Socrates Flees Athens

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February 15th, 2006

in 1123 Post-Creation, Lucifer, feeling much stronger than he has in a great while, returns to Achazia's presence and asks her what has happened to the Creator. “You have been gone for a long time, bright one,” she says to him. “And the Creator did miss you. He has gone to search for you; in His absence, someone needed to stay in control.”

in Hellenic Year 3362, Socrates flees Athens, confirming his guilt to all citizens. He lives the remainder of his life in shameful exile in Thrace, and his work and students no longer commanded respect among the elite in Athenian society. Even today, he is an obscure philosopher of that great era in Hellenic history.

in 634, an Asian team of the Speaker’s Line assembles their Dragon, a kite that is capable of carrying two full-grown men and is almost fully controllable from within. They manage to glide the Dragon to a height of several hundred feet and manage to return to the ground safely. There is rejoicing throughout the Speaker’s Line as word of this success spreads through their ranks.

in 1564, Galileo Galilee was born in Pisa, Italy. An astronomer of great note in his youth, he gave up the profession after accusations of heresy were leveled against him because of certain findings he had made. He was arrested in 1616 for speaking to some students about the possibility of the earth moving around the sun rather than vice versa. When he refused to recant this belief, he was burned at the stake as a witch.

in 1787, newly-independent Canada unfurls its first official national flag, a red fleur de lis on a white background bordered by red stripes. The many nationalities that fought for Canadian independence salute it as it flies in the new capitol of Ottawa, although the Americans present consider it a bittersweet moment; they had expected to be saluting their own flag by this point.

in 1898, Spanish troops catch a small band of men about to sneak aboard the U.S.S. Maine in Puerto de Habana, Cuba. They are carrying enough explosives to sink the battleship, which might have provoked America into war with Spain. The nationality of the men is never determined, although they speak with heavy German accents.

in 1904, the invasion fleet of Q’B’Ton’ra, at least the remains of it, take up position just outside the earth system’s Oort cloud. The conquerors of the Mlosh homeworld offer a trade of their prisoners held back on the Mlosh homeworld for the Q’Bar, as he calls his people, held on earth. Delighted that their people are still alive, the Congress of Nations agrees to the prisoner transfer.

in 1918, Velma Porter and Mikhail von Heflin stroll the deck of the Caesar Augustus just before it docks in London. With all the confusion of the Cranston affair, they have almost forgotten why they have come – to find a way back to the future. Porter, in particular, is keen to get back – she dislikes the way she is judged by her skin color in this time.

in 1953, the New Reich captures the port city of Singapore in China. The Chinese are becoming increasingly desperate in their effort to hold back the onslaught of the German forces, but the Germans, armed with weaponry from neo-Nazis in the future, are unstoppable.

in 2003, negotiations break down between the People’s Republic of America and the Soviet States of America. Soviet troops move across the border into Idaho and Washington, and resistance fighters in the breakaway soviets attempt to slow them down.

in 2005, Dave and Jeanne Lange, adopting the cover name of Mike and Edna Beauregard, move into their apartment in Tucson, Arizona. The Save Earth movement has arranged for them to run a small gun shop in the city, which will also be a meeting place for the movement. The newlyweds still show many bruises from their plastic surgery, but are ready to face their new life together.

Timelines in today's post: the Speaker, the Fall, Greek timeline, Canadian Independence, the Mlosh, von Heflin, the GZR, Communist America and The Claw.

Today's "Six Degrees of Star Trek" challenge: Connect Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure to Star Trek (the Socrates entry made me think of it). Place your answers in the comments and see the Forum for previous results. For more on 6 degrees games, click here.

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