[TML] Prototype

[Richard Aiken]

On Oct 30, 2007 6:11 PM, Bruce Johnson <johnson at pharmacy.arizona.edu> wrote:
>
> On Oct 28, 2007, at 1:49 AM, Kelly St.Clair wrote:
>
> > Yes, but when starship/port fittings are likely to be one of those
> > things
> > that's been standardized for hundreds of years -
>
> This is the 3rd Imperium, built on the bones of the Vilani empire.
> Starship/port fittings have been standardized since before they were
> drawing up the plans for the pyramid at Giza.

Even in the OTU - with thousands of years of history behind you - it's
possible to not have uniform standards.  Consider:

What if the Vilani didn't *care* about standardizing anything except
the cultural mores of the folks they conquered?  As long as at least
one port collar - the one the admiral's gig docked with - fit Vilani
standards, that's sufficient unto the day.  Now let's talk about those
restless young fellows who don't want to be sanitation engineers like
their fathers and grandfathers before them . . .

What if the Rule of Man had better things to do with its limited
capacities than attempt to impose standard docking features at every
upport encountered?  Things like creating new currencies and banking
systems . . .

What if the Third Imperium only required that the civilian ports it
actually ruled (which is far from all of them) used the same docking
standards as the Imperial Navy?  What if - in fact - it deliberately
*discouraged* subordinate worlds from building ships and ports that
could dock directly with Imperial ships and ports . . . thus making
boarding attempts in the early centuries that much more difficult.
Such an attitude could well continue long after it's practical value
was nil or even negative.

-- 
Richard Aiken

"Never insult anyone by accident."  Robert A. Heinlein