E.T.A. (microstory)

“Where to?” said Eddi as his next passenger climbed into his vehicle.
“Oh I don’t care anymore. Just drive me to Central Park. I need some fresh air.”
“Yes, Ma’am. No problem. ETA is 15 minutes.”
“ETA?”
“Sorry, ETA estimated time of arrival.”
“Oh, yes, thanks” her voice trailed off, his definition barely registering.”
“Something troubling you, miss?” his voice evincing a gritty voice betokening some bygone era.
She tried to shrug off his question replying “oh, no, I’m ok. Just a little tired.”
“Yeah, everybody says that.” Eddi smirked with a knowing smile. “It’s none of my business but you do look distracted. I’ll take a guess, marriage problem?, kid problem?, your parent of some other loved one is not doing too well health-wise? Money issues?”
“Well, quite a few of those.” She replied paying closer attention to her driver, eyeing him with some suspicion. “And you are right, it is none of your business.” She huffed.
“I’m no psychic, it’s almost always one of those.” The cabbie chuckled amusedly.
“Oh” she backed down.
“The things folks tell me, you’d be surprised. You’d think with all this technology, we’d be more connected. But we aren’t. Lots of loneliness out there.” His voice intoned wisdom beyond his years.
“I suppose so” her interest in him piqued. She looked like she was about to cry. “There is so much going on right now, I feel like I’m drowning.”
“Life can be overwhelming sometimes. But it is also so beautiful. You need to take time to stop to smell the roses, as the saying goes.” The grit in his voice really coming out. “Speaking of which, we are almost there, ETA 3 minutes.”
Realizing the time was racing away, she asked him a question. “How are you doing, if I may ask?”
He smiled “Hardly anybody asks me that.” He acted surprised. “I’m fine, I’m always fine Miss. I just remember that each day is a gift. You know what I mean?"
Even though he was giving cliche advice, somehow when he said it to her, it seemed somehow new to her. She went on to tell him how her mother was dying and that she hadn't come to grips with that reality. She felt like time flew by then. "Ok, we're here. Do remember to stop to smell the roses, Sara."
Somehow feeling much better but wondering how he knew her name, she alighted from the vehicle and walked towards the park. Eddi flipped his service light off. Then opened up his center console and said “This is EDDI, number 3929, uploading report on Sara Smith of 20 Maple Dr. citizen number 1,934,839,498. Signs of mental and emotional distress have been noted in her file. Recommend further observation followed by calibration of her medications."
The EDDI or "Emotional Development Driver-Intelligence" unit pressed the gas pedal and then hung a left at the next street. A white beacon on his map illuminated his next pickup and his ETA. A profile downloaded. "Ahh, another customer ready for some redirection." Even though he was a glorified toaster, he still felt good helping people. At least that's what his emotions module told him to feel.

Short Film: "Rakka" by Neill Blomkamp

Neill Blomkamp (director of District 9, Elysium) has come out with a new short film Rakka vol. 1 via his new film incubator Oats Studios. 

Worlds War 1

After having watched season 1 of The Expanse, I have been thinking that the interplanetary conflict between integrated world polities would not be the likely future.  Putting forth a purely hypothetical model, 4 or 5 or even 6 Great Power blocs on Earth would set about setting up largely independent (from each other) settlements on any future planetary bodies, the Outer Space Treaty notwithstanding.  To illustrate, a parallel can be drawn between the unfolding of the European dominance of the rest of the world over the last 500 years.  Projecting forward 500 years, we can model that the colonization of the Solar system to follow the roughly 3 phases much as European powers had taken over much of the world over the last half millennium..

Much of these phases overlap as many outposts had been established by the Europeans across the world.  The first object of Great Space Rivalry will be the Moon and control of cislunar space.  Similarly, the Americas became the first major colonial possession of European powers in the 16th and 17th centuries.  Spain and Portugal had a century jump on other powers, but others such as England, France, and Netherlands got their own later on. 

The powers had many trade routes and outposts developed in Asia.  Similarly, outposts of human colonies will be established relatively soon on the inner planets.  But much of the rivalry will focus on lunar space until it shifts to the other inner systems as those systems become more developed.

Scramble for the Gas Giants? 

The third major phase was subjugation of much of Africa by European empires.  Seeking resources, the Outer planets would eventually be "expropriated" for use by the inner colonies and Earth.  By this time or even before, new "nations" derived from the inner planet settlements will seek independence from their mother (Earth) countries.  Some of these may become great powers in their own right and join with the other great powers to get their own piece of the solar system pie.  To be sure, there will be outposts in the Outer System much earlier, but won't be much contended until developed to a certain 'saturation' level. 

Interstate rivals, Worlds Wars
As each celestial body would be split up by the Great Space powers, each colony would affect the balance of power in the planetary system and also balance among the Powers in the solar system. 
As each is first to the Moon, Mars, etc., it will induce efforts from rivals to establish their own colonies on the moon, mars and so forth.
So when would the first "worlds war" happen?  It will be from the result of rivalry over resources and 'prime locations' on the Moon.  In the first years of the 18th century, one of the first world wars (as counted by historians) was the War of the Spanish Succession. This war was fought by many  European power across several continents.  In much the same way, a future Worlds War would be fought by the Major Space Powers across several planetary fronts. 
 

The Expanse Season 2 starts 1 February 2017

Now that the 2nd season of The Expanse is coming, I can now binge its season 1 (which conveniently came to streaming on Amazon Prime last month).  The treatment of the 'heliopolitical' conflict of the solar system's colonies and Earth over resources and self-government are interesting. 

CNN: War in Space- The Next Battlefield

In perhaps a follow-up to 60 Minutes' 2015 report on space war, CNN has put out a Special Report "War in Space-The Next Battlefield." 

Blood Chit (MicroStory)

Captain Gray awoke on an alien planet.  "Holy Sh..." he spoke into his comm loudly enough his mic picked it up and transmitted. 
It was coming back to him.  He looked around the escape pod, the displays were flashing warnings.  His escort ship had inexplicitly failed.   
"Some infernal Centaurian meddling no doubt."  Gray grumbled.  At least his pod was smart enough to set down in a 'mild' climatic region of the planet.  Minus 50C outside was rather mild to other planets he had had the misfortune to visit. 
 He punched a button and voiced a command to launch a small surveyor probe to map the local area.
He knew, unfortunately, the closest Solarian outpost must be on the other side of the planet while a Centaurian outpost lay closer to his location.  No doubt they picked up his distress signal.  He hoped that they were doing more important things at the moment. 
But he had to assume they would be closing in on his landing area based on his last known trajectory. 
 The intel on the natives was not extensive, but a rudimentary dictionary of their language had been mapped.  It was a heat signature based language.  By changing the thermal signature of their appearance, each could communicate to each other in dazzling displays of infrared light. 
The humans nicknamed them ‘Torches’ as they appeared like flaming torches on the thermal sensor displays.  The Torches were a pre-industrial society.  Both humans and Centaurians had come to an agreement on treatment of natives of pre-industrial non-aligned planets.  Each side attempted to not be detected by the natives nor attempted to shape the inhabitants' future.  This agreement was routinely ignored by both sides.  Ever since the end of the Centaurian war, each side had endeavored to survey and stake claims to as many worlds in the stellar neighborhood as possible. 
Gray had his EVA suit dialed into the climate, he was a worried the nuclear-powered suit would light him up like a Christmas tree against the cold night.  He remembered to put in the language display on his suit.  He was uncertain how the Torches would interpret his appearance.  But if he was to escape detection by the Centaurians, he would need to enlist the native help. 
"Here goes nothing."  He reached of the handle to open his craft and pulled it, the door slid aside while he lumbered like out like some clumsy giant.  His display showed a village to his north, so he beared towards it. 
He commanded to display the message 'blood chit.'
----------
Maraxthul saw something in the corner of her eye.  She stood up on her legs and was astonished.  A very brightly-lit thing was walking right toward her.  As it got closer she almost fainted.  Could it be?  An angel?  It was saying something. 
"Fear not.  I am from the heaven. My protective egg is thrown down. Understand me.  Please take me to the nearest heaven.  You will be nurtured."
"Blessed Graoxul!" She shouted and bowed her head down.  "I will do as you have commanded me."  Though somewhat perplexed at the angel's grammar, she ran off and later came back with the village shaman.  She was emphatic, "see, it is what has been foretold." 
The shaman looked at the brightness of the being before them.  "I think it is Providence, Maraxthul, come to bring another blessing to our people, but if he wants to go to heaven, let us not delay him."  He said to Captain Gray "come with me." 
----------
Captain Gray followed the two Torches.  He hoped his message had been translated correctly.  The one taller one was telling him to keep following him into one of the buildings.  His translator was working on its signage.  In it, his sensors could barely make out any thermal or light signatures.  Suddenly, he felt a sense of falling.  He landed with a load thud.  It was dark in here as well.  He voiced a command to turn his exterior lights on.     
----------
A gathering of Torches had by then gathered in front of the building. 
The shaman said a prayer "Oh, Graoxul, thank you Blessed One for this sacrifice you have provided to us from the heavens on this longest of nights, Holy Solstice." 
----------
In growing panic Captain Gray turned his namesake as he saw stacks of Centaurian bones before him.  A bell-like 'ding' sounded in his ear while his HUD displayed the sign’s translation.
‘Village Butcher.’