# Meet the Quadropod



## Divus (May 19, 2012)

INTRODUCTION to the QUADRAPOD

 
So you want to meet a nasty alien from Space.
* Meet the Quadropod.
*It is truly a far fetched concept that visitors from outer space are going to be bipeds who can walk, talk and wear fancy uniforms.        Avid watchers of  the TV programme Startrek are going to be in for a nasty surprise if they think they would recognise a truly alien species.    This article projects a different image of an alien.   The Quadrapod might not look frightening to a human but it’s capabilities give it the potential to replace Mankind as the top predator on Earth.      

One day there is going to be a plop as  a round sphere made of Tritrillium falls out of the sky and into the Ocean.   Tritrillium will be the name for  a metallic compound derived from certain metal salts and sunlight.   Both ingredients  are to be found in any sea or  ocean.        As the sphere drops to the bottom of the ocean so it will break apart and a mass of microscopic beads, looking much like small granules of caviar, will  spray out from the sphere.    In the centre of the sphere will lie two ugly creatures each looking like a cross between a prawn and a flying ant.   This pair  of space invaders, known as Quadrapods will have piloted the space sphere to its destination on Earth.  They will have been specially modified to respond to threat and will be able uniquely to emit a sound to act as a beacon to others of their kind.   They will also have the capability to lie dormant for extended periods simply by going into  hibernation.    The creature will ‘breathe’ by absorbing the hydrogen to be found in water and when out of water it will breath by absorbing nitrogen from the air.     The creature will be essentially four legged but will be able to walk upright.   Once the egg beads are exposed to hydrogen they will start to expand and eventually within a week a creature will emerge.     It will be able to see, hear, smell and sense by air displacement and vibration any living organism.     The outer surface will be of  shiny metallic scales.   Gossamer like wings will be stored  either side of the spiney back but  under the cover of protective outer scales.           The creature will be able to swim in water, fly in air and walk on land.     It will breathe either hydrogen or nitrogen according to the environment.     It will have only a limited tolerance to oxygen .    The only barrier to contain the Quadrapod will be ice but ice will not kill the creature, it will merely immobilise it.

The creature has been programmed to seek out humans by honing in onto the sound of  their voices.     Any animal making vocal noises in the same frequency or pitch of humans will be sought out and attacked.       Communication between the Quadrapods will by telepathy and therefore will be silent.

The creature will be the creation by genetic modification of an all reaching, all thinking, super intelligent being which is resident on a planet light years away.    This super being, known as _’TERM_’ will never leave its planet but it will be in contact with its creatures by some form of radio wave which as yet we humans cannot identify.       These same waves will permit  communication  between the creatures sent to  Earth.     The creatures will have the ability to grow through absorbing the metallic salts to be found in the oceans and carbohydrate as found in green vegetation together in the presence of  sunlight.  There will be no limit as to how big the Quadrapods can grow, much will depend on how big they decide they need to be.    The more nutrients they absorb the bigger they will get. When they don’t want to grow, they stop generating tissue.  When they want to shrink in size they absorb their own tissue.      Deep within them, they will store in a hibernated state, microscopic eggs, a tiny version of those to be found originally in the Tritrillium sphere.     These eggs can be activated by the Quadrapod by concentrating the sun’s rays on an eye like orifice at the base of the neck.    

The super being, _TERM  _has noticed that in the human race within the last 10,000 earth years has grown on Earth from being merely another  animal into an over dominant predator and the master of all it surveys.  If left unchecked the human will consume all the resources and  the competing creatures for life on earth.   The Quadrapods are potentially the counter plague that wipes the human race out   To help with this task the Quadrapods have been equipped with two weapons.    The creature can generate an acidic substance which will dissolve and  eat human flesh and all human manufactured materials based on a reaction  with oxygen.    This substance, let us call it  Formicide, is generated  within the Quadrapod’s stomach and can be ejected at high speed through one of the three finger like pointers  to be found at the end of each of the four legs.      

The other weapon is the ability to spread a micro virus, again carried by the  Quadrapods, which once introduced into the human body will cause blood to polimerize.(thicken and go solid)     The virus is small enough and light enough to be airborne but it can also travel  in water by being carried along by it.

The Quadrapod  will have neither the intention nor ability to communicate with humans.      It will know not what it can achieve  by its very presence with humans and nor  will it care. It does not experience emotions.  It  has no powers of reasoning.        It is genetically programmed to grow and to reproduce itself without thinking of the consequences.     The Quadrapod has no concept of life or death.           It is a clone.

The outer casing of the creature which is derived from metal salts will be non flammable and will be able to resist the effect of heat and fire to the same degree as modern special alloys.   The material  will not corrode neither will it dissolve when coming into contact with acids or alkalis     As an outer surface it will neither attract nor reflect heat.    Under the outer shell, there will be an inner  layer  of an asbestos like substance which provides insulation against severe cold and likewise intense heat.      Ice inhibits the  movement  of the Quadrapod but it will not kill the organism which will simply revert to hibernation.

And it won't be nice to humans.




All in all, Quadrapods would present  a formidable threat to mankind.


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## bo_7md (May 19, 2012)

Divus said:


> INTRODUCTION to the QUADRAPOD
> 
> 
> So you want to meet a nasty alien from Space.
> ...



I can see the idea of the novel/story, and I like it, but there are a few things that, as a reader, ruined the experience for me.

There are other problems I have not highlighted. Overall, it felt distant and I couldn't relate to what the novel is telling me, or going to tell me.

I felt that the sentences didn't connect well, as most of them started with the same word/s. 

Keep up the good work, and I hope to see more.


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## Divus (May 19, 2012)

Bo, I'm always pleased to hear a comment from a stranger.   Thank you for your comment.


My reasoning behind posting this thread was to do with my establishing an alter persona for myself.    I am not really into this fiction stuff.
But a glass or two, or rather  a glass too many, lubricates my imagination.

There are some more chapters written, as yet not posted.

The big question for me is whether I inflict you with more, but on this forum bumping is not fashionable.  So how can I relate an ongoing story? 


So says, 'Puzzled' from outer speace beyond the nebula - or whatever.

Dv (Non fictionn ID)


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## Divus (May 19, 2012)

The Quadrapods have arrived				


_TOP SECRET_​ 
From The Alien Invasion Centre.                             ref *QUADRAPODS*
Yellowknife. Canada
Emergency Bulletin 1   (say 2200 words)
==================================================  ===========​ 


*Introduction *

It can now be confirmed that Earth has been invaded by Alien creatures from outer space. We have named these creatures *Quadrapods*. The space vehicle in which they arrived here has been recovered and from further examination we hope to get to know more about the creatures carried within it. There is no reason as yet to fear the creatures but they are certainly classifiable as members of an alien species. We can categorically state that neither the creatures nor the capsule in which they arrived originated on Earth. So far we have not been able to communicate, with the creatures, and to our knowledge they have made no effort to contact us. We are fairly certain they have established a base somewhere on this planet.

_Arrival_
It seems likely that QUADRAPODS arrived on Earth some time ago but we have no means of finding out just when. The space craft landed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in about 4000 metres of deep water west of Cape Verde. There would have been little warning. Just before the space craft hit the water there might have been a slight whistling noise and followed by a loud ’plop’ and a geyser of water. A couple of minutes later, when the foam disappeared there would have been no sign to indicate that a space vehicle from outer space had just arrived on Earth. Any casual observer would have thought that the object which crashed into the ocean was either debris from a plane or the residue of a decaying asteroid. There is technology on Earth to record a small object from space hitting the surface of an ocean but it was not pointed in the right direction at the key moment to pick up this unexpected visitor.

_Location_
What originally gave cause to a search for the alien craft was the beeping signal emitting from the cylinder which had acted as the space craft. It was a submerged US Navy submarine on patrol in the Atlantic which first gave alert to the unusual signal which is not detectable by the human ear. The signal was on a wavelength not normally used by man but in connection with space exploration we knew of its existence and it is regularly monitored at this centre. What initially presented a problem was the depth of the ocean at the point where the sound was coming. Eventually the empty metallic space cylinder of approximately two metres in diameter was recovered with the use of a sub sea submersible and was brought ashore for examination. The Americans then sent it on to us in Canada.

_The Cylinder /Earth Entry Vehicle (EEV)_
The EEV is divided into six compartments. 
The first two contain the front and rear extensions. 
The third section holds some caviar like eggs, the fourth contained some electronic devices which have been removed but for which there are visible connectors; 
and a fourth segment which could have been used by one or more mature pods. 
We are unsure of the fifth segments but it could have been for at least two Quadrapods The sixth compartment still holds a very small nuclear device which will provide indefinite power or which alternatively might be used as a device of destruction. 

_The Cylinder_
The cylinder has two apertures on opposite sides from which can emerge what are presumed to be a nose and a tail. The cylinder and the front and rear projections are made of a metallic compound which we have named Tritrillium. It is a very light alloy based on metallic ores as yet unidentified but which when combined produces a metal with some very interesting properties. The metal can resist an extremely wide range of temperatures and also has incredible impact resistance. As yet we have been unable to test the highest temperature which it will resist - we simply can’t produce temperatures that high. We have also tried to ascertain the metal’s resistance to super cold temperatures. We do not know yet how the metal might fail. For example it might become brittle and crack or possible it will lose other properties at very low temperatures. A small sheet of this metal neither expanded nor contracted when subjected to both intense heat and then subsequently severe cold. We have tried shooting at a section of this material but even the bullet from a high powered sniper rifle at 100 metres will not even leave a dent on the surface. We have not yet found a means of cutting the metal, as we have nothing sharp enough. An attempt to use a laser cutting system also failed. Amazingly a small segment of this wonder metal weighs less a similar sized sheet of high strength steel on a thickness for thickness basis. The metal is slightly radioactive.
Lining the inside of the cylinder is a stiff fibrous material which has unusual insulating properties which in that no amount of heat or cold will pass through it. 
Examination of the space cylinder suggests that when it crossed from air to water the sharply pointed nose piece would have been partly retracted inside the cylinder. Its main purpose had been to direct the cylinder down through the atmosphere towards the surface of the planet. The tiny ribs which can project from the surface of the nose piece itself would have been enough to disturb the high speed airflow and bring about a change of direction The rear projection, when extended takes the shape of an inverted saucer and its purpose would have been to slow the cylinder down as it entered the Earth’s atmosphere before it hit the surface of the ocean. 
When originally located deep under the water, the cylinder was open as if it had been left behind as a discarded package. This was helpful to us because had it been closed then we would not have be able to open the flaps to examine it in the way we did. Once the EEV, which entered the Ocean it would have dropped down through the steadily darkening water to the bottom some 4000 meters below. At this depth light does not penetrate and the pressure of the water above would crush a human. 

_The Pods_
What we did find in one of the compartments is what appeared at first sight to be microscopic granules of an egg like substance similar in appearance to caviar but no bigger than the tip of a pin. We have called these eggs pods. To view the internal structure of any Pod would require the use of a more powerful digital image enhancer than we have in the laboratory. The Pods appear to be able to cope with sea water and both intense pressure and a lack of light. A question must be whether the Pods need to breathe air. Each miniscule pod appears to have spent the length of the space journey dormant inside a gel of viscous liquid held within a gelatine like capsule. As yet we have not been able to identify the liquid nor the chemical nature of the gelatine like substance. We think that these capsules have survived the physical shocks experienced on entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. Gas Chromatative Analysis shows that the viscosity of the liquid varies slightly from one Pod capsule to the next. Chemists suspect that the Pod has been feeding on the liquid during the space journey. It has not been possible to ascertain exactly how many Pods were originally packed in the EEV but calculations have been made which suggest there could have been as many as 50,000 Pods in micro form. The Pods seem to be here to stay and seemingly they can survive on land or in the oceans without further assistance from whence they came. It is important to find out where the ‘survivors’ have gone.

_Propulsion_
When eventually the Alien Response Team were able to recover the EEV it was established that it had no capability to leave Earth as there is no propulsion system. It would appear that the Pod was propelled across space by making use of the gravity fields of various stars and planets. There would have to have been some initial form of propulsion as with a bullet discharged from a gun. Maybe the EEV was launched from space itself. 

_The Crabs_
We also discovered at the time of raising the EEV that the cylinder which was lying on the sandy bottom of the ocean, was surrounded by twenty or so dead crabs. At first we could not see at the time what had killed them. Eventually we discovered that the crabs had all inhaled sea water contaminated with a very powerful acid. Literally their innards had been eaten up by this acid which was so powerful it had gone right through the shell and dropped onto the sand presumably to be whisked away by the current. It was an ugly way to die even for a crab. We also found, clasped in the claw of one of the dead crabs what at first appeared to be a shrimp - one of the crab’s natural preys - but it wasn’t a shrimp it was more ant like. And more importantly it wasn’t dead - it was dormant, as we discovered later in the laboratory. Fortunately the container in which the ’shrimp’ was temporarily stored was made of tempered glass which the very powerful acid did not etch, As a result we now know that the Pods are far from being helpless, they can spit acid to defend themselves. We desperately need to know more of the workings of this ‘shrimp - or rather what we now believe to be a baby Quadrapod which has emerged from a Pod To find out we might have to kill it, but for the time being the baby has been reprieved. It is presently living quite happily immersed in seawater in a tempered glass tank in a room held at surface atmospheric pressure and appears to be doing well enough. We do not as yet know how to feed it. All we do know is that it prefers sea water to fresh water. The sea water in the holding tank has been neither heated nor cooled and is held presently at ambient temperature with no obvious adverse effects. 
_　_
_The Mature Quad _
We are currently thinking along the lines of a mature Quad as fulfilling the role of a ‘queen Bee. You may ask what might a Mature Quad look like. Photos of the small ant like creature found in the crab’s claw indicate that it is ant like with four legs and various antennae. Its outer skin resembles that of an insect such as a beetle but the skin is metallic rather than of organic. To its back are attached thin wings of a filament nature so we think it can either fly. Its rear two legs have what appear to be webbed feet so it can probably swim as well. Perhaps surprisingly it seems to be able to breathe sea water at depth. It has been photographed walking on a hard surface in the laboratory. It can cover ground amazingly quickly at something approaching 25 miles per hour.

_The Baby Quad_
The Baby Quadrapod makes no noise at frequencies the human ear can detect. It certainly has a very high acuity of hearing and will react significantly when subjected to a broad band of sounds.
So far we have found one very nasty capability. The creature can ejects drops of a very powerful acid from its finger tips This appears to be a relative of Formic acid, a very corrosive and flammable solvent which will readily eat into and dissolve human flesh. Fortunately the acid, which we have named Formicide can be temporarily neutralised to a tolerable level by water saturation. But as the water element evaporates the acid must be removed from the skin in its entirety to give permanent relief. The damage to human skin is complete and the question remains as to whether the wound will ever heal. It is important to find a more effective neutraliser of this acid than water. 
Although this creature has not as yet killed anybody we are very concerned that we are as yet unable to communicate with it nor can we restrain it. The Quadrapod can undoubtedly live in the environment presented by Earth. Until we can make contact with it then we are at a loss to know what it wants with us and from Earth.

*Initial Conclusions*
The space craft itself indicates that it was manufactured by a superior civilisation.
It is important that we find out how the metal was made and the limits of its performance characteristics. 
The Quadrapods are undoubtedly already living on Earth. We must find out where.
They can produce Formicide an acidic substance which has the potential to kill humans.
We need to be able to communicate with the creature - but how?
We need to know what the Quad wants from Earth and whether we humans, as top predator, need to fear the Quad’s presence.
We need to know what the Quad needs for survival.
We need to know how to kill the Quad & the Pod, should the need arise.


The research continues and additional reports will follow in due course

Mr Rhys Serge Engenir/ AIC/ Yellowknife/Canada​


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## Divus (May 19, 2012)

The Voice.       I do appreciate your comments but   -    be advised that on this forum I am in strange territory.   I am far away from the world of  non fiction in which I dwell.   Usually I do have some idea of what I am talking about but I have absolutely no idea of what one of these creatures from the deep might smell like.  

I need another bottle of wine.

PS First re-write!   Lawd, I have only just re-read it - let alone re write it.


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## Divus (May 19, 2012)

I am being carried away wih my own enthusiasm.  Here is yet more scribblings from a fertile imagination, well luricated with the nectar of the gods     

*The Quadrapods under close inspection.*

It can now be confirmed by this laboratory that Earth  has been  invaded by Alien creatures.    A metallic cylinder emitting a beeping signal on an unusual wavelength has been located and raised from the Atlantic to the west of the Cape Verde Islands.  The cylinder was found at a depth of close to 4000 fee when a patrolling  US Navy submarine picked up the signal and honed in upon it.     With the help of a robotic sub sea submersible  the cylinder was raised from the floor of the ocean    The Navy also lifted several oceanic crabs which were found lying dead close by to the capsule.

The cylinder is circular with an opening at what appears to be the front and the back .    The extension which emerges from the front orifice is pointed and is designed to enable penetration; the extension at the back is an inverted saucer shape and would aid deceleration in an atmosphere.   Both protrusions can be withdrawn into the sphere and fit under flaps which can realign to  form a perfect sphere.   The sphere is made of a high performance metal we now refer to as Tritrillium the like of which has not seen before.   The metal appears at first glance to be stainless steel but in fact it has under test a very much superior performance.   Initial results lead us to believe that the metal has a great resistance to both extremely high and extremely low temperatures.    The casing is shock resistant and a bullet fired at a distance of 100 metres from a high velocity rifle made no impression on the surface of the metal    It is believed from  initial testing that this sphere could penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere without burning up because of the unique physical properties of the metal.

Covering the inside of the metal is what appears to be insulating padding - again made from components which as yet we have not be able to identify but a test suggests that neither high nor low temperatures will transfer through it.        The centre of the sphere is divided into five sectors of unequal size.         In one segment there is a small nuclear  device from which power can be drawn.   Another has couplings which suggests it can be  used as a control room, although  anything resembling control equipment is missing.   Another segment  has padding which suggests it was used by at least two crew members and the last segment was used for storage of what we do not know.        

The dead crabs were a conundrum.  In the claw of one dead crab we discovered what looked to be krill but upon closer examination we found it to be a form of insect. when we discovered showed signs of life - even though it had been partially crushed by the claw of the crab  

In the stomach of three of the other dead crabs we found some small ‘pods’ which at first we thought to be eggs - somewhat similar in appearance to caviar.    Again surprising these eggs or pods showed signs of life.     The lining of one of the dead crabs has been corroded by some form of acid.   Seemingly the crab swallowed the pod which in turn ejected acid which corroded and ate through the crab’s stomach lining.        Examination under electronic microscope leads us to believe that inside the pod there is an egg which may or may not be an infant Quadrapod.   Time will tell.

The overwhelming conclusion of the scientists who have so far examined the evidence is that the eggs or pods  are young insects ie Quadrapods.

The Quadrapod as examined is small and no longer than an inch.    It‘s body is made of a black shiny substance much like that of a beetle but whereas a beetle’s body  is of organic material the Quadrapods shell is much stronger almost metallic.      To get more information about the creature would call for dissecting it and thereby we would run the risk of killing the creature.   At this time the creature is contained in a  tank made from  heat resistant glass.   For the time being all of the fittings of the tank are fashioned  from or have been coated by gold, which appears to be resistant to the action of the acid which the insect can produce.    
---------------------------------

Till morning awakes.


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## Robert Donnell (May 19, 2012)

Unfortunately for this hapless species they fell into the gulf of Mexico and Cajuns learned to catch and boil them in Zatarain's.  End of story.


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## RoosterSmith (May 19, 2012)

Hell yeah man!  

taste like chicken!

this story seems like a news cast you would within the story.  

I need more of a narrative.  More personal.


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## Silen (Jun 3, 2012)

Im assuming that the first post was more of a jotting of notes and that you wanted our opinion. I love the idea of having an unkillable enemy, i use that idea myself when writing my fantasy. The sentence structure was very clunky in the first post, how ever reverting back to my first sentence i believe that was because it was supposed to be all of the information in one hit so the posters on the forum can advise 

looking forward to reading more


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## SamJS (Jun 5, 2012)

I'm wondering if you are sharing your character development notes, or is this an actual piece of fiction you intend to present in this manner?  Looking at it from a reader's point of view, I prefer to discover the characters while reading the story, not have everything spelled out for me.  With all of these details you are leaving no surprises or discoveries for the reader.  Personally I think leaving the descriptions a little more vague, so you are not creating limitations would be a better way to go.  If you run into a roadblocks as the story flows you can still tweak your character to be victorious over the roadblocks which is much easier without predefined limitations.

Just my opinion, and thank you for sharing.


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## Divus (Jun 9, 2012)

Sam I thank you belatedly for critiqueing my work.    Not many readers bother so when they do I must respond.

QUOTE
_I'm wondering if you are sharing your character development notes, or is this an actual piece of fiction you intend to present in this manner?_ 
If I were to present it - then it would be presented in this manner.    Deliberately, there are no stars or  celebrities

_Looking at it from a reader's point of view, I prefer to discover the characters while reading the story, not have everything spelled out for me._ 
The characters need to be spelled out - the aliens are unique.        I am not drawing on the fear of the Qs, I shall be trying to delve into the reader's perceived fears of the unknown.

_With all of these details you are leaving no surprises or discoveries for the reader_.   
 No - I am not, I am looking to show that aliens aren't friendly - they are determined to eliminate mankind - as and when the Qs get around to it.
_
If you run into a roadblocks as the story flows you can still tweak your character to be victorious over the roadblocks _
There will be no victory over the road blocks.     The humans are going to lose.   Certainly the presence of Bruce WIllis and his mates won't improve matters.

This world of Earth is covered large by pitch black, freezing cold, toxic, salt water under intense pressure.   We humans can't live in it without a sophisticated submarine to protect us.     Even fresh water is highly toxic - think about it.   The Qs thrive in water.

But the articles about Quads which I have presented so far, do not attract much of an audience - so I dropped the idea of writing more episodes.   There is a problem in writing for this forum - as a writer I have little idea of the nature or taste of the audience, so from time to time I dip my pen in the ink and experiment.               This theme I judged to be a failure and not just on WF.com    My aim is always to touch on the emotions - fear, anxiety, angst, despair, hope, happiness, love  etc etc .       I certainly did not even get close with this idea.     

One day I'll have to try again.   Presently I am back with animals.

Dv


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## Divus (Jun 9, 2012)

Silen, thank you for your comment.   The articles haven't atracted much readership - so I have not had much encouragement to develop the theme.
The fundamental idea is that the Qs will win and will come to occupy the oceans rather than live with humans on the land.    WW2 showed us the power 
of the atomic bomb and during  the Cold War enough bombs were built to destroy all life on land - not a nice thought.

As for we humans looking for life on other planets - sounds a very dodgy idea to me.

I'll not be writing more for the time being.

Dv


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## Cefor (Jun 9, 2012)

Hey Divus,

You're a non-fiction writer, you say? Easy enough to pick up on. I assumed that you were writing a fictional essay, as I am sometimes wont to do. Unfortunately, I didn't read all of what you posted. I'm afraid you lost me after you said "radio waves which can move at the speed of light", this making the use you were implying impossible made me frown mightily and subsequently unable to read the rest. Radio waves are radio waves and you can't change them, unless you mentioned some other, fictional, means of communication... well, meh.

My science fiction needs to sound correct, introducing new scientific principles if the author wants to, or to be intentionally vague, in which case I automatically ignore the issue. If you say something wrong, you lose me.

I hope you do try fiction again, as it would be a shame for any creative mind to stop writing due to such a minor set back as _failure_. I mean, we all fail from time to time, that's what rejection slips are all about, aren't they? 

Good luck in future endeavours, though!
Cefor


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## Divus (Jun 9, 2012)

Cefor.     I am blessed with a strong imagination and an aptitude for writing.      I could lose myself in horses and dogs.   If you delve into the non-fiction forum you'll find more of my work.   I'd appreciate any comments you might care to make.  

As for the mistake about radio waves - thank you.  Now I have learned something.

Dv


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## Stephanie Andromeda (Jun 9, 2012)

Cefor said:


> Hey Divus,
> "radio waves which can move at the speed of light", this being impossible


Radio waves which DON'T move at the speed of light are impossible. EM waves (including visible light as well as radio waves) are carried by photons, which, being massless particles, move at 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum. While radio waves have a much lower frequency than light, they also have a much longer wavelength, and if you multiply the two together, you come out with the same speed.
Thus, "radio waves which can move at the speed of light" isn't wrong, it's redundant.


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## Cefor (Jun 9, 2012)

@Stepanie Andromeda: Yeah, I meant that they can't move faster than the speed of light, thus making instantaneous communication over the vast distances of space impossible... Haha, minor slip of the finger, there.

Either way, the method of communication Divus was trying to use was incorrect, which is what I was commenting on. Radio waves can't be used for FTL communication.

@Divus: I haven't ever really entered the non-fiction section, but if I find myself procrastinating enough before this exam, I'm sure I'll find my way there!


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## Divus (Jun 10, 2012)

@Cefor &  @Steph
So you see, when I delve into this world of scif-fi I make silly mistakes.       Obviously I would need a technical advisor to go further.   Day dreaming is not enough.


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## Divus (Jun 10, 2012)

@Cefor & @Steph

After replying to your overnight posts, I looked through the laptop and found the attached which I must have written about 2 years ago.   Of course if one is writing  for a film script of a blockbuster movie the chances are that there will be a team of writers each add of whom will add a corner of expertise.

So, when you have a moment, read what I wrote back then:
-----------------------------------------------------------

QUOTE:   WRITER’S NOTE
This project is in the process of creation.  It is work in progress    I have ideas as to where I am going with it but I must be sure to stay within the boundaries of believable hypothesis.   If I were sitting around the table with a group of writers and one of them came up with a good idea then it would  make sense to incorporate it in the story.    Some of the readers have queried that it is not yet a story - no it isn’t.       But I had to start somewhere because if the idea doesn’t gel with a group of fellow writers then it is probably a waste of time to pursue the concept.    


Luckily from some of the feedback posts,  I do sense  the beginning of comprehension by the readers as to what I am trying to do with this thread.      Writing to me is all about imagination.  Any article has to appeal to the reader by  the subject and the content but the job of  the writer is to try to connect with  the reader’s mind and his emotions.      Normally when I start to write a story I have a vague idea as to the beginning, the middle and the end but with the Quadrapods I only have the beginning of a concept.    The details I am filling in as I go.  Unfortunately the ideas don’t come all at once.


Luckily science fiction, along with  sex,  has a  wide pull on  readers of all generations and backgrounds.   Sci Fi offers a big audience to a writer.       Nevertheless what the writer must seek to create is believable novelty into which  can draw on emotions especially those of  humour, fear, mortality and  pathos.     The writer’s objective is as the book is laid down, for  the reader to be left in thought, and in a state of  curiosity  and anticipation about the content of the next chapter.     


Nowadays our thoughts on science fiction are  heavily influenced by the block buster movies created by Hollywood.   There is a tendency for the creative work to come from the same teams of technicians.   There has to provide work for the stuntmen, the action team, the dress makers and  the make up artists.    However with the Quadrapods the backdrop won’t be a leafy suburb of Los Angeles and neither will there be any car chases.   All of the big studios have a list of actors on which to call and I suspect for the producer the name of the game is to bring into any new movie a few of the celeb actors  so as to ensure box office success.     It follows that  for this reason alone, there will always be a typical theme where  Bruce Willis does his bit and either dies gloriously or saves the world.  Bruce always gets a big fee and the film sells around the world.     Alternatively it might well be an action movie where lots of powerful guns are fired and big explosions are set off.     Mayhem is caused in downtown LA and there is not an ambulance in sight.        

But what have these traditional movies got to do with an invasion by aliens from out of space?      Maybe it is time to change the mould.


As one of  us has already said it is difficult for a human to imagine what he or she has never seen, read about or imagined.    Therefore the canvas for the creative writer is blank.     So this is how I came to the idea of the Quadrapods.      These creatures have come to Earth, they will live in the deep oceans and they don’t need what Humans either utilize or have created on land.     Already the Concept Committee (at the moment that’s me) has decided that the space vehicle on which these creatures  travelled will not carry them back to whence they came.         They arrived on Earth almost by chance but are pleased to discover that the major element of the Earth’s surface is water - most of which is very deep, very cold  and salt.   Humans can’t live in the deep oceans without support from the surface.        Much of the earth’s surface is empty of life as we humans recognise it for this reason.    In theory the two species should be able to live in harmony.


Perhaps it is inevitable that the Quadrapods and Mankind will come into conflict over the use of the Seas and Oceans.        They know already from surveillance during the journey to Earth that there is a hole in the Ozone layer down at the South Pole which will enable ultra violet light to penetrate the Earth’s protective atmosphere.      The ready availability of UV is essential to the Quadrapods because it is the energy source which  switches on the  embryos which are to be found  at the core of the Pods - ie the caviar like eggs which were transported in the space vehicle.


The Quads are the crill like creatures which emerge from the Pods.    The Quadrapod is the four legged winged creature which emerges and grows from amongst the Quads.  The Queen Quadrapod is the leader of the ’swarm’.    An entomologist  might help to refine the parameters of this new creation of mine.


Sea water contains the metal salts  from which are grown initially the shells of the Pods but also the skins  of the Quadrapods.  The embryo is an example of microbiology as is a human egg.   The shells are covered with a polymer which when contracted  seals tight the enclosed embryos but which well subject to UV light expands to become porous.     Only intense heat  will destroy a Quadrapod - an explosion would merely disperse the dormant pods retained therein.


Incidentally the Quads are equipped as standard only with a functional brain.   They cannot reason.
Think of them as having the type of brain which a horse has.  The Quad can fear but is predominantly motivated by memory, food and security.    It inherits its behaviour patterns.   It cannot procreate.
The full Quadrapod can procreate but only with its own species.  The Queen Quadrapod  can procreate with creatures of another species.


Many of my friends might say that I have a vivid imagination but there is a limit as to what I can dream  up.   Neither am I a scientist and I don’t necessarily know what is possible under the rules of science.   So at some stage  there will be a need to incorporate into the project a Concept Committee.   It will be that group which draw the outer boundaries of the thinking.   The story has to stay within the rules of reasonable possibility.       However the great thing about an Internet Forum is that knowledgeable readers are accessible from all over the world whereas if I were to work with a writer’s group in Britain - then I am stuck with the locals who live within twenty miles or so.        Working with others on a creative sci-fi venture would open up the project dramatically.




UNQUOTE


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## Stephanie Andromeda (Jun 10, 2012)

> As one of  us has already said it is difficult for a human to imagine what he or she has never seen, read about or imagined.


I know I've never imagined anything I haven't imagined.




> Perhaps it is inevitable that the Quadrapods and Mankind will come into conflict over the use of the Seas and Oceans.


Probably more realistic that _SOME_ groups of Quadropods come into contact with _SOME_ groups of humans. How do the world's major religions, for instance, view the Quadropods? Do some Christian churches refuse to baptize them? Can a Quadropod be a Muslim? If so, how would they go about prayer, circumcision, etc. with non-human body types? If not, why not? 


> Only intense heat  will destroy a Quadrapod - an explosion would merely disperse the dormant pods retained therein.


You mean like the Immortal Jellyfish, sort of?



> The Queen Quadrapod


Do you mean "Queen" in the sense that Quadropods are eusocial, as in, all females save for the Queen are sterile, and the main purpose of males is to reproduce with the Queen? In that case, are your males haploid (meaning that they only have half of the number of chromosomes that a female has) or diploid (have the same number of chromosomes as the female)? The reason males of eusocial species are likely to be haploid is natural selection. 
A diploid female shares, on average, 75% of her genes with her sisters: 100% of her father's genome becomes 50% of hers, and then they get a random half of their mother's genome, which gives her between zero and fifty per cent of the same genes as her sisters, giving us a mean average of 25%. Combined, this gives us an average of 75% of genes shared with her sisters, as opposed to 50% shared with her children (neglecting random mutations). Thus, it is more beneficial for her to help her sister survive than to help her children, and being sterile if her sister is fertile may be a selected-for trait. Am I explaining this well?
The only non-haplodiploid eusocial species I can think of off the top of my head is th Naked Mole Rat. So if you're going to have haploid males, you might want to look at them for precedent.
If you mean "Queen" as in "Queen of England", ignore that little biology lesson.


> can procreate with creatures of another species.


Which other species?


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## Divus (Jun 11, 2012)

Stephan.     Thanks for the lesson.     Methinks your IQ level is fas higher than mine.      I think I understand what you write.

Dv


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## SamJS (Jun 16, 2012)

Stephanie Andromeda said:


> Radio waves which DON'T move at the speed of light are impossible. EM waves (including visible light as well as radio waves) are carried by photons, which, being massless particles, move at 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum.



I have to disagree slightly with the above statement made by Stephanie Andromeda.  Both radio and light waves travel at optimum speed *only* in a complete vacuum. If they are traveling through anything else the speed will vary.  If you look into radio electronics you'll learn about Velocity Factors, which is important when using coax cables to feed radio antennas.  Depending on the type of material used for the dielectric, the radio wave will be slowed down accordingly, which is why size adjustments must be made to make the systems usable.  

An example would be common RG8 coax cable with a velocity factor of .82 means radio waves traveling through that cable are only traveling at 82% the speed of light.  Velocity factors commonly range from from the low .40s to near 100.


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## Stephanie Andromeda (Jun 16, 2012)

SamJS said:


> I have to disagree slightly with the above statement made by Stephanie Andromeda.  Both radio and light waves travel at optimum speed *only* in a complete vacuum. If they are traveling through anything else the speed will vary.  If you look into radio electronics you'll learn about Velocity Factors, which is important when using coax cables to feed radio antennas.  Depending on the type of material used for the dielectric, the radio wave will be slowed down accordingly, which is why size adjustments must be made to make the systems usable.
> 
> An example would be common RG8 coax cable with a velocity factor of .82 means radio waves traveling through that cable are only traveling at 82% the speed of light.  Velocity factors commonly range from from the low .40s to near 100.


I  think that divus was suggesting using them to communicate through long stretches of space, though, Which IS a vacuum.


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## bazz cargo (Jun 16, 2012)

Hi Divus,
Nice to see you out-and-about. 

Science fiction is my weakness. I read it and occasionally write it. All I can say is, it is the toughest genre to do well.

Quadropod is a great name. The description is interesting, the premise is striking. It requires something else. Drama, jeopardy, a rational. What you have is a hook, now you need a story. Don't get hung up with the science. That can be fixed in the edit.
Now you are into thinking time. What do you want to say? What is bugging you? What would you like to get off your chest?
Kick it about. Go mad!
Best of luck
Bazz


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## Oasis Writer (Jun 16, 2012)

I like how the set up of the story is made and the interesting 'articles' that make up the premise of the story, but I agree with a few of the other responders. These reports would be much more interesting if I had a narrative to go along with it. I would like to think there are more than just quips from news articles, but so far, I don't really have a strong character to follow or anything like that. Bazz said it best: I need drama. You got the hook down, for sure, and the interest is there. Focus more energy on keeping the reader involved and interested with some empathy from a character's perspective and urgency of movement with plot.


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