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[Kastanok]

[UPDATE] Quriky Acuity 31/05/05

[GuyP]

And not even a mention of yesterday's strangeness! Pah.

[Kastanok]

OK, this is pointing very strongly to two things:

1 - Recons stole the cube, or at least had a hand in it's theft.

2 - They're using old keys because they don't want to be suspecible to Djinn. Why? 'Cause they're the ones writing the virus. *Que dramatic music*

OK, it's far too obvious for me. Red herring, I'm thinking. Don't like it.

[cassandra]

Now I'm intrigued.

So:

a) the 'keys' the Recons use are literally ancient and constitute actual 'prehistoric technology.'

b) yet these keys can be used to contact the outside world, so ostensibly must include some sort of computer/wireless communications device?

c) what defines 'prehistoric?' Pre-Hausam era? Pre-written language/history? 3500 BC?

d) these keys then would seem to be a part of a different culture - perhaps one that constructed the newfound 'gate' ruins? or whose [spec] spaceship landed/crashed in Alchemy Bay (hence the odd things on Alchemy Beach)? or is this a post-apocalyptic society?

e) how did the reconstructionists obtain these keys?

[Violet]

[Leeravitz]

Interesting. I'd have to agree: in any formal definition of 'prehistory', we're talking about something that, literally, emerged in a time before there was writing (pre - istoria). Now, that sounds, in Perplex City terms, to be a *very* long time ago. And yet, by our standards, the technology would still be incredibly advanced - if Perplexians, or those who preceded them, were using wireless valve technology or whatever in (to our eyes) times BC!

Having said this, it could be that Violet is wrong - footing us: her use of 'literally' makes us assume that these artifacts are 'literally' prehistoric, but it might refer to their 'literally' being ancient, which is not quite the same thing. I guess that as the collection of tech is Kurt's pride and joy, not Violet's, she might be referring to it disparagingly as 'prehistoric technology' - as in, 'it's remarkable how old fashioned this tech is, and that Kurt's interested in collecting it...' But, then again, Violet is generally a precise writer...

I find it interesting that the technology is kept as a centrepiece. As others have commented, this might imply that it's venerated as an ancestral inheritance in some way. But there are other perfectly straightforward reasons as to the Recons. behaving around tech. in this way:

a) We know that they despise secular society, and all it represents: I don't think we have much proof that the Recons. are necessarily heavy techno users, full stop. On Earth, most primitivist type sects advocate strong distancing from the 'lures of the world', and that includes refusing to buy into modern technological usage. True, it doesn't necessarily stop you from stockpiling ammo, driving monster trucks, and chartering your own helicopters, but maybe having some form of key is a necessary evil, so the Recons keep their system as simple as they can.

b) Perhaps having a communal ethic inspires this particular usage of keys. We still don't know exactly what they are, but it's obvious that they are concurrently tuned to individualistic specification. Maybe older models, not being so advanced, are less a representation of personal exclusiveness?

Another interesting point: The Reconstructionist Movement does not appear to have been operating openly for very long - the Sentinel talks to its readers as if they need reminding as to who the Reconstructionists are. So, if they have been passing on technology down from ancient days to one another, then they haven't been doing it as an openly established religious institution - it must have been in secret...

Equally, if the tech. is literally prehistoric, then the Recon. creed seems unlikely to have predated the coming of the Cube - so, have they appropriated tech. they do not fully comprehend for their own purposes? Or had they been secretly plotting for the coming of the Cube for a long time?

[Leeravitz]

Oh, and we are assuming that Violet is *still* the one who's written this, right? And not that the 'real' Violet wrote the first entry, and then got strategically 'replaced'

[Only joking...I hope]

[brat-sampson]

I was actually beginning to wonder if someone could have 'replaced' her. The way the old blog entry disappeared and has now been replaced with something different is a little weird

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