What? And Give Up Show Business? – Act II Scene 2
Chapter: What? And Give Up Show Business?
Location: Cockpit, Entire Prize
CUT TO
INT – Day – Mark is sitting in front of a time machine.
MARK
I know it’s been a while since Splink explained the Entire Prize’s particle accelerator temporal controls. So it’ s understandable that Zortic may have forgotten that it’s not time travel.
It doesn’t matter if the ship is not actually traveling FTL, its still somehow cheating the laws of physics to make it look like its traveling FTL. Which means it should be able to beat an ordinary EM signal anywhere. Unless said signal has also been sent using the same reality hack. This is necessary if you don’t want your news several centuries out of date.
Actually, that bit about “protecting from external reality effect” is even bigger cheat that FTL engine itself. There are only two possibilities: either your family (outside of ship) WILL grow old during travel, or they will not – and in that case it IS equivalent to FTL and they CAN go faster that broadcast signal.
As much as Splink tries to protest it, it really is a bit of a time machine. It does gradually reverse time in relation to the relativistic travel, so even though you don’t know it, you’re actually traveling backwards in time compared to your family.
What he really means is that the temporal effect can only be used gradually and in relation to the distance being traveled. And it only applies to the space inside of the ship. So it’s not really a deus ex machina.
So where is the problem? They DO have distance to travel. The temporal controls will gradually reverse time in relation to the relativistic travel for them, while the signal will not have the possibility and will be slower.
I probably did need to explain how the signal also traveled via a tachyon wave or something similar. It does still go faster than the ship. But the guys will find a way around the problem.
… and you would probably need to rewrite http://entireprizeenterprises.com/zortic/comics/2013-06-22-Z20130622c.jpg …
Absolutely, any technology that’s going to use FTL travel would have to use it for their communication systems as well. And, as always it can be used more effectively when human (or alien) beings aren’t involved. So while a vehicle may take a couple of weeks to travel, a signal can travel relatively simultaneously.
Not necessary. Any method of FTL travel based on hyperspace or wormholes may involve reasons why ship can pass while signal not – because ship can navigate, does not disperse etc. The solution for communication in such cases are usually messenger ships. If the method of travel can’t be used near the planet (which is common), messenger ships are “jumping” from system to system, sending and receiving radio signals from the “safe-to-jump” point. The signal is then often faster that ships, as the ships needs to travel from safe-to-jump point to the planet (and the other way) using conventional (slower that light) methods.
That’s a good point. I stand corrected. I meant to say that any civilization that has FTL drive but doesn’t use messenger ships obviously must have something better. Like I said, I should have spelled that out a little clearer.