[bsanr2]

That's what I mean. On the one hand: plausible. On the other: terrifying.

And just that, from a cosmological perspective, the chances of us being hit by a gamma ray burst after the kind of technological advancements described but before the capacity to evacuate or shield biological lifeforms arises is... slim. I figure it was introduced more as a plot device than anything else, the biggest deviation from potential veracity (and a "take that" at anyone questioning said potential veracity, which goes just beyond cheeky to slightly obnoxious).