Deus Ex Machina Archive 50 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by Arcana http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat DeM posts belong to their respective authors, the characters belong to their respective authors, etc etc etc. Comprehensive, from 2000-10-01 to 2000-10-10. Game Year is assumed V-498 unless otherwise stated. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From alexsg1@hotmail.com Sun Oct 1 02:35:16 2000 From: "Alex Groden" Date: Sun, 01 Oct 2000 06:35:16 -0000 Subject: [DeM] Waking Once Again Waking Once Again - August 20, V-498 (OOG comment: Ok, ok, I know what your thinking, `where did all the time go?' Well, I needed to get Alex and Cali caught up with the rest of you all. This was the best way to do it, it wasn't really conspicuous or anything, I guess. Oh well.) It had been more than a month since Alex had made it back from Kislev. Ample time for Cali and her mother to get better, and plenty of time, Alex reflected, for Liggle to shine in it's former condition. Everything wasn't perfect, but it was never perfect to start out with. Alex had passed the days away helping, and when everyone rested, he trained. Focusing ether, fighting with his dagger and a lightweight stick in the shape of a sword. The latter had been given to him by Cali's father, who had sensed Alex's interest and given him something to occupy his time while he waited uneasily for Cali to awaken from her slumber. Though a month was hardly enough time to become proficient, Alex was always in the process of learning, and, like Father Hail had said, he may want to incorporate other people's moves into his own style. "It's just like a big, dagger, a little heavier," Alex said, hefting the wooden practice sword. "Ah, but that is where you are wrong. The sword is the master of the dagger, larger, and more refined," Father Hail said. "More refined?" Alex chuckled, "no, you just swing this thing around until you hit someone." "Ah, you have much to learn, Alex. Much to learn," Father Hail smiled, "the sword has finesse, it has precise motions and flourishes that the dagger lacks. The dagger is fighting, the sword is art." "Hump, well, how about I keep both?" Alex said, flipping his dagger into his left hand and catching the sword in his right, "a balance is always needed in the world. I guess this is mine." "Ha ha, Alex, yes, you will learn quickly," Father Hail said, "here, I will introduce you to our local martial artist. He's not the best in Ahev, but he can get you started." "Thanks Father," Alex said, flinging his sword around, "to cool." But now Cali was awake, and even helping with the construction. She looked toward Alex and smiled, their eyes met for a while, and they held the gaze. She hadn't remembered anything from the sewers on, and it was probably for the better. But Alex filled her in on the important parts, and it was enough to satisfy her. Cali's mom stood at a table she had brought out, filling lemonade glasses for the volunteers. The rest of the day was just business as usual, and that night, a weary Alex fell into bed. Cali smiled at his prone figure before she took off his shoes and jacket. He would have to take a shower in the morning, she thought, making a mental note. After her shower, Cali put on her night gown and crawled into her bed. "Alex..." "Huh? What?!" Alex looked around but only saw blackness. Who had just called him? Suddenly Alex was floating, and he froze into place, petrified. There he saw Belvidek, his home town. But there were gears! As he watched, the gears opened fire, and the events of the Belvidek massacre (as it was to be later called) played in his mind. Then he saw his parents, running for their lives from other gears, different ones this time. It was an invasion! But by who? And why was he seeing all this now? Who had beckoned him to watch these events? The questions floated around his head, and Alex was suddenly consious of his surroundings. "Uhh!" Alex woke with a start, his body covered in a cold sweat. It was all just a dream. Or was it? "Mom... Dad," Alex breathed, "home..." Summary: Alex wakes in the middle of the night after his dream of the Belvidek massacre. Who let him see these things? (That comes much later!) Alex decides to go to Belvidek so he can check on his parents. From: "Amber Michelle" Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 21:34:18 -0700 Reply-To: "Amber Michelle" Subject: [DeM] "Quenta Seran - Yamiyo" (Myaru, Ministry) (OOG: I forgot just where the Ministry was supposed to be stationed in DeM, so... yeah. ^^) "Quenta Seran - Yamiyo" (Myaru, Ministry) ----------------------------------------- Gazel Chambers, August 20, V-498 -- Indeterminate Hour -- ----------------------------------------- "Is this a matter of importance? We have a military campaign to command." One thing could be said about the Ministry, that would remain the absolute truth: they were /arrogant/. Arrogant beyond any privilege humanity possessed. Didn't those data banks contain even an inkling of respect? She didn't ask for much more than courtesy... it was obvious they would never accomodate her without threat of force. But was it really that difficult for her children to overcome their stubborn pride? "Important? Do you think I would waste my time here if it were not?" Myaru shifted her gaze from the hologram to her hands, smoothing her fingers over her snow-white gloves. "I've only come to make a simple request - that's all." Peter's smile was as dry as it was transparent. "Your requests are never simple, Mother." He gestured, the expression fading, though it remained in his eyes in derisive echo. "But please, let it be known." She raised an eyebrow, but suppressed the comment that welled up in her throat. Instead, she stated simply, "I'm sure you're aware of the situation regarding the... potential Anti-types." "And your interference... yes." Her eldest nodded, the gesture somewhat wasted for a hologram, and again gestured to her. "You mean to bring that debate to light again? We've given you our verdict, Mother. And I think my brothers agree that you are the best person to take care of that particular matter." //Yes, less work for yourselves, hmm? Less complication for those simple mechanical minds of yours.// If she'd ever needed proof that electronic chips were not capable of creativity or original thought... "I understand your position, children." Yes, she did indeed. But the remark was pefectly polite - not a trace of her thoughts marred her porcelain face. "But contrary to popular belief, I'm afraid I cannot do everything myself - if you would be so kind as to render a bit of assistance, I would appreciate it. "This is, after all, a shared goal... If I fail, it will only bring your own plans down, in the end. We may be able to substitute the Contact, but Zohar knows its own creation; you cannot do the same with Elly, if you play your cards wrong." Peter raised a sharp eyebrow in reflection to her own, but said nothing. Instead, another appeared, shimmering into existence beside his brother. "And how might we render aid, Mother, without drawing undue attention? Our resources do not allow us great versatility..." "Why beat around the issue, Xavier?" Another form appeared, somewhat apart from the rest. So they were all awake after all? A shame. "I'm sure our dear Mother won't be offended if we state simply that we have no inclination to help her." "Let us not jump to conclusions, my brothers..." Peter raised a hand - or the faint outline of one, rather. "Don't you think it would be wise to see what she wants?" He offered a shallow, apologetic bow, though she doubted there was any substance to the sentiment. "Please continue, Mother." Myaru's eyes flickered to the others quickly, before returning to Peter. She'd always thought Xavier showed promise... at least he showed some semblence of courtesy. Not that she'd ever trust him, however... "I've seen that you have deployed one of your more valued agents to serve as an observer in the upcoming attack on Bledavik..." The attack... A wild card in her hand, an event that could mean the final, blessed end to everything, or the hell of another era of waiting... "I wish to make use of this agent, if you would be so inclined to allow that. With his skill, I should not have much trouble contacting at least one of the potential Anti-types -- Lord Ariath's Elements can take care of the other, if necessary." "You want Aloysius?" Abner inquired, slanting his eyes to glance to Peter. An irritating habit of his... but interesting, that he lapsed back into it even as a hologram. She wondered - not for the first time - whether they transmitted more than just a shred of consciousness into these... forms, whenever they decided to take them. "That will be fine," Peter said after a moment, raising his hand again to ensure silence. "His mission at the Gebler base will be completed once the attack is over; if you wish to use him then, we will transmit the proper orders to him as soon as possible." So easily? Myaru lowerd her hands and clasped them at her waist, tightly enough that the leather creaked. That was unexpected - and it didn't bode well. She'd have to watch this agent as carefully as she did her children. "That will be fine... Please see to it." She turned and strode away from their staging area, her world plunged into darkness as soon as she left the small confines of the spotlight. But she knew this chamber well, perhaps better than they did - she'd been created here in a different time, when it had been something else. And in truth, she preferred the darkness. Not because it concealed her, or because it made her feel safe... but rather, because it reminded her of a time when she'd had no worries. Beyond birth, beyond life and death... there was the Creator. "Ah..." She paused, twisting slightly on her heel so she might look back at her 'children'. "Thank you... I appreciate your cooperation." (Summary: Myaru meets with the Ministry, and secures use of Aloysius for her future plans.) ----------------------------------------- "Quenta Seran - Yamiyo" (Myaru, Ministry) By: Amber Michelle Stand tall and shake the heavens... Xenogears ----------------------------------------- Amber Michelle Insane Master Summoner http://guardian.leamonde.net http://myaru.etherealvoid.net myaru@earthlink.net "On the heights, all paths are paved with daggers." -- Wheel of Time Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: "Alex Groden" Date: Tue, 03 Oct 2000 00:13:46 -0000 Subject: [DeM] Movement Movement - August 21, V-498 Alex woke the next morning tense. Movement was hard for him, it seemed his whole body ached like he had do tons of work. Oh, wait, he thought smiling, I /have/ been doing tons of work. We'll, maybe it was time to head back, if not just to say hello to his parents and let them know he was ok. And of course they would hear all the fantastic adventures he had had so far. And, his heart skipped, they would get to meet Cali. What would they think of her? Would they approve? Alex shook his head. Of course they would, they are my parents, he thought. But I don't care if they did or not, I would still... I would still what, Alex thought. I would still love her, Alex knew the answer, only it came tentatively. He hadn't thought about that night before they had set out on the journey to Kislev until now. The kiss.... "Hey, breakfast?" Cali's mom poked her head in. "Mmm... Momma?" Cali rubbed her eyes. Alex looked up, he was already sitting up on his mattress on the floor. "French toast," Cali's mom smiled, "get up you two~" "Thanks Mrs. Hail," Alex smiled, standing up. "You need a shower," Cali said, remembering. "I'll get a shower after breakfast," Alex said, running to the door. "You'll be presentable at the table," Cali said, catching his collar and directing him to the bathroom, "I'll get you some hot water." "You all really need to get some plumbing around here," Alex said, stripping of his dirty shirt, "I know a great guy that may- could help you out on..." But Cali had already shut the door and gone for the water. Alex sighed, deciding that he should ask her about his plans to going to Belvidek. "Well, Alex, you look great when your all cleaned up!" Cali poked Alex in the ribs playfully, "hey, you look a little to thoughtful. What's up?" "Nothing," Alex said, smiling as he sat down. "Wow, pass the syrup," Father Hail said. "Umm," Cali took a big mouth full. After breakfast... "You know, it seems like only yesterday we started working on this town," Father Hail said, wiping his mouth. "Yeah, and look how far it's come," Cali's mom said, leaning back, "why, we're done, for all intents and purposes." "Yes, but there's still those additions we've been meaning to make," Cali's father said. "Of course," Mrs. Hail smiled, "this is all coming along so well!" "Yeah..." Cali smiled. "You know..." Alex said, looking up, "I was wondering... Since we're like, almost done and all, I was wondering, you know, if I could... if I could take a trip back to Belvidek. I sorta miss everyone, and I would really like to check on my parents and all." "Well, of course Alex," Mrs. Hail said, "you don't think we're gonna keep you here for the rest of your life, do you?" "No ma'am," Alex blushed. "I guess I better pack some snacks for you and Cali," Mrs. Hail said. "Ah, so we're anticipating my departure now, are we?" Cali said, and Alex looked at her. She had a smile on her face. "Ha ha, I know you!" Cali's mom said, "and I can tell your going to be traveling with Alex from now on! We always thought you would make a good hunter of singer. Well, I guess your fate says different." "Yes..." Cali smiled, looking to Alex, "yes, I suppose it does." Alex just smiled back. "Well," Alex said, "if I may..." "I'll go get my cloths," Cali said, hopping up. Alex got up a bit slower, nodding and heading toward Messenger to make sure he hadn't had a mishap since last Alex had piloted him. "Wow!" Alex hefted a bag up into Messenger's storage compartment, "how much stuff are you takin'?" "Enough so where I can have cloths for the rest of the time I travel with you," Cali said, "I'll not get caught in the Nortune situation like I did last time." "Hey, you can't say I didn't warn you," Alex put his hands up. "You said bring along an /extra/ pair of cloths, you didn't say they would /all/ get so sooty!" Cali said, taking another bag to hand to Alex. "Yeah, yeah," Alex said, putting the fourth and final bag into the compartment. Carefully he stored his wooden practice sword in the compartment and closed the door. "Ready?" Alex asked, offering Cali his arm. "Yep, said all my goodbyes," Cali smiled, taking Alex's hand. Alex pulled Cali up slowly, until they were face to face. "Well then," Alex said after awhile of the two just smiling at each other, "I guess we'd better get a move on." "Yeah," Cali said, taking her satchel with her instruments with her, "hey, I've got all my songs now, wanna here them?" "That would be awesome!" Alex said, letting her get in. "Alright," Cali said, stepping into the cockpit. "We're gonna have to get you a seat back here," Alex said, stepping in. The gear's chest unit slid closed with a mechanical whir sound and seconds later Messenger took off. Destination: Belvedek. [Summary: Alex and Cali head to Belvedek.] Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: Egang5Jr@aol.com Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 17:13:28 EDT Subject: [DeM] ~~His Mission~~ ((It has just been brought to my attention that my first post was accidentally posted under the OOG list; this was my mistake. My apologies.)) ~~~~~~~~~~ Shevat August 20, V-498 0800 hours ~~~~~~~~~~ Shad stood in the Gear bay on Shevat. At the base of the Nova's feet, he stood talking with a technician, arguing over placement of the booster cooling units. The debate was growing heated, as Shadrach was getting frustrated with the tech, as was the latter with the former. Suddenly, an explosion echoed throughout the bay. The force threw both of the men from their feet. Shad tried to stand, wiping the grit from his eyes. The Nova, his own personal Gear, was the fourth in a row of ten nearly identical Phoenix-class Gears. A gaping hole in Shevat's side now existed where none had before, thanks to the explosion. Shad saw the first Phoenix Gear fire up its thrusters and leap from the bay. Shad swore loudly and turned his attention to the tech lying at his side. His head lie at an unnatural angle; the man was surely in bad shape. Shad's fury began rising. More noise made Shad turn his head. Several more explosions rocked the enormous room; obviously work of the same saboteur. The next Phoenix in line fell forward on its face, the victim of a well placed explosive. Several armed guards rushed into the bay, weapons drawn. They saw Shad and leveled their weapons on him. "Freeze!" Shad lifted his hands and did as they told him. "He stole a Gear-and he's getting away!" A few officers rushed to the hole and looked. Sure enough, the Phoenix-class Gear was being flown away. ~~~~~~~~~~ Shevat August 21, V-498 0023 ~~~~~~~~~~ Later that night, or rather, early that morning, Shadrach sat in the office of his superior officer. "As you no doubt know, the evidence from the scene of the crime informed us that the thief was probably from Solaris. We need to recover that Gear at all costs." "So what do you want from me?" "We can't spare any Gears from our main force; we need to protect Shevat first and foremost." "And I'm the only 'extra'?" "Exactly." "So what do you want of me?" "You're going to take the Nova down to the surface to perform a search-and-destroy the stolen Phoenix before Solaris gets it." "Where am I going to start this mission? "Bledavik. Our sources are telling us of increased Solarian activity. It's as thought they're planning a major operation or something. You do realize, of course, this is classified information; if you are captured down there, we will deny any knowledge of you." "Of course. So hould I bother asking when I'm leaving?" "Immediately; we can't afford to let Solaris know this much about us." ~~~~~~~~~~ Area just outside Aveh Territory August 24, V-498 0713 hours ~~~~~~~~~~ Shad sat in the cockpit of the Nova, all systems powered down except for propulsion and life support. Designed for long flights, it would easily make it to the outskirts of Bladevik. From there he could hide it and make it into the city, where he would begin his investigation. Time was of the essence, Shad had realized from the urgency in his CO's voice. Ah, the telltale lights of Bladevik were clearly visible in the distance. Now, to find a good hiding place so as not to get caught by a snooping Solarian.. . . His sensors began bleeping at him insistently. Shad focused his attention on it. A signal was appearing on his scope at two o'clock. After analyzing for a few seconds, the sensors gave more information on the new arrival. A Solarian battle cruiser!? Shadrach swore and lowered his altitude to just above the sand level, eventually landing and kneeling. The Nova sank to its ankle in the sand. Shad flipped a switch to the right, masking any trace of his Gear to outside scans. This technology was new, and hadn't been adapted to work when the Gear was moving. The downside was that his own sensors were equally as blinded. That was okay with him; his own eyes would work in this situation. He saw several small specks of light rise from the city, heading in the general direction of the battleship. Shad shook his head. A direct assault would do little good against a weapon of that magnitude. And a weapon from Solaris, at that. But why on earth was Solaris being so bold? It made no sense. Suddenly, a blast of weaponry erupted from the Solarian cruiser. Shad had to shield his eyes from the intensity. ~James -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> Restaurants, Movies, Weather, Traffic & More! Access Tellme from any phone. For more info visit: http://click.egroups.com/1/9534/3/_/529963/_/970541537/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: "Joseph Hicks" Date: Wed, 04 Oct 2000 18:58:05 EDT Subject: [DeM] Hairy situations... The Tak flew through the air- a dangerous situation normally, infinitely so when the controls were in the hands of an illiterate barbarian. Seth was petrified- what had he done? "STOP THIS THING!" Zak stopped it, and turned around. "What wrong, Seth?" Seth pantomined being petrified, and Zak laughed. "Afraid no good?" Seth nodded. Zak Opened the cockpit, and jumped out. Seth, afraid he had hurt Zak's feelings, tried to follow- until he noticed that Zak had just stepped around behind the leg of the machine. When he came back looking much relieved, Seth punched his arm- it seemed like the thing to do. Zak grinned, and motioned towards the seat- he wanted Seth to drive. Seth climbed in, feeling a little uncomfortable- it got better as the seat conformed to him. He wriggled around a little, and then surveyed the controls once again. There was swing, and there was Left Step...and there was Fly. (Ok, time to get this puppy started!) he thought. They took off, heading towards Bledavik. There was a tiny coclave of Sand Raider- types, but Seth ignored him- what threat could they pose? He was a couple of kilometers beyong the encampment when the Gear ran out of fuel. Seth groaned. How was he going to communicate? He knew what, 40 words tops? And What if these people didn't even have any fuel? What did these things run on, anyways? The basic layout was the same as what he remembered from the Eldridge, but the switches were in different positions, the Gear types had evolved considerably- and the power source was a complete variable. How did this thing run? Zak tapped Seth's shoulder. "What wrong, Seth?" "Hungry?" Seth replied. "We ate." "No-" Seth pointed all around the cockpit, ending at the fuel gauge. "Hungry!" Zak understood now. "Oh. I go talk to (unintelligable). I get food for Tin Beast." Zak hit the button to open the cockpit, and jumped to the ground- and then he set out for encampment... (Summary- Zak tries to fly, and apparently needs more practice. The Tak runs out of fuel as predicted, and now Zak sets off to get more, leaving Seth on his own to guard the Tak...) _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com. -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> Get a NextCard Visa with rates as low as 2.99% Intro APR! 1. Fill in the brief application 2. Get approval decisions in 30 seconds! http://click.egroups.com/1/9336/3/_/529963/_/970700287/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: "Super Saiyan Seth " Date: Thu, 05 Oct 2000 04:02:55 -0000 Subject: [DeM] Soulgiver "Soulgiver" ---------------------------- August 23rd, V-498 Aveh Desert, near Bledavik ---------------------------- Seth looked at his wrist instinctively, expecting to see a watch there. But of course, he had lost it when he had awoken from wherever he was before. Seth looked up at the blinding golden sun, guessing that it was about noon. Seth groaned a little, and punched the leg of the mecha in annoyance. It made a loud "clang" from the metal studs on his gloves from the ranch. He looked at the leg where he hit it, and knocked on it a few times, finding it to be quite solid. Seth suddenly felt a strange surge of curiosity, and decided to climb up to the cockpit for a quick peek at the engine. Seth pushed the controls required to open the engine of the gear, which resulted in a steady whirring as the back of the gear opened. He leaped out of the cockpit and climbed onto the back of the gear, which was in a kneeling position, thus making it easy to stand on its back. Seth looked into the engine, and raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. The engine was indeed the same as he remembered, although highly modified for the environment and personal taste of the builders. The slave generator was still tapping into the same power source as the gears always were built to use - the Zohar Modifier. It seems that even with all the advancements and replacements made on the gears, they couldn't change the engine without stripping much of its power away. Seth took out a multi-tool pocket knife that he got from the ranch, and unscrewed the covering for the slave generator inside. Seth's hands started to feel very hot, but he chalked it up to the gear being recently used. However, as he pulled off the cover, he felt hot all over. He wondered if perhaps there was some kind of radiation leak or something, but soon his theory was dispelled when he felt his energy surge. His familiar flames of energy leaped into existence, though not of his volition. They were quite high, though not as high as when he really pumped into them. As Seth wondered just what the hell was going on, Zak's gear moved. Seth screamed a loud "What the @#$% ?!", and was thrown off the mecha's back as it stood up, apparently ready for use. Seth landed in the sand, rolling down the dune until eventually stopping a few meters below. He stood up, seeing what was happening, but the gear had stopped, as did his flames. He stood there for quite a while, wondering just what the hell that was. Perhaps a strange ability of the gear? Perhaps it had a mind of its own? No, that wasn't true. Seth had checked that first thing, since a gear that could fly itself was infinitely better than letting a barbarian fly it. Even if it was true, the gear couldn't move without power. "Unless...what if...hmm..." Seth thought to himself. He slowly walked in front of the gear, which had returned to its inactive kneeling position, and stood about five feet in front of it. He stood there for a minute or two, and nothing happened. Then he called upon his abilities, causing his flame of etherial power to flow freely. Suddenly, the gear activated again, standing in the upright ready position. Seth tried getting it to move by thinking at it, but nothing happened. It just stood there. "Okay. I get it...I think." He said. Seth turned off his flames, and the gear again lost power. Seth checked the fuel tanks again, and indeed there was nothing inside. Which only meant one thing. Seth's power had fueled the gear, if only for a short time. But how was that possible? The slave generator only runs off of the energy generated by the Zohar Modifier, which was somewhere on the planet if it had survived the Eldridge's self destruction. (A sudden flash of memory, like deja' vu)..."You know better than that, Seth." Seth shook his head, trying to remember the voice from his dream. It was that naked chick that said it. Seth remembered dreaming of her...and of the Modifier! Did it have something to do with this? He finally decided he must be delusional. Weird dreams and prophecies from beautiful naked chicks didn't happed to guys like Seth. He was just a lost geek with some weird powers and an even weirder vulnerability because of them. He was the tool guy that repaired stuff for the real heroes. At least, that was what he'd end up being soon, now that Zak has a gear. Seth sighed and used his pocket knife to close the gear's engine cover, and sat back down, waiting for Zak to return, and hoping that Beth and Ruth were all right in Bledavik. SUMMARY: Seth plays with Zak's gear a little bit, and discovers something odd about his powers. His dream of the Mother may have something to do with it, but Seth simply dismisses it as wishful thinking. -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> Get FREE long-distance phone calls on Tellme! Dial 1-800-555-TELL, say "Phone Booth" http://click.egroups.com/1/9532/3/_/529963/_/970718579/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: condorjo@chickmail.com Date: Thu, 05 Oct 2000 21:07:40 -0000 Subject: [DeM] [DeM_Story] Picking up the Pieces [Marien, Rivian] [OOG: my apolgies is this comes up twice... egroups didn't seem to accept my last post. >.<; Don't shoot!] "Picking up the Pieces" Yggdrasil August 8, V-498 Daytime [OOG: I'm baa-aa-aack. Miss me? ^.~ This is sort of a filler post until we can get situated with the can of fanny-whuppin the Ygg's about to encounter.] Summary: Marien's side of a conversation. The vagaries of the Yggdrasil's climate control system. Mending fences. ~~~~~~~ Marien hadn't realized the Ygg's cooling and air recirculation system had taken a dirt nap until Rivian had started to complain, loudly, that he might perish from the discomfort. He had lost track of time under the lights of the gear dock, stripping off the ruined sections of Ymir's armor and working with the repair crew to try and bring the silver giant back to normal functioning. "It's TOO DAMN HOT IN HERE!" Rivian's clear tenor cut through the hiss and grind and bang of pneumatic tools from where he stood on the catwalk that ran past the Gear's ankles, to where Marien and Demitrius were welding a new section of supports in Ymir's newly reconstructed arm, more than 40 feet above. Dem flipped up his welding mask and wiped his forehead, as though processing the information. ".....Captain's right." He said dourly. "Best I go check on that." "I'M SUFFOCATING DOWN HERE, DAMNIT! Not to mention the rest of the crew.. The damn bear, for all I care, can.. But I'm sure everyone else'd prefer not to!" The bony engineer swung from the sling back to the gantry, and looked significantly back at Marien. "Give it a rest for now. Heatstroke." And that was the end of that. Marien sighed, setting his own welding mask on an unfinished strut, and pulled himself back up on the gantry as well. His shirt clung to him like an annoying houseguest, and the minute his feet were back on the metal grating, he could feel Cyrils' fetid warm breath on his neck. "Knock it off, PLEASE?" he hissed between clenched teeth as he waited for the lift to return. "Well, I can't hover around you on that sling.. You fall and get yourself killed, I have to find another lackey who can see me." The dead King offered unapologetically, with a dry leaf rasp of a laugh. "Too much trouble." "Gee. Thanks ever so much." He leaned against the metal supports of the lift, hoping for some coolness against his skin, but it was just as warm and clammy as everything else. Rivian was waiting for him at the bottom. "It's looking better, Maryanne.." he said appreciatively. In the massive dock, the pale Gear had reclaimed it's bay across from Furis, it's shadow-black twin, and flanked by Vundrel and the lavender gear Elly had called Clorys. Marien nodded, transfixed enough for the moment to let the dig on his name slip for once. "You're not gonna help Demitrius with the cooling system?" He said, suddenly startled that the boy was still there. "Hell, no. I'm the captain!" Rivian jabbed himself in the chest with his thumb. "I'm way above petty maintenance stuff." He rocked back on his heels for a moment. "Besides. Last time I tried to help, Dem threw me out." He gave Marien a sheepish smile. "So. What's the deal with those chicks you played white knight for?" The question was asked in the most nonchalant tone Rivian could muster, curiosity glittering in the deep blue eyes. Marien shrugged, grabbing his cloak from where he'd left it draped by Ymir's foot and wiping his face on it. "I don't know." He trailed off. "Kandi's been keeping an eye on them. They're my responsibility, though.. I brought them onboard.." "That's quite a piece of hardware." The boy made an offhand gesture to the lavender Gear as they walked past it, towards the stairs. "I don't trust her, you know." "You don't trust anyone." Marien snapped, suddenly irritable from the heat. Rivian bristled slightly, then shook his head. "It's true." He toyed with the wilting red feather braided into his hair. "I'm gonna have Drake bring us topside until Dem gets this thing fixed." Marien waved him off, turning to go to the infirmary instead. "Fer god's sake, sparky.. When are you going to tell him?" Cyril's bony feet tapped like the nails of a dog on the smooth floor of the corridor, as opposed to the quiet squeak of Marien's rubber soled boots. "I'm not. What good is it going to do? You saw what happened to Bledavik... even if he believes me, which he probably wouldn't... the city is occupied by Kislev." He would've said more, but he found himself staring directly at Kandi at the infirmary door. "Who're you talking to?" She asked, with an expression that indicated her now long-standing belief that Marien required serious anti-psychotic drugs.. An attitude that so far had seriously hampered his ability to ask her on what passed for a date on a sand ship. "Erm. Myself." He offered lamely, giving her his best crooked smile. Which she patently did NOT buy. "The girls are inside. Kyoko's come around." She said with a certain amount of pride in a job well done. Marien left her to her work, and went into the infirmary proper, a sudden chill trembling down his spine. There was an echo lingering here... of heavy ether.. Elly's? He wasn't sure but even Cyril made a grunt , leaning against an IV stand. "Something stinks in here." He nodded, rubbing his arms against the chill he felt inside. "Elly.." he announced himself before getting too close, not wanting to startle her. "I heard Kyoko was awake, finally." He smiled down at the girl on the cot, and her dark eyes widened. He realized then he'd pulled his hair back when working on Ymir, and the white runnels of scar tissue that corded the side of his face were clearly visible. His smile faltered, and he ducked his head out of habit. "I'm Marien. I'm pleased to finally make your acquaintance." Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: "Alex Groden" Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2000 01:38:29 -0000 Subject: [DeM] Reunion and Questions A Reunion with Questions - August 21, V-498 [OOG: I didn't want this to be really long so I'm gonna split it up, ok? Basically I thought it was time for an inventory post (plus I had some time to kill), sort of a recap. I think I'll do this again, every now and then... coolness.] "We're here," Alex said, pressing the open button on his console. Messenger's chest slowly slid open and the bright sun spilled into the cockpit. Alex smiled into the familiar sunlight. Sighing, he jumped down and tumbled into the sand. It was a good feeling. "Why are we so far away?" Cali asked, landing softly. "Because," Alex said, "the last two times we got close to a city they attacked us. Remember? I dunno, I think they picked us up on their scanners or something. Although why they would want Messenger is beyond me. And I also don't know why they are suddenly after Messenger and they weren't before. As far as I know my family has never had any problems." "Family?" Cali asked, taking the two lighter bags. "Yeah," Alex said, "Messenger is the family gear. He's been passed down for I-don't- know-how-long. But he's still a great gear, not outdated in the least. Though, as you can tell, I'm probably gonna have to invest in a cloaking system for him. Unless I can find some other way to conceal him so he's not always under scrutiny." "You sure do know a lot about gears, Alex," Cali said. "I ought to, I've spent my whole life with this one, and when I traveled with my father we had to make our own repairs. Then again, that's also where I got most of my four letter words from." Alex chuckled, thinking of his suppressed laughter when he was younger and his father lost parts or tools. "Cool," Cali said, "I'd like to know how to piolet him. That is, if you will teach me?" "Hey, of course!" Alex smiled, "I was wondering when you'd ask. There aren't many people who would refuse to learn how to piolet a giant robot, there's just a coolness about it that's irresistible." "Hey, how come Messenger comes even when you don't call it?" Cali asked. "I..." Alex stopped. "Heh... well, I don't really know. He's never done it before, I guess I can put that under my `ask parents' list." "I was just wondering," Cali said, looking back, "it's almost like he can tell when we need him. And it's also like he can tell when we don't. Remember what La'Grant said? Messenger will only destroy." "Yeah..." Alex sighed, "it's hard to forget. Sometimes I wonder if La'Grant was just lying to get at me. But then, I think of that island in the Aquavey area, and I wonder what really happened... I just can't get it out of my mind." "Don't worry about it," Cali said, clasping on to Alex's arm, sensing that he was getting uneasy, "everything is ok. There won't be any problems any more, we can settle down after this and do whatever. There won't be any more reason to worry." "I thought we were going to find out why we were being drawn together?" Alex said, looking over, "don't you wanna know?" "Alex," Cali said, stopping, "I frankly don't care any more. Why does it matter why were together? What matters is that we are together, right?" "Yeah, I enjoy every second of it, too," Alex said, taking Cali's hand, "but I can't help thinking that whatever was trying to get us together had a /reason/. Don't you think? I mean, why would we be drawn together unless fate had something in store for us." "And maybe we were just supposed to be happy together?" Cali said. "I won't presume to know what we are supposed to do," Alex said, "I guess we'll just see, won't we?" "Yes, we'll see alright. Then I'm gonna nail you down and we'll spend the rest of our lives like that if we have to," Cali said smirking. "You'll have to get some big nails," Alex said laughing as Cali hugged him. Alex walked into his house. He had taken the back way into the city, not knowing if he was still wanted from his run in last time he was here. He walked through the city walls, it was cooler in the shade, and the sound of the well and the dripping of the faucet down the grate were music to his ears. Alex began to whistle the familiar tune that came to his ears as he neared the square, his low sound playing harmony with the music. While Alex was happily home, Cali was in awe at the hustle- bustle of the large city. She looked this way, looked that way, trying not to miss a single site. And there were many, from the very simple tents with sweets and toys for children to the large smithy shops, with all the amazing armor and weapons on display, they were colored in deep reds and blues and golds, and all were utterly fantastic to her. Cali wondered at the square, with the stream running out from the huge rock and the green grass in the middle of this vast desert. Cali saw the fire-breathes in the square, and Alex tossed a few coins to them. One stopped and welcomed him back, offering him a try at the flames. Alex declined, maybe later, he said. "Hey Alex," someone in the street said, he was selling fruits, "long time no see! Boy have you missed a lot!" "What?" Alex said, coming closer, "come on, I haven't been gone for /that/ long, have I Mr. Helms?" "You should go say hi to your parents," he said, "they can tell you better than me." "That was strange," Alex said, walking away, "wonder what he was talking about." It was all just a dream, right? Alex thought to himself. Alex quickened his pace... "Mom? Dad?" Alex called when he opened his door. He put his jangling keys back into his pack and set it on the floor, "hey, where is everybody?" Alex went to his kitchen, flipping on his lights. He sighed at the slight mess in the dishwasher. "Mom... Dad?" Alex called again, heading up the stairs. "Mom?" Alex's voice penetrated the door's thick wood, "dad? Come on, are you guys going deaf or something?" "Honey?" "...He's home..." "Alex?" a lady poked her head out of the thick door. "Oh, boy, just when I was starting to enjoy my retirement," Alex father stepped out behind his mother. "Just when I was starting to enjoy yelling at the top of my lungs," Alex said, hugging his mother, "what's up with ya'll? Is your hearing going since you don't have to listen to me?" "As I recall we never had to try real hard to listen to you," Alex's dad hugged him, "you were always the loudest thing in the house." "And who's this?" Mrs. La'Grant said, looking as Cali stepped from her safely hidden position. "She Cali Hail, my guest," Alex said, "Cali," her ears perked up at her name, "this is my mom, and this is my dad. Mom, dad, this is Cali." "Hello Mr. and Mrs. La'Grant, it's a pleasure to meet you," Cali bowed, her hair falling down her face as she bent. "Is this your new friend?" Mrs. La'Grant said, "she's very pretty. And she's got manners, just like a young lady!" "Wow, Alex," Mr. La'Grant said , "you know, when I was your age..." Alex's mom looked at him sternly, "I didn't ever have a girl friend. And I never looked at other girls." Alex and Cali both burst out laughing at the display of authority. "What?" Alex's dad shrugged. "Alex," Mr. La'Grant said as they walked down the stairs, "did you hear about what happened?" "What happened?" Alex said. No, he thought, but I have a pretty good idea. Thank god you guys weren't hurt... "Well," his father said, "a very bad thing happened, and it's really gotten your mother and me thinking about moving or something." "Moving?" Alex said, "it would take a lot to move you, what happened?" "It happened a while ago, and they have already caught the person guilty of starting it. She's sentenced to death. But I don't think that it will help the situation any. They're terming it the Belvidek Massacre..." "Insanity," Alex said, "pure insanity. Why would anyone want to do such a thing?" "I don't know," Alex's mom said, "but I'm sure it won't happen again. They've already taken the criminal to justice. It was just a fluke." "But that is not the extent of it," Alex's father said, "it has put us in a dangerous position. I can sense the turmoil that this town is heading for." "It's just your overactive imagination, honey," Alex's mom said, "your just turning into a worrywart in your old age." "Dad may have a point, mom," Alex said. Strangely, he felt it too. "So, dad," Alex said, helping him wash the dishes, "I need a few questions answered, if you don't mind." "Of course son," Mr. La'Grant said, "we were anticipating this, but your mother and I wanted you to make up your own mind about things." "What?" Alex said, "you knew?!?" "Ha, of course, I am your old man, after all," Mr. La'Grant said. "So then..." Alex lost his words. "Alex, let me tell you a little story..." Mr. Lagrant said, "it's about the birds and the bees, now see, the..." "//Hold it!//" Alex snapped, "you think I want to know about /sex/?!?" "Well, son," Mr. La'Grant said, "you brought home this girl...." "Of for crying out loud," Alex said, slapping his forehead, "dang it, don't ever do that again! Jeeze I thought I was on to something here, /dad/,what up with this stupid man to man stuff your starting? Gah, the birds and the bees, jeeze, I can't believe this...." "The title, I knew it, every kid dreads it. It's become a regular punch line, hasn't it?" "No dad," Alex said rolling his eyes, "your completely missing the point! Ohh boy..." "Oh, well, never mind," Alex's father shrugged and went back to the dishes. "The birds and the bees... jeeze man!" Alex mumbled and rolled his eyes, drying the plates as he was handed them. "...And after we went to Nisan, I got better," Cali said, "Alex saved my life, I'll never forget that. I owe him one." "But I have you to thank, because if you hadn't jumped over Alex might have been blinded or worse. It was a far stronger thing you did to jump in front of a blast like that for a complete stranger!" Mrs. La'Grant said. "That's the thing, it didn't seem like Alex was a complete stranger, I felt like I had know him for... well, forever," Cali said. "That's amazing," Mrs. La'Grant said, "and your pendants, they are the same?" "Yes ma'am," Cali said, leaning over so Alex's mom could look again. "Wonderful!" She said, "this is amazing. Keep going." "Well, after Nisan, he took me back to my home town, Liggle," Cali said. "Where's that again?" Alex's mother asked. "You know the tip of land closest to Nisan, by the mountains the form the boarder of Kislev? We are there, by a spring we call Dreamer's Den." "Ah," Mrs. La'Grant said, leaning back. "Well, anyway, Liggle was damaged, but Alex wanted to help, so we went to a town in Kislev, and there we met a nice lady named Mrs. Lenfal, and her late husband was a carpenter and she knew a lot of people that could help us out, so we took her to Liggle and now she lives there. But when we got back my mother was very sick, they said there wasn't a cure for her disease." "Oh dear," Mrs. La'Grant put her hand to her mouth. "Oh, it's ok," Cali smiled, "Alex didn't believe a word they said! He was determined to find a cure so we went and visited his uncle in Nortune and then we went to a medical place and the Kislev forces were after us but Alex knew just what to do! He piloted Messenger to the front lines of Ahev and they let him pass because they knew you guys and they wouldn't let the Kislev forces in! They went back and then we went and gave the cure to my mother! She's fine now." "That's a relief," Alex's mom said. "Yeah, tell me about it," Cali said, "well, after that Alex helped repair the city while my mother and I got better, and by the time I was awake the city was almost repaired! We're done now, and Alex felt like he had to pay you a visit. He really missed you both when he was away from you." "Wow," Mrs. La'Grant sighed, "it sounds like you two have been through a lot." "Dinner!" Alex said, poking his head out of the kitchen, "everyone hurry and eat, I've got a lot of questions!" [Summary: Alex and Cali arrive in Belvidek, Cali meets Alex's parents, and Alex learns of the massacre, having his dreams confirmed. Now Alex and Cali sit down to dinner, and Alex has plans. Next: Down Time.] -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> Dial 1-800-555-TELL -- You Won't Believe Your Ears! For more details, click here: http://click.egroups.com/1/9537/3/_/529963/_/971228318/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: "Cloud Strife" Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2000 00:09:33 EDT Subject: [DeM] Re: New Day, New Job (Sere) (OOG: Phew, it's taken me quite a while, but I've been really busy. He is Sere's next post and hopefully she'll be able to get involved in the events in Beldavik. Well see ya laterz!) New Day, New Job (Sere) -------------------------------------- August 20, V-498 - Early Afternoon - Dazil, Aveh -------------------------------------- After spending four days in Dazil Sere decided that it was time to move on and go someplace else. She just didnt feel right staying in one place for too long, it wasnt like her. The problem was she had nothing important to do and, therefore, nowhere to be off to. She walked back to the inn that she was staying at and went up to her room. As Sere began to pack her things for her next road trip she thought back to all the things that had happened in the last month or so. She had met Adin Senka of Solaris and they had kind of hit it off, but she wasnt sure how it was all going to end. Especially since she hated Gebler and all that it stood for, but she couldnt help sense warmth from Adin unlike any other Gebler soldier. Even still, Sere felt she should keep her distance, for her feelings had been wrong before and she hoped that the bad feeling she had welling up inside her was nothing more than that: A bad feeling. Sere began to reminisce once again about the past. After saving Adin the first time in Kislev, Sere had come across Robert Solvario. To her, he seemed like an arrogant, self-righteous bastard but she had always been told not to judge people on first impressions. Maybe he was really a nice guy, but the way he acted made it seem like her saying, maybe rattlesnakes arent poisonous. That made her smiled for the first time in the last couple of days. After him unintentionally almost burning her alive, Sere didnt know how to judge him. Sere didnt really get much of a chance to get to know Solvario before he and Gebler began to tear apart the whole city. She had taken off, but still got into a fight and one shell never forget. Adin had blindsided her and attacked her from behind. He fought like a madman; it was almost as if he had no control over himself, but Sere couldnt be sure. She had heard about the drug called Drive used by the soldiers in Gebler to enhance their fighting ability. Sere had also heard that it had some terrible and painful side effects. She believed that it was those side effects that ending the battle early, luckily for her. Adin had been about to tear both her and her gear apart, but he had fallen out of his gear in pain and she had gone to help him. Thats when he told her to meet him in Dazil. They had their little meeting and now she had been in the town for four days contemplating what to do. Thats when she decided to leave the room and go for a coffee in the nearest café before she left the town and moved on into the unknown once again. Ah, the life of a wanderer, Sere thought as she walked to the café. Yeah, right! You make it sound good, but you cant help thinking how your life would have been if things had been different. Sere stepped into the small café and was immediately hit by the smell of cheap cigar smoke and rich coffee. As she sat down she thought back to the last comment she had made to herself. What have you been doing all these years Sere? Do you even believe that hes still alive after all this time? she questioned herself, but one word, a name, kept reappearing in her mind, Garret... Sere knew she shouldnt blame herself, but the memory of that last night kept haunting her in her dreams and memories, or what little she had of them. While she was lost in thought, Sere never noticed someone coming over and sitting across from her. He had ordered something from a waitress and them began to speak making Sere jump and almost spill her coffee. So...howve ya been? the person asked. Jesus, Drake. Could ya at least warn me before you do that to me? It would at least save me from one less heart attack! Sere replied forcefully, but with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Its good ta see you too, Drake smiled back. Sorry, Ive just been on edge lately. A lot of things have happened to me and Im just kinda jumpy, ya know. She said with a smirk. I can see that. You cant even hold you mug without it shaking like a 10 on the Richter scale! Ha ha ha, he joked. Aw shut up! Im not that bad. Look, if you wanna make jokes at someone go somewhere else Im not in the mood, Sere crossed her arms and looked away. Alright, alright! I surrender, Drake, mocked a criminal putting his hands up. Seriously, what did you really come to talk to me about? She took a serious tone and business look. You can read me like a book. Ah well, I guess I better tell you now. There seems to be a large gathering of forces moving towards Beldavik, but no one seems to know why or what their purpose is. I bet you can guess what your job is gonna be, he broke into a grin. Heh, so Im supposed to infiltrate Beldavik and see whats going on? Sounds like a plan, but whats the price? Sere asked with a smirk, thinking that the job would be too easy. 1,000,000. Flat, no extras. Just get the job done and bring the info back, Drake had become serious. That much!! For such an easy job, why? I mean its just a simple grab of info and then Im gone. What makes this job any different from others? She was beginning to get suspicious. Thats all the information I was given, he replied nonchalantly. Dammnit, Drake! Dont lie to me! I aint gonna walk into no stinking trap. This has a distinct smell and it aint good. What makes you think that I would take this job? Tell me that! Sere was extremely angry. You gotta trust me on this one Sere! Have I ever let you down? Look I got some inside info that your brother was spotted there as well...I just didnt wanna get your hopes up and then you dont find him. Just be careful because youre right, something definitely does smell funny and I dont like it one bit, Drake got up and left money on the table for both him and Sere. Thanks for looking out for me. Youre the only thing I got left thats close to family, Sere smiled and got up walking past him, leaving the café. That night Sere pondered the mission shed been given and why there was so little information given to her about it. She put on her trench coat and walked downstairs, handing the key to her room to the innkeeper and thanking him before walking out into the starless night. She walked to her gear stationed just outside Dazil and got in. As she began to move towards Beldavik, she kept getting the feeling of the premonition shed been having for a while now and this time she was going to listen to it. (Summary: Sere thinks back to all the things that have happened in the past month and then meets her long-time trusted friend and fellow mercenary Drake. He gives her a new job, but she has a bad feeling that something big is going to happen.) _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com. Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: "Joseph Hicks" Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2000 20:06:03 EDT Subject: [DeM] Loose ends Zak strolled his way on into the Sand People camp, cool as could be. Although he spoke brokenly, he spoke several languages- just never figured out the syntax. So he looked around, and saw one of the braver sould walking to him. "Ok, smart guy, where leader? Chief? I need talk him." The young man looked at him inquisitively, and then turned to run- he was way out of his league- but Zak grabbed him by the back of his suit. "You will take me- I meet him on his ground." Zak was taken to the chief. "&^%$#@#% *&%$#$^* (*^$%%&%##...?" "Yes. Me friendly. Fuel for tin can?" The Chief looked puzzled. "&^%#$^^$$%^&^%^&...?" "Big Mecha thingy. Look like person- is huge, though. Big spear..?" The chief looked pleased as understanding dawned visibly on him. He conveyed that Zak should follow him...and strolled over to a huge tent. They entered, and the Chief gave Zak some rather large blocks. "$#%&^&%^^##^&%#$%&...! #$%^$$^^##%^$#^*(*%^*^#~~!@...?" Zak smiled- success!They'd be back in Bledavik in no time. "Thank you. May children be many, and pickings be good." The chief looked vaguely insulted, but shook his head, and waved Zak off- Maybe he was hearing things...nah. the weirdo said it, he just didn;'t know that he had told the Chief to pick his children's noses. Zak headed on back to the Tak, Fuel in hands. He gave the fuel to a slightly shocked Seth- literally, Seth appeared to have been struck by lightning, actually- But there was probably a good reason for that. He fueled up the Tak, and away the two went- Zak was driving now, he was really getting the feel for it. (Summary- Zak isn't as good at language as he thinks he is, and the two leave for Bledavik.) _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com. Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~END Archive 50~~