> Firing braking engines?  :)

The thought occurred about instantaneously with my reading 
it :-).
One can hope.
Firing warh .... :-(

It's argued that no race capable of intergalactic travel 
would travel with hostile intent. I can't agree, but I see 
their point.

The Fithp in "Footfall" were warlike because it was embedded 
in their very nature to be as they were and it never 
occurred to them to approach things differently. The idea 
that they would have anything except a warlike reception was 
foreign to their mindsets. The fact that they used "found" 
technology to get ahead of where they should have been was 
more an excuse than anything. I doubt if they would have 
changed given a few more millenia.

"We come in peace, shoot to kill ..."

I dream that Gamma Ray bursters are starship accelerators - 
an adequate way to get so close to light speed that you can 
then surf the universe within a (longish) lifetime. Makes 
quite a lot of sense when you look at the characteristics. 
Makes it hard on the locals though. Monk ships use something 
similar (but only produce a Nova) if a launch LASER can't be 
procured. I'd like to know how Starseeds get their 
acceleration using just a normal star.



        Russell


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