|| -------- -- -----  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 41--"PATTERN INTEGRITY" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Goodbye Popcorn  ||  -------> (Cup SRgp041, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = "I wanna try and reason with them." Daptin said. "After what happened to me when I ate the goodbye popcorn and woke up billions of years after the end of the universe, I don't wanna have anything else to do with that damn Cup of Coffee. They can fucking have it." "That's fine, Daptin, "Grant said,"but remember--our goal is to retrieve your friend and return home safely. We need to guarantee that will happen--and if giving them the Cup does that without loss of life, all the better. But we don't know how desperate they are or what they're willing to do, so let's be on edge." "Okay." Daptin said distantly. Grant began walking up a slight incline toward the clock, and the rest fell into step behind him. "If it's a fight they want," Daptin said, loosely holding his gun to his chest, "it's a fight they'll get." "I kinda hope there'll be a fight." Wreckage Mallie said. "I need the exercise." "I'm gonna use my magic to kill. Oh yes!" Pantry exclaimed. "Now Pantry, is that nice?" Iterator of Rail Avenue asked in a lightly-admonishing tone. "Yes." Pantry stated, staring blankly off into the distance. "I mean--let's put it this way." Dating said. "If all they want is the damn Cup, they can have it. I should've just brought it." "But then we'd have nothing to bargain with." Mallie said. "If they're stronger than us, we'd be dead. As it is, they need us to get the Cup, right?" "How the hell are we getting back, anyway?" Daptin said. "I mean, when the true Coffee in my system vanishes, like, I know we're supposed to return, but where? Near the Cup?" "I very much hope so." came a voice from behind them. Turning around, they saw Pattern Integrity hovering in the air and pointing her Massive Assault Weapon at them. Instantly, Grant recognized her uniform as from the same army he was in. "Now just relax." Daptin said, holding up his hands. "We don't need a repeat of last time. I'm willing to give up the Cup, but I need my friends back." "If that's true, why'd you bring back-up and why don't I see the Cup?" Pattern asked. "Because you are an unknown enemy," Granticaine said, "and force is the universal language. One that we're somewhat fluent in, Major." Pattern looked down at the emblem on her shoulder and then back at Grant, studying him. "You're not Lord Perion, are you?" she asked. "I am Granticaine Perion, young lady. I see you wear the colors of Dramptica, but your uniform and weapon are strange. Are you indeed in the Barzhims?" "I was once." Pattern said, raising her weapon away from the group cautiously. "Now I seek the Cup." "Where are my friends?" Daptin asked. "Over by the clock." Pattern said, and then returned her fascinated gaze to Grant. "How could it really be you? You're long dead. I mean, I've seen some strange things these past decades, but never a major historical figure." "I was major when I killed President Emmerdine, but the war was already won." Grant said. "Are you kidding? You were Lord Emperor. You ruled over half the world. And we're still fighting for the other half in your great-great-great-granddaughter's name." "I don't know anything about that." Grant said. "You were our great leader. You turned all of history around." "Well I'm not into politics, so you must have the wrong guy." Grant said. "It was your well-known reluctance to get involved which finally propelled you to the top, when things got out of hand." "You're talking about something which is in the distant future. I suppose that's where you're from. What year?" "When I left, it was 366 NN." "Well, to me it's almost 131 NN, so I guess we have a time travel thing here." Pattern stared at Grant and appeared to be daydreaming. She seemed a lot happier than she had been just moments earlier. "I'll go back and tell the others you're coming. I'm sure we can work something out. Just head for the clock." Pattern said, and then vanished, only to reappear a second later. "I just have to tell you, Lord Perion, I had such a crush on you when we studied you in school, especially the young you!" Pattern stared another moment at Grant, smiling broadly, and then disappeared again. "I think she likes you." Daptin said. "We have a crazy time spinner, a spin a time, a look look look Lord Perion, A look look look Lord Perion." Pantry said. "Don't call me that, pest." Grant said. "So should we head for the clock?" Daptin asked. "Why not? Grant's new girlfriend should sort everything out up there." Mallie says. Grant gave Mallie a dirty look, in good humor, but said nothing. They all started toward the clock. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----