Conservative?

Interviewer: 'So the Institute IS against progress!'

Skolcamp: 'Not against progress per sé. Careful with progress and hesitant when progress becomes disruptive change. That would be a more appropriate way of putting it. There are many, many, many possible consequences to be considered on major breakthroughs. In some cases the Institute was not supportive, in most cases we just observed, accidentally we have actively intervened. I stress the difference between "not supportive" and "intervene"'

Interviewer: 'On which occasions did the Institute intervene?'

Skolcamp: 'It would not be a proper procedure to comment on individual cases as this would create considerable discomfort for the people involved.'

Interviewer: 'Did the Institute intervene when Tyron Russ created his anti gravity machine?'

Skolcamp: 'I do not make a habit of repeating myself...'

At this point Skolcamp removed his microphone and left the setting.

Interviewer: 'Hmmpfff.....'

- Television broadcast of an interview with Xaviar Skolcamp, fellow of the Institute.

"This is the limit! The Supreme Collectiveness of Silence is dominated by non-humans!! We should pitch them all off the Cliffs of Homora and drown the bloody lot... This is an absolute disgrace, a farce, a blatant statement of Utter Incompetence......."

- Rant by Isac Kilo, political leader of Alphanor's prominent Human League Society after a statement by Harrison Fields authorities that the captured Star King was actually Radan Polchozic, former member of the Dexad.

A statement with far stretching consequences....

The younger years

... Born on Earth, young Tyron spent the most part of his youth in Port Hardy on Vancouver Island. His father, a biologist working for Marine Affairs of British Columbia, died under mysterious circumstances when Tyron was 4 years old. His mother remarries shortly after the death of her husband with Eughen Denningstahl, a fellow of the Institute in his 50th phase.

At the age of 18 Tyron moves with a friend to Vancouver to start his study of physics at the University of British Columbia. He displays an unorthodox attitude towards some of the widely accepted rules of physics which he ventilates in some of his earlier papers. It is this attitude that would eventually lead to him do one of the biggest discoveries of all time. But not before the Institute gets hold of him. At the age of 23 he meets with Thelma Beulance, then a fellow of phase 88 and Tyron decides to drop out.

Ms. Beulance - a woman of exceptional beauty and a rising star within the Institute - wraps the inexperienced Tyron around her finger and they disappear from public life. There's very little known about their lives. Ms. Beulance owns properties on Olliphane, Krokinole and Alphanor but they never appear to live there.

Tyron Russ reappears 10 years later as the author of the famous article "Bipolar Electrons" in "Physics Society", the authoritative magazine on latest developments in modern physics. Russ signs the article as "Tyron Russ, fellow of the Institute, phase 75", an exceptional ranking given his relatively young age of 28 years...

- Excerpt from the first part of "Tyron Russ - The man, The machine, The Institute" in Cosmopolis. It must be noted that the Editor in Chief received a letter from the Instute in which Cosmopolis was asked not to publish the series on Tyron Russ. There was no reason given nor a motivation for the request. Needless to say that Cosmopolis ignored the request and published...

Drop out

"Today I, Radan Polchozic, member of the Dexad of the Institute will - effective immediate - resign from my position in the Dexad and will - also effective immediate - break all ties I have with the Institute."

This statement reached our offices only four hours ago. One might doubt whether a member of the Dexad is actually capable of resigning at all, let alone cut all ties with a society as powerful as the Institute. Mr. Polchozic was voted into the Dexad only 9 months ago when his predecessor - Ms. Siobhan Mercelles - was killed during the hijacking of "The Endeavour" by the infamous pirate and villain Woodrow Ink.

This is actually the first time a member of the Dexad resigns and thus a milestone in the history of the Institute. We have no further information regarding Mr. Polchozic's motivations nor was he willing to elaborate on his statement.

As always, the Institute remained silent....

- Cosmopolis, Raban Ittersink - editor, Krokinole

Life...

... resembles a see-through mirror. You're standing at the side which is reflecting your image - studying yourself intensly. The universe is on the other side - probably ignoring you....

- From a speech by Robin Trampledon, Fellow of The Institute, 98th Phase