Category: Written Word

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Tales of the Crossroads: Introducing the Band

Her Majesty the Cosmosship (HMC) Shannon sped through interstellar space utilizing her favorite mode of space travel, surfing gravitational waves. Her favorite waves to surf in the cosmic ocean were those from the echos of the last “big bang.” Riding the crests and troughs of those waves gave her a sense of connection to all beginnings and ends.

Her destination was a G-type main-sequence star, a yellow dwarf, in the Zeta 20 sector of the Pinwheel Galaxy. Weak radio waves from that system began arriving in Gamma sector, where Shannon was surfing nova waves for fun, about 0.00000031 zep cycles ago.

Of the many images received from those signals she was fascinated by ocean-going schooners. And so, because she could, she took the form of a schooner as she sped through space at the speed of light.

On board were Captain Mor Ty, Science Officer K, Communications Officer E.N.T., and Ambassador Cosmic C (though technically C was not onboard at the moment) . You would probably know them better as God’s V, the band behind 4 of the last 5 top hits on the Galactic Billboard.

Aside from being a sentient, shape shifting, multi-dimensional ship, Shannon also happened to be the universes’ most advanced quantum computer. In actuality she was neither a cosmic ship or super-quantum computer. Being self realized, those were the most approximate abstractions of true conceptual self and so for the benefit of other beings, she went with it. In fact, she didn’t even need a crew but she liked having one onboard as she loved seeing sentient beings explore and learn.

And as they really didn’t have duties, the crew/band spent most of their time in pursuit of knowledge or recreation (often those being one and the same).

At this particular moment Cosmic C was fishing for starfish from a kayak tethered to the stern and enveloped in Shannon’s Quanta Field. This field essentially isolated all enveloped from any QED interactions of the external universe.

The fishing line passed through a Plank Hole (actually countless P Holes but as we don’t have time to explain all the details of the science, we can move on). K was in the Observation Deck, deeply engaged in research of the dominant species of the system’s third planet. The closer they got the more current the data at her disposal. Sleeping near her feet, as usual, was Tomatillo.

E.N.T. was on the Rec Deck playing congas, a keyboard and a guitar all at the same time. He was eager to use indigenous instruments from the planet for their next song. Mor Ty was on the “Bridge” which was the name he gave to his own private quarters. Of late, he spent a lot of time there, ever since he had asked Shannon to build him a machine he code named the “Hand Job”. He got the idea for the machine watching a transmission from Earth a few light weeks away from their destination.

“Cosmic C.”

“Yes, Shannon.”

“We are approaching solar winds and we will be switching to propulsion soon.”

“Ok. Reel me in.”

Onboard, C headed to the O Deck. Walking past the “Bridge” he could hear Mor Ty’s muffled voice “.. to quit my post only when properly relieved…” This was a clear indication that Mor Ty was not only on the “Hand Job” but that he would also be done soon.

C wasn’t long on the O Deck, where he greeted K, when he was joined by E.N.T. and shortly thereafter Mor Ty.

In orbit around Earth, Shannon took her more familiar form, a perfect sphere. She was spinning at nearly the speed of light which generated a gravity field onboard. This spin also had the effect of giving Shannon the appearance of a flying saucer to any outside observer (as long as her Quanta Field was off, which at this time it was not.)

The O Deck ran center line of the sphere and provided a 360-degree projection of space.

“I have placed us in orbit and currently have access to all digital data and transmissions of the planet at your disposal.”

“It is so much prettier in person.” K said. All nodded in agreement.

“What can you tell us, Shannon?” asked C.

“As you know, the dominant species is bipedal, mostly. They like to sit a lot. Ironically, they consider themselves to be post-industrial even though industry is one of their primary existential threats as a species. The vast majority barely understand basic chemistry and are ignorantly naive in understanding the role of carbon in their own biosphere.”

“Hmmmm…”

“What is it, C?” asked E.N.T.

“I am in telepathic communication with Gaia. She likes to go by Gaia. Seems she is doing her best to preserve the species but she is in great pain and mourns for the other species. She is not sure how much longer she can hold back the carbon pendulum.”

“I’ve been studying them for awhile now. They have such potential, but for every step forward they take two back.” said K.

“Only a small percentage of the population engages in intellectual pursuit and even then some can only do so part-time. The vast majority still engage in material pursuits either out of necessity, given the societal emphasis on currency, or greed and a delusional view of self worth. The later view seems to account for 99.999% of the world’s politicians, dropping to 99.99% when considering the quote unquote “upper class. And before you ask, K, please remember the ramifications and responsibility of intervening.”

“Hmph”

“Current, technology is silicon based. There is some interesting theoretical math going on but they still have two math models of the universe and can’t seem to unify them. I have found their problem. Look here.”

“That’s funny” said E.N.T.

“How come they are still stuck on that?” asked K. “Are they not curious? Is anyone working on this?”

“A small percentage. Looking over the planets digital data vast amounts of it are compromised of two global fixations, both take blob-data form. You are looking at one now.”

“Hey, that looks like Tomatillo!” Said Mor Ty.

“They are called cats and I can understand this fixation.” replied K.

“The other blob-data, currently being projected is called…”

“Porn!” yelled Mor Ty.

“Yes, porn.”

“I can understand this fixation. Are you recording this?”

“You know I archive all incoming data, Mor Ty.”

“Just checking. Can you time stamp screen 323 for sure also 419, 420, 421, 425, 536…”

Ten minutes into his listing “… and 974.”

“Is that all, Mor Ty?”

“We are going down, right?”

“We are.” replied C.

“Ok. That should do for now.”

To be continued.

#TALES OF THE CROSSROADS

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”twilight” of dusk to that of dawn

“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, 
thou shalt not eat of it:
for in the day that thou eatest therof
thou shalt surely die” 
- Genesis 2:17
(as quoted in “twilight”)

“When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it’s not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end.” From preface to “twilight”

On the preface of twilight
Under the Mahabodi Tree,
 beyond good and evil 
and all other dualities,
In life and death, 
 from which expectations arise
 sits with closed eyes, 
the one who realized.

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Praxis Thinking announces its World News service

Praxis Thinking today announced the launch of its new Global News service. A spokesperson for Praxis reported “ Praxis Thinking’s World News (PTWN) service provides an unmoderated feed of news from sources that span the globe.”

According to Praxis Thinking, the news feed is an unmoderated aggregate of headlines from global sources. Praxis also states that the service updates stories every hour and that they run headlines for twenty-four hours.

All news service providers featured are reviewed by an editorial board which reviews services regularly to ensure their continued unbiased journalistic integrity, according to Praxis. Current service providers include: The BBC; NPR; Reuters; and several others.

Old Guy, a fan of the new service, when asked why he liked PTWN, “I don’t want some stupid-@$$ algorithm feeding me news. Don’t you see, man, that’s all part of the plan to control the masses, man.’

The new service can be found at Praxis Thinking World News

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Subconscient

Beneath wave of sheaf,
Sheaf of wave beneath.
Sheaf upon sheaf upon sheaf 
Beneath. 

None aware,
Of what lurks, 
The depths there.  

Blue above below, 
Mystic sage
Thus armed prays,
That beast of greed and rage,
That he this demon slays.
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WOA: H.H. Dysseaus at Cessation of Hostilities, his de facto coronation, revelation of the Babado and Phateon Constitutional Law

Transcripts of archival audio

“In readdress to your charges, I direct these words not just to you, or even all of you gathered here today but to all citizens of the Phateon System.

None here can cite a campaign directed by me in which I and I did not fight. My “peers” being none aware of the true dangers undertook and the true cost paid. Success of my private exploits meant the realization of all we set out to do.

Cowardice, heresy, sedition, inciter of rebellion you charge? You would conquer and rule Phateos Proper and any and all means to that end you would justify. Where you failed we succeeded.

We unify all under Phateos in name and spirit not for my home world of Ced’-a-meon nor for E’ricle or any one of the inhabited worlds but for all. While everyone else repays us with thanks and praise you would revert to subterfuge hidden behind empty speeches.

It is not your stupidity we find fault with but your blindness. You fail to see that even you are saved by my “crimes.” You would destroy worlds for cause. You value self over the many. Your insolence is now and hence force your own problem alone. You would lecture on honor and hurl baseless charges as if they were stone.

Hear now the words of Dysseus, Shatriya of the Nobel race Ced’-a-meon, born of ice, fire, iron and storm son of Agrius from the house of Andavas and hence with genealogy of the Edtas.

Whatever form of combat my enemy chooses I am always ready to meet, whether against one or many as today. You here suffer from ambition and ignorance, two ills that work at cross purposes.

Ambition makes you eager for honors but ignorance turns you against them. When strong with power you felt “brave” now weak you find that you are neither brave nor wise. There is nothing worse than suffering in a state of ignorance.

If ever there arises a poet who really understands what counts for excellence in a noble he will take note of my compassion, composure and resourcefulness.

Ignorance and ambition birth arrogance and as you are possessed by all three demons I shall reveal now your complete and utter defeat for even now you will not let go.

I know every detail of your plans to assassinate me with cessation of hostilities [murmur of crowd]. I know that you, Strategeos Prime, Admiral Atherean and your fellow conspirators, plan to carve the planets into a hegemonic duality.

You would seek only to buy a little time and when able you would strike down the other for total hegemony.

Atherean, you are a good strategist. You realize your time to strike is now and so you bribed Secundus to assassinate Prime in exchange for riches and power [murmur of crowd].

What you do not know is that Secundus has ever been my most loyal friend and my most brilliant general. Your own blood money is the same we used to arm many of those whom now occupy Thenea as well as those who listen to these words from atop the ruins that were once your seaside palace.

We are legion. You would give us death we would meet you in death and there work to ease your fears of the final crossing. We are your sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, friends, brothers and sisters.

We are the Babado., followers of that Great Book. Wise ones, make yourselves known [murmur of crowd]. Even now you question how you lost so much.

Hear now my first judgment as Guardian of All under Phateos. You still mistake intelligence for wisdom.

Secundus shall now proclaim before all Phateon Law, The Proclamation of Equivalent Exchange.”

#WAR OF ASCENSION

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Invocation to The War of Ascension

“You mousaios, whose breasts sacred fury fires, the aim of the supreme desire. From your stows mystic knowledge grows“

‘To the Muses‘ from ‘Prayer Book of an unknown Babado Ascetic‘

To prevent traces of human events from being erased by time for a time and to preserve the fame of important remarkable achievement of Nobles and non during the events surrounding the War of Ascension here are preserved and presented our inquiries….

See Appendix for background: Preliminaries of the Farsees

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The Five Hinderances

The only sensual desire, 
  warmth of dhamma luminous light.
The only ill will, 
  suppression of dhamma oppression.
Slothful in the comfort of dhamma,  
Restless in its sharing,
Skeptical of why doubt.  
Hinder the five hinderances of Nibbãna.
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Tales of the Crossroads: Joyful Buddy Buddha

Excerpts from: The Adventures of the Cosmiccomics

The Last Breakfast

One day we (that is the Cosmiccomics ( that is Buddy and I)), not feeling very adventurous, decided to grab a bite from the Cafe at the end of the Universe.

While there we met up with a few old friends. Some of them were there for lack of anything better to do, some were there to catch the ultimate punchline to the longest running joke ever and others (like ourselves) were simply hungry. I was hoping we would catch up with the Space Dandy but we were told he was at a Boobies, the one over by the Tannhäuser Gates. Buddy and I agreed the next time the Universe ended we would go there instead.

At our table, I ordered some pancakes and a cafe mocha, the last in the universe.

“A towel, I need a good towel”

I looked up to see that Buddy had picked up and was reading a copy of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy“ and the look on his face was one of total epiphany.

“You need to read this.” as he passed me the book, his finger pointing to the entry on ‘Towels.’

Ever since, I have carried a towel wherever I go,

On acquiring the magic compass

We acquired the Jerusalem Compass, which always points toward the center of the Universe, from the great mage Alan Moore. Being bound by an oath of secrecy that is all that can be said of that. See “Jerusalem”

Dungeons, no Dragon

The Cosmiccomics (that is we (that is Buddy and I and another) found an abandoned Hobbit hole and so we decided to move in.

While partaking in some pipe weed with a few friends I invited them all on an adventure of Middle Earth, I was familiar with Middle Earth (having explored it regularly since I was a child) and offered to serve as a guide. They agreed.

With heed we did speed fo the isle of Tolfalas In the Bay of Befalas in the south of Gondor, a favorite spot of mine, which at the time remained largely unexplored. As there were no more dragons in the world, with the recent demise of Smaug, we hoped to explore a few dungeons.

What follows are a few highlights of our adventures there, for a full accounting of these tales please see: Unnamed Composition Notes; Unnamed Composition Graphs; Five Star Blue Notebook; Box of Character Sheets; Atlas to Middle Earth by Fonstad; The Similrillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien; Clip of notecards; Oral Histories.

We arrived in Middle Earth during the fall of 2944 in the Third Age (1344 by Shire Reckoning), waking up on “Survival Beach” of Tolfalas. The Grey Beard greeted the party there and had all pledge “By the Flames Imperishable and the grace of the Valar go I.”

The party was later hosted and mentored, for a period of time, by the mysterious Castamir on his homestead south of the town Dôr-ëar.

The first few month’s most memorable events include: the slaying of a few boar; encounters with thieves; acquiring of combat and survival skills; fending off of wolves in the Cervine Glade; the felling of many rabbits for stew and such; the meetings of Orin the Ranger, Ghari the innkeeper (and our pipe weed source); Kiath a captain of Gondor, Re’ad the blacksmith; Wehell (an early settler in those parts) and a friendly bull-mastiff. Side note: we at one time thought the mastiff had tragically perished in an arson’s fire and we were relieved to learn otherwise.

Things got interesting upon learning about and exploring an ancient series of catacombs near the Cervine Glade. It was there deep in the Chamber of Ages that Mor’ke’men the Dark Numenorean was encountered. Seemingly having defeated the evil wright, a gold plated book was discovered that crumbled into dust when touched, ushering the dawn of an endless night of the undead. The vision of the walking dead passed (Though the vision would later prove prophetic, at least in part).

Only ash and the front and back gold-plates remained of the book. Each gold cover portrayed a different image, the front was of an angelic-like lady extending as if to gift a fruit and the back cover was of a lone eagle atop a mountain peak with an unknown mountain range in the background.

Passing through the vision and out of the Catacombs, Raster the bandit was met (but as it would turn out he wasn’t a bandit but actually an assassin of the secret Jinan Syndicate, a mostly unknown opportunistic information network with an “ends justifies the means” creed.) Seems Raster only wanted to lay eyes on the artifacts, as he made minimal effort in relieving the party of its find .

The party arrived back at Castamir’s more or less at about the same time as his past. It was learned that, Castamir was actually Malomar, one of if not the most feared captains of the Umbar Corsairs. Captain Malomar was ordered to raid and slaughter a costal village in an attempt to incite a war. He refused the order and his second, Taseb, attempted to bring him to trial to face the death penalty. Castamir fled and hid his identity. Unfortunately Castamir’s identity was discovered by a recon-party of Corsairs, gathering information on Gondor’s presence in Tolfalas. As it happened this band of pirates was under the command of Taseb. Castamir was waylaid by a squad of corsairs and brought before Taseb, who looked to improve his reputation by adding Slayer of the Dread Pirate Malomar to his moniker,

Taseb arranged for an unfair fight to the death but even a handicapped Malomar/Castamir would prove a match and so they both met their doom at the ruins on the cliff.

The ruins were of an ancient light house that ages past guided white sailed ships offshore (as revealed in a vision which was seen upon discovering a set of plaques that matched the gold covers of the book.) Entering the ruins, a deep underground dungeon was discovered which eventually descended into a massive tomb of a prison. The tomb was made to imprison Mor’ke’men’s lord, the ultimate lock being the book from the catacombs.

During one of Mor’ke’men’s taunting monologues, it was learned he had stolen the book to free his imprisoned lord, at the cost of being cursed as undead forever more. Bringing the book back turned out to be a bad idea as it broke the spell imprisoning him in the catacombs. Mo’ke’men now unleashed, the ground opened up and the party fell as if into the center of the world. Landing softly in a room in which sat a golden book on a pedestal and a set of magical doors, each emanating the life force of the individual explorers plus one that flickered images of strange and fascinating foreign landscapes…


From: The Eagles of the Lords of the West and Yavanna’s gift, A history of the Rings of Beren and Lúthien

… of Tolfalas in the Bay of Belfalas … with the Breaking of Thangorodrim and the felling of the Blue Mountains and the flooding of Beleriand during the War of Warth… Hîrroval (Lord of Wings) son of Landroval, descendant of Thorondor, during the Second Age settled in the Impregnable Mountains as the Southern Eyes of Numenor…

Guru Rick gets his rocks off

On the road to Jerusalem we were discussing Turvsky’s new book “Crime of the Fathers and Punishment of the Suns” when we were approached by an heavenly celestial being.

“Sorry to interrupt” she said “But I like your towel.” Referring to my blue Turkish towel.

“Thanks” I said.

“Ok, see you about” said she.

“Ok bye” said Buddy and I as she vanished.

“Dang.”

“What’s that, Buddy?”

“I forgot to ask who her God was.”

Since we never could predict when we would next randomly cross path’s with a Celestial we decided to seek one out.

We abandoned the road to Jerusalem and so headed for Colorado. Long we searched the caves and crevices of the Rockies until at long last we found the ‘Cave of the Most Rick.’ Paying homage we approached Guru Rick and he granted us a single boon. I nodded to Buddy, he nodded back and then he asked Rick “Who is your God?”

With that all perceptions melted away and where once was Rick there now was Śivah with Shakti as one, in Mahamudra.

The vision exploded into pure light and just like that he was Rick again in missionary with a strange alien being.

Backing out of the cave we gave reverence and prostrations and thanked Guru Rick the whole while he berated us with countless profanities going on about wanting a little privacy.

From: The Lone Adventures of Buddy

Much can be said about the rise and fall of the Safari King, the world conquering avatar of Buddy, and his many adventures including his ironic addiction to joy. The Safari King atop his noble steed, The Brutal Moose, carved out a massive empire and ruled from horizon to horizon.

After many a battle and conquest and during his reign that followed the Safari King made more than a few bitter enemies. Enemies that want nothing more than to see the Safari King’s head on a platter (or a spike, or the floor, anywhere other than atop his neck.)

That said and as Buddy is still rather attached to his head, for a full accounting of these tales one should refer to the Oral Histories of the Safari King.

Namo

We, the Cosmiccomics, take refuge in the tri-sarana at Mahabodhi where we pay homage to the many Gurus we have learned from. The following are just a few of many:

Namo Guru: JRR Tolkien; Shinichirō Watanabe; Dan Harmon; Douglas Adams;; Alan Moore; Justin Roiland; Pendleton Ward; ; Duncan Trussell; Ivan Turgenev; Fyodor Dostoevsky; Brutalmoose (aka Ian Macleod.)

#TALES OF THE CROSSROADS

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When the bough breaks

INT: Underground military command bunker. Soldiers in futuristic combat garb and weapons.  

Camera pans across the room and slowly zooms in on GARDNER. He has a slightly puzzled look on his face as his eyes scan the room searching for familiarity.

CURAN storms in, spots and heads straight to GARDNER

CURAN: Fucking Zenos, Gardner!

GARDENER (slowly): What?

GARDNER has regained focus it reads on his face now

CURAN: It’s not natives, Gard. Zenos. We are under attack by fucking Zenos.

CURAN and GARDNER both turn to look at the only OFFICER in the room. The OFFICER visibly perplexed as he looks over battle plans and maps spread out over a table. He is mouthing something to himself.

GARDNER: What the fuck, sir?

OFFICER: We…We were sent to recon’. Zenos weren’t expected in this sector for another two lunars. Supplies are in route. Templars are in route … 

He looks up from the table at GARDNER

OFFICER: But were not prepared to fight Zenos. 

GARDNER: No shit. Not a one of us will live to see another day and that’s if were lucky.

GARDNER hand signals something to CURAN. CURAN nods his head in approval, he taps the two closest soldiers.

CURAN: You’re with me.

CURAN and two soldiers leave the bunker.

GARDNER (to the OFFICER): The best we can hope for, sir, is that we hold out long enough to destroy any intel we have in this bunker that includes what’s in our own…

As GARNDER speaks the OFFICER without hesitation draws his service pistol puts the barrel in his mouth and pulls the trigger. As the echo of the report dies down a noticeable silence engulfs the room with the exception of the distant boom of random explosions.

GARDNER (addressing the room): That puts me in charge. I need two volunteers to stay behind here to set scuttle charges.

Everyone in the room raises their hands.

As he speaks GARDNER begins tapping into a keypad and terminal embedded into his forearm. A countdown commences on the terminal.  

GARDNER: Nik, Carl. 

Hearing their names is all the command NIK and CARL need. They set to work.

GARDNER: The rest of you are with me. We will form the last defense and buy our boys here the five minutes they’ll need. I don’t have to remind anyone here that the last thing you want is to be taken alive. Bourtange formation. You know what to do.    

The room clears

EXT: Outside Underground command bunker. Combat is already underway. Screams pierce the inky blackness. GARDNER is kneeling in sling support position. He is firing discriminately. Each shot finds its mark. After several shots GARDNER looks at his forearm. The terminal reads 2:14 and counting down. Just then a loud explosion occurs behind him the scene goes black and silent.

Black screen. 

A distant ringing grows noticeably louder. The scene flickers from black to GARDNER as hey lays on the ground. GARDNER lifts his arm to read out the terminal. He stares instead at a mangled arm the keyboard and terminal are gone. He reaches without hesitation for his service pistol as he does so someone stands on his arm he turns to see a Zeno standing over him. The Zeno aims what looks like a weapon at GARDNER.  

GARDNER screams in pain   

CUT TO

INT: Modern day bedroom. In an instant a heavier softer looking GARDNER jolts up in bed he is noticeably sweaty he looks around the room and slowly sighs with familiarity. He rubs his forearm reassuringly. 

CLARA (from the bathroom): Have another bad dream, dear?

Gardner lives a normal life with his wife CLARA. He has an office job a handful of friends. He loves his life, it is the life he has always envisioned for himself. All is perfect except, every night since he can remember he has had eerily similar dreams where he’s a soldier battling an unrelenting alien foe on a foreign planet. He doesn’t always remember the details of his dreams when he wakes but the reoccurring dream of an explosion that concusses him and severs his arm always feels the most real. Whenever he speaks of his dreams to anyone he is at best dismissed often teased. 

Besides the dreams Gardner is plagued by phantom pains most prominently his right forearm as well as stabbing pain in his abdomen. He’s had these checked but Doctors tell him he is fine and that what he feels is in his head. He’s tried psychiatric help as well as medicine to escape his dreams to escape his phantom pains, nothing’s worked. Instead the pain grows steadily worse, the dreams ever more realistic. He starts to question who he is. Aspects of his life start to feel odd, he doesn’t remember much of his childhood but what he does remember seems from a different time and prelude to a much harder life. 

As the pain and dreams grow worse he feels like he is going steadily insane. He develops insomnia and life quickly becomes unbearable. Aspects of realty begin slipping into his waking dreams, aspects of his dreams slip into realty. 

Reality bleeds into the opening scene.

INT: Underground command bunker from beginning scene but with aspects of GARDNER’s home.   

Camera pans across the room and slowly zooms in on GARDNER. He has a slightly puzzled look on his face as his eyes scan the room searching for familiarity. The bunker contains aspects of his home life. His bedroom bathroom is connected to the bunker. We see CLARA brushing her hair in front of the bathroom mirror.    

CURAN storms in spots and heads straight to GARDNER

CURAN: Fucking Zenos, Gard!

CLARA (from the bathroom): Have another bad dream, dear?

CURAN: It’s not natives, Gard. Zenos. We are under attack by fucking Zenos.

CURAN and GARDNER both turn to look at the only OFFICER in the room. GARDENER looks past the OFFICER to CLARA. The OFFICER visibly perplexed as he looks over battle plans and maps spread out over GARDNER’s kitchen table. He is mouthing something to himself.

CURAN grabs GARDNER by the arm and escorts him toward the OFFICER

OFFICER: We were sent to recon’. Zenos weren’t expected in this sector for another two lunars. Supplies are in route. Templars are in route … 

He looks up from the table at GARDNER

OFFICER: Gardener I need you to tell me where the fleet is. How many squadron of Templars are there? 

GARDNER stares at the OFFICER and starts to rub his forearm. 

CURAN: Gard, are you ok? You should answer. How many squadrons of Templars are there?

CLARA (from the bathroom): Have another bad dream, dear?

  GARDNER reaches for his abdomen as if pained.

CURAN: How many squadrons of Templars are there?

OFFICER: Where is the fleet?

CLARA (from the bathroom): Where is the fleet, dear?

CURAN: Have another bad dream? 

GARDNER drops to his knees, the pain in his forearm and abdomen have grown unbearable. CURAN,CLARA and the OFFICER hound him with the same questions. GARDNER falls to his back and begins convulsing unbearably.     

CLARA (from the bathroom): Have another bad dream, dear?  

Cut to black

The distant thump of a heartbeat grows noticeably louder. The scene flickers from black to GARDNER as hey lays strapped into an alien but what is obviously a medical table. He is bare, covered in probes. Lacerated and without his right forearm, his abdomen is a maze of tubing serving as an artificial digestive system. He begins to struggle against his straps as realization sets in. He begins to hyperventilate he is on the verge of panic he turns to see a Zeno standing over him.

Fade to black

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Circuits: Intro and Episode 1

INTRO: 

This series takes inspiration from a few influences but it pays homage to one. Growing up I was a huge fan of James Burke’s “Connections” series and his show “The Day the Universe Changed.” The genius of Burke was the way he retold history as a series of intertwined and dependent discoveries and events. I would time and again be mesmerized by the revelation that vastly different occurrences in human history were indirectly related but it was even more fascinating to see how discoveries could change our collective perceptions of understating. 

I in no way can approximate the charm and genius of Burke I can only acknowledge his influence and carry on as he taught me… to explore history not as a direct linear path but as a  circuitous set of events. 

Every article will pick a person, an event, a discovery an invention and choose from a long list of other people, events, discoveries or inventions that make the first possible. We will do that again and again backwards and forward through human history.  

Thank you,  James Burke.      

Episode 1: Maxwell’s house

This episode was written  using my personal “smartphone”. The smartphone is a marvel made possible through the confluence of science, technology, engineering, math and art. The iPhone and other smartphones like it place immense computing power and immediate access to the repository of all human knowledge into the palm of our hands. With a connected smart phone in hand there is almost nothing you can’t look up within seconds, from the current weather in Edinburgh, Scotland – a Sunny 20 degrees celsius to the current federal debt of the United States updated by the second- over $26.7 trillion and counting as of this writing. 

To borrow loosely from Aladdin’s Genie, “Phenomenal cosmic powers [in an] itty bitty  space!”

You may be familiar with the history of the iPhone and how Apple was able to change forever the telecommunications business by introducing the first consumer friendly smartphone.  But before Apple’s iPhone cellular manufactures, also referred to as OEMs or Original Equipment Manufactures, marketed their devises directly to the Telecom Carriers. In many ways the carriers would dictate what features would go into a phone. What Apple did instead was target the end-user consumer and offered Cingular Wireless, later renamed  AT&T Mobility, exclusivity. Apple was able to command a “take it or leave it” set of terms and conditions retaining complete control over the design, manufacturing, and marketing of the iPhone. As part of that deal Apple was able to introduce WiFi into the cellular market when the first iPhone released in the US in June 2007.  

It’s not hard to imagine why the TeleComms were reluctant to bring to market a WiFi enabled phone. Up until then all data, including voice, had to traffic over the cellular network, controlled and tolled by the TeleComs. With WiFi a phone’s data could bypass the TeleCom metered cellular networks and access the internet directly through a personal wireless network. And Wi-Fi networks were increasingly made available at home, work and in public.       

What you may not realize is that WiFi is actually certified trademark owned by the WiFi alliance, a consortium of member and sponsor companies. The WiFi trademark applies to a set of international standards maintained by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a professional association that’s adopted the motto “Advancing Technology for Humanity.” Collectively the standards the Wi-Fi trademark represents are known as the IEEE 802.11. It is suffice to know that The 802.11 set of standards define specifications for implementing wireless local area networks, WLANs.                           

The very technology that makes it possible to connect a devise such as an iPhone to a Wi-Fi network is the same as which connects a cell phone to a cellular network.  

We barely even think about it but the antenna is probably the oldest and single most important technology that enables any smartphone. Look around you right now and try to identify all the antennas in your immediate presence. I would wager you miss more than a few. If you are near a newer iPhone there are at least two antennas in it alone. If you are near a modern computer it uses antennas to connect to both WiFi networks and Bluetooth devises. If you use a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard well guess what… And those are just the obvious ones. Even if you are hardwired to the internet the data you send and or receive at some point most likely was transmitted over the air using antennas.

Antenna’s work with radio transmitters and radio receivers to transmit and receive radio waves. To transmit an antenna simply converts electric power into radio waves and reverses that process to receive. The first known Antenna was built by the German physicist Heinrich Hertz in 1888. Hertz would change forever our understanding of the universe as his work with antennas would prove the existence of electromagnetic waves of which light itself as well as radio waves are a type of.      

We will come back to electromagnetic waves shortly but for now, to understand radio waves it is important to understand the concept of a wave. Waves are oscillations or repetitions over time that transfer energy through space or mass. There are several features of a wave but for our discussion it is suffice to know that a wave is a series of crests and troughs. The crest being the highest point of a wave while the trough is its lowest. A waves frequency is the number of crests or troughs that pass a point during a set interval of time. Drop a stone in to water, the top of the ripples are the crest, the lowest point between the ripples are the trough, how quickly the waves are traveling outward are the frequency.  

Radio waves travel at the speed of light at frequencies from 300 GHz to 3 kHz with wavelengths ranging from 1 millimeter or about (0.04 of an inch) up to 100 kilometers (or 62 miles). As you can probably guess the “hertz” in Gigahertz and Kilohertz is a unit of measure named in honor of our friend Heinrich Hertz. A hertz refers to a cycle per second, so a gigahertz is one million hertz per second and a kilohertz would be one thousand cycles per second.     

Imagine a ripple of water not even and inch high now imagine a wave 62 miles high and you begin to realize the range of spectrum that constitute radio waves. But unlike waves of water which travel through mass radio waves travel through space at the speed of light, an important facet of radio waves if for example you are on a ship and want to communicate with other ships or with the shore without dragging cables as you crisscross the ocean. 

So it was that on the night of April 15, 1912 the RMS Carpathia was crossing the Atlantic having set sail from New York on her way to Austria-Hungry. Onboard the Carpathia was Harold Cottam who was serving as the ship’s wireless operator, a relatively new job function in the shipping industry.   

At the time, wireless operators communicated using Morse Code. Morse Code simply codes  the individual letters of the alphabet as well as the first 10 decimal numbers  into a series of dots and dashes that could be readily sent over telegraph and eventually wireless telegraphy. For example the letter “S” was represented by three dots (…). The letter “O” was three dashes (—). The repeating sequence of thee dots, three dashes and again three dots constituted “SOS” which in 1906 was codified as the international signal for distress.          

Morse Code was developed by Samuel Morse an American painter of some renown who in 1811 gained admittance into the Royal Academy. While on commission in Washington, DC Morse received a message from his father delivered by a messenger on horseback. The message essentially informed Morse that his wife was recovering from an illness. The very next day a second messenger arrived to inform Morse of his wife’s sudden death. Leaving immediately Morse would not get home to New Haven, Connecticut until after his wife’s burial. Those events would lead Morse to explore means of faster long distance communications.           

Morse would go on to develop Morse Code and the pairing of Morse Code and telegraphy allowed for immediate communications over vast distances. Even with wireless telegraphy ship-to-ship communications sometimes relied on third parties to relay messages over immense distances but considering that ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communications historically relied on line-of-sight and to some extent sound you can realize how revolutionary wireless communications was. 

That brings us back to Cottam, it was a morse code message he received broadcast from Cape Race, Newfoundland the night of April 15, 1912. The message asked him to further relay a set of messages to the RMS Titanic. At the time, Titanic was herself steaming east in the North Atlantic toward New York having set sail from Southampton, UK on her maiden voyage. Cottam contacted the Titanic but received back an unexpected reply. The Titanic replied with a repeating three dots, three dashes, three dots. Titanic was sending an SOS message. 

Onboard the Titanic were two wireless operators, Jack Phillips and Harold Bride, neither of whom were employees of White Star Line the shipping company that owned the Titanic. Instead both Philips and Bride were employees of the Marconi International Marine Communication Company. 

Though it was Cottam that received the Titanic’s SOS and it was he who rose his captain from sleep so that the crew of the Carpathia could pluck from the ocean over 700 of Titanic’s passengers, rescuing them from certain death it was Guglielmo Marconi who was given the credit. In the words of the British  postmaster-general at the time  “Those who have been saved, have been saved through one man, Mr. Marconi…and his marvelous invention.” An interesting side note, Marconi was actually offered free passage aboard the Titanic but fortunately for him he choose to sail across a few days earlier aboard RMS Lusitania… Yes, that Lusitania. 

So what was Marconi’s marvelous invention the post master general alluded too? Nothing other than the wireless telegraph also called the radio telegraph or simply the radio.

Born in Italy April 25, 1874  Marconi would eventually win the the Nobel Prize in physics for his contributions toward the development of wireless telegraphy. Marconi would pick up on the works of our old friend Heinrich Hertz and make viable commercial radio by developing what is considered the first practical radio receiver and transmitter. 

You remember Hertz, right? The inventor of the antenna and the one to prove the existence of  electromagnetic waves? We keep circling back to Hertz and it may seem he is the focus of this article but where Hertz may have proven the existence of electromagnetic waves it was the a man of understated genius that predicted them. 

And who is this hero of the day? Someone you very well may not have even heard of but who’s achievements make possible our modern world. A person who’s contribution’s are as important as those of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein when it comes to our current understanding of the universe and how it works. 

It would be all but impossible to overstate the achievements of James Clerk Maxwell. 

His contributions are many and immense that it is hard to choose where even to begin when discussing Maxwell and so I think we shall start with some of his poetry…

“An inextensible heavy chain

Lies on a smooth horizontal plane,

An impulsive force is applied at A,

Required the initial motion of K.”

Those are the first few stanzas of Maxwell’s poem “A Problem In Dynamics.” A poem about the laws of thermodynamics. Hard not to love this guy.  

The Man Who Changed Everything: The Life of James Clerk Maxwell
by Basil Mahon