February 2, 2016

IDEAS ON TUESDAYS 241


https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VTxw9t2dGLI/hqdefault.jpgEach Tuesday, rather than a POSSIBLY IRRITATING ESSAY, I'd like to both challenge you and lend a helping hand. I generate more speculative and teen story ideas than I can ever use. My family rolls its collective eyes when I say, "Hang on a second! I just have to write down this idea..." Here, I'll include the initial inspiration (quote, website, podcast, etc) and then a thought or two that came to mind. These will simply be seeds -- plant, nurture, fertilize, chemically treat, irradiate, test or stress them as you see fit. I only ask if you let me know if anything comes of them.

SF Trope: The Arcology + gravity modification (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Arcology)


Amar Shamarki Shimbi shook her head and said, “We can’t modify gravity at that level – not to suspend an entire city secretly over the Chinese Republic!”

Renz Villanueva snorted, “You don’t have to try and hide it from me – everyone knows the East African Federation is experimenting with large scale gMod!”

“I don’t have to hide anything because I don’t know anything.” Renz stared at her, chin down, eyes up. “I don’t! I’m a nobody...”

“I hardly think the daughter of the president of the EAF is a nobody...”

“My MOTHER is a somebody. Daddy’s even somebody because he can do whatever he wants as long as he doesn’t embarrass Mom – and what he chooses to do is stump for free education from pre-K through bachelor’s degree for every EAF,” she said it like someone would say “eef”, “who wants it.”

Renz shook his head and got back to work on their joint “gravity sword”. He straightened up, “You think we can really make a flowing forcefield strong enough to fight with?”

“If we can build a working lightsaber, we won’t have to apply for grants anymore and we can work on figuring out how to really modify gravity – on a large scale!”

“I have to admit, it’ll be fun playing…”

“Who said anything about playing?” Amar exclaimed. “If we can tune these suckers right, they’re going to be real, honest-to-goodness lightsabers!”

He hummed, “They aren’t going to make cool noises like the ones in the movies. The sound comes from the fighter’s connection to the spiritual plane.”

She harrumphed and went back to her laptop, clicking on the story about the supposed city supposedly floating over Shanghai, China. She played the video again, made a strangled sound and leaned forward. Muttering in Somali, she tapped keyboard until she’d managed to zoom in on a tiny speck on the video. “No,” she breathed.

“What’s wrong?”

“I was…”

Names: ♀Somalia; ♂ Philippines     

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