Welcome to
Science a GoGo's
Discussion Forums
Please keep your postings on-topic or they will be moved to a galaxy far, far away.
Your use of this forum indicates your agreement to our terms of use.
So that we remain spam-free, please note that all posts by new users are moderated.


The Forums
General Science Talk        Not-Quite-Science        Climate Change Discussion        Physics Forum        Science Fiction

Who's Online Now
0 members (), 181 guests, and 2 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Latest Posts
Top Posters(30 Days)
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#11872 09/15/06 08:24 PM
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 194
R
Rallem Offline OP
Senior Member
OP Offline
Senior Member
R
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 194
I am trying to write a story about a terra-forming mission of Venus, and I would like to get some feedback. In my mission I have the scientists of the world looking to terra-form a neighboring planet to help the over population problem, and they decided against Mars since it could never have a magnetic field, and in theory Venus could if it ever acheived a spin of proper speed.(Venus spins in the opposite direction from other planets, and spins so slowely that one Venutian day lasts longer than one Venutian year.) In the mission I am writing about, some astronauts will fly out to the Oort cloud and grab a comet roughly the size of Mars only smaller and fling it at Venus. Well flinging it isn't exactly accurate, because the astronauts will ride along the comet to make sure it hits its mark accurately.

The hopes of the scientists of the world are that a properly placed comet could help speed up Venus' negative spin and probably knock out the noxious atmosphere and maybe replace it with one of water and oxygen. The schedule for this mission will be dated so that the impact will happen while Venus is far enough away from Earth to reduce risks, and yet close enough so the scientists can monitor the mission, and its effects.

I know this is all rather fantastical and there are lots of questions like how would they get to the Oort cloud, and how would they move a comet of that size, but I plan on explaining all of that away with science fiction. I won't go into the details about that.

I plan on adding intrigue and danger by adding an element of the populace that want the mission to fail, so there could be sabotage and political battles over this issue. What do you think about the premise of this story, and if you have any suggestions please give them to me.

.
#11873 09/16/06 06:17 PM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 636
J
jjw Offline
Superstar
Offline
Superstar
J
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 636
Hi Rallem:

Planet Venus is a favorite solar object of mine. I think almost all of the problems concerning Venus are now due to the retrograde rotation of the planet.

This means that you do not want to speed up the planet?s retrograde rotation but rather get the planet in step with the rest of the system by causing it to rotate counter-clockwise like the rest of us. Very little speed of rotation will set the stage for the planet to gain equatorial velocity to conform to its size and its orbital position. At that point the water will begin to leave the heavy atmosphere. Note there was an opinion quoted from NASA people to the effect that they thought Venus originally had enough water to cover the entire planet up to 35 feet deep. It still has lots of water in the clouds and I am sure of that.

I have tried, unsuccessfully, to arrive at a measure of the time required for an object starting from motionless to gain normal rotation characteristics but I am sure in my mind that it will take place with Venus even if your fictional characters do nothing. Your plan is extreme due to the size of Venus and its location. If you wish to transport a large object (not likely) from beyond Earth towards Venus that would be very dangerous for the Earth. I think Earth got much of its water from Venus when something in the past caused Venus to go to where it is now- all speculation.
jjw

#11874 09/16/06 07:21 PM
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 194
R
Rallem Offline OP
Senior Member
OP Offline
Senior Member
R
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 194
So the you don't subscribe to the theory that a large comet roughly the size of mars hit the Earth and brought the water with it? I also understood from this theory it is how the moon was formed. Could you explain to me why a retro-grade spin would have an ill effect? I know that because of its slow retro-grade spin causes it to have days longer than years, but I can't see any other issues it would cause if spead up. In my story it is of course easier to speed up the already retro-grade spin than it is to stop it and start it up in the other direction.

Something I was toying with was having several smaller comets be targetted towards venus which would fail to create a moon, but perhaps the scientists and engineers would make one and use it as an observation station. Of course all that wouldn't be in the story, and I would mention it in passing.

Could you please explain to me why a retro-grade spin would be harmfull? Also maybe explain why you think the planet would eventually achieve a normal spin? I can sort of understand the idea of gravity having its effects, but are we sure it will do this?

#11875 09/16/06 08:11 PM
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,089
D
Megastar
Offline
Megastar
D
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,089
actually the theory is that the earth already was covered with water, with only a few islands above the water. All life that might have existed before the impact would have been below sea level. the theory is that it was a large asteroid, not meteior, as that would not have been dense enough to create the moon.


the more man learns, the more he realises, he really does not know anything.
#11876 09/16/06 11:14 PM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 636
J
jjw Offline
Superstar
Offline
Superstar
J
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 636
Hi Rallem:

It is very important that you do not confuse my hypothetical views as fact. My views frequently run against accepted science when it comes to this Solar System and its contents. These are just my unproven opinions.

You ask:
?Could you please explain to me why a retro-grade spin would be harmful? Also maybe explain why you think the planet would eventually achieve a normal spin? I can sort of understand the idea of gravity having its effects, but are we sure it will do this??

Consider the Sun as a huge dynamo using fusion to create energy. Left to itself it is static except it is revolving around the Galaxy at possibly 450 miles an hour and it is rotating in about 25 earth days at the equator. The point is that it appears to be completely self sustaining. I think not.

Each of the solar objects provide a different center of gravity between themselves and the Sun. The larger objects, like Jupiter, will have a CofG possibly half way from the Suns center to the suns edge. Earth CofG will be close to the Suns center, etc. It is this ring of objects that provide the sustaining action that keeps the Sun working for us, churning the fusion process.

By this means the entire system is part of a working dynamo causing the planets/objects to have an electrical magnetic relationship with the sun. Venus is working against the system as a result of retrograde rotation so it is hot. There is more to it but that will do for now. The system seeks to be synchronized so to join in Venus will eventually get normal rotation and join the family of planets/objects. JUST MY VIEW, not accepted science.

No doubt Earth had water of its own as did Venus and Mars. We got more from them along the way, a lot more. Comets, in general are ice balls and none are known to be large enough to do what you want. Possibly an asteroid or some interlopper from space; very questionable.
jjw

#11877 09/16/06 11:27 PM
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,089
D
Megastar
Offline
Megastar
D
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,089
here is some things that might be of help.

Quote:
Astronomers refer to Venus as Earth's sister planet. Both are similar in size, mass, density and volume. Both formed about the same time and condensed out of the same nebula. However, during the last few years scientists have found that the kinship ends here. Venus is very different from the Earth. It has no oceans and is surrounded by a heavy atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide with virtually no water vapor. Its clouds are composed of sulfuric acid droplets. At the surface, the atmospheric pressure is 92 times that of the Earth's at sea-level.
http://www.solarviews.com/eng/venus.htm

sorry, but not much water to be helpfull.

heres more info on the impact.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/moon_making_010815-1.html


the more man learns, the more he realises, he really does not know anything.
#11878 09/17/06 01:44 AM
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 84
P
Member
Offline
Member
P
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 84
Rallem,
Since it's fiction why not go whole hog.
A large asteroid, impacting off center, at high velocity
in such a way as to provide spin, form a ring system,
and eventually a moon similar to earths.
(Thus lowering the surface gravity and striping away some of the excess atmosphere),
followed by a couple of smaller Kuyper bodies to provide the missing water.
Then seed with cyanobacteria & wait a couple of million years.

#11879 09/17/06 10:14 PM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 636
J
jjw Offline
Superstar
Offline
Superstar
J
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 636
Hi Rallem:

I guess some one could interpret my comments as suggesting Venus now has water. Not so.

I was wrong in my quote of 35 feet it was 75 feet of water that was the NASA estimate. Obviously that was before Venus was turned over and rotated the wrong way. Here is the source I referred to:

?Times Mirror Company Los Angeles Times, March 25, 1993, Thursday Home Edition. ?Venus once had abundant water, Space Probe indicates?. Byline Mark A. Stein, Times Staff Writer. Venus, the arid and intensely hot ?twin planet? of Earth, once was temperate and covered by perhaps 75 feet of water --. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Sciences said Wednesday.?

Google is resplendent with articles telling us that Venus now has no water; not even water vapor in the clouds. They rule out the water vapor in the clouds by spectrographic analysis of the reflected light from the cloud layer. I am not trained in the application of the spectrograph so I do not know if possibly they are getting results from just the topmost layer of clouds or from all the depth of the clouds, including the lowest layers. It may be possible, or not, for water vapor to be in clouds closest to the surface, heavier?
All in fun. As Pragmatist said when you write fiction you can really let loose.
jjw

#11880 09/18/06 01:35 AM
A
Anonymous
Unregistered
Anonymous
Unregistered
A
Good Science Fiction must still be grounded in the reality of facts. If the basic idea underpinning the story is too far-fetched to be possible the reader will not put up with the stretches of belief required to absorb the story. Too much disbelief leads the reader to put down the story and say, "This is impossible! This writer is a dunce if he/she thinks I'm going to buy that!" The key to getting the reader to suspend disbelief is to not stretch reality too far. Good Science Fiction has a good basis in reality.

#11881 09/18/06 04:35 PM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 636
J
jjw Offline
Superstar
Offline
Superstar
J
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 636
Very true Amaranth.

It must be believable but need not be provable.
In Star Trek I can accept that a transporter can scramble the bodys atoms but I can not accept that such a machine can put them back together in exactly the right order.
I still enjoyed the show in spite of my views.

jjw

#11882 09/19/06 09:10 PM
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 194
R
Rallem Offline OP
Senior Member
OP Offline
Senior Member
R
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 194
Good Science Fiction must still be grounded in the reality of facts. If the basic idea underpinning the story is too far-fetched to be possible the reader will not put up with the stretches of belief required to absorb the story.

I fully understand this and I currently belong to a speculative fiction writer's club, and we all try very hard to improve our stories. So far I've written a little christmas piece with Santa living on Sedna, and a few others which I can't remember at this time. My stories generally suck, but I would like to think they are getting better.

#11883 09/20/06 03:18 AM
A
Anonymous
Unregistered
Anonymous
Unregistered
A
Keep working on it. You can't get better if you don't write. Practice makes perfect they say. Glad to know I'm not the only writer on the block.

Amaranth

#11884 09/20/06 07:19 AM
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 264
W
Senior Member
Offline
Senior Member
W
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 264
Rallem, you go, Boy. Don't even dream about being the next HG Wells, but the World seriously needs more Sci-Fi writers. Remeber, in the World of Sci-Fi, anything goes. As with any type of writing, you must first be an avid reader. Don't overlook the works of Harlan Ellison, he wrote some great stuff ("I Have No Mouth An I Must Scream)and have a read of Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five". All the Best!

#11885 09/20/06 11:21 PM
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 194
R
Rallem Offline OP
Senior Member
OP Offline
Senior Member
R
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 194
Here is the first story I wrote for my speculative fiction writer's club. I received mixed reviews. Some claimed that my story was too light, but I countered that this was intended as a Christmas story. Snugglebunny is another pen name I use. I hope that you enjoy.


A Christmas Story on Planet X
By Snugglebunny Claus

For a good part of the Twentieth Century, it was commonly believed that there were nine planetary bodies, one asteroid belt, and two comet belts that orbited the star called Sol. The names of these bodies were as follows; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, the Asteroid belt, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, the Kuiper belt, Pluto, and the Oort cloud. Early in the Twenty-First Century, a new planetary body was found. That new planetary body, named Sedna, exhibited some unusual characteristics which required further explanation. A hasty mission was implemented naming the target, Planet X.


Commander Buck Dodgers prepared to land his interplanetary skiff onto the newly discovered planetoid that orbited near the Oort cloud. Buck suspected that he was given this mission as a joke, due to his name, because it wasn?t his turn to fly an interplanetary jump. The Scientists at headquarters insisted that the pilot whom was supposed to fly this mission was ill, and couldn?t make it. Buck reasoned with them that he wasn?t the next in rotation, but they countered with a response that was un-arguable, even if he didn?t want to fly this mission. They said that the small rotation of pilots at their disposal, were either preparing for other scheduled missions, or recovering from those that were completed too recently, and their health couldn?t be risked. They promised Buck that this mission won?t have any adverse affects on his rotation, so in layman?s terms he was getting an extra flight this year for free. The truth is that Buck loved these missions so much; that if someone was getting a laugh back home, it didn?t really matter to him.

The main reason for Buck?s certainty of this joke is that his entire stay in the academy was peppered with either Duck Dodgers? the cartoon, or Buck Rogers?s the fictional hero jokes. Not only from his fellow classmates, but also from the cadre, the scientists, and the people at command. Buck had to grin and bare it, but secretly he often cursed his Mom and Dad for saddling him with this name. Heck, Dodgers wasn?t even his family?s traditional last name, it was Smith from back East, but when his father moved to Los Angeles he changed it to Dodgers so he could assume a western identity. Another reason for Buck?s certainty of this joke was his pronounced speech impediment. Well, Buck reasoned with himself, ?They may be getting a laugh back home, but I am the one getting to fly this mission and nothing can be more pleasant than that.? Buck had the landing gears lowered, and his retro rockets were automatically firing to make a smooth landing, but then he noticed something odd. Buck?s skiff was using an inordinate amount of fuel for this landing. This puzzled Buck, but right now he had other things to worry about. These landings were all pre-programmed to be automatic, but Buck had witnessed what happens to pilots whom assume they will be, and drop their guard. Buck wasn?t going to let that happen here, so even though his skiff was performing flawlessly, he remained attentive just in case.

Buck?s skiff did land perfectly on the small, cold and dark planetoid, that was named Planet X for this mission, but the amount of fuel it burned to do so, was alarming. Buck made some calculations regarding the amount of fuel burnt, and according to them he just made a landing on a planet with a gravitational pull of one, which was impossible for a planetoid this small with so little mass, but the fact was he burnt the fuel. Buck made some other calculations in his head using a gravitational pull of one for the launch, and as long as nothing else went wrong, he should be able to do it, but his little trip to Pluto on the way back was off. Buck then began to prepare the quantum communications system to tell the people back home the news. While preparing the communications system, buck thought, ?These new quantum systems are awesome, and soon we?ll have engines that use tachyons too. Then we?ll be able to make interstellar jumps, and I can?t wait for then.? ?Base, this is Commander Dodgers, radio check, over.? Buck waited a moment for the response, and soon it came. ?Commander Dodgers, this is Base, we read you loud and clear, over.? ?Base, this is Commander Dodgers, I have landed safely on Planet X, but have burnt an inordinate amount of fuel doing so, break. I have done some calculations on the amount of fuel burnt, and they indicate a gravitational pull of one, over.? A moment later the response came, ?Commander Dodgers, this is Base, we suspected that because of the affects the planetoid has on the nearby comet belt, break. Please be advised, the observed size, and calculated mass do not concur with the registered affects on the comet belt, break. We would like you to explore Planet X, and determine why that planetoid emits a gravitational pull of one, over.? Buck sat there a moment to let the message sink in. ?Base, this is Commander Dodgers, I copy that you want me to leave my ship and explore the planetoid, break. I also copy that you want me to explore for any reasons why Planet X emits a gravitational pull of one, break. Base, do you have any theories to assist me in detecting the cause for the artificial gravitational pull? Over.? A moment later, ?Commander Dodgers, this is Base, that is a negative, good luck, over.? ?Base, this is Commander Dodgers; I will be switching to a mobile communicator, after I change into a space suit, so expect a test in a few minutes, over.? Buck got dressed in a space suit designed for long excursions away from his ship, and exited his skiff.

As soon as Buck got outside his skiff, he noticed that the gravitational pull was similar to Earth?s, so he noted that for a future report. Buck thought about grabbing a personal rocket pack for the scouting mission, but then thought it would be unwise with the looming gravitational mystery. When Buck walked a suitable distance from his skiff, so that he could still see it, but yet the ship?s mass could neither assist nor detract from his transmission, he gave a communications check. ?Base, this is Commander Dodgers from a mobile communicator, can you read me? Over.? Buck again waited a moment for the response. ?Commander Dodgers, this is Base, we read you loud and clear, over.? ?Base, this is Commander Dodgers, the physical effects on my person from the gravitational pull, are similar to Earth?s, break. I will be conducting experiments on the atmosphere, wait for the results, over.? Buck pulled a device from the belt of his suit and began taking readings with it. He then began performing a series of tests and checks to confirm his findings. ?Base, this is Commander Dodgers, be advised that the atmosphere is similar to a pre-industrial Earth, break. Also be advised that the temperature reading is negative two degrees Celsius, over.? A few moments later a response was given, ?Commander Dodgers, this is Base, can you confirm those readings, over?? ?Base, this is Commander Dodgers; I have calibrated my sensor array, checked it, and then re-checked the calibrations, break. I have also rechecked my readings, and can only try again, with another sensor array when I get back to the ship, over.? ?Commander Dodgers, this is Base, we copy, over.?

After Buck finished his readings and transmissions, he prepared to walk in a series of clockwise circular paths near his ship, making them form a clockwise circular path around his ship, so he could be sure that a complete scouting of his skiff?s area was done, but as soon as he started his walk, Buck noticed a glimmer in the distance. Buck raised the power of his in-suit visual aid until the distance between him and the glimmer seemed to fade away, but Buck was still unable to discern what was causing it, so he decided to walk in the glimmer?s general direction. ?Base, this is Commander Dodgers, I have detected a glimmering object approximately two point three kilometers from my current location, and am going to investigate, over.? Buck began walking before he heard their affirmative response. Buck walked for what seemed like a couple kilometers, but he couldn?t be sure, since keeping a pace count in this rocky terrain was difficult, and he felt that keeping his mind on the problem at hand was more important than on a pace count. Buck knew that if needed he could always find his ship through the in suit navigation system, and could get the exact distance walked from it as well, but more importantly, if needed he could always call his skiff to him. Buck thought about that, and wondered how it would affect his fuel though, and couldn?t seem to get his head around the calculations, so he dropped the subject. When Buck came just short of his destination, he stopped to observe, but was still unable to see the cause of the glimmer. Buck decided to proceed cautiously, just in case. When Buck came around a huge boulder along his path, he noticed what was causing the glimmer. It was a large golden pole in a clearing that had wires leading from the top to the ground at about a thirty degree angle. On the wires were what looked like red, green, and blue metallic flags. Nearby the pole was a little humanoid dressed in green, and wearing a legionnaire style helmet. The little humanoid was crouched, and working on something. Buck hung his head, thinking of the similarities to the Duck Dodgers jokes he endured at the academy, and wondered if this was somehow a part of the joke he just knew was being played on him. Buck began to walk slowly and quietly towards the little humanoid. Just short of where the humanoid was crouched, Buck stopped, and listened to him mumble in a high pitched voice. Buck then decided to introduce himself. ?Excuse me,? said Buck.

The little humanoid turned his head in surprise, and bolted off behind a rock. Buck stayed put. A few moments later, Buck saw the little humanoid stick his head out inquisitively from the other side. Buck used slow and unthreatening motions as he said, ?I won?t hurt you, please come out.? The little humanoid waited for the words to sink in, then slowly began to emerge from behind the rock, and approached Buck cautiously. Buck asked, ?Can you understand me?? The little humanoid paused again, looked at Buck with an odd expression, and then said, ?Of course.? ?You speak English?? Bucked asked. ?Yes,? said the little humanoid with a matter of fact tonality to his voice. Buck was puzzled, so he asked, ?Why do you speak English?? The little humanoid thought about that for a moment and answered, ?Because you speak and understand English, I speak and understand English.? ?So if I spoke German, you would speak German?? Bucked quizzed. ?Yes,? said the little humanoid. Buck thought about that, and shook his head in the affirmative. Buck paused a little longer, then asked in a leading tone, ?Is your name Marvin, and are you a Martian?? ?No, and no,? answered the little humanoid. ?My name is Hermey, and I am an elf.? After a minute of silence between the two, Buck asked, ?What would an elf named Hermey be doing on Planet X?? ?My job,? said Hermey. ?What is your job Hermey?? ?I can?t answer that question, but for the answer you will need to follow me to my Boss,? said Hermey. ?Sure,? said Buck, ?but please wait a minute while I transmit. Base, this is Commander Dodgers, I have discovered the cause of the glimmer, please wait while I investigate, over.? A fairly quick response came, ?Commander Dodgers, this is Base and we copy that you have discovered the cause of the glimmer and need to investigate, over.? Buck motioned for Hermey to lead the way. Hermey took the lead, and mumbled, ?The Boss has been expecting you.?

Buck and the elf walked to a well defined cave, not far from where Hermey was crouched just a few minutes ago. They entered the cave and walked to a round wooden door painted green. Hermey opened the door and motioned for Buck to enter. Hermey entered the doorway after Buck, closed the door, and then lead him to another doorway. ?Please wait here,? asked Hermey, as he entered and closed the doorway behind him. Several minutes later, Hermey returned and said, ?Please follow me.? The two of them entered a cavernous room where many elves similar to Hermey, but without helmets were working laboriously at long benches, and a larger fat man sat in a chair on the other end of the room. The two of them walked towards the man in the chair, and stopped before it. ?Hello little Bucky!? said the man in the chair. ?What the Heck?? thought Buck, ?I haven?t been called Bucky, since I was a child, and even then only by some Shopping Store Employee in a suit.? Hermey walked away from Buck and the fat man, towards a bench. Buck gazed at Hermey while he walked away. ?Never mind him Bucky, he has to get to work after setting up the holiday pole as I requested.? Buck looked back to the fat man in the chair, and thought about what he just said. ?Hi,? said Buck inquisitively to the fat man in the chair. ?Who are you?? ?Ahh, how quickly they forget,? said the fat man, ?I am Santa Claus.?

Buck stood there for a couple moments in a stupor, and then he looked around at the elves. ?Sure you are,? said Buck as he returned his gaze to Santa, ?but why are you here on Planet X, and not at the North Pole?? Santa shrugged his shoulders and then looked down as if to remember something specific. ?Well, since the discovery of flight by man, it was impossible keeping my location a secret, so I had to find a different place where I wouldn?t be found.? said Santa as he returned his stare on Buck. ?Oh!? said Buck. ?Have I ruined your secret?? ?Well, that depends on you Bucky,? said Santa, ?you could tell a story that would keep my secret.? Buck fidgeted before saying, ?Umm.? ?May I ask you some questions?? asked Buck. ?Sure,? said Santa. ?How did you get here, get this planetoid so warm, and get its gravitational pull to equal Earth?s?? ?Ahh,? said Santa, ?there is only one answer, and it is the same as how I get all the toys to the children, it is pure magic my boy.? Buck shook his head in the affirmative as if this all made sense to him, and oddly enough it was beginning to. ?Do the elves need helmets outside?? asked Buck. ?No,? replied Santa, and then added, ?That?s just Hermey,? as Santa made circular motions with his forefinger towards his temple. ?He makes friends with the reindeer,? added Santa. ?Ahh,? said Buck. ?What do you do with the holiday pole?? asked Buck. ?Well, I don?t do anything with it, but the elves celebrate Christmas around it,? answered Santa. ?The elves celebrate Christmas?? asked Buck. ?Of course,? said Santa, ?it?s their one day off a year, so they have an extra merry celebration.? ?One day a year off, isn?t that pushing them too hard?? asked Buck. ?Oh no, it?s what elves do,? answered Santa, ?and it doesn?t take any pushing from me.? ?I just direct their efforts,? added Santa.

Buck stood there looking around to survey the situation, and gather his thoughts. ?Can any of your magic help me Santa?? ?How do you mean?? asked Santa with a glimmer in his eye. ?Well, I?ve already reported that the gravitational pull here was equal to that of Earth?s, and that the atmosphere was equal to a pre-industrial Earth. The people at base already expected the gravity because of the effects this planetoid has on the nearby comet belt, but they didn?t believe me when I told them about the atmospheric conditions. I was asked to explore for a reason why this planetoid had the gravity it did. I need an explanation for base that will keep mankind from this planetoid.? ?Ahh,? said Santa, ?we need to sit and think this one out.? Santa paused. ?I find that cookies and milk always helps in situations like this,? said Santa, ?would you like some?? as cookies and milk magically appeared before them. ?Yes,? said Buck, as he grabbed some cookies and milk and sat down at Santa?s feet.

The two of them sat chewing cookies and drinking milk. After a few minutes, Santa muttered, ?The number of people who believe in me has dropped drastically.? ?Uh,? said Buck. ?In the United States of America, I am only believed in by seventy percent of the people.? ?Is it that high?? asked Buck. ?Uh,? said Santa. They both chewed their cookies for a few minutes. ?Do you still believe in me Bucky?? Buck stopped chewing for a moment, and thought about it. ?I can see you, can?t I?? answered Buck. ?Ho, Ho, Ho, that?s my boy, Ho, Ho, Ho!? Santa then settled down, and looked at Buck with a serious expression, ?I have the solution to our dilemma. We?ll leave this building, and you?ll call your ship to us,? said Santa. ?Yes?? asked Buck. ?Then you?ll gather another sensor array and I?ll make it so the data on it paints a grim picture,? said Santa. ?What about the gravity?? asked Buck. ?Well,? said Santa, ?The Scientists will find their data has been corrupted, and when they look again the planetoid won?t have any affect on the comets.? ?What about their memories?? asked Buck. ?Swiped clean,? said Santa. ?Will I have enough fuel to get home with my ship after I call it here?? asked Buck. ?Yes,? said Santa, ?and you?ll have exactly what you were supposed to for a planet of this size and mass, when you get back.? ?Great,? said Buck, ?let?s get started right away,? as the two men jumped into action.

After Buck?s Skiff landed near the two men just outside of Santa?s cave and the two men performed their tasks, Buck radioed the bad news to the base of operations back home, and turned to say good bye to Santa. ?I promise you an extra special Christmas this year Bucky, because you?ve been an extra good boy. Ho, Ho, Ho!? ?Bye Santa,? said Buck with a smile, ?and thank you, but this will be the most special day of my life, because I got to meet you.? There was a pause between the two men. ?Thank you for saying that Bucky, but you do know, that you?ll never get to tell anyone that you met me?? ?Yes sir,? said Buck. ?I can?t tell you what will be under your Christmas tree, because I don?t want to spoil the surprise, but I promise it will be the best Christmas you?ve ever had, and every year will just get better.? said Santa.

?Do you want to know something funny?? asked Buck. ?Of course,? answered Santa. Buck blushed from embarrassment, and then added, ?I thought this whole mission was a joke being played on me, because of my name.? Santa looked at Buck with an expression of understanding, and said, ?It was Bucky, it was my joke that I put in your employer?s and co-worker?s minds.? Santa paused then added, ?I wanted to see you, and no one else.? Buck let Santa?s words sink in, then turned away and entered the cockpit of his skiff. While Buck prepared his ship for take off, Santa entered his cave, shut the door, and began to make the final preparations on Buck?s new interstellar ship for Christmas. The engines of Buck?s skiff came to life and after only a moment for them to reach the desired temperature, the ship began to shake violently as it rose into outer space at an incredible rate of speed. The details of the mission Buck just completed were getting foggy to him already, but Buck wasn?t bothered too much, because small, cold, and desolate planetoids like Sedna never had anything interesting to report. Besides his ship would have all the recordings. Buck set a course for a quick tour of the planet Pluto on his way home.

Ho, Ho, Ho, I hope you all have a very merry Christmas
All characters, locations, and devices in this story are fictional, and any resemblance to other Characters, locations, and devices, real or fictional is purely intentional.

#11886 09/21/06 03:06 AM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 636
J
jjw Offline
Superstar
Offline
Superstar
J
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 636
Rallem:

Amaranth is the reviewer for new efforts.
I tried to read it all.
Good luck, keep up the good work.
jjw

#11887 09/21/06 04:00 AM
A
Anonymous
Unregistered
Anonymous
Unregistered
A
Rallem:
This is a Science discussion forum, not a literary critique group. Your post is not exactly appropriate. If you want a literary critique group, look at:

http://www.phpbbcity.com/forum/?mforum=writecorner

and ask to join. Tell the moderators I sent you. We're looking for new members, and the rules are posted in the rules message (See Rules Guidelines). It's a small group, and you have to put out some effort to join and belong, but it's worth it if you really want to improve your writing. If you join and post this story I'll promise you a critique, as you have some points that could be improved upon but I'll not go into them here.

Amaranth Rose


Link Copied to Clipboard
Newest Members
debbieevans, bkhj, jackk, Johnmattison, RacerGT
865 Registered Users
Sponsor

Science a GoGo's Home Page | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact UsokÂþ»­¾W
Features | News | Books | Physics | Space | Climate Change | Health | Technology | Natural World

Copyright © 1998 - 2016 Science a GoGo and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5