💾 Archived View for gemini.spam.works › mirrors › textfiles › messages › BACKWATER › bw870517.txt captured on 2022-06-12 at 15:59:43.

View Raw

More Information

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

BWMS II - a new beginning. 

On May 17, just past midnight, BWMS II was connected to the phone lines 
and went "live". Although the Diskwriter based BWMS was retired, the 
Sanyo 555 based BWMS II continues on the tradition. You will notice a 
distinct change in the message format. Session headers are now provided. 
User numbers and identities now exist. And the message base now consists 
of 999 lines instead of just 629 lines.  There were a few problems, and 
a bit of lost data at the start, but the system was amazingly stable 
considering that it was running live for the first time.

NUMBER OF LINES: 999
000=Usr:0  05/17/1987 00:30  Msg:0 Call:0  Lines:-77
  1$If you are in need of help, you need but ask...
  2$************************* INSTALLED: 17 MAY 87 ****************************
  3$Welcome to BWMS II (BackWater Message System II)  Mike Day System operator
  4$************************************************************
  5$GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS II IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION
  6$                    PLACED ON THIS SYSTEM.
  7$BWMS II was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS II is a privately owned
  8$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 999 lines of data can be saved)
 13 to leave a message, type 'ENTER' and use ctrl/C 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 'BYE' then hang up.
 17$type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system.
 18$ ***********************************************************
 19$
001=Usr:0  05/17/1987 02:04  Msg:2 Call:4  Lines:2
 20 Members of avlan species of identical plumage congregate.
 21 *********************************************************
002=Usr:0  05/17/1987 02:29  Msg:3 Call:13  Lines:4
 22 ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
 23 My God!  BW II is up and it seems that I'm at the top.(Aside from 
 24 disclaimer.)  This is a first.  I am honored.  It's been a while, but.....
 25 ?????????????????????? The Doctor ?????????? May 17, 1987 ????? 2:50 am ???????
003=Usr:0  05/17/1987 07:37  Msg:4 Call:21  Lines:4
 26 Hi 255-xxxx Commodore based open free bbs! 24/7! Thanks!
 27 
 28 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 29 Hey I'm third from the top! May 17,87  7:00 ish. Good bbs up north!
004=Usr:0  05/17/1987 09:38  Msg:5 Call:22  Lines:6
 30 ------------------=====================>>>>>>>>>>>>T.R.
 31   What an interesting thing.  I take a nap and the world gets a revision.
 32  Do we start a new Inn for stories or play around in all this free space or 
 33  what???  Well folks, lets get those minds turning...
 34 -------------------====================>>>>>>>>>>>>>T.R.
 35 
005=Usr:0  05/17/1987 10:43  Msg:6 Call:25  Lines:9
 36 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
 37 I must have fallen asleep watching the others work on the door.
 38 I awoke with a start, and saw we were just sitting around a camp-fire,
 39 looking at each...
 40 No, we were fading out.  Then there was nothingness.  No, I was 
 41 something, a conciousness.  That at leasr was something.  
 42 I floated around for a eternity of microseconds, and then there 
 43 was a piece of old writing.  "And the world became without form,
 44 and void."  And then there was noth
006=Usr:0  05/17/1987 12:21  Msg:7 Call:31  Lines:33
 45 ...............................................................................
 46 ^IThe apprentice had realized that something was very wrong. By the time
 47 he pin-pointed the Inn as the source it was too late. He found himself afloat
 48 in a void with only those of his tools as had been closest when the universe
 49 disappeared.
 50 ^IHis Master had told him that the prime mover for magic was Will and
 51 the Laws. The materials were secondary. The apprentice was going to have a
 52 chance to test this.
 53 ^IHe took a scrap of parchment and carefully drew a pentagram upon it.
 54 He took his time. Perfection was more important than speed. 
 55 ^IFinished, he laid it at his feet. He reached into the pouch around his
 56 neck and sorted thru the rune stones.
 57 ^IUr - strength.
 58 ^IPeord - initiation
 59 ^INyd - constriant
 60 ^IIng - fertility
 61 ^IEoh - defense
 62 ^IEolh-secg - protection
 63 ^IThorn - gateway
 64 ^ISigel - wholeness
 65 ^I^I- the unknowable
 66 
 67 ^IHaving made his selection, he carefully placed them in and about the 
 68 pentagram. Then he folded his legs and concetrated on the laws of magic.
 69 ^I^IThe first result was that the runes merged with the pentacle. Then the
 70 paper disappeared. The pentacle remained. A network of glowing lines floating
 71 in nothingness.
 72 ^IThen a second pentacle appear inscribed in the first. And another
 73 larger one surrounding the original. The process continued alternating larger
 74 and smaller patterns. Faster and faster.
 75 ^IAs the pattern spread towards the infinetely large and small. The
 76 appentice faded.
 77 .........................the apprentice........................................
007=Usr:6  05/17/1987 13:04  Msg:8 Call:32  Lines:4
 78@%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
 79@Just testing... can anyone read this?  (Heh, heh).
 80@%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Author #2 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
 81 Lurk.
008=Usr:0  05/17/1987 13:19  Msg:9 Call:33  Lines:3
 82 Uh, Mike? I think you need to change the last couple of lines on the intro.
 83 Typing "OFF" and hanging up may work, but wouldn't BYE be better?
 84 _________________________Leonard_______________________________________________
009=Usr:0  05/17/1987 18:12  Msg:10 Call:51  Lines:21
 85 :::::=====:::::=====
 86      What was this I felt?  I reached to grab the mug of ale, and my fingers
 87 suddenly slipped through it.  I gasped, looking down, and I was also fading 
 88 into some indescribable void.  What was worse was that I felt for my pouch, and
 89 the pouch was also intangible.
 90      Concentrate, stay calm, your mind  hasn't faded, too, and I doubt that
 91 your power has, I told myself. . . 
 92 :::::=====:::::=====Zephyr's Private Journals Vol 23. : The New Inn. :::=====::
 93      Zephyr suddenly tried to concentrate on something real, corpreal, anything
 94 that had not vanished into the emptiness that was rapidly filling out.  He
 95 tried and failed, as usual, to Focus or Magnifyimself.  Cursepower, not good
 96 for anything!  When he really needed it, it was failing him.  He remembered the
 97 words of the Consolate's Director...
 98      "Ah, a pity he can't Focus himself, or we'd have no need for so many, or
 99 magnify himself, or we'd have all that we needed."
100 
101      It was beginning to look as though the one that they had needed was about
102 to have his final fade-out.
103      He also cursed his bad luck at picking up Zeb's television trivia.  The
104 mental enhancer they had shared had some bad side effects after all.
105 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
010=Usr:0  05/17/1987 19:34  Msg:11 Call:54  Lines:2
106 Do mean the system defaults to CC N?  What a pit!
107 ^I^I^I^I^Iinnocent bysitter
011=Usr:0  05/17/1987 19:48  Msg:12 Call:55  Lines:1
108 Testing a program...
012=Usr:0  05/17/1987 20:00  Msg:13 Call:57  Lines:7
109 =-=-=-=-=-=--==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-The Muse=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
110 You write. I am supposed to inspire you.  THats what muses are for.
111 =-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=5/17/87=-=-8:20pm-=-----=--=---
112 
113 AIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIRAIR.
114         Upon the mountain he sat. Muse inspired thoughts lost in the haze,
115  up on the mountain.    A.I.R.
013=Usr:0  05/17/1987 20:29  Msg:14 Call:58  Lines:28
116 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-The Muse-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
117         I suppose that last entry sounded a bit presumptuous.  Actually, I
118 hadn't intended for that to be posted:  I was just replying to the question
119 "what should I write?".  
120 
121 ^[[A"What should I write?", voiced by the ever popular A.I.R.
122         Now, what shall I write?
123         ^[[B^[[B^[[B
124         Here I am in makeup.
125         Oh God, I look so pretty.
126         No one suspects a thing.
127         They all think I am who I say I am.
128         Here I am in makeup
129         which hides me so completely^[[D^[[D^[[D^[[D^[[D^[[D^[[D^[[D^[[D^[[D^[[D^[[D^[[D^[[D^[
130          The ugliness beneath it
131         And all because of you, my trusting friend
132         My Peter Pan.
133 
134         NOw standing at the mirror
135         and riping off the makeup
136         My face beyond repair.
137         
138                 ack! I've lost it.  my train of thought has derailed.
139 
140             ^[[A^[[D^[[D^[[D^[[D^[[D^[[D^[[D^[[D^[[Dmaybe later, kids.
141 
142 
143 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=5/17/87-=-=-=-=9:02pm-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
014=Usr:0  05/17/1987 21:34  Msg:15 Call:63  Lines:11
144 ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
145 mike, does this mean that the diskwriter is still floating around someplace? i 
146 like the new bbs, much cleaner. is there some chance of me getting your
147 diskwriter at all? oh, hey, i just noticed that the delete key don't work all
148 that great. must be for systems with destructive delete...
149     
150 to:!psu-cs!nelsons
151 do you think you could give me your phone number so i can have that small C
152 version 2?
153 jim michaels            231-xxxx
154 ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
015=Usr:0  05/17/1987 22:24  Msg:16 Call:63  Lines:11
155 Muse: please don't use your arrow keys! The system stores the ESC sequences as
156 part of the msg. It does *not* use them for editing. They only mess up the 
157 screen for people who aren't VT100/ANSI compatible (ie most users)
158 All: The editing commands work now! You can use them (please do!). Of course
159 they only work on anything entered during the *current* call. Once you hang up
160 th^Aat's it.
161 The system also runs at 1200 baud.... try it, you may like it.
162 Jim: DELete is for support of odd things like hardcopy terminals. You have 
163 something against BackSpace? Or you could just use CHange...
164 _________________________________Leonard_______________________________________
165@Uh, am I *supposed* to be able to CH any non-protected entry at level 4?
016=Usr:0  05/17/1987 23:01  Msg:17 Call:65  Lines:1
166 WHO CARES?
017=Usr:0  05/18/1987 00:15  Msg:18 Call:70  Lines:1
167 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~05~18~87~~00~24~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
018=Usr:6  05/18/1987 00:21  Msg:19 Call:71  Lines:7
168 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
169 Nearly a clean slate.  A time and a place for deciding what to create, what
170 to breathe life into.  Will the chaos of transition continue?  Will the
171 famous Inn be replaced with something even more wonderous?  Tune in here
172 next BBS-time, next BBS-number.
173 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Gyre %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
174@Yes, you can CH anything not protected at level 4.  ++++ person.
019=Usr:0  05/18/1987 01:16  Msg:20 Call:72  Lines:5
175@We may have a bug. When I made this call, I got a line of garbage followed by
176@"logout in 1 minute" followed by "logging out to let someone else use the 
177@system" (or something like that) followed by "waiting for CR"....
178@Tis looks like someone just dropped carrier and the system missed it!!! Yipes!
179@_____________________________Leonard___________________________________________
020=Usr:0  05/18/1987 09:02  Msg:21 Call:84  Lines:6
180 ~~~~~~x^^~~~~}~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~||~|~
181@
182@
183@
184@
185 
021=Usr:0  05/18/1987 10:19  Msg:22 Call:89  Lines:5
186 TO: THE AUTHORS
187     With due respect, since you are now operating under MSDos, would it
188@      possible to include a password system?
189 be now possible to include a password system?
190 
022=Usr:0  05/18/1987 11:39  Msg:23 Call:91  Lines:71
191 (* IIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIIIIX (*) IXVIIIVIIVIVIVIIIIII *)
192 Just before the winds of passage swept them away, Ahmryaba felt a
193 strange reality shift, as if everything became all at once larger and
194 faster moving.  Had something disturbed the dimension which housed the
195 world of the Inn, or was the phenomenon just an aspect of the travel
196 to Aviana?
197      In her journeys through space and time, the shape-changer had
198 experienced many different types of transport, some nothing more than
199 the blink of an eye from one world to another, others seemingly long
200 and tortuous--as if the very matter of their beings was being
201 destroyed and recreated in the process.
202      The feeling of disorientation passed quickly once they arrived at
203 T'Chree's home world.  Their point of emergence was a beautiful
204 courtyard surrounded by high walls pierced at three points by doors.
205 A fountain plashed quietly nearby masking any sound of activity which
206 might otherwise have been heard.  It was a restful retreat, shaded by
207 graceful trees.  Blooming flowers filled the air with sweetness.
208      Ahmryaba stared at her surroundings with pleased wonderment.
209 T'Chree, seeing her obvious appreciation said, "I'm glad you like my
210 private garden.  We are at the end of the family wing of the royal
211 palace.  That wall there, the one without a door, is part of the
212 embankment of the river Systris, which runs through the city.
213      During your stay in the city, it would please me if you would
214 share my quarters here in the palace.  You would be free to come and
215 go, of course; the palace guards will be instructed to help you in any
216 way that they can.  You would not be a prisoner."
217      Whatever doubts and suspicions the Dancer may have had on that
218 last point, still it would be nice to have a comfortable place to stay
219 until she learned her way around.
220      "You are very kind to make such a gracious offer," she told the
221 Princess.
222      She gently awoke the little boy who was still sleeping in her
223 arms.  When he seemed awake enough to stand, she lowered him to the
224 ground.  Seeing the familiar surroundings and realizing he was home,
225 he bowed to his mistress politely and asked for permission to go to
226 his home to greet his parents and family.
227      "Yes, go little one.  And give your parents a greeting from me."
228 T'Chree smiled at the little boy with fond affection.  "You may tell
229 them that I am very pleased with the work you have done for me.  And
230 say that I think you will someday make a fine member of the royal
231 family."  The little boy scampered off toward the center door--
232 apparently the one which connected the courtyard with the rest of the
233 palace.
234      The Dancer stared after him with amazement.  "I've just been
235 carrying around a member of the royal family?"  She turned to look at
236 T'Chree.
237      The Princess openly grinned at her startled face.  "Oh yes, he is
238 a son of my younger brother.  You will soon meet all the various
239 members of the family, I think there were 27 at last count.  Yuan is
240 about 18th in line for the throne after his elder siblings, his
241 father, myself, and lastly the children of the King.
242      And while it is unlikely that he will ascend to the throne
243 himself, he will someday play a role in governing the kingdom, as do
244 all family members.  It is for that reason that he was permitted to
245 travel with me on this particular quest.  We cannot afford to be
246 provincial in our views.  We would become too easy prey for greedy
247 offworlders.
248      But that is enough information for now.  I find that I am very
249 much in need of a bath.  And you," she looked at Ahmryaba askance, "I
250 believe would enjoy a change of clothing as well."
251      The Dancer looked down at the Crone's rags and grimaced in
252 agreement.  "Perhaps someday," she said, looking up again at the
253 Princess, "I will tell you how I came to be wearing this unsightly
254 outfit.  Right now, however, a bath sounds like pure bliss."
255 
256 Green Eyes (05/18/87)
257 (* IIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIIIIX (*) IXVIIIVIIVIVIVIIIIII *)
258 Wow--editing and the whole works!   Yowee, zowee!
259 
260 G.E. (we bring good things to light)
261 (* IIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIIIIX (*) IXVIIIVIIVIVIVIIIIII *)
023=Usr:0  05/18/1987 12:33  Msg:24 Call:92  Lines:4
262 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Grn 870518123220 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
263@Could it be that the RS232 buffer doesn't get flushed between calls, and
264@you're just getting belated messages?
265 ***** 735 lines remaining ..... Wow! ***************************************
024=Usr:0  05/18/1987 16:39  Msg:25 Call:98  Lines:1
266 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~makethat734~~~~~~~~~~~~05~18~87~~16~34~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
025=Usr:0  05/18/1987 21:15  Msg:26 Call:127  Lines:11
267 gee, kinda dead here. I mean, heck there've been lots of calls but
268 not many msgs. Come on folks! Backwater wasn't destroyed for the heck of it!
269 We've got a clean slate and we can go any way we want to.
270 (Actually, I'd guess we'd have several clean slates. No way can I picture the
271 creations of the various characters who have 'given their all' as being 
272 remotely similar)
273 
274 _____________________________Leonard___________________________________________
275 ^IIn a place that is both farther the the most distant galaxy, and yet 
276 no distance at all, there is a slight curdling in the fabric of space-time.
277 ^I^IThe beginning....
026=Usr:0  05/18/1987 22:03  Msg:27 Call:129  Lines:18
278 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
279     "Thousands of years of civilization have culminated with the design of my
280 masterpiece.  It works, indeed.  Einstein never dreamed such things might be
281 possible, nor had anyone else... until now.
282 ^II have spent years here.  My modest workshop is a pocket of space hidden
283 between tall stacks of books; there are tomes describing every sort of science
284 known to man.  I have read them all.  A faded calendar reveals my schedule of
285 four years ago, when I was a busy, popular instructor at the local university.
286 That has all changed.  I no longer teach, except informally here at home.  A
287 few of the students still come to visit me.
288 ^IOn the workbench lies my life's work.  It is just a little thing... a
289 small silver box 6 x 5 x 1 inches.  The energies of the universe flow through 
290 it.  Vast powers may flow through my work.  Soon, they will.
291 ^II have had a theory a long time about the nature of the workings of
292 the universe.  I have not been able to test them, until now.  
293 ^IThe FEGS rests for now.  I must go to prepare.
294 ^IDiary Log Completed."
295 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Grn 870518224015 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
027=Usr:0  05/18/1987 22:44  Msg:28 Call:131  Lines:6
296@^E-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
297@     /hhhhh /h /h /hhhh
298@       ''/h'' /h /h /h'''
299@ 4 hrs  /h   /hhhh /hhh  color 64
300@ ^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T
301@ll^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T^T
028=Usr:0  05/18/1987 23:35  Msg:29 Call:133  Lines:19
302@
303@
304@Crl-S Stop/Start  Spacebar to Exit
305@
306@ **********************************************************
307@   h i ucket (Portland, OR) Bulletin Board List (Short)   *
308@                 18-MAY-87 Edition                        *
309@      Mintained by Applephilia BBS (503)-244-xxxx         *
310@ **********************************************************
311@  e eea ile #4 for a COMPLETE listing of local Bulletin Board
312@ n ulcAcess Systems, including SYSOP, System Type, and other
313@ oedtie information. This information is abstracted from the
314@ 8MY8 dtion of the complete listing.
315@  Sse ame              Hours         Speed     Phone
316@ ----------------   ------------- -------   -----------------
317@ 10 ETC               24          12        657-xxxx
318@ 3P            24          3/12      246-xxxx
319@ 53Eie                24          3         280-xxxx
320@ AB Fd 105/20)        24          3/12      229-xxxx
029=Usr:0  05/18/1987 23:39  Msg:30 Call:134  Lines:1
321 ***************************************
030=Usr:0  05/18/1987 23:42  Msg:31 Call:135  Lines:4
322@
323@
324@
325@ 
031=Usr:0  05/18/1987 23:55  Msg:32 Call:136  Lines:1
326 
032=Usr:0  05/19/1987 00:10  Msg:33 Call:138  Lines:2
327 
328 
033=Usr:0  05/19/1987 00:14  Msg:34 Call:139  Lines:2
329 
330 
034=Usr:0  05/19/1987 10:46  Msg:35 Call:147  Lines:1
331 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~5~19~87~~11~03~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
035=Usr:0  05/19/1987 12:44  Msg:36 Call:154  Lines:42
332 
333 PsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSi
334 
335 Alone with his thoughts, Cragmore floated in the violated void. He was the
336 violation, which meant that it couldn't be a void. But then again, he mused,
337 perhaps the void was true, and he really didn't exist. Or... Oh heck. Let
338 is slide.
339 
340 The quiet was deafening. Never in Cragmore's life had he heard such silence.
341 Always he was surrounded by people. Always voices in his mind. Always hearing
342 other people's thoughts. Peace of mind was an impossible dream.
343@
344 
345 Until now.
346 
347 Cragmore relished in the silence as if it were an opiate. Tranquil thoughts
348 eased the pain of so many years of mixed blessing and sure torture. It was
349 a useful skill to be able to read minds and speak at a higher level of
350 communications. The skill was also a terrible burden. So many voices crowding
351 a finite space. The original psyche is herded into a corner. It took a great
352 deal of self-control and strength to keep the other voices from taking
353 over.
354 
355 He didn't want to be known as the crazy man who kept hearing voices.
356 
357 Suddenly he felt a shift from nothingness to something else. A tug in
358 his mind, a glimpse of a different place. What did it mean? 
359 
360 He moved with the shift, something inside him making his curiosity the
361 driving force. Cragmore drifted from thoughts about himself to thoughts
362 about his friends, and the Inn. The door! The inn was gone! He couldn't
363 remember what all had happened after the door was opened. His mind
364 revealed nothing about the accuracy of what he did remember. He had to
365 find the Innkeeper, Bard, Milchar, and the others. He had to find the
366 Inn.
367 
368 Peaceful thoughts were replaced by worry as Cragmore continued to follow
369 the shift.
370 
371 PsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSi CRAGMORE PsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsIpSiPsI
372 1200 BAUD... WOW!
373 This is a test of 1200 baud.
036=Usr:0  05/19/1987 14:44  Msg:37 Call:158  Lines:1
374 ******
037=Usr:0  05/19/1987 16:28  Msg:38 Call:162  Lines:11
375 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
376 I agree.  Wow!!  While 300 was quaint
377 and hearkenned back to our roots, 1200
378 is much faster.  A trade I think for the
379 better.
380 I did miss one thing before the lights went out.  I had
381 wanted to copy Bard's song off the board for posterity.
382 At some time, could we see it again, as I'm sure lots 
383 of us missed it, and it was beautiful in a meloncholy 
384 way.  (Evoked fond and sad memories for me.)
385 [][][][][][][][][]   Friar    [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
038=Usr:0  05/19/1987 16:49  Msg:39 Call:163  Lines:36
386 :::::=====:::::=====
387      Ah, this was not going to be easy.
388      Zephyr mentally cracked his knuckles and realized that he was about to 
389 embark on what might be a very nasty    little venture into the void.  He would
390 not travel himself, but he would still  be on a journey.
391      That was the trouble... This WAS a void, after all.  Without shape or
392 form, and therefore not easily changed, since Zephyr had no conception of what
393 it SHOULD be like.
394      Why did everything he needed to    Focus or Magnify have to be either
395 on a different plane or a conceptual object or emotion?
396      Ok, he thought, might as well get  to worrk.
397      Naturally, the first thing to do   would be to create blocks for those
398 among the patrons of  the Inn who were   telepathically inclined.  Cragmore 
399 sprang to mind, and it worried him.     The barriers wouldn't be perfect, as 
400 they were being hastily constructed in  an unstable environment, and Cragmore's
401 abilities were very great.  Zephy wondered how this would affect him, or if he 
402 would notice at all.  
403      Still, it had to be done.
404      He quickly created the barriers around where he considered himself in 
405 the void, since he had no idea.  He decided to call where he was "the center"
406 and go on from there.  Done.
407      Next, there was the matteter of blotting out the knowledge of the others
408 who were here.  He had to in order to   gain a better understanding of the void
409 and the Inn that he knew floated somewhere within it.
410      Ah, done, he thought.  Now the hard part.  Probing, he sent mental fingers
411 out into the void.  Tense and jumpy fingers, but semi-stable none the less.  
412 They would be servicable for the moment, at least.
413      This was the part that the telepaths might notice.  He made a prayer to
414 H'Rog that they didn't.  Careful...
415      Suddenly, Zephyr conceptually gasped, and he felt his mental probings
416 explode backwards, cutting through him, wrapping around him, wild and untamed
417 energies of the void transforming them  into horrors beyond imagining.  
418      He had been wrong.  Something was  wrong.  The world was wrong.
419      His probings MUST be wrong.
420      How could there be TWO Inns?
421 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
039=Usr:0  05/19/1987 17:52  Msg:40 Call:164  Lines:1
422 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~5~19~87~~18~03~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
040=Usr:0  05/19/1987 20:34  Msg:41 Call:170  Lines:4
423 Friar: do you mean "The Very Last Day"? Or "Timewinds Tavern"? The first is on
424 DB. If it is the second, I'll see if I can make arrangements to place it
425 somewhere accessible. (Is there any way to use that "empty space" on DB?)
426 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BARD~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
041=Usr:0  05/19/1987 21:06  Msg:42 Call:171  Lines:11
427 ENter mode - 573 Lines remaining - Type ^C to terminate entry.
428 Congratulations to the authors on an astounding project brought to
429 completion! It looks nice, with the possible exception of the initial CC
430 setting, which ruins tabs within entries, but other than that, it is quite
431 sunning to call in and find a new system.
432     Where is the old one? If it is still around, I would very much like to
433 buy it. That is, if Jim Michaels doesn't beat me to the punch. !-) But I
434 do want to buy BWMS I. Mikey, what do you think? Let me know if and when
435 you decide, either way.
436                                                  Pasha
437 ^C
042=Usr:0  05/19/1987 21:25  Msg:43 Call:173  Lines:33
438 ****************************************************************
439 As the saying goes, everyone has their price.....
440 But, BWMS I is not for sale (unless you make an offer I can't refuse..)
441 The intention is to keep it for backup and sentamental value.
442 And after over 5 years of continuous operation 24 hours a day it
443 deserves a rest. As a side note of trivia, there has only been
444 two repairs required to BWMS in that period. Once the disk drive 
445 went out on it about 3 years ago. The drive was replaced.
446 Given that the drive was pulled from the garbage originally because
447 it was dead then, it is amazing that it lasted as long as it did. 
448 The other problem was when I went from one to two drives, the power
449 supply gave out because it wasn't designed to run two drives.
450 Afty regulator took care of that. There have been other failures,
451 but they were either caused by me, or were just disks that crapped
452 out. There was a period of time when I had some Verbatem disks I was
453 using in the system, and they were giving me trouble. Once I got 
454 rid of them and cleaned the gunk off the heads things worked again.
455 The most interesting 'failure' was when I installed the 'no activity
456 timeout' feature when the Hayes modems started to become popular and 
457 people didn't know how to make them disconnect. After having one
458 user calling in the morning and then leaving his modem online the
459 rest of the day because he went off without checking to see if it
460 was still online a few times I decided to add the mod. During the
461 process a great big solder splash fell on the board. A couple of
462 months later I took it to one of the OMSI cmputer fairs. It worked
463 without problem. After it was over I brought it home, hooked it up,
464 and it didn't work. After checking voltages and the like and scratching
465 my head, I tore it apart, and after a couple of minutes looking around
466 found the solder splash across the bottom of the circuit board.
467 It was across some critical circuitry too, (data and address lines).
468 How it ever worked at all is beyond me. Even more so that it didn't die
469 until I got it home.
470 ********************** CISTOP MIKEY ******************************
043=Usr:0  05/19/1987 23:04  Msg:44 Call:177  Lines:3
471@hmmm, about a .25 posting ratio (44/177). much better than expected.
472@************************The Phantom of Backwater*******************************
473 
044=Usr:0  05/19/1987 23:34  Msg:45 Call:178  Lines:3
474 {+|+}  <474>  870519^234011
475@I see I'm gonna have to use Level 4.  People are hiding comments in the 
476@lines!
045=Usr:0  05/20/1987 08:15  Msg:46 Call:185  Lines:12
477 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
478 Bard - Timewinds, please.
479 
480 Mikey - I concur with your thoughts on the matter.  Let us not resurrect
481 BWMS I.  (Do you need the I, since at the time there was no other ?)  I
482 feel that it should rest.  Perhaps a museum.
483 
484 All - If Mikey gives permission, I will take it upon myself to organize
485 a wake for BWMS.  I suspect that it should occur at, where alse, MT bottle
486 and Deli.  Yes ?  No ?  Mikey ?
487 
488 [][][][][][][][][][][]   Friar    [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
046=Usr:0  05/20/1987 18:29  Msg:47 Call:203  Lines:1
489 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~5~20~87~~18~18~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
047=Usr:0  05/20/1987 19:10  Msg:48 Call:204  Lines:17
490     
491  
492 THERE STOOD ARTHUR . ALL ALONE ON A WORLD THAT HE HAD KNOWN . KNOWN TWO MILLION
493 YEARS IN THE FUTURE . HE HAD  WOKEN UP AN HOUR EARLIER ON THE COLD , DARK FLOOR
494 OF HIS CAVE THAT HE HAD BEEN IN FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS , AND REALIZED THE FACT
495 OF HIS UNTIMELINESS . 
496 ^I 
497 HE DECIDED TO FIND HIS FRIEND , THOUGH THEY HAD BEEN SEPARATED FOR THE 
498 PAST FIVE YEARS . HE HAD NO IDEA WHERE TO LOOK . THEN HE HEARD "HELLO ARTHUR , 
499 WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"  AS HE SPUN AROUND , HE ALREADY KNEW WHO IT WAS . 
500 ^I"HELLO , FORD . HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?" FORD LOOKED LIKE ALWAYS . HIS SATCHEL 
501 ONE HAND , TOWEL IN THE OTHER . HE HAD GROWN A BEARD IN THE TIME HE HAD BEEN 
502 AWAY . IT MADE HIM LOOK LIKE A PHILOSIPHER . "HOW ARE THE GOLGAFRINCHIANS 
503 DOING?"
504 ^I"THE SAME . THE HAVE MADE MONEY , THE FOOLS . THE HAVE TURNED THE LEAVES OF   
505 TREES INTO MONEY . THEY HAVE ALREADY CREATED INFLATION , AND STILL DON'T KNOW 
506 HOW TO MAKE FIRE!!!"
048=Usr:0  05/20/1987 19:50  Msg:49 Call:206  Lines:12
507 ****************************************************************************
508 The "wake" is slowly being brought together. The date has already been 
509 set for June 13th. We are currently trying to get a poll of how many will
510 attend since that will determine where the thing will be held.
511 I myself kind of like the idea of a picnic type arrangement. On the other
512 hand that means having it during the day and I'm not sure how many would
513 attend. As soon as I get an idea of how many intend to be there I'll
514 start looking at where to hold it. 
515 Those of you planing to attend the wake for BWMS I on June 13th please
516 speek up. And you might post messages on other systems to that effect too.
517 The more the merrier!
518 ************************ CISTOP MIKEY **************************************
049=Usr:0  05/20/1987 21:46  Msg:50 Call:214  Lines:3
519 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
520    Gads! What happend to MA? I liked the DISKWRITER better.
521 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
050=Usr:0  05/21/1987 00:10  Msg:51 Call:220  Lines:4
522 Why do you want the MA command?  Nobody liked the lines > 80, and very few
523 liked 40 column lines.  If you want short lines, stop typing sooner. If you
524 want longer lines, thank god for BWMS II.
525 ^I^I^I^I^Iinnocent bysitter
051=Usr:0  05/21/1987 12:56  Msg:52 Call:232  Lines:17
526 *%@#_%*!_%)!_)%*_#)%*)_%*^)#$*^_$^*_#^*)~_@$)+$#)^*_#*^_~*_#^*_*!#_%*~@_^)_!)^
527 Ah... That felt good. The AI program I use to generate my symbolic boarder
528 has longed for 1200 baud many moons. It uses a complex arrangement of neural
529 simulators to apply an intelligent learning system over a psuedo-random
530 associative memory pattern. Since the boarder engine does not employ
531 buffering, I had to insert wait-states into the output loops or the engine
532 would outrun the 300 baud input routines in BW. With 1200 baud, the wait
533 states are gone, and the engine fairly screams along at its peak speed.
534 Thank the BBS gods for smiling on this system, and granting it a modern
535 modem with reasonable speeds.
536 &*%_#&_@#&%)_%&#@_%&_@#&%@#(% L'homme sans Parity *%_@*%_)%*_@%*)@_%@#*%_@^&@^
537 PS: For the party, MT would be fine, but I also wouldn't mind an outdoor
538 event either. The weather is starting to turn friendly, and being a native
539 Oregonian (although I spent many years in France, keeping current on this
540 persona) I like to take advantage of it. Waddles is another choice :-).
541 *%)_#%*@_%*)_@%*@_#%@_%@_%*@_)%*@_)%* L s P *(_%#$*_)@^*))@*@)#*^%@_)@^_*_*~_%
542 
052=Usr:0  05/21/1987 19:52  Msg:53 Call:244  Lines:3
543 Aha! I always suspected that L'homme's intelligence was artificial!
544 :-)
545 _______________________________Leonard_________________________________________
053=Usr:0  05/22/1987 08:16  Msg:54 Call:253  Lines:7
546 **************************************************************
547 The problems of a new system is that little "bugs" can crop up.
548 Something caused all the data on drive A to disappear. Luckily I
549 had this stuff backed up so not too much was lost. 
550@Did someone try to use the KILL command? PLEASE please please don't!!!
551@I currently does nasty things and the system gets all scewed up.
552 ******************** CISTOP MIKEY *****************************
054=Usr:0  05/22/1987 18:23  Msg:55 Call:263  Lines:6
553 HEY! SYSTEMS OPERATORS! I THINK I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL WITH YOU CLOWNS!
554 YOU GUYS GO TO ESTACADA HIGH SCHOOL? I DID! HEY SHAWN YOU STILL UGLY?
555 HA HA HA!   
556                       LOVE,
557                             DOUG KING
558                             CLASS OF 84
055=Usr:0  05/22/1987 18:44  Msg:56 Call:264  Lines:4
559  
560 
561 TO SLEEP AND PERCHANCE DREAM
562 
056=Usr:0  05/22/1987 18:58  Msg:57 Call:266  Lines:1
563 that should be "To sleep and perchance, to dream."
057=Usr:0  05/22/1987 20:54  Msg:58 Call:270  Lines:1
564 #$%^^&&**(()##$$%%^^&&*((()#$%%^^&*(()())$%$%%^^&&*(*()()_)_+~!^[!@@##$%^&*
058=Usr:0  05/22/1987 21:19  Msg:59 Call:271  Lines:8
565 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
566 Doug: Yes, I believe I am the very same Shawn Instenes that you used to know
567 at Estacada High School.  I don't do much operating, but helped Mikey write
568 the code that is running here currently.  None of the other authors have
569 gone to Estacada High, nor is it likely you know them.  Ah, well.  From
570 what I remember of your computer skills, I am surprised to see you here :-}.
571 Post Script: Played any Federation lately?
572 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% S.I. May 22, 1987 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
059=Usr:0  05/22/1987 22:46  Msg:60 Call:275  Lines:3
573 SI:  I know you have graduated from high school, but I believe I've seen you
574 in a beyond-high-school school this year?  Is this fact?  Fiction?  Memorex?
575 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ YMNKM (You May Not Know Me) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
060=Usr:0  05/22/1987 23:07  Msg:61 Call:280  Lines:8
576 #*^_)*$@^)@^*)**^(#+!^*_)*#_)*^@_*@#^)*^+*^@#+^@#^*)!)))*%@+*#$^)*+)^))*@*
577 Thanks Leonard. Remind me to send a napalm chain-letter in the mail
578 sometime.
579 Mikey: If Backwater had been meant to go at 1200 baud, it would have been
580 born with it. No, I do not advocate this ostrich-attitude. I just wanted
581 to let you know, GREAT JOB, ignore the detractors, and keep the carrier
582 signals clean.
583 *%_#$*_@%@@_%*@_^&*)%*@*@_*@#_@ L'homme sans Parity *%_)*%@_%*@%_*@#%%*@%*%
061=Usr:0  05/23/1987 04:25  Msg:62 Call:283  Lines:6
584 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
585 YMNKM: I attend Portland State University.  Fact.  If you would like to
586 speak on this farther, send E-mail to me on Applephilia (244-xxxx), user
587 number 425.  Or Blue Parrot (253-xxxx), user number 55.  I am curious to
588 know if I know you...
589 %%%%%%%%% !psu-cs!psuorpn!t608 %%%%%%%%% SI May 23, 1987 @ 4:35am %%%%%%%%%%%
062=Usr:0  05/23/1987 12:10  Msg:63 Call:295  Lines:1
590 Is psuoprn a contraction for pseudo-porn?
063=Usr:0  05/23/1987 12:59  Msg:64 Call:297  Lines:3
591 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
592 n it is a uucp adds.
593 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
064=Usr:0  05/23/1987 14:17  Msg:65 Call:301  Lines:5
594 WHO CARES?
595 Flames to WHO CARES!!
596 Flames to psuorpn!
597 Flames to bwms.personalities!
598 ===== Flames ======
065=Usr:0  05/23/1987 14:52  Msg:66 Call:304  Lines:3
599 psuorpn is a contraction of 'PSU Oregon Power Node' if you talk to the
600 staff.  If you talk to the students, its 'PSU's Orphan'.
601 ###########################################################################
066=Usr:0  05/23/1987 16:46  Msg:67 Call:310  Lines:1
602 It's also an anagram of psu-porn... (hee hee hee!)
067=Usr:0  05/23/1987 17:38  Msg:68 Call:311  Lines:10
603 
604 
605 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
606 HEY SHAWN!
607 DO YOU KNOW HOW I COULD GET AHOLD OF THAT OLD FEDERATION GAME? I
608 DONT THINK I'VE SEEN IT SINCE I'VE BEEN WONDERING AROUND.IT WAS A
609 FUN GAME IF I REMEMBER RIGHT BUT MAYBE I DONT (REMEMBER RIGHT I MEAN)
610 ALSO MAYBE IT IS "TO SLEEP AND TO PERCHANCE DREAM" I DONT REMEMBER
611 THAT EITHER.
612 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<DOUG OF 84>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
068=Usr:0  05/24/1987 01:18  Msg:69 Call:326  Lines:4
613 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
614 That quote is "To sleep, perchance to dream- ay, that's the rub!"  -Wil S.
615 I have not seen any version of Federation since 1983.
616 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SI May 24, 1987 @ 1:46am %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
069=Usr:0  05/24/1987 12:45  Msg:70 Call:336  Lines:7
617 
618 
619 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
620 NOT SINCE 83 HUH? SEEN ANYTHING CLOSE TO IT? EVEN ROMOTELY SIMILAR?
621 I HAVE A FRIEND THAT SAID HE HAD SOME STAR TREK TYPE OF GAME THAT 
622 MIGHT BE CLOSE. YOU A PSU STUDENT?
623 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<DOUG OF 84>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
070=Usr:0  05/24/1987 14:09  Msg:71 Call:340  Lines:7
624      Mike, do you still have any of those shugart 400 drives lying around?? If
625 so, I would be interested in buying the remaining drives for say $20.. That is,
626 if you want to get them out of your living room..
627 
628                            The Judge
629                              Tony
630 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
071=Usr:0  05/24/1987 14:15  Msg:72 Call:341  Lines:10
631 (* IIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIIIIX (*) IXVIIIVIIVIVIVIIIIII *)
632 Cistop Mikey:
633      Please accept my regrets at being unable to attend a wake for
634 BWMS.  That's where I started writing and found a happy niche three
635 months ago.  I hope I get to meet you at the Blue Parrot Spring Thing;
636 if not, please raise a toast from me at your gathering in memory of
637 BWMS and to the long life and creative prosperity of BWMS II.
638 
639 Green Eyes (05/24/87)
640 (* IIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIIIIX (*) IXVIIIVIIVIVIVIIIIII *)
072=Usr:0  05/24/1987 19:15  Msg:73 Call:352  Lines:1
641 WHO CARES?
073=Usr:0  05/24/1987 19:22  Msg:74 Call:353  Lines:1
642 ...............smoo cares..............................................
074=Usr:0  05/24/1987 22:45  Msg:75 Call:356  Lines:1
643@Hoo-ha-ha! Private message! %-} Let me know when names change from Null.
075=Usr:0  05/25/1987 00:57  Msg:76 Call:365  Lines:1
644 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~05~25~87~~01~05~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
076=Usr:0  05/25/1987 18:40  Msg:77 Call:375  Lines:4
645@* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
646@UP10
647 
648 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
077=Usr:0  05/25/1987 20:53  Msg:78 Call:381  Lines:6
649 Somethisn ^[[D^[[D^[[Dng witty goes hr^[[Dere . . . !  hello worlk
650 lets try this again . . . hellow wrok
651 wait a minute  . . . . one more and last time  . . . Hllo world . .
652 come on , this is getting rediculas (sp) andyway  . . . something si wrong with
653 my keyboard . . .. . . . I'll try again tomorrow . . .for those interested
654 h(backspace) this is my first time i(backspace) on this bbs . . take care . .
078=Usr:0  05/25/1987 21:21  Msg:79 Call:382  Lines:36
655 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
656 Doug: Yes, there are a lot of Star-trek like simulations out there in the
657 public domain.  TREKRUN.EXE for the IBM is okay.
658 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% S.I. May 25, 1987 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
659 !^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!
660 "Oordle ploop, ongil splamt?" queried the infant gnome as it crawled towards
661 its uncle who had visited his family in the village nestled between high
662 hills and a slowly flowing greenish river.
663 "Don't fret, now, Oordle.  I'm sure Milchar is okay.  I must be doing this
664 spell wrong."  The older gnome flipped through a few pages in the old tome that
665 lay in his gnarled hands.  He held out the book for the infant's inspection.
666 "Is that word `glampt' or `planbt'?"
667 "Cliggle humpt fleemd.  Ongil."  The child crawled up into his elder's lap.
668 "Never mind.  I'll be fine, nephew.  I must know why all my spells are awry
669 today.  I haven't been able to reach the Inn for days."
670 The young gnomelet yawned sleepily.  Soon small snoring noises waifed up
671 from the elder's lap.
672 "I wonder-" the gnome began, then silenced himself.  He closed the book and
673 lay it down upon a small oak table nearby, then closed his eyes and 
674 concentrated deeply.
675 Contact seemed impossible.  A dark wall appeared between the gnome and his
676 goal, thwarting his efforts easily.  Not so easily daunted, the apprentice
677 mage turned his mind and sought an opening.
678 A crack, the tiniest opening possible to discern.  The gnome deepened his
679 trance and pressed on.
680 Pushing hard, he squeezed his way though to another place, one of light and
681 beauty that was somehow familiar but nonetheless different.  The gnome
682 memorized all he saw.  It could be useful later.
683 Was Milchar here?  Yes, and no.  Strange, the gnome thought to himself, this
684 mind-set I have never encountered before.  The mage's aura was around, but
685 it did not seem to be at any particular place or direction.
686 The apprentice mage of Travelcraft and Saycraft withdrew from his trance, as
687 prolonged exertions were dangerous in the extreme.  He must go physically to
688 that place, and search in that way.  "If I can only get this little ruffian
689 out of my lap, so I can get to work." he whispered.
690 !^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^! Grann !^!^!^!^!^!^! May 25 at 10:15pm !^!^!^!^!^!^!^!
079=Usr:0  05/25/1987 22:41  Msg:80 Call:385  Lines:14
691 
692 *#@%@#%*()*%!@$(!#$*_#*@%*_%*_)*#@%_@%_@*^)*_%)*^+_)^*@~+(%@*%@$_^*%_^*_!)
693 psu-porn? Now there is a new one. Actually porn is the last thing on the
694 minds of the psu Gould powers-that-be. Can you believe these guys? A main-
695 frame mentality, make that brain-damaged. psuorpn is probably the only
696 unix system in the country that has user names like 't608' instead of
697 'joe' or 'smitha'. It is a slap in the face of every other unix administrator
698 in the country who tries to keep their system as nice for the users as
699 possible given the operating system. The admins at psuorpn are IBM and
700 Honeywell guys (two companies well-known for their non-friendly programming
701 environment) who can't change their old ways and insist on pushing their
702 old fashioned ways on unix users too. psu-porn? No. psu-scorn? Definitely.
703 *#*%@%&@#%!%&_)!&@%&!_^&_)%@# L'homme sans Parity *&%###%_)@*^&@*&_!)*~)$%
704 
080=Usr:0  05/26/1987 00:11  Msg:81 Call:388  Lines:7
705 ***************************************************************
706 Tony: Yes, I have two drives left. One needs an IC to make it work.
707 I am willing to unload the two drives and the box of spare parts for
708 the $20 if you are interested.
709 Green Eyes: sorry to hear that you won't make the wake, maybe some other
710 time. 
711 *********************** CISTOP MIKEY *******************************
081=Usr:0  05/26/1987 00:22  Msg:82 Call:389  Lines:1
712 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~5~26~87~~00~22~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
082=Usr:0  05/26/1987 21:13  Msg:83 Call:400  Lines:11
713 
714 CISTOP MICKEY:
715              IF YOU HAVE A BROTHER NAMED SCOTT WHICH I AM QUITE
716 SURE YOU DO TELL HIM I SAID HELLO THE NEXT TIME YOU TALK TO HIM.
717 HE ONCE CAME TO A PARTY AT MY HOUSE AND GOT QUITE WILD IN MY 
718 PARENTS HOT TUB. HE CAME WITH JIM PHARIS WHO LIVES UP THERE IN 
719 THE BOONIES OUT BY GEORGE (GEORGE THE TOWN OR AREA. I GUESS
720 ITS NOT A TOWN. HA HA.) SAY HI TO BECKY TO SINCE I GRADUATED WITH
721 HER.
722@
723 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<DOUG KING OF 84>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
083=Usr:0  05/26/1987 22:02  Msg:84 Call:403  Lines:4
724 WELL THIS LOOKS GOOD, HAVEN'T LOGED IN SINCE THE CHANGE, AND ALL I CAN SAY IS 
725 THAT MIKIE HAS DONE A GOOD JOB ON SETTING UP THIS NEW VERSION OF BW.
726 SWORDSMITH
727 ******************************** 26 MAY 87 ************************************
084=Usr:0  05/26/1987 22:12  Msg:85 Call:404  Lines:5
728 **************************************************************
729 Unless my parents haven't mentioned something that I should know,
730 I do not have a brother, nor even a close relative by that name.
731 Wrong age group I suspect as well.
732 *************************** CM *******************************
085=Usr:0  05/27/1987 01:11  Msg:86 Call:408  Lines:33
733 
734 {|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{
735     In this world is about a world's worth of concrete. If the streets and
736 gutters aren't paved in the frozen sand, the alleys and the sidewalks are.
737 Some people never leave the concrete. Sleeping on the streets or driving from
738 desitnation to destination, it is rather like a patch of moss growing on some
739 outdated architecture from a crumbling civilization.
740     Yes, I walk on those same streets. Often however, I walk the streets of
741 aother world. A world of cobblestone, trodden streets slashing through a
742 villiage or an inner keep, and above all, a world far removed from your own.
743 The stories that have turned to myth in your world, have merely turned to
744 yellowed tomes in mine. Dragons, faeries, and goblins all thrive in the
745 world that my humanity has somewhat of a domain over. The passages between
746 them have faded and become obscured. Some are grown over by poisonous ivy
747 ad still others are divided by crates on a wharf in Newcastle. Only a few
748 daring ones know of their existence. I like to consider myself one of those
749 who crosses from one world to another and keeps affairs somewhat straight on
750 both sides.
751     To tell the truth, however, I have no more strength or daring than an
752 everyday thief. Someone who can steal into a room and slip out again with
753 enough wealth to keep him alive until the next theft, now there's what an old
754 radio program on Earth called chutzpah. It is not very often that I find
755 myself firm and strong in something, and when I am, it is usually because I
756 have an ace up my sleeve. Or should I say, Ace.
757     Ace flies aeroplanes. He was a pilot during the Big One on Earth. He
758 just happened to be on the right side, and now he runs a flight school for
759 the rich kids who like to show off their expertise behind an instrument
760 pnel before revealing their prowess in bed. If you ask me, which you can't,
761 they're buying the priviledge of trying either one. But ignore that.
762     Suffice to say that one of those times I stood up for something, I did
763 have an Ace up my sleeve. Let me go get a Coke and I'll tell you.
764 {|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{{|{|{{|{{ Shane {|{{|{
765 
086=Usr:0  05/27/1987 05:15  Msg:87 Call:410  Lines:4
766 I mentioned 'psu-porn' partly for that reason.  The silly usage of names
767 like t608 and h7sn is quite obscene in a system such as the Gould.  The
768 sysop of the Gould agrees, but is surrounded by 'superiors' of another
769 age and mind.  Of course, psu-porn is heaven compared to MUSIC.
087=Usr:0  05/27/1987 06:21  Msg:88 Call:411  Lines:110
770 
771 BsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsbSbSbSbSbSbSbSbSbSbSbSbSbSbSbS
772 
773      A grim-faced wayfarer strode along a woodland road, making no
774 effort to disguise his presence or his movements.
775      "This next clearing had better be the right place, or one lying
776 map-maker is going to get his name immortalized in marble."
777      He clutched a quarterstaff tightly in his left hand, and swung it
778 brusquely as he advanced.  It never touched the ground, for he gripped
779 it well below the top.  His right hand was empty, but was held rigidly
780 palm-up behind him, just as though . . .  Hmm.  "Just as though"--
781 *what?*  It could hardly have been a comfortable position--could it
782 have meant that he was a cripple?  Or did he hold his hand in that
783 position in constant readiness to release some deadly weapon that he
784 had hidden up his sleeve as a precaution against attack?  Or (petty
785 thought!) was the position of his hand merely the unconscious,
786 habitual mannerism of a corrupt public official who had grown
787 accustomed to receiving bribes at all times, and especially when he
788 held his palm up behind him at such an inviting angle?
789      Never mind.  He continued along the roadway until he entered a
790 clearing.  Once he had left the trees, he uncocked his right hand,
791 reached into a pocket, withdrew his hand again empty, and sat down.
792 He shrugged off his pack, rummaged briefly, withdrew something and
793 stuck it into one of his pockets.  Pack back on, he stood again and
794 moved further into the clearing.
795      There was an Inn in the clearing, and the wayfarer walked over to
796 it.
797      "That scribbler may survive yet," he marvelled, opening the door.
798      "We shall see what we shall see," he continued, stepping through.
799      Inside, the Inn's appearance seemed uncannily generic--it
800 reminded him of every other Inn that he could remember.
801      "This Inn looks as though lots of people went to lots of trouble
802 to get it to look this way," he thought.  "This could be a trap; or,
803 it could be the place I seek."
804      He noted with satisfaction that the Inn was well-occupied,
805 despite the time of day and the absence of many horses and wagons out
806 front. "They probably have a livery stable around back," he decided.
807      "Best place for it, too," he reflected, "considering how wrong it
808 would be for the customers themselves to get livery."
809      "Not that they aren't trying," he added cynically.
810      Having allowed his eyes to grow accustomed to the semi-darkness
811 inside, he approached the bar to inquire about lodgings, sustenance,
812 and brew.  Then, with a mug in his hand, he sought to find some large
813 table neither fully occupied nor entirely deserted; there were more
814 than one such, and he approached the nearest one.
815      "With your permission?" he asked the people there.
816      He received replies like, "Welcome, certes," and "Help yourself,"
817 and "Be his guest,"--the last delivered with a broad gesture in the
818 direction of the bartender.  The wayfarer set down his mug and his
819 staff, doffed his pack, and sat.
820      "I hope I am not interrupting," he began to his new companions.
821      One of them opened his mouth to say something, but before he
822 could speak another one answered, "Rest assured--if you dare to
823 interrupt, we will tell you about it immediately!  Actually, we had
824 just been rehashing an old argument left over from last week--one of
825 our favorite arguments, one we love to dispute, for it never gets
826 settled.
827      "However, we do welcome interesting diversions.  You look fairly
828 interesting; if you are feeling talkative, please tell us whatever you
829 will of your name, your home, your business.  Or ask, instead, and
830 some of us might be feeling rash enough to answer you."
831      "Well, as to my name," the wayfarer replied, "I have been in
832 several different places and have used different names in some of
833 them; recently, however, I have been using my real name once again--
834 Yes, I have, believe it or not as you will!  I regret to have to admit
835 that you are listening to none other than Jack the Fork, son of the
836 nefarious Dork from the justly obscure planet Cork--or so I'm told.
837 Rumor has it that Dork begat me and then left--unscathed, so they say.
838 I'm sure I can't imagine how he did it.  Perhaps this is nothing more
839 than a rumor; possibly one of the locals fathered me instead, and
840 spread that rumor in order to escape responsibility."
841      "Thus, by coming here, you are way off base?" his interlocutor
842 inquired.
843      "That's a fact," acknowledged Jack.  "A way-off, base-born fool
844 have I been for Lo! these many years, and none too proud of it.  I had
845 little choice, of course:  who can change his parentage?  Who,
846 virtuous enough to 'Honor His Father And Mother,' would?
847      "This I tell you gladly, for I have--I assure you--no other irons
848 in the fire just now:  'Nothing to Jeopardize, Nothing to Lose.'
849      "My name then is Jack; my home I have left behind me; my business
850 is largely open, and unknown:  I come here to find a cause, seek an
851 effect, learn a direction, develop a taste--any or all of the
852 foregoing, or possibly something else, if I find something
853 interesting."
854      "Well then, Jack:  welcome to this Inn where so many diverse folk
855 are wont to gather--indeed, we wonts even had a flock of sky-diverse.
856 Strange things have been known to happen, for (aside from our noble,
857 courteous, and reasonable selves) this place has betimes been host to
858 one of the oddest collections of weirdos available!  (Though never all
859 at once, yet, thank goodness!)  Tell me, if I may be so bold as to
860 ask:  what sort of cloak is that one you wear?  It looks elvish."
861      "As to elvish, Sir, I know not; elvish it might be, for it has
862 lasted uncommonly long and serves me fairly still.  I acquired it
863 through the good offices of a maid named Arizona, who believed in
864 honesty and brotherhood and colors of green and gray, or something to
865 that effect.  Anyway, she seemed to have a supply, or could get them."
866      "And why, Jack, do the colors of your cloak extend even to your
867 beard?  Is it contagion; or do you dye your whiskers green; or is
868 there some sort of growth on your chin?"
869      "To take those in order, Sir--Yes, it may be contagion, though
870 perhaps of a magical sort; No, I like to imagine myself as being of an
871 un-dye-ing kind; and No, I am decidedly of the no-growth sort.  I keep
872 my chin clean, aside from whiskers, and I even oppose urban sprawl."
873 
874  /\
875 <BS>
876  \/       ________Blather's Kite
877   \______/        May 27, 1987
878 
879 BsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsBsbSbSbSbSbSbSbSbSbSbSbSbSbSbSbS
088=Usr:0  05/27/1987 19:58  Msg:89 Call:447  Lines:2
880@well, looks like *that* is settled...
881 
089=Usr:0  05/27/1987 22:32  Msg:90 Call:449  Lines:11
882 ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
883 mike:  this is great! now i can use xon/xoff  to pause the screen! thanx!
884 as far as the delete key goes,  i didn't mean for you to get  offended.
885 i was curious.  do you have a schematic of the diskwriter someplace?
886 if i can give you a call someplace or if you call me, i would be glad to give 
887 you a demo of MUSICRAFT running thru a simple DAC and a plain old amplifier.
888 here's one to joke about: my electronics teacher always  referred to
889 amplifiers  as "apple-fryers".  amazing similarity.
890 JJJJJ    M   M
891 jim michaels            231-xxxx
892 ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
090=Usr:0  05/28/1987 00:06  Msg:91 Call:453  Lines:36
893 !^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!
894 ^I"Where do you go, Grann?" asked a voice.
895 The gnome turned to view his visitor.  As he turned, tables bearing tomes,
896 beakers, bent tubing, and braziers came into view.
897 ^IShe was slender, as gnomes go, and blonde hair was very rare among
898 gnomish folk.  Her age appeared to be somewhat less than that of Grann's.
899 Her hazel eyes searched his face as he stammered out a reply.
900 ^I"To..to.. Innisfall, if I can find it again."
901 ^IHer reply was simple.  "Why?"
902 ^IGrann sighed.  Trying to explain his reasons to Silvi was not
903 going to be easy.  "I must, Silvi.  I think Milchar needs my help.  He's
904 helped me so much, I must make return..."
905 ^ISilvi placed a hand gently over his mouth.  "I understand what the
906 human mage has done for you.  Your position today is much due to the magic
907 you can perform."  She lowered her eyes.  "Will this voyage be..."
908 ^I"Dangerous?" Grann prompted.  "Not as far as I am able to sense
909 those things."  He took Silvi's hand.  "I shall return to thee."
910 ^ISilvi did not seem comforted.  "How long shall you be gone?"
911 ^I"A day, or two.  No more, my love."
912 ^I"Get thee going, then, so you may return the sooner!"  Silvi drew
913 close, then kissed him lightly.  She left quickly.
914 ^IGrann heaved a small sigh, then turned back to the implements
915 spread out upon the table.  One by one, the tools he owned, such as they
916 were, were placed neatly within a grey pack.  All except his Travelbook,
917 which lay open to a well-used page.  It read: "Innisfall point 2" in a
918 handwritten script at the top, with the rest of the page littered with
919 odd runes used for Travel magicks.
920 ^IGrann put on the pack, and took the book in hand.  This place was
921 as good a departure point as any.  Silvi's words had put a haste in him.
922 ^I"Plovana ordilbasto, wendik scaramdu jyunsodeu, vurgibza cloabs!"
923 !^!^!^!^!^!^!^!
924 ^IA sheet of silver flame erupted from above, briefly hiding Grann
925 from view.  Indivdual flamelets splashed onto the floor, glittering with
926 their light for a moment before dying and fading to nothing.  The gnome
927 was nowhere to be seen.
928 !^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^!^! Grann, May 28, 1987 @ 12:30am !^!^!^!^!^!^!
091=Usr:0  05/28/1987 09:39  Msg:92 Call:456  Lines:1
929 Michael James: You bootlicking, horntooting egomaniac, are you still at it?
092=Usr:0  05/28/1987 14:03  Msg:93 Call:459  Lines:2
930 Yes. I admit it. I am still at it. And you?
931      MJ
093=Usr:0  05/28/1987 20:01  Msg:94 Call:471  Lines:19
932 TO: COMPUTER OWNERS   SUBJECT: SUPPLIES AT SUPER SAVINGS
933 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
934 BITCOM DATA SUPPLY * GRARANTEED QUALITY
935 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
936 DELETE
937 1) SINGLE SIDED SINGLE DENSITY DISKETTES 10 PER BOX ...$ 6.00
938 2) DOUBLE SIDED DOUBLE DENSITY DISKETTES 10 PER BOX....$ 7.00
939 3) 3.5IN. SINGLE SIDED DISKETTES 10 PER BOX ...........$21.00
940 4) PIN FEED COMPUTER PAPER (1000 SHEETS PER BOX .......$20.00
941 5) SELF STICK ADDRESS LABELS (1000 PER BOX ............$ 4.00
942 6) SURGE SUPRESSOR (WITH 6 OUTLETS) ...................$28.00
943 7) EPSON MX80 PRINTER RIBBONS .........................$ 6.00
944 8) APPLE IMMAGEWUITER RIBBONS .........................$ 6.50
945 SEND CERTIFIED CHECK, MONEY ORDER OR VISA/MC# WITH YOUR ORDER
946 TO:BITCOM DATA, OREGON CITY, OR 97045
947 ADD 2.50  FOR SHIPPING & HANDLING - ALLOW 1-2 WEEKS FOR DELILVERY
948 
949 *PLEASE SEND MAKE & MODEL OF YOUR COMPUTER & PERIPHERALS WITH
950 YOUR ORDER TO HELP ME BETTER SERVE YOU, THANK YOU!
094=Usr:0  05/28/1987 22:46  Msg:95 Call:475  Lines:4
951 
952 Oh, please!  We need no advertisements to litter this board...  And
953 just to *where* has Grann gone?  I'm anxious to see where he might
954 materialize, if it truly is a *where*.
095=Usr:0  05/29/1987 21:15  Msg:96 Call:495  Lines:4
955@
956@
957@
958@Hey JerkwaterII you suck!
096=Usr:0  05/30/1987 00:55  Msg:97 Call:502  Lines:1
959 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~5~30~87~~00~07~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
097=Usr:0  05/30/1987 14:12  Msg:98 Call:514  Lines:40
960 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
961 A man with a dream.  Gary Ronald Nadey held within his hands the work of
962 years.  The properties of the FEGS were simple.  Their application
963 required the expenditure of lots of imagination.
964 ^IHe carefully opened a small panel on the FEGS, and placed a tiny
965 mass within.  The power source.  Amazing what sort of energy can be
966 produced from the smallest mass.  Gary closed the panel, and ran a system
967 check.  A row of tiny squares emitted a greenish light.  It was ready.
968 But was Mr. Nadey?
969 ^I"Just a short trip," he said to himself.  "But first, a test."
970 ^IGary sat down near a window.  His fingers moved deftly, pressing
971 dozens of tiny squares in a mysterious sequence.  Then he checked the
972 setting, twice.  With not a little trepidation, he pressed a sequence to
973 activate the FEGS.
974 ^IA globe of light erupted from nowhere, to appear in the center of
975 Nadey's living room.  The globe shone with a hellish red light, producing
976 a glare that stabbed into the darkest corners of the room.  Satisfied,
977 Nadey pressed another sequence.  As suddenly as it had appeared, the globe
978 vanished.  It left a sulfuric odor in the room.
979 ^INadey packed a small case.  If necessary, he could live from the
980 case for a short while.  Most important (to Gary), his toolkit was in
981 the case.  With that, he felt (with some justification), he could build
982 whatever else he needed.
983 ^INow, with greater care, Gary pressed a longer sequence on the
984 FEGS.  Nadey knew his theories were not proven, and any one of a dozen
985 things could go wrong- but the risk was worth it.  If he died, the plans
986 for the FEGS would be found eventually.  Nadey was primarily trying to
987 get out of the acedemic world he found himself stuck within.
988 ^IIt was done.  The sequence shone in lights upon the front panel.
989 Gary held his breath, and pressed the "GO" sequence.
990 ^IA dazzling, intense blue-white dot hovered in the living room.
991 It moved slowly about, tracing a blue-white rectangle that hovered a few
992 inches above the floor.  As the dot finished, the interior of the tracing
993 seemed to fall away, leaving the rectangle to encompass what appeared to
994 be a picture of a sunny summer day.
995 ^INadey looked out a window.  The rain was continuing, as it had for
996 a week.
997 ^IWith slow, purposeful strides, Gary Ronald Nadey walked through the
998 doorway he had created.  The rectangle faded.  The living room was empty.
999 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Grn 870530142925 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%