Feeling odd, you receive another shock as you watch a football (soccer) game being played by ants vs. beetles with a tesseract as the ball, and then you find yourself falling into the ball to land face first on some sand...

And then you realize the sand is real.  The other had more of the feel of a dream, but you truly can feel hot sand under your cheekbone, and the cry of gulls in the air.

You smell rotten fish, and rotting vegetation.

And there's something crawling up your left arm, heading toward your elbow.

PT

I absently get up, brushing whatever is crawling up my arm from it (if it feels like just insectlike). Breathing freely I sit back. "Wow, that was hefty. Praise God! Let's see what happened... GOD CAME DOWN! ... and then there were the others. The Doc now knows God is real, the Flock might have averted their eyes in time and I do hope my prayer that someone would find that bible becomes thruth. BUT GOD CAME DOWN! Amazing!", I laugh out loud.

Standing up I mutter "And this time I didn't wake up in the sea..."

Absent-mindedly you brush off the inch long hermit crab, and stand up.  A beach stretches out to the right and curves off, and runs long and straight until you see a headland that holds some rocks in its core, as its bonesin the far distance.

The sand is gleaming white with not a trace of litter.

Forty feet ahead of you lies a dense line of jungle.  Mangrove, pine, pineapple, and enormous ferns compete for sunlight with an abundant undergrowth of younger trees, and smaller ferns, and vines.

A foot long bird of paradise stares back at you, resplendent in its feathers from a coconut tree limb.

The beach is ....alive.  You see dozens of small crabs, starfishes, larger crabs, gulls swooping down for lunch, and turtles trundling about their business.  Some red and green birds, about twenty of them are nesting up near the jungle edge.

PT

Looking at all the splendid nature I wonder if I might have ended up in Paradise.
I gather the pack that came with me and figure that it will not be Paradise. As far as I know you can't take stuff with you to Heaven. It seems this death also isn't a permanent one. It is one in wich I'll once die again. I recognise a feeling that I remember from Aquatica (allthough I don't know it's called Aquatica) and stare towards it. It reminds me of Cap, he explained it all. I sigh.

I figure that if I'll be going through Universes I can better document myself of them. So I grab the notebook and pencil I got from Cap's Cabin and start towrite down whatever I can remember from Aquatica.

The experiences of a worldwalker, the second world:
After being zapped by a gadet of work I ended up in sea.
I landed there between a toilet, a soccer-ball and some other trinkets.
I grabbed the ball and swam to the shore of an Island there ...

I go on about the Myhrrmaid and the Near-Rids, the Pie-rats and Pie trees. I tell about Cap and our adventure with the bad-boys. I dedicate a substancial amount of paper on Cap and go on telling about the Babs-dolls and doctor Whoemever, the shyzofrenic swordfish and the encounter with the Animator. I tell about the troll and the Flock and about how God came down.

I pull a line under there and put the stuff back again. Then I look towards where the feeling is coming from again and hope that my bag hasn't drowned again.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:51, Wed 29 Nov 2006.

You walk toward the headland, and then clamber to the top of it.  You're already feeling the effect of the hot sun on your neck.

Along the way, there is abundant animal life in the form of birds and crustaceans and the sea is thick with jellyfish, but nothing other than the giant ferns and a couple birds looks anywhere near as bizarre as the previous world was on an every moment basis.  It seems normal..for a tropical paradise thats never been hunted, or exposed to the ravages of humanity.

The water stretches to the horizon, uninterrupted.

Once upon the headland, you look down, and see your bag on the beach, in a little hollow about a hundred feet further on.  Laughing, you run down to it, and then stop.

Its sitting in the midst of a footprint, which is part of a line of footprints.  Each footprint is separated by at least five feet, and has two toes, and is over two feet long.  They dent the sand by about four inches.

PT

Rather confused I take my bag.
"Well, I at least got my bible back." I think.

I look around more seriously. No sign of humanity, abundant animal life, giant footprints, ... I start to see dinosaurs running around in my imagination. Could it be that I have 'walked into' the beginning of time? That primitive mankind, in the sense that they don't have technology, might live here somewhere?

Or perhaps I have stranded somewhere on an island that has not yet been discovered by mankind, if men live here, for all I know it could be blue and purple striped talking zebras or something. Confused I get my toughts togheter again and stuff those toughts somewhere in the back of my mind to write them down later. The first thing I've got to do is get off these tracks. In a way it (falsly) gives the impression that it is safer if I'm not on those tracks.

I walk to a nearby tree (Are it palmtrees or something of the like) and set myself against it. I take my notebook out again. Marking the new entry as 'My third world' I enter the questions I had thought just a minute ago. After that I take my bible and flip it open. "I think Genesis might be apropriate.", I mutter. And start reading. 'In the beginning ...'

ooc: I'll read until something happens. "You get hungry" also states as somthing happening. Do I sense other versers?

Sitting under a palm tree, you write down your questions.  And then you spend a time reading Genesis.  Its pleasant to commune with God in this beautiful place.

You pause to watch a tiny crab investigte your left shoe.  After a while, you tire from it, and shake it loose gently.

You look back to your Bible.  The warm breezes have flipped it over to the story of Noah.

As you're about to flip back to where you were, your stomach rumbles a bit.  You look up,feeling like someone is watching you.

There is a large splash, perhaps ten feet long, about a hundred feet out in the water.  YOu didn't see what caused it.

PT

My rumbling stomach reminds me of more material needs. Looking around I would be surprised if I wouldn't find any food. Is there any food that I recognise? Shaking off the feeling of being spied on I set out to look for food. I look up into the palmtree to see if I can spot wheter it has coconuts or something alike. That splash startled me, and I decide that I'll only go for fish if I'm realy, realy hungry...

Just standing there you see coconuts in their outer husks; several types of crabs, molluscs in their shells at the water edge; a bush full of red berries; some long green fruit with a leathery skin hanging from a tree; bird's eggs in nests; turtles; and a bit deeper into the jungle you see green bananas hanging on a tree with some nearby trees to it looking similar.

Oh, yes, you also see a line of ants toting leaf bits back into the jungle.

You've heard of people eating insects...

Mmm, crunchy...

PT

I decide to try and climb the coconut tree. Looking up to it I take a step back and sigh. I clap my hands. "Allright, I've seen this been done in the movies. It can't be that hard ..", I say as I get out of my vest. I slap it around the tree, one sleeve on one side and the other one on the other side. I'll give this climbing a few tries and if I get up the tree I'll take advantage of being up in the air to look around a bit. If I can get a cocnut (or three) down, I'll start looking around for some sharp and heavy rocks. One to be used to hold against the nut, and the other (preferably heavier) to be used as a hammer to hammer rock number one through the coconut's shell.

It takes you one try to get some of the idea, and then the next try you get up halfway up the tree before a minor mistake in how you placed the jacket catches up to you, and so you drop down to try again.  A minute to rest, and carefully moving the jacket, you're suddenly surprised to find yourself up in the limbs of the tree.

From there, you knock down three coconut husks.

On the ground, you have this massive husk, an outer shell to take off, and your crude hammer and chisel does that well.  Inside, is the cocounut you're familiar from the market.

One crack, and it splits jaggedly in half.

A bit of coconut milk waters the sand, but the rest goes into your mouth.  And the 'meat' stuffs your stomach.  Its the best coconut you've ever had.

PT

ooc: What did I see up there. I stated that I'd look around once I was up. Or did I just forget after all the trouble of climbing?

Satisfied with this result I decide to get some of those bananas and keep on to them until they are ripe. I stuff on half of the coconut in my backpack. It will make a handy bowl if I find a spring or stream from where to drink.

Once I look inside the backpack I notice that I still have pie wrapped in aluminium foliage. I take it out and have some of it. I'll save the rest for later.

I decide to go on a quest to find drinkable water and realise that I don't have a clue as to how to do that. "It should be somewhat uphill because it'll need to flow down.", but that would be the only remark. Then I remember the survival booklet Cap gave me. So I'll hunt it down in my bag, only to realise that I had left it in Cap's Cabin. (do I have a vector for that?)

After some tought I decide to head for the booklet first and learn how to search for water from it. Who knows, I might descover a lake or stream in the meanwhile.

As I set out I start to wonder why I'm here exactly and what my goal would be. "Could I really be in the Garden? I'd better not eat any unfamilliar looking fruits!"

OOC: Ooops.

IC: Near the top of the banana tree you look about, and see a curving back on itself of the beach in the direction you're going.  In the other direction, the beach extends as far as you can see, although you see some irregularities in the line that could be coves or lagoons.  The interior of the land seems to slope downward, and there are no areas of the land mass that are taller than where you are now, although there is looking inward, trees and giant ferns as far as you can see.

And there is another grazer on the perhaps thirty strong banana tree orchard you are in...Its long, grey head, about the size of a shopping cart raises above the trees, and then the teeth clomp down onto a bunch of bananas.

<tear> <rip> And the tree about five trees away from yours snaps back and forth in out of control and wild gyrations for a few seconds as its forcibly relieved of its banana load, and some of its branches.

PT

ooc:
* Is a grazer just another term for herbivore or is it a certain species of animal (long extinct or not?) Does it have scales, fur, feathers or something other then just being grey and large. (Considering the given information and the footprints I've encountered, I as the player, would consider it a Brachiosaurus like creature.)

* Oh, and did I sense the book?


ic: On top of the tree, before the disturbance by 'the creature', I look at the area going down. "Ah, that would be a good place to look for water, I think."

OOC: Grazer=Herbivore, as in a 'creature that grazes'.  Leathery, tough skin.  Imagine something like a rhinoceros or elephant hide, but thicker, tougher looking.  Brachiosaurus looks about correct.

Book--aargh.  You found your book.

And sorry about skipping you.  My fault, I think I thought this was a previous world for some reason.

IC: Downhill away from the beach does look like a good place for water to collect.

PT
OOC: Now see ya'll Monday.

ooc: no problem, if I'd known I had warned you before, but I had also told you that I liked quality above quantity, so you might have been thinking on something.

ic:
As I turn my head to look at the rustling I need to make sure not to fall. I think I would have shouted from startlement, or maybe just haven't been able to say anything at all. "It's a dinosaur! A dinosaur! Man, they are big!"

I keep staring to the creature in breathless amazement. Wonder and fear mingle strangely in my hart as I see this living breathing piece of history. I praise God for his creation. I must look like a mosquito to it. I don't think it would find me a threat. I try to get a good seat on top of the bush (banana's grow on bushes, not trees ;))and get my sketchbook and pencil. This is a rare opportunity.

You sketch out the dinosaur, and then another picture gets started, but then a head pops up out of the greenery next to you.  The great head is similar to the first, but not identical.

It looks you over, and obviously decides after thirty seconds that greenery is where its at.

It starts to eat on the leaves and branches of your 'tree' bush.

PT
OOC: I think technically you are correct, but I think bananas grow in things, if I remember right that resemble trees, so since the vast majority of people call them trees....

ooc: yeah, I know, but I noticed that people hear like correctness :) And it was an opportunity to 'show off' with non-important knowledge.

Frozen in place I look at the massive leathery head grazing on the trees in front of me. Being warmed by it's breath my hair flutters to and back. Finally, as I notice it doesn't find me a threat I try to touch it, if that works I'll try to carres and pet it. "This is awesome! Awesome! Man this is cool! I must be dreaming!"

At first it doesn't notice, but then it does.  For a heart-stopping second it looks at you, deciding if you are a problem that needs to be dealt with.  You suddenly realize that high in the banana bush, you are dreadfully vulnerable.  It could easily knock you loose, and then just step on you.

Instead, it rubbed its head back against your hand.  Its moving its head about, and at first you're not sure what is going on, but then you realize it wants its eyeridges which are covered with some tough fungi scratched.

And not just carressed either.  It bangs its head up against your hand in a clear sign to rub harder.

PT

As if in a dream I contniou and do rub harder. I can't believe what is happening! Despite reasonings of my own I start to talk to the creature.

"Is this allright? Does it feel good great fellow?"

He whuffles, and bobs his head to look at you in apparent mild agreement, and you rock back a bit in the branches as his head bangs your chest, and you're almost falling, but you catch yourself.  And then you see him reaching his great teeth to the root of the branches you are relying on for support.

From looking quickly at the other bushes, you see his plan is to finish off all the leaves and branches and then move on to another bush.

The ground is a long way down.

PT

"Wow there big fellow, let me get down first", I say as I get down before he tackles the entire tree.

The dinosaur doesn't even bother to look at you.  Your persuasive powers seem a touch lacking over several tons of eating machine.

Plus, it looks like the concept of "not eating everything" is one that this beast has never quite grasped.

It bites through the branch supports, and you hop to the next and last major clump of branches.  It eyes them as it finishes chomping up its current mouthful.

PT

I try to slide down the trunk of the tree, sketchbook and pencil falling with me as I rush down. I make a mental note not to stay in a tree that is in the proces of being eaten.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:28, Sun 17 Dec 2006.

You slide down very rapidly feeling two contradictory feelings.  On the one hand, you feel like you've learned a new trick in tree-climbing, a near free-fall with brakes, and on the other hand, your hands and pant legs are getting badly sliced up.

You hit the ground jarringly hard, and then scoot off three trees over to get out of the way of the looming giant creature and its huge feet.  Its then that you look at you hands awash in blood, and your legs sliced near the skin in about a dozen places.

Your pants below the knee are ruined.

PT
OOC: Congrats, you survived. :)  And that is a bonus +1 to your tree-climbing skill.

I groan out in pain, breathing through clenched teeth. I try to rub my hands clean on my shirt but as they keep bleeding I decide to rip my shirt up and use it as bandage. I try to get my stuff togheter and look at the giant again.

The spell is over. The romance is gone. And the doubts kick in. "Why am I here, what is my purpose? What's with this worldwalking anyway?" Then I gasp out of fear instead of pain. "If there are herbivoric dinosaurs, their may as well be carnivoric ones. They could easily smell blood. Man, I don't want to be in Jurrasic Park!" I rush down towards the lower parts of the land, untill I find fresh water. I'll then try to wash myself, after I've thrown in a few rocks to make sure there aren't any crocodiles or anything there.

After that (if I ain't eaten yet), I'll direct myself to the survivalist manual. I need to build a shelter for the night, and there might be some tips on caring for wounds in there arwell, hopefully with pictures.

You rush inland, and quickly find an animal path leading downhill.  Its muddy, and you find yourself about half the time slipping and sliding down it, more than running.  And when the fern branch swacks you across the face after it slips out of your muddy fingers, you're jolted for a second.

But, then gasping, you get down to a small creek.

The plants about it seem smaller, and different than the profusion of greenery you're used to.  They are smaller, and browner, and look dry and hard rather than lush and green.

You toss a rock in. No sign of crocs...

PT

"No sign of crocks, well, that's a relief.", I think with a sigh.
Then I look at the plants, all dried up and shrivelled up. The water may be poisoness, or it may not. But I'm too desparate to bother now, so I rely on the Word of God that say that we will drink poison and not be affected by it (and tread on snakes without being bitten etc ...)

You bend down and drink.

Its tainted with sulphur, and heavily doped with iron, and salty enough to make you thirstier after drinking than before.  You hang onto your mouthful, but it roils your stomach once it goes down.

Its also quite warm.

PT

Disgusted I stick to just cleaning my hands. Then I set forth to seek another source of water.

You wander the lowlands looking for more water.  The only other water you find is similarly tainted.  Although you have spotted a set of perhaps twenty small tri-toed and taloned tracks.

And then you hear the crash of waves.  You're pretty sure you haven't turned about, and that means maybe you're on an island.

The stream that you've been following opens up short of the beach, and you see a huge teardrop of metal with fins rising off the top and the sides, but not enough to lift it.

Its at least eighty meters long and twenty wide, if not more.

PT

Curious, though frightened I go check it out. It's metal, so it'll be made by someone. Perhaps that someone can protect me from the three-toed taloned critters. On the other side, they could be worse. I hesitate, but look for a window or door and a way to contact, but if I could peek in first I'll take that option before nocking on the door.

Besides that I take a mental note to remember where the coconuts grow. At least the coco-milk is drinkable...

You walk around the other side, and see three aliens.  One is a blue lady, of extreme slimness and graceful step who is putting down a piece of fruit.  Another is a ten foot tall creature similar to a gorilla, and armed with a huge axe.  And sitting on his shoulder talking in Belgian is a three foot tall avian with short feathers in very bright hues of red, orange, and purple.

The avian is talking to a Tyranosaurus Rex from ten meters away.

"Here, there, fellow, its okay, have some nice fruit. Nice fruit. Good for you.  Yes, thats right, Elithana Five Two, I think you can move forward. He doesn't look frightened."

Meanwhile, the T-Rex has opened its mouth to reveal its gaping chasm of teeth.  Frankly, it looks just a bit confused.

Behind them about thirty meters, is a ramp leading up to an open doorway into the spaceship.

PT
OOC: And these are the Newbies...

ooc: Lol, allright, lets get this starting. And I'll asume the creature speaking Dutch (Or 'Antverpian' if you really, really wan't to make it really, really recognisable to me)

ic:
I gasp in shock, "those guys don't know what they are doing!".
So I rush in to shout, "Hey Kerel! Ni doen! Dien eet vlees." (Hey buddy/chum/dude, don't do that! It eats meat!)

The trio looks back at you, and the blue girl waves her hand softly and speaks quietly.

"Shhhhh. You'll scare him."  She says in perfect Antwerpian.

The T-Rex looks at you with curiosity after it takes one step back in startlement at your sudden appearance.

The girl gives you a very expressive 'Now look what you've done' look.

The bird chirps back.

"Eats meat? Whats that? Meat? I mean."

"S'targ..." The girl hisses.

"Elnithan, this is another sentient species! As fascinating as your would-be pet is..."

The T-Rex rumbles deep in its throat.

PT

"Meat, like in flesh, muscles etc. I've also heard that T-rex-es (I nod my head towards the T-rex), were bird-hunters."

Then I pause and replie: "Did you just insinuate that it is sentient?" I say pointing at the dino again.

"Ah, um,...sentient, no, no, I mean, you're sentient, right? You are talking, thus, you're probably sentient.  And you're speaking good Galactic, as well....birdeaters, are you sure, I mean, well...that just seems so improbable.  I wouldn't want to be insulting to it...."

He looks over back at the T-Rex which is studying him with further interest as it realizes the loud thing on the ape's shoulder is a separate snack tray.  The dinosaur takes a small step forward.

PT

"Yeah, I'm sentient allright, but let's discuss about all that once we are away from here or that beast is transported away from here somehow. I'm certain about it's origins."

I wave conflicting toughts away in my head. They allways bog me down with reasoning that I can't possibly be 100% sure about it. Yet I'm not feeling like trying it out.

"Allé manne! Komaan!" (C'mon guys, c'mon!) I say, getting ready to run.

You and they start to run for the ship hatch, and the T-Rex lunges down to snap at Elnitha as well.  It catches her by the arm, and she shrieks as it lifts its prize into the air....

"Oh dear." Says the bird while the ape slows looking over its shoulder, reaching for its axe, and then putting its hand back to take another step forward, and then slowing again, and reaching for the axe....

"Academician, what should I do?"

"How am I supposed to know? I only passed my Intro Level courses last month?!!!?" The bird shrieks which catches T-Rex's attention.  It pauses in its plan to munch the blue girl.

PT

In a flash I remember that God gave men authority over plant and beast.
He also had shown himself greatly the last few days.

I stop running and get myself authorative. "By the power invested in me by God through His Spirit I command you to let her go!"

If it has effect I rebuke it, if it doesn't I try again until it comes too close.

It stops, and stares at you.  Tilts its head to the left, and then opens its mouth. The blue alien girl drops out, and crashes twelve feet to the ground in a helter-skelter of limbs.

Then the T-Rex leans back and roars as it thuds forward to eat you.

PT

"Ah, no..." I whine. "STOP!", I try again, and immedially start running, tryying to duck behind trees and other obstacles to try and get away from it.

The T-Rex doesn't even slow as you dart away.  However it rapidly builds up speed, and from the thudding behind you, you realize that its gotten up to top speed, and its a good bit faster than you.

Your dodging helps since it has to slow down, and then accelerate, but much of the time it just crashes through the obstacles.

PT

"I do hope they get away while I'm giving my life here.", I think as I doge another tree.

I remember flashes of rumours that Beowulf, the dragonhunter of legend, described the method of fighting a 'dragon' that resembled a young T-rex. "But he was a dragonhunter!", I counterreact these toughts.

Deciding that if I don't quickly find a hole to dive in, crevace to creep through, or just something to hide in where it can't come, I'd better die in style, trying to take it down. Now it's even harder to breathe.

<this part is only if I don't find a place to hide.>
"Right, I remember what it was, let it come in to snap at me with its head and duck under it (I swallow), while it's trying that, grabbing on to one of the little arms and trying to pull it out.(I sigh nearveously)"
"GOD HELP ME!", I shout as I go for it.

You whip around and see an open-topped aircar diving down toward you, ahead of the T-Rex.  Leaning out its right side is a ten foot tall ape.  He's holding out a rope lariat for you to grab...assuming you do...you hook your arms into the rope circle, and find yourself jerked off the ground swinging in the wake of the air car.

The T-Rex skids to a halt and stares at you in frank astonishment as you rocket away from him.

It takes another minute, but they circle about and set down on top of the spaceship.  Your arms are abraded from the rope, and your left shoulder, well, its not working properly.

The T-Rex is leaving the clearing in a huff, offended that its prey had done something weird.

The ape-man looks at you.

"My name is Krang. Imperial Marine Third Class. I guess we owe you our lives."

PT

"And I owe you mine.", I reply. I wince and grab for my shoulder.
In tought I praise God for saving my life. I was really hoping that it wasn't my calling on this world to only save these lot. There is only so much pain one want's on one day you know.

The avian hops up onto the window of the aircar, and perches on the top edge of the open vehicle.

"So, um, who are you? What are you? I hope you don't mind, but I'm beside myself with curiousity.  And how did you know that the large green creature was dangerous?  By the way, do you know what planet we are on?"

He obviously would keep on asking questions, but the ape shushes him with one keyboard sized paw.

PT

....And this is where Nikolaj and the Newbies restarts....

PT

In reply to Playtester (msg #47):

As the adrenaline of the persuit stops rushing in my veins, it makes place for laughter, at the series of questions is fired upon me. But the laughter quickly makes place for a wince and an exclamation of pain. With the adrenaline gone, the pain is coming through severely.

"I'm human, more or less," I answer, "but do you think I can find some treatement somewhere? I seem to have messed up my shoulder back there."

If they can treat me right away, I answer afterwards.
If they can treat me afterwards, I answer their questions as much as I can.
If they can't treat me, I keep wincing and still try to answer their questions.

"I am Nikolaj Bourguignon, I am -or was- a human being. My origins lie on the planet Earth, of which I heard the scientific name is Tellus, in the Sol solar system I think."

This is all so strange, I think, reflecting on all that has happened. I don't quite get what has been going on with me, seemingly ending up in other worlds.
"But I've been to another world recently, quite unknowing on how I got there. And now I don't know wheter I'm back on Earth or not."

"My travelling among worlds seems to have been caused by some strange substance that I've been in contact with. It's called Spiff, or Skirf or something. I've been told that it causes me to travel to other worlds when I ... die. I know this sounds strange, I'm not really sure about all of this either. But I appear to be what some seem to call a worldwalker."

"As to the dinosaur, the green creature, it's a creature supposed to be extinct on my world. Though some argue that. I do not know. We learn about them in historic lessons in school, which at the moment are arousing lots of discussion as to how long ago it would have been. A struggle between scientists and religion, where both parties seem to be losing sight of things. But not being visible in daily life, they make very interresting animals, inspiring writers and illustrators to work with them, fueling the imagination of kids."

"When I was a kid - I am an adult male of my ... uhm, species - I was very keen on knowing lots of things about them. Thus I know about them. These dinosaurs, this giant lizards, can be divided in various subdivisions. You have the carnivores (they eat meat), the herbivores (they eat plants) and the omnivores (they eat everything). The one you encountered belonged to the carnivores and, in my world, is called a Tyrannosaur Rex, which means Terrible Lizzard, if I remember correctly. It's often shortened to T-rex, and probably the most popular carnivore of the dinosaurs."

If I'm not too worn out by everything, I'll be ready for more questions, but I'll also ask them who exactly I owe my rescue too.

They fly you back to their ship, and take you up the ramp by the expedient of Krang carrying you like you were a small child. Inside, its down one tubular corridor to the right, a quick slide vertically down a metal ladder, and a march to your left followed by a turn to your left which puts you in the doorway of what is obviously a doctor's domain.

The avian doctor takes one startled look at you, and then refocuses as he's told how you're hurt.

"Marvelous, marvelous, an injured alien. I do hope I don't need to operate and examine his internal organs. I wonder what they look like. Very curious indeed." He hums to himself. "Internal endoskelaton, muscles, tendons...simple enough. Up on the table."

You climb on the table, and he flicks on a light. Pale purplish light bathes you, and you feel itches all over, and then a general sense of well-being followed by lassitude in the space of three minutes. The pain is gone.

"Now you need to rest. Your body has worked very hard under the healing ray."

When you say Tellus, the others startle.

"Thats near where we were heading. Of course, its off limits. Primitive species. The Emperor forbad..." Krang says softly which means the walls only vibrate slightly.

"I don't understand...conflict between science and religion...this makes little sense." The first avian you met says in puzzlement. "As to who we are, we are the graduating class of the Imperial Space Academy. We, uh, borrowed a stellar capable ship for a short hop..."

PT

There seems to be no other way then letting me being carried by the large monkey. Finally I find out that the less I resist, the less it hurts, so I let myself be cradled in that black, soft fur ... I can feel the pain going away right here.

They do all the procedures on me, making me turn a tad paler by suggesting on examining my vital organs. Thankful that it didn't come to that I'll take the advice and rest for a little.

"Yes, Tellus, Earth as we call her.", I reply. "You are forbidden to have contact with us? Science and religion conflicting? Primitive? Wow. Yeah, I guess most of us could be called primitive. It's not like we invented space cruisers like you have and stuff. Extra-planar existing lifeforms are even discussed. Whether they would exist or not. We have a lot to learn. But doesn't everybody?"

Hopping from the table I turn to my hosts, "Maybe we can discuss over some coffee or tea?", I suggest. As I take my chair I ask one more question. "What exactly do you mean with primitive? I've got a feeling that I'm interpreting the wrong way, from my cultural background."

I'll probably be directing my attention to the avian, even though I'll probably be distracted by the slim and silent blue female alien, who hasn't said a word yet as far as I can remember. I do make an effort to try and face them all, but the main talking part seems to be done by the avian, so he'll be the main focus of my attention.

"We took this picture passing overhead."

They show you what looks like a very large mud hut city. Its well laid out with nice straight streets, and parks, and squares, but the tallest structure is three stories tall. Also wagons pulled by horses and donkeys are clearly visible.

"This is the only settlement we saw on the planet. Naturally we avoided them, crashing some hundred, no two hundred miles sunward of them."

The doctor avian is studying you and ignoring the conversation, and you're not sure being alien and all that, but he seems regretful that there isn't any exploratory surgery on the menu for today.

"This is primitive."

PT

As I look at the picture I cant help but try to see if I recognize a culture, period of time or any of the other things that I've seen in Art History Class that might be applicable. It naturally fascinates me.

"And this is the only settlement you've found? Wow, that gives me two or maybe three options to try and explain this I think.", I say while sipping the coffee.

"One," I start, "is that this is the past of my world. Where things began with the little amount of people on the planet starting from creation, or after the great flood. The great flood," I explain, "was a time where God could not see the evil of the world any more and destroyed the people by flooding the entire planet. Only eight man were saved in a boat, because they followed the Lord."

"Second," I say, "Is that this is the future, where man has depleted the earth from it's sources and is forced to live in this primitive manner once more, re-discovering the simple but hard way of living and the search for a new energy source."

"And thirdly," I mutter, "This could be another world entirely, which I would find unlikely. But I also thought it unlikely that I would get gills cut into me by a talking schizophrenic swordfish. Still, it happened." I wink at the avian, "They aren't from my original design. I have the impression that you are curious as to how I am pieced together internally. Don't you have an apparatus with which you can look through me at several levels or something, or some kind of scanner? I'm not going to let you cut me open just for fun you know..."

I smilingly take another sip from my coffee, friendly locking eyes with the avian.

Proto-Assyrian.You notice a lion resting statue near a gate.==============="The Emperor told us of this." Krang says.================

The doctor avian startles, and then nods. He begins to scan you with something that makes your skin vibrate a little bit.

"Avians are always curious." The blue girl says.

"But we are also generally empathic to our guests." The first avian says in what is clearly a rebuke to his fellow who busies himself ignoring other comments.

PT

ooc: cool! Something like this:
http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/2687418.html or http://flickr.com/photos/danie...in/pool-68543741@N00 ?
btw, I'm trying to switch to writing about it as if it had already happened. That gives it a bit more satisfaction to me, as if it really is a story or a journal, told by the character me somewhere in the far-off future.

"Krang seems a man of little words. A bit too little sometimes.", I thought. I wondered what he responded on, whether it was of the settlement or on the story of the flood, or about something entirely different. Supposing he didn't like to talk, or had some trouble with it maybe, I directed my attention elsewhere. Thankfully the blue girl picked up conversation. I was quite curious about her, she had remained silent for all the time spent.

"Yes, well, it's definitely not a bad trait.", I answered her. "You will most likely always have some degree of information on things you encounter, certainly when they are emphatic." I said with a wink. "If he really would be empathic," I thought, "He might have restrained himself a bit on the curiosity factor. Or maybe ... he is." That was a tiring thought. But it had it's charms. It made them look a bit like a family. The blue girl would be the mommy, the bulgy short-spoken gorilla the daddy and our inquiring little friend would be more like the five year old kid, who's curious about everything.

But I didn't know much about our mommy. And somewhere, although subconscious, I wished that Krang would be more of a visiting uncle or something, so mommy wouldn't be ... available? But that was absurd! I wasn't even thinking consciously about that. It was way too weird.

Directing my attention to the girl, I spoke again. "Excuse me though, but I think I missed your name. And ... hihihi ... hahaha ... hohoHOHAHAHAAAH! Stop it, sto ... sto stop it please. I'm ticklish!" I looked down and saw the avian scanning me. It tickled very much!

Blushing a bit, trying to smile my shame away, I directed my attention back to our beati ... uhm ... to the blue girl. "Do you guys happen to have any thoughts about this civilization. I have only a limited knowledge about them. But maybe I can be of assistance."

OOC: I like the new writing style.

IC:"I speak of the great flood on this world." Krang adds stiffly.

The doctor continues to study you, and finds your response fascinating. So he experiments some more which only gets you to laughing harder. Finally, Krang picks him up with one hand,and puts him in the corner of the cabin.

"Stay." He says softly to the avian. "He is...Galactic is hard for me, he is..."

"A nerd." The blue girl says softly. "I am...Lihi. We know little, enought that it is forbidden to land here by the Emperor's Decree, but I am sure he would have understood. When the pirates damaged our flight stability controls, we faced landing, crashing, or tumbling out of control into the deepness of the space."

PT

It's hard to say, but I was thankful when Krang picked up the avian creature and put him in the corner. A bit sad that just because I was ticklish he had to take a time-out in the corner, though Krang made him sound more like the dog then a kid. But then he couldn't speak ... Galactic ... very well?

"Thank you," I told Krang with a sigh of relief, "but if he can promise not to tickle me anymore, I have no problem with him not staying." Just after I had said that, I realize that that wasn't a good idea. I shouldn't break the structure for the child ... ehm, avian doctor.

"I like nerds," I said with a smile and wink to Lihi and hoping to ease the negative of the word and assure the avian a bit, "Nice to meet you Lihi, my name's Nikolaj, but I think I told you already." I smiled and offered a hand to shake. "I think the emperor will understand, and if not I will still be thankful that you did.", I said with a smile. (If she doesn't know why I stick out my hand I explain that it's custom in my culture to shake hands when meeting)

Meanwhile I had to think, "If it's anywhere to how I'm used to governments and what I read about, the Emperor is more likely not to ever know, but it's the grace of some delegated person where everything will hinge on."

"And if he's not understanding? What would that mean, a fine or something?", I asked them? I sipped a bit from my coffee again, put my cup down and rubbed over my nose, a habit I had. "But anyway, you're trying to fix your spaceship then, right? I doubt that I can help, but if I can I would certainly like to."

"Make sure of their promises. My people learn long ago straight words get strangely bent by avians." Krang says slowly.  Both Avians protest loudly and capably. Krang shrugs.

She shrinks back, and then slowly extends her hand. She is extremely strong, but the bones feel odd under her skin.

"We/I are happy to make this connection." Lihi says.

"The Emperor has left us. In Year1128, he came to us, and in 'due time' he left us, but he promised to see us again." The first Avian says sadly. "Now we are ruled by the Regency Council which is composed by the wisest of each of our three races. As to punishement, well, it would be less than death which was our other choice."

PT

ooc: Avians? Are there two? I always thought there was only one and that the blue lady was in fact just that, a blue lady...

Playtester:

You walk around the other side, and see three aliens.  One is a blue lady, of extreme slimness and graceful step who is putting down a piece of fruit.  Another is a ten foot tall creature similar to a gorilla, and armed with a huge axe.  And sitting on his shoulder talking in Belgian is a three foot tall avian with short feathers in very bright hues of red, orange, and purple.

But if she's avian then I can deal with that. :P Or if there is something I missed, like a fourth character in the ship, then I can't see it.


I decided that I liked Krang. I really respect people who speak in a straightforward manner. You know what they mean and will seldom have trouble communicating. On the other hand I also like play on words, toying around with meanings etc. But that's more in a form of artful expression.

A tingling ran through my spine as I carefully shook hands with the avian. I certainly hoped that Krang wouldn't try it, because he seemed to have alot of power and strength in him. My hand would be crushed.

I smiled at her formal and strange words, but I got the message, "Nice to meet you too.", I told her and I smiled. Then I listen to the story of the Emperor who left them 'in due time' and who will return. It all sounded very familiar. I was a bit puzzled about it at first. Had I read it in a story, I would have gotten it in an instant, but real life like this ... no, it took some time to sink in. But it sank in as I sipped my coffee.

I decided not to tell much about the analogies with the stories of Christ first, but rather listen to them telling about this Emperor. I wanted to see if the analogies were right. I decided on the subtle words approach, the Avian way instead of Krangs way of talking.

"You seemed to like this Emperor", I told them. "How was he like?", I asked them.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:19, Thu 15 Jan 2009.

OOC: You were taken to the doctor, who is another avian.

They have a lot of stories about the Emperor. It seems he founded their interstellar society, wielding three independent, and possibly warring species together into one society.

They tell you over a dozen stories and you pick up on several facts: 1)You like him. 2)he's not perfect, but he is capable, clever, and well-intentioned. 3)He seems to have advantages that others didn't have like ships that are faster, and armor more inpenetrable and so on.

PT

I smiled as I heard them talking about the Emperor. "He sounds like a great ruler, much like mine." I told them. "My ruler also came to our world, defeated the current ruler and adding all other kind of people to His kingdom, which had before been only restricted to one nation." I rubbed my chin while explaining and started to smile. "He is also gone away now, with the promise of one day returning, to finish the war He already won. He has send His ... Counselor to each of his followers to aid us in the battle that is still waged. But it is a battle of the spirit, a battle of the hart."

I couldn't stop smiling as I had found the opportunity to talk about my Lord. If I had gotten the name of the Emperor in the previous stories I would have compared him if possible to the name of God. If not then I asked for his name.

"Sounds like The Christ." Krang rumbles. The others nod. The first avian you met speaks in a learned tone of speculation.

"Perhaps the Creator's act set up resonance ripples throughout the worlds so that the story or something similar would be known to all.  Or another theory, the news was borne by angels. Or perhaps such a sacrifice was repeated over and over on many different worlds...."

PT

My eyes widened as they mentioned the Christ. "Yes! Yes, it is the Christ that I serve!", I exclaimed. "You know Him here too? That's so great! Wow!"
I just sit still in amazement and wonder. A smile forming on my mouth and my eyes dreamy and far off, as if focused on something farther away.

ooc: sorry, no inspiration to react more thoroughly.

"The Emperor told us about him, and then our prophets confirmed that this One was the Creator we worshipped, the one described in our earliest papers. He said that this one would be born here in due time, so we should leave this planet be. We don't understand such sayings of the Emperor who spoke on occasion of the future as the past."The avian shrugs and changes the topic. " Perhaps you can help us, there is an arguement my people get into about the age of the universe.  Some say it is 1450, and other 1451  years old.  It hinges on just when the reign of King Azran the Young began. Some say he should be counted as ruling from his eighth year when he took over the crown, and others say that he was co-ruler with his mother Queen Ruanda the Just for one year, and thus to count his first year is to count it twice. How old is the universe by your understanding?"PT

I smiled a bit uncertain. "I have to say, I've got no idea. Where I come from the universe is said to be somewhere between 5000-6000 years old by some, and said to be millions of years old by others. I'm for the first, but I'm not a historian and I was told I'm from another universe...", I explained, with an apologetic smile, since this will probably sound very improbable.

They all blink. You've befuddled them.

"We/I have papers which were written less than a year after the Creation. We kept them. Why would your historians not keep your records?"  The blue girl asks.

"Perhaps they had a big disaster, like ours." Krang says. "History neat, but we're in trouble. Crashed spaceship. Pirates. Forbidden planet. Stuff like that."

PT

"Oh, we have, sort of ..." I replied. "But the trouble is that the earliest means of conveying information, including history, on our world was an oral tradition. This oral tradition carried on until quite some time after the flood. But then one time, God appointed a prophet who was also a scribe. He actually saw God writing the commandments in the stone tablets, so it must have left a great impression. But this was a great time after the flood. He wrote down the history of creation that had been passed from generation on generation." I swallowed some of my coffee, or was I drinking thee? I don't remember.

"People from my time generally don't want to believe in the creator. They have put all their fate in science alone. Only the visible things and the measurable, not what moves them and makes them grow. They don't let science point towards its origin and creator. So they take every excuse to dismiss it. And oral tradition is to them deemed not reliable, because in our culture, relying on the written word, it really is not possible to rely on the memory of people not used to remember. But that was not the case back then. Maybe I'll tell you more about that later, because Krang has a point. Religious debate can be held later, there are more pressing matters. Can I be of assistance?"

"Simpleminded then. Matter is the lowest form of reality." Your avian companion mutters as he takes you, Krang, and Lihi out of the doctor's bay to a private spot in the hallway.

"Our problem is thus. We do not know what to do. Our drive is damaged. Krang thinks he saw a..."

"No think. Did." Krang interjects.

"Pirate so calling for help might bring in unwanted visitors, and some of us are...valuable hostages. The sons of rich beings. We would be glad to entertain suggestions."

PT

I thought for a moment and then asked them to take me to the drive. I had absolutely no clue as to what it is, but who knows, right? As we had arrived there and I had taken a look at the thing I turned to them. "If you don't know what to do, you can always pray.", I told them. I thought that if we would pray together, we could find an answer to our problem. And if they wouldn't join me, I'd go over the drive praying.

I was not expecting anything specific. Or rather I was keeping two or three things in mind that could happen. One was that the Spirit would point out the problem and the solution, either to me or to the rest. I remembered a story I was once told by a friend. It involved a christian businessman who's factory had a problem. He went down to the place and asked to have a look. He didn't know a thing about the machinery, and the work folk was laughing at the idea that while they couldn't fix it, he would. Yet through prayer he got the answer, pulled or pushed something in the machinery, and it worked again. The other thing I was thinking about was that God could just fix it entirely just now, or in a couple of days.

"Dear Lord," I started, "as our brother just said: Matter is the lowest form of reality. You are the origin of reality. You are more real then anything, You make everything real, You live in all of creation. Just as, in time, the rosebud opens in a wonderful flower, so You can make this ship whole again, just as a cut down tree can sprout again, or just as our skin regenerates, You can make this ship whole again. You can do it Yourself if You want, or You can use and inspire us. Please Lord, we'd like to have this ship whole again."

I expected the latter to happen more quickly, not because it is more believable, but because of the way God works.

You walk into a gold-toned room with a smooth mat on the floor, and with chairs sat up toward the rear of the vessel. You pray and you notice that their are lines on the floor from chair to chair, and that one of the lines has been obscured by what looks like blood.

Its very easy to pray in here.

A palpable sense of goodness waits in this room.

It reminds you of nothing more than a prayer room, and it certainly doesn't look like something out of Star Trek.

The others are tolerant of your prayers, but consider it unlikely to be of use.

PT

When I noticed the peace and quite in the room it reminded me of the prayer room inn my church. Well I'll probably have to call that my former church, since it's separated by several universes from me by now. I prayed and followed the lines until I stopped by the smears on the floor, blotting out the line.

I called the others with me and asked them what that was, and whether this could be the source of malfunction. If they were not able to see the lines and the smear, which would mean that I was seeing in visions, I would have prayed for a translation. It was clear that if this was not literal, this had a meaning. Bloodshed barring the continuance of a line, a connection, a source of power?

If no apparent translation would come if it was needed I'd just try to wipe the blood away or put my hand on it and pray more, for removal or/and information.

"Lines? Smear?" Krang asks baffled.

You're right, its a vision. You pray and see a bloody knife. And then a man in a concealing loak standing in the center of the room. He's holding a large amethyst in his gauntletted right hand. He places it in the floor. He then sprinkles dust in lines on the mat going from the amethyst to the chairs.

PT

"Aha," I said in reply to Krang's baffled statement. I was silent for a minute, getting the other information. "Well, praying works, you might want to try it. I'm seeing in visions now, ignoring the materialistic and seeing a greater truth. Now I have to understand what I'm seeing."

"The problem now is not filling it up with my own imagination now, so as to prevent the information I'm getting", I thought. The bloody knife probably was linked to the smear barring a 'power line'. But what could it mean? "Sin, murder or sacrifice...?", I whispered to myself. "Sin disrupts the ability of the Holy Spirit to work. Not that it's not possible to work anyway, but He respects our choices. So I'm guessing sin. Perhaps even murder, or anger, which is in spirit the same as murder."

I wasn't quite sure who or what the cloaked figure was supposed to represent. "Or he was the creator of the chamber, or he represented one person of the trinity, maybe the Spirit or an angel." I could understand the cloak, since last time that I saw God, I died, so now, he could be cloaking Himself. "On the other hand, a cloaked figure reminds me of 'the bad guy', an icon from many movies planted in my subconscious. But that doesn't make sense now.", I thought.

"The gauntlet and the amethyst, what could that mean?", I thought. It would be time for some bible study, seeing as lots of gems were used for spiritual things in the old testament. Maybe I would get something out of the study, maybe not. Maybe it wasn't so necessary. I decided to take a closer look if I could anyway.

I went and stood close to the blood smear and followed the lines it obscured. If they would run towards two seats or control panels. I point towards both and asked who sat there and/or controlled that. Then I asked if there had been an argument or bitterness of one to another, maybe even strife. Had there been an argument? Hard words? If not between them, then between others of the crew?

ooc: Do I get specific feelings towards certain views or explanations?
I'm gonna try and tackle things one at the the time, so I'm not going to run the possible bible study I might run afterward right now. I hope my spelling is not too bad. Don't be afraid to correct. Communication is key, and the better I can communicate, the better you will understand me.

Its a blade of wrath, you're suddenly sure. And the person, no human, in the cloak, is not divine, you're quite sure as well.  He seems...familar tho'.You do some Bible study (and if I'm remembering right, the amethyst had a connection to the High Priest's breastplate, but I could be wrong.  And there's also perhaps a connection to one of the gates of Heaven. In any case, the gem you think it is does have a connection to the Breastplate. Yes, thats a potential ret-con. Sorry.)The avian looks at you, and then nods."Yes, there was a matter of an academic award for excellence. This one in the chair with the 'stain' won. I could not call it bitterness, but there was a most intense competition between two of my kind for highest awards in our class."

OOC: You're being quite clear. De nada, or no problem. :)

ooc: I had to go and see what ret-con was. Then I found out it was retroactive continuity and I wasn't one step further :P Good thing Wikipedia's there though. But they give two possible explanations. I'll go with the one that fits most even though I'm not absolutely sure of it's meaning. But I guess it's a re-evaluation of historic occurrences or something along that lines.

I haven't run the bible study yet, but I'll keep it in mind. I was thinking about the breastplate already. And about visions in Revelation, Ezechiel, ... Do I get a specific nudge towards the breastplate/ephod theory?

Is the cloaked figure as tall as a human, or rather as short as the avian or tall as the girl or big and broad like Krang?

This is fun by the way, thank you!

"Was the competition between you and the doctor?", I asked? It didn't matter much anyway, whatever it was, it had already happened and we were to fix it now. The problem was that I didn't know if the knife was used by the one who had the wrath or produced the wrath to those it had stricken. It doesn't really mattered much, but it could help, so I asked God for more information and tried to see if one of the avians had something like a wound, possibly even a stab in the back.

"I have reasons to believe that this competition or something else entirely, has caused a spiritual wound to someone. And before there is repentance, forgiveness and possibly even healing, we will keep stranded on this planet." I tell them.

"I...lost to the doctor." He pauses. "I admit to struggles with my feelings over the situation. I felt that I was smarter, but I was wrong. I..." He snaps his beak hard. "I don't see what this has to do with anything. Granted we dont' know how the Emperor's Drive works, but my feelings should have nothing to do with it. Inappropriate mysticism."

PT
OOC: Losing track of games, sorry. Tired.

ooc: No problem, no rush. I'll pray. If you don't feel like it, you can skip my game any time.

As the confession began I started to lean in closer, thinking that we were getting somewhere, only to get startled by a snap of the beak. The walls were back up, he was protecting himself.

"I know I ask much," I told him, "but I believe it is needed. And you can take your time. I have the feeling that we'll be pretty safe from the dinosaurs here. Yet this is something that needs to be worked out, Emperor's drive malfunctioning or not." I tell with a sigh. I have a hard time being strict. It always just sounds as a suggestion. And I'm not shouting yet, far from it.

"This is important for you, and for your hart and soul. Even if the ship wouldn't depend on it I'd recommend you to make it up with him.", I explained.

I sat back, deep in thoughts, until I had an idea. "You guys call this place the Emperor's drive, right? And what drives the Emperor? Is it not Love? What drives God, is it not Love? That would make it a case of the hart, rather then the brain. If this ship is filled with love, the ship might work again, right? But in order to let all the love in, there needs to be forgiveness. A ruptured crew cannot navigate well." I said that in wonder, as this was actually an out loud brainstorm.

"Yes, but there are pirates as well. This downed ship is practically a purple flag waving in their face." The Avian replies. "The ship running on Love?" He scoffs, but you feel an intuitive pulse that says this makes perfect sense, and that there is more here than you realize. "We accept the existence of God, but He does not act like that in the world. It is true that no one understands how the Emperor's Drive functions but to suggest that it is magic is simple silliness. I can't believe I'm having this conversation."

Unlike you, he is yelling.

He glares at you.

"I-I am not so certain when it comes to the Doctor. I thought I had friendship toward him. Perhaps there is a deeper problem I do not see in my heart. I will think on this."

PT

ooc: I did sound like a hippy didn't I, the ship runs on love. Immediately after the post the Beatles were singing "All you need is Love." in my head. :P

Question: You wrote Doctor with a capital. Is it like a capitol that you hear, or not. Because if it is the Doctor, who in the previous world claimed that I had already saved him, that would make a difference to the doctor, being the other avian on this ship.

I frowned a bit sadly and frustrated as he began yelling. I had the tendency to start yelling harder then those yelling at me, but my newness here and their hospitality this far together with the certainty I feel relax me and I let him yell. It was a good thing that I did that, as he seemed to calm down after that, his frustration shouted out of him. He seemed to even give it a thought. He was open.

I directed myself to the doctor and asked him if he had something against the other avian. If the doctor hadn't followed us here I would visit him later. I directed my attention back to the avian here (did he have a name, I've forgotten it...) as it was my time to blink in befuddlement. What do you mean God doesn't work here. God can work anywhere, he's God! I closed my eyes and prayed for more information about these friends, as a way to 'prove' it. I don't want to force God, but I'm taking action in prayer, if He doesn't want to do it this way, then that's good too.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:20, Tue 10 Feb 2009.

OOC: Nope, not THAT Doctor. You're right, it should be small 'd'.

IC:

He's clearly not normally a shouter, and seems to prefer calmly reasoned conversation. So he deliberately relaxes himself.

The avian's name now is Ariette.

The ship doctor is in the med bay of the ship, and you're down the hall from him in another small room.

You pray, and nothing happens.

PT

I mistyped something too in my previous post.

"What do you mean God doesn't work here. God can work anywhere, he's God!", had to be in quotes as that was out loud. I'm sorry, does this change anything?

Ariette just ruffles his feathers, and grooms himself in what you recognize as "I'm not listening."

PT

I saw that I wasn't going to get any more answers here. I wanted to try one more time, but refrained from it and went to the doctor. "Okay, I see I won't get any progress here.", I said, "That while you said that matter is the lowest form of reality. Try to think about that some more. I'm going to see the doctor." I said, sounding a bit hurt.

I asked him wheter he and Ariette (cool name btw!) had a grudge or a tension between them that hadn't been resolved. But I didn't ask that right away. I tried to bring it up in a talk. I started with asking wheter or not I needed a checkup, then I tried to ask him how he did fix me and tried to somehow get the conversation on the tension between him and Ariette.

You try to bring it up smoothly in conversation, but it comes out more bluntly than you had hoped.  The doctor stares at you for a long second, and then chirps.

"I won, and I imagine Ariette is angry about that." He says flatly. "Its his problem to deal with."

He does explain the Healing Ray, and he speaks about how it works, and the science behind it, and frankly it sounds like gobbleygook, or you have a whole lot of science to catch up on because nothing sounds familar, and yet it seems to echo in your brain like a dream you once had.

PT

"Well, if you could work it out, the Emperor Drive might probably work again and besides, it's better not to have issues with each other, right?", I told him.

I left him thinking about it, explaining about the vision if needed. then I went to find my bible and researched on the emerald.

Your research leads you to Elijah's robe which Elisha caught. Why was it important for Elisha to catch it in order to receive the double blessing of God's power the younger prophet sought? And strangely, the younger prophet did have twice the number of miracles, but there seemed you think something of a smaller scale to the miracles.

And how Moses had angered God by claiming credit for causing a spring to flow from a rock one time...It was almost like God's power had been invested in an object or a person, and was somehow independent of God.

Could there be holy 'magic items'? Was the Emperor's Drive some sort of miracle, and the Emperor a prophet, a miracle-worker?

PT

I made sure that I had put myself in some sort of central or public room, where the rest could find me if they needed.

"The double annointing!", I thought. And then I became careful. The things I had read about that came from highly enthousiastic charismatic leaders. They had proved to not always be right.

"This combined with Mozes taking credit for things of God and the sensation I have about the holy objects they had, Elija's mantle and Aaron's staf. Both where symbols of authority. The difference between Mozes and Elijah though is that Mozes stands for the Law and Elijah for the Prophets. Both of them complete each other."

"Strangely Elijah's mantle was passed on and gave some sort of miracle power, a miracle blessing, while Aaron's staf came back to life, blooming again, showing revival or ressurection. New life."

"But how should I connect this with the Emperor's Drive," I asked myself, "is it too such an object, infused with God's power or spiritual blessing? Is the Emperor a prophet? Why was this ship infused with God's power? What was it's goal? What did God want it to do, and were we using it for God's goal or for our own goals?"

I decided to pray about it, and see whether God answered with revelation.

You're praying, searching, and then you sense another mind in contemplation, also searching, and before you realize it a spark of intuition has passed from you to it.

"Haz, take the ship down. I've got a feeling I know where those lousy space cadets have hid. This time they won't escape me."

The ruthless amorality and ambition for gold in his mind repels you, and the vision ceases.

PT
OOC: Yup, thats a botch.

I went pale and searched the rest of the group in the Emperor's Drive. As I went in I swallowed and stuttered out the fact that I'd just got the revelation of the space pirates finding us. If they ask for more info I told them what I saw and sensed.

Some panic at first, and others are skeptical of 'revelation', but when you go into more detail, and mention the name 'Haz' all of them panic. They start yelling various plans, demanding others listen to them, running off to get useless seeming bits of stuff from their cabins, banging their heads on the wall...its a madhouse.

PT

I tried to get a hold of Ariette. "Would you consider setting things right with the doctor now? It's quite obvious that revelation works. If we can get the Emperor's Drive working again, we would have more chances right?"

I prayed for a determined calmness in spirit over the group, so that they could do their work effectively. Then I thought for a bit and prayed God for protection, in any way He saw fit. I was thinking about all the wild beasts on this Island, who are His creation. He could ask them to guard us. (He got the animals to come to the ark of Noach) He could put a wall of angels around us too. He could also make us invisible. Those are about all the options that went through my mind, as well as the image of the spiritual wall of fire in the book of Zacharaiah I think. That one seems to make most sense, as the prescence of the Lord would be in the Emperor's drive.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:31, Tue 17 Feb 2009.

"Yes, yes." Ariette says, and sets off.

One of them yells.

"TEACHER on deck!" They all assume a military formation, and the yeller turns and looks at you.

"Sir?" She bleats which is especially worrisome because she's four hundred pounds of giant ape-woman.

You get an answer from God on the wall of fire.

"No."

Ariette comes back.

"I...tried. I...don't know what I'm doing wrong."  He hangs his head.  The others look at him, and you can sense panic striving to break free.

PT

"Ehm ...yes?", I asked back? Then it dawned on me, they thought I was going to lead them. "Oh boy!"

"Alright men ... and women", I started, "if I understand things right, we have a threat of space pirates coming towards us. Now, I don't know them, but you seem to be scared by them. That is NOT the attitude to win a battle! Now, we have one major advantage. We have an unseen ally. That is, if we subject to Him. God is in our midst, and no-one can stand against Him. But He will not be commanded, we need to be under His command. He is able to use us for His good. Are you willing to come under His command. You all know Him, now will you SERVE Him?!"

Then, after the "Sir, Yes Sir" or the cries of "Hallelluiah" and "Amen", Ariette came in. I looked at Ariette and listened to him. Then I asked him what his motivation was to try and set things straight.

"If you really want to make things right again, I think things would work. Otherwise, if you are only trying to save your skin, it will not. Are you truly sorry for your hard feelings towards the doctor, or are you just trying to make things work?"

I ordered for Ariette and the doctor to seperate themselves from our group and try to set things straight between themselves in another room. Then I told the others that our strongest weapon would be our prayer and dependency on God. And thus we should listen to Him and put ourselves in His service. I ordered all to kneel and dedicate themselves to Him. "Seek Him, subject to Him and ask for His guidance on the situation. Try to be sincere about it. Be real in your dedication. If you are not ready, ask Him to convince you. Don't worry about time. This is the most important part.

Should you receive guidance for the group or a plan of action, pleas come over to share it. Even when someone else is also sharing something. Should you remember hurting anybody, ask forgiveness. If that someone is here, go over and talk it out. Forgiveness and mercy is what we are after."

I kneeled with them and prayed for the Spirit to come over them all and convince them of sins that might be in the way and convince them of His authority. I asked for empowerment and guidance for the group, and if there were convictions and dedications, that He would pour out His Spirit over them and baptize them in the Spirit. "Not by might, nor by strength, but by Your Spirit Lord", I asked Him, referring to Zechariah 4:6, "that's how we want to do battle, Lord."

Then I asked for guidance as to how to approach things.
I browse through my bible and stop at one of the many paper sheets with notes that are in it. I read the verse I bumped upon out loud.

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

"Let's wait for the Lord", I said decidedly.

Should Ariette and the doctor come back and have it worked out, I invite them to join in prayer.

This message was deleted by the player at 08:47, Thu 19 Feb 2009.

The group is at first perplexed, and then enthused but more of a public emotion, of peer pressure, but then as they bow, you feel a Presence in the room, and all of them seem touched.

Ariette blinks, looks guilty, and then thoughtful.

"I--I suppose both. I don't know. I tried. I'll try again."

You pray for insight, and you see the cloaked man on the far end of the room as you read the passage from the Bible. He also is holding a Bible, and reading from it.

And then he flips through it, and you see he has five fingers.

"It is said that faith can move a mountain, right here, it says that. So then faith can move a starship."

The ship shifts underneath you, and then you feel a burst of intuition. Something terrible has happened.

PT

"It's the same guy again! And it seems that he is seeking togheter with me. Is it an angel or the Spirit or something else? Doesn't matter. I let my hart send out thanks to the cloacked figure."

"Faith can move mountains so faith can move a ship. But do I believe? Yes, yes I do believe."

I gritted my teeth and decided to give my faith a boost by speaking a famous quote, out loud.
"Lord I believe, help mine unbelief!", I cried, raising my hands to the sky.

"We need to believe, and possibly, to complete, we also need to hope. Because after all, what remains is hope, love and faith. And Love is most important.", I said, adressing the group.

"Do you believe that God can move this ship? Do you believe? If you believe, ask Him now!", I instruct them, following it up with my own plea for moving the ship.

ooc: Did I feel the terrible thing happening in relation to something, like a person or the pirates or Ariette or a natural catastrophe?
This message was last edited by the player at 23:16, Thu 19 Feb 2009.

The ship begins to lift into the air, and then lurches up as it gathers more power.

"Positions for flight, bridge crew!" Someone yells, and several of them scamper off.

Ariette staggers into the room, a scalpel stuck in his back, and he pitches face forward down onto the deck.  The ship shudders to a halt.

"Until the tear is mended by forgiveness or punishment, this ship cannot fly further." The cloaked man says, but only you hear him.  "I know what you think, but, I am no spirit, instead I am a man of flesh and blood. I am the one that waters, and I hope you are the one that reaps. I hope that this day the circle will be made whole."

PT

ooc: wow, I didn't see that one coming!

"Ariette,", I said as I saw the avian entering again, "how did things work ou...".
In turned very pale all of a sudden and rushed towards him as I saw him fall, with a scalpel in his back. I removed the scalpel and laid my hand over the wound. And I prayed for healing. Should that not work, I removed my shirt to bind him up.

"Krang!" I yelled, "Follow me!", as I raced to the sickbay, where I last saw the doctor. "Lihi, can you take care of Ariette?", I asked the blue girl. "If he can gather his senses again, ask what happened."

"Thanks, strange man, but can you give me some more information? I am to reap what someone sowed and what you watered. But where. On this ship, in Ariette, in everyone, on their home? I don't get it. And the tear. I'm just trying to find where it is. I thought it was in Ariette, but now it seems to be in the doctor. Unless that was done by a space pirate that had arrived allready... I am losing my mind, I can almost not think straight anymore.", I adressed the invisible man.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:56, Sat 21 Feb 2009.

You feel a rush of warmth in your hands, and power fill you so that the universe seems a very fragile construction around you as if you could reach out and rip space/time like thin cloth.  And then you push this strength into Ariette, and almost weep for joy as he heals before your eyes, and the clarity leaves you."I-I tried to apologize. He...he was enraged and so I left telling him I would bring you...and I'm not sure what happened next." Ariette says in a puzzled tone of voice.
He speaks even as you lay him down, and you bolt off with Krang. Krang has a battle axe unsheated and his fangs are showing.

*Your Empire. They have knowledge, but little faith. I gave them abundant proofs of the power of God and hid them in the open. Each ship in the Empire is a miracle. The Sun Cannon are miracles. But I could not show them this because they did not believe God worked that way. It is up to you, I hope to show them otherwise. And here, you have the teenage children of the elite. The future leaders of the empire. Remember your Bible, one man watered, and Paul reaped. I only hope you are the one to finish the circle because I have to leave this universe soon. The more curious of the Three Races are having trouble holding back their curiosity.*

You charge into the medical bay, and find an exterior hatch is open.  Krang leaps out, and then howls, and slumps back into the ship with a nasty burn across his left pectoral muscle.

"He has a laser blaster."

PT

"Doc, what happened man? Why are you doing this?" I shouted.
Then I whispered to Krang, "Where does the hatch lead or doesn't it lead anywhere?"

I'm silently praying in tongues the entire time, letting the Spirit pray for me and ask God the best course of action.

"It leads on to..." Groan. "The upper hull. He was heading back toward the engines with an axe." Krang murmurs in a contrabassoon voice.

"I-I, he could not leave well enough alone. Always pushing. Push, push!" Doctor hollers back at you. "I have a laser blaster. Don't come out."

"Recharge time is twenty seconds." Krang murmurs.

You pray and its simply confirmation of what you already know. The Doctor is what's wrong with the ship, and he's up to something very bad. You have to stop him or something worse than what has already happened is going to happen.

PT

"Do you have a stun gun or something? We need to stop him, but I don't want to kill him. Is there another way to the engines? If so, it might be good to send someone around.", I asked while I went for the hatch. I figured that because I'm bigger than the bird I would be able to capture him. Yet I fear the talons and beak. Yet the need for the solution presses me on, determined.

Krang slips you a small plastic, bulbous pistol from his boot.

"I keep a back-up stunner. Very short range, five meters max. There is another path back there to the engines."

You dive out the hatch, and out onto the rough, gritty surface of the white-hulled starship.  Its hovering, gently shaking, a hundred feet above the treetops.

The Doctor whips around, and you duck behind one of the boxy protrusions on the hull. He fires and a bolt of light that outshines the sun rips a twenty yard long black line in the hull but six inches from your foot. It would have passed right through you if you hadn't ducked.

The Doctor is forty feet away from you.

PT

I looked stunned for a minute as I saw the black cut made in the hull.
"Alright, I've got twenty, eighteen seconds to do this until he can shoot again.", I told myself, remembering Krang's remark.
"So, how does this thing work."

I remembered that I've never been good at aiming. Certainly not with guns. I must have made many shooting booth's owners at carnivals quite a bit richer, as I seldom scored a mark as a kid. But as I said, remembering my lack of aim, I asked God to guide my shot as I came out from my cover and shot at the Avian. The, not waiting to see the result I ran towards him and with a great "Cock-a-doodle-doo", kicked toward his gun, if I succeeded in that, I'd go for his head or his legs.

ooc:
1. I'm using the fighting practice I had with Robin in my previous world both to distract him with my sudden cry and to disarm and floor or knock unconscious.
2. As for the request for aim from God, I closed my eyes and put my right hand on the gun while I asked for Him guiding my shot silently, in my thoughts/heart.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:53, Wed 25 Feb 2009.

You leap up with your eyes closed, prepared to shoot as prompted, and you only feel a .....wait...You charge toward him yelling...and jolt him with your war cry so that he misses a step, and has to take an extra couple seconds to get his feet under him.

He tries to retreat, but humans are simply faster runners than avians.

He then remembers he's a flyer, and begins to beat his wings...

You hear in your heart...

...now...

You close your eyes and touch the little red button on the side of the device.
A hummmmmmmm vibrates your bones.

Thump. Slide.

You open your eyes. The doctor is unconscious, and he's sliding toward the edge of the starship, and a hundred fifty foot plummet to the jungle floor. He's gaining speed as the hull steepens underneath him.

OOC: Unaimed Shot 1@3. You needed to wait because the stunner only has a five meter range. In other words, you have to get quite close for it to work.

PT

"Oh Man!", it went through my head, and I dropped down on my belly reaching for him, trying to grab him from falling.
If was too far away I'd have cried "Noooo!" Then I returned, with or without the Avian, to the inside of the ship.

ooc:
1. Possible aid in athletic abilities due to previous basketball training?
2. Did I get a new use in "Brawling--Flock Style", as I tried to disarm or did it have to succeed? Is being spiritually guided with it also a new use? :P (I can at least try, can't I?)
This message was last edited by the player at 15:19, Thu 26 Feb 2009.

OOC: He's unconscious so you're not getting a benefit from fighting him. You knocked him out with a ranged weapon. Granted, you did charge him screaming so War Cry 1@1.

You dive after him on your belly, and catch him. Now you too are sliding toward the edge.

You hook a foot around a boxy protrusion, and the doctor slides out of your grasp even as a spasm shakes your leg. You must have clipped a nerve in your foot.
You're now sliding toward the edge, but slower than him.
PT

"Save one, or get the rest out of the pirate's reach?" The question rang through my mind. It was a hard one, but it had to be made. I might have been able to save him, but it looked more likely that we both would plummeth to our doom, and I, in contrast to him, do not have wings.

I looked at the Avian sliding away to the jungle and silently prayed that he would wake up in time to land safely once he was over the edge. "It seems that the doctor's judgment might have been felled already. It's out of my hands, there is a crew in there, waiting for me.", my thoughts decided.

I then asked the Lord for help in getting me back on the Ship. I realized that that help might be Krang, coming through the backdoor. So I called out for him (or her?) as I tried to climb back onto the ship.

ooc: the war cry was part of the style as I learned it. So no gain except for maybe fighting on an airborne spaceship? There might be more wind and all ... :P In any case, it would only bump me up to 1@2 :P

Playtester:

The Flock is willing to teach you "Good English Brawling" which consists in their version of it of plentiful kicks, and jabbing hand strikes, and shaking up your opponent with sudden wild yells.

It focuses on jabbing an opponent, and then following up with a flurry of kicks,a nd all this interspersed with yelling and screeching to rattle and confuse the enemy.

This message was last edited by the player at 00:06, Fri 27 Feb 2009.

OOC: Good point. 1@2 Brawling it is.

You slide toward the edge feeling a sudden surge of awareness, of gumption. You're ready as you can be, you feel.  But the next box you grab for has slick sides, and although it slows you, and bruises you lightly, you can't hold on.

You hear Krang behind you yelling 'helpful' advice.

"Grab something. Stop!"

And you do.

With a jolt you feel all the way to your shoulder sockets, you grab the next hull protrusion, and slam to a halt. Much further, and you would not have been able to stop yourself.

Krang works his way down to you with a rope tied to the hatch, and he comes and gets you attached to a spare rope. You and he pull yourself back up even as you see a bright flaming point arc high over head, and curve around in a giant circle to head deeper into the atmosphere and directly back at the ship.

PT

"Why am I hanging here!", it went through my head. Usually you can hardly get me near to the edge of something high without a railing. "I guess it was because of Doc... Strange how such danger can put you over your borders, quite literally this time." I thought as I looked down for a moment but directly averted my eyes to try and make it stop. I couldn't keep him from falling, but I didn't want to just be a spectator of it now. This was bad. But now Krang was coming to save me.

After Krang aided me back upon the ship I thanked him. I looked over the edge of the ship with a saddened look on my face. "When judgment calls, judgment calls, it seems. I guess there's nothing to do about it. God is God, and He knows best.", I mumbled. "It must have been his time. I didn't mean to...", I said while lifting my gaze to the sky.

My index finger jutted upward, pointing frantically and I tried to somehow say it...

"Krang ... visitors!"

ooc: As long as I'm bargaining here, would that same boost also go for climbing then? Since I've never climbed a floating airship while in pain (nor without pain for that matter), actually, I've never climbed while in pain and wounded before.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:49, Wed 04 Mar 2009.

You heard him fall over the edge, but did not see or hear him hit the ground below.

Krang nods in acknowledgement even as he winces in pain from the laser burn.

"Go, get the..."

The ship is soaring skyward.

Krang sits down, and a blue man starts smearing some gel on his chest.

You see a flash of light that throws shadows around the room out the open hatch.

"They've got a sun cannon. Nothing we have on this ship could match their firepower." Krang says as the ship shudders in the blast front.

OOC: +@1 to Climbing.

I turned to everyone and told them not to fear. I hoped my voice wasn't trembling or my face wasn't showing worry.

"Remember, when God is with us, who can be against us! Repeat after me! When god is for us ... I can't hear you! When God is for us ... When God is for us ..." As they repeated after me and filled in the words I still had to think how much I sounded like those over the top pentecostal preachers. Yet, they needed to be stimulated in their faith. Let's get their faith out!

"Alright, let's pray for His protection and trust on Him. These punks have the guts to attack followers of the most high... the fools."

I went over to Krang and prayed for healing. then I asked him to explain me what we've got in this ship to keep us from being blown to pieces. I don't like to kill, but as I have to protect this crew, I might have to.

Your voice is definitely trembling, and they catch your fear although they don't panic, but while they repeat after you there is no genuine outcry to God. They are just saying words.

You lean over Krang, and nothing still happens.

A tidal wave of doubt hits you.

Krang answers your question.

"We've got sixteen lasers to double cover every point of the sky, and the remaining four are divided between rear and front. We also have a railgun running the length of the ship aimed at front with a 90 degree firing arc. Lasers take thirty seconds to recharge. Rail takes a minute twenty. The Pirate has bigger weapons and they no doubt fire faster."

"Man, where's my faith?", I thought. I decided we needed a faith-boost. I asked Krang if there was some sort of intercom. Then I ran to my bag and got my bible and concordance. I started reading verses linked to faith across the intercom. The word tends to strengthen the faith. I was doing this until I ran out of verses or until I was interrupted.

I could go on for a while with reading the psalms to them to boost their, and my faith. I'd read them prayerfully.

Krang raises a hand and one of the blue guys reaches over to tab a box on the wall.

You begin to read into it.

Your voice quavers. Another shot rattles the ship. And then another. The ship drops in altitude with a sudden, stomach turning thump.

And in deep fear, you find a little faith.

And the blue guy looks at you.

"We should already be dead."

"Indeed." Krang mutters. "They can't be that bad of shots. Even we're not that bad."

The ship accelerates and begins to soar in direct response to a surge of faith and you find yourself reaching over to Krang, and healing warmth comes from your hands.

PT

I smile as I find faith again. "Stupid doubt! What was I thinking? Who can go against God and His chosen?"

I look to them and tell them that it's quite natural. They are not fighting us, but since we are with God, they are fighting God.

I read and pray over another psalm in the intercom. I choose one that talks about the faith of those that oppose God. (There are plenty, I'm bound to stumble on one of them)

OOC: Faith +@2. This is a generalized 'skill' which affects all your miracles and prayers.

IC:

Your ship shoots up, and up, but the pirate ship comes alongside.  You can see it out the hatch about a hundred yards away.

Darts of light flicker from your ship to it, but most miss.  A few slice and tear at the pirate's hull.

It seems to be trying to get closer.

PT

I read the part in Ephesians about the armor of God over the intercom and prayerfully expand over the functions of it. Let's say for about 30-45 minutes.
It's defensive and offensive at the same time, as the sword is incorporated next to all the protective gear.

I will pray this over the crew through the intercom, and if needed will do individual prayers with people from the crew to pray it over them more solidly.

You pray over the crew, and then over the group with you in the medic bay, and then there is a huge KLUNK, and a crash, and rending metal.  The whole ship is shook. You're knocked off your feet.

Outside the medic bay hatch, which is still open, you can see the curve of the pirate ship right next to yours.

Thunk. Thunk.

"Grappling ropes engaged. We're being boarded." Krang says as he gets to his feet and draws his battle axe.

PT

"Capture rather then kill ... if possible", I yell out as I quickly check the stun gun if it has an indicator on it to show the amount of charges it's got left.

I pray a quick prayer of protection and guidance as I decide that I should lead in the fray. If possible, I want to find the pirate captain. I take a white cloth from the sickbay and go to the front line, trying to get into negotiations.

"Why would you try to go against God's protected? What drives you to attack us?" In silence I pray for a word of knowledge of the captain." (That is, if I found him and got into negotiations.)

A scrum of pirates and your space cadets fills several adjoining rooms. Oddly, both sides seem intent on not causing fatal damage, and so its a massive bar brawl with fists flying, and chairs being bashed into backs, but not heads.

You hear several pirates cursing the 'forcefield' the 'rich kids' have.

You push your way through with your flag of truce, and a pirate halts himself from punching you in the face, and smiles in a wholly untrustworthy manner, and agrees to take you to the Captain.

He brings you from your ship to the pirate vessel.

You feel an almost overwhelming rush of familarity when you step on to the pirate vessel. And you reach out to grab a railing which fits very naturally into your hand.

"so glad you could find a use for the 'useless railing'. The Emperor was a strange customer all right, but he made good ships, and better guns. this Sun Cannon ship is very powerful. You really don't want to be fighting us." The pirate avian cocks his head and laughs knowingly. Its quite unpleasant.

PT

"useless railing", I thought, "what is he talking about... oh right, it's made for human hands. That means that the Emperor has  human...like hands, he might even be human. But wasn't the Emperor the name for God here. Wait, I'm confused..."

I come out of my frowned contemplation as the captain talks to me. "Glad to be of assistance", I answer in reply to the remark on the railing. "It seems like it's made just for me.", I said as I stroked it while pondering. I leaned back against the railing and up in the pirate captain's face. "So you know the Emperor. You've actually met him.", I stated, restating the captain's words. "I'm curious about him. It seems that he might be very much alike to me," I said, looking at my hand and at the railing, "or even very much more."

"But, I wonder," I said, "why do you attack us? You are going against the anointed of God. I would not want you to get hurt.", I said, with a face full of genuine concern.

As I get the feeling of familiarity, I check it whether it is versing familiarity or rather that the ship feels the same as the ship I just came from. If the latter is the case I pray silently for protection and try to see if I can find the cloaked man in here in vision. He might be the Emperor. Even though I thought I remembered him saying he wasn't. But I wasn't sure of that. A lot had happened.

ooc: Oh yes, a long post again, finally. Thanks for the opportunity. This gets more and more interesting as we go on.

Was the Emperor the name for God? You search back through your memories quickly to decipher this riddle

"I? Met the Emperor!" He laughs and shakes his feathers in a way that you recognize as a negative

The Captain looks at how your hand fits naturally on the railing, and he looks puzzled and a bit concerned, you think


He chuckles "God does not interact with his Universe"

You pray and suddenly you see each and every space cadet as rich almost adults with quite wealthy parents

These are the teenagers of the elite of the Empire

Ransom

Your prayer for protection seems to be unheard, and then you hear a voice like a thousand trumpets in your head "Sir?"

Seeing that he looked puzzled at the ease with which the railing fits my hand, I would try to use that sometime, so I stored it in my mind, and absentmindedly let my fingers play around the bar while I was talking.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure that God works in this universe. I've seen Him working myself. He actually showed me something about you too. Heh, I wonder what your parents think of you pulling a stunt like this. Or don't they care?". I looked at him sideways as I swung to and back with my hands on the bar. I smiled.

As I heard the voice of trumpets my smile fell to a face shocked in awe as I tried to stay on my feet, resisting to fall to my knees. I knew an angel was speaking to me. Now my face carried a big and blissful grin while my eyes where a bit dreamy.
I snapped out of it and smiled while looking straight in the eyes of the captain.

"You might be in for a treat, my dear sir.", I told him.

"Uhm, hello. I'm not sure how to adress you, but it seems like we have one here that does not believe that our Lord works in this universe. Do you have an idea how we could ... convince them. Let them see the glory of our Lord?

If you have some more of the heavenly host with you, could you let them protect and possibly stop the battle in the ship?", I asked the angel's voice.

He keeps glancing occasionally at your hand.

"Nah, I left home young. Haven't seen them since, and good riddance. You sound like one of those fanatic Mystics. God doesn't intervene."

*You may call me Sun Cannon #24 or Lew, Sire. I do not know this Lord you speak of. But I will be glad to help stop this battle.*

The thrumming in the ship you're in, the drive of its engines, suddenly halts, and there is silence. The mass of your ship, and the mass of the pirate ship stagger in the air. Grappling hook ropes sing as they snap.

The pirate ship plunges earthward, and you find yourself floating a foot above the ground with your stomach painfully aware of the sudden acceleration. The pirate captain is shrieking and squawking very loudly.

PT

ooc: Oh man, I nearly fell from my chair laughing. My mother and brother didn't expect the outburst of laughter :P

"Your assessment is quite right," I told him, "I'm a fanatic, and I have interactions with God. So that would make me a fanatic mystic. But, err, you make it sound as if it's a bad thing."

I clutched at the railing and went quite pale. "Alright Lew, that's enough! Engines on!" I shouted verbally as well as mentally.

Then, as/if the ship goes back online I start laughing out loud.
"So, He doesn't intervene, does He?", I replied the captain. Whether or not God works through people and talking spaceships or direct action is something I was going to leave out of the discussion, for now.

"You don't need to kill them to stop the battle, Lew. But would it be possible to navigate them home or to a prison or something along those lines? Don't do it yet, but could you let me know what's possible?"
This message was last edited by the player at 15:42, Thu 19 Mar 2009.

"Because they're crazy..." The pirate captain begins, and then he reconsiders his reply as he realizes calling the person who held his life in their hands crazyp was not a good idea.

The engines smoothly shift on, and it feels like your spaceship, only about four times more powerful, and much more responsive. You've been driving a van, and now you've just got into a sports car.

The Captain stares at you with bright, unblinking eyes.

*Its certainly possible.* Lew replies.

PT

I turned to the captain. "So, are you reconsidering attacking those who are with God?", I asked him. "And maybe you could reconsider whether or not God intervenes. You might even want to follow him?" I stated.

"I could consider it." The pirate captain says. You become aware of one problem with the avian's superlative ability with language...its hard to tell if they are lying or not.

PT

"So I take it that you could call your men back?", I replied to him.

If he replies favorably, I'll ask Lew out loud to get back to the other ship.
I am (too) trusting in nature, even now, that I'm not worrying much about whether or not he speaks the truth. But all the while I'll stretch out my senses for it. Maybe God will somehow tell me. (this could be psi or mag, I think it would be mag, because it's more experience based, feeling based, conscience based, rather then intellectually based.)

He agrees that he could, and so you ask Lew to dock with the space cadets ship. Lew does, and you hear a pirate from the other ship yell out.
"We've captured most everyone aboard. We're going to be rich when we ransom the lot of them, Captain!" There is a cheer of pirates from both ships.
The Captain of the pirates studies you.
PT

"Oh great," I thought, "just great!". I had thought that everything was OK, that victory was ours. This sure was not how I had envisioned us going. "I was sure that I had the victory." "..." "Wait a minute, that's it. I was sure that I had the victory. Oh God, please forgive me, an please fill this place with ... the convicting presence of Your Spirit. Let them see their error." Reminding myself to phrase correctly after the reason for my last trip across the Multiverse I was sure to ask the Spirit to fill this room, this ship, and not the Father Himself in full glory. I was starting to get a plan.

"Lew Can you communicate with the other ship?" I asked the spaceship. And I did a quick prayer for protection and blessing.

After a moment of reflection and concern I looked the captain in the eye and with a challenging smile said. "Has anyone ever told you the story of Elijah? The only remained prophet of the Lord God? While the other prophets where captured or killed or hidden away, he with and through the power of God turned the nation around.

"I'm pretty sure you're not on Gods site.", my face is quite serious now.

ooc: Where their any big screens on the space cadet's ship?
This is fun, a new twist every time! Great work!
This message was last edited by the player at 13:10, Wed 25 Mar 2009.

You cry out for the Presence in your heart to convict each and every one of the pirates, and you feel Him begin to come, and you feel the pirates reject Him instinctively, and turn to Darkness to find strength to resist.

The air in the room with you is charged with menace.

"Die Emperor, die!" The Pirate Captain screeches as he leaps across the room at you, and knocks you down. His first claw lays open your cheek, how deep you're not sure. His second claw goes for your left eye, but a sudden lurch of the ship has him slicing the bulkhead next to your head.

His voice is strange and hatefilled, and he seems uncommonly strong for such a small creature.

OOC: Why yes, that was a botch. One thing to keep in mind is that asking for smaller miracles is a way to lessen the chance of botches. You were trying to affect the whole pirate crew at once.

And thanks for the kind words. My ego is of reasonable dimensions, merely the size of a zeppelin, and not at all like Lucas and Hadrian who have planetary sized egos. This makes me better, superior to them. Because I'm so modest.  :)

More seriously, thanks, and also for the analysis of what I'm doing. I want to try to remember to do that when I write, if I can.

ooc: Wow, no kidding, a botch? It's still a very interesting event (story wise)! I knew I should have only gone for the room ...

Lol, a mere zeppelin huh. Is it trademarked? :P Thanks for the quick reaction too! I only replied this morning and can reply again now (6 PM)! Does this mean that there's a little less hay on the proverbial pitchfork?

No problem, I try to remember enhancing my writing too, such as now where I went back half an hour later to add some internal dialogue. It's not needed, but it's fun, and hopefully makes it more fun for you to read and interact.


"Wow, what just happened?!", the thought raced through my mind as I laid there on the ground. I started to realize the place of the Emperor and the reaction that these goons gave to it is not beneficial. The spiritual powers that I felt made it clear that they had chosen their Final Destination... Whenever it should come.

"Thanks Lew, is there any way that you can help me more? Can you neutralize them without neutralizing me? Anyway, get away from the other ship, lest the others come.
But before you do that, could you make a video of this fight and send it over to the space cadet ship with a blinking word, 'PRAY!' If you can do this without a physical connection to the ship, let's get loose from them first."

I was hoping that that ship would broadcast that to screens where the prisoners could see it and start praying. This internal dialogue I have with Lew is more or less in one piece, while dodging blows.

Once I got up I shouted in the captain's face. "In the Name of Jesus I bind you!" followed by the low murmur of a continual stream of seeming gibberish as I am praying in tongues. I try to bind the spirit that is giving them power and driving them.

*I can send that message, sire.* Lew says. *Done.* He pauses. *I can fill the sun cannon ship with fire if you can stand fire. This should purify the sun cannon ship of pirates.*
You stagger up, and the pirate captain rips open your left ear.
You try to bind him, and he shouts back.
"I am a servant of the Greater Shadow, O Master of the Suns. Despite having a Childe of Fire at your right hand, you cannot bind that which is formless."
And it seems as though your binding slips around him or it. And you're aware that it is not the Captain that is speaking to you now, but the Lesser Shadow in him.
PT

I stand clutch my ear with a scream and direct myself the shadow. If you won't be bound, you have to go."In the name of Jesus, the Christ and through the Holy Spirit within me, I cast you out of here and into the Abyss, where you belong. GET OUT!", I scream and pray in authority of the Spirit.

"Wait just a little more with that Lew, what kind of fire? Is it purifying fire or fire of wrath?" And start your course to the prison now. Make me the only one that can override this command too."

"This way", I thought, "they will be delivered to a body of justice whether or not I am still alive." The reason for the origin of the fire is that some fire is better for me then other fire, specifically if it comes from God. If he doesn't know I guess I'll have to try it. But not yet.

"No!!" It snarles at you, and the beak of the avian comes down and misses your nose. "I will not go back to the cold spaces between the stars."

Its resisting you, and you're reminded of how Jesus said certain demons were only cast out through fasting, if you're remembering that right. This creature has a tenacious hold, and it is formless so that bindings seem to slip free, but surely it has some weakness.  Otherwise....

An image appears in your mind from Lew. Massive gusts of flame filling the ship, blanketting the hallways and rooms. Pirates being crisped, and you standing in the midst of the flame like the three Hebrew children.

*It is fire. About five thousand degrees for about thirty seconds, after all, I don't want to melt the ship. But it will purify the ship, on the other hand, it comes from a place of anger in my soul.*

You feel the ship shudder and turn, and you know that Lew is sending the pirate ship flying to justice.

PT

"Alright Lew, it seems the will of God. They have chosen their side. I hate to do it, but even more I hate to disobey God. Heat it up!"

I raise my voice and stretch out my right hand. The time has come, and you've chosen your side. Judgment is upon you. The Fire of God will descend on you all!

After I said that, I look at them sadly as the fire comes and fills the room. I pray to God to keep me like Daniel's friends. But as they said I decided, if I perish, I perish. I do not bow to evil!

Fire fills the ship, and panic grabs you as it leaps to the pirate and he bursts into flames and is gone. In his place looms a more than man-sized shadow that you can see through, and then the flames eat it away too as it curses you vilely.

And then the flames come to you, and it feels like cool spring showers.

The flames retreat, and you hear Lew rejoicing in your mind like a thousand trumpets. And you see the cloaked man again and he nods.

*Let us sing praises to the Lord of Hosts who has delivered you from your enemies.*

OOC: Immunity to Natural Fire <5,000 degrees 1@3 Mag

ooc: COOL! If it's like with Daniel's friends I can assume that I've still got my clothes and not even the smell of smoke in my clothes, right?

I agree and get on my knees, hands in the air. And start praising. I mentally ask Lew if he's still sending video footage to the ship to replace the flashing "PRAY!" with "PRAISE GOD! VICTORY IS THE LORD'S!" over the footage of us praising God.

Then I start to sing. "Lord I lift Your Name on high..." Since we're talking Dutch, I'll be able to sing it from memory. I keep praising God by singing in tongues until I feel that I've got to go to the other ship. Smiling.

But I do so very much now understand the grief God must have felt when He opened the floodgates of heaven in Noach's days.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:04, Sat 28 Mar 2009.

OOC: Correct.

You establish contact with the ship after several choruses of praise.

Krang looks at you from a videoscreen. He looks even more scruffy than the last time you saw him a few minutes ago. He also looks somewhat injured.

"Victory." He pauses and his expression grows strange. "Praise to the God of the Emperor, the One who does work miracles in this world."

And you see a cloaked man standing next to you.

"Victory indeed. I planted the seed, others watered, and you have harvested. Now the children of the elite have seen the active power of the Highest, Praise be to His Name. Now they will go forth, and lead the Empire I founded into a clearer understanding of the Truth, and perhaps they will end up driving the Greater Shadow and his minions from the cold spaces between the stars."

The Emperor is standing next to you in his cloak, and again you feel such a strong sense of familiarity.

The two ships begin to slide together.

PT

ooc: So, the two ships become one? It's not really clear.

I turn to the emperor. "Amen. Yet I have one more question. Are you a verser by any chance? I always have this kind of familiar feeling when you seem to be around. But that could also just be because of your link with the Almighty."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:45, Tue 31 Mar 2009.

OOC: Thanks. I need to learn greater clarity.

The two ships slide closer to each other, and then dock at the airlocks. For a long moment, nothing happens,and then happy space cadets pour onto the Sun Cannon.

*Verser? Yes. But that's not the reason you find me familar.* He chuckles easily, and it almost seems like you've heard that laugh before. *I stand in my own time, looking forward in prophetic vision to this moment, the fulfillment of the prophecy given to me by the Lord God. Soon, I shall leave this time to go to other worlds because the people here are starting to elevate me above God, not in their thoughts, but in their unknown hearts."

You're quite sure he's not Oak or Day or the verser you met on the shoreline of the Eye-land in Aquatica.

"Mozes or Elijah,", it went through my mind, "yet there were a lot of other prophets too, yet only those were taken up, those and Enoch."
I felt a bit like I was at Jeopardy. "Is your name Elijah, Moses or Enoch?", I asked him.

As the space cadets came into the ship I welcomed them smiling yet sadly.
"Dear friends, today we've been witness to both sides of God. The Lamb and the Lion.
We, wanting to follow Him and having thus laid down our own life, have been spared through the blood of the Lamb, which is Christ.

The others, having rejected God, rebelled against Him and lived their own life, have today faced the Lion, which is also Christ, the Judge of mankind, seated at the right hand of the Father.

Let this day mark your hearts. 'He who wants to keep his life will lose it, and he who lays down his life, will gain it.' Before celebrating, let's devote a moment of silence to think this over. To mourn the loss of those poor souls and yet to glorify God, who gives and takes away. We have seen Him in the full spectrum of grace and righteousness today."

After the moment of silence, I turn my mind to LEW. "Hey LEW, you did well. thank you very much. I was wondering something, every time I say your name, I want to say Louie [LEW-EY], do you mind if I do that?", I smile at him in thought. "On a more serious note though. Do you know of any communication with superiors that these pirates had? Some people that might be coming after us when they find out that the pirates are gone?"

*And this is the prophecy,* The vision of the Emperor says to you. *The sower shall be the the one who brings in the firstfruits.* He pulls back his hood and you see your own face.

Oh, its different. There is a cyborg modification to the left eye and forehead with a red glinting eye. Your other eye has a strength, perception, and serenity that you don't see in the mirror. Muscles bulge out of the neck more so as well.

But its you. The same age even.

*And now the circle is finally closed for me. Its been hundreds of years in my personal timeline.

He speaks with you a bit, and lets you greet the space cadets.

They all bow and one starts, an Avian with his pure clear voice, and the others join in a song of glory to God and mourning you know from your homeland.

They are buzzing with plans to go home and tell everyone what they've seen.

Lew replies *Sire...* And you remember or realize "Sire=King" *As you will. No, Sire, I believe they were independent. Although they did have contacts in the Shadow Brotherhood, the leading criminal syndicate.*

ooc: Cool! I actually didn't see that one coming. I'm figuring Lew-ey is too big to take with me when I verse, right? :P But he might be a companion or something? I don't know if he has a real personality though.

"Oh, wow. Err, that's not what I expected," I told the Emperor, "but it does make a lot of sense actually. I think." And I chat with him about versing, as I want to know a bit more about it, since I'm not getting it entirely. And having myself explaining it to me will probably help. (does not need to be expounded upon, yet it could be a trump card(?) when I'm in a tight spot to look back at a non specified chat with myself, right?)

As I hear Louie I notice how he addresses me but let it slip for now. "Thank you, Louie, but I think a moment of rest and relaxation is of importance now. You can fill me up on the Shadow Brotherhood on the way home."

We'll do an evening of feasting and the next day divide the crew over the two ships (Krang as commander over the Space Cadet Ship, if he wants, as a reward, but he probably already was) and then we'll set course for home. I'll ask Louie to set the course and travel at such a speed as to fly at the same speed as the other ship.

OOC: Thanks. Lew has a real personality, and in fact, he's got more than you in ways which is part of why he's not coming with you. Besides, he has a job to do here. As you say on the discussion with your future self.

You chat with your future self for about ten minutes, and then he smiles.

*It is time for me to leave the world I'm in. Already the people here see me before God sometimes so I have to leave this world. I have an experiment in martial arts in mind that I'm not likely to survive.  I saw Michael Di Vars one time run down the side of a ten story building on the outside and get to the ground safely...God speed.*

And he's gone.

The feasting is grand, and you have a great time with your new friends.  And you get a chance to eat alien cuisine which ranges from the quite recognizable ('hot dogs') to things you'd have a hard time describing.

Night comes and you stagger to bed in the Emperor's room on the sun cannon. Now you know why it is decorated just how you'd like it.

PT

I thoroughly enjoyed the feast and tried lots of exotic and new food. Stobbertwinkies and the jabby wok-wok's, though I wasn't so fond of globabba jelly.
And I also tried something that somehow tasted blue.

I asked Louie what he likes to do to party and feast.

The next morning ... urr, afternoon. We set course for home.

Louie enjoys taking the Sun Cannon out for a spin, and bouncing it off the outer atmosphere. He also enjoys firing the megatonnage power bolts his main cannon fires.

Looking at his mental description of such attacks, you realize that one or two of these shots would have done for the space cadets ship, even at relatively low power. At full power, and a hit within a mile inside an atmosphere would have done for the space cadets.

*The Emperor ruled by reason, and justice, and charm, and good ideas, and boldness, but he also had the Sun Cannons if someone got too rude.* Louie says. *Now that you're the Emperor of three alien races, what are you going to do?"

PT

I heard that somehow I now was the Emperor. Lots of thoughts and conflict raced through my mind, but the only response I could give Louie was "Uh... what?", followed by "You mean like in, ruling three races?". I was hit with the reality that I, who have a great dislike for politics have now become a ruler myself. I felt like little Art in Disney's version of Arthur's story and wondered why I couldn't have just left the sword in the stone.

"Let's first get to know the races I guess... Give me descriptions please." I've got more questions, but that seems to be more important. I get my old friends to join me in the evening to ask questions and verify things. "Are there currently representatives of each race appointed somewhere?", I ask Louie.

ooc: just to assure you ... cool!

He starts with the Blikten (the other two are Krang's race and the Avians which form the Empire.)

Blikten:
Slightly smaller than human, but bipedal. They are blue, and see only in the color blue.

A human cannot read their 'papers' which are blue background with very fine discrimination of tone to show the letters. A human would merely see 'blue'.

They have no long bones. Instead, they are completely vertebrae. In order to stand up, they have to be quite strong, and devote a lot of effort to balancing themselves. One negative from this is that they have slow reflexes, and that human fast movements near their personal space freak them out.

They are to some degree a communal mind. Each Blikten is an individual, but is also in contact with everyone in his clan group (such groups can be temporary). This is low level telepathy and empathy. They tend to think of themselves as 'We/I'.

They have extra oxygen intakes along their rib cage.

Blikten females tend to be attractive to Human males. However, 'the Emperor believed the species to be not truly compatible.' Louie finishes.

PT

"Is there a way to read those papers? Are there like, 'Blikten goggles' or something?", I tell him, while in my subconscious a sigh is given at the remark that there is no real compatibility. A bit of disappointment and a bit of relief. these conflicting feelings in my subconscious are put at an end now.

I'm quite astounded by the Blikten. Especially the blue-view. I wonder if it makes them a bit sad. I ask it to Louie.

Then I move on to Krang's race.

ooc:
1. I'm assuming we're all healed up after the fight, either by prayer or by med-bay beam-machine healing stuff.

2. This looks like the blue people Day encountered. Did it influence my view, or is that only at their homeplanet?

Louie at first doesn't understand your question.

*They are more emotionally fragile than the other two species,but I would say they tend toward being contented.*

They really do sound like th eblue people Day mentioned.

*The Kringsta average eight feet tall at young maturity and tend to hit eleven feet tall by full maturity. This is to say, unlike the Blikten and the Avians, they have two major growth spurts.*

This means the Kringsta you're familar with are not capable of child-bearing although you do find out they can be married.

*At full maturity, they tend to weigh on average nine hundred pounds to fifteen hundred pounds, and have the ability to lift roughly two thousand pounds. The Empire wide Heavy Lifter can lift five thousand, nine hundred, fourty three pounds.

I say this because the Kringsta are physically minded. While they are intellectually capable, they far prefer phsycisal activity.

They are loyal and hierarchical, but their loyalty is more personal than institutional althought that is changing. They are the most tribal of the three races.

Their home planet is a quadruple canopy jungle for most of it...which is cultivated to expand beyond its natural range, and to be plentiful in fruits and insects which is their preferred diet.

Each Kringsta of sufficient means (and thats most fully mature) has a patch of land where he or she 'hunts' or 'gathers' their food.*

From looking at the Kringsta, you can see they are oversized gorilla like creatures. Their preferred weapon seems to be a double-bladed axe. And most of the Kringsta seem to be in the Imperial Marines.

--Blikten--

So are there blue-view Blikten goggles or not? (Or any other apparatus that makes us not-Blikten capable of reading their papers.) Storywise this could be an explanation of the Emperor's mechanical eye.

In Day's game, people that went through the Blikten door and stayed there, had their view altered. They could see only blue. Am I affected in the same way?

Do the Blikten generally walk on two legs on the ship, or do they crawl or slither. (Concerning their skeletal build. I'm just trying to imagine things.)


--Kringsta--

And I thought I was big. This is a welcome change, having to look up more then looking down. They seem physically minded.

This started a link made in my brain. What if these races, in some grand plan represent the Physical, Cognitive and Social/Emotional parts of the person. Each of them seems to somehow represent some part of it. The Blikten hang very tightly together (Social), while the Kringsta are very Physically minded, yet also have an Emotional side (the honor thing/personal loyalty.). the Avians, as I have noticed are very inquisitive and want to know a lot and want to get it. This is the cognitive part of the person. I ask Louie if that is true.

Then I ask for info about the Avians. (which, ooc I already know to be the Threet. And have read about them in Day's game and in Amanda's game.)

After this I ask Louie how they get along usually. Is there integration, multiculturalism, or do they stick to their own parts of the world?

No blue-view goggles.
The vision affected thing was a botch.

They can crawl or slip into things very well, but they almost always walk. This necessitates their great strength and their slow reflexes.

Do you have some sort of sociological skill?

Your theory of how the Three Races interact seems to be fruitful and logical. You spend time learning more about them, and in turn you find that studying the Other helps you understand Humanity.

Avian:
They range from 2/3rds of a meter to 4/3rds of a meter in height with medium width bodies. They have wings which look like they couldn't lift them, but they do manage for short flights.

They have short feathers that are brightly colored, and each Avian has his own distinctive pattern.  Most feathers are dull white, or dull brown, but the color feathers are what identify them.

They can pick up human languages to fluency level in an hour, at most three.  Three would be the equivalent of an English speaker learning Mandarin or vice versa.  But for a Frenchman to learn Italian equivalent would likely be less than an hour.

They have perfect mimicry.  They also can exercise polyphony on their own.

They are on average smarter than normal humans with a normal IQ of 130.

They are intensely curious, and always eager to learn or hear a story.

Their claws and talons are quite ferocious, and its possible for one of them to clip through a car antenna with its talons, or clip through a human finger. The beak is even stronger.

PT