Turns out the broadcast is mostly philosophy, not fancy new technology like the various funding governments wanted. So, just a few years after the first decoding, funding is drying up like general interest did long ago.
But that's just the backstory. Into this appears Vincent, a typical ordinary young-and-vital computer-oriented man who after a chance meeting with philosopher and Cassiopeia-broadcast-studier Heinrich Gruber, re-examines his life and the lives of people around him.
The 'valour' of the title is one of the three aspects of Cassiopeian morality philosophy - the one missing from the story's setting.
It seems that, as we are a rather binary society (male/female, good/evil, body/soul, etc./etc.), Cassiopeians are trinary (male/female/'promale', valour/gentleness/evil, substance/life/soul, etc./etc./etc.). Their morality is divided into valour, gentleness, and evil. Good doesn't exist, per se, as it means that the mutually incompatible valour and gentleness need to work together, seemingly a rarity in human society.
More often, it seems, valour and evil unite (such as in violent dictatorships) or gentleness and evil unite. The story's version of Europe fits this bill - people who wall up their problems (unemployment, racism, homelessness) and ignore them, hoping they'll go away.
As Vincent realises this, he takes a look at his life and sees how it has stagnated along with his society, and how he needs to try change it.
A nice ending, and a hopeful one after seeing the darkness that humanity is (in Real Life) rapidly attaining. Highly recommended.
The Archon
(Return to top of index, no frames.)
(Return to top of index, frames.)
Go back! To the index of titles with thee!
Run along home.
This site and everything on it are Copyright (C) The Archon 1999 - 2006, unless otherwise noted. So there.
Current URL: http://www.archonrealm.com/reviews/valour.htm
Main URL: http://www.archonrealm.com/reviews/valour.htm
Tripod URL: http://archonrealm.tripod.com/reviews/valour.htm
Backup URLs: http://s91291220.onlinehome.us/reviews/valour.htm
http://archonrealm.cjb.net/reviews/valour.htm