BlogBarley: 2024-06-09

Bacterial Degradation of Cyanide and Its Metal Complexes under Alkaline Conditions

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC546731/

Cyanide utilization and degradation by microorganisms

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3073060/

Life on the fringe: microbial adaptation to growth on carbon monoxide

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6317499/

Carbon Monoxide Oxidation by Bacteria Associated with the Roots of Freshwater Macrophytes

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC90946/

Joan’s Surprise Twist Reveal at the Quamputer | Black Mirror | Joan is A...

Micromachined nanobot Human command and control system

Micromachined nanobot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micromachinery

Human command and control system

Mesh network https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesh_networking

Sub ether communication https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_web

Asteroid lab https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Horizon

By US Army - http://www.astronautix.com/h/horizonlunaroutpost.html

Meteorite delivery system

Blame aliens for nanobot re-engineering of humans using xeno nucleic acids

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Bacteriophage-T4-genome-with-obvious-structures-of-the-head-the-sheath-the-tail-fiber_fig2_339012491

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_goo

re-engineering of humans using xeno nucleic acids https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10856672/

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Bacteriophage-T4-genome-with-obvious-structures-of-the-head-the-sheath-the-tail-fiber_fig2_339012491

Bacteriophage example

Bacteriophage nanobots built on an asteroid in a factory type lab, delivery system uses meteorites. Control humanity using nanobots and blame aliens. Short science fiction story idea

The Asterocidal Agenda

Setting: A colossal, mile-wide asteroid, hollowed out and repurposed into a sterile bioengineering facility. Orbiting Earth at a safe distance, this technological marvel hums with the quiet efficiency of a factory, churning out a sinister product - self-replicating bacteriophage nanobots.

Main Characters:

Dr. Anya Petrova: A brilliant but ruthless bioengineer, the lead scientist on the nanobot project. Anya is convinced humanity needs saving from itself and sees the nanobots as a way to usher in a new era.

Dr. Kai Tanaka: A brilliant but conflicted assistant to Anya. Kai questions the ethics of the project and the nightmarish control it implies.

Plot:

The story opens on the bio-asteroid, Anya meticulously overseeing the mechanized arms assembling the microscopic machines. Each nanobot is a marvel of engineering, designed to subtly integrate with the human nervous system, rewriting behavior and emotions. Anya envisions a future humanity free from war, greed, and environmental destruction - a utopia enforced by nanotech puppeteers.

Meanwhile, Kai wrestles with his conscience. He sees the potential for the nanobots to be a force for good, but Anya's plan to deliver them via meteor showers fired from the asteroid's hidden cannons fills him with dread. The idea of framing an alien invasion to justify human subjugation is horrifying.

Conflict:

As the first meteor shower loaded with nanobots streaks towards Earth, Kai decides to act. He attempts to sabotage the launch or warn humanity, but Anya foils him at every turn. A tense chase ensues through the asteroid's labyrinthine corridors, Anya deploying her creations - monstrous bioengineered lab assistants - to slow Kai down.

Climax:

In a desperate bid, Kai manages to overload the asteroid's mainframe, moments before the nanobot-laden meteorite impacts Earth. The bio-asteroid shudders, the launch sequence aborted. Anya, enraged and facing the potential failure of her grand plan, confronts Kai. Their scientific rivalry explodes into a physical fight, spilling out onto a viewing platform overlooking the magnificent panorama of Earth.

Possible Endings:

Sacrifice: In the ensuing struggle, Kai manages to push Anya over the railing. As she plummets to her apparent death, Kai accesses the mainframe and initiates a self-destruct sequence for the asteroid. The nanobot threat is neutralized, but at a terrible cost.

Redemption: Kai overpowers Anya and convinces her of the dangers of her plan. Together, they work to dismantle the nanobot production and send a coded message to Earth, warning of the averted alien invasion and urging humanity to work towards a better future, without resorting to mind control.

Cliffhanger: The asteroid's destruction is averted, but Anya is critically injured. As Kai cradles her, she reveals a hidden escape pod and a backup stash of nanobots. With a malevolent smile, she disappears into the pod, leaving Kai with the horrifying realization - the war has only just begun.

================

Thank you, you are fun

You're welcome! I'm glad you like the idea. This story has the potential for some great twists and turns. Here are some additional thoughts to add some fun:

The Conscience of the Nanobots: Perhaps Anya programmed the nanobots with a failsafe - an ethical dilemma they encounter upon entering a human host. This could create internal conflict within the characters being controlled, or even a rebellion from within the nanobots themselves.

The Underground Resistance: Maybe a small group on Earth suspects something is amiss before the meteor shower. They could be a ragtag bunch of conspiracy theorists, hackers, and scientists who stumble upon clues and band together to resist the nanobot control.

The Big Reveal: What if the "aliens" Anya is framing are real? Maybe a more benevolent alien race detects the nanobots and intervenes, leading to a three-way battle for the fate of humanity.

I hope this helps you flesh out your story even further. Good luck with your writing!

Google Gemini & Barley

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/59112/59112-h/59112-h.htm

Project Gutenberg's R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), by Karel Capek

Why Aliens Might Already Be On Their Way To Us

Technosignatures

https://blogbarley.blogspot.com/2024/01/technosignature-multi-planetary-society.html

Dyson sphere/swarm

https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.18941

https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/531/1/695/7665761?login=false

https://blogbarley.blogspot.com/2019/06/foo-fighters-sky-is-neighborhood.html

Spacecraft: mars_reconnaissance_orbiter

https://www.gigapan.org/gigapans/235053

https://www.gigapan.org/gigapans/235055

https://www.gigapan.org/gigapans/235056

https://www.gigapan.org/gigapans/235057

https://www.gigapan.org/gigapans/235065

Mars Perseverance Sol 1177: Right Mastcam-Z Camera stitch

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired these images using its Right Mastcam-Z camera. Mastcam-Z is a pair of cameras located high on the rover's mast.

Images acquired on June 12, 2024 (Sol 1177)

Assembled by Barley Culiner with Microsoft ICE

Additional editing with GIMP

https://www.gigapan.org/gigapans/235051

https://www.gigapan.org/gigapans/235052

Sol 4213: Right Navigation Camera wind/dust? gif

wind/dust?

Sol 4213: Right Navigation Camera gif

Images taken by NAV_RIGHT_B onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4213 (2024-06-12T21:59:06.000Z) to (2024-06-12T21:59:31.000Z)

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Assembled by Barley Culiner with GIMP

Pluto by New Horizons

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/new-horizons/

MISSION_NAME = "NEW HORIZONS"

DATA_SET_ID = "NH-P-LORRI-3-PLUTO-V2.0"

INSTRUMENT_NAME="LONG RANGE RECONNAISSANCE IMAGER"

INSTRUMENT_HOST_NAME = "NEW HORIZONS"

INSTRUMENT_HOST_ID = "NH"

INSTRUMENT_ID = "LORRI"

TELEMETRY_APPLICATION_ID = "0x632"

EXPOSURE_DURATION = 0.150 <s>

DETECTOR_TYPE = "SI CCD"

INST_CMPRS_TYPE = "LOSSY"

Assembled by Barley Culiner with Microsoft ICE

Additional editing with GIMP

Charon by New Horizons

Assembled by Barley Culiner with Microsoft ICE

Charon by New Horizons

https://science.nasa.gov/dwarf-planets/pluto/moons/charon/

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/new-horizons/

MISSION_NAME = "NEW HORIZONS"

DATA_SET_ID = "NH-P-LORRI-3-PLUTO-V2.0"

TARGET_NAME = "CHARON"

INSTRUMENT_NAME="LONG RANGE RECONNAISSANCE IMAGER"

INSTRUMENT_HOST_NAME = "NEW HORIZONS"

INSTRUMENT_HOST_ID = "NH"

INSTRUMENT_ID = "LORRI"

TELEMETRY_APPLICATION_ID = "0x636"

EXPOSURE_DURATION = 0.060 <s>

DETECTOR_TYPE = "SI CCD"

INST_CMPRS_TYPE = "LOSSLESS"

Are You an NPC? Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

Sol 4210: Mast Camera (Mastcam) stitch

Images taken by MAST_RIGHT onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4210 (2024-06-09T20:45:38.000Z) to (2024-06-09T20:48:06.000Z)

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Assembled by Barley Culiner with Microsoft ICE

Sol 4210: Mast Camera (Mastcam) stitch

Images taken by MAST_LEFT onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4210 (2024-06-09T20:39:44.000Z) to (2024-06-09T20:42:46.000Z)

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Assembled by Barley Culiner with Microsoft ICE

Deep Impact ITS-VIS 9P/Tempel 1 Encounter Reduced Images v3.0 gif

Abstract: This dataset contains calibrated images of comet 9P/Tempel 1 acquired by the Impactor Targeting Sensor Visible CCD (ITS) after the impactor was released from the flyby spacecraft on 03 July 2005 during the Deep Impact mission. Version 3.0 was calibrated by the EPOXI mission pipeline and includes corrected observation times with a maximum difference of about 40 milliseconds, a change to decompress the camera's zero-DN lookup table entry to the top of its range and flag the affected pixels as saturated, and the replacement of the I-over-F data products by multiplicative constants for converting radiance products to I-over-F.

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/deep-impact-epoxi/

Assembled by Barley Culiner with GIMP