The Central Mountains Republic, part 17 by Joe Rathbone LIFE IN THAT CENTRAL MOUNTAINS REPUBLIC Py Nae Kot had further meetings with Doctor Lynn Peree. In answer to the time portal's dependability question, Doctor Lynn explained, "When the time portal began to be explored in earnest 150 years ago, it was still there. It has been passable since, although indications are it is getting rougher and rougher to pass through. Data recorded on your EX-2000 was uploaded to my computer at the University. The data indicates the EX-2000 took a beating close to its maximum performance specs. That means if it becomes much rougher, the EX-2000 will no longer be able to make the trip. However, we have rugged, permanent-wing aircraft that could withstand the buffeting with a lot more specification head-room. The computer interpolated a graph of future degradations in time- portal passage. It shows, if the trend continues, the most rugged aircraft will not be able to pass through after about 9 years. President Red Dove is considering bringing your people through, if you and them desire. They can be assimilated into our society just like the original of the Beta Race did 3500 years ago." An interesting thought, pondered Py Nae Kot. The "original Beta Race" were none other than the Native North Americans of 3500 years ago. Py Nae Kot asked Dr. Lynn Peree about the stars shifting, the changed Big Dipper and so on. As Doctor Lynn brought up star maps on her computer terminal, she said, "Yes, you are right to observe that!" A general zodiac of stars showing them as they would look in June appeared on the computer. Doctor Lynn zoomed in on the area of the northern sky. Pointing to the grossly misshaped dipper, she continued, "And indeed, we do not call that group of stars 'Big Dipper'. We call it the 'X-Y' pointer, because it roughly resembles an 'x' on top of a 'y', with the tail of the 'y' pointing roughly towards the North Star. And by the way, I think that perhaps what we call the North Star may not be the North Star that you know. Not only due to star movements relative to the Earth, but also due to the 26000 year cycle of the 'Precession' effect, that is to say, the 'wobbling' of the Earth's axis like the wobbling of a top, has caused considerable changes in what star is directly or nearest directly over the North Pole of the axis of Earth's rotation." To back that up, Doctor Lynn showed an animated computer graphic showing the movement of stars in their skies for the past 5000 years of observation, and the computer's interpolation of the stars 69 million years ago. Sure enough, after going back 69 million, 700 thousand years of star movement, the computer displayed a sky that was very similar indeed to what Py Nae Kot was familiar with! EXODUS OF NATIVE AMERICANS BEGINS: In the next several weeks, Py Nae Kot was to go through more meetings and be taught more about the present state of affairs. More discussions about the transfer of Native Americans to their era's Central Mountains Republic took place. A rugged permanent-wing jet, about the size of a Lear jet, was readied for such missions. It too had extensive computer control to assist with the passage through the time portal, and for finding it when returning. And somebody else would pilot the jet. Py Nae Kot was being more and more drawn into Central Mountains Republic government and so did not have time. Already, she was being used as an advisor. White Dove warned, "Modern-day Native Americans, who have picked up the White Man's DIS-belief in anything super-natural, such as the Goddess of Mercy, might not be too easy to convince that a jet is waiting to take them to 'a future time where Native Americans rule'. 'Yeah, right...' they might say." But she and her Husband volunteered to be the informers for their people. President Red Dove saw to it she was supplied with materials including videos that would help in the job of convincing dis-believers. PY NAE KOT ALREADY BEGINS GIVING ADVISE: "TANTALUS" SATELITES ARE IMPLEMENTED... One particular matter that Py Nae Kot advised on, concerned the rest of the world now suddenly "waking up", technologically speaking, and poluting the atmosphere. Many countries, including the one on their own continent and to the far west, called Amerika (not a mis-spelling) were using fossil fuels. The Central Mountains Republic has no fossil fuels, for it is geographically "too young". The entire eastern half of the Central Mountains Republic used to be Atlantic Ocean. The Central Capital would have been off shore about 20 miles just 50 million years ago. The western half of the Central Mountains Republic used to be (what Py Nae Kot knew to be) the eastern half of the former United States. It was disquieting wondering what became of the former population of that eastern half of the United States... but no time to think. They were already busying Py Nae Kot with present-day Central Mountains Republic problems. The use of fossil fuels was beginning to pollute the air of the world. Even over the Central Mountains Republic, sensitive instruments could detect the presence of pollutants. Yet, the practices of the Central Mountains Republic are environmentally excellent. The use of solar energy, the use of pedal-cars and tight controls on industrial pollution are just a few of the obvious. But yet they have to suffer the consequence of those "irresponsible primitives"! Talk was of placing powerful Satellites into synchronous orbit that could destroy fossil fuels. The Central Mountains Republic apparently possessed the capability of destroying fossil fuels with a so called tantalus field that the satellites could emit on command. It reduces fossil fuels into useless, grimy mush. It would not effect fossil fuels still underground since the Earth acts as a shield against the tantalus field. But it would destroy any fossil fuel or derivative already on the ground. Py Nae Kot advised, "Such an act would throw those people violently back into the stone age causing wide spread deaths! Yet, we MUST protect the Earth's environment. Go ahead and place some satellites, but before implementing them, try to launch a project of teaching and spreading your solar energy technology to the emerging countries." Her advise was taken up seriously. Communications with Amerika and with emerging countries in the Central East began with offers of instruction and assistance with solar energy. Instructors and instructional materials began to be readied. But ominously, tantalus satellites were also already being prepared for launch... So Py Nae Kot was becoming more and more the Central Mountains Republic government official. She often wore that type of long, split skirt similar to President Red Dove, other female government officials and the Beta Race female students at the University. With Py Nae Kot's Parents also away, Sunn was more or less left alone. Although he and Py Nae Kot would always be together at their apartment nights and weekends, he DID have a lot of time alone. Py Nae Kot advised him to "get around, just make friends, take day trips by pedal-car into the country... in other words, just... explore! Familiarize yourself with the land, the people. Take notes! And here, take these... one is a digital video camera. The other is a digital still picture camera capable of 10,000 by 8000 pixels resolution. Record what you see and hear then show and tell me about it!" If we continued to stay with Py Nae Kot, we'd be staring at government meeting rooms all day. Since you might find that boring, let us tag along with Sunn now, and see what he gets into since he apparently has been given the task of... exploring! In this way, through Sunn's eyes, we will penetrate this strange but delightful land of 69 million years in the future, this solar energized land, this land of the human powered vehicle, and most of all, this land of THE AMAZON! Hang on, there are sure to be surprises!... * * * * * * * *