Ignorance to navigate the maelstrom by Mel Lewis 

The Earth is a theme park, fully subdued to oblige us… and well our literate animal friends.

Its visual primal beauty, reconstructed from the archeological suggestions of three hundred million years ago, fed into the computer to generate a painted “wilderness” landscape. A museum in total where each printed vegetation is accompanied by a label indicating its year, description, cost, and source. Each biological object is carefully monitored; each dynamic flow of water analyzed; each crop plucked at its opportune moment.

Buildings are now part of a rendered surroundings, where architecture and biology are so intertwined that they can be viewed as a single unified field of experience. Everything is nodes in a network to receive and deliver information, a central nervous system for the planet - wrestling the rhythms of nature. 

“Organic interdependence means that disruption of any part of the organism can prove fatal to the whole,” remarked THE FOOL.

THE MAGICIAN laughed, “We all must be learning a living in our Information Age.” 

“Quite a way to describe the catastrophe on our hands with these mutant termites?” THE EMPEROR spoke, visibly annoyed, “The computers have been pretty clear on the outcome.”

“With all the questions the AI has answered, we are faced with answering the question with no answer, overturning this unexpected proliferation of mutant termites. I can think of no better person than THE HIGH PRIESTESS, the architect : forester, forester : arch-”

“Her ways proved so antithetical,” THE EMPEROR interjected, “the way she pushed for listening to local communities instead of embracing our glorious new mechanized urban infrastructure that reached net zero at speeds never thought conceivable!! And then to question the result speaking of nature is ever-changing? Please.“

“And it is this judgment that suggests her absence,” surmised THE MAGICIAN, “which leads me to think that only the most remote country Antarctica could provide her safe sanctuary. Here, the polar bears hold jurisdiction removed from pre-programmed notions. THE FOOL and I must leave immediately to get her but before we go, I need your non-evasive increment borer laser rangefinder with fire suppressor.”

THE EMPEROR alarmed and confused, “you are asking for me to part with my most prized possession?!”

“For the solution to the termite apocalypse and forgiveness of your hubris.”

“Am I overlooking the obvious? Didn't the computer say this wasn't possible?”

“I don’t know from where I could gather the courage to override the computer,” THE MAGICIAN smiled looking towards THE FOOL.

Grudgingly THE EMPEROR gave them the increment borer and THE FOOL and THE MAGICIAN headed off to Antarctica in a boat. After checking out several islands and coming up empty, they arrived at the last island of Antarctica.

Docking, THE MAGICIAN put on his disguise as a traveling sales-farmer with a cart of produce from farms around the world. In 20XX you need to understand that local food production usurped long distance food export for the reduction of energy consumption and carbon emissions. The only way to acquire culinary delights from abroad was through a traveling sales-farmer. And with this disguise, the hope was to get special access to central public squares that would otherwise prove difficult.

And it worked to a tee.

Within no time THE MAGICIAN found himself in the middle of the central tree public forum as THE FOOL remained outside waiting for the signal. The local polar bears and people were drooling at the chance to get their paws and hands on THE MAGICIAN’S produce. As excitement reached a fever pitch, THE MAGICIAN tugged the mycelium cloth of his cart to slightly reveal THE EMPEROR’S increment borer.

All it took was one fixed stare from one particular polar bear. THE MAGICIAN noticed that gaze, knowing that would only come from someone who would possess the intimate knowledge of tree architecture knowledge, how beams can become columns over time to the foundation of the next modular addition; how capillaries : HVAC or rather HVAC : capillaries are one in the same. It isn’t perspective but context; it isn’t data but awareness. And the architect : forester HIGH PRIESTESS possessed these skills as no other. Where augmentation elicited acceleration, THE HIGH PRIESTESS, once THE FOOL, chose to be curious with her own faculties. She wasn’t the tool, rather the navigator who  “danced with” the environment joining the chorus. 

Relieved, THE MAGICIAN pushed a huge titanium bowl from his cart to send THE FOOL the signal. It crashed to the floor letting out a clang echoing throughout the trunk’s atrium.

It appeared the sting operation would be coming to a close; however, THE MAGICIAN’S had unfortunate timing for the giant atrium unfolded into a series of rooms for daily meditation. The once clearly visible polar bear, THE HIGH PRIESTESS, was gone.

Sweat began to activate on his brow as THE MAGICIAN searched through the corridors as the pulsing music took over, synchronizing the community in a dance. Turning the corner he saw THE FOOL in full embrace with a woman that appeared to have a polar bear on her back? She turned to speak,

“I was living in fear and took every precaution to conceal my identity. However, you should know better than anyone else that even though that increment bore got my attention I would have gladly revealed myself to THE FOOL for THE FOOL : THE FUTURE, THE FUTURE : THE FOOL so let us embrace uncertainty with curious ignorance.

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