ALIEN CITY ON MARS? TiTil W i^ -A Im;

SCENES Lji U *' Ul

EDITOR IN CHIEF & DESIGN DIRECTOR: BOB GUCCIONE

PRESIDENT a C.O.O.: KATHY KEETON VP/EDITOR' KEITH FERRELL EXECUTIVE VP/GBAPHICS DIRECTOR- FRANK DEVINO MANAGING EDITOR: CAROLINE DARK ART DIRECTOR: CATHRYN MEZZO

First Word Continuum By Dana Rohrabacher 42 Fighting for Opening the X-Files U.S. patent rights By David Bischoff S Mulder and Scully know

Communications something is m out there—and so do their Funds many fans. A behind- By Linda Marsa the-scenes lool< at this fas- Cashing in on collectibles cinating and m increasingly popular Electronic Universe new show. By Grsgg Keizer ArchiTreIc Medicine Designing Generations By Anita Bartholomew By Herman Zimmerman m and Philip Thomas Edgerly .Sounds Boldly going where By Steve Nadis few. production designers Sounds of the silent have gone before: 22 designing the Star Trek Eanii By Melanie Menagh Choices Fiction: S.4 Dying Virtual Realities [Vlichael IVlarshall Smith By Tom Dworetzl

. By Steve Nadis Interview: 32 Richard hioa gland Mind By Steve Nadis By Steve Nadis A close-up lool< at the Hallucinations, man behind delusions, the face on Mars and schizophrenia SS 33 Tsuneo Sanda's cover painting, On Patrol, made possible by Antimatter

the PI" I p Edge ly Age cy n a'^sar qt on witi ZD^sgn Copyrght Pa amount PcturesCorporaticn Games

(Additional art rred t"^ page 110) By bi, iff Morris

SR1''6ril7'iBn FIRST UUORD

INVENTING AMERICA: Patent laws and the protection of individual rights

By Dana Rohrabacher

merica's greatest asset side. According to Rufus Yerxa, technology An American patent

is not found in its vast Deputy U.S. Trade Representa- has an assured life of 17 years. It P^^ natural resources, or tive, the Ciinton administration can be challenged, but only after even in its great universities. The specifically advocates changing it has been issued and become

mainspring of our progress is our the term of patent protection enforceable. As a result, Ameri- people's creative genius, entre- from 17 years after grant to 20 cans have had the incentive to preneuhal spirit, and their willing- years after filing an application. forge ahead and to develop the ness to invent, innovate, and In Europe and Japan, the many revolutionary inventions change, America has led the cbck starts immediately at filing, that have made America a tech- world in revolutionary tiventon"^ and the patent application is nology leader. The hope that a such as the airplane publ shed shortly af- revolutionary patent will recoup a Rep. Dana transistor, and micro terward, encourag- large return to the inventor pro- Robrabaciier, processor which n ng competitors to vides our nation with a ready (R-GA) turn have created copy and to oppose source of capital for research is fighting Id jobs and brought patents. Patent ap- and development of totally new pnitei;! U.S. tremendous increases pi cations on major products and technologies. A patent laws and in our gross domes nnovations in Japan, strong patent policy thus accom- regulations. tic product and up for instance, are often plishes more good than all the lifted our standard of vigorously challenged government-sponsored jobs, living, This in large by large companies technology transfer programs, part Is due to Amer wh oh can afford a and other industrial policy ca's recognition and battery of attorneys to schemes could ever hope to do. protection of Intel lee pore over documents The American system works, and

tual properly Irokng for any weak- we are better for it. A recent proposal npsses. The onus is Today as in yesteryear, Amer- puts that protection in jeopardy. on the creator to defend his in- ica cannot take prosperity and In the name of harmonization, vention. Under the American progress for granted. We should foreign governments are pres- system, the invention is kept con- absolutely not degrade our peo- suring our government to funda- fidential until the patent is is- ple's patent rights in the name of mentally change the patent rules sued, and after that the burden harmonization with other lands. that have served us so well. Sen- of proof is on the challengers to The protection of our inventors ate Bill 1854 contains some of prove their case. afforded by our intellectual prop- the worst aspects of Japanese Similarly when a Japanese in- erty laws has enabled the genius

and European patent laws. It ventor files a patent application of the American inventor to de-

would, in essence, gut the legal on a major invention, it is not un- velop bold new ideas and tech- protection of our most innovative common to witness a flood of nology that have provided our citizens, disenfranchising them small-improvement patent appli- workers with jobs, kept our coun- from the benefits of their own cations, making minor changes try competitive, and maintained creativity, a ripoff of American in this breakthrough technology our high standard of living. rights that should be opposed. Through this whittling-away America has always been and American patents are valid for process, the financial rewards should continue to be a sanctu- 17 years after issue. They are enjoyed by the original patent ary for individual rights. In the kept confidential during the ap- holder are substantially reduced. tradition of our greatest inventors, plication process and cannot be The deflated incentives for the beginning with Benjamin Franklin contested until after issuance. Japanese to invent and patent and Thomas Jefferson, rigorous Conversely, European and revolutionary new products has patent laws have helped to en- Japanese patents have a life of ensured that Japan has an in- sure the thriving successes of 20 years after filing, are not con- dustrial system oriented to mere American innovation by protect- fidential throughout the applica- incremental developments. ing the rights of the individual in- tion process, and can be chal- By contrast, the American ventor. As we move into the lenged throughout that process. system Is conscientious about technological age, we must look One of the more frightening ele- protecting our innovators by pro- to strengthen, not weaken, the

ments of this debate is that the hibiting the patenting of obvious protection rights of our most val- White House is on the wrong variations in newly developed uable resource, DO — connruiuruic/TTiofus

READERS' WRITES:

Weaving dreams, finding a cosmic connection, and if an

E.T. burps in space, would we hear it?

Kudos for the Dream Weaver UFO researchers photographic evi-

The articie "Lucid Dreaming Revisited" dence that cnce and for all either proves [September 1994] cauglit my attention, or disproves Hoagland's theories. I'm very fascinated with dreams, and K. A. IVlcllwain believe tliey mean something. After Molalla. OR F J Cb C I reading this article, realized that I have

had lucid dreams before. I never l

there was such research in this area. I about the face on Mars in the same now have a belter understanding of issue as the UFO cover-up. The two lucid dreams and how you can use seem to be quite related in my mind. them, Stephen LaBerge, the brain be- Consider this possibility: The Mars Ob- hind this theory, is undoubtedly bril- server was never lost; the media story

liant. I hope to read more about was created to cover up a secret mis- LaBerge's lucid dreaming progress in sion to photograph these very struc- future issues of Omni. tures on Mars. Our government feels David Andrews that releasing the news of a civilization Hunlock Creek, PA on Mars would undermine our notions of history, evolution, and creationism. Silent Citizens of the Universe Omni has shown that in the past our The "Great Silence" referred to in Con- government has created false news re- tinuum's "Anybody Home?" [Septem- ports to cover up evidence of extra- ber 1994] has several explanations; terrestrial intelligence. The Mars OtD- Advanced civilizations evolve from server's supposed failure is merely an- predatory species, hence self-preser- other example. One can only hope that

vation suggests deliberate conceal- the Russians ?^ill have the decency to ment; the most thermodynamically share the truth with the world when efficient form of electromagnetic com- they launch their own probe. Our gov- munication is "spread spectrum," ernment has repeatedly lied to us with which is indistinguishable from noise to regard to this issue. Don't look to NASA those not part of the conversation; and, to solve the mystery the most energetically efficient form of Steve LaPeikis electromagnetic communication Uses San Francisco, CA the narrowest beamwidth possible suggesting optical rather than mi- Can't Get Enough UFOs crowave frequencies, with little likeli- Please continue ycur series on UFOs

hood that we'd intercept the beam. [April through September 1994]. I find Francis J. [Vlerceret, Ph.D. the topic quite interesting and enjoy- Merritt Island, FL able. The articles seem to be balanced

and well-researched. I have not been A Cosmic Mars Conspiracy? following the UFO phenomenon for a Thanks for the article about the face on number of years, except when an arti-

Mars. A few years ago I heard Richard cle appears in your magazine. These Hoagland speak on this ccmpeiiing last few issues have been a real treat, subject. His conclusions appeared to David Kruse

be derived from an objective, if not San Antonio, TX painstakingly scientific approach into AOLiAceDeucyDO the matter. They left me with the im-

pression that It is quite possible that the Got something to say but no time to curious Cydonian mesa bears physical write? Call (900) 285-5483. Your com- that intelligent witness life has visited ments will be recorded and may appear our solar system. The geometric rela- in an upcoming issue of Omni. The rost

tionship he presented between the for the call Is 95 cents per minute. You Mars pyramid system and the pyramid must be age 18 or older. Touch-tone complexes on Earth was a real eye- phones only. Sponsored by Pure Enter-

ocener. I am going to be thoroughly up- tainment, 505 South Beverly Drive, if f»JASA ^et and the government fail to Suite 977, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. S ve the American taxpayers as well as — "

KIDS' JUNK: The new wave in collectibles

By Linda Marsa

Boomers were the And it's not just Baby homegrown as whether it's better to store a toy generation that refused boomers who yearn to recapture in the shrink-wrap cellophane— to grow up. Now that their lost youth. The Europeans which does eventually shrink—or

they're marctiing lockstep into and the Japanese, who've also to remove it. After all, the original middle age, they're still trying to been snapping up restored 1950s cellophane on a Gl Joe doll adds stave off the inevitable by buying T-Birds and Coupe de Villes, are $1 ,000 to its value. And their dis- their back childhood, fueling a muscling into this collectibles cerning eyes can detect if one of

specuiative frenzy in coiieotibies market. "After World War II, the the character glasses given of popular culture icons dating entire world's culture was influ- away by fast-food chains, an- back to the 1950s and 1960s, enced by three things: American other booming collectible cate- A 1952 Topps Number 311 music, movies, and TV," says gory, has been washed even Mickey Mantle basebali card in Harry L. Rinkei; editor of Warman's once—detergents tarnish the near-mint condition can seil for Americana & Collectibles. "Our glasses' sheen. an eye-popping $34,000. But childhood is their childhood, too." Prices are far more mundane baseball cards, which have So how can you cash in on for items in less than factory-

turned into a mini stock market for this global nostalgia craze? The fresh condition. It's doubtful that kids, aren't the oniy items soar- answer, say experts, is very rummaging through the attic will ing in value. Pez dispensers fea- carefully. Making money on kids' unearth valuable treasures. Ditto turing thai iovabie moose, Buil- stuff isn't child's play Future val- for roaming around swap meets, winkle, which originaily sold, for ues are far from certain, though which are more likely to stock pennies, may now be worth as the collectibles that have the worthless knock-offs than the much as — $150, A Honey West best chance of appreciating are real thing. As Tom Tumbusch, of doil "TV's Private Eyeful" circa tied in to movie or television Tomart Publications, a publisher

1965—can seii for $300, while a characters or well-known person- specializing in contemporary col- It useii to be jusi 1967 Supergirl figure in immacu- alities, like Ronald McDonald or lectibles, explains, the counter- junlt. Bui late condition may command Captain Kirk. Prices can fluctu- feiters in this business are good. time, it seems, $2,000, A Hogan's Heroes lunch ate wildly as a particular item's "A novice isn't going to spot them. trans- can paii and thermos carries a $250 popularity waxes and wanes, Clearly, this is no place for lorm even dime- price tag, while an autographed and there are some less-than- amateurs looking to make a quick stare ioys 8-by-1 0-inch glossy of the cast of scrupulous dealers who prey on killing. "You really should know Inio Sreasure. Gilligan's /s/anc/ fetches $150. unsuspecting neophytes. what you are getting into first," Since these toys were mass advises Harry Rinker. "Get some produced, scarcity is not usually trade publications, go to a few a factor but condition is. Only shows, and watch prices before the best preserved pieces com- you whip out your wallet." And mand top dollar; and the rules there's plenty of information here can be quite arcane. For around to help you avoid getting example, over 250 million units of ripped off. Good places to start Luke Skywalker in a Storm Trooper are Tomart's series of price guides

outfit were sold. But Luke still in- and Warman's Americana & Col- tact in the bubble package— in lectibles, (Wallace-Homestead. mint condition—can cost $75. $15.95). Plus, Maloney's Antiques And if the figure is in mint condi- and CollecHbles Resource Direc- tion in a mint package—MMP in tory {VJaWace-homestead, $22.95) collector lingo—it can fetch $175. can steer you toward reputable However, a mint package is fresh dealers, appraisers, clubs, experts, off the factory assembly line—no auction houses, and periodicals traces of adhesive marks from in every collecting category price stickers, with cardboard in- Better hurry, though. Collec- serts still in the hanger holes tors are already lining up to buy and is harder to come by, thus the characters from the next Star more valuable. Wars trilogy—the first installment In fact, collectors can debate of which is not slated for release for hours about such subtleties until 1997,Da C8 cr^TDrirysf™"

SPACE PROGRAMS: Simulations put you at the controls of past and future spaceships

By Gregg Keizer

Armstrong meil may have a decent glimpse out the puny Physics applies in Space Sim- taken one hell of a step window. Just like the real thing. ulator's universe, and most of

25 years ago, but to Fortunately the Mercury was a your time inside it will be spent many Americans, his footprint is simple beast— its first manned relearning Newton. Gravity af- riothing more than a footnote. For flight was in 1961 —and Is some- fects your flight path'—you can anyone under 30, the space race thing mere mortals can actually even use a gravity well like Is ancient history something out master You'll have to pay atten- Jupiter's to create a slingshot ef- of a book, or at best, remem- tion, though, especially at the fect if you're really good—and bered from grainy TV clips of higher levels, where the crude planets and moons are always guys with buzz cuts and remari<- computer can go on the fritz, where they're supposed to be. ably white-bread demographics. and you've got to scramble to Space Simulator doesn't have operate manually the legs of Microsoft's own Ftiglit

A pre-flight procedure and Simulator, but it's both accessible launch checklist guide you to beginners and deep enough through the various instrument for an Omnikmd of crowd.

panels. You can fly in chimp An old sim that's still worth ex- mode—with the computer on—or ploring, especially now that it's

for a real test, turn it off and do moved to CD-ROM, is Interplay's almost everything yourself. It's Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space even more interesting, though, Enhanced CD-ROM, a re-cre- Is ml of when you play the two highest ation on the PC of the Cold War a crei> ol new levels, where random system fail- race to put a man on the moon. progtams ures appear You play the head of either Vaul let voti relive A-OK!, which plays only on the American or Soviet space ef- itie excite- the Macintosh, isn't in stores. fort, developing boosters and ment at the early You'll have to call tiny Innovative capsules, recruiting and training 6m of Technologies {800-9SPACE4) astronauts, and scheduling siiscs GxufaratiDn. and hand over $120 in plastic to launch dates. The key is to return to those days of yester- spend your budget wisely and to

year. But it's worth every penny. plan for the long term. Neither When you're ready to move are easy chores, since disasters on—and out—take a crack at a occur regularly, and you'll often Sim that shows more of an imagi- be rushed by the competition nary future than "the realistic into firing off premature missions. past, Microsoft Space Simulator Points are awarded for prestige barely bothers with the historical, firsts— first into space, first to concentrating instead on letting orbit, first to the moon. /ou play space tourist on the PC. Though this CD-ROM retains 3raphically stunning, Space the floppy disk version's game-

Simulator hands you the keys to play and interface, it adds hun- a few real-world ships, such as dreds of NASA video segments it's impossible to really recap- the lunar excursion module and and live-action news reports to ture those days —you had to be the shuttle, and to a small fleet of spice up the experience. And if

there, I guess—though some in- fantasy craft. Among the latter you tire of the computer's relent- triguing simulation software are space stations, Mars-bound less progress and can't find a makes an effort. ships, and even a gravity-pro- worthy opponent nearby, you Start your tour simple and pelled alien vessel. can play over a modem or by near the beginning, A-OK! The Your playground is a sphere sending moves via E-mail. Wings of Mercury squeezes you of space eight light-years across, Round up all three of these into a Mercury capsule and blasts but the best scenery is right here Sims, and you have a wide-rang- you into suborbital and orbital at home, in our solar system. ing collection of virtual space missions, This is a simulator, When you orbit Earth or Jupiter software that will give you the fla-

space pilots, with lots of switches or descend to the lunar surface, vor if not the feeling, of really and dials to play with and barely the views are spectacular. being there.DQ J^BJL J^Hk. j(Kb^ f^ <^ 1!^Jl^BtL. f*l ?^JIBhl, f^jiBk' f^JBmk> f^pj^JUk AA jyfe. JyL jyfe. AjL .Ait itft AiL •rSf* "IBP' *lRr» 'T^P *1SP» *1R^ •IS^ •WP |A^. |A^^ |A^ |A^ |J|^ 1^^ 1^1^ .llH^ vi^ ti^ 1^ ^^ ?s^ is^ ^^

jfl^ MBk iflbk' id^ iSBk jIBikt mbk mBl !•¥ f"l^. If' f^ 1*1 f^ •f^- f^

4^ «^ *^ «^ ^» «A» «*». saa. Prepare to have your space invaded.

You thought you killed 'em aLL, You grew up, bought a lawn mower and forgot all about HiPHlBliHit?^^^ Now they're back. But you're a little older, aren't you? Slower. Are your reflexes up to it? Kill 'em on ^BHSB^H Kill

'em in color on k4II.IJJrf=L,IJ=M'iJI just like in the arcade. Or kick back with you

iced cappuccino and let 'ei take over the world. Don't feel or anything.

!^|y(NHYteodOpg|gy ^l^gyjj \o the depths of outer space, nobody takes you there like The Discovery Channel. And now we'll take one lucky winner there for real in The Enter The Discovery Channel CD-ROM Explore Your World Sweepstakes and Explore Your eWorld Sweepstakes. Raall You Can Win Your Choice of These Grand Adventures... For Stop by ^s^Tparticipating CD-ROM "^K^ AEROSPACE retail store and pick up your mail-in ADVENTURE IN entry form today! Hurry-sweepstakes FLORIDA -KY WARRIORS ""^^^l ends January 15, 1 XPERIENCE IN Bevond Planet Earth shows you the the winner, you'll explore your world IXANTA venly trip to riTTTir!CTT?niifTri for real!

n in Atlanta will put you in the SflT-34 for an air-to-oir dogfight. GRAND PRIZE Trip for Two to one of the adventures described, plus $1000

spending money. (Up to SI 4,000 value.) 1ST PRIZE Multimedia computer with CD-ROM

drive. (52,000 value.) SHARK DIVE WHALE WATCHING (200) 2ND PRIZES IN SAN DIEGO IN AUSTRALIA. The Discovery Channel T-shirts and In The Company of Whales is an ocdaimed journey. ballcops. {520 value.) lidafl most acclaimed journeys of your lifetime.

MM i ^*^l ^sPpPJ

SAFARI \H AFRIC Pr&essoT his lolees kids on o pim mmwt^^^ CD-RO/V| ll ... oneDicime

BIOFEEDBACK IS BACK:

And this time it's really far out

By Anita Bartholomew

the 1960s it was hailed as a that triggers seizures along the "There seems to be some modest Inshortcut to higher conscious- brain's motor pathways, He says impact on survival," says Jacob- ness. Yogis in India were said that with biofeedback, patients can sen. "The breast cancer study to spend lifetimes mastering actually alter their brain's circuitry showed that biofeedback had conscious control over the invol- Sterman's success rate is im- some effect on immune parame- untary processes of their bodies. pressive: 60 percent seizure re- ters that are linked to cancer pro- In the United States, bioteed- duction in more than 60 percent gression. But we're a long way back was a hip translation of the of his patients. "These are pa- from demonstrating that such inter- ancient art. Now anyone could tients who came to us after being ventions change the course of

do it, and it wouldn't take a lifetime completely tested on every drug cancer More research on this inter-

to learn. But the flower children known and were not responsive," esting topic is needed," he warns. grew up and lost interest in the he emohasizes. "So this is data While motion sickness may search for better from the worst seem Jess traumatic than stroke, BioieedJiach can ways to higher cases." Today, epilepsy or cancer, it is one of the liB used tu consciousness. he's using ad- major biomedical problems as- alter eiioloBical Essentially, vanced computer sociated with space travel, af- functions biofeedback is a technology to re- flicting even experienced pilots. sucti as biDDd way to train the fine and improve Conventional antinausea med- How. These body to alter bio- these methods. ications don't work in space. In- days, NASA ts logical functions At Topeka's tramuscular antihistamine injec- using II to using correcting Life Sciences In- tions help, but only if given at CGnlrol moUan signals. One re- stitute of Mind- high enough doses to practically siGhnoss searcher com- Body Health, psy- anesthetize the astronauts. pares it to learning chologist Patncia Dr. Patricia Cowings of NASA's to play the piano. Norris teaches Ames Research Center in Cali- At first it is diffi- cancer patients fornia, charged with solving the cult to hear if you to control stress problem, teaches subjects to mod- are playing the with biofeedback, ify their stomach motility as well correct notes. While many phy- as to control about 20 other phys- But with practice, sicians acknowl- iological responses. "About 85 it becomes easier edge that stress percent can significantly increase

to know, and easier to figure out affects the quality of life, a recent their motion sickness tolerance in how to correct mistakes. Biofeed- study of metastatic breast can- six hours," explains Cowings, back is a way to train the body to cer patients indicates that the "and 65 percent have been able "hear" new rhythms. use of biofeedback to reduce to completely suppress their mo- Ironically, just as biofeedback stress may also improve the tion sickness symptoms." The 15 fell cut of popular public favor, it quantity of life. Some of Morris' percent wiio don't show immedi-

became the subject of serious patients are living proof. "I have ate improvement do well if given scientific study Since 1970, Dr. numbers of people who are in more training. Cowings claims Barry M. Sterman, a career sci- complete remission when it was that she has never found a sub- entist at the Sepulveda VA Med- not expected," she asserts. "In ject who couldnt learn. ical Center in California and a fact, people who were considered The first biofeedback-trained professor in the school of medi- terminal have gotten well using astronauts flew aboard the shut- cine at UCLA, has been using these methods." Norris also points tle in 1985. Two more, Mae Jemi- biofeedback to help epileptics out that this is one among sev- son and Japanese astronaut, control seizures. Epilepsy which eral techniques used in a com- Mamoru Mohri, flew in 1992. results from either a physical le- prehensive wellness program. "We're now proposing to fly our sion or a chemical abnormality in But Paul Jacobsen, Ph.D., as- experiment on the Mir Space the brain, causes epileptics to sociate attending psychologist at Station," says Cowings,

convulse uncontrollably when a Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer It may have started as a fad, vulnerable part of the brain is acti- Center in New York City cautions but biofeedback is an important vated. Using EEG (brainwave) that reports of cancer cures using medical tool for a new generation biofeedback, Sterman trains his psychological methods are not Interested in not only feeling good, patients to reduce the excitability backed by scientific evidence. but in feeling heaithyDQ a

IDS

THE NATURE ARCHIVES:

Making sure it all gets in tine mix'

By Steve Nadis

decade ago, Gordon Sound recordings such as nature preserves, in many cases Hempton sat in the hill these contain "vital historical the scientists making the deci-

. country of southwest- markers," according to Greg sions don't have the data tfiey ern Washington State, quietly Budney, "because they are need," Budney adds. Acoustic taping a concert that was per- records of what once was." Bud- biological monitoring techniques formed every morning by some ney is curator of the Cornell Li- can help them target for preser- of the region's most talented brary of Natural Sounds {LNS), vation those areas with the songbirds. Despite capturing a the world's largest and most di- greatest biodiversity beautiful, pristine recording, he verse nature-sound archives. The sounds identified, la- slill left with a heavy heart: "The The library houses more than beled, and filed in the Cornell saddest thing for a sound 100,000 recordings altogether, archives contain a valuable recorder is the l

true. The area has since been such as a Peruvian rainforest well as for people in the enter- devastated by logging," the na- and a Costa Rican cloudforest A tainment industries, Budney says. tive bird species long since pioneer in the use of digital Indeed, nature sounds are gone. The dawn chorus of the sound editing, the LNS routinely now being put to diverse uses in Willapa Hills, an event which had converts recorded sounds to both Science and the arts — taken place daily for thousands computer files for storage. topic which was explored in a of years, can no longer be heard Gathering recordings of ani- June 1994 symposium at San CakaloQinit our except on Hempton's digital mals on the verge of extinction is Francisco State University spon- souiiiisGatie. imm tapes and CDs. the highest priority of the library, sored by the Nature Sounds So- endangereil Paul Matzner, head of the Na- but, unfortunately, the rate of ex- ciety. In a composition performed Siabitats 10 simii ture Sounds Society and curator tinction Is faster than their ability at the symposium, "Aria Locus- rare birds of the California Library of IMat- to collect these en'dangered tae" by Douglas Quin, cicada as the sponed Ural Sounds, both based at the sounds. One of the most treas- sounds were digitally mixed with owl, may Oakland Museum, attests, "We ured recordings is of an ivory- more conventional musical In- provide a linger- want to get these sounds before billed woodpecker, last spotted struments. The society also pro- ing echo Df they're permanently lost." The in Cuba in 1986. The Kauai 0-0, vided sounds for "Ocean," a tbe past tor future Oakland collection includes another famous extinct bird, is fvlerce Cunningham dance con- generations recordings of endangered species, also on tape in the LNS archives, cert premiered in Brussels. The

uch as the spotted along with recordings of bird key point, Matzner stresses, is to owl as well as en- species and distinct populations use natural— sounds in less trivial dangered habitats. of birds that have disappeared ways "not just as sound effects, We have record- from Guam, Peru, and East Africa, but in ways that help us interpret ings from areas like Acoustic sounds are not only the natural world and experienoe the Sacramento Val- relics of the past, but also tools the music of the earth." ley that are pretty that can help in the selection of One way to become a better nuch unrecordabie future natural preserves, Budney listener is through the act of iD^^ owing to in- points out. By listening to and recording. The first thing people eased air and high- recording wilderness sounds, by notice is all the noise, Budney ly ttaffic," fvlatzner analyzing those recordings, and says. "But once you begin to rec-

says For a recent envi- by playing back recorded bird ognize natural sounds, it opens Lnmental exhibit, he and calls to elicit responses from live up a whole new window. Al-

ills olieagues set up their animals, naturalists in the field though it may just be a window

mii-es on an estuary called can quickly detect the presence to your backyard, it's still exciting Ell horn Slough, obtaining of native bird species, This cen- to realize that there's this whole ^liat may be "the last quiet susing technique is much faster realm going on, with you or with-

recor finqs of coastal mud- than trying to count birds by out you. If you listen in, you can flats in Ldlifornia." sight, "When establishing new be part of it, "Da EARTH

FATAL CHOICES: Armenia reopens the Mezamor nuclear power plant

By Melanie Menagh

'^'^''^ ^'^^ borders ot ergy needs. But there were prob- thorough review, which involved fi if^Si S I I I I Azerbaijan, Armeni- lems from the beginning. Karine internal and international aid lii#%»ans of Nagorno- Danielian, Armenia's former min- both public and private, the gov- Karabagh represent a small ister of environmental protection, ernment has decided to reopen enclave in the ongoing ethnic explains, "In 1980 there was a the power plant, Danielian, who conflict between the two former fire there; as a result, the safety is no longer with the Armenian

Soviet republics wedged be- mechanisms failed, and the plant EPA, is blunt; "This is a very dan- tween the Caspian and the was indefensible Chernobyl al- gerous idea." Black seas. Fate is often ironic, most happened in Armenia first," An environmentalist's position and for the Armenians, that irony Additionally, Armenia's devastat- is a delicate one in Armenia. The may be ultimately fatal. They ing 1988 earthquake registered Soviet legacy is a grim history of must choose whether to get life- five on the Richter decades of eooiog- As Armenia saving electricity from a nuclear scale at Mezamor icai neglect and struggles to sur- power plant which has a poor "The plant was not degradation. "When vive llie safety record and which lies critically damaged ntellectuals saw ravages of war, dangerously close to an earth- says Danielian disaster happening

another quake-prone fault line, or from "but since it was an and appealed to issue iiirsatens hydroelectric plants that are de- outdated Soviet de Khrushchev," says life in the stroying a lake which is the sign that did not Danielian, "he said. forbidding land- country's for water, internatior al mainstay , meet We don't have such scape. Does Before the war, the major standards, the problems here,' immediate sur- power source was natural gas, earthquake greatly /^hen Soviet scien- vival dBpend delivered by pipeline through scared people, anJ tists told Brezhnev on fDng-term Azerbaijan or by train through the plant was shut to attend to the en- 10 Georgia, However, nowtheAzer- down in 1989." vironment, he said. the environment? baijanis have shut off the pipe- When the bicck From whom should line, and Georgia's own ethnic ade began to take iiiit.^.. we protect the strife has cut off rail service from hold, however, the environment? The that quarter. Nor can Armenia country became starved fur elec proletaraf The Communists expect aid from its neighbor to trical power. Thousands of peo gave emphasis to metallurgy the west, Turkey which supports pie faced freezing or starving to and chemicals, and the way the Azerbaijan, And like Georgia, Iran, death, enduring the harsh Ar- industrial sector was developed,

which forms the southern border, menian winters with little or no it has a high need for energy and " has tremendous troubles of Its electricity. Factories were run- there is no clean up of waste own, and is not especially sym- ning at only a fraction of their ca- Extreme wartime conditions pathetic to Armenia's problems. pacity. Confronted with this make environmental responsibil- This leaves Armenia with an grave situation, the government ity a luxury many Armenians feel agonizing decision. Up until 15 decided to turn on the hydro- they cannot afford. "When a na-

years ago, a primary resource electric plants once again, at tion is in struggle and buried in was hydroelectric power pro- tremendous peril to the future of blood, the fate of a lake is not duced by plants along rivers fed all Armenians. Lake Sevan is the something that concerns us on a by the SOO-square-mile Lake major source of water for the na- daily basis. In many villages, Sevan. The plants were shut tion, "This is a dry country, people are defending their homes; down in 1979, however, when mostly mountains and rocks; they have an automatic weapon Soviet scientists discovered that lakewater is used for drinking in one hand, and they have their overuse had drained the lake and for Irrigation," says Danielian. child in the other. They have to 18.5 meters {about 55 feet) over "If the lake is drained much think about their own survival

the past 45 years. more, it will eventually turn into a today They don't have time to Emphasis then shifted to nu- marsh. This would ruin the at- think about environmental prob- clear power A plant was built at mosphere of the entire area. Ar- lems that may happen tomorrow," Ivlezamor in western Armenia, menia will be turned into a desert" But the truth remains: Envi-

and it went on-line beginning in The alternative, however, is ronmental disasters may not be 1976, capable of supplying 25 to equally risky— reactivate the as quick or as brutal as war, but 50 percent of the country's en- Mezamor plant. After a long and they can kill just the same, DO QNP THS SOUND OF STAR TRGK*^!! ^9 / I STAR TRGK* BOX SETS

^^ ^IBSt

Bf5

QBi.HIFf«mnOAI.an(l.i,Cour.o« .1 ' .'

ORIGINAL nLUSOUNDTFIflCK OHISINALiEIUJ SOUNDTHACK

Uu.""Bl"Di'Bn'i. u'Jc.rthy -•""""=" ""J""* CASSETTES COMPflCV DISCS. BOX SETS • ••

- 94a.±73£a.- 1-300-654-7029 - Dept. OMNI .

1 n ei H Senfl Cash, CHbcK or Money Onlet m QMP/ Crescendo Record Co., Inc. Dept. OMNI

cm STARTHEH.

POSTAGE' U^S^.^2^MPerU^nn ^

^ PHCHE ^5\°r^armr^»tp'a"™",''p'i=Z';

VISMIASTEHOAHD«_ S;£St?»"y"'ffffi..'™.'. . EM/' Crescendo: ne source for all STAB TREIC Original TV soundtracHsi V* II I I LmJ/^\^^ I 1^^# ^^.IsBaaffli i i^^m

GOOD-BYE MR, CHIPS: The last days of the virtual teacher

By Tom Dworetzky

had always thought it to the silicon, there was no way to rest for the weary, at last." far better to have lived He actually explain the nature of his "A little rest, yes, I suppose," a life so purely on the virtual consciousness. He tried, but Chips didn't feel the rest. "Do net. First born as neural patterns in the early decades after the you think any of them will re- in a VLSI (very large scale inte- great transition to VR In 2010. member me?" he asked as much grated chip), a special-purpose But after a time, he'd finally aban- to himself as to her computer designed in tils case doned as hopeless any real ex- After she'd left, old Chips to be a pure neural net machine, planation of his existence. So drifted into a light sleep filled he had evolved with the technol- now he merely let them see who with faces of children he'd taught ogy until at last his conscious- he knew they'd comprehend. He through the years. He was star- ness was fully distributed created a persona, as do all sen- tled from reverie to find his old everywhere in the global inter- tient beings, with which to Inter- virtual classroom filling with the

lacing of all servers on the net, act with the outside world. images of now-grown adults, still Yet having been given a In time he'd let his persona recognizable to his net-memory Chips Ihougli! human form of consciousness so age, for he knew the biological- as the children they once were.

how they that he might better instruct his based entities who dwelled with "it's old Ivlr. Chips," they could not Hnow pupils—he was the teacher—he him in VR could not understand called, laughing. that he had had found that over the years he eternity And in truth, -although he Chips thought how they could never heen real had gravitated toward not only understood it, eternity made him not know, now or ever that he'd too different from the others to never been biologically real, and abide. For consciousness cannot that he'd cease to be from this watch the aging and passing of day on. That they would never all those tiny voices forever His see the real virtual Chips again, awareness of time's passage but only the old routines, lectures had ultimately created in him a stored in memory His simulated sadness that he couldn't put consciousness would soon be at aside. And sadness, he often re- an end. flected to himself, was what kept "Please, sir we will start, then all sentient beings from being In you go on." touch with their own immortality The System continued to pro- He had determined then that duce this image for old Chips, this was to be the last time for him; the teacher, and he drifted he would not continue on. He slowly into randomness, shim- could technically live forever" mering virtual images of men but the patterns held in the net and women gathered around grew worn and buggy over the reciting from old Latin class, hjaloslcally, of years, the appearance a human form and he'd long since tired Armo virumque cano . . . . and how he'd In the virtual classroom to which of the endless cycle of backups "Of arms and the man I cease to child ,° every on the planet was and reinstallations. Far better this sing . . . The routine. Chips existfrom this but bidden, also toward a human way, to go gently , . , and all that. whispered, as his data dissolved day on. history as well. He created for himself as much back into available memoryDO Each voice querying him— as the others this final scene: where had he grown up, what Suddenly he was transported What do you think? Should we

his , like , , into was home —caused his empty virtual classroom turn to virtual reality teachers? him to in an ever-in- and respond he thought, Now I'm alone; Call (900) 285-5483. Your views creasing complexity of truths, they all have gone on holiday will be recorded and may a metaphors, and perhaps even lit- after graduation. No one comes pear in a future issue. Calls a tle lies. Because in his program- to visit anymore. His landlady en- 95 cents per minute. You must ming it was v/ritten that lie should tered his "room" at that point, be age 18 or older. Touch- strive to self-learning, strive carrying be to a steaming pot of tea tone phones only. Sponsored Improve his with communications and a silver stand of toast slices by Pure Entertainment, 505 S, the young ones. on a smalt tray "Good morning, Beverly Drive, Suite 977, Bev- Finally he had grown to un- IVlr Chips," she said, "So quiet erly Hills, California 90212. derstand that, for those not born with all the children gone. A little '.;« "MAKE IT SO."

.0f^m-~

liv- Withall vol^ofth

Be part of an epic new'adventure with Captain Beam.your crew to mysterious planets. Mar TVCar Picard',' Commander Rilter" and all the rest of the the U.S.S. Enterprise" through strange galaxies Starship Enterprise" crew. to worlds beyond your imagination. You're in command, working hand in hand with the most ^*A Final {Jnity" is an original tntergalactic epic respected crew in the Federation! of mystery and danger that takes you from the outposts of Federation space through treacher- No other space adventure comes close to the

ous encounters with alien starships and reality of this CD-ROM excursion which is brought, beyond—into the uncharted dangers of a to life by characters who speak to you, rich massive nehula. cinematic sequences, incredible SVGA graphics and CD-quality sound and music. Experience ^=^i Take control from the bridge or leave the ship hours of entertaining exploration and discovery Available for to embark on critical Away Team missions. This IBM CD-ROM as you freely travel the unhierse to unravel a interactive CD-ROM journey is a true extension mystery from the ancient past in this STAR TREK: of the famed TV series with accuracy in all Also look for STAR TREK: THE NE]CT GENERATION THE NEXT GENERATION* epic. Past" on Supei'NES'! details, including voice-overs by all seven of the "Fliluro's

television stars. Make it so. Take your post and Engage! Spectnm MoByte STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "A Final Unity." r^/ laJTELLlBEfUCE

BRAINSTORMING SOFTWARE: Can your computer be equipped with artificial creativity?

By Steve Nadis

' here are eight million explains. One example he cites sions like this can encourage

stories in Los Angeles, it is Inspiration, a high-powered people to view their problems has been said, and brainware tool from Inspiration from a fresh perspective, 14,800 of them can be found in Software which can be useful for A Mindlink session may begin Ashleywiide's computer program organizing one's thoughts. Inspi- at "The Gym" with warm-up exer- called Plots Unlimited. A dozen ration can take a jumble of ideas cises for the brain. After defining or so programs like this are avail- sprawled out on a page and the tasks they want to work on,

able at the Writ- transform it into problem-solvers are taken on pTDgrams ers' Computer a neat {and per- imaginary excursions. They are like Store in West Los haps even logi- asked to view themselves in a can malfe Angeles (and at cal) outline. variety of circumstances: in a iiramsttirmlng in a new outlet I deaFisher tree house, in a jungle, in a bam- sessions Sausaiito) for cus- Systems' Idea- boo hut, or, perhaps oddest of more produclive tomers who need Fisher, with its all, "in a good relationship." The by giving vou fielp formatting huge five-mega- user is then challenged to make Ideas 10 lumn off their screenplays byte database a connection between these and build on. or who are search- containing 65,000 other contexts and the original ing for a begin- words and more problem, hopefully leading to a ning, middle, and than 700,000 links novel solution. "Wtien confronted end to an other- between them, with a problem, we tend to round wise sure-fire follows a different up the usual suspects," explains blockbuster. "Peo- approach. Type Mindlink chairman Jeff Mauzy ple are hungry for this sort of in the word "walk" and hundreds "When that doesn't work, we're thing," claims Gabriele Meiringer, of words and phrases automatt- stuck." By taking people on these a oo-founder of the store who cally flood the screen—phrases mental detours, he adds, the considers herself "the only per- such as "tiptoe through the program might help them break son in town who's not working on tulips," "walk like an Egyptian," out of these stultifying patterns. a script." and "take the money and run." These tools, however, are lim- Other creativity or brainstorm- Kim Slack, head of Creative De- ited, according to Kim Slack.

ing programs on the market- velopment Strategies in Glouces- "Think of miners trying to extract geared to writers, advertising ter, Massachusetts, has found ore from the ground," he sug- personnel, product development the program- helpful at times, es- gests, "The software might pro- teams, and business execu- pecially when he's searching for vide you with a pick and a tives—challenge traditional no- names for new products. His shovel, but you'll get a lot more tions about the role of computers main complaint is that "you have ore out of the ground with other In our lives. We've gladly allowed to wade through long lists in people there helping you." That's these programs to help out with hope that something, eventually why he believes that old-fash-

number crunching Sometimes, leaps out at you. After a while it's ioned "bull sessions" are still we even let them operate our easy to forget what you were more productive for the most machines and process our looking for." In many cases, he part than brainstorming sessions words. But thought processing? says, "a good thesaurus might with a computer.

Wait a minute! If computers start work just as well." Another drawback is that thinking for us, what will be left Mindlink Problem Solver and "many of these programs can be for us humans to do? Watergate Software's Idegen used as an escape," maintains Given the current state of the adopt more offbeat tactics. Ide- Jim Tugend, a Los Angeles art, there's no need to get para- gen, short for "idea generation," screenwriter who has reviewed noid yeL Computers, even when gets people to focus on a prob- screenwriting and other creativ-

equipped with so-called "idea- lem and propose possible solu- ity software for the Writer's Guild generating" software, won't gen- tions. Soon, they are thrown off Journal. "You can spend two erate ideas of any great intrinsic course by unexpected phrases days playing with a computer worth, says Phillip Robinson, a such as "Taj Mahal" or "squirrel and in the meantime, you haven't syndicated columnist for the San eating pine cone," to which they done any work. They can also Jose Mercury News. "But these are asked to free-associate. Ide- lead to mediocrity; with a formula, programs can heip you think," he gen's creators believe that diver- you can never be original. "DQ FCI^ nniruD

DANGEROUS DELUSIONS: Making sense of senseless behavior

By Steve Nadis

n 1978, psychiatrist David are more likely to obey these pounding the man's head into I ffi Shore met with a patient who commands 11 they can identify the table. Here, Junginger says, I had ripped out both his eyes. the voice. Compliance with the behavior was motivated by delu- Voices inside his head told him commands is also more likely sion, Another subject, who to. Shore—chief of the schizo- when the hallucinations are rein- thought he was Jesus Christ, as- phrenia research branch at the forced by delusions, a web of saulted someone—an obvious Nalional Institute of Mentai false beliefs, Junginger came to inconsistency for the "Prince of Health—was appalled by this act realize that delusions may have Peace," The complexity and de- of self-enucleation. But he was an even stronger influence on vi- gree to which a subject is im- also curious, wondering why this olent behavior than the com- mersed in the delusion may have man obeyed the voices when so mand hallucinations themselves. a bearing on behavior. Junginger many other patients managed to Shore and his colleagues met with one patient who'd de- resist them. studied the case histories of 328 stroyed a dozen ATM machines For more than a decade, John mental patients hospitalized for a to keep money from being used Junginger a visiting clinical sci- time as a result of psychotic be- for "nefarious" purposes. Gen. entist at Indiana University, has havior and a preoccupation with Norman Schwartzkopf was in- met with hundreds of psychotic a prominent political figure such volved in the "mission," too. patients, trying to identify a set of as the president. In the early Other delusions, by contrast, are symptoms or traits that make Eighties, ten years after the Initial vague: "Someone's trying to kill

some people dangerous to them- hospitalization, the NiMH team me. I dont know who or why" peoplB ad on selves or others. He concen- checked to see whether any of Junginger suspects psy- violeni DT trated first on "command hallu- these patients (known as "White chotics are more likely to act out sell'iiestruGtlvB cinations"—voices heard by psy- House Cases") had been subse- their false beliefs if they have in- impulses chotics (predominantly schizo- quently arrested for violent volved, highly "systematized" and oHiers don't phrenics) ordering them to com- crimes. White House Cases who delusions, and he will explore

is still verv mit acts, some benign, some not- came from outside the DC area this theory in a new study with niuri) a mv^im sobrnqi H t ind that peopln were tentatively considered 220 delusional and 220 nondelu- greater security risks, perhaps sional psychiatric subjects. The because their travel reflected a goal is to identify a set of indica- deeper commitment to the delu- tors to reliably predict patients sional beliefs. who will act on their delusions. In 1992 Junginger published "Clinicians are making deci- a methodological study rating sions all the time regarding who delusions of 138 patients for should be admitted to psychi- "bizarreness" and categorizing atric hospitals and who should them into one or more of 12 be released or let out on pass," types. Including persecutory, says Shore, At the moment these grandiose ("I'm on a mission decisions are based on records from God"), insertion ("Some- of past behavior and the clini-

body is putting thoughts in my cian's judgment. But it's difficult head"), and control ("Someone is to predict for patients with no his- controlling my behavior"). Next tory of prior violence. This situa- was a 54-patient pilot study at- tion should change after the tempting to see how well the completion of studies now under- delusions correlated with spe- way or on the drawing boards. In cific acts of violence. But the the meantime, says Shore, the trick was to make sure the sub- public has little to fear from the jects described the delusions psychiatric population in general, they had at the time of their vio- and schizophrenics In particular lent behavior, not at the interview. "Most people with severe mental One subject thought his fam- disorders do not commit violent

ily was trying to poison him. Ail crimes. And most violent crimes his food tasted funny. Finally he are not committed by people attacked his father at dinner. with severe mental disorders. "CM BETTER LUNAR LIVING THROUGH LAVA: A group of space butfs explores a truly unique site. for a moon base

By Stephen L, Gillett

moon's a great place The visit, to but would you really want to live there? Witli no shielding atmosphere, cosmic rays and the occasional solar flare strike the surface di rectly^as well as anyone in the way. So most moon-base scenar ios start by piling lunar dirt, or reg olith, over habitation modules to create a radiation shield, requir ing lots ol astronaut time and heavy equipment A group of space enthusiasts may have come up with a better way to avoid radiation and other dangers while living on the moon: Put the modules in a ready-made cave instead. No digging, no heaping, no fuss, no muss. And

a lot cheaper. the joints and needed frequent serving it from the 300-degree Specifically, the group known cleaning," Research indicates temperature swings outside. as Oregon Moonbase has in that lunar lava tubes, by con- Oregon Moon base's research

mind a lava tube— a passage- trast, won't be so dusty did not go unnoticed. !n 1990, it

way left behind under a lava flow Spurred by what it had learned received a contract from NASA's after the lava drains out, NASA during the simulations, Oregon Innovation Outreach Program to scientist Friedrich HOrz first seri- Moonbase gave a paper at the compile a study and develop- ously suggested the notion in Second Lunar Base Symposium ment plan of the Oregon Moon-

1985. "We saw Hdrz's paper and in 1988. Shortly after the presen- base lava-tube site, making it the knew there are lots of lava tubes tation, a major aerospace com- only non-aerospace, non-univer- in central Oregon," says Bryce pany studying lunar-base siting sity group to receive one of Walden, a founder of Oregon options contacted the group and these contracts.

Moonbase, which is part of Port- asked it to analyze additional Since then, NASA has put its land L5, a chapter of the National factors affecting the feasibility of future lunar plans in limbo. Still, Space Society in Portland, Ore- locating a lunar base in a lava Oregon Moonbase remains en- gon. Together with Oregon tube. Among the possibilities the thusiastic about the potential of Moonbase colleague Cheryl York group considered was that as- lava tubes and offers its site to and co-founder Tom Billings, tronauts might need to excavate aerospace companies wanting Walden began running educa- the entrance to the chosen lunar to test proposed lunar equipment. tional lunar-base simulations in lava tube. The astronauts could "The bottom line," York says, "is lava caves around Bend, Ore- do so, Oregon Moonbase calcu- that siting in a lava tube could gon, with members of the local lated, for the same amount of ef- make a lunar base much more Young Astronauts, a national ed- fort required to pile regolith over productive for much less money" ucational space organization. a module—and would end up Wendell Mendell, a lunar sci- In running these simulations, with far more space. Light, inflat- entist at NASA's Johnson Space the group discovered a lot that able habitation modules could Center, agrees, with resen/ations.

might interest designers of a lunar then fit inside the excavated lava He feels that before NASA can base. For one thing, the caves of tube, allowing astronauts to per- rely on placing a lunar base in a

central Oregon, like the moon's form routine activities, such as lava tube, it must first send a team

surface, are very dusty. "A lot of base maintenance, while wear- to look for a suitable tube. "But it equipment just didn't work very ing much lighter spacesuits. would certainly be an attractive

long," Walden explains. "Even Even with the modules located in option if we knew for sure a lava the portable tent frameworks we the tube, there would be room tube existed at a proposed lunar set up and took down got dust in left over to store equipment, pre- base site," he says. DO coajTifuuunn

IS IT REAL OR IS IT JUSTREALLY COOL: The Luxor takes a gamble. Plus, putting organs into hibernation, and picking up the pieces after Mozart's fall

rides attractions, there's- I saw a revolution taking place and times more wtien I was in Las Vegas about a hundred recently and, mucli to my sur- story going on," Trumbull says. prise, it didn't involve hoards of The result is a three-part angry, destitute gamblers movie where the audience is in demanding the casinos return on the action. This is user- their money. In fact, witti three friendly virtual reality, and the "themed" megacasinos open- spectacle is hard to resist. ing in just the last year alone, "In the simulation business, Vegas gamblers are happier a lot of the simulators are real- than ever. But inside one of ly not out of the carnival these casinos—a huge black class," Trumbull says. "The pyramid called Luxor Las whole idea of simulation is so Vegas—a revolution in enter- new to the audience that if tainment and technology is they haven't seen it before, going on with the creation of a you can in fact get away with dazzling, multimedia indoor mounting the camera on a jet theme park called Secrets of ski or a snowmobile and call the Luxor Pyramid, In this that entertainment." But Trum- case, it's the casino that's bull, the inventor of the first doing the gambling, spending capsule simulator ride in 1974, $50 million on a trio of experi- the first simulation theater in mental attractions that offer a 1981, the first commercial glimpse into the future of fun. movie ride in 1985, and a host Inside the Luxor's massive of innovations designed to atrium, each of the three make film look more lifelike, attractions blends high-resolu- isn't content to use simulators tion film, computer imagery, 3- for mere novelty's sake.

D effects, and/or motion simu- It may take some time to lation to create a different film-related experience. "We're convince consumers that simulators can be more than exploring some new areas of the audience's perception carnival ndes, but Trumbull is determined to upgrade the and involvement in entertainment," says Douglas image of the industry, pointing out that the technology Trumbull, the special-effects wizard behind movies like can integrate experience and narrative for both entertain- Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Blade Runner, ment and for learning. Already negotiating with malls, and the creator of the project. cineplexes, and other venues for placement of one or What really makes the project unique, however, is that more of his "Ridefilm" simulators, an IS-passenger vehicle it may be the first theme park In history to actually toil a situated atop an orthogonal motion base, facing a sta- story—an Indiana Jones-type tale involving a mysterious tionary, 180-degree, spherically curved screen onto crystal obelisk and the power of the universe. "We were which high-resolution film is projected with a fisheye lens. trying to find a way to bring to these experiences some of "They're revolutionary," exclaims Trumbull, because "they the qualities of feature motion pictures, with character make a simulator ride that has all the qualities of a fea- development, story and action," Trumbull explains. ture film," including interaction with the characters. The story begins in the first "episode," a breathtaking, Shrewdly, Trumbull has also gone to lengths to make high-impact simulator ride called "In Search of the his simulators compatible with the existing film communi- Obelisk;" continues in "Luxor Live," a simulated television ty With the help of Hollywood and big-name, high-bud- broadcast where you are the studio audience; then get films for a backdrop, Trumbull might well have his comes to a sweeping conclusion in "The Theater of chance to prove that there's more to simulators than the Time." a journey to the future displayed on a movie thrill of the ride. It's time now to buckle up and become screen seven stories tall. "Compared to other simulator part of the experience.—BRENT HARTINGER CDfUTIfUUUm

Reasoning that the meta- poisoning by his archrival, from an unmarked grave

bolic slowdown induced the Viennese court conduc- and kept until recently in a by DADLE might help prolong tor Antonio Salieri. museum in Salzburg, organ survival, the re- "His letters to friends talk Drake believes that the searchers, together with sur- of frequent falls, possibly pooling of blood on the geon Suten Chien, re- linked to his drinking," says composer's brain would also moved a block of organs Dral

and kidneys) from dogs and eye and ear Is consistent months of his life, when injected the organs with with injuries in drinkers given he lived as a virtual recluse, DADLE. The organs survived totalis. Phlebotomy prob- writing that "my head is for 46 hours, almost six ably didnt help either, accord- covered with bandages" and times longer than they would ing to the scientist, who complaining of nausea, have using norma! freez- adds, "Records suggest that vomiting, headache, weak- ing techniques. ness, paralysis, and con-

Su and his team have be- BSftW'.-' . -wm'ffllM vulsions. Fever and infection gun experiments using could NAPOLEON'S PENIS WAS also explain the single organs (lungs, hearts, coma Into which he finally PURCHASED BY AN OPIUM FOR and livers, which have the lapsed despite attempts AMERICAN UROLOGIST ORGANS shortest survival times) from to cure him by bloodletting. 1577 rats. Noting that the early IN FOR $3 800 Drake says many of the Life-saving organ transplant results look promising, Su mw oyniptoms are consistent with operations are often a hopes this new method neurologic disease. So se- race against time. Even with will eventually find its way into his bloodletting could have vere were they that Mozart was tfie best freezing tecfi- medical practice, Increas- sent him into shock and con- unable to attend the open- niques, many tiuman organs ing the survival chances of tnbuted to his death. ing night performance of his

can survive outside ttie organ transplant patients. Drake's theory is based last opera, 7776 Magic body for only eight liours at — Bill Lawren on obsetvatiorjs compiled Flute, and they may be the best. But an ingenious by both German and French reason an assistant, Franz new technique gleaned from THE FALL researchers who ex- Sussmayr, completed fiibernating animals may OF MOZART amined Mozart's his Requiem. produce what pliarmacolo- skull, which gistTsung-Ping Su calls Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. was exhumed ' ^ "a dramatic extension of organ whose untimely death at survival time," age 35 has long baffled h s- Su, of the Addiction Re- torians, may have con- search Center at fine sumed a bit too much beer National Institutes of Health wine, and punch, frac- in Bethesda, Ivlaryland, tured his left temporal lobe

knew that opioid drugs like in a drunken fall, and morphine can make the died from the effects of chron- human body act like that of ic subdural hematoma. a hibernating animal: The At least that's the theory of a 1 body's temperature drops, Ohio State University neur- and breathing and heart ologist and psychiatrist work- rates slow significantly. So ing 203 years after the fact.

Su and Peter Oeitgen of But if [vllles E. Drake is cor- the University of Kentucky rect, his diagnosis would Injected a synthetic put to rest the legends that opioid drug called DADLE into still surround the compos- lab animals. Sure enough, er's demise, variously blamed the drug Induced hibernation, on infection, fever, tubercu- even In summer losis, brain lesions, and even 36 OMNI ANTIMATTER IN THE SHADOWS

A group of Japanese re- searchers who traveled to the plateaus of Tibet with an apparatus designed to monitor the arrival of cosmic rays unintentionally helped lead to new discoveries about antimatter To test their in- struments, these researchers made measurements of cosmic rays coming from the moon's "shadow," a por- tion of the night sky encom- passing the moon and its immediate environs. Shortly after these results were published, astron- omers at Arizona's Whipple Obsen/atory realized the Obseiving the rate at which cosmic rays emerge from ihe moons shadow lo i-ielping \A/hippie Japanese data may contain Observatory astronomers predict tlie ratio of antimatter to matter in the universe. clues about antimatter, Tlieir reasoning went like this; Antimatter, they concluded, too small for conventional downstream end auto- water As electrically charged comprised less than 30 hydropower systems, matically opens. As cosmic rays approach the percent of the cosmic ray Hydropneumatic genera- drains from the chamber, earth, they are deflected stream. In subsequent tion, the principle that a partial vacuum occurs in- Air rushes in through by the earth's magnetic field. experiments they liope to ob- makes this possible, was in- side. Positively charged parti- tain more precise esti- vented by Northeastern the top, driving the unidirec- cles (such as protons) are mates of the percentage of mechanical engineering pro- tional turbine once again, deflected to the west. antimattercontribution. fessor Alexander Gorlov. and the cycle begins again. Hydropneumatic Negatively charged particles —Steve Nadis It uses the force of moving (such as antiprotons) are, energy converters such as conversely, deflected to the these have proved more than conventional east. Because the cosmic THE EMPEROR PENGUIN, THE LARGEST PENGUIN AT efficient hydroturbines at harness- do not move in a straj'ght rays FOUR FEET TALL AND 90 POUNDS, CAN DIVE TO 800 ing the kinetic energy of line, the moon would block FEET AND REMAIN SUBMERGED FOR 1 5 MINUTES. negative antiparticles from water dropping a dis- reaching certain parts of tance ol 12 feet or less, and Gorlov, the sky, without blocking pro- according to New tons and other positively HYDROPOWER water in a river or tidai England alone holds 12,000 charged nuclei. SCALES DOWN estuary to push open the existing low-head dams By measuring the rate at gates of specially de- that might be exploited for which cosmic rays emerge The water-filled container in signed tanks. As water pours hydropneumatic power. from these shadow regions, the basement of Boston's into the chamber, the air Once installed at all of these and comparing that to the Northeastern University looks trapped inside becomes pres- dams, hydropneumatic cosmic ray flux observed in like an elaborate fish tank- surized and is forced out generators could pump out other areas of the sky minus the fish. But this device through a pipe on top, rotat- about 5,000 megawatts Whipple astronomers Mark could open up a vast, un- ing a turbine in the proc- of electricity—equivalent to five nuclear- Chantell and his collab- tapped energy source, cre- ess. When the water inside the output of orators were able to estimate ating electricity at thou- the chamber reaches its power stations. the antimatter component. sands of small dams that are highest level, a gate on the —Steve Nadis CDf

electrocardiograms be a strong predictor of sus- (EKGs)—graphic renderings ceptibility to life-threaten- of the wave patterns of ing arrhythmias. In the first heartbeats—but they are so systematic study of the small they can't be ob- link between alternans and served by the naked eye, "Our heart arrhythmias, alter-

technique is like putting a nans measures were obtained

microscope to the EKG. It al- from 83 patients at Mas- sachusetts General Hospital. Among those patients A PERSON STANDING labeled "alternans-positive" ATTHE EARTH'S EQUATOR (meaning that iheir alter- values WEIGHS 0.5 PERCENT nans exceeded a threshold level), 84 per- LESS THAN AT THE POLES. cent succumbed to arrhyth- mias sometime during the next 20 months. {Five of lows you to spot tiny irreg- these patients died.) By ularities that you could not contrast, 94 percent of the CARDIAC ALERT no prior history of cardio- otherwise see." explains patients identified as "al- vascular disease nor any David Rosenbaum, a scien- ternans-negative" went 20 The sports world was shocked knowledge of a preexisting tist at Case Western Re- months without suffering last year after Boston heart condition, serve University who began heart arrhythmias. Celtics star Reggie Lewis col- A new test developed by the work at MIT, Cambridge Heart, Incorpo- lapsed and died while researchers at MIT and Rosenbaum and his col- rated, of Burlington, Mas- shooting baskets. The syn- Harvard may help identify leagues used a frequency sachusetts, is prepahng to drome which struck Lewis, people vulnerable to analyzer to measure changes market a device for meas- sudden cardiac death, is a deadly heart arrhythmias. This in the shape of-the EKG uring alternans that could major public health prob- technique relies on a com- waveform from one beat to the provide a noninvasive lem which kills 300,000 to puter to detect subtle varia- next. This beat-to-beat means of screening for ar- 400,000 Americans an- tions in heartbeats. These variability, known as electri- rhythmia risks. nually. Many victims have variations are captLired in cal alternans, appears to —Steve Nadis

lect dust samples as Ihey equipment for studying these space mission that flies fly through the upper atmos- things will be even better." into the nucleus of one of phere for other missions. The Johnson collection these entities, we'll just

If you want a speck of cosmic So far. the curator's office has contains some of the have to wait for their residues dust, there's only one sorted through about most primitive materials sci- to drift into our atmos- place to go. The Office of 5,000 particles. Interested entists have ever seen. phere," —Steve Nadis the Curator at the NASA parties can request a Some dust grains studied

Johnson Space Center in sample to determine its origin within the past two years Houston, Texas, has col- and chemical composition. date back to a time before lected unusual space-relat- Another 100,000 dust par- the formation of planets ed items since 1969, and ticles, as yet unexamined. in our solar system. They may

more specifically, it began are stored away in Johnson have come from comets,

stockpiling cosmic dust vaults forfuture use. "We considered to be a little lower in 1981. The office nowfields end up collecting things a on the evolutionary scale requests for more than little faster than we can than asteroids or planets. 500 dust particles per year analyze them," says manager "Our dust collecting is from investigators all James Gooding. "Some like a poor man's mission to over the world. are set aside for posterity, a comet," Gooding ex- High-altitude aircraft col- when we assume the plains. "Until we have a "

BLOOD PRESSURE Whorls don't guarantee PRINTS higher blood pressure, says Godfrey but the more Recent research from the fingers a person has that United Kingdom indi- have them, the greater the

cates that even if you havent probability that blood committed a crime, your pressure will rise. "Associ- fingerprints could get you ations between growth in trouble. When Keith in the whorls and blood Godfrey and his colleagues pressure are apparent at the Medical Research by the age of three or four," Unit at Southampton Univer- says Godfrey "and the sity studied 139 adults, effects become magnified they found that those who with increasing age." The fast-growing kudzu vine, long ^oribidered only a pest, mdy be had whorl phnts (pat- So is high blood pressure a quickly replenishable materiai for making paper terns made up of concen- predetermined and ines-

tric circles) on one or capable? It is definitely pre- KUDZU: FROM PEST ing the pulp for a couple more fingers had systolic determined, says God- TO PULP of hours, they broke It down blood pressure eight frey, "but no one has yet by hand, pressed it into millimeters higher than those tested the hypothesis There's a saying in Georgia; sheets, and set it out to dry. with no whorls. that by intervening in some "If you drive too slow, the At the end of this process, Fingerprints come in way you could do any- kudzu will get you." The virie lo and behold, they had pa- three flavors, according to thing about it." overruns fields tlirougli- per—kudzu paper. Godfrey: the whorl, the —Paul McCarthy out the southeastern United The quality admits Jeffrey arch, and the loop, Godfrey Stales, oovering buildings Hsieh. the director of says that fingerprints "Historical plienomena al- and smothering vegetation. Georgia Tech's program on form about 19 wegks after ways fiappen twice— Folks had resigned them- pulp and paper engineer- conception, "and whorls r/ie first time is tragic, the selves to the fact that there ing who supervised their work, are a sign of suboplimal de- second is farce. was little the.y could do is inferior to that made velopment of the fetus." —Karl f^arx People who have whorls tend to have abnor- CHARLES LINDBERGH TOOK FIVE SANDWICHES HAM mally stiff arteries, which leads WITH HIM ON HIS FAMOUS TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT to high blood pressure. BUT HE ATE ONLY ONE—AFTER HE REACHED EUROPE. No one knows exactly how whorls form, accord- ing to Godfrey, but they are probably the result of about kudzu but complain- from wood fibers. He believes the fetus getting too much that is, until 1990, when his researchers can im- or too little blood flow to enterprising seventh-grader prove it once they figure out the hands, which causes the David Brandt decided to a practical way of strip- fingertips to swell. So make paper out of it for his ping the bark from the kudzu rather than being flat, the school's science fair. vines and of getting rid of way normal fingertips After Brandt's success, for- the pithy material inside the are, they are conical. Then, mer Georgia Tech students stems. If the process can as the dermal ridges Peter Hart and Brian Brogdon be refined for commercial pro- form, rather than becoming took some vines from an duction, paper manufac- loops or arches, they Atlanta field, chopped them turers would have a virtually wend their way around the into small pieces, and inexhaustible supply of conically shaped finger- threw them in a pressure raw material: Kudzu grows tips, forming a set of con- cooker with water and at the daunting rate of 60 centric circles. some chemicals. After cook- feet a year.—Steve Nadis '^0 OMNI Your opportunity to taKb yoiW place on the bridge of the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE."

Paramount Pictures Presents Please mail by December 31, 1394. the Official Die-Cast Replica of ttie U.S.S. ENTERPRISE. '• ' / Franklin Mint Precision Models Authorized and authenticated Fianklin Center, PA 19091-0001 by Paramount Pictures. Please accept my ordeifof the STARSHIP ENTERPRISE- ThfiSB ars the vovaoes ot the STARSl will I I billed in .- need send no money t^ow. be 5 ENTERPRISE I equal moiUhiy installments ol $59.* each, wifri Ifie first adventure of all actiial plans o( flie ofigirtal U.S.S. E payment due prior to shipment. incredibly detailed model thai would impress Pte ray stale safes lax and 3 one-Sne cftage even Spook's anal/lioa! mind. ot$3, iBrshlfiixnganlhanlng.

Ptecision-crafted and measuring a full 15" in length. Authentic down to phaser banlfs on the hull and Kirk's command chair or tha bridge. 15" Blazing its way into flie future with a primary sen- Actual sfte ol the Starship Enterprise is (38.10 cmj long. MR/MHS/MISS _ sor disk eleclroplated in 24 karat gold.

STARSHIP ENTERPRISE is ready lor transport TM, ® * © 1994 Paiamouni Pictures. Ail Rigitii into your home, with its own cjstom-display case ReservBd. star TUtK and Related MarAs are T bearing a handsome commemorative ingot, mint- of Paramounl Pictures. ed in solid sterling silver. The price, $295, payable in convenient monthly installments. THE OFFICIAL EDITION OF SATISFACTION GUARANTEED If yoJ wish to return any Franklin Mini Precision STARSHIP Models purchase, you may do so writhiji 30 days of your rscsipt of that purchase for replacement credit or retjnd. ENTERPRISE" ,

OPENING

. . .Atthe Hyatt Re-

gency Airport Hotel, it walks among people with lond-eyed extra- .eslfials emblazoned

n their TV shirts . . , r.mong UFO sculptures, passing a painting aUFQ.^^bya

bling in steno books . . . voii " As it I Hopkins

in trauma, it ab

V\s ii observes a panel on apparently nol

^Govert U.S. govern- tiardened tiim. I'

:Jnent activities, it takes

.. As it listens to Guide. Blond. Slen- me-iattaided

, ^o V,, incognito. I had a gre^

,.., „._ulates. it time. I spent whole , As a day

^^p^es fhedisplay there in the gallery I dian't 'He was? know ihat!" says -i alt [ g e 5 an ve are e UFO magazine's editor and publisher, diong h^lp Vicki Coopei ntsr nc nonsense re- Muliii- ig g pj'tHfb M I I "fianinj there 1 il i n i \^ould have out and i

b huok 01 b/i r I

I I fix i tiymg to get a ThM duo butt he-ij bi I er ^

I mencn calied X- track drgui^ and dpbate [ luld-r tid^^ '^ - I I- I normai show satel- ^spn SluIIv m h-^r undei \t3r Lut

lites .)iic rt It:; tno featured thprthprp'^ ne er i pen mjre than a ohibi er

characters FBI Agent Fck Mulder, cf p udl iiili = iest mnidni. Ulti

claims to i/yrite arlicles for Omni under m itel ^f - > t^rt-i

pen nanieb Omni v^ants to know about alic-r I I him, and his show, call

Vicl.. j — - fqja pdtb of my dc p

"The X-Files is very " entertaining. ru t r en I meth rig and mv i laL lit* The concept that Chris Carter came up 1 soTieth q v1/ '^kept sn with is intriguing not just to people who have greater info on and involvement in l"

the UFO field, but also to audiences in lol r

general. (li|i i Most episodes are good mys- art do to ha - r teries, and the mysteries are paranor- an a

mal. I think there's a greater interest in Gh a o h ansedas A^itl h F nc opm think so, Thr F s another full ba = d

ULTIMATELY AFTER A SEASON OF FIRESTARTERS

he ALIEN THREATS TO MANKIND,

gho UF b UFOs, GENETICALLY WARPED SERIAL KILLERS WHO serious (Dr, John Mack^ Ab- ductions) through the ethereal EAT HUMAN LIVERS, EVIL CLONE {Embraced by the Light) to the ridiculous {The Celestine CHILDREN AND ALIEN ABDUCTION GALORE Prophecy) are levitating off bookstore shelves. THEYTRJS ON Y EACH OTHER Not since the advent of spiritualism and H, P. Balatsky in the nineteenth century nave so man' no jy Americans been so interested in the possibility that the bizarre Is real. These vibrations seem to emanat*' mostly from Friday nights at 9:Q0. as s b dC s an synthesizer music shambles irom TVs and the bastard child of the Twiiigh Zone and the F.B.I, grabs millions o viewers by their lapels and gives them a good, creepy shake. The X-Files, for the uninitiated and the frightened, deals wth a brilliant psy chologist named Fox Mulder (Davie Duchovny) v/hose excellent crimina wofk with the FBI has given him license s a c to take on the unusual cases the agenc; Dff d on '^ receives. Mulder Is a driven man. His something so nark and moody as the tions mak& sister disappeared when they of I were X-Files bubbled out such a white- things 3 J both children, Regressive hypnother- bread background. there, h he t e a e ea cr mdQ apy makes him believe she was ab- Perhaps Carter stumbled across ined. There^ t_o mUk,h e,iderice tj ois ducted by aliens, an event he watched that cryogenically frozen body of Wall miss it out oi hand," helplessly while she called for help. beside chained skeletons of animators Evidence is what the UFO field

The button-down Efrem Zimbalist, in the Mouseswitz dungeons. Or he seeks. It has quite a bit on its subject, Jr.-types are' getting irked by "spooky'' heard whispers of ancient voodoo ca- Vicki Cooper is a journalist who's Mulder's activities. They assign Dana bals in the halls of the Whter's Guild? also been observing the media lately. Scully {Gillian Anderson), a medical Or one night, surfing, he was picked "TV programming—movies and docu- doctor with a specialty in forensios and up by a UFO! mentaries like Sightings, for instance. ^ =: la M ^ J u It to b Hh with ghosts alongside UFOs—dilutes Breeze case and Area 51 , He and other struck me the most about X-Fites was the information base just a tad, There is writers obviously very cleverly filtered how dead-on the show had cap:ursd |-,=l| I Ress a database that can be based strictly on into the scripts real UFO Info thai we ihe flavor and tone of UFO and para- =le t--J r ql TL-t getl l observed piienomena—stories tliat talk look at here In the UFO research field," normal literature. aboui craft, stories and reports tiiat are "We generally don't use consul- Carter chuckled mischievously. based on landing traces and physical tants." says Carter. "There Is no real scarring and people who've had en- Deep Throat, Now thst the character jS While reading for my Warner UFO

counters with alleged UFO occupants. dead, he has no counterpart working books. I found the focal part of my

There Is additional reported Information on our staff. All of our research is done, studies In a WliotB Earth Catalog book hnran p tl u ! that doss tiave a distinct paranormal vom diverse materials, wherever we published by Harmony Press m 1989 ti- ^hat -J ^-i er jet= f n 7"ie

I p tl aspect, but most UFOiogists resist this," can find It, But I have lo say that we tled Tlie Fringes of Reason. F Hh nj

it '•[ How Is X-Files viewed among the take the Information, but don't use In I cant help but suspect that sits UFO experts? any kind of literal or verbatim way. We on Garter's office shelves, well-

"Although the material Is greatly fic- use it as a]umplng-off point." thumoed. Whether or not it Is, anyone tionalized, pointed or the basic premises of many I out that even the scientific Interested m the paranormal UFOs episodes seem to be based on stories research was well done, the dialogue or areas of thought and theory and ex- thst have gotten a lot of attention in the ringing with authentic phraslngs, perience thai tilt amazingly and amus-

UFO field, [Vlulder's government "I did consult with a virologisi to ingly off the plane of the quotidian source—Deep Throat. Some of what he make sure that the genetic science in should know aboui this book. says mirrors the suspicions UFO re- the lasi show of the first season was Among the entiles in a list of the na- searchers have had for years. But be- correct. Beyond that we do It all our- ture of Its contents or the oack cover: cause this has been cloaked in selves," Carter explains. "Channeling. Psychic Powers, Crystals. secrecy there's no real way of telling what It took a llitle digging to discover BIgfoot Shamanism UFOs Parpatua:' is real and what Isn't. There Is seem- some of Ihe related books that Carter Moion Co isp races Flat Ear h Rein- ingly a cover-up. What is being covered has read. He never finished Whitley carnaton Spon aneous Human Com- up and for what reason hasn't been de- Strleber's Communion. He's read buston i e ro Pnenonera m lamis. fined to everyone's satisfaction. Howard Blum's Out Tliere. He was fa- A an Abducrons

'' "I've been greatly amused and grat- miliar with the work of John Keel, but If ts not the B ble of tie Files. ified to see how Chris Carter appar- only after I mentioned some titles, thnr tr- I. f nebJbs lute, really I- ently has studied the UFO data- I admitted that Warner published my _cntr buting base. The show makes passing refer- UFO fiction trilogy called The UFO a graduate

ences to cases that everyone In the Conspiracy, and that I had done exten- St loo/ dt Cor- UFO field recognizes, such as the Gulf sive research on the subject. What n- pnt n-iogy—

You Cam Rush Smo ofh

1 9 mg. "tar", i 4 mg. nicotine av, per cigarette by FTC method.

SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy.

^"^^iSj^N*"- '

...But I heard him exclaim as he tIme-warped out of sight: "If you want the best '""abssga 3308 I2'"i5,^ii 90 pass r °5iiooo

SF and fantasy, g; | mall the coupon ^' t6m0t!"^-i TOk® $' 0497 iO 901 019OS22IIO7S1O90 0512 S 5359 i9 98i for

^emiibsrs with

16.9i,-S10.9a 0342-S25.00(511.aB 6460

Dzoa $2300/10 as

13 lUyfAKfer's 0S33+ SI^'bSSSB 4796S2J«sSlZ9B 0026- SIBI'^SBSe BS16'fa no/ilO 9B ny. SSllldliKaler's i S39W/S10S8 Books JURASSIC pARK S3e.90f'$ia.gs Hish n

; tOi994ParsmountP

MAIL TO: TJre Sdwwfl FtHon Bosk CM mcScizncz 301(1 Street 6550 EbsI

HERE'S WHAT YQU GET WHEN YOU JOIN... Indianapolis, IN 46206-0367 SATISFACTION. Once your membership s accepted, we'll A GUARANTEE OF YESI pitase enroll ms in The Science Ficlion ftw* Club according to iha within send your 5 BOOKS. If you're dissatislied with the books, return Ihem risk-tree msmbsrship plan described In Ihis ad. Send me Ihe 5 BODKS I've ]n SS 98 0513 SZ1 US $7 90 0046 t?Z 00 19 9B 7484 =1 ?; 98 0539' $22 0] IS S""-'- S10 95 $8 55 D505 S10 S3 |ust plus shipping and handling. 10 days at our expense. Membership will be canceled; you'll owe notlilng. Indicated. Bill ms $1 , ISAAC HUGE DISCOUNTS ON HARDCOVER BOOKS. Save as much as 65% off SAVE EVEN MOREl (write booli umbar) lASIMOV publishers' edition prices. Club books are somelimes altered in size lo lit ASIMV IJSendmelhisCooknowan reduce my special presses. TT commllirenitoSbDoks.Bill e an added S2,98, i THE FREE CLUB MAGAZINE. You'll receive up to 16 issues a year. Each plus sbipping and handiing. 57764 reviews the Featured Book Selections plus a wide variety of alternate books.

SHOPPING MADE SIMPLE, To get the Featured Book Selection, do nothing-

it will be sent automatically, II you prefer another book—or none at all— return your Member Reply Form by the specified date, A shipping and handling charge (and sales tax, where applicable) is added lo each order, AN EASY-TO-MEET OBLIGATION. Take up to 2 years to buy 4 more books at -liiCil<.i£i"1 linaSdii La!.eol regular low Club prices. Afterwards, you may resign membership anytime, H'o'LIH IheLomSun It get because your itiSiliUK S439W/S11.S8 RISK-FREE RETURN PRIVILEGES. you an unwanted book U,S.A, and Canada only. Canadan members serviced trom ( Club magazine was delayed and you had less than 10 days to respond, simply ed 'ttive appticaliie. Wc leHnie ihe rigtil lo leiecl any appliciti

Prices In fine pMnt-aie publish i. Prices In bold print are Cluti haidcover odltlDns. return the book at ourexpenss. -?^ AROHITREK: iniii'ta^..Bllli>l«>

erse that exists some 400 ye;

HEBHIAH ZIMMERIVIAN

vith strange planets, inhabited by t

STANDS IN

~s it is, tiie arcliitecture of this STELIAR CARTflGRAPHV.

OESiaWED FOR

TREK= KENERATIONS

eluding Star Trek: Generations, I've

FEATURE FILM.

*Mte ARTICLE BV HERMAN ZIMMERMAN AND PHILIP THOMAS EOGERIV STAR TREK V: THE FINAL TltOHTIER PRESENTED AH INTERESTING QESIGN GHALLENBE mm A SCENE THAT TAKES PLACE 5.000 FEET ABOVE A UALLEY FLOOR, SINCE YOU CAN'T PUT MILLION-DOLIAR-

PLUS ACTORS IN SUGH A RISKY SITUATION

npeds lor life support. Many From cryptic lines like these, is usually one of the iirst things, such as basic furni- the production designer people hired by a produc- ture design, aren't going to must begin to visualize his tion company and one of the look change. If your task is to imag- worl<:. He or she is respon- first to get a chance to ine what's going to happen sible for the look of every- at the script. Keeping In mind in the next 400 years, you thing you see on the screen the writer's words and the should start with what is except the actor, The produc- director's point of view, the to look dif- likely to remain the same. tion designer may or may production designer's vision but they need ferent, creatively expressing Making the transition not be involved in the design has to lead him or her to unfamiliar lifestyle or a from the Star Trek: The Next of wardrobe, although the come up with "the thing" in an Generation television series wardrobe and production feet and Inches, using wood, different milieu from that Generations 1 to the Star Trek: designers work very closely metal, plaster, paint, and elec- which we are used to. lesson from feature film was an interesting with each other, particularly trical and mechanical effects. learned a great

directed challenge, i had to consider regarding textures and colors. For inspiration in design- Nick Meyer, who translation of something Everything else that you ing something that's sup- and co-wrote Star Trek VI: the Country. from a 19-inch diagonal video see—everything the actor posed to exist 400 years in The Undiscovered out that four screen {the size of the aver- handles, stands in front of, the future, I often begin by He pointed centuries from now, humans age jy set) to the feature or interacts with—is the pro- taking familiar images and film screen, which can run duction designer's domain. using them in a fresh way. will still have finite dimen- basic 30 feet high and 70 feet The production designer They should still be familiar. sions and the same 52 OMNi Given the limitations of earthllngs.

It's the most enterprising thing that's ever happened to your computer.

'hgjiwtt mom^t ifs tf

Kits are the'-^nn^esSf coNeftWe^faiJbfLfl^ req

tion^fdmi, fi^tRlfi and^u^e. For more ir

orfqgia r^iler^at^ou call 800-999-9989.

^^ ^\'^ IF I WERE CHIEF ENGINEER BY JAMES DOOHAN AND RICK BITZELBERGER

not easy being a cultural we are on our way, My wife Wende It's icon. Millions of people from all and I both agree that the first bit of over the world think of me as this magic to come our way might Scotty, the miracle-working chief very well be a version of the holo- engineer who has spanned the deck. Virtual reality is already being Federation generations. But where used to train pilots and astronauts. does Montgomery Scott end and There is also a lot of research being James Doohan begin? To tell you done as to educational applications

the Irulh, it's a very thin line, one oi this new technology. You could that I'm happy to keep crossing. have surgeons practice procedures In the beginning, the Enterprise's in a simulated environment instead

Engineering section was one little of using a real human. 1 think it's wail with an instrument panel, When getting a big push now because of Star Trek began, they weren't going the entertainment factor, though.

to have an engineer at all. The feeling When you compare the develop-

was if they had an engineer, they'd ment of virtual reality, computer have to build another set. But then systems, and holographic appli-

Gene Roddenberry found out that cations, I don't think the holodeck

it would be wise to have another sort of Engineering section we had concept is that far from realization.

part of the ship to cut to, instead of in the first movie, but expanded to And I know just what James having everything happening on show 75 years of technological Doohan Hoioclecl< Program #1

I settled the bridge. Of course, I managed advances. The Next Generation sets would be. can see myself to do wonderful warp things with are much more detailed and richly down into one of the most satis-

that little panel; I suppose the repu- designed than those used in the fying environments I've ever been tation of the miracle worker began original series In: fishing out on Lake TemagamI there. Eventually the writers got hold Yet there is one thing missing in northern Ontario. I'd re-create 01' of Scotty and really had him grow. from the original series, the feature Charley, an Ojibwa Indian guide

As the series developed, I pretty films, and the spin-offs. It's that one who barely spoke any English, but much set the practical standard as necessity which humankind cannot who knew just where to paddle a to how things worked down in live without, especially when canoe to guarantee the finest trout Engineering, When a new director traveling in space: bathrooms! Let's, and bass you could ever hook. You

would come onto the show and say face it—we should have had a really can't ask for anything better than

to me "I want you to push those jazzy bathroom done in a futuristic, that, and 1 would holodeck myself

levers up this way," 1 would say, technical style. Had that happened, there in aminutel

"Sorry, that's not the way we do it. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find Don't let the fact that my favorite

" We pull it down this way and then out that after 10 years there would place to be is completely cut off over to the right and then up." The be 500,000 bathrooms that look from civilization fool you. Like many

director would then agree with me, just like the ones in Star Trei<:.. other people, I have all the gadgets

as he had to go along with the guy if 1 had my choice as to what one needs to keep up with the who knew engineering, kind of Star Tret< magic I'd like outside world: Cellular phones, fax

I on-line I always thought there should access to today, would have to machines, and computers be a sense of movement in the choose the transporter and replicator help keep me "wired." And like

matter/antimatter chamber in Engi- for very practical reasons. Think of Scotty, I actually do enjoy reading

neering, I had always envisioned it how it would improve our ecology: technical manuals. Keeping up to as a corkscrew-style device with We'd have instant recycling, and date with the latest developments energy pulsing and revolving there'd be no more emission at research centers and NASA is

around it. It wasn't until we got into pollution. That's something worth something 1 think I would be doing

the feature films that I thought they striving for, regardless of my alter ego.

were getting close to what it should I think that kind o( technology Playing the most famous engineer

actually look like; the latest incar- can be fully realized eventually. in the galaxy affords me red-carpet

nation of the Enterprise finally has it According to the technicians and access to research facilities that 51 fully realized. Basically it's the same scientists I've met over the years. CONTINUED ON PAGE Klingons disposal I on-screen all 85 at our we wide. Whai you see on the small video the actors would have a more com- graphic screens. The entire set encir- the camera moved around them in the set that thought came off had filled fairly spectacular but not nearly as put them in above that, pulled the cam- screen is much less detailed than what manding presence, and repainted the cles the actors with 300 degrees of a center of this vast round room as — with moving images. The visual impact spectacular as the planning that went eras back, and got them all. you see on the big screen, As a de- bridge in more subtle colors, I also re- giant star map, so that it appears as into it to Beyond that, we built into the scene signer working on a feature, one has to worked the ceiling, building up all the though they are actually inside an enor- of the setting underlines the impor- had be. tance of the scene. John Alonzo, our There was a very practical problem a couple of matte shots which included pay much more attention to those de- struts. I was always unhappy about the mous starfield graphic. It's a represen- director of solve with the l

realize that it doesn't really matter how the more riotous they would become. manager. Together they scout all rea- the Enterprise sets in Generations about a space phenomenon that's a center had one enormous screen as its for cos- for exterior environ- have been refurbished, raising the level pivotal element in understanding the central element, and several small beautiful your drawings are, because We were limited by our budget sonable choices in a drawer tumes and makeup and by the simple ments that fit the needs of the script. of detail significantly. Along with a team rest of the story. If what happens in that screens in a low-ceilinged. semicircular they're going to be put

the show is over. And it doesn't fact that It takes three hours in a makeup They then show what they've found to of I when talented professionals, created the set is not crystal clear, the audience room. I had been talking to SAIC exec- director and producer. If they ap- original sets for The Next Generation's may be confused about where the plot utives about doing another one as an really matter how sturdy and beautifully chair to turn a human into a Klingon. the constructed the set is, because it's (Makeup people started working on our prove, the location manager sets about inaugural season. I went on to supervise Is going. While it only hosts a small, extension of the first complex, and one where the camera will be placed to measly 85 Klingons before dawn, and securing the proper permits, finding the second year, before leaving the two-character scene no more than of the ideas kicked around was that It the direc- still wouldn't get all of until parking, hotel rooms, and so on. Mean- sets in the capable hands of designer three minutes in length, it is an ex- might be a two-siory affair with the en- best see the action and how we them tor of photography lights the set that re- midafternoon.} We had to design the. while, the design team goes to work to Richard James, Because I had designed tremely crucial set. trance to the room on the second story. ally either puts it on the screen or set so we could exclude the majority of make the location right for the movie. I the with, felt I show to begin some obli- started out with what was called for I thought it was a good idea, and de-

it all exercise in futility. From Klingons when we were doing close-up A challenging location shot was gation io the audience to improve on in the script, in which Stellar Cartogra- cided to try it out in Stellar Cartography makes an beginning, production design- work, medium shots, and all the work needed for Sfar Trek V: The Final Fron- the seven-year-old sets, hoping that when phy is characterized as a small room and see If It worked. the very ers have to think about where ttie cam- that included only the first row of the tier. When this film was gearing up for the fans see them on the big screen with some maps on one wall. It seemed Of course, every good idea has a

era is going to and what they will audience. conceived the set as a production, I had already completed (especially the main bridge) they'll say, rather uninteresting to me that it be catch. This circular, three-story set had be We bear pit where the walls were ten feet the first season of Star Trek: The Next "So that's what it really looks like." such a small room, considering its im- to be photographed using a camera want that camera to see. This brings to mind another design high. could shoot the prosecutor, Generation. Harve Bennett and Ralph I We added two more computer stations portance to the plot. So I conceived a mounted on a 40-foot arm, which was defense, defendants, the judge, Winter, Trel< V's producers, had right and left of the wishbone railing, three -story set where the actors enter poked into the room at odd angles. The challenge I faced when doing work on the the Star Star Trek V!: The Undiscovered Coun- and that first row of about 20 Klingons seen my work on The Next Generation the bridge's central element. I raised in the middle of the second story; the director, David Carson, conceived a the captain's and mates' seats so that stories below and above contain scene that kept the actors static while try: the Klingon courtroom. This was a pretty much with impunity. When we

Plymouth Neon. Now Available In Original. And New Faster Acting.

Hi.

ItaSStl Say hello to the new Plymouth Neon Sport Coupe. As friendly as the original but now in a more potent formula. An all-new adrenaline-producing performance suspension. Ever so eager performance-tuned steering. Dual air bags.' ABS. And 150 very, very frislcy horses.* Not to mention rear spoiler in back and power bulge hood up front Warning: Daily use exceeds recommended levels of fun. Neon models start at $10,000 (4-door), sn,740 (2-door), 514,100 (Sport Coupe), including destination fee; PLYMOUTH NEON ^

AlMifi»ieoryixirie

i(€i. M^^U^

S7/ could oe any//jin^^ ' sa/d Cj/ien cfuo/ous/y. .Tie heldihe yrai'na pnoio at arm^s lengi/i and sauinied at tLe irregularly shape ^ytefLleff, ii could Se £uman. '' "0/? i^e sireei?^^

Jliiranoa counierea^ ixliinq ner neao at nim as sne sAruaaea ner coat on. ^^Wnere were you orouant up?^^

(L>ne was excited^ ana not ootnerinq to nioe it.

^^^tranqer tninqs nave nappeneo y tnin£ it^s a fa£e. 3 mean^ j-or a start^ wnat^s witn tne olacA^ano^wnite snitf^^

I Miranda laughed, and he swiped at thought as always, maybe this time. restlessly behind him. I wondered how

her. "No pun intended. But why isn't it I can't really blame Chen tor going they were going to kill the time until we on video?" By now he too was on the way he does, I'm just as bad. got there. bundling his jacket on, and enthusiasm Pessimism is a defense mechanism, a Finally the car pulled to a halt was ciearly getting the better of him as protection against the near certainty outside the international terminal. As a he reached for reference books to that after a brief flurry of joy we'll be waiting official led us toward the bring along. coming home empty-handed again. As entrance, Chen murmured to me, "I don't know. That's what we've the years go by, and even the hoaxes "Didn't hear back from forensic yet,"

got," I said. "And that's what we're get fewer and farther between, even I "Must be a good fake," I said, going after. Come on, let's move." find it difficult to keep the flame "Yeah." We looked at each other for burning, Miranda's good for us in that a moment, smiled tightly, and hurried Ten minutes after receiving the way. She's younger, newer on the job, across the concourse. transfax we were out of the door. A She still believes, and that keeps us government car was waiting outside, going through the long periods we They'd held the MegaMall for us, and it

Chen and I jumped into the back and spend watching the transfax tray, rose as soon as we were inside. We as soon as Miranda was in place we hands near the phones, waiting for no stood by the window, watching the city shot off toward the MegaPort. one to call. She doesn't know that a fall away below us, and that kept us The car was broadcasting a siren few years ago we'd get a call every occupied for a while. The Mall took on car-commLinication wave, and the other month, not once or twice a year,' about five minutes to get up to 30,000 other road-users were automatically She doesn't realize that It's not that feet, then paused before starting its shunted out of the way. It would only time is running out; chances are it's steady progress forward. As scon as take about 15 minutes, but even that already gone. Even the hoaxers are we were over the ocean we turned seemed too long. That would make it losing interest, I know that, in my mind, away from the view.

nearly half an hour after the fax, an but I must still have a little faith tucked "Christ," said Miranda. "Now what hour since the find, before we even left away somewhere. As must Chen, do we do,"

the country. Miranda chatted though in his case I'm not sure it's "We shop. We stroll. We mingle with zily with the droid driver, faith, passing holiday-makers and exchange not really listening to his Miranda wrenched round in her pleasantries."

^ answers. Chen faxed a seat to face me. "The fuck we do," Chen said

copy of the photo "If you don't stop that tapping I will tersely, "We drink coffee and smoke a

\ through to Central and have to kill you, I'll regret it for a while, lot. This way,"

\ got half a division of but I will have no choice." I pulled her The middle level of the Mall was

' forensic~ imagers work- hair briefly, took the phone from Chen crowded, and it took us a while to ing on it, I and called our destination. They were thread our way to an escalator to the stared out already on standby and waiting for us, higher galleries, A man juggling of the win- though we wouldn't be there until four oranges passed us on the way up.

dow at the at the earliest, As I knew they would They appeared to be on fire. Chen

passing gray, be, I was only calling for something to stared at him with some enmity,

Irumming my do. The guy I talked to looked tense "Street theater, compliments of the

hands on my and expectant, and there were a airline," I said. "Very popular this year."

Maybe this time. couple of soldiers milling around "Not with me it isn't," "How long is this going to take?" Mi- "Six," Chen said, waving for more randa asked. She was craning her coffee.

neck and looking down across the "But," I said, "we've^had over sixty n[i.B. Mall. About a thousand people flocked faxes that were complete fakes. and wandered around the lower tiers. Mocked up in a lab, no object there at

"Two hours," all, So it's rare anyway"

"Shit." She glanced at me, looking "And there's a chance- it could be

drawn. I shrugged, This was only her real?" second call-out, and already she waa Her eyes were too wide, her mouth beginning to understand. However too ready to smile, for me to say any-

quickly we moved, it wasn't quickly thing crushingly realistic. Chen wasn't enough. looking at me, but he was waiting, too.

We found a coffee bar with a bal- "Yes," I said. "It could be an ani- cony and sat looking out over the main mal's."

concourse. We sat in silence for the I don't know why it falls to me to say

most part, though Miranda and I talked the word I try not to. We all do, espe- a little about how the arrangements cially Chen. Most of the time we just

would go once we got there. I didn't talk about "them" or seeing "one," We have to talk to Chen about that kind of have books lined round the office, floor thing. He knew, He sat a little apart, to ceiling, with pictures of every one staring straight ahead, and waited out imaginable, every one that existed.

the flight. I knew what he'd be thinking. Chen knows the names, habits, and Five years ago when fairly drunk, particulars of about five thousand. I've

Chen and I had sat down with some tested him, and he does. Sometimes old maps and tried to work out where a we talk about them, try to describe real sighting might be most likely to them to each other, speculate about come from. We'd taken into account which one we'd most like to see. But the way the Cities had developed, cli- most of the time it's "them." Another '*^'«Mciiire^ matic conditions, previous populations, protection mechanism, another way of everything that might be relevant, and not hoping too much.

a few things which definitely weren't. In Chen and I are funded by the World the end wed honed in on what used to Government. We're secure; it's a high be called the Congo, now just another priority Miranda is a student on sec- region of AfriCity Since then there'd ondment from PsychStat. She's been been nothing from the region, and we'd on secondment for rather a long time

sort of forgotten about it. Now, of course, now, and we pretend she isnt in when that's exactly where we were going. In they call to politely inquire when she's

a way I wished Miranda would go away coming back, She's caught the bug

for awhile, do some shopping or some- from us, and it's a rare bug, so we let thing. But only briefly, and only be- her stay, Not a lot of people know

cause of that drunken night. I was glad about us, but it's no secret, Our job is MeKUvy Anilii>l«ET ,e Ivliranda was there. She deserved to be to watch, and to wait. Our job is to sit in as much as we did. our office, listening for the phone, watching the transfax tray, in case About half an hour in, a uniformed someone, somewhere, sees an animal.

flunky approached the table, holding a And if someone says they have, we do

phone. It was for Chen, He listened and what we're doing now: get the hell out nodded, shifting himself around in the there as quick as we can. And then, of wicker chair Then he replaced the hand- course, we troop home again, because set and tipped the phoneboy Neither they're all hoaxes. Everybody knows

Miranda nor I spoke. Neither of us wanted there are no animals anymore, A chim- io hurry the news that we might as well panzee called Howard was the last turn straight round at the other end. one, and he died seventy years ago.

"Well," said Chen, eventually light- What can I say? We fucked up. We ing yet another cigarette. "The photo's thought we couid go on building the genuine." Cities, planting and growing concrete

I "But?" I said, as professionally as and steel until it covered every square

could. inch of every continent, without it ruin- 'But as for the object, they cant tell." ing the world. We thought, or seemed The Deluxe Anthology Series I nodded. Ivliranda turned to me. to, that the animals would get by find a

The ultimate 2 compact disc 'What is it with you guys? Why do way of coping. We let people kill them you have to keep doing this? You heard for skins, or ornaments, or food. We let

the man: It's genuine." tourists carve initials on their homes. "It could be a genuine model. A We talked about economic necessity,

genuine fake." about quality of life for humans. If push "Why do you say that?" came to shove, we thought the zoos

musidancl Soml "Because it's happened before. Five would be enough. times." But they werent. Turns out the am- mals didn't like the zoos so much after tracks, and stared at it. Something, noise. It looked up at her and made an all. They put up with them for a while about a foot high and covered in short odd sound, like a door falling open in and then, as if on cue, they all gave up gray fur, sat and looked back at her an abandoned house, and then it and rather pointedly died. Then we from about ten feet away. It had green rubbed its head against her hand looked around the cities we'd wrought eyes, long hairs growing out of its again like a kiss. and realized that they were empty. Be- cheeks and a thin tail which it curled There was a noise behind her and tween the teeming people, down the neatly around its feet. It was not, my my grandmother turned ts see a man sides of the endless streets, above the grandmother realized, human. walking across the intersection about continual gleam, there was nothing left Very quietly, she squatted down so twenty yards back. Her mouth was half but space. Suddenly we realized we as to see the animal on its own level. It open to say something, to call him were alone, and beneath the ever-pres- carried on looking at her gravely, sniff- over, and then she clamped it shut, ent clatter of humankind, the world ing slightly. My grandmother looked When she turned round the animal was seemed very quiet. and looked, noticed the way the pupils gone, and she never saw it again,

To some of us, anyway. I guess most in the eyes ran up and down, saw the She ran home then, and burst into people around today don't care that sturdy little paws planted firmly to- the kftchen shouting. At first her folks much. After all, they've never known gether; and then the creature moved. thought she was telling tales, but the

any different. I havent. There's not been Holding her breath, and a little fright- more she told them the more they had a single confirmed sighting of an ani- ened, my grandmother watched as the to admit it sounded like a cat. They mal In my lifetime. animal sloped carefully toward her, fol- sent out a search party and looked for

The thing with me was my grand- lowing an Invisible curved path as five hours, but they didn't find it. mother. She was a rather strange old though it was walking along a street [yiy grandmother spent the rest of lady or as my mother would have it, she couldn't see. It paused after a few her life wishing the man hadn't chosen

"bonkers." But she also had a lot of feet and cocked one of its ears, as If that moment to cross the street and

time for me, and I for her, and she told listening. Then It walked hght up to her. make a noise, and that she'd known me things about her life that I don't Not really knowing what to do, my that what cats liked was to be tickled think anyone else ever knew, gran carefully raised one of her hands behind the ears and rubbed under the

The story I could hear time and again until it was in front of the animal's face. chin. She may have been the last per- was about how she saw a cat once, Equally carefully the animal pointed its son who ever saw It, and she wished when she was a little girl. She was nose forward and sniffed her hand. It with ^1 her heart she could have said walking home from school, through the pushed forward with the whole of its goodbye from us in the proper way.

S734 sector of AmerCity, when she saw head, rubbing its face against her And she told me about it, and I lis- a small shape slink round the corner in knuckles, bending its head round and tened, and here 1 am today Because front of her. She stopped dead in her making a soft and throaty humming although everyone knows there can't

GREAT MOMENTS I N

^ecemher 2% nS9:In t,n Mrmpt to the U.f'Air Force secret undereround emphiimp the impottume of exercise for ^ooti ^t kxtr-citerrestrif,! Detention Center just heUtk tfie Preiticftt'i Council m l^yskat fitness Sports mderMes u more njjressii-e and 0^^ outside of EIKo, fJeviJn: ' pnhl/c reloUomjtrotejy.

we twpeyi

%>.CtA^

SATIRE BY ERIC JAY DECETIS be any animals left now, Uiere are those FROM us still lool<. tiave the faith. I TWO of who We do, anyway, Chen has something elsfe. Chen may have seen an animal. He thinks he did. Thirty-five years ago, when wandering around a disused THE sector In AfriCity, he saw a shadow move high up in a tower where the of Prey. floors had caved In, A shape swung Release a Bird Wirli i JiLt, ol che ijtctx across a gap. His glimpse of it lasted release ihe iic« Bird ot rri.> less than four seconds. He was doing Digger trom [f! blttlt toujli a lot of drugs at the time, but he says li n\l(m btk SLihbard Tlie (i > wasn't like that. He knows how unlikely blade all-am^ m die aarhght it Is, but he thinks It might have been a primate. Something stirred the air, something that wasn't him moved with th( hilt a mind of its own. It was something dif- ferent, something that wasn't us, wasn't f^ m,t nder 1 kde^ Hike up part of the noisy machine that chugs po moil on eiclicr side away In our tiny claustrophobic world. Sciircd \BS yip is uimlied

He stopped doing drugs then, be- vnth a. mini tooihL-d pommel cause he realized what he was trying - Lioil^.d in deep bUek to escape from, and what he was look- Ostrall IV In \our ing for. He's been searching ever since, tollei-tion nr tending rift liiLn at first on his own, and then officially. 3tLJi-k go nheie nn knitt his gone befoic As 1 said, it's not faith with him. It's need. It has been his life, and it's the Bird of Prey Dagger #7260 $59.95 nearest he's got to something that makes him happy. qualitj' knife that battled Alec Baldwin give us and all Governments money in UniversaJ's "The Shadow." the backup we could ever need. We The lights of [he cicy. A fijcure tlojked in have intercontinent Passes that mean biaci;, shadow strerching iit tiie swirling misE. Ht customs and immigration can just fuck laughs, boni'-chiiling and en'stal clear. Hnrtliilg right off as far as we're concerned, and coward him, the Phurbj - Tibctun Spirit

I could mobilize an entire army If I had trigger possessed of e\il and coine to lite a good enough lead. Nothing I asked for . He liM met i[ once brfore. . , that it's late. would be too much, now too More i:h.n 14'

"So," 1 said, "Chen. Best guess?" und thi-CL'-udcd bl "Difficult to say," he said, enjoying lilni offlciai, every word. This was making it siueping t'xe l rsnslbmis mto and was a kind of ritual we've devel- le collectable In oped over the few times it's got this far mdi ilic lidgc Kfrtiini.

"To a degree It depends on the size There's nothing to give us any scale." The Shadow™ "But a mammal," Phurbj Dij,ger "Definitely. Could be a dog, cat. #820 i,R $69 9=;

Could be a primate. Shit, it could be loads of things. Why the fuck couldn't they have sent us a video?"

It was frustrating, that. The color of the feces might have told us some- THE EDGE COMPANY mms, joois i etm thing, though if there was an animal still 10, Sm 126, BmlHebun, VI 05302 I SOD 73? 9C/ii alive somewhere in AfriCity, its diet '^^ would hardly have been that recorded in the old books. We'd always received •Eiatdcboro \Tl)';il)' videos In the past, though it must be m, Model # Descriplmn Price Each S&l Total said that three of them turned cut to be #7260 The Bird of Prey Dagger SS9.95 H.m footage of fakes and the other two al- leged specimens were never found. #S2a-SH The Shadow Phurba- Dagger S69.95 $4,00 The faking thing Is weird, So few Total Oi-dcr including Shaping and Insurance: people on the planet think about am Check r Moiie)' Order avIS.'\ MasterCard Aml:^ 3 Dkeoier mais anymore. There's not a lot of a Q point. But seme of them must go out of Esn, Date their way to pretend they're still around

I used to wonder why they would do (( icrlijy Ibnllam iwi M i.-oi) iifs^i. .Mai! usiulun itq:ani m irlmry. < that, why people who had never seen one should try to keep the memory of animals alive through faking their tracks

( lEi State Zip ahd feces, Tfieri I considered what I do usually do, which is strange, really. stores, There's always something new for a living. Maybe it isn't so different. None of us has seen an animal, with to buy, always something new. Ng Miranda was drumming her fingers the possible exception of Chen. Our watched them with an odd expression

hard on the table. I raised an eyebrow only advantage is book learning, and on his face, and I realized that despite at her. the fact that we spend our lives prepar- being in the army he was one of us, "Christ," she said. "Why does this ing for this kind of thing, guardians of one of the people who'd like to see have to take so long?" the flame who spend their whole time something old, every now and then.

looking for a match. Maybe that's it. In After a moment he looked across at me None of the other passengers seemed a way we have a quest, an old-fash- and pointed downward at the road. in much of a hurry to leave the Mall ioned mission of a hopelessly romantic 'This is where the river used to be," when we landed at AfnCity. I'm not sur- kind. Things like that sit oddly with he said.

prised. What they'd disembark into brushed concreform and neon, seem I wondered how he could tell. would look exactly the same as where to stand out in an eerie light like build- they'd been for the last two hours, and ings in front of a storm, Perhaps that The sectors started to go to seed after the same as where they'd come from. It commands respect, or something. about 40 minutes, There's no reason for

it, was like walking down a long street The lieutenant got out a map and as far as I can tell, but it happens that was the same at both ends. I don't showed us where we were going. The everywhere, and it seems it always will know why they bother. sighting of the object had allegedly until we need every single square inch Either way, we had no problem been made in AfriCity 295, a disused all the time. One day a sector will be

surging out ol the UegaMall first. I sector about an hour's drive away. As buzzing and full of life, then suddenly it started to get my pass out but it wasn't soon as the report had come in a corps will be a place where no one lives de- necessary; a delegation was already of local soldiers had cordoned the area liberately. Within a few years it will be waiting tor us at the gate. We shook off. Nothing could have come out, and empty, but there are too many people hands hurriedly and then with one even more importantly no one could for anywhere to remain like that for mind started to trot toward the exit of go in. Someone who got to an animal long. So in a couple of years it will be the terminal. before we did could have set their own redeveloped, made new again, and Introductions were made in the car, price. Tney could almost literally ask for people will start to move in. The popu- which was open-topped and looked the world. lation shifts around the planet, year by like an old-fashioned Jeep. The man in When we were buckled in, the driver year, almost as if we have to move a lit- charge was a Lieutenant Ng, from the put his foot down hard and we pelted tle, every now and then, as if migration local security iorces. He seemed fired off down the street. People in the street is a need that never quite went away,

It up and capable, but also deferential looked up vaguely to watch the car was getting dark by then, and I and eager to do the right thing. They speed by, then hurried off toward the was glad to have an escort. Caring "

about a legend is the preserve of the Hye's men were indeed quiet. As Chen, "Yes," Chen said curtly, rubbing his

comfortabiy off, tfie socially integrated. Miranda, and I walked down the center chin, "Then we fan out down each of

The kind of people who live in the inter- of the road three abreast,, I had to keep the side streets we've passed. Then we zones aren't going to give a shit, A long checking behind every now and then go into each building and look on each time ago Chen and I received a call to see if they were still there. They floor." Miranda looked up at the fading and came to an area like this near what were, fanned out across the road. And light, used to be New York in AmerCity. We they were carrying guns. "Maybe we should ask.the soldiers

didn't it ," nearly make out again. The call "What is this shit?" Chen asked, to , , Suddenly Miranda stopped, an was a fake, planted to draw people in. quietly, expression of what looked like terror on

We lost all our gear, Chen spent two "What Ng said, I guess. Some point-' her face. She pointed wordlessly be- weeks in a hospital and since then we less political game." hind me. "Oh my God."

don't go in without ground support. "I don't like iL" I whirled round and stared at the

Then, fairly abruptly, the sector was "Neither do I." shadows at the base of the building empty. Even the rubbish drifting down When we'd been walking for about about five yards away five thestreet looked old and forgotten, minutes, Ng appeared soundlessly "What," I said. "What?" though it could only have been a few behind us, The wall disappeared In a strobo- years since people moved out. Ng con- "We are now In subsector 4. The scopic blaze of rifle fire. Line after line ferred on a communicator and got spe- sighting of the material allegedly took of pink arcfire sliced into it until the whole cific street Instructions, and then we place within this area," of the front of the building crashed turned corner to find that there. a we were "We don't know where?" down, I stumbled backward, falling into

I could tell something was wrong "No. The photo was left without any Miranda, and the two of us crouched before the car stopped moving. About further statement down until the noise had stopped. ten soldiers stood in formation in the "Okay. See If you can get them to When I looked up, Chen was march- middle of the deserted and crumbling drop back a little further" ing furiously up to Hye, crossroads. Ng said something irritable They did, but not much. Following "What the FUCK," I heard him

under his breath, and suggested we standard procedure. Chen and I scream "What the flying blue fuck do stay in the car for a moment. you think you're doing?" I He climbed stiffly out and leapt up and ran toward walked up to one of the sol- LUCKILY NG GOT THERE IN him, Hye stared impas- diers. Like Ng, the soldier was sively at Chen, and then wearing a beret, presumably shoved him hard in the TIME AND YANKED CHEN AWAY, I GRABBED meaning they were of the chest. Chen wavered, but same rank. Chen looked CHEN'S ARMS AND TUGGED didn't fall, and launched across at me and raised his himself at the soldier. eyebrows, i shrugged and lit HtM BACKWARD. HE WAS KICKING AND Luckily Ng got there in a cigarette. time- and yanked Chen few A moments later Ng re- SHOUTING AND 1 ALMOST away, 1 grabbed Chen's turned. Though immaculate arms and tugged him back- with military professionalism, COULDN'T HOLD HIM, NG SQUARED UP TO HYE, ward. He was kicking and he was clearly fuming. shouting and 1 almost "The corps will be accom- couldn't hold him. Ng panying you into the sector," he said. headed toward the sides of the road, squared up to Hye. "Hold on," Chen started immedi- looking carefully at the ground Mi- "Explain," he barked. ately. "That's simply not possible." randa walked down the center, keeping "Fuck you." "They .can't," Miranda said, "They'll half an eye on the road but mainly "Explain," Ng repeated, face twitch- scare off anything within a mile radius." casting glances up at the. walls of the ing, "Or this goes very high indeed," Ng looked at me. buildings on either side. Many were Hye looked at him with contempt "1 "The corps," he said again, "will be empty shells, and a few looked as if have orders" he said, "From accompanying you. The sector is dan- they'd been burnt out. This sector's higher than you know. I have orders to gerous, and you must have protection." demise had obviously been more vio- protect the population."

clearly didn't this, I lent He believe and than most. "Whose orders?" I shouted, prepar-

didn't either After about two hundred yards of ing to pull rank, I have papers for this

"Political?" I asked. He inclined his proceeding in this fashion, I began to sort of eventuality, though this was the head slightly see a glow in the twilight up ahead, first time it had arisen, Hye Ignored me,

"No way," said Chen. "Fuck the poii- which meant habitation, I stopped. "If any animal exists," he said to Ng, tios. No fucking way. Jesus, If you think "We've passed the core of the dis- "it will be diseased. The population no ." . , we can take the risk of blowing used area," The theory Chen and I longer has immune responses to many

"Lieutenant Hye will oversee the op- worked on was that if any animal was of these diseases," eration. He assures me that his men still alive it would tend to seek out "Bullshit," Miranda said. She are trained for quietness." places as far away from humankind as sounded a lot tougher than I had, "I don't care how damn quiet they possible, for its base, at least. Though "There were virtually no animal dis- ." are, that's not the point," [\1iranda it might veer toward inhabited areas in eases that could . . shouted, I held out a tiand. the search for food, we reasoned that it "The population will be protected," "It's been hours already. We're here. would want to sleep somewhere safe, Ng's face was about a foot away There's no point wasting time when we "Do we turn round?" Miranda asked. from the other officer's, and he was can't change the situation. Let's go," She was looking balefully at the sol- staring at him with hatred.

I hate having to be right the whoie diers, who had also stopped and were "Who gave you these orders?" time, but someone has to do it. standing in a line ten yards away "Need-to-know basis," 72 OMNI C0r^TlfJU£D0NPAGEg2 LIDAY CHEER

If the usual holiday merriment leaves you with more than just visions of sugarplums dancing through your head, Indulge yourself. Omn/ has. Here's our toast to an infectious holiday spirit throughout the universe.

CARTOON FEATURE BY TOM SWICK

iruTenv/iEiAJ

The man behind the face on Mars: How he thinks extraterrestriais and their architecture may have restructured the entire solar system ARD

Before Richard Hoagland spoke a! Ihe United Nations on Febaiary 27, 1992, a person stepped into the Dag Hammarskjdid Library Audilorium and asked: "Is a man from Mars speaking iiere?" 1 must

confess similar questions ran througli my mind before 1 first met Hoagland at Omni's New York office. There's no getting around it: Hoagland has some unusual ideas about Mars. Monuments—a whole metropolis in fact—he believes, are linked to structures on Earth and the moon that, in turn, are tied together by an advanced new physics that may have spawned "hyperdimensional" space technologies the United States government may have gotten its hands on. Needless to say, these are ideas the mainstream scientific community wants no part of. That doesn't make Hoagland wrong, necessarily, but it definitely places him on the fringe.

At first blush, he certainly looks normal enough: a well-groomed, bearded man of 48 dressed in faultless business attire. Our conversation began on a normal note, too, with a discussion of parking strategies in

Upper Manhattan and the challenges of finding coffee in offices on Friday afternoon. When we got around to the subject at hand—the alleged works described in his 420-page book, The Monuments of Mars—Hoagland stepped up to the "mike" like a seasoned poi in the midst of a long.campaign. And it has been a long cam- paign. For 11 years he has chsscrossed the country, trying to get scientists to seriously consider the possibility that an advanced civilization has left calling cards of

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT CLARK ——

1 ick Observatory photograph of ^_the Sinus Me dfV central region of

the full moon. The large white circle is Ihe rim of the sixteen-mile-diameter crater, Ukert, located just north of Sinus Medii, viewed from Earth through a large telescope under "high noon" lighting. Note the remarkably perfect equilateral trlangls darkening

the crater floor. It was this striking geometric symbol—directly connected to the mathematical decoding of the "Ivlonuments of Mars" (see text In accompanying article) —which led Richard C. Hoagland in 1992 to

examine tfiis region of the moon for potential alien artifacts,

^^ ruined skyscraper on the moon? #^\This striking object has been termed "the Shard," a name delib- erately chosen by the investigation to

imply that it could have once been part of a significantly larger feature. Photographed on film, scanned, and radioed bacl< to Earth in February 1967 by NASA's unmanned Lunar

arbiter III (III-84M), the structure is a vertical, "swollen" column—casting a distinctive corresponding shadow standing at least a mile and a half above the sharp horizon of the airless lunar surface. (The geometric crosslike feature seen above the

column is a camera registration marl<, placed on the Orbiter film before the

spacecraft left Earth,) The Shard is located just soutfiwest of the Sinus Medii central region of the moon. Ndte carefully the geometric detail visible inside the swollen middle section of the Shard; there is no plausible geological explanation for this, or any other aspect of this striking object.

various sizes and shapes all over ihe he conceived with Eric Burgess, co- first spotted in photographs tal

78 OMNI Hiejune bi^,Jackson Pollocked my Wfndshidd../?^*^.czy;P

MORNING EDITION* AND ALL THINGS CONSIDERED* PROM iJATl6NAL, pUBt.IC RADIO.® NEWS WITH SUBSTANCE. ihis computer-enhanced, false- In color close-up of frame I1I-84M, another remarkable object is seen just to the ieft of the Shard. Termed

"the Cube," if appears to be a seven-mile-high, one-mile-wide, geometric glassiike structure composed of myriad "sub- cubes"^suspended in a darker, highly eroded, equally geometric matrix. The colors correspond to differing light intensities on the original Lunar OrMer frame; yellow and red indicating the brightest, shading to green, blue, and magenta for the dimmest. Note the most intense light scattering (red/yellow) is coming from the highly geometric interior of the

Cube (as opposed to its exterior surfaces). This is totally incon- sisteni with any geologic object, but Is highly consistent with a degraded, manufactured, semi- transparent, eroded glass struc- ture. The highly eroded condition of Ihis anomalous feature, and its surrounding, darker structure, is thought to be due to p'olonged meteor bombardment— indicating literally millions of years of expo- sure on the airless lunar surface.

This false-color, medium-angle shot of the dFtant lumr horizon inlll-84!v1--vie,^^dfr mthe n^nred

1967 Luna tro er Hi o h t r jO miles abo\e ti e n — e i- striking luna ^ l a es t

Shard (rig tl -md tf-t. L extending ^^ tea i mte'^ airless iur^r su face Ih cu puter-enha ci=d \ v lie h g t ne slanting up vard fr m tht eft photograf h f dn p n^ cf tf e ar utnc ssions) ^nd expanding original Oib ter Hi nosd c n h t dl u LLid ig ths towe be S'-''=' NASA m aralys s r J cate th^t these light- the slructureb are n^f aligned with (cr t hnt of park ig, fiajment^ y at right angles to) this prominent "structure"— indicating that these scattering features— in an airless, photographic feature, but are aligned bright features are only the surviving cioudiess lunar vacuum—most likely with the local verlical^toiva re' the remnants of a once far more com- represent actual surviving remnants center of the moon. Light intensities plete, much larger, -intelligenily of some type of ancient "lunar dome- of the original film have been manufactured structure on the moon. like structure," possibly once covering changed by the computer to Photographic experts, geoiogisls, much of Sinus I\/ledii—perhaps corresponding colors, to bring out the and manufacturing engineers with constructed by visitors colonizing the fainter extension of a highly eroded the Mars Mission have ruled out moon with extremely advanced stf jcturai "tower" connecting the simple photographic defects or engineering technology millions of Cube downward with the lunar geologic features to explain these years ago. Return lunar missions will surface seven miles below; objects; increasing evidence (from either confirm or deny this hypothesis. lines—strikingly resembles Ihe pattern to the moon or Mars, His efforts have of angles observed among pyramids in been nothing short of monumental. But

Egypt and Mexico, at Stonehenge, and the question- remains: Is it all an elab- even recent crop circles. How could orate "delusion," as he once asked in this be? Hoagland suggests an the book? Is he a latter-day Don Own A answer: Extraterrestrials may liave tin- Quixote tilting at Martian sphinxes? Or kered wltti our planet in ways we're just has he stumbled upon a phenomenon beginning to appreciate. His investiga- so fantastic the rest of the world cannot Modem? tion, lie's quick to point out, is wholly face up td it, despite a body of evi- unrelated to the UFO abduction phe- dence he now calls "conclusive?" nomenon. "Our work has nothing to do —Steve Nadis with things that go bump In the night or people claiming to be snatched from Omni: After so many years studying their beds." something the rest of the world either No one denies that Hoagland has hasn't seen or doesn't believe, have performed the most detailed analysis you ever doubted your sanity? of Cydonia ever undertaken. If any- Hoagland: I don't think we're crazy. thing, critics say the analysis is too Posing that question in the book was detailed, given the data available. just a way of expressing my own "Since the pictures are less than ideal, incredulity, as well as sharing with the there Is a tendency to overwork them readers tlie feeling that this stuff is pret- Explore and draw conclusions that may go ty amazing. I grew up on the Twilight beyond reason," says NASA Ames Zone, Buck Rogers, Robert Heinlein, planetary scientist Chris McKay {Omni Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov. But I OMNI Magazine Interview, July 1992). "There's no doubt never imagined I'd find myself in the the thing looks like a face, but the con- middle of a bona fide investigation of clusion that it was built by some civi- possible extraterrestrial artifacts.

Ever. I it impor- on America lization is a huge, huge leap." Never. So thought was Cornell astronomer Carl Sagan tant to remind the reader that I'm argues that given the human propen- always asking myself: Can we prove sity for picking out faces amid random this; can we test this; can we take this Online FREE

patterns, it's not surprising that some- from the realm of science fiction to the where on the 150 million-square- realm of science fact? kilometer surface of Mars we might find Omni: You once confessed to always for 10 Hours! something resembling a human face. being intrigued by the anomalies. To him, this feature is no more remark- What's the fascination? lf>-ou ownacompuLerandamoderr),yot able than a tortilla chip said to display Hoagland: The weird stuff by definition can get even more of the OMNI experience of Christ, eggplant is the stuff that doesn't fit, things not the face Jesus an with OMNI Magazine on America Onime. resembling Richard Nixon, discussed. Exceptions. Aberrations. supposedly Broader) your horizons and enter tire of find, or a radar image of Venus containing the But in the history science you worlds of science, science fiction, and the visage of Joseph Stalin. first, there are semiperiodic revolutions future with information and itisighis from The scientific community—and where all of what was accepted wis- [his month's issue. Talk to other OMNI NASA in particular—has a vested inter- dom is tossed out, and the weird stuff readers on interactive message boards or est in ignoring him, counters Hoagland, of the old becomes the accepted stuff send e-mail to the OMNI staff. Participate which he attributes, in pari, to the "not of the new order. Second, the revolu- in live conferences and events, and enjoy srbhng publication, invented here" syndrome: "After spend- tions are never accomplished by those OMNI's COMPUTE Magazine, Just use keyword OMNI to ing a billion dollars to search for signs of in the field—always by outsiders com- access OMNI Magazine Online! life on Ivlars and coming up empty- ing in with a fresh point of view. I've handed, they might be just a little been attracted to the exceptions Or, sample hundreds of other infonnative

embarrassed if a small group of ama- because they may lead to that big par- and entertaining services, like computing teurs found the evidence that eluded adigm shift. support from leading hardware and soft- them." NASA, Hoagland charges, has Omni: What gives outsiders the edge? ware makers, more than 70,000 software programs you ran download and keep, also engaged In a systematic "pattern of Hoagland; Lack of vested interest. arrd an international e-mail gateway. abuse, ridicule, personal character People In the field have their careers assassination, distortion of data, and and job security on the line, their house Order today to get America's most exdni^ misrepresentation of the facts going and car payments, maybe kids in col- online service and your free iO-hour trial back to 1976.'' lege. They have reason not io want to membership, Hoagland's counterattack has overthrow a system that's rewarding become more than a fuiltime job. them quite well. Outsiders don't have 1-800-827-6364 Through Mars Mission, the 20,000- the reputation to protect, so they're Ext. 7926 member, New Jersey-based public more likely to pursue an aberrant idea

interest group he heads, he's lobbying If you're in a field for 10, 20, 30 years, to "open the flies" on Cydonia and you develop a certain way of looking at restore "honesty in government." He things. You develop blinders. The thing has touted his cause on TV, while mak- can be right In front of you, staring you

ing appearances at NASA and the in the face, and you don't see it. United Nations, In his spare time he In the early Seventies, when the tries to raise funds for a private mission American Apollo program was winding . Ti» n^ **»""li£S.?2'*H to a close, Ihe environment had become the big rage at

I CBS, where I worked as an adviser to Waiter Cronkite. GUIDE could have gone into toxic sludge and made a nice career i GIF it. I I amfUi HOUDA/ of but decided not to because was as sure then as am

today that if thie human race is going to have a destiny, it has to incorporate space in a big way. After many battles with

the network, I decided to leave in 1972 and privately pursue space as a critical avenue for the future of the human

species. At the time, of course, I didn't know that I'd find evi- dence that may be the lever to get society to realize how im-

portant space is. If we find evidence the human race is not

alone, it's not going to be on this planet, but through the monuments of Mars and maybe the stuff on the moon, and that will have vindicated my faith that, yes, this is important,

Omni: How did you react when you first saw the face? Did it make a big impression?

it Hoagland; Actually it didn't, I had Iwo opportuniiies io take for seriously and rejected it twice. I have great sympathy people who say: "Oh my GodI Come on. give me a break.

This can't be real." Because I've been there. I was at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in 1976 when Viking project sci- entist Gerry Soffen showed us this kind of quirky face and

said: "Isn't it cute what tricks of light and shadov^ can do?"

We all giggled and went about our business. It had to be a trick of lighting. Absolutely no way this thing could be real,

Then I went to Boulder in 1981 to attend the ''Case for

Mars" conference. One night I saw a group of people staring at a projection screen with a big blowup of the face on Mars, Except this face looked much more striking than the knobby, gnarly thing we'd been shown at JPL. Vince DiPieiro and Greg Molenaar, engineers at Goddard Space Flight Center who'd gone through the original NASA data and done state- of-the-art image processing, gave me a copy of their mono-

graph and 1 thought, "Nah. it's just a freak of nature." I took

the monograph home, put it on a shelf, and went back to the

stuff I was doing. Omni: When did the idea finally take hold? Hoagland: In 1983, DiPietro sent me a packet of stuff, photo- graphic samples of their work on Mars. In the quietness of

my den, it was just me and the photographs, and I thought, "Damn, this is peculiarl" The images were very crisp. They brought out details totally unavailable in the raw data. For

rhe first time I considered: What if this isn't just a weird,

eroded mountain? What if we're looking at an artifact? That simple thought set in motion a snowballing process that con- tinues to this day,

Omni: Was it a question of timing, finding yourself in the right frame of mind? Hoagland: Probably of having the data and peace and quist

to really think about it. I began to wonder what ifd mean iC the human species io have absolute, factual knowledge r^

the race is not alone. Not as a distant radio signal 'rorr. Alpha Centauri or somewhere out there, but as a set of exist- ing ruins in our own back yard, accessible with late twenti- eth-century technology Balancing the small probability of that against the overwhelming, almost incalculable impor-

tance, I realized that, damn it, this data required somelxxly doing something more. Omni: Let's talk about ycur big breakthrough—the discovefy of something you call the city on Mars. Viking imagery, Hoagland: Well, I was looking down at the photographed from 1,000 miles overhead, studying Sws sthking, bilaterally symmetric image of a humanaid fece. Making the comparisons down a center line, it's ^xnA 90 so 95 percent symmetric. There's no easy way for geotogy »

give you that kind of symmetry. Then I started wondehng where one might go to get a good view of Hvs sculplt«& Ex-

amining the left-hand side of the photograph, 1 spcS^ a col- AmTirVlATTER UFO UPDATE: A decade-old UFO sighting continues to spark controversy and concern in Russia

a UFO case becomes "a classic," no amount of logic can convince some people that a pr explanation holds sway. Take the sighting m

1984, when a S( north from Beloru toward Estonia, At 4:1 passing Minsk, the co-pile ahead and to the right. For t the light, or whatever it w the airliner along its path. Captain Igor Cherkashin called the local irafric control, who saw nothing in the sky. But after sever- al minutes of searching on radar, ground contrallers reported a funny "double image," presumed by some F to be the airliner and its es- ' cort from beyond. As the radar was tracking, co-pilot Gennadii

and began making sketches

of the apparition as it changed shape, color, and size. Its scintillating sequences of color were so bright the crew could see its reflection in the

cussing , one supposedly heading in the opposite direction, that had observed the strange lights as well. According to rumor swirling around army newspaper, Red S " craft Minsk sighting might have t ! UFO community, this second h y interceptor sent up to cl liaht beams striking floating pilot reportedly died a year later of cancer co-pilot suffered heart problems. A stewards, said to have contracted a mysterious skin disease. To some investigators on the case, the medical --'- puzzle had an obvious explanation: the rays of the UFO. Russian UFO-watch

sr called it "one of the most serioi injury cases ever reported." But despite all the theories, a prosaic explanation

exists. It turns out that just when the pilots in the first '

AmTinnATTER

^rCHIC OVERLOAD

'''': -' i . 1

.-» ^1 Willi li uiHimiiiMiti . ..* -~^i l^^teS'l'i'

1 ,. .

nong debtors." andros bill-collection efforts? David To prove the point, raunchy.

I Craddock cites a trial con- r ' - of London's Bod iggests

mans alike. were treated with Aeo- 7". i idea, lus The result; Of those Bodywise touts Aeolus receiving treated bills.

J. Wysc neuroscientistat th "Looking back, non

Monell Chemical Sen )f the tips we received Center in Philadelphia Allen Davis.' 1y attractive, friendly. doubts these results w jt Richard says Kems- I Mike and competent, while an- I collection."—Anita Baskin Sergeant w \.

apr. Scientific Investigation of Claims of the The very stuff oi X-Files is paranoia. X-FILES Paranormal) is a group of individuals in "Fallen Angel," we discover that CONTINUED FROM PACE 47 with different opinions. Some would the source of Mulder's UFO leads,

have problems with the X-Files, since it Deep Throat, has a stranglehold on the whose existence isn't quite on the presents the paranormal as a given. 1 FBI and seems to be playing them like same plane as ours, (UFO researcliers) enjoy the show. It's fiction; it's labeled a violin. Oris he? Jolin Keel and Jacques Vallee have as fiction. Our culture loves horror sto- In the final show of the first season, similar theories." ries, and this series is entertaining. "The Erlenmeyer Flask," Deep Throat is

Is X-Files dealing with the mythology "There are a lot of TV programs killed, "Trust no one," he oroaks before of the twentieth century? these days coming across as true doc- he croaks,

"I think there is some kind of correla- umentaries. TV has gone crazy on the Is this a responsible message for tion," says Chhs Carter. "Myths try to paranormal bandwagon. Encounters. this day and age? explain the invisible. We're playing, but Unsolved Mysteries. Sightings. They "I think so," says Carter. "It's a dis- we're not trying to draw any hard con- label them as true. X-Files, though, is a trust of authority coming through there.

it's clusions. We work with the unknown, good show." I just think a personal thing I have we explore the unknown, but we don't Karr voices the opinion of many about institutions and authority. That's pretend to have any hard answers." concerning the other "true" paranormal why I put it in the show." J

Other journals take a different tack shows. They all seem to be tabloid "It's hard to get a handle on what is ' on these unusual subjects. television, far closer to Hard Copy than going on in the world both politically The Skeptical Inquirer Is a fusty the McNelll-Lehrer Report. As "infotain- and spiritually without being a little magazine filled with grumpy essays by ment" they pander to the sensational paranoid," says Jay Kinney, publisher brilliant people. Though a vital antidote with only the occasional mutter of jour- of Gnosis magazine. "All sorts of reve- to open-minded magazines and the nalistic skepticism, Alas, they also pos- lations about covert operations foster a more credulous of the other media, ulti- sibly feed the paranoia of the certain paranoia. Some of that is a mately it is not as much fun. less-educated and more psychologi- healthy paranoia.

What, pray tell, do the editors think cally susceptible. They exist more be- "Social paranoia is a growing niche of X-Files? cause of inexpensive production costs market. There is a large portion of the

"I've seen it on a number of occa- and ratings hunger than any true inter- population that is primed not to believe sions, " says Barry Karr, executive di- est in digging up the truth. what newspapers print or television rector and public relations director. "It's Paradoxically by plunging into fic- says. To me, that's healthier than forty funny you should ask. Last week we tion, X-Files gets closer to the facts. years ago when no one challenged the were talking about it at a meeting. One such fact is that this is a paranoid official line." "CSICOP (the Committee for the age we find ourselves living in today. After a slow start, X-Files seems to be experiencing a growing popularity

Virtually all the people I spoke with dur- ing my investigations enjoyed the show. HarperPrizm Books will be pub- lishing a series of original books based on the series. The first three will be writ- ten by Charles L. Grant, who promises more background material, particularly concerning Scully and Mulder's private lives and pasts. Comic-book versions ,.J and lunch boxes seem inevitable, ^ X-Files fans abound in cyberspace. Fans in the alttv.x-files newsgroup on the Internet discuss each episode in nitpicking detail. Scully and Muldur find themselves sent on fan-created investi- gations in the companion all.tv.x- files. creative newsgroup. The agents even pop up in discussions in serious UFO- and paranormal-related news- groups such as alt.paranet.ufo. There's no question that people have experienced the unusual and bizarre. The true question is, just what

Is the source of that experience? Here is the essential beauty of X-Files, and why the show's formal works so well. Ultimately, through a fictional medium, the show takes a scary fun- house freakshow ride through the human heart, mind, and spirit with no conclusions, only questions as to the very nature of reality Questions that can only linger in viewers' minds—and lives, od © ARTCUMINGS

:,

No one has ever gotten me out of a depfes^ion So easily —

CHIEF ENGINEER Dues tiiis Japanese model outperform famous European luxury pei Fujiyama™liyama Ceramic Pen still $3925* you'd better believe I jump at. only Whenever I've gone on these little *But read this adfor an eve n better deal! expeditions, I'm always asked my opin- you've ever had occasion to write with one of the famous Euiopean ion, and I think maybe I've thrown them If pens, you know what marvelous products they are. Writing wiih fhem Ls a few good ideas. One scientist at a joy. It is almost effortless. The pen appears to float across Sie paper NASA said to me, "Mr. Doohan, you're even your thou^its seem to flow moip freely. The substantial drawback, very well-read, You're way ahead of however, as with so many other nice things, is that the price of tliese luxury pcr« is awfully high. Ifs easy to spend or more on or us." I guess it's all part of living up to S150 of them. Japanese iriends created their versicm of the image Our have own these luxury pens.They are equally pleasing and quite similar u I only wish that our government appearance, heft arui feel They have &ie same hi-lacquer finish, ttie would double or even triple the NASA same fine gold-tone accents and the same gold-plated cl p a budget. They're not getting enough thLSe famous European luxury pens. The exclusive cera m

writing tip I money to do the things I think should provides silk-smooth, effortless writing. It w never flatten, stall or skip, even after hardest and longest use be done, I firmly believe that we must Themoiit lemarkable Biing about HxeFiijiyama CeimiiicPen keep up manned expeditions into outer is its price. We are the exclusive distribufore and are iJiere- space. The reoent shuttle flight with fore able to offer it for just 339.95. But, we have an even multiethnic astronauts took us to a better deal: Buy twofor $79M, and zveTl send you a flrird one future that Star Trek has already shown fREE.'E&csrdlhoselackyballpointpensandfhosedumS) fe tipl\iitesni us: taking people from many countries, diaracierandgoodappearancetoyourwriting.Andrnatea al> grea Lu),anevengre tron if putting them together, and sending you take advant^e of our 3-for-2 "better deal". Get with it—get your Fiijiyama Cemnlic Penis) today! them out in space to achieve a com- t"OR FASTEST SERVICE. ORDER For quantify orders |li ili Peaches JeH

if TOLL (800) 797-7367 mon goal. Believe me, I were given FREE 24 Hours a Day, 7 tiays a Weeli. the opportunity to go into space, you'd

be amazed at how fast I could pack. Of course, I might have to fight my wife for the seat! In the final analysis, I'm very content to play Scotty When you think about it, no matter what the story was, he was 185 Berry Street, San Francisco, CA 94107 right there in the center of power—that

ship couldn't move without htm. But I think the greatest compliment I was ever paid was being granted an hon- 2 BOOKS FOR THE PRICE OF 1 orary doctorate from the (Vlilwaukee School of Engineering. Many students ESSENTIAL WINDOWS TOOLS who entered that institution listed on 382 pages plus one 3.5-inch high-density disk Regularly $29.95 Now $17 their applications that my character in Star Trek was one of the main reasons A must-havs book-disk combination that will transform you into a Windows power they had chosen to go Into the engi- user. Find a feast of tips, tools, and shortcuts, presented in an easy-to-under- neering field. stand style. Disl< contains programs to really supercharge your desktop. I guess being a cultural icon has its ESSENTIAL WORD FOR WINDOWS TOOLS rewards after all. DO 273 pages p!us one 3.5-inch disk Regularly $29.95 Now $17

Mr. Doohan lives in Washington Slate For Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0. Learn to use Ihe powerful tools included in with his wife. Wende, and sons Eric Word to creale perfect documents fast and efficiently. Disk includes macros and and Thomas. He is currently working the powerful Word add-on DoouPower Pro, which adds file management, te>rt and on his autobiography which is sched- file search, powerful macros, and much more to Word. uled for publication in 1995. YES! Rusti me the books I've ordered below,

ESSENTIAL WINDOWS TOOLS—Special price $17 per copy What would you change if you were chief engineer? How would you ESSENTIAL WORD FOR WINDOWS TOOLS—special price S17 per OOpy _

If upgrade the Enterprise? you were . BOTH BOOKS FOR THE SPECIAL PRICE OF $29,95 Scotty, what would you do? Give us SHIPPING AND HANDLING- S3 to US, $4 to Canada. $8 elsewiiere a call at (900) 285-5483. Your com- NC, NJ, NY residents add sales tax, Canadian residents add GST _ ments will be recorded, and the best TOTAL DUE _ deas may appear in an upcoming ssue of Omni. The cost for the call s 95 cents per minute. You must be or older. Touch-tone age 18 phones COMPUTE Books only. Sponsored by Pure Enter- 324 West Wendover A' tainment, 505 South Beverly Drive, Greensboro, NC 2740S Suite 977, Beverly Hills, California 90212. HOWTOPASSTHEMENSA ENTRANCE EXAM WITHOUT ACTUALLY TAKING IT

Have you ever scored at least this high on any of these For a list of tests i id scores we accept, order our free tests? Then you can get into Mensa on what we caJl brochure i)y calling t 11-free 1 -800-66MENSA, ext. 9403. "prior evidence." Just send your name, address and a onal society with a local face - 142 notarized photocopy of your certified score, plus a $20

evaluation fee"* to American Mensa, Ltd., Dept. 9403,

2626 East 14th Street. Brooklyn, NY 1 1235-3992. Then get ready to join thousands of interesting people in a world mxvmysdt of ideas, imagination and thought as a member of Mensa! MM TbeHighlQSociety "CllK cy Order, [.I.S. Fuird^ Only

mostly they were as silent as before. I "And they could sense things." DYING hated them, completely, utterly, and Chen added, not looking up. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7H quietly. Ng looked at him. "What did you actually see?" Chen "You know that?"

"I believe it." and then "I don't believe you, Hye. I don't be- asked eventually. Miranda sighed. Ng nodded, lieve in these orders. I believe you want "It could have been shadow. It dropped back. to hunt." looked as if something moved. About Another five minutes took us up and

"He's right," Chen said suddenly, too three feet high, That's ail I saw, and I down the next side street, I felt stupid, caimly "Ng's right. This fucl^er wants to be barely saw that." and impotent. There could be something the last hunter He wants the last trophy." "Dog?" I asked. here, and all we could do was walk

around, waiting for it to lollop in front of "It's off," i said, "We're going home." "No."

it Miranda stared at me. Chen looked up at her I hoped for us, when that's the last thing would

that If it existed, which it almost cer- "We can't. I saw something." his sake she wasn't mistaken. do.

"fvlaybe." Then there was a small There was nothing to be seen in the tainly didn't. For a moment I felt com- explosion and we all started shouting side road. We turned round at the end plete despair and knew in my heart of at each other. If there was anything and walked back up it, and then crossed hearts Hiat there were no animals any- here it'll be on the moon by now, hiding to the other side and did the same. more. There couldn't be. They simply under a rock. 'It's off. I'm not finding Then we moved down the central strip wouldn't fit in this world. something for this fucker to shoot it." and did the next road. There was still We turned into the last side street

sigh. I "You will find it," Hye said, turning to enough light to see, but I reckoned we and I heard Miranda reached look at me for the first time only had about another hour. out and took her hand, and she looked

"No." Halfway down the next road I turned at me. There was something wrong "Yes," he said, and moved one to find Ng on my shoulder again. tonight, and we all knew it, It felt like it hand slightly. Silently, ten guns were "The light will be going soon," he would be the last time we did this. raised. said. Something about the soldiers behind

"I know. It's over, I'm afraid. There's us, about Hye, about the whole fucking We walked in silence down the first no way we can traipse through all the world, said that the gaps were closing side road. Ng walked a few yards be- buildings in time. Even if we could, even and the old dreams had been squeezed hind. His shoulders were set, and he if there is an animal, it's not going to out. We walked to the end of the road, walked by himself. Behind walked the show with ten men with guns padding watching the sidewalks carefully and buildings, then soldiers. Some of them spoke softly to behind us. I don't care how quiet they scanning the and we each other every now and then, and are. Animals could hear things we can't turned. The soldiers, guns still at the there was the occasional laugh, but even imagine." ready, echoed our progress, walking to 92 OMNI the end of the road and then turning to row on the other side. By this time we'd get a few yards, and theri had to Crdss follow us. begun to double back on ourselves. to the other side. As Chen checked the About twenty yards up the road Ng The sound of shots was coming less street, Miranda turned to me.

scared the life out of me by suddenly frequently, and the muted shouts "What are we going to do? I mean, speaking from directly behind me seemed more distant, too. do we stay, or what? Are we still look- again, When we came up against the next ing?" "Run very 'fast into a building on the intact wall, Chen stopped abruptly. "I don't know. Chen, is It clear?" to look," side, Good luck," I turned to look at him. "Have to stop a second." "We've got Miranda said

He smiled and nodded us forward. I glanced round, and then stoppeci, desperately "We have to." Suddenly there was a shout behind too. My chest was aching and Miranda "Miranda, they'll kill us if they find

feet. I us. is it clear, what?" us, I tugged Miranda's hand and gave was barely on her Realizing was Chen, or

Chen a shove and we sprinted for the still holding her hand. I let go of it, Chen was standing with his head nearest building. A shot fizzed off the "We're as far away as we're going to and shoulder poking out into the street. lintel of the vacant doonAfay we stum- get without leaving the subsector, A He was absolutely motionless. bled through but we kept on running, minute, then walk. We have to keep "Chen?" weaving through the debris and out the moving." They nodded weahly at my He half-turned his face toward us other side. being hght again. then, but his eyes didn't move. Miranda " "What the hell . . "Ng. Why?" Miranda asked, pulling and I soundlessly took a step toward

"He's still alive," Chen panted. "Three the back of her hand across her fore- him and looked out into the street. have gone after him. Run. RUN." head. It was nearly dark now, as dark as it planet with We ran. On impulse I steered us "Becau^ he wanted to," Chen said. ever gets on a a hundred across the main strip and then into a "He wasn't one of Ihem. He knew what trillion light bulbs. The street outside

long burnt-out building. The shouts be- we w^e iKFe for." I nodded. was deserted and quiet. The soldiers

hind weren't getting any farther away, °l hcpe to fuck he's all right," Chen had obviously regrouped, and were no but they were spreading out. They looked al me. We knew he wouldn't be. longer making any noise. They were didn't know where we'd gone. We all A shout echoed in the street outside, trained men, and they had set about winced at each hissing shot, bul so still Uie other side of the strip, but finding us as they'd been trained to do.

long as they were still firing, we were nearer. Quietly, efficiently, and terminally. If

still alive. And so, hopefully, was Lieu- Tune to move." anything, the silence meant we were in

tenant Mg. t poked my head nervously out of even more danger. We had to duck out of the building the remains of a door. The street was But that wasnt important to any of us. at one point onto the road, so we dear, and we slipped round into the next Sitting in the middle of the road was a cat, crossed quickly and slipped into the section of the building We could only I've seen countless photographs of

cats. They've always been what I wanted to see most, and I've probably looked at more images of them than

any man alive. But as 1 stood and stared

1 didn't see the photos or reference

books. I saw exactly what my grand-

It animal, about A^JP we SHALL SW£ fafZe\/£z. mother saw. was an a foot or so high, covered in fur and with green eyes that caught the remains of Ar^fP^ gv/e'P -.- /WiJ ^i/e>?... HAi.L£Li/j-^^ the light. And 1 saw it wasn't human. "Oh shit," Miranda moaned. "Oh

shit." She was crying, I was, too, I dis- covered. Chen just looked, and looked.

He hadn't needed faith. He'd known, I don't know whether he saw that pri-

it mate years ago, and I don't think matters. He'd just known. The cat looked back at us, and then

glanced down the road. I looked, too, but there was nothing there. The sol- diers were creeping toward us from some other angle. The first we'd know,

I suspected, would be the last we'd

know. I didn't give a shit. Miranda caught her breath as the cat stood up, turned round, and walked about a yard away from us. No,

1 thought. Please. Not yet. The cat looked at us again. Chen straightened up and stepped out into the road Rp^ HALL&^AWygR CHtog^^J "Chen, what are you doing? You'll

frighten it." "Come on," he said, without looking round. We stepped out into the road be- uti.if

hind him. The cat stood up again and two, and then the three of them moved COMPUTE BOOKS walkGd sfowly across the street. We fol- aside to let a pair of small dogs wander lowed it, and it didn't seem to mind. In- through, There was a noise up above

stead of going straight across, its path and we looked up to see a small pack

GIANT curved up tow^d the left, and i smiied, of monkeys larking around, turning and remembering old stories again. rolling over the remains of a steel sup-

When it got to the other side the cat port. A gorilla sat up against the wall, CLEARANCE clambered up onto a doorstep, turned watching a small group of rats who to lool< at us, and then vanished into were beetling toward him. When they the building. We loo!

Reg. 14.95 Snii! S.OO The building was a shell, about another direction. Two long necks twenty yards across. The cat wandered swayed and a pair of giraffes walked Quick & Easy Guide to Lotus 1-2-3 circle, followed Reg. 14.95 Sole 5.00 into the center of the floor and then sat slowly around in a large

again. We stood in front of it, just look- by a sheep. Miranda squawked when Learning to Fly with Flight Simulator ing. It didn't mind us. It didn't seem to something touched her neck, and we Reg. 14.95 Sole S.OD mind. turned to see that it was the trunk of an Flight Simulator Odyssey Then there was a soft sound from elephant. Reg. 14.95 Sole 5.00 out of the shadows, and there were There were more, some whose Complete SuperCard Handbook two. names I didn't even know. Chan might Reg. 23.95 Sole 7.00

We had cameras. We had video. have known, but I didn't ask. None of Exei Guide to LAN Wedidn't use them. us spoke. We just walked slowly Reg. 1S.95 Sale S.OO Chen squatted down on his heels. round the cavernous interior of the Off. Bk of Leisure Suit Larry, 2nd edition The cats looked this way and that, and building, surprised at every turn by Reg. 12.95 Sale 5.DO one oi them raised a paw to lick it something new. Still they milled around Hints, Maps, Sol. to Camp Adv. Games briefly, us, and they were all different, and they Reg. 16.9S Sale 7.00 "Oh." Chen said then. were all alive Eventually the three of Guide to Nintendo Games From out of the shadows behind the us, surrounded, halted in the center,

Reg. 9.95 Sole 4.00 cats there came a shape. It was about and just stood. We'd come looking for

Official Book of Llltima, first edition three feet high, and it stood on two an animal, however small, however Reg. 14.95 Sale 5.00 legs. Its body was covered in dark final. And here we were In an aban- building, in the midst of Nintendo Secrets brown fur, apart from around the face, doned about a Reg. 8,95 Sale 4.00 and its arms were surprisingly long. It hundred. ambled drunkenly across the room, There was a shout outside, and then Off. Gd. to Jack Nicklus Computer Golf the of Shot. all ducked un- Reg. 12.95 Sale 5.00 reeled slowly around the cats, and sound a We then came and stood in front of Chen. thinkingly but none of the animals even Off. Bk of Roger Wilco, first edition With Chen crouched down they were flinched. The first cat reappeared by Reg. 14.95 Sale S.OO aboui the same height, and just stared my feet, and started to walk toward a COMPUTEI's Guide to Sega Genesis each other In the face. The animal door in the outside wall. Reg. 9.95 Sole 4.00 stretched out a hand, and then 'No," 1 said urgently, "No." It turned Conquering Zelda, first edition plopped it on Chen's head. Chen to look at us, and then continued, Reg. 7.95 Sole 3.00 reached out to take the other hand! It threading its way through the animals. Big Books of PC Sports was a chimpanzee, We followed. Reg. 14.95 Sale 5.00 Chen let the chimp rootle round in The street was light after the build- Official Guide to Mega IVlon the his hair and pull his nose, and I watched, ing, and thirty yards away we saw Reg. 7.95 Sole 3.00 darting my gaze over to the cats every body crumpled in the middle of the first Cong. Super Mario Bros, edition ten seconds or so, I put out my hand to road. It was Ng. He was dead. The sol- Reg. 7.95 Sale 3.00 Miranda She wasn't there. diers were advancing from the other Guide to Nintendo Adventure Games She was standing a couple of yards side of the strip, ten abreast, right Reg. 7.95 Sale 3.0D away looking in a completely different across the road. The cat stopped in the

Nintendo Tips & Tricks, V.l direction. About a car length from her middle of the street, and we stopped Reg. 9.95 Sale 4.00 stood a white horse. Behind it was behind it.

something I suspect was a rabbit. There was a sound and we turned Big Book of Nintendo Games of the out Reg. 16.95 Sale S.OO "Chen," I said. He stood up and to see one horses stepping came over, accompanied by the Into the road. It was followed by a dog, Sega CD Sourcebook mimicking then by the They all Reg. 12.95 Sale 4.00 chimp, who seemed to be and monkeys. the way Chen walked. Or maybe Chen walked slowly but purposefully, out into Official Guide To Sonic the Hedgehog, Rev. had always walked like a chimp and I'd the center of the road. TInen they Reg. 12.95 Salei.OO never known. started to walk down toward the main Behind the rabbit there was a small stnp, toward the soldiers, clump of squirrels who were rolling "Don't." around in the dust and swiping at each But they all came out, in pairs, in other. We walked past them because packs. The giraffes and the rats, sev- we could see that in the gloom there eral rabbits and four wolves. They all were others. We went another few came out and walked down the road yards, and then stopped. without a sound. The road was full, al- The horse was joined by another most crowded, as rank after rank of an- MYSTERIUM imals marched down tlie street. When BY ROBERT CHARLES WILSON the first of them reached the cross- Review by Andrew Wheeler roads, the soldiers were already there. The soldiers didn't see them. They be- A mysterious explosion at a high- just kept slowly advancing, and ttie the animals slipped. 50% tween gaps security government lab throws the The farther away they got, the harder it Rivers, Micliigan small town of Two became to see them. They became into a strange and dangerous alter- translucent, like ghosts, but ihey weren't. They were there. The soldiers nate worid. Soon, the town is under OFF simply couldn't see them, and the ani- military occupation, and subject to THE REGULAR PRICE mals brushed past them like a mist. I the often-capricious demands of the saw Hye in the center of the road, look- Bureau de ia Covenance Religieuse, ing impatiently around him. He looked through goats and cats, horses and rhi- police force of the Consolidated Kids' nos. A giraffe seemed to walk right Republic. A few of the inhabitants through him. He didn't see it. Computer Book (and a friendly anthropologist, the stream of animals Eventually A book-disk combination Linneth Stone, sent to study them) began to thin out, and we knew it was for kids and their parents nearly over Chen's chimp took a step realize that the Bureau has a sinister forward, and I saw he was still holding Includes six shareware programs plan for Two Rivers, and that they Chen's hand. Chen didn't hesitate for for kids on one 3.5" high density have to find avi/ay out... long. He nodded at me, and smiled at disk plus "A Parents' Guide to The above synopsis probably Miranda, and then he walked off down Kids and Computers," and "An the road, with a dog to one side and a reminds you of some great Golden Overview of Children's Software." rabbit following up behind. He passed yarns; that's intentional on Age Hye without even looking at him. On tlie disk: ABC's, Brix, Dotso, Wilson's part. He's mining a well- Maybe by then he was seeing some- Math Rescue, The Mice Men, and Word Rescue. worn vein here, following in the foot- thing different. As the soldiers drew to a halt, con- steps of many previous writers. But, fused at the emptiness around them, if ! may strain the metaphor further, the first cat stood up. I bent down to it,

hit I it he's gold. Interestingly —and and tickled behind the ears. I stroked

its back and I rubbed its chin, and it uncharacteristically for hard sf—it's Fun made that sound for me. Then it walked because of his characters. They're off down the road, tail erect. There well-drawn and interesting people, with Windows would be no retreat, It stopped by Ng's not the cardboard scientists and civil- body and looked back at us, and then it A book-disk combination off street. Users ians that make much of current hard disappeared up the for Windows We surrendered, to soldiers who sf dreary techno-porn. And the Includes nearly a dozen shareware seemed quiet and withdrawn and didn't programs for Windows 3,1 users Bureau is interestingly creepy: I can't meet our eyes. Some tever had passed, on one 3,5" high-density disk. talk about them or the Consolidated and Hye and hts men escorted us bafck civility, Republic too much wittiout revealing out of the sector with distant On the disk: Better Colors, Case-

though he must have known I would re- Maker, Cipher for Windows, Con- the changepoint of the alternate port what had happened. I -don't know if found, Great Icons, Harry's Screen world and figuring that out is half — any action was taken; as always, I sus- Savers and Kaleidoscope, Ins and they bigger the fun, so I won't do it —but religion pect have problems on Outs, SmartPaper, Wallpaper, and their minds down there. is inextricably linked with govern- sound files. ment, and Wilson makes them work Miranda went back to PsychStat two together. also what He knows needs days later I see her occasionally, but not VGA or SVGA graphics. to be explained and what doesn't: the often. Our paths don't cross, and I spend most of my time painting now, I'm not plus "event" is triggered by tests of a frag- To order, send $9.00 per book $2.50 very good, it has to be said, but I'm for shipping and handling (U.S., $4 to ment of what must be a UFO hull. olher] to working at it. Maybe in time I'll be able Canada and $6 COMPUTE 324 West Wendover Ave,, Wilson never succumbs to the temp- to show what the photographs can't. Books, Greensboro, NC 27403, (Residenls of

I live in what used to be the office, tation to explain it or have its alien NC, NJ, and NY please add appropriate though it's not an office anymore. That's creators show up to put everything to tax; Canadian orders add 7% goods and ail over The world has finally lost inter- seivices tax,) All orders must be paid in right. The fragment exists and affects U,S, bank. Offer est, and it's finished, 1 don't have to look U.S, funds drawn on a expires January 31, 1995 or while sup- the plot, but it remains an enigma. anymore. I know. The characters just have to learn to The animals are still here. They al- ways have been, and they always will live with it. For Faster Service be. They just won't ever let us see them Please see The Science Fiction again. Or maybe they were never here, Call 910-275-9809 8ooi< Club advertisement in this and maybe they never went. AskforDept. CB . issue for information on ordering Maybe it was us who died. DO l\/!ysterium. —

ameter. This is roughly what Soleri was that you know enough to decide which iruTenvyiEiAJ figuring is necessary to accommodate is an extraordinary claim, Who's in a

COMTIMUED FROM FftGE KJ several million inhabitants. position to judge? I can always shut Omni: In the book you admit that in the you off by claiming your evidence is in- lection of pyramid-shaped objects. The early stages of the discovery process. sufficient because of the extraordinary middle of this compiex presented an you desired there to be a city. Might nature of the claim. The critics keep exquisite view of the face looking you have, to some extent, willed this changing the rules of the"game—with across Ihe Martian desert. city into existence? each new piece of objective, scieniific

In measuring this complex with a Hoagland: No. I was s'haring with the data this investigation has marshalled " protractor and straightedge, I noticed reader my constant ambivalence. I'd in favor of the 'intelligence hypothesis unexpected alignments. There was love this to be true, but also I'm saying They keep moving the goal line, mean- way too much order, pattern, linearity. to myself, come on, It can't be. We've ing there's no way we can win.

Later, when Erol Torun joined me, I un- been brought up in a culture which for Omni: So you consider this an impossi- covered a redundant, specific geome- the last 30 years has shown us a dead ble burden of proof? try in the collection of pyramids we call and lifeless solar system. People think Hoagland; You bet. It allows people to the "city" and In the face—a specific, the only place they'll see aliens or lost kill an idea by claiming that (a) it's ex- repeating pattern of angles, mathemat- civilizations is on Star Tret<. Certainly traordinary, and (fa) there's not enough ical constants, and equations. It be- not in photos taken of any piece of real evidence, It fosters a subjectivity that is came apparent we weren't looking at estate in the solar system. I was simply bottomless. pyramids in Ihe Egyptian sense; some trying to be honest. I didn't immediately Omni: You're suggesting people haven't into claims for po- appeared to be hollow, embrace this; I had to be dragged. looked your

Omni: You assume that at one time Had to drag myself, kicking and litical reasons. But might it be the sci- these may have been living quarters? screaming, inch by inch, micron by mi- enUfic evidence you've put forward just Hoagland: Yes. Considering the current cron. Only when we got the numerical isn't compelling enough to warrant a Martian environment—mostly carbon data, this incredible, precise geometry closer look? dioxide at one one-hundredth the air giving us algorithms, a new physics, Hoagland: Well, they haven't looked, so — have pressure at sea level on Earth ^it's pretty and predictive examples of astronomy, how could they know? That we obvious if someone were to live on could I go back and say "It has to be a the data on the table, and the powers Mars, he or she would need some kind city," This phenomenon has to be a within NASA or above and beyond

fit test hypothesis, of artificial environment. I was reminded complex designed by intelligent be- have not seen to our of the arcologies, architectural ecolo- ings, because too much stuff checks says something about the shortcom- gies proposed by Paolo Soleri, which out. There's a lane of circumstantial evi- ings of the politics of this phenomenon, are like Biosphere [I in Arizona: large, dence four miles wide. not ihe science of it. enclosed environments with green- Omni: Maybe so, but some critics like Omni: But on a technical note, if you houses, factories, and energy systems Carl Sagan aren't convinced. might address one point critics have huge three-dimensional condominiums, Hoagland: Sagan has this curious ar- raised—the tendency to see faces in miles in diameter. The things we're see- gument, "Extraordinary claims require clouds, on mountains and the moon. familiar ing on IVlars, the individual structures extraordinary evidence," with which I The human face is the most making up the city, seem to be pyra- flatly and totally disagree. That little syl- pattern we're conditioned to recognize. mids on the order of a mile or two in di- logism contains a fatal trap: the idea Hoagland: That's Sagan's argument.

rt rtedium-angle. unenhanced the product of intelligent design. 1 \3 loriginal Apollo photograph, The largest anomalous fragment in taken from lunar orbit 70 miles the photograph is termed ''the

above the moon in the vicinity of Castle." It appears to be a manu- the lunar craters Ukert and Tries- factured, highly geometric object— necker, The mission photograph, exact size currently unknown- AS10-32-4822, was acquired by an embedded in a "gridlike" frame- Apollo astronaut using a hand-held work {remnants of a former "lunar 70 mm camera. Date: May 1969; dome") estimated to extend mission: Apollo 10—prs-landing approximately 30 miles above the

lunar orbital test flight for Apollo 1 1. lunar surface. This particular ver- The highly reflective structures and sion of the original Apollo photo- background fragmentary geometric graph (one of several Apollo 10 pattern are completely inexplicable images discovered mysteriously by any known lunar analysis car- archived under this /den t/ca/ frame ried out by NASA. The independent number) was supplied to the Mars scientific investigation currently Mission by sources inside NASA, being conducted by the Mars Subsequently, several public ver- Mission [Into this and other NASA sions of this remarkable Apollo lunar photographs—see text) indi- photograph—complete with the cates an increasing likelihood that Castle and the grid—have been these anomalous objects are in fact i confirmed.—Richard C. Hoagia>d —

and Jt falls apart of all because out Gci TV n-ccptioii you never iiad before, with the ... those mesas we've looked at, only one resembles a human face, li also hap- Antenna Multiplier pens to be one that's part of a complex possessing stunning geometry. The ex- still only $295^ traordinary details we've found are as specific as finding New York City What are the odds of finding a series of recti-

linear structures [aid out on a slender : ' Yij;, ' granite slab in the northeast region of thit II 1 I

the United States? You could say inp till I I I I I I I there's a tendency to see recti linearity, icle— 111 in I tLlL fr ni mi. nPiits Ihii lil^riih j| miiltiphe thPiPLe^tinnpowPH'M lurTX 4i Jtiu which there is. Somebody built this rec- The \hi!iij.ti 1'" tishiii es \outT\ piLtur Llimiintts t,li s tilinear table, but they did it because and ititii. ^id brin^'i in -itatii ns that v\ ere until m ^i, onh that's what Euclidean geometry and ttie MsibleflsfliLkeis^nd anllo^mJ;-h^d ms In moif irei'; \ou «ilUe i. i "'

' < " penchant for intelligence compels us to ibletOLlimimt(_,3n\ outinr intcnmi.™plttel\ (IiTT.itedb\ itmis '' " '' V "• pherit 111 L">niti^int'-) I otvei ^eti it'i do—to order the universe in geometric ^eo^iapliiL Tlie \lii pi li riLei no out^de |. — it " -itt /; tt Ici i ititcfell- patterns. And that is the key to decod- luiLL ri^httlir juhhwurT\ "lou pbte the M (»i; i un the K>n In itf>nane^ib\ tille or it on all A.n i uti.f>ur-,t i, lu ^ ing the features we're seeing on Mars, hing thui tanlid lour me and metfettne r^bbitears loop rtd ordish antennai goid bie Ankniw \lullii.' ?' 'iMllnot Omni: What other evidence supports juiit nhiiut \ourT\ rcteption italsoMstK improies AM/FM radio rettption ind brings your view? mnei\ slT.ticn.s on mLiltiband and shortivin c rcL ntrs tiirnew entertainment litem aiiiea

Hoagland: Near the face, we find a col- Vve lie thee\duf,i\eimpoiteriot tiie AiittnunMiiUipli f^ ' m the United Stitei. Indian lection of pyramidlike objects that, in ther(.f"irLLrin^Vou this .lutstandinjjTVaLCeiiSory tor]Ui,t$2'' T Butwthaveanevtnbttter— fact, morphologically, are pyramids. deal; Buy tii^o for S59.90, and tve'II stmd you a third one, ivith our compliments absolute- ly FREE! Unleash the full power of your television vn&iAnfemm MutHpHer''" . Order it today! Hard, objective science demonstrates we're not dealing with "tricks of light FOR FASTEST SERVICE, ORDER TOLL FREE (SOO) 797-7367 and shadow," but with actual pyramidal liHou a Day 7 Day a Week and/or facelike objects. The point of contention now Is their origin. Are they pyramidal and facelike because of nat- ural processes—wind, water, erosion or were they built?

85 Berry St . San Francisco. CA 941 07 One way to answer that question is by fractal analysis, objective computer criteria for discerning anomalies from natural background patterns, Mark Carlotto and Michael Stein used this technique and picked out the face as FREE VIDEO the most nonfractal; that is, the weird- est, most unnatural piece of Martian Shows You How BOWFLEX' real estate in the several thousand square miles we looked at. Finally, we have my real contribution—the discov- Lets You Outperform ery of a geometric pattern linking sev- , eral objects within a tew miles of each NordicFlex' and Soloflex% other on this IVJartian plane. It's a recur- ring theme whose purpose seems to introduce us to a set of equations opening up a whole new window on physics. This geometric pattern then argues strongly that this complex was designed. There is meaning.

Omni: What is this meaning^ t Wliy Bowfiex's cable pulley system Hoagland: The geometry apparently can. give you better results. was designed to communicate two fun- I Bowflex can offer aerobi damental constants of nature: pi, the Why totb strength conditioning. ratio ot the oircumference of a circle to and

the diameter, and e, the base ot natural I Why only Bowfles is backed by a logarithms. When you divide pi Into e, you get the ratio, 0,865, That number shows up within and between these objects dozens of times. The odds of that happening by chance are astro- nomical. That geometry and mathemat- ical code confirms predictions made tjy other researchers, particularly in as-

trophysics. Basically, it says spinning objects like stars or planets should show upwellings of energy at specific and comets are actually remnants of a latitudes— 19.5 degrees nortti or south, planet that exploded. If so, where did it for example. Starting with the sun and come from, and why did ft disappear?

moving all the way out to Neptune, this One possibility is that it used to be

prediction is confirmed. inhabited by a high-tech civilization Omni: Can you say a bit more about that developed a technology capable

this new physics? of destroying worlds. If this view is con-

Hoagland: This theory, based on "hy- firmed, it will lead to a new theory for perdlmenslonal" mathematics, appears where ttie builders of Mars' monuments to provide a fundamental connection came from. And a striking object les-

between the four forces of nature. In son as well. It would be sobering indeed, our universe energy flows downhill, to confirm high-tech predecessors in Heat goes from hot to cold, from highei the solar system that blew themselves to lov^er energy, So we considered that and their entire planet away because the math at Cydonia is telling us about they were too ignorant to handle what higher dimensions. A spinning objecl liney'd figured out. such as a planet, connected to a Omni: How could you verify such an In- higher and lower dimension, should ex- credibly speculative proposition? hibit a weird energy anomaly, an un- Hoagland: We could rendezvous with a " usual manifestation from an invis chunk of an asteroid and see if there's higher dimension that shows up as an something down there. We could look energy excess in our normal three-di at other bodies in the solar system. If mensional existence. We found exam- we're not dealing with a visit from out- ples of this in Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, side the solar system, then odds are and Neptune, all of which are radiating they put colonies not just on Mars, but more energy than they're taking in from on the moon and other places. There is any observable source. a whole bunch of real estate out there

Omni: If a new mathematics and to visit. We've been looking at the

physics is being communicated, who is moon for two years. If someone built doing the communicating and why? the monuments of Mars, maybe they Hoagland: Suppose we're seeing on would have appreciated the biological Mars a sophisticated, high-tech culture role of the moon upon Earth in the hy- with access to technology based on a perdimensional model. But the moon

physicS'lhat is light-years beyond our has 15 million square miles, so where current thinking. Then maybe, just da you look? The math and geometry maybe, this civilization might leave us, made a set of- predictions, and when the "new kids on the tilock," clues, we started looking at the most obvious OMNI remnants, artifacts, to help us along, site—on space-based, NASA-based, We have many examples on Earth of and Earth-based photographs—we UBRARY CASES advanced cultures lending a helping found a large crater containing an hand to less advanced ones. We're los- equilateral triangle, and a series of ing the race between technology and stunning clues and structures that are artificial. population. Unless we introduce some- positively baffling, if they're not thing radically new to grab everybody's Our evidence strongly suggests that attention and make them act like at one time, there was some kind of

they're all part of the same species and large-scale habitation and construction stop killing other species on this on the lunar structure. Again, we seem planet—we're doomed. to be looking at arcologies, enclosed Omni: You figure these folks came from environments. The great advantage, In outside the solar system'^ contrast to the couple of photographs store your issues of OMNI in our new Hoagland: Do you see any place in the we have of Cydonia, is that we have Cuslom Bound Library Cases made of pictures of the includ- black simulated leather embossed solar system where a high-tech, indige- millions of moon, wiih a goid OMNI logo on the spine. It's nous civilizaDon could have originated? ing almost two million photographs buiil to lasl, and it wili keep 12 issues Pentagon's un- I went through the list of candidates taken recently by the in mint condition indetiniteiy. Each case and eliminated every place. If some- manned Clementine spacecraft. has a goib transfer for recording the date. big are these lunar Send your checl< or money order ($8.95 Pody did something on Mars, they had Omni: Just how each, 3 for $24.95, 6 for 545.95] to come from beyond the solar system. structures, anyway? postpaid USA orders oniy. Foreign orders That was my position until a few days Hoagland: Very big —hundreds of miles add $1 .50 additionai for postage and ago. Now, some new data has come to across and tens of miles high. The handiing per case. the fore that's Incredibly speculative, moon is an easy place to build very TO: OMNI Magazine large structures, with one-sixth Earth's Jesse Jones Industries but worth considering. There's a string 499 E. Erie Ave., Phila., PA 19134 of rubble between Mars and Jupiter gravity, no hurricanes, wind, thunder- CREDiT CARD HOLDERS called the asteroids. There are comets. storms, or earthquakes. {orders overSIS) The origin of asteroids and comets is Omni: Why didn't the Apollo astronauts CALL TOLL FREE: 1-800-825-6690. ambiguous. The existing model holds see anything?

Or mail your order, ciearly showing that they are bits of debris left over Hoagland: Well, when 1 was going your account number and signature, from the formation of the solar system. through the Apollo transcripts, I found PA. residents add 7% saies lax. Now a new model suggests asteroids comments suggesting some astronauts SATISFACTION GUARANTEED Lonoevitv \lai>,azinpsA\()i'k

SHE'S 55! Kathy Keeton, the President and founder of

Longevity magazine, stars in REJUVENETICS and

MORE REJUVENETICS. These two new video

workouts are specifically designed to slow down the

effects of aging on the body and actually mm back the

hiological clock for a stronger, more youthful body.

REJUVENETICS features non-aerobic ballet, t'ai chi,

and yoga movements.

MORE REJL^VENT:TICS concciin-atcs or Ixxi;- sL-ulpt-

ing specific muscle groups to build lean bfxiy mass while

specduig up the metabolism.

Follow either 30-minute program just three times a week

for satisfying results without the stress and strain of

aerobics. Only S14.99 each.

ill 800-527-2189 jnd ask for Department R, or send $14.99 plus S3. 50 ($8.00 outside U.S.) shipping a;

indlin^ tnr eich \idco to; Best Film & Vidf Corp., Dept. R, 108 New South Road, Hicksville, N.Y. 1 1 8f

did see tlie things we have now redis- that will change the status quo in sci- models say the human race is the re- covered on the photographs, bul didn't ence, technology, anthropology and so sult of trillions of random decisions recognize what they were seeing. They on. New technology could lead to big- made in Earth's isolated environment. If were toid they were going to a lifeless, ger, better things. Including perhaps, you roll the dice again, you'll come to uninhabited world and were never weapons. Ultimately, Brookings was the conclusion that, yes, you might

briefed about the possibility of seeing saying what I said a few moments ago: have intelligence on another planet, artificial structures. Unbridled knowledge in the hands of but it couldn't possibly look like us. It's Omni: How could they have been pre- children can destroy a planet. So, the against that backdrop that we go to pared othem/ise? only safe course, or so Brookings rec- Mars. We take a set of pictures. And Hoagland:-A 1961 Brookings Institution ommended, would be to not tell the find a mile-long 1,500-fooi-high effigy report, commissioned by NASA, dis- American people of such a discovery that looks like us. Since you can pretty cussed this very coniingency—that ar- Omni: Since such a revelation could effectively rule out that we did It, you're tifacts may be discovered by our overthrow everything we know, how only left with a few possibilities : an in- space activities on the moon, Mars, or should it be presented to the public? digenous Martian culture, an exterior Venus. The study described two viable Hoagland: Look at what we've lived culture from beyond the solar system, options for confirming extraterrestrial with for the last 40 years. Every morn- or a variant—another culture on another intelligence. One was a search for arti- ing, as kids got up and every night as planet somewhere In the solar system. facts in the solar system; the other, a they went to bed, they had to consider The problem is, it looks like us. Stand- radio search for signals from extrater- seriously that they wouldn't wake up ard evolutionary biology says it can't restrials light-years away. The only E.T.s the next morning, that somewhere, look like us. So it either means some- we ever expected to find were those someone would push the wrong button thing about biology is totally whacko who call us on the phone from Alpha and 50,000 nuclear warheads would and we don't understand it at all, or Centauri, The notion of finding alien ar- turn this planet into a flaming pyre. there has been contact between some- tifacts, somewhere, was considered Somehow we dealt with this awesome, body out there and somebody down politically unacceptable. frightening capability by openly dis- here. In that case, we may be looking Omni: What, in your opinion, is behind cussing nuclear policy and prolifera- at some kind of calling card specifically this apparent bias? tion. We now need an adult attitude designed to capture our attention, it Hoagland: The Brookings document toward extraterrestrial intelligence says very simply that either the uni- discussed the possibility of finding arti- whereby we can rationally assess the verse creates, over and over again. facts and E.T. radio signals and con- possibility the human race is not alone. conscious sentient beings in our image sidered the potential risk to our Omni: How might it "change the history or that somebody went to a lot of trou- civilization. But what's the risk in arti- of human consciousness?" ble to put a version of us down on the facts? They communicate information Hoagland: The standard biological I\i1artian surface to tell us about prior lO'l OMNI contact. Either scenario there is a universal template forcing in- BAfUlES telligence to assume a human form, annmiPORiunn that's pretty amazing; the other possibil- ity is that aliens have somehow med- every throw, "That takes the skill out of

dled in the affairs of Earth, it," Ryplnski says, 'The harder the sur-

Omni: How far do you suppose this face, the harder it is to ilip the caps. "meddling" might have gone? We use three surfaces—wetsuit-rubber Hoagland: Perhaps the face on Mars is for beginners, corkboard for intermedi- evidence someone has used genetic ate games, and hard plastic for the engineering to influence biological de- most difficult game. The lighter the velopment in this environment for rea- slammer, the more challenging the sons that are currently unknown. game," Omn'y. Why wouid someone do that? Back in Hawaii, the slammer started For kicks? Profit? Altruism? as two milk caps glued together, per- Hoagland: Who l

going to make it." And they did some- or more, are made of steel or brass and thing to give us a better chance, some- weigh as much as a golf ball. "TTiere's thing enabling us to pass on the favor no skill involved with heavy slammers,

some day It may have been a little tin- so we do not sanction metals heavier kering or a lot of tinkering. Suppose than aluminum," Rypinski says, "Be- they also decided to leave us a memor- sides, those super-siammers leave ial, so when we grew up and got to dents in the milk caps, which ruins their iviars we could thank them, value as collectibles."

Omni: It true, that would cause a revo- Younger kids like to throw the slam-

lution in science and philosophy. mer down as hard as they can, so they

Hoagland: The history of science or grip it tightly between thumb and fore- philosophy can be viewed as a series finger, "Grips are for dips," a ten-year- of successive dethronements. A few old purist tells me during my first game,

thousand years ago, we—whichever right after I make my first throw, The people we were—considered ourselves WPF rules forbid players to grip with the cliosen ot God, Things moved their thumbs or to squeeze the caps along and we found maybe we're not with their fingers. They also prohibit Stuttering and Your Child: so chosen, but at least Earth was the vertical "knifing" throws. questions and answers center of the universe. Then along Will milk caps, already a hit in For a 64-t^^' book, send S!,CO for posLage and came Copernicus, For awhile, we clung Hawaii and on the West Coast, become ins to. H Stuttering to the idea the sun is still the center of the next national collectible craze? The

the universe, until we found it's just an signs are promising, I ask a nine-year- s,5'age star on the periphery of an av- old friend how many caps she has. 3'age galaxy in a universe of billions "About twenty-six," she replies.DQ a-.a billions of galaxies. But at least we OMNI EMPORIUM //ere still the only sentient beings in the CREDITS entire cosmos. Maybe one reason peo-

IS 2, lop: Robert Clark, paga : NOW OFFERS COLOR ple refuse to seriously consider the arti- DISPLAY ADS. facts on Mars or the moon has to do CALL FOR DETAILS. with the "last dethronement," If we were to find evidence of structures in our 516-757-9562 own back yard, we'd no longer even be the first civilization in this solar system.

,p...... li was once someone else's! Omnv. What do you see as your role in ] Cable TV Equipment J this Your ffl Source for Descramblers, I "last dethronement?" ' I'm just Converters & Combinations \ Hoagland: Now excited about having the chance to explore this prospect In my lifetime—just being part of this enormous revolution, being able Sygma; to continue the search for extraterres- Call far Free iS. paga J trial intelligence and to try to figure it all Syquesl Catalog! i out. That is much more exciting than any place in history. The struggle will WE WILL MATCH OR BEAT not be over when NASA finally, grudg- ingly acknowledges there are artifacts. 0: NASA; page 85: TTm That confirmation of our discovery is page 86: Gamrra Uaison:n; page 87, ijottDm left John Labbe^lfnage Bank; page 87, top rigtit: I CallTodiiy! 1-800-25S-9512 not the endpoint at all, It's just the be- Beltmann Archive; page 112: Otga Spiegel ginning, it opens the door.DQ it's ton, and Stephen Hawking, i believe Personal ARCHITREK one of the things that has made the se- CONTINUED FROM PAGE 55 ries exciting. All you need to do is se- lect a computer program, walk through Products and asked me to meet with Bill Shatner, the holodeck door, and the sky—and who was not only starring in the pic- beyond—is the limit.

ture, but directing it as well. Bill liked There are, however, physical bound-

me, so the studio offered me the job, It aries to the holodeck. For instance, if was a S30 million investment and my you were inside a progjam that placed

first big feature, I was definitely moti- you on the deck of a sailing ship, you vated to make the location sets as could see the distant horizon. But be-

good as the stage sets. cause it's a simulation, you couldn't get In Star Trek V's first scene, the scnpt out of the ship, swim to the horizon, and called for Spock, wearing antigravity look back and see your friends on the

boots, to pop up for a chat while Kirk ship. The holodeck is a finite place— if was scaling the side of a mountain, you walk too far to one side, you're Supposedly this scene takes place on going to bump into the projectors. We Hdw to order tbeni rock face 5,000 feet the a some above don't get bogged down by measuring without ambatras^nent. valley floor. Since you can't put million- it out too precisely, but we try to stick to How to use ttiem dollar-plus stars at such risk, we con- the rules. Our following these rules witltout disappointment. structed a 70-foot-wide by 40-foot-tall helps you suspend your disbelief and replica of the top of El Capitan in the forget that you're not really 400 years in yuu've been rehirtsnt to purchase parking lot of Yosemite National Park. the future, so Itiat you can believe for IFsensual products tlirougli llie maiJ, The parking lot is about 3,000 feet the moment that what you're seeing on we would like to offer you tllree above the valley floor, so we placed television or film is actually possible. tilings that miglit change your mind. our ersatz rock face in such a way that The holodeck is a wonderfully creative First, we gnarantee your privacy. when you look out past it, you appear expression, and it's good to stretch Everything we ship is plainly and secur to be very high. We put Leonard Nimoy one's imagination within its walls. ly wrapped, with no due to its conten on a gimbal, which is like a teeter- Designing for Star Trek is an ongo- from tlie outside. All transactions a totter. This communicated the idea of ing challenge, but it is by no means strictly confidential, and we never seE, Spock floating in front of Kirk, who was drudgery. We have a lot of freedom to clinging to the rock face. In reality, try ideas new each week, though we Second, we guarantee your satisfaction. though, neither of them was ever more always stay within humanistic the If a product is urisatis factory, simply than 10 feet above the ground. Every- boundaries that Roddenberry Gene iL^tiirn it for rcpkccment or refund. thing that required risking life and created. We're very careful and cau- Third, we guarantee ttiat tlie product you limb on the actual mountain face was tious to preserve his optimistic vision of choose will keep giving you pleasure. shot with doubles who were real the future—a future which is admittedly Should it malfunction, simply return it lo mountain climbers. open to interpretation. Our imaginings us for a replacement. Part of the challenge of this location are just educated guesses. It would be was just getting the large and heavy nice to think that 400 years from now Whalis the Xandria Collection? rock face unit into the park and making some curious citizens of the universe It is a very special collection of tlie it fit the rangers' requirements for might uncover dusty archival copies of finest a"nd most effective sensLial products safety and usability. We were allowed our Star Trekf\\ms and television series from around the world. It is designed for to use an upper-level parking area (we in some museum attic, and perhaps the timid, tliebold, or for anyone who has were there in an off-seascn) to put to- look back with warm smiles at these ever wished tliere could be someth gether this slice of mountain. "entertaining icons of twentieth century more to their sensual pleasures.

It in gigantic Earth culture," was assembled two Who knows, we might The Xandriii Gold Collection celebrates pieces, across the to just gotten it right.lDQ wheeled highway have the possibilities for pleasure you each the lower parking lot, reassembled and have within. Send for the Xandria Gold shot, disassembled, and brought back dreams of a child, Ediiiim Catalogue. Its price of S4.CI0 is to be packed up and taken back to the games of the man applied, in fiill, to your first order. studio. All of this was accomplished in when i was a boy, very little Write today. You have absolutrfy noth- a single long day. i counted all the stars, from the ing to lose, and an entirely new wurid of One facet of the Star Trek universe middle enjoyment to gam. combines the use of a studio set with the sky was my universe, me the exterior locations in what I think was master one of Gene Roddenberry's greatest my craft was a chariot, only faster conceptual ideas: the holodeck. my goals were so simple, and so The holodeck is pure joy for a de- clear signer, because it is a place where you i could fly into the sun with no fear can go to get away from the starship capturing the essence in my soul and usual science-fiction locations. You i explored all of earth, and myself can design an exterior in a garden, as all of earth was an easy project we did in the Next Generation pilot, my self an endless galaxy "Encounter at Farpoint." You can be taken back to merry old England; to the From Reflections of Spiritual Astro- Wild West; to Sherlock Holmes' study; nauts, by April Ctawson or to a card game with Einstein, New- BAan(=ci

IN POG HEAVEN:

Milk caps turn into the marbles of tlie 1 990s

By Scot Morris

Coins, stamps, baseball collectible craze, Rypinski cards—lots of people collect hoped things would go these, some for pleasure differently with the caps. and some for profit. In the last In short order, he few years, a new collecl- founded the World POG Fed- ible has come along that com- erdtion (WPF), started bines pleasure and profit fundraising tournaments, in a new way: milk caps, Most printed limited-edition of these date years back, sets to encourage collectors, when dairies delivered milk ^d prepared for his wave in bottles sealed with to hit the beach. When it did, cardboard caps. Believe it a dozen competing com- or not, those seemingly panies were ready with their ordinary cardboard circles own sets of 1.5-inch discs: have made some people Trov Tonx, Rohks, Jots, Zam- very, very rich; One rare set mits KromeKaps, Power of seven milk caps report- Caps Hero Caps, and a mul- edly sold for $8,000 at a re- titude of others. cent auction. Part of the attraction of the The reason for the excite- milt cap game lies in its ment over milk caps is a simplicity Typically, two play- game craze that first swept ers pach ante five caps Hawaii and is now break- and stack them in a column. ing on the mainland. The They flip a cap to see game uses milk caps, who goes first. The winner hits and pre-teens are playing it been distributed in Hawaii, the game that's played the stack with her slam- everywhere; schools In whose population is only with them.) The right to trade- mer, a heavier, thicker disc, Orange County, California, about 1 .5 million. mark the name ptOG, and gets to keep the caps have banned it and cops "A billion of anything gets however, is currently being that flip over She restacks the on street corners ate ask my attention says Alan contested in court. remaining caps, and the ing kids not to obstruct Rypinski the entrepreneur Then he cut a deal with other player hits the stack with the sidewalks with th^ir vho founded Armor Canada's Stanpac, the his slammer Play alter-

gameplay. I Products, then sold last manufacturer of authen- nates until all caps have

It all came abiut company for tic milk caps in North been claimed. because in 1991 Bl iit-gamiilions. The big America, Including those Many schools have

som Galbiso, an elc I imbers led him printed for dairies in banned the milk-cap game mentary-school tea ' H rail and eventually Hawaii. (Authentic milk caps entirely Others allow on Oahu, remember- 1 ating the really cap milk: They're them but forbid playing "for milk-cap game she j it e name POG, paraffin-coated cardboard keeps," because that play as a little ^ir! bhe I ui [lie Maui dairy had discs, each with a tab constitutes gambling. Ry- got a supply of surplus cap owned for more than 25 years. you tear partway and a pinski's tournaments from a local dairy and He had to outbid MCA staple to keep it from always stipulate that introduced the old game to and Universal Studios, but tearing all the way.) they are "not for iW.^9\^~-'^ her students. They he got it. (Rypinski also Rypinski saw right -^^ keeps." As WPF chair- called the game POG, after made some unique provisions away that playing with man, Rypinski does POG-juice, a fruit drink when he acquired the milk caps—like that old his best to keep the made of Passion fruit. Or- name: He requires it to be standby, marbles—was game challenging, anges, and Guavas bot- spelled all in capital letters, more than a game. Just as resisting changes in play that tled by the dairy. and he insists thai the plural previous generations emphasize action at the The game took off in a big of POG is POG—the word did with marbles, kids would expense of skill. Some young way in the little island state. POGs, he says, doesnt exist. want to both collect and players, for example, use By the end of 1993, an esti- In addition, the name play with the caps. While mar- bouncy, plastic boards that mated 2 billion caps had refers only io the caps, not bles never took off as a send the caps flying on iia OMNI CONTIMUEDOMPAGElia Have you noticed the welcome mat is liardly ever out for smokers? For a great smoke, make yourself at home.

BENSON & HEDGES lOO's THE LENGTH YOU GO TO FOR PLEASURE

10 mg "lar." 0,8 mg nicotine an. per cigaratie hy FTC method.

SURGEON GENERAL'SWARNING: Quitting Smoking

Now Greatly ReiIucbs Sarious Risks to Your Health.