The Doorway

Inner Door

Music=

1. Whispers From A Spiritual Garden-

Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens)

UFOtext=

For one moment day and night stood still as one. Nothing moved. Everything changed. Princess Lei stared unbelieving at the open passage and wondered for the first time if the Count's fantastic tale could actually be true.
"Lei, to see is to believe and you were right to place no faith in my word- the word of an ordinary man. But this extraordinary passage leads back in time to the dynasties of the Far East- even before the Galactic Empire. The first step in this journey of discovery is to open the closed inner door of your mind- that is the very first step."
Princess Lei gazed at the Count and then she took her first step into a garden of lotus.

UFOtwit

The Secret Passage

Secret Passage

Music =

1. Lose Your Way- Sophie B. Hawkins

    (from across the waves in London)

UFOtext=
Like moonlight, faint music from London filled the air. The Count led the Princess through the backstreets of Paris- now nothing more than ragged pathways crossing through abandoned ruins. Finally he stopped in front of a nondescript and dilapidated apartment adjoined to a wall. They entered.
Once inside, the Count opened a series of three creaky doors that lead to a small interior room faced up against the outside wall. He held up his photonic torch and the Princess could see a collection of rotted books now strewn on shelves lining two of the walls. But she could see the Count's agitated fascination lay not with the books, but with a small stone fireplace - something of an oddity in a tropical location. Picking up a small hooked poker, the Count began to feverishly pry at one particular small stone, working so intently a small bead of perspiration fell from his brow to the brimstone. At last he freed the stone- a small black lacuna now manifested itself. He looked up at the Princess with fervent and maniacal eyes. She almost began to cry as she realized that the proper and refined Count of Paris was in fact no more than a deranged madman- she looked at him in fearful pity.
"Lei- brace yourself."
She did.
The Count thrust the hooked end of the poker into the small black lacuna and then began to grope- finally he pulled. A deep grinding noise filled the air and the fireplace opened. A cool musty smell of centuries filled the room- the Count's photonic torch revealed a stairway leading down a long deep subterranean passage.
Princess Lei jumped as a disturbed snake slithered across the floor.

 UFOtwit

No Teardrops On St. Valentine

Paris, Kiritimati Island

Music=

1. Teardrops- The xx

UFOtext=

The Count and the Princess walked along the abandoned street in Paris. Thin moonlight littered the street.
What did he really know about her? Was she alone- or not? But then who was he to ask such questions? Regardless, he would stand by her side- and cherish the deeper truth revealed by his heart.

 UFOtwit

Moonrise

Moonrise On Kiritimati

Music=
1. psi

UFOtext=

Aeon Point- Aristarchus moved from shadow to shadow. The large moon and setting sun created an eerie light, producing a strange glow on the sandbar. He looked over the sandbar to the far horizon of water and twilight. After a few minutes he observed a small distant speck of motion- almost invisible to the naked eye. In silence, in muted tones of natural twilight camouflage, a small craft appeared on the sandbar in the blink of eye. Such magic marked a ship from the First Foundation. Aristarchus watched as a small door materialized and the slender figure of a woman appeared. She stepped out upon the sandbar into the lunar glow. Aristarchus touched her mind in the way of the Second Foundation - it was Athena of Samos.
………..

"It is the last week of our year of the Dragon." said Princess Lei, her almond eyes turning demurely to the sea and the stars. The large crescent moon of Kiritimati rose from the horizon, casting a long glittering trail of light across the waves.

"So, the Pearl of Dreams is a guide star- a form of map- pointing the way to a vast treasure built up over fifty thousand years of galactic history."

"That's right," said the Count, "the dynasties of the Far East hid their treasure to avoid confiscation by the Emperors of the Galactic Empire."

He continued,

"You see, legend tells that the Pearl of Dreams reveals its secrets through actual dreams- those dreams either nightmares of insanity, or visions of enlightenment- it all depends on the purity of heart of the dreamer."

Princess Lei turned her almond eyes back to the Count and wondered sadly if the Count was a madman after all.

 UFOtwit

Not Treading Water

Poland, Kiritimati

Music=

1. Treading Water- Alex Clare

“If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things.” 

- Confucius

UFOtext=
Astira reached into her pocket and pulled out her i5. She pinged the local networks and quickly found what she was looking for- the same sapphire blue hyperspace link she discovered in Prague. Using the same encryption key, she opened the link. And there it was- the black ship just departed- destination Kalgan.
"Yes, A, I think we have company." said the recovered Dragonfly, pointing to an approaching entourage of security guards.
"Anything 2 declare?" asked Astira , smiling as she slipped her i5 into a secret pocket.
---------
The next day the pale sun rose over Paris.
"I think many people live their lives treading water- chained to the past, or, more precisely, imprisoned by a false view of the past. To liberate the mind from the viewpoint of the crowd, and see things as they really are, that is the first step toward true progress."
And Princess Lei paused, looking at the Count, drinking from her cup of morning coffee. On the opposite side of their world, the stars lit up the heavens.

 UFOtwit

Departure Of The Mule

The Mule Departs

Music=

1. Pale Horse
(play once)
- Smashing Pumpkins

2. Mylo Xyloto 

(play in infinite loop = perfect circle)

 - Coldplay

UFOtext=

Suddenly the nightmare vanished- Astira knelt on the dock, recovering her senses, holding the hand of the crumpled Dragonfly. An interstellar black ship hovered just above the town for a long minute- then suddenly veered out to sea. Astira and the Dragonfly watched in morbid fascination as the dark meteor disappeared into the night sky.....

-------

"Look- every revolution that creates a new government ends up, over time, with a government just as bad as the original government revolted against. Look at your precious Foundation- I hear independent Free Traders plan to meet on Radole()- that ribbon world- and might break away from your Foundation." Sauveur * paused to catch his baited breath.

"True," replied John Atoms. "Our corrupt Foundation of today is a mockery of individual liberty and free markets for all- the Free Traders are right on many scores. But speaking of Free Traders- Toran- what's the score on the mineral shipment?"

"Checks out OK- high quality rare earths." and Toran nonchalantly eased into an available chair.

"Well Sauveur, looks like we have a deal.  This Oriental Princess of yours came through- can she do it again?"

------

The London night deepened the luminous band of the galaxy. The Count felt the evening grow long, but the Princess remained fresh as a morning in June. Their opposite time zones overlapped in two precious ribbons of time in the daily cycle.

"Count- the Pearl of Dreams remains a mystery to me. Can you shed some light on this matter?"

"Perhaps." said the Count, thoughtfully. In her wondering eyes he could see the millennia of dynasties.

 UFOtwit

The Pearl Of Dreams

Pearl Of Dreams

Music=

1. A Whisper- Coldplay

2. Like The Sea- Alicia Keys

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."- Confucius

UFOtext=

Astira had never set foot on Poland until now. Neither had the Second Foundation- at least as far as she knew.

The small spacecraft from Paradox Shipping lay floating in the water, tethered to the dock. She decided not to use the main spaceport near Banana in order to lay low. The air felt warm with a slight tropical breeze- but it cooled rapidly as twilight gave way to night.

"You know M, something just doesn't feel right about this place."

"Yes, A, I feel it too."

And the Dragonfly closed her eyes, growing her awareness. Astira then felt a great despair- a gloom of nightmare closing down her mind- dropping her to her knees. She then fought back- retaining her identity- holding fast onto the Second Foundation - not giving in. Astira faced a nadir of hope- a black hole so deep there was no escape. But then she reached above and beyond and held the hand of the Dragonfly…..She could see the stars in the night air.

-------

That evening the sun fell asleep below the sea. Princess Lei appeared, dressed in moonlight, softly iridescent as mother of pearl. She spoke-
"Count, these fantastic legends that survive history, how can you possibly believe they are true?"
The Count gazed upon the perfect circle of her earring, then looked into her eyes.
"Perhaps perfect beauty and truth are but forms in our mind. But this I know- my awakened life has been touched by the Pearl of Dreams."

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