[MV] The Super Wizard From Space #9

[Wil Alambre]

Andrew Perron wrote:
> On Wed, 18 May 2011 05:09:34 +0000 (UTC), Wil Alambre wrote:
>
>> Gavrilo retreated into the rocket-ship, unable to do anything but watch
>> the toxins transform his former partner. The mass grew exponentially,
>> becoming fat and round.
>
> You know, considering everything else, mass from nowhere shouldn't bother
> me, but...

I think, out of all the transformations, he was the only one that 
increased mass so obviously. And there wasn't really a purpose for it. 
It's not like his bigger size is important in the story. I could have 
just as easily kept him at "normal" size.

>> "There'szz a szzting of pain... but alszzo a szzting of... of fresh
>> realizzzation. Before I waszz aimlesszz. Now I got me sharp purposzze.
>
> This actually makes a significant amount of sense, as an explanation for
> mind-control.

I wanted to quickly get across the idea of suddenly being overcome with 
genetic instinct but I didn't want to get into too much dialogue. Maybe 
in later issues I'll explore the Monster Bee race in more detail.

Also, I couldn't resist some "sting" and "sharp" word drops :P

>> "Look around you," the super wizard said, a hand sweeping across the
>> room. "Does it look like this civilization was able to save itself?"
>
> I've always thought this was a neat point to make - a very logical
> conclusion to draw.

Whew, I glad that came across all right. When I first threw together the 
plot, it was a single issue. Stretched out to several posts over a 
couple weeks, I was worried that element would get lost.

>> "Any pilot gets shunted away as the machine's limited interior realigns
>> to a different time period. But since the controls are always here with
>> us, they're trapped forever. The machine is useless. It always has been."
>
> ...so where do they get trapped?

I really really wanted to get this clearly across but I wanted to do so 
in a short, concentrated explanation. I'm not surprised I missed the 
mark though. The inside-out time machine bit is an example of me being 
too clever for my own writing capabilities :P

Easiest way to explain my intention is to use Back To The Future as an 
example.

Marty is in 1985. He gets into the Delorean and, in a flash of light, is 
in 1955. In this example, the pilot activates the machine and the 
machine travels through time. Everything inside the car stays relative 
to the time machine, so Marty travels with it. Everything outside the 
car changes to the past of 1955. All of space, all of the universe is 
now 1955 from Marty and the car's perspective. The reality of 1985 has 
been "shunted" away.

Marty of course can always get back into the car and return to 1955. 
Doing so, him and the car seem to not change while the entire universe 
outside the car is "shunted" forward thirty years. The 1955 reality 
hasn't been erased or destroyed or anything, but it's effectively 
inaccessible through "normal" means.

The silver skull machine works inside out.

An alien scientist is in 1985. He gets into the skull and, in a flash of 
light, is in 1955.  In this example, the pilot activates the machine and 
the machine travels through time, as with Marty's Delorean. However, 
instead of the machine taking the INTERIOR with it, it takes the 
EXTERIOR.  Everything OUTSIDE the skull stays relative to the time 
machine, so the ENTIRE UNIVERSE travels with it. Everything INSIDE the 
skull changes to the past of 1955.

Unfortunately for our scientist, he wasn't standing in the machine in 
1955. Just like the Libyans OUTSIDE the Delorean, who "disappear" 
because the were not in 1955 when Marty appears there, our scientist 
INSIDE the skull "disappeared" because he was not in 1955 when the 
UNIVERSE appears there.

I suppose our theoretical scientist COULD be saved if another person 
were willing to sacrifice himself. That second person would have to get 
into the skull (where the controls were) and activate the machine, 
sending the entire universe back to 1985. The interior space of the 
skull would change back to 1985 and our original scientist would 
reappear... but the second person would be "shunted" back to 1955, he 
himself now trapped.

.........................................
Wil Alambre, follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/wilalambre