Spacebullies Two: The Search For More Parody
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Copperfox
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Now to pick up some characters I've neglected, from the plot arc based on Star Wars Expanded Universe.
The commandeered Imperial frigate renamed Adjustment, under the command of Master Moose Windchime, flew in the midst of a herd of huge Burpgills, the copycat-of-animated-stories beasts who could live in vacuum. In this way, the starship now manned mostly by liberated slaves got as far into the Narockpop System undetected as they could, before the Burpgills veered off. At this point, they steered for the nearest asteroid group, in the hope of still being sneaky.
Adjustment had a companion on this trip: a Goldarn craft borrowed from Bubblewrap Five, which merely had a registry number. It was also considered a frigate, but was smaller than Moose Windchime's ship. Melodica considered it a corvette. Two actual spaceflight-experienced Goldarns were on board: a husband and wife named B'Gawk and P'Toohee, who knew every system of the small frigate. Their pre-teenage son B'Golly was along to learn about the galaxy, and found the Burpgills fascinating.
Three others, all Fuss-powered, were aboard the Goldarn ship: the famous Tugboata woman called Nonsmoka Tiptoe, her Tryyurluck pattycake-awan Samladel Fripp, and the human male hero Quinine Sauce. Nonsmoka, Samladel and Quinine had been offstage long enough to finish whatever business I had them doing. Now they could join Moose in a new operation against the Empire of Evil Badness.
I forget what I last did with my counterpart of "Ezra" in "Rebels." I'll just assume he's okay for now, doing something else.
"Some call this Doldarump System," Quinine told the Goldarn couple. "There are no native sapients to give it a name. But if there are slaves currently here, we're going to liberate them."
"I gather that you hope to commandeer ships to remove those you rescue," said P'Toohee.
"Yes, the same way as Adjustment was repurposed."
The commandeered Imperial frigate renamed Adjustment, under the command of Master Moose Windchime, flew in the midst of a herd of huge Burpgills, the copycat-of-animated-stories beasts who could live in vacuum. In this way, the starship now manned mostly by liberated slaves got as far into the Narockpop System undetected as they could, before the Burpgills veered off. At this point, they steered for the nearest asteroid group, in the hope of still being sneaky.
Adjustment had a companion on this trip: a Goldarn craft borrowed from Bubblewrap Five, which merely had a registry number. It was also considered a frigate, but was smaller than Moose Windchime's ship. Melodica considered it a corvette. Two actual spaceflight-experienced Goldarns were on board: a husband and wife named B'Gawk and P'Toohee, who knew every system of the small frigate. Their pre-teenage son B'Golly was along to learn about the galaxy, and found the Burpgills fascinating.
Three others, all Fuss-powered, were aboard the Goldarn ship: the famous Tugboata woman called Nonsmoka Tiptoe, her Tryyurluck pattycake-awan Samladel Fripp, and the human male hero Quinine Sauce. Nonsmoka, Samladel and Quinine had been offstage long enough to finish whatever business I had them doing. Now they could join Moose in a new operation against the Empire of Evil Badness.
I forget what I last did with my counterpart of "Ezra" in "Rebels." I'll just assume he's okay for now, doing something else.
"Some call this Doldarump System," Quinine told the Goldarn couple. "There are no native sapients to give it a name. But if there are slaves currently here, we're going to liberate them."
"I gather that you hope to commandeer ships to remove those you rescue," said P'Toohee.
"Yes, the same way as Adjustment was repurposed."
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Copperfox
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The most hospitable planet in the Narockpop-alias-Doldarump System had been given the name Riggblit by a non-human Fuss up-sider who had more or less discovered it eight centuries ago. Riggblit strongly resembled the way Edgar Rice Burroughs had imagined Venus, back before Original Earthlings knew that Venus was an uninhabitable blast furnace. No people dwelt on Riggblit, but there were animals. And, to give the planet a distinction, many of its plants produced a substance which was like chewing gum, but which could be digested and was nourishing.
The Bubblewrap Coalition and the Republic of Lots of Worlds were increasingly collaborating these days; the collaboration showed in the fact that the Goldarnit ship enjoyed stand-off energy shields of Republic design. The presence of the Goldarns, in turn, afforded a benefit to the Up-Side Fellowship, since B'Gawk and family knew how the food-gum was harvested, and ways it was used in the cuisine of several sapient races. Young B'Golly, remarking that he had eaten Riggblittan food-gum and loved it, argued that elite families within the Empire of Evil Badness might want the stuff to be available to their children.
Which, in turn, suggested that entrepreneurs from the Empire might come to Riggblit-- and might bring along slaves to do the harvesting. If so, those captives would soon find themselves emancipated.
Onboard sensor arrays of the good guys' ships caught no sign of other ships in-system; nor could any of the Fuss users mentally sense any intelligent life-forms on Riggblit. Master Moose Windchime recommended landing the two ships, camouflaging them, and then studying the planet's biosphere while waiting for possible bad guys to enter the star system.
The Bubblewrap Coalition and the Republic of Lots of Worlds were increasingly collaborating these days; the collaboration showed in the fact that the Goldarnit ship enjoyed stand-off energy shields of Republic design. The presence of the Goldarns, in turn, afforded a benefit to the Up-Side Fellowship, since B'Gawk and family knew how the food-gum was harvested, and ways it was used in the cuisine of several sapient races. Young B'Golly, remarking that he had eaten Riggblittan food-gum and loved it, argued that elite families within the Empire of Evil Badness might want the stuff to be available to their children.
Which, in turn, suggested that entrepreneurs from the Empire might come to Riggblit-- and might bring along slaves to do the harvesting. If so, those captives would soon find themselves emancipated.
Onboard sensor arrays of the good guys' ships caught no sign of other ships in-system; nor could any of the Fuss users mentally sense any intelligent life-forms on Riggblit. Master Moose Windchime recommended landing the two ships, camouflaging them, and then studying the planet's biosphere while waiting for possible bad guys to enter the star system.
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Copperfox
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While they were standing watch, Master Drool, keeper of the Great Artifact inside Planet Upsydaisylon, appeared in his holographic persona. By his plotline-convenient capabilities, he not only made himself audible and visible to the people on board both ships, but also made everything said inside one ship audible to the occupants of the other ship, to facilitate conversation. The Star Wars-derived characters knew about the Babylon Five-derived sub-reality, so they all anticipated that Drool would provide them with information. Any useful story-facts about the Narockpop-alias-Doldarump System would help the readers to grasp the situation after just coming out of a different plot arc.
"Moose Windchime, B'Gawk of the Vaglod Clan, and the rest of you: I have come to provide you with useful information about the Doldarump-alias-Narockpop System. Knowing how you suspect that Empire slaves might be brought here, I'll inform you at once that there HAVE been slaves on Riggblit. But if any of them still are on-planet and are alive, they are in hiding.
"B'Gawk, P'Toohee, I know that you've heard the name of Hakstabkyll; tell your human companions about him."
"That's the name of a Mintcandybarri man, a member of their soldier caste," said P'Toohee. "He slew over three hundred humans at close quarters during their war against Earth."
Her husband added: "Hakstabkyll was with Ambassador Deelyte on the ship which first encountered Earthlyforce ships. Hakstabkyll insisted on the Mintcandybarri ships placing all weapons at readiness for immediate firing. When the humans perceived this threatening posture as a threatening posture, they opened fire, starting the one-sided war which cost at least two hundred human lives for every Mintcandybarri who died. When the Mintcandybarri were made aware of their secret mystical bond with the human race, they halted the extermination, and made partial amends by supporting the new Bubblewrap Coalition."
P'Toohee resumed: "Hakstabkyll was angry about not being allowed to continue butchering weaker beings with almost no risk to himself; but he was even more angry at Deelyte for her gross hypocrisy later on: telling everyone ELSE to be peaceful, while concealing the fact that SHE had been all for killing humans. He eventually departed from Planet Mintcandybarr in disgust--which is where our knowledge about him ends."
Drool's image nodded. "Thank you, Mistress P'Toohee. I will now increase your knowledge. Hakstabkyll now lives in seclusion on Riggblit, in a mountainside cave not far south of that world's equator. I'll download coordinates for you. I can only add that he is the only humanoid residing full time on the planet..... so he might be responsible for thirteen humanoid corpses which are buried within thirty kilometers of his den."
"Moose Windchime, B'Gawk of the Vaglod Clan, and the rest of you: I have come to provide you with useful information about the Doldarump-alias-Narockpop System. Knowing how you suspect that Empire slaves might be brought here, I'll inform you at once that there HAVE been slaves on Riggblit. But if any of them still are on-planet and are alive, they are in hiding.
"B'Gawk, P'Toohee, I know that you've heard the name of Hakstabkyll; tell your human companions about him."
"That's the name of a Mintcandybarri man, a member of their soldier caste," said P'Toohee. "He slew over three hundred humans at close quarters during their war against Earth."
Her husband added: "Hakstabkyll was with Ambassador Deelyte on the ship which first encountered Earthlyforce ships. Hakstabkyll insisted on the Mintcandybarri ships placing all weapons at readiness for immediate firing. When the humans perceived this threatening posture as a threatening posture, they opened fire, starting the one-sided war which cost at least two hundred human lives for every Mintcandybarri who died. When the Mintcandybarri were made aware of their secret mystical bond with the human race, they halted the extermination, and made partial amends by supporting the new Bubblewrap Coalition."
P'Toohee resumed: "Hakstabkyll was angry about not being allowed to continue butchering weaker beings with almost no risk to himself; but he was even more angry at Deelyte for her gross hypocrisy later on: telling everyone ELSE to be peaceful, while concealing the fact that SHE had been all for killing humans. He eventually departed from Planet Mintcandybarr in disgust--which is where our knowledge about him ends."
Drool's image nodded. "Thank you, Mistress P'Toohee. I will now increase your knowledge. Hakstabkyll now lives in seclusion on Riggblit, in a mountainside cave not far south of that world's equator. I'll download coordinates for you. I can only add that he is the only humanoid residing full time on the planet..... so he might be responsible for thirteen humanoid corpses which are buried within thirty kilometers of his den."
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Copperfox
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Research and surveillance, even when conducted by a genius in a science-fiction story-world, can be impaired by prior assumptions. To put it more simply, often you fail to notice things you aren't looking for.
Master Drool knew that human-like species types were more predominant in Star Wars-ish sub-realities than in the Babylon Five-ish sub-reality. Accordingly, when remotely scouting Riggblit, he had been thinking of erect bipeds when he sought indications of intelligent beings visiting the planet of the edible chewing gum. If he had seen a ship approaching the planet with a crew of non-humanoids, he would of course have noticed this; but no such aliens had landed or orbited while he was looking.
Around the same time as Drool shared what he knew about Hakstabkyll with his friends, Hakstabkyll was sharing-- what he wanted to be true -- with four utterly non-humanoid beings at an established gathering place. All but one of these were former slaves of the Empire of Evil Badness, and the non-slave was also the only one of the four to have been here before the Mintcandybarri soldier immigrated.
The one who had never been a slave was physically the smallest of the four, a male of a species that looked like armadillos. As a natural defense, he could extrude a pair of tough barbed whips from pockets in the sides of his armor, and could control their movements with an almost magical precision, because fantasy. His name was Chunry- (hiss) -Tazro. He and others of his race had crash-landed on Riggblit more than fifteen Earth-years ago, due to causes not at all connected with any plot arc my readers have seen mentioned. Hakstabkyll's other three visitors are listed in descending order of size, from one almost as large as a man to one just half again the size of the armadillo-like one.
Yathmol was a female from a race copycatting the blue-skinned aardvark-like "Ortolan" at Jabba's palace in "Return of the Jedi;" only, she was purple instead of blue. Jek-Fibdak was a male of the same insect-like race as Green Flashlight Zaz-Chispa, who has appeared in earlier chapters. Jek-Fibdak had a wife who had been brought with him to Riggblit by Imperial slave-wranglers. I repeat, the females of their species DO NOT kill and eat their mates.
The next-to-smallest of the group-- a female by her own account, though the anatomical signs were far from obvious to any humanoid-- was the most peculiar-looking. Pleebodeebee had a broad lower body, which walked around on two very broad feet that gave her good balance. Her middle body was why she needed good balance: it was like a large snake's body, coiled to rest on the platform of her lower body. If uncoiled, this elongated thorax could lift her upper body --that is, chest, arms and head-- more than four meters above her lower body. She and the others like her had been put to work picking fruit from tree branches.
Master Drool knew that human-like species types were more predominant in Star Wars-ish sub-realities than in the Babylon Five-ish sub-reality. Accordingly, when remotely scouting Riggblit, he had been thinking of erect bipeds when he sought indications of intelligent beings visiting the planet of the edible chewing gum. If he had seen a ship approaching the planet with a crew of non-humanoids, he would of course have noticed this; but no such aliens had landed or orbited while he was looking.
Around the same time as Drool shared what he knew about Hakstabkyll with his friends, Hakstabkyll was sharing-- what he wanted to be true -- with four utterly non-humanoid beings at an established gathering place. All but one of these were former slaves of the Empire of Evil Badness, and the non-slave was also the only one of the four to have been here before the Mintcandybarri soldier immigrated.
The one who had never been a slave was physically the smallest of the four, a male of a species that looked like armadillos. As a natural defense, he could extrude a pair of tough barbed whips from pockets in the sides of his armor, and could control their movements with an almost magical precision, because fantasy. His name was Chunry- (hiss) -Tazro. He and others of his race had crash-landed on Riggblit more than fifteen Earth-years ago, due to causes not at all connected with any plot arc my readers have seen mentioned. Hakstabkyll's other three visitors are listed in descending order of size, from one almost as large as a man to one just half again the size of the armadillo-like one.
Yathmol was a female from a race copycatting the blue-skinned aardvark-like "Ortolan" at Jabba's palace in "Return of the Jedi;" only, she was purple instead of blue. Jek-Fibdak was a male of the same insect-like race as Green Flashlight Zaz-Chispa, who has appeared in earlier chapters. Jek-Fibdak had a wife who had been brought with him to Riggblit by Imperial slave-wranglers. I repeat, the females of their species DO NOT kill and eat their mates.
The next-to-smallest of the group-- a female by her own account, though the anatomical signs were far from obvious to any humanoid-- was the most peculiar-looking. Pleebodeebee had a broad lower body, which walked around on two very broad feet that gave her good balance. Her middle body was why she needed good balance: it was like a large snake's body, coiled to rest on the platform of her lower body. If uncoiled, this elongated thorax could lift her upper body --that is, chest, arms and head-- more than four meters above her lower body. She and the others like her had been put to work picking fruit from tree branches.
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Copperfox
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As has been indicated, Hakstabkyll was giving his own highly creative account of the war between his native world and one Earth-variant.
"All of you have directly experienced being abused and worked to exhaustion by humans and human-like beings, be their skin pale, brown, or blue in the case of Chisskurdians. I hope my liberating you has confirmed that we Mintcandybarri are THE ONLY erect-biped race which is refined enough to care about freedom for others.
"Earthlings are most especially wicked. Their entire culture is about nothing but hating anyone who is different from them. Unfortunately, they have a fiendish talent for deceptive persuasion. When they formed the intention of trying to exterminate all Mintcandybarri, they decided that the Snitsnobbies, the Goldarns and the Braykpedduli were similar enough to humanity. So they induced those races to join them in the campaign against us.
"The space navies of all those races attacked Mintcandybarr together, just when we were busy celebrating Peace and Sweetness Day. They went to great lengths to strike locations where children and old people would be killed. Our heroic Anflaktykshok warriors rose to the emergency, battling against all odds. Over the next four years, my people showed fabulous bravery, gradually overcoming the unfair advantages our assailants enjoyed.
"We managed to safeguard our homeworld against any renewed aggression; but ultimately we were cheated out of a full victory, because of numerous races who were joining the so-called Bubblewrap Coalition. Even many of my own race let themselves be fooled. Which is why I ended up seeking refuge on THIS planet. That's why I was especially glad to rescue you and others like you from the slavedrivers: as non-humanoids, you can't be fooled as some of my own people were."
Pleebodeebee extended her coiled body straight up, settled down again, and then told her liberator: "Your insights clearly apply to the Empire of Evil Badness. It was begun by the Human Emperor Porkanbeen, and is kept alive by the humanoid Thuglyfe Skrawn. We must indeed work together to fend off the predatory schemes of those human monsters."
"All of you have directly experienced being abused and worked to exhaustion by humans and human-like beings, be their skin pale, brown, or blue in the case of Chisskurdians. I hope my liberating you has confirmed that we Mintcandybarri are THE ONLY erect-biped race which is refined enough to care about freedom for others.
"Earthlings are most especially wicked. Their entire culture is about nothing but hating anyone who is different from them. Unfortunately, they have a fiendish talent for deceptive persuasion. When they formed the intention of trying to exterminate all Mintcandybarri, they decided that the Snitsnobbies, the Goldarns and the Braykpedduli were similar enough to humanity. So they induced those races to join them in the campaign against us.
"The space navies of all those races attacked Mintcandybarr together, just when we were busy celebrating Peace and Sweetness Day. They went to great lengths to strike locations where children and old people would be killed. Our heroic Anflaktykshok warriors rose to the emergency, battling against all odds. Over the next four years, my people showed fabulous bravery, gradually overcoming the unfair advantages our assailants enjoyed.
"We managed to safeguard our homeworld against any renewed aggression; but ultimately we were cheated out of a full victory, because of numerous races who were joining the so-called Bubblewrap Coalition. Even many of my own race let themselves be fooled. Which is why I ended up seeking refuge on THIS planet. That's why I was especially glad to rescue you and others like you from the slavedrivers: as non-humanoids, you can't be fooled as some of my own people were."
Pleebodeebee extended her coiled body straight up, settled down again, and then told her liberator: "Your insights clearly apply to the Empire of Evil Badness. It was begun by the Human Emperor Porkanbeen, and is kept alive by the humanoid Thuglyfe Skrawn. We must indeed work together to fend off the predatory schemes of those human monsters."
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Copperfox
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The armadillo-like being called Chunry- (hiss) -Tazro now spoke:
"Because those of my species are so small in body, we have been reliant since ancient times on domesticated beasts to push and pull and lift and carry heavy objects. But we have NEVER treated our beasts of burden so cruelly as my friends here-- THINKING creatures! --were all treated by the minions of Grand Admiral Skrawn."
"Well said," the Mintcandybarri expatriate replied. "All of you former slaves will have a vital role to play in overturning human supremacy."
"Will others of your own species come here any time soon?"
"I cannot foretell how soon others like me will make it here. But I have contacted two spacefaring races which are upright-standing and two-legged, without being human-like. Some of them will come here to assist is, as promptly as they are able. They are called the Glukks and the Barnsmell."
* * AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's been months since I last mentioned the evil Glukks or the evil Barnsmell. The Glukks are my takeoff on the Drakhs in "Babylon Five," who served the Shadows. The Barnsmell are my takeoff on the scheming Darhel in John Ringo's "Posleen War" novels.
"Because those of my species are so small in body, we have been reliant since ancient times on domesticated beasts to push and pull and lift and carry heavy objects. But we have NEVER treated our beasts of burden so cruelly as my friends here-- THINKING creatures! --were all treated by the minions of Grand Admiral Skrawn."
"Well said," the Mintcandybarri expatriate replied. "All of you former slaves will have a vital role to play in overturning human supremacy."
"Will others of your own species come here any time soon?"
"I cannot foretell how soon others like me will make it here. But I have contacted two spacefaring races which are upright-standing and two-legged, without being human-like. Some of them will come here to assist is, as promptly as they are able. They are called the Glukks and the Barnsmell."
* * AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's been months since I last mentioned the evil Glukks or the evil Barnsmell. The Glukks are my takeoff on the Drakhs in "Babylon Five," who served the Shadows. The Barnsmell are my takeoff on the scheming Darhel in John Ringo's "Posleen War" novels.
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Copperfox
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IN THE STORY-REALITY BLENDING ELEMENTS OF "STAR TREK" AND "BLAKE'S SEVEN"---
Wibgug-Bifyok, the blobby-but-not-exactly-liquid Shmeehobber who had befriended the Magtas, could live underwater as well as in air. This made him the natural choice to poke around at the bottom of the scenic Thousand Leaves Pond, in the heart of a coniferous forest on Planet Umbaderro.
Before the mysterious plague of human males becoming stupid had struck the Cosmic Federation, a local human forest ranger named Taglamso had felt that something out of the ordinary was going on in or near this pond. AFTER his own intellect was ruined by the mysterious influence, Taglamso had rallied enough brain power to write a cryptic note, apparently connected with his vague suspicion. His grown daughter Carsala had found this note, which said, "Must shut the frozen door." But the ranger could not be questioned now, as he had gone missing.
The Flashlight-and-Sapphire couple of Parbellik and Luvardra knew about many sorts of portals, including wormholes. The long-armed Ziblamot named Braskorim, and the Federation-affiliated cyborg Chutnykorn, both also had some knowledge in this area. (Chutnykorn was a human male, but his electronic elements had stored and preserved much of his memory and personality when the biological attack had occurred.) All of these had intently studied the area AROUND the pond, without learning anything relevant; now the only one of them who could naturally breathe water was using all thirty-six of his infrared-sensing eyes to look for anything amiss under the surface.
Wibgug-Bifyok was glad, at least, not to have to report finding a dead Taglamso in the muck. Hope remained of retrieving Carsala's father alive.
Suddenly, the fleeting thought of a human funeral turned the Shmeehobber's mind to the wider concept of..... things being buried. Surfacing, he addressed Carsala:
"How deep is the soil here? How far down from the pond's floor to bedrock?"
"About seven meters to solid stone," Carsala replied. "Do you think something's buried under the pond?"
Wibgug-Bifyok, the blobby-but-not-exactly-liquid Shmeehobber who had befriended the Magtas, could live underwater as well as in air. This made him the natural choice to poke around at the bottom of the scenic Thousand Leaves Pond, in the heart of a coniferous forest on Planet Umbaderro.
Before the mysterious plague of human males becoming stupid had struck the Cosmic Federation, a local human forest ranger named Taglamso had felt that something out of the ordinary was going on in or near this pond. AFTER his own intellect was ruined by the mysterious influence, Taglamso had rallied enough brain power to write a cryptic note, apparently connected with his vague suspicion. His grown daughter Carsala had found this note, which said, "Must shut the frozen door." But the ranger could not be questioned now, as he had gone missing.
The Flashlight-and-Sapphire couple of Parbellik and Luvardra knew about many sorts of portals, including wormholes. The long-armed Ziblamot named Braskorim, and the Federation-affiliated cyborg Chutnykorn, both also had some knowledge in this area. (Chutnykorn was a human male, but his electronic elements had stored and preserved much of his memory and personality when the biological attack had occurred.) All of these had intently studied the area AROUND the pond, without learning anything relevant; now the only one of them who could naturally breathe water was using all thirty-six of his infrared-sensing eyes to look for anything amiss under the surface.
Wibgug-Bifyok was glad, at least, not to have to report finding a dead Taglamso in the muck. Hope remained of retrieving Carsala's father alive.
Suddenly, the fleeting thought of a human funeral turned the Shmeehobber's mind to the wider concept of..... things being buried. Surfacing, he addressed Carsala:
"How deep is the soil here? How far down from the pond's floor to bedrock?"
"About seven meters to solid stone," Carsala replied. "Do you think something's buried under the pond?"
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Copperfox
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"I strongly suspect it," said the blobby fellow, then looked at Parbellik and Luvardra. "You've been told that my kind can see infra-red light. Our brains can't DISTINGUISH that from other light frequencies; but no other color COULD be coming up out of the soil under a natural body of water. There's a part of the pond bottom, some four meters wide, which is DARKER than the rest. So there must be something below the muck which is colder than the natural soil temperature."
Carsala, Braskorim and Chutnykorn exclaimed in exact unison: "Like a frozen door!"
Wobbling ashore, Wibgug-Bifyok approached Parbellik. "Master Flashlight, would you be able to divert the stream which feeds this pond?"
"So that we can excavate the bottom? Yes, but I don't want to kill any living things in the water."
"Father would be glad to hear you say that," remarked Carsala.
Parbellik nodded. "Along with changing the watercourse, I'll move the whole pond over gradually, scooping out one side and filling in the other...."
Three hours later, they uncovered a horizontally-oriented Starhatch.
"Let's not attempt to open it for now," said Luvardra. "It being so chilly could mean that there's an unsurvivably cold environment on the other end."
"But can't your energy powers insulate us from that cold?" asked Carsala, now eager for new clues to her father's fate.
"They can. But if what's on the other side is a gas-giant planet, the pressure from there would force a storm of methane and ammonia into THIS atmosphere, poisoning anything nearby that isn't shielded."
Chutnykorn spoke up: "I would say it's time to pass the signal-coin to higher authority."
Carsala, Braskorim and Chutnykorn exclaimed in exact unison: "Like a frozen door!"
Wobbling ashore, Wibgug-Bifyok approached Parbellik. "Master Flashlight, would you be able to divert the stream which feeds this pond?"
"So that we can excavate the bottom? Yes, but I don't want to kill any living things in the water."
"Father would be glad to hear you say that," remarked Carsala.
Parbellik nodded. "Along with changing the watercourse, I'll move the whole pond over gradually, scooping out one side and filling in the other...."
Three hours later, they uncovered a horizontally-oriented Starhatch.
"Let's not attempt to open it for now," said Luvardra. "It being so chilly could mean that there's an unsurvivably cold environment on the other end."
"But can't your energy powers insulate us from that cold?" asked Carsala, now eager for new clues to her father's fate.
"They can. But if what's on the other side is a gas-giant planet, the pressure from there would force a storm of methane and ammonia into THIS atmosphere, poisoning anything nearby that isn't shielded."
Chutnykorn spoke up: "I would say it's time to pass the signal-coin to higher authority."
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Copperfox
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Luvardra flew back to the nearest town, where Flam-Pardibbo had been waiting to hear from them. Having many friends who owned useful stuff, the female Shmeehobber could round up technicians who would supply all available equipment to move the Starhatch to town.
While this was going on, the cyborg Chutnykorn interfaced with the circuits of the Starhatch: similarly to doing a keylog search on a computer to extract what had been entered in it. Eventually he told Parbellik, "Your wife was right. The last location this portal was set for IS a frigid gas-giant world. Not in this star system, though. It's in the solar system which contains the oxygen-and-liquid-water planet Madmaksilon."
Parbellik and Braskorim exchanged a glance, which effectively said: The readers need to be reminded that Madmaksilon is the world Coordinator Scurvylaff said we should be in no hurry to investigate. Out loud, the tall Ziblamot said to his Shmeehobber friend, "The planetary government can call in Federation-level authorities to oversee study of the dimensional portal. And local officials will not neglect to keep searching for clues to where Taglamso is now."
"Take me with you!" Carsala demanded. "This discovery, giving meaning to Father's note, suggests to me that if he still is alive, he's on another planet himself."
\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \
While this was going on, the cyborg Chutnykorn interfaced with the circuits of the Starhatch: similarly to doing a keylog search on a computer to extract what had been entered in it. Eventually he told Parbellik, "Your wife was right. The last location this portal was set for IS a frigid gas-giant world. Not in this star system, though. It's in the solar system which contains the oxygen-and-liquid-water planet Madmaksilon."
Parbellik and Braskorim exchanged a glance, which effectively said: The readers need to be reminded that Madmaksilon is the world Coordinator Scurvylaff said we should be in no hurry to investigate. Out loud, the tall Ziblamot said to his Shmeehobber friend, "The planetary government can call in Federation-level authorities to oversee study of the dimensional portal. And local officials will not neglect to keep searching for clues to where Taglamso is now."
"Take me with you!" Carsala demanded. "This discovery, giving meaning to Father's note, suggests to me that if he still is alive, he's on another planet himself."
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Copperfox
Well-known member
The Magtas elected to leave the spaceship here on Umbaderro, for the others to use at will. They could keep "riders" alive on an interstellar flight, and would obtain spacesuits for two passengers as a safety measure. Either Parbellik or Luvardra could keep all of them alive while the other spouse rested, but the suits would be insurance. In addition to Carsala, they would bring Chutnykorn, because he was known in the Cosmic Federation's news media as a man who had retained his mind thanks to his bionic reserve storage of memory.
When the four searchers drew near to the Oort Cloud equivalent for the star system which contained Planet Madmaksilon, Chutnykorn used a subspace radio set he had plugged into his head for this trip. This was in order that Madmaksilards could check the signal characteristics, thus assuring themselves that the caller was "authorized personnel."
This is Administrative Cyborg Chutnykorn, acting for Coordinator Scurvylaff, calling all authorities on Madmaksilon. I am on approach to your planet, requesting that you say where you would prefer me to land. There are four of us coming, two of my companions being the non-Federation visitors who have been described in the media, and the third being a citizen of Umbaderro. Please respond.
About fifteen minutes later, Madmaksilard Orbital Traffic Control replied, specifying a location close to the planetary capital. After initial instructions, a new voice came on the frequency: one that Carsala recognized. A male voice, yet not mumbling stupidly.
"This is Astrogator Lugwin Hestrum, of the star schooner Dodgelightly. Before you ask: yes, I'm human, but no, I'm not brain-stricken. My ship was on a charting mission, entirely outside Federation space, when the affliction struck. We just got home last night-- that is, it was night in the time zone where you're going to--"
The spacer was interrupted by a female exclamation: the first time Carsala's voice had sounded cheerful since the Magtas had first met her. "Lugwin! Praise the Creator, you're back, and still yourself! Besides Chutnykorn, I'm with an outsider human couple who are assisting the investigation. They're great people, you're sure to like them!''
When the four searchers drew near to the Oort Cloud equivalent for the star system which contained Planet Madmaksilon, Chutnykorn used a subspace radio set he had plugged into his head for this trip. This was in order that Madmaksilards could check the signal characteristics, thus assuring themselves that the caller was "authorized personnel."
This is Administrative Cyborg Chutnykorn, acting for Coordinator Scurvylaff, calling all authorities on Madmaksilon. I am on approach to your planet, requesting that you say where you would prefer me to land. There are four of us coming, two of my companions being the non-Federation visitors who have been described in the media, and the third being a citizen of Umbaderro. Please respond.
About fifteen minutes later, Madmaksilard Orbital Traffic Control replied, specifying a location close to the planetary capital. After initial instructions, a new voice came on the frequency: one that Carsala recognized. A male voice, yet not mumbling stupidly.
"This is Astrogator Lugwin Hestrum, of the star schooner Dodgelightly. Before you ask: yes, I'm human, but no, I'm not brain-stricken. My ship was on a charting mission, entirely outside Federation space, when the affliction struck. We just got home last night-- that is, it was night in the time zone where you're going to--"
The spacer was interrupted by a female exclamation: the first time Carsala's voice had sounded cheerful since the Magtas had first met her. "Lugwin! Praise the Creator, you're back, and still yourself! Besides Chutnykorn, I'm with an outsider human couple who are assisting the investigation. They're great people, you're sure to like them!''
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Copperfox
Well-known member
SHIFTING ONCE AGAIN!
It's been _quite_ a while since we visited the sub-reality based mostly on "Justice League" animated shows. Allow me to refresh your memory of "Urth," an Earth-variant which has had contact with other Earth-variants, _and_ with my version of Darkseid's world Apokalips. (Note that my "Planet Awkwardlisp" was taken over by good guys from "Earth-Whichever," who then paid a friendly visit to Urth.)
Urth has a hero-group called the Justified League. Members include my only versions of Superman and Supergirl in this entire tale, with versions of Aquaman, Green Lantern, Shining Knight, Black Canary, Green Hornet, and Marvel's Professor X. Some villains, including my version of Atomic Skull, were converted to goodness by the long-range influence of Master Yoga-Rug, and also joined the Justified League. This, of course, weakened the Super-Gang of Naughty Persons.
Drawing upon the D.C. Golden Age adventures of Adam Strange, I provided an Alpha Centauri-ish star system whose also-human people enjoyed contact with Urth. The remaining members of the Naughty Persons, trying to improve their position, interfered with that interstellar alliance. My version of the pre-Dwayne-Johnson Black Adam got involved in this also. When things didn't work out for my "Block Atom" on Planet Senphatori, he took off to try his luck in the Frank Herbert region of my storyverse. You've seen how that wound up.
A few off-world good guys still are loitering on Urth; but the depleted forces of the super-criminal community ("Boardroom of Owls," "Hound Breeders' Club," and "Crocodile Market") have switched strategy, from world conquest to covert felonies.
That gives this world a breather, in which suspended plot arcs about love and friendship can be resumed.....
It's been _quite_ a while since we visited the sub-reality based mostly on "Justice League" animated shows. Allow me to refresh your memory of "Urth," an Earth-variant which has had contact with other Earth-variants, _and_ with my version of Darkseid's world Apokalips. (Note that my "Planet Awkwardlisp" was taken over by good guys from "Earth-Whichever," who then paid a friendly visit to Urth.)
Urth has a hero-group called the Justified League. Members include my only versions of Superman and Supergirl in this entire tale, with versions of Aquaman, Green Lantern, Shining Knight, Black Canary, Green Hornet, and Marvel's Professor X. Some villains, including my version of Atomic Skull, were converted to goodness by the long-range influence of Master Yoga-Rug, and also joined the Justified League. This, of course, weakened the Super-Gang of Naughty Persons.
Drawing upon the D.C. Golden Age adventures of Adam Strange, I provided an Alpha Centauri-ish star system whose also-human people enjoyed contact with Urth. The remaining members of the Naughty Persons, trying to improve their position, interfered with that interstellar alliance. My version of the pre-Dwayne-Johnson Black Adam got involved in this also. When things didn't work out for my "Block Atom" on Planet Senphatori, he took off to try his luck in the Frank Herbert region of my storyverse. You've seen how that wound up.
A few off-world good guys still are loitering on Urth; but the depleted forces of the super-criminal community ("Boardroom of Owls," "Hound Breeders' Club," and "Crocodile Market") have switched strategy, from world conquest to covert felonies.
That gives this world a breather, in which suspended plot arcs about love and friendship can be resumed.....
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Copperfox
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Space pilot Ululani Atuf had been teaching space candidates (no one wanted to be called a "space cadet," because this phrase had become a term of ridicule on Urth just as it had on Original Earth) at the new academy in Texas. But she had never gotten over the cringe feeling of remembering how Princess Serrimu, the Penny Jezebel renegade, had tampered with her mind. Block Atom's takeover of Senphatori had failed, and Ululani was back to normal; but she still had occasional nightmares about the ugly creatures who had signed up with Block Atom.
When she could go on break from teaching, Ululani decided to visit a place where the only work done on human minds was intended to HEAL them. That place was Restoration Ranch, in Urth's version of Wyoming, owned and operated by Greg "Vigilant Cowboy" Sutter.....
"Bienvenido, senorita," said the segundo of the ranch. "We don't get many astronauts here, but I've been told as much as you saw fit to tell my jefe. Mateo is looking forward to meeting you." By "Mateo," he meant the teenager Matthew Carver, who had benefited much by the ranch's kindly atmosphere, and who had become a sort of intern. Internship included making visitors feel at home when the caballero of the estate was away; Greg and his wife Ruby were out conducting an easy-route trail ride for a batch of new kids.
One thing which neither the segundo nor the intern mentioned to Ululani was that an especially special guest was accompanying the riders-- on foot, and able to outrun any horse if he had cause to do so. This was Exohern, called Antler-Man by some: a product of genetic engineering, but still human in the ways that mattered most.
When she could go on break from teaching, Ululani decided to visit a place where the only work done on human minds was intended to HEAL them. That place was Restoration Ranch, in Urth's version of Wyoming, owned and operated by Greg "Vigilant Cowboy" Sutter.....
"Bienvenido, senorita," said the segundo of the ranch. "We don't get many astronauts here, but I've been told as much as you saw fit to tell my jefe. Mateo is looking forward to meeting you." By "Mateo," he meant the teenager Matthew Carver, who had benefited much by the ranch's kindly atmosphere, and who had become a sort of intern. Internship included making visitors feel at home when the caballero of the estate was away; Greg and his wife Ruby were out conducting an easy-route trail ride for a batch of new kids.
One thing which neither the segundo nor the intern mentioned to Ululani was that an especially special guest was accompanying the riders-- on foot, and able to outrun any horse if he had cause to do so. This was Exohern, called Antler-Man by some: a product of genetic engineering, but still human in the ways that mattered most.
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Copperfox
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At the western boundary of the Sutter property, the Hallberg family who owned Three Creeks Ranch met them. Greg and Ruby knew who all of the Hallbergs were, but knew the youngest one present only by hearsay. Lucinda Hallberg, one year younger than Matthew Carver, was Cliff Hallberg's blood niece from Tennessee. Because of the distance, Cliff's Oregon-born wife Sarah had not met Lucinda many times; but when Lucinda had suffered two broken legs in an accident, it had been Sarah who urged inviting their niece to Wyoming after her rehabilitation progressed enough that she could walk with twin canes.
Horseback riding can contribute to physical, as well as to emotional rehabilitation. Lucinda was mounted-- with a special back-supporting saddle-- on the most easygoing mare in the Hallberg stable. And although two past visits to Three Creeks constituted the girl's total prior equestrian experience, she seemed relaxed and confident.
Apart from her eyes widening at the sight of the Awkwardlispian-born mutant.
"Uncle Cliff, he really DOES have antlers!!"
The points dipped as the alien speedster nodded. "So I do, Miss Hallberg. And unlike the antlers of your Urthian deer, mine don't fall off annually. Which means that I never can wear a hat which isn't made to fit in between them."
"It also means," Greg put in, "that we can't let him go out in the woods by himself-- because it's deer and elk season."
"Even though he moves so fast?" Ruby asked her husband.
Greg looked at the nearest stand of trees. "It would only take fifteen seconds of him pausing in one place, if the trees are obscuring his human body from view."
"Haven't you simply TOLD your neighbors that he's around?" asked Ululani.
'Of course we have," Greg assured her. "But there's no such thing as TOO cautious with firearm safety."
Horseback riding can contribute to physical, as well as to emotional rehabilitation. Lucinda was mounted-- with a special back-supporting saddle-- on the most easygoing mare in the Hallberg stable. And although two past visits to Three Creeks constituted the girl's total prior equestrian experience, she seemed relaxed and confident.
Apart from her eyes widening at the sight of the Awkwardlispian-born mutant.
"Uncle Cliff, he really DOES have antlers!!"
The points dipped as the alien speedster nodded. "So I do, Miss Hallberg. And unlike the antlers of your Urthian deer, mine don't fall off annually. Which means that I never can wear a hat which isn't made to fit in between them."
"It also means," Greg put in, "that we can't let him go out in the woods by himself-- because it's deer and elk season."
"Even though he moves so fast?" Ruby asked her husband.
Greg looked at the nearest stand of trees. "It would only take fifteen seconds of him pausing in one place, if the trees are obscuring his human body from view."
"Haven't you simply TOLD your neighbors that he's around?" asked Ululani.
'Of course we have," Greg assured her. "But there's no such thing as TOO cautious with firearm safety."
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Copperfox
Well-known member
Lucinda softly patted one of her still-healing knees.
"As you've probably heard, Mister Hern, I was recently reminded that life is short. But how does it feel for YOU, knowing that your life is VERY short?"
The native of Awkwardlisp demonstrated his quick reactions by pre-empting Sarah's impulse to rebuke her niece.
"It's all right, Mrs. Hallberg, Lucinda isn't the first or the fiftieth slow-living person to ask me about that. It is sad for anyone who loves me, that THEY would lose me relatively soon. But it's different for me, with my own experience of thought and aging. To me, my life isn't AS short as it's measured externally.
"Let me insert here a detail you might not have thought about: when I was cooked up as a little short-horned boy, I was not initially accelerated. I needed a childhood in which I could INTERACT with people and learn things. Only after I had time to acquire knowledge and understanding, did my invented genes gradually begin to make me-- rapid.
"Which was irrevocable.
"For your Tonkrypians, moving super-fast is something they switch on and off; the rest of the time, they think, feel and exist at the same rate as you do. But my very being is ALWAYS going fast, so it's normal to me. One handy aspect is that my body performs the detoxifying functions of sleep in less than two hours per night, so I have the compensating effect of being awake and active longer without fatigue. My talking to you right now, at a speed you can understand, feels to me the way you would feel if you had to attempt a conversation by uttering only three words per minute. But I'm used to it. In the time it took to speak my last five sentences, as I experience time, I thought in depth about a dozen things I might do tomorrow.
"In some respects, yes, I have less total time to do things. In some ways, yes, I am deprived-- but not so much deprived as a slow-living person would be, if having a short real-time life expectancy. Not that I would RESIST an offered opportunity to live longer."
Lucinda murmured, "Wow. Just wow."
Exohern smiled for the first time in this meeting. "I'm also writing a series of novels, which I plan to have released after I go to The Good Place, because I have better things to do in mortal years than trying to get good book reviews."
"As you've probably heard, Mister Hern, I was recently reminded that life is short. But how does it feel for YOU, knowing that your life is VERY short?"
The native of Awkwardlisp demonstrated his quick reactions by pre-empting Sarah's impulse to rebuke her niece.
"It's all right, Mrs. Hallberg, Lucinda isn't the first or the fiftieth slow-living person to ask me about that. It is sad for anyone who loves me, that THEY would lose me relatively soon. But it's different for me, with my own experience of thought and aging. To me, my life isn't AS short as it's measured externally.
"Let me insert here a detail you might not have thought about: when I was cooked up as a little short-horned boy, I was not initially accelerated. I needed a childhood in which I could INTERACT with people and learn things. Only after I had time to acquire knowledge and understanding, did my invented genes gradually begin to make me-- rapid.
"Which was irrevocable.
"For your Tonkrypians, moving super-fast is something they switch on and off; the rest of the time, they think, feel and exist at the same rate as you do. But my very being is ALWAYS going fast, so it's normal to me. One handy aspect is that my body performs the detoxifying functions of sleep in less than two hours per night, so I have the compensating effect of being awake and active longer without fatigue. My talking to you right now, at a speed you can understand, feels to me the way you would feel if you had to attempt a conversation by uttering only three words per minute. But I'm used to it. In the time it took to speak my last five sentences, as I experience time, I thought in depth about a dozen things I might do tomorrow.
"In some respects, yes, I have less total time to do things. In some ways, yes, I am deprived-- but not so much deprived as a slow-living person would be, if having a short real-time life expectancy. Not that I would RESIST an offered opportunity to live longer."
Lucinda murmured, "Wow. Just wow."
Exohern smiled for the first time in this meeting. "I'm also writing a series of novels, which I plan to have released after I go to The Good Place, because I have better things to do in mortal years than trying to get good book reviews."
Copperfox
Well-known member
"You know," said Ruby, "we can continue this conversation WHILE riding farther. It's not as if Exohern would have any trouble keeping up with us on foot." So the Hallbergs turned their own horses to accompany the Restoration Ranch group, and the casual ride continued. "Exohern, how about you relate to our neighbors what you explained to the kids last night beside the fireplace?"
"Right. Mister Hallberg, everybody, after this world first enjoyed contact with Seedubb Earth, we learned about the Quickness Force, which their scientists discovered and harnessed. It enables a flesh-and-blood person to run faster than the speed of sound without being killed by the opposing air pressure. I don't have the Quickness Force; the fastest I've run to date was less than three hundred miles per hour, which I maintained for less than ten minutes, and this with goggles over my eyes.
"Respiration is respiration. Cartilage is cartilage. Momentum is momentum. Even Twerpseid's researchers needed to take these facts into account, when they set out to make a speedster of what basically still is a plain human being. And, Lucinda, I believe that their methods of refining my abilities would have some relevance for your own rehabilitation."
"I know you don't mean that I'll be able to outrun a race car."
"No, not that. DRIVE one, maybe. But the common element between you and me is the necessity to help our joints endure high-speed stresses."
"That makes sense," replied Lucinda's ten-year-old cousin Barker. "Dad always worries about our horses' knees if they have to walk much on hard pavement."
Exohern gave the boy a nod. "I'm sure your aunt and uncle in Tennessee have paid attention to everything affecting your cousin's mobility, since she began walking again. Lucinda, can you tell me the true difference between walking and running?"
"Um, that running is faster and you can get tired?"
"That, young lady, is a difference of DEGREE; but there's also a difference of WHAT IS the action you're doing. Now, try answering me again."
"Oh! Of course! When walking, you never have both feet off the ground at the same instant. But they do both leave the ground repeatedly when you run. So running actually is a series of JUMPS."
"Very good. I know that, in typical physical therapy, the therapists have enough sense to postpone the running stage of a recovery like yours. I'm no medical professional, but I've been the research subject of all sorts of doctors. And something they taught me as a child probably has a bearing on your progress. Has anyone mentioned 'speed walking' to you?"
"Not so far, Mister Hern. But I still have a job of it just walking with canes."
"All right. Speed walking was a crucial part of developing my strength as a boy. Watch this;" and Exohern began walking through the snow, never lifting both feet off the ground at the same time. Without ever breaking into a run, he went back and forth faster and faster. Soon he was WALKING faster than most horses could have moved at a canter.
When he finally fell back into place beside the column of horses, Lucinda told him, "I get it. Once I can do without my canes, it'll be speed walking for me, until my joints are VERY well recovered."
"Right. Mister Hallberg, everybody, after this world first enjoyed contact with Seedubb Earth, we learned about the Quickness Force, which their scientists discovered and harnessed. It enables a flesh-and-blood person to run faster than the speed of sound without being killed by the opposing air pressure. I don't have the Quickness Force; the fastest I've run to date was less than three hundred miles per hour, which I maintained for less than ten minutes, and this with goggles over my eyes.
"Respiration is respiration. Cartilage is cartilage. Momentum is momentum. Even Twerpseid's researchers needed to take these facts into account, when they set out to make a speedster of what basically still is a plain human being. And, Lucinda, I believe that their methods of refining my abilities would have some relevance for your own rehabilitation."
"I know you don't mean that I'll be able to outrun a race car."
"No, not that. DRIVE one, maybe. But the common element between you and me is the necessity to help our joints endure high-speed stresses."
"That makes sense," replied Lucinda's ten-year-old cousin Barker. "Dad always worries about our horses' knees if they have to walk much on hard pavement."
Exohern gave the boy a nod. "I'm sure your aunt and uncle in Tennessee have paid attention to everything affecting your cousin's mobility, since she began walking again. Lucinda, can you tell me the true difference between walking and running?"
"Um, that running is faster and you can get tired?"
"That, young lady, is a difference of DEGREE; but there's also a difference of WHAT IS the action you're doing. Now, try answering me again."
"Oh! Of course! When walking, you never have both feet off the ground at the same instant. But they do both leave the ground repeatedly when you run. So running actually is a series of JUMPS."
"Very good. I know that, in typical physical therapy, the therapists have enough sense to postpone the running stage of a recovery like yours. I'm no medical professional, but I've been the research subject of all sorts of doctors. And something they taught me as a child probably has a bearing on your progress. Has anyone mentioned 'speed walking' to you?"
"Not so far, Mister Hern. But I still have a job of it just walking with canes."
"All right. Speed walking was a crucial part of developing my strength as a boy. Watch this;" and Exohern began walking through the snow, never lifting both feet off the ground at the same time. Without ever breaking into a run, he went back and forth faster and faster. Soon he was WALKING faster than most horses could have moved at a canter.
When he finally fell back into place beside the column of horses, Lucinda told him, "I get it. Once I can do without my canes, it'll be speed walking for me, until my joints are VERY well recovered."
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Copperfox
Well-known member
The very fact of Exohern having antlers, though his antlers were not that important to him, had attracted endless curiosity from generic humans ever since he had first set foot (no, he didn't have hooves) on Urth. Back at Restoration in the evening, as persons of all ages lounged around in the largest common room of the ranch, he was more than glad to let Ululani capture everyone's attention, with her anecdotes of space travel.
"Do you know if the Senphatorians have plans to set up Tachyon Loop routes to additional worlds?" Greg asked her.
"Earth-Whichever and Seedubb Earth will almost certainly both be established as worlds to visit for ongoing association, since heroes from both of those Urth-variants have been of assistance to Senphatori and Urth."
Catching his wife's eye, Greg inconspicuously touched the pommel of his Bowie knife. Ruby realized that he was remembering that night in Cambodia, when their train ride had been interrupted by humanoid soldiers from New Laziness. Those Lazinessers had proved neither murderous, nor especially bright, but had confirmed that King Highfyver took some interest in Earth-variants which had repelled Awkwardlispian invasions.
Greg asked Ululani, "Do the Tachyon Loop developers expect ever to be able to reach a neighboring galaxy?"
"As far as I know, every administrator for Tachyon Loop considers it absurd to try to travel THAT far, when our own galaxy possesses more worlds than any mortal could become acquainted with in a lifetime."
"That's reasonable;" and Greg let the subject fall into the bit bucket.
We'll see more of Exohern soon. But we need to get back to Punksteema now, and find out how Ronald's posse is faring in the rowdy land of Gahurr.
"Do you know if the Senphatorians have plans to set up Tachyon Loop routes to additional worlds?" Greg asked her.
"Earth-Whichever and Seedubb Earth will almost certainly both be established as worlds to visit for ongoing association, since heroes from both of those Urth-variants have been of assistance to Senphatori and Urth."
Catching his wife's eye, Greg inconspicuously touched the pommel of his Bowie knife. Ruby realized that he was remembering that night in Cambodia, when their train ride had been interrupted by humanoid soldiers from New Laziness. Those Lazinessers had proved neither murderous, nor especially bright, but had confirmed that King Highfyver took some interest in Earth-variants which had repelled Awkwardlispian invasions.
Greg asked Ululani, "Do the Tachyon Loop developers expect ever to be able to reach a neighboring galaxy?"
"As far as I know, every administrator for Tachyon Loop considers it absurd to try to travel THAT far, when our own galaxy possesses more worlds than any mortal could become acquainted with in a lifetime."
"That's reasonable;" and Greg let the subject fall into the bit bucket.
We'll see more of Exohern soon. But we need to get back to Punksteema now, and find out how Ronald's posse is faring in the rowdy land of Gahurr.
Copperfox
Well-known member
The town of Gravelpit was buzzing over the presence of The Last Towerman-- whose apprentices showed that Ronald would CEASE being the last one. The revelation that Quadmor the constable was joining Ronald's expedition against Black-Thumb Stedliff, plus understanding that Quadmor's deputies needed to stay home for the town's own safety, motivated several townspeople to volunteer to join the outward-bound posse.
Quadmor and Klemrath agreed with Ronald that if they needed more of something, it was long-range firepower. This dictated a priority for acceptance of posse members. Quadmor would be packing a double-barreled shotgun and a cap-and-ball revolver, but it would be good if at least a couple of the posse's weapons could fire MORE than twice between loadings. A woman named Vislaret, experienced at wildfowl hunting, was accepted; she carried a repeating rifle, with small bore diameter but decent range. Monica was glad not to be the only woman going along. Another hunter--definitely of LARGE game-- was a broad-shouldered fellow named Orlepsoth, whose main weapon was a gastrophract. This was a missile weapon which, on Original Earth, was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. It was a gigantic variant of the arbalest, nearly three times the size of Ronald's heavy crossbow. It was designed to be braced against the wielder's stomach, and it would send its oversized arrows flying for almost a mile-- or alternately, through as many as three living creatures before the arrow lost momentum. Then there were two sisters named Nishri and Feshri, who carried two javelins each and could hurl them forty yards with effect. Seventy yards if they used atl-atls to propel their javelins. For close combat, each sister wore a short cutlass resembling the one carried by Zoralee Jeralo. Yorick, the town headman, gave each of them a loaded single-shot derringer as an emergency resort.
Nishri and Feshri had a score to settle: their late brother Koltor had been shot in the back by one of Black-Thumb's men, after winning a fistfight against three other outlaws at once. Nishri had saved the bullet which had slain her brother, and had gotten it made into part of the spearhead for her latest javelin. The name "Stedriff" was printed on the shaft.
Two additional riflemen finished the roster of accepted volunteers. One had up-to-date equipment, while the other had a legacy to live up to. Connor McLucas had a lever-action rifle, designed to hold a generous eighteen rounds. He let Ronald and Klemrath know that he had acquired silver bullets, just in case. Then there was Roy Crinkly, whose fearsome weapon was the equivalent of a Sharps buffalo gun on Original Earth. Single shot but quick to reload, this SIXTY-caliber rifle could shoot at least as far as the gastrophract. Roy had inherited it from his father, Matthew Crinkly-- a gunslinger-knight who had lived for a time in Wellvernia and had been one of Ronald's mentors.
Quadmor and Klemrath agreed with Ronald that if they needed more of something, it was long-range firepower. This dictated a priority for acceptance of posse members. Quadmor would be packing a double-barreled shotgun and a cap-and-ball revolver, but it would be good if at least a couple of the posse's weapons could fire MORE than twice between loadings. A woman named Vislaret, experienced at wildfowl hunting, was accepted; she carried a repeating rifle, with small bore diameter but decent range. Monica was glad not to be the only woman going along. Another hunter--definitely of LARGE game-- was a broad-shouldered fellow named Orlepsoth, whose main weapon was a gastrophract. This was a missile weapon which, on Original Earth, was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. It was a gigantic variant of the arbalest, nearly three times the size of Ronald's heavy crossbow. It was designed to be braced against the wielder's stomach, and it would send its oversized arrows flying for almost a mile-- or alternately, through as many as three living creatures before the arrow lost momentum. Then there were two sisters named Nishri and Feshri, who carried two javelins each and could hurl them forty yards with effect. Seventy yards if they used atl-atls to propel their javelins. For close combat, each sister wore a short cutlass resembling the one carried by Zoralee Jeralo. Yorick, the town headman, gave each of them a loaded single-shot derringer as an emergency resort.
Nishri and Feshri had a score to settle: their late brother Koltor had been shot in the back by one of Black-Thumb's men, after winning a fistfight against three other outlaws at once. Nishri had saved the bullet which had slain her brother, and had gotten it made into part of the spearhead for her latest javelin. The name "Stedriff" was printed on the shaft.
Two additional riflemen finished the roster of accepted volunteers. One had up-to-date equipment, while the other had a legacy to live up to. Connor McLucas had a lever-action rifle, designed to hold a generous eighteen rounds. He let Ronald and Klemrath know that he had acquired silver bullets, just in case. Then there was Roy Crinkly, whose fearsome weapon was the equivalent of a Sharps buffalo gun on Original Earth. Single shot but quick to reload, this SIXTY-caliber rifle could shoot at least as far as the gastrophract. Roy had inherited it from his father, Matthew Crinkly-- a gunslinger-knight who had lived for a time in Wellvernia and had been one of Ronald's mentors.
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Copperfox
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On the day of the posse's departure, a beneficial interruption occurred. It was nighttime in the nations of Hukshem and Mifdola, which enabled the use of T'Pinnok Zur's unusual dream-gift. Ronald's first intimation that his Loi-Hukshem friend was intervening came when a sort of black-and-white image of T'Pinnok appeared on the open street.
D'Kovo Pril, the first-found of Ronald's current apprentices, was the first to realize who this was. He instantly shouted, "Don't be afraid, everybody! That's my wizard brother-in-law, Razibi's husband! He can send his likeness far away when he's asleep."
T'Pinnok's magical hologram smiled at the young archer. "An excellent introduction, D'Kovo. Please listen, everyone, especially Sir Ronald. Another good wizard, Felipe Catalano from Gromstark, has passed important information to me, things he learned through his own magic.
"First of all, the undead plague is under control, and clerics are increasingly succeeding at changing ghouls back into living normal people. Moving on to your own situation, the evil immortal Jaheg-Jorod, the one who started the undead plague, did not play any role in the poisonings you are investigating; but for purposes of his own, he does maintain contact with a bandit named Stedliff, who IS implicated in the poisonings.
"Jaheg-Jorod furthermore has dealings with the Two Rivers Evil Business Corporation in Reslagor. The immortal villain realizes that some heroes like yourself have powerful magic resistance, therefore he wants to have the use of non-magical technological resources. Reslagorian ships-- not official military vessels, nor possessing government authorization-- have already begun testing naval weapons against seafarers of the southern continent, leaving no witnesses. As for your own impending action: Jaheg-Jorod has warned Black-Thumb Stedliff that you are coming."
Standing nearby, Feshri said to Ronald, "Um, does this change our plans?"
D'Kovo Pril, the first-found of Ronald's current apprentices, was the first to realize who this was. He instantly shouted, "Don't be afraid, everybody! That's my wizard brother-in-law, Razibi's husband! He can send his likeness far away when he's asleep."
T'Pinnok's magical hologram smiled at the young archer. "An excellent introduction, D'Kovo. Please listen, everyone, especially Sir Ronald. Another good wizard, Felipe Catalano from Gromstark, has passed important information to me, things he learned through his own magic.
"First of all, the undead plague is under control, and clerics are increasingly succeeding at changing ghouls back into living normal people. Moving on to your own situation, the evil immortal Jaheg-Jorod, the one who started the undead plague, did not play any role in the poisonings you are investigating; but for purposes of his own, he does maintain contact with a bandit named Stedliff, who IS implicated in the poisonings.
"Jaheg-Jorod furthermore has dealings with the Two Rivers Evil Business Corporation in Reslagor. The immortal villain realizes that some heroes like yourself have powerful magic resistance, therefore he wants to have the use of non-magical technological resources. Reslagorian ships-- not official military vessels, nor possessing government authorization-- have already begun testing naval weapons against seafarers of the southern continent, leaving no witnesses. As for your own impending action: Jaheg-Jorod has warned Black-Thumb Stedliff that you are coming."
Standing nearby, Feshri said to Ronald, "Um, does this change our plans?"
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Copperfox
Well-known member
Before answering the young spear-maiden, Ronald looked back at Mister Zur's image.
"At least some adjustment, Sir Ronald. But in a world where the Almighty AsaLion permits magic to operate, YOUR side can use magic, too. Felipe and I have discussed this very subject. Before I emerge from the dream state, I shall also contact Rizlaya Tohir, the good witch in Felruda, about this. After she, Felipe and I wake up at our respective locations, which will be around the time when your band makes its first camp on the trip to Oxhide Spring, we will all apply our power to the agreed purpose of PREVENTING the outlaws from learning anything more than they know at present.
"So continue your expedition. The time needed for you to reach your target is long enough that you can still call it off if you need to;" and with this, T'Pinnok vanished. Ronald's students clustered around him, their eyes questioning him.
"We will proceed as arranged, only with greater alertness against any pre-emptive move by the outlaws. Fellow criminals of theirs, who AREN'T down in Oxhide Spring, might be contacted by Jaheg-Jorod, and may try to waylay us."
"He's right," said Quadmor. "During any rest period, night or day, there must always be at least three of us keeping watch. And of those in any guard shift, at least one must be able to fire MORE than one shot at any attackers. Ilya Trostel, your new twin-barreled pistol qualifies you for this."
Just then, a plotline-convenient minor character, a metalworker of the town, approached the Towerman. "Sir Ronald, I'm a plotline-convenient minor character. My name is Sam Supernumerary, I'm a metalworker, and I happen to know about saddle-deer. It isn't unheard of for them to have shoes on their hooves. I could give your saddle-buck shoes which are partly of silver and partly of pure iron, so that kicks from him will be able to inflict injury on almost every kind of evil magical being there is. Free of charge."
Remembering how his mule Marhalt had fallen defending him, Ronald shook Sam's hand warmly. "Many thanks, I'll take you up on that. Polarboy, we're going to outfit you in style."
Diego, Ronald's newest and youngest pupil, the one interested in metalcraft, chirped, "Mister Supernumerary, I want to watch you at work! I promise not to get in your way, and not to ask you questions just when you need to concentrate."
Smiling, the craftsman replied, "I'm pleased to oblige a new Towerman, as well as the old one."
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"At least some adjustment, Sir Ronald. But in a world where the Almighty AsaLion permits magic to operate, YOUR side can use magic, too. Felipe and I have discussed this very subject. Before I emerge from the dream state, I shall also contact Rizlaya Tohir, the good witch in Felruda, about this. After she, Felipe and I wake up at our respective locations, which will be around the time when your band makes its first camp on the trip to Oxhide Spring, we will all apply our power to the agreed purpose of PREVENTING the outlaws from learning anything more than they know at present.
"So continue your expedition. The time needed for you to reach your target is long enough that you can still call it off if you need to;" and with this, T'Pinnok vanished. Ronald's students clustered around him, their eyes questioning him.
"We will proceed as arranged, only with greater alertness against any pre-emptive move by the outlaws. Fellow criminals of theirs, who AREN'T down in Oxhide Spring, might be contacted by Jaheg-Jorod, and may try to waylay us."
"He's right," said Quadmor. "During any rest period, night or day, there must always be at least three of us keeping watch. And of those in any guard shift, at least one must be able to fire MORE than one shot at any attackers. Ilya Trostel, your new twin-barreled pistol qualifies you for this."
Just then, a plotline-convenient minor character, a metalworker of the town, approached the Towerman. "Sir Ronald, I'm a plotline-convenient minor character. My name is Sam Supernumerary, I'm a metalworker, and I happen to know about saddle-deer. It isn't unheard of for them to have shoes on their hooves. I could give your saddle-buck shoes which are partly of silver and partly of pure iron, so that kicks from him will be able to inflict injury on almost every kind of evil magical being there is. Free of charge."
Remembering how his mule Marhalt had fallen defending him, Ronald shook Sam's hand warmly. "Many thanks, I'll take you up on that. Polarboy, we're going to outfit you in style."
Diego, Ronald's newest and youngest pupil, the one interested in metalcraft, chirped, "Mister Supernumerary, I want to watch you at work! I promise not to get in your way, and not to ask you questions just when you need to concentrate."
Smiling, the craftsman replied, "I'm pleased to oblige a new Towerman, as well as the old one."
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