|| -------- -- -----  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 22--"THE GIRL WITH THE BIG WEIRD RIFLE" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Goodbye Popcorn  ||  -------> (Cup SRgp022, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = She popped it and it worked. All the three could see was a gray haze all about them, and all they could hear was a clamorous and shrieking thunder. "I guess we killed them." Daptin Gone said, his voice nearly drowned by the din. "We had to." said Jerald Hapal Hatch. "I didn't know it would be this... serious." Fake Cerquaine said. "What?" Daptin asked. "The balloon." Fake said. "Oh." The three could now see the dark gray destruction swirling about all around, and it was like they were in a glass sphere--the slay balloon's safe area. The clamor continued with no sign of diminishing. "Okay wait." Tavmatey Numblem said from within the Cup of Coffee. "Okay what's the matter." "Huh?" Daptin said. "Did you say something, Tavmatey?" "I said, what's the matter!" "We had to use a slay balloon. A gang of fighters came upon us, with saws and guns and stuff." "That's not possible. You're not still in Boltpike, are you?" "I don't know. Why shouldn't we be?" "Elaine deceived you. El Flactor Floor was in on it. The Cup of Coffee--they know more about it than they told you. The situation-to-reality aspect ratio is so tight in Avert that you can't really transport the Cup more than a few hundred feet." "What the hell are you talking about?" "I'm telling you everything I know--you might be dead soon and all. But no--like I said, the reason for the journey, the mission, was to get you here. They didn't want the cupslip in their own city, so they had you do it in Boltpike. The thing with the loudness of my voice--all untrue." "So hold on--are you really in the Cup or what?" "Yes! I mean, I'm here in this place. It's like I have a normal life, but it's not my own. I live here and stuff. And I have my friends, but it's just a fancy jail cell, as far as I'm concerned." "But Tavmatey--what the hell is your involvement in the Cup?" Daptin asked. "I--there's a nearby world--I guess--where me and you were like--I dunno." "Tavmatey--we can talk about all this later. Just tell me where we are right now. Okay? Where are we?" "I'm unsure. My major cupslip was from Earth, with a much looser ratio. Coming from an Avert City like Boltpike, I don't know. It changes both reality and situation, though. That's how I got into this current life. Situation just wrapped around me in this way, and here I am." "But what sort of place is this?" "I don't know--why don't you look around and see?" "I can't! The balloon's destruction is still exploding, if you can't hear it. It was a wilderness area, but with tended grass. I heard a lawnmower, so there must be people nearby--who I guess we just killed, along with that gang. Sorry folks..." "Now Daptin, this gang--I heard them say something about the Cup?" "They said they were looking for the Cup and finally found it." All of a sudden the clamor died down, and there was a sound not dissimilar to that of a toilet flushing. The gray cloud began to lighten. "I guess that's the extent of it." Fake said, looking down at the unimpressive popped balloon on the ground. "Heads up!" Jerald said, pointing his submachinegun toward a dark shape looming in the gray cloud. "What the--" Daptin began. The shape disappeared, but a moment later, a person appeared a few feet away from Daptin, Fake, and Jerald. It was the girl with the big weird rifle. She wore a blue and brown military uniform, and sported wavy light brown lovely hair. She appeared barely into her twenties. "Now I can hurt you, but you can't hurt me. I'm willing to listen to what you might have to say, so save your ammo. This me, Pattern Integrity." the girl said. Jerald raised his gun and backed away. "I'm not fooling around!" Pattern said, pointing her rifle at Jerald. Jerald continued to back up, passing outside the perimeter of the safe area. A few seconds later, he stumbled back in, coughing, and dropped to his knees. "Pretty nasty out there, huh?" Pattern asked. "Look, who the hell are you?" Fake asked. Pattern swung her rifle around and pointed it at Fake. Fake held up her hands and smiled a nervous smile. Her cinder block hovered warily above her shoulder. "If it means anything, we can't be killed either." Fake said. "Maybe not, but I could probably injure you." Pattern said, then she turned her attention to the Cup of Coffee. Daptin faced her. "You like it?" Daptin said, holding up the Cup and willing his frost flame to burn with great intensity. "Yes I like it." Pattern said. "I haven't seen it for a long time." Jerald, still choking, raised his gun and fired a short burst at Pattern Integrity. It hit her in the chest, and she vanished for a moment, then reappeared, unharmed. She then pointed her rifle at Jerald and shot a short yellow energy burst at him. Jerald collapsed immediately. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----