From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of The Man in Black [mib@cyberspace.org] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 3:41 AM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Re: Hoyle On Sat, 22 Apr 2000 EdDrWho@aol.com wrote: > So let me get this straight...HPL, who, as far as the mythos is concerned, is > as close to a primary source as we'll ever want to come, is only infallible > as long as his predictions include stark destruction and doom? Whereas if the > Mi-Go appear even a little bit human or fallible, that's not what he meant? No. It's that the extinction of humanity os one of the primary pillars f the Mythos, and to ignore this is foolish. The Man in Black is : Kenneth Scroggins Novus Ordo Seclorum : Annuit Coeptus : E Pluribus Unum "Don't make me take off my sunglasses!" - Griss, Bringing Out the Dead http://www.carnwyffa.u-net.com [EMERALD HAMMER] From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of LizardRoi@aol.com Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 3:54 AM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Re: Useful Resources for Deep One Society and Technology In a message dated 4/22/00 8:25:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time, andywrobertson@clara.co.uk writes: << Bacterial/microbial technology, yes. Let's not forget human biotech is 1000's of years old. Cheese, beer, youhurt - it's basic to our food processing. So, imagine FX cultures of "cementation bacteria" that the DO mix with deepsea mud. After a certain number of divisions the metabolic products of the bacteria make the mud go hard and stay that way. Undersea cement or concrete. >> There ya go. Now that's something that can be seen in a natural state, then harnessed through trial and error by a stone age culture. So now they can build 'corrals' and channels for currents and long houses for protection from predators. Solid bricks of finished cement with mortar made from live culture. Chisels can wait, we're ready to stack bricks. Some early DO pharoah could command a sealed 'aqueduct' to bring deep plumes to the city for the heat and fertilizer and building material delivered to the site. No metal required. The refinable metal in suspension would be a secondary discovery when the plume chimney provides a constant source of material for alchemical experiments. The steady source of heat could cause a biotech revolution. Bacteria that harden silt into cement would almost inevitably lead to the idea of breeding cultures that excrete metal. Perhaps metal plating would be the first application. Gold plating for religious objects and jewelry. Eventually they could cast foamed metal. They would discover something interesting when they place some metals together while immersed in salt water. Their skin receptors might notice more subtle effects than human touch or sight. Some DO explorer/entrepeneur might build a floating research center for discovering the properties of organic materials when they 'dry out' on the surface, perhaps observing unpredicted behaviors of osmosis and diffusion. Also, surface wave action could be harnessed to lift and lower great weights in regular intervals after the Bouyancy Revolution, allowing some machine designs without wheels or related simple machines. A wheel might not be an obvious concept to a creature that swims. But the linear motion of a float could power industrial hammers or looms...and eventually bellows or pistons. These could even bring air down for industrial use after the techniques are developed on the surface. Incidentally, for design purposes, note that the wheel might be a more recent concept to the DO than the spiral or screw, which can be found in shells. Mark McFadden Guru and Bull Goose Looney Dagon Design A Division of Gilgamesh Imagineering Formerly a division of Whole Earth Grand Design From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of The Man in Black [mib@cyberspace.org] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 4:09 AM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: The Prisoner On Sun, 23 Apr 2000 LizardRoi@aol.com wrote: > Actually, I liked your Village2000 concept well enough to add this: > What happens to all the transient Number Twos? I say they all become Pi and > become roving authorities. Maybe, I prefer to let it all be a mystery. That way it's less work for me. But then again having Leo Mckern vs. John Rhys-Davies in a surreal "Sliders meets the Village" sumo match strangely appeals to me. Although I won't allow mud, baby oil, jello or other things to get involved. That would be undignified. > Except for you, of course, who will always be Number Two to me. Thanks, I can feel the love and... HEY~! The Man in Black is : taking Brittany and the Gem cause no one can stop me! Novus Ordo Seclorum : Annuit Coeptus : E Pluribus Unum "Don't make me take off my sunglasses!" - Griss, Bringing Out the Dead http://www.carnwyffa.u-net.com [EMERALD HAMMER] From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of The Man in Black [mib@cyberspace.org] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 4:20 AM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Immunitary System Lock-up On Sat, 22 Apr 2000, Davide Mana wrote: > Back in the seventies, what with crisis and all that, metal coinage > suddenly disappeared from Italian pockets. How this came to happen is still > a mystery onto itself. MUA-HAHAHAHAHAH~! > [gosh, this sounds like something out of the Reinassance!] > Banks in tourist locations were expecially interested in printing the > things, and a few thousand different designs circulated for about five > years. It sounds more like DisneyBucks (TM) to me. Gee, that makes it EVEN MORE SINISTER~! doesn't it? NYAH-HAHAHAHAHAH~! The Man in Black is : BWAH-HAHAHAHAHAH~! hee hee hee Novus Ordo Seclorum : Annuit Coeptus : E Pluribus Unum "Don't make me take off my sunglasses!" - Griss, Bringing Out the Dead http://www.carnwyffa.u-net.com [EMERALD HAMMER] From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of LizardRoi@aol.com Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 5:37 AM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Immunitary System Lock-up In a message dated 4/22/00 11:39:52 PM Pacific Daylight Time, doctor.dee@libero.it writes: << I therefore offer the following option - let's abolish bosses. The way they did in France in... what was it, late eighteenth century? Anyway, thanks for your time, Graeme. Good night! >> Yes, the banshee screams for management meat. It comes from the bowels of the corporate beast, from the sterile halls of science, and now the leaning ivory towers of academia. Out with the bosses, you have nothing to lose but your chain of command. Year Zero is going to be a stone groove. So this year the used offerings to a jaded public are a marvel of 60s animatronics and the rich kid. Why are we going to go through this whole 'convention' business? I wish the networks would each field a candidate and the one with the best ratings gets a four year contract. Who Wants To Be A Head Of State? First question: A) Shit? or B) Shinola? Times up, but thank you for playing, here's a thermonuclear weapon to take home with you as a lovely parting gift. So the lame duck VP is the front runner to lead his party to yada yada ad infiyada. No shit. It's part of the deal. Eight years of waving and wearing hats and cutting ribbons, then you get the nod. Besides, it's common wisdom that VPs running for the top spot always get it... except when they don't. That's why they always get the nod, except in the notable case of a certain recent Veep who was publicly, noticeably, cortically-challenged. So that's why we get to have Great Moments With Mr. Gore. Meanwhile, in a fit of surreality, the opposition positions and petitions for their Fortunate Son, a walking demographic of everything lazy editorial cartoonists use to represent special interests, nepotism, corruption, and markers called. That silver-haired devil has the looks of the Platonic Ideal of Rotarian. His eyes get that deer-in-the-headlights look, but he can hold a smile better than Quayle ever could. It's in the blood. Think about it: both families involved in the Bay of Pigs, both had significant transactions with the state of Texas, both hail from the Ivy League, both becoming dynasties. George Sr. even had connections with two assassination attempts. One was successful. George W. already has the compound lifestyle down. George W. Bush is a Kennedy for the new Millenium. If his dad can come from Oligarchsquat or whatever that Yankee enclave of Mayflower inbreeding was, go to Yale; and still pass himself off as a Texas Cowboy; his son can herald a new Camelot. It finally happened. The percentage of eligible voters that actually do has fallen so far below the halfway mark that the "two" parties aren't even bothering to try. They just trot out whatever is closest at hand and say, "Vote, or don't. Whatever." I knew it was going to happen when the majority of the less-than-half of the eligible voters choose four more years of Reagan and it was called a landslide victory and a mandate from the people. Those network political analysts can be as perky as a morning show when it comes to finding significance in the majestic apathy of the Merkin system. ObDG: if your PCs are on the public payroll, they will feel very strongly about the race, because they will be getting a new boss. When the troops refer to the Commander-in-Chief as "that fuckin' Mr. Peanut", you can bet they won't go the extra mile to make him look good. And it appears they didn't. Also, start placing your bets on whether this one gets the full briefing from MJ-12. Luckily, the race will get some much-needed drama when all fourteen Louisiana Republicans vote for Pat Buchanan, causing some frantic regrouping and analysis at both party headquarters and on all the networks as they try to gauge the ramifications of this upset, virtually a mandate from the people. Mark McFadden to paraphrase John Fogerty: Some people born, silver (coke) spoon in hand Lawd don't they help themselves, y'all? SEC man comes to the door files look like a rummage sale, y'all. It ain't me, it ain't me I ain't no privileged one, no It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no Fortunate Son. Sorry. Been reading a lot of Transmetropolitan lately. From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Jonathan Turner [j.turner@irishnews.com] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 5:54 AM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Immunitary System Lock-up At 08:37 PM 4/22/00 +0200, you wrote: > >And here I stop and go back to my reading couch. >Later! > Davide: Have you ever read any of the Dylan Dog comics, which I believe are very popular in Italy? Over in the UK, we were only subjected (or treated) to an Amiga computer game which was very intriguing, but completely unplayable. I believe the Dylan Dog stuff had some kind of a Mythos element, and I seem to recall the Necromican cropping up - though of course that's in any ole shite these days. ObDG: The bizarre death of a young teenager is traced by DG to a new series of independent comics, similar in style to Hellraiser, contains some accurate recreations of the ceremony to summon a Hound of Tindalos. JT From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of LizardRoi@aol.com Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 6:26 AM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: DG: Pennies, like Mana from heaven In a message dated 4/22/00 11:40:05 PM Pacific Daylight Time, doctor.dee@libero.it writes: << Back in the seventies, what with crisis and all that, metal coinage suddenly disappeared from Italian pockets. How this came to happen is still a mystery onto itself. >> I mentioned the 70s penny shortage in the US to someone off-List just the other day. In the early 70s, a penny's weight of copper became worth more than a penny, and suddenly they all disappeared. Every cash register sprouted a sign begging for pennies. That was when the custom of having a dish with a few pennies in it by the cash register got widely distributed. Short a few pennies? Take what you need from the dish. Get pennies in change? Drop them in the dish. Just got back from seeing U-571. Boy, you Europeans sure owe us big time for cleaning up that whole Hitler mess for you. I looked and looked, and couldn't see one damn Brit on that boat. Man, we probably could've won the war over a weekend if we didn't have to drag all those Europeans along. But do they show proper deference, avert their eyes and tug a forelock when we pass by? They do not. I say we never should have let those colonies in Europe secede from the Union like that. Now they all speak any damn language they feel like and ... huh? Really? You're shittin' me. Never mind. Also, on cable earlier was the movie made of Dean Koontz's 'Phantoms'. Great situation, indifferent execution. An isolated town in the Rockies. Everyone disappears, some bodies are left in grotesque arrangements. Shit happens, eerie sounds come from drains. It turns out to be The Ancient Enemy, a lifeform responsible for the mysterious disappearances of cities, including a Mayan city and the colony at Roanoke. The Ancient Enemy turns out to be a humongous mass of petroleum-like sludge that lives in geological fissures and is effectively immortal. It, ahem, might be as old as man on the planet. It looks like Ubbo-Sathla. The malignant mass of bearing grease, being ancient and crafty and predatory, wants to be worshipped as a god. Cool bits: Digesting people then sending out probes that look and act like them, since the mass absorbed their memories. A pile of jewelry and fillings and watches, sort of a hairball chucked up by the malevolent mass. The big armoured bio-war lab HQ vehicle is numbered with a 5 ft. 23. They fight it with engineered bacteria for eating oil spills. Mark McFadden Feels that we should have tried to communicate with the being. Since it is free of those sticky distractions of reproduction, it must have an enviably rational mind, free of emotions and cloudy thinking. It must have been friendly, it's axiomatic... From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of LizardRoi@aol.com Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 6:34 AM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Immunitary System Lock-up In a message dated 4/23/00 3:57:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time, j.turner@irishnews.com writes: << I believe the Dylan Dog stuff had some kind of a Mythos element, and I seem to recall the Necromican cropping up - though of course that's in any ole shite these days. >> Wasn't the Dylan Dog storyline adapted into a movie? 'Resurection Man'? Mark McFadden From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Tolga Yanasik [yanasikt@superonline.com] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 7:51 AM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: DG: SpecOps Sorry if this is brought to the list before but, http://www.specialoperations.com/ has great information. Also do not forget to look at Multimedia section. There are lots of sound effects and movie files you can use as player aids. Tolga From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Davide Mana [doctor.dee@libero.it] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 9:36 AM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Immunitary System Lock-up Greetings. JT writes... >Davide: Have you ever read any of the Dylan Dog comics, which I believe are >very popular in Italy? Over in the UK, we were only subjected (or treated) >to an Amiga computer game which was very intriguing, but completely >unplayable. Hmmmm. Never knew about the computer game. Is it a British production? >I believe the Dylan Dog stuff had some kind of a Mythos element, and I seem >to recall the Necromican cropping up - though of course that's in any ole >shite these days. "Dylan Dog" is the comic book that resurrected both public and critical interest in comics here in Italy, back in 1986 - when the series appeared, the public was seized by a Dylan Dog mania that turned the first ten numbers of the series into 500/700 bucks collectibles each. Crazy. I was never a fan (for reasons I'll explain presently) but you have to give the guys credit for their runaway success. I saw a lot of those when a friend of my brother lent a chunk of his collection to us. There are Mythos elements in the series, due to a number of reasons. The stories - often pretty formulaic - feature a supernatural detective called Dylan Dog (no, really) in the old Jules DeGrandin vein; stories also feature a comedy relief sidekick (a carbon copy of Groucho Marx, with a lot of quotes stolen from the Marx canon), and a stolid cop called Inspector Bloch (Dylan's former boss in the force). Running bad guys include Professor Xabaras (Doctor Doom is a wimp by comparison) and geneticist professor Hicks. Original stories are theoretically by Tiziano Sclavi, Italy's latest horror wonderboy, and one that has got the Lovecraft cliché down to an art - lives as a recluse, does not give interviews, does not like to be photographed... childish. A _lot_ of material is actually the work of 'niggers' (this is, I guess, the correct editrorial ternm for gun-for-hire writers), and I met a few of them, a pair that had no problem selling Sclavi writeups of their Call of Cthulhu games. Movie and novel ripoffs (they call them 'tributes') are also quite frequent. A few episodes have a Dreamlands-sort of feel. The tone is often extremely nihilistic, and there is a certain amount of self-congratulatory angst that is not exactly my cup of tea. I'm also not so hot about the artwork, but that's a personal thing. Dylan Dog's success was such that a movie was made, starring Rupert Everett in a perfect casting (the original character designer used Everett as a model when creating the series, so there). The movie is so-so, and it might be the one Mark mentioned - I'm not sure. A Dylan Dog RPG was also pulished, including some supplementary material, but it had little fortune. The italian edition is published by Sergio Bonelli Editore, but interested parties might like to check out the series as it's now published by Dark Horse comics. But for my money, you'd be better off with Martin Mystére (Martin Mystey in the Dark Hors version), actually an older series than Dylan Dog, which has a more rationalistic approach to well known subjects like the Bermuda Triangle, Roswell and all that. Instead of the occult/horror angle, Mystére/Mystery centers on astroarchaeology, cryptozoology, secret history and such, and is more palatable for me. [a reprint of the earlier stories in hardbounds has been tempting me from my dealer's shelves for a while, and maybe next week....] The conspiracy theory (MIBs and all) at the core of the series is solid, and a lot of the background material is extremely well detailed. Lovecraftian references are kliberally sprinkled here and there, and I'm pretty sure there is a Lovecraft limited run special featuring our old friend Dagon out there. As I think I mentioned in the past, the main writer for the series, Alfredo castelli, is almost family, as he was the first boyfriend of my tutor (which explains why she's so enthusiastic about my Lovecraft-connected activities). And as I'm plugging shamelessly the national product, Dark Horse is also distributing in English the cyberpunkish 'Nathan Never' (an eponymous supplement for Talsorian's Cyberpunk was published a few years back). In more recent times, Sergio Bonelli has also let slip a brace of other titles, cashing in on the success of the above mentioned three products: the Dirty-pair-ish 'Legs Weaver' (basically an offshoot of Nathan Never), the frankly depressing 'Napoleone' about a character that can guide lost souls to their ultimate dwelling place (Wraith players love it) and most recent of all, 'Dhampyr', about a semi-professional and reluctant vampire hunter. The first episode of the latter, set in war-torn Balkans, wastes a great set-up and premise by adopting the usual Rice style of verbosity over action. And here I stop. Davide Mana Torino, Italy doctor.dee@libero.it The Ice Cave - http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/leiber/50/ice_cave.htm From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Nocstar [shepherd@infocom.com] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 10:22 AM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Immunitary System Lock-up >But I'm just in a cynical mood as >I've spent the last 3 hours frantically checking the galley proofs of a >manuscript (on a saturday afternoon) to be informed by my boss that it >wasn't really urgent as the publicatiopn date has just been put back by >another fortnight..... AAAAAAAARGHH!! > >Later > >Graeme > >graemep@immag.mcg.edu > THEY do this shit on purpose, man, just to keep you reelin'. From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Steven Kaye [box_nine@ix.netcom.com] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 10:24 AM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Dylan Dog At 11:53 AM +0100 4/23/00, Jonathan Turner wrote: > >Davide: Have you ever read any of the Dylan Dog comics, which I believe are >very popular in Italy? Over in the UK, we were only subjected (or treated) >to an Amiga computer game which was very intriguing, but completely >unplayable. So the UK hasn't been getting the Dark Horse DYLAN DOGs? Interesting. ObDG: I suppose DELLAMORE DELLAMORTE could be considered a study in the personality disorders a DG agent is prone to. Fighting supernatural horrors, can't tell anyone about them, fewer and fewer friends... Steven ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Steven Kaye box_nine@ix.netcom.com Reason - rationality - is a concentration camp, where the sets of concepts for surviving in a chaotic universe form vast, though finite, rows of huts, separated into blocks by electric fences, which the searchlights of Attention rove over, picking out now one group of huts, now another. Thoughts, like prisoners - imprisoned for their own security and safety - scurry and march and labour in a flat two-dimensional zone, forbidden to leap fences, gunned down by laser beams of madness and unreason if they try to. Ian Watson, THE EMBEDDING From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Jonathan Turner [j.turner@irishnews.com] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 12:37 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Immunitary System Lock-up At 04:36 PM 4/23/00 +0200, you wrote: > >Hmmmm. >Never knew about the computer game. >Is it a British production? > I don't think so. Reckon it was Italian, and very poorly translated it was too. It just felt very European, very Italian in style and content. It was for the Amiga and was out in about 1990/91. At the time we really enjoyed it, because it was clearly Lovecraftian in style. I think it was called Dylan Dog and the Smoking Mirror - definitely had mirror in the title. The plot revolved around the death of a antiquarian in a locked room which housed his Mythos library and a huge, forboding mirror. Dylan was hired by his voluptuous daughter, and he set out to save her from Damnation while craftily slipping her a length of finest Italian love-sausage, to use the parlance of our times. IIRC there was also a dream sequence at the start which featured Ryleh. The cover had him sleeping in a chair in the study, with a sinister reflection of him looking down from the titular mirror. At the time we liked it because a) it was Lovecraftian b) it held the promise of zombies in it later on c) it was quite `adult' in that he got his end away d) all of the above. Sadly, the interface sucked, and unless you did everything you had to in the exact order you could get nowhere... > >And here I stop. I for one appreciate you going to the effort of giving me the straight scoop, mate. Cheers. JT From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Jonathan Turner [j.turner@irishnews.com] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 12:38 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Dylan Dog At 11:24 AM 4/23/00 -0400, you wrote: > >So the UK hasn't been getting the Dark Horse DYLAN DOGs? Interesting. No, we probably are, but it was just that Davide's original post reminded me of Dylan Dog from ages and ages ago. I haven't lurked in a comic store for ages! JT Planning to fix that later this week... From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of EdDrWho@aol.com Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 12:58 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Re: Hoyle In a message dated 4/23/00 3:43:20 AM Central Daylight Time, mib@cyberspace.org writes: > It's that the extinction of humanity os one of the primary pillars f > the Mythos, and to ignore this is foolish. But supposing, just supposing, some MADMAN _completely_ ignored this fact in his Delta Green game. What then? From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Steven Kaye [box_nine@ix.netcom.com] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 1:12 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Re: Hoyle At 1:57 PM -0400 4/23/00, EdDrWho@aol.com wrote: >In a message dated 4/23/00 3:43:20 AM Central Daylight Time, >mib@cyberspace.org writes: > > > It's that the extinction of humanity os one of the primary pillars f > > the Mythos, and to ignore this is foolish. > >But supposing, just supposing, some MADMAN _completely_ ignored this fact in >his Delta Green game. What then? Then one would wonder why the madman was playing a horror game based on H.P. Lovecraft's writings. Steven ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Steven Kaye box_nine@ix.netcom.com Reason - rationality - is a concentration camp, where the sets of concepts for surviving in a chaotic universe form vast, though finite, rows of huts, separated into blocks by electric fences, which the searchlights of Attention rove over, picking out now one group of huts, now another. Thoughts, like prisoners - imprisoned for their own security and safety - scurry and march and labour in a flat two-dimensional zone, forbidden to leap fences, gunned down by laser beams of madness and unreason if they try to. Ian Watson, THE EMBEDDING From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Philip A Posehn [paposehn@juno.com] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 1:12 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Re: the movie On Sun, 23 Apr 2000 00:49:19 EDT DocHopt@aol.com writes: > In a message dated 4/9/00 7:28:39 PM Pacific Daylight Time, > duggerj@mindspring.com writes: > > << >Who would do the theme song for the marketing blitz? > Warren Zevon's "The Envoy" has that James bond themesong feel to it. Phil ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Chris Sorisio [macros@twd.net] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 1:21 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: DG: Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research Something somewhat interesting, for those who have yet to see it. http://www.princeton.edu/~pear/ cs From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Steven Kaye [box_nine@ix.netcom.com] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 1:35 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Re: Useful Resources for Deep One Society and Technology Just re-read "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," to see if I could find any useful insights on Deep One society and/or technology. A few things struck me: 1) They'd planned to spread across the continent, bringing up an unnamed something that could help them. It's hinted that this has something to do with shoggoths. 2) Their art is representational. Given light conditions at the bottom of the ocean, this suggests that they either use illumination, have very keen eyesight in the lower frequencies, or that they don't necessarily live on the sea bottom per se. 3) The Kanakas first encountered the Deep Ones when a subterranean city came to the surface. This indicates one hell of an adaptability to rapid pressure changes. 4) There are references to coral gardens and phosphorescent palaces, off the coast of Massachusetts, at least. These could always be Star Spawn artifacts, off course. 5) I'm skeptical as to whether they have a writing system. Ye, I know, there are those artifacts with squiggles on them on p. 38 of DELTA GREEN, but SoI has a reference to the Deep Ones rising again to claim tribute, "if they remembered." Other thoughts: Assuming we take the stats in the CoC rulebook as gospel, a bit more than 16% of Deep Ones have a chance of knowing spells (14 POW and up). As Mark mentions, what effects would this have on a culture's development of technology? Deep Ones can't die, except by violence (according to Olmstead's grandmother, granted). What does it mean to a culture to be immune to diseases and the effects of aging? Especially when all the other life around you is subject to these things? Derleth's "The Shuttered Room" suggests they have the potential for unlimited growth (except for that pesky inverse-cube law) and can live for years on little or no food. Maybe the whole "breed with villagers" thing isn't due to bizarre reproductive systems or prestige rituals. Maybe it's the only way Deep Ones can learn and innovate - through the hybrids, before they become fully-fledged Deep Ones and convinced of their ultimate superiority. Steven ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Steven Kaye box_nine@ix.netcom.com Reason - rationality - is a concentration camp, where the sets of concepts for surviving in a chaotic universe form vast, though finite, rows of huts, separated into blocks by electric fences, which the searchlights of Attention rove over, picking out now one group of huts, now another. Thoughts, like prisoners - imprisoned for their own security and safety - scurry and march and labour in a flat two-dimensional zone, forbidden to leap fences, gunned down by laser beams of madness and unreason if they try to. Ian Watson, THE EMBEDDING From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Andy Robertson [andywrobertson@clara.co.uk] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 2:22 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Re: Useful Resources for Deep One Society and Technology ----- Original Message ----- From: > Bacteria that harden silt into cement would almost inevitably lead to the > idea of breeding cultures that excrete metal. Perhaps metal plating would be > the first application. Gold plating for religious objects and jewelry. Actually, Brihatic life as far as we know never uses or excretes pure metal. Why, I don't know. I always assume the gold the DO used was mined in its native state and did not need refinement. However, a big yes on the general idea here. The sort of canalisation-of-black-smokers you hypothesise would be the DO version of an oil well gusher/oil refinery - multiple useful products split off in sequence. Time to look at those deepsea submersible photos with a new eye. May as well drop a goodish weblink in here http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/oceanography_recently_reveale d1.html th > > They would discover something interesting when they place some metals > together while immersed in salt water. Their skin receptors might notice more > subtle effects than human touch or sight. Many fish have an "electric sense" - designed to sense electric currents in water. If you have a lateral line (runs from the earline back along the body, a sheltered groove with lots of hairy nervecells in it, ultrasensitive to water movements) it's almost impossible for it *not* to be sensitive to electrical impulses as well, for the same reason your tongue is. Do the DO have a lateral line or any similar structure? Maybe they get "other" (non-gold) metals from wrecks, or at least learn about them from wrecks. Another good reason for them to initialise human contact. > Incidentally, for design purposes, note that the wheel might be a more > recent concept to the DO than the spiral or screw, which can be found in > shells. Right. In fact I can't imagine them needing the wheel - neutral buoyancy. The Glove Cleaner From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Michael Beck [msb216@is7.nyu.edu] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 2:19 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: DG: Quasi-Lovecraftian Story This is the URL of a quasi-Lovcraftian story I found on the net. It's a crossover between Lovecraft and a Japanese anime called Ranma 1/2. It's very well written, but may not make much sense to someone who isn't familiar with the anime. http://www.thekeep.org/~harnums/eidolons.txt From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Andy Robertson [andywrobertson@clara.co.uk] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 2:39 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: DG: Re: Pennies, like Mana from heaven ----- Original Message ----- From: > Just got back from seeing U-571. Boy, you Europeans sure owe us big time for > cleaning up that whole Hitler mess for you. I do not snap at your oafishly proferred bait, Sir: With a wave of a perfectly manicured and correctly gloved hand, I disdain it. The Glove Cleaner From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Davide Mana [doctor.dee@libero.it] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 3:25 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Immunitary System Lock-up Greetings. More about the Lost Dylan Dog Game.... >I don't think so. Reckon it was Italian, and very poorly translated it was >too. It just felt very European, very Italian in style and content. I'll have to check. Sounds interesting, and the description of the cover painting does strike a bell. >The plot revolved around the death of a antiquarian in a locked room which >housed his Mythos library and a huge, forboding mirror. Dylan was hired by >his voluptuous daughter, and he set out to save her from Damnation while >craftily slipping her a length of finest Italian love-sausage, to use the >parlance of our times. The story about voluptous daughter et cetera is the classical bit of formulaic (and gratuitous) stuff I mentioned and that at lenght (no pun intended) gets rather boring (again, no pun). Considering Mr Dog beds _at least_ one new voluptous young lady in each episode, one wonders where does he find the time, and the physical strenght, to go occult-hunting. As for the Italian Love-Sausage, obviously Italians Do It Better, but Dylan Dog is supposedly British. So let's call this a draw. >I for one appreciate you going to the effort of giving me the straight >scoop, mate. Cheers. You are welcome. I'm getting back to comics after a few years spent away from the field, and I'm happy to provide info. A bit of national pride is also part of the story ;> Cheers! Davide Mana Torino, Italy doctor.dee@libero.it The Ice Cave - http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/leiber/50/ice_cave.htm From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Davide Mana [doctor.dee@libero.it] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 4:04 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: DG: Patent sillynes.... .... And Off topic, too. But, please, check out this one http://www.hecklers.com/simshatner/simshatner.php3 Davide Mana From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Andy Robertson [andywrobertson@clara.co.uk] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 4:30 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Re: Useful Resources for Deep One Society and Technology ----- Original Message ----- From: Steven Kaye Only minor points . . . > 1) They'd planned to spread across the continent, bringing up an > unnamed something that could help them. It's hinted that this has > something to do with shoggoths. The alcoholic loony says (sorry, "sez" ) "didya ever hear tell of a SHOGGOTH? I tell you I know what them things be . . . . . " It's a pretty explicit "hint". Quote from memory, probably not 100% accurate, blasphemy, I know. > > 2) Their art is representational. Given light conditions at the > bottom of the ocean, this suggests that they either use illumination, > have very keen eyesight in the lower frequencies, or that they don't > necessarily live on the sea bottom per se. Yes. Big eyes, I note - but actually it's BLUE light which penetrates into the ocean furthest. > > 3) The Kanakas first encountered the Deep Ones when a subterranean > city came to the surface. This indicates one hell of an adaptability > to rapid pressure changes. > Compare a sperm whale hunting squid. No problem, really. > 4) There are references to coral gardens and phosphorescent palaces, > off the coast of Massachusetts, at least. These could always be Star > Spawn artifacts, off course. > Yup, I'm sure the DO would use coral in shallow waters. But these seem to be outposts. Sorry, just minor picky points. The Glove Cleaner From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of The Man in Black [mib@cyberspace.org] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 6:01 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Immunitary System Lock-up On Sun, 23 Apr 2000, Davide Mana wrote: > Running bad guys include Professor Xabaras (Doctor Doom is a wimp by > comparison) Whoa there! I don't think P.X. ever stole the Silver Surfer's powers, manipulated Terrax, owns his own country, stole the Beyonder's powers, toyed with many cosmic cubes, layed the Latverian smack-down on Mephisto, and generally fought every single Marvel (and a few DC and other) superhero and villain for thirty years, including the combined Avengers (Thor, Hulk, Ironman, Capt. America). Doing all this without resorting to any team-ups, except for that one with Steven Strange. And those one's with that traitor Kang... What's this Xabaras guy got to offer the realm of villany? I think he's subordinate to Professor Xin from Jonny Quest, and his evil clone army of mutant insects. The Man in Black is : instrumental in the Latverian-Genoshan war. Novus Ordo Seclorum : Annuit Coeptus : E Pluribus Unum "Don't make me take off my sunglasses!" - Griss, Bringing Out the Dead http://www.carnwyffa.u-net.com [EMERALD HAMMER] From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of The Man in Black [mib@cyberspace.org] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 6:18 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Re: Hoyle On Sun, 23 Apr 2000 EdDrWho@aol.com wrote: > mib@cyberspace.org writes: > > > It's that the extinction of humanity os one of the primary pillars f > > the Mythos, and to ignore this is foolish. > > But supposing, just supposing, some MADMAN _completely_ ignored this fact in > his Delta Green game. What then? What then, Ed "Doctor" Who; if you really *are* a doctor at all? Well, maybe... IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THEN~! Cause the MiB would raise the Hand in Black, and layeth the Smack in Black down, AND THE MIB MEANS LAYETH THE SMACK IN BLACK DOWN~! on that ROO-DEE-POO~! candy-@$$. If ya' SMEELLL-La-La-La what the MiB... is cookin'. The Man in Black is : baking a Whuppass Cake just for you. Novus Ordo Seclorum : Annuit Coeptus : E Pluribus Unum "Don't make me take off 0my sunglasses!" - Griss, Bringing Out the Dead http://www.carnwyffa.u-net.com [EMERALD HAMMER] From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of The Man in Black [mib@cyberspace.org] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 6:49 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Re: Useful Resources for Deep One Society and Technology On Sun, 23 Apr 2000, Andy Robertson wrote: > From: Steven Kaye > > > 1) They'd planned to spread across the continent, bringing up an > > unnamed something that could help them. It's hinted that this has > > something to do with shoggoths. > > The alcoholic loony says (sorry, "sez" ) "didya ever hear tell of a > SHOGGOTH? I tell you I know what them things be . . . . . " It's a > pretty explicit "hint". Shoggoths and StarSpawn I'd say. Everyone always forgets the StarSpawn. Why is that? Why is everyone looking at me like that? Quit It! > > 3) The Kanakas first encountered the Deep Ones when a subterranean > > city came to the surface. This indicates one hell of an adaptability > > to rapid pressure changes. > > > > Compare a sperm whale hunting squid. No problem, really. Squid hunting is actually a very involved process. The Cetaceans locate Squids with some mysterious method, probably sonar and scent. Then the Poddies line themselves up facing straight down and go into some kinda Zen trance which oxygenates their blood, collapses their lungs and sends them right down for some *really* fresh Ika sushi. Some scientists claim that the sucker marks are practically insignificant (rarely penetrating the blubber) and the poor helpless squids are at the mercy of Moby and crew. And then there is the infamous exploding whale video: http://www.perp.com/whale/video.html The Man in Black is : Kenneth Scroggins Novus Ordo Seclorum : Annuit Coeptus : E Pluribus Unum "Don't make me take off my sunglasses!" - Griss, Bringing Out the Dead http://www.carnwyffa.u-net.com [EMERALD HAMMER] From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Til Eulenspiegel [duggerj@mindspring.com] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 7:31 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: New DS pictures (CELL F Report) -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 > [snip] > > > > DG contacts, heretofore referred to as Shambler Handler 1 (SH 1) > > and 2, have asked Michael about the particulars of the > > explosion. From transcript MKL-SH0-2000-01-11 (dashes represent > > redactions): > > [snippety-snip] > > SH0 "Enjoy story Thermopylae. Amusement. Blast is contortions of > > geometric spacetime via concordance." > > SH1 "Great. Just great. What?" > > SH2 "(SH0), what do you mean by the blast? What was it? Did you > > ... um, intensify the plutonium, or something?" > > SH0 "Blast was not violence of form, not geometric conversion. > > Blast was harmonious geometries brought in concordance with > > higher harmonics, increase of form to bring decrease of forms." > > SH2 "Great. That's ... great. So, it wasn't a regular nuclear > > blast?" > > SH0 "No, (SH2). No great armies of river-drying energies. > > Just proper placement of a few." > > SH1 "This is some hyper-spatial transformation, using plutonium, > > and creating a big explosion?" > > SH0 "Unpoetic. Yes." > > - From MKL-SH0-23-04-2000: DS can travel through hyperspace. From the above, we conclude SH0 learned how to extend this personal ability to energy fields such that any energy field can now be redirected to any point the DS might reach. We suggest SH0 has not learned to manufacture nor obtained nuclear weapons, but instead has learned to redirect the violent energy released by nuclear blasts. We hypothesize this extension of their innate abilites requires less imagination and technical skill than constructing atomics and therefore better fits observed mental limitations of DS. Psychotronic weaponry (see references below) transfers energy from a source to a target through hyperspace. It shares certain similarities to radionics, but generally requires a receiver at the target. From the above excerpt we know SH0 denies the event was a nuclear explosion. In our opinion, SH0 acquired plutonium to use as a target or tuner for the attack. It then co-ordinated other DS to bring "harmonious geometries ...in concordance with higher harmonics, increase of form to bring decrease of forms." We interpret this as transferring energy released by nuclear explosions on Earth to the event site. Questions remain. First, no known nuclear explosions occured at the same time as the event. Where did the energy originate? Two, if the DS required plutonium for a target receiver did they also require a transmitter? Three, did the DS in fact use the plutonium as a target receiver? If so, how did they learn to construct a receiving device? DS abilities are known to include hyper-dimensional travel. We suggest this includes time travel. Energy released at the event might well have been brought from nuclear explosions in Earth's past or future. If so, then DS might well prove especially valuable when properly controlled. Little technical skill is needed to construct psychotronic transmitting and receiving sets. Only a persistent disinformation and suppression campaign keep this knowledge secret. We do not believe SH0, though a genius of his kind, capable of independently discovering this technology. We believe it far more likely that (a) this represents a heretofore unknown facet of DS hypergeometric ability, or (b) SH0 obtained necessary hardware from an unknown source. The two are not exclusive in our opinion. While interaction with Michael by SH0 and SH1 provides useful intelligence, we remind all that contact corrodes. Our final reccommendations are therefore (a) destroy Michael, (b) increased monitoring of fringe science groups (e.g., KeelyNet) for evidence of knowledge of hypergeometric priniciples. While the former can be done with in-house assets, we suggest friendly agencies be used for the latter. Be seeing you. FRANCES FLOYD FLETCHER References Dragon Magazine #204, pp.95-104. "Psychotronic Weapons," Gregory D. Detwiler. Bearden, T. E. "Excalibur Briefing." 332pp. 1980, 1988. (Once at my home town's library, but now gone strangely missing...) -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGPfreeware 6.5.2 for non-commercial use iQA/AwUBOQOVqYJ4fAzAb7AFEQL4egCgokR3i+1mL8CmfCsRG6MYHjP+rJoAn3e8 aNYYi7wX4wUThWpS+tdgiEsS =MHQC -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Steven Kaye [box_nine@ix.netcom.com] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 6:56 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Re: Useful Resources for Deep One Society and Technology At 10:29 PM +0100 4/23/00, Andy Robertson wrote: > > > 1) They'd planned to spread across the continent, bringing up an > > unnamed something that could help them. It's hinted that this has > > something to do with shoggoths. > >The alcoholic loony says (sorry, "sez" ) "didya ever hear tell of a >SHOGGOTH? I tell you I know what them things be . . . . . " It's a >pretty explicit "hint". Quote from memory, probably not 100% accurate, >blasphemy, I know. Nah - only rates a minor flensing. I was thinking of "They had planned to spread, and had brought up that which would help them, but now they must wait once more." You're referring to Zadok Allen's "They're a-bringin' things up auot o' whar they come from into the taown -- ben doin' it fer years, an' slackenin' up lately. Them haouses north o' the river betwixt Water an' Main Streets is full of 'em -- them devils an what they brung -- an' when they git ready....I say, when they git ready....ever hear tell of a shoggoth?" Depends on how you interpret "that which would help them" - would it help them spread by eating everything else, in true shoggoth fashion, or were they referring to something more sinister. > >Yes. Big eyes, I note - but actually it's BLUE light which penetrates into >the ocean furthest. So assuming that Deep Ones are adapted to a deep sea environment, they might only have rods, rather than rods and cones. Check out http://www.mbari.org/webcomments/_webcomments/000000b7.htm, specifically the discussion of the vision of inshore fish vs. ocean fish - also http://oceanlink.island.net/ask/fishy.html#anchor73223. It's also interesting the Deep One hybrids have eyes in a normal human configuration (at least, one assumes Olmstead would have mentioned them having eyes unusually widely-spaced). Can Deep Ones see in color? Do they have elements which help them pick up contrasts, or motion? Might go some ways towards learning to deal with them more effectively. > > > > 3) The Kanakas first encountered the Deep Ones when a subterranean > > city came to the surface. This indicates one hell of an adaptability > > to rapid pressure changes. > > > >Compare a sperm whale hunting squid. No problem, really. > So, like cetaceans, we might expect a more flexible rib cage, more cartilage. Which would a) explain the lack of Deep One skeletons and b) suggest that concussive attacks might be less effective. Steven ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Steven Kaye box_nine@ix.netcom.com Reason - rationality - is a concentration camp, where the sets of concepts for surviving in a chaotic universe form vast, though finite, rows of huts, separated into blocks by electric fences, which the searchlights of Attention rove over, picking out now one group of huts, now another. Thoughts, like prisoners - imprisoned for their own security and safety - scurry and march and labour in a flat two-dimensional zone, forbidden to leap fences, gunned down by laser beams of madness and unreason if they try to. Ian Watson, THE EMBEDDING From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Adam Marler [adam_marler@hotmail.com] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 7:51 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: DG: Semi-DG book recommendation: "Nebraska" By Ron Hansen Nebraska: By Ron Hansen. A collection of short stories, somewhat strange stuff. Very good. One story in particular, "The Boogeyman" is about some sort of of paramilitary operation in South America involving a Corporal that seems to be cursed by some Voodoo priestess. Also some possible King in Yellow connections with certain Captain that wears a panama hat and a yellow suit. That story stood out the most, but theres other stuff involving cattle mutilation, a strangely corrupted theme park, and a nasty blizzard. If anyone else has read this, thoughts would be most appreciated. -Adam ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Jason R. Armstrong [gerwalkveritech@juno.com] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 8:00 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Sentient Oil (Phantoms) Yeah, well, it may LOOK like Ubbo-Sathla, but it sounds like sumfin' else entirely. Incedentally, that's always been a problem with these fellers From Beyond; Ubbo-Sathla looks like Abhoth looks like Nyogtha, Mordiggian looks like Zulchequon looks like Cynoglthys looks like some fuck called Droom-Avista; it's like, get a signature body-part, or a different-looking avatar, or something. Wisdom of the eons, but no goddamned sense of salesmanship AT ALL. I mean, you'd think they were all each others' avatars, or from the same family or something... (sucks in breath between teeth) Forget I said that. I'd say it's a good starter, behavior-wise, for Nyogtha. Who may, as the replies to my bitch-and-complain of a couple months previous seemed to assert, be related to Ubbo-Sathla. And Mordiggian. Or wait, that was something different. Shit, hafta start saving my own posts. Oh well. Anyway, Nyogtha, not Ubbo-Sathla. Yeah, yeah. "The lines are drawn Establish the new order Suspect everyone Know your enemy We got- Foreign Policy" -FEAR xJAYx On Sun, 23 Apr 2000 07:25:52 EDT LizardRoi@aol.com writes: > Also, on cable earlier was the movie made of Dean Koontz's >'Phantoms'. Great >situation, indifferent execution. > An isolated town in the Rockies. Everyone disappears, some bodies are >left >in grotesque arrangements. Shit happens, eerie sounds come from >drains. > It turns out to be The Ancient Enemy, a lifeform responsible for the >mysterious disappearances of cities, including a Mayan city and the >colony at >Roanoke. > The Ancient Enemy turns out to be a humongous mass of petroleum-like >sludge >that lives in geological fissures and is effectively immortal. > It, ahem, might be as old as man on the planet. It looks like >Ubbo-Sathla. > The malignant mass of bearing grease, being ancient and crafty and >predatory, wants to be worshipped as a god. > Cool bits: > Digesting people then sending out probes that look and act like >them, >since the mass absorbed their memories. > A pile of jewelry and fillings and watches, sort of a hairball >chucked up >by the malevolent mass. > The big armoured bio-war lab HQ vehicle is numbered with a 5 ft. >23. > They fight it with engineered bacteria for eating oil spills. >.. > ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. From: owner-dgrpg@delta-green.com on behalf of Jason R. Armstrong [gerwalkveritech@juno.com] Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 8:00 PM To: dgrpg@delta-green.com Subject: Re: DG: Sentient Oil (Phantoms) Yeah, well, it may LOOK like Ubbo-Sathla, but it sounds like sumfin' else entirely. Incedentally, that's always been a problem with these fellers From Beyond; Ubbo-Sathla looks like Abhoth looks like Nyogtha, Mordiggian looks like Zulchequon looks like Cynoglthys looks like some fuck called Droom-Avista; it's like, get a signature body-part, or a different-looking avatar, or something. Wisdom of the eons, but no goddamned sense of salesmanship AT ALL. I mean, you'd think they were all each others' avatars, or from the same family or something... (sucks in breath between teeth) Forget I said that. I'd say it's a good starter, behavior-wise, for Nyogtha. Who may, as the replies to my bitch-and-complain of a couple months previous seemed to assert, be related to Ubbo-Sathla. And Mordiggian. Or wait, that was something different. Shit, hafta start saving my own posts. Oh well. Anyway, Nyogtha, not Ubbo-Sathla. Yeah, yeah. "The lines are drawn Establish the new order Suspect everyone Know your enemy We got- Foreign Policy" -FEAR xJAYx On Sun, 23 Apr 2000 07:25:52 EDT LizardRoi@aol.com writes: > Also, on cable earlier was the movie made of Dean Koontz's >'Phantoms'. Great >situation, indifferent execution. > An isolated town in the Rockies. Everyone disappears, some bodies are >left >in grotesque arrangements. Shit happens, eerie sounds come from >drains. > It turns out to be The Ancient Enemy, a lifeform responsible for the >mysterious disappearances of cities, including a Mayan city and the >colony at >Roanoke. > The Ancient Enemy turns out to be a humongous mass of petroleum-like >sludge >that lives in geological fissures and is effectively immortal. > It, ahem, might be as old as man on the planet. It looks like >Ubbo-Sathla. > The malignant mass of bearing grease, being ancient and crafty and >predatory, wants to be worshipped as a god. > Cool bits: > Digesting people then sending out probes that look and act like >them, >since the mass absorbed their memories. > A pile of jewelry and fillings and watches, sort of a hairball >chucked up >by the malevolent mass. > The big armoured bio-war lab HQ vehicle is numbered with a 5 ft. >23. > They fight it with engineered bacteria for eating oil spills. >.. > ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.