The story I'm writing has a massive hurdle I have to get around in order to continue, one in which the following needs to be accomplished: 1- An aspect is introduced in the story to the reader 2- The aspect is shown to be something the main character knows about existing in the universe of the story It's a post apocalypse story and the concept is: robots. Robots in this universe have history in existing prior to decimation as a sort of group co-existing with humans. Likewise there are surviving robots in this nuclear aftermath. My original idea for how I would handle this is that the character approaching a plot important area surrounded by what are described as corpses covered in moss and overgrowth corroded, with the most visible parts of them being arms sticking out, but never actually eluded to as human or robot. What I was thinking is that the character would fall into the grip of one of the arms pulling it upward to reveal what would be seen as a "robot's corpse." Rusted exoskeleton with a thin layer of tin peeling off of it like human skin. My problem with this is that I find it comes up with alot of issues, largest of which being it doesn't really accomplish any of the goals as much as it eludes to them existing.
Can you introduce a second character who doesn't know about robots and have them ask a lot of questions?
I'm still in the process of introducing the concept before explaining it, that idea could work if they were introduced after the initial introduction of the concept of robots themselves in the story. But then there's the matter of having to explain how they wouldn't know much about robots and having them ask alot of questions, like them being from a certain region of the location where robots are known of but prohibited from entry.
Don't mention anything about robots at the start. When the character goes to this area have him not recognize them as arms and just think of them as weird looking branches. Then when he falls into one have him freak out at first about the disembodied arms before realizing it was a robot, then you can have him explain.
Some problems here: -Mistakening disembodied arms for branches, robot or human, would require some degree of the character being incompetent or explanation for why they don't recognize the arms as, arms. Maybe something like rust but still, introducing the concept, dead? -Explain it to who? Granted while I could do something like have him meet a character or characters prior, why would he be explaining to them his horrified reaction when chances are to some degree they would know of robots? At that, even if he were to explain I find some difficulty in thinking of the actual dialogue exchange. Main character:"Why would you guys just have dead folks lying around?" Side character (later to be revealed as robot):"What does it matter whether or not we've got dead folks lying around, you think I care about killing my own kind when they're coming after us?" It's alot of elusion and lead up but I have strong worry for it's execution is all I'm saying. I know it seems like I'm nitpicking but this is a major plot aspect that needs careful introduction, otherwise
What's the setting? You could have moss, or some other environmental element that obscures them. I've seen and been to SO many places where moss is so thick it covers -everything-, and things like logs cant be worked out where they start and end, or even look like logs because the the moss is just so thick and the pete underneath it comes up so high on their sides (and covers their top). Sand or snow could also be used so the appendages are shorter and covered, and looks more stumpy like rocks under the sand etc. Finding an environmental setting that reduces the length of the limbs will stop the character from recognizing them as limbs. Then you can trip over em, accidentally have their boot scrape alongside one of them (if they're that numerous, or just by the attempt at navigating the field) etc etc.
---for mistaking them I was thinking 1). Twilight/evening/storm ect- something that would obscure or limit visibility. Depending on the climate, if they have thick moss draping off it(look at some of the pictures of trees in Florida or Olympus national Park in Washington State) that could mask the underlying shape. --- 'I untangled myself from the pile of rusted, broken limbs. Robots I thought. I had heard stories about these. Why would anyone want to make humans out of metal. It was fucking creepy.' It doesn't need to be more than a passing thought. Just enough to establish the fact that robots did/may still exist. Then leave it at that. Don't try to give to many details. Hints can work to set the scene without burying the reader in unneeded details (I say this as someone who has to fight the urge to over explain EVERYTHING in my stories).[/QUOTE]
