stevedover1965

The eugenics war in the 24th Century left mankind splintered into sub-cultures. The Techno's discovered a way to tap into vacuum energy, finally giving them the power source needed to generate warp bubbles large enough to encompass generation ships. The Techno's and wealthier humans leave Earth to populate other regions of the Galaxy. The Warmongers bred for toughness and aggression during the eugenics conflict are led in a campaign of conquest against the degenerates having been left behind in the wake of space emigration, and face a final conflict over scarce planetary resources. Earth's equatorial regions are now deserts as far north as Spain and reaching down to South Africa, most animals are now extinct, food stocks are mostly created in laboratories grown from bovine cells and mutated fungi then distributed amongst the populace by the few techno's who remained. Diseases once cured and beaten by science now rampage across weakened immune systems killing millions with plagues and influenza. Roads are unkempt and impassable, most traffic is now undertaken by dirigible, gas filled bladders carrying people and cargoes to their destinations. Personal autogyro type aircraft running on bio-fuels accompany them to guard against pirate attacks.

30th Century
=========

Homosapien-sapien has ceased to exist on Earth, a large rocky mass impacted the Atlantic Ocean. The heat generated from the impact vaporised most plant life on the planet and ignited the oxygen in the atmosphere.

35th Century
==========

A well established colony exists on a moon orbiting a Hot Jupiter like planet. The moons Sub Polar regions are temperate and a colony of Humans colonised this region. Slightly higher radiation levels exist but the majority is absorbed by the local fauna which then catalyses the energy into sugars. He3 ore is found in abundance and is a useful source of trade and income with other humans in this system of space. The Moon is nicknamed Helios.

40th Century
==========

Humans have colonised two Super Earth's and fifteen moons with compatible systems, the techno's have left behind their human bodies and have merged with machines. Skirmishes between moons are frequent but usually are settled without too much violence the region being policed by the descendent's of the eugenic warmongers who went with the techno's in the first colonisation wave.

No contact has ever been made with Alien life, but as humans have only been able to colonise a region of space less than ten light years across, that is understandable.

Beyond 4011 AD - Who Knows?

stevedover1965

This is basically a made up timeline based on many science fiction stories and some science fact! I wrote this for kicks, however if anyone wants to flesh out some of the story with there own ideas...Why not! Maybe elaborate with a short story based on the Eugenics War or perhaps the last tale of Humans on Earth. Maybe name some of the Moons and Planets that I speculated on or even even more speculative predictions of Human-kind beyond the 40th Century. Just an Idea - I hope this can spark someone's imagination.

Steve

stevedover1965

In the 24th Century:

The Eugenics war was caused by the divide between wealthier people and the poor. The wealthy were able to afford the latest stem cell cloned organs for worn out, abused bodies, the poorer had to rely on organ donations or even black-market doners, surgery was completed in backstreet surgeries with the mortality rate high. Wealthy individuals could rely on life-spans exceeding 130 years in relative good health whilst the poor were lucky to reach 80 years old. Something had to give civil war led to a World wide conflict! Luckily anti-nuclear pacts had long since disarmed all warheads with cold fusion furnishing most of the power requirements for the top nations. China, India and the United States of Africa being the largest economies followed by the United States Of America, European Union and The Australasia Pacific Union.

Defence budgets were instead spent on creating super soldiers, genetically enhanced units capable of advanced decision making, compared to the inferior robotics (AI still not having been achieved) these Eugenic warriors were created to fight on the battlefront.

Nicknamed Warmongers these warriors stormed across enemy territories and settled disputes efficiently and coldly. The argument over who received medical organs was over quickly and the poor people became the degenerates, menial labourers.

A chance discovery at the Saharan Physics Super Collider Laboratory showed the spontaneous emissions of vacuum energy at quantum levels and Hawking laboratories were simultaneously able to re-create the casimir effect and watch zero point energy fluctuations.

The Michio Kaku institute for advanced propulsion had developed a working Alubierre Drive for deep space exploration, but needed more energy than was physically available in order to power such an engine. Then along came vacuum energy using quantum mechanical theories and a ground breaking collider gathering and storage system the Alcubierre Drive came into being.

Wealthy nations combined with rich industrialists and the best of intentions used a hollowed asteroid fitted with the new drive and collider as a generational ship capable of transporting tens of thousands of people across interstellar space. After a period of just twenty years required for completion of the project the mass migration began.

to be continued:

stevedover1965

The rows of nutrient fed beef steaks still growing in their sealed polymer bags were lined up next to the lamb, pork, chicken and white fish aisles. All grown from stem cells to the kitchen table in less than a week. Cultured Vegetables from Nursery Labs were also apparent alongside. Soya milk and what passed as coffee these days were stacked in neat rows. The all you can buy store stocked everything you needed and was subsidised by the government...I smiled subsidised meant controlled, they knew what we ate, drank and even when we pee'd. I listened to the ping as each item I placed in my bag was charged to my account and electronically itemised for later. Wall adverts kept asking me if I would like another bottle of my favourite fungus beer Mr Sloane, or that my clothing could do with updating, or that the tread on my shoes was low...Jeez leave me alone I thought.

The next pod to my district would be along in five minutes the screen said so I sat and waited chewing thoughtfully on a mood cube, the music implant playing soft music in my head added to the calm. I played back some messages on my retina and quickly responded to some of them and deleted the rest...In three hundred years spammers were still managing to get past the security programs.

My pod arrived a single seater mag-lev, driver-less plastic looking and windowless self powered by induction and impossible to crash the on-board nav system took care of that. I gave the pod instructions and rested back into the not so comfortable plastic foam cushioned seats waiting for the buzzer to announce my arrival.

I started to recall my last health scan, for a degenerate I wasn't doing so bad I thought, should live at least til I was a good ninety years old, black market organs should keep me healthy n kickin. I had just received my boosters against the various flu's going around, "influenza sides war is the biggest killer after all" the nurse had said another thing we hadn't licked in hundreds of years.

Buzz

The alarm sounded and I left the pod, my apartment door was already opening for me, lights coming on prepared in advance, the pod had communicated my arrival as usual...What a drag!

Renee355

Keep it coming, Steve. This is awesome fun to read.

stevedover1965

The influenza pandemic of 2365 wiped out 70% of the remaining human population of planet Earth, centuries of mutation had created the perfect virus unstoppable even with 25th Century anti-viral's, deadly and fast there was nothing anyone could do...20 years had past since the virus struck!

High in the sky the cigar shaped bladder drifted, filled with degenerates and cargo, the dirigible made it's way to it's destination, far below the disused highways now cracked and overgrown with cacti looked like green arteries on a desolate land.

A familiar buzz outside and a wave from the pilot indicated to the Captain that all was well, the autogyro escort moved to the far side of the "Sirocco McPhee" 245 metres in length and 45 metres wide she was one of the more modest sized cargo-lifters in private use. The "Sirocco McPhee" a crucible finned metal-clad dirigible held aloft with H(e) bladders and propelled with hydrogen fuel cell electric motors was making another of it's regular trips across the vast desert wastelands of the Mid-West, medical supplies, food and worker immigrants loaded into her belly.

The Captain of this dirigible was a portly man of stern appearance, his pockmarked face indicating old scars from a childhood disease. He turned his eyes toward the old style EM field scanner his scalp itched with anticipation, these were pirate skies after all.

To be continued

Renee355

I dig that you worked Michio Kaku into the story. Enjoy his science shows.

stevedover1965

"Captain Martinez, Sir...Minor scuffle on A deck between passengers over food supplies, no one was injured, but we had to use mood inducers to calm everyone down."

"Keep the mood inducers on low...let's not risk any more fights, if we can afford to raise the food rationing do so but quietly...Understand and...."

The response was never finished because the EM field scanner was screaming pirate attack at us when the first blast rocked McPhee.

"Battle-stations alert all hornets scramble, scramble, scramble"

Captain Martinez did not have to shout it twice the crew were in full alert and the first Hornet's (Autogyro attack craft) were being launched from the hanger. Rising up from within canyon walls was the Pirate dirigible, armour clad and bristling with gun ports.

TBC

stevedover1965

Emilio Martinez had come a long way from shopping for food in the hypermarkets of old and travelling in pods, he had survived the flu pandemics that wiped out two thirds of humanity. The few Techno's left after the space migration; were wiped out. The knowledge stored in data systems was available but had to be deciphered, GPS and satellite services failed leaving transport grids inoperable...All in all mankind was in a mess, at least those degenerates left on Earth anyhow!

Then we started to re-build, the roads were too much so we took to the skies in dirigibles and scavenged aircraft, the simplest technologies survived the best so forget scram jets and military craft. Home built light aircraft and autogyros were easy to maintain and fly. Dirigibles required light maintenance and could be powered by the hydrogen fuel cells scavenged from useless travel pods.

I pooled my resources and purchased a Heavy lifter, christened the "Sirocco McPhee" she was trim not too pot-bellied like some, her armour light, but she had crucible fins for smart handling, and her four heavy duty electric props made her sprightly. Some specialised modifications later and she was ready for flight. I hired escort fighter pilots with hornet gyros for protection and her top and bottom turrets had 50mm cannons for added security. She was the "Sirocco McPhee" and she was mine!

Trade between settlements and migratory workers made Dirigibles viable and where there was trade and goods...There was Pirates!

indigo

Very good... looking forward to more! :]

bluemoon

Very believable and well written!

stevedover1965

The concussions hitting the McPhee rocked her armour and shook the hull violently. Meanwhile angry buzzing hornets piloted by loyal (well paid) men and women fired at each other until the skies swarmed with angry machines. The Pirate Dirigible (Corsair) was heavily armoured so no point deploying the turrets. However the McPhee was quick and could turn on a hairpin and she was dodging the worst of the attacks.

Martinez turned his attention to the loudspeaker squarking pilots chat from the battle taking place beyond the observation window. Martinez gripped the railing tightly whitening his knuckles as he watched his fighter pilots form up into tight groups and tackle the less well trained Pirates.

The Pirates were scrambling back to their fat blimp with their tails between their legs. The Pirate dirigible was falling behind too heavy to give chase and my well trained escort pilots too hot to handle. Martinez smiled and sniffed a fragrant cigar, rolling it delicately between thumb and forefinger, he snipped off the end and placed the expensive tobacco between his lips lighting it with an old engraved Zippo, A puff of blue smoke heralded the latest McPhee victory!

stevedover1965

I used the name Martinez too frequently, wish I could amend after posting.

stevedover1965

http://www.thinkwrites.com/4251/4011-ad-a-story-by-stephen-martin

I decided because you cannot effectively edit text in thinkdraw to move the story to thinkwrite (link provided above) I can paste and edit mistakes in think write, the picture challenge still applies and I will continue to add to the storyline here, please be patient as my eyes are still sore and need frequent resting...blah blah! lol.

Just to clarify Think Write is another site originating from the same brilliant people who have given us Think Draw.

Thank you for your patience
Steve

stevedover1965

Another update sorry - the people at Think Write has requested that my story must be part of a challenge and not a single story option so I have had to move this story to someone else's challenge for other to comment on.

Do you get those days when nothing seems to go right!!

Here's the link if you have not lost interest by now...

http://www.thinkwrites.com/3017/extremely-long-stories%29#a4254

indigo

Don't give up Steve, waiting for you on the McPhee.

stevedover1965

last paragraph - re-write! (I use a word processor now and paste from there, why didn't I think of that before!)

The concussions hitting the McPhee rocked her armour shaking her hull violently. Meanwhile angry buzzing hornets piloted by loyal (well paid) men and women fired at each other until the skies swarmed with angry machines. The Pirate Dirigible (Corsair) was heavily armoured so no point deploying the cannons. However the McPhee was quick and could turn on a silver dollar and she was dodging the worst of the attacks.

Martinez turned his attention to the loudspeaker squawking chat from the battle. He gripped the rail tightly; his knuckles whitening, watching his fighter pilots form into tight groups. The Pirates scrambled back to their fat blimp their tails between their legs. Their dirigible falling behind the McPhee…She was too heavy to give chase! The McPhee's well trained escort pilots, being too hot to handle.

The Captain smiled sniffing his favourite cigar and rolling it delicately between thumb and forefinger, snipping off the end he lit it with an old engraved Zippo; savouring the expensive tobacco between cracked lips the blue smoke heralding the latest McPhee victory. He had learned from bitter experience that money invested in a good defence was money well spent. Sighing Martinez reached under the cabinet and pulled out a small bottle of black-market brandy, He also fished out an ornate crystal snifter into which he poured two fingers of the golden liquid. Martinez was a man of expensive tastes, but he could afford the odd indulgence now and again, even in this resource short world, the unofficial marketplace being the way it was, a few choice items here and there was not beyond his ethical style.

stevedover1965

Thanks Indigo

stevedover1965

****

No one saw the torn outer skin, the McPhee usually looks after herself, the Graphene layers being self repairing, enclosed lift bladders were still sound, even when the small recon bot entered unseen…

stevedover1965

Chapter 3: Trading with the enemy


Three uneventful days passed by; the on-board crew went about business as usual, degenerate squabbles were kept to a minimum (thanks to the mood conditioners saturating the atmosphere) and the cargo was still intact more importantly had not defrosted.

Martinez looked over the ships manifest, Adham Castillo stood next to him, tall dark hair and eyes, Middle-Eastern in appearance Arabic even, with that intense look common to his ancestry. Behind him looking sultry was the Siroccos’ first mate “Tavishi Maravar” Tavi to her friends and colleagues, beautiful long dark hair worn in a platted tail with gold coloured fasteners. Rudimentary plain cotton/poly shirt and finished with black leather holsters enclosing deadly looking Glock 70 automatic recoilless pistols. She was an expert markswoman!

Adham looked perplexed as he studied the polymer screen unrolled on the control table before him. A manifest list of cargoes and passengers scrolled back and forth, he gestured with his hand and the McPhee’s cargo hold zoomed into view, itemised containers listing goods and coded for destination.

Martinez watched closely.

“These stemmed meats, Captain are frozen in plastic bags for delivery. The chicken, beef and lamb containers were inspected at the San Angeles containment centre and sealed by the officials there. But these vaccines were loaded later as an urgent addition destined for the Great Lakes. They don’t tally!”

Tavi looked up from the Nav controls “Why don’t they Tally, what’s the issue Adham?”

“The manifest quotes the size of each refrigerated container as 6 metres in length, with 9 pallets of frozen meat products at a standard -20C temperature. Each container, fully loaded was weighed as 5000Kgs and we have 10 containers in the main bay. The vaccines were also loaded separately in a portable 2 metre storage container also refrigerated and weighed in at 500kgs. We have 50 degenerate workers being transported to the Great Lakes factories, they weigh about 3500kgs with luggage.”

Adham paused for breath and took a sip from his insulated coffee mug, it’s colour indicating the contents to still be warm.