The VVC Chronicles, Part II:
AHANNOS--THE HANDS OF FATE
Written January 3, 1994 - June 3, 1994
(C) Copyright 1994, Maximus Clarke and the VVC Writers
Group
May not be reproduced in any form without permission.
II.1
Dateline: VVVC
"A rave?" Daricell asked Traveler, picking up a storyline thread from
several hundred lines back. "And what would one cook for a rave?"
"Just lots and lots of munchies," was Traveler's answer, so as the crew
of the VVVC began festooning the building with lights, streamers, and other
party paraphernalia, Daricell returned to the kitchen and made piles of hors
d'ouvres (sp?) of every size and description.
Jon Vallee, helping Diqman and Siren blow up balloons in the White Room
(balloons trademarked to Dan/ROGUE) saw a police cruiser pull to a stop in
front of the Cafe. "The HELL?" he muttered. "Well, maybe they're just
checking to make sure that everything here is okay, after the Taco Bus Riots."
Two officers exited the vehicle and came into the White Room.
"We are looking for a Ms. Daricell Copperpot?" The officer who spoke
was a big, burly man with a slight French accent.
<<Let me go get the owner,>> Diqman hedged. <<He'll
know.>>
"Yes, you do that," the officer replied. Diqman went into the Blue
Room, where Trav was helping Cado and Fireflyte change all the lights to
blacklights, and said, <<I think you'd better come quickly. Two
gendarmes are
here asking for Daricell.>>
"What? Daricell?" Traveler, Cado, and Fireflyte followed Diqman to
the White Room. "What seems to be the problem, officer?" Traveler asked.
"Ms. Daricell Copperpot is employed as a chef at this Cafe, is she
not?" the policeman asked.
"Why, yes. Yes, she is." Trav sized both men up carefully. The burly
man who spoke did not seem too threatening, but the silent officer dangled a
pair of handcuffs and was glancing about warily. "She's in the kitchen. I'll
go get --"
"That will not be necessary," the gendarme said, as Daricell appeared
in the doorway of the kitchen with a plateful of canapes.
"What's going on?" she asked, as she sat the tray down on a table and
wiped her hands carefully on her apron.
The burly officer stepped forward. "Are you Ms. Daricell Copperpot?"
"Yes," Daricell replied.
"You are hereby placed under arrest for the attempted murder of
Zoroaster, private investigator."
"What? But I never --" her face suddenly grew pale. "Zoroaster?
Attempted murder -- is he all right?"
"You have the right to remain silent. If you waive this right,
anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have
the right to an attorney..." As the familiar litany of the Miranda rights
swirled around her, the silent officer patted her down for concealed weapons
and then snapped the cold steel bands around her tiny wrists. Daricell swayed
slightly, then shook the dizziness away. She could barely hear what the
gendarme was saying -- Zoroaster? Attempted murder -- well, " attempted" must
mean he was still alive, thank God -- "Is Zoroaster all right?" she asked
again, interrupting the string of Miranda Rights.
"Ms. Copperpot," the officer growled with lowering brows, "remember
that anything you say can and will be used --"
"Is Zoroaster all right?" Daricell stared up at the officer, green
eyes wide in her pale face.
The gendarme sighed. "He's been mostly dead all morning. At this
moment, he is in intensive care at the Virtual Memorial Hospital. It's
uncertain whether he'll live or die."
"If is was possible, Daricell's face grew even paler. "Oh, no ... Oh,
Zoro .." she whispered, as the world closed in around her and she sank into
blackness.
"Wait -- she can't --" the officer started, then smacked one hand to
his heand and groaned. "She hasn't acknowledged her understanding of the
Miranda Rights!"
Traveler and Diqman moved to pick up the fallen chef, but the gendarmes
waved them away. "No consorting with the prisoner," the burly one said.
"She's lying on the floor! And you're more worried about your
government protocal than --" Traveler protested, but the gendarme cut him off.
"There will be no consorting with the prisoner," he repeated, glaring
at then over the crumpled form of Daricell. "Get some water."
"Do you have a warrant for her arrest?" Cado demanded. No one could
believe the little chef was being arrested, but everyone stilll felt so oddly
disoriented from the tainted cookies that reaction was slow.
"Yes, I have a warrant." The officer showed it, and continued, "Your
chef made quite a mess of the private eye -- tortured him, from the looks of
it, and his cat, too. They were both near death."
"Maharet -- is she --" Traveler asked.
"Also in intensive care." The officer looked down at Daricell, who was
beginning to stir...
User: dark Lady will continue...
Date: 3-Jan 02:06 PM 757607036
II.2
Dateline: VVVC
The officer pulled Daricell roughly to her feet. "Ms. Copperpot, do
you understand your Miranda Rights?" Daricell nodded. "Do you waive those
rights?"
"No, I do not," Daricell replied, clearly, if faintly. She turned to
Traveler. "Could you appoint an attorney for me? I don't have one --"
"Of course," Traveler promised.
"And -- Zoro -- " her voice faltered. "Go see him -- tell him I --"
She stopped, and blinked against sudden, stinging tears.
"I'll tell him," Traveler assured her.
"The policemen led her from the White Room, and out to the waiting
police car. She sat in the back, straight and tall, as they drove her to the
Virtual City Police Department.
* * * *
At the VCPD, the officers hauled their suspect out of the back of the
car. Ghost watched them. He knew that there was something he had to tell the
police, and he would say it -- **yes, I will, and stop arguing with me!** he
mumbled -- but he couldn't say it with that car there. "Stop growling at me.
Stop it! I have to talk to the bluesuits. I don't need your interference..."
User: Dark Lady ... only the GhOsT knows... take it away Rob!
Date: 3-Jan 03:56 PM 757612608
II.3
"Ah... bite me... your mama was a kangaroo!!", growled the
police car.
"Ok, that's it, you're toast pal!", screamed Ghost as he leaped onto
the large, metal offensive object. He crawled over the roof and ripped
off an antenna.
"The hell?" "That maniac just cut off my favorite country song!!
Can I shoot him Joe Bob?" - police guy #1
"Dang it Bruce, you'll blow out the windshield. Get out and grab that
turkey..." - police guy #2
Police guy #1 got out of the car, took out his club and tapped
an unsuspecting Ghost on the shoulder. "Just what the he..."
Unfortunately for police guy #1, Ghost's reflexes were just as quick as
his paranoia. "Ack! ambushed!!" yelped Ghost as he swung the antenna around and
smacked the blue boy in the head. Police guy #1 stumbled back, tripped over
a fire hydrant + smashed down into the concrete knocking himself out.
"Backup!! I need some backup here!!", screamed police guy #2 as he drew
his gun. He dropped the cb and began to open the car door. Ghost heard the
creak, spun and lept at the sound. Police guy #2, Ghost and gun crumbled into a
heap. Ghost came up with the gun and began walking around the car... leaving
Police guy #2 stunned on the ground.
User: GHOST
Date: 4-Jan 03:09 AM 757653001
II.4
"You and your evil, bad fashion-statement gang won't be ambushing me
again!!", yelled Ghost as he began shooting out the tires. Police guy #2
crawled off to the other side of the street. After emptying the clip, Ghost
jumped on top of the car and began smashing in the windshield while
singing "She blinded me with science" to himself. (Darice, of course,
hardly noticed any of this, still being in a state of shock..) When
a massive horde of police cars showed up, Police guy #2 explained the
situation.
"He's no longer armed but he's completely irrationable. I say we
put him out of our misery.", volunteered police guy #2.
"No no no.. watch this.", replied police guy #3 as he walked up
to Ghost. "Excuse me?", asked police guy #3.
"Yes, can I help you?", replied Ghost.
"Yes, yes you can... *wack*", was police guy #3's response as he
smacked Ghost upside the head with his club. Ghost wimpered something about
landsharks as he collasped.
"Ok.. show time's over.. lets get these two downtown!", demanded
police guy #3 as he dragged Ghost towards a police car....
User: GHOST
Date: 4-Jan 03:22 AM 757653774
II.5
ECSTASY continues to build on the ivory tower addition in blissful ignorance.
User: ECSTASY
Date: 4-Jan 12:21 PM 757686110
II.6
X: What must one do to gain admittance to the Ivory Tower?
And is it really on top of the Red Room?
Nice -- a phallic image superseded over a womblike image.
Class, deconstruct. :)
User: Dark Lady will be in jail for the grand opening, however. :(
Date: 4-Jan 12:40 PM 757687233
II.7
Max and I decided to add it on as an elitist escape for the literary.
Phallic over womb.....you go ahead and freud it out.
Everyone who can correctly explain why Derrida is a weenie-head gets admission.
User: ECSTASY
Date: 4-Jan 03:42 PM 757698129
II.8
Cool...another place to guard! :)
Er..just what are the criteria for being a qualified elitist snob worthy of
entering the Ivory Tower? You think you could issue them membership cards and
make my job a little easier? ;)
User: Cado...just trying to be helpful, your most high snobbiness... ;)
Date: 4-Jan 05:53 PM 757706076
II.9
*sniff*
cards will be given out in due time.....
User: a weary, stereophonic, and effite ecstasy
Date: 5-Jan 03:02 AM 757738945
II.10
TRAVELER looks out the south windows of the White Room at the retreating
police cars, astonished and troubled. "I can't understand this! ZOROASTER in
the hospital, and DARICELL arrested!? It makes no sense!" He turns to CADO.
"We're going to have to do something about this. But I'm afraid if I leave the
VVVC again, all hell will break loose. Let me know if you have any suggestions
...and if you know any good lawyers..."
A delivery man in a blue jumpsuit walks up with a clipboard. "Sign here
for the lighting equipment, please," he says.
"Lighting--? Oh. Is it here?" Trav asks.
"Yes sir, it's in the trucks out front."
"Did I hear you say TRUCKS, plural?"
"Yep."
Trav sighs. He knows that GHOST, the lighting technician he's contacted
to help with the rave, is enthusiastic about his work--but he is already
threatening to break the bank, it seems. "Where is Ghost, anyway?" mutters
Traveler.
"Didn't you see? He got hauled off by the cops too. Not quite right in
the head, if you ask me," opines SYLVAR.
Trav runs his hands back over his hair in desperation, and straightens his
ponytail. His chef, his private eye friend, and his lighting tech all in jail
or the hospital! "Okay, there is one thing we can do: I need to find out where
the property lines are for the Cafe's site. I plan to have the main site for
the rave actually just north of here, in the open meadow up on the cliffs past
the woods and the garden. The Black Room just isn't big enough. We'll put
lights along the path through the woods, run some power cable out there, and
set up a dance area, sound system, and bar. We might even project lasers from
the top of the Ivory Tower...if it's finished in time. This'll be impressive
...I just hope we're all here to see it."
"Well, no hurry. The rave's not for weeks anyway," says Sylvar
reassuringly. "Here, have some of this new hazelnut roast."
Traveler accepts the proffered cup. "Say, Jon, how'd you like to run
a smart bar? Stock some juices, vitamin drinks...and of course coffee." :)
Almost unnoticed amidst the hubbub, ROMANTIC slips out the side door of
the White Room, and goes down the hill to where a small rowboat is tied up.
She's tired of the crowd and the noise, and just wants to be alone with the
water for a while. She unties the rope, gets in, and begins to row out into
the bay...
Standing on the rear walkway, behind the Black Room, Fireflyte sees her,
smiles, and waves. Then she returns to gazing through the brass telescope
fixed to the stone walkway. On the horizon to the north, she sees a familiar
black sail coming around the headland...
But the day is still calm.
User: TRAVELER
Date: 5-Jan 01:35 PM 757776920
II.11
Here's a new map, based on the old but on a slightly smaller scale. This
shows not only the Cafe (in less detail) but also the area around it. It
incorporates many things that have been talked about, but not shown. I guess
everyone has visualized things differently, but if you want the "canon"
version, here's how _I_ see it. :)
As always, the original map, plus a guide to the VVVC, is available for
your perusal on world:read, at "disk$circa:[cirop55]cafeplan.".
===============================================================================
LEGEND: @ @@ @@ Trees
* * * * Elevation Change, or Shoreline
: or .. Door, or Open Boundary
| or -- Wall, or Railing
===============================================================================
Traveler's Virtual Virtual Vax Cafe and Surroundings * *
* * * F
w * * * F
| The Bay * * * * I
s<--+-->n * * * @ * L
| ____________ * * * @ @ @ @ @ * C
e | -------- | * * * * @ @ @@ @ @ @ @@ @
| | Black | | * * @ @ @@ @ @ @ @@ @@ M
_| | Room | |_ @ @@ Path @ @ E
________| : : |........ @ @@ @ @ @ @ @ @ A
The | ,-------..-' __--__ '-..-------, : - - - - @ @@ @ @ @ D
Bay | | Blue ,' ,--, ', Red | : Dec. | @ @ @ @@ @ O
| : Room | ',__,' | Room | : Garden | @@ @ @ @@ @ W
| |_______.._ '--__--' _.._______| : _ _ _ _'@ @ @ @ @ @@
'--------, | | ,--------' @ @ @ Old @@ @ @
* '-, | White | ,-' Produce @ @ @@ Graves @ @@ @
Rowboat--->() * | | Room | | Garden @ @ @ @@ @ @ @ @ @ @
* * | |___..___| | @ @ @ @@ @ @ @ @ @@ @ @ @
* * * * * |............| @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
...............................................................................
To Beach, Marina, City <----R O A D----> To Cliff Meadow, Beyond
..... .................. ............ ................................
: ________ : * * * * * *
: |________| Main Parking Lot : * * * * * * * * *
: Taco Bus : * * * * * *
: : * * * * *
* :..........................................: * S * * * * *
* * L * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * L * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * I * * *
* H I L L S * * * * * * H * * *
===============================================================================
=
User: TRAVELER
Date: 5-Jan 05:39 PM 757791584
II.12
"Smart bar?" Jon repeats, perking up like a Ferengi offered a large
wager. "I like." He turns the phrase across his tongue a few times. "Smart
bar. Smart bar. Yes... what an opportunity," he muses.
"You got it, Boss. We'll have the best smart bar you've ever seen!"
...And, with that, he runs off to the terminals to look up smart-drink
recipes.
User: Jon Vallee
Date: 5-Jan 06:33 PM 757794794
II.13
TRAVELER speaks to CADO and DIQMAN. "Could you two do me a favor? Try to
call police HQ and find out exactly what DARICELL's, GHOST's and ZOROASTER's
situations are. I've got to get through this paperwork today in order to get
the permits for the rave in in time. I'll check back with you in a little
while."
The baker and bouncer nod, and head to the Blue Room. At one of the
multimedia cubicles, they sit, and Diq moves the mouse to the icon for
SPEAKERPHONE. "Let's see...this isn't an emergency, so we'll use the regular
police number, not 9-i-i..."
Trav heads to his office and begins sorting through the folder of papers
he "acquired" from VENKMAN's office at the Indigo Toucan. Various surveys...
copies of deeds...maps...tax assessments...but he's trying to find where the
northern boundary of the property is.
"Hmmm...interesting. A few different restaurants on the site, during
which the building was modified slightly...before that, it was closed up...
after a fire...a fire which partially destroyed the previous building...which
was...a church!"
He turns the page. "A church, possibly dating as far back as the late
Middle Ages, on this site till about a hundred years ago when the fire
occurred. Saint Christopher's..." A thought crosses his mind, a random
association, and he gets up and goes to his bookshelf. He takes down his
_Dictionary of Saint's Names_ and flips through it. "Saint Christopher...
literally 'Christ-bearer'...and patron saint of travelers." He smiles, and
returns the book to the shelf.
Back at his desk, he leafs through more papers. "So that's where the
graveyard came from...it was connected with the church. But it says here
there was also a crypt beneath the building. Could that be the wine cellar?"
He looks at the crudely sketched, much-copied diagram. "Looks like it was
actually one level below the cellar! Hm. Wonder if it's still there?" He
stands up, forgetting his main task for the moment, and heads for the stairs,
paper in hand.
In the kitchen, Trav almost runs into ALBATROSS. The gardener has a
distant look on his face, as if distracted by something. "Excuse me," says
Traveler. "I'm just heading down to the cellar."
"Cellar?" Suddenly Albatross perks up.
"Yeah, according to this old map, there may actually be a crypt beneath
it. There used to be a church on this site."
Albatross' hand makes contact with the cold metal of the coin in his
pocket, and another tingle of strange energy seems to flow up his arm. It's
almost telling him something...<<go>>, it says...<<go
down...the
cellar...
the crypt...go down where it's cool and dark>>...
"Want some company?" he says to Traveler.
"Uh, sure, why not? Grab a flashlight...you know the lighting's not too
good down there." Each of them takes a flashlight from a shelf next to the
large, oaken cellar door. Then Traveler opens it. There is a faint breath of
cold air, as always...then they begin to descend the stone steps...
User: Traveler (Diq &/or Cado, take it away...)
Date: 6-Jan 10:38 AM 757852713
II.14
Max, I hate to tell you this but: St. Christopher is no longer a saint.
He was "relieved" of his sainthood a few years ago. (Can they *do* that?)
Of course, it doesn't matter, since the church is obviously far older than
the Vatican decree. ;) I just thought you should know.
User: Our Dark Lady of Perpetual Sainthood
Date: 6-Jan 11:13 AM 757854902
II.15
Dark Lady: really? Pray tell, what's the story? I didn't know they
decanonized people. (Who was he, anyway? When did he live? I only used
the name b/c he was the patron saint of travelers...:)
Anyway, if it only happened "a few years ago," it's irrelevant to the story,
since this was an old church. :)
User: Traveler
Date: 6-Jan 01:28 PM 757862909
II.16
OK Max...you asked for it. :)
ALBATROSS, feeling suddenly dizzy, tries to replace the coin in his pocket.
But his arm is mysteriously frozen in place. It will not move. <<The
wine>> His mind races. <<Take the wine>> His other arm
almost
automatically reaches for the first bottle he can reach...
TRAVELER, up ahead, consults the map once again. "Hey...I think the entrance
is somewhere over here..." Suddenly, he senses a very evil presence, and
whirls around...to see ALBATROSS standing directly behind him.
"Oh...sorry...it's just you...you scared me. I was..." TRAVELER's eyes
suddenly grow wide as ALBATROSS raises the bottle of wine over his head. He
cannot even scream as the bottle shatters over his head, sending wine spraying
everywhere and rendering him unconscious. ALBATROSS stands over TRAVELER,
broken bottle in hand... <<Now, boy>> the voice in his head
screams, the
coin in his hand pulsating...<<Finish him off for good>>...
User: cont'd...
Date: 6-Jan 07:49 PM 757885767
II.17
Hmmm...I seem to have lost control somewhere along the way....
*shrug*
;)
User: ALBATROSS
Date: 7-Jan 09:43 AM 757935784
II.18
NO!!!!!
*sigh*
Here we go again.
When I said "take it away, Cado and Diq" I meant YOUR part of the story...
you and Diq on the phone to the cops.
Sorry that I wasn't more specific...but I had very definite plans for the
basement scene that had nothing to do with getting bashed over the head
with a wine bottle. :)
I hate to pull a retroactive revision on you, but Albatross isn't crazy enough
to do something like that...yet. :)
I promise I won't leave any open invitations that can be easily misinterpreted.
User: Traveler
Date: 7-Jan 11:45 AM 757943143
II.19
(What I had in mind was something more like this...)
DIQMAN and CADO have been on the phone with the police department for some
minutes, but are making no progress. Right now they're sitting in the booth in
the Blue Room, listening to the hold music on the speakerphone. They are
debating whether it is a Muzak version of a G'N'R tune or a Muzak version of
a Madonna tune when the police operator's voice comes back on.
"I'm sorry, I can't give you any information about pending
investigations," the man says curtly.
"But two of our employees have been arrested! Surely we have the right to
come down and bail them out!?" Cado asks.
"I'm sorry, I'm not qualified to answer procedural and legal questions.
You'll have to contact the legal department."
"Ok, transfer us to the legal department."
The music comes back on. After a few minutes, they get a recorded message
telling them that the legal department is only open from 9 to 5 Monday through
Thursday. Annoyed, Cado grabs the mouse and moves the pointer to click on the
little minus sign in the upper left corner of the "Speakerphone" box now open
on the multimedia terminal screen; the call disconnects.
<<Wait...I have an idea,>> says Diq, in his odd way of
speaking. :)
<<The information has got to be in their computers. Why should we ask
permission?>> He smiles.
"Well, I'm certainly sick of the red tape," agrees Cado. "Let's ask SVEN
if he can hack us in."
They find information pirate and self-styled "cyberpunk" Sven :) in the
Red Room, sipping one of SYLVAR's cappucinos and watching a saxophonist soloing
on the stage. "The cops' mainframe? Heh...no problem. Most of it's wide
open. Almost no ice to break at all. But what's in this job for me?"
<<Our eternal gratitude, if you'll do it for us,>> says Diq.
"And the continued privilege of being a VVVC patron," says Cado, laying a
hand on Sven's shoulder a bit heavily. "Using the Blue Room computers...
without anyone checking into exactly what it is you're doing with them...
running up what X tells me is a considerable bar tab...that sort of thing."
Sven sighs. "Well, you've talked me into it." He gets up and picks up
his cappucino mug. "Let's go."
User: TRAVELER
Date: 7-Jan 12:56 PM 757947408
II.20
ROMANTIC rows out into the calm waters of the Bay. Now the VVVC is
hundreds of yards behind her, across the mild waves. The warm afternoon sun
and the sound of the water is beautifully narcotic; she settles down on the
floor of the little boat and opens up the book of poetry she brought along.
But she is almost too sleepy to read; the bright light makes the letters
disappear on the white pages. Her eyelids are heavy...
TRAVELER and ALBATROSS wander through the dank wine cellar beneath the
Cafe. Odors mingle: an old wooden smell from the wine racks, a faint whiff
of fermented grapes, and something else, like algae on damp stones.
"I've got to get the lights rewired down here," says Trav. "ECSTASY
complains every time she has to come down and get a bottle. Maybe GHOST can
look into it." He moves down an aisle between two long, man-high racks,
towards one of the cellar's walls. "This place is pretty large...you could
almost get lost down here."
"Hm? Yeah," mumbles Albatross from another part of the cellar. He too
drifts towards the old stone walls. One hand still in his pocket and touching
the ancient coin, the other reaches out and feels a trickle of cold water on
the wall. There is a feeling like a circuit being completed: energy flowing
between the coin and the wall, through him. And yet, the circuit is not
complete--not yet. He moves along the wall, running his hand over the smooth
curves, and the energy seems to grow stronger. <<yes...this
direction...>>
His flashlight, still on, sits on top of a nearby wine rack, forgotten and
now unneeded.
Traveler pauses to look at the diagram he's carrying. "If this is right,
there was a doorway around here somewhere..." He moves on.
Albatross moves faster now. The feeling grows stronger...he closes his
eyes to what faint light the two flashlights cast, and lets the energy guide
him. His hand pulls him along the wall, and he can almost see radiant lines of
force emanating from some point further along the wall, like light...or like
the absence of light, anti-light...
He is walking quickly over the irregular floor now, drawn irresistibly.
It is waiting for him...something like the coin, but even stronger...something
in this wall that has been waiting for a long, long time for someone who could
perceive it...years...decades...centuries of waiting...
He seems to hear music now, ancient, wild music, with voices singing in
strange tongues with harsh intonations. The sense of music grows stronger, and
yet he knows there is still only silence around him...
He can see the dark center of radiance now, something round...a stone in
the wall? He has reached it...but no, it is inside the wall, behind one of the
ordinary squares of stone that are newer than whatever this strange object is.
Albatross knows what to do. He pries at the round-edged, square brick with his
fingers, working them into the slippery, mossy cracks around it. He rocks it
back and forth, loosening it a bit more each time. He grunts with exertion as
eons of grime and sediment flake away from around the stone. It's starting to
come free...
And finally, with one last tug, it comes away in his hands. He stumbles
back against the end of a wine rack, sending a clinking shudder through the
bottles. The stone is heavier than he expected; he quickly sets it down with
a heavy knocking sound. Then he reaches forward...
The thing in the wall gives off an energy he can practically see now, a
blinding darkness. He squints, and points of negative luminosity dance in his
eyes. Yes, it is round, several inches across, and it seems to have some sort
of design on it. He grasps it...it is a projection of stone, like the end of
a long cylinder or rod that goes back into the wall. His fingers now help him
identify the pattern on its end: a three pointed trident, as on the coin. But
even now that he is touching the precious thing, something is not right. There
is great energy, but it is somehow reversed, flowing along the wrong polarity.
And it seems to be growing more intense...
Albatross has a muddled thought now. Something is definitely wrong...but
maybe it's supposed to be wrong. Or rather, it would actually be worse if it
was the other way around. It is the stone itself, and the energy coming from
it, that wants to be reversed. He gets the feeling that it has been held in
check for a long time, and for a good reason; letting it flow along the
opposite polarity like it wants to would be disastrous. And yet...it is
insistent. It tingles strongly in his hands now...and he is shocked to find
he can't take them off it! He fights the energy, but only in his mind--his
body is frozen. It is telling him to <<stop fighting, just let us flow
through you, just do what we say...it's all right...stop fighting>>, but
he
feels fear, suffocation, panic.
But the energy is fierce. It surges through him, threatening to burn
him up, and he fears that he will blow like a fuse, the weak spot in a circuit.
He is overwhelmed.
He surrenders control of his body. Working without his will, his hands
grasp the round stone tightly and begin to turn it counterclockwise. It
rotates stiffly, slowly, and the energy begins to shift. It feels as if the
whole world is turning upside down, as if the magnetic poles of the earth are
being monstrously reversed. But there is nothing he can do. He is no longer
in control. The stone turns...turns...turns...and clicks into place with the
trident now pointing straight down. There is an instantaneous blast of power,
a flash, and then it is all gone.
His hold released, Albatross staggers back again. The energy has
vanished. He catches his breath nervously.
"Albatross? What was that noise? Did you find something?" Trav calls
from across the cellar. His voice is coming closer. Albatross quickly picks
up the square stone and fits it back into place over the round one. He wipes
his hands on his shirt just as Traveler comes around the corner of a wine rack.
"Oh, there you are. Well, I think the old crypts were bricked up long ago.
I haven't found anything," says the Cafe proprietor cheerfully.
"Oh...yeah...me neither. I guess all that old stuff is long gone,"
Albatross says guiltily.
"Well, we better get upstairs and see what's happening." Trav sets off
for the stairs, and Albatross follows. He feels bad about concealing what just
happened, but relieved that it appears to be over. What came over me, anyway?
he wonders.
Then, as he mounts the stairs, he touches the coin in his pocket again,
and has a sudden realization. The dark energy is still here...it seems weaker
now, but that's because it's all around, flowing through the whole Cafe. It's
no longer concentrated in the stone...it's been released...
User: TRAVELER
Date: 7-Jan 12:57 PM 757947466
II.21
Then again, that would be an excellent reason to post.
DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with anything else that's going on in the
VVVC. I'm basically just blowing off a little steam, so this probably won't
make sense to anyone.
A blinding streak of red flashes across the labyrinth. The Cardinal runs
aimlessly, screaming at the top of his lungs. Occasionally, he bumps into one
of the bush walls or runs headlong into it. Pieces of red cloth from his cape
hang off of various parts of the walls, providing an interesting red/green
contrast.
He enters a clearing; an area he doesn't readily recognize, despite his
repeated journeys into the maze. He pauses a moment to feed his rabbit.
In front of him, lying on a small patch of grass he sees a figure, a woman.
She looks strangely familiar, but he can't quite recognize the image. Then he
realizes that she's crying. Simultaneously, he realizes that he should feel
sympathy for her and console her and help her with whatever her problem is.
But all he can manage to say is, "Shut up, bitch, you're in my way." And she
is gone.
Confused, XIMINEZ leaves the clearing, but when he rounds the corner he finds
himself back in the clearing seeing the same woman in front of him. This time
User:
Date: 8-Jan 01:53 AM 757994038
II.22
he decides to ignore her and go out the other way, but as he turns around he
feels something pulling him back. He tries to fight it, but there is no
physical manifestation of the force. He finds himself pulled over to the woman
again. He begins to recognize her. But he also begins to recognize the patch
of grass she's lying on, almost concealing, almost smothering.
Pure terror crosses his face. He tries to run, but he can't turn, can't move,
can't even breathe.
"What the hell is going on?"
User: Cardinal Ximinez of the poorly disguised metaphor
Date: 8-Jan 02:00 AM 757994462
II.23
TREKKER: :P plenty of folks. me, you. Would you like folks ragging on your
board like that? Asking if anyone reads it? It's rude and inconsiderate.
-=-=-=- -=-=-=- -=-=-=- -=-=-=- -=-=-=-
...meanwhile, in the VVVC's Black Room, FIREFLYTE takes a break from the black
lights, and swish-steps through to the windows in the Blue Room...she carries a
small glass of water with her, and smiles as she starts to water and primp the
violets there... ...They had grown thick, and sent out light, ice-blue flowers
during the time the commotions rocked the area...
...but something was different...
"Hmn? Weird..." FIREFLYTE looks around, as for an explanation..."...they're
violet...*dark* violet...maybe they need their soil pH changed..." She looks
among her pockets and pouches, and draws forth some small iron nails, which she
sticks into the dirt in the pots...then she furrows a brow, and wanders off to
see if anyone knows where ALBATROSS might be...he might know...
User: Fireflyte... ...friend to African Violets everywhere!...;)
Date: 8-Jan 05:36 AM 758007474
II.24
:P I liked my storyline better. *grin*
just kidding...sorry Max...I'll be more careful from now on...
...even if you DO happen to leave yourself wide open for plot explosion. :)
User: Cado...we now return you to our regularly scheduled <*blam*>
Date: 8-Jan 09:08 AM 758020177
II.25
Admittedly, I am susceptible to mind altering, but usually that's for certain
substances. Not people. ;)
User: ALBATROSS
Date: 8-Jan 11:31 AM 758028695
II.26
Eschel: now what if those substances ARE people?
*laugh*
Max: I like what you have done with the place....The ivory tower will be
finished next week...faster than VAXTREK 10!
User: ECSTASY
Date: 8-Jan 12:22 PM 758031753
II.27
InleRah ran a hand through her hair thoughtfully, as she sat at the terminal in
the Blue Room. Since the eerie appearance of 'Richard', she had become quiet
and pensive. The manifestation of her dark half was disturbing. He had
appeared to her before, many times. Sometimes she saw him in dreams, other
times it was the Richard within her that reacted with anger at things, and
Inle would become unbalanced, and destructive... this was the nature of
herself, she knew that. It was and is the struggle of life, but to have
Richard here, physically... was another matter. What had brought him into this
realm?
"He said, 'you summoned me, from the circle'. ..did i?" she asked
herself. "i mean, could i? could i bring him here, with a simple summons?"
She remembered being in the Circle at the Gathering Place, beyond the
Cafe. She remembered making an offering to the spirits to help her see
clearly, and she remembered entering the 'dream' and the beginning of the
vision. Very carefully she began to go over the vision. The details of it
ticked past that inside eye we all have, as she remembered.
...It began with the drum. The vision always does. The sound of the
drum is the heartbeat. She could see the Tree, and it was alive and flowering.
The wind moved it and the leaves of the people sang great songs. She was
standing before a fire, and its light was the only light. The drum was strong,
loud, and the darkness surrounded. The light of the fire grew dim as the
thunder of the drum grew. ..the wind picked up, and the rain came, and the
fire's light left, the songs were drowned. The drum sounded, and lightening
flashed. she saw his face. The storm grew to where she could not see. The wind
whipped her face, and the rain stung her eyes, and she went forward toward him.
another beat from the drum, another flash of lightning, and he was there, eyes
of crimson looking back at her, a mocking grin on that twisted face. His
laughter rose above the storm, and he spoke.
"The storm comes.. and with it, I come. The time is close." ----
Inle was jolted out of the memory of the dream suddenly, with a small gasp of
air. Something had hit her, almost unbalanced her, and at the same time a
chill went through her and caused a shudder. She looked around the Blue Room
for what it was that had struck her, but saw nothing. The room was quiet and
undisturbed. Turning around again she gazed at the terminal she was using
earlier. Something had cleared the screen. Line noise was now running over the
surface in bright blue flashes of light. amidst these, words suddenly appeared.
Sentences. 'The storm is here.' Over and over again, amid the nonesense of the
line noise.
Inle watched the sentence flash across the screen, and a feeling of dread
seemed to settle over her. She shook her head and sighed audibly. Earlier, she
had finished off the inue, and had moved on to the Vodka, with a little juice.
But no alcohol or even Inue would touch the headache that had, by now, spread
to her shoulders, and back. So she turned to the machine, and began to once
again try and reweave what had been undone.. and unweave the web the Spider
had made.
..Hours later, she sits curled in the chair, asleep from exhaustion. The work
she'd done on the terminal had disappeared, and again, the screen cleared.
the session terminated, but the terminal still live, still blinking a
monotonous unthinking message...
The sparrows are flying again.
User: INLERAH
Date: 8-Jan 05:11 PM 758049142
II.28
*dark chuckle*
And there's trouble till the robins come...
User: TRAVELER
Date: 8-Jan 07:44 PM 758058297
II.29
Dateline: Virtual Police Department
With Ghost forcibly (and somewhat painfully) restrained, the two
officers led both him and the still-in-shock Daricell into the wide front doors
of the VPD. "We'll need cells for these two, but put them through the
registration procedures first," the burly police officer said to a tall, thin
officer seated behind the desk, his French accent giving the words a sadistic
twist.
"But of course. Right this way, Ms. Copperpot. We have been waiting
rather anxiously for your arrival." The tall, thin officer took Daricell's arm
in a grip that was surprisingly painful, and led her into the next room. The
chef did not say a word, recalling her Miranda rights, and was silent as they
pressed each of her fingers against the inky pad and then rolled them across
a fingerprinting sheet, then stood her against the wall for pictures: front,
right side, left side.
Finally, she was taken into a room, where a large woman with the
daunting demeanor of an elementary-school cafeteria worker was waiting with a
pile of light blue clothes. The officer left, and the woman simply said, "Take
them off," pointing to Daricell's skirt, blouse, and apron. "The jewelry too."
"But this necklace --"
"Take them off."
Daricell took off her rings and her necklace with shaking hands and
handed them to the woman, who slammed them on a metal tray. Then Daricell
removed her apron, folding it neatly before placing it on the table next to the
blue clothing. Her shoes, skirt and blouse were next, and when the chef was
shivering in her underclothes, the woman pushed the blue clothes toward her.
"Put them on."
Daricell obeyed, pulling on the drawstring pants that were too long for
her legs, and the straight shirt that hung to mid-thigh. A number was stamped
on the left shoulder: "90210". "Come with me," the woman said, and left the
room. Daricell followed her, through several metal gates, to a long gloomy
hallway comprised of cell bars. The prisoners inside leered and made catcalls
and Daricell was led past them, until, at the far end of the hallway, the woman
stopped and unlocked a cell door.
"Sorry we don't have a women's wing -- equality works just fine with us
here," the woman said and she shoved Daricell inside and slammed the door.
There was only a cot, a small wash basin, and a toilet behind a flimsy curtain
inside the cell. Daricell sighed and sat on the edge of the cot. What was
going on? Why did they think that she -- "Oh, Zoro, what's happened? I wish
I could see you..." she whispered.
"Well, well, well. Just look who we have here." The menacing growl
came from the other side of the bars. Daricell looked up, and gasped.
"Venkman!"
User: Dark Lady -- Rob, it's your turn...
Date: 10-Jan 04:40 PM 758220064
II.30
Out in the Bay, ROMANTIC rows her small boat over the sunlit waves. This
is always a calm, friendly body of water, so she knows it's safe to take the
rowboat out in it. She supposes she should have mentioned to TRAVELER or
somebody that she was going out and borrowing the boat for a while, but
ALBATROSS will surely tell anyone who wonders where she is; after all, it
was he who suggested the idea in the first place. She has to agree with him:
it is too nice a day to stay indoors and on land. She has never been afraid of
the sea; it has always seemed a comforting, benevolent power.
Now she notices an old wooden ship with black sails perhaps a mile away
across the water. It's heading south at a fair clip, and will probably pass
fairly near. _The headland must be blocking the wind from me that she's
catching_, Romantic muses. _I don't feel a thing, but that baby's really
moving_.
Then she sees the breeze walk across the water, sending shivers over its
surface. It wanders silently towards her, and then passes over like a ghostly
breath: cool, briny, evocative of great distances and spans of time--like the
deep ocean itself. Clouds dim the warm sun; the very color of the water seems
to change, as if saltier currents from the ocean are flowing into the Bay now.
_Funny, I thought the tide wasn't due to come in for hours yet_. She notices
that the Cafe is quite distant--_About time to turn back_, she figures.
The black ship is, in fact, closer now than the Cafe is. It has veered
somewhat in her direction; its sails are still full to bursting with wind, and
it comes on fast. _I'm sure they see me_, Romantic thinks. _In fact, maybe
they're swinging by to say hi_.
But no sound or signal comes from the ship as it draws closer. The clouds
continue to gather overhead, though she can see that far-off, the sun still
shines--she seems to be under the only dark patch for miles around. The wind
has kicked up the water into a brisk chop, but nothing that the rowboat can't
handle. Rom turns it around and begins pulling for shore: _This weather's not
too bad, but no sense taking chances_.
She doesn't make much headway, though; the currents seem to be acting
oddly. She tries heading not for the Cafe, but for the Marina further south,
but the water flows against her. She aims north for the headland, and the
currents shift again. _This is getting annoying_, she thinks.
The wind tickles the back of her neck eerily. She turns and gasps to see
how close the black ship is--it seems to be heading straight towards her now.
Ah, but there's someone on deck, looking through a telescope...
There is a sudden BANG as if the air just rips apart. Rom's heart jumps a
beat, and she thinks of gunfire, but the rolling decay of the sound and the
brilliant flash that coincided with it indicate thunder and lightning. She
blinks, and the afterimage burned on her retinas is odd: the lightning bolt
seemed to touch the high mast of the black ship, then leap sideways and come
to ground somewhere near the Cafe. Or perhaps it came from the land out to the
ship? A wave of ozone wafts through the air, the smell of electricity. There
is a new danger present.
The waves grow higher, and the currents remain malicious. She stops
rowing, figuring to wait a bit for calm, but there is no sign of it. Drops of
rain begin to fall--only isolated drops--but the thought of a storm at sea
frightens her, and she slumps dejectedly. The big ship draws closer...maybe
she can signal it and get on board! She waves towards the figure still looking
through the telescope, but gets no response.
"HEY! OVER HERE!" she shouts, but the wind snatches her cries and flings
them to tatters among the foamy wavecrests. _How can he not see me? He's
looking right at me!_
There is more thunder, low growling thunder this time. Bluish white light
flickers around the ship's masts as it towers over her. Now she can make out
a design on the sail...etched in narrow red lines. It appears to be a trident
pointing downwards.
The waves toss the boat violently, and Romantic's poetry book is flung
overboard. She clings to the seat tensely, fearfully; raindrops create dark,
cold spots on her skirt. Water sloshes into the boat and soaks her shoes. The
ship draws closer.
"Please! HELP! Over HERE! Could you pick me up? HEY!" She is furious
now--he must see her, the bastard, but he says nothing, does nothing! _He
looks familiar too..._
Her thought is interrupted as a huge wave bucks the boat wildly and sprays
her with salty spume. The wind rushes all around now, as waves clap and crash
together, ceaselessly murmuring malicious thoughts. The ship will hit her if
it doesn't change course; as for her own boat, she has no hope of moving in
time. More rumbles of thunder...the ship rushes on...and a big wave roughly
throws her from the rowboat into the cold bay. She comes up for air quickly,
but the waves conspire to push her under again and again. The vast bulk of the
ship looms overhead, and a splintering crash reaches her waterlogged ears--her
boat has been demolished. Underwater currents pull at her legs, insisting that
she come under and play. She chokes on water, fights to stay afloat...she is
spun around and around...
She is only aware for an instant of the hull of the ship striking her body
from behind.
User: TRAVELER
Date: 10-Jan 06:23 PM 758226232
II.31
*ouch*
User: a bloody romantic
Date: 10-Jan 07:06 PM 758228815
II.32
"Hey!! Quit trying to hold my hand!!", screamed Ghost as they
tried to fingerprint him...
"You want to what? Take my picture? Does your wife know you
take photographs of men in handcuffs?!!"
"Hey you guys are in league with that evil car!!"
*crash!! ufff... get off me!!*
"What's that? Don't that at me.. Zzzap!!" ha!! this is cool!!
Zzap!! Zzap!! "Yeah! wait!! This sucks!!"
"I told you, I'm not into handcuffs!!"
"*thud* ohh...."
"that's what you get for trying to force me to wear blue!!
I hate blue!! blue clashes with everything!!"
"I am not a number!! I am a free man!!"
"Stick that somewhere else pal!!"
"Ha cowards!! Wait... where are we going?!! No way man, I want
door number 2... *thump thump thump* *wack* *tumble* *drag.....* fine....
cheaters..."
The door to the hallway to the cells open, Ghost is dragged in.
"Hey Daricell... who's your friend. Boy he looks grumpy... Hey
I bet you need a friend.. will you be my neighbor? Oh, cell mates!
what's that?..."
User: GHOST
Date: 11-Jan 02:04 AM 758253878
II.33
A couple hours later...
A car pulls up outside the Virtual Virtual Vax Cafe, and three people get
out, arguing. "Look, it wasn't MY idea to stop here, but you've been
complaining about having to go to the bathroom for the last half hour!" says
TREKKER to EINSTEIN. "I wonder how many people actually stop here?"
"Well we could have gone a little further," grumbles MISTERB. "The sign
said <N>ext Rest Stop, 3 Miles. But I guess this will have to do."
The three travelers enter the double doors of the Cafe, passing beneath
the three large neon V's over the entrance. Einstein finds the bathroom, while
Trekker and MisterB argue amiably about sports. Presently, Einstein returns.
"You know, I'm kinda thirsty. Can we get something to drink before we get back
in the car? Huh? Huh? Can we? Pleeeease?"
"No, we're going, and stop whining or you'll have to sit in the back
again!" says MisterB. But Trekker has just noticed the bartender.
"Hey, look who it is," he says with a smile. "I think we _will_ get
drinks after all." They walk towards the bar, and ECSTASY gives them a wave.
"Nice to see you drop by," she says. "You caught me in a rare moment
actually tending bar...these days I've been working on the Cafe's new addition
upstairs. But tell you what--go around back to the Black Room, and I'll mix
you up something special." She dispatches one of her subordinates to show
Trekker, Einstein and MisterB to a table.
User: TRAVELER
Date: 11-Jan 10:33 AM 758284390
II.34
TRAVELER is in the Black Room at the moment, talking to the new DJ.
"Orpheus" is his name, the only name most people have known him by for years.
Trav hired him at the recommendation of the owner of the Futura Club in the
City (where Trav himself was a regular, once upon a time).
"Orpheus is...unlike any DJ you've ever met," Jack, the Futura Club's
owner, had said. "He's partially autistic, what would have once been called an
idiot-savant. As I understand it, his family and teachers never knew what to
make of him. Only talent they could see that he had was math--tell him your
date of birth, for example, and he'll tell you what day of the week it was in a
flash. Not just calendar tricks, either--Orphy can do calculus in his head
that
you and I couldn't even look at without getting dizzy. And I hear he's
learning computer programming now...but anyway, back then, he was pretty much a
closed book."
"Then, sometime in high school, he got dragged to a dance club with some
friends. He took to the place, but nobody knew why--kept insisting on going
back, in his funny way of talking. Eventually he made it clear what he wanted:
to sit in the DJ booth and watch the DJ."
"Now this club, by the way, was Nether-Nether-Land--"
"Some weird shit went down at Nether-Nether-Land," said Trav. "I was
there a few times. I knew the bartender...WOLF was his name. A rough place."
"A very rough place," Jack agreed. "Well, the DJ didn't mind Orphy
watching him work, but the owner was a jerk about it. The DJ actually started
teaching Orphy a little bit about mixing, but the owner said 'I'm only paying
one DJ to work in that booth, and no one else touches that equipment! If that
moron breaks something, the insurance won't cover it!' And so on. Eventually
Orphy got kicked out--to the dismay of many of the club's patrons. The kid had
really learned to mix! And he'd already picked up his nickname..."
"Well, I let him work the turntables at my place every so often, even
though I've already got all the DJs I need. And lemmme tell you, he knows his
stuff. Perfect mixes, hours at a stretch without missing a beat--and he can do
the fancy stuff too, you know, scratching, backspinning, and so on. He took to
it like a fish to water--I guess rhythm's just a matter of mathematics, after
all, and he already knew his math. Anyway, I can't hire him full time, which
is what he deserves...so I'm sending him your way."
In the weeks that Traveler has employed Orpheus in the Black Room, he has
found that Jack's praise was justified. Orpheus knows the rhythm instinctively
and controls it like a master. But more than that, he knows the dancers. Trav
never would have believed it--that this blank-faced, quiet young man who
can't meet your eyes or reply to you in a full sentence can sense the mood of
a room full of people and perfectly match the music to it--but it's true.
Orphy seems to be able to gauge what his audience wants and needs, sometimes
even when they don't know what it is, and guide them into it musically. From
deep trance spells of pulsating synthesizers, to thrash-mosh-hip-hop fury, to
crisp adrenalizing house-beat breaks, Boy is like a music therapist, unifying
the dancers into one groove, then sending each one off into his or her own
inner world. Trav can't figure out how the DJ does it--and knows that some
people
don't see what he's talking about when he tries to describe Orphy's magical
powers with needle and vinyl--but he is a believer, and takes the opportunity
almost every night to pay his homage on the dance floor.
He has also set up a terminal in the Blue Room for Orpheus' exclusive use,
where, during off hours, the DJ can program, explore math and graphics
software, or do whatever else he pleases. Trav has, in fact, just come into
the Black Room to tell him that the terminal, on the fritz since this afternoon
(when a strange virus or glitch seemed to hit a number of the computers), is
now back online.
"Orpheus!" The DJ, headphones on, is rocking back and forth with eyes
closed, grooving as usual with his whole body. Trav smiles at the innocent
honesty of Orpheus' expressiveness..._If only we could all respond to music as
deeply as he does_. The track on the turntable now is a long, thumping tribal
remix of Bjork's "Human Behavior", and over thundering drums, the filtered
voice of the Icelandic singer croons... "If you ever get close to a human, and
human behavior, be ready to get confused...There's definitely, definitely,
definitely no logic, to human behavior..."
Trav taps Orpheus on the shoulder again. _He's really deep in it this
time_, Traveler thinks, _but he better come out of it...looks like the record's
almost over_. Then he realizes something is wrong: the DJ is rocking back and
forth out of time with the song's rhythm, clutching himself so tightly his
knuckles are white. His brow is furrowed in pain or fear.
"Orpheus. Orphy! What's wrong?" Trav shakes him. "Orphy! It's
Traveler. Talk to me. What's wrong, Orphy? I've got your terminal running
again, is that what you're upset about?"
Orpheus opens his eyes, blinks, and swallows. "Dark in here," he says.
"Too dark."
Traveler is puzzled. Too dark? He's never minded the lighting before.
Or is he talking about something else?
"Dark man here," Orpheus says fearfully. "All round. Music won' make him
go. People don't see, but I see. Don't want to look."
Trav looks out over the crowd sitting at tables, at the bar, and dancing.
No suspicious looking characters...but who's that in the shadows, in the
corner? Trav walks towards the dark figure. "Excuse me, have you been
bothering the DJ?" he calls out.
But then he rubs his eyes, mystified. There was nobody there--just some
weird trick of the light. _Hmmm_. He goes back to the booth.
"I don't see any dark man, Orphy. I think everything's ok," he says. But
the DJ has gone back to rocking, eyes closed, hands wrapped around himself.
The song comes to an end, and the needle glides towards the label on the
record. Traveler quickly grabs another records from a nearby stack, puts it on
the other turntable, and sets the needle on it. "It comes down to this--your
kiss--your fist--and your pain it gets under my skin--within--taken--the extent
of my sin..." Nine Inch Nail's "Sin" pounds angrily over the speakers, as
Trav continues to shake Orpheus' rigid, trembling figure. "Orpheus! What's
wrong? What happened? Come on, talk to me! You've never had a problem doing
your job before. What's wrong, Orphy? Talk to me, please...please..."
User: TRAVELER
Date: 11-Jan 04:03 PM 758304246
II.35
ECSTASY looks out from her vantage point on top of the Ivory tower and winces
when she sees romantic get hit by that boat. Ecstasy turns to Moodindigo and
remarks, "Ouch. That's gonna sting. Maybe we should give her a aband aid if
she comes back."
Moodindigo shrugs and mutters like a 13 year-old. *grin* He then turns
back to the tiling work on the roof.
"I'll be back in a moment. I'm going to find someone to go find romantic."
Ecstasy heads down the unlit winding stairs...
User: ecstasy
Date: 12-Jan 10:03 AM 758368995
II.36
Dateline: VPD
Daricell watched, wide-eyed, as the cll-door next to hers clanged open
and the struggling, flailing body of Ghost was thrown in with Venkman. "Poor
Ghost," she murmured, as Venkman's eyes lit up like the dial on a microwave set
to "HIGH". The former owner of the Indigo Toucan stood slowly, surveying the
writhing form of his new cellmate, as Daricell yelled, "Hey, what's going on?
Why did you put him in there?" to the polizei, who merely ignored her and
slammed the door shut on Venk's cell.
"Ahhh...another erstwhile employee of the V. V. V. C." Venkman made
each initial resound like a death knell.
"What do you have to do with this?" Daricell asked him.
"I? I am simply enjoying the spectacle of Traveler's employees being
brought so low."
"I have no doubt that somehow, you are behind my arrest. What have you
done to Zoroaster?"
"Daricell, you are making no sense. But look -- my cellmate seems to
be coming to life."
Ghost was indeed stirring, and was now standing up to face Venkman.
An evil smile spread across Venk's features. "Something to entertain me, as I
spend long hours here, slaving away in CSE -- oops, I meant, as I spend long
hours here, wasting away in a jail cell..."
Ghost smiled back at Venk, his eyes preternaturally bright. "Do you
like cows?"
User: Daricell -- Non Sequiturs 'R' Us! Go Rob....
Date: 12-Jan 12:09 PM 758376595
II.37
Ok, this is for all who haven't seen it, or haven't seen it in a while...
==============================================================================
(Updated 1-12-94)
Traveler's Virtual Virtual Vax Cafe *
w * *
| * * * *
s<--+-->n * * *
* *
| _______________________ * * * * * *
e | _________________ | * * * * * * * *
T H E | | | |* * * * * *
| | | | * * * * * * * @ @
B A Y | | | |* * * * @ @ @@
__| | BLACK | |__ * * * * * @ @ @ @ @
______________| : ROOM : |...............TO
CLIFFS->
| ____________...__| _____ |__...____________ : @ @ @
| | \ _ --_____-- _ / | | @
| | - _\- -/_ - | | @
| : BLUE | | KITCHEN | | RED | : DEC.
| : ROOM | |_ _| | ROOM | : GARDEN
| | -_/ -_____- \_- | |
| |____________...__ / --_____-- \ __...____________| |
|______________ | | ____________..: @
* * * |__ : WHITE : __| @
* * * | | ROOM | | @ @
* * * * * | | | | PRODUCE @ @ @
* * * * | | | | GARDEN @ @ @
* * * * | |_______..._______| | @ @ @ @
* * * MARINA PATH :.......................: @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
* * <-- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
R O A D
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Welcome to the VVV!
This handy map shows the Cafe. (For a map showing more of the surroundings,
see the end of this file.) You approach by the Bayfront Road, coming northeast
from a nameless City somewhere in cyberspace. The Cafe is just north of the
Marina, which can be reached by a footpath. Further northeast of the Cafe lie
cliffs and rocky coastline. The Cafe faces the Bay on its southern and western
sides. Immediately north of the building are a decorative garden with statues
and landscaping, and a produce garden where fresh stuff is grown. North of
this is a stand of trees; the land slopes uphill onto the cliff plateau. Some
say there is an old stone circle somewhere up there in the woods...old maps and
records indicate that there was a church on the spot of the Cafe before the
present building, and the remains of a graveyard in the woods bear this out.
A walkway runs all the way around the Cafe. The lines indicate where the
walkway is bounded by a stone railing. Cafe patrons can look out over the
bay, or stroll in the gardens. The main entrance at the front opens on to
the White Room, but there are also entrances all around the building.
(Lines are walls, dots are doors.)
The White Room: this is the main room of the Cafe. Think of Rick's in
Casablanca; it's a nice, but not too exotic looking room with a high
raftered ceiling, white stucco walls, and a hardwood floor. LOUCH greets
you as you enter. Tables dot the room, plus a few potted plants. At the
west side is the curving Bar, (wo)manned by the beautiful ECSTASY, with the
help of her well-disciplined, leather-clad staff. At either end of the bar
are curtained entrances to the Kitchen. At the northwest and southwest
corners are doorways to the Red Room and the Blue Room, respectively.
The White Room has lots of windows on the north and south walls, plus a
skylight in the middle of the room (to indulge SYLVAR the coffee man's whim;
he likes to grow his special beans on the roof above, which he accesses through
the skylight, even though there's a perfectly good set of stairs elsewhere).
The private eye ZOROASTER usually plies his trade from a table in the White
Room.
Let's move on to the Red Room. Lots of red here, naturally; heavy velvet
curtains all around. At the north end of the room is a stage, where on
various nights you'll find jazz combos, poetry readings, performance
artists, and other groovy stuff. The lighting is fairly subdued, with
candles on every table; smoke drifts in the air. It's a bohemian crowd.
The Bar, which actually runs all the way around the Cafe, is on the east
side. SYLVAR actually spends more time here, given the coffeehouse
atmosphere. FIREFLYTE, masseuse and tea lady, also plies her trade here.
Heavy velvet drapes cover most of the walls. "Information pirate" SVEN can
usually be found hanging around in the Red Room, meeting with shady-looking
characters.
The door at the southwest corner of the Red Room leads to the Black Room.
Here, nonstop techno, industrial and alternative music pounds through the
night, and dancers gyrate on the large dance floor. Of course there is
a cutting-edge light system up above, maintained and augmented by the Cafe's
eccentric lighting technician, GHOST. The DJ, an autistic prodigy known only
as Orpheus, has a booth at the west side of the room, and the Bar, of course,
is at the east side. If anyone gets rowdy, bouncer/security guard CADO is on
hand to toss them out. A sign on the wall declares my strict policy:
ABSOLUTELY NO DISCO.
At the southeast corner of the Black Room is the door to the Blue Room.
The Bar is on the north side of the room. The Blue Room is for solitude;
one can sit in one of the many booths and read here (bring your own book,
or borrow one of ours). There are also (surely you're not surprised)
some booths with multimedia computer terminals (fully Internet-accessible, they
can also run any video or audio format), and even a couple special virtual
reality machines--which I guess are actually virtual virtual virtual reality
machines. It's not hard to get lost in the Blue Room... But three walls have
windows giving a view of the Bay, so that one doesn't totally lose touch with
the outside world. Doors at the south side provide egress to the walkway
around the building.
The Kitchen is a circular room in the center of the building (surrounded,
of course, by the Bar). Here the kitchen staff works under master chef
DARICELL to prepare the gourmet menu, and DIQMAN to bake the Cafe's superb
pastries (mmm...donuts). I've convinced him to make beignets (ever been to
the Cafe du Monde in New Orleans?), and SYLVAR (aka Jon Vallee) to serve the
appropriate chicory coffee. A staircase here leads to the second story...
...where lies TRAVELER's office. Actually, it's an office plus a small
apartment. I sometimes end up spending nights here, particularly after
the private parties that a lucky few get invited to. There are large
balcony/terraces on the north, south, east and west sides (the east side is
devoted to SYLVAR's coffee beans--he says the altitude brings out the
flavor). Currently under construction on the northern terrace is the Ivory
Tower--an elite retreat for the intellectually snobbish.
And beneath the Kitchen is the Wine Cellar, with an array of choice vintages
that ECSTASY will be happy to serve you. Rumors tell of a sub-basement,
and mysterious tunnels, but who knows? Recent explorations down there have
turned up odd stones in the wall that may date to pagan times.
Let's not forget the other regulars: "the Cardinal" XIMINEZ in his red robes
(you never expect him!); interior decorating consultant ROARK; public relations
consultant SIREN; ROMANTIC, who just hangs out being, well, romantic; DEMENTIA
on leave from the Indigo Toucan (a rival Cafe near the Marina, whose devious
owner VENKMAN was recently jailed for his attempts to sabotage the VVVC); and
then there's NORM, terminally bitter proprietor of the currently closed Taco
Bus [tm] illegally parked in the Cafe's parking lot.
That's the fifty-cent tour. (Actually, it's free.) But don't leave in
a hurry--there's a lot going on here at TRAVELER's Virtual Virtual Vax
Cafe...
The VVVC "plot", such as it is, tends to lurch rather erratically from event
to event. Of course, the randomness is inevitable, and enjoyable, because it
always throws up new stuff. But having written "interactive stories" of a
somewhat similar sort for years with Walter, he and I have discovered some
useful guidelines, which I think apply well to the Cafe. Suggestions:
* Speak only for your own character. You can write minor "filler" dialog
for someone you're talking to, but don't go much beyond that. People get
annoyed when others put too many words in their mouths.
* Be careful about advancing the plot too much. Your own reactions to
something, and minor surrounding events that don't affect the overall story
too much, are okay. But big changes may upset things that I've got planned.
* If you do have some idea you want to play out, talk to me about it...I'll
probably find a way to work it in. And if you think your character isn't
getting enough interesting action (I never get enough interesting action, but
that's another story :), also talk to me.
* Finally, read others' posts carefully to make sure you've got the facts
they've established straight. Otherwise everything gets screwed up. :)
User: Traveler, proprietor & owner, Virtual Virtual Vax Cafe :)
Date: 16-Oct 02:52 PM 750783164
Here's a new map, based on the old one, on a slightly smaller scale. This
shows not only the Cafe (in less detail) but also the area around it. It
incorporates many things that have been talked about, but not shown. I guess
everyone has visualized things differently, but if you want the "canon"
version, here's how _I_ see it. :)
As always, this map, plus the above map and guide to the VVVC, is
available for your perusal on world:read, at "disk$circa:[cirop55]cafeplan.".
===============================================================================
LEGEND: @ @@ @@ Trees
* * * * Elevation Change, or Shoreline
: or .. Door, or Open Boundary
| or -- Wall, or Railing
===============================================================================
Traveler's Virtual Virtual Vax Cafe and Surroundings * *
* * * F
w * * * F
| The Bay * * * * I
s<--+-->n * * * @ * L
| ____________ * * * @ @ @ @ @ * C
e | -------- | * * * * @ @ @@ @ @ @ @@ @
| | Black | | * * @ @ @@ @ @ @ @@ @@ M
_| | Room | |_ @ @@ Path @ @ E
________| : : |........ @ @@ @ @ @ @ @ @ A
The | ,-------..-' __--__ '-..-------, : - - - - @ @@ @ @ @ D
Bay | | Blue ,' ,--, ', Red | : Dec. | @ @ @ @@ @ O
| : Room | ',__,' | Room | : Garden | @@ @ @ @@ @ W
| |_______.._ '--__--' _.._______| : _ _ _ _'@ @ @ @ @ @@
'--------, | | ,--------' @ @ @ Old @@ @ @
* '-, | White | ,-' Produce @ @ @@ Graves @ @@ @
Rowboat--->() * | | Room | | Garden @ @ @ @@ @ @ @ @ @ @
* * | |___..___| | @ @ @ @@ @ @ @ @ @@ @ @ @
* * * * * |............| @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
...............................................................................
To Beach, Marina, City <----R O A D----> To Cliff Meadow, Beyond
..... .................. ............ ................................
: ________ : * * * * * *
: |________| Main Parking Lot : * * * * * * * * *
: Taco Bus : * * * * * *
: : * * * * *
* :..........................................: * S * * * * *
* * L * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * L * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * I * * *
* H I L L S * * * * * * H * * *
===============================================================================
=
User: TRAVELER
Date: 12-Jan 12:22 PM 758377376
II.38
ROMANTIC's unconscious form drifts in the stormy Bay waters alongside the
old wooden ship. Suddenly, the black sails shift so that they catch less wind,
and the ship's rudder angles, causing the vessel to begin a tight turn. From
the side railing, a lone figure--the Old Sailor himself--throws a line out
towards Romantic, then another. She is in no condition to grab hold of them--
but she doesn't have to. The captain barks commands in some strange tongue,
draws signs in the air with his hands, and the ends of the ropes dance out of
the water like snakes. He seems to be manipulating the ropes by the motions
of his hands now; the lines coil around Romantic's body swiftly, and lift her
free of the dark waves. They bring her up and lay her into the arms of the
Old Sailor, at which point he utters another word, and they rapidly uncoil and
fall limply to the deck.
He bears her into a cabin at one end of the deck, and lays her on a bed
of white linen. He looks down at her dripping body, dress clinging tightly,
for a moment, then throws a thick woolen blanket over her.
Outside, he climbs a ladder to the upper deck above the cabin. There
stands the great ship's wheel, which seems to be turning of its own accord.
He speaks a word, and some invisible grip is released--it spins free till
he takes hold. He turns the ship further, then looks back over his shoulder.
A string of harsh, guttural words causes a sudden shift in the wind--now
the sails turn on their creaking booms, and the ship begins to head north again
towards the headland. Before and behind, in the sky, a vague line of grey
cloud seems to mirror its path, forming in front of it, growing darkest just
above, and dissipating gradually to stern. Satisfied with his course changes,
he speaks another spell and the wheel is again gripped by invisible hands.
He returns to the cabin, taking a greenish-glass bottle of some amber
fluid and two glasses from a cabinet. He sets them down on a small table, and
sits on a chair opposite the bed. He waits...
User: TRAVELER
Date: 12-Jan 12:44 PM 758378666
II.39
Yeah, I realize the new storylines are getting a bit confusing, and appear
to be turning in a widening gyre (thank you, Wm. Yeats). But some of them,
at least, are linked.
Here's a quick explanation:
* The DARICELL-ZOROASTER-GHOST story (Zoro is in the hospital after being
almost killed by the Man In Black; he called for Daricell before going
unconscious, and the police assumed he was identifying his killer, so they
arrested her; Ghost acted wacko so he got hauled in too; they are now in jail
with VENKMAN).
* The Cafe-based story(ies) (ROMANTIC now on his ship; a nameless evil released
into the Cafe by ALBATROSS, apparently acting under the Old Sailor's control;
something going on with INLERAH and her "dark half" that is connected; plans
for an upcoming rave).
User: TRAVELER
Date: 13-Jan 09:56 AM 758454987
II.40
ECSTASY emerges from the Kitchen, through the Bar, into the Black
Room, where TRAVELER is trying to talk to Orpheus. "We have a problem,
Trav," she says.
"I know, I can't figure out what's going on. He said something about
a dark man, or things being too dark," Traveler replies, worried.
"No, you don't understand," the bartender insists. "It's about ROMANTIC.
She's in trouble."
"What?"
"Did you know she took the rowboat out into the Bay?"
"Well, the Bay is usually calm...what, has she been gone a while?"
"Trav, the black ship passed by while she was out there."
"The one belonging to Captain Hansen or whatever his name is?"
"Yes. Trav...MOODINDIGO and I were watching from the Ivory Tower.
It rammed her boat head on."
"What!? We've got to get to the telescope! Call the Coast Guard!"
Traveler charges down the steps from the DJ booth, heading for the phone in the
Kitchen.
But then something catches his eye...something over at the table where
TREKKER, EINSTEIN and MISTERB are sitting...
User: Traveler says "you know what to do now, Inlerah..."
Date: 13-Jan 11:32 PM 758503944
II.41
ECSTASY yells after TRAVELER, "By the way, the ivory tower is finished! Can
you put it on the damn map now?"
User: ECSTASY
Date: 14-Jan 02:21 AM 758514109
II.42
..meanwhile, in the Black Room...
the manifested stranger lurks by the bar, a feeling of unbelievable power
coursing through him. Richard was still not sure of why, but why doesnt matter
in things like this. The facts were clear. He was here. He was real. He was
free of Inle, and her will. Finally free of that bitch, and her pathetic code
of honour. Where had that gotten her in her life, eh? It had gotten her
nowhere, thats where. And the 'wolf'... the one she calls Narwi, he's a perfect
example. She goes out of her way for him, and why? Richard wouldnt let himself
answer that. Couldnt really. He didnt know why. Perhaps Inle didnt either. But
his mind seethed on the result of it all. He uses her. He does, and she lets
him. And because he says thank you, she lets it happen. Well.. not anymore,
'Kola'. Now, ..now I'll deal with him. But first... first, I have some business
here...
A motion distracts the Dark Man, and out of the corner of his eye he
spies a man heading toward him from the DJ's booth. Aah the DJ.. he had been
watching Richard, and it unerved the stranger that the simple DJ could so
easily unmask him. Now this man was moving toward him. Under his breath Richard
cursed the idiot DJ, and vowed to repay the boy with a disquieting accident
with his headphones. While he pondered that, Richard gathered the power
coursing thru him, and folded further into the shadows.. He watched, laughing
softly as the man turned from him, unaware of his presence anymore... His
laughter increased, as the power seemed to wrap around him, pulsate. Richard
was enjoying this. Perhaps a bit too much. He pulled back on that, thinking
instead on what had caused this. what had brought him here..
Something had pulled him here, called him here. And whatever it was was
behind the power that now gave him so much joy, that kept inle from affecting
him for now. Whatever it was... had been released, finally. He had felt it. A
piercing, all encompassing surge of power. That same power that now coursed
through him, fed him. He could feel the relief. The ecstasy of it all. A
feeling of ancient longing, finally realized. Finally released. His laughter
increased, as he began to focus that energy, ...focus, and use it. bend it to
his will. his need....
He saunters over to the bar itself, and pulls up a stool. With that same
smooth motion he calls over a bartender and orders a double Jack over the
pounding NIN. While he waits for his drink, he looks past the bar to the table
below him, where Trekker, Einstein and MisterB are sitting.
Einstein says, "what are we doing here again?"
Trekker answers, "deciding who's going to be the next woman to dump you."
MisterB adds, "i think its just in the script, actually."
Trekker scoffs, "what script?!?"
As the waitress brings the double Jack, Richard reaches down, and takes it,
leaving the waitress with a leering half-smile. The Dark Man finishes it off
quickly, his eyes still on the threesome. He moves from the stool with the
grace of a cat, and slips into the empty chair at the table. He says in a
raspy voice, "Well now, would you look at the collection of sorry maggots we
have here. I didnt realize there was a failure's convention going on."
Trekker gives the stranger a look of irritation and says, "fuck you."
Richard turns to face Trekker, his eyes practically glowing dark crimson, and
indeed, seem to make Trekker shudder briefly. His raspy voice answers, seeming
mocking and even cruel, "It would be my pleasure." His voice seems to trail off
eerily, and as the last words die beneath end of 'Sin', the man slips from the
chair in that same fluid motion, and is gone in the shadows.
MisterB frowns, fingering his Miller Genuine Draft uncomfortably, "what the
hell was that about?"
Trekker simply shrugs, and says, "lets get out of here.."
As the three get up to leave, a shadow seems to come alive and in the flash of
the techno-strobe. The evil edge of a wicked blade is seen, and before the next
strobe, Trekker is kneeling by the table, the blade driven thru his back. He
stares down at his chest, where the blade has emerged, blood quickly
spreading over his uniform. A giddy laugh escapes Trekker, and he manages to
say, "..the HELL?" before he collapses. The shadow, ..is long since gone.
A scream is heard from a patron as Einstein and MisterB suddenly realize whats
happened, and react.
In the Blue Room, InleRah suddenly wakes with a violent start, knocking one of
the empty bottles from the terminal desk. It falls to the floor and shatters,
sending glass everywhere...
User: INLERAH
Date: 14-Jan 03:05 AM 758517376
II.43
In the Black Room...
TRAVELER and ECSTASY rush over to the table where MISTERB and EINSTEIN
sit stunned. There on the floor next to them is TREKKER, lying in a slowly
expanding pool of dark blood. Once again, the record on the turntable comes to
an end, and the needle clicks quietly over and over against the label. Orpheus
the DJ huddles on his chair, rocking back and forth, gazing at nothing. The
whole room is silent in the flicker of the lights. Everyone has turned to
watch the grisly tableaux.
Finally, with effort, Traveler breaks the stasis. "Everyone please
clear the room." Patrons begin to shuffle out, gazing at Trekker's body
with morbid curiosity. ECSTASY instructs her staff to help clear the room.
Trav says quietly to her, "Find CADO, and tell him to make sure nobody leaves
the building!" Then he heads for a phone and dials 9-i-i, the Imaginary
Emergency Number.
"This is the Virtual Virtual Vax Cafe on Bayshore Road. I'm afraid we've
just had a murder...yes, look, I also need the Coast Guard, there's been a
boating accident off shore. Hurry!"
With no further explanation, he slams the phone down and runs out to
the telescope on the walkway behind the Black Room. But all he can see through
it are the pieces of ROMANTIC's boat drifting in the waves...and far to the
north, the black ship disappearing round the headland.
User: traveler
Date: 15-Jan 03:39 PM 758648363
II.44
CADO walks in, looking exasperated. "Boss, I've been trying to get through to
VPDHQ to see what I can do about Daricell, but all of my connections are either
on vacation or out to lunch...the HELL?"
TREKKER, still lying in a pool of blood, lifts his head momentarily, snaps
"Hey! That's MY line!" and lapses back into unconsciousness.
ECSTASY motions to CADO. "Traveler said for you to secure all the exits to the
building and make sure no one leaves. This was a murder attempt."
CADO's eyes widen. "A MURDER? Wh...Ok. I'm on it." With that, he leaves to
lock the doors. Beginning with the front double- doors, he hastily throws the
chains around the handles and snaps a large master-lock in place, afterward
locking the main bolts. He then begins securing all the side entrances,
double-locking them so they can't be opened from the inside. Then he moves on
to the employee entrance/exits and secures them tightly with their fitted iron
bars. Afterward, he rushes upstairs and secures the entrance from the garden,
taking care to assure that ALBATROSS is not out gardening. Finally, he comes
back down to the main floor and stops to think.
User: cont'd...
Date: 16-Jan 11:09 AM 758718647
II.45
<<I know I'm forgetting something...what is it...OH! The CELLAR!>>
CADO rushes down the steps, turns left, follows the third corridor all the way
down, and stops in front of a wine rack. Pushing the rack to the side (which
slides away easily on a concealed track), he opens a control panel and begins
punching in a combination. His hand slips and hits a button marked "OPEN,"
upon which, part of the wall slides away, revealing a long tunnel with light
shining down at the end. <<Damn!>> He quickly presses the "CLOSE"
button and
continues to punch in code. Finally, he hits the "INPUT" key, and the LED
display flashes "LOCKED--CODE PROTECTED"
<<Whew!>> he thinks as he slides the rack back into place.
<<I'm
one of maybe
the only four people who knows about that exit, but I'm not taking any
chances!>>
...It is only now that he has relaxed a bit that he notices the darkness of the
cellar. It begins to bother him. <<Something's not right
here...>> The
cellar seems darker than usual...VERY dark...A cold feeling creeps into his
bones.
User: cont'd...
Date: 16-Jan 11:39 AM 758720399
II.46
CADO looks about him, suddenly startled...but nothing is there. <<I'm
overreacting with all that's going on>> he thinks. Still, he hurries
back down
the corridor and up the stairs...
...and as he reaches the top, the cellar door slams shut, knocking him flat
back down on the cement floor. Just as he is lapsing into unconsciousness, he
hears an evil laugh...
User: Cado...have fun, Max! :)
Date: 16-Jan 11:40 AM 758720445
II.47
ROARK, Interior Design-type and mere novice in the world of fire codes
prays to Virtual God that there won't be a fire in the VVVC anytime soon....
Paranoidal maniac that she is, her hunt for an ax and blankets is on.
She addresses the red-robed blur. "Are you coming along, Cardinal?"
User: Roark: Ed, I love you. Almost as much as cherry Pixy Stix.:)
Date: 16-Jan 01:48 PM 758728132
II.48
ECSTASY gets a look of panic in her eyes when she realizes that her
boyfriend-extraordinare is still outside finishing the final tile job. She
slips over to TRAVELER and explains her concern. TRAVELER looks upset to be
bothered but melts under one of ECSTASY's patented
Bambi-oh-please-secret-tool-for-world-domination-pleading glances. She pulls
out her keychain and locates the secret Ivory Tower attic door lock.
"Hmmm....I hope it takes less time to find him than it did to figure out "The
Seventh Guest" game.
User: ECSTASY
Date: 17-Jan 11:08 AM 758804944
II.49
InleRah glances down at the shards of glass glittering in the light of the
terminals. A dark shudder seems to run through her. As she reaches down to try
and gather some of the glass, she starts at a sudden scream from the Black
Room, and a large peice of glass slices open her hand. She hisses at the pain,
standing and holding her hand up, to help stop the bloodflow. A good clean cut,
it bleeds freely however, and runs down Inle's arm. People begin filing out of
the Black Room, some looking pale and frightened, murmurs echoing and mixing
with the shuffling of feet. Inle gets another sudden feeling of dread and
pushes
past the crowd, manuevering her way into the Black Room.
As she enters she pushes past Orpheus, who stops his steady rocking and stares
at her. She jumps down the few steps of the landing to the floor where one of
Cado's guards stands over the body of Trekker. "Step back" he says in an
authoratative voice, and then notices the blood running down her arm.
He goes to grab Inle to try and determine if she has anything to do with this,
and as he does so, Inle looks around frantically, "where is he? where's
Richard?"
"Who's Richard?" The burly guard asks as he takes ahold of the rabbit. In the
flickering light of the Black Room, for an instant their eyes lock on each
other, and InleRah's glow a deep scarlet, ..crimson. The guard blinks, and
faulters, releasing Inle and stepping back.
Meanwhile Traveler returns, a dark expression of concern on his face for the
unknown fate of romantic. The VPD are at the door, and he quickly goes to let
them in. Fumbling with the many locks, he suddenly thinks << where has
Cado
run off to? >> Finally, the doors open and the police file in, taking
charge
of the situation.
As a large policeman talks quietly with Traveler, Inle's eyes search the
darkness of the Black Room carefully. He *has* to be here... suddenly someone
has ahold of her arm, and she turns to look directly at Orphy. He just looks at
her for a moment, his hand clinging to her arm and his body rocking slightly
again, in a rhythm of its own. He says simply "e's not 'ere. gone down
th'bloody 'ole. see?" Releasing her arm, he closes his eyes and continues his
rocking, oblivious to all other things.
For a long momnet Inle is unsure, remembering the words, but unsure of their
meaning now. Suddenly her eyes widen, and she turns to head for the cellar
entrance. As she starts, a loud voice calls out, "Hey you! ..Stop! grab her!"
..meanwhile in the Cellar..
Richard sits euphoric, and laughs. All around him the power seems to vibrate.
The very air seems charged. The killing had felt good... this 'thing' whatever
it was... was well pleased, and showed it by feeding him this intoxicating
euphoria. Richard was getting giddy, and when Cado stumbled into the cellar, he
did indeed begin to laugh again. He continued to laugh as the power wrapped
around him once more...
User: INLERAH
Date: 18-Jan 04:26 AM 758867198
II.50
SVEN, completely absorbed in playing Wing Commander:Privateer, pauses his
terminal, walks to the bar, oblivious to the chaos around him, grabs a bottle
of Jim Beam, and skips back to his terminal, trying to kill Retro ships while
intoxicated.
He wishes his life could be more fulfilling...like, if he was somehow written
into the story...
User: *)
Date: 18-Jan 12:47 PM 758897257