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| __NOTOC__
| | #REDIRECT[[Ghosts - IRC]] |
| {{HideTitle}}
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| <center>
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| <h1>{{PAGENAME}}</h1>
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| <h3>by EWC</h3>
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| </center>
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| <hr>
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| <pre>The Setting: the badlands of Tortuna, among the ruins of
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| the slaughtered Tortunian people...
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| * Mel^ turns the lights down low....
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| The plot: the rangers have crash-landed out there, and
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| night is falling...
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| <mel^> why where they there in the first place???
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| Did Goose pilot again?
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| <mel^>
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| Investigation of Queenie's latest sceeme. Why else?
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| Ah!
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| * Bruinhilda nods to Jessica
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| <mel^> just wanted to know specifics. :)
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| <mel^> get the feel...
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| We'll leave the crown troopers out of it for this story.
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| :)
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| And assume they crashed undetected.
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| <mel^> okay :)
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| Thank you -- no fake Western accents need apply!
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| <mel^> they have sometype of stealth thing on ranger one anyway who all
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| is in it???
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| All four. Should we include the ambassadors?
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| Hmmm...
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| Warum nicht?
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| Why not?
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| <mel^> Zozo running around scared out of his mind.... :)
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| All right, then. :) All six.
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| Coolness!
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| And Waldo not buying it until he gets hit.
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| <mel^> okay lets see here do you have an opening idea???
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| How about all 6 staggering out from a crashed Ranger One?
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| <mel^> Goose wouldnb't really buy it either neither would Zach
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| <mel^> Doc and Zozo would be the first :)
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| Ranger One is wrecked, buried halfway in sand. An
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| incredible storm is on the horizon, and threatening to engulf our heroes
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| if they don't reach shelter.
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| The team looked at the remains of their cruiser.
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| Ranger-1 had come in hard, but at the last moment,
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| Goose and Zach had managed to pull the nose up and
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| belly out onto the hard scrub.
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| Nearby are some ruins of the Tortunian people..
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| and Doc would be saying he doesn't believe as he hides under
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| his bed!!!
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| Let us begin. :)
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| With CK's line.
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| "Come on, guys," Zach said sternly as everyone rose and
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| checked themselves over for broken bones.
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| "Goose," Doc said. "*Are* you capable of flying without
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| crashing the ship?"
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| <mel^> goose stood close to their fallen craft looking at the wreckage
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| "any landing you can walk away from..." Niko commented.
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| <mel^> "I can't tell not in this light" he said glareing up at the
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| clouds and seeing signs of the coming storm
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| "Or stagger, at least," Zach commented wryly. They were
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| all a little unsteady on their feet
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| "We have to scanvenge what we can," Waldo said. "Im afraid
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| our craft is a total loss. And to prevent the Crown from getting the
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| hyperdrive..."
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| "Yeah, but I had to give you something to complain about"
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| Goose growled at Doc.
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| "...we're going to have to blow it up. Wonderful."
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| "All right, grab what you can and take shelter. That storm's
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| coming up fast," Zach orders.
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| "Goose, Niko, get the horses. Doc, get the emergency
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| beacon out."
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| Zach sighed, and looked at his ruined ship. "I'll see
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| about putting the ship out of it's misery."
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| "Give them the easy job...." Doc griped ashe clambered over the
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| wreak.
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| Waldo staggered to his feet. "Allow me, Captain. I know
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| the engine best."
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| Within five minutes, Triton, Mel, Voyager, and Brutus were
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| pulled from the wreck. It took Doc a bit more time to activate the
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| beacon, as it was buried under what used to be the storage lockers.
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| <mel^> mounting the horses they scanned the horizen for shelter...
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| Finally, though, he dragged it from underneath, and carried
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| it outside.
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| "Beacon's on - let me cleck over the horses, they might have been
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| damaged in the crash." Doc said, brushing dust and dirt from his hands.
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| "Everybody out?" asked Zach.
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| Several meters distant, a series of three-story buildings rise
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| from the sand dunes. They're obviously in poor shape, but it's the
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| closest shelter.
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| "That ghost town over there looks promising," said Goose. "It
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| might hold up against the storm, and it beats standing out here like
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| Plagos."
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| "we're going to stay 'there'?" Zozo asked, a tremor in his voice.
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| "Start heading for it. I'll be right behind you."
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| The structures appear to be the worn-down remains of suberbs, as
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| broken furniture and ancient vehicles silently attest too. Still, they've
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| held up through worse disasters.
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| "What's wrong with there, Zozo?" asked Doc
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| <mel^> Zach took a last glance at ranger one and "said it's the best we
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| can to lets move out..."
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| Voyager was unhappy about heading towards the ghost town.."It
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| might have bugs" she complained.
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| "It might be haunted." Zozo said, clutching at Waldo's cloak.
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| They mounted the horses, Waldo sharing Brutus with Zach, and
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| Zozo riding with Niko on Mel.
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| "Kiwi and their superstitions..." sighed Waldo.
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| "Why should YOU worry?" Doc asked Voyager. "Your systems are
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| sealed tight against darn near anything!"
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| "what are ghosts?" Voyager asked Doc.
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| "Zozo! There are no such things as ghosts. Now, stop
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| being silly, and let's get under cover."
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| "I don't like spiders, Wilbur. Creeps me out, that's all."
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| "Insubstantial images of past lives." Doc replied
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| Waldo sighed as Zach helped him up. "Kiwi!" he muttered. =20
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| "they sound creepy!" Voyager said.
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| "Worried more about ghosts, than about joining the
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| unliving.."
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| Doc sighed. "It's gonna be a loooong night..."
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| Goose and Trition ride ahead. They stop before a structure in
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| the center of town. "This structure is the most stable, Goose," the
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| cybersteed says.
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| <mel^> Goose turned and glared at the Kiwi saying "if there ARE ghost
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| all your noise will tell them we are coming a mile away now frankly I'm
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| not worried about that but if there is anyone else taking shelter there I
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| don't want your jabbering warning them we are comeing"
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| The wind picked up, blowing a wave of gritty sand against them.
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| "Let's ride." Zach ordered.
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| <mel^> "Goose is right lets keep quiet as we get closer and keep your
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| eyes peeled for anything." Zach agareed...
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| The sand seemed to be right on their heels, barely outrunning
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| the waves of sand that looked like good ocean waves.
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| "what do ghosts look like Wilbur??" Voyager asked
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| "What do you think they look like, Voyager?" Doc replied
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| "Like you??" She answered
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| <mel^> "Doc" zach repremanded... "lets keep quiet"
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| "Gee, how flattering," Doc answered her, quietly.
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| Doc looked at Niko, who gave him a small grin. "Yes, Voyager. All
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| ghosts look like me, charming, intellectual, and very snappy dressers."
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| "I'll download a file into your memory banks later, girl.
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| "Then why are people scared of them?"
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| Goose glared at Doc and rolled his eyes, Niko couldn't
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| suppress a giggle.
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| "why Zach? Are you frightened of them too?" Voyager asked
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| Zach
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| "Will you two keep it down-" Zach hissedas they rode ino the
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| remains of the burg.
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| "Ego intimidation, of course."
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| <mel^> they moved ahead into the old dilapidated town Goose moved ahead
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| scouting out what wwas left of the town...
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| A sudden bang spun them all around, but it was just a flap of metal
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| slamming arounf in the wind.
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| A lot of dust swirled around them as they moved down the
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| streets, but nothing else moved
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| <mel^> after a moment Goose road back "It looks all clear captain,
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| nothing here but that building ahead looks stable enough"
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| "Then we'll use that. We don't have time to be picky."=20
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| Zach gestured to the storm overhead.
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| "If that's the ritz, let me call our travel agent, I want a
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| refund." Doc muttered.
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| Niko took a deep breath. "That place used to be a hotel..."
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| Her voice was distant. She looked back up.
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| Doc grinned. "Maybe there's still a guestbook we can
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| sign.
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| "You sense anything, Niko?" Zach asked.
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| "Humans and Kiwi," Waldo muttered. "How did I earn this?"
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| <mel^> Zach nodded "lets move into the bottem floor and you can check
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| out the rest once we get inside"
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| "You decided to fly to Earth, that's how." Zozo replied.
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| Niko nodded. "Yes, but I didn't want to. This used to be the
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| business district. It was crowded when the Queen's bombs hit. A lot of
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| bad energy."
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| "Ghosts." Zozo said.
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| As the group went indoors, their footsteps creaked on the rotted
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| wood. This place was now half-covered in sand, with more blowing through
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| the cracks in the wall.
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| "Ohh Ghosts!!" squeeled Voyager happily.
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| "Sounds unprofessional," said Niko. "But I'm inclined to
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| agree."
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| <mel^> "well we need the shelter this place is as good as any" zach
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| nodded to niko as the group dissmounted and moved into the bottem of the
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| vacent motel.
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| "If I recall correctly, Zozo, and I usually do, going to
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| Earth was YOUR idea, not mine," Waldo said primly.
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| The wind began to howl outside as the storm began to sweep over thr
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| ruined town. "Goose, we'd better secure the doors and windows to stop the
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| sand blowing in. "Zach said.
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| A third of the doors and windows were beyond repair, bu the rest
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| got secured quickly.
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| <mel^> "Gott it captain" Goose said wrestleing with the old windows...
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| "Right," Goose said, as the pair rode Triton and Brutus up to
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| the hotel front door, and walked in.
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| "picky, picky." Zozo shot back, his eyes wide as he tried to look
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| everywhere at once, ever alert for his spectres.
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| <mel^> once they had the place shut up tight they began to look
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| around...
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| "Hey look, an old terminal."
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| The hotel was in surprisingly good shape for it's age, and
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| location.
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| "Doc said as he brushed the dust off a rusted metal object with a
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| broken glass front.
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| Tattered white cloth covered some of the surviving furniture and
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| windows. A dusty ledger stood on the remains of the front desk. The
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| stairs were rickety, but manageable.
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| Niko walked over to the desk, and carefully opened the ledger. A
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| cloud of dust slowly rose as she brushed one of the pages clean. "This
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| place is over 200 years old." She said.
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| "If it still works, see if you can pick up ESPN," goose
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| suggested.
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| Zozo looked nervously around, with his senses on overdrive.
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| "Zozo.." Waldo put a hand on his shoulder, and the Kiwi
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| leaped 5 feet into the air.
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| "Y-Y-Yeah, Waldo?!?!?" he stammered.
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| "Darn it, Waldo, you scared me out of a year's growth! And I
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| can't afford any!"
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| "The Queen had occupied Tortuna for two hundred ten years. This
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| region would have been among the first to be hit when she invaded." Waldo
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| commented.
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| "Two hundred -- ?!" Zach exclaimed.
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| Waldo sighed, the Andorian equivient of rolling his eyes.=20
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| "Would you relax? There's nothing here that will harm you."
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| "He's right, Captain. This place is long-gone. The only thing we're
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| going to find here is tortunan Rats." Goose added.
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| "Rats?!" Excalamed Zozo. He started checking his feet.
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| Doc let out a yelp as a dog-sized hairy thing ran out from behind
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| the counte and scrabled up the stair.
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| "My Gooseman, you call THAT a rat!?!?"
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| "A tortunan Rat?" Niko said, looking after the vanished creature.
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| <mel^> Zozo looked around nervously as the others brought stuff in and
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| unpacked the horses. Glanceing down a hallway from the main room he
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| noticed a movement and froze in place not breatheing waiting for more
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| movement when there was none he turned to walk quickly back to the others
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| but out of the corner of his eye he again saw movement and froze with a
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| sinking feeling in his stomach he made a small crying noise and called
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| out for help "Ummm Goose, W
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| "Face didn't look right," Zach said.
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| <mel^> Zozo trying not to move nodded slightly with his head.
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| Goose pulled out the blaster and chot one that was charging
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| towards the party, leaving its friends to scatter. "Not anymore."
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| "They must grow them big out here." Goose said with a shrug. "Hey,
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| relax Doc. They don't normally eat thig bigger than they are. Zozo, you'd
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| better stick close to the rest of us though. You might be a tasty
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| morsel."
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| "Oh, great." the Kiwi sighed.
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| <mel^> Niko aimed her flashlight down the hall and saw a tall woman and
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| a small child standing next to her started she dropped the flasshlight
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| Zozo yelped, and jumped to Waldo's shoulders.
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| Goose spun around, blaster at the ready. "What?"
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| Zach and Doc stared in disbelief.
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| <mel^> Zozo Screamed and hid behind her "Lets get out of here!!!"
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| "I thought I saw..." Niko aimed the light again
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| "Guys, I saw something...I don't believe it."
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| Waldo, overbalanced, winmilled madly for a moment before
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| toppling....
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| <mel^> Niko laughed
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| "It's a picture!"
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| <mel^> "what are you laughing at Niko lets... huh??"
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| "not until the storm's over."
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| Goose walked down the corridor, then back to the main room.
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| "There's nothing down here, Niko."
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| Still laughing, she walked over. A full length portriat
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| stood against the wall.
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| <mel^> it's only a Mirror Zozo you where just wseeing your reflection=20
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| "
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| "I'm sorry. I saw this picture, and..."
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| Doc laughed out loud, easing some of the tension.
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| "And we're getting way too spooked. We have to stay here
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| all night, folks," Zach reminded them.
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| <mel^> "thats why it kept moveing" she smiled comphorting and handed him
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| the flashlight.
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| "We have at least ten hours before a ship from BETA can land and
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| find us. "Let's make the best of it, people." Dos suggested.
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| Doc suggested.
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| "Very real picture." Goose poked at it. "The artist knew
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| his stuff."
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| "My gooseman, the art critic." Doc added.
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| <mel^> "one of those Poe dolls will have that effect on you" goose said
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| rather simpley
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| "Let's check out the upper floors and basement, see how
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| well-secured they are... just in case," Zach suggested.
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| He walked back to the main room, leaving doc without a snappy
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| comeback.
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| Seeing Zozo's panicked look, he added "together".
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| Zozo breathed a sigh of relief.
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| "Hey guys, just remember what happened last time we thought
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| there were ghosts about?" Doc said. "Turned out to just be a suicidal
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| AI." He shook his head. "Bummer about Speck, though."=20
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| "So we'll think of that first," Goose said. "personally,
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| if it doesn't shoot, I'm not worried.
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| Suddenly all the lights in the room turned on.
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| "What if it bites you?" Niko teased
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| The six of them walked up the creaky stairs single-file, led
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| by Zach and his flashlight.
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| "I heal fast," Goose replied.
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| "Okay who found the light switch?" Zach asked
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| "Not me." "Nope." Uh-uh." "Ditto."
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| Zozo really started to look panicked.
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| "Th-then...w...who did?!"
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| Doc waved his hand in front of a small red light. The
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| lights dimmed in response.
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| The Kiwi took a deep breath.
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| The ancient ceiling lights crackled on and off, sparking as they
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| clung to life.
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| "Automatic lights. But still working after 200
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| years...that's eerie." Doc let his hand drop.
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| "Take out the ehole city block, and the lights still work.
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| The engineers deserve a good beer."
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| "Well, never look a gift horse in the mouth." Zach snapped
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| off his flashlight.
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| "Just one problem with that," Goose frowned, "Triton didn't
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| detect any intact power sources on our way here."
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| Maybe a generator in the basement?
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| "Lights don't require much power, Goose." doc replied.
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| Everyone looked at each other, then at Doc and Waldo, the two
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| most technically-inclined of the party.
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| "Possibly." Goose frowned. "Still..."
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| "They could use a superconducter, with connection to a generator a
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| distance away..." Waldo added.
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| "Maybe Triton had sand in his sensor array," Doc said.
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| "Almost undoubtedly a generator," Waldo said. "One I'd
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| like to have a look at. To work this well after so long..."
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| "Some intact solar cells on the roof, perhaps?"
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| "Very likely." Waldo said.
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| "Quiet!" Zach commanded, and everyone fell silent. =20
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| Thumps could be heard, very faintly.
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| "He and Goose were looking down the corridor. then everyone else
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| hard it, a steady tapping sound, much like fingernailson a surface.
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| "I heard something," the captain said. "Everyone else?"
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| Zozo's ears stood straight up and shiverred.
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| "Yeah," Goose replied as Niko nodded. Everyone drew their
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| blasters and snuck quietly towards the source of that sound.
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| Almost perversly, the thumps stopped, then started again,
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| on the opposite wall.
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| "I hope it' rats." Zozo whispered to Waldo.
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| Doc rolled his eyes. "Poltergeists, maybe?"
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| "I think we should me more worried about raiders," Goose
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| said.
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| "Maybe they're here for urban renewal," Doc replied.
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| "Raiders don't act subtly, my gooseman." Doc reminded him.
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| "some of 'em might be smart. Stay sharp."
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| Zach motioned for silence, then used hand signals for the group
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| to form a circle around the sound and move in.
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| They continued down the hallway. The thumping followed
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| them.
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| Goose slowly walked forwward andstood beside the wall, He pointed
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| to a section, and they could see tiny shivers in the dust that coincided
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| with the thumping.
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| He leveled his gun, then bellowed, "Come on out! Or we'll
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| shoot!"
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| The thumping stopped abruptly.
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| "Uh, now what?" asked Doc nervously.
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| Outside, the storm was banging hard against the walls. they
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| were holding up, but escape was going to be suicidal.
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| "Now we find out what's going on and take shelter," Zach
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| replied.
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| Suddenly, from downstairs, was a whinney of
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| "Wiiiiilllllbuuuuurr!"
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| Doc turned and raced down the hall.
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| Doc pushed his way past Waldo and Zozo, bolting down the
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| stairs.
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| He took the stairs three at a time, blaster ready.
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| | |
| Downstairs, all four houses were dancing around. Tiny
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| little things skittered all over them.
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| Goose was right behind him, with the rest of the team following
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| "What the --?!"
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| "Somebody call Orkin!!"
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| "Spiders!" Doc gaped in astonishment.
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| "Hold on, voyager, I'm herre!" doc cried, and brushed the thing
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| off. He pulled his hand back with a snarl. "It bit me!"
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| The others used the tattered cloths to knock the spiders off.
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| "Damn! Never a flamethrower around when you need one!"
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| Voyager was leaping, knocking over old furniture. She
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| looked about ready to crash through the doors.
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| "Me and my big mouth," Zozo muttered.
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| "Voyager, honey, now CALM DOWN. These spiders can't hurt
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| you, you're metal, remember?"
| |
| | |
| "Easy, Voyager, easy!" Doc grabber her reins.
| |
| | |
| "B-B-But they ITCH, Wilbuuuuuuuur!" She was ready to bolt.
| |
| | |
| "These do!" Doc had never seen a robot shudder before.
| |
| | |
| "Easy. They're gone. See?" =20
| |
| | |
| And they were. All the spiders vanished as if they had never been
| |
| there.
| |
| | |
| Voyager shuddered for a few more minutes, prancing around as her
| |
| tail swiped away imaginary spiders.
| |
| | |
| "What in the name of-" zach said, looking around in astonishment.
| |
| | |
| "All right. Someone's playing games, and I don't like it."
| |
| Zach glared around the room.
| |
| | |
|
| |
| | |
| "Holograms?" Asked Niko?
| |
| | |
| Doc raised an eyebrow. "Maybe. Let me see if I can trace
| |
| them..."
| |
| | |
| "Holograms don't bite." Doc held out his hand. "This hurts
| |
| like hell."
| |
| | |
| "A hologram doesn't do this." Docsaid, showing the swelling bit on
| |
| his hand.
| |
| | |
| Niko blinked, then grabbed the medkit from Mel's pack.
| |
| | |
| "What if they're controlled from a central location?" Waldo
| |
| asked.
| |
| | |
| "I'd like to know how." Goose picked up a dead one that
| |
| was still on the floor.
| |
| | |
| "This is organic, not cybernetic. Doc?" Goose handed it
| |
| to the hacker.
| |
| | |
| Doc pulled out his CDU with his good hand and manged to power up
| |
| the compact sensing unit.
| |
| | |
| "It's a spider, all right. A...Fenokee Acid Spider?" he
| |
| asked in astonishment
| |
| | |
| He looked at his hand again. The bite was bubbling the
| |
| skin around it.
| |
| | |
| Niko grabbed hishand and sprayed some medical foam on it. He sighed
| |
| as the anesthetic went to work.
| |
| | |
| Niko looked puzzled. "How did they get all the way here?" she
| |
| asked as she treated Doc's wound. "A shipping convoy lose them or=20
| |
| what?"
| |
| | |
| "Nobody in their right mind would ship these. They'd eat
| |
| the ship!"
| |
| | |
| "That leaves about a billion crazies in the universe,"
| |
| Goose quipped.
| |
| | |
| She raised an eyebrow. "Including the Queen -- but it still
| |
| doesn't make sense. She'd never let something like this get away."
| |
| | |
| "They could have been aboard a ship by accident. A few wandered
| |
| aboard during a landing, then got offwhen theship landed or crashed
| |
| here."
| |
| | |
| "Put that thing in a storage box," Zach ordered. If those
| |
| things are being shipped around, we could have a major problem down the
| |
| road."
| |
| | |
| Niko scooped the spider into a box and closed it, then slipped the
| |
| box into Mel's saddlebag.
| |
| | |
| "I'm sorry girl," Doc said as he patted Voyager. "You were
| |
| right, they were biting you."
| |
| | |
| Voyager pushed her head into his chest. "I want to leave,
| |
| Wilbur. Can't we stay somewhere else?"
| |
| | |
| The background howling suddenly tripled in intensity as the
| |
| sandstorm grows worse. The outer walls shaked slightly with their sheer
| |
| gale-force.
| |
| | |
| "There is nowhere else." goose said.
| |
| | |
| "'Fraid not, hon. Don't worry, we'll keep a watch out."
| |
| | |
| "It's gettig late." Zach said. "We'd better set up a watch and get
| |
| some rest."
| |
| | |
| "So much for privacy," Zach muttered. "All right, we'll
| |
| sleep down here."
| |
| | |
| "Triton, old boy, what do your scans say now about this
| |
| rat-trap?" Goose asked.
| |
| | |
| "Lots of rats." Replied the steed.
| |
| | |
| "Zozo, Niko, come with me. We'll strip some beds. The
| |
| rest of you, stay here."
| |
| | |
| "Where exactly?" Goose kept both hands on his blasters, just in
| |
| case.
| |
| | |
| "In the walls, in the ceiling, everywhere."
| |
| | |
| "Swell," Goose groaned. "So much for sleep. I'll never get any
| |
| now -- I'll take first watch."
| |
| | |
| Zach nodded, as he and the others walked upstairs again.
| |
| | |
| "I'll keep you company." Niko commented as she stood at the bottom
| |
| of thestairs.
| |
| | |
| "'Preciate it," Goose smiled. He stacked the furniture against
| |
| the cracks and holes in the walls to keep the storm out. He moved the
| |
| cybersteed by the front desk for more security.
| |
| | |
| Make that "cybersteedS."
| |
| | |
| By the time he'd fisished shifting the furniture, the others were
| |
| back with piled of dusty beedding.
| |
| | |
| "Rats and Spiders and Boogeymen, oh my," Doc whispered.
| |
| | |
| "That's what I like about you, Doc -- your incurable optimism,"
| |
| Goose smirked.
| |
| | |
| His eyes narrowed as he scanned the room for trouble, then began
| |
| his watch.
| |
| | |
| Niko sat on the counter, reading the old ledger, glancing around
| |
| occasionally.
| |
| | |
| After patrolling the room for a few minutes, Goose went up to
| |
| Niko. "You ever gone through anything like THIS before?"
| |
| | |
| "Not really," she admitted.
| |
| | |
| "Any legends, stories, tales about stuff like this?"
| |
| | |
| "On Bastuit we encountered similar things, but not on this
| |
| scale."
| |
| | |
| "What was on Bastuit?"
| |
| | |
| "Aside from Mogul and his spells?"
| |
| | |
| "Yep," he smiled.
| |
| | |
| Niko thought a moment. "there were...images. phantoms
| |
| that would appear and dissapear.
| |
| | |
| "Did you sense anything from them? Did they mean us any harm?"
| |
| | |
| We surmised they were aftereffects of Mogul's magic, but we wee
| |
| never really sure what they were.
| |
| | |
| "Some of them were violent, others were just...there. The
| |
| Basuiti are used to them."
| |
| | |
| She smiled. "Becka used to play with one. It never caused
| |
| any harm."
| |
| | |
| "So all these spooks aren't violent?"
| |
| | |
| the ones on Basuit, for the most part, weren't - thereweresome that
| |
| were, though." niko said.
| |
| | |
| "They rarely are. They're usually just images. Old mental
| |
| tapes, if you will."
| |
| | |
| "Okay... thanks, Niko." Goose resumed his patrol with a
| |
| thoughtful look on his face.
| |
| | |
| Zach and Waldo were the only ones who got any decent sleep. Doc
| |
| kept tossing and turning. Zozo's eyes were closed, but he was wide awake
| |
| with fear.
| |
| | |
| A few hours into their watch, Niko looked up, her brows wrinkled
| |
| with concentration, at a point on the ceiling.
| |
| | |
| Goose caught her expression. "What is it?"
| |
| | |
| "Something is watching us." She said
| |
| | |
| He took position before his sleeping friends. "Does it feel
| |
| familiar?"
| |
| | |
| "Not at all."
| |
| | |
| "UH-oh..." Goose nudged Zach and Doc with his foot. "Captain!
| |
| Doc! We've got company!"
| |
| | |
| "What is it?" Zach asked, wearily getting to his feet.
| |
| | |
| "We're being watched, Cap'n," Niko answered
| |
| | |
| Niko continued looking at the ceiling.
| |
| | |
| "Niko senses something -- and it ain't a friend!" Goose kept his
| |
| blasters out, trigger-fingers ready.
| |
| | |
| Doc pulled out the CDU and set it to wide scan. "No electrical
| |
| activity, aside from us, the horse,s and our eqquipment within a ten mile
| |
| radius."
| |
| | |
| Waldo and Zozo woke up. "More ghosts?" the Kiwi asked with
| |
| widened eyes.
| |
| | |
| A soft, but very deep noise rumbled through the room - an
| |
| unintelligible sound, like a deep bass note
| |
| | |
| "Sounds like whalesong," Goose remarked.
| |
| | |
| The sound played again, this time a bit clearer ... 'eve'
| |
| | |
| "'Eve?'" Zach asked. "Now what the devil does THAT mean?"
| |
| | |
| The storm's intensity suddenly died, and they clearly heard a very
| |
| deep voice say 'Leave'
| |
| | |
| "Leave?" questioned Doc.
| |
| | |
| "Y-you don't have to tell me twice." Zozo said, scrambling to his
| |
| feet and running towards the door.
| |
| | |
| "Good idea, except for those 100 mile an hour winds."
| |
| | |
| "Hey!" Goose yelled at the ceiling. "If you want us to leave,
| |
| fine! But tone those winds down a bit so we're NOT blown to pieces!"
| |
| | |
| ... "leave"
| |
| | |
| Goose glanced at Zach. "NOW what, Cap'n?"
| |
| | |
| "That does it." Zach pulled his blaster, and aimed it at
| |
| the ceiling.
| |
| | |
| "We're not going anywhere." Zach said with determination
| |
| | |
| "......leave....."
| |
| | |
| Zach fired.
| |
| | |
| Doc cocked his head, then turned to Niko. "If I didn't know better,
| |
| I'd swear that wasn't a real voice."
| |
| | |
| The blaster shot ripped a hole in the ceiling, unleaching a howling
| |
| noise and a blowing wave of gritty sand.
| |
| | |
| "I don't think it is, Doc," Niko answered slowly.
| |
| | |
| Zach prepared to fire again, but Goose stopped him, "Captain,
| |
| look."
| |
| | |
| The swirling sand took on the form of a figure,
| |
| | |
| The GRs moved in for a closer look.
| |
| | |
| Doc levelled the CDU at it. There's nothing there but sand and air.
| |
| No energy source, no magnetic field, nothing!"
| |
| | |
| With a howl, it lunged, and engulfed Niko.
| |
| | |
| "NIKO!" Gose shouted. He ran forward to grab her.
| |
| | |
| Wind howled through the room, blowing dust over all of
| |
| them.
| |
| | |
| Goose was beaten back.
| |
| | |
| "Niko! Can you hear us?" Zach shouted.
| |
| | |
| Niko stood unmoving, surrounded by the swirling sand. Herhair
| |
| flowing like a silky mane around her.
| |
| | |
| Niko shrieked, then turned ashen and moaned softly before
| |
| thew dust dispersed, all but tossing her to the floor.
| |
| | |
| The wind roared, and collapsed in on itself. Dust drifted
| |
| to the floor. Niko was gone.
| |
| | |
| Goose yelled out inconherently, and raced over to where she had
| |
| been a second ago,
| |
| | |
| "She's gone!" Zozo cried. "Where'd she go?"
| |
| | |
| "NIKO!" Goose screamed in shock, looking around frantically.
| |
| | |
| "Nothing on the scanners," Doc stammered.
| |
| | |
| Doc pulled out the CDU and tapped his badge. Immediately, lifeline
| |
| appeared. "lifeline, find the Series-5 implant for Niko. Find it now!"
| |
| | |
| The little icon-sprite flickered, and then shot off out the wall of
| |
| the building.
| |
| | |
| Zach did a quick scan of the nearby rooms. No Niko.
| |
| | |
| An agonising few minutes later, the sprite reappeared and
| |
| downloaded into the CDU. Everyone looked at Doc
| |
| | |
| The lights dimmed suddenly.
| |
| | |
| "She's not here." doc looked anguished.
| |
| | |
| "Lifeline could find herwithin a fifty mile radius. And she's nowhere
| |
| in that area."
| |
| | |
| ZAch turned to Mel. "Mel, can you use your sensors to track
| |
| Niko?"
| |
| | |
| "Zach, we've got to find her!" Goose wanted to go charging
| |
| out to find her.
| |
| | |
|
| |
| | |
| Before Mel could respond, the lights cut out.
| |
| | |
| "LEAVE!" thundered the voice
| |
| | |
| "Generator must have run out of gas." Zozo said.
| |
| | |
| "Not without Niko!" Goose shouted.
| |
| | |
| "What did you do with her?!"
| |
| | |
| "Never!" Goose yelled
| |
| | |
| "Where IS she?!" Doc demanded.
| |
| | |
| The wind swirled around them softly.
| |
| | |
| "We're not leaving until we find Niko," Zach promised in a
| |
| quietly serious voice.
| |
| | |
| Then, the voice laughed evilly.
| |
| | |
| "Then you shall stay."
| |
| | |
| the entier building began to rumble and shake
| |
| | |
| Doc looked around. "Can't say much for your luxury
| |
| accomodations," he quipped.
| |
| | |
| A ball of light formed at the ceiling. Then, with an
| |
| explosion, it vanished, and Niko appeared.
| |
| | |
| "now do you believe me?!" Zozo barked at Waldo.
| |
| | |
| Goose ran forward and caught her in his arms.
| |
| | |
| "About what, little friend?" Waldo asked.
| |
| | |
| Her body was cold, and she stared ahead unseeing.
| |
| | |
| "About ghosts, Waldo!" Zozo answered.
| |
| | |
| ZAch and Doc were immediately at her side. "Niko, wake up!" the
| |
| captain urged as Doc scanned her vitals.
| |
| | |
| Doc set the CDU to medical and ran a scanon her. "She's alive, but
| |
| beyondthat, I can't tell you anything."
| |
| | |
| "If you do not leave, you will join us. Forever." Then,
| |
| the voice stopped, and the light came back on.
| |
| | |
| Niko gasped, and sat up suddenly.
| |
| | |
| "How can thathappen?" Doc asked.
| |
| | |
| "You okay?" Goose asked in relief.
| |
| | |
| "There was nothing, nothing at all..." she shuddered.
| |
| | |
| Goose drew Niko in closer as she shivered violently.
| |
| | |
| "If we are being influenced by a 'ghost', how can we join it?" doc
| |
| asked again.
| |
| | |
| "It'll kill us. That's how."
| |
| | |
| "It could have done so already, if it really wanted to," Zach
| |
| pointed out.
| |
| | |
| "We're not going to die. None of us." Goose said through gritted
| |
| teeth.
| |
| | |
| "It's toying with us," Niko whispered.
| |
| | |
| "Cat and mouse," Doc guessed.
| |
| | |
| Outside, they all suddenly heard a roar, then the sound of a
| |
| massive explosion.
| |
| | |
| 'It is time to join us.' The voice said as the explosion echoed
| |
| through the suddenly quiet building.
| |
| | |
| "Sorry, I'm lousy at paying membership dues," Doc replied.
| |
| | |
| Zozo pulled open the door, and the light from a massive fire lit
| |
| the inside of the motel.
| |
| | |
| Music started playing, Zach whipped around with the
| |
| flashlight. Not only was the old piano-like instrument in the lobby
| |
| playing, but someone was playing it. He could have sworn that
| |
| insubstantial things, like dying Slaverlords were walking around=20
| |
| them...
| |
| | |
| "Everyone out -- NOW!!" he ordered.
| |
| | |
| Voyager gave an electronic whinny, and bolted straight into
| |
| the door.
| |
| | |
| Theh could see the flames, but they were ghostly, insubstantial,
| |
| and the buildings thet were urbing weren't real, either.
| |
| | |
| burning - urbing
| |
| | |
| "Move it, move it, move it!" Zach urged.
| |
| | |
| Goose picked up Niko and carried her outside, followed by Triton
| |
| and Mel.
| |
| | |
| The wind howled around them.
| |
| | |
| Brutus and the Ambassadors were right on their heels. Zach and
| |
| Doc brought up the rear.
| |
| | |
| "You will never leave now!" The voice said, fading away as if it
| |
| was being drawn off by an invisible force.
| |
| | |
| <`Tripwire> "Is everybody here?" asked Zach.
| |
| | |
| outside was a scene straight out of Dante's inferno. The small town
| |
| was alive with light and explosion. But it was all unreal.
| |
| | |
| The sandstorm's fury buffeted the Rangers in waves of stinging
| |
| agony.
| |
| | |
| Doc walked over to a burning inferno and then stepped through it.
| |
| "It's not real!" He exclaimed.
| |
| | |
| Zach looked puzzled. "Holograms or illusions?"
| |
| | |
| The storm blew fiercely, then faded away, leaving the night
| |
| suddenly completely calm, except for the flickering ghost fires.
| |
| | |
| "This is too weird -- even for us," Zozo commented.
| |
| | |
| "I can see the stars." Waldo said, looking up.
| |
| | |
| "Slalverlords." Goose said, spinning to face the six slaverlords
| |
| walking towards them.
| |
| | |
| Zach and Doc whipped out their blasters.
| |
| | |
| "They aren't there." Niko said. "Not really. This is anecho of the
| |
| past."
| |
| | |
| "So what do we do?" asked Zozo.
| |
| | |
| "You mean we're being hchased by _memories?!_" Zach asked in a
| |
| disbelieving voice.
| |
| | |
| The fire suddenly intensified, and now there was heat to go
| |
| with it.
| |
| | |
| "We have to leave this area." Niko said. Otherwise we may become
| |
| part of the memories, and exist only in this loop forever. It's becoming
| |
| more real the longer we stay"
| |
| | |
| "Where do we go?" Doc looked around wildy.
| |
| | |
| "You heard the lady," Zach nodded, "fall back to Ranger One."
| |
| | |
| "No! Back Inside!" ordered Niko.
| |
| | |
| "Back inside?" Goose asked.
| |
| | |
| "What?!"
| |
| | |
| <`Tripwire> "Huh!!" asked Doc
| |
| | |
| "But that's where the ghosts are!" Zozo cried.
| |
| | |
| "Back inside!" she hollered. "If we leave this scene while
| |
| still outside..."
| |
| | |
| "That building survived the attack. It's safe." Niko explained.
| |
| | |
| "We're IN the memories now?" Zach guesses.
| |
| | |
| "The storm!" Doc suddenly realized. "If we step into
| |
| that..."
| |
| | |
| "...we're toast. Let's go." Zach motioned them all
| |
| inside.
| |
| | |
| They headed inside the hotel once more.
| |
| | |
| Voyager had to be coaxed inside, but she went.
| |
| | |
| Goose was last in, and he hauled the doors shut with a solid
| |
| thunk.
| |
| | |
| "Now what?" Zach asked Niko.
| |
| | |
| "Waldo, what do you know of the old Tortunans?"
| |
| | |
| "That they had reached a level of technology compatable with
| |
| our own. tortuna itself was a coloy world. A port of call for all
| |
| species. A haven world, so to speak."
| |
| | |
| "What about their psychic abilities, or mystic powers? Did they
| |
| have any?"
| |
| | |
| "Not that we know of."
| |
| | |
| "Some of the races might, but it's possible that the Queen
| |
| kiled them all. She had a 'special' way of dealing with psuchics, I'm
| |
| afraid."
| |
| | |
| "Many, many races and people were lost in her reign."
| |
| | |
| Zach glowered at the mention of the Queen's name.
| |
| | |
| Niko walked around the room. "I think that whoever inhabited this
| |
| area did have a reasonably high level of psychic ability."
| |
| | |
| Doc narrowed his eyes, but didn't say anytthing, yet.
| |
| | |
| "So after they died, they left a psychic... fingerprint?" Goose
| |
| asked.
| |
| | |
| possibly. If enough of them died. And from the looks of the attack
| |
| outside, there was a lot of dead people here two hundred years ago."
| |
| | |
| "This is no fingerprint."
| |
| | |
| "Bloodstain, then."
| |
| | |
| Zach glared at the hole in the ceiling. =20
| |
| | |
| Doc walked over to the corner of the wall the voice had first
| |
| appeared from. "Who were you?" He asked.
| |
| | |
| The voice responeded with laugher. "I AM."
| |
| | |
| "I have always BEEN."
| |
| | |
| Zach looked up. "What do you want from us?"
| |
| | |
| The hotel rocked, knocking them to their feet.
| |
| | |
| "Your life, your hearts, your SOULS!"
| |
| | |
| "In that order?" Doc asked.
| |
| | |
| The secone voice was quiet, and mild. "Leave, while you
| |
| can."
| |
| | |
| "No invaders! Death to the Monarch who caused this pain!"
| |
| | |
| "We're on your side!" Doc shouted.
| |
| | |
| "You are the invaders."
| |
| | |
| "Are you?" the voice laughed.
| |
| | |
| "The other voices are echos," Niko said suddenly. There's
| |
| only one presence here."
| |
| | |
| "Can you do anything for it, babe?" Goose asked her.
| |
| | |
| "No" the voice gloated.
| |
| | |
| "I wasn't talkin' to YOU," Goose snarled.
| |
| | |
| "But I am talking to YOU," the voice answered mockingly.
| |
| | |
| "Unfortunate, isn't it?" Doc quipped.
| |
| | |
| "Yeah, well, too bad pal -- wait your turn! Well, Niko?"
| |
| | |
| Thousands of spiders suddenly crawled out of the walls, and
| |
| raced at them. Voyager shrieked again, and nearly bowled Doc over.
| |
| | |
| Goose tapped his badge and leapt into the thickest batch of them.
| |
| | |
| "Oh, not *again*," he groaned.
| |
| | |
| "Upstairs, NOW!" Zach thundered.
| |
| | |
| They ran up the stairs in 5 seconds flat, squishing a lot of
| |
| spiders on the way.
| |
| | |
| "I've had enough of spiders, and rats the size of dogs!" Goose
| |
| yelled as his bio-defenses actviated.
| |
| | |
| "Have you?" the voice laughed.
| |
| | |
| The spiders glowed menacinly. "Uh, Goose..." Doc begain
| |
| | |
| "Goose, come on!" Zach hollered. Goose ran for the
| |
| stairs.
| |
| | |
| Goose's skin shifted until it glowed like liquid chrome. The
| |
| defense against the acid.
| |
| | |
| Behind him, the spiders started splitting apart, gushing
| |
| more acid.
| |
| | |
| Zach and Doc covered for him as he dashed up the stairs.
| |
| | |
| The floor hissed as it was eaten away. Holes started
| |
| appearing.
| |
| | |
| A river of acid dissolved the floor benesth them, barely missing
| |
| Goose's feet by inches.
| |
| | |
| Then, with a roar, it fell in, crashing to the basement
| |
| below.
| |
| | |
| The fumes made them gasp and choke for air.
| |
| | |
| "We should go into demolitions someday," Doc observed.
| |
| | |
| "Someday will never exist for you," the voice threatened
| |
| right next to Doc's ear.
| |
| | |
| Waldo looked at the staircase, and they all felt the floor shift.
| |
| "That acdi's still working. It's going to collapse this entirebuilding.
| |
| | |
| "Back everyone -- move to higher ground," Zach ordered.
| |
| | |
| Come on, Voyager, move those hoofs!" Doc yelled, pushing at
| |
| the stumbling horse.
| |
| | |
| "I'm scared, Wilbur!"
| |
| | |
| "I'm trying, Wilbur. These stairs weren't made for
| |
| horses!"
| |
| | |
| "Better scared than dissolved!"
| |
| | |
| "I know you're spooked, old girl."
| |
| | |
| "Dissolved?" Voyager looked behind her, apparently unaware
| |
| of what had happened.
| |
| | |
| Then, she shrieked, and bolted.
| |
| "Spiiiiiiiiideeeeeerrrr!"
| |
| | |
| Doc went from pushing the steed to falling over asshe bolted up the
| |
| stairs in a second.
| |
| | |
| "Oh my God..." Zach grabbed Doc, and pulled him up. "Move
| |
| it, move it, MOVE IT!"
| |
| | |
| "Don't have to tell me twice, my brave Captain!" They made
| |
| tracks.
| |
| | |
| Behind them, a huge version of the little acid spiders
| |
| crawled out of the hole.
| |
| | |
| "I have had enough of this!" Goose said, and turned to face the
| |
| creature.
| |
| | |
| He raised both pistols, and fired right into it's face.
| |
| | |
| With a very human scream, it collapsed and vanished back
| |
| into the basement.
| |
| | |
| "How much longer till our ride gets here?" Zozo asked.
| |
| | |
| fife hours at the earliest, Zozo."doc replied
| |
| | |
| "Too damn long. Keep moving, people!" Zach yelled.
| |
| | |
| "I had to ask," Zozo gulped.
| |
| | |
| "Nice shot, Goose." Niko gave a weak smile.
| |
| | |
| I'm not big on spiders." Goose replied, his biodefenses fading.
| |
| | |
| "Niko, any idea on WHY this thing's after us?!" Zach said.
| |
| | |
| The upstairs hallway was dark now, and seemed huge, instead
| |
| of narrow, as it had been earlier.
| |
| | |
| She shook her head.
| |
| | |
| The building began to shake and tremble as the explosions outside
| |
| grew in ferocity and intensity
| |
| | |
| "It just hates. It doesn't have reason."
| |
| | |
| "Guys, check me on this," Doc said suddenly. "shouldn't it
| |
| be more crowded up here?"
| |
| | |
| "Yeah," Goose replied.
| |
| | |
| Everyone looked around them. Zach reached out, touched the
| |
| wall with his left hand. His right didn't come anywhere near the other
| |
| wall.
| |
| | |
| We're not in Kansas any more, people." Doc said.
| |
| | |
| "You're late," piped a little voice. Everyone whirled,
| |
| guns drawn.
| |
| | |
| A little girl with dusky skin and feathered hair stood
| |
| there. "You'll miss the party."
| |
| | |
| Zach looked at her in surprise. "Who are you?"
| |
| | |
| "Come on." She turned and walked away. The rangers traded
| |
| looks.
| |
| | |
| "Niko?" Zach asked. Niko shook her head.
| |
| | |
| "I always _did_ like a good party... but not when I'm running
| |
| for my life," Doc said.
| |
| | |
| "I don't think it's...*him*," she said. "But I don't think
| |
| it's safe."
| |
| | |
| what do we do?"
| |
| | |
| "What'd you pick up from that kid?" Goose asked Niko.
| |
| | |
| "Nothing. She's blank."
| |
| | |
| "An old image?" Zach asked.
| |
| | |
| "Just like those other spooks," Goose muttered.
| |
| | |
| "Another memory?"
| |
| | |
| "She's not real. I still cant' detect anyting other than us ...
| |
| uh-oh." doc said.
| |
| | |
| "'uh-oh'? What now?"
| |
| | |
| "I can detect the fire and explosions outside. They are now
| |
| beginning to give off energy. It's becomingmore real."
| |
| | |
| The thumping in the walls started again, louder than
| |
| before.
| |
| | |
| "Are we witnessing the Queen's destruction of this town?" Zach
| |
| asked.
| |
| | |
| "I think so." Niko replied.
| |
| | |
| "So how do we get out?" Goose said.
| |
| | |
| "You are witnessing MY destruction!" the voice laughed
| |
| behind them. Everyone whirled towards it.
| |
| | |
| "Man, you really SHOULD be a _little_ creative when you threaten
| |
| people!" Doc said.
| |
| | |
| "how pitiful. Reduced to sarcasm."
| |
| | |
| "Sarcasm is a fine art, my dear ghost," Doc smiled.
| |
| | |
| The murals on the wall suddenly brightened, and the
| |
| pictures began to move.
| |
| | |
| "Stay close, everyone. Keep alert," Zach whispered.
| |
| | |
| "So is destruction, my dear Walter," it hissed.
| |
| | |
| "Yes, but destruction's WAY too messy for my refined taste."
| |
| | |
| The people in the mural laughed and danced. Music could
| |
| be, very faintly, heard.
| |
| | |
| "Scenes from the past," Zach surmised.
| |
| | |
| "Oh, you WISH, Zachary!" the voice laughed.
| |
| | |
| The music stopped. All the dancers turned towards the
| |
| rangers.
| |
| | |
| "Guys..." Doc said, backing up.
| |
| | |
| "If you're so high-and-mighty, then what do you need US for?!"
| |
| Goose growled.
| |
| | |
| "I don't," it hissed. "But when mice are in your house,
| |
| you do what you can with them."
| |
| | |
| "Uhm, chase 'em away and wish them a pleasant journey?"
| |
| | |
| "We're not mice." Goose said.
| |
| | |
| The dancers features started to melt and run. Faint
| |
| screams echoed from the painting.
| |
| | |
| "Oh my God..." Zach whispered in a horrified tone.
| |
| | |
| "Perhaps you need a *proper* demonstration."
| |
| | |
| "No, no, no, we're just fine seeing it all from here, thanks,"
| |
| Doc replied.
| |
| | |
| The room suddenly heaved, and they crashed to the floor.
| |
| | |
| When they looked up, the ceiling was miles above them.
| |
| | |
| "OW!" "Yeeowtch!" "Get your foot outta my ear!" "Sorry, Zozo."
| |
| "You okay, Niko?" "Fine, Goose -- thanks for catching me."
| |
| | |
| The hallway had become an immense room. Zozo backed into a
| |
| wooden pillar, and yelped.
| |
| | |
| "This doesn't look good..." Doc murmered.
| |
| | |
| "I have a BAD feeling about this," Niko said.
| |
| | |
| Goose looked up. "A chair?" he asked, pointing to the
| |
| pillar.
| |
| | |
| "This looks VERY bad..."
| |
| | |
| There was a yowl from the mural. As they watched, the
| |
| paint rolled and heaved. And left the wall.
| |
| | |
| "No..." Zach whispered as realization dawns on him. "We're the
| |
| SIZE of mice!"
| |
| | |
| "How very astute," the moving paint hissed. "And I'm the
| |
| cat."
| |
| | |
| "And he's the fox, so you're in big trouble," Doc replied as he
| |
| jabbed a thumb at Zach.
| |
| | |
| It solidified with a snap, into an immense grey cat.
| |
| | |
| "Scatter!" yelled Goose as the kitty charged.
| |
| | |
| "Mount up! Now!" Zach leaped to Brutus's saddle, pulling
| |
| Waldo with him.
| |
| | |
| "Aim for its eyes when you get a chance," he ordered.
| |
| | |
| Everyone leaped to the horses, and bolted. The cat landed
| |
| right where they had been.
| |
| | |
| To hell with a chance..." goosesaid, squeezing off shot after shot
| |
| at the giganticfeline.
| |
| | |
| It raised it's head, and gave an ear-shattering yowl.
| |
| | |
| Zach shrugged and joined in.
| |
| | |
| Then it charged straight for goose.
| |
| | |
| Zach tapoed his badge and primed the thunderbolt as the cat
| |
| leapttowards Gooseman
| |
| | |
| "There was a tremendous explosion as it connected. The cat
| |
| exploded.
| |
| | |
| *KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!*
| |
| | |
| "yeuch!" Doc said as splattered bits flew everywhere
| |
| | |
| "Eeeewwww!!" Zozo held his nose.
| |
| | |
| "Everyone okay?" Zach asked.
| |
| | |
| They all noddedas the bits ofcat dissolved back into smears of
| |
| paint.
| |
| | |
| "Smellier, but fine." Doc brushed blood off his shirt.
| |
| | |
| "Yeah, Cap'n -- a bit scratched, but okay," Goose replied.
| |
| | |
| "That was too easy," Niko murmured.
| |
| | |
| "You are SO right, Niko," the voice snarled.
| |
| | |
| "I wish you wouldn't say things like that," Doc sighed.
| |
| | |
| The floor evaporated underneath them.
| |
| | |
| "YAAHH!" "What the -- ?!" "Noooo!"
| |
| | |
| They fell, screaming. There was nothing but darkness
| |
| around them.
| |
| | |
| <where'a an="" ecto-containment="" unit="" when="" you="" need="" it?="">
| |
| | |
| </where'a> They all clung to their cybersteeds, praying for the best.
| |
| | |
| The ground suddenly rushed up at them, and they hit with
| |
| incredible force.
| |
| | |
| "Owtch!" "Ohh, my head!" "I think I broke -- everything!"
| |
| "Where's an ecto-containment unit when you need it?!" Doc asked. "I'm
| |
| gonna talk to Q-Ball about this when we get home!"
| |
| | |
| "Everyone still in one piece?" Zach asked.
| |
| | |
| "More or less," Niko groaned.
| |
| | |
| "I thig I bok my ose," Zozo muttered.
| |
| | |
| Doc grabbed the first aid kit from Voyager and went to work.
| |
| | |
| "Where are we now?" Waldo asked.
| |
| | |
| They looked around. "Offhand, I'd say Dante's Inferno,"
| |
| Doc answered.
| |
| | |
| "Good guess," Zach muttered.
| |
| | |
| They were on a field of rock and crystal. Fire swept in
| |
| rivers ahead of them.
| |
| | |
| "Ghost traps -- definitely make ghost-traps standard Ranger
| |
| issue in the field," Doc resolved.
| |
| | |
| "What now, Cap'n?" Goose asked.
| |
| | |
| Zach looked up. Solid rock closed overhead as he=20
| |
| watched.
| |
| | |
| "We go forward, I guess. Nothing else we can do."
| |
| | |
| After repairing minor damage on the cybersteeds, they did just
| |
| that.
| |
| | |
| "Wilbuuuur, the ground is too hot. My feet will melt!"
| |
| Voyager cried. "I want to go home!"
| |
| | |
| "Don't worry -- it'll all be over soon," Doc soothed.
| |
| | |
| "Easy, girl, we'll get there. Just keep moving," Doc
| |
| soothed.
| |
| | |
| "The only way home, voyager, is to go forward." Waldo advised.
| |
| | |
| They kept walking. Fire and lava bubbled around them.=20
| |
| Sulfer rose in steam.
| |
| | |
| Voyager kept muttering -- and even cursed once or twice -- about
| |
| the heat in the place as she continued.
| |
| | |
| "Where is all this coming from?" Zach asked.
| |
| | |
| "From us," Niko answered. "It's pulling images out of our
| |
| mind, and making them real."
| |
| | |
| "Maybe we should be thinking happy thoughts," Doc=20
| |
| quipped.
| |
| | |
| "But is it actuallyreal?" Zach persisted.
| |
| | |
| "It is as real, Captain, as we can imagine it to be." Niko
| |
| replied.
| |
| | |
| "wait a minute.. if we imagine a tropical island paradise with
| |
| dozens of dancing girls, we'll be there?" Doc asked.
| |
| | |
| "Possibly. But it twists everything to suit it's needs,"
| |
| Niko said.
| |
| | |
| "So much for a free vacation," Doc sighed.
| |
| | |
| "You work with what you have," the voice gloated. =20
| |
| | |
| A hula woman stepped out of the fire, grinning madly.
| |
| | |
| "If this isn't real, then we can WILL ourselves outta here?"
| |
| Goose wanted to know.
| |
| | |
| "Oh no, my dear Shane. Only I can will you out of here.=20
| |
| And I will you to stay."
| |
| | |
| Doc looked at her in horror. "I really need to learn to shut
| |
| up."
| |
| | |
| She laughed, and imploded back into fire.
| |
| | |
| The ground shook again, causing the horses to dance
| |
| uneasily.
| |
| | |
| "Niko, if we combine our power can you get us out of this?" Zach
| |
| asked.
| |
| | |
| "I don't know. But it's worth a try."
| |
| | |
| They joined hands, and activated their badges.
| |
| | |
| Niko made a six-way telepathic link.
| |
| | |
| *Everyone, concentrate on the hotel. Picture us back
| |
| there.*
| |
| | |
| the familiar yellow glow surrounded them, radiating from Niko in
| |
| gentle waves
| |
| | |
| She combined all their wills together as they reached out as
| |
| one.
| |
| | |
| With a howl, the inferno around them became void, and
| |
| pressed in on them. Only Niko's sheild kept it at bay.
| |
| | |
| *Hang on,* Zach told everyone.
| |
| | |
| "You won't leave - I won't let you!"
| |
| | |
| *Don't look back, keep the hotel in your minds,* Niko=20
| |
| directed.
| |
| | |
| *We're going,* Niko said.
| |
| | |
| "We're GONE," Doc added. And they were.
| |
| | |
| *Suck on that, ya creep,* Goose gloated.
| |
| | |
| The hotel shimmered back into existacne around them, as did the
| |
| howl of the storm outside.
| |
| | |
| They reappeared in the lobby. Three feet off the floor.
| |
| | |
| "Uh, whooops!" Doc gasped as they fell.
| |
| | |
| The 'steeds landed on their feet. Their riders held on.
| |
| | |
| Oof! I see the floor's back," Goose grunted.
| |
| | |
| "Everyone all right?" Zach asked.
| |
| | |
| "For now, anyway." Zach looked around.
| |
| | |
| It was all an illusion?" Waldo asked
| |
| | |
| "Yes and no," Niko replied.
| |
| | |
| Niko leaned over Mel's back, breathing deeply.
| |
| | |
| "I can't do that again, Captain."
| |
| | |
| "I think we have to risk the storm." Zach said.
| |
| | |
| "Might be our only way outta this mess," Gose concurrred.
| |
| | |
| "Death inside, Death outside!" the voice roared.
| |
| | |
| "Hey, better the stings of sanfd particles then all of this
| |
| poltergeist stuff," Doc agreed.
| |
| | |
| "I vote for outside," Doc said.
| |
| | |
| Thr strom isn't as strong as it was. Only eighty mile winds
| |
| whipping that gritty dust." It'll just sandblast us." Doc added.
| |
| | |
| "Better the porch than here. Let's go."
| |
| | |
| Goose pulled open the big doors, and they all stepped outside into
| |
| the blinding standstorm.
| |
| | |
| "Triton! Can you detect Ranger One?" Goose yelled as his voice
| |
| was carried away by the winds.
| |
| | |
| The wind buffeted them, whipping their hair and clothes.=20
| |
| They ignored it as best they could, and moved away from the hotel.
| |
| | |
| "It's too far away! We won't make it!" Waldo hollered.
| |
| | |
| "Everybody, hunker down! Get as low to the ground as you
| |
| can," Zach ordered.
| |
| | |
| "walk behind the horses. Use them as a shield!" Niko yelled
| |
| | |
| They did, the horses as well, surrounding the frailer
| |
| humanoids with their bodies.
| |
| | |
| "What now? do we just sit it out?" Goose yelled.
| |
| | |
| "Better than getting lost in that storm!" Zach responed.
| |
| | |
| The storm raged unabated around them. Everyone closed
| |
| their eyes against the grit, and prayed silently.
| |
| | |
| Isn't Ranger 1 destroyed?
| |
| | |
| Maybe they could ttake shelter in the remains -- a burned-out
| |
| shell?
| |
| | |
|
| |
| | |
| <but, it's="" moot.="" they="" aren't="" going="" anywhere="" just="" yet="">
| |
| | |
| </but,>
| |
| | |
|
| |
| | |
|
| |
| | |
|
| |
| | |
| "Let's move over there. Closer to that wall. It'sfacing thestorm,
| |
| so it can give us shelter!" Doc yelled
| |
| | |
| "Do you really think I am confined to that wreck of a
| |
| building?" The wind howled in a familar voice.
| |
| | |
| "Do it!" Zach yelled.
| |
| | |
| "Oh no. Can't we get away from that thing?" Doc groaned.
| |
| | |
| "Matches the wreck of your mind," Niko muttered.
| |
| | |
| "I AM this place, this town," the voice hissed. "I have
| |
| always been here, and I always will be. And you...you will fall, as
| |
| everyone else who came here did."
| |
| | |
| The wind stopped abruptly.
| |
| | |
| "That come with a money-back guarantee?" Doc asked.
| |
| | |
| A Crown Trooper staggered towards them. The rangers raised
| |
| their guns.
| |
| | |
| With an inarticulate cry, it simple collapsed.
| |
| | |
|
| |
| | |
| Sun suddenly shone brightly. All around them, troopers and
| |
| slaverlords milled.
| |
| | |
|
| |
| | |
| "The memory image - it's all around us!" Niko gasped
| |
| | |
| "Now what?" Zach asked. He fired at a slaverlord that
| |
| ventured too close.
| |
| | |
| "Oh, goody -- target practice!" With a feral gleam in his eye,
| |
| Goose lept up and started firing.
| |
| | |
| The shots had no effect.
| |
| | |
| Niko put a hand on his shoulder. "Its not real. Not yet,
| |
| anyway."
| |
| | |
| A trooper fired at some unseen thing behind them, and they felt the
| |
| heat of the beam as it swept by them.
| |
| | |
| "Whoops. That was," Doc said.
| |
| | |
| "So what's real and what isn't?" Goose was extremely
| |
| frustrated.
| |
| | |
| "Parts are more real than other." Niko said. "The things that could
| |
| do massive or irreprable damage are the most real. The figures themsleves
| |
| are nor real."
| |
| | |
| "All is real. All is false. Only I am." The voice
| |
| gloated.
| |
| | |
| "you know, I'm getting REAL tired of you, pal," Goose
| |
| snarled.
| |
| | |
| "If you're all that's real, I quit," Doc said.
| |
| | |
| "Oh, Docy-poo, don't be that way," Doc leaped straight
| |
| into the air as a beautiful woman snuggled up to him. =20
| |
| | |
| "That the best you can do?" Zach taunted. "I bet that's all you
| |
| are -- parlor tricks! You have no power -- you're the one who's not
| |
| real!"
| |
| | |
| "Oh, I'm VERY real, Zachary. And you can't escape me."
| |
| | |
| Eliza appeared, and walked up to him. "I can make you VERY
| |
| happy, or I can kill you. All at a whim."
| |
| | |
| Zach's eyes narrowed. "That is the last straw."
| |
| | |
| "You can take on any form, trick us, torment us. But when you have
| |
| the gall to take on the form of someone like her, who I know would never
| |
| be involved with this. Idrawe the line."
| |
| | |
| "'very happy, or very fearful'..." Niko's eyes widened.=20
| |
| "That's it!"
| |
| | |
| Zach pulled his arm back in a punch. Niko grabbed it.
| |
| | |
| Zach stepped back, and tapped his badge. "You aren't Eliza." He
| |
| said as the thunderbolt charged. "I don't know what you are, but I am not
| |
| afraid of you!"
| |
| | |
| "We don't have to fight it. THAT'S what it wants.
| |
| | |
| Zach turned his ar, and the thunderblt blasted harmlessly against a
| |
| crumbling wall.
| |
| | |
| "You mean, let's just walk away?" Goose said.
| |
| | |
| Niko glared at the phoney Eliza. "It's a glamour. It
| |
| feeds on strong emotion. That's why it hasn't killed us."
| |
| | |
| He turned to the illusion of his spouse, and said in a tone
| |
| of sarcasam that Doc would have approved of, "Hi, honey. how's the
| |
| kids?"
| |
| | |
| "Eliza's" grin faltered.
| |
| | |
| *Way to go, Zach,* Doc silently crowed.
| |
| | |
| "You can't win." she/it said
| |
| | |
| Niko looked at it with contempt. "We already have."
| |
| | |
| "You just can't see it," Doc interjected.
| |
| | |
| She turned around, and walked away. "Let's go." Everyone
| |
| followed her.
| |
| | |
| The figure shimmered and became The queen herself.
| |
| | |
| "You can't escape!" she shrieked.
| |
| | |
| "You can't leave! I am in control of the situation here!"
| |
| | |
| It was one of the hardest things Goose had ever done -- but he
| |
| turned and followed the others -- presenting himself as a visible
| |
| target.
| |
| | |
| "I will always be with you! No matter where you go, what
| |
| you do, I will follow you!"
| |
| | |
| "I'm used to that," Zach said, continuing the sarcasm.
| |
| | |
| It's shrieks dissolved into the howl of the wind...much
| |
| lesser this time.
| |
| | |
| They ignored her as they moved on.
| |
| | |
| A massive explosion ripped throuhg the town behind them. Sending
| |
| flaming fire and debris screaming towards them at near-sonic speeds.
| |
| | |
| "Just keep walking," Niko advised. Her voice was shaky,
| |
| but firm.
| |
| | |
| They kept on going, paying no heed to the illusion snares.
| |
| | |
| The debris flew past and through them, being an illusion, it did no
| |
| damage
| |
| | |
| The wind howled around them. They ignored it. Lightning
| |
| struck nearby, and they ignored that as well.
| |
| | |
| Zach suddenly blinked. They all looked up in surprise.=
| |
| The storm itself was gone, as was the town.
| |
| | |
| the wind slowly died down, the sand begn to settle, and the sky
| |
| became it's normal calm self
| |
| | |
| "It's... over," he finally said.
| |
| | |
| They were standing among ruined foundations. In the
| |
| distance, one of Tortuna's suns crept above the horizon.
| |
| | |
| "No more ghost stories for me -- EVER!" Doc exclaimed.
| |
| | |
| They heard the sound of engines, and saw another Ranger cruiser
| |
| desscending towards them.
| |
| | |
| Niko sagged against Mel. "I suggest we get out of here.
| |
| While we still can."
| |
| | |
| "Agreed -- move out, everyone," Zach instructed.
| |
| | |
| Goose: "but that things still there...isn't it?
| |
| | |
| "It is. And we can't do anything about it."
| |
| | |
| Goose helped Niko on to Mel, then rode alongside her on
| |
| Triton.
| |
| | |
| "Except mark it on the map," Zach said.
| |
| | |
| and avoid it in future." Zozo finished.
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| | |
| "I suggest an old-fashioned 'here there be dragons',
| |
| Captain," Doc said.
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| | |
| "Or DO NOT COME UNLESS YOU'RE THE QUEEN," Goose smirked.
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| | |
| Niko started giggling. Then, one by one, they all started
| |
| laughing, to the surprise of the rescue crew.
| |
| | |
| The ship rose in a cloud of dust, and took off.
| |
| Eventually, the dust settled back down.
| |
| | |
| All except one cloud, that drifted back into the ruined
| |
| town.
| |
| | |
| Session Close: Sat Jul 11 16:15:22 1998</mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></mel^></pre>
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| [[Category:Cleanup-Format]] | |
| [[Category:GRCD1]]
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| [[Category:Cleanup-Format]]
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| [[Category:Fanfic-Unrated]]
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| [[Category:Fanfic-Allronix]]
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