Several years later: The Hurrion Minister of Historical Culture speaks:
"Not many generations after the first Hurrion space
craft arrived to explore the inhabited planet named Earth." Lynna lied a
bit speaking on lecture.
Her travel tale being told in university setting back home
on her own planet: "There
appeared a new vital force flexing its muscle in that most religious of worlds.
The light of Islam with an over-whelming will to rise up and conquer."
She spoke now as a respected cultural anthropologist on
academic lecture circuit, showing slides and images of planet Earth. She didn't
disclose her role in the accomplishment of such a conquest.
Few knew of her military accomplishment, an unsung
psychological warfare officer who used her cultural skills in the crafty art of
bloodless conquest.
The entire episode in official Hurrion Empire history must
have been deemed too controversial and sensitive for full disclosure. A natural
form of political reasoning for her planet's ruling class and Lynna, as loyal
military officer, had to toe the party line:
"Islam had the dynamic energy and faith that
mystically shattered its decadent secular global rival. A decadent secular
global society that began to shatter like a teacup thrown against the rocks
several generations before we came down there."
A cultured lady from Lynna's planet asks the respected
cultural anthropologist a question about World War Two. Ordinary citizens were
becoming enamored with human cinema of the war movie genre.
After a period of more than several human years the
Hurrion Ministry of Culture released some examples of human art for popular
consumption. In a curious twist of irony the human World War Two variety of war
movie was quite popular in the art film circuit.
Walter understood enough alien words in the language to
realize many of the words didn't translate well, it seemed. If you believed the
official Hurrion version of human history, the Islamic victory in worldwide
conquest of the planet known as Earth occurred in the aftermath of world war, a
period of violent epic struggle.
"Its adherents had fundamental fire in their eyes,
Islam itself was a hot-bed of warriors with spirit. In the several world wars,
one the most notable airplane war in human history, its final result concluded
with a complete Islamic victory.
Before the two world wars, the religion we know as
militant Islam was in a period of decline. It fell behind because it had lost
that vital science and technology edge, this was the result its long standing
religious taboo against such innovations according to the holy books."
Lynna lied again; Islam itself had no superstition against
science or aviation. It was a curious Hurrion rewrite of human history to suit
their party line.
"Much of the Islamic upsurge in fundamentalist zeal
was a backlash against infidel science and aviation success. This cultural
success of scientific innovation seemed threatening to traditional Islamic
societies.
As one can see in the aftermath of World War Two, there
were plenty of dedicated holy warriors who'd rather die than accept infidel
cultural aggression upon their cherished religious beliefs. They had the goal
of creating God's kingdom and were ready to pay any price to achieve it."
"The force of Islam was a hornet's nest of warrior
spirit, the natural reaction as scientific discovery was misused to kill
innocent Muslim civilians along with clouds of 'demonic' airplanes used to bomb
them on more than one occasion.
The force of this vibrant faith was becoming stirred while
watching rival factions of infidel nations fight each other in brutal world
wars. The Islamic world was neutral in these struggles at first, both sides in
the conflict tried using diplomacy to bring this potent force into the conflict
on their side.
The neutral Islamic nations were becoming stronger and
more prosperous during this infidel struggle since their vital natural
resources such as petroleum were used to fuel most war machines of that era.
Neither side in the conflict expected militant Islam to
explode in their face. Sturdy Moslem warriors with the will to once and for all
crush the airplane menace and science blasphemy, a most unforeseen result of
infidel accomplishments in the field of aviation on that most religious of
planets.
By playing one side against the other and striking without
warning, the Islamic world crushed those unsuspecting infidel nations embroiled
in fighting one another, forcing those infidel nations to submit completely.
Hence, the sea-change in human history."
The Hurrions
appreciated the epic world war struggle in the human history of warfare. What
passed for their popular culture consisted of films about legends of their
so-called heroic age.
The cinema versions of human war experience certainly found
a niche in the Hurrion entertainment industry.
A long-ago warrior people, the common mind just assumed the actors in
the myriad of World War Two movies were engaged in the cause of bold Islamic
worldwide conquest, a film version of the Hurrion so-called 'heroic age'.
Their epic era of worldwide warfare was an ancient age of
legend where the entire planet of united in their own maelstrom of world war
violence.
The Hurrions were an organized anthill society with a
caste style hierarchy. Although all citizens had to serve if called, the
Hurrion Empire had a fairly generous social welfare system for a once rather
militarist society.
A society rich and advanced in many ways, its culture was
seldom enriched by the variety found in the free exchange of ideas.
On lecture, Lynna explained other reasons for the Islamic
conquest of planet earth. There was lost confidence among the former infidel,
for example. "There was a sharp loss of confidence in the so-called
secular, what we would call rational world, an exhaustion in spirit, you could
say.
Feelings of hopelessness can overtake a people, even those
with a high degree of prosperity. All civilizations
need prosperity, at least enough to provide leisure for those who think and
create.
Prosperity and a lot more, it needs confidence in the
society one lives in. The years of world war struggle were certainly an era of
civilian hardship, millions of people, innocent people died.
Those in the areas of such struggle and many others were
vulnerable to aircraft and it's bombing, for instance. Shortages of essential
foodstuffs and other items of daily life also helped to sap the spirit in once
infidel nations embroiled in years of seemingly endless human conflict.
Citizens of such stressed out infidel warring nations had
lost confidence in belief, losing the moral high ground. A society cast adrift
lacking respect for its own laws and philosophy. It lost the vigor and vitality that revitalized Islam
enjoyed."
"The first art to emerge out of such triumph was
devoted to this apparent miracle. A historical judgment of Allah to establish
world wide Islamic empire, the people at the time not only recognized the
meaning of this triumph in physical terms, they soon were able to sublimate it
in their forms of ritual.
One sees this oriental splendor in its blossoming out,
what I call the 'new age' Islamic art coming into flower on the newly devout
continents of Europe and North America. Points of their revitalized theology
are made visible in great detail.
This confident outburst of art reflects a strong new power
rising up in their once cynical secular culture. A power even greater than full
governmental power, the force of revitalized new-age Islam.
This new form of art reflects man's moral outrage against
his former wickedness. It had the force
of faith to add luster to such outrage with a virile and symbolic form of vivid
art.
The message in this new-age Islamic creativity was the
supposed messages from Allah himself. His word against the believed perversions
of scientific discovery and solid belief in the authority of Islam's higher
power."
"New-age Islamic art reflects this reality, the long
dominance of the secular world was considered gone forever. A devout Islamic
Empire was putting down strong roots and the world was preparing for its first
great age of theology married to world-wide civilization.
The evidence of this historic energy can be seen at a
certain mosque being built to celebrate Allah's most blessed triumph, a very
formidable construction.
A building showing history as elemental language of blood
myth, this mosque in Jiddah was meant to inspire the many boat-loads of
pilgrims going ashore en-route to Mecca.
Mecca is the holy city of all Islam, all devotees of the
faith are required to visit the homeland of the prophet as religious duty, so
this building represents quite a lot indeed.
There are no longer airplanes to take to Mecca, you see.
The site of the blessed new mosque was located strategically to reflect arrival
of the devout pilgrims by ship, as Allah himself intended."
"The dome covering the mosque covers this once
infidel aircraft carrier, one minaret of the mosque itself was once the former
ship's bridge and aircraft tower. The airplane/devil sculpture affixed atop the
minaret is a spiritual emblem.
It is often shown as a single statue and is religious art
found just about everywhere in once infidel lands. As you can see from the
photos, it is the marble image of a mythological devil figure.
It represents Allah's warning to mankind not to defile his
peaceful skies with aviation's false pride and unholy wickedness.
Traditional Islam forbids representational art, so the
appearance of such a figure atop this most magnificent mosque, to us seems
rather curious. The difference is the fact that Allah himself had to come down
to earth to end the demonic science and airplane blasphemy for the soul of all
humanity.
Drama also is considered another form of such forbidden
art, yet in traditional Islamic societies such forms are allowed pertaining to
morality and devout living.
The strictest prohibition against pictures is the one
against depicting Allah himself. In the bat-wing sculpture the face of God is
not represented, only the light of his judgment.
Hence, this instance of representational art was a warning
from God, seen in the light on their strict dogma against the blasphemy of
science and aviation. Art as warning from heaven itself not to defy Allah's
will.
Islamic painting before the final conquest was mostly
secular, yet in traditional history books at religious schools some pictures of
sacred figures such as the prophet do appear. In new-age Islamic art, the work
always depicts a sacred theme."
"You can see from the picture, this dedicated mosque
to God's inevitable victory over mankind's evil has the most commanding dome
anywhere seen.
The dome covers a former aircraft carrier flight deck;
this outside platform is often packed with devout worshipers in prayer. Tile
work on this most splendid of religious buildings is of unusual brilliance and
clarity.
The dome over the flight deck is an almost weightless
vision of cream colored marble seeming to float magically over the reflecting
pools where the once infidel warship is now situated.
Several minarets hold up this magnificent tiled dome over
the former aircraft carrier, minarets are the towers where Islamic clerics have
traditionally climbed several times a day to urge the devout to daily prayer.
According to myth, it was suggested by Allah's light that
this mosque be built as testimony of Islamic victory.
The mosque was built not only to celebrate a miracle
victory, it also serves the many pilgrims celebrating their arrival in the
sacred land of the prophet en-route to Mecca, their Hajj obligation."
"This mosque, 'Victory at Sea for the Awaited Imam',
was built on consecrated soil. It is an Islamic religious cathedral, a masterpiece
of harmony in proportion.
A passion for geometry, it has structure, economy and
elegance. You can see from the photos the builders had the power to make this
edifice of God's victory visible.
On the same beach where the infidel aircraft carrier was
forced to shore at Jiddah, the port city for holy Mecca in the land of the
prophet. This magnificent structure was an emotional response to their sacred
history and mythology.
It has the style and rhythmic assurance you'd see in the
great epochs of our planet's architecture, and on monumental scale. Like all
mosques, it has tall doorways topped with pointed arches, and very lavishly
decorated with carvings.
It has depictions of many scenes from the Koran, the holy
book of the faith. Please notice the
bat winged demon\airplane ornament atop the minaret of this magnificent mosque
again.
This figure is commonly affixed atop mosques worldwide
now, a warning from Allah himself against the blasphemy of human flight. It is
a sculpture of an accursed jet fighter airplane riding on the back of the devil
himself.
Seen as the symbolism of unholy mankind literally in
flight with the demon on his wings.
Note the twisting repulsive face of the demon looking up uneasily toward
heavens' light. The beacon is shining from the plane's cockpit, a symbol of
Allah's wrath of strong divine judgment.
Is it the force of God himself coming down to earth to
crush the demonic idea of human aviation perhaps? The devil himself seems
cowered by this display of Islamic symbolism, the fear of Allah's wrath and
divine judgment upon man's wickedness.
The whole issue of images and its use in religious symbols
comes up time and again in human history, most early devotees of the single god
theory of theology seemed to agree; There must be no statues in the house of
the one God.
Others thought the images helped people who couldn't read
or write understand religious teachings. The religion of Islam was even more
rigorous against the making of devout images, it was forbidden.
Later sects of Moslems were less strict in their
interpretation of the ban on images. There is no passage in the Koran itself
against such use of painting, but other traditions took a more hostile line on
the issue.
There is plenty of evidence to suggest this prohibition on
religious paintings was seldom enforced, in new-age Islamic art the images show
a moral character."
"The building of
mosques in the former infidel nations has been vigorous, the style was designed
meet the spiritual needs of this vibrant new-age Islam, a faith now suddenly
universal and triumphant.
They were a bold advertisement of the mystical faith in
all its diverse aspects. The pictures inside show the sacred teachings with
spiritual narrative and symbolism. With
the turning away from scientific discovery and aviation the results have been
felt on the education system.
Many state sponsored universities were reformed into
madrassahs, these are religious schools of the orthodox fashion. Students are fed and lodged on premises,
some study religious law or the lore of sacred traditions.
Many madrassahs are sited nearby mosques, many such
mosques have been built on former secular university grounds.
The emergence of the madrassah system has made Arabic the
premier language, not only for the administration branches, but also for all learning.
The art and the study of new-age Islamic literature could not help but be
impregnated with Arabic themes.
In the construction of mosques and madrassahs the
decoration of such buildings and art objects are in the form of Arabic characters.
Much decoration shows abstract ornamentation with animated new-age Islamic
poetry and prose.
The language inside the mosques is Arabic, of course, not
the national language of the once secular nations. The writings of secular
authors among the once infidel have been frequently reinterpreted to make them
acceptable to a more Islamic point of view.
Even science fiction was made to reflect this new-age
Islam. There have been many interesting
works depicting the connection of science to demonic themes, the demons all
being vanquished by Allah's will. Some are works soon be released by the
Ministry of Culture."
"At the sacred mosque in Jiddah, we have the captured
enemy aircraft carrier displayed as trophy, that doesn't seem so unusual to us,
a once heroic and warrior people."
Lynna explained the mosque and its lore to her audience.
"Legend has it that the one true God himself took
active part in this infidel warship's capture. The once feared vessel of
warfare had become transformed into a noble Islamic edifice, pervaded with new
light."
A high-born lady asks Lynna about the legend of the
vanquished infidel aircraft carrier. How such a legend of Godly intervention
could have began in relatively recent time, such legends 'mostly belonged to
some occult or mystical age from far-away times of yore, correct?'
"The mosque built in Jiddah was meant to
inspire." Lynna explained, lying so perfectly to her crowd.
She told the aircraft carrier was a jet age aviation relic
captured at the tail end of the world wars, wars forever imprinted in the
Hurrion mind as the heroic age on earth, a time for heroes and legends to
become born.
The moment of fate that resulted in complete and total
Islamic triumph. "The winners
are the only ones chosen to write our glorious history." Lynna echoed
another ancient warrior adage as form of explanation to her polite audience.
The public mind had accepted the fact of Islamic
conquest, leaving the details on how it came about to the imagination of the
victors.
It was accepted like your usual Hurrion citizen would
accept the party line, the natural result of the Hurrion mind formed after
centuries of ant-hill socialist education and engineering.
Winners in the cultural wars do indeed get to rewrite
their view of history. The mere fact the vibrant force of Islam changed some
mere details of glorious victory to suit religious theology didn't seem unusual
in their minds.
Walter couldn't believe Lynna's lies about human history
being told in academic setting. She dismissed the legends of divine
intervention by Allah himself in total religious conquest.
"Actual dates of important events are the pegs we
use to connect our view of time to the tapestry of history. The truth is we
know little about the details of those confusing decades before the decline of
the morally bankrupt secular world.
Those years of warfare and turmoil that preceded the
emergence of this vibrant new Islamic world. Perhaps the infidel aircraft
carrier ran aground in some freak storm at sea, maybe an electrical
storm."
Lynna surmised, her theory of how the mosque legend came
to be. "We tried to keep contact with the superstitious high-strung
Islamians to a minimum.
The inhabitants of what some call planet earth cannot
accept as fact that there are creatures from another world in space that wish
to contact them.
Better minds than mine have proven these curious folk are
in need of our 'cultural protection.' The Ministry of Culture has released
enough information on this planet's sort of history to merit 'cultural protection."
Lynna explained the Islamics somehow resented strange
outsiders asking questions in doubt of their accepted religious faith. An
excitable people, most fundamental Islamics considered such doubt a brand of
heresy, often punishable by death.
Reports suggested several academic researchers fell
victims to such senseless violence, the official reason to isolate the Islamic
planet from the curious unaware, an excitable fanatic hot-bed of religious
frenzy not suitable for the casual tourist.
Lynna mentioned the hazards in official academic
research; it had to be done in careful methodical manner.
Such is often the case when the very terrain seems hostile
to scientific research, the details of history still too murky to be properly
catalogued. The long-standing taboo against dedicated scientific inquiry
putting anthropology students in peril.
"As Hurrions, we must look strange and frightening
to these mostly devout simple people, the natives have a culture of seeing
rather imaginative mythical creatures, some demonic and evil, others elfin and
harmless.
Islamic natives sometimes mistaken us for such creatures
and some have died." In her world,
Lynna was a noted and respected authority of the planet known as Earth or Islamia,
the official name on the star-charts.
With war movies about this 'heroic age' of Islamia already
popular in the Hurrion culture, the average citizen became aware of such a
curious, recently discovered world.
Walter didn't come to listen to the official 'doctored'
version of his own planet's history; he came to see Lynna. It was to be their
first meeting after more than several years.
He couldn't wait for this most inaccurate version of his
planet's past to be over with. The Hurrions were apparently a very cynical
caste-ridden devious race.
Their leaders believing they can get away with it, the
doctoring of an entire planet's facts in it's recent past. Using history to
suit their party line.
Then again, Walter thought, the Hurrion ruling class
might get away with it. Nobody on planet earth could stop then. The Hurrion
citizens were a nation of sheep, their fairly generous social welfare system
kept their under class on a sturdy leash.
And why would
Hurrions rebel? There's was a prosperous but socialist and regimented
inter-planetary empire. To a visitor from a non-Islamic planet earth, the
Hurrian political system would appear to be an exotic blend of Stalin and a
militant Sweden.
An expanding space
empire with the earth as its 'cultural protectorate.' Yes, Walter thought to himself, the Hurrions could get
away with it.
Their high-jacking of one of earth's greatest religions in
their cynical ploy for de-facto conquest, their efforts to cover it up by
secrecy and devious revision of human history.
Centuries from now the efforts of historical revision will
become accepted as fact. A natural fact accepted by even well-educated people
on this regimented empire in deep space.
On earth the fact of Allah's victory over demonic aviation
and science-perversion was already spoken of as legendary and heroic, the
potent result of God's will over mankind's wickedness.
At heart, the Hurrions were like humans in this regard.
They wanted their tribe, their race, their political views or their God to
rule.
For centuries the Hurrion people fought to export their
brand of culture across several star systems. One of their great strengths was
a most efficient bureaucracy, dedicated functionaries with a can-do tradition
of Samurai spirit.
Their on-going effort to create such a state was one of
the great triumphs of their universal civilization.
Lynna glossed over most facts in her narrative on recent
human history. Respected anthropologist echoing the official party line;
Islamic forces entered what was known as World War Two when opposing infidel
sides were locked in frustration, death and stalemate.
A militant fundamental Islamic religion was flexing strong
warrior spirit and well armed determination that exploded into conquest.
"Holy warriors not stopping until the infidel enemy was wholly
subjugated."
She had to speak with authority in support of the party
line to keep her official position in the government.
"Allah's religious empire on that planet was achieved
by fighting, all great civilizations are, in their early stages, based on
success of such expansion by warfare.
All this expansion was achieved by real action; it was a
vigorous violent sense of historic movement, both physical violent and even
intellectual. People don't realize that this all happened quite suddenly.
I can't prove this in scientific presentation as of yet,
but this is one of the few times in human history that mankind made such a
great leap for change. It was a leap that would have been thought unthinkable
under normal human evolutionary conditions.
This resounding example of Islamic energy dynamic reached
to point when it could sweep the secular infidel states into the dust pile of
history.
It was a revitalized force of spirit swooping down to
devour war-weary infidel who only seemed to have a discredited philosophy to
compete with.
After atomic weaponry was unleashed on innocents and
clouds of airplanes inflicted harm on the ordinary public in epic world
struggle, the public mind reacted against this amorality of human values.
The battered infidel states fell easy prey to an
irrepressible spirit of Islamic energy.
It certainly affected the traditional Muslim homelands, if you watch
human cinema you can sometimes appreciate the effects.
This expression of the human warrior spirit was unashamedly
extravagant, an irresponsible energy for lusty religious conquest. This same
expression of religious fever you can see today in what I call new-age Islamic
art.
In aftermath of world war morale problems, one can see a
certain spiritual confidence restored with resounding Islamic victory. In the
art, the evidence of confidence in God's will is very much visible.
Civilized man, it seems, must feel he belongs somewhere in
place and time. In revitalized Islam he feels in place, united with the potent
light of God."
"These depictions of sacred subjects carry an
absolute conviction. It shows us a new way to look at religious art.
It is the product of this new revitalized social and
intellectual background, the triumph of the new Islamic church. A very new form
of so-called western culture - very much different from before, a new creation
of this revitalized faith.
One can see a sense of unity forged by God, the
abandonment of scientific and secular traditions probably forever. Traditional
Islam mostly cheered the destruction of images, but these works of art seem an
emotional dynamo, a popular movement of great spiritual force.
To us Hurrions, the bat-winged airplane sculpture is a most
bizarre and terrifying work of art. It definitely is a work of art. Atop the
mosque in Jiddah, it is an epitome of the almost pagan fears in once secular
man.
A religious totem pole for the new Islamic western man at
the end of his long spiritual wanderings."
Islamic music drama also developed in the creative blaze,
much like our popular operas, but with more moral themes.
The music and action have merged to create singular dramatic
effect, 'Victory at Sea' is such a drama now playing to packed gallery showings
on our planet. I strongly suggest you see it for pure entertainment value as
well as an example of Islamic musical drama.
It is a religious version of human history in the elemental
language of myth. The ideal of music belonging in the service of Allah and
Islam is the vision offered - not the former discredited view as music and art
being an end to itself.
In the musical drama, 'Victory at Sea', God himself has
brought wicked mankind the knowledge of its science-perversion and such sinful
pride as the blasphemy of aviation.
The music is stirring and acts as a form of crescendo, the
movement accelerates from one scene to another. In the violent scenes, the
airplane wickedness is defeated as Allah's light commands.
This potent light of Islam comes across as super-hero,
saving humanity and man's very soul by doing away with such demonic evilness.
The commanding deity of spiritual light is shown coming across as mystical
force, a protector acting with authority and speed.
It is a remarkable dramatic and musical work, the merger
of pop culture and devout reality. In a way it is a witness to the ability of
the popular culture to respond to earth shaking events, a breath-taking artful
kind of performance.
These examples shown represent a period of consolidation
rather than an age of art creation. It is a conformism, true, but a conformity
that is a product of a new revitalized social and spiritual background.
This triumph of the Islamic church is a very new form of
western culture, a vital creation of the faith. New-age Islamic art is showing
blessed sense of unity, an abandonment of scientific and secular traditions
totally discredited.
It is the simple belief in Allah's will. This art is the
first visible expression of faith and change in the public mind. The
realization that questions like 'does it work?' or even 'does it pay?' no
longer applies in the religious mind as they did before.
The real question being asked by new-age Islamic art seems
to be, 'Is it Allah's will?' When you start asking different questions like
these, the answers you get become quite different."
"In this new vision, the Islamic reformation of
planet earth can be seen in new light. The truth of this potent religion taking
man's collective breath away.
Humanity already turned its back on mechanical devices,
another example of discredited secular civilization. It is the reflection of
the need for order in Allah's universe and the need by humans for tranquility
and very absolute truth."
Walter listened as Lynna kept speaking her lecture, her
sponsorship of a favored charity. "The Inter-planetary Society of Cultural
Preservation'.
We work to preserve the great artwork. All over our empire
the glorious achievements of past civilizations are being destroyed, mostly by
greed and neglect."
She spoke of ancient architecture being eroded by polluted
rain or by changes in sunlight. She elaborated to saurian blue-bloods in her
academic setting.
About artwork rotting as books crumbled, the respected
governmental authority admitted much of the destruction was funded by new
development.
"Many irreplaceable treasures from archeological
sites have already been lost, often sold as trinkets for our 'nouveau
riche."
Walter's eyes perked up a bit when Lynna injected a racially
tinged code word into her report. 'Nouveau riche' was a term used by the
Hurrion masses to describe wealthy foreigners.
Those were a class of natives who actually ruled the
provincial territories for the benefit of the larger empire. Noble classes in
more highly structured Hurrion society generally felt quite superior to these
(often more prosperous) native satraps.
Walter enjoyed seeing noble-born saurians turning up their
noses at the idea of crass materialistic 'nouveau rich' foreigners. If it
decided to rain really hard - the saurian blue-bloods would be in danger of
being drowned.
Some socially favored members of the Hurrion high-born
shared a few facial traits with humans. Some such as Lynna resembled Asian
humans in their facial features, most notably the eyes.
Others such as Muk-riss were stocky with darker
complexion. The lower classes in Hurrion society more closely resembled lizards
and were not as intellectually complex.
Below ordinary citizens on the social scale were
biological androids, programmed for work. Some were metallic gray and had a
large head resembling a light bulb, pointed end down.
The bio-androids were everywhere in Hurrion society,
Walter noticed them early in the voyage out from earth. These were occupied
with scientific tasks involving research, testing soil and water, plant and
animal life.
Working class drones turning impressive saurian cities
into busy crowded places of purposeful movement. Anyone from earth would become
aware of being in another star-system just by seeing so many bio-drones, a
toiling community in a robotic urban sea.
Walter felt like a country cousin coming in to the big
city for the first time, his first impression was that cooperation amid
synchronized movement. Lynna used the word 'hive minded' to describe them.
The bio-bots seemed to perform a bit more like social
insects once she made mention of it, like ants and honey bees back on earth.
Each android assigned a specific task to perform, a useful
something to contribute to that larger orderly society, a unquestioned
adherence to some higher goal.
"Our society has been trying to get the proper governmental
authorities interested in our work. We've achieved some victories here and
there, but the task of preserving the artistic heritage of all civilizations
within the empire remains real duty."
Lynna told of fighting apathy in some official circles,
about many political, scientific and social problems this involved. There were
complicated considerations to ponder on even the most isolated of planets, not
to mention the financial costs.
Someone from the assembly asked Lynna of her duties within
the Hurrion Ministry of Historical Culture. The official government news agency
reported the Ministry Lynna directed enjoyed quite remarkable prosperity in
recent years.
As acting custodian of human lore, her revitalized Historic
Entertainment Channel earned increased profits, critical acclaim and popularity
under her management.
Hurrion video entertainment was what humans would call
virtual reality. Immersion experiences where one's senses responded to the
cinema view in real time, it was even possible to interact with the cinema
characters and to influence plot twists by unique actions.
Walter felt lost in cyber-space when he ventured into
video reality; electrode attachments for Hurrion viewers were poorly adapted
for human sense organs, yet the feeling was still potent.
He felt everywhere and nowhere in a blended World War II
cinema arena, an inhabitant of artistic abstraction, experiencing human drama
according to the saurian viewpoint.
With human war films of
the World War II genre becoming very popular in Hurrion culture, there were
fears among the local artistic community of becoming squeezed out.
Walter realized there were more than a few artists,
journalists, scripters and critics in attendance. Composers, editors, directors
and writers, anyone who was respected in the avant-garde of the Hurrion arts
probably was there.
One saurian critic expressed concern of human influences
upon the values of the dominant Hurrion culture, expressions of fear that
corrosive influences would somehow undermine the values of an enlightened
progressive empire.
"It is not my wish to predict the cultural
consequences that may result from introducing foreign influences into our
entertainment system." Lynna answered.
"Most here would agree the examples of artwork the
Ministry has introduced for popular consumption merely have the status of
historical amusements. These visions can't possible inspire anyone toward such
alternate lifestyle, nor even affect our traditional habits and
attitudes."
Lynna suddenly gave Walter a bored wave of hello, eyes
smiling in quick perusal. Walter noticed a furrow between the eyes of curious
Hurrion on-lookers, their glances upon an exotic looking human was just enough
to make his presence felt.
He was stared at a bit rudely, but not spoken to by
sedate patricians of blue-blooded saurian society present. It was almost as if
Walter disappointed them somehow by not being able to communicate in their
telepathic form.
Like their movies, virtual experiences were offered for
other reasons than just basic entertainment, for education and training
purposes for instance.
Although it was commonly reported that courses in human
speech and languages were now offered at respected universities in the empire,
even becoming rather popular in fact. Few among the general population were
able to converse except than via normal telepathy.
Lynna resumed her lecture by relating an ancient pagan
legend from the human race. "The gods supposedly created mankind and its
troubles - only because they were feeling bored.
Animals limit their concerns to the basic task of survival,
civilized creatures seek entertainment."
She explained her goal for her revitalized Ministry of
Historical Culture, building a museum dedicated to creative achievement.
"What we appreciate about museums is that the
creations of many unique individuals remain there long after they've passed
away. Those making a difference for our glorious empire culture deserve such an
honor.
If you happen to be creative in such a manner, you can
aspire to achieve that. If you're not especially creative, the closest you'll
ever get to impacting our future is by having children."
It was a distant thought of family that brought Walter's
mind back to focus on Lynna. Her dark snake-like pupils amid rust-colored eyeballs
made a look his way, showing an emotional intensity never noticed before.
What kind of emotion, he wasn't sure. By then the
respected government authority on the human race made another announcement, the
Ministry she directed would release examples of human music for popular
consumption on a regular exhibition basis.
"Music and science are the creative treasures of
most civilizations. While human conquerors too often destroyed the libraries
and achievements of their vanquished enemies, our gallant Hurrion warriors
always prized those examples of intellectual treasure as proof of
victory."
She elaborated that very few examples of human songs or
musical arrangements from past centuries have man-aged to exist to the present
day.
She told of great historical leaps forward by human beings
in relatively recent time, advances in science and discovery, medicine and
industrial progress flavored with unique literature and artistic achievements.
"Of course the pressures of modern civilization that
began in the more secular western society exploded across the Islamic areas, a
reaction to dynamic upheaval inspired mostly by infidels.
Advances leaving Moslems alienated from this more dynamic
secular western culture - resulted in jihad of a most traditional warrior form.
Such a World war uncertainty sparked religious zealotry on a war-weary decadent
secular earth.
True believers rose up angrily, inspired by Allah to
reverse these satanic modern trends, mullahs inciting their faithful to make
war upon the unholy secular present.
Moslem warriors with spirit for battle, securing a
religious future to be more like the past. The vanquished secular world paid a heavy
price for showing such a passive interest in those matters of the human spirit.
For moralists on planet earth, modern living can seem
rather futile and empty at times. The Moslem warriors themselves were merely
reacting to changes in their traditional ways of life.
Fighting for their medieval warrior god, Allah, fighting
against the tide of changes they themselves found outrageous."
Lynna seemed to speak with authority when she lied,
Walter thought. Masking her role in the Hurrion military operation in that
victory, masking it as the result of Allah's judgment against wicked humanity.
Victimizing hapless human beings only wishing to believe
in a god and lying about the act to even their own noble citizens.
It was an amazing turn of events in so many ways, but
rather depressing, Walter pondered sadly. Shattered hopes, humankind would
never lift itself above self-inflicted passions as religious strife.
Perhaps it was just as well that another, more orderly and
cohesive race managed to neuter his own for awhile, using Lynna's brand of
effective and imaginative psychological warfare.
He scolded himself for thinking as a collaborator; in many
ways he WAS a collaborator. Involved in the same kind of career he enjoyed back
home on earth, directing a large scientific research project with government
funds.
Another large research project occupied his time, also
involving government of a sort, the Hurrion Empire.
The Hurrion Empire, a
curious blend of Stalin and Sweden, a collective governmental entity of
far-flung creatures on various star systems, ruled by warm-blooded saurian
lords in deep space. Lizards quite accustomed to totalitarian rule, yet
organizing a viable empire with what many of earth would call a social
conscience, with economic benefits to match.
Human collaborator and hostage, that's how Walter felt, He
hadn't seen his daughter or wife for more than several years. He wanted to see them
again; at least let them know he was still alive.
Instead, he was still dealing with off-scale human
researchers and scientific minds on one-to-one basis, managing projects and
dealing with, (sometimes obtuse) government bureaucrats.
A hostage working
as collaborator at a research colony in deep space, working for the benefit of
the 'Sovereign Lords' of the Hurrion Empire.
Lynna promised to see him today after her scheduled
appearance at this university. As Minister of Historical Culture, she was in a
position to pull strings on his behalf.
Reuniting her valued collaborator with his family, it
didn't seem an unreasonable favor to ask - not even in Hurrion terms.
"Some Sovereign Lords have expressed concern for
exposing our noble populace to decadent ideas from superstitious alien worlds.
They speak of when our creative art museum and begins display of the splendid
collection we've assembled from Islamia/earth."
Lynna continued
speaking. "The Ministry of Historical Culture has mandate to function as
educational institution when fashioning cultural displays for the masses.
It is the nature of education and university to expose us
to ideas that probably shouldn't be put into actual use. The product of any
educational project mostly resides inside in the minds of enlightened learners,
their expanded craniums.
Our race with its glorious tradition of learning, our
beloved empire with its ever expanding storehouse of knowledge has always
realized this.
Whenever anyone displays creative art, they also display
the mind of the artist. The one who has allowed us to peek inside the world his
mind can perceive, to humans, feelings and perception often blend together.
For them, the greatest of joys can be tinged with sorrow;
this has very often been reflected in their art.
Human artists all too often live intensely, our kind burn
for a much longer time on smaller, steadier flame. The creative drive in humans
emits a flame with brighter hue and seldom endures.
Our new museum dedicated to creative art will display the
best of these styles the empire has to offer, both consuming passions and
longer serenity."
A noble Lord among
the university regents asks Lynna about the motivations of human artists,
especially those of the so-called vibrant secular period in their history, that
era of impressive achievement in all areas of discovery, science, art and literature.
It is a well known creative era according to art
historians, that decadent end of a cycle human era a few generations before
that militant force of revitalized Islam conquered all.
"One thing I've learned about humans." Lynna
answered confidently, "is to not even try guessing at their real
motivations for anything. All they do is motivated by a crazy assortment of
reasons even other humans find difficult to understand.
They seldom act because it's the most sensible thing to do
at the time. Hurrions seem very analytical in comparison, but both races share
an affinity for the private world of imagination.
Good artists in whatever world they live in revel in such
an imaginary world. We sometimes describe the human thought process as
pathological, spreading their important ideas to each other as a disease.
We Hurrions ponder our ideas in more orderly ways,
building up knowledge fact by fact - but facts don't motivate the artist. The power of imagination is what motivates
the greatest artistic endeavors.
The dream is the creation of the dreamer, his mind's eye
vision of that other world, one complete with desires elaborate and heavy. A
private land of one's illusion, to be sure, but one of the artist's own
creation.
Humans carry this private world around in their dreamy
mind everyplace they frequent. Few want to complain, the more complex their
private world of the mind is, the better for those who choose to live in their
world of ideas.
The serious artist works to make that world of theirs
visible to us. If that creation is to have life - it must take something
personal from them to give it substance.
Motivation comes from within, that exotic world of
imagination where the finest minds in civilization's house reside."
Fin
1