Topic 2b of Steve Higginbotham's possible explanations of the Second
Long Night intrigued me, partly because its similarity to Michael
McCollum's novel _Antares Dawn_. In this novel, interstellar travel
utilized foldpoints produced by some hand-waving super-gravity.
The explosion of Antares changed the structure of the foldpoints for
over 100 ly around, and irradiated the worlds within twenty to forty
ly.
My question is, what would a comparable explosion do in Traveller?
I haven't seen the 'Darrians' alien module in question, but I infer
that they have a device for inducing a supernova, whose first and only
test knocked their civilization back to the Stone Age. Would this
radiation be stopped by nuclear dampers? Could factions within the
Imperium develop dampers large enough to cover a world for the time
necessary to protect it from the first shockwave from a supernova?
Related to this would be the effect of such an explosion on local
jumpspace. Since jumpspace exists now, I would find it difficult to
believe that one supernova could destroy jumpspace. However, because
jumpspace is tied to gravity wells could the gravitic shock wave
disrupt jumps within a particular area, or across the leading wave,
or something similar?
A limited action using these devices, or even the chance supernova
of a large and aging star, would make for a most interesting (if far-
fetched) scenario.
- --
Jack Dietz | Strephon (1049-1116): Forty-third emperor of the Imperium;
[email removed] | eldest son of Paulo III (981-1071). Coronation 1071.
[email removed] | Murdered by Dulinor in 1116. -- SMART Library Data 1119
[email removed]