|| -------- -- -----  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 071--12/1/95 <-------  ||  OsoaWeek  ||  Issues  ||  Book 6  ||  -------> (Cup OWis071, Created v1 (4/27/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [[BEGIN071OW]] [[01071CV]] * * * O S O A W E E K 0 7 1 * * * December 1, 1995 "The weekly ezine of Obliviana Super Occult Amusement!" by Frank Edward Nora CONTENTS 01 071 CV--Cover 02 071 LA--Lord of Obliviana 03 071 NH--Nihilistica 04 071 SU--Superior 05 071 SR--Severe Repair OsoaWeek071, December 1, 1995 6th issue of OsoaWeek Book 6 Written by Frank Edward Nora Published weekly by Obliviana Super Occult Amusement (E-mail address in transition) 1-800-OBLIVIANA http://www.obliviana.com/~osoa All contents copyright 1995 Frank Edward Nora Regarding this file, you are free to make digital copies, so long as they're not altered or sold. All other forms of reproduction require permission. A CupFrontier containing this file will be available. Stay tuned for more details. Character count: 20285 / Line count: 604 / Days late: 31 *OW* [[02071LA]] Lord of Obliviana 12/22/95 * 6:39 PM * train Well, the train's movin'--almost to Newark--but we should have gotten to Princeton Junction already! Gonna go to Barnes & Noble to buy all my Xmas presents. I'm expecting the worst, as far as crowds go. Who knows--maybe Peter Litkey is smart for finishing his Xmas shopping in October. But maybe not. Mother, father, brother, sister, grandmother. That's it. So issue 70 is done--just locked it a few minutes ago. 28 days late. Tough going these days. 12/27/95 * 7:36 AM * NJT car 1533 1995 just keeps dragging on. I'm through with it--1995 is dead to me. And yet, I have to slog through day after day of 1995. It's almost like torture, waiting for 1996, which starts in 4 days, 16 hours, and 20 minutes. It's damn cold on this train. I tried to type with gloves on before--with limited success. I thought I was gonna get some money for Xmas, but got none, so this week I'm doing the cheapest, most aggravating commute--getting off at Newark to get the PATH train to Manhattan. Actually, the CHEAPEST way is to walk from the Christopher St. or 9th. St. PATH station to work--but it's so cold in the mornings, I just take the PATH to World Trade Center and take an uptown E to work--luckily I had 3 tokens left over from last week. I hate being poor. Man, my apartment is a mess. I've been trying to clean it up, with limited success. Last night I got home around 7:30, and went to bed around 8:30. I overslept, and wound up getting 9.5 hours of sleep--and an epic dream about suicide. Great. Must have come from the film "The New Age", which I saw Xmas Eve. No doubt, I'm messed-up. I mean, even when things are going smoothly, I have a hard time keeping everything organized. But when everything's going haywire--like it has been over the past couple of months--well--my life becomes more damage-control than productive. So this is the 6th issue of Book Six. Wow. Not much stuff since OYO, eh? And--no OsoaWeeks after 52 are online yet. But really, it's not so much material--Book Five was so minimal. And Book Six--only 5 issues done so far, but each of these DOES have a Severe Repair chapter. After OYO, after issue 52--I've been struggling to regain some momentum. My plans, my visions--and my failure to get organized--all of this, making everything seem so close and yet so far... I guess that this that I'm writing right now will only be interesting to futurians if Obliviana becomes a success. If Obliviana never goes anywhere, I don't imagine many people will ever read this. But I feel strongly that Obliviana WILL become a success. Let me get the Revolver list from last issue... * Obliviana * Severe Repair * Zope * Superior * 209 * Forge of Wander * Nihilistica * Hemisinister Review * Devastating Nightscape New Jersey * Anything But Monday* * Classictronica* Okay. This list is not final by any means, but it is very useful. Cuz I'm starting to see some logic to it all... 12/28/95 * 7:04 PM * NJT car 1423 Coming to the end of 1995. Asked a girl out today--she accepted. Got a killer issue of U&lc at a bookstore today--font heaven. Played Warcraft at work. I played the orcs. Kinda insane last night. Well, it's time to plan for next year. Where is Obliviana at? The idea--an interface based on classic video games--the whole thing an ongoing game. Your Fonosta Device is your "guy"--your Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Mario, Major Havoc, whatever--your little representation onscreen. One of the coolest "guys" you could be was in the Atari 2600 game "Adventure". You played as a little square, that's it. But playing as this little square is massively engaging. Cuz think of it--with nothing but a square to look at, you gotta fill in the missing data with your imagination. And that's where it all happens, the magic of videogames. Maybe the interface could be based on a fictional home video game system--as in my "Halzapular Fuzz" concept. That way, you could get a collection of cartridges (CupFrontiers?) to play with. Yeah... 1/1/96 * 8:16 PM * home Whattaya know--it's 1996! Alright! Farewell 1995! Good riddance! So, I've reworked the Revolvers and will present them below. * Obliviana * Severe Repair * Zope * Superior * 209 * Halzapular Fuzz (video assets, LFN, TC&B) * Forge of Wander (Antebellum/New Jersey) * Balbitype (fonts, clip textures, etc.) * Anything But Monday* * Classictronica* I decided to change things so that I would personally have 8 Revolvers, since 9 is a rather unlucky number. I don't know if this sort of behind-the-scenes work is wholly appropriate for public display but--ah, what the hell. It may be interesting to folks in the future sometime or something. Anyway, it's 1996, and Obliviana is gonna KICK ASS THIS YEAR!!! GET ALL OBLIVIANA!!! *OW* [[03170NH]] Nihilistica ***THE ORIGINAL BALBITYPE TWENTYSIX*** Antarctica Carnage Clobber Conifer Darkle Declaration Diane Disaster Endgame Hacksaw Idiot Jingo Kaiser Lager Nitrogen Pleaser Pluto Shrike Slumber Southbound Warm Way Wrath Wyoming Xenon Yesterday *OW* [[04071SU]] Superior SUPERIOR 405 The feelings are delightful here. There's a fire burning between us. Love and lust and everything nice. Here, there is uncertainty. The race to the first kiss, in constant euphoric pain. The effort, if I don't make it I'll never forgive myself. The effort, if I fail at least I'll know I tried. No. This one I play to win. SUPERIOR 406 Rave Janssen, cutest little movie star, just 19, here in my bed. It's like S&M, the eroticism of her being so much better than me--rich, famous, beloved--and who am I? It turns me on. Of course, I dream of making it to the top like her. The dreams themselves are pleasurable to run through my mind. I realize I may as well derive as much pleasure from these visions as possible, since my chances of making it are slim. She's on top. SUPERIOR 407 We think of places, but they're nothing without you there. Yeah, still in time, all of 'em exist. Yup. Time travel and how small you are. Every moment there's a whole world of space. What can they hope to experience? But it's wrong. Consider repetition. Actions have no reactions. The axe of us gone. SUPERIOR 408 This one I play to lose. My heart was wacky, I was just this funny one to her. Any fire there may have been was just in me. The cement slab thought--there will be no first kiss. No more uncertainty--she'll never be my girlfriend. The feelings are ambiguous here. I tried. No euphoria, not painful. SUPERIOR 409 I am a formula made of ace. That tingling sensation, that broad smile of a morning panorama. Air pressure confusion, you're at a mall far away, phones aren't working right, and you have money. Getting away in a night of flurries, never to return, what the humanity you seek is beyond you. And I cannot help it. SUPERIOR 410 Prelude to the informative day. Find. Some of the stars, might be her body when she was 23. I love the feeling of being really tired. I am marvelous--something precious in the display case, seems too valuable for the security level here. So I'm in this hotel. Funny, I can make one call and be having sex with two women all night long. Good women. Not whores. Friends. Part of this whole tapestry of power. But my hand isn't moving. My eyes are all over the phone, but my hand can't obey me. Ironic, what are my concerns? SUPERIOR 411 Let me know. Yeah, I wrote a lot more of this, but it got destroyed as the computer crashed. Erections on transit, writing erotica. Will any of them call me? Have no time for them. Snowfall is unwelcome. Again. Whatever. Didn't lose much. SUPERIOR 412 Nose. Airsh Niobrahms. Metropark, Breasts. Oh! Just, can I write? Not feeling good. 412, wow. Just remember the inner peace. Yeah? Lust is candy. I don't want the abandoned playground. Or do I? Inner peace, emotionlessness. No. It's about keeping my emotions under control. *OW* [[05071SR]] Severe Repair SEVERE REPAIR 58: "As Clear as Yesterday" Alva Neon looked up and saw a green skyscraper. He marveled at this sight, and continued to walk without looking where he was going. Two garbage cans blocked his path and he stumbled into them. He did not fall, but tried furiously to regain his balance. As he did this it looked like some wild dance. Finally he just fell. He didn't get up, however, because the sidewalk was so comfortable. Soon a huge black bus pulled up and stopped. The doors opened and Alva Neon looked in. The bus driver stared at Alva with glowing green eyes. He was so spooked that he got up and ran. Around the corner he went, and slammed right into this big guy. He was bald and had golden skin. "Sorry, Mac." said Alva Neon, and he continued to run. Soon he got tired and slowed down. A bit later he saw the nation's flag hanging outside some bank or something and he stood in silent reverence for a good while. Then he continued his walk. There was this dog on a leash, and a lady was taking him for a walk. As Alva Neon passed them, the dog barked at him. "Shut up, you! Ha! Ha!" said Alva. The lady walked a little faster to get away from this crazy dude. Alva sort of walked around in circles until the lady was out of sight, and then he dug into the pockets of his dirty old jacket. Presently, he produced a big black magic marker. He looked around to see if anyone was watching. If any cops saw him, he'd be in big trouble! The coast was clear, so he wrote on a wall: "ALVA NEON WUZ HERE!" He giggled uncontrollably to himself and ran off. Eventually he came to a corner where an old blind man was, one even older than Alva. The blind man had a long white beard and he was begging for money. "Are you blind?" asked Alva. "Yes. I am blind." answered the blind man calmly. "Why are you here?" asked Alva. "Because I need money to eat." the old man said. Alva checked in his pockets and found that he, too, had no money. He stood there quietly, thinking, and then said "Silly man! You cannot eat money! Ha! Ha!" Alva Neon then ran off again. Soon after, he stopped and sat down. He heard thunder and it started to get windy. Papers flew by and he caught one. It was old and wrinkled. Alva squinted and began to read it. It said: "A young man sat in his college dorm room trying to think..." Alva put it down. HE had been a young man once. He had been rich and famous and happy until one day long, long ago. It began to rain as he remembered. It was summer, and it was hot. Alva Neon was in the train house with his monkey, Foxxo, on his shoulder. He was making final checks on good Old Number 55. She was the fastest engine in the world and Alva had proved that in the many races he had won. Today, though, he would face his toughest opponent to date. The man's name was Ivan Isotope, and his engine was called the Brass Bullet. He was a rising star in the world of train racing, and today he would Alva Neon for the championship. Isotope was a tall man who always smiled and looked as if he were keeping some big secret. He had a German shepherd named Mister King who was his sidekick. Alva put his engineer's cap on and went outside. He was a short man, but he had a handsome, brave face. A crew of reporters greeted him and asked him his opinion of the day's race. Before he could answer, however, Foxxo jumped onto an attractive female reporter and kissed her. The poor woman fainted and Foxxo smiled and screamed in simian glee. "Uh, sorry about that," Alva started, "but back to the race. I've faced many opponents in my time, and Old Number 55 has always made it. I have no doubt that she can do so again today." But Alva did have doubts. His engine was fast, but Isotope's Brass Bullet just might have been faster. The idea of losing the championship was inconceivable to Alva Neon. He had to do something, and he did. The reporters left, and Alva watched the Brass Bullet move out of its hangar. The gleaming golden form seemed to be the perfect engine, but Alva knew there was a slight flaw. Exactly halfway through the race, a converter gasket would blow and the train would be slowed. The change would be almost imperceptible, but enough to insure Neon's victory. Ivan Isotope yelled something to Alva Neon as he went by in his train, but the champion couldn't make it out. He supposed it had something to do with starting the race, so he went inside to fire up Old Number 55. As he climbed up into the cab, Foxxo jumped off his master's shoulder and began to jump around the engine like a hyper maniac. "What's wrong Foxxo, pal?" asked Neon, puzzled. The monkey just screamed, a Alva started the engine up. Steam shot upwards as Old Number 55 lurched forward. Out onto the track it went, a blue and silver symbol of victory. It approached the starting area where cars were attached to make a train. Each car had an advertisement for a national brand on it. Soon it was time to begin, and Alva Neon's conscience began to bother him. Was it right to sabotage his opponent as he had, to shatter Isotope's dream of becoming world champion? That mattered little now, as the race was about to begin. The fuse was lit on the starting cannon and both engineers held their throttles expectantly. At the moment just before the cannon would go off, they turned up their engines. The cannon roared and the two trains began to move. Alva felt the excitement rush in his blood as he felt the raw power vibrate beneath him. He had gotten a slight head start on Isotope, and was using it to his advantage. He turned the throttle to full and began to pull away. Neon had a big lead when Isotope began to speed up and challenge the lead. Alva turned around and saw the gleaming Brass Bullet gaining on him fast. Foxxo jumped about the cab insanely as Isotope caught up. As he passed, Ivan Isotope made a hand gesture to Neon which he didn't understand. Mister King barked at Foxxo. Alva Neon just stared forward as Isotope passed. He stared at his watch and waited for his sabotage to take effect. Thirty seconds later, as he had predicted, the Brass Bullet began to slow down. Soon Neon had the lead again and he felt a great sense of relief. As Old Number 55 caught up with and passed the Brass Bullet, Alva looked over at Ivan and was puzzled by his opponent's grin. He was even more puzzled as Isotope began to laugh. It all became clear, however, as he felt his engine begin to shake beneath him. Old Number 55 rumbled and shivered as the Brass Bullet shot past it. Alva Neon heard Mister King bark as pieces of his engine began to fly off. It was coming apart. Double sabotage! Alva closed his eyes as his pride and joy was demolished. When he opened them he was in the middle of a pile of junk. Foxxo had disappeared. In the distance Alva Neon heard the crowd cheer for their new champion. The rain stopped and Alva was old again. He was wet and depressed. He closed his eyes and thought about how useless his life had been after that day. He never raced again, and used up his money to drink away his problems. Finally he just became a bum. So there he sat. A few minutes later Alva heard a noise which he hadn't heard for years. He looked down the street and saw the long lost Foxxo running towards him, carrying one end of a rope. The monkey pulled it tight by the front of a door and tripped a guy as he walked out. The guy fell flat on his face and Alva Neon just laughed and laughed and laughed. Laughing, he lapsed into a deep slumber. When he awoke, it seemed like ten years had passed. And there was a big German shepherd standing perfectly still right by his sprawled form. He got up on his elbows and regarded the animal through hazy eyes. "Cat goddess has helped you. You are now Alva Meow. Oh, you're young." said Mister King in a deep, calm voice. "Who?" "Everything's alright. Everything's fine." "Aren't you... aren't you that dog?" "Are you sure the memory of train race was not an allegory for your failed marriage?" "No. It... it really happened." "Did you masturbate about having sex with Ivan Isotope?" "No!" "You did." Alva frowned and looked around. It was sunny and quiet, and there was no one else around. Cautiously, he got up and sat, his back to a building, never taking his eyes off Mister King. "What are you doing here, anyway?" Alva asked the beast. Mister King cocked his head. "What--" Alva continued. "What are you doing to me here?" "I am of Gnoboslast." said the dog. "What's that all about?" Alva said, and finished the phrase with a hacking cough, after which he cleared his throat loudly several times and turned away. When he looked back at the dog, it was running away down the street at a great speed, soon out of sight. Alva's eyes focused on nothing and he tried to get his bearings. Soon, he heard an eerie noise from around the corner. He turned to look, and he saw a big black bus turning the corner. He got up and stared at the approaching menacing vehicle. He looked down the street toward where Mister King had departed, and wondered whether the dog, with its superior hearing, heard the terrible bus coming. If so, the dog was smart. I'm dumb though, he thought, cuz I'm not moving. The bus pulled up to where Alva stood and stopped. Waiting for the doors to open, Alva was soon attracted to his reflection in the shiny, opaque black glass of the bus's door. He was young again. Hadn't the dog said something to that effect? Then the doors to the bus opened, and the driver stared down at him with glowing green eyes. "Look. Just get in." the driver said, in a voice that didn't seem all that evil. After a moment's reflection, Alva figured he didn't have anything left to lose, so he climbed on board. The driver looked turned away from Alva and faced the road. As the interior of the bus came into view, Alva was shocked to see it was empty except for an ornate throne right at the back of the bus. Above it, a sign with big silver and blue letters read "FOR ALVA MEOW". Alva turned to the driver, who immediately closed the doors and started driving forward. "Um--what is that back there?" Alva asked. "A place to sit." the driver said without turning. "Why is it all..." "Like a throne?" "Yeah." "I have no consciousness. I can't answer questions like that." "Oh?" "I'm less than a machine." Alva regarded the glowing-eyed driver with annoyance and slowly walked to the throne. It was a nice throne, and it looked very comfortable. He was about to climb up into it, but he turned and asked the driver "Where are we going, anyway?" "The Sahatter Elevated Walkway." "What's that?" The driver didn't answer. So Alva climbed up to the throne and sat down. Man, was it comfortable. He felt like he could sleep for another ten years in a throne like this. Some cool music started playing and Alva started nodding his head to the beat, his eyes closed. The singer on the song sang "Do you remember it as clear as yesterday? I think you remember it as clear as destiny. Inside you, there is filth. Don't even pretend to be fun. I'd rather ride in a bus than fuck sex with you." Alva opened his eyes and the music was gone. And the bus... it was stopped. And the driver was gone. Sun streamed in. It was comfortably warm. Alva was half-asleep. But he was trying to wake up. Suddenly, a fountain of water shot up from the middle of the empty space in the bus. "It's all about summer." came a wispy voice from within the waters. *OW* [[END071OW]] -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----