Oh, the criminals are certainly bad. They just aren't, for the most part, doing business with the fen.
Guns are something I'd say a respectable number of people want. I just don't think many would have desires that would be that difficult to meet. Also, many are of much more limited use under the conditions in space. The sort of heavier (but still man-portable and -usable) weaponry that gets serious restrictions groundside seems like it wouldn't be so useful most places in space, which often have relatively tight quarters. And most vehicles end up being much tougher than they have any right to be, which makes things difficult in that area as well. (Though I'm not sure the exact parameters were ever defined.)
As for using ships themselves as weapons, I think someone at some point came up with a suitable handwave for why that wouldn't work with speed drives. (At least, it made as much sense as the rest of the setting...)
Difficulty of manufacture is actually part of why I mentioned meth in my last post. I'm not familiar with the process beyond seeing a list at work of things you should watch for people buying large quantities of... (Well, and a part in a novel where some people were determining how best to blow up a meth lab)... but it seems like there'd be some definate advantages to it. Some of the chemicals are apparently easy to get, and no one would probably care what you wanted them for. Setting up contained environments is pretty easy with handwavium, waste gasses can (if one is suitably clever) be vented into space, no one's going to report you to the police because your house smells bad... and no unusually smart kids are likely to bomb you.
How the neighbors *would* feel if they found out, I don't know. '.'
On the slavery issue, the question would probably again be "How many science fiction fans are likely to both be interested in that sort of thing *and* think they can get away with it?" Personally, I don't think there'd be that many, but it's hard to say for certain.
-Morgan."Mikuru-chan molested me! I'm... so happy!"
-Haruhi, "The Ecchi of Haruhi Suzumiya"
---(Not really)
Guns are something I'd say a respectable number of people want. I just don't think many would have desires that would be that difficult to meet. Also, many are of much more limited use under the conditions in space. The sort of heavier (but still man-portable and -usable) weaponry that gets serious restrictions groundside seems like it wouldn't be so useful most places in space, which often have relatively tight quarters. And most vehicles end up being much tougher than they have any right to be, which makes things difficult in that area as well. (Though I'm not sure the exact parameters were ever defined.)
As for using ships themselves as weapons, I think someone at some point came up with a suitable handwave for why that wouldn't work with speed drives. (At least, it made as much sense as the rest of the setting...)
Quote:I have no idea what that sentence meant.
Although all this talk of 'light' drugs makes me wonder what Nancy Reagan would say, particularly as all the toked-up reefer fiends aren't immediately going straight for a speedball injection in the eye while eating a baby.
Difficulty of manufacture is actually part of why I mentioned meth in my last post. I'm not familiar with the process beyond seeing a list at work of things you should watch for people buying large quantities of... (Well, and a part in a novel where some people were determining how best to blow up a meth lab)... but it seems like there'd be some definate advantages to it. Some of the chemicals are apparently easy to get, and no one would probably care what you wanted them for. Setting up contained environments is pretty easy with handwavium, waste gasses can (if one is suitably clever) be vented into space, no one's going to report you to the police because your house smells bad... and no unusually smart kids are likely to bomb you.
How the neighbors *would* feel if they found out, I don't know. '.'
On the slavery issue, the question would probably again be "How many science fiction fans are likely to both be interested in that sort of thing *and* think they can get away with it?" Personally, I don't think there'd be that many, but it's hard to say for certain.
-Morgan."Mikuru-chan molested me! I'm... so happy!"
-Haruhi, "The Ecchi of Haruhi Suzumiya"
---(Not really)