Bechimo
In which Bechimo leaves Codrescu.
There are some intriguing hints in Bechimo’s flashback. Joyita being removed from the project early. The Uncle seeing things differently from the Builders (and perhaps an implication that he too has been removed from the project?). Another mention of that subetheric communication method. And, more prosaically, the origin of Bechimo’s habit of referring to “mere ships”.
This is not an occasion for petty point-scoring, so if anybody noticed it’s wise of them not to say so, but it amuses me that Eylot Control call Theo “First Class Pilot Theo Waitley”, when in less fraught circumstances they would likely have said that they don’t recognise Theo’s qualification.
PA: Another mention of that subetheric communication method.
Indeed. But besides that is mentioned that Joyita tells him: I am placing this item, which is a communication module permitting access to the subetheric reaches used by old devices, devices used in the building of autonomous units and semiautonomous units which may be found here and there throughout space. These permit you, Bechimo, to command and control these items, and to access other levels of your own memory systems. [emphasis mine]
What are these old devices? We have heard nothing further about this, nor has Bechimo encountered any of the devices—has he? Why hasn’t this ability been developed though the plot? Will it remiain dangling tantalizingly before us readers?
Since ships are still using subethric drives for their spaceships at least parts of that technology have survived up to the current time. And even if technology has changed / been developed somewhat over time the characteristic that makes this drive unit subethric is still without alternative.
To me that reads as at least some lower levels of subethric tech having survived, while higher levels of that same technology have been disregarded as being too dangerous or forgotten completely for lack of specialized equip or expertise in that field. And it remains a guess if that disregarding or forgetting has happed directly after migration or at some later time. At a guess I would believe the bad old days of the war and the area directly after (when the Logistic laws were formulated) as a time to throw dangerous knowledge overboard.
So is all the OLD tech the Scouts are collecting all from the old universe or might some of those be just pre-war?
@Bechimo encountering these devices
Oh – of course he encountered them. Several times. Or is this not as clear as I thing? Did I misunderstand something?
Communication with the old ships while he was lonely. Old Tech used by the DoI against Win Ton and Bechimo. Cantra’s ship Dance – that had capabilities but refrained from activating them. The remains of Orbital Aid 31 (was it 31 or 30?) that failed at forming a (properly low level and harmless) subethric communication net because too many parts of that network were damaged or destroyed.
@ short story “Excerpts from two lives”– in Star Destroyers
Has anyone read this?
While on the first look it has little to do with our Liaden universe there is a culture – militarily organized and competitive – with at least clear memory of the migration and some “rescued library” containing Sherican knowledge. And at least some people there want to establish their independence and superiority over Terran and Liaden planets/society. So some of their scientist try to resurrect and use Sherican tech for Terraforming planets – encountering difficulties in controlling and containing it.
Where in the post-migration universe and especially “When” – remains guesswork.
Othin, I didn’t know about this short story. Thanks for pointing it out!
Oh, and btw, I had not forgotten that Bechimo had likely been in contact with other old ships, but I was thinking more of seeing him interact with Old Tech “devices.” Remind me where we see the Orbital Aid devices? Do we see Bechimo communicate with them or with Spiral Dance either (although the “glitch” they discover in his Struven unit “may” indicate that he called the ship in from the Old Universe).