McCoy Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 I've mentioned this in another thread, but I think there might be some plot seed potential. Gliese 710 is a K7 red dwarf star, about half a solar mass and 4% as bright as the sun. It is currently abut sixty light years from us. I emphasise "currently" becaues it is heading toward us at 24 km/second, or 54,000 mph. (All references I've found say that Gliese is heading toward us, but I suspect we may be actually overtaking it as we both orbit the center of the Milky Way. Nor really important, we are approching each other.) The importance of this is that in a "mere" million years or so Gilese 710 and Sol will pass within a light year of each other, their Oort clouds (if Gilese 710 has one) overlaping. No major climate change expected, at that distance Gilese 710 won't even be the brightest star in the sky (even not counting the sun). But it does seem there is story potential in two stars that close that are not in a binary system. One possibility that occured to me is if a cililization around one star had managed to colonize the other with STL dirves as they approched the point where they were closest. Now that's in the past, and while still in communications range the two systems are beyound the practical limit of the STL drive. Politicians in both system blame the other for a wide variety of problems, and a "cold war" has been going on between them for at least a generation (the politicians know the other system is not actually responsible for any problems, but as they are moving apart culturally as well as physicaly each sees the other as a convient scapegoat/boogyman). Then a rep from another species or culture arrives with a working FTL drive. What do the PC's do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 Re: Stars that pass in the night One possibility that occured to me is if a cililization around one star had managed to colonize the other with STL dirves as they approched the point where they were closest. Now that's in the past, and while still in communications range the two systems are beyound the practical limit of the STL drive. Politicians in both system blame the other for a wide variety of problems, and a "cold war" has been going on between them for at least a generation (the politicians know the other system is not actually responsible for any problems, but as they are moving apart culturally as well as physicaly each sees the other as a convient scapegoat/boogyman). Then a rep from another species or culture arrives with a working FTL drive. What do the PC's do? As stated, it's kind of a hard sell. The politicians have to offer a way for the other side to be responsible for their current problems and knowing that it is not possible to travel between systems at the moment would make that hard. What would work is for the two systems to have an historical grudge. For example imagine two alliances on the homeplanet, "Westbloc" and "Eastbloc". War breaks out between them all across their solar system, and Eastbloc loses in a massive war that kills three quarters of the population. Some Eastbloc survivors set out in a generation-ship that barely makes the century-long journey and found a new civilisation. Each blames the other for centuries of hardship and assumes that if the other side had a chance they'd start a new war. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoy Posted March 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 Re: Stars that pass in the night As stated' date=' it's kind of a hard sell. The politicians have to offer a way for the other side to be responsible for their current problems and knowing that it is not possible to travel between systems at the moment would make that hard. What would work is for the two systems to have an historical grudge. For example imagine two alliances on the homeplanet, "Westbloc" and "Eastbloc". War breaks out between them all across their solar system, and Eastbloc loses in a massive war that kills three quarters of the population. Some Eastbloc survivors set out in a generation-ship that barely makes the century-long journey and found a new civilisation. Each blames the other for centuries of hardship and assumes that if the other side had a chance they'd start a new war.[/quote'] Actually I was imagineing the colony would be more progressive/innovative, "what's worked bach home may not work here, we have to try new things!" And the homestar more traditional/conservative, as anyone who has been unhappy for the past couple of centuries had the option of leaving for the new fronteer. Kinda red state/blue state. And the stars are close enough still that travel between them is still possible with great effort, just so impractical that no one has actually done it for a generation or two. Any other ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Re: Stars that pass in the night Actually I was imagineing the colony would be more progressive/innovative' date=' "what's worked bach home may not work here, we have to try new things!" And the homestar more traditional/conservative, as anyone who has been unhappy for the past couple of centuries had the option of leaving for the new fronteer. Kinda red state/blue state. And the stars are close enough still that travel between them is still [i']possible[/i] with great effort, just so impractical that no one has actually done it for a generation or two. Any other ideas? Um...Homeworld is angry about it's citizens getting weird and subversive TV from Colony? Colony is mad that Homeworld stopped sending them their latest technology updates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoy Posted March 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Re: Stars that pass in the night Um...Homeworld is angry about it's citizens getting weird and subversive TV from Colony? Colony is mad that Homeworld stopped sending them their latest technology updates? Plus each has said many nasty things about each other that can easily be edited into a really blood pressure raising propaganda reel. Not to mention that both have an extremely condescending attitude toward each other. "We're better than you are!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyrath Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Re: Stars that pass in the night http://www.exitmundi.nl/Gliese710.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.