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I have in mind a world where a small colony of humans are isolated within a cylindrical force field in a desolate land of clay. With no tools their only option is to dig and, upon finding food (presumably some sort of dry desert tuber), they keep digging.
I would like this to go on for some generations, as the lack of ability to make permanent structures due to clay being their only building material (with limited rainfall), presents a lack of permanency that would result in these people losing any notion of culture or ambition, only the 'tradition' of digging. An interesting place to start with a protagonist that potentially finds a way out of the field.
This obviously puts constraints on how small this colony could be and thus cylindrical field must be - but the big constraint is what they can do with their waste clay as they dig, as well as their own waste.
My idea is that the walls of the force field could violently react with mass that touches it, sublimating it, with the mass being carried away as gas. The reaction could also provide a light source for the colonies when they are deep into the earth too.
My question is is this a feasible process? Is there a better way a colony could dispose of waste in this isolated system? And also is the current solution too deus ex machina?
Robin
Posted 2016-05-31T13:27:16.493
Reputation: 21
2Sounds to me like they would just throw it at the force field ... – AndreiROM – 2016-05-31T13:30:57.777
That's the idea I'm presenting, my question is more about feasability, and whether there's a less 'convenient' solution. Thanks. – Robin – 2016-05-31T13:40:48.187
What do you mean by feasibility? You're presenting the character's situation as *fact*: they live inside a cylindrical force field which they can't touch because it vaporizes anything that comes into contact with it. If I were you I'd be less concerned with waster disposal than more practical matters such as how will these people make tools for digging, or get anywhere near the sort of variation in their diets needed to survive. Also, you seem to be envisioning them digging their way deep into the earth, but realize that unless the diameter is very small that won't happen. – AndreiROM – 2016-05-31T13:59:10.987
Welcome to the site Robin. If you have questions about the site check out the [help] and feel free to visit [chat] – James – 2016-05-31T13:59:27.503
1That kind of force field would also be a very effective "unwanted people" disposal system... – Cyrus – 2016-05-31T14:40:26.270
If the force field is large enough to keep a population fed, then it's large enough that they'd be able to use agriculture and thus fertilize their desert tubers with their waste. In an enclosed system like that, nothing will be wasted -- recycling at its best. Otherwise, they'd subtract really important resources from their already resource-poor environment. – subrunner – 2016-05-31T15:48:13.460
Are you telling me the deeper they dig the more rivers they find? Unless they replant the tubers you're humans will die. – Aarthew III – 2016-05-31T16:42:29.653
How does the air get recycled so they have something to breathe? Where does the energy come from? On Earth all usable energy (with the possible exception of radioactive material like uranium) comes (or came from) the sun. Is there sunlight? If not, how does the water cycle work? – J.D. Ray – 2016-05-31T17:25:55.553
Indigenous Australians and Australia with 7km^2 there is no such problem as where to put shit, no problem at all. No problem with clay too, if one person produces 10m^3/day it makes patch 100x100m just meter higher in 3 years, and for average patch of 7km^2 per person it's just 1m higher in 1900 years. And if you digg tunnel, you do not have to move all stuff on surface, if you do not need tunnels by them selfs, and it's easier not to do so. – MolbOrg – 2016-06-01T15:05:06.303