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The Cleansing
Premiered 9/9/9 (9 September 2009) The continuation of The Myth and Legend of D'PTah, an original novel by Dan Sewell Ward.
Segment 27 The Cleansing Cue Music: Also Sprach Zarathustra [1]. [Might be a little over the top... but it's a dramatic moment.] Disaster! It had all happened seemingly in the twinkle of an eye. While Duenki and Anna were attempting to ignore the wrath of the lethal combination of Xytol, Dimutri, and a whole phalanx of distant authorities intent upon not disseminating sensitive research results prematurely... a massive explosion at the main Myricon dig changed the landscape entirely. The two co-conspirators, Anna and Duenki, had already completed and disseminated the Belle of the Ball segment (again without proper authority – and in fact in direct opposition to various, vain attempts to limit Anna's access to the media channels). They were, at the time of the explosion, apparently at leisure awaiting the next effort to recover and translate those segments now coming out of the ground, segments that appeared to continue the narrative past the Belle of the Ball segment. The explosion quickly eliminated any slight hope for historical authenticity, or that the answers of age old questions were going to be quickly or easily answered. The entire environment had undergone a rapid acceleration... with adrenaline kicking in with a vengeance. The raw materials upon which Duenki – and the rest of the modern world -- was hoping to learn the fate of both the ancient people and the pre-Perl Discontinuity world which had spawned the modern version... were suddenly in harm's way. As the explosion made itself known in the traditional manner of explosions -- horrendously loud and creating a sonic boom sufficient to be felt a hundred yards away -- Anna and Arthanius had begun running from his tent in the direction of the main dig, where even now flames could be seen exploding, as well as exploring whatever might be flammable. The two were quickly on the heels of Gil in his own headlong rush from his tent. The three quickly pulled up short, however, when the intense heat of what was apparently a complete conflagration forced them back. Other than helping two workers who were dragging themselves away toward comparative safety, no one could approach the local holocaust. They would ultimately find among the dead, Professor Simon Galiworthy and the indefatigable Freddie the Slow. These two would really be missed. In the first moments, however, there was simply the fiery furnace with which to contend as the wooden structures covering the dig – the structures designed to protect it from the elements -- went up in smoke, flames, exploding fragments, and collapsing structural timbers splintering themselves in every direction. The extent of the tragedy was immediately evident, albeit it was still uncertain as to what might yet still be recovered. The cause would be far less obvious. One hint concerning the latter was the apparent lack of a mad dash to the scene by both Xytol and Dimutri. From Anna's viewpoint, with Arthanius' quick agreement, it was clear that everything pointed to sabotage, the intentional attempt to destroy what one could not control by other means. All of which, no doubt, would be in the interest of protecting data, history, and mainstream tradition from the intense light of (quite literally) hard evidence. Also obvious was that the triggering action might well have been Anna and Duenki's submittal of the two segments that treated the proverbial powers-that-be (of all ages) with nothing short of contempt. Anna had already come under close scrutiny, but for the moment had forestalled the various attempts to limit her in the future. For the moment, however, the challenge was far less that of authorization and more of simply limiting the extent of the destruction of Myricon. Such was the motive. Means was a bit trickier. It was true that rather quickly the physical causes became known: i.e., the various toxic and potent chemicals used in the recovery process of the artifacts. With just the right mixtures, fire would be straightforward. But to achieve explosions and the intensity of flames that they actually encountered... that would take a bit longer. Seems as if some of the chemicals were unaccountably contaminated with additional ingredients – making for a far more volatile mixture. That left only Opportunity, which from several viewpoints was a slam dunk: anyone in the area could have discreetly mixed the proper combinations. Interestingly, the only person without an ironclad alibi for those moments prior to the explosion was Gil. Anna and Duenki, Xytol and Dimutri, and two workers at a distant from the initiation of the explosion all had someone to vouch for them. That left only Gil without an alibi... and of course any outsider who had slipped in and slipped out with great stealth, leaving nary a clue. There was, of course, the fact that an alibi based on the testimony of a fellow conspirator... would be somewhat less than conclusive. But in general there were a lot of suspects. It was a puzzlement! The full extent of the losses had not been immediately obvious, but a sizable portion of the ongoing narratives – those not painstakingly extracted from where the ancients had so carefully placed them – had clearly been seriously damaged. Almost certainly a huge loss of data had been further fragmented from what had been relatively complete narratives. The possibility of continuing the story at the same level of detail as they had been obtaining it prior to the "accident", was now only a remote possibility... if not almost definitely out of the question. The only saving grace had been that the two most intriguing of the chapters thus far – the ones detailing the plague preparations and the ball had already been safely conveyed into the media channels. Once the immediate disaster was brought under control, two enormously challenging problems began to raise their exceedingly ugly heads. The first was that in the tradition of military jurisprudence, the on-site commander would be the first to receive intense scrutiny as to the responsibility... which is to say, he would be the first choice of being the scapegoat for what had happened. As it summarily deposed. Gil's mentorship and loyalty to Duenki would never be used as an official excuse, but it would more than serve as encouragement to transfer the command of Myricon to someone more attentive to political niceties (even if it meant someone with roughly zero archaeological credentials, experience, and talents). Gil indeed had the unenviable status of the local provincial governor who had failed in some manner to properly prosecute whoever and whatever constituted the guilty parties prior to events taking a turn for the worse. The only good news was that for the next few days, the momentous decision would be on hold. In the interim, Gil's friends in power would need to be considered, and the Anna equation would have to be incorporated into the calculations. Responsibility could possibly be transferred to Anna – with the prime goal to ultimately undermine her – but then again, she was quite capable of defending herself against any such obvious manipulations. There was also the compromise solution of simply sending Gil on an early and extended vacation. They didn't shoot captains any more; just retired them to a distant farm. Still, Koroviev was also spooked... albeit not so much from the explosion as from Gil's sudden increase in defensiveness. There was, in fact, already the sense of Koroviev becoming the mother bear of someone threatening her cub (Gil). No one was voluntarily going anywhere near Gil's tent... and Koroviev was accompanying him everywhere... making for some extremely polite conversations. NO raising of voices! Duenki, meanwhile was considered small potatoes, hardly worth bothering to dirty one's hands in destroying. He could also be scapegoated and thrown to the wolves as a matter of course, but there was the possible complication of his for-the-moment unknown relationship with the far more formidable Anna Shamhat. Their relationship was insufficiently and inadequately defined... such that it might be far wiser to cut the younger member a bit more slack... just in case. Political power niceties must be observed. Meanwhile on the ancient front, the devastation would undoubtedly extend further than the intended or planned elimination of miscellaneous personnel. Of course, most personnel in the traditional sense -- i.e. employees -- were already defined as miscellaneous. Duenki and Anna were now faced with working with materials in much worse condition. In the coming days, every effort was made to piece together the continuing narrative. It would be demonstrably less authoritative, and in fact when it reached the larger audiences, there would likely be a cry for major changes at the Myricon site that would or could no longer be denied. Clearly the PROC, the CROCK, and every other authority who had deemed the advisability of a wholesale destruction of sensitive materials... had accomplished much of what they had wanted. In the final segment of the Third Interim Report, Duenki wondered to what degree he could point fingers, suggest possible scenarios, or question the authoritative conclusions based on a “balanced and fair investigation”. Probably not much. The Fox guarding the henhouse was always going to be a problem. An even greater problem was that regardless of the end of the third interim report, what was the probability of there being a fourth Interim or even a Final Report? The odds of a follow on report at this juncture were clearly drastically reduced. Accordingly, what was there to lose by being blunt? Duenki slowly began to assemble the segment... alone. The writing was clearly going to be enormously more laborious. He had to try and avoid allowing his feelings to seep into his writing. As for his screaming bloody murder... what really would be the point? Better to tilt with windmills. At least in the latter you get some good exercise and the advantage of spending time in the healthier out-of-doors. In the meantime, as Duenki took one last editing sojourn through his writing, he switched off the Strauss music and fortified his mind with I Will Survive [2]. It seemed the only plausible support music. Of course, Duenki would probably prefer another rendition [3].
Loyalties A fundamental question within any organization worthy of the name is that of loyalties. Do second-in-command individuals, for example, aspire to become head man? And when such individuals do not achieve such levels... what is likely to be their reaction at their failure? Will they seek revenge? And if, on the other hand, they are successful... by what means are they likely to have pulled off the coup? Numerous scholars have, for example, wondered about the relationship between the Regency and his so-called 'Chief of Staff', Pytor Alexandrovich Spasopeskovsky. Some evidence has already been alluded to with respect to Pete's relationship with one Charlotte Joy Weaver... and obviously the nature of her agenda becomes extremely important. It would appear, for example, that she may have had a degree of control over her apparent lover, Peter. Accordingly, is there the possibility of Pete taking issue with the Regent... on any number of issues... and at the behest of Charlotte Joy? Clearly, anything is possible. With apologies to the Regent's own words, power does tend to corrupt. At the same time, no knowledgeable individual would expect the Regent and his Chief of Staff, Pete, to agree on every matter and issue that might arise in the course of the many years of collaboration. In fact, assuming Pete was up to the demands of his job, it would be more than appropriate for Pete to occasionally challenge the Regent... in effect to bring him back to reality whenever his emotions might lead him astray or into hurricane waters. Whether or not such challenges by the Chief of Staff might have contained -- instead of or in addition to -- more of the substance of covert intrigue and an attempt to unseat the Regency... is always a fundamentally serious question. One of the more intriguing fragments that might address this issue consists of the following dialogue, wherein it is clear that the lead individual is -- initially, at least -- operating from a highly emotional, and very possibly impractical state of mind... while the second individual is either appealing to reason... and/or is in fact challenging the first individual in a comparatively covert manner. For the moment, the all important question of loyalties within, for example, the Regency staff, may require additional evidence to ensure a reasonable credibility as to the answer to the basic question. The record does not allow for a definitive conclusion as to the identities of the two people in this dialogue, and thus no red highlighting is being used in this portion of the report. However, the educated guess -- based upon several references in the dialogue -- is that the first speaker in this dialogue is that of the Regent, and the second that of his Chief of Staff.
Pandemic Despite the relatively poor and much more fragmentary condition of the most recently obtained artifacts at Myricon, it seems clear that the following narratives have now begun describing the events leading up to the long rumored very deadly pandemic of ancient times and its aftermath – as well as potentially, a partial description of the Perl Discontinuity itself. There is also the distinct possibility of interventions by an intelligence in creating a discontinuity, albeit such an intervention would be for unknown reasons. Speculations might suggest that there existed forces that did not wish to tolerate the perceived excessive diversity of the human species.
Suggestions by scholars of a world wide extremely deadly pandemic prior to the Perl Discontinuity have had precious little definitive evidence to support their theories. That is until now. The Regency histories provide a tantalizing fount of new information. While much of this seeming confirmation is in fragments, there are sufficient elements that should convince most researchers in the field. Of particular interest are fragments of what are apparently the Regency's own personal writings on the events of the day. Some of these are included below as terse observations:
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********* A general observation is that it is almost axiomatic of the human species that upon encountering dark days, most will blame the light for having left them. In the case of the Regency we can begin to understand the final era prior to what is quite possibly the reason for the occurrence of what we now identify as the Perl Discontinuity. From the available evidence we can conjecture the beginning of a long-expected pandemic, combined with the widespread suspicion that it was not a wholly natural occurrence, but rather instead an artificially generated disease specifically designed to decimate any and all tribes which were opposed to the agendas of the more powerful tribes. The pharmacidal tribes were undoubtedly – if only because of their exclusive expertise in such matters – the major players in this intentional plague. But these same forces also tried to avoid wholesale lynching by claiming that “the devil had made them do it” -- in this case, identifying the Regency as the responsible devil. “Devil” seems to be the key word. The Regency may very well have struck back at the pharmacidal interests with a wrathful vengeance, but the damage had already been done.
Clearly, any religious tolerance still in its embryonic stage was suddenly dashed on the rocks of scapegoatology. The ironical aspect is that cultural differences may indeed be culpable if only because of the pharmacidal actions were taken from one very specific tribal viewpoint. One cannot ascribe to religions the sole responsibility for what might be construed as a justifiable reaction, but these same religions, either though error or intention or otherwise, undoubtedly added fuel to the enraged fires of retribution. How the Regency might have responded in the longer run to the pandemic, the culturally based reaction to a suspiciously selective disease, and the impending religious wars in earnest, is a fascinating exercise of imagination. However, as alluded to in the Regency's last fragmentary quote, there was a far greater threat on the horizon. As it turns, out quite literally “on the horizon!”
The Rising Waters An early indication of a problem of immense dimensions was first mentioned by the fragment:
This allegedly “greater threat” was apparently the combination of the misguided industry of humans to power their society at any cost -- including the inevitability of what the Regency referred to as “global warming” -- combined with some form of triggering mechanism. This trigger might in fact have provided a specific date, and thus the apparent assumption by many that Global Warming would become critical on such and such a date. The nature of the trigger and the date are still unknowns at this point.
How does a leader of billions react to an impending global catastrophe which threatens... everything? In the threat of rising waters that would inundate every coastal population center – which would in turn result in population movements of unimaginable proportions – the only possible solution would be to attempt to place as many people in ships which could be put to sea with supplies to survive the first stages of the greatest paradigm change in the history of the world. Tidal waves and/or Tsunamis often do less damage to ships far at sea, than those located near the land/sea interface. Furthermore, ships have a degree of mobility that can assist them in reaching safer waters. And finally, ships can carry supplies that can then be used to rehabilitate land-based installations.
********* There is additional evidence that the multi-faced (two-faced) oppositions did in fact raise their ugly head. This most significant and enlightening part is due to a series of bronze sheets which were found encased in a strange, clear binding. The binding appears to have been intended to add yet one more protective layer designed to save the contents for millenniums. Even more intriguing, however, is the possibility that these later writings were personal writings by D'PTah, transcribed for posterity, but which were not apparently intended to ever reach the light of day during D'PTah's tenure as Regent. As such, these writings appear to reflect the unvarnished, undiplomatic truth (as viewed by the Regent) without any attempt to placate or simplify the issues for the various tribes and peoples who might have found his blunt, less than tactful reflections to be worrisome. The enormous potential of the importance of these fragments is that they may constitute a very private diary by D'PTah, one that reflects his doubts, fears, and concerns as well as his innermost thinking processes. These unique bronze sheets appear to provide our modern world with the most personal view imaginable of the legendary D'PTah, who it may be said may have been the focus of all the wonders of our lives today. Of particular importance is the fact that the dating of these fragments is entirely unknown, such that much of the passages may be describing past or future crises. The story is fascinating and begins with a series of disjointed fragments – known by researchers as the T'Lords Fragments -- which add additional insight into our previous discussions above.
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These segments are tantalizing in their import. There are statements that might be the Regency's admissions of his mistakes, misjudgments, and underestimation of the forces which had arrayed themselves against him. There are also insights into his apparent resolve to take whatever actions were necessary to counter the attacks by others. Perhaps more importantly, there is the apparent sense of maintaining his own honor in the quest for the latter. It has been suggested by some scholars that the above fragments derived from a personal history written by the Regency, had been written and intended for later and distant generations. Intended in fact as a means of a revisionist history in which the Regency goes to great lengths to cast himself in the best possible light. This point of view has been advocated most vociferously by scholars such as Lamdu [5]. In this regard, Lamdu has offered several important interpretations concerning the above fragments. These interpretations are presented at length in his "Thoughts on D'PTah" [4]. They are included here in a brief format:
Lamdu, obviously, is not known for his glowing appraisal of D'PTah. Nevertheless, his thoughts and interpretations of the T'Lords Fragments must be considered as valid possibilities, even when this author disagrees with the inferences and dispersions that Lamdu seems prone to include in his writings.
Tentative Conclusion We have come to the conclusion of our third and likely final report from Myricon. Clearly, the Regency had never been fully accepted by most of the people. At the same time, the idea of peace and prosperity could either not be believed or simply tolerated by those more accustomed and/or addicted to drama. Finally the combination of pandemic, the worse results of rampant global warming, and other forces even more catastrophic -- but only hinted at in the narratives -- had conspired to end any hope a Regency might once have manifested. Furthermore, all of these challenges (artificial and natural) resulted in the effective end of a world age. May the Truth in All of its Glory Continue to be Pursued Mikhail Arthanius Duenki 07.21.4518APC For several long minutes, Mikhail Arthanius Duenki started at the pages he had written. The idea that the report he was putting together might result in the end of an important portion of his life... a very serious diversion of his fledgling career... the thought nagged at his mind. He was engaged in serious stuff. At the same time, however, he would really prefer not dwelling on such negative possibilities. Abruptly, he decided that he was definitely not going there! Instead, he would concentrate on the report itself. The good news was that he seemed to have kept his anger and despair out of the writing; that was always preferred in any professional endeavor. No anger or despair here! But then, he realized, not any where. In fact, he was experiencing far less anger and/or despair than he might have otherwise laid claim. When he really applied his mind to the situation, he remembered that life was what it was. He was simply following his path, regardless of whether or not it would judged to be radical, revolutionary, conspiratorial, or just simply nuts. Maybe, he could in fact do this. And with a little help from his friends... by the way... where exactly was Anna... or even Gil? Where was Duenki's social and/or professional network of support? The answer was obvious enough: they were probably dodging bullets... or just looking askance -- and/or with shocked and stunned surprise -- at Duenki's questionable choices of facebook friends. It can be just as lonely at the bottom, as at the top. Mikhail knew with considerably certainty that Gil had long been convinced that Anna was simply using Duenki for all manner of her nefarious purposes. There had even surfaced a new rumor wherein Duenki had acted on his own (with Gil being an unwitting accomplice in acquiring Anna's authorization code by ulterior means). The young, overly ambitious Duenki was, allegedly, someone concerned only with his own rise in the hierarchies, and therefore his future would be subject to the direst consequences. When Gil had told him of the possibilities, Arthanius had confided to Gil the gist of the sexual encounters with Anna. Gil was not only not surprised; he actually found it rather amusing. Gil had long understood the traditional means of bringing the free and uninhibited into the confines of a more civilized society. It was in the "civilization" where the beast's ability to roam free could be properly constrained and used for more subtle purposes in perpetuating or accomplishing society's aims. Gil could even smile at his own coming of age. Three guesses as to the priestess in disguise who had ushered Gil into the fold. Arthanius, however, was not quite willing to be convinced by Gil's logic and rationale, nor wisdom based upon experience. Arthanius could still remember the sexual encounters – at which point Gil made the point that such encounters was the reason sex was used to tame the wild one and why it was so fantastically effective. It was a con that never collapsed, unless one reached the age where the sex could be taken with gusto or simply left to fade gently into the night. Arthanius' counter argument was that he was ready to stand up, do what was necessary, and on his own hook. He was ready to absolve Anna. Let her make the choice to defend him or join him. Suffice it to say that when the opportunity very quickly presented itself, and Arthanius took the noble stance, Anna was very surprised. Far more importantly to the cause of Arthanius/Duenki, Anna did not intervene or in the mind of Duenki: immediately intervene. No one was surprised, say perhaps Duenki. There was also the nagging suspicion that Anna would ultimately be benefiting from his heroics. Poor Arthanius was disappointed in her apparent decision to avoid the conflagration, but he was still finding some rationale, some scenarios, and a few selected outright fantasies to explain her actions. Duenki might have been in a far greater quandary, had not the news come down from on high that preparations would have to be immediately initiated to take Myricon into what was termed as the Intensive Recovery of Artifacts Process. The IRAP was shorthand for everything is being sent to a 'safe' location where all the evidence will be buried in a bureaucratic warehouse until all the PTB elites had long since been turned to ashes and/or fish food. (I prefer the latter; no sense in wasting all those calories so laboriously gathered.) The general gist... the absolutely critical factor... was that neither Duenki, nor Gil, nor Anna – nor anyone that mattered -- would ever again see the material. It would in fact be recovered only in order to be kept “safe”, in other words, wrapped in dogma for the next millennium. One might as well have buried the whole damn site and pretend that it had never existed.
_________________________ References [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLuW-GBaJ8k&feature=related [2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybXrrTX3LuI [3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=501sNcmrwGQ [4] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6-5g78Nr6Q [5] T. S. Lamdu, Thoughts on D'PTah, Mime Press, 4515 APC.
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The Library of ialexandriah
2003© Copyright Dan Sewell Ward, All Rights Reserved
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