Why is CoMers set in 2351? Don't you think man will have gotten further by then?
Several reasons actually. While Babylon 5 and Star Trek are set around the same time period, I'm not as optimistic about how quickly we will push out to the stars. 2001 promised us manned missions to Jupiter 4 years ago. Frankly, humanity lacks the political will to move to the stars, regardless of the technology. In the end, commerce will drive us out to the stars, but commerce never explores new markets until it has drained old ones or is forced to grow. That being said, I may see a colony on another body in our solar system by the end of my lifetime, but I don't foresee it anytime soon unless there is a major political climate change.

What exactly is the point of CoMers?
If it helps, think of it as a historical piece set in the future. The premise here is what is practical and most probably going to happen in our future as we go to space. No transporters, no faster then light travel, no laser weapons, no sheilds, no Jedi's etc.

What's the whole story with Uranus? Why invade it instead of Jupiter? Shouldn't Jupiter be closer then Uranus?
Take a look at the diagram below. Remember the planets all move in there own orbits at their own speeds, so no, Jupiter isn't always going to be closer then Uranus to Saturn. This diagram shows exactly where the planets will be in 2351.

The other reason is, Uranus' north pole is actually sideways... meaning it's at a 97 degree angle to the Sun's north pole. The planet spins on it's side. So when Captain Dorath says they're "coming in on the solar plane" what he is pointing out is that for most of the planets, that would be a normal mode of travel. Traveling within the equatorial plane of the sun. For Uranus that's odd, because the planet and it's moon's are perpendicular to the rest of the Solar System. They should be approaching Uranus in an up and down pattern, not a sideways one.

What's the deal with the CoMer guns?
Remember above where I said practical. The CoMer guns are pnuematic. They work on compressed air and fire a metal spike, kind of like a super charged pellet gun. While this may not be too practical here on Earth, in space, there is no wind resistance, no air pressure, and little gravity. So they would be amazingly effective weapons. They would also be easy to build and repair, and you could use scrap metal for ammo. It's also helpful to have a use for all the carbon dioxide that the folks living in the habitats would be producing...

I don't think people could survive in the Asteroid Belt like that...
I'm sure people thought the same thing of the frozen planes of North America, but then the Inuits do just fine up there. Man has an uncanny ability to adapt to his environment, and manage to eek out survival even in the worst places Earth has to offer. Why should space be any different? As long as food, air and water are taken care of, I'm sure people will find a way...

Why are the CoMers space suits and armor brown?
Well, seeing as they are military forces, and they were stationed on Mars, it seemed fitting that their outfits would be cammoflaged to the terrain. The actual color of their armor was pulled from a photo of Mars surface.

There was a lot of experimentation with the colors and designs of the suits, and I realize that white or red or blue would have been more dramatic. Blending in with the background is the easiest way to stay alive.

For those who think this line of thought is off base, they may want to take a look at this space suit:

Thanks to the folks who asked questions. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have. Except "What's gonna happen next..."

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