NATCH! Dispatch: The Way Back When Archives

Early in the design process, Fate and Destiny were assigned to visit the Way Back When Archives to research the history of life in the Far South. The Way Back When Archives were “staffed almost entirely by squirrels and golden retrievers. The retrievers brought energy and a natural propensity for storing things away. The retrievers brought their noses and their natural inclination to, well, retrieve…. Fate wasn’t nuts about being around all those squirrels, but they had to admit, those furry nutjobs kept the place running smoothly.”

While Fate investigated the region’s geological record, Destiny busied herself on the Itzibitz Reader, a device that preserved a chronological record of all births and deaths over millions of years. The device was inspired by the old microfilm readers that I’d struggled to work over the years, going back to my college days. They never seemed to want to stay in focus. And the tuning sensitivity of each one was a little different. Some would allow you to zoom and scan with ease; another would move too far too quickly with the slightest breath.

Destiny’s Itzibitz allowed her to zoom in or out to learn more about the ripples surrounding each event. A micro view would offer other contextual details. A macro view would shed light on how far each event’s consequence rippled forward in time. By applying filters, a skilled reader might discern patterns to the births and deaths. All things, after all, were connected. Destiny fashioned herself a Itzibitz savant, and she had a fresh squad of squirrels at the ready.