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On 10/23/2011 12:38 PM, Stephen Hoy wrote:
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<div>> Stockoff: Another approach: if tours of duty are
similar to our own, i.e., 6 months to 2 to 4 years, maybe
that's a place to start. Given interstellar distances, 2
years may be the minimum time Chelle was away. Would 1000
days be a typical tour, or 500 + star travel? How many years
would pass on Earth?</div>
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<div>Nailing down the length of a year has significance if you
want to know where Chelle fought the Os.</div>
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</div>
<div>In Ch 2 When Janie Comes Marching Home, Chelle asks, "How
long was I gone?" "Twenty-two years, one hundred and six
days," Skip replies, "I was..." then trails off into
silence. "Speechless, Counselor?" Skip offers up a few words
to explain how he felt, including a phrase from Edward
Coke,"Veritas nihil veretur nisi abscondi." Truth is only
afraid of concealment. Curiously, we find a similar quote
in <i>An Evil Guest</i> from Coke's legal rival Francis
Bacon, the bit in the first chapter where the President
scoffs,"What's truth, said jestin' Pilate."] This
particular legal phrase doesn't really fit Skip's situation.
To me, it feels more like "X" marks the spot.<br>
</div>
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<div>The time passed provides an estimate of the distance
traveled. There are only three stars within 11 light years
of Earth. Assuming near-perfect lightspeed travel, Chelle
possibly traveled to Epsilon Eridani, 10.5 light years
distant. </div>
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<div>Doesn't leave Chelle much duty time at her
destination--about 1 year 106 days--, but this is consistent
with the story. She returned early due to injury.</div>
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Well done. Of course "1 year and 106 days" is 471 days, or nearly
500. Consistent with a tour of 1-2 years.<br>
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