On Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 7:22 PM, Greg Chalik <xxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:
> Tom,
>
> That naval crew members do all sorts of things during cruises is no news,
> but...
> I'm not just talking about learning a new language
> This is learning how to decipher a new language.
> Such a course today is a postgraduate undertaking, i.e. limited to officers
> only, which cuts the number of people likely to take such a course somewhat
> drastically to the 4,433 (see below).
> Then there is the actual need.
> I can understand someone on a scout or research vessel doing something like
> this, but a dreadnaught-class?

Aren't Scout crews assigned to the Navy in time of war?
I could see a Type-S and her crew berthed aboard a Tigress as a courier.
> However, it also seems to me that:
> a. The Imperium Navy will notice a Tigress-class vessel go off the network.
> b. Any number of the functioning fighters and cutters can be rigged to
> launch on routes to Imerium bases using onboard automated flight controls,
> broadcasting SOS-equivalent as they go. Eventually someone somewhere will
> detect and collect one of these, and identify its system-of-origin. A rescue
> mission will not be far off. Certainly it will arrive long before the
> natives have achieved any sort of enlightnment from having a massive
> spaceship drop in on them.

For a sublight small craft, that might take a while to get noticed...

Of course, the flip side is if there's a Courier berthed, then you're
better off sending it for help rather than using it as a language
tool.