|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- A ROAD MAP OF ARCTICA--CUP 10--"ABIGAIL TROUNCER THE COT" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  A Road Map of Arctica  ||  -------> (Cup SRrm010, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Anyway, he went on and on about the TV idea, and some of us were wondering if he wasn't going off on this tangent because the cyber-realm part of Hull is taking a long time to get off the ground and facing some really tough hurdles to its full implementation. I mean, Comma's got a lot of money, but a company operating in the red, trying to start a new mass medium, can eat up millions of dollars pretty quick! So we were all concerned over this new direction, even though it DOES sound like a cool idea for a TV channel. Anyway, Comma put the word out to his friends to try and find some potential Hull TV actors--like, right away. It was last Wednesday that we had the meeting and by Friday we had a bunch of people in the offices who were trying out for Hull TV. Brandy was in charge and she gave us all this impromptu booklet she put together on a Mac showing a photo of each person, their name, biography, stuff like that. We were all supposed to pitch in with our opinions and stuff about them. I thought it was really putting the cart before the horse--when we didn't have any of the organization developed for this TV thing. But Comma thought it was important to design the channel with the actors in mind, which I think is bullshit--Comma is just totally impatient and compulsive. Anyway, I was going through the bio sheets, kind of smirking at how unnecessary it all was, when I turned to a picture of a really cute blond girl. I was taken at once with her face--my heart kind of melted and I got that feeling--the same feeling I get when I see a girl like that on the train or on the street--that sort of instant fascination. And I made a mental note that I had to meet this girl and check her out and stuff. And then I saw her name: Abigail Trouncer the Cot. I froze and my expression changed. Abigail Trouncer the Cot. I was stunned and it took me a few moments to get my bearings. This name... it didn't sound like a name someone would have in this world... it sounded like a name someone would have in my previous existence--in Agoopish or Overwhelm or Rillekon's Road or somewhere like that... I mean, I would almost have fully expected a name like Abigail Trouncer the Cot as one of the folks who strayed into my Land, but here? Here in New York City? In a world without interdimensional intrigue? I got a weird feeling--I was getting worried--could this be some kind of agent sent to find me? Sent by Sleap Drassy or Agatha Petunia Wack or Cursive Caxopy? I mean, if this was just another alternate world, then surely someone from my previous place could come here... but I was really under the impression that this whole life would take place in the spantime of a dream, just one night, and I'd wake up after leaving this world, it being the next day in my Warhome. But what if that wasn't the case? What if I disappeared out of my Warhome? I would--yes--it would be just about the time that Agatha, Ferrajalt, and Billion would be getting back to civilization on Rillekon's Road. And Agatha--she might well indeed have the power to find me here... or send an agent. Damn! I still needed a LOT of time to recover from being supernatural! And now... and now this. But I realized I was being too hasty... it could just be a weird college nickname or something... some kind of nasty reference to promiscuity that stuck as an ironic sort of name... a cot is something you sleep with temporarily until you get to a permanent bed... um... I think I was reaching at that point... Anyway, I hung around Comma's office, talking to him and Brandy, asking him questions about Hull TV cuz I knew he wouldn't be able to resist indulging in talking about it. And finally, there she was--she just walked right in. Her hair was shorter than in her photo, and she looked a little disheveled in a jogging suit, but that face and that slim body, like some kind of Irish water fairy or something... "Oh, I see one of the possible recruits is here.." I said, starting to get up to leave, but Comma told me to stay, that the selection process should be a group effort. I knew he was gonna say that. Then Comma's phone rang, and he talked briefly and nodded and told Brandy to come with him and told me to entertain Abigail for a few minutes while he took care of business. "Fucking Internet bullshit", he said. I rose and shook her hand. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----