Frequently Unanswered Questions, FUQ it. Options

[Eurotroll]

So, why have none of the Mega built a space elevator yet?

I imagine it's because when it comes down (and with the level of inter-AAA sabotage going on, that is indeed a when, not an if) the damage it'll do is incalculable. Only way I could see it work is if were a CC-controlled collaborative effort, but... yeah. Collaboration isn't exactly typical for megacorps.

That's just me reaching for a no-prize, though.

[Stahlseele]

who cares about the risk of damage if there's profit to gain?
there is simply not profit to gain from something like that, maybe a little prestige, but nothng more . .

[Matsci]

who cares about the risk of damage if there's profit to gain?
there is simply not profit to gain from something like that, maybe a little prestige, but nothng more . .

Uh, Lifting costs? It takes the same amount of energy to lift something into orbit, no matter how you do it. Space planes have about 50% energy effecieny, the Corporate Cort Railgun has about 90% but can't lift somethings due to G-forces. An elevator could lift at 90%+ efficiency and lift about everything, and generate power on the way down. Carrying stuff, like resources mined by drones in the asteroid belt.

[Grinder]

So, why have none of the Mega built a space elevator yet?

They try (in Kenya), but it proves to be more difficult then expected.

[Rasumichin]

Arthur C. Clarke knows why there are no space elevators yet.

[Matsci]

They try (in Kenya), but it proves to be more difficult then expected.

I thought the Kenya project was the railgun.

[Catsnightmare]

How fast would a para-woodchuck chuck you if you put your hand near it's mouth?

You can ask Mayor Bloomberg, he knows.

[Wesley Street]

Given the political instability and daily violence in the equatorial region (or any region for that matter!) of the Sixth World, a space elevator would be an unlikely undertaking, megacorp or no. The mass driver on Kilimanjaro is already a focus of attacks from local spirits and shamans. A 144,000 kilometer cable would simply make too tasty a target for a terrorist group or a dragon with a burr up its egg sac. Sever that cable and, while it would be slow at first, Earth's gravity would eventually take over. Imagine a cable with the thickness of a building collapsing to the ground while the planet rotates. It would wrap itself around the planet 10+ times, and moving faster than the speed of sound. It would cause unprecedented destruction. Good luck explaining that to your shareholders.

By 2070 Earth is still making baby-steps into space with its orbitals and limited planetary exploration. Until the rest of the planet gets its shit together, a space elevator in the Sixth World would be a pipe dream.

[BishopMcQ]

In the interest of healthy speculation, here's an FYI to bring you up to speed:

Fact: A space elevator project is underway in the Sixth World (if you missed it check Runner Havens again).
Fact: Two possible areas have been suggested as likely for the terminus - neither is remotely near NYC. (Runner Havens, again)
Fact: Several companies are retasking factories to produce buckytubes/carbon nanotubules (you guessed it, Runner Havens, but also Corporate Enclaves)
Fact: A near-earth orbit asteroid is already being moved into local orbit by a Triple A consortium. (in Emergence).

Why hasn't everyone been paying more attention to this macro engineering project? Good question. Now: discuss.

Original thread can be found by Search: Space Elevator.

[Wesley Street]

Huh. Forgot about that post. Well, slap my face and call me pink (Runner Havens, pg 123):

>Well, Universal Omnitech and its old friends Aztechnology still have common interests. After their merger UO picked up several macro-engineering companies and a couple of aerospace ones. Meanwhile, the Azzies have been showing an inordinate interest in Panama. Equatorial positioning, AAA megacorp, aerospace design, carbon nanotubes ... methinks we're looking at a space elevator project to compete with the Kilimanjaro catapult. I'd keep an ear out for an asteroid snatch operation next.
>The Smiling Bandit

>No need. I can confirm that such an operation is already underway.
> Orbital DK

That's just keeeerrraaazy! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/silly.gif)

[Stahlseele]

i still want an updated SHADOWRUN: IIN SPAACEE! Source-Book dealing with exactly this thematic . . Free Floating Stations, Moon-Bases, MArs-Explorations, Asteroid-Snatching and Ground-Operations . . Maybe another Book: RUNNING NEW ATLANTIS dealing completely with under water acrologies and such stuff . . i guess we will have to wait for strange places or whatever . .

[Hagga]

Huh. Forgot about that post. Well, slap my face and call me pink (Runner Havens, pg 123):



That's just keeeerrraaazy! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/silly.gif)

They're terraforming mars, too.

[Warlordtheft]

They're terraforming mars, too.

Yeah, but didn't the martians revolt? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/alien.gif)

[Matsci]

Yeah, but didn't the martians revolt? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/alien.gif)

Evo can put down a bunch of bacteria.

[Sir_Psycho]

Did we ever find out what the "biowarfare" attack that killed over a thousand Salish-Shidhe Council Rangers during the Salish/Tsimshian conflict? Also, was that conflict ever resolved? Was there some-one pulling Tsimshian's strings or was it just to get a wartime economy happening?

[The Neutronium A...]

I know what's in the boxes:

[ Spoiler ]

A cat, a vial of poison and a radioactive source.
[/spolier]

[Wesley Street]

They're terraforming mars, too.

Aztechnology or Evo? I thought Evo was the only corporation with an office on Mars.

[The Neutronium A...]

Need to know what's going on on Mars? Check out Google Mars

[Kanada Ten]

Did we ever find out what the "biowarfare" attack that killed over a thousand Salish-Shidhe Council Rangers during the Salish/Tsimshian conflict? Also, was that conflict ever resolved? Was there some-one pulling Tsimshian's strings or was it just to get a wartime economy happening?

The SS-Council ends up absorbing the Tsimshian Nation. But I don't know about the weapon.

[JFixer]

WTH ever happened to Verjigorm? We going to see that billy bad-monkey make a reappearance?

[Hagga]

Aztechnology or Evo? I thought Evo was the only corporation with an office on Mars.

Don't know. It's mentioned in a throwaway comment by Orbital DK in the header of some corporation I can't remember.

[Grinder]

WTH ever happened to Verjigorm? We going to see that billy bad-monkey make a reappearance?

Not unless the magic level is high enough to allow for his manifestation in the world. And that is only possible at the height of mana level, which is some thousand years away.

[The ubbergeek]

Why Evo in Russia, really? Was the small distance for moving that important, geopolitic and offers from 'local interests' so good? Because, for racism/specieism (and Yamatetsu/Evo go for the metahumanity goods market), Russia is not any better than Japan... I really doubt the 'ubernationalists' and the orthodox ultraconservatives are any happy to see Evo on Mother Russia's land, especially after all that happened in Siberia...


Before the Age of Dragons, the 2nd World, there was the 1st one... Was that really the first world or just the earliest days memorised by... whatever could remember or wrote down notes? Is earth younger than Fifth World sciences said, was there creationism, or.... Chtulu Mythos-style lost history...

[Hagga]

Draconic creation myth states that the horrors ruled the 1st world, Dayheart kicked them in the testicles and caused the mana cycle to begin.

[The ubbergeek]

Another Evo one...

What is Buttercup's interest in a megacorpo, anyway? 'She' is acting all young-girl-cool, not the kind to be interested in a serious, dark matter as that daily. Other than her machinations, anyway.

Would that be 'Helping metahumanity'? It's a megacorpo as the others, just capturing an uncared for market. So... What is the chibi sprite's plans?