An interview with a future historian (RAR!)

SF: discuss futuristic sci-fi series, ideas, and crossovers.

Moderator: NecronLord

Post Reply
User avatar
Zor
Sith Acolyte
Posts: 5917
Joined: 2004-06-08 03:37am

An interview with a future historian (RAR!)

Post by Zor »

In this scenario, for some reason you get abducted by some rather unpleasant individuals which drug you and you end up passing out. Then you slowly come to in a strange hospital room with strange machines, strange writing and strange people in strange clothing speaking a strange language.


Gradually you come to full awareness and you are eventually met by someone who speaks English with an odd accent which is vaguely Australian in general who has come to ask you some questions. They is 173cm tall, has olive skin, dark green hair in a sensible bob haircut, is dressed in a green shirt, green pillbox style hat, dark green and black jacket with insignia on the breast and shoulder, medium green leggings and boots and looks like a broad shouldered woman, though they correct you if call them a woman as they are not "Stemline Binary". They are accompanied by an guard in black armor a a truncheon who watches things quietly and brings you a meal (tea, vegetable soup and noodles, they'd change the menu at your request). Their name is doctor* Kayin Thail, they're a Precatacylist historian and they inform you that it is Imperial Year 1538, or 4265 CE.


Basically during the 21st century climate change was left unaddressed which gradually led to increased political and economic instability which culminated in 2103 with the Catacylsm War. Billions died in the war and billions more died in the aftermath, leaving only about 250 million or so alive by 2120. Society regressed to a large degree to mostly preindustrial levels without the boon of fossil fuels. But enough information survived so that a recovery was possible by a federation of towns in what was once Queensland Australia to gradually pick up the pieces and rebuild from the Dark Age. It was a step by step process requiring careful management of resources, gradually developing thermal solar and hydropower capacity while fighting off nomadic barbarians and city states to the south over the span of centuries, but ultimately they gained enough capacity to steamroll their foes, unify Australia and from their unify the world under the banner of the Imperial Commonwealth (name translated) ruled from Khenber (built on the remains of Canberra). Over the last two centuries they've begun to really reach out into the Solar System and have developed colonies on the moon, the asteroids, mars and venus, though the total population off world remains at less than a million people.


The Society which arose from the ashes is distinct from modern society in a large number of ways. It has overtaken modern earth technologically and now the bulk of it's power is generated by fusion reactors. Much of it's economy (in praticular heavy industry) is operated by governmental bodies, though there is still a market element and a lot of effort is put into sustainable development. The government has democratic elements, but also a strong technocratic element as well. Cities tend to have large numbers of apartment buildings and electric commuter railways. Electric Automobiles as something that your average worker could afford have only become common in the last two centuries, but single family suburbs don't exist. Arcologies are beginning to be built. It also has put into place a program which involved the genetic modification of humanity through various incentives for parents to remake humanity into a species of functional hermamphrodites with triple the lifespan, which is near universal in Australia, Asia and South America (the first areas conquered by the Imperial Commonwealth) and less so in the latter frontier regions. There are some remnants of Judaism, Shintoism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism that identify as such, but all of them have evolved to some degree over the past twenty two centuries (Judaism is still the most recognizable). More information is provided on a tablet with information translated into English. The Imperial Commonwealth's population is about four billion people.


But getting back to your story, about six months ago workers building a new set of apartment blocks found a pre-catacylsm chamber with a pod powered by a small Radioisotope Thermal Generator which contained a person in it. Inside it was you, they found instructions for safely decanting it's contents and now you are out. Basically Kayin is in the opportunity that a real world that a historian from out time would have if they managed to unfreeze a Roman from the time of Julius Caeser. The people of the Imperial Commonwealth largely look upon the USA, PRC, EU, British Empire, USSR, Napoleon and so forth in similar ways that we'd look at the city states of Greece and the Roman Empire. They show sympathy for your loss and never seeing your friends, children, parents and siblings again, friends and, but despite this they would still like to interview you to learn more about our world. After you are cleared to leave the hospital in a couple of weeks, they'd move you into a 128 square meter apartment in Khenber.


How would you describe the 21st century world to Kayin?

Spoiler
*title translated, so is much of the terminology.

Zor
HAIL ZOR! WE'LL BLOW UP THE OCEAN!
Heros of Cybertron-HAB-Keeper of the Vicious pit of Allosauruses-King Leighton-I, United Kingdom of Zoria: SD.net World/Tsar Mikhail-I of the Red Tsardom: SD.net Kingdoms
WHEN ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE ON EARTH, ALL EARTH BREAKS LOOSE ON HELL
http://zortropolis.myminicity.com/
http://zortropolis.myminicity.com/ind
http://zortropolis.myminicity.com/tra
Terran Sphere
The Art of Zor
User avatar
madd0ct0r
Sith Acolyte
Posts: 6259
Joined: 2008-03-14 07:47am

Re: An interview with a future historian (RAR!)

Post by madd0ct0r »

We drank the kool aid. It had what plants needed. Electrolytes!
"Aid, trade, green technology and peace." - Hans Rosling.
"Welcome to SDN, where we can't see the forest because walking into trees repeatedly feels good, bro." - Mr Coffee
User avatar
The Romulan Republic
Emperor's Hand
Posts: 21559
Joined: 2008-10-15 01:37am

Re: An interview with a future historian (RAR!)

Post by The Romulan Republic »

Oh, I trash Trump so hard. :D And put in a good word for Bernie Sanders for future generations, as a man who tried his best but tragically failed to prevent the climate apocalypse.

I also give them plot synopses, along with any quotes I recall, of any good books/films/shows that have been forgotten.

Then enjoy futureworld, and see if I can resurrect anyone else from my time, I guess.
"I know its easy to be defeatist here because nothing has seemingly reigned Trump in so far. But I will say this: every asshole succeeds until finally, they don't. Again, 18 months before he resigned, Nixon had a sky-high approval rating of 67%. Harvey Weinstein was winning Oscars until one day, he definitely wasn't."-John Oliver

"The greatest enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan."-General Von Clauswitz, describing my opinion of Bernie or Busters and third partiers in a nutshell.

I SUPPORT A NATIONAL GENERAL STRIKE TO REMOVE TRUMP FROM OFFICE.
chimericoncogene
Padawan Learner
Posts: 335
Joined: 2018-04-25 09:12am

Re: An interview with a future historian (RAR!)

Post by chimericoncogene »

I emphasize the development of nuclear weapons, highly interlinked intercontinental economy, and the overwhelming economic and military power of the United States as critical elements of the world of today, if for some reason all these things were forgotten. I may say a few words about the Internet, and the impact of a transition from paper records to networked digital ones.

I try to give an oral history of my immediate lifespan, which should be of reasonable interest to them.

I emphasize the opposing narratives present in historical events; and try to advocate for viewing history through economic and technical data rather than news articles and official pronouncements (in, I think, the tradition of Adam Tooze, Jonathan Parshall, and Anthony Tully). I also emphasize that media sources can in many cases be highly misleading regarding what different parties in sociopolitical conflicts perceived was actually happening, for better or worse (they might know that already, but it never hurts to remind them).
User avatar
Darth Lucifer
Jedi Council Member
Posts: 1685
Joined: 2004-10-14 04:18am
Location: In pursuit of the Colonial Fleet

Re: An interview with a future historian (RAR!)

Post by Darth Lucifer »

128 square meters is a lot of space for one person. That's almost 1400 square feet, which could easily be a 3-bedroom house.

In addition to some of the things mentioned above, I'd retell from my POV what I can recall about the struggles re: women's issues, LGBT rights, Supreme Court shenanigans, The Blue Wall, the alt-right movement, immigration, toxic masculinity/MRA movements, incels, white collar crime, gun-"nuts" (as opposed to responsible citizen gun owners), and of course the rampant corruption in the various religious movements around today. With emphasis on the denominations that abuse and want to deny rights to women, minorities, and LGBT, protect child molesters, embezzle and/or squander donated funds. And of course religious views that advocate unjust harm/death to others.

Can I get genetically modified so I can be a functional hermamphrodite with triple the lifespan too?
User avatar
Solauren
Emperor's Hand
Posts: 10173
Joined: 2003-05-11 09:41pm

Re: An interview with a future historian (RAR!)

Post by Solauren »

First, I want to see what they have on the start of World War 1 to when I disappeared.

I'll go over it, and if I find an error, or an ommission, I'll correct it. Any further back, I might know the odd thing, but probably nothing I'd remember enough to correct.

After that, I'll happily answer questions, try to clarify things, etc.

Beyond that, I really don't pay alot of attention to current trends, or politics all that much. Sure, stuff grabs my short-term attention for commentary or consideration, but for the most part, I don't pay attention to the day to day.

I also want to know what popular franchises or similar are gone, and get permission to reintroduce them.

Also, I will look into the extended life re-engineering. I probably will not want a gender 'shift' if there are locals with binary-gender humans living still. Extended lifespan is one thing, altering more then that? I'm resistant to changing myself in that way.

However, I can see the benefits for any future offspring.
I've been asked why I still follow a few of the people I know on Facebook with 'interesting political habits and view points'.

It's so when they comment on or approve of something, I know what pages to block/what not to vote for.
Post Reply