Site 23 Excavation Journal
By _______
To
My Partner,
Whose friendship and encouragement will never be forgotten.
Cube Books edition: first printing: March 1960
Copyright, © 1958, by Jordan Plews
All Rights Reserved
William Ward, Scientist, Explorer, Space Philanthropist and Archeologist has made his biggest discovery to date. An intact early 2020s residential living container. It survived the combustion of earth’s outer atmosphere during President Musk’s ill fated attempt to reverse climate change in the year 2056. Now, human eyes are glimpsing it and the treasures it holds for the first time in a hundred years.There are Ward’s journal entries detailing this momentous discovery.
2132 – Uni-Date 2.6
The “apartment” consists of one long room, with a kitchen on one side, and another space, likely the bedroom on the other. Upon entry, my first hypothesis was that the six screens (reflective black surfaces far inferior to the holoterminal) indicated that the resident was a scientist of some great esteem. However, upon closer examination I discovered that what appeared to be a wooden pillar was actually a glass display case covered in a thick layer of dust. Inside the display case were (19) plastic (high polluting material common for the era) figurines. My working hypothesis is now that ”the resident” was a high ranking fertility bishop in one of the Sommerville corporations (the dominant social grouping in the late 2020s).
2132 – Uni-Date 3.1, a catalog of items discovered during the excavation of the closet area
(1) Stringed Instrument
(1) Bow and (8) Arrows
(1) “Fishing” (Creature that thrived in water, extinct in year 2043) Rod
(1) Sewing Machine
(1) Painting Kit
(3) “Special” Editions of a Game (Personal Note: What makes them special?)
(1) Robe in a container marked “Cosplay” (this all but confirms my Fertility Bishop hypothesis!)
(1) Wooden Drawers with assorted ‘casual’ outfits
(23) Religious Texts describing various fantastical stories
I must continue cataloging tomorrow! These discoveries will completely change our understanding of the shadowy 2020s.
2132 – Uni-Date 3.3
Today, with the help of one of my compatriots, I managed to force open what the scholar-drones tell me is a ‘fridge.’ Interestingly, the decomposed mass inside (not dissimilar in appearance to our culture’s nutrient paste) returned from analysis as 100% decomposed plant mass (of course with microplastics which is universal in all food items from the period). But, the biggest surprise was that the analysis didn’t reveal any trace of animal flesh! All surviving records pointed to our forebears destroying their own sustaining ecology in order to feed their taste for animal flesh. If our analysis is correct this could completely redefine our understanding of the United Statian people.
2133 – Uni-Date 1.2
What follows are uninterrupted translated excerpts from a series of journals pulled from Site 23:
2.13.M
– The deadline to provide evidence for quarterly conduct compliance meeting to group is the end of the week.
– I’m pretty sure that I have a “bullshit” job. If someone asked me what “conduct” is supposed to be I wouldn’t be able to describe it. Why are public school teachers paid less than I am?
2.17.F
– One day I’ll edit that manuscript, as soon as my health issues, work issues, and motivation issues are sorted.
3.26.S
– The world seems more on fire than usual.
– I finished Station Eleven last night, and I’m in awe of Emily St. John Mandel; how did she write something so prescient?
– After finishing her book I know there are people creating on a level which I never could, even if I wasn’t shackled by the day to day business of modern life.That inspires me. I mean, what does it take to create an entire universe from yourself? To create something from nothing.
For now, the most I can manage is to read as much as possible. Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy; all the genre classics are my favorites. The forgotten paperback for a $1.50 from a defunct publishing house opens me up to ideas and worlds I’d never consider. And I couldn’t read through them all in a lifetime. It’s silly and overdramatic but I’m impressed with our species. And disappointed. We’re so thoughtful at worldbuilding, but so poor at building our own “real” world. I know what you’re thinking: Despite how it sounds I include myself in all these critiques.
Ultimately, we could have built anything imaginable but the best we could do is the world we’re all living in now. Riddled with injustice, inequity and cruelty. As an American citizen it might be more my fault than anybody else’s. But, why get stuck assigning blame? There are people fighting every day to bring their vision of a better world into reality. Their worldbuilding isn’t confined to the page, the reel, the canvas or the costume. With things the way they are I challenge myself to get out there with them.
2133 – Uni-Date 1.3
From the remaining entries it doesn’t appear that they finished their manuscript.