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To Boldly Go... (a Starfleet quest)

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To Boldly Go... (a Starfleet quest) Starfleet Ship Design Bureau, Refit ("To Boldly Go...")
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Omake - The Way Things Are Now: Risa - Torgamous
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    • The Risan omake is bugging me. You're right, they probably don't have any understanding of that level of violence, but I doubt that would make them default to "eh, don't really care". That seems like a very "resources are limited, don't spend them here" kind of instinct, and the Risans didn't evolve like that. And if nothing else, they should be able to think of it in terms of hurricanes, volcanoes, and earthquakes.

    The Way Things Are Now: Risa



    "Did you hear what just happened on Amarkia?" Lineela looked up from her podcast to address the others, who were still sprawled out on the golden sand applying the last of their sweet mintberry lotion to each other's mostly-naked bodies.

    "No," Amaeos looked lazily up from Marlos' half-lubricated body, "You're the only one who listens to the news. What happened?"

    "There was a terror attack. Two hundred thousand dead."

    "Is there anything I can do to help?" the others ask, almost in unison, while taking out their own PADDs.

    "I've volunteered to help with disaster relief," Lineela says while tapping at hers, "and-oh! A lot of people lost their homes, you can open yours to someone. That's convenient, I won't be using mine while I'm there."

    "I can do that, I've got some extra room on my bed," Amaeos says. "What's the link? Never mind, found it."

    "Is there anything else they need? Food, medicine?" Marlos asks.

    "No, the Federation has supplies handled, they're only asking for manpower."

    "Then I'm going too," he says, twisting around to kiss Amaeos. "See you in a couple months?"
     
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    • Now THAT is the Risans we know and love and want in our Federation.

    The ones who get that post-scarcity means never having to say "I don't care."

    :)

    UberJJK said:
    A lot of the gamma radiation is absorbed into the atmosphere. It's just that unlike the soft X-rays which are absorbed almost instantly gamma radiation requires 150m for each halving.

    A 10MT blast releases 41,840TJ of energy. With 45% being released as gamma radiation that means we're talking 18,828TJ of radiation. A guaranteed lethal dose of gamma radiation IIRC is around 2,250J for a 75kg human. So you would need at least 33 halving to drop below the 100% lethal threshold which puts the distance at just shy of 5km.

    So the radiation would basically all still be absorbed into the atmosphere but it's over such a massively larger area that I'm not entirely sure the effect would be noticeable compared to the massive boom going on at the center.
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    Then for an antimatter bomb detonated inside a structure, or a reasonably thick bomb casing, or at ground level in a city center where the buildings reach up and block out most of the sky...

    Much of the gamma rays that would have been absorbed by the atmosphere, is instead absorbed by the solid materials around it. This has the effect of creating a nuclear fireball similar to that produced by the X-rays from a nuclear fission device, only it is the solid materials that make up the surrounding walls that become the first bits of superheated plasma, instead of the air itself.

    Similarly, if the antimatter bomb is 'jacketed' in a solid block of material (say, a large tank of water), that water will absorb a large fraction of the total gamma ray output of the antimatter explosion. Just as the air absorbs the X-ray output of a nuclear explosion. Either way, you get a fireball. Either way, the radiation directly emitted by the explosion ionizes surrounding material and creates secondary radioisotopes- less for antimatter at a given equal yield, but still some.

    Sticking the bomb inside a five-ton water tank would ensure that a very large proportion of the initial energy yield is released right next to the bomb. And the ground and surrounding buildings would catch most of the gamma rays that escape that. Sure, the air itself isn't stopping very much radiation, but it doesn't have to for the bulk of the device's gamma ray energy yield to be absorbed by its surroundings.
     
    If enough radiation got released, some of the Amarki may end up horribly mutated. Pale pink skin, rounded ears, and hair growing out of the tops of their heads. They'll be freaks!
     
    Amarki: "Those poor, poor children, growing up looking like elves... No, seriously. Orions, Earthlings, Andorians, Betazoids, I swear, half the quadrant has elf ears what the heck!?"
     
    Simon_Jester said:
    Sticking the bomb inside a five-ton water tank would ensure that a very large proportion of the initial energy yield is released right next to the bomb.
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    I actually wonder what would happen. According to Atomic Rockets just over a meter (122cm) of water will stop 99% of Gamma Radiation so a five tonne water tank would easily absorb 99% of the radiation.

    99% of 41,840TJ is 41,421.6TJ which would heat 5,000kg of water by a crazy 19.8 billion degrees Kelvin. For reference the universe just one second after the big bang was a mere 10 billion Kelvin and the insides of supernovae reach that temperature range.

    Obviously the water would start to shed heat in an insanely short period of time. Still I can't help but wonder just what would happen inside that explosion.
     
    I think we can conclude that a ground level antimatter blast would produce a toxic radioactive burning hellscape in the immediate aftermath of the blast, and that's good enofgh for story purposes.
     
    UberJJK said:
    I actually wonder what would happen. According to Atomic Rockets just over a meter (122cm) of water will stop 99% of Gamma Radiation so a five tonne water tank would easily absorb 99% of the radiation.

    99% of 41,840TJ is 41,421.6TJ which would heat 5,000kg of water by a crazy 19.8 billion degrees Kelvin. For reference the universe just one second after the big bang was a mere 10 billion Kelvin and the insides of supernovae reach that temperature range.

    Obviously the water would start to shed heat in an insanely short period of time. Still I can't help but wonder just what would happen inside that explosion.
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    Congratulations. You've just won a scholarship to the University of Gaen. Good luck!
     
    Nervos Belli said:
    If enough radiation got released, some of the Amarki may end up horribly mutated. Pale pink skin, rounded ears, and hair growing out of the tops of their heads. They'll be freaks!
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    I'm pretty sure they already have hair growing out of the top of their heads? Sorry, know you were just making a joke.

    How does everyone else picture the Amarki, anyway? For a while there seemed like there was confusion about whether they have blue skin or just blue hair. In my mind, I've settled that they have blue hair of varying shades, and their skin tones range from visibly powder blue to very pale with just the slightest hint of a bluish tinge.
     
    Torgamous said:
    The Risan omake is bugging me. You're right, they probably don't have any understanding of that level of violence, but I doubt that would make them default to "eh, don't really care". That seems like a very "resources are limited, don't spend them here" kind of instinct, and the Risans didn't evolve like that. And if nothing else, they should be able to think of it in terms of hurricanes, volcanoes, and earthquakes.
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    It's entirely possible to have both omakes be correct, @Leila Hann 's just showing the Risians up the beach who are a bit more self-absorbed.

    EDIT: also I'm pretty sure it was like 50% joking
     
    I still like Torg's version better. :p

    Briefvoice said:
    I'm pretty sure they already have hair growing out of the top of their heads? Sorry, know you were just making a joke.

    How does everyone else picture the Amarki, anyway? For a while there seemed like there was confusion about whether they have blue skin or just blue hair. In my mind, I've settled that they have blue hair of varying shades, and their skin tones range from visibly powder blue to very pale with just the slightest hint of a bluish tinge.
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    I imagine their skin tones might range into the violet (heavily pigmented, the equivalent of African/Dravidian/Melanesian/etc. skin tones), and at the other end of the scale maybe even some bluish-greens (depending on how blood and skin pigmentations interact).

    Basically, all human skin tones are some combination of 'pink' and 'brown' (with 'very light brown' appearing as yellow). Amarki skin tones appear to be a combination of 'blue' and 'another shade of blue,' unless of course the description of them as Vulcanoids includes copper-based blood, in which case they'd be a combination of 'green' and 'blue.'
     
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    I picture them as very thin and whisky Vulcanoids with skin that goes from pale with a tinge of powder blue over to quite teal and noticeably solid blue depending on ethnicity.

    Edit: as @Simon_Jester says, much as humans are coloured with variations on "pink" and "brown" Amarki are "Blue" and "Green"

    Their hair is various shades of anime blue right on over to most being just black or blue indistinguishable from black (this is the equivalent of brown hair in humans) some ethnicities have more "purple" hair much as some humans have "red" hair.

    The pointed ears are essentially standard Vulcanoid but they have eyes about 15 to 25 precent larger than human. And yes this is mildly unsettling at first.

    (Anon has an Amarki she made in STO. I'll try to dig up a screen shot later)
     
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    Torgamous said:
    The Risan omake is bugging me. You're right, they probably don't have any understanding of that level of violence, but I doubt that would make them default to "eh, don't really care". That seems like a very "resources are limited, don't spend them here" kind of instinct, and the Risans didn't evolve like that. And if nothing else, they should be able to think of it in terms of hurricanes, volcanoes, and earthquakes.

    The Way Things Are Now: Risa



    "Did you hear what just happened on Amarkia?" Lineela looked up from her podcast to address the others, who were still sprawled out on the golden sand applying the last of their sweet mintberry lotion to each other's mostly-naked bodies.

    "No," Amaeos looked lazily up from Marlos' half-lubricated body, "You're the only one who listens to the news. What happened?"

    "There was a terror attack. Two hundred thousand dead."

    "Is there anything I can do to help?" the others ask, almost in unison, while taking out their own PADDs.

    "I've volunteered to help with disaster relief," Lineela says while tapping at hers, "and-oh! A lot of people lost their homes, you can open yours to someone. That's convenient, I won't be using mine while I'm there."

    "I can do that, I've got some extra room on my bed," Amaeos says. "What's the link? Never mind, found it."

    "Is there anything else they need? Food, medicine?" Marlos asks.

    "No, the Federation has supplies handled, they're only asking for manpower."

    "Then I'm going too," he says, twisting around to kiss Amaeos. "See you in a couple months?
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    Yeah yeah, I know. :V

    Iron Wolf said:
    It's entirely possible to have both omakes be correct, @Leila Hann 's just showing the Risians up the beach who are a bit more self-absorbed.

    EDIT: also I'm pretty sure it was like 50% joking
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    Way more than 50%. Torg's version is one I'm okay with canonizing. My own was just to troll AKuz.
     
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    I always pictures Amarki ears as being significantly longer than Vulcan ones. Possibly taller than their heads.
     
    AKuz said:
    I picture them as very thin and whisky Vulcanoids with skin that goes from pale with a tinge of powder blue over to quite teal and noticeably solid blue depending on ethnicity.

    Edit: as @Simon_Jester says, much as humans are coloured with variations on "pink" and "brown" Amarki are "Blue" and "Green"
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    Green blood, blue skin pigmentation? The other way around?

    Hair color might actually diverge from the 'variations on blue' somewhat, but it doesn't have to. Although the Amarki always remind me of a fictional species I read about several years ago who, among other details, tend to have brightly colored hair in just about every color of the rainbow- because it's a sexually-selected signal, like birds' plumage, for them.[/QUOTE]
     
    @Leila Hann 's artwork is so iconic it occasionally presents problems. For example --

    HOW I'M SUPPOSED TO PICTURE APIATA: Vulcans with antennae, wings, Contour, look like they wear corsets for that wasp waist.

    HOW I ACTUALLY PICTURE APIATA: legitimately bee people
     
    Simon_Jester said:
    Green blood, blue skin pigmentation? The other way around?

    Hair color might actually diverge from the 'variations on blue' somewhat, but it doesn't have to. Although the Amarki always remind me of a fictional species I read about several years ago who, among other details, tend to have brightly colored hair in just about every color of the rainbow- because it's a sexually-selected signal, like birds' plumage, for them.
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    [/QUOTE]

    Hmm.... "Hair in anime colours" does seem in theme. > :V

    Maybe hair colour changes a bit depending on diet? Especially vibrancy of colour being linked to nutrition? Though that would imply that Amarki hair isn't hair... or it grows really fast. Like 2 to 3 times human speed.

    Tangentially: I actually do suspect that Amarki gravity might be like 90% Earth normal which is why they are fairly whispy but burly warriors in their own context.

    (Incidentally Vulcan is apparently higher than Earth gravity which I suppose makes them /absurdly/ whispy and lithe for their environment. But which is something I always considered as a fairly acceptable solution for their strength)
     
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    I've been reviewing the map, and boy does the Explorer Corps have a lot of work to do.

    Obviously there's a lot of space coreward, both coreward of Rigel and of the Y'Rillians, that we haven't even touched. And there's the Gabriel Expanse between the Sydraxians and the Cardassians. But there's also a bunch more areas that haven't really gotten any attention. There's no way the Apiata don't claim and skirmish in the space between them and the Cardassians. Thankfully we've started to explore tailwards of Gaen and are filling in the species in the direction of the galactic core. Rimwards of the Seyek, it can't be all Lecarre space - they're relatively new to interstellar travel after all. I would almost expect an additional Cardassian client there. Rimwards of Risa, we'll eventually hit the Klingons, but not that close. Mapping the extent of Lecarre space should also be worthwhile. There's entire expanses twice the size of the GBZ that we need to fill.
     
    AKuz said:
    Maybe hair colour changes a bit depending on diet? Especially vibrancy of colour being linked to nutrition? Though that would imply that Amarki hair isn't hair... or it grows really fast. Like 2 to 3 times human speed.

    Tangentially: I actually do suspect that Amarki gravity might be like 90% Earth normal which is why they are fairly whispy but burly warriors in their own context.

    (Incidentally Vulcan is apparently higher than Earth gravity which I suppose makes them /absurdly/ whispy and lithe for their environment. But which is something I always considered as a fairly acceptable solution for their strength)
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    Alternatively, having vibrantly colored hair in an Amarki is a sign of persistent good nutrition over long periods of time, which is what signals good health from a sexual selection point of view.

    A peacock's tail doesn't just prove the peacock is able to survive with that big tail to drag around today, it proves he survived with it for his entire life. Same thing.

    Also, burliness and stockiness aren't necessarily going to be the same by every planet's standards. Vulcan blood has a different composition than human; it stands to reason that their muscle tissue is different, the way their joints and tendons connect to their skeleton is different and may provide different amounts of leverage. The same physical bulk of muscle tissue on different species may represent very different amounts of physical strength. So high gravity doesn't necessarily mean "wide and bulging muscles," and indeed it would tend to select NOT for that, but for highly dense, efficient tissues. Because what drags you down isn't your height so much as it's your weight.

    I mean, a Vulcan is just plain stronger than a human of the same build and physique, maybe twice as strong. Since the gravity on their planet isn't twice as great as that of humans, they're perfectly well adapted to their environment as it is.
     
    SynchronizedWritersBlock said:
    I've been reviewing the map, and boy does the Explorer Corps have a lot of work to do.

    Obviously there's a lot of space coreward, both coreward of Rigel and of the Y'Rillians, that we haven't even touched. And there's the Gabriel Expanse between the Sydraxians and the Cardassians. But there's also a bunch more areas that haven't really gotten any attention. There's no way the Apiata don't claim and skirmish in the space between them and the Cardassians. Thankfully we've started to explore tailwards of Gaen and are filling in the species in the direction of the galactic core. Rimwards of the Seyek, it can't be all Lecarre space - they're relatively new to interstellar travel after all. I would almost expect an additional Cardassian client there. Rimwards of Risa, we'll eventually hit the Klingons, but not that close. Mapping the extent of Lecarre space should also be worthwhile. There's entire expanses twice the size of the GBZ that we need to fill.
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    I say we finish exploring our own "claimed" space and fill in the gaps between us and our neighboring affiliates first. We spent a decade over-exploring, we need to consolidate our power in the existing map before expanding it even further.
     
    I would love to know who our neighbors even are. I don't think that's antithetical to your idea on filling our claimed space, but our affiliates are part of our claimed space, especially once they reach 300. Which the Seyek and Qllothi already did. We don't have any idea where the Klingons are in relation to Risa, for example. Or if there are other species on the Klingon border down there. We now have an affiliate who is 3 map squares away from any other known species! Exploring coreward of Rigel is the same as figuring out what's between us and the Hoantahifasdjifasd cathedral guys.
     
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