633 lines
39 KiB
Plaintext
633 lines
39 KiB
Plaintext
|
|
1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask...
|
|
2 ************************* INSTALLED: 11 OCT 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 ALL: Various items for sale: FHR 1200 baud Hayes compatable modem; NEW $225
|
|
21 In addition, I have five Shugart SA-400 disk drives. Rebuilt and tested
|
|
22 for 24 hours on BW (I can't think of a better test). $25.00 each. 5 available.
|
|
23 2 pertec 8" disk drives as is $10 each.
|
|
24 Three spare parts SA-400 disk drives. (One won't read - missing IC,
|
|
25 two won't write - something on the logic board, a board
|
|
26 swap makes em work) $5.00 each. Buy all 5 good shugarts, and I'll throw in
|
|
27 the spare parts drives for free. If you're interested, give me a call at
|
|
28 654-xxxx (U.S. Digital) Mike Day.
|
|
29 ******************************** CISTOP MIKEY *******************************
|
|
30
|
|
31 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
32
|
|
33 "And now, let's check in with our correspondant Bill Boling at the
|
|
34 fifteenth annual Dom Fester games.......Bill?"
|
|
35 "Thanks Bob. Hi everybody! Weel, we're here at the fifteenth annuaDom Fester games, watching the Ion-Boat
|
|
36 race! And what a race! We've already had one exciting moment, when boat numberfifty-four dipped it's jets too close
|
|
37 to the water, and when the propulsion and H20 met,.....bleweeeee!.....right
|
|
38 out of the water! Now, let's go down to the Pogo event with our reporter,
|
|
39 Gil......"
|
|
40 "Thanks Jim, we're here talking with the winner of the all-time
|
|
41 favorite Jet-Pogo event, Urbane Sheperd. Mr. Sheperd, can I call you Urb?
|
|
42 Good, Urb, what was it like during the last ten miles?"
|
|
43 "Well Gil, it was pretty rough starting through turn number eight,
|
|
44 but I made it okay, my stick performed real well in the qualifying rounds
|
|
45 early this morning, you know, so it was just what we expected, winning I
|
|
46 mean."
|
|
47 "And what was all that towards the end? Could you explain that
|
|
48 to our audiance?"
|
|
49 "Sure. Well, I was right along side this 'fella on a red and
|
|
50 grey stick, we were really goin' at it 'cause it was near the finish,
|
|
51 and this guy, number eighty-six I think it was, was just ahead of us.
|
|
52 Anyway, this guy on the red and grey was pulling ahead of me to try to take
|
|
53 the lead, but could'nt do it because of this guy in front, so here I am
|
|
54 lookin' at him, and all of the sudden, he whips out this blaster and kills
|
|
55 this guy in front of us!"
|
|
56 "And then what happened?"
|
|
57 "Well, then the cops come flyin' in and throw their nets over
|
|
58 the guy on the red and grey, and haul him away sayin' "Murder's a
|
|
59 misdemeanor, ya' know!", so I won the race easy."
|
|
60 "Congratulations, Urb, good to see you win it."
|
|
61 "Thanks Gil."
|
|
62 "And that's the story here, Bill, Urbane Sheperd takes the win by
|
|
63 five miles."
|
|
64 "Thanks Gil. Now ladies and gentlemen, we'll pause for a station
|
|
65 break, and bring and bring you back for the Electric Curling, stay tuned!"
|
|
66
|
|
67 *Click........*
|
|
68
|
|
69 PEN NAME
|
|
70 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
71 [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[
|
|
72
|
|
73 The Wanderer stands up slowly, nods in response to the shape-shifter and
|
|
74 company, and raises his hand. There is a shimmer in the room, like heat waves
|
|
75 rising up from the desert floor. It would be unsettling to say that time stop-
|
|
76 ped, and that a new reallity was over layed the old... and unsettled is the
|
|
77 last feeling that anyone has: All is as it was before, all except... one might
|
|
78 notice if they looked carefully the Wanderer had three more grey hairs, and
|
|
79 there is NO thin man in the back...
|
|
80
|
|
81 "JoJoe, if I might trouble you for two skins of wine, and may be a loaf of
|
|
82 sour bread with sharp cheese, for the passin'. A story needs good food and
|
|
83 drink, for the tellin' to be what it may." From a pocket he pulled a coin, gold
|
|
84 form its look, thought JoJoe as he got up to get the requested items.
|
|
85 "You could buy all the food I gots wit' this... ya want I should maybe put
|
|
86 the change on a tab?"
|
|
87 "That would be fine, my good man. Thank you, for suren."
|
|
88 JoJoe wiped his nose on the back of his sleave as was his habbit, winced up
|
|
89 one eye, and thought, "... I don't 'member him a having an accent like that
|
|
90 before," but, the thought passed... leaving JoJoe feeling very much at peace.
|
|
91
|
|
92 NEXT TIME: On with the story.
|
|
93
|
|
94 ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]***RHD inc.***]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
|
|
95
|
|
96 [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[**PS**[[[[[[[[[[[[
|
|
97 THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT
|
|
98 ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
|
|
99 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\THE DESTROYER\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
|
|
100 "THIS is a TARDIS?" she asked incredulously.
|
|
101 James held up a hand, "Now I didn't say that. This isn't a TARDIS. But it's close. It doesn't travel through time
|
|
102 (thank God) but it does nearly everything else a TARDIS can. What you're looking at here is the front door. It works
|
|
103 like an airlock which means I can't get into the ship itself until this door is closed. so if you'll please step
|
|
104 inside..."
|
|
105 Reluctantly she did so. James followed her in and the cylinder slowly closed.
|
|
106 Except for the twelve glowing buttons it was totally dark in there and for a moment she had a brief attack of
|
|
107 claustrophobia. Shadows covered some of the buttons as James tapped out a security code on them. Then the buttons went
|
|
108 out and the side of the cylinder they were on began to open. Instead of splitting and rotating aside like the other
|
|
109 half, this half slowly slid down into the floor.
|
|
110 She stepped out into a large room. It was dim, lit only by the lights of the electronics that covered the walls.
|
|
111 James touched a switch and spotlights mounted into the ceiling came to life. A contoured chair sat in the center,
|
|
112 facing a large blank screen and surrounded by banks of equipment. A half dozen other seats were placed behind it. Big
|
|
113 as the room was, it was still crowded with equipment. There were so many details that she quickly lost track of them
|
|
114 all. It was very utilitarian. And rather depressing.
|
|
115 James hung his hat and jacket on an old fashioned coatrack by the door. A multicolored scarf of unbelievable length
|
|
116 was loosely draped around the lower hooks ("A small in-joke" he commented.). He went over to the console by the chair
|
|
117 and began punching buttons. Hidden machinery hummed to life. The screen lit up with a computer image of the
|
|
118 surrounding area.
|
|
119 Tariya was quite awed. Looking around, the asked, "Where did you get this thing? The Circle's secret reports never
|
|
120 mentioned this."
|
|
121 Secret reports? He filed that one away for future reference. It occured to him how little he knew about his
|
|
122 travelling companion. "Well, there's this shop, located at the base of the third temporal axis, where you can buy
|
|
123 literally anything. And I do mean anything. This was sitting in a rack in its card form. I got it for a song. Traded
|
|
124 my Walkman and a bunch of cassettes for it. They trade stuff 'cause there's no universal money system down there.
|
|
125 Still, I think I got the better of the deal."
|
|
126 "That depends on what a walkman is." She said, walking around and looking at all the gadgetry. Mindful of what
|
|
127 happened to her own ship, she was very careful not to touch anything.
|
|
128 "Take my word for it, I got a good deal." James hit a switch and Tariya jerked back as a door opened in front of
|
|
129 her. It hadn't looked like a door. "Back there's the rest of the ship. Living quarters, storage, maintanance
|
|
130 hatchways, all sorts of stuff. The first sixty doors on either side are living spaces. Pick one and take it. After
|
|
131 that is the storerooms. You can find just about anything you'd need there. There's an inventory somewhere but I'll be
|
|
132 damned if I know where it is."
|
|
133 "You don't sound like you know your own ship too well."
|
|
134 "I have more important things on my mind. In fact, I'm still learning to fly this sucker. Speaking of which," he
|
|
135 looked back at her, "where's our destination?"
|
|
136 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\THE DESTROYER\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
|
|
137
|
|
138 |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|l|u|r|k|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|
|
|
139 /=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/me too./=/=/ Piner. /=/
|
|
140 (((*)))(((*)))(((*)))(((*)))(((*(((*)))(((*)))me three )))((( Ripple )))
|
|
141 #$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#busy night#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$
|
|
142 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
|
|
143 My goodness! Two disks in record time -- things are looking up around here
|
|
144 and the new works look good. And now, back to an old story...
|
|
145 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
|
|
146 Have you ever had the sensation of saying JUST the wrong thing? Asking
|
|
147 JUST the wrong question? Making JUST the wrong move?
|
|
148 The wounded woman lay back on the cushions that supported her, relaxing
|
|
149 with an almost inaudible sigh as the lady ministering to her needs
|
|
150 reacted to the question. An almost forced cheerfulness... a sense of
|
|
151 wounds that lay near the surface, a counter question.
|
|
152 "Do I fear death?" she pondered the question. "No, should I fear that
|
|
153 which is in the past?" The pain of the wound was amplified by the pain
|
|
154 of loneliness. "Perhaps it is only a dream that I will return home."
|
|
155 The ache of a near-mortal wound is deeper than the physical. The piper's
|
|
156 sharp knife had left scars on the psyche of the woman known to the others
|
|
157 only as zeb. Filled with self-loathing for the unguessable length of time
|
|
158 she had sustained her own life at the expense of others, she answered the
|
|
159 questions put to her in a nearly automatic state. Her past? She supressed
|
|
160 a small smile, and made a small answer about the inadequacies of language.
|
|
161 Why did she feel this distance? Why could she not feel the gratitude due
|
|
162 this kind person, so like herself in face and form, whose touch was gentle
|
|
163 and healing? The images swirled around in her minde, a mixed melange of
|
|
164 recent and less recent past ... the strong arms of the piper, a warm and
|
|
165 welcome companion after a near infinity alone... farther back, a cool rainy
|
|
166 day on a windswept hill...
|
|
167 The grey clouds were scudding through the rain-streaked sky, driven by
|
|
168 their nature, emitting playful gusts of wind. Water gathered in small
|
|
169 puddles, then broke into drops and lept into the waiting clouds. The small
|
|
170 group on the brow of the hill gathered with bowed heads then stood for
|
|
171 long moments as their flapping clothes generated a small breeze around
|
|
172 them. A tall man embraced her for a moment, then stepped to the side
|
|
173 of a disturbed spot of earth, and unsaid the fateful words. With reverent
|
|
174 strokes, the diggers unearthed the pitifully small coffin and lifted it
|
|
175 from the musty ground.
|
|
176 Back at home, they took the small body, a beautiful girl-child who
|
|
177 could remain for no more than five or six years, and placed her in the
|
|
178 sickbed. It was a long, and agonizing illness, but at last the little
|
|
179 girl rested in her arms, and said the fateful words,
|
|
180 "Mommy, I don't feel good."...
|
|
181 Experinces jolted her. A sense of complete understanding suffused here,
|
|
182 giving her the feeling that all the answers lay right at hand.
|
|
183 A touch, more subtle than that of a hand ruffled the surface of her
|
|
184 thoughts, and she turned to see the look of understanding coming into the
|
|
185 lady Tayree's compassionate eyes. A few words, then the comforting touch
|
|
186 of a gentle hand on the brow...
|
|
187 Suddenly the physical contact between the women broke a mental barrier
|
|
188 between them. The mind of the Lady Tayree came flooding through the
|
|
189 mind of the woman called zeb, and her mind begain to flow into that of
|
|
190 the lady. Outraged by this violation of self, two mouths opened as
|
|
191 one and the blended scream of the two women filled the chamber.
|
|
192 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
|
|
193 Scarlet l -- this particular entry happened without concious volition on
|
|
194 my part. It does tie things together a bit, but I don't really know where
|
|
195 it's going. Perhaps we need a different board to talk about possibilities
|
|
196 for the story? I'm open to suggestions.
|
|
197 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
|
|
198 ++++++++++++++++lurk+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Milchar++++++++++++++
|
|
199 HYPERBOLE. HYPERBOLE. HYPERBOLE
|
|
200 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
|
|
201 HEY! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY STORY!
|
|
202 ------------KEVIN B.------------------
|
|
203
|
|
204 TRY DRIVE B, KEVIN. TYPE DB AT THE
|
|
205 > PROMPT.
|
|
206 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
207 [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[
|
|
208
|
|
209 HELLO: RHD inc. here!
|
|
210 Congratulations are in order... as my wolf, Natassia just gave birth to
|
|
211 twelve pups, of which, ten have survived. I'm a grandpa. Mrs RHD inc. and
|
|
212 I are extreemly happy, as does appear Natassia. I realize that this is some
|
|
213 what of a waste of space, but I am so proud, you'ld think I was the one who
|
|
214 had them! Bye!
|
|
215
|
|
216 ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]***RHD inc.***]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
|
|
217 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++Lurk, lurk, lurk++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
|
|
218 Ahh, what to type... Tis a pity, I am at a loss for words. Maybe someday
|
|
219 I shall again be my former self. I shall have to wait and see what develops.
|
|
220
|
|
221 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Darbon++++++++++++++++++++++++++
|
|
222 [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[
|
|
223 False info before, 15 pups, 11 made it. More news as it happens.
|
|
224 ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]***RHD inc.***]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
|
|
225 (((*)))
|
|
226 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|
|
227 Mud, mud, everywhere, and not a dry haven in sight. Night had fallen some
|
|
228 hours before; the rain had started half an hour later. I stopped walking and
|
|
229 tried for the dozenth time to activate my passkey by pressing the contact.
|
|
230 Crackle. Spark. Nothing happens. I swore.
|
|
231 I might be here years, I reflected, or maybe longer. Depends upon the tech
|
|
232 level of the planet I'm stranded on. Looking at the apparently abandoned huts
|
|
233 that I passed regularly, I decided 'longer' was my fate. Not a place blessed
|
|
234 with extradimensional commerce, this.
|
|
235 I decided that walking farther would accomplish nothing but a cold. Quickly
|
|
236 I stepped from the pounding rain outside to the less painful rain on the
|
|
237 inside. I gave the passkey one more try before I sat down.
|
|
238 It emitted a low buzz. A weak, wavering circle of light shimmered into being.
|
|
239 It seemed my freak luck would help me home! I jumped into the circle
|
|
240 recklessly.
|
|
241 I regretted it. Pain shot through me. During an instant when the pain was
|
|
242 less intense I reasoned that the wavering field was producing uncomfortable
|
|
243 spacial changes. Nothing to do for it- 'beggars can't be choosers' applied
|
|
244 to the situation. I stuck it out.
|
|
245 Just before I thought I would collapse from the strain (and pain), I was
|
|
246 through. The Door dumped me on a dirt pathway in a forest, farther away from
|
|
247 the mud-planet than any distance measurement could handle. It still wasn't far
|
|
248 enough for me.
|
|
249 I lay on the ground for awhile, saving my strengh. I got up slowly some
|
|
250 minutes later, the soreness having ebbed slightly by then. The forest didn't
|
|
251 have that 'techy' look to it either, but at least it was dry.
|
|
252 Rain began to fall. I cursed Murphy.
|
|
253 I walked down the path, hoping it led to civilization, as it existed here
|
|
254 (again, wherever here was). A few minutes later, I found it.
|
|
255 A building stood near the path, off to my right. An odd-looking tree (I'd
|
|
256 never seen it's like before) stood before it, as if guarding the place from
|
|
257 harm. Any port in a storm, I thought, and made my way to the door. A small
|
|
258 sign near the door made things plain:
|
|
259 The Inn (All Welcome)
|
|
260 I couldn't have stumbled upon a nicer arrangement, I thought as I pulled open
|
|
261 the large oaken door.
|
|
262 %%%%%%%% rebalsa %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 10/12/85
|
|
263 .,-=-,.,-=-,.,-=-,.,-=-,.,-=-,.,-=-,.
|
|
264 Ever notice how when the weather
|
|
265 changes in the real world it often
|
|
266 does the same thing in this world...
|
|
267 .,-=-,.,-=-,. Star Buck .,-=-,.,-=-,.
|
|
268 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
|
|
269 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
|
|
270 Perhaps that's because your "real world" is merel
|
|
271 oops- merely a reflection of true reality -- as are the manifold worlds we
|
|
272 explore here...
|
|
273 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
|
|
274 OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI
|
|
275
|
|
276 It seemed like the adventurers had been running forever. The hallways
|
|
277 of the Pell-mell arched and twisted like a rat's maze. As confusing as the
|
|
278 passageways were, Trainor could find his way through them with his eyes
|
|
279 closed. Following his lead, Piper, Bard, Emu, and Cragmore soon found them-
|
|
280 selves standing, panting, in front of a smooth green door. It's construction
|
|
281 so fluent that the only indication a door was present was the difference
|
|
282 in color of the surrounding bulkhead.
|
|
283 Trainor touched a spot on the door, then drew his hand quickly away
|
|
284 as if the green door was made of hot metal.
|
|
285 "What's wrong Trainor? Is something wrong with the door?" Bard inquired.
|
|
286 "I don't know Bard. When I touched the open-door panel, I felt a
|
|
287 strange emanation from the room within. It was hot, cold, acid, and base all
|
|
288 at once. It said to me, 'Stay Away!'"
|
|
289 "Let me see" said the psi specialist Cragmore. "I felt nothing as we
|
|
290 approached." Cragmore neared the door, not touching it, but moving very
|
|
291 close. He shut his eyes, and his face showed deep concentration. Suddenly,
|
|
292 with a yell he jumped back, nearly tripping except for the efforts of Piper
|
|
293 and Emu. Helping Cragmore regain his balance, Emu voiced the question that
|
|
294 was on everyone's mind.
|
|
295 "What is going on? This is not usual Pell-mell operation is it?"
|
|
296 Cragmore looked a bit shaken, but quickly regained his composure. "I...
|
|
297 It is Lady Tayree and Zeb. They are inside the room. They don't seem to be
|
|
298 aware of our presence, but it appears... they have put up some kind of psi
|
|
299 shield around the room. Together we could break the shield, but at what cost?
|
|
300 They have protected themselves for some reason. They don't want to be
|
|
301 disturbed."
|
|
302 "This is crazy!" Trainor spoke in an angry tone. "Locked out of a room
|
|
303 in my own ship. What's next?"
|
|
304 "I don't know Trainor, but we can do nothing here. We are not wanted,
|
|
305 nor do we dare risk finding out what is going on." Cragmore tried to calm his
|
|
306 fellow questors, to varying degrees of success.
|
|
307 Emu and Bard returned to the control room. There was still the problem
|
|
308 of getting the ship out of the convolution. Piper made his way to the common
|
|
309 room, hoping to get a chance to tune his pipes. Cragmore and Trainor walked
|
|
310 slowly to the control room, joining Bard and Emu in an attempt to get the
|
|
311 Pell-mell out of the element they were in and into known time and space.
|
|
312 "Cragmore, this is very distressing. This Zeb is an unknown quantity.
|
|
313 And Lady Tayree, you said yourself this was a difficult time for her. Does
|
|
314 she know what she is doing with her powers."
|
|
315 Cragmore's face twitched, but Trainor didn't see it. "Trainor, I don't
|
|
316 know what to say. I think all we can do is wait. We are out of the picture
|
|
317 now. Let's try to get the ship into more stable space."
|
|
318 Cragmore didn't like to lie. In fact the whole idea of lying repulsed
|
|
319 him. In this case though, the truth looked far more dangerous than any lie
|
|
320 he could concoct. He knew what was going on in the room. His psi talent
|
|
321 was more complete than he had led on to the others. But this was a lie, a
|
|
322 secret, he must carry alone.
|
|
323
|
|
324 OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI
|
|
325
|
|
326 ch /her powers./her powers?/
|
|
327
|
|
328 &*%_#@*%_#@&%_)&%)_&%)_!&*%!)&%!)_&%!)_+%!)%&!^%!_)&%*!)_%&!_&%)_@#&%@_)%&@#_%&
|
|
329 psu-cs!nelsons: An 8086 assembler? Ha! That is what I had to do during the 1st
|
|
330 term of systems (CS485-486) a year and a half ago. The program ended up being
|
|
331 somewhere around 4000 lines with debugging and comments, but I did implement
|
|
332 floating point numbers in the operand field, which makes the state machine for
|
|
333 numbers much more complex but much more useful. I have an 8086 book but I use
|
|
334 it constantly because even though I have written the assembler and several
|
|
335 assem programs I still do not have the entire instruction set committed to
|
|
336 memory (RAM or ROM) and I only have one book. I would advise you to get some
|
|
337 primer or similar work. If you need to borrow my book short time, I see no
|
|
338 problem with that, but the whole term may be a bit sticky. Call or write if
|
|
339 you need more help.
|
|
340 Mikey: All the archives have been converted and massaged (haha Leonard) and I
|
|
341 can bring the 'extra' disks back next time I get out to USD. How is the
|
|
342 adventure business going?
|
|
343 *)_%$*#)_%*@_)%*@#_)%*_@)#*%@)#_*^@)#_ L'homme sans Parity *%)_#*%_@#)*%@)_*%*%
|
|
344 TJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJ
|
|
345 I place economy among the first and most important virtues, and public
|
|
346 debt as the greatest of dangers to be feared. To preserve our
|
|
347 independance, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. If
|
|
348 we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our
|
|
349 necessities and in our amusements. If we can prevent the government from
|
|
350 wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them,
|
|
351 they will be happy.
|
|
352 Thomas Jefferson
|
|
353 TJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJ
|
|
354 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
355 The following is reprinted from the Yankee Group newsletter "Yankee Ingenuity.
|
|
356
|
|
357 The War Between the UNIXes
|
|
358 Today we count some 30 active versions of UNIX being mismarketed. Bill Gates
|
|
359 was at our seminar last week. We kissed his ring. He talked about how XENIX,
|
|
360 The Right Stuff Incarnate, would now be compatible with System V, with
|
|
361 Version 7, and with the Trans-Siberian Railroad.
|
|
362
|
|
363 Some debates are clear. The UNIX debate is one that only Technoids and
|
|
364 Jeanyates could love. This isn't a debate over standards; it's a Holy War
|
|
365 over who has The Right Stuff. Just as Bell Labs is 9000 Ph.D.s connected by a
|
|
366 parking lot, UNIX is almost 70 variations on a theme connected by a PR firm.
|
|
367 UNIX is a great idea left up to a committee. ("Every great idea ultimately
|
|
368 degenerates into hardware...and software.") We call UNIX the "Revolt of the
|
|
369 Nerds." The reason there are so many versions of UNIX is the UNIX people not
|
|
370 only can't stand each other, they aren't too fond of themselves. every time
|
|
371 two UNIX nerds get together (a needless redundancy) they create three new
|
|
372 versions of UNIX. Frankly, UNIX is really the "Revenge of the Programmers,"
|
|
373 since programs written in one UNIX Version will probably require lots of
|
|
374 rewriting for another.
|
|
375
|
|
376 Six months ago, IBM got Yankee's Laura Stuart (the Young Goddess of UNIX)
|
|
377 to come and hear some proprietary infomation on Blue's UNIX plans.
|
|
378
|
|
379 YG (Young Goddess): Why, Blue, have you come up with this revisionist
|
|
380 UNIX when you have been bad-mouthing the True Believers for years?
|
|
381 Blue: Then is then, now is now.
|
|
382 YG: Why did you develop this in Germany?
|
|
383 Blue: Strong dollar! Labor's cheap! Taiwan was full! The Germans haven't
|
|
384 done anything exciting since Warner von Braun! Take your pick.
|
|
385
|
|
386 AT&T's Plans for Dominating UNIX
|
|
387 This is hilarious. It's not IBM vs. AT&T; it's AT&T trying to capture
|
|
388 dominance of something it invented.
|
|
389
|
|
390 1. Throw dollars.
|
|
391 In this scenario, AT&T advertising spends $40 million - or $400 for every
|
|
392 UNIX System sold - to push System V. Goal: to sell corporate America!
|
|
393 No way. To convince no more than '20 key people' to write in System V.
|
|
394 Alternate solution: Bribe them! Go direct! Instead of paying Malcolm Forbes
|
|
395 $32,000 and change for each ad page, pay a few million to each of those
|
|
396 20 people. Obviously too easy. Another plan is needed.
|
|
397
|
|
398 2. Make Friends.
|
|
399 Here AT&T goes to Intel and Motorola and National Semi and Zilog and Mother
|
|
400 Goose and asks for their help on UNIX chips. AT&T makes at least two sincere
|
|
401 compliments a day. And (the clincher) it promises to put the same AT&Ters
|
|
402 in charge of its 256K chips that were in charge of NET 1000. Gordon Moore
|
|
403 sleeps better.
|
|
404
|
|
405 3. Write Books.
|
|
406 AT&T is publishing 'System V Interface Definition,' which is about as
|
|
407 catchy a title as AT&T can come up with. They will print 1,000,000 copies
|
|
408 and be left with only 999,998. (We'll buy the rest, rename the book 'UNIX
|
|
409 Lust!,' charge $2,000 a copy, and go into a 14th printing.) Soon to be a
|
|
410 mini-series on ABC, starring Paul Newman as AT&T's Mike DeFazio. Jean Yates
|
|
411 will play herself. Eat your heart out, Robert Redford.
|
|
412
|
|
413 4. Co-op the UNIX User Group.
|
|
414 /usr/group is comprised of 2300 members, none of whom was invited to join
|
|
415 his/her college fraternity. AT&T promises that if /usr/group calls for
|
|
416 standard commands, each will become a member of Alpha Tau & Tau. Hell week
|
|
417 is going to five consecutive /usr/group meetings.
|
|
418
|
|
419 5. Get the Sympathy Vote
|
|
420 Get the supermicro guys and the fault tolerant guys to demand their fair
|
|
421 share. Have Convergent and Pyramid and Sequoia and Masscomp push for a bill
|
|
422 in Congress requiring every company to buy at least 5% UNIX-based, or have
|
|
423 to pay Tip O'Neil's bar bill.
|
|
424
|
|
425 6. Arm /usr/group.
|
|
426 /usr/ has no authority to enforce standards? Arm them with Stealth missiles
|
|
427 (the Pentagon's version of Vaporware).
|
|
428
|
|
429 7. Buy the Software Companies.
|
|
430 Recalcitrant software companies playing wait and see? Buy the suckers
|
|
431 (relatively cheap for the stakes) and offer $2 million in venture capital
|
|
432 for 'any' new software company if it writes for System V UNIX 'first'.
|
|
433 ...And if they don't? Turn off their phones!
|
|
434
|
|
435 8. Pollute the Landscape!
|
|
436 Not enough UNIX machines? Give 'em to everyone who made an AT&T Long distance
|
|
437 call last month. Or MCI. Who cares! Just get the iron out there. Leave 'em
|
|
438 on doorsteps like the Yellow Pages. Not home? Leave two, three, whatever.
|
|
439
|
|
440 9. MS-DOS Causes Cancer in Laboratory Animals.
|
|
441 Convince America that MS-DOS is hazardous to its health (and UNIX is like
|
|
442 inhaling Herbalife).
|
|
443 -----------------------------EUNIX--------------------------------------------
|
|
444
|
|
445 L'homme: I guess you don't want me to run off hardcopy for you on the
|
|
446 HP Laserjet that I share my desk with... pity.
|
|
447 (you mess up my disks and see what happens)
|
|
448 Speaking of disks, when are you going to drop by?
|
|
449 ______________________________Leonard______________________________________
|
|
450 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.More Soon.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.Emu
|
|
451 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|
|
452 I closed the door as quietly as I could behind me (which wasn't very; the
|
|
453 entire place resounded with the boom) and scanned the place. Oddly enough, it
|
|
454 was busy. Most of the tables were occupied by twos and threes talking to one
|
|
455 another. A larger group was huddled about the large fireplace, whose fire
|
|
456 redly illuminated their faces. On the whole, a cheery scene.
|
|
457 Another odd point struck me. Although my entrance had certainly been noticed,
|
|
458 no one paid much attention to me. Finally a third point bobbed to the top of
|
|
459 my dimwitted brain- the clothing worn by the patrons of this place wasn't
|
|
460 of a consistant type!
|
|
461 There were robes, and jeans, and leather armor; boots, sneakers, and sandals;
|
|
462 suits, shirts, and things I normally would term bathing suits. Yet no one
|
|
463 seemed to care.
|
|
464 I moved away from the doorway, just in time. It opened again, and two more
|
|
465 walked in. Dry. The rain must have stopped as soon as I had entered. Else
|
|
466 I had a private rain cloud that followed me wherever I went.
|
|
467 I decided to find the innkeep and to ask some questions. Perhaps I could find
|
|
468 some spare parts for the passkey here after all.
|
|
469 I found him. "Er, uh, hello. Do you know of anywhere that I might obtain a
|
|
470 stabilizer circuit for a Special Issue Passkey?"
|
|
471 He looked up, studied me for a bit. "New here? You might try asking that
|
|
472 gentleman with the rainbow scarf who just walked in. The Doctor."
|
|
473 I thanked him, and made my way to the table the two men had taken. "I'm
|
|
474 looking for the Doctor. Are you he?"
|
|
475 He gazed up at me, and sipped his drink. "I am. And this is Milchar, my
|
|
476 travelling companion. Who are you?"
|
|
477 "My name is Rebalsa. Elbert Rebalsa. Usually I'm called Bert. I'm trying to
|
|
478 find a stabilizer circuit for a Special Issue Passkey."
|
|
479 He frowned a moment. "Never heard of a 'passkey', other than the usual sort.
|
|
480 A stabilizer circuit, did you say? Yes, I have a spare. In the TARDIS, mind.
|
|
481 What did you have in mind to pay for it?"
|
|
482 I shuffled slightly. "I can't pay for it until after I get it."
|
|
483 "Well, I don't see what I can do for you, then. Unless..." The gentleman
|
|
484 next to him, Milchar, tapped him on the shoulder and whispered something into
|
|
485 his ear. "...hum. Can you get a..." he whispered the name of an object in
|
|
486 my ear.
|
|
487 "Why, er, certainly. As soon as I can. I'll have it point-transmitted to
|
|
488 your TARDIS, whatever that is."
|
|
489 "It's a deal then."
|
|
490 We went to his TARDIS, and he went inside to fetch the part. I never could
|
|
491 understand why it took twenty minutes to find something in a phone-booth sized
|
|
492 box.
|
|
493 The Doctor spoke to Milchar. "He may find that he's off course by more than
|
|
494 a few million parsecs, Milch. Spell him back, will you? I'd like that
|
|
495 shipment he's promised me."
|
|
496 Milchar nodded, and suddenly I was engulfed in a downpour of silver fire. It
|
|
497 was over as fast as it started, and I stood in my office on Sirius.
|
|
498 I thumbed the contact on my desk. "Supply? Transmit a 100 kilo box of JuJu
|
|
499 bears to the energy source at" I calculated a moment, "Alpha fifty-six Rho
|
|
500 eleven. Yes, that's right, JuJu bears. Never mind why."
|
|
501 I cut contact, and sat down at my desk. Of all the strange requests...
|
|
502 %%%%% rebalsa %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 10/13/85
|
|
503 :-]M[-:
|
|
504 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
|
|
505 *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*Themnax of Lananara*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
|
|
506 Sat listning to Elxtia's quiet snoring. She insisted on staying in the
|
|
507 contour seat next to him when he came on watch. On one of the many small
|
|
508 keypads devorating the narrow floor console seperating the two seats in his
|
|
509 single-ship's instrument crampt command compartment he tapped in a combination.
|
|
510 Returning to the book he was reading to stay awaike he glimpsed out of the
|
|
511 corner of his eye that she was now awaike.
|
|
512 "Guess I'll go back and turn in after all" she said giving him a sleepy hug
|
|
513 that was just a tad more than affectionate. "Why not let the automatics take
|
|
514 over for a few minihexes?" she asked.
|
|
515 "Might just do that" he replied. The floor console pinged softly and a
|
|
516 small door opened in its top. Elxtia had already retreated to the living
|
|
517 quarters compartment which also doubled as life support. From the recess
|
|
518 Themnax withdrew a steaming cup of lubintau elixer and settled back to finish
|
|
519 the book. He had only a few pages to go.
|
|
520 He almost droped the cup when the hooter started up. Luckily he resqued
|
|
521 all but a few scalding drops while droping the book, thus loosing his place
|
|
522 while reaching for the alarm systems reset with his other hand.
|
|
523 Two of the five main monitors lit up with magnified views of an unfamiliar
|
|
524 object while the systems screen displayed the words: "colision eminant".
|
|
525 As the figgures below it showed the ship, for ship it was as could now
|
|
526 clearly be seen, was no ware near thair plotted cource yet the distortions
|
|
527 around it, seeming to fold and tear at the very fabrick of space itself, were
|
|
528 pulling him inexorably inward tword it.
|
|
529 Typing rapidly on one of three full keyboards in front of him, the giant
|
|
530 flashing letter 'E's on the two remaining monitors were replaced with even more
|
|
531 detailed views of the unfamiliar ship's exterior. One of these showed a name:
|
|
532 "pell-mell".
|
|
533 Fingers flying now over several other banks of controls Themnax did two
|
|
534 things. The first was to cut in the special auxiliary interdemensional
|
|
535 stabelizer he had cluged up using the gem he had received from commander
|
|
536 murdoc which had finaly enabled him to lift off safely from tanis under cloak
|
|
537 of etherial flip so many months, it seamed like years, before.
|
|
538 The second was to initialize a sequence which would attempt to establish
|
|
539 communications with vessel ahead.
|
|
540 No longer closing on the emense object, his own fly spec of a mechine now
|
|
541 locked in stable spatial relationship to it as if they shared a common invis-
|
|
542 able base. It occured to the HUB's erstwhile ambassadore at large that the
|
|
543 other ship might well be immobelized by the spacial convolutions raging about
|
|
544 them. Upon further reflection these seemed to his mind at least, to bear an
|
|
545 uncany resemblance to a phenomina described to him by a couple of good friends
|
|
546 and occasional traveling companions. One an elf named Dreamtoucher and the
|
|
547 other an old galactic known only as person. Thair name for the phenomina had
|
|
548 been 'reality storm'.
|
|
549 Another ping and the lighting of an indicator told him that a common
|
|
550 carrier chanel had been established. He could only hope that they would
|
|
551 respond.
|
|
552 "pell-mell, pell-mell, this is single-ship H U B alpha two. Do you read?"
|
|
553 *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
|
|
554 ppppppppppppppppppp shorta time, passin' thru pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
|
|
555 :-]M[-:
|
|
556 boringboringboringboringboring
|
|
557 boringboringboringboringboring
|
|
558 boringboringboringboringboring
|
|
559 oringboringboringboringborin
|
|
560 ringboringboringboringbori
|
|
561 ingboringboringboringbor
|
|
562 ngboringboringboringbo
|
|
563 gboringboringboringb
|
|
564 boringboringboring
|
|
565 oringboringborin
|
|
566 ringboringbori
|
|
567 ingboringbor
|
|
568 ngboringbo
|
|
569 gboringb
|
|
570 boring
|
|
571 orin
|
|
572 ri
|
|
573
|
|
574
|
|
575
|
|
576
|
|
577
|
|
578
|
|
579 hi there I
|
|
580 new here b
|
|
581 ut what th
|
|
582 heck is go
|
|
583 ing on? Th
|
|
584 is the str
|
|
585 angest pla
|
|
586 ce I've ev
|
|
587 er seen! A
|
|
588 re you all
|
|
589 crazy?????
|
|
590 off
|
|
591 ctrl-c
|
|
592 delete
|
|
593
|
|
594 scram
|
|
595 help
|
|
596 deleto
|
|
597
|
|
598 oops
|
|
599 sorry
|
|
600 ctrl-s
|
|
601 s
|
|
602 c
|
|
603 poop
|
|
604
|
|
605
|
|
606 uh, bye
|
|
607 bye
|
|
608 good-bye
|
|
609 bye-bye
|
|
610 sayonara
|
|
611 gootchy
|
|
612 goo
|
|
613
|
|
614 \\\\\\\\\\kinda makes you feel sorry for the mentally underpriveleged\\\\\\\
|
|
615 :::::=====:::::
|
|
616 I wait, silent, for a certain black cat to move...
|
|
617 :::::=====:::::
|
|
618 MMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!
|
|
619 *%_)@#*%_)#@*%_)#&_%)*#@+)%*#$^&#$)_^&#$)_%*^#)_+$*^_)#*^#&^)#$+_*^+)#$&^)_&^)_#&^_)*&#)_&^)_!$#%&)_$%*&_&)_*&$%_@)*&
|
|
620 Leonard: UNIX and YOU! Did you do it again? For shame for shame, 101 for shames. Me thinks thou hast not learned the
|
|
621 lesson from before. A learning you seem so intent to ignore. We have tried and tried, we have even implored. But you
|
|
622 spite us, evade us, ignore us some more. HP LASTERjet? On your desk? You certainly have come up in the world. Tell me
|
|
623 more about this sudden wealth of equipment you so fondly speak of. Where did it all come from? Who died and made you
|
|
624 king? Certainly that would be the case? Could that silicon man in the North be such a fool to let a TRS-80 Telehacker
|
|
625 attack his precious IBM equipment, LAN and all? A LASERjet, how I would love to own a LASERjet. Only $2000 through
|
|
626 University computer specials, but it might as well be ten times that given my budget. But perhaps, no, sirrah would
|
|
627 never agree to a deal with such entreaties. I must lust from a distance. Oh, how far have we fallen when our minds in
|
|
628 Autumn turn to feelings of electric bombasity. All we can do is survive the cruel winter and behold the golden spring
|
|
629 when it doth approaches. To you abode I will appoint myself. Sanctity is a virtue of unhearlded value. I am done *LsP*
|
|
|
|
TOTAL NUMBER OF LINES = 629
|