to sleep perchance to dream

[warpfairy]

Isabella drifts into a new system. This is farther than she usually ventures, but she can make it back to a new human colony after a complete survey here, with a margin of error, and refuel there to get back into central Federation space. Still, she's a little apprehensive as she drops out of warp. If the system proves to be unusually complicated she'll have to do it in two stages.

Comments

[evesystem]

"Sorry: I don't know what they're made of."

[warpfairy]

"Well, how expensive are they, that would be a clue."

[evesystem]

"Well, one of these drones costs about six thousand ISK. Peanuts to me - the ship I'm flying is about five hundred thousand all kitted out, and it would only sting mildly to lose it - but I'm not sure if many people planetside could afford one."

[warpfairy]

"If it's small change to at least some people that suggests it's probably not staggeringly rare, materials-wise, at least not in quantity, but if it's expensive to most the manufacture is probably complex. I could be wrong, of course."

[evesystem]

"Well, that probe has a miniature warp core in it, and some pretty specialized sensors: the majority of its price probably isn't the radio. If anything, I'd expect them to be easier to manufacture than you expect."

[warpfairy]

"Ah, that makes sense."

[evesystem]

"Maybe your scientists can take the warp core apart too: if it achieves FTL in a different way from yours, it might also give you some new physics."

[warpfairy]

"Maybe. Especially if the power consumption is low it might be useful for short-range shuttling."

[evesystem]

"Doubtful. Our ships have specialized capacitors for a reason."

[warpfairy]

"Low compared to subspace warp, I mean."

[evesystem]

"Well, I have no idea what kind of generator you have on that ship or how much energy 'subspace warp' takes. So my answer is a definite maybe."

[warpfairy]

"There's antimatter involved."

[evesystem]

"I entirely retract my earlier statements: our warp drives are ludicrously efficient compared to yours if yours require antimatter engines."

[warpfairy]

"I'm not sure 'efficiency' is quite the comparison to make. It's possible ours go farther on less total energy. But there's no call to belabor the point, I suppose."

[evesystem]

"I just fly them, I don't build them." *shrug*

(The pilot's portrait is as still as ever: he sends his shrug via text.)

[warpfairy]

"Is there anything else... Did I remember to give you my name? I'm Captain Isabella T'Mir of the Prometheus."

[evesystem]

"Ancien Vatti, but nobody will know me if you call me that: most Capsuleers go by call signs. Mine is Wergeldt. Yes, I know it's terrible: I was a wannabe pirate and now I'm stuck with it, along with a mildly bad sec rating. Crime doesn't pay if you're one of the little fish."

[warpfairy]

"You can't change your call sign?"

[evesystem]

"It's legally exceedingly difficult. CONCORD keeps close tabs on Capsuleers, since we're already operating many more bodies and much more power than the average person: they take a dim view of ones who try to change their alias. If you misspelled your original call sign, you might have a chance - otherwise, forget it. Nobody wants to have you in their databases under five names and operating six bodies: that's how unauthorized forks happen."

[warpfairy]

"Forks? ...Loading yourself into two bodies at once and waking both up?"

[evesystem]

"Yes. Your call sign is your unique identity as a Capsuleer: if you changed it, and a single cloning station that you had a clone with didn't get the memo, they could end up waking a 'you' under your old identity and a 'you' under your new identity. They might not even be recognizable as the same person: we can do extensive cosmetic resculpting, extending even to bone structure. So long as you stay the same sex and ethnicity, you can have basically whatever human body you want."

[warpfairy]

"Why is it restricted by sex and ethnicity?"

[evesystem]

"Different bloodlines have measurably different brain structure - subtly so, but enough that it's necessary to maintain the same general genetics across clones if you want to preserve memory fully during transfer. And of course the presence or absence of a Y chromosome also has a significant impact. Beyond that, though, you can more or less build your body to order."

[warpfairy]

"...We have reasonably effective sex reassignment procedures, although they don't operate at the genetic level. You don't?"

[evesystem]

"Theoretically possible, but I've never heard of anyone offering it as part of a cosmetic resculpting service. I think CONCORD might regard it as an identity issue, much like call sign: I seem to recall it being mentioned at a CSM hearing recently. I think it might have had something to do with neural remapping?"