Serendipity detained and brainwashed Falkayn. Adzel broke in, filmed Falkayn and took blood and saliva samples as evidence of his condition, then carried him to the top of a tower. Chee Lan swooped down in Muddlin' Through, destroyed defending flying craft and demolished the walls of the tower but hauled out Adzel and Falkayn with tractor beams.
What Van Rijn Persuaded Serendipity To Say Had Happened
Van Rijn is brokering the sale of Serendipity. Falkayn visited as his representative under a cover story which his colleagues did not believe so Adzel broke in to rescue Falkayn from a suspected kidnapping. Adzel's violent entry alerted automatic defense systems which overreacted by shooting down Serendipity's own defense craft. Chee Lan demolished the tower in an unsuccessful attempt to save Serendipity's people. She and Falkayn immediately departed to find a buyer for Serendipity. Serendipity directors who had not been present complained to the police before they had learned what had really happened.
5 comments:
"Narrative" and "plausible deniability".
It's also a lesson in jurisdiction.
There's no interstellar State... which means there is nobody who monopolizes the 'violence function'.
Local governments -- like the Solar Union -- claim to monopolize violence within their territories, but this is in inherent contradiction with the interstellar merchants, who effectively have their own armed force(s).
It's inevitable that there will be "back-flows" of people settling their differences with force within the Solar Union's sphere; the (we know, Shen-backed) corporation first, then Solar Spice & Liquors in retaliation.
In essence, corporate baronies fighting out their quarrels on Luna with blasters and armed spaceships, kidnapping and counter-kidnapping (with lethal force added).
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I am not sure you are entirely correct. The Lunar Federation was a member state of the Solar Commonwealth, which did have sovereignty within the Solar System. The Commonwealth was not some helpless Banana Planet Old Nick could dictate terms to at will, but a REAL power with real muscle.
So, while I agree with what you said about "backflows," I think it's more accurate to say Old Nick had to finesse matters in such a way that nobody would lose so much face that the Commonwealth would feel goaded into taking decisive action.
Ad astra! Sean
True. But try to imagine Apple and Google shooting it out that way in San Francisco.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
THAT kind of thing has not yet happened, I agree. San Francisco, unfortunately and notoriously, HAS become emblematic of the kind of high crime rates we are getting now thru out the US because of the follies of the Democrats. Because of their soft on crime, anti police nonsense.
Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment