Estiva 4, 230 AC

There he was, Mereth Kahn the architect and nouergist, posing for publicity in the ruins of earthquake-stricken Eridu. He came there on his own, attaching himself to the Surakosan relief team, and performed heroically, using his powers to free people who were trapped in debris. But he also has great ambitions for Eridu. The ruined city, which was built with hardly any earthquake resistance, will need to be rebuilt. He intends to be chosen to do as much rebuilding as he can, making his mark as the premier architect of a new Eridu risen from the old ruins.

The last time a Nouergist was an architect, it was the famous Apsou-ari, who became the ruler of Eridu from 140 to 175 AC. The three green crystal buildings at Independence Plaza here in Surakosai are designed by Apsou-Ari. She is probably the greatest female nouergist that has yet appeared on New Earth, and she was Enlil's teacher. Mereth was Enlil's student, in a direct nouergic lineage from Apsou. Unlike Apsou, who knew she wanted to rule Eridu since her youth, Mereth has said he has no political ambitions. He just wants to design and build. He sees Eridu as the perfect place to start over, this time using not only effective modern earthquake resistance but nouergic elements.

He also envisions an Eridu that would supply some of its own power through the use of solar roofs, bio-recycling, and illuminating gas, rather than the oil which is so abundant but so dangerous, or the nuclear power which failed so badly during the earthquake. Everyone who visits Eridu, or wants to move back there and rebuild, knows that a broken nuclear power plant sits on the outskirts of the city, held together only by a nouergic working. Should that fail and release its load of radioactive debris, nothing will help Eridu, not even an ambitious nouergist.

Posted at 2:08 am | link

Tabestan 17, 230 AC

It's been a while since I reported, so let me get you up to date. Eridu is still destroyed. Our nouergic heroes with their magic powers have not been able to restore it with a gesture and a glow of light. Ariadne and her crew came home and in the three months since it happened, they've been back a few times to do some special tasks. Her work at Eridu has earned Ariadne Master status. Usually when there is a newly recognized Master at an Institute, he or she gets re-assigned somewhere where they need a Master, But she's decided to stay, at least for now. She doesn't want to uproot her family and move.

I am working as Director Tanheu's informational assistant. I relay information to him both nouetically and in electronic and print form. I'm good at information. It kind of springs into my mind spontaneously, even if I haven't asked for it. It's possible that this is a nouergic thing which is specific to me, so it may be useful. Since I'm no good at sports or soldiering or construction or programming, maybe this is something I can earn my keep with. Back when I was in school, off in the little seacoast town I come from, I was always getting taunted by the Keilian guys, who didn't have to go to school and thought that any guy who learned to read and write was effeminate. Back then I would have liked to throw lightning bolts at them, but I can't do that even now. Maybe Tanheu will teach me that trick some day.

For the sake of journalistic accuracy I have to point out that whatever I write here is approved by the Director. He doesn't want any independent gossipy news published without his permission. Evidently a couple of years ago, the director of publications, a lady named Anthimia, wrote a year's worth of updates about her life and work at the Institute, and circulated them among her friends. She doesn't work here any more. The current director of publications is Novania, and so everything I write has to be submitted to her first.

Tanheu seems to have all his powers back, three months after he lost his juice fixing up the Eridu North nuclear power plant. The trouble is, it's not really fixed. It's only capped with some heavy-duty retained effects, which will wear off someday. The only people who know what's really going on there are the Algon engineers from EnergiAlgon, and Tanheu has been spending a lot of time trying to connect with them. Finally just this month, they agreed to send a team of guys to here, along with their house nouergist, to work out how they're going to disassemble the nuke plant. Meanwhile, the power is still off in most of Eridu.

Posted at 3:40 am | link

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