A question that I'm unsure if has been answered.

The Pica personality thing is the prevalent theory, and as others have indicated been kicked around a fair bit. On the other points, mostly what you're looking at is plot reasons.

Why not go to another moon? Because, plot.

Why was there only enough critical elements to build a second pica but no more? Because, plot.

Ways to deal with the orbital platform? Well, plot.

Why didn't Merlin walk right into the church after everything happened and start figuring out what was going on in that bunker? Plot again.

Sure, there are some reasons given in the text. Precautions, uncertainties, etc etc. But really they boil down to plot reasons so that the MWW can tell his story. And for the most part I'm alright with that.

Joat42 wrote:A couple of points:

• David has said that the ship is gone and isn't coming back. He also said there are no other pica's on Safehold.
  
  Of course, this leaves a lot of leeway for him to pull virtual rabbits out of his literary hat, but I can't see David ever letting the Dawn Star to reappear because it's bad writing in the vein of the Deus ex Machina-trope.

• As indicated by David, the command staff suffered from severe PTSD and Langhorne was dead-set on killing off technology. For him to download his personality so he can be resurrected as a pica later doesn't fit with his described personality plus any plans he had was rudely interrupted by a vest-pocket nuke.
  
  The more likely scenario for any stored personality is that it belongs to someone who survived until after the War of the Fallen.

• The idea to build a drone to go out in the asteroid-belt to gather resources and build a base off-planet isn't new, and I think David nixed it for a couple of reasons but I think one of them was they are lacking some critical resources used by the industrial node in the cave.

I hadn't seen where he clarified those things. (Had a MAJORspinal surgery and been down) so thank you for bringing them to my attention:)

Njolma wrote:I hadn't seen where he clarified those things. (Had a MAJOR spinal surgery and been down) so thank you for bringing them to my attention:)

Your welcome, hope you are feeling better.

Njolma wrote:By that same note. Why doesn't merlin build a good drone Send it to say asteroid belt or another system planet and make a base then populate it with inner circle members who could openly use tech outside the bombardment systems range. Oh look colony of high tech building steady like and stealthlike get a few destroyers built and I bet that orbital system would have 0 chance

My understanding based on the .. book1? attempt to get at the space platforms was that he couldn't, and that they would likely shoot down anything attempting to leave orbit.. which is why we have no tech bases being set up on nearby planets/moons.

Merlin only has 1.. prefab factory? (I forget what they called it).. so s/he can't risk it.

Jeslis wrote:

Njolma wrote:By that same note. Why doesn't merlin build a good drone Send it to say asteroid belt or another system planet and make a base then populate it with inner circle members who could openly use tech outside the bombardment systems range. Oh look colony of high tech building steady like and stealthlike get a few destroyers built and I bet that orbital system would have 0 chance

My understanding based on the .. book1? attempt to get at the space platforms was that he couldn't, and that they would likely shoot down anything attempting to leave orbit.. which is why we have no tech bases being set up on nearby planets/moons.

Merlin only has 1.. prefab factory? (I forget what they called it).. so s/he can't risk it.

An interesting side note is the "Fallen" had scattered industrial fabricators building combat servitors in War against the Fallen. Also, the Temple was built AFTER the war against the fallen using advanced materials, not part of the original planetary construction. (Unfortunately the Hussacar "departed"after the War of the Fallen.)

In light of this - are there additional fabrication units still on Safehold in stasis? (either under the temple or a hidden "fallen" site)

There's probably a small fabricator under the Temple for maintenance purposes. We know "holy servitors" take care of all needed repairs on the Temple, and it wouldn't be nearly as miraculous if those servitors were dropping a list of needed materials on a desk at Treasury . If nothing else, the servitors themselves are going to need regular maintenance, and the only source for those parts would be a Federation fabricator.

Here’s one…
The “Stone” actually contains…….SEJIN KHODY!

It turns out there was a recording device hidden in every Sejin’s helmet. Whenever one was killed, the file was retrieved in case they had vital intelligence information that they hadn’t passed on yet.