|| -------- -- -----  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 16--"PLUTOMIANA" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Goodbye Popcorn  ||  -------> (Cup SRgp016, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = "Let me see that can!" Fake said loudly to Cursive. Just then, a buzzer went off. "Jerald's here." Elaine said. "Jerald will be helping you on your mission." Cursive said with a smile. "Can!" Fake yelled. Cursive placed the can on the table and left the room. Fake reached across the table and grabbed the can. "Wow. It's just what I said. So they did have it." Fake said, bewildered. "So they have an algorithmic beverage generator--so what." Elaine said. "Are you guys gonna retrieve me," Tavmatey said from within the Cup of Coffee, "or are you gonna talk about drinks all day?" "We'll get to you." Elaine said. "I hope so." said Tavmatey. "Here's Jerald." Cursive said as she entered the room with heavyset fellow with short, straight blond hair. "Jerald Hapal Hatch," Elaine said, "meet Fake Cerquaine and Daptin Gone." "Hullo." Jerald said. "Hi." said Daptin and Fake. "Jerald's from Fiestarkoon. Found Agoopish a few weeks ago just like you guys." Cursive said. "You guys are from Baskonontana, right?" Jerald asked. "Well, I live there now, but I'm originally from Arctica." Daptin said. "I'm a native Powerssippian myself." added Fake. "Huh." Jerald grunted. "Have a seat, Jerald. We have a lot to discuss." Elaine said. "Pizza?" Jerald asked. "All in good time." Cursive responded. Several hours later, Jerald, Fake, and Daptin stood in a service corridor in a shopping mall in Plutomiana, Baskonontana (on Earth). Daptin was wearing his frost flame delimiter, a vest which burned with a cold blue-gray flame. Fake's intelligent cinder block hovered a few feet above her. Jerald wore a cowboy hat. "Why'd we have to come back to Earth and ride in Cursive's dumb station wagon for 45 minutes? Couldn't we get to Boltpike directly from Agoopish?" Jerald asked. "Get the shit outta your ears, Hatch." Fake said. "You know this is a much more obscure entrance to Boltpike, and therefore, a safer one." "Yeah." Daptin said, kneeling down, placing the Cup of Coffee on the ground, and adjusting his submachinegun on its strap around his shoulder. "I just hope we can get over to that record store and over the bridge before mall security begins to hassle us." "Who cares?" Jerald said. "We can smoke 'em no problem with our weapons." "Jerald!" Fake said, turning around and pointing her finger in his face. "We cannot afford any incidents here on Earth! And I for one am not prepared to hurt anybody unless we absolutely have to, whether or not we're invulnerable." "Who says we're invulnerable?" Jerald asked, stroking his infinite-ammo submachinegun. "The coin, dummy." Fake said. "What coin?" Jerald asked. "The black coin, the killable one. Didn't you touch it?" Daptin asked, carefully picking the Cup of Coffee back up and standing. "What are you talking about? I never saw any coin." Jerald said. "Well, just forget it then." Daptin said, opening the door leading into the mall proper a little to peer out. "What do you mean forget it? They gave you a power and forgot to give it to me?" Jerald asked, upset. "I guess they did." Fake said, annoyed. "Maybe they didn't feel you deserved it." "I deserve it! Hey, I deserve it! Let's go back and let me get it!" Jerald moaned. "Listen, you ass-backward Fiestarkoon idiot--this mission will go forward as planned. Get it?" Fake said angrily. "I'm not prepared to go any further with you elitist Baskonontanans. I'm going back to Agoopish and get my coin." Jerald whined. Daptin turned to face Jerald, his hands inches from his gun. "This mission will go forward as we've been instructed." Daptin said. "Don't second guess the Caxopys--they've been doing this since before our parents had sex to conceive us. For whatever reason, they appointed Fake as group leader for this mission--so her word is final." "Don't threaten me." Jerald said. "You're threatening me, just 'cause I can be killed and you can't. I won't have it." "Jerald!" Fake yelled. "If you hadn't noticed, we're all on the same team. We're not threatening you. Elaine showed us the coin for a reason--because we were concerned about the possibility of killing. She thought if we were invulnerable, it might desensitize us a little. And reluctant as I am to admit it, I do feel less sensitive on the matter now that my own death is precluded." "And you, Jerald." Daptin said. "You didn't need such a treatment, with your gung ho, 'let's kill some innocent mall guards' attitude. Get some brains, man. Just because we have the power doesn't mean we have the right to abuse it. I mean, did you ever kill anyone? Do you know what it is to live the rest of your life with that memory?" "No." Jerald said. "But if it's kill or be killed, I know what to do." -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----