##*==..... .....==*##
#@#@*=†=:. .:=†=*@#@#
#*==†:.... ....:†==*#
##@*††:... ...:††*@##
##*==..... .....==*##
###@*=†=:. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* .:=†=*@###
#@#@*=†=:. *= OPERATION CONTRASTING VALKYRIE *= .:=†=*@#@#
@##@*=†=:. =* IN THE SIXTIES. THE CENTRAL =* .:=†=*@##@
#@=†:..... *= INTELLIGENCE AGENCY "CIA" RELEASE *= .....:†=@#
##@#@*=†=: =* AEROSOLIZED SELATENINE OVER A =* :=†=*@#@##
@*††:..... *= JUPITER EQUINOX CONCERT, CREATING *= .....:††*@
##*†::.... =* THE LARGEST SECRET PARADIGM SHIFT =* ....::†*##
@@==...... *= THAT THE WORLD HAS EVER =SEEN=. *= ......==@@
##@@*=†=:. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* .:=†=*@@##
###@*=†=:. .:=†=*@###
@#@@*=†=:. THE JUPITER EQUINOX* CONCERT IS PART OF .:=†=*@@#@
@@**†::... A FESTIVAL IN BLACK TICKLE ARRANGED BY ...::†**@@
#*†:...... A GROUP CALLED EPICENTER OF LOVE. THERE ......:†*#
@=†:...... IS NO ENTRANCE BUT VISITORS ARE ......:†=@
#@#@*=†=:. EXPECTED TO HELP WITH MAINTENANCE. FOOD .:=†=*@#@#
#@#@*=†=:. AND DRINK IS SHARED. MANY BANDS ARE .:=†=*@#@#
@##@*=†=:. PLAYING OVER THE FOUR DAY COURSE OF THE .:=†=*@##@
#@#@*=†=:. FESTIVAL, AND THE STAGE IS OPEN BETWEEN .:=†=*@#@#
##@#@*=†:. SCHEDULED CONCERTS. JUPITER EQUINOX, .:†=*@#@##
@#**†::::. WHILE AN UNKNOWN ACT, HAS A PRESTIGIOUS .::::†**#@
@@*==:.... TIMESLOT AT EIGHT IN THE EVENING ON THE ....:==*@@
@====..... THIRD DAY, WHICH IS FRIDAY. . . . .....====@
@@#@*=†=:. .:=†=*@#@@
@=====†=:. EIGHT IS ALSO WHEN THE PLANE USED TO .:=†=====@
@@#@*=†=:. SPREAD THE AEROSOL LIFTS OFF. IT .:=†=*@#@@
##@#@*==:. ARRIVES AT THE FESTIVAL ABOUT A QUARTER .:==*@#@##
@@*†††=... PAST, SOUND MASKED BY THE CONCERT. ...=†††*@@
#*†=...... AROUND WHEN THE FIRST WAVE OF ......=†*#
@@@=††==:. SELATENINE MUST HAVE REACHED THE .:==††=@@@
###@*=†=:. AUDIENCE, THE SONG COMES TO A TENSE BUT .:=†=*@###
#*====.... QUIET MOVEMENT, AND THE LEAD SINGER ....====*#
#@#@*=†=:. WALKS TO THE FRONT OF THE STAGE. .:=†=*@#@#
#@#@*=†=:. .:=†=*@#@#
@====..... SHE SAYS, WITH A CRYSTALLINE VOICE: "I .....====@
@@*†=:.... HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU. I AM NOT A ....:=†*@@
###@*=†=:. HUMAN BEING. I AM NOT AN ANIMAL OR A .:=†=*@###
@@*†=..... PLANT. I HAVE BEEN SENT TO DELIVER A .....=†*@@
#*=†:..... MESSAGE TO YOU. A MESSAGE OF HOPE. YOU .....:†=*#
##@#@*†=:. ARE NOT ALONE. THERE ARE OTHER BEINGS .:=†*@#@##
##@@*=†=:. IN THE UNIVERSE. THERE IS LIFE OUT .:=†=*@@##
#@#@*=†=:. THERE, LIFE THAT IS REACHING OUT A .:=†=*@#@#
@==:...... HAND. AND IT'S TIME TO TAKE THAT HAND. ......:==@
@@***=†=:. TO REACH OUT TOWARD THAT HAND AND GRAB .:=†=***@@
#*†=::.... IT IT. IT IS TIME TO COME HOME. YOU ARE ....::=†*#
#@#@*=†=:. GOING HOME. YOU ARE GOING HOME." .:=†=*@#@#
#@=†:..... .....:†=@#
#@#@*=†=:. THE SINGER STANDS THERE FOR A FEW .:=†=*@#@#
##@*†:.... MOMENTS, HER HAND RAISED IN THE AIR, ....:†*@##
#@#@*=†=:. BEFORE THE REST OF THE BAND KICKS IN .:=†=*@#@#
#@#@*=†=:. AND THE MUSIC BUILDS TO A CRESCENDO. .:=†=*@#@#
@*===††=:. THE CROWD ERUPTS. AND THEN SOMETHING .:=††===*@
@@*===†=:. ELSE ERUPTS AS WELL. A CONCERT-GOER .:=†===*@@
#@#@*=†=:. DESCRIBES IT: "SUDDENLY, THE MUSIC .:=†=*@#@#
@@=†††::.. SEAMS BROADER, MORE COLORFUL. I CAN ..::†††=@@
#@#@*=†=:. SOMEHOW SEE IT, AND I FEEL THE OTHERS .:=†=*@#@#
##*=†::... SEEING IT, AND I SEE IT THROUGH THEIR ...::†=*##
#@#@*=†=:. EYES AS WELL. MEANWHILE I'M DANCING, .:=†=*@#@#
#@#@*=†=:. AND I CAN FEEL MY BODY AS I'VE NEVER .:=†=*@#@#
@*==:..... DONE BEFORE, I AM AWARE OF EACH CELL .....:==*@
@@*==..... AND EACH MOLECULE, ALL VIBRATING IN .....==*@@
#***==†=:. UNISON. AND IT'S ALL GOING FASTER, .:=†==***#
@@**†:::.. BUILDING UP TO SOMETHING, WAKING UP." ..:::†**@@
#@=†:..... .....:†=@#
#@#@*=†=:. PEOPLE START FORMING CIRCLES, HOLDING .:=†=*@#@#
@@#@*=†=:. HANDS AND DANCING. SOME ARE CRYING. .:=†=*@#@@
@*†=:::... SOME ARE LAUGHING. SOME ARE SCREAMING. ...:::=†*@
#@#@*=†=:. .:=†=*@#@#
@@*†:..... AND THEN - A FLUTTER - AND SOMETHING .....:†*@@
@@=†:..... GIVES. A SHOCKWAVE OF REVERSING .....:†=@@
#*††::.... POLARITY IN THE ETHER, AND LIKE ....::††*#
##***=†=:. BUTTERFLIES GETTING HIT BY A BURST OF .:=†=***##
#@#@*=†=:. WIND, THE THIRD EYE OPENS FOR EVERYONE .:=†=*@#@#
@##@*=†=:. IN THE AUDIENCE. AND IT BECOMES A CHAIN .:=†=*@##@
###@*=†=:. REACTION, QUICKLY SPREADING ACROSS THE .:=†=*@###
#@#@*=†=:. FESTIVAL AREA. WITHIN SECONDS THERE IS .:=†=*@#@#
@@@@*=†=:. A GLOBAL BLACKOUT. FESTIVAL GOERS .:=†=*@@@@
#@#@*=†=:. REGAIN THEIR MEMORIES AROUND A WEEK .:=†=*@#@#
#*===::... LATER, THOSE IN THE NEARBY TOWN OF ...::===*#
##*†:::... BLACK TICKLE AFTER A FEW DAYS, IN ...:::†*##
#@#@*=†=:. MONTREAL FOR THE EVENING, THE REST OF .:=†=*@#@#
###@*=†=:. AMERICA MAYBE AN HOUR. . . . . . .:=†=*@###
#***==:... ...:==***#
#**=††=... AND THUS, THE POPULATION OF EARTH ...=††=**#
#@#@*=†=:. HAS KIND OF LEFT IT'S MATERIALISTIC .:=†=*@#@#
##@#@=†=:. BASELINE, ONLY THAT MOST DO NOT .:=†=@#@##
##@#@=†=:. REMEMBER IT. .:=†=@#@##
###@*=†=:. .:=†=*@###
#@#@*=†=:. .:=†=*@#@#
##@==:.... =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* ....:==@##
##@#@*==:. *= * THERE'S AN INTERESTING ASPECT TO *= .:==*@#@##
@*===:.... =* THE "JUPITER EQUINOX" ACT. IT =* ....:===*@
##@#@*=†=. *= SEEMS THERE WAS NEVER ANY *= .=†=*@#@##
@@@@*=†=:. =* JUPITER EQUINOX CONCERTS BEFORE OR =* .:=†=*@@@@
##@#@*=†=: *= AFTER THE ONE IN BLACK TICKLE. THE *= :=†=*@#@##
#*==...... =* LEAD SINGER (ALSO COLLOQUIALLY =* ......==*#
##*=†::... *= REFERRED TO AS JUPITER) SEEMED TO *= ...::†=*##
#**=††=... =* IMMEDIATELY DISAPPEAR (FOR A LONG =* ...=††=**#
@===:..... *= WHILE SHE WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN *= .....:===@
###@*=†=:. =* A CIA AGENT, BUT A LATER FOIA =* .:=†=*@###
@#@@*=†=:. *= RELEASE REFUTED THIS). FOR OBVIOUS *= .:=†=*@@#@
#@#@*=†=:. =* REASONS, MANY WERE LOOKING FOR ANY =* .:=†=*@#@#
@@*†=..... *= TRACE OF THE BAND, BUT NONE *= .....=†*@@
@@==†==... =* WERE FRUITFUL. =* ...==†==@@
#**=†=.... *= *= ....=†=**#
##@#@*†=:. =* RECENTLY, HOWEVER, SOME ATTENTION =* .:=†*@#@##
@*=†:..... *= HAS BEEN DRAWN TO JUNIPER HELDING, *= .....:†=*@
##@#@=†=:. =* A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD POP SINGER FROM =* .:=†=@#@##
##@#*=†=:. *= ENGLAND WHO HAS A VERY STRIKING *= .:=†=*#@##
@@#@*=†=:. =* SIMILARITY... =* .:=†=*@#@@
###@*=†=:. *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= .:=†=*@###
@*==†==:.. ..:==†==*@
@**==:.... ....:==**@
#@@=†††=:. .:=†††=@@#
#@#@*=†=:. .:=†=*@#@#
##@@*=†=:. .:=†=*@@##