Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 4 Chapter 30 Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 18:03:44 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: Azeronium Quickstep On Wed, 15 Apr 1998 20:51:17 EDT In Message # 00003768 In alt.callahans Post # 00001981 Dane0R0A said: << Drisscoll wrote: /OK. thoguht I'd balance the fire with some ice. When the radio channel I told Nemo about gets opened so the music detonators can activate, the ground level there's going to have one hell of a hot flash while the roof down begins to crystalize and freeze. 15 minutes after the roof starts to go the other device will activate. It's a sonic trap that should be set at the right frequency for the building to shatter like a fambrege' egg. if nothign esle this building should be a real mess by the end of it all./ sends Roscoe. >> Armagedon says, /Directive violation,/ and seems to spasm. He waves a hand toward the church, and a cloud of constructors flash over beside the building. There they quickly create a new building (about 20 by 20 by 20). Meantime Armagedon scans the Az. building for human lifeforms. Identifying all the "humans" in the building he (rather all 1000 of the hunter seekers that he is made of) makes use of the subspace transporter effect again to pull every identified human from the area of the Az. device. The transported humans are routed through a miniaturizer (ala DC comics Superman and Brainiac) and placed in stasis tubes, in the new building. A look inside the building will reveal rack upon rack of miniaturized humans in what look like test tubes. There is also a chair with a bright blue globe suspended above it (a veridicator ala H. Beam Piper and "The Fuzzy Papers" or "Space Viking") and a desk with a object somewhat like a heavy duty search light on it (the de-miniaturizer). After this action is completed Armagedon continues, /Hydra requires that the humans, that are serving the Greys, be allowed to explain why they chose to serve, if possible. Some may be serving because they saw no way for their children to survive otherwise./ =========================== Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 21:04:27 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Azeronium Quickstep On Wed, 15 Apr 1998 18:13:41 In Message # 00003769 In alt.callahans Post # 00001982 Morgan said: >On Wed, 15 Apr 1998 12:27:50 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00003757 > In alt.callahans Post # 00001970 Driscoll said: > >> On Wed, 15 Apr 1998 00:45:17 -0500 In Message # 00003756 >> In alt.callahans Post # 00001969 Michael Jon Knight said: >> >>>On Tue, 14 Apr 1998 18:41:44 In Message # 00003754 >>> In alt.callahans Post # 00001967 Morgan said: >>> >>> /Hmmph. Mel, Grep, remind me to teach you a few tricks I learned >>>while I was working with Phoenix Covenant,/ Sil sends. /You >>>_certainly_ don't need to be taught style,/ she adds approvingly. >> >> /Coolies, we'd love to Aunt Sil./ the twins send. /Okay, first things first-are you two wired for psi?/ Sil asks. /I'm sure that I can provide you both with astral 'essence' if you don't have any. If that doesn't work, most of my...skills.../ Sil smiles wickedly. /...can be extrapolated to hyperspatial work./ >> /I'm grouchy, that's my style./ Knytt sends with a smirk. /Who'd have guessed?/ Sil's smile is suddenly 99.44% innocent. > With a flourish of his cloak and a smirk on his boyish face Driss >strides into the Church with a re-wolfed Roscoe by his side. "Ah but >the question becomes are you the Master of they style or a slave unto >it?" /Tried slavery. Didn't like it,/ Sil quips. =========================== Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 21:04:40 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Azeronium Quickstep (Long!) On Wed, 15 Apr 1998 20:37:50 In Message # 00003770 In alt.callahans Post # 00001983 Morgan said: >On Wed, 15 Apr 1998 16:21:46 -0400 In Message # 00003760 > In alt.callahans Post # 00001973 Martin Gerster said: >Still unseen, Dhyrclhanc sends the following via the CAoL psi-web, >excluding the Arc Linked Amberites. /Oh rapture,/ Roland sighs. >/Roland, they, the Amberites, tell me that the magic negation is >their doing. It is by product of this "celtic knot" they've created >and it is also part of their attempts to inconvienence Jadis. /Are you sure?/ Roland replies sourly. /It seems to me that the anti-magick effect is messing with us a _lot_ more than it is with Jadis./ [She's working with Ariel, I just _know_ it...] >Also, if any of you could give me a hand I'd appriciate it {} (moving >images of Dhyrclhanc still in combat with multiple cadres of Grey >strike commandoes) fighting these guys is worse than fighting a >Hydra, or HYDRA for that matter; more of them just keep popping out >of the woodwork and I've got to see a certain Doctor about a ring. >Not that I need to mention it but, would you please relay this >message to those of us who aren't on the link. I only add this >because I infere there are more of those around now./ /Where's your super-army?/ Roland chuckles. /"Love, our sib needs our help."/ Morgan sighs. /"No rest for the weary. Even without the magick, I've still got the blade."/ /"I've been giving that some thought, actually,"/ Roland replies. /I'm used to dealing with this sort of thing. You might want to try this {} type of effect; it redirects the energy drain away. Sort of the metapsi-or rather, metamagick-version of a forcefield./ Morgan concentrates for a moment, then her form shifts into that of a gray wolf. /Excellent,/ she sends, and shifts back to her usual form. /"I guess it worked,"/ Roland chuckles. /"Let's go get our sib's scale-armor rear out of the fire."/ Roland takes her hand, and a lightning bolt blasts out of the church. Elsewhere... "...three...two...one...now," Thorne says, carefully watching a clock... ...back to our heroes: A lightning bolt slams into a cadre of Greys, leaving a Highland warrior at the strike point. The lightning makes a 90 degree turn and shorts out the weapons of another cadre, then turns into Roland. /Folx, this one looks fairly simple. Hang back in case this is another feint./ The Phoenix Rod extends to its full length, and Roland wades in with enthusiasm. "Hey Dhyrclhanc, save us a few, would you? To be honest, I'm surprised that you even needed help with this bunch. By the way, I like the Ranger staff." The apparently disorganized attack leaves a cadre of Greys in between the three Callahanians, and they begin to maneuver to take advantage of that. However, their uniforms becomes solid iron, which is suddenly pulled to a magnetic field which springs up inside the cadre that Roland is fighting. (Imagine that. ) The Ball o' Greys (tm) knocks the renaining commandoes aside, and Roland appears at Morgan's side. Then four cybernetically augmented Wookies and a cyber-Rancor burst out of the ground, the Rancor diving at Dhyrclhanc and the Wookies dividing equally between the freelance immortals. /It never rains,/ Roland sighs, and uses TK to literally knock their heads together, but this hardly phases the Wookies. The freelance immortals go back-to-back, and before they can get off another effect, they are locked in hand-to-hand. Which is just how Morgan likes it. /You're pretty handy with that pike,/ Morgan sends with a wicked grin in her 'voice,' doing the infamous Macfaoilcheire cuisinart impression. /You've got some nice moves yourself,/ Roland replies. /With the sword, I mean. Right. The sword./ The Phoenix Rod spins at inhuman speeds, driving both Greys and Wookies back. /Yeah. Right./ Morgan pulls Aramegil out of the first Wookie, and her remaining adversary would be having second thoughts if it could think at all. Roland, realizing that the Wookies are merely biological robots, rams the skulls of both Wookies with the Rod; both fall. He pushes their cybernetic claws out of his chest with a TK shove and a grunt. /Immortality _definitely_ has its advantages,/ he notes as Morgan finishes making Wookie-burgers, and both return to the remaining problem of the Greys. /And since _when_ did the Greys start recruiting Wookies and Rancor?/ Morgan asks. As if on cue, one of the Wookies (or the Rancor, if Dhyrclhanc has destroyed it and left any atoms attached to one another) begins dis- playing a hologram... "...really think this will work?" Thorne asks the Controller in the image. "It is merely a feint," the Controller replies. "While they are distracted, I will strike, and your enemy Roland will be no more. You have no problem, then with leaving his life and power to me?" "I want nothing to do with _that_ sort of power," Thorne sniffs. "You want a body? His is yours." The Controller nods and morphs into Iron Man. "Remember the plan. Make sure that I can't be traced until the time is right." The Iron Controller flies off... ...and the hologram fades. Roland frowns. /Looks like an obvious plant...but the weight of evidence is beginning to mount-/ Roland is cut off in the middle of blasting Greys by a clawed gauntlet jabbing into his body. "Hey!" Morgan objects, and changes the claws, which are attached to Iron Man, to pasta. Iron Man frowns, and an energy field springs up around him. "That was...annoying." He raises a gauntlet charged with pulse-energy and aims it at Morgan... ...then turns at the sudden glow beside him. Blaze is not amused. "Annoy this," Blaze growls, and a forcebolt knocks 'Iron Man' into a nearby hill. A few Greys try to take advantage of the situation, and are sliced in two by a casual swipe from Aramegil. Roland, who has had enough, pops a forcefield between the freelance immortals and the remaining Greys. /Dhyrclhanc? Let us know if you have any trouble with the dregs. I've got a few questions for 'Iron Man.'/ Blaze flies over to the crater made by the flying body. No body. /Damn!/ /Roland, _something_ was shifted away temporally. I don't know what, I don't know how, but-/ Morgan begins. /_I_ know,/ Roland snarls. /Thorne! It's past time I pounded him back to Earth-9! And his wind-up toy too!/ Both immortals turn and begin working on the Greys again... =========================== Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 21:04:58 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Azeronium Quickstep (Long!) On Wed, 15 Apr 1998 22:49:41 -0500 In Message # 00003771 In alt.callahans Post # 00001984 Michael Jon Knight said: >On Wed, 15 Apr 1998 16:21:46 -0400 In Message # 00003760 > In alt.callahans Post # 00001973 Martin Gerster said: > >/Roland, they, the Amberites, tell me that the magic negation is >their doing. It is by product of this "celtic knot" they've created >and it is also part of their attempts to inconvienence Jadis. >Also, if any of you could give me a hand I'd appriciate it {} (moving >images of Dhyrclhanc still in combat with multiple cadres of Grey >strike commandoes) fighting these guys is worse than fighting a >Hydra, or HYDRA for that matter; more of them just keep popping out >of the woodwork and I've got to see a certain Doctor about a ring. >Not that I need to mention it but, would you please relay this >message to those of us who aren't on the link. I only add this >because I infere there are more of those around now./ Molly looks at Nemo, then at the rest of the group, frowning slightly. Leaving her place by Nemo's side, she walks into the church, behind the pulpet through a back door, up a couple flights of stairs, up a long ladder, and through a trapdoor in the belfry. To her amusement, some bats fly out as she emerges. Dropping her dufflebag, she slips on a belt, removes Coz and Ephekt from their pockets and slips them into places on the belt. To that, she adds a heavy-looking pistol. (For those in the know, it is an NG-57 Northern Gun Heavy-Duty Ion Blaster.) Now dressed to kill, Molly pulls two large boards out of her dufflebag and a set of handlebars with a rose quartz crystal set in the center. With these she quickly assembles a crude glider. Then she severely shortens the strap on her bag to sling it across her body like a papoose and lays down on the board. Molly, now well above the 20' null-magic zone, levitates her board up to about 100 feet off the ground then rotates to roughly face Dhyrclhanc's calling direction. /Dhyrclhanc,/ /I would be -happy- to rescue such a gentledragon as yourself in distress. Though I will need a ride back as I will have to pass below the null-magic zone to reach you. But, we can arrange that later. Perhaps by then your compatriats will deem me worthy of notice. I admit I am no longer buck-naked, but I had hoped for a better reception generally. Even Nemo seems to have momentarily forgotten his company./ Molly sails off through the air on her odd glider toward the Lensdragon. /Look for the lady on the Wing-Board./ Downstairs in the church, Melissa grabs Knytt's sigil from around his neck as he is toying with one of the confiscated bio-tech devices Driss appropriated. At his protest, Grep replies, /Dad, it's for a worthy cause./ Not even a second later, Dhyrclhanc will see Molly on her wing board overhead. As she sails toward the Lensdragon, she suddenly runs smack into Armageddon's shield wall. Her luck was with her, instead of hitting it at the 60 miles per hour she was traveling at, she had been turning for a landing and had greatly diminished her speed. Muttering on the link somethig very unladylike, Molly manages to bring a rather scorched board down within the shield. Leaving it where it landed, Molly walked over to the sheild generator and looked at it. /So you're the problem, little machine...Hmmm, you open for a sigil, now -that's- an interesting key. But without magic, I can't create a skeleton./ Knytt's sigil appears on top of the shield generator. Melissa and Grep send to Molly, /No need to dig up skeletons, Miss, we'll gladly give you a key./ Holding the sigil, Molly remarks, /Thank you. You two sort of sound like Marilyn Monroe./ /Thank you, she had a very pretty voice. We apologize for our negleting to introduce ourselves, we were examining some confiscated weapondry and sundry technology with our father and did not realize your intent on conversation. Perhaps after your return./ /Quite alright, that is at least a distraction I share and can understand. An introduction afterwards will be satisfactory. Now that you know you have company, and advanced warning, I hope we can do better./ Knytt sends, /Indeed, and your apparent knack with technology may lead to some valuable input if you should care to have a look./ /Perhaps later, please continue your labors./ Molly draws her Ion Blaster and, taking a breath, steps through the shield. Molly looks at Dhyrclhanc, /Who do I shoot fir-?/ then zaps a Grey who quite suddenly explodes. /Make that 'second'?/ As Molly takes cover behind some rubble, she adds, /Then again, this does appear to be an all-against-one affair. Very well. Call it an all-against-two affair now./ Molly fires nine more blasts, taking out as many troops, then has to stop and change clips. /Thankfully, I carry non-magic weapons as well. A TK-machinegun would be less than useless to me right now./ Fresh clip loaded, Molly snaps off a couple more shots, and bots, before having to dive behind cover again. /So, Dhyrclhanc, what is a nice dragon like you doing in a warzone like this?/ =========================== Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 21:34:46 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Azeronium Quickstep (Long!) On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 00:20:44 -0400 In Message # 00003772 In alt.callahans Post # 00001985 Martin Gerster said: > On Wed, 15 Apr '98 Nemo said: > > If Dhyrclhanc is in London, Nemo will dispatch some help. Expect > some "Martian Mantas", and a bunch of things that look like the > giant robot spider from an old Johnny Quest (complete with nasty > rays from the eye). When Nemo's forces arrive they'll find the Lensdragon barely holding his own against the Grey forces. His opponents consist of five separate groups of seven of the different styles grey troops; Grey androids, Stealth Troopers, and Cyborgs. What seems to be giving Dhyrclahnc the most trouble is that these forces are protected by individual force sheilds, shields which Nemo will be able to tell are compensating for each of Dhyrclhanc's different types of attacks, like Borg technology. When the "Martian Mantas" and Warspiders arrive, the draconian Lensman will send to the Nemo-at-the-church, /^Nemo, I hope your forces have got something that will go through multiphasic force sheilds, or else, to misquote Han Solo, this is going to be a really short trip!^/ as he sends this, two sophisticated blaster pistols seem to materialize in his hands -- one in each palm. To himself, as much as anyone else, [/Let us just see how these things like a good old fashioned DeLameter set on tight beam/] with a pistol in each hand, Dhyrclhanc aims and fires at two adjacent groups of Grey soldiers. Unfortunatly, even the DeLameters' beams have little effect on the troopers' force sheilds. /Uh-Oh./ }:=8C =========================== Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 22:46:40 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Azeronium Quickstep (Long!) On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 01:07:24 -0400 In Message # 00003773 In alt.callahans Post # 00001986 Martin Gerster said: > On Wed, 15 Apr '98 Morgan said: > >>Martin Gerster said: > >>/Roland, they, the Amberites, tell me that the magic negation is >>their doing. It is by product of this "celtic knot" they've created >>and it is also part of their attempts to inconvienence Jadis. > > /Are you sure?/ Roland replies sourly. /It seems to me that the > anti-magick effect is messing with us a _lot_ more than it is with > Jadis./ [She's working with Ariel, I just _know_ it...] Who's Ariel? Did I miss something? Again? > /Where's your super-army?/ Roland chuckles. /"Love, our sib needs > our help."/ /Obviously, they've got other things on they're collective hands/ And they do, too, but that'll have to wait for a later post > Morgan sighs. /"No rest for the weary. Even without the magick, I've > still got the blade."/ /And another one of those Minibari Pikes, in case you've forgotten, sis/ About this time the draconian Lensman's foster-sibs will remember that Dhyrclhanc tossed _two_ Ranger-style staffs to them. However, in an uncharacteristically greedy move, Roland somehow incorporated them both into his ,then, Phoenix Claw. > (snip of the sibs teaching each other how to non-magickally > shapeshift) > > /"I guess it worked,"/ Roland chuckles. /"Let's go get our sib's > scale-armor rear out of the fire."/ Roland takes her hand, and a > lightning bolt blasts out of the church. > > Elsewhere... > "...three...two...one...now," Thorne says, carefully watching a > clock... Dhyrclahnc pauses in his seemingly still feeble attempts to pierce his protagonists' force sheilds and senses a series of eddies in the Time/Space continuum (somewhat similar to a Highlander-style Quickening). Unfamiliar with the sensation, he shakes his head and returns to the conflict. > ...back to our heroes: > A lightning bolt slams into a cadre of Greys, leaving a Highland > warrior at the strike point. The lightning makes a 90 degree turn > and shorts out the weapons of another cadre, then turns into Roland. > /Folx, this one looks fairly simple. Hang back in case this is > another feint./ The Phoenix Rod extends to its full length, and > Roland wades in with enthusiasm. "Hey Dhyrclhanc, save us a few, > would you? To be honest, I'm surprised that you even needed help > with this bunch. By the way, I like the Ranger staff." /Trust the one with TK control over the EM-Spectrum to be able to by-pass force sheilding./ Dhyrclhanc comments wryly. > Then four cybernetically augmented Wookies and a cyber-Rancor > burst out of the ground, the Rancor diving at Dhyrclhanc and the > Wookies dividing equally between the freelance immortals. That reminds me, Thorne has now officially taken the recently vacated place of his predesessor, Byron Gaunt, on Dhyrclhanc's "Hit-List" "Morgan!" he roars, almost at the top of his dragonish lungs. > The Controller nods and morphs into Iron Man. "Remember the plan. > Make sure that I can't be traced until the time is right." The Iron > Controller flies off... > ...and the hologram fades. At which point, Dhyrclhanc leaves the Grey Shock Troops to Nemo's cadre and does a flying donganuer manuver on the, obviously, unsheilded Rancor-borg. (That's a, litteraly, flying combination roundhouse punch for those of you not familiar with Tsudo, the Velantian Martial Art) > Roland frowns. /Looks like an obvious plant...but the weight of > evidence is beginning to mount-/ Roland is cut off in the middle of > blasting Greys by a clawed gauntlet jabbing into his body. > > "Hey!" Morgan objects, and changes the claws, which are attached to > Iron Man, to pasta. Dhyrclhanc spends a mere nanosecond in a telescan of the wearer of the Starkian Armor, then fire both barrels of the DeLameters, which are somehow still in his clenched fists at the silver and scarlet figure. Leaving him more than slightly scortched as enough energy to liquidize two 747 airliners is pumped into him./He's not ours!/ Dhyrclhanc mentaly yells over the link. > Roland, who has had enough, pops a forcefield between the > freelance immortals and the remaining Greys. /Dhyrclhanc? Let us > know if you have any trouble with the dregs. I've got a few > questions for 'Iron Man.'/ Blaze flies over to the crater made by > the flying body. /Actually, Bro,/ Sends the Immortal superannuated hatchling Ruby Firedragon, glancing over his shoulder in the direction he came from /I think I'll leave those to our friend, Nemo./ > No body. > /Damn!/ "Tahkis and Palatine!" verbaly oathes Dhyrclahnc, momentarily forgeting to teep. "I had a few questions of my own I wanted to ask that Bastard." > /_I_ know,/ Roland snarls. /Thorne! It's past time I pounded him > back to Earth-9! And his wind-up toy too!/ Both immortals turn and > begin working on the Greys again... /Would that be a private party, brother mine, or can anyone join in?/ =========================== Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 22:46:56 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Azeronium Quickstep (Long!) On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 01:36:33 -0400 In Message # 00003774 In alt.callahans Post # 00001987 Martin Gerster said: > On Wed, 15 Apr '98 Michael Jon Knight said: > > Molly looks at Nemo, then at the rest of the group, frowning > slightly. Leaving her place by Nemo's side, she walks into the > church, behind the pulpet through a back door, up a couple flights > of stairs, up a long ladder, and through a trapdoor in the belfry. > To her amusement, some bats fly out as she emerges. Dropping her > dufflebag, she slips on a belt, removes Coz and Ephekt from their > pockets and slips them into places on the belt. To that, she adds a > heavy-looking pistol. (For those in the know, it is an NG-57 > Northern Gun Heavy-Duty Ion Blaster.) (snip of Molly assmbing her "tree-top cruiser") Dang, my RIFTS core rules book is downstairs I can't look that up! Still as far as Dhyrclhanc and I are concerned, a group can't have too many Techno-Wizards, even though Fuzzy and Dhyrclhanc don't quite fit the bill, as far as the people at Paladium would see it. > /Dhyrclhanc,/ the pronounciation right> /I would be -happy- to rescue such a > gentledragon as yourself in distress. Though I will need a ride back > as I will have to pass below the null-magic zone to reach you. But, > we can arrange that later. Perhaps by then your compatriats will > deem me worthy of notice. I admit I am no longer buck-naked, but I > had hoped for a better reception generally. Even Nemo seems to have > momentarily forgotten his company./ Molly sails off through the air > on her odd glider toward the Lensdragon. /Look for the lady on the > Wing-Board./ /That's a wing-board!?/ sends the Lensdragon, incredulously. (see above)/As far as the name goes, when heard telepathically it tends to sound like "Deer-Claw-Hands" but when speaking vocaly is comes out "Dark-Lance"/ > (snip of Knytt and the terror twins helping Molly get through > Armageddon's sheild cylander) > > Molly draws her Ion Blaster and, taking a breath, steps through the > shield. /I LOVE MDC weapons!/ sends the Lensdragon, to no one in particular, and then to Molly, /At least, you'll be able to get through the force sheilds of that group that was giving me so much trouble. At least, that is if he has left you any./ > Molly looks at Dhyrclhanc, /Who do I shoot fir-?/ then zaps a Grey > who quite suddenly explodes. /Make that 'second'?/ As Molly > takes cover behind some rubble, she adds, /Then again, this does > appear to be an all-against-one affair. Very well. Call it an > all-against-two affair now./ By now I think that it's probably degenerated into a free-for-all, or whatDhyrclhanc's friends in the UtoL would like to call a "furball" > Molly fires nine more blasts, taking out as many troops, then has to > stop and change clips. /Thankfully, I carry non-magic weapons as > well. A TK-machinegun would be less than useless to me right now./ /Gee, and here I thought all the time that TK was psionic and not magick./};=8) Knytt, you know that Dhyrclahnc's general species characteristics were roughly based on the Paladium/RIFTS-style hatchling/dragon, right? Also, Dhyrclhanc has been to both RIFTS-Earth and Phaseworld, if it helps > Fresh clip loaded, Molly snaps off a couple more shots, and bots, > before having to dive behind cover again. /So, Dhyrclhanc, what is a > nice dragon like you doing in a warzone like this?/ Dhyrclhanc's mental voice takes on an Orson Wells tone /"What we do every night, Pinky, try to take over the World!"/ The mental laughter subsides and then, /Madam, obviously you don't know anything about Lensman. It is the Lensman's Load; a Lensman always goes in, even when that Lensman is an Lensdragon./ =========================== Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 01:03:50 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Azeronium Quickstep (Long!) On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 02:58:29 -0500 In Message # 00003775 In alt.callahans Post # 00001988 Michael Jon Knight said: >On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 01:36:33 -0400 In Message # 00003774 > In alt.callahans Post # 00001987 Martin Gerster said: > >> On Wed, 15 Apr '98 Michael Jon Knight said: >(snip of Molly assmbing her "tree-top cruiser") > Dang, my RIFTS core rules book is downstairs I can't look >that up! Still as far as Dhyrclhanc and I are concerned, a group >can't have too many Techno-Wizards, even though Fuzzy and Dhyrclhanc >don't quite fit the bill, as far as the people at Paladium would see >it. > >/That's a wing-board!?/ sends the Lensdragon, incredulously. (see >above)/As far as the name goes, when heard telepathically it tends to >sound like "Deer-Claw-Hands" but when speaking vocaly is comes out >"Dark-Lance"/ /It certainly is. They don't look very impressive until you see them in action, though./ >/I LOVE MDC weapons!/ sends the Lensdragon, to no one in particular, >and then to Molly, /At least, you'll be able to get through the force >sheilds of that group that was giving me so much trouble. At least, >that is if he has left you any./ Molly smiles. /I love them myself. If I can not get through on the first try, I shall beat against them until they come down./ > By now I think that it's probably degenerated into a >free-for-all, or whatDhyrclhanc's friends in the UtoL would like to >call a "furball" >> Molly fires nine more blasts, taking out as many troops, then has >> to stop and change clips. /Thankfully, I carry non-magic weapons as >> well. A TK-machinegun would be less than useless to me right now./ > >/Gee, and here I thought all the time that TK was psionic and not >magick./};=8) /It is, Sir Dragon, but a mage can also perform the feat with a simple spell./ > Knytt, you know that Dhyrclahnc's general species >characteristics were roughly based on the Paladium/RIFTS-style >hatchling/dragon, right? Also, Dhyrclhanc has been to both >RIFTS-Earth and Phaseworld, if it helps >Dhyrclhanc's mental voice takes on an Orson Wells tone /"What we do >every night, Pinky, try to take over the World!"/ The mental laughter >subsides and then, /Madam, obviously you don't know anything about >Lensman. It is the Lensman's Load; a Lensman always goes in, even >when that Lensman is an Lensdragon./ Darting back behind cover after letting loose with a couple more blasts, Molly sends /You are correct, I do not. But it sounds a code befitting your race. At least those who chose the higher paths, and the nobler travelling companians./ Molly moves to fire over the rubble she is using for cover, but dives just in time to avoid getting her head shot off. /Zarquon, that was close! I have been acquainted with a few of your race, most not much older than yourself. And one very much your senior. A Shikome Kido-Mi.(Translation: Hideous sorcery serpent)/ Molly edges further along behind her cover. /And speaking of diabolic creatures, wonder why Mom hasn't shown up yet? She usually turns up on my birthday to drag me off on some idiotic quest for power./ Molly pops up and catches three of the Stealth troops by surprise. /Happy/ /Zarkin'/ /Birthday/ /Molly./ Molly dives back down, moving back a bit along the way she came. /Let's take over a planet!/ Molly looks at her gun. /Ah, no, how many shots was that? See, I get to thinking about my mother and I lose all track of what's going on-ZARK!/ Apparently Molly actually surprised four Stealth troopers, as the fourth lunged over the mound of rubble. Molly rolled backward. BOOM!-BOOM!-BOOM!-klik-klik-klik. The Stealth trooper fell in a heap. /That was ten./ Molly sounded a bit shaky, but under enough control to reach for a fresh clip. /'Focus, Butterfly.' Yes, Sensai./ =========================== Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 10:26:26 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Azeronium Quickstep On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 11:45:16 -0500 In Message # 00003776 In alt.callahans Post # 00001989 Michael Jon Knight said: >On Wed, 15 Apr 1998 18:13:41 In Message # 00003769 > In alt.callahans Post # 00001982 Morgan said: > >>> /Coolies, we'd love to Aunt Sil./ the twins send. > > /Okay, first things first-are you two wired for psi?/ Sil asks. >/I'm sure that I can provide you both with astral 'essence' if you >don't have any. If that doesn't work, most of my...skills.../ Sil >smiles wickedly. /...can be extrapolated to hyperspatial work./ /We have never tried accessing the astral plane, though Father used one of our components to travel in astral space. We also have something like Psi but it requires physical contact to link us to another mind./ =========================== Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 14:09:01 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Strategy On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 16:43:17 -0400 (EDT) In Message # 00003777 In alt.callahans Post # 00001990 Shadow said: > On Wed, 15 Apr 1998 15:09:38 PST In Message # 00003762 > In alt.callahans Post # 00001975 Nemo said: > > Upon reaching the gadgets, they'll be immobilized. Then Nemo will > transport them to a convenient location for close examination. > > "seeding" something microscopic thru the dirt.> OOC: AHEM! They moved directly away from London, and hence directly away from the centipedes, thank you very much. They also pick up speed as they go along. Anyone who bothers to look will find that they are not leaving anything behind them but a compact hole ie, the hole will remain a hole/tunnel. They also don't go very deep, either, say 20 to 40 feet down. =========================== Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 14:14:39 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Fireworks On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 17:03:02 -0400 (EDT) In Message # 00003778 In alt.callahans Post # 00001991 Shadow said: > On Wed, 15 Apr 1998 15:46:18 PST In Message # 00003764 > In alt.callahans Post # 00001977 Nemo said: > > Suddenly Jadis is tumbled head over heels as the boy becomes a > rapidly expanding cloud of plasma (which ought to do a number on > that hardsuit). > > When he stabilizes, he's below 20 feet again. He's also englobed > (actually more of a hemisphere) by a bunch of "Martian Mantas". And > Nemo is standing in front of him about 5 meters away. And they are > both enclosed in some sort of shield (to reduce any collateral > damage). Jadis is tumbled head over heels, but the boy is not a expanding cloud of plasma. He is still attached to the suit. Jadis shakes his head, then looks around at the surrounding globe. An emotionless voice comes from the suit speakers, "That wasn't nice. Do you really think I wouldn't have expected you to try to rescue the boy?" Jadis and the boy flicker and appear outside of Nemo's globe. "Goodbye, Nemo." With that, Jadis explodes. An _awesome_ amount of raw magical energy is released without any warning, and of course is immediately sucked into the Seal. (Hi Zia! ) In the aftermath, there is no trace of the suit, the boy is lying on the ground severly hurt a few meters away, and at ground zero is a charred body with half the stomach blown away. OOC: The dead body is Jadis'. I expect it soon to disappear to appease the Stardragon's wrath. -Ask and ye shall receive- The flicker is a time travel effect, one of the few things we are NOT blocking at the moment. And the boy is suffering from being thrown several meters into the ground. Broken bones, craked ribs, slight concussion, but no Major damage. He should spring right back with a little medical attention. And this should resolve the debate about whether or not the expanding cloud of plasma was sucked into the arc, as it never happened to begin with. Posts I have _not_ read as yet, but which Dhyrclhanc has kindly informed me of. =========================== Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 16:12:01 -0700 (PDT) Subject: AAE: Metaplot On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 19:03:31 -0400 (EDT) In Message # 00003781 In alt.callahans Post # 00001994 Shadow said: Shortly after Jadis talks with the Adversary.... A ghostly image of Jadis appears by KnightMare, "Have I come at a bad time? I can return later, if you wish." The image frowns, "You know, it would be nice to be informed as to whatever extradimensional beings would be likely to take my head if I so much as mention your name. There wouldn't happen to be any others out there I should be aware of or even likely to encounter, are there? If it wasn't for the fact that the Adversary was so weak I might even have been worried. It is such a pain to get a new body into fighting trim. Takes years, it does. He does seem a bit upset with you, by the way. Why, if you were to be seriously hurt I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to take all that power _back_. Of course, you're not the one going head to head with the Army of Light, so I don't suppose you really have to worry about that, do you? The fate of us poor peons, expendable pawns in a so-far futile effort to seriously slow that group down. Well, Ta-ta." OOC: This is before we went to the grey world and actually had to sleep and rest. Before the Greys we flew through the obstacles. This one's actually taking some time. Or at the beginning of the Grey run, whatever. =========================== Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 17:06:12 -0700 (PDT) Subject: AAE4: Just Out Of Curiousity... On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 18:41:08 -0500 In Message # 00003782 In alt.callahans Post # 00001995 Michael Jon Knight said: Knytt is still examining the bio-tech items, having pulled substansial amounts of lab equipment out of his satchel, including a series of two by fours and four by fours, with various notches in them, which the twins set up into a large twelve foot by 5 foot table that is a convenient height for everyone. As the lab equipment began to mount, someone would in jest ask for something from Knytt, who, busy elsewhere, would absently fish it out. Perhaps it was the small particle accelerator in the corner that finally stopped the jokes. Admittedly, it wasn't huge, and mostly made of World War Two Army Surplus, but the fact that he -had- one was enough. The twins had donned lab coats, (Ok, so Melissa's was pink, and Grep's was green, they were lab coats.) brown slacks, short-sleeve white shirts, brown and white saddle-shoes, safety goggles, and even had pocket protectors with several pens and pencils jutting out. Melissa had her hair in a ponytail, Grep's was buzz-cut since back at Stonehenge and seems to have been adopted as a permenant style, unlike Melissa's whose shifted between outfits. The girls had been spending most of their time setting up equipment and generally assisting anyone who was working in the make-shift lab. (Can you really call a lab with an electron microscope 'make-shift'?) Knytt was looking at a component through a stereoscopic microscope, similar to those used to examine rock samples. /Hey, Nemisis, can you spare four splits to map out those tunnels Jadis digging? Maybe something to examine the surrounding soil without harming the tunnels itself. Make sure it was _just_ digging? If you can't spare them, no problem, but I must admit I am curious why he would do something so.../ Knytt shrugs. /...odd./ Knytt walked over to a largish drafting table and made a few notes on a large blueprint. (The top of the drafting table could actually be rolled up when disassembled and the rest of the components folded neatly into a tight package. /Also, some physical blueprints for those robo-gophers might be useful. I'm a bit busy for a mental upload./ Melissa walked by Knytt and passed him a mug of tea. "Here you go, George." Knytt looked at his daughter, "George?" Melissa giggled, "C'mon, dad, Curious George?" Knytt sipped his tea. Earl Grey, splash of milk, lots of sugar. "Hmm, suits me. I hate mysteries. I have to know the answers. The tea is perfect, by the way." "Danka." Melissa smiles, sitting down at a second drafting table in front of a small stack of blank sheets of paper. /Whoever can supply an upload of those plans, I am free to draw them./ --The "Not Mad, Just Eccentric" Scientist Club =========================== Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 17:35:28 -0700 (PDT) Subject: AAE: No place like home. On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 18:25:23 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00003783 In alt.callahans Post # 00001996 Driscoll said: A bright line is visible in the horizon, moving quickly towards the battleground where Roland, Morgan and (OK I'm gonna try it ithout any notes...) Dhyrklync (OK I'm not going to ever try THAT again, but you know who I mean.) are fuming over the missing Iron Man. Soon the silver and scarlet form is easily visible as he streaks closer. Within moments he is over the group, does a quick flip in mid air and lands gracefully. Looking over at the dead cyborgs and Grey he coments, "I see I missed all the fun of The Controller's latest attack. Anyone hurt?" =========================== Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 19:05:52 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Fireworks On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 19:47:44 -0500 In Message # 00003784 In alt.callahans Post # 00001997 Zia said: >"Goodbye, Nemo." With that, Jadis explodes. An _awesome_ amount of >raw magical energy is released without any warning, and of course is >immediately sucked into the Seal. (Hi Zia! ) (ooSC: Hi, evil villian! You know it's scary when the villians start grinning at you PERSONALLY....) Below ground, in their secreted locationa, five different people flinch, then stand straight again in relief when the Arc actually saves them from collectively fried psionic portions of the brain. [I guess that ARC was an awfully good idea.] The Link meditates to itself [This Jadis is throwing power around easily. Obviously he has more than enough. But I cannot discern any purpose to his actions, other than annoyance.] [Hmmm... check that boy. Maybe another plant, as the girl was??] The Link proceeds to assign Sheila the task, holding James in reserve for the cute littel robots that is giving the Link such a bad feeling. =========================== Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 19:06:02 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Just Out Of Curiousity... On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 19:53:51 -0500 In Message # 00003785 In alt.callahans Post # 00001998 Zia said: >"Danka." Melissa smiles, sitting down at a second drafting table in >front of a small stack of blank sheets of paper. /Whoever can supply >an upload of those plans, I am free to draw them./ @What are you going to draw, Melissa?@ Sera's distinct angelic voice come by way of Zia's lens. Guess who is assigned odd events watch person? Er, angel. Whatever. But since they can't hear the CAoL link right now, she might well be curious. And it beats just watching Jadis, whom she has probably lost track of again, and is just searching for at the moment. If Melissa tells her that they need the digger's schematics, Sera can refere quite detailed information from Sheila's review. Including insides, procreative facitilities, and Jadis' almost customary odd time warp traces. =========================== Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 19:36:37 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Just Out Of Curiousity... On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 19:32:17 -0700 (PDT) In Message # 00003786 In alt.callahans Post # 00001999 Nemisis said: > On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 18:41:08 -0500 In Message # 00003782 > In alt.callahans Post # 00001995 Michael Jon Knight said: > > Knytt was looking at a component through a stereoscopic microscope, > similar to those used to examine rock samples. /Hey, Nemisis, can > you spare four splits to map out those tunnels Jadis > digging? Maybe something to examine the surrounding soil without > harming the tunnels itself. Make sure it was _just_ digging? If you > can't spare them, no problem, but I must admit I am curious why he > would do something so.../ Knytt shrugs. /...odd./ /Splits moving into position now, Live feed and Mapping coordinates, begins in 5 seconds./ > "Danka." Melissa smiles, sitting down at a second drafting table in > front of a small stack of blank sheets of paper. /Whoever can supply > an upload of those plans, I am free to draw them./ \Feed Begins, Specific task requests on this channel (), #(Data Feed)# =========================== Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 20:06:59 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Azeronium Quickstep (Long!) On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 19:15:53 PST In Message # 00003787 In alt.callahans Post # 00002000 Nemo said: > On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 00:20:44 -0400 In Message # 00003772 > In alt.callahans Post # 00001985 Martin Gerster said: > > To himself, as much as anyone else, [/Let us just see how these > things like a good old fashioned DeLameter set on tight beam/] with > a pistol in each hand, Dhyrclhanc aims and fires at two adjacent > groups of Grey soldiers. Unfortunatly, even the DeLameters' beams > have little effect on the troopers' force sheilds. > > /Uh-Oh./ }:=8C To integrate this with the attack by Roland and company, I'll deal with the shields, and let the others take out the wearers. :-) Each manta and spider uses a *different* attack on the shield generators (advantage of millenia of universe hopping, you can *always* come up with an obscure weapon :-) A sickly green beam seems to "crawl" towards its target even though it moves rapidly. Upon reaching the target the shield changes to blotches of the same green and seems to *rot* away. The target barely manages to get rid of the generator before the green rot consumes it. Several balls of energy move towards targets, but along very different paths, and with different results. One is bound electrical charge (like ball lightning) and dumps it's charge into the generator after being almost ignored by the shield. Another is bound magnetic energy and veers oddly as it follows the local magnetic field towards the target. On impact it acts like a localize EMP and fries all circuitry, including the shield generator. A third is bound gravitic energy. When it strikes, the shield generator implodes. And the attacks continue. Defenses against some actually *attract* others... =========================== Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 21:07:24 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Just Out Of Curiousity... On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 22:48:39 -0500 In Message # 00003788 In alt.callahans Post # 00002001 Michael Jon Knight said: >On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 19:32:17 -0700 (PDT) In Message # 00003786 > In alt.callahans Post # 00001999 Nemisis said: > >/Splits moving into position now, > Live feed and Mapping coordinates, > begins in 5 seconds./ /Thank you, Nemisis. Grep, could you set up some maps and monitors for those feeds?/ Grep walks past with some small color TVs and some hand-drawn color maps. /Already on top of it, Dad./ "Where did you get the TVs?" Knytt asks. "You pulled them out of your satchel while you were busy looking at something. We were going to watch Rebo and Zooty reruns, but this is a better use for them. Besides, we can watch them anyway, we just thought we would share with the others." "Hmm, I'd rather they not while working. Laser scalpals are dangerous when you aren't paying attention to what you are doing." "True. We'll watch it another time as well." >On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 19:53:51 -0500 In Message # 00003785 > In alt.callahans Post # 00001998 Zia said: > >@What are you going to draw, Melissa?@ Sera's distinct angelic voice >come by way of Zia's lens. Guess who is assigned odd events watch >person? Er, angel. Whatever. But since they can't hear the CAoL link >right now, she might well be curious. And it beats just watching >Jadis, whom she has probably lost track of again, and is just >searching for at the moment. If Melissa tells her that they need the >digger's schematics, Sera can refere quite detailed information from >Sheila's review. Including insides, procreative facitilities, and >Jadis' almost customary odd time warp traces. /Ah, thank you for the data, Grandmother...Hi there, Sera./ Melissa sends as she starts sketching the first schematic (an overall design), /I'm going to play like I am a CAD program and draw some schematics of those little robo-gophers that Jadis sent digging around. Dad's busy working on the biotech that Driss stole from the Grey Atmospheric Processor, so he wanted some hard-copy of the 'Gophers for everyone to look at while he sketchs the mechanics of those. He's not real good at multitasking, so having plans and notes will help him think better./ /And tea,/ Grep adds, fixing another cup, then turning to a whiteboard and writing a long series of equations as she continues. /We remember that from before we were 'born'. We used to fix tea as a test of motor skills, timing, and things. Mom taught us, she says Dad ruins tea by microwaving it. Dad claims he doesn't always want a full pot like Mom fixes, but tells us to follow Mom's way anyway. He says it makes her happy, which is worth the wasting of tea./ Melissa adds as she starts the second sketch (a detail of the reproductive section), /Actually, Dad wastes more tea his way, but less time. But we do it Mom's way because it's fun. And 'The Ritual is Half the Pleasure.'/ =========================== Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 21:35:39 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Metaplot On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 21:00:02 In Message # 00003789 In alt.callahans Post # 00002002 Morgan said: >On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 19:03:31 -0400 (EDT) In Message # 00003781 > In alt.callahans Post # 00001994 Shadow said: > > Shortly after Jadis talks with the Adversary.... > >A ghostly image of Jadis appears by KnightMare, "Have I come at a bad >time? I can return later, if you wish." KnightMare blinks and looks up from his experiment with pouring his Nabu-Mournblade metal into an Eddoran armor mold. "No, lord Jadis, nothing imperative." >The image frowns, "You know, it would be nice to be informed as to >whatever extradimensional beings would be likely to take my head if I >so much as mention your name. There wouldn't happen to be any others >out there I should be aware of or even likely to encounter, are >there? If it wasn't for the fact that the Adversary was so weak I >might even have been worried. It is such a pain to get a new body >into fighting trim. Takes years, it does. He does seem a bit upset >with you, by the way. Why, if you were to be seriously hurt I >wouldn't be surprised if he tried to take all that power _back_. Of >course, you're not the one going head to head with the Army of Light, >so I don't suppose you really have to worry about that, do you? The >fate of us poor peons, expendable pawns in a so-far futile effort to >seriously slow that group down. Well, Ta-ta." "Only the one, Jadis," KnightMare sighs. "The Adversary- manifestation from Blaze's world betrayed me, and it was necessary to ...balance the scales. I'm sure you understand the necessities involved." >OOC: This is before we went to the grey world and actually had to >sleep and rest. Before the Greys we flew through the obstacles. This >one's actually taking some time. Or at the beginning of the Grey run, >whatever. KnightMare attempts to contact Jadis once more... *Jadis, please respond. There is a new, problematic datum. Other entities have taken an interest in the so-called Army of Light. It is possible that they may intend to direct them against our efforts before they have come into full readiness. My control over the Primals of Order and Chaos is as yet incomplete; you may wish to take this into account in your own endeavors. *In a more positive development, I have learned the origin of the Adversary entity of Roland's world. It comes from a being once known as the Malice Shard, which is the physicality it bore when it entered that reality. That body has since been destroyed, and it has been imprisoned in the dreamtime of that universe. I hope this information is of use to you.* KnightMare returns to its work on installing the Nullifier controls into its enchanted Eddoran armor... =========================== Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 21:35:52 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: No place like home. On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 21:13:25 In Message # 00003790 In alt.callahans Post # 00002003 Morgan said: >On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 18:25:23 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00003783 > In alt.callahans Post # 00001996 Driscoll said: > > A bright line is visible in the horizon, moving quickly towards the >battleground where Roland, Morgan and (OK I'm gonna try it ithout any >notes...) Dhyrklync (OK I'm not going to ever try THAT ^^^^^^^^^ Nice try, though. ;-) >again, but you know who I mean.) are fuming over the missing Iron >Man. Soon the silver and scarlet form is easily visible as he streaks >closer. Within moments he is over the group, does a quick flip in mid >air and lands gracefully. > Looking over at the dead cyborgs and Grey he coments, "I see I >missed all the fun of The Controller's latest attack. Anyone hurt?" Roland brushes himself off. "No, not really. Your claws didn't do much damage before Morgan transmuted them, and I heal quickly. Interesting hologram in the cyber-beasties, by the way." Roland suddenly drops the casual pretense and glares at Iron Man. "I don't know what just happened, but I've been ignoring a lot of evidence pointing towards a rather unpleasant conclusion. I trust Knytt, and he trusts you, despite his suspicions. I can't afford to, if you're not who you've apparently been pretending to be. "You're not Tony Stark _or_ James Rhodes, are you?" Roland asks suddenly. "Consider yer answer carefully," Morgan adds, dropping into her brogue. "Yer no' likely to get a lie past this group, and ye'd be the worse off for the tryin'." Her coolly even voice suggesting that her willingness to give him a chance will depend heavily on his next words. She trains every bit of truth sense she has on him, waiting. =========================== Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 21:36:04 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: No place like home. On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 00:15:18 -0400 In Message # 00003791 In alt.callahans Post # 00002004 Martin Gerster said: > On Thu, 16 Apr '98 Driscoll said: > > Looking over at the dead cyborgs and Grey he coments, "I see I > missed all the fun of The Controller's latest attack. Anyone hurt?" Gamer, the name is "Dhyrclhanc", that's D-H-Y-R-C-L-H-A-N-C, like I said to Molly, it's pronounced "Dark-Lance" and when you're just looking at it you'd think that it should be pronounced "Deer-Claw-Hans". This statement was not made in order to chastise you, it was done to try to provide some amount of aid. I'll get off my soapbox, now. (Funny how IMO gets around, even when we're not in the place isn't it?) Dhyrclhanc is in the dispatching his last two oppoents by throwing his Glaive at one and slicing the other one in two, diagonaly, with Redemption (still in it's Egyptian Holy Sword form). Somebody tell me when it's nightfall, the effect only lasts untill the end of daylight. However, while absentmindedly holding up his off hand to catch the returning, ornate, flying blade, he turns his head towards the incoming armored form and his Lens and eyes glow brightly... well brighter than when he's been normally psi-active before. Iron Man and Justin feel the lightest feathery touch skirt around the boondocks of their gestalt mind, feeling almost as though it tickled. To Roland, with an almost _too_ calm mental voice, /^This one is our's, brother.^/ Dhyrclhanc's eyes and Lens calm down to a lesser, dimmer, glow. Then to Iron Man, while cliping his Glaive back on the strap of his duffle-bag. "Forgive me for being so uncharacteristicly blunt, but I'm going to voice my brother's questions in order to possibly avoid a larger mess of hurt later. Forgive my language when I say this 'Mr. Stark' (giving full psychic emphasis that he knows this Iron Man _isn't_ Stark) but who, in the name of the Dark Queen Tahksis, are you and what in Hades do you want with us!" To no one in particular /Fine, _you_ be the one to tell Fast Eddie he has to hit me over the head./ Dhyrclhanc's physical and psychic attitudes makes it clear that he's execting an answer _Now_, if not sooner. =========================== Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 23:05:45 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: No place like home. On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 23:56:34 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00003792 In alt.callahans Post # 00002005 Driscoll said: > On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 21:13:25 In Message # 00003790 > In alt.callahans Post # 00002003 Morgan said: > > "Consider yer answer carefully," Morgan adds, dropping into her > brogue. "Yer no' likely to get a lie past this group, and ye'd be > the worse off for the tryin'." Her coolly even voice suggesting that > her willingness to give him a chance will depend heavily on his next > words. She trains every bit of truth sense she has on him, waiting. Iron Man looks from Roland to Morgan and back again. "I don't know what you're talking about about claws and hologram and such. And I have told you from the outset that I am neither Stark nor Rhodes and you saw as much when I came out of that Limbo world. But It is true that. I have been holding back the truth of my idenity from you to this point." ^It's time. rememebr what I told you Jim.^ ^Justin! I...^ Jim never gets to finish his thought as Justin takes off his helmet and tosses it aside, followed by his breastplate and the rest of his armor. "My Name is Justin Fleish. A new name. One I took on when I finally found what I had so long saught. A pun I admit but then you of all people should appreciate a good pun." Justin takes in a deep breath and releases it slowly, standing rigidly, though trembling slightly and not just because he's now dressed only in a pair of very short shorts. "You knew me before by another name though. And by another form. I have not lied to you. But I have dreaded this for a long time. You knew me before, as The Controller." He closes his eyes and takes another deep breath. "What will you do with me now Roland? Will you rend this newfound flesh my my bones? or perhaps you still doubt my word. Does this face convince you more?" His human features begin to meld until his head becomes the metal features of The Controller. "I did much evil in my past. if you feel to strike me down I shall not resist. I came here to help end my past forever by finishing the legacy of The Controller being played out by my interdimentional doppleganger. If I so desired to do you harm I had more than ample oppurtunity by now. I place my fate in your hands. Will you take an eye for an eye? or will you believe the man who nearly destroyed your adopted homeland and killed one of your close freinds and nearly your lady love, that he has decided to change?" =========================== Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 23:35:41 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: No place like home. On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 01:27:35 -0500 In Message # 00003793 In alt.callahans Post # 00002006 Michael Jon Knight said: > >On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 23:56:34 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00003792 > In alt.callahans Post # 00002005 Driscoll said: > > He closes his eyes and takes another deep breath. "What will you do >with me now Roland? Will you rend this newfound flesh my my bones? or >perhaps you still doubt my word. Does this face convince you more?" >His human features begin to meld until his head becomes the metal >features of The Controller. "I did much evil in my past. if you feel >to strike me down I shall not resist. I came here to help end my past >forever by finishing the legacy of The Controller being played out by >my interdimentional doppleganger. If I so desired to do you harm I >had more than ample oppurtunity by now. I place my fate in your >hands. Will you take an eye for an eye? or will you believe the man >who nearly destroyed your adopted homeland and killed one of your >close freinds and nearly your lady love, that he has decided to >change?" Knytt sighs and stops his work. With a thought he is standing next to the Freelance Immortals. Glancing at Dhyrclhanc, Knytt sends, /As your newly appointed XO, I am telling you to stand down./ then turns back to Justin. "If you are going to cite me, Roland, I would prefer the paraphrasing was more accurate. What I said was, after what that little girl said and Iron Man's transformation into War Machine on that last earth, I suspected that years ago from my point of view, the Controller used a Nemisis split to create a new body. In voicing my opinion I kept it private because I was not certain, and I didn't want anyone jumping to false conclusions. Justin, you will remember Zia from the party at Stonehenge. She suggested that your aims could very well be truely as you said in the bar." Knytt looks at Roland now. /I would like to think so, as my own redemption relies on the hope that one can make up for one's past. Furthermore, Roland Phoenix, you suggested, according to the twins, that trying to pit us against Iron Man was exactly the sort of thing the Controller would pull. But why? -Unless Iron Man was a clone of the Controller.- Who better to defeat him at every step. This would be an awful stupid time to return, Roland, if what you assume is the case./ Knytt glances at Morgan, /And unless there is a human brain in there, I am honestly unsure what using truth sense will achieve against a machine./ Meanwhile, Knytt carries on talking to Justin. "If there is any fear of bad blood between us, I am stating here and now I have laid it to rest. You are no more the man who killed Knytt than I am the original Knytt. Mike Callahan once said "There's a price for absolution on this planet, and it's called penance." You seem to want to pay it, and I haven't seen you do anything I wouldn't have done in your place. If you are here to turn your life around, I have seen nothing that might indicate the contrary and everything to indicate a damn good start. Furthermore, I know of two beverges of your choice waiting at Callahans if you will accept them." /Sorry to mention that, Zia, but I felt I needed a bit of backup./ Knytt stuck out his hand, holding a large towel, with an offer to shake hands beneath. "My name's Mike. I'm pleased to meet you, Justin." =========================== Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 00:04:48 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: No place like home. On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 23:57:50 In Message # 00003794 In alt.callahans Post # 00002007 Morgan said: >On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 23:56:34 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00003792 > In alt.callahans Post # 00002005 Driscoll said: > > ^Justin! I...^ Jim never gets to finish his thought as Justin takes >off his helmet and tosses it aside, followed by his breastplate and >the rest of his armor. "My Name is Justin Fleish. A new name. One I >took on when I finally found what I had so long saught. A pun I admit >but then you of all people should appreciate a good pun." Roland groans. ^My kingdom for a peanut,^ he sighs as he realizes the depths to which the pun delved... > He closes his eyes and takes another deep breath. "What will you do >with me now Roland? Will you rend this newfound flesh my my bones? or >perhaps you still doubt my word. Does this face convince you more?" >His human features begin to meld until his head becomes the metal >features of The Controller. "I did much evil in my past. if you feel >to strike me down I shall not resist. I came here to help end my past >forever by finishing the legacy of The Controller being played out by >my interdimentional doppleganger. If I so desired to do you harm I >had more than ample oppurtunity by now. I place my fate in your >hands. Will you take an eye for an eye? or will you believe the man >who nearly destroyed your adopted homeland and killed one of your >close freinds and nearly your lady love, that he has decided to >change?" Roland and Morgan exchange glances. /"He speaks truth, as near as I can tell,"/ the Bene Gesserit-trained Highlander says quietly. Roland nods, then looks long and hard at the face of...who? The monster who had tortured his beloved Morgan? The loyal hero who had risked everything to make amends? Whose face was he looking at? "You could have revealed yourself in Callahan's, you know," Roland says slowly. "In that Place, no one would have touched you, as much as we might have wanted to." Roland shakes his head. "If the things you did were only to me, we wouldn't even be having this conversation-it'd be forgotten. But you endangered the very heart of wonder, enslaved a world, and...and..." Roland's eyes dart to Morgan briefly. "You killed one of my friends, and nearly killed two others. Actually, you _did_ kill Knytt and Morgan-but they got better." Roland frowns. "At the very least, you'll have to be brought back to Arcadia to stand trial. However..." Roland again weighs the Controller carefully. "...Knytt has already stated that he considers you and he even-you killed one of him, he killed one of 'you.' Which leaves..." Roland trails off and steps aside. ^Love, I know what he did to you. Light, _I_ want to skin him alive. But you said it yourself-he's being honest with us. He truly wants to make amends.^ Morgan looks at her former enemy. She remembers well what he did to Driscoll when he captured him in Arcadia - a fate that would have been Roland's had her old friend not crossed her path again. And the lab on Quaren.... Truth be told, when thinking back on that incident, the image that came strongest to her mind was Roland's emotional display over her all-but-dead body, and the kiss with which he called her back from the depths. She smiled. ^He's right - he could have taken any of us out several times by now. He's fought on our side when he could have stayed out of harm's way. He could have let those bombs go off and destroy London.^ Morgan switches to the open CAoL-web. /I say we give him the chance he asks: to atone for past wrongs by preventing the current Controller from doing further harm./ /Well, that leaves one problem,/ Roland sighs mentally, excluding Driscoll from the broadcast. /Only problem is, Driscoll's death happens 750 years in his personal future. If we tell him, that could really mess up the timeline. OUR timeline./ /Not to mention our resident former Timelord's hairline,/ Morgan quips as she pictures Knytt tearing his hair out over the potential paradox. Roland smiles faintly. "You'll still have to return to Arcadia for trial eventually," he says, "but that can wait-we have a comrade being held by that sprocking necromancer Jadis, and assuming you're sincere, we can use all the help we can get. Unless one of the others wants a piece of you for some reason, I don't see why you can't earn a few character witnesses in the meantime. I take it that any threats of dire consequences should this be some ploy would be redundant?" =========================== Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 00:36:20 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: No place like home. On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 01:29:29 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00003796 In alt.callahans Post # 00002009 Driscoll said: > On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 01:27:35 -0500 In Message # 00003793 > In alt.callahans Post # 00002006 Michael Jon Knight said: > > > (OOC: So have I. ;-) ) > /Sorry to mention that, Zia, but I felt I needed a bit of backup./ > this conversation. The twins know Zia has some interest in this as > does Knytt.> > > Knytt stuck out his hand, holding a large towel, with an offer to > shake hands beneath. "My name's Mike. I'm pleased to meet you, > Justin." A tear slowly makes its way down Justin's cheek as he reaches out to shake Knytt's hand. "I-I thank you for your acceptance of my 'penance' as you word it. I know that with the past between us it could not have been an easy choice." > (OOC: Oh thank you EVER so much for your kind permission. hehehe) =========================== Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 00:36:31 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: No place like home. On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 01:43:09 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00003797 In alt.callahans Post # 00002010 Driscoll said: > On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 23:57:50 In Message # 00003794 > In alt.callahans Post # 00002007 Morgan said: > > Roland nods, then looks long and hard at the face of...who? The > monster who had tortured his beloved Morgan? The loyal hero who had > risked everything to make amends? Whose face was he looking at? > "You could have revealed yourself in Callahan's, you know," > Roland says slowly. "In that Place, no one would have touched you, > as much as we might have wanted to." "I sat in the place adn watched you all and plotted yoru destructions. Do you really think I would be so welcome in the Place had I revealed my identity there?" > Roland shakes his head. "If the things you did were only to me, > we wouldn't even be having this conversation-it'd be forgotten. But > you endangered the very heart of wonder, enslaved a world, and... > and..." Roland's eyes dart to Morgan briefly. "You killed one of my > friends, and nearly killed two others. Justin looks puzzled but says nothing to correct Roland. (OOC: The Controller doesn't know about his causing Driss's death. The brain backup unit was detatched by that time and his original body was dead. Afterwards he investigated who destroyed his reality generator, but never bothered with individual casuatly lists) > Roland smiles faintly. "You'll still have to return to Arcadia > for trial eventually," he says, "but that can wait-we have a comrade > being held by that sprocking necromancer Jadis, and assuming you're > sincere, we can use all the help we can get. Unless one of the > others wants a piece of you for some reason, I don't see why you > can't earn a few character witnesses in the meantime. I take it that > any threats of dire consequences should this be some ploy would be > redundant?" He moves from shaking hands with Knytt to offer his hadn to Roland. "The only ploy here is a battle with the demons of my past. And atomement for the past damamges done in my singleminded quest for renewed life. I understand about having to stand trial and will do so willingly. I only hope that they can see with as much justice adn as open a heart as you." In the background, the IronMan armor re-connects into a human shape and walks up behind Justin and re-molds itself over his body. "Oh I almost forgot. I'm not alone in this body. PLease greet Jim, the nanite culture that provides me with my wonderous abilities and is like my own son." Jim then projects privately to Nemesis #Hello...Mother?# =========================== Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 01:05:06 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: No place like home. On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 02:57:00 -0500 In Message # 00003798 In alt.callahans Post # 00002011 Michael Jon Knight said: >On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 23:57:50 In Message # 00003794 > In alt.callahans Post # 00002007 Morgan said: > >>On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 23:56:34 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00003792 >> In alt.callahans Post # 00002005 Driscoll said: >> >> ^Justin! I...^ Jim never gets to finish his thought as Justin takes >>off his helmet and tosses it aside, followed by his breastplate and >>the rest of his armor. "My Name is Justin Fleish. A new name. One I >>took on when I finally found what I had so long saught. A pun I >>admit but then you of all people should appreciate a good pun." > > Roland groans. ^My kingdom for a peanut,^ he sighs as he realizes >the depths to which the pun delved... /We don't get it./ the twins send. >/"He speaks truth, as near as I can tell,"/ the Bene Gesserit-trained >Highlander says quietly. /Must be a human mind in there after all. Or I have to talk to Nemisis about how she did it./ Knytt sends. > "You could have revealed yourself in Callahan's, you know," Roland >says slowly. "In that Place, no one would have touched you, as much >as we might have wanted to." /Nor would we have accepted him, Roland. Notice how little I've told you of mine./ Knytt sends. > Roland again weighs the Controller carefully. "...Knytt has >already stated that he considers you and he even-you killed one of >him, he killed one of 'you.' Which leaves..." Knytt watches the Freelance Immortals carefully. >^He's right - he could have taken any of us out several times by now. >He's fought on our side when he could have stayed out of harm's way. >He could have let those bombs go off and destroy London.^ Morgan >switches to the open CAoL-web. /I say we give him the chance he asks: >to atone for past wrongs by preventing the current Controller from >doing further harm./ Knytt looks very pleased. > /Well, that leaves one problem,/ Roland sighs mentally, excluding >Driscoll from the broadcast. /Only problem is, Driscoll's death >happens 750 years in his personal future. If we tell him, that could >really mess up the timeline. OUR timeline./ > >/Not to mention our resident former Timelord's hairline,/ Morgan >quips as she pictures Knytt tearing his hair out over the potential >paradox. Also excluding Driss, Knytt sends, /In the last quarter century, I like to think I have mellowed considerably. This is Justin, one of the Iron Men. He never killed anyone. Ask Flarn, she doesn't lie. Judiciously prunes the tree of truth, yes, but never lies./ > Roland smiles faintly. "You'll still have to return to Arcadia for >trial eventually," he says, "but that can wait-we have a comrade >being held by that sprocking necromancer Jadis, and assuming you're >sincere, we can use all the help we can get. Unless one of the others >wants a piece of you for some reason, I don't see why you can't earn >a few character witnesses in the meantime. I take it that any threats >of dire consequences should this be some ploy would be redundant?" /I think Arcadia could survive without his trial. At least bring them the unrepentant one. In many ways, his past isn't his at all, Just memories dumped into him. Much like my own. His choices started the day he woke up on the table. The man who hurt Arcadia, died in Arcadia. The one who hurt Quaren, died in Quaren. And the one who got away, is still out there./ "/Anyone wanting a further piece of Justin, I would prefer you didn't. Sado-masochism is for playtime. We have work to do. And I could use the help in the lab. I believe you might know something about biotech and nanotech?/" =========================== Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 02:08:12 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: No place like home. On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 03:23:24 -0500 In Message # 00003801 In alt.callahans Post # 00002014 Michael Jon Knight said: >On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 01:29:29 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00003796 > In alt.callahans Post # 00002009 Driscoll said: > > A tear slowly makes its way down Justin's cheek as he reaches out to >shake Knytt's hand. "I-I thank you for your acceptance of my >'penance' as you word it. I know that with the past between us it >could not have been an easy choice." "Easier than you might imagine, I don't want to find myself in that old Batman scene with the Joker trying to work out who made who first. I don't look good in tights or clown makeup." >> > (OOC: Oh thank you EVER so much for your kind permission. hehehe) > =========================== Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 02:08:24 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: No place like home. (VLong!) On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 04:25:52 -0400 In Message # 00003802 In alt.callahans Post # 00002015 Martin Gerster said: >On Thu, 16 Apr '98 Morgan said: > > Roland smiles faintly. "You'll still have to return to Arcadia for >trial eventually," he says, "but that can wait-we have a comrade >being held by that sprocking necromancer Jadis, and assuming you're >sincere, we can use all the help we can get. Unless one of the others >wants a piece of you for some reason, I don't see why you can't earn >a few character witnesses in the meantime. I take it that any threats >of dire consequences should this be some ploy would be redundant?" Durring the whole tirade between Justin and his foster-sibs, Dhyrclhanc looked as though he were trying to personaly act as an equalibrium between two floods of equal force on the opposite sides of his body. Then Roland makes mention of bringing Justin back to Arcadia for trial and a strange sense of peace, resolution and sadness leeks into the psi-web from the Lensdragon. He steps in front of Roland, between the Freelance Immortal and the faux-Iron Man and says, "Sorry bro, if I have anything to say about it, then I would gladly drag the carcase of that mechanical abomination we call 'The Controler' through the lowest pits of Hell for what he did to us, but Justin here, despite his own pleas to the contrary, is innocent as far as I'm concerned. The second he began to wear that new face, put on that armor, and pledged his services to our cause 'The Controler' died and 'Justin Fleish' was born. Not quite being able to look Morgan straight in the eye, instead the draconic Lensman sends, privately over the link, /^Sis, Sister-In-Law, Morgan, my morning of your "Death" was as deep and as real as Martin's morning of the Death of his beloved Betsy ever was. Or his morning over the passing of his friend Barry. But he didn't do it! That bastard offspring of a Sontarian and a Microwave Oven, The Controler, was the one who Did!^/ The Lensdragons normaly inhuman calm is disturbed by the fact that it now become obvious that he is caught, painfully, between the two extremes of Laughter and Tears. He looks at Knytt, and says, "You of all the people here must know how I feel. In this group, a true collection of those who are alike because each of us are so unalike anything resembling 'mundane humanity'. We two are both aliens in a group of the most human assembly I have ever had the good fortune to be a part of. We are Alone amoungst the Many, because while we are not truly alone neither of us truely know if their are others like us anywhere. Well, like Micky Finn, and like yourself, here is another who has commited Evil in his past but is willing to use his abilities and powers to atone for what he has done. To misquote Mike, our beloved Mick of Time, said, he is not only asking for Absolution but he is offering Pennance." "Second only to my friendship with Roland and Morgan, and equal to my relationship with Fuzzy, you may not know this Knytt, but I call you friend. Yet I envy you, you've found a life-mate while I still don't know if there is anyone out there like me. If you can no longer hold this man, this Man, liable for his actions then how can I?" Then, appaerently talking to thin air, Dhyrclhanc says, "Pixar, get me out of here. Use those cooordinates I programmed into you earlier." The Lensdragon then dissappears. If a thorough (sp?) search is made, He'll be found pasing in Nemesis' "Drawing Room" waiting for the reactions to this, unexpected, diatribe (sp?) (Whew, sorry guys something must have struck a nerve) =========================== Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 02:08:43 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: No place like home. On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 01:56:29 -0700 (PDT) In Message # 00003803 In alt.callahans Post # 00002016 fuzzy said: > On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 21:13:25 In Message # 00003790 > In alt.callahans Post # 00002003 Morgan said: > >>On Thu, 16 Apr 1998 18:25:23 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00003783 >> In alt.callahans Post # 00001996 Driscoll said: >> >>again, but you know who I mean.) are fuming over the missing Iron >>Man. Soon the silver and scarlet form is easily visible as he >>streaks closer. Within moments he is over the group, does a quick >>flip in mid air and lands gracefully. >> Looking over at the dead cyborgs and Grey he coments, "I see I >>missed all the fun of The Controller's latest attack. Anyone hurt?" ^Nemisis, this Drawing room is Spacially Trancendental, Can you open an Egress, as a vector through the Contagion Principle, at the location of one of your Splits?^ =========================== Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 02:40:34 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: No place like home. On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 02:36:35 -0700 (PDT) In Message # 00003804 In alt.callahans Post # 00002017 Nemisis said: > On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 01:56:29 -0700 (PDT) In Message # 00003803 > In alt.callahans Post # 00002016 fuzzy said: > > ^Nemisis, this Drawing room is Spacially Trancendental, Can you open > an Egress, as a vector through the Contagion Principle, at the > location of one of your Splits?^ > > please ignore Nemisis' next post.> ^Attempting to Comply with Request....^ \#()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()#\ "=\#Major Systems Reconfiguration in Progress, Please Stand By.#\=" >> "Consider yer answer carefully," Morgan adds, dropping into her >> brogue. "Yer no' likely to get a lie past this group, and ye'd be >> the worse off for the tryin'." Her coolly even voice suggesting >> that her willingness to give him a chance will depend heavily on >> his next words. She trains every bit of truth sense she has on him, >> waiting. ^Trancendental Fold accomplished Egress Opening, Status Update: Hyper-Topography Stabile in All Splits Topographicly Unified. All Splits Re-Engaged in Full Multi-Band Communication. Status Report Ends.^ =========================== Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 03:59:55 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: No place like home. On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 03:54:45 -0700 (PDT) In Message # 00003805 In alt.callahans Post # 00002018 fuzzy said: > On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 02:36:35 -0700 (PDT) In Message # 00003804 > In alt.callahans Post # 00002017 Nemisis said: > > \#()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()#\ > the link here, but I doubt anything else would> /What The Blazes.../ > "=\#Major Systems Reconfiguration in Progress, Please Stand By.#\=" > message> /Where the Hades did That Come From??? That was not in any of the ROM Coding I set up.../ > ^Trancendental Fold accomplished Egress Opening, Status Update: > Hyper-Topography Stabile in All Splits Topographicly Unified. > All Splits Re-Engaged in Full Multi-Band Communication. > Status Report Ends.^ A Dust Cloud rises vertically 100 meters as Fuzzy's HoverCyclone emerges from a Portal laying flat in the ground surface at Mach 5, Stoping almost instantly in High cover position... =========================== Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 07:04:50 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: No place like home. On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 08:43:42 -0500 In Message # 00003806 In alt.callahans Post # 00002019 Zia said: >"If you are going to cite me, Roland, I would prefer the paraphrasing >was more accurate. What I said was, after what that little girl said >and Iron Man's transformation into War Machine on that last earth, I >suspected that years ago from my point of view, the Controller used a >Nemisis split to create a new body. In voicing my opinion I kept it >private because I was not certain, and I didn't want anyone jumping >to false conclusions. Justin, you will remember Zia from the party at >Stonehenge. She suggested that your aims could very well be truely as >you said in the bar." To the twins, who were relaying the conversation: @If a machine can't be caught in a lie, then humans certainly didn't build or design it. (giggles) Now I get credit for the novel concept of taking someone at their word. Odd. I guess the CAoL gets lied to more than a bit. No one seemed to believe me either. Except Knytt, and Fuzzy. And maybe Dhryclhanc once he found my Lens. Although, that was his first meeting. I think you two girls just gave me the benefit of the doubt because of your father.@ Zia figures the twins will forward whatever parts of this they think Knytt needs to hear once he isn't busy in the denuement of Iron Man anymore. >/Sorry to mention that, Zia, but I felt I needed a bit of backup./ >conversation. The twins know Zia has some interest in this as does >Knytt.> Forwarding via the twins is needed, but she also uses them on the 'return' reply so as not to over-burden Knytt while he is under stress. @Er, (minor collision of morals of conflicting aspects. Sudden decision). I'm honored that you'd think of me as backup for anything, Knytt, but I'll have to stand you the dollar ahead of time. I shouldn't enter Callahan's.@ @Still have to get that shopping trip in, girls. What's the CAoL end objective (s) here? Not that you have to tell me, but ask someone to redirect me if there is any direction I should be going in particular. You've got my mental sig on the Lens if you need me.@ The twins can feel her drop the active link, still pleased about Justin and Jim's acceptance into the group. She turns back to her own task with a feeling of gratefulness for the customary solitude. ooSC: Say, has the Sealed Link FOUND anything interesting underground on Earth, besides robo-gophers? =========================== Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 08:06:08 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Just Out Of Curiousity... On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 10:01:59 -0500 In Message # 00003807 In alt.callahans Post # 00002020 Zia said: >/Ah, thank you for the data, Grandmother...Hi there, Sera./ Melissa >sends as she starts sketching the first schematic (an overall >design), /I'm going to play like I am a CAD program and draw some >schematics of those little robo-gophers that Jadis sent digging >around. Dad's busy working on the biotech that Driss stole from the >Grey Atmospheric Processor, so he wanted some hard-copy of the >'Gophers for everyone to look at while he sketchs the mechanics of >those. He's not real good at multitasking, so having plans and notes >will help him think better./ @Ah. That seems wise. I am currently grokking a method of detection for shadow-warping. This Jadis seems to work further out along the edge of the probability sword than I can. Unless I am willing to cause as much diffraction, this gives him too much advantage. I, or one of us, had been considering snark hunters; robots attuned to hunt them, but considered the risk of their being suborned too great. Plus, Jadis is not making serious attempts to hurt the CAoL, or any of us. He seems to be just playing around with idle ideas and toys.@ Sera replies, in her calm way. >/And tea,/ Grep adds, fixing another cup, then turning to a >whiteboard and writing a long series of equations as she continues. >/We remember that from before we were 'born'. We used to fix tea as a >test of motor skills, timing, and things. Mom taught us, she says Dad >ruins tea by microwaving it. Dad claims he doesn't always want a full >pot like Mom fixes, but tells us to follow Mom's way anyway. He says >it makes her happy, which is worth the wasting of tea./ @Anything that makes someone happy is rarely a waste of anything.@ The seraphim agrees. >Melissa adds as she starts the second sketch (a detail of the >reproductive section), /Actually, Dad wastes more tea his way, but >less time. But we do it Mom's way because it's fun. And 'The Ritual >is Half the Pleasure.'/ @(smile) You should see Ziactrice plan a tea ceremony. There is even ritual for how to tie the ribbons on the invitations.@ >up and slowing down depending on the task. Stirring sugar into tea, >for example, is done slowly so you don't slosh the tea around. >Sketching and writing can be done quickly, so they do it quickly. >There are four Apple laptop computers and eight Apple Newtons around >the lab, but the mass of calculations are going on in the twins' >head, then input into the computers. And they still seem a bit bored. >;) In fact, two flat-screen monitors in opposite corners show >opposing views of a 3-d tennis game running "on its own."> ooSC: Well then, Sera will chat with them a bit. (wink) At least until the whole Linkage falls out due to exhaustion. =========================== Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 09:17:49 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: No place like home. (VLong!) On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 10:20:03 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00003809 In alt.callahans Post # 00002022 Driscoll said: > On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 04:25:52 -0400 In Message # 00003802 > In alt.callahans Post # 00002015 Josh Hill said: > > Then, appaerently talking to thin air, Dhyrclhanc says, "Pixar, get > me out of here. Use those cooordinates I programmed into you > earlier." > > The Lensdragon then dissappears. > > If a thorough (sp?) search is made, He'll be found pasing in > Nemesis' "Drawing Room" waiting for the reactions to this, > unexpected, diatribe(sp?) Iron Man unconciously steps back a bit and begins to raise his arms in front of his body as teh Lensdragon begins to speak, sensing the obvious heated metion backing up the wods and not knowing what the declaration will be. But lowers them again as the speech goes on. Subconciously he rubs his armrored neck and looks to the ground a bit as Dhyrclhanc wraps up his oratation, looking up when the large mass in his peripherial vision is suddenly gone. Iron Man looks around for a few moments confusion obvious despite the helmet. "Ummm Where'd he go? I would have liked to tell him my appreciation of his words and shake his... well his claw or the tip of it or something... I guess there'll be time later..." =========================== Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 09:21:07 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: No place like home. On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 10:27:12 -0700 (MST) In Message # 00003810 In alt.callahans Post # 00002023 Driscoll said: > On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 02:57:00 -0500 In Message # 00003798 > In alt.callahans Post # 00002011 Michael Jon Knight said: > > "/Anyone wanting a further piece of Justin, I would prefer you > didn't. Sado-masochism is for playtime. We have work to do. And I > could use the help in the lab. I believe you might know something > about biotech and nanotech?/" "Yes. I am familiar with most types of technology. Even before disease destroyed my original body I was a noted scientist. Afterwards it seemed to be my only hope of getting a body back. Given time to propery analyze a device I can figure out how it works adn how to use it. Unless it deals with magical energy. Those properties still confuse me a bit." =========================== Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 11:08:45 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Just Out Of Curiousity... On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 12:30:18 -0500 In Message # 00003812 In alt.callahans Post # 00002025 Michael Jon Knight said: >On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 10:01:59 -0500 In Message # 00003807 > In alt.callahans Post # 00002020 Zia said: > >@Ah. That seems wise. I am currently grokking a method of detection >for shadow-warping. This Jadis seems to work further out along the >edge of the probability sword than I can. Unless I am willing to >cause as much diffraction, this gives him too much advantage. I, or >one of us, had been considering snark hunters; robots attuned to hunt >them, but considered the risk of their being suborned too great. >Plus, Jadis is not making serious attempts to hurt the CAoL, or any >of us. He seems to be just playing around with idle ideas and toys.@ >Sera replies, in her calm way. /He must be bored. too./ Melissa muses. >>Melissa adds as she starts the second sketch (a detail of the >>reproductive section), /Actually, Dad wastes more tea his way, but >>less time. But we do it Mom's way because it's fun. And 'The Ritual >>is Half the Pleasure.'/ > >@(smile) You should see Ziactrice plan a tea ceremony. There is even >ritual for how to tie the ribbons on the invitations.@ /You should see Mother make flarn. When Father found out what would happen if he made a mistake in the ceremony, he practiced that ritual at every meal he ate away from Mom for weeks. But, he got it right when it counted. Neither wanted her to go through three more nights without sleep./ =========================== Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 11:09:06 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: No place like home. On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 12:30:14 -0500 In Message # 00003813 In alt.callahans Post # 00002026 Michael Jon Knight said: >On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 08:43:42 -0500 In Message # 00003806 > In alt.callahans Post # 00002019 Zia said: > >To the twins, who were relaying the conversation: @If a machine can't >be caught in a lie, then humans certainly didn't build or design it. >(giggles) Now I get credit for the novel concept of taking someone at >their word. Odd. I guess the CAoL gets lied to more than a bit. No >one seemed to believe me either. Except Knytt, and Fuzzy. And maybe >Dhryclhanc once he found my Lens. Although, that was his first >meeting. I think you two girls just gave me the benefit of the doubt >because of your father.@ Zia figures the twins will forward whatever >parts of this they think Knytt needs to hear once he isn't busy in >the denuement of Iron Man anymore. /Father says 'No, just for reminding me that it is possible to take someone at their word.' And, we have very little options but to take others at their word, we are not telepathic save in this group and to those who can send and receive on some very special frequencies. The rest require physical contact and an intent to scan on our part. But, we trust our father as much as any child and regard as 'safe' people he says are safe./ >I'm honored that you'd think of me as backup for anything, Knytt, but >I'll have to stand you the dollar ahead of time. I shouldn't enter >Callahan's.@ /Father says 'In dealing with someone trying what Justin is, the more faith from various sources that I can point to, the better chance I can give him of succeeding. As for not drinking at Callahan's. I would leave that to your judgement, though adding that, like Justin, I am certain you are welcome there. If welcome is the problem. If it is a matter of a Crystal Cave, I understand, and think we can arrange another locale. I'd like to buy you a beverage of your choice as well.'/ >@Still have to get that shopping trip in, girls. What's the CAoL end >objective (s) here? Not that you have to tell me, but ask someone >to redirect me if there is any direction I should be going in >particular. You've got my mental sig on the Lens if you need me.@ /We are not certain beyond hopes and good intentions, but that message has been passed on, and we will forward all replies./ =========================== Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 11:09:23 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: No place like home. (VLong!) On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 12:30:08 -0500 In Message # 00003814 In alt.callahans Post # 00002027 Michael Jon Knight said: >On Fri, 17 Apr 1998 04:25:52 -0400 In Message # 00003802 > In alt.callahans Post # 00002015 Josh Hill said: > >He steps in front of Roland, between the Freelance Immortal and the >faux-Iron Man and says, "Sorry bro, if I have anything to say about >it, then I would gladly drag the carcase of that mechanical >abomination we call 'The Controler' through the lowest pits of Hell >for what he did to us, but Justin here, despite his own pleas to the >contrary, is innocent as far as I'm concerned. The second he began to >wear that new face, put on that armor, and pledged his services to >our cause 'The Controler' died and 'Justin Fleish' was born. Knytt nods. >Not quite being able to look Morgan straight in the eye, instead the >draconic Lensman sends, privately over the link, /^Sis, >Sister-In-Law, Morgan, my morning of your "Death" was as deep and as >real as Martin's morning of the Death of his beloved Betsy ever was. >Or his morning over the passing of his friend Barry. But he taloned finger at Justin> didn't do it! That bastard offspring of a >Sontarian and a Microwave Oven, The Controler, was the one who Did!^/ > >If a thorough (sp?) search is made, He'll be found pasing in Nemesis' >"Drawing Room" waiting for the reactions to this, unexpected, >diatribe(sp?) > Knytt smiles, /Dhyrclhanc, thank you. I'm sure that was hard to say. And I agree with you about Iron...Justin. I wish I had a more definite answer for some of the things you didn't say, but if it helps, my Lady and I are in many ways not alike. She has learned in a few years what I needed a few centuries to be taught. Life-mates don't duplicate us, they compliment and supplement us, making us something more than the sum of the parts. I think we always, unconsciously at least, know them and, if my personal experience has taught me anything, they are always where we aren't looking for them. I think your foster-sibs can at least attest to that last part./ Knytt pauses, /And, if it will help, I do know of a couple of... unusual... dragons who might at least lend a friendly ear. They are mated, and the last two of their particular race, at least on that Earth...though actually, if things are going as planned, their eggs should be hatched by now. I know they are not the dragons Molly is familiar with, except by adult appearance. I hear these hatchlings are quite small when born, feline size. Pyewackett introduced me to them, they are from his home Earth./ Pyewackett pipes in, from an ornate chair in the lab that once was his feline armor. /N'nairda and Leah'Cim? Sure, they would love the company. Their sort of dragon has gotten to be quite scarce in my universe. When I was little more than a fuzz-ball, like Mischief, they were all over the place. Heck, it's been a quarter of a millenium , I am well overdue for a visit. I should have stopped by at least a hundred and fifty years ago./ > ===========================