Ep 218: The Vertical Plane Part 2
“Thomas is a person living in the 16th Century. But, unknown to him, he is not quite what he seems to be.”
Description:
As we continue with Part Two of our discussion with Richard Hatem of Ken Webster's book, The Vertical Plane, we find that "The Mystery of the Dodleston Messages" has become even more fantastical and bizarre. As unimaginable as it would be to ostensibly communicate with a living person from hundreds of years ago, Ken and his friends now find themselves on something of a "Party Line" via their computer with beings or perhaps some form of intelligence from a distant future or existence. Identifying itself as "2109," this individual or agency soon warns that Ken's meddling with the construct of space-time by continuing to communicate with Lukas, now known as "Tomas," could irreparably damage the fabric of our reality. However, this 2109 and company don't appear to be very professional in conducting their lording over timelines. Often petulant and annoyingly cryptic, 2109 teases to provide advanced knowledge yet lacks the wisdom or adroitness in controlling its faculties. It also appears another agent of 2109 was working to confound their authority by providing Tomas the means to communicate into the future in the first place. Who are the ghosts, the living, and the beings residing in the margins between the two? If 2109 is telling the truth and a form of time travel is possible, this raises many interesting, often asked questions and even more concerns. For instance, are there numerous, perhaps an infinite number of parallel timelines where versions of yourself exist, and what would happen if you were to interact with one negatively? As unlikely as this may seem, even more disturbing is the thought that there may be semi-omniscient entities who might be fumbling with the levers of control over them. Whether you believe The Vertical Plane to be factual or merely an entertaining new genre of "Science Non-fiction," the age-old adage holds fast – it's usually good practice not to talk to strangers.
Location:
The village of Dodleston where Ken Webster was refurbishing and living at “Meadow Cottage.” Dodleston is about four miles southwest of the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester, about a mile from the border of England and Wales, and about 2 ½ miles from the River Dee on the Welsh side. Generally, it’s in central to northwest England, about 18 ½ miles due south of Liverpool.
Reference Links:
The English village of Dodleston, near the border with Wales
The segment on The Vertical Plane, from the 1996 British TV series, Out of This World on YouTube
The BBC Microcomputer – Papercraft Design, from artist & designer, Rocky Bergen
The Tandy Corporation/Radio Shack TRS-80 Micro Computer System
“Ghost in the Machine” from the blog, MERCURIUS POLITICUS, by Nick
Catherine Parr, Queen of England as the wife of Henry VIII, from 1543 to 1547
The “Time Variance Authority” or TVA from Marvel comics and the 2021 Disney + series, Loki
Astonishing Guacamole Recipe
Courtesy of Scott’s friend and former NYC Sous-chef, Ian
There are two steps to this recipe. One is pretty standard for Guacamole. No surprises there. But what’s really amazing is Ian’s Spice Blend, which you’ll see after the main recipe. Typically Scott makes a batch of this up in the spring of every year and loads it into a pepper grinder to be doled out every time the guac is made until the winter. For the spice blend, toast the Cumin seeds and the Coriander seeds yourself! It’s easy to do! Just google it if you’re not familiar. It makes all the difference.
THE GUAC
2 avocados
2 plum tomatoes- diced
1 small onion (red or white)- diced
2 jalapenos- brunoise (smaller than diced, larger than minced)
1 lime
fresh cilantro- chiffonade (fine chop)
fresh oregano- chiffonade
salt & pepper to taste
Ian's spice blend (recipe follows)
Best with a Mortar, but just as good in a conventional mixing bowl.
Preparation:
Use gloves when cutting the jalapeno, so the oils don't get into your skin. Remove the ribs and seeds- using only the green flesh. (This is of course a personal choice on spiciness.)
Making the guac:
1- Take one teaspoon of jalapeno and one tablespoon of onions and add them to the mortar, with a pinch of salt and some coarse salt.
2- Crush everything together into a rough paste.
3- Add the avocados, roughly chopped, mash until some chunks remain.
4- Squeeze in the juice of 1/2 lime, and add the spice blend, salt & pepper.
5- Mix and taste- You should sense everything without one flavor being to dominant. Should be right at the edge of too salty.
6- Add the tomatoes, onions, remaining jalapeno, and herbs.
7- Taste again and adjust, if necessary by adding more lime juice and spice blend.
Can be enjoyed immediately, but even better when it sits for a few hours, so the flavors can marry. Best with fresh chips from your local Mexican joint...
IAN’S SPICE BLEND:
Whole Black Peppercorns
Very coarse Sea Salt
Whole Dried Chili Peppers
Whole Cumin seeds (toasted)
Whole Coriander seeds (toasted)
Dried, sliced garlic
There are no exact measurements, but Ian says that the items at the top should be in greater quantity than those at the bottom. Put it all in a spice grinder/pepper grinder and grind it to order into your guac or any dish you like. If you want to experiment, you could also add some dried, minced citrus peel...
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CREDITS:
Episode 218: The Vertical Plane Part 2. Produced by Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess; Audio Editing by Sarah Vorhees Wendel and Brandon Shexnayder. Sound Design by Ryan McCullough; Tess Pfeifle, Producer, and Lead Researcher; Graphic Animation by Joshua Slone. Research Support from the astonishing League of Astonishing Researchers, a.k.a. The Astonishing Research Corps, or "A.R.C." for short. Copyright 2021 Astonishing Legends Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.