Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 9: Nile Empire / Pulp Chapter 5 Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Dark Sun Rising On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 02:07:35 -0700 Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00012004 >On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 23:32:52 -0700 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012001 > >>On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 19:52:07 -0700 >>Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00011996 >> >>>On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 18:14:21 -0700 >>>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011992 >>> >>> Oh, come _on,_ this is the Ubiquitous Dragon we're talking about >>>here. You don't think it's a two-way flow, do you? >> >>Doesn't have to be. It's *her* energy. It goes back to being *his* >>mass. :-)In any case, the link will break, same as any "trace" >>spell. > > Well, sure, I'll buy that. That trick doesn't work on truly >_worthy_ opponents like Eon, UV, the Hunter, and -- obviously -- >Baraka, but IMO there's a difference between "well _that_ didn't >work, now did it?" and what I would consider a "major" mistake. Well, it all depends on *how* he was doing it. Doing it some ways could be "embarassing". :-) >>"Or younger. Depends on your point of view." >> >>She smiles as she delivers this cryptic bit of information(?). > > Doc Eon chuckles at that. "Are you _sure_ we haven't met, ma'am?" "Alas, yes." >>"Would it help if the plane got around 300 pounds heavier and then >>lost the weight again? I can do it on cue, but it'll take a second >>or two. And I'd prefer a bit of privacy if I do it." > > Doc looks slightly puzzled, but after a moment's calculation, >nods. "If you stand over there while you do it," he says, pointing >toward one of the many safety harnesses on board, "that should >improve our escape angle. I'll be right back." On cue, she switches to Ferrer, which indeed affects the trim. And deals with various, scratches, bruises, etc. And he'll switch back to Baraka on cue. With a different hairstyle and other "cosmetic" changes. > "HANG ON, HONEY!" Ace roars, dropping the hammer. > There's a long, tense moment as the beam slowly closes with them. >The Hawk shakes even harder. The rear guns go silent as the last >ornithopter vanishes into the blast. A lick of anti-flame catches >against the rudder. > Then, mercifully, finally, the beam "winks" out, and the Hawk >roars safely and triumphantly through the sky. > "We _did_ it!" Penny cries, hugging a stunned Whitley. > "Yeah!" Joe howls, pumping a fist into the air. > Ace leans back with a confident grin. And Baraka will lean over and kiss him (on the cheek, he's still flying :-) > "*ahem* Well done, everyone." Eon strides to the cockpit. >"Everyone all right up here?" > "Right as rain and twice as slick," Ace quips back. "Where to, >Doc?" "Back to Cairo, as low as you can manage," Doc Eon replies. "We >have to return our benefactor home, meet with the others..." his face >grows serious. "And plan our next move against Mobius. With the >Ubiquitous Dragon at his side, there is no telling what fantastic >scheme he will hatch." > "Just like old times, eh Doc?" Joe laughs. > Doc smiles at his old friend, but says nothing in response. Baraka wiil give directions. Though I don't know if they want them to someplace to land or to just drop her and Doc Eon off. If it's the latter, she'll calmly note that anything under 300 feet is fine with her. =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Duel Identity On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 04:10:44 -0700 (PDT) Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00012005 >On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 21:59:46 -0700 >Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00011998 > >>On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 18:44:56 -0700 (PDT) >>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011994 >> >>>On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 22:52:22 -0700 >>>Eric Said As CAoL Message # 00011981 >> >> OOC: Am I correct in assuming 'Mr. Ferrer' is actually Nemo? If >>so, Ultraviolet might recognize him; although she might not, too, >>depending on how well Nemo was attempting to disguise himself. > >Nope. Not Nemo. A resemblance, but not that great a one. OOC: Well, then I missed a zig or a zag someplace. Last I saw Nemo he was running around in a woman's form (in a Star Trek setting) - seemingly as a result of one of Zia's quips. >>> Eric takes off his hat and coat. He seems to know the etiquette >>>of this realm naturally. Golden Age reality...suits him. >> >> UV either keeps her coat on - or waits for a gentleman to offer >>to help her with it. > >Mr. Ferrer isn't a gentleman, but he'll offer to take her coat >anyway. :-) With only a flicker of her eyes at Eric, Ultraviolet turns her back on this stranger, allowing him to remove her coat. This act of trust isn't easy for her - and she doesn't bring it off quite as smoothly as Zia could have - but she does it. Eric's there to watch her back, after all. The armament she is wearing is enough to have stir the usual curiosity she thinks of as Hunter's Quandry - how can she carry all that and none of it clank against another piece? >> "One would imagine." UV says, in the same tone Eric used. Then to >>Baraka. "Thank you." Ultraviolet takes a ladylike sherry. "What name >>are you using in this form, if you will?" > >She sets down the icebox, and manages to look much younger (if it >wasn't for her more adult attributes, you'd think 8, call it a well >developed 12 or 13). > >She does a sort of bow crossed with kneeling. > >"If it pleases you, this unworthy one is called Baraka." Eric has never seen Violet look so _distinctly uncomfortable. The woman in purple bows rather more deeply than she normally would in reply, but does not offer her own name, which is more than a trifle odd. >And then she stands up without a trace of submisseness (but a lot of >sensuality) and comments, "Protective coloration can be *so* useful". Violet regards her somberly, wondering how old Baraka is. Somewhere between the two appearances. She begins to open her mouth on a reply, when - >"But then you'd know about that, wouldn't you, Just Violet?" The Purple Lady pauses, regarding Baraka for a very long moment with Eric's own utter stillness. She isn't threatening, but she is puzzled and wary. "If it doesn't infringe on your sources, miss, just how do you know that name?" >"There are disadvantages to his form, though. Alas, I found that my >'power' seems to relate to the weight difference. And since I am >restored to otherwise perfect health in either form when I switch, >it's merely a nuisance." "The lack of strength, or the restoration of your health?" UV asks, thinking she probably knows, but somewhat distracted. Nemo's note said to meet at this address, so this person is to be trusted, but she hates taking children - or even young adults into a battle. Heck, _Roger_ sending a dupe bothers her, and Roger's more powerful than she is, actually. =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Duel Identity On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 13:07:21 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00012006 >On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 04:10:44 -0700 (PDT) >Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00012005 > >>On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 21:59:46 -0700 >>Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00011998 >> >>>On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 18:44:56 -0700 (PDT) >>>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011994 >>> >>>>On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 22:52:22 -0700 >>>>Eric Said As CAoL Message # 00011981 >>> >>> The smaller figure also in black - no, actually, a very dark >>>purple - coat and hat follows at the tail end of the group with >>>Eric. She, however, as the rules of polite conduct allow, retains >>>both her hat and her gloves, even indoors. Between these two heroes, Karma enters, having been waiting pseudo-casually just out of sight while the two made initial contact. >>>> Eric takes off his hat and coat. He seems to know the etiquette >>>>of this realm naturally. Golden Age reality...suits him. >>> >>> UV either keeps her coat on - or waits for a gentleman to offer >>>to help her with it. >> >>Mr. Ferrer isn't a gentleman, but he'll offer to take her coat >>anyway. :-) Noting Eric taking off his coat, she seems to consider it a good idea and removes her own hat and duster, folding the latter over her arm, it not having even entered her mind that a lady of the pulps would wait. Although, with the Violet's example, she seems to go through an "oh right" moment, filing the information away for future reference. > With only a flicker of her eyes at Eric, Ultraviolet turns her >back on this stranger, allowing him to remove her coat. This act of >trust isn't easy for her - and she doesn't bring it off quite as >smoothly as Zia could have - but she does it. Eric's there to watch >her back, after all. The armament she is wearing is enough to have >stir the usual curiosity she thinks of as Hunter's Quandry - how can >she carry all that and none of it clank against another piece? Karma's left the (rather difficult to hide) rifle and cartridge belt at "home," opting for the Ishers, M1911 and phaser. > "I'm Karma," the woman says, when appropriate, before Ferrer launches into his initial introduction, having taken the initial offer for an iced tea. As Baraka is revealed, her gentle smile turns into a bright, almost laughing beam, shaking her head and slapping her knee quietly. An unexpected stunt, with a wonderfully understated punchline. "More tea, please," she says, proffering her emptied glass of ice. >>"If it pleases you, this unworthy one is called Baraka." Karma's eyes glaze momentarily as she mouths silently, 'haraka haraka haina baraka' then refocus. With a slight blush at her distraction, she says, "Well, you seem a blessing to me." >>"But then you'd know about that, wouldn't you, Just Violet?" > > The Purple Lady pauses, regarding Baraka for a very long moment >with Eric's own utter stillness. She isn't threatening, but she is >puzzled and wary. > > "If it doesn't infringe on your sources, miss, just how do you >know that name?" Karma had been about to say something, but some instinctual cue silenced her. >>"There are disadvantages to his form, though. Alas, I found that my >>'power' seems to relate to the weight difference. And since I am >>restored to otherwise perfect health in either form when I switch, >>it's merely a nuisance." > > "The lack of strength, or the restoration of your health?" UV >asks, thinking she probably knows, but somewhat distracted. Nemo's >note said to meet at this address, so this person is to be trusted, >but she hates taking children - or even young adults into a battle. >Heck, _Roger_ sending a dupe bothers her, and Roger's more powerful >than she is, actually. Karma sips at her tea, ruminating now. [Why do I suddenly feel like I'm watching 'Tetsuwan Birdy: Thirty Years Later?'] =========================== Subject: Re: AAE9n: Overtime On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 17:59:29 -0400 Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00012007 >On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 19:09:29 -0700 >Reality Hacker AJ47 Said As CAoL Message # 00011987 > >T minus n: > >Avery hung upside down in the air as he attached a series of >electromagnets to the outer surface of the damaged energy core that >he was trying to repair. Certain Akashics would adjust to this >unusual orientation through sheer force of willpower and >concentration; he was cheating a little, tweaking local gravity to >reduce most of its effect on him. > >#Attention,# the chip in his head relayed, #attention. This is a >drill. This is a drill. This is not a drill. Transport vehicle BORIS >1 is scheduled to depart for Africa in thirty minutes.# > >[Projection of cross-cosm transform formula?] > >#Hindered. VA historical records of the relevant time period were >damaged subsequent to Turing's death.# > >[Retrieve a suitable cross-section of historical records from other >sources. Calculate a compensated projection while en route to >Africa.] He fired up the electromagnets for another burst - to no >avail - then shut off the gravity field, hopped down to the ground, >and spoke into the com-link on his left hand. {AJ47 to Doc Energy. >I'm on my way.} {Welcome aboard the B.O.R.I.S. 1, AJ47.} replied The Good Doctor. {If you are worried about cross-cosm transformation, I believe you will need this information.} Romanov sends a {} on the nature of Storm Knights and their ability to survive in other cosms. OOC: Basically, the nature of Possibility Energy allows a hero to remain true to his cosm even when operating in an alien cosm unlike his own. He is still subject to the world laws of that cosm he is operating in, unless he suffers what is known as a "disconnect" Usually a disconnect occurs when he 1. botches a die roll when he tries to do something alien to the cosm he is in or 2. when another possiblity rated character calls a "reality storm" on him. An example of the second method is found when the hero from the cyber realm in the first TORG book engages Pope Jean Malreaux on the Maelstrom Bridge. Malreaux lost that fight, and the heros' reality washed over him. What happened is what is now known in TORG circles as The Cyberpapacy. Though it has been over 10 years since I have played TORG, so my information may be somewhat sketchy. =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Dark Sun Rising On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 18:43:53 -0400 Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00012008 >On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 22:26:30 -0700 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011989 > > [Oh my,] Hippolyta thinks suddenly, then as loudly as she can, >[Robert! We must leave this area immediately! I should have realized >that Mobius would take strategies such as ours into account, but >great Hera, it's like swatting gnats with an Eternium bomb!] > If Rob asks what she means (Hippolyta sets aside questions about >Eternium and bombs for later), the Amazon Queen explains, [The >anti-plasma! I remember Mobius telling me about it while he...once! >If we are caught in it, we will 'burn' in a cold flame that will >freeze us and shatter us in one terrible blow! He used it on a Libyan >counter-attack...the blast reduced tanks and jets to dust!] > A quick look, incidentally, will confirm that Dragons are >flickering from shelter to shelter, smiling with malicious >confidence... The Good Doctor awakens from his fear induced topor and opens the comm link to the BORIS 1. {Romanov to BORIS 1. Deactivate Self-Healing mode and transport me to cockpit.} {Compliance} said the onboard computer. While not near as intelligent as Ana was, the AI kernal that she left behind in the BORIS was enough to perform routine and non-routine fuctions onboard. Such as the self-healing subroutine that healed most of the damage caused by The Super Robo-Sphinx. The claw marks were still present, but not near as deep as they were. He raises a fist to the skies. "Curse you, Mobius. Your meddling in affairs you don't understand will be the death of us all. Computer, activate transport." Suddenlly, the giant robot awakens, and marches to Doc Energys' position, being careful not to step on any people panicking or houses. The robot reaches him, and stops. A door opens in the ankle of the brass behemoth, and Romanov steps inside the elevator housed there. He quickly moves up the central shaft and pops up in the middle of the cockpit. He steps into the interfacing machine, and merges his energy matrix with the BORIS. In his minds' eye, he sees readouts and a HUD overlaying a 360 degree view of the area around him. He targets the....thing known as the Antihelios, a cold sweat creeping down his form. #Computer, analyze unknown object. Do not divert primary systems on analysis, but perform calculations on the energy field.# #Compliance.# is the reply. A few moments pass, then the AI speaks up. #Analysis complete. Unknown object is of previously unknown energy source. Possiblity of Anti-Ether, Chaos, and Forces, as well as Prime and Matter. Surface scans indicate a primal intelligence, possessing rudimentary abilities such as attack/feed/hurt subroutines. Suggestion is to vacate area outside of blast radius, and regroup for Plan B.# The Good Doctor watches the Dark Sun extend a tendril of black energy towards the fleeing ship of Eon. "Computer, open a channel to Doc Eon." "Compliance." says the AI as a open channel sound is heard in the comm system. {Romanov to Doc Eon, repeat Romanov to Doc Eon. Give status and coordinates of safe house for regrouping. If any assistance is required, please advise.} OOC: Space reserved for response. The Good Doctor starts the motor and rockets off into the air, making a beeline for the coordinates of the safe house. Meanwhile back on the surface... Imhotep was panting heavily, his golden skin shiny with persperation. The siamese mummies were all dead, save for a few. His summoned warriors were no match for them, but he was able to cast a few of them back to the sands whence they came. As he reached the open sands beyond the town, he shifted his form and became a sandstorm, travelling the great desert with ease. In his "mind" he saw the AntiRa, and whispered a silent prayer to the Gods that he could get to safe distance before it did it's deadly work. He moved quickly towards the no-mind pattern of Ana, establishing a link to her. ^To the machine maiden: Please notify Marion, Indy and company that there is a new threat on the horizon. Literally. The False Pharaoh Mobius has created or summoned some dark entity called Antiheklios and is planning on using it. I believe this is what the Gods meant when they summoned me to this world. The Red Sun is powerful enough, She could threaten The Eye of Ra. This must not happen. Meet me at the ruins of Karnak.^ Elsewhere, in the desert outside Karnak. The O'Connells,Ardeth Bey, Jonathan, Indy and Marion Jones and Ana Romanov sat near or around the jeep. Off in the distance, several cadres of Mobius' shocktroops were being drilled in preparation. A few of them were free enough to guard the railways and entry points to the temple itself. Alex shifted nervously, rubbing his right wrist where the bracelet of The Scorpion King had once been. Rick unrolled his weapons pack and checked each one in sequence, making sure that sand had not gotten in them. Jonathan was more nervous as Alex was, his pale skin glistening in the harsh desert sun. And not just from the heat. Turning to Ana, he said, "So, if I understand this right, Imhotep told you to have us all meet here. Nevermind that we were all on the trail of the Nose of The Sphinx and were heading our separate ways." Ana nodded curtly. She was not sweating despite the heat, but she was paler than Jonathon, especially after getting a good look at the Antihelios way off in the distance. [I do hope that Uncle is okay. I had a fear that Mobius had prepared something for him and his friends, but to summon the AntiHelios?] she mentally shuddered. [That way lies madness.] She motioned to the Temple of Karnak. "He said something about the AntiHelios threating Ra. My guess is that he plans on doing something at the temple of Amon-Ra here in Karnak." Suddenly the sands themselves rose up and formed into Imhoteps' now familiar form. He was dressed in the robes of a sun-priest of Amon-Ra. "That is correct, my mechanical maiden friend. It is here that I must seek counsel with Amun-Re to determine my best course of action." Rick looked up at him, "And of course, they told you the best way to get past a couple of legions of shocktroopers, led by the Pharoahs Elite Corps without bringing them all down on our heads." he said dryly. Imhotep smiled warmly, his face beaming like the Eye of Re. "Of course. They mentioned while I was on the way here that my allies would find a way to do this. From what I remember from our previous encounters, you all were very....resourceful." Doc Energy and Ana Romanov: Scientists Supreme. "Stay tuned to the continuing adventures of The O'Connells and Company in the Spin Off Room." =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Duel Identity On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 16:08:47 -0700 Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00012009 >On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 04:10:44 -0700 (PDT) >Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00012005 > >>On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 21:59:46 -0700 >>Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00011998 > > OOC: Well, then I missed a zig or a zag someplace. Last I saw Nemo >he was running around in a woman's form (in a Star Trek setting) - >seemingly as a result of one of Zia's quips. Actually, IIRC, that wasn't Nemo either. :-) >>And then she stands up without a trace of submisseness (but a lot of >>sensuality) and comments, "Protective coloration can be *so* >>useful". And when she stands she's definitely *not* as young as she seemed earlier. Still not a large person, but the body language gives the impression of a young woman. (OOC: not body changes, just manner and maybe a bit of aura(?)) >>"But then you'd know about that, wouldn't you, Just Violet?" > > The Purple Lady pauses, regarding Baraka for a very long moment >with Eric's own utter stillness. She isn't threatening, but she is >puzzled and wary. > > "If it doesn't infringe on your sources, miss, just how do you >know that name?" (OOC: Ooops. I thought that was a "public" name for UV's heroic activities. Retcon it with something plausible for a person who'd caught the right newpaper stories to know) > "The lack of strength, or the restoration of your health?" UV >asks, thinking she probably knows, but somewhat distracted. Nemo's >note said to meet at this address, so this person is to be trusted, >but she hates taking children - or even young adults into a battle. >Heck, _Roger_ sending a dupe bothers her, and Roger's more powerful >than she is, actually. "The lack of strength my original, male form. I suppose I could start working out or something, but that takes time and would be out of character." "Besides, I enjoy being a girl." Baraka stops and realizes what she's just said. "Ouch. That was bad. And unintentional." =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Duel Identity On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 16:08:48 -0700 Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00012010 >On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 13:07:21 -0400 >Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00012006 > >>On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 04:10:44 -0700 (PDT) >>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00012005 >> >>>On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 21:59:46 -0700 >>>Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00011998 > >Karma's left the (rather difficult to hide) rifle and cartridge belt >at "home," opting for the Ishers, M1911 and phaser. (OOC: Phaser MkI or Mk II? Mark I is the "flat" phaser from the original series. Mark II is the "pistol" phaser) >>>"If it pleases you, this unworthy one is called Baraka." > >Karma's eyes glaze momentarily as she mouths silently, 'haraka haraka >haina baraka' then refocus. With a slight blush at her distraction, >she says, "Well, you seem a blessing to me." (OOC: translation of the Japanese, someone?) >> "The lack of strength, or the restoration of your health?" UV >>asks, thinking she probably knows, but somewhat distracted. Nemo's >>note said to meet at this address, so this person is to be trusted, >>but she hates taking children - or even young adults into a battle. >>Heck, _Roger_ sending a dupe bothers her, and Roger's more powerful >>than she is, actually. > >Karma sips at her tea, ruminating now. [Why do I suddenly feel like >I'm watching 'Tetsuwan Birdy: Thirty Years Later?'] (OOC: Huh? What's a "Tetsuwan Birdy"?) =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Duel Identity On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 21:10:21 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00012011 >On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 16:08:47 -0700 >Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00012009 > >"The lack of strength my original, male form. I suppose I could start >working out or something, but that takes time and would be out of >character." > >"Besides, I enjoy being a girl." > >Baraka stops and realizes what she's just said. > >"Ouch. That was bad. And unintentional." Karma shrugs with a smile, "Not really, if I had the option to change at will and see things from the other side, I'm not sure I'd be entirely partial to my own sex. Unless you had another sense in mind, in which case, it still applies in spirit." =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Duel Identity On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 21:42:39 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00012012 >On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 16:08:48 -0700 >Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00012010 > >>On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 13:07:21 -0400 >>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00012006 >> >>Karma's left the (rather difficult to hide) rifle and cartridge belt >>at "home," opting for the Ishers, M1911 and phaser. > >(OOC: Phaser MkI or Mk II? Mark I is the "flat" phaser from the >original series. Mark II is the "pistol" phaser) I think Nemo supplied Moonstone with the Mark I, though I prefer the pistol grip version, so Moonie found a way to fashion one to fit and function with a pistol grip. >>Karma's eyes glaze momentarily as she mouths silently, 'haraka >>haraka haina baraka' then refocus. With a slight blush at her >>distraction, she says, "Well, you seem a blessing to me." > >(OOC: translation of the Japanese, someone?) OOC: Swahilli, actually. "In hurry, hurry no blessing." Baraka is the Sufi word for blessing or essense of life, the blessing usually referring to the blessing of God. Sufism (Sufiism?) was the most well-traveled variety of Islam, focusing mostly on mysticism and apparently doing a pretty good job of blending itself into various precursor religions, to the point of minimizing the Islam which many Europeans had problems with. So, Baraka is a common name, as well as a term known in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. In Karma's case, the name spurred the memory and the memory gave the meaning of the name. Hooray for Googling. :) >>Karma sips at her tea, ruminating now. [Why do I suddenly feel like >>I'm watching 'Tetsuwan Birdy: Thirty Years Later?'] > >(OOC: Huh? What's a "Tetsuwan Birdy"?) Tetsuwan Birdy (AKA Birdy the Mighty) Boy gets "killed" by alien girl police officer. In punishment for taking an innocent life, she's forced to essentially give her body over to him so that he can live out his normal life. Thing is, this isn't a death sentence for her, she shares headspace with the boy and can turn into her old self if he lets her. Also damage in one form doesn't seem to transfer to the other. So, if Ferrer and Baraka were two distinct individuals sharing the same body, it'd be like Ferrer's the human boy, thirty years older or something, and Baraka's the powerful alien girl. They only made about six or eight episodes, and despite a lot of irritating things (she's a cop but just happens to luck into finding the thing she's after, the only real detectives are two human cops in the same trail who happen to bump into her) the story itself isn't half-bad. Needs a serious rehashing to work out all the holes in the story, but the potential would be promising. It also ends like it'd been intended to be a longer series, elements of arc plot and the like. It's also surprisingly tasteful. Absent-minded dad walks into the bath, sees a naked girl he doesn't know, says "oh, excuse me," she sounds embarrassed, but says "no problem" and dad calls downstairs to the rest of the family, assuming there's a guest in the house he forgot about (he has an older teenage daughter, could have been a friend.) Of all the directions you'd expect a situation like that to go in anime, that was the most reasonable, and last, direction you'd expect. Anyway, some of the humor doesn't translate, some of it's underplayed, but after Ranma and the like, it's been done to death. =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Dark Sun Rising On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 20:21:51 -0700 (PDT) Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00012013 >Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00012000 > >>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011993 >> >> Then the black and purple 'flames' begin to flow into the sewer >>after them. While the force wave seems past, the way it freezes the >>water it flickers across and leaves frost and cracks along pipes >>_can't_ be good. >> "Great Athena," Hippolyta breathes, frost accompanying the words. >>"We have to get to the surface!" she exclaims, running (assuming Rob >>has the good sense to do the same 8^). "Just as open air spreads >>flame, enclosed spaces spread this unholy anti-fire!" > > Rob doesn't even blink. [Nothing like being in a tearing hurry to >get rid of restrictions,] he notes as he races ahead of Hippolyta. >*When I jump, throw me at the ceiling. -Don't hold back.-* > The amazon queen stares at her rescuer in confusion. [Has he lost >his mind?] There isn't any time to debate; Rob jumps, losing enough >forward momentum that she catches him easily. > So she throws him at the ceiling. Hard. It takes perhaps a tenth of a second for Rob to reach the ceiling of the sewer. Plenty of time to focus his Ler, and release it in a shattering strike. ******* The streets of Cairo are quiet, with the Ubiquitous Dragon the only people about. Two Dragons meet in an intersection, and turn to continue their search, when the street explodes underneath them. As he reaches the apex of his flight, Rob blinks in amazement. [I knew she was strong, but not -this- strong.] Halfway through the twenty-foot drop to the street, Hippolyta sails out of the hole he made, catches him, and lands on the ground. *Thank you. I'd rather not find out if I could have landed safely.* Slipping from her arms, he begins running. *This way. The Dragons won't be out for long, and he's probably noticed that two of him got knocked silly.* The duo run through the streets of Cairo, toward a maze of side streets that promises safety. =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Duel Identity On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 04:27:10 -0700 Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00012014 >On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 21:10:21 -0400 >Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00012011 > >>On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 16:08:47 -0700 >>Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00012009 >> >>"Besides, I enjoy being a girl." >> >>Baraka stops and realizes what she's just said. >> >>"Ouch. That was bad. And unintentional." > >Karma shrugs with a smile, "Not really, if I had the option to change >at will and see things from the other side, I'm not sure I'd be >entirely partial to my own sex. Unless you had another sense in mind, >in which case, it still applies in spirit." "Actually, I was referring to the inadvertent pun..." "In any case, as a man, I'm taken far more seriously. And as a woman, if it wasn't for the 'extras' I get with the transformation, I'd be *very* nervous about many people and places." "But since I do have the capability of defending myself, there are a few less rapists on the streeets of Cairo." =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Duel Identity On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 11:47:54 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00012015 >On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 04:27:10 -0700 >Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00012014 > >>On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 21:10:21 -0400 >>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00012011 >> >>Karma shrugs with a smile, "Not really, if I had the option to >>change at will and see things from the other side, I'm not sure I'd >>be entirely partial to my own sex. Unless you had another sense in >>mind, in which case, it still applies in spirit." > >"Actually, I was referring to the inadvertent pun..." Karma ohs, looking puzzled. >"In any case, as a man, I'm taken far more seriously. And as a woman, >if it wasn't for the 'extras' I get with the transformation, I'd be >*very* nervous about many people and places." "Point," Karma says ruefully, having not really thought about how she came to be here; namely, how she'd come to discover Moonstone's warehouse lair in the first place. So much had happened since then that seemed more immediate an issue. >"But since I do have the capability of defending myself, there are a >few less rapists on the streeets of Cairo." Karma seems to take in Baraka anew and, after a beat, nodding, "I can imagine." "Well," Karma says finally, setting down her glass, "My naivety aside, who's the Silver Scarab and what's his situation?" (OOC: Unless we already covered that question.) =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Dark Sun Rising On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 10:57:29 -0700 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012016 >On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 20:21:51 -0700 (PDT) >Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00012013 > >>Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00012000 >> >> Rob doesn't even blink. [Nothing like being in a tearing hurry to >>get rid of restrictions,] he notes as he races ahead of Hippolyta. >>*When I jump, throw me at the ceiling. -Don't hold back.-* >> The amazon queen stares at her rescuer in confusion. [Has he lost >>his mind?] There isn't any time to debate; Rob jumps, losing enough >>forward momentum that she catches him easily. >> So she throws him at the ceiling. Hard. > > It takes perhaps a tenth of a second for Rob to reach the ceiling >of the sewer. Plenty of time to focus his Ler, and release it in a >shattering strike. > >******* > > The streets of Cairo are quiet, with the Ubiquitous Dragon the >only people about. Two Dragons meet in an intersection, and turn to >continue their search, when the street explodes underneath them. "*" they almost say, just before disappearing. > As he reaches the apex of his flight, Rob blinks in amazement. [I >knew she was strong, but not -this- strong.] Halfway through the >twenty-foot drop to the street, Hippolyta sails out of the hole he >made, catches him, and lands on the ground. > *Thank you. I'd rather not find out if I could have landed >safely.* Slipping from her arms, he begins running. *This way. The >Dragons won't be out for long, and he's probably noticed that two of >him got knocked silly.* > The duo run through the streets of Cairo, toward a maze of side >streets that promises safety. A figure in a dark green suit leaps up a fire escape, from floor level to floor level, to reach a rooftop. Drawn by the explosion and sensing his master's disruption, the Lin Kuei races to track the fleeing figures. He can't quite pinpoint them, but he _thinks_ he knows their general direction... The Lin Kuei takes out a period walkie-talkie. (The Ubiquitous Dragon, unlike some of his contemporaries, is not averse to modern technology.) "Master!" he hisses into the box. The robed msater Villain appears on the rooftop next to his minion. "Well done, servant." He points down an alley. "The prisoners -- we might yet catch them!" The Dragon shakes his head. "No." "But--" the Lin Kuei begins. Then a shelter opens, disgorging citizens into the streets and engulfing the heroes. The Lin Kuei clenches a fist in frustration as the city begins to 'steam' (actually water condensation) from thawing buildings and items. "There is a rhythm to these matters," the Dragon explains, not unkindly. "In all things, but even moreso in this reality, we are living a grand tale. This chapter is ended. It is their time to escape, to regroup. Yet as the pages turn, other opportunities will arise." After a pause, the Dragon turns. "_Come._ We must prepare for our next part in this story." The Lin Kuei, puzzled but obedient, bows deeply and follows. =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Quitting Time? On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 21:16:41 -0700 Eric Said As CAoL Message # 00012018 Now that most of the escapes are complete... 8^) >On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 06:50:54 -0700 (PDT) >Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011985 > >>On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 22:40:22 -0700 >>Eric Said As CAoL Message # 00011980 >> >>>On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 05:45:07 -0700 (PDT) >>>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011976 >> >> "I don't know about slang, but while I certainly don't object to >>you being _confident_ that you can rely on me, I'd rather that you >>not _have_ to." > > "And I'd rather be in Rio, working on my tan and samba." Ultra >Violet comments wistfully. That actually gets a chuckle out of Eric. A dark chuckle, but then, the man doesn't really have a "brightness" dial. >"You'd rather I wasn't in danger at all, but that isn't the sort of >woman I am. I'd rather I didn't have to, either, but given the stakes >we're playing for, I don't think you can reasonably expect me to >ignore any tactical advantage." He nods. "We do what we must." > "Besides, I'd be doing worse if you weren't around. Ask the Double >Docs sometimes about the crazy things I used to do when I was young >and reckless." Ultra-violet gives him a wide grin that definitely is >in the manner of 'you thought _that_ was bad?!?' Lancer rolls his eyes. "Then I am definitely glad that I 'am around.'" >>> "Ziactrice had a set of these, as rewards for managing to >>>survive the Black Death in her youth. However, mine are due to >>>burns, rather artistically sculpted into my flesh with Infra-red's >>>powers during a very bad night in Brussels in nineteenn - ah, >>>well,long ago. >> >> Eric's expression instantly becomes utterly neutral. Of course, >>he can't hide his feelings from Zia behind that particular mask; >>he's suppressing an overwhelming desire to make Infra-Red Not Be. > > Ultra-violet gives the man in black a sideglance, and a nod of >agreement. "I am impressed," he notes darkly, "that you are able to appreciate 'artistry' in what was done. It is an appreciation I seem unable to share." His hands clench, knuckles popping (this quite unintentional, ironically enough), then slowly unclench. >>> "She is a Progenitor gone very wrong; by my estimations she has >>>at least six times Hitler's body count, maybe more. I know she >>>released the influenza that caused the pandemic of 1918-22, and I >>>suspect she was behind the same disease pandemic in 1940." >> >> The 'mask' hardens, with the loathing increasing many fold. "So. >>She _is_ real. I thought that those stories were just Tradition >>propaganda. Though they, at least, have a different name for her in >>our time: the Queen of Spades." > > "Then Queen of the death card suit? It fits her. Who are these >Tradition people? I might want to see if they've managed to learn >anything about her current operations. I'm a bit out of date on the >latest happenings." Eric's eyes widen slightly, then slips into 'Exposition Man' mode. "Hrm. Where to begin... "You probably know about individual groups within the Traditions -- the Sons of Ether, the Cult of Ecstasy, the Akashic Brotherhood -- and for generations, most outside their Council knew them as the Lodge. Nephandic propaganda." He shrugs neutrally. "They're a group of mystic Mages -- nine 'traditions,' hence the name -- who have been fighting to restore mystical and spiritual beliefs in the world. Or in the case of the Etherites, fantastic Science." Even when Eric says it, Science has a capital-S when referring to the Etheric variant. ;^) "Though they've got some bad seeds themselves -- Voormas is as bad as Infra-Red, though he doesn't have her body count -- for the most oart, they're the Good Guys. Liberty, justice, that sort of thing, though they're not as corny about it as the boy sc--Defender." "The short list: Akashic Brothers are martial arts masters. Seeker's one. Their Sphere of expertise is Mind. Celestial Chorus -- religious paradigm, monotheists, Sphere Prime. Cultists -- power through joy; think Rio. Sphere Time. Dreamspeakers -- medicine men, spiritualists, primordial style, Sphere Spirit (no surprise). Euthanatos -- I'd be one if I joined, and I might. Rio calls them 'Darwin's little helpers.' Sphere Entropy. Order of Hermes -- classic wizards, at least by Western standards. Words of power, rituals, etc. Sphere Forces. Sons of Ether you know -- Weird Science. Sphere Matter. Verbena -- mystical/spiritual polytheists, fairly Gaia-centric modernly. Sphere Life. Virtual Adepts -- like AJ47. Reality hackers and computer gods. Sphere Correspondence, aka space." >> Eric nods, understanding perfectly. Unconsciously, he strokes the >>bleeding wound that was the scar below his eye left by Lasombra. > > "Didn't someone famous here locally say something about removing >the beam from one's own eye before worrying about the splinter in a >neighbors? I'm not even bleeding. First check the wound Wu Ming's >fingernails made. He can do some wickedly nasty things with those." Eric sighs. "Did these to myself. This," he says, gesturing to the few visible wounds, "is Paradox backlash from making that robot Not Be. Notice they're all where...I used to have scars? They'll heal." He pauses. "Hrm. Come to think of it, the Dragon stuck to punching and kicking me. Which he did with considerable skill." >>> UV makes a face. @Eric, you REALLY need to pick a name. Soon. Or >>>I'm going to do it for you, 'sidekick'.@ >> >> @And what, precisely, is wrong with 'The Hunter?'@ he replies >>evenly. >> Even though he only teeped it, a gust of wind surges through an >>open window (was that window _open_ a moment ago?) and swirls his >>coat dramatically as he sends that. > > @Weeeell, I've always thought those 'The Whatever' names were a >leetle bit overblown on the dramatic side, and I thought you didn't >much care for the title. What was it you said, the first time I met >you in Callahan's? It's like being called The Baker, or The Cook? And >you told us to call you Lancer, or Eric, yes?@ Eric actually pales. (Well, only slightly. But still.) @Sol and Gaia. This place is getting to me. I'm actually...comfortable with the name here. Though I'm not comfortable with _being_ comfortable with it. If that's not hopelessly tautological.@ He puts on the shades unconsciously. @I cannot wait to leave this realm.@ @I think.@ @Sol help me.@ (Continued in Tales of the Amazon) =========================== Subject: AAE 9n: Tales of the Amazon On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 23:04:26 -0700 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012019 >On Sun, 11 Apr 2004 06:50:54 -0700 (PDT) >Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011985 > >>On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 22:40:22 -0700 >>Eric Said As CAoL Message # 00011980 >> "Who is he? Where does he come from? His power structure, his >>major allies, his goals, his skills, his resources, and especially >>any known weaknesses." >> Jack nearly chokes on a swig of ale. "You don't ask for much, do >>you?" He pauses, brow furrowing. "The Scarab can tell you more about >>Mobius than I can. Arch-enemies and all that." OOC: Once everyone's back at Baraka's...well, except for "poor" Karma...heh... When the Scarab (now in his civvies, since with all the tepe flying around, he figures he can trust this bunch, if they don't know his identity already) hears that Jack called Mobius his arch-nemesis, he laughs harshly. "Hardly," he says, squeezing Sadi's shoulder gently. (Sadi is curled next to him, 'tucked' into an arm.) "If anyone could be said to be Mobius' arch-nemesis, that'd be the Guardian. I can try contacting him, if you like." "You do know a fair amount about Mobius, however," Hippolyta notes between helpings. The Scarab nods. "He's nuts for his science, for starters. You saw some of the gadgets, sure, but for some of these lunatics, it's just a means to an end. Not Mobius -- he really loves the stuff. He's a master of many talents, but his main schtick is Ultra-Science. I suppose, after that, the most important thing to know is that he's an egomaniac -- but one so brilliant he _almost_ lives up to his self-image." The Scarab chuckles. "Oh, and he's nuttier than a fruitcake, but you saw that for yourselves." "Actually," Hippolyta replies slowly, "I am not entirely certain of that." "Hm?" Scarab turns his attention to her. "Well, I was...with him, a great deal, recently. He seems to have...calmed, somewhat. Particularly when he is not around an audience." Hippolyta rubs her chin. (OOC: Cue someone saying 'you're an audience.' 8^) Hippolyta shakes her head. "That was different. When there are only a few people around -- an Overgovernor or two, or only with his advisors, he is consistently 'sane,' as much as anyone like him can be. And with me..." she looks puzzled -- no, downright boggled. "I honestly believe that he was trying to...flirt with me!" "Hey, Poli," Jack quips, "I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of the spear with you, but you're pretty easy on the eyes." Hippolyta scowls at him, but there's no heat in it. "You _know_ what I mean, Murphy. He didn't strap me to a mind-reversal ray, or threaten Hespera with the Omegatron--" "Hespera?" the Hunter asks, tipping the hat up slightly. "The island home of the Amazons," Hippolyta explains, her voice growing a touch reverent, "where the Flame of Power burns eternally." Doc Eon looks up, and Whitley looks astonished. "Hespera?" the Doctor asks. "Was it inhabited when you found it?" Hippolyta frowns. "...no, but everything seemed well cared for. Though I was the first pilgrim to receive the Flame's blessing, it was as though the Amazons of legend had left the island prepared for our arrival." "The axiom wash is like that," the Scarab explains. "Objects, landmarks, even entire cities and islands can be created or disappear as reality changes." Doc Eon looks the Scarab -- Rex -- squarely in the eye. "My team visited Hespera," he explains, "over sixty years ago, to battle General Haushofer and his Thulian thugs." "Oh." "If I may?" Hippolyta replies, a touch archly and more than a touch shaken. Both men nod apologetically and sit back. "Thank you. Instead of performing any of the stereotypical methods of the mad scientist to force his attentions on me, he...pampered me," she finishes, caught somewhere between disgust, confusion, and maybe a hint of something else. Maybe. "I ate the finest foods, received expert massage from the royal hands," she notes with a wry chuckle, "and was provided with ample opportunity for entertainment of my choosing. I refused, but another woman might have found the attention...flattering." She shakes her head dismissively. "Of course, now that I am an Amazon, such 'temptations' hold little interest for me." From the sudden interest Jack takes in the ceiling, even _he_ isn't touching that one. "What does he want?" Eric asks bluntly. "Mobius? Not conquest, at least not for its own sake," Hippolyta replies, sending the Scarab's eyebrows into the stratosphere. "He conquered, so he said, to seek immortality, or 'conquering eternity' as he called it once. He's achieved that now, though, through some combination of Ultra-Science, divine favor, and mathematical sorcery." (OOC: Unless UV clamps down on it, the sidetrack where they talk about mathemagic goes here. ) "To continue. Mobius now claims to be repaying his crocodile god, but his heart is clearly not in it," the Amazon Queen says, now pacing and deep in thought. "He truly becomes excited and pleased when he has heroes to face. He has not killed one yet, though he's used death traps aplenty." "Mobius' traps haven't claimed any Storm Knights?" Sadi asks, stunned. "Two worlds past, when last we met the Blaze, he claimed fifteen with one scheme alone." "Huh." She stops pacing briefly. "He brooded a great deal, when we were alone in his bedchambers. That was the one time I was truly afraid -- and I feel no shame admitting it, having been helpless and alone with a man so clearly inflamed -- and yet, he would only pace, and glance at me from beneath his hood, then sit and stare into space for a time. Then he would send me away, to a comfortable bed of my own. Of course, it was difficult sleeping with my arms chained behind me..." The amazon begins pacing again. "The only word I can use for it is 'haunted.' Oh, he'll rant well enough, and come up with devious plans, traps, and strategies. They never seem to exceed a hero's abilities, however, if they would otherwise be lethal. And Teth-Net -- his royal marshall -- is beside himself at Mobius' military cautiousness. The Pharaoh's been trying to keep casualties to an absolute minimum for both sides, preferring to rely more than ever on various bizarre devices like hypnotic ray cannons and electro-stunner artillery." The queen smiles sourly. "Of course, sometimes Teth-Net is ecstatic. When these strategies work, they work spectacularly, overwhelming entire armies with almost no casualties. Mobius bragged to me once that he's won five of his campaign's battles without a single fatality occurring on either side." "You mention a royal marshall," Eric cuts in, still polite but relentless. "Who are his other primary minions, advisors, Overgovernors?" Hippolyta nods, taking no offense. "I only know of a handful of the Overgovernors. Wu Ming and Natatiri," the latter name almost spat out contemptuously, "you've met. The only others I'm really familiar with are Madib al-Hebpsa, who governs the region that holds the capitol, and the Red Hand, who does more villainous running-around than governing." The Scarab tightens at that name, but says nothing. "Oh, and his spymaster, but she's also a royal advisor. "Madib al-Hebpsa is something of a rakish figure in court, very handsome, very bold. He winked at me once. I thought Mobius was going to kill him on the spot," she chuckles. "He used to be trusted, but he's been getting close to Natatiri. The Red Hand -- Rex, you know him, right?" "You could say that," the Scarab replies acidly. "He's been using a variant of my Sting for years. Except he can set _his_ to kill -- and does. The man's a mad scientist, a thrill-seeker, and utterly amoral. He does what he wants, when he wants, and only Mobius can rein him in. If I could be said to have an 'arch-nemesis,' it'd be _him._" Hippolyta nods. "Then there are the royal advisors. Teth-Net, I've explained -- he's Mobius' general, second only to the Pharaoh in the armed forces. Brilliant and loyal. The only one more loyal, I'd say, is the Scarlet Asp." Eric raises a dubious eyebrow. "Who?" he asks dryly. "Mobius' personal Ultra-Agent. She calls herself his 'troubleshooter,' because if there's trouble, she shoots it." At the groans, she waves her hands defensively. "Her joke, not mine!" She sobers quickly. "She all but worships Mobius as a god. And she's very good -- the Asp is the one who defeated me. Though I would count our skills as equal, she is both stronger and faster than I. Mobius granted her such abilities through a combination of Science and magical 'engineering,' making her his ultimate fighting machine. And she is quite clever, as if that weren't enough." She pauses. "The rest are also dangerous, albeit in different ways. Rama-Tet is his Vizier, and the unquestioned master of mathematical astrology and wizardry in the realm. Somewhat loyal, but more loyal to himself from the looks of him. Ahkemeses is the High Priest, and wields vast powers of his own. _He_ is loyal enough to manipulate omens for Mobius' behalf." Hippolyta scowls in distaste. "Muab is the royal builder -- master of magical engineering, which is basically building enchantment, but has other uses. Mobius' worst traps are a combination of 'engineering' and Ultra-Science, and Muab knows both. Janya Paterski is the spymaster, and the only advisor who's also an Overgovernor. I couldn't read her, but if she can't be trusted, Mobius is in a lot of trouble." She sighs. "We should be so lucky." The amazon stops pacing, pauses, then sits. "That leaves the two oddest ducks. There's the royal accountant -- I kid you not -- and I made a mistake when I said they were all dangerous. Unless you're afraid of a royal audit. Then hide, because Felix Bannerman is so good with numbers that a meeting doesn't go by where Rama-Tet doesn't try to recruit him. And since Bannerman is a classic 30s con artist, complete with pinstripes, lucky rabbit's foot, and a slide rule tie clip that actually works, that's truly a surreal sight. Then again, he's positively normal compared to Lord Darkstock." Doc Eon becomes very intent again, but says nothing. "Darkstock is from some odd branch of Terra's British royal family. Brilliant, insane, the usual. Except his expertise is in...unusual fauna. In other words, monsters. It's an interest that Mobius only developed recently, during the plans to invade our world. Darkstock gives them all the creeps, even Rama-Tet, who gives everyone _else_ the creeps." The Amazon Queen exhales in relief. "Well, that's all I've got off the top of my head." She grins. "This is where I say 'I'll take your questions now,' I believe," she finishes in a manner more suited to a scholar than a warrior queen. =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Dark Sun Rising On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 23:32:56 -0700 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012020 >On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 02:07:35 -0700 >Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00012004 > >>On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 23:32:52 -0700 >>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012001 >> >> Doc looks slightly puzzled, but after a moment's calculation, >>nods. "If you stand over there while you do it," he says, pointing >>toward one of the many safety harnesses on board, "that should >>improve our escape angle. I'll be right back." > >On cue, she switches to Ferrer, which indeed affects the trim. And >deals with various, scratches, bruises, etc. > >And he'll switch back to Baraka on cue. With a different hairstyle >and other "cosmetic" changes. "Hey," Ace says, glancing over, "did you do something with your hair?" "Ace, we _do_ have other things to worry about," Eon notes. "Tell you what, Doc," Ace laughs, "I'll leave saving the universe to you, and you leave the romance to me, okay?" Doc Eon merely smiles knowingly. >> There's a long, tense moment as the beam slowly closes with them. >>The Hawk shakes even harder. The rear guns go silent as the last >>ornithopter vanishes into the blast. A lick of anti-flame catches >>against the rudder. >> Then, mercifully, finally, the beam "winks" out, and the Hawk >>roars safely and triumphantly through the sky. >> "We _did_ it!" Penny cries, hugging a stunned Whitley. >> "Yeah!" Joe howls, pumping a fist into the air. >> Ace leans back with a confident grin. > >And Baraka will lean over and kiss him (on the cheek, he's still >flying :-) Ace's grin broadens, though he looks faintly embarrassed, not to mention like steam's about to shoot out of his ears. ;^) >>"Everyone all right up here?" >> "Right as rain and twice as slick," Ace quips back. "Where to, >>Doc?" "Back to Cairo, as low as you can manage," Doc Eon replies. >>"We have to return our benefactor home, meet with the others..." his >>face grows serious. "And plan our next move against Mobius. With the >>Ubiquitous Dragon at his side, there is no telling what fantastic >>scheme he will hatch." >> "Just like old times, eh Doc?" Joe laughs. >> Doc smiles at his old friend, but says nothing in response. > >Baraka wiil give directions. Though I don't know if they want them to >someplace to land or to just drop her and Doc Eon off. > >If it's the latter, she'll calmly note that anything under 300 feet >is fine with her. They'll land, so that (unless Baraka wishes otherwise) Doc and the Trio can all coordinate with the group. Doc could make the jump easily, but it'd be pushing it for Penny (one slip and she'd be pulp instead of a Penny Dreadful), and it's Right Out for Whitley and Joe. "I've got some errands to run, good-lookin'," Ace explains, a touch mournfully. "Smuggling heroes, dogfighting with bird-planes, getting sacred geegaws out of the country -- you know, milk runs. I sure hope to be around this way again, though -- maybe you can show me what _else_ you can do with those arms," he finishes with a wink and a grin. Doc looks like he's about to say something, then forces a broad smile down to a grin and keeps his mouth shut. =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Duel Identity On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 23:47:54 -0700 Eric Said As CAoL Message # 00012021 >On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 04:10:44 -0700 (PDT) >Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00012005 > >>On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 21:59:46 -0700 >>Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00011998 >> >>Mr. Ferrer isn't a gentleman, but he'll offer to take her coat >>anyway. :-) > > With only a flicker of her eyes at Eric, Ultraviolet turns her >back on this stranger, allowing him to remove her coat. This act of >trust isn't easy for her - and she doesn't bring it off quite as >smoothly as Zia could have - but she does it. Eric's there to watch >her back, after all. The armament she is wearing is enough to have >stir the usual curiosity she thinks of as Hunter's Quandry - how can >she carry all that and none of it clank against another piece? Eric had waited a beat to allow the host the chance, but now isn't sure if that was such a good idea. He watches Ultraviolet's back without being remotely obvious about it -- for all the man's brutal directness when it suits him, he _can_ be remarkably subtle, likewise when it suits him. He notes her discomfort with a mental reminder to check with her about it -- later. >>She does a sort of bow crossed with kneeling. >> >>"If it pleases you, this unworthy one is called Baraka." > > Eric has never seen Violet look so _distinctly uncomfortable. The >woman in purple bows rather more deeply than she normally would in >reply, but does not offer her own name, which is more than a trifle >odd. [Hrm.] He doesn't show it, but the hairs on the back of his neck are starting to stand on end. >>"There are disadvantages to his form, though. Alas, I found that my >>'power' seems to relate to the weight difference. And since I am >>restored to otherwise perfect health in either form when I switch, >>it's merely a nuisance." > > "The lack of strength, or the restoration of your health?" UV >asks, thinking she probably knows, but somewhat distracted. Nemo's >note said to meet at this address, so this person is to be trusted, >but she hates taking children - or even young adults into a battle. >Heck, _Roger_ sending a dupe bothers her, and Roger's more powerful >than she is, actually. Eric wonders briefly whether she's picking up his prejudice on this matter, or comes by it 'honestly.' (OOC: Once their exchange has been resolved:) "If you will excuse me for saying so, ma'am, I think we should get down to business. We have a tricky rescue to pull off, and however showy the mugs are, I doubt our adversary is going to just let us waltz out with the guy." (OOC: And we know how the rescue turned out... ;^) =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Dark Sun Rising On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 23:58:13 -0700 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012022 >On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 18:43:53 -0400 >Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00012008 > >The claw marks were still present, but not near as deep as they were. >He raises a fist to the skies. "Curse you, Mobius. Your meddling in >affairs you don't understand will be the death of us all. Computer, >activate transport." Mocking laughter echoes in the distance. >Suddenlly, the giant robot awakens, and marches to Doc Energys' >position, being careful not to step on any people panicking or >houses. The robot reaches him, and stops. A door opens in the ankle >of the brass behemoth, and Romanov steps inside the elevator housed >there. He quickly moves up the central shaft and pops up in the >middle of the cockpit. The terrible beam spirals ever closer... >The Good Doctor watches the Dark Sun extend a tendril of black energy >towards the fleeing ship of Eon. "Computer, open a channel to Doc >Eon." >"Compliance." says the AI as a open channel sound is heard in the >comm system. >{Romanov to Doc Eon, repeat Romanov to Doc Eon. Give status and >coordinates of safe house for regrouping. If any assistance is >required, please advise.} {We'll manage, Doctor Romanov. Downloading coordinates to your mechanical brain now. Exit the blast path of the Omegatron as quickly as is feasible. And Emil...it is good to see you again.} Doc Eon's confident smile can almost be seen through the speaker. >The Good Doctor starts the motor and rockets off into the air, making >a beeline for the coordinates of the safe house. The black ray of anti-plasma fills the air to the south, seeming to hunger for BORIS and the amazing Doctor Energy! OOC: I leave it to you to write a suitable hairsbreadth escape. =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Dark Sun Rising On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 02:40:23 -0700 Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00012024 >On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 23:32:56 -0700 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012020 > >>On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 02:07:35 -0700 >>Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00012004 >> >>And Baraka will lean over and kiss him (on the cheek, he's still >>flying :-) > > Ace's grin broadens, though he looks faintly embarrassed, not to >mention like steam's about to shoot out of his ears. ;^) Baraka looks pleased at his reaction. > They'll land, so that (unless Baraka wishes otherwise) Doc and the >Trio can all coordinate with the group. Doc could make the jump >easily, but it'd be pushing it for Penny (one slip and she'd be pulp >instead of a Penny Dreadful), and it's Right Out for Whitley and Joe. > "I've got some errands to run, good-lookin'," Ace explains, a >touch mournfully. "Smuggling heroes, dogfighting with bird-planes, >getting sacred geegaws out of the country -- you know, milk runs. I >sure hope to be around this way again, though -- maybe you can show >me what _else_ you can do with those arms," he finishes with a wink >and a grin. "Be careful what you wish for, you may get it... or not." Her smile takes any sting out of this cryptic comment. > Doc looks like he's about to say something, then forces a broad >smile down to a grin and keeps his mouth shut. Baraka give him a careful look. Then she re-arranges her clothing a bit and is a non-descript veiled (young) woman. She then leads this motley crew thru the maze of streets and alleyways. =========================== Subject: Re: AAE9n: Overtime On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 05:45:58 -0700 Reality Hacker AJ47 Said As CAoL Message # 00012025 The car had rounded the corner and accelerated smoothly into third gear before Jensen realized that he was handling the manual transmission like an old pro, despite never having done so before. Aware of the general nature of his situation, and of a dozen other similar quirks of his current persona, he shrugged it off and addressed his wrist radio once again. "No time to waste, as you said. What's at this pick-up site, and what's been going on during my beauty sleep? And where was I napping, anyway? I see now that the address is ()." {Basic equipment that you'll most likely need. I can't meet you in person for a drop-off, so this was the next best thing. As for goings-on, there's a fight in progress near the center of the capitol - attempted execution of an Enemy of the State. Emphasis on 'attempted', of course. Updates are coming in too quickly to give you a useful summary, except that some of your pals look like they're heading for that safe house that you discussed earlier.} {And that address is a bust... in fact, it's been busted five times this month alone, mostly for racketeering. Whoever saved your bacon might be nearly as rough as the fellow who threatened it in the first place. You want to find out exactly who it was, you'll probably need to do the footwork yourself.} {Oh, and you've had a message on hold since before you hopped on the plane to get here. Here it is:} >On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 17:59:29 -0400 >Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00012007 > >{Welcome aboard the B.O.R.I.S. 1, AJ47.} replied The Good Doctor. {If >you are worried about cross-cosm transformation, I believe you will >need this information.} Romanov sends a {} on the nature of Storm >Knights and their ability to survive in other cosms. Jensen instinctively nodded, then delivered a reply. "I appreciate the thought, but the old me would've stuck out like a sore thumb around here-- a lot more than usual, even. When in Cairo..." After a suspiciously uneventful drive, he pulled into the parking lot of a cramped set of warehouses, heading for the back door of one of them and waltzing in like he owned the place. Which, in fact, he did. From the nearest shelf, he picked up a box of auto tools and a pair of binoculars, and ferried them out to the trunk of the car. The second trip supplied him with an extra gallon of gasoline, along with an extra gallon of antifreeze - the latter because of an attached piece of paper with "you might need this" written in a familiar hand. Had he not made the third trip out to the warehouse, he might have noticed the masked gentleman who snuck up to the car, jimmied the lock of the trunk, and climbed inside, pulling it closed after himself. "Operator? Get me ()," he spoke into the phone, then peered out the window as he waited to hear the telltale click of a newly connected call, and the quiet background hum of an ongoing connection. [No, no one's taking it for a ride,] he thought to himself, seeing that the front seat remained empty. Click, hum. "Hello? It's Jensen. Yes, I'm looking for information on the local big boys. No, not him... and no, not him, either; already got tabs on both. Any other big players who aren't - officially - connected to either of those to. Yes, of course I'll make it worth your while, don't I always? Hmm, I don't have a lot of time right now, and I'm not sure exactly when I will. I'll try to call you this time tomorrow. All right, thanks. Appreciate it." Jensen made it almost halfway to the safe house when he stopped the car short, eyeing a crowd of pedestrians who were all running in roughly the same direction at great speed. "That never signals anything good," he muttered to himself, pulling over and hopping out to get a look at what all those people were running away from. It didn't take him long to spot the darkness rapidly approaching; he quickly retrieved the binoculars and looked through them, then turned a couple of dials not available in the floor model and took another look. And stared, frowning. "A cold bomb? Well, that explains the antifreeze, but how to make it effective against that?" "Maybe I can help," replied the masked gentleman, who had just climbed out of the trunk again and tapped Jensen on the shoulder. He nearly got a punch in the stomach for his trouble, too, until the familiar costume registered. "Wh--? Who are you? Wait, aren't they supposed to be executing you right about now?" "Yes, about that..." but his sentence was momentarily interrupted by the roar of the approaching crowd. Not to mention a curious explosion several blocks away, as if something had crashed through the pavement, heading upward at great speed... (Who are Jensen's unseen contacts? Who is this fake Silver Scarab, and how will they escape the deadly cold of Mobius's super-weapon? Tune In Next Week...) =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Quitting Time? On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 04:16:55 -0700 (PDT) Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00012026 >On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 21:16:41 -0700 >Eric Said As CAoL Message # 00012018 > > That actually gets a chuckle out of Eric. A dark chuckle, but >then, the man doesn't really have a "brightness" dial. OOC: Actually, he does, you know. ;-) > "I am impressed," he notes darkly, "that you are able to >appreciate 'artistry' in what was done. It is an appreciation I seem >unable to share." His hands clench, knuckles popping (this quite >unintentional, ironically enough), then slowly unclench. "Well," the Just Violet grins oh-so-slightly, "you're not a sadist, love. I wouldn't expect you to be able to objectively share some of my perspectives on such things. All people have their own limitations, just as they have their own strengths. Sometimes, the two are related." "There actually was a great deal of artistry involved; simple heat couldn't have created all these effects, she had to inject phosphorous and other chemicals in conjunction. The only consolation I had at the time was that it kept her to busy to do things I would have found worse than simple scars. She is _capable_ of MUCH worse; I know. I've stopped the much worse a time or three." >Voormas is as bad as Infra-Red, though he doesn't have her body count Violet just snorts in polite disbelief, wondering if Eric just doesn't understand what makes Infra-Red in a class of her own. Maybe it's just that IR is _her_ archenemy. Oh, well. > Eric sighs. "Did these to myself. This," he says, gesturing to the >few visible wounds, "is Paradox backlash from making that robot Not >Be. Notice they're all where...I used to have scars? They'll heal." >He pauses. "Hrm. Come to think of it, the Dragon stuck to punching >and kicking me. Which he did with considerable skill." "How odd. I _saw_ him strike with his nails at least once, but then frown. Did you somehow elude him? That's quite an accomplishment; he is quite skilled. Better than me, in a straight-out combat." The Just Violet smiles. "Of course, I don't fight that way, but strangely enough, he never quite seems to press his advantage. Or he didn't. If he truly has lost his gender-bias, I'll have to be very careful in the future. I'm afraid I still have mine..." > Eric actually pales. (Well, only slightly. But still.) @Sol and >Gaia. This place is getting to me. I'm actually...comfortable with >the name here. Though I'm not comfortable with _being_ comfortable >with it. If that's not hopelessly tautological.@ > He puts on the shades unconsciously. @I cannot wait to leave this >realm.@ > @I think.@ > @Sol help me.@ @Eric, Eric.@ Violet reassures. @There is nothinig wrong with getting into the role, as long as you realize it is a role, not truly you.@ She pauses. @Although perhaps I am really the worst person to be making this particular speech _I_ can think of. I don't even think - well, Nemo may know my birth name, but not from my telling him...@ =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Tales of the Amazon On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 19:21:18 -0700 Patrick O'Shea Said As CAoL Message # 00012027 At 11:19 PM 4/14/2004 -0700, you wrote: > The amazon stops pacing, pauses, then sits. "That leaves the two >oddest ducks. There's the royal accountant -- I kid you not -- and I >made a mistake when I said they were all dangerous. Unless you're >afraid of a royal audit. Then hide, because Felix Bannerman is so >good with numbers that a meeting doesn't go by where Rama-Tet doesn't >try to recruit him. OOC: Where mathemagics are concerned, I don't trust *anyone* good with numbers that's not on our side ;-) > The Amazon Queen exhales in relief. "Well, that's all I've got off >the top of my head." She grins. "This is where I say 'I'll take your >questions now,' I believe," she finishes in a manner more suited to a >scholar than a warrior queen. "It sounds like we might be able to reason with Mobius, if we can separate him from the rest of his advisors. Is there any way we could get Mobius alone? Preferably without starting a fight with all of his minions?" =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Quitting Time? On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 01:24:34 -0700 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012029 >On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 04:16:55 -0700 (PDT) >Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00012026 > >>On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 21:16:41 -0700 >>Eric Said As CAoL Message # 00012018 >>themselves -- Voormas is as bad as Infra-Red, though he doesn't have >>her body count > > Violet just snorts in polite disbelief, wondering if Eric just >doesn't understand what makes Infra-Red in a class of her own. Maybe >it's just that IR is _her_ archenemy. Oh, well. At her reaction, Eric looks briefly...haunted. As Ultraviolet knows, it takes a lot to disturb the Hunter. He doesn't say anything, though UV can pick up his decision not to pursue the discussion. If they'll have to face Voormas -- a very unlikely development, in his opinion -- he'll brief her. If they don't, Eric will count himself lucky. _Very_ lucky. >> Eric sighs. "Did these to myself. This," he says, gesturing to >>the few visible wounds, "is Paradox backlash from making that robot >>Not Be. Notice they're all where...I used to have scars? They'll >>heal." He pauses. "Hrm. Come to think of it, the Dragon stuck to >>punching and kicking me. Which he did with considerable skill." > > "How odd. I _saw_ him strike with his nails at least once, but >then frown. Did you somehow elude him? That's quite an >accomplishment; he is quite skilled. Better than me, in a >straight-out combat." Eric looks as pleased as a cat with a mouse -- very rare for him, but then, the Ubiquitous Dragon was/is one of the greatest villains from his childhood. "Thank you. Though I did overlook that; in a sense, he did tag me with that -- and in a sense, he did not. When I felt him work his space-shifting effect, I countered with a shift of my own. I separated the part of me he was contacting from my chest, then neutralized its sympathetic link with a ch'i effect so he couldn't use it for more complicated sorcery later." The Hunter pauses, frowning slightly. "Bloody Sol. I'm doing exposition." >The Just Violet smiles. "Of course, I don't fight that way, but >strangely enough, he never quite seems to press his advantage. Or he >didn't. If he truly has lost his gender-bias, I'll have to be very >careful in the future. I'm afraid I still have mine..." Eric chuckles. "It's nice to know that chivalry is not dead," he replies even more dryly than usual. >> Eric actually pales. (Well, only slightly. But still.) @Sol and >>Gaia. This place is getting to me. I'm actually...comfortable with >>the name here. Though I'm not comfortable with _being_ comfortable >>with it. If that's not hopelessly tautological.@ >> He puts on the shades unconsciously. @I cannot wait to leave this >>realm.@ >> @I think.@ >> @Sol help me.@ > > @Eric, Eric.@ Violet reassures. @There is nothinig wrong with >getting into the role, as long as you realize it is a role, not truly >you.@ @I'm not used to playing a role,@ he admits reluctantly. @Worse, the role seems to like _me._ I have this powerful urge to abandon the rest of the group, hunt down some lowlife scum, and terrify them into answering some questions. And laugh while I do it.@ He glances in the direction of the radio that played earlier as he announced his identity to Jack. @That laugh...belongs to someone else.@ -- Eric Lancer: the Hunter Trying to stay out of the Shadow of others ;^) =========================== Subject: AAE 9n: Violet Persuasions and Suggestions (was: Tales of the Amazon) On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 05:12:32 -0700 (PDT) Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00012030 >On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 19:21:18 -0700 >Patrick O'Shea Said As CAoL Message # 00012027 @Actually, Eric, I'm glad you did exposition about dear ol' Ubiquitous Dragon. I never knew how he was doing that before - well, I certainly never understood it. But now I do. Maybe the mindlink helped. I think next time, I might be able to elude it myself. See? Exposition isn't always a bad thing.@ Violet comments after a moments thought, mentally so as not to interrupt an Amazon; that could be almost as bad as interrupt an Elder Amberite. >> The amazon stops pacing, pauses, then sits. "That leaves the two >>oddest ducks. There's the royal accountant -- I kid you not -- and I >>made a mistake when I said they were all dangerous. Unless you're >>afraid of a royal audit. Then hide, because Felix Bannerman is so >>good with numbers that a meeting doesn't go by where Rama-Tet >>doesn't try to recruit him. > >OOC: Where mathemagics are concerned, I don't trust *anyone* good >with numbers that's not on our side ;-) OOC: Heh. I love the whole concept of mathemagic, and I can't wait to see what Evil GM-San does with it. The Anti-Life Equation/Transform merely whetted my curiosity. >> The Amazon Queen exhales in relief. "Well, that's all I've got >>off the top of my head." She grins. "This is where I say 'I'll take >>your questions now,' I believe," she finishes in a manner more >>suited to a scholar than a warrior queen. "This is a bit personal, so feel free to not answer me, but who were you before you found the Flame on Hespera?" Violet asks. She managed not to sidetrack the briefing earlier. "And I would like to discuss this Felix person - and Rama-Tet - in more detail after the others have finished with their questions. Mathemagic is one of my... fascinations." She frowns. "Undercover work has become very difficult for me since I have to deal with these." Violet's gesture toward the scars acrost her face is a rather unneeded explanation. "Against this class of opponent, I probably cannot, but I would love to penetrate a lower-level class this Rama-Tet is teaching his henchmen, or see if this Felix can be turned. There is nothing quite like the innate satisfaction making book on a bad guy." (OOC: Maybe UV has been hanging around IR too much, eh?) >"It sounds like we might be able to reason with Mobius, if we can >separate him from the rest of his advisors. Is there any way we could >get Mobius alone? Preferably without starting a fight with all of his >minions?" Instead of answering, Violet runs through the list of Good Guys via her Lens again, hoping to herself that using it merely as a touchstone and communicator will not prove Vulgar in this reality. She isn't worried about being out-Reality Stormed by an shadow-dweller between being an Amberite - and currently being a Dream-made-Real. But Vulgarity - or even vulgarity - is just _so_ not her style. "Unfortunately, Karma is unconscious. I wasn't monitoring her directly, but since earlier communications had her piloting a flying machine, I suspect this means she has been captured. Doc Eon's group is inbound, including Baraka. The other Doc E has picked up another friend, and it appears that group will make a clean retreat as well." "DC was supposed to try and herd us cats, but as I haven't yet heard from him, anyone else want the Worry Seat? If someone else does not, I'll have to. Though I'm just going to make suggestions and try to organize specific counter-attacks in relief if needed. Way I see things, you lot are all experienced and just need cross-messaging and an occasional helping hand if you let out an Ally-in-Free or Hey, Rube!" "Right away, though, we need to get in communication with Karma. She's perfectly placed to be our Inside Gal, but I don't know that she is willing to take that risk. Hunter, you should know better than questioning your instincts. I suggest you follow them. If it is concern about me that is holding you back, deputize one of these others to watch my back until you've gathered the information we need to reach Karma. And take someone with you. That alone would be different enough to make sure your role doesn't close you in." @Besides, love, there is no way you could be _dark_ enough to match him, now. Trust me on this one. Even after he married Patricia, Lamont's darkness is infinite. I don't deny you have your moments, but you do not live and exist from darkness itself. I'm not worried about you falling too far into the role. And if you let it have you somewhat, you won't. It's much like dancing ritual in voodoo. Resisting can work against you worse than giving in a little.@ "As for not fighting his other minions - I think we should harry them intensely, thus keeping them from helping Mobius' plans. That will also keep the Baddies thinking we're taking the typical approach of working through their defenses in order - which might give Karma a better chance, if she elects to stay. If not, I'll set up a rescue - it's one of my usual schticks, almost as much as last-minute escapes." "So. I call dibs on Rama-tet. Maybe this Felix fellow, too, unless we have enough heroes to go 'round. Who else has a preference for dance partners?" =========================== Subject: AAE9N: Thunder Blunders On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 20:16:07 -0400 "David McMillan" Said As CAoL Message # 00012032 Ooookay, trying to catch up and fill in some blanks. Doing some major cut&pasting, here. Trying to explain where Thunder has been while everyone else was doing The Big Bugout. >On Wed, 7 Apr 2004 093717 -0700 (PDT) >Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011931 > >Thunder fades to purple as well, then both heroes reappear outside >the erstwhile crater. Then... (continued below) Thunder wobbles a bit, instinctively killing his blastfield before he sends himself into orbit like a giant rubber band. "Whoo...eee. Thanks, Aunt Zee, you really saved mah be-hind. Um..." he pauses, pulls his goggles up onto his forehead, and squints at the surrounding battle. "Why's everything *pink?*" OOC: Leave it to Roger, *any* Roger, to have an idiosyncratic reation to UV's Ultra-Optical Translocation. I'm sure it will pass soon, though. In the meantime, he gets to see the Nile Empire in rose-tinted shades... (:) >> Natatiri reappears a scant few meters from Roger Thunder. "Hello, >>tall, blond, and handsome," she says with a satisfied smirk... > >"Thanks for using poison and treachery." UV remarks as a purple chain >strikes, wrapping the crown with a whipping noise of metal. "Now I >can serve you likewise." > >A savage jerk of the chain attempts to both strip the Villainous >Temptress of her crown and throw her spinning to Egypt's hot, harsh >sand. > >The Lavender Lady throws them about merrily, lashing one with the >other end of her chain as she throws another clear over the >now-burning gallows. A woman's happy laughter pierces the din of the >fray, if only by how oddly out of place it seems. Thunder, after a quick glance to make sure his favorite aunt is well-covered and has things in hand, blasts airborne again to where he can do the most good. Another half-dozen mechanical giants fall to assorted variations on his impact and shockwave attacks in quick succession before he spots a large party of airborne units approaching from the East. He blasts off to intercept, intent on showing them what a master of hypersonic shockwaves can do with a single flyby. The airborne units scatter on his approach, but far, far to slow to escape the reach of his shockwave as he plows directly through the center of their formation, "pulling" his punch just enough to disable the aircraft without killing the crews-- And running smack into the center of a gummy "spiderweb" that appears in directly in front of him. He reacts by pure reflex, boosting to full power and aiming straight up as he goes from transonic to Mach 3+ in under two seconds. Trailing behind in his shock cone, the flyers anchoring the outer radials of the web smash into each other, pulled by the "folding" of the web, and shatter into myriad debris that swirl and scatter in his wake. But the web remains. In fact, the strands are getting *thicker,* and Thunder can taste the bitter taste on the back of his tongue that is the telltale sign of magery. [Well dang it all to heck,] he thinks sourly as the web spreads across his blastfield in what is clearly intended as a "cover&smother" capture maneuver. [Must've deesigned that for capturing flyin' folk like me. An' Ah fell fer it, like a dummy!] By this point, he is nearly to the uppermost layers of the atmosphere, and the web has completely enveloped his field. Fortunately, excellent inertial navigation is one of Thunder's talents, and his kinetic powers give him a partial ability to "see" moving objects even without his eyes, but nowhere near enough to safely navigate back to the battle. He spends a couple minutes hanging above Cairo at a low-orbit altitude, absently swallowing an oxy pill. The direct solar rays seem to kill the entanglement's growth (or perhaps the spell just ran its course), but are apparently insufficient to burn it off. Dropping his field, of course, is not an option. Expansion and pulsing don't work, either -- the enveloping mass is stretchy as taffy, twice as sticky, and stubborner than a blue tick hound. [Tarnation. If Aunt Zee or Pa saw this, they'd give me whatfer, that's fer sure. Well, gotta do somethin'. Guess Ah'll try some high-speed burn. If'n that don't work, Ah'll have to scrape it off.] Thunder tilts over to hang head-down, more than a hundred miles above Cairo, and begins to spin. Within seconds, he's up to over a thousand RPM, and still gaining. From the outside, the ovoid shape of the webbing covering his field begins to thicken around the equator, thinning at the poles as centrifugal force does its work. And then, he kicks into a full powerdive. It would be more convenient if Cairo sat on the sea, but needs must, so Thunder aims for the long neck where the Red Sea stretchs up along the west side of the Sinai. By the time he hits 30 miles AGL, he's doing well over Mach 8. The spinning has almost done its work -- the equatorial bulge is being ripped at by the vicious slipstream, shockwaves ripping at the web's entire structure. There's almost an opening over his head. Just a little more should do it... At ordinary terminal velocity, water might as well be rock, as unfortunate skydivers too often discover to their regret. At something around Mach 10, any remaining practical differences between solid and liquid are pretty much lost in the statistical noise. At the second before impact, Thunder reconfigures his blastfield for zero friction and maximum energy absorbtion, essentially going into "tunneling" mode. The Red Sea shudders at the blow, raising the beginnings of a small tidal wave which, instead of radiating outwards, instead is sucked back into its own center, frothing and rippling a loose mass of white spiderweb-like material slowly dissolving in the salt water. About a minute later, a comet=3Dlike figure erupts from the surface of the Meditteranean just off the Egyptian Sinai coast. [Well Ah'll be -- Cap'n Nemo's tunnel.] Thunder shoots back to cruising altitude and powers his way back towards Cairo at around Mach 3. He's almost to the city when: > @Attention all heroes! It is now time to make an orderly retreat. >Let's have groups of two to four, the Amazon and Jack out first, and >the rest of us by order of ability to escape and/or power level. >Baraka - you with the Amazon? Eric, you take Jack and me. Patrick, >will you and the Silver Scarab collect our Scientist and make him >vanish, please? Thunder - break me a path through these mechanical >monstrosities. You can't cover my rear - Eric's got the duty today.@ > > @Ready? BREAK.@ The Just Violet leaps into the fray with the >Amazon, determined not to leave anyone behind as they withdrawal, but >feeling that time is running out. @/Ah got the air support covered, Aunt Zee -- sorry Ah'm late, I got, uh, tied up. /@ OOC: Gah. Already too late at night to cover Thunder and the Anti-Sun. Maybe tomorrow night. Pneguicon was a BLAST, BTW. =========================== Subject: AAE 9n: A Narrow Escape On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 22:53:20 -0400 Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00012033 >On Wed, 14 Apr 2004 23:58:13 -0700 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012022 > >>The Good Doctor watches the Dark Sun extend a tendril of black >>energy towards the fleeing ship of Eon. "Computer, open a channel to >>Doc Eon." >>"Compliance." says the AI as a open channel sound is heard in the >>comm system. >>{Romanov to Doc Eon, repeat Romanov to Doc Eon. Give status and >>coordinates of safe house for regrouping. If any assistance is >>required, please advise.} > > {We'll manage, Doctor Romanov. Downloading coordinates to your >mechanical brain now. Exit the blast path of the Omegatron as quickly >as is feasible. And Emil...it is good to see you again.} Doc Eon's >confident smile can almost be seen through the speaker. {Same here, my friend. Same here. After this is over, we must get together again.} There is a buzz, as Eon send the coordinates to the electronic brain. The clicking of the mechanical gears in the brain are like a clock gone bezerk. The computer finally speaks up. "Coordinates recieved. ALERT! Incoming anti-plasma beam detected. Estimate 3 minutes to impact. Danger is immanent." "The deuce you say!" says Romanov. "Fire the retro-rockets and activate Counter Measure Program Beta." THere is a roar and a WHOOOOOSH as the BORIS 1 leaps into the air. (OOC: Think of what The Iron Giant looked like when flying, except paint him bronze instead of silver.) > The black ray of anti-plasma fills the air to the south, seeming >to hunger for BORIS and the amazing Doctor Energy! > OOC: I leave it to you to write a suitable hairsbreadth escape. > OOC: That's not a problem.. Took me a few days, but I think I have something suitable. The Good Doctor checks the readouts that BORIS has been collecting on the Anti-Helios. He makes a few quick calculations and his face goes slack as he does the equations. "Fire the Telluric Engine." he says to the radio announcer microphone. "Compliance." says the mechanical voice of the computer. >From outside the robot, a rear porthole opens. The inside of the hole glows with an unearthly energy. [Mobius prepared for everything,] admits the Good Doctor grudgingly to himself, [but I doubt he was prepared for this eventuality.] "Computer, activate the Pseudoetherical Unobtanium Duplication device." "Compliance" >From out of the porthole that had just opened, four short bursts of energy emerge. The four combine together, and in a burst of light and heat, an exact duplicate of the BORIS makes its way to the AntiHelios. The plasma signature of the BORIS is duplicated by the PUD, and the Not-BORIS turns and fires a full charge of Tesla energy at the False Sun. The Good Doctor uses the distraction to cloak himself and the BORIS. The black ray, sensing two signatures, latches onto the newest one with almost all of its' might. It sends another less powerful beam to the other signature. *CRASSSSSH* *BUZZZZ* The inside of the cockpit reels and rocks as the shields are sucked dry by the anti-plasma beam. The force of the impact knocks the robot around like a tin can, sending it to free-fall. The Good Doctor, in a moment, panics. "Computer, reestablish flight control." "Unable to comply, internal compensators damaged. Energy reserves are tapped out, and will require full recharge to reach full capacity." [Great. I didn't want to do this....but here goes nothing.] Suddenly Romanov transforms into a humanoid energy form. He "moves" into the heart of the BORIS 1, and powers the mini-sun within. #"Full power recieved. Monitoring energy field, and activating flight control. Danger! Danger! Terrestrial impact in 30 seconds"# The giant robot turns and in a move that would make a gymnast jealous, it twists and bends and somehow the metal giant manages to land on its' feet. The earthquake is tremendous, knocking down some smaller mountains and a few large buildings beside. Luckily, nobody was injured, and the only other damage was to the Studebaker of "Lucky" Al-Kalid, who will be very surprised to learn that he's now the owner of a large flat piece of metal that used to be his car. The Good Doctor looks down at the squashed Studebaker, shrugs and jumps up, landing near the coordinates for the safehouse. =========================== Subject: AAE9n: A Damsel Distressed! On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 23:11:00 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00012034 >On Fri, 9 Apr 2004 21:19:54 -0400 >Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00011967 > >Dropping down into the trees again around the river, Karma gave the >matter no more thought. Returning to the safe-house was top priority. >Correction: not being captured was top priority. Returning to the >safe-house was second priority. And ditching this airchariot and >taking on a suitable disguise might be wise as well. A pity that she wouldn't get the chance... As Karma approachs cover, the air around her sizzles with energy bolts. Turning, she sees the air unit's cavalry bearing down on her from the horizon. Large bronze air chariots like the one she rode, along with 'modern' fighters bearing the Eye of Horus. [Merde,] Karma thinks sullenly, wondering if perhaps she wasn't Sunny Baudelaire in a former life, given her current run of luck Stopping her descent, she instead pushs the throttle forward, accelerating away from her pursuers. Knowing she's risking her neck out in the open, she suddenly drops into the treeline again, just as the fighters race overhead like hounds after a fox. The air chariots drop into the canopy moments after in a standard search pattern. Suddenly, a bronze air chariot tears through the treetops, making a beeline further downstream. A few fighters take off after it, along with a couple air chariots. [Not quite the distraction I had in mind,] Karma thinks to herself, drawing the Ishers from her hips, set to stun. As one of Mobius's men sails overhead, she takes aim, tracking him as he goes past. Just as she's sure she's safe, a shout comes from the opposite way and several chariots race toward her. Karma lets loose with the Ishers from behind the rock where she'd taken cover, stunning three men in the first pass and two more as the remainder looped around. Hearing more approaching, she sets off away from the sounds until she loses them in the distance behind her. With one last glance over her shoulder, Karma reholsters her weapons. "A word of advice, kid," a woman's voice notes silkily. "When you're trying to hide, floating in mid-air on a big bronze air chariot is _not_ the way to go." The voice, Karma quickly realizes, is attached to a character in a deep red, skintight outfit, standing on a gleaming silvery bird-plane flapping its way down to her. "You got away from the Pharaoh's men, so you must be good," the red-clad beauty adds. "But I'm the Scarlet Asp, the Pharaoh's personal...troubleshooter," she explains with a wry grin, tapping an ornate golden armband on her left arm. It is, indeed, marked with the Mobius strip that is the Pharaoh's personal symbol, as well as a crocodile head (among other hieroglyphs). "If you're a good girl, this can be easy. If you give me a hard time, though, I'll give you a harder one." The smile vanishes, knuckles cracking as she flexes her hands. "A _much_ harder one." Undaunted, Karma reachs for one of the Ishers at her hip, but the Scarlet Asp leaps from her craft before she can draw. Struggling, Karma grapples with the woman in red, and Karma is aghast to discover her best punch merely turns the Asp's head. In response, the Asp's counterpunch knocks Karma to the ground. Staring up at her opponent, Karma reachs for her other wrist. Beneath her sleeve is the telepathic linking device Roland had initially given her. The Asp notices and puts her boot down on Karma's wrist. "Lights out," the Scarlet Asp says, firmly grasping Karma's neck. A sudden weakness comes over Karma as her very vitality flows away. In moments, the Scarlet Asp stands triumphantly over her unconscious foe. She smiles. "Won't Natatiri be jealous," she comments with dark amusement... =========================== Subject: Re: AAE9N: Thunder Blunders On Mon, 19 Apr 2004 18:00:52 -0700 (PDT) Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00012039 >On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 20:16:07 -0400 >"David McMillan" Said As CAoL Message # 00012032 > > @/Ah got the air support covered, Aunt Zee -- sorry Ah'm late, I >got, uh, tied up. /@ @Just don't do anything _I_ wouldn't, dear.@ -- The Just Violet "What? I thought it was a good general rule!?" =========================== Subject: Re: AAE 9n: Tales of the Amazon On Mon, 19 Apr 2004 20:21:37 -0700 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012040 >On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 19:21:18 -0700 >Patrick O'Shea Said As CAoL Message # 00012027 > >At 11:19 PM 4/14/2004 -0700, you wrote: >> The amazon stops pacing, pauses, then sits. "That leaves the two >>oddest ducks. There's the royal accountant -- I kid you not -- and I >>made a mistake when I said they were all dangerous. Unless you're >>afraid of a royal audit. Then hide, because Felix Bannerman is so >>good with numbers that a meeting doesn't go by where Rama-Tet >>doesn't try to recruit him. > >OOC: Where mathemagics are concerned, I don't trust *anyone* good >with numbers that's not on our side ;-) OOC: Heh heh heh... >> The Amazon Queen exhales in relief. "Well, that's all I've got >>off the top of my head." She grins. "This is where I say 'I'll take >>your questions now,' I believe," she finishes in a manner more >>suited to a scholar than a warrior queen. > >"It sounds like we might be able to reason with Mobius, if we can >separate him from the rest of his advisors. Is there any way we could >get Mobius alone? Preferably without starting a fight with all of his >minions?" Hippolyta sighs. "This isn't..." She all but literally bites her tongue and starts again. "Mobius takes advice from his advisors, but usually regarding details of one sort or another -- whether the signs are auspicious, or if an enemy is using sorcery or Ultra-Science, or what military strategy to use. That sort of thing. When it comes to the direction of the Empire, the Pharaoh is the unquestioned master. He does listen -- sometimes -- when an advisor tells him that he might be overreaching, particularly if the Scarlet Asp or Teth-Net is providing the advice." She frowns darkly. "Perhaps the best 'advisor' to separate him from would be his divine effigy. He spends a great deal of time...staring, meditating, something, in front of this statue of Sebek." The Scarab's eyes narrow. "His Darkness Device." Hippolyta turns and looks at him curiously. "He called it that once. How--" "It's how he invades other realities and changes their axioms, what you'd call 'paradigm,' to his." Rex sighs. "They're indestructible. The Guardian turned the artificial sun on it two invasions past. It wasn't even warm." -- Evil GM-San "What, you thought I didn't have anti-cosmics contingencies? Muah-ha-ha-ha..." ===========================