I could use some feedback on the plot within my current story. To summarize, the concept behind the story applies this idea of the Universal time-line, as a grid. Within that grid, exists lines, or threads, and each thread is an individual. If they die, the thread doesn't discontinue.. another life picks up where the other left off. So, essentially, there are a series of lives that are the same person, throughout the thread. My characters are products of evolution.. and they can deconstruct their organic matter, and return to a natural state on a molecular level. This allows them to travel faster than the Universal spins these threads into existence, allowing them to leap to any point along their thread, embodying past, or future lives, of theirs. With that said, the part I need feedback on is this: The current story involves an asteroid, roughly the size of Texas (if you think it needs to be bigger, the size is up for speculation). Scientists have monitored its trajectory for almost a decade. My main character, in his present life, experiences a scenario where the asteroid passes through a wormhole, the scientists missed. It puts the asteroid on course for Earth, and as a result, the planet explodes. Right before impact, my character leaps back in time, and is now pitted against two problems.. one: figuring out the necessary steps to alter events in such a way, a counter measure can be implemented. Two: if a 'spinner' spends too much time away from his present life, a month at most, he forgets who he is.. because, with each leap, they are pretty much bringing a piece of their present with them, in the form of a memory. They can, and will, forget who they are, if they spend too much time away from the present. Now, sorry for the info-dump, but I needed to get that squared away. My questions are about the plausibility of the wormhole, and the solution itself. I've done some research on traversable wormholes, and the fact that a traversable wormhole appears to be more stable then your typical holes, based on the negative energy they hold inside, and the average positive energy throughout space. Does it seem realistic? In that it could alter the course of an asteroid, if it passed through? Second, is on the solution. I did some research on negative energy, and the matter inside traversable wormholes. I've made it so my characters, given the technology of the time, cannot create a situation where the asteroid can be re-directed/halted, based on its size. They CAN, fire something at it, in an attempt to destroy it, which is one of the measures they set in place, as a fail-safe.. but that would still involve a lot of destruction, but not necessarily the termination of Earth.. This, however, is not good enough, and they brain-storm a way on how to maybe close the worm hole. My research shows that scientists have created smaller scenarios where they displace the negative energy by way of two un-charged metal plates.. and since the average energy throughout space is positively charged, it forces the plates (if they were inserted around the wormhole) to attract each other, with the positive energy pushing them together, and following them as they move, thus causing the wormhole to collapse, or fold in on itself.. Thoughts? Does this sound realistic? If you were reading this story, and read this information, would your disbelief be suspended? By all means, pick it apart, if you see holes.. I am completely open to re-vamping the whole concept, if its needed. Thanks, ahead of time. -Ghost
The problem that I could have with it, depending on how it’s explained in more detail in the book. Is that if they have the necessary technology to reach the wormhole and then close it with enough time to avoid impact. Then I would think they would be able to alter its trajectory enough to avoid impact.
It's not a novel, it's a short story.. so I really don't need to detail them actually moving the plates into position. The year is 2190, so it's well into advanced technology, considering our day and age, and I describe NASA taking 5 years to position the plates. I guess what I'm saying is, I feel I have covered all the necessary in's and out's.... and what I'm asking is: Can wormholes change the trajectory of things such as, asteroids? and have you ever heard of people closing them within the SciFi genre?
A story concept means nothing. What matters is how you write it: the characterization, the flow, the imagery, all of it. There's absolutely no benefit in asking what other people think of the concept! They'll either say,"Sounds great," or, "it sounds like a ripoff of..." If the idea stirs you, write it. Then ask people what they think of the final story. After they tell you what they don't like about it, revise it, usually several times, until you're happy with it or until you throw up your hands and say the hell with it. Please read What is Plot Creation and Development?
I wasn't asking about the concept.. I'm asking about the capabilities of wormholes, within the SciFi genre, because I don't really read and/or know much about the genre, so I'm unaware, as to the creative freedom behind wormhole creations, and what they can or cannot do. That's what I'm asking.. I'm not asking for feedback on a concept.
The question you're asking is complicated. So i'll say, no. A wormhole cannot change the trajectory of anything, but it can bend space and time, folding it over on itself and allowing one to travel through a higher dimension to anywhere in space, but i'm unsure about time. (I've learned a lot about astrophysics and quantum physics). So, essentially, you could create another wormhole and send the asteroid somewhere else, but all you'd really have to do in order to collapse a wormhole would be to disturb whatever force is keeping it in existence, considering the fact that a wormhole requires an UNIMAGINABLE amount of negative energy just to keep it open for one second. If there was some type of contraption or force which was supplying the negative energy, you could destroy it and cause the wormhole to collapse, effectively sending the asteroid to a type of limbo or causing it to transport itself to anywhere and anytime in the universe when its becomes unstable and collapses.
There's “hard science fiction”, and everything else (!). The kinds of people who like hard science fiction are the ones who enjoy the techno-babble in the story. No offence, but I think you’d have a long way to go to make it “hard science fiction” (i.e. to the level that would really appeal to the hard sci fi fans). Aside from the wormhole question, one obvious criticism is your comment about the ‘spinner’ characters being “products of evolution”. Too many holes in that argument. For one, evolution is a process of small changes over time, but if the result is a system that starts to hop around through time that would basically ruin the evolutionary process from the start. Also, I don't think you need to get caught up in the physics of wormholes and asteroids when another premise of your story is time-hopping heros. Concentrate on the main ideas of your story. Your story is not about an asteroid passing through a wormhole, it’s about a character racing against the clock to alter an event (potentially any event..?) that could destroy the world. What’s the most important thing in the story? It’s not the asteroid, the wormhole or the earth. From the way you write the description it’s about the personal struggle of the ‘spinner’ character. Focus on that.
Hi, Um no would be my answer as well. Wormholes or to give them their theoretical name, Einstein Rosen bridges, essentially connect two points in space, each of which is essentially a black hole / white hole. Whether you can travel through them is somewhat irrelevant compared to the fact that to enter or leave one you basically have to approach the immense gravity well of a black hole. Your asteroid would be crushed on entry and / or exit. On the other hand since no one's actually demonstrated the existence of a worm hole outside of theoretical physics as far as I know, you can have it do anything you want. It's your story. Cheers, Greg.
