💾 Archived View for gemini.spam.works › mirrors › textfiles › messages › BACKWATER › bw861122.txt captured on 2022-06-12 at 15:58:35.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask.... 2 ************************* INSTALLED: 22 NOV 86 *********************** 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 UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI UI 21 Well, at the top where I, the Ultimate Intelligence, belong! What sort of wisdomn should I leave for you poor beknighte 22 mortals today. The secret of immortality? Blueprints for a working time machine? 23 No, I'll give you something REALLY important. A recipe for great egg salad. 24 Take 6 hard boiled eggs, mash them into 25 small pieces and mix in a bowl with 26 half a cup of Bunkos Herb Mayonnaise. 27 Add to this a tablespoon of sweet picklerelish, and some finely chopped sweet 28 onion, mix until done and spread over 29 slices of Wheatberry bread. 30 Worthy fodder for an immortal. 31 32 33 34 35 WHO CARES? 36 <o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o> 37 There use to be a house here, a bit worn and ragged in places, but 38 comfortable. The sort that grows on you in time. A friend lived in 39 that house, a very good friend. The sort of friend you can talk to and 40 not be afraid of what you say. A friend who knows you and understands 41 you. 42 I felt safe and comfortable in that home, it was as if it was my 43 own home. Oh, it wasn't always that way of course. At first there was 44 uncertainty and fear. But in time that went away, and was replaced by 45 the certainty of our friendship. I knew that I was always welcome. And 46 I knew that I could say the things I couldn't talk about without fear of 47 being hurt. 48 That doesn't mean things were always perfect, far from it. By the 49 very nature of our friendship I found I could say things that I would 50 never be able to say to anyone else under the same circumstances. 51 Things from deep in my heart and soul. Things I normally keep hidden 52 behind locked and barred doors. 53 I wasn't always able to talk of such things, but in time the trust 54 and security grew until I knew that we could talk about such things 55 without destroying the friendship we had. And my friend could speak to 56 me in the same way with the same feeling of trust and security. Knowing 57 that things could always be talked out. 58 But today when I went there the house was gone. The lot was empty 59 with weeds growing as if the house had never been there. My friend 60 gone. The safe secure house no longer there to make me feel comfortable 61 and at home. Nothing but an empty lot mocking me. 62 Life goes on, but it will never be the same how can it when the 63 best friend you've ever known is gone. 64 <o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o> 65 ____11/22/86__________________JD 2446757.6497_________19:35:39_PST_________ 66 Well UI, I tried your egg salad recipe. 67 It was really quite good. I had to go 68 to Value Giant to get some Bunko's 69 herb Mayonnaiise, but it was worth the 70 trip. I added some celery to your recipe. It was verrrrry goooood. 71 CHRIS OLSEN 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh. 79 80 assorted western family products: 81 82 spot welders 83 plastic wraps 84 weiner wraps 85 rapper raps 86 all-new Tolstoy in a bottle 87 and a new concert-for-a-cause: 88 golfer aid 89 aqua-fresh ads are really dum. 90 91 i am garlic 92 93 we all are 94 oh. 95 timeout for wonderbread 96 97 -wax 98 99 oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.oh. 100 doughnut-doughnut-doughnut-doughnut-doughnut-doughnut-doughnut-doughnut 101 102 stonehead: call 1800 usa 2525 for drug probs and mellow yourself. 103 all else, whoah, whats new? any recipes for soma or lysergic acid diethylate? 104 little of the ole cid helps one to relax, or kill, nicht wahr? 105 das ist alles, guten tag! 106 later from the doughnutman, 107 and hey, 108 if youre not wasted...... 109 ......the day is! 110 doughnutman 111 doughnut-doughnut-doughnut-doughnut-doughnut-doughnut-doughnut-doughnut 112 o\=<([v2v])>=/o 113 WHO CARES? 114 115 --------------------- 116 The Return 117 118 It had been a long time since he had last been here. The tree, the sky, 119 and that familiar and yet unfamiliar building brought back memories of the 120 past. A different time, a different place, and the different but similar 121 person he had been. 122 He walked towards the building, looking here and there. He saw that 123 the building looked as it always had, but sensed that there had been some 124 unharmonious occurrences here in his absence. He frowned, wondering what 125 might have happened to disturb the aura. 126 Soon he reached the door of the Inn. He stood and listened for the 127 sounds of conversation. They were there, maybe softer than they had been, 128 maybe not. After collecting his thoughts, he pulled opon the door, 129 entered, and closed the door softly behind him. 130 He stood in the doorway and took in the ambiance of the place. A 131 place that he had visited frequently before but could seldom get to now. 132 It had the same feel of comfort and comradery. 133 He looked about for a table. Being unsure of how he would be 134 received, he chose an empty table near the back. Setting his robes on the 135 back of the chair, he sat down and let slip a contented sigh. It felt 136 good to be back, even if it was for a short time. 137 He wondered if anyone still remembered him, and if any of those he 138 remembered were here. Feeling it was time for a drink, he signaled the 139 Innkeeper. As the Innkeeper was nearing his table, he wondered if 140 Dragon's Breath was served here and if it was not, what he would order 141 instead. 142 143 Max the Philosopher 144 November 23, 1986 145 146 147 ------------------- 148 Post Script: Errors corrected on November 28th, 1986. Thanks Phantom! 149 ------------------- 150 =+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+= 151 152 WE BE THRASHIN!!! 153 154 155 ************* 156 *Triple Five* 157 * Was Here! * 158 ************* 159 160 =+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+==+-+= 161 162 * 163 * 164 * 165 * 166 ********* 167 * 168 * 169 * 170 * 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 WHO CARES? 184 ____11/23/86__________________JD 2446758.4298_________14:19:27_PST_________ 185 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] 186 I raised my head slowly, a little bit groggy from sleep. I noticed that the 187 door was uncovered again. That damnable door. All of the magic, wishing 188 and praying we could use on it had come to naught. I noticed someone trying 189 that upstart new magic called 'Scientific Methodology' on the door. Wait! 190 It was Bard! I sat quietly as he failed, as we all had. 191 I saw the innkeeper coming to the table next to me. Another familiar face. 192 "Innkeeper," I said quietly, "he really doesn't want dragons breath. Bring 193 him a large snifter of B&B, and bring me the same. As a matter of fact, 194 bring one for all of my friends. And do not forget to place one by the fire 195 for Piper, who we saw in the fire so many evenings ago." 196 I turned back to Max, and asked if he would like to join me. "What would 197 you like to discuss ? The dementia of Phaedra ? The madness of MAD ? The 198 high price of a fine apperetif ? Do tell us what fortuitous circumstance 199 brings you back to taunt us ?" 200 Max moved over to my table as the Innkeeper brought the last of the large 201 group of snifters, placed three on the table, being careful not to disturb 202 the Go board in front of us, and sat down as well. I looked expectantly at 203 my old friends, and asked "How are the ankles, Innkeeper ?", while handing him 204 the gold to pay for the large round. 205 206 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Friar [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] 207 Llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 208 Zippy: I do hope that I did not offend. I was refering to a sucessfull 209 experiment in the art of 'flow of concussesness(SP) Known as 210 Zippy the Pinhead. Where I come from, he is quite a favorite in 211 underground newspapers.(Oh, if only the freep was still alive!) 212 If i have judged the sourse of your name mistakenly, then 213 I apologise, but do understand that no offence was intended. 214 StormCrow: I would love a gome. But, I must warn you that I am a bit rusty 215 myselfe. Last game I played was with my (GO)Master.(accoucly 216 he was just an SCA'er named Cornielieous Hwawkson wh0 had a thing 217 for stratigy games. He was quite good. At lease, the only thing 218 that I ever beat him in was chess, and that was anout 1 game out of 219 4.)I beleave that I rember all the rules and such though, 220 and I have a set. 221 Which hollidays were you refering to?(keep in mind, not knowing 222 your deonomanation it could be one of several..) 223 224 Luther 225 P.S. All: 226 Am I going to be the only one out their at the crack of evening to 227 see the first showing of StarTrek IV?? It sounds as if this w 228 a good one. 229 P.P.S] 230 By the way, Who is the Kraftwork fan on drive B?????????????? 231 Llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 232 233 Well actually, Zippy the Pinhead wears 234 a yellow robe with red polka dots and not a white robe. His strip can be seen 235 in the A and E section of each Fridays 236 Oregonian, and can be found daily in 237 the San Fransisco Chronicle. Talk about 238 selling out... 239 240 241 242 WHO CARES? 243 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzippy 244 Luther, no offense taken, and that is not the origin of my name. That is a 245 long tale indeed, and somewhat inappropriate. Ask me again later... 246 247 "The rain today got in my way" -- Robert Frost 248 It got in my way, too Bob, ever reschedule a cross country FIVE TIMES due to 249 weather? 250 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzippy 251 252 No, never. And by the way, do you see a deep kinetic meaning in that quote 253 above? If you do, oh. 254 255 Off. 256 DIE SCUM SLUTS OF BACKWATER 257 258 259 36 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 260 Washington was silent and cold that night. Orange air raid sirens 261 were strung to the trees with electrical cable and wires. Artillery 262 fortifications on the inland shores of the river were left at a constant 263 state of preparation, and the noises of the soldiers and their mechanisms 264 usually kept me awake but not that night. 265 I slept in the warm comfort of the linen of the house. Father and my 266 sister were asleep in the rooms nearby. While my brother and his fellow 267 soldiers were at the town down the road drinking, we stayed within the 268 fragile walls of the house. As were the artillery crews that protected the 269 river inlet and the people who lived around there. 270 Aside from the carousing squad down at the diner, there were a few 271 pilots and gunners awake. Japanese fighters had been launched from carriers 272 in the Aleutian Islands and used spare fuel tanks to get down to this part 273 of the West Coast. Their fingers were about to bring on the destrucion and 274 desolation of wartime. 275 First, they dropped their fuel tanks on the woods and the houses 276 near the emplacements. Whatever fuel was left from the flight down the 277 coast, it was ignited and set the timbers on fire. Our house was spared this 278 first attack. And the family awoke in time to escape the strafing of our 279 house in the following minutes. 280 Father and sister had surely awakened at that point. I can just see 281 father putting his cap on and trying to pull his gaitered pants about him, 282 so that he could go direct the men under his command. And sister's eyes 283 opening so wide it would have looked as if she had seen my Jim and I 284 indulging ourselves. 285 Myself, I dove underneath the writing desk and gathered my bedcovers 286 around me in my kneeling postition. When the bullets started to go through 287 the fragile timbers of the house, I knew everyone in the house would need 288 luck and the grace of God to survive the attack. 289 What of it? A Japanese attack had been predicted and prepared 290 against for at least eight months. Ever since the Russians invaded the 291 Germans in Austria, the Innocent Powers had allied against the combined 292 strength of the Soviet Union and Imperial Japan. 293 When Australia was lost to the Nips, and Los Angeles was fire 294 bombed, artillery emplacements were built on the coasts of the Allies so 295 that full attention could be given to the preparation for war. Nicknamed 296 `Nellies' after their proponent, Admiral Nelson, they were the first and 297 only line of defense for the poorly prepared Allies. 298 Japan was making their first strike against one. From the sounds of 299 the machine guns and the strafing of the emplacement, the Japanese were 300 destroying the emplacement with ease. As two crashes and the falls of timber 301 were heard, it was clear that they were losing fighters in the attack. 302 Dawn came and the sounds of gunfired ended. I walked out of the 303 front door and let the screen door swing shut behind me. The normalcy of the 304 creaking sound was a sharp contradiction to the waste I saw in front of me. 305 A fighter had cashed on the long driveway which came up to the house. 306 Machinery and scorched debris was spread along the length of it. Fires still 307 leapt upwards from the wreckage. I guessed there was a pilot and a gunner 308 inside, but I did not want to know for sure. 309 There was a ship in the river, apparently it would have sunk if 310 their had been the depth for it in the river inlet. Navies all have gray 311 ships, so I could not tell whose it was right away. Then it occured to me 312 that it had tried to slip inland during the attack. It was a Nip. It had to 313 have been the survivor of a fleet that destroyed the ships at Astoria Habor, 314 just up the river four miles. 315 Father came out from behind me. The door shut as he placed his hand 316 on my shoulder. He said that my sister was making breakfast in the kitchen. 317 Scrambled eggs. It occured to me that our kitchen was a fatal place during 318 the attack. If the strafing had left bullets in there, they would have 319 richocheted off the cast iron stove. I was proud that our family survived, 320 and that we held off the Japanese assault. Only one fear kept at me. It was 321 that the outcome of the war would leave even more of the people I cared for, 322 dead. 323 Like the pilot and the gunner in the fighter. Or like Jim probably 324 was, in the scorched gun emplacement. 325 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 326 327 ANARCHY IN THE U.K.! 328 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 329 WKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWK 330 Zippy: (repeet) Yo Z! We did it again, we realy have to put a 331 stop to this you know. Well I'll still try to get in touch 332 with you soon. Need to catch up on old times, eh? Maby 333 over a glass of somthing??? Well take care Zippy De Lurker. 334 335 WKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWKWK KNIGHT 336 o\=<([v2v])>=/o 337 . 338 PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE 339 340 A wood near Prague 341 March 23 342 343 Sokorsky put the car at a rest. Reaching across the seat and grasping a 344 simple automatic pistol, he noticed the figure of a man in the woods across 345 the clearing. It was Lipton, to be sure. 346 347 When the door to the automobile swung shut, Lipton noticed the source of the 348 noise at the other end of the field. It was obviously Sokorsky that walked 349 over the grass. A gray and woolen suit contrasts against grass. And slate 350 metal of a pistol does also. 351 352 Lipton saw that the weapon in the limp grasp of the approaching officer was 353 to be put to use in his death. He quickly put his sketches and the implements 354 of his trade into his satchel. Of which, the jar which held the butterfly as 355 the cyanide put it to death, gave Lipton an idea. 356 357 As soon as he was gathered, he tore off across the forest. He soon had a lead 358 over the racing officer. He took a swab of cotton out from the wad he carried 359 for his work. Slowly he poured a portion of the cyanide into it. When he 360 heard the sounds of the officer approaching him from the distance, Lipton hid 361 upon a rock over the path. 362 363 Sokorsky was breathing quickly. His aging heart was not in the shape it once 364 was. Each time his feet instinctively struck the path below him, he tried to 365 push it farther. He had to catch this spy. He had to, simple as that. 366 367 Sokorsky ran straight underneath the ledge of stone that Lipton was on. He 368 sprung from his crouching position and leapt straight down on the running man 369 below. After a short struggle, Lipton had placed the swab of cotton over the 370 mouth and nose of Sokorsky, and held it there. 371 372 Long enough. 373 374 PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE 375 376 I saw the same method of killing some 377 one and almost the same plotline in 378 The Dr Who episode "The 2 Doctors." 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 ____11/24/86__________________JD 2446759.6264_________19:02:06_PST_________ 387 WHO CARES? 388 o\=<([v2v])>=/o 389 ____11/25/86__________________JD 2446760.5894_________18:08:47_PST_________ 390 Hello Luther, The holidays I ment are this week in particular, (lots of family 391 here) anad usually pretty busy the rest of the time. Perhaps we came meet 392 across a GO board some time mid Dec. I'd prefer to use your set as mine is 393 made of poster board and painted penneys(cheep huh). I'll check back with you 394 after Thanksgiving. Have a happy one. 395 Stormcrow. 396 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 397 WHO CARES? 398 PsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSi 399 "Don't worry about it Bard." Cragmore said laughingly. "We all felt 400 discouraged at first too. But now that mysterious door stands as a monument 401 to the finite limits of our powers." 402 Bard rolled his eyes before responding. "You always were the philosophic 403 one, Cragmore. What I can't understand is that none of my instruments even 404 came close to penetrating that crazy door. A thousand worlds and I have never 405 seen anything quite like it!" 406 "If everything were known," Milchar said on draining yes another mug, 407 "our lives would be rather regular. Perhaps we should try a different tact." 408 Bard looked up, his interest in Milchar's last statement piqued. "What 409 do you mean, 'a different tact' ?" 410 "I think I might know." Cragmore smiled across at Milchar. "It's a good 411 idea too." 412 "Enough with the mind link you two big-heads. How about some verbal 413 communications!" Bard glared at his companions. 414 "If you wish." Cragmore answered. "What we propose is this. We have been 415 given a mystery to solve. We have been given a few meager clues. It is our 416 problem to use the clues, and our brains, to solve the mystery to our 417 satisfaction. Let us assume we have all the physical evidence we are going 418 to be given." 419 "And let us assume that the door is a solvable mystery." continued 420 Milchar. "We all know that all mysteries are solvable, right Bard? Anyway, 421 we must lay down what we know, and using our collective intelligence, formulate 422 all possible hypotheses. Between all of us, we should be able to come up 423 with quite a number. Then, we will test each hypothesis as best we can, 424 discarding those that we can positively disprove, and keeping those we can't. 425 When we have finished, we will have a list, a possibly long list, but a list 426 nonetheless of what this door could mean and/or be." 427 "But that could take us forever! All possible hypotheses?" Bard protested 428 with a slammed tankard, it's contents splashing onto the worn wooden table. 429 "Careful Bard, and no, it won't take forever. Besides, do you have 430 anything better to do this fine day?" Cragmore said, wiping the table with 431 his kerchief. 432 Bard remembered the weather outside the inn. Cold, rainy, foggy, and 433 generally rotten. "I guess you are right. OK, now where do we begin?" 434 "How about a song, Bard? A little cheering up before we really start 435 our mind work. You know, a really uplifting little ditty." Milchar asked 436 expectantly. 437 Bard rubbed his hairy chin. "Hmmm, let me ponder that for just one 438 moment. Mayhaps I can think of something." 439 "We'll wait, Bard. We aren't going anywhere either." Cragmore saw 440 the memory of foul weather through Bard's eyes. 441 PsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSi CRAGMORE PsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsI 442 I CARE! 443 *%@*_))*%)!+%*###!%*%@^#($+_(^+_#^+*^&+*(^_@(%(@^*^&@%(%@#^*$^**_|(*^**@+(%!^*$^&+!__*%|~*%!^*+#+(!+%(+!%*!_%*!+%*^+&+ 444 bwdt: check for mail boxes for important information. 445 War Years: Nice story. It made me think of Philip K. Dick's 'Man in the High 446 Castle' a bit. It is a book I enjoyed very much, as I did your story. 447 Dr Who comment: I don't care if the story is similar to a television episode. 448 I didn't see the show, and I want to find out what happens to the characters 449 in *this* story. Will the snappy remarks every end? 450 (#@%_)#(%_(%_!#%)_^&)!_%)*!_%^&_)%%*@* L'homme sans Parity %*&_))%*!%**_)%&)~&~%&)^&_)*!#^_!_^!_^*!_)&!_)*!+$*(+!^&!_^&! 451 452 FAT CHANCE! 453 up youpyours} 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 } 462 463 464 PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE 465 466 A clearing near Prague 467 March 25 468 469 Lipton stood on the platform of the stairs that lead inside the airplane. 470 Sirens approached from across the field. No doubt they were personnel 471 carriers and squads of soldiers, dispatched to arrest them. 472 473 "We heard that Sokorsky had driven to the forest to arrest you," 474 Wind drained the warmth from behind the scarf that Lipton had over his face. 475 Drips of rain pelted down, their path in the air according to the winds. When 476 the propellers started to spin, their noise amplified over and over again, so 477 the answer that Lipton gave to his companion was a simple whisper. 478 479 "I am afraid the fellow has been moth-balled," 480 481 And still the personnel carriers accelerated toward the airplane. Whether it 482 would take off with enough distance to insure their safety against the 483 weapons the soldiers carried, there was doubt. 484 Not for long after Lipton sat down in the aircraft though. For within forty 485 minutes, Dresden was underneath the windows of the aging craft. Then 486 underneath the landing gear. 487 488 Lipton had escaped Prague. 489 490 PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE 491 492 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 493 many months, yet somehow I always come back to the Inn. I have been to the gleainy citys, the tall pylons of the 494 Fido exchanges, the squat solidity of the Punter networks. I have walked through the long corridors of the vax, the 495 rooms of the PDP's and the hall of the IBM's. I have flown through the streets at 2400, and hummed down the highways 496 of 19.2k. Yet, I have never found the comfort and stability of the Inn. Perhaps, those with their heads full of newer, 497 faster, and better have scorned the small portal, never bothering to slow down to take the nearly hidden exit of the 498 Inn. If so, I pity them for although the Inn is sometimes attacked by the stupid, and saturated with their drivel, it's 499 residents have always banded together and expelled the intruders. Here, one can rest and let the mind relax in the 500 atmosphere of creativity. I have been gone a long time, and this, I need. 501 +++++++++++++++++++++++++000000001TED++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 502 As I have now gained full upper and lower case, I shall kill my name. 000000001TED is dead. 503 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++??????????????????(wouldn't you like to know)?????????????????????????????? 504 o\=<([v2v])>=/o 505 WHO CARES? 506 507 PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE 508 509 Please, pardon my use of a cliche in the story. I simply wanted to include it 510 in a story which I was about to share here, and never meant to take credit 511 for having developed it. And some people here are probably pleased that I did 512 include it after all. 513 514 Now for the end of the story. 515 516 PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE 517 518 Dresden 519 March 26 520 521 Lipton stood in front of a marble desk. He and an Asian were on a conference 522 telephone call. Each of them spoke in natural American accents. It was a 523 distinct accent from southern Connecticut that came from the speakers, and 524 across a transatlantic cable. 525 526 "Yes, sir. It was two months acting as an entomologist. Sketching these 527 diagrams here," 528 He put his sketches in front of the video camera and waited for the response 529 from Stateside to come across the wire. 530 531 "Elaborate, what are they?" 532 "Yes, what sort of diagrams are these, Lipton? 533 534 "If you will see the detail on the wings, sir. It closely resembles the 535 topography of the forests near Prague. Or as closely as I could render. Each 536 of these sketches is a representation of the movements of armored and 537 infantry units under Warsaw Pact tactics," 538 539 "These triangles here, Lipton, what are they?" 540 "Ammunition depots, sir. I have a key drawn up. Here it is," 541 542 He slid the pictures of the details on the wings, and a paragraph of 543 description, under the camera. He waited for the congratulations to arrive 544 from Langley. 545 546 PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE PRAGUE 547 548 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-. 549 I've always wondered what all the designs on butterfly and moth wings 550 were! Bravo! 551 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.Emu 552 o\=<([v2v])>=/o 553 WHO CARES? 554 ************************************************************************* 555 Bard: probably it was the magic of the Inn that prevented your instruments 556 from working. Remember, there is a local law prohibiting "high-tech" 557 stuff from the vicinity of the Inn. Everytime someone has tried to bring 558 some in it always ends up going wrong. And the spell around the door 559 seems to be rather powerful since it has held off the best efforts of 560 some of the more adept madges around. 561 ************************** CISTOP MIKEY ********************************* 562 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 563 ANARCHY IN THE U.S.A. 564 I AM THE ANTI-CHRIST 565 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 566 ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````~~```````````````````````````````````````````````` 567 As technology continued to advance through the twenty first century, for the first time man had within his grasp the 568 ability to move backward through time. The first attempts were made haltingly, the accumulated hundreds of years of 569 science fiction limiting exploration. the scientists developing the first time machines were scared, and sometimes with good 570 reason. Occassionally, volunteers did not return, or returned with a different version of history than what was supposto be 571 true. The obvious conclusion was made, that changes made by time travelers visiting the past were already incorporated in the 572 future. The problem was that a person who visited ancient Rome believing that the common housecat only came with one tail, 573 might return to find a two tailed breed had been developed during the middle ages. Other 'alterations' were not so funny, 574 though. Historians were now viciously debating the actual length of WWII, based on the testomony of one time traveler 575 who claimed when he left, the Japanese had surrendered the same time as the Germans. 576 So, inevitably, the government stepped in to regulate time travel. Unauthorized time travel was forbidden, and any travel 577 had to be cleared through the central government agency I.T.T.A., Internal Time Travel Agency. It usually took a very good 578 reason to get permission from ITTA. Preventing accidental deaths usually were not accepted, as were innumerable requests to 579 solve 'Unsolveable' crimes. Attempts to go around ITTA never worked, as ITTA'S Time Tracers could detect any space time warp 580 generated by a time machine. It was then a simple matter to 'backtrack' and arrest the offender at the point before his machine 581 activated. The few people who had tried in the early days of the agency had been subjected to such terrible penalties that most 582 people had concluded that it was easier to work with ITTA than aginst. Besides, if ITTA decided that you had a valid reason, 583 their time technicians would take care of the entire operation, and it would be done free of charge as a governmental service. 584 The public's reaction had been predictable. At first, cries of 'power mongers' and fears of repirations had nearly 585 destabilized the government. After a few years had passed, and no dictator had suddenly appeared to kill your spouse before 586 birth, the public had gradually forgotten the uproar. Eventually, time travel came to regarded as a fundamental public right, 587 with good reasons. ITTA became just another public agency. 588 589 Still, there were those with knowledge who realized how vital ITTA had become. 590 ````````````````````````````````````````````````Mr. Interceptor```````````````````````````````````````````` 591 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 592 "I'm sure the instruments are working. After all, it was high tech 593 weapons that were proscribed. And it's not that the readings don't make 594 sense. They make perfect sense...." muttered Bard. 595 "The readings make sense? Then why did you look like they'd tried to 596 bite you?" asked Milchar. 597 "Oh, they make sense. They're perfectly consistent. Only trouble is 598 that they say the door isn't there! Same wood, paint, and everything as the 599 rest of the wall." Bard got up from the table, picking up his glass as he 600 did so. He walked over to the door. 601 He stood looking at it for a moment. Then he closed his eyes and 602 ran his hand over it. "Feels like metal..." Then he stepped back, drained 603 his glass and threw it at the door. 604 THUD! The glass struck the door and fell to the floor. Not with 605 the ringing sound of glass on metal, but with the unmistakable sound of 606 glass on *wood*! 607 "We can see it. It even feels like metal. But my instruments say it 608 isn't there. So does the glass. Well?" 609 "Are you trying to say it's a mass hallucination?" asked Cragmore. 610 "No. Just pointing out more evidence. While you people debate what 611 it means, I'll try to find an appropriate song." 612 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 613 the score: 614 "normal" sensory perception (sight, touch, sound, etc): it's there. 615 "ESP", various spells to augment senses: it's there 616 instruments: it's *not* there... 617 hmmm... looks like direct examination says yes, indirect says no. 618 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BARD~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 619 WHO CARES? 620 ####################################################################### 621 The Innkeeper looked up at the sound of a glass smashing against the 622 wall. "That'll be an extra charge gentlemen." 623 While I find it interesting that the door may or maynot be there, the 624 sounds eminating from behind it still make themselves known. The last 625 time I heard sounds such as that was when I took a trip to the city in 626 the south to pick up a case of saurian wine. I remember that there was 627 a place next to the warehouse that had sounds comeing from it just like 628 those that we hear behind whatever that thing is. 629 ####################### The Innkeeper ################################# TOTAL NUMBER OF LINES = 629