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The Element of Surprise
Previous Episode: www.eilertech.com/stories/2011/useless.txt
28 September 2011:
"This meeting of the Council of Black Mages is called to order. Lady Ebony presiding.
"First item of business. A personal update. I went back to 1971 to fight Wyatt Ferguson. I made it back. But so did he." (www.eilertech.com/stories/2011/1971.txt)
One member, known as Biff the Mystic, interrupted. He just liked to make droll comments. "So, you must be the infamous Black Girl from Indianapolis he wrote about."
"Never you mind! ... While I was gone, Black Brady defected to the damn Satanists." (www.eilertech.com/stories/2010/predecessors.htm) "So as his second, upon my return I assumed control. I dealt with objections then. Any objection now?" Silence.
"Second item of business. The Black Arts Challenge of 2011 is due by the Winter Solstice. But which Winter Solstice? As we all know, Earth's orbit changed in 2009. Which was fine. It landed in a good natural 520-day orbit which fit the crop growth cycle and the Mayan calendar." (www.eilertech.com/stories/2009/neworbit.htm#mayas )
"So we set a date in March 2012 old calendar, Midwinter Year 2 new calendar. But then Ellipsis ^&%!ed with the orbit again! Now it's some damn 375 days, and the Solstice is all ^&%!ed up. So is all the Earth's mystic power. Especially since Ellipsis started talking with the continental plates and recruiting his own science acolytes to be nature spirits! There's damn near no Black Arts prize to award this year!
"Proposed. ^&%! the Challenge. We've got bigger business now. Voice vote!"
The Council agreed.
"Next. ^&%! Ellipsis. In a real and meaningful way. We got this supermage power from this guy who invaded, and more power from Ultimate Darkness all around him. Time to use it." (www.eilertech.com/stories/2011/superwizard.txt) "Voice vote!"
The Council agreed.
"Next. Remember how Ellipsis put his own stooges in to ^&%! with the nature spirits?" (www.eilertech.com/stories/2010/deathtrap.htm) "I propose we ^&%! with his tech in return. Voice vote!"
A couple of Ayes, and then silence.
"Uh, still waiting for the voices..."
Gaio Matrix, junior member of the Council, raised his hand and spoke. "Is it not true that Ellipsis has dealt with many such attempts before?"
"Well, ^&%! Ellipsis!"
"... Indeed. But technology is his strong point. Let us fight him on our battlefield instead. There is mystic unrest already. Even some Christian pastors distrust the new technology."
"^&%! Christian pastors!"
"... Indeed. But may we not use them to our advantage?" The others agreed.
Gaio continued. "Next. I propose we change the Earth our enemy lives upon. He's actually communicated with the tectonic plates themselves, to hold his planet firm - but only by boring a tunnel through them. (www.eilertech.com/stories/2009/trillions.htm#iv )
"That is when he crossed the boundary. The Earth is not for his science. The Earth is for the Earth! And we who follow Nature, must be those who talk with the Earth. So I propose, we tell the Earth to rebel! Voice vote!"
Before Lady Ebony could respond, the Council agreed.
Victorious in this one vote, Gaio Matrix said, "I leave it for the Council to determine the details!"
The Council dispersed into argument.
30 September 2011:
Gaio Matrix transported himself back to his dwelling, near the Spokane Community College. It was close enough to human society that he could mingle, yet far enough for privacy.
He was of the Caladrian race, ancestors of humans... or whatever. Human history was uncertain about this.
On the home planet Caladria, one spectacular mage had named herself Caladria, then attacked Earth alongside the universal conqueror Urr... back in the Earthling 1990s. But now on Human Earth, after all the reality shifts they'd had, they didn't even remember this mighty attack!
When The Trillions advanced upon Human Earth, his race started to evacuate this spiral arm of the Galaxy. (www.eilertech.com/stories/2009/trillions.htm) But they knew Earth to be a constant danger. So Gaio stayed behind, as an observer. The view of the Earthling Solar System during reality shifts was legendary. He suspected he'd see one more.
Like a select few of his race, he'd trained in mysticism. So he'd joined the Earth Council of Black Mages. They didn't care where he came from or how many fingers he had.
The Black Mages were amazingly easy to manipulate, considering they had such mystic power. Something about Earthlings made them pick either logic or magic. These mages were so chaotic that any being who embraced both logic and magic could bend them to its will.
...
He read today's summary of Earth news. He noted, some volcano named Pompeii had erupted, and wiped out a new condo community. Also volcanoes named Stromboli and Santorini had erupted, close by on the same land mass. One commentator said, the new technological means of controlling the continental plates had surprisingly failed.
He noted for his log, "Excellent. Ellipsis and his logic-spawn expect techno-challenge. He knows response to those. But natural disasters will distract them. When we strike, we will have even more element of surprise."
Then he went to class. There was always something to learn from the knowledge of other species, even what Earthlings perceived of simple mechanical engineering.
Author's Notes:
My. This story is ever deeper in my main sequence, which charges on like always. I've put in lots of cross-references. But advice to the new reader: Just read the story.
The latest High Concept Challenge ties in: "The Element of Surprise". I do think this plot twist counts as surprise, to all the readers who thought only technology and governments could deal with Ellipsis tech. 8{D>
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