Aphelion

I'm sitting here, still thinking about this, and I read it 2 days ago. I'm stuck on all the why's about this tale.

Why did the weapon system work so well when the rest of the ship didn't seen to after the crash? Why does it attach to the people it does? Why did it take a dying effort by the previous operator to get it into space? If she works it so much better than everyone else, why doesn't she send it to the center of the sun? Why does a weapon system of a space ship have it's own mobility, anyway? What's the point of that? Didn't the alien ship ferry it around?

I thought it was an interesting story, and I liked the atmosphere of the lab, as well as their interactions with government agencies. (I heard on one of those Discovery or History channel shows that Area 51 frequently has to be emptied due to old underground radiation from early atomic testing working it's way up, and that most of the new ufo reports have now moved to 2 different numbered areas responsible for chemical and biological testing, but I understand using it as a popularly-known reference.)

On the whole, not a bad story by any means, but I became preoccupied with the why's and wherefores of this yarn too much to really enjoy it.

Nate

... She didn't dispose of the weapon because she wanted to USE IT. I think it functioned as the ultimate smart weapon -- completely under her control, capable of striking with great precision anywhere in the world. The ideal weapon for taking out terrorist training camps with no risk to friendly troops and minimal risk to innocent bystanders.

Hey, this would be a good candidate for a sequel, if Gene wanted to try the November challenge. What happens to a basically decent, slightly nerdy scientist when she has total control of the perfect tool for assassinating those who (frankly) need to be assassinated for the sake of past and future victims? What will the government do when it realizes that she is USING the weapon? Kill her, and hope someone else more cooperative can gain control of the weapon? Try to find a way to convince her to kill those whom the GOVERNMENT would like to remove?

As for why the weapon survived, but the ship (mostly) didn't -- the weapon seems to be relatively compact and self-contained. Any ship capable of interstellar travel with living crew would be complicated ... and as Montgomery Scott said of the Excelsior, "The more complicated the plumbing, the easier it is stop it up" (or words to that effect).

RM

"Shod" means "wearing shoes". So "Reebok-shod bare feet" presumably means "feet wearing Reeboks but no socks" (although it could be considered to be a contradiction -- technically, one can't be barefoot and shod at the same time).

The technobabble was ... technobabble. The rotating metal and ceramic discs probably affect gravity the same way the Dragon's Egg artifact in the Nightwatch lab affects time ... and both were based on Marvin Martian's Illuvium 2-something-or-other Detonator. (I know, we're supposed to keep the nonscience (nonsense + science) to one impossible thing at a time -- so using the alien thought-controlled weapon should have ruled out the artificially intelligent desktop computer with natural-language interface and (apparently) visual and telemetry feeds that could "see" the Object and compare its characteristics to known phenomena and machinery...)

RM

and both were based on Marvin Martian's Illuvium 2-something-or-other Detonator.

That would be the "Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator".

(It was 'Uranium' Q-36... the first time it was used. Illudium clearly proved to be a more destructive material, and was thus harnessed in the upgrade.)

Nate

A reference to a ‘black’ sergeant isn’t needed, unless a more detailed description explaining the sergeant’s job, home, life and personal traits are required to further the story.

I can’t believe a physics lab would have a skylight open! Air handling systems that maintain strict air quality are in place, and a skylight open especially during a test or start-up mode would sound an alarm before that procedure could be initiated.  

It’s interesting that Sara touched the anomaly. One might say that a scientist would not have attempted to touch it, but I’ve seen some highly intelligent people do really stupid things!!

I like the idea of a weapon system triggered by thoughts! Nice! And alien weapons might have those capabilities.

I thought the writing good with clear passages and the dialogues also good.

The science a little heavy in this one, but it didn’t distract from the story.

A nice read!