The Space Education Center Opens Tomorrow for the School Year Season

Children forming a Que to get on a bus for Wonderland and the Space Center.
There is order now. That will change and chaos expected once the announcement is made that all available missions for opening day are reserved. Wonderland's shop keepers are boarding their windows in case of rioting. The Constables carry stink bombs and super soakers if the situation on the streets gets out of hand.
"This is Wonderland, not London," the Chief Constable said. "There will be peace."

Hello Troops,
Word is spreading that the Space Center is opening tomorrow for the 2011/12 school year season. The Wonderland Transport Authority made preparations for the opening, anticipating an increase in ridership. All standby trains and buses will be drafted into service. The Underground Service will open earlier with the first trains leaving the World of Here and Now for Wonderland at 3:00 A.M. The Imaginarium, Wonderland's largest industry, announced all vacations and requests for personal leave will be discouraged for a fortnight.

"We need all hands on deck," bellowed the Head of Personnel during a staff meeting held earlier today. "No vacations or personal leave allowed....." He paused for a moment to think through his next statement. He cleared his throat, looked at his assistant over labor affairs, and continued. "And I'll be very very sceptical of anyone calling in sick. With the Space Center back in full operation, the world's children will again be accessing their higher level brain functions. Imaginings will be exiting our portals at a phenomenal rate."

His assistant shook her head knowing her boss couldn't restrict employee sick days. She knew it was his way to sometimes speak before thinking. She also knew she would be busy putting out fires once the Imagineering Union caught wind of her Director's directives.

With few seats available on public transport, children and Imaginarium employees are finding creative ways to get to the Space Center.



Maureen Trudy Eddy found one of Wonderland's old entrances, not used since the end of the last world war. This entrance will take her from the World of Here and Now directly to the northern most end of There and Back Again Lane. There are many such entrances to Wonderland, all built during the war to help children escape the horrors of a world gone mad and find refuge in a happier place.



Jordan Spun set off for the Imaginarium by dog sled several weeks ago from the far north . The Siberian Poodles are bred to withstand Wonderland's cold and unfriendly Poles. Antoinette is the lead poodle. She keeps the other dogs in line with a bark and cold stare if necessary.




Fiona Maglebee McPhey is properly dressed for the opening but may be delayed due to a puncture on her bicycle. She is rather upset and wonders why her Mummy or Poppy are not present to address the problem.

"Mummy and Poppy are always right here when I need them," Fiona said between sobs when it became apparent she lacked the skill to repair the puncture without soiling her new dress with extra frills.




Peter Bowls Buffin is a stubborn child. He missed his train and was last seen hitchhiking along the W1, Wonderland's main highway joining the World of Here and Now to the Central Station. He has a seat on the Magellan's 7:45 A.M. Wednesday mission. It is an appointment he made himself without his parent's permission or knowledge.

We have an update on Peter Bowls Buffin. He was picked up a cousin who also happens to have a ticket on the same mission. They are currently fueling and resupplying at a truck stop. Peter called his mother and told her where he was and not to worry. Peter's mother agreed to let him continue. He will be grounded for two weeks when he returns. Peter says the punishment is deserved but he couldn't let his ticket go to someone else.

"No kid is that generous with a Space Center ticket," he told the waitress at the truck stop cafe where the pair were eating their supper.

"I never been," the waitress said.

"You've not been to the Space Center?" Peter was surprised. He thought every kid had a chance to go to the Center at least once before their imaginations petrified.

"Not Never," the waitress emphasised her statement by tapping Peter on his head with a spoon. She paused to see if Peter caught her meaning. Peter shrugged his shoulders and returned to his grilled cheese and soup. She frowned, wondering if Peter was rude or just born thick headed. "You could help a girl out by giving up your ticket. I'd be ever so grateful." The waitress smiled and tickled Peter on the chin.

"Do I look stupid to you? Push Off!" Peter voice startled the old couple in the booth beside theirs.

The waitress slapped the bill on the table, replaced her order tablet in her apron and walked in a huff. Peter returned to his supper. His cousin commented how lucky they were to already have their food.

Mr. Lawrence Liverpool, the Director of Legal Affairs for the Imagineer's Union, is on his way to the Imaginarium. The union president called him about the Director of Personnel's earlier comment regarding employees and the company's sick time policy. In his briefcase is a copy of the union's contract. The parts covering sick days are highlighted in yellow. Mr. Liverpool is not happy. He and his wife are expected at the Wilbur's home at 6:00P.M. for dinner and a few hands of bridge. This unwanted, unwarranted and unwelcomed disruption to his schedule will cause Wonderland's most punctual couple to be twelve minutes late to their dinner party . Mr. Liverpool is not happy and is considering using street language in his meeting with the Director.
Do you have your tickets to a Space Center Mission reserved?

I'll see all of you soon.

Mr. W.

The Troubadours Wll Soon Gather.

I stand atop the castle wall. Behind me peasants mix and mingle in commerce. Before me, the Lord's fields lay under a patchwork quilt of greens, yellows and browns, partitioned by tan ribbons of road, carrying carts and peasants to and from the castle. The gray stone is warm to my touch. The sun effortlessly climbs through the ocean blue towards it rendezvous with noon.

I strain my eyes to the horizon looking for our troubadours. I'm anxious for their arrival. In three day's time we perform again, a fact which weighs heavily on my mind, yet here I stand alone - except for the company of our good carpenters who labored a fortnight repairing our stages.

The summer season was kind to us. Our travels took us to welcoming towns and villages. Our performances filled every bench, leaving many to stand. The gold and silver kept our fires bright and bellies full while thunderous applause warmed our hearts.




Soon the Troubadours will return to join in company as we prepare for Autumn's coming performances. It is the calling of a Troubadour, to tell tales and sing songs of what has been, what is now and what shall be to those who will listen. It is a good life.

I'm of a mind to keep the stone walls company for a short while yet until the bells call all to Mass.

And now, More from the Imaginarium......



The Russian Czar Nicolas II, King George of England and Louis XVI of France all forgot something. The working class is overwhelmingly large and patience with the governing elite is nearing an end. Heads roll in such uneasy times.

In America our revolutions come through the ballot box and our wallets. It is time to get involved, regardless of party or ideology. So our advice to Washington is....






Look at what people can create with imagination, education and hard work.......



Mr Bean would be on my short list of fictional characters I'd like as a friend, providing he was real of course. Never a dull moment with the man who dropped from the sky on a dark London evening.

Young Brits in training for next year's London Olympics.
Idiots one and all.


Google.uk

OK, I'm done with the riots. Time to move on.

Here you go, a simpler scanner.

A Home for the Shadows. How the Story Ends.

Hello Troops,
I wrote the Voyager mission "Shadows" several years ago. It has been a favorite of many, especially those who enjoy a good scare. Today, an update on Shadows and an answer to the question; What happened next?

The Voyager crew successfully downloaded the extensive holographic program seconds before the Borg cube reached them. The Voyager's nacelles took two hits from the Borg before the captain and crew managed to coax their salvaged Transwarp core to life. Space ignited around the Starship as it disappeared into a quickly dissipating white cloud of supercharged particles. The Borg cube was not prepared and lost them in the hyperspace jump.

The Voyager reached Earth with several tons of Dilithium Ore. Earth was on a high state of alert. Mad Dog and the Orion Pirates were on the move. Earth was in their cross hairs. The latest reconnaissance suggested a full scale attack was likely in one, perhaps two weeks. Our sources on Alph Centarui reported the resupply of the pirate fleet was nearly complete.

The Voyager crew was extensively debriefed. Command agreed with the Voyager Captain's decision to download the entire holographic civilization found on the alien planet. The program was downloaded from the Voyager's computer to Starfleet Command's mainframe computer located deep underground in the Rocky Mountains of North America. Command's best programmers were assigned to examine the holographic code to find the reason the holograms were 'stopping' (freezing) and make repairs if possible.

Mad Dog attacked as expected. Because of the Voyager's successful mission to find and acquire 4 tons of Grade 4 dilithium, the United Earth Fleet successfully defended the planet over a six month period involving several space battles around Earth. Mad Dog escaped and peace was restored.

Three years later, Starfleet Command kept their word to the Voyager's captain and completed the repair of the holographic community's programming. A new home in New Zealand was found for the program to run without interference. A large antimatter generator powered by dilithium was built for the project.

On February 15, 2314 the community's program was reactivated with great fanfare. Dignitaries from across the Federation attended. At 11:59 A.M. the green valley lay empty except for patches of forest with thick waving grasses and several dozen holographic projectors mounted on towers rising hundreds of feet into the air - all evenly spread over the valley. At 12:00 Noon the program was launched and the holographic projectors initiated.

The valley transformed moments later. A holographic city appeared with tall gleaming buildings inhabited by hundreds of thousands of people / holograms. Each computer generated hologram was patterned after someone who lived thousands of years ago on a planet on the opposite side of the Milky Way. The hundreds watching from the grandstands applauded. This drew the attention of several holographic children playing around a tree in a field outside the city - closest to the humans. One of them stopped and curiously walked toward them. He stopped to pick a holographic flower growing in midst of the valley's grasses.

"Amazing," said one of the spectators. "It's so real. Did you notice how that flower blended in with the native grasses?"

"This was the most complex holographic program we've ever seen," replied one of the programmers who worked to restore the alien code. "Look at the boy's face. Look at the complex colors. Notice how his hair blows naturally in the wind. The programming was amazing,"

"How did you restore the code if it was that advanced?" The Voyager's Captain asked.

Several people gathered closer to the programmer to hear his answer. "We found a self diagnostic sub routine in the holographic code that helped debug the program. That's the only way we could have pulled this off."


The Voyager's Captain, the one who risked his ship and crew to download the program so those long dead could tell the story of who they were and how they lived, walked toward the advancing hologram. He stopped and waited for the boy to close the gap between them. The young hologram, the image of a boy who died in a devastating war fought several millennium ago, stopped two feet in front of him.


The boy smiled and presented the alien flower to the Captain in greeting. The captain reached out and the boy let go. The projection fell through the captain's hand to the ground. The boy laughed. He was programmed to understand the difference between solid and light. He held out his hand. The Captain hesitated. The boy waited patiently.

"He wants you to take his hand," the programmer prodded the Captain.

"But there's nothing to hold on to," the captain questioned.

"Your form captures the sunlight, doesn't it?" the boy asked. The captain thought for a moment and understood what the boy meant. He nodded and reached out to take hold of the artificial light. The image of the boy's hand tingled against his palm and fingers, and together they walked toward the gleaming city in the alien sun.

"Everyone, come watch us work and play," the boy said to the gathering. "We have much to show and tell you."