the planet and I loose my monopoly so I start selling
off all the things I own on the planet while it still is a monopoly (mostly).
Some I sell to other corporations, some the my former workers who now live
there.  Since this is now an employee owned operation they can do what they
want but they are unlikely to leave because now they "own their home" in
a manner of speaking.  So more time passes and more children grow up here
thinking of this as home.  Some leave, some don't.  Living is not so hard
now because lots of cities have been built to house all the people.  Doomed
parks and gardens have been created by the people who live there so maybe
some of the food needs can now be met locally (but it is expensive since
you need to purify air and water and probably import the original soil).  
It may still be cheaper to import food especially considering the amount of
money that can be made on the manufactured exports (no over head for pollution
control or the like).

Maybe this is not the best explaination for why a "worthless" planet would
have a sizable population but it shows the idea.  Don't under estimate the
power of the mind to accept "home".  Many people don't leave the places
they were born and raised in even here on Earth today.  Long term projects
will create families and communities that may be totally supported by 
imported products.  Why set up agriculture on a planet you (the megacorp.)
intend to throw away when your done?  For the employees?  Get serious there
are millions of people who will work for these wages!  Let them import food!

TLH

- - --
T.L.Hayes                  |
MIT/Lincoln Laboratory     |
Lexington, MA              |

-------- TML Message #1972 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1972
Date: Monday 10th December 1990 14:29:12 GMT
From: Alan Huscroft <ASSHUSCR@cms.am.cc.reading.ac.uk>
Subject: Re:(1959) Beyond and TL17 Worlds

 
> From: bonnevil@acc.stolaf.edu
 
>             In Trav.Digest #20, the Trojan Reach map shows a gov't called
> the Florian League in subsector E of the sector which seems to stretch
> into subsector H of the Beyond.  If this gov't doesn't exist on the old
> PP map, then the Beyond has been totally wiped.
 
There was no Florian League in PP's version of Beyond.  I haven't looked
at the maps for a while, but I think subsector H was the Darkling Regions,
with little or no large-scale government.  I believe that DGP's Trojan
Reach is more or less completely incompatible with PP's Beyond, and
effectively drives the final nail into the coffin of Paranoia Press.
 
> Which brings me to number two -- what's the deal with Sabmyqys?  From what
> I understand, there once was an article or reference to them in JTAS, may
> it rest in peace. :)  Would somebody *please* clue me in to some info
> about them?  I'm very curious about this elusive race who somehow has
> managed to flaunt the apparent fluke of probability that keeps the Imperium
> in general at TL16 and below.... :)
 
I haven't read this article (in Challenge 28) for a long time, but I
don't think that Sabmiqys was ever a member of the Imperium.  If I
recall correctly, the world was strictly isolationist, and their high
technology was all their own work.  There's no specific reason why
Imperial worlds shouldn't eventually achieve higher tech levels --
they just haven't managed it yet.
 
............................................................................
: Alan Huscroft              : Janet:    A.Huscroft@uk.ac.reading          :
: Reading, England           : Internet: A.Huscroft@reading.ac.uk          :
: 6-G takeoffs AND landings! : X-boat:   A.Huscroft@terra.sol.solomani_rim :
:............................:.............................................:

-------- TML Message #1973 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1973
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 90 20:46:16 -0800
From: George William Herbert <gwh@ocf.Berkeley.EDU>
Subject: "Cinematic Nuggets" adventure style


I'm curious as to wether those who have seen Knightfall liked the cinematic
nuggets adventure style.  They sort of make sense to me.  Comments?

- - -george william herbert
gwh@ocf.berkeley.edu

-------- TML Message #1974 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1974
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 90 12:17:54 PST
From: Joel Lovell <jlovell%smdvx1.intel.com@RELAY.CS.NET>
Subject: MT stuff For Sale

[I re-sent this mail to the list at large (it was originally sent to
traveller-request) and modified the subject line -- James]

I've got a lot of Mega Traveller stuff for sale.  Mint condition
not even used once.  (I've got everything except the vargr book,
and the vilani book.)

Make me an offer.

Gee, I hope this posts.

Joel

-------- TML Message #1975 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1975
Date: Tue, 11 Dec 90 11:41:33 PST
From: Vote For NoneOfTheAbove Write In Candidate  11-Dec-1990 1400 <baranski@meridn.enet.dec.COM>
Subject: developing unsuitable worlds

RE:: al646@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (T. L. Hayes)
Subject: (1971) Trade

"Ok picture it, the Imperium, 1101, the TL Megacorporation discovers a planet 
dripping with raw materials.  Duke Hayes, the president and owner gets the
official governmental OK to exploit the planet for all its worth (I pulled
some strings of course).  The atmosphere is poisonous, the soil is so 
metalic that it won't support any editable plants.  The corporation set up a
colony to mine the planet.  Since its a waste to send empty ships to pick
up the raw material I send full ships!  Ships full of food, water, clothes,
anything I can sell.  This way I get some of the money I'm paying them back
and my ship's make money going *both* ways!  Keep in mind that I am paying
these people a small fortune to live and work here under these conditions."
 
"Because this is a long term project the miners marry and have children or
bring their families with them (for the promise of money "Honey, its only
2 or 3 years then will be rich!" except I'm charging outragous prices for
basic goods and the miners never make much of a profit).  The children
grow up thinking of this as home.  But I'm getting a head of myself."

   Yes, you will be shipping supplies to the mining colony instead of
   deadheading.  However, I think that you underestimate the amount of cargo
   space available for supplies.  Setting up a colony requires *lots* of
   equipment, and supplies.  Any extra cargo space would be devoted to mining
   and refining equipment.  Once the colony starts producing refined material
   instead of raw material, the amount of cargo space available will drop like
   a rock, yet the colony will be larger and require more supplies.  I duobt
   that there will normally be surplus to create a homey atmosphere, unless the
   place already provides most of the raw requirements of life, so that there
   is room for extra imports.

   As an aside, that kind of equipment do you imagine Traveller has for taking
   raw material, ie water, ice, sand, rock, hydrocarbons, gases, and producing
   air, water, food and fuel?  Or will all of this have to be imported?  I
   don't recall seeing much in this vein in Traveller.  I assume that fusion
   fuel can be refined as on starships, that water can be purified from water
   and ice, and that air can be made from water and oxides.  what about food? 
   I suspect that if synthesized food is possible, it will be de jour in the
   mining colonies.
 
"Once things are going smoothly, I set up manufacturing facilities because
it cheaper to make the stuff here then to export the raw materials.  This
requires more people and more support people to do the mining, manufacturing,
starport services, schools for my employee's children etc, etc.  Boom! Planet
pop is now say 4-5 (not bad).  There is minimum self support because of the
poor conditions for growing food.  Now that there is a starport however those
damnable independant traders start showing up with their cheap foodstuffs and
other supplies so I must lower my import prices to avoid loosing money.  Now
my miners are really begining to make money, tangable money that is.  By now
many have invested many years in the company and this is their home (such as
it is) and they don't want to leave."

   This is about what I consider par for the course for a mining colony to
   eventually develop into an industrial planet.  Either the company will
   specialize in exporting widgets, or framisis's which are always in need on
   the planet will start being made at the colony.

   Also, though, I believe that a large number of young adults will leave the
   place if it does not show promise to them, and go elsewhere.  For a small
   colony this may more then offset any population increase.
 
"By this time I have made a pile of money and maybe others have successfully
petitioned for access to the planet and I loose my monopoly so I start selling
off all the things I own on the planet while it still is a monopoly (mostly).
Some I sell to other corporations, some the my former workers who now live
there.  Since this is now an employee owned operation they can do what they
want but they are unlikely to leave because now they "own their home" in a
manner of speaking.  So more time passes and more children grow up here
thinking of this as home.  Some leave, some don't.  Living is not so hard now
because lots of cities have been built to house all the people.  Doomed parks
and gardens have been created by the people who live there so maybe some of the
food needs can now be met locally (but it is expensive since you need to purify
air and water and probably import the original soil).   It may still be cheaper
to import food especially considering the amount of money that can be made on
the manufactured exports (no over head for pollution control or the like)."

   As long as the basics of life can be produced on the planet, inculding
   synthesized food for the lower masses.
 
"Maybe this is not the best explaination for why a "worthless" planet would
have a sizable population but it shows the idea.  Don't under estimate the
power of the mind to accept "home".  Many people don't leave the places
they were born and raised in even here on Earth today.  Long term projects
will create families and communities that may be totally supported by 
imported products.  Why set up agriculture on a planet you (the megacorp.)
intend to throw away when your done?  For the employees?  Get serious there
are millions of people who will work for these wages!  Let them import food!"

   It's a plausible scenario, given some premises.  How common will it be,
   though?  I believe tht it will only take place on the most favorable
   planets.  As with current development, the best places will be developed
   first, ie the planets that already have some of the resources needed.
 
TLH
 
Jim.

-------- TML Message #1976 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1976
Date: Tue, 11 Dec 90 14:35:10 -0600
From: bonnevil@acc.stolaf.edu
Subject: Messed up sector map in archives?


Hello again!  Thanks to those of you who answered my post concerning
"The Beyond and TL17 Worlds" from a few days back.  I suspected that
the PP stuff was totally booted....

I was looking at the sector maps from the sunbane ftp archive the other
day, and out of curiosity downloaded the Trojan Reach map.  I think it
might be, well, wrong.  The bases, allegiance, port, and gas giant
codes look ok, but the UWPs conflict w/ published subsectors. For example:
  *ARCHIVE COPY*
 [unnamed] 1209 X336855-0          R 410 Na  G3V
  *Adv. 4: LEVIATHAN / Travellers Digest 20*
  985-373  1209 X775000-0            020 Na  K6V M3D
The other maps I've seen seem to be more or less ok, but I can't check most.
Ummm...just thought I'd point this out for those of you who might be
interested.

- - --Steve

-------- TML Message #1977 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1977
Date: Tue, 11 Dec 90 15:46 EDT
From: METLAY@vms.cis.pitt.edu
Subject: Grant and Co. Ride Again! (fiction)


To blow off a little steam while I wait for a batch job to finish
(And to satisfy the curiosity of those who've been asking):

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

Muan Gwi, in the Vegan Autonomous District: mid-1118

	"All stations report in. Kherkhoulloth?"
	"Navigational systems nominal. Coming in on the beam."
	"Let me know when we hit the atmosphere. Sanchez?"
	"Maneuver drives running a little hot, sir, but within tolerances. 
It's the brown sugar caked in the intakes again, I think."
	"Brown sugar....." *groan* "Whose idea WAS that, anyway?"
	"Uh, mine, sir. But you said it was the only way we could turn a 
profit on that fiasco with the sugar syrup and the plastic Buddhas...."
	"Yeah, yeah, all right. Taken as read, for the record. But if I ever 
get my hands on the idiot who designed this stupid universe, I may very well
strangle him. O'Connor?"
	"Nothing on the deep scans, sir. Atmosphere's impenetrable. You're 
going to be flying nearly blind."
	"I'm aware of that. Jaeger?"
	"Sitting pretty, Captain. Nothing to shoot at."
	"Good, let's hope it stays that way. Kherk?"
	"Atmosphere in twenty seconds, sir."
	"OK, from what I've heard it's likely to be a little rough. All hands 
strap in and cross fingers. AirSpace Traffic Control, this is IMSS Serendipity 
on final approach, over."
	Skkkkrkkkk. Frrssss. "..rendipity, this is......ol. Your sig.....
ery weak, but we think.....ollow the beam, and follow all or....as......"
Static.
	"Damn. What the hell kind of a soup are we-- JEEZUS!"
	"Hey, what the--"
	"MOTHER OF GOD!"
	"Captain, what's--"
	"KAE, KAKH TSAKHA! Samshkarkh knaervaerrgh ROUKH!"
	"EVERYONE SHUT UP, GODDAMMIT! Kherk--whoof-- is this the ATMOSPHERE?"
	"You-urkgh-- you got it, Captain. Jet stream's over 300 per, methane 
ammonia and all kinds of nifty pertrochemicals!"
	"Serendi.....affic Con....urn thirty degrees to...." Skkkrrkkkk.
	"REPEAT, DAMMIT! This is Serendipity. We are flying blind. Radar 
reading false-- whunkh!-- your signal's badly broken up! REPEAT!"
	"It's like the front door of Hell out there!"
	"Kherk, where's the Goddamned BEAM?"
	"Trying, sir! Tracking, tracking, AH! We're way off! Forty degrees and 
diverging... Steer port-- erf!-- fifty degrees, throttle back and try to keep
the nose up!" 
	"Doing my best...."
	"Sir, O'Connor here. Scans are reading some pretty nasty terrain down 
there, when--mmp-- they can see anything at all. We're going to hit hard if
ASTC doesn't know their stuff." 
	Skkrrkklklssss. "Serendipity, this is Ymir ASTC. We are locked on you 
via meson commo, and have you on screen, over."
	"Thank God! ASTC, this is Serendipity. We are still blind, but are 
attempting to get back on your beam...."
	"Negative, NEGATIVE ON THAT! Climb to five thousand meters and hold 
your course, NOW!"
	"Sanchez, hit the--ungh!-- kicker! I can't get the nose up!"
	"No can do, sir! We're redlining as it is-- if I hit the kicker we're
going to split open like a firecracker!"
	"ASTC, Serendipity here! We can not, repeat, NOT gain altitude!"
	"Oh my GOD... Serendipity, what's your hull configuration?"
	"Modified disk... why?"
	"On my signal, ROLL NINETY DEGREES! You're headed for a MOUNTAIN PASS!"
	"Ninety degrees, aye-aye!"
	"Sir, I-- KYAIIIII!"
	"ROLL, SERENDIPITY! NOW!"
	*******KRRRRAAAANNNNNNNGGGGGGG!*************

	"HUH!" Grant sat bolt upright in bed, shaking in a cold sweat. He 
wiped a damp hand across his eyes in the darkness, and wearily got out of bed. 
Damn nightmares, he thought disgustedly, staggering into the bathroom.

	"Are you all right, Captain?" Hector's voice held a carefully 
developed note of concern as Grant clambered up the ramp onto the Bridge.
"You aren't due to be awakened for another half hour...."
	"I'm fine, Hector," Grant said with a sigh, sitting down at the helm 
position. "I woke up early, that's all."
	Sanchez pulled his head and upper body out of a nearby maintainance
panel and surveyed Grant carefully. He was clean-shaven and shipshape, as 
always, but his eyes were red and shadowed. Sanchez shook his head as he 
closed up the panel.
	"Dreaming about Ymir again, Skipper?"
	Grant jerked as if shot, then settled into his chair with a short 
laugh. "That predictable, am I?"
	"I've known you for nigh on twenty years, Skipper," Sanchez shrugged. 
"From Ascalon to Easter, there's nothing like Ymir for a helmsman in the 
Suleiman Cluster to practice on. Two decades, most of 'em in space, and only 
one crash landing? You ought to be a little more forgiving of yourself."
	"I try, Wu-Shun, I really do," Grant grimaced, flipping through the
cargo manifests for the hundredth time. "But that one mistake-- all the damage 
it did.... it really shook me up."
	"Damage? You tore off one hardpoint, wrecked the deep radar, mangled 
part of one pressure compartment and cracked the main zuchais. Minor injuries 
to two crew, no deaths or disabilities. Not bad for a bankshot off of a 
mountain!" 
	"I never should've tried to fly her again. That misjump...."
	"We got a tow to Upirzanu, didn't we? The Serendipity turned out to be 
stolen goods, didn't it? The Navy and Hortalez honored our contracts, and we 
got a new ship, a BETTER ship, didn't we? How many places could things have 
gone wrong! We could be dead, or in prison, or we could've run into something 
even worse than what we've seen already!"
	"Worse than what we've seen already?" Kherkhoulloth came in, yawning 
and running a hand through his black mane of still-damp fur. "We've crawled 
through the guts of Arcodiga, stopped a war on Easter, stopped another war
on Gwathui--"
	"Not yet, we haven't," Grant said mildly. "That's the Navy's job. We 
just gave them the goods they needed to do it."
	"Minor point," the irrepressible Vargr laughed, hopping into the 
Navigator's chair and lighting up the holodyne in a dimmed pattern of reds and 
browns well-suited to his eyes. "We've delivered treaties, been bombed halfway 
to the Ancients, bounced off a mountain--"
	"This is where I came in," Grant groaned.
	"And managed to keep our homocidal Solomani-hating cybernetic death 
machine and our government-toppling movie director from getting us all 
killed," Kherkhoulloth finished with relish.
	"I heard that," O'Connor's voice came over the intercom.
	"So did I," echoed Jaeger's voice. "Captain, you up?"
	"Right here," Grant smiled. "Nice to know I'm the last one out of 
bed."
	"Not quite," Hector's voice interrupted him. "Doctor Fell is still 
asleep. He is not scheduled to take his station until fifteen minutes from 
now."
	"He'll never make it," Kherkhoulloth sighed.
	"He'll make it," Jaeger's voice replied evenly. "He won't smell very 
nice and he may not be dressed, but he'll make it. I don't know where you
find these types, Captain."
	Grant finished flipping through the manifests. "Fell's a good man," he 
said mildly. "He needed our help and we needed his. Anyone have any complaints 
about the way he does his job?"
	"He's a loose cannon, Captain," O'Connor's voice held the barest hint 
of annoyance. "He's used to acting on his own, and he doesn't think through 
his options before doing dangerous and irreparable things."
	"Not all of us have a Model 2fib in our frontal lobe, O'Connor," 
Kherkhoulloth snarled. "Come on, give him a break!"
	"Do YOU trust him, Kherkhoulloth?"
	"Of course not," Kherkoulloth shrugged. "I don't trust ANYONE. But the 
point stands: I don't know what you were driving at when I walked in, Sanchez.
We've seen more weird crap since we shipped out together than any of us has 
seen in a decade or more-- everything from religious riots on Vega to trying 
to sell maple syrup and plastic Buddhas in a war zone. What do you mean,
something even WORSE could happen to us?"
	Sanchez glowered at him. "Hi ho," he muttered darkly.
	That shut Kherkhoulloth up. Along with everyone else. 
	"Good morning, all!" The iris valve to the Bridge opened and admitted 
Fell, who tossed a lank swath of dark hair back over his bald spot and took 
his place at an empty holodyne with a pleasant nod to Sanchez, who slapped him 
on the back as he left the Bridge for Engineering. "I trust I'm not late?"
	"Right on time, Christoph," Grant nodded. "Try to get ASTC on the 
horn. We're ready to take berthing; and I'll try not to do a repeat of Ymir 
this time."
	"You always say that before each landing," Fell frowned. "One of these 
days, I'd like to hear exactly what happened on Ymir...."
	"Not while he's at the helm," Jaeger's voice came suddenly. "We'll 
settle in at a bar once we're down, and we'll tell you all about it...."

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

I'm mailing these off and deleting them as I go, folks, so keep track of them 
if you're curious about continuity. I do NOT have the first story, with the
Hi ho reference in it, and neither does Dow (Grant). I don't think that
either of the two gents who'll be joining the TML soon-- Alex Wilce (Fell)
or Paul Reilly (O'Connor)-- do, either. Anyone?

[TML Archive Message Number 716 and 740 are the first two parts to this
story -- 740 contains the "Hi ho" reference.  TML Bundle numbers are #65
for AMN 716, and #70 for AMN 740.  Archives are available via anonymous
ftp from sunbane.engrg.uwo.edu (129.100.4.12), via email from
archive-server@atherton.com, or from traveller-request@metolius.wr.tek.com
*** James]

metlay

-------- TML Message #1978 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1978
From: plb@violin.att.COM
Subject: Swapping stories... <eh?>
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 90 15:55:58 EST

Operating System: HP-UX A.B7.00 U
Organization: AT&T-BL, Red Hill System Administration Group (HRSAG)
Location: HR 2C119
Phone: (201) 615-4419
Return-receipt:
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL5]

Since Metlay descided to post that portion of a novel, I suppose I
can get away with posting an outtake of a story I've been in the
process of writing for a while now... Chapter 1:

					* * * * * * * * 


They were in a festive mood.  Then again, they were always in a
festive mood.   The sounds of a loud party filtered throughout the
yacht as did the smells of good food, and the slight reek of
alchohol.  Noone was watching the instruments on the bridge.  If
they were, they would have seen the larger ship approaching.  

Slightly more than twice the size of the yacht, it approached
noiselessly.  A beeping emmitted from the collision avoidance
system and the on duty helmsman woke up long enough from his nap to
stab a finger at a button to silence it.

The yellow indicators turned red as the larger vessel closed, drew
along side and established a parallel course that paced the
yacht. The revelers had no idea of the danger that approached.

The duty helmsman shifted in his chair slightly, adjusted the hat
over his eyes better to close out the light and began to snore. 

In the cargo area, by the main airlock, a steward's assistant was
removing bottles of wine from a rack.  He spotted one of the
engineering lackies climbing down a companionway.  "The stuff we
stowed for you guys is over th..." A silenced weapon spoke once and
the steward was thrown back, a bottle smashed, and a puzzled look
came over his face.  His mouth tried to form a question that was
never uttered as blood gushed forth from where an eye was supposed
to exist.  His now lifeless body slid to the deck.

The engineering hand removed a panel from the wall, cut three
wires, and removed a module.  Moments later, the airlock opened and
six individuals of various races entered.  One tossed the engineer
a submachinegun and a bandolier and three of them went to the turbo
lift.   The remaining four went aft.

In the main gallery, the party was going strong.  Drink flowed
freely and food was consumed in obscene quantities. 

In the center of the maelstrom of activity was a rather bored and
rather disgustedlooking young man of fifteen.  
In his lifetime he'd seen his eldersas well as his older cousins act 
in this manner and vowed when it was his turn to take the reigns of
power from his father, this sort of activity would not be at the
expense of the estate his father would leave him as it was now.
"No," he thought to himself, "my aunts, uncles, and cousins just
sponge off my dad, and he lets them!"  "Have some wine Derek!"
shouted his uncle Jarns, "you're old enough now!"  

At that moment the loud staccato of firecrackers was to be heard
from a passageway.  The partiers were stunned into silence.  The
bodyguards that were assigned to Derek closed distance with him and
grew very alert.  

With the dying of the last echos from the firecrackers came the
three maurauders wielding their weapons.  One of Derek's guards
attempted to draw a weapon from inside his tunic.  The other placed
himself as a human sheild between Derek and the intruders.  If
anyone had been watching the forehead of the guard drawing his
weapon they would have seen a red dot of light appear a fraction of
a second before the 9mm slugs from a four shot burst arrived.  Two
of them striking the guard and the other two spending themselves on
the wood clad walls on the other side of the gallery.  One of the
other intruders also fired a four shot burst at the guard who was
playing human sheild.  All four of these rounds found flesh to bite
 into, as one round impacted the base of the man's skull.  The face
of this guard exploded in a shower of blood that spattered over
some of the guests resulting in a terrified hysterical screaming
from one lady in particular.  

The now dead bodyguards crumpled to the floor leaving Derek
standing more or less alone.  One of the shooters asked the third
individual "is that the boy?"  A nod and they grabbed him and
pulled him effortlessly in spite of his struggles to the doorway.

"I am Lieutenant Drazin of the Solvanian Freedom Party " intoned
the being who had not untill this point done any of the shooting.
"I expect and will recieve your full cooperation " he went on "or
more of you could end up as these did..."  

The the engineering assistant and one of the other boarders
appeared at the doorway.  Drazin looked at the engineer and he
nodded.  "I have taken the liberty of having all doors, hatches,
and turbolifts locked so you won't be strolling around the ship.
Please make yourselves comfortable, young Derek Thalman the second
will be coming with us.  Feel free to continue your birthday party
for him, if everything goes as I expect he will celebrate many more!"

They left at that, taking Derek with them.  After a few minutes,
the more bold of the guests tried to open the sliding damage
control hatch in the passageway.  It was, as promised, locked tight.
Someone tried to overide it at a terminal in the main gallery.

Unnoticed at first, hydrogen gas and an accelerant were pouring in
through the life support ventilators.

The privateer vessel "Wraith" was pulling away from the yacht.
Drazin and an older greying human were watching it get smaller in
the viewport.  

On the yacht, within the central ductwork of the life support
ventilation system a greyish blob with a timing device on it had
been left behind by the boarding party.  At the predetermined
moment in time an electrical current passed through the blob a
white-hot ball of expanding gasses were created.  This ignited the
now explosive mixture of hydrogen gas and air.

>From their places on board the privateer, Drazin and his commanding
officer watched as the yacht became a silently expanding fireball
and scattered debris.  "Is our guest comfortably situated?"  "Yes
General"  "Good, the first phase of our plans are complete.  Let us
hope that the elder Thalman is as reasonable as we expect him to
be."



- - -- 
Peter L. Berghold | TELEPHONE: +1 (908) 615-4419
- - ------------------+---------------------------------------------------
EMAIL ADDRESSES:   BIX - PETEB  COMPU$ERVE - 70152,3017 
FAX (908) 706-2004 DELPHI - BERGHOLD GENIE - PBERGHOLD

-------- TML Message #1979 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1979
Date: Thursday 13th December 1990 10:08:59 GMT
From: Alan Huscroft <ASSHUSCR@cms.am.cc.reading.ac.uk>
Subject: Re:(1976) Messed up sector map in archives?

 
> From: bonnevil@acc.stolaf.edu
>
> I was looking at the sector maps from the sunbane ftp archive the other
> day, and out of curiosity downloaded the Trojan Reach map.  I think it
> might be, well, wrong.  The bases, allegiance, port, and gas giant
> codes look ok, but the UWPs conflict w/ published subsectors. For example:
>   *ARCHIVE COPY*
>  [unnamed] 1209 X336855-0          R 410 Na  G3V
>   *Adv. 4: LEVIATHAN / Travellers Digest 20*
>   985-373  1209 X775000-0            020 Na  K6V M3D
> The other maps I've seen seem to be more or less ok, but I can't check most.
> Ummm...just thought I'd point this out for those of you who might be
> interested.
 
Hmm... does anyone know how widespread these discrepancies are?
I suspect the data in the archives were early drafts.  It's possible
that the folks at DGP forgot about the data in Leviathan when they
were originally working out the Trojan Reach and corrected it later
when it was published in the Digest.  The base/allegiance/port/giant
codes would be correct because they were taken from the Atlas of the
Imperium.  If this is true then the problem should be isolated to
the 2 subsectors that were published in Leviathan.
 
Can anyone confirm this?
 
............................................................................
: Alan Huscroft              : Janet:    A.Huscroft@uk.ac.reading          :
: Reading, England           : Internet: A.Huscroft@reading.ac.uk          :
: 6-G takeoffs AND landings! : X-boat:   A.Huscroft@terra.sol.solomani_rim :
:............................:.............................................:

-------- TML Message #1980 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1980
Date: Thursday 13th December 1990 10:34:04 GMT
From: Alan Huscroft <ASSHUSCR@cms.am.cc.reading.ac.uk>
Subject: Archive for vehicle designs

 
> From: Jo Jaquinta <jaymin@maths.tcd.ie>
>
> 	This brings up another idea. Although useful as a reference I find
> copious posings of vehicles to the list annoying. What I think would be
> a good idea is to have a central repository much like the reputed
> net-spellbook
> for rec.arts.frp. I'd run it but I have to dial in to the UNIX system I use
> and couldn't manage it. Any volunteers?
 
I thought there was already an anonymous ftp repository for vehicle
designs at ocf.berkeley.edu .  Has something happened to this while
I wasn't looking?
 
............................................................................
: Alan Huscroft              : Janet:    A.Huscroft@uk.ac.reading          :
: Reading, England           : Internet: A.Huscroft@reading.ac.uk          :
: 6-G takeoffs AND landings! : X-boat:   A.Huscroft@terra.sol.solomani_rim :
:............................:.............................................:

-------- TML Message #1981 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1981
Date: 13 Dec 90 14:43 EST
From: IAGDGP@AESD.dnet.ge.COM
Subject: start of Trav magic sys, long!

I started this a few years ago and then quit when the local group 
broke up. If there was some correspondence about it though I might
be tempted to complete it, or work with someone else to.

Doug Prosser
GE/aesd Utica Ny
D.PROSSER1 on GEnie



		A Magic (Mana) System for Traveller


1) Add a mana stat (1-6) to each Planetary Profile

2) Let a period be the world's day / mana stat 
	Example: Terra 24 hrs/ 1 = 24 hour period 

3) Each Magic User gets his (Endurance * 10) per period in mana points

4) Magic Users start training at age 14 and may learn no new spells 
   after initial training unless they return to their home world for
   6 months / spell learned

5) All MUs use the following table for prior service:

	Enlistment				9+
	DM +1 / Mana level of Homeworld
	DM +1 INT 9+

	Survival				10+     *
	DM +1 / Mana level of Homeworld
	DM +1 / Terms served

	Position				9+
	DM +1 INT 10+
	DM +1 END 11+

	Promotion				10+
	DM +1 INT 9+

	Reenlist (terms 2-5)			6+	Manadatory if made !
	Reenlist (terms 6+)			12+	Manadatory if made !
	DM +1 INT 9+

* IE low mana level worlds have few old Magic Users


6) Position is used by the player later in the campaign to call on help
   from his magic guild. The higher the position the better the chance of
   help and the more difficult the task the less chance for help. The 
   decision to help the PC is strictly in the hands of the GM using the
   above guidelines. The positions are:

	Rank	Name		Benefits if any

	1	Novice
	2	Apprentice
	3	Acolyte		Aid spell (share mana)
	4	Journeyman
	5	Adept
	6	Master

7) So far 6 catagories of mage are defined, this is by no means an 
   exhaustive list ! Feel free to add to it in the spirit it is presented
   and in scope of the Traveller game. The six catagories and their 
   automatic bonuses are ( all get magic skill):

	Dancer		Dex+1
	Chanter		IQ+1
	Charmer		Soc+1
	Summoner	"Demon" Lore
	Iconist		Magic Lore
	Generalist	Any 1 of Above


   Additionally there are special limitations for each class:

Chanters always act at the end of the combat round because their spells
require an incantation or song (Exception see spell FAST CHANT).

Dancers/Charmers are inherently (genetically) magic beings and must come
from a Mana-3 world (or higher).

Iconists' magic is always via a focus (Icon)
	Examples: Runes, Charms, Jewels, etc
	From Literature: The Blue Adept

Some Summoner spells cost IQ loss if failed !

Generalists are the true wizards (Jack-O-T) of this system. If a Generalist
takes a spell from another track (s)he performs it a 1 level lower.

^L		Service Skills Tables
Personal Development
  Chanter       Dancer       Charmer      Iconist      Summoner     Generalist

1 +1 IQ         +1 DEX       +1 SOC       +1 IQ        +1 IQ        +1 IQ
2 Singing       +1 STR       +1 Reaction  Magic Item#  Spell Res.   Spell Res.
3 Oratory       Dancing      Carousing    Rune Book    Familiar $   LibrarySci
4 Spell Res.    +1 DEX       Streetwise   +1 IQ        +1 END       +1 IQ
5 +1 END        +1 END       Gambling     +1 EDU       +1 EDU       +1 EDU
6 Scroll #      Martial Arts Any Rogue PD +1 save vs   +1 save vs   Any other
                                          Icon Magic   summoned     pers. dev

Service Skills
  Chanter       Dancer       Charmer      Iconist      Summoner     Generalist
1 Magic Writing Pers. Dance  Medical      Make Icon*   Control*Beast+1MagicRoll
2 +1 EDU        Sculpture    Liaison      +1 EDU       Familiar     Spell Res.
3 Language      Martial Arts Healing *    Magic Item#  Beast Friend +1 INT
4 Forgery       +1 DEX       Charm Person*Detect Magic* +1 EDU      +1 EDU
5 Blast*        Blast*       Blast*       Blast*$      Blast*       Blast*
6 +1 END        +1 STR       +1 SOC       +1 EDU       Familiar     Any SS


Advanced Education Table 1
  Chanter       Dancer       Charmer      Iconist      Summoner     Generalist
1 Incantation   Dance Lore   Instruction  Icon Lore    Demon Lore   Instruction
      Study
2 Spell Shield* Phase Dance* Disquise     Mask of   *  Speak W/Dead*Alchemy
                                          Disquise
3 Staff #       Dance Study  Infatuation* Spell Shield*AnimateBones* Know Lie*
4 Reverse Spell*Pick Locks   Pick Pockets Detect Icon* Xfer END $   Alchemy
5 DetectMagic* Detect Magic*Detect Magic*Detect Magic* DetectMagic*DetectMagic*
6 Fast Chant $ Seduction     Curse *      Remove Icon* Heal Self *  any AE1

Advanced Education Table 2 (EDU 8+ only !)
  Chanter       Dancer       Charmer      Iconist      Summoner     Generalist



-------- End of TML Messages --------

