PENDOMUS INSIGHTS: The Helix

Welcome to PART 3 of my edification on all things Pendomus!

Well, so far, we've discussed the planet of Pendomus in the past two posts. 

This next installment is about the structure known as the Helix and the society that 's maintained within its walls.  

When I first started writing, I was flying by the seat of my pants (PANTSER!) and really didn't know what was about to come next. When it came to humanity, to the planet, I really had no rules, Pendomus held no identity to me.

As I began looking closer at Runa and her life, a society formed quickly - one rooted in ours today, but perhaps a bit more idealized. Everyone on Pendomus is put through a bunch of aptitude tests. They are monitored closely to be placed into a profession matching not only their genetic make-up, but also their personality. The notion is that humanity can then be optimized. It's the whole, "Do what you love" ideal put into play.

Once the society was formed... I knew I had to create a wickedly visual place for humanity to be residing in. Originally, I had a totally uncool name for the Helix, too - The Compound. Wow. Good lord. How freakin' original is THAT?! Yikes. *shakes head*

Oh well. It was a start... Besides, it looked better on page than xxxx or something! HA!

The Helix (for realz), a landmark bridge in Singapore.

I came up with the idea of a structure rising up out of the ground like the double helix on its side. So far, nothing I've found online comes close to the massive structure I see in my head, but this comes pretty close. ----------->

I envision a protective shield wrapping around the main tunnel of the Helix on Pendomus. Looking at the pic of the bridge, I happen to like the lighting. Huh... perhaps something to embellish going forward in Book 2. ;)

At any rate... society with the Helix is highly contolled. There's no sleep, so they can function longer for the Helix. They do have a machine that simulates the way sleep recharges the brain and revitalizes the body, though. They don't eat. They don't speak out loud. They don't even have sex. Hell, they don't even know what sex IS!

So next week, I plan to go into depth on some of the elements at play inside the Helix.

Stay tuned next week for information on: The Lotus Chair, RationCaps and my personal favorite... the exchange-Link (eLink). 

 

PENDOMUS INSIGHTS: Tidally-locked Planets

Welcome to PART 1 of my edification on all things Pendomus!

As I stated on Monday, now that I've started my query process, I am welcoming in 2013 with a series of posts regarding elements found in the Pendomus Chronicles.

There's a lot of cool, quirky things happening not only the world-building, but also the characters. Before I get to the group of misfits you'll meet when reading book one, I want to start off first with the planet itself.

While it's not overly examined in the first book, the fact that Pendomus is tidally-locked will play a larger role as the series goes on.

What the hell does tidally-locked mean, Carissa?

You know what? I'm glad you asked.

Due to tidal locking, the inhabitants of the central body will never be able to see the satellite's green area.

First you need to understand what the term tidal force means. "Tidal force is a secondary effect of the force of gravity and is responsible for the tides. It arises because the gravitational force per unit mass exerted on one body by a second body is not constant across its diameter, the side nearest to the second being more attracted by it than the side farther away."

According to the Great and Powerful Wikipedia, "Tidal locking (or captured rotation) occurs when the gravitational gradient makes one side of an astronomical body always face another, an effect known as synchronous rotation."

Okay... uhm... yeah... HUH? 

Basically this means that Pendomus is not rotating on an axis. One side of the planet is always facing the sun, the other always facing into darkness. In essence, it is a satellite, circling its sun.  Look at the picture to the right and pretend the central body is the sun. Make sense?

Believe it or not, you're already extremely aware of how tidal-locking works. We have our very own tidally-locked entity here on Earth.

Do you know what it is?

Yep. The moon.

Since the Moon is 1:1 tidally locked, only one side is visible from Earth.

 Now, whether or not the atmosphere of a tidally-locked planet could be viable is of much debate across the forums. However, I feel that being in the realm of sci-fi, anything is possible! Besides, this planet has a lot more going on than meets the eye. ;)

The stage for book one is set on the temperate band between the light and dark-- Not scorching hot and facing the sun, not frigid cold and facing the darkness. Instead, cold enough for snow and always perpetual twilight.

Still confused? Send me your questions. Think it's wicked cool? Let me know!

Next Friday: I'll discuss another cool phenomena happening on Pendomus: Sundogs.

Stay tuned!