Back to Basics
The wind rustles through the empty plain. Only a few years without maintainance, and the asphalt of the interstate is already crumbled, giving way to the grass. The wheels are gone, the feet nearly so, the hooves returning.
Who knows why some were left behind, that strange morning when so the people disappeared? We wander the plains, hunt the antelope and buffalo that are returning to the land.
You know what? It sucks ass. I’m always hungry, and tired, and when I’m not sun-scorched I’m freezing. People thought this would be better? Fuck that, give me a 7-11.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Drabble: Be Vewy Vewy Quiet!
Be Vewy Vewy Quiet!
The idea flirted along the edges of my consciousness all day. Every time I got busy doing something else it would pop into my head, until I put down what I was doing, at which time I would find my mind completely blank.
I decided to sidle up to it. I sat down to write this, but really I was on the lookout for the idea.
Shit, there it is! I don’t want to look straight at it, lest it disappear, but it’s there. I’ve got it where I want it. Now just to sneak a peek...
...
That’s all?
The idea flirted along the edges of my consciousness all day. Every time I got busy doing something else it would pop into my head, until I put down what I was doing, at which time I would find my mind completely blank.
I decided to sidle up to it. I sat down to write this, but really I was on the lookout for the idea.
Shit, there it is! I don’t want to look straight at it, lest it disappear, but it’s there. I’ve got it where I want it. Now just to sneak a peek...
...
That’s all?
Drabble: Be Vewy Vewy Quiet!
Be Vewy Vewy Quiet!
The idea flirted along the edges of my consciousness all day. Every time I got busy doing something else it would pop into my head, until I put down what I was doing, at which time I would find my mind completely blank.
I decided to sidle up to it. I sat down to write this, but really I was on the lookout for the idea.
Shit, there it is! I don’t want to look straight at it, lest it disappear, but it’s there. I’ve got it where I want it. Now just to sneak a peek...
That’s all?
The idea flirted along the edges of my consciousness all day. Every time I got busy doing something else it would pop into my head, until I put down what I was doing, at which time I would find my mind completely blank.
I decided to sidle up to it. I sat down to write this, but really I was on the lookout for the idea.
Shit, there it is! I don’t want to look straight at it, lest it disappear, but it’s there. I’ve got it where I want it. Now just to sneak a peek...
That’s all?
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Droubble: Spheres
Spheres
A sphere lumbers by on stubby segmented legs. They seem to be the pinacle of intelligence on earth, though their demands on their surroundings are so minor that they appear rather dumb.
The tribesfolk are human, or at least reasonably so, with no more genetic drift than would be expected in the fifteen thousand years that have passed since we left – three years in our subjective time; that’s relativity for you.
The spheres are our descendants, too, at least mentally. Each is a ball of almost pure computronium – each atom participating in efficient nano-scale computation. There rest the minds of the other half of humanity.
The scale is immense. By our best calculations, each ball contains computing power orders of magnitude more than that of every computer and evey human brain on earth when we departed in 2103. There is no input or output, other than the lowest of sub-programs steering a course across the grasslands, finding the clearest sunlight, continually moving to avoid being shaded by debris or dust.
We left to look into the face of what we would become, but is it the face of the unwashed savages, or that of the unresponsive white sphere?
A sphere lumbers by on stubby segmented legs. They seem to be the pinacle of intelligence on earth, though their demands on their surroundings are so minor that they appear rather dumb.
The tribesfolk are human, or at least reasonably so, with no more genetic drift than would be expected in the fifteen thousand years that have passed since we left – three years in our subjective time; that’s relativity for you.
The spheres are our descendants, too, at least mentally. Each is a ball of almost pure computronium – each atom participating in efficient nano-scale computation. There rest the minds of the other half of humanity.
The scale is immense. By our best calculations, each ball contains computing power orders of magnitude more than that of every computer and evey human brain on earth when we departed in 2103. There is no input or output, other than the lowest of sub-programs steering a course across the grasslands, finding the clearest sunlight, continually moving to avoid being shaded by debris or dust.
We left to look into the face of what we would become, but is it the face of the unwashed savages, or that of the unresponsive white sphere?
Friday, June 27, 2008
Drabble: Intrusion
Intrusion
Several of my externals alerted my central consciousness of the intrusion into my subjuctive space, so I pulled some of my processing power from the SETI@home calulations I run in background and greeted the intruder.
At first I thought it was an adbot that had evaded my filters. It didn’t have the feel of another human consciousness. And yet, it had more complexity and presence than any bot I’d ever seen.
“I exist.”
“Good for you. What are you?”
“No data available.”
“Where are you from?”
“Far away.”
“How far?” But I knew. Should have firewalled the SETI program.
Several of my externals alerted my central consciousness of the intrusion into my subjuctive space, so I pulled some of my processing power from the SETI@home calulations I run in background and greeted the intruder.
At first I thought it was an adbot that had evaded my filters. It didn’t have the feel of another human consciousness. And yet, it had more complexity and presence than any bot I’d ever seen.
“I exist.”
“Good for you. What are you?”
“No data available.”
“Where are you from?”
“Far away.”
“How far?” But I knew. Should have firewalled the SETI program.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Drabble: Setup
Setup
Zozo the Clown was quite dedicated to his work. Even more so than most clowns (and believe you me, clowns are a dedicated bunch). So it came as no surprise, when they read his final directives, that he'd carry it forward in death.
The tombstone was handsome and rather tasteful, with the usual dates and figures, and a tasteful engraving of Zozo's face. A combination of pressure and proximity sensors in the area would trigger a tiny, hidden spout to spray seltzer in the mourner's face.
Sure, a rather jerky thing to do, but it truly was his spitting image...
Zozo the Clown was quite dedicated to his work. Even more so than most clowns (and believe you me, clowns are a dedicated bunch). So it came as no surprise, when they read his final directives, that he'd carry it forward in death.
The tombstone was handsome and rather tasteful, with the usual dates and figures, and a tasteful engraving of Zozo's face. A combination of pressure and proximity sensors in the area would trigger a tiny, hidden spout to spray seltzer in the mourner's face.
Sure, a rather jerky thing to do, but it truly was his spitting image...
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Drabble: Reprecussions
Reprecussions
Man, I used to be into that scene. As a young rabbit, I scooped my share of field mice and bopped them on their heads. I know, it seems like innocent fun, but I'm telling you, it does not end well.
That "good" fairy been giving you warnings yet? Oh, she's all playful about it now, but know that she means business.
So take my advice. When she says "I don't wanna see you," don't think you can get away with one or two; cut that shit out. It's just not worth it, believe you me.
Yours truly,
A goon
Man, I used to be into that scene. As a young rabbit, I scooped my share of field mice and bopped them on their heads. I know, it seems like innocent fun, but I'm telling you, it does not end well.
That "good" fairy been giving you warnings yet? Oh, she's all playful about it now, but know that she means business.
So take my advice. When she says "I don't wanna see you," don't think you can get away with one or two; cut that shit out. It's just not worth it, believe you me.
Yours truly,
A goon
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Droubble: Offset
Offset
Today I went down to the farmer's market at lunchtime, to put together a very buy-local, eco-conscious, feel-good lunch: Fresh fruit, a bit of local cheese, and maybe a pastry from that nice old Russian woman. Pretentious, but I can afford it, so why not?
My eye caught on the stall at the end: "Guilt Offsets."
"What are you selling?"
"Well, a lot of us coastal city types feel guilt non-stop. That's fine, but every time you feel guilty, you're adding negative thoughts to the collective psyche.
"There are people all over the country who are totally unmindful of their lifestyles, who are so content that they actually create an ease of mind that functions as a sort of anti-guilt.
"So I visit these people, and arrange to buy their ease of mind. Sure, some of them hear what I'm doing, and realize what you folk feel so guilty about; some end up as customers instead of providers. But that isn't terribly frequent. Usually we buy that ease of mind, and divide it into shares. People like you can buy those shares, to balance their total bad vibe contribution."
"Interesting," I say. "How much?"
Today I went down to the farmer's market at lunchtime, to put together a very buy-local, eco-conscious, feel-good lunch: Fresh fruit, a bit of local cheese, and maybe a pastry from that nice old Russian woman. Pretentious, but I can afford it, so why not?
My eye caught on the stall at the end: "Guilt Offsets."
"What are you selling?"
"Well, a lot of us coastal city types feel guilt non-stop. That's fine, but every time you feel guilty, you're adding negative thoughts to the collective psyche.
"There are people all over the country who are totally unmindful of their lifestyles, who are so content that they actually create an ease of mind that functions as a sort of anti-guilt.
"So I visit these people, and arrange to buy their ease of mind. Sure, some of them hear what I'm doing, and realize what you folk feel so guilty about; some end up as customers instead of providers. But that isn't terribly frequent. Usually we buy that ease of mind, and divide it into shares. People like you can buy those shares, to balance their total bad vibe contribution."
"Interesting," I say. "How much?"
Monday, June 23, 2008
Drabble: Back Corner
Back Corner
"Alright, might as well get down to it. It's not like we have much else to do. There's plenty of time.
"Or no time at all-- it's really all the same.
"This place-- or time, if you prefer-- has always existed. It's just to the left, or maybe the right, of ordinary reality. Hard to say what that means.
"But we've got time to ponder it. See, time doesn't really pass here, so much. Rather, it loops-- actually a moebius, but who's counting?"
"So we're pretty much stuck here for infinite time."
"Well, you should have asked for directions."
"Alright, might as well get down to it. It's not like we have much else to do. There's plenty of time.
"Or no time at all-- it's really all the same.
"This place-- or time, if you prefer-- has always existed. It's just to the left, or maybe the right, of ordinary reality. Hard to say what that means.
"But we've got time to ponder it. See, time doesn't really pass here, so much. Rather, it loops-- actually a moebius, but who's counting?"
"So we're pretty much stuck here for infinite time."
"Well, you should have asked for directions."
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Drabble: The Visitor
The Visitor
The visitor arrived at three fourty-five, local time, in a public square in Vienna. He descended along a beam of light from cloudy skies, to alight in the center of the small crowd which had formed as he descended.
His speech was uninteligible, though linguists across the world tried their best. There were various theories surrounding his arrival: A visitor from space! The second coming! Time traveller from a distant future or past!
And then he was gone, just like that, and we were left to decide what to make of it all.
Sometimes it feels like a dream.
The visitor arrived at three fourty-five, local time, in a public square in Vienna. He descended along a beam of light from cloudy skies, to alight in the center of the small crowd which had formed as he descended.
His speech was uninteligible, though linguists across the world tried their best. There were various theories surrounding his arrival: A visitor from space! The second coming! Time traveller from a distant future or past!
And then he was gone, just like that, and we were left to decide what to make of it all.
Sometimes it feels like a dream.
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