Sci-Fi catastrophe halp.

[Haldarious]

An underground group of humans who did not join in all the hippy love funtimes, for whatever reasons. They suddenly initiate more nuclear disasters using a large horde of secret stolen weaponry. Humanity is devastated, as nobody saw it coming and nobody is at all prepared.

[Kestrel]

Well let's put aside the fact that common sense doesn't work as a prevention tool irl, if the news is anything to go by.

Your post certainly seems to work in the favour of that argument. "Everything went okay!" is hardly an exciting news story so it will rarely be broadcast or given as much attention as mistakes. You'd do better to look at relevant numbers than to say "if the news."

With other places offworld being colonized you won't just have isolated crews in ships. You will have huge barges carrying tons of bulk material, transporting animals/plants/food/etc, and colony ships. If absolutely nothing can stop this bacteria, it's going to spread anywhere humans will.

Method of spreading was never decided. Therefore this is impossible to argue. If nothing can stop this bacteria, how come there are survivors in the first place anyway? Because the bacteria doesn't spread absurdly fast (ie evacuate uninfected areas) or humankind found a method to hold it off temporarily. Isolation is a pretty good way of not getting things infected, which is exactly why method of spreading is crucial to know to even argue this.

And I don't get why you say "the same thing that prevents humans from surviving in space." If you're telling me that space stops it, then woah, thanks for that revelation.

If you're telling me that something that no longer provides a barrier to humans in space (aka being able to terraform and move en masse offworld) will still provide a barrier to bacteria, then I have no idea how you support that position.

Temperature is an obvious one, but all kinds of conditions in space are different from those on earth. The easiest way to understand this is by... I don't know, comprehending the evolution theory?

[TripMyHop]

Your post certainly seems to work in the favour of that argument. "Everything went okay!" is hardly an exciting news story so it will rarely be broadcast or given as much attention as mistakes. You'd do better to look at relevant numbers than to say "if the news."


Method of spreading was never decided. Therefore this is impossible to argue. If nothing can stop this bacteria, how come there are survivors in the first place anyway? Because the bacteria doesn't spread absurdly fast (ie evacuate uninfected areas) or humankind found a method to hold it off temporarily. Isolation is a pretty good way of not getting things infected, which is exactly why method of spreading is crucial to know to even argue this.


Temperature is an obvious one, but all kinds of conditions in space are different from those on earth. The easiest way to understand this is by... I don't know, comprehending the evolution theory?

Relevant numbers? I'm doing research for stats for a discussion thread now? :x

The general stories are full enough of people making big mistakes that have big consequences, or just letting things go.

And yes, isolation could work. But if there are no barriers to the disease (as stated), then it is unlikely people would respond int ime for isolation. Also your question is valid, and another reason I would rule out the bacteria idea, so idk why you brought it up as a rebuttal. lol

Missing the point again, so idk why you're going for hyperbole with 'theory of evolution'. In this future, humans can travel into space. Thus the bacteria can travel anywhere humans can. Anything organic being transported will have similar conditions and thus be hospitable for the bacteria. This is my point, idg why that's hard to derive from what I said.

edit: let me add something I forgot. I understand the idea that isolated ships=isolated disease. But major supply lines and transports will become infected fast, simply due to the volume. You'll only have small groups of humans left, who will eventually run out of supplies. So the OP is looking for a problem that is just on Earth and won't necessarily affect offworlders. If this is such an unstoppable, indestructible disease then that likely will not stop it.

When we're looking for plausibility in a storyline, likely is a good way to guide where to go. That's because we want the reader to believe it's something that could happen without stretching believability, and so that it doesn't appear to be a simple plot device. Also, on a huge scale like this, likely translates to inevitable in the long run.

[TripMyHop]

Oh also, I thought of an idea that might work for the OP (assuming he hasn't already come up with something while we were arguing LOL):

Antimatter. Maybe it's used for engines and power or w/e in mass consumption. Possibly while experimenting with a new or better form of it, an accident occurs and it blows such a massive hole in the crust that it causes uncontrollable tectonic & volcanic activity. That would make it rather inconvenient to be on earth for a while, but not have too much of an affect offworld. It's a modification of that one guy's idea about nuclear bombs opening up magma holes. Obvs nuclear exists and is more plausible, but I think you might need to introduce something like antimatter to make it easy to grasp the concept of destruction that would impact Earth's crust.

[Silux]

Oh, yeah. I came up with a solution in the end that did not require Earth to be destroyed, instead simply a reason for them to attempt to terraform another world. But I would like to extend this conversation because it turns out to be rather interesting.

What would you guys say are the least and most imaginative 'apocalypse scenarios' you have seen in sci-fi or fantasy?

[Gowi]

The least imaginative would be a retooled "oh no, there is something heading for impact on earth!", as seem in films like Meteor (1979) and Deep Impact (1998) to name two that jump to mind. I think I feel this is unimaginative for me because I've seen it parodies and done in film/television on more than one occasion and done poorly. Whilst it may or may not be mired in science fact I just don't feel much towards it, but I suppose "alien invasion" is also largely unimaginative as a cliche. But you can expand on a cliche a lot to make it interesting.

[TripMyHop]

Oh, yeah. I came up with a solution in the end that did not require Earth to be destroyed, instead simply a reason for them to attempt to terraform another world. But I would like to extend this conversation because it turns out to be rather interesting.

What would you guys say are the least and most imaginative 'apocalypse scenarios' you have seen in sci-fi or fantasy?

I agree with Gowi. Pretty much anything where it centers around 'end of the world'. It seems like scifi films used to be more speculative and abstract, but since the 90s (roughly) it's just been disaster flicks. Even Sunshine followed that formula, imo. And aliens too, like Gowi said.

Most would be something that doesn't involve disasters or earth. I didn't really care for Moon, but the concept was at least different.

[The Hound]

Plague.

[Lord Magroth]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_goo

Some recycling nanomachines getting corrupted and going mad, eating everything they come in contact with. Needs a direct power source though, assuming you are still going with the hippie thing, solar power?