A fun SF webcomic- Star Power

[Zixinus]

So Danica found someone to talk to. Someone who can also give her answers that Mitch couldn't or hadn't. She's lucky that way.

I'm sure that someone in Galactic Defense has plans for Danica, along with a whole slew of other people. What she'll need is someone that act as a buffer. She'll also have to figure out what exactly she will do with her powers now and she will have to stick with that.

Q99: I tried explaining in different ways. Banalities about the benefits of dancing do not fit into discussion about evolution or innate behavior. Neither is just blindly reciting kid's level biology. I'm done explaining why. If someone else feels that I'm being unclear, I'd like to know how.

[Q99]

Q99: I tried explaining in different ways. Banalities about the benefits of dancing do not fit into discussion about evolution or innate behavior. Neither is just blindly reciting kid's level biology. I'm done explaining why. If someone else feels that I'm being unclear, I'd like to know how.

It comes across to me that you want complex answers when what you're asking is a question with simple answers. Call 'em banal or kids level all you want, that doesn't change that sometimes the banal, kids-level answer is both correct and the best answer we got at the moment, and you, I will note, are not giving us a specific reason *why* it can't be the simple, straightforward answer (so this, specifically, would be the point where I feel you're being unclear, what your specific objections are rather than them being too straightforward).

"Why does a species have a positive trait that aids survival?" is a question that answers itself in the general sense, but not in specifics, and we don't have the specifics. So you get the general answer. There's nothing unbelievable about a species all having a beneficial trait (which was your original complaint that set off this line of discussion). If you have a specific objection to that, you can raise it, but if your objection is lack of detail or the specific route, then that can only get an 'insufficient information,' just like the evolutionary history of many real life traits entire species have. Evolution has very detail and interesting reasons for why stuff happens, but they are not always obviously apparent whether in real life or fiction.

Any questions or specific objections?

[Zixinus]

Any questions or specific objections?

I stopped arguing with you. I didn't agree or disagree with anything, I just stopped wasting my time.

If with better understanding of biology wants to comment, I'd be happy to read it.

[Q99]

Well, you got the answer to what you asked, if not what you wanted. I like a good discussion about biology and I'm sorry I couldn't provide one here, but there's not much to go into here beyond the above.

Anyway, that diversion aside, the psi-cops of the recent chapters are interesting.

They appear to simply be... highly trained psychologists good at reading people. And apparently heroic ones, at that! (though, the 'heroic' part can hardly be confirmed at this point, but so far it looks that way). Not a common thing to see in fiction.

[Zixinus]

I am willing to be that the Traveler is an explorer ship of some kind, like the USS Enterprise. Very famous and a big deal, which is why the Security Chief is displeased with it coming because it means a big circus.

[Q99]

I am willing to be that the Traveler is an explorer ship of some kind, like the USS Enterprise. Very famous and a big deal, which is why the Security Chief is displeased with it coming because it means a big circus.

Oh, good thinking. At first I was thinking it was a person- a unique alien or something, but yea, it's probably *the* ship.

[Zixinus]

Current strip: Interesting argument but I think not quite true. Danica responded surprisingly well while under pressure (maybe extra programming in her as part of her being a Sentinel?). Plus, there is the problem that the singular source of information about the galaxy outside the Millenium Federation is from the Countess. She is an unreliable narrator, possibly multiple levels as she has shown capacity for self-delusion.

It is rather disturbing that the guy can order a ship about, especially a high-profile one. It is also a little disturbing that he can get plenty of information about Danica so easily. I wonder whether he's a front-man for some deeper intelligence op.

Also, quite frankly, the evaluation is rather premature. He had rather exhaustive talks with her, yes, but it takes time for more deeper aspects of character to come out as well as running more in-depth tests.

Oh, and just noticed that the guy has a Hungarian surname. Polgar = polgár, meaning citizen, middle-class person.

[Zixinus]

A thought in favor of Agent Polgar: the whole "beep beep, I'm suddenly acting like a computer by announcing my installation progress beep beep" thing Danica has going right now? Maybe it is best to keep a high-profile ship away from that until things become clearer.

Another thought: maybe this is not his actual evaluation. Maybe this is a ploy to "toughen up" Danica by challenging her. As well as the beginning move of an elaborate mindgame where the M. Federation exploits Danica.

But also? Danica being worried about bearing the full weight of responsibilities she has as a Sentinel may be a sign that she is worthy of it simply because she recognizes the fact.

[Q99]

Another thought: maybe this is not his actual evaluation. Maybe this is a ploy to "toughen up" Danica by challenging her. As well as the beginning move of an elaborate mindgame where the M. Federation exploits Danica.

Yea. He's a Psi-cop. He's often been very forward, but it could go either way, couldn't it?

But also? Danica being worried about bearing the full weight of responsibilities she has as a Sentinel may be a sign that she is worthy of it simply because she recognizes the fact.

Right.

She's got two evaluators here, too. The one she just found out about, and the Legionnaire, who she still doesn't realize is judging her. They may have somewhat different criteria.

[Zixinus]

The thing is, that a psychological evaluation is only a supporting intelligence role unless the psychologist is actually doing the manipulating. Otherwise it would make little sense as to why they'd send one guy instead of, you know, a team of medical staff to evaluate Danica.

[Zixinus]

Ghetto edit: as for Old Tom, I think he is more of a secret fail-safe in the scheme of Star Powered Sentinels than a real judge. In any scheme where you give out awesome, Clarktech-like power to individuals, you always want a system in place to prevent abuse of that power. In more "normal" situations, that would mean fellow Sentinels that would police each other. Since that is out, that means you have someone or something that can hurt a Sentinel and have an opportunity to do it, like Old Tom acting as gate-guardian.

[Zixinus]

Huh, Quincy is surprised. Either this is: a, an honest reaction due to his premature evaluation as I suggested or b, he's acting and this was the reaction he was hoping for. Or c, he honestly is surprised because this aspect of her is genuinely outside what his expertise would suggest she has.

[Q99]

Huh, Quincy is surprised. Either this is: a, an honest reaction due to his premature evaluation as I suggested or b, he's acting and this was the reaction he was hoping for. Or c, he honestly is surprised because this aspect of her is genuinely outside what his expertise would suggest she has.

Yea, I wasn't expecting his surprise either.

I do note of Danica, whatever her initial reaction to the Traveler, she's now focused on determination/practicalities, it seems. She was looking to have a big reaction when the Chief mentioned it, now she's "I'm getting ready."

[Q99]

And that answers that. I think that also helps explain why people don't like Psi-Cops.

Now just to find out what the traveler is...

[Q99]

Plot Summaries of Psi-Cop season 1! (available on FedFlix)

[Q99]

Ok, This Ship has *got* to be the Traveler.

[Zixinus]

Well, that is one way to get rid of a potentially massive problem quickly. And also a good way to get into a lot of trouble very quickly.

[Q99]

Well, that is one way to get rid of a potentially massive problem quickly. And also a good way to get into a lot of trouble very quickly.

Oh yes

Btw, I had a conversation with the author at a convention. We talked about how there'd be nothing at the destination, it'd be all a big commentary on the bleak emptiness of space, and there'd be five issues with no dialog in the style of a French art film.

We... may not have been entirely serious.

[Q99]

When you expect lovecraft aliens and you end up with star trek

[Zixinus]

To be fair, one thing Star Trek sort-of showed is that you can have a humanoid body but an alien mind.

Not that of course this isn't an auspicious start of meddling it up: it would have been wiser to avoid attention until she knows more of what's going on. But she could have hardly seen these people coming in while diving at probably near-supersonic speeds.

[Q99]

Things you don't want to learn under a minute into first contact: What color their blood is via practical demonstration.

[Zixinus]

I get the feeling that this story arch is really targeted at ST's "Prime Directive".

On which topic, I think a more proper rule would have been "Don't fuck with unknown, alien species in case you fuck them up more than they already are". Plus, you know, it is a good idea to not let exploitive, imperialist tendencies play out.

[Q99]

I get the feeling that this story arch is really targeted at ST's "Prime Directive".

Agreed.

On which topic, I think a more proper rule would have been "Don't fuck with unknown, alien species in case you fuck them up more than they already are". Plus, you know, it is a good idea to not let exploitive, imperialist tendencies play out.

Also, "Don't mess around unless you know what you're doing. Never lightly, always with research, always with the native's interests in mind."

[Zixinus]

I think that one of the concepts behind the Prime Directive were, that made avoiding contact law for the following reasons:

1. Prevent exploitation by less morally-minded starship captains. You know, "hey, I want to buy your moon and here are some shiny trinkets for it." Later with "Oh, sorry, you never thought I could actually mine your moon to bits and thus cause catastrophic effects on your civilization? Well, that was in the fine print".
2. Prevent contamination of a foreign culture, either pathogenic or cultural or other.
3. Protect developing civilization from outside politics and influences.
4. Allow civilization to develop and advance on their own.

The last point somehow got twisted into "only bother with civilization that reached spacefaring technology as only those are worth bothering with", creating some sort of technology-elitism.

[Q99]

Yea, it definitely got out of hand.

And we can see why they put in such a rule- we saw both a Federation citizen set himself up as a dictator, and the creation of *gangster planet*.

But flipside, they let it get way out of hand, to the point they wondered if they should prevent asteroids from wiping out non-space-capable civilizations. And some of the Fed's founders seem to have a weird pseudo-religious view on evolution/progress, to the point of being willing to let species die from it (Dr. Phlox).

First contacts are incredible important and risky things, so hesitance is understandable, but it can be taken too far. Once immediate threats to extinction are dealt with, it should be a tentative and careful process.

I'm reminded of the Sector General series, where a multi-species federation figured the best way to handle first contact is basically 'space ambulances,' who'd respond to distress calls with aid and use their multi-species experience to try and help. It worked pretty well (but unexpected consequences did occur sometimes).

Or the 'Foreigner' series, where a First Contact that initially seemed to go great lead to a war because their and our 'loyalty' emotions worked different in not-immediately-apparent ways.

Which is diverging off of Star Power a bit, where Danica's in a tricky situation of being in the middle of a war with no knowledge of the players. TOM's comments seem to indicate that the Star Power's creators feel that standing back and watching would... not be the right call.