Bedtime Fantasy Excerpt: The Coffin Carriers

@OneOfMany (12150)
United States
September 17, 2015 10:07pm CST
In a fanfiction I was writing once, people survived in a hostile future by carrying large wooden boats on their backs that were lightweight and durable enough to hide under if they needed emergency shelter, much like a turtle and its shell. As technology advanced, exoskeletal suits enabled the 'shells' to become something more, and the ability to hide became something of a high tech privilege. Since these people could very well perish in their 'shells' before achieving the means to survive, their shelters doubled as their coffins. Hence their name becoming known as 'Coffin Carriers' or 'CCs'. When I go under my sheets or my coverlet, I think of the CCs and their plight. Typically the survival issues had to do with severe temperature shifts, one of which was prevalent in a day dream of mine, where these CCs exist in a world that suffered from an asteroid induced nuclear winter. As the survivors attempted to expand their territories, then sent the CCs out to explore and search for life or resources. The fantasy would be trying to survive a weather phenomenon known as a 'deep freeze'. I mimicked this in winter and tried to stay warm under less than adequate blanket layers. It feels just like the people in my daydreams or stories. And I can imagine how terrible it is to be caught out in the cold with only the hope to survive the night. Sometimes I would fall asleep without the layers and wake up extremely cold in the night... whoops! Some actual good discoveries were made during some experiments, and I think they'd help people during bad winter storms. At least to stay warm without backup generators and the like. Well, that's a story for another time.
4 people like this
4 responses
@LadyDuck (457928)
• Switzerland
18 Sep 15
I have experienced being outside in the snow it is not funny. It happened years ago, it snowed heavily and we were blocked on a freeway for 8 hours!!! Impossible to keep the car heating on, because we risked to run off gas. It was a horrible experience.
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@LadyDuck (457928)
• Switzerland
18 Sep 15
@OneOfMany Yes, this would be much better. We had no choice, we were on a freeway and we had to stay inside the car. It has been a nightmare.
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@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
18 Sep 15
Cars aren't insulated at all, yet people tend to think they are the best shelter in times of emergency. I'm not saying this for you, since you didn't have a choice, but if my car broke down when it was -40 below I would get out of it, lock it, and then dig into a snow bank and hollow out a little space where I could stay warmer than possible outside. Especially if there's more than one person. It would be nice and snuggly inside.
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@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
18 Sep 15
@LadyDuck You should carry around those emergency blankets that reflect your body heat back at you. That would have kept you warm even if the car was freezing.
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@bluesa (15023)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
18 Sep 15
On a reality show I watched, a man was wearing shorts while walking in a snow storm in I think it was Sweden. The guy with him was furious, asking how he could wear shorts in weather like that, this guy calmly said he knew his body and what it could handle. How you fell asleep while feeling cold, I am not certain, but it was an interesting experiment you tried @OneOfMany .
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@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
18 Sep 15
Feeling cold and falling asleep is way different from my feet being cold and falling asleep. It's really difficult to fall asleep with cold feet. Thankfully I got these great slippers for keeping my feet warm last year. I didn't have to go to bed with cold feet all winter long!
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@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
18 Sep 15
@bluesa Yes, they are sheepskin slippers. So they are very warm.
@bluesa (15023)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
18 Sep 15
@OneOfMany , I also cannot stand my feet being cold. And love my hot water bottle in winter. I love my fluffy slippers then too. Glad you found a pair you are happy with. :-)
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@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
18 Sep 15
You should share your ideas for keeping warm, I need to save money on heat this winter.
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@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
18 Sep 15
It's not so much warm in a grand sense as a huddled up, staying warm instead of freezing from the cold, kind of idea. I tried to use it during the aftermath of Super Storm Sandy when my power was out and my place was 45 degrees, but I didn't have enough materials to make it work. It involves heat reflective insulation and cardboard. Not something you can effectively use on your place unless you put it in your windows to keep heat from going out the glass.
@cahaya1983 (11121)
• Malaysia
18 Sep 15
Okay now I'm imagining a battalion of futuristic, high-tech, iron-man like soldiers. Except that they're normal people, right.
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@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
18 Sep 15
Yes, normal people trying to survive in a harsh world. But not-so-Iron man as just capable of carrying heavy weights with the use of special suits.
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@cahaya1983 (11121)
• Malaysia
18 Sep 15
@OneOfMany Sounds like a great plot for a sci-fi movie if you ask me!
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@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
18 Sep 15
@cahaya1983 If I could have a 'thought to movie' converter I would have many sci-fi movies out already.
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