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1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask.... 2 ************************ INSTALLED: 27 MAY 85 ********************** 3 Welcome to BWMS (BackWater Message System) Mike Day System operator 4 ************************************************************ 5 GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION 6 PLACED ON THIS SYSTEM. 7 BWMS was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS is a privately owned 8 and operated system which is currently open for use by the general public. 9 no restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the system is 10 privately owned, I retain thepright 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 how do I read the messages that are on the system? 21 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 22 to above: try DB, then list. 23 Where have all these new authors come from? I'm going to miss 24 this place when I return north. 25 F.F. BSAL (ret) 26 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 27 MissionMissionMissionMissionMissionMissionMissionMissionMissionMissionMission 28 "Okay, now disconnect the, uh...the black thingy. No, I said the BLACK 29 one! Now pull the little square circuit board with the resistors and things 30 all over it." Hansen turned the diagram around a couple times. "A usual 31 MacHinery diagram. I think I've been using it upside down, but I'm not sure." 32 Johnson had shut out Hansen's instructions two power supplies ago. 33 "I think I've got it all figured out, Hans. I'm just about done." 34 "I don't care what you THINK Johnson. If we botch this job Machinery will 35 see to it that we orbit up here for the rest of our short, miserable lives. 36 McKane didn't design weather satellites you know. It's no accident we weren't 37 told exactly what these things do." 38 "Done!" Johnson proclaimed, "let's put the cover on and get out of here." 39 Both men climbed back into the shuttle. Hansen couldn't keep himself from 40 lecturing about the importance of the mission and about Johnson's general lack 41 of competence. "This is more complex than a communication satellite. Remember 42 the UPI job you screwed up? Remember your stupid response?--'I know there's 43 some parts left over,' you said, 'but the satellite really doesn't need them!' 44 Ha! You and your left-over parts. I just know something terrible will happen!" 45 Just then the one-sided conversation was interrupted by an urgent message 46 from Net headquarters. "Signaling the Deussex...switching to new scramble 47 code...new setting is 475X-47Pj." Johnson punched in the new code. "I'm sorry 48 HQ, you'll have to insert another-" 49 Hansen grabbed the headset, "Come in Headquarters. What's the trouble?" 50 "Uh...Deussex...you are ordered to refrain from any further operations 51 concerning the objective satellites." 52 "Who gave these orders, Walters?" demanded Hansen. 53 "That's all I have, Deussex...you are ordered to refrain-" 54 "Who is this? Give me Walters or somebody!" Hansen was becoming 55 increasingly hostile. "I have to know on whose authority-" 56 Hansen was cut off by an authoritative voice which he recognized as Net 57 Space Agency Director Harold Pinkerton. "Be quiet Hansen. That UPI satellite 58 Johnson tampered with malfunctioned this morning. It began sending some 59 strange signals and then aligned itself to the Tass receiver dish. We finally 60 had to destroy the satellite." Hansen and Johnson stared at each other in the 61 cold silence. Pinkerton continued, "If Johnson's doing the same stuff-" 62 Hansen interrupted, "I've been keeping an eye on Johnson, sir, we've 63 converted most of the satellites and I think we're in pretty good shape..." 64 The conversation continued but Johnson nemded to hear no more. As the 65 shuttle plunged silently into the night Johnson looked at the handful of 66 satellite parts hidden in his pocket, and then back at the satellite 67 disappearing behind the smooth curvature of the Earth. "Oops." 68 69 .......... 70 71 Pinkerton sat behind his desk. The face of an angry Ian MacHinery filled 72 a visual monitor on the opposite side of the room. "You tried to convert those 73 old McKane satellites without my consent? Now what will you do, Pinkerton?" 74 "Sir, preliminary reports show that any attempt to contact the satellites 75 would cause a chain reaction that would most likely result in World War III and 76 a nuclear holocaust. As you recall, McKane had planned to use the satellites 77 to control Soviet and US nuclear launch and tracking systems. Now that they 78 are fully active but out of control, any use of the satmllites would be 79 disastrous. We estimate a ninety-five percent probability of nuclear war." 80 "Again, Pinkerton, what do you propose to do?" 81 "A specialized team could repair the satellites." 82 "Men like Johnson?" 83 "No sir. The satellites are more complicated than we had originally 84 suspected. The computer has come up with the necessary team--no other 85 arrangement will do." Pinkerton paused and shuffled some pages. 86 "Number one: Please take note of page five. As you can see, located on 87 the inside panel of each satellite is a code which tells how to deactivate the 88 automatic destruct system which kicked in when Johnson revived the unit. 89 "I can't make heads nor tails of this code." It was obviously a difficult 90 thing for MacHinery to admit. 91 Pinkerton continued, "It has something to do with pre-columbian art. 92 There's only one man who knows enough about the subject to decipher this code." 93 MacHinery smirked. "L'homme sans Parity!" 94 "That's right sir. Now let me see -- number two: A genius who helped 95 design the McKane satellites. He's in prison now. 96 "What's his name?" 97 "Well, uh...um...we only know him as Crazy Charlie...uh, he sort of went 98 insane and killed a few people when the organization collapsed." 99 "Number three:" Pinkerton didn't give his superior a chance to respond 100 to the Crazy Charlie thing, but he could see that MacHinery was smiling for 101 some reason. "Number three is a man who is indirectly related to the 102 consdruction of the satellites. Some of the parts Johnson used when altering 103 several of the satellites seem to have been purchased through the black market. 104 The devices have been tracked to a disassembled automobile last owned by a Mr. 105 Eugene Farley. Farley is the only man who intimately understands those 106 instruments. We must be careful, though. Farley is known to be obsessed with 107 the memory of his lost car. He could conceivably turn on the others in an 108 attempt to recover his electronics." 109 "Number four: Another former member of the McKane organization. He worked 110 under Crazy Charlie and is the only other person we know of who worked on the 111 satellite project. Aside from satellite repair, we hope he'll be able to keep 112 Crazy Charlie calm. Charlie has a reputation of being somewhat unpredictable 113 and we need someone who can keep him under control. His name is Petrov." 114 "Finally, number five: The leader of the expedition is an experienced 115 shuttle pilot named Hansen. He should be able to keep order and-" 116 "No!" MacHinery interrupted. "The fifth member will be someone who 117 DESERVES to be locked up with a crazy man and a kinky Russian. He's a man who 118 shouldn't laugh at his superiors or watch idly as I fall into a swimming pool." 119 An evil grin came across his face and he started to laugh. "I don't doubt that 120 he'll finish the job -- it's just gratifying to know that I'll be making his 121 life miserable in the meantime. I WANT JOSHUA." 122 Pinkerton watched as the video screen with MacHinery's laughing face 123 faded to blackness. "Two Net agents, two former McKane agents, and a guy who 124 could betray them all for a few hubcaps, all trapped for a very long week in a 125 very small shuttle." Pinkerton sighed and then hit a button on his desk. 126 "Walters, carry on with your orders. Substitute Joshua for Hansen. At all 127 costs you must round up L'homme, Crazy Charlie, Farley, Petrov, and Joshua. 128 Oh, and Walters -- get my bunker ready, will you?" 129 MissionMissionMissionMissionMissionMissionMissionMissionMissionMissionMission 130 ............. ............. ............. ............. 131 What in Cistop's good name happened to our entries, L'homme? I think not 132 that one's toes were to heavily stepped on. And more to the point, we 133 left our marks with them! It's not as if any great H.A.R.M. had been 134 done. (Although there is still the ever present 'cutsie' out there.) 135 If all is indeed well, I shall soon set my name to flashing at the low 136 side of your terminal when you deem the time to be right. 137 But why do I say these things to you? To me you are only a dead man. 138 ............. <THIS IS A REPEAT TRANSMISSION> ............. 139 04: What statistacal sheets were those? If they had contained what it 140 was that I relayed to you via land line a short while ago, strike the 141 remark given to say "NO COMMENT/A POSITIVE OUTLOOK" 142 08: All is well I take it. You document awaits you. Anytime... GFI 143 02: Will verify the file before the guide is removed. Looks positive. 144 01: Can it be? Was that really... YOU? 145 ............. ............. ............. ............. 146 147 148 149 150 151 ----- Q ----- Q ----- 152 IN THE PRESENCE I FEEL AN ABSENCE... QUESTOR 200 153 ----- Q ----- Q ----- 154 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp 155 The mind of a human is a curious mixture of intellect and emotion. 156 Inextricably intertwined, these two forces pulse and burn, the tension of 157 their interaction somehow bringing forth sapience. Let one overcome the 158 other and humanity vanishes. What remains may look human, but lacks the 159 necessary spark to set it above the beasts. Let intellect overpower emotion, 160 and we get the Holacaust of WWII -- with emotion gone humaninty is lost. 161 Let emotion take over at the expense of reason, and humanity is again lost. 162 Some individuals find their point of balance, their fulcrum of humanity, 163 closer to the emotional tides than others who find the cold tides of the 164 intellect comfortable, but all partake of both. The piper had long been an 165 emotional person -- oh, he used his intellect, but sparingly. In the long 166 forest night, screaming his loss to the uncaring stars, cursing the cold 167 moon who looked down on this tableau with an expressionless eye, the hot 168 tides of emotion washed him off his point of balance. What toppled into the 169 underbrush and slept an exhausted sleep was not truly human, only the shell 170 that had at one time contained humanity. 171 pppppppppppppppppppp 172 actually, I find myself writing solo because no one seems to be into 173 fantasy adventures right now. I welcome anyone else who would like to 174 drop into this story line -- but be careful!! The piper isn't a very good 175 companion right now... 176 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp 177 _______________________________________________________________________________ 178 179 Voyage 180 Part 2 181 182 While most of the crew struggled to survive, recycling precious 183 water in the ship's scrubber units, and growing small amounts of food in 184 the hydroponic garden, the ship's commanding officer, a captain Racal, 185 had much more to worry about than survival. The utmost thing on his mind 186 was death, gr the inevitable death he associated with Sahara's landing on 187 Dry Gulch. He knew the truth, that the chances for rescue were minuscule. 188 The possibilities of the beacon's emergency signal getting to a base capable 189 of mounting an expeditionary force were slim to none. Racal knew this to be 190 true, but he didn't let on. It was a secret, a horror he must keep to himself, 191 starting again due to line noise 192 The possibilities of the beacon's emergency signal getting to a base capable 193 of mounting an expeditionary force were slim to none. Racal knew this to be 194 true, but he didn't let on. It was a secret, a horror he must keep to himself, 195 lest he inject utter despair into the ranks of the crew. Sahara was so far 196 off course, and so far away even from the ever growing boundaries of a 197 space hungry colonizing Man, it was useless to pretend! But he must pretend, 198 for the good of the crew, regardless of what it did to him inside. This 199 planet would be Sahara's final resting place, and her crew's tomb for all 200 eternity. It was only a matter of time. 201 202 Life went on, slowly, surely, inexorably to its logical conclusion. 203 Txe hydroponics material was growing short on strength, and the crew found 204 out the hard way that the planet was no farmer's paradise. The soil was so 205 alkaline, most earth type seeds were literally dissolved. And then there was 206 the sun, with its never ending fusillade of heat, burning whatever hardy crops 207 that made it to the surface to a cinder. Makeshift covers did no good, the 208 ambient temperature was too high for anything to survive outside the more 209 controlled confines of the ship. Sahara, that last bastion of life for Man, 210 suffered too. Hyper-tronic parts started failing first, victims of the heat 211 that even the huge air conditioning units the engineering department converted 212 from engine parts and installed could not keep totally at bay. With the loss 213 of some of the more important 'tronic modules, it was impossible to keep 214 track of the signals the rescue beacon was sending out. Soon visual 215 confirmation became the only assurance that the small beacon still circled 216 the planet, sending out the call for help. Help that captain Racal knew 217 would never come. 218 219 The first crewman died, six weeks after setting down on Dry Gulch. 220 He was topside on Sahara, repairing a broken solar panel that helped charge 221 the ship's electric cells. The heat of the sun bouncing off the hull of the 222 ship, coupled with reduced food and water rations, and the strenuous labor, 223 caused the man to have a sun-stroke. He fell into a coma and simply never 224 woke up. The proper arrangements were made for a burial on the harsh 225 surface of Dry Gulch. The funeral service was naturally perfunctory. The 226 men and women of the crew could not stay out in the heat very long without 227 suffering the similar fate their companion had. The location was marked with 228 a simple headstone, and the inscription read: 229 230 Lt. Samual Bowman b. 2213 d. 2239 231 Dry Gulch claimed 232 its first victim. 233 He died so others 234 could live. 235 236 The crew's moral sank rapidly from this time on. Instead of the 237 rallying affect Racal thought Bowman's death might have on the crew, just 238 the opposite happened. Racal had hoped the death would bring the crew around, 239 give them something to fight against h, and something to fight for, 240 life, no matter how short that life may be. Unfortunately for all, this 241 did not occur. Men and women who worked side by side for these many weeks 242 started to withdraw. Fights broke out over the smallest of reasons; an 243 extra glass of water or a forgotten duty call. Most of the crew lost 244 interest in betting on the arrival of the beacon, their one last connection 245 with the worlds they knew and loved beyond. The feelings of despair were 246 a tragic consequence of the death, but they were also a realization of the 247 true situation they were in. Interstellar personnel were intelligent, highly 248 trained individuals. The epiphany of their plight was certain to dawn on 249 them sooner or later. Talk about never getting off the planet was heard for 250 the first time throughout the crew. It seemed no one was safe from the lost 251 feelings; the entire ship's complement seemed to give up at once, suddenly, 252 but with inescapable certainty. 253 254 A Story Teller 255 _______________________________________________________________________________ 256 257 ch /gr/or/ ch /txe/the/ add line feed after /bowman/ take out the form feed 258 I'm really sorry about the mess. The line noise seems to be back in force. 259 ________________________________________________________________________________ 260 RYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRY 261 FMDC_ LUDCZ AL[_P EDNCV CYRA_ DXMDJ ACIFL ZDPTF EHB@C JA[D@ K_\FE EFXL@ 262 [KLD@ _VRAC EADNX L@PCN P@DFC L[\D_ @FPHB FEL[E _PD_L A@N@A EECJU DPX_D 263 @PARR D\ADS TXDUX GDC@J A@[LH @B_YG PDFD_ SXGRI DRFOA DPXDO LXSDF MD\F[ 264 _EEFX LDFEH B@CLD XGPEF IAJDX JDLXP [MHBD 265 RYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRY 266 ANY AGENTS/OPERATIVES UNABLE TO DECODE LEVEL 4 ARE TO USE SECURE MEAN 267 TO CONTACT HQ. IMMEDIATE RESPONSE REQUIRED! NET HQ OUT 268 RYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRY 269 /\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\ 270 The susurations of the dream reality are trapped within my ear's 271 cavity, echoing untouchable thoughts until at last they gain solubility. 272 Submerged in blindness and obscurity, I begin to float like wafts of smoke. 273 The smoke curls up the staircase to the sky, a gray line masked on blackness. 274 Slowly, the blackness divulges from the clouds and pours its liquid color into 275 my mind. Slowly, the strangeness of the dream fades, transforming itself into 276 my reality. 277 Thoughts flow in my head as my imagination reates them. The dream 278 frame and the waking frame become inseparable, I exist in both of them or 279 none at all. A bird circles over head, and two gray figures talk in the 280 distance. I lay silent, a weak form, below the flapping wings. Words sing 281 past me, although they have been captured in my memory. 282 I feel my mind and body giving away, I'm melting into the gray misty 283 floor. As my spirit, my life's vitality, begins to fade waway, a strain of lost 284 hope returns. It's only one silken thread but a strong one. One hand, either 285 of exterier forces or of my own, reaches into my mind. I feel the strength 286 rekindling as the weakness melts into the mist. 287 /\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\ eidolaz /\\/\\/\\/\\/\\ 288 289 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ( ) 290 The Innkeeper ver casually made his way around the tables after the Inn 291 had once again closed its doors for the evening. Much to his suprise, there 292 really wasn't that much to pick up after this time. It seemed that there 293 were a few of the patrons that had done him an extra favor of not only cleaning 294 up after themselves, but after a few of the others as well.. This had been 295 a more common occurance of late, but this time it allowed him to pay special 296 attention to the condition of what it was that he was cleaning up from. 297 As he reached a back table that received very little use recently, he 298 began to wipe of the tables and chairs just for good measure. 299 "And what's this? How odd, it could have been sitting here for some time 300 considering the dust that's settled.. [I know - no real dust ever accumulates.] 301 And by the looks of it, it is surely something that someone would miss.." 302 He set the object on the table while he finished the chores he had set out to 303 do before retiring. Once completed, he picked up the object and headed back 304 to the counter and placed it up on a shelf where the owner would be sure to 305 find it upon their return -- hoping they would return. 306 "I think I just might have a hunch to whom it belongs, but the last time 307 I saw it was quite some time ago..." The Innkeeper's words faded within the 308 emptied building and went to the back where he could enjoy his rest alone. 309 310 The light of a single unextinguished candle found its way to that object 311 on the shelf and made it glisten. The glow that surrounded it made the 312 figurines winged image seem amost surreal. 313 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 314 I think I shall hasten my return. 315 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ --->the Guardian 148:16 (I'm late!) 316 317 -04-04-04-04. 318 KOSTA:wrong NET agents in transmission above. I own the documents, 08 talks 319 to you on the phone. Gray count noticed. response when able. 320 -04-04-04-04. 321 322 323 :STIR IT UP: :STIR IT UP: :STIR IT UP: :STIR IT UP: :STIR IT UP: :STIR IT UP: 324 325 Do any of you know why the radio staions like Z100 and MAGIC 107 havent begun 326 to play STIR IT UP yet? STIR IT UP is my favorite song,its on the soundtrack 327 for the BEVERLY HILLS COP,and is found in the movie when Eddie is driving 328 his car through beverly hills,and at the end where they are listing the 329 names on screen. When i called up the radio stations,they said they didnt 330 hear of the song yet. 331 332 THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY CRAZY. 333 334 later dude, 335 336 THE MUSCLE-BOUND HULK 337 338 :STIR IT UP: :STIR IT UP: :STIR IT UP: :STIR IT UP: :STIR IT UP: :STIR IT UP: 339 340 341 exit 342 stage 343 left 344 THE DOG CATCHER==> 345 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 346 Dogs? What dogs? 347 Storyteller: Boy, am I depressed. It takes alot to really depress 348 me. Keep it up (if there is anything to keep up). 349 I also thought that there was a lacking in Net Stories as of late. I 350 obviously (to my delight) was wrong. I love the mission entry. I'd love 351 to put something of my own here, but 1) I'm leaving town for three months 352 on saturday, and 2) I really can't hold a candle to some of the stuff here. 353 Bummer for me. 354 Fast Fred 355 BSAL (Ret) 356 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 357 1313131313131313131313131313131 358 CORRECTION NOTED. 359 HOPED YOU`HAD NOTICED THE DECENDING ORDER 360 OF LAST TRANSMISSION. 361 OPERATIVES WERE IN ORDER EVEN IF THE 362 NUMBERS WERE NOT. 363 01: ALTHOUGH COMSET IS OPERATIONAL, 364 TRANSMISSIONS ARE DIFFICULT AT BEST. 365 (AS YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED.) 366 131313131313131313131313131313q313 367 368 Don't feel too low, Fast Fred. You used to shake a pretty mean Bolo back in 369 your heyday, too 370 :::voyeur:::sans border::: 371 BRIGHTLIGHTBRIGHTLIGHTBRIGHTLIGHTBRIGHTLIGHTBRIGHTLIGHT 372 373 Excuse Me... 374 375 Has anyone seen any of those toothy-fangy creatures 376 around that are laughingly refered to as Grelims? 377 378 Oops got to go ... someone just spilled a glass of 379 water on me! 380 381 382 GIZMO 383 384 BRIGHTLIGHTBRIGHTLIGHTBRIGHTLIGHTBRIGHTLIGHTBRIGHTLIGHT 385 h 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 list 395 off 396 397 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp no time, gotta go pppppppppppppppppppppp 398 0707070707070707070707070707070707070707 007 070707070707070707070707070707 399 MESSAGE RECEIVED AND NOTED. ANSWER FORTHCOMING, IT IT HASN'T ALREADY BY 400 SOME OTHER GOODLY NET AGENT. NOW WHERE DID I PUT THAT COMSET?!? 401 0707070707070707070707070707070707070707 10:00:00AM 05/29/85 07070707070707 402 403 [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] 404 The physical union of the sexes . . . only intensifies man's sence of solitude. 405 -Nicolas Berdyaev 406 [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] THE TIN MAN [/] [/] 407 010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 408 Ian: am forwarding msgs to you. They were mis-addressed. Could you 409 PLEASE try to get this mix-up straightened out? I enough trouble making 410 regular reports from Inisfall, without having to wade through YOUR mail! 411 412 Inisfall station 413 report # 166 414 Situation normal. All quiet here. Fast Fred passed thru yesterday. 415 end 416 B.E.M. (an equal opportunity despoiler) 417 Head, Inisfall station 418 010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 419 an agent-in-place's life is not a happy one... 420 010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101 421 FOR SALE: If you would like to get in on the 1200 Baud movement and yet 422 don't have 1200 bucks, you may be interested in this. I am selling NEW 423 300/1200 automatic modems. They are DATEC PAL212 modems and include 424 features like auto-dial, auto-answer, 4 types of hand-shaking, soft 425 selectable full or half duplex and 12 additional commands. They are great 426 modems and are for sale for $375 (quantity discounts for orders of 10 or 427 more.). If interested please leave your name, phone number and times to 428 call and I will get back to you with answers to any questions you may 429 have. 430 431 Walt 432 433 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 434 Walt: Apple Compatible? 435 V: Thanks. Ever since the wepons ban at the inn very few people 436 remember just what BSAL was all about. 437 Fast Fred 438 BSAL (Ret) 439 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 440 441 <WELL, THAT FINISHED OFF ANOTHER CLEANING RAG...> 442 <MORE LATER... > 443 444 353535353535353535353535353535353535353535353535353535353535353535 445 ACTUA LLYTH ISISA BOUTM OREMY SPEED IDONO TREAL LYLIK TOHAV ETOSP 446 ENDMY TIMEW ORKIN GOUTT HELAT ESTIN WHATM AYBET HEEQU IVALE NTTOA 447 PRIVA TEMES SAGEO NTHIS SYSTE MTHAT ISWHA TTHEO THERS YSTEM SAREF 448 ORYOU KNOWB UTNON ETHEL ESSIS HALLS TRUGG LEINM YVALI ANTEF FORTT 449 OPLAY THEPA RTOFT HATEL ITETE AMOFC ODEBU STERS ITHIN KTHAT ITISM 450 OSTFI TTING THATI SHOUL DBETH IRTYF IVEFO THENA MEAND THENU MBERA 451 RETHE SAMEY ESQUI TEFIT TINGT HIRTY FIVEI SSTOC KANDS TOCKI SMINE 452 353535353535353535353535353535353535353535353535353535353535353535 453 ERROR IN ECRYPTION; CORRECT BY INSERTING "R" BETWEEN BLOCKS SEVEN 454 AND EIGHT OF LINE SIX. CONSIDER THE PARODY AND YOU WILL ALREADY 455 KNOW WHO I AM, PARITY. (WHEN WILL "SYSTEM" BE UP? READY TO CALL.) 456 353535353535353535353535353535353535353535353535353535353535353535 457 458 AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 459 ook a walk with 460 that cat mehitabel 461 and wothehell wothehell 462 now i m caught 463 in a roach motel 464 465 466 ARCHY 467 468 AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 469 *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*FORREST FANG*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* 470 Silent shapes slipped through the underbrush. Great grey silent. 471 C. Lupus an emotionless emperican would call them. He was not present; they 472 were. 473 They did not approach too closely the still form on the forrest floor, 474 the object of thair curiosity. They 475 knew well the form of man. More to the 476 point they knew the scent of man. It was to them the estral message of fear. 477 Not without paranoia, the few small bands that had survived the centuries 478 of the round eard two legged ones self-serving and vicios tales. Of course the 479 four legged ones knew nothing of the telling of frightning stories to quell the 480 unrulyness of cubs or to thrill and 481 excite thair listeners. Yet not a one of this small band had failed to witness 482 in its short lifetime the distructiveness of 'human' hate (and fear). 483 Was it an ill omen or some sign of a dim passed, remembered only in the 484 racial memory of the cells, when the two legged ones had not been enimies but 485 companions of the hunt, learning its ways when survival was an uncertain thing 486 for both. Yes even then there had been fear, but there had also been something 487 else, a sort of mutual. In time, some of the two leggs had seen the wisdom of 488 taking the four leggs as partners. 489 Those the 'humans' had befriended had over the centuries become more the 490 servants of the two leggs and less and less like thair woodland breathren. 491 There was no smell of the streight black sticks that pointed at death 492 about this one. It seemed whole of body and its howls had been firm. Yet 493 there had been something undefinable not quite well. Was it prey? (not likely) 494 Was it a hunter like themselves or was it one of those dangerous enimies who 495 would reack havoc and destruction upon themselves if given half a chance? 496 Forrest Fang was not the Alpha male, hauty, assured in its strength and 497 mass, fallowed by all but challanged by all who would take his place; not a 498 young proto-alpha eager for such a chalange nor an alfa female the most danger- 499 ous of the pack in her own way. No, Forrest Fang was none of these, nor was 500 he a gama eather. Rather he was the beta male. Cubhood long gone, who from 501 time to time enjoied some of the power of the alpha without the constant chal- 502 anges or as much defferance paid by the others, but not without some. 503 It was Forrest Fang who nuzzeled the side of the still two legged form, 504 then jumped back prepaired for what might come (he hoped). He half-way expec- 505 ted the alpha's dissapproval for this rash act but the dominant male did not 506 censure. 507 Warily the all stepped back a pace as the human started to stir. 508 *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* 509 Piper: OK? 510 All: yes its me (*=*=*=*=*) 511 *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* 512 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp 513 Hmm -- this demands some thought. Yes, of course, OK -- more than that, 514 its looking like a very fertle situation... 515 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp 516 ch /fertle/fertile 517 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp 518 B.E.M. aka Bug Eyed Monster, somebody has been reading the archives again! 519 What's next? The programmer's Ten Commandments? Complaint letter to robot 520 corp? DPA Exam? 521 522 0707070707070707070707070707070707070707070707070707070707070707070707070707 523 SFRRD PAJ\F LCPAD ECLDM JCLD\ FEEFX LDCED EXXLD CEDVX EEFYR ADCLI DYADJ 524 525 ACIUH BMXJD LASD\ FEEFX LDCED IAENJ FYAID FLD\F EEFXL DALPJ UDXLD PTFED 526 527 IFEO[ \D_FD SCLPH BPXDA LIDEM DEPXJ UDCED NRACL RUDCE DVXEE FYRA[ LD_YG 528 529 PDFDS FRRDA LIDFP DMXJD PTAHB LASD\ FEEFX LDRXX OEDJA CRRUD ZXXI[ \D_VR 530 531 ACEAD JAEVX LIDFL DNXIA DFLDO FLI[\ HB 532 533 0707070707070707070707070707070707070707 05/30/85 15:35:26 070707070707070707 534 535 RYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRY 536 FDCZ_ JAADP TC[_P DLASD \FEE_ FXLDR XXOED ZXXI[ LD_@Y GP[H@ B_IXD UXGD@ 537 PTFL@ ODPTC PDUXG D@NCL D@OAA VDPTA @D[K_ LAS[K HB__\ F@E@E FXLDJ GLL_F 538 @LZDC PDCDJ ACEXL CYR@A D@VCN A[YHB 539 RYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRY 540 541 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 542 I've hurt her. Oh God, I've hurt her. Never did I mean 543 to do that. And it hurts deep inside. The one true friend 544 I have in the world, and I've hurt her. I said something 545 I shouldn't, and I caused her great pain, and now that pain is 546 mine as well. I've hurt her, oh God, I've hurt her. 547 I opened my heart, I told her my deepest most private 548 desires, and I hurt her, oh God, I've hurt her. I said the 549 wrong words, I did the wrong thing, and now I would give anything 550 to take it back again, I hurt her, oh God, I've hurt her. 551 If only she would speak, say it's alright, but instead 552 there is silence, a deep dark silence so dark. I've hurt her, 553 oh God, why did I hurt her. Through my own stupidity I've lost 554 my one true friend, the one I could speak of such things to, 555 but I said the wrong thing, and now I've hurt her. 556 And it hurts deep inside, like a knife striking deep, 557 draining the life giving fluids from inside. I thought I could 558 say what I felt deep inside, but I hurt her with my love, I 559 said the wrong thing, and now she hates me because I hurt her. 560 Oh God, why did I have to hurt her? She hates me because 561 I hurt her. 562 If only she would speak, say it's alright. I've lost the 563 one I could talk to, I've lost my best friend. All because 564 of my own stupidity. I've hurt her. Oh God, I've hurt her, 565 and I've hurt myself as well. 566 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 567 568 Hmmmm.... Seems like someone's getting the silent treatment. Stick 569 it out kid. 570 +_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_ 571 572 -=*=- The Inn had emptied, the last candle had been guttering, yet -=*=- 573 -=*=- one silken shape remained in the near-darkness. A speck of -=*=- 574 -=*=- light reflected off the figurine she was watching, and slowly-=*=- 575 -=*=- the candle's flame grew in strength, smooth and tall, bathing-=*=- 576 -=*=- the ivory feathers with light until it's shape was effused -=*=- 577 -=*=- with molten dew. It was a beautiful statue, liquid in line -=*=- 578 -=*=- and charged with power in its design, rearing high with wings-=*=- 579 -=*=- gracefully aloft, and those eyes...They glittered with life, -=*=- 580 -=*=- and appeared to be gazing imploringly back at the cat... -=*=- 581 ^^^^^ 'kitty': I really hate to ask, but do you recall when last 582 ^^^^^ I wrote of said 'figurine'? About 111 days ago? >G TOTAL NUMBER OF LINES = 582