December Q&A (Answers) (Patreon)

Here are the Q&A Answers for December!

Isn't it dangerous for The Ophelia to let Asher go down to the dark world they're investigating at the beginning? If something unforeseen had happened to him, would they have been able to get out of the black hole? I can imagine it would be difficult to stop him, but from a logistic standpoint, isn't he their only way to fold space?

Short answer:

Yes they would have been able to get out of the black hole. Their ability to do that has nothing to do with Asher.

Yes, he is their only way to fold space but they have other methods of travel.

He doesn't stay sequestered on the ship because he gets to be treated like the rest of the crew. But generally he wouldn't be sent down if they thought it was very dangerous.

Long answer:

gets out the whiteboard

So to clarify, the ship uses the EM drive for getting in and out of black holes. This isn't the same as folding space. The EM drive uses a form of exotic matter to hold off the effects of the black hole and keep the crew partially attached to real space so they can find their way out. This has nothing to do with Asher's ability.

Asher both pilots the ship normally as well as functions as the ship's Virtuoso. These are two separate (but related) roles.

All ships in this setting are capable of multiple forms of travel:

• normal FTL

• Meridian boosted FTL

• the Gate system

• by fold (Virtuosos)

Fold is the fastest way to travel and the most versatile in that it's not limited by the formation of natural wormholes. It's limited, however, by the range and stamina of Virtuosos as well as the fact that...there aren't a lot of Virtuosos relatively speaking.

Wormhole is the second fastest way of travel but is limited by the location of the wormholes and the gates needed to access them.

Meridians are next and they are used to boost how fast the ship can go on its own. They can reach much higher super luminal speeds in the meridians but it's considered quite slow on a galactic scale.

Finally, the ship can reach FTL (faster than light) speeds on its own. Just...not really fast enough to not be incredibly slow on galactic levels.

So if Asher were to randomly get sucked out an airlock, the ship wouldn't be stranded forever. They'd use the meridians to get to the nearest far gate they could find so they could back into the nexus and back home.

It would just take a while.

A lot of ships have Virtuosos who fold space and a separate "normal" pilot who pilots the ship when the Virtuoso is not being used. Asher fills both these roles on The Ophelia.

Asher going on planet-side missions does come up in a tertiary sort of way at one point but it really comes down to worker rights and not treating him like equipment.

Guild Virtuosos aren't allowed to do much of anything but stay sequestered on the ship during assignment. Asher gets treated like a person because R&J are good employers. But they all do acknowledge if anything happens to him, it would mean a very, very slow crawl back to the mainlines using the meridians and whatever far gates are nearby.

Which LIs would wear lingerie? Which LIs like to see their SO in it?

Would wear it: Asher, Yren, Raif

Would not be keen: Daaz, Noel, Kav

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Want to see their SO in it: Asher, Kav

Are happy to see their SO in it but wouldn't necessarily ask for it: Noel, Yren

Are fine either way: Daaz, Raif