Rico Penguin

The floor of the castle was covered from wall to wall in rolling layers of silk and satin. The folds of fabric mimicked the tides of the sea as Deprideo made his way towards the King’s chambers. Polished Marble Columns reflected the gold and silver that adorned every exposed inch of the room.

As Deprideo approached, the doorway to the chamber opened to greet him. The motion of the door over the endless waves of silk created a tsunami outwards towards him. The gentle caress of the fabric against his clothing was oddly surreal.

Atop a lavish throne of gold sat the King of Calmius. Very few knew his true name. As was told in stories of the Castle a young girl sat silently upon the King’s lap, he was known for his conquests of all kinds. Deprideo entered the room his hands clasped tightly to the box.

“I was told of your coming.” Said the King; his voice deep and dark as the forest of hair across his exposed chest. “A voice has invaded my dreams for the last week telling me of a young man who would bring me the first gift.”

Deprideo approached cautiously, against ever wall were guards armed with bow and sword prepared to kill any assassin. “So this is why I was allowed entry without question Lord King?”

The King nodded gesturing Deprideo to approach the steps leading up to his throne. “You will place the gift at the bottom of the steps and step back. I will then send…” The King looked down at the young girl silently. “…her to pick it up.”

Deprideo smiled masking the thoughts within. “He holds her prisoner within his home and does not even know her name. Is there any honor to be had amongst conquerors?”

The King snapped his fingers. “Are you all right?”

Deprideo snapped out of his contemplation. “Oh yes! My apologies.” He stepped forward and placed the box upon the bottom of the steps. As it met the silk a ripple ran out in all directions ceasing just short of any guards feet, an ominous sign of events soon to come.

The king gestured the girl off his lap, his massive size exaggerated even further the scale between him and his captive. She hopped down and walked down to the box, her eyes stripped of any sort of spirit, a shell of a once vigorous youth. It disgusted Deprideo to such a degree he wished he too had power to match that of the King. Though…he had something.

The girl carried the box to the King and raised it towards him. His massive paws grasped the box as if it were a breadcrumb. His smile grew against the rigid nature of his frame, a figure of almost pure muscle it was difficult for the King to produce emotions as each muscle jammed up against the next. It was this trait that lead many to nickname him “Coldstone.” A heartless conqueror who made no gesture of emotion towards even the most innocent of victims.

The raising of the box lid seemed to reveal the answers to all things to the King as his eyes grew wide enough to burst. “This!” He dropped the box to the ground nearly hitting his captive. “How did you get this?” Shouted the King who quickly motioned his guards to prep their weapons.

Deprideo stood momentarily confused. “I made it myself.”

Reaching down the King picked the Bonobo from the Box with two meaty fingers and held it towards Deprideo. “I have searched every inch of these lands for this statue. It has haunted my dreams since I was a child. You could not possibly have made it.”

Even behind his nearly frozen face Deprideo could sense fear. “Oh? How do you know?” The guards lifted their bows and prepped arrows.

The King stood from his throne knocking the young girl down the steps. “You are just a boy. There is certainty that one such as you could not construct something so majestic. So tell me boy…who are you?”

Deprideo eyed the King his gaze focusing ever tighter upon the Kings eyes. “I believe at this point the more pertinent question is just who are you?” Deprideo waved his hands through the air showcasing the entire room. “Who are you to think that you deserve all this?”

The King stomped, the shockwave from his foot rocking the foundation and causing everyone in the room to rock back and forth. A single guard misfired and nearly killed Deprideo missing his head by inches. The King shouted. “Lower your weapons you fools!” Returning to Deprideo he continued. “How dare you question my reign. I have crossed the land from edge to edge to gain the world I know rule. What have you done?”

“Me?” Deprideo responded. “I have lived a life of obscurity and I have watched the world crash around me.” Deprideo patted his robe with an open hand. “But I now find myself having conquered the unconquerable. Can you make such a statement?”

The King stepped down to the floor towering over Deprideo. “Crash you say? Is it during this crash that you came into control of this statue? What great misdeed did you commit to come across such perfection?”

Deprideo looked straight up, his neck straining. “I have committed treason and murder.”

The King’s eyes opened wide as he placed his free hand upon the hilt of his massive claymore.

“I betrayed the very unbreakable laws of time and have murdered the old Deprideo. What stands before you is a man untouchable. What you hold in your hands is the seeds of your undoing; you grasp between your clumsy claws my child. What you hold with such ever tightening intrigue is my progeny…my legacy.”

“Above all else I hold the final key to your undoing oh king. I have your name.” A silence fell over the room.

A short story exercise from one of my courses today. Transcribed onto the super fantastic internets for all to see.

"Syrup". Frank’s comment broke the silence of the morning. He continued. "Is it too much to expect syrup?"

"Why don’t you get it yourself. The exercise will be good for you."

April pointed to the cupboard and in the same motion ran her fingers through her hair.

"I hear getting things yourself is all the rage these days."

"Now come on dear. We all know that waffles and syrup is like marriage and misery, you can’t properly have one without the other."

Frank slowly cut into his dry-syrup deprived-waffle.

"I suppose dying from malnourishment is the best way to go."

April did not look towards frank, her buttered Waffles were more than adequate. The standoff would remain.

"So Frank? I heard the Collins’ are going to Hawaii."

Frank grinned. "Yeah? Do they have a discount if you leave your wife there?"

"I wish I could be so lucky."

April began chewing her waffle, mouth agape.

"Delicious" She said as bits of waffle landing on the table.

"I swear I married a pig."

"If you marriage a pig then I married an Ass."

Cognitive Dissonance
Is a tragic romance
of what is
and what is not
of what actually was
and how we think it was
Fatal fantasy
of a fictitious reality
leading wars and tragedies
prominently into now

Cognitive Dissonance
masked behind morality
greatest tragedy
to ever befall man
as it strips the ease
as much as it can
fed by frail minds
of all kinds

Cognitive Dissonance
sitting kingly
upon a throne of solid bone
as it commands those
watching mindless shows
making sure to hose
the fires of reality
from their rightful place
in our cognitive faculty

There is a moment in the lives of many where they examine the world around them and have a great revelation: They live in poverty. Deprideo was feeling that very moment now, his new found youth had re-established a concern for his surroundings. Wood that once aged with him was now decades older, creaking boards were no longer singing in sync with his once frail shell. He was an alien within his elderly home and it had dawned on him that he had been betrayed.

“To whom shall my child be gifted upon?” The young Deprideo pondered. “Ah yes. I know who shall enjoy this gift.” Eyes gazed around his dusty abode, what would house his child for the journey? Leather satchels seemed too undignified-however holding it for all to see was equally unacceptable. Hours passed as he separated container from container, looking for the perfect complement to his most perfect of creations.

As the sun fell from the sky overhead its light traveled ever so silently through the windows of his decrepit old home. The shimmering of the light off of his Alabaster child caught his eyes, raising himself slowly from a pile of old mismatched junk he followed the beams of sunlight reflecting prominently from the eyes of the Bonobo. Across the room they met squarely at the center of an unassuming brown box made of thin wooden sheets and tanned animal skin.

“So this is what you desire my child?” Deprideo said. “Then it is decided. This shall be your home until you reach your first guest.”

Deprideo gazed down at himself and came to a quick conclusion. “These clothes just won’t do. I look like an old man, just not complimentary to my newfound youth at all.” Rubbing the head of his statue Deprideo quickly moved into his room in hopes of collecting a perfect garb for his travels.

“This should be a celebration of sorts. I am young again and I have a god child. If ever there was one as lucky as I; I am not so sure.” In his old age Deprideo had seen little use for new clothing, he had worn the same torn and dirtied fabrics for years. Since much of his day was spent working he saw little reason to clean up, his clients only saw him for minutes. His time was too precious to be wasting on such petty actions.

Though now he was with child and mustn’t embarrass his kin. “Ah! Here we go. These old robes should do nicely.” A pair of emerald green robes, lined with golden embellishments had been hiding at the back of his wardrobe for untold years. It required quite a dusting to prepare it for this most momentous of occasions.

Deprideo placed the Bonobo within its chosen enclosure and placed the top on it lightly. “Rest my child. Tomorrow shall be the first day of your reign. Make sure not to forget about me.” The sun had now vanished past the horizon, as the moon glowed overhead Deprideo stared off across the city he had for so long called home.

The city had long found itself growing aside an ever rising hill, with the Castle of the Capital residing almost mockingly upon the top. It could be seen from any point in the city and served as a reminder of just where the leaders of the people felt they belonged: Above all others, in both importance and in power.

Making his way from his home Deprideo made no effort to lock or even close his door. He knew it would be of no matter once he delivered his child to the King. There was a level of excitement within his veins that was nearly unmanageable; he could feel his heart a flutter with a feeling not unlike love. Slowly he made his way towards the Castle, rubbing the box and speaking lightly to the Bonobo within.

“The stars shine brightly for you my child; dare I say they shine for us both.” Deprideo said. It was a quiet night; wind flowed lightly across the dusty streets shaking each flimsy shop sign as it went. Candles were aglow in the homes of those who dared not sleep without one last read. Guards patrolled the alleyways and all was as it should be. It was an unremarkable night and in this was what excited Deprideo the most. For amidst the unremarkable lies the cogs that placed correctly can generate the motions for something grand.

He could see the machine turning within his mind, a vibrant thing of many shapes and uses. It was these machinations that turned the walk to the castle into a seemingly momentary event. Two miles of pacing seemed to have transpired in a mere moment. As he found himself standing before the castle a voice spoke seductively in his ear. “I have shed the time for which neither of us appreciates. Tonight you shall deliver us to the King Deprideo. Tonight you shall become something great.”

Marching up to the large steel bolted doors Deprideo stopped before the guards. Two men clad from head to toe in armor, each grasping tightly onto long iron lances.

“The King has been expecting you Deprideo.” Said one of the guards. “You will enter at once.” Continued the other.

With a smile that threatened to tear his own cheeks Deprideo responded. “Marvelous.”

The Following is the first Short Story to be brought from my Short Story course to the site. Expect many more. Not necessarily of this quality (or perhaps better quality).

It has been five weeks since Deprideo first laid eyes upon the block. An innocent looking cube of Alabaster resting silently upon his workshop table. Not a matter of desire, or lack thereof, had hindered the old man’s progression-nay it was a matter of creativity. He wanted greatly for this to be the greatest of his creations, for this to be the sculpture to end all sculptures.

This would be his child, his legacy, a testament of his skill for all to behold. But to what would he honor with its visage? He could not make it in the image of kings, for too gloated the ego of man for he to feel the sting. It would have to be something lesser, something that amidst a wine induced stupor could be mistaken, neigh be charged with humanity.

Carefully and passionately he slid his calloused fingers across the top of the cube. With each twist of the hand and caress of the palm he stared deeper into it.

"What will you be?" Deprideo asked, his voice dried and warn from countless age. "What shall my child be?"

There is a point in a man’s life when he begins to hear things, it is not insanity but instead the creeping grasp of death slowly weakening the walls between this world and the next. It was for this reason, and this reason only, that the faint whistle echoing in his mind did not frighten him.

"Who may I ask is this?" Deprideo asked curiously. "Who has decided to take refuge within this old jokers mind?" A silence befell his mind, of all the things to hear this was decidedly the least helpful. A pop echoed out followed by a whisper. "You can hear me?"

Deprideo leaned against his work table and looked up at the thick wooden beams of his basement ceiling. "I believe the more pertinent question is just who is ‘me’?" Deprideo quipped. A light, almost sarcastic chuckle came fluttering through his mind. "Ah this is good. You are perfect."

The old man puffed his chest momentarily. "Now tell me something I don’t know." He jested. The faint image of a grin formed within his mind. "Your right kidney is smaller than your left one." The old man rubbed the left side of his lower back. "That explains a lot." He then gazed up once more, as if hoping to see into his own head. "So again with the original question. Who are you?"

The voice returned. "I go by many names, but you can call me by that which I am more popularly known: Calamity." Deprideo’s eyes grew wide as if gazing upon the guillotines approaching caress. "To what do I owe this honor? To what reason would you bless me with this visit?"

A pulsing cloud of a thousand colors washed about in Deprideo’s brain, it was the form of Calamity. In a flash the old man found himself standing within his own consciousness, his body but a shell standing rigid and lifeless against the edge of his work table.

"Quite a trick!" Barked the shocked Deprideo. "I’ll chock this up to a new experience indeed!"

Calamity grew closer to the old man as its form battling against itself in an attempt to take some solid form, something more acceptable for conversation amidst that of constant matter. Slowly the image of a human, genderless and awash with an incalculable swath of color, stood before him. "What you have in your possession is my essence Deprideo." Calamity pointed to a hole in the black wall of Deprideo’s mind, he found himself now peering down upon the block. A surreal moment as he gazed from within his own self out his eyes as if they no longer were a part of him.

His hands began to move around the block, chisel in hand. Each strike natural, his years of training revealed with each perfect stroke of the wrist. Calamity approached him from behind hands resting upon Deprideo’s shoulders, whispering into the artisans ears. "You will take this seed of mine and from it you will construct the most elegant Bonobo. Thereupon you will send it to he who wronged you the greatest. From there the cogs of chaos shall begin to turn and there will be but one who is safe from its twisting teeth."

Calamity walked in front of Deprideo and stared into his eyes, Calamity’s own eyes reflecting like pools of mercury.

"By your hand I will return to this world. You will become the Progenitor of Chaos, the father of a god." Calamity softly placed a hand upon Deprideo’s wrinkled cheek. "Is this not the dream of every aging man? To leave behind a great legacy?"

In a flash Deprideo found himself standing before a finished statue. A tribute to perfection, not a single strike out of place, not a single mark without purpose. Before him was a statue so real that he swore it would begin to move anytime. In the reflection of its eyes came the most startling revelation of all as Deprideo saw his own face.

"I’m…young again."

  Since this video is 14 minutes (nearly 15) I’ll leave you with this today. This is the best video I’ve ever watched on youtube, some of you may not enjoy it but I feel it was fantastically done and deserves every view it gets.

  When discussing cloning there is a general question of whether or not the new clone would retain the memories of its parent organism. Generally speaking I can think of absolutely no reason why this would be the case however it got me thinking.

  I believe I’ve discussed before the fact that the right side of the brain and the left side of the brain can function while entirely separated from their sister lobe assuming they still have all the connections to the body that keep them alive. While these are both in the same body it appears that the person still is a single person.

  What would happen though if we split a person bilaterally from top to bottom and connected each side to the required machinery to keep them alive. Perhaps in a future with advanced cybernetics we could give them half mechanical and half organic. At any rate, my point is this, would each function as the original did? We have created two people out of one person and not only that but each has the ability to function just as the originally did, however half as fast (well not literally but a separated brain does not function as well as a full brain…which isn’t a shock).

  Would each side make the same choices when presented with the same stimuli? How evenly split would the memories of the person be? How well would they function as a team? Do we consider this as two individual people or one person? That final question is the one that is blowing my mind a bit.

  Is a person split in half and still alive a single person or two people? It seems to break the black and white view of a person or an organism in general. It is another case of something seemingly obvious that is in no way obvious. It also is an important question when looking at a mother and the child within her. At what point do we consider them as two individual people, is it because they have each a set of organs? If so would that mean that a person split bilaterally would now no longer be a person at all?

  The things that keep my brain moving are so odd sometimes…

  I’m sure I’ve quoted this enough times that it looks like I’d sleep with Galileo or at the very least take him to dinner (which I surely would…dinner that is). This phrase is, to me, one of the most powerful statements in the history of civilized man. The full line is "The Bible was written to show us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go."

  While I am known for my rather callous feelings towards religion. This is not the goal of this post and indeed 99% of my posts are not trying to butcher the faithful upon a pedestal. What I’m here to discuss today especially is what religion cannot do and will never be able to do.

  There has never and will never be a scientific use for faith. All of the benefits that people get medically from being religious have been seen with equal success in merely positive people. It provides absolutely no aid to any real world field of science. This is no a negative to faith, because it was never meant to do such a thing (or at least I don’t believe it ever outwardly advertised such), however in modern day it is a huge flaw that is overlooked by many who have vendettas against certain scientific beliefs.

  Obviously to many this is a post in response to intelligent design, formerly known as creationism, and even before that known by 4-5 names. As was stated in a very good book I’ve been reading (“only a theory”) it would appear that more often than not religion is not trying to explain how something works but instead is trying to merely get credit for the something.

  You cannot discover how malaria spreads, why the suns light gives people skin cancer, nor can it even explain why people cannot breath underwater. We didn’t decode the human genome with a single bit of guidance by any book of faith nor did we make it to the moon through the discoveries found in any scripture.

  There will never be a time when faith can properly function as a scientific tool and likewise there will never be a time when science can function properly as a tool of faith. Each is by its very roots incompatible with the other. This is not to say you cannot be a faithful scientist, that is a scientists who for whatever reason has religious convictions, but neither will benefit the other. They exist in solitude from one another and that is by no means a bad thing.

  The danger is when we make the mistake of assuming that faith can save our biological selves. We do not need another era of trephinations to remind us of what happens when we fight that truth. So as many have, much more eloquently than I, this is a modest request to cease and desist with the incessant attempts to use faith as a tool of science. In the end it helps no one and creates various problematic and violent situations.

  Well that’s it for today, I will likely discuss the book linked above once I finish it. It is fantastic though and roughly 50% of the way through it I suggest anyone read it who has the ability to do so.

  I know for some of my daily readers it has likely been a long week. Tomorrow will be the return of the Spelunking. I already have two topics that have been previously discussed but deserve a new glossing over and am likely to have plenty to discuss about the universe of Scion. Again I appreciate all the new users that join up (you know the non spambot ones) and hopefully I can get around to doing a new website interface that is a little more user friendly.

  So again see you all tomorrow and I appreciate your waiting for me to get back to the technological real world.

I’m a bit late but I wanted to inform folks I will basically not have access to internet and/or PC’s for the next week. So unfortunately the site won’t be updated between now and then . But once I’m back we’ll start right back up.

Enjoy your vacation and see you soon.