|| -------- -- -----  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 26--"CONCRETE" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Office Complex  ||  -------> (Cup SRoc026, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Prince Ferrajalt jumped up out of his chair. He had it. "I got it!" he yelled. "I know how we can do it!" The others turned lazily toward him. They'd been mulling over ideas for hours, and were exhausted. "What?" Emily Tare asked crankily. "This better be good." Injure Bodoni said, turning from his instruments. "It is! It is!" Ferrajalt said. "Okay--you know that ocean liner there in Citydock--we could lower it down onto the frozen river, and tow it downstream toward the waterfall. Once it gets there, if it's going fast enough, and in the right direction, it'll fly over the lake and smash right into Office Complex of Gumhanshire!" Emily let out an annoyed sigh. "That, like that'd work." Bodoni said, turning back to his instruments. "Come on! It's perfect!" Ferrajalt said. "Just how are we going to 'tow' it, as you say? Do you have any idea the mass of that thing?" Bodoni said, looking back. "Well," Ferrajalt said, "I was thinking those giant police cars we saw on the way up here--you know Ledrant? Those. If they're functional, enough of those could pull the boat." Bodoni shook his head several times. "Well, it's the stupidest thing I ever heard of, but I may as well run it through my model." "Yeah, yeah." Ferrajalt said. "Give it a shot. Check it out--I'm pretty sure it's gonna work." "At least it's a concrete idea." Ledrant Hate commented. "Concrete?" Emily said in disbelief, staring at Ferrajalt. "Concrete? How many police cars will we need--and how many people do we have to drive them? What happens to those people when the boat goes over the frozen waterfall? We all gonna sacrifice our lives for this crummy world?" "Just who do you think you are?" Ferrajalt snapped at Emily. "I'm a member--" He stopped himself--he knew that his being a prince wasn't germane in these circumstances. And he wished he hadn't said it. "Oh, yes." Emily said. "I forgot--you're royalty! Heavens, please forgive me 'your highness'. You're just so far above all the rest of us." "Look, just shut up!" Ferrajalt yelled. Hypergod Amnifaoz began laughing his horrible laugh. "The truth hurts." Emily said coolly. "Just wait a minute." Ledrant Hate yelled. Everyone was shocked--Hate was not one to lose his cool. He pointed his finger toward Emily. "You." he said. "I don't like you. You helped us out--you drove us up here--big deal. Now you just sit there with your shit-eating grin, criticizing and annoying all of us. You're no longer welcome here. Get out and don't come back." Emily smiled and sat up a little. "I knew I recognized you. From a long, long time ago. I met you once, in a previous incarnation. At Thatterine College." Hate frowned. "Who were you?" "Hmm... Such a long time has passed. Names, names. So hard to keep track of all of them. Now let me see..." Hate glanced at Dolthethmen, who was now staring at Emily with an insane glare. "Hypergod Amnifaoz." Hate said. "Yes, there?" the beast responded. Hate motioned his head toward Emily. "If I were to ask for your assistance, in removing this creature from the premises, would that be something you could help me with?" "Why, yes there." the Hypergod said. "Noaster Sitar." Emily said, suddenly. Ledrant's eyes narrowed, then he began nodding. "Yeah." he said. "That would make sense. Do you remember what you wound up doing there?" Emily's smile broadened. "Oh yeah. Who could forget that?" Hate closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. "Get her out of here, Hypergod Amnifaoz--both versions of her." Dolthethmen began to look around nervously. "Um... uh... you mean, uh... me, too?" "Do it!" Hate boomed. Amnifaoz strode across the room and grabbed Dolthethmen by the back of his shirt. As he turned to Emily, she threw her hands forward and a shower of sparks fell all about her. With alarming suddenness, Amnifaoz grabbed Emily and tucked her under his arm. "Harf, harf! Silly minor occult entity, hedonist. You're out of here." the monster said. The sparks fizzled out, and Amnifaoz turned toward the door, but it was far too small to allow him to pass, let alone holding two people. So he turned toward Hate. "May I demolish walls/doors as needed to pass?" "Go ahead." Hate said. "Hey wait a minute, that's--" Bodoni began. "--oh shut up." Hate said. "What does it matter now?" With this, Amnifaoz emitted some sort of sonic burst which leveled half the wall in front of him, and then strode through the debris. "But we could have used them!" Bodoni said. "To drive police cars and stuff!" "Screw that." Ferrajalt said. "I couldn't stand that bitch. And what she did--that's gross. Going back in time to have sex with herself. I mean, screw that. I want no part of it." "They're fully within their rights to excise that creep, you know." the little cat lady Ann Saply said to Bodoni. "I know, but c'mon! We could have used them!" the scientist complained. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----