On Tue 12 Jun, Ellynne G. wrote:
As far as Travis' injuries go, disfiguring injuries can be as traumatic as disabling ones - sometimes more so. That's why there are support groups for women who've had mastectomies.
Certainly Travis' injuries are disfiguring. We don't know whether the Federation stigmatizes disfigured people, but it would be a good bet. We don't see many people with serious injuries or deformities, but the three I can think of were all disabled as adults (Travis, Hal Melanby, and Ardus [I got the impression he'd gone blind in his old age, but I'm not positive (and am I getting his name right?]).
I think there's another officer with an eyepatch in 'Traitor'.
And no wonder he had the weapon built into his hand. Without good vision in his lost eye (assuming the eye patch was some kind of artificial aid, it probably wasn't better than Melanby's), his depth perception's shot, a major weakness in a shoot out. Why not build a compensating device and incorporate it into his arm? It's basic unusualness would keep anyone from comparing it to a regular gun and noticing nonstandard issue features. Making it a part of him gives it an aura of threat that would keep anyone from questioning why he has it.
A logical explanation of why he always misses! I like it.
Judith