Tangles Of Disaster

The Mule At Montmartre

Music=
1. Nightlight
   -Silversun Pickups

"To know your enemy, you must become your enemy."
-Sun Tzu

UFOtext=
I. Paris
Astira entered the heart of darkness. Behind the bar she could see Bosco standing in a dimly lit seedy backroom. He chatted with a few garish puppets, then disappeared. Astira worked her way through the crowd. She crept closer to the dim light.  She stood in the shadow, a wallflower, watching the puppets.
Fifteen long minutes passed. The puppets dispersed. Astira moved quickly, seizing the opportunity. She darted into the backroom & noticed a small side door left ajar. She drew her laser pistol & peered inside. She saw a small desk with a computer screen. Nobody was in the room. She entered.
Astira glanced at the computer screen. It glowed eerily. But then she noticed. She stopped in her tracks, a bit stunned. A small photo image embedded in an ancient manuscript written in Mandarin characters  stood out from a deep forest background. The photo caption read "Princess Leizu & color revolutionary arrested by security forces of the Yellow Emperor." The picture showed Princess Leizu & an unidentified conspirator. Astira stared at the picture. It was unbelievable. Impossible. But there was no doubt, it was a picture of Joshua. But a picture from one millennium in the past.
Astira's mind raced. Joshua was now on the Dark Island seeking any information about the origin of the Mule from Vivienne. She had a mysterious link to the Mule.
Astira pulled out her i6.
From: Astira
To: Joshua
You are in danger. Get the hell off that island.



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The Mule In The Dark

Montmartre

Music=
1. Travel Should Take You Places
   -The Kickdrums

"There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting."

-佛

UFOtext=
I. Paris
10:54PM: Bosco emerged from the Count's flat. He moved rapidly, his spindly shadow flitting to & fro beneath the street lamps, always seeking the random small dark islands along his ragged path. Astira felt oneness with her surroundings. She became the darkness- & she watched the Mule hide in her shadows, unaware of her calm presence. No ripple of her emotion would he detect- she would remain a calm presence within the void.
"Astira- when there is danger, you must become one with your surroundings. Then you become the danger- & you cannot hurt yourself. There is only one bloom on one branch in the sky. Hold that bloom, for you are the seed & it is your future." And the Dragon smiled by the fountain of morning light by the quiet circle of water.
Bosco entered the late night bar. Astira watched from across the street. After ten minutes she tossed her hair back & put on some lipstick. She walked across the street.


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L'Alpe d'Huez

Lock & Key

Music=
1. Gold On The Ceiling
   -Black Keys
2. Traveling At The Speed Of Light
   -Joywave


"The trouble is you think you have time."
-Laughing Buddha



UFOtext=
I. Paris
"Winter mountains melt away in the breeze of summer. One half of the new year spent!"
The Count extended his hand to Princess Lei. She smiled imperceptibly, her simple gown a closed flower of white jasmine. Her black diamond sparkled paradoxically.
"Count- the weight of history bears upon us all. One evening is but one twinkle of a star. But it is the moment we live for!"
She smiled warmly & received his hand. Then the Count & Princess retreated to his balcony. Twilight deepened in azure from horizon to zenith. One by one the stars emerged.
Later that evening, after refreshed from dinner & wine, the Princess turned to the Count.
"Count." She paused, as if thinking deeply.
"The Lady Vivienne told me an extraordinary tale. It's too extraordinary to believe- yet I think I believe it."
She looked at the Count leaning against the rails of the balcony, his face hidden in a mask of shadow.
"My Lady, the extraordinary is but the ordinary to the heavens above! Remember the Pearl Of Dreams..."

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Dark Supernova

Dark Supernova 

Music=
1. Evening Star -Cannons


"Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a mind without moon or star."
-Confucius


UFOtext=
I. Dark Island
The heavy spaceship hovered, then laboriously touched down on the bright landing pad. Joshua could see a small royal entourage emerge from wide doors, greeted by the courtesans of the Yellow Emperor.
"Leizu, what brings the Galactic Empire to the Far East of the galaxy?"
Leizu's smile faded.
"We have something they covet."
"What is that?" asked Joshua.
"Vast supplies of minerals & natural resources?"
"Partly. But there is something more. Something not known to the media of the galaxy. Something only known to the inner chambers of the Galactic Emperor."
Joshua flinched in surprise. The galactic psychohistory of the millennia prior to the secret birth of the Foundation was well mapped out- by no less than Seldon himself. What was she talking about?
"What is it?"
He stared skeptically at Leizu in the soft ambient light, looking for an answer in her face- but she averted her eyes.
"It is the black key." she said.
Joshua paused. She held the shiny black key in her delicate fingers. He reached out & held her arms, then looked directly into her eyes.
"What is it? What is so special about the key?" he asked.
She said-

"The key is made of black jade. Let's just say the key unlocks the secret to fame & fortune & love. Thousands & thousands of years ago that ancient secret was lost. The key was then born to hold the secret. This is the way of life & death in the cosmos. No one can change that."

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The Far Star

NGC 6949 "Fireworks Galaxy"

Music=
1. All You Wanted
   -Michelle Branch
2. Don't Look Back
   -Boston





UFOtext=
I. Terminus-
"The Foundation isn't what it used to be."
Toran paused. He took a drink from his Slingshot.
"But 3 centuries is a pretty good run I guess. After so long the corrupt bureaucrats & the well connected insiders take over- they ride the coattails of all the glorious historical momentum, they ride the momo right into the ground. Truth be told, the Trader Worlds do the heavy lifting these days."
Beta sighed. She had to admit there was a lot of truth in what the Trader said. Still...
"The Foundation is destined to succeed. It's all part of psychohistory, the Seldon plan."
She looked at the Trader. He lacked intellectual depth. How could you argue with psychohistory- whatever it was exactly. Nobody at the university could tell you how it worked. But it had worked so far.
"Look- nobody can predict the future. Too many unknowns in the universe, too many weird things can happen. It's just common sense."
Toran smiled, somewhat amused at the girl.  She wore tight pants & a white blouse. A bright shiny silver pendant hung around her neck. Very nice. She was good looking- that was for sure.
Beta looked away. Twilight deepened. The Diamonds materialized on the horizon.

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The Future Path

The Future Path

Music=
1. She Said, She Said
- The Black Keys

"Study the Past if you would define the Future."
- Confucius

UFOtext=
I. The Dark Island
"Joshua- you do not belong here."
Leizu pursed her lips in the soft ambient light. Joshua stiffened.
"A man is free to go where he chooses. Why do I not belong here?"
"Because no one is free but the Yellow Emperor. Everyone must bend to his will."
"Or what?" asked Joshua.
Leizu sighed.
"You are talking nonsense, the Emperor is all powerful. What can you do?"
"I can do a lot. I know how history works- & I can shape the path of the future."
Leizu rolled her eyes. She then looked right at Joshua.
"Do you know who I am?"
Joshua's eyes roamed the dark outline of Leizu's hourglass figure. She held her black key between delicate fingers.
"No I don't. But I know how history works. And that counts for a lot."
Leizu smiled.
"You know nothing about history until you've lived it. Trust me. I know."

II. Paris
"Count, how you meet Aristarchus?" asked Astira.
The Count turned away from the orange paint of the setting sun framed in baroque.
"We first met on the island of Samos." said the Count.
"I was a different person then. Suffice it to say, I washed up on the shore in an acutely vulnerable state."
Astira furrowed her brow.
"But Count, why Aristarchus never mention you?"
The Count paused, setting down his glass of Sunday wine.
"Because I am a Möbius strip- I live two different lives, I show the world two different faces. You see the Count, but Aristarchus sees my other side."
Astira looked puzzled at the Count, not really satisfied with the answer.
Bosco appeared from nowhere.
"Count, the Princess has arrived."
Painted stars waved in baroque.

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The Face On The Möbius Strip

Louvre & Pyramid

Music=
1. Colours To Life
-Temples


"The man of wisdom is never of two minds.."
-Confucius


UFOtext=
I. The Dark Island
One ephemeral minute- Joshua stood at the very edge of a cliff one millennium deep. But time & space are relative things; a trickle of starlight travels the whole galaxy at one moment of eternal time- never changing, never stopping. He stared at Leizu. She stood beneath the shadow of the moon at the small door of an apparent hidden passage, now open. Her intense dreaming eyes implored him to follow. Did he really have any choice? He bolted at once into the dim passage, & she at once locked the hidden door behind him. He stood next to her in the dark. Diffuse starlight trickled from her gown as her bosom swelled up & down in rhythm with her breathing. Then he noticed her fine thin necklace- & a small black key.

II. Paris
The Count knew the many faces of death. He knew that final moment of truth in a duel of honor.  Astira raised her pistol but an acrobatic hand reached from nowhere. Astira felt the wiry grip. She felt the infinite strength.
"Astira, you are safe here. I am not the Mule you fear."
The Count breathed a sigh of relief. His arms stretched wide & high to the heavens in a cross of peace. He lowered his arms. He moved closer.
"Please, read my thoughts. They are the extraordinary novel of an ordinary man."
The Count peered into Astira's wildly excited eyes. She calmed. She remembered the oneness of the Dragon. She stood on the bridge of a Japanese garden. She looked upon a Princess of the Far East. She reached to hold her hand, but felt only the small avian body of a vibrant hummingbird. Astria returned to the Pyramid.
The Count appeared disoriented, but then recovered his composure.
"So- now you see Astira. I am not the Mule."
Astira felt relieved. The Count turned to the man of mystery.
"Good man Bosco- you were magnificent! Now please release the lady. It's all just a misunderstanding."

Astira turned and looked at the gaunt spindly figure holding her hand in an iron grip. His lips twisted into a strange smile.

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