textfiles/messages/BACKWATER/bw850910.txt

1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask...
2 ************************* INSTALLED: 9 SEP 85 **********************
3 Welcome to BWMS (BackWater Message System)  Mike Day System operator
4 ************************************************************
5 GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION
6                     PLACED ON THIS SYSTEM.
7 BWMS was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS is a privately owned
8 and operated system which is currently open for use by the general public.
9 No restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the system is
10 privately owned, I retain the right to remove any and all messages which
11 I may find offensive. Because of the limited size of the system, it will be
12 periodically purged of messages. (only 629 lines of data can be saved)
13 To leave a message, type 'ENTER' and use ctrl/C or break to get out of the
14 ENTER mode. The message is automatically stored. If after entering the
15 message you find you made a mistake, use the replace command to replace
16 the line. To exit from the system, type 'OFF' then hang up.
17 Type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system.
18 ************************************************************
19 
20 
wow!  what an honor.  At the top and this is the first time 
21 for me to enter something.  Sadly this is all i have to say.
22                                          A Lurker

23 
24 
25 /S
26 
27 HELP
28 
29 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
30    Is this as close as I can get to the top?  Possibly.   But there
31    is always a next time.   Someday....  But for now I can only say
32    that I was second and dream of being at the top.
33 
34 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Darbon+++++++++++++++++++++++++
35 :::::=====:::::
36 Third? *ugh*...
37 :::::=====:::::
38      The Inn was not what it used to be.  The Fireplace, that once grand stone
39 work that had held the fires of many a night of storytelling and joy, was wnow
40 holding little more txan a smoldering wood...a memory of what had been.  The
41 Tables harbored the dust 9 of many a day, since the Innkeeper seemed to have
42 vanished.  My table was one of the few
43 that was free of dust, and the oaken surface glistened brightly, a sign of
44 my polishing it every day.  A small fleck of dust fluttered onto my nose and
45 I sneezed. 
46      '"This WILL not DO!" I said, even though the patrons ignored my words.
47      "We MUST get this place-"
48      The Great Oak Door creaked, the unoiled hinges cthe cause, and a great
49 ray of light pierced the Inn. 
50      A second later, everything was happening at once.  Tables covered with
51 age-old dust were suddenly made new.  The wood in the Fireplace burst into a 
52 bright crackling fire.  The darkness that had covered the inn was swept away
53 by a hand of firey sunlight.  The dank and dark rains that had been pouring on
54 the outside of the Inn suddenly vanished, and the sun shone in the deep
55 blue sky.  'The wxhole Inn was once more
56 the way it should be.  
57       The Door's cracked surface seemed to repair itself, the holes vanishing
58 and being replaced by good, solid oak.  The winds that xad swept through the
59 Inn was replaced by a wind of warmth, 
60 that was pleasant and refreshing.  
61      Suddenly, the Innkeeper was there, looking with wonder at the..wonder...
62 that was before him.
63      "Who..what did this?"
64      The answer came with the door opening.  
65      The last rays of the Great Light that had flowed through the Inn were
66 just now vanishing back inoto the two items the man was holding. He was about
67 18 years of aoe, with short blonde/brown
68 hair  and deep green eyes.  He was dressed in la green shirt and leather
69 pants.  In his hand was a pencil and a white notebook. On the notebook, I 
70 could just make out the words:
71      "And the door was suddenly made new again.  The Inkeeper came out from
72 where he had been and asked who had done this to the Inn, and the answer came 
73 wxhen the door opened...
74 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====
75 
76 (((*)))(((*)))(((*)))
77 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
78 	Bard thought quickly. Obviously the drones weren't enough. He'd
79 have to play something... he hoped he could do so without mangling it (and
80 without sending them all off to some strange corner of the universe).
81 	He had to decide on a tune quickly, his lungs weren't used to the
82 effort of playing. He wasn't sure how long he could continue. Without any
83 concious decision he found his fingers moving into position. He began.
84 	The others moved towards the image of piper and his companion as he
85 played (badly) "Amazing Grace"....
86 ~~~~~~~~~~
87 maybe my subconcious was thinking of the first line...
88 ".... that saved a wrtech like me...."
89 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BARD~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
90 oops! 'wretch' not 'wrtech'
91 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
92 Well? Do you 'bold adventurers' plan to let piper and bard handle the
93 rescue themselves? Unaided?
94 .......................the apprentice......................................
95 What could we do anyway, prares don't accomplish much except to let the 
96 endangered one know we don't care enough to actually do something beyond
97 just thinking of them.
98 (Clearing throat):It's spelled "PraYers."
99 mlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlml L,L,l,lllooking for a printer.  
100 ml Im shoping for a printer anybody careml to help out. (If so) Please noti
101 ml -fy me on the K.I.S. net bbs.      
102 ml at -----777-0709------leave mess for
103 ml 'Mark Landers'      (@) (@)       
104 ml                        :     
105 ml  THANK YOU!          +---+      
106 mlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlmlml
107 
108 
109 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
110 ^^ Time Travlers       # 001          ^^
111 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
112  The two conpanions walked together thro
113 -gh what seemed to be some sort of primi
114 -tive dwelling untill they came upon wha
115 t they were looking for! The long since 
116 obsolete micro computer used for various
117 purposes in the late 20 th. century.
118  
119  The reason for their quest began a 
120 
121 while back while the duo were on the
122 
123 planet EUROPA and they discovered a 
124 
125 strange metal box containg 20 or so
126 
127 'Disks' used for magnetic storage in
128 
129 'the growing years' and into the
130 
131 'inlightened times'.
132  
133  So they were sent on a quest to find 
134 
135 out what was on them.
136 
137 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
138                          The time traped^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
139 
140 &%#&%@#&*%)_&%#_!@&%@_#&^$(@&^@#&^@_#&^%!@_#&^#$_^&#$_^&!#$_*^_)#^)_*^)_#*^
141 Mikey:OK, I'll pick them up sometime this week. I will also return all
142 those extra flyers. Any ideas why COPYLINK would write random characters
143 to the LNW screen? 
144 *%_@*%_@#*%_)@#*%)_&%@)#_&%@#)_%&* L'homme sans Parity %^&*$_^*@_)*^@)_*^@_
145 ?
146 list
147  
148 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
149  
150 #$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#0:05#9/11#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#
151 I think I been sitting around doing nothing for too long...
152 
153 ACT OF MERCY
154 (Part 1 of 3)
155 by John Silverman
156  
157    It was a cold, dingy day, latest in a series of cold, dingy days. The grey cloud canopy had fused to the afternoon 
158 sky and dime-sized raindrops pounded the window. Tim Corbett paid little attention as he continued sweeping up scraps
159 in the stockroom with the big pushbroom. The weather outside fit his mood perfectly. Depression had become a natural
160 part of his life, as ordinary as waking up in the morning. As he continued chasing debris, he tried to just blank his
161 mind. The last thing he wanted to think about was the small bottle that was sitting in his coat pocket, hanging on a 
162 hook in the corner. Every time he saw it, he averted his gaze. If he thought about it too much, he might change his 
163 mind.
164    He was concentrating so hard on nothing that he jumped when the lights flickered and thunder rumbled in ttance.
165 Jeez, he thought, get a hold of yourself. He'd managed to slip back into his former quiet state of mind again when
166 somebody laid a hand on his shoulder. His heart skipped three beats in a row and he spun around. The figure almost 
167 jumped back, startled. It was Sherrie, one of the checkout girls from up front. Tim saw the look in her eyes and 
168 noticed that he was holding the broom like he was about to brain somebody with it. He put it down and sighed.
169    "What's the matter?" she asked, "You're acting like there's somebody after you. Don't tell me the cops finally
170 caught on and you're waiting for them."
171    Tim smiled faintly at that old running gag. "No, not yet, anyway. It's just... I don't know, my migraine's getting 
172 to me, I guess." He noticed for the first time that his head really was pounding.
173    "Maybe you just need your head screwed on tighter." She took a quick puff from the cigarette she was holding. "Well,
174 a bunch of us are getting together tonight at Ron's for a party and I was wondering if you'd be interested. Please say
175 yes. You'd be the only guy there who wasn't a total creep and I could use some protection."
176    Tim leaned on the brrom and grinned lecherously, "How do YOU know I'm not a creep? You've never seen me outside of
177 this place."
178    She blushed slightly. "I know, but you're just such a nice guy. I... I like you a lot." She looked almost 
179 embarassed when she said this.
180    Tim felt his heart rate jump a little and a world of wonderful possibilities circled through his mind. It had been 
181 a long time since a girl had said more than hi to him. And while Sherrie was no beauty queen she was still damn fine
182 looking to him and had a certain indefinable quality to her personality that he liked a lot. "Well..."
183    And then reality rudely interrupted in the form of a rigning phone in the manager's office behind them. Tim knew who
184 was calling even before the old man picked the reciever up. A minute later, Mr. Henderson's voice called out, "Corbett!
185    "Yeah! Right there!" Tim yelled back. He looked apologetically at Sherrie. "I'll be right back." he sighed.
186    He walked into the office and old man Henderson handed him the reciever.
187 "Yeah, Mom."
188    "Dear," the frail, familiar voice floated back to him, "I need to use the bathroom again."
189    "What?" Tim shouted in disbelief, "I helped you not half an hour ago! Look, I got twenty minutes to go and then 
190 I'll be home. Can't you wait that long? If I keep taking off Mr. Henderson will fire me." He looked down at Henderson,
191 sitting at his desk, but the old man was shuffling papers and seemed to pay no attention at all.
192    "But dear," the voice whined pitifully, "I can't wait that long. I... oh... oh..." There was a long pause. Then,
193 "Never mind, dear. I'm afraid you're going to have to change the sheets when you get home, though."
194    "Swell." Tim rubbed his temple. The migraine had just kicked into high gear. "Okay, whatever." he sighed. "I have
195 to go."
196    "All right, Timmy, but please hurry home. I don't know how long I can stand this." Me neither, Tim thought. He set
197 the phone back in its cradle and walked out of the office, feeling, as usual, like someone had snuckand let him
198 have it from behind with a large foam rubber mallet. The top of his head was trying to come unlatched and he reached for
199 the bottle of Tylenol he kept on a shelf. Sherrie came up behind him and said, "Well?"
200    "Well, what? Oh." He'd actually forgotten for a second. "I'm sorry, but I can't. I... have to take care of my mother,
201 and I just can't leave her alone for that long. I'm sorry."
202    Her dissapointment was evident. "You always have to go straight home. You can't get away for just one night?"
203    "No, dammit, I wish I could!" He took three tablets and chewed them. The taste made him grimace.
204    "Well, if you can't, I shouldn't try to force you. I would like to know you better, away from this place, though.
205 You seem like a really nice guy." She stubbed her cigarette out in the ashtray and said, "Well, I gotta get back to
206 work. Maybe some other time."
207    "Yeah, sure." He watched her as she walked out the doorway. His waning headache suddenly dimmed in comparison to
208 the pain in his knuckles as he slammed his fist into the concrete wall.
209    "Hey! You wanna quit tryin' to knock down the building and get back to work?" Old man Henderson was standing in the
210 office doorway hollering at him. Tim grabbed the broom painfully and angrily went back to work on the floor.
211  
212 (To Be Continued...)
213  
214 I'm afraid I must agree with the general concensous: Enter only sucks. The syntax reads kinda strange in a couple of
215 places but there is little I can do about it now. I'll just have to be more careful next time. What happened to All
216 allowed, anyway?
217 Piper: Awesome. Your last entry on Drive B was handled very smoothly and well writtedn good job!
218 AGH!!
219  
220 Anyway, until the next disk...
221 JOHN SILVERMAN (at least I spelled that right)
222 #$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#0:57#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$
223 
224 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
225 John S. -- thanx.  Looks like you have a (what's the opposite of fan? unfan?
226 infan? oh,oh -- infan + tile = <you fill in the rest>).
227 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
228   The woman dropped the keen bladed knife in a fold of her grey cloak where
229 it lay on the dark pavement, still carrying the imprint of the bodies that
230 it had cushioned against the hardness below.  The piper wasted no time 
231 contemplating the barbaric scene she made, poised naked with a rivulet of
232 blood trickling down from the wound in her left breast.  Ignoring the pain
233 in his arm, the piper retrieved the slim steel knife, wiped it clean on
234 the kilt he held under his arm, and slid it into its holster.  He then
235 picked up his shirt and wadded it against the wound in his arm.  He 
236 dropped the shirt as he wound the kilt around his waist and quickly buckled
237 the belt of the sporran, but by then the arm was bleeding very little.
238   The woman had taken her grey cloak from the pavement and wrapped it around
239 her shoulders.  The piper took his shirt from the pavement and pressed it
240 against her wound to slow the bleeding still more.  The hissing roar that
241 had erupted when their pooled blood hit the pavement was decreasing in
242 intensity, the fog seemed to be dissapating into the luminous space.  Moving
243 with one mind, the piper and his companion leaped into the center of the
244 disturbance, just as the faint strains of the tune "Amazing Grace" began
245 to fill the timeless space between the planes of reality.
246 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
247 
248 --P--
249   John Silverman - good to see you here.   I have not enter anything myself for
250 a long time, but I had to break my silence to say, "Welcome back!".
251 --Patti--
252 





253 UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
254 Clo,                                                           Mar 11
255 Although the going is painfully slow, I have not found the time to write
256 you as I wish.  Trudging along at a snail's pace we attempt to ignore
257 the moisture of the soils beneath our feet or the sullen darkness of the
258 sky overhead.  In our travels we are bound to meet with some poeple that
259 do not appreciate what it is that we do for them... or their country.
260 I don't know how to tell you this gently so I shall give you the events
261 as they have transpired.
262 As we came upon a small city not too far Moscow, one of its inhabitants
263 came rushing up to us.  It was an elderly man with thin grey whiskers
264 and a face filled with fury.  He shouted for us to turn back and cursed
265 us as if we were the very enbodiment of Lucifer's minions.
266 Our leader ordered us back to the fringes of the city.  We could see for
267 our own protection that this would be a judicious act.  We complied with
268 the utmost of haste.
269 Even though we were retreating from the mad man's city, he felt com-
270 pelled to follow us.  Most of our comrades made light of the situation
271 even as he had begun to cast rocks and other roadside clutter.
272 We thought his temperment to be a queer thing, and found him to be one
273 that backed his words with action.  The man came close enough to hurl
274 his stones into our midst.  There were some that felt his deranged
275 wrath.  I, for one, took a stone to my arm which is the cause for my
276 lacking penmanship.  Others were not as fortunate.
277 Your brother Gustav received a blow to his head and was taken off to be
278 treated for his wound by our friend Klaus.  I aided them as best I
279 could.
280 The good doctor told us that even though it did not appear so, the wound
281 was only a minor one.  He said that in a few weeks when the bandages
282 could be taken off completely.  He then smiled and said that it would
283 leave Gustav with a noble scar to remind all of the times he rendered in
284 service for his country.
285 Klaus and Gustav shared in the good doctor's humor.  I just sat in con-
286 tempt for that lunatic's deed.
287 
288 How is it that once a man dons a uniform to honor his country's strength
289 and freedom that he is then considered an enemy of his people?  All we
290 ever wanted was to make our home a place free from worry, safe from
291 doubt.      Were we so wrong?
292 
293 I will go off to sleep once I've attended to the needs of your brother,
294 then perhaps I may rid myself of these unpleasant thoughts.  I will
295 dream of you, and I will dream of the times we have spent together oh so
296 long ago.
297 I miss you, and wish I could be with you now.
298 Osram
299 UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU  diary
300 





301 
302 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^     (.......)
303 kathyd:  You are more than correct, we are not enemies.
304          (just remember to play the music once in awhile, ok?)
305 John Silverman:  You know, I was wondering when you would return...
306          Writers must find their release, whatever the phone number.
307 Donald:  I don't suppose that made any sense did it?  Naa, I didn't 
308          think it would.   Remember:  This is an open forum, free to
309          be used by any creative talent, such as John, or it may be
310          used by the twits.  I won't name names, you know who
311          you^H^H^Hthey are.
312 L'homme:  Glad to hear (where ever I heard) of the success of your trip.
313          (I think it is time we re-evaluate a few opinions here...)
314 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^     --->the Guardian     -111:13
315 
316 A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A=4
317 
318    "Trainor, Lady Tayree, Tin Man, Fencer, Emu! Come quickly. I think Bard has
319 stumbled on to something." Excitement rang in Cragmore's voice as he called
320 to the other adventurers. While his voice carried into the control room where
321 the rest sat in contemplation of the mission, his eyes locked on Bard and
322 the pipes he had taken up. An astonishing version of Amazing Grace was
323 coming from the drones and the chanter, and the area around Bard, indeed
324 the whole Pell-mell, seemed to shimmer and coruscate with each succeeding
325 measure of music.
326    Trainor and the rest tumbled into the commons room at once, nearly tripping
327 over the pillows that only minutes before had cushioned the semi-circle of
328 psi talent, a circle that was still incomplete.
329    "What is all the racket? We heard the music and thought that Bard was just
330 fooling around." Trainor's face still proclaimed his concern for the lost
331 Piper.
332    "Look around you! Don't you feel it? We are moving towards him. The pipes
333 are calling to their owner. I can feel Piper's presence near by. He is so
334 close. Keep playing Bard! Keep playing!"
335    Bard moved his lips from the reed of the chanter to speak. As he did the
336 room dimmed, and all the passengers felt a nauseating vile sensation within
337 their bodies. Bard quickly took the reed in his mouth again, and resumed
338 his hymn. The nausea went away.
339    "Why..."
340    Cragmore interrupted the question. "Yes we are very close. No time to
341 discuss now. Trainor, you and Emu return to the control room. We are about
342 to enter a different zone. My mind tells me this is so. Be wary, carefully
343 watch the gauges and readouts from the Pell-mell. I think, I feel... I know,
344 we are about to enter ZEB!"
345    The faces of those who had color quickly lost it. But hardy adventurers
346 they all were, and they followed Cragmore's direction. Trainor and Emu
347 took firm control of the ship. Fencer and Tin Man buckled down in the Pell-
348 mell's safety seats. Tayree and Cragmore moved closer to Bard and the pipes,
349 and sat on the floor near him.
350    "Take my hands, concentrate. You have skills you are not aware of, but I
351 felt them when we were in the semi-circle. Concentrate on Piper's image.
352 Believe, free you mind of all but Piper. Piper, we are near. Piper, help us
353 return. Pip..."
354 
355    No one noticed, no one outside cared. But a small ship containing several
356 people, ceased to exist in one element of realities, only to be born again
357 in some middle ground, some median betwuen two vast highways of entropy and
358 coalescence. No matter was lost, no energy gained. Just a transfer, the likes
359 no man or woman had ever seen before.
360 
361    "Cragmore! What's happening? I haven't got readings like this since...Oh,
362 I think I know what's happened!" Cragmore's concentration was broken by
363 Trainor's frantic voice. It didn't matter now though, what they had attempted
364 was completed. He released Lady Tayree's hands. Blood trickled from where
365 her fingernails had dug into the back of Cragmore's hands.
366    "Trainor, move forward slowly. Emu, scan the area for Piper. He is very
367 close, we are almost on top of him now. Bard, you can stop playing now, I
368 am sure we will not feel that sickness we felt before."
369    But Bard ignored Cragmore's words. He played frantically. The shimmer
370 of the room had lessened with the irregularity of Bard's composition, but
371 the shimmer was still present, along with the basic melody of the song.
372    "I guess it doesn't matter. Lady Tayree, are you OK?"
373    "yes", she replied, wiping the thin film of sweat from her brow, "but that
374 was some experience. i have skills you say?"
375    "I will tell you more later. We are very close to Piper. We must act
376 quickly."
377    "Cragmore!" It was Emu again the control room. "I see something ahead. I
378 think, yes I am sure now, its Piper!"
379    At those words Bard ceased his playing, and Fencer and Tin Man emerged from
380 their seats.
381    "Please hurry Trainor. The surface of this place is solid, as far as my
382 seeing can tell. Set the Pell-mell down. I think Piper is in grave danger."
383    Trainor set the ship down near two huddled figures. The figures barely
384 looked up at the huge contraption that had landed near them. The doors of
385 the Pell-mell opened, and the adventures, save Emu at the controls, filed
386 out the portal and onto the black surface their ship now rested on. They
387 did not notice the light that danced as they moved quickly towards the two
388 huddled figures. They did not notice the blood that covered various garments.
389 They stood dumbfounded around piper and the other unidentified person, not
390 knowing what to say or what to do; Piper's reaction to their supposed 
391 rescue completely baffled them.
392    Finally piper looked up at the clustered adventurers. He moved his gaze
393 from face to face, looking deeply into each person's eyes. His lips
394 parted, and then, very quietly, he spoke.
395    "You... your coming here, your arrival, has just spelled doom for another
396 planet. By finding me, you have just killed billions of helpless people."
397    No one replied. What could the instigators of genocide say?
398 
399 A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A= A=4
400 ch /got/gotten/ ch /Emu again/Emu in/		Sorry 'bout that.     Cragmore.
401 
402 :::::=====::::
403 John Silverman: Nice to see you here again.  Good work on the entry.   Will
404 talk to yo5u via. phonwee. Line Noise
405 present, can no longer tr!an3smit.
406 :::::=====:::::
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415 aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeee
416 
417 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
418     Emu watched his companions via the visi-screen as they went to get
419 Piper.  "What luck it was " thought Emu, "that Bard knew what to do with
420 those bagpipes.  Without that ingenuity, we might never have found Piper."
421     As Emu watched, he noticed the blood that stained Piper's garments.
422 Piper seemed to be favoring his right arm ... and who was this comely
423 young woman lying half covered by the bloody robe that she clutched to
424 her busom?  This strange scene was made even more so by the horrified look
425 on Piper's face as the adventurers approached him.  Then Emu saw what
426 Piper was staring at: the "ground" was dancing with light as the adventurers
427 walked toward the two.  Piper was saying something.
428     "Damn!" Emu exclaimed aloud.  "Why isn't there a sound circut here!"
429 Emu looked for one, and noticed the strangest of all developments.  His
430 tracker, still tuned to Piper's body, showed a zero metabolic rate, as if
431 Piper was dead.  Tapping on the meter had no effect.  He tried tuning to
432 Trainor's body and still registered no metabolism.  In fact, everyone
433 outside of the ship was burning zero energy in their body.  When trying it
434 on himself and on Fencer's dog, all readings were normal.
435     After doing physical health scans of all those outside the ship, Emu
436 found that the bodies were making all correct involuntary movements, such
437 as heartbeat and breathing, but those processes were not supplying the 
438 energy needed by each cell.  Normal oxidation was not taking place.  In
439 fact, there was no oxygen what so ever in the surrounding environment.
440 Instead, after checking all energy levels and sources, Emu determined that
441 energy was being channeled from the environment directly into each living
442 cell.  Where this ambient energy originated, Emu knew not.
443     Returning his gaze to the visi-screen, Piper seemed to be explaining
444 something.  No one moved.  "How odd.  Why don't they bring Piper and the
445 girl into the Pell-Mell?"  Emu began to feel a tugging at the edge of his 
446 consciencness.  Having felt this uncanny sensation before, he knew to
447 empty his mind, and let a mentalist "speak" to him.
448     Cragmore explained the situation to Emu.  The energy came from the
449 violence of mass destruction.  Emu let Cragmore read from his mind what
450 had just discovered, that only those outside of the ship were affected.
451 
452     Since the ship itself wasn't affected either, a plan was soon formed.
453 Emu was to manouver the ship to the group, getting as close as possible,
454 and pull each person into the ship.  Each person was to remain perfectly
455 still and allow Emu to do the work.  Once in the ship, they could assist
456 in pulling in the rest.
457     Manouvering the ship in such close quarters was tricky, but soon all
458 were within the Pell-Mell.  Emu called out "Okay, Trainor, Bard, help me
459 find a way out of this cloud of nothing!"
460 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.Emu
461 MODEM PROGRAM UPDATE
462 Mikey:Copylink now sends and receives, but once I go to terminal mode, I can't
463 get back out without reseting the whole machine. I have the esc equate set
464 to 1BH, and it appears identical to the equates in AMODEM. AMODEM works fine,
465 but COPYLINK doesn't. Any ideas? Oh, MEX112 still locks up the machine
466 when I go to terminal mode. I am going to try to strip out the baud rate
467 stuff and see if that does any good. If you have any suggestions on the
468 escape key problem, please let me know. Reseting as a means of getting to
469 command mode is not the greatest.
470 MODEM PROGRAM UPDATE
471 *********************************************************************:
472 SEVERAL THINGS, ONE, ON THE APPLE THEY TRAP THE ESCAPE KEY THEMSELVES,
473 SO YOU HAVE TO HIT IT TWICE TO GET ONE ESCAPE. THE OTHER POSSIBILITY
474 IS THAT THE KEY YOU THINK IS AN ESCAPE ISN'T REALLY. TRY THIS, TURN ECHO
475 ON, THEN MONITOR ON, THEN GO TO TERMINAL MODE AND TYPE EACH KEY TWICE,
476 THE ESCAPE KEY SHOULD PUT OUT A SINGLE (1B). IF YOU CAN'T GET THE BEAST TO
477 PUT OUT AN ESCAPE, THEN REDEFINE THE CMDCHAR BYTE TO SOMETHING ELSE.
478 NOTE, IF THE LNW IS TRAPPING THE ESCAPE ITSELF, YOU MAY HAVE TO TYPE IT
479 FOUR TIMES TO SEE THE SINGLE (1B) ON THE SCREEN. IF THIS IS TRUE, THEN
480 ESCAPE ESCAPE X WILL GET YOU BACK TO COMMAND MODE. HOW'S THE SCREEN 
481 DOING, STILL GETTING WEIRD CHARS?
482 *************************** CISTOP MIKEY *******************************:
483 [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/]
484   THE TIN MAN felt awkward in the presence of these two.  Much more so than
485 the lady's state of partial undress could account for.  This had all the 
486 proper ingredients for a rescue, but somehow it felt more like an intrusion.
487 And something felt very odd about this place, very odd indeed.
488   Then came the report from the pell-mell.  Something about energy being 
489 directly transfered here.  Tin looked at his own gauges, everything looked 
490 fine... except the stored power reading.  Right next to the gauge was a small
491 indecator light.  He had never seen this on unless he was undergoing recharge,
492 and all of THAT equipment was back at the INN, several realities away.  Even
493 as he watched, the small needle crept a fraction higher.  He glanced past the
494 chest read-out to the dark floor, and saw a waning point of light disappear
495 into nothingness.  Then a few moments later another point of light flared, 
496 and then faded.  Almost immediately another, just a few feet away.
497   Suddenly it hit him.  The humans used this energy, this breath of death,
498 to survive in this place.  It took the place of air and food and water, 
499 probably even heat and light.  But he didn't just burn energy, he STORED it,
500 in the three Stefansson batteries deep inside his chest.  Even as the implica-
501 tions of this hit him, and he whirled towards the pell-mell, three, then four
502 more flares sprang around his feet.  Whatever this place was, it learned fast.
503 The power gauge took another step up, this time much larger.  The machine 
504 looked a long way away, and if the batteries overloaded...  He didn't want to
505 think about that.  It was already enough to feel the stench of death that
506 flowed from the surface beneath him.  In blind panic he ran towards the
507 machine.
508 [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] THE TIN MAN [/] [/]
509  
510 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
511  
512 *********************************************************************
513 adventures:   why was I hoping for a happy ending for you?  The words
514               keep poping into my mind... "another fine mess"""
515 
516 ".
517 *******************sorryaboutthat!**kathyd******************************
518 
______________________________________________________________________________
519                     "AMBUSH"               a short story
520                                        by  Cravenhaw Coercri
521 ______________________________________________________________________________
522         Johnny hid the gun in the small of his back as to not scare any of the
523 shopping mall customers.  His assignment was about to end, and this time he
524 would not miss.  So many times he had fouled up his mission but this would be
525 different.  He would erase Fire-Eyed Jack from existance.
526         There he was, pushing his way through the crowd.  Fire-Eyed Jack in
527 his first and last public appearance.  Johnny shuffled this way and that try-
528 ing not to be noticed but still trying to approach Jack in his Farmer Bob
529 clothing.
530         Five yards to go now and Johnny would be at point blank range.  Coming
531 up behind Jack in complete surprize gave Johnny a feeling of great excitement,
532 and knowing that his mission was soon to end brought on a more comfortable
533 feeling of relaxation.
534         Two yards now and all would be history.  Johnny pulled the gun out
535 from under his jacket and felt the Luger grip get warm in his hand.
536         Shoving the barrel of the weapon into Jack's back, Johnny yelled,
537 "You're dead now, Fire-Eyed Jack!"
538         As Farmer Bob whirled his eighty-two year old frame to face the young
539 boy who called him Fire-Eyed Jack, he heard the sound of a load cap going off.
540         The newspaper headline the next day read:  "Robert Warren Calicoe,
541 Ohio's oldest resident, died yesterday when Johnny Morgan, age 6, fired a cap
542 gun in Mr. Calicoe's direction.  An autopsy has lead doctors to believe the
543 cause of death was cardiac arrest.  Calicoe is succeeded by...."
544         Johnny sat back and smiled.
545 ______________________________________________________________________________
546 
547 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
548   Lurking, digesting, thinking...
549 (there's gotta be some more complications here)
550 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
551 %\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\
552 Piper: More complications to what?
553 %\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%\%%\%\%\%\
554  
555 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
556     Emu spoke up again, "Okay, folks, start thinking.  We've got a couple
557 problems on our hands.  First and foremost, we neet to find our way out of
558 this ZEBbie.  We were compeled in, but I don't think that that will work
559 as easily going out.  My only suggestion is to try directly flying out, but
560 by the readings, or lack thereof, I should say, on the nav controls, that's
561 no easy trick either.
562     "Secondly, we still need to figure out how to, if not kill, at least
563 neutralize good ol' ZEBbie.  Maybe we can neutralize it as we leave?  Maybe
564 neutralizing it first will eliminate the need to find a way out.  Any
565 suggestions?"
566 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.Emu
567 :::::=====:::::
568 TRrainor, Emu, Bard, Piper, (et. all): A Question....
569      I think that after studying all these different styles and Aall the 
570 people here, I xavhave learned a great deal.  I realize that you all have
571 a somewhat LOW opinion of me, but that was when I was letting my enthusiasm
572 get the best of me.  Sure, I did do something bad, but everyone deserves
573 another chance.  So, my question is this:  Can I get in on your adventure?
574 I have some things planned out, and they might be of some benefit.  I solely
575 promise that I won't use your characters
576 unless you allow it, and I won't try to get into the story if yoou say NO. But
577 I think that if you would only give me the slightest cxance at working with you
578 on the adventure, it will be a great
579 be~efit for me, and perhaps you as well. Besides, you can always kick me out
580 again if I start annoying you.  I promise not to use my MAGIC TRUFFLES
581 and I promise not to ride on Trainor's 
582 shoulder (I planned to get off anyway when the adventure started) so what do 
583 you all say?  Can I join in?  Please?
584 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
585 @^@^@^@^@^@^####################################################^@^@^@^@^
586 Je suis "CHENOCEUX".  Je suis un nouveau auture.  C'est tres estrange!
587 Parce que, je n'ai pas jamais "scribbled" sur le BBS apres.  Bien, il 
588 est temps pour moi a partir maintenant.  C'est un amusment journal pour
589 le americain enfants, oui?  S'il vous plait, si quelque un besoin a 
590 "deposit" un francais "scribble" pour moi, merci.  Si non, encoule!
591 Si, vous ne comprend pas, pardon. 
592 
593 p.s. A les belles madamoiselles - voulez-vous couchez avec moi, quelque
594      nuit?  D'accord?
595 
596 
597                                          Jusqu'...,
598 
599 ^@^@^@^@^################################################CHENOCEUX#####@^@^@^@^
600 
601 
602 
603 break
604 
605 stop
606 lo
607 BREAK
608 
609 (((*)))(((*)))(((*)))((( just checking in )))(((*)))(((*)))((( Ripple)))
610 It's okay even if we can't read a word of that....
611 Too bad these keys can't prodouce the characters for Japanese, We'll have
612 to stick with romagi.  konnichiwa!  Ogenki desuka?  kujihandes, oyasuminasai!
613 `,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,Mf
614 
615 {+|+}  (0912852155) [621]
616 ++++++++++++++++++er,hum,tooclosetobottomtoenter.lurk,lurk,lurk...+ Milchar +++
617 .-.-.
618 oui, ecrivez, mais pas couchez, d'ac?  merci...
619 .-.-.Emu
620 RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
621       And in the calmness that now surrounds me I wonder.  Your thought-
622 ful consideration gives cause to step back and recapture your beauty....
623 RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

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