Epilogue 1 Post-EMP Human Popcorn
06 May 2012 Leave a Comment
Previously: Elizabeth the Lonely
Epilogue 1 Post-EMP Human Popcorn
The bolt of energy sent to Earth was an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) so powerful that it not only wiped out digital information that was not protected, it also deleted the most secure information. Everything was wiped clean: legal, academic, arrest records, music, art, all gone. Digitized family trees no longer existed, nor did any record anywhere.
The energy bolt did other things as well. Changed was the very way the magnetic poles communicated with each other. Those few documents that were not digitized, and they were very few, had been sprayed with a magnetic ink so that computers could easily read them. The ink on these documents had moved or blotted together in indecipherable ways. The Holy Constitution of the United States of America that few could read due to it being written in ancient sanskitian-english cursive was now a jumble of ink spots.
The EMP also had an effect on the humans. Similar to the cyberservants that investigated the planet after the EMP event, within hours of the EMP event; human bodies were found without their heads attached. Something in the brain chemistry resulted in heads exploding. It turns out the world did end, with both a bang AND a whimper….followed by a squish and a splat! Animals and plants seemed minimally affected. The planet also, seemed unchanged. Though the magnetic poles were now communicating differently, there were no sudden shifts in plate-tectonic activity. The effects of this EMP seem specifically engineered to affect humans, higher-level communications (such as digitized documents, typed manuscripts), and the cyberservants, who’s AI programming is modeled after human brainwave patterns. Basically, all things human were no longer going to function for many years on the planet Earth until the energy from the EMP dissipated. In the 1500 years that followed, cyberservants were able to stay longer within the magnetic field of the Earth without damage; however, no human could step foot on soil, in water, or within the magnetic field of the Earth without beginning to show signs of EMP-sickness before their heads exploded into fine red mist.
…and that is where the story should have stopped, but sometimes I lack discipline…
Epilogue 2 – Becoming the OW
The survivors, all off world in space stations or in transit with other colonies were despondent. The human population, somewhere around 17.5 Billion pre-EMP event had been reduced to nearly 20,000 post EMP event. All data on planet had been wiped clean, and global genocide had been swiftly carried out with one return fire. The Earth scientists of the refugee “off-worlders,” or OWs as they came to be called, made a plan to return to ancestor’s homes through radical genetic modification. They spliced the genetic code with the animals on ship until their brain wave configurations were different enough to return yet human enough to behave humanely. These OWs eventually did return home, but no genetically pure human was able to step foot back on Earth soil for many, many years until the effects of the EMP event had dissipated.
Elizabeth the Lonely
04 May 2012 Leave a Comment
Continuing on…..
Previously: HCC Field Trip to the Moon
Chapter 2 Elizabeth the Lonely
Elizabeth remembers being on the moon the day humanity lost their heads and their past. Some 40 years ago, she was there with a study group of explorers. She remembers before leaving her home how she almost made other plans that day. She could have gone shopping or holo-surfing with her girlfriend and boyfriend tri-pairing. All three would have perished. However, she went with her consortium to study the moon firsthand. She remembers the touch down on the moon’s surface, the bad jokes her friends were telling, and the nearly hour hike to the crater they were to explore. She remembers how beautiful the Earth shone overhead. The she remembers the little hair standing up on the back of her neck as a ball of energy bolted out of the crater a few feet to her left and shot straight up to the home she would never touch again.
Elizabeth can remember neither the hike back to the ship, nor the docking to the nearest space station. Once at the space station, minutes felt like an eternity as time marched slower and slower in space. It is true; no one can hear you scream in space, but tears fall loudly on sterile space floor. Everyone was hysterical. Weeks passed on and the cyberservants sent to Earth’s surface only lasted an hour or so before they would malfunction and cease to work at all. Fortunately, after a few days of parsed together information as well as using information gleaned from satellites a series of events started to be understood on that frightful day for the human inhabitants of Earth.
Continuing with the Conclusion…Human Popcorn
HCC Field Trip to the Moon
02 May 2012 1 Comment
Continuing my short story…and a parody on reality, I was a part of my community college’s Science Club – where a big event happens at the end of each semester. The two professors take the club on a trip. Last year we went to Moab in Utah and saw some amazing sights. Below is the continuation of the unrelated story progressing from
Previously:
A short story: Think “Jules Verne” or 1950′s sci-fi
continuing on…
Chapter 1 HCC Science Field Trip to the Moon
Father E. and Dr. D. are a team of science advisors for the Human Constellation Consortium. This group of advisors and students take up various expeditions through the safety of virtual exploration. The adventures of HCC: Science is legend as they take their students on various exotic virtual tours of planets and stars in the cosmos. Other consortiums pale in comparison. However, an oversight is discovered during one of their meetings in late April of 2100 when the subject of their own moon comes up. In reflecting on the consortiums brief 15 year history, this team had never explored their own moon. Seeing it at night had always been enough, especially when so many other fantastic luminary curiosities wait for discovery. Now that space travel is more popular and feasible, the group elected to take an unprecedented non-virtual space trip to their moon.
To spice up the adventure, the advisors suggest a visit to a few of the mysterious craters near one of the Earth moon’s poles where cyberservants had discovered evidence of ice.
Father E., whose religion is Science, blessed the trip with a benediction and cavalier sarcasm…which is his way. Dr. D, always the pragmatist, had recently acquired twelve laser drills the students will use for excavation. Training took only a few moments as the students brains were uploaded with the relevant data. Conveniences of modern technology and pedagogy make it possible for humans to upload information directly into their brains. This is the same brain-computer interface that makes the HCC: Science virtual field trips possible and the cyberservants such loyal and useful helpers. This trip to the moon would not be met with much excitement had it not been for a few students wanting to experience that same first-hand perspective of exploration that so many of their ancestors had experienced with the discoveries of America, Florida, and the ancient magic lands of Disney…where disappointedly, there was no evidence of any magic at all.
Take off from one of the nation’s launchzones was extremely smooth. Antigravity polarizers help the ship effortlessly depart the atmosphere and into space. Landing was rougher than expected as the ship had not experience touchdown on the moon’s terra before. Dr. D. was on hand to calibrate the space suits for exploration, to give a brief hands-on tutorial on how to use the laser to make sure everyone was on the same page and to cement the virtual learning experienced during the Earth-Moon transit. The ship landed about an hour’s moonwalk from one of the southern craters chosen for its level and smooth landscape and its lack of magnetic interference. Their target crater had been obscured by the moon’s relative partial darkness. Over the past few years, scientists in the community discovered an odd fluctuation of magnetism in the moon’s magnetic field especially near and within the crater. Generally, these places lack water, however, this particular crater has a rich magnetic field and may have water, which is important for the team’s trip if they plan to stay more than just a few hours. If no water is discovered, the team will have to move to another location and then back to one of the international space stations before returning home.
The team approached the crater’s edge and looked at the beautiful moonscape. With the Earth is almost directly overhead half of the crater was still in the shade considered to be part of “the dark side of the moon,” The virtual trips the HCC: Science team made had in no way prepared these students, or the advisors, for the beautiful contrast of grey moon skin against the black depths of the crater in the shade of the moon or against the backdrop of the eternal starry night. The only color present was the HCC logos on their spacesuits and the blue marble at “high noon” above. The view was more than breath-taken, it was captivating.
The HCC: Science team, who moments before were chattering with excitement as they approached the edge of the crater, much to the chagrin of the easily annoyed Father E., all fell quiet in awe as they were able to take in the incredible view. Then the sound of a sneeze is heard by all through the team’s radio connection ruining this sacred silence. As the team stared about the cliff and then up to the home, Dr. D. had the unfortunate experience of sneezing in his space suit spraying the protective helmet with a fine mist of sinus fluid. Dr. D.’s had an unfortunate allergy to his space suit causing him to sneeze at that precise moment (the students called it an allergy to “space pollen”). With a push of a few buttons from Dr. D on his suit’s sensor pad the suit’s internal cleaning system cleared the inside of the helmet so he could enjoy the view. Dr. D. composed himself while adjusting his suits settings when he happened to be looking at the magnetism sensor on his display showing a massive magnetic shift deep in the crater. At that precise moment, the team witnessed the worst disaster in recorded human history.
With the Earth directly overhead something deep within the crater fires a blast of energy to the marble up above. Silent awe shifts to silent dread. Father E. and Dr. D. exchange looks as students start to ask questions no one has answers to. Father E. patches into the ships communication device that then should route his query to HCC at home, but instead routes to a space station. Father E. learns by way of a recorded message that the only communication is off-world between the 413 international space stations in orbit around the planet.
To be continued: Elizabeth the Lonely
A short story: Think “Jules Verne” or 1950′s sci-fi
30 Apr 2012 1 Comment
So, this is Final’s week.
This time last year I was in a class titled something like Science for Science Fiction.
The class was instructed to visit science fiction through the lens of Jules Verne and some of our classic sci fi authors from the late 1800′s to the mid 1950′s.
Here is my short story….I warn you, it is nothing serious, but I hope you enjoy the read enough to make fun of it….
Prologue 1 – Sir Viver
On Thursday, August 14th, 2003, at approximately 4:11pm EDT, an event happened that few people were able to understand. The cause of which remains a mystery to the public at large. The agency responsible for answering to the public had a story cooked up before the first light bulb went out. Some blame a fallen tree in Ohio, another blames a circuit breaker that did not function correctly. These “explanations” aside, one effect resulted in a massive international widespread blackout in the northeastern corner of North America. Citizens of both Canada and the United States of America were a-buzz, not from an electrical hum, but with needing power generators. Water supply to pumps no longer had power; transportation shut down (rail and air travel); communication disrupted; and factories were closed resulting in factories not in the powered-down areas to slow with congestion. To put it simply, this was an inconvenience.
The blackout did happen, but it was not because of a tree, or a circuit breaker. When a gun is fired without a silencer, the person holding the gun would be correct to assume there would be the sound of a shot fired. The blackout of 2003 was that sound. The bullet, however, was a massive EMP aimed at a starship just beyond the moon’s orbit. The OW’s, or “Off Worlders” as men of power and influence come to call them meant no threat, but the fear of these men aimed that powerful gun to these people and fired nonetheless. The ship was in the process of communicating with their homeworld when their ship suffered a direct hit. Almost all the OW’s perished as it crashed on the darkside of the Earth’s moon with no power. What was an inconvenience for one people was catastrophe for another. Worse, it was catastrophe with intent. The people of Earth would learn that such intent improperly mixed with action would result in revenge. The simple lesson here: When making a killshot, make certain that it kills completely. The survivor of the crashed ship of the OW’s, Sir Viver as his people know him, was one of their most gifted engineers. With the camouflage of the darkside of the moon as his cover, the incredible lifespan of his genetics, and the revenge in his heart Sir Viver would take the role of teacher seriously.
Prologue 2 – The DIE Act
The United States led the global initiative with the Digitize Information Everywhere Act of 2012. Public schools in the US had stopped teaching handwriting and shifted to keyboarding by 2016 due in part to an ambition unilaterally supported by their political leaders. By the early 40’s of the 21st century, children looked with awe and disgust as their parents and grandparents tried to explain the beauty and no-longer practical application and execution of the written letter. By 2050 all documents had been scanned. What had taken a little over 200 years to become wildly popular and a sign of dignified communication had shifted into antiquity. Nothing was written on paper by the time those born in the early 21st century became grandparents.
NEXT: HCC goes on an Adventure in HCC Science Field Trip to the Moon
…Is it time to wander?
09 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
So, I did not write a post the day the internet went dark, resolved that I would return a few days later to pick up where I left off.
I blink and as I were Rip Van Winkle, time has flown by. I swear it was just last week when January was coming to a close and as I look up from my studies I see that it is approaching mid-April!
Of course a lot has happened since I last wrote.
Mostly I have spent my time trying to keep up with my academics as well as finishing applying for scholarships to help out with my study abroad experience coming up in the fall in Korea. Here’s a general idea of what I have been up to:
January – was voted onto the executive board for the P.R.I.D.E. Alliance @ USF as its Vice President of External Affairs. What is PRIDE? P.R.I.D.E. @ USF stands for People Respecting Individual Diversity and Equality. We are a LGBTQA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Allied) based organization here at USF. Started in 1974, we are the oldest continuously funded gay student organization in the state of Florida. We are here to help build up the LGBTQA community at the University of South Florida and surrounding Tampa area. P.R.I.D.E Alliance is also an official member of the University of South Florida’s Multicultural Community through the Office of Multicultural Affairs and is my honor that I am able to serve on their board.
Initially this role was (and I suppose still it) intended as a point of contact between the club and outside (thus “external”) activities. My role is partnered with the VP of Internal Affairs as that person focuses on internal matters such as follow through and club logistics. Some examples of the duties of VP of External Affairs would be to make contact with other organizations in the Tampa area and coordinate with other student organizations on the USF -Tampa campus. However, the previous year, the club decided to host the annual Florida Collegiate Pride Conference; a.k.a., FCPC. The FCPC is an annual leadership conference that travels between the many colleges and universities in Florida. Each spring, GLBTQ and ally college students across the state gather to network, share their experiences, and learn about issues and topics pertinent to the GLBTQ community.
We welcomed around 300 members (in this pic as about half of who attended- some people like to sleep in) from around the state from different student organizations to join us for the weekend of March 30th – April 1st (Friday – Sunday). Each conference has a theme. Our theme this year is “Crossing Spectrums,” which was about breaking down the barriers of the acronym and it’s different communities, blurring the lines of the flag we’re so proud of that divides us and uniting as one “Q”-munity. We had a great time and I can confidently say that after having lived in Tampa for 7 years…I now know what it is like to go clubbing in the Ybor District, but I lack the particulars. (Some of you do the math on this one)
So, yeah…logistics have been taking up a large part of my cognitive functions as my and about 10 others hammered out the needs and processes of this event to make it happen.
Spring Break: In the middle of March, I had the joy of traveling to Kansas City, MO/KS (yes, both!) spending good chill time with my friends. While there I was introduced to poetry as I had never heard it before. I am always impressed by my friend’s (Tony Plocido) work. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8d_dWjt8-Q (for some reason I can’t get the link to just insert the video, but you should check him out.)
I was also able to visit my church’s “Vatican.” I belong to a church called Unity, and our school of Christianity is located just southeast of Kansas City. While there it rained, which in some ways reflects how I feel about this church from an organizational perspective. In many ways I have lost my religion, but somewhere, deep with in, I enjoy going back and seeing the grounds. I have a lot of special memories of visiting there, and this visit was no different.
After KC, I journey to Nashville, TN!
I was able to visit with my cousin and his family, and see people I had not seen in a while. My cousin always knows how to put a smile on my heart. He took me to a shooting range, which was SO weird to me. I really enjoyed our opportunity to bond as he showed me how to shoot a glock. Having never shot one before, it was a bit scary. I am glad one of us are comfortable around weapons…because, guns just aren’t for me.
Here is a picture of my friend E., Ben and Laurel. I wish Kelly and Jesse were able to join us that last night.
Well, I apologize for the long-sleep I took on this. As you can tell, school, volunteering and traveling have all kept me away. This semester will be finished in a month. I hope I will be able to take some time to revisit as I wander about.
One of my goals is to post on here about what else to know when asking for a letter of recommendation from your Professors/Mentors on your campus. I hope that will be out later this week!
Life Expectancy at the Parks…and a lesson learned…
30 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
This could be a really morbid tale, but really, it is not.
A friend asked me “‘What is the life expectancy’ of working at the parks?”
Most people, when they start working at Disney are happy to be there, work hard, and firmly believe they are there to put a smile on every guest’s face. To that point, they all try…very hard to do just that. Depending on the job though, I would have to say that most people get ‘burnt-out’ along the way. I worked at Universal for 3.5 years and almost…ALMOST worked for SeaWorld. It was a good thing that I did not start my job at SeaWorld (my choice) due in large part to a contract issue I had with the company that they slipped in at the last moment. Ok….side bar, join me at the next paragraph and I’ll get this out of the way…
SeaWorld – I had been working at Universal for nearly 2.5 years when a few friends, after hearing my need for more hours, suggested I work part time at SeaWorld. I applied for a character position, interviewed, met with a physical trainer for an evaluation, had another interview with another management team, was drug tested (clippings from my hair, I had semi-long hair, not quite shoulder length, “fashionable for 1997), and after 3 months, they offered me a yearly contract as a character worker – full time. Full time sounded very favorable as I was only hoping for part time. I put in my two weeks at Universal, said my good bye’s and I was all set for some transitioning. I showed up my first day at SeaWorld, to which they greeted me with, “Welcome! Before we can start your training, you have to cut your hair.” ”Cut my hair? It’s not that long, and I have met with 2 sets of management team, met with your physical trainer, and I will be in costume most of the time. When I am not in costume, I can wear a hat (which is part of the costume)” They said I could not start my day if my hair was long enough to fall beyond my ears. And it was….just. I felt that in the five months of jumping through their hoops, and having met with so many of their teams that SOMEONE could have told me that I needed to cut my hair. Though it seems prideful, I told them I would have to think about this and would call them back within the next few days. Keep in mind, this was mid 1997 (I think), and I was in my early 20′s. Though a casual observer might think I was just being prideful, I was more concerned about what else I wasn’t being told. I called Universal and saved my job. Called SeaWorld, and thanked them for the opportunity, but declined the position and they forfeited my contract, because I would not cut my hair, I was no longer an attractive employee to them. Interestingly enough, SeaWorld has run a drug test on me (no worries there, I have never touched anything remotely illegal), and they stipulate clearly in their contract that you can only work in the character department 3 years at a max. After that time you have to find another position. I point these two things out because Universal AND Walt Disney World have neither – a drug testing policy is not enforced on the onset of being a character worker, nor is there a contract LIMITING your longevity of employment in the character field.
And here we are….we are back! That was a nice side trip down memory lane. So, to answer my friend’s question – Yes, there is a “Life expectancy” specifically for character work at one of the three parks in the Orlando area. The other two do not restrict or limit you based on time alone. In my humble opinion, I have seen management at both parks skillfully implement policy to keep the employees they wanted, and move the ones they did not, onto other opportunities.
Physically – there are still tons of people I worked with 10 years ago that still work characters at theme parks. There are also people I worked with back in the late 90′s that are still healing from back issues, head aches, jaw (TMJ) issues, etc who only worked there a fraction of the time. Though I left that industry in the early 00′s, I still have issues with my back, feet, and occiputs (located towards the back and base of the skull).
My physical issues are ones that are common with character work. Most characters deal with it by being on Ibuprofen (or something similar).
I hope this gives some insight. Yes, character work can have an impact on your body, but some are dealing with it and become “lifers.” . Some “burn out” either because they are not challenged enough (this was the case for me), or because their bodies can not take of the physical stresses that come with the job. I wish the other parks would drug test and limit that amount of years a person can work as a character at the parks. SeaWorld has that part right. However, the turn over would be horrible considering the size of the character employees AND …they wouldn’t be able to fill the positions. Think about it, you’re cutting off your supply of workers on the front end and restricting their renewability on the other end = not enough workers.
(You will notice I did not use any pictures of characters in this post, I did that because I wanted to make this about the employment aspect and not connect an image of a famous character with some of that “Behind the Magic” conversation. Some training is hard to wipe from the hard drives, ya know?)
Momentary Delay….
28 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: buddha
I am sorry to say that I am not achieving my goal of writing. This week there is a lot of work to be done on my pending scholarships and my school work. So, I will pick this up in a few days when things slow down….
Until then I want to know how the Buddha went from this
to this…
