NeverEnding Story 2

[gbaughma]

OK... this one's slightly different, because it's based on a short story I have in my head, but haven't written yet. So... here it goes.

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"It's really quite simple", said the scientist to his fellow staff. "It's already been determined that if everyone on the planet stopped breathing for 6 hours, the Greenhouse effect would be neutralized, because of the 6-hour 'break' in oxygen consumption by humans. Now, obviously, we can't tell everyone to stop breathing for 6 hours; *but*, we could put the entire human race to SLEEP for 14 hours, and with the reduced oxygen intake, it would have the same net effect."

"And what about the hospitals and emergency personnel?" spouted one of the others in the room, "What about THEM? Do you know how much could go wrong in 14 hours?" "That's why it's 14 hours", replied the man in the white lab jacket. "If we can reduce the oxygen consumption for the *majority* of the population for 14 hours, leaving emergency personnel to monitor the sick and so forth, we'll still have the same net effect. The Oxygen content of the atmosphere will be restored to a level pre-industrial revolution, and the decrese in the expulsion of carbon dioxide, not only from the sleeping masses, but from 14 hours without vehicles running down the road and so forth, will reduce the greenhouse gasses once again to pre-industrial revolution levels."

*****

(this is the pretense of a sci-fi story that I plan on writing.... now, if you think about it, it makes sense. Reduce human oxygen consumption by 50%, no cars, planes, etc. spewing out CO2, and the planet's own oxygen generating trees and plants would have time to "recuperate". BUT.... there's many things that could happen with a planet asleep for 14 hours... the criminal aspect, natural disasters, and so forth. So.... enjoy... and run with this story. Put a paragraph or two in yourself... let's not leave this one to a bunch of half-line cliffhangers.... give it some thought. I'm dying to know how you guys do on this, and perhaps we'll compile it and write that story! Now, before you ask, I'm not asking you to write the story for me.... and if this thread WERE to become a book, then there'd be LOTS of credit given... so let's run with it!)



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[Trevoke]

... running down the road and so forth, will reduce the greenhouse gasses once again to pre-industrial revolution levels."

"I am deeply disturbed that such a plan could be conceived, but it is more disturbing that you are standing in front of the military headquarters of the first military power of the world. This tells me that you are ready to answer many questions, and that a lot is already underway, if not ready. So, tell me, how do you plan on putting everyone in the world to sleep for fourteen hours, except for some emergency personnel?"

"Well, we drew from the concepts of the tear gas and laughter gas, and eventually figured out and built a working prototype of a gas which will trigger the sleep through a chemical reaction within the body."

"And.. Are there any after-effects or any danger?"

"That time in Seattle... was a nightmare. I came out of it dead broke, without a house, without anything except a girlfriend and a knowledge of UNIX."
"Well, that's something," Avi says. "Normally those two are mutually exclusive."
-- Neal Stephenson, "Cryptonomicon"

 

[gbaughma]

"And.. Are there any after-effects or any danger?"

"No... we've done extensive testing. As long as people are aware that they should be lying down or reclining before we deploy the gas, it will be fine. Emergency personnel and predetermined law enforcement will be given a pill that counteracts the gas; they won't be affected at all. This really is the only way that we're going to be able to 're-set' the atmosphere... if we don't do it soon, then within 50 years mankind will be unable to breathe the atmosphere any longer.

"The gas will be deployed by low-level flybys. The pilots will need to wear their oxygen masks to keep from being affected, and once the fly-by is complete, they will return to the base and fall asleep theselves. This is where we need the military's help... we need a coordinated fly-by with no more than a 50 mile space in between them."



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[jebenson]

A murmur swept the assembled military brass, along with a wave of frowns.

"Son," said General Edmundsen, "if you expect me to put my fly-boys to sleep for God-only-knows how long, you're not just crazy, you're stupid on top of it!" This changed the frowns to smiles, as laughter greeted the general's statement.

"I will not allow this country's defense to be compromized in to such an extent, no matter how beneficial the outcome. If we hobble our air defenses, the Chinese, the Russkis or even some nut with an axe to grind will be all over us like ugly on an ape."

"Russkis," I thought. "Just great...and old Cold Warrior. This is going to be even more difficult than I realized. And I hate being called son"


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<aside>
This raises the question of point-of-view. Are you going to tell this story third-person or first-person? I used "I thought" above, but I did that just to differentiate that "speaker" from the others, as we have no name for our protagonist yet.
</aside>


I used to rock and roll every night and party every day. Then it was every other day. Now I'm lucky if I can find 30 minutes a week in which to get funky. - Homer Simpson

Arrrr, mateys! Ye needs ta be preparin' yerselves fer Talk Like a Pirate Day! Ye has a choice: talk like a pira

 

[Trevoke]

Sir, with all due respect, this is about putting the entire planet to sleep. Including the Russkis, the chinks, the yellows, the blues and the dogs."

"Then why don't they all participate?", barked the General.

"Well, sir, that's precisely why I'm here. If I can convince the military that it is a good thing, it should be easier to reach the government and, in turn, other countries..."

I thought I wouldn't tell him that it was backwards, but that this country was essentially working that way nowadays.. If he truly was from the Cold War, he wouldn't appreciate the military not being THAT needed.

-----------------
Chapter 2
-----------------

Several thousand miles away, Matthew Torn had just obtained a date with a girl he had met in the bus. It wasn't a very strange event, overall, but he was baffled that she was the one who came and asked for his phone number, straight out; the conversation had evolved from there. He was now walking towards his desk, sighing at the thought of mondays in general : he knew how much paperwork was likely to be waiting for him.

"That time in Seattle... was a nightmare. I came out of it dead broke, without a house, without anything except a girlfriend and a knowledge of UNIX."
"Well, that's something," Avi says. "Normally those two are mutually exclusive."
-- Neal Stephenson, "Cryptonomicon"

 

[Welshbird]

TheManiac.

My boss 'fires' me at least once a week. We both now that she is joking, and we have become very good friends in the time I have worked for her.

So I'm sure you have a similar relationship with your teams.

If it works - stick with it!

Fee
x


Fee

The question should be [red]Is it worth trying to do?[/red] not [blue] Can it be done?[/blue]

 

[Scott24x7]

See, and for all the criticism I've taken, it was only after "Ending" this story that it actually got going... there truely is a method to my madness.


Best Regards,
Scott

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, and no simpler."