|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- GOODBYE POPCORN--CUP 13--"CUP OF COFFEE" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Goodbye Popcorn  ||  -------> (Cup SRgp013, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = "Notice the strange glyphs on the Styrofoam--we haven't been able to match these to any known form of writing." Elaine Caxopy said to Daptin Gone and Fake Cerquaine, gingerly holding a twenty-ounce styrofoam coffee cup with a plastic lid. "Probably just a silly corporate logo." Cursive Caxopy hahaed. "So this is our mission?" the green-haired Daptin asked. "Buying coffee?" "Don't be an idiot." Cursive said tersely. "I just thought--" Daptin started. "Would we need all these supplies just to buy coffee, Daptin?" Fake said. "I mean--maybe there're some weird, super weird coffee shops or delis in Boltpike. I mean I don't know." Daptin said. "You can see the coffee's still hot--you can see the steam. They must've just got it--and without our help." Fake said. "You're both very very very mistaken." Elaine said. "Open your minds and listen. This is the Cup of Coffee. And we didn't just get it--in fact, by our estimates it's well over 40,000 years old. Now just wait--there's more. Hold on a second." With this, Elaine placed the cup carefully on her desk. "Tavmatey--are you with us?" Elaine asked, facing the cup. Silence. "Tavmatey Numblem--if you can hear me, please respond. Please. We have two new friends here." "Well I don't--" Daptin began. "Quiet!" Elaine yipped as she held out her arm. And then a small voice emerged from deep within the cup. "Hi Elaine." said the distant yet distinctly husky female voice. "Hi Tav. The two are here, the two we told you about last time we talked. Remember?" Elaine said, staring distantly at the cup. After a pause, Tavmatey said "I remember. The rescue team." "That's right. They're off to Boltpike to retrieve you." Elaine said. "Oh boy, I can't wait to get out of here." Tavmatey said. "Now is she in the cup in some way," Faked asked, "or is it just a means of communicating?" "Good question." Cursive said. "We're not entirely sure, but we know one thing--the sound of the girl's voice gets louder in some places and softer in others. And by mapping our various readings, we've determined that she must be somewhere in Boltpike." "So there it is." Elaine said. "You have to go into Boltpike with the cup and find where the voice is the loudest. Your relative anonymity will be of great help--if one of us were seen wandering about Boltpike listening to a cup of coffee, there'd be trouble for sure." "Yeah, but like--when we get there, to where the voice is loudest, then what?" Daptin asked, staring at the cup. "At that point things will be getting clearer for you." Elaine said. "You should be able to perceive some sort of entryway--a door, a hatch, a curtain, a window--something. This will likely be a one-way portal of some class. So remember--and this is vitally important--do not go all the way through the portal. No. Just go halfway, and you should be able to see Tavmatey. At this point, she can come back to Avert with you. But be careful--we don't want you getting stuck too." Daptin's stomach growled loudly. "Hungry Daptin?" Cursive asked. "Um yeah." Daptin replied. "The only thing I ate today was a Twix." "Twix?" Cursive asked. "Isn't that a candy bar from the future?" "Uh, no. As far as I know, Twix has been around for a few years. Maybe you're thinking of a new flavor they're working on?" "No..." Cursive said, looking down. "I guess it was some other candy bar from the future I was thinking of." "Do you time travel?" Fake asked. "Yeah." Cursive said distantly. "Sometimes." "Cool." Daptin said, nodding. "I'd like a Twix." came Tavmatey's little voice from the cup. "I think I remember it. Caramel cookie treats?" "With chocolate." Fake said. Tavmatey didn't reply, so Fake looked around and then moved her face close to the cup. "With chocolate." she repeated. "Yeah." Tavmatey said. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----