Does Dr. Drexler know about Drexler?

[Tallor]

One of the Hell Worlds of Infinite Worlds is covered in "gray goo" nanobots that have destroyed all life on the planet. I looked up Dr. Eric Drexler and was fascinated to find he's still alive(!), which got me wondering--imagine how that conversation must have gone if SJ Games contacted him*!

SJ Games: Hello Dr. Drexler, we're big fans of your work and would like to name one of our alternate timelines after you!
Drexler: Fantastic! What's your idea?
SJ: So basically there's nanobots everywhere...
Drex: Okay...
SJ: And they destroy the world.
Drex: ...
SJ: ...
Drex: Sure why not? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

*This post does not represent SJ Games or its views, it is purely for parody. Please don't sue I need money for GURPS books.

[Nereidalbel]

I would love to visit that world in a few million years (with one HELL of a forcefield around me) to see what sort of "life" could "evolve" from replication errors in those nanites. Something tells me they'd figure out spaceflight shortly after gaining some form of sentience, and they'd be the Grey Goo of Doom from some of the HFY stories I've been reading.

[Tallor]

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

I would love to visit that world in a few million years (with one HELL of a forcefield around me) to see what sort of "life" could "evolve" from replication errors in those nanites. Something tells me they'd figure out spaceflight shortly after gaining some form of sentience, and they'd be the Grey Goo of Doom from some of the HFY stories I've been reading.

Gray goo mutating into higher life forms? Actually I'm not even mad, that's amazing.

The problem though is that timelines are typically synchronous with Homeline, so you'd have to wait until TL12 just to get TL0+ creatures, unless they had remarkably rapid evolutionary mutations...

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by Tallor

Gray goo mutating into higher life forms? Actually I'm not even mad, that's amazing.

The problem though is that timelines are typically synchronous with Homeline, so you'd have to wait until TL12 just to get TL0+ creatures, unless they had remarkably rapid evolutionary mutations...

Typically doesn't mean always. And who's to say the Grey Goo didn't arrive when the dinosaurs were still around? After all, it could get here as a missed shot from some alien missile.

[Tallor]

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

Typically doesn't mean always. And who's to say the Grey Goo didn't arrive when the dinosaurs were still around? After all, it could get here as a missed shot from some alien missile.

I think you're thinking of the plot of Tasty Planet: Dinotime :P

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by Tallor

I think you're thinking of the plot of Tasty Planet: Dinotime :P

Nah, that's time travel. I'm thinking more along the lines of a terraforming probe being short-circuited by a gamma ray burst, going off-course, and turning Earth into grey goo instead of turning some other planet into a garden world.

[Tallor]

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

Nah, that's time travel. I'm thinking more along the lines of a terraforming probe being short-circuited by a gamma ray burst, going off-course, and turning Earth into grey goo instead of turning some other planet into a garden world.

What if the GECK in Fallout is just a garden-world-maker in a box? o:

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by Tallor

What if the GECK in Fallout is just a garden-world-maker in a box? o:

It absolutely is, at least, according to the design choices of the guy who programmed it. I mean, in some settings, Earth is a Category 12 Death World...

[Tallor]

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

It absolutely is, at least, according to the design choices of the guy who programmed it. I mean, in some settings, Earth is a Category 12 Death World...

So... like Venus?

(On another note, Category 12 Death World sounds like an indie metal band.)

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by Tallor

On another note, Category 12 Death World sounds like an indie metal band.

Oooh, can I steal this band name for flavor in my GURPS Rifts game? I think I've had enough use of Erratic Juju, Urban Renewal, and Naruni Own My Sister; I need something new musically to toss at my players.