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Possible way to take out the OBS...

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Possible way to take out the OBS...
Post by Morden   » Fri Aug 22, 2014 6:38 am

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It would be very risky, but I think it would be theoretically possible for Merlin and OWL to develop a special variant of nanites that would be able to devour the OBS or at least specific parts of it.

And due to the size of them, they could be almost impossible for the defences to intercept.

Or failing that, they could be designed to block the sensor systems of the OBS and render it completely blind.

The risk however is not being able to control them completely, but there could be potential even if it would take a substantial amount of time.

and now I'm going to let you guys and girls pick great big holes in this :-)
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Re: Possible way to take out the OBS...
Post by AncientMariner   » Fri Aug 22, 2014 1:13 pm

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...And the human race meets its demise, not at the hands of the dreaded Gbaba, but in a Grey Goo Apocalypse! :shock:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_goo

Seriously though, there's been so much speculation on how to take that thing out, I'm really curious to see how RFC resolves it. My guess is that it's going to be disarmed in some way once Charis controls the Temple. Much more than that I don't dare guess...
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Re: Possible way to take out the OBS...
Post by Boronian   » Fri Aug 22, 2014 1:38 pm

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IIRC Merlin tried to send some snarcs to the OBS but they got detected and destroyed.
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Re: Possible way to take out the OBS...
Post by OlorinNight   » Fri Aug 22, 2014 1:43 pm

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While the nanite idea seems tempting, I can see a few risk in it:

If you manage to get to the OBS and start destroying its components one by one, you may very well provoke a disfunctionnement of the OBS that may start shooting. Chances of it may be remote, but it seems too risky for me.

I do have another idea: put yourself in space way of of its range, and go pick up small asteroïds (hundreds or even thousands of them) and send them with a high velocity directlyto the OBS. A sort of Kinetic weapon combined with saturation in order to prevent the OBS to destroy all of them before they could reach it.

repeat this as many time as you need it to to take the whole system down, and you may get rid of it...
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Re: Possible way to take out the OBS...
Post by Boronian   » Fri Aug 22, 2014 1:50 pm

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OlorinNight wrote:I do have another idea: put yourself in space way of of its range, and go pick up small asteroïds (hundreds or even thousands of them) and send them with a high velocity directlyto the OBS. A sort of Kinetic weapon combined with saturation in order to prevent the OBS to destroy all of them before they could reach it.

repeat this as many time as you need it to to take the whole system down, and you may get rid of it...


It seems a little difficult to me to control so many asteroids at the same time or to get them on their way in such a period that the OBS' defenses get saturated.
It even could have a sort of dead-man switch if it weren't deactivated by the temple.
And your argument with the nanites causing a malfunction in the OBS counts here too.
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Re: Possible way to take out the OBS...
Post by Duckk   » Fri Aug 22, 2014 1:52 pm

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As Boronian already posted, the OBS shot down one of Merlin's SNARCs. It'll have no problem shooting down asteroids.

Besides, I don't think Merlin even has anything which is capable of interplanetary travel. All of his vehicles appear to be orbital or less.
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Re: Possible way to take out the OBS...
Post by OlorinNight   » Fri Aug 22, 2014 2:48 pm

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Duckk wrote:As Boronian already posted, the OBS shot down one of Merlin's SNARCs. It'll have no problem shooting down asteroids.

Besides, I don't think Merlin even has anything which is capable of interplanetary travel. All of his vehicles appear to be orbital or less.


I agree it won't have any problem shooting down asteroïds. The question is: if you send enough of them at the same time, will it have the time to shoot ALL of them before they collide??

One possible way would be to use only a few very big asteroïds Inside which you have placed a small nuke. You send them on their way to the OBS, and then you detonate it, fragmenting it in smaller and more numerous rock of all size.

A sort of spatial grapeshot....
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Re: Possible way to take out the OBS...
Post by Theemile   » Fri Aug 22, 2014 4:37 pm

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OlorinNight wrote:I agree it won't have any problem shooting down asteroïds. The question is: if you send enough of them at the same time, will it have the time to shoot ALL of them before they collide??

One possible way would be to use only a few very big asteroïds Inside which you have placed a small nuke. You send them on their way to the OBS, and then you detonate it, fragmenting it in smaller and more numerous rock of all size.

A sort of spatial grapeshot....


So you are advocating throwing a massive rock at something in low planetary orbit and exploding a nuke in it just moments before it strikes.....

There are MUCH easier wasy to commit suicide without starting a planetary fire storm with asteroidal grapeshot. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face....
******
RFC said "refitting a Beowulfan SD to Manticoran standards would be just as difficult as refitting a standard SLN SD to those standards. In other words, it would be cheaper and faster to build new ships."
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Re: Possible way to take out the OBS...
Post by OlorinNight   » Fri Aug 22, 2014 5:13 pm

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Firstly, the nuke would explode outside the OBS range, meaning far away from the planet.

Secondly, a nuke exploding into the atmosphere won't start a "Planetary fire". Russia tested a 57 Mt device at 80 km from the ground. it looks like we are still there to speak about it, isn't it? and 80 km is still Inside the atmosphere, while the OBS is probably far outside it (otherwise, it would not be "in orbit").

Finally, the idea is that by creating small size rocks, those would be destroyed while entering atmosphere. I agree that making sure that you have only small size rocks may be more tricky, but there may be ways around that too...

And if yougive it the right angle, you may even manage it so that most if not all of those rocks won't even be able to enter atmosphere and will be brushed aside by it... (without the right entry angle, small objects can't enter atmosphere, if I recall correctly)...
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Re: Possible way to take out the OBS...
Post by Theemile   » Fri Aug 22, 2014 5:36 pm

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OlorinNight wrote:Firstly, the nuke would explode outside the OBS range, meaning far away from the planet.

Secondly, a nuke exploding into the atmosphere won't start a "Planetary fire". Russia tested a 57 Mt device at 80 km from the ground. it looks like we are still there to speak about it, isn't it? and 80 km is still Inside the atmosphere, while the OBS is probably far outside it (otherwise, it would not be "in orbit").

Finally, the idea is that by creating small size rocks, those would be destroyed while entering atmosphere. I agree that making sure that you have only small size rocks may be more tricky, but there may be ways around that too...

And if yougive it the right angle, you may even manage it so that most if not all of those rocks won't even be able to enter atmosphere and will be brushed aside by it..g. (without the right entry angle, small objects can't enter atmosphere, if I recall correctly)...


I'm not talking about the nuke - I'm talking about the rock fragments from your grapeshot. Every model of nuking an incoming asteroid close to earth does more damage than the impact of the asteroid itself. There is no way you can guarantee small enough pieces not to endanger the planet.
******
RFC said "refitting a Beowulfan SD to Manticoran standards would be just as difficult as refitting a standard SLN SD to those standards. In other words, it would be cheaper and faster to build new ships."
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