Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 4
                                Prologs

Subject: Aae-Nurse's night out.

On Thu, 11 Sep 1997 22:02:56 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00001454
Driscoll said:

 The Nurse Shift and a stretcher team made their way through the
streets of Dibis into what used to be the slum area. Nemesis' crews
had repaired and rebuilt the crumbling buildings but the drunkards,
beggers adn tramps still makred the area noticably.
 Their goal was a small building that had only been repaird slightly
rather than needing complete re-construction. Moving inside swiftly
through a group of humans injecting themselves with harmful chemicals.
The procession pauses only long enough to admister antidotes much to
the humans' dismay. Then they opened a secret door that revealed a
small elevator.
 Taking it down however deep into the earth it went, they exited into
a large labratory-type room. Computers lined one wall, and chemicals
were stored along another. against a third was a tank in which floated
a human brain.
 Following her instructions, the Nurse downloaded the information
given her by The Controller adn then retrieved the brain. PLacing it
on a table, the stretcher teams and nurse released the nanites to do
their work, following the set pattern, building on the brain and
gathering needed atoms from aroudn the lab, building a body molocule
by molocule...
===========================

Subject: Re: Aae-Nurse's night out.

On Fri, 12 Sep 97 00:02:08 CDT In Message # 00001456
Mike Knight said:

>On Thu, 11 Sep 1997 22:02:56 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00001454
> Driscoll said:
>
> The Nurse Shift and a stretcher team made their way through the
>streets of Dibis into what used to be the slum area. Nemesis' crews
>had repaired and rebuilt the crumbling buildings but the drunkards,
>beggers adn tramps still makred the area noticably.

<OOC: I knew letting that Nurse thing pass would come back to haunt
me. ;) >

> Taking it down however deep into the earth it went, they exited into
>a large labratory-type room. Computers lined one wall, and chemicals
>were stored along another. against a third was a tank in which
>floated a human brain.

<OOC: DOH!>

> Following her instructions, the Nurse downloaded the information
>given her by The Controller adn then retrieved the brain. PLacing it
>on a table, the stretcher teams and nurse released the nanites to do
>their work, following the set pattern, building on the brain and
>gathering needed atoms from aroudn the lab, building a body molocule
>by molocule...

<OOC: Gee, all he had to do was ask...Hmmm, I am beginning to see the
trick. Question is, will he create a decent body this time? Or go with
the Tin Man?>
===========================

Subject: Aae-Life.

On Fri, 12 Sep 1997 20:26:10 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00001476
Driscoll said:

 The Stretcher crew and nurse finish work on the body before them and
move back slightly as the spark of life flows into it.
 The man's eyes snap wide open and seen to lock there as he trembles
heavily. His breath is in awkward gasps through both the nose and
mouth at once. muscles twitch and flex as the brain takes control of
the body and learns its basic functions once again.
 Soon the heart and breathing rates are down to normal and the
twitching is at a minimal, so the Nurse apporached the man offering
him a robe. "The operation was a success. Congratulations sir. you are
now alive."
 He turns to look at her, astonishment still overwhelming any other
emotions in his face. he tries to talk but only a gutteral growl seems
to come out. The pitch and volume begin shifting rapidly until soon
they start sounding a bit more like actual speech.
 "Ragnk ku CHo wyeuch Ee kad vergotten. So... many sensation. So..
many..nerves... all...feeling at the...same..time..."
 "I;m sorry sir. would you like a sedative?"
 The man starts squeeking and squacking that eventually starts to form
itsef into laughter. "No no no, this is wonderful. Billions of living
nerve endings. scents, tastes, sounds... A rose by any other name
would smell just as sweet. I had forgotten so many sensations. Now
htey flood back. Oh this is extacy! I want to feel it all I want to
feel more I..."
 The Nurse lays a hand on his shoulder as he tries to stand, "Please
sir. Our instructions were quite percise. Stage one is finished, but I
must ask you to be taken back to the hospital for physical therapy
until you learn to use this new form safely."
 "What? Yes Yes of course. alright. Oh thank you, thank you, thank
you."
 He was still giggling and repeating those words as the stretcher team
carried him back to the hospital.
===========================

Subject: New begginnings

On Fri, 12 Sep 1997 20:52:26 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00001477
Driscoll said:

 OOC: this post takes place 2 years in the future but I wanted to
write it now. ;-)

 Isla flew serenely across teh desert, feelign the warmth of Ligi's
love shining down on her. Unfortunately her companion hadn;t been so
serene and had required Isla to use a spell to calm her to
unconciousness. Oh well.
 Time and desert winds had swept away all signs of hte battle 2 years
ago, but Isla could still feel the residues of that massive energy.
She felt with her mind rathe rthan using sight to guide her, and soon
she was directly in what was a blackened crater two years ago.
 She pulled a small gold rod from her pack and began drawing in the
sand with it. As it cut through the sand, a glowing gold line appeared
behind it. First the circle. Then the sun and the moon, and hte
symbols for hte holy union of fire and earth that gave birth to the
steel. And finally the etching of hte sword she sought.
 The power that day was tremendous, but Soulstealer was one of hte
most powerful artifacts in Quaren, forged with teh soul of Darath the
Black and fed fat with thousands of others. eve that great power
didn;t destory ALL of it. Pieces flew towards the circle and the
etching of the sword as Isla channeled her magic into it. Soon th
handful of steel slivers that were all that remained of the greatsword
were assembled. Reaching into the stack, Isla removed one and used a
small bit of magic to form it into a pendant.
 Placing that aroudn her neck, she drew out the equisitly crafted
greatsword she had brought with her. Now would be hte hard part of the
spell. She placed the greatsword on the sword symbol and placed the
slivers upon it in specific places.
 Chanting the ancient words she had researched so carefully, the metal
began to glow as the slivers melded witht eh sword and transmuted it.
The silvery steel tarnished and blackened, the hilt moved as if it
were alive, re-shaping itself, adn runes appeared along the blade.
 Finally, at near exhaustion, the task was done. the sword as
complete. She turned to her companion adn ended the spell upon her.
The girl awakened with a gasp and tried to scramble away, but suddenly
her body was numb below the neck.
 "Listen my young beauty. What I want from you is simple. Grasp the
sword. That is all. if You fight me, you will die."
 The girl looked into Isla's eyes and suddenly the fear vanished in a
wave and she felt herself moving, as if she was outside her own body.
She saw herself reaching out to the sword. Her hand brushed it, and...
 "YES!! The warmth! Oh I have been so cold for so long. The warmth of
a body!"
 "Welcome back slave." Isla sais nonchalantly with a slight smirk on
her face.
 "WHO DARES CALL DARATH THE BLACK SLAVE??" The girl stood up waving
Soulstealer.
 "I do. Don;t you feel the loss Doorknob? I didn;t put AL your soul in
that little sword. I wear part of it around my neck. And as long as I
do so, YOU are MINE."
 The girl growled softly and planted the sword tip first intothe soft
sand. "I want the head of the one who killed me."
 "No, I want to know more about him first. Besides, you'd look much
the sight going after him like that. That Chemise and Sword look just
don;t go together that well." isla reclined in mid-air and refeacted
the lightwaved to create a mirror for darath in midair.
 "You bring me back, AS A MERE GIRL?? How can I striek fear into the
hearts of men as a 12 year old girl??? How can I rule my kingdom as a
GIRL??"
 "Like you ruled it all that well before? Besides. It's been two years
since you died. Keth of Mand rules now. You just rot. But enough of
your personal problems. I want to know everything you can tell me
about the one who destroyed Soulstealer..."
===========================

Subject: AAE4 - A Preview - Sugar, Spice, and Things Not Nice.

On Sun, 14 Sep 1997 02:19:47 -0500 In Message # 00001483
Michael Jon Knight said:

Allan moved through the forest silently, rifle cradled in his arm. He
hadn't found a thing all day. It was going to be beans and dried
venison for dinner again. Poor Anna was beginning to look
malnourished. He had managed to hide her and her mother from the Death
Squads. But they couldn't last in the mountains during such a harsh
winter for much longer. Allan trudged up the path leading to the
cabin.

Anna sat on the porch in her snowsuit playing with her doll. Her
mother, Rachel, watched her from the window. When the rebels had come,
she had snatched up her daughter and ran with Allan away from the
palace. Allan, her most trusted body guard. He had brought them to his
cabin in the mountains. But, from the radio, she knew the troops were
getting close.

"Anna, sweetie, stay on the porch. Don't go running off."

"Yes, momma."

Rachel looked at the rosy cheeked little girl. Strands of light blonde
hair poked out from under her hood. She smiled at Anna, who's blue
eyes had started to look worried. /How could anyone want to kill my
child? We weren't bad rulers, but even if we were, a five year old
girl has no idea of such things. It's inhuman./ Suddenly there was a
ruby flash from the trees.

/So, it's finally started./ Allan thought as he took aim at the masked
figure in the trees. /Well, you aren't gonna kill anyone in that cabin
if I have anything to say about it./

"Anna!" Rachel shouted, running out the front door as a shot was
fired. Allan's shot had hit the figure squarely in the head, but as
the figure in the tree rocked with the impact, his gun went off. The
shot meant for Anna went wide and hit her mother in the head instead.
As the gunman fell out of the trees, his gun slipped and fell slightly
ahead of the body, going off as Allan ran forward, hitting Allan in
the chest as he ran for the house.

Little Anna ran crying into the woods. She ran a long time, hot tears
streaming down her face. Momma told her to run if anything happened to
her. Don't let the bad men catch her. Hide and try to find someone to
take you across the border. Tell them you were in a plane wreck on
your way home. Your family will meet you at the border. Anna had
understood. Momma and Allan had repeated it until she could remember
it all and recite it back. Get across the border.

Anna hid in a ditch near a dirt road. Suddenly, she heard a grinding
and wheezing noise coming from somewhere nearby. The noise stopped.
Anna peered over the edge of the ditch across the road. A small one
room shack sat there. She ran over to it.

The gunman swore loudly. Getting shot in the head had really ruined
his mood. As he felt the wound heal, he climbed to his feet Tracking
the girl's footprints in the snow, he followed Anna into the woods.

Anna knocked on the sheetmetal door. Summoning up her courage, she
reached up and took the door handle. Electricity coursed through her
body and she fell back into the snow.

The gunman crested the hill, to see the little girl lying in the snow
in front of a sheetmetal shack. Using the high-powered scope on his
rifle, he looked just in time to see something move near the door of
the shack. A black oily liquid seeped out from inside the shack. Then,
defying the laws of physics, it crawled up the child's body and over
her face. The child twitched violently as the black slime seeped into
her nose and mouth. When it was all inside, the twitching stopped.
Then the little girl stood up and opened the shack door and went
inside, closing the door behind her. The gunman scrambled down the
hill, following the girl's path, down to the ditch. As he crossed the
road, the grinding/wheezing noise started again, and the shack
vanished.

The gunman turned, cursing loudly and fished a keyring out of his
pocket. From another direction, the same grinding and wheezing was
heard as a dark green van appeared. The windows were tinted pitch
black, and there were a ladder on the back. The gunman threw open the
door and looked back at the spot where the shack was.

"I don't know WHO took my kill, but whoever it wasbetter pray we never
meet, or he will wish he never met up with Mahloy!"

Mahloy got in the van, which vanished like the shack.
===========================

Subject: AAE: Someone forgot to R.S.V.P. <G>

On Sun, 14 Sep 1997 17:30:48 -0700 In Message # 00001496 Roland X said:

   "It's not fair."
   Dr. Adrian Thorne sulked in his tiny reality, watching the people
of Quaren slowly realizing their victory.
   "I was so close. I was so CLOSE!" Thorne clutched the Shadow Brand
with hands trembling in rage. "But Blaze wins. That psion whelp
_always_ wins! IT'S NOT FAIR!"
   *The mighty Doctor Thorne,* a voice echoes through the miniature
realm. *Master of space and time, great sorceror of the dark. You are
a joke.*
   Thorne looked around. He did not rant. He did not scream. He
simply...stared. At the nothing in his haven. "Who...?"
   *I am KnightMare. And I am so close to ultimate power, I can feel
it in my grasp. But one obstacle in my path.*
   "Blaze!"
   *Roland Phoenix,* KnightMare corrects, *but no. Alone, he is
nothing to me. But he and his allies, together they are invincible.
The Callahanians have a bond even I cannot break.*
   Thorne stares at the being who casually gave him his hated enemy's
secret identity. "Who-_what_ are you?"
   *Ah,, you are learning. Asking the right question is more important
than a thousand useless answers.* KnightMare gazes at the sorceror
through the portal he has created. *I am a being older than your
world, with science beyond your comprehension. Through...serendipitous
circumstances...I have discovered the secrets of Faerie magick as
well. The tiniest portion of my power would be sufficient to help you
gain revenge on anyone you desire, if such is the limit of your paltry
dreams.*
   Thorne smiles. "What do you want?"
   KnightMare laughs. *That is always the question, now isn't it? Walk
through the portal...and learn.*
   Thorne walks through...

Some time later...
   The Dracolich hovers over Dibis, scanning the city for the enemies
of its master.
   A magickal 'program' runs, examining the results of the search.
   *Results: subjects not found.*
   *WHAT?!* KnightMare roars mentally. Thorne winces.
   KnightMare taps his technomagickal staff on the 'ground' of his
base, and a screen appears. *Show me the Avatar!*
   Arcadia fills his screen.
   A wedding is taking place. The entire CAoL is in attendance, as are
Oberon and Titania, a great many fae, several immortals, Callahanians,
and various and sundry beings of power.
   The KnightMare lets out a very normal yelp and closes the screen.
*Not now,* it sends to the Dracolich. *Return.*
   The enormous undead Terminator vanishes into KnightMare's pocket
antiverse...
===========================

Subject: AAE3: Good Girls Don't...

On Thu, 18 Sep 1997 04:17:46 -0500 In Message # 00001576
 Michael Jon Knight said:

On a third story balcony, well away from the prying eyes and ears of
the CAoL, a woman in a scarlet-red-with-black-point-stripes capote,
leaned out from under the awning to get a better look. Neon-blue hair
hung down framing a pale face with stunningly blue eyes, full lips
with purple lipstick heavily applied, and eyebrows gave the appearance
of being angry even when in a good mood. She scowled at the
offensively goody-goody band of adventurers, who were attempting to
perform some magic exorcism ritual on one of their number.

"Just shoot him," she muttered. "It would be moe expediant."

Five inch spiked heel black boots clicking against the stone floor of
the apartment she had acquired, the woman strolled in toward a table.
Taking off the blanket coat, she tossed it over a chair, revealing a
chain mail and polished steel midriff halter top, skin tight black
latex pants, a huge black studded belt, and a left arm that was a
highly evolved polished chrome prostesis below the forearm. Thin
tendrils of wire ran off the arm and embedded themselves into the skin
below the elbow.

On the table was a laptop computer, which was open and humming quietly
to itself. The left hand's metallic fingers, ending in blue chromed
clawlike fingernails, and the right hand's flesh fingers, ending in
long fingernails with the same blue chrome polish, clicked the keys
rapidly, entering notes on what she had been observing.

"So, Knytt is no longer with them. He has run off to 'find himself'.
Well, that detail may be of use to me, as well as the other notes I
have made here on this pompous, pretentious, prepubescent 'Callahanian
Army of Light.'" The woman sat and thought. Some detail eluded her.
The coming and going of some of the members...the prolonged silences
where no one spoke, but a unanimous decision was apparently reached.
It seemed like there was some communication going on that she was not
privy to. Peculiar. She would make a note of it as she had been for
months now, following this 'Army', watching the company change, seeing
its exploits sometimes firsthand, other times through unwitting spies.

A faint knock on the door broke her musings. "Come!" she barked. An
adolescent Dibis boy, her aide for the time being, entered nervously.
The woman stood up and the boy's jaw dropped. The woman gave a
predatory smile as she walked confidently, commandingly, seductively
over to the teenager.

"You have news." It was not a question.

"Y-y-yes," the boy stammered, for once glad of his slight build as he
stood within two feet of the amazonian woman. He tried to remember
exactly WHAT news he had, but found himself staring at his twin
distorted images in the polished steel brassiere. Grabbing the boy's
neck in her right hand, the woman lifted him easily off the floor to
stare up at him with a look of utter contempt.

"*You* *have* *news*."

"Yes," the boy choked/squeaked. "Black cat...returned...Powerful
magic...But...no Knytt." The woman dropped him in an undiginfied heap
on the floor.

"I KNEW THAT. I need better information than this. Go to this Misern.
Sort through the rubble there. Find me any information from that Iron
Golem."

"Go to Misern? Alone!?! Not for a *hundred* women like you would I do
that! You are crazy!" The boy started to open the door, but the woman
reached out and shut it with her right hand. The left metallic hand
grabbed his shoulder firmly.

"Then our contract is over," she said in a voice that could melt
comets, "It is time to settle our debt." The woman reached up with her
cybernetic hand to caress the teen's suddenly hopeful face, gently
grasping him under the chin. Her face softened as she leaned in toward
the boy, lips slightly parted. The boy closed his eyes, his lips also
parted for the kiss.

An inch from her, the boy's eyes shot open as his body twitched
convulsively with the electric current. The woman stared deeply into
the boy's eyes as the life left him, her head slowly tilting back as
her eyelids drooped slightly and a soft passionate moan escaped her
lips. The dead adolescent stared lifelessly up at her as he fell to
the floor. The woman closed the laptop and unfastened the halter top,
removing it and placing it in the chair. As she walked into the
bathroom, she smiled a sated smile and said to herself. "Anna, you are
*sooooooo* good."

--Mike
<OOC: More prequel for AAE4. ;)>
===========================

Subject: AAE3: Pipeline

On Sat, 20 Sep 1997 20:56:00 -0500 In Message # 00001603
Michael Jon Knight said:

The dark-skinned cyberelf with the camera lens eye stares at the CAoL
from a dark alley. As whatever they were doing seems to be over, he
glances down the street to his backup, gives a slight eyesignal, then
turns and walks down the alley. Walking into a nearby street, he
brushes a hand through his hair as a dwarf with a limp hobbles over on
a crutch.

"Ellinic, old son, never thought to see you in these parts!" the dwarf
booms.

"Olsin, you old horse thief! Haven't seen you in ages!" The old
friends shake hands, ending in a backslapping hug. When they
disengage, the elf continues, "My friend, I am on my way to my guild,
but stop by and say hello to Reshinn. She will be upset if you don't.
And there is the new baby you haven't seen. Our home is right next to
the Woodcarver's guild."

"Of course! I will stop by this evening. And I will be sure and bring
a keg of mead.'

"Tonight then, my friend." The elf left on his errand as the dwarf
hobbled over to a stall. "A sausage roll and a flask of ale." he said
slapping a pocketful of coins on the counter. The old woman quickly
swept them off the counter, and handed the dwarf his flask and food.
The dwarf sat on a bench admiring some of the young girls doing the
washing in one of Dibis's new fountains.

The old woman went in the back of her stall and pulled some bedlinens
off the clothesline. Putting them in a basket, she called one of the
girls washing to watch the stall. The old woman left, carrying the
basket into a flophouse up the street. She gave it to the manager, who
gave her a few coins, and she gave him back some change. The manager
pocketed it and took the linens up to one of the rooms. Knocking and
hearing no answer, he went in and noted splashing from the bathroom.
Calling out "Changing sheets, Miss." he made the bed and left quickly.

The bathroom occupant could be heard getting out of the bath, and
singing in a rich Nina Simone-esque voice, Anna emerged naked from the
bathroom. Crossing to the bed, she took the mint from the pillow,
unwrapped it and popped it in her mouth, then took the minidisk from
the pillow beneath the mint and popped it into the computer...on the
monitor, she watched the battle of the assasin's guild right through
Xzerrion collapsing in tears.

"Interesting."
===========================

Subject: AAE3ish - Journey of the Sorcerer's Apprentice

On Wed, 24 Sep 1997 15:26:28 -0500 In Message # 00001639
Michael Jon Knight said:

When Pyewackett had vanished from his seat in the bike, Knytt decided
to take a detour. The cat always knew where to find him, even across
spacetime.

Knytt stood in the shadows, observing the scene before him. It was
late January, 2259. About 100 human Technomages had stopped on Babylon
5 bound for...well, who knew except the Technomages? Ambassador
Mollari had just left one of them, a mage by the name of Elric.

Knytt was about to step out when Elric said, "Come and bask in the
light, my friend. The shadows are not a safe place these days."

Knytt steps from his hiding place, "They will be in time.I have come
to find some answers about an item which came into my possession
recently." Knytt held up his wrists. The Gateway Bands glimmered in
the light.

"Of course," Knytt added, lowering his hands, palms upward, "You might
recognize it more in this form." A shell matching the design and size
of the Gateway katana formed in Knytt's hands.

"Come with me," Elric said. "But, get rid of that first."

The sword was reabsorbed into the bands as Knytt followed Elric.
===========================

Subject: Re: AAE3ish - Journey the Second of the Sorcerer's Apprentice

On Thu, 25 Sep 1997 01:53:08 -0500 In Message # 00001650
Michael Jon Knight said:

>On Wed, 24 Sep 1997 15:26:28 -0500 In Message # 00001639
> Michael Jon Knight said:
<snip>
>"Come with me," Elric said. "But, get rid of that first."
>
>The sword was reabsorbed into the bands as Knytt followed Elric.

Elric led Knytt through the section of the station the Technomages had
claimed temporarily as their own. Suddenly from behind them came a
noise, loud and low. The floor began to rumble beneath their feet. As
they turned, they saw a dark, demonic form charging toward them. Knytt
was surprised, and took a half step back before catching a faint
jerkiness to the demon's movements. Elric remained calm. The demon
leapt at them with a roar...and froze in midair. Knytt reached up with
both hands, index and middle fingers forming a twin V, and poked the
creature in all four eyes. As he thought, his hand passed right
through.

"What was your first clue?" Elric asked Knytt as if asking an oral
essay question.

"The motion was jerky. Like clay animation in old movies."

"You hear that, Adron?"

A young girl came out from behind a corner.

"Yes, Elric," she said sadly.

"Never skimp on your frame rates," Elric scolded, "Keep it above 24
fps. It is tedious, but it gives the most realistic feel. And, make
your shadows DARK. It will work better in a dark corridor."

Elric and Knytt continued down the corridor, and Elric explained who
the technomages were.

"We are dreamers, shapers, singers, and makers. We study the mysteries
of laser and circuit, crystal and scanner, holographic demons and
invocations of equations. These are the tools we employ, and we know
many things. Fourteen words to make someone fall in love with you
forever, seven words to make them go without pain, how to say goodbye
to a friend who is dying, how to be poor, how to be rich, how to
rediscover dreams when the world has stolen them from you." At this
last, Elric glanced at Knytt. With a hand, he stopped Knytt and turned
to him.

"You came here for answers about what those bands around your wrists
were. But, you already know where it came from. So, I ask, why are you
here?"

"I want to be able to control them. They will no longer come off. And
I can't be strapped to a weapon I am incapable of controlling."

"And, how long are you willing to spend learning to control these
bands?"

"You forget, Elric," Knytt said, raising his hands again, "Time is no
longer an issue."

"Then we shall begin your training. Come, we will get you suitable
attire. You are a bit old for an apprentice, but, I expect you have
had past experience and what you don't know, Time Lord, you will catch
onto quickly."

Knytt froze in his tracks. Elric turned.

"Did you think you were the only walker between dimentions? You come
to us in Starfleet Academy sweats and the bioscanner you passed by
registered two hearts."

"Well," Knytt said weakly, "I knew a few, but assumed they were rather
rare."

"They are," Elric said, "Come. Our time is short. You will have to
join us in our travels. The journey is long, but the rewards are
great. We will need extra supplies. We have much to learn from each
other, Time Lord."
===========================

Subject: AAE3ish - Return of the Sorcerer: Journey's End.

On Fri, 26 Sep 1997 10:06:35 -0500 In Message # 00001656
Michael Jon Knight said:

Knytt had spent 25 years learning about the Technomages and the
Gateway bands before he finally made his way home from beyond the Rim.
For Pyewackett, the side trip to Babylon 5 took only a few minutes.

SOMEWHERE ON THE NORTH ATLANTIC COAST OF NORTH AMERICA, 2263 AD

Knytt wandered through the woods, calf high boots silently creeping
through the fall leaves. The dark green McConnell tartan flannel shirt
and faded blue jeans looked right at home on Knytt's 6'2"/190lb frame.
A green capote made from a Hudson Bay points blanket kept the cold air
out. His long brown hair was swept back from his face as his eyes (one
brown, one dark blue) scanned the thickets for his quarry. Reaching
into a leather pouch on his belt, he pulled out a piece of jerky and
chewed it thoughtfully. Swallowing, he took a swig of water from his
canteen.

A noise from the hill across caught his ear. He raised a
double-barreled shotgun, sighting the enormous buck near the treeline
in the clearing halfway up the hill before him. He pulled the trigger.

The little one and a half story house set atop a hill that overlooked
green wooded countryside. In the far distance could be seen a small
seaside town and the Atlantic beyond. The house was old and
weatherbeaten. It had probably not seen a fresh coat of paint in 20
years. Its owner would get to the painting eventually, but found
himself rather fond of the worn-in look. Trees surrounded the house on
the north and east, the south looked out on a meadow from where the
town could be seen, the west stared at a barn whose red wood had
probably seen less paint than the house had. There was a large set of
two story double doors in the barn front, with a small door set in the
right larger one. A small black-furred head peered out from the small
door, whiskers twitching. A storm was coming. The head ducked back
inside for a moment as Knytt trudged up the hill, then the head and
the rest of the black cat trotted out, carrying a field mouse in its
mouth. Pyewackett scampered across the large yard between the barn and
house, heading over to Knytt.

"Amazing what a few Spanish coins will buy in the hands of the right
collectors..." Knytt mused, smiling at his new place.

"I see I had better luck hunting than you," the cat's gold collar
translated.

"I got what I wanted," Knytt replied, flipping the safety over and
pulling the trigger again. The large buck he had seen appeared in
front of them. Knytt released the trigger and the holographic image
disappeared.

"That's a good catch you've got there," Knytt said, walking up the
front porch stairs and opening the front door. Pyewackett strolled
inside with his field mouse.

"AHEM!" Knytt said sternly. "Not inside the house."

"Oh...yeah," the cat said slinking outside with his prize. Knytt
walked inside, shutting the door behind him. Pyewackett sat on the
ground, looking at his catch. Then he looked at the slowly darkening
sky. His tail flipped back and forth rapidly. Finally, after a whole
30 seconds, he took his catch, and hopped up on a large concrete
pedestal. In the center of the pedestal was a piece of black metal.
Pyewackett dropped the dead mouse on the center of the circle of
metal, which irised open, letting the trophy drop inside before it
closed. Pyewackett hopped off of the Mr. Fusion Trash Reclaimator and
darted through the cat door to the warm inside and the dish of tuna he
knew would be waiting.
===========================

Subject: Before (B5?) AAE - Not The One...Someone Better... (LONG)

On Fri, 26 Sep 1997 18:32:13 -0500 In Message # 00001662
Michael Jon Knight said:

KnightShift slipped out of the cargo hold into the docking bay.
Ducking behind some large crates, he watched as several Customs
inspectors examined the cargo hold he had just been in for illegal
refugees. Babylon was taking on as many as she could, but they still
had to turn many away.

"Where is he?" KnightShift muttered quietly to himself.

"Right behind you," a voice replied.

KnightShift whipped around to meet the dark face of a Ranger. It was
Samuel Carver, the man he had been waiting for.

"C'mon, I've made all the arrangements," Samuel said, beckoning
KnightShift to follow him out of the docking area.

After a long walk deeper into the lower levels, KnightShift was passed
off from Samuel to a Minbari ranger. KnightShift learned as they
traveled on, that his transport to Earth would take some time to get
there. He would have two day's stopover here in Babylon 5. Then it was
a week-long trip to a Colony in Narn space, then another 5 days to
Earth. From there, KnightShift knew, he only had to get to the cave in
the mountains of the Yukon and he would be back with his TARDIS, safe
from the Vorlons. He would slip forward in time a couple of centuries
or so, to a mining colony and take a ship from there back to Earth.
That would throw the Time Lords off the trail as well. He had already
signed the contract for a Captain Mahloy. Finally, they arrived at
their destination.

"This is Grey 17. It is an unknown area on the station map. A
forgotten level. You will wait here. A friend will see that you have
nourishment and warm blankets."

"Thank you," KnightShift said, opening the door as the Ranger left
him. KnightShift walked slowly into the room. In the shadows, he could
make out a form. She had long curly hair and a Minbari headbone.

"Ambassador Delenn???"

"Yeah, right," a voice replied, the lack of accent and the deliberate
use of slang jarring against the picture his mind had automatically
painted. "But then," the voice continued in more cultured tones, "It
*is* an honest conclusion since Entil'zha is, of course, the only one
with this appearance."

"Isn't she?", KnightShift asked in a surprised tone, trying to
surreptitiously peer through the darkness.

"Officially, yes. Unofficially..." The stranger stepped into the
light.

Only from behind could she be mistaken for Delenn. Her hair, though
long as Delenn's, had strong coppery lights, and curled wildly about
her shoulders in a way Delenn's never had. Her eyes were brown, not
Delenn's mercurial green-grey, her features more earthily attractive
than ethereally beautiful.

She wore a long plain gown colored a dark, dusty rose shade, and over
that a shorter forest green tunic with wide elbow length sleeves. A
strange Celtic cross pendant holding a small purple stone was her only
adornment, save for a sturdy cloth belt festooned with odd pouches
that clicked as she moved and some dainty purple... earrings? 

Stranger and stranger...

"Seen enough?" she asked. "Because I'd really like to get out of here.
This place is safer than it used to be, but it doesn't mean I want to
test exactly what that means. Follow me."

She led him through a maze of corridors to a small alcove tucked into
a long hall.

"Here we are."

"Here?" KnightShift echoed, looking around at the scattered debris,
the burlap sacking and metal loading crates.

"Not much to look at is it?" She chuckled. "Come here. Touch right
here." She pointed to the wall. 

He complied, feeling the metal cold and solid beneath his hands.

Then she put her hand against it. Matter dissolved beneath his fingers
and he fell forward, suddenly off balance.

"Oh, are you alright?"

"Sure."

"Ok, then get inside, you don't want to be halfway through the door
when it solidifies again."

KnightShift scrambled inside, rising to his feet.

"Watch the - " He banged his head with a resounding thud. "Ceiling."

The ceiling was low, clearing the head of his host by mere inches,
forcing him, taller by a head, to stoop over uncomfortably.

The darkness was beginning to fade, replaced by the dim light of one
candle, then another, then another until the whole room glowed. The
candles were set into metal holders bracketed into the walls, and by
their light an astonishing world was revealed. The room was filled
with hangings, soft cushions, low shelves filled with crystals and
arcania, and a staggering variety of paper bound books, and smelled of
lavender and incense. Off to one side was another room, presumably a
bedroom, another shuttered room might have been a bathroom, and there
were cupboards and a crude electrical stove and refrigerator unit set
into the wall next to the door.

"It's quaint," she said, running some water into a kettle and setting
it to boil. "But I like it. You don't need to scrunch yourself up like
that -have a seat." She pointed to a low table surrounded by cushions.
"The Rangers brought me all this stuff - I'm lucky to count them among
me special friends." She smiled wistfully. "I can imagine you want to
know what this is all about." She indicated herself with a general
sweep of her hand. "I'm not even Minbari - well, I am, but in a way
you aren't likely to imagine."

"Neither is Delenn, if you listen to the rumors on Minbar."
KnightShift replied, taking a seat. "But, I have never been one to put
much weight in rumors. Besides, not many of us are what we seem. If
you get ISN down here, I am sure you can think of at least one current
example."

/You are not what you seem, KnightShift. And neither is she./

/Kosh, if that is true, then we have something in common./

/She was never meant to be./

/Neither was I./

The internal dialogue between KnightShift and the Vorlon he was
carrying over, KnightShift couldn't help notice his host politely
observing him. He looked at her, suddenly simply *seeing* her for the
first time. There was no mistaking her for Delenn, that was plain to
him now. Delenn could not compete with this one's beauty.

"Who *are* you?" he asked in a near whisper, momentarily stunned. He
quickly recovered, adding, "I am Mi-er, KnightShift."

"What do you want?" She asked in return. "I'm making sandwiches, is
that ok?"

KnightShift, caught up in the jarring coincidence of her response,
couldn't answer for a moment. "Uh, yeah, sandwiches are great..."

She returned to the table with a mug of steaming tea and a large
sandwich, accompanied by pickles and a basket of potato chips, then
returned with her own tea and sandwich to join him.

"I hope this is alright, I was just about to eat when they called me."

"They?"

"The Rangers. I'm a good 'underground' agent for them," she surveyed
her eccentric quarters with a small laugh. "Literally."

KnightShift took a bite of his sandwich and chewed in growing
disbelief before actually lifting up the mellow rye bread to peer
beneath. 

The young woman hesitated with her own sandwich midway to her mouth.
"Is everything alright? - I know the pastrami couldn't have gone bad
so quickly."

Pastrami and cheese, real swiss cheese if he wasn't mistaken. This
small sandwich, made with authentic Earth provisions, ran at least a
good seventy credits.

"Where did you get this? I couldn't buy food like this here even if I
was rich - it just isn't there to be had."

"My Ranger ties again. They bring me things when they get the chance.
I can't exactly go topside very often - looking like I do. Sometimes
people mistake me for Entil'Zha, which can be both a blessing and a
curse. On the one hand I can move very freely, but woe betide me if
anyone who interacts with her on a more than casual basis ever sees
me."

"She doesn't know about you, but the Rangers do? Something doesn't add
up. Isn't she their leader, aren't they supposed to tell her things
like oh, I don't know, there's another half-Minbari female living in
Grey 17?"

"Normally, yes. But they're all bound by a prior promise. This is very
complicated."

"I'll say." KnightShift took a bite of his pickle, finding it
perfectly spiced and delightfully sour. He finished it, and was just
about to start on the second half of his sandwich when an insectoid
buzzing emerged on the edge of his hearing.

/Shadow!/, said the Vorlon inside him, making his whole being cringe.

Then, all at once, the buzzing stopped and he began to wonder if he
had heard it at all.

"Hello?", a female voice was calling, "Is anyone home?"

"Oh," his host exclaimed, "That's my friend Khir`een, do you mind if
she comes in?"

"Not at all."

/See, there wasn't a Shadow outside - / he began to tell Kosh, as he
suddenly felt the Vorlon start restlessly within him again.

His host went to the door and ushered a cloaked young woman into the
room. The first thing he noticed, apart from her black-haired
classical beauty, was the large and unusual birthmark framing her
right eye. Why, it was shaped just like a -

/SHADOW!/ The Vorlon shouted with mind-deafening vehemence.

KnightShift stood up quickly, banging his head into the ceiling. He
backed away from the new woman saying, "I don't need this. Not now. I
just leave one race of First Ones, I'm not about to be swept up by
another..."

The interloper, if KnightShift had bothered to pay attention, was
showing similar signs of distress. "Flarn," she whispered unsteadily,
"That man has a Vorlon inside him. I can't stay - " Quickly she was
let out again, and the door resolidified behind her. His host rounded
on him.

"You never told me you had a Vorlon inside you!"

"_You_ never told _me_ you were friends with the _Shadows_. I thought
that was who you Rangers were supposed to be fighting against. No
wonder Kosh is so upset."

"I'm not friends with the Shadows, not all of them anyway. Only two."

"Oh, that's comforting."

"Khir`een and her mate aren't ordinary Shadows. They've both had...
experiences, which have made them all but exiles from their race.
Khir`een especially. She was part of experiments... Let's just say
there is no love lost between her and her kind. She wants the Shadows
downfall as much as the Rangers do."

KnightShift sighed. "I see. Look, you didn't think it was important to
tell me your friends. I didn't think it was important to tell you
about mine. I apologize for my rude behavior. I still have bad
memories of Shadows. And carrying the Vorlon doesn't help."

"Yes, that is a problem. Do you think your Vorlon can contact others
of his kind? Because if he can... my cover's shot."

"He can't. I wouldn't have gotten this far if he had. Why would your
over be shot? As unique as you are, the Vorlons, collectively anyway,
tend to go for bigger things, Miss... um, what was your name?"

She smiled maddeningly. "That's a far more interesting question than
you realize."

"Well, I have nowhere to go, and am an attentive audience."

His host grew pensive. "I'm going to tell you something now that few
people know. Don't ask me why, but you look like I can trust you. I
don't know quite how to start. I keep feeling I should begin this
story with 'Once upon a time...' it's certainly far fetched enough."

KnightShift nods, listening.

"This story starts about three months ago. Ironically, with Ambassador
Delenn... and our Captain Sheridan. They're romantically involved. The
Captain had invited her for dinner in his quarters and had made flarn
- a traditional Minbari dish..."

Flarn... That sounded familiar.

"He did a rather bad job of it, I guess some people just aren't cut
out to be cooks. Delenn gamely tried to eat it, added a lot of salt,
and was determined to choke down a whole plateful rather than insult
him. But just then he was called away, and she discreetly emptied the
flarn into the waste disposal unit."
 
KnightShift seems a bit confused as to the relevance, but nods for her
to go on.

"That was the end as far as Entil'Zha and Sheridan were concerned, but
it wasn't the end for others. For me it was the beginning. Kosh, the
first Vorlon ambassador to B5 was still alive at that time and for
some unknown reason, was wandering in Downbelow on some mysterious
purpose. And he came upon a puddle of something that leaked from the
recycling system. Through some quirk of the Universe that puddle was a
sort of genetic primordial soup - more than that, it was alive, like
an embryo, with the promise of sentience. "

The light starts to dawn...

"Kosh could have left things well enough alone, but, you of all people
must know how difficult it is for Vorlons to resist shaping things,
influencing them. The primordial ooze had a memory of sorts, and the
signatures of the two people who had unknowingly contributed to its
creation. A hair from Delenn, a few skin cells, fallen into the food,
and more cells from Sheridan who had prepared it, and whose waste
receptacle the flarn had found its way into... all this information,
plus the variables of chemical composition, and whatever it had
encountered in the recycling system, infused the ooze. And Kosh, like
a child who had found a set of blocks, used it to build something.
Someone. Me." She took a decisive sip from her mug and put it down
again. "You can call me Flarn."

KnightShift realized she must be telling the truth, just by Kosh's
resurgence of repeating /She was never meant to be./ He finally had
had enough.

/WELL, SHE IS NOW! Your kind made her. But you do not have the right
to take the life you gave away. NOW BE SILENT!/

KnightShift was surprised to find his eyes were tightly closed,
intense concentration evident on his face.

"Well, Kosh is saying you were never meant to be, so your story must
be true, he would know if it could be done. I guess your Kosh must
have bent a rule or two in creating you. I am at a loss, though, for
what to say. But, if it bothers the Vorlons, then I like it."
KnightShift smiled.

Flarn laughed. "Nothing like upsetting the establishment."

"Tell your friend, I apologize. But we had better not meet. My
chaperone is as scared of Shadows as your friend is of Vorlons. I
don't want Kosh to panic and get ME killed."

KnightShift paused for a long moment.

"Perhaps," he said slowly, "when _this_ is over," he added gesturing
to his head, "I can come back and apologize personally to your
friend?"

"If she ever gets over her scare... Yes, come back when this is sorted
out. I'd like the company. "

--Adriann and Mike
===========================

Subject: AAE: Raising Rhiannon (in 8 easy steps)

On Sat, 27 Sep 1997 12:57:19 -0400 (EDT) In Message # 00001671
Shadow <pookie> said:

   John thanked his ride, then took the child and set off down the
path towards the Masaki shrine. The child was being difficult and
wanted to stop, but there wasn't time. "Come on. Just a little farther
and we came rest and eat." While the clone cannot understand the words
the mental images John sends along with them are comforting, but the
clone just cries the louder. "Hrrrggggg." Frustrated John tries to
think of something, then gets an idea. "Want to fly?" With these words
John picks the child up and begins to fly her through the air, all the
while trying to project comfort and warmth. "Wheeeeeeee" The child
quiets, then begins to laugh and giggle. John flies straight for the
shrine, keeping the baby entertained along the way. When he finally
reaches the shrine and lands, he goes strainght to the kitchen, "Hi
Sasami. Where is everyone?"
   Inside the kitchen a young blue haired girl cooking lunch smiles
and looks up, "John, welcome.. back? What happened to you? Are you ok?
Where are you?"
   "What's left of me is right here. Nothing time won't fix. Do you
know where Washu is? I need her help with my charge." John brings
forward the clone.
   "Oh, she's so pretty, what's her name?" 
   "Her name? Ummm... her name is ummm... Rhiannon. I'll, I mean
I,call her Rhiannon. She's uh related to a friend of mine and I'm
taking care of her for a while. Now where is Washu at?"
   "Washu's in her lab. Is she sick?"
   "Ummm No, not exactly. I'll just go talk to Washu now. Thanks
Sami."
   John took the child and led her to the stairs, and knocked on the
door to Washu's lab, "I'm busy, come back later," he heard. Sticking
his head through the door, he called out, "Well, so am I, and I could
use your help."
   Washu looked over her shoulder, "Oh, hi John. I thought you were
one of the others. That's a new look for you isn't it? Come on in,
what can I do for you?"
   John brought Rhiannon in and quickly outlined the circumstances
surrounding her existence, "So I want to get her up to her current age
from infancy, and I wondered if you knew any ways to do that that
wouldn't take 8 years."
   "Weeelllll, there might be a way. Let me run some tests and I'll
tell you for sure." Washu starts tapping on the transparent keyboard
that appears in front of her, and a variety of scans can be seen to
flow over the child, who is delighted by the pretty colors. Finally
Washu is satisfied, "Yes, it can be done, quite easily. She learns
things at a remarkable rate, and some of the additions to her genetic
code are quite fascinating. It will take about 8 weeks, I wouldn't
want to strain her psyche."
   "Thank you Washu. I don't know what I would've done without you."
   "Probably gone crazy trying to take care of this baby. For the
greatest scientific mind in the galaxy, this was child's play."
   What follows is a montage of scenes: John playing with Rhiannon,
Rhiannon undergoing some more tests, Rhiannon with a helmet over her
head with blinking lights on it, Sasami playing with her, John and
Rhiannon buying some nearby property, Rhiannon following Sasami
around, and finally, John receiving the wedding invitation.
===========================

Subject: AAE: Darkness gathers

On Sat, 27 Sep 1997 12:58:53 -0400 (EDT) In Message # 00001672
Shadow <pookie> said:

   Jadis stared at the screen before him, upon which the ghostly image
of John glowed brightly. He stared at it for several minutes, and
slowly his hand clenched into a tight fist. "He is still ALIVE! How
can this be! He should be dead, his soul shattered, reduced to the
beginning of the cycle! HWWWAAAAUUUUGGGHHHHH, " with an inarticulate
cry of rage Jadis shattered all the TV screens in front of him. Then
he went to the bar and proceeded to hurl bottles and glasses across
the room, finishing by setting the bar on fire with a single word.
This went on for some time until a cringing slave was thrust into the
room from without. With a gesture Jadis flung the slave against the
wall, his skin peeling back to reveal muscle and blood, blood steaming
away, and finally the bone melting into a small puddle on the floor.
This did serve to calm Jadis somewhat, and he strode to the door and
flung it open, "What is it? It had better be important." 
   Outside a very nervous aide replied, "Sir, you had requested to be
informed when the next petitioner had passed the tests. One such has
arrived and I have him awaiting your pleasure."
   Jadis stared at the man for a long moment, then smiled and
pretended not to notice the relief in the man's posture, "Very well.
For once I shall grant the request of the worms who come begging me
for power. Go and see to it's comfort. Put him in a room in the North
tower. And tell Joseph to find me a Wamphyri. It's time I took a more
active role in these matters." 
   As the man turned to leave, "Oh... have someone fix the veiwing
chamber. I shall be busy." Jadis followed the man out, then went to
his workshop. It would probably be a long night, for he would try to
find the one they called the Controller.
===========================

Subject: Aae-The two faces fo the same coin.

On Sat, 27 Sep 1997 17:21:12 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00001676
Driscoll said:

 it had been 4 years subjective time since he had left the hospital
and The Controller behind him and given birth to Justin Fleisch,
freelance writer and inventor. He found solence in both jobs and it
gave him meaning to his life to try to give new technologies to this
already high-tech world he had shifted to, to help to mold it into a
better place. Of course the nanites in his body helped a lot too. But
after a short time he felt strange orderign his body around so he
experiemnted with the idea of Nano-intelligence, trying to duplicate
what he witnessed in Quaren. With mixed results.
 He lived happily in that dimention adn even had the nanites
disassemble the internal X-window generator he had them originally
build figuring he would never need it again. Until he found himself.
 "So. You were not destroyed afterall I see. using their own
technology against them. very clever. and together the Army fo Light
will have no chance against us!" Said a black form as it emerged from
an X-window.
 Justin swiveled around to confront, himself. Or the self he had tried
so hard to leave behind wihtout a trace. Obviouslt he had not made as
clean a get away as he thought. "Yes. I am alive, and yes it was due
to their technology, but I;m not going to go anywhere with you to
fight them. there is no mor need to fight. I have won."
 "WHAT? They still exist! They will hunt you down and kill you. You
MUST help me eradicate them! It is our destiny! Come with me! after
all, *I* am your future!"
 Justin rose from his chair and activated the tight beam transmitter
that allowed him to communicate with the nanites inside him. #Jim.
Reinforce dermal layer 500x. Be prepared to stimulate adrenal
equivalence if needed.#
 #trouble?#
 #I hope not.# 
 #Processing. working.#
 Approachign The Controller, "You are my PAST! and I left you behind
me a long time ago and for my prefernce, that is where you will stay.
I have achieved what we wanted. I live again!"
 "You live as an abomination! Not a real man! Granted, this form
appears much more natural, but you are still composed of inorganic
materials. You are still not _really_ alive! and you never will be as
long as the Army of Light exist!"
 "I'm really live enough for me! My days of fighting the CAoL are OVER
and filled with regret for ever happening. If we had _asked_ for help
in the first place..."
 #armor finished#
 "We would have been destroyed! They Killed us! not just once but
TWICE! You are willing to ignore this? For a bit of fake blood and
imagined existence?"
 "How many of them did we kill. Blood for blood is not the answer. If
I didn;t think it would rip apart space adn time, I would go back
right now and prevent us for ever even launching that first attack on
Arcadia!"
 "Then you are a fool and should be destroyed like any flawed part."
The Controller raised a hand and blasted Justin in the chest. Skin
flies away and blood spatters around the room as justin slumps down
tot hte floor.
 #Adrenal chemicals flowing maintaining life functions. Repair crews
workign now.# 
 The Contorller casts one backward glance at the fallen form of hsi
alternate self and disappears through another x-window.
 
 Fifteen minutes later, Justin stands up, prefectly fine except for
the scortched clothing.
 He looks at the blood and lost body matter all ove rthe room. #jim,
gimme something to cloean this up with#
 #Processing. Left hand reconfiguration for carpet cleaning eta 10
mintues. working.#
 While Jim reconfigured Justin's hand and arm he looked at the spot
where The Controller's x-window had been. He can;t leave this like
this. The Controller was a part of him, and if he did nothing, he
would still feel guilt from The Controller's actions. there was only
once choice. To face him and stop him. Which ment finding the Army of
Light and joining them. Which ment a disguise they would trust.
 Moving to his computer he activated teh voice recognition programming
and the Web Browser. "Computer. Access Gopher. Search. SuperHeroes.
Detail. Technology based. Adaptable. Find pages and Goto."
 The Computer went to work and he got ready to clena up his mess.
===========================

Subject: Aae-Don;t push around old men.

On Mon, 29 Sep 1997 10:44:38 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00001710
Driscoll said:

 (OOC: Before I start, since a while back Fuzzy DID say it was MY call
how effectively the relocation plans worked, the plan to leave the
Gods behind worked as planned, but because of how the God/Incarnation
relationship works it was impossible to exclude the incarnations from
the group getting the nanites.There are beings more powerful that the
Incarnations, EXCEPT for hte fact that the incarnations can call to
their god for more power when they need it. otherwise they are to all
intents and purposes just a powerful member of their race.)

 Isla and Darath slowly rode their horses down the road. A lbit less
than 15 years had passed since Darath was resurrected but, much to
Darath's frustration, Isla's spells had kept them from aging any. Now
another spell kept him silent as she grew weary of his whining about
saddlesores and aching muscle and the weather and anything else he
happened to notice.
 They approached the small house and she removed the silence spell
from Darath.
 "Bah it's about time you did that!! What if I had spotted ambushers?
or if my Horse became hobbled? or if a lighthearted joke came into my
mind that could aleviate the tedium of this farcical..."
 "And now you're proving exactly _why_ I left it on as long as I did.
Now unless you want me to slap it back on you, _shut the hell up_! You
are _supposed_ to be my Apprentice rememebr? And _intelligent_
apprentices know better than to go around babblign in front of their
Mistresses. And if you do it before Gregorian, I _will_ punish you
just as I would a true prepubecent girl." snapped Isla, vemon dripping
for every word. To make her point she gestures and sparks jumped from
her fingertips at Darath and a genuine smile crossed her face as he
jerked adn convused, then fell from the saddle into the dirt.
 Slowly he got up, and was abotu to say something when Isla shot him
another dark look. He scowled but stayed quiet and began to release
Soulstealer from his saddle. Isla let her smile return and floated
down from her horse.
 She walked towards the house, and hte door opened before she ahd the
chance to knock. An old man in bright yellow robes stood there and
smiled broadly. "Welcome..uh...um... wait I know this....Inga right?"
 She tried and failed to hide her distaste behind a false smile as she
replied in a milk and honey tone, "Isla, Isla deLume oh great one. And
that chatterling overe by the horses is my apprentice Sarah. I have
brought her with me because she has only heard the legends of the
great Incarnation of Magi, Gregorian Glemson and I wished her to meet
you."
 By now, Darath was draggign Soulstealer towards the house and the
horses were wandering away because he had forgotten to tie them up.
Gregorian noticed this and waves a hand and a pillar of stoen appeared
nex tto each horse and the reins tied themselves to it.
 Dropping Soulstealer at his side on the porch, Darath curtsied as
Isla had taught him and greeted Gregorian. "Hiya old fart."
 Isla, standing behind Gregorian flashed with outrage, but quick put
her smile back on as he turned to look at ehr with confusion on his
face. "She likes to make with the distasteful jokes sometimes." Isla
hid her gesture from Gregorian and sparks lept at Darath again. "but
see? she really does know of your greatness. See hwo she bows down to
you?"
 Darath, on his knees in pain and going through vigorous convusions,
drops prostrate on the wood fo the porch as the spell stops and lies
there as Gregorian turns around.
 "Oh.. Oh my there's no need for that my dear. please please please
stand up!" He reached to offer a hand but Isla tugged on his arm and
led him back into the house.
 "My dear gregorian it;s been _sooooooo_ long since we last got to
chat. So what have you been up to?" she slipped daintily onto a chair
and gestured for him to sit as well.
 Gregorian stood there and scratched his beard, "Yes.. it has been...
last time weren't you trying to steal my spellbook and I..."
 Isla let out a laugh that sounded as sweet as the tinkling of bells.
"Oh the pranks of my youth. SO much has happed since then..."
 "Yeh you've become an even _bigger_ bitch." muttered Darath under his
breath as a entered the house leaning heavily on Soulstealer. Isla
whsipered a word and Soulstealer jerked away sending Darath falling to
the floro again. At the thump Gregorian turned around. "Clumbsy oen
isn;t she?"
 Isla broadened her sweet smile, "Why yes, yes she is poor dear. But
lets get down to what brings me here.."
 Gregorian locks his eyes on herse, "you mena your plans to kill me
and take my power from me? You know Isla, instead fo this made quest
for power you should oook instead for the wisdom in it's use first."
 Horror flashed in Isla's eyes, then mad rage. "So you know, it will
not save you." She gestures and a bolt of lightning shoots out towards
gregorian, only to be absorbed by a sheild around him. He gestures and
the chair comes alive trying to grapple isla's arms but she turns it
to cinders with another spell.
 Darath meanwhile has picked himself off the ground and unsheathed
Soulstealer and shouldered it. Though the blade is featherlight due to
one of it's enchantments, the leverage of this new body still makes ti
difficult to wield. He moves up behind Gregorian and readies himself
as Isla gathers anything made of iron magically and forms chains that
she sends flying at Gregorian. As the chains fly, Soulstealer begins
its arc.
 Gregoriancasts a translocation spell quickly, switching places with
Isla just as her chain entwine her. She barely has tiem to jump aside
to avoid Darath's blade. "I;m not nearly as feeble as I lead people to
believe Isla, but you are too much a viper to allow you to continue to
roam Quaren. But I hate to kill so I shall just make you someone
else's prblem instead." He opens up a portal behind the two and a
blast of wind throws them through it. It closes and once again
Gregorian is alone.
 Lookign around he mutters to himself, "Oh dear, it looks like I;m
going to have to buy a new chair and a new set of pots and pans before
dinner. It's always something."

 Isla and Darath get dumped on a busy street in Los Angeles, 2003.
Tires smoke adn sqeel as a car brakes trying not to hit them. Isla
breaks free of her chains and blasts the car making it explode nicely.
People begin to scream and run.
 "where on Quaren did Gregorian _send_ us?" She asks as her new
surroundings begin to sink in.
 "I can find out." Remarks Darath as he grabs a man who is getting out
of a pickup truck and runs him through wiht Soulstealer. The man
slumps to the ground and after Soulstealer is removed begins to stands
again as a zombie. Isla looks at this, "Eww. I hate undead."
 The zombie explodes messily and Darath pouts. "You never let me keep
any pets. Anyways we're somewhere called Los Angeles and these people
think we're some race called Mutates or Superpowers. And I think we
should get moving because we're attracting too much attnetion fo rmy
tastes."
 "for once, I think you're right Darath." Isla gestures and they are
both invisible and begin flying away.
===========================

Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 18:46:31 -0500
From: Michael Jon Knight
Subject: AAE (Interlude) - Finishing Things, Visiting Kings and Verbal
Stings.

Anna, wearing her capote like a robe, watches the last of the CAoL
depart from the street outside the guildhall, then turns and starts
gathering up her things into a large suitcase.

"Well, looks like there is nothing left to see here. Back to work."

Anna's bare feet padded over to a large waredrobe in one corner.
Throwing open the doors, she revealed the interior of a Type 110
TARDIS. She carried the suitcase inside and set it by the interior
door. Turning on her heel, she idly flipped a few switchs on the
console and walked out into the room. The last thing she grabbed was
the notebook, which she carried back inside the TARDIS, inserting it
into a dock in the control console. TAking a small remote from atop
the time rotor, Anna went out into the room again and looked out on
the balcony.

"Now, a decision," she said as she toyed with the remote control. "My
earlier selves have left by now, so I won't foul anything up by either
choice. So, what to do about these spies of mine? On the one hand,
those that aren't dead are good at what they do. On the other hand, I
don't intend to return to this pit again. But could I use them
elsewhere? I don't think so. And, I don't want them spilling anything
to the CAoL. So, 1 to 3, they are of no use or even a danger to
me...Decision made."

Anna pressed the button. All her spies clutched their cybernetic parts
as a massive short circuit occured in their artificial components.
Then, she went into her TARDIS, shut the double doors, and slipped
away into the Vortex.

The Hospital will record that 2 dozen DOAs arrived, all with massive
systems failures in their cybernetics. No evidence of foul play except
for the odd coincidence. Most of the spies, due to their general
lifestyle of destitute to low-income, will filter in over the next few
days. Most of them are assumed as drunks, druggies, and other forms of
homeless people thus not quickly reported. None of Anna's spies have
families to be concerned for them, also explaining the slow report
rate.

Anna's TARDIS rematerialized as a large mirrored rectangular prism.
One of the mirrors split in half, caving inward, revealing the TARDIS
control room. Anna walked out, tossing her capote on the back of a
chair. She walked behind a large dressing screen and yanked on the
semi-military uniform draped over it. Taking a seat behind the screen,
she slipped her feet into a pair of jack boots.

Anna walked out and admired herself in the mirrored surface of the
TARDIS. Pleased, she sauntered over to a bank of television monitors,
and looked at the main screen in the center of the displays. On the
display was a black and white image of members of the CAoL, with Knytt
in the center. The camera seemed to be a surveillance system variety
looking out over a throne room with lavish, yet modern decor.

"I still don't know why you or your friends are here, Knytt. But, if
you don't mess with me, I won't mess with you. On the other hand, you
always have managed to ruin my plans in the past...I admire that in a
man. If I didn't hate you so much, I would think I was falling in love
with you."

The image of Knytt turned to look directly at Anna Mahloy, grinned,
winked and blew a kiss. Anna was so surprised she didn't hear the
intercom buzzing for the first three times. Then she turned and
snapped "What?"

The voice over the intercom said curtly, "His Highness commands you to
his chambers at once."

Anna visibly composed herself, "Very well. I will be out in a moment."

"His Majesty demands your Immediate attention," the voice said
sternly, obviously not fond of Anna, but forced to associate with her.

Anna shot back, "Then his Majesty will get an immediate audience with
a naked woman! Do you wish to be the one to explain the finer points
of male/female anatomy to our prepubescent King, Masterson, or shall
I?" So, it was a lie...the spluttering and nearly audible expressions
that were almost assuredly on Masterson's face were worth the trouble.
Besides, she needed a few moments to compose herself. His Highness was
hitting puberty early, at least hormonally. How could a 13 year old
child have hands like an octopus?

A few moments later, Anna strolled out of her chambers to meet the
tall, rail-thin, greying form of Masterson. He gave the outward
appearance of the classical wealthy, well-bred gentleman. Anna
despised the worm.

"Lead the way, Bastardson."

Masterson rounded on her. "Madam, if it weren't for His Highness's
fondness for you, I would have you on the next rocket for earth,
strapped to the outside."

Anna replied smiling, "But he *is* fond of me, and *that* will not
change any time soon. So, I would advise you to watch your tone."

Masterson scowled and lead Anna to the private chambers of the King.
===========================
Subject: AAE IV: Preparations and Visitations
Date: Wed, 22 Oct 97 21:53:48 -0700
From: Roland X

Quoth my beloved Lady Morgan:
<snip of some admin stuff that doesn't directly relate to the plot>

   Now, for a bit of a teaser: <EG>

   Doctor Adrian Thorne sat in the air, floating in darkness,
meditating on things best left unmentioned. Power flowed into the old
sorcerer, and the lines on his face receded, and his hairline creeped
forward. A belt, a mockery of the one Roland wears, begins to weave
itself around his waist.
   *How goes your questing?* KnightMare sends, gazing evenly at its
servant through its astral link. *Well, it seems.*
   "So it does, dark lord," Thorne replies. "Soon, I will be the equal
of the bastard child of Phoenix."
   *Unfortunately, my patience is limited.* The dread necromancer
suddenly doesn't feel quite as dreaded as he once was; he cringes and
draws back, hoping that KnightMare hasn't suddenly decided to dispose
of him.
   It hasn't.
   Thorne screams as the magick and organic tech rip through his body,
completing the transformation. It is not a pleasant experience.
   KnightMare nods-or at least, as well as such a creature can
nod-then releases the astral link. *Come, Thorne. We have allies to
recruit.*
   Thorne glares at the space that the astral face has just vanished
from, briefly contemplating rebellion. Then he remembers his purpose
in his quest, and almost fearfully touches the red lightning bolt on
the black circle.
   The robes he'd been wearing were gone. In their place, the costume
of the Reverse-Flash was clinging tightly to his body.
   Thorne laughed for a moment, then rocketed to his master's side.
   To Be Continued...
===========================