Disasters and other fun talk
Backdated to last Sunday, the 27th.
Music: Nina Simone - Ain’t got no. (I got life).
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Wilson: Hello again everybody. Tonight's topic is a fun one: What's the worst thing that could happen on Tabula Rasa?
Burgess: Being here.
Wilson: There are lots of possibilities, but this isn't a joke. It seems like every couple of months, the island turns on us in some way or another. The only thing we really know is that we have to be prepared for anything to happen.
Burgess: Being here tops the list.
Wilson: Let's start with power failure. We've already seen this to a certain extent when the containment fence shorted, so we know there's currently a crew of people who have the knowledge and skill to put us back together, but we're all aware that the population of the island can be shaky. An island full of doctors and lawyers wouldn't be much use if our generators blow.
We'd lose light, communication, refrigeration, and some of our medical equipment. The police would have to maintain something like martial law, out of necessity. At the very least, imposing a curfew. All that spells tension.
Burgess: And please do not forget we’d gain a bunch of raging dinosaurs who will be waiting in line to eat lawyers then doctors. *Wilson gives a look* The educated are tastier.
Wilson: Yeah, been there, done that.
Burgess: There is a fence between them and us. An electric fence separates us from a undefined population of giant lizards. Until the day the fence breaks down - again - or until the day they find a way to jump it. Consideration for this species is moving, truly it is, but in the greater sense of evolution, quite stupid. As is trust in an invisible fence of unknown origin. We aren’t supposed to be here, but count fuck on it they don’t belong here either.
I would like to hear possibilities to solve this problem before it becomes a disaster. A canal, heroes with loaded guns, a flooding scheme? Please, let your Council know if you have an idea.
Wilson: And there are the rest of natural disasters -- We've had hurricanes and a tsunami, so I think it's fair to say that geographically, Tabula Rasa is not all that stable. Could it get worse? Sure. Wildfire is a real concern
Burgess: Monsoons, drought. And I would not be surprised if one day it starts raining frogs.
Wilson: Which in turn could have an effect on our food and water supply. The island takes reasonably good care of us in this respect. We have a good fresh water source in the streams that come down from the mountains, but assuming the island is still part of Earth, drought could severely curtail the mango harvest.
Burgess: Facilities to dry, pickle and store food for emergency situations is quite easily achievable. We should look in to that. And perhaps a device to make drinkable water out of sea water.
Wilson: And when you say "we," I take it you're not talking about you and me.
Burgess: I'm talking collectively - create a sense of unity in a way.
Wilson: And has anybody been up there to make sure we're not living with a volcano? I'm curious. If anybody knows, feel free to tell me I'm worried about nothing.
Burgess: That would be to our advantage. Volcano soil is far more fertile than simple mountain soil. We might only be able to exist here because we live on a volcano. Which would make any disaster involving lava highly ironic. I for one would die with a grin on my face.
Wilson: We've been incredibly lucky so far in terms of communicable diseases, but a few weeks ago, a newcomer had symptoms of a highly contagious illness that could have wiped out half the island. If I didn't know for a fact that some residents still have chronic conditions they had in their home worlds, I'd say there was some natural curative in the water. But that's not the case. Some day, it will happen. I say this because most of us come from non-tropical worlds. Most of the clinic staff has read about tropical diseases, some obviously more than others, but I'd guess that two of us have seen some of them, know how to recognize and treat them.
Burgess: And then there are the maladies we all know from home - crime; murder, robbery. Man-made maladies; condemned by man, judged by man and punishable by man. I don’t know the norms of each and everyone’s home situation, doubt anyone does. For now that has not been a problem. But when someone comes here saying, ‘yes but in my world we always kill the people with large feet’, I would like to know how that is going to be dealt with. Particularly, and yes, I am referring back to that again, our kind consideration for a species who - given the chance - would kill us for being lunch.
Wilson: Could anything be worse than a person, or people, going nuts from boredom and ... losing touch with their humanity? I'm not predicting this happening, but it's not out of the question. I've heard stories...
Burgess: And we'll hold those stories for the show next week. Happy dreams tonight.
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The show was done and Guy went through the motions - switching off the equipment, place the cap back on the now empty bottle of wine. He then lit a cigarette. Exhaling smoke into a microphone could mess up transmission, and he was feeling considerate enough not to do that.
They closed the door behind them and made their way to the Compound.
Music: Nina Simone - Ain’t got no. (I got life).
----------
Wilson: Hello again everybody. Tonight's topic is a fun one: What's the worst thing that could happen on Tabula Rasa?
Burgess: Being here.
Wilson: There are lots of possibilities, but this isn't a joke. It seems like every couple of months, the island turns on us in some way or another. The only thing we really know is that we have to be prepared for anything to happen.
Burgess: Being here tops the list.
Wilson: Let's start with power failure. We've already seen this to a certain extent when the containment fence shorted, so we know there's currently a crew of people who have the knowledge and skill to put us back together, but we're all aware that the population of the island can be shaky. An island full of doctors and lawyers wouldn't be much use if our generators blow.
We'd lose light, communication, refrigeration, and some of our medical equipment. The police would have to maintain something like martial law, out of necessity. At the very least, imposing a curfew. All that spells tension.
Burgess: And please do not forget we’d gain a bunch of raging dinosaurs who will be waiting in line to eat lawyers then doctors. *Wilson gives a look* The educated are tastier.
Wilson: Yeah, been there, done that.
Burgess: There is a fence between them and us. An electric fence separates us from a undefined population of giant lizards. Until the day the fence breaks down - again - or until the day they find a way to jump it. Consideration for this species is moving, truly it is, but in the greater sense of evolution, quite stupid. As is trust in an invisible fence of unknown origin. We aren’t supposed to be here, but count fuck on it they don’t belong here either.
I would like to hear possibilities to solve this problem before it becomes a disaster. A canal, heroes with loaded guns, a flooding scheme? Please, let your Council know if you have an idea.
Wilson: And there are the rest of natural disasters -- We've had hurricanes and a tsunami, so I think it's fair to say that geographically, Tabula Rasa is not all that stable. Could it get worse? Sure. Wildfire is a real concern
Burgess: Monsoons, drought. And I would not be surprised if one day it starts raining frogs.
Wilson: Which in turn could have an effect on our food and water supply. The island takes reasonably good care of us in this respect. We have a good fresh water source in the streams that come down from the mountains, but assuming the island is still part of Earth, drought could severely curtail the mango harvest.
Burgess: Facilities to dry, pickle and store food for emergency situations is quite easily achievable. We should look in to that. And perhaps a device to make drinkable water out of sea water.
Wilson: And when you say "we," I take it you're not talking about you and me.
Burgess: I'm talking collectively - create a sense of unity in a way.
Wilson: And has anybody been up there to make sure we're not living with a volcano? I'm curious. If anybody knows, feel free to tell me I'm worried about nothing.
Burgess: That would be to our advantage. Volcano soil is far more fertile than simple mountain soil. We might only be able to exist here because we live on a volcano. Which would make any disaster involving lava highly ironic. I for one would die with a grin on my face.
Wilson: We've been incredibly lucky so far in terms of communicable diseases, but a few weeks ago, a newcomer had symptoms of a highly contagious illness that could have wiped out half the island. If I didn't know for a fact that some residents still have chronic conditions they had in their home worlds, I'd say there was some natural curative in the water. But that's not the case. Some day, it will happen. I say this because most of us come from non-tropical worlds. Most of the clinic staff has read about tropical diseases, some obviously more than others, but I'd guess that two of us have seen some of them, know how to recognize and treat them.
Burgess: And then there are the maladies we all know from home - crime; murder, robbery. Man-made maladies; condemned by man, judged by man and punishable by man. I don’t know the norms of each and everyone’s home situation, doubt anyone does. For now that has not been a problem. But when someone comes here saying, ‘yes but in my world we always kill the people with large feet’, I would like to know how that is going to be dealt with. Particularly, and yes, I am referring back to that again, our kind consideration for a species who - given the chance - would kill us for being lunch.
Wilson: Could anything be worse than a person, or people, going nuts from boredom and ... losing touch with their humanity? I'm not predicting this happening, but it's not out of the question. I've heard stories...
Burgess: And we'll hold those stories for the show next week. Happy dreams tonight.
----------
The show was done and Guy went through the motions - switching off the equipment, place the cap back on the now empty bottle of wine. He then lit a cigarette. Exhaling smoke into a microphone could mess up transmission, and he was feeling considerate enough not to do that.
They closed the door behind them and made their way to the Compound.