Field Disruption by Dave Weaver

Now folks.

This is how to write a science fiction story with irrefutable science.
Since everything in it (from a science perspective) is absolutely made-up, and there is no real attempt to ‘explain’ anything. . . it’s perfect.

The story is dang-near flash at 1099 words, and yet we get a decent amount of motivation/characterization for the only two P’sOV, and the differences in language and context are seamless.

There were no grammar or spelling miffs, either.

Mr. Weaver can write.

Bill Wolfe

A very good story. I liked how the event happened in this tale; I've seen similar stories before (one of the more ambitious ones involved time machines that needed to drag a star along with them for power, all going back at once to see why there was such a concentration of stars at a certain place and time...) but this was very well handled and neatly done. I especially liked the second timeship - by then timetravel is routine enough that it's used for school outings. (But how do they prevent themselves from running into all the other school outings to the same event?)

[Robert_Moriyama]

A very good story. I liked how the event happened in this tale; I've seen similar stories before (one of the more ambitious ones involved time machines that needed to drag a star along with them for power, all going back at once to see why there was such a concentration of stars at a certain place and time...) but this was very well handled and neatly done. I especially liked the second timeship - by then timetravel is routine enough that it's used for school outings. (But how do they prevent themselves from running into all the other school outings to the same event?)

Fortunately, a cross-time cellular network reduces the precision of chrono-GPS signals to the point where the original problem (landing EXACTLY at the same space-time coordinates) no longer occurs.

Just one question.

In the story it says:

"As I told you yet again at the final briefing, we're suspended in a ten millisecond out-of-sync stasis to the current timezone."

"Meaning?"

The young man shook his head and grinned. "Meaning, the Event can't touch us."

Now, if you want to observe an event, shouldn't you be going some place and time where that event in fact in layman's terms can touch you. Otherwise, what can you hope to observe?

[Lester Curtis]

And why weren't both ships annihilated?

Nice application of the old time-travel paradox trick.

Now, if you want to observe an event, shouldn't you be going some place and time where that event in fact in layman's terms can touch you. Otherwise, what can you hope to observe?

Vates,

I understand your quandary. . .really. The gist of the cool stuff is what you've already quoted:

"we're suspended in a ten millisecond out-of-sync stasis to the current timezone"

Now. . .that might make sense in some Star Tr@k universe, but it means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING as far a known science goes. Nothing at all. Which makes it perfect. It's like saying 'Warp Drive' or 'Jump Gates' or 'Null Space'.

It sounds like it means something, but it doesn't.

So it can mean whatever the author says it means.

In this case, it means that you can see stuff, but you're not actually there.

This is PERFECT science, as far as Sci-Fi goes. And though I agree with you that if light energy can reach you (ie:, you can see it) other energy should be able to do so. But we don't have any idea what ten milliseconds out-of-sync stasis means! As an author, you can explain it as goblins can get through, but centaurs can't. . . .and that's just fine.

The problem with bad science in Sci-Fi comes when you name something known. . . .like a rocket. . .and then say that you somehow exceeded the speed of light with it. It just ain't possible. But that's only because a 'rocket' has a true meaning. It shoots reaction mass out behind it at a speed considerably FASTER than the payload is flying. Call it a hyperlight drive, and you have no problem.

You reading this, Gino?

And to answer Lester's question. . . .yes. The first observers were annihilated. . . .but only once the SECOND craft tried to occupy the same -10 millisecond out-of-sync position. It's called the antiparadox.

That even when the reality changes, nobody's (that survive, that is) mind does. And it’s a fairly common plot device.

Since it's all made-up, it's all fair game.

Get it?

I hope so.

Bill

Don't get me wrong - I like this tiny story. It has an amazing amount of story packed into a very readable length, however: I'd have to disagree with Tusnguka being "one of the most important events in mankind's history." Really, the only reason I know about it is from UFO-ers who want people to believe it must have been a UFO blowing up.
Also, if you could pulse an object into ten millisecond sections, the chance of two objects having the same pulse signature would be 1 in 990 - which is possible, but unlikely - unless the observation is repeated one thousand times. If the first object to try this blew up, the next ship would say - let's move our destination three feet to the left - and the event would never happen.
But it's still a good story. Yeah, I watched a lot of Star Trek growing up.

Also, if you could pulse an object into ten millisecond sections, the chance of two objects having the same pulse signature would be 1 in 990 - which is possible, but unlikely - unless the observation is repeated one thousand times.

Michele,

I wouldn't think it's a frequency of ten milliseconds. It's literally more like ten milliseconds in the past or future, and staying that way. Kind of like satellite delay when transmitting 'live' feed from the other side of the world. Nobody observing would notice that they're not watching this thing 'live.'

And the second ship was programmed with the exact same phase shift and position. . . .on purpose. Hey, it worked once, right? It had nothing to do with chance, just with not truly understanding how this stuff worked.

Yeah, I watched a lot of Star Trek growing up.

We all did. Or more precisely, we all watched ALL THE STAR TREK THERE WAS, growing up. It didn't matter how many times I'd seen it. . . .I'd watch it every time I could. It was never enough.

Bill

Dear Bill,

I understand your quandary. . .really. The gist of the cool stuff is what you've already quoted:

"we're suspended in a ten millisecond out-of-sync stasis to the current timezone"

Now. . .that might make sense in some Star Tr@k universe, but it means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING as far a known science goes. Nothing at all. Which makes it perfect. It's like saying 'Warp Drive' or 'Jump Gates' or 'Null Space'.

It sounds like it means something, but it doesn't.

So it can mean whatever the author says it means.

You almost had me there. But that principle might not survive contact with the reader. Have you noticed how Bottomdweller has lured you into reading some meaning into that very expression yourself?

Michele,

I wouldn't think it's a frequency of ten milliseconds. It's literally more like ten milliseconds in the past or future, and staying that way. Kind of like satellite delay when transmitting 'live' feed from the other side of the world. Nobody observing would notice that they're not watching this thing 'live.'
Bill

As for ten milliseconds in the past or future, and staying that way: that would be the same as being ten milliseconds early or late. That would not help much.

When a chandelier comes crashing down on a seat in a theater at 10:00, does it matter whether the person occupying that seat sat down at 9:45, 9:40 or 9:50?

v.