SW09: The Warm December, or One Last Bit of Sun

[Scott Eiler]

I'm working on updates now.

On Feb 26, 2:07 am, Andrew Perron <pwer... at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:48:38 +0000 (UTC), Scott Eiler wrote:
> > I've been told I dash about the landscape like a koala on speed. This
> > is ironic because our world actually has a koala on speed, and I'm not
> > it.
>
> Heh heh heh.  Funny, but it could be tightened up a bit.

Do you think I should actually explain about the Doom Koala of Speed,
or should I just use my usual phrase "like a monkey on crack"?  That
phrase comes in handy whenever I write about universes without koalas
on speed.

> >     * Actually, I don't work directly for Death any more, but she was
> > always a decent boss.
>
> Is this the actual personification of ending, or...?

Why yes she is.  I've updated the web site with a link to the story
about the last time I worked for Death.  If you want to do a web
search on the phrase "ever since Odin started doing my laundry", you
can find the story for yourself.

> > 7 December: A certain superhero team from another Earth is looking for
> > me. I suppose I was technically part of their support staff once. So
> > they tell me, our Earth's appeared in their universe!
>
> Heh, bet I can guess who this is.

You'd probably be right.  I actually wrote a team-up between Me and
Earth's Mightiest Heroes once, but gave up that practice several years
ago.

> >     * Meanwhile, Judy and I are riding our bikes to retrieve one of
> > the Engines of Reality. One human-but-commanding hero from each team
> > is collecting them. I figure I can at least tag along until I see all
> > of them in one place, then maybe get them used to restore our Earth to
> > its previous orbit. But ultimately they have their stereotypical big
> > confrontation and then all disappear. Aww!
>
> Okay, this needed a sentence or so of exposition - the phrase "Engines of
> Reality" is evocative, but not quite self-explanatory enough.

I agree... the phrase "Treasure Hunt" would be just as applicable for
most comic-book stories.  But I've added a bit of explanation to my
own story, because the Engines of Reality would be an easy fix to the
Superhuman World's problems.  Too bad it's not gonna happen that easy
if I can help it.

> >     * But what's this about other Earths seeing us? Apparently part of
> > how we saved our Earth from the impact of Planet Iv was, we shunted
> > ourselves into an "imaginary" dimension at right angles to reality.
> > Now our orbit goes through different universes. Hey, maybe it always
> > did; aside from a few planetary probes that are full of glitches, how
> > would we ever know?
>
> Ooooh.  This could definitely enable crossovers.

Yep.  Who wants some?  8{D>

> >     * As he goes in, they notice me pulling splinters from my hand.
> > The boss sends me to my room for a bath. One guy says, I have a cusp
> > on my chest... Huh? I suppose there is a growth there... but I'm used
> > to that. I used to have intelligent blood cells that would build
> > little clubhouses for themselves on my skin. This is no different.
>
> ...he lives a really weird life.

Now you're getting it about this character.

> >     * Today's more boring, just sitting by the Trillions ship waiting
> > for a story, watching the droids scurry around. Judy's colleague Max
> > is talking to her about addiction. He says there's something inside
> > him that makes him do all those bad things. Judy talks him into trying
> > Jesus.
> >     * Suddenly a spider-droid shoots out a web, hits Max, and pulls
> > him in! The spider hangs in midair off a high-rise building, and
> > starts a riot. But Judy can feel what Max does by telepresence. He's
> > still inside the spider!
> >     * A security droid tries to rescue the spider without the crowd
> > noticing. He tells Max to crawl up the wall. Max says he can't make
> > it, but the droid says he can do anything he wants to. They pull him
> > in near the top.
> >     * Later Max appears by broadcast. He says he's going to stay with
> > the Trillions and live a new life, as part of their security class. A
> > lot of people don't believe it's real; others are lining up to have
> > their chance to be taken away.
>
> I'd like some explanation for this one!

Explanation #1:  The Trillions have a security caste that's a bit
"alienated" from their main body, and more likely to either "go
native" or recruit from the natives.  Earthlings are evenly divided
among disbelief, outrage, and desire to sign up.  I plan to explore
life among the Trillions more as the storyline proceeds.

Explanation #2:  I wrote this part of the story as a challenge.

> > .So... The weather is weird. The aliens are still coming. There's
> > unrest among Earthlings. Other Earths are interfering. Death is
> > watching.
>
> > ... Yep, next year could be interesting.
>
> See, in this one, the cut-down diary format worked, simply because you
> threw in a new idea with each entry.

Thanks.  I use the diary format a lot; I'll try to make it work better.