Monday, October 29, 2012

MMWUC: What if?


Hurricane Sandy is here. NANOWRIMO is knocking. Halloween is grabbing me and tossing Frankenstorm in my face. You don't need a Monday Morning Wake-up Call from me. The Dragon capsule is back on Earth with its own Andromeda strain. Should we worry that 10-20 million people will be without power as the virus spreads? Only those NANOWRIMOites will survive to an uncertain future, ensconced in their hidey-holes typing about vampires and werewolves and wizards and people on strange planets with strange names who act like your snotty little cousins down the street. We know these characters too well.

And what if this Andromeda strain is the good strain? And the bad good people are trying to save us from the hope that it brings to everyone. Maybe the strain makes us all vegans and that saves the Earth or maybe we mutate to the point where we can blink to where we want to go. No, that won't work. A couple million horny young men crashing into each other over the newest Playmate. Silly thought. But it could work.

Everybody now: put two wild ideas together and make a story. Hurricane Sandy causes the electrocution of all the wall streets bankers. Does that make the world economy better or worse?

Yes, this wake-up call is about nothing, but, what if...

2 comments:

Guilie Castillo said...

Ooooh, I like the vegan / save the Earth bit :D Better still, maybe the strain will eradicate humans, leaving everything else untouched. From the POV of 99.99% of every living thing on this planet, that might be akin to Superman swooping down, red cape flapping, fist outstretched, cowlick lookin' smart, and saving the day. *Sigh*. You've managed to absolutely destroy whatever motivation I had for finishing those edits.

Stay safe, Rick. I'm on the Weather Channel non-stop. Wish everyone took care of their pets like you do of Sydney. I know, I know--he's not a pet. But, you know, just for example purposes :)

Don McCandless said...

I’m stunned that you’ve chosen to delve into speculative fiction, Rick. Thought this medium gave you heartburn? The impending forces of nature has an odd effect on the psyche, brings out the best and the worst of humanity. This is an age-old theme, isn’t it?

How about: A massive ‘perfect storm’ strikes the Virginia coast at the same time a meteor lands in the Atlantic right in the middle of the President’s state of the union address. The entire government is wiped out by the tsunami, with the exception of the newly elected senator from Illinois, who is currently under indictment for skimming funds from the State’s school lunch program, and a recently appointed junior senator from California, who owes his return to public life to a plate of bad sushi, eaten by his predecessor.
Our story opens with a hastily arranged press conference at the law offices of the divorce attorney for interim president Arnold Schwarzenegger, the sole remaining government official at the national level.
Don