Utopia.com

An axiom I live by is that technology will never help us create Utopia. So many people think technology will solve all the problems of the world. It won’t. Not because technology is bad, but that it is only an extension of ourselves.

We create it, we apply it, and we limit it. The good and evil within any of us will only be enhanced by technology. Even with the best of intentions, humanity as a whole will manage to corrupt technology. In truth, a lot of technology in the U.S. is already corrupted because it is financed by the military. Their goals almost always involve harm to others or the protection of those that will cause harm.

My view comes from decades of watching history and reality play out. Take a look at how computers have been used a different now 3D printing.

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Whill of the Whiles

I am going to share a fun fact with you. I am at the age where going to the bathroom is a test of wills.

Star Cave’s New Title

 

Here is an update to the Star Cave painting I was working on with its new title of “Predatory Stars in the Depths of the Universe”.  It was a surprise to me that this painting ended up going in this direction because I was only planning on playing with improving my nebula designs as an easy exercise.  However, after working with the lower left portion of the nebula, I noticed that it reminded me of the jaws of an angler fish.  Even more surprising, I had intended some time ago to work on a project like this for my sister who is an ocean nut.

I was going to try making a nebula that looked like an underwater coral scene and maybe some other ones that look like ocean fish.  That had not been my intention on this painting but the look sparked my imagination, so I dove in.  I hope to make this much more detailed and the lure, which is the bright blue star, less obvious.  I want people to see the nebula and drink it in without realizing the over all idea.  That way they get an expanded sense of awe when they figure out the larger meaning.

Process

Another post while warming up the car. My last post was about writing a short piece of fiction just to fill my need to create, this post is about what happens next.

A lot of times I will write a scene or idea down as it comes into my head with editing on the fly. I think I have done a great job; however, when I read through it a day or two later, I am left wondering how I let this mistake or that mistake slip through. I question how good I am at writing. Then I step back and start tweaking the sentence structure and timing.

Sometimes I will read the passage aloud. Understand, I am a terrible orator so the sentences need to be well constructed for me to handle them. By the time I am done, the story usually is much closer to the image I had while writing it. In some instances it is better. This is how I work. If I get time, I will revise the story and post the two together so you can see what was done.

Meet the New Member of the Party

While the car warms up today, I thought I would share that ” Lost Contact” has just expanded greatly in my mind. So much so that I have to add a new character to give a POV of the people remaining in space during the exploration of the planet. Meet Cassandra Ree, the logistics officer for the expedition. Watch for more updates.

Well Hello There

Nice to see so many people checking into my blog tonight so I decided to give you a treat especially since I just crossed the 1,000 word mark in “Lost Contact”.  I am enjoying my new phone making all this noise with alert after alert.  So here you go:

 

Lost Contact

by

Robert Garbin

(A Work in Progress)

He couldn’t breathe!  The suit should be providing enough oxygen but it just wasn’t making a difference.  Emergency alarms were buzzing in his ears along with a synthetic voice trying to calm him down, which coupled with his panic made things worse.  He tried clawing at his helmet; unfortunately, fingers softened by thick suit gloves were useless this way.

Air … open, unrestricted breathing had to happen now!  Wheezing frantically, Jack desperately tried to collect his thoughts to operate the release on his helmet’s seal ring.  His hands fumbled uselessly.  Blazing anger and sickening fear slammed like waves on the shores of his mind, clouding all rationality as he began to hammer his head on the rocky ground.  The first few hits almost jarred him enough to stop but the effect did not last.  He started again, harder and harder until a jagged crack formed in his faceplate and with one more powerful blow the glass shattered.  Carson immediately breathed deeply only to chock as a strong dose of sulfur dioxide entered his mouth.  Retching horribly he fell to the ground, finally out of strength, his eyes bulging and throat closing from the abuse.  His motions became nothing more than tremors as he began to lose consciousness.   On the edge of death a voice entered his mind, somehow familiar.

 

Two Weeks Earlier   

Jack Carson passed Tom Watson’s office heading for the company locker room after a long day of babysitting a rich politician making campaign rounds.  Jack worked for Terra Novae Security Inc., which was a polite way of saying mercenary force – soldiers for hire.  Almost past the door, Tom called him into the office.  Jack’s ever present voice of doubt and fear whispered from the deep pool of his damned up personality; his stomach gave him a jolt of acid.

Tom Watson was a bear of a man.  Six foot four out of fatigue boots with shoulders as wide as a normal man’s leg length and not an ounce of fat on his body.  Of course, the build made him look silly in his business suite.  His hair was a close cut dirty blonde just starting to grey at the temples.  Watson leaned back in his chair as Jack came in, putting his hands behind his head.

“How was the Haverson gig,” asked his boss?

“Boring,” Jack replied quickly.  “The man is so low on the food chain no one cares enough to even remember his name.  Why he feels he needs a body guard is beyond me but as long as he is paying the bills I got no problem.  At least the food is good.”

“Yeah, Haverson is a real paranoid.  My guess is he has some skeleton in his attic with some muscle still on it.  Well he was pleased with your work anyway.”

“Wow, I never expected him to mention me,” Jack replied, genuinely surprised.

“He did and that is why I am going to offer you a lucrative long term assignment,” Watson said as he motioned Jack to sit.

Jack sat in the hard wooden chair that was the only seat available other than Tom’s comfortable but well-worn desk chair.  Tom’s desk was neat and well maintained but like his chair old and traveled.  Jack had herd from some of the original members that the desk was a relic of Tom’s military career with the Antioch Marine Corps of Galina colony.  Tom had a falling out with a political backer there and chose not to reenlist when his tour was over.  Shortly thereafter he founded Terra Novae Security, Inc. with several of his command staff.

“Okay, what’s the gig?”

“I have a long time client putting together an off-world expedition who has lost a security expert on short notice and asked me if I could fill the void by tomorrow.  They are paying top dollar and a completion bonus of ten percent” Tom said.

Jack hesitated for a minute as the whisper in the pool turned into wails.   In his two years with the company he had never been asked to do off-world work, which was to his liking since he was more of a homebody.  However, the money sounded good with his debt being heavy from finally buying a house that was maybe a little more than he ought to have purchased.

“What’s the pay?”

“3500 credits a day plus food and board for the duration of the expedition plus the 10% per day bonus upon completion of the project.  Let me tell Jack, this is a sweet deal.  Have you ever been on an expedition before?”

“No, I have been content with planetary security,” Jack replied, sweat trickling down his neck under his shirt.

“Then you have been missing out.  The egg heads that you will be riding herd over are spoiled teachers and scientists with all the pretentiousness of movie stars.  They get catered meals to keep them happy and productive for the corporations funding the research and the company behind this mission spares no expense on their people.”

“So what happened with their other expert?”

“I think they said some kind of personal business came up, lucky for you though.  Think about it; spend a week or two on some exotic planet getting catered meals three times a day just to watch the backs of some brainy scientists.  Oh, hey, did I mention that the planet has no known predators, just plants as far as the eye can see.”

Jack was wary of this deal but he was desperate for a big paycheck.  Also, considering he passed up almost off world work for so long, he was afraid to turn down a gig the boss recommended him; his future employment might be at stake.

“Can I think it over,” Jack stalled for time.

“Unfortunately, this space need filled today because the expedition leaves in a week.  Are you in or out Jack?  If not, I got to see who else wants this sweet deal.”

Butterflies started dancing the rumba in his stomach as his cheeks became flushed.  Tom’s words made it sound like no sweat off his back if Jack said no, but his tone said he had better step up or find himself with much less work in the future.  Damn! He was comfortable doing what he did.  The money wasn’t great but the responsibility level was just what he could handle.   Jack wondered how he could have let himself get so in debt.

Things to Come

Happy holidays, which ever one you celebrate.  I am busy getting organized so that I may get back to blogging more often.  There is so much running around in my head and things that I had planned to share with you but; unfortunately, life has gotten in my way recently.  I hope to spend time tomorrow making a post about my reading for the year, kinda of a milestone check for me and an idea page for you.  So watch for the next post.  I also hope to do an end of year review of my site stats, which have been phenomenal thanks to you.  See you soon.