Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Zork in Distress

 [The Intergalactic Council, Expeditionary Division, received the following batch transmission of delayed reports from Agent Zork Zynt, assigned to the Earth unit "USA."  We are still looking into the cause of the delay, but engineers suspect a misalignment in the gravitational wave membranes that provide the message relay route.  At any rate, it was these reports that led the Council to consider recalling all Earth agents and quarantining the planet for a few thousand cycles to see if the civilization might survive and eventually be mature enough for contact.  As you will see, the messages from Agent Zynt suggest a progressive breakdown in his neural transmorgification due to extreme stress.]


Encrypted Transmission #020 Agent ZZ to IEC Local Date 1.2.21    

Uh...well, he got his wish. Mob stormed building where humans make rules for running society. Disrupted final step in electoral process. Get this, some of mob dragged a security officer down some steps and beat him with flagpoles holding the national flag to "Make America Great Again," following motto of leader. My pre-departure culture briefings must have been inadequate -- have anthro guys check their database for symbolic meanings of human beatings. Transmorgification breakdown may be getting worse. I don't seem to be able to focus clearly and my appendages are shaking occasionally for no good reason.  Even Krispy Kremes have lost appeal......

Encrypted Transmission #022 Agent ZZ to IEC Local Date 1.11.21

Pandemic out of control and getting worse.  We clearly overestimated human's ability to handle our experimental challenge.  Give them a failing mark for this test.  In my political unit many people claim their "right" to be "free" gives them a "right" to infect other people by not taking precautions, like wearing a mask  Does this make any sense?  Demaz gretchop fornzib zefart agzyp....there I go again! Human scientists here did very well in developing countermeasure vaccines, but can't get it distributed and administered because of lack of coordination, planning, and political agendas. In fact, large numbers believe inaccurate info claiming vaccines are harmful, maybe even a plot to exert mind control and refuse be vaccinated.  I don't think I can take much more of this. Besides, I'm beginning to hallucinate that Kryspy Kremes are growing eyeballs and tentacles -- more evidence of breakdown?

3 comments:

The other Sherman said...

Sounds like PTSD is setting in. Happy New Year!

Barbara Eshbaugh said...

yup-end is in sight....we are doomed....eat chocolate skip the crispy crap....go for dark chocolate and robust french wine...

Richard Sherman said...

Hey, thanks for the comments. PTSD might indeed account for it, except that "Post" implies it has stopped. Is there such a thing as OTSD ("Ongoing Traumatic Stress Disorder?" I may be experiencing that myself right now.....

Wow, good idea about the dark chocolate and good wine! If Zork had discovered that combo before Krispy Kremes he might have avoided his breakdown!

Anyone else have suggestions?