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."

UFOtwit

Free Will

Poland, Kiritimati

Music=

1. The Celestials- Smashing Pumpkins

UFOtext=

"Psycho power manipulate mind- change human emotion- alter natural flow of psychohistory- big cult movement will enslave galaxy."

"Yes- when the wind blows, the grass bends."1 said the Dragonfly, calmly.

"Free the mind!" whispered Astira, looking across the endless waves of bending ocean. Poland lay beyond the horizon, out of sight.

"Free the mind!" she repeated in thought as she turned to look at the serene  Dragonfly.

……

"The junk ships left Hong Kong- they broke the Empire embargo!" said Princess Lei, her hair drifting across her smile in the gentle breeze.

"Wonderful!" said the Count.

"No longer does the Foundation lack a supply of vital minerals- but the stars in their sky remain few!" he added.

"The junk ships cannot carry the stars of heaven!" said the Princess, with mild amusement.

"Too bad." said the Count.

And like a metronome the endless waves lapped against the docks of London.

UFOtwit

High On Possibility

The New Year

Music=
1. Low- Coldplay


"Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart."- Confucius

UFOtext=

"In Eurozone- Second Foundation wiped out- nothing left but cult of crazy people. " Astira paused and the Dragon listened.

"They set up hyperspace link to Oceania-  then Oceania link to Kalgan. Beyond that don't know." Astira stopped and looked at the Dragon.

"So what u think Dragon- u think Astira lost her freakin mind?"

The Dragon listened to the whisper of his deep inner thoughts. He spoke-

"Our galaxy is in great peril. The deviations from psychohistory in Kalgan invalidate the basis of psychohistory."

The Dragonfly lowered her eyes and then looked up to a stunned Astira.

.....

Standing on the main dock of London, gazing from low to high, the Count beheld the vast expanse of ocean and sky. Years ago he stood alone on a similar dock at Paris- but that dock now lay abandoned. At that time Kiritimati <> held his key to great fortune and power. Now he returned with a modest entourage- Aristarchus of Samos and Princess Lei- seeking only the fortunes of history- and of the heart.

UFOtwit

Tick-Tock

White Jade

Music=

1. Appels + Oranjes- Smashing Pumpkins

2. Pat A Pan- Mannheim Steamroller

3. A Love Before Time (Mandarin)- CoCo Lee

UFOtext=

Astira reached the gate by nightfall. A few winter stars hung crazily above in the Czech sky, but no moon lit the way. She lifted the latch and pulled with all her might on the heavy metal gate. The gate gradually opened wide and she crossed over, her pulse rising from the effort. She then walked along a snowy path lit by paper dragon lanterns swinging in the cold wind. A bright moon of white jade appeared between the trees, scattering the bright snowflakes and revealing a distant pagoda. Astira felt her eyes become heavy- she could now see the robed figure of the Dragonfly standing in the flickering light.

......

"The end of the world- and- the beginning of the world! It is the way of revolution."
Princess Lei then paused, seconds of time becoming centuries to the Count. In a forest of jade, each falling snowflake became it's own winter- each melting snowflake it's own spring.

UFOtwit

Kiritimati

Island World

Music=

1. Oceania- Smashing Pumpkins

UFOtext=
The clock struck five- Princess Lei appeared. The Count, refreshed from a rare afternoon nap, escorted the Princess up a winding flight of stairs to the frontside balcony overlooking the streets of Paris. A hint of twilight gradually deepened as they spoke.
"So- pressing business takes you to Italy, Kashmir and Hong Kong."
"Yes." said the Princess, her eyes rising like crescent moons.
"Are you familiar with Kiritimati?" asked the Count.
"I've heard of Kiritimati- it's beyond even the Silk Path."
"Yes." said the Count, he then explained-
"Kiritimati is a deep pearl at the bottom of a mysterious sea."
At that very moment the twilight deepened and revealed its first star.
------
Astira took a chance and opened the hyperspace link. A hologram appeared showing two dense spiral arms of the Mleko Droga galaxy- the myriad islands of Oceania lay strewn between in a rare fine dust of stars.

UFOtwit

Xmas Blues

Liuli

Music=

1. Fiction- The xx

UFOtext=

The sun rose victorious. The Count's tired eyes contracted slightly in the true light of mid morning. He knew- at this very moment- the Princess lay sleeping, her mind a theater of dream, a revelation of hope and despair. He knew- later in the afternoon- her almond eyes would open to the world, fresh as the morning glory.
Through his long day he would wait for the rise of the sun in the Far East.

UFOtwit