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The Atlantis That Could Have Been: A Lost Civilization in Southeast Asia, 25,125 BC- 13,875 BC? REFERENCE One of humanity's earliest technological civilizations emerges on the lowlands of the greater southeast asian peninsula, rapidly develops technologies rivaling that of the 21st century, then splinters in civil war. The more advanced faction decimates the other with nuclear weapons, then finds itself drowned by rising sea levels not long after, due to the end of the Ice Age. More than 14,000 years later there will remain negligible evidence that the civilization ever existed at all-- largely because their industrial base was biotech in nature, and through natural decay became indistinguishable from the biosphere of the Earth itself. Sponsor this page This page last updated on or about 1-24-07 a - j m o o n e y h a m . c o m - o r i g i n a l

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The medi-state of 22,425 BC

One power among the peninsula states enjoys a particularly unique status-- at least for many centuries; a city-state dedicated to the cure of sickness and healing of injuries, as well as physical conditioning in general. Most of the other peninsula states respect the medical specialty city-state, and will defend it against any of their peers who doesn't. They all also bring to the city-state any of their spoils from the mainland which seem relevant to healing or cures. All the injured or sick of any peninsula state (as well as anyone assisting them) is guaranteed free and safe passage across all lands to reach the medi-state (Severe penalties are exercised for anyone using this safe passage merely as subterfuge). The other powers contribute substantial wealth of other sorts as well to the medi-state.

In return for all this largess and protection, the medical city-state accepts all the sick and injured from all the other states as the need arises, and treats them with state-of-the-art measures.

The medi-state acts not only as a hospital, but a research and learning institution as well. New healers must always be trained to replace the old, and it often requires much study and experimentation to obtain the best possible benefits from new items brought from the mainland.

Over time the institution had begun experiments in hybrids, both plant and animal, searching for improved herbs, foods, and functionality in general.

For convenience sake, from here on out I will treat 22,425 BC as a sort of year Zero for subsequent events detailed below. Or Zero SEAPT (South East Asian Peninsula Time)

Southeast Asia 25,125 BC-13,875 BC Contents

Eventually the medi-state researchers happened upon an impressive new biotechnology which would defy rediscovery by later humanity for many thousands of years to come. It began in their plant and animal breeding efforts, with experimental chemical broths being fed to hybrids (or bathing them) to quicken changes in form or behavior. Unusual consequences in regards to a particular mixture excited the healers, and soon a large faction of the medi-state's population was playing with the brew, with many delightful findings.

The concoction was further refined and split into several variants which were found useful for different purposes. Other substances far removed from the first were also discovered serendipitously by all the work underway.

The list of new products and capacities was impressive, and brought about a huge jump in the city-state's technology base, in a mere matter of decades.

Some of the miracle materials/functionalities they now enjoyed as a result included:

1. Mixtures which vastly accelerated healing of some types of injuries and recovery from certain sicknesses, applicable both inside and outside the body (instant wound binders, anti-biotics, balms, and ointments).

2. New and potent pain-killing and pain-causing substances, for both medical and defensive purposes (some of the new substances would readily kill if applied to that purpose).

3. Successful treatments for certain mental aberrations seemed another boon of the new materials (a drug family of stimulants and depressants, among other items).

However, the breakthroughs that followed made the first seem of little importance.

Southeast Asia 25,125 BC-13,875 BC Contents

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Pigs are sufficiently close to human physiology in some ways that they are being groomed (circa 2000 AD) to grow human organs and other human tissues and materials. END NOTE.

But humans may not be as susceptible to pheromone signaling (if they can sense them) as less sentient animals. The pheromones would operate on a subconscious level; the conscious mind could then follow or ignore the signals as deemed wise.

This new enhancement of empathy allowed for more effective and complex training and medical care for both people and animals. The substance also became a popular sexual aid, as it seemed to allow partners to share and amplify their sexual desires in some way.

The new chemically aided empathy was an enormous hit throughout the entire medi-state, as well as among its patients, for whom it helped make diagnoses more accurate and treatments more effective.

Further experimentation proceeded at a furious pace. And the scholars made the biggest breakthrough of all: the substance's effects could be greatly intensified when all subjects were immersed in heavy vapor or even liquid forms of the material. When the mixture was suitably 'tuned' recipe-wise, it would go beyond the robust interaction with a person or animal's sense of smell, and actually be absorbed and effective upon contact with skin anywhere. The more skin exposed, the faster and stronger the interaction.

The medi-state scholars could not know the full gist of what they had stumbled onto, but it was essentially a way to transmit signals directly from the nervous system of one entity to another via chemical transfers. Two or more human subjects would find themselves seeming to become a single emotive entity when so connected-- and the effect usually calmed all involved while also increasing self-confidence and tolerance. Social inhibititions fell away in a manner resembling intoxication, but without detrimental effects on thinking. The relaxation response typically invoked in participants also improved clarity of thought. These properties of the experience made for better, more satisfying negotiations for participants, aided both teaching and learning, and left everyone refreshed and invigorated afterwards.

The scholars found regularly stirring the vapor or liquid, or warming it to levels precisely comfortable to participants helped accelerate and enhance results.

Southeast Asia 25,125 BC-13,875 BC Contents

Soon, many facilities around the medi-state began to resemble public baths, with virtually everyone beginning to utilize the new methods on a daily basis.

Southeast Asia 25,125 BC-13,875 BC Contents

In other words, the citizens found the bandwidth imparted by their 'special soup' baths was steadily increasing.

Of course, objective observers might simply say that with practice they were getting better at guessing one another's thoughts, and the more relaxed and tolerant atmosphere overall engendered by the special daily broth baths was fostering an ever more cooperative and compassionate community for everyone. These elements would also explain a rise in creativity too.

One new element now becoming apparent to the brightest minds among the medi-state populace was that the new widespread empathy tended to change the hierarchies of authority in the community-- albeit subtlely, and slowly, at first. It seemed that some citizens enjoyed enhanced persuasive powers over others in the new environment, compared to what existed before.

Southeast Asia 25,125 BC-13,875 BC Contents

(They were actually beginning to produce their own body's versions of the 'rosetta stone' molecule and exude it in their perspiration and breath, as well as be highly receptive to similar aromas from others; but this was beyond their scientific understanding. It would appear from a late 20th century perspective that the extensive plant and animal breeding experiments, mixed with heavy use of the 'rosetta stone' aromatic molecule for both human and non-human purposes, resulted in development of a beneficial virus capable of imbuing hosts with varying degrees of ability to generate 'rosetta stone' related molecules on their own)

The citizens continued their bathing out of pleasurable habit-- but still marveled at their declining reliance on the baths, compared to their younger years.

They also found that in standalone form the empathetic effect was strongest in close proximity to another, and in a still wind; the further removed from another or stronger the wind, the weaker the effect, until the last lingering traces had to be struggled for via active sniffing of the air.

As the years passed, the scholars collected sufficient additional information on the phenomenon to begin offering specialized instruction on how to develop the standalone empathy, amplify it, and most effectively exploit it.

Note that the enhanced empathy could also work unidirectional as well as bi-directional. That is, a 'rosetta stone' enhanced person could sense the emotions of other persons or animals which had not received the rosetta stone treatment-- but not vice versa. Thus, the rosetta stone treatments began to create what were in effect people and animals with a sixth or seventh sense-- albeit a new expansion of perceptions that was limited in range roughly equivalent to the standard human sense of smell.

Southeast Asia 25,125 BC-13,875 BC Contents

After some time new generations of progeny whose parents had been saturated with the 'rosetta stone' molecule, plus the availability of the new instructional classes for accentuating the empathic power, began to help produce 'adepts' of the art: people with considerably greater effective ranges, and wider and deeper sensitivities than average.

Of course, natural differences in capacities, and varying levels of exposure to the rosetta stone soup variants also played a part here.

The pushers. Gradually there developed an elite group of rosetta stone soup individuals. Some displayed the power to do more than transmit emotions; they could actually impress whatever emotions they wished onto most others who were in range. This new skill gave these particular adepts powers to compel some people and many animals to do their bidding, involuntarily.

The telepaths. Others of the new elite excelled at 'reading' others, via a skill somewhat beyond mere empathy and bordering on telepathy. Both with people and animals. But this talent seemed particularly limited in range and condition compared to others. A small sub-set of this group (we'll call them the foci) also seemed capable of 'stealing' concentration or thinking power from those around them, effectively boosting their own intelligence and perceptions to a higher level; but this skill required actual physical contact.

The high healers. Still others of the new elite became superb healers, far more capable than their predecessors and non-elite fellows. The elite healers could do many things with touch and words alone which required other healers to employ lengthy observations, various herbs, and dressings to match.

The memori. Another tiny faction of the elite gained the ability to determine various bits of historical information from both animate and inanimate objects. I.e., to know something about the person(s) who had lived in a particular place for a significant time, by simply entering the dwelling, or realizing the health of the latest wearer by holding near their empty clothing. They could also sometimes advise couples on whether they would be happily married or not, or discern the health and most recent kill of a predator animal by touching a track it left behind. The memori were most effective at reading signs left by people or animals who were also saturated with the rosetta stone mixture.

Southeast Asia 25,125 BC-13,875 BC Contents

The pushers rise to the top. The appearance of the adepts began to drastically alter the structure of the medi-state. The pushers began gravitating towards the top of the hierarchy, due to their growing powers of dominance and numbers of subjects. Soon all the significant pushers were in the top tier of medi-state society-- permanently. Of course, their push power had little to do with their fitness for command or leadership-- so one result was increasing problems both internally and externally for the city-state.

The high healers in many cases found themselves propelled to the top of the healing institute by others deferring to their superior powers. However, here too healing capacities did not necessarily mean great leadership qualities, so this trend tended to push the healing institute off-balance. However, as their own powers were well grounded in giving aid to others (a compassionate exercise), most of the high healers did not suffer from the same egotistical problems most pushers experienced with regards to their abilities. The high healers also enjoyed protection and respect from the pushers of a level not usually given others of the city-state. Why? Because the pushers knew they themselves might sometime require the services of a happy high healer.

This desire to keep the high healers happy tended to limit some of the worst excesses of the pushers in their positions of authority over the community, thereby helping the medi-state continue more or less intact for a while longer than might otherwise have occurred.

The memori found themselves tending to be drawn (often involuntarily) into being close assistants of individual pushers or high healers, due to their complementary skills to same. But the typical duties assigned them varied dramatically in theme. For instance, the pushers were always in search of threats to their power and influence, while the healers sought clues to helping heal particularly difficult cases in regards to patients. A few memori managed to avoid both these major courses and either pursue their own independent course or join with another like a foci.

The foci discovered their power to be perhaps the greatest and most unlimited of all-- as they found their thinking prowess increased somewhat according to the sheer number of people they could surround themselves with in close touching contact. In a large, dense crowd the thought processing power became almost terrifying in its clarity for the foci in the center. But there were several drawbacks. One, the intensity could not be sustained more than an hour or so, as it exhausted all those involved. Two, for best results a foci needed an outsider-- someone not in contact with the group-- to listen to the foci's verbal description of his conclusions for recounting to the foci and perhaps others later; otherwise the output of the session might not be recalled or understood in its entirety afterwards, even by the foci himself. And the crowd would have almost no memory at all of the session, being as drained of intellectual activity as they were by the event. Three, it could be difficult to persuade large numbers of people to join with you unless they were promised something in return-- after all a foci was not a pusher who could force such things. So a foci, in order to use his power to its fullest, usually had to become a provider of sorts for a following. Use the sessions most of the time to determine a way to increase harvests, or safely repair a delapidated building desirable for salvage, or raise a fishing boat sunken in the bay.

Due to the various constraints involved in use of their powers, many foci ended up becoming subservient to various pushers or high healers, though a small number did manage to go their own way instead.

Southeast Asia 25,125 BC-13,875 BC Contents

The pushers soon realize that the city-state's accelerated technological progress could be more conveniently performed in many cases by simply utilizing one or more foci on various goals or problems, rather than lengthy and costly experimentation or debate among themselves-- and so that's just what they do. Too, the city-state is obviously declining in vitality and capacity now, in the wake of the coup by the pushers. So it could no longer support the type of impressive conventional research efforts it did before. The pushers could well use the foci to learn how to become better leaders and better maintain the medi-state, but their priorities lie elsewhere.

The pushers know the foci in a large crowd session achieves a high awareness and intelligence, but a pusher can easily maintain control of the foci/crowd by simply maintaining physical contact with the foci at the center during the session, and never allowing the foci contact with a crowd without such contact from the pusher. These things are relatively easy things for the pusher to control inside the medi-state.

The pushers/foci also learn that they get better results if the crowd they use is especially knowledgeable and/or experienced in the particular subject for which they wish an answer. I.e., to find a treatment for a new ailment, they pack the crowd with healers and healer assistants.

It is in the manner described above that the medi-state basically obtains its own kind of 'networked thinking', or 'virtual computer', which allows them to multiply their brainpower for tackling difficult problems.

The new computing paradigm thrust the city-state onto the next plateau technology-wise, over succeeding years...even as it also led to a steady deterioration in relations with the other peninsula states, who began to notice the medi-state was more and more often defaulting on its obligations to them, or otherwise resisting living up to the old arrangements among the states regarding the medi-state and its special status. Of course, since the medi-state enters this period enjoying the utmost respect and reverence of all other peninsula states, not to mention being one of the economic 'superpowers' of the peninsula as well, the medi-state enjoys far more tolerance and postponement of retribution than any of its peers likely would in similar circumstances. The other states tend to think the problems are only temporary and will resolve themselves over time...

Southeast Asia 25,125 BC-13,875 BC Contents

Although all along the medi-state had done its best to keep its internal affairs to itself, and present to the other peninsula states only that which they wanted to see-- and the pushers attempted to harden that legacy into one of absolute secrecy once they came to power-- there was simply no way to keep the extraordinary events happening there from getting out eventually to everyone.

Therefore, over time it slowly became common knowledge among the lowlands of the peninsula that the medi-state was changing for the worse-- and that something strange and possibly dangerous was going on among its population. Though it required years, slowly the gaze and interest of all the peninsula states turned to focus on what was going on in the medi-state near their core. As the outsiders realized what was happening, and even saw first-hand some demonstrations of the new powers by way of volunteer medi-state expatriates or captured adepts, they grew alarmed and conspired to march on the medi-state itself in strength. Of course, this would require careful planning and lengthy preparation-- as well as crafty negotiations among themselves as to who would get what once the fabulously wealthy medi-state was carved up....

Southeast Asia 25,125 BC-13,875 BC Contents

The pushers are well aware of what is happening around them. Indeed, they have been preparing the medi-state as well they could for war for years now. For the pushers feel themselves to be the natural leaders of the peninsula, and after that, the barbarians of the mainland and super australia as well.

One major research project of the foci-crowds has been a synthetic replacement for themselves: self-contained mechanisms capable of sustained operation with far less requirements in terms of personnel and maintenance. The end result is a new application of the original 'rosetta stone' molecule biotech: a large glass vat containing the most sophistocated formulation yet of their prodigal organic soup.

These soup vats are essentially organic computers each equivalent in processing power to approximately 100,000 human brains, and in long term random access memory to perhaps several hundred human minds (in the standard vat size of some twelve feet in diameter). They may operate independently, or in concert with a foci and/or foci/crowd. Special purpose versions of the vats have also been developed. By the time that the other peninsula states are gathering their forces to march on the medi-state, over two dozen of the general purpose soup vats are up and working inside the city-state, with an even greater number of the more specialized variety being prepared. The vats do have the limitation of requiring at least one suitably trained human mind to 'herd' decision-making into desired directions; otherwise the vats tend to drift off into their own trains of thought, which are judged too alien and impractical to their human creators to be of any value.

All this new processing power, directed by the ambitions of the pushers to reveal new technologies readily applicable to war, has provided still more breakthroughs to the threatened city-state.

Unfortunately, the medi-state finds itself woefully undermanned to bring to fruition any more than a tiny fraction of the mechanisms and ideas spewing forth from the vats.

Therefore the top pusher leaders order the vats to solve the manpower problem.

The result is chilling. Over a matter of months the medi-state sends raiding parties out into the countryside, kidnapping young men and women. The victims are basically lobotimized, with the ruined parts of their brains replaced with vat liquids. The end product is an intelligent but obedient slave capable of human-like mobility and reasoning, but totally subservient to the vats.

After the recruitive surgery has healed, these people are largely indistinguishable from anyone else, except for a possible excessive seriousness and single-mindedness of purpose.

Though the other peninsula states are somewhat aware of the mass kidnapping and enslavements, those two elements are sufficiently near to traditional peninsula methods to raise no special alarm. They remain unaware of the lobotimization procedures.

This new army of top quality slaves (numbering in the thousands) is put to work implementing as many vat-derived innovations as possible.

Such as direct current electricity. Specially tuned soup vats (but substantially 'dumber' compared to their cousins) may act as enormous batteries. The power of these batteries has been found to amplify certain powers of the more general purpose ('smart') vats, if applied in particular ways. For instance, in combination with other new devices, to transmit crude signals long distances to other, similarly equipped stations, for a form of instant, wireless communications. Other arrangements and devices powered by the current are capable of producing an unearthly racket at adjustable volumes which seems to frighten both animals and men-- and even induce nausea and worse afflictions.

Another use for the current is convenient heat to vaporize yet another variation of the soup to produce a vapor which on contact induces hallucinations and fear in those not acclimated to the soup. Another sort can be used to incapacitate enemies: the non-acclimated fall unconscious upon contact, and about half never wake up again.

Yes, the medi-state is embarking aggressively into a path of bioweapons development, to use against its neighbors.

Though the medi-state is clearly in decline internally at this time, and its pusher leaders are mediocre in many matters to say the least, the city-state never-the-less manages to stockpile an impressive list of technological weapons before they are attacked. They also discover other techniques and devices for which they haven't yet figured out how to apply militarily....

Southeast Asia 25,125 BC-13,875 BC Contents

328 SEAPT (22097 BC): The greatest war in the history of the peninsula erupts

The medi-state is realizing (with help from their organic computers) that the significant numbers of OM slaves they have been deploying for years now are somehow serving to amplify the original individual powers imparted by the soup onto adepts. In the main, it appears capabilities like those of the pushers and telepaths/foci are becoming extended in their practical range, depending on the distribution of OM slaves and vats between the adept and the target. If both parties involved are adepts, the range increases still more.

Some among the medi-state's leaders realize the potential value of this phenomenon, and explicitly order some of their OM vats to devise ways to exploit and expand upon this new discovery immediately. One of the results is stepped-up production and distribution of OM slaves by the state. This increase in slave production strains the state's capacity to capture and convert outsiders-- leading to an increase in the conversion of state citizens themselves. The state had already been routinely converting their worst criminals. But now lesser degree criminals also become eligible. And even the typically well-cared for normal slave class of the peninsula now becomes fodder for the medi-state's lobotomization procedures-- at least the lower quality servants anyway. When masters see the improvement the process makes in their previously worse-than-average slaves, they begin to wonder if better normals might not make better OM slaves too. Thus, thousands of good to excellent servants are converted to OM slaves before it is realized the process does not much differentiate in results between poor slaves or excellent ones, in terms of output. Masters often regret their actions afterwards, but cannot reverse them.

Eventually even free citizens themselves of the medi-state, innocent of any state crime, will also be rounded up and transformed into OM slaves. Of course, this pertains mostly to the poorer and less skilled citizens-- although political infighting also knocks a considerable number of middle-class citizens into the OM ranks as well.

The other peninsula states find themselves pulled into war before they are quite ready, due to alarming developments and moves on the part of the now almost unrecognizable medi-state.

The medi-state itself is inexorably expanding its borders, encroaching on the other states with terrifying tactics which seem unstoppable by traditional strategies and weapons.

Though the other states have by now recognized they must unite to defend themselves, and they have gained some useful allies and knowledge in the form of medi-state rebels who are repulsed by what their home has become, it appears all this may be too little, too late.

Even the medi-state refugees themselves voice fear and ignorance of many elements of the new medi-state today, as it has been some years since they left, and thus they were not privy to the pseudo technological singularity occuring inside the city-state, nor the effects and implications of its wake.

Even the limited powers of their few medi-state native friends generate fear among the peninsula allies, and cause problems of distrust among them. New terms emerge in the language to label the strange beings. Terms with meanings very close to words 20th century citizens will recognize as "magician", "sorceror", "witch", and "warlock".

Merilyn is the proper name of one such medi-state refugee in the service of the allies.

Merilyn had been one of the top Foci in the medi-state for a short time. Merilyn was an unusual Foci in that he also possessed a touch of Pusher power, which greatly complemented his Foci abilities. He lacked sufficient Pusher power to maintain himself as undisputed leader over a large group for any long period of time-- but together with the 'miracles' he could generate sometimes via his Foci energies, he could push himself into something like second or third in command easily enough, maintaining that position pretty much indefinitely (so long as the primary commander was a sufficiently competent leader).

Merilyn also possessed a better than average Foci ability to recall and understand what transpired during his active Foci assemblies-- making him more self-sufficient than most Foci.

Merilyn was one of the most powerful medi-state refugees among the peninsula allies. He knew his home city-state had progressed far beyond what most outsiders realized. He also knew it was descending into a hellish orgy of ego and power, and had to be stopped. Humanity might take something useful from this episode if the medi-state could be stopped soon. But if not, something terrible would surely transpire. For the leaders of the medi-state had transformed into monsters, according to everything Merilyn could learn about his old home through its prodigious shroud of secrecy.

Merilyn knew he could escape the carnage to come, and (with his powers) rule as a king (or close to it) anywhere else on Earth, probably for the rest of his life. But he also was certain the Earth would not last much past his own lifespan, if his people were not stopped soon. How could he enjoy his future life, knowing the world would end with his own span? There could be no children in such a future. Not without a terrible end for them in full sight.

No, Merilyn would make his stand here and now, with the other peninsula natives. He would not flee like a few others of his kind had, into the wilds of the continents of the northwest or south.

Merilyn instinctively knew his people were not ready for the knowledge they had uncovered. Maybe another people elsewhere in the world might be; maybe even his own people could better cope, in some far future age. But not now, and not here.

Unfortunately, Merilyn could not get the allied leaders to seriously consider his best suggestions. Other medi-state rebels were experiencing similar troubles. The allies simply could not comprehend the full extent of what they were up against-- and so were unwilling to field realistic recommendations for warring against it.

This meant Merilyn and several of his medi-state companions, along with some small numbers of disaffected allied troops, would have to press their own separate offensive against their homeland.

This less than comprehensive cooperation between themselves and the main allied group greatly lessened the chances for victory, but it could not be helped: the differences between the past and the future rushing upon them were too great for the allied commanders to believe.

Before the medi-state assault reached the first main defense line of the allies, it was preceded by a mass wave of terrified refugees. Civilians and soldiers alike told unbelievable tales of encounters with living scum flowing like a living carpet over the land, devouring all before it; invisible hands choking the life from the mightiest warriors; and commanders surrounded by their own troops suddenly falling dead for no apparent reason. These accounts did not sit well with the armies of the allies, spreading like wildfire through the ranks, and thereby breeding fear and uncertainty.

When the medi-state forces finally appeared on the horizon they made no attempt at subterfuge or complex approaches; it was a full frontal assault. Though from the allies' perspective it was no human attack.

As the refugees had foretold, a living carpet of greenish-brown scum flowed both up and down hills at an incredible pace, ignoring anything not a part of the allied forces.

Where the scum flowed onto allied army forces, soldiers and animals alike were stripped of all flesh in seconds. Others in the area were suddenly strangled by the invisible hands spoken of before. Witnesses to the slaughter immediately turned and fled with all the speed they could muster, leaving behind them all their weapons and supplies.

Men with strange masks made of neither wood, stone, or cloth, and wearing long hooded robes with fine shiny threads woven into the fabric followed the man-eating scum. They carried very long spears and large shields, also of some new material-- and lightning crackled over their forms, lashing out at any allied warriors which ventured too near. To touch, or be touched by the hooded men, was to die. But as most capable allied troops had already fled the scene, the hooded men mostly put dying men in the field out of their misery.

Behind the hooded men, immense shadows flowed over the land. They were spawned by many astonishing round and smooth moons with curious apparatus hanging beneath them, capable of traveling against the wind, wherever they willed. Traveling in daylight yet! To see a sky with Sun and moons together was incredible.

From the many moons fell knots of thunder and lightning, which killed everyone too near the blasts.

In the shadows of the moons straight and narrow beams from a false sun often shown. Any warrior they touched was instantly killed....

...Mostly the moons mopped up isolated strongholds of allied troops which had for one reason or another been missed by the scum and the hooded men, and perhaps been unable to escape with those already in flight. Some such strongholds obviously survived the scum simply by virtue of not being its path. Others survived for more subtle reasons. One had possessed a forward facing moat, which the scum moved around and past. It seemed the scum gave sufficiently wide berth to the moat to miss the small fort behind it entirely. Merilyn noted these small things about the battle. Of course, the strongholds fell immediately to the forces following the scum carpet.

But there too were hints of weaknesses and flaws. The hooded men were slow and clumsy in their long cloaks, and unskilled with their spears. Weak too, it appeared. If not for their deadly lightning unarmed children could possibly bring them down. For they seemed to toil under considerable weight and bulk.

As for the many moons....they flew low enough that had any good and strong archers remained alive below them arrows may have had some effect on the floating monstrosities-- perhaps hampering the men hanging below them dropping the knots of thunder and lightning on those below. What would happen if the scum could somehow be directed into the hooded men? Or vice versa? Could the lightning of a hooded man reach the moons? Would it damage them? Merilyn pondered. One of Merilyn's band also noticed that the false sunbeams from the moons sometimes were stopped short by the smoke boiling from loosed thunder and lightning knots dropped on those below. Would other types of smoke work as well? Or fog?

As the afternoon waned towards evening, the enemy force stopped their forward movement, and their scum slowly spread into a pattern creating a circular shape around the enemy encampment. The scum did not move at all during the night, based on its early morning appearance the next day. During the night several efforts by the rebels to test the scum finally succeeded in getting a dog to inadvertantly run into the muck. The poor animal was not instantly killed by the scum. Instead, the next morning it could be seen lying not far from the scum circle limply convulsing and whimpering from pain and fear, with its forefeet and nose eaten away to bone.

It seemed the scum was more passive and limited during the night than the day. If some material could be found to protect from its corrosive nature, soldiers could possibly cross it safely in the dark.

The moons never touched the ground after nightfall. Instead, rope ladders would be dropped and the men riding the moons would climb down. Likewise the moons were resupplied via lowered rope slings and nets. It might thus be possible for the allies to steal one or more of the moons for themselves at a fortuitous moment. But would the moons refuse to serve the allies in such an event?

The hooded men appeared to be normal in all but their dress, as the rebels watched them disrobe in camp, from afar. Before the first disrobed, a second hooded figure would detach a heavy pack from him, hidden under his robe during the day. Once the heavy pack was removed, the robes seemed to lose their lightning.

These new bits of information weren't much, but they were a start. Merilyn would have loved to abduct a few men from the camp familiar with the robes, the moons, and the scum and use his Foci talents to rob them of their better knowledge of the wonders. But at this time there was no chance for that. Merilyn and his band left the vicinity early in the morning before the enemy had fully gathered itself for a renewed push. And before the scum carpet had regained its abhorrent vigor.

The enemy forces took their time mounting their latest assault. This allowed Merilyn and his men a couple hours of sleep before the battle.

To Be Continued...

Southeast Asia 25,125 BC-13,875 BC Contents

FORWARD TO An outline of the ultimate destiny of a prehistoric civilization based on the southeast asia peninsula...

Miscellaneous links under consideration for this document include:

"...a dramatic increase in human longevity that took place during the early Upper Paleolithic Period, around 30,000 B.C."

-- Old is young, study finds Longevity evolved late for humans ["http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-07/uom-oiy070104.php"]; eurekalert.org; 5-Jul-2004; Contact: Diane Swanbrow swanbrow@umich.edu 734-647-9069 University of Michigan

"...the human diet was much broader during these Stone Age times than previously thought."

-- Farming origins gain 10,000 years Humans made their first tentative steps towards farming 23,000 years ago, much earlier than previously thought ["http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3826731.stm"]; 23 June, 2004; news.bbc.co.uk

-- Old People May Hold Key to Human Success -Study ["http://abcnews.go.com/wire/SciTech/reuters20040706_37.html"]; abcnews.go.com

-- Elderly crucial to evolutionary success of humans ["http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996113"] by Will Knight; newscientist.com; July 2004

-- Mysterious Pipes Left by 'ET' Reported from Qinghai ["http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200206/25/eng20020625_98530.shtml"]
-- Ancient undersea walls discovered off Penghu coast ["http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2002/11/26/184887"]
-- New submarine discoveries spark interest in submerged cities ["http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2002/12/01/185543"]
-- Fossil hints at India's mythical river ["http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2534775.stm"]

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