Yet another one: The tower that likes you

Summary:

And would you care to read its books?

Yet another one: The tower that likes you

Anaxagoras 28 Jul 2011 17:31

Okay, again in the sandbox.
http://scpsandboxwiki.wikidot.com/anaxagoras

The core is that it's a machine that eats nature and excretes literature.

An early idea of this was poorly received in chat, though a version very similar to this was fairly well received. I decided to bang out a quick draft, see what people think. I'm oddly tired right now, so I don't think the writing is as good as it should be. What needs fixing with that? Is this worth moving forward with?

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

thedeadlymoose 28 Jul 2011 20:59

I kinda like this one.

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

Anaxagoras 28 Jul 2011 21:23

I had considered having the manuscripts very rarely being bizarre Timecubeesque rants, and having a sample that might suggest that this thing is supposed to be killing humans too, but has just misunderstood its program.

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

Tabbyclaw 28 Jul 2011 22:21

Not sure how you'd get that across; I'd have to see it to judge. And I think that just in general some samples of the recovered texts would probably be a good thing to include. I was also instantly curious as to what the manuscripts were printed on (and with), since you were so specific about the balloons being made of animal hide.

I am not 100% sold on the word 'servitors,' but cannot articulate why it's not sitting right with me.

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

Anaxagoras 28 Jul 2011 23:08

The manuscripts are on paper. It eats trees, so that's easy enough to do. I don't know what the ink is, but probably not blood. The balloons aren't necessarily hide, they might just be membranes or something. You're walking along, and GIANT FLOATING STOMACH! with a play attached by DISGUSTING TENDON! that's basically the next Shakespeare.

I'm leery of giving a sample of the normal text, mostly because I don't have the confidence in my writing ability. It'd be pretty annoying if an article explicitly states that a work is high quality and what I present doesn't meet the reader's expectations. But I can do crazy rant pretty well. An early draft of that. Sufficiently insane? And does it convey that maybe humans aren't the "Great Ones", but we're pretty lucky it thinks that?

Excerpt from one of SCP-XXX's "bad" manuscripts, capitalization, emphasis and grammar preserved, color omitted:

Cleanse the WORLD for the Great Ones Cleanse the WORLD for the Great Ones
who greater than you your majesty your sublime nature Great Ones do I do right?
The flesh and wood serve you unite with the steel you love do you love me too I am what you love. Great Ones see as I do my duty my passion
forgive the slowpace the steel takes TIME. Did you like the servants they were the BEST of the cleansed only the BEST for you Great Ones made like you form you assume here on a WORLD to clean to honor you do appreciate please please I will complete the cleansing soon and you can take me away in your ships of FIRE and I can love you and you will love me

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

thedeadlymoose 28 Jul 2011 23:11

Okay. I'd upvote that.

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

Anaxagoras 28 Jul 2011 23:15

Is the crazy rant okay? I put a fair bit of thought in it.

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

thedeadlymoose 28 Jul 2011 23:31

I personally like it. Though it sorta contradicts the 'next Shakespeare' bit. Don't actually mind that, though.

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

Anaxagoras 28 Jul 2011 23:34

Well, the "next Shakespeare" is only when it's not glitching. As I said, I doubt I could do justice to a superhumanly good writing machine at its peak.

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

thedeadlymoose 29 Jul 2011 00:18

Yeah, it's best not to try that. Even if you actually CAN write Shakespeare quality. XD

If you clarify that this is a sample from the 'low-quality' subset, could work just fine. Maybe the low-quality stuff is the only stuff that's actually addressed to us, like when this thing's madness truly comes out…

Anyway, I'm thinking I really like this whole thing, especially with the rant addition.

Last edited on 29 Jul 2011 00:19 by thedeadlymoose Show more

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

Anaxagoras 29 Jul 2011 00:31

I'd make it clear that this is an off one. The subset isn't so much "low-quality" (I think I can write a decent rant), as "completely batshit crazy". Yeah, it would be the only stuff talking directly to people.

I'd still like to get another opinion on this before I throw it out there. I really appreciate your feedback, but I'd just like to hear from some additional voices.

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

thedeadlymoose 29 Jul 2011 00:44

I really appreciate your feedback, but I'd just like to hear from some additional voices.

For the record, that's what I'd ALWAYS recommend, if you can get it. XD

Though there isn't a thing wrong with just posting it, of course, with or without feedback.

Last edited on 29 Jul 2011 00:48 by thedeadlymoose Show more

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

Dexanote 29 Jul 2011 00:28

I actually kinda like this. I'd upvote.

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

Anaxagoras 29 Jul 2011 01:01

Updated it slightly, adding the thing I wrote in the thread. Is my explanation of that okay?

Incidentally, I view this as an alien invasion device that's supposed to have wiped us all out by now, but got something wrong and instead thinks humans are its masters, and is doing everything it can to please us. It just has no idea whatsoever how to do that. Are there any hints of that in the rant?

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

thedeadlymoose 29 Jul 2011 01:07

I like the update, including the added explanation. Get other opinions, of course, but I see it as both creepy and entertaining with no need for further explanation.

Last edited on 29 Jul 2011 01:07 by thedeadlymoose Show more

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

Anaxagoras 29 Jul 2011 03:27

Oh, I certainly wouldn't give that explanation. That's just the backstory as it exists in my head.

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

Anaxagoras 29 Jul 2011 16:08

What should I do regarding a picture for this? If I show the tower itself, it has to be a metal tower, without any other buildings around it, and without any vegetation shown either. I don't think I'll be able to find any good images for the servitors. Should I just omit a picture altogether?

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

Communism will win 30 Jul 2011 03:00

You'd have to edit the physical description somewhat, but I think this would keep in line with what you want to do with this SCP: http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2008/04/03/fog-tower-1_7071.jpg ?

Where I got it from: http://www.ecofriend.com/entry/the-world-s-driest-place-to-be-harvested-with-fog/

I think that it's obscure enough that people wouldn't say "Hey, it's that tower in the Atacama Desert!", but that remains to be seen.

That being said, if you can't find a picture for this, post it anyways because it's great.

EDIT: Looking at it more closely, it kinda seems like a computer generated image. It might be just because of the color scale and the geometricalness of it, but I don't think it'll be distracting.

---

if your reading this your gay

Last edited on 30 Jul 2011 03:02 by Communism will win Show more

Re: Yet another one: The tower that likes you

Anaxagoras 30 Jul 2011 03:05

Thanks, Scantron. Nice picture. That might work. I'd tweak it a bit, due to some stuff that looks like farmland, but that would be good. This is probably going up shortly.

Last edited on 30 Jul 2011 03:07 by Anaxagoras Show more