I came to your Earth with Johnny Flamer, the Man-Torch. He has this
scientist friend who found the way there from our Earth. Your Earth's
orbit was intersecting our Earth's orbit or something. Most Earths
don't do that, but yours was special.
Author's Note: Yes, that "HCC" note is as correct as I can make
it,
and is well behind the current challenge. I'm catching up.
-
WORLD JOURNAL MONTHLY
June 8, 2010 See Our Other Issues!
THE WAITRESS FROM BEYOND
How Does Our Earth Look to an Immigrant?
Commentator: Nell Osborn with Joyce Darcy for the World Journal
Monthly.
I came to your Earth with Johnny Flamer, the Man-Torch. He has this
scientist friend who found the way there from our Earth. Your Earth's
orbit was intersecting our Earth's orbit or something. Most Earths
don't do that, but yours was special.
Johnny left our old Earth because the authorities were looking into
all the times he burned people. He never tried to get into fights, but
when he did, flame was all he had.
I stood up for Johnny at this diner where I worked. So I got fired. So
to speak. I got blacklisted too. The government was looking into who
supported anyone with powers like Johnny's. So I went with him.
A scientist friend of Johnny saw this other Earth in the sky somehow.
He must have had special instruments. Anyway, he sent us there.
This Earth had some other stuff going on. They were going through
climate change - but global cooling, not global warming. The weather
was bad enough that the superheroes weren't fighting each other.
Supervillains mostly weren't fighting people either. Wow, that's like
heaven for me.
There's still food, so I can still serve it. Johnny goes everywhere,
but I wound up in Worcester, Massachusetts. I work in a Greek
restaurant. We've got spinach pie for $8, and we can still manage some
$3 appetizers.
And I'm not getting in trouble just for knowing someone who turns into
flame. People are asking me and Johnny over for fireplace parties.
There's even a lady wrestling league starting up. There's been some
international scandal about lady wrestling leagues - so people want to
see that stuff if it's legit. I used to do it, and I'm still good at
it, even if I'm pushing forty. I got into a big tourney coming up in
Sudbury, Massachusetts. They say they might even give us superpowers
to make it interesting.
So yeah, this works for me.
-
Author's Note:
Due to some personal soap-opera stuff, I've been out for a while. But
I'm still paying attention to the challenges. This is the story I
would have submitted for Challenge #10, the Immigrant Experience.
(Did I get the number right?)
It's probably good I waited to write this story, because some major
plot twists are coming in Superhuman World 2010. I recall Challenge
#11, to which I respond: The Earth is a Deathtrap.
On Mon, 2 Aug 2010 02:33:41 +0000 (UTC), Scott Eiler wrote:
> I came to your Earth with Johnny Flamer, the Man-Torch.
I'm assuming this is a de-copyrighted-ization of your
specifically-Marvel-linked stuf. I think it could stand a bit more
differentiation.
> I stood up for Johnny at this diner where I worked. So I got fired. So
> to speak. I got blacklisted too. The government was looking into who
> supported anyone with powers like Johnny's. So I went with him.
...that's kinda random.
> This Earth had some other stuff going on. They were going through
> climate change - but global cooling, not global warming. The weather
> was bad enough that the superheroes weren't fighting each other.
> Supervillains mostly weren't fighting people either. Wow, that's like
> heaven for me.
Now this is an interesting idea - a setting defined by natural forces. (Is
this your 'main' world dealing with the orbit, or did they hop off onto
another?)
Andrew "NO .SIG MAN" "Juan" Perron, olive oil.
Andrew Perron
On Aug 1, 7:33 pm, Scott Eiler <sei...@eilertech.com> wrote:
> Author's Note:
> It's probably good I waited to write this story, because some major
> plot twists are coming in Superhuman World 2010. I recall Challenge
> #11, to which I respond: The Earth is a Deathtrap.
As ever, the full story is available from my web site. This one is at
http://www.eilertech.com/stories/2010/waitress.htm . It has extra
material, including whether the waitress ever got her superpowers.
Heh, they may not be what she expected.
Scott Eiler, author
On Aug 2, 7:29 pm, Andrew Perron <pwer...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 2 Aug 2010 02:33:41 +0000 (UTC), Scott Eiler wrote:
> > I came to your Earth with Johnny Flamer, the Man-Torch.
>
> I'm assuming this is a de-copyrighted-ization of your
> specifically-Marvel-linked stuf. I think it could stand a bit more
> differentiation.
You mean, a bit more personality for Johnny? I'll work on it, since
he actually showed up in my January 2010 episodes.
> > I stood up for Johnny at this diner where I worked. So I got fired. So
> > to speak. I got blacklisted too. The government was looking into who
> > supported anyone with powers like Johnny's. So I went with him.
>
> ...that's kinda random.
You mean, stream of consciousness?
> > This Earth had some other stuff going on. They were going through
> > climate change - but global cooling, not global warming. The weather
> > was bad enough that the superheroes weren't fighting each other.
> > Supervillains mostly weren't fighting people either. Wow, that's
like
> > heaven for me.
>
> Now this is an interesting idea - a setting defined by natural forces. (Is
> this your 'main' world dealing with the orbit, or did they hop off
onto
> another?)
Yeah, that's the main Superhuman World.
Scott Eiler, author
On Wed, 4 Aug 2010 13:45:40 +0000 (UTC), Scott Eiler wrote:
> On Aug 2, 7:29 pm, Andrew Perron <pwer...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Mon, 2 Aug 2010 02:33:41 +0000 (UTC), Scott Eiler wrote:
>>> I came to your Earth with Johnny Flamer, the Man-Torch.
>>
>> I'm assuming this is a de-copyrighted-ization of your
>> specifically-Marvel-linked stuf. I think it could stand a bit more
>> differentiation.
>
> You mean, a bit more personality for Johnny? I'll work on it, since
> he actually showed up in my January 2010 episodes.
That, yes, but also, "Man-Torch" is a bit too close to "Human
Torch" for my
comfort.
>>> I stood up for Johnny at this diner where I worked. So I got fired. So
>>> to speak. I got blacklisted too. The government was looking into who
>>> supported anyone with powers like Johnny's. So I went with him.
>>
>> ...that's kinda random.
>
> You mean, stream of consciousness?
Nah, that they're going on a witchhunt against people with flame powers.
>>> This Earth had some other stuff going on. They were going through
>>> climate change - but global cooling, not global warming. The weather
>>> was bad enough that the superheroes weren't fighting each other.
>>> Supervillains mostly weren't fighting people either. Wow,
that's like
>>> heaven for me.
>>
>> Now this is an interesting idea - a setting defined by natural forces. (Is
>> this your 'main' world dealing with the orbit, or did they hop off
onto
>> another?)
>
> Yeah, that's the main Superhuman World.
Neat! More of that, please.
Andrew "NO .SIG MAN" "Juan" Perron, cilly crisis!
Andrew Perron
On Aug 5, 8:26 pm, Andrew Perron <pwer...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wed, 4 Aug 2010 13:45:40 +0000 (UTC), Scott Eiler wrote:
> > On Aug 2, 7:29 pm, Andrew Perron <pwer...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > You mean, a bit more personality for Johnny? I'll work on it, since
> > he actually showed up in my January 2010 episodes.
>
> That, yes, but also, "Man-Torch" is a bit too close to "Human
Torch" for my
> comfort.
I'm intending for the name "Man-Torch" to reveal a bit more of Johnny
Flamer's personality. (I think I'll change his name to Jimmy, but
"Flamer" probably stays..)
> >> ...that's kinda random.
>
> > You mean, stream of consciousness?
>
> Nah, that they're going on a witchhunt against people with flame powers.
I'll accept my waitress didn't explain why people would do that, but
it seems pretty obvious to me. How *does* someone fight crime with
flame weaponry, without burning people?
> >> Now this is an interesting idea - a setting defined by natural forces.
(Is
> >> this your 'main' world dealing with the orbit, or did they
hop off onto
> >> another?)
>
> > Yeah, that's the main Superhuman World.
>
> Neat! More of that, please.
It's in the pipeline. All this time that I haven't been writing
fiction, I've been at least deciding where the fiction should go.
Yes, we can expect a crisis fairly soon.
Scott Eiler, author
On Sat, 7 Aug 2010 14:37:46 +0000 (UTC), Scott Eiler wrote:
> On Aug 5, 8:26 pm, Andrew Perron <pwer...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> That, yes, but also, "Man-Torch" is a bit too close to "Human
Torch" for my
>> comfort.
>
> I'm intending for the name "Man-Torch" to reveal a bit more of
Johnny
> Flamer's personality. (I think I'll change his name to Jimmy, but
> "Flamer" probably stays..)
That helps.
>> Nah, that they're going on a witchhunt against people with flame
powers.
>
> I'll accept my waitress didn't explain why people would do that, but
> it seems pretty obvious to me. How *does* someone fight crime with
> flame weaponry, without burning people?
"It's hard to control flame powers" doesn't naturally lead to
"They're all
enemies of the state!"
Actually, this is a recurring annoyance with me. Governments are set up so
that they're answerable to the people. Yes, they can become immensely
corrupt, but even a corrupt government can't just oppress whoever it wants
and put random laws into effect, not without at least *some* popular
support - and both the government and the people are heterogeneous groups
of individuals.
The point of this? Far too many stories use "governmental oppression/angry
mobs" as a cheap and easy plot device. If you're going to use it, set it
up.
>> Neat! More of that, please.
>
> It's in the pipeline. All this time that I haven't been writing
> fiction, I've been at least deciding where the fiction should go.
> Yes, we can expect a crisis fairly soon.
Awesome!
Andrew "NO .SIG MAN" "Juan" Perron, Every-So-Often Night!
Andrew Perron
On Aug 8, 5:06 pm, Andrew Perron <pwer...@gmail.com> wrote:
> "It's hard to control flame powers" doesn't naturally lead
to "They're all
> enemies of the state!"
>
> Actually, this is a recurring annoyance with me. Governments are set up so
> that they're answerable to the people. Yes, they can become immensely
> corrupt, but even a corrupt government can't just oppress whoever it wants
> and put random laws into effect, not without at least *some* popular
> support - and both the government and the people are heterogeneous groups
> of individuals.
I think this is mostly the other side of the pendulum. For all too
many years in comic books, people could use deadly force in public
without government sanction, just because they wore costumes.
> The point of this? Far too many stories use "governmental oppression/angry
> mobs" as a cheap and easy plot device. If you're going to use it, set
it
> up.
I'll do that if I ever write more about Jimmy Flamer or his own
world. But as we noted, Jimmy comes from something much like the
Marvel Universe, which *did* have angry mobs. That's an important
reason why Nell the waitress likes Superhuman World 2010 by
comparison. I don't know a good way to go into that in a short story,
but I can at least add a paragraph or two.
Scott Eiler, author
On Mon, 9 Aug 2010 20:13:55 +0000 (UTC), Scott Eiler wrote:
> On Aug 8, 5:06 pm, Andrew Perron <pwer...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Actually, this is a recurring annoyance with me. Governments are set up so
>> that they're answerable to the people. Yes, they can become immensely
>> corrupt, but even a corrupt government can't just oppress whoever it
wants
>> and put random laws into effect, not without at least *some* popular
>> support - and both the government and the people are heterogeneous groups
>> of individuals.
>
> I think this is mostly the other side of the pendulum. For all too
> many years in comic books, people could use deadly force in public
> without government sanction, just because they wore costumes.
Well, except that it *wasn't* usually deadly force - not until the '80s,
anyway. Which coincides with the rise in this plot device. Honestly, I
think it has more to do with general cynicism in Western culture than
anything (and, of course, the popularity of the X-Men).
>> The point of this? Far too many stories use "governmental
oppression/angry
>> mobs" as a cheap and easy plot device. If you're going to use it,
set it
>> up.
>
> I'll do that if I ever write more about Jimmy Flamer or his own
> world. But as we noted, Jimmy comes from something much like the
> Marvel Universe, which *did* have angry mobs. That's an important
> reason why Nell the waitress likes Superhuman World 2010 by
> comparison. I don't know a good way to go into that in a short story,
> but I can at least add a paragraph or two.
Fair enough. I got that you only had so much space for it, but a
witch-hunt specifically agains fire powers is odd enough that it needs a
bit of exposition. Honestly, I would've just gone with one for powers that
qualify as "deadly force" in general.
Andrew "NO .SIG MAN" "Juan" Perron, foo.
Andrew Perron
On Aug 9, 2:53 pm, Andrew Perron <pwer...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 9 Aug 2010 20:13:55 +0000 (UTC), Scott Eiler wrote:
>
> > ... as we noted, Jimmy comes from something much like the
> > Marvel Universe, which *did* have angry mobs. That's an important
> > reason why Nell the waitress likes Superhuman World 2010 by
> > comparison. I don't know a good way to go into that in a short story,
> > but I can at least add a paragraph or two.
>
> Fair enough. I got that you only had so much space for it, but a
> witch-hunt specifically against fire powers is odd enough that it needs a
> bit of exposition. Honestly, I would've just gone with one for powers that
> qualify as "deadly force" in general.
That, I could and should have done easily. Which is to say, I can and
shall when I rewrite.
It wasn't just about fire powers or Jimmy Flamer; it was about
everyone in his universe who was perceived as a "vigilante" and got
persecuted. That's why I made Jimmy so much like a certain Marvel
Universe character who actually got stoned by a mob during their
stories. Really.
As you say, a reasonable Earth will develop protocols for superhumans
shortly after they arise. My world apparently had that in advance of
Marvel's.
My New York City started paying attention to superhumans in 1992,
shortly after the supergenius telepath "Ellipsis", who'd given himself
massive energy powers, moved there and started hiring people to
protect his wife. My U.S. Gov was much more paranoid than NYC was;
President Bush hounded Ellipsis and all superhumans offshore, got re-
elected, then invaded the Bahamas. The U.S. lost that war. By 1997,
President Rodham was ready for reconciliation...
I refer to this history tangentially throughout my narrative, but I
have yet to tell that full story. Thanks for letting me jot this
stuff down, Andrew.
