[TML] A Plague of Spacemen

[royce at efn.org]

Hi, All,
   Spacemen visiting a remote & isolated TL5-6 world is pretty cool.  But
what about cases like Ruie, where the world in question is right along
a trade route?  A more frequently visited balkanized world might enjoy
a coterie of spaceman advisors in each major nation.  Further, in
addition to their Spitfires & Stukas, which they can produce
themselves, perhaps the major powers would keep small fleets of ship's
boats.  "Borduria has bought two more ship's boats?!  We must do the
same to maintain our lead!  Send for the economics minister and for my
favorite offworlder," declares the prime minister of Syldavia.
   A middle-aged, divorced former merchant, scout or naval character,
might find a comfortable job on such a world -- not unlike many expats
in real life.  Just a thought.
   Also, how does the Imperium view meddling spacemen?  If a patrolling
naval vessel jumped in & observed the meddling, would the captain
arrest the spacemen in question?  Or would the captain merely be mildly
curious as to why said spacemen are wasting their time & risking their
valuable freighter?  "Whatever are they doing that for?  Well, no
matter.  Let's complete our sweep and plot course for the next world."
   Just curious.
Asher