II.201 TRAVELER looks at FIREFLYTE, confused. "What the hell is CADO talking about? He's been missing for a day...then he comes tearing in here babbling about the old sailor, and ROMANTIC, and ALBATROSS, and magic..." "It might sound like babble, yes...but magic is sometimes in the eye of the beholder...and sometimes even more," 'Flyte says quietly. "I was just telling you about the darkness that infests this place. Well, it's affected INLERAH in an...unusual way. It does different things to all of us, I think. But perhaps you should speak to her yourself." She stands up. "Inle needs you, Trav." Traveler looks down, his brow furrowed. "I...don't understand all this. Why now? It interferes with everything...the rave...but yes, okay, I'll talk to her. Where?" "A little spot out in the woods. Come." He follows her downstairs, and out the door at the southeast corner of the Red Room. It is late afternoon; the sunlight filters down through the trees that grow around the gardens, and as they walk away from the building, Trav feels almost as if he is underwater. Fireflyte leads him past the back edge of the Decorative Garden, through a short stretch of woods; she stops where the vegetation clears a bit. "The old graveyard," she says. "You'd better wait here while I go on and see how she's doing. I'll be back soon." He nods, and she trudges off into the overgrowth. Trav looks around at the faint remains of the old cemetery: a few crumbling headstones, some still standing at a slant, some fallen and half-buried by leaves, moss and earth. He goes over to a very ancient-looking stone lying on its back, blackened by time, and traces a faint inscription: "HERE LIETH J.D./His lyfe for His Friends/R.I.P." _A strong and simple code, from a simpler time. I wonder, is it still true today? Well, if I have friends anywhere who'd give their lives for me, it's here at the Cafe._ Then he thinks of those whose lives are now in jeopardy, and turns away from the gravestone. Moments later, his reverie is broken by Fireflyte's return, and he stands to face her. "She's doing okay, for now," she says. "It's been rough, though. She's fighting." "Fighting _who_?" he asks, as their feet crackle on dead leaves and twigs. "Well...herself, in a way. Perhaps Inle should explain it." They walk on in silence through the dense woods. A little farther, and Trav is surprised to see something he never knew existed until today: the circle of standing stones. The first one, a rough, vaguely phallic monolith about ten feet high, looms up; as he steps past it, he sees others, perhaps twelve--he doesn't count--of irregular shapes and sizes. And on the ground, in the middle of the clearing, Inlerah sits cross-legged, eyes closed, sunk deep into herself. In front of her is a small pile of stones and burnt wood, the remains of a little fire, that still exudes a wispy trail of smoke. Trav approaches quietly, and crouches down near her. "Inlerah...you old black rabbit...what's this about?" he whispers. She stirs, swallows, and breathes heavily, as if waking out of a deep trance. "Trav," she says in a dry voice, without opening her eyes. "I can't ...hide what's happening...from you. Too dangerous...I will need your help..." "It has something to do with the old mariner, doesn't it? Hansen? Some kind of dark magic?" "He is a part of the tapestry. But his magic was only the catalyst...for what's happening to me. If you attune yourself...clear the clutter from your mind...you'll come to see the true dimensions of it all. Sit with me, Trav. Maybe I can show you...as much as tell you." He looks at her, then up at Fireflyte, who nods. He then takes a seat across from her, crossing his legs in similar fashion, and leans forward slightly, letting his eyelids settle lightly closed, so that the sunlight is merely a warm red blood-light. "I will show you," Inlerah says, and begins... User: Traveler Date: 1-Apr 02:02 PM 765208946
II.202 And Somewhere... Deep inside the Towel Room of the VVVC... A new force for Truth, Justice, and Warm Cotton Comfort Arises! Mild mannered Towel Boy, Perigrine, After exposure to the dark magicks of Atlantis, odd Cosmic Radiation, and a bite from a radioactive Wombat, becomes the Beacon of Power, the Lord of Might, and All-Around Swell Guy.... The Towelled Avenger!!!!! Using a combination of unimaginable powers (like the Towel-Beam) and ingenious devices (the Towel-a-Rang, Towelmobile, and the Towel of Power), he strikes out to fight evil and save the VVVC from the dark forces that enwrap it. As the Towelled Avenger flies toward the door of the towel room, he sees Traveller coming up the stairs. The Avenger (Vengie to his friends) says "Fear Not, Bystander... the Towelled Avenger will save your livelihood." Traveller replies "No, Rod.. that's too silly... go back to the towel room." User: Perigrine: "Oh, okay." *walks dejected back to the Towel Room." Date: 1-Apr 02:38 PM 765211285
II.203 And now, another installment of _Taco Bus[tm] Theatre_, featuring the voices of NORM!, BULLWINKLE, TATOOINE, DRAKEHART, DELIRIUM, and a very special guest star... =============================================================================== Having delivered PYEWACKET's food, NORM! pulls the Taco Bus[tm] over to the side of a road in the City, to use the bathroom at a gas station. But what he doesn't realize is that he has parked the Bus at a City bus stop...and when he returns, he finds several people seated on board. "D'OH! What are you people doing?" "Waiting for you to start the bus, what else?" says a man in a blue baseball cap bearing a moose patch. "You ARE the bus driver, right?" "Yeah, buddy, what's the holdup?" says a dark-complexioned young lady in a sarcastic voice. "You got a girlfriend at every bus stop, or what?" "Uh, not exactly. But you all don't understand...this isn't a public bus, it's the Taco Bus!" "Tacos? GREAT! I'm HUNGRY!!" says a large, scary-looking man with a goatee and a notebook computer. "Where are the tacos, anyway? Huh? Where are they?" "Well, I'm not carrying any now...I was just making a delivery," explains Norm. "The food is back at the VVVC. Look, people, I'm not a regular bus driver; I'm just going back to the VVVC--" "What's the VVVC?" asks the girl sitting next to the man with the goatee. "Virtual Virtual Vax Cafe...it's--" Norm begins. "A cafe? Hey, would they have any use for someone who could tickle the ivories?" asks the first woman. "My name's TATOOINE, and I've been pretty well acquainted with a few pianos in my day. And no, that wasn't a double entendre, even though most of what I say is." "I might have some talents this Cafe could use too," says the guy in the moose cap. "I'm DRAKEHART! I'm HUNGRY! Let's go!" roars the man with the goatee. "I'm DELIRIUM...and I think you should humor him," adds the girl next to him with a smile. Norm sighs. "Wellll...I don't know what TRAVELER is going to think of this. But all right, fine, I'll give you guys a lift to the Cafe." He turns the ignition key, and the bus' motor sputters into life. As he begins to pull away from the curb, he closes the bus door--or tries to-- --except that someone has just jumped up on to the bus steps and is blocking it from closing. "Hi!" he says in an annoyingly cheerful voice. "I heard you all talking about the VCC, and it sounded inter--" "That's the VVVC," Norm corrects him. "I mean the VVC, and it sounded interes--" "VVVC...three V's," offers TATOOINE. "Yeah, that's what I meant. Anyway, this VVVVC sounded interesting, so I thought--" "IT'S THE VVVC!" everyone shouts. "Uh...yeah," says the stranger, taken aback at least for a moment. "Well, anyway, mind if I tag along?" "Oh, what the hell, take a seat," says Norm. "What's your name, by the way?" "RECYCLER," the stranger says brightly. "Funny you should ask, because there's a great story behind that name. See, I used to be called BEEBOPPER, and there's a story behind that too. When I was a little kid..." As Recycler's voice drones on, Norm sighs to himself. "This is going to be a long drive," he mutters, and reaches for his bottle of aspirin... User: TRAVELER Date: 3-Apr 09:46 PM 765409637
II.204 ...and, for maximal effect, shoves two aspirin into each ear. [Note: the other supremum is achieved by shoving the bottle down RECYCLER's throat.] User: SYLVAR Date: 3-Apr 10:32 PM 765412361
II.205 Tatooine's thoughts at the current moment on the Taco Bus: _This guy's nuts! I don't believe we've gotta sit here and listen to this entire story._ "HEY! Sit down so we can get to the VVVC!" _I swear...some people. But this cafe sounds interesting. Maybe I can get a job there. Maybe I could move into a new apartment! Maybe...oh well. Maybe I could get something to eat..._ User: Tatooine (via Traveler) Date: 4-Apr 00:32 AM 765419584
II.206 "Traveler.." she whispered. InleRah lay on all fours within the stone circle. She had not the energy to even sit back, and attempting to do so only caused her to fall down completely. She was dizzy, and dissoriented. Her breathing was labored, and she closed her eyes in an attempt to keep the world from spinning too much. After a few moments, she at least regained her breath, but still she could not sit up. There was no energy in her body, save for the constantly trembling of her muscles. "Traveler.." she said again, in a stronger, more urgent voice. "He has to know. The spider will strike again. i must break his hold on Richard.. must find Traveler." Her mind struggled to get her unwilling body to move, and she growled in frustration as she realized it would be a while before she could. Her mind found that to be an unacceptable answer, and so she reached out mentally, to find another pair of legs. Fireflyte stopped in her tracks as she heard Inle's call. With a slight tilt of the head and a narrowing of those feline eyes, she was off. Their minds had touched for the briefest of moments, but in that moment everything was exchanged. The feline hyperpixie and the black rabbit had come to a point in their friendship where such communication was not only possible, but all too familiar. She made her way to the office to inform him of Inle's need, and after Cado's outburst, brings the Cafe~ owner out to the stone circle itself, where Inle still sits, waiting. As Traveler sits beside her and closes his eyes, Inle focuses her every thought toward him, and pulls him into the dream. "I need to tell you, show you, what has happened, so you understand the depth of it. We are all in terrible danger. The Spider grows straonger with each moment." she begins, her voice not a physical thing, but that odd mental whisper we all seem to have. That it was in Traveler's own head he made note of, but did not pay too much attention to.. instead his mind reeled with the images that suddenly flooded him. He was in the circle, and the storm raged around him. He saw Richard's face and heard the drums and thunder clap, loud enough to ring his ears. He heard the eerie voice call through the rain "the storm is coming!" ..the scene shifted, and he was in the Black Room, his hand on a blade, and moving swiflty through the shadows with a dark purpose. He felt the blade go through Trekker, as if he himself was holding it, and in that moment he hissed in a breath, shuddering slightly. Outside the dream, Flyte watched as Inle's hand reached out quickly to take hold of Traveler's in a strong almost death-like grip. She held him in the dream, despite his wavering. The dream continued.. Shifting again, he was in the cellar now, the dark pulse of the spider everywhere. He saw Cado, and watched as his hand wrapped around Cado's throat. He felt the need to crush that throat. Felt the hunger to feel it, and shuddered again. Then he felt the toucch of the Spider as it denied him Cado's death and both Inle and Traveler cried out as they relived that pain. In this way, Inle showed Traveler all she had learned from her sojourn into her disenchanted Dark Half. And afterward, Traveler opened his eyes, breathing quickly, and looking quite disturbed. Inle sat quietly, seeming calm for all that had happened. "I must find a way to break the Spider's hold on him, if i'm going to survive." she says in a quiet voice. "Survive??" Traveler repeats, still trying to understand all he's been shown. "Yes," she continues, "Already my thoughts are starting to become... disorganized. The longer he and i are seperated, the more..the more i will fall apart." she tries to think of some way of explaining it. "he is me Trav. i am him. In his rage and emotional outbursts he may /think/ he can survive on his own. But he cant. i need him to survive, and he needs me. i'll die if we dont merge agian. and... from the way i feel, probably soon." Traveler sits dumbfounded. "How did this happen." Inle spares a glance up to Flyte, and then back to Traveler, her eyes gravely dark and hard. "i dont know exactly. You felt the power? when we were in the cellar?" at his quiet nod, she continues. "Whatever it is.. it's wrapped the Cafe~ in its grip. it has even spread to here.. i can feel the drain on the magic here. the 'Spider', whatever it is.. scares me Trav. its what's doing this. did you see the gateway? see Cado go thru it?" "The gateway!" Traveler exclaims, and looks up at Flyte. "thats what he was talkiing about. "We need to talk to Cado. He's seen this 'Spider' first hand i think." Inle nods, and then says. "It must be destroyed i think.. both for me, in my battle with Richard, and to save the Cafe~. But the police will be after me. i dont think somehow they'll believe my story." Traveler sits looking across at Inle, the images shown him earlier still flickering through his mind. Not just images, but.. memories. His expression is sad, and yet there is a hint in it of something else. Fear? ..Inle turns away, knowing what the expression means. "I'm not a murderer Trav. Richard is part of me. A part never meant to be free. There are parts in all of us like that. i'm not proud of him, but he's part of me and i need him back, in his proper place. and for that.. i need your help." User: INLERAH Date: 4-Apr 09:07 AM 765450450
II.207 As the afternoon shadows lengthen and the sun sinks towards the Bay, TRAVELER, FIREFLYTE and INLERAH come walking solemnly out of the woods and through the decorative garden. "The police are bound to follow up on TREKKER's murder," says Traveler, "and if what you say is correct, it's possible they'll trace it to you. For that reason, and because you obviously need a solitary place to concentrate on the whole problem, I think we're going to have to find you a little hideaway. Of course there's the cellar..." "Not such a good idea...Richard seems to be hanging around there. I'm sure it's where this dark power--what I call the `spider'--is emanating from," Inle says. "I was going to say, we could probably do better," Trav agrees, opening the door to the Red Room. "For now, why don't you hang out in the Ivory Tower? I need to talk to Cado...he may have some insight on all this. I'll come up as soon as I can to tell you if I learn anything, and to see how you're doing." Inlerah agrees, and she and 'Flyte go upstairs. Traveler wanders around, looking for Cado, and finds the bouncer drinking at the Blue Room bar, with a vaguely impatient stance to his whole body. "Cado...we need to talk," says Trav. "Don't I know it! Listen, the whole Cafe is in danger from Ahannos. He's got ROMANTIC in a cell...I tried to get her out, but I was a fool, I didn't let her help...and he's got some kind of power over ALBATR--" "Whoa, whoa, hang on, you're losing me already!" Trav interrupts Cado's excited torrent. All people in the Blue Room, including Albatross and ROARK at a booth in the corner, have turned to look at Cado and Traveler. "Listen, let's discuss this in my office. Tell me everything from the beginning..." They head towards the stairs. User: Traveler Date: 4-Apr 02:18 PM 765469148
II.208 The Trial of DARICELL: "The Litany of Death" (Based on "The History of Chess," from _CHESS_) JON: Each day In court Means one Less tort, Lawsuit, Or appeal I may file-- DARICELL: Each new Witness Means there's One less Day remaining In this strange trial... MAN IN BLACK: Not much is known About who kicked poor Zoro's butt, beyond a vague report That on that night, this Daricell who's here in court Was missing, whereabouts unknown! JON: I must object For would she really want to beat her boyfriend half to death? And nothing kinky is implied--don't hold your breath; She holds him in quite high respect! MAN IN BLACK: You're beyond belief You know she did him in She has caused such grief We can't forgive This evil, wicked sin! I say she should die: Attempted Murder One! You, the jury folks, Should come down hard And make her rue her fun! And so I ask The wisest man I know--your Honor--can we end this mess? JUDGE: All right, it's time to send the jury to recess, Where they'll exchange opinions in a private room On whether this was all her fault, And render due process. (Just then, the door of the courtroom creaks open, and a small shape files in...it is Maharet! A murmur goes through the court as she walks up the aisle; the Man In Black scowls fiercely at her, but she gazes back at him coolly with slitted eyes.) JON:(spoken) Excuse me, your Honor! If you consult the list you'll see we have one more witness to call...and it looks like she's arrived! JUDGE:(spoken) Oh, very well. Bailiff, escort her to the witness stand and swear her in. (The bailiff goes to pick Maharet up, but she hisses at him and trots to the witness stand herself. She jumps up on to the chair and stands on her hind legs to see over the front partition. The bailiff dutifully holds out a Bible, and she rests one paw on it.) BAILIFF:(spoken) Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? MAHARET:(spoken) Mrowwr. JON:(whispered to Daricell) I hope this works... User: Trav sez "the cat's out of the bag...take it away, Walter" Date: 4-Apr 04:39 PM 765477578
II.209 Virtual City Courtroom: +_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+ Maharet looked out from the witness stand, green eyes slitted, ears pulled back as she regarded the courtroom scene. Daricell stared back just as intently, wondering what the svelte feline was up to. *She has that vampiric look again....* Daricell thought. *Someone's in for it.* Daricell knew too well the habits of Maharet. She only hoped the judge wouldn't try to pet the kitty right now. Because this was a musical, she couldn't keep herself from singing as she asked Sylvar about this new witness...to a tune from _Phantom of the Opera_.... DARICELL: Where in the world has she been hiding? As a witness she'll be perfect! I only wish we knew her story Who tried to kill Zoro? SYLVAR: Zoro always loved his kitty As a witness I dreamed she'd appear I thought she was in hospital-- But I'm glad she's here! Here in this room she'll tell her story Of the night when one tried to kill them! Somehow I know she must have seen him-- He the unseen killer! DARICELL: Vallee, we both must be dreaming Stories like hers can't be proved Vallee, she'll witness in "meows" Will her tail be true? SYLVAR: Mahie, our witness! She's the answer-- She'll know the whole story! She is the one who will acquit you, Say who tried to kill her master. She'll witness even now -- DARICELL: My hands are cold! SYLVAR: In this courtroom -- DARICELL: I think I'm going to swoon! SYLVAR: This frightens you? DARICELL: I'm so frightened..... User: Dark Lady -- "Mrow, I've seen him, in his world of unending night..." Date: 5-Apr 10:06 AM 765540434
II.210 So I guess I'm the first one to notice the new board name? Thanks Belgie!!! User: Cardinal Ximinez Date: 5-Apr 11:46 AM 765546415
II.211 *jaw drops* I--I---I--er--uh... Wow. Believe it or not, I wasn't expecting this. Thanx, Mister Wolf. *big grin* User: TRAVELER Date: 5-Apr 12:06 PM 765547668
II.212 Perigrine: Hmm.... the Towelled Avenger didn't work... Now how can I save the Cafe? Hmmmm... A-HA! (Our hero strides out of the Towel Room but instead of his Spandex Avenger costume, he's dressed in a very slick Tuxedo, made from newly washed black cotton towels. Again, he meets Traveller on the staircase to the VVVC Proper) Perigrine (impersonating Sean Connery): Ahh.. M... good to see you. Traveller: Rod, who are you supposed to be now? Perigrine (this time as Roger Moore): Towel. James Towel. Agent Double-Oh Cotton. Trav: Man, this is worse than that Towelled Avenger Schtick. Perigrine, er... James Towel: Who is it this time? Doctor No Starch? Trav: Rod, take off that pathetic excuse for a tux and go back to the Towel Room. User: Perigrine: Aw, Trav... we could have gotten Ecstasy a Playboy centerfold! Date: 5-Apr 01:39 PM 765553225
II.213 "Let's go to the cellar first," insists CADO. TRAVELER grudgingly agrees. CADO takes a deep breath and exhales, attempting to relax. He closes his eyes for a moment. "I can feel it even now," he says almost inaudibly. "What?" TRAVELER asks, confused. CADO looks back at TRAVELER momentarily, as he opens the cellar door, then turns and descends into the darkness. TRAVELER follows behind him. "Here," CADO says, pointing to the stone set in the wall. "This is the source...it's like a floodgate." "A floodgate? To what? What is it?" TRAVELER asks, bewildered. "Ahannos' magic. Traveler, do you remember when he came to the Cafe~ for the first time? The old sailor, the one we knew as Hansen?" "Yeah..." remembers TRAVELER. "It was really weird. He was always talking in riddles. And he paid for his drink with that coin...saying something about 'we all have to pay, in the end.' It was spooky the way he said it." "Trav, remember how he went up to ALBATROSS and grabbed him by the shoulder?" CADO continues. "Ahannos said `You are the one.' Since then, he's had some kind of control over Albatross. He used him to open the gate here...It released all his magic." "I see..." TRAVELER nods, "...but why didn't I notice this?" CADO sighs. "You wouldn't have. It crept into the cafe~ almost undetected... like black death. Slowly, everyone became dark and dreary, focused on themselves, and totally oblivious to everything else around them." TRAVELER makes a "hmmph" noise. "Well, perhaps I have been a little fixated on the rave..." "But it wasn't your fault...you didn't know what was happening." "But what about you?" TRAVELER asks. "Are you saying you weren't affected?" CADO nods his head. "It's all still really messed up in my mind. The first time I came down here, I was attacked by Richard. In trying to dodge him, I noticed I was feeling strong _hatred_. I didn't understand it then, but it helped me to dodge him even in the pitch black. I finally got away and ended up wandering around the Cafe~ until my head cleared..." "--that's when I found you wandering outside," TRAVELER interjects. "...exactly. Then, when I tried to tell people about what had happened, no one would listen. And I felt a great indifference in the air...even from you. It was really starting to scare me. I went down into the cellar again...only this time, it was ALBATROSS who whacked me on the back of the head. I came to just in time to see him go through a portal...a big wall of light..." TRAVELER nods slowly, apprehensively. "...and I got up and jumped in after him. Where I ended up, I wasn't sure, but somehow I KNEW it was Ahannos' castle, or temple, or whatever. Trav, he possesses so much magic..." CADO's voice breaks off fearfully. TRAVELER, whose stomach has begun to turn, rests against the cold wall of the cellar. He looks at the strange symbol carved in the stone. "...Where I was, I'm not sure...but I walked outside, to the shore of the island that this place is on. _and I felt it calling to me!_ I can't explain what happened or why, but I've got some of that power!" His voice breaks off again, almost in disbelief of himself. "I was able to ward off Ahannos just long enough to find Rom. He had her imprisoned in an old, rusty iron cell. While I was trying to break her out, she was telling me about the stories he had told her. I can't tell them all to you now, but when we get her back, she will. Anyway, I got distracted, and suddenly, he found me..." "He found you?" says Trav. Trying to break into the cell? How did you get away?" CADO continues. "Oh...no...not physically...he felt my presence...you see, because I have some of his power, it's all the easier for him to detect me when my guard is down. I ran...but I couldn't get Rom. She's still there, and we HAVE to get back to her before it's too late!!" "But how?" TRAVELER puzzles. "You said you went through a portal? How are you going to get back?" CADO holds out the key. "With this...it's the key to that portal. I've got to open it up and get back to her...only I'm not going to be able to do it alone. I'm not powerful enough to face him by myself." TRAVELER thinks for a minute. All this about magic...It's hard to believe... yet...it makes sense somehow...FireFlyte knew...InleRah knew...It seemed pretty evident what had been happening. But how? And what could he do? "Cado...listen...I can probably have a few people backing you up on this. But I do have to follow through on this rave...I just don't know about you going on a magical rescue mission, risking your life or anyone else's." "Risking lives? What about Romantic's life?" CADO says insistently. "What about Albatross', as long Ahannos has control over him? What about the rest of us, who are all threatened!?" TRAVELER sighs. "Look, I'll think about it, CADO, I will. But this is...you don't know how it sounds...it's hard to believe!" CADO looks ready to burst, but restrains himself. Finally he says, "Okay, fine. Think about it. But I ask this--talk to Albatross. Question him! Ask him if he remembers attacking me, and taking orders from his master Ahannos!!" "All right. I'll question him," Trav says, somewhat reluctantly. The cafe owner turns and walks up the cellar stairs, leaving the bouncer alone below. CADO sighs. Why won't anyone see the obvious? His mind is troubled...but he knows that he can't attune himself to the forces around him unless he is calm. He breathes deeply, and stills his raging thoughts. Now he holds the key out in front of him and begins to concentrate on its center of existence. But the light, as expected, does not form. Somehow, something is wrong. He feels a dark presence close by. He turns around, but nothing is there. In his mind, an image begins to form...It seems familiar somehow...It's... ...InleRah! But she's...she's dying! He sees her face, nearly sapped of life... CADO darts up the stairs, out the side door, and down an unfamiliar path...he doesn't know where he's going, or what he's doing...just following the image in his head...he has to get to her. As he approaches the stone circle, he doesn't even notice of the black, evil presence that has followed him all the way from the cellar... User: CADO (via TRAVELER) Date: 5-Apr 03:54 PM 765561319
II.214 Gee, I never thought I'd see the day when both TRAVELER and VENKMAN were MBBS board Ops. Too weird. Good luck Max! User: NORM!(tm) Date: 5-Apr 05:05 PM 765565528
II.215 YAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOO!!! :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):) *bounce**bounce**bounce**bounce**bounce**bounce**bounce**bounce**bounce* *gasp* *pant* YESSS!!! The Virtual Virtual Vax Cafe is a REALITY at last!!! :):):) I have a REAL job!!! :) Max: *hug* Congratulations, Mr. Board-Op! :) Belgarath: *bowing* Thank you, oh mighty one! Thank you!! User: Cado...a real virtual bouncer at last! :) Date: 5-Apr 09:21 PM 765580893
II.216 Belgarath: one little request...could the board title be changed to simply "The Virtual Vax Cafe"? The double Virtual in the name signified the fact that it was a virtual cafe on a virtual board...but now it has its own board. Let it henceforth be known as...the VVC! ============================================================================= A minor celebration is in progress in the kitchen; the Cafe's employees have broken open a few bottles of bubbly in honor of the "boarding" of their institution. Leaving the festivities, TRAVELER picks up a phone at the Red Room bar and calls the Mysterious Construction Lady [tm] who has the contract for all expansions, additions, and modifications on the Cafe. "Hi, it's Trav. Listen, could you get a couple crews down here soon? I think I'm finally going to add those extra stairways on the sides of the building. Oh, and I'd like to have one of the big neon Vs taken off the sign out front..." User: Traveler Date: 6-Apr 00:36 AM 765592618
II.217 ECSTASY passes by the conversing TRAVELER and CADO with a confident slither. She purrs a hello to them and licks her lips. She continues on her way back to the tower and hopes that they don't notice the blood staining her hands. User: ecstasy: out out damn spot Date: 6-Apr 01:13 AM 765594796
II.218 Meanwhile, back in the sort-of reality that is board 11... VENKMAN: Uh, guys, it's kinda hard for me to add to the story when THERE'S NOTHING TO ADD TO!!! ENTERPRISE: Well, I've been busy... VENKMAN: No, you haven't. You've been sitting on your lazy butt doing nothing for the past 3 months. ENTERPRISE: Well, yeah, but that's my *job*. TREKKER(asleep): Z-z-z-z...mmmm, bran muffins...z-z-z-z...oh, yes, that feels so good...z-z-z-z...uh-oh, you better leave. Gayle will be back any minute...z-z-z-z-z... VENKMAN: Oh, the hell with it. I'm going to go spend some quality time with my bunny rabbit. Dang lazy people... :P User: VENKMAN Date: 6-Apr 08:16 AM 765620200
II.219 Entering the White Room, TRAVELER is surprised to see the recently reclusive ECSTASY sitting at a table, seemingly lost in thought or daydream. She spies him, and beckons, raising her eyebrows significantly. He walks over. "I've noticed something odd when I looking the south window of the Ivory Tower lately," she says. "A curious new establishment down the road." TRAVELER massages her shoulders. "You mean that fortress-looking house, several stories high, up on the bluffs? I saw that when I was driving back to the Cafe today." "I've been watching it for a while. There were lots of people working on it a while back, but since the construction stopped a few days ago, nobody seems to have come in or out." For a reason she can't explain, her voice has dropped to a whisper. The air in the room has grown still; she senses a presence that is in some way kindred. She turns suddenly, to find her instinct true; someone is standing just inside the Cafe's entrance. "Hello?" says Traveler. "Do I know you?" It is a woman, seemingly in her late 20's, dressed in flashy, colorful clothes, under a black, full length trenchcoat. All stare at her, a startlingly un-revealing expression on her face, and then it softens. "Hello...sorry to startle you...I'm your new neighbor. My name is LYDIA. I only wish to look around for a suitable place to conduct business. I am a...merchant". She quickly crosses the room to where Traveler and company are, and stands looking at them with an odd, childlike curiosity. "Well, people come to my cafe to relax, not to do business," he says cautiously. "Now, Trav, don't forget the exception you made for ZOROASTER," Ecstasy reminds him. "Let's hear what this...young lady has to say. I'm intrigued... we haven't had many new customers lately." Lydia takes out a small purse and lays it on the table; gold coins spill out of it with a clink. A surprised Traveler surveys the gold coins with suspicion. "What is it you want? I have enough trouble with the cops these days...if there is even one whiff of something else shady..." Lydia laughs, and much of the tension dissolves. "What I really want is a place to relax...a PRIVATE place to relax. Mostly I'll do business at my place down the road...I think you've seen it. But should I wish to entertain clients discreetly, I'd be honored if you'd let me do it here. Consider this money merely a token of goodwill." Traveler motions for her to sit, and she does. "Hmm...I've been thinking about making the north and south upstairs terraces available for private parties. I'm afraid I do have other matters to see to at the moment...but why don't you get acquainted with Ecstasy here. She's my...bartender." A very faint smile flickers over his features for a moment, and he gives her head a scratch before bowing slightly to Lydia and leaving the room. User: TRAVELER (with help from Lydia) Date: 6-Apr 08:31 AM 765621113
II.220 The Virtual Vax Cafe Update --------------------------- * DARICELL's trial is drawing near its end. At the last minute, surprise witness Maharet has showed up to testify about who really attacked her and ZOROASTER...but will anyone understand her, since she's a cat? Will the prosecuting attorney, the Man in Black, triumph? * CADO has returned from Ahannos' secret harbor through the magic gateway. He is trying to convince TRAVELER of the terrible danger the Cafe is in--and of the need for a mission to rescue ROMANTIC--but Trav is skeptical. * INLERAH continues to battle her dark half Richard. She has explained things to Traveler, and told him that she too senses Ahannos' dark magic surrounding the Cafe. He is giving her a hiding place in the Ivory Tower. * Driving the Taco Bus[tm], NORM! has accidentally picked up a number of folx who are now en route to the Cafe: TATOOINE (a piano player), DRAKEHART, RIFFER, and, alas, RECYCLER...plus some guy in a moose cap. The mysterious LYDIA has shown up at the Cafe on her own; her large, fortress-like house is just down the road. * Recent modifications on the Cafe include the removal of one "V" from its sign, commemorating its receiving an offical board to call home. :) Rave preparations continue...the big event is only a day away, and it looks like we're on a collision course with craziness! Stay tuned... User: TRAVELER: Close To The Edit Date: 6-Apr 03:22 PM 765645765
II.221 DL: I'm still clueless, I'm afraid. :) =============================================================================== As TRAVELER slowly walks down the stairs from his office, the day is fading. He looks for ALBATROSS in the Blue Room, but ROARK tells him that the gardener is tending to some plants in the greenhouse. So Trav trudges back upstairs...and sure enough, finds Albatross stooped over a small, delicate-looking shoot in a ceramic pot. "Hey, could I talk to you for a moment?" Traveler asks. "In my office, if you don't mind?" The gardener is puzzled, but nods in agreement. "Yeah, sure. Let me wash my hands off, and I'll be right there." A few moments later they face each other across Trav's desk. "So what's up?" Albatross asks. "Well...CADO has told me some disturbing things. Things about...you." Albatross frowns. "What about me? What does _he_ know? I've never done any harm to Cado." "That's not what he says. He says you knocked him out in the cellar. Not only that, but he says you've been doing the bidding of Ahannos, our old sailor friend." "The old creep who rammed ROMANTIC's boat? The guy who came in here a few months ago for a bottle of wine? Cado must be crazy! I don't even know this Ahannos character!" Traveler sighs. "You know, we all saw how he spoke to you that day when he visited. He grabbed you by the shoulder and said you were the one. What exactly did he mean by that?" "How the hell should I know? Look, why would some kooky ancient mariner convince me to conspire against my own friends?" "Well, maybe he didn't convince you. Maybe he just...controls you in some way. Cado said something about the coin that he paid for his drink with--" "Cado said this, Cado said that! I don't care what he said." "Do you have the coin? I've checked with X...she says it went missing from the register soon after she got it. Well, do you have it?" Albatross stands up indignantly. "This is absurd! I don't have to listen to this cr--" He stops suddenly. He has shoved his hand into his pocket...and now he slowly draws it out. There in his palm lies the ancient, smooth-worn metal of the Atlantean coin. He goes pale and silent, and sits back down. "I...don't know where this came from..." he says, hoarsely. Then, "Trav, I have a confession to make. I've been having...blank spots." "You mean you've been passing out?" "No, more like...I just find myself somewhere, and I don't remember how I got there, or what I've been doing for the last couple minutes, or hours. I only have a few vague impressions...this coin has something to do with it...and ...yes, the cellar too! I don't recall knocking Cado out. But I do remember something about a...a stone somewhere, with a symbol carved on it..." User: Traveler Date: 7-Apr 05:20 PM 765739242
II.222 "A stone set into the wall of the cellar, which you turned, thereby releasing some magic force that had been stored there?" says Traveler. "That's how Cado tells it." Albatross rubs his temples. "Look, maybe I've been...a little under the weather lately. Maybe I'm just a little sick. But I'm not crazy, and I'm not dangerous! What do you want me to do, quit my job here?" "Not at all. I don't think you're crazy, and I'd like to think you're not dangerous either. But just to make everyone happy, I'd like you to stay away from the cellar for a while, okay? There is _something_ going on down there. Just stick to the greenhouse, the gardens, and the rest of the Cafe." "All right, I guess," Albatross says grudgingly. Trav lowers his voice conspiratorially. "To tell you the truth, I'm a little skeptical of Cado myself. He claims he went through some magic gateway after you, and saw all kinds of stuff, including a prison cell containing Rom. I don't know...I just want to clear up all this nonsense. Undoubtedly something is wrong around here, and it does seem to have to do with magic. But we can't just shut down! We've got a cafe to run...and we've got a rave to throw!" He stands up and leans forward on the desk, an intense look on his face. "I am going to see this rave through to the bitter end, Albatross, come hell or high water! NOTHING will stop it now. We NEED this rave, dammit, to lift our spirits. _I_ need this rave!!" He is almost shouting. Then he stops and looks over to the open doorway of the office...where Ecstasy leans against the doorframe in an outfit of some shiny black stretchy material, licking her very red lips. "Voices carry, dear Traveler," she says. "But forget about your rave for a moment, and explain to me why you sent two...two UNAPPROVED guests up to MY Ivory Tower. Hm?" "X, are you all right? You look pale...or are you wearing some kind of weird makeup?" Trav asks. "Oh, I'm...fine, really," she says, but looks uncertain. "I've just been...having a little snack." She smiles, and her teeth gleam unnaturally. Traveler wonders why he never noticed before how sharp they look. "Oh, in case you're wondering, MOODINDIGO is, ah, gone. Yes, he packed up and left a little while ago. You know things are over between him and I." "Oh, right...well, was it an amicable breakup?" "Mmmm...I guess I got about as much out of him as I could expect. By the time we were through...he just didn't have any more to give." She tilts her head and smirks, in a manner which is somehow chilling to behold. "Now, you'd better find INLERAH and FIREFLYTE another hiding place. You _know_ what a bad influence I can be..." She winks, then turns and slinks away. User: Traveler Date: 7-Apr 05:21 PM 765739304
II.223 CADO runs into the circle, the image still burning in his mind...But INLERAH is not there! Her image is still strong in his mind...her face, almost sapped of life... He reaches down and touches the ground...he can feel its energy. He begins to relax and let it flow through him...the image is becoming clearer and stronger...But no! It is beginning to distort...change...mutate...darken...it is no longer INLERAH, but... Almost instinctively, CADO's hand flies up to block the arm that is reaching around to strangle him. Whirling around, he stands face to face with...with RICHARD??? Richard reaches out to strike him again. CADO immediately blocks his strike and tries to counter, but Richard anticipates his move almost perfectly! Somehow, they seem to sense each other's movements...knowing just when and where the other will strike... CADO is locked into mortal combat with Richard...but all the while, the image burns on his mind...it is so strange, yet so familiar...it's as if Richard and the image are somehow connected... User: Cado...Take it away, Max...or Inle... :) Date: 7-Apr 09:50 PM 765755503
II.224 TRAVELER mounts the spiral stairs leading up through the center of the Ivory Tower. At the top, he emerges into the small, eight-sided room where INLERAH and FIREFLYTE sit, talking quietly. "Uh, guys, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to move you again. If you haven't noticed, ECSTASY's been acting quite strange lately...maybe another effect of this magic, I don't know...but it would be a good idea if we left her alone for a while, I think. Why don't you come on down to my efficiency behind the office; you can hang out th--" He stops in mid-sentence as Inlerah sits bolt upright, sending the glass balanced on the arm of her chair crashing to the floor. As the bluish liquid of her drink seeps into the carpet, her eyes get a distant look. "It's him..." she whispers. Fireflyte draws near, putting a hand on Inle's shoulder. "Can you see him, love?" she says quietly. "Where is he? What's he doing?" "Can't tell..." she rasps. "I'm trying to get...a hold on him..." But the shadow-man flees down the corridors of her/his/their mind(s), into a vast labyrinth, or perhaps a spiderweb, of infinite dimensions. "There must be a reason you suddenly felt his presence," ventures Trav. "Is he nearby? Is he suddenly active?" Inle reaches out cautiously, extending delicate tendrils of fearful desire...and brushes against a passing phantom. It is the fringe of Richard's aura, and now she spins and grabs hold. Touching him, she can see what he sees, hear what he hears, though still only dimly... "Movement...spinning...it's like a galaxy of lights, through mist," she murmurs, as his perceptions blur in and out of her focus. "No...it's light through trees...he's in the woods somewhere...and there's a big black shape. A person. He's struggling with someone." The face of the opponent leaps into clarity--the pale, frightened face of "CADO!" "He's fighting Cado? Where?" Trav demands. "It's in the woods...there are the stones, it must be in the Circle..." "'Flyte, keep an eye on her!" he shouts, bolting for the stairs. "I'm going down there!" He leaps the steps five at a time; second level, then down again to the Kitchen, out through the Red Room, colliding with PALLAS carrying a tray of dishes. "Sorry!" Outside...evening is falling...garden...trees...denser... small branches whip at his face...there, sounds of a struggle... From just outside the Circle, Trav sees Cado circling, wrestling, attacking, evading...what? An indistinct form...the phrase "shadow-boxing" has never seemed so apropos. Without thinking, Traveler leaps forward with a cry, reaching for the dark figure--but finds himself grabbing empty space, then sprawling hard on the ground. Cado sees him, lends him a hand, pulls him up, and the two of them rush the retreating Richard. This time there is a moment of definite contact with a solid body. They seem to have tackled him; but then he has somehow rolled away, with a scream like a wild bird, and in a freak gust of wind that blasts a cloud of leaves into the air, he is gone. The wind dies. The leaves drift back to earth. "Thank you, Trav! He must have been scared by two of us. How in the world did you know?" "That you were fighting with him? Inle sensed it. I didn't know for sure he'd flee...I just jumped in on impulse. But he may not be so easy to spook next time." Trav takes a couple steps towards the edge of the Circle, then turns back. "Let me ask you something..." "What?" "What the HELL were you thinking, coming out here to fight him alone?" "Hey, I didn't know he'd be here..." "But you had an idea, didn't you? You sensed something? You seem to be sensing a lot of things lately that the rest of us aren't." "Look, Trav, you can't deny he's real! You just wrestled with him! Inle and Fireflyte know it too! You know there's a lot of evil stuff going on!" "Yeah, there definitely is. But that doesn't mean we should be recklessly charging to meet it!" Traveler replies angrily. Cado looks surprised. "Trav...I...it's in my nature. I have to fight back when I see the people and place I love under attack. I mean, if we don't confront Ahannos, Richard, all of this, who will?" "Dammit, Cado, why do you have to be a hero!? What we need is...is just to persevere, to struggle on through all this, stop worrying about it, and get on with what's important! The rave, Cado, the RAVE." "Trav, I'm sorry to say this, but I think you're getting obsessed. I think it's part of what the magic is doing. You've got to let this go!" "DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!" shouts Trav. "You're the man who led his comrades into a hopeless battle against a direct order! What do you know about letting things go??" A dead silence falls between Cado and Traveler. Both of them know that too much has been said--the wrong lines have been crossed. Finally Cado says, "Maybe I don't belong here at the C--" "Cado," Trav interrupts. "I don't know what's come over me. Look, I... need some time by myself. Go on inside the Cafe. I'll talk to you in a bit." The bouncer nods silently, and departs back through the trees. Traveler takes a path leading through the woods in the opposite direction, to the north. After a few minutes he comes out into the meadow. The sun has set, but the western sky is still light, silhouetting the huge, plastic-wrapped scaffolds which hold the sound and light gear for the rave. He crosses the vast, empty circle of grass that the equipment is ringed around. Finally, beyond the other side of the ring, he comes to the cliff's edge; the Bay roars endlessly against the rock below. _Why the hell did I talk like that to Cado? Something has gotten into me. Is there any point to this rave, with everything that's happening? We're all sinking into some kind of darkness...Is there really a way to fight back? And if so, how?_ He gazes at the horizon for a long time as the gloom deepens... User: TRAVELER Date: 8-Apr 04:03 PM 765821045
II.225 THE COURTROOM... -=-=-=-=-=-=- The Music swells! The chorus stands aside and Jon Vallee approaches the witness stand. The whole court waits expectantly, smilling and chatting. The Man In Black stands glowering, frowning, and the spell seems to break. Juror: She'll clear her name, you'll see! Chorus: Daricell!! Daricell!! DARICELL!!! Now Maharet! TESTIFY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maharet: Mrow. Mrooowwwww. [Dead Silence] Jon Vallee: Uh... Ms. Maharet Gabriella Moore? Maharet: Mrow. Jon Vallee: Ummm.. Maharet, did you see who tried to kill Zoroaster? Pssst! Daricell! Is this whats supposed to happen?! DARICELL: Yeah, can't you hear whats she's saying? CHORUS: She's going toooo telll!! She's going toooo tell!!! Maharet: Mrowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! [waves leg at Man in black, looses her balance and falls down to the seat] CHORUS:[in great confusion] So, she's _not_ going to tell? Daricell: She says _he_ did it! [Dead Silence] Jon Vallee [very nervously]: uh uh, so you are saying it was NOT my client? Maharet: Mrow mrow mrow mrow mrow [great agitatin] Daricell: She says I'm innocent!!!!! [The court stares are her stonily. There is silence for a brief aeon. BANG BANG BANG comes the echo of the gavel] The Judge rises. "THE WITNESSES HAVE ALL BEEN HEARD. JURY, RETIRE TO REACH YOUR VERDICT." The Foreman Rises, and says, "uh, sir, we don't really need to retire. We're all pretty set on seeing the bitch fry. :)" The Judge smiles, nodding. "VERY WELL, TAKE HER AWAY. DARICELL YOU WILL BE EXECUTED IN THE GAS CHAMBER TOMORROW NIGHT. YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM THIS PLACE, GIVEN A LAST MEAL, AND PREPARED FOR DEATH. GOODBYE." The Bailiffs come forward, handcuffing and dragging away Daricell. As she screams and resists, yelling her innocence to the world, she sees the Man In Black gloating from his desk. She seems to her his words in her mind: "I have only begun to hurt you." And then she was gone from the courtroom. User: ZOROASTER Date: 11-Apr 10:16 AM 766059378
II.226 **sob** DARICELL: I dreamed a dream in time gone by, That life was mine and for the living... But now they say I'm going to die -- Why couldn't they be more forgiving? I once was young and unafraid, But now I'm going to be wasted. Expensive bail could not be paid My gourmet food will ne'er be tasted! And the Man in Black haunts me With his voice as harsh as thunder! He has torn my love apart He has taken my dreams away....... I had a dream my life would be So different from this hell I'm living! The Man in Black has murdered me And he has killed the dream I dreamed... User: Daricell -- "Save me! Save me!" Date: 11-Apr 01:28 PM 766070903
II.227 It has been a long time since CADO ran off, and the sounds of Ahannos and his undead pursuing the bouncer died away. Now ROMANTIC mopes again in her cell, fearing the worst. Has Cado been captured? Is there any chance at all that she'll be found now? Ahannos has spoken of people dying for the completion of his ritual to raise Atlantis...perhaps she will be the next victim. "That's it. I am not sitting here any longer! This is BORING!" she says. The rock that Cado gave her to help chip away at the rusty iron bars of her cell is still sitting on the floor; she picks it up and begins resolutely hacking away at the bar they were working on earlier. But no sooner has she begun than she hears approaching footsteps mixed in with the echoes of her hammering. She stops, and quickly hides the stone under the stone bench built into one wall of her cell. _I may need that later_, she thinks. A moment later, Ahannos is brought into view on his sedan chair by four zombies. "Ye'll not break outta there, lass," he growls. He barks commands at the zombies, who set him down; one of them picks up the rock sitting just outside the bars, the one Cado had been hammering with..._The one Ahannos thinks I was using_, she thinks smugly. "Your little friend was a fool to come 'ere," he says. "But my plans are foolproof." "He's dead, isn't he?" she asks bluntly. "The second sacrifice." Ahannos eyes her cagily. "The second sacrifice...remains to be made." "Then he...he got away, didn't he!?" she exclaims happily. "You haven't killed him, and you haven't brought him here to be imprisoned." "Hah. For all ye know, I hae other cells I might throw 'im in." But his sulky tone tells her that her guess was right. _There's still a chance_, she thinks. _He might be able to get back here, to get me out..._ "But you're not goin' nowhere," he says loudly, as if hearing and interrupting her train of thought. He grabs his gnarled wooden staff and slowly, painfully stands; Rom backs away slightly as he hobbles over to the bars of her cell with a fierce glint in his eyes. _He's so frail...yet still, dangerous enough to be a threat to the whole world...certainly dangerous enough to destroy me and my world._ "The second sacrifice remains to be made," he whispers, staring at her, or perhaps through her. "I...must make the second sacrifice...the stars will nae be in alignment much longer..." It is himself he is talking to, not Romantic. But it is her fate he is debating. She shivers. "Ahannos," she says. He blinks, and his eyes focus on her. _I have no idea what to say...but I've got to say something_. "Ahannos...you never told me...what that name means." He snorts. "It means nothin' in this strange world. 'Tis a relic of an ancient time...a dead time...like me." "But it used to mean something. Back in the time of that young man." She points across the corridor, at the white statue of Ahannos as a noble young prince. He scowls, and turns away from her, slowly making his way into the open cell where the statue stands. With effort, he stoops to grab the oilcloth it was formerly covered by, and struggles to drape it once more; but just the effort of picking it up has left him out of breath. He leans heavily on his cane, catching his wind. "Don't cover it up. It's beautiful," she says. "It's wretched!" he roars. "Then why do you keep it?!" He looks away. "I...I would yet see the land where that young lad grew up. I'll ne'er be like him again. But I must...I must restore fair Atalani... for...for..." He begins coughing, and slaps himself on the chest. When the coughing spell is over, his eyes are watery, and he wipes at them with one gnarled hand. After a long silence, he begins to speak in a low voice, still not looking at her. "I ha' traveled every corner o' this earth on my wanderings ...gathering up magical energies in the long centuries o' my lone quest. And believe me, lass, when I tell ye...there ne'er has been, nor will be, a land as...as beautiful as my own." He pauses again. Then, very quietly, "Tell me, girl. When ye look at that statue...does that young man look like...like a one worthy o' love?" "When I look at that statue...I see beauty...I see the things you told me about--a love of animals, of learning, of seacraft...I'm sure he was a lady's man as well--" "Yes, 'e 'ad all that, but tell me, could ye...could ye see him as one ...worthy to be loved?" His voice has a kind of pleading Rom has never heard in it before. "There is much I see in him that is good," she says. "But...there's something that troubles me. There's a will to do anything to get what he wants." "Aye. An' is tha' nae a proud quality in a man?" "Too proud. When a man will do anything...he'll do terrible things. To get what he thinks is beautiful...he'll destroy ten times as many other things that are beautiful...only because he's too narrow to see their beauty." "Those are hard words, lassie," he says hoarsely. "Hard words." He coughs, and straightens up with a new resolve. The softened lines of his face shift, and the briefly visible tenderness disappears behind the old, hard visage. "Enough. I canna delay." He looks back at her, and the malice once again in his gaze makes her heart sink. He walks out of the cell with the statue in it, into the corridor, and sits in his chair, still gazing at her. "There must be a second sacrifice. But the fool lad stole the key...canna open the portal now..." he mutters to himself. "ALBATROSS...I still need him...someone must be the second sacrifice." He stops speaking, and simply stares at her. She knows he could have her killed in an instant...if he made up his mind to do it. But clearly, he hasn't. Behind those cold grey eyes, her life is being weighed in the balance. At last, he looks away, and speaks to one of the waiting chairbearers, who enters the opposite cell and drapes the cloth over the statue. He utters another command, and all four of the zombies pick his chair up and shoulder it. He looks back at Romantic. "We'll speak again," is all he says. Then, another word to the zombies, and they are off. User: Traveler Date: 11-Apr 02:27 PM 766074492
II.228 CADO makes his way back to the Cafe with his mind a jumble of random thoughts and his heart twisted with pain. As he walks in, he is greeted almost mechanically by LOUCH, in her "hostess-like" manner. CADO just looks at her sorrowfully and walks up to the bar. _I can't stand this anymore_ he thinks to himself. _Everyone has become blackened. There's no feeling here anymore. I've GOT to DO something!_ CADO orders a Black Russian from the assistant Bartender. ECSTASY, of course, is nowhere to be found these days. From the kitchen he can hear the rattle of pots and pans in a flurry. DIQ is also under the dark power of this scheme. INLERAH is dying of it, because it split her from her darker side, Richard. FIREFLYTE seems unaffected...perhaps because she, too, has power beyond the rest; or is she just holding the stress inside? TRAVELER is also strongly affected by it...all he can think about is his rave...bringing everyone together...so that the darkness can envelop them all...It's just too perfect. ROM...what did Ahannos want with her? Why did he tell her all those things? And finally himself...How did he get involved in all of this? Is he really just trying to be a hero, like TRAVELER said? Or is he just another part of the whole scheme? What the hell can he do to stop this evil from taking over everyone he cares about? He finishes his drink and walks upstairs to the balcony, overlooking the bay. Watching the water roll in and out, splashing back and forth, his mind calms, and he feels a bit of energy return to him. _I can't overcome this thing by attacking the source,_ He thinks. _It's too powerful. I've got to find some other way..._ CADO looks down toward the rocks at the edge of the bay, and sees TRAVELER sitting by the water, seemingly lost in thought. CADO feels a sudden warmness, and smiles. _It's not the rave he's thinking about. He's shaken some of the darkness._ All of a sudden, he comes to a conclusion, and steps up onto the railing of the balcony. _I can't recover my friends by attacking the source,_ he thinks, as he stretches out his arms. The water begins to rise up and become turbulent, followed by a fresh new blowing wind. _But maybe I can try and get them back one at a time..._ Once again the wind envelops him and wraps around him like a protecting spirit as he leans forward... _Starting with TRAVELER!_ With that, he bends down and takes a flying leap off the balcony... User: CADO (via Traveler) Date: 11-Apr 05:34 PM 766085698
II.229 Yes, Jon? mail MAIL> send From: VALLEE (One coffee bean... Two coffee bean...) To: MX%"governor@state.gov" Subj: People v. Copperpot Dear Governor: My client Darice Copperpot is the victim of a shockingly unfair trial in which she was proclaimed guilty. The jury foreman was obviously biased. Speaking to the judge, he referred to my client as a "bitch" and said that he was looking forward to seeing her die. I ask you immediately to issue a pardon. A mistrial should be declared and my client Daricell freed. The life of an innocent woman hinges upon your prompt response. Jon Vallee, attorney-at-law -- Click HERE for Jon's World-Wide Web homepage. User: Jon Vallee Date: 11-Apr 05:57 PM 766087036
II.230 After his being "shown" to his Towel Room after the Towelled Avenger and James Towel, agent of F.L.U.F.F., incidents, Perigrine was dejected and searching for a direction in life... It was in this state of despair that our Hero, Perigrine, found himself sitting on a pile of cotton Towels when he was struck with a vision! *glances at Phil and rubs the bruise on his head.* (womans voice): Perigrine! You are destined to unite the warring peoples of the VVC, Save the damsel, Romantic, from Evil, and put an end to Static Cling! Perigrine: It's Nineve, the Lady of the Washing Machine! Perigrine looks around to see his destiny before him... he recalls the words of Merlin, Wizard and owner of the Towel Concession at Cottonalot... "He Who Shall Pull This Towel from the Dryer shall be King!" Holding the legendary Towel, ExtraCottonber, overhead, Newly-crowned King Perigrine cries out: "I shall undertake a Quest for the Holy Washcloth to prove my worthiness, My Lord! Traveller sticks his head into the Towel Room and just says "No." User: Perigrine: Cottonalot, Where Tables are Round and love affairs Triangular! Date: 12-Apr 03:07 AM 766120441
II.231 I'm not in a coma, I'm in jail. Awaiting my death, no less! **sob** It's Zoroaster who is in a coma. **sobsob** Y'know, some home-baked goods from the newly-renamed VVC would be quite nice now, if y'all can tear yourselves away from that mind-swallowing rave... Why didn't anyone from the Cafe come to my trial? **glowers at Traveler, even though he can't see 'cause he's doing Divine Rebirth, and I'm sitting alone in a cold jail cell** Venkman is laughing at me now. 'Did you really think anyone would come to see you? You're an embarassment to the Cafe! They want nothing to do with you now!' **sob** I didn't do it! I couldn't kill Zoro, or anyone -- and Mahie told them, at least she tried... but no one would listen to her. No one would listen to me. **sob** I think I'll turn to the wall and pretend to sleep. User: Daricell in Cell Block C... Date: 12-Apr 11:12 PM 766192392
II.232 VVC Patrons & Authors: -----------I am thinking of taking all the posts to date (the number of which will be increasing as we go) pertaining to the storylines, downloading them, cleaning them up a tad, laserprinting them out, running off copies, and getting them bound (in volumes, obviously, as the story will continue to get longer until the Board System dies...). Upon the back of the title page, I'd want to list the contributors' names, along with their usernames and handles, *if they so wish*, in a copyright-credit-list, as the authors of each segment would retain all rights to their own work...(a statement of which would also be included there) My question is: does anyone have a problem with that? I suggest the title/credits page due to the nature of the authorship, in order to prevent the abuse of the lack of copyright law pertaining to electronic forums (fora?). I will be looking around to find cost-cutting possibilities in production...'cuz I'd need to ask for reimbursement for the cost of production from anyone wanting a copy... Ideas? Input? Problems? User: Fireflyte... ...VAX publishing? AIEEE!!!!! (Escondido!) Date: 13-Apr 01:46 AM 766201587
II.233 TRAVELER, still collecting his thoughts, looks out over the darkening sea. _I wish I knew what to do...I can't even trust my own feelings, they're so clouded. I feel like Matthew Arnold at Dover Beach..._ He feels a tug at the back of his mind. Something catches the corner of his eye, and he looks southward along the shore, down to the VVC rear balcony... just in time to see CADO take a flying leap into the air, out over the rocks... His heart takes a painful twist. He cries out, "CADO! NO!" As if in slow motion, he watches helplessly as the bouncer tumbles head over heels in the air...down...down...down... ...but then...just as CADO is about to be dashed upon the jagged rocks... ...A great gust of wind coming from the bay lifts him into the air, out over the water...A pillar of water rises up from the bay...until it catches the bouncer in mid-air and suspends him there. TRAVELER closes his eyes, shakes his head, and looks again... CADO brings his hands together...the pillar of water tumbles, rolls...forming a wave which carries him across the water of the bay... TRAVELER stands up...still not quite believing his eyes... He makes his way partway down the sloping cliff to the water's edge, watching as CADO swoops through the air and across the water... Finally at the shore, CADO stretches out his arms once again, with the song of the deep flowing through his mind... The wave subsides and washes back to the sea...The wind relaxes slowly...gently...until CADO stands below TRAVELER on the shore. TRAVELER is speechless. CADO looks down, guiltily. "I'm sorry TRAV...I didn't mean to scare you...but I had to show you somehow..." TRAVELER looks back at him. "...How?" "Well, I don't know...it just all came to me at that temple...TRAV, this is bigger than I can ever hope to explain. I've only shown you a tiny fraction. Ahannos controls so much more of this force; he's had millenia to absorb it and discipline his mind for it. That little trick took all my concentration, and most of my energy. But I had to break through. I had to show you...that we have some hope. This power is all around us...it's tuned to some kind of negative vibration, but magic is controlled by the mind, and if we can learn to take control of it, instead of letting it control us, we have a chance." TRAVELER notices that CADO is pale, sweaty, and weak; clearly the demonstration took much effort. But he has made his point. "Maybe you're right. And maybe just being out here by the sea has helped to clear my head a little. Look...go ahead back to the Cafe'...see if you can get some people to help you rescue Rom. She may be in grave danger, but so will you be if you go alone." CADO nods solemnly, then turns to leave. "Cado..." TRAVELER interjects. "Yes, boss?" "Look...I...I'm sorry I can't help...I'm having a hard enough time holding onto myself...and I'm afraid if I leave the Cafe now, everyone and everything here will be vulnerable." CADO shakes his head. "Don't worry about it. I think you're doing what you need to do right here." CADO makes his way back to the cafe'. _Trav,_ he thinks to himself, _just getting you back is more than enough for me. I'll have some strength now._ Just as CADO nears the front entrance, he sees the Taco Bus pull into the parking lot and parks illegally once again... User: CADO (via Traveler) Date: 13-Apr 02:19 PM 766246873
II.234 The motor of the Taco Bus [tm] dies, and the air brakes hiss. Beneath the evening sky, its passengers disembark, peering up at the double neon "V" of the Cafe's sign curiously. "Okay, where's the food? I want my food... come on, let's go inside," says DRAKEHART, dragging DELIRIUM along with him. "And I hear they have a room with some very nice computers. Food, then we log on..." "Thanks, NORM!," says TATOOINE with a smirk. "I'll think of you every time I hear the phrase `start the bus.'" RECYCLER follows her off, and the man in the moose cap is next, leaving Norm to lock up the Bus alone. Just then, a car pulls into the parking lot, and a young blond woman with a camera hung around her neck and a folder in her hand gets out. She walks toward the entrance to the Cafe, arriving at about the same time as the guy in the moose cap. "Hey, fancy meeting you here," the stranger, who has been quiet during most of the bus ride, says. The woman with the camera--AQUA22--smiles, and the two converse as they enter the White Room. Inside, LOUCH seats TATOOINE at a table. The others wait at the door, and CADO, who happens to walk by at the moment, offers to show them to seats. "It's not my job, but everything's at sixes and sevens here anyway," he says. As he escorts Drakehart and Delirium to a table, some of the papers he has in his hand slip to the floor, and he bends to pick them up. Drakehart asks curiously, "Are you DMing? That looks like a dungeon map..." Cado chuckles grimly for a moment. "Yes, it's a dungeon map...but I'm not drawing it for a game. It's a very real dungeon, one which I'm going to be returning to very soon, unfortunately." "Coooool! You're going into a real dungeon? Pardon me for being nosy, but this is a story I'd love to hear." Cado sighs. "What the hell, I might as well tell you. Looks like all the tables are full, but we can wait at the Bar for a few minutes." They sit at the Bar; Cado asks for a rum and coke, while Delirium orders two Zimas. "Here's the deal..." User: Traveler Date: 15-Apr 03:33 PM 766424015
II.235 After the utter failure of his last three attempts to save the VVC, our hero, Perigrine, sits atop a pile of recently washed towels. He sits like a king on his throne, deep in thought on how he won this, the Towel Kingdom. He recalls his early days, when he travelled the world fighting evil and fluffing cotton... The days of Washcloths and Roses... The days of Valor and SpinCycles... The days where he was known as... TOWELAN THE BARBARIAN!!!! Wearing only a dishrag as a loincloth and a leather strap (Borrowed from the Ivory Tower) to hold his mighty Towel Rack, the mighty Cottonian Warrior strides out of his Towel Room... Traveller: Rod! Put some clothes on! The health inspector might come by! Towelan: Dount Wurree, Maachs, I weel conker da bad gise und sabe da kindom. Trav: Oh come on, Rod... you look wierd normally and this loincloth nonsense won't get the babes, *trust* me. Towelan: Buut Travla, We cun git fuzzi bakineneez fur Eckstaszi und chanes fur Roamantik. We culd fite da bad wizurd, Annos. We culd... Oh, nevermind... User: Perigrine still thinks that the loincloth will come back in fashion :) Date: 16-Apr 04:11 PM 766512749
II.236 On a dark road at the outskirts of the City, GHOST trudges along, muttering softly to himself. "Yes, it's got to be along here somewhere... those cows knew exactly what they were talking about...right along here... I can sense it...yes...yes...right...about...HERE!" He stops, and takes off his backpack, which is emblazoned with the logo of "The Cure." Opening it, he takes out a can of orange spray paint, which he shakes for a few moments. Then he walks out to the middle of the road and sprays a large X there. He backs away and contemplates his work. "Not quite. Something's missing." He reaches back into his pack and pulls out a watermelon, which he places at the center of the X. As he does so, he is caught in the headlights of an approaching car. The car slows, then stops, and the driver gets out without turning off the engine or the lights. "Ghost? Is that you? I've been looking all over the City for you...and so has half the police force!" says STEFAN. Ghost, frozen in the high beams like a startled animal, begins to back away fearfully. "No, no, it's all right!" Stefan adds hastily. "I'm not here to arrest you. I don't care that you attacked a squad car, or broke out of jail. All I care about is certain special knowledge which I think you have." Ghost relaxes a bit. Stefan walks forward. "The VBI has assigned me to a very odd case, involving...well, involving UFO sightings. My sources tell me you may know something about them. Frankly, many of my colleages in the Bureau think I'm a kook for pursuing this...but I'm curious." "Do you believe in UFOs?" Ghost asks cautiously. "I want to believe," replies Stefan. "Do you believe in the ultimate superiority of cows?" Ghost asks, more forcefully. "Uh, well, I'll have to think about that one. Look, just get in the car right now. Trust me...with my authority I can keep the cops from throwing you back into jail, at least for a little while." Ghost thinks for a moment, nods, then grabs his backpack and heads for the passenger door of the car. Stefan climbs in on his side. "One question: why is that watermelon there?" the VBI agent asks as he puts the car in gear. "I'll tell you later," Ghost replies cryptically... User: Traveler Date: 17-Apr 02:31 AM 766549925
II.237 Today @ the VVC: CADO finds 4 recruits for his mission to rescue ROMANTIC... =============================================================================== TRAVELER comes down the path through the woods, and enters the bustling Cafe. After a stroll around the premises, he finds CADO at the White Room bar, talking to DRAKEHART, DELIRIUM and SANCTUARY. "What's up?" he asks. "I think I've found a rescue team," the bouncer says. He introduces Trav to each of his three new acquaintances. "I started talking to these two about our plans, and Sanc here overheard us. Turns out they all have some experience that might be useful on this mission." "Hey, don't forget about me!" pipes up a loud, inexplicably annoying voice. The figure on a nearby barstool turns--it is RECYCLER. "Cado, you said you'd think about letting me join your team...so whaddaya think? Huh? Huh? Can I?" "Oh yeah...he overheard us talking too," Cado says, wearily. "What do you think, Trav...should I take him along?" "Well...it's up to you. All I know is, you need all the help you can get. I can't spare anyone else from the Cafe--I think all of us here will do best during whatever's coming up if we stay right where we are, doing our jobs." "Well, okay," says Cado. "Recycler, you're in. Just make sure you stay quiet, and do what I tell you!" "Yyyyess! Woo-hoo! Yipee!" Recycler spins on his barstool. "Hey, I feel so good, I think I'm in the mood to tell some of my world-famous jokes!" "Not here, PLEASE," says Drakehart forcefully, a hint of a growl in his voice. "I heard your jokes on the bus coming over here, and frankly, they suck." "Oh, I think I know where I can find an audience," Recycler says with a knowing wink. "I'll be around if you need me." He scampers off towards the Red Room. Traveler watches him go, and shakes his head. "Well, he must be good for something. You said Ahannos has a lot of zombies? I bet he could bore even the undead to death," Trav jokes. "Seriously, though, you'd better make some preparations. Are you guys going to take any gear?" "As a matter of fact, I think I can rustle up some equipment. I'll need to poke around in the cellar...and do you mind if I take some supplies from the fallout shelter?" Traveler nods assent to Cado's request. "There are a few items in the garden shed, too--" "The garden shed? What do you need from there?" says ALBATROSS, walking by. Cado eyes him warily. "Never mind. I don't need your help," the bouncer says testily. "Look, I don't know why you think I'm some kind of servant of evil, but if you're going to go taking my gardening supplies--" "That's enough, guys," says Trav. "Albatross, he can take a few items if he needs them. Cado, be nice to Albatross. He's done as promised--he's keeping away from the cellar, and I gave the Atlantean coin to ECSTASY for safekeeping." Cado sighs. "All right, whatever." He turns to Drakehart, Delirium and Sanctuary. "I'm going to get the stuff. You guys meet me in the Black Room in about half an hour. Meanwhile, look over the maps I've drawn of Ahannos' fortress..." User: Traveler Date: 18-Apr 00:59 AM 766630781
II.238 Maharet sat on the the roof, alone. Dawn had turned the sky the color of peaches, sour cream, and dish towels. She was cold, and hungry, and she had not found ZOROASTER anywhere. A listen at his answering machine indicated he had been gone for days. She had even been to the VVVC, and no one seemed to notice (or care) the thinning of the ranks of humans. Maybe that was how people are, she mused, like a big herd of mice. An exotic ancestral vision wafted before her eyes, a vast herd of mice leaping toward the waterhole, deep in the savannah... She reached out, feeling for ZOROASTER's mind. After a long troubling silence, she felt a tiny contact, like a hand poking out from under a boulder. She felt a great darkness, and deep deep pain, like a black cloud threatening always to rain. She tried to think like a human. Where would a human in great pain be? A shower? Do humans get flea dipped? Maybe someone was holding him? She rejected these notions. Then it occured to her that she had awoken in a hospital from her injuries. A hospital! Of course. And so maharet went to find him, and from his darkness wake him. User: ZOROASTER Date: 18-Apr 10:05 AM 766663558
II.239 Virtual City Prison Death Row April i, 199i The Governor Virtual State Dear Sir: I am sending a letter to you in an appeal on my own behalf. I have been accused, tried, and convicted of the attempted murder of Zoroaster, PI, and his cat Maharet, and have now been sentenced to die in the gas chamber. My lawyer is trying to begin the appeal process, but I'm afraid that it will be too late. My trial was, to put it plainly, a farce. The jury was biased, the prosecuting attorney is a notorious murderer, and despite the lack of actual proof that I had committed the crimes I am accused of, the judge went along with the jury decision. He also sentenced me to death, although the crime I am accused of, attempted murder, is not a crime punishable by death. I am innocent. Maharet's testimony proved that. She also accused the Man in Black (the prosecuting attorney) of the attempted murders. But it seems that everyone in the courtroom -- even the city -- is seized by a blood lust, a darker force that precludes them from normal thought processes, replacing logic with anger and fear and mindlessness. I can only hope that you are removed from the effects of this force, and that you will grant me a stay of execution, and reconsider my case. Sincerely, Daricell Copperpot Prisoner # 90210 User: Daricell -- "Tabloid footprints everywhere..." Date: 18-Apr 03:32 PM 766683177
II.240 Next @ the VVC: "Don't Shoot the Piano Player...Shoot The Comedian!" =============================================================================== TRAVELER follows the sound of groans and boos into the Red Room. There, on the stage, RECYCLER is regaling the Cafe patrons with his inimitable humor. "These two women walked into a bar, which is funny, because you'd think the second one would have seen it after the first one walked into it. Get it? A bar? Ha ha!" Someone throws a tomato, which hits Recycler right in the stomach. "Oof! Hey, that's about as funny as a screen door on a battleship!" he complains. "A SUBMARINE!!" the audience says in unison. Numerous cries of "Get off the stage!" and "Enough!" follow. "Okay, look, just a few more jokes...I bet you don't know this one...How many Surrealists does it take to change a light bul--" "FISH!" "Oh, so you have heard that one. Well, let's see...lemme think..." The dark young lady (no connection to DARICELL) who recently arrived on the Taco Bus approaches Trav. "You the owner of this joint?" He nods. "Look, bud, you've got to put these people out of their misery. Get that guy off the stage!" Traveler sighs. "I know...but it's Open Mike Night. What can I do?" TATOOINE leans in close. "Look, if my eyes don't deceive me, that is a piano there at the back of the stage, no? I've got a little experience with the eighty-eight keys. I'd be glad to go up there and play a medley of old favorites to get HIM off the stage." Trav nods vigorously. "Sounds good to me. Go for it." "On one condition..." "Yes?" "You see, I'm sort of between gigs right now. I've worked nightclubs-- even secretaried before. I like this cafe....it smells homey. Look, what I'm saying is, do you want a full time piano player? I play mostly soft, moody stuff. Pop songs, Scott Joplin, Broadway show tunes...things that make me feel, ya know, okay. And I sing...I'm no song writer, but I'm a pretty good alto." "Hmmm..." Traveler smiles. "I've got some sheet music upstairs that I'd like you to work into your repertoire--a few U2 songs I arranged myself, some Satie and Debussy, and of course _As Time Goes By_. And I might want you to learn a little Sinatra and Cole Porter. If you can deal with that, then you're hired." Tatooine grins. "I think that could work. Of course, I get a complimentary bar tab?" "One or two free drinks a night, that's all!" says Trav. "Anyway, look, get up there and do your stuff, before Recycler gets himself killed. This crowd is getting ugly." She gives him the thumbs-up sign and darts toward the stage. "Well, okay, enough humor for tonight," Recycler is saying. "Before I go, I'd just like to tell you about a little project of mine. I'm collecting college sports team nicknames." He pulls out a huge accordion of computer paper, which he rapidly loses control of. "Uh, wait a second here...dang thing won't fold properly..." Tatooine has already seated herself at the piano, and breaks into a rousing rendition of "Na Na, Na Na, Hey Hey, Goodbye." The whole room joins in, as Recycler, now hopelessly tangled in the folds of his printouts, stumbles around on stage. "Thank you, ladies and gents! I'll be appearing at the `We'll Take Anybody Comedy Dive' on the 20th, and the `Bad Joke-A-Thon 94' special on your local community access cable channel on the 29th--" Finally he frees himself from the mess of paper, and leaves the stage, still smiling gamely. "I'll give him this much...he's persistent," murmurs Trav to himself. (Note: the persons and places depicted herein are fictional. Any and all resemblances to real people are entirely coincidental. :) User: Traveler Date: 18-Apr 05:17 PM 766689463
II.241 Hee hee hee. No, I could NEVER imagine that happening in *real* life. ;) User: NORM!(tm) Date: 18-Apr 11:00 PM 766710015
II.242 bull honky hot dog. User: roman skep tic Date: 18-Apr 11:38 PM 766712309
II.243 Drakehart jumps off his barstool and smiles at Delirium. "Conflict! Cool!" he says, grinning like a sociopath. A NICE sociopath, of course... User: Psychosis Paradigm Date: 19-Apr 05:04 AM 766731867
II.244 Next @ the VVC: The heroes venture forth to battle... =============================================================================== In the Black Room, DRAKEHART, DELIRIUM and SANCTUARY sit at the Bar, near a growing pile of equipment: backpacks, flashlights, coils of rope, and other stuff. RECYCLER strolls up with a pile of fluffy towels, and says, "PERIGRINE told me to bring these down. He said we're not hoopy froods unless we know where our towels are..." TRAVELER, CADO and Orpheus walk in from the Blue Room; the DJ has just been dropped off for his night shift. "How about a little power music for a send-off, Orphy?" says Cado. "Something hard--I think Drake and Sanc would like that." Orpheus nods mutely, and scurries over to the DJ booth at the back of the room. A moment later, Nine Inch Nails' cover of Black Sabbath's _Supernaut_ blasts from the speaker stacks. "I WANNA REACH UP/AND TOUCH THE SKY/I WANNA TAKE A TRIP/BUT I DON'T WANNA FLY..." The rescue team, now clad in all-black garments, begin strapping on their equipment. PALLAS, DIQMAN, LOUCH, and a few other staff members have come to see them off. When the well-wishing and hand-shaking is done, Cado says, "All right. Let's do it. No time like the present." He leads the other four back behind the Bar, into the Kitchen, and up to the cellar door. "Trav, you and everyone else might want to stay upstairs, at least for the next few minutes. There's a slight chance that others in the cellar might get sucked through the portal with us." Traveler nods, and grasps both of Cado's hands in his. "You be careful over there, cowboy. Get ROMANTIC--and your team, and yourself--back in one piece. I don't know what I'd do if any of you died... I'm sure my insurance policy with Virtual Life doesn't cover accidents involving ancient sorcerers." The bouncer smiles, and without another word, turns and opens the cellar door. Following him down, Sanctuary, Drakehart, Delirium and Recycler disappear into the gloom. The door closes behind them. "Godspeed," Trav whispers. He looks at his watch: 11 pm. _Twenty-four hours till the rave begins...that is, if we're all still here then..._ In the cellar below, the rescue party approaches the rear wall. Cado uses his flashlight to locate the round stone with the trident symbol carved into it. "This is the focus," he says, turning off his light and sticking it back into a pocket. "Now, we concentrate." From inside his shirt he pulls out the iron key he stole from Ahannos, now hanging on a cord around his neck. He closes his eyes, takes a few deep cleansing breaths, and holds the key out in front of him with both hands, pointing it towards the round stone. ....."Concentrate," he murmurs again, and feels the mental energies of his fellows flow towards the key, which seems to catch them and direct them at the invisible dimensional "keyhole" located inside the stone. There is Drakehart's mind, strong, battle-scarred, but vital; Delirium's consciousness, warm, quirky, determined; Sanctuary's presence, contemplative, analytical, and uncompromising; and finally the jumpy, curious, awkward but well-intentioned thoughts of Recycler. Using his recent experiences in the power of the mind, he takes hold of these streams of thought, molding them, weaving them together like the strands of a rope. The energies become one seamless silver cord, and flow into the key...and from the key, into the lock. The hole in space opens, casting a brilliant radiance. Points of light become lines of light, which become a doorway of light. The wind rushes out, blowing back the hair of the adventurers. Cado drops the key, and beckoning the others to follow, steps through... User: Traveler Date: 20-Apr 12:53 PM 766846445
II.245 Next @ the VVC: The darkness has a face...and it can be photographed... =============================================================================== It has been ten minutes since CADO, DRAKEHART, DELIRIUM, SANCTUARY and RECYCLER went down into the cellar. TRAVELER has already been down to check: sure enough, they are not there. The passage through the portal, at least, must have been successful; but there is no knowing what they encountered on the other side, at Ahannos' fortress. Now he sits in his office, brooding. The flurry of activity surrounding the rescuers' departure has died down, and the old, dark weight of lethargy has taken its place. Dozens of uninvited thoughts crowd his mind, but none of them can move him to action. His eyes travel to a small photograph in a frame, sitting on a corner of the desk, a photograph of a tiny newborn baby. _You...you whom we love...you do not see us...you do not hear us..._ He sighs. _A picture is worth a thousand words...but an image is not the same as touching the reality._ The phone rings, breaking the downward spiral. Glad of the distraction, he answers. "Traveler...yes...yes, I met her this morning...what kind of pictures?...okay, send her up." He hangs up, then goes to the door at the back of the office that leads to his private quarters. The lights are low in the small apartment, and INLERAH and FIREFLYTE sit on a couch talking quietly, looking at an old edition of _The Rime of the Ancient Mariner_ that features Gustave Dore's engravings. "ECSTASY let us borrow this from her library," FIREFLYTE says, looking up. "But what's on your mind?" "There's something I think you two should see," he says. They follow him back out to the office, where AQUA22 has just arrived. Trav greets her, and introduces the other two. "LOUCH just called from downstairs and said you had some interesting photos." "That's right," she says. "I got some great shots of the Cafe this morning...but when I developed them in my darkroom, I found some things I definitely did NOT expect to see." She pulls some large glossy black and white prints from the folder she carries. The first one shows the VVC as seen from the parking lot across the street. "Notice anything odd?" "Yeah...there's kind of a dark...halo...around the whole Cafe," Inlerah says, troubled. "Even in this sunlight, everything seems shadowed." "Right," says Aqua22. "Now look at this." The next shot is of Jon Vallee's coffee bar in the Red Room. Near the right side of the picture is the doorway to the Black Room...framing a dark, indistinct human figure. Inle and Fireflyte look at each other knowingly. The next photo is a blowup of the figure in the previous one: it is definitely a man, wearing a long coat and carrying what appears to be a long knife. But he is fuzzy and semitransparent. "Richard," Trav whispers. "Aqua, can I keep these pictures?" "Of course," she says. "I made these prints for you. I don't know exactly what they mean, but I figured you'd want to see them. Oh yeah--there's another one." She shuffles the stack, pulling out a shot of the northern terrace--the one above the Red Room, where the Ivory Tower is located. "Fireflyte, were you out on this terrace earlier today?" she asks. "Yes...that's me in the picture, looking over the wall. But..." They have all noticed the cluster of other figures, faint against the background of sky, surrounding Fireflyte. "The question is, who are they?" "That one looks a little like you," says Inlerah. "So does that one, only a little more bookish. Hey, Aqua, are you sure you didn't just get a multiple exposure of 'Flyte?" "I'm sure. The film never jammed. I checked my camera--it's in perfect condition." She shrugs. "Listen, I've got a date for coffee in the Red Room. That's where I'll be if you need me." She leaves the other three to ponder over the strange images... User: Traveler: Picture This Mix Date: 20-Apr 04:17 PM 766858730
II.246 Next @ the VVC: See RECYCLER get pushed over a cliff! =============================================================================== CADO and the rescue team crowd on to the small circular dais at the top of Ahannos' fortress. The shining dimensional doorway has just faded, leaving them here. SANCTUARY gazes out over the circular, cliff-ringed harbor below, while Cado talks softly to DELIRIUM and DRAKEHART. "From here on, we go as quietly as possible. I'm sure he's got zombie guards waiting for us. In fact, he probably knows we'll be coming back this way--he might have laid traps..." From the corner of his eye, the bouncer glimpses RECYCLER, walking gingerly down the spiral stone staircase that leads to Ahannos' temple room below. "No!" he whispers loudly, running over and grabbing Recycler by the collar. "You dummy, he's probably down there right now!" "So how are we supposed to get to ROMANTIC?" Recycler asks, annoyed. "You did say she was in a cell at the very bottom?" "Yes, I did," Cado replies. "That's what this stuff is for." He tosses down a couple coils of rope, and from his backpack pulls a pouch containing various metal hooks, picks and grapples. "We're going to pull an end run around him. Have you ever done any rappeling?" "Oh, people are always telling me I repel them," Recycler says cheerfully. "No, dummkopf, RAPPELING," says Drakehart. "Come on." The team quickly begins preparing for their descent, checking their gear, securing their ropes to convenient stone outcroppings and surveying the nearly sheer wall of the cliffside fortress. "I guess this is a bad time to mention that I hate heights," Recycler says, fastening his rope to his climbing harness. "Yep, it is," agrees Sanctuary. "Just don't look down." He steps backward over the side, kicking against the stone wall of the building as he lowers himself gradually by playing out his rope. Delirium and Drakehart follow. "Your turn," says Cado. "Just relax and let go. Go ahead, close your eyes. Go ahead, it's easy. Trust me." Recycler closes his eyes, his back to the precipice, and takes a deep breath. "Now, are you relaxed?" He nods. "Got a firm hold on your rope?" He nods again. "Okay...see ya on the way down." With a smile, Cado pushes him over the edge... User: Traveler asks, "Is Vertigo just a state of mind?" :) Date: 20-Apr 05:18 PM 766862380
II.247 The only thought running through SANCTUARY's head as he meanders down the cliff face is "dang remakes". User: Sanctuary - s+M=y Date: 20-Apr 10:40 PM 766881779
II.248 But with those "Golden Hips" of his, RECYCLER may bounce. 8) I think the idea of RECYCLER falling long distances is a popular theme on MBBS. This of course is just an observation. 8) --------------*-------------- CAPT. RECYCLER: "Greetings, all! I'm here to serve!" ADMIRAL TREKKER (clutching his heart): "AAAAUUUUUGGGHHH!" *faint* User: Enterprise...Hmmm, VVC is turning out well after all!...8) Date: 20-Apr 11:22 PM 766884190
II.249 *MISSING MATERIAL* INCLUDES: The rescuers reach ROMANTIC's cell without incident, but she is not in it, having apparently broken out at last by chipping away at the rusty bars. It turns out that she is merely hiding in the opposite cell, underneath the cloth that had been draped over the statue of Ahannos as a young man. But as the group is preparing to leave, both ends of the corridor are blocked off by zombies. Ahannos appears, and the zombies begin to advance; the team drags the statue into the corridor, and Rom picks up a piece of iron bar, threatening to smash the statue. When Ahannos' forces keep advancing, she slams the statue's head, and he feels a sympathetic pain. He does not turn back, so she is forced to batter the legs, back, and other areas of the statue. Finally, Ahannos is reduced to writhing in pain on the floor, and his zombies are incapacitated; the team makes a run for it.
II.250 With a screech of tires, a dark-brown car pulls up to the front of the Cafe, blocking the door of the Taco Bus. Jon Vallee jumps out and twitches inside. Without a word, he walks behind his bar, sets his machine to brewing and belching dragonlike steam, and gets out a one-liter thermos. He pulls the first batch into the thermos and starts the second. As he adds sugar, the second brewing is done and he pulls it, with successive batches, into the thermos. Then he spins the lid on. "Hey, Jon -- could you give me a ride?" "Cardinal Ximinez. I greatly regret this, but I am in a hurry. I must refuse." Jon walks out the door. "Wait!" Ximinez runs after him and stops him as he's opening the door to his car. "Is the prison on your way?" "The prison?" "Last rites." "Get in, you son of a bitch." Obediently, the Cardinal sits in the passenger seat. Jon buckles his seat belt (can't be careless when lives are on the line!) and waits for Ximinez to do the same before taking off in a screeching fury. A cloud of tire-smoke hangs lazily in the air, floating apart slowly. User: SYLVAR Date: 24-Apr 04:12 PM 767203943