Name this scifi story about highways of the future
November 1, 2009 3:09 PM Subscribe
Looking for a short sci-fi story that I read on the internet. It was about a police force who worked in the very risky highways of the future, where rocket cars zoomed around at hundreds of miles an hour.
Other half-remembered details:
- The protagonists drove in a huge vehicle with three or four personnel, including drivers and a medic
- Traffic was heavy at one point because people were returning to Ohio from a football game in California
- it started snowing at another point in the story
- The highway was several lanes wide and contained differential speeds: 400 mph in the left tube, 300 mph in the middle, etc.
I can't even remember if it was a particularly good story, but I stumbled across it several years back and would like to read through it again. Thanks.
Other half-remembered details:
- The protagonists drove in a huge vehicle with three or four personnel, including drivers and a medic
- Traffic was heavy at one point because people were returning to Ohio from a football game in California
- it started snowing at another point in the story
- The highway was several lanes wide and contained differential speeds: 400 mph in the left tube, 300 mph in the middle, etc.
I can't even remember if it was a particularly good story, but I stumbled across it several years back and would like to read through it again. Thanks.
If you like that, you might also read "The Roads Must Roll" by Heinlein. Sorta similar, and really good!
posted by Jinx of the 2nd Law at 9:32 PM on November 1, 2009
posted by Jinx of the 2nd Law at 9:32 PM on November 1, 2009
Yeah, very good stories by Rick Raphael -- they were originally published by John W. Campbell in "Analog" in the early 60s. Gutenberg has the original illustrations, including the color cover for the first story. A sequel was published the next year called "Once a Cop" and it seems there was even a third story. All were published in a single book called Code Three.
The highway was several lanes wide and contained differential speeds: 400 mph in the left tube, 300 mph in the middle, etc.
Don't think it was quite that fast, maybe the fast lane was 200, tops... but what I thought was neat was those different highway lanes were color-coded by the street-lights, at night.
BTW these stories have nothing in common with Heinlein's peculiar "Roads Must Roll" IMO.
posted by Rash at 10:43 AM on November 2, 2009
The highway was several lanes wide and contained differential speeds: 400 mph in the left tube, 300 mph in the middle, etc.
Don't think it was quite that fast, maybe the fast lane was 200, tops... but what I thought was neat was those different highway lanes were color-coded by the street-lights, at night.
BTW these stories have nothing in common with Heinlein's peculiar "Roads Must Roll" IMO.
posted by Rash at 10:43 AM on November 2, 2009
Also: "Along the Scenic Route" by Harlan Ellison.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:53 AM on November 2, 2009
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:53 AM on November 2, 2009
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posted by zamboni at 5:01 PM on November 1, 2009