Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 6c The Cosmic Engineer - ch. 3 Date: Tue, 7 Dec 1999 17:50:30 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE6c: Roger & Rio in CIC On Tue, 7 Dec 1999 20:11:19 EST SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008033 >In a message dated 12/2/99 8:07:33 PM Eastern Standard Time, >Nemisis writes: > >The Consoles seem to have Microphones, multi-purpose control arrays, > a small screen, and a Large Screen which shows... > >Star Systems with Shattered Planets, >Planetary Systems around Neutron Stars, >Planetary Systems around Black Holes, >Planetary Systems with missing Stars >Planetary Systems with Shattered Stars >Etc... >Adding up to 136 dead systems Roger does a quick tally and supresses a shudder. "Work in progress?" >Views of five other rooms... > >One From the Layout may be the Bridge > Emblem: Triangle Uppermost point Blue, > Spectrum to red at the bottom line. > >One has a single Huge Console and a Chair, > That seems to be equipped with a neural interface Helmet > Emblem: Green mottled Circle. > >One shows a Wall that is a Huge array of Small Screens, > Emblem: Seems like a Swarm of Dots. > >One shows a section of Corridor, > Emblem: none shown > >One shows room full of alcove/cubicles, > Emblem: Target with cross hair overlay. > >The Small Screen seems to be an index of Emblems... "Hmm..." A half-dozen Rogers moving at low superspeed take about five minutes to do a thorough survey of all the consoles before remerging to a single Roger. /"Roger to Team Three. This chamber is beginning to look a little like some kind of Security monitor station. I'm going to try changing views on one of these consoles and see what happens...I think this small screen is some kind of directory."/He picks one console, memorizes its Emblem for reference, and touches the Emblem that seems to be the Bridge.... OOC: Hit me, Fuzzyman! (:) ================================= Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1999 13:14:02 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Mewsings On Wed, 8 Dec 1999 16:09:02 EST SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008034 >In a message dated 12/7/99 2:33:33 PM Eastern Standard Time, >ofgerst writes: > >Not likely "R.J." In all probability, the Dhyrclhanc that >"Toddler-Roger" knew was the, "fully awakened" adult incarnation who >would be three-times as large, not to mention three-times as >powerful, as the current version. > >Be afraid, be very afraid... >;^) "Aw, c'mon Uncle D! It's *lots* bigger inside than outside. And don't you want to help me win the Pokemon Championship?" ================================= 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 10:00:03 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI b & c: Friendly Fuzzies On Fri, 9 Dec 1983 08:57:15 -0800 Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00008036 >On Wed, 8 Dec 1999 22:30:25 -0500 >Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00008035 >"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. "Hey, as soon as we find some mook who's legs I can like re-arrange, I'll do it just for ya." says Joe with a toothy grin, finally looking away from the interdimentional purring pinprick behind Eric. >"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. Joe looks back at Eric with a raised eyebrow, "Do a danger room? Is that like modern slang for what I tink it is?" ================================= Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 16:35:29 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Mewsings On Sun, 12 Dec 1999 17:54:49 -0500 Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00008038 >On Wed, 8 Dec '99 SkyeFire Said > >"Aw, c'mon Uncle D! It's *lots* bigger inside > than outside. And don't you want to help >me win the Pokemon Championship?" Cute Look, Gauranteed to Melt the heart of any Big Tough Guy> The aprox. 63' tall, 90' long, 117' wingspan-ed, multi-hued, ice-blue-eyed, adult RIFTS-esque Dragon looks up at "Toddler Roger", jumping up and down on him in an attempt to stuff the dragon into a softball-sized Pokeball, catching him in mid bounce and sends, *No.* ================================= Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 16:35:40 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI b & c: Friendly Fuzzies On Sun, 12 Dec 1999 18:12:09 -0500 Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00008039 >On Wed, 8 Dec '99 Zia Said > >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." Upon receiving the message from Nemo, the Dhyrclhanc in the Place uses his PIXAR to access the relevant URL, the immortal, adolecent, exaulted ruby fire dragon promptly kittens his drink. Thankfully, his PIXAR unit's desplay systems are holo-dynamic. Still chuckling, the hyper-anuated hatchling sends, /Thanks Zia, I'll forward this to UNCLE Agent Admire and the rest of the Callahanian Anti-Slug Patrol at the earliest opportunity!/ ================================= Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 19:34:51 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Mewsings On Mon, 13 Dec 1999 22:17:22 EST SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008041 >In a message dated 12/12/99 7:36:39 PM Eastern Standard Time, >ofgerst writes: > >The aprox. 63' tall, 90' long, 117' wingspan-ed, multi-hued, >ice-blue-eyed, adult RIFTS-esque Dragon looks up at "Toddler Roger", >jumping up and down on him in an attempt to stuff the dragon into a >softball-sized Pokeball, catching him in mid bounce and sends, > >*No.* "Aaaaaaawwwwwwwwwww.............." ================================= Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 11:36:12 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Mewsings On Tue, 14 Dec 1999 14:21:15 -0500 Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00008042 >On Mon, 13 Dec '99 SkyeFire Said > >>2/12/99 [Dhyrclhanc] writes: >> >>*No.* > > "Aaaaaaawwwwwwwwwww.............." ooo^ Roland? Morgan? I believe it is time that we have a talk with your son about such subjects as honor and fair play. ^ooo ================================= Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 18:35:23 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Mewsings On Tue, 14 Dec 1999 21:07:23 EST SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008043 >In a message dated 12/14/99 2:37:31 PM Eastern Standard Time, >ofgerst writes: > >ooo^ Roland? Morgan? I believe it is time that we have a talk with >your son about such subjects as honor and fair play. ^ooo "Screw fair play! I'm five years old! I wanna WIN!" ("Well, okay, actually I just wanna see the looks on everybody's faces when I pop out Uncle-D-Mon. What, you don't think I'd actually *keep* the trophy or anything, do you?") ================================= Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 17:36:22 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Mewsings On Thu, 16 Dec 1999 19:52:19 -0500 Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00008044 >On Tue, 14 Dec '99 SkyeFire Said > >"Screw fair play! I'm five years old! I wanna WIN!" >("Well, okay, actually I just wanna see the looks on everybody's >faces when I pop out Uncle-D-Mon. What, you don't think I'd actually >*keep* the trophy or anything, do you?") *Says the boy with the {Hisenburg/Schrodenger's} super-powers* sends the draconic Lensman. *and that's "Rensu Doroagon-san" to you* he adds, with a grin and a wink. ================================= Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 13:35:49 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Mewsings On Fri, 17 Dec 1999 16:25:02 EST SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008045 >In a message dated 12/16/99 8:37:02 PM Eastern Standard Time, >ofgerst writes: > >*Says the boy with the {Hisenburg/Schrodenger's} super-powers* sends >the draconic Lensman. Roger gives his favorite Uncle his patented "And your point being?" expression. >*and that's "Rensu Doroagon-san" to you* he adds, with a grin and a >wink. "Hai, " ================================= Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 13:03:59 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Mewsings On Sat, 18 Dec 1999 15:28:02 -0500 Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00008046 >On Fri, 17 Dec '99 SkyeFire Said > >Roger gives his favorite Uncle his patented "And your point being?" >expression. "And they call _me_ 'Cosmically Powered'..." the Sentinel/Lensdragon says to no one in particular. "'R.J.'", he continues, "While I will be the first one to admit that you don't come anywhere near by power levels, neither I nor your father know what the limits of your powers actually are. I thought that Frankin was bad enough -- not only can you essentially do anything but because of this nobody knows what you are going to do next." > "Hai, remember...>" "Gesuntheit!" ================================= Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 14:06:18 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Mewsings On Sat, 18 Dec 1999 17:00:53 EST SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008047 >In a message dated 12/18/99 4:04:16 PM Eastern Standard Time, >ofgerst writes: > >"And they call _me_ 'Cosmically Powered'..." the Sentinel/Lensdragon >says to no one in particular. "I thought that was 'Comically Powered,'" Roger mutters, and lets leak (oops!(:)) a mental image of himself shoveling tons of comic books into a Dhyrclhanc-shaped locomotive engine.... >"'R.J.'", he continues, "While I will be the first one to admit that >you don't come anywhere near by power levels, neither I nor your >father know what the limits of your powers actually are. I thought >that Frankin was bad enough -- not only can you essentially do >anything but because of this nobody knows what you are going to do >next." Roger's expression is 1/4 smug and 3/4 wry. "Well, you use what you have..." ================================= Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 17:38:43 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE6c: Roger & Rio in CIC On 12-18-1999 at 17:34:54 Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00008048 >On Tue, 7 Dec 1999 20:11:19 EST >SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008033 > >>In a message dated 12/2/99 8:07:33 PM Eastern Standard Time, >>Nemisis writes: >> >>The Consoles seem to have Microphones, multi-purpose control arrays, >> a small screen, and a Large Screen which shows... >> >>Star Systems with Shattered Planets, >>Planetary Systems around Neutron Stars, >>Planetary Systems around Black Holes, >>Planetary Systems with missing Stars >>Planetary Systems with Shattered Stars >>Etc... >>Adding up to 136 dead systems > >Roger does a quick tally and supresses a shudder. "Work in progress?" >>Views of five other rooms... >> >>One From the Layout may be the Bridge >> Emblem: Triangle Uppermost point Blue, >> Spectrum to red at the bottom line. >> >>One has a single Huge Console and a Chair, >> That seems to be equipped with a neural interface Helmet >> Emblem: Green mottled Circle. >> >>One shows a Wall that is a Huge array of Small Screens, >> Emblem: Seems like a Swarm of Dots. >> >>One shows a section of Corridor, >> Emblem: none shown >> >>One shows room full of alcove/cubicles, >> Emblem: Target with cross hair overlay. >> >>The Small Screen seems to be an index of Emblems... > >"Hmm..." A half-dozen Rogers moving at low superspeed take about five >minutes to do a thorough survey of all the consoles before remerging >to a single Roger. /"Roger to Team Three. This chamber is beginning >to look a little like some kind of Security monitor station. I'm >going to try changing views on one of these consoles and see what >happens...I think this small screen is some kind of directory."/ >He picks one console, memorizes its Emblem for reference, and touches >the Emblem that seems to be the Bridge.... > >OOC: Hit me, Fuzzyman! (:) OOC: Here we go... The View in the small screen changes to the "putative" Bridge, for a few seconds a small window in a lower corner shows, what might be that location's Address... If he touches that window while it is open, It will expand into a match for the Door Control Panels... Staying open until the equivalent to the door open button is pushed, At which time it will prompt for emblem selection, Allowing hand drawn input which it will convert to Stylized... ================================= Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 22:35:34 -0800 (PST) Subject: AAE VI c: Left-turned plots (was: Mewsings) On Wed, 29 Dec 1999 22:08:04 -0800 The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008051 >On Sun, 5 Dec 1999 12:45:47 -0500 (EST) >Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00008028 > >>On Wed, 01 Dec 1999 22:36:17 -0800 >>The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008014 >> >> The Mew looks up at him with the big anime eyes and puts one tiny >>paw to its 'lips.' It says 'mew' very faintly, in a way that seems a >>lot like'shh.' > >Rhia is trying _very_ hard not to laugh. Eric just stands there for a long moment, expressionless except for the hint of long-suffering sigh that escapes his lips. "If we may continue." He starts to walk forward, then throws out his hand, eyebrows vanishing behind his sunglasses. A ring of dimly glowing tubes has appeared in the distance and is moving toward the group. "I think this would be a good time to head back and see what Roger and Rio found," Eric notes tonelessly. "Any objec-" A beam lances out from one of the cylinders and blasts Eric in light, apparently shocking and burning him mildly. He staggers back, his clothes smoking and his sunglasses slightly askew. His mini-lens is missing. "Ouch." The ring is still approaching... ================================= Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 23:36:06 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE6c: 3 R's (or, Roger & Rio Recon ;-) On Thu, 30 Dec 1999 01:23:25 -0600 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00008053 >On 11-29-1999 at 10:03:41 >Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00007996 > >>>On Sat, 27 Nov 1999 16:38:38 -0600 >>>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00007987 >>> >>> The major nods, "Alright then. Everyone's got their partners, >>>so soon as we find a door to another part of the ship, we should be >>>set." >"Major West, > Telemetry from the Drone in Roger's Sheath, > Indictates that they move nearly 3 light years, > When they went through that Door..." Don can't help but whistle. He looks around the group. "Next?" ================================= Date: Thu, 30 Dec 1999 00:05:42 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE6c: 3 R's (or, Roger & Rio Recon ;-) On Thu, 30 Dec 1999 01:34:30 -0600 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00008054 >On Tue, 30 Nov 1999 19:20:41 EST >SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008009 > >Roger whistles slightly, and divides into several dupes who begin >doing a thorough lookaround before touching anything. "Jack...Pot." >/Nemo, all members Team 3, this is Roger. Rio and I punched in this >{} code at this {} door, and ended up in someplace that appears to be >a control center. Maybe not *the* control center, but this is >definitely some kind of regional control node. Feel free to take a >look through my eyes. Yell if you see anything interesting. I'm going >to set up a subsidiary firewall brain and do a deep passive scan of >the network system in here. If those results look good, I'll actively >link myself in and see what I can access./ Major West pulls out his global and punchs in a code. "Roger, Rio, find anything?" ================================= Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 16:07:25 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Left-turned plots (was: Mewsings) On Mon, 3 Jan 2000 18:52:35 EST John and/or Rhia Said As CAoL Message # 00008055 >On Wed, 29 Dec 1999 22:08:04 -0800 >The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008051 > > Eric just stands there for a long moment, expressionless except >for the hint of long-suffering sigh that escapes his lips. "If we may >continue." He starts to walk forward, then throws out his hand, >eyebrows vanishing behind his sunglasses. > A ring of dimly glowing tubes has appeared in the distance and is >moving toward the group. > "I think this would be a good time to head back and see what Roger >and Rio found," Eric notes tonelessly. "Any objec-" > A beam lances out from one of the cylinders and blasts Eric in >light, apparently shocking and burning him mildly. He staggers back, >his clothes smoking and his sunglasses slightly askew. His mini-lens >is missing. "Ouch." > The ring is still approaching... OOC: If we're in a large open space, Rhia will dive and roll, repeating the rest of her actions. Rhia flattens against the wall, activating the chameleon and ecm devices built into her clothing. "Are you OK?" she asks as she fades from sight, "Any idea what those things are?" ================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 18:41:25 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Left-turned plots (was: Mewsings) On Wed, 5 Jan 2000 20:47:13 EST SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008057 >In a message dated 1/3/00 7:07:56 PM Eastern Standard Time, >Gohgei writes: Roger, merrily playing with the equipment in the "security station," has gone Dual and is running both a console and the door, running mix&match comparisons before trying the bridge. [OOC: Fuzzy, anything we should see?]. A set of multilayered heavy shields cover the doorway, just in case he trips a security system. > Rhia flattens against the wall, activating the chameleon and ecm >devices built into her clothing. "Are you OK?" she asks as she fades >from sight, "Any idea what those things are?" The door switches to the last portal setting that Eric&co used and one Roger slams through, airborne and doing mach 0.5. The other, meanwhile, sets the monitor system to the same location and begins pushing his mind into the computer system, looking for a way to use the ship's own systems to determine what is happening. /Aunt Rhee, I've lost the minilens link to Eric? Are you all right? Do you require assistance?/ ================================= Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 19:35:34 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: re: AAE VI c: Mewsings On Wed, 5 Jan 2000 22:07:33 -0500 Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00008058 >Sat, 18 Dec '99 SkyeFire Said > >>"And they call _me_ 'Cosmically Powered'..." the Sentinel/Lensdragon >>says to no one in particular. > >"I thought that was 'Comically Powered,'" Roger mutters, and lets >leak (oops!(:)) a mental image of himself shoveling tons of comic >books into a Dhyrclhanc-shaped locomotive engine.... > >>"'R.J.'", he continues, "While I will be the first one to admit that >>you don't come anywhere near by power levels, neither I nor your >>father know what the limits of your powers actually are. I thought >>that Frankin was bad enough -- not only can you essentially do >>anything but because of this nobody knows what you are going to do >>next." > >Roger's expression is 1/4 smug and 3/4 wry. "Well, you use what you >have..." At which point, Roger gets a face-full of a honey-roasted goodness barrage "assault" from one of his Uncle "D's" MP-5KPs semi-automatic peanut machine carbines. ... And for the record, he *has* done some Vampire Hunting in this nearly 500 years of life but he isn't *that* "D". };=8) ================================= Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 17:21:05 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Left-turned plots (was: Mewsings) On Thu, 6 Jan 2000 19:27:23 -0500 (EST) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00008059 >On Wed, 5 Jan 2000 20:47:13 EST >SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008057 > >The door switches to the last portal setting that Eric&co used and >one Roger slams through, airborne and doing mach 0.5. The other, >meanwhile, sets the monitor system to the same location and begins >pushing his mind into the computer system, looking for a way to use >the ship's own systems to determine what is happening. >/Aunt Rhee, I've lost the minilens link to Eric? Are you all right? >Do you require assistance?/ /We've been fired upon by unknown hostiles. [Flash picture of said hostile] Eric has lost the minilens. Will attempt a closer look or hold the rear, depending on teamates condition./ Rhia sounds uncomfortable as she finishes a shapechange. Dropping the ecm for E-M spectrum chamo, she also runs the ghost program, which simulates her original shape under the blanking effects. ^Eric, are you all right?^ she asks again as she starts to move toward the glowing tubes. OOC note: She's changed into a large black panther-like creature. ================================= Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 19:34:55 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Left-turned plots (was: Mewsings) On 01-08-2000 at 19:23:53 Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00008061 >On Wed, 5 Jan 2000 20:47:13 EST >SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008057 > >Roger, merrily playing with the equipment in the "security station," >has gone Dual and is running both a console and the door, running >mix&match comparisons before trying the bridge. [OOC: Fuzzy, anything >we should see?]. A set of multilayered heavy shields cover the >doorway, just in case he trips a security system. >The door switches to the last portal setting that Eric&co used and >one Roger slams through, airborne and doing mach 0.5. The other, >meanwhile, sets the monitor system to the same location and begins >pushing his mind into the computer system, looking for a way to use >the ship's own systems to determine what is happening. >/Aunt Rhee, I've lost the minilens link to Eric? Are you all right? >Do you require assistance?/ ================================= Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 19:22:24 -0800 (PST) Subject: AAE6c: Rio catching up On Mon, 17 Jan 2000 18:15:08 -0800 Rio Said As CAoL Message # 00008066 Previously, as Roger and Rio explore the Blue Horizon.... >On Tue, 30 Nov 1999 19:20:41 EST >SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008009 > >>In a message dated 11/29/99 1:09:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, >>Nemisis writes: >> >>A room with 400-500 consols, >> Overhead a "Live" Holo showing three Galaxies, >> Detailed enough to identify small clusters of stars... >> >>Most of the Consols either show dead star systems, or >> are turned off... >> Five Consols show other places within The Blue Horizon... > >Roger whistles slightly, and divides into several dupes who begin >doing a thorough lookaround before touching anything. "Jack...Pot." "Bin...go," Rio replies playfully. And then... >On 12-02-1999 at 16:56:01 >Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00008018 > > The Arrival point Door Settings, > Automatically point back to where you came from. > A quick check would have given you the Address, > Of your Base of operations, > I figure someone did this, off camera. :) > > >The Consoles seem to have Microphones, multi-purpose control arrays, > a small screen, and a Large Screen which shows... > >Star Systems with Shattered Planets, >Planetary Systems around Neutron Stars, >Planetary Systems around Black Holes, >Planetary Systems with missing Stars >Planetary Systems with Shattered Stars >Etc... >Adding up to 136 dead systems > >Views of five other rooms... > >One From the Layout may be the Bridge > Emblem: Triangle Uppermost point Blue, > Spectrum to red at the bottom line. > >One has a single Huge Console and a Chair, > That seems to be equipped with a neural interface Helmet > Emblem: Green mottled Circle. > >One shows a Wall that is a Huge array of Small Screens, > Emblem: Seems like a Swarm of Dots. > >One shows a section of Corridor, > Emblem: none shown > >One shows room full of alcove/cubicles, > Emblem: Target with cross hair overlay. > >The Small Screen seems to be an index of Emblems... Meanwhile.... >On Thu, 30 Dec 1999 01:34:30 -0600 >Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00008054 > > Major West pulls out his global and punchs in a code. "Roger, >Rio, find anything?" Rio sends the Major a review of what they've found, and a running report on Roger's research. Then Big Brother ;-) posted.... >On Wed, 29 Dec 1999 22:08:04 -0800 >The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008051 > > Eric just stands there for a long moment, expressionless except >for the hint of long-suffering sigh that escapes his lips. "If we may >continue." He starts to walk forward, then throws out his hand, >eyebrows vanishing behind his sunglasses. > A ring of dimly glowing tubes has appeared in the distance and is >moving toward the group. > "I think this would be a good time to head back and see what Roger >and Rio found," Eric notes tonelessly. "Any objec-" > A beam lances out from one of the cylinders and blasts Eric in >light, apparently shocking and burning him mildly. He staggers back, >his clothes smoking and his sunglasses slightly askew. His mini-lens >is missing. "Ouch." > The ring is still approaching... "Eric!" Rio shouts, heading towards the door. And Roger responded.... >On Wed, 5 Jan 2000 20:47:13 EST >SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008057 > >The door switches to the last portal setting that Eric&co used and >one Roger slams through, airborne and doing mach 0.5. Rio is hot on his tail. > The other, meanwhile, sets the monitor system to the same location >and begins pushing his mind into the computer system, looking for a >way to use the ship's own systems to determine what is happening. >/Aunt Rhee, I've lost the minilens link to Eric? Are you all right? >Do you require assistance?/ Rio rushes to her brother's side, humming quietly while she looks him over for injuries. "Eric, are you OK?" ================================= Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 20:50:39 -0800 (PST) Subject: AAE VI c: Hunter's Mew-n On Mon, 17 Jan 2000 19:44:17 -0800 The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008067 >On Thu, 6 Jan 2000 19:27:23 -0500 (EST) >Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00008059 > >>On Wed, 5 Jan 2000 20:47:13 EST >>SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008057 >> >>/Aunt Rhee, I've lost the minilens link to Eric? Are you all right? >>Do you require assistance?/ > >/We've been fired upon by unknown hostiles. [Flash picture of said >hostile] Eric has lost the minilens. Will attempt a closer look or >hold the rear, depending on teamates condition./ Rhia sounds >uncomfortable as she finishes a shapechange. Dropping the ecm for E-M >spectrum chamo, she also runs the ghost program, which simulates her >original shape under the blanking effects. ^Eric, are you all right?^ >she asks again as she starts to move toward the glowing tubes. > >OOC note: She's changed into a large black panther-like creature. > >On Mon, 17 Jan 2000 18:15:08 -0800 >Rio Said As CAoL Message # 00008066 > >Rio rushes to her brother's side, humming quietly while she looks him >over for injuries. "Eric, are you OK?" Eric nods, pulling out his kusari-gama and slashing at the tube-like protrusions. "I'm fine. Bit singed. This shouldn't take long." Careful to avoid any 'friendly fire,' he attacks the ring with both chain and chi-blast, and between the firepower available, the thing is soon a smoking wreck. That section of the hallway is filled with thick, black smoke. "We should be safe now," he says in a mechanical tone. "I suggest we return with Roger and Rio to the observation deck that they found," he continues as he places the chain back in its place within his longcoat. Rio's life sense picks up no injury, which (given Eric's condition) can't be right, but he isn't really hurt. But stranger than that, she's still linked to the psi-web.... ^Eric? What's going on?^ she sends tentatively over the mind link she has set up with her brother so she could patch into the CAoL's psilink. And gasps, reaching for the nearest handhold as her mind is bombarded with psychic impressions, as if she were getting a week's worth of input in a few seconds. Rio stares at the Eric in front of her, trying to comprehend what her mind is receiving. "Rio? Is something wrong?" Eric asks. "Yes," Eric's voice responds from within the smoke, "but I'll fix that soon." With that, Eric walks slowly out of the smoke, followed closely by the floating pink cat that Zia, Joe, and Rhia had seen following Eric earlier. The psi-lens glints from its place on his right wrist. "Get away from my sister, impostor." He reaches out with his right hand, as if grasping at the other Eric, then in one motion points his forearm straight up and makes a fist, whispering, "Dragon Fire Storm." An instant later, everything from the elbow down bursts into flames. "mew!" Mew adds emphatically, attempting to cross her arms. Alas, her arms are too short, and it looks more like she's folding her hands on her belly. The Eric next to Rio sighs, rolls his eyes, and shakes his head. "It appears I imprinted your luck along with everything else." Rio, fortunately, has taken a step back, so when a mechanical arm pops out of Robo-Eric's back and clamps a bracer onto its right forearm, she's clear. Then Robo-Eric's arm bursts into bright blue fire. "I have cybernetic duplications of your abilities, along with the capability to outmatch them. I also possess energy reserves that far surpass your inefficient 'chi' reserves. I suggest that you withdraw." Eric smiles darkly. "Yeah, well, I never _did_ have the sense to come in out of the rain. And maybe I learned a trick or two while I was in the Negative Zone." He glances fondly at Mew, then whispers, in order, "Lightning Leap. Body of the Dragon. Steel Body. Thousand Swords." The chi burns at a horrific rate from his life force, probably worrying badly those who can see it...for a moment. Then they see the chi flowing back into him at an equally amazing rate. "Maybe you should back off," he begins evenly, a growl starting to form with each word, "before I lose what little patience I have _left_..." His body is glowing with an eerie light. "...and tear your LAME TERMINATOR BODY APART!" Robo-Eric blinks. "I probably would, except that I model your personality. I suppose that you only have yourself to blame. Literally." "oy!" Rio says quietly. Then Robo-Eric leaps at the real thing. "Stay out of this one, Mew," Eric says, and she teleports into the midst of the other CAoLers as he says it. Then the two Erics turn into a blur of fists, feet, flame, and glowing kusari-gama. "You should've picked a saner mind to dupe, Ah-nold." "Mew w me mew _mew_ mew Mew mew!" Mew says quickly. "You said it!" Eric replies. "She said 'If you're right then _you_ be careful too!'" Rio translates via Eric's knowledge of Poke-mew, trying to find a way to help through the blur of battle. Mew looks at Rio, impressed. "Mew!" The fight is fast and furious, with both Erics attacking and parrying at incredible speed, the clang of steel on steel echoing through the hallway. The real Eric's body, steel though it is, begins to show signs of injury, while pieces of Robo-Eric begin to fly off. "Let's do the Time Warp again," Rio sings with a smirk. Suddenly the tide turns in Eric's favor, as he becomes even more of a blur than he had been. Robo-Eric is repelled, retreat doing him/it no good as Eric seems to be everywhere at once. Soon, it flies into a wall, crumpling into a fetal position. "Had enough?" Eric breathes heavily, satisfaction clear in his voice even as he catches his breath. The android shakes its head, then looks up. A beautiful woman's face looks up, long light brown hair framing a gentle, freckled face. "Eric, please don't hurt me." "JULIE?!" Eric gasps, stepping back. The android leaps up, revealing a large crystal in place of its chest, and fires a beam a foot wide at Eric. Eric recovers in time to manage a defense, shouting hoarsely "Mountain Stance!" and channelling the force into the ground. "mew!" he adds, as the android charges forward - - and is reduced instantly to shards as a pink beam of force annihilates it. "Mew mew mew," the Pokemon says in as stern a voice as it can muster. "I don't think...it was programmed...for nice, Mew," Eric breathes, falling to one knee. He was pushed back several yards, and a six-inch-deep groove marks the trail where he deflected the attack's power downwards. "Be careful where you ground that stuff. I just hope that's not an external deck plate," Rio comments, looking downward dubiously. "I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm blasted by an anime Terminator on a planet-killing starship," Eric replies dryly. Then he looks up at Mew. "Thanks, partner." "mew mew," she says, smiling shyly and waving dismissively. Eric almost-smiles at her, then stands shakily. "Well, that bucket of bolts had one thing right - this tangent's about played itself out." He turns to Roger and Rio. "Let's see what you two found." Mew flies over to Eric, hovering about one shoulder, perfecting the surreal appearance. After a moment, Rio points in Mew's general direction. "Are you going to introduce us to your new friend?" Eric blinks. "Oh. Oh. Yes. Of course. Ki-er, Rio, this is Mew. Mew, my sister, Rio." "Mew," she says, bowing slightly. On the psi-link (through Eric), she adds, /A pleasure. I've received a lot about you./ She places a paw gently on Eric's head, and the Hunter's wounds seal in a subtle wave of pinkish light. /Uh, yeah. Mostly good, I hope,/ Rio responds, slightly nonplussed. Then she smiles fondly at her brother. "For someone who'd never graced Mike Callahan's door until very recently, you've become quite a weirdness magnet." Eric actually _laughs,_ almost a belly laugh but not quite, then gives his sister an almost gentle look. "Kiri, hon, I've been attracting weirdness for the last ten years. And after five weeks in the Negative Zone, I'm about as maxed out on weirdness as anyone can get." He gestures to the nearest 'door.' "Shall we?" ================================= Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 13:49:02 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Left-turned plots (was: Mewsings) On Sat, 21 Jan 1984 11:58:50 -0800 Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00008073 A little late, but I'm back. hehehe >On Mon, 3 Jan 2000 18:52:35 EST >John and/or Rhia Said As CAoL Message # 00008055 > > Rhia flattens against the wall, activating the chameleon and ecm >devices built into her clothing. "Are you OK?" she asks as she fades >from sight, "Any idea what those things are?" Joe looks from the ring-thing to Eric and then back at it, "Don't look at me doll, I ain't never seen nuthin like dat." He seems blurry for a moment and Baby is gone from his hands, a .357 magnum revelover with a silencer in its place. There is a muffled burping sound and Joe flips open the cylinder, dumping 6 spent cases on the floor and slapping in a speedloader. The gun seems to burp again and Joe dumps ouf six more spent cases and reloads again, "Whatever that thing is, it don't seem to mind lead or silver." ================================= Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 19:48:15 -0800 (PST) Subject: AAE VIc: Recap On Thu, 03 Feb 2000 19:41:30 -0600 Rio Said As CAoL Message # 00008099 The latest on Team C, investigating the Blue Horizon in search of the Cosmic Engineer. The (#) is the date of that person's latest IC post: Mike as Maj. West and Will (12/30), holding down "base" Mandy and Stranger (both 11/12), doing recon in one direction Rio (1/17) and Roger (1/5), doing recon in a second direction, found a control room, and now joined up with.... Eric (1/18), Joe (1/22) and Rhia (1/6), doing recon in a third direction, had Eric shot at/sent to/returned from the Negative Zone with Mew, and now heading back to the control room along with R&R Zia(12/9), not on this team but dropped by for a quick visit and to facilitate another plot point :-) Nemesis (12/2), being everyone/everything else ;-) ================================= Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2000 14:39:47 -0800 (PST) Subject: AAE VI c: Hunter's Mew-n, Rhia-search On Sat, 5 Feb 2000 17:14:12 -0500 (EST) Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00008100 >On Mon, 17 Jan 2000 19:44:17 -0800 >The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008067 > >Rio's life sense picks up no injury, which (given Eric's condition) >can't be right, but he isn't really hurt. But stranger than that, >she's still linked to the psi-web.... > >^Eric? What's going on?^ she sends tentatively over the mind link she >has set up with her brother so she could patch into the CAoL's >psilink. And gasps, reaching for the nearest handhold as her mind is >bombarded with psychic impressions, as if she were getting a week's >worth of input in a few seconds. Rio stares at the Eric in front of >her, trying to comprehend what her mind is receiving. Rhia's head whips around and she starts heading back to the rest of them at a run when... > Then Robo-Eric leaps at the real thing. > "Stay out of this one, Mew," Eric says, and she teleports into the >midst of the other CAoLers as he says it. Then the two Erics turn >into a blur of fists, feet, flame, and glowing kusari-gama. "You >should've picked a saner mind to dupe, Ah-nold." > "Mew w me mew _mew_ mew Mew mew!" Mew says quickly. > "You said it!" Eric replies. Rhia skids to a stop. Things had progressed beyond her help now. And then.... >"She said 'If you're right then _you_ be careful too!'" Rio >translates via Eric's knowledge of Poke-mew, trying to find a way to >help through the blur of battle. >Eric recovers in time to manage a defense, shouting hoarsely >"Mountain Stance!" and channelling the force into the ground. "mew!" >he adds, as the android charges forward - > - and is reduced instantly to shards as a pink beam of force >annihilates it. "Mew mew mew," the Pokemon says in as stern a voice >as it can muster. The floor underneath Rhia opens up and she falls through what feels like one of the doorways they used to get here. Too bad she was still under full stealth mode. >{eric speaking} Zone, I'm about as maxed out on weirdness as anyone >can get." He gestures to the nearest 'door.' "Shall we?" Rhia emerges above what appears to be a large hole. With a snarl she continues to fall. As she falls, she tries to contact first Roger and Eric, then the CAoL as a whole with no response. Beginning to get a little worried, she reaches out to her father and to her shock finds nothing. Then she makes a call to Nemo, still with no response, and, in an act of true desperation, Polaris. Nothing. This was not good. She extended her senses and could feel the edges of the pit, but couldn't feel the bottom. Legs waving uselessly, she felt her accelleration increase in response to her sensing. Very not good. Gritting her canines, she tried to do a quick shift, grow some wings. It was painful. The little things like eye and hair color, or general appearance were no problem, but major changes were accompanied by discomfort, in direct relation to the speed and attention she applied to the change. Then a low-level laser sruck out and traced the wing where it joined her body. It was followed by another, of higher intensity, and another after that. As it continued she started changing the wings back before they were removed from her body. Very well. She would remain a forvalaka and tear out the throat of the ass doing this. When she felt bottom approaching, far, far too fast for her comfort, she braced herself for the impact. At the last moment her fall stopped, and she dropped lightly to the floor of her.. cage? As she took this fact in the cage slid out from underneath the hole and another filled in to take it's place. Her cage slid along a track until it joined a veritable menagerie of strange creatures. The room holding this zoo stretched farther than she could see, and it was filled with cages. Creatures of every shape, hue, and description filled her eyes, and the noise they made assaulted her ears. There seemed to be a disturbance approaching her, and a tall blond man in a dark jumpsuit approached. When he reached her cage he looked her over carefully, and just managed to jump out of reach as she tried to take his face off. As she lunged at him, she felt a pinprick in her side and the blond man looked past her to the older gentleman lowering a dart rifle behind her. "I trust your satisfied with your newest addition, Doctor?" he asked with poorly concealed impatience. "Can we now get back to the problem of field limitations?" "Yes, yes. I solved it yesterday." The doctor pranced about the cage, well out of Rhia's reach. As the face of the man behind him tightened, he continued, "Now I have only to try to teach it to those thick-witted fools you have helping me." "Please, Doctor, we have indulged all of your whims, we would like to see some results." The man turned and walked back the way he had come. The Doctor leaned in a little closer to Rhia. "It's no use pretending, little one, I know this isn't your true form. But I have so wanted to study a forvalaka." When Rhia made no reply he continued, "That dart is filled with a mutability de-stabilizer, I invented it myself. You won't be able to alter your form until I supply the antidote." His gleeful face became downcast, "Pity I had to use my last shapeshifter to perfect it." Then it brightened again, "But now I have you. Oh the creatures you can mimic for me. The benefit to my studies.." He became lost in blissful contemplation of the scientific wonders that would unfold to him. "Doctor! Now, please, if you would. Or must I administer another little lesson in whose authority is in control here." The madman's face twisted in distaste, "Don't worry about the major, little one. I'm the only one he has who can even begin to unravel the mysteries of this ship for him. Occasionally he'll kill one of my specimens to prove to himself that he still is in control." His voice lower to a whisper, "He doesn't know that I provide a simulacra of whatever beast he tries to destroy." As the man tittered, Rhia tried to quell a feeling of nausea. She had been captured by an insane researcher and a military trying to gain control over what could possibly be the most dangerous ship/weapon ever designed, was unable to change her shape, and was cut off from her friends. This was definitely shaping up to be a very bad day. ================================= Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2000 20:35:12 -0800 (PST) Subject: AAE VI c: Rise the Demon...? On Thu, 10 Feb 2000 20:13:53 -0800 The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008110 >On Sat, 5 Feb 2000 17:14:12 -0500 (EST) >Shadow Said As CAoL Message # 00008100 > > Rhia emerges above what appears to be a large hole. With a snarl >she continues to fall. As she falls, she tries to contact first Roger >and Eric, then the CAoL as a whole with no response. Beginning to get >a little worried, she reaches out to her father and to her shock >finds nothing. Then she makes a call to Nemo, still with no response, >and, in an act of true desperation, Polaris. > > Nothing. Eric looked around, nonplussed. "Wait. Is everyone here? No. Someone's missing." He reaches out with the lens-link. "The Greywolf-clone. Rhiannon. No contact." He looks at his lens sourly. "Unbreakable. Hrmph. The best comm-unit in the world doesn't do a body any good if you lose it." He looks at the door. "Rio, maybe you can dial us some luck." He gestures at the door. "Maybe a 'random' door opening will find her." "Worth a try," Rio replies. Humming a Moody Blues tune, she punches in a combo and opens the door. > This was definitely shaping up to be a very bad day. Thratchen tapped at its arm, vexed. One of the stormers had changed locations rapidly, and was now with a completely different group. At least the second group had a member who reminded it pleasantly of an occult scientist it'd known while Lord Regent of Orrorsh. It snarled a curse that would have sent a more timid human into a fetal position and jacked into the controls of the door in front of it. Reminders of the Gaunt Man didn't sit well with it. [Submission _take_ Kranod anyway! I will have this 'Cosmic Engineer,' and then-] Thratchen's reverie was broken by a shout, and the door opening, and a biped in black crouched in a combat position. "Glitch," it sighed... Just before the door opens, Rio suddenly interrupts her own humming with a shout of, "SHIT! Incoming!" As she dives out from in front of the doorway, the others on the link get an image of the cause of her alarm. Before most have time to fully register it, they find the image in living color through the now-open portal. Eric leaps into position, finding himself face-to-face with the newcomer as the door opens. A blue-black creature standing over 7' tall, its folded wings quite apparently having a wingspan of equal size, cybernetics dotted all over the creature, including a round optic piece over one eye, and an aura of terrible power and malevolence are what he (and everyone else) sees. "Demon," Eric says, grinning darkly. "This won't take long." "I am Thratchen, you glitch," the demon snarls, "though you are right about your last comment." With amazing speed, Thratchen's wholly-cybernetic right arm snaps up and fires a blast at Eric. With even greater speed, Eric dodges and plants his feet into Thratchen's stomach. For a moment, it looks like Eric was right. Then the demon-thing snarls in a guttural voice, and Eric screams. Tarnished chrome oozes across Eric's body, his eyes sink into their sockets, the flaps of his ears fold in and grow short thick metal antennae, and a cable jack grows from the back of his neck. His scream slowly changes into the sound of a modem connecting. Eric falls to the ground, his sunglasses sliding over to stop at a horror-stricken Rio's feet. When he stands, his eyes are gone, replaced with small red LED displays. "mew!" Mew gasps. Thratchen brushes itself off and steps through. "Monkeys. You're strong-willed, for a weakling-lover, but your core-crashed kind are no match for a Demon Prince. Stand over there," it says firmly, pointing at a corner, and Eric obeys. "I have no desire to deal with you all now," Thratchen says, then turns to face the rest of the group. "Killing you will take more time than I want to expend. You may tell me what you know and leave. Or I can skin you all and use the pieces to make slaves of your corpses." He eyes each character in turn through the cyber-eye carefully. "Choose quickly." ^oh shit oh shit oh shit,^ Rio sends a quick request to Roger to tap into the lenslink via him. {assuming he assents} /Eric's mind isn't there anymore,/ she explains once she's patched in. Even her mental voice is shaking. /That...thing...out-bads the worst Nephandus I've ever seen, but.... we can't leave ricky,/ she concludes in a small voice, looking from Roger to Joe to Mew and back to Roger again. Thratchen's cyber-eye flickers for several moments. (OOC: Unless someone says something promising...) "...Delete it. Kill them." Eric pulls out his kusari-gama and leaps forward, while Thratchen throws his arms out and chants again - loudly, in a roaring language that would turn a lion's stomach... (OOC to Fuzzy: Just thought I'd throw someone in to liven things up. Whenever you're ready to move things along, we can lose Thratchen. This also makes nice foreshadowing for AAE X... ) ================================= Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2000 10:03:40 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Rise the Demon...? On Fri, 11 Feb 2000 11:05:52 EST SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008113 >In a message dated 2/10/00 11:35:48 PM Eastern Standard Time, >rolandx writes: What?!? Action? For team 3? Heaven Forfend! (:) Let's rock&roll..... > Eric looked around, nonplussed. "Wait. Is everyone here? No. >Someone's missing." He reaches out with the lens-link. "The >Greywolf-clone. Rhiannon. No contact." He looks at his lens sourly. >"Unbreakable. Hrmph. The best comm-unit in the world doesn't do a >body any good if you lose it." He looks at the door. "Rio, maybe you >can dial us some luck." He gestures at the door. "Maybe a 'random' >door opening will find her." Roger twitches at the realization that Rhia is missing, and goes several shades of pale. [Light...and I didn't even *notice.* What the frag is *wrong* with me? I -- no! Never mind that; act now, deal later.] > "Worth a try," Rio replies. Humming a Moody Blues tune, she >punches in a combo and opens the door. In the Security(?) monitor station, the other Roger becomes far less mentally distinct as the dupe's resoureces are withdrawn and firewalled, making this Roger into a (mostly) sacrificeable subself. The demi-Roger glows for a moment with EM engergy, and then every monitor in the room goes insane as Roger integrates his mind into the systems via direct manipulation of the electrons in the wiring (or the photons in the fiberoptics, or whatever). Pushing the system to its maximum speed, he begins an attempt at mapping and searching every point of the ship that can be seen from the Security station. (OOC: how much *can* he see from here, Fuzzy? If it's the entire ship, this could take a while...) >Just before the door opens, Rio suddenly interrupts her own humming >with a shout of, "SHIT! Incoming!" As she dives out from in front of >the doorway, the others on the link get an image of the cause of her >alarm. Before most have time to fully register it, they find the >image in living color through the now-open portal. "Dammit!" [I should have thrown a shield over that door *before* she tried to open it!] Roger makes a belated attempt to do so... > Eric leaps into position, finding himself face-to-face with the >newcomer as the door opens. A blue-black creature standing over 7' >tall, its folded wings quite apparently having a wingspan of equal >size, cybernetics dotted all over the creature, including a round >optic piece over one eye, and an aura of terrible power and >malevolence are what he (and everyone else) sees. ...too late. [Ohhh, Hell!] "Eric, get out of the way!" > "Demon," Eric says, grinning darkly. "This won't take long." > "I am Thratchen, you glitch," the demon snarls, "though you are >right about your last comment." With amazing speed, Thratchen's >wholly-cybernetic right arm snaps up and fires a blast at Eric. With >even greater speed, Eric dodges and plants his feet into Thratchen's >stomach. For a moment, it looks like Eric was right. [Why do I bother?] > Then the demon-thing snarls in a guttural voice, and Eric screams. >Tarnished chrome oozes across Eric's body, his eyes sink into their >sockets, the flaps of his ears fold in and grow short thick metal >antennae, and a cable jack grows from the back of his neck. His >scream slowly changes into the sound of a modem connecting. Eric >falls to the ground, his sunglasses sliding over to stop at a >horror-stricken Rio's feet. When he stands, his eyes are gone, >replaced with small red LED displays. Roger supresses his first several reflex reactions as Eric 'posession' starts, and resorts to a full-spectrum deep scan of the process as it progresses. A telepathic lifeline driven into Eric's mind...rebounds, from a combination of Eric's own shields and the distortions of the intruding systemry. [Similar in some ways to a Phalanx technovirus,] a detatched part of his mind analyzes dispassionately. [The process should be reverseable, given sufficient time and research.] > "mew!" Mew gasps. > Thratchen brushes itself off and steps through. "Monkeys. You're >strong-willed, for a weakling-lover, but your core-crashed kind are >no match for a Demon Prince. Stand over there," it says firmly, >pointing at a corner, and Eric obeys. > "I have no desire to deal with you all now," Thratchen says, then >turns to face the rest of the group. "Killing you will take more time >than I want to expend. You may tell me what you know and leave. Or I >can skin you all and use the pieces to make slaves of your corpses." >He eyes each character in turn through the cyber-eye carefully. >"Choose quickly." Roger's face flits through several expressions, too quickly to see, and settles into a small, unpleasant smile. A slowly growing, small, unpleasant smile. >^oh shit oh shit oh shit,^ Rio sends a quick request to Roger to tap >into the lenslink via him. A small comm subprocess peels itself off into an unused area of brainspace and forms a custom socket layer, pipelining a direct natural-teep link across to the lens-link. As an afterthought, Roger's internal security processes drop filters across all the lens links he has access to to prevent any 'nasties' leaking out from Eric. >/Eric's mind isn't there anymore,/ she explains once she's patched >in. Even her mental voice is shaking. /That...thing...out-bads the >worst Nephandus I've ever seen, but.... we can't leave ricky,/ she >concludes in a small voice, looking from Roger to Joe to Mew and back >to Roger again. /No one is leaving anyone./ Roger's voice is hammered iron, very Roland-like. Ina flicker of division, one Roger steps towards Thratchen and another moves towards Eric. Persons sensitive enough might feel a slight 'tilt' as the local laws of the universe open up to Roger's access request. > Thratchen's cyber-eye flickers for several moments. (OOC: Unless >someone says something promising...) "...Delete it. Kill them." Eric >pulls out his kusari-gama and leaps forward, while Thratchen throws >his arms out and chants again - loudly, in a roaring language that >would turn a lion's stomach... Roger-2 snaps his arms up and super-adhesive, super-stretchty, super-tough ribbons burst from his jacket sleeves, driven by PK force and attempting to cocoon Eric. The ribbons have absolutely *no* technological or biological content that would be easily subverted, and the "source ends" have been physically isolated from Roger's body and jacket by PK shields. Roger-1 lays a sonic blanking wave across Thratchen, trying to eliminate the sound of the spell. He scans for the "access channel" the spell is intended to use, and begins making changes to the local "fabric" of the universe, making the spell bog down and begin to unravel. And a billion "nanites" made of green energy swarm toward Thratchen... ================================= Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2000 10:04:03 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Rise the Demon...? On Thu, 10 Feb 2000 21:46:12 -0800 Dane Said As CAoL Message # 00008115 >The Hunter wrote: >^oh shit oh shit oh shit,^ Rio sends a quick request to Roger to tap >into the lenslink via him. {assuming he assents} /Eric's mind isn't >there anymore,/ she explains once she's patched in. Even her mental >voice is shaking. /That...thing...out-bads the worst Nephandus I've >ever seen, but.... we can't leave ricky,/ she concludes in a small >voice, looking from Roger to Joe to Mew and back to Roger again. /Do you require assistance?/ Aurora asks. ================================= Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 23:36:19 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Rise the Demon...? On Wed, 16 Feb 2000 23:16:28 -0800 The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008147 >On Fri, 11 Feb 2000 11:05:52 EST >SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008113 > >>In a message dated 2/10/00 11:35:48 PM Eastern Standard Time, >>rolandx writes: > >What?!? Action? For team 3? Heaven Forfend! (:) >Let's rock&roll..... "The warden threw a party at the County Jail..." >> "Demon," Eric says, grinning darkly. "This won't take long." >> "I am Thratchen, you glitch," the demon snarls, "though you are >>right about your last comment." With amazing speed, Thratchen's >>wholly-cybernetic right arm snaps up and fires a blast at Eric. With >>even greater speed, Eric dodges and plants his feet into Thratchen's >>stomach. For a moment, it looks like Eric was right. > >[Why do I bother?] Eric spares an instant to toss Roger a curious glance as he prepares to vault off of Thratchen's stomach. >Roger supresses his first several reflex reactions as Eric >'posession' starts, and resorts to a full-spectrum deep scan of the >process as it progresses. A telepathic lifeline driven into Eric's >mind...rebounds, from a combination of Eric's own shields and the >distortions of the intruding systemry. >[Similar in some ways to a Phalanx technovirus,] a detatched part of >his mind analyzes dispassionately. [The process should be >reverseable, given sufficient time and research.] The technological aspects are very similar, but the entire construct has come into existence from another dimensional reality...specifically, the spirit realm. (Given Roger's knowledge of his parents' skills, he would no doubt at least _recognize_ the energies. If not, my hunny says that Rio would provide this information.) The result is entirely technological, but if an observer had to guess, the stuff was...summoned. >Roger's face flits through several expressions, too quickly to see, >and settles into a small, unpleasant smile. A slowly growing, small, >unpleasant smile. Thratchen frowns. He doesn't look amused by this response. >>^oh shit oh shit oh shit,^ Rio sends a quick request to Roger to tap >>into the lenslink via him. > >A small comm subprocess peels itself off into an unused area of >brainspace and forms a custom socket layer, pipelining a direct >natural-teep link across to the lens-link. As an afterthought, >Roger's internal security processes drop filters across all the lens >links he has access to to prevent any 'nasties' leaking out from >Eric. Roger should notice that Rio already put up the best firewall _she_ could manage before connecting to anyone else. He also 'feels' just a hint of a nuzzle as she looks for comfort and reassurance. Nothing nasty is leaking from Eric...for that matter, while Eric's gone from the link, something is going on in there, and it isn't all Thratchen's doing... >>/Eric's mind isn't there anymore,/ she explains once she's patched >>in. Even her mental voice is shaking. /That...thing...out-bads the >>worst Nephandus I've ever seen, but.... we can't leave ricky,/ she >>concludes in a small voice, looking from Roger to Joe to Mew and >>back to Roger again. > >/No one is leaving anyone./ Roger's voice is hammered iron, very >Roland-like. Ina flicker of division, one Roger steps towards >Thratchen and another moves towards Eric. Persons sensitive enough >might feel a slight 'tilt' as the local laws of the universe open up >to Roger's access request. Eric assumes a fighting stance that Roger probably recognizes (if I remember earlier comments correctly and he's one of Roger's myriad uncles); this "Erinator" is apparently taking Roger _very_ seriously. >Roger-2 snaps his arms up and super-adhesive, super-stretchty, >super-tough ribbons burst from his jacket sleeves, driven by PK force >and attempting to cocoon Eric. The ribbons have absolutely *no* >technological or biological content that would be easily subverted, >and the "source ends" have been physically isolated from Roger's body >and jacket by PK shields. >Roger-1 lays a sonic blanking wave across Thratchen, trying to >eliminate the sound of the spell. He scans for the "access channel" >the spell is intended to use, and begins making changes to the local >"fabric" of the universe, making the spell bog down and begin to >unravel. >And a billion "nanites" made of green energy swarm toward >Thratchen... Eric leaps back, dodging the ribbons for the moment. He seems to be focusing all his efforts on evasion, which mercifully (or deliberately?) prevents him from attacking his allies. Thratchen feels no such conflict. The sonic blanking doesn't seem to do much, as the growling is more of a 'prayer' than a spell - it calls on spiritual forces, just like the thing that overwhelmed Eric. Either way, though, the effect activates quickly, and a half-dozen techno-organic scorpions with diamond-bit drills for stingers appear between the two. The effect also seems to be trying to take "possession" of the nanites as well. Then Thratchen gets nasty. He roars a single word, attempting to curse Roger's cyberware. And with Thratchen's skill - equal to the Morgan of Roger's time - he has a damn good chance of succeeding... All the while, Mew has been floating silently, concentrating. Just as Thratchen seems to be getting the upper hand, Eric leaps towards him, angling away at the last moment to get the ribbons around Thratchen. The metallic coating falls away behind him. Unfortunately for Eric, Thratchen was ready for this - two flashes of light, and a humanoid female is entangled in the ribbons, while Eric is facing another demon. Eric sighs, channelling chi into his spirit defenses, while the newcomer starts choosing targets. "If I wanted to fight demons," he says flatly, "I could've stayed at home." ================================= Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2000 10:39:49 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Hunter's Mew-n On Tue, 24 Jan 1984 20:30:17 -0800 Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00008175 >On Mon, 17 Jan 2000 19:44:17 -0800 >The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008067 > Eric nods, pulling out his kusari-gama and slashing at the >tube-like protrusions. "I'm fine. Bit singed. This shouldn't take >long." Careful to avoid any 'friendly fire,' he attacks the ring with >both chain and chi-blast, and between the firepower available, the >thing is soon a smoking wreck. That section of the hallway is filled >with thick, black smoke. "We should be safe now," he says in a >mechanical tone. "I suggest we return with Roger and Rio to the >observation deck that they found," he continues as he places the >chain back in its place within his longcoat. Following Eric's lead, Joe puts away his roscoe and flexes his hands into claws. He snarls with bared fangs and leaps at the ring-thin to help Eric's attack. > "Rio? Is something wrong?" Eric asks. > "Yes," Eric's voice responds from within the smoke, "but I'll fix >that soon." With that, Eric walks slowly out of the smoke, followed >closely by the floating pink cat that Zia, Joe, and Rhia had seen >following Eric earlier. The psi-lens glints from its place on his >right wrist. "Get away from my sister, impostor." He reaches out with >his right hand, as if grasping at the other Eric, then in one motion >points his forearm straight up and makes a fist, whispering, "Dragon >Fire Storm." An instant later, everything from the elbow down bursts >into flames. Joe looks from Eric to Eric and back again for a couple moments before shrugging and stepping back to watch the outcome. > "JULIE?!" Eric gasps, stepping back. The android leaps up, >revealing a large crystal in place of its chest, and fires a beam a >foot wide at Eric. Eric recovers in time to manage a defense, >shouting hoarsely "Mountain Stance!" and channelling the force into >the ground. "mew!" he adds, as the android charges forward - > - and is reduced instantly to shards as a pink beam of force >annihilates it. "Mew mew mew," the Pokemon says in as stern a voice >as it can muster. Joe's eyebrows raise up over the mirrored sunglasses he wears, "A cute little pink mook with a punch it seems... Stranger adn stranger." > "I don't think...it was programmed...for nice, Mew," Eric >breathes, falling to one knee. He was pushed back several yards, and >a six-inch-deep groove marks the trail where he deflected the >attack's power downwards. Joe clears his throat, "So just when the heck did that thing start making sense to yous anyways? It just keeps sayin the same thing over and over again." ================================= Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 09:07:59 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Rise the Demon...? On Fri, 17 Feb 1984 09:36:07 -0800 Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00008150 >On Thu, 10 Feb 2000 20:13:53 -0800 >The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008110 > >Just before the door opens, Rio suddenly interrupts her own humming >with a shout of, "SHIT! Incoming!" As she dives out from in front of >the doorway, the others on the link get an image of the cause of her >alarm. Before most have time to fully register it, they find the >image in living color through the now-open portal. Joe takes a step backwards, cocking his head to the side as he tries to figure out what that thing coming through the doorway is. A hand snakes into his trenchcoat and brings out a sawed off double barrelled shotgun. > Thratchen brushes itself off and steps through. "Monkeys. You're >strong-willed, for a weakling-lover, but your core-crashed kind are >no match for a Demon Prince. Stand over there," it says firmly, >pointing at a corner, and Eric obeys. > "I have no desire to deal with you all now," Thratchen says, then >turns to face the rest of the group. "Killing you will take more time >than I want to expend. You may tell me what you know and leave. Or I >can skin you all and use the pieces to make slaves of your corpses." >He eyes each character in turn through the cyber-eye carefully. >"Choose quickly." Joe's face is as cold and unemotional as only the dead... Or Eric can do. "Hate to tell you ugly, You're too late. I'm already dead and I don't make a very good slave. I keep taking my so called masters and bending them in ways nature never intended whilst I try to make their physical appreance match their viewpoint." ================================= Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 09:07:49 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Rise the Demon...? On Fri, 17 Feb 1984 09:41:42 -0800 Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00008148 >On Fri, 11 Feb 2000 11:05:52 EST >SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008113 > >/No one is leaving anyone./ Roger's voice is hammered iron, very >Roland-like. Ina flicker of division, one Roger steps towards >Thratchen and another moves towards Eric. Persons sensitive enough >might feel a slight 'tilt' as the local laws of the universe open up >to Roger's access request. Joe stops his shotgun in midraise as Roger splits. "Damn, can't shoot without hitting that kid too." he grumbles as he stows the shotgun away again. >Roger-2 snaps his arms up and super-adhesive, super-stretchty, >super-tough ribbons burst from his jacket sleeves, driven by PK force >and attempting to cocoon Eric. The ribbons have absolutely *no* >technological or biological content that would be easily subverted, >and the "source ends" have been physically isolated from Roger's body >and jacket by PK shields. >Roger-1 lays a sonic blanking wave across Thratchen, trying to >eliminate the sound of the spell. He scans for the "access channel" >the spell is intended to use, and begins making changes to the local >"fabric" of the universe, making the spell bog down and begin to >unravel. > And a billion "nanites" made of green energy swarm toward >Thratchen... Joe reaches into his pocket and pulls out a well worn set of brass knuckles he slips onto his hand. He cracks his knuckles loudly and almost casually wades into the fight. ================================= Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 09:07:54 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Rise the Demon...? On Fri, 17 Feb 1984 09:48:03 -0800 Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00008149 >On Wed, 16 Feb 2000 23:16:28 -0800 >The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008147 > > All the while, Mew has been floating silently, concentrating. Just >as Thratchen seems to be getting the upper hand, Eric leaps towards >him, angling away at the last moment to get the ribbons around >Thratchen. The metallic coating falls away behind him. > Unfortunately for Eric, Thratchen was ready for this - two flashes >of light, and a humanoid female is entangled in the ribbons, while >Eric is facing another demon. > Eric sighs, channelling chi into his spirit defenses, while the >newcomer starts choosing targets. "If I wanted to fight demons," he >says flatly, "I could've stayed at home." "Nice ta have you back anyways. You don't do the zombie look near as good as I do ya know." Joe qwips with a straight face as he moves towards the scorpions. One of them strikes at him wiht amazing speed, but Joe's speed is easily double its. The diamondtipped stinger drives into the deckplating as Joe is suddenly behind the bug, and his boot comes crashing down on it resulting in an unmerciful death. He continues on in this way, dodging wiht amazing agility and blinding speed, but taking the time to squish each scorpion as he passes and gets closer to the Demon. ================================= Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2000 01:10:05 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Rise the Demon...? On Sun, 20 Feb 2000 00:47:12 -0800 The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008178 >On Fri, 17 Feb 1984 09:36:07 -0800 >Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00008150 > >>On Thu, 10 Feb 2000 20:13:53 -0800 >>The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008110 >> >> "I have no desire to deal with you all now," Thratchen says, then >>turns to face the rest of the group. "Killing you will take more >>time than I want to expend. You may tell me what you know and leave. >>Or I can skin you all and use the pieces to make slaves of your >>corpses." He eyes each character in turn through the cyber-eye >>carefully. "Choose quickly." > > Joe's face is as cold and unemotional as only the dead... Or Eric >can do. "Hate to tell you ugly, You're too late. I'm already dead and >I don't make a very good slave. I keep taking my so called masters >and bending them in ways nature never intended whilst I try to make >their physical appreance match their viewpoint." Thratchen looks at Joe with...confusion? Amusement? Annoyance? It really is ugly enough (by humanoid standards) that deciphering its expression is tricky. "If what you say is true, child of Corruption, then you know well that even the dead can be made to scream. Indeed, they can be made to scream for much longer than the living, don't you agree?" >On Fri, 17 Feb 1984 09:48:03 -0800 >Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00008149 > >>On Wed, 16 Feb 2000 23:16:28 -0800 >>The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008147 >> >> Eric sighs, channelling chi into his spirit defenses, while the >>newcomer starts choosing targets. "If I wanted to fight demons," he >>says flatly, "I could've stayed at home." > > "Nice ta have you back anyways. You don't do the zombie look near as >good as I do ya know." Joe qwips with a straight face as he moves >towards the scorpions. One of them strikes at him wiht amazing speed, >but Joe's speed "I bow to your superior experience," Eric replies dryly, dodging a simultaneous claw slash and laser-implant blast from the Demon Lord. >is easily double its. The diamondtipped stinger drives into the >deckplating as Joe is suddenly behind the bug, and his boot comes >crashing down on it resulting in an unmerciful death. He continues on >in this way, dodging wiht amazing agility and blinding speed, but >taking the time to squish each scorpion as he passes and gets closer >to the Demon. Thratchen looks staggeringly unamused. Its cybermonocle glows more brightly, and its skull shifts in a rather disturbing manner. It seems to be taking a defensive stance, at least, but doesn't seem much disturbed by the fact that both Joe and Roger are starting to reach it, and that Mew looks for all the world like she's just waiting for the right opening... ================================= Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2000 05:51:08 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Rise the Demon...? On Mon, 21 Feb 2000 07:59:52 EST SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008181 >In a message dated 2/17/00 2:36:44 AM Eastern Standard Time, >rolandx writes: > >>A small comm subprocess peels itself off into an unused area of >>brainspace and forms a custom socket layer, pipelining a direct >>natural-teep link across to the lens-link. As an afterthought, >>Roger's internal security processes drop filters across all the lens >>links he has access to to prevent any 'nasties' leaking out from >>Eric. > >Roger should notice that Rio already put up the best firewall _she_ >could manage before connecting to anyone else. He also 'feels' just a >hint of a nuzzle as she looks for comfort and reassurance. "You can never have too much constructive paranoia..." Roger nuzzles her back, but a bit absentmindedly; his concentration is focussing down very narrowly on his targets. > Eric assumes a fighting stance that Roger probably recognizes (if >I remember earlier comments correctly and he's one of Roger's myriad >uncles); this "Erinator" is apparently taking Roger _very_ seriously. OOC: "Erinator"??? Prepare to drown in peanuts, punster! > Then Thratchen gets nasty. He roars a single word, attempting to >curse Roger's cyberware. And with Thratchen's skill - equal to the >Morgan of Roger's time - he has a damn good chance of succeeding... With the nanites being GLR constructs, the effects are limited. Roger, however, has his hands full for a good second or two. His head snaps back, and it is almost possible to *see* his energistic control scrambling against the curse, smashing and slicing through different bandwidths as the two struggle for supremacy. Then, Roger simply...stops trying. The techno-curse surgers forward, and finds nothing. Every speck of Roger's cybernetics is gone, shunted into his Highlander space. His clothes vanish for a miniscule fraction of a second (yes, Rio, even the bulletproof underwear (:)), replaced by a soft-armor bodysuit which, despite having no "active" tech, is a marvel of materials science, providing protection across several paradigms. Roger himself changes also -- a shapeshift brings back his black Archangel combat wings, and provides room for the Adamantium skeletal reinforcements replacing his previous cybernetic augmentations. A familiar-looking triple set of Adamantium claws comes into being inside each forearm, as his hair subtly changes shape, his canines lengthen slightly, and his senses become far more sharp. A surge of PK pours out of his Halo and into the bodysuit, weaving lines of force into the multilayer fabric, in much the same way that Uncle Tony -- er, Iron Man's suits are "unfolded" and rigidized by magnetic fields. His head comes back down, and his smile at Thratchen is even more chilling -- the fangs fangs add to the effect. "A good try. But...insufficient." The smile widens, without a trace of humor. "My turn." > All the while, Mew has been floating silently, concentrating. Just >as Thratchen seems to be getting the upper hand, Eric leaps towards >him, angling away at the last moment to get the ribbons around >Thratchen. The metallic coating falls away behind him. > Unfortunately for Eric, Thratchen was ready for this - two flashes >of light, and a humanoid female is entangled in the ribbons, while >Eric is facing another demon. OOC: What female figure? Rio? Or some, er, 'dupe' of Thratchen's? > Eric sighs, channelling chi into his spirit defenses, while the >newcomer starts choosing targets. "If I wanted to fight demons," he >says flatly, "I could've stayed at home." "Ehhh," Roger shrugs. "They're everywhere." /Good to have you back, Eric. You gave Rio a real scare. If you don't mind sharing, could you lean a little bit -- yes, that's perfect. Thank you. Incoming./ ================================= Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2000 22:09:29 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Rise the Demon...? On Tue, 21 Feb 1984 21:54:10 -0800 Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00008182 >On Sun, 20 Feb 2000 00:47:12 -0800 >The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008178 > > Thratchen looks at Joe with...confusion? Amusement? Annoyance? It >really is ugly enough (by humanoid standards) that deciphering its >expression is tricky. "If what you say is true, child of Corruption, >then you know well that even the dead can be made to scream. Indeed, >they can be made to scream for much longer than the living, don't you >agree?" "Oh yeh. And I do it all the time. Thing is I don't think you've got the balls ta be able to get me ta scream. The best have tried, and then they died." Joe grins toothilly and tips down his warparound mirrored shades a bit to look over the top of them with red glowing eyes before pushing them back into place. > Thratchen looks staggeringly unamused. Its cybermonocle glows more >brightly, and its skull shifts in a rather disturbing manner. It >seems to be taking a defensive stance, at least, but doesn't seem >much disturbed by the fact that both Joe and Roger are starting to >reach it, and that Mew looks for all the world like she's just >waiting for the right opening... Joe Frowns as he keeps messing up his shoes stomping on these scorpions. He reaches into his longcoat with both hands. When he brings htem out again, they are each clutching three stakes. He starts flinging his hands out and the stakes go driving themselves through the scorpions, amazingly enough not shattering. Joe grins back at Eric. "Ya stick a cold iron spike in the center, makes em stronger and works against other stuff too." He turns back towards Thratchen, noticing that there's no longer a Roger in the way. He reaches back into his coat and brings out the double barrelled sawed off shotgun again. "Alright ugly, I was sent on this trip to kick ass and chew bubblegum and I'm all outta bubblegum." ================================= Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2000 20:19:22 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Hunter's Mew-n On Tue, 22 Feb 2000 19:36:04 -0800 The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008184 >On Tue, 24 Jan 1984 20:30:17 -0800 >Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00008175 > >>On Mon, 17 Jan 2000 19:44:17 -0800 >>The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008067 >> >> "I don't think...it was programmed...for nice, Mew," Eric >>breathes, falling to one knee. He was pushed back several yards, and >>a six-inch-deep groove marks the trail where he deflected the >>attack's power downwards. > > Joe clears his throat, "So just when the heck did that thing start >making sense to yous anyways? It just keeps sayin the same thing over >and over again." Mew giggles mew-ingly. Eric straightens. "Mew is what's called a 'Pokemon.' Please, don't ask. The short version is, there's a lot of different kinds, and most of them are named by the sound they make. The sentient ones can actually speak to each other, no matter what 'name' they have, through the use of what I can only describe as a language of inflections. Most humans can't even hear a lot of the differences. The only reason _I_ can understand her is because Mew is also telepathic, and used psychic impression to 'download' the language into me." Mew glows with a soft pink light. "Oh, and she says that she can piggyback off of my lens, same as Rio, if folx want to hear her." Mew pulses with light, and Eric grimaces, throwing the floating pink cat a grimace. "She just added that she's having fun doing it this way, though. Mutter mumble if I wanted a familiar I'd've been a mage." ================================= Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2000 21:40:41 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Rise the Demon...? On Tue, 22 Feb 2000 20:39:39 -0800 The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008185 >On Mon, 21 Feb 2000 07:59:52 EST >SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008181 > >>In a message dated 2/17/00 2:36:44 AM Eastern Standard Time, >>rolandx writes: >> >> Then Thratchen gets nasty. He roars a single word, attempting to >>curse Roger's cyberware. And with Thratchen's skill - equal to the >>Morgan of Roger's time - he has a damn good chance of succeeding... > >With the nanites being GLR constructs, the effects are limited. >Roger, however, has his hands full for a good second or two. His head >snaps back, and it is almost possible to *see* his energistic control >scrambling against the curse, smashing and slicing through different >bandwidths as the two struggle for supremacy. >Then, Roger simply...stops trying. >The techno-curse surgers forward, and finds nothing. Thratchen raises the flesh where an eyebrow ought to be. >Every speck of Roger's cybernetics is gone, shunted into his >Highlander space. His clothes vanish for a miniscule fraction of a >second (yes, Rio, even the bulletproof underwear (:)), replaced by a >soft-armor bodysuit which, despite having no "active" tech, is a >marvel of materials science, providing protection across several >paradigms. The cybereye flickers at an increased rate of speed. >Roger himself changes also -- a shapeshift brings back his black >Archangel combat wings, and provides room for the Adamantium skeletal >reinforcements replacing his previous cybernetic augmentations. A >familiar-looking triple set of Adamantium claws comes into being >inside each forearm, as his hair subtly changes shape, his canines >lengthen slightly, and his senses become far more sharp. >A surge of PK pours out of his Halo and into the bodysuit, weaving >lines of force into the multilayer fabric, in much the same way that >Uncle Tony -- er, Iron Man's suits are "unfolded" and rigidized by >magnetic fields. His head comes back down, and his smile at Thratchen >is even more chilling -- the fangs fangs add to the effect. >"A good try. But...insufficient." The smile widens, without a trace >of humor. >"My turn." "Oh, crash," Thratchen sighs. >> All the while, Mew has been floating silently, concentrating. >>Just as Thratchen seems to be getting the upper hand, Eric leaps >>towards him, angling away at the last moment to get the ribbons >>around Thratchen. The metallic coating falls away behind him. >> Unfortunately for Eric, Thratchen was ready for this - two >>flashes of light, and a humanoid female is entangled in the ribbons, >>while Eric is facing another demon. > >OOC: What female figure? Rio? Or some, er, 'dupe' of Thratchen's? OOC: A random damsel-in-distress/humanoid slave from Thratchen's home reality. Summoning subordinates is one of the more common uses for techno-demonic magic in his reality. >> Eric sighs, channelling chi into his spirit defenses, while the >>newcomer starts choosing targets. "If I wanted to fight demons," he >>says flatly, "I could've stayed at home." > >"Ehhh," Roger shrugs. "They're everywhere." >/Good to have you back, Eric. You gave Rio a real scare. If you don't >mind sharing, could you lean a little bit -- yes, that's perfect. >Thank you. Incoming./ Timed with... >On Tue, 21 Feb 1984 21:54:10 -0800 >Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00008182 > >>On Sun, 20 Feb 2000 00:47:12 -0800 >>The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008178 >> >> Thratchen looks at Joe with...confusion? Amusement? Annoyance? It >>really is ugly enough (by humanoid standards) that deciphering its >>expression is tricky. "If what you say is true, child of Corruption, >>then you know well that even the dead can be made to scream. Indeed, >>they can be made to scream for much longer than the living, don't >>you agree?" > > "Oh yeh. And I do it all the time. Thing is I don't think you've got >the balls ta be able to get me ta scream. The best have tried, and >then they died." Joe grins toothilly and tips down his warparound >mirrored shades a bit to look over the top of them with red glowing >eyes before pushing them back into place. Thratchen chuckles. "The...best. Really. I wasn't aware that you were responsible for the Gaunt Man's first death." > Joe Frowns as he keeps messing up his shoes stomping on these >scorpions. He reaches into his longcoat with both hands. When he >brings htem out again, they are each clutching three stakes. He >starts flinging his hands out and the stakes go driving themselves >through the scorpions, amazingly enough not shattering. Joe grins >back at Eric. "Ya stick a cold iron spike in the center, makes em >stronger and works against other stuff too." Eric nods approvingly, dodging a claw slash that would have taken even _his_ head off. > He turns back towards Thratchen, noticing that there's no longer a >Roger in the way. He reaches back into his coat and brings out the >double barrelled sawed off shotgun again. "Alright ugly, I was sent >on this trip to kick ass and chew bubblegum and I'm all outta >bubblegum." Thratchen snarls a single guttural syllable, and Roger and Joe's attacks throw him back a few feet. Thratchen is still unharmed; a strange effect seems to be protecting it. It is something like the sort of ward that keeps away Banes and other malevolent spirits, except reversed. "Hmm. Let's see. I can continue a pointless battle that is clearly going to be more difficult than I thought. Or I can go back to doing what I came here to do." Thratchen smiles at them, a stomach-churning sight. "What a difficult decision." The demon prince vanishes. In its place is what looks like a member of Thratchen's race, if it were constructed by some insane Frankenstein who didn't know what a Tharkoldu really looked like but had a massive amount of spare strips of muscle, skin and bone, and put them together using a spell that almost holds them together but that can't seem to quite keep all the strips in place at once. The creature does seem to have all the requisite body parts except eyes; empty sockets seem to stare at the assembled group. Even Eric and the demon he's fighting stop in mid-punch. "By the Self-Begotten Progenitor," the techno-demon hisses. "A Hellgazer Gospog. Fifth planting. We are dead." With that, the demon lord screams a challenge, leaps away from Eric, and flies directly at the other creature. The creature's chest _CRACKS_ open (caps and underlining for volume) and three claws scream out, passing through the demon's armor and sticking in its "heart." It ignores a slashing counter-attack that left deep marks in the wall of the ship, and then fire lashes from the eye sockets; when they strike the creature, its very life-essence begins to burn. It falls to the ground in a heap, twitching and apparently trying to keep its spirit from burning away. It levels its gaze on the rest of the group... (OOC: With our GM back, this may be more of a distraction than an amusement. If folx are having fun with the brawling, let this be a huge battle. Otherwise, feel free to do something a bit more clever than standard Kzinti tactics. After all, the group better get in gear - three guesses what Thratchen's looking for. ;^) ================================= Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2000 15:34:08 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Hunter's Mew-n On 02-23-2000 at 15:18:12 Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00008186 >On Tue, 24 Jan 1984 20:30:17 -0800 >Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00008175 > >>On Mon, 17 Jan 2000 19:44:17 -0800 >>The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008067 >> >> Eric nods, pulling out his kusari-gama and slashing at the >>tube-like protrusions. "I'm fine. Bit singed. This shouldn't take >>long." Careful to avoid any 'friendly fire,' he attacks the ring >>with both chain and chi-blast, and between the firepower available, >>the thing is soon a smoking wreck. That section of the hallway is >>filled with thick, black smoke. "We should be safe now," he says in >>a mechanical tone. "I suggest we return with Roger and Rio to the >>observation deck that they found," he continues as he places the >>chain back in its place within his longcoat. > > Following Eric's lead, Joe puts away his roscoe and flexes his hands >into claws. He snarls with bared fangs and leaps at the ring-thin to >help Eric's attack. A Nemisis Split attempts to collect any pieces of the weapons left, for analysis... Age and Software. >> "I don't think...it was programmed...for nice, Mew," Eric >>breathes, falling to one knee. He was pushed back several yards, and >>a six-inch-deep groove marks the trail where he deflected the >>attack's power downwards. > > Joe clears his throat, "So just when the heck did that thing start >making sense to yous anyways? It just keeps sayin the same thing over >and over again." A Nemisis Split attempts to collect any pieces of the simula left, for analysis... Age and Software. ================================= Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 23:38:51 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: AAE VI c: Rise the Demon...? On Fri, 25 Feb 2000 22:51:13 -0800 The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008197 >On Tue, 22 Feb 2000 20:39:39 -0800 >The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00008185 > >>On Mon, 21 Feb 2000 07:59:52 EST >>SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00008181 >> >>>In a message dated 2/17/00 2:36:44 AM Eastern Standard Time, >>>rolandx writes: >>> >>> Unfortunately for Eric, Thratchen was ready for this - two >>>flashes of light, and a humanoid female is entangled in the >>>ribbons, while Eric is facing another demon. >> >>OOC: What female figure? Rio? Or some, er, 'dupe' of Thratchen's? > > OOC: A random damsel-in-distress/humanoid slave from Thratchen's >home reality. Summoning subordinates is one of the more common uses >for techno-demonic magic in his reality. More OOC: The above left for reference... > "By the Self-Begotten Progenitor," the techno-demon hisses. "A >Hellgazer Gospog. Fifth planting. We are dead." With that, the demon >lord screams a challenge, leaps away from Eric, and flies directly at >the other creature. > The creature's chest _CRACKS_ open (caps and underlining for >volume) and three claws scream out, passing through the demon's armor >and sticking in its "heart." It ignores a slashing counter-attack >that left deep marks in the wall of the ship, and then fire lashes >from the eye sockets; when they strike the creature, its very >life-essence begins to burn. It falls to the ground in a heap, >twitching and apparently trying to keep its spirit from burning away. > It levels its gaze on the rest of the group... OOC: Okay, no one's interested and we need to get back on track. I want to advance Eric's inner quest anyway. Here goes. 8^) Eric looks at the "Gospog" with a flat expression, then fires a chi-blast at it, leaps over and around it, lands next to the helpless lady, and calmly reaches down. He stands, placing his sunglasses (which aren't so much as scratched) back on. "The rest of you, take the Central Casting DiD here and get back to that control room." The damsel in question "mmphs" indignantly. You bunch need to figure out where the cosmic widget is before that 'Thratchen' creature does." He gazes at the horror from behind his shades, his expression unreadable. "I'll keep tall, dark and gruesome here busy." "_Mew_ mew," Mew adds. (OOC: I'm providing Mew-English translation below for the curious and those with Hyperlinguistics, Lenses, or other mode of universal language ability. Spoiler space provided.) "'We' nothing, Mew. You go with the others." Eric slides the chain out of his jacket. "I have a job to do." The creature continues to watch impassively. "Mew _mew_ mew mew mewew mew ewmew mew Mewewmew Mew," Mew responds. "It's not a matter of 'getting over' anything, Mew," Eric says in a chillingly even tone. "Now go." "Mew." Mew crosses her arms with an air of finality. Eric sighs. The CAoLers can almost _feel_ him rolling his eyes behind the sunglasses. "Give it up, Mew," Rio say, shaking her head. "My brother could always out-stubborn a c..." She stops, and smiles sheepishly. "um, never mind," she adds quietly. Mew winks at her. "Mew _mew_ mew," she replies. Rio giggles. The gospog gets an annoyed expression (you think; its "face" is not entirely cohesive) and forces the issue by firing the twin spirit flames from his eye sockets at Mew. The incredibly powerful psychic deflects them - barely. "Holy-GO! NOW!" Eric roars, leaping around the creature with lightning speed that it almost matches... Rio takes Roger's hand. "Come on," she says, not exactly pulling at him, but assuming that he's coming along. She eyes the door that Thratchen came through warily. "We can go back the long way," she adds wryly. Poke' Spoiler Space ;^) (Mew 1: "_We_ will.") (Mew 2: "I _thought_ you were over that after the Negative Zone.") (Mew 3: "No." 8^) (Mew 4: "Not _this_ cat.") =================================