Subject: Re: Information which may be useful in the current situation
To: "Noah Scott" (bigcheese@stellvia.lib)
From: Bob Schroeck (rms@ourtown.fen)
Date: November 22, 2016
> > Fear and panic aside, though, I understand the reasoning here, and I'm
> > grateful that you brought us in on this.
> Thanks. I was afraid I may have frightened you off... and I *need* the
> help of every mage I can find and train.
My concern is that training a mage looks a whole lot more like training an archer
than training a rifleman -- turns out that the fantasy novels that show an apprentice
system for wizards are probably on the money. Doug's automatic/instinctive magic
was the extremely rare exception, not the rule -- we may take longer to get
someone up to speed than it takes to resolve this situation some other way.
But that doesn't mean we won't try.
Something to consider -- an AI coupled with a body capable of detecting, tapping
and controlling mana may well be able to use its greater processing speed to
shortcut that. I had once started to write a story, oh, twenty-five years or so ago,
about an AI mainframe that learned how to do magic; the gendankenexperiments
I did to work out what it might be capable of both impressed and frightened me.
You've had amazing luck with AIs in the past -- maybe with a sample of mage-
active DNA you can quicken one who won't need the lengthy training time a
meat-person would.
> > (a couple more-general instruction manuals from your stash would
> > be appreciated, Noah, when the current crisis is over or in a couple
> > months, whichever comes first)
> Yomiko has access to all of these books, now. Whatever you need, get her
> to print and bind in PS238's office.
Thanks, will do.
> > The magegifted adults, on the other hand, are looking forward to
> > creating their own little chapter of Warriors Alpha here.
> Here's hoping it doesn't come to the point where they'll *need* to
> become Warriors Alpha.
Likewise. Helen is seriously debating whether or to invoke Hexe directly
or offer her body for an avatar. Since we know Hexe's True Name (or
at least something close to it), we would at the very least get her attention.
I'm pretty sure that taking an avatar would mess up whatever experiment
she's doing with mortal existence in Warriors' World, so that's not likely to
work. Asking for help -- and mentioning that Doug's been here -- just might
get us the *actual* Warriors, though. Do you think we could use a team of
paramilitary supers roughly equivalent to the Justice League in power, with
over twenty years of field experience?
> How the hell did you know about the research theology texts? No, never
> mind - I already know. (Who's more in a story than it's writer, after
> all?)
Exactly. Remember, in this time line at least, I coined the term.
If we are going to go that route, btw, I suggest we think very very carefully
about who to contact, and for *what*. Information would probably be the
best thing to ask for; "please put it back" might get a more negative response,
depending on who we contact.
Um. Thought. We may want to get Chris Angel in on this. His dimensional
counterpart/overself is likely to be sympathetic, and with that we can probably
get the help of the OMG/OMB incarnations of the Three.
> Normally, Id try talking you out of the Harsh Mistress solution... but
> this situation isn't normal.
Agreed. I know I've talked big about stonethrowing in the past, but this is a
much more serious situation.
I guess I should also note that Joe and John have 'waved up what amounts to
a guidance system for rockdrops -- slap one of these on a potential meteor and
it turns it into a crude guided missile, basically. You still have to drop it on the
right general trajectory, but the package then takes over and homes it right in.
Joe guesstimates an accuracy on the order of 20 yards. Which, given the
kind of boom we'll get when it hits, is pretty much bullseye.
I'm guessing that we're not the only ones gathering a basket of throwing stones,
so I'll repeat this on the open channel with instructions on how to make'em.
> I don't know. I've tried calling consul Walker three times today, and
> I'm not getting any answer. That's beginning to worry me. I *hope*
> that's because AusGov hasn't come to any decisions yet.
Me, too. Last thing we need is *anyone* going off half-cocked down there.
Which, of course, means that at least half a dozen someones will.
Anyway, thanks.
-- Bob
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
To: "Noah Scott" (bigcheese@stellvia.lib)
From: Bob Schroeck (rms@ourtown.fen)
Date: November 22, 2016
> > Fear and panic aside, though, I understand the reasoning here, and I'm
> > grateful that you brought us in on this.
> Thanks. I was afraid I may have frightened you off... and I *need* the
> help of every mage I can find and train.
My concern is that training a mage looks a whole lot more like training an archer
than training a rifleman -- turns out that the fantasy novels that show an apprentice
system for wizards are probably on the money. Doug's automatic/instinctive magic
was the extremely rare exception, not the rule -- we may take longer to get
someone up to speed than it takes to resolve this situation some other way.
But that doesn't mean we won't try.
Something to consider -- an AI coupled with a body capable of detecting, tapping
and controlling mana may well be able to use its greater processing speed to
shortcut that. I had once started to write a story, oh, twenty-five years or so ago,
about an AI mainframe that learned how to do magic; the gendankenexperiments
I did to work out what it might be capable of both impressed and frightened me.
You've had amazing luck with AIs in the past -- maybe with a sample of mage-
active DNA you can quicken one who won't need the lengthy training time a
meat-person would.
> > (a couple more-general instruction manuals from your stash would
> > be appreciated, Noah, when the current crisis is over or in a couple
> > months, whichever comes first)
> Yomiko has access to all of these books, now. Whatever you need, get her
> to print and bind in PS238's office.
Thanks, will do.
> > The magegifted adults, on the other hand, are looking forward to
> > creating their own little chapter of Warriors Alpha here.
> Here's hoping it doesn't come to the point where they'll *need* to
> become Warriors Alpha.
Likewise. Helen is seriously debating whether or to invoke Hexe directly
or offer her body for an avatar. Since we know Hexe's True Name (or
at least something close to it), we would at the very least get her attention.
I'm pretty sure that taking an avatar would mess up whatever experiment
she's doing with mortal existence in Warriors' World, so that's not likely to
work. Asking for help -- and mentioning that Doug's been here -- just might
get us the *actual* Warriors, though. Do you think we could use a team of
paramilitary supers roughly equivalent to the Justice League in power, with
over twenty years of field experience?
> How the hell did you know about the research theology texts? No, never
> mind - I already know. (Who's more in a story than it's writer, after
> all?)
Exactly. Remember, in this time line at least, I coined the term.
If we are going to go that route, btw, I suggest we think very very carefully
about who to contact, and for *what*. Information would probably be the
best thing to ask for; "please put it back" might get a more negative response,
depending on who we contact.
Um. Thought. We may want to get Chris Angel in on this. His dimensional
counterpart/overself is likely to be sympathetic, and with that we can probably
get the help of the OMG/OMB incarnations of the Three.
> Normally, Id try talking you out of the Harsh Mistress solution... but
> this situation isn't normal.
Agreed. I know I've talked big about stonethrowing in the past, but this is a
much more serious situation.
I guess I should also note that Joe and John have 'waved up what amounts to
a guidance system for rockdrops -- slap one of these on a potential meteor and
it turns it into a crude guided missile, basically. You still have to drop it on the
right general trajectory, but the package then takes over and homes it right in.
Joe guesstimates an accuracy on the order of 20 yards. Which, given the
kind of boom we'll get when it hits, is pretty much bullseye.
I'm guessing that we're not the only ones gathering a basket of throwing stones,
so I'll repeat this on the open channel with instructions on how to make'em.
> I don't know. I've tried calling consul Walker three times today, and
> I'm not getting any answer. That's beginning to worry me. I *hope*
> that's because AusGov hasn't come to any decisions yet.
Me, too. Last thing we need is *anyone* going off half-cocked down there.
Which, of course, means that at least half a dozen someones will.
Anyway, thanks.
-- Bob
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.