Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The Shards of Richmond Prime
This is a scene I wrote out of a large sci fi/fantasy story. Xtranormal is just a funny little way to produce it quickly and I wanted to play around with making my own little movie. . .
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch?e=20090714211846981
Andrew-"I don't know how I really feel about this, but I've got to tell you that I've found something that just can't be explained without considering the black rock stories"
Jude-"What do you mean? We heard all kinds of stories out there"
Andrew-"You might not remember, but once or twice grandpa mentioned his own ancestor Paul Davidson. I can't remember if it was his grandfather or great grandfather. He said that God had told Paul that he had to find and do something with a treasure that was "poisoning the planet" while "under the control" of a group called the CAFO"
Jude-"I remember. He claimed God told Paul to 'seal' the treasure. . . I just thought he was making it up - kinda. He was so serious about it though and it was weird that he said 'under the control' But why would God tell Paul to get some treasure."
Andrew-"I don't know, but I found something in the library that I'd never seen before. I don't know where it came from, but its one of grandfather's old books. Actually it looks older than him - pre colonial. In it there is reference to an object that seems to control people. I can't really read much of it but it talks about a "collection" "poisoning the spirit" and there are news clippings of some old disaster. Its a power plant explosion of some kind. Someone has written in notes that are even harder to read. Then there is a receipt of some kind that is also hand written and a sketch of the belt buckle that grandpa gave me.
Jude-"So grandpa was taking notes about his life and you found it. We knew the buckle was special to him. . . ."
Andrew-"I can't explain it but I think there is something more. I've been wearing the buckle lately and I've felt more of a . . . . connection to grandfather. I can sense something special about it. I even started carrying it around when I'm not wearing it on a belt."
Jude-"You need to get some sleep. Are you trying tell me the buckle is magic? Maybe it came from our ancestor who got it from God, because we all know about the magic clothing that they talk about in the sacred texts. In case you didn't pick up on that, it was sarcasm."
Andrew-"It sounds ridiculous. I don't even believe I'm thinking it, but there is one more thing I haven't told you. There is a letter from grandfather to our father and in it he tells father that the buckle was made from metal from before the colonies and that the metal was recovered from the W.O. headquarters by Paul Davidson.
Jude-"Whats the W.O.?"
Andrew-"I had to look it up. Its a 22nd century organization that had a mission to bring freedom and equality to the old nations. I found a picture of their headquarters and it turns out that they were originally called the Confederation for Amical Freedom and Order."
Jude-"C.A.F.O."
Andrew-"The last part of the letter tells father that Paul recovered another object from the W.O. and explains how grandfather buried it near black rock after he originally came to Richmond Prime. The instructions are detailed and could double as instructions for burying some kind of poisonous waste. 10cm think Iron within Titanium . . ."
Jude-"I don't know what to say. I guess there could be something buried out there. I never really knew what grandpa was doing most of the time out there."
Andrew-"I didn't either, but if there is something there, I think we should try to find it. I think this is related somehow to Saratoga."
Jude-"What if there is something there? It sounds like granpa wanted to keep it hidden, and what will we do with it once we find it."
Andrew-"I think that whatever this thing is, its important. I also think that the recent interest by the veritas faction sounds a lot like the same thing that this W.O. was supposed to be about. Specifically their interest in what they describe as 'moral phenomenon.'
Jude-"Not this again, Crystal works for a subsidiary of that group and its the best job she's ever had - they are great."
Andrew-"I know, I know - look just come home and lets go out to black rock and find out if there is anything to this. We owe it to dad and grandpa, and I can't tell anyone else. They don't know the stories and they didn't know grandpa like you and me."
Jude-"Ok, I'll do it for grandpa, but dad was an ass. It'd be nice to get a trip home after so long, I've been missing that stupid breakfast cereal that we can't get out here."
Andrew-"Thanks J, grandpa would want us to do this, I just can feel it or something like I'm being lead back to black rock"
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch?e=20090714211846981
Andrew-"I don't know how I really feel about this, but I've got to tell you that I've found something that just can't be explained without considering the black rock stories"
Jude-"What do you mean? We heard all kinds of stories out there"
Andrew-"You might not remember, but once or twice grandpa mentioned his own ancestor Paul Davidson. I can't remember if it was his grandfather or great grandfather. He said that God had told Paul that he had to find and do something with a treasure that was "poisoning the planet" while "under the control" of a group called the CAFO"
Jude-"I remember. He claimed God told Paul to 'seal' the treasure. . . I just thought he was making it up - kinda. He was so serious about it though and it was weird that he said 'under the control' But why would God tell Paul to get some treasure."
Andrew-"I don't know, but I found something in the library that I'd never seen before. I don't know where it came from, but its one of grandfather's old books. Actually it looks older than him - pre colonial. In it there is reference to an object that seems to control people. I can't really read much of it but it talks about a "collection" "poisoning the spirit" and there are news clippings of some old disaster. Its a power plant explosion of some kind. Someone has written in notes that are even harder to read. Then there is a receipt of some kind that is also hand written and a sketch of the belt buckle that grandpa gave me.
Jude-"So grandpa was taking notes about his life and you found it. We knew the buckle was special to him. . . ."
Andrew-"I can't explain it but I think there is something more. I've been wearing the buckle lately and I've felt more of a . . . . connection to grandfather. I can sense something special about it. I even started carrying it around when I'm not wearing it on a belt."
Jude-"You need to get some sleep. Are you trying tell me the buckle is magic? Maybe it came from our ancestor who got it from God, because we all know about the magic clothing that they talk about in the sacred texts. In case you didn't pick up on that, it was sarcasm."
Andrew-"It sounds ridiculous. I don't even believe I'm thinking it, but there is one more thing I haven't told you. There is a letter from grandfather to our father and in it he tells father that the buckle was made from metal from before the colonies and that the metal was recovered from the W.O. headquarters by Paul Davidson.
Jude-"Whats the W.O.?"
Andrew-"I had to look it up. Its a 22nd century organization that had a mission to bring freedom and equality to the old nations. I found a picture of their headquarters and it turns out that they were originally called the Confederation for Amical Freedom and Order."
Jude-"C.A.F.O."
Andrew-"The last part of the letter tells father that Paul recovered another object from the W.O. and explains how grandfather buried it near black rock after he originally came to Richmond Prime. The instructions are detailed and could double as instructions for burying some kind of poisonous waste. 10cm think Iron within Titanium . . ."
Jude-"I don't know what to say. I guess there could be something buried out there. I never really knew what grandpa was doing most of the time out there."
Andrew-"I didn't either, but if there is something there, I think we should try to find it. I think this is related somehow to Saratoga."
Jude-"What if there is something there? It sounds like granpa wanted to keep it hidden, and what will we do with it once we find it."
Andrew-"I think that whatever this thing is, its important. I also think that the recent interest by the veritas faction sounds a lot like the same thing that this W.O. was supposed to be about. Specifically their interest in what they describe as 'moral phenomenon.'
Jude-"Not this again, Crystal works for a subsidiary of that group and its the best job she's ever had - they are great."
Andrew-"I know, I know - look just come home and lets go out to black rock and find out if there is anything to this. We owe it to dad and grandpa, and I can't tell anyone else. They don't know the stories and they didn't know grandpa like you and me."
Jude-"Ok, I'll do it for grandpa, but dad was an ass. It'd be nice to get a trip home after so long, I've been missing that stupid breakfast cereal that we can't get out here."
Andrew-"Thanks J, grandpa would want us to do this, I just can feel it or something like I'm being lead back to black rock"
Monday, July 13, 2009
Goodbye Adam
I just wanted to say goodbye to an old work friend of mine named Adam Lokey. I don't have any kind of canned way to deal with his death, instead its this kind of thing that makes me question well intentioned lessons about "God's Plan for Our Lives," but Adam probably wouldn't want me to dwell on that.
I can't say that I knew Adam very well but we were amoung a group of 'young-lings' at my previous job, and we frenquently shared common observations of work and life and love etc.
I remember that just when I thought my job couldn't get any more boring, Adam showed me what he knew about color. We were looking at something specific for work and he broke down the color variation in a way that really made me see him as an artist. I was impressed.
Adam once made me a surprise mix CD of Wes Andersen movie music which I listened to all the time in the years we worked together. I loved it and had never even considered listening to that music before he shared it with me. I was impressed.
Adam played indoor soccer with a group of guys one year from work (and his and my past). It was then that I understood his illness and how it impacted every segment of his life. He dealt with it like a nobleman bearing his burden for the realm -Nobless Oblige. I was impressed and humbled as any minor health complaint of mine paled in comparison to what he dealt with.
Goodbye Adam, you changed me and I was lucky to have known you.
I can't say that I knew Adam very well but we were amoung a group of 'young-lings' at my previous job, and we frenquently shared common observations of work and life and love etc.
I remember that just when I thought my job couldn't get any more boring, Adam showed me what he knew about color. We were looking at something specific for work and he broke down the color variation in a way that really made me see him as an artist. I was impressed.
Adam once made me a surprise mix CD of Wes Andersen movie music which I listened to all the time in the years we worked together. I loved it and had never even considered listening to that music before he shared it with me. I was impressed.
Adam played indoor soccer with a group of guys one year from work (and his and my past). It was then that I understood his illness and how it impacted every segment of his life. He dealt with it like a nobleman bearing his burden for the realm -Nobless Oblige. I was impressed and humbled as any minor health complaint of mine paled in comparison to what he dealt with.
Goodbye Adam, you changed me and I was lucky to have known you.
