AmatorialWriter
Really Experienced
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2010
- Posts
- 210
(Closed)
He looks at the display of his pocket size control center and sees it's Friday August 10, 4444. Finally the three week vacation he has been waiting for will start tomorrow. As an added bonus for performing exceptionally well in his security detail, Derek Atwood earned an extra week to make up for excessive overtime. His employer Sentries-R-Us owned by Derek's friend Copernicus was hired to investigate and protect one of its clients Ultra Skins, Inc. against corporate espionage. They manufacture interior and exterior skins and other materials used in airships. A competitor attempted to steal closely guarded secrets from Ultra Skins. This company lacks the expertise and resources to safeguard their most valuable assets, its knowledge base and manufacturing techniques. Derek Atwood used his special forces experience and astute investigative skills to find the culprits and weaknesses in the company's security. A disgruntled former employee named Ned Kelly left the company after being passed over for promotions several times. Feeling revengeful, Kelly tried to get even by selling company secrets even though he was legally obligated and required by contract to remain silent regarding his former employer's copyrights and patents. The other culprits were eventually caught and detained.
Solving the case allowed Derek to improve the company's security and that brought more revenues into the coffers of Sentries-R-Us and employees on its payroll. Ultra-Skins lost some its competitive edge but the damage is tolerable because Derek stopped the intellectual property theft before the most valuable secrets were about to be stolen. Culprits are incarcerated while judges, prosecutors and defending lawyers handle justice and legalities. Ned Kelly faces criminal as well as civil charges for breach of contract.
Ultra Skins is developing a skin suitable and durable enough to cover buildings. Achieving this will catapult the company to economic success and global dominance. Furthermore, increasing demand for other energy sources will be moderated as reliance on solar power increases. This is good for humanity and Ultra Skins. Thus, protection of their technology is imperative. Quietly James Watt, the CEO of Ultra Skins offered Derek a security job with a very lucrative salary and a hefty sign-on bonus. Derek politely postponed his decision partly out of loyalty to his friend Copernicus whom he worked for during the last five years and the dire need to vacate to a vacation. The CEO made it clear he expects to hear from Derek after his vacation and Derek promised.
Derek's belongings are sparse, a practice acquired in the special forces so packing is a short task and he's ready to leave today. Lucius, a good friend from the special forces years will transport him to the aerodrome from which the airship will sail. Derek and Lucius live in a land called Yupik. Two millenniums ago it was known as Australia. His destination is another island called Nirvana. It was known as Ceylon and Sri Lanka in a past civilization. The trip will take about five days, only four in good weather. He'll have over two weeks of rest and relaxation on this small island.
An hour later the buzzer sounds alerting Derek his friend is on the premises waiting for him at the main entrance. Derek informs Lucius he'll be out in a few minutes and he is. The travel bag is set on the open carriage's floor and Derek sits in the backseat facing forward, watching Lucius' back while driving the carriage drawn by two horses. The aerodrome is two miles away.
The year is 4444 so why is archaic technology used when most forms of technology advanced beyond anyone's dreams in past centuries?
Ancestors over a millennium ago discovered cures for cancers, viral infections, heart conditions, obesity, diabetes and other ailments leading to earlier death. All these advancements backfired by spurring a population explosion so rapid there wasn't enough food, fresh water and energy sources to sustain a magnanimous population continuously growing out of proportion.
Fossil fuels, the most commonly used energy sources were depleted. Resources were discovered on planets in neighboring solar systems but transporting those materials to Earth was prohibitive. Refugees left Earth to live in other solar systems but the number of rockets was too few. Ensuing wars, famines and plagues reduced the population to less than 5% of its maximum number. Survivors of a much smaller world inherited monumental challenges in preserving the human species and advancing its civilization. It was incumbent upon them to adapt or perish. Surviving on an energy poor planet necessitated using natural materials, beasts for burden, grow and cultivate more vegetation, raise more livestock for meat, leather and other byproducts, recycle more materials, and develop more efficient technologies.
Derek, Lucius and all other inhabitants inherited an energy poor planet but make the best of it. Electricity is now generated by wind, solar, tidal, geothermal, and wood. Nuclear power is still used but highly restricted because the supply of fissionable materials dwindled. Fusion continues to be a promise, perhaps better that way. Coal became a rare commodity. Internal combustion machines became relics and inhabitants of museums, reminders of a wasteful era that created its own demise. Of the advanced technology that survived, only devices using little energy remain in use. This includes most electronics. Ingenious advances in nanotechnology allowed the development of smaller and smaller devices till their limitations weren't memory, speed, power requirement or storage but how easily they can be used with fingers and instruments. In other words, they had to be ergonomic if they were to be functional and small. Devices too minuscule to be controlled directly by touch were controlled electronically and remotely. On a macro level, old technology rules.
Dirigibles or airships are used for air travel, and sail ships for marine travel. Land travel is accomplished by trains, bicycles, rickshaws, carriages, mules, horses, sail powered land vehicles, and of course walking. Communities were redesigned to minimize commuting and dependency on vehicular transportation. After the population dwindled, forests grew again offering wood as a valuable resource. As with any energy source, cultivation of wood is highly regulated not only by governments but encouraged by religions and spiritualities that worship earth and its environment. Pantheism replaced monotheism. Strict conservation and population control prevent natural resources from being critically depleted.
As the horses' hoofs pound the road in their rhythmic stride, the carriage shakes with tolerable if not comfortable motions and Derek and Lucius talk about their good old days in the special forces. Having been involved in critical and secret missions, there aren't many people they can talk to about their experiences so they mainly talk about their military past, life, and occasionally about women. Derek is between girlfriends and Lucius struggles with marital problems. Some things never change.
Half a mile away they reach the top of the escarpment and see a fleet of dirigibles tethered to clear flat grass covered ground segmented by pathways. Two more airships are afloat, one departing the other arriving. The dirigible Derek will travel in is large enough to transport fifty passengers and five crew members. "This isn't your grandfather's dirigible," Lucius says to Derek and the discussion steers toward airships. Lucius convinced Derek to take an airship to Nirvana instead of a sail boat. Airships are buoyant with helium, not hydrogen, a hard lesson learned from ancestors long ago. Their shape is aerodynamic and the skin made by Ultra Skins. The vessel shape and proprietary technology used for the smooth skin offer significantly less drag. In conjunction with light materials, the airship size is minimal and its speed fast, about 100 knots or 115 miles per hour. Power is provided by a creative invention, an additive to the skin's material that absorbs light and converts it into electricity. Electric motors turn propellers. Enough energy is stored to power the airship at night. The light material is strong enough for the airship to travel above clouds hence above storms and wind. To save energy and make good time, airships typically travel below clouds when no storms occur and the wind blows in the same direction. Other systems such as heating, cooling, cooking, etc. are powered by steam.
Derek and Lucius stand facing each other in front of the terminal, shaking hands and bidding farewell. Lucius wishes him a pleasant trip, Derek thanks him and they go their separate ways. Lucius to his home hoping to avoid his wife's misery, in part of his own making, and Derek enters the terminal to check in while putting his chaotic work out of his mind and hoping to find a new romance.
Once all the passengers are on board and in their cabins, air in the airship's buoyancy tanks is replaced by helium using a steam powered pump and the tethers are released then pulled by steam powered winches. Airship AY505 owned by Air Yupik floats upwards, steers to its intended westward destination and disappears through the ceiling of clouds above. Derek unpacks, washes then leaves the cabin heading to the dining room for dinner. Walking down the corridor, he smiles and vigorously rubs his hands together in joy. The subtle hum of propulsion permeates the space. Earlier he noticed a particularly striking woman waiting in line at the check-in counter who returned favorable glances, asserting her reciprocating interest. Now he anticipates finding Regina. He knows her name but only her first name when he overheard it mentioned by a ground attendant at the boarding gate.
He looks at the display of his pocket size control center and sees it's Friday August 10, 4444. Finally the three week vacation he has been waiting for will start tomorrow. As an added bonus for performing exceptionally well in his security detail, Derek Atwood earned an extra week to make up for excessive overtime. His employer Sentries-R-Us owned by Derek's friend Copernicus was hired to investigate and protect one of its clients Ultra Skins, Inc. against corporate espionage. They manufacture interior and exterior skins and other materials used in airships. A competitor attempted to steal closely guarded secrets from Ultra Skins. This company lacks the expertise and resources to safeguard their most valuable assets, its knowledge base and manufacturing techniques. Derek Atwood used his special forces experience and astute investigative skills to find the culprits and weaknesses in the company's security. A disgruntled former employee named Ned Kelly left the company after being passed over for promotions several times. Feeling revengeful, Kelly tried to get even by selling company secrets even though he was legally obligated and required by contract to remain silent regarding his former employer's copyrights and patents. The other culprits were eventually caught and detained.
Solving the case allowed Derek to improve the company's security and that brought more revenues into the coffers of Sentries-R-Us and employees on its payroll. Ultra-Skins lost some its competitive edge but the damage is tolerable because Derek stopped the intellectual property theft before the most valuable secrets were about to be stolen. Culprits are incarcerated while judges, prosecutors and defending lawyers handle justice and legalities. Ned Kelly faces criminal as well as civil charges for breach of contract.
Ultra Skins is developing a skin suitable and durable enough to cover buildings. Achieving this will catapult the company to economic success and global dominance. Furthermore, increasing demand for other energy sources will be moderated as reliance on solar power increases. This is good for humanity and Ultra Skins. Thus, protection of their technology is imperative. Quietly James Watt, the CEO of Ultra Skins offered Derek a security job with a very lucrative salary and a hefty sign-on bonus. Derek politely postponed his decision partly out of loyalty to his friend Copernicus whom he worked for during the last five years and the dire need to vacate to a vacation. The CEO made it clear he expects to hear from Derek after his vacation and Derek promised.
Derek's belongings are sparse, a practice acquired in the special forces so packing is a short task and he's ready to leave today. Lucius, a good friend from the special forces years will transport him to the aerodrome from which the airship will sail. Derek and Lucius live in a land called Yupik. Two millenniums ago it was known as Australia. His destination is another island called Nirvana. It was known as Ceylon and Sri Lanka in a past civilization. The trip will take about five days, only four in good weather. He'll have over two weeks of rest and relaxation on this small island.
An hour later the buzzer sounds alerting Derek his friend is on the premises waiting for him at the main entrance. Derek informs Lucius he'll be out in a few minutes and he is. The travel bag is set on the open carriage's floor and Derek sits in the backseat facing forward, watching Lucius' back while driving the carriage drawn by two horses. The aerodrome is two miles away.
The year is 4444 so why is archaic technology used when most forms of technology advanced beyond anyone's dreams in past centuries?
Ancestors over a millennium ago discovered cures for cancers, viral infections, heart conditions, obesity, diabetes and other ailments leading to earlier death. All these advancements backfired by spurring a population explosion so rapid there wasn't enough food, fresh water and energy sources to sustain a magnanimous population continuously growing out of proportion.
Fossil fuels, the most commonly used energy sources were depleted. Resources were discovered on planets in neighboring solar systems but transporting those materials to Earth was prohibitive. Refugees left Earth to live in other solar systems but the number of rockets was too few. Ensuing wars, famines and plagues reduced the population to less than 5% of its maximum number. Survivors of a much smaller world inherited monumental challenges in preserving the human species and advancing its civilization. It was incumbent upon them to adapt or perish. Surviving on an energy poor planet necessitated using natural materials, beasts for burden, grow and cultivate more vegetation, raise more livestock for meat, leather and other byproducts, recycle more materials, and develop more efficient technologies.
Derek, Lucius and all other inhabitants inherited an energy poor planet but make the best of it. Electricity is now generated by wind, solar, tidal, geothermal, and wood. Nuclear power is still used but highly restricted because the supply of fissionable materials dwindled. Fusion continues to be a promise, perhaps better that way. Coal became a rare commodity. Internal combustion machines became relics and inhabitants of museums, reminders of a wasteful era that created its own demise. Of the advanced technology that survived, only devices using little energy remain in use. This includes most electronics. Ingenious advances in nanotechnology allowed the development of smaller and smaller devices till their limitations weren't memory, speed, power requirement or storage but how easily they can be used with fingers and instruments. In other words, they had to be ergonomic if they were to be functional and small. Devices too minuscule to be controlled directly by touch were controlled electronically and remotely. On a macro level, old technology rules.
Dirigibles or airships are used for air travel, and sail ships for marine travel. Land travel is accomplished by trains, bicycles, rickshaws, carriages, mules, horses, sail powered land vehicles, and of course walking. Communities were redesigned to minimize commuting and dependency on vehicular transportation. After the population dwindled, forests grew again offering wood as a valuable resource. As with any energy source, cultivation of wood is highly regulated not only by governments but encouraged by religions and spiritualities that worship earth and its environment. Pantheism replaced monotheism. Strict conservation and population control prevent natural resources from being critically depleted.
As the horses' hoofs pound the road in their rhythmic stride, the carriage shakes with tolerable if not comfortable motions and Derek and Lucius talk about their good old days in the special forces. Having been involved in critical and secret missions, there aren't many people they can talk to about their experiences so they mainly talk about their military past, life, and occasionally about women. Derek is between girlfriends and Lucius struggles with marital problems. Some things never change.
Half a mile away they reach the top of the escarpment and see a fleet of dirigibles tethered to clear flat grass covered ground segmented by pathways. Two more airships are afloat, one departing the other arriving. The dirigible Derek will travel in is large enough to transport fifty passengers and five crew members. "This isn't your grandfather's dirigible," Lucius says to Derek and the discussion steers toward airships. Lucius convinced Derek to take an airship to Nirvana instead of a sail boat. Airships are buoyant with helium, not hydrogen, a hard lesson learned from ancestors long ago. Their shape is aerodynamic and the skin made by Ultra Skins. The vessel shape and proprietary technology used for the smooth skin offer significantly less drag. In conjunction with light materials, the airship size is minimal and its speed fast, about 100 knots or 115 miles per hour. Power is provided by a creative invention, an additive to the skin's material that absorbs light and converts it into electricity. Electric motors turn propellers. Enough energy is stored to power the airship at night. The light material is strong enough for the airship to travel above clouds hence above storms and wind. To save energy and make good time, airships typically travel below clouds when no storms occur and the wind blows in the same direction. Other systems such as heating, cooling, cooking, etc. are powered by steam.
Derek and Lucius stand facing each other in front of the terminal, shaking hands and bidding farewell. Lucius wishes him a pleasant trip, Derek thanks him and they go their separate ways. Lucius to his home hoping to avoid his wife's misery, in part of his own making, and Derek enters the terminal to check in while putting his chaotic work out of his mind and hoping to find a new romance.
Once all the passengers are on board and in their cabins, air in the airship's buoyancy tanks is replaced by helium using a steam powered pump and the tethers are released then pulled by steam powered winches. Airship AY505 owned by Air Yupik floats upwards, steers to its intended westward destination and disappears through the ceiling of clouds above. Derek unpacks, washes then leaves the cabin heading to the dining room for dinner. Walking down the corridor, he smiles and vigorously rubs his hands together in joy. The subtle hum of propulsion permeates the space. Earlier he noticed a particularly striking woman waiting in line at the check-in counter who returned favorable glances, asserting her reciprocating interest. Now he anticipates finding Regina. He knows her name but only her first name when he overheard it mentioned by a ground attendant at the boarding gate.
Last edited:
