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Originally Posted by Daniel Hetberg  I'm not quite sure why the discovery of the alien(?) base in the humans' backyard puts pressure on the protagonist. All he has to do is send a radio message to command high up and wait for orders. Or would that be impossible due to funky physics? |
Physics will allow Fleet Command to be notified. The issue is less about the 'ticking bomb' scenario, and more about the 'grab the tiger by the tail' scenario.
The humans are not ready for war. So the discovery of the new base raises the stakes. If they strike first, they might ignite a conflict they can't win. If they don't, then the Khallisari might use the base to launch their own strike.
I've reasoned that it may take too long for a large fleet to arrive and take out the base. So the protagonist, Vanic, may have to shoulder the burden with his own meager forces.
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Originally Posted by iansales What is it about your novel that makes it science fiction? From the blurb above, it could just as easily be set during WWII, with the Japanese instead of the Khallisari. You need some sfnal idea at its core, not just sf furniture. |
sfnal? You lost me. What's 'sfnal'?
Indeed, I am writing a war story analogous to WWII or other past conflicts. I'm not trying to reinvent the literary well with this. Rather, I'm setting the stage for a series of stories surrounding the men and women involved in the Khallisari War.
I originally thought of using a superweapon, instead of a hidden base. But that was such a cliche, I shelved it.