The Mystery of Ephraim

Wilhelm Wulfstein – A professor in geology. He developed a simulation model on his laptop, dubbed EQ-Lun, focusing on the crust relating to the Japanese archipelago. His mission – to understand what his childhood dream meant. So he shifted his study to mythology. True to his mission, he found how arts could be linked up with sciences.

Eileen O’Neil – A psychologist by training and reporter for The Atlantic Monthly, interviewed Wulfstein several times in Boston and in Tokyo. She lost her husband three years back. His body was never found, but it set her mission to travel in Japan, joining the scientists in several of their trips, and was later emotionally attached to Wulfstein. Finally, have her stunning article published by The Atlantic Monthly.

Professor Devonport – The Dean of Science at MIT, arguing about arts and sciences with Wulfstein and overseeing Wulfstein’s dismissal to Tokyo.

Professor Blackmore – a Professor daunting Wulfstein’s theory both in the press and in person during the Crifford Lecture.

Byron Lambeth – A PhD candidate and went with Wulfstein to Tokyo as his assistant. Together, they lived in a villa. A scientist by training, he believes the Sinking Syndrome is caused by the diving plates, and is limited by what he could see.

Simon Macleay – Uncle to Byron, an Asian Affairs expert at UCLA, where Byron flew to see him before he took off to Tokyo.  Died in the sudden Rockdale earthquake.

Carol Macleay – Volunteered in several countries as a member of the International Rescue Corp and played a role in rescuing Byron in the Rockdale earthquake. She participated in the villagers’ rescue on Oshima Island abroad Akai Maru and later, gave a conference lecture in Tokyo.

Professor Hiroshi Yoshino – A Sensei of the Earthquake Research Institute. His wife was murdered together with their two teenage boys. Bodies of their mutilated corpse lay side by side.

Nobuko Yoshino – The surviving daughter of Prof Yoshino. A fine art graduate, becomes a photographer, interested in Haiku too. Employed by the National Geographic and went to the trip to Mariana Trench with the other scientists. Ultimately married to Byron.

Koichiro Yoshino – Brother of the Sensei, a businessman who manufactured the survival kit, Tokodo. Murdered by the yakuza for being too close to the Americans.

Pilot Kiichi – the Captain of Ito Maru and the deep-sea submersible Kaiko that disappeared.  He survived while on the deck of the mother ship.  He went back as the Pilot in a new sub, Keiko, to investigate the deep trenches and, together, they discovered the dragon palace.  Kiko was the ‘eyes’ and Mi-Kiko the ‘hands’ of Keiko.

Captain Akira – the Captain to the research ship, Satsuma Maru, that explored the western Pacific Ocean.

Nishihara – a marine surveyor, also a co-pilot with connection to the Black Dragon Society, joined the scientists in some of their investigations.

Yamaichi – the guide of Ainu descent that took the investigators safely up and down the sacred mountain of Mount Fuji.

Captain Okino – the Captain flying the seven hornets that disappeared into the Pacific Ocean.

Mrs Chiyo Okino – landlady of Eileen when she was an exchanged student, mother of Captain Okino who later, feeing the calling of the gods, committed seppuku.

Yoriko – an elderly who believed in karma that Eileen met while on a trip north on the island of Honshu.

Keiko – the new submersible that the scientists traveled deep into the Pacific with.

Kaiko – an earlier submersible that disappeared during a deepsea dive.

Kiko – a remote-operated mini vehicle attached to Keiko. Kiko was the ‘eyes’ and Mi-Kiko the ‘hands’ of Keiko.

XiaoLun – A Pekinese dog that Wulfstein brought along across the Pacific to Japan. Later handed to Nobuko to look after. To the surprise of all, XiaoLun survived the catastrophic odeal.

EQ-Lun – Wulfstein’s laptop that continued to emit a mysterious ‘Bloo-o-oop’ sound that nobody seemed to understand. But XiaoLun can.

~ by Joel Huan on November 7, 2009.

Posted in Over Mount Fuji