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On Sun, 15 Oct 2000, Spike Jones wrote:
> Or how about obsessive compulsive "disorder." If the person obsesses
> about surviving in an unforgiving environment, that condition would come
> to be called obsessive compulsive order. spike
...unless ve gets stressed out about survival to the point
where ve escapes by obsessing over redecorating ver habitation
module or beating ver high score on minesweeper. Thats the annoying
thing about obsessive-compulsive behavior-- you get tons of
concentration, but you don't get to pick what it's directed *at*.
Case and point this message, when what I'm supposed to be doing
is filling out grad school apps. :-(
That reminds me of another sci-fi story I'd write if I had talent. It
starts out as your typical genre novel (Fantasy, Romance, Western,
whatever). The only anomalous thing is this wierd imp that keeps
manifesting itself in various guises, trying to remind the protagonist
of something. At first the protagonist keeps begging the imp for more
time, and then starts ignoring it or avoiding it. Toward the end of the
story it turns out that the protagonist is deeply engrossed in a VR
game, because ve just doesn't want to deal with the fact that ve is on
a space ship running low on fuel, trajectory screwed up *almost* beyond
hope of correction, and all kinds of other interesting hell breaking
loose. The imp is an onboard expert system trying to snap the
protagonist out of ver trance, because ve is the only one left alive
capable of taking control of the situation.
As a nice touch, maybe all the characters in the simulation are the
protagonist's now-dead crew mates. A study in terminal procrastination,
you might say, just in time for Halloween.
- --
Arkanside bomb CID
Why are the above words in my signature? Check out:
http://www.echelon.wiretapped.net
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