Aberrant: Phoenix Rising - Chapter 3: Animals and Relics

[Courier]

Courier shrugs, this was the answer he was expecting, and moves to get some water. He also says without rancor or surprise,

"Everyone who's run into Squidward has that reaction, except the people who've tried mine first. Comparing a Quantum phone to full telepathy is like... well never mind."

[jameson (ST)]

Robert looks unsurpised and even rolls his eyes a bit, "Well that's what you get when you deal with a megolomaniac with access to quantum power, an innate distrust of it in general. It's sad, from what I understand that's pretty much exactly what happened before the burn, though there were plenty of people on both sides of the evolutionary gap that time.

"I don't intend to insult but frankly I'm not sure I can trust you folks yet," Rober turns and looks at Raider, "Though I have plenty of reason to want to ... and you've been good to Billy, so either you have an agenda or you aren't bad people, maybe both. We'll see. Now tell me about your dealings with James, ahh-umm Squiddy I guess you call him."

**OOG - we'll gloss over the actual retelling of the tale just let me know if you want to leave anything out**

[Mr Fox]

Raider will get Robert a glass of water and help him to drink some, then he will relate the basic story of what has happened so far excluding only the part about the village with the guy that disrupts quantum.

"So I have two questions. First, tells us everything you know about James/squidward and your dealings with him so we will be better informed on how to deal with him in the future, and how to protect ourselves. Second, how is it that we look so much alike and how did you know my name?"

It's really the second question that he wants answered more than the first, but unfortuantely their lives don't depend on the answer to what he really wants to know.

[jameson (ST)]

Robert pushes himself up into a sitting position, "So uhh what exactly happened? Billy and I were hoping to catch one of James' cohorts and the next thing I knew it was all flame and fire and then I woke up here..." Robert tries to dodge the questions but seeing the look on Raider’s face he sighs and slumps a bit.

"Fine but you won't like it, I don't much want to tell it but I suppose I should now while I can." Robert rubs at his eyes again and takes a long drink gesturing with his free hand for Raider to sit (and presumably for the others as well).

"Hmm how the hell do I do this ... OK well I should tell you my name I guess. Robert O'Reily. That's your last name in case you forgot it, or your mother changed it, it's your name because it's my name, I'm your father... told you to sit down, this is a big one. Explains the resemblance I hope.

"Your first name is Jordan but pretty much we called you Jor. I can’t even recall why anymore. I can tell by the look on your face you weren’t expecting to hear that. You musta figured the relation but you probably did figure on that. I’m not sure what your mother told you about me but she took you and left when you were still young. Waking up and seeing my face staring back at me I figured it must be you. Well that or maybe that shape shifting sadist James works with, I’m glad you aren’t him.”

Robert takes another long pull from his glass before setting it down on the table beside the bed. “James, heh Squiddy,” Robert laughs, a pained laugh given his injuries but a genuine one none-the-less, “He’d HATE that… He’s umm, shit how do I tell you this … he’s your brother, your twin. Fraternal … that’s why he doesn’t look anything like you. I can see that you’ve erupted. That’s pretty damn ironic considering that is exactly why your mother took you away, she was hoping you wouldn’t if you were around your brother. He erupted early, which goes a long way toward explaining his power and his mindset. Clearly he’s quite tainted as well, though sadly I can see you didn’t escape that fate either.

“I’ll let that sink in a moment …”

[BlueNinja]

Adam pulls out a hip flask, which contains water with a small amount of the local moonshine - enough to purify the water. Old habits, and all that. He hands it over to Robert.

[Buzzkill]

Buzz takes in the story in silence, remembering similar stories from something called a Soap Opera. He shakes his head before his memories rise up again, this time about the terrors of bad Holo-TV episodes.

"So...you're the Pops of the kid here, and Squiddy? And you said he manipulated you to try and get you killed? Then who's the...the...'special' one over there?" he asks pointing a thumb at the feebleminded aberrant who seems mistified by the light bulb shining over his head.

[Gregory]

Gregory was not the smartest person around. He never received any schooling beyond the first grade. But he did have memories; and to hear that Raider had found his family, made him long for his own. Gregory had never realized, that for a long time, Raider thought he was alone. Gregory knew that his own family was never coming back, but to see something like this, made him happy.

Squid is Jor's brother?...does that mean we can't hurt him?" Gregory asked hmself, unsure what protocols were involved in familial relations.

Gregory held out his hand, the way he remembered his dad teaching him, and inroduced himself. "I'm Gregory, I like Billy..he's my new best friend." Gregory looks over to Billy and gives him a big smile.

[Mr Fox]

Raider belatedly took the seat and sat in stunned silence for a minute. "You're my father?" After a second his face takes on a grim and set appearence. "Squidward, James, has done some horrible things. If he is so tainted that he he would incourage one of his minions to skin someone alive and treat them the way Doc Brown was treated, he's going to have to be put down. Not to mention that he tried to get us to kill each other." Raider chokes up a little when he says that last. "I've been healing you and something is working against my healing, it is killing you, and it isn't natural and I don't think I can stop it."

[Courier]

Doug pays attention to all this and wonders how KB got involved.

[jameson (ST)]

Robert runs a hand over his face, "Billy, well I kinda adopted Billy. I'm not sure how old he is but clearly his aberration have limited his maturity and reasoning ... that or he really is only 5 or 6 years old. Who knows?"

Turning back to his son he continues, "Yeah, your brother is pretty far gone, most of his aberrations have developed as mental disorders, megalomania, sociopathy and the like. I'm not sure if there is any way to help him, I'm not sure if I can bring myself to kill my own son though, and I wonder if you'll fare much better ... maybe I shouldn't have told you the truth ... it would have been better that way. I find it odd though that he didn't say anything to you, your resembalance to me is striking to say the least ...

"Regardless, what's done is done. As for myself, I am well aware of my condition. A father's day present from James, one of his associates can dissolve matter. What's more he can cause it to happen instantly or over the course of months, maybe years. I don't know when it will happen but someday that dark bit of quantum will rear it's ugly head and I'll melt down into a pool of goo, all thanks to dear old James."

Robert is looking tired now, "OK I need my rest, you nova-folk may be able to bounce back from getting blown up but us humans can't ..."

[Courier]

Quote:

I'm not sure if I can bring myself to kill my own son though, and I wonder if you'll fare much better ...

Doug glanced at Raider uneasily but didn't attempt to reassure him. The tactical reality of the situation was that Raider wasn't likely to have the option. Raider’s powers were defensive, chances were extremely good that Adam or Doug would be the one pulling the trigger, and neither of them would hesitate. But pointing that out, especially in front of Squid’s other family and Billy, might cause problems.

Quote:

A father's day present from James, one of his associates can dissolve matter. What's more he can cause it to happen instantly or over the course of months, maybe years.

Doug found this news deeply disquieting on several levels.

After Raider’s father fell into sleep, Doug sent out over the link,

*Raider, is your mother still alive? She might have some insight into this. And speaking of insight, we need to stop thinking of these guys as aberrants and start thinking of them as tainted out novas.*

[Mr Fox]

Raider responds, "I was orphaned a while back. She died of sickness. I spent several years scrounging before I got into a situation I couldn't get out of and erupted." He pauses for a second then finishes, "Now I wonder if it really was sickness that killed her. Maybe it was Squiddy having his friend to do her what he did to Robert."

Aloud, "Guys, we know at least two more of the dangers we face now. A nova that can shapechange and has a penchant for seriously antisocial behavior, and a nova that can disolve matter and do it instantly or as a delayed effect. I can't heal that by the way, so don't get hit by it."

After a moment he moves back to Robert's side and extends his quantum awareness into his father to see if he can isolate the sickness now that he knows what has caused it.

*Is the sickness localized or dispersed throughout his entire body?*

[Courier]

Doug says over the link,

*This puts a different light on Billy's being afraid of telepathy. First, Billy hopefully knows at least something about these guys. Second... I'm getting the impression Squidward collects novas. He may have taken KB to try to mindwash her into a recruit, with the other issues secondary.*

*Buzz, you're probably the best person to talk to Billy about what he knows. Try to find out what aberrations the disolver has and what he looks like, and if there are more.*

[Buzzkill]

*Yeah I can talk to him. I'm good with kids, I tell stories on Sundays, they love me. I'll see if I can get something useful from him.*

Buzz gets up from the dying man and heads for the refrigerator, pulling out the last slice of peach pie from earlier and heads over to Billy. He sits down across from him and takes a small spoon ful of pie and eats it with a unusually friendly half-smile (whenever anyone asked why he only half smiled, he always says he sort of forgot how to smile) and offers the pie and spoon to Billy.

"Hey Billy, want some pie? It's good stuff, Mrs. Heller made it for you special, hope you don't mind I had a little bite. Here take it." he said and set the piece on the table near him. "You doin' OK there buddy? You feel better now? We're real sorry you got hurt. We want to ask some questions for you, since we're friends and all. We want to know what you know about...James? Jimmy? He's got that real funny hand? You know him right? We need to find him, so he don't hurt anyone again. Can you tell us anything about him Billyboy?"

[Gregory]

Hearing about James, and what he did to his own father, sent a chill down Gregory's spine. If Gregory had succeeded in his ruse, James might have taken him in, only to infect him. It was not a nice thought. Still, he was intrigued by Squiddy's ability to manipulate others.

Gregory sat in silent contemplation about his recent actions and their possible unforseen consequences. If Buzz had trouble with Billy, Gregory would step in to help.

[jameson (ST)]

Buzz takes Billy down to the kitchen and begins to talk with him while the others discuss. Billy is, due largely to a simplistic vocabulary, unable to describe much. However he is able to draw quite well as demonstrated before and quickly produces very detailed drawings of James and two other "bad men".

The first of the drawings depicts a man who is slouched and bald. His skin appears mottled or textured though Billy is unable to provide more information being unable to describe more accurately and unable to understand the line of questioning Buzz levels at him. The man's appearance is otherwise quite bland but Billy says that this man is very mean and always angry.

The second is a freak which would make even Billy seem relatively normal. The thing's body appears to be somewhat egg shaped with very little neck leading to the head. The lower face consits of a great many tentacles and a bifurcated jaw lined with teeth. Protruding from this mess is a long appendage which looks to be a sucker or tube. The crown of the head is bald save for 4 tantacles each tipped by a human like eye. Billy informs Buzz that each eye is a different color, blue, pink, green and brown and that they rarely look in the same direction. The being appears to walk on 8 spider like legs which seem to end in a four fingered hand. Billy said he only saw this being once and that Robert made them leave when he saw the creature.

During this time Raider uses his abilities to observe Robert and is able to come up with little information. From what he can tell Robert's cells are dying faster than they can reproduce. They seem to loose all structure and simply dissolve into a grey fluid which the body deals with as best it can. Clearly this will continue until his organs loose enough mass to stop functioning at which point Robert will die.

[Gregory]

The drawings, produced by Billy, made Gregory recoil in horror. Not because he had never seen such tainted monstrousities, but because he had. In the Blighted regions to the West, Gregory had encountered many groups made of twisted and maddened Nova. For many years, he and his old friend 'Dog' spent most of their time in the Blight, hiding from such creatures. It was creature like this who killed his parents, and who killed 'Dog'. For gregory, these two 'bad men' were the actualization of many years of fear. He was not sure if he could face them. At this point, instinct told him to run and hide.

Gregory thinks more about the sickness, and how he could stop it. He did not have the power to stop the illness, but he did begin to wonder if it might be caused by demonic forces...in light of the pictures drawn by Billy. If they are demonic forces, then the man with the null field could help. Gregory looks at Raider with genuine couriosity and then speaks.

"Could man, back in other town, stop demons that kill Robert? Man could take away our power. Could he not take the power from sickness too?"

[Courier]

Doug watches Raider work, and through the link, Billy, briefly leaving only to get some more food.

(To Buzz or anyone else around Billy) *Just to be clear, the first is the shapeshifter? Ask him if Squidward has any other minions.*

(To Raider) *Billy has drawn up some pictures of Squid's minions. One of them has to be seen to be believed. I'm sorry about your old man. I don't see what we can do...*

Quote:

"Could man, back in other town, stop demons that kill Robert? Man could take away our power. Could he not take the power from sickness too?"

Doug looks at Gregory with a new respect and says,

"Brilliant. Shear brilliance. Not just him either, I’d like to see what Billy looks like under the taint. Maybe he could learn something for a while. We’ve got a trade mission to put together for there anyway."

[Mr Fox]

Raider looks up in renewed hope at Gregory's words. "You might just have something there. At the very least it might prevent the condition from worsening." He looks around the room to Adam, "Can you open us a warp?" Turning to Courier, "Can you pick up Robert? I'm not all that strong..." He looks ready to jump through the warp as soon as it forms to test the idea.

[Courier]

Doug says,

"Ah, Raider? We still owe these people a trading trip, and they did make it clear they aren't in the business of solving other people's problems. I think they'll be a lot more inclined to help us if we show up there with a load of trade goods."

[Buzzkill]

Buzz examines the pictures with a critical eye. He keeps a stone face with that half-smile chiseled into it, not letting on the fear he sees in his mind's eye from the pictures offered. These were the things that destroyed his world...that killed his sons...he wipes his eye quick and clamps down the memories.

"So...uh Billy...these are some nice drawings, pretty scary huh? This first guy...does he sometimes look...different? You know, with a different face, like he's hiding...this?"

"And is he alone? Doe she have more friends like this?" he says pointing to the others.

[jameson (ST)]

Billy shrugs, "Me only see that bad man one time. Me only see him for second. Those are bad Skwidy man's freinds, me not know if there more."

Billy begins to draw again though this time he appears to be drawing just for fun. His detail and artistic skill is amazing as he creates a wonderfully rendered rocket ship on a launch pad.

Else where Gregory, Raider, Courier and Adam discuss the group's next move. Based on the trade deal they made they'll need at least a full day, likely two, to gather the materials for trade with the people of Goodwood.

[Courier]

Courier is in his element with this sort of logistical planning. He's carried out dozens of these sorts of visits. Doug says,

"Obviously we'll be taking the mule.(*) It’s in good shape. Also obviously I’m not going into that hospital. If Billy doesn’t want to go I don’t think we should make him. Everyone should bring your own food if possible, it’s usually more expensive on site. I love these sorts of runs. Trading heavy goods for light ones I mean. The mule goes over heavy and empty, and it’ll come back full and light.”

“It’s about a three hour trip. I figure the way to do it is too spend the rest of the day loading up the mule. Raider can pop back into the back every now and then and do more healing. You need to get that out of the way before going down there because you’ll lose your stuff when you get there. Then everyone gets a good night’s sleep, then right before dawn we’ll split into two sections. Raider’s group warps over there. They visit the hospital, and they stake out a place for the mule to land and spread the word that it’s coming. I have signs and stakes already prepared. Three hours later I’ll show up with the mule and whoever went with me, if anyone.”

“This gets everything done in one pass. They can’t object to you being there if you’re there to prepare the way.”

(*) "The mule" is the portable 'store/shop' that can be 'hauled' from one location to another. Basically it’s a modified semi-trailer.

[jameson (ST)]

For the rest of the day Courier preps the "mule" with the trade items he promised the people of Goodwood. Buzz stays with Billy trying to get any additional information out of the aberrant. Raider, Adam, and Gregory go off and attend to their own buisness and/or help Courier with the mule.

The next morning Courier heaves the massive trailer into the air and takes off for Goodwood. Meanwhile Adam opens a warp and the others step through into a cold morning bathed in mist in the forest outside of Goodwood.

[Courier]

Courier lifts the 'mule' high into the air, moves over the ocean, glances at the sun to confirm his compass reading, and he's off. For a moment he observes a colored patch of ground slowly move from his front left to his back left. This isn’t the first time he’s watched that particular patch of ground do the same thing, and it won’t be the last.

(To anyone who will answer the link) *Thank god for the link. Watching the ocean stay blue gets boring. Hey, did you see Billy’s drawings last night? Kid has real talent, and that’s a problem. I don’t think he makes things up, I think he just draws what he sees. And he drew a really good picture of a rocket ship.*

[jameson (ST)]

Courier takes off with the huge trailer and heads out over the ocean taking the direct route to Goodwood. As the hours pass the ocean rolls by under him an near endless tract of blue broken only by the white peaks of waves.

In Goodwood the others soon arrive at the edge of the town and coordinate to take a section of the town green over. They begin to setup the area as Courier had instructed for his later landing. They quickly wrap up their duites and have a couple of hours ahead of them before Courier is expected.

[Gregory]

After arriving with the rest of the set-up crew, and preparing the landing site, Gregory walks around town. He will try to find any rumors or other information of note. Of particular interest, are any sightings of aberrants, or strange illnesses.

When he is done gathering information, Gregory will return to the landing site and hang out with Billy. (If Billy went to Goodwood with them).

[Mr Fox]

Upon arrival Raider will go directly to the hospital with Robert and Billy if the boy aberrant will go that is. When they arrive he will have a couple of the town folk carry the litter bearing Robert into the hospital while he remains outside. Once he sees to making sure of Robert's comfort via proxies he will head to the village green where the preperations are underway for Courier's arrival and set up an area where he will offer his services both as a medical doctor and as a healer. He will offer his services in trade for the care that Robert is to receive during his stay in town. Once he has used up most of his juice on healing people he will make his way back to the hospital. He will ask to have Robert brought outside so that he can examine him with his healing and try another round of healing on him. Afterwards he will accompany Robert inside and see what his condition looks like within from a purely medical doctor's perspective.

[jameson (ST)]

Raider, with help from Adam, moves Robert onto a stretcher and through the gate to Goodwood. Once they arrive in the town he negotiates with bob for Robert to stay for a time within the null zone by trading his medical services for the day. Noting that Raider's quantum healing is still underdeveloped Bob still agrees as their local doctor can only do so much and there are a great many things Raider's lilmited healing could help with.

A few townspeople help to carry Robert into the null zone building. Raider is shown to the doctor's building and begins to take patients. He uses his abilities extensively to heal minor injuries which would cause problems for a persons mobility and to heal some people who have contracted various infections and diseases. Raider is hard at work, a line out the door of the doctor's when Courier arrives nearly 4 hours later.

Gregory helps Adam to setup the landing zone for Courier before taking off to wander about the town. He quickly finds himself in a darkend bar where he engages in chit chat with the locals. He loosens some tongues by buying alcohol with the little he has in trade and spends the next few hours plying people for information.

After setting up the landing area Adam travels back to Newborough to check on Billy (who refuses to go through the warp) stating that he will return in a few hours or when Courier contacts them.

[Courier]

Courier periodically lets people know that the ocean is still blue and he's on course. Other than that he feels pretty good, his headache is mostly gone and he's less tired than usual. Probably the whole trip can be done in one lift.

Doug is also looking forward to Raider's dad being tested and hopefully cured. The chances of KB being exposed to this stuff was worryingly high. It'd be real nice to have a cure in their back pocket, maybe even a cure that Squidward didn't know about.

[Mr Fox]

Once he gets down to the point where he feels that he doesn't have much juice left, he will ask the people still waiting to be treated, to give him an hour that he will be back shortly. He will walk over to the hospital and ask that Robert be brought out to him. When he is, he will use his healing abilities as well as his formidable medical knowledge to examine him for signs of change now that he has been inside the null field. Once he has examined him, he will expend the last of his energy on another attempt to heal him of whatever damage has been done whether the ailment is gone or not. Then he will have Robert taken back inside and will follow him in and use regular medical knowledge to examine him inside the null zone.

[Gregory]

It was hard to get a lot of good information with the little money that he posessed. He bartered for most of the information, and found himself left with only a dozen bullets, his revolver, and the barrel of syrup (that he left back in Newbourough). Gathering information was expensive.

Everyone was animated, and doing something when Gregory returned. Unfortunately, Billy refused to come with them, so Gregory had to entertain himself. He sat down near the landing site, and created a flock of butterflies, which he hoped would draw some of the younger shildren out of hiding. He sent the butterfly constructs, to land on nearby people, in order to elicit a laugh from the kids.

[jameson (ST)]

Gregory spends his little spending money and trade goods prying for information. He finds out that a local town has recently begun to take a more agressive stance toward their neighbors, Goodwood included; there have been more and more raiders attacking trading convoys in the wilderness between the local towns; a rumor that Bob is actually a nova who is planning to expand his control over the town for some reason; and other tidbit and rumors. To his dismay little of any real worth is garnered from the locals, most likely they are just too far away from the current centers of civilisation.

*****

Raider spends a few hours treating the worst of the sicknesses and wounds of the townsfolk. The line is getting short when he excuses himself to check on Robert. Robert is brought outside of the null zone, protesting that he does not need to be carried. He is awake and says he feels better but clearly still has some injuries from Adam's nuking. Raider extends his senses and tries to heal Robert. He is able to heal some of the injury from the attack but finds that the damage caused by the aberrant still refuses to respond to his treatment.

Together they re-eneter the building and the null zone. Already exhausted from the expenditure of mass amounts of his ersonal quantum the sudden elimination of the last of his reserves slaps Raider hard. He slumps and stumbles almost falling as he climbs the stairs as they pass the boundry. Robert looks concerned until Raider can explain the situation. The two of them sit and Raider lays out what he knows about the null field. Robert seems to understand most of what Raider says and he even postulates that the null zone may dispell the aberrant's "curse" or at least allow him to recouperate. Raider checks him out through mundane means and finds that Robert is healthy other than his injuries but he cannot determine if Rober is still under the effect of the quantum attack.

Hearing commotion outside Raider gets up to leave telling Robert that he will be back before they leave town.

****

Outside Courier has finally arrived and touches down in the town square dropping the container witha thud. Even though his nova constitution is more than capable of allowing him to continue for hours more he feels relieved to set the burdan down and stretch his limbs. People begin to gather almost immediately to see what Courier has brought and/or to see what other marvels Courier and the other will perform.

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Dr. Raphael Bradford

Outside Courier has finally arrived and touches down in the town square dropping the container with a thud. Even though his nova constitution is more than capable of allowing him to continue for hours more he feels relieved to set the burden down and stretch his limbs. People begin to gather almost immediately to see what Courier has brought and/or to see what other marvels Courier and the other will perform.

(Rotated to everyone here who isn’t in the null zone) *I’m here. Touching down in less than a minute.*

Courier takes the long and slow way down, partly to avoid the null zone but mostly to make an impression and to give people the chance to view him and be impressed by the shear size of the load. Before he’d even started down he’d reconfigured his eufiber from something designed to limit wind shear into his standard merchant getup. Before he’d left the ocean he’d taken a mid air rest room stop so he could trade without stopping when he set down.

Then with a clank, a thud, and the groan of metal the load was on the ground. The sound effects were another innovation, if he was present Raider would remember that loads of livestock had been hauled and put down with far less noise.

”Welcome!!! Courier boomed out. ”Welcome friends one and all to the mobile store front. Today we mostly have metal goods, the finest in Newborough!”

Courier opened the ‘mule’ and started taking out and setting up the tables conveniently close to the mule’s doors. After a few tables were quickly set up, Courier started to fill them with samples of the metal goods stored in the mule. Everything looked light in his hands, an impression he reinforced by standing six feet in the air to show off his wears whenever possible.

[jameson (ST)]

... two days later ...

Gregory and Billy sit on the floor of Raider's workshop. Suprisingly Billy knows how to play Bakgammon, and quite well. He has taught Gregory and the two have played many a game, suprisingly Billy has one most and by quiet a margin. Gregory's mind is elsewhere though, a great deal has happened and he is unsure of his place and his next move, not only in the game but in his life. The man known only to them as Squidward has proven to be a manipulative and thoroughly evil adversary and yet Gregory also admire's his ability to manipulate people to get what he wants. The knowledge that he is Raider's brother and has sentanced their father to a slow death serves only to reinforce the image in Gregory's mind that this man is no better than the feral mutants who killed his own parents.

Nearby Raider is elbow deep in an engine for an old tractor. He has promised to get the device up and running so that it will be able to help plow when the first snows come. Raider's hands are on task but his mind keeps thinking to recent events. Meeting his father, a man he thought long dead. Learning from his father that he has a twin brother who is none other than the mysterious Mr. Squidward. Their anti-climactic trip to Goodwood. Raider drops a small part, it bounces it's way down through the engine, plinking off the ancient machinery. Raider shakes his head and sighs, it's hard to concentrate lately.

Elsewhere Courier is going through the trade goods he has on hand, both from Newborough and Goodwood. He knows that his near-monopoly on trade between the two towns means that he will not want for goods or food for his nova level appetite. He cannot however bring himself to feel pride in the accomplishment; he is no closer to getting KB back, no closer to discovering Squidward's endgame, and now saddled with the knowledge of the past few days he finds himself unsure of what to do.

*****

Raider hears footsteps behind him and turns to see his father enter the workshop. Though the man has recovered from his wounds Raider has found no way to stop the slow wasting away that the man has been afflicted with, even a two day stay in the quantum null zone in Goodwood was unable to remove the condition.

Robert fans his fingers out and then balls his hands into fists wincing as he does so, "Too bad you can't see to get rid of my arthritis son." He laughs but the wearly look on his face says that he is trying to break the ice only.

"Have you and your freinds thought any more about what to do about James?" he asks without looking at Raider, unable or unwilling to meet his son's eyes.

*****

In his home Courier sits, a sandwhich and a beer nearby but untouched, a photo of KB in his hands. The thought that he may never see her again has for the first time entered his head and he in unsure of what he would do if that were to come true. Without warning he is blasted off his chair by a spasm accompanied by the now familiar mental havoc and voice of Squidward, a.k.a. James O'Reily.

Knock knock ... who's there? Mr. Courier I presume? Yes of course. I felt the need to contact you you see because ... well frankly I have nothing better to do for a few minutes and I thought I might like to taunt you. And of course here I am taunting you and enjoying it quiet a great deal.

I digress however. I also wanted to thank you and your freinds for helping me solve a little problem. These blueprints and data are going to be very useful but I am finding that I need some very specialized materials. I thought you might like to help. You see I intend to build one of these fascinating engines and you are going to help. "Why would I help you?" you ask? Well because your pretty little girlfriend is alive and as of yet untainted by my ... freinds. She is very attrative however I'm not sure that even I can keep her safe much longer.

Again and I am getting off topic ... Bring me two tons of high grade titanium steel, and I'll consider letting her go. You know where to bring it of that I am certain. You have ... hmmm ... three days, yes that's good, three days.

Flat on his back once more Courier stares at the ceiling ... three days ...

[Courier]

Quote:

Elsewhere Courier is going through the trade goods he has on hand, both from Newborough and Goodwood. He knows that his near-monopoly on trade between the two towns means that he will not want for goods or food for his nova level appetite. He cannot however bring himself to feel pride in the accomplishment; he is no closer to getting KB back, no closer to discovering Squidward's endgame, and now saddled with the knowledge of the past few days he finds himself unsure of what to do.

*Somehow throwing darts at Squidward’s image doesn’t seem like enough.*

Quote:

Flat on his back once more Courier stares at the ceiling ... three days ...

Courier rotates the link and sends, *He’s back with another message. Seems he wants me to get two tons of high grade titanium steel in three days. Claims he’s going to build one of these fascinating engines. Also claims I know the drop off location.*

(Sent only to Raider) *Please ask your old man what the story behind that gun is. Also ask if he knows what Squidy’s deal with aircraft and/or space craft is.*

[Mr Fox]

Grease up to his elbows Raider continues to work on the tractor as he talks to his father. "Well, given his evil and the crimes he's already commited, I think he's going to have to be put down. I can heal physical stuff, but I can't see it likely that I can heal his mind, and as dangerous as he is he can't be just locked up."

When Couriers thought comes through he blinks and goes distant for a moment, then turns his full attention on his father, "We just received another message from James. He wants us to deliver him 2 tons of titanium so he can build one of the engines he stole the plans for. What is his obsession with those engines and aircraft/space? While I'm at it, what's up with that gun you were carrying, that was some pretty advanced tech."

[jameson (ST)]

Originally Posted By: Raider

What is his obsession with those engines and aircraft/space? While I'm at it, what's up with that gun you were carrying, that was some pretty advanced tech.

The room falls into silence, even the normally fidgety and talkative Billy is quiet, it's as though time freezes. Raider sees a look of pain mixed with sadness cross Robert's face. The older man looks away from his son and busies himself clearing a seat out of the mess in Raider's shop.

"I wish I knew what he wanted. I could guess, he probably intends to build weapons with it, but that's only a guess. Given the state of the world there seems little use for aircraft with the kind of powerful engine's that you say he's been trying to obtain."

Robert looks down at his hands, he seems like he is unwilling to say more but finally speaks, "Where is the gun? I'd like it back. I found it a few years back, must have been pretty high tech even when the burn occured. Seems to be self powered, at least I've never run it down. Can't figure it out though, heck I couldn't even open the damn thing to look inside."

[Gregory]

Gregory is fascinated with the gun. He focuses on what Robert says about it and is a little perturbed. He begins peppering him with a barrage of questions like a kid to a parent. ""Where did you find gun? I want one too. Can I try to open it? How do you make it shoot? What kind of weapons can he build? Can he buld a gun like that? Why does he need an engine to fly? How does an aircraft work?I want to fly on aircraft. Do you know how to fly? How old was Squiddy when he left again? When did he start looking funny?" Gregory was trying to get him to reveal more information. Once he finishes, he gives Robert an innocent smile.

[Mr Fox]

Raider smiles at Gregory and answers Robert, "I've got it, I gave it a good lookover, but decided not to attempt opening it. Given the current state of technology, if something happened, there would be no way of repairing it. Like Gregory here, I'd love to know where you found it, that kind of tech is very advanced." He reaches under his jacket and pulls it out of a shoulder holster then hands it to Robert handle first. "Don't leave this laying around, in fact, keep it on your person at all times, we know James' henchman has gotten in here once already using his ability to mimick others."