[OOC][PLOT] The Sixth Thread of Planning for Arc 1 - Arrivals

[robkelk]

There isn't a lot of call for pediatric cancer treatments, though.

[Bob Schroeck]

Huh? Sure there is, enough that there are several foundations and facilities just in my area -- the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute, the Pediatric Oncology program at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the Children's Cancer Institute at Hackensack University Medical Center... and that's just the ones I know off the top of my head.

[Labster]

What, you mean they don't practice pediatric medicine in Starfleet?  Those Galaxy-class ships didn't have schools in them for nothing.

I read that as "they don't practice pedantic medicine in Starfleet?" to which my first thought was that they definitely have pedantic doctors in Starfleet.  They don't have an ontology division, though: they're doctors, not philosphers!

[Black Aeronaut]

Huh? Sure there is, enough that there are several foundations and facilities just in my area...

I think he meant in Starfleet.

[Labster]

I seem to remember Federation medicine being of the sort where you only have 120 seconds inside reactor number four to collect all of the melted fuel rods, before you die.  Less than that, and the doc will fix you right up at the end.  I'm guessing that the Feds have several cures for cancers, and probably even gene-drive type stuff to restore your original genetic makeup.  They also seem to be able to change the race of a person at the genetic level for espionage ops, which makes me wonder why we don't see more furries aboard the Enterprise.  Possibly the Furries were all defeated in the Eugenics Wars?

The really interesting medicine in the Federation was infectious disease, and novel infections.

[Bob Schroeck]

Huh?  Sure there is, enough that there are several foundations and facilities just in my area...

I think he meant in Starfleet.

<facepalm> Of course he did.  <sigh>

[robkelk]

Anyway... One thing that Starfleet does canonically have is heart medicine, and that's one of the specialties at uOttawa - where I have Ami attending premed. Even infant hearts occasionally need surgery.

[Black Aeronaut]

I seem to remember Federation medicine being of the sort where you only have 120 seconds inside reactor number four to collect all of the melted fuel rods, before you die.  Less than that, and the doc will fix you right up at the end.  I'm guessing that the Feds have several cures for cancers, and probably even gene-drive type stuff to restore your original genetic makeup.  They also seem to be able to change the race of a person at the genetic level for espionage ops, which makes me wonder why we don't see more furries aboard the Enterprise.  Possibly the Furries were all defeated in the Eugenics Wars?

The really interesting medicine in the Federation was infectious disease, and novel infections.

It's actually because of the Eugenics Wars that genetic modification in the Federation is highly taboo.  Dr. Bashir is one such person, and it was only because he had such a distinguished service record with Starfleet that when it did come to light, he was able to stay in.  But even so, that was by the skin of his teeth.

So yeah, that's why no furries.

(Metaphorically speaking, I guess you could say that they were all defeated in the Eugenics Wars.)

I do recall a TNG episode where there was a 24th century equivalent of a bubble boy situation.  Can't remember the particulars, though, but the kid legitimately had to stay inside an isolation room that they kitbashed in the Enterprise's sick bay.

[robkelk]

Opinions, please.

When I left off "Time Away", folks were heading to the building's roof to intercept "[t]hree unidentified targets incoming", with the strong implication that there's going to be a fight.

Now, I suck at writing fight scenes, and - more importantly - a fight isn't really relevant to the story that I'm telling there.

But actually having a fight scene instead of skipping over it and mentioning bits and pieces of what happened would be a case of show, don't tell. And it would show what Mahoro, Ryuga, and Slash are capable of in combat - but they're in a "NPC" residence.

Fight scene, or no fight scene?

[Labster]

I think you already answered your question. "Show, Don't Tell" is a rule of thumb for avoiding boring stories. But if it's not relevant to the story, then "Kill Your Darlings" applies instead.  It's largely a matter of taste, but I feel like the latter rule is always the more important one, with some notable exceptions*.

If it's relevant to a future story, of course you can include it.  If you want to do it to learn how to write fight scenes, go ahead and do it. I know I need the experience, but I think my main problem is that I don't even know how I would fight another person, and I don't have the physical knowledge to figure out how it all works.

* The biggest exception I can think of was in Star Trek I where they spend like ten minutes showing the Enterprise in dock from every angle.  This was to give time to allow the theater audiences to cheer.  If your audience has the same darlings, don't kill 'em!

[Black Aeronaut]

Pretty much what Lab said.

In your position, though, I'd just make it something real short, and end it where someone decides they're outclassed, or (if it fits) a "Hey, why are we fighting each other anyways?" moment.

[robkelk]

And re-reading what I've posted shows that I have precedent for skipping scenes in this story. Lunch, where (almost) everybody met everybody else, was skipped altogether with a couple of lines giving the important parts.

Now I know where to start writing this evening.

[Norgarth]

There's also the question of how willing are each group to fight, seeing that it'll be over/in a mixed Commercial/Residential area.

[robkelk]

Mahoro is used to fighting on the roof of a high school. And the other side... is less considerate of civilian casualties.

[Norgarth]

Fair enough.

Might attract some official attention from the Canadian government afterwards (and the US government, an arial battle may be visible from parts of Detroit).

Hmm, as I recall the residents included SG-1 and X--Men Evolution, if you want/need more combatants on the defending side.

[Labster]

An arial battle would be bold.

I'm dealing with RWBY villains in my next story, and I recall that both sides were quite willing to engage in a firefight in the city in Episode 1.

[Norgarth]

True but Roman was intending more of a Armed Robbery/Bank Heist rather than an assault. Start of Season 2, Emerald and Mercury were much more covert on their hit of the ex-White Fang bookseller. Salem and her agents tend to prefer quiet acts unless they are trying to cause panic. In which case they get very loud.

[Black Aeronaut]

Hmmm....

* Black Aeronaut checks the dates, just to make sure...

What are the odds of triggering the Good Neighbor system?  Because if it's an aerial battle, I'm sure Nanoha and Fate would be there to slap some people down REAL fast.

Really, they'd probably be the first ones to show up.  The only person who'd be faster is Ryouko, but she'd rather stay home if she's not needed, or unless Tenchi goes.  This is also a chance for Ben to see if they're taking his advice to heart about calling for backup without him hovering over their shoulders.

If Nanoha and Fate do show up to the party, I'm pretty sure that will conclusively decide a battle real fast.  I bet Nanoha won't even need to burn up a single cartridge.

[Norgarth]

They could also quick shift the battle into that field of theirs where they can wreck the scenery without destroying the _actual_ scenery, allowing the defender to cut loose more.

[robkelk]

Hmmm....

* Black Aeronaut checks the dates, just to make sure...

What are the odds of triggering the Good Neighbor system?

Well...

Club Lofts, Windsor, ON, Canada
December 27, 2016
10:24 AM


The Good Neighbor System failed to go off, since it hadn't been installed yet. The only warning that the building's residents had to their visitors' arrival was a brief light show in the parking lot just outside their front door.

I'd say the odds are zero.

EDIT: Mii will notice and comment that they haven't installed the hardware yet. As for people noticing the fight, two words: Shabon Spray.

[Black Aeronaut]

Hmmmm.... Surveillance might not be as commonplace in Canada as it is in the US, but it is a foregone conclusion that practically everyone now has a high-definition video camera with a braodband wireless Internet connection and a social media du jour. So HAL might very well indeed notice a Shabon Spray getting fired off. If anything, that would probably warrant an "All-clear?" request, at the very least.

[Labster]

Bubble Spray is a great tactic, not just for lazy animators, but for sailor guardians as well.  It's a pity Ami mostly stopped using it once she got an actual attack.  Which kinda goes to show you 14 year olds focused on school may not employ the best combat tactics, even if they're geniuses.  She was probably the least effective at combat in general.  Although occasionally she Nene'd for the team with her HUD and that was fun.

Anyway I finally got progress on my story last night, about 4kB -- writing a scene I didn't know I needed with entirely new characters.  I mean, inspiration is fun and all, but sometimes you just want to write the thing you were intending to write, too.

[robkelk]

Hmmmm....  Surveillance might not be as commonplace in Canada as it is in the US, but it is a foregone conclusion that practically everyone now has a high-definition video camera with a braodband wireless Internet connection and a social media du jour.  So HAL might very well indeed notice a Shabon Spray getting fired off.  If anything, that would probably warrant an "All-clear?" request, at the very least.

BA, I get the feeling you want in on this story...

I just sent you a PM.

[robkelk]

On the off-chance somebody's looking to fill a hole in the chronicles, we currently have no stories on the wiki for these dates:

• September 18
  
• September 22-24
  
• September 30
  
• October 2-10
  
• October 13-14
  
• October 19-24
  
• October 26
  
• October 28
  
• November 2-3 (although I expect to eventually see the start of a cross-country tourist trip filling this gap)
  
• November 9-13 (I should say something about November 11)
  
• November 16-19
  
• November 26 - December 1
  
• December 3-19
  
• December 26
  
• December 28 - January 12 (although I'll probably extend Time Away into the first day or three of this gap)
  

[Labster]

December 13 has a short story happening on it, with Kagura, Tomoyo, and Entchen being the primary players here. Date is pretty fixed because it's the full moon. I've been trying to keep to the real lunar calendar, if only for easier bookkeeping. Except for that one time in the Samhain party where for some reason there was moonlight? Did anyone notice that?

Are Tomoyo, Sakura, and Shaoran a Cosmic Forces Trio?