Re: Mars Questions

On Aug 20, 6:53 pm, Robert Martinu <inva...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
shellys schrieb:

1. I have a bad guy on the surface and he needs to kill the people in
a transport carrier that is parked in Daedalia Planum. The transport
is secure and has life support. The people are probably in their
suits, but most likely don't have their helmets on. He has a weapon
that can fire rounds that will pierce the carrier. Can he blow it up?
If he shoots holes in it, what would happen?

Making the transport self sealing would be quite easy, think of
WWII-area aircraft.
Even without this: simply punching a hole would lead to a rather slow
drop in air pressure, giving the people some time to put the helmets on.
A derivate of a small calibre AA-shell would be lethal, simply set the
fuse to 20cm after hitting the first wall - filling the compartment with
shrapnell.
Or use any explosive delivery idea you find fitting, be it a mine or any
kind of rocket.

Busy trying to work out the plot since I'm a write as I go, don't
outline kind of writer, I hadn't thought of these little details. I'm
sure everything is self-sealing. Explosive charges seem the best way
to go.

2.

For this final act of destruction, what kind of device would do the
trick, since the atmosphere is mostly gone or reverted to what's
natural for tunnels under Mars? Would it need to be some sort of pulse
device? Sonic? Something I'd never think of?

Atmosphere doesn't matter as (almost) all explosives bring everything
they need in a self contained package.
Have your villain strap some plastic explosives to supporting structures
and see how your people try to dig out.

Okay, that should work. His "patron" provided weapons for him and
would know what he'd need. ;)

3. If a person in an environment suit falls on the surface and somehow
cracks his oxygen tank, would it explode? Plume of air escape? The

Cracking the tank wouldn't be something you'd have to expect. Any event
that destroys the tank would be fatal anyways, the human body endures
much less then your average scuba tank.
But if your'e stil interested, there is an episode of "Myth Busters"
about this topic. Lesson: Stay clear of failing high pressure Equipment.


Robert

It looks like killing the kid is going to be the hard part, and I
thought it would be the easier death to work out. Thanks for the help!

.

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