Gap Quiz

Post by **StevieG** » Tue Jul 19, 2016 10:09 am

Avatar wrote:No Vector? 5?

--A

Also close, but no

Post by **Avatar** » Wed Jul 20, 2016 4:34 am

Aarrgg!

--A

Post by **Savor Dam** » Wed Jul 20, 2016 5:29 pm

Four actual rescuers. Angus, Nick, Mikka and Sib were the ones that went into the Amnion sector to retrieve Morn. Vector, Davies, and Ciro were sent to overload the comm dish.

Post by **StevieG** » Thu Jul 21, 2016 11:48 pm

Well done Mr Dam!

The answer I had in mind was 7: Angus, Nick, Mikka, Sib, Vector, Davies and Ciro. They were all involved but only 4 of them went into the Amnion sector as you rightly point out

Over to you...

Post by **Avatar** » Fri Jul 22, 2016 4:47 am

Good one.

Your question.

--A

Post by **Savor Dam** » Fri Jul 22, 2016 8:50 pm

I suspect that this can't be answered from the text. I'm interested in our thoughts on an explanation (other than "SRD goofed") and will hand off to whoever has the best answer.

Having just completed the ADAHGA reread, something occurred to me that either I didn't notice on prior reads or had forgotten about.

There is a fair amount of mention of the arc lamp surface illumination of the surface of Thantos Minor. Our seven rescuers make use of this light, then knock it out briefly as part of the sabotage of the comm system. However, they are not concerned about the light (neither the arc lamps nor their individual suit illumination during the blackout) revealing them to Operations or occupants of other craft. SRD explains this by implying that nobody monitors either visual nor scan images of the surface. Threats are considered to come from space, not the surface, EVA is essentially unheard of, and everyone relies on the Bill's operations and infrastructure for security.

Why, then, are there arc lamps illuminating the surface? Why build that infrastructure and power it if nobody is out there to need the surface lit?

Post by **Sorus** » Sat Jul 23, 2016 4:46 am

That is a good question. I don't have an answer, but I will give it some thought.

Post by **IrrationalSanity** » Sat Jul 23, 2016 7:43 pm

I suspect the lamps are primarily illuminating the docking/port area, and just coincidentally the spillover from that illuminates the surface. Aside from providing a visual reference to incoming ships (which, they may need if their normal telemetry-based systems are offline), it also allows ships without internal power to have light for external repairs. As noted, there is no real need to monitor the surface itself.

Post by **Avatar** » Mon Jul 25, 2016 5:07 am

Good answer...can't think of a better one myself...

--A

Post by **Savor Dam** » Mon Jul 25, 2016 6:08 am

Agreed that this is a credible "minimum viable explanation", if not a particularly satisfying one.

Quibbles:

Illumination of the docks as a reference for incoming craft whose telemetry is offline: we don't do "tractor beams" in the Gap universe, so a ship could have comms to clear their approach to Thantos Minor and still lack nav and scan to do a non-visual dock, but would the Bill's paranoid Operations crew ever clear a craft to approach that way?

Similarly, lighting the entire dock area (if not the remaining surface) as a courtesy to ships doing external repairs in Visitor Docks feels way too altruistic for the Bill. More likely, he'd charge for it or completely disallow it? "You need work? Either dock at the shipyard after proving adequate credits, or go elsewhere. Docking in Visitors just to use our lights to support you doing EVA to self-repair? Not on my rock!"

I think I'll give this a little more time before declaring IS is the winner of this round.

Post by **IrrationalSanity** » Mon Jul 25, 2016 10:37 am

Not looking for a win, but how's about this:

The Bill has an ego. He has plenty of internally generated power for lighting, and so lights up his little rock as a ginormous billboard - both proclaiming his station as "safe" to the various characters in the vicinity, and taunting UMCP, saying "Yeah, I'm here, but there's not a bloomin' thing you can do about it."

Post by **StevieG** » Wed Jul 27, 2016 12:03 am

Although the Bill doesn't necessarily monitor the surface actively, perhaps the illumination is there for security in case he needs to see anything - like people going EVA (for example

). He has bugeyes covering the rest of the installation so he can see and hear from his bunker, so maybe it's some added security for unexpected events?

That's the best I have I'm afraid!

Post by **Savor Dam** » Sat Jul 30, 2016 9:09 pm

Having let this sit a while without further participation, I'll declare IrrationalSanity's first answer the winner, despite my quibbles.

Carry on.

Post by **IrrationalSanity** » Mon Aug 01, 2016 12:20 am

Hmm. I really wasn't going for the win, but, oh well. I'll need to think about it to come up with a decent question.

Watch this space...

Post by **Avatar** » Tue Aug 02, 2016 6:41 am

Watching...

--A

Post by **Savor Dam** » Tue Aug 02, 2016 5:49 pm

We are, after all, Watchers...

Post by **Avatar** » Mon Aug 15, 2016 5:08 am

Still watching...

--A

Post by **Nathan** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 10:07 pm

I'm breaking the rules for the good of the thread.

Question:

Welding is the process of turning someone into a cyborg against their will. Describe the voluntary version.

Post by **Avatar** » Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:49 am

Nathan! Where the hell did you spring from? Good to see you around man.

Hmmm, think the answer is "wedding."

--A

Post by **Nathan** » Tue Aug 23, 2016 3:18 am

I've just tried to rewind through yesterday's thought processes and see what exactly it was that brought me back to Kevin's Watch.

Looking through my browser history it seems that I read a bullshit clickbait page called "Confessions authors don't want you to read about" and something one of them said must have reminded me of Stephen Donaldson.

Anyway, your answer is 100% correct! Much like in real life, wedding in The Gap Cycle means being permanently joined with a machine.