12-01-2009, 08:06 AM
A.K.A: HURR I IZ A WRITER LOOK AT ME
Worked on this on-and-off over last month, but didn't get as much done as I had wanted, what with falling ill and having my Laptop die on me again. Still, I'm pleased with what I've written. I'll post chapter-by-chapter so I don't have just one super-long post. I'll upload it all to my blog at the same time too.
Genre's parody sci-fi. All the chapters are stand alone, so you can read and understand one without having read the others. Since the entire thing was a word count challenge, there are a few padding features, but I've not relied on it too heavily. Aside from spell checking and a few syntax and grammar fixes, this hasn't been refined, so forgive me for that.
Chapters So Far:
Chapter 1: Welcome to San Sarai!
Chapter 2: Coffee Breaks and Card Keys
Chapter 3: Ancient Forbidden Techniques
Chapter 4: And Now, a Word From Our Sponsors
Chapter 5: It's an Outbreak, Innit?
Chapter 6: A Water Cooler Moment
Chapter 7: G-SIDE Stories has been Brought to you by the Following Sponsor
Chapter 1: Welcome to San Sarai!
The Governmental Society for Investigators and Data Engineers owns a skyscraper. No, scratch that; it's more like a monolith. Taking up enough property space to fit a block of houses, and so tall you can't see the tip on cloudy days; G-SIDE Tower is a gargantuan, ever-present reminder of how far modern technology has progressed, and how overly-ambitious technicians and architects can be if you give them a bit too much leeway.
San Sarai has always been a Mecca for the technical, the post-modern, and the post-modernly technical (fascinating people, but you wouldn't want to have them fix your Terminal), but it's hard to tell if the thriving interest caused the Tower to be built, or if it's the other way around. Whichever; since San Sarai's growth to a metropolis, other major tech-producing cities have struggled to keep up; earning both respect and ire everywhere, from Tokyo to San Francisco.
However, socially, the people of San Sarai don't seem to be that technically inclined. Sure, they make use of the super fast, super powerful computers. Sure, they all receive top-notch healthcare advanced enough to best the majority of last century's super viruses. But the public passion is not with machines and microchips, but in creative pursuits. High level science to produce the haute couture. It's a rather novel concept to the uninitiated; and it seems that the more proficient people are at it, the more likely they're extremely eccentric (or possibly down right nuts); but as cultural pastimes go, it's friendly and safe enough.
While the Tower is set resolutely in the centre of the metropolis, other districts of the city radiate out from it; and in a strange sense of specialisation; most are very much devoted to a common interest or facility. The Artist's Quarter and the Culinary Quarter are fascinating in themselves, but areas like the Pleasure Quarter, home to the legendary Party Mansion – an enormous estate spanning multiple acres with every hall, chamber, and alcove devoted to any kind of rave, shindig, or brouhaha imaginable – is such a tourist draw, casual visitors find themselves staying there for weeks at a time.
Up until a decade ago, the growth of the Pleasure Quarter and the rest of the South Western segment of the city was limited by the coast. Expansive beaches were nice, but the residents wanted more. So the Architect's Quarter stepped in; and a few years, several tons of steel and a couple of environmental protests later, the urban sprawl had expanded; to the depths of the ocean. A string of extortionately priced apartments, a three thousand-seat stadium, and a large shopping centre (because all refurbishment projects must include a shopping mall. It's almost a law) are now a short submersible magnet train ride away.
But with most things in life, there are a few who abuse the luxuries they have. Every so often an individual's eccentric nature takes them a step too far, supplies of hydraulic pistons and glow-in-the-dark paint come just a little bit too cheaply, and before you know it the University Quarter is overrun by a horde of Robotic Rave Spiders. Sometimes these localised hazards peter out on their own; but in the event that neon coloured Arthropods actually are a health risk, the workforce of G-SIDE step into action.
In addition to being a left wing political party and the largest research and development facility on the continent, G-SIDE also employs and mobilises what can only be described as a crack team of Problem Solvers. Not so specialised as the SWAT or MI5, G-SIDE members have skills branching every medium. Some, like the general Police and Fire-fighting departments are used regularly, others like the Grand Knitting Agency are decidedly more niche, and are broken out in only the most dire emergencies – a surprising number of situations have been rescued from the brink of oblivion by an angora sweater.
The turnover rate for employees is rather high – although you'd be hard-pressed to see G-SIDE folk die on a regular basis (which is rather surprising considering the dangerous instances some of them fling themselves into), many feel they can't handle the responsibility, or the workload, or the paperwork; and opt out for something a little more laid back. Those that do work for the long term get rather hefty work bonuses; often tailored to the likes of the individual. Some people just want to be paid in chocolate, and who are we to judge them?
As a result, the Tower has a large number of new recruits and trainees. The training program is very much in-depth; which is of course expensive – but when you're government subsidised and can have the new guys do the small boring jobs for you – it stops being such an issue. Unless the situation calls for it or the individual's particularly gifted, most trainees don't see beyond the first few floors of the Tower. Structured so that your rank and importance in the organisation is reflected in how high a floor you have access to, your average flunkie won't see beyond the 4th or 5th floor. Student accommodation starts on the 3rd floor, so many new recruits tend to be initially motivated by being allowed a place to live; an important factor if you've moved in from outside the city.
In a sense the design's somewhat impractical – with the research and development area spanning floors 42 to 50, it would be a large problem should a fire – or a firefight – occur. And of course they have; a venture into children's sport equipment that gently heated up on cold days resulted in a spectacular blaze that could be seen throughout the city. Strangely enough no one was hurt; but needless to say the project was scrapped, and pre-teens everywhere continued to bemoan PE lessons during the winter months.
It's a job with a lot of burden and toil, but at the same time offers adventure and a sense of purpose. Anyone could tell you how much of a commitment it was, but only the G-SIDErs themselves can tell you how once they joined, their lives were never the same again.
Worked on this on-and-off over last month, but didn't get as much done as I had wanted, what with falling ill and having my Laptop die on me again. Still, I'm pleased with what I've written. I'll post chapter-by-chapter so I don't have just one super-long post. I'll upload it all to my blog at the same time too.
Genre's parody sci-fi. All the chapters are stand alone, so you can read and understand one without having read the others. Since the entire thing was a word count challenge, there are a few padding features, but I've not relied on it too heavily. Aside from spell checking and a few syntax and grammar fixes, this hasn't been refined, so forgive me for that.
G-SIDE Stories
Chapters So Far:
Chapter 1: Welcome to San Sarai!
Chapter 2: Coffee Breaks and Card Keys
Chapter 3: Ancient Forbidden Techniques
Chapter 4: And Now, a Word From Our Sponsors
Chapter 5: It's an Outbreak, Innit?
Chapter 6: A Water Cooler Moment
Chapter 7: G-SIDE Stories has been Brought to you by the Following Sponsor
Chapter 1: Welcome to San Sarai!
The Governmental Society for Investigators and Data Engineers owns a skyscraper. No, scratch that; it's more like a monolith. Taking up enough property space to fit a block of houses, and so tall you can't see the tip on cloudy days; G-SIDE Tower is a gargantuan, ever-present reminder of how far modern technology has progressed, and how overly-ambitious technicians and architects can be if you give them a bit too much leeway.
San Sarai has always been a Mecca for the technical, the post-modern, and the post-modernly technical (fascinating people, but you wouldn't want to have them fix your Terminal), but it's hard to tell if the thriving interest caused the Tower to be built, or if it's the other way around. Whichever; since San Sarai's growth to a metropolis, other major tech-producing cities have struggled to keep up; earning both respect and ire everywhere, from Tokyo to San Francisco.
However, socially, the people of San Sarai don't seem to be that technically inclined. Sure, they make use of the super fast, super powerful computers. Sure, they all receive top-notch healthcare advanced enough to best the majority of last century's super viruses. But the public passion is not with machines and microchips, but in creative pursuits. High level science to produce the haute couture. It's a rather novel concept to the uninitiated; and it seems that the more proficient people are at it, the more likely they're extremely eccentric (or possibly down right nuts); but as cultural pastimes go, it's friendly and safe enough.
While the Tower is set resolutely in the centre of the metropolis, other districts of the city radiate out from it; and in a strange sense of specialisation; most are very much devoted to a common interest or facility. The Artist's Quarter and the Culinary Quarter are fascinating in themselves, but areas like the Pleasure Quarter, home to the legendary Party Mansion – an enormous estate spanning multiple acres with every hall, chamber, and alcove devoted to any kind of rave, shindig, or brouhaha imaginable – is such a tourist draw, casual visitors find themselves staying there for weeks at a time.
Up until a decade ago, the growth of the Pleasure Quarter and the rest of the South Western segment of the city was limited by the coast. Expansive beaches were nice, but the residents wanted more. So the Architect's Quarter stepped in; and a few years, several tons of steel and a couple of environmental protests later, the urban sprawl had expanded; to the depths of the ocean. A string of extortionately priced apartments, a three thousand-seat stadium, and a large shopping centre (because all refurbishment projects must include a shopping mall. It's almost a law) are now a short submersible magnet train ride away.
But with most things in life, there are a few who abuse the luxuries they have. Every so often an individual's eccentric nature takes them a step too far, supplies of hydraulic pistons and glow-in-the-dark paint come just a little bit too cheaply, and before you know it the University Quarter is overrun by a horde of Robotic Rave Spiders. Sometimes these localised hazards peter out on their own; but in the event that neon coloured Arthropods actually are a health risk, the workforce of G-SIDE step into action.
In addition to being a left wing political party and the largest research and development facility on the continent, G-SIDE also employs and mobilises what can only be described as a crack team of Problem Solvers. Not so specialised as the SWAT or MI5, G-SIDE members have skills branching every medium. Some, like the general Police and Fire-fighting departments are used regularly, others like the Grand Knitting Agency are decidedly more niche, and are broken out in only the most dire emergencies – a surprising number of situations have been rescued from the brink of oblivion by an angora sweater.
The turnover rate for employees is rather high – although you'd be hard-pressed to see G-SIDE folk die on a regular basis (which is rather surprising considering the dangerous instances some of them fling themselves into), many feel they can't handle the responsibility, or the workload, or the paperwork; and opt out for something a little more laid back. Those that do work for the long term get rather hefty work bonuses; often tailored to the likes of the individual. Some people just want to be paid in chocolate, and who are we to judge them?
As a result, the Tower has a large number of new recruits and trainees. The training program is very much in-depth; which is of course expensive – but when you're government subsidised and can have the new guys do the small boring jobs for you – it stops being such an issue. Unless the situation calls for it or the individual's particularly gifted, most trainees don't see beyond the first few floors of the Tower. Structured so that your rank and importance in the organisation is reflected in how high a floor you have access to, your average flunkie won't see beyond the 4th or 5th floor. Student accommodation starts on the 3rd floor, so many new recruits tend to be initially motivated by being allowed a place to live; an important factor if you've moved in from outside the city.
In a sense the design's somewhat impractical – with the research and development area spanning floors 42 to 50, it would be a large problem should a fire – or a firefight – occur. And of course they have; a venture into children's sport equipment that gently heated up on cold days resulted in a spectacular blaze that could be seen throughout the city. Strangely enough no one was hurt; but needless to say the project was scrapped, and pre-teens everywhere continued to bemoan PE lessons during the winter months.
It's a job with a lot of burden and toil, but at the same time offers adventure and a sense of purpose. Anyone could tell you how much of a commitment it was, but only the G-SIDErs themselves can tell you how once they joined, their lives were never the same again.
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