what if there was a pair of identical twins that could telepathically communicate with each other in real time with virtually unlimited range? That is their only psionic power, they can only communicate with each other, it is a wild talent that they were born with. What implications would this have? Attempts could be made to clone them, but this would not work, their clones don't have this talent. How could this be used?
Time of the Twins
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NatureDruid
SOC-1
Likely depends on the degree to which the power is volitional and the efficiency with which information could be transferred. For an unscrupulous polity you would of course have the option of keeping them "pressed" into service, though the effectiveness of this probably also depends on other technological advancements that are present. If the telepathy can be "procced" without conscious action from the subjects you could probably have a Minority Report style set-up where drugged psychics relay critical information. If you have a mind-machine interface things get a bit more fun; you can immediately transcribe psychically received information into electronic formats instead of relying on the telepaths to verbally relate everything. This also gives you the option of routing less important information through them as well. If having slaved telepaths hooked up 24/7 is logistically or ethically untenable their (presumably well-paid) service would probably be more limited, but still invaluable if there are no other means of FTL communication.
To be honest, telepathy doesn't make for a half-bad ansible in sci-fi, there are plenty of ways for the author to spice things up and comes with some built-in options for limitations (i.e., a space internet seems unlikely, but space telegraph works out). With technologically-mediated psi the matter becomes even more interesting; banks of "jacked-in" telepaths lost in trances or perhaps machines (self-aware or not) capable of psychical activity? These sorts of questions really put "psionics" back into its position as a routinization and systematization of psi powers rather than solely the abilities themselves. For better or worse, Traveller has generally focused on the latter.
Proneutron
SOC-13
Making book on sporting events happening in other star systems. Since it is known what the earliest time in which communication from X parsecs can arrive . People probably place bets on events that have already happened but cannot know the outcome for many days.
Yes, that is how it starts, but if they make a lot of money over sports betting, other people will start to notice, interested parties, Imperial Intelligence for example, they will start noticing that someone is getting information faster than they should and they will become very interested.
The Imperium could use some instantaneous communication, if it comes in the form of a psionic capability, they will take it, and they will start looking for other twins with similar abilities.
Proneutron
SOC-13
You don't make bets you TAKE them and set the odds slightly better for your company than competitors. Odds are nothing will be dome as you are not constantly winning like if you were places bets yourself on a win lose basis.
Making book refers to a bookie "who facilitates gambling, most commonly on sporting events. A bookie sets odds, accepts, and places bets, and pays out winnings on behalf of other people."
Then the Imperium Intelligence Service will take longer to notice, but they will notice. It's not that it's illegal, but the Imperium would love to have this capability, and if they find one pair of twins, they will look for others, if they can get a bunch of them, they would have an early warming system for things such as an invasion of the Imperium, Imperium naval ships can respond faster. Ships can be move faster to the invading force stacking the odds and numbers in favor of the Imperium if their opponents lack this capacity.
MThompson016
SOC-12
I'm reminded of Heinlein's Time for the Stars, where telepathy, particularly twin telepathy, is the only method of FTL communication.
It would be something the Imperium would want for both nefarious and benign purposes.
It would be something the Imperium would want for both nefarious and benign purposes.
That's where I remember this very thing! Thanks. I can remember that the star-faring one came back not as aged as the one who stayed behind. Not applicable for Traveller.
kilemall
SOC-14 5K
The converse would be true- the Zhos in particular would likely have a network of such twins as they actually develop psionics systematically and would likely pick/accelerate twins for training and promotion, conferring a really big advantage.
Very pampered, very important people, And very watched, very controlled, very much killed on risk of capture to avoid falling into the 'wrong hands'. The 3I must not know anything of the program.
Mongoose Traveller, I'm looking at you for your upcoming Fifth Frontier War redo. This could be a major story line, just severing/blowing up this link would be a HUGE strategic element and put the Zhos to major advantage.
Maybe it is, the Imperium has the capability for relativistic space travel, its not used much, but if the twins are like a wormhole. One gets time dilated and the other does not, the one that does not becomes like a seer, seeing the future through his twins eyes., lets say it involves something like quantum entanglement, maybe a microscopic wormhole is used there.
Here's an idea, the Imperium captures a set of twins, builds a starship equipped for relativistic space travel and sends one of the twins into the future, it happens to be the New Era setting, after rummaging through the ruins, the twin in the future traces it all back to the assassination of Emperor Stephron, the Imperial authorities arrest the would be assassin before he completes his act and the assassination doesn't happen, the future twin is stuck in the New Era setting, he can still communicate with his brother in the past, he informs him that ss far as he can tell, the timeline he is in has not changed. What could happen next?
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I think Emperor Stephon has a guilty conscious, the twins have saved his life and the Third Imperium, and he wants to make it up to the twins, he says to the left behind twin, "Ask your brother, how would he like to be Emperor of the Fourth Imperium in his Universe?' He says he can put together a team of researchers to determine what might exist in the New Era which might allow him to build the Fourth Imperium. There are a series of vaults within the Third Imperium that were placed in case of just such an emergency, they could be used to rebuild civilization if the future twin can find them, he gives their locations to the left behind twin so he can relay them to his brother.
Proneutron
SOC-13
No, as they aren't public bets the Imperium doesn't micromanage member planets in that way. They aren't the local gov.
More like a CIA than an FBI, they may not have local control, but I sure they will have intelligence assets to monitor what's going on in each member world.
Under MT, the max read thoughts range is 1 AU (Interplanetary Range). Telempathy or life detection is 1000 AU. One can get oneself with gear and equipment further - 100k AU. You'd need a PSR 16 for 1 Pc Teleport, and PSR 17 for 2 Pc.
The rules don't specify if telepathy is FTL, =C, or STL. Teleportation, however, is explicitly "instantaneous"... A dedicated team could relay for 1 Pc... but watch out when the nobility finds out you've been doing so...
1 Pc = 206265 AU...
so for teleport, you need 3 teleporters with PSR 15 (either natural or via drugs) and Teleport, two ships, and a lot of chutzpah.
Proneutron
SOC-13
do nothing as that isn't what the Imperial intel service works on. Just like the CIA doesn't keep track of bookies in Peoria...
Okay, how rich does someone have to get before the Imperium starts to notice? What if a private individual puts together a trillion credit squadron off of the money he made with sports betting, and not only that, financial transaction guided by insider information. If someone becomes a multi-trilionaire and starts hiring shipyards to build fleet carriers fighter squadrons, and battleships, does it become an Imperial concern then?
As I said, a wormhole is involved, so the distance through the wormhole is less than outside of it.
Another take on the psionic link, a bit more broad base is Catherine Asaro's (reasonably hard science fiction) Skolian Empire, which has a psiberweb that allows instant communication, but not precognition, but only for the Skolians. Which gives them a much-needed advantage in their war against the larger enemy (Euban Concordat? or something like that). Also, psions of the needed ability are very rare, and the psiberweb depends on specially-bred super-psions, who became the ruling family.
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