Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 3 Chapter 12 From: gamer@garden.metrobbs.com Date: Wed, 4 Jun 1997 20:14:44 -0500 Subject: AAE-My stuff Driscoll explains that he's from about 200 years in his future, adn he already knows that you all are from further in his. At the end of all this, bits and pieces of thigns are plucked from Roscoe's mind and Argent's minds by Driscoll the God. Among them are visions of himself. Then one night he felt restless and somehow he knew it was time. Time to travel alone back to his freinds. Then, to Morgan, "I hope you're not angry at me for leaving Earth so abruptly. It was just that, there were things going on I didn't want to involve you in. And I guess a larger part of it was that I didn't want to let myself get too involved there. There are things about me, about my past, that I didn't tell you. I guess the first place to start is with the obvious. I'm an immortal. I can't die. I can't age. And trouble has always seemed to follow me. Things that as an immortal I could handle, but as a mortal you might not survive. I'm here to help you all, adn in so doing help myself as well. I just wanted to try to clear the air a bit between us lest old demons come back to haunt at a bad time." (OOC: OK, there's something for you to play off of. ;-) Not QUITE EXACTLY what I had planned to write, but close enough.) Blacky bows to Fuzzy, "Thank you Idyivia, my freinds will be fine. They know where to hide from what's left of the police. Now I must go check on my friend Czaris." Roscoe begins reaching out with his mind, further and furhter, more and more powerfully with each yell until it is getting overwhelming to those present. [Squee! SQUUE! _SQUEE!!_ _ANSWER ME!!!_ _WHERE ARE YOU!?!?!?!_ _*SQUEE!!!!!!!!!!!*_] Finally driscoll rushes over to the wolf. Placing his hands on Roscoe's temples he begins pushing back Roscoe's mind with his own until the wolf lays down on the deck and is silent. "I've never seen him like this before. what's going on?" Driscoll asks, puzzled. DOh! could someone forward this to Roland, Xzerrion, and John? I just found out the hard way that this program only allows me to send 5 CCs per message. Any news on when the list serve is coming??? =========================== Subject: Re: AAE-stuff (from Driscoll) Date: Thu, 5 Jun 97 00:07:40 +0100 From: Roland X Sayeth the Knytt: >Roland hears a sound like a huge vault being opened. Out of the >corner of his eye he spots a bright rectangle of light. From it, >slightly staggering, is a wild-haired Knytt in burgundy bathrobe, >forest green pyjamas and black slippers. In one hand is a small, >thin, yellow piece of plastic that looks like a gameboy. In the other >is a white mug with "I #!$@@% HATE mornings!" written in blue >letters. Knytt takes a sip from the cup as the rectangle shrinks into >nothingness. He then walks over to Roland. > >"Well, the bots, Will and I have finally gotten the holographic >imaging chamber to work. Unfortunately, it only works through the >lenses. But, I can at least fine-tune it to individual members of the >group. Though everyone on the link should be able to hear me. It is >2am here, 15 weeks after we vanished, but that is purely our >perception of it. I will try and explain it all when I am more >clear-minded." Roland's jaw drops. He carefully picks it up and puts it back in place. >Knytt sips from the cup. > >"Will never did make good coffee. Anyway, Darath the Black is not a >God, he just thinks he is. He may have been enhanced by Darath, but >he is in no way a God. After all, why give your high-priest Godhood. >He may try and usurp your throne." "Um, well, yea, but messing with a god's high priest sounds like a great way to get some bad mojo, unless the god in question doesn't want to mess with you. Either way, we're in deep dino dung. "Well, those of us here physically are, anyway." 8^) >> Roland notices Morgan's distractedness. *Sword- >>sister? Are you all right?* > >Knytt looks at Morgan's expression,"Uuuuuuhhh...yeah. This'll be >interesting." "'Interesting.' Right. You didn't study under Confucius in any timelines, did you, Knytt?" =========================== Date: Thu, 5 Jun 1997 00:50:11 -0500 From: Michael Jon Knight Subject: Re: AAE-stuff (from Driscoll) At 12:07 AM 6/5/97 +0100, Roland X wrote: > "Um, well, yea, but messing with a god's high priest >sounds like a great way to get some bad mojo, unless the >god in question doesn't want to mess with you. Either >way, we're in deep dino dung. > "Well, those of us here physically are, anyway." 8^) Knytt smirks. "Point taken." >>Knytt looks at Morgan's expression,"Uuuuuuhhh...yeah. This'll be >>interesting." > > "'Interesting.' Right. You didn't study under Confucius >in any timelines, did you, Knytt?" "No, but I did for a time with Lao Tsu after he entered the Wilderness." ;-) =========================== Date: Wed, 4 Jun 1997 23:09:50 -0700 (PDT) From: fuzzy Subject: Re: AAE-stuff On Wed, 4 Jun 1997, Caprice wrote: > the middle of a battle, pounced on (and been pounced on by) spiders, > and has blood and spider ichor on her, she probably needs a bath!> Fuzzy finds his set of grooming combs and brushes... And a sponge, in a gentle, safe antiseptic solution... > Mischief begins lapping the milk up slowly, ignoring the other food > for now. (yes, even the radish! ;) And sneaks up on Mischief while she is distracted Starting with the combs and brushes to seperate the hairs and using a little TK and the sponge on any tangles shading slowly to brush and sponge for the later stages. and keeping a careful watch for injuries... ttfn Fuzzy =========================== Date: Thu, 05 Jun 1997 10:16:46 -0400 From: Caprice Subject: Re: AAE-stuff >And sneaks up on Mischief while she is distracted >Starting with the combs and brushes to seperate the hairs and using a >little TK and the sponge on any tangles shading slowly to brush and >sponge for the later stages. and keeping a careful watch for >injuries... Mischief purred weakly, permitting the grooming. She had some bruises that seemed to go deep, and several nasty scratches. *brave kitten... fought nastyspiders* =========================== Date: Thu, 05 Jun 1997 07:22:58 From: "L.J. Wolfe" Subject: AAE- Morgan and Driscoll At 08:14 PM 6/4/97 -0500, gamer@garden.metrobbs.com wrote: > Driscoll explains that he's from about 200 years in his future, and >he already knows that you all are from further in his. At the end of >all this, bits and pieces of thigns are plucked from Roscoe's mind >and Argent's minds by Driscoll the God. Among them are visions of >himself. Then one night he felt restless and somehow he knew it was >time. Time to travel alone back to his freinds. > Then, to Morgan, "I hope you're not angry at me for leaving Earth so >abruptly. It was just that, there were things going on I didn't want >to involve you in. And I guess a larger part of it was that I didn't >want to let myself get too involved there. There are things about me, >about my past, that I didn't tell you. I guess the first place to >start is with the obvious. I'm an immortal. I can't die. I can't age. >And trouble has always seemed to follow me. Things that as an >immortal I could handle, but as a mortal you might not survive. I'm >here to help you all, adn in so doing help myself as well. I just >wanted to try to clear the air a bit between us lest old demons come >back to haunt at a bad time." Morgan listens to this with a distant, slightly bemused smile on her face. As near as she can tell, from his POV this is the first time Driscoll has encountered her since the last time he visited her in Scotland, in the 1320's. Since the morning she had awakened to find him gone, _again_, a normal enough occurance for the rougue. That time, though, had hurt more than the others, because they had been near to announcing an engagement. She almost chuckled when she thought of the note he'd left, expressing his regret at leaving but saying he had to go, and saying he'd be seeing her "in the future". At the time she thought it meant he'd be back in a few months or years - little had she known! The way he stumbled through his appology, not his usual "charming" self, told her he was speaking from his heart and not just trying to smooth-talk her. She can't help but chuckle when he gets to the part about being immortal. "Aye, Driscoll, trouble does folla' ye. Things around ye are nothing if not - chaotic." Her brogue is more pronounced than usual. "But ye needn't worry about me surviving." Back in her 'normal' form, her hand strays to the mithril torc once again visible at her throat. "As ye may ha' noticed, Ah've been through a few... adventures... meself since last ye weir at ma side. Ah'm immortal now, too." She takes a deep breath, forcing down memories of things she'd rather not think about now. Her eyes echoing a dozen conflicting emotions, she crosses to her old friend and gently lays the back of her hand against his cheek. "Ah've seen things tha' haen't happened to _ye_ yet, things that at th' time ye didn't seem to see comin', and Ah'm loath te let ye find out about them. This Roscoe was there, too, an' Ah'm guessin' he'll feel th' same." > Roscoe begins reaching out with his mind, further and furhter, more >and more powerfully with each yell until it is getting overwhelming >to those present. [Squee! SQUUE! _SQUEE!!_ _ANSWER ME!!!_ _WHERE ARE >YOU!?!?!?!_ _*SQUEE!!!!!!!!!!!*_] Finally driscoll rushes over to the >wolf. Placing his hands on Roscoe's temples he begins pushing back >Roscoe's mind with his own until the wolf lays down on the deck and >is silent. "I've never seen him like this before. what's going on?" >Driscoll asks, puzzled. Morgan also rushes to Roscoe. She lays a hand on his side, sending her own healing and calming energies, and explains to Driscoll about Squee, how Roscoe has adopted him. As she speaks their eyes become locked, the chemistry between them almost visible. Her voice slows, and the two sit silently for a moment, staring into each other's eyes. With an effort that's apparent even without the link, Morgan tears herself away from her former love, seeking out her sword-brother for moral support. A couple of deep breaths, and she's regained her composure. "Well, gang, seems like I'm the one who usually says this, so I'll say it again. What now?" Morgan /|\ =========================== Date: Thu, 05 Jun 1997 10:25:05 -0400 From: Caprice Subject: Re: AAE3 - Tidying up Xzerrion's trip At 02:23 PM 6/4/97 -0700, Xzerrion wrote: >Hearing the kitten brings Xzerrion back to some semblance of control. >He can't let this one get hurt. Slowly, he forces his mind away from >the amulet, beads of sweat forming on his forehead from the effort. > ><* Everything will be all right, Mischief. *> To himself, Xzerrion >mutters, `I hope.' > >`Um, I don't suppose there's a way to turn that feedback *off*?' The Argents say in unison, "Yes. But we have power to dump..." Both vanish in a blinding flash of light. One Argent appears in a woods, still cradling Czaris's dead body. She falls to her knees, head bowed... and for a long time does nothing but shake, though never a tear falls. Then she sets the still form down gently, and drawing her sword, begins to use it to dig a grave. It is several long minutes before the other Argent appears in the back of Fuzzy's craft. She sits down hard, leaning against the wall of the craft and closes her eyes. =========================== Date: Thu, 5 Jun 1997 15:58:33 -0700 (PDT) From: fuzzy Subject: Re: AAE-stuff On Thu, 5 Jun 1997, Caprice wrote: > Mischief purred weakly, permitting the grooming. She had some > bruises that seemed to go deep, and several nasty scratches. *brave > kitten... fought nastyspiders* When Fuzzy finds the scratches a quick instruction to Nemisis causes a few thousand nanites to do a check for toxins and infections. They also do some capillary repairs so the bruises will heal faster, then they leave Mischief's system. \Brave Kitten, Pretty Kitten.\ Pet, Scritch, Groom \Squee is not dead, After listening to him for this long I am sure I would have heard if he had died, I did not even hear indications of injury, I think he is hideing, maybe takeing a nap. He is definitely not within a kilometer of here.\ \Xzerrion, one of her is aboard, and I think you are the last of ours down here, we are waiting for you.\ \Nemisis Status check, mass of Metal Scorpions Released?\ ttfn Fuzzy =========================== Subject: Re: AAE- Morgan and Driscoll Date: Thu, 5 Jun 97 21:46:26 +0100 From: Roland X On 6/5/1997 7:22 AM Morgan said: >At 08:14 PM 6/4/97 -0500, gamer@garden.metrobbs.com wrote: >> Then, to Morgan, "I hope you're not angry at me for leaving Earth >>so abruptly. It was just that, there were things going on I didn't >>want to involve you in. And I guess a larger part of it was that I >>didn't want to let myself get too involved there. There are things >>about me, about my past, that I didn't tell you. I guess the first >>place to start is with the obvious. I'm an immortal. I can't die. I >>can't age. And trouble has always seemed to follow me. Things that >>as an immortal I could handle, but as a mortal you might not >>survive. I'm here to help you all, adn in so doing help myself as >>well. I just wanted to try to clear the air a bit between us lest >>old demons come back to haunt at a bad time." Roland smiles ruefully; he knows firsthand the perils of an 'immie' becoming involved with mortal affairs. >Morgan listens to this with a distant, slightly bemused smile on her >face. As near as she can tell, from his POV this is the first time >Driscoll has encountered her since the last time he visited her in >Scotland, in the 1320's. Since the morning she had awakened to find >him gone, _again_, a normal enough occurance for the rougue. That >time, though, had hurt more than the others, because they had been >near to announcing an engagement. She almost chuckled when she >thought of the note he'd left, expressing his regret at leaving but >saying he had to go, and saying he'd be seeing her "in the future". >At the time she thought it meant he'd be back in a few months or >years - little had she known! Roland eyes the temporally-challenged immortal warily, drawing his ebon cape cloaser around him and stepping a bit closer to his sword sister. >"Aye, Driscoll, trouble does folla' ye. Things around ye are nothing >if not - chaotic." Her brogue is more pronounced than usual. don't type the brogue as well as some, so please insert it even if I >don't explicitly type it. Thanks!> "But ye needn't worry about me >surviving." Back in her 'normal' form, her hand strays to the mithril >torc once again visible at her throat. "As ye may ha' noticed, >Ah've been through a few... adventures... meself since last ye weir >at ma side. Ah'm immortal now, too." *Laying the brogue on a bit thick, eh, Morgan?* Roland says, hiding his (physical) grin. >She takes a deep breath, forcing down memories of things she'd rather >not think about now. Her eyes echoing a dozen conflicting emotions, >she crosses to her old friend and gently lays the back of her hand >against his cheek. "Ah've seen things tha' haen't happened to _ye_ >yet, things that at th' time ye didn't seem to see comin', and Ah'm >loath te let ye find out about them. This Roscoe was there, too, an' >Ah'm guessin' he'll feel th' same." Roland (like the others, I'd imagine) becomes dour, and takes solace in his 'Blaze' persona, becoming serious and as inscrutable as possible. >> Roscoe begins reaching out with his mind, further and furhter, more >>and more powerfully with each yell until it is getting overwhelming >>to those present. [Squee! SQUUE! _SQUEE!!_ _ANSWER ME!!!_ _WHERE ARE >>YOU!?!?!?!_ _*SQUEE!!!!!!!!!!!*_] Finally driscoll rushes over to >>the wolf. Placing his hands on Roscoe's temples he begins pushing >>back Roscoe's mind with his own until the wolf lays down on the deck >>and is silent. "I've never seen him like this before. what's going >>on?" Driscoll asks, puzzled. *Bloody nass!* Roland adds his own mind to the search, scanning as far as his mental senses will stretch. >Morgan also rushes to Roscoe. She lays a hand on his side, sending >her own healing and calming energies, and explains to Driscoll about >Squee, how Roscoe has adopted him. As she speaks their eyes become >locked, the chemistry between them almost visible. Her voice slows, >and the two sit silently for a moment, staring into each other's >eyes. Roland watches through narrow eyes... >With an effort that's apparent even without the link, Morgan tears >herself away from her former love, seeking out her sword-brother for >moral support. A couple of deep breaths, and she's regained her >composure. Roland is at her side so quickly he may as well have teleported there. For that matter, he might have. >"Well, gang, seems like I'm the one who usually says this, so I'll >say it again. What now?" "We regroup. We hunt the Controller. We go undercover. Maybe as mercenaries. And when we free the hostages..." Blaze's eyes live up to his name. "...then there will be a reckoning." =========================== Subject: Re: AAE3 - Tidying up Xzerrion's trip Date: Thu, 5 Jun 97 21:48:28 +0100 From: Roland X Sayeth the Argent Twins: >It is several long minutes before the other Argent appears in the >back of Fuzzy's craft. She sits down hard, leaning against the wall >of the craft and closes her eyes. Roland reaches out mentally to the Argent/Caprice in the Nemisis, offering companionship and whatever strength is required from his own overflowing reserves. =========================== Date: Thu, 05 Jun 1997 22:48:11 -0400 From: Caprice Subject: Re: AAE3 - Tidying up Xzerrion's trip At 09:48 PM 6/5/97 +0100, Roland X wrote: >Sayeth the Argent Twins: >>It is several long minutes before the other Argent appears in the >>back of Fuzzy's craft. She sits down hard, leaning against the wall >>of the craft and closes her eyes. > > Roland reaches out mentally to the Argent/Caprice in the >Nemisis, offering companionship and whatever strength is >required from his own overflowing reserves. Roland touches not a mind... but minds. Perhaps two dozen, perhaps more, some more clearly defined than others, but each a different identity, each a different life, different memories, powers, personalities... and all currently in chaos. They cling to each other, push each other away, reinforcing and rejecting in a desperate attempt to find some center, some equilibrium. Roland's touch is noted and welcomed/feared/accepted/rejected. though one thought echos through all the "minds"... So now they know. =========================== Date: Thu, 05 Jun 1997 23:49:40 From: "L.J. Wolfe" Subject: Re: AAE- Morgan and Driscoll At 09:46 PM 6/5/97 +0100, Roland X wrote: >On 6/5/1997 7:22 AM Morgan said: >>Morgan listens to this with a distant, slightly bemused smile on her >>face. As near as she can tell, from his POV this is the first time >>Driscoll has encountered her since the last time he visited her in >>Scotland, in the 1320's. Since the morning she had awakened to find >>him gone, _again_, a normal enough occurance for the rougue. That >>time, though, had hurt more than the others, because they had been >>near to announcing an engagement. She almost chuckled when she >>thought of the note he'd left, expressing his regret at leaving but >>saying he had to go, and saying he'd be seeing her "in the future". >>At the time she thought it meant he'd be back in a few months or >>years - little had she known! > > Roland eyes the temporally-challenged immortal warily, >drawing his ebon cape cloaser around him and stepping a >bit closer to his sword sister. Morgan reaches out to briefly touch Roland's mind, acknowledging his protective presence. > *Laying the brogue on a bit thick, eh, Morgan?* >Roland says, hiding his (physical) grin. ) >>Morgan also rushes to Roscoe. She lays a hand on his side, sending >>her own healing and calming energies, and explains to Driscoll about >>Squee, how Roscoe has adopted him. As she speaks their eyes become >>locked, the chemistry between them almost visible. Her voice slows, >>and the two sit silently for a moment, staring into each other's >>eyes. > > Roland watches through narrow eyes... Morgan may catch just a hint of her sword-brother's feelings, but her mind right now is on the man she nearly married. >>With an effort that's apparent even without the link, Morgan tears >>herself away from her former love, seeking out her sword-brother for >>moral support. A couple of deep breaths, and she's regained her >>composure. > > Roland is at her side so quickly he may as well have >teleported there. For that matter, he might have. Again, her brother's instant and unquestioning support are noticed and silently acknowledged. And thanked :-). >>"Well, gang, seems like I'm the one who usually says this, so I'll >>say it again. What now?" > > "We regroup. We hunt the Controller. We go undercover. >Maybe as mercenaries. And when we free the hostages..." > Blaze's eyes live up to his name. "...then there will >be a reckoning." Morgan begins pacing (assuming we're somewhere where she has room ), never straying too close to Driscoll nor too far from Roland. "The Godling brought us here to rescue his brothers from Darath the Black, but DtB hasn't a clue where they are. We get here to find the Controller and several of our various nemesi waiting for us. It would appear that the Godling was as much a pawn as we, being put in a situation where he'd bring _us_ here and deliver us into the Controller's waiting hands." Driscoll starts to look decidedly uncomfortable, and Morgan smiles at him. It looks like she may have considered taking his hand but thought better of it. "No, I don't think that your younger self deliberatly sold us out. He may not have connected mentally with me, but between knowing _your_ mind and using my truthsense, I'd _know_ if he were telling such a major untruth." "_Someone_ has the brothers, and if it's not the Controller I'll lay money it's someone who's working for him. He wants something from us, most likely our lives, and he appears to be willing to share that joy with others in exchange for their help." "So, we can continue with the rescue mission, or we can go after Mr. C. himself, which will likely also result in freeing the Braxton Boys. Comments? Other options? Suggestions on how to go about this?" Morgan /|\ =========================== Subject: Re: AAE- Morgan and Driscoll Date: Fri, 6 Jun 97 19:54:50 +0100 From: Roland X On 6/5/1997 11:49 PM, Lady Morgan said: >At 09:46 PM 6/5/97 +0100, Roland X wrote: >> *Laying the brogue on a bit thick, eh, Morgan?* >>Roland says, hiding his (physical) grin. > >circumstances, and something like this that takes her back to things >that happened at "home" would be one of them. For her, _not_ having >the brogue takes some thought. After all, she grew up speaking >Gaelic. ) (OOC: True. But Roland hasn't heard her like this often. ) >> Roland is at her side so quickly he may as well have >>teleported there. For that matter, he might have. > >Again, her brother's instant and unquestioning support are noticed >and silently acknowledged. And thanked :-). Roland gives his sister a quick squeeze on the shoulder, and stares into the shadows with burning eyes... >Morgan begins pacing (assuming we're somewhere where she has room >), never straying too close to Driscoll nor too far from Roland. > >"The Godling brought us here to rescue his brothers from Darath the >Black, but DtB hasn't a clue where they are. We get here to find the >Controller and several of our various nemesi waiting for us. It would >appear that the Godling was as much a pawn as we, being put in a >situation where he'd bring _us_ here and deliver us into the >Controller's waiting hands." Driscoll starts to look decidedly >uncomfortable, and Morgan smiles at him. It looks like she may have >considered taking his hand but thought better of it. Roland thinks dark thoughts. Gaunt _hates_ the Controller now, but was willing to work with him-and got something he wanted. A more disturbing thought crosses his mind-what did the _others_ want? And what the nass else is Gaunt up to? >"No, I don't think that your younger self deliberatly sold us out. He >may not have connected mentally with me, but between knowing _your_ >mind and using my truthsense, I'd _know_ if he were telling such a >major untruth." Roland nods, but somehow that doesn't comfort him much; it means a trickser godling was himself deceived. That is hardly a simple feat... >"_Someone_ has the brothers, and if it's not the Controller I'll lay >money it's someone who's working for him. He wants something from us, >most likely our lives, and he appears to be willing to share that joy >with others in exchange for their help." > >"So, we can continue with the rescue mission, or we can go after Mr. >C. himself, which will likely also result in freeing the Braxton >Boys. Comments? Other options? Suggestions on how to go about this?" "The first thing to do, IMHO," Roland sighs, "is to try and sow some dissent in the Controller's ranks. Darath the Pawn can't be too happy right now, after being used like that by someone other than his god. Drisonel almost lost her eternal head ,so she's probably not happy. And while Gaunt got ahead this time-no pun intended-he still remembers being pressed into service in Arcadia, that I can promise. That vicious bastich never forgets an insult. "Maybe we can use all of this to our advantage. What do you think, Xzerrion? Driscoll? Will they go for it?" =========================== Subject: Re: AAE3 - Tidying up Xzerrion's trip Date: Fri, 6 Jun 97 20:00:29 +0100 From: Roland X On 6/6/1997 3:48 AM, Caprice wrote: >At 09:48 PM 6/5/97 +0100, Roland X wrote: >> Roland reaches out mentally to the Argent/Caprice in the >>Nemisis, offering companionship and whatever strength is >>required from his own overflowing reserves. > > Roland touches not a mind... but minds. Perhaps two dozen, >perhaps more, some more clearly defined than others, but each a >different identity, each a different life, different memories, >powers, personalities... and all currently in chaos. They cling to >each other, push each other away, reinforcing and rejecting in a >desperate attempt to find some center, some equilibrium. Roland recoils in shock; his telepathic training over-ridden by all the voices. He remembers suffering much the same thing when his telepathy first exploded to life, and other thoughts and minds tried to intrude on his... *Light have mercy! Caprice? Are you in there?* >Roland's touch is noted and welcomed/feared/accepted/rejected. though >one thought echos through all the "minds"... > >So now they know. Roland immediately disconnects from those 'minds' that reject his touch and aid. Slowly, he helps negotiate a 'truce' among those that accept his thoughts. *Do not fear me. I am a friend. I can help you, if you let me. I have been through something akin to this, and can teach you to keep from drowning in alien thoughts...* =========================== Date: Fri, 06 Jun 1997 20:14:11 -0400 From: Caprice Subject: Re: AAE3 - Tidying up Xzerrion's trip At 08:00 PM 6/6/97 +0100, Roland X wrote: > Roland immediately disconnects from those 'minds' that >reject his touch and aid. Slowly, he helps negotiate a >'truce' among those that accept his thoughts. > *Do not fear me. I am a friend. I can help you, if you >let me. I have been through something akin to this, and >can teach you to keep from drowning in alien thoughts...* *ah... but I/they/we are the alien...* * This happens everytime we stay too long on a new world, when are we going to settle down* *Stop complaining and help quiet Argent! She's panicking.* *Like you were any better when you joined?* Slowly something is negotiated... not seperation, but intergration... thoughts/feelings/memories that compliment each other linking up, overlapping, reinforcing... Until, though it is still Argent's body, Caprice opens her eyes and sighs. "Sorry about that... does anyone have an asprin?" =========================== From: gamer@garden.metrobbs.com Date: Fri, 6 Jun 1997 17:56:52 -0500 Subject: AAE-Plots and ponderances. Driss watches Morgan as she takes charge of things and remembers a woman much the same in Ireland, but still so different. Could this have been why he came back? Was she the urging he felt? He knew she would be here, but his time spent with her as a God was short and memories few. Still... He snaps out of his thoughts as he hears his name mentioned. What were they talking about? Just talk, maybe it'll coem to you. "The Controller's allies do not hold a love for him, and in the future I come from, some past greivences were set aside to battle against him." Or maybe you really WERE listening, he thinks as he continues, "I don't know that I should really tell you who did though lest I inadvertently reveal too much. I think it's safe to say this though, that the final battle erupted in the castle of Darath the Black in the ghost city of Misern, in the middle of the desert. My knowledge of exactly what happened is sketchy at best since most of my time was taken up with matters on teh Astral Plane. The only times I really got any information was a couple of times when I manifested myself down here during the day and a few others when I brought people to me for progress reports." Driss finishes up his comments, but they still feel incomplete somehow. But what can he add? maybe they're incomplete because he's not complete yet. If he figures out exactly why he came back maybe it would help. =========================== Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 01:43:56 -0400 (EDT) From: Shadow Subject: Re: AAE3 - Tidying up Xzerrion's trip On Fri, 6 Jun 1997, Caprice wrote: > At 08:00 PM 6/6/97 +0100, Roland X wrote: >>On 6/6/1997 3:48 AM, Caprice wrote: >>>At 09:48 PM 6/5/97 +0100, Roland X wrote: >>>>Sayeth the Argent Twins: >>>>>It is several long minutes before the other Argent appears in the >>>>>back of Fuzzy's craft. She sits down hard, leaning against the >>>>>wall of the craft and closes her eyes. John stops laughing when Argent appears, he gets up and takes a step toward her, simultaneously saying, "Are you OK?" while tentatively reaching out with his new powers. He touches a mind/minds in chaos, and immediately retreats. In his suprise and because he only recently got these powers, a thought leaks out broadband, "Like me, in a way." OOC: Anyone talking to John with TP only gets one personality, but beneath the surface there are five distinct sets of memories from five different lives. Including four violent deaths and one mercy killing, all done to himself by himself. Fuzzy will already be aware of this. John can remember being each of the five different people, each with a distinct personality. All are merged into one, with some quirks carrying over from each. > Slowly something is negotiated... not seperation, but > intergration... thoughts/feelings/memories that compliment each > other linking up, overlapping, reinforcing... > > Until, though it is still Argent's body, Caprice opens her eyes and > sighs. "Sorry about that... does anyone have an asprin?" John reaches down, four pills in his hand, "Nothing to be sorry about. Extra strength, or ultra extra strength? Blue and green, " he adds, by way of explanation. He closes his hand and does a sort of rolling motion with his fist. When he opens it again two red pills join the blue and green, "I can do regular, too." He grins, childlike, showing off. Then he notices the fur on his hands and the grin stumbles a bit, then recovers, not as wide as before. =========================== Date: Sat, 07 Jun 1997 09:53:29 From: "L.J. Wolfe" Subject: Re: AAE-Plots and ponderances. At 05:56 PM 6/6/97 -0500, gamer@garden.metrobbs.com wrote: > Driss watches Morgan as she takes charge of things and remembers a >woman much the same in Ireland, but still so different. Could this ^^^^^^^ Excuse me? _Where?_ :-) Morgan /|\ ) phone call ;-)> =========================== Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 19:53:39 -0700 (PDT) From: fuzzy Subject: Re: AAE-stuff On Thu, 5 Jun 1997, fuzzy wrote: > \Nemisis Status check, mass of Metal Scorpions Released?\ #30 Kilograms# \Nemisis, Enable Group Accretion, Model Scorpion, Task Spider Killer, Matterial Plane Only, Until Recalled.\ #Task and Parameters Downloaded, and Locked# \OK, those are taken care of.\ ttfn Fuzzy =========================== From: gamer@host.yab.com Date: Sun, 8 Jun 1997 09:35:21 -0700 (MST) Subject: OOC:-Me Well good news and bad news. This account is back up so I can be more active again. Badnews, they changed versions of Pine or re-set it comepletely (I'm not sure I just got that "I see you haven't used this version of Pine before" message. But what that means is that those messages I wrote that didn't get out need to be re-typed in. So expect them to trickle out for the next day or two. I'll post them under AAE-Revisions so they don't get mixed up with the current timeline. =========================== Date: Sun, 8 Jun 1997 15:01:01 -0500 From: Michael Jon Knight Subject: BEFORE QUAREN, BEFORE CALLAHAN'S: (Part 2) As Ryshak entered the command center, Mahloy hurriedly switched off the small communications terminal. "What's up?" she asked, nodding at the terminal. "Nothing, just monitoring the comm channels. See what's going on in the rest of the universe." "Well, it's my shift so you go get some sleep." "Right," Mahloy said as he climbed down the ladder to the lower levels. He stopped on B deck and looked in on Khistt. "How's that bot coming along?" "Not bad," Khistt replied, "Think I've almost got it..." The crackle of electricity can be heard as the bot's lights flicker then come to life. Crackle, static, "C'mon, I'll take you all on with one blaster tied behind my back. Oh! Oh..." Vincent's head swivels around, "I am sorry, thought you were someone else for a minute...Checking internal diagnostics..." Vincent turns to examine Khistt's digital watch, "My word, I have been out for a while." "Yes, you have, little one," Mahloy replies, " Why were you floating in space?" "Some information I am carrying is valuable to a group of people. The Time Lords." Knytt looks momentarily startled, as does Mahloy, but neither notices the other. "Well, don't worry, little robot-" "Vincent," the bot interjects. "-Vincent," Mahloy continues, "We aren't Time Lords, or whatever you call them...just ordinary humans. I need to get some sleep. Been a long day. See you in 8 hours." Mahloy climbed down the ladder to C deck. Khistt watched him leave. Vincent watched Mahloy also, then turned to Khistt. "He is not telling me the truth. Neither are you, for that matter." Khistt grinned, "You are quite perceptive...but what I am about to tell you is to never leave this room. Agreed?" "Agreed." {You were not due to contact me until the end of the next crew rotation.} "I have new information for you. A robot was found drifting in space. He claims to be carrying valuable information belonging to you. Our target is aware of this." {Destroy the robot and the target. No witnesses. Make it look like an accident. Out.} Khistt sat back and sipped his coffee. "So, you've told me about you, and I've told you about me," Vincent said, "Now what?" "We make sure you stay out of the hands of the Time Lords. And we keep that information away from other interested parties. Time travel technology is very dangerous. It should be used EXTREMELY carefully. Even the group that modified me knew that." {Khistt, I need to see you on D deck. We have a problem. Bring the robot with you.} "Ok, Ryshak. On our way," Khistt replied. Vincent hovered a bit unsteadily then found how to adapt to the artificial gravity. "She knew I was active? How?" "And, if there was a problem, why did she radio and not stop on her way and get us?" "Perhaps she went ahead to try and fix it herself." "Maybe," Khistt said uncertainly. Vincent and Khistt climbed down the ladder to D deck, the engine room. They walked through the maze of machinery that ran the huge engine. "What is the name of this ship? And what does it do?" "This is Thompson Industries Transporter Anic. We haul ore from the outer colonies to Thompson Industries' base for use in constructing other FTL ships." "I presume FTL is faster than light?" "You got it. Now where is Ryshak?" Through a jet of steam at the far end of the deck stepped Ryshak and Mahloy. Mahloy held a laser pistol to Ryshak's head. "Right here, Khistt," Mahloy replied, "Or shall we drop the charade and I call you KnightShift?" =========================== Date: Sun, 8 Jun 1997 17:47:10 -0500 From: Michael Jon Knight Subject: BEFORE QUAREN, BEFORE CALLAHAN'S: (Part 3) "So, Mahloy, if that is your real name, what do you want from me?" KnightShift asked, staring at the blaster being held on Ryshak. "It is not what *I* want, it is what the Time Lords want. They want the information in Vincent, as well as you, to be eliminated. They want no survivors. *I* do what they want." "Why?" asked Vincent. "Money," Mahloy replied, "Power. Chicks. The usual." "You want baby chickens?" Ryshak asked, confused, trying to ignore the gun to her head. "Women," KnightShift said, "A VERY old term from earth." "Ah...well," Ryshak turned, embracing Mahloy and whispering in his ear, "I can't help you with the money and power..." "But?" Mahloy said, taken aback. Mahloy doubled over as Ryshak kneed him in the groin. "Can't help you with the women either," she said as she ran down a side corridor. Mahloy trained the blaster on Ryshak's retreating figure. KnightShift raised his hands as lightning flew from his fingers, hitting Mahloy in the wrist and forcing him to drop the blaster just as a shot flew after Ryshak. "How?" Mahloy asked as he fell to his knees. "I have made a few friends since I left the Time Lords." The pale blue and green mottled vorlon appeared before KnightShift's eyes. /Understanding you is not as simple as it first appeared./ KnightShift was caught in the shoulder by an energy blast. /Damn you, Kosh. You won't escape by having him kill me./ KnightShift sent another blast of electricity into Mahloy as his shoulder began healing. Mahloy staggered a bit and reached out to catch himself on one of the bulkheads. When he had steadied himself, he drew a katana and slashed it through the air in a circle. A portal appeared in the circle and Mahloy stepped through. As the portal closed, Mahloy yelled, "Too bad, KnightShift...you may have won the battle, but you have lost the war." KnightShift and Vincent raced to where the portal had been. KnightShift ran down the side corridor to where Ryshak lay. She had taken a minor hit in the side from the blaster. Some burns, but no real damage. The concussive effect as the blaster exploded in the wall beside her had knocked her unconscious. KnightShift picked her up and carried her back to where Vincent hovered, studying something on the wall. KnightShift looked at the small object. "Oh great, a bomb. We have three minutes to escape this ship. It would take me that long to get what I need to defuse it and get back here. Vincent, use your RF antenna to have the computer prepare an escape pod, then follow me." KnightShift carried Ryshak through the maze of pipes and equipment that led to the escape pod. As the threesome reached the pod, the door swung open. KnightShift buckled Ryshak into the center seat, carefully avoiding her injuries. He then tapped a few keys on the pod's computer, which began flashing a prompt to attract Ryshak's attention once hse came round. "Sorry, we didn't get the chance to know each other," KnightShift whispered as he kissed her forehead. He then shut the escape pod door from the outside. "Vincent, let's get out of here." "Why aren't we taking the escape pod?" "I have my own way out." As the escape pod launched, KnightShift and Vincent climbed to C deck. In his quarters, he tripped and his contacts flew out. The brown tinted lenses flew across the room and into a vent on the floor. "Damn, no time to fetch those," rainbow static colored eyes glancing toward the vent. KnightShift stood his footlocker on end and opened it up. He shoved Vincent inside and followed, pulling the lid behind him. A familiar grinding was heard as the footlocker/TARDIS faded away. As Ryshak regained consciousness, the escape pod was buffetted by the explosion of the ship. Once clear, she read the ship's recorded log, which KnightShift had downloaded to the pod. She then flipped on the ememrgency beacon and recorded a message to be repeatedly broadcast. "SOS. This is Ryshak, second in command of the Thompson Industries Transporter Anic. The T.I.T. Anic has been destroyed in an explosion. Captain Mahloy and Technical Engineer Khistt have gone down with the ship. Repeat..." Ryshak sat back in her chair. There would be a lot of explaining to do when she got back. KnightShift's TARDIS floated in the Vortex. "Where are we going?" Vincent asked KnightShift. "I take it you want to stay?" "Yes, if you can spare the room." KnightShift grinned, "I think we can come to some arrangement. You have some unique talents that would be very useful to me. If you will work for me?" "Of course. So...where are we headed?" "Earth..." KnightShift looked in the mirror. Rainbow static eyes stared back. Kosh appeared behind him. /When will you release me./ /When you understand./ /When will I understand?/ /When we arrive at our destination. There I will show you what you are destroying so callously./ /What is our destination?/ /Earth...to a place called Callahan's./ =========================== Date: Sun, 08 Jun 1997 23:09:57 -0700 From: Gareth L Owen Subject: Re: AAE- Morgan and Driscoll L.J. Wolfe wrote: > At 09:46 PM 6/5/97 +0100, Roland X wrote: >> *Laying the brogue on a bit thick, eh, Morgan?* >>Roland says, hiding his (physical) grin. > > circumstances, and something like this that takes her back to things > that happened at "home" would be one of them. For her, _not_ having > the brogue takes some thought. After all, she grew up speaking > Gaelic. ) Stranger watches, silently, all the while binding up a gash in his side that he acquired in the battle in the sewers. >> Roland watches through narrow eyes... > > Morgan may catch just a hint of her sword-brother's feelings, but > her mind right now is on the man she nearly married. Stranger finishes his bandaging, and just watches. > "_Someone_ has the brothers, and if it's not the Controller I'll lay > money it's someone who's working for him. He wants something from > us, most likely our lives, and he appears to be willing to share > that joy with others in exchange for their help." "It's more than just our lives. I think he means us to suffer." > "So, we can continue with the rescue mission, or we can go after Mr. > C. himself, which will likely also result in freeing the Braxton > Boys. Comments? Other options? Suggestions on how to go about this?" "If the controller isn't holding them, I'd lay odds that someone as manipulative and schemeing as him would know where they are. It gets my vote." The Stranger =========================== Date: Sun, 08 Jun 1997 23:58:36 -0700 From: Gareth L Owen Subject: Re: AAE-stuff (from Driscoll) Roland X wrote: > "Um, well, yea, but messing with a god's high priest > sounds like a great way to get some bad mojo, unless the > god in question doesn't want to mess with you. Either > way, we're in deep dino dung. > "Well, those of us here physically are, anyway." 8^) "F*** him. I've killed god's before. He's no different from them. Let him try it, if he think's he's hard enough." The Stranger =========================== Date: Sun, 08 Jun 1997 18:57:53 From: "L.J. Wolfe" Subject: AAE3-Some direction Morgan has, ever since the arrival of the second Dris, been struggling with conflicting feelings. Feeling a sudden pang of heart-ache, she excuses herself, telling the others she really needs a little time alone to think. She finds a nice quiet spot - and realizes that 1) she should have at _least_ taken Cutter and Leetah and 2) all of a sudden the feeling that sent her looking for solitude is gone. Gaunt and two 'droves' (zombie-like immortal slaves of the Adversary) grab Morgan, the droves pinning her arms and Gaunt grabbing her mouth and mind. His infamous scimitar hovers at her neck. "My dear," he whispers, smiling broadly, "I strongly suggest that you don't move." Morgan glares at Gaunt, but remembers the one way she can loose her torc (and all it represents) involuntarily. And all four of them suddenly *shift* about 90 degrees from everything else in Quaren... She finds herself in a lush English mansion, with blank-eyed servants bustling about, and her link to the natural forces that empower her muted to the tiniest of resonance. She is unceremoniously dragged to a cavernous room with a number of unsavory toys, and quickly chained to a rack-like device, except that underneath her are a strange set of rollers, and around her neck a choker of crystal is clasped. Her resonance cannot be felt at this point, and even her link to the others is weak. She tries reaching out to her companions. <#* Roscoe? Xzerrion? ROLAND? *#> Gaunt shakes his head mockingly. *No one is coming to your rescue, my emerald-eyed beauty...at least, not YET.* Gaunt taps idly along the edges of the 'rack.' *This doesn't have to be unpleasant, my proud Druid. Call to Roland-and ONLY Roland-and when he is mine, you will be free. But if you choose to resist...* A slight annoyance, like being brushed with thorns, flows along Morgan's sense of touch. *That, of course, is the mildest of pains.* Only the slightest flicker of discomfort shows in her eyes, as she composes herself to deal with the greater pain she's sure will follow. A gentle, caressing 'breeze' soothes the scratches left behind by the 'thorns.' *And _that_ was the mildest of pleasures.* And the faintest of gasps escapes her lips as she feels the exact opposite of what she was expecting. Her mind races as she realizes that this adversary will not be so straightforward to deal with. Gaunt raises an eyebrow and smiles. "I take it," he says, switching to verbal speech due to-whim? surprise? "that you were not expecting that. Pleasure is at least as effective a motivator as pain. We eternals, especially those of us in service to the Adversary, learned this a long time ago." He gazes intently into Morgan's eyes, in an attempt to gain her measure. Morgan does her best to fill her eyes with cold hatred. Hate, however, doesn't come easily to her. She tries thinking of the sensenach warriors who.... An English mansion. Gaunt was English. She linked him in her mind to every atrocity ever perpetrated on the Gaelic people by the English, and her eyes grew a notch colder. Gaunt raises an eyebrow, wondering what she is thinking. Her mental shields hold, barely... Meanwhile, on Quaren... *"MORGAAAAN!!"* Roland roars, charging toward the spot from which she was abducted... Even through the weakened link she hears this, and knows that her dear sword-brother won't rest until he finds her. <*Roland, NO!*> Morgan virtually shouts, using the only portion of the link Gaunt has left to her. <*It's a trap! He's using _me_ to get to _you_. Don't....*> She gasps in surprised pain as Gaunt's mental "thorns" rake across her flesh again. Unconcerned for herself, knowing that, between her training and the gift given her by Titania and Oberon, she can withstand almost torture Gaunt can inflict, her fear now is for her sword-brother. She knows that Roland will risk any danger, defy any warning, for someone he loves. And she knows this is exactly what Gaunt is counting on. *Not so quickly,* Gaunt says, pleased. A stronger breeze, and more... intense... sensations follow. *By all means, call to him. Warn him off. It will only make him more determined. But you have to space these things out...* the seemingly-eternal caress ends. *All at once, and the effect is diluted through familiarity. Don't you agree?* Morgan sets up a mental barrier between her emotions and her body's autonomic responses. She had no intention of letting him break her under torture, and she'll be damned if she'll let the fact that part of the torture is pleasure change her mind. *A trap?* Roland sends, glaring at the place where Morgan was taken. Gaunt has sealed space/time there, to prevent trackers from following. *What else would it be?* Roland smiles sadly, and more than a little guiltily. And tears the 'weld' to shreds. The fabric of worlds warps and twists; someone trying to pass through these areas of reality could end up anywhere, from Middle-Earth to Innsmouth... He leaps through the tear he creates, sparing a thought to close the wounded space, and lands hard outside the manor grounds. Gaunt sends a quick mental image of his collection of 'devices' to Roland, and the Freelance Immortal cries out in frustration as thoughts of unspeakable agonies fill his mind... "Kids," Gaunt says to Morgan, shrugging. "They're so quick to jump to conclusions. Please, feel free to call to him again now." He smiles again, his expression an odd mix of mocking control and tenderness... <*Brother, I _know_ you're doing this for me, but think how I'll feel if _I'm_ the instrument of your defeat. You're playing into his hands! Please, PLEASE, if you insist on doing this, get _help_!*> She allows the edge of tears to creep into her mental 'voice', to add weight to her plea. Roland stops, his heart breaking. Every instinct screams for him to run to her, to shatter Gaunt's soul and incinerate this unholy place. But he also knows that there is a chance he will fail. *I'll find a way to bring the others,* Roland sends. *I promise.* His knowledge of the Warping chakra increased since he began his travels, he retreats into the wound in reality, forcing his will upon it, slowly undoing the knots in space and time... And Gaunt stares at Morgan, his rage at being denied nearly palpable. "You are a clever adversary, exquisite one. But that was very, _VERY_ foolish!" For a moment, Morgan can peek though Gaunt's mindshield, and see his horrified images of the CAoL laying utter waste to his hard-won demense-and then... Sensations hammer into her, from what seems like every direction at once. Thoughts fly unbidden into her mind, and even her magicks seem to take on foreign Contagion... "You have forced my hand. I must resort to a backup plan-and rest assured, I _always_ have a backup plan." .... Gaunt appears in a chamber of a castle, Morgan helplessly propped up on one side of him. Her eyes are squeezed shut, and she is dressed in the manner of the Old South, her hands chained before her. The Controller (or at least, some iteration of him) turns and gazes at Gaunt with a mechanical simulation of curiosity. "What are you doing here. You have what you desire." "Not entirely. This... sorceress... denied me Roland. She is more clever than I thought, and more trouble than she's worth. Besides, she _is_ the one who thwarted you in Arcadia, remember? You can have your revenge, and in return, all I want is to capture one of your enemies." The Controller stares at Gaunt for a long time, then... "Agreed. Give her here." *Excellent,* Gaunt sends to Morgan. *Remember, the chains will break with a use of telekinesis and pyrokineses together. Use the magnetic frequency I showed you to disable this monstrosity. He will pay for what he did to me on Arcadia.* "And don't worry about your precious sword-brother," Gaunt adds, taking his revenge on her as well, "I will take _very_ good care of him when he comes to your rescue... here." Gaunt laughs mockingly as he fades away... Roland feels his sword sister shift through time and space. He steps out of the null-space restoring the weld to the parts that had not yet healed. The Continuum is sturdy; it will heal itself in short order. He reappears among the CAoL. "Morgan is the Controller's prisoner. He knows who she is." His eyes narrow, and it doesn't take a telepath to see the guilt in him. "We HAVE to hurry..." Morgan /|\ =========================== From: Martin Gerster Subject: AAE3 -- A Dramatic Entrance (Very Long!) (Sorry!) Date: Mon, 09 Jun 97 00:12:29 PDT Knytt comes out of the imaging chamber, his mug of coffee still in his hand and still wearing his p.j.s. As he's coming out the door, the version of Sparky which has taken over the O/S on the ship Knytt captured from his earlier self trys to get Knytt's attention. "Hey Boss, I got an incoming message for you." (I'm going to assume you're going to accept it) Immeadiatly, a bright spark leaps from a nearby monitor into Knytt's head. /(Tight-beam, closed frequency telepathic packet brodcast to Knytt/'Sean') (Sean Connery Impersonation) "To the Stars, Bowen! Look to the Stars!"/ The monitor flares to life showing a view of Quarren from a sub-orbital vantage point. A, now familiar, green-tinged B5-style jumppoint/boomtube/X-window/gateway flares into being in the center of the screen's field of view and the, assumedly welcome, sight of Dhyrclhanc the Sentinel-Lensdragon "trolleys" into Real-Space. Knytt notices that the draconian Lensman has grown a bit since the ex-Vorlon/Time Lord agent last saw him. The ship's sensors measure the, previously aprox. 16' tall, adolecent Ruby Fire Dragon to now be 31' 6" long, including his tail. As the Lensman/Green Lantern sails by, from Knytt's perspective -- still looking at the monitor, the big lizard seems to turn his head and wink at him. Knytt inatvertantly chuckles at this sight. (O.C.C.: Sorry for the minor libertites taken with your character, MJK) From the vantage point of the rest of the CAoL, all of this is all impercievable. None of them are aware that any of this is going on as they are still, asumedly, congregated outside and making future battle plans. Suddenly, someone hears a whistling noise -- like an incoming missle, only perceptably much slower. If any of them are looking skywards then they can see Dhyrclhanc's form as the flames begin to form around him as he's achiving "re-entry" into Quarren's atmosphere. He hasn't yet re-established a link with the group's mini-Lens Psi-Web, but some of the CAoL's more naturaly Sensitive members are sensing that he's actually *enjoying* himself! What he's doing would probably hurt except that most of the members of the CAoL know, from their past telepathic linkage with the draconian Lensman, that the adolecent Ruby Fire Dragon is immune to damage from heat and fire. The whisting noise grows louder as the Sentinel-Lensdragon gets nearer, but somebody notices that as he's approaching -- he's also slowing down. The supersonic velocities he acquired when he entered the atmosphere are being reduced to sub-sonic velocities and then -- as the sonic boom of his impact into the atmosphere finaly catches up to him -- he's landed softly on the ground. /Within the realm of the mini-Lens Psi-web, a soft "ping" is heard -- identical to that heard when a Mac starts up -- and then a chorus of voices says "Hi there!" similar to the opening of Peter Gabriel's "Big Time." Dhyrclhanc's mental voice then says: O.K. Jadies and Lentilmen, the wide-open N-way is, once again, open for business!/ In the midst of his companions-in-arms; the CAoL, Dhyrclhanc smiles one of his unforgetable smiles and uses his "Sentinel's Ring" to "blink" his brass cigar case out of the dragon-sized, metal-weave, duffle-bag on his back. Removing a cigar, and turning his ring so the "business-end" is cupped in his palm, he lights the stogie and places it in his mouth. Then, Dhyrclhanc asks, "So, what time do the Fireworks start?" As always... I remain... -- Dhyrclhanc the Sentinel-Lensdragon, Adopted Son of the Clan Larestra in Alfandra and Member of the Calahanian Army of Light a.k.a Martin Gerster c/o ofgerst@pluto.njcc.com @>-->---- <*> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "That the purpose for Might was to not to make Right but that Might should serve Right." -- Arthur Pendragon, Bearer of the Sword Excalibur, Son of Uther, and Rightfull King of All The Brittians ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "There are worlds out there where the sky is burning. Where the seas sleep, and the rivers dream. People made of smoke, and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger. Somewhere there's injustice. Somewhere else the tea is getting cold. C'mon Ace, we've got work to do!" -- The Doctor ("Survival") ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =========================== Subject: Re: AAE-stuff (from Driscoll) Date: Mon, 9 Jun 97 00:19:54 +0100 From: Roland X Sayeth Gareth L Owen (pe21@dial.pipex.com): >OOC: >Thought it was worth mentioning that this will take my "Action" >folder to 1000 messages! On top of that I know a sizeable minority of >the 900+ messages in my inbox waiting to be filed are AAE messages! > >All that because I was bored/depressed one day. Ha! Ain't it the truth...four dimensions, three world-spanning plots, and more villains that we can shake a stick at! >Roland X wrote: >> "Um, well, yea, but messing with a god's high priest >> sounds like a great way to get some bad mojo, unless the >> god in question doesn't want to mess with you. Either >> way, we're in deep dino dung. >> "Well, those of us here physically are, anyway." 8^) > >"F*** him. I've killed god's before. He's no different from them. >Let him try it, if he think's he's hard enough." (OOC: This takes place before 'Some direction' posts.) Roland smiles at Stranger, remembering just how much the two had been through together since the space-faring forces of Stranger's nemesis arrived in Callahan's. "A god. Heh. Just about the only thing we haven't tried. Oh well, at least if it gets that far, it'll be interesting!" =========================== Subject: Re: AAE3 -- A Dramatic Entrance (Very Long!) (Sorry!) Date: Mon, 9 Jun 97 00:40:46 +0100 From: Roland X Quoth the Lens-Lantern: >From the vantage point of the rest of >the CAoL, all of this is all impercievable. >None of them are aware that any of >this is going on as they are still, >asumedly, congregated outside and making future battle plans. >Suddenly, someone hears a whistling noise -- like an >incoming missle, only perceptably much slower. Roland creates a topographical map, using his PK to create a simple hologram. He 'places' the obstacles and forces arrayed against them in the paths that they might take. He thinks again of Morgan, in the clutches of the Controller... *We need a miracle,* he almost sobs. >/Within the realm of the mini-Lens Psi-web, a >soft "ping" is heard -- identical to that heard >when a Mac starts up -- and then a chorus >of voices says "Hi there!" similar to the opening >of Peter Gabriel's "Big Time." Dhyrclhanc's mental voice >then says: O.K. Jadies and Lentilmen, the wide-open >N-way is, once again, open for business!/ Roland, so absorbed that he hadn't even noticed his partner in spandex land, jolts at the mental 'voice' of a familiar mind. The hologram pops like a soapbubble. >In the midst of his companions-in-arms; the CAoL, >Dhyrclhanc smiles one of his unforgetable smiles and >uses his "Sentinel's Ring" to "blink" his brass >cigar case out of the dragon-sized, metal-weave, duffle-bag >on his back. Removing a cigar, and turning his >ring so the "business-end" is cupped in his >palm, he lights the stogie and places it in his mouth. > >Then, Dhyrclhanc asks, "So, what time do the Fireworks start?" Roland smiles broadly, his eyes tearing over. "Hellooooo, MIRACLE!" And he jumps up with an anime leap and wraps his arms around the Lensdragon's long neck, hugging him so tightly he can actually feel it. =========================== Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 00:01:27 -0500 From: Michael Jon Knight Subject: Re: AAE3-Some direction Knytt excuses himself for a few minutes and disappears from the group. At 06:57 PM 6/8/97, L.J. Wolfe wrote (Wrote, now *there's* an understatement. Thought I was the only one prone to these binges. ): > Morgan glares at Gaunt, but remembers the one way she can loose >her torc (and all it represents) involuntarily. > > And all four of them suddenly *shift* about 90 degrees from >everything else in Quaren... Knytt looks at himself in the mirror, half expecting to see Kosh behind him. He buttons the cuffs on his black dress shirt and slips his electric blue blazer on. Slipping on a pair of blue suede shoes, he picks a bit of lint off his black slacks. He combs through his grey hair, staring into the mirror with one blue/one brown eyes. Straightening his lapels, he turns to each side, checking his attire. "Not bad for a 65 year old." {Knytt, you had better get up here...we have a problem.} > She finds herself in a lush English mansion, with blank-eyed >servants bustling about, and her link to the natural forces that >empower her muted to the tiniest of resonance. She is unceremoniously >dragged to a cavernous room with a number of unsavory toys, and >quickly chained to a rack-like device, except that underneath her are >a strange set of rollers, and around her neck a choker of crystal is >clasped. Her resonance cannot be felt at this point, and even her >link to the others is weak. > She tries reaching out to her companions. <#* Roscoe? Xzerrion? >ROLAND? *#> "What do you *mean* we lost her?" Knytt half-shouts. Will, to his credit, does not flinch. "She is off the monitors. I don't know where she went." "Alright," Knytt says, as he steps into the imaging chamber, "Full multiverse scan." "That'll take Eons!" "Something says England. Confine the search to that." > *A trap?* Roland sends, glaring at the place where Morgan was >taken. Gaunt has sealed space/time there, to prevent trackers from >following. *What else would it be?* > Roland smiles sadly, and more than a little guiltily. > And tears the 'weld' to shreds. "Will, follow Roland!" > Roland feels his sword sister shift through time and space. He >steps out of the null-space restoring the weld to the parts that had >not yet healed. The Continuum is sturdy; it will heal itself in short >order. > He reappears among the CAoL. "Morgan is the Controller's prisoner. >He knows who she is." His eyes narrow, and it doesn't take a telepath >to see the guilt in him. "We HAVE to hurry..." Knytt appears next to Roland. "Agreed. Dhyrclhanc, the fireworks start now!" =========================== Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 00:01:34 -0500 From: Michael Jon Knight Subject: Re: AAE3 -- A Dramatic Entrance (Very Long!) (Sorry!) At 12:12 AM 6/9/97 PDT, Martin Gerster wrote: >Knytt comes out of the imaging chamber, his >mug of coffee still in his hand and >still wearing his p.j.s. As he's coming out >the door, the version of Sparky which has >taken over the O/S on the ship Knytt >captured from his earlier self trys to get >Knytt's attention. >"Hey Boss, I got an incoming message for you." > >(I'm going to assume you're going to accept it) "On screen, Sparky." >As the Lensman/Green Lantern sails by, from >Knytt's perspective -- still looking at the monitor, the >big lizard seems to turn his head and >wink at him. Knytt inatvertantly chuckles >at this sight. "Excellent, my cigar connection has arrived from Cuba. I'll see you after my shower, old friend." >(O.C.C.: Sorry for the minor libertites taken with >your character, MJK) =========================== Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 01:10:59 -0400 (EDT) From: Shadow Subject: Re: AAE3-Some direction On Sun, 8 Jun 1997, L.J. Wolfe wrote: > Meanwhile, on Quaren... > > *"MORGAAAAN!!"* Roland roars, charging toward the spot from which > she was abducted... > Even through the weakened link she hears this, and knows that her > dear sword-brother won't rest until he finds her. John, resting, brooding, not really paying attention, looks up, "Whaa?" > *A trap?* Roland sends, glaring at the place where Morgan was > taken. Gaunt has sealed space/time there, to prevent trackers from > following. *What else would it be?* > Roland smiles sadly, and more than a little guiltily. > And tears the 'weld' to shreds. > The fabric of worlds warps and twists; someone trying to pass > through these areas of reality could end up anywhere, from > Middle-Earth to Innsmouth... > He leaps through the tear he creates, sparing a thought to close > the wounded space, and lands hard outside the manor grounds. Seeing Roland jumping through a hole in space, John cries out, "Wait, At least," the hole closes, "take us with you. Damn." John's attention focuses inward. He quickly grits his teeth. Broadband, one side of a conversation is heard. It is John, yelling at someone, "You goddamn better well send that message. You owe me.. You are NOT doing me a favor, I wanted out of the game and you twisted that so that I'm still serving you. Peace my ass, I know almost as well as you how _peaceful_ my rest is going to be, and you know the price I'm paying for it. I know he's not supposed to be here yet, you just get him here now with that toy of his. He can bloody well wander the countryside for all I care." > Roland feels his sword sister shift through time and space. He > steps out of the null-space restoring the weld to the parts that had > not yet healed. The Continuum is sturdy; it will heal itself in > short order. > He reappears among the CAoL. "Morgan is the Controller's > prisoner. He knows who she is." His eyes narrow, and it doesn't take > a telepath to see the guilt in him. "We HAVE to hurry..." John speaks up, "Can you bring up a topological map of what is in the way? I've arranged for a little help to arrive in a few minutes." =========================== Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 01:40:22 -0400 (EDT) From: Shadow Subject: Re: AAE3 -- A Dramatic Entrance (Very Long!) (Sorry!) On Mon, 9 Jun 1997, Roland X wrote: > Quoth the Lens-Lantern: > Roland creates a topographical map, using his > PK to create a simple hologram. He 'places' the > obstacles and forces arrayed against them in the > paths that they might take. He thinks again of > Morgan, in the clutches of the Controller... > *We need a miracle,* he almost sobs. John says nothing, and merely studies the map. He appears somewhat impatient. > Roland, so absorbed that he hadn't even noticed > his partner in spandex land, jolts at the mental > 'voice' of a familiar mind. The hologram pops like > a soapbubble. John shrugs, and heads for the edge/back of the group. >>Then, Dhyrclhanc asks, "So, what time do the Fireworks start?" > > Roland smiles broadly, his eyes tearing over. > "Hellooooo, MIRACLE!" And he jumps up with an > anime leap and wraps his arms around the Lensdragon's > long neck, hugging him so tightly he can actually > feel it. While everyone who wishes to is greeting the Lensdragon, another space/time rift opens by John. A completely noiseless hovertank drives through and parks. John jumps up onto it and knocks on the top hatch. It undogs and a slightly familiar figure pulls himself out of it. He appears somewhat startled at John's current appearance, and says, "Yes, I can see why you opted out. There's no going back, might as well go forward." John nods, then the two clasp arms (a forearm handshake, for anyone who didn't get it) and hug. John pulls away, "You'll be there? It is almost time. " an almost imperceptible nod toward the Lensdragon punctuates that statement.The other figure goes somber, "Aye." However a grin quickly appears on his face, "Let me give you the rundown. Right now she's using anti-grav, but she's also got air and ground-tread capabilities. Main battery is a modified plasma cannon. I cut the wait between shots down to 15 seconds and added a continous fire option. However that will deplete your atomic pile rather quickly. If something goes wrong with the pile, use this, " he traces a sign and whispers some words to John, "controls are easy enough for a child to use. Any questions, ask the onboard comp. Oh, watch out for the anti-personnel gear on the sides. It can tear a person in two. Aside from that, everything else is par for the course. Rotating flechette cannon, machine gun, and flamethrower. I want her back in pristine shape, she's an original Harley-Davidson 6000 series." With that the familiar newcomer pulls a small box out of his pocket and twists one side. The box expands into a gravcycle, and he hops onto it. John salutes him as he drives off. =========================== Date: Sun, 8 Jun 1997 23:41:59 -0700 (PDT) From: fuzzy Subject: Re: AAE3 -- A Dramatic Entrance (Very Long!) (Sorry!) After Nemisis arrives and everyone gets out she returns to her base shape including Swords. On Mon, 9 Jun 1997, Martin Gerster wrote: > /Within the realm of the mini-Lens Psi-web, a > soft "ping" is heard -- identical to that heard > when a Mac starts up -- and then a chorus > of voices says "Hi there!" similar to the opening > of Peter Gabriel's "Big Time." Dhyrclhanc's mental voice > then says: O.K. Jadies and Lentilmen, the wide-open > N-way is, once again, open for business!/ \Greetings, Allow me to introduce Nemisis, she was a gift from Drisonel.\ [snip] > Then, Dhyrclhanc asks, "So, what time do the Fireworks start?" Link and Verbal: '\Any time now, It is just a matter of finding the target, and I would bet on him being close to Morgan right now.\' ttfn Fuzzy Who thinks everyone waited until he was out shopping for computer parts. =========================== Subject: Re: AAE3 - Tidying up Xzerrion's trip Date: Mon, 9 Jun 97 13:14:20 +0100 From: Roland X Lost track of snippage...oh well... >> Slowly something is negotiated... not seperation, but >> intergration... thoughts/feelings/memories that compliment each >> other linking up, overlapping, reinforcing... >> >> Until, though it is still Argent's body, Caprice opens her eyes and >> sighs. "Sorry about that... does anyone have an asprin?" Roland sighs in deep relief. >John reaches down, four pills in his hand, "Nothing to be sorry >about. Extra strength, or ultra extra strength? Blue and green, " he >adds, by way of explanation. He closes his hand and does a sort of >rolling motion with his fist. When he opens it again two red pills >join the blue and green, "I can do regular, too." He grins, >childlike, showing off. Then he notices the fur on his hands and the >grin stumbles a bit, then recovers, not as wide as before. *sigh* *Okay, allow me to offer my services...hello, I am your psychic friend.* *If anyone feels trouble remaining centered, let me know.* Roland sense a sense of a rocklike force within the psiweb. (OOC: This, BTW, is my RL specialty. Anyone needing someone to talk to OOC, feel free to write.) =========================== Date: Mon, 09 Jun 1997 13:41:38 +0000 From: Caprice Subject: Re: AAE3 - Tidying up Xzerrion's trip Roland X wrote: >>John reaches down, four pills in his hand, "Nothing to be sorry >>about. Extra strength, or ultra extra strength? Blue and green," he >>adds, by way of explanation. He closes his hand and does a sort of >>rolling motion with his fist. When he opens it again two red pills >>join the blue and green, "I can do regular, too." He grins, >>childlike, showing off. Then he notices the fur on his hands and the >>grin stumbles a bit, then recovers, not as wide as before. Caprice reaches for the ultra extra strength, and swallows it dry. "Thanks... I need that..." > *sigh* > *Okay, allow me to offer my services...hello, I am > your psychic friend.* *If anyone feels trouble > remaining centered, let me know.* Roland sense a sense > of a rocklike force within the psiweb. Caprice nods, "I'm fine for now... but don't be surprised if I um... become Argent again." Mischief finally can't stand it any longer, and bounds full kitten speed over, and pounces into Caprice's lap, purring like an outboard motor. *mommymommymommymommymommy...* Caprice's face melts into a loving smile, and she cuddles the kitten tightly, purring back at it. =========================== Subject: Re: AAE3-Some direction Date: Mon, 9 Jun 97 14:10:27 +0100 From: Roland X Quoth the Shadow (who would know ) >> He reappears among the CAoL. "Morgan is the Controller's >> prisoner. He knows who she is." His eyes narrow, and it doesn't >> take a telepath to see the guilt in him. "We HAVE to hurry..." > >John speaks up, "Can you bring up a topological map of what is in the >way? I've arranged for a little help to arrive in a few minutes." (OOC: Oh, VERY clever! Thanks! ) Roland nods, his mind racing with plans as he begins to concentrate on combining his limited ESP with his photokinesis. *Maybe if we turned invisible...no, he'd have to be ready for that. Teleportation is out of the question-Gaunt would have prepared for it on the faint chance the Controller didn't. It's definitely time for that 'covert' stuff... *Dhyrclhanc, we could sure use you about now.* (OOC: This is all before a certain dramatic entrance, of course.) =========================== Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 12:04:16 -0700 (PDT) From: fuzzy Subject: Re: AAE3-Some direction On Mon, 9 Jun 1997, Roland X wrote: > (OOC: Oh, VERY clever! Thanks! ) > Roland nods, his mind racing with plans as he > begins to concentrate on combining his limited ESP > with his photokinesis. \If you send the Visualization to Nemisis with the command 'Map Board' Nemisis will shape the map as a updateable Panel.\ \Knytt, {} the Radio Freq. and Cypher Pattern that Nemisis Listens for. incase you want to send info or comms or you want to send any Bitmaped updates to the Map.\ > *Maybe if we turned invisible...no, he'd have > to be ready for that. Teleportation is out of the > question-Gaunt would have prepared for it on the > faint chance the Controller didn't. It's definitely > time for that 'covert' stuff... \Hurry-up and sneak?, how does that work?\ =========================== From: Martin Gerster Subject: AAE3 -- Be vewwy vewwy qwiet, we're about to go hunting Gauwnts! Date: Mon, 09 Jun 97 15:28:44 PDT On Sun, 08 Jun 97, (In response to the reappearence of a particular Sentinel-Lendragon) Roland X wrote: > Roland smiles broadly, his eyes tearing over. > "Hellooooo, MIRACLE!" And he jumps up with an > anime leap and wraps his arms around the Lensdragon's > long neck, hugging him so tightly he can actually > feel it. Dhyrclhanc looks around and notices the missing presence of Morgan/Loreena. /(mental cry) MORGAN!/ The Sentinel-Lensdragon then tilts his head so he's looking eye-to-eye at Roland. "Ah, Roland, I'm glad o see you too, but if you don't mind; you're 'wrinkling the suit'. (Assumedly the Freelance Immortal lets go of the adolecent Ruby Fire Dragon's Neck) As the Dhyrclhanc's "sword-brother" is getting down, the draconic Lensman/Green Lantern suddenly gets a "whiff" of the mental frequency of the invidiual responsible for the Wolfmae's abduction. /GAUNT! I don't care where/when you are, but when I find you I'm gonging to make you wish you had never set foot on Quarren! What's more, this time I'm not going to resurect you. You're going to have to recover from death, yourself! If you're smart, you're never going to cross paths with the CAoL again, or I'll make sure you wished you had stayed dead this time!/ /(To Everyone in the CAoL mini-Lens Psi-Web) One Trace Teleport, coming right up!/ Dhyrchlanc's "Sentinel's-Ring" flares to life and in the air diagonaly in front and above him a huge holographic display tank winks into existance. Within the greenish hues and shades of the tank a starfield-map is displayed. Quarren and it's surrounding solar system and galaxy appear near the tank's upper left edge two trails leave the surface of the planet and gently arc downwards untill they hit some kind of turbulance midway down/across the display tank. The trails then lead to a familiar planet near the lower right of the display tank. The planet is the third awa from its sun and shares the star with nine other planets. However, what lands on the surface of the planet is not two trails, but four. A legend on the exterior walls of the tank label Quarren according to a four axis identicication code and label Earth by *six* axises! /Interesting, Gaunt's fled to Earth but he's left a false trail somehow. I'm reading two presences in 16th or 17th c. England *and* two presences in Pre-Civil War Southern America. He's better than I gave him credit for; there's no way for me to tell which is the real trail and which is the red herring. The Question is -- which to we try first?/ =========================== Date: Mon, 09 Jun 1997 16:07:32 +0000 From: Caprice Subject: Re: AAE3-Some direction fuzzy wrote: > On Mon, 9 Jun 1997, Roland X wrote: >> *Maybe if we turned invisible...no, he'd have >> to be ready for that. Teleportation is out of the >> question-Gaunt would have prepared for it on the >> faint chance the Controller didn't. It's definitely >> time for that 'covert' stuff... > > \Hurry-up and sneak?, how does that work?\ Mischief gladly demonstrates to Fuzzy by somehow appearing out of nowhere around his ankle, clinging to it with needlelike claws. *see? feriocious kitten!* -- Caprice - Don't take me seriously. I don't. ;) =========================== Subject: Re: AAE3 -- Be vewwy vewwy qwiet, we're about to go hunting Gau Date: Mon, 9 Jun 97 16:34:50 +0100 From: Roland X Quoth the Sentinel-Lensdragon: >The Sentinel-Lensdragon then tilts his head so he's >looking eye-to-eye at Roland. > >"Ah, Roland, I'm glad o see you too, but if you don't >mind; you're 'wrinkling the suit'. Roland blushes and releases the Lensdragon, floating quickly to the ground. >As the Dhyrclhanc's "sword-brother" is getting down, the >draconic Lensman/Green Lantern suddenly gets a "whiff" of >the mental frequency of the invidiual responsible for >the Wolfmae's abduction. *Dhyrclhanc, we have to-* >/GAUNT! I don't care where/when you are, but when I find >you I'm gonging to make you wish you had never set foot on >Quarren! What's more, this time I'm not going to resurect >you. You're going to have to recover from death, yourself! >If you're smart, you're never going to cross paths with the >CAoL again, or I'll make sure you wished you had stayed >dead this time!/ *Be careful, partner! Gaunt's much better at scheming than at hack and slash!* >/Interesting, Gaunt's fled to Earth but he's left a false >trail somehow. I'm reading two presences in 16th or >17th c. England *and* two presences in Pre-Civil War Southern >America. He's better than I gave him credit for; there's no >way for me to tell which is the real trail and which is the >red herring. The Question is -- which to we try first?/ *None of the above,* Roland growls slightly through the link. *The bastard gave her to the Controller. The CONTROLLER!* Roland's rage is palpable. *First, we have to rescue Morgan-* his 'voice' catches- *and then... Gaunt will rue the day he was Reborn!* Elsewhere... Gaunt stares, unnerved, at the sight of the Lensdragon, who is twice his previous height. "Damn. His absence was an important part of my plan. This is going to be a major problem." Gaunt slowly draws the Bone Brand and kneels. *O Adversary, advise me. Your enemies grow stronger. I have retaken ancient land in your name, but now my archrival consorts with beings of magick and power. How may I counter this?* /#Seek ye out the Rychegeist, the memory of power#/ The Bone Brand echoes on more levels than Gaunt can track...and the connection fades. "Yes, Mighty One," Gaunt whispers. *Rychegeist? A Zeitgeist of the Reich? Sounds like a good idea, but where the hell can I find one?* (OOC: Hey Dhyrclhanc, here's your opening! ) (The Freelance Immortal, who always wanted to correct the oversight that Flash and GL never faced a Professor Zoom/Sinestro team-up...) =========================== Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 19:24:10 -0500 From: Michael Jon Knight Subject: AAE3 - LIMBO (Part 1) (long) The red volvo materialized in a long docking bay. Knytt barely had time to stop it from crashing into a wall. He landed the craft and set it back to look like a regular car. Knytt got out of the car and looked around. Will appeared from around a corner. Cursing, he dove back around the corner as he fired a shot at Knytt. Knytt ducked. "Hey, Will, cease fire! I am not the enemy here!" Vincent bobbed out from around the corner. Knytt sent a tight ESP message to Vincent, confirming his identity. Vincent conveyed it to the Robot, who conveyed it to Will. Will slowly stepped out from cover. "So, who *is* the enemy here?" Will asked warily. "I am not sure." {Welcome gentlemen. You all have been the wildcards in my plans for far too long. The rest of the CAoL has been predictable, but you four...Will Robinson and the Robot. You just *had* to get into that battle with the CAoL. Vincent and Knytt. You have done more damage than you even realize. Now, you will all pay!} Using the link the four had established, Vincent sent, /{That sounds like you, Knytt.}/ /{Indeed it does.}/ Knytt replied. /{But, you're here. So who is it?}/ Will asked. /{Excellent question. I wish I had an answer.}/ Knytt thought. Knytt grabbed his red backpack from out of the Volvo and withdrew a jet pack and a machine gun/grenade launcher/flame thrower that Sigourney Weaver might find very familiar. Putting the backpack back inside the car, he tossed the jet pack to Will. /{I assume you know how to fly that, Will? You and Vincent can be our air recon group. Robot and I will take the ground.}/ Knytt sent. /{I can...What are we looking for?}/ Will responded. /{Trouble.}/ Knytt and company trekked along the corridors of the strangely silent ship. They had found a window and discovered that they were onboard a gigantic vessel suspended in a brilliant void of rainbow-shifting colors. They had discovered 11 docking bays so far and were just entering Bay 12. /{So when are we going to pay for whatever it is we've done?}/ Will wondered. /{Inviting trouble, Mr. Robinson?}/ Vincent chided. /{At the moment, some trouble would take the edginess I feel away.}/ /{True,}/ Knytt sent, /{But, as the old saying goes...}/ A disruptor blast exploded in the wall in front of Knytt. /{Be careful what you wish for?}/ Vincent asked. /{Oh Gods, I recognize this ship now! It's the _Sulaco_!}/ /{_Sulaco_? Have you been here before?}/ Will asked. /{No, and I wish I weren't here now!}/ /{Why not?}/ As if in answer, across the docking bay, two dozen large shapes moved. With an almost lead-like exoskeleten, very thin bodies and long prehensile tails, the insectoid shape advanced out of the shadows. In it's clawlike hands it wielded a menacing Romulan disruptor rifle. /{Ever seen _Aliens_?}/ Knytt replied. As the aliens advanced, Knytt fired several of the armor piercing rounds into it. The clanking of the impact could be heard echoing across the bay. /{CLANK!?! They don't go Clank! They're robots!}/ Knytt nearly exclaimed out loud. /{They're scrap metal.}/ Will responded. An alien robot shrieked and tore out of the pack. Vincent shot it through the skull. It fell to the floor, exploding into a thousand shards of white hot metal. /{I must have hit the power unit.}/ The foursome let loose with every weapon they had available. Wills' blaster took off robotic arms and legs. Robot's electric arcs disrupted delicate electrical systems. Vincent's blasters made short work of the Alien robots' sensors. And Knytt's armor piercing rounds, grenades and flame thrower made sure nothing remained of the alien machines. {Well, that was easy. Now, try my storm troopers.} the voice announced. >From all around them at once, the shipboard faction of the CAoL heard the threat. And unlike the aliens, this one was real... "We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Your society and culture will be made to serve us. Resistance is futile." Several Borg transported to surround the foursome. One lunged for Will, but Vincent blocked it's claw. Will fired several shots at the Borg, blasting a clear path to the side of them. Knytt, Will and the bots escaped down a side hallway. /{Don't let the claws make contact with you. They use nanite technology to assimilate their 'recruits'.}/ Knytt sent. /{Thanks Vincent,}/ Will sent, /{I don't want to look like a walking hareware store.)/ Halfway down the corridor, the group skidded to a halt. In front of them stood a small contingent of silvery beings each about seven feet in height. /{Cybermen.}/ Knytt spat. The Cyberleader stepped forward. "You will be transformed. If you will not, you will be erradicated. Resistance is useless." /{Where have I heard that before?}/ Will asked. /{Actually, the Cybermen were around long before the Borg. If anything, the Borg stole the line from them.}/ Knytt looked around. /{Cybermen in front, Borg behind. }/ >From behind they heard: "We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Your society and culture will be made to serve us. Resistance is futile." >From in front: "You will be transformed. If you will not, you will be erradicated. Resistance is useless." "Resistance is futile." "Resistance is useless." "Resistance is futile." "Resistance is useless." /{Quick! Into this side corridor!}/ Knytt exclaimed as the Borg and Cybermen opened fire. Knytt pulled Will along, vincent and Robot bringing up the rear. Outside, the firing continued, as Cyberman and Borg cut into each other. /{I thought that might happen,}/ Knytt broadcast, /(Cyberman versus Borg...should be interesting.}/ Suddenly, the floor gave way beneath them, Knytt and Will managed to grab Vincent, but their combined weight only succeeded in dragging him down with them. The two humans and two robots fell down a slide and landed in a large room. In the center of the room a roaring fire burned. The floor was carpeted with fine persian rugs. Books lined every wall. The slide they fell down terminated in a hole in the ceiling. The final drop was two stories to the floor. Knytt let go instinctively, falling to the floor. Vincent managed to use the suddenly lessened weight to soften Will's fall. Knytt managed to land with an arm under the Robot. The break was audible. Knytt's stomach churned as he managed to jerk the bone back into position. Regeneration took hold immediately and the healing started quickly. By the time, Will and he had righted the Robot, the arm was as if it had never been broken. "Well," a now all too familiar voice said, as a form stepped into the light of the fire, "if there was any doubt about who you are, it was just answered, KnightShift..." =========================== Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 18:22:39 -0700 (PDT) From: fuzzy Subject: Re: AAE3-Some direction On Mon, 9 Jun 1997, Caprice wrote: > fuzzy wrote: > >> \Hurry-up and sneak?, how does that work?\ > > Mischief gladly demonstrates to Fuzzy by somehow appearing out of > nowhere around his ankle, clinging to it with needlelike claws. > *see? feriocious kitten!* '\Help, Help, there is a feriocious kitten on my ankle...\' \How are you doing Mischief?, and is your mommy allright?\ =========================== Date: Mon, 09 Jun 1997 22:01:44 -0400 From: Caprice Subject: Re: AAE3-Some direction At 06:22 PM 6/9/97 -0700, fuzzy wrote: >On Mon, 9 Jun 1997, Caprice wrote: >> Mischief gladly demonstrates to Fuzzy by somehow appearing out of >> nowhere around his ankle, clinging to it with needlelike claws. >> *see? feriocious kitten!* > >'\Help, Help, there is a feriocious kitten on my ankle...\' Mischief growls to show how feriocious she is. >\How are you doing Mischief?, and is your mommy allright?\ *i'm alright... are there still any radishes? mommy is good, she's mommy again...* =========================== Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 22:25:02 -0400 (EDT) From: Shadow Subject: Re: AAE3 -- Be vewwy vewwy qwiet, we're about to go hunting Gau On Mon, 9 Jun 1997, Roland X wrote: > Quoth the Sentinel-Lensdragon: >>On Sun, 08 Jun 97, (In response to the reappearence of >>a particular Sentinel-Lendragon) Roland X wrote: [Snipage} While all that snipped stuff was going on, John lowers himself through the hatch into the tank. He doesn't bother to dog the hatch behind him and takes his first look at the interior. A smile crosses his face; the interior is black on black, with black lights that light up to tell you when you've hit the black switches. "Computer.." "Please, call me Mycroft. Mycroft Holmes III, to be exact. Let me guess, you want to ask about the color?" "Yes, is this the normal color scheme?" "Not at all. This was set up for your amusement, shall I resume normal color scheme?" "Yes, Do so." At those words the buttons, switches, and labels change color. Everything else remains black. "Perfect. Let me see, Incendiary, Flare, and High explosive ammo. An array of Neurotoxins for the Flechettes. Veeerrrrryyyyy nice. Mycroft, remove sound dampeners while I start her up." "Done sir." > *None of the above,* Roland growls slightly through > the link. *The bastard gave her to the Controller. The > CONTROLLER!* Roland's rage is palpable. *First, we have > to rescue Morgan-* his 'voice' catches- *and then... > Gaunt will rue the day he was Reborn!* From off in the back the tank roars into life. John guns it a few times, then his voice comes out over the loudspeaker, "I say we go knock on the front door." > Elsewhere... > Gaunt stares, unnerved, at the sight of the Lens- > dragon, who is twice his previous height. > "Damn. His absence was an important part of my plan. > This is going to be a major problem." > Gaunt slowly draws the Bone Brand and kneels. > *O Adversary, advise me. Your enemies grow stronger. > I have retaken ancient land in your name, but now my > archrival consorts with beings of magick and power. > How may I counter this?* > /#Seek ye out the Rychegeist, the memory of power#/ > The Bone Brand echoes on more levels than Gaunt can > track...and the connection fades. > "Yes, Mighty One," Gaunt whispers. > *Rychegeist? A Zeitgeist of the Reich? Sounds like > a good idea, but where the hell can I find one?* From off in another space-time, Jadis stares at an array of screens. The one he is currently watching shows Gaunt and the Bone Brand with subtitles. As Gaunt finishes his communication, Jadis begins to laugh, "Yes, bring forth the Rychegeist, memory of power both old and yet to be. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" ===========================