Options for Setup
Jul. 6th, 2005 12:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccastareyesOkay, so I am thinking of turning my webcomic's story into a novel, since I want to do NaNoWriMo this November, and that means revamping the plot, because I am a far different person than I was when I came up wiht the plot in freshman year of college.
The basics: The Ankaa is a small FTL ship owneed by the Star by Star Exploration Company, an organization devoted to mapping the heavens, selling colonization/mining rights to new planets/systems to pay for upkeep. Original plan was to have them be a non-profit organization, but they might be an international collaboration (feel free to point out flaws to either). They are based out of Earth, and are mostly human, though Starsailors aren't that rare (Maybe 1 in 20 crewmen -- Starsailors would rather cooperate with other species than start their own in competition.) There might be a few Darynese in the organizaiton, since the Darynese don't have a formal space-exploration program and Daryn has the best relations with Earth. Possibly a few other aliens that have emigrated to a human world.
The crew consistes of Phillee, who is the captain and ship's surgeon (and token Starsailor, form oen of the few mixed colonies); Melody (who needs a last name), her human niece/'adopted daughter' (I can explain their family structure -- it would make more sense them) and communications spacialist (thy have a sort of Universal Translator that requires telepathy to use -- this position is disproportionalty filled by a Starsailor); Rikayo Darenka, the ship's engineer and a Darynese; and Alriai Aborin, the ship's pilot and also Darynese. Melody, Riki and Alri are all in their early 20's -- This is Melody and Riki's first misison, Alri might have done something before. Philee is very experienced and in her early 40s.
Okay, as a result of the plot, the crew ends up in another universe. I have two ideas for how that happens.
1. Someone messes up, and there is an accident. Of course, that begs the question as to why they didn't DIE HORRIBLY, since messing up something like an engine tends to do that. Could be because Riki and Alri are competent, if not experienced.
2. They were doing it deliberatly. 10-some years ago, a pilot by the name of Elise Connor went missing, and happened to lan in this other universe. It could be that once the science guys figured out what happened to her, and that it would be safe to send a ship, a rescue (or at least an investigation) mission could be sent. Riki (and Alri) could be political manuevering by the libral party on Daryn to get Darynese on a high profile mission to boost interest in space -- I wouldn't put it past them. On the other hand, Elise isn't exactly liked by most Darynese (She was the daughter of the ambassador to Daryn 30 years ago, and got involved with a local boy, which was a big scandal, which caused Earth to appoint a new ambassador to keep things civil) -- the politicians on Daryn could manuever it to a family angle (She was married with kids when she disappeared on a mission that was supposed to be totally safe) to keep the heat off of the fact most of conservative Daryn doesn't like her. On the other hand, conservative Daryn could manuever it to point out that a mother shouldn't've taken such risks that would leave her spouse and kids alone for 10+ years. And that space trvael is inheirently risky.
Politics gives me a headache...
Once I work out a mission, I haev to work out who remained on the ship when the local government in that handy alternate universe deicdes the ship is just what it needs to overthrow the opression of the local nature spirits. Part of the bit involves a channel (or channels0 to these spirits created by using an untraiend mage. I have three options.
1. The comic's option. Riki's sister, Elise's daughter and another friend snuck aboard, and were confiend to quarters while the crew explored. They were kidnapped/coerced into being the channel. This begs the question as to how three 12 year olds got aboard without anyone noticng before takeoff. If I go with Mission #2, though, it explains why they are so determined. It also makes things more personal.
2. No one was aboard. The channel is a local, and the group only wants thier ship back. Not sure I can pull off the urgency wihtout a mising person, plus several of Riki's flaws are easiest exposed with a person (he's overly dependant on his psionics, and comes to mistrust the nature spirits when oen of the government's agents tell him that he could hvae been the channel, save for the fact he decided to get training ASAP)
3. There was a fifth crewmate, someone who Riki was close to, and who remained on the ship while the rest of the party explored. Possibly a scientist. I would prefer a Darynese, but a human would make more sense. And it would tie into the sequal that keeps boucing around, especially if I can pull off a third Darynese.
Am leaning towards mission #2 and victim #3
The basics: The Ankaa is a small FTL ship owneed by the Star by Star Exploration Company, an organization devoted to mapping the heavens, selling colonization/mining rights to new planets/systems to pay for upkeep. Original plan was to have them be a non-profit organization, but they might be an international collaboration (feel free to point out flaws to either). They are based out of Earth, and are mostly human, though Starsailors aren't that rare (Maybe 1 in 20 crewmen -- Starsailors would rather cooperate with other species than start their own in competition.) There might be a few Darynese in the organizaiton, since the Darynese don't have a formal space-exploration program and Daryn has the best relations with Earth. Possibly a few other aliens that have emigrated to a human world.
The crew consistes of Phillee, who is the captain and ship's surgeon (and token Starsailor, form oen of the few mixed colonies); Melody (who needs a last name), her human niece/'adopted daughter' (I can explain their family structure -- it would make more sense them) and communications spacialist (thy have a sort of Universal Translator that requires telepathy to use -- this position is disproportionalty filled by a Starsailor); Rikayo Darenka, the ship's engineer and a Darynese; and Alriai Aborin, the ship's pilot and also Darynese. Melody, Riki and Alri are all in their early 20's -- This is Melody and Riki's first misison, Alri might have done something before. Philee is very experienced and in her early 40s.
Okay, as a result of the plot, the crew ends up in another universe. I have two ideas for how that happens.
1. Someone messes up, and there is an accident. Of course, that begs the question as to why they didn't DIE HORRIBLY, since messing up something like an engine tends to do that. Could be because Riki and Alri are competent, if not experienced.
2. They were doing it deliberatly. 10-some years ago, a pilot by the name of Elise Connor went missing, and happened to lan in this other universe. It could be that once the science guys figured out what happened to her, and that it would be safe to send a ship, a rescue (or at least an investigation) mission could be sent. Riki (and Alri) could be political manuevering by the libral party on Daryn to get Darynese on a high profile mission to boost interest in space -- I wouldn't put it past them. On the other hand, Elise isn't exactly liked by most Darynese (She was the daughter of the ambassador to Daryn 30 years ago, and got involved with a local boy, which was a big scandal, which caused Earth to appoint a new ambassador to keep things civil) -- the politicians on Daryn could manuever it to a family angle (She was married with kids when she disappeared on a mission that was supposed to be totally safe) to keep the heat off of the fact most of conservative Daryn doesn't like her. On the other hand, conservative Daryn could manuever it to point out that a mother shouldn't've taken such risks that would leave her spouse and kids alone for 10+ years. And that space trvael is inheirently risky.
Politics gives me a headache...
Once I work out a mission, I haev to work out who remained on the ship when the local government in that handy alternate universe deicdes the ship is just what it needs to overthrow the opression of the local nature spirits. Part of the bit involves a channel (or channels0 to these spirits created by using an untraiend mage. I have three options.
1. The comic's option. Riki's sister, Elise's daughter and another friend snuck aboard, and were confiend to quarters while the crew explored. They were kidnapped/coerced into being the channel. This begs the question as to how three 12 year olds got aboard without anyone noticng before takeoff. If I go with Mission #2, though, it explains why they are so determined. It also makes things more personal.
2. No one was aboard. The channel is a local, and the group only wants thier ship back. Not sure I can pull off the urgency wihtout a mising person, plus several of Riki's flaws are easiest exposed with a person (he's overly dependant on his psionics, and comes to mistrust the nature spirits when oen of the government's agents tell him that he could hvae been the channel, save for the fact he decided to get training ASAP)
3. There was a fifth crewmate, someone who Riki was close to, and who remained on the ship while the rest of the party explored. Possibly a scientist. I would prefer a Darynese, but a human would make more sense. And it would tie into the sequal that keeps boucing around, especially if I can pull off a third Darynese.
Am leaning towards mission #2 and victim #3
