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Pay Me, Bug!
- 418 statements
- 82 feature instances
- 51 referencing feature instances
| Pay Me, Bug! | type |
TVTItem | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | label |
Pay Me, Bug! | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | page |
PayMeBug | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | comment |
Pay Me, Bug! is a series of Science Fiction web serial novels by Christopher Wright, set in a shared universe informally known as "The Foldspace Universe." It follows Grif Vindh, captain of the Fool's Errand, and his crew as they get into trouble, get into more trouble, and maybe occasionally get paid for their trouble.The first novel (now complete), also titled Pay Me, Bug!, starts off just after Grif managed to pull off the crime of the millennium. He's stolen a shipment of anagathicsnote Drugs that greatly slow the aging process from Ur Voys — The Empire of the Radiant Throne's most secure facility — and smuggled it out under the very noses of The Radiant Throne's Swords. This one job has has earned him more than enough money to retire. Not that he wants to retire, mind you. He'd rather put that money into getting the very latest equipment for his ship.It's a good thing, too. The Alliance of Free Worlds has heard of his little adventure, and as it happens, they also want to steal something from The Radiant Throne — something that is currently stashed in Ur Voys. And since they've been unsuccessful in stealing it themselves, they decide to blackmail Grif and crew to break in to Ur Voys again and get it for them.The only problem is, Grif might not have told the whole truth about the first break-in...The second novel (in progress), A Rake by Starlight, begins a year later. It's a typical day for the crew, illegally siphoning hydrogen from a gas giant to use as fuel, when they notice two Tylaris ships doing their level best to destroy each other. Grif's curiosity gets the better of him, and their investigation leads them into the middle of a massive plot to usurp power from the new Baron Tylaris. As if that wasn't enough, the closest thing to an ally they have, Baron Tyrelos, is facing a coup of her own. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | fetched |
2023-11-07T13:45:24Z | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | parsed |
2023-11-07T13:45:24Z | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_113472aa | type |
Miles Gloriosus | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_113472aa | comment |
Miles Gloriosus: Grif may have exaggerated the story of his break-in to Ur Voys just a tiny bit. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_113472aa | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_113472aa | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_113472aa | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_115b9907 | type |
Starfish Language | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_115b9907 | comment |
Starfish Language: "Bugtalk" is "a binary language that starts with the total sum of all knowledge and drills down through it until it isolates the specific thought or concept the bug is trying to say." This is emphasized in the story by the fact that Ktk is never quoted directly. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_115b9907 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_115b9907 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_115b9907 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_16ad6f7f | type |
"It" Is Dehumanizing | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_16ad6f7f | comment |
"It" Is Dehumanizing: Ktk, the titular "bug," insists that everyone call it "it," because that's just the logical thing to call a hermaphrodite. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_16ad6f7f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_16ad6f7f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_16ad6f7f | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_17e530e1 | type |
Punctuation Shaker | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_17e530e1 | comment |
Punctuation Shaker: Ktk's full name is "Ktkt'tkkt'kktt'tkkk'tktk'ttkt'tkkk'kktt'kktk'tk." His race's language is an encoding of binary. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_17e530e1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_17e530e1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_17e530e1 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_18d15922 | type |
Title Drop | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_18d15922 | comment |
Title Drop: Ktk and Cyrus will bet on anything and everything. When Cyrus wins... | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_18d15922 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_18d15922 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_18d15922 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_1b65eaf3 | type |
The Caper | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_1b65eaf3 | comment |
The Caper: The main plot of the story. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_1b65eaf3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_1b65eaf3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_1b65eaf3 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_1cc527d7 | type |
Asskicking Leads to Leadership | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_1cc527d7 | comment |
Asskicking Leads to Leadership: The Radiant Throne believes that Telepathy is a gift from God, and comes with a mandate to rule over non-telepaths. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_1cc527d7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_1cc527d7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_1cc527d7 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_1f250372 | type |
I Need a Freaking Drink | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_1f250372 | comment |
I Need a Freaking Drink: Routinely, with Grif being the most common offender. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_1f250372 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_1f250372 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_1f250372 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_208c4494 | type |
With Great Power Comes Great Insanity | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_208c4494 | comment |
With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: A telepath's power can drive them insane if they aren't trained to handle it early enough. The Radiant Throne's Swords are continually referred to as insane, but it's more that they're telepathic knight templar church militants. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_208c4494 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_208c4494 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_208c4494 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_20a3a758 | type |
Two Shots from Behind the Bar | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_20a3a758 | comment |
Two Shots from Behind the Bar: It should come as no surprise that Dyorbid, as the proprietor of a Bad Guy Bar, keeps a plasma rifle handy. It's just as useful for bar brawls as it is for people who ask to run a tab. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_20a3a758 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_20a3a758 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_20a3a758 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_2139c878 | type |
Church Militant | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_2139c878 | comment |
Church Militant: The Empire of the Radiant Throne is solidly theocratic, and completely authoritarian. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_2139c878 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_2139c878 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_2139c878 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_27ba9b64 | type |
What Did I Do Last Night? | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_27ba9b64 | comment |
What Did I Do Last Night?: Grif and crew have a huge celebration with several of the other crews in port. They all get so smashed, the next morning, they can't remember what happenednote except for Ktk, but it won't say anything, since it's too embarrassed. This isn't the first such party, either: They've had to institute The List, a computer record of everyone's possessions that they had entered the party with, bets that were made, and the winners and losers of those bets. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_27ba9b64 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_27ba9b64 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_27ba9b64 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_2864490b | type |
Gravity Screw | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_2864490b | comment |
Gravity Screw: Part of the standard procedure for repelling boarders aboard the Fool's Errand is to turn the gravity on and off according to a prearranged schedule. Since any boarders wouldn't know the schedule, they would be unprepared for the sudden shifts in gravity. In addition, individual crew can have the bridge change the gravity in their specific section as an additional weapon. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_2864490b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_2864490b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_2864490b | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_2a6bf668 | type |
Inadequate Inheritor | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_2a6bf668 | comment |
Inadequate Inheritor: Baron Tylaris knew that his son was an idiot, so he planned to have someone else take over once he died: himself, via cloning. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_2a6bf668 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_2a6bf668 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_2a6bf668 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_319e4a2f | type |
Even Evil Has Standards | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_319e4a2f | comment |
Even Evil Has Standards: When The Viceroy wants to destroy every Maximilian class ship on Varkav, because they believe one of them is the Fool's Errand, Mavis talks him out of it. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_319e4a2f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_319e4a2f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_319e4a2f | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_31c5e7fb | type |
Starfish Aliens | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_31c5e7fb | comment |
Starfish Aliens: Ktk is described as a 2.5 meter hermaphroditic centipede with three prehensile tails. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_31c5e7fb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_31c5e7fb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_31c5e7fb | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_3437ee2c | type |
Inheritance Murder | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_3437ee2c | comment |
Inheritance Murder: There's some speculation that Rolis Tylaris murdered his father, Baron Mogra Tylaris, in order to take the throne. Given how quickly he then joined The Alliance, there's speculation that he had their help to do so. (Both of these speculations are exactly right.) | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_3437ee2c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_3437ee2c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_3437ee2c | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_383fe1b8 | type |
Embarrassing Old Photo | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_383fe1b8 | comment |
Embarrassing Old Photo: Grif finds some of Doma doing something on Grenaris. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_383fe1b8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_383fe1b8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_383fe1b8 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_3b2014fb | type |
Mad Libs Catchphrase | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_3b2014fb | comment |
Mad Libs Catchphrase: Grif likes to take a word or phrase he just said, and... "clarify" it by adding "and by X, I mean Y," where "Y" is a short rant that includes "X." | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_3b2014fb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_3b2014fb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_3b2014fb | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_3c0a4666 | type |
Noodle Incident | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_3c0a4666 | comment |
Noodle Incident: Just what happened between Grif and Velis on Kinnar? | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_3c0a4666 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_3c0a4666 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_3c0a4666 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_3d699462 | type |
Curb-Stomp Battle | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_3d699462 | comment |
Curb-Stomp Battle: The mutiny mentioned below is an example. Final score: Grif and crew eleven, Velis and squad zero. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_3d699462 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_3d699462 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_3d699462 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_4977d7b8 | type |
Body Double | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_4977d7b8 | comment |
Body Double: The Baron has one. Rather, she had one; the unfortunate woman was vaporized by a nuclear bomb during a speech while the Baron herself was on the Fool's Errand. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_4977d7b8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_4977d7b8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_4977d7b8 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_4a59e6f7 | type |
One Nation Under Copyright | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_4a59e6f7 | comment |
One Nation Under Copyright: According to the Foldspace Guide, the Free Trade Baronies started off as this. With the passage of time, they've evolved into standard governments, but most still have some of the trappings of their corporate past. For instance, most have powerful "executives" that that can, if need be, vote the baron out of office. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_4a59e6f7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_4a59e6f7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_4a59e6f7 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_537dd8fe | type |
Affably Evil | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_537dd8fe | comment |
Affably Evil: Commodore Mavis. Grif once bemoaned the fact that they were on opposite sides, when they could have been friends. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_537dd8fe | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_537dd8fe | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_537dd8fe | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_53e1f74c | type |
Asteroid Thicket | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_53e1f74c | comment |
Asteroid Thicket: Surrounds Tyrelos Station. It's a lot sparser than most examples of this trope, and justified by being the remains of a recently (in astronomic terms) destroyed moon, but still there. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_53e1f74c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_53e1f74c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_53e1f74c | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_556a4e20 | type |
The Empire | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_556a4e20 | comment |
The Empire: The Empire of the Radiant Throne. It's right there in the name. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_556a4e20 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_556a4e20 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_556a4e20 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_55afed5a | type |
Royal Mess | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_55afed5a | comment |
Royal Mess: The Free Trade "Baronies" are actually independent states. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_55afed5a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_55afed5a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_55afed5a | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_581f6468 | type |
Hero of Another Story | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_581f6468 | comment |
Hero of Another Story: The coup against Baron Tyrelos, which only tangentially affected the plot of Pay Me, Bug!, is a much more important factor in this story, especially once the Baron's body double gets offed by a small thermonuclear device while the real Baron just happens to be on the Fool's Errand. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_581f6468 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_581f6468 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_581f6468 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_60fa92ac | type |
Names to Run Away from Really Fast | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_60fa92ac | comment |
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: The Viceroy. That's not a title, that's his legal name, which he chose himself upon becoming a Sword. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_60fa92ac | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_60fa92ac | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_60fa92ac | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_61ff365d | type |
Deflector Shields | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_61ff365d | comment |
Deflector Shields: Part and parcel for the setting. Unusually for this trope, they're described as blocking all energy, including visible light and sensors, in both directions. Fortunately, there are systems that automate the process of dropping a single segment of the shield, firing through it, and bringing it back up. Also, a big part of space combat is deciding, moment to moment, which shield segments to have down (for visibility), which to have up (for protection), and which to "pulse" on and off (for a little of both). | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_61ff365d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_61ff365d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_61ff365d | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_6377d6e6 | type |
Grievous Harm with a Body | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_6377d6e6 | comment |
Grievous Harm with a Body: Each of Ktk's three tails are strong enough to pick up a full-grown human. That's right — Ktk can triple wield people. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_6377d6e6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_6377d6e6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_6377d6e6 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_6383a034 | type |
The Mutiny | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_6383a034 | comment |
The Mutiny: Velis Enge organizes one against Grif. It... doesn't go so well for her and her team. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_6383a034 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_6383a034 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_6383a034 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_670b7e0e | type |
I Know You're Watching Me | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_670b7e0e | comment |
I Know You're Watching Me: The Viceroy manages to pull this on the heroes, who are using his own security cameras to spy on him. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_670b7e0e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_670b7e0e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_670b7e0e | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_67792344 | type |
Grievous Bottley Harm | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_67792344 | comment |
Grievous Bottley Harm: A more realistic example than most. The bottle doesn't break, despite being swung with a human's full strength. It also does some serious damage to the target. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_67792344 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_67792344 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_67792344 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_716c0b1b | type |
And the Adventure Continues | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_716c0b1b | comment |
And the Adventure Continues: The crew ends up having to take another job to pay for the damage caused by this one. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_716c0b1b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_716c0b1b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_716c0b1b | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_716d9138 | type |
Bar Brawl | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_716d9138 | comment |
Bar Brawl: Some time in the past, some Cyborg slavers tried to kidnap Grif's nephew. Grif objected, rather strenuously, causing some damage to their ship. They catch up to Grif in Dyorbid's Bar, and, well... | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_716d9138 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_716d9138 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_716d9138 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_751bd286 | type |
Is This Thing Still On? | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_751bd286 | comment |
Is This Thing Still On?: Doma, the communications technician (and Grif's nephew), manages to accidentally broadcast the crew's impromptu strategy session to the ship they were running from at the time. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_751bd286 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_751bd286 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_751bd286 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_755ecb56 | type |
Infraction Distraction | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_755ecb56 | comment |
Infraction Distraction: Grif sacrifices their cargo of fine Varkavian whiskey to keep Mavis from looking closer, and maybe finding the anagathics. Of course, since none of the crew know about the anagathics, they all think he's gone crazy. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_755ecb56 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_755ecb56 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_755ecb56 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_7b3f0b81 | type |
Tractor Beam | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_7b3f0b81 | comment |
Tractor Beam: Called a "gravlock." | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_7b3f0b81 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_7b3f0b81 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_7b3f0b81 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_7d5324cf | type |
The Federation | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_7d5324cf | comment |
The Federation: Despite its name, The Alliance of Free Worlds is closer to being The Federation than being The Alliance. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_7d5324cf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_7d5324cf | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_7d5324cf | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_7fbb2a3 | type |
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero! | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_7fbb2a3 | comment |
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: A little one, during the escape from the hospital on Tyrelos Station. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_7fbb2a3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_7fbb2a3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_7fbb2a3 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_7fd142ef | type |
Shared Universe | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_7fd142ef | comment |
Shared Universe: Known informally as "The Foldspace Universe." | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_7fd142ef | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_7fd142ef | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_7fd142ef | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_805e2846 | type |
Just Like Us | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_805e2846 | comment |
Just Like Us: The Alliance covert infiltration team gets a dose of this during the mission. It's also heavily implied that they've infiltrated the Radiant Throne before, so they really should have already known. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_805e2846 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_805e2846 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_805e2846 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_808cbaeb | type |
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_808cbaeb | comment |
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: "Of course, all that comfort comes at a pretty hefty price. Ruled by telepathic religious zealots, immediate execution for daring to say anything that might be construed as treasonous... church on Sundays...." | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_808cbaeb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_808cbaeb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_808cbaeb | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_8739b21 | type |
Technopath | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_8739b21 | comment |
Technopath: An (extremely rare) ability of certain very strong telepaths. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_8739b21 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_8739b21 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_8739b21 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_87dad945 | type |
All Nations Are Superpowers | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_87dad945 | comment |
All Nations Are Superpowers: There's The Alliance of Free Worlds, The Empire of the Radiant Throne, and a collection of small "Free Trade Baronies" that only remain independent through economic power. That's it. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_87dad945 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_87dad945 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_87dad945 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_880e65be | type |
No Gravity for You | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_880e65be | comment |
No Gravity for You: Because the Fool's Errand uses older gravity technology, they can't have the artificial gravity on while they're in tach. Well, technically they can, but it would be dangerous to do so. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_880e65be | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_880e65be | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_880e65be | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_8af7b342 | type |
Sibling Yin-Yang | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_8af7b342 | comment |
Sibling Yin-Yang: Grif Vindh is a smuggler, thief, and general ne'er do well. His sister, Velis Enge, is a high ranking officer in an Alliance black ops division. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_8af7b342 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_8af7b342 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_8af7b342 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_8f929a20 | type |
Bar Full of Aliens | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_8f929a20 | comment |
Bar Full of Aliens: Again, Dyorbid's | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_8f929a20 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_8f929a20 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_8f929a20 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_92286f7f | type |
Precursors | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_92286f7f | comment |
Precursors: The Prometheans were a species that predated every known civilization, only known by some ruins they left on Mars. Some people believe that they were just ordinary people who's civilization happened to die out. Others (especially "Terrans", people from Earth's solar system) believe they're ancient all-powerful god-like beings that created some modern races and engineered entire solar systems. The fact that the mysterious and ancient artifact they're trying to steal has the same markings as the Martian ruins suggests that the latter explanation is more likely. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_92286f7f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_92286f7f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_92286f7f | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_93b39134 | type |
Training the Gift of Magic | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_93b39134 | comment |
Training the Gift of Magic: Telepathy is an innate ability of a small percentage of humans (and possibly other species), but telepaths must receive special training during their early adolescent years or their power could break their minds. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_93b39134 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_93b39134 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_93b39134 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_99a12edd | type |
Cyborg | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_99a12edd | comment |
Cyborg: The above-mentioned slavers. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_99a12edd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_99a12edd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_99a12edd | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_9c550e26 | type |
Word Salad Title | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_9c550e26 | comment |
Word Salad Title: If there's any deep meaning behind the phrase "A Rake by Starlight," it has yet to be revealed. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_9c550e26 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_9c550e26 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_9c550e26 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_a2e4af42 | type |
Time for Plan B | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_a2e4af42 | comment |
Time for Plan B: A running gag throughout the series is that Grif's Plan B's tend to suck, so the phrase "time for plan B" is just another way of saying "start updating your will." | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_a2e4af42 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_a2e4af42 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_a2e4af42 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_a6c69bd | type |
MacGuffin | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_a6c69bd | comment |
MacGuffin: The artifact. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_a6c69bd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_a6c69bd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_a6c69bd | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ac0f4761 | type |
Future Imperfect | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ac0f4761 | comment |
Future Imperfect: Most of the people who grew up on Earth like to claim that Earth is the original homeworld of humanity, but nobody takes them seriously. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ac0f4761 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ac0f4761 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_ac0f4761 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ad1db87c | type |
Oh, Crap! | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ad1db87c | comment |
Oh, Crap!: "Holy hell, that's a Battlecarrier!" | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ad1db87c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ad1db87c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_ad1db87c | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ae3d6438 | type |
Deadpan Snarker | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ae3d6438 | comment |
Deadpan Snarker: Grif Vindh. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ae3d6438 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ae3d6438 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_ae3d6438 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_b3f4bf22 | type |
Pants-Positive Safety | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_b3f4bf22 | comment |
Pants-Positive Safety: As Grif is breaking out of the aforementioned hospital, he has to steal some clothes and a pistol. He doesn't have the chance to steal a holster. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_b3f4bf22 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_b3f4bf22 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_b3f4bf22 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_bd6834a3 | type |
Vibroweapon | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_bd6834a3 | comment |
Vibroweapon: Amys' weapon of choice. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_bd6834a3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_bd6834a3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_bd6834a3 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_c6d11745 | type |
Telepathy | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_c6d11745 | comment |
Telepathy: All the Radiant Throne's Swords are telepaths. Grif winds up hiring a telepath of his own. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_c6d11745 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_c6d11745 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_c6d11745 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_c7b5445c | type |
Cool Starship | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_c7b5445c | comment |
Cool Starship: Grif's ship, the Fool's Errand. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_c7b5445c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_c7b5445c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_c7b5445c | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_c83cd6b8 | type |
The Nicknamer | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_c83cd6b8 | comment |
The Nicknamer: Ggrlsha have a tradition of nicknaming everyone they know. It's supposed to be an attempt to "know the essence of another's soul." | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_c83cd6b8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_c83cd6b8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_c83cd6b8 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_c91dcba1 | type |
Perma-Stubble | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_c91dcba1 | comment |
Perma-Stubble: Grif is described as having "a fine layer of stubble that never quite coaxed itself into a beard." | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_c91dcba1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_c91dcba1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_c91dcba1 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_cadbe2b3 | type |
She Is the King | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_cadbe2b3 | comment |
She Is the King: The leader of a Free Trade Barony is always referred to as "Baron", regardless of their gender. Similarly, the Radiant Throne currently has a female Emperor. The Alliance's leader's title hasn't been revealed, but based on the other titles, it's probably "President" or some such. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_cadbe2b3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_cadbe2b3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_cadbe2b3 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_cdb1c635 | type |
Side Bet | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_cdb1c635 | comment |
Side Bet: The title of the book is a reference to Cyrus and Ktk's continual bets with each other. The entire crew place bets on all kinds of things at the drop of a hat, but Ktk is specifically known for always betting against the captain - whether about the outcome of the mission, how long it will be until they wind up in trouble in this particular portnote Neither one of them being brave enough to put money on "never"., whether they will survive their current screwup, etc. Ktk almost always loses, which would be more remarkable if he wasn't usually betting on the death or capture of the crew, which would end the story if he won. In the sequel, he explains that he considers it a tax on survival, and Grif mentions that with his gunner leaving the crew, he's worried he won't have anyone who's willing to bet for the captain, and therefore will lose track of which things are good ideas and which are bad.note Other than Plan B, of course, which everyone but Grif agrees is always bad. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_cdb1c635 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_cdb1c635 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_cdb1c635 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_cf666827 | type |
If I Had a Nickel... | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_cf666827 | comment |
If I Had a Nickel...: If Grif had one standard for every time someone explained a coincidence by saying "Promethians did it"... | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_cf666827 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_cf666827 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_cf666827 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_d3422f70 | type |
Overt Rendezvous | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_d3422f70 | comment |
Overt Rendezvous: Getting Meaghan Sythe out of Ur Voys requires a meeting in a bar. Unfortunately, someone remembers seeing her there, which allows Mavis' agents to connect the break in with the Fool's Errand, and sets up the climactic battle. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_d3422f70 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_d3422f70 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_d3422f70 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_d525f857 | type |
Sci-Fi Writers Have No Sense of Scale | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_d525f857 | comment |
Sci-Fi Writers Have No Sense of Scale: Zig-zagged. Most of the time, the author writes space very realistically. However, that all gets thrown out the window during combat, as ships fight each other at a range that's too close to even be considered "spitting distance." | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_d525f857 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_d525f857 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_d525f857 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_d5656fbe | type |
The Unpronounceable | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_d5656fbe | comment |
The Unpronounceable: Again, Ktk's full name. Even the abbreviation of its name can be hard to pronounce. We are told that its species' name and home world's name are even worse. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_d5656fbe | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_d5656fbe | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_d5656fbe | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_de143e97 | type |
Psychic Nosebleed | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_de143e97 | comment |
Psychic Nosebleed: One of the dangers of having your mind read by a Sword. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_de143e97 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_de143e97 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_de143e97 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e069fae8 | type |
Bad Guy Bar | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e069fae8 | comment |
Bad Guy Bar: Dyorbid's. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e069fae8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e069fae8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_e069fae8 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e4d9e13b | type |
Mars Needs Women | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e4d9e13b | comment |
Mars Needs Women: Discussed in Chapter 15. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e4d9e13b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e4d9e13b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_e4d9e13b | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e77e2787 | type |
We Will Use Manual Labor in the Future | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e77e2787 | comment |
We Will Use Manual Labor in the Future: We never see any actual slaves, but there are slavers, which would tend to imply the existence of slaves. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e77e2787 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e77e2787 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_e77e2787 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e780f603 | type |
Clone Angst | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e780f603 | comment |
Clone Angst: Stebil Tanz admits to being a little bit defensive about not being the original, even though, legally, he is the same person. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e780f603 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e780f603 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_e780f603 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e8a6e896 | type |
The Battlestar | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e8a6e896 | comment |
The Battlestar: "Battlecarrier" class ships. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e8a6e896 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_e8a6e896 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_e8a6e896 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ea6fdefb | type |
Casual Danger Dialog | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ea6fdefb | comment |
Casual Danger Dialog: A routine part of any plan to avoid being killed. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ea6fdefb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ea6fdefb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_ea6fdefb | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ec3ff1f7 | type |
In Which a Trope Is Described | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ec3ff1f7 | comment |
In Which a Trope Is Described: Every chapter. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ec3ff1f7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_ec3ff1f7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_ec3ff1f7 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_f009b51c | type |
The Wrongful Heir to the Throne | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_f009b51c | comment |
The Wrongful Heir to the Throne: Rolis is lazy and borderline incompetent (although he is smarter than he appears, that's not saying much), not to mention that he murdered his father. In an interesting twist, the rebels plan to create someone who actually has a better claim to the throne. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_f009b51c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_f009b51c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_f009b51c | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_f4bec3d | type |
Magic Plastic Surgery | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_f4bec3d | comment |
Magic Plastic Surgery: This is how the crew plan to infiltrate The Radiant Throne again, so soon after their last heist landed them on The Throne's "most wanted" list. Justified by future medical tech. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_f4bec3d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_f4bec3d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_f4bec3d | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_fd649e2 | type |
Fell Off the Back of a Truck | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_fd649e2 | comment |
Fell Off the Back of a Truck: The anagathics Grif "stole" from Ur Voys literally fell off the back of a truck. Of course, this truck was in the process of crashing and bursting into flames, so it makes sense that stuff would be falling off of it. | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_fd649e2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_fd649e2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_fd649e2 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_name | type |
ItemName | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_name | comment |
||
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_name | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_name | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Pay Me, Bug! | hasFeature |
Pay Me, Bug! / int_name | |
| Pay Me, Bug! / int_name | itemName |
Pay Me, Bug! |
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