Nexus - 0603 - New Times Magazine-pages

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for. A simple set of 23 words elicited over 8,000 pages of data Anderson) had contacted me, I felt little or no interest in matters from the optical disc. Unfortunately the data was incomprehensi- related to time travel, extraterrestrials, secret organisations or any- ble, because there was no character set in the computer that could _ thing else similar to these issues. When I initially heard the story, emulate the hieroglyphs and unusual symbols of the language. it seemed preposterous; but I kept my journalistic objectivity, met Thus a translation index needed to be developed, but this task with Dr Anderson and reluctantly concluded that it would be took them an additional six months. unlikely for an individual to fabricate this story with such detail Finally, once a translation index was programmed into the com- and supporting evidence and then desire to remain anonymous. puter, the data, while it could be printed out or viewed on the Dr Anderson had brought files of photographs and drawings of monitor in its hieroglyphic form, still required translation into odd-looking technologies that had strange symbols engraved on English. This translation process was extremely tedious and their outer casings, research reports referencing the translation could not be facilitated through computers, owing to the subtlety tables, cipher protocols, star charts and dozens of memos from the of the language and its intricate connection to the wall paintings ACIO department heads discussing the Ancient Arrow project. and pictographic representations elsewhere within the Ancient Everything, including about 400 pages of philosophical text, had Arrow site. an authenticity to it that I was unable to reproach or ignore. As partial translations began to be developed, it was determined In fairness to those who will suggest I should have investigated that even within the optical disc there was a segmentation of the further in order to get independent corroboration before present- data into 23 units. Each unit appeared to correspond to a specific ing these materials, let me just say that I'm unable to corroborate chamber. As the first two chambers began to be translated, it was his story because of the very nature of the ACIO. However, for further shown that each unit contained philosophical and scientific whatever reason, I trust Dr Anderson who gave me these materi- papers, poetry, music, and an introduction to the culture and iden- als. He asked nothing from me. He desired no money or recogni- tity of its creators. tion. His only request was that I decide how best to bring these The creators of the time capsule referred to themselves as materials to the public. He counselled me not to investigate the "WingMakers". They represented a future version of humanity ACIO because he was convinced the NSA would use misinforma- who live some 750 years in our future. They claimed to be tion tactics that would simply waste my time and make the goal of Culture Bearers, or ones who bring the releasing these materials difficult, if not reeds of art, lence am pamosophy “ impossible. 4 her office of umanity. They had left behind a total "ve not contacted any other office o' of seven time-capswies in various parts In early 1997, the ACIO the government because Dr Anderson of the world, to be discovered accord- . . old me that such contact would be ing to a well-orchestrated plan. Their scientist who had originally traced by the ACIO who have high- smn lve tenets | discovered the access code ff yon: int eS an global culture—a unified system of for the optical disc became misinformation tactics from one or hilosophy, science and art. A A both. p Tn early 1997, the ACIO scientist strangely sympathetic with Tm in possession of certain docu- who had originally discovered the the WingMakers' mission. ments that I'll withhold from the access code for the optical disc became WingMakers website, but, if anything strangely sympathetic with the were to happen to me, I've arranged to WingMakers' mission. He was con- have these documents shared with vinced that the ACIO would never major media companies whom I know. share the discovery with the public, and he was certain that it was These are my only safeguards in presenting these materials. too significant to withhold. He also claimed that he was in com- My only interest is in the release of these materials to the pub- munication with the WingMakers and that they were watching the _ lic, who can then decide what to do about them. They may desire ACIO's progress and would, at the appropriate time, make the to pressure their politicians or take other action—it's their choice. time capsule and its contents available to the public. I'm convinced that this story is too important to be held in the This assertion troubled the ACIO and particularly the Ancient hands of an elite organisation whose only interest is to re-engineer Arrow project director, who eventually recommended a leave of __ the technologies found in the Ancient Arrow site and apply them absence for the scientist and summarily dispatched him from the for their own agenda, no matter how noble that agenda may be. project. The scientist was afraid that his memories would be tam- T also realise that the Internet Service Provider who is hosting pered with or destroyed altogether, so he defected from the this website may come under scrutiny, but if any pressure is exert- ACIO—dquite literally, the first ever to do so. ed on this ISP to abandon its hosting service for this site, then this Soon after his defection, the scientist disappeared. However, may also cause me to distribute the documents I referred to earli- before his disappearance, he gave some of his materials regarding er. Let me be clear: these documents provide incontrovertible the WingMakers and their time capsule to a journalist whom he evidence of this secret organisation known as the ACIO; its elite had selected at random. directors are named and their real identities exposed. The author of this document is that journalist. I am in posses- I've spent the last several months agonising about how these sion of photographs, music, poetry, artwork, translation indexes, materials should be presented, and it seemed most appropriate to copies of secret documents and a variety of translated philosophi- place them on the Internet to enable a global audience to access cal texts that all stem from the Ancient Arrow project. I've taken them. I have a close friend, whom I trust, who created this web- every precaution to remain anonymous so I can't be traced. I'm site. Other than that, no one (including my website host) knows convinced that these materials are released against the wishes of a _—_ what I have done here. secret organisation that probably has powers that even our gov- You may ask why I've chosen to reserve full-scale media ernment is unaware of. Before the ACIO scientist (whom I will hereafter refer to as Dr Continued on page 40 In early 1997, the ACIO scientist who had originally discovered the access code for the optical disc became strangely sympathetic with the WingMakers’ mission. APRIL — MAY 1999 NEXUS 37 Continued on page 40