,,ggddY""""Ybbgg,, ,agd""' `""bg, T H E N E O - C O M I N T E R N ,gdP" "Ybg, ,dP" ""` ,dP" _,,ddP"""Ybb,,_ .s*""*s .s*"*s. ,8" .+$ '""' `"Yb, .P' $ `.d' `b ,8' .+$$$$ssss+. sssss "'d' .sssP d' `b db. ,8' .+$$$$$$$$$$$$$$+. $$$$$ d' ,P' d' s*s $ d' `b d.+$$$$$$$$$$$$$$`*$$$$+.$$$$$$$$$ $ :$ d'.P .Pd' $ _ 8`*$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ o`*$$$$$$$$ T. `b. :$ TsP .Pd' $ .+P"*+. 8 `*$$$$$$$$$$$ OOb.`*$$$$$ T. `^**sT. .Pd' . $ .+P' :P 8 `*$$$$ YOOOObooi `b. $ T. .P'd' .P $P' .P' 8 `*$ "OQQQO" `TsggsP `TssP' d' .PT. . .P' Y, i. aP ,P d .P :$b+.d' .P' `8, "Ya aP" ,8' d; .P .d' .P' `8, "Yb,_ _,dP" ,8' `*TP .d' .P' `8a `""YbbgggddP""' a8' d; .P' `Yba adP' `*TP' "Yba adY" `"Yba, ,adP"' `"Y8ba, ,ad8P"' E L E C T R O N I C M A G A Z I N E ``""YYbaaadPP""'' .-. t h e l i t e r a r y m o l o t o v c o c k t a i l .-. / \ .-. .-. / \ / \ / \ .-. _ .-. / \ / \ `-------\-------/-----\-----/---\---/-\---/---\-----/-----\-------/-------' \ / \ / `-' `-' \ / \ / \ / `-' `-' \ / `-' I N S T A L L M E N T N U M B E R 2 8 6 `-' N O V E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 0 4 B M C , E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F FEATURED IN THIS INSTALLMENT: The Amazing Manley Challenge - Zinc Chameleon _/"-._/"-._/"-._/"-._/"-._/"-._/"-._/"\_.-"\_.-"\_.-"\_.-"\_.-"\_.-"\_.-"\_ EDITOR'S KNOWTE To conclude World ASCII Month 2004, I would like to bring your attention to a great story that I have admired for several years. "The Amazing Manley Challenge" is science fiction, but it does not feature aliens, rockets, or time travel. The story, set in our own world, seems an entirely likely scenario; during a college football game's half-time show, The Amazing Manley invites a contestant to a test of psychic abilities. As doubts are shed on the motives and credibility of host and participant, local newscasters are capturing everything live on film. Through the use of classic description and brief soundbytes, Zinc Chameleon manages to give this story the feeling of a small-town television spectacle. Like all spectacles, The Amazing Manley Challenge will draw your curiosity and spark your imagination -- so, come one, come all, and witness this story! _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ \"-._\"-._\"-._\"-._\"-._\"-._\"-._ _.-"/_.-"/_.-"/_.-"/_.-"/_.-"/_.-"/ " " " " " " " """"" " " " " " " " _/"-._/"-._/"-._/"-._/"-._/"-._/"-._/"\_.-"\_.-"\_.-"\_.-"\_.-"\_.-"\_.-"\_ The Amazing Manley Challenge By Zinc Chameleon _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ \"-._\"-._\"-._\"-._\"-._\"-._\"-._ _.-"/_.-"/_.-"/_.-"/_.-"/_.-"/_.-"/ " " " " " " " """"" " " " " " " " "Well, tell everyone why we're here, Norah" Chuck Jenkins, crewcut All- American newscaster said as he grinned into the monitor. "Chuck, we're here at half-time at Tampa Bay Collegiate High School stadium to prove once and for all whether psychic powers exist. And if they do, the psychic champion gets one million dollars in cash, right here!" Norah Thompson, a svelte redhead with too many perfect teeth, flipped her tresses back to expose her graceful neck to the camera. "Gee, Norah just how are we going to do that? Is this going to be some kind of dumb science exhibition? I can't believe anyone would do that at half-time." "Don't you worry, Chuck, and don't turn that dial, you viewers at home. Something's going to happen right here in our home town that's going to make history. Today!" Norah chirped, "And we've got two very interesting people for our viewers to meet, who will explain what's going on. "And no dumb science at all!" Chuck responded. "Here's Prof. Douglas Costain from St. Anthony's College in Schola Saskatchewan, Canada, and one of his students, Storm Harbour, who is the kid sister of Rain Harbour, the young woman who just might make history happen right here on our own football field!" A fortyish man, tall and gangly, wearing a white shirt with a prominent baby-blue tie, pushed under his adam's-apple, stepped forward to the camera. Just behind him was a blonde, athletic teenager, who bounced up and down on her tiptoes, trying to get a better view of the action on the field. The man smiled and said: "Well, I'm Professor Costain, and I guess I started all this. Actually, I'd rather have Storm explain it you..." "Until we get to the techie junk," the teenager piped up, "and then you can explain stuff." Norah moved over to Storm and put the microphone in her face. "So, Storm, we hear that you were actually one of the first subjects in the experiment." "Yeah, it was one of those in-class-get-extra-marks-deals," she said, directing her bright blue eyes to the camera. "We were supposed to see if we could sense these magic boxes that Professor Doug built." "And what happened?" Norah asked. "Oh nothing special," Storm replied. "But then I told Professor Doug about how weird Rain was, and how he should try this thingey on her instead." "And then what?" Chuck added. "Everything." Professor Costain said. "We went from the usual non- significant results to something that's going to change the world, I believe." Storm turned to look at him. "Okay, you can geek out on us now, but not for too long," she said. Professor Costain smiled. "I used the work of Dr. Curtsinger from Acadian University to create boxes that give out electromagnetic fields, not much stronger than a toy car or stereo would. It's just that the shape of the field is special. The average person wouldn't notice anything, but Dr. Curtsinger was convinced that someone might, although he never tried it. I built a few and tried them on my students, by putting the boxes in empty rooms and having my students run by those rooms, without going in." "And Rain found 'em all!" Storm chirped. "And nobody else can!" "I don't want to upset you," Chuck interposed, "but if you're doing something with technology, doesn't that make it not psychic?" "Good point," Professor Costain agreed. "But science isn't always about black-and-white answers. Remember nobody has tried this before, and even then the theory says that only certain people will be able to use it. I'm just creating a situation where a psychic explanation is as good as any other, and challenging Manley to prove me wrong." "Wow! What nerve!" Norah blurted. "Especially for a guy who wears a pocket protector and flood pants," Storm added, working on a wad of gum in her cheek. "But don't you want to know why we're here, Chuck? Norah?" "Well, uh, of course we know why, but maybe you should explain it to our viewers, " Chuck squirmed. "Okay." Storm stood on her tiptoes in front of the camera. "Well, you see we did the test at the College.." "In Saskatchewan, which if I remember, is a suburb of Toronto", Chuck offered. Storm stopped, considered his comment for a moment, then blew out a large bubble of pink gum and popped it before continuing. "Never mind that part. What counts is that Manley got upset when Rain passed the test, and got rude. One of his bodyguards told Rain to 'get serious, girly'. I was right beside him when he said it. I told him if he spoke to my sister like that again I was going to knock him on his butt." "That's not very politically correct." Chuck commented. "But aren't his bodyguards ex-Navy SEALS in their thirties?" Norah asked in astonishment. "So?" Storm shot back. "Uh, let me clear this up," Professor Costain injected. "Storm is a second-degree brown belt in karate. She lost her temper and apologized. Manley accepted her apology and cautioned his bodyguards on their use of language." "Well, Storm, I hope Rain is as interesting a person as you are," Norah chirped. "I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot about both of you." She turned to give her face fully to the camera. "For our viewers at home, it turns out that the Harbour girls are friends of our Tampa Bay Tempests, and they all like to chat away on the Internet together. So the Tempests will be helping the Challenge today by signaling hits or misses in Rain's performance." "So Prof, what's this test like? Just cut to the chase for us non- techies," Chuck asked. "Well, we use twelve players from the team as our senders. Three of them have magic eggs that are live, the other nine are duds. The players don't know which is which. Rain runs through the line, and at the end puts tags on a board that represents that players. That's a probability of less than one chance in seventy-five that it's luck; and that's enough for the Challenge. "Wow, that's heavy, " Chuck replied. "And you say she's done this before?" "Yes". "And nobody else ever got this far." "Absolutely nobody. That's why there's so many parties interested. Just let me say that those folks in charge of your national security are very interested in how all this turns out. Psychic or not." "I get it!" Norah beamed for the cameras. "Who cares if it's psychic or not, if you've got the tools and the talent on your team." "Exactly." Storm piped in. "Okay, everyone. It's time to meet our hometown hero the Amazing Manley, and his once-in-lifetime challenger, young Rain Harbour." Chuck pronounced. A short balding man in late middle age, dressed in a Brooks Brothers suit complete with matching handkerchief and tie stepped up to the cameras. He was perspiring heavily in the afternoon heat, and the color of the skin on his neck and cheeks was lobster red. He lost no time in taking over the conversation. "Hi, Chuck. Hi, Norah. I guess you've heard the opposing point of view quite thoroughly by now. But remember, we're talking a million dollars here. The fact that my organization has allowed the challengers to come this far says a lot about how open-minded we are. And, yes I know about 'grey areas' in science." Manley dug his fists into his ample waistline, looking quite pleased with himself. "So, you're really going to go through with it." Chuck asked. "Yes, of course. I'm a man of my word." Manley replied. "But we're going to have to make some last minute changes, ones I consider quite exciting." "What would those changes be?" said Professor Costain, his Adam's apple noticeably extended. "Well, Doug," Manley said in a fraternal tone, "you neglected some of the fine print on Curtsinger's design specs. He patented the magnetic pattern, not just the circuit board. So, helmet or egg, it's his design and his reputation on the line, too." "Whoa!" Norah gasped. "Does this mean the whole thing is off?" "Of course not, Norah," Manley reassured her. "Dr. Curtsinger was gracious enough to allow to the test to proceed, on the condition that instead of a single trial without replacement, we have three independent trials with replacement. The odds of young Rain successfully achieving that are fifteen in a thousand. If she does, nobody--including me--is going to say that something important isn't happening. I'll cheer her on myself. How much more reasonable can a man be about losing a million dollars I ask you?" Manley stepped back, crossed his arms and beamed at the camera. Chuck and Norah looked at each other nervously for a moment. Norah then threw her tresses to one side, and walked over to a tall young woman who appeared to be a corn-fed version of Nefertiri. "And here's Rain Harbour, the mystery girl herself. How do you fell about all this commotion today?" Norah asked. "Do you think these changes are fair?" She sidled up to Rain, who moved like a willow in the wind when Norah came near. "Well, I'm a little scared, but I know I can do it." Rain said in a quiet, musical voice. "You must appreciate how unbelievable it sounds to ordinary people," Norah said in a confidential tone. "I mean, it really is spooky." Rain smiled, showing her perfect teeth. "I'm just used to it by now, I guess. But do you want to know something really spooky? I can do this without the magic eggs, but I'd rather leave that for another time." Norah stepped back, speechless, but only for a moment. "We'll have to get into that another time. But right now, I just have to tell you how great you look in that Egyptian outfit. I'm told that you designed it yourself. Is that true?" "Yes." Rain's smile grew wider. She did a small twirl, and small bells chimed; jewelery attached to her wrists and ankles. She did not seem to have a care in the world, for someone in the center of attention. Chuck had wandered into the shot and was standing beside Norah. Both of them leaned forward a little, as if pulled in by Rain's grace. Manley began hopping from foot to foot, annoyed at being ignored. He put his face into the camera. Chuck responded by replying. "Okay, then. Let's do it. Do psychic powers exist? Viewers in the Tampa area will find out first, right after this word from our sponsors." As soon as the cameras were cut, the arguments started. Professor Costain was visibly agitated. "Manley, you can't do this! We've already signed an agreement about the experiment design!" "Read the fine print. The design can and must be changed if extenuating legal circumstances at the time of the experiment come to light which would merit such a decision." He paused for effect, while Professor Costain put his finger in the collar of his shirt and pulled. "A patent infringement would definitely qualify. Also, danger to the subject would qualify, but we haven't seen anything like that, so you're clear." Manley grew conciliatory. "Doug, I'm still offering the million dollars. Rain can still win here, but not at the cost of a multi-million dollar court settlement. A lot of people are suddenly interested in crazy old Curtsinger's stuff again. Or did you think I'd never heard of him?" Before Professor Costain could answer, Chuck came up and said. "Guys, one minute. The lineman are ready to go." Professor Costain was beside himself. He motioned for Rain and Storm to form a huddle. "Well, what do you want to do? If you back out now, I'm ruined, but what's more important is how it will affect you, Rain. Do you still want to do this?" Rain said. "I've got an idea. Storm, is the head cheerleader still on our side, or has she chickened out?" "She's ticked with Manley. He's not too popular with the kids around here." Storm answered. Rain looked at Professor Costain. "Professor Doug, you're going to have to trust me on this one. Here's what we are going to do." .-. .-. / \ .-. .-. / \ / \ / \ .-. _ .-. / \ / \ `-------\-------/-----\-----/---\---/-\---/---\-----/-----\-------/-------' \ / \ / `-' `-' \ / \ / \ / `-' `-' \ / `-' `-' The Neo-Comintern Magazine / Online Magazine is seeking submissions. Unpublished stories and articles of an unusual, experimental, or anti-capitalist nature are wanted. Contributors are encouraged to submit works incorporating any or all of the following: Musings, Delvings into Philosophy, Flights of Fancy, Freefall Selections, and Tales of General Mirth. The more creative and astray from the norm, the better. For examples of typical Neo-Comintern writing, see our website at . Submissions of 25-4000 words are wanted; the average article length is approximately 200-1000 words. Send submissions via email attachment to , or through ICQ to #29981964. 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