|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- WEAVER--CUP 22--"TECHNO-JARGON" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Weaver  ||  -------> (Cup SRwv022, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = "Anyway," Daptin continued, "I think I'll fill you in on just what's going on here. Okay. I think all of you have been to my Bridge, and have seen what lies beyond the railing. As you know, what you're seeing there is all of reality, viewed from an outside perspective. Up until now, we haven't been able to safely enter this space, because of how matter is warped around the opening. And while I have great power in my Land, it doesn't extend too far beyond. So clearly, we faced a dilemma--exploring the remnants of reality is vital--but how to get there? Well, that's where Injure Bodoni comes in." Everyone looked at Injure, and he acted kind of shy, but still clearly slurping up the praise. Daptin continued. "I asked him if he could figure out some way to use a matter handler to create a vehicle that could cross into the superreal space and allow us to travel there. He said he'd give it a shot, and the rest is all around you. I think he can explain better than I exactly what he did. Injure?" Injure stood up and looked over the crowd. Then he began. "The Warhome matter handlers are designed to weave other Warhomes of the same exact design, except for the call numbers. So what I had to do was to warp reality to the point that I caused the matter handler to 'think' it was designed to weave something else. Daptin helped me a lot in this, easing up the fabric of local reality to help me do my thing. I made it happen to be a vehicle which could crossover into superreal space. And hopefully, that's what I've woven." Injure continued on with his techno-jargon for some time, and a lot of people were getting up and milling around. Me and Baw retreated to a smaller table in the corner of the room and started talking. "Well, I don't know." I said. "I guess this is a step in the right direction." "Yeah, " Baw said, "so what was it he said again? About the matter handlers? That the ones inside here will create another Stormbolthouse?" "I guess that's what he's saying, but he used so much jargon I couldn't understand him." "I know, I know." Baw's gaze was so--complex. Those dark eyes, both adoring and piercing... "So what the hell." I said. "How did we get into such a strange lifestyle as this? I mean, just a few years ago, you and me--we were both living it up as royalty, the world as our oyster and all that. Now look at us." She smiled. "Yeah." she said."But I don't know. I never felt comfortable in my position. I always felt like such a phony. People kept telling me what awesome powers I had and everything, but I never felt any. So I just faked my way--there was no way I could disappoint everyone like that. But when the time came, I just didn't have what it took." "So now what--if you don't mind me asking--what exactly happened that you failed your people?" She shook her head to indicate she didn't mind and leaned forward, leaning on the table. "Well, it was a story, a prophesy. About how the underdog comes through and eventually wins. See, my tribe has been downtrodden by a much larger tribe for many centuries. We've been enslaved, murdered, raped, killed, all that, by them--especially when they didn't have much else to occupy them. Anyway, a great prophet--around 75 years before I was born--predicted that a woman child would come, you know, and all that, and in a time of great crisis between our people would defeat the bad tribe and make everything cool for our people. Well, you know what, the time came--the other tribe was developing several mines, and they needed a bunch of slaves, and guess where they looked to--us. And the strongest of us had just been decimated by a horde of wild predatory animals--so the thought of losing so many more able-bodied persons was just--let's just say it would have meant the end of us." I nodded. Pretty interesting story. She continued. "So we knew of their intention to enslave us for awhile, but there really wasn't anything we could do--and the people had such faith in me they hardly even worried about it. Then the first enemy parties came, and began selecting their slaves. I was totally unprepared--in fact, they chose me as one of the first ones! Well, when they found out who I was, they let me go, but... but I mean, I didn't know what to do. They considered me bad luck I guess. But what they said to me--I mean, it's funny, I guess. I mean, it sort of fits into this whole world we're in now. But they said they also had a prophesy, about me beating them and stuff, and that THEY would also have a savior, who would somehow prevent my powers from ever fully developing. And I guess that's what must have happened, 'cause I didn't do a damn thing. They just came and took all these people and I didn't do a thing. And THAT was just for some sort of exploratory mission in the mines--they didn't even get started yet with the serious mining." "Man!" I said. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----