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Grenouille
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Right but the nitrogen narcosis got me interested... as in, it'd be a really cool thing to use in the story. So I'm actually hoping to find a way of using it, not avoid it.
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Rich Keller
Contributor
A simple way to introduce it into the story would be if the mix was not right and caused problems but then you would need to explain how this works. The scuba divers use a completely different mix so they would think you were wrong and the non divers would just be lost as they would not even understand the basics as far as narcosis is concerned. I am sure a way can be found but it might be more work to explain this then it is worth. How much detail do you want to get into?
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Grenouille
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Not much detail at all, we wrote the book entirely without ever going into details about anything and honestly, it really doesn't feel unrealistic at all. Now we're rewriting it and want to make it a bit more real and researched, but as long as what we do is accurate, we do not plan on explaining details at all. Our focus is character development and the actual plot, not the science behind the story. It's background in the story, not a focus. Just to make sure I got this right, the trimix would only be used when diving, right, not within the structure itself, since it's "normal pressure" inside?
Rich Keller
Contributor
No, my suggestion was to move the habitat to shallower water and have them all living at the pressure at that depth/ambient pressure, full time so the habitat would not be at one atmosphere/normal pressure. If everyone in the habitat is living at ambient pressure then they would all be saturated and would require a few days to decompress. It is the long decompression time that would be required to get back to the surface that would prevent them from leaving on their own.
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Grenouille
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But isn't it dangerous to try and have people live at that pressure for 20 years? They're having sex, giving birth and all in there. Aren't there consequences to being so deep for so long, plus to the fact that they have to breathe the trimix long term? On the one hand I'm interested in having consequences to their being at that depth, something that affects their daily lives, but on the other it can't be too big, because the man who made this place had in mind to provide a happy and healthy life for them during that time underwater.
There are bound to be consequences but no one can tell you what they are since no one afaik has tried this...
Rich Keller
Contributor
One consequence would be that no one would be giving birth down there. If this is a vital part of your story then you have to make this a one atmosphere habitat. Another is the effect this has on your brain chemistry, though it has never been studied in any great detain as far as I know. The most notable effect this has is to cause the most horrific and vivid nightmares you could ever imagine. There is no way to tell what consequences years of this type of exposure would have.
OP
Grenouille
Registered
Yep okay, I don't have a choice then, children are a crucial part of the story, it'll have to be a one atmosphere habitat.
Rich Keller
Contributor
If that is the case then you would have to place the habitat deeper or it would be too easy for them to get to the surface.
OP
Grenouille
Registered
Okay so back to square one... although the reason makes sense now. He needs a normal atmosphere so they can still have kids. In a normal atmosphere, he can't put it in a depth too shallow, or it'll be too easy to leave. So it's got to be deep. Deep enough that it's not even worth making a bell?
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