af250@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(John Park) wrote in
news:fnl9uo$hqu$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[snip]
> A general comment. Most replies seem to have been trying to identify
> the optimum or most sensible course of action. But people often do
> silly things for purely personal reasons (rescuing the cat, taking the
> oppportunity to drive down the wrong side of a freeway, painting
> twenty-metre-high graffiti on the side of a building, taking over a
> radio telescope to communicate with hypothetical aliens . . .). Sf,
> particularly hard sf, tends to focus on the sensible responses, but
> the quirky ones can also be the basis of a story. Then the question
> would be: what would it be interesting for your character to do?
af250@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(John Park) wrote in
news:fnl9uo$hqu$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[snip]
> A general comment. Most replies seem to have been trying to identify
> the optimum or most sensible course of action. But people often do
> silly things for purely personal reasons (rescuing the cat, taking the
> oppportunity to drive down the wrong side of a freeway, painting
> twenty-metre-high graffiti on the side of a building, taking over a
> radio telescope to communicate with hypothetical aliens . . .). Sf,
> particularly hard sf, tends to focus on the sensible responses, but
> the quirky ones can also be the basis of a story. Then the question
> would be: what would it be interesting for your character to do?
releasing pets and other animals (assuming they're not sleeping) would be
something I'd do as I went about.
I'd find a fast car and hoon[2] about.
I've got lots of time, and there aren't any people around - I'd rob
jewelery stores for all the nice watches I haven't got. I'd see if I
could get gold from a bank.
I'd go to garden centres and plant all the fruit trees. I'd steal the
vegetable seeds and try to plant those somewhere. I'd steal bulbs and
flower seeds and try to plant those somewhere too.
I'd find a nice place to live. I might have to clear it of sleepers - I
wouldn't kill them, but I don't know how easy it'd be to move them. I'd
also try to move people from the houses next to me.
In real life I have a cat and a wife - I'd _have_ to find them, and I'd
keep my wife with me as safe as I could. The character me might not have
a wife or pet. I'd probably try to find a cat or two for company.
Would there still be as much light pollution? I'd find some a range of
binoculars and telescopes and enjoy the night sky.
I'd find a harmonica, and a "teach yourself how to play the harmonica"
book, and attempt to learna few tunes. I'd get as many batteries for my
mp3 player as I could.
I live in the UK. We don't have many[1] guns (PLEASE DON'T TURN THIS
INTO A GUN CONTROL THREAD!!). My town has a gunshop, so I might go and
steal a few guns and go shooting for fun. It'd be a new experience for
me, I've only once shot a gun. I wouldn't keep them. Or I might,
because i like the mechanical aspect of them, but I wouldn't feel the
need for protection.
I'd find as many fireworks as I could and have a massive display.
We have a "head" shop, so I'd probably steal any cannabis seeds they have
[3] and try to cultivate those. I don't take drugs, but after the
sleeping apocalypse I might like to start, and it'd be useful to have
them around even if I don't use them.
As time goes on there's thing that I'd like to protect - lots of books,
some art, food stocks and supplies - and there's things that probably
need to be destroyed.
I really don't know how I'd cope with 100,000 dead people. (That's about
the population of my town.) Probably get a mechanical digger and dig big
holes, and get a truck and dump the bodies, and then cremate them.
[1] I'm 38, I've only known 2 gun owners (not including air weapons) in
my life. I've only ever fired a .22 rifle, at an army display, when I
was a youngster.
[2] hoon - a nice australian word for people who do stupid anti social
things. Google can explain it much better that I can.
[3] afaik it is still legal to sell and possess the seeds in the UK. but
maybe I got that wrong?
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