The Events of 12/26 - 1/1/2011 - Chapter 14 - "Leaps and Bounds"

December 27, 2010

Ria  - I had been wondering where I was, well, where we were. I had reluctantly used the SD-Device to look for clues and get the broader perspective so to speak. What I saw were some kaleidoscopic shapes and forms, casting weird shadows, reminding me of cubism. I had felt alone, so I started to say out loud what I was seeing: early cubism surfaces, cubes, spheres, cylinders and cones, multiple faces, monkeys and fleas. Ah, it all made sense now, for once. As I sat down I knew exactly where we were....


Acquiring an Analogue message from the past. Video by William Evertson and Ria Vanden Eynde

I took out my note book and wrote the answer on a piece of paper I tore out and then held in front of the GPS computer we all carried and had synchronized, hoping ... hoping ... someone would pick it up. I started singing 'flash in the skyyyyyyyyyyyy' and excerpts of Madame Butterfly like I always do when I get scared.

Susan  - “…Then the monkey said to the flea, Hey Fang…why don’t you become a vegetarian…it’s all the rage, and by the way I am not impressed with your circus performance. Remember when we worked together in 1908 in St. Petersburg! You and your clan, harnessed to those balls, what a joke, did you remember my trapeze act ….now that was quality…” as Mark’s voice trailed laughing off into oblivion.

1908, yes, I remember the creation of “Small Drawing Room”, the painting by Marc Chagall when I visited the School of the Society of Art Supporters, at St. Petersburg. I was so impressed at his talent and accent. He charmed me into modeling for him in his cold studio. I must admit that when I viewed the completed masterpiece I was slightly disappointed. You could not recognize anyone. I still wondered why I posed nude! I laughed as I recalled that episode and then I suddenly shifted my position to yell at Mark. “It is 1908! Mark, we are stuck in that year and need to move forward in space or we will run out of time”. As I blurted my conclusion, my words froze to ice. As the letters dripped and broke off, Mark seemed to melt and evaporate. In his place, I found myself surrounded by screaming green monkeys jumping up and down in a frenzy enclosing me tighter and tighter! 

Mark  - I had gone from a fleshy human talking and joking with Susan to a frothy goo, to a rubbery green form and finally I had turned into an icy sculpture. Now I was angular and stiff. I had just been flying from one reality to another and around me I couldn't tell the people from the environment. It was one crazy blur and all that I had to orient me was looking at my hands in front of my face. Now finally everything seems to have stopped but where am I? And what am I? I look like a glistening egg carton. 

Lee  - I found a quiet place to reflect and look through the back pack and other things I'd collected along the way.  I thought the serenity would calm my brain as I was becoming increasingly confused by the Island and goings on here.  Looking closely... at the strange things that had come from the briefcase, memories flooded my mind; memories of the past or the future ?  Of things experienced or only imagined was not clear.

 Surrounded by Clues and Memories of the Future and Dreams of the Past - Lee Goldberg

There are mysteries everywhere I look.
There is such enchantment to this place.
I feel I have been here many times and will continue to explore the stories the island holds for those who seek.
I realize it's not just about climbing the mountain; there is so much more to be discovered.  I really need to share this information with the others.
Now to find a portal to get me to them.  Or them to me.............

December 28, 2010

Ria  - I gathered my things and got up with a weary sigh. There was a tight crevasse opening up right next to me. 'This place should really be called 'Serenity Lost' rather than 'Mount Analogue' I thought and jumped in, feet first, SD Device on stand by.

 Crevasses on Mount Analogue - Ria Vanden Eynde

As I flashed through the sky I made a mental note: *erratum*: make that "Sanity Lost," and yelled at the top of my voice 'MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRK" Where Art Thou?

December 29, 2010

William  - A voice caused me to look up from my notebook. "AAAAARRRRRKKKK" was all I could make out and then something hit the snow drift sending up a cloud of rime that immediately froze to my beard. After hitching a rope between my waist and the Self Gathering Nut Tree I scrambled on all fours to the edge of the newly formed crevasse and peered over the edge. I could make out a figure about thirty meters down wedged in a most unfortunate position. I could make out the souls of boots wiggling furiously as the climber attempted to gain purchase in the upside-down position. Several choice exclamations in a foreign tongue caused a flock of Doublers to take flight, but otherwise my racing heart was the only other sound to punctuate the moment. 

 Doublers Nest - Mara Thompson

Thinking fast was not an option. Planning on a rest day, I had just finished a satisfying lunch of Campbell’s Don’t Think. Still, somehow I had the presence of mind to bury my ice ax to its’ hilt, rig a second rope and wiggle into my harness. Running the rope over my rucksack for stability, I began my abseil. Dangling from my rope I pitched a second loop of rope over the flailing red boot souls.

“Stomme mottebal, laat mijn voet los!” * "You bloody mothball; let go of my feet"   "Damnit"  *"Gatver"

Ah ha..I knew I had found Ria! 

Ria  - BWAAAHHHAhahahHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAH* AAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWEEESOOOOOOOOOME!

December 30, 2010 

William  -  Ok, what to do…what to do? Obviously she’s overjoyed otherwise she’d remember her English! Poor thing; I better get a rope on the other leg …..quick.

“Idioot, Ben je gek!” *(Idiot, are you crazy!)

Yep; man is she lucky, I thought as I ...made a slip knot loop and snared her other leg. By this time a scurry of the blues had joined me and their excited chatter was making it hard for me to hear Ria’s frightened exclamations.

“Als je echt tot hier wil komen, zeg dat dan he zeg!” * (If you want to come, just say so)
“Wie denk je dat ik ben? Je ezel?!” *(What do you take me for? Your donkey!)

I pulled and pulled but I couldn’t free her, in fact she seemed to be pulling me closer to the edge. 

Mara  - We were concerned about our food storáge. Unable to explain it otherwise I telepathically called the squirrels. They had been with us through Mulka, providing a never ending array of delicious local mountain foods and had left us over a week or so. In the night a harvest wagon full of more squirrel snacks arrived for us. We began the off load.

 

Harvest Wagon - Mara Thompson 

Lee  - It must be hours that I looked over the objects that were in the backpack.  Examining...speculating on each ones meaning....

I knew objects had lives, memories, stories to tell.  

"I've got to be missing something."  Talking to Otto/Toto was somehow comforting to me, though he only giggled and chattered monkey noise.  I really wanted to find a person to answer at least some of the many questions that were filling her mind like soft mud.
Milefo was helpful but seemed to think she knew more than she did.
So...time to move on again...maybe the huts will have an answer.  The others are certainly far ahead of her.
The small monkey on her shoulder whispered in her ear,  "Lets start with hut 7''.......!!!!!

Mark  - The sun went down over Mount Analogue and darkness crept over the mountain in the form of a soft edged shadow, starting at the top and working its way down to where the sea met the island. Up and down the sides of the mountain, in the caves and crevices, on the trails and and in the brush, light disappeared and the people and animals there got sleepy.

The climbers prepared their beds and turned in. In all the Huts and caves and on the trails, in the little encampments and under cantilevered rocks that jutted out across time and space, yawning climbers went to sleep. Squirrels and monkeys of different colors went to sleep, no matter if it was the 19th Century, 1908, 1943, 1947, 1960, 61 or 67, 2009, 2010 or 2011. Even the 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th Century campers climbed into their sleeping bags and turned over to dream and rest their weary bodies. A thin layer of skin closed over Sammy's peradam and all was calm across the land.

Lee  - The furry creature giggled at Lee's astonishment hearing her voice for the first time.

She continued in a soft whisper "I am neither Otto OR Toto...you may call me Maku"
The sun was setting but in front of them it seemed all the rays of the sun gathered in one area.  It glistened, glowed, swirled, and vibrated in wavelike patterns moving towards them and looked to be surrounding them with it's energy.
Maku gently said, "Lee do not ever be afraid of the light..as that is how we travel..it is what we are made from.  Please just embrace the feeling let the energy flow through you." 

Taking a deep breath Lee moved forward with Maku on her shoulder.....

 Portal to Hut 7 - Lee Goldberg

January 1, 2011

Susan  - These crazed monkeys were lunging higher and faster in unison pushing and springing into me like bobble heads. I felt some of their chilling green fur touch my face. “Ech…petuyee….get away” I shrieked at them as loudly as I could while trying to spit out strands of fur that was stuck to my frozen red lips! The cleats in my boots were starting to slip and I was sliding in slow motion backwards, fumbling down a slope of snow. My rubbery legs were wobbly and as I stumbled, snow cascaded around me as I toppled over, somersaulting and miraculously landing onto my now bruised and frosted hands and knees. The extreme jolting around me was starting to trigger cracks on the snow-packed ground next to me and before my eyes, to my relief, I became separated from those creatures only to realize, I was now balancing precariously on a cornice knowing, as I tried to breath, it might be moments before it would collapse under me.

Grinning, I thought of all my traveling companions one by one and then with an immense leap of faith, laughing, I flew off the edge for safety! If Mark can do it, I can too!

William  - The small ledge afforded only a tenuous footing and Ria seemed not only stuck but almost melting her way deeper. Pulling me in too. Above me the rope sawed away at the edge and the strain on my hastily sunk ice ax was sure to pull it free any second.

Suddenly Ria jackknifed herself around grabbed hold of the rope and climbed right past me.
I see her boots disappear over the top; She yells down at me;

“Blinde hond!! I have one clear thought and act on it and you tie my feet?

I feel a tug on my harness as Ria yells ‘On belay”, and then feel the rope tighten. I yell “Climbing” and follow Ria over the top to safety.
The slack of the rope still in her hand, she sits heavily against the SGN tree and lets out an exasperated sigh.

I start to walk over to her when suddenly a figure falls from the sky, tangles into my rope and plunges into the crevasse. I’m caught up and pulled back over the edge.

Damn, I’m upside down, staring at blue mukluks.

“Susan – is that you?”

But of course it is.