From 762cefe07931be6dceb76fc8c7f82d83ee9cb561 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: James Tomasino Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2024 00:00:05 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] backup --- gopher/Lovelace/04.txt | 363 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ gopher/listing.gophermap | 1 + 2 files changed, 364 insertions(+) create mode 100644 gopher/Lovelace/04.txt diff --git a/gopher/Lovelace/04.txt b/gopher/Lovelace/04.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d83d912 --- /dev/null +++ b/gopher/Lovelace/04.txt @@ -0,0 +1,363 @@ + + , . . + . o + . , + * -o- . . * . + , * -0====> + / / ' + / / ___ ___ // ___ ___ ___ + / / // ) ) || / / //___) ) // // ) ) // ) ) //___) ) + / / // / / || / / // // // / / // // + / /____/ / ((___/ / ||/ / ((____ // ((___( ( ((____ ((____ + +--------------------- [SB-129 Class Starship] ---------------------- + +## TRANSMISSION RECIEVED 2314-01-27 ## +"What are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?" +The question puzzled St'Wek. Not only because he hadn't had a work to +"be at" for quite some time now, but also because he seemed to find +himself in an unfamiliar place and thrown into a conversation with a +likewise unfamiliar person out of nowhere. He didn't remember what he +had been doing just now but he knew that he had never been where-ever +he was at the moment. +"Uhm. No.", he said plainly since the stranger seemed very annoyed by +his general cluelessness. He didn't appreciate being stressed by a +strange, thin alien in an boring building with all-white (or very +brightly coloured) furniture that lacked any ornamentation. He began +to become very annoyed now at this lazy excuse for an exposition. +"Where am I?" he asked. +The alien rolled his eye (for he had only one of those). +"We don't have time for this", he said, "You're pairing up with +Lataz, he's starting in the extraction department today. You should +count yourself lucky that we need employees so badly at the moment or +you'd be.. well, you know." +"No. I don't", said St'Wek, "And I'm not really looking for a job, +actually, so if you could show me the nearest exi-" +The thin man had gone already. In his place now stood a smaller +creature with a quieter voice. "Please come with me", it said. +"Fine. But I don't actually want to. And I will complain the whole +time." +Lataz shrugged and lead the way. +"I've been working here for most of my life", he said after a pause, +"But I've never worked extraction. I don't even quite know what they +do there. No one does, but you're aware of that of course, sorry." +"No, I'm actually not. Nor do I care much. My hot tip is that they +might be extracting something. Will you tell me where I am? +Are we on a ship or a planet? And where are my friends?" +Only with the last sentence did St'Wek remember his two companions +and he instantly became more worried. +The small man was visibly irritated. "You must know where you are! +This is Bhel and you are at LEAD. As you well know", he laughed +uncomfortably, "No one could just walk in here by accident. The place +is very well guarded and they don't let just anyone in." +"My friends, what about my friends!", St'Wek demanded. +"I just met you, I don't know anything about you or where your +friends are. Sorry. This way." + +St'Wek followed his guide through a maze of identical corridors to a +central door protected by every security measure he'd ever heard of - +and then some. After Lataz had finished leaving a sample of seemingly +every cell in his lanky body the door whizzed open. +On the other side lay a great hall filled with all manner of +cyclopses looking intently at a large screen that took up the entire +wall opposite the door. At his left and right St'Wek observed that +the walls were minimalistcally decorated with black banners +that showed a symbol which looked a bit like a closed eye with a +stream of water in the background. Underneath this were letters +of some kind. He guessed they must say "LEAD", though the only way +to know for sure was to ask someone. +The ability to read had never been granted to him, after all. + +He followed his nervous guide mindlessly and found himself standing +among the people, staring at the big screen. It whizzed on now, +depicting a close up of someone's face. A woman, St'Wek guessed, +though it was never really a sure thing with aliens. They could look +and sound all kinds of ways, sometimes that didn't mean anything. He +didn't even know what exactly Xēcnes was, come to think of it. + +"Esteemed LEAD workers", the giant face said, "We are honoured to +welcome you to the extraction department. You each have worked in one +of the many other departments and have achieved a reputation as good +workers, as people who put the well-being of the collective above +all. People who can be trusted to do what is necessary." + +"In my time, some were outraged by my research. But while they +twiddled their appendages and shook their heads, saying how very +unfortunate it was that the population was diseased and dying, +I took action. They said it was the way it had always been, that +there was no changing it. I showed them the means to their salvation + but they turned away and feigned ignorance. +Imagine where we would be if these voices had won, if Mehtr Pakal +had never been allowed to use her theories and allow the disease-free +present we live in today. The estimated lifespan has almost doubled +over the past 20 cycles. Grandparents need no longer fear seeing their +own grandchildren for the viruses they may carry. The birth rate +has increased, since potential parents are no longer afraid +that their children will die from infections." + +"But this miracle would be impossible without the work you do every +day. So as the privilege of working in extraction befalls you, +remember why we are here. All of you are miracle workers, heros. +Angels of mercy." + +The face disappeared and the crowd was pleased with itself; shaking +its hands and welcoming itself to the family. The giant screen split +in two, revealing itself to be a door also. As the great wall parted +with a loud rumble, the screams started to wash in from the +other side. + _ + ^'#~ + <(.l.)> + -- + | | + | | +---| |----------------------------------------------------------- + + +The first thing Aanya of Faino noticed was that she was staring. +She was staring, but not at anything in particular. She was staring, +but she wasn't seeing anything. She concluded that this was a silly, +ineffective thing to do, so she decided she should actively see +whatever it was she was aiming her eyes at. +Her eyes were aimed at a marble statue of an old man with only one +eye, but three legs, as if to make up for it. The statue was painted +in a warm red. +Out of his eye the man was crying pure water, which gathered in a +pool below. Over the water hovered a long insect with thin wings, +which Aanya instinctively grabbed and shoved into her mouth. +It didn't taste like anything and didn't fill her stomach one bit. +"What a waste of time" she thought. +Once she had started to become annoyed, she realized she had a much +better reason to be annoyed. Such as not knowing where she was +or how she had gotten there. Aanya of Faino frowned. + +"Aanya", someone called. "Aanya, where are you now?" +"I don't know", said Aanya, more to herself than anyone. +"Ah there you are", said the small one-eyed creature which now came +into view. It was hard to guess the age of an alien species +you had never seen before, so Aanya didn't. +"Come on, dear, mother is waiting. She's having another boring +meeting and I have to attend. You must come with me and keep me +entertained so I don't die of boredom." +The cyclops took Aanya by the arm and dragged her through the roofed +garden with the sad water fountain into the house. +Aanya let this happen. Not much else to do, really. Other than... +"Where am I and who are you?", she asked while running to keep up +with her arm. +"No games Aanya, we're running late already. More walking, +less talking." +So that didn't clear anything up. Aanya decided to reschedule +her annoyance to a later time and to simply indulge this strange +person as long as it did no harm. +She was slowly but surely developing a headache. +The walls here were very warm, it really irritated her eyes. +No use in being annoyed on top of all that. + +Aanya of Faino had only recently learned that there was a color +called "purple"; worst of all that she was apparently reflecting +this color. That was a bizarre concept that she didn't waste any +more time thinking about. While others like Xēcnes could see purple, +Aanya's visual spectrum began at green and ended somewhere around +short-wave infrared. So when she said things like "the walls here +are very warm and it's a strain on the eyes" this was not due to +synesthesia or anything of the sort; if she said the walls looked +warm then it was because the walls were warm. + +Finally they arrived in a large hall with a long table at the center. +The walls were off-white and the chairs around the table bent in on +themselves in a way that might have been quite artistic, but not, +as far as Aanya could imagine, comfortable. Despite this many of +them were occupied by larger one-eyes persons with stern looks and +figurative long white beards. +"It's the council", explained the smaller creature, "She's been +looking forward to this for half a season now; to finally present +her idea." Aanya nodded. This sure was a situation. + +"Welcome, council, and thank you for seeing me. I promise you +you will not regret your decision!", a high voice from behind Aanya +said. It belonged to someone in a red dress who closed the door +upon entry. The meeting had started, apparently. The person +lightly pushed Aanya and her companion away on her way to the table. + +"Yes", said a sceptic voice, "You've promised quite the miracle +this time, Mehtr. If it wasn't for your well documented success in +the fields of microbiology, we would've laughed and thrown your +letter right out. Instead of just laughing." +The small cyclops beside Aanya frowned. At least, that's what Aanya +thought the expression meant. The person in the dress just smiled. +"I can hardly blame you. It is fantastical, isn't it? To think +the people in this room could be the ones to end disease on Bhel +forever." A pause. +Everyone else in the room looked at eachother in half amused, half +tired disbelief. Wham! The sound of a fist on the table, though +Aanya got the feeling it was not out of anger but rather +a calculated action. + +"I know everyone here has lost someone. I know you are tired and +maybe you have no energy for childish hopes. But I do not have the +luxury to turn my head away from sick children and the dying poor. +My own daughter has mere seasons left to live-" +Aanya noticed an appandage raised in her direction and felt a cold +rush pierce through her, it was like being called out by the General +when you hadn't been paying attention. Then she remembered the +gleeful cyclops next to her and scratched her head scales in +embarassment. +"- and I cannot just stand by when I know I have a shot at saving +her life and other mothers from the sorrow of losing a child." + +Aanya regarded the girl. She didn't seem sick to her at all, she'd +been dancing down the corridor just a little while ago and she was +visibly rooting for her mother. But then she didn't know anything +about these people and their diseases. +She hoped the child wasn't contagious. + +"Yes, yes, you may spare us the theatrics, we are not your sponsors. +Just explain to us how you intend to save the world." + +And the "Mehtr" woman did. Aanya didn't understand much of it. +Biology was never her sort of topic, too many fluids and mutations. +Technology was always more or less the same. After a while she +resumed her morning activity of staring at nothing in particular. +But there was one thing, near the end, that made the council shift +uneasily in their seats. Mehtr kept going, unbothered by this, +until finally one of the members jumped from their seat and cut +her off. + +"Stop.", they demanded with barely contained disgust. +"I'm sorry, did you say you want our permission to inject Tauwian +cells into our children?" A dissatisfied rumbling resounded +from the other members. + +The woman seemed undeterred. "Yes. Well, after appropriate testing, +of course." +"That's horrific", a voice exclaimed, "I don't want any dirty +Tauwian substances in my family blood. Why, these people are barely +distinct from animals!" +"Please calm yourself", said Mehtr. "I can see you're uneasy, so a +demonstration is in order. Iakeō, darling, would you fetch +the ratbird." +The girl nodded enthusiastically and shot out of the room, wafting +a breeze of air into Aanya's face in the process. They waited. + +Then Iakeō returned with a creature in a cage that did in fact +resemble a mash-up of a rat and a bird. Its feathers were thin +and its eyes were watery, it didn't look too well. + +"Thank you. As you can see this poor animal has contracted the +incurable seurian flu. Harmless to us Heek, of course, but a vet +would have to put it down. With just a small injection of my +universal vaccine, which yes, contains what you so ellequantly +described as 'dirty Tauwian substances'..." +She injected the ratbird with a clear liquid. +It shifted and protested and after the vial was empty it sat still +for a moment. Then it spread its wings for all to see, as it rapidly +grew more feathers and the color returned to its small furry body. +The crowd gasped. A lot of "I don't believe it"s and "Incredible"s +could be heard. + +"While they aren't as intelligent and civilized as us, Tauwians +have a fascinating phisiology, without which this wouldn't be +possible. It is a matter of shifting your focus away from sullying +our racial purity. Think of this much the same way you think of using +the secretions of the pigfly to anethezise patients. You said it +yourself, after all, they are barely distinct from animals" +Aanya let a long hard "Hmmmmmmmmmmmm" slip out of her mouth. +She didn't know much about these Tauwian people or their +intelligence but she did feel like comparing them to animals was the +start of something very nasty indeed. +The council did not seem to think so. The grim expressions of its +members appeared to lift away from their faces and fly out of the +window like a ratbird. + + + vwv + (0 0) + ~ ~ + / | | \ + \ | | / +---.= =.------------------------------------------------------------- + + +The grey desert seemed to stretch endlessly between the abandoned +buildings. Xēcnes had been walking for a while now in hopes of find- +ing anyone or anything living. And there had been plants of course, +loads of them (though not very pretty and mostly grey, not that it +bothered Xēcnes) but no sentient creature, no one to talk to. +No one to tell Xēcnes what planet this was and where the rest +of the Lovelace crew was staying. + +It was not pleasant at all, it was rather boring and lonely. Xēcnes +didn't mind being alone, of course, in that lovely room on the ship +with a record of Earths history to read through or old ship recordings, +but this was just depressing. And it reminded the small crustacean +too much of home. +Still, there had to be a reason for its presence here. +If Xēcnes couldn't believe that anymore, couldn't believe that some +cosmic force was guiding the path, that every action contributed to +the holistic ecosystem of the universe... +Well, what would be left of home then? +What would be left of Planet 7ːɹi? + +Xēcnes had seen many curious things so far. Scientific equipment, +barred doors, empty fountains with rusty plugs and statues of one- +eyed people that were probably important figures, or at least +famous ones. All in all the place presented a nice little mystery, +but what fun was it to solve it all alone? To solve it without +Aanya's sceptical yet helpful comments and St'Weks periodical +declarations that he didn't care, though he clearly kind of did. + +Xēcnes sighed, insofar it was possible to do with those mouthparts, +and climbed through the shattered window of a nearby house with +barred doors. The inside didn't look much like the inside of a house. +Really, it looked like a bit of outside that someone had built a roof +over and then called it a day. +There was sand and broken wood lying in the dirt, there was no +furniture and childrens toys with missing limbs were spread out +across the room. It reminded Xēcnes of human horror movies, the only +thing missing from the athmosphere was a childs laughter or singing +blowing in the wind. Hm. What a terrible thing to think about, +this had been a real inhabited planet after all. +Probably. Xēcnes wasn't sure if it was a planet, or if it was wholly +deserted. Planets are usually very big. + +There! A weak light in the dirt. Xēcnes dusted off the notebook-like +device, that seemed to consist of many self-illuminating blank pages. +It seemed like it had once been brand new, when it had belonged to a +living person. The only page with writing on it was the first. +Xēcnes read: + +> Our fountains are filled with blood +> but we don't know it, +> we don't see it, +> we don't recognize it, because it's see-through. +> We don't see the blood on our hands +> because it blends into normality +> Or we do see it, do we know what we've done +> but don't care - who would care for transparent blood? +> We bleed red, this is all that matters. +> I wonder what the founder would say if he knew +> What he would say if he knew that thousands of seasons +> after his death +> he'd be crying blood on every street corner. Would he be +> disgusted? I like to think so but I know it's not true. +> He wouldn't care any more than we do now. +> Something has to die so that something else may live - +> is it that simple? Or is it just easier +> to keep the white walls clean +> when the blood won't leave a stain? +> And when the blood started to turn red +> did it suddenly matter? When the walls were sullied +> and we couldn't pretend it was water anymore +> was it suddenly a tragedy? +> Or was it just fair? +> Was it what we deserved? + + + c \ + | / + ( o o ) + _ II _ + |______| +/ \---------------------------------------------------------- + + +## END OF TRANSMISSION ONE ## diff --git a/gopher/listing.gophermap b/gopher/listing.gophermap index ab30af7..30f8450 100644 --- a/gopher/listing.gophermap +++ b/gopher/listing.gophermap @@ -1,3 +1,4 @@ +0Lovelace - The Fountain of Youth (1) /Lovelace/04.txt 0Leaps And Bounds - terminal_fragments /Leaps And Bounds/terminal-fragments.txt 0Leaps And Bounds - penultimate, um /Leaps And Bounds/thunderstandin.txt 0telitru - notci xi so /telitru/009.txt