Y Zero K Problem

Translated from Latin scroll dated 2BC

Dear Cassius:

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

I spoke to Caesar the other evening. He was livid that Julius
hadn't done something about it when he was sorting out the
calendar. He said he could see why Brutus turned nasty. We
called in Consultus, but he simply said that continuing downwards
using minus BC won't work and as usual charged a fortune for
doing nothing useful. Surely, we will not have to throw out all
our hardware and start again? Macrohard will make yet another
fortune out of this I suppose.

The money lenders are paranoid of course! They have been told
that all usury rates will invert and they will have to pay their
clients to take out loans. Its an ill wind....

As for myself, I just can't see the sand in an hourglass flowing
upwards. We have heard that there are three wise men in the East
who have been working on the problem, but unfortunately they
won't arrive until it's all over.

I have heard that there are plans to stable all horses at
midnight at the turn of the year 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
cease to exist at the moment of transition. Anyway, we are still
continuing to work on this blasted Y zero K problem. I will send
a parchment to you if anything further develops.

If you have any ideas please let me know,

Plutonius