Re: FW: London Times Article

Nyrath the nearly wise wrote:

> JRebori682@aol.com wrote:
> > Second) I recall just recently reading a short story about the
capture of a space ship by a piratical force. Needing to decide on where
to go for thier next attack, they discover a set of encyclopedias and
the salesman for them. He shows them an entry for a pleasant,
unprotected, and rich planet not too far from thier present location.
After they leave to go after this plum. the salesman reveals to the
outraged crew that the place doesn't exist and in fact was inserted into
the book to catch plagarists. They inform the "space patrol" types of
the destination of the pirates, and they are caught. Might be a useful
start to a scenario design.
>
>	  Actually, that was also the general plot of one of Fred
Saberhagen's
>	  Berserker stories.  It was entitled something like
>	  "The destruction of Ankor Efelion".

More precisely, the encyclopedia salesman offers a list of worlds in the
general region to accompany the warship disposition recovered from one
of the escorts.  A very rich planet is in the sector, but it is not
mentioned on the list of defended systems.  The raiders immediately head
off for that system, as they need to go plunder an industrial world for
spare parts and have only a limited radius of travel before their FTL
gives out.

The other survivors in the lifeboat intend to space the traitor; until
he explains how encyclopedias protect their intellectual property.  The
reason that there are no warships defending Angkor Apeiron is that the
star system does not exist.

"The Annihilation of Angkor Apeiron", from the short story anthology
"The Ultimate Enemy".  This collection has my favourite Beserker story:
"Wings Out of Shadow".