If you think you have problems, consider the problems of Plutonius Maximus



Translation from Latin 21 Scroll



Dear Cassias



Are you working on the Y zero K problem? This change from BC to AD is giving us a lot of headaches and we havent much time left. I dont know how people will cope with working the wrong way round. Having been working happily downwards for ever, now we have to start thinking upwards.. You would think that someone would have thought of it earlier and not left us to sort it out at the last minute.



I spoke to Caesar the other evening. He was livid that Julius hadnt done something about it when he was sorting out the calendar. He could see why Brutus turned nasty. He called in Consultus, but he simply said that continuing downward using minus BC wont work, and as usual charged a fortune for doing nothing useful.



Surely we wont have to throw out all our hardware and start again? Machard will make yet another fortune out of this I suppose. The money lenders are paranoid of course! I have been told that usery rates will invert and they will have to pay their clients to take out loans! Its an ill wind.



As for myself, I just cant see the sand in the hourglass flowing upwards. We have heard that there are three wise men in the East who are working on the problem, but unfortunately they wont arrive until its all over. I have heard that there are plans to stable all horses at midnight as there are fears that they will stop and try to run backwards, causing immense damage to chariots and possible loss of life.



Some say the World will end at the moment of transition. Anyway, we are still continuing to work on the blasted Y0K problem. I will send you a parchment if anything further develops. If you should have any bright ideas, please let me know.



Plutonius Maximus