1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask... 2 ************************* INSTALLED: 12 SEP 85 ********************** 3 Welcome to BWMS (BackWater Message System) Mike Day System operator 4 ************************************************************ 5 GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION 6 PLACED ON THIS SYSTEM. 7 BWMS was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS is a privately owned 8 and operated system which is currently open for use by the general public. 9 No restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the system is 10 privately owned, I retain the right to remove any and all messages which 11 I may find offensive. Because of the limited size of the system, it will be 12 periodically purged of messages. (only 629 lines of data can be saved) 13 To leave a message, type 'ENTER' and use ctrl/C or break to get out of the 14 ENTER mode. The message is automatically stored. If after entering the 15 message you find you made a mistake, use the replace command to replace 16 the line. To exit from the system, type 'OFF' then hang up. 17 Type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system. 18 ************************************************************ 19 20 ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 21 It's been quite a while, but here I am again (finally), cluttering up 22 THE TOP 23 ????????????????????????????? QUIZMASTER ??????????????????????????????????????? 24 %#*@_%*@#)_*)%_&*!#)_&*!#)_&*!+#*&)_#$*&)#*!^#&)*#@)&*#)_&*!)_*&!)*&)_!*&+!*&)_!#*&_)!*&_!)*&_!)*&!_*&_*&_!*&_*%&_* 25 QUIZMASTER : Drat you! 26 Chenoceux : Nous comprendons. Nous arrivons a un accord. Le tout premier temp est particulier. Bienvenu! 27 Mikey: No more characters on the screen! I haven't had a chance to try out your esc hints yet, but I will. MEX still 28 locks up tight as a drum. I took out all UART initializing, but the darn thing refuses to acknowledge anything when I 29 go to terminal mode. I haven't tried the quad disk either. I *did* upload some of the adventures to Compuserve. The 30 first batch went on the TRS-80 Professional Forum. I'll put them on the IBM PROSIG also. How different is the escape key 31 trapping in AMODEM from COPYLINK. Like I said, the esc works fine in AMODEM. Frustration. Oh, before I forget, the 32 Portland IBM club now has AdventureWare too. 33 *#@)_%*#@_%*!_*%!)*%!_*%!_)*%)!_*%!_)%* L'homme sans Parity *$#_*!_*%!_%!_%!_&%!&%!@%!)_@*%_!&%)_!@*%)_!&%!@_&%!)_%!&% 34 [/] 35 @@@ I'm fourth from the top, I think... @@@ 36 **************************************************************************** 37 Fatigue... warm feelings, content. As of today, the loan has 38 been approved and the house is ours. One less major headache now 39 set aside. things are stablizing scotty, ready for transport. 40 ********************15moredays****kathyd************************************ 41 #$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#3:21#9/13#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$# 42 And here we go again... 43 Thanks, all, for welcoming me back. I hope nobody thought I was snubbing BWMS. It's just that the other story I had kept 44 me kinda busy and I had other stuff going, too. Whatever. Anyway, let's get this thing going... 45 46 ACT OF MERCY 47 (Part 2 of 3) 48 by John Silverman 49 50 Three blocks down and two blocks over in the driving rain brought him home. It was days like this he wished he still 51 had a car. Unfortunately the only car they had dissappeared with his father a year ago. As he walked with his jacket 52 pulled over his head, eyes glued to the pavement, he thought about work. It was more pleasent than the only other thing 53 he could think about. 54 As he was getting ready to go, Mr. Henderson had taken him aside and said, "You know, you been doin' this for almost 55 a year now. Straight home right after work, take care of the old lady all night, and right back first thing in the morning 56 It ain't natural. You gotta have some time for yourself. A nursing home for her would be a real good idea." 57 Tim sighed to himself, exasperated. Waht business was it of his? "Insurance won't pay for a nursing home. And I sure 58 won't put her in one of those state homes. They're pathetic. I can't pay the bills as it is. Strokes ain't cheap, you know." 59 Henderson had a smelly old cigar butt that he like to shift from one side of his mouth to the other. "Yeah, I know. 60 Brother in law's old lady had one, and he was up to his butt in bills. Finally hadda declare bankruptcy. Too bad your dad 61 couldn't have hung around. I know it's tough for you. But I'm gonna help. Startin' next payday, you're gettin' a five cent 62 raise." and then he grinned hugely, like the magnimonious prick he was. 63 Tim hadn't known how to contain his excitement, so he just let it all out. "Gee, thanks." He even managed something lke 64 a smile. "I really appreciate it. Hey, I gotta go. I'm needed at home." 65 "Sure, kid." Henderson had toddled back to his office to shuffle more papers and drool over the issue of Penthouse 66 magazine he had in a desk drawer. 67 On his way out, Sherrie had caught his eye from the far register. She waved at him and he raised a hand in return. He 68 silently raged at the unfairness of his situation and suddenly his stomach clenched like a giant fist, causing a huge 69 ripping pain that almost doubled him over. He managed a straight face as he walked out stiffly. Outside, the horrendous 70 pain had loosened and he stood up straight. Swell. Now he had an ulcer. This was the absolute last straw. He was going to 71 go through with it. Tonight. He felt in his pocket for the bottle. still there. 72 The memory ended just as he got to the front door. As he let himself in the house, the smell hit him. Ammonia, strong 73 enough to corl his teeth. It did well to mask the fainter but equally unpleasent smells that usually permeated the house. 74 Smells like stale beer, moldy food, garbage... smells that he was so used to that he didn't notice them anymore. Flies 75 buzzed thickly around something he couldn't see in the dim light. He stepped on a beer bottle and it shot out from under 76 his foot to clatter against other bottles on the floor. One shattered. A voice called out from the bedroom fearfully, 77 "Who's there? Timmy? Is that you?" 78 "Yes, Mom." He sighed. He shrugged off his jacket and tossed it over the recliner. He stepped on, over, and though 79 garbage on his way to the bedroom. A single lamp cast a dirty yellow light over the room. There was a four-poster bed in 80 the middle of the room. At the foot of the bed was a dresser holding an out of focus color TV with a cable box on top. The 81 carpet was rotting, partly from garbage and dirt, but mostly from spilled sewage. The source of the spillage was a portable 82 commode sitting next to the bed. Normally, the smell from it was nothing short of incredible. Now, he couldn't smell it at 83 all. In the bed itself, among the rupled and soaking sheets, lay the huge form of... Mother. 84 "You're just in time, dear. I have to go again." She said apologetically. He rolled his eyes skyward and went to help 85 her to the commode. It wasn't easy manouvering her 300+ pounds and at one point he almost slipped and lost her. She screamed 86 Finally he had her situated on the pot and he gathered the soaking bedsheets and blankets. He carried them out to the 87 washer. he brought back some fresh stuff and was making the bed when the phone rang. "Will you get that, honey?" she askd. 88 Tim went out to the front room and picked up the extension. "Hello?" 89 "Tim? Where's your mother?" It was his grandmother, a rather severe woman of sixty who worked as a legal secretary. She 90 had the rather infuriating habit of picking at Tim and arguing with her daughter. Tim imagined she was dissapointed in them 91 both. He didn't really blame her. 92 "She's, uh, occupied." He answered diplomatically. "Call back in about five minutes, okay?" Mother called thought the 93 door, wanting to know who it was. 94 "Well, I just called to see how she's doing. You know, you really should be taking better care of her than you do." 95 Tim held back a blistering reply and instead answered, "Yes, I know. I keep trying, though. Maybe someday I'll get it 96 right." Mother yelled again, asking who it was. 97 "Don't get sarcastic with ME, young man-" 98 "Sorry. I just had a rough day, is all." The headache was returning in full force. He had a sudden inspiration. "Say, 99 could you call me at eight o'clock? My clock's busted and there's a show on-" 100 "Okay, okay. Listen, I have to go now. Tell your mother I said hello and I'll call back later." 101 "'bye." He hung up the phone and Mother yelled for the umpteenth time who was on the phone. Tim wanted to pitch the 102 damn thing out the window but held his temper. Today, no matter what, he would keep his cool. "It's Granma. She'll call 103 back later." He made his way back to the bedroom. After helping Mother back to the bed, he removed the tray from the bottom 104 of the commode. On his way to the toilet to dump it, he stepped on another bottle and almost lost his balance. Raw, warm 105 sewage sloshed all over his pants and shoes. Mother started another one of her giggling fits. He closed his eyes as his 106 head and stomach flared up in unison. 107 "You should be more careful." Mother said, still giggling. Tim held back another nasty reply and took the tray to the 108 bathroom. After putting it back, he went into his own room and changed. He still stunk, but he didn't care. Finally, he 109 collapsed in the recliner in the front room and switched on the TV. Mother's voice floated out from the other room, "Will 110 you fix me dinner, dear? and while you do, tell me how work went today." 111 Tim reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a small bottle. It was filled with a clear liquid. He studied 112 the label, thinking. Finally, his gaze locked on the small warning sticker on the bottom. There was a tiny skull and 113 crossbones and the words: EXTREMELY TOXIC. DO NOT INGEST. 114 He stared at the warning for a long time. Then he slipped the bottle into his pocket and went into the kitchen to fix 115 dinner. 116 117 (To Be Concluded...) 118 119 Whew! 120 Patti: Good to hear from you. I thought you had dissappeared for good. Maybe we could converse on some more private board? 121 All: done. For now, anyway. See you next disk. 122 JOHN SILVERMAN 123 #$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#4:18#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$#$ 124 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& 125 things had all happened so quickly. i really didn't know what to think. in 126 the last day and a half so much had happend in my life, in all our lives, that 127 my mind reeled with all the new concepts that i had not even conceived of. 128 what was happening here on the surrface to this... this place? what had 129 happened to the piper to have caused him to be on his present state? or the 130 state we were all in for that matter? and what was it that i had done to aid 131 cragmore in the presence of bard's playing of the pipes? what? what? what? 132 now was a time that made little sense to me. why had we stopped our motions 133 now that we had found our missing ompanion? my mind was elsewhere, all i had 134 heard said were the words of the piper and then some mummbling of the others. 135 i turned my head tosee the tin man dashing off to be inside the pell-mell 136 once again. something was different. i had not seen such an expression on 137 tin's face all during the onset of the adventure, it had changed. 138 curiouser and curiouser... my mind demanded answers to the questions that 139 filled all of us. and i'd be damned if i was going to just stand still now! 140 "why don't we do anything? can't you see that even if something dastardly 141 is to happen that we've trangressed the boundry of this... this existance 142 that there still may be hope? if we are to do anything, we must do it now. 143 and quickly at that." i knew i was ranting again but i was wired. i wanted 144 to get this thing over with. the others just stood still as if i had not 145 spoken. a turned head or two was all i saw. 146 "and what of you, you unknown person? are you the one responsible for us 147 having crossed this cursed threshold?" i began to close the distance between 148 the other female and myself. "yes, that's it. you and cragmore are both 149 resposible for my having discovered another reason for having found another 150 reason to be an outcast in society. psionic powers? am i to be just another 151 freak?" i looked back at cragmore, then i went back to the other female. 152 if there was something i hadn't heard, it must have been important. i had 153 the idea that what i was doing was right in my mind although it may in some 154 way be wrong by all the others. 155 "no, tayree. stop. you don't understand the whole picture. there are 156 other facets to be known." it was the voice of cragmore. "it is a gift to 157 be able to use your mind's power in a way far greater than any other normal 158 person. but as you have guessed, it is something that must be harnessed, it 159 must be coached into the alignment with the intentions of the whole being... 160 stop, don't move. relax and let the truth sink in." 161 something in his words made me stop to reconsider. was my approach to the 162 other a mistake? now i really was confused. i now had a dislike for this one 163 other person, cragmore, but it is in his words that i must place my trust. 164 oh the dilema of my conscience. i squeezed my eyes shut and forced these 165 thoughts out of my mind. blankness came over me. now i would understand. 166 what would be our next step, or would there be one. my mind is clear. 167 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& the scarlet lion &&&&&&& 168 169 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp 170 The piper's mind was reeling. Too much had happened too fast. His long 171 sojourn here in this timeless waste had honed his perceptions to a strange 172 keeness, the overload of sexual energy, the constant presence of death and 173 destruction, the nearness of his (and his new companion's) approach to death, 174 the incredible changes that had happened in the few moments since their 175 pooled blood had seemed to rip the very fabric of the space that surrounded 176 them, the sudden appearance of the pell-mell and his companions on this 177 ill-fated adventure -- the very speed of events was causing the piper to 178 loose his grip on "reality". Concern was on their faces as they approached. 179 Concern (for one so unworthy thought the piper, lost in guilt), and curiosity 180 for his companion, standing still before him with his bloody shirt pressed 181 to her wounded breast. The piper raised his arm (funny how he had not noticed 182 the temperature when here alone, the presence of his co-adventurers sent 183 a chill over his naked chest and shoulders) and shouted, 184 "STOP! For the love of all you hold sacred, do not move!" 185 The ominous flickerings of destruction and death subsided with the 186 adventurers' stillness, questions written on their faces. Somehow, scant 187 explanations were made, questions were deferred, or answered enough to 188 allow some functioning. The piper was never sure just who did what -- who 189 moved the pell-mell to intercept the madly running tin man (the piper 190 apologized for jumping to the conclusion that he had merely given way to 191 panic as the hot metal smell from the nearly overloaded batteries filled 192 the air inside the pell-mell). Somehow, the party was removed from that 193 dread surface, insulated from causing mass death and destruction by the 194 size and mass of the pell-mell, and assembled with a breathing space to 195 consider what had happened, and what their likely fate was. 196 The lady Tayree was moving with dislike and menace in her face toward 197 the new addition to the party, standing a little apart with the piper's 198 blood soaked shirt hanging out of the top of her hastily belted gray robe. 199 The piper's arm stung where the keen blade of the knife had laid it open 200 with a deep gash, and looking down he saw blood welling out in a thick 201 stream. He heard a deep buzzing in his ears, and darkness seemed to be 202 pressing in from the edges of his vision as he moved toward the lady 203 with whom he shared the awful guilt of this position. The few steps 204 across the pell-mell's floor seemed to take an eternety. He tried to put 205 an arm around her shoulders, but was that dislike on her face as she 206 pushed away from him? Was it an accusing rejection as she slumped to 207 the floor of the vehicle, the top of her robe dropping open, releasing the 208 piper's blood-soaked garment, exposing her blood-stained chest to the 209 shocked gaze of the assembled party, who watched as she crumpled to the 210 floor, leaking away the crimson stuff of her life. Bending, trying to 211 help, the piper felt his knees give way and all turned black. 212 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp 213 OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI 214 215 Not even the most steadfast adventurer could have kept a total grip on 216 reality in light of all that had happened. Trainor realized that the party 217 was in great peril, this time not from outside forces, but from within. He 218 surveyed the assemblage carefully, taking in all that he saw. 219 Fencer had retired to one of the Pell-mell's private rooms. Fencer was 220 a strange lot. He had barely spoken during the entire trip, yet he was always 221 present at the scene of action. Now he had detached himself from the others 222 completely. Trainor knew not what to do with him. 223 Bard was physically and emotionally drained. This was very apparent 224 from his sprawled position on one of the larger cushion seats in the far 225 corner of the commons room. His inspirational bagpipe playing had reunited 226 the group, but at a tremendous cost to others. Trainor felt that Bard 227 realized this, and was now in turmoil over his actions. 228 Emu was one of the most stable of the group. His guiding of the ship 229 and the pick-up of the people from the surface of ZEB was well executed. Emu 230 was currently at the controls of the ship, keeping watch on the sensory 231 readouts, and making sure the ship kept a stable position a few meters above 232 the surface. 233 Tin Man, the strangest of all the group save the lady found with 234 Piper, had raced to the Pell-mell's work bench to try and alleviate the 235 power surges ZEB had coursed through his body. The acrid smell of super-hot 236 connectors still permeated the air. 237 Cragmore, the psi specialist who along with Bard and Tayree had guided 238 the ship here, sat in a lotus-like position, trying to regain the strength he 239 had used so much of in entering ZEB. His confrontation with Tayree still stung 240 Trainor's ears. By showing Lady Tayree the skill she didn't know she had, 241 Cragmore had opened a real Pandora's box, and it was up to him to tender and 242 mold this new-found power in Tayree. 243 Tayree seemed to have cooled a bit, but her intense emotions towards 244 Cragmore and the mysterious companion of Piper hung in the air like a finely 245 spun web of silk. Her awakening stirred everyone greatly. This was a 246 very delicate period in her development. Cragmore would have to be responsible. 247 And Tayree, even with her feelings towards the newest passenger on board, 248 being the only other female would have to take care of her. It was a subject 249 Trainor was not looking forward to embarking on. 250 Piper, who now lay prone on the couch, was suffering from shock. 251 Trainor had covered him with electro-blankets, but all the technology and 252 medicine in the known realities could not help Piper now. He was on his own, 253 deep inside himself, and only he could break free from the delusions of his 254 shock and return to the surface of his being. Trainor had made him comfortable, 255 it was all he could do. 256 And Piper's companion, this lady from within ZEB. How did she get 257 there? What is her connection with ZEB? Is she responsible for the death and 258 destruction ZEB has wrecked across the universe? How did this strange area 259 and this strange young woman emerge from the ZEB zone and the space it was 260 borne unto from Trainor's Pell-mell? 261 There were too many questions to think about now. There were more 262 pressing matters at the moment. This lady needed help. It was time to heal 263 wounds and regroup. 264 "Tayree, I know how you might feel, but you must help me care for this 265 woman. You must put your feelings aside now and put the life of another before 266 your own. Txis was a foundation of philosophy for my people, as I suspect it 267 may be for all people. Please help her." 268 269 OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI OMNI 270 271 Aside to Zepher: Why don't you let us finish this adventure on our own. You can 272 always join the next one, but for the sake of this story, I would rather keep 273 things as they are. 274 Uh oh, is that a "Txis" up there? It should be "This" of course. h=x? Hmmmm. 275 276 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& tsl &&&&&&& 277 278 (((*)))(((*)))(((*)))(((*))) 279 :::::=====::::: 280 At the TOP! WOW! GOLLY! 281 :::::=====::::: 282 Well, I didn't get any word about joining in, so I'll wait. But someone 283 s, please, let me in. It's cold outside..... 284 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::===== 285 (((*)))(((*)))(((*))) 286 Zepher: I believe that you got your answer on ln 271 un less I am 287 mistaken. At the top??? not quite 288 (((*)))(((*)))(((*)))((( Ripple))) 289 ........................................................ 290 Back to Portland, away from LA (hooray!). Now things are stranger than 291 ever. Friends are lovers, and champagne flows nightly, but who knows 292 where this will lead? We all look at each other and see potential 293 partners...but we know that it can't really be. >>sigh<< 294 Anyways...BWMS is looking really good after a modemless summer! The 295 above story is great...bravo! 296 ..................................Entropy............... 297 298 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 299 300 It was late. The few inhabitants of the inn that were left were either gathered around the fire chatting or sitting 301 alone with their drinks. All eyes turned to the door when it opened. 302 The young man that stood there looked perfectly ordinary, if a bit odd, at least as far as the untrained eye could 303 tell. Those in the room with mystical training, though, immediately noticed something different about this man and almost 304 unconciously began to raise defenses. 305 He stood over six feet, but couldn't have weighed more than a hundred fifty pounds. A good guess would have put his 306 age between twenty and twenty five. He wore black boots, faded bluejeans, and a brown jacket of some leatherlike material 307 over a T-shirt which had a picture of a yellow 'smile' face and the words "SMILE IF YOU'RE HORNY!" under it. A blue base- 308 ball cap with the Smith & Wesson insignia completed the image. He carried no weapons openly but there was a slight 309 suspicious bulge under the jacket on the left side. He carried a worn nylon knapsack slung over one shoulder. 310 Seeing nothing threatening or even interesting about the young man, the people went back to what they were doing. A 311 figure, sitting in a far corner, almost hidden in the shadows, watched the new arrival with keen interest. 312 Brown eyes scanned the room, taking in everything and giving nothing back in return. Then he walked over to the bar, 313 where the innkeeper was polishing some glasses. Leaning on the countertop, he commented offhand, "So, is this place 314 always this dead?" 315 "Not usually," the inkeeper replied, bored. "Most of our more interesting clientele left on an adventure a little 316 while back and they haven't returned yet, at least that I've heard." 317 "An adventure?" The young man nodded, "What kind of adventure?" 318 "I'm not sure. I wasn't there at the time. All I know is that some fellah named Trainor came in and announced he 319 needed some help in saving his planet from some great danger or something like 320 that. It's hard to know for sure because everybody you ask around here gives you a different story, and there are some great 321 tale tellers here." 322 "Yeah, I can dig that. Tell me, about how long ago did they leave and did you happen to catch the name of their des- 323 tination?" The young man tried to appear totally disinterested as he said this. 324 "They left several days ago and no, I don't know where they were headed." The innkeeper was beginning to get a tad 325 impatient with the questioning. "I'm not here as a message service, you know. Are you going to spend some money or did you 326 just come in here to-" The young man fixed him with a stoney stare that cut him off instantly. He felt a cold sweat break 327 out and his heart began to thud sickeningly. He wished he'd kept his mouth shut. 328 After a long, tense moment, the young man grinned, breaking the spell. "With an attitude like that, I can see why 329 business is so slow lately." He pulled a coin out of his pocket and slapped it down on the counter. "I'll have a mug of 330 whatever dishwater you serve around here. And make it a clean glass or I'll stick it in your ear." The innkeeper drew him 331 a glass of beer and the young man took it to a table near the fire but still away from company. The figure in the shadows 332 impassively watched the whole scene. 333 The young man set his pack on the floor and sat down wearily, wondering what to do next. 334 335 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\THE DESTROYER\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 336 All:for those who recognize this character, this takes place APART from the story that will be running on TANIS (Assuming 337 the B-Board ever goes back up) I can't say if it takes place before or after because I'm not quite sure myself. I'll just 338 have to see as I go along. 339 Zephyr: I hate to break your heart, but no. 340 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\THE DESTROYER\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 341 342 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (distinctions) 343 Hmmm, a familiar voice heard with words of unknown flavor. One has been able 344 to return after a long absence. One is welcomed back aboard... 345 But it doesn't sound like the same one I heard of from before. The old one 346 shed a light of commitment, the new one gives the image of being a wanderer 347 with a totally carefree spirit. Carefree... careless... reckless? 348 Nay, it doesn't sound like the same one at all. 349 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ --->the Guardian 257:03:24:19 350 351 [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] 352 N.N.P.O.T.S: (not necessarily part of the story): 353 Familiar voices in familiar places. New songs to be sung certainly. Time an 354 travels can change the tune, but I will wager the pitch is as sweet as always. 355 Welcome back Entropy. 356 [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] THE TIN MAN [/] [/] 357 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\THE DESTROYER\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 358 Beg pardon? 359 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\THE DESTROYER\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 360 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp 361 The human body is both a terribly delicate and an incredibly tough organism. 362 In the short term, at least, it can sustain incredible damage and still keep 363 going. However, in the longer term, it can perish from absolutely no physical 364 cause -- sheer loss of will to live. Such is the physical vehicle that we 365 are/inhabit. Thousands of electrical, chemical, and electro-chemical systems 366 feeding back to themselves both directly and indirectly -- the connectivity 367 of these loops nearly impossible to comprehend. 368 The piper should really be in no physical danger. His wound, while bleeding 369 freely, was quite minor compared to that of his companion. He had lost some 370 blood, true, but scarcely more than the typical person gives willingly when 371 asked for that contribution for another's sake. More serious was the body's 372 unwillingness to start again the processes of life. 373 For a long (subjective as somehow the times did not fit) period, the piper's 374 body had subsisted on the life of others. Somehow this life force had bathed 375 each cell, freeing it from the bonds of metabolism. The collective entity 376 that was the piper's body was rebelling against going off the dole. Each 377 and every cell had to work again to sustain the whole, and resented the fact. 378 Groups of cells (organs) periodically would refuse to function, then start 379 again as the total life functions dropped till a critical threshold was 380 reached. Wildly conflicting signals coursed through his body as overloaded 381 regulatory systems searched for a state of homeostasis. Major muscle groups 382 tensed against each other, sending his body taught; he convulsed as if trying 383 to throw off unseen bonds. 384 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp 385 above - ch taught/taut 386 pppppppppppppppppppppppppp 387 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::===== 388 All: Hooray! I now have X-modem protocol, so I won't have to worry about the 389 H's becoming X's and all those other nasty typos. 390 Destroyer: Whew! For a minute there I thought that you were using my character, 391 and I was a bit worried. Tell me, am I *I* supposed to be the "figure in the 392 shadows?" I'd like to know before I write anything, as I wouldn't want to mess sia plot up. 393 I'll try just posting an average entry, and if it causes problems with your 394 story, you can adjust it and/or forget 395 about it. Ok? 396 :::::===== 397 I gazed intently at the man who entered the Inn. He seemed to be somehow 398 familiar, and I had txe distinct impression that I had seen him onece or twice 399 before, though I couldn't quite tell where or when... 400 Munching on an odd truffle, I noticed a large black box with a screen in 401 the back corner of the Inn. As a approached, the machine suddenly sprang into 402 life with a horrible sound. I jumped about 5 feet. 403 Then suddenly, the screen flashed and bright gray (Rabbits are colorblind, 404 words began to flash across` it. 405 406 To: Zephyr the rabbit 407 From: Lady Tayree(?) 408 Tele-Plane Message Service (c) 409 Message follows: 410 ZEPHYR..... 411 We feel that the situation we are facing is much too dangerous for a small 412 mammal like yourself. The dangers we are facing would most likely give you a heart attack... 413 Trainor, Emu, Piper, Cragmore, Bard, Lady Tayree, Fencer, The Tin Man. ( 414 Hope We didn't miss any) 415 TRANSEnds.... 416 Thank you for using the.. 417 Tele-Plane Message Service (c) 418 Write again... 419 420 ...and the machine shut off. The words echoed in my mind. (For while I 421 422 bo 423 (whoops) cannot read human writing, the machine also spoke. ) My fur ruffled up 424 and I sneezed. Apparently the person with the pen and paper hadn't done a good 425 enough job with cleaning up the Inn. I moved away from the machine and hopped up on my table, keeping a watchful eye on 426 the human with the "shirt that had a smiley face on it... 427 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::===== 428 Arrgh! Not quite fixed yet! 429 :::::===== 430 ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] 431 Ian: Message follows (I hope), note that the encryption system is the same, 432 but the KEY IS NOT. The last key was some 23 letters long, and difficult to 433 spell correctly. 434 BEGIN 435 yi\dy \ygra tukwx \aopr _udib nhtue vlij] bcl@d jrwgk h^[pg @@q^d ndsyz 436 whda_ ^w@ai @^hvo g@jfu ubrlm ]isja @yjzy yq[mu xz_@n o^vf@ uwipp tm@t] 437 xtwb@ tcu^t huwyh oejdn yfnko s[^n@ ysik\ [mo[s yjggn ]lrse soe^n @hadj 438 zgmjs xcart y[\q\ smjt[ _efc[ qxa^a @olvy tabai egcag tuuqi fsmki bu[rh 439 io\dk nl_[@ ky]nd re\d[ efpln n[xws ezo\a 440 END 441 There, a bit more for you to work with. Another shall be forthcoming. 442 [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[ UNDERGROUND [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[ 443 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 444 I sat with the Doctor and Grann in the TARDIS' food preparation center (I 445 still don't understand why the Doctor refuses to call it a kitchen), not 446 at all refreshed from my sleep. I sipped a glass of orange juice and watched 447 the others eat. I wasn't particularly hungry, anyway. Something had disturbed 448 me in my sleep- but I did not know what it was. It wasn't a cheery feeling. 449 "Whatza matter, Milch? You seem out of sorts today," the Doctor commented 450 between bites of his rice crispies. 451 "I'm not sure. It'll pass. Whoa!" 452 The TARDIS lurched violently, landing at our destination. I began reciting 453 the Clean cantrip to remove the bits of rice, and the Doctor began brushing off 454 my juice from his scarf. Grann had been quick enough to teleport out of the 455 way of the flying food. 456 "Monitor on," the Doctor called out to the voice recognition units hidden 457 throughout the TARDIS. The nearest screen blinked on, and provided a view of 458 the glittering forest of the Diamond valley. 459 "You walked around in THAT?" the Doctor asked. "One false step and you could 460 cut off a limb." 461 "It's not as bad as all that, Doctor. Come on, let's go out and find our 462 energy source." 463 Soon, the Doctor and I were out among the sharp outcroppings of crystal. 464 Grann popped in and out, carrying a sack to put his findings in. I studied 465 the terrain for signs of the correct mineral deposits. 466 "None to be found hereabouts, Milchar!" Grann reported energetically, popping 467 in immediately behind me. My feet left the ground for an instant. 468 I turned around. "Are you quite sure?" 469 "Yes. The places such stones should be are... well, drained." 470 "Drained? What do you mean?" 471 "The stones that are there look half-molten, but are solid as they should be. 472 Almost as if... something had sucked at them, and almost succeeded in getting 473 them." Grann showed us a few specimens in his sack. 474 "Is the argentium all gone, then?" I threw one of the samples in a flash of 475 despair. It flew in a graceful arc into a nearby "tree" of crystal, and 476 shattered several "limbs" into a myriad of little shards. 477 Grann continued to report what he had seen. 478 "Er, Milch-" interrupted the Doctor. 479 "Yes?" 480 "Come look at this." He pointed at one of the shards. 481 I carefully lifted one of the pieces, and examined it. The branches had a 482 cellular structure much like their organic counterparts, but where the xylem 483 would have been on a plant... there were little veins of silvery material. 484 "Argentium, to be sure. The crystal structures must use it to aid in 485 supporting the huge weight of the limbs. By exerting power extracted from 486 the mineral, the limbs could make themselves nearly weightless. Each "tree" 487 probably contains as much as a kilogram of the stuff-" 488 We got to work, harvesting the strange crystal plants. After a few hours of 489 hard work (and a few dozen minor cuts and scrapes), the requisite amount of 490 argentium had been gathered. 491 ++++++++++++++++++++++ Milchar +++++++++++++++ 14 Sept 85, 11:58am +++++++++++ 492 [/] 493 CLEVER! 494 MODEM PROGRAM UPDATE-LAST 495 Mikey:Cheers here on this end. COPYLINK does work, it just requires very careful pressing of the control-break-char 496 key to activate escape sequence operations. I set the MULTI mode to off, and file transfer seems to work fine also. 497 With AMODEM and COPYLINK in the bag, I set to work on MEX. It turns out the reason it was locking up was that when 498 I replaced the Lobo Max-80 modem control instructions with LNW-80 instructions, there was a difference of one byte 499 in there somewhere, and since the code is an overlay, DB instructions must be used periodically to take up any slack 500 for each individual modem module. I adjusted the DBs to fit the memory map for the MEX overlay, it it now works fine! 501 As with COPYLINK, MEX requires very careful pressing of the escape key sequences, but it does work. So now I have 502 three modem programs for CP/M, but I will probably stick with COPYLINK most of the time. Thanks for the programs and 503 all the help you gave me. 504 MODEM PROGRAM UPDATE-LAST 505 I am not too sure what I am doing, so if I am erasing some other text, 506 RUBOUT 507 508 ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 509 ******************************************************************************************************************** 510 511 The clouds parted and he descended from another dimension, from a world not of our own nor even of our time. 512 And he said unto the inhabitants, where am I. There grunts and unintelligible giggles were mysteries to him. 513 He asked again. They responded with two-letter words and numbers that confused him yet even more. And the sky 514 turned gray. He said unto the masses, "What kind of BBS is this?" and they responded and welcomed him into 515 the new world. They showed him the secrets of story writing and the inner mysteries of their world, for their 516 world was Backwater Message System. Yet in another time there is still a man who does not yet know the proper 517 way to enter such a complex world. This very moment he is writing an appeal to them for help on learning the 518 true secrets of this other world, this completely different BBS. He wants to participate, but he hasn't learned 519 the true valor and courage necessary to enter this world. So this fledgeling, this seeker of wisdom and 520 adventure appeals to you now. "Show me the way and I shall follow." And his wounds ache. They continue to ache 521 until he receives a reply. 522 523 "Show me the way to live in your world." 524 525 526 Seeker of wisdom, adventure, and enlightenment. 527 528 529 ================Sir Palor======================================================= 530 531 __________________________________________________________________ 532 Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but 533 getting what you have which once you have got it you may be 534 smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you 535 known. With this, Sir Palor, I greet thee. Nomenclature of 536 skies does nothing but confuse the very masses you wish to 537 appeal to. Welcome, and join in the festivities. 538 _________________________A WORD FROM THE WISE - PART XVIII________ 539 ................................................................... 540 A different song, yes; but the voice is the same! Last Spring the 541 song was a dirge for a relationship; this Fall it is an ode to 542 rediscovery. More myself am I than ever before...and I LIKE IT!!! 543 Let the revels continue, and three cheers for all! 544 ................................Entropy................................. 545 3? 546 ok! 547 yaaaay! 548 ZEPHYR - YOU may now have the XMODEM protocol, but BWMS doesn't, so you are 549 still SOL. 550 +Dante- 551 552 Zephyr: the 'h' to 'x' change is not caused by your software. It is caused 553 your *hardware*, specificly by your modem. I used to have troubles with 554 that myself. What you need to do is take your modem in to get it serviced. 555 Tell them that the transmit level is too low. 556 It also helps to type slower. Or if you can, try writing a program that 557 sends a char, waits for BW to echo it, then sends the next char. 558 ______________________________Leonard______________________________________ 559 #################################################################### 560 561 Warum sprechen so viele Leute Franzoesich? Ich denke, dass Deutsch 562 ist viel besser auss die andere Sprache. 563 ------------------------Sir Palor------------------------------------- 564 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 565 These pools that, though in forests, still reflect 566 The total sky almost without defect, 567 and like the flowers beside them, chill and shiver, 568 will like the flowers beside them soon be gone, 569 and yet not out by any brook or river, 570 but up by roots to bring dark foliage on. 571 572 The trees that have it in their pent-up buds 573 to darken nature and be summer woods- 574 let them think twice before they use their powers 575 to blot out and drink up and sweep away 576 these flowery waters and these watery flowers 577 from snow that melted only yesterday. 578 579 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Darbon+++++++++++++++++++++++++ 580 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.EmuLurk 581 9-14-85 8:33pm.-.-.-.-.-.-. 582 The music here is deafening. Thump and roar passes through walls 583 without effort. The rhythm stops for an interlude of complete chaos 584 and then back to a foced up-slide. Tension is released as the music 585 blares its farewell. As the music fades, voices in the hall take over 586 with shouts and drunken discussions. The inhabitants never close the 587 doors, but leave them open for all to hear. Loud footsteps echo through 588 the hall. Footsteps blend with pounding on protective walls. And the 589 clatter of alcohol moving in and amongst those outside forces laughs 590 and yet louder shouts from the hosts. The door is as protective as the 591 walls and gives a feeling of security although it lets in the din 592 outside. Silence pours in from the window. The window is fully open, 593 but does better when the door is open too. Yet the security of the door 594 will not be breached. So the sounds continue and plumbing joins in 595 chorus. There is a desire to go out in the hall, but the sounds are more 596 powerful than the desire. So the desire is stilled. And I am as still 597 as my desire. 598 599 A true account. 600 601 602 Can you guess what the scene above describes? 603 604 <<< Palor >>> 605 606 607 608 ======================================================================= 609 ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] 610 qsvlx ]y]^y oid_d rakay _vlau turrt ^^hjx dbav] ohvfy z_]kn d\i\x s@haf 611 mehen phu]f vyz\\ ldau] nnwpn ]@wms a[ajv @@\d[ zqe]t @[fzo cwly_ bmnvy 612 hcapn ymfq@ jslwk k]okr wtedf s_u[n uw]]x gloa\ wv^fk phama gyd\e csvtn 613 sbdmi ]o][s v]gkp fysi_ _a[me tcu^c ill\y @vfpr _hdgn msp@@ xt_ef k_ky_ 614 zcjq\ omjzp v]dkm pmudi zrqhg nuyfp vo[mm lmmvm lgrqm z]jet enipe aufj] 615 vrvei nv\as _tfd] th_fx wdwqk [bglt eyjmc ]aamt sraai ]^\uh bbh_t qhsiw 616 un\c@ am]va r]dv^ t] 617 [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[ UNDERGROUND [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[ 618 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 619 Entropy: Welcome Back! -Tanya 620 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 621 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (words missed) 622 Yes, a word missed -- but not forgotten. Nor would the name have been lost... 623 An echo of Tanya's words. Welcome home. 624 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ --->the Guardian -107:03:10:17 625 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ETC.^^^^^^^^^^^^ 626 Add yet another voice of welcome. You have been missed, my Lady Entropy. 627 Adrian 628 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ETC.^^^^^^^^^^^^ 629 + + + at the bottom, a last word of welcome. The Harlequin + + + TOTAL NUMBER OF LINES = 629