Space Directions

[Ursa major]

I came across them in Reynolds writing in the Revelation trilogy and he kinda skimps over how they are supposed to work

It's a while since I read that trilogy (and the stories in the collection, Galactic North**, that relate directly to the trilogy), but I'm not sure making the lighthuggers "inertialess" was, strictly, part of the propulsion system (the conjoiner drives), more a way of making it easier to accelerate the ships (which did not achieve light-speed travel).


** - The story where we get to see what's in a conjoiner drive is Weather. It may, or may not, be that story where the reader gets "some sort of idea" how those drives work, but it is in one of the stories in Galactic North.

 

[Venusian Broon]

It's a while since I read that trilogy (and the stories in the collection, Galactic North**, that relate directly to the trilogy), but I'm not sure making the lighthuggers "inertialess" was, strictly, part of the propulsion system (the conjoiner drives), more a way of making it easier to accelerate the ships (which did not achieve light-speed travel).


** - The story where we get to see what's in a conjoiner drive is Weather. It may, or may not, be that story where the reader gets "some sort of idea" how those drives work, but it is in one of the stories in Galactic North.

From memory, in Redemption Ark there is a race between the protagonist and antagonist to reach the system where the inhibitors are in operation. Both lighthuggers are fitted with the technology to reduce their inertia - technology that I believe had been developed in Yellowstone (if I am being fair to him I think he describes how in another book, so he kinda glossed over it a bit*). I think at one point they both increase their acceleration to 10g, while the standard conjoiner output is 1g. At the same time I am sure they are just using standard conjoiner drives for thrust.

I don't mind the conjoiner drives too much (although their origins are, again from memory, from a wibbly-wobbly future macguffin plot)

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* But if I am not being fair to him, how am I supposed to tell? there is no guidance on what books I have to read to get all the details correct

 

[Ursa major]

I thought -- but am probably completely wrong about this -- that the inertia business was also a Conjoiner thing, a technology they (probably**) wanted to keep to themselves.

And yes, the conjoiner drives have more than a hint of wibbly-wobbliness to them.


** - These posts of mine likely work on some sort 'low probability' drive....

 

[Venusian Broon]

I thought -- but am probably completely wrong about this -- that the inertia business was also a Conjoiner thing, a technology they (probably**) wanted to keep to themselves.

And yes, the conjoiner drives have more than a hint of wibbly-wobbliness to them.


** - These posts of mine likely work on some sort 'low probability' drive....

I am going to be a wrong about this, as totally from memory...

Skade - the head on an android body who made a great baddie - I think she steals tech from some sort of multi-universe/future time/macguffin-esque experiment on Yellowstone, and from that the conjoiners can develop the inertia tech. But also there are people on Yellowstone who take the same information and develop it themselves, one of whom* then gives it to Clavain. (Otherwise how is Clavain supposed to keep ahead of Skade in the chase to the star system!) And then there is a hint that Skade is being controlled by some other non-conjoiner faction, but really I've gone all fuzzy on that now.

* someone mysterious that I assumed while reading must have been a protagonist in another book

 

[Ursa major]

You're right.

Spoiler: Just in case this is all getting too spoilery...

The technology came via the Shrouders -- well, via their agent, Mademoiselle -- and so predated any of the various human factions.

 

[Steven Sorrels]

I expect the navigator, on being asked to sort this out, might hit the bottle (specifically Stellar à trois...).

​

What you did there. I see it.

 

[Vertigo]

What you did there. I see it.

After you've gotten to know Ursa a little better you'll learn to just groan and pretend you didn't see it!

 

[Ursa major]

If one groans at an Ursa pun, but no-one hears it....