A Drop in the Ocean

May 02, 2006 08:51


© 2006 Level_HeadHe moved carefully over the ice, occasionally slipping on the crystals frozen out of the methane rich atmosphere of this world ( Read more... )

writing, short stories, evolution, science

Leave a comment

testing4l May 2 2006, 19:31:07 UTC
So if the container was pierced by Jarni's projectile, that would imply either that Lon's heart is in (or near enough) to his leg or that Jarni completely missed his easy shot.

Here's what I don't get though -- which of Lon and Jarni is the intelligent designer?

Reply

level_head May 2 2006, 20:00:22 UTC
Lon's body -- and suit -- didn't stop it on the way out.

I suppose, if you were inclined that way, Lon's boss (or team) is the Intelligent Designer, Lon his Earthly prophet, and Jarni the Agent of his Transfiguration.

Or something. ];-)

===|==============/ Level Head

Reply

testing4l May 2 2006, 22:28:54 UTC
If I was inclined that way?!?! The evidence is obvious! Notice, for example, that no explanation is given for the origin of Lon's team (I prefer team to boss -- design by committee would explain a lot about modern man). They have obviously always existed.

Why, even the pursuit towards the craft shows that it wasn't put there by any sort of random chance. It -- and the weapon used to kill Lon -- were clearly designed.

The suggestion that he might have been manipulated into stealing the containers even has a ring of Adam and Eve's time in the garden.

(actually, now that I'm in this mindset, I'm reminded of crisper's writings. this and this are two particularly good examples.)

Reply

testing4l December 8 2006, 19:32:10 UTC
I just came across this again while cleaning out old comments I've left behind -- it's still an enjoyable story.

I'm still at a bit of a loss for the trajectory of that projectile. It seems that Jarni is at a higher elevation than Lon at this point. The projectile hit Lon's heart and the container in his leg. Given that Lon's leg pouch is most likely lower than his heart, then the suggestion is that the projectile had to have done some "magic bullet" tricks bouncing around off of bone to penetrate the container or the slope would have had to have been very steep indeed.

Reply

level_head December 8 2006, 23:12:33 UTC
The fault is mine, I'm afraid. In my mind's eye, their bodies are quadruped, and while not strictly "mammalian" have more-or-less vertical legs at each corner -- imagine something like a mythological centaur.

The pouch is strapped onto the side, just above the moving part of the leg itself, much as we would wear devices and pouches at our hip. (Well, I do, anyway.) Thus, the line:hand clasped on the pouch just above his front left leg.
But calling this a "hip pouch" didn't quite logically work, since these were the middle pair of legs for the species, and what a human would call "hips" were at the back; these need a new term.

So, I referred to it later as a "leg pouch" -- part of the strapping loops under the leg. But the pouch itself is not actually on the leg; it would tend to slide down, and heavier items would affect gait and motion.

===|==============/ Level Head

Reply


Leave a comment

Up