Fall Equinox

xxxx

Music=
1. I Don't Care- Ramones

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

UFOtext=
I. Prague

"I run from the rule of our First Citizen. I look for those who oppose his control- as I do. Are you one of us?"

The musician anxiously looked at Astira, waiting nervously for her reply.

The emotional shell of Astira stood bare and frozen in a den of winter snow. But in fiery color of autumn leaves, her deeper pattern of thoughts traced over all possible outcomes branching out from her reply.

II. Paris

At night the chaotic events of the day tumbled in the grey shadows of the Count's mind. He rose from his chair below the stars and greeted the Princess- her Yin diamond a perfect night of hidden dream. She spoke softly- but in strange words foreign to his understanding. And then he opened his eyes to the early light of morning.

UFOtext

Scatter Brain

Mule

"We rest.—A dream has power to poison sleep;
We rise.—One wandering thought pollutes the day;"
- Percy Bysshe Shelley 1

UFOtext=

I. Far East

The Dragon turned away from his possibility tree and looked upon his daughter. An orphan of chaos, she survived as the Empire lost control over the worlds of the Far East. For the last 21 millennia the Empire ruled, stealing much of the wealth and priceless treasure built up from the time of ancient dynasties, some predating the Empire itself. The legendary lost diamond of Yang- one luminary example in this regard.

"Yes, I just received word from Astira. I believe she is in great danger. There is no one she can trust. The Second Foundation is destroyed, at least in the Euro & Central Sectors."

"I see." said the Dragon.

"Yes, I wish to travel to the Euro Sector and help her find the Second Foundation- if it still exists."

The Dragon looked at the Dragonfly but only saw his daughter. She had barely escaped the Empire- and now this?

II. Prague

"Fair young Lady- Time spent well doth sow a treasure of roses. Perchance thine spare but one carefree seed for Time's Fool?"

And the deranged puppet smiled in uncertain lines.

The shell of Astira smiled back, amused by the fancy language. But her deeper pattern of thoughts hid in the external memory of correlated atoms and molecules in her surroundings- her deeper emotions changed color in flashes of autumn leaves.

"OK. But what you want from Astira?" she asked. And she stared at the puppet through her curious mask.

UFOtext

Up Close

Musicians

Music=
1. Come A Little Closer-
 Cage The Elephant
2. Ascending Guitars (Sadlands Demo)-
 Smashing Pumpkins

"If I understand change, I shall make no great mistake in life."-Confucius



UFOtext=
I. Prague
Astira sensed the danger. She felt the intruder within her mind, searching her deepest thoughts & emotion. She recognized the infinite despair of pure evil- but now she had changed. She let everything go, she became one with everything around her. Astira's pattern of thought no longer existed- only the atoms & molecules of her body. Her pattern of thoughts hid in the humble grasses, hid in the slowly turning leaves of autumn, & remained invisible in the blankness of pure Zen. She watched the intruder play with the thoughts she left behind- she watched the shell of herself talk with this Musician of Darkness.

II. Far East
What if?" thought the Dragon. Intricate branches of possibility formed a graphic tree on his computing screen. There were no Seldon probabilities- normal psychohistory no longer applied- a new abnormal psychological force swept through the galaxy, something no one in the Second Foundation planned for.
"Yes, Father- I wish to have a word with you." said the Dragonfly, softly entering the room, as if she were a child's dream.

UFOtext

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