Protect the flock! From JP and Hachette!

What are you doing right now?

Besides posting on here and replying to this thread. Original credit for this goes back to Fate and Nathan on MX.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by nathan_p on January 26, 2010 at 12:14pm

Sure, hit me.

~~If you let me start talking about my fic, I'll talk your ear off. Always on my mind ._. I try not to bring it up unless I know someone actually cares.~~

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Permalink Reply by Sora on January 26, 2010 at 12:24pm

Thank you. I have a feeling you'll give me better advice than my English teacher (who just checked my grammar).

I can't show the prose to you (too paranoid...plus contest explicitly says no postin gon the Internet), but the basic plot is that environmentalists detonate an EMP (yes I know it's overused but the judges consider that kind of thing futuristic, so) that destroys all the technology-specifically the virtual reality machines that people have been living in ever since the war basically destroyed the world. Most of them end up dying because they've never had to take care of themselves before, but those who are left realize that they can't go back to what they had before-they have to try to take care of the Earth this time.
So, they get rid of all technology-and the roboticist who's been living in space is forced to return to Earth and give up his precious mechanical men. Except he programs one to lie in wait, until the time comes when the memories of the technological past are only legends, and then he'll tell the locals about technology and the golden days will be restored.
So...indefinite period of time later. A man is about to commit suicide because his wife died when he sees something glinting in the sand (btw, the robot can read minds...). The robot explains that humans were once as great as "gods" and offers him these powers, including the ability to bring his wife back (through cloning). The scene fades with the man wondering whether the robot is a demon or not...
Years later, a scientist in Antarctica stumbles across the robot while measuring ozone layers (or something like that-told you I need to do research). The robot explains the story (basically, I have the story of the crisis at the beginning revealed in layers...the first section just explains that the roboticist is angry and needs the robot to do something, the second vaguely goes into the spells that were broken, and the third finally clarifies everything) and then tells her that he was the one who detonated the EMP. He meant to guide humans to use technology wisely, but Roc (the suicidal man) refused his offer. The story concludes with the scientists asking if it's too late to save the world. There's no answer.

~~Wish I could return the favor, but I don't want you spoiling it for me.~~

Permalink Reply by nathan_p on January 26, 2010 at 12:37pm

Ah, way cool :D

Measuring ozone would work, I think -- you can get that by doing ice core samples.

Spoil the fic? I don't know if it's possible, strictly speaking -- given that RC, the fic I'm always, always on about, takes place prior to TAE, it's not hard to figure out the bare bones of what happens...

Permalink Reply by Sora on January 26, 2010 at 12:41pm

Thanks for the help-does the plot sound okay to you? That's been the hardest part of this, honestly.

~~Launch into it if you want...I just mean I haven't read it yet, so...~~

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Permalink Reply by nathan_p on January 26, 2010 at 12:43pm

It sounds pretty solid to me. Go for it.

The whole thing runs on the rule of minimum plot contrivance -- no one who appears much later in the series can die, for instance. I can fuck with canon in other ways, but if it's as hard to hide as a death, that's outside the rules.

Permalink Reply by Lamp Post on January 26, 2010 at 12:10pm

Long time, no see.

How've you been?

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Permalink Reply by Sora on January 26, 2010 at 12:12pm

Well, I was away from the MX site for a while-just recently started getting back in the forums there, and then I remembered that this place existed.

I've been pretty good...trying to remember if anything important has happened. I finished NaNoWriMo...that was pretty cool ( : Other than that, just going on at my normal hectic pace.

You?