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"The point sticks in your head: physics rules. Virtue does not triumph unless the physics allows it."
- Larry Niven
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| Claim Beacon | ||
| A electronic device that proclaims that a planet has been claimed by a given party. |
| "This is an outrage, you five-eyed bandit!" the assistant military
attache yelled, thrusting to the fore.
"This planet was discovered by a
Corps scouting vessel! It belongs to
us." "I shall overlook your tone, Major," the Groaci whispered acidly, "induced no doubt by envy at my race's superior optical endowments and simply inquire whether any Terran claim to the world was ever registered with the appropriate tribunals?" "Of course not," Pennyfool snapped. "We didn't want every claim-jumping Tom, Dick and Irving in this end of the Arm swarming in here to see what they could loot."
 (Shilth the Groaci from 'Retief, the Long-Awaited Master' by Keith Laumer) "An unfortunate oversight." "But the Survey boat planted a claim beacon. You must have seen it." "Dear me, now that you mention it I seem to recall my chaps vaporizing some sort of electronic noise-maker which was interfering with radio reception. Too bad that not a trace remains." |
| Technovelgy from Retief, the Long-Awaited Master,
by Keith Laumer. Published by Worlds of IF in 1969 Additional resources -
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'This was their world, their planet — this swift-traveling, yet seemingly moveless vessel.'
'Gaines and Harvey mounted tumblebugs, and kept abreast of the Cadet Captain...'
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