Ocean of Storms: A Timeline of A Scientific America

[BowOfOrion]

I do have a question of why the Patriots weren't used which was a regular thing during the conflict.

On that one, I'll cop a plea. Honestly, I could have made this chapter twice as long as it was. I had originally scripted a scene or two referring to Patriots being used against incoming SCUD's and the interplay of those two dueling systems. (I've seen arguments about the reliability of Patriots in both directions and it's an interesting topic, to be sure.)

The attack on Israel, (I wish I'd have stated this more clearly) was something of a lucky shot. A SCUD that had somehow managed to avoid the myriad levels of defense and struck at a particularly vulnerable moment.

Ramat Gan was actually the site of an attack, but, thankfully, that resulted in far fewer casualties OTL than in TTL.

In the "Director's Cut" version, I'd have thrown in more about Patriot missiles. I also had a black-ops raid on a chemical weapons facility that I had to cut. I wanted to do more with Percy on Mars, but it's tough to write compelling scenes about robots.

As always, thank you all for reading and keep those comments coming.

 

[Mikemcp86]

Just caught back up, didn’t realize you had released the last three chapters. Love the story, and the President greeting the school children for the landing of the Prometheus?

He said it right.

 

[RanulfC]

On that one, I'll cop a plea. Honestly, I could have made this chapter twice as long as it was. I had originally scripted a scene or two referring to Patriots being used against incoming SCUD's and the interplay of those two dueling systems. (I've seen arguments about the reliability of Patriots in both directions and it's an interesting topic, to be sure.) The attack on Israel, (I wish I'd have stated this more clearly) was something of a lucky shot. A SCUD that had somehow managed to avoid the myriad levels of defense and struck at a particularly vulnerable moment.

Oh it happens and arguably Patriots were only marginally effective against HE warheads anyway, tending more to pushing them off-target than anything else but that's in fact WHY they were actually used: To counter any possible gas warheads in the mix. A one cubic inch chunk of high velocity stainless steel really doesn't do much to a solid HE warhead but it will rip up a gas (or bio) warhead quite effectively.

The only 'correction' I'd suggest is making it a "lucky" shot within a high number of other SCUD's which would degrade the defenses. But in context everyone will KNOW they have gas incoming when the Patriots start actually taking out warheads. (And that's another can of worms because "technically" Israel was feared to be ready to "launch on detection" rather than letting the Coalition intervene as they didn't even like the idea of ONE warhead getting through)

In the "Director's Cut" version, I'd have thrown in more about Patriot missiles. I also had a black-ops raid on a chemical weapons facility that I had to cut. I wanted to do more with Percy on Mars, but it's tough to write compelling scenes about robots.

Says the person who wrote just such anyway?

Randy

 

[Its_Marc]

uh oh, the nuclear can of worms has been opened, I wonder what possibilities this may lead to around the world, including further nuclear proliferation by rogue states, and with the collapse of the soviets is just around the corner a nuclear-armed Yugoslavia/post-soviet states is possible. Either way, fantastic chapter, and can't wait for the next

USS America CV-96

Quick little tidbit, I think u made a little typo as USS America's designation is CV-66

 

[BowOfOrion]

Quick little tidbit, I think u made a little typo as USS America's designation is CV-66

Thanks for that. I made a point to look it up and somehow typed it wrong anyways.

Go Big A!