[Fwd: (UA) The Zero]

[Gregory Paul Stolze]

At 06:29 PM 2/10/99 -0600, Carl L. Congdon wrote:

>Here it is. Enjoy. Constructive criticism is appreciated.

{snip}

Oh yeah, I remember this one now.  Somehow it had slipped my mind.

Overall, it's a good and spooky idea - that there are this invisible
nonentities floating around doing their ills unto all and sundry.  However,
I've got a couple little quibbles...

1)  The points you can get to build one seem a wee bit high.  If you're a
neglected nonentity living on the streets, how are you going to maintain a
Body or Speed level of 70?  For that matter, how is someone with Mind 70
going to end up with ten failed marks in anything?  But that's minor. 

2)  What distinguishes zeros from people who've simply freaked out in Self
and/or  Helplessness?  Lots of people must hit five failures in those ranks
every day: surely ALL of them don't become zeros?  What's the rare event
that makes THIS particular neglected child or street person somehow
representative of the entire idea?  

3)  Finally, my most personal complaint: they seem a little
one-dimensional.  "Homeless invisible killers" is a solid concept, but I'd
prefer it if it was taken to the next level and made personal somehow.
Right now, they're an external menace, inhuman.  They're scary 'cause they
might get you.  If you could make it more possible to empathize, they'd be
scarier still, because you'd be worried about BECOMING one.  

Just my two cents, of course.

-G.
1899 Phrenologist: Your son has the sloping forehead of a sexual deviant:
better put him in an asylum.
1999 Gene Therapist: Your fetus has the "date rape" gene.  Better abort.