There are some assumptions behind the Fermi Paradox which, really, make it a paradox. As I do often in this blog, I’m going to question them. Once a species achieves star travel, it’s basically immortal. Once it has achieved interstellar capability, it never loses it. Once a race starts expanding…
Leave a CommentEvery Contract develops its unexpected problems … Chapter 3 Cut Once You measure success by how much good you have done for others. Zig Ziglar PortalNet Liaison, Vancouver, Contract Day 44 Chen hadn’t had a lot of sleep lately. He was wide awake anyway. This was a Go/ No Go…
Leave a CommentThere’s no denying that names have power. There are lots of names which, if dropped into a conversation, inspire strong emotional reactions. Many of those names inspire fear. Hitler, Stalin, Voldemort, the Death Star are only a random top-of-the-head selection. Fear is a very powerful and primal emotion. It’s also…
Leave a CommentWhen you take on a serious job, you need serious tools. When Murphy invites himself on the job, you need someone who can get the tool you need. Some characters are less fictional than other characters. Next time, it’s my tab. Risk Enterprises Corporate HQ, tsunami Contract Day 31 Jeff…
Leave a CommentEven if it’s just a day at the office, Murphy can walk in the door, and there are a lot of ways a planet can die … Chapter 2 Measure Twice The probability of the bread falling butter side down is directly proportional to the cost of the carpet.Corollary of…
Leave a CommentThere was a fad in science fiction for a while for relativistic weapons, where material projectiles moving at a high fraction of light speed were an unstoppable superweapon. The concept was introduced to science fiction by Charles Pellegrino and George Zebrowski in the novel The Killing Star. It was used…
Leave a CommentPortalNet Liaison, Vancouver, Contract Day 17 Carl Volcker, Point Negotiator for the Tsunami Contract, read the email from Tommygun with an air of mild interest, which he had perfected as a hostage negotiator all over the world. That was Triple A ball, which had brought him him here, to play…
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