|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- OFFICE COMPLEX--CUP 16--"JING IT" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Office Complex  ||  -------> (Cup SRoc016, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = "It's not in there. Power zoom 7 carat/Farrafly method. It's not there. I can't jing it! I can't jing it! Former, 14 Relora stance. Go. Go. Possibility phase delay! Go 16 toron. Drip in 5. It's too impossible! Forgetprev dothis." Injure Bodoni muttered to himself, a little furry lady on his shoulder, him oblivious to the group of people who'd entered his workshop about a minute earlier. "Hey!" Emily yelled. "Ah! Ah!" Injure screeched, holding his hands to his head in sudden shock, turning. "Injure." Hate said. "How goes it?" "Greetings." said the little creature on Injure's shoulder. She was about a foot-and-a-half tall, wearing a black dress, and seemed to be a cute anthropomorphic fox or cat or something, with yellow-orange fur. "Hi there." Injure said, looking back at his equipment. Hate strode forward and looked to see what Injure was doing. "Looks like you were right." Hate said quietly. Injure heaved a sigh and turned to face the others. "Everybody, I've been working, um, at a steady pace since the collapse, and I have to say that while it's bad--really bad--the fact that any of us are here is a good sign." Injure said. The little creature smiled. "What the hell is that?" Ferrajalt asked, nodding his head toward the furry lady. "My name is Ann Saply. And I'm a WHO, not a WHAT, young royal." "Sorry." Ferrajalt said. "But where exactly did YOU come from?" "This business just sort of shook me out the pepper shaker, so to say." Ann said. "She appeared soon after the collapse." Injure said. "Her signatures indicate fifth-realm/perpendict origins, though of course I can't be sure." "Uh huh." Ferrajalt said, nodding, mocking Injure's not-for-laymen techspeak. Hate looked intently at Injure. "Have you tried to bridge?" Injure gave a look of despair. "Yes." "What happened?" Hate asked. "Well," Injure said with emphasis, "it wasn't pretty." "What do you mean?" Ferrajalt said. Injure looked down at his instruments. "With the collapse, this Earth is no longer suitable for bridges. The b-volume I hanced became terribly unstable, full of lightning and monstrosities. Pretty much what I expected." Injure said, then looked up. "These two--did you locate any more?" "Huh?" Ferrajalt asked. "These people you found--were there any more? Did you see any more?" Injure asked. "Well," Ferrajalt said, "there were two others, but they got really messed up. They looked at those streetlights and got sucked through a wall and were, like, totally stoned out." "Where are they?" Injure asked. "Back at the Noyage Parlour. They were in no shape to travel." Hate said. "Hmm. I was wondering if any non-OA had remainified. Interesting." Injure said. "Huh?" Dolthethmen said. Ann Saply gave him a strange look. Injure looked at Hate, who nodded. "I guess there's no point in keeping this from you." Injure said to Dolthethmen and Emily. "But we are members of Overwhelm Associates--a company which has the ability to travel to thousands of different Earths. I had thought our off-Earth status was what kept us existent--even though most of us here went non--but with Ledrant and you folks, it seems like my theory is wrong." "Who else survived?" Hate asked. "Well, as far as I know, there are four others, all Primate." Injure said. "Who?" Hate asked. "Lemme see--Vike Varmabey and Treyess Arcomany were the only ones left here when it happened. Treyess wasn't even supposed to be here--she was trying to get away from Greatwall until that faery thing blew over." "Who else?" Hate asked. "Well, Nevrippa Den and V Sincein were stuck somewhere, and the other two went to try and find them." "How'd you get in touch with them?" Hate asked. "Oh--kemig communicators still work. At least in the same Earth--we haven't been able to contact Greatwall or anyone else, though." "Yeah, but who carries them around with them?" Ferrajalt asked. "Luckily, V Sincein has one of the portable prototypes, built into his gun. Otherwise, who knows." Injure said. There was an uncomfortable silence, until Hate finally spoke. "Can we reverse this collapse?" Injure sighed. "Short answer? Yes. Long answer? Highly unlikely. Not to get too technical, but every Earth has a complex system of event-whastions. The domino-wave that hit us sent the whole thing way off-kilter. At least, that's my theory. I did see it coming, you know. You remember the weird coincidences that happened in the past few days--like a tsunami, disorder was sucked away briefly as the massive disorder deluge was approaching." -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----