Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 6b
                        The Game of IF - ch. 1

Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 06:51:06 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: AAE VIb: Trumping Out of the Planning Room Group 2

On Sat, 30 Oct 1999 09:39:58 -0400
Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00007895

Ziactrice has been quietly working with her deck of Trump and one of
the Planning Room's holographic upright displays. Just as it seems she
has suceeded in displaying one of the more innocuous Trumps, a
landscape of gold grass with a green sky, there is a sudden burst of
polychromatic light from her general area. Much akin to the same sort
of light (or exactly, for those CAoLers with the senses/sensors to
test the spectrum), as her own 'doorways' throw off, only vastly more
intense and not constricted to the tight area of a figurative doorway.

The petite Amberite is Trumped; transported from the Planning Room to
the locale her card was displaying, without her true intention of
going anywhere. Fortunately, Zia has had significant training in
taking unexpected falls. Comedy, mostly slapstick, can be rough on the
newer performer. Zia is hardly new at such tricks, however, being the
veteran trouper she is. So, she stands and looks around quickly,
ignoring the grass in her hair because several man-sized forms seem to
be closing about her in a ring.

"Reviewers!" She curses, and one had darts for her pocket. With a look
of horrified surprise, she realizes her pocket is empty - her Deck is
still on the table in the Planning Room. "Oh, dear. I don't suppose we
could discuss this rationally?" She tries, already getting set to
defend herself, as a lightning feint to break through their circle is
turned back with a polished skill and marvelous teamwork.

Zia isn't _that_ proud; she doesn't like to kill, and she isn't armed.
These folks appear to be heavily armed. On the Lens link, she yells
for assistance. /Hey, anybody around here close would be _real_
welcome to - / She cuts off to deal with the first circle of attacks,
and once she has their pace, continues. /Drop in and see me sometime.
Like now?/ Several of them manage to box her in well enough to trip
her into a roll, and one is lucky enough to be in just the right place
to apply a solid butt from his long gun-like weapon. There is a dull
metal on metal sound, but she still manages to come back to her feet,
as her skeleton is reinforced.

However, alloy-shielding on one's bones does little against concussive
damage, and she is slowed and her balance is off. Given the number of
assailants, even their desire to take her alive and relatively
undamaged won't help her elude them much longer, and she knows it.
Zia's eyes narrow as she tries to force the ringing in her head back,
and think of some tricky way to escape.

Ziactrice

P.S. <OOC> Hope I didn't interfere too much in the 'IF' guys, Fuzzy,
but I figured Group 2 needed a little bit of action. And these goons
can always be someone sent by Zia's enemies, instead, after all. :)
</OOC>
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 16:10:11 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VIb: Trumping Out of the Planning Room Group 2

On Sun, 31 Oct 1999 19:01:14 EST
Dane0R0A Said As CAoL Message # 00007899

>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00007895
>
>However, alloy-shielding on one's bones does little against
>concussive damage, and she is slowed and her balance is off. Given
>the number of assailants, even their desire to take her alive and
>relatively undamaged won't help her elude them much longer, and she
>knows it. Zia's eyes narrow as she tries to force the ringing in her
>head back, and think of some tricky way to escape.

/*"You did ask for help, didn't you?"*/ Aurora asks as she appears on
the outside of the circle of Zia's attackers. A twitch of one hand
suffices to incinerate two of the attackers who were about to hit Zia
from behind again (OOC: no flames, they are just reduced to ashes
instantly).
=================================
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 1999 20:24:41 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VIb: Trumping Out of the Planning Room Group 2

On Sun, 31 Oct 1999 21:49:01 -0500
Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00007903

>On Sun, 31 Oct 1999 19:01:14 EST
>Dane0R0A Said As CAoL Message # 00007899
>
>/*"You did ask for help, didn't you?"*/ Aurora asks as she appears on
>the outside of the circle of Zia's attackers. A twitch of one hand
>suffices to incinerate two of the attackers who were about to hit Zia
>from behind again (OOC: no flames, they are just reduced to ashes
>instantly).

Ziactrice doesn't pause nor falter further in her mad dash about to
defend herself, but her expression is even more displeased where it
can be seen in the maddened whirl of figures. /No, actually, I didn't.
Besides, I wouldn't call off-handedly murdering sentients 'help' even
by a lose definition of the word. Would you mind getting your
grand-standing butt in gear and getting us both back to the Planning
Room, rather than further indulging your bloody and useless taste for
penny-show drama?/ Her headache can likely be felt through the link
itself, although she is attempting to screen out the pain itself. She
IS primarily an empath, so...

The guilt she feels at the deaths even among her attackers is crisp
and clear, as she makes no effort to hide it from the
CAoL-Link-At-Large. Neither is her rather un-flattering opinion of the
nature of Aurora's "help". Normally, she would like to find out where
and why these beings had attacked her, but pointless death is way
beyond her comfort range. Especially when she _knows_ Aurora could
have avoided that.
=================================
Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1999 05:12:41 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VIb: Trumping Out of the Planning Room Group 2

On Mon, 1 Nov 1999 02:55:26 -0600 (CST)
Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00007905

>On Sun, 31 Oct 1999 21:49:01 -0500
>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00007903
>
>The guilt she feels at the deaths even among her attackers is crisp
>and clear, as she makes no effort to hide it from the
>CAoL-Link-At-Large. Neither is her rather un-flattering opinion of
>the nature of Aurora's "help". Normally, she would like to find out
>where and why these beings had attacked her, but pointless death is
>way beyond her comfort range. Especially when she _knows_ Aurora
>could have avoided that.

     While others handle any further nasties, this timed to when the
fight is drawing to a close...
     Seth leaps into the fray from... well, he must have gotten there
-somehow-. Three of the thugs take aim at him, but their guns
conveniently have jammed. He knees one in the stomach, turns and the
base of his palm connects with another's chin then that same arm comes
down and back to elbow the third in the solar plexus. He drops the
third and first with a well-aimed elbow to the back of the head that
would have done Fast Eddie proud, then looks at the second, who's
sprawled out on the ground.
     "So that is a glass jaw," he remarks, the rest of the thugs
felled, as he digs in a pocket to withdraw some plastic strips, the
variety the police use to bind hands when they run out of handcuffs.
He 'cuffs' the sprawled fellow, then binds his feet, and finally,
hands and feet together into something similar to a hogtie. Turning
his attention to the rest, he binds the other two in such a fashion
that they are sitting hugging each other, their arms and legs bond
behind the other's back and looped through the other's arms. When they
come to, they should find getting out of it difficult. At least for as
long as Seth is there to knock them back out again.
     Finally looking to Zia and Aurora, his face finally visible for
study, there appear to be two trails of water, single tears, running
roughly parallel from eye to side of the chin.
     "Travel ahead, if you wish. I would ask this fellow his intent
here."
     Returning his attention to the first man, he kneals and slaps him
on the cheeks lightly with his fingers to wake him.
     "Come now, rouse yourself. I wish to know who sent you."
=================================
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1999 10:05:13 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE VIb: OneEye Departs for his mission <finally>

On Tue, 02 Nov 1999 17:27:01 GMT
Tech Tonic Said As CAoL Message # 00007910

OneEye <His mun having finally realized that the char's prior
disappearence was in the tech room> Takes a minute to draw some
circles on the floor. Apparently satisfied, he pulls out a small vial
of purple fluid and begins to hum under his breath what sounds
remarkably like "Age of Aquarius" He drains the bottle in one gulp,
then drops to his knees as a strange metamorphithis overcomes him.

His mind reels and those sensitive to psychic immissions may <if they
wish to> pick up strange flashbacks.

-Go to your room
-but ma!
-*A long tunnel, running hard.
-* Vial after vial stored in shelves
-*The lightning.....

OneEye's cloak changes to a dark purple, and his chest, ahem, fills
out. One can barely make out glints of light from where his face would
be under the cloak, and his/her left arm glint metallically where it
can be sheen. The new formed being speaks in a soft lilting voice.
"Let me see now, backtiming, where did he put the instructions. Ah!
Here we go." She pulls forth a small sheet filled with strange
righting. "It's a jump to the left." She does so. "Then a step to the
right." She steps. "Put your hand on your hips." She debates how to
manage this with the paper in her hands, then mumbles a few words and
the paper floats before in midair as her hands go to her hips. "Lock
your knees in tight." She accomplishes this, but by now looks rather
funny. "Add the pelvic thrusts...." She begins to thrust, but almost5
immeadiately fades out, traveling backtime as best she can.
=================================
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1999 18:34:20 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VIb: Trumping Out of the Planning Room Group 2

On Tue, 2 Nov 1999 21:16:39 EST
Dane0R0A Said As CAoL Message # 00007912

>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00007905
>
>>On Sun, 31 Oct 1999 21:49:01 -0500
>>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00007903
>>
>>Ziactrice doesn't pause nor falter further in her mad dash about to
>>defend herself, but her expression is even more displeased where it
>>can be seen in the maddened whirl of figures. /No, actually, I
>>didn't. Besides, I wouldn't call off-handedly murdering sentients
>>'help' even by a lose definition of the word. Would you mind getting
>>your grand-standing butt in gear and getting us both back to the
>>Planning Room, rather than further indulging your bloody and useless
>>taste for penny-show drama?/ Her headache can likely be felt through
>>the link itself, although she is attempting to screen out the pain
>>itself. She IS primarily an empath, so...

/*"As you wish Zia,"*/ Aurora says. Then with a wave of her hand, all
of the beings present find themselves in the planning room. /*"Hydra
was right."*/ She continues as she vanishes.
=================================
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 03:01:31 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VIb: Trumping Out of the Planning Room Group 2

On Wed, 3 Nov 1999 02:48:54 -0600
Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00007916

>On Tue, 2 Nov 1999 21:16:39 EST
>Dane0R0A Said As CAoL Message # 00007912
>
>/*"As you wish Zia,"*/ Aurora says. Then with a wave of her hand, all
>of the beings present find themselves in the planning room. /*"Hydra
>was right."*/ She continues as she vanishes.

     Seth's captives appear in the planning room, followed by Seth,
though the difference in arrival times is barely noticable. He reachs
up and takes a glass of water from the tabletop near him and takes a
sip, looking thoughtfully at his prisoners. His cheeks are noteably
dry now.
     "Had I not known the intent as I arrived," Seth says softly into
his glass, "I would have smote them all without a thought beyond
regret that they had chosen a bad path in life. My task in mind was
the retrieval of one in harm's way, attacked without provocation, not
the extraction of information from said attackers."
     The blonde man looks at his captives and reachs into a shirt
pocket, withdrawing a small vial of smelling salts. He wafts it deftly
under the hog-tied figure's nose.
     "I didn't think I hit him that hard," Seth chuckles to himself.
=================================
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 11:46:15 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE VIb: Trumping Out of the Planning Room Group 2

On 11-03-1999 at 11:44:44
Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00007920

>On Sat, 30 Oct 1999 09:39:58 -0400
>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00007895
>
>Ziactrice has been quietly working with her deck of Trump and one of
>the Planning Room's holographic upright displays. Just as it seems
>she has suceeded in displaying one of the more innocuous Trumps, a
>landscape of gold grass with a green sky, there is a sudden burst of
>polychromatic light from her general area. Much akin to the same sort
>of light (or exactly, for those CAoLers with the senses/sensors to
>test the spectrum), as her own 'doorways' throw off, only vastly more
>intense and not constricted to the tight area of a figurative
>doorway.

<Sounds to me like,
  Either one of her relatives is involved, or
   Zia just managed an Overload...
    Well I guess if Zia says so,
     Someone else could have forced the Overload...>

>Zia isn't _that_ proud; she doesn't like to kill, and she isn't
>armed. These folks appear to be heavily armed. On the Lens link, she
>yells for assistance. /Hey, anybody around here close would be _real_
>welcome to - / She cuts off to deal with the first circle of attacks,
>and once she has their pace, continues. /Drop in and see me sometime.
>Like now?/ Several of them manage to box her in well enough to trip
>her into a roll, and one is lucky enough to be in just the right
>place to apply a solid butt from his long gun-like weapon. There is a
>dull metal on metal sound, but she still manages to come back to her
>feet, as her skeleton is reinforced.

<OOC: I think I am going to have to do something about,
       Nemisis not Being on the Mini-Lens Network...
        But I will have to talk to Dyhrclhanc about that.>

>P.S. <OOC> Hope I didn't interfere too much in the 'IF' guys, Fuzzy,
>but I figured Group 2 needed a little bit of action. And these goons
>can always be someone sent by Zia's enemies, instead, after all. :)
></OOC>

<OOC: Not much of a problem either way,
       If this is action by The Guardians of IF,
        Targeted on Zia, then
      It would have to be a Retroactive Function,
       The were prevented from eliminating,
        The Action Team via Paradox Shift,
         And Managed to trace the Influence,
          Causing the Bias on Paradox Gem formation to Zia.
      Their Goal would be to Eliminate Zia, or
       At least keep her from assisting Nemo,
        On the Probability Tuning Project...
      Otherwise its all up to you,
       Take it away...>
=================================
Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1999 02:08:57 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE VIb: OneEye Departs for his mission <finally>

On 11-04-1999 at 02:07:28
Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00007930

>On Tue, 02 Nov 1999 17:27:01 GMT
>Tech Tonic Said As CAoL Message # 00007910
>
>OneEye <His mun having finally realized that the char's prior
>disappearence was in the tech room> Takes a minute to draw some
>circles on the floor. Apparently satisfied, he pulls out a small vial
>of purple fluid and begins to hum under his breath what sounds
>remarkably like "Age of Aquarius" He drains the bottle in one gulp,
>then drops to his knees as a strange metamorphithis overcomes him.

<OOC: I was not trying to ignore you,
       Or force a repost,
        I was trying to figure out how to say...>

>OneEye's cloak changes to a dark purple, and his chest, ahem, fills
>out. One can barely make out glints of light from where his face
>would be under the cloak, and his/her left arm glint metallically
>where it can be sheen. The new formed being speaks in a soft lilting
>voice. "Let me see now, backtiming, where did he put the
>instructions. Ah! Here we go." She pulls forth a small sheet filled
>with strange righting. "It's a jump to the left." She does so. "Then
>a step to the right." She steps. "Put your hand on your hips." She
>debates how to manage this with the paper in her hands, then mumbles
>a few words and the paper floats before in midair as her hands go to
>her hips. "Lock your knees in tight." She accomplishes this, but by
>now looks rather funny. "Add the pelvic thrusts...." She begins to
>thrust, but almost5 immeadiately fades out, traveling backtime as
>best she can.

<OOC: Ignore Script Purists,
       Most of the Stage Productions Do. ;)
        Or so I am told by someone who worked Crew... >

She will need to integrate her D-Shift with that,
 Since there was no Time in the Dyson Sphere,
  Until Nemisis Pulled the Staff...

Go Ahead and Write your Scouting in segments,
 So I can reveal significant data where appropriate...
  Try to follow the Data given as much as you can,
   But don't sweat it too much... :)
    There is plenty of room for your input,
     Of events in the Matrix Cosm.
=================================
Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1999 07:34:10 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VIb: OneEye Departs for his mission <finally>

On Thu, 04 Nov 1999 14:10:49 GMT
Tech Tonic Said As CAoL Message # 00007932

><OOC: I was not trying to ignore you,
>        Or force a repost,
>         I was trying to figure out how to say...>

<OOC: I know, but i figured this would be a better way so all could
see it, and i had a flash as to how to make it look good.>

>Go Ahead and Write your Scouting in segments,
>  So I can reveal significant data where appropriate...
>   Try to follow the Data given as much as you can,
>    But don't sweat it too much... :)
>     There is plenty of room for your input,
>      Of events in the Matrix Cosm.

<OOC: One more question, which i know will sound really bad, but i
lost the msg where you told me where i was to be going, so if you
could repost just that segment, I'd be appreciative.>

Virgo finds herself sprialling barely in control down what seems like
a long tunnel, the time warp she summoned. Quickly she reaches into
her robe and pulls out a small metal rod, with strange sigils up and
down the sides. Twisting the sigils expertly, she flashes into a
second time stream. "Nothin like a good ols fashioned D-hopper" she
comments to herself. With a start, she drops out oif the stream in her
desired location. She look around Slightly startled by her
surroundings as she mutters to herself. "In the words of Dr. Beckett,
'Oh, boy'"
=================================
Date: Mon, 22 Nov 1999 23:27:50 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE VI:The game of IF: first level

On Tue, 23 Nov 1999 03:16:15 GMT
Tech Tonic Said As CAoL Message # 00007977

Virgo looks around, quite surprized by her surroundings. She's
standing on what appears to be some form of wind surfer, only it's got
a small chair on it, in which she is currently sitting, and a helmet
over the chair, which is currently on her head. All around her is
akind of vicous rainbow fog which she seems to be sailing through.
[What the blazes? I've been in some odd devices before, but this...]

She looks around her and spots what looks like some form of sailing
ship a few hundred feet away.

[Well, at least there's life here. Now how do i steer this thing?] The
wind surfer, seeming to sense her mind, turns in the direction of the
ship and begins, well, i geuss sailing is the only word for it,
towards said ship.

[You've got to be kiddin me. A full rigged galley? Impossible, where
the hell am i that...Oh no. It can't be. Please god, don't tell me I'm
there.]

She raises her left wrist to a point in front of her mouth, where a
com system would be, and the sleeve falls away revealing her arm to be
made of almost perfect silver.

"Prestor John, this is Virgo. Please tell me where i am."

Her arm seems to melt away revealing a large red ruby. The gem glows
briefly, a small tinny voice emenates from it. "You are currently in
the pholegsten <sp? been a while since i've read spelljammer...>
between crystal spheres. <GM, feel free to retcon this, but from your
descriptions, i figured it was close enough for now.>

"Shit!" The gem fades back into her metal 'skin' [oh well, better make
the best of it.]

She grins and mumbles under her breath. A fuzzy outline shimmers in
between her hands, then strenghtens into a bottle of chanpagne. "Ship,
i dub thee SurfJammer! Now, take me to that ship over there!"

The board, which seems to be handling quite a lot better now,
immeadiately rockets toward the galleon.

As Virgo gets closer, she notes the spelljammer seems to be under
attack. A shadow of a ship is barely seen circling the bigger vessel,
and from this odd almost three dimsional shadow Smaller dark shapes
seem to be darting out attack the real ship.

[SurfJammer, take me in close enough that we skim through the other
ships oxygen field, then pull away and circle at a 100 foor distance,
until i call you.] She removes the helmet from her head, then stands
up and preapres herself.

The SurfJammer glides in towards the Spelljammer, makinf sure thier
gravity fields are paralell, then cuts quickly through it. Virgo leaps
off, her left arm blazing with light as it shifts into a blade.

She sees several human-types, halflings, dwarves, elves, even a couple
of minotaurs, fighting solid three-d shadows. Virgo grins, and yells
at the top of her lungs.

"BATTLE!" she charges at the nearest shadow, her silver glowing
blade/arm slicing through it like a hot knife through butter. The two
pieces drop to the planking, withering as they fall. She fights her
way trhough a couple more, not really getting much resistance, and
saving one of the elves in the process.

A bolt of darkness envelops the lass, and she staggers to the deck.
The shadow fades as she looks up to see another blast coming in at her
from the ship. she flips backwards, avoiding that one, then tumbles to
the side to avoid the next, dives under a fourth, and jumps to a
railing barely escaping a hit.

"All right, that's it, No one shoots at virgo and gets away with it!"
She casts out her hands and begins to speak in a low voice. "Fire.."
Everyone on deck looks up as she speaks the first word, all prepareing
to scream 'No!'

"..shield!" A shimmering bubble extends from her hands, growing bigger
as it moves out towards the dark ship. In an instant it has the ship
encased within itself. A strange reaction occurs between the ships
oxygen field and the shield, and the inside of the shield bursts into
flames. Of course, due to the action of the phlogesten, the ship
explodes beautifully, but contained within the sheild. The shadows all
watch in terror for long enough that the mortals gain the upper hand.

Swiftly, the 'good guys' finish off thier oppents. Virgo looks around,
her face flushed with victory beneath her cowl, and demands of the
people at large. "Would someone care to tell me what in the name of
obiwan is happening?"

PS As always feel free to retcon if i got anything wrong. I'm going
under the assumption that virgo would meet the first group near where
she started and that these are them.
=================================
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 1999 16:35:40 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE VIb: Unfriendly Fuzzies of a Different Stripe

On Tue, 23 Nov 1999 19:29:04 -0500
Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00007978

>On Mon, 1 Nov 1999 02:55:26 -0600 (CST)
>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00007905
>
>Finally looking to Zia and Aurora, his face finally visible for
>study, there appear to be two trails of water, single tears, running
>roughly parallel from eye to side of the chin. "Travel ahead, if you
>wish. I would ask this fellow his intent here." Returning his
>attention to the first man, he kneals and slaps him on the cheeks
>lightly with his fingers to wake him. "Come now, rouse yourself. I
>wish to know who sent you."

<OOC/> Well, since Fuzzy says this could go either way, I'll go both.
This is the guys of IF trying to get Zia off their collective cases,
by the simplest expedient of letting some certain someone's know where
she would be at a particular time. :) </OOC>

Zia doesn't really have time for comment, as Aurora has 'whisked her
away' back to the Planning Room before Seth has more than finished his
sentence. But Seth discovered in binding these goons that their
resemblance to humanity is superficial. They are furred, in various
shades of wiry, brown hair about an inch long in most places.
Additionally, their teeth are purely carnivorous in function. As he
bound hands of those struck down, he'd find a spur-like fang starts
from the base of each 'thumb', the point towards where the
six-fingered 'hands' would grip. The hands are bare of fur, but have a
very tough skin. The skin is surprisingly ... scaled, considering the
hair coat. The single character who lost his hat shows something even
further from human; a third eye, complete with socket and ridge in the
skull, lies centered above the other two. The others appear to have
pulled hats down over this extra sensory organ.

The one Seth slapped makes a concentrated effort to snap Seth's hand
off, which is when the more carnivorous dentition can be observed.
There is a quite formidable amount of ivory in there...

*    *    *
Zia sighs at Aurora's comment. "God complex." She states, apparently
for her own benefit. Then she shakes off the annoyance and guilt -
after all _she_ didn't kill them, even if she apparently contributed.
Next time, asking for anyone else to respond is obviously not the
wisest choice.

The petite Amberite picks up her small Deck from the table she
accidentally put into Overload, "I should know better than to mix
Shadow-tech with Amber magic, even _this_ advanced a Shadow-tech.
Nemo? Do I need to fill you in, do you have a plan to counter this
feint at my involvement, and can I go back to see what the Spurfuzzies
wanted me alive for?"
=================================
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 1999 21:35:40 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VIb: Unfriendly Fuzzies of a Different Stripe

On Tue, 23 Nov 1999 20:17:19 PST
Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00007979

>On Tue, 23 Nov 1999 19:29:04 -0500
>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00007978
>
>Zia sighs at Aurora's comment. "God complex." She states, apparently
>for her own benefit. Then she shakes off the annoyance and guilt -
>after all _she_ didn't kill them, even if she apparently contributed.
>Next time, asking for anyone else to respond is obviously not the
>wisest choice.

<OOC: I didn't have Nemo respond because I don't want him stealing the
show. Maybe I should have anyway...>

>The petite Amberite picks up her small Deck from the table she
>accidentally put into Overload, "I should know better than to mix
>Shadow-tech with Amber magic, even _this_ advanced a Shadow-tech.
>Nemo? Do I need to fill you in, do you have a plan to counter this
>feint at my involvement, and can I go back to see what the
>Spurfuzzies wanted me alive for?"

Nemo and Zia go into a "huddle" so he can get *her* take on this, and
so they can discuss options at "high speed".

<OOC: in other words, I've offered Zia some options privately, and
want to find out which one she takes before doing anything.>
=================================
Date: Sat, 27 Nov 1999 12:06:20 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VIb: Unfriendly Fuzzies of a Different Stripe

On Sat, 27 Nov 1999 12:13:16 -0600
Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00007985

> On Tue, 23 Nov 1999 19:29:04 -0500
> Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00007978
>
><OOC/> Well, since Fuzzy says this could go either way, I'll go both.
>This is the guys of IF trying to get Zia off their collective cases,
>by the simplest expedient of letting some certain someone's know
>where she would be at a particular time. :) </OOC>

<OOC: Works for me.>

>Zia doesn't really have time for comment, as Aurora has 'whisked her
>away' back to the Planning Room before Seth has more than finished
>his sentence.

     "Ah well..." Seth said philosophically.

>But Seth discovered in binding these goons that their resemblance to
>humanity is superficial. They are furred, in various shades of wiry,
>brown hair about an inch long in most places. Additionally, their
>teeth are purely carnivorous in function. As he bound hands of those
>struck down, he'd find a spur-like fang starts from the base of each
>'thumb', the point towards where the six-fingered 'hands' would grip.
>The hands are bare of fur, but have a very tough skin. The skin is
>surprisingly ... scaled, considering the hair coat. The single
>character who lost his hat shows something even further from human; a
>third eye, complete with socket and ridge in the skull, lies centered
>above the other two. The others appear to have pulled hats down over
>this extra sensory organ.
>
>The one Seth slapped makes a concentrated effort to snap Seth's hand
>off, which is when the more carnivorous dentition can be observed.
>There is a quite formidable amount of ivory in there...

     Seth pulled his hand away and spoke again, this time in the
native tongue of the attackers. "Well now, my friend, who sent you to
attack that woman?"
=================================
Date: Sat, 27 Nov 1999 16:40:59 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VIb: Unfriendly Fuzzies of a Different Stripe

On Sat, 27 Nov 1999 19:20:30 -0500
Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00007988

>On Sat, 27 Nov 1999 12:13:16 -0600
>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00007985
>
>Seth pulled his hand away and spoke again, this time in the native
>tongue of the attackers. "Well now, my friend, who sent you to attack
>that woman?"

The furry fellows just Seth a look like they don't just think he is
insane, they know he is. Then they ignore him, starting a deep,
collective sound, almost like a pack of wolves baying in sequence. The
noises aren't words, just a general note for a 'hot' hunt, probably
done as a rebellious gesture, since Seth apparently can speak their
'native' language well enough to get the idea.

*    *    *    *
Zia shakes her head. "The problem with teaming _me_ with the
Cosmic-level entities is that I don't have enough patience. It never
seems as if they are paying attention to the moment-by-moment problems
of us Smaller Horizons folks." Nothing that Nemo hasn't given her any
directions as yet, she decides either it makes no difference if she
remains here or leaves, or NEMO has decided not to interfere so
directly.

In either case, she makes her own decision. "I'm sure you can all
catch up with me, or that odd One-eye fellow, when or where you
cognate best for our mission. I'll get some defenses from the armory,
and be shadow walking back to see what Seth has found out about those
goons." Her forehead wrinkles, "Somehow, it seems like I should
recognize them, but I can't quite figure out why."

Shaking her head, the petite Amberite walks quickly out of the room.
She shadow-shifts through the long hallways here, instead of walking
off every step, and enters the armory. "I always loved a good game of
dress up." She locates the 'Help Menu' of the facility easily using
her inborn 'Finding Sense' that guides her shadow walking between
various planes of reality, and flips through deciding on what will
offer the best protection for a usually non-combative sort, like
herself.

"Well. This stuff is impressive, even if I don't understand much of
it." She has selected a portable, personal force field. (Think Dune,
the movie, the ones that stop lasers but not slow knives and darts.)
She also exchanges her black uniform for a lighter outfit purpose made
to soften blows and turn blades in deep gray studded all over with
silver buttons inscribed with careful, 5-point pentagons (yes, the
point is upwards.:).

Then she considers a tray of sharp knives and such in a bewildering
array of styles and technology. Then she shakes her head. "I don't
think I can bring myself to cart a blade again yet." She slides the
draw back sharply, and walks to the door. She carefully returns her
normal uniform to her personal room, before shadow-walking out of this
plane.

"Let me see, lets work on changing the tech for organic, first. That
ought to slide me in the right direction." She stands still, trying to
'Find Sense' the place where the single Trump took her through the
first time. "I can't tell if it's still safe there, so lets walk it
the longer way. Getting ambushed twice in one day, at least
unfriendly-wise, is above my limit." She notes a direction, steps
forward into it, and polychromatic light flares through her fading
outline.

To her, the halls of their home base simply give way to a forest path,
overgrown branches making it dark here despite the daytime activity of
animals she notes. "Shades of the Murkwood. As I don't have a Sting, I
think I'll be moving right along..." She shadow walks again, trying
for an open bit of greenery, this time.

The forest gives way to a meadow, although the forest behind her is no
longer the one she'd seen a moment ago. She is used to such changeable
reality in a shadow walk, however. Then she frowns, and spins to look
behind her. "Who is there?" She calls, stridently. "I can feel you
following me. I saw you; wearing pink isn't very good camouflage!"

The song of crickets is all the answer she gets. She waits a good
twenty minutes, and there is no sign of anything. "I could have sworn
I saw something moving...." Zia senses out around with her empathy,
trying to sense what that might have been. She also starts forwards
again, but her concentration is a bit divided now, trying to watch for
something following. Instead of green, her feet suddenly meet hard
metal, and a corridor like the forest's path snakes out both ways,
with Eric and someone else moving forwards not five paces in front of
her.

Her eyes crinkle in a sudden smile that doesn't touch her lips.
Evidently, she had felt something from behind as the features of the
walk changed, something good for a change. Then she notes the change
of footing with a bit of shock. That shadow walk was far too easy;
it's always unsettling to realize how much stronger her abilities are
when she isn't quite controlling correctly.

Zia blinks, a bit non-plussed at this, and wonders if she'll have time
to declare herself friendly before her very heartbeat surprises either
fellow in a nasty rash action. She makes sure the shield's ready just
in case with a small motion of one finger, even as she tries a soft
whisper, "Friend."

It may not have been fast enough, given that her reaction speed is
only about 4X faster than a normal human's...
=================================
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 1999 21:29:18 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VI b & c: Friendly Fuzzies

On Fri, 3 Dec 1999 19:28:23 PST
Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00008023

>On Fri, 3 Dec 1999 07:40:19 -0500
>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00008021
>
>>On Tue, 30 Nov 1999 13:38:28 PST
>>Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00008008
>>
>>"I heard that!" says Nemo's voice. Followed by a "chuckle" worthy of
>>The Shadow. The sound comes from everywhere and nowhere.
>
>Zia rolls her eyes, but she is grinning. "Thanks for the verify
>signal, Nemo. Any good outliers on reasons why this action is
>integral for successful resolution of current mission?" She frowns,
>then adds, "Not that it necessarily has to apply to the immediate
>target; sometimes my 'gifts' seem to function fairly self-oriented
>towards my own survival or for other, less than primary goals. That
>shouldn't be the case as I am concentrating, but I cannot guarantee
>perfection, as you're aware."

"If we could guarantee perfection we wouldn't be here."

"The current probabilities show a roughly 30 percent chance that you
are there simply to make the opposition wonder how your presence there
can affect them. There's a roughly 10% chance it's to scare them by
showing our people aboard that vessel. The other 60 percent is
composed of trillions of low probability 'for want of a nail' effect
chains."

<OOC>
"For want of a nail" refers to the poem that starts with a nail being
lost from a horshoe and ends with a kingdom being lost. All traceable
to the loss of the nail.

The idea here being that rather than going for one or even a few
"event chains" that have a high probability of blocking our opponents,
we are going for truly unreal numbers of *low* probability chains.

The opposition will certainly notice, and try to stop *high*
probability attacks. But they don't have enough people to cover all
the *low* probability attacks, even if they notice them.

And although it may be more work for us, the low probability attacks
TAKEN AS A WHOLE are apt to be overwhelming.

An example for those of you that know statistics and probability. If I
set something up that has a1% chance of killing you, big deal. you've
got a 99% chance it *won't*. But if I set up two, the odds of your
surviving *both* are .99*.99=.9801. If I set up 100 of them, the odds
of survival are .366. If I set up a thousand, your odds of surving are
only 43 chances out of a million. :-)

We are using an extreme form of this on the time manipulators.
</OOC>
=================================
Date: Sun, 5 Dec 1999 12:46:55 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VIb: Unfriendly Fuzzies of a Different Stripe

On Sun, 5 Dec 1999 12:27:09 -0500 (EST)
Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00008027

>On Sat, 27 Nov 1999 19:20:30 -0500
>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00007988
>
>Instead of green, her feet suddenly meet hard metal, and a corridor
>like the forest's path snakes out both ways, with Eric and someone
>else moving forwards not five paces in front of her.

   Rhia starts as Zia steps out onto the path between her the other
two.

>Zia blinks, a bit non-plussed at this, and wonders if she'll have
>time to declare herself friendly before her very heartbeat surprises
>either fellow in a nasty rash action. She makes sure the shield's
>ready just in case with a small motion of one finger, even as she
>tries a soft whisper, "Friend."
>
>It may not have been fast enough, given that her reaction speed is
>only about 4X faster than a normal human's...

   Rhia stops her warning send once she sees that Hunter has
recognized Zia.
=================================
Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1999 20:35:25 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VI b & c: Friendly Fuzzies

On Wed, 8 Dec 1999 22:30:25 -0500
Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00008035

>On Fri, 3 Dec 1999 19:28:23 PST
>Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00008023
>
>>On Fri, 3 Dec 1999 07:40:19 -0500
>>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00008021
>>
>>Zia rolls her eyes, but she is grinning. "Thanks for the verify
>>signal, Nemo. Any good outliers on reasons why this action is
>>integral for successful resolution of current mission?" She frowns,
>>then adds, "Not that it necessarily has to apply to the immediate
>>target; sometimes my 'gifts' seem to function fairly self-oriented
>>towards my own survival or for other, less than primary goals. That
>>shouldn't be the case as I am concentrating, but I cannot guarantee
>>perfection, as you're aware."
>
>"If we could guarantee perfection we wouldn't be here."
>
>"The current probabilities show a roughly 30 percent chance that you
>are there simply to make the opposition wonder how your presence
>there can affect them. There's a roughly 10% chance it's to scare
>them by showing our people aboard that vessel. The other 60 percent
>is composed of trillions of low probability 'for want of a nail'
>effect chains."

Zia nods, while giving Rhia a 'hi there, again' grin. She notes that
Rhia is having much the same difficulty not breaking into laughter as
Mew and Joe's antics become funnier and funnier.

"So, should I go looking for the horse or the shoe, next, Nemo? Or do
you want me to stay on a Drunkard's Walk for some random further
time-vector? Oh! I have an errand I just recalled. Must have been
time-triggered, or situationally triggered. I can have you deliver the
message, though, if we need to. I'm supposed to tell DC that the
Chrono-fragmentator plot erased some background research of some R&D
outfit he was minorly involved in. It's at
http://www.ghorganics.com/page13.html on the local references. You
want to Lens it to him? I doubt I can boost mine that far without
getting a major headache; and I still wouldn't be sure of success."

"So, Eric, Joe, Rhia - was nice bumping into you. Break a leg!" She
resets her footing, and roller skates back down the corridor in the
same direction she had just arrived from - both times.

"Perhaps we'll do another Danger Room, Eric." She says, with a grin,
as she turns backwards and waves them goodbye, still skating further
away.
=================================
Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 15:34:18 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VI b & c: Friendly Fuzzies

On Thu, 9 Dec 1999 00:39:00 PST
Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00008037

>On Wed, 8 Dec 1999 22:30:25 -0500
>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00008035
>
>"So, should I go looking for the horse or the shoe, next, Nemo? Or do
>you want me to stay on a Drunkard's Walk for some random further
>time-vector?

"Use your judgement. Your 'intuition' is why you're the best choice
for this."

>Oh! I have an errand I just recalled. Must have been time-triggered,
>or situationally triggered. I can have you deliver the message,
>though, if we need to. I'm supposed to tell DC that the
>Chrono-fragmentator plot erased some background research of some R&D
>outfit he was minorly involved in. It's at
>http://www.ghorganics.com/page13.html on the local references. You
>want to Lens it to him? I doubt I can boost mine that far without
>getting a major headache; and I still wouldn't be sure of success."

"Recorded and sent!"

Nemo goes back to "controlling" a nearly uncountable swarm of things.
Too complex to be simply "forces", but not complex enough to be
"entities", they range over the cosms.

Here a bit is changed in a data transmission. There a flaw in a single
crystal in a structural member is corrected, lengthening the time
until it fails. A decaying particle sends out its daughter particles
at *these* angles instead of those. And on and on. 

Subtle, imperceptible changes. Yet each has the *potential* to wipe
out the opposition in "The Game of If" by cascading from trivial
events to overwhelming landslides of casuality. Just as a single
snowflake *may* trigger an avalanche. 

The overwhelming majority do no more than trigger a tiny cascade of
"daught" events before probability extinguishes them. A triny trickle
of snow on the slope, as it were. 

Some (relatively) few get noticed and are deliberately extinguished by
the opposition. Though all too often, they find that their
extinguishing one chain of events creates (or at least "encourages") a
different chain. Think of the classic image of someone trying to plug
a leak in a dike, only to have the shift in pressure cause a *new*
leak elsewhere. 

Some actually extinguish *each other*. Those are either red herrings,
or were intended as the sort of booby trap mentioned in the paragraph
above. Extinguish one chain and the other will get you. Detect the
trap on *this* path, and take *that* path to avoid it, thereby
triggering a different trap. 

And yet more chains of events build, but don't seem to be having any
"important" effects on the opposition. Random chance? Perhaps.
Misjudgement by Nemo and Zia? (They both laugh for no visible reason)
as this thought is expressed). Or merely traps to be that are too
subtle for the opposition to have yet recognized? Only time will tell. 

To put it another way, the "tree" of potential futures is *far* more
"bushy" than usual, with an unprecedented number of shortlived
branches, most of which merge back into the "normal branches" after a
greater or lesser time. But every time one is pruned, or forced back
into a "mainstream" branch, another branch "thickens" (increases in
probability) or a bunch more minor and even trivial branches appear.

This is the sort of thing that causes nervous breakdowns in computers
trying to monitor the local timestream. :-)
=================================
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 20:36:13 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE6b: Getting ready

On Sat, 18 Dec 1999 23:12:29 -0500 (EST)
Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00008049

   After making his goodbyes to Rhia, John turns his attention back to
the mission he had undertaken. After a quick check shows that nothing
was immediately underway, he decides a little warmup was in order.
   Speaking to the air, he says, "Is there a sparring room or other
similair area nearby?"
   <Assuming Yes, and a guide. If no, it takes place entirely in his
mind.>
   He walks in and surveys the room, "Thank you, this will do nicely.
Ignore any changes in my health for the next hour I am in this room."
Walking almost, but not quite, to the center of the room, he begins a
calming exercise to focus his mind. 'Which person shall I face today?'
he asks himself, but there was really only one answer. 'Scourge.' The
surprise at seeing him back in Avenger-land. 'What was he _doing_
there? Was that thing really Jadis-droppings? He could have finished
me right then.' John fought his emotions back under control. Focus.
Summon up everything about Scourge. Give it that little twist and...
John opens his eyes and looked at Scourge standing not three feet away
from him.
   Scourge smiles a mocking little smile, "Why John, what a pleasant
surprise. I take I've managed to put the bee in your bonnet, as they
say."
   "Do you hate me that much?" John replies.
   "Hate. Love. What's the difference, anymore. I can barely even
remember what it's like to love, or any of the kinder emotions. I have
you to thank for that."
   Pain shadows John's eyes, "It wasn't my fault."
   "YOU left me there.", Scourge almost shouts
   "You told me to go."
   "I.. Was.. Wrong." the dark clad man hissed. "Do you know what they
did to me, after you left me to die. Do You?"
   "We had to save the girl."
   "The girl is dust by now. Kinda puts things in perspective, doesn't
it."
   "If I had known..." John begins, with a haunted look.
   "What would you have done?"
   "I'd have given you a clean kill." John says.
   The mocking smile twists, and Scourge pulls a sword, "Well let me
see if I can return the favor." He lunges at John, who's already
rolling out of the way. A quick mental twist and he's got his staff in
hand as he comes up. "You've tried once before, "John says, parrying
another stroke. John disengages and presses the attack. "Why didn't
you finish me off when you had the chance."
   Scourge fades into a shadow, reappearing behind John. John threw
himself to the left, taking a minor cut on his arm in the process. "I
don't know. Perhaps because it wasn't in the contract." A quick flurry
of blows and John's staff went spinning out of his hands. The sword
came back slashing across his throat and Blackness. John slowly opened
his eyes. He had a splitting headache, and a minor bruise on his right
arm. 'First time one of the projections managed to kill me. I wonder
what that means." He reviewed the 'conversation' he had with
'Scourge'. 'Not in the contract? Or perhaps not in his orders. Does he
really blame me? No, from things he's said I know he does. But not
enough to do anything about it. Damn. I wish I could talk to him. I
know he'd be nowhere near as emotional as my projection.' With a groan
John sat up. 'How long was I out? A few seconds at most. Better take
care of this headache before I see how well I play the Game of If.'
=================================
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 23:36:00 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VIb: Unfriendly Fuzzies of a Different Stripe

On Wed, 29 Dec 1999 23:49:08 -0600
Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00008052

>On Sat, 27 Nov 1999 19:20:30 -0500
>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00007988

<OOC: Had it been that long? Eek! Well, I don't recall replying to
this one, probably trying to decide how to react. But, I think I'd
better now, as I need a junpstart as the holidays have been making me
lax in my writing chores. So...>

>>On Sat, 27 Nov 1999 12:13:16 -0600
>>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00007985
>>
>>Seth pulled his hand away and spoke again, this time in the native
>>tongue of the attackers. "Well now, my friend, who sent you to
>>attack that woman?"
>
>The furry fellows just Seth a look like they don't just think he is
>insane, they know he is. Then they ignore him, starting a deep,
>collective sound, almost like a pack of wolves baying in sequence.
>The noises aren't words, just a general note for a 'hot' hunt,
>probably done as a rebellious gesture, since Seth apparently can
>speak their 'native' language well enough to get the idea.

     Seth chuckles lightly, returning to speaking English. "You are
quite right, of course. What was I thinking?" And with that, Seth
leaves them lying there and heads off for more pleasant company.
     As Seth walks over the creature's horizon and out of their sight,
a small white birld lands on his shoulder. He withdraws a small pad of
paper and pen, scribbling down a message, which he attachs to the
avian's leg with a small piece of soft twine, cooing gently to it as
he does. After feeding it a handful of seed, he releases the bird
which flies off into the distance. Then Seth departs as well.
     The white bird, a dove, naturally, flies for a long time, from
its perspective, and sees many strange changes in the sky and ground
below it, lights shifting in the sky, darkness to light to darkness to
darker darkness to light to brighter light to brilliant light.
Mountains to beachs to oceans of green to oceans of red to deserts of
purple to ice fields to lava flows. Fields of wheat to plains of steel
to pine forests to canyons of caves to canyons of granite and glass to
caverns of limestone to caverns of concrete.
     Eventually, this strange flight ends as it finally locates a
certain petite Amberite and lands nearby. It looks the woman over,
then announces itself with a birdsong, gesturing its head toward its
leg, making it blatantly obvious it is here to deliver the note and
that the note is for her.
     The note in question reads, in a small, calligraphic print:

     Ziatrice--
          After a very brief conversation with our mutual
     friends, I believe they have proven themselves hounds
     of the first order; skilled, ruthless, and devotely loyal to
     their master. I was able to gather no information from them
     and doubt I could without using tactics I felt certain you
     would be uncomfortable having employed on your behalf.
     Thus, having gathered only the most obvious of information,
     their purpose to hunt you and the knowledge that someone
     is on your trail, I have left them to their own devices. The
     simple plastic binds I feel certain they will be able to loose
     themselves of eventually, thus I send word that they will
     likely soon be returning to the hunt, if the trail proves to
     still be warm. Godspeed.
                              --Seth
=================================
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 06:42:37 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VIb: Unfriendly Fuzzies of a Different Stripe

On Wed, 19 Jan 2000 06:40:21 -0800 (PST)
Ziactrice Roaming Said As CAoL Message # 00008070

>On Wed, 29 Dec 1999 23:49:08 -0600
>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00008052
>
>>On Sat, 27 Nov 1999 19:20:30 -0500
>>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00007988
>
><OOC: Had it been that long? Eek! Well, I don't

<OOC: Yeah, but not to worry, I took even longer to reply this time.
:)>

>     Eventually, this strange flight ends as it finally locates a
>certain petite Amberite and lands nearby. It looks the woman over,
>then announces itself with a birdsong, gesturing its head toward its
>leg, making it blatantly obvious it is here to deliver the note and
>that the note is for her.

Zia had already set the Bamboo flute she'd been playing in this wild
meadow in some pine wood so old and thick it obviously knew very
little of the passage of people on her lap. She raises an eyebrow of
something between curiosity and paranoia at the snow-white dove as it
pantomimes. Then she sighs, and gets up from her tailor seat on the
large stone. "At least you're not a red bird. Sometimes, I really
wonder if my father isn't around playing some sort of practical joke."
She looks around at the huge, silent forest as if expecting someone to
jump on out and yell 'surprise'!

"Well." She debates, then shrugs. "It is a bit much even for me to be
paranoid about the proverbial messenger bird. Besides, given your
species and genus, love dove, I rather suspect you're on the side of
the White Hats." Then she crooks a wry expression, "Which is a bit
strange to me. Forgive my delay."

With that, she finally goes over to carefully remove the note, and
tells the dove gravely, "I would keep under tree cover, as there are
hawks and the like above it. The season here is spring and a bountiful
one, however, unless you care to depart with me..." She reads the note
with a slight frown of concentration, fortunately, there is no one
around to make her husband's normal observation of how adorable she
looks doing so.

>     The note in question reads, in a small, calligraphic print:

"Benedictian hand. One is given to wonder just where Seth learned to
scribe..."

>     Ziatrice--
>          After a very brief conversation with our mutual
>     friends, I believe they have proven themselves hounds
>     of the first order; skilled, ruthless, and devotely loyal to
>     their master.

"Benedict only trains the best. And when you work for him, disloyalty
is strongly counter-indicated. So to speak."

>     I was able to gather no information from them and
>     doubt I could without using tactics I felt certain you
>     would be uncomfortable having employed on your behalf.

The petite Amberite glances up from the note; she looks puzzled.
"Someone I didn't manage to make a bad first impression on. Will
wonders never cease? And how in Seven League Boots does he already
know that I'd not approve of torture, already?" She frowns. "I guess
he might be more discerning about certain things than your average
mysterious stranger. Or my irritation about Oracle's killing spree
leaked through my empathy; I really _do_ need to practice more."

>     Thus, having gathered only the most obvious of
>     information, their purpose to hunt you and the
>     knowledge that someone is on your trail, I have left
>     them to their own devices. The simple plastic binds I
>     feel certain they will be able to loose     themselves of
>     eventually, thus I send word that they will likely
>     soon be returning to the hunt, if the trail proves to
>     till be warm. Godspeed. --Seth

Zia gives the woodland about her another glance, this time slowly and
thoroughly checking for any motion. "Why then, hasn't Benedict's
houndss sorted me out yet? I haven't been moving very quickly, so my
wake through the Shadow-ness is slight. Benedict, however.. he could
find me. Perhaps he hasn't time to attend to  it himself; any need
he'd have of getting me there couldn't be THAT vital. I wonder if it's
even my Amber's Benedict in particular, or just one close enough to
have suborned Brand's Hell-shifter Hounds?"

She shakes her head. "Useless trying to figure it out on so little
data." She thrusts the flute into the ground, and looks around. "It's
too long a walk to Amber to make sure, and I'd have a time leaving
against Benedict's effort, if he was wanting I should remain. So. Time
for some attempts for Check in this chess game, Oh Masters of If. Let
me see here."

A sprial of blue appears in the air, floating before her, about a
meter or so in total circumference. It looks rather reminiscent of a
certain symbol she once drew before Fuzzy in Jadis' world, but this is
the open, finger-print type packed sprial of the Amber Pattern. She
leans close, and observes the Past Shadows trending to the current
now, and the Possibles of Future Shadow here and nearby her Causative
Locus.

"Yes. Time for some true effort, then. They want to nibble me to death
with ducks, I'll dance 'em dizzy with dinosaurs. Well, so to speak. We
all have to make choices. First round, then is to flee or kill, with a
second without pause to be die or take a less than good resultant
vector. At least NEMO might get a rough idea how powerful the group is
individually or as a whole when I move into 'direct-indirect'
Possibilty Tango with 'em."

She concentratess on some sections of arcs in her Sign of the Pattern,
and steps through it into her chosen Shadow, one wherein the Masters
of If face some personal danger as she has placed harm in their path
akin to their own whispering campaign against her.
=================================
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 15:07:06 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VIb: Unfriendly Fuzzies of a Different Stripe

On Wed, 19 Jan 2000 17:56:56 EST
SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008071

>The petite Amberite glances up from the note; she looks puzzled.
>"Someone I didn't manage to make a bad first impression on. Will
>wonders never cease?

Somewhere in OOC space, Roger snorts, looking rather smug. "Huh! *I*
loved her at first site. Of course, it helped that she was such a big
softie, and cute lil' ol' me had her wrapped around my little finger
in 2.7 seconds flat."
DREAM ON, ROGI-BOY. I SWEAR, YOUR EGO IS GETTING TOO BIG TO FIT ON MY
HARD DRIVE.
"Whose fault is *that,* hmm? And when did you start speaking in
all-caps?"
I'M EXPERIMENTING. BESIDES, I FIGURED I'D NEED IT, DEALING WITH YOU.
AREN'T MOST CREATORS SUPPOSED TO TALK LIKE THIS TO THEIR CREATIONS?
"And you say *I've* got ego problems?!? Sheeesh..."
=================================
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 13:49:08 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE: Game of If:<Can't Remember the letter>Level2

On Sat, 22 Jan 2000 04:21:33 GMT
Tech Tonic Said As CAoL Message # 00008075

A pinpoint of light appears in the main meeting hall of fuzzy's
castle, growing quickly to a full size wyrmhole. Virgo tumbles forth,
her clotheing aflame, as she rolls about in an attempt to quell the
fire. Standing slowly, making sure no embers still smolder, she growls
to herself. Her body looks pretty messed up. What isn't burnt or
singed is blackened with ash. Her silver arm is a misshapen lump. She
appears to be wavering at the borders, and if one stares hard enough
one can almost make out a smaller form inside her.
"Dragons. Why'd it have to be dragons? I mean trolls, yeh no problem,
displacer beasts a piece o cake, even living shadows i can take. But,
jeez o pete, dragons! The damn things are worse then a nuke at close
range! grumble grumble waste of a good cloak grumble hell to fix this
arm gribe moan complain might as well let the old guy have his
lead..." She reaches into one of her few remainign ppouches and pulls
forht a nasty looking vial of blackish liquid. She closes her eyes,
holds her nose, and takes a drink... Imeeadiately she melts into the
familiar form of oneeye. He opens his one good eye and peers about.
"Hmm, indeed. Well, as long as I'm here i might as well repirt in." He
glances about, finally finding a comfortable chair with computer area
and begins typing.
"Mission Report: Game of If. Scout Reporting: OneEye. Problems have
arisen. Upon my entrance to the universe which i backtimed to, i
almost instantly ran into the adventurers for which i was supposed to
be watching, and they were under atack by a strange group of shadows.
After driving away this abberation, i easily gained thier trust and
camradeship. It turned out they were following a map, and did not
know, exactly, what the 'Game of If' was. I stayed with them for five
subjunctive years, during which nothing happened. Well, at least
nothing that has any bareing on this report. It was as we approached
the native sphere for the game of if, we found ourselves forced to
detour through the elemental plain of water. Upon our entrance to the
sphere we were at once attacked by a dragon rising from beneath. It
tore our ship in tweo, then turned about and began to rain fire upon
us. Strange breath weapon for a water dragon, but it did do this. At
that point i had no choice but to cast a spell which would return
myself to this point and sticking my new made friends in a sort of
cold storage until this mess is solved. I regret that i was unable to
find any information on the keepers of the game of if, and i may have
inadvertently alerted them to our interest somehow. As sending me out
against them again may prove extremely hazardous, and i am still
careful with everyone of my nine lives, i respectfully ask as to what
i should now do. all suggestions are welcome, yours, OneEye, the tonic
of tech."
OneEye hits the send key then leans back to wait and see...
=================================
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 13:49:37 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE: Game of If:<Can't Remember the letter>Level2

On Sat, 22 Jan 2000 11:52:11 -0800 (PST), In alt.callahans
Bilwright (William Wright) Said As CAoL Message # 00008077

I don't know the first thing about gaming, but water is the ultimate
protection against fire. If there's any logic to this game, perhaps
you can swim below the surface of the ocean and attack from below.
=================================
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2000 05:06:23 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE6: body doubles, anyone?

On Sun, 30 Jan 2000 04:16:14 PST
Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00008080

<snip of stuff that's in AAE6a>

All during this Nemo ccontinues his part in the attack on the "Game of
If". If an observer were able to follow Nemo's multiply divided
attention, here are some of the things he'd sense.

A crystal flaw in a piece of metal spreads to the left instead of the
right, which may lead to a critical failure of the steering on an
aircar in a month, when it may be in position to crash on an important
installation. And further events chain from this.

A banana peel lands an inch to the left, which may cause an injury
that will have a doctor busy, leading to a different doctor treating
someone Which means they'll recover, which means they'll get hired for
a job instead of another person which means.....

And so on, and on, millions of times a minute...
=================================
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2000 14:44:08 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE 6b: How to win people and influence events, pt1

On Sat, 5 Feb 2000 17:36:46 -0500 (EST)
Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00008101

   John followed the pathmarkers to the location of a specific ship he
had asked for. Organic, nonsentient, with a neural interface, It was a
small vessel, perfect for John's purposes. He boarded and jacked
himself in, getting accustomed to the new perceptions. Once that was
done, he shifted his perceptions to that place balanced between the
timelines. "Ok, mark the original Mainline annnnd.. shift." John
pulled him and his ship out of phase with everything, and he watched
the possibilities ahead of him. There were less than he had expected.
   "Yes," he murmured, watching one of them, "let's not crash into the
wall." With that the ship lifted and took off.
=================================
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2000 14:35:51 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE 6b:Once more into the breach.....

On Thu, 10 Feb 2000 22:05:28 GMT
Tech Tonic Said As CAoL Message # 00008109

OneEye grumbles to himself as he ambles about the castle, looking for
some way to help.
   "Way to go old man, you see something fun so you barge in and what
happens? in all probability, you've alerted the big enemy to the fact
that we're aftyer them, consarn it all..." A small impish creature, a
foot tall at best, pops into being on OneEye's shoulder.
   "Y'know boss, this wouldn't have happened if'n you'd stayed with
the company.." The imp suggests. OE turns his one good eye to glare at
the little creature which shrinks back in mock fright. "I's just
speakin the truth!"
   "I know you are, but if you remember, i DID stay with the
company... And what happens? i suffer a stroke, goblin dies and the
lil girl becomes...well let's not go there. Besides the kid offered me
immortality, and all he's doing is ridi....well never mind that. Still
there are times when i wish Goblin was a round for me to spar
with...." The sprite pops out of exsistence, then pops back in riding
a small column of smoke.
   "good news boss man! I found a way for you to get into a rough and
tumble with goblin again... They've got these things in the castle
called holodecks which can...
   "Look frogface, i know what holodecks are! the kid explained em to
me before. Show me the way!"
A few <seconds/minutes/hours> later OneEye find one of the holodecks.
"Now lessee...Computer, Access the anals of the black company, books
of croaker, murgen lady and sleepy"
   "Attempting to find. Books not found. Closet match:The Black
Company Series by Glen Cook. all prior names included therein." Oneeye
frowns.
   "Well, does it talk about Goblin a'tall?"
   "Searching. Charachter Goblin found. Small white male, wizard by
class. Referred to as ugly. betfriend/arch enemy of oneeye, also
wizard, also ug..."
    "That's it all right! Create charachter." A slight shiver ripples
in the air, then a four foot version of Frogface appears. "Perfect.
Now acess the Tower of Charm, the battle of the tower." A dark tower
fades into view with a single path leading up to it. An army surrounds
the tower, one facing in one facing out. "even better! now apply
powers to armies, one fourth power level of goblin! Hehehe, now i'll
show em who's boss! Computer, run program!" The battle begins and
oneeye wages into it, fire balls flying, as frogface simply rolls his
eyes...
<Several hours rolls by>
The Lady looks up at oneye with pleading eyes from the wreckage of her
tower and army. The remains of the ten who were taken lie scattered
around her. "Please great wizard, i beg of you spare me and I shall do
whatever you desire...." OneEye spits in her face then banishes her to
the nth demnsion. He turns to Frogface still grinning. "Well that was
invigorating! computer end program!" The carnage fades from view.
   "Enjoy yerself boss? Good, cause now we're back to the problem at
hand. What are we goign to do about -ulp!" A blck tentacle reaches out
and grabs frogface and begins squeezing. The demon fights hard, but it
is clear the shadow has more power...
   "Computer! Bright light, as much as possible!" the room fills with
light, to the point of anyone viewing it seeing nothing but white. The
shadow screams and dies. "Computer, end light!" Oneeye stands for a
minute, trying to blink away the spots. "Frogface, it looks like the
shadows are tracking us even here... how?"
   Frogface is pale, his teeth chattering. "Where all evil dies there
an endless death, calling on yesterday and today and tommorrow." he
manages to get out.
   "Right" the oldest of the black company grabs his little buddy and
starts off. "Could someone tell me how to get to that ship the others
are exploring? it seems to be the safest place right now...."
=================================
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2000 16:31:42 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE: Game of If:<Can't Remember the letter>Level2

On 02-12-2000 at 16:22:06
FailSafe Said As CAoL Message # 00008128

>On Sat, 22 Jan 2000 04:21:33 GMT
>Tech Tonic Said As CAoL Message # 00008075
>
>"Mission Report: Game of If. Scout Reporting: OneEye. Problems have
>arisen. Upon my entrance to the universe which i backtimed to, i
>almost instantly ran into the adventurers for which i was supposed to
>be watching, and they were under atack by a strange group of shadows.
>After driving away this abberation, i easily gained thier trust and
>camradeship. It turned out they were following a map, and did not
>know, exactly, what the 'Game of If' was. I stayed with them for five
>subjunctive years, during which nothing happened. Well, at least
>nothing that has any bareing on this report. It was as we approached
>the native sphere for the game of if, we found ourselves forced to
>detour through the elemental plain of water. Upon our entrance to the
>sphere we were at once attacked by a dragon rising from beneath. It
>tore our ship in tweo, then turned about and began to rain fire upon
>us. Strange breath weapon for a water dragon, but it did do this. At
>that point i had no choice but to cast a spell which would return
>myself to this point and sticking my new made friends in a sort of
>cold storage until this mess is solved. I regret that i was unable to
>find any information on the keepers of the game of if, and i may have
>inadvertently alerted them to our interest somehow. As sending me out
>against them again may prove extremely hazardous, and i am still
>careful with everyone of my nine lives, i respectfully ask as to what
>i should now do. all suggestions are welcome, yours, OneEye, the
>tonic of tech."
>OneEye hits the send key then leans back to wait and see...

"I will look into the origin of That Fire Breathing Water Dragon,
 Looking for any paradoxical causal incident,
 Which would indicate The Direct action of the Guardians."

"What was the event that forced your detour?
 That may also have been arranged by The Guardians of IF,
 Either Data Point could give us a line on them."
=================================
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2000 17:35:03 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE: Game of If:<Can't Remember the letter>Level2

On 02-12-2000 at 17:33:17
Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00008130

>On Sat, 22 Jan 2000 04:21:33 GMT
>Tech Tonic Said As CAoL Message # 00008075
<snip>
>"Mission Report: Game of If. Scout Reporting: OneEye.
<snip>
>choice but to cast a spell which would return myself to this point
>and sticking my new made friends in a sort of cold storage until this
>mess is solved. I regret that i was unable to find any information on
>the keepers of the game of if, and i may have inadvertently alerted
>them to our interest somehow. As sending me out against them again
>may prove extremely hazardous, and i am still careful with everyone
>of my nine lives, i respectfully ask as to what i should now do. all
>suggestions are welcome, yours, OneEye, the tonic of tech."
> OneEye hits the send key then leans back to wait and see...

If as seems to be the case,
 Your paticipation did not,
  Effectivly alter Any significant events,
   Originally The Ship and Crew were probably destroyed,
    Then the chance that you were specifically detected,
     Is Small,
      However we should retieve your friends through time,
       To prevent thier discovery later from,
        Causing such a detectable event,

"Rest, Repairs, and Resupply,
  Seem to be in order at this time."
=================================
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2000 18:06:03 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE VI B: We had a Fallout

On Sat, 12 Feb 2000 21:00:06 EST
Scott Osborne Said As CAoL Message # 00008131

On the steps of a castle on the surface of a Dyson sphere, a figure
appears. The figure looks odd, almost unreal, even though it is merely
a human wearing a trenchcoat.

The figure walks up the steps, and accidentally hits its left foot on
the steps. Suddenly, what is wrong with the figure becomes clear, as
the space around it distorts more heavily then it had before. The
figure continues to walk up the steps, and the distortion slowly
dissipates back to it's previous levels.

When the figure reaches the top of the steps, strange noises come out
of its mouth. Eventually, the voice sounds coherent enough to make
sense of...

"Scott Osborne, repor[bzzzt] reporting in. As soo[bzzzt] soon as I
appeared, I felt something probing the re[bzzzt] region around me. I
was there only ab[bzzzt] about five minutes be[bzzzt] before the
presence at[bzzt] attacked me. Memory dump[bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt].
Scott Osborne, reporting out."

The figure fades.

A few seconds later, another figure appears. Upon closer examination,
the figure is the same one as before, only looking somehow more
complete. "FailSafe, are you there? It's me, Scott."
=================================
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2000 18:31:38 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE VI B: We had a Fallout

On 02-12-2000 at 18:24:50
FailSafe Said As CAoL Message # 00008132

>On Sat, 12 Feb 2000 21:00:06 EST
>Scott Osborne Said As CAoL Message # 00008131
>
>A few seconds later, another figure appears. Upon closer examination,
>the figure is the same one as before, only looking somehow more
>complete. "FailSafe, are you there? It's me, Scott."

"Yes Scott, I am here.
 What can I do for you?"
=================================
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2000 19:04:58 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VI B: We had a Fallout

On Sat, 12 Feb 2000 21:39:33 EST
Scott Osborne Said As CAoL Message # 00008133

>In a message dated 2/12/00 6:31:57 PM Pacific Standard Time,
>FailSafe writes:
>
>"Yes Scott, I am here.
> What can I do for you?"

"Yeah; I've got bad news. But it can wait. Anything new in the CAoL?
I've been sorta out of it for the past little while." Scott says. "I
would've gotten back earlier, but I'm not exactly eager to play the
Game of IF again. I just barely survived, and I'm not exactly eager to
repeat the experiment."
=================================
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2000 20:01:38 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VI B: We had a Fallout

On 02-12-2000 at 19:55:43
FailSafe Said As CAoL Message # 00008134

> On Sat, 12 Feb 2000 21:39:33 EST
> Scott Osborne Said As CAoL Message # 00008133
>
>"Yeah; I've got bad news. But it can wait. Anything new in the CAoL?
>I've been sorta out of it for the past little while." Scott says. "I
>would've gotten back earlier, but I'm not exactly eager to play the
>Game of IF again. I just barely survived, and I'm not exactly eager
>to repeat the experiment."

"I will make sure that the latest activities are recorded in email,
 Available to you from any terminal in the Castle,
 I can also send a telepathic pattern of the Data,
 If you would like."

"The Precise details of the Attack on You,
 May provide a Line on the Guardians of IF."
=================================
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2000 13:43:28 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE: Game of If:<Can't Remember the letter>Level2

On Sun, 13 Feb 2000 21:36:55 GMT
Tech Tonic Said As CAoL Message # 00008136

>"What was the event that forced your detour?
>  That may also have been arranged by The Guardians of IF,
>  Either Data Point could give us a line on them."

OneEye looks rather sheepish. "Umm the detour was partly my fault.."
He shakes his head, then sighs. "Well, you know how fire and the
plogstron don't mix well? I kinda tried to light my pipe in the manner
of an old friend of mine. here let me show you!" He pulls out a pipe,
stuff it with....something and then concentrates. A small fireball
engulfs his head then dissipates as sweet smelling smoke starts
issueing from his bowl. smells kinda like roast beef. "He was a fire
elementalist. I kinda took out the main rigging. But," he cocks his
head, "I had used that same spell before on the trip and not had a
problem. It's could've been some form of manipulation....hmmm I'd hate
to think i was that easily manipulated..."
Oneeye smokes his pipe and thinks a bit...
=================================
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2000 14:06:08 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE: Game of If:<Can't Remember the letter>Level2

On Sun, 13 Feb 2000 21:42:24 GMT
Tech Tonic Said As CAoL Message # 00008137

>If as seems to be the case,
>  Your paticipation did not,
>   Effectivly alter Any significant events,
>    Originally The Ship and Crew were probably destroyed,
>     Then the chance that you were specifically detected,
>      Is Small,
>       However we should retieve your friends through time,
>        To prevent thier discovery later from,
>         Causing such a detectable event,
>
>"Rest, Repairs, and Resupply,
>   Seem to be in order at this time."

OneEye leans back and sighs. "Didja ever hear the one about how stuff
happened because someone was there that shouldn't have been but thats
how history reported it? Take the case of one Dr Samuel Beckett. He
travelled through time alot, but did it by jumping into peoples
bodies. He jumped into lee harvey oswald... He tried to save kennedy,
but oswalds mind was too powerful. So he was all sad and everything
til his body al informed him that in thier timeline, Mrs kennedy had
died as well. Now as we know, that didn't happen but! If sam hadn't
been there it would have and history would have been changed.... So
maybe i was destined to be there and draw attention to them... Well
who knows. Thank you."
=================================
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 10:23:35 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE VI b: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Help Fuzzy

On Thu, 17 Feb 2000 07:32:20 -0800 (PST)
Ziactrice Roaming Said As CAoL Message # 00008151

<This is just because I wanted to play something in the interval
between Fuzzy's finishing up the time integrals that were the
Guardians of IF dealing with Scott (almost makes me feel sorry for
that impersonal android/person; he got walloped good) and dealing with
the NEMO/Nemos/Ziactrice probes. I'm not sure if it fits exactly the
genre Fuzzy was trying, but given the mention of True Magic v. AD&D
Magic Losers (hey! I resemble that crack...) this is something
interesting that occurred to me whilst perusing my Dictionary of
Imaginary Places last night...>

The shadowshift moves what the shadow persons call reality about
Ziactrice, in a far more rapid sliding of her surroundings than she
could accomplish without the spare time to summon a Sign of the Symbol
and enhance her targeting ability. She steps forth, looking warily
about.

Into a grassy plain in autumn, frost on the knee-high strands tanned a
golden brown. To the left, a mountain reaches up to the medium height
of a venerable age, but is mostly covered by mist. The the other side,
a fairly broad river flows by.

"This is not exactly what I was expecting." She comments to herself.
Looking down into the slope to the river, she notes the party of
camping humanoids. They are all clothed in Middle Age style clothing -
tabards and heraldry, pikes and a small cavalry unit - that emblem.
It's somewhat familar.

"King Arnor.... oh, no. The Battle of Gladdin Fields. NOT the turning
point I was looking for. Fuzzy can't be involved in Middle Earth's
history - can he?" She breathes in dismay.

"I don't want to deal with THAT thing." She shields as tight and as
hard as possible, but the overwhelming evil of the One Ring has not
yet taken notice of her. "Sometimes, it's good to be feeble rather
than mighty." She notes, although then she remembers poor Golum, and
pales.

Just then, a large raiding party of orcs thunder into view, cutting
off any escape that doesn't go across the river - or toward the party
of Men. They are singing, an eerily deep and ... cooperative war
dirge; it's just not like orcs to be in such a large group and work so
well together as these evidently are.

She has no more time for thought, though, as the orcs are about to
overrun her position. They won't hesitate to cut her down, and there
are more than sixty, but less than a hundred in the band.

Zia frowns, and sprints for the river - orcs and probable death, or
the party of Men whose King bears the One Ring - and possibly a fate
worse than death?

"Those... Guardians of IF... are NOT.. nice people." She says, between
hard breaths as she moves out with all the speed of a good
quarterhorse, taxing her nano-implants a bit.
=================================
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 13:32:47 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE VIb: Rings Vrs Guardians, Ohh My...

On 02-17-2000 at 13:27:10
Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00008153

>On 02-12-2000 at 16:22:05
>Nemisis Said As GR.CAoL Message # 00003565
>
>>On Wed, 19 Jan 2000 06:40:21 -0800 (PST)
>>Ziactrice Roaming Said As CAoL Message # 00008070
>>
>>She concentratess on some sections of arcs in her Sign of the
>>Pattern, and steps through it into her chosen Shadow, one wherein
>>the Masters of If face some personal danger as she has placed harm
>>in their path akin to their own whispering campaign against her.

There is a Momentary resistance,
 As if the Described Shadow does not exist,
  Then as a Reality/Shadow Ripple Impacts,
   This feels deep enough to alter things several hundred years deep,
    It is a Side effect of the Attack resolution of the attack on
    Scott,
     And Her Destination becomes Available...

>On Thu, 17 Feb 2000 07:32:20 -0800 (PST)
>Ziactrice Roaming Said As CAoL Message # 00008151
>
>"Those... Guardians of IF... are NOT.. nice people." She says,
>between hard breaths as she moves out with all the speed of a good
>quarterhorse, taxing her nano-implants a bit.

This is her own doing,
 There is a Plorrian (UToL) Ship in orbit,
  Looking to acquire The One Ring,
   And all of its Dependants,
    As the First step in an Attempt,
     To sieze control of The Guardians of IF...
      Can you say,
       The Nine Master Guardians as Ring Wraiths?
        Well, You did want to put Them in Danger didn't You?
=================================
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 19:57:05 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAEb: Game of If: Level 2

On 02-17-2000 at 19:13:38
FailSafe Said As CAoL Message # 00008154

>On Sun, 13 Feb 2000 21:36:55 GMT
>Tech Tonic Said As CAoL Message # 00008136
>
>OneEye looks rather sheepish. "Umm the detour was partly my fault.."
>He shakes his head, then sighs. "Well, you know how fire and the
>plogstron don't mix well? I kinda tried to light my pipe in the
>manner of an old friend of mine. here let me show you!" He pulls out
>a pipe, stuff it with....something and then concentrates. A small
>fireball engulfs his head then dissipates as sweet smelling smoke
>starts issueing from his bowl. smells kinda like roast beef. "He was
>a fire elementalist. I kinda took out the main rigging. But," he
>cocks his head, "I had used that same spell before on the trip and
>not had a problem. It's could've been some form of manipulation....
>hmmm I'd hate to think i was that easily manipulated..."
>Oneeye smokes his pipe and thinks a bit...

"I See,
  I doubt you were manipulated,
   If you had not been there Though,
    Someone else would probably have been moments later,
=================================
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 07:19:21 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE VI b: Guardians of IF Mutual Life UnInsurance Co. (cont
from 6a: body doubles anyone?)

On Fri, 18 Feb 2000 06:37:53 -0800 (PST)
Ziactrice Roaming Said As CAoL Message # 00008159

<ED. NOTE: The posts quoted below are in Ch. 3 of AAE6a>
>On Thu, 17 Feb 2000 22:38:55 PST
>Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00008157
>
>>On 02-17-2000 at 12:42:54
>>Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00008152
>>
>>" In the Mean time you have all heard the report
>>of a Paradox Immune,
>> Tracking attempts to find us,
>> We Must Confirm any relationship between It, and
>> Those who have recently targeted The Ansible Guild."
>
>Is that me of Zia?

Zia said she was 'unaffected by paradox'; she isn't quite completely
immune. She can actually choose whether or not to allow each 'Shadow
shift' caused by time manipulation to effect her or not, by choosing
how the paradox resolves in her own viewpoints. However, she does tend
to slowly forget older, 'Solved' paradoxes as her linear chronology
goes onwards. That's why she wanted Nemo to monitor and guide, since
he will know all the routes. Even the ones she 'forgets' or 'Shadow
wipes'.

>>Yet Another List,
>>" Find Every Paradox Immune in the Matrix.
>> Find out What they have been doing and Why!"
>><OOC: This will entail a lot of small paradox
>>resolutions in the now,
>>      Which will give Zia and Nemo something to
>>work with.>
>
>And Nemo will love working with it/them.

Let me at 'em. I can take 'em. :)

>>The Senior Master of The Guardians of IF,
>>Travels backtime a few hours and destroys a small
>>mechanical linkage,
>>In the Automated Final Security system that has
>>been killing planets,
>>collecting the resultant Paradox Gem He Returns to the present,
>>He then Uses The Game of IF to make that the True Past...
>>Causing, of course, a major reality ripple in that Cosm.
>>All but the first 354 planets are left intact as
>>the Ansible Chips,

Fortunately, this might not actually 'catch up' with Zia before Nemo
manages to alter it. :)

>>Fall to the floor before reaching the Gauge of Infinity...
>>But since they are out of Circuit anyway,
>>The Communications Links are Severed...
>
>Any chance Nemo can "grab" the chips as they fall towards the floor?
>Not only would they be useful in establishing a network that doesn't
>go thru the Guild, their absence will help keep the Guild in the dark
>(by encouraging them to think the planets in question are gone.

<Go Nemo! Go Nemo! Go, Nemo, go!>
=================================
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 08:22:07 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VIb: Rings Vrs Guardians, Ohh My...

On Fri, 18 Feb 2000 07:23:14 -0800 (PST)
Ziactrice Roaming Said As CAoL Message # 00008160

As Ziactrice sprints for the river's side, she thinks as hard as she
can. What alternatives does she have? What options are open?

[I could just go kill the Ploorans upstairs.] She thinks, [I ahbor
killing sentients, but in the case of Ploorans, even I don't have a
problem of conscience shortening their existence. That will leave the
One Ring here, though. The Guardians will find it.]

As the orc band closes on the party of Men, her course veers away from
the river, and more towards the camp. [I can't let Nemo take it up. If
it did get him, I can't think of how we'd ever free him. Maybe I
should ask Mentor - no. Mentor doesn't answer causality questions,
only when you actually sense a need for training.]

She sighs, and draws her swords, closing through the ranks of Men in a
blur of faces and weapons that can't be brought to bear on her fast
enough. Her swords ring as the King of Arnor, helped by the One Ring,
meets hers with his own. The initial rush pushes them both into the
edge of the ford, ankle-deep in cold water.

[I'll have to kill him, and take it. Then hope that I can do some good
with it, before it turns on me.] There is a lightning exchange of many
blows, before one of hers gets through, amputating his arm just above
the elbow. The half-arm bearing the One Ring drops to the water with a
small splash, as the King bellows in rage and tries to bend to get it
with his remaining hand. He ignores the tide of blood gushing from the
stump that remains of the old one.

Ziactrice, looking almost bored from the calmness of the 'mushin'
state of mind brought on by combat, kicks him soundly in one knee,
breaking it. He flies back, and falls into the deeper water as she
steps forwards to get her grisly trophy.

And stops.

She looks around, as if confused. Where is the sound of battle? Then
her hearing does pick up the screams of Men, and the orcs, weapons,
pleas, the smell...

"I..." Her expression transforms abruptly to something near terror,
and she tries to take a step back out of the river. [The Ring. It had
me; I didn't even REALIZE.]

The One Ring glints in the sunlight just below her. "No. No. I don't -
want - you. Your power is..." Her expression wavers between
uncertainty and fear.

/"Nemo. I need help. Quick."/ She breathes, trying not to project the
terror, but she is an empath. She trembles, fighting as hard as she
can not to think about using the Ring, bending forward to get it, but
just getting AWAY from it, instead.
=================================
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 11:29:36 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE 6b: Once More into the Breach

On Fri, 18 Feb 2000 18:01:03 GMT
Tech Tonic Said As CAoL Message # 00008162

OneEye arrives back in the control room thoughtfully puffing on his
cigar. "Hmmm, there must be somethign i can do, maybe if i actually
attracted thier wrath... Ah ha!"
The old mans eye glints a deep blue as he sits down at a termianl and
begins typing. "All right, what I'm looking for is a earth class
world, with a holocaust equivalent....Something that could have been
stopped with one death early in its history. Fetch."
Frogface looks worriedly at the screen as it searches. "Boss are you
sure you know what yer doin?
"Of Course. If those Gaurdians want a fight, I'll show em what a real
Gaurdian can do.." Begin maniacal laughter as oneeye throws his head
back....
=================================
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 13:36:56 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VIb: Rings Vrs Guardians, Ohh My...

On Fri, 18 Feb 2000 12:19:44 PST
Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00008164

>On Fri, 18 Feb 2000 07:23:14 -0800 (PST)
>Ziactrice Roaming Said As CAoL Message # 00008160
>
>/"Nemo. I need help. Quick."/ She breathes, trying not to project the
>terror, but she is an empath. She trembles, fighting as hard as she
>can not to think about using the Ring, bending forward to get it, but
>just getting AWAY from it, instead.

Suddenly, Zia is enveloped in a wave of calmness, yet strangely, it
does not touch her fear.

^I am here. Let yourself feel the terror, we can use it... and with
your permission, I will create more. Not beyond the level which you
can stand, but close.^

<assuming Zia agrees>

She faces images of not only being controlled by the Ring, but also of
her darkest fears. Yet the fear doesn't overwhelm her. It seems to
disappear as fast as it forms.

An observer would note an impression of a man standing behind her,
though he seems hardly more than a flaw in the air.

And where are her fear and terror disappearing to? "Beams" of emotion,
thick enough to cut and near strong enough to kill radiate from the
figures in several directions. Towards the Orcs, towards the Ploorans,
and, more weakly, towards the men.

King Arnor's body rises out of the water. So does his arm. They join
together and he is deposited on the grass, somewhat the worse for
wear.

But the Ring is no longer on his finger. It floats in mid-air enclosed
in a globe of light... Then ring, woman, and the hint of a man vanish,
only to re-appear deep within Mordor. Next to the Cracks of Doom...

The man is no longer a flaw in the air. He's quite solid. He looks
like Nemo. Nemo with a Halo.

The ring now lays upon the stone, a foot from the edge of the chasm
containing the fires in which it was forged.

Zia and Nemo regard each other with an obvious "*I* don't want to, do
*you* want to?" look.

Nemo speaks.

"I am not sure I am worthy. Nor am I sure if the best course is to
destroy the Ring now or use it and then destroy it."

The two drop into rapport to consider the question...

<There, the ought to buy some breathing space and still allow
flexibility>
=================================
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 14:30:14 -0800 (PST)
Subject: AAE VI b: Guardians of IF Mutual Life UnInsurance Co. (cont
from 6a: body doubles anyone?)

On 02-18-2000 at 14:11:48
Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00008165

>On Fri, 18 Feb 2000 06:37:53 -0800 (PST)
>Ziactrice Roaming Said As CAoL Message # 00008159
>
>>On Thu, 17 Feb 2000 22:38:55 PST
>>Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00008157
>>
>>>On 02-17-2000 at 12:42:54
>>>Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00008152
>>>
>>>" In the Mean time you have all heard the report
>>>of a Paradox Immune,
>>> Tracking attempts to find us,
>>> We Must Confirm any relationship between It, and
>>> Those who have recently targeted The Ansible Guild."
>>
>>Is that me of Zia?
>
>Zia said she was 'unaffected by paradox'; she isn't quite completely
>immune. She can actually choose whether or not to allow each 'Shadow
>shift' caused by time manipulation to effect her or not, by choosing
>how the paradox resolves in her own viewpoints. However, she does
>tend to slowly forget older, 'Solved' paradoxes as her linear
>chronology goes onwards. That's why she wanted Nemo to monitor and
>guide, since he will know all the routes. Even the ones she 'forgets'
>or 'Shadow wipes'.

In other words what I am Hearing,
 (I admit it may not be what you Said)
  Is that if she is passive to the Ripple,
   They should not detect her,
    Or she can use the Ripple as a Booster,
     Giving her a longer fulcrum with which to change the now,
      But they will detect that...

>>>Yet Another List,
>>>" Find Every Paradox Immune in the Matrix.
>>> Find out What they have been doing and Why!"
>>><OOC: This will entail a lot of small paradox
>>>resolutions in the now,
>>>      Which will give Zia and Nemo something to work with.>
>>
>>And Nemo will love working with it/them.
>
>Let me at 'em. I can take 'em. :)

;)

>>>The Senior Master of The Guardians of IF,
>>>Travels backtime a few hours and destroys a small
>>>mechanical linkage,
>>>In the Automated Final Security system that has
>>>been killing planets,
>>>collecting the resultant Paradox Gem He Returns to the present,
>>>He then Uses The Game of IF to make that the True Past...
>>>Causing, of course, a major reality ripple in that Cosm.
>>>All but the first 354 planets are left intact as
>> the Ansible Chips,
>
>Fortunately, this might not actually 'catch up' with Zia before Nemo
>manages to alter it. :)

We will see...

>>Any chance Nemo can "grab" the chips as they fall towards the floor?
>>Not only would they be useful in establishing a network that doesn't
>>go thru the Guild, their absence will help keep the Guild in the
>>dark (by encouraging them to think the planets in question are gone.
>
><Go Nemo! Go Nemo! Go, Nemo, go!>

;)
=================================
Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2000 08:09:27 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VI b: Guardians of IF Mutual Life UnInsurance Co.
(cont from

On Sat, 19 Feb 2000 10:57:12 EST
SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008174

>In a message dated 2/18/00 10:20:01 AM Eastern Standard Time,
>darasawall writes:
>
><Go Nemo! Go Nemo! Go, Nemo, go!>

In the middle of Team 3's current firefight, Roger is momentarily
distracted by a vision of Aunt Zia in a cheerleader's outfit, waving
pompoms and doing all sorts of Distracting Gymnastic Stuff. He blinks
it away and returns to the fight at hand, while an unoccupied segment
of his mind tries to figure out just *where* the heck *that* came
from.....
=================================
Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2000 14:44:03 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VIb: At Mt. Doom, Mordor, Middle Earth (from: Rings
Vrs Guardians, Ohh My...)

On Sat, 19 Feb 2000 17:18:10 -0500
Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00008176

>On Fri, 18 Feb 2000 12:19:44 PST
>Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00008164
>>On Fri, 18 Feb 2000 07:23:14 -0800 (PST)
>>Ziactrice Roaming Said As CAoL Message # 00008160
>>
>>/"Nemo. I need help. Quick."/ She breathes, trying not to project
>>the terror, but she is an empath. She trembles, fighting as hard as
>>she can not to think about using the Ring, bending forward to get
>>it, but just getting AWAY from it, instead.
>
>Suddenly, Zia is enveloped in a wave of calmness, yet strangely, it
>does not touch her fear.
>
>^I am here. Let yourself feel the terror, we can use it... and with
>your permission, I will create more. Not beyond the level which you
>can stand, but close.^

^Just don't send me into a mental breakdown. Nor show them the gist of
what can do so; I'd rather not have it widely known.^ She returns
grimly, but willing to push herself to nearly the breaking point to
succeed. Zia certainly has the drive that marks Lensman grade minds,
at least. That, and she is simply heartened just at not being alone to
deal with the terrible nature of the One Ring any longer. The scariest
part is not being able to trust yourself.

>She faces images of not only being controlled by the Ring, but also
>of her darkest fears. Yet the fear doesn't overwhelm her. It seems to
>disappear as fast as it forms.

She fears.. insanity, the breakdown of her mind, her own personality
being subsumed in the fractured group mind of her own 'selves',
becoming an indiscriminant killer, the death of her children, her true
love repudating her, being drawn into the deathweb of Amber and
Chaosian political schemes, being heckled by an audience, vaporizing
herself in a pillar of flame in failing to survive a Pattern walk,
performng badly in theater, the feel of a sword cut through the
vitals, and a rush of many other things less distinct. Small fears,
serious fears, ridiculous fears of the type most people have all
flicker through as she allows Nemo to read deeply and amplify.

It's certainly _not_ a pleasant experience.

Zia holds out by force of will combined with Nemo's presence. The
transitory flashes are as short as possible, and that helps. She knows
just facing these fears makes it easier to deal with their truly
occurring, or lessen the ones too esoteric to actually happen. It's
enough to distract her from the fact the One Ring had it's claws deep
into her without even her catching on, which does her good.

>Zia and Nemo regard each other with an obvious "*I* don't want to, do
>*you* want to?" look.
>
>Nemo speaks.
>
>"I am not sure I am worthy. Nor am I sure if the best course is to
>destroy the Ring now or use it and then destroy it."

"Worthy?! It's a a power to engender nightmares that make Hitler look
like a saint and that turns on whomever wields it." The terror in her
eyes calms slightly. "But the only opening that my Sign found, as
well." Her eyes are very troubled, still. "Let's do some serious
thinking, then."

>The two drop into rapport to consider the question...

^This is Mordor - and Mount Doom, if I'm right about the locality.
We're more apt to stand out than a pair of hobbits in a war. Are you
_sure_ Sauron won't feel the Ring being here? Should we relocate
somewhere safer, immediately?^

^If we do destroy the One Ring now, the dwarfs, the Grey Wizard, and
most of the elves will not survive without the trials of the Ring War.
And the other Rings remain, yet, and will be paramount in power with
the One Ring that Binds Them All. Each of the Racial Slaver Rings will
be almost as bad as this one. But now that the Ploorans know of it -
apparently somehow my shadow shift involved their learning of it - it
will not remain lost in the river for poor Golum to be enslaved by. I
cannot see how this involves personal harm on the Guardians of IF -
unless through the Ploorans. But I had it in mind to be the agent
provocaeteur -^
=================================
Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2000 21:41:22 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: AAE VIb: At Mt. Doom, Mordor, Middle Earth (from: Rings
Vrs Guardians, Ohh My...)

On Sat, 19 Feb 2000 21:49:38 -0600
Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00008177

>On Sat, 19 Feb 2000 17:18:10 -0500
>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00008176
>
>^If we do destroy the One Ring now, the dwarfs, the Grey Wizard, and
>most of the elves will not survive without the trials of the Ring
>War. And the other Rings remain, yet, and will be paramount in power
>with the One Ring that Binds Them All. Each of the Racial Slaver
>Rings will be almost as bad as this one. But now that the Ploorans
>know of it - apparently somehow my shadow shift involved their
>learning of it - it will not remain lost in the river for poor Golum
>to be enslaved by. I cannot see how this involves personal harm on
>the Guardians of IF - unless through the Ploorans. But I had it in
>mind to be the agent provocaeteur -^

     A paper plane sails gracefully across the chasm, bobbing upward
on the hot updrafts from below, then drops to the ground nearby,
within view of the pair, but at a distance. Made of blue construction
paper, with yellow stripes, the folds make the paper construction
resemble a jet. As it passes over the chasm, print starts to become
visible, until it's fully ledgible as it reachs its landing spot. It
reads, in a familiar Benedictine hand:

          Ignore this if you would prefer, but if the ring is
     important to this world, and a danger, I would rather bear
     that yoke than risk those needed whole to defeat our enemy.
          Please place this message in a pocket or pouch if
     you would discard the suggestion completely. Or throw it
     over a shoulder if you would discuss it. I will arrive from the
     direction the message was thrown if your decision is so.
                              -- Seth

<OOC: I throw this out as having Seth bear the One Ring could prove
interesting. But, don't let it interfere with your plans.>
=================================