Communication Record 4
After my address and rather grueling question and answer session, I was escorted through the city of New York, a delightful place and one that I will highly recommend to my fellow Union citizens. We will have to tightly control tourism, of course, because the more our citizens tramp around the earth, the less it will be itself. I know there are factions of thought that don’t believe tourism degrades native culture, but I do not subscribe to that faction.
During my trip through the city, I was taken to a book store, and it was here that I had the revelation that the Union has only dipped its smallest toe in the ocean of Earth’s cultural output. There were books that had never appeared on television or radio, books filled with art, magazines, and here is where I became giddy with anticipation - graphic novels and comic strip art. We had glimpsed such things in movies and television series, but the reality of them in my hands was enough to make me light-headed.
This was the reason I had joined the Union’s ambassadorial corps. I had found a treasure such as few others among us had ever seen. The emotion of the moment overcame my human body, and I wept with joy at the vast riches laid before me. I believe this caused some consternation in the minders that had been assigned to me, because they asked me what was wrong.
One of the younger humans with me then said that if I enjoyed the graphic novels, perhaps I might like some of the games that were available in the shop. We had seen games being played before many times; had even puzzled out rules for a few. But, again, the reality of them here before me, where they could be played with others who were experienced in playing them, was overwhelming. I had seen the movie made from the game by Wizards of the Coast, so I asked if it would be possible to acquire a copy of those rules. I offered a small amount of gold that I had brought with me for the purpose of trading with the humans. We knew that they valued gold, and I made some in preparation of my visit. Happily, they took the gold and gave me a copy of each of the rule books, as well as some boardgames that looked fascinating.
Exhausted after my trip from the communications node construction site and ecstatic over my new acquisitions, I promised to return the next day and brought my treasures to show my fellows at the CN what we had to look forward to from the humans.
