From:	Justin Fang <justinf@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject:	Re: Setting up shop (an introduction)
Date:	Wed, 29 Jan 1997 01:53:28 -0800

Mark L. Neidengard wrote:
>According to Michael Heinrich:

>>1. The weed is actually a new awakened creature from the sea. It has
>>been so mutated by all the pollution that it now eats about everything.
>>It needs to go to the sea regulary otherwise it would dry and shrivel
>>up. (The most plain and basic explanation)

>>4. The weed is a medical experiment gone out of control. Several weeks
>>ago a satelite crashed into the ocean containing several DNA experiments
>>and nanotechnology. This seaweed is enhanced by this experiment and when
>>the ship sailed through the weed, some parts attached itself to the hull
>>and slowly ate it's way through. (grande plot)

>Toss the nanotech, but keep the genetic engineering, and it sounds the most
>promising of the lot. I like the bio-experiment-gone-awry concept, though
>if it's anything too hazardous to humanity at large you'll need to be careful
>to keep it under decent rein as you develop the plot.

Toss the satellite crashed into the ocean bit as well: a) reentry heat would
tend to destroy DNA; b) random "DNA experiments" dumped into the enviroment
do not result in ravening monsters any more than random exposure to
radiation grants mutant powers. It's more plausible if someone was
specifically working on seaweed or other algae in the first place. It also
looks fairly clearly to me like you've got some sort of paranormal creature
there (normal kelp is not noted for aggressiveness); perhaps you could
combine (1) and (4) and say someone accidentally created it.

--
Justin Fang (justinf@****.caltech.edu)
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