I am very glad to hear that OSC is going to be having Bean and the Ender/Peter character meet up at some point in time after CotM.
It would make sense to me that Bean would rejoin the new Peter/Ender after a long journey FTL. If for no other reason than using the same "trick" that they used to create the re-colada in Xenocide, they could easily create a "Anton's Key Fix" for Bean and his progeny in the same manner.
Ender/Peter is more then likley going to need Bean's assistance, or his children's assistance in fixing what's broke back on Earth anyway.
What would be interesting would be to see who is pulling the strings back on earth. Which of the Jeesh have also elected to FTL.
It almost seems that FTL is the new somec.
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
All depends on whether I have Bean, rather than just Bean's children, still alive at that point. The problem is, if Bean is still alive, then his children are still babies; if his children are older, Bean has to have long since died.
Posted by Sid Meier (Member # 6965) on :
Darn, but wait i haven't read SotG yet because its not yet availiable at my local chapters but ya if Bean's children have Antons Key then wont they be extraordinary intelligent so that you can still have good character and plot development for them? Just thinking what pops into my head here.
Posted by TheHumanTarget (Member # 7129) on :
There are ways around the argument that Bean must be dead for his children to have grown. Perhaps he could be frozen, like a popsicle, Mmmm...jello pudding pops.
Posted by AntiCool (Member # 7386) on :
It was already alluded to in SotG that freezing people just doesn't work. It was something along the lines of "It's a shame that cryogenics turned out to be such a dead end."
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
The other option is that, once he's had the pleasure of raising his children for a bit, he decides that he's okay with Volescu's "monster" option -- if just to see how they turn out -- and lets himself become a gigantic, monstrous, throbbing brain, growing to spill across the heart of the weightless starship.
Of course, that nudges the whole concept towards really, really creepy.
Posted by TheHumanTarget (Member # 7129) on :
Well, okay then, no freezing. Has it been stated that all relatavistic travel occurs at the same speed? Would it be possible to separate Bean from his children, moving at two different speeds?
Posted by AntiCool (Member # 7386) on :
That would be possible if the IF gave them two ships.
Of course, that would be abandoning the babies to raise themselves. While they could probably handle it (Bean himself did), I don't think Bean would do that.
Posted by TheHumanTarget (Member # 7129) on :
Perhaps Mazer flew with Bean, watched the babies, etc. I'm sure OSC could figure something out without stretching the limits of credibility. I mean, we are talking about a genius who never stops growing flying in a faster than light spaceship. Posted by IdemosthenesI (Member # 862) on :
This is SO not a problem. Just give 'em some somec! Posted by Reykjavik (Member # 7494) on :
... one other thought...
Volescu should end up on the world of Path. If for no other reason than it's a good way for the planet to end up with it's strange form of OCD.
*a bored mind is a terrible thing to waste*
Posted by Reykjavik (Member # 7494) on :
I suppose if Bean were to go the weightless route, he could choose to die at a time of his own choosing.
It depends on how long he feels indebted to be around for his children.
If the children are gown, then it is going to be too late for bean. If Bean is still alive, then the children will still be very young.
The des/re-colada fix would only undo the genetic modifications, and would only effect the future growth of the child/adult. In Bean's case, any more than a few months of time, and it's going to be too late. That of course barring any miracle's of science... or Bean pulling a Miro.
It may allow the children of the Legume to live out faily normal lives, but in the end it maybe/is too late for Bean.
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
I think Jane should be important. Bean did have a hand in her creation, somewhat.
Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :
Myeh, Bean should just ditch them on a planet, and keep on flying, like turtles laying eggs on a beach, and waiting for them to come back.
But not really.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
"Volescu should end up on the world of Path. If for no other reason than it's a good way for the planet to end up with it's strange form of OCD."
I still say that Volescu, based on his last conversation with Bean, should go on to make the descolada. It's right up his alley. Posted by MidnightBlue (Member # 6146) on :
quote: ... or Bean pulling a Miro
But Miro was holding onto the image he had of himself, which was what he was like before his accident. Would Bean have a not messed up version of himself? Oh, the possibilities...
Posted by ChaosTheory (Member # 7069) on :
Or maybe Bean could still be alive and his children would still be babies, and the Ribeiera/Wiggen family help raise them, and then Bean falls in love with Quara or Ela. Or something like that.?
Posted by MidnightBlue (Member # 6146) on :
He wouldn't remarry.
(No justification necessay, I just know it's true. )
Posted by Catseye1979 (Member # 5560) on :
*SotG Spoilers*
Something just struck me. Bean went into space to be in zero Gavity so that he would live longer. That would mean that his kids are growing up in Zero gravity. In battle school even with the low gravity they had to work out in the gym to keep their musles and bones from degenerating (and even then there was a little, I belive Petra had to deal with that fact when she came back to earth) , so growing up in zero gravity would really hamper the phisical development of Beans kids kids.
(Sorry for the bad spelling)
Posted by iago_morgan (Member # 7508) on :
wasn't Jane created by the formics before they were blown to bits as a link/bridge to Ender? where was it gotten that she was semi-created by Bean?
Posted by AntiCool (Member # 7386) on :
**spoilers**
The Jane that the formics created wasn't sentient, even though it had a soul thread (whatever those were called). From what we see in SotG and Investment Counselor, it apperas that Jane only reaches sentience after the game program is allowed to run autonomously for a long time as a glorified stock picker for Ender's money. Bean had a hand in making that happen.
[ March 14, 2005, 11:09 AM: Message edited by: AntiCool ]
Posted by Stray (Member # 4056) on :
The thought of Bean "pulling a Miro" definitely entered my mind. It's the only way he could live much longer at all, really (according to his subjective timeline, that is).
Posted by iago_morgan (Member # 7508) on :
oh...ok, i'll buy that for a dollar.
Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :
Cats, Yeah, the babies wouldn't be able to develop normally (or probably at all - they'd most likely die pretty quickly) in a zero g environment. But then again, Bean would have some pretty major issues in all zero g too. However, OSC's established that they can do some pretty freaky things with manipulating gravity and if there's one person who could figure out how to use this stuff to both keep himself alive by not overstraining his body and provide a environment where his children's development will not be really messed up, it's Bean.
Posted by AntiCool (Member # 7386) on :
Unfortunately, Bean doesn't have much of a science background.
Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :
Well, I wouldn't figure that it'd be too hard for him to pick up. I mean, they must have already incorporated the gravity manipulation for long term space voyages (probably including children and even pregnant women) for the colony ships. All he'd need to do is figure out what he needed and develop a geographic plan that would meet all the requirements. He's super-mega smart right now, even in comparison to during the Formic war, so I think that he'd be able to pick up the science needed in very short order.
Posted by AntiCool (Member # 7386) on :
quote:Well, I wouldn't figure that it'd be too hard for him to pick up
If he just "picked up" a strong science foundation and advanced physics, I think it would strain credibility, especially since Bean doesn't have years and years to do it.
[ March 14, 2005, 12:59 PM: Message edited by: AntiCool ]
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
They specifically mention in this book that the ship on which Bean flies is equipped with gravity generators.
Posted by AntiCool (Member # 7386) on :
True, but that doesn't necessarily fix everything. Can the gravity generators make it so that it is 0G in one part of the ship (for Bean), and higher gravity in another part of the ship for his kids?
Posted by Catseye1979 (Member # 5560) on :
That would be the only solution I could think of. Zero Gravity in on section then another section of the ship with gravity that would work the same way the Gym did at battle school. A place to work out and keep the bones strong.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
"Can the gravity generators make it so that it is 0G in one part of the ship (for Bean), and higher gravity in another part of the ship for his kids?"
That's what I figured.
Posted by MidnightBlue (Member # 6146) on :
quote: Ender/Peter is more then likley going to need Bean's assistance, or his children's assistance in fixing what's broke back on Earth anyway.
quote: All depends on whether I have Bean, rather than just Bean's children, still alive at that point. The problem is, if Bean is still alive, then his children are still babies; if his children are older, Bean has to have long since died.
What if Bean met up with Ender/Peter, and one or more of his kids without his condition met up with them as well? Would that strain credibility? Would the other kid(s) accept a father who they never knew, and is possibly younger than they are?
Edit: And (looking back at the quote) what's broken on Earth?
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