484 lines
31 KiB
Plaintext
484 lines
31 KiB
Plaintext
1 +-+ +-+ +-+
|
||
+-+--+-+--+-+ VOLUME THREE NUMBER TWO
|
||
| | ==========================================
|
||
+___________+ FFFFF SSS FFFFF N N EEEEE TTTTT
|
||
| ++ | F S F NN N E T
|
||
| ++ | FFF SSS FFF N N N EEE T
|
||
| | F S F N NN E T
|
||
|_________| F SSS F N N EEEEE T
|
||
/___________\ ==========================================
|
||
| | BITNET Fantasy-Science Fiction Fanzine
|
||
___|___________|___ X-Edited by 'Orny' Liscomb <NMCS025@MAINE>
|
||
|
||
<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
|
||
|
||
CONTENTS
|
||
X-Editorial Orny
|
||
The Acquisition, Part One Roman Olynyk
|
||
2100 and Counting Orny
|
||
Narret Chronicles 4 Mari A. Paulson
|
||
|
||
<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
|
||
|
||
X-Editorial
|
||
Well, here we are! Sorry about the delay in getting issue 3-2
|
||
out, but I had to be sure the Narret Chronicles continued, and I'm
|
||
sure you'll be pleased with this copy. We start off with the first
|
||
part of a four part fantasy story by Roman Olynyk which I'm sure
|
||
will captivate you. The next article is a short story idea I came up
|
||
with which is interesting, although the copy in this issue is only a
|
||
rough draft. The idea is: What if an alien came to a post-holocaust
|
||
Earth and tried to figure out what went on, and came to the
|
||
conclusion that automobiles were the dominant life form? Finally, we
|
||
close with chapter four of the Narret Chronicles, which is drawing
|
||
towards an enthralling climax! I'm sure you will enjoy this issue
|
||
and the ones that will follow.
|
||
In news, the seventh Thieve's World book has been released by
|
||
Ace, and is titled "the Dead of Winter". This seems to be an
|
||
improvement over the previous books, and will be reviewed in issue
|
||
3-3 of FSFnet. If you are looking for it, note that the old cover
|
||
art by Walter Velez has been replaced by Gary Roddell. There is also
|
||
a new Tekumel novel out by M.A.R. Barker and DAW, called
|
||
"Flamesong". An earlier FSFnet had Mr. Barker as a featured author
|
||
and reviewed the first Tekumel book, "the Man of Gold". Finally,
|
||
Houghton Mifflin and Christopher Tolkien have combined once again to
|
||
bring us a new work, called "the Lays of Beleriand". The book
|
||
(available only in hardcover) contains several partial poems, but
|
||
concentrates on the two major stories of the Silmarillion, the
|
||
former being the Tale of Turin Turambar, and the latter being, of
|
||
course, Beren and Luthien. The two are written as "the Lay of the
|
||
Children of Hurin" and "the Lay of Leithian".
|
||
There has also been renewed interest in a BITNET Diplomacy game.
|
||
The game, marketed by the now defunct Avalon Hill Game Company, is a
|
||
classic board wargame. Anyone interested in getting a game together
|
||
(using standard postal Diplomacy rules) please get in contact with me.
|
||
Well, enough is enough! Read on and enjoy!
|
||
-Orny <NMCS025 @ MAINE>
|
||
|
||
<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
|
||
|
||
THE ACQUISITION
|
||
Part One: The Tavern
|
||
Far to the east, in a land more cold than warm, was nestled the
|
||
small village of Gorod. The village was situated on the plains, and
|
||
it was surrounded by distant mountains topped with dense forests of
|
||
hardwood trees. The people of Gorod were peasant folk. Stocky and
|
||
fair-haired, they farmed the rich fields and plied their simple
|
||
trades. Seldom, if ever, did anyone chance to venture from the
|
||
village. More seldom, still, did they ever return.
|
||
In the middle of Gorod stood a tavern of rough-hewn wood. The
|
||
tavern was called the Antlers, for that was what hung over the
|
||
doorway. The antlers were sun-bleached, bony white and porous,
|
||
marking their age in seasons. Fare at the Antlers was meager. The
|
||
only beverage served was mead. The mead was stout, however, and it
|
||
was the best in the village. In the evening, as the sun went down,
|
||
villagers would cease their labors and stop by for a brew and a meal
|
||
before subsequently dropping off to a restful sleep. This pastime
|
||
usually was limited to the younger folk who still had energy left
|
||
after a day's work.
|
||
Today, however, was different. The tavern bustled with farmers
|
||
anxious to hear the latest reports. A monstrous sow, which only a
|
||
few remaining elders remembered, had returned. The return of Kathryn
|
||
was news indeed!
|
||
Kathryn was far from being an ordinary sow. Some believed her to
|
||
be a demon wrought by the curse of Baba Yaga. Others thought she was
|
||
the reincarnation of Baba Yaga, the evil sorceress who had died more
|
||
than a century ago. Still recalled in tales around the hearth, the
|
||
tale of Baba Yaga was now considered as more of a children's story.
|
||
This day, even men of stout heart shivered at the mention of
|
||
Kathryn. From whence Kathryn returned, no one knew. When her foul
|
||
temper suited her, she would leave the dark forest and raze the
|
||
fields, burn the summer crops with her breath and ravage all in her
|
||
path. The countryside was blighted.
|
||
"Yeauh, I saw her!" said the Miller. "She was big as a bull, she
|
||
was. Her mouth was full of big awful teeth." The Miller grimaced to
|
||
illustrate the remark with his own jagged dental work.
|
||
"Who's going to drive her away?" asked the farmer who first saw
|
||
her.
|
||
"I saw her too," added another farmer. "She spit out a fiery
|
||
froth and set my rye ablaze. My crop is lost. What am I going to do?"
|
||
"Someone should go after her and kill her," suggested another
|
||
farmer.
|
||
Nobody looked the farmer in the eye. Nobody even wanted to hint
|
||
that he might wish to undertake such a task, for it seemed true;
|
||
Baba Yaga had returned in some other form.
|
||
"Who's going to drive her away?" Asked the same worried farmer
|
||
as he wrung his hands.
|
||
"Anyone who is fool enough to follow her back into the forest
|
||
will never return," commented another.
|
||
The door to the tavern opened and a wobbly-legged figure wended
|
||
its way around the oaken benches to find a seat near the kegs.
|
||
"Yeauh, that's a fact," sneered the Miller as he eyed Banewood
|
||
staggering through the door. "Maybe our Shaman can fix her one of
|
||
his spells. Kathryn'd get so dizzy that she might burn herself into
|
||
a hole!" Everyone laughed at the Miller's remark and at their
|
||
stumbling Shaman, who had been attempting to induce a vision by
|
||
smoking some hebona. Banewood still reeled and talked to the air as
|
||
he tried to pour himself a draught. Everyone laughed again,
|
||
forgetting Kathryn for the moment.
|
||
The apprentice Shaman sat with his mead and weathered the jeers
|
||
brought on by the Miller. Banewood wondered why he came to the
|
||
Antlers rather than stay at home to sleep off the effects of the
|
||
powerful smoke that he had used for divination. He found a quiet
|
||
seat far from the burly Miller and sipped from his flagon of mead.
|
||
His head cleared slowly. Banewood recalled his latest trance, a
|
||
flying vision through the forest to what appeared to be a
|
||
dilapidated hovel. From the darkened door peered two crimson eyes -
|
||
eyes that haunted Banewood for the remainder of his trance.
|
||
Kathryn could hardly be forgotten. She was black and as large as
|
||
the largest bull, just as the Miller had described. From her mouth,
|
||
which bristled with large and irregular teeth, she could spew a
|
||
cloud of caustic vapor that ignited objects it came in contact with.
|
||
The fact that Kathryn's eyes were red brought on the notion that she
|
||
was really Baba Yaga.
|
||
When she had lived, Baba Yaga was known for her blazing red eyes
|
||
which defied description. They shone of their own light - a bright,
|
||
bloody red glow. Tales of her sorcery were numerous. She was known
|
||
to fly and to take on animal forms. In any form she took, she worked
|
||
solely for evil. Never actually seeking mastery over men, she
|
||
controlled them only long enough to bring them to ruin. As an
|
||
outcast throughout her life, Baba Yaga came to hate humans or any
|
||
reminder that life was good.
|
||
To the inhabitants of Gorod, Baba Yaga seemed to live far beyond
|
||
her years. As time progressed, she made fewer appearances, but her
|
||
evil work continued through lesser genii who were under her mastery.
|
||
Eventually there came rumors of her death. Her demise was never
|
||
confirmed, for no one had ever approached her dwelling within the
|
||
dark forest. Whenever a marauding beast met its end, it was with the
|
||
anticipation that it might have been Baba Yaga in one of her forms.
|
||
Deathly visages, the skins of wolves and bears and a large stuffed
|
||
owl adorned the tavern wall, silent reminders that the black forest
|
||
was never far away.
|
||
When the wide doors opened again, they offered Sod the plowman
|
||
to the gossiping crowd. Sod was dressed in the brown, earth-crusted
|
||
clothes of a farmer. He was richly tanned and had the muscular
|
||
heaviness as befited his trade. Within his brow, his eyes were deep
|
||
and clear. They sparkled with a life seen in few other faces of the
|
||
village. This time, worry lines corded across the plowman's brow.
|
||
Sod went to Banewood and sat before the smiling Shaman. In his
|
||
hands, Sod carried a burlap bundle, which he placed carefully on the
|
||
table before Banewood. A crowd gathered as Banewood unwrapped it.
|
||
Silently and soberly, Banewood lifted the cloth and revealed a sword.
|
||
Before the wide eyes of the gathered crowd lay a sword of
|
||
unsurpassed beauty. It was about two cubits long, but it had the
|
||
grace and balance of a finely wrought instrument. The sword had the
|
||
gloss and weight of a material more like porcelain than metal; it
|
||
rang clearly when struck. Unadorned, the hilt was of a hard, white
|
||
material which shone immaculately. The edge was keen.
|
||
Sod looked as amazed and perplexed as Banewood. The strong but
|
||
unassuming plowman gazed steadily at the sword. The two, sword and
|
||
person, appeared almost as if they were measuring one another.
|
||
"The sword looked just like this when my plow turned it up."
|
||
Said the plowman, breaking the silence which had accumulated.
|
||
At once, theories were offered as to the possible origin of the
|
||
sword.
|
||
"It looks like it was made by magic," Said a farmer.
|
||
"It was probably made by Pollocks," snarled the Miller, who
|
||
washed his remark with a gulp of mead. The Miller, who seemed
|
||
spiteful of everything, resented his life and occupation, and he
|
||
thought that everyone should share his bitterness. To the Miller,
|
||
such crude remarks were an anodyne for the harsh realities of life.
|
||
"The sword is crafted as if it is beyond age," Banewood
|
||
countered. He shot a reproachful look at the Miller. "Yet it looks
|
||
as if it might have just been forged." It could have been made by
|
||
the Ludki, he thought silently to himself.
|
||
The Ludki were a legendary race of little people fabled for
|
||
their craftsmanship with metals. They were reputed to be
|
||
peace-loving, Banewood said "For those who believe that the present
|
||
holds the greatest marvels, I say: Look again and consider this
|
||
ancient treasure! There is some timeless magic within it."
|
||
The Shaman felt more power emanating from the strange weapon
|
||
than he stated openly. His knowledge of lore extended far beyond the
|
||
simple life of Gorod, yet he was at a loss to determine the history
|
||
of the sword. It could have been crafted by the Ludki but... his
|
||
knowledge was incomplete.
|
||
Banewood was a loner. He was twice orphaned: once by his parents
|
||
who perished in a blaze, and once by the Shaman who'd adopted him,
|
||
only to die himself several years later. The Shaman had only just
|
||
begun the long task of training his apprentice. When the Shaman
|
||
died, Banewood was left with only his master's books and the
|
||
roughest of outlines to follow in his quest for the greater
|
||
knowledge. Because Banewood continued on the road to knowledge with
|
||
no guide, a task never attempted before, he would often err. The
|
||
apprentice would sometimes find himself wandering alone in a
|
||
stuporous haze brought on by smoking some of the strange concoctions
|
||
left by the Shaman. Once, the Shaman lived, Banewood had a guide to
|
||
help him through these tortuous visions which helped to give a
|
||
Shaman his knowledge and opened the secret doors of power to him.
|
||
Now alone, Banewood faltered like a man blind. His acquisition of
|
||
power was slow and unsure.
|
||
Banewood noticed how well the sword fit the hand of the plowman.
|
||
When Sod hefted it, the sword moved easily, as if it were pliant
|
||
with the wishes of its wielder.
|
||
When the crowd at the Antlers had all viewed the sword, the
|
||
conversation turned to the possible use of the sword against
|
||
Kathryn. They talked of what damage such a sword could do to its
|
||
victim. Each offered his opinion of a sufficiently brave fellow, one
|
||
other than himself. A challenge to one's manhood was quickly
|
||
answered by bluster and puffery but not by a volunteer.
|
||
"Yeauh, maybe our Shaman could fix up one of his..."
|
||
"Shut up!" Came the unexpected response from the usually demure
|
||
Banewood.
|
||
The Miller sat transfixed, his hand at his throat, unable to
|
||
utter a sound. There was silence.
|
||
"What did you do to him!" Yelled one of the Miller's companions
|
||
as he started to lunge for Banewood.
|
||
At that instant, the room resounded with a loud bang and the
|
||
splintering of wood. One of the large oaken tables lay on the
|
||
ground, cloven in two. The lunging man stopped in his tracks and
|
||
stared in disbelief. Sod, still holding the sword, blushed. His only
|
||
response to the crowd of farmers was a firm, "I'll do it."
|
||
Comraderie again filled the air. Fresh kegs were tapped and
|
||
toasts were offered to Sod. Men normally distant to Sod hugged him
|
||
to show their admiration for him, to bask in reflected glory and to
|
||
wish the best of luck to the doomed fellow.
|
||
"Yes, with such a weapon, one could take on Baba Yaga herself!"
|
||
said a distant relative to Sod who wondered of his own claim to the
|
||
doomed man's land and oxen.
|
||
Sod left the celebration early. He needed to sleep and to ponder
|
||
the consequences of his decision. "What had happened?" he asked
|
||
himself. He had been fondling the hilt of the sword when the near
|
||
fight had broken out. He had been weighing a decision to seek the
|
||
monstrous sow and had made his resolution as the Miller made his
|
||
last remark. Sod had only thought of stopping the incipient brawl by
|
||
slapping his weapon down on the table. It was a common method of
|
||
gaining attention. Now he found himself alone on a vain quest.
|
||
Sod the plowman lived alone in his hut of modest means. The
|
||
modesty was of twofold nature: Sod spent his long days in the fields
|
||
and his nights resting from the day's labors, and Sod's livelihood
|
||
as a plowman brought him only a meager subsistence. Sod enjoyed his
|
||
occupation, for he knew he must make the best of his situation;
|
||
chances were that it would be for life. The physical exertion of
|
||
guiding a plow did not demand a similar mental exertion. Therefore,
|
||
Sod spent his working time dreaming of other lives and other worlds
|
||
- noble dreams in the mind of a simple man. In Sod's fantasy, he
|
||
would roam the kingdom as a knight errant, working deeds for glory
|
||
and profit, for surely people paid well for such special services.
|
||
These were mere dreams, however, and Sod realized that he possessed
|
||
neither the ability nor the courage to live the life of a hero.
|
||
And now what was he to do? He was commited to a suicidal quest
|
||
on the basis of momentary courage. What could he say? He found a
|
||
strange and unique weapon and that weapon offered itself as a
|
||
chance, a fleeting opportunity that must be seized and used at the
|
||
instant it was offered. Sod was unaccustomed to making such hasty
|
||
decisions, but equally, he was unaccustomed to receiving
|
||
opportunities. Sod the plowman dropped off to sleep, still clutching
|
||
his new sword.
|
||
In the early morning Sod awoke to the usual sound of birds
|
||
chirping outside his dwelling. He had already packed the meager
|
||
belongings he wished to take on his journey. Crafting a makeshift
|
||
strap, Sod girded the newfound sword to his side and stepped outside
|
||
to begin his journey. He almost stumbled across a reclining figure.
|
||
"Banewood! What are you doing here?"
|
||
"Waiting for you. I'm going with you," Banewood said as he
|
||
limberly rose without the aid of his hands. A satchel lay at his
|
||
side and a quiver full of arrows hung across his back. The old
|
||
Shaman's longbow was gripped by Banewood's left hand.
|
||
"Don't you realize that this is going to be a dangerous trip?
|
||
Few venture into the forest to return again."
|
||
"Yes, I realize the consequences. I have a knowledge of the
|
||
trees, and besides, two can travel safer than one." Banewood didn't
|
||
mention that he'd already decided to attempt the quest himself.
|
||
Sod slapped his new comrade on the back and silently thanked his
|
||
luck that he would have a companion on such a fateful journey.
|
||
Together, they marched down the dusty path that led away from Gorod
|
||
and across the fields. On their walk they passed by stooped women
|
||
already gathering herbs from their gardens. A few men were working
|
||
in the fields. The men stopped momentarily to wave to the departing
|
||
travelers. The night's comraderie was worn and forgotten.
|
||
If they had talked about this journey and their reasons for
|
||
going, Banewood and Sod would each have realized their similarity.
|
||
Banewood's quest for knowledge was proceeding slowly, much too
|
||
slowly. Still, Banewood felt that he knew as much as any man in
|
||
Gorod about the ways of their world. Banewood knew that something
|
||
had to be done about Kathryn. If Gorod didn't offer a means to the
|
||
solution, then maybe the answer lay elsewhere. Sod, on the other
|
||
hand, was not on a quest for any knowledge - he was instead trapped
|
||
in the occupation of the plowman. His work had dignity, though, and
|
||
Sod felt good about it. The sword changed Sod's outlook, though. He
|
||
felt that fate was offering him some sort of opportunity - that
|
||
given the means to accomplish something, he must seize the
|
||
opportunity and act upon it. Somehow, it seemed that the sword was
|
||
capable of slaying Kathryn, and all it took was the resolve to
|
||
accomplish it.
|
||
-Roman Olynyk
|
||
|
||
<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
|
||
|
||
2100 AND COUNTING
|
||
The Ivory is in orbit around a planet named Foren-4. Once this
|
||
planet was home to an indigenous sentient species, but they are now
|
||
extinct. Had the invention of FTL drive come a mere few decades
|
||
earlier, I would be supervising the first contact between sentient
|
||
life forms. Maybe we could have helped them avoid their extinction
|
||
somehow. But now I am in charge of a group of archaeologists and
|
||
anthropologists, sifting through the dust that has gathered about
|
||
the bones of this once-great civilization.
|
||
Physically, the natives of this planet seem to have been
|
||
mechanical in nature. They were quadrupedal, and made primarily of
|
||
rare metals, which would indicate a synthetic nature. It is too
|
||
early to venture a hypothesis as to the origin of this species, but
|
||
I would guess that they were created by an elder race as robotic
|
||
servants who, for some reason, outlived their creators. From my
|
||
several expeditions to the surface, I have come to several
|
||
preliminary conclusions which shall be discussed in the following
|
||
report.
|
||
At a site the team visited in a place called "Detroyt-Michigan"
|
||
we found evidence supporting the hypothesis that the robots are
|
||
constructed by other nonsentient species of robots. There is no
|
||
evidence of an organized religion, and there are several reports of
|
||
large communal graves, called, in the vernacular, "junkyards".
|
||
There is very little evidence of a political system or
|
||
hierarchy, though evidence points to a system of self-government and
|
||
equality. Whether this leans towards anarchy or democracy is unknown
|
||
at this point, although further research is at this moment being
|
||
conducted.
|
||
There is, however, a vast number of observable social phenomena.
|
||
The entire globe is crisscrossed with broad avenues for travelling
|
||
with laws to govern them. I found an example of the organization of
|
||
these ways at a junction of two streets, where there were lights
|
||
which flashed "DON'T WALK" when it was unlawful or dangerous to
|
||
continue, and "WALK" when it was safe. This observation led me to
|
||
the conclusion that there was a global organization of the race. The
|
||
roads often pass by majestic views and natural phenomena, indicating
|
||
that there was a distinct respect for the natural environment from
|
||
which the race developed.
|
||
At one site I came across a large area where individuals could
|
||
gather for social interaction and entertainment. These areas, called
|
||
"Drive-Ins" have been found in several locations on Foren-4. At
|
||
other sites have been discovered large tracks where the robots could
|
||
run around and keep themselves healthy. The names "Daytona" and
|
||
"Indy" have been preserved as names of favorite tracks. This
|
||
indicates that the robots were concerned with their well-being and
|
||
perhaps enjoyed sports.
|
||
It seems that the race had also developed a sense of beauty, for
|
||
at several sites have been found structures where what were
|
||
considered the most physically attractive members of the species
|
||
were displayed behind large glass windows. These "showrooms" were
|
||
often placed close to the walkways, so that individuals could walk
|
||
by and admire the beauty of the species.
|
||
Very little has been determined about the language of the
|
||
natives, though two important facts have been interpreted. Firstly,
|
||
the language was written, as the walkways that cross the globe often
|
||
were decorated with large signs bearing messages that we have yet to
|
||
interpret. Also interesting is that the robots communicated in very
|
||
high frequencies, in the range of radio waves.
|
||
Unfortunately, very little has been determined concerning the
|
||
family structure of the natives, though there is a little to go on.
|
||
At most sites, the individuals lived in small buildings called
|
||
"garages" in nuclear family groups of usually no more than three
|
||
individuals.
|
||
At this point, I feel that the civilization at Soren deserves
|
||
much more study, as we have, in this mission, only been able to
|
||
grasp the most obvious facts about the race which once inhabited
|
||
this planet. I would hope that this expedition will be extended for
|
||
an indefinite period to gather more accurate and in-depth information.
|
||
-Orny <NMCS025 @ MAINE>
|
||
|
||
<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
|
||
|
||
NARRET CHRONICLES
|
||
Book the Fourth
|
||
Samo landed Narret-1 as they requested, in hanger-81, which was
|
||
not surprisingly full of anxiously awaiting scientists, and waited
|
||
for further instructions.
|
||
The scientists, mainly aerospace engineers, with a few
|
||
astronomers thrown in for good measure, gathered around the ship,
|
||
some of them speculating how the ship was propelled, others eagerly
|
||
awaiting an explanation from Samo. close!! Well, I guess I shouldn't
|
||
expect much from them, being as belligerent as they are. Still,
|
||
you'd think they would have at least begun to think in binary
|
||
instead of that awkward decimal system of theirs. I'll have to
|
||
suggest it to them before I leave." thought Samo.
|
||
Time to make an entrance, Samo thought as he changed the
|
||
polarity setting on his daser-dewelder. Using this as a laser
|
||
cutting torch, he opened the door to the craft. A flood of dazzling
|
||
brightness the likes of which no one had ever seen rushed into the
|
||
hanger, momentarily blinding everyone in the room.
|
||
"I'm sorry about that." Samo said as he stepped down from the
|
||
spherical craft, "It's one of the affects of trans-universal travel,
|
||
when a body full of darktron radiation undergoes a
|
||
matter-anti-matter reaction, then that radiation gets converted to
|
||
light, provided it isn't turned to pure energy and is vaporized
|
||
during the light-warp of course."
|
||
"It's effect should last only a few minutes, but you those of
|
||
you looking at the door as I opened it may be seeing spots for a
|
||
short while. It is generally considered about the same as looking
|
||
directly at your sun for a moment with the unaided eye."
|
||
"In the meantime, I'm sure you must have some questions. I shall
|
||
entertain a few of them now if you like. However any questions
|
||
pertaining to why I am here must and shall be floored before an
|
||
international forum."
|
||
"I'm sorry gentlemen, but Dr. Ht wont be able to answer your
|
||
questions just yet," interrupted Colonel Roberts as he entered the
|
||
hangar. "He has to go through the post-flight debriefing procedure
|
||
that is undergone by all intercepted aircraft, being an alien makes
|
||
no exception."
|
||
What am I saying? Of course it makes an exception, he thought to
|
||
himself. This is crazy!!
|
||
"Dr. Ht will be available to answer all your questions after he
|
||
answers the Air Force's questions, and he addresses the United
|
||
Nations. Arrangements are being made at this hour for a special,
|
||
secret meeting of the United Nations, in response to your request.
|
||
Now Dr Ht. if you'll come with us we'll go to the debriefing room."
|
||
"I'm sure you realize how very irregular this situation is,
|
||
we're doing the best we can to have this meeting organized, but not
|
||
all of the countries are as eager to respond as you may have thought."
|
||
"Oh, don't worry about the others, I have the feeling they will
|
||
be coming," said Samo.
|
||
"We have several questions for you and, given the circumstances,
|
||
I hope you can see why we feel we need to ask them. This shouldn't
|
||
take very long, please bear with us," said Colonel Roberts.
|
||
"First of all," began Captain Phillips, "Will you state for the
|
||
record once again where it is you come from and why you're here?"
|
||
"I come from the Planet Sunaru in the Narret System, by a
|
||
technology much more advanced than your own. The Narret System is a
|
||
stellar counter-part to your own solar system, within the
|
||
counter-universe. My home planet is the Planet Amrif Arret. It
|
||
corresponds directly to this planet, Earth. I am here because we
|
||
believe you humans have pushed the threat of global nuclear war to
|
||
the brink of a disaster of cosmological proportions. What your
|
||
people have failed to realize is that there is an entirely contrary
|
||
universe out there, ours, which is the exact complement to your own
|
||
universe. And, quite simply, those things which you choose to
|
||
destroy here will also cause their complement in the
|
||
counter-universe to be destroyed. My people will not sit back and
|
||
watch our complement world destroy us, our peace, our prosperity,
|
||
all that which we value highly. Thus it was decided that I should be
|
||
sent to give a warning to the human race, and do whatever I deemed
|
||
necessary to preserve peace here."
|
||
"Secondly, what is it you want from the United States, officially?"
|
||
"On my journey here, which takes light some 16 of your years
|
||
within this universe alone (for us it is faster) I studied the
|
||
history of your world and found no concepts of virtue and moral
|
||
wealth greater than those noble statements recorded in your
|
||
Declaration of Independance, and your Constitution. I therefore
|
||
sought to begin seeking peace amongst those who value it most
|
||
greatly. It was simply logical, I assure you. I thought, and still
|
||
think your people will be most receptive to me, and to my necessary
|
||
appeal for peace."
|
||
"Very well, you've made your intent very clear Dr. Ht. We are
|
||
prepared to let you have the forum you requested, this very
|
||
afternoon. Until then though our scientists would like to give you a
|
||
complete physical to determine if you're undergoing any serious
|
||
side-effects from--"
|
||
"At the risk of sounding a bit facetious, I hardly think any of
|
||
your physicians could be called competent in examining me. Primarily
|
||
since they don't know what my 'norm' is. Honestly, how can they
|
||
expect to determine whether or not I'm undergoing any side-effects?
|
||
Obviously then, what they really want is to stick me full of needles
|
||
and try to make some heads or tails out of my AND molecular
|
||
structure. So, why didn't you just ask that in the first place? I
|
||
can provide them with all the necessary data from my ship's bio-log
|
||
computer, and a small blood sample to verify the truth of my data.
|
||
Isn't that what they really want?"
|
||
"Yes, I would imagine that would suffice. Any knowledge you can
|
||
give us about your people would be of great use and be much appreciated."
|
||
"Good, then no needles will be necessary. If there's one thing I
|
||
can't stand its a bunch of curious physicians sticking needles in
|
||
every appendage of my body. I hate needles..."
|
||
-Mari A. Paulson
|
||
|
||
<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>X<>
|
||
dles..."
|
||
-Mari A. P |