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Article d'une journaliste locale;

Friday

Ragnar Rescues

-Ragnar Rescues:
 A man sailing solo falls overboard mid-ocean, with nothing but a flotation device. After several days, that seemed like weeks, he sees on the horizon an enormous, fast approaching object; strangely silent and without smokestacks nor vapor trail. He frantically kicks to position himself in line with the ship's trajectory. As it approaches he notices that the prow resembled more that of the front grill of an automobile than any ship and that there did not appear to be any name or identifying number. Not exactly in a position to contest, he gladly gets aboard. The crew members were courteous but unusually discreet about certain questions. After persistent inquiry he discovers that the motor of the ship was powered by electromagnetic induction using atmospheric electricity as its principle resource.
 "Where we come from", explained one of the young deck hands, " we skipped from sail to this technology - completely by-passing your steam-coal-petrol or combustion era and all of its evil consequences."
 "Evil consequences? What kind of nonsense are you trying to tell me?
 "Yes evil, by that I mean inconsistencies and compromises leading to contradictions, incompatible with living on earth." 
 "Why that's ridiculous! What you're saying is not possible, " declared the refugee, " ... and unimaginable as well."
 "You said it." was the curt reply of the crewman, more to bring the conversation to a close and then returning to his tasks.
 "Hold-it, wait just one second, um ..., we're talking about the Renaissance here, the Industrial Revolution, the most dynamic and lucrative period in the history of civilized culture. That's not evil."
 "So you say. "
 "But why?" he said insistently, "how? and what for?"
 "I'll explain exactly but I don't think you'll understand." began the crewman taking on a serious, more severe tone but his demeanor changed to one of serenity. "Our philosophy is completely integrated into that of living on earth. All of it, metaphysical concretes to our abstract outlook. In short, our PhilosoPhysics is to never conceive of or invent anything that is harmful or incompatible with our life or living on earth."
 "Oh, of course, save and protect our sacred planet. That's nothing new - it's the same old story all over ... and what a mess we've made"
 "No," said the deckhand calmly, "Man is the primary, everything else follows and consequently takes care of itself."
 "But what is this man of which you speak? the refugee said woefully. "What's he done? What a piece of work! a speck of dust, a coagulation of chemicals floating in an infinite universe. If you ask me he is the worst possible ... uh, ... creature that has ever set foot anywhere! The biggest surprise is that there is anything left that he hasn't yet completely destroyed. Oh yes, of course we're efficient - blazing ahead technologically - its hard to keep up sometimes but as you say, everything corrects itself in the end, ... by the grace of God ... or nature ... or something. But if you ask me we're going way too fast and accelerating - no time to self-correct as you see it. Where would you start? We're all over everywhere ... and nowhere. No one has all the answers, just staying afloat is hard enough, the most important thing is to listen, to keep talking to one another. Everyone needs to get heard - there are no absolutes ... no right or wrong answer. You're no better or different than anyone else. We have to stay positive, optimistic, keep the faith, ... and peace, ... moving forward - never look back and … uh ... What's so funny?"
 "Nothing." he said looking back at the sea behind the ship, "except that the design of this ship is absolutely integrated to living on earth by an association of men who *do* look back."
 "Huh?"
 "A total consciousness of what we leave in our wake," he said, returning his gaze to the refugee, "from sea to sky."
 "That's ridiculously optimistic." scoffed the castaway. "Nobody should have to take on a responsibility of that scale - very naïve. You have a lot to learn young fellow."
 "I'm 180."
 "What?"
 "Years."
 "Old?"
 "Yes, if you think that's the right word to use."
 "Ha! Now I'm sure you're joking."
 "Well, if you're waiting for the punch-line, you're not getting it."
 "Ok, enough of the double-talk; just who do you think you're talking to?" said the newbie, beginning to feel uncomfortably intimidated.
 "Didn't I say that you wouldn't understand." said the ship-mate evenly - more to de-fuse the situation.
 "What the hell do you take me for?"
 "What is there to take?" as he turned indifferently away.
 "You think that I was born yesterday? That I'm one of your destitute, alien castaways? If you think you can humor your way out of this argument? well, ...Hey! wait ... hold on, ... I'm not done yet."
 But the crewman had already disappeared into his tasks. The refugee had no other occasion to engage into conversation with him or any other crew members because he was put ashore the next day on an island with enough provision for several days and assurance from the captain that he would notify the local coast guard of his location.
 *What a crazy ship of charlatans,* thought the castaway to himself, happy to finally find his feet firmly implanted in the sand, *best for me to forget this whole thing happened - no one would believe me anyway.*
                                                                                                         - The End -

Monday

Atlantis 12.0 - June 111AR - "For One Month Of The Year ... It Made The Eleven Easier To Bear"

Theme Of This Years Galt's Gulch: An Image Is Worth 1168 Pages...

...and here we have as good a place to start as any: Begin at the beginning.

Atlantis XII - Itinerary

Tuesday May 31, 111AR:  AM Gatecrasher's Breakfast, Castaway Tour of the place & Meet the *Strikers* that made the mental leap - PM Afternoon, free-time for self-orientation - Evening, Mulligan Dinner, Discussion & Dance.

Wednesday June 1, 111AR: The JohnGalt Breakfast - Three 'P' Summit (Pirate, Productive Genius & PhilosoPhysicist) - final organization and additions to this year's Itinerary.

Thursday June 2, 111AR: The State Of The Ego Address.
How we got from this ...







... to this


And what is the only moral action.



Thursday


"... But close before her, rising on a slender granite column from a ledge belowto the level of her eyes, blinding her by its glare, dimming the rest, stood a dollar sign three feet tall, made of solid gold. It hung in space above the town, as its coat-of-arms, its trademark, its beacon - and it caught the rays, like some transmitter of energy that sent them in shining blessing to stretch horizontally through the air above the roofs." "What's thst?" she gasped, pointing at the sign. "Oh, that's Francisco's private joke."

Investment in Your True Homeland : By clicking on the dollar $ign logo below you can make a direct deposit into your Atlantis Account, which keeps your foot-in-the-door. As Atlantis grows and it's Motor develops, so do you. An account safely stowed - that'll never reach the spin-cycle at the Looter Laundromat - here for you until such time as you're able to make the permanent move out of reach to cannibals.  Always having resources in Your Growth Fund Valuer's Vault.
"We accept nothing but objective values." (JohnGalt:DagnyTaggart@GatecrashersTour)