CHAPTER I

>SIGNALS OF DARKNESS<

The opening chapter tells the story of a boy on top of a mountain overlooking a kingdom he used to call home. In the far distance he sees a darkness loom. He tries to warn the people of the kingdom by waving his arms and shouting loudly. But without effect. How come they don’t hear him? How come they don’t see the impending darkness.

The signals of darkness look overwhelming. But what do the signals mean? The people in the kingdom seem to take the signals as if they were watching just another reality television show. Why don’t they see that the signals are interconnected.

Why don’t they see it? Why don’t they understand it?

CHAPTER II

>THE ARRIVING OF THE STORM<

The second chapter starts in a kingdom far away with a young doctor who believes a new (!) ‘SARS related virus’ has revealed itself. The doctor tries to warn his colleagues about a possible new outbreak, but he is silenced by the authorities (‘We command you to stop spreading unfounded and illegal rumours’).

Some weeks later the doctor - infected by the mysterious virus - dies. During the following weeks the prophecy of the doctor comes true. What seemed to be a little breeze turns into a furious hurricane with the virus spreading across many kingdoms on the planet.

Rich - poor - old - young - yellow - brown - white, the virus made no distinction between its victims in the chaos it had unleashed. Health workers were mobilised to fight the faceless enemy. Inside the kingdoms more and more people became aware of the devastating impact of the newly born enemy. Kingdoms went into in lockdown. Economies crumbled. People died. Meanwhile an army of experts took out their straws, looked to what was happening and proclaimed their divine ‘truths’ to the people of the kingdoms. The ‘straw-proclamations’ caused confusion which led to more experts and new ‘straw-insights’.

CHAPTER III

>SHADES OF LIGHT<

The final chapter begins with the hurricane being silenced through the defeat of the virus. It is time to move forward again. The new reality left many kingdoms wondering about the questions that had been lying dormant for a long time. Where do we go from here? Where do we need to go? Where do we want to go?  

Two possible pathways emerge.

• THE PATHWAY OF REVIVING THE MONEY MACHINE

True believers of this approach are convinced that restoring the power of the good old money machine is the first thing to do. No time to waste. We skip the phases ‘slow down’ and ‘reflect’, or we pay little attention to them, and do whatever needs to be done to restore faith in the ‘buy-all-you-can-buy’ philosophy. But where will this path lead us? Could it be this simple to get back into action?

• THE PATHWAY OF THE RISE OF THE NEW BUTTERFLIES

The crisis caused by the faceless enemy can be considered a wake-up call with a clear message ‘LIFE AS WE KNEW IT WILL NEVER RETURN!’ A confrontation with a reality beyond our wildest imagination. Like in nature where disaster and destruction are the harbingers of renewal and rebirth, what will happen when the old foundations crumble, and ultimately die? What could the ‘New’ look like? Time for the Tabula Rasa of new butterflies to speak in a clear voice. 1UP … ALWAYS.

CLOSING

We go back to the boy on the mountain. He is alone. Alone with the darkness. As he feels the wind getting stronger he closes his eyes and he feels his body floating in a sea of deep red waves. The roar of the storm has given way to a deafening silence … red silence. The boy lets the red silence take control of him. Amidst the silence it is as if the boy can touch the newly emerging reality. He wakes up and walks down the mountain.

The boy is no longer alone.

He is surrounded by a swarm of breathtaking butterflies. He knows change is on its way. The boy goes home.