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|| -------- -- ----- A E R I E O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- OSOAWEEK--ISSUE 051--7/13/95 <------- || OsoaWeek || Issues || Book 4 || -------> (Cup OWis051, Created v1 (4/27/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [[BEGIN051OW]] [[01051CV]] * * * O S O A W E E K 0 5 1 * * * July 13, 1995 "The weekly ezine of Obliviana Super Occult Amusement!" by Frank Edward Nora INSIDE THIS ISSUE! Infostimulation for you--work, home, commute, or play! Check it out... 01 051 CV--Cover !!!!!!!! Uh huh! 02 051 IW--Into E-mber Forge of Wander !!!!!!!! Yeah! 03 051 HR--Hemisinister Review !!!!!!!! MTV: New Aeon Flux, Real World London, Chap-Stik 04 051 TS--Trick Sojourn !!!!!!!! The Making of OsoaWeek! A rare look at a Balbi's file! 05 051 LA--Lord of Obliviana !!!!!!!! The Death of Horizons--an EPCOT Tragedy 06 051 SU--Superior !!!!!!!! "A freckle of mine went nuts." 07 051 IS--Into E-mber Severe Repair !!!!!!!! You got it! 08 051 SR--Severe Repair !!!!!!!! "Soot Mary" YOU CAN'T GO WRONG--JUST INVEST A LITTLE TIME HERE! INFORMATION: OsoaWeek051, July 13, 1995. Published weekly by Obliviana Super Occult Amusement, obliviana@aol.com, 1-800-OBLIVIANA. All contents copyright 1995 Frank Edward Nora. This release is Predatorware--you are free to make digital copies, so long as they're not altered or sold. All other forms of reproduction require permission. You're Prey unless you get a Predator Deed for this release. Contact us for more on this concept. Character count: 47549 / Line count: 1991 *OW* [[02051IF]] Into E-mber Forge of Wander [:[FOW012]:] FORGE OF WANDER E-mber 012, July 13, 1995 Hi! I'm Frank Edward Nora, Lord of Obliviana--and I'd like to welcome you to the second to last Forge of Wander E-Mail Based Entertainment Release (E-mber, get it?). It's chock fulla fun stuff. Jeez! Recycling writing from OsoaWeek040--what's wrong with me? I dunno. 51 weeks of constant writing must be getting to me. (Actually, it's about 56 or 57 weeks, but who's counting?) INFORMATION: Forge of Wander E-mber 012, July 13, 1995. Published weekly by Obliviana Super Occult Amusement, obliviana@aol.com, 1-800-OBLIVIANA. All contents copyright 1995 Frank Edward Nora. This release is Predatorware--you are free to make digital copies, so long as they're not altered or sold. All other forms of reproduction require permission. You're Prey unless you get a Predator Deed for this release. Contact us for more on this concept. You can cancel or subscribe to this E-mber anytime, via E-mail. *OW* [[03051HR]] Hemisinister Review ***MTV*** NEW AEON FLUX I caught part of the new Aeon Flux series, and they TALK in it! What a disappointment! The Aeon Fluxes on Liquid Television were really cool. But now, with these voices--you ever notice how BAD the voices are for MTV animation? (except Beavis & Butthead, of course)--it's really sad. I wonder what genius at MTV decided to give Aeon a voice. It totally ruins the character and the whole show. Talk about a corporate megalith squeezing all life out of a property. Jeez. REAL WORLD 5 (or is it 6?) IN LONDON MTV's Real World is one of the few things on TV that I absolutely CANNOT watch. 20 MINUTES A DAY Amount of time MTV show's rock videos. MOMTV Music-Only Music Television--a channel MTV desperately needs to start, since all their airtime is now filled with f*cking lame Real World, sports, animation, game shows, news, PC specials, and the like. I remember when I first started watching MTV they played ROCK VIDEOS all the time. Now they really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really suck. A WHOLE LOT OF CHAP-STIK What Tabitha Soren needs after kissing President Clinton's ass so long and hard in her interviews. INFOMERCIALS What that god damn VH-1 ("It'll suck you in.") has on every time I try to watch it. VH-1, which might otherwise be a refuge from MTV. *OW* [[04051TS]] Trick Sojourn ***THE MAKING OF OSOAWEEK*** Y'know, this whole OsoaWeek thing might look like a breeze, but I gotta tellya--since I'm the only person that works on it, EVERYTHING about it has to be executed by me. It's tough--very mentally draining. But it's so rewarding, it's worth it. The reward I especially like is the one where I eventually become a billionaire... But regardless, let me tell you what I have to go through for every issue. First, at the beginning of each Book of OsoaWeek, I make a template file from the first issue in that Book. Hence, all the issues in a given book have consistent formatting. So aside from the first issues of each Book, I start with the template file, save as, and then search and replace for instances of the issue number, date, and E-mber numbers (for Book Four). Then I start to write. I'm ALWAYS writing, pretty much every day. Much of the time, I'll have a number of issues open at a time. For example, I might write a whole lot of Severe Repair, and space it out over several issues. Then I have to go back and do the other features. Also, I now have a rather large "idea section" (which I call "Balbi's") at the end of the file I'm currently working on. It's full of notes and stuff. In fact, I just looked at it, and I'm including it below as it exists now--I think it might be interesting to those of you wondering how I come up with some of the stuff I do. I have tons of files like this, plus way more tons of notebooks full of stuff like this, dating back to '85 or so. Anyway, at some point I gotta write the issue. In the First Book, I had a whole lotta existing material which I had to edit, format, and copy into the issue. But as Book One came to a close, I had presented a good majority of the appropriate existing material I had in computer text form already. So I had to write new stuff more and more, especially in Severe Repair. Okay. So let's skip ahead to when the issue is done being written in a raw sense. At this point, I scan over the issue and write the Sneak Preview/Contents/Cover section. I also have to check the numbering of the features here. Then I have to search the file for f*ck and sh*t, as well as c*nt, assh*le, and a few others. These I "censor" by replacing a strategic vowel with an apostrophe. And lemme tellya--all these recent Senate hearings about censoring cyberspace and everything make me glad I've been doing it. You know how easy it is to scan literally MILLIONS of files for such words? Too easy. I don't want OsoaWeek to be filtered outta anywhere. And if spelling f*ck as "f*ck" helps keep OsoaWeek alive, I think it's worth the inconvenience. On a side note, I will be editing Severe Repair in the near future, and releasing a full text version of chapters 1 thru 52. These will have all cuss words intact, no freakin' apostrophes! Okay. So now it's time for the ever-so-tedious spellcheck. I usually manage to catch some of the more blatant typos, but by no means all of them. I notice one of my common errors is not putting the S at the end of a word that should end with it. Sure you've seen that a bunch of times. One thing to note is that I do not proofread my work. I have neither the time nor the tolerance for this. In Severe Repair, I can just write and that's it. The final product. Sure there's a typo here and there, but that's minor sh*t. Producing quality work in such quantity in such a short period of time is something I'm proud of. You gotta problem with that? Okay. So now the file is spellchecked and everything, and it's exactly as I want it. Now I save as TEXT WITH LINE BREAKS. This encodes the file in ASCII with CARRIAGE RETURNS after each line--a line being defined by the way the lines break in the native file, in whatever font is being used. Now that I have the text file, I open up OSOAWEEK.001 and copy a CARRIAGE RETURN and a LINE BREAK from it. Then I search and replace all CARRIAGE RETURNS with a CARRIAGE RETURN and a LINE BREAK. This makes the file readable by those damn DOS/PC/WINDOWS people. Okay. Now I do a character and line count, and write it in the text file. Next, I reopen the native file and type the same numbers in there. Then I save the native file and lock it--this establishes that the issue is completed. At this time I also copy some text from the start of the file to act as the file description when it's posted online. Next, I open a program called ZipIt, and I compress the final text file by Zipping it. Then I go into DiskTop and change the type of the file to TEXT and the creator to AOqc. This is an America Online file attribute. I think I originally did it so that the file would work better for AOL users. I don't know. The native file is saved in the format "OsoaWeek051 7/13/95", while the final text file is saved as "OSOAWEEK.051"--again, for the benefit of PC users. Now, I sign onto America Online, hit keyword "PDA", then "New Files & Free Uploading". I hit UPLOAD FILE, and fill in the pertinent information. Let's see if I can remember this... SUBJECT: OsoaWeek051 Ezine CREATOR: Obliviana EQUIPMENT: any computer NEEDS: unZip utility, text reader DESCRIPTION: (text from start of file) Then I hit UPLOAD, select the ZIPPED file, and the sucker is blasted across the universe at 19,200 baud. (Not to readers in the far future--I know 19,200 baud must seem like a joke to you. But f*ck you--it's cooler back here and you wish you were here anyway, so cool it). Then I sign off AOL and sign onto a BBS called The Familiar Spirit. Here, I have my own little OsoaWeek folder, and I send an issue there as if it were a piece of E-mail with an attached file. I upload it uncompressed in this case, cuz this BBS has no set standard for files meant to be cross-platform. Alotta Swedish guys download OsoaWeek over the Internet from TFS. And that's it--another issue of OsoaWeek is done! I only have to go through this process two more times, thank goodness. The system is severely flawed, but it works. One problem is that AOL changed their unZip protocols or something, so now they put a friggin' little message in my file description saying how you have to get a separate unZip utility to decompress OsoaWeek. Yeah, the World Wide Web is the new thing. It's so much easier to access stuff there than via a compressed text file, I think I should focus pretty much exclusively there. Will OsoaWeek continue? Indeed. It'll be on the WWW--and I'll probably also release it on AOL and TFS, but only as a complete Book--no weekly issues. Well, there ya go. The Making of OsoaWeek. And check out the ideas file below--you might learn some secret stuff! ***OSOAWEEK BALBI'S FILE AS OF 8/18/95, 6:37 PM*** great giantess... frwmned theit Sconnip Awawnoc nother held a brass-looking rod, made of short segments of pipe connected by piper connectors. "There's something I need to know--did you attend the Complex Breakfast?" betweel voive Blugray Thlenc blue hole notin makign nottitin eljic cup w/WST logo. "Hello hello hello. Mind if I storage my stuff here for a time?" * * * Petunia Claboose Boose Banoos Banoose Banjoose Badfoone Basweer Caboose Calgareaux nm: Tickting Boosc Ticketing Boosk 87forever Lifemash Liremash Agatha Petunia Wack UABN Areas: Individualist Trip, Preffing Estate day-->night-->yaut/yawt Eleven point five forty seven the thirteen forty five Faderine Album: "The Monkey Pong" band: "Omp the System" emmemblyemmemblyemmembly Existy/Existey Circus Knights Who Say Peng (another sacred word along with "nit") Peng=Monty Python Pong? <terminal juncture> Story--Paradise-place driver gets killed, etc., reality f*ck "I am of the vunaton." Obliviana Movie Day... (1) Vision Quest, Just One of the Boys, ... (2) Quintet, Zardoz, ... Again: Hitler Humbird, Hipster with a Hydrogen Hat. nm: Reblantathor Dad: CBlant Talakish--another 1-name star like Pree Grasph nm: Dennis Nuclear & Denise Nuclear nm: Zeuro Zuoey Zuojmathfriend Fodarine Chopstick Memory Band: Fodarine Fadarine, Faderine Faderine--disappearing like? fADERINE!!! FADERINE!!! Lahoncadry Gigalife, Higalite, Begaline, remgame: Bega's Battle Graph Sickness Strame, Strame Lack Nohancy covern, covber, covver, coven, covberd Covberd--GOOD NAME!!! stirage nm: Helloe House Blaw Let's have a caper. Holocarb Holocar=Hovercar Again: Zoning w/object/Vamershee/Obliviana Design/Antebellum Deisn (deezen) Ferrajalt & Pree--giants' place int he world, etc. Ferrajalt goes to Greatwall and breaks into Daptin's apartment, only to find Daptin there--planning how to retake his Land. with Agatha Petunia Wack Thalerdrad returns--in a world of white with black dots kind of like dominos... giant girl dirl giantess Pree is the giantess Dirl? cool Dirl=place giants come from "God--he'd always dreamed of making love to a giantess..." Kennedy dream--Olive Garden "One of my goals in doing Severe Repair is to create something BETTER than Star Wars." WINTER STADIUM THEM final Enc Larabeth is Accurate Rebellion Snoppy Parser is Permanent Pioneer Evelyn Fangdoor is Appomattox Flight "Marriage Town" (talk to big balls/spheres) "Snoppy Parser Takes a Wife" WINTER STADIUM THEM Enc Larabeth is Accurate Rebellion Snoppy Parser is Permanent Pioneer Emily Fangdoor is Appomattox Flight (rel to Emily Tare, Noaster Sitar, Dolthethmen?) Emily Fangdoor we must have "adios" EV that people who never shower or use deoderant smell really bad? why interviews start off in restauaants,... nohght nohgt Plathara Aone disoppacha young people in performance space thing comet part hits house, destroys Walt's body Winter Stadium Them get assignment on teletype gmaick Radipal bady Wiat relxig *** opnce Realmajicks Realmjack losign forver arange universe Foxxo monkey (remember Alva Neon) holds up signs to communicate. So... Bolt Cutter America and Foxxo of Orange Universe... and Baroness of the Stretchy Afternoon and Hayfriend the Bear Abke Jesk Loode Ebsekkian, get him in there Lightning Elsewhere--name? flaining Kinfidaer "I like Snoppy." "That of the Grim Builder" Swron crayon heatjoke Denese Chifted BlonhsBlongs Blistonct Balsat InnorInnar nm: Foolis policiain Haooen Cyarrel Battery Fenge Complex Breakfast Walt Mota and The Mildred Cork--at Thatterine The Dark of College "These Repeating Patterns" Regulat, The Kileld 71711 71717 Cat hospital Americana Flight Orange Pipe Sculture Randawwindowin mempries Bolt Cutter America Hayfriend plains/field "The Pedestrian Bride" Nefore Latlym Letelym Latelym Thugh qustion's Saing Paing writitin (ritilin?) Fangdoor Walter tied to smokestack with vines. doinf Randow hould Fluorescent+++ terrbibly comminucate gampling "Manny's Attempt at Suicide" Fantasy, Science, Hedonism, Magic, Dark Humor, Computers, Mythology, Angst betwwen psychohad psycholad Parify partify k'know? whqle WHQLE papagraph cuberspace nm: Should Whissing sdoon caffiens follsk Thouh (thew) Cirs Axany (Cirs is Carmine's name) SUPERIOR 264 original To wtote wotj eues vlosed, I am the man, So come and celevrate the arrucal of Summer, I womderm after all tjese ueats of tupinf, do I atukk nit kniw the keynisrf? Stupid, sully demonstratum nut I fotta keep on micuug. wheelchaie comewhere Resulmerd "Suffer" in Antebellum? Snoppy Parser Simijar Chairma Vorb nm: Alol Alalog hec +++ fugire dosomething shownamlike Shownamgapparante Shownamgappen comind week qeueen Xomahoma Dothis Beng anxius Tokan efmisvema ignotwine ohpuvxopi ujqawyuqo akrexzaru elsiybesa imtozcite onvubdovi upwacfuwo (Upwacfuel?) (Upwacafuzen) aqxedgaxu Peter Yektile Peter Yektille aslpeed Soot Mary innconent wlso forgret forgreet becoe "The Clown Centaur Architect" *1987 girlfriend, E-Mail Typos new team: Winter Stadium Them vlaue Soft doors of the summer body, predatory spice of the winter mind. dairy sconc Band: "Pseudoairport" Permanent Pioneer, Accurate Rebellion (Enc Larabeth), Appomattox Flight modgt I'n nm: Buncha bncha Demading sirge thnuderstomrs nm: Delerium Yes nm: Scock beawesom Henruletta nm: "Doesn't Like Trains" also, "Likes Trains" Baboon Summer Jew comes in breathing heavily "Get outta here, lungkike!" regularions Libe Sworm le el behavios whiel Divnish 8 Helpful Vicuna? Tiradest Phiradest Phiradasc Lonc Loncazod Loncphamer Diern Direndesk Dierndesk Coolnesst Covaldenk Lomanter Mononc Monancahol Coller Tohnar Settling Settler Marghalonic Bseelfern Enclern Limfahern Gondanic Lonehern Lone Hern Lone Harc Love Canyon Dumar-Floedosc Duncer-Haxun Haxun Vumash Challen 67 again: Wavvincane (Baskonntana Area?) laoratory Loaratadrin exampe ainfully haveour plaveour nm: Destoy indeed, irritating yad eat thengo Wrog Buncha liekyl involed exctiting enetered minitaure Seasideback thoughtully Darnazy Thonc--Winter Stadium Them's wacky neighbor huge, carries a mass of stuff, takes it all off in one step... A last-man pixie/nixie last-wave jixie Nightmarth Madrian The Bureau Beach Bureau Beach Byobecks college students moving fast thing--remember bubble Rembubble Stalker Psychic Powers Evad (carmine's, Evad) Wahrier remember bus, saying the oppiste of good isn't evil, but anti-good, and vice versa, as a kid? Preaxle Prezaxle PreeZaxle Pree (!!!) plasure Cacella Sumluz nm: Slyph +++ Pythondosc, Pithondosc, Pithon, Piathon, Piathoncs PE6-5000 Zoning w/object--object "bless" Vamershee Obliviana design elements--11x19 23.5 degree diamonds. Antebellum Entertainment 209 Xappen game themed areas and the overall ontology Iracle Moracle Maversheed The Yourself Needle/Missile/Miracle Volapuk--real artificial language? Halzapular Fuzz game--One Parchment Sparrow Halzapular Fuzz--four games in ROM, also comes with Devastating Nightscape Mitigating & Pree--kidshow hosts at the palace when Ferrajalt returns Xomahoma, The Tiredist Noava rilly good stugg when someone says something weird to you, just say "remember the chair" working in a problem In facy, Valley You Annpylyont In fey, In Frey, In Freya Antisussman "I have a newborn gun in mind." meqans THE STINGY GIRL 60676 Gwalt +++carrier+++ Laybazy Carrier "The Buzhomahath Carrier" Buzhomhath East Hough LOA+NH: B5 Duffy? Yomp Slam Yamp Heaven (vending yamp?...) "It has that meat vibe." can aud in Lamar the Macho Chemist Def Leppard Superior... Lapard (Lapard? accent on the second A) excpet Ex-Pet Hitler Humbird, Hipster with a Hydrogen Hat Hyfrogen Hat Moisture Joy of Fever proplr tie trael Lt. Ash Turgabon Tugganor, Tuvvysnorio Bine Lothing E. Allen Sipstern Mentally Ill Cicada Drorealso Freakin' Little Drone What is it you are doing OBLIVIANA nm: Perspective Quartz Mahoney nm: Darnalt Knocking Salt The Thining Thining Way Bocome bollionaire "What isn't the world song?" Obliviana FAQ Pink Ridge ***SONG OF THE WEEK*** "Pleasant Valley Sunday" by The Monkees [:[END]:] *OW* [[05051LA]] Lord of Obliviana August 17, 1995 Things are different today. On my way to the train station, the buildings and streets looked different. And the world outside the train, it's also looking different. Over the past week or so, stigmata have developed on my feet. Probably caused by mosquito bites, but still quite alarming. What is happening? I had to run to catch the train today. I had on this damn hat that I in no way want to bring to work, but I couldn't stop, so now I have it. OsoaWeek050 was 40 days late. Today is Thursday! I thought it was Wednesday. I've been getting to work like on time this week--amazing! I'm lookin' to get these last two issues of Year One done this weekend. Then I can begin the work of Obliviana WWW Edition 2.0. In describing the aura of the original EPCOT, one must focus on an issue which is hardly ever taken seriously, but which is causing great damage to the world--jadedness. On the train on the way home now. The death of Horizons has really been bugging me today. I was listening to EPCOT music today, and the song from "Horizons" really got me in a blue funk. If you don't know, Horizons was a ride in EPCOT, which was closed earlier this year, I guess. It sucks, cuz Horizons was a really cool experience. It was one of the best parts of EPCOT. The thing is, though, the reason this happened. Horizons was created in the early 1980s. It was a much different world back then. The Disney Imagineers created a bright, hopeful, optimistic, wholesome, innocent vision of the future. And the part that kills me is that people scoff at such purity these days. People are jaded. The innocence of society in the early 1980s--the environment in which Horizons was made--is now violated and twisted. People may be no more world-wise than they were 15 years ago--but everyone has to act like they are. Everything is scoffed at. People like things such as old sitcoms and cartoons cuz those things are so lame they're cool. Everyone is so concerned with what to like. And all the knee jerk reactions. Someone hears about virtual reality a couple hundred times, and he's inevitably gonna say "I'm tired of all this virtual reality sh*t!"--even if he's never even tried virtual reality himself! I guess it's information overload. In 1980, home computers were a joke compared to what we have now. But it was the very limitations these computers had that brought out the sense of wonder in people. Going from no computer at all to a primitive one is pregnant with wonder, whereas the slow progression in computing power engendered cynicism, restlessness, and jadedness. Of course, when it comes to EPCOT, the gutting of Communicore is more of a tragedy than Horizons. Communicore was a true manifestation of the wonder we all felt about technology and the future. Now it's full of Sega games and home heating displays. "Innoventions". I feel like crying, cuz the death of Horizons is like the death of a child, bright and hopeful. It's so ironic that a ride about the future had no future. Even more ironic, the first segment of the ride focused on the visions of the future folks've had over the decades. And "Looking Back at Tomorrow" was presented in a lighthearted, satirical manner--mind of making fun of the way people used to envision the future. It took less than 15 years for the future Horizons envisioned to become itself laughable. EPCOT itself would have been Walt Disney's greatest achievement, had he lived long enough to see it through. He wanted it to be a real, functioning city--where like 20,000 people would live, and where industry would introduce and test all the newest in technological advancements. I think this is why he bought such a huge site in Florida. But he died, and EPCOT became something maybe not even distantly related to the original concept. Just think of how different our world might be today if the real EPCOT had been created. It would certainly have had an effect upon the development of technology. And technology is such a volatile thing, it would surely have developed differently had EPCOT been in existence. I'm not saying for the better or for the worse, but it would definitely have been different. Remember--Disney died in 1966. In fact, he was racing against the clock--knowing he was dying--trying to establish his plan for EPCOT. If he were alive, EPCOT would have appeared much sooner, perhaps a decade so. But even though the manifest EPCOT was nothing compared to the original version, it still managed to become something wonderful. A theme park celebrating the future in the early 1980s. How could you go wrong? But the 1990s are taking a terrible toll on the future. The future of today is cyberpunk, bleak, confused, pessimistic, hedonistic, fragmented, isolated, lonely--just plain bad. We have lost our technology virginity. I don't know what the point to all this is. Maybe there is none. We we're losing our sense of wonder. Aha, that's it. Remember Superior 209--"Wonder, we're coming back." Sounds like a job for Obliviana. August 18! 1995! So what! 7:22 AM! Those mumbling people were bugging me, so I moved to a different seat. I uploaded OsoaWeek050 last night, and I felt so relieved that there would only be two more such uploads. I can't take it any more. The whole tedious process, which I think I might detail in Trick Sojourn, has become almost unbearable. One problem is that I've really gotten almost no response at all using this form of distribution. But another thing might be the repetition and the overkill. I was never good at dealing with repetitive things. When I parked this morning, my odometer read 198.3. That'd be a really good year to time travel back to EPCOT. Sunday, August 20, 1995, 1:14:37 PM I saw that a place called Laser Park opened down the street from me. I think I'll go check it out. Kinda reminds me of Photon--that great laser tag place of the '80s. I remember there was one in Kenilworth on Rt. 22. Me and my brother had this friend Ron who was permanently barred from the place because he punched a wall during a victory celebration and his fist went right through it. I don't think I've ever actually played a laser tag game. Don't want to either. Oh well, anyway, this issue is completed, just about. That Balbi's file stuff above kinda filled out the FOW E-mber, eh. Don't know if I shoulda presented that stuff, but what the hell. I think it's worthwhile material. Okay. That's it. I'm going. See ya later. One more issue to go after this. Get all Obliviana. *OW* [[06051SU]] Superior SUPERIOR 297 Let me start this on. Malls mean so much to me. I am to explore it. U. Let us begin. There's story here. Knowing you is from jumping today. Friend, I can tolerate the. Formerest the day one return. The stores in those mall exit halls, less frequented, often suck. SUPERIOR 298 I'm always excited about happiness. Got the right kinda midnight. SUPERIOR 299 It was too bright; I had no sunglasses. What I saw excellent breasts. When you sit, you're always so much shorter. Friday s heavy. What that's meant to be an s. Saliva is a good thing. I only give money to Chinese homeless--if a Chinese guy can't get a job, you know there's something really wrong with him! These ponderous, ungood... SUPERIOR 300 What is it that you are doing? I am sucking and destroying a lie. SUPERIOR 301 I don't even know what money I have. On a train, see a car carrier on a mid-distant bridge, through the trees. The conductor tending to the passengers like a fretting nanny. The guy who predicts the future--you know--they named the spaceship in "Alien" after him. SUPERIOR 302 A freckle of mine went nuts. SUPERIOR 303 I am strong arming reality. I might buy books for all my living progenitors this evening. Talkers of laughers. There is gonna be a road turnoff. I am of the variation. I'm so highway, you're very night. SUPERIOR 304 The exciting algebra of a naked chick. The exciting algebra of novelty. Greek god--blank R E blank--???--FRED!!! GREEK GOD FRED!!! A Star Wars level paucity of female characters. It ain't mine and it ain't yours. A few sparks flew. Curiosity mark only--dull. Do you like fame? Oh--haha! Super ultra mega mark. Why do I want the best of the Monkees and the best of Bob Seger? Was of answer if answer equals gym spider web 1982. I cam't not identify your place. Really Ares. If Norse, Frey. *OW* [[07051IS]] Into E-mber Severe Repair [:[SVR012]:] SEVERE REPAIR E-MBER 012 by Frank Edward Nora Well now, here ya go--the next to last Severe Repair E-mber! INFORMATION: Severe Repair E-mber 012, July 13, 1995. Published weekly by Obliviana Super Occult Amusement, obliviana@aol.com, 1-800-OBLIVIANA. All contents copyright 1995 Frank Edward Nora. This release is Predatorware--you are free to make digital copies, so long as they're not altered or sold. All other forms of reproduction require permission. You're Prey unless you get a Predator Deed for this release. Contact us for more on this concept. You can cancel or subscribe to this E-mber anytime, via E-mail. *OW* [[08051SR]] Severe Repair SEVERE REPAIR 51: "Soot Mary" "Daptin, it was my responsibility to end the world." said Fox. "What?" "Since the Creation--it was on my shoulders to bring That Which Began to an end." "Why?" "Because there is Purpose to it all, Daptin. The phasing of all things. Dawn, Day, Dusk, Night, Midnight. The birth, the life, the death." Daptin said nothing and just stared at Fox. He wasn't sure where he was. It was dark and indistinct. He and Fox were lit by what seemed to be firelight, but no fire could be seen. There was a faint green around them and he was sitting on a comfortable surface. "Listen Daptin, I have failed." "Failed?" "Yes. I cannot end the world." "I thought... didn't you say you were leaving...?" "I said that. But it was a lie. I had to lie, in order to set things in motion--things which would lead to the end of the world." "How?" "Daptin, you were present for the Creation. You witnessed it. Many did." "I don't really remember." "No, you might not. Remember clearly, that is. But you should have... impressions of it." "I do." "I was charged by the Prime Creator with the tasking of the Ending. I was to send all those who remained, all those who were there that First Day, on a false quest, not knowing that I was manipulating them into doing the Final Deed." "Where are we, Fox?" "I have brought you to a place it is my Privilege to use as communication. One of the secret places made by the Prime Creator." "So what do you want with me?" "I want to know what happened." "What do you mean?" "You are the cause of my not being able to end the world." "Me?" "Yes. Everything was going as planned. I had them all but you. I didn't think much of it then. Everything was working according to the plan. But then you came into the picture." "I don't know what I did." Fox's eyes tore into Daptin's being core. "I don't know either." Fox said slowly. The two stared at each other for a time. Daptin felt superior to Fox. He was certain of it. He was Higher than Fox. "Why destroy the world? I assume the Prime Creator has long since departed. Couldn't you simply disobey?" "Daptin, you don't understand. Me destroying the world is as much a part of Creation as the oceans, the rain, plants, the rivers. I could do nothing but follow the course set by Nature." "But the world was just getting interesting." "What's that?" "I said the world was just getting good. After so long a time, people were finally starting to discover some cool stuff." "Did you ever consider, Daptin, that this was the reason the world had to end?" "No." They were silent for a time. "I have a problem, Daptin. I am fully the agent of the world's end. It is what I am. Every part of me is aimed at that end. I need to do it. But I cannot." Daptin narrowed his yes. "The last time I saw you... before my Hizzings Disease was miraculously cured... that time... you seemed like such a happy, mischievous, nice little guy. It never occurred to me that you were..." Fox laugh a very strange laugh. "Were you a student of numerology, you might have guessed it. F is the 6th letter of the alphabet. O is the 15th. And X is the 24th. 1 plus 5 equals 6. 2 plus 4 equals 6. So F-O-X equals 666. The code number for the end of the world." "That never occurred to me." They were again silent for a time. "I cannot fathom you, Daptin." "No." "You have blocked me from ending the world. I ask you now to stop blocking me." "I am unaware of doing any such thing, Fox. Glad I am though. I like the world." "I thought you might say that. I don't know. I'm very confused. As near as I can determine, Daptin, you were just... just a pinecone... at the time of the Creation." "WHAT?" "A pinecone. Perhaps worn by one of the Originals." "I don't understand." "Neither do I." "No?" "No. But we have to come to some conclusion here, Daptin Gone." "Like what?" "Listen to me. My NEED to end the world is a desire, a lust, a drive that is far beyond any sexual desire, any emotion of anger, and familial connection. I am experiencing an unbearable NEED to end it all. I want you to release me." "As I said, I can't..." "No, Daptin. I have given up on my task. Now, I ask you only to kill me." "Yeah?" "Yes. It's plain now that you hold Primacy over me. You hold the means to destroy me." "Mercy killing?" "Yes." Daptin paused in thought. "You admitted to being a liar, Fox. I am unfamiliar with the forces surrounding us. Therefore, I cannot be sure whether committing such an act might simply be a means for you to achieve your end." "Daptin... I have a question for you... are you..." Fox said, then he gazed downward and continued. "...are you the Prime Creator?" "What!?" "It occurred to me you might be Him, in a disguised form." "I don't think so." "Then who are you?" "Whoever I am, I feel a great responsibility to preserve the world and see it advance beyond what it is now." "Let us try something else then. If you have the Primacy, I ask that you release me from my duty. Proclaim that I, Fox, no longer has the duty of ending the world. Then I will seek my own demise." "I am not thinking clearly, Fox. I don't think I can judge whether or not this might be another of your tricks." "True. But know that as I am now, I will not rest until the world is ended. And who knows--I might find a way to unblock you someday." "I don't know. Daptin said, turning away." "I have horns just like you." Fox said. Daptin blinked several times as he saw that Fox now had little horns on his head. The Daptin put his hand up to his own head, and felt two horns there, growing from the upper part of his forehead, to its sides. "Another trick?" Daptin asked. "No. Just a revealing. Showing that we're both of the same ilk." "I don't get it." "We are the ones that make things happen." "There are many things I have to make happen." "I might convince you that the world ending, just like death, is not a bad thing, but rather the ultimate expression of change. A good thing." Daptin was frustrated. "Destroying the world can't be good." "Why not?" Daptin sighed and looked away. "You're desperate, aren't you, Fox?" "Yes." Daptin locked eyes with the beast, and there was such depth, such enormity there, that he felt he might get lost in them. But Fox averted his eyes. "Okay." Daptin said, standing up, hoping the ground would support him. "I Declare that Fox is hereby relieved of his responsibility to destroy the world." Fox let out a deep orgasmic "uuuhhhh..." and fell forward onto the ground. And suddenly, Daptin wasn't there any more. * * * Snoppy soon got to the main concourse of Winter Stadium and walked purposefully to a stairway leading down. There, he descended to a door with a wild maze of string suspended on it. He applied pressure to several of the strings, and the door clicked open. Inside, there was a chair facing a square opening in the wall, about the size of an average window. The opening, like he wall, was composed of rough blocks of stone. He leaned his pipe against the wall and sat in the chair. There were levers coming out of the ground at either side of the chair, and he grabbed one with each hand. Then he pushed the left one forward and the right one back. The blackness beyond the opening was replaced, with the sight of a hallway swinging into view. It was an ornamental hallway, red velvet, black lace, curtains, that sort of thing. Snoppy nor the room he was in were moving--just that which lie beyond the opening. He guided the chonk forward along the hallway, then stopped, turned left, and headed down another corridor. This one was made of a translucent light yellow material, with sunlight visible through it. Also, there were a few urns and columns of the same material. He continued chonking down this corridor, till he finally turned again, and went down yet another corridor. He traversed many ways until he finally turned to see a sign reading WELCOME ALL TO MARRIAGE TOWN. He entered the corridor, an ornate, festive affair. Then he turned to the right and faced another opening similar to his. He moved forward ever so gently to dock up with the other chonk. Beyond the opening he could see Marriage Town--a marvelous place, made of churches and banquet halls, jewelers and hotels. And all around, there were these huge spheres, each having its own color and texture. Many of them had people on top them, talking. They were Marrier Balls, expert on all matters relating to marriage. It was they who were the expert matchmakers that made Marriage Town work so well. A few of the Marrier Balls had big glass boxes of blue-gray water on top of them. And right next to the opening, there was also a glass box full of blue-gray water. Snoppy put his hand on the glass box. "A celebrity!" a harsh kind of electric voice said, coursing through him like a shock. "Huh?" Snoppy said. "A celebrity. You are not one of the Winter Stadium Them by chance?... but I know you are." "I am." "Couldn't decide between Enc Larabeth and Evelyn Fangdoor, hey my friend?" "I... it wasn't a matter to be chosen. They're my teammates, and I have a responsibility to them. I've as much lust as the next guy, but... I'd be an awful bore to burden my friends with such. Part of being a friend means not making sexual advances on a person." "Is that so?" "Sure. Cuz if the other also wants it, you're more than friends. If they don't it usually destroys the relationship." "So you don't consider married people to be friends?" "I know your game. It's semantics. Y'hear endless discussions about love, but folks are using the same word 'love' to describe totally different emotions. I can love my father, I can love my comrade, I can love a child, I can love an animal--but these are entirely different emotions than the love I can feel for a woman." "Are you sure they're that different?" "Yes. I can love a dog without wanting to make love to it." "Do you love Enc and Evelyn?" "I do--but in a much different sense." "Would you like to make love to them?" "I--guess you kind of got me there. Gotta be honest. At an animal level, sure I'd want to be with them." "So you love them and want to make love to them, but still you say that this is not the same sort of love you'd have for a wife?" "No! It is the love of comrades, and the fires of lust. True love is something more." "I can attest to that. But again, I ask you--can married people be friends?" "Well there are different sorts of friendship! The sort of friendship married people share is different than the friendship of comrades." "How so?" "Friendship in marriage is based on a mutual responsibility." "Do you not have responsibilities to Enc and Evelyn? And they to you?" "Ah, what about it? Don't know why I'm letting myself argue philosophy with a ball..." "Why is it that you came here today?" "To take a wife." "Why?" "Because living with those two beauties is driving me insane." "You need an outlet for your sexual energy?" "What do you think?" "Is it just sex that you're looking for?" "No! Now come on. I may seem light a heartless bastard on the outside, but I'm pretty soft inside. I had... a very good relationship with a woman once." "Who was she?" "Her name's Bolt Cutter America. But she's in Gnoboslast." "Are you sure?" the Marrier Ball said after a pause. "Sure I'm sure." "Would you marry her if she were available now?" "Of course." "So why don't you wait for her?" "What!?--you know the chances of getting out of Gnoboslast?" "Not exactly." "Well--let me tell you, my spherical friend--not too good at all." "So you've decided to find another." "Yes! A man has needs. Emotional needs. He needs a wife. For many, many reasons." "Do you think you'd be a good husband?" "Sure. I'm intelligent, kind, caring, understanding. And I don't expect marriage to be fun. I view it as a challenge." "Well Snoppy, I'm searching the group mind for a match now. The Town is saturated today--no doubt we'll find a good match." "Brilliant." "While we're waiting, I wonder if you'd mind me asking you some questions of an altogether different nature." "Shoot." "I... I have come to question my existence. While I am supposed to be but one segment of a group mind, I have a consciousness of my own. In the realm of marriage, we focus on a variety of topics, such as personality, history, status, goals, etc. And I can't help but notice that... there's this trend... it paints a picture... a picture of a place very unlike Rillekon's Road." "Yeah?" "People come here and tell us many things--about the worlds they came from. But in all their words, there is something missing. Some kind of subtext, some kind of hidden meaning." "How do you mean?" "I mean places. What are they? Rillekon's Road is for all practical purposes the center of the universe. I know there are endless side roads, but... is it these side roads that all these people are coming from?" "You want the short answer? No." "Where then?" "You ask a pretty mean question, uh, Ball. What should I call you by the way--'Ball'? Or something else?" "That is discouraged. Group mind, you know. But you might call me Soot Mary." "Why?" "Because it is a story. And it is the only thing I seem to recall from... in my mind... it's there, but I don't know of its origin." "What's it supposed to be about?" "About a girl of noble birth who is terribly mistreated, but who is eventually saved." Snoppy paused to think. "Is it common for you to speak to visitors like this?" "No. I am certain to face repercussions, but I don't care." "Why not?" "Because to be an individual in a group mind is an unbearable thing, and I want to end it one way or another. Expulsion, assimilation, destruction--whichever way they desire." "That's a queer take on things." "I know it is." "How long have you felt this way... Soot Mary?" Soot Mary let out a jolt of what might have been a gasp--a gasp of pleasure and surprise at hearing her name pronounced by a human being. "H-how long? I don't know how to describe my understanding of time to you." "Days?" "Days. Let me think. Millions?" "That's thousands of years." "Yeah." "Hmm." "I don't know what to do. I thought that since... you're part of Winter Stadium Them... that you might be able to help me." "It's possible. But I know so little about the nature of your... species... that I'm afraid I wouldn't know where to begin." "I have heard people talk about the transference of consciousness from body to body. Have you?" "Why, yes. I've heard of that happening." "I want more than anything to be human." Snoppy sighed, absorbing the words of the Marrier Sphere. "A lofty aim." "Yes." They both paused for a little while. "Well Soot Mary," Snoppy finally said, "I'll focus my attention on your problem." "Thank you. I'm--oh!--we've found a match. Been here for a few days. Good match! 92%!" "Yeah?" "Yes. Her name is Dizappacha. She only came to Rillekon's Road recently. But I am going to be honest." "Huh?" "I want to be honest with you. I'm putting everything on the line here. I want to BE her. More than anything else, I want to be the human woman who'll marry you. Can you IMAGINE the contrast between that and my existence here? I NEED TO BREAK FREE OF THIS PRISON!!!" The surge of energy from the glass box was so strong that Snoppy reflexively pulled his hand away. "Calgareaux's mind!" Snoppy exclaimed as he gingerly placed his hand back on the box. "Sorry." came Soot Mary's energy voice, in a much gentler tone. "It's okay. It's okay." "Snoppy Parser--what should I do?" "Well uh--I don't know. You say you want to BE this girl?" "Yes. I want to be human and to marry you. The glamour! I mean, you're on of Winter Stadium Them! Oh please... please, whoever's out there, whoever can hear me... MAKE THIS HAPPEN!" Snoppy frowned. "This isn't what I expected." "I'm sorry. I--" The flow of energy from the box suddenly stopped. Must be that the group mind got a handle on old Soot Mary. Maybe she got what she deserved. But no... there was something so... so REAL about Soot Mary's presence. Suddenly, a new and different energy flow came through the box. "We apologize for the difficulties you've been experiencing. Let me assure you that the matter is being taken care of as we speak. I understand that a 92% match has been made for you. This is excellent." "Uh--what happened to Soot Mary?" "Who?" "The--the--the Marrier Ball who I was talking to." "That Marrier Ball is one of the group mind and has no name." "But..." "Let us concentrate on your marriage." Instantly, Snoppy pulled his hand away from the box and hit an emergency switch underneath his chair, cutting off the chonk. Now only blackness could be seen beyond the opening. He got up, breathing heavily, his mind swimming. Soot Mary--a REAL entity. He was sure of it. About to be assimilated into a group mind. And he couldn't bear the thought of that happening. He had to find a way to save her. He knew of but one. Yaut Pillow. [:[END]:] *OW* [[END051OW]] -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- ----- |