So I'm re reading ITL and heading into TCH and I'm running into a timing problem. We're into 15 years after the defeat of the Shongair, and we're only still just into construction of our own starships. And these starships are only a little bit better and faster than the original ships we captured from the Shongair. In other words a little faster, and other relatively minor improvements. No new black hole assisted phase drive, still using spin gravity etc. And it's inferred that build times for these kilometers long ships takes years. So ItL's first section having begun right after the Shongair defeat goes up to approximately 20 years after that defeat, and we've just successfully produced the first black hole as a first step toward a whole new design of starship.
So now let's jump ahead to TCH it starts with Vlad's ship being overtaken by a fleet of new improved faster, better, stronger ships. So all of the previous exposition is my way of pointing out a problem, how did earth develop, test, and build an entire FLEET of faster, better, stronger and BIGGER ships and still manage to travel to Shongair in time to meet Vlad's ship which had just finished a 40 year journey from earth? The various aspects of development, building, and traveling times don't exactly work out. In fact, it seems to be hand wavium impossible to have accomplished all the things that needed doing to get from defeat of the Shongairi to attack the Shongairi. So any ideas? Or should it just be put down to artistic license? 0_0
Edit: The above was written while still in ITL. I just started TCH and got the numbers I didn't have yet when I wrote the previous part. Basically it was approximately 20 years since the Shongairi was defeated when earthlings were just starting to develop things like artificial gravity, and black hole assisted phase drive. TCH starts with the new improved ships catching up to Vlad 40 years after he left earth. They made the voyage in 12 years. So 20 + 12 or 32 years total travel time means that they had TWO years to have integrated artificial gravity and fully developed the new interstellar drive AND construct ships 20% larger than Hegemony ships and build a LOT of them. So I know the monkey girls and boys are good, but REALLY?
