DE MYSTERIOSO VEHICULO QUOD IN URBE ROMA APPARUIT

A Treatise on the Wondrous Chariot That Appeared in the City of Rome

Composed by the Most Learned Scholars of Rome, in the Year of Our Lord 951

Under the direction of Abbot Gregorius of San Paolo fuori le Mura, with assistance from Master Benedictus the Ironworker, Brother Paulus the Physician, and Father Matthaeus the Natural Philosopher

 

PREAMBLE

In the month of September, in the year of our Lord 951, there appeared within the courtyard of our monastery a chariot most strange and wondrous, of a construction wholly unknown to any learned man of our acquaintance. We have studied this marvel for three months and seventeen days, and herein record our observations, trials, and conclusions for the benefit of future scholars and the greater glory of God, from Whose infinite wisdom all knowledge flows.

FIRST OBSERVATIONS: THE EXTERIOR FORM

The vehicle possesses four wheels of black, resilient material unknown to our craftsmen. Brother Paulus initially thought them leather, but they resist cutting and possess an interior hollow filled with air - a principle we comprehend not. The wheels are held by metal rims of extraordinary smoothness and perfect roundness, far exceeding the capability of our finest smiths.

The body is formed of metal sheets so thin and light that ten men can lift the entire chariot, yet it resists hammer blows and the edge of the axe. The metal bears no hammer marks whatsoever. Master Benedictus swears it is neither bronze, iron, nor any alloy known to Christendom, though it shows some properties of iron in its attraction to lodestone.

Most wondrous are the transparent panels - windows of exceptional clarity that we first took for polished crystal or glass. Yet they are far larger than any glass we have seen, and flawlessly clear across their entire span. Brother Paulus accidentally struck one with his staff; the glass did not shatter but only showed a small crack like a spider's web.

The chariot is painted in a uniform blue color more perfect than any pigment in our scriptorium, with not a single brush stroke visible.

THE DISCOVERY OF MOVEMENT

On the eighth day of our study, young Brother Thomas, entering the chariot to examine its interior, accidentally caused it to roar like a great beast. We fled in terror, believing it possessed by demons. Father Matthaeus, being of stout heart and learned in natural philosophy, observed from a safe distance that the roaring was regular and continuous, not unlike a mill wheel, and persuaded us it was mechanical rather than diabolical in nature.

Upon careful examination, we discovered that a small metal key - of a design resembling a door lock key, but crafted with extraordinary fineness and bearing intricate grooves beyond our locksmiths' capability - must be inserted into a cylindrical opening and turned while seated in the operator's position. This action causes the roaring to commence. The sound emanates from beneath the forward section of the chariot.

Brother Thomas, emboldened by curiosity, discovered that moving a long stick that rises from the floor would cause the chariot to lurch forward or backward with tremendous force. On his first attempt, the chariot crashed through our herb garden wall, destroying three months' worth of plantings and causing considerable alarm among the chickens.

After this incident, we moved our trials to an open field outside the city walls.

SUCCESSFUL OPERATION

Through careful experimentation (and numerous accidents that left Brother Thomas bruised and the chariot bearing several additional dents), we learned the following principles:

 

The key must be turned to awaken the mechanism

A smaller pedal on the floor must be pressed while moving the floor stick

The round wheel before the operator's seat controls direction

The rightmost pedal causes the chariot to move with increasing speed

The middle pedal causes it to cease movement with remarkable swiftness

 

We successfully operated the chariot for a distance of approximately two Roman miles. The speed exceeded that of our fastest horses - indeed, we estimate it moved at perhaps thirty or forty miles per hour, a velocity that left us breathless and terrified. Brother Thomas claims he saw the needle on a numbered dial reach "65" though we know not what this signifies.

The experience of such speed is difficult to describe. Brother Paulus suffered considerable nausea. Father Matthaeus proclaimed it the most exhilarating moment of his scholarly career. Brother Thomas wished to continue indefinitely.

THE MYSTERIOUS INTERIOR

Within the chariot we have documented:

The counting dials: Multiple circular displays bearing numbers and symbols we cannot fully interpret. One shows numbers from 0 to 120 (though we never exceeded 65). Another shows numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 with the letter R (perhaps Roman numerals incomplete?). A third displays symbols that glow red when the mechanism operates.

The wheel and pedals: As described above, these control the chariot's movement through principles we cannot fathom.

Strange devices: Numerous knobs, buttons, and levers whose purposes remain mysterious. One produces cold air like the breath of winter, even in summer heat - we believe this may be infernal magic, though Father Matthaeus insists all phenomena have natural explanations. Another lever causes water to spray upon the transparent panels and curious arms to sweep it away.

Comfortable seats: Of material soft yet durable, far exceeding our finest cushions. Master Benedictus has examined the stitching and declares it impossible - too fine and regular for human hands.

Hidden chambers: We discovered boxes and spaces containing strange objects: bound manuscripts with pictures showing the chariot itself (though we cannot read the script), metal containers of unknown purpose, and sealed vessels containing liquids.

THE ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND THE MOTIVE FORCE

Master Benedictus, with my permission, attempted to examine the source of power. After the roaring had ceased, he opened a panel at the front of the chariot and beheld a construction of such complexity that he wept.

He reports: "Within is a mechanism of precisely fitted metal pieces, more numerous than I could count, connected by what appear to be leather straps and metal chains. There are vessels containing black liquid that smells most foul, and other vessels containing water. I see no horses, no oxen, no treadmill, no water wheel. I understand nothing. This is not the work of human hands, or if it is, they are hands guided by knowledge we have lost or never possessed."

Most puzzling of all, Master Benedictus discovered thin ropes of copper - purer and more finely drawn than any copper wire our craftsmen can produce - running throughout the entire chariot like veins in a body. These copper strands are wrapped in colorful sheaths of a leather-like material (though it is too uniform and smooth to be any leather we know), and they are bundled together in great numbers, hidden beneath panels and within walls. These copper veins connect to nearly every component: to the roaring mechanism, to the mysterious lights, to the heavy rectangular box we found beneath the operating seat, and to countless other devices.

Master Benedictus traced these copper veins with great care and made detailed drawings of their paths. He observed that they run from the heavy box - which we have named the "vessel of power" - to all parts requiring the mysterious light. When we cut one of these copper ropes (may God forgive our presumption), we found it contained many individual strands of copper, each thinner than a hair, all running parallel within the protective sheath.

The heavy rectangular box itself is a wonder and a horror. It is made of a dark, hard material, neither metal nor stone, and bears strange markings and warnings in the unknown script. When Master Benedictus attempted to open it (against my counsel, I must note), he found it contained plates of soft metal immersed in a liquid most noxious to smell and caustic to touch. Brother Paulus applied some of this liquid to a piece of parchment, and it caused the parchment to blacken and curl. We believe this box may be the reservoir that sustained the lights, though how copper ropes carry light remains utterly beyond our comprehension.

Brother Paulus suggests that the black liquid (which we have named "demon's blood" for its sulfurous smell) may be consumed to produce the motion, as food gives energy to animals. He notes that a needle points to "F" when we begin, but slowly moves toward "E" during operation. When the needle reached near "E," the chariot began to shudder and move less willingly. We know not how to return the needle to "F."

THE SYMBOLS AND SCRIPT

Throughout the chariot appear letters and numbers in scripts unfamiliar to us. We recognize some Latin letters, but they are arranged in words of no known tongue. Examples we have carefully copied:

 

"Toyota Camry" (appears prominently on the exterior)

"Airbag"

"Check Engine"

"FM/AM"

"Cruise Control"

 

Brother Paulus, who knows some Arabic and Greek, finds no relation to any language he has studied. Father Matthaeus speculates this may be the angelic script spoken of in certain apocryphal texts.

THEOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS

We have debated at great length whether this chariot is a divine gift, a natural marvel from a distant land, or a demonic temptation.

Arguments for Divine Origin:

 

Its appearance was sudden and without explanation

Its construction exceeds human capability

It could be used for spreading the Gospel at unprecedented speed

 

Arguments for Natural Origin:

 

It operates by mechanical principles, not miracles

It requires human operation

Father Matthaeus insists that all God's creation is natural, and this must be the work of craftsmen from some unknown land

 

Arguments for Demonic Origin:

 

The sulfurous smell of its fuel

The unnatural speed causes disorientation and fear

The cold-air device defies the natural order of seasons

The lights that burn without flame suggest captured infernal fire

Brother Paulus notes that rapid travel could encourage sloth by making journeys too easy

 

After much prayer and consideration, we conclude it is most likely a work of extraordinarily advanced human craft, perhaps from Constantinople, or from lands beyond what our travelers have reached. We cannot rule out divine providence in its arrival, but neither do we find evidence of demonic influence beyond the natural fear that any unknown thing inspires.

THE MIRACLE OF CAPTURED LIGHT

Among the most wondrous features of this chariot are the sources of light it contains. We must describe these at length, for they represent perhaps the most inexplicable of all its mysteries.

At the forward end of the chariot are two great eyes of glass, which when the chariot operates, can be made to shine with brilliant light. Brother Thomas discovered their activation by pulling a small lever near the wheel. The light that emerged was unlike any candle, torch, or lamp we have known - it was steady, unwavering, and of such intensity that it illuminated the road ahead for a distance of perhaps three hundred paces, turning night into day.

Father Matthaeus, being skilled in optics and the properties of light, was particularly astounded. He reports: "This light does not flicker. There is no flame, no smoke, no heat sufficient to burn. When I placed my hand near the glass, I felt only modest warmth. Yet the light is brighter than twenty torches combined. It is as if they have captured lightning itself and bound it to their purpose."

We discovered also that smaller lights exist throughout the chariot's interior - in the counting dials, above our heads, and in various corners. These glow red, green, amber, and white with perfect steadiness. Some illuminate symbols and numbers. Others seem to serve no purpose but beauty.

Most remarkable of all: when we first ceased the roaring of the mechanism, we feared these lights would be extinguished. Yet they were not! For many days thereafter, we could still activate the great forward lights and the smaller interior lights using various levers and buttons, even though the chariot no longer roared or moved.

This discovery led to great theological debate. Brother Paulus argued that the lights must contain captured fire from the eternal flame, sustained by divine power. Father Matthaeus maintained that some natural reservoir of force must exist within the chariot, independent of its movement mechanism.

We tested this extensively. Each evening for seventeen days, starting at the seventy-fifth day from the beginning, we illuminated the great forward lights for the duration of one hour, measuring time by water clock. The light remained perfectly constant in brightness. On the eighteenth evening, however, we noticed the light had dimmed slightly. By the twenty-fourth evening, the light was noticeably weaker, like a lamp running low on oil.

On the thirty-first evening, when we activated the lights, they glowed only dimly, like coals in their last hour. On the thirty-second evening, they would not illuminate at all. No matter what lever we pulled or button we pressed, the lights remained dark. This moment brought great sorrow to our company, for we realized we had witnessed the death of something we could neither understand nor revive.

Brother Paulus believes the light was sustained by the chariot's life force, which we exhausted through use. Master Benedictus insists there must be some material reservoir that we depleted, like oil in a lamp, though he can find no such vessel. Father Matthaeus has no explanation and confesses this mystery troubles his sleep.

We attempted various remedies: we tried to restart the roaring mechanism, thinking perhaps it renewed the light. Earlier, when the roaring has failed to start, even with the leather belts torn and the rightmost needle pointing even below 'E', the machine made some laboured noise when we turned the key. Now it's silence. Maybe it pulled its life from same material that the lights did? We searched for hidden reservoirs where oil or other substances might be added. We even left the chariot in bright sunlight for three days, wondering if it might somehow gather light as a vessel gathers water. Nothing restored the lights.

The loss of these lights marked the true end of our ability to study the chariot as a functioning device. Even now, I sometimes wake in the night remembering that steady, brilliant light, and wondering what principle of nature or grace produced it.

THE TRAGEDY AND OUR FINAL CONCLUSIONS

In our attempts to understand its construction, we confess we have caused some damage. Master Benedictus removed several components to examine them, and we have been unable to restore them to their proper places. Brother Thomas, in overzealous experimentation, caused the chariot to strike a tree at high speed, resulting in considerable damage to the forward section and the deployment of a large cloth bag that burst forth from the wheel's center, which we could not restore. We also observed that it has caused the water from one of the containers to leak out. We tried to replenish it but it would all drip out from the forward damage. The machine was not yet dead though, but we were then much more cautious using it and moved only minute distances.

On the ninety-sixth day of our study, the chariot ceased to move entirely. The roaring stopped and could not be restarted, no matter how we turned the key. Prior to this, we had noticed the roaring becoming weaker, and several of the counting dials showing needles in the red portions, which we believe indicates distress. As recorded above, the mysterious lights had already failed by the one hundred and seventh day.

Master Benedictus reports that some of the leather straps inside the mechanism have broken, and the black liquid has become depleted. We attempted to refill it with various oils, but to no avail. Without knowledge of how the chariot was made, we cannot repair it.

WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED

Despite our failure to preserve the chariot in working order, we have learned much:

 

That human craft can achieve smoothness and precision far beyond our current capabilities

That metals can be made thin and light while remaining strong

That mechanical power can propel a vehicle faster than any horse

That certain liquids, when properly employed, can produce motion

That light can be captured and sustained without flame, though the method remains a complete mystery

That this captured light can persist even after the motive force has ceased, but is not eternal

That clear panels of great size can be manufactured

That there exist in God's creation principles of movement, power, and light that we do not yet comprehend

 

We have carefully preserved all components, including those we have broken in our investigations. We have made detailed drawings of every surface, every symbol, and every mechanical piece we could observe. Perhaps scholars of future generations, with greater knowledge of natural philosophy, will understand what we cannot.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS FOR THE PRESENT

Though the chariot no longer functions, we have found uses for its components:

 

The transparent panels, once removed, serve excellently in the chapel windows

The comfortable seats have been installed in the Abbot's study

The wheels, though we cannot replicate them, are most useful in our mill

The metal panels, once cut (a task requiring three days and many broken tools), provide excellent material for various purposes

The cold-air device, we cannot replicate it, and we hoped it will continue to function intermittently so we can use it to preserve medicines in summer, but we never yet had it operate again

 

OUR RECOMMENDATION TO POSTERITY

If such a chariot should appear again, we recommend:

 

Do not attempt to operate it without extensive observation

Make careful records before disassembling anything

Preserve all liquids and materials in their original containers

Seek counsel from craftsmen of all trades before proceeding

Remember that speed, while impressive, serves no purpose if one has nowhere urgent to go

Consider that such power should be approached with humility and caution

 

CLOSING REFLECTION

We began this study with great excitement, believing we had been granted access to knowledge far beyond our age. We end it with humility, having broken a marvel we could not understand. Yet perhaps this is fitting. The Lord teaches us through both success and failure.

This chariot has shown us that human knowledge and craft can reach heights we have not imagined. Whether it comes from our future, our present unknown lands, or from the subtle working of Divine Providence, it reminds us that we see through a glass darkly, and that the world contains mysteries far greater than our philosophy encompasses.

May these records serve future scholars better than we have served this wondrous machine.

Completed this twenty-eighth day of December, in the Year of Our Lord 951

Deo Gratias

 

Addendum by Abbot Gregorius:

Since the completion of this report, young Brother Thomas has been reassigned to copying manuscripts in the scriptorium, where his enthusiasm can cause less expensive damage. Master Benedictus has taken a vow to construct nothing more ambitious than door hinges until his pride has been properly humbled. We have said numerous prayers for forgiveness for our destruction of such a remarkable object.

The herb garden has been rebuilt.

The chickens have recovered from their fright.

The chariot sits now in our storage building, a monument to both human ingenuity and human limitations. Pilgrims occasionally come to see it, though it is far less impressive now that it is silent, dented, and partially disassembled.

A.G.