|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- HADRIAN FOZZCOLT--CUP 7--"PLANET QUALD" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Hadrian Fozzcolt  ||  -------> (Cup SRhf007, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = "I'm not getting this." Hadrian said. "Just listen, you jerk," Bline said. "I'm trying to be clear here. The universe is enormous. Parts of it relating to other parts of it in incredibly unfathomable ways. And god and supergods and such kin all over the place. But somehow, this man, this Daptin Gone--in all the universe, his recent actions have sent out shockwaves..." "Just let me ask you. Does this have anything to do with Ebsekkian? Are Daptin Gone and Ebsekkian associated in any way?" "No! I don't think so. No. There shouldn't really be any connection there." "Yes. Okay." "But listen. The shockwaves resultant... from his action... spreading out through the universe... and I felt the whole thing, and I got the information. Some information. This is the thing. We... and you in particular... are RELATIVE to Daptin Gone. In this disnass distantful universe, you and he have relative positioning. You, to him, are a character in a TV show. This state is opposed to having no clear relationship with him, as would be the case of most of the residents of everywhere." Hadrian took another deep breath. "Okay Bline. I grasp the gist, eh. Now what? Should I seek to contact this Daptin Gone?" "He is gone." "Like, gone as in not there anymore, or as in his name." "No, as in not there. He was very visible to me for a time, but then he left... or something... and I don't see him anymore." "Okay. So let me ask you something. Should I be concerned about Ebsekkian and my friends? Or is my world just a meaningless fiction?" "I told you that you and your friends are solid, with substance. You should be worried. That's, right, what I've been trying to tell you. Daptin Gone has... done something... something related to the end of the world, of the universe. Something... and at some level, it relates to Ebsekkian's goal of destroying your Earth. I saw through him the story, your story, Johnny Pitch's story... but it's not going to happen like that anymore..." "Okay Bline," Hadrian said. "Let's get onto another subject. The mission. You sent me that letter, cancelling the mission. An artifact from the planet Quald, hidden in a BOCORAM research facility. Then I found out there is no planet Quald. Or any other planets, for that matter." "Oh, there IS a planet Quald, but it's not a planet in the way people generally conceive." "So why the mission? What were you driving at?" "Before Daptin Gone, it made sense. You were going to find out about... that space agency had a whole plan... to fake a coverup... to tantalize the public with rumors of alien artifacts, vehemently denied in official channels... all the more useful... in convincing people about the reality of space travel..." "And what was this... my involvement in this... supposed to accomplish?" "It would have helped in the fight against Ebsekkian. At least, I think that's what it was..." "Bline..." "No, no, it's just me. I'm dealing with too many perspectives. I'm getting confused myself. I have constructed for myself here an observation highland of incredible proportions. I see so many things, and I do try and be good. But Daptin Gone has added so many more levels of depth to everything I see..." Bline's eyes were closed and she looked pained. Hadrian regarded her, and said nothing. Then, all of a sudden, the dim emergency lights in the subway car flickered out, and the much-brighter normal lights flickered on. And with a lurch, the train started moving. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----