Re: In space, no one can hear you explode...

>At 15:52 5/5/98, John Leary wrote:
[snip]

>A few thoughts:
>
>1) These rescue ships would probably only exist in built-up (Class 1 or
2
>shipyard) systems, I would think. Otherwise, it'll just be the
surviving
>fleet doing it's own cleanup work. I guess I've always thought of the
FT
>Universe in terms of the colonization of the Americas in the
1500-1600s,
>hence specilized support services won't exist outside big trading ports
>and/or military bases. The smaller colonies might have volunteers
>available, and they may get good at rescuing people... but probably
aren't
>going to have the facilities to track down, recover and treat survivors
of
>major fleet engagements.
>
[more snippage]

I would think that rescue ships would be a small portion of a fleet's
supply train. The comments concerning the vast size of space are
entirely
on target, and almost no planet-based rescue operation is going to
arrive
in time, or have an easy job of finding survivors.

If we assume that the ships use their personell shuttles for rescue ops
-
or have a dedicated rescue ship trailing for large enough fleets - then
it
would be in their best interest to pick up all survivors, friends and
enemy
alike.

This way you can have prisoner exchanges to get your crews back - ala
1800's.

Actually, there's some pretty interesting scenario ideas right there:
1) Rescue operations interrupted by a couter-offensive.
2) Prisoner exchange gone wrong - or "crashed" by a third party

Schoon