A Conversation for The New h2g2 Science Fiction Writing Workshop
The Traveler and His Car
J. Random Hakre Started conversation Jan 15, 2012
“The Traveler and His Car”
The interior of the car was just like the exterior; battered, worn, and well-abused. Apart from its cramped size, it holds the most advanced computer on the Earth.
It had enough room to fit one man snuggly between two computer monitors (both of which were about an inch or so off the floor and tilted 40) and two instrument panels, positioned in front of the pilot. The exterior has that overly-streamlined look if one of the more expensive Italian automobiles (up until you reach the rear,) which comes to a rather large ramp; which is curious, as most Lamborghinis or Ferraris don’t have ramps, or 360x130° satellite dishes that span a man’s arms, but this car did. What went on the ramp was even more curious, it was a Smart car; but not any Smart car, this one, firstly (and how could one possibly miss it), it had no doors, second (who would miss this one?), was the hinged computer monitor and “QWERTY” keyboard placed almost vertically. Nevertheless, this was what the pilot wanted.
The pilot was very curious, he was not a small man; but neither was he a very large man, rather, he was that perfect ratio that made him look a tad too tall and a tad to slim (that was his nickname, by the way). Yet more curious was the way he dressed; which was, from ‘toe-to-head’, as such: his boots were thick, heavy, and dark grey. His trousers were white, also very thick, and covered in mud from a thousand worlds, his belt had 5 or 6 compartments and a holster for is weapon, now, his weapon was a Stun-O-Zap (a sub-corporation of Kill-O-Zap) gun (he would never kill anyone), it was double-barreled, though he forgot how to use the lower (or even, for that matter, what it was even for). The gloves that carried the gun were dark grey, thick (I believe I should tell you now before we get too far, that he wore a spacesuit, so all his clothes we thick) and stained with hydraulic fluid. His arms were covered in various dart launchers and a display panel;
he also wore a large unit on his back which held his oxygen (for when he was on foreign worlds) and power supply. Lastly, his helmet was also a dark grey and had movable gold and Plexi-glass shields, his high-powered radio transmitter-and-receiver, and a flashlight.
The Traveler and His Car
J. Random Hakre Posted Jan 21, 2012
I'm trying to write some more, but I can't get the ball rolling. I want to make it sort of like a cross between Hitchhiker's and Doctor Who; lighthearted and whimsical but profound when it needs to be.
The Traveler and His Car
minorvogonpoet Posted Jan 21, 2012
This does feel like the beginning of something, the introduction of a traveller who can take us to distant worlds.
I'm perplexed by the car, though. You describe the exterior, say it has a ramp, and that there's a sort of Smart car on the ramp. Are there two cars, therefore?
The Traveler and His Car
J. Random Hakre Posted Jan 25, 2012
The big car, which I call the Tank, is around 30ft long and 6ft wide. the front half looks like a Lamborghini SUV, whereas the back has big walls protecting the little car (cleverly named the Smart). The little car sits on the bed of something like a pickup. The Tank also has no top. I have since updated my design to include two seats.
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The Traveler and His Car
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