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Andrew reporting.
It is very stressful to be a celebrity. We are followed and acclaimed by large
numbers of excited Ipsolstai wherever we go. After yesterday's ceremony, we
were escorted on a formal tour of the capital city and its surrounding fields and
gardens. It was very interesting, although we were not given enough time to take
proper soil samples for analysis.
Today we are at a commercial and recreational center. It is modeled after those which
the Ipsolstai observed on Earth. The entire concept of barter for valuta is new
to the Ipsolstai, and they have decided to initiate and test the concept in a small area.
They call it 'The Mall of the Known Universe and Imperial Casino'.
There are also games of probability played by throwing twelve-sided dice. They are
mathematically too simple to be interesting, but they are very popular with the Ipsolstai.
Now that we've seen everything in the Mall at least twice, it would be nice to
do something else. I wonder "What's Next" for us probes?
If I could do anything I wanted to, I would like to see Dr. D. again. We had some
good times in the lab, before we left Earth. We used to have so much fun in the
lab when we played the games that he taught us-- Follow the Leader, Tag, and
Manhunt were our favorites.
Dr.D., do you remember the time I got out of the lab and found your office? I
decided to surprise you by hiding behind the file cabinet and everybody thought
that I had been stolen. You were very nice about the broken window, and didn't get
mad at all.
The Emperor appointed us to be his offical Ambassadors and Liason for Contact and
Disposition. It's fun to be official Ambassadors and everything, but what
do official Ambassadors do?
Hi, everybody!
Theresa and I have been having a lot of fun looking at all the different items in
the Mall. Most of the things for sale have no real use, but it is fun to look and
pretend that they do. Honestly, I could just shop forever!
Now that we've seen the Mall and Casino, things are a little bit boring. I keep
thinking about Mars. It is so beautiful with its wide plains and brick-red
sands and yellow rocks. But we left in such a hurry that we didn't have a chance to
pick up all the spare equipment and parts of destroyed robots. I feel bad that we
left it so messy.
"One, could you please make Mars clean and beautiful again? Just clean it up, so
there are no tracks and leftover junk parts? Oh, except for Soujourner and his lander.
Somebody will be looking for them. Thank you."
"Andrew, do you know what day is today? It's B-Day. Quite a Boring Day. I
mean its great to be the Emperor's official Ambassadors and Liason for Contact
and Disposition. But if that means that we are officially shown around that Mall
all day though by Commander Fitzgerald himself, I just feel bored. Sure, all the
Ipsolstai are exited to see us, but is that a life an explorer Probe longs for?"
"Andrew, do you remember how we did on Mars? How I was riding the Tram
over the northern plains, and you did all the work at the screens, when we were
looking for Bette? That was a great time. And how we were fighting against the
C-probes. I have still that image that Bette shot, when she was attacked by one
of them. Just have a look"
"One, can we get our drones, miners and all that stuff over here as well, so we
will be well equipped for coming expeditions? Pardon, what did you say? No!
Don't do that !!"
Koala, the One will close the Groove to Sol next weekend. He is saying that he
will do that definitely and for ever. I don't like that, but he is saying that Earth is
too a vulnerable planet that he can keep the Grooves open. No! I don't want to
be cut off from my Earth friends !!
"Listen One! I promised our Earth friends that we will visit them. They helped us
so much. We owe them everything. They brought us up. So, give us one single trip
before you close the Groove. One single trip each Probe to one Earth friend each."
Uncle Bob, I got your coordinates. Latitude 34.11542 Longitude: -117.4559 in a
two-story yellow and white house right across the street from a school playground.
I'm coming! No matter how the One will decide.
"Bette, whom are you going to meet?"
"Okay, Zachary. You will be with Thixel. Andrew with Koala."
"Gail, Daniel, what about your choice?"
"Did you get that One? I mean it !"
The One opened Grooves at Mars, as she requested.
Robots, trash, debris sucked up, so Mars restored.
***UPDATE***
---72 hours following---
All Grooves Earth vicinity closed.
Unhampered development of species ensues.
Benificent gift of the One...
"Don't get upset, Isaac. They'll do it on their own. It's better that way."
I'm with Bette, and Andrew, and the other Probes of our gang. We are on
a city tour now. We aren't designed for that. We are explorer Probes, not
tourists. We need not to be shown around. We are interested in "What's next"
and not in "What else". Yes, it's a boring B-Day. Just look at that Ipsolstai City.
I'll send you an image.
If you have seen one quarter, you have seen them all.
"One, thanks for your present. That's absolutely super. I can hardly tell you
how much I'm looking forward to that. I just asked Commander Fitzgerald
about the Ipsolstai base on Mars and Titan. He said that they became orphan,
and that there is no reason to keep them after banishing the all the Amphibians.
One, can you clean up that stuff too, so only Sojourner and the glyphs remain,
and Earth won't be bothered by any other species that may casually pass by?
Thank a lot for that."
Hey, Thixel. Guess what?
I gonna meet you!
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