Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 7b Chapter 5 (TARDIS group, pt. 2) Subject: Re: re: AAE7b: TARDIS Trouble (w/Storm Warnings)(Lengthy)(pt 2) On Fri, 22 Jun 2001 23:23:11 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010535 >On Fri, 22 Jun 2001 20:45:13 -0500 >Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00010532 > >If Mike looks up at anytime during the firefight, he'll see >Dhyrclhanc's Green Lantern ring sitting on the dais in front of him. >Tied to it is a note reading, "put me on." Mike's been busy, starting and restarting block computations as each distraction keeps jarring his concentration. At Roland's mention of the kzin, he elected to just keep as low as possible will working over the console and let the others do the fighting. He neglected to take a pair od DC's headphones, muttering something about, "Singing too distracting." When the heavy weapons broke out, he nearly substituted a plus for a minus, almost causing him to go off in the opposite direction to his intention of a safe release for the monoblock in the gun, but caught himself. The work, however, is slowly moving forward, as the battle conditions begin to become something of a drone to his mind and he can again take up the job of freeing the monoblock gun in earnest. As he's looking at a complex waveform, seemingly undulating through more than three dimensions, the GL Ring "falls" before his eyes. Holding the derivative he'd been working on, he slid the ring on his right middle finger, leaving the tag readable and in place, dangling from the base of that digit. The crooked smile vanished as he went back to work. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE7b: TARDIS Trouble On Mon, 25 Jun 2001 15:44:45 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010542 >On Fri, 22 Jun 2001 20:45:13 -0500 >Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00010532 > >If Mike looks up at anytime during the firefight, he'll see >Dhyrclhanc's Green Lantern ring sitting on the dais in front of him. >Tied to it is a note reading, "put me on." Almost forgot, this is the Alan Scott Green Lantern ring with the green force constructs that were as diverse as the wearer's imagination and as strong as their willpower, that was linked to the Starheart and has the weakness to wood that Dhyrclhanc got back in AAE1 (from Sasquatch?), right? No technical details needed unless it's been modified from the general idea above. And on that note, are Gospog composed of wood at all or just plant matter? I had this sudden image of a green salad shooter pop into my head. ================================= Subject: AAE7b: TARDIS Trouble (From Storm to Hurrricane) On Sat, 7 Jul 2001 22:11:39 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010548 The battle rages on inside the transdimensional space surrounding the corrupted eye of harmony, now the prison of a trillion monoblock universi and the three angels; Seth, Lilith, and Shep; sent to restore and protect Michael Seven and those he holds dear. Now, the restoration of those universi and Michael Seven's own family has fallen into his hands and the hands of his fellow Callahaners; each far more than mere patrons to a drinking establishment situated in an out of the way corner of Long Island, each weilding powers unique and varied to their compatriots, and each part of a family that spans something deeper and more symbolic than bloodlines. The crisis facing them should have been one merely of how to execute it, of which methods and mechanisms should be brought into play to allow the release of the trapped monoblocks and the restoration of the lost souls. But coincidence has always played a large role in the lives of Michael Seven and his family, as well as in the lives of his fellow Callahaners, and it makes its heavy handed presence felt now, as forces merely allied against Roland Phoenix, and who's only interest outside of giving the Freelance Immortal more than a mere bloody nose is to gain the secrets of the Time Lords as embodied in the TARDIS around them, choose perhaps, for our heroes, the absolute worst time to attempt their invasion. The loan of the Green Lantern ring, the ring carved by Alan Scott from a green lantern that was forged in China from a meteoric fragment of the Starheart and past on through other hands to Dhyrclhanc, has given Michael Seven more opportunity to focus on his mission; his mind, as given emerald fire form by the mystic ring, now having a focus able to react as he thinks rather than staring at an unchanging tableau in the form of the control console before him. His calculations become more fervent, more confident, as his subconscious and conscious mind both work in their own ways to correct each other; one using instinct to judge what the other deduces from facts and figures. Before his mind's eye and the eyes of those in the room flow a series of fractal patterns, klein bottles and objects which seem to defy description. Around this forest of forms are jade formulae that seem to flow and ripple into nonexistance as they form. The power and scope of Michael Seven's imagination are a striking dichotomy with his often insistant refutations of being something more than a mere man. This mind's eye was the penultimate creation of the Arisian experiment so recently learned of by the Callahanian Army of Light. It was what permitted his alter-ego, in the form of Voyd, to destroy the Time Lords who so long tormented her. And it now, in far less time than he suspected, is allowing him to make the final changes to the monoblock prison that will let him open the cage door and allow Seth and his two companians to restore what was taken from the multiverse. /Done it!/ Michael sends to the rest of the mini-lensed and allied group within the TARDIS. /All we need to do now is drop the field and voila./ Looking around finally to see those allied against him, a great scowl passes over his features. Checking that no one is near the edge of the generated field who he would care about; this naturally including the Callahanian Army of Light and excluding the technodemon hordes alligned against them; Michael takes up the field generator and moves to a roundal in the wall of the TARDIS. Removing the panel, he reachs into the circular aperature in the wall and into the circuitry within, adjusting components hastily. Shoving the generator into the roundal and placing the cover over the hole, he calls to the rest of the group, /Hang on, people, I'm taking our field and theirs down at once. After that, they're gonna be hard pressed to get their main one back up again, the TARDIS will see to that. To them, we're suddenly gonna be going a heck of a lot faster with our Roger action figures here. But that they could still adapt for, so watch out. And keep away from the edges of the spheres, if you haven't noticed yet, those few missed bullets have slowed considerably since they left the field, and they're gonna speed up again really soon. Don't want anyone hit by possible riccochets./ The doppler effect outside the field vanishes around the two groups of forces and the sound of bullets striking the walls of the TARDIS fill the air. The few bullets that do riccochet find homes within the forces allied against the Callahanians, but most plow into the walls of the ship, leaving dents or holes depending on the materials struck. The light from the freed eye of harmony changes into hues of golden and Michael is aware through the Spikard on his ring finger that, gradually, places of power are returning to the multiverse. Under the thick comforter lying over the forms of Molly and Anna, the bodies disappear, as the heavy blanket suddenly collapses on itself. Also under the sheets, the body parts fade out of existance. /It worked!/ Michael nearly shouts over the lens-link, now able to be open to all members of the group. He would celebrate further, but suddenly the floor under him lifts of its own accord toward a newly formed opening in the ceiling, rushing upward at a furious rate. With it comes music, from the TARDIS. .Big Pig. "I Can't Break Away." It doesn't take long for Michael Seven to realize he's being directed, his sense of perception flying out in front of him as he does, looking to see the cause of this sudden side trip. There, a figure, holding a fist toward where he's rising to, like a weapon. Anna Mahloy, the woman that should have been dead under the sheet down in the eye of harmony chamber. [But why a song about not being able to break away from destiny?] As Michael formed the thought, the answer came. Queen. "One Vision." /It's Anna, folks, (yeah I know she hasn't been resurrected yet, it's a time machine, you expect continuity? ) let me handle this one. I think I know what the TARDIS is about, and we're not gonna have an easy time of anything else we do here until I convince it who's the real Michael Seven. Me or her. And this isn't the nice ship I used to have, it's one who's sentience has been melded around all Mahloy's evil impulses. Its forcing a confrontation between us. And I'd wager it's going towards her side already./ Queen again. "Headlong." "Laugh it up!" Mike shouted at the ship around him. The ring on his hand shimmered into life as Michael Seven's form was engulfed in green fire. When it burned off, his clothing had been transformed. Black slacks tucked into calf-high black boots, a white belt with Flarn's Minbari fighting pike tucked into a holster, black shirt with a high white collar, and a green jacket of a strange vinyl, a white circle with a green circle cut out of the center, with a green arch tracing the top and the bottom quarter of the other circle in a vaguely lantern-like design on the left breast, both shoulders and the back. /Wasn't expecting our future-Anna's past to catch up with us so soon. Hold the fort, I'm going in to get Anna back and cure this ship of a rather insufferable superiority complex./ Empowered by the GL ring, Mike launched himself into the space ahead of the rising pedestal, Freddy Mercury telling him in stereo there was nothing he could do about it. "Wanna bet?" Mike snarled to himself, rushing toward the top and his destiny. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE7b: TARDIS Trouble (From Storm to Hurrricane) On Sun, 08 Jul 2001 13:46:05 -0700 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00010549 >On Fri, 22 Jun 2001 20:48:16 -0500 >Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00010533 > >>at Dhyrclhanc, back at the priest, snarl something about "To heaven >>with this pav," and bolt. > > What does Dhyrclhanc's Lens translate "pav" into, Roland > (OOC: It's a fairly generic epithet; WEG didn't really provide a translation, and I doubt you want me to speculate in-depth. ;^) >Only, IMPNSHO, 'cuz Roland's more familiar with the more >subtle uses of the PK power. Raw power might be another matter, but >being in the center of high-powered melee isn't what I'd call being >conducive to this kind of a debate. (OOC: 50,000 tons > 1,000 tons. 'Nuff said. 8^) (OOC 2: Well, with the GL ring, the Big Guy may go over even Roland's armor-boosted levels, so it's entirely up to you what tech does to the equation.) >> Roland frowns and teleports to the flanking position he'd send >>the Lensdragon to, fighting off a largish techno-demon. /I >>appreciate the rescue, sib, but what part of 'flank' don't you >>understand?/ > >/Oh *that* flank. No offence, sib, but I thought you knew me >better than that. I'm a _Sentinel_, I Protect. It's part of the job >contract. In fact, it's like being a Gargoyle./ Roland sighs. /It's appreciated, sib. But if they'd gotten around this flank...we need to keep them contained until Mike gets the job done. Anyway, it's moot now, because they are./ He smiles dryly. /Congratulations, sib--you've got point now./ >> "Nice toy," the priest snarls. "I have nice toys, too." The chain >>shoots out, attacking Dhyrclhanc's psi-sword and trying to 'eat' it >>by absorbing and dispersing its energies. (OOC: Consider the >>blackness around the chain to be similar to Darkforce from Marvel >>for this purpose, sib. It's close enough. ;^) The power of the >>Tharkoldu's dark deity seems to be flowing through this priest more >>fully than before. It appears to be...offended. > >Only when the chain arrives at the spot where the Psi-Sword would be, >it isn't there anymore. "Rawr?" The Tharkoldu says in confusion. >This hand, now free, snakes outwards towards the Cleric-figure and >the green remotes orbiting around that wrist lash out to him with a >bolt of lightning that would smash through a rock the size of a large >man's torso. > >Luckily for him, however, it only catches him on the shoulder. The dark priest rocks back, its cyberware catching the brunt of the hit. It turns back and tries to raise its arm to fire back, but the arm refuses to move. Snarling, it rips a layer off its own skin and a dozen more chains fly out of its chest, hissing with power and malevolence as they lash out at the Lensdragon. Several other slaves and gospog join the attack, but are easily repulsed by Dhyrclhanc's power. Then, >On Fri, 22 Jun 2001 22:08:44 -0400 >"Xander Opal" Said As CAoL Message # 00010534 > >Sie reaches out with the telepathic powers, digging into the minds of >hir sentient opponents. Simultaneously, and both far more powerful, >and more limited, another power flicks out, to sieze control of hir >non-sentient opponents; this heretofore unused Machine Control >simply... takes over, making those lesser opponents as much a part of >hir as hir drones and weapons; sie ransacks their databanks for >weaknesses, countermeasures, strengths, abilities, of all opponents. >Know yourself; know your enemy. Assimilate, and destroy. The cyberware of techno-demons resists the invasive control with an almost palpable ferocity, and the first-stage gospog have neither minds nor tech. More advanced gospog are coming through, with thought processes and ultra-tech...and a subtle horror that makes them difficult to control. The human cyber-slaves, however, are another matter entirely. The moment Xander touches their minds, sie feels enormous hatred for their captors--a fury almost demonic itself, a ferocity that is like a facet of their very reality. If sie makes contact with them sie immediately gets pleas of [help us! free us! let us fight with you!] Hir combined effort turns the entire contingent of battle-hardened, skilled, and ferocious shock troops of the Tharkoldu into a single coordinated mass of firepower...under Xander's command. THEN... >On Sat, 7 Jul 2001 22:11:39 -0400 >Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010548 > >/Wasn't expecting our future-Anna's past to catch up with us so soon. >Hold the fort, I'm going in to get Anna back and cure this ship of a >rather insufferable superiority complex./ > >Empowered by the GL ring, Mike launched himself into the space ahead >of the rising pedestal, Freddy Mercury telling him in stereo there >was nothing he could do about it. > >"Wanna bet?" Mike snarled to himself, rushing toward the top and his >destiny. [Light.] /"Good luck, Michael,"/ Roland whispers as the Tharkoldu slow down, techno-magical backup effects trying to catch up with the altered situation. (They had essentially 'borrowed' Scott's temporal field through magical/spiritual means, and when it goes, theirs goes.) /Perfect--time to change tactics. Thratchen would never have done this just to mess with my--er, our heads. I need to find out what it's _really_ after. Rio, get behind Dhyrclhanc and see if you can keep our friends with the bad complexions slowed down./ /On it,/ replied the Ecstatic. /Sil, take this flank. Dhyrclhanc, Xander, keep up the good work./ /What about you?/ Sil asks as she sprints in next to the young immortal, chain gun spewing fury at the techno-demons. /I'm going to look for Mr. McGuffin,/ Roland replies cryptically, then vanishes. Elsewhere. [Almost there...] Aras benHaav, Demon Lord, examines the readouts before him carefully. [The equations are leading up to something, I'm sure of it.] In a way, it was fascinating. Though benHaav's specialty is psycho-magical warfare, he'd always been interested in Race pursuits, such as gender and science. Though nothing equaled bending a sentient mind to his will, one way or another, forcing physics to obey him was satisfying all the same. He noted with a certain satisfaction that _his_ backup system began to function immediately when the anti-time field collapsed. "I know you," a vaguely familiar voice said nearby. The Demon Lord leaped to his feet, snarling and brandishing cyber-claws Wolverine might have envied. Then he blinked, and looked at the intruder carefully. "I know you, as well, I think." The Race warrior pondered a moment. "Aras benHaav," he said slowly. "Yes," he added, his voice suddenly hard as occultech steel. "I remember you. You tried to turn Mara into one of your wax figure slaves. _Then_ you tried to force her to submit to you." Aras nodded. "And you are Roland X, the one who thwarted me." Without another word, magical forces nearly equal to the entire rest of the attack force surged out at Roland, who was hard-pressed to counter. Eerily silent, the battle raged through the corridor of the TARDIS... ================================= Subject: Re: AAE7b: TARDIS Trouble (From Storm to Hurrricane) (LONG!) On Mon, 9 Jul 2001 00:15:34 -0500 Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00010551 >On Sat, 7 Jul 2K1, "Mike Knight" Said >The loan of the Green Lantern ring, the ring carved by Alan Scott >from a green lantern that was forged in China from a meteoric >fragment of the Starheart and past on through other hands to >Dhyrclhanc, has given Michael Seven more opportunity to focus on his >mission; his mind, as given emerald fire form by the mystic ring, now >having a focus able to react as he thinks rather than staring at an >unchanging tableau in the form of the control console before him. His >calculations become more fervent, more confident, as his subconscious >and conscious mind both work in their own ways to correct each other; >one using instinct to judge what the other deduces from facts and >figures. Before his mind's eye and the eyes of those in the room flow >a series of fractal patterns, klein bottles and objects which seem to >defy description. Around this forest of forms are jade formulae that >seem to flow and ripple into nonexistance as they form. Dhyrclhanc's eyes, even from under the Eidolon Warwear's Turtle-Shell and/or Bike-Helmet-shaped head carapace, obviously go wide at the sight of all of the ring-generated mathatical formulae and graphics. Dhyrclhanc, himself, is the equivalent of one of the Arrisian's Penultmates, including the possession of a mentality and inteligence that would allow him to beat Albert Einstein, Stephen J. Hawkings and Issac Newton in a three-way game of 4-D Chess, but even this is beyond him. >The power and scope of Michael Seven's imagination are a striking >dichotomy with his often insistant refutations of being something >more than a mere man. This mind's eye was the penultimate creation of >the Arisian experiment so recently learned of by the Callahanian Army >of Light. It was what permitted his alter-ego, in the form of Voyd, >to destroy the Time Lords who so long tormented her. And it now, in >far less time than he suspected, is allowing him to make the final >changes to the monoblock prison that will let him open the cage door >and allow Seth and his two companians to restore what was taken from >the multiverse. Which would explain it, now wouldn't it. ;^) >Shoving the generator into the roundal and placing the cover over the >hole, he calls to the rest of the group, /Hang on, people, I'm taking >our field and theirs down at once. After that, they're gonna be hard >pressed to get their main one back up again, the TARDIS will see to >that. To them, we're suddenly gonna be going a heck of a lot faster >with our Roger action figures here. But that they could still adapt >for, so watch out. And keep away from the edges of the spheres, if >you haven't noticed yet, those few missed bullets have slowed >considerably since they left the field, and they're gonna speed up >again really soon. Don't want anyone hit by possible riccochets./ Dhyrclhanc steels himself for the rapid change of time-frame, only momentarily pausing to do a TP check with the minature version of his "adopted" nephew, who had accompanied the "Lens-T'Skrang", to make sure that his "nephew" was prepared, too. >It doesn't take long for Michael Seven to realize he's being >directed, his sense of perception flying out in front of him as he >does, looking to see the cause of this sudden side trip. There, a >figure, holding a fist toward where he's rising to, like a weapon. > >Anna Mahloy, the woman that should have been dead under the sheet >down in the eye of harmony chamber. [Uh boy, I certainly hope Mike can handle his doppleganger alone, even with the loan of my Green Lantern Ring. 'Cuz, unfortunately, it looks like I've got my hands full with these "Tharkoldu"] >Empowered by the GL ring, Mike launched himself into the space ahead >of the rising pedestal, [while] Freddy Mercury [was] telling him in >stereo there was nothing he could do about it. > >"Wanna bet?" Mike snarled to himself, rushing toward the top and his >destiny. Then... >>On Sun, 08 Jul 2K1, "Roland X" Said >>>Dhyrclhanc Said >>> >>> What does Dhyrclhanc's Lens translate "pav" into, Roland >>> >> >> (OOC: It's a fairly generic epithet; WEG didn't really provide a >>translation, and I doubt you want me to speculate in-depth. ;^) Nah, I suppose that it's enough to know that DC understands that he's been unceremoniously, not to mention rather rudely, been called a, probably *very*, insulting name. >>>Only, IMPNSHO, 'cuz Roland's more familiar with the more >>>subtle uses of the PK power. Raw power might be another matter, but >>>being in the center of high-powered melee isn't what I'd call being >>>conducive to this kind of a debate. >> >> (OOC: 50,000 tons > 1,000 tons. 'Nuff said. 8^) >> (OOC 2: Well, with the GL ring, the Big Guy may go over even >>Roland's armor-boosted levels, so it's entirely up to you what tech >>does to the equation.) Er... Ah... No. But, we'll talk later after Dhyrclhanc becomes an Adult Dragon (not to mention the few other choice things that I'm going to have happen to him soon afterwards). Hehehehehehe. OTOH, I'd be interested to see the mathematics of exactly how you figure that the IC Roland gets "50,000 tons" as an upper TK press limit. "Atlantian Defender Armor", or no "Atlantian Defender Armor". (at which point we hit the "rewind" button and...) >> Roland frowns and teleports to the flanking position he'd send >>the Lensdragon to, fighting off a largish techno-demon. /I >>appreciate the rescue, sib, but what part of 'flank' don't you >>understand?/ >> >>>/Oh *that* flank. No offence, sib, but I thought you knew me >>>better than that. I'm a _Sentinel_, I Protect. It's part of the job >>>contract. In fact, it's like being a Gargoyle./ > > Roland sighs. /It's appreciated, sib. But if they'd gotten around >this flank...we need to keep them contained until Mike gets the job >done. Anyway, it's moot now, because they are./ He smiles dryly. >/Congratulations, sib--you've got point now./ /Oh, absolutely splendid..!/ sends Dhyrclhanc, his private thoughts seemingly leaking into the Lens-link as he quicklly discovers that he, just once, may have bit off more than he could chew, colloquially speaking, be deciding to be the spearhead point against the invading Ocultech Demons and their allied forces. (where we "fast-forward" slightly to find... ) >>>This hand, now free, snakes outwards towards the Cleric-figure and >>>the green remotes orbiting around that wrist lash out to him with a >>>bolt of lightning that would smash through a rock the size of a >>>large man's torso. >>> >>>Luckily for him, however, it only catches him on the shoulder. >> >> The dark priest rocks back, its cyberware catching the brunt of >>the hit. It turns back and tries to raise its arm to fire back, but >>the arm refuses to move. Snarling, it rips a layer off its own skin >>and a dozen more chains fly out of its chest, hissing with power and >>malevolence as they lash out at the Lensdragon. So, sib, the "Sunbolt" had no effect on him? >> Several other slaves and gospog join the attack, but are easily >>repulsed by Dhyrclhanc's power. In point of fact, the Cyborged Slaves and Gospog troops, being closer to begin with, reach the "Sentinel-Lens-T'Skrang" first. But the Kelly-Green Remotes orbiting his left hand quickly begin to bisect. Where four originally circled Dhyrclhanc's armored forearm, now eleven, either singly or in pairs, now arc around less than a foot from the limb encased in the advanced "living" bio-tech armor of the Eidolon. Seven of these remotes leave their orbit and head for the interlopers, The Gospog are literally cut in half by energy beams that would easily slice though Omnium Steel and the Cyborgs are hit by a multitude of Stun Beams, each of which would send either a raving Shark or Killer Whale into "La-La Land". Then, as the new barrage of chains surge towards him, in a strobed blur Dhyrclhanc "translates" himself to just outside of the chain's range. The rest of the CAoL present get hit by the double effect of the psychic and auditory equivalent of two Dhyrclhanci voices quickly chanting in a language which is somehow both harsh and guttural and yet light and silvery at the same time. One voice can be heard to say, via the lens-link's translation, "By Agamotto's Eternal Vigilance and Mother Isis' Eternal Light and both Benu Phoenix's and Lord Bahamut's constant Rage Against the Night; I call upon all theses powers to grant me a Blazing Sheild against this Dark Adversary's Might." I'll presume that Thratchen's "Spiritual Jamming" isn't working for the moment for these next two effects. If it still is then, Dhyrclhanc is probably going to be in trouble, to say the least. :^( At the end of Dhyrclhanc's outstretched right arm, springs into being a huge, ornate, arcane-looking, translucent, shining, shield -- looking as if it were forged from part of a small sun. Around the shield's periphery are spindly glyphs that look all the world like the results of a insane etymologisist's vivisection of a multitude of insects. Unless the chains can easily go through something 15% the tensile strength of True Admantium, the shield will deflect them. At the same time, another Dhyrclhanc voice begins to recite a littany of greater powers which he serves, including most of the major members of the Helopolitan Pantheon, the Vishanti and their component members and the Supreme Dragon-God Bahamut, while touching the floor of the room with his right hand. Dhyrclhanc is trying to invoke the powers of all the deities he serves in order to transform the room into the equivalent of "Holy Ground" in order to make it inhospitable to our "Guests". Obviously, it's up to Roland to whether or not he's successful and keeping in mind my next to last comments. I don't know how big the room is but, if this works, this'll affect an area of 44 square feet. ================================= Subject: AAE 7b: Tink's Solo Adventure On Mon, 30 Jul 2001 19:32:33 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010552 The last thing Tink was expecting was to get into an adventure while sitting in Callahan's Place. But, upon reflection, hadn't Grumpa said that was how all this started? With a few expressed thoughts of boredom and a desire for a little action, adventure, and excitement, the bar had been raided by a gang of small-time villians collected from across the six to the power of six taken to the power of six dimensions. And sitting at the table, Tink had certainly found herself bored and was definitely desiring some action, adventure, and excitement. So, God being an iron, her request was granted. Schroedinger, the kitten in her lap, suddenly sprung up onto the tabletop and then to the top of his carrying case. As he did, the note fell into Tink's lap and she saw the words "To Tinkerbell Seven" written in a calligrapher's style. Turning the note over, she found the Japanese text addressing it to Zia gone. Tinkerbell opened the note and read it's contents. They were simply, "We seem to have missed Zia, and so we ask you to deliver this cat and these books to these coordinates, to the child seated by the shore in the old boat. It would also be a kindness if you were to bring a few items which we have listed below. We thank you for taking on this task. Yours in service, Seth and Lilith (and Shep.)" Reading through the list of things, Tink sighed heavily and muttered, "Why do I sense another temporal paradox being averted here?" However, looking through the list also seemed to indicate some sort of mission of mercy, which is what made her take the kitten and carrier, along with the rest of the objects brought by the two angels to the Place, and transport back to the _Love's_Labor_. An hour later, she was standing on perhaps the strangest alien shore she had ever encountered. The water glowed orange before her eyes as she made her way along the rocky beach. The sky wasn't just dark, it was nonexistant, the entire lake held underground, ancient stalagtites hanging far above her head. The air was cool and a faint breeze came from somewhere unseen. The cavern had to be at least several miles square, with a ceiling at least half a mile high, probably higher. By far, however, the weirdest sight was the city around her, built into the walls of the cavern around the lake itself. Silent and somber, these dwellings sat deserted, whoever lived in them had gone long ago. And yet, they still seemed occupied, certainly cleaner than they ought to have been, dust wasn't nonexistant, but certainly less than ought to be there considering how long it seemed since the place was inhabited. Tink could have spent hours exploring the empty metropolis, but she was here with purpose and she moved deliberately down the shore toward the rows of boats. Most seemed unseaworthy, or unlake-worthy, whichever, but one looked to have been recently occupied, as the dust had been cleared from a seat in one of them, as if someone had flooped down in the dusty craft then scampered out of sight when Tink had arrived. A sharp thought resounded in her head. *Who are you?* it asked. "I'm Tink," she said, cheerfully, despire her own surprise and nervousness. "Who're you? Want some food? I have plenty." Tink caught the sound of a stomach gurgling embarrassingly loudly from under an overturned canoe. "I'm alone," she said, hoping to encourage the child, which she was now sure the telepath was, to come out. The canoe shifted, and a small, thin, brunette girl crawled out. She looked to be Tink's age, not malnourished, but by the way she was holding her stomach, Tink suspected the girl was rather hungry. Tink spread out her packed feast, fresh from the replicators aboard ship and gestured for the other girl to dig in. The other girl looked suspicious, but then, the icebreaker of the party leapt out of the basket, Schroedinger the kitten, and pounced on a cold leg of chicken. "Schroedinger," Tink scolded before both girls broke out in giggles, the latter's silence, but still making her tremble with laughter. *Molly,* the other girl introduced herself, and Tink had to repress the urge to gape. Now it all fit, she realized, this was her aunt as a girl. But what was she doing here? She now knew what these objects were, the books were the same battered copies that would draw her aunt to trust the Callahanian Army of Light some ten years later, and from what she gleamed of Anna-from-the-future, this kitten was well-known to her. This must be where they first get the cat. Molly meanwhile tore into the cold chicken voraciously, giving bits to Schroedinger, who was acting like he was starving, despite having had ample food prior to their arrival. "What're you doing here?" Tink asked Molly. *My mom's mad at me because I demanded she stop hurting a guy for information. She said I was here at her whim, and she could dump me anywhere she pleased and there wasn't anything I could do about it. She gets these sorts of fits once in a while, but this is the first time she's actually tossed me out of the TARDIS for interfereing.* Tink cringed, "Yikes." *I don't ever want to be an adult, they're awful things, with nasty minds... what're you doing here? Mom said this world was dead.* Tink tried to think of a good reason, but came up empty. Molly looked at her closely. *You're trying to think up a lie, aren't you? Your thoughts are real close to the surface, I can hear you tossing out ideas.* Tink blushed, "I'm sorry, uhm, well, I'm visiting here for somebody, who asked me to bring some stuff for someone here. I guess they meant you, since I don't see anyone else here." *Who for?* "Would you believe angels?" Molly blinked and thought. *Only because when you said it, a picture of them was in your mind and I can't think what else something like that could be. Weird, I never thought there were such things.* Tink nodded, "Yeah, I've seen a lot of weird things I wouldn't believe. Uhm, anyway, I'm supposed to pass on a few things to you, that kitten for one, and these books." Molly didn't look too sure about the kitten, but the books were snatched up with an equal voracity to that which she displayed about the chicken. *Books are valuable where I'm from. We've got a hard time finding anything in even half-decent shape, and nothing ever this good. I could sell these for a mint.* "You ought to read them first," Tink said, "You might not want to get rid of them. You can always sell them after, but where I'm from, there are some books so good people will never part with them." Molly shrugged. *So what's with the cat? Why's he special?* "No reason I know of, he's just a cat. Company when you're feeling lonely maybe." Molly thought about that. *I think the cat's worth more than these books then. Most people freak out when I get telepathic on them.* "Where I'm from, lots of people are telepathic. Even me, though it's just by touch." *Me too, actually, but I'm better at it than anybody else back home. People think I'm some sort of freak.* "Yeah, I get that too, sometimes. Kids aren't supposed to be as smart as me. I just figure they're jealous. I mean, nobody fantasizes about getting answers wrong at school, I'm just better at it than other people." *My teachers have to--* The rest of the comment was cut short as Tink heard a sound in the distance. Turning, she saw a shadow on the lake, someone in a boat, rowing toward them. Tink took Molly's hand, thinking at her, *Someone's coming!* *Shit,* Molly swore. Both girls began gathering the food and books, snatching up Schroedinger as they ran for one of the nearby buildings. Ducking inside, they peered out a window at the beach, waiting to see who the next tresspasser in this dead world would be. They didn't have terribly long to wait, a flat-bottomed punt came to ground on the beach and a dark-haired woman hopped out, pulling the vessel further onto the shore. Taking a sphere from her pocket, she opened it, looked at the interior, then it closed of its own volition in her palm. Dropping a pair of goggles from her eyes, she started walking towards Tinkerbell and Molly's hiding place. "Hey, you kids," the other woman called, Tink translating through her mini-lens and Molly getting the gist straight from the older woman's mind, "this is no place to play. Come out here and I won't mention this to your parents." Tink and Molly clasped hands and conferred. *Is she safe?* Molly asked. *Seems to be,* Tink replied, *She thinks we're some native's kids, snuck over here, from the sounds of it. She knows where we are, but she hasn't come in here, she seems to be trying to be friendly.* *Okay then, let's go out. If there's trouble, I'll toast her.* Tink remembered the sort of mage her aunt was in the future, and recalled she'd begun training when she was young. But, she had a few tricks of her own, too, and she felt obliged to protect her aunt. She gently pressed the fingers of her left hand against the elbow of her raised arm and a red glow briefly formed in her right, cupped palm. *If you don't beat me to it,* Molly said, checking out the glow. "We're coming out," Tink said through her mini-lens. Both girls stepped out of hiding warily, scrutinizing the older woman. For her part, the older woman looked just as surprized to see them as they had been to see her. "You're not one of the local children. Who are you two? How did you get here?" "We're travellers," Tink replied, "Only stopped here for lunch. Where's here anyway?" She hoped the question would throw the woman off balance enough to give her time to figure out an excuse suitable. "D'ni," the woman replied and Tink's eyes widened. The woman inquired, "You've heard of us?" Tink nodded, "Where I'm from, there is a series of books about your people. My grandfather is fond of them. Who are you? I'm Tink and this is Molly." The woman replied, "I'm Yeesha. Where are your parents?" "Mine don't know I'm here," Tink said truthfully, "Molly's mom dumped her here for punishment and I've been keeping her company until her mom gets back." Yeesha looked appalled, but seemed to believe that. "Which way did she go?" the older woman asked, looking around with a deep frown on her face. Molly shrugged, by unspoken agreement, the girls had decided to let Tink do the talking since Molly would probably disturb the woman with telepathy and Tink could convince both of her companians she was speaking fluent D'ni naturally. Yeesha nodded, "You don't have to be shy around me, dear. Well, we'll just wait for your mother to return then. We'll have a little talk with her when she does get back." Molly grinned wickedly. Tink, on the other hand, didn't think that was a particularly safe idea. She decided to change the subject, hoping to waylay the woman into hiding once the sound of a TARDIS came to her ears. "So what's D'ni like? My grandfather never told me except it was a sad story, mostly, dealing with one family." Yeesha nodded. "My great-grandmother, Ti'ana, was apparently partly to blame for that, for the most noble of reasons. The original people, those who didn't escape to other worlds, were wiped out by a plague that two evil men released into the ventilation system here. They wanted to destroy everything, and had not some of the people been able to avoid the plague, they might have done it. But, it was my father and mother who found the remainder of our people and brought them back. But, instead of rebuilding the city here, it was decided to build a new one on another world." Yeesha scrutinized the two girls, "Which world did you two come from?" Molly and Tink shared a glance, "Well, actually, we came from a world called TARDIS." Molly stared at Tink, agape. *How did you know?* Tink brushed against her hand. *How'd I get here?* *Oh, angels, right,* Molly replied. Tink mentally sighed, keeping her shields up, [Avoided answering that one at least.] She dropped them again, trying to get things back to where she had some control. "I don't think I've heard of that one," Yeesha said, rescuing Tink from possibly having to answer questions from both sides,"Must be a private world of one of the former writers or something. You know how to get home, then?" Tink nodded, "Yeah, we know the way back to our world." A sound suddenly came to Tink and Yeesha's ears, a grinding and wheezing. Something was starting to fade into existance down the beach. *Shit!* Molly suddenly thought, *It's my mom.* Yeesha was startled by the cacophony of noise, and Tink grabbed her hand and easily led her into the abandoned building. Molly grabbed her books and the kitten and ran for the ship. *Sorry we couldn't finish lunch, Tink! You okay here?* Tink said under her breath as she grabbed the rest of her own things, "Yeah, Molly, I'm okay, I'm leaving right now, see?" Molly, who knew where to look, cast a glance over her shoulder and saw a shimmering blue light from the house, the smaller shape she knew to be Tink hiding in the shadows vanished. Yeesha seemed torn which to gape at more. As Tink faded away, Molly barreled through the opening TARDIS doors with books and kitten and slammed the doors shut behind her before her mother could object. *I'm sorry for interfereing, mother,* she thought in rapid-fire, * I just want to go home, okay?* Schroedinger leapt from Molly's arms and vanished into the interior of the TARDIS. Anna Mahloy's attention had still been on the rematerialization controls. She looked at her daughter with a penetrating glare, then seemed to give her no further thought as she flipped a switch and set the TARDIS into motion. Molly was relieved to see, as the monitor closed over her mother's shoulder, that only now was Yeesha able to come to her senses enough to leave her hiding place. Yeesha stood alone on the beach. One girl had vanished in a light not unsimilar in intent to a linking book, but there was no book left behind. And the other girl disappeared into a large boulder that had appeared amid waves of sounds not unsimilar to protesting metal on the beach, then left as loudly and as quickly. As she walked back to her boat, a small scrap of paper caught her eye. Picking it up, she stared at it in shock, then looked up at the ceiling of the cavern. "'There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.'" ================================= Subject: AAE 7b: Anna's Freedom On Fri, 17 Aug 2001 12:52:56 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010564 Anna had no idea how she got there, the last thing she remembered was running toward Molly, then a sharp buzzing filling her ears. After that, she was standing in a room of the TARDIS with no doors and a single large gap in the floor. Weapons fire echoed up through the gap, then was suddenly silenced as something else rose from the depths toward her. She had raged against the TARDIS, but it had seemed set on keeping her here until she fought whatever was coming for her. Since it was the fastest way to get back in control of her ship, she decided to oblige, for now. Later, she would take a large axe to the computer that ran the ship and fix its rebelious streak for good. She held her artificial arm out toward the gate, preparing a blast of energy for whatever emerged. As the rising sound got closer, she tensed. But before she was expecting it, a green blur shot upward from the gap, arcing up over her head. She fired a few blue energy bolts at it, but they were ineffective, there was some sort of energy shield in place. As Anna turned to track the green figure, it came to land behind her, forcing her to spin on a heel to keep it covered. Then recognition dawned on her face. "I should have expected it to be you," Anna told Michael Seven. Michael dropped the energy shield, raising a hand, "We don't have to do this." "Can't Break Away," came the phrase to both opponents' minds. "I think we've been running from it for some time now," Anna replied, shifting her grip on her fist. "I'd been saving this for Roland, with his Green Lantern Ring, but you'll do just as well against it." Another blast burst from the knuckles of the artificial arm, this one in the yellow spectrum. Michael reflexively generated a shield through the ring and the blast dissipated against it. Anna looked aghast. "You can't affect yellow with a Green Lantern Ring!" she shouted, as if saying it would make it true. "I'm told this isn't a normal ring," Mike replied, locking eyes with Anna and suddenly shoving his psyche into her mind. Anna wasn't ready for this, but Michael only managed to get a glimpse of her mind before she had clamped down on it, but by the look on his face, it was apparent he knew. Anna had seen it often, in her own mind's eye, a young girl, her, entwined around a black oily snake, also her. The girl was Anna, the snake was Mahloy. They lived in something of a symbiotic relationship, though lately it was becoming more of a parasitic relationship as the snake had gained more and more control of her. Michael's face hardened and she knew instinctively that it was addressed to the snake in her mind. "Release that girl, or I'll drag you kicking and screaming from her mind." The little girl wanted nothing more, anything to get away from Michael Seven. The snake had told her all about him, how he'd left his child alone with her to take care of. It had suggested she give it away to someone who wanted it. She didn't want to, it was hers and she was all alone, but the snake insisted, saying they had more important things to do, but that they could visit the child if they wanted to. Anna, the girl, lived in fear of Michael Seven, the snake had seen to that. She wanted nothing more than to be away from him. The snake reminded her of this, whispering to her in the darkness where they both lived. If she would kill him, she would never have to see him again. The snake made Anna hiss back, "Never." It forced her to fire bolts through the color spectrum at Michael Seven, but he blocked them all. Michael replied by reforcing his way into her mind. Anna was in no shape to fight, and the snake could not fight mentally and physically at the same time. It shrieked in her ears as Michael grabbed hold of it by the head and pulled. As he did, something began to be dislodged in the pit of the adult Anna's stomach. Anna the girl shrieked for it to stop, for Michael Seven to go away, for the snake to go away, but the adult just managed a choking, retching noise. Her body was frozen, but Mike's was moving closer to hold her up and keep the eye contact. As she felt herself start to fall to the floor, his arms were under her. Their eyes were inches apart, and she was still retching up something. The snake seemed to be losing its grip around her, slowly being pulled away from the girl. It snapped and bit at Michael's mental pull, but he didn't waver. It shrieked at her to save it, to pull it back, but Anna was too petrified. Michael's attacks seemed to grow in ferocity, the snake responded desperately in kind and suddenly, before Anna's mind's eye came memories. Michael Seven had been asked to kill her. He refused, saying she hadn't done anything yet. The snake, as a man, had been asked the same, he accepted. Michael had given her to her adopted parents because they could better take care of her than the mean man who was her father and richer than the man who he had sent her brother to. She didn't understand all of that, but she understood perfectly how the snake, as a man, had sat in a tree with a gun, attempting to kill her, then killed her mother and their body guard. Then the snake itself took her over. Suddenly before the little girl's eyes, Michael Seven and the Snake came into sharp relief. She saw what Michael Seven wanted, and what the snake wanted. She found them both petrifying, if she helped Michael Seven, he might want to kill her, she'd done the things he had been told she would. But she was gradually losing herself to the snake, and Michael Seven might go away if the snake was gone. Anna pushed the snake away from her. The thing in the pit of her stomach came up, leaping for Michael Seven's mouth as it was drug out of hers. The thing was the snake, she saw that, as it looked back with a hiss at her. But Michael Seven kept pulling and as it got halfway between them, she saw it go through some sort of change, from black and oily to light and airy. Michael's eyes widened with surprize as the snake apparently tried to force its way into him. There was a brilliant flash in all three minds and from the TARDIS, then Anna's mind was silent and empty of everyone and everything but her. Michael staggered away from Anna, clutching his head in pain. She tried to run from him, but she suddenly felt herself frozen in another way, this time a strange golden energy holding her in place. There was a sudden flash and she was free, running to the opposite corner. Anna fumbled as she crossed the room, tangled in something. She huddled in the corner, hugging her knees, and looked at Michael Seven. He fell to his hands and knees and stared at the floor for a long time, trying to catch his breath, then fell on his side, looking at Anna. "Funny," Michael Seven said, "Figured growth hormones, not temporal flux. So she was paradox immune after all." Then he fainted. Anna stayed where she was. All she could think of was needing help, someone to protect her. The wall behind Anna wasn't, as was normal, cold to the touch as she pressed against it, but a calming warm. The warmth withdrew as the wall opened behind her and she fell back, staring up at a brunette, half-Minbari woman in a long green dress and long blue vest. The woman blinked in surprise as Anna nearly fell back under her feet, then said "Hello." She looked up and gasped. "Michael!" she called out, running over to look at Michael Seven. Anna tried to get up and run, but she was entangled again. Looking down, she finally found the reason why, her clothes had become far too big. Then she realised, she'd gotten a lot smaller. The woman checked Michael Seven's pulse, then gently attempted to rouse him. Anna turned to flee again, but the wall just beyond her had closed, trapping her in the suddenly formed alcove, with nowhere to run but back into the room she had left. "Are you alright, Michael?" the woman asked him as he seemed to rouse. "You're alive or I'm dead, either way I'm wonderful," Michael replied. Flarn smiled, brushing a hand across his forehead, "I don't know how, but I fell into the Eye and came out here, healed, with the overwhelming sense you needed me." Mike smiled, "I always have, how's Anna?" Flarn kissed his forehead then looked up to look at Anna, "How are you?" Anna just stared back, trembling. "Scared," Flarn replied for her. Anna couldn't help but nod. Michael got up into a sitting position and smiled at Anna. "You're safe now, the snake won't come back." Anna shook her head, "It's in you, now." Mike nodded, his gaze seemed to pierce through her for a moment before returning to look just at the surface, "Yes, but it changed when I pulled it out. It's a part of me that became bad when it was on its own. But now that it's back with me, all the evil's been shed. That's what made you do the bad things, you're not in trouble for it. It wasn't your fault." Flarn looked at Mike, concerned, "You're sure you're okay?" He nodded, speaking to include Anna as well as Flarn. "There are some bad men downstairs, I need to take care of them, then we can get Anna here back home." "I don't have a home," Anna mumbled. Flarn looked surprised, looking to Mike for confirmation. He seemed to be regretting what he said as soon as he said it. "I'm sorry, Anna," Mike said, "I knew that, but forgot for a moment. Well, would you like to stay with me?" Anna shook her head fiercely. Mike nodded, seemingly a bit sad about that, "Alright, I will take you wherever you want to go, to live with whoever you want, if I can at any way manage it." "Molly," Anna whispered. Mike looked at the ceiling for a moment, "I'm not sure how I'll make it happen, but I'll do my best for you, okay? You remember how tricky time travel and people are, right? It doesn't always work out like we want it to." Anna nodded. "Okay, Flarn, can you watch Anna? I'm going to finish cleaning house, but I'm going to have to have the ship reorganize itself, so you're going to have to stick close." Flarn nodded, "Good, every time I seem to get too far from you, I find you again only to discover I've been gone for years. I think I am not letting you out of my sight again." Michael smiled at that, then with a sudden move, took off his Spikard and dropped to one knee. "That reminds me, it's horrible timing, but I have to ask before anything else can happen... will you marry me?" Flarn's eyes widened, "Oh," she said, a tear streaking down her face, "Yes. I had thought you'd never ask." Michael smiled, rising, "I thought I'd never get the chance.' He kissed her deeply and after a few moments, stopped, giving Flarn a final hug, and walked toward Anna. "Okay, Anna," Michael explained, "I'm going to leave you with Flarn, she'll see that you stay safe. I know you're not comfortable with me. Is that okay? As soon as the TARDIS is free of riffraff, we'll go find Molly and ask if she'll let you live with her." Anna nodded slowly, still backing away a bit. Mike stopped and smiled wanly, "Flarn, behind Anna is now a doorway that leads to Molly's old room, there should be something there for her to wear. Can you take her to get changed?" Flarn nodded, coming forward with the Spikard on her finger. "Of course. Anna, let's go find something that you can walk in." Anna went with Flarn and found some of Molly's old clothes, a pair of jeans, sandals and pink tee. Flarn also found Anna's original artificial arm, the one that came later was far too heavy, she had had to cradle it in her other arm to hold it upright. Flarn gingerly put that deadly weapon aside. "Children should be allowed to be children, not made to be adults until they are ready." Flarn said as she put the arm on a high shelf. As they returned, Schroedinger appeared between Anna's legs, purring loudly. She picked the cat up, something she'd never been allowed to do before, either by the snake or the cat. But the snake was gone from her mind and the cat didn't run away from her now. Michael seemed excited and out of breath, "It's all happening so fast now." He handed Flarn a Minbari fighting pike and explained how to generate forcefields with the Spikard ring, then Flarn took Anna's hand and they returned to the fray below through the gap in the floor Michael had appeared from. "This is going to be pretty nasty," Mike said, "These bad guys are rather disgusting-looking and there's lots of loud and messy weapons, and we didn't have time to clean up from the last fight." Flarn nodded. "Stay behind me, Anna, and hide your eyes." Flarn set her jaw and extended her fighting pike. Anna hid behind Flarn as bidden, but peeked out as they emerged from the ceiling atop the rapidly contracting pillar. The creatures she saw made her hide her eyes again. She heard Mike kiss Flarn, then as he moved away, the surroundings blurred slightly and the sound dampened as Flarn put up her forceshields as given through the Spikard. "We're safe here," Flarn told Anna. Anna looked up a Flarn and felt safe for the first time in a long time. ================================= Subject: AAE 7b: Mike's Return On Fri, 17 Aug 2001 13:22:43 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010565 As Mike reached the top of the shaft, he switched his mini-lens over to standby, so that eveyone would know he was still there, but he wanted some privacy for this very old grudge match. When he defeated the Mahloy spirit that had been possessing her, his mind, though still reeling from the battle, managed to project the excess energy int the TARID's telepathic circuits, overwriting the program that had evolved with Mahloy's influence for the original Time Lord design. That done, he'd given up consciousness for a few moments only to awaken to find Flarn looking down at him. From there, he had to act quickly, but two things seemed of paramount importance; getting Anna to trust him, he felt horrible about what had eventually happened to her after he'd saved her from Uther Pendragon; and with Flarn right here, making sure he never lost her again, in the only way that he knew how. Her yes seemed to take his psyche and set everything right within it. From there he didn't really remember much of what he did, other than prepare both women for what they'd see downstairs and attempt to calm his mind so he could think rationally again. He failed miserably, but it wasn't important. As the bubble of force enveloped the two women in a coccoon of safety, he leapt back into the fray with abandon, a giant broom sweeping a fresh batch of new soldiers back through their side of the gateway. /Hi,/ he sent excitedly through the lens link, /I'm back, I'm engaged, Flarn's keeping Anna company and guarding them both (sorry, they're not on the link and the bubble bars telepathy and lots of other things, safer that way), the TARDIS is back to normal, and oh I'll tell you all later, after we clean house./ ================================= Subject: AAE7b: Delays, delays (was Re: TARDIS Trouble) On Mon, 20 Aug 2001 22:52:35 -0500 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00010577 [Ed. Note: Post#10576 actually belongs after #10577, and so I've rearranged them here for ease of reading.] >On Fri, 22 Jun 2001 22:08:44 -0400 >"Xander Opal" Said As CAoL Message # 00010534 > >And so the firefight continues, massive, high-speed bullets slamming >into the weakest points sie can find; after each trick, each jamming, >sie swiftly catches up, somehow taking advantage of every little >slip... the nonsentient beings now turning their weapons, in concert, >upon their superiors (should, of course, the GM allow me to /do/ >that!), if nothing else, possibly distracting a few for those cruical >moments. With the help of the cyborgs liberated from the demons, Xander's flank rather emphatically drives survivors of the withering assault back on that side... >On Mon, 9 Jul 2001 00:15:34 -0500 >Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00010551 > >>On Sat, 7 Jul 2K1, "Mike Knight" Said >>/It's Anna, folks, (yeah I know she hasn't been resurrected yet, >>it's a time machine, you expect continuity? ) /Well, I was _hoping_ for better continuity than post-Crisis DC,/ Roland replies, unable to resist the sideswipe. Then his opponent makes a sideswipe as well, and a resounding KLANG, followed by tearing metal, followed by /...ow.../ ripples across the link. >>let me handle this one. I think I know what the TARDIS is about, and >>we're not gonna have an easy time of anything else we do here until >>I convince it who's the real Michael Seven. Me or her. And this >>isn't the nice ship I used to have, it's one who's sentience has >>been melded around all Mahloy's evil impulses. Its forcing a >>confrontation between us. And I'd wager it's going towards her side >>already./ /Oy. Good luck./ [That explains why _this_ waste of sentience is still moving,] Roland thinks darkly, circling his demonic opponent. >>>On Sun, 08 Jul 2K1, "Roland X" Said >>> >>>>Dhyrclhanc Said >>>> >>>>Only, IMPNSHO, 'cuz Roland's more familiar with the more >>>>subtle uses of the PK power. Raw power might be another matter, >>>>but being in the center of high-powered melee isn't what I'd call >>>>being conducive to this kind of a debate. >>>> >>> >>> (OOC: 50,000 tons > 1,000 tons. 'Nuff said. 8^) >>> (OOC 2: Well, with the GL ring, the Big Guy may go over even >>>Roland's armor-boosted levels, so it's entirely up to you what tech >>>does to the equation.) > > Er... Ah... No. > >But, we'll talk later after Dhyrclhanc becomes an Adult Dragon (not >to mention the few other choice things that I'm going to have happen >to him soon afterwards). Hehehehehehe. > >OTOH, I'd be interested to see the mathematics of exactly how you >figure that the IC Roland gets "50,000 tons" as an upper TK press >limit. "Atlantian Defender Armor", or no "Atlantian Defender >Armor". OOC: Actually, that's _without_ the Defender armor. I'm using the Champions/DC scales, not the Marvel one, and Roland's on a par with the post-Crisis Superman in terms of raw power when fully boosted. His upper limit _with_ the armor is 250k tons. >>>The dark priest rocks back, its cyberware catching the brunt of the >>>hit. It turns back and tries to raise its arm to fire back, but the >>>arm refuses to move. Snarling, it rips a layer off its own skin and >>>a dozen more chains fly out of its chest, hissing with power and >>>malevolence as they lash out at the Lensdragon. > > So, sib, the "Sunbolt" had no effect on him? OOC: The arm stopped working. He's not happy. Those are effects. Aren't you glad you asked? >Seven of these remotes leave their orbit and head for the >interlopers, The Gospog are literally cut in half by energy beams >that would easily slice though Omnium Steel and the Cyborgs are hit >by a multitude of Stun Beams, each of which would send either a >raving Shark or Killer Whale into "La-La Land". Most of the extras are reduced to irrelevance for the remainder of the fight, one way or the other, by this overwhelming barrage. >At the end of Dhyrclhanc's outstretched right arm, springs into being >a huge, ornate, arcane-looking, translucent, shining, shield -- >looking as if it were forged from part of a small sun. Around the >shield's periphery are spindly glyphs that look all the world like >the results of a insane etymologisist's vivisection of a multitude of >insects. > > Unless the chains can easily go through something 15% the >tensile strength of True Admantium, the shield will deflect them. > Boing!!! go the chains, harmlessly. The Tharkoldu demon looks extremely worried at this point. >At the same time, another Dhyrclhanc voice begins to recite a littany >of greater powers which he serves, including most of the major >members of the Helopolitan Pantheon, the Vishanti and their component >members and the Supreme Dragon-God Bahamut, while touching the floor >of the room with his right hand. "GRREEEAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!" cry all the remaining techno-demons, as they're vulnerable to warding effects. With that strike, the remaining attackers flee back through the gate. All but one... "PAV MONKEY!" Aras benHaav, Demon Lord and right hand of Thratchen, roars as he slams Roland into a wall. "I'm going to dominate you, shape you into a female, and force you to bear a thousand Tharkoldu!" Roland's face twists into a grimace. "That was _definitely_ more than I needed to know about your lifestyle." Power enough to atomize city blocks flies from his hand. Aras is shoved back, talons scraping across the floor in an ear-wrenching whine. "You hurt me. You HURT me, you ball of protoplasm!" His arm spins in the air, clawed fingers gesturing, while his voice butchers sound in a chant that murders the air around him. Roland screams. "You are resilient, even against spirit forces, but on that battle field you are no match for me." Aras smiles cruelly, and clenches his hand. Roland falls to his knees. "What do you have to say for yourself?" Roland coughs as his body is racked with pain...after which, he smiles. "You forgot what you were fighting for." A tiny circuit in the back of Aras' skull shorts out, leaving a tiny wisp of smoke and ozone in its wake. The Demon Lord's eyes go wide. "You-you-" "I destroyed the P-ROM you stored the TARDIS information on. Yep. Bingo." Slowly, the magically battered immortal rises to his feet. "You were so busy enjoying torturing me that you forgot why you came. Sucker." Aras benHaav, centuries-old Demon Lord and master schemer, screams in raw fury and hatred as he realizes that he's been outwitted by a human 'child' with a thing for bright costumes. Then he stops screaming, and eyes Roland with pure abhorrence. "Well _played,_ monkey thing. But I can still curry favor with Thratchen here. It will forgive my error...if I bring you back to it, to torment for the next few millennia." Roland chuckles, wincing as he does so. "Please. Thratchen's a lot of things, but stupid he--it--is not. It doesn't allow itself suicidal grudges, and you've seen what my friends can do." Aras snarls. "My orders include a bonus for bringing you to it." Roland's eyes widen in shock. "No. No _way._ Thratchen's one saving grace is that it's totally professional about its evil! It doesn't _do_ the 'obsess insanely over the hero' thing!" Aras merely smiles. "You've both been infected by one of the Everlaws, matching champions of the Nothing--'villains'--to champions of the Everything--'heroes.' One of you will destroy the other. Thratchen knows which _it_ wants to be." Roland swallows hard... Then... >On Fri, 17 Aug 2001 13:22:43 -0400 >Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010565 > >/Hi,/ he sent excitedly through the lens link, /I'm back, I'm >engaged, Flarn's keeping Anna company and guarding them both (sorry, >they're not on the link and the bubble bars telepathy and lots of >other things, safer that way), the TARDIS is back to normal, and oh >I'll tell you all later, after we clean house./ /Hey, congratula--/ Roland begins. Then, as the CAoL begins to clean up the mess, the doors EXPLODE in, and Roland's battered form collapses in the frame. Aras benHaav strides in after him, his own demonic body showing wear of his own. "Fifth planting gospog are rare and difficult to harvest," he explains in an almost conversational way, as three spots darker than black holes form in the deckplate. "That's why I 'borrowed' these from the Gaunt Man." Roland shudders, pain warring with shock. "You _stole_ from the _Gaunt_ Man? You're INSANE!" Aras laughs. "I have gender, flesh-boy. Compared to that, those are a minor aberration by my people's standards." As his laugh becomes more manic and insane (villain laugh #2), the dark spots flow up from the deck, taking the form of three-dimensional humanoid shadows. The worst part, though, is that details can be seen...details like torn muscles, loose flaps of skin, and too-long bones protruding around the edges. /GOSPOG! Fifth-planting Gospog, from their home realm of horror! They're all made of living shadow from the look of them, they could have any number of other powers besides, and each one is as single-mindedly murderous and unstoppable as a Terminator! Watch yourselves!/ Roland warns, which is all he has time to do before beginning to fight for his life once more with the Demon Lord... (TBC next post ) ================================= Subject: AAE 7b: Immortals On Mon, 20 Aug 2001 22:52:14 -0500 Morgan Said As CAoL Message # 00010576 Roland smiles manically at Aras as he fights to hold the demon off on several fields of battle at once. He's overmatched. His friends are busy not dying. This is bad. /^Morgan? How busy are you?^/ he asks in a way-too-casual tone. /^Not very. How far in over your head are you?^/ Morgan replies evenly, albeit at the speed of thought. /^Uh...massively?^/ Roland sends as his torso begins to grow a third arm out the center. He forces it back into his body before it can strangle him. /^Shall I assume by the fact that you're calling that it's something my skills will actually make a _difference_ in?^/ Morgan asks. /^You're good at this shamanic-spirit-magic thing, right? Right?^/ Roland sends with one of those too-big smiles. /^Only about as good as you are at that Gate Key stuff,^/ she mentally grins. /^Hey, great, glad to hear it, think you could send a little of that my way please love?^/ Roland replies frantically. In the sewer in Darkhold, those with the perception to notice only saw Morgan hesitate for a moment as the preceding conversation took place (OOC: IIRC only Caprice might have heard any of it). "/Harlock, Roland's in over his head, and it must be bad if he's calling _me_ into a hot zone that already has most of our heavy-hitters./" She shrugs. "/Hopefully you four will be able to handle whatever's upstairs without me, 'cause I gotta go./" She returns her sight-toy to whoever gave it to her, and 'ports to Roland's side. Aras pauses briefly as the stunning druid appears. He smiles in an even more unpleasant manner than before. Morgan looks the _thing_ over with relaxed disdain. "/I thought the cyberpunk look was passe',/" she comments wryly. To those unfamiliar with her, she could appear completely unconcerned by the monstrosity before her. The CAoL knows full well that her relaxed stance means that she's ready to unleash Aramegil instantly. "Ah. Your mate, mentalist? Perhaps I will force _her_ to submit to my--" Which was the last thing he should have said. Spirit shields spring into place around the Freelance Immortals, blocking the demon's assault on Roland and preventing an attack on Morgan. In less time than it takes to tell, Roland has checked every other attack unleashed by the Demon Lord. Aras pales. "That. Was. Stupid." Even without Morgan's spirit shields, Roland would have found renewed strength in the need to defend his beloved. With Aras denied his most effective attack, the mismatch has been reversed. "Aw, lad, ye're in trouble now." Morgan shakes her head, her tone almost sympathetic. (OOC-R: I'll open a can of whup-@$$ on Aras later--I owe my love a back rub. 8^) ================================= Subject: Re: AAE7b: Delays, delays (was Re: TARDIS Trouble) On Wed, 22 Aug 2001 23:04:01 -0500 Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00010582 >On Mon, 20 Aug 2K1, Roland X Said: > >>Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said >> >>I'd be interested to see the mathematics of exactly how you figure >>that the IC Roland gets "50,000 tons" as an upper TK press limit. >>"Atlantian Defender Armor", or no "Atlantian Defender Armor". >> > > OOC: Actually, that's _without_ the Defender armor. I'm using the >Champions/DC scales, not the Marvel one, and Roland's on a par with >the post-Crisis Superman in terms of raw power when fully boosted. >His upper limit _with_ the armor is 250k tons. I'd still like to see the math and/or chart. (and now back to the battle at hand, so to speak...) >> So, sib, the "Sunbolt" had no effect on him? > > OOC: The arm stopped working. He's not happy. Those are effects. >Aren't you glad you asked? Estatic >>Seven of these remotes leave their orbit and head for the >>interlopers, The Gospog are literally cut in half by energy beams >>that would easily slice though Omnium Steel and the Cyborgs are hit >>by a multitude of Stun Beams, each of which would send either a >>raving Shark or Killer Whale into "La-La Land". > > Most of the extras are reduced to irrelevance for the remainder of >the fight, one way or the other, by this overwhelming barrage. Ah, Feng Shui Style Unnamed Characters, you *I* Love 'em. };=8) >>At the end of Dhyrclhanc's outstretched right arm, springs into >>being a huge, ornate, arcane-looking, translucent, shining, shield >>-- looking as if it were forged from part of a small sun. Around the >>shield's periphery are spindly glyphs that look all the world like >>the results of a insane etymologisist's vivisection of a multitude >>of insects. >> >> Unless the chains can easily go through something 15% the >>tensile strength of True Admantium, the shield will deflect them. >> > > Boing!!! go the chains, harmlessly. The Tharkoldu demon looks >extremely worried at this point. Good! Seen just under the Warwear's masive helmet, Dhyrclhanc's beak stretches into what's quickly begining to look like a nasty looking grin (he's still in his "Lens-T'Skrang" form, after all). >>At the same time, another Dhyrclhanc voice begins to recite a >>littany of greater powers which he serves, including most of the >>major members of the Helopolitan Pantheon, the Vishanti and their >>component members and the Supreme Dragon-God Bahamut, while touching >>the floor of the room with his right hand. > > "GRREEEAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!" cry all the remaining techno-demons, as >they're vulnerable to warding effects. Well, it's not exactly a warding effect but I'll take what I can get! > /GOSPOG! Fifth-planting Gospog, from their home realm of horror! >They're all made of living shadow from the look of them, they could >have any number of other powers besides, and each one is as >single-mindedly murderous and unstoppable as a Terminator! Watch >yourselves!/ Roland warns, which is all he has time to do before >beginning to fight for his life once more with the Demon Lord... Normally, Dhyrclhanc would rush to help his brother, but he has a brief preocognitive flash that his brother is soon going to have all the help he's going to need. So, instead, he draws his attention to where it's best suited... He turns towards the newcomer living fragments of Darkness and Horror and reaches into the chest area of his Living Eidolon Battle-Suit, the hand not maintaining the shield spell dissappearing as if dipped into the surface of a lake, and pulled out his Eye of Agamotto of Power. As it begins opens he begins to speak once again, "By the power of the Ancient One, and by Agamotto's Ceaseless Glare, I bid thee Burn!" Saying so, the three "Fifth-planting Gospog" are enveloped in the golden cone of light eminating from the Sentinel-Lensdragon's mystic amulet, and begin taking damage as if they had each been dropped into the bubbling caldera of a huge active volcano. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 7b: Immortals On Thu, 23 Aug 2001 19:43:46 EDT SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00010583 >In a message dated 8/21/01 1:57:29 AM Eastern Daylight Time, >morgan writes: > > "That. Was. Stupid." Even without Morgan's spirit shields, Roland >would have found renewed strength in the need to defend his beloved. >With Aras denied his most effective attack, the mismatch has been >reversed. > >"Aw, lad, ye're in trouble now." Morgan shakes her head, her tone >almost sympathetic. The various mini-Rogers, who have until now mostly been zoned-out doing their job of keeping everyone on speed (so to speak), pick this moment to pipe up in vibratory peanut-chorus. "/Toast/" ================================= Subject: AAE7b: Explosive finale On Sun, 21 Oct 2001 00:44:51 -0700 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00010619 >On Wed, 22 Aug 2001 23:04:01 -0500 >Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00010582 > >>On Mon, 20 Aug 2K1, Roland X Said: >> >>>Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said >(and now back to the battle at hand, so to speak...) > >>>>>The dark priest rocks back, its cyberware catching the brunt of >>>>>the hit. It turns back and tries to raise its arm to fire back, >>>>>but the arm refuses to move. Snarling, it rips a layer off its >>>>>own skin and a dozen more chains fly out of its chest, hissing >>>>>with power and malevolence as they lash out at the Lensdragon. >>> >>> So, sib, the "Sunbolt" had no effect on him? >> >> OOC: The arm stopped working. He's not happy. Those are effects. >>Aren't you glad you asked? > >Estatic >> Most of the extras are reduced to irrelevance for the remainder >>of the fight, one way or the other, by this overwhelming barrage. > >Ah, Feng Shui Style Unnamed Characters, you *I* Love 'em. >};=8) OOC: Yep, the extras are back in the studio cafeteria, eating burgers and swapping stories about the dragon that just kicked their butts. >> Then, as the CAoL begins to clean up the mess, the doors EXPLODE >>in, and Roland's battered form collapses in the frame. Aras benHaav >>strides in after him, his own demonic body showing wear of his own. >> >> "Fifth planting gospog are rare and difficult to harvest," he >>explains in an almost conversational way, as three spots darker than >>black holes form in the deckplate. "That's why I 'borrowed' these >>from the Gaunt Man." >> /GOSPOG! Fifth-planting Gospog, from their home realm of horror! >>They're all made of living shadow from the look of them, they could >>have any number of other powers besides, and each one is as >>single-mindedly murderous and unstoppable as a Terminator! Watch >>yourselves!/ Roland warns, which is all he has time to do before >>beginning to fight for his life once more with the Demon Lord... >"By the power of the Ancient One, and by >Agamotto's Ceaseless Glare, I bid thee >Burn!" > >Saying so, the three "Fifth-planting Gospog" are enveloped in the >golden cone of light eminating from the Sentinel-Lensdragon's mystic >amulet, and begin taking damage as if they had each been dropped into >the bubbling caldera of a huge active volcano. The three Wraiths halt in their advance. They seem to be healing as quickly as they burn, but they are definitely using up all of their mystical power to do so; magic is definitely something they're vulnerable too. Roland looks over, his consuming rage abating long enough to comment dryly, "Well, _that's_ a new trick for them." Scanning the area again, he notices a continuum anomaly where Jim was. [Oh bloody nass,] he thinks briefly. /Folks, Jim is gone. Looks like he left voluntarily, at least, from the unforced 'look' of the rift. Knowing him, there was probably something else more pressing he needed to do./ [Light, I can't believe I said that so _casually._ Maybe I'm actually getting used to this.] /All the same, watch your backs./ >On Thu, 23 Aug 2001 19:43:46 EDT >SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00010583 > >>In a message dated 8/21/01 1:57:29 AM Eastern Daylight Time, >>morgan writes: > >> "That. Was. Stupid." Even without Morgan's spirit shields, Roland >>would have found renewed strength in the need to defend his beloved. >>With Aras denied his most effective attack, the mismatch has been >>reversed. >> >>"Aw, lad, ye're in trouble now." Morgan shakes her head, her tone >>almost sympathetic. > > The various mini-Rogers, who have until now mostly been zoned-out >doing their job of keeping everyone on speed (so to speak), pick this >moment to pipe up in vibratory peanut-chorus. "/Toast/" "To suckers," Roland replies almost automatically. A brilliant blue shot glass appears in his hand, and it flies out like a rocket directly into Aras' forehead. "Oh, _that's_ goin' tae leave a mark," Morgan comments quietly. The Demon Lord howls in pain and is hurled back towards the portal. Roland's eyes narrow. "Oh, no you don't. You're not getting away _that_ easily. I've still got a bone or three to pick with you, and they all belong to old friends--" he begins. Then his eyes go wide, he shudders, and Defender howls in agony, doubling over. "My...my city. O Light. My city. MY CITY!" He has enough auto-defenses on his lens-link (especially after other psychic effects on a CAoLer have spread through it) that most of the team is spared what he just felt, but Morgan winces. A moment later, she looks, grief-stricken, at Roland. "go away," he mutters, and energy flows out from him at the Wraiths. They shudder and shrink, struck by phenomenal primal force from the Gate Key itself. Sil looks at Roland for a moment, swallows hard, then turns her chain gun on one of the Wraiths. That attack is one too many, and it's reduced to what appear to be dark shreds of cloth; they quickly burn away under the Lensdragon's power. /Mike, you've got things under control here, right?/ Roland asks as he concentrates his Gate Key power, Morgan's spirit magick flowing alongside it. The two energies spiral together like a strand of DNA, turning into a stream of nearly pure reality. Focusing on only one of the Wraiths makes it...Go Away. Rather like an explosion of darkness, it just sort of...bursts. (OOC: If anyone wants to have one last gratuitous Blowing Up of something, go ahead and annihilate the third Wraith [Xander, that's your cue to show off some firepower ]; otherwise, Dhyrclhanc's power burns it away. I'm assuming that everything _is_ under control, since Mike said so in his last post.) (OOC 2: My hunny the compulsive archivist adds that it's post #10565. 8^) Roland then collapses again, clutching at his stomach as he doubles over and falls to his knees. Morgan is instantly at his side, with him in every sense of the term. Aras spends a microsecond (subjective) considering an attack while Roland is weak, but looks around, decides that discretion is the better part of survival, and the portal swallows him. Both demon and invasion portal vanish, leaving a few bits of gospog, cybernetics, and jet-black cloth behind. "i have to go," Roland says in a very small voice. "i'll be back as soon as i can." Morgan helps him to his feet, using her Life powers to undo the physical side effects of the psychic backlash. Sil goes over to them, her hands on both of their shoulders as her chain gun folds into her back. Then, in a swirl of dimensional/hypertemporal energy, all three are gone. (OOC: We'll be back as soon as things move along; I figured having Roland suddenly Need To Be Elsewhere would provide both the power to finish things up and a good turning point, narratively speaking.) (OOC-re:Rio: Since what she was last doing--slowing time around the Baddies to help the fight--is no longer necessary, Rio is currently unoccupied. Though we could justify her leaving with the Greywolf-Phoenix's to help on what's her homeworld, too, I wanted to leave at least one of our characters with the CAoL. I'm just not sure what to have her do next :-) ================================= Subject: Re:AAE7b: Explosive finale On Mon, 22 Oct 2001 14:14:09 -0400 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010620 >On Sun, 21 Oct 2001 00:44:51 -0700 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00010619 > The three Wraiths halt in their advance. They seem to be healing >as quickly as they burn, but they are definitely using up all of >their mystical power to do so; magic is definitely something they're >vulnerable too. > Roland looks over, his consuming rage abating long enough to >comment dryly, "Well, _that's_ a new trick for them." Shaking off whatever preternatural fear that had held him momentarily motionless, Mike oys to himself, [Why didn't I think to try that?] and aims the borrowed Sentinal Ring, creating three giant electric spotlights and catching each gospog in the mystic light they generate via the flaming green energies from the magical GL ring. /Take it away, Big Guy, if you've got a finishing move. I think I can pin them down with these./ > Roland's eyes narrow. "Oh, no you don't. You're not getting away >_that_ easily. I've still got a bone or three to pick with you, and >they all belong to old friends--" he begins. > Then his eyes go wide, he shudders, and Defender howls in agony, >doubling over. "My...my city. O Light. My city. MY CITY!" He has >enough auto-defenses on his lens-link (especially after other psychic >effects on a CAoLer have spread through it) that most of the team is >spared what he just felt, but Morgan winces. A moment later, she >looks, grief-stricken, at Roland. Mike scowls, the three spotlights switching themselves into rocket engines. Looks like Roland just got a more important call, too, which means it's time to wrap things up fast. > /Mike, you've got things under control here, right?/ Roland asks >as he concentrates his Gate Key power, Morgan's spirit magick flowing >alongside it. The two energies spiral together like a strand of DNA, >turning into a stream of nearly pure reality. Focusing on only one of >the Wraiths makes it...Go Away. Rather like an explosion of darkness, >it just sort of...bursts. /All clear here,/ comes Mike's reply, his mind whirling, trying to deduce what might be going on on Earth-9. He's already got a couple ideas, and he doesn't like either. > Roland then collapses again, clutching at his stomach as he >doubles over and falls to his knees. Morgan is instantly at his side, >with him in every sense of the term. Aras spends a microsecond >(subjective) considering an attack while Roland is weak, but looks >around, decides that discretion is the better part of survival, and >the portal swallows him. Both demon and invasion portal vanish, >leaving a few bits of gospog, cybernetics, and jet-black cloth >behind. Mike takes a GL ring-created broom to picking up all the bits, filing them into containers which are levitated off into a side room that wasn't there before. Then, he generates a green sphere around the force sphere where Flarn and Anna took cover, flickering it on and off rapidly. The forcebubble dissipates. Mike hands the GL-ring back to Dhyrclhanc. "Thanks for the loaner, came in handy." > "i have to go," Roland says in a very small voice. "i'll be back >as soon as i can." Morgan helps him to his feet, using her Life >powers to undo the physical side effects of the psychic backlash. Sil >goes over to them, her hands on both of their shoulders as her chain >gun folds into her back. Then, in a swirl of >dimensional/hypertemporal energy, all three are gone. "Of course," Michael nods as they're about to depart, "Good luck, friends, we'll rendevous at the Place." > (OOC: We'll be back as soon as things move along; I figured having >Roland suddenly Need To Be Elsewhere would provide both the power to >finish things up and a good turning point, narratively speaking.) > >(OOC-re:Rio: Since what she was last doing--slowing time around the >Baddies to help the fight--is no longer necessary, Rio is currently >unoccupied. Though we could justify her leaving with the >Greywolf-Phoenix's to help on what's her homeworld, too, I wanted to >leave at least one of our characters with the CAoL. I'm just not sure >what to have her do next :-) (OOC: Right now, that's the end of part B for us, we just need to get Harlock's team caught up so we can reap the rewards. Harlock, if you need more people, we can probably send a few over your way.) ================================= Subject: AAE VII: Rescue from beyond On Tue, 23 Oct 2001 20:08:06 -0700 Dane Said As CAoL Message # 00010623 Leaving That Which Creates, Aurora and Jim quickly traverse the "space" between universes to the point in time and space just before the Seven family is slain. On Wed, 10 Mar 1999 05:33:16 -0600 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00006607 >Pyewackett, Isis and Jack blinked at each other. Pyewackett >stiffened, suddenly recognizing the female voice was the source of >what he had been homing in on. But he had been homing in on Mike, not >a woman... unless... but, that was impossible, she was dead. The >three cats crept forward to look through the grate into the room >below. > "And the animals?" the woman asked as the three cats peered >through the vent. In this instant, Aurora "reaches" into space, and extracts one cell from each of the cats and Jack. > Their last sight was a brief glimpse of a man with rainbow >colored dreadlocks in silver Predator armor and a woman who looked >something like the second Romana from Doctor Who before the ducts >erupted in plasma fire. Pyewackett never had a chance to guide them >back through the portal, the sudden attack was so unexpected. There >was no pain, just the shock of the revelation below them, then >nothing. The three feline shapes fell from the ceiling, hit the floor >and didn't stir again. > Grep awoke in a dimly lit dungeon, chained to a wall. Someone >had stripped off her clothing and bound her upright by the wrists and >ankles to the cold, wet, wall behind her. There was a faint sore spot >on her arm. She scowled. > Melissa awoke with a start. Looking around, she realized she was >in a brilliant white room, very clean, but with no furnishings. She >looked at herself. Clothes were gone, hands manacled together in >front of her, feet manacled a shoulder width apart to the floor. Her >back was to the rest of the empty room. She had a sore spot on her >arm. > Molly awoke on an operating table, hands and feet and head >strapped down. A woman was leaning over her face, looking at her. > The woman smiled. > "Mom, Dad, wake up!" > On the screen, Gary stirred, looking up. "Who are you?" Roberta >sat up as well. "Where are we? Where's the rest of our family?" > "In reverse order; safe, in my TARDIS, and I am shocked, you >don't even know your own son." > Gary squinted into the camera, apparently there was a monitor >there. "Oh my god," he said. Roberta's jaw dropped. > "Prayer, good idea, considering where you're going." > Molly shouted, "No! You can't! They're your parents! They love >you!" > > From the screen, Gary and Roberta started shouting a flurry of >questions to both Molly and the woman who had them imprisoned. > "Molly, are you okay?--" > "--where's Tink and Grep?--" > "--what do you plan to--" > "--you can't do this--" > "--flesh and blood--" > "--love you--" > "SILENCE!!!" the woman screamed. She pointed at the screen. "As >you both abandoned me to the Void, so I now abandon you to the >Vortex! Enjoy your last few seconds of life," and nearly spat, "My >Mother and Father!" Again Aurora "reaches" in, to retrieve a single cell from Gary and Roberta Seven. > Slamming a fist down onto a large red button on the pedestal, >there was a warning siren, while onscreen, a small hole began >swirling into view on the far wall. Through the hole was nothing but >chaos. The internal architecture of the TARDIS jettisoned the room >where Gary and Roberta Lincoln-Seven stood, sending it, and them, >into the time vortex where they were dissolved into nothingness. > "You MONSTER!" Molly shrieked, "You killed them! You killed your >own parents! YouAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGHHHH!!!", screaming as electricity >arced through her arched body. It shut off as quickly as it came and >Molly lay, breathing short, shallow breaths, back on the table. > The woman snarled at Molly, "Listen to me, girl, I am the >executioner of all those who have wronged me. All those who abandoned >me. I bring them pain, I bring them sorrow, then I bring them the >void they left me to. Soon, all will suffer as I have and more..." > "Michael," Molly gasped, "You can't..." > The woman turned for the door. "That name holds no meaning for >me now. Let the carbon copy have it so he will feel more like the man >he never was. You can call me Voyd. For when you look inside me, the >void is all you see." Silently between universes [Yes, the void. And I will see your spirit returned to the Void. Pray that The CAoL catches up to you before The Stardragon does. If it ever finds out what you have done here, it will personally make sure you spend all eternity in such pain as even I could not imagine.] Aurora thinks to herself. > "Hmm," Voyd, the woman whose birth name had been Michael Seven >until a myriad of strange happenings had brought her to her current >insane quest to destroy her clone and all those who had wronged her, >said, "Time to gather my last pieces into play." She got up and >walked out of her monitor room, into the control room. Standing on >the shadow, she looked at the man who's back was to the console and >smiled. > "Muhkel Savon," she called. The man turned, drawing his weapon, >a long rod, an interesting device, obviously some sort of gun. A thin >book lay on the console behind him. He had apparently been reading. > "Stay where you are," Muhkel said. > "I will," Voyd replied. "I've come to surrender." > Muhkel nodded, obviously relieved. But, he still looked leery. >Voyd stepped forward, making Muhkel nervous. > "Don't take another step," the man ordered. > "I'm sorry," Voyd said, "I just wanted to ensure my compatriot >was in place behind you." And again the Starspawn reaches in, to retrieve a single cell from the soon to be dead Muhkel. > Muhkel turned as a buzzing approached him. A frisbee like disk, >the edges made of a sharp, alien metal, sliced through the air, >through Muhkel's neck before ricochetting off the console and back >into the hands of it's thrower, the strange alien named Hunter. > Voyd yawned. "How touching, and futile. I already have you." She >looked up at Molly. "Is it true she's the niece of King Arthur? I >understand Mahloy's latest host is his sister. Talk about a blast >from the past, I refused to kill that little girl because she'd be >responsible for killing millions. Turned out it was me and they were >trying to destroy the weapon instead of the wielder. Ah well, say >bye-bye to Mommy and Daddy." > Molly was shocked to suddenly feel the rope go tight around her >throat as the wall she had been stood on sank to the floor. She >kicked, trying to free herself, gagging, trying to draw a breath, but >the rope was choking her. Almost peripherally she heard Anna scream >"NO!" over the sound of a heavy machine gun firing, then Molly was >falling, landing hard on the floor, but able to breathe again. > "Thanks, Mom," Molly croaked out. She wanted to remove her >noose, but her hands were tied behind her back. Anna, the >cold-hearted killer, ran and hugged her daughter. Once again Aurora retrieves a cell, this time from Molly. > "Very touching," Voyd remarked. Then a buzz filled the air as >the two women turned to see Hunter's disk as it cut their throats. > > "NO!" Michael Seven cried, as he ran at Voyd, his lightsaber >extending. Hunter moved to pursue, his rod drawn to defect the blade, >when Flarn barred his path, fighting pike extended. > "I think you've killed enough for this lifetime," the Ranger >snarled, landing several heavy hits with the pike. Hunter deflected >them with his rod. Hunter leapt back, his rod extending to six feet >and a pair of spikes capping the ends. They fought furiously as Voyd >and Michael crossed lightsabers. > "You're not killing anyone else, Voyd," Michael Seven snarled, >his yellow lightsaber crossing with Voyd's almost invisible >blacklight blade, "Not while I have anything to say about it." > "Famous last words," Voyd replied. "I intend to kill you, then >Flarn, then the Callahanian Army of Light you care so much about, >then every last alternate of me in the Multiverse!" > "What?" Hunter said, surprised, missing the chance to block >Flarn's pike. Her shot hit him in the face and his mask flew off and >skittered across the floor. He looked back and Flarn gasped. She was >staring into the same face she had fallen in love with. An alternate >universe's Michael Seven. > As Flarn hesitated, Hunter moved, shoving the spike of his staff >deep into her stomach. Flarn gasped, and Hunter smiled in >satisfaction. > Then his smile turned into an Oh of pain as she shoved the other >end of the pike into Hunter and pushed them both backwards into the >pit of the Eye of Harmony. She almost waits too long, his previous actions having annoyed her, but as Hunter goes over the edge, and before his life can end Aurora takes one last cell. After all, he had been dupped by Voyd, it wasn't his fault. Then Going to each designated space-time spot of the Macroverse in turn, one after another, she links each cell to the spirit of that person, and then regenerates the lost body from that single cell. Her mission completed, she shifts over to the world of Faerun, to wait with the remaining spirit globes for Harlock's mission to be completed. ================================= Subject: Re:AAE VII: Rescue from beyond On Mon, 29 Oct 2001 10:49:57 -0500 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010625 >On Tue, 23 Oct 2001 20:08:06 -0700 >Dane Said As CAoL Message # 00010623 > >Leaving That Which Creates, Aurora and Jim quickly traverse the >"space" between universes to the point in time and space just >before the Seven family is slain. >Then Going to each designated space-time spot of the Macroverse in >turn, one after another, she links each cell to the spirit of that >person, and then regenerates the lost body from that single cell. Her >mission completed, she shifts over to the world of Faerun, to wait >with the remaining spirit globes for Harlock's mission to be >completed. The cell/soul combinations seem to quietly pull in the direction they're meant to be returned to. Isis, Gary and Roberta are drawn to the Lensman-earth Michael Seven was born in, to a small house in the middle of the North American continent, circa 2302 AD. Molly is drawn to the Ohio River valley of RIFTS-earth, a planet regrowing from the post-apocalyptic ashes of the 22nd century. Her rebirth point being a secret site for a small farming community of psychically-endowed humans called "Psi-world." Pyewackett is drawn to a shadowy patch of ground against an upturned pillar of rock, part of a rather significant stone circle on the Salsbury plain, circa 2001 AD, surrounded by fencing to keep the curious and vandalous out, but of course no barrier for a cat, nor a Starspawn. Muhkal is drawn to the distant past, far across the galaxy, to a blue and green world with a rather large number of rivers. There is a last minute jump of about fifty years into this world's future, but little has changed in that time. Hunter, that alternate of Michael Seven, is drawn into the future, to a world where aliens and predators fight for the planet, to the shadow of a decades-old human freighter that crashed here, once ravaged briefly by the xenomorphic aliens before being won from their grasp by the predatory hunters. Jack seems to suffer from some form of indecision before traveling to a very familiar universe, that of Callahan's Place, current time, to an old warehouse on the waterfront, recently purchased by Moonstone, currently away from her spacious-even-for-a-dragon residence. ================================= Subject: Re:AAE7b: Explosive finale On Fri, 2 Nov 2001 18:12:58 -0500 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010627 >On Mon, 22 Oct 2001 14:14:09 -0400 >Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00010620 > >>On Sun, 21 Oct 2001 00:44:51 -0700 >>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00010619 >> >> "i have to go," Roland says in a very small voice. "i'll be back >>as soon as i can." Morgan helps him to his feet, using her Life >>powers to undo the physical side effects of the psychic backlash. >>Sil goes over to them, her hands on both of their shoulders as her >>chain gun folds into her back. Then, in a swirl of >>dimensional/hypertemporal energy, all three are gone. > > "Of course," Michael nods as they're about to depart, "Good >luck, friends, we'll rendevous at the Place." "Speaking of which," Mike said, shifting the Eye of Harmony out of the chamber to replace it with the main control console of the TARDIS, "It's time we got back there ourselves," then added through the lens link, /Friends, I can't thank you all enough just for the opprotunity to be reunited with my whole family again./ Taking the spikard ring from Flarn, Mike scanned it briefly through the mental interface, then checked the Eye of Harmony readings from the console and smiled. "Looks like Seth has reset all the universes where they belong and departed. The TARDIS is relinked to the original Eye of Harmony, we're free to navigate. Next stop, the Place." In the Place, there was the sound of a familar grinding-wheezing noise and the danger room gained a second door, which opened to reveal the massive console room of Michael Seven's newly acquired TARDIS. Mike no sooner left the ship with Flarn on his arm than he was blindsided by Tink's sudden hug. The ex-Time Lord wrapped his free arm around her, then said to Flarn, "Flarn, this is Tink, the second generation of the AI you helped me create. Tink, this is your grandmother, Flarn." Tink blinked then smiled. "Uhm, hi, I've heard a lot about you." Flarn smiled, "And I you, though you were younger when I heard it all, it seems." Tink blushed, changing the subject, "Grumpa, Harlock's got a bit of a problem with his part, there's a hole they need to get through about ten meters above them, and they're without rope and Basil's ladder trick only reachs a bit shy of three meters. Rob is on his way to lend a hand though. It's warded against magic so they're working around it through telekinesis and other physical tricks." /Okay, folks who went with me, that's all we can do right now. I'm going to start sending a call out to family and see who I can reach, then it's likely just going to be a proverbial car trip to wherever they are and pick them up, nothing terribly exciting. /To Harlock's group, if you need some big guns, we've got them here. Or we might be able to arrange less obvious friends of theirs to show up to lend a sneakier hand than we can normally provide. Either way, cavalry's available should it be needed, your option, team leader./ Mike then pecked Flarn on the cheek and knelt to talk to Anna, "I'm gonna go call the rest of our family, see if I can bring everyone here as soon as they reappear. First on my list will be Molly, okay?" Turning to Tink, he added, "Anna's asked to stay with Molly, and she's a bit scared of me, so would you help your grandmother look after her while I call Molly? You and Flarn can also get acquainted. I don't mean to strand either of you, but I'm going to need the Lounge to work in and won't be able to talk." Tink nodded and Flarn smiled. Tink said, "C'mon, Anna, Mike, he's the guy behind the bar, makes a really spectacular hot chocolate." Flarn squeezed Mike's arm, whispering, "Good luck," then said, "Sounds wonderful, Tink, let's all have some." /Okay,/ Mike sent, /The ball's in Harlock's court now. I'm incommunicato,/ then walked into the lounge, sat down within the Null-Sound fields and sent out the first mental call on his list across the Multiverse... OOC: Okay, that's the literal end of the TARDIS group's part of Part B. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE7b: Explosive finale On Tue, 4 Dec 2001 23:31:48 -0600 Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00010638 >Roland X Said > The Demon Lord howls in pain and is hurled back towards the >portal. > Roland's eyes narrow. "Oh, no you don't. You're not getting away >_that_ easily. I've still got a bone or three to pick with you, and >they all belong to old friends--" he begins. > Then his eyes go wide, he shudders, and Defender howls in agony, >doubling over. "My...my city. O Light. My city. MY CITY!" He has >enough auto-defenses on his lens-link (especially after other psychic >effects on a CAoLer have spread through it) that most of the team is >spared what he just felt, but Morgan winces. A moment later, she >looks, grief-stricken, at Roland. > "go away," he mutters, and energy flows out from him at the >Wraiths. They shudder and shrink, struck by phenomenal primal force >from the Gate Key itself. Sil looks at Roland for a moment, swallows >hard, then turns her chain gun on one of the Wraiths. That attack is >one too many, and it's reduced to what appear to be dark shreds of >cloth; they quickly burn away under the Lensdragon's power. > /Mike, you've got things under control here, right?/ Roland asks >as he concentrates his Gate Key power, Morgan's spirit magick flowing >alongside it. The two energies spiral together like a strand of DNA, >turning into a stream of nearly pure reality. Focusing on only one of >the Wraiths makes it...Go Away. Rather like an explosion of darkness, >it just sort of...bursts. The ex-Technomage's Green Lantern Energies, combined with the other attacks make short work of the Gospog-Wraiths and as they fade from view, Dhyrclhanc, quite litteraly, falls out of thin air. His Eidolan Warwear Suit disapears in a flash of light and is replaced by a black scuba-suit-like body-glove, open only at the neck, including wrist-length gloves and ankle-length boots. Still in this wingless Lens-T'Skrang form, he's holding two ultra-tech pistols in each hand and the "Cosmic Band" is visible on his right arm, outside of the body-glove. Each gun resembles nothing more than an SMG-sized Glock with a short monorail track on top. Watching his brother colapse, Dhyrclhanc fires several pulsed bolts of bright yellow-white light from the pistols at the Wraiths. When hit, and before they fade completely out of the plane of existence inside the Tardis, the Wraiths' forms somehow shatter. ooo^ You OK, sib? Anything I can you need help with? ^ooo he asks over the private ring link he shares with his adopted siblings as he shifts over to his completely human guise, which would enable him to pass himself off as Roland's fraternal twin. > Roland then collapses again, clutching at his stomach as he >doubles over and falls to his knees. Morgan is instantly at his side, >with him in every sense of the term. Aras spends a microsecond >(subjective) considering an attack while Roland is weak, but looks >around, decides that discretion is the better part of survival, and >the portal swallows him. Both demon and invasion portal vanish, >leaving a few bits of gospog, cybernetics, and jet-black cloth >behind. > "i have to go," Roland says in a very small voice. "i'll be back >as soon as i can." Morgan helps him to his feet, using her Life >powers to undo the physical side effects of the psychic backlash. Sil >goes over to them, her hands on both of their shoulders as her chain >gun folds into her back. Then, in a swirl of >dimensional/hypertemporal energy, all three are gone. For now, I'll presume that Dhyrclhanc disapears with them. Unless, either Roland and/or Morgan strenuosly object. Before he goes however, he'll shoot Mike a quick /I'll catch-up with you at the Place./ ================================= Subject: Re: re: AAE7b: Explosive finale On Fri, 7 Dec 2001 23:22:54 -0600 Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00010639 >Way back on Mon, 22 Oct 2K1, Michael Knight Sent: >>Roland X Said (and I'm only palf as hickled as theeple pink I am, *hic*) >> Roland then collapses again, clutching at his stomach as he >>doubles over and falls to his knees. Morgan is instantly at his >>side, with him in every sense of the term. Aras spends a microsecond >>(subjective) considering an attack while Roland is weak, but looks >>around, decides that discretion is the better part of survival, and >>the portal swallows him. Both demon and invasion portal vanish, >>leaving a few bits of gospog, cybernetics, and jet-black cloth >>behind. > > Mike takes a GL ring-created broom to picking up all the bits, >filing them into containers which are levitated off into a side room >that wasn't there before. Then, he generates a green sphere around >the force sphere where Flarn and Anna took cover, flickering it on >and off rapidly. The forcebubble dissipates. > > Mike hands the GL-ring back to Dhyrclhanc. "Thanks for the >loaner, came in handy." This will obviously have to happen before the Freelance Immortals & Co. dissapear into the ether "Thank you kindly," says the now fully human looking Dhyrclhanc, causing Mike to have a mental flashback of a certain TV mountie played by Paul Gross, "I should look into having more of these around." >> "i have to go," Roland says in a very small voice. "i'll be back >>as soon as i can." Morgan helps him to his feet, using her Life >>powers to undo the physical side effects of the psychic backlash. >>Sil goes over to them, her hands on both of their shoulders as her >>chain gun folds into her back. Then, in a swirl of >>dimensional/hypertemporal energy, all three are gone. At which point, everyone's lovable draconic lensman departs along with them. assuming that there aren't any objections from on down San Diego way... > "Of course," Michael nods as they're about to depart, "Good >luck, friends, we'll rendevous at the Place." > >(OOC: Right now, that's the end of part B for us, we just need to get >Harlock's team caught up so we can reap the rewards. Harlock, if you >need more people, we can probably send a few over your way.) At which point, seeing that the v.3.0 "Forgotten Realms" book is also laying at my feet, I'll take the opportunity to offer a Dhyrclhanci to show up and help but as this might seen, by some, to be akin to inviting either Cthullu or Terminus over for High Tea, this is completely up to Harlock! =================================