The sky is overcast and I just could not resist hitting that snooze alarm a few extra times. I’ll regret it later in the day when I have things I need to finish before I can begin the long weekend, but I am okay with it this morning. So now that I have finally shed the comfort of slumber, it’s time to begin the day with the morning writing prompt. Are you ready? Good then let’s go.
I kind of like this. I don’t think it takes place on earth so I will have to figure out the planet where it does take place and then create the world before I figure out the details, but I think it has the elements I could tease into a decent sci-fi storyline.
Friday, September 2nd: There are two parts to the challenge.
“There are two parts to the challenge,” He said. “First you must complete the challenge in a functional way. Everything must work as designed. The second part of the challenge is that the design and build out created must fulfill a need.” He tipped his head down letting his glasses slide a little way down his nose so that he could look out over their rims. This eyes scanned the room.
“There are many places where imagining something that can be done simply for the sake of doing it is fine. Such creative challenges are useful tools for pushing the boundaries. However this is not what this challenge is about. Fifty percent of your points for this challenge will come from determining how well your project addresses an actual need. What that need is can be up to you. But it must be a need.”
His eyes lingered on some of the students but he didn’t point them out by name and the lingering was short lived. The bell sounded ending the class for the day and their professor turned away from them as they began to gather their things. Dan glanced over at the few who the professors gaze lingered on as they clustered together, already whispering.
Dan knew all three of them. They were the self-proclaimed creative geniuses of their year. Many of the professors agreed of course and praise was heaped upon them in many of their classes. He knew the three of them wouldn’t like the practical aspect of the challenge. He also knew there would be complaints.
Dan looked away before he was caught in his study and gathered his things. There had been many arguments in the past and he had no wish for another. While their creative genius let them dream up all sorts of things, their designs were difficult if not impossible to execute and often had no purpose to them. Dan was willing to admit that he admired the out of the box thinking and was often as dazzled by them as everyone else.
He was also self-aware enough to know his own practical limitations. His designs were not as showy as the others and rarely did anything flashy. But they always worked and they always had a purpose. Rarely were those purposes grand and he had been exhorted by many of his teachers to think bigger, the trip’s grand designs referenced as inspiration. He had heard the line shoot for the moon for even if you fail you will land among the stars so many times he was tired of it. He was also sick of the nickname the others gave him.
The Plodder.
They all assumed from his work that upon graduation from the Academy, they would go on to grand careers where they made the same sweeping gestures and plans that they made her, only in real life, while people like him would be left to pick up the slack and create the things behind the scenes that actually did the work. Kyle, their unspoken leader had even informed him that when he took a position he would make certain Dan was hired as his technician.
The thought still rankled. In this challenge, Dan was determined to think bigger, bolder and still make the design function as it should. ‘Which is also half of the score.’
Ten til Midnight 