Morphing Inanimate Objects? (Fic help)

[invisiblecake]

I dunno if this is the place for this at all, but I'm writing a fic for another fandom that's set in an Animorphs-style AU. However, instead of morphing animals, they can morph cars.

I'm getting near the point where this actually happens for the first time, but I haven't really thought through how it works.

Also, it creeps me out a little. But I don't want to give in and make it all magical-sparkles to gloss over the morphing, I want that little bit of creepy-disturbing feel in there like the books have.

Cars don't have DNA either, which is a problem...

Any ideas?

[RAFrukh]

Hmm...the only 'inanimate' object would probably be plant. They have DNA though, and like you said cars don't.

The Escafil device works on absorbing DNA first, and then the mind changes your DNA. I really don't think Andalites could morph cars in 15,000 years.

[Cloudbreaker]

Instead of absorbing DNA, maybe you could have it so that the morphing ability scans a vehicle's blueprints.  And, to add a bit of challenge, perhaps the vehicle needs to be running when it is acquired so that it doesn't register as just another object or something.  Another thing to consider is wether or not a car morph would be "healed" after acquiring it.  Like, does the rust go away?  Does a missing stereo remain missing?  Custom paint jobs?  Half tank of gas?  And likewise, does demorphing and remorphing heal damage too?

[NateSean]

Could change the dynamics of the morphing technology all together. It doesn't have to be magic as such, just "Physics we don't understand."

Instead of DNA your character could acquire the object's molecular structure. All objects are made of molecules and the idea of changing from organic to inorganic is a simple matter of restructuring those molecules.

Hope you're not just going to limit yourself to cars. I mean, you've got jets, submarines, radios and a world full of technology to acquire and morph.

[Phoenix004]

Might make sense to limit it in some way though. I mean a pen could be considered a piece of technology but would be a fairly useless morph. Are you planning on making it just cars? Vehicles? All technology?

Another important thing would be what it would be like morphing a car. Unlike animals, cars obviously have no senses, but I assume you still want to be able to see/hear what's going on.

[NateSean]

Well I know I'm comparing to apples to mangos here but Transformers comes to mind here. Alien robots who could could hide as animals or as technology. And if you're going with the Animorphs rules, the animals couldn't understand what a person was saying. It was usually the Animorphs or the Andalites who added the meaning to what they were hearing.

I mean, if they're morphing to vehicles the writer has to figure out the rules. The idea of something being "realistic" is only going to get you so far with this concept so if it's not "magic" then it has to be "science we don't understand".

[invisiblecake]

Thanks everyone!

Well, it was always going to be the "science we don't understand" direction. There's an alien who gives it to them, and he hasn't really explained things yet in what I have so far. Which is good, since I have no idea what I'm doing.

So far it's just gonna be cars, but will probably include things like motorcycles/trucks/planes/etc later on. I like the idea of just molecular changes/blueprints. Considering the engines being running thing.

Most of the other similar fic in the fandom gives the cars senses of some kind when people get transformed. I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to deal with the healing/feeling pain stuff. If the engine has to be on, then non-running cars are out, so it wouldn't heal everything at least.

(I dunno if any of you guys have heard of/seen Top Gear at all? That's what I'm writing about.)

I am a huge dork.

[TobiasMasonPark]

     Is there still a two hour limit?

     Could you imagine getting trapped as an iPod or something and getting sold at the Wal Mart?

[NateSean]

You could make a small fortune selling yourself as an Android on Ebay, only to sneak away under the cover of night as a remote control airplane.

[invisiblecake]

Yeah, 2 hour limit is still there.

Been considering remote control cars and such, too. 'cause full-size cars are not so good for spying once someone goes into a building.

[cams]

It would be cool if at least one of them morphs into K.I.T.T.
And if your version of Visser 3 morphs into K.A.R.R.


BTW, what would happen if the car demorphs while someone is still in it?

[invisiblecake]

BTW, what would happen if the car demorphs while someone is still in it?

I don't think that would end well. I hope it never comes to that, and that they can tell people to get the frak out before hand.

[NateSean]

That would solve the issue of mobility thought.

Have each character take turns morphing into planes and helicopters every so often to transport themselves over long distance. Large jets would be a problem though, since everything is monitored by radar these days. And in the post 9/11 climate you don't want to be seen even accidentally flying near a historical landmark in a jumbo jet morph.

[invisiblecake]

OMG someone morphing a jumbo jet would be hilarious. And they actually conveniently have one at the track! Although it can't take off because the airfield isn't big enough LOL.

[TobiasMasonPark]

     You could morph a bus and take your enemies hostage.