Thought I'd publish it. It'd be nice to get some feedback so I have a better chance when the next contest comes along. Hope you enjoy it! Ian Test Day Eva drew the sigils in the air, intent on her every action. Each intricate symbol, every whorl and line was traced ever so softly upon the air or on her hand, as the technique required. There is nothing phenomenal about what was once called magic she told her judges across the protective display as she moved through the display room What was an ancient accidental discovery, believed to be supernatural, is actually a source of energy mankind may benefit from in the years to come. In a word, ladies and gentlemen, what we are about to witness is Entropy. She had practiced hard for this, and it was evident from her smooth movements and well-timed, rehearsed, words. It was an act of utter concentration, like performing the hardest ballet and reciting perfect Shakespeare at the same time. A single mistake would be disastrous. The Institute for Experimental Technology had always been a bittersweet experience for Eva. She had found resistance ever since she got interested in abandoned discoveries, techniques thought lost like the legendary Greek Fire. From the day she declared her thesis on magical phenomena, she had been treated as an outcast If her grades had not been the best in her class, she would have been expelled, no, laughed out of the Institute, for sure. No, it had not been an easy fight, even though the Institute had a reputation for following research leads of various, even disparate, natures. She had no prior literature to base her studies on, no supporters and not even a clue as to where to begin. She didnt really know why she chose this line of research. She just knew magic was real; that it had a scientific explanation, and that it was waiting to be discovered. Now, after working in secret for so long, she was playing for keeps. A year of work had come to this, the pinnacle of her pursuit. Stepping in a complex pattern inside a circular cave deep underground, her thin body moved rhythmically, a dance where even the steps described geometrical forms of mind-boggling convolution. The principle itself is simple, if hard enough to apply. As you all know, many information scientists consider information a form of energy, negative entropy in itself. Random letters can be ordered to form a word. This movement is an expenditure of energy that the letters absorb and keep, for as long as the word is legible. She smiled at the simile, it was definitely not good for a scientific demonstration, but it made a heck of a good show. Tracing circles and squares, Evas lithe arms moved ceaselessly. Her back to the audience now, she raised her voice so she would be heard. The nature of this energy is very peculiar, as it is etheric as well as physical in nature. Evidences of its physical nature are easy to describe, as it responds to most common physical phenomena: graphite on paper can be worn down, soundwaves decay over mass and distances, light signals can be bolstered with an aiding signal, etcetera. She turned, her feet turning in a perfect square angle. But what about its etheric nature? Sign language leaves no physical evidence upon any surface, yet it carries a meaning and an order which any person may descry with more or less effort. Facing the window again, her eyes focused on the blurry shades she barely recognized. Her eyes were hard as she carried on, stirring the air. Something about the energy of language is deeply linked to our own mindsets. In a very real way, our minds give it this energy. This, personally, fills me with hope. It tells us that we are far from answering every question, a long way from discovering the absolute truth of the universe. It also tells us, nevertheless, that a new window has been opened. Weve found a new avenue that may takes us a step closer towards that goal. How much do we have yet to find out about ourselves? What is our relation with the universe? Is there more to it than the sciences, such as they are now, can explain? This must be our new focus, our new purpose for the years to come. She moved on. All things in the universe tend towards disorder, towards the point of lowest energy. Fire burns wood and disintegrates it in a matter of minutes, transforming it into dissolved carbon particles. Information, however, is kept in order for relatively very long periods of time. A lot of energy is vested in it. Her feet finished tracing a dodecahedron, her hand tracing spirals around herself. The tighter you pack information, the more energy that is required to do so. What would happen if the medium holding the information, in this case the air Im tracing and my own skin, were unable to store this energy? Sweating under her helmet and goggles, she cursed the rules that made all kinetics demonstrations use protective gear. It was a sign of mistrust from their part, as if they knew their students would fail. Foolish. Discomfort only increased the chances of an accident. She paused for a brief instant, the first time in over 30 minutes of constant movement. All eyes in the adjacent room focused on her right hand, which spiraled ever so slowly downward from above her head to the center of her right palm. That, sirs, is what we are about to find out And her palms touched. Evas hand extended in exhilaration, she presented her thesis boldly in front of her for the world to see. She had showed them that magic existed; she would show the world what it could do. She proudly displayed her endeavor for the panel to see. A halo of gleaming ice skimmed over her hand, condensing the little water in the air into a tightly held, semitransparent ball. The gleaming orb of water hovered less than an inch above her hand, and she stepped forward to the tinted Plexiglas window so the judges would be able to see. Not that it mattered now, she thought. She had done it! And now, ladies and gentlemen, do you see? A hand closed over the orb, and the water splashed into a pool at her feet.

Well, I certainly enjoyed it :-) Thanks for posting it Ianfe. It's fascinating to see how different people interpreted the same picture. It would be nice to know what the artist thought of all our efforts to turn their picture into a story as well. Shanna :-)

I would think the artist would be proud that the image stimulated such creativity. :)

hmm..very interesting, and you got it in a lot less verbiage than mine..;) Reminds me of a series by Harry Turtledove, the Darkness series (I'm currently plowing through Rulers of Darkness)..it's WWII with no technology, only magic, and there's a crew doing a magical 'Manhatten Project'..better than it sounds..;)

Very nice. I can see that the judges did indeed have a hard decision to make. jon