The Armory - Guns, Knives, and Axes

[Smitty-48]

Like the USSF is still a Space Program

It's bleeding edge rocket science militarized

So like the LMT XV-11 Bravo Apollo Linebacker is as expensive as a Space Shuttle,

they don't have endless numbers of them, this is the Detla Force of giant androids,

They actually refer to the entire Linebacker force as The Battalion, because that's about how many there are.

They basically have three rifle company's for the Asteroid Belt and then one company for the Rings at Saturn

The Apollo doesn't usually fight in open ground, it's a close combat weapon

So for transit they have Space Shuttles like backpacks to ferry them around

When they reach the Drop Zone they detach

They have a long range Shuttle for interplanetary, called a Fullback

They have a tactical Shuttle for intersystem they call a Halfback

They have a cargo pod rucksack called a Quarterback

A QB Pod can carry ammo, or dismounts, or a command post, etcetera

Like at one point in the story Fighting Cock is carrying the CP in its QB pod

So this is where you meet the Battalion Commander ; Eagle Claw.

He's Charlie Beckwith basically,



Everybody in Spacemerica is modeled on a real American

The Commander is Charlie Beckwith

The Sheriff of the Alamo on Mars is Neil Armstrong

Clem V. Rogers is the descendant of the original ; half Scots-Irish, half Cherokee

I use some non American models, but every character is modeled on somebody,

the love interest is modeled on Kate Bush for example

[brewster]

So for transit they have Space Shuttles like backpacks to ferry them around

When they reach the Drop Zone they detach

They have a long range Shuttle for interplanetary, called a Fullback

They have a tactical Shuttle for intersystem they call a Halfback

All powered by a Handwavium Drive I presume? This all sounds exactly like the "pew pew pew" that you once mocked.

[Smitty-48]

So for transit they have Space Shuttles like backpacks to ferry them around

When they reach the Drop Zone they detach

They have a long range Shuttle for interplanetary, called a Fullback

They have a tactical Shuttle for intersystem they call a Halfback

All powered by a Handwavium Drive I presume? This all sounds exactly like the "pew pew pew" that you once mocked.

No, they use Tokamak, it's nuclear electric, the Tokamaks are just compact, scaled to the android

there's no pew-pew-pew, it's Spacemerca Fuck Yeah, it's the GAU-8 and tracer fire.

There's no noise in space, but they can hear it through the hull

Spacemerica war 'sounds' like this ;

[Smitty-48]

The Railrifle™ sounds like the M230 on the Apache

They're like attack helicopter crews

This is what the battles sound like



There's no pew-pew-pew.

In fact the core is a love story, romantic love with hot sex

It's character driven, it's sexy, there is heartbreaking tragedy, it's epic space opera

The combat is American military in space, I just port what they are now into the future

Sci fi is not really about the future, it's about the now set in the future

Spacemerica is a Cold War Space Race with a Trace

The Balloon goes up, DEFCON One on the Inner Jovian Border

Robert Heinlein was thinking about World War Two,

I was raised in the Cold War, in the shadow of Vietnam

The Eleven Bravo Apollo crews call the Rings of Saturn : "The Trace"

[Smitty-48]

Bear in mind that they sent me to serve the SACEUR when I was just a boy

Space is like East & West Germany, Spacemerica is defending the Free Space.

Write what you know

[brewster]

No, they use Tokamak, it's nuclear electric, the Tokamaks are just compact, scaled to the android

Ah yes, the Tokamak Drive, the Ford to the Handwavium Chrysler. And your fusion/electric(?) drive is using what as reaction mass? Did you get all your science from Ironman comics?

[Smitty-48]

No, they use Tokamak, it's nuclear electric, the Tokamaks are just compact, scaled to the android

Ah yes, the Tokamak Drive, the Ford to the Handwavium Chrysler. And your fusion/electric(?) drive is using what as reaction mass? Did you get all your science from Ironman comics?

It's not that important, Spacemerica Fuck Yeah is hot, it's not for nerds, the target audience is US military

[Smitty-48]

It's all about Tropes

In the book I don't even bother to say what the power source is, because who cares?

It's all about Boy Meets Girl ; Boy & Girl go into battle together, like Bonnie & Clyde, Caesar & Cleopatra

[Speaker to Animals]

Laser comms could tell your enemies exactly where you are located. They are literally directed between the senders and receivers.

They would have to literally be directly in the line of sight to even detect it. Yes, in space, hand signals with a range of yards is obviously much better than encrypted laser telecom with a range of kiloclicks.

As for Hypercooling, study some fucking physics.

He was talking about infantry. You don't want to provide your enemy with a laser targeting your infantry if they are capable of detecting it and even using to guide weapons to your recipients.

Even in space, sure, laser comms might be useful, but even today we can use quantum entanglement to communicate. No obvious way to detect that shit and you can communicate instantly. Also needs no line of site at all.

[Smitty-48]

Laser comms could tell your enemies exactly where you are located. They are literally directed between the senders and receivers.

They would have to literally be directly in the line of sight to even detect it. Yes, in space, hand signals with a range of yards is obviously much better than encrypted laser telecom with a range of kiloclicks.

As for Hypercooling, study some fucking physics.

He was talking about infantry. You don't want to provide your enemy with a laser targeting your infantry if they are capable of detecting it and even using to guide weapons to your recipients.

Exactly. They are giant astronaut androids, an Operator mated with an A.I. : Man-Machine Teaming

Robin Olds & HAL 9000, except HAL 9000 is a chick ; Bitchin' Betty

Most of Space is like the Cold War, the fights only break out in Contested Volumes

The most contested is Saturn. Because of Titan.

The Rings of Saturn are a vector to control the system. The Approaches.

It's like the Space Jungle.

The Lockheed Martin XV-11 Bravo Apollo 'Linebacker' Main Battle Droid™ is made to fight in close,

in the Space Jungle

It's like an Apache crossed with an Abrams, in the shape of a infantryman, in the style of the Space Shuttle