Street Mule

Astira

Music=
1. Stroke Their Brains- Spoon

“Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.”

- Confucius

UFOtext=
I. Prague-
Intoxicating music spilled out into the street. Astira worked her way through the chaotic maze of people outside the theatre. The mild cool air of early Fall refreshed her spirit, as did the light atmosphere of conversation mixed with occasional laughter. On her left a small group of musicians eyed her as she walked by. She smiled, and then she felt a little odd. A scrawny musician with large brown eyes and the disjointed body movement of a puppet, weirdly stared, watching her every move with childlike fascination. She tried to smile back, but felt overwhelmed by a sudden gush of unexpected emotion and memories. Her smile melted.

II. Paris-
"A ruse and mirage?" thought the Count.
His tired mind and body urged him to sleep, but he lay awake thinking of his Teresa. Gradually the sands of Time ran out, and he fell into a deep sleep.
Later he awoke, rising from his cot. The moon shown bright, shining through the iron bars of his small window. But then he noticed the moon covered in white feathers- the moon quivered and turned its head, sporting a beautiful plume of sunlight! He reached out to the bird of paradise- but grasped only the bars of iron. The bird of paradise then took flight over the rolling waves, and became the moon, high above in the night sky.
The Count opened his eyes. Sunlight poured through the wide windows of his balcony. The shrill birds of Paris were music to his ear.

UFOtext

Theatre In Your Mind

Lost Minds

Music=
1. Lost!- Coldplay

UFOtext=

I. Prague

Home was no longer home. Astira stood in line with her i5 passport. She felt the distortion in the emotions of the people around here. She tried to smile at the zombie man, & show him her passport image. His synthetic smile twisted into a stupid happy face. She wanted to cry, but she focused her mind instead- way too much was at stake.

A bridge to the city of the lost- she worked her way through the shine of the nightlife.

……
II. Paris
The Count smiled warmly. Fresh from Neptune's coast, Doge Kassanova breezed into the room.
"Count, I am but a poor player who struts & frets his hour upon the stage- but I return to your side." and Kassanova bowed politely. Then he let loose a mighty thunderclap of wind. For a full ten minutes they laughed their asses off.
Later, at dinner on the balcony, Doge spoke seriously,
"Count, this actress Teresa*, you say you have a relationship?" and Doge looked at the Count with incredulity.
"Well, sort of," said the Count.
"We send signals to each other."
Doge leaned back in his chair with an amused worry.
"Count, you saved my life once. Now let me return a favor. This popular actress is known to me. Count- listen to me, there are unpleasant things you need to know- about her. She is not what she seems. After all, she is an actress."
And Doge looked upon his friend with mild concern.

* adaptation from Count of Monte Cristo

UFOtwit

Push The Mule

Deep Push

Music=
1. Drones In The Valley- 
    Cage The Elephant


“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” 
- Confucius


UFOtext=

Three bowls of rice & a pot filled with aromatic chicken & pineapple laid upon the ancient stone table.

"Our galaxy has no future." said the Dragon. 

Beside him the colors faded in the square reflecting pool. Gradually a luminous cloud of stars floated to the surface of the deep water.

"When the mind separates from the earth, & lives only in a cloud, there is nothing upon which to stand."

Astira looked to the Dragonfly, her eyes seeking a foundation.

UFOtwit

The Second Millennium

The First Millennium

Music=
1. Hung On Tight- Snakadaktal

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” 
- Confucius

UFOtext=

I. 5am

Astira hung tight to the hand of the crumpled Dragonfly. Sisters of circumstance, they united against the reign of despair. But they were only human- and the depth of the despair infinite. Astira knew she could not hold out longer, & she looked into the heavy eyes of her dying sister.....

"Yes- A, it's 5am, time to wake up."

Astira opened her eyes. A sprinkling of faint stars lay on a deep blue ceiling of morning sky. Her nightmare dissipated, & she smiled at the Dragonfly. Later, they enjoyed rings of pineapple, & from deep morning mist stretching far & wide, they watched the magnificent ruins of the Lost City emerge gradually into the light- the light of a new day.

II. First Lesson

Astira gasped- the ancient steps of a past millennium stacked up high into the upper reaches of the Lost City, just below a layer of afternoon clouds. She pushed up her pace, beads of sweat flying off her body. She had a simple plan- run to the top, or die somewhere along the way.
"i5- how far to top?"
"3.3 kilometer" said i5.
"I can do that," she thought- "even tho so out of shapes." 
And so she turned to the left & pushed off onto the next ramp of steps.
Later that evening, after a tough day of training her body, it was time for her first lesson- a new kind of psychological lesson- training for her mind.

UFOtwit

Lake Three Colors

The Lost City

Music=
1. Talk- Coldplay

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” 
- Confucius

UFOtext=
I. The Path

Somewhere in the steam of dense foliage the snake unfurled with a languid body like the trunk of a tree.

"What the-" exclaimed Astira, reaching for her laser pistol. The Dragonfly took notice and they watched the massive creature slowly slide across the narrow path cutting through the jungle.

"Is python?" asked Astira.

"Yes" said the Dragonfly, calmly watching the last of the python slip back into the dark shadows.

Astira put away her laser pistol & wiped the perspiration from her brow.

"You know M, Lost City only few kilometers up path. Whatever evil force taking over galaxy- that one will not find us here in little lost corner."

"Yes, at least for now- at least for now." repeated the Dragonfly.

II. The Lost City
The lake of blue sky deepened into a violet hue stained by the pink veil of a hidden sun. Astira turned from the dark curtains of green mountain and walked over to the Dragon- seated by a square pool, lit up in reflected splendor. The Dragonfly stood nearby, hovering in the calm twilight air.

The Dragon spoke-
"The future of our galaxy is now in peril- even the laws of psychohistory break down in the face of this cult- this cult of mind control now sweeping our galaxy. This abnormal mass psychosis changes everything- the people that are insane do not even know they are insane."
"Dragon" said Astira,
"There might be one lone survivor in Second Foundation- in European theatre."
And Astira looked eagerly into the eyes of the Dragon, but saw only the skepticism of the experienced.
"Dragon- believe me- I know I reach way too far into unknown, but I sense this one different- I can intuitive feel it."
And Astira felt her eyes pleading to the Dragon to believe her, to trust her intuition.
But the Dragon lived upon a high mountain of life experience, and remained meditative in his Zen.

Later that night, Astira looked up at the twinkling stars of the Lost City- and she fell asleep, watching them all rain from the sky.

Lake 3 Colors

 UFOtwit