The Fall of a Sparrow (FanFiction): Michael Engberg

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The Fall of a Sparrow (FanFiction): Michael Engberg

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Michael Engberg was twelve when he fell in love with the desert. His uncle was getting married in Tucson, and the family decided to make a summer vacation of it. Heading out of Los Angeles on the San Bernadino Freeway, Engberg recalls skirting Palm Desert, the only "desert" he had ever known. "I thought the desert was where my parents had a summer home, and where they played golf while we were at the pool," he told me. The broader reaches of the Sonoran Desert – the real desert – lay further east, as Engberg discovered on that trip. The hours on Highway 10 to Tucson were spent staring out the car window, as he slowly gained an abiding interest in this desolate landscape. He wonders now if his wife and daughter would still be alive if the family had flown to Tucson instead.

Engberg ponders this question aloud as we look out over a lake from a landing halfway up a massive set of stairs. The stairs are hewn from rock as are various nearby buildings and rooms. Directly across from us is a stone arch, some TK feet high, its reflection shimmering in the lake water’s murky glow. Beyond the arch, the opposite side of the lake is barely visible, a few lights marking the steep, rocky slope. Engberg has brought me to a strange, unearthly place called D’ni, deep under the New Mexico desert. This is where he spent most of the past ten years. With a few other scholars, collectively known as the D’ni Restoration Council, he struggled to breathe life back into this ruin.


**********

Even now, fresh flowers arrive daily, laid down in bouquets just outside what is called the Kahlo Pub. The wreaths of petunias and daisies give the air a sweet smell, not the musty scent that permeates the rest of this cavernous space. People who come by stand in silent respect. They read the names off the memorial to the explorers who have died here. Most suffered what would be called a natural death, but two stand out: Rosette Taylor and Willow “Wheely” Engberg. Their deaths were not natural.

Engberg hasn’t seen the memorial, hasn’t seen the flowers.

**********

Nothing lasts forever, I hear him say. Nothing.
Aargh!! Me Pony sez, Aaaarrrghhh!!!
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Re: The Fall of a Sparrow (FanFiction): Michael Engberg

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Michael Engberg

Canonical Facts
Mystlore: Michael Engberg (born: 9th September 1966) is a member of the D'ni Restoration Council. He has a Masters of Building Science which he got from the University of Southern California before he came to D'ni. He initially came in 1998 before joining the DRC from 1999 to 2004. From 2004 to 2006, he had a teaching position before returning to D'ni once more with his daughter Willow Engberg. As part of his duties in the DRC, Michael Engberg is in charge of the Restoration Phase Four for all structures. His wife died in a climbing accident when his daughter, Willow, was still young. Michael Engberg's daughter, Wheely, died in an accident near Kahlo Pub on May 22th. After her tragic death, he ran around in several Bevins, muttering Dr. Watson's name, after which he linked to the Great Shaft. Shortly after, he disappeared and KI contact with him was lost.

DRC Biography: Michael Engberg first learned of D'ni and the DRC restoration efforts through Dr. Kodama. As a result, Mr. Engberg visited D'ni for the first time in 1998. Mr. Engberg became an official member of the Council in 1999, and, as a result, is the DRC's youngest senior member. Mr. Engberg oversees Phase Four (Restoration) for all structures and Ages. Mr. Engberg has spent a large portion of time, most recently, on the Age of Er'Cana.

Zardozian Facts
Smith Rock State Park, north of Redmond, Oregon. Engberg’s wife died climbing a 5.14a route in The Dihedrals

Engberg studied under G. Goetz Schierle, a founding director of USC's Master of Building Science Program and a professional architect.

Masters Thesis: "Predicting Structural Integrity for Non-Engineered Masonry in Earthquake-prone Areas"

Timeline (Zardozian dates in italics)
1966 Born
1987 B.S., UCLA; Entered grad school
1990 Arcosanti
1991 Married
1992 M. B.Sc., USC
1994 Willow, born
1997 Wife, died

1998 Learned of D'ni through Kodama; Asked to consult with DRC
1999 Joined DRC
Aargh!! Me Pony sez, Aaaarrrghhh!!!
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