Kill Switch

[Third Loop]

Kill switch

Picture if you will, the sole crew member of the Watcher satellite. The person who crews Watcher changes over time but the function of the satellite is the same. Its sole purpose is the well being and care of the planet and specifically humanity on a macro scale.

It has many tools at its disposal, it can alter the atmosphere, tweak the magnetosphere and many other minor alterations. There are also radical tools that are seldom used. The more radical measures that can be taken require approval of command but the crew has discretion to use any and all tools in emergency situations in the absence of command.

In this scene the crew is kicking back with his legs on the console reading a good book when the room starts flashing red and a klaxon sounds followed by an automated voice warning, “Collision warning inbound object.”

The crew member checked his sensors and his logs and noted the object on the collision course is one of many inbound objects he has had to deal with lately. He had warned command about this particular one and requested it be redirected. Its course should have been altered before it got close enough to trigger the alarm.

Here is the predicament, there are three options and none of them are desirable. There is not enough time to communicate with command but option one is to assume command has this in hand and will redirect before impact. The crew did this for the last object and waited as long as he could before he did option two.

Option two is to time slip the planet so that it blinks to a different point in its orbit of the sun and the object will miss the planet. The blink is a bit random and unpredictable in what point in the orbit it will blink to. The main reason this option is undesirable is the device requires a set amount of time for re-calibration after a blink. The device has not had enough time since it’s last use and runs the risk of knocking the planet out of it’s orbit.

The third option is to let the object strike the planet, simulations predict the odds of it being extinction level as 45%.

If you were the one on Watcher what would you do.

[Týsköll]

• Is there an estimated death toll in a non-extinction level impact?
• Is there a known % chance of the planet being knocked out of orbit when using 'blink' ?

That aside...

In the absence of command acting on their given intent to redirect, but have not.
In the absence of communication with command.
With assumption of being in command of the scenario.
Acting with only the available information.
A possibility of command being able to adjust orbit after the fact or some other correction as shown with other 'objects'.
45% is too great a risk when gambling with the entire species.

So; we deal with the immediate threat, and take the shot.
Wait until just before the point of no return for redirect and blink.

[Third Loop]

• Is there an estimated death toll in a non-extinction level impact?
• Is there a known % chance of the planet being knocked out of orbit when using 'blink' ?

That aside...

In the absence of command acting on their given intent to redirect, but have not.
In the absence of communication with command.
With assumption of being in command of the scenario.
Acting with only the available information.
A possibility of command being able to adjust orbit after the fact or some other correction as shown with other 'objects'.
45% is too great a risk when gambling with the entire species.

So; we deal with the immediate threat, and take the shot.
Wait until just before the point of no return for redirect and blink.

Thanks for doing the thought exercise, but I really hadn't thought to much about details. It's more metaphor than consistent.

The risk of blinking out of orbit, not sure but if that happens it's worse that an ELE. IMHO, life always seems to survive impacts but a change in orbit can alter the conditions for life.

[Týsköll]

• Is there an estimated death toll in a non-extinction level impact?
• Is there a known % chance of the planet being knocked out of orbit when using 'blink' ?

That aside...

In the absence of command acting on their given intent to redirect, but have not.
In the absence of communication with command.
With assumption of being in command of the scenario.
Acting with only the available information.
A possibility of command being able to adjust orbit after the fact or some other correction as shown with other 'objects'.
45% is too great a risk when gambling with the entire species.

So; we deal with the immediate threat, and take the shot.
Wait until just before the point of no return for redirect and blink.

Thanks for doing the thought exorcise, but I really hadn't thought to much about details. It's more metaphor than consistent.

I began to ponder more and included a spoiler with "probably included in the 45p" and some more questions regarding impact location and why it mattered.... but yeah I figured you just wanted the quick fire decision with only that info given. So there it is

Also, np.

[Caylus Ark]

Kill switch

Picture if you will, the sole crew member of the Watcher satellite. The person who crews Watcher changes over time but the function of the satellite is the same. Its sole purpose is the well being and care of the planet and specifically humanity on a macro scale.

It has many tools at its disposal, it can alter the atmosphere, tweak the magnetosphere and many other minor alterations. There are also radical tools that are seldom used. The more radical measures that can be taken require approval of command but the crew has discretion to use any and all tools in emergency situations in the absence of command.

In this scene the crew is kicking back with his legs on the console reading a good book when the room starts flashing red and a klaxon sounds followed by an automated voice warning, “Collision warning inbound object.”

The crew member checked his sensors and his logs and noted the object on the collision course is one of many inbound objects he has had to deal with lately. He had warned command about this particular one and requested it be redirected. Its course should have been altered before it got close enough to trigger the alarm.

Here is the predicament, there are three options and none of them are desirable. There is not enough time to communicate with command but option one is to assume command has this in hand and will redirect before impact. The crew did this for the last object and waited as long as he could before he did option two.

Option two is to time slip the planet so that it blinks to a different point in its orbit of the sun and the object will miss the planet. The blink is a bit random and unpredictable in what point in the orbit it will blink to. The main reason this option is undesirable is the device requires a set amount of time for re-calibration after a blink. The device has not had enough time since it’s last use and runs the risk of knocking the planet out of it’s orbit.

The third option is to let the object strike the planet, simulations predict the odds of it being extinction level as 45%.

If you were the one on Watcher what would you do.

Technically, there is only one proactive option here, so the real choice is whether you do something risky or do nothing.
I would probably do the proactive thing.

[Caylus Ark]