One of the first blip projects that got Earth seriously buzzing was the space elevator. When it was completed travel between Earth orbit and Earth surface would be much faster, easier and cheaper, and it was a big high-profile project so most of Earth's people would be paying attention.
The project started with quiet negotiations, but first visible step was a Mirondian "engineering ship" being dispatched from the show room asteroid and coming into Earth orbit. It was escorted by a dense pack of Earth military ships -- having Mirondians this close to Earth made many humans uneasy. But it came because once in orbit it could communicate much more quickly with both Earth-based humans and Earth-based cyber working on the space elevator project, and fast, intense communication was at the heart of any blip-style project.
<<<*>>>
The newly hired workers filed into a meeting room. They were from diverse backgrounds, this project came together fast and required a new mix of diverse skills. They were getting to know each other while they waited for their first instructions from the Mirondian who would be supervising them. He would be on a screen talking to them from the engineering ship orbiting Earth. That way he could be comfortable living in a Mirondian environment on his ship, and the humans could be comfortable in their environment on Earth.
Three of the workers are Jason Furlong, Zeb Noches and Judy Alonzo. They are chatting and drinking coffee when the main screen lights up. They sit at the large conference table with the others and wait to hear the first news.
Miro-Robert, a Mirondian, appears on the screen.
"Humans... I mean, ladies and gentlemen. You can call me... I mean, I am... Miro-Robert. ...I apologize for my language, I am still learning your culture.
"I will be your supervisor on this part of the Space Elevator project. As outlined in the job proposals you read before joining this project, your mission is to design the tools that will make the structural members of the elevator tower. These members have to be... smart... I think you call it. They have to change their supporting characteristics in response to several different criterion, such as load and on the lower elements, weather conditions.
"Is this clear?"
There are nods of heads around the meeting room. It takes a moment for Miro-Robert to figure out this means understanding and agreement.
And he continues on, but not for very long. Part of the short duration is that this project is being done "blip style" and there are faster ways to communicate vital information than him talking on a screen. After Miro-Robert leaves the screen the meeters spend another five to ten minutes at their seats absorbing information sent over their cyber links. As they finish absorbing that, they get back into the "real world" and start chatting with each other again.
"Lunch?" says Judy to Jason and Zeb.
"Sounds good to me." says Jason, and the three head out to the food court.
"This is going to be quite a project." says Judy.
"That Miro-Robert guy is certainly fast presenting." says Jason.
"I think that's part of being blip." says Zeb, "I'm real curious about that."
"Me too." says Judy.
"Well... when it shows me how to get laid faster then I get interested... sorry, Judy." says Jason. Judy does not seem bothered, "Zeb and I, by the way, go way back. We went to high school together."
"Really?" says Judy, "Where was that?"
"Lexington, Kentucky."
"I'm a Colorado girl, myself. Boulder."
<<<*>>>
The next four weeks go by incredibly quickly for the trio. Their part of the project is to design and assemble the fabricating tools that will make the materials for some of the smart girders that the space elevator will be assembled with.
In normal times, this would have been a full year project and taken ten people. But with Miro-Robert supervising and coordinating it was finished in a month. The trio were busy, but the big difference was with Miro-Robert's help they were smart busy, not just busy. Things changed constantly as they designed and assembled the tools, but with the changes came suggestions as to how to adapt to them, so they weren't the crazy surprises that a project-going-bad has.
When the first girder went out the door, the trio was nicely impressed with what they had accomplished. And they were not alone, the numerous teams working on this space elevator project had experienced similar "blip" success.
Only eighteen months after the project was started, the elevator was up and functional.
<<<*>>>
There is a celebration party when the elevator is completed. Miro-Robert comes down and joins in. He wears an environment suit. Earth's environment is close to Mirondia's, but not identical. He moves quickly from group to group. It's as if he is engaging in "blip" socializing.
The trio, on the other hand, are relaxing and winding down.
"Soo... what comes next for you gents?" asks Judy.
Jason says, "There's a new factory starting up and I have a job there. It will make components for this new intra solar system propulsion system the Mirondians have sold us."
"Neat! What about you, Zeb?"
"Oh... I'm real curious about how this new... build-it-so-fast system works. Real curious. Miro-Robert is going to be teaching a class on how to do "blip". I'm going to be taking that for a while."
"Neat."
"Neat, but real intensive. It will keep me occupied full time."
Judy looks at Jason, "Not for you, eh?"
Jason says, "Nope, not for me. I figure if I learn blip, the first thing I'll use it for is drinking."
They all laugh at that.
"And how about you, Judy?" asks Jason.
"Me? I'll be staying with the company. Now that we have it figured out, this smart girder business is finding lots of other applications. I figure I'll be on Earth doing this a couple years, then... who knows... maybe on some colony up above. I've always wanted to try living in space."
"Wow! That's... high ambition!" says Zeb. Once again there are laughs around.
<<<*>>>
Two years later, Judy and Zeb meet at a conference being hosted on The Moon.
"How are things going for you, Judy?" says Zeb.
"Oh just fine. ...Really well, in fact. I've just been promoted. I'm now Base Chief at the Belt 226 Transfer Station."
"Really? Congrats! If I'm not mistaken that's the one that is handling [something neat] coming from Io, isn't it? Quite a responsibility."
"You got it. It's tricky stuff to deal with, but we're getting the hang of it now. And how about you?"
"Oh, I'm on my third startup right now, still on Earth. The first one fizzled out pretty completely, but the second one did well, and selling out of it let me get this third one started. This one is looking hot, white hot. We will be making a new drug, something called Miracoxin. It will be super cold pill. It works directly on the human immune system, not the virus or other foreign agent that is firing it up. Take it and 'flu-like symptoms' will vanish."
"What happens to the virus?"
"Oh, the immune system is still functioning, but it's not going overboard. That's the difference. The virus will take a few days longer to be contained, but the person will be feeling normal while it happens. Plus, there will be other drugs that can work on the virus.
"The real key is Miracoxin makes people feel better as soon as they start taking it. That's why it's hot."
"It sure sounds like it. Congrats in advance." Judy smiles at him.
Just then they look at one of the screen/TV's on the wall. They notice that it is news about some kind of protest going on on Earth, and there is something happening there that is special for them!
"It's Jason!" they both say. The protester being interviewed is Jason. They now pay more attention. They watch him, then give him a call when his interview ends.
"Hey Jason! What's up, ole man?" says Zeb, "We just saw you on the news."
"Oh that! These days I'm the chairman of the Cleveland Mirondians Go Home committee. I lost my job at the factory because they are relocating engine construction to space stations. This is an outrage."
Judy looks at Zeb with a bit of surprise. She whispers to him, "Ouch! That's one of the projects my group is picking up." then to Jason, "Why is that an outrage? Those engines get used in space, why not make them there?"
Jason doesn't have a quick answer for this. He finally says, "Well... because it cost me my job. That's why."
"So... what are you going to do next.?" asks Judy.
"I'm not sure. I'm not sure what's going to open up here on Earth. The good news is: I'm entitled. I'm not going to starve or go homeless.
"But... man! I still want a job. And I think it's those Mirondians who are cutting me out of one! That's why I'm protesting."
"You seem to be doing a good job at that. We spotted you way up here on the Moon."
Jason looks a little bug-eyed at that, "That's where you are? Both of you? Wow! Things have sure changed."
"I'm working on Earth. I'm just up for this conference." says Zeb.
Judy says, "Well, keep looking. I'm sure something will turn up. These are fast changing times."
"That they are, that they are." agrees Jason, "Given how well my career as protester is going, I may find some work selling something. I'm looking into that now."
They break off contact.
After they do, a Mirondian comes up to them. It is Miro-Sam. He looks and sounds quite differently from Miro-Robert.
"Judy, before you leave, please come see me." he says.
He is about to move on when Judy grabs his arm and says, "Wait! I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. Miro-Sam, this is Zeb. We worked on the Space Elevator together."
"Nice to meet you... Zeb. Perhaps we will get a chance to work together in the future." He bows, then moves on. He's Mirondian: they have met, he gets on with his business.
Zeb says to Judy, "Mirondian... but way different from Miro-Robert."
"You noticed it, too. It feels like they came from different cultures... maybe even different planets. How could that be?"
Zeb shrugs. "There's still lots of mystery out there, I guess."
Miro-Sam is walking by again. Zeb stops him, "A question for you, Miro-Sam, if you have the time."
"Please, ask away."
"Are you from the same place as Miro-Robert? You two seem so different in how you communicate."
"We are not. We are both colonists. We come from different worlds."
"Different worlds! How did you both get on the same ship?"
"Like I said: We are both colonists. That is all I can say on this right now. Good-bye again." and he continues on his way.
Zeb says to Judy, "Yeah, I guess they still keep some secrets."
They go on about their conferencing.