[PulpHero]

I like writing military sci-fi, but I’ve only ever stuck to short stories. This is mostly because I’ve had trouble brewing an overall reason for war that is interesting (either amongst humans, or between humans and aliens.)
The other day I was sort of browsing Wikipedia at work, and between reading all sorts of entires about the cold war, had an idea for a sci-fi universe to frame many of my ideas in.

The outline idea for my sci-fi universe is this:

Humanity has an interplanetary presence and has come into contact with aliens; Maybe three or four separate races. Humans are about par in technology with the most advanced alien race, however we have come to dominate interspecies relations by making ourselves ruthlessly mysterious.
The strategy of human military operations can be summed up as “information control” and “intimidation”. Humans have diplomats and such, but remain as enigmatic as possible- planetary locations and information about our planets are guarded, woman are strictly forbidden from taking part of groundside military missions or being seen by aliens as part of a campaign to make aliens unsure even of our reproduction, military starships are modified with non-essential parts to confuse alien observers. If someone is killed on a mission or a piece of equipment is disabled, every possible step is taken to destroy it and render information recover impossible. Humans have basically become bullies to alien races. To aliens we appear as a generic “warrior race” (ala Kligons or Halo elites) because they are kept from seeing any other part of our culture.

So when it is discovered that aliens are researching anything about humans- either laboratories, universities, military listening posts, etc. humans launch missions to recover or destroy the alien research and kill aliens involved as part of a continuation of our terror campaign.

We us this terror to make gains of territory and technology with very few concessions on our part; this strategy works fantastically well until a previously unknown alien race shows up with far superior technology to us and proceeds to kick humanity’s ass and the other alien races are less than willing to help us out after our treat of them.

After that my thought process kind of loses steam, but that’s a lot of material for short stories set in one universe.
--
Also I plan to un-ashamedly steal a lot of ideas from Joe Haldeman, specifically the soldierboys from ‘Forever Peace’ (although mine will not have the linked hivemind, but instead one person controlling a squad of semi-automated machines and spreading their consciousness thin). My main character is a former soldierboy pilot turned Intelligence Service agent who is a special kind of interrogator.
He has a cybernetic jack and captured enemies have jacks forcibly installed. Unlike in ‘Forever Peace’ people who are linked together can only read surface thoughts, so the enemy POW is physically tortured and asked information. The theory is that even if someone doesn’t talk due to torture, if the pain is intense enough, they will begin to contemplate giving in and answering questions. At that point, my main character will be able to see the information by their mind link. It is a quick and accurate method of interrogation provided that the interrogators are willing to go to extreme lengths to torture POWs. The linked human agent is also mentally scarred by the process, and so my main character is going to be a bit of an occasional jittery, PTSD having mess.

--

So thoughts? And am I inadvertently ripping off anything well known?

[PulpHero]

ACK! Wrong forum!

[DougFarren]

Wrong forum??? What would be the right forum? So far I like what I've read. Interesting idea. Lot's to work from.

[Sparrow]

I like writing military sci-fi, but I’ve only ever stuck to short stories. This is mostly because I’ve had trouble brewing an overall reason for war that is interesting (either amongst humans, or between humans and aliens.)
The other day I was sort of browsing Wikipedia at work, and between reading all sorts of entires about the cold war, had an idea for a sci-fi universe to frame many of my ideas in.

The outline idea for my sci-fi universe is this:

Humanity has an interplanetary presence and has come into contact with aliens; Maybe three or four separate races. Humans are about par in technology with the most advanced alien race, however we have come to dominate interspecies relations by making ourselves ruthlessly mysterious.
The strategy of human military operations can be summed up as “information control” and “intimidation”. Humans have diplomats and such, but remain as enigmatic as possible- planetary locations and information about our planets are guarded, woman are strictly forbidden from taking part of groundside military missions or being seen by aliens as part of a campaign to make aliens unsure even of our reproduction, military starships are modified with non-essential parts to confuse alien observers. If someone is killed on a mission or a piece of equipment is disabled, every possible step is taken to destroy it and render information recover impossible. Humans have basically become bullies to alien races. To aliens we appear as a generic “warrior race” (ala Kligons or Halo elites) because they are kept from seeing any other part of our culture.

So when it is discovered that aliens are researching anything about humans- either laboratories, universities, military listening posts, etc. humans launch missions to recover or destroy the alien research and kill aliens involved as part of a continuation of our terror campaign.

We us this terror to make gains of territory and technology with very few concessions on our part; this strategy works fantastically well until a previously unknown alien race shows up with far superior technology to us and proceeds to kick humanity’s ass and the other alien races are less than willing to help us out after our treat of them.

After that my thought process kind of loses steam, but that’s a lot of material for short stories set in one universe.


So thoughts? And am I inadvertently ripping off anything well known?



Most of it sounds utterly ridiculous.

Any alien species evolved enough to get here would have no problem finding out how we reproduce, what makes us tick, or basically checking under the hood for anything they needed to know. We couldn't even keep secrets from the Soviets, how much less likely are we to be "ruthlessly mysterious" with aliens?

Also, since when does Humanity become so condensed in thought that they behave as one entity?
Is there no revolution brewing, no traitors to the cause?.. and why in the world would aliens need to play games with us. Given the technology you're talking about they could destroy Earth from many light years away, without ever leaving home.

[PulpHero]

Most of it sounds utterly ridiculous.

Any alien species evolved enough to get here would have no problem finding out how we reproduce, what makes us tick, or basically checking under the hood for anything they needed to know. We couldn't even keep secrets from the Soviets, how much less likely are we to be "ruthlessly mysterious" with aliens?



They never deal with anything except our military. They never see colonies or the inner workings of our of society. The majority of their contact with us is with our spaceships. In ground combat, the majority of the time we use drone fighters and remote controlled 'soldierboy' robots. The times we do send live soldiers down, they are in fully inclosed combat suits and in the case of casualties, the bodies are always recovered of completely destroyed.

All of the "civilian" colonies (Outside of our solar system there are maybe three or for planets, but all within the same solar system) were established long before we contacted aliens, but their locations are distant from aliens and are kept secret.

All of the land we take from aliens in converted into resource collecting or scientific facilities under control of the military. Again, it is kept secret and alien races are discouraged from information collection.

Eventually, with this other alien 'super-race' coming in and fighting us, the facade cracks and the alien races discover that we are not a monolithic warrior race. Humanity's "Terror Policy" is not indefinitely sustainable; that's the point, we try it and it works for a while, but then it bites us in the ass.


Also, since when does Humanity become so condensed in thought that they behave as one entity?Is there no revolution brewing, no traitors to the cause?


Sure there are plenty within our colonies and on earth. But only one military entity has access to the FTL required to move between planetary systems, so the only people that FTL out to alien planets are people who are playing ball with the military.

Again, that's the point, we present ourselves as monolithic and hide our internal fights to appear stronger.


.. and why in the world would aliens need to play games with us. Given the technology you're talking about they could destroy Earth from many light years away, without ever leaving home.

Well, they don't know where earth is, for one. None of the alien races knew where any of our main colonies were until the super-alien race showed up and tracked them down.

The super-race don't immediately destroy us out of hand because they are searching for information about our other planetary locations and our total strength.

[DougFarren]

I tend to agree with Sparrow. Although the concepts you presented are interesting and I can think of several ways to use the idea's laid out, I really don't think humanity (even a single organization such as the military) could ever act in a unilateral manner. We are too free-thinking to act as a cohesive group. Deep down, if you really look at how we react, humans are driven by greed and the need to appear as being better than others. All it would take is one soldier to see an opportunity to rise to the top by selling out the entire human race and it would be over.

On the other hand - I won't say that there isn't something in your idea that can't be applied. Perhaps not in the galaxy-spanning setting you've envisioned, but on a smaller scale. By the way - the concept is not new. As with most ideas in scifi - it's been suggested before. Example - The Nox from Stargate SG1 and a couple of species from the original Star Trek series.

I wouldn't throw the idea into the fire - but it does need some work. You've got to consider how humans think and act from all ends of our virtually infinite spectrum.

[pox]

you can setup the rules how you want, this is frickin sci-fi people.

I say have a punt at a full structure, identify all the inconsistencies, then weave clever totally made up excuses for all those bits through them medium of 'made up science'. Y'know... normal steps innit.

How can we possibly be pulling up a skeleton layout (without an end) for lack of factual consistency in THIS of all forums.

:D

ffs Hamilton brings back frickin Al Capone to use his silky mob skills to take over... ah nevermind...

have a punt mate. I like some of that myself. Do it. I'm running out of books.

[Sparrow]

They never deal with anything except our military. They never see colonies or the inner workings of our of society. The majority of their contact with us is with our spaceships. In ground combat, the majority of the time we use drone fighters and remote controlled 'soldierboy' robots. The times we do send live soldiers down, they are in fully inclosed combat suits and in the case of casualties, the bodies are always recovered of completely destroyed.

You had said some of these aliens have technology on par with our own so why are they allowing their worlds to be colonized? If they've mastered FTL like we have than game over. Technology is always a two-edged sword; you can power a city with a nuclear reactor, tweak that knowledge and you can remove the same city from the face of the earth. If you have FTL then you can presumably destroy entire planets, even annihilate stars.

And really, hundreds of years from now we're still going to be fighting conventional battles?.. I think not. There is simply no need for it. And furthermore, if we can travel faster than the speed of light why not find worlds that have yet to develope sentient life?.. are we just wantonly cruel?

I'll tell you that I'm more partial to the theory of mutually assured destruction than what you're talking about and that is a more logical way to go. Again, if you master FTL you must presume you have mastered other things along the way, you essentially have the keys to the universe. Certain things become obsolete when you've reached the stage of FTL travel.


Anywho, just my opinion.;)

[pox]

both sides having ftl doesn't mean both sides have detected one anothers home planets surely. You can use that. The Art Of War is as valid now as it ever was, and there's plenty of Mil Sci-Fi that's pretty recognizable.

We 'might' just be wantonly cruel. There's loads to explore in that.

'The Almighty Stephen Hawking' (who's a bit of a prick while I'm on that subject) says we should be limiting if not totally terminating our emitted radiation from the planet against just such a scenario the other way round. I don't know if I agree completely but it's fully food for thought.

[Sparrow]

both sides having ftl doesn't mean both sides have detected one anothers home planets surely. You can use that. The Art Of War is as valid now as it ever was, and there's plenty of Mil Sci-Fi that's pretty recognizable.

It wouldn't matter if they figured out where Earth and her colonies were located, and the Art of War is made perhaps not obsolete by FTL and all the weaponry that comes with such devastating technology, but certainly it wouldn't be as we know it today. Don't you get it, FTL technology would also come with weapons that could clear entire quadrants of deep space of all life and manmade machinery. This is to say nothing of biological weapons.
We won't even get into the economics and what kind of insane money it would take to fuel such militarism.

There's nothing wrong with this stuff being incorporated in SF, I read it all the time, but I know what I'm reading... Science Fantasy that is grounded in nothing akin to real science, or military reality.