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Otherwheres, otherwhens
Dec. 22nd, 2011 10:57 pmOkay, I have an idea for a story where somebody (overly stubborn) gets it into his head that it'd be a good idea to drive a tunnel thru the basalt ridge (actually a tall basaltic dike) that divides his land into two chunks.
I've seen such driving on one of the two lane highways out to the coast. Hundred or more feet tall, good chunk of a mile long, and not all that thick.
It's a semi-logical idea. It'd save him a mile or more driving to get a huindred yards or so horizontally.
Except, of course, basalt is tough stuff. Even if he has relevant experience, it's gonna be a bitch driving the tunnel
Anyway, much to his surprise when he (eventually) breaks thru, he'll find that he's not where he expects. The land is pretty much tyhe same. But there are a lot more trees, no roads, and his house/outbuildings aren't there.
I'm looking for something that'll give a definite "we aren't in Kansas anymore" message to him.
Where he is (though it'll take time to work it out is the exact same place he expects. But in a different timeline.One where either Europeans never got to the Americas, or maybe where humans never did.
I'm leaning towards the former, because having local humans to encounter and deal with has its points.
Anyway, any suggestions as to what the big shocker might be? If it was the latter idea, it could be a sabertooth. But for the former one, all I can think of is encountering locals. And I'd rather not have that happen so soon.
Secondary question for the geekier sorts. The "poprtal" to the other timeline is an area uinside the rock formation. Not actually associated with it, it's just there.
I'm trying to come up with ideas about what shape it might be and why. I'm leaning towards a "flat" plane, but it's gotta have edges and a shape. A circle is the most obvious, but I'm wondering if anybody can think of plausible reasons for some other shape.
Shape is important when he tries to enlarge the tunnel.
ETA: location is more or less NW Oregon. West of the Portland Metro Area, and at a guess, halfway between there and the coast. If I can pin down *where* I saw the spectacular formations I'm thinking of, that'll be the location (since I don't have a car, and I'm not positive which highway we were on, going out looking for them isn't an option)
Anyway, feel free to throw out ideas.
I've seen such driving on one of the two lane highways out to the coast. Hundred or more feet tall, good chunk of a mile long, and not all that thick.
It's a semi-logical idea. It'd save him a mile or more driving to get a huindred yards or so horizontally.
Except, of course, basalt is tough stuff. Even if he has relevant experience, it's gonna be a bitch driving the tunnel
Anyway, much to his surprise when he (eventually) breaks thru, he'll find that he's not where he expects. The land is pretty much tyhe same. But there are a lot more trees, no roads, and his house/outbuildings aren't there.
I'm looking for something that'll give a definite "we aren't in Kansas anymore" message to him.
Where he is (though it'll take time to work it out is the exact same place he expects. But in a different timeline.One where either Europeans never got to the Americas, or maybe where humans never did.
I'm leaning towards the former, because having local humans to encounter and deal with has its points.
Anyway, any suggestions as to what the big shocker might be? If it was the latter idea, it could be a sabertooth. But for the former one, all I can think of is encountering locals. And I'd rather not have that happen so soon.
Secondary question for the geekier sorts. The "poprtal" to the other timeline is an area uinside the rock formation. Not actually associated with it, it's just there.
I'm trying to come up with ideas about what shape it might be and why. I'm leaning towards a "flat" plane, but it's gotta have edges and a shape. A circle is the most obvious, but I'm wondering if anybody can think of plausible reasons for some other shape.
Shape is important when he tries to enlarge the tunnel.
ETA: location is more or less NW Oregon. West of the Portland Metro Area, and at a guess, halfway between there and the coast. If I can pin down *where* I saw the spectacular formations I'm thinking of, that'll be the location (since I don't have a car, and I'm not positive which highway we were on, going out looking for them isn't an option)
Anyway, feel free to throw out ideas.
