Cam: yes, exactly.

Psion: whoof! What a bunch of questions! Some of the areas you hit are
areas we're still discussing. We *will* have jump-drive technology using
hyperspace. About 5 klicks away from B-5 is a...well, I haven't yet decided
WHAT to call it...it's a jump-point through which most ships enter normal
space to approach B-5 from hyperspace. There are two constructs, about a half-
mile long each, paralleling each other, and both fairly thin, which produce a
dampening field that helps ships decelerate as they come out of hyperdrive.
The effect as the ships come through the jump point should be quite
spectacular.

We do plan to touch on some of the medical/biological issues you raise,
though that'll have to wait for the series, naturally. I thnk that's a VERY
fertile area for not only scientific and story exploration, but sets some
profound moral and human questions as well.

The technology on ships and weaponry will not be consistent. I think
this is very important. In ST, the technology levels are all pretty
standard...phasers/disrupters, and warp drives and transporters...except for
the packaging they could all be buying from the same K-Mart.

We're devising as many new technologies as we can, and dividing them up
between the different species/groups. Each group is constantly trying to
upgrade to the next level, and get the other group's technology. We even have
tech-runners, smugglers who trade primarily in data.

As for the look of things...I like things bulky and functional. I want a
gun that looks like it WORKS. I want uniforms with POCKETS. A too-clean
future doesn't interest me.

How's that for a start?

jms