Colonization: A Wrench in the Works

Lots of people have thrown in their two cents worth (several dollars
worth, in several cases).
One thing that occured to me that I don't think anyone has mentioned
yet, and that will probably earn me a letter bomb, is teleportation.
There was a series called The Expendables by someone whose name I forget
which suggested that a group of people was sent by slow travel to a
prospective colony planet to check it out and construct a teleportation
device. Once the teleportation device was in place, colonists could come
and they could go home. 

Now, obviously this doesn't fit the Tuffleyverse, but it doesn't leak at
the seams quite as badly as you might expect, either. If you assume that
these teleportation systems cannot be "cracked" by third parties (in
other words, you can only get access from a specific terminal to a
specific terminal, or otherwise safeguarded), then all the
star-traveling hardware of FT is still needed (to conquer other people's
planets, if for no other reason). It makes it rather simple to move
good, people and military hardware around between planets, though,
doesn't it?

This is just bringing  up an idea from old SF; it isn't meant as a
serious suggestion for FT. But it might stimulate someone else to come
up with something more plausible.

Edward Lipsett
elipsett@intercomltd.com