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

[Andrew Perron]

On Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:56:36 +0000 (UTC), Scott Eiler wrote:

> 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.

Oh, the "koala on speed" part is good.  I'd just rephrase it.  Maybe
something like "People say I dash about the landscape like a koala on
speed. This is because they've never actually met him." Or something like
that.

>>>     * 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.

Ahhhhhhhhh, I see.  Interesting.

>> 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.

Excellent; that was just enough exposition, IMHO.

>>>     * 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.

I see.  I'm still confused as to what exactly happened to Max and why he's
staying.  Also: challenge?