Dr Kye's Analysis of the Lap Desk/Omega Symbol

To: oath@mit.edu
Subject: Analysis results
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 17:23:06 -0500
From: Derrick Kong

The Omega symbol

Composition: It's a very inert plastic, hard and durable. The two colors of plastic are differently pigmented wood tones, but otherwise the same.

History: It was constructed about 20 years ago, and has not had a very adventurous life since then.

Operation: It sits there and doesn't do anything

Purpose: Possessing the item has a significance to Ozymandias and to others, though your possession of it isn't as significant as possession could be.

Owner: Its owner, the last time that had meaning, died about a year ago. (The antique dealer owned it after that, and Max owns it now, but those aren't so relevant). His name was Gareth Beauvalt, and he was one of Ozymandias's lieutenants. His feelings towards the disk were somewhat mixed; he liked some of what it meant, but he also didn't approve of some of the ramifications. He chose not to really pursue the disk plot.

The lapdesk itself

Composition: Wood. The outside is a decorative wood, like mahogany; the inside slab where the disk is is a slightly lighter and more uncommon wood.

History: It was originally constructed about a century ago; it was modified about 18 years ago, whereupon the panel with the slightly lighter wood was replaced with the current one and the disk was put into it. It has been used as a writing desk for most of its existence.

Operation: You put it on your lap and write on the top surface. Well, you don't write on the *desk*, you write on a piece of paper on the desk. Unless you really want to write on the desk itself, which isn't standard operation.

Purpose: It hides the disk, and it is a useful object in its own right.

Owner: Beavault had it modified to keep the disk in. He seemed to be pleased with the fact that it was actually useful.

[back]