Planet Fastlane: Faster than Speeding Bullets
Recently discovered, the planet commonly referred to as Fast Lane has a collection of huge continents that all orbit the planet’s core inside the atmosphere; some of the more porous rock orbits higher and even more rapidly than the more dense strata, but all move the same direction constantly and at a very high rate of speed.
This one is more than 2 kilometers above the water, traveling at over 700 kilometers per hour, which makes it very risky to try to study in detail, and no one has successfully landed on any of them to see if any residents come out to say hello. Scientists disagree as to whether these are made structures or naturally shaped so strangely.
The planet core is stable, but all the land masses orbit, and there are some that are closer to the core than the ocean, so they orbit under the water; a few of these have promontories that break the water like periscopes, the closer to the core, the slower the rotation, thus, the outside realm of land masses travel on the widest and longest orbits at almost light speed. I think it’s inevitable that this particular formation has been customized, not only for habitation, but for maneuverability, however no one has successfully explored this place, due to the extreme danger of the orbiting projectiles. New radar and collision avoidance systems are being designed, but a new type of scout vessel will also be needed, most likely shaped like a needle, and able to attach itself to a flying continent magnetically, because you can’t just leave it sitting there! Life forms are anybody’s guess right now.
Vasile Stan
Hey Syd, you taking us places and planets… awesome! It looks like this young planet has about the same type of atmosphere as the Earth. I wonder when the new collision avoidance systems will be available to the public, I’d like to grab one to go and explore the Fast Lane planet.
syd baker replied
Fortunately the orbiting is mostly in one plane, picture the rings of Saturn, the problem is rocks hitting rocks sending off splinters like ricochets at unexpected times at bullet speeds. A few of the outer fastest ones actually leave the atmosphere like missiles and the orbiting ships must be ready to blast them.
Bunny Clarke
Awesome work of art. Splendid world and creation. :o)
syd baker replied
Some of these beginnings simply must be revisited I think.Thanks Bunny!
catherine walker
Amazing work you do..wonderful imagination !
syd baker replied
Thank you Catherine, this is an unexpected trend, I’m intrigued!
JenLand
Talk about the muse Syd! Yours is definitely blossoming since you left the corporate world!!
syd baker replied
You’re quite correct! I don’t know what exactly to do with them but I was adding a whole page of these planet landscapes to my web site, and I thought how great it would be to have a link to the story too!
Keith Reesor
Incredible!! Once on a land mass, no movement would be apparent with everything moving at different rates but in the same direction!! Almost as if they were all connected by spokes to the core!! :)
syd baker replied
Right, unless there was a neighbor planet also spinning off debris occasionally like this one does, that enters orbit on a different ecliptic causing occasional collisions. They’d even out again as each found it’s ideal orbit range, and in the thicker atmosphere, you’d be whipping along even when you landed on one.