|| -------- -- -----  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 38--"THE ARIETTA SANE CITY WATER TREATMENT PLANT" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Goodbye Popcorn  ||  -------> (Cup SRgp038, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Elsewhere, at the water treatment plant, some folks were confused. Daptin Gone stood up and surveyed the scene. It was definitely a water treatment plant. They had all collapsed, but were now all getting up. It appeared to be mid-afternoon. "What is it about this place?" Iterator of Rail Avenue asked. "It a fun, fun place!" Pantry Lurkin said, jumping about in a little jig. Granticaine Chug Perion looked around at the flat landscape dotted with huge power line towers and spoke. "No--Iterator of Rail Avenue is right--I feel something--familiar about this place--like--" "--like we work here?" Wreckage Mallie said. Daptin shook his head. "We do work here, don't we? I mean, we definitely do." Daptin said. "Poo in, faucet out, mister! Ther water treater of all is me and you, you, you. Uh-huh." Pantry Lurkin said, climbing up onto a railing looking over a huge pool of water. "No, you're right Daptin." Iterator of Rail Avenue said. "We do work here. We have for a while." Mallie knelt down and opened his duffel bag, examining the contents, a gun and a pipe. "I realize we work here." Mallie said. "I know it's the Arietta Sane City water treatment plant. I know I'm an assistant engineer." Daptin grabbed his forehead and spoke. "But--I mean, I know I don't have to bring this up, but weren't we, like, going to rescue my friend, Fake? And, I mean, I know it's obvious, but we just got here because of the Coffee I drank. I mean, we were on the superway at Greatwall just a minute or two ago." "That's true Daptin, but whatever the details, we do have to get back to work. Don't you see that? We have our responsibilities." Granticaine said. "I wanna work. I like it." Pantry said. "Okay, we'll all go back to work in a minute." Iterator of Rail Avenue said. "But first let's sort this thing out with the just getting here, and the mission and everything." "You're right." Mallie said. "There's something here we're missing. It all seems to make sense, but it leaves me with a bad taste in my mind." "To coin a phrase?" Granticaine asked, referring to a popular song on his and Mallie's home Earth, 'Bad Taste in My Mind'. Just then, Bobby Murph and Kell Weaner came up a ladder onto the roof. "This the new coffee break hangout?" Bobby asked. "Coffee break?" Daptin asked, slightly shocked. "Boss's lookin' for y'all." Kell said. "Says he's got a munity on his hands." Bobby and Kell laughed. Granticaine, Daptin, Pantry, Iterator of Rail Avenue, and Mallie also started laughing--it just seemed funny. "Y'got that new in-line farbin intake, Iterator of Rail Avenue?" Bobby asked. "Yeah, we were supposed to get it Tuesday, but the jerks at Moppis sent it to Hoom!" "Well, we could really use it." Kell said. "Isn't that the truth!" Granticaine said. "Very many truthful, you do know!" Pantry said, walking toward Bobby and Kell. "I like work and good work is the best, Kell." "If anyone likes work, it's you Pantry." Kell said. Daptin looked out over the landscape and called out. "Hey, you guys all go back to work, but like, like me and Grant, we have to talk a little. In private." Grant looked at Daptin, puzzled. "Guy stuff." Daptin said, nodding and looking over at the others. "Okay, I know when a woman isn't wanted." Iterator of Rail Avenue said. "Let's go guys. If we're lucky the two of 'em will get fired and we'll all be happier." "Ha ha ha ha! Fire them all, the man said! The man is good, the man fires them all! Ha ha!" Pantry said as he descended the ladder. "See you two later." Mallie said, and in a few moments Daptin and Grant were alone. "What do you want to talk about, my friend? You don't have a 'floppy disk', do you?" "No, Grant!" Daptin said through clenched teeth. "We have to talk about this mission thing." "What about it?" "Just look at me! My vest is on fire! I have a fucking machinegun!" Daptin said, shaking his gun. "And I have no memories of this place." "It's interesting you say that. I mean, I'm aware of what you're saying, yet the situation is undeniable. We work here, and live nearby." Daptin got more agitated. "Yes, yes, yes! The situation does exist, and I know it seems to outshadow all the other issues, but you are Granticaine Chug Perion, war hero and Aconck traveller. Why would you be working at a place like this? We were going to help my friend! We were on our way, and now this." Grant exhaled loudly and shook his head. "Okay--so you're saying this is some sort of--I don't know--psychic attack--messing with our minds?" "I don't know. But Obfuser did tell me the Cup of Coffee affects situation. He said--he said it wraps situation around you, that's what he said. He said it happened to Tavmatey." Daptin then felt a weird vibration throughout his whole body. With a look of horror on his face, it took him several second to realize the vibration formed the words "Daptin, where are you now?" -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----