[story][Fenspace Alternates] The South Is Rising, Someone Get A Hammer

[Bob Schroeck]

From: Bob Schroeck (rms@ourtown.fen)
To: General Fnord (fnord@sovietairforce.fen)
CC: Ben Rhodes (aeronaut@roughriders.fen)
Date: November 24, 2016
Subj: [FIREFALL] Re: Visting Hours Are Now Open

Mal, I'm presuming Ben's going to have special instructions.  That's fine, I
don't care what they are.  Just as long as he knows to give me a heads-up
so I can help him if I need to.

> I don't *like* the idea of risking one of Fenspace's jewels in a potential
> conflict zone

Well, thank you.  We love you, too.

> but I agree that we're going to need to get our Commodore Perry on when it
> comes to the Confederates. SP GROVER'S CORNERS (GEO-25429) will act
> as baseship for the CSA delegation. Make it flashy.

I think we can do that easily, even without adding special effects.  We're
probably going to be even more outlandish and alien to them than we would
be to natives of *our* 1940s.  In fact, I'd like to play that up, do the whole
Clarke's Third Law thing.  "Oh, this little ship?  Me and my friends whipped it
up in our spare time a few years ago.  Oh, you're still using propeller-driven
aircraft?  How quaint."  Serious mind-screw, make them feel like primitives
meeting gods.  (Not that that's *very* far from the truth, I just want to
exaggerate and emphasize it.) 

If you're cool with it. 

> Just for fuck's sake be *careful*, alright?

Sir, yes, sir!

-- Bob

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.