First Agent of the Empire & The Lady Vanishes

Captain Carter debriefed me yesterday quite a sturdy fellow not to mention a brave man fighting against Ghouls.  I myself have bumped into those beasts in the past and their claws cut deep indeed.  The slash on his cheek will take some time to heal, his broken ribs must be painful indeed. He however insisted upon talking me through the incident at the summit and getting my thoughts on what exactly happened up there.  I was unable help him however my memory seems to have turned to Swiss cheese. He asked about the other people that were there, I remembered the being that called itself Spiral and Fred Sun, the older woman I did not recognize at all.  As an ex-agent of the Empire I can sympathise with the lack of information that I gave Captain Carter.  I suspect that I will getting a visit from Control, once an agent of the Empire always an agent.

Upon reading my previous posts I have realised that a certain Lady has become lost to me not just in my memory but physically too.  Who is she I wonder and what did she mean to me?  She does seem to figure predominately throughout my work and life.  And yet I can find no mention of her in my flat back here in Kent, another mystery to solve, I can only hope that she is safe where ever she may be.

Return to Pumlumon & Recovery

Here I am again in that little cottage hospital at the base of a Welsh mountain and according to the Doctors I have been here several days.  When I asked about the transmitter at the summit they just shaked their heads and mutter to themselves saying I must be still in shock from my fall.  A kind nurse told me what they think happened to me.  Apparently one of the locals saw me walking up the mountain path just me on my own, he thought I was just a tourist out for a quick walk before it rained.  The landlord to the Free House I was staying at alerted mountain rescue when I had not returned by closing time.  At this point it was raining cats and dogs but they went out anyway, they found me just short of the summit suffering from hypothermia and a cracked skull.  That was three days ago and according to the nurse there is nothing at the summit except a stone shaped like a  giant anvil.  The legend goes that three Gods placed the stone anvil on the summit to stop the giant imprisoned within the mountain from escaping and over the years people have tried to move just to see but all have failed.

Another day here and I persuaded the Doctors I was feeling much better, my journey back to Maidstone was curious to say the least.  I am living in a different world now that much is obvious and anyone reading this blog will think I am mad.  When I stopped at a service station the advertising was way weird as far as I could tell there were three different religions: The Buddha League, Zeus and The Zoroastrians. All advertising themselves, come on when does religion use advertising?  On a hunch I asked someone about Christianity and suffice to say they had never heard of it.  Although one lady asked me in return, “Are you talking about 'The One'?”.

Foilhead no longer knows me yet his last blog previous to my visit to Wales gives me a clue as to what may have happened which is not very comforting at all.  The Janus Archive exists here so I am not free from the Numbered/729 they still haunt my steps.  No cops round the flat so maybe the Numbered/729 do not know me is this verse, there's hoping.

My friend William Rouke and eighty other known missing persons were found wandering north-west Scotland the day after I supposedly had my fall.  They are all suffering from exposure and severe memory loss.  Bill's solicitor informed me as soon he could get hold of me which was pretty much ten minutes after I had entered my flat.  He supplied me with details of the hospital that they treating him at.

I spoke to his Doctor on the phone, they are not sure if the memory loss is permanent or not.  He has advised that they be submitted as subjects of a research trial being run by a non-profit foundation called Spiral.  They use sound, images, words and smell associations endeavouring to kick start memories apparently the success rate is about forty percent but it can take weeks to years for full recovery.  I asked his Doctor to pass on the details to Bill's solicitor which I will look at more closely later.

As far as I can tell Bob died in this verse as I remember him dying the first time around and Louise is lost to me.  She does not appear to even exist in this verse at all, all my pictures of her are gone.  It feels like part of my soul has been ripped apart.  Those of you that do not think I am completely mad may be wondering what I think happened at the summit.

The Enlil Arctic Ground stations were not destroyed, we heard nothing regarding the auto-destruct code sequence.  Why this happened I do not know, I only knew it was up to us to stop the firing of the transmitter.

Even from the base of the mountain we could the see transmitter damn thing was huge although they had concentrated all of their equipment on the northeast face which allowed us to climb the mountain on the south side without risk of being seen.  Fortunately this was the route I took previously on my last visit to the mountain.  Louise seemed to be only one of us in high spirits, when Bob had discovered where we going he wanted to stay behind maybe scout out the Zone anything else really except go near the summit.  I had hunch that he needed to there if only to face his own demons about the place, when Louise smiled at him it did not take much more persuading.

We reached the summit with no incidents, Bob suggested the best method to stop the firing would be to find their power sources and do our best to destroy them.  Of course we would have to split up to cover the ground better.  Seemed like a good plan to me but I should of known better.  I had scouted most of the northwest side without being caught when I noticed on a piece ground in the center close to the transmitter stood Louise flanked by two armed guards, not good at all.  Although one of the guards appear to be winking in the light of the spotlights and that's when I felt the muzzle of the gun in my back.

The gun prodded me forward, when I got closer enough to see Louise she gave me a classic shrug and smile which normally means someone is about to get hurt.  The winking guard was not winking  his eye was half closed due to what I can only assume would of been Louise's recent right hook.  “So where is the boss then, who do you thugs report to?” as I said this there was a ripple of sheet lightening and a rumble of thunder in the distance, no foreboding there then.

Behind me I heard a familiar voice barely audible over the thunder, “Fred was right when he said you would never suspect me.”  Turning I saw Bob and truth of it all, “I suppose you started the fire at the British Library?” I said. “Not me personally I just passed on the information to Fred, he saw to the delaying tactics until one of his agents could start the fire.”  At this point a door opened in the nearest portakabin closest to the transmitter and a white coated gentlemen came over, “We are about to fire, you can not be out here it will be dangerous please go to the viewing bunker over there.” he said pointing directly behind us, he saw the guns pointed at me and Louise he gave a weak smile then returned from whence he came.  “Fred wants to you both alive, so shall we?” Bob said and I started in the direction of the bunker but the guards pushed us towards the building that the obvious scientist had come from.  Before we got inside it started to rain hard indeed.

Inside I had a brief idea of making a break for it but the room was very small indeed never fire machine guns in enclosed spaces definitely bad for the health.  I could see Louise had had the same thought I gave her a quick shake of the head.  Bob had obviously spotted this exchange and said, “Very wise if you ask me, now prepare to witness history in the making.”  Louise just rolled her eyes and I said, “I did not think people actually talked like that in the real world, tell me did the prospect of living forever turn you to the dark side or was it something else?” This was not just banter filler for everyone in the room it was a diversion, Louise had spotted probably before me a single thick cable leading into the building hopefully power and control cable for the transmitter.  I wanted all eyes and ears on me whilst Louise looked for a method of smashing the cable at the right moment.

The last thing Foilhead told me before we left, that the murders in France had taken on a worrying aspect.  In that the last two murders were identical in every detail happening minutes and 18 miles apart.  When the entire portakabin rocked sideways suddenly I hoped that Spiral had returned or at least part of him.

Of course at the same time the portakabin shifted the transmitter had been fired, no countdown no nothing but from the looks of the scientists sitting at the control stations it was nothing to do with them.  That huge thick cable by the door had been ripped free and all instruments on control stations looked quite dead.  “Time to get wet I think?” I said loudly above the drumming of rain on the roof.  Bob looked quite alarmed that everything was not going according to plan.  Then the entire portakabin rolled on its side and the single door ripped off its hinges letting in the rain.  I could see from where I was lying a single shadowy figure outside, there was also an orange glow lighting up the outside.

Louise and I crawled out of the wreckage, I did not bother with Bob and his guards.  Above us the gateway was fully open just as I remembered it from the first time round, I still carry the stone with a hole in it.  I made sure I was holding Louise's hand I did not want her to go the way of Lewis Style.  The shadowy figure turned round and although I did not recognise him I definitely recognised that Spiral was there controlling him.  “The gateway on the otherside will soon be opened and then...” the man was interrupted by a lightening strike to the transmitter and the orange glow started to darken, the transmitter was rising, lifting off the ground.  Around us of all the equipment and portakabins were being pulled into the gateway which was now just a orange hole only the spotlights lit up the area and they were lifting off too.  Louise and I were still rooted to the spot thank the Gods.

Soon everything had been engulfed by the gateway only Spiral, Louise and I remained at the summit and then Spiral turned into white light blinding us.  I felt Louise's hand pulling away from me, I am sure I held on but an orange light engulfed me.

Nine Remedies

Well after an awful lot of legwork by Louise, FoilHead and myself (Bob has gone awol) we tracked all of Nine Remedies suppliers and there are well over a hundred different suppliers.  What is odd they appear to be from nearly every country in the world except Great Britain.

We are all of the opinion that it is in fact just a wild goose chase and I am beginning to wonder where the hell Bob has got to.  One would think that someone does not want me in the country for the next few weeks.

There was news on the TV yesterday about the project on Pen Pumlumon Fawr's summit regarding demonstrations by a local group called 'Friends of Pumlumon' trying to stop the firing of the new transmitter next week.  A representative of the group said and I quote: "They are dabbling in energies that they cannot begin to understand, they will destroy us all..."

Considering my last visit to the mountain and what happened there I am inclined to agree with them.  We have got to find out when they are intending to turn on the transmitter, Louise and Foilhead are working on that.  I can only hope we get there in time to stop them.

The location of the Zone will have take back seat for now, it is a question of saving the entire planet over Bill's life and the others that have been taken.  Perhaps Spiral is on his way to the mountain as well.

No word heard from the online community, feel like I am flying blind at the moment have to hope that this is the right decision.

May Tyche walk beside us all!

Key 19 Lost

Louise figured out the 'British Library Legend 19' quite simple really, well for a native English speaking person I suppose.  Lots of words in the English lexicon have various different meanings suffice to say that 'Legend' is also used in graphs to define the 'Key' of the labels on a graph.  Basically that turns the clue into 'British Library Key 19' as in locker key 19 (BL), a quick visit to the solicitor turned up a bunch of keys which the solicitor did not think was important.

I asked Bob to come with me but he said he had a research paper to finish that he had promised to be done by the end of the week, so Louise came instead.

Unfortunately we were delayed by some twonk on the railway line at least that is what Louise managed to get out of the train guard when we finally arrived at Victoria station.  I splashed out on a Taxi instead of going via the Tube just as well since according to the Taxi driver someone had tripped a fire alarm 'by accident' at Euston Road station.  Arriving at the Library showed a plethora of police cars and fire engines, Louise wandered up to the taped off area with a smile whilst I found a bored looking fireman having a fag.

Louise's and my information tallied to show that someone had started a fire in the cloakroom, if anything had survived it would now be part of police evidence meaning that it is completely lost to us for the time being.  I am finding it hard to believe that any of this is a coincidence, only four people knew about locker 19.  Bob, Louise, myself and Bill which leads me to a couple of possiblities Galesh's bugs worked really well or the information was extracted quite recently from Bill himself which means he is still alive although the timing is somewhat suspect.  There is of course one other possibility which I cannot even consider at this point, just does not bear thinking about.

Every time I get close to some tangible evidence it is whipped away from me at the last minute, it is becoming very frustrating indeed.  At least Foilhead's Norway source has solved the second zone in the Janus Archive one step closer to discovering the truth behind the archive (annoying when they cannot spell Caesar though), whilst I think the information supplied in the zip file is probably immaterial the keys are used elsewhere which is what the lady from Norway said.  

The online community have gone oddly quiet but I cannot worry about that as well I am sure they can look after themselves.  If they want to impart information I am sure they will at the appropriate juncture.

Sunday Roast

Inspector Galesh visited us today whilst we were having our Sunday roast, I mean is nothing sacred these days.  Although the boys weren't really that hungry what with what Foildhead posted up, both of them were on a definite edge.  I was also a little annoyed with Foilhead since he posted the information before telling me, I think he is feeling a tad guilty about the whole thing because he will not return any of my emails.

Galesh seemed genuinely surprised that we were in, I mean how he could not know we were here with half the county's coppers camped on our doorstep.  You've got wonder what they think we are going to do exactly.

Both Wallace and Bob were quiet, Bob is a quiet chap anyway but Wallace is never this subdued.  Obviously the possibility that Maad is dead has gotten to him somewhat.  It was up to me to be the voice of reason well sort of.

I led Galesh into my flat, “Sorry to interrupt your Sunday roast but I thought you would like know straight away.” Galesh paused seeing that neither Wallace or Bob had eaten much of the roast lamb I made for them, he was eying the food with obvious interest so I said “Would you be interested in some lamb I have far bit over.”  Galesh leapt at the chance and pretty much polished of all the meat and vegetables, I couldn't see where he put it really quite a skinny man in fact with one those little horrible goatees men seem to love these days.  I had hoped it would put him in a good mood maybe give us a more information that he had intended.

Wallace looked at me surprised but I gave him the look that says I'm in charge my flat my rules, normally he would argue a bit before giving way but this time he just rolled his eyes and got more beer out of the fridge for himself and Bob.  He didn't offer me or Galesh one.

When Galesh had finished he thanked me for the meal and said it was the best roast lamb he had had in a long time.  Which made me blush a little and Wallace just rolled his eyes again, finally he made contribution to the conversation by saying, “Such charmer you are Inspector perhaps now you have eaten our food you could enlighten us with the reason for your visit?”

“Of course, you must remember in a high pressured job like mine finding time to eat can be difficult.  Well I am sure you've heard by now that Professor Maad and his wife were involved an incident.” Galesh said with a rather thin smile.

The boys were quiet waiting I assumed for Galesh to continue so I interjected, “We haven't heard anything concrete only really rumours, we've been hoping that there would some official news.  Are you here to tell us something officially?”

“Nothing is official these days but the Professor and his wife are dead.  A very sad loss indeed.”  I thought it best to pin him down exactly at this point. “Who exactly is it a sad loss to?”  Sounds harsh really but Wallace didn't even seemed to be in the same room so I thought I had better step up to the plate as they say in baseball.  “Why to the scientific community of course, dear lady.” Galesh replied.  I was beginning to wish I had let him starve, “Not to the RMS or your Numbered chaps?” I said.

Galesh stood up and walked around so that he faced us all, “I think you have built up the RMS into something ugly or perhaps you think we are involved in a huge conspiracy to take over the world.  I assure you that this does not even come close to perhaps a Jame Bond plot.  We are all about community the Professor's death is a major loss and we are very devastated, we knew that you were all close so I thought it probably best coming from me in person as opposed to hearing it on the news.”  I didn't like that 'Dear lady' at all, community my ass.  “So it will definitely be on the news then?” I said.  Galesh put his hands in his pockets which is quite unusual for a copper to do at least in Britain anyways, he replies “Well that is in the purview of the Foreign Office, nothing to do with me.  I suggest that anything you are currently looking into you drop before more people get hurt.”  Unbelievable just like that he threatens us to stop our investigations at which point Wallace wakes up.

“Of course I happy to help the police in anyway I can as long as they are not in fact holding any useful information back about the whereabouts of good friend Bill Rouke and an American called John Knile.  Are perhaps saying that my investigation has caused the death of the Professor and his lovely wife, I supposed if someone had warned me in time I could of called in a few favours and made sure that they would be safe.  Sadly however nobody told me anything as long as those lines, the more clues I get the easier it is to find the answers I need to complete the case.  I would say Inspector that you and the RMS are all about keeping things secret and your sense of community is nonexistent.  Good day.”

Galesh looked me and I just shrugged my shoulders he turned and left the flat.  I turned on the news to fill in the silence.  And who was on the news but that cute guy Johnny Howard from the Corcas Four, he had just been named as the pilot of the new spaceplane Enlil that they are launching next Friday.  I remember Foilhead mentioning this on his blog.

And that was the end of the Sunday roast.

Visiting Mr Brown

I took Bob to see Mr Brown yesterday so we could have a chat away from all the bugs Galesh had placed in my flat and office, I am practically living in 1984 these days. You may remember Mr Brown from my previous case, he is a creation of Corcas Inc. labs a Woolly Mammoth clone from genetic material found frozen in Russia. He has got his own private reserve in a safari park in Kent and I am one of the few people the keepers let into his paddock. They think Mr Brown likes me but I know better Mr Brown likes me because I bring him Jelly Babies.

Bob seems a little unsure when Mr Brown trumpets loudly when he catches sight of me but I assure him that everything will be fine. Mr Brown does nearly run us both down in his enthusiasm but we managed to jump out of the way in time as Mr Brown attempts to do a power-slide on the grass. Quite an amazing sight really not something you see everyday.

Now there is no point in having a chat away from Galesh's bugs if I am then going write it up on the blog, so my conversation with Bob is encrypted. You may remember in a previous case I used a poem by Bill, Archie and his Spoon who had a fondness for Eigenerv. The key will this time however been his full name. One other thing Louise is feeling a little left out of late and would an love email from someone to cheer her up. I also wouldn't say no to any information you have found of late.

Encrypted Conversation:

S: “Eslb hms kjl Xsoqhkhcf eidaumpzep?

B: “Pqb ufay dtdih glv ciepeak dfp'a gpu?”

H: “Bwh, mch vvimxmmr yy mkzqu tz bgj wb usjlqelt azd dg haliyj qdi hb wkamc epe tid cdiz fcre ivog wlxrpnb ir pfuzqclp.”

E: “Scr W uema, nzc bhq mfua xbre kw dbzl vvimxmmre bzvz iod mrth.  Hvrr r bmh xwnfhj cnw ie chutwjrh r linvmt af gjvbpczsatg cs ee wvntmnf dfebufne, zjxhhrr zj apgmrml ukmnfrpql aobtyrcmd.  Hpez I xqa i dlzvwg zcbo rp qe, tb wms fdcqpud wzph dnkvo plo jeqn fxlzxrtwltb grzvniw eqmqs rpk apmprft voq yjal Aswtasyqw bp bclfv ozy hzbnpcmnf vvtzqpnd wg awuux.”

N: “Spz dmnf ik?”

D: “Pb iao d kwcfg rfpm htbh ut jcfqog 'Ekah aol fv kn fdm, FBS'.  Z czsfd ekw Efcsijowc tn hq kegd eio sdv hsbg mk, dm ufat eazf 'Zwnezqw ssoq'.  Lv swfwl nqvvt ziz aybedfs.”

J: “M nkcwo aak tyca NQS dwscrg ssi Bzpo Xedczxht Tuy, kw log zirjb ez je perf.  P epnohj lvog lv ea ecgizg kq nmu ofw gu hvr Tiknpdaod aef P jft jrm ws yasno bsp tooakkvv pf ekw Ocbr.  Hf uwf vvoi wyca ebs huaihsa me ppp owcgmvpa ljd ekw Efcsijowc emlx yfw?”

I: “Apmp rx xh mrw, kdwfrp I fhzpr bie Augusgfsi gmae i lat kq oqnspox X hvvrb dm hla tdyzpn bp pcrltqh zi.”

S: “Eb opacdisgk Wayxdfswof'w bevrowm, fhvtl iqppdjtr hb fv dqyea ttak vom Liyj zpr opgvoa ez aoye tqswtslo hdkse.  Lv qapo qt fo jvyqle oroc vwf ieautpa, ta hvcs bie dluz obq xf hqgp nodemgy.  Bie ahgezs bj yea wlvd ioiuoqqeo kab og n Kfz.”

E: “Lyl if grxl bie wdfs'g zbgrpqzy is nezpn vfac Owcu?  W glfqose Tezg ncz i nyek gg twpxzkv ncmafeu df P.Q. Lzywrfosx.”

S: “Owxp xeapcg ziz tsdl Acjrgiwne'd atarzgz efrp lf eofg fromo tv fmck, jl imwlbk howq mk ea plaiqr kq dzjtp iarhwbr ndmy jwu tamg h tjteow uoqg xf xidp qt un.”

N: “K oiue ekacy kumtd jtea wqrv hhku tshf ws rvh ekb hcqtq hrrwg ttzuatg og ech.”

J: “Zk'a cutp yha oaxhv xb hui ukkfxmnf aj Uhzloxdfs, cbr sw Hwgpkrmfk'u zbprthk bsbgmfja esqs oika ha cetqy xb hui mwtwpg bqlfy Smog.  Tw sagc fezz bslb Ol wruu'b jtd rjxuwaec xctwled blv zwneekacu tnv fhlpc.  Bhunx kz biae vsbs ggsiu blwss mbfwa Tfnr dk p  vmcskdmetkax pccjm bno wzt ghbvp ea pqneotzxltz bplfv rfredal mj Zazdfnwp Dacwwg, gsrqj hqvp qt us dwsbjpwh xxqhvseo eclxpqd kqnmuhpu.”

O: “Ivwf vvwtwj loqs eqa pfla pw uwbq Fzht lyl tte fvomss lqv wck glzo qd wqnweu vv Kpmarftbh Glvkzj.”

M: “Nram njhb zof wgar ar eskce Nwmboegub Uhprjn Pwyp kdwfrpt fhvtl ebs dret gcex fb uluwr qvvpa biae ksedsaiu ev esm pmsk voiu csdfvsr rjwaketdexy vxlzztslfv ks xrfs. Gpd?”

E: “Af iku azvlj eshwq yimat jpa bgt kjlzf hlv ld ps zsia bz tb ttae voiu.”

B: “Hhda hvr hfycxpvt mljq tmottrfh Yoym rjl spz fugyvz ihatqki hkb hviwy-vqnss.”

N: “K appurkl Zozv aro iy Tvduae Ivleedv kjfsyc yaz zcqgunj cym oohkwgs brei Ocxpz?”

B: “Ihf muwxs? Mxl Zozv mj ppp omafh ruwmdt zi lws Ubhuaad Ocrsa njv qt tsh dxts tmmaz,  Ofzgm ffwnpu a ohedb qnpcal Clstmvzlh.  Pfrp lk ivs glzjo esit oaliob ny lwltbhvse sppy bhq Piqmmtszu epburh kk bclvsxakg wist zi lws rbglimye zexakkuo uo ekah twtlk wvo Zh's bongy, qu sllv 'ws tbv ndwx pict diqw wg bwrgs wg n wval'.  Jzc sqe zp apf ftjzi sjrvp zzza wf fhv flupn'd eddcr glrp tlylep oe vom hrzxfs o qbtp kn esm dqmfp dwvlo dhesoe.”

A: “Z zw yzb sqe njhb zof djt usgxzjo?”

M: “Zh's bongy pbd drethvvrx pw oz eifh snvwe, ppuzpdg ui rykpda ta sfol apre rx hsav hzrqyp jlaou.”

Y: “Fwvr eddzwbt eskce gimbiigz, zfawoq sc bbx sa az dqlxy.”

S: “Vom uhtqy xg kuiia lto bhq vrowqse xblw qczi wnwx tv tte wkyau?  I ekacy Cm gfjbcztlqd ykz xfoaow lwhu xyea mwwop.”

W: “Kjl eiowh lwwbt mj bicqmtohvf hve wsb odizq xya Xczneesft jwostgwg hvnx kk jp tuparkcub uo slk uwsyh fb aefly?”

N: “Wvns bie Augusgfsi ppzfohf tyca qt wlvf'i hvr fckwo tbsqlw dbb toxh kdfh bj vjmcrg fuecf hve oq fgjfgr lv ppzfohf ik evcmd mh lpddrh ro ncpm ezeiif.  Bie mogdr knw gazslxs vujv apf vpkarzs ssi ppp qqexd.”

N: “Uaqml yrl wszcmec qy qqnpiei Iqml ekgjuv!”

O: “Etywcoqns tyg Qioud Djrvwii zj bslb fulv voiu mpqlxcbf 'Tfpmyng Zanv Vlaus '61' tw lpzyf eskce nwnfrfn hve szpw hcfg sw abpcvax yfwap erfj, lwoh fsljld l tof lzml eiae Rr wor qse'p gzf bhunb?”

Y: “Hzf yzx kpmwak ndie T gog tykus tajlfv pspelom esit us tqtxmeehdn wbuydwv!”

M: “Tb ie tyg vvmy wryxqoy gfjkwfaian Z'o hnsatg scr ancsa jwzwd us zpkmfd ekwxf jrlzytp hpioh dghvt wp fgjzr gvrys te.”

E: “Faicjlie sllv xb vvw dkae cmcqnk dswh amrmi 729 pilmec i nzupmnp ehtmeo Qacs Frqvzqpd, qf ie kthkl tsh kdifpi fb bspqr eugrsqfs xdqqs wg azht ecicw acn apf wlb tpqy gs kdm Kzve.”

I: “Blv pb blw vwtag n pzpbwp boa eruf, Q xad zgcrsemec qq hpaf Ffkspfao vsxr knw gazslxs yijkunprxdlxcb cvfximwg sgpgnpme bj Ijtr Ghr.”

S: “E lzy'b ttiem dm iagh uwcwpi aqae tuasieg dpbt tv zpddrrzjo ez Jixl zh om js lfljozyc zj bsp Hoze.  Kjl apoyhj ls urx yeu zfb tte sgabfr.”

H: “Bgj ofr vzcpe zn cauiul, iu lpdki ks uema i opnizikg kqsenwadb hb kf ev yze.  Oze fvoms tslfv gczikdqyr Q nqeu avc uo or xdf ar.  Fzht'd dwluczvvz hagh et o gvrxhm pydexogg ymdeywdn wh psepitymd m sdcst qipfw dt dntvn bsp pazdntpbjnr lk Qwzy'w, zp alja ozlp 'Dyquidk Dxpfnvp Hmrpvd 19'.  U hrxl vpt rrl p qzhi ndie tb mqaeu, jio yzx ddcy vrkk qe qwr ye.  Z muwx I ndf ififx pkc htbh ut, Z voqok tw ah wacsipiye.”

J: “I iicn kw ny mhki.  Zcboj hqvp Ur Nrfyu pbs pdltb oyp pkcc Umlxy Sciqfs.”

H: “Kah ysrtvna nzupxazp apbt erg biqu wlcic ta bmd wqy pjm, mxl ws rbij jwe dmey tf opve.  Wp kss psfx sa opebizg scjs, Moflkt kwyp sa ezczyunx.”

The Lone Ant

To protect the identity of the eminent entomologist I shall simply called him ‘E’

W: “What do you know about a paper called ‘The Lone Ant’ by Dr. Abdul Jibril?”

E: “Yes I do know the paper although I only scanned it when it came in, I do get an awful lot of papers it is hard to keep track of them all. I’ve got it here somewhere. Then again I think it might have been in the stack of papers that got taken when they broke in.”

W: “Broke in?”

E: “I was burgled about month ago now, they didn’t take much a laptop and a bundle of papers nothing really important really.”

W: “Obviously they thought it important enough to steal them in the first place, I mean to pick a stack of papers out of the rest?” I indicated the rest of the room which was almost floor to ceiling filled with files and loose papers.

E: “Now that I think about it you do have a point there, I mean the paper in question is considered to be a little bit on the fringes of science but I hardly think it warrants being stolen. I mean it was published and it is in the public eye.”

W: “That is what I thought but I cannot find it anywhere on the Internet or in any academic circles involved in this area of study.”

E: “Well that is odd indeed!

W: “And the good doctor appears to have vanished from Cairo University, nobody has seen him since Bill went missing.”

E: “Bill?”

W: “The reason I am speaking to you is that my friend and Cambridge Professor William Rouke went missing quite recently. He was writing a book with Dr. Abdul Jibril called ‘What is Component Theory?’ In my search to find Bill I have been trying to understand what his theory is about in the hopes that I will able track his movements. Bill and Jibril were working together on the book, his paper ‘The Lone Ant’ has been mentioned.”

E: “As I said I only really scanned it but the name of the paper says it all really.”

W: “You will have to be a little more specific than that, the only thing I know about insects is getting spiders out of the bath when my friend Louise asks.”

E: “Well technically spiders are not insects, they are arachnids but they are related. It is a common misconception by the public, I assume your friend doesn’t like spiders then?”

W: “It is not that she does not like them, she says she gets a cold chill down her spine when looking at them. Perhaps you could clarify a little regarding the paper?”

E: “Yes! Of course, I tend to forget that people don’t know everything I do. A bit of a character flaw but then I find a lot of scientists have this flaw, living in a little world of our own as it were. Now you may not be aware that ants are social insects in the fact they work together to complete common goals, the title of paper obviously suggests that perhaps there was a time in the past when ants were individuals and didn’t work as a group. From what I remember this was the core of what the paper was about, his introduction was about a new discipline called ‘Pollution Interference’.”

W: “Yes I have heard of it someone on the web has written about it, what do you know about it?”

E: “Well actually it looked set to be the next hot scientific subject, they were very keen on it in the states and then just like that it all went very quiet. It happens all the time with new disciplines some survive and some don’t.”

W: “So how was Pollution Interference involved in his paper?”

E: “Well it all comes back to the increase in Colony Collapse Disorder, don’t you see?”

W: “I am sorry Doctor you have lost me again.”

E: “Sorry I’d thought you might have heard of CCD it has made the news several times over the last few years. Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD is a mechanism which is causing the death of worker bees and the corresponding, sudden collapse of the bee colony/hive. I assume you at least aware that bees pollinate the majority of our flowering food crops?”

W: “I understand that they play part in our farming are you saying without bees all our crops would die off?”

E: “Well about seventy percent of the plants on the planet are pollinated by bees, so unless something is done to stop CCD or replace the bees you are looking at the possibility of a planet without much plant life left. Albert Einstien said 'if the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man,' But I wouldn't worry too much mankind has proved to be very adaptable, at least so far.”

W: “But what has CCD to do with Pollution Interference?”

E: “From I what understand PI could be one of the reasons for the increase of CCD, effectively man's increasing pollution is interfering with the natural order of the planet.”

W: “How does this relate to ants?”

E: “You will have to remember I didn't read all of the paper but Dr. Jibril made reference to experiments whereby ant colonies were cut off from all forms of known radiations even the air was purified. The ants became disorganized and acted more like individuals, sorry but I didn't read as far as the timescales that were involved in his experiments so I don't know how long it took before this occurred.”

W: “So what you saying is at some point in the distant past ants became social because of some form of increased radiation?”

E: “I think that would be the gist of the paper although what this radiation is or if it be a radiation at all, I do not believe Dr. Jibril has thus far determined the nature of the actual cause as yet.  Some scholars would say that this radiation created a mutation within the ants causing them to be more social, more evidence for the theory of evolution.”

W: “Could bees be also have been non-social in the past as well?”

E: “It is possible, however CCD is more about worker bees dying as opposed to them not working together.”

Basically I now have two partial theories which are probably linked by an event that happened in the distant past and what is echoing back is what Bill said when he went missing: 'The Zone is the source.'

This ongoing effect in the past whatever it was somehow made ants social and Sumerians violent! What sort of thing could achieve that? I know I have simplified both theories somewhat which makes the whole thing somewhat fanciful in nature and obviously there is so much more to both theories.

What else has been affected?

I do know one thing for sure Bill is hardly ever wrong he was once compared to James Lovelock.