Clark_A._Hallgren.osbunorth@Xerox.ARPA (08/23/85)
From: Hallgren.osbunorth@Xerox.ARPA Protectors Evolution or the protectors probably did for the Tree-of-Life virus in Homes' atmosphere. Of course, it is probably a government cover-up, . Also, there would be no hosts if all the humans died, and it didn't adapt to other forms of life. The time between Brennen and Wu is 500 years, according to Niven. There is a time-line in "Tales of Known Space". Enough time for Truesdale & co. to finish off the Pak, but still be heading in towards to core to find out what was going on. Remember they know of no FTL drive. Could they have turned any of the Pak ? No. As soon as the Pak saw a respectable fleet leaving Home, they would have scattered all over. T&Co. must have devised a better drive & better weapons while on Home. There is a Niven short story called "The Warriors" which describes the first meeting of Humans and Kzinti. The Kzinti had a 'gravity' drive, while the human ship was driven by a photonic drive. A gravity drive would be the logical next step, for the protectors. With a better drive, and weapons, the Pak are exterminated, and Truesdale comes back to the Solar system, or does he continue towards the core? They split forces, no doubt. Most of the Protectors die off, or go exploring if they can except the human race as a whole as descendents. So we have a godfather or ten again. Did humanity win the Kzinti wars because of protector help? Yes! The RingWorld....built by who? The portion so far explored is enhabited by mutated Pak forms. 250K Years may be enough for that. Why intelligence in so many forms? Earth had roughly the same conditions, and more competition. Are human protectors, other than Teela present? Probably. City builders, etc, would have converted over. Why so many intelligent forms? Why so few on earth? Is it just a question of space? The human protectors have heard about Ringworld through their contacts in human government (Halrloprillalars' longevity drug was stolen while in government hands!) and mounted an expedition. What would they be doing now? Teela Browns LUCK prevented her from acting in true protector fashion. She simple made room for the inhabitants of Known Space in the fall out shelter. By drastic means, true. Niven can write a few books about what ELSE lives on the Ringworld! What is going on in the other Mars? How about a tree-of-life that is compatable with boosterspice? I think that most of the human protectors of Louis Wus' day are exploring the ringworld. Clark H.