|| -------- -- -----  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 39--"EIGHTY-A CLARITY" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Goodbye Popcorn  ||  -------> (Cup SRgp039, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = "Grant," Daptin said, "this is getting out of control. That girl Tavmatey, who I talked to in the Cup, I just heard her, inside me." "I didn't--" Granticaine said. Daptin held his hand up. "I was at school." the vibration came, barely understandable. "What?" Daptin said angrily. "I was at school, that's why I couldn't talk." the vibration came. "Can you--can you hear me?" Daptin asked. "Yeah, but it's sort of muddled. I lost you right after you said about 'communing the Cup' or something. I had to go to school so I just went, and now I'm back, and I'm so glad I can hear you, Daptin who's not my Daptin." Daptin closed his eyes, cringed, and shook his index finger back and forth trying to remember something." The vibration came yet again. "We had the international festival in--" "Shut up! Shut up!" Daptin said tersely. "Huh?" the vibration came. "Just shut up for a minute!" Grant put his hand on Daptin's shoulder. "You okay, Daptin?" Daptin opened his eyes. "Grant! This whole thing--it kind of makes sense. We do work here because that's the situation, but the situation was just thrust upon us. It's the damn Cup, the damn, the damn Coffee! It's doing this. It made this situation, somehow. And we have to get away from here." Grant looked down. "I know you're making sense, but if we don't get back to work--" "--what? What will happen? Do you even, do you even know what it looks like, y'know, inside the plant and everything? Can you even remember that?" "Sort of." "Yeah--like the basic layout and stuff--the situation! But not, y'know, like specifics, right?" "No, I guess not. But does that matter? I guess it does matter." Daptin fondled one of his situation grenades. "Yes it does matter. It does. Now I wonder if this damn thing'll work. They called it a situation grenade, said it would disrupt situation. I wasn't really sure what they meant, but now it's making some sense." "You shouldn't do that, not here. Think of the others." Grant said. "I don't want to , but it might be our only chance!" Daptin said, looking around again. "Geez!" The two stood there for a couple of moments, silent. Daptin felt a brief vibration within him, but it was very faint. Finally, Grant spoke. "Best I can tell, my mind's been stunned or shocked somehow. And I can't really think clearly." "Dammit Grant! Didn't they get that clarity hang done? Didn't you get it or something?" "Yeah they got it. I mean, we all got it, a few weeks ago." "Well do it, dammit!" "Okay," Grant said. Then he cleared his throat and in a louder voice said, "Eighty-A Clarity!" A smile slowly came to Grant face. "Well?" "Yes it's working. Yes, working very well." "Good. But I don't have it, so you'll have to help me." Grant nodded his head. "Yes of course, but it's not that easy. I have a clear idea of what's going on, but even so, the situation, as you call it, is massively compelling. I'm afraid we'll get caught up in it if we go down to join the others." "We just have to cross sufficient space to get away from here, Grant. We just need to all get out of here." A voice came from the other side of the pool of water. "Okay, what the hell's going on, don't you guys care about the drinking public of Arietta Sane? C'mon, let's get real and get back to work. The torphid levels are not checked, Mr. Gone! You better hope they're baseline!" It was Rickal Nesoffin, the boss. Daptin looked to his friend for help, saying "Grant?" "We can't, um, tell you why right now but we have to stay out here awhile longer, okay?" Grant said. "No it's not okay, you bums!" Rickal said. "I don't care if you jerk each other off till the cows go home, but I need work done and that means now, folks." "I quit!" Daptin managed to blurt out. "Yeah, me too." Grant said. Nesoffin was shocked. "Fine! Then clear out your lockers and get out of here!" The two didn't respond. "Get on outta here or I'll have the sheriff escort you out in front of all the ladies. Would you like that?" "You'd do well to reconsider this course of action, friend." Grant said. "I'm not your--" Daptin then brandished his gun and waved it at Nesoffin. "Doesn't it seem at all odd to you that I'm carrying a gun like this? Why would I need a gun? At place like this? Huh?" "I'm not interested in your personal problems." Nesoffin said. Daptin fired a short burst into the air. Nesoffin, not impressed, said "Okay guys, I'm outta here." and walked back into the building, via a nearby door. "Grant, we have to get the others out of there and get going!" "I know, but how? If we go down there, we'll get all caught up in it." Daptin thought for a moment, and then took out a huge tin clock. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----