Anybody want to help me invent a new branch of the military? - Page 10

fjtorres · 11-30-2012, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nancy Fulda

I wonder whether I can co-opt the rest of the Zodiac signs as descriptors for other military units. The special ops teams are LEOs. Could the heavy artillery spacecraft be TAURUSes? And the cyberwarfare teams be SCORPIOs? Because using astrological constellations to describe orbital combatants would be just too cool.

Time to go acronym hunting.

Well, if you're going that way you may as well go hunt for an acronym for Zodiac.
Or if you don't mind a cheat, SODiAC. (Space Operations DIvision Alliance Command, for example. )
And if you're going to cheat (*I* would) the unit names don't have to be spelled exactly (or completely) as the zodiac signs. All you need is for the troops themselves to pronounce the acronym that way. (Otherwise, you just "might* have a problem with Sagitarius and Capricorn.

)

A bigger cheat would be to go with the abbreviations for the units--Sag, Cap, Acua, Scor, etc--enough for the troops to start joking about their zodiacal sign. All strongly discouraged by the high brass, of course...

Freeshadow · 11-30-2012, 05:25 PM

Making the hack-mils in space different than those planet-based, only makes sense if you want the cyber warfare team to be specialized on something specific for space conditions.
E.g. hacks into board systems of enemy units:
Computer assisted boarding

"Cabbie can you get us in? Think so sir, I'm probing their maintenance bot exits now."

theducks · 11-30-2012, 11:27 PM

Watch out, Piers Anthony.
We have a groaner war a startn'

Nancy Fulda · 12-19-2012, 05:26 AM

Dang. Story got rejected by the editors who invited me to submit -- not enough emphasis on technology.

Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it will allow me to break out of the 10,000 length limit and explore a couple of side issues I had to prune for the original submission. Kind of a bummer anyway, though...

DustyDisks · 12-19-2012, 09:24 AM

Keep up the fight! And as you do you will learn much!

fjtorres · 12-19-2012, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nancy Fulda

Dang. Story got rejected by the editors who invited me to submit -- not enough emphasis on technology.

Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it will allow me to break out of the 10,000 length limit and explore a couple of side issues I had to prune for the original submission. Kind of a bummer anyway, though...

I *was* wondering how you were going to shoehorn all those concepts into a short story. Your milieau really sounds like it's better suited to a full novel.
Some ideas just need elbow room.

Go gettem!

ApK · 12-19-2012, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjtorres

I *was* wondering how you were going to shoehorn all those concepts into a short story. Your milieau really sounds like it's better suited to a full novel.
Some ideas just need elbow room.

Go gettem!

I disagree. The short story is just about my favorite form when done well, and I think this was done very well on a lot of points. Not say there couldn't be some important stuff added, but I hope you don't go TOO far over 10000 words!

Nancy Fulda · 12-19-2012, 02:26 PM

Thanks, everybody. And a special thanks to ApK for taking time to read and give feedback on the draft.

I'm thinking the final length will fall at about 14,000 words, with room in the milieu for a novel or two down the road. (Like I don't have enough projects already. Pooh.) Figure I'll send it over to Sheila at Asimov's once it's done. I've never asked her whether she likes military fiction, but come on... who can resist zero-gee combat scenes?

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11-30-2012, 05:25 PM	#137
Freeshadow temp. out of service Posts: 2,818 Karma: 24285242 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Duisburg (DE) Device: PB 623	Making the hack-mils in space different than those planet-based, only makes sense if you want the cyber warfare team to be specialized on something specific for space conditions. E.g. hacks into board systems of enemy units: Computer assisted boarding "Cabbie can you get us in? Think so sir, I'm probing their maintenance bot exits now."

11-30-2012, 11:27 PM	#138
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,267 Karma: 61916422 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Watch out, Piers Anthony. We have a groaner war a startn'

12-19-2012, 05:26 AM	#139
Nancy Fulda I write stories. Posts: 700 Karma: 16437432 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern Germany Device: kindle	Dang. Story got rejected by the editors who invited me to submit -- not enough emphasis on technology. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it will allow me to break out of the 10,000 length limit and explore a couple of side issues I had to prune for the original submission. Kind of a bummer anyway, though...

12-19-2012, 09:24 AM	#140
DustyDisks Old Fart In Training Posts: 534 Karma: 2742476 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Gladewater, Texas Device: K3+3g/KFHD 7"/Nexus 7/Nexus 7.2	Keep up the fight! And as you do you will learn much!

12-19-2012, 02:26 PM	#143
Nancy Fulda I write stories. Posts: 700 Karma: 16437432 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern Germany Device: kindle	Thanks, everybody. And a special thanks to ApK for taking time to read and give feedback on the draft. I'm thinking the final length will fall at about 14,000 words, with room in the milieu for a novel or two down the road. (Like I don't have enough projects already. Pooh.) Figure I'll send it over to Sheila at Asimov's once it's done. I've never asked her whether she likes military fiction, but come on... who can resist zero-gee combat scenes?

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