UT, war, and logistics

[Joseph Paul]

Some thoughts - not necessarily relevant to each other.

Ground forces on un-terraformed worlds will have a heavier logistical burden since nothing could normally be requisitioned. If you didn't bring it, you ain't got it. If transport has significant costs then efforts to cut down on that logistical burden will be made.

This could be SOP for anything from LRRPs checking out a planet to full on invasion/defense forces.

I am thinking that normally bodies would be gathered to make their contribution to the ship/orbital/small-moon sized space station but in an extended conflict that may not be possible so conversion is done on the spot.

I myself was thinking that this would be thought of as a reverent and noble last gift to the rest of the unit. Foe men consumed would be honored.

How does this change if there is the means to record minds on the go up to the point of death and these soldiers are trained to recover that recording so that the fallen may rise again? Variations - 'Death Cheaters' that go through multiple resurrections or you get one resurrection to fight the Ultimate Foe at some point in the future. Or the recordings go home to be digital ghosts. That culture may be shocked to find another that does raise their dead.

How does this work if it is aliens doing it as opposed to humans? Is it more understandable? Does it make humans more alien?

The swarms make it all easey-peasey magical. Kind of like how many people don't understand how meat gets on the shelves at the grocery. Wondering if a messier option gets at more cultural roots.