Hit a wall again...

Pyrolocks

Pyrolocks

Member
For those of you who helped with my other post, you already know this character.
I was so inspired by what you guys suggested before that I've been writing and editing like crazy!
Unfortunately, I'm stuck again.

Here's the scenario (simplified for anyone who didn't read the initial post):

Seth is a college English teacher...who also happens to be a retired military android. He has always requested a classroom with a chalkboard or a dry erase board because he prefers "old school".

Tara is one of his new students. She's around his age and has been working as a repair technician. She's hoping college will help her start her own business. Tara is convinced Seth is a technophobe because he disagrees with her theory that newer tech is better and that older tech is obsolete. (As an almost 30 year old android, his reasoning is obvious...)

Anyway, as part of a survey his students filled out, he's trying to broaden his teaching style to reflect their requests. A few students requested videos.

As a result, he is holding class in a different room that is equipped with a computer and a linked projector. (On that thought, does anyone else remember the TV carts?)

I found this neat site that has educational videos that amusingly involve a robot. Seth would choose something like this to show his students to help them with their research papers.

https://www.brainpop.com/english/writing/citingsources/

If you're super curious and you want to watch, username: parliamentplace, password: school

If anyone has something better for him to show, please let me know. It's not super important but knowing what the students watch helps me get the creative juices flowing. :cool:

So here's the wall:
Tara is expecting him to struggle with the computer and setting up the video. I want him to impress the hell out of her.

I was thinking the site with the videos is blocked by the school and he has to get around it, etc.

Any ideas?
 
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Educational sites like that are rarely blocked by an educational institution. The logic in that problem doesn't make much sense.
 
I know! :( that's why I need help. :rolleyes:

I need something to go wrong that he has to do something fancy to correct. I don't recall much of anything being blocked when I was in school and the only issues I remembet having is file corruption/incompatibility when loading a file from a USB.

I'm not sure how that could be impressive...
 
OR ...Hows about.... Problems with the hardware itself . display is fuzzy, commands don't work or give erratic results plus it sounds like a blender preparing to launch in to orbit ! Seth takes the computer to "examine" and if you watch closely , he seems to "caress" the ports on the back... BINGO !!! everything is in perfect working order , BETTER than NEW ! Reason??? Seth's fingers have wide-band sensors, able to detect any range of electro-magnetic emissions. X-rays, infra-red, ultra violet, maybe even the signals racing along the nerves of a ... HUMAN !!!! *eek* (plot twist!). of course these sensors can connect to any exposed computer ports (like on the back of a computer). as an added bonus. Seth can also OUTPUT power through the same sensors. Being ex-military , it'd be handy to have him to have the ability to channel power OUT of the fingers (see "auxiliary power to transfer RAM Chips to new motherboard" only Seth would know what Voltage, amperage, frequency to supply the ram so it doesn't Auto-Suicide . and it would be variable from oh...shock to defibrillate some one he cares for, to making a bad guy toast :eek: & very quickly at that! (twisted!). Maybe have small lasers in the fingers (MORE plot twists!) ....

*pant*pant*pant* .... see anything to help ya with that wall? Got enough plot twists??? (after all , you DID insinuate that i was twisted ...:confused: ...:D )

-James- (yah, hard core hardware geek here ...:rolleyes: )
 
JerseyJames said:
OR ...Hows about.... Problems with the hardware itself . display is fuzzy, commands don't work or give erratic results plus it sounds like a blender preparing to launch in to orbit ! Seth takes the computer to "examine" and if you watch closely , he seems to "caress" the ports on the back... BINGO !!! everything is in perfect working order , BETTER than NEW ! Reason??? Seth's fingers have wide-band sensors, able to detect any range of electro-magnetic emissions. X-rays, infra-red, ultra violet, maybe even the signals racing along the nerves of a ... HUMAN !!!! *eek* (plot twist!). of course these sensors can connect to any exposed computer ports (like on the back of a computer). as an added bonus. Seth can also OUTPUT power through the same sensors. Being ex-military , it'd be handy to have him to have the ability to channel power OUT of the fingers (see "auxiliary power to transfer RAM Chips to new motherboard" only Seth would know what Voltage, amperage, frequency to supply the ram so it doesn't Auto-Suicide . and it would be variable from oh...shock to defibrillate some one he cares for, to making a bad guy toast :eek: & very quickly at that! (twisted!). Maybe have small lasers in the fingers (MORE plot twists!) ....

*pant*pant*pant* .... see anything to help ya with that wall? Got enough plot twists??? (after all , you DID insinuate that i was twisted ...:confused: ...:D )

-James- (yah, hard core hardware geek here ...:rolleyes: )
Click to expand...

I might suggest a low dose tranquilizer.
 
JerseyJames said:
OR ...Hows about.... Problems with the hardware itself . display is fuzzy, commands don't work or give erratic results plus it sounds like a blender preparing to launch in to orbit ! Seth takes the computer to "examine" and if you watch closely , he seems to "caress" the ports on the back... BINGO !!! everything is in perfect working order , BETTER than NEW ! Reason??? Seth's fingers have wide-band sensors, able to detect any range of electro-magnetic emissions. X-rays, infra-red, ultra violet, maybe even the signals racing along the nerves of a ... HUMAN !!!! *eek* (plot twist!). of course these sensors can connect to any exposed computer ports (like on the back of a computer). as an added bonus. Seth can also OUTPUT power through the same sensors. Being ex-military , it'd be handy to have him to have the ability to channel power OUT of the fingers (see "auxiliary power to transfer RAM Chips to new motherboard" only Seth would know what Voltage, amperage, frequency to supply the ram so it doesn't Auto-Suicide . and it would be variable from oh...shock to defibrillate some one he cares for, to making a bad guy toast :eek: & very quickly at that! (twisted!). Maybe have small lasers in the fingers (MORE plot twists!) ....

*pant*pant*pant* .... see anything to help ya with that wall? Got enough plot twists??? (after all , you DID insinuate that i was twisted ...:confused: ...:D )

-James- (yah, hard core hardware geek here ...:rolleyes: )
Click to expand...
A lot of this is brilliant! Some of it is well beyond Seth's pathetic battery is capable of but... genius! Where do you get this stuff?

You may be a hardware geek while I am simply a modest nerd. I rolled his character in Dungeons and Dragons and gave him "shocking grasp" (lightning powers) with the intent of giving him the ability to charge his own battery (practically destroying it in the process but what's an android to do in an ancient world?). Your suggestions remind me so much of that! He hated it and it hurt like hell, no matter how careful he was. Lol.

I like the idea of being able to manipulate things with his fingers. Hardware issues make sense too because he requested the room last minute and it's likely available because the computer is defective...

So, my brilliant twisted friend, what are we thinking? Low drain preferably but it could be something he can only do sparingly now.

Magnets?
 
I hate to be the one to criticise, I think you have a great imagination, but I think when writing a book you need to imagine it as a movie. If you were talking of an aged robot, I would normally imagine a robot from the future being aged amidst other newer technology. When I think of a robot love story, I think bicentennial man, that movie got bad reviews, but I really liked the movie. I couldn't imagine an 80's robot being upgraded to being used today. I couldn't imagine johnny five from short. Circuit, or worse still, the 80's robot that featured in one of the Muppet movies being used today, especially having seen how life like some of those recent Japanese robots are.
 
I'm confused... was that a "give up, your idea sucks"? :( cause thats how it read :'(

I love all things Scifi. I've seen and enjoyed bicentennial man too. And short circuit, every Star Trek episode ever (except Deep Space Nine), and just about every android movie ever... even the super bad ones like heart bleeps.

In theory, an android who was maintained and upgraded for the first twenty years of his life by the secretly advanced branch of the government and then vigilantly self maintained could still be viable at almost 30. Howevet, he's dying just like every human is. He could live for another ten years or die tomorrow.

Does the military want him now? Of course not. They've moved on to bigger and better things.

They don't want much of anything to do with him until he violates his contract by letting Tara find out what he is. Then they want him dead. Lol. He's worn down. No super strength, no super computing abilities. He gets tired and he gets migraines. His motherboard is giving out and lives his life one careful day at a time until Tara derails everything, as love tends to do. :p

Now, I'm convinced you were being constructive with your criticism and i missed it. Could you clarify please? I love feedback and am always open to ideas :D
 
Also, I meant to say thanks for the imagination compliment :) it's what's kept me going when things get rough in reality. It's a nice escape.

Have you seen the creepy android that says it's going to put the people he likes in "people zoos" when robots take over the world? *shudders*
 
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you say ...."
So, my brilliant twisted friend, what are we thinking? Low drain preferably but it could be something he can only do sparingly now.
Magnets? " ....

Freak NO! this is SCI-FI ! HIGH TECH RULES, EVERYTHING ELSE DROOLS !!!!

okay, power.... batteries NFG ... read constant recharging or replacement , susceptible to combat damage (may have had them at first, but when Seth did some " self repairs " he,he,he ...

Semi- plausible .. a miniature hydrogen fusion reactor , gets the hydrogen from electrolysis of water or "attracting" free hydrogen molecules & concentrating them into incredibly dense metallic hydrogen ("metallic hydrogen " google it.) As a former military robot, being seen as expendable , having a built in hydrogen bomb may have been attractive to the Hawks ...

little bit more out there . electrical power as we know it is as simple as passing a conductor through magnetic field lines of force. Add earth's, other planets, the Suns' magnet fields arcing through space in constant motion, they pass across Seth's internal wiring' he amplifies it and stores it in a super capacitor, available as controlled power discharge or as one big freaking lighten' bolt! (TOAST a whole LOT of baddies with that one) & as long as he remains exposed to the cosmos, hes got juice ....

Actually since this is Sci-Fi , Give him BOTH power systems ! Fusion from original military (bad ,but useful. who F*cks with a hydrogen bomb when it's self-aware !!!)
& Seth's "Cosmic Energy ' source (good ! )

Well, this stuff may not fit in with ol' Seth as you imagine him .... maybe have the fusion reactor power source (& BIG BOOM) compartmentalized in his software-soul . he would only become aware of the bad nasty (military), only if his sub-conscious (firmware) detects certain parameters that even Seth's not aware of and activates a knowledge dump into conscious memory. make it clear to the readers that Seth is not aware of the Fusion stuff, that way the reader can wonder ..." is THIS going to trigger the "dooms day protocol " ... (not trigger the reactor, just make Seth aware of what he's carrying & the implications of that )...

Lady... I'm so warped, the back o' me head is touching me heels!!!:eek: :D

PS you'd BETTER let us know when Seth's story goes public ... book, magazine, e-book ...

PPS ... the "downers" .. ppPPiiLLtt.... , You go Girl, you got the vision and wherewithal to carry it out. Got my permission to kick 'em where it hurts !!! ( well figuratively , of course. literally is much more satisfying , but the DO put ya in jail for that!!)


-James-
 
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JerseyJames said:
you say ...."
So, my brilliant twisted friend, what are we thinking? Low drain preferably but it could be something he can only do sparingly now.
Magnets? " ....

Freak NO! this is SCI-FI ! HIGH TECH RULES, EVERYTHING ELSE DROOLS !!!!

okay, power.... batteries NFG ... read constant recharging or replacement , susceptible to combat damage (may have had them at first, but when Seth did some " self repairs " he,he,he ...

Semi- plausible .. a miniature hydrogen fusion reactor , gets the hydrogen from electrolysis of water or "attracting" free hydrogen molecules & concentrating them into incredibly dense metallic hydrogen ("metallic hydrogen " google it.) As a former military robot, being seen as expendable , having a built in hydrogen bomb may have been attractive to the Hawks ...

little bit more out there . electrical power as we know it is as simple as passing a conductor through magnetic field lines of force. Add earth's, other planets, the Suns' magnet fields arcing through space in constant motion, they pass across Seth's internal wiring' he amplifies it and stores it in a super capacitor, available as controlled power discharge or as one big freaking lighten' bolt! (TOAST a whole LOT of baddies with that one) & as long as he remains exposed to the cosmos, hes got juice ....

Actually since this is Sci-Fi , Give him BOTH power systems ! Fusion from original military (bad ,but useful. who F*cks with a hydrogen bomb when it's self-aware !!!)
& Seth's "Cosmic Energy ' source (good ! )

Well, this stuff may not fit in with ol' Seth as you imagine him .... maybe have the fusion reactor power source (& BIG BOOM) compartmentalized in his software-soul . he would only become aware of the bad nasty (military), only if his sub-conscious (firmware) detects certain parameters that even Seth's not aware of and activates a knowledge dump into conscious memory. make it clear to the readers that Seth is not aware of the Fusion stuff, that way the reader can wonder ..." is THIS going to trigger the "dooms day protocol " ... (not trigger the reactor, just make Seth aware of what he's carrying & the implications of that )...

Lady... I'm so warped, the back o' me head is touching me heels!!!:eek: :D

PS you'd BETTER let us know when Seth's story goes public ... book, magazine, e-book ...

PPS ... the "downers" .. ppPPiiLLtt.... , You go Girl, you got the vision and wherewithal to carry it out. Got my permission to kick 'em where it hurts !!! ( well figuratively , of course. literally is much more satisfying , but the DO put ya in jail for that!!)


-James-
Click to expand...

I'll have you know, I almost choked on my lunch when I read this. Laughing out loud and getting the eyebrow from passersby.

He does have a battery that over the years requires nightly charging. Now, it does get replaced after a shameful run in with his replacement. Ugh, it's bad. He gets his butt handed to him but he had no choice.

Anyway, this gives me a bit of wiggle room for what upgrades he may have gotten when they put him back together... I can picture Seth's reaction to being upgraded to a fusion power source... He'd flip out but Tara would think it was awesome.

I love your ideas, even the ones that don't apply to Seth. I have another character named Parker who doesn't remember what he was built for and has a super encoded harddrive he can only access when something triggers it. Seth is mild mannered and is tired of violence. Parker will seriously ruin someone's day for messing with him or his and not even bat an eyelash.

Anyway, back to Seth. The book is called "Obsolete" and I will probably beg you to read it before publishing to get your feedback. :rolleyes:
 
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Just keep throwin' em and I'll try to hit 'em back! yeah, Seth seems to be a "cosmic energy" type of "guy" ergo the "sentient dynamo" seems his speed ...
& Fusion-H-bomb-lightin'-bolt-flinging just might fit better with the "new" (to us :p ) guy, Parker...

Ideas are in my head, going in ta get 'em is the scary part!!! but use my ideas where they fit (fusion guy=Parker, Mr. cosmo = Seth) always glad to be of assistance, iT'S FUN !!! & you'll not have to beg to much ... a small grovel will do!!! ;) Later! ...

-James-

Hmmmm.....Seth & Parker ... Brothers????o_O (Annnnnd the twisted plot thickens !!!)
 
Pyrolocks said:
I'm confused... was that a "give up, your idea sucks"? :( cause thats how it read :'(

I love all things Scifi. I've seen and enjoyed bicentennial man too. And short circuit, every Star Trek episode ever (except Deep Space Nine), and just about every android movie ever... even the super bad ones like heart bleeps.

In theory, an android who was maintained and upgraded for the first twenty years of his life by the secretly advanced branch of the government and then vigilantly self maintained could still be viable at almost 30. Howevet, he's dying just like every human is. He could live for another ten years or die tomorrow.

Does the military want him now? Of course not. They've moved on to bigger and better things.

They don't want much of anything to do with him until he violates his contract by letting Tara find out what he is. Then they want him dead. Lol. He's worn down. No super strength, no super computing abilities. He gets tired and he gets migraines. His motherboard is giving out and lives his life one careful day at a time until Tara derails everything, as love tends to do. :p

Now, I'm convinced you were being constructive with your criticism and i missed it. Could you clarify please? I love feedback and am always open to ideas :D
Click to expand...
No it's not a give up comment at all, do what you enjoy in life.
I was just saying I couldn't imagine a 80's robot, being upgraded and still being used today. For instance, why would they upgrade 80's robot as appeared in a Muppet movie to
The type of androids that we have today
 
ian said:
No it's not a give up comment at all, do what you enjoy in life.
I was just saying I couldn't imagine a 80's robot, being upgraded and still being used today. For instance, why would they upgrade 80's robot as appeared in a Muppet movie to
The type of androids that we have today
Click to expand...

Well, the videos definitely help get your point across. I guess maybe he was advanced for the time and the government didn't share the technology with the public? Seth was believably humanoid when he initially deployed. I guess that's the bit of fiction in science fiction. ^_^
 
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