Found this video while visiting the Science Fiction blogzine io9.com
Journey behind the scenes at Qualcomm where we learn how they built their wireless service on the backs of pigeons, wolfpigeons, sharkfalcons, and (science willing) crocodeagles.
One thing I have realized from all the stories I've seen re-imagined from one format to another (be it book to movie, movie to television series, or movie to video game), it's that they always muck it up because someone thinks, "I can do it better!"
I should have realized, when I started taking the notes from one of my more favorite AtB stories, The Green Death, and formalizing it to share with anyone who cared to run it, that I was falling into the same muddy trap. I started adding what I thought was some extra depth that was missing from the original notes, stuff that might have been missing. However, what I really started doing was changing the story into something different. I realized that had actually happened was that now, the original adventure was missing.
So now it's back to the drawing board and try to post what I had originally intended, a quick little one-or-two session adventure that's straight to the chase.
Apocalypse Meow, known as Cat Sh*t One in Japan, is being made into an animated series. The trailer looks awesome, and I hope it get's released over here. I'd imagine that they will probably rename it if it does...
If you've never heard of Apocalypse Meow, is was a three volume manga series set in an anthropomorphic animal version of the Vietnam War. The series appears to change the setting to the Middle East. I never bought the mangas - something I chastise myself over each time I think of it - so I can't go into any details. One of these days I'll have to track down a copy of these books.
The animated series is due for release early 2010, so it probably won't hit the states until 2012.
[Revised March 2, 2009]
The Gene-Hound is a transgenic chimera blend of Wolf, Blood Hound, and Rottweiler with a specially designed extra-sensory organ, sort of a complex bio-computer, tied into several of the gene-hound's other senses and organs (sinuses, lungs, taste buds, and skin) that it uses to sense and track transgenic mutants.
Before the Crash, scientists and law enforcement agencies utilized these hounds to track down genetically modified plants, animals, and humans that had escaped into the wild. A few other animals were gengeneered with the gene-hound's extra-sensory organ, but only the Gene-Hounds were known to survive the Big Death.
The Empire of Humanity military will often bring a gene-hound along on raids to pick out any mutant animals that may be trying to hide themselves as wild animals, or use them to track down any escaped military and/or political prisoners.
Size Level: 6
Build: Medium
Mutant Changes & Costs
Total BIO-E: 20, for Animal Psionics and Powers only.
Attribute Bonuses: +4 I.Q., +3 P.S., Brute Strength +3 M.E. and +5 Spd.
Human Features
Hands: Partial.
Biped: Partial.
Speech: Partial.
Looks: None. Appears to be a very thick and solid hound, with a large short snouted skull that is a cross between Rottweiler a Bloodhound, without the jowls, and with the erect ears and yellow eyes of a wolf. Their coat is medium length and consists of a waterproof undercoat and a coarse top coat. The fur is normally black with mahogany patches, but some variations have been know; light gray or a dark brown, or the very rare red.
Natural Weapons:
Automatically gets 1D6 Damage Canine Teeth
Automatically gets 1D4 Damage Running Claws
5 BIO-E for 1D6+1 Running Claws
5 BIO-E for 1D8+d Damage Canine Teeth
10 BIO-E for 2D6+4 Damage Canine Teeth
Unique Mutant Animal Powers:
Mutation Sense (Special!). This ability is automatic and constant, the gene-hound can sense the presence of mutant animals in close proximity.
Range: 15 feet, +5 feet per level of experience.
Base Skill: 60%, +3% per level of experience.
In addition, much like the Cell Reader, the hound can sense the genetic structure of an animal, human, or plant by coming in contact with some fragment of the subject (tissue, blood, seeds, etc.). The character can identify the type of animal from which it has evolved, as well as any genetic modifications or mutations and added genes from other species. The gene-hound can even identify a Shifter Mouse in disguise.
Gene-Track (Special!). Like a souped-up Bloodhound, by sampling some fragment of the target (tissue, blood, pollen, etc.) the hound can track and identify specific mutants over great distances.
Base Skill: 60%, +5% per level of experience. Roll once per hour to stay on track.
Mutant Animal Powers:
Automatically gets Advanced Smell.
5 BIO-E for Advanced Hearing
10 BIO-E for Advanced Taste
10 BIO-E for Leaping Standard
15 BIO-E for Beastly Strength
5 BIO-E for Extra Intelligence Quotient
10 BIO-E for Extra Mental Endurance
5 BIO-E for Extra Physical Endurance
5 BIO-E for Extra Physical Prowess
10 BIO-E for Extraordinary Speed
10 BIO-E for Predator Burst
10 BIO-E for Internal Compass
Animal Psionics:
Most Gene-Hounds tend to have few, if any, psionics.
Vestigial Disadvantages:
Automatically gets Domestication
-5 BIO-E for taking Color Blind
-5 BIO-E for taking Vestigial Tail
-5 BIO-E for taking Vestigial Ears
-10 BIO-E for taking Diet: Carnivore
One of the greatest fears about Genetically Modified Organisms (both plants and animals), is that, one day, they might escape into the wild and taint the wild non-modified breeds. Well, it's happened: [newscientist.com]
"It's official: genes from genetically modified corn have escaped into wild varieties in rural Mexico. A new study resolves a long-running controversy over the spread of GM genes and suggests that detecting such escapes may be tougher than previously thought."This has gotten me to thinking about how future gengineers might detect and track escaped GMOs. Enter the Gene-Tracker.
Posts
All Comments
