|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- HADRIAN FOZZCOLT--CUP 1--"BOCORAM" --------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Hadrian Fozzcolt  ||  -------> (Cup SRhf001, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The sign on the awesome building: BOCORAM Boolevathers Cosmic Reconnaissance and Aerospace Maintenance Hadrian Fozzcolt... dark skin... cool clothes, gray and black... gray bowler hat... Soon, inside... "Hadrian Fozzcolt, you are now locked in a love embrace with BOCORAM. Me, they call me Honest Hobby Teal. I can be honest with you now, because you are committed to keeping the secrets of BOCORAM with you to the grave, and beyond if necessary. Are you ready to hear all the secrets?" Hadrian took a deep breath and smiled weakly. "This whole process has the tang of ritual suicide," Hadrian said. "Over the past few weeks, getting in deeper and deeper... I have to hope, Teal, that these secrets of yours are worth all the misery." Teal smiled broadly. "I can say, without any hesitation and without any irony, that what I am about to tell you is well worth it, as secrets go." Hadrian raised his eyebrows but had a tired look on his face. "Hadrian," Teal continued, "Boolevathers Cosmic Reconnaissance and Aerospace Maintenance is a white lie. We deceive our people because they want to be deceived. We deceive because the truth is too difficult." "I had a feeling this was what it was all about." "What's that?" "That we don't really go into space. That we use a small part of the money to stage the event for television, and the rest on women and drugs for those in power." Teal laughed. "I wish that was the case, Hadrian. I really do." "It's not?" "Not really. See, you are correct that we do not go into space. This idea is, of course, a popular rumor. But you rely too much on rumors. Liberal malcontents care about making the government look bad. So they see this all as official corruption on a massive scale. But they are wrong." "So now I get the real story?" "Yes. I'll be direct. We don't go into space because there is no space. We have tried, of course. And there is something up there. But it's not space as scientists have come to understand and popularize. It's a totally different thing." Hadrian nodded. "Why can't you tell people about this?" "Well Hadrian, again I'll be direct. Science is our greatest weapon against religion. Science is the religion of atheism. Church rule in this country has historically been a terrible, terrible thing. I think you'll agree that no one in their right mind would want to return to church rule." "Who ever said anything about that?" "You don't understand, Hadrian. It is science that destroyed the foundations of the church. Science has 'proven' that church cosmology is based on ignorance. You know the drill--'Primitive man looked up and saw the sun and had to make up gods as an explanation for what he didn't understand.' Most people, even those who believe that they are religious, accept the truth that science has dumped into their skulls." "So the scientists are wrong?" Teal smiled and nodded his head. "Oh yes. Yes. They are quite wrong. But they think they are right. They have been unwitting pawns in the fight against church rule. Actually, 'pawns' may not be the right term, because this whole situation has developed kind of by accident." "How so?" -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----