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news muse zine - compiled for alt. world scenario fans by INFOmaniac
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Venus plus ex...
by Steven Hampton Sulpherville space station Incredible new discoveries by the 3rd Venusian Expedition, seem to suggest that there was once life on the planet's surface... "Oh, but certainly not an indigenous life form," points out Dr Ziggy Moonbeam, the survey team's prominent xeno-biologist. "No, we have ruled out, long ago, the possibility of life evolving on this hellish world," he maintains. This reporter has seen 1st hand, just some of the fabulous and fascinating items of extra-terrestrial artifice - things that would apparently indicate the 'Others', as they have been called, were a star-faring race of explorers with a highly advanced culture and, if the bizarre evidence can be believed, a people who may have had brief contact with early man... on Earth.
"As yet," declares Dr Moonbeam, "we can only speculate as to the origins and true nature of these strange beings." The curiously pliable 'fossils' found buried in volcanic ash down on the dark world's surface, have most scientists baffled. An atmospheric dome, dubbed Havenus by the expedition's backers, has with enormous difficulty due to surface conditions, been erected over the find's location, and VR-guided robots continue the dig. But, Dr Moonbeam, a man never short of an explanation for any mystery, puts forward an unusual hypothesis. "I firmly believe these beings were, in fact, shape-shifters of some sort. Their unique alchemy-styled 'science' and apparent voodoo-technology, both suggested by the artefacts we have uncovered so far, would make them fully capable of what we once called supernatural feats." The alien objects referred to, some of which I have been privileged to examine for myself, consist of such oddities as -
According to Doc Moonbeam's expert examination of the strange devices and examples of "the Others' litter and casual doodles," which the surveyors have picked from the foothills of a very active Venusian volcano, "at considerable risk to themselves," remarks Moonbeam, revealing a rare willingness to share credit for what are usually referred to as "my discoveries," there should be no doubt that the Others once visited Earth, in the distant past, "perhaps as a staging point for their exploration of the inner Solar system..." "Obviously, it is extremely difficult to be scientifically objective, when confronted with a discovery - of such magnitude - that I have made," the ever-modest Doctor Moonbeam says, then continues haughtily, "but the members of our expedition, my colleagues, have tremendous faith in my superior judgement of these matters, and, if I may say so, any differing interpretation of the data assembled, thus far, which might conflict with my own valuations, will, in the fullness of time, prove easily discountable." By this time, your reporter was eagerly eyeing the emergency airlock's posted instructions, and calculating the esteemed Doctor's weight... Could I drag his body through the inner hatch, before Sulpherville security realised I intended to throw him out into space? Was this the worst FAX 21 assignment I have ever had... or what? |
Oddvert
and U.N. Joe
picture credits...
Kerry Earl
and Steven Hampton |
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