Tadeusz

Its hard to remember. You seem to recall yourself sleeping, and then someone suddenly shooting you three times in the chest while you were dozing in a nap. Before you completely shook off shook off the hunh, whazzats? of being ripped awake, you were versed out.  Dreams of a long-toothed dragon conversing with a frantic Domino's Pizza delivery driver. "But I thought you were the meal, and this pizza thing was the Phasers Set to Maximum" But Captain Kirk comes in to save the day.  And you, watching this, collapse to the hard stone floor in relief.  And then you realize you are laying on a hard, cold, slightly wet, irregular stone floor. Scaly, feverish arms lift you up, and you can't help it, you open your eyes to a nightmare.  The face is four feet long, brown gold, scaled, slightly narrower at the base, and fringed with moving stalks at the top. It has a very bony structure under its scales which sit tight to the bones.  You're laying across his? upper arms.
Wed Nov 17 2010 4:31

Magnus

"Hello, could you please put me down?"
Wed Nov 17 2010 5:09

Tadeusz

"I'm supposed/compelled/desirous to carry/tote/move you to your/our/the room/cell/enclosure/resting area. My name is Glingl."
Wed Nov 17 2010 5:21 pm #

Magnus

"Glingl, can you tell me the purpose of of taking me to the room?"
Wed Nov 17 2010 5:25 pm #

Tadeusz

"So you can rest/relax/make ready for the event/fight/vigorous discussion." He's carried you outof the larger chamber and into a hallway that also looks to be carved from stone.

You see a foot high snailon the path which Glingl carefully steps around.
Fri Nov 19 2010 4:04 am #

Magnus

"What kind of event is it and what was that being you stepped around?"
After it answers,"I would like to walk to the rest area. If you put me down, I'll follow you to it."
Fri Nov 19 2010 4:13 am #

Tadeusz

"Entertainment/vigorous discussion/Display of skills." Glingl says and then adds. "That was a Sawwcuth, one of the Owners/Proprietors/Developers/Supervisors of this Nexus/Rest stop/Fortune Testing/Intersection of Interstellar Trade Routes/Gaudy Display of Conspicuous Consumption."

He puts you down, and you walk with him past a number of empty rooms that look more like cells with a bed and some furniture. You see one that is occupied by Arnold Schwarzanegger.

He looks at you flatly.
Fri Nov 19 2010 5:28 pm #

Magnus

Huh, what is Arnold Schwarzanegger doing here?

"Arnold Schwarzanegger?"
Fri Nov 19 2010 5:33 pm #

Tadeusz

"Do you know where Sarah Connor is? Can you release me by pressing the leftmost button twice, then the upper middle button once?" He nods his head stiffly toward the control panel outside of what you realize has to be a cell.
Sun Nov 21 2010 12:34 am #

Magnus

"Your a Terminator T-800, Aren't you? Why are you looking for Sarah Connor?"
Sun Nov 21 2010 1:13 am #

Tadeusz

"Yes. I need to kill her."

"It ask/require all new/novel/untested/tourists that." Glingl says.
Sun Nov 21 2010 1:44 am #

Magnus

"You might want to have your technical personnel look at it"

I follow the guy to my cell.
Sun Nov 21 2010 2:00 am #

Tadeusz

He takes you to your cell.

"It does all right/adequate/fine in demonstrating talent."

You cell is twenty feet square, and comes with an agrav bed so you can float as you sleep, and private bath facilities behind a superthin wall. It also has a holovid.
Mon Nov 22 2010 6:56 pm #

Magnus

I play with the holovid to see what it can do.
Mon Nov 22 2010 11:04 pm #

Tadeusz

It tries a half-dozen languages until it gets a drawl that sounds like Kentucky Colonel who's visited Australia.

After that...

1000 Gambling channels (half of them on-site).
200 shopping channels selling everything from slaves to starships.
100 'Alien Embassy Channels'
400 sports channels
200 news analysis channels
50 religious channels

And you see yourself on the holovid.

"Our newest competitor in the Multi-Dimensional Pan-Temporal Unarmed Combat Tournameant. This mean, and subtle competitor has vowed to destroy his enemies with his shocking attacks. He claims that in his own homeworld, he's murdered at least twenty-nine individuals of his own species, so he knows he's going to have no problem hurting aliens. Gentle beings, sophonts of all species, place your Before the Match bets now!"

The being that is talking looks like a squirming four foot tall green gourd with orange tentacles.
Tue Nov 23 2010 4:21 am #

Magnus

Subtle? No one ever called me that before. Being called a murderer doesn't sit well with me. I hope they're just doing that for show. I guess I'll give them a show. It's time to indulge the blood knight side of my personality.
Tue Nov 23 2010 3:10 pm #

Tadeusz

You also find 500 more channels of pron, but since the most comprehensible form is of two octopi (green with a hundred arms) swimming around each other for sophoric effect while bizarre skitters, squeaks, and crashes go on in the background under the name of Full Contact Romance (Mature Sophonts only): Seabed Frenzy...to which you find yourself nodding off to sleep before realizing what it was supposed to be...

Roughly an hour later, a rolling ball, about four feet high stops in front of your cell, fusses with its clothes, and then speaks with a crackling noise and a tang in the air.

"All right, girl Prhsirto of the Makiul Clan Group. Your sisters sold you off to pay their debts to the Sawcuuth. Time to practise for the big fight tonight."

The robot, about a foot high, and with one long snaky arm, zips forward on its wheels.

"Greetings, honored sapient, I am pleased to announce that I am to be your personal assistant."

"Shut up, bot." The rolling ball says. "Come on, gym time."
Tue Nov 23 2010 4:34 pm #

Magnus

is it talking to me?

If so, I follow it to the gym.
Tue Nov 23 2010 4:55 pm #

Tadeusz

Both the sentient rolling ball and the robot are talking to you.

You trot along behind them to the gym as it seems the natural pace of a rolling ball is about seven mph. It has flippers all along its exterior which protrude from slots in its clothing for a half second, smack the ground, grip hard, and zip it along.

Inside the gym, you get a chance to talk to a cyborg lobsterene entity who takes over as the ball leaves. The bot stays with you. The CLE inquires as to what training you'd like to do to bring your fighting skills to the peak of perfection.

You see several hundred exercise machines being used by over two dozen different species, with the most similar to Terran being the ten foot tall, yellow skinned humanoid with eyes in its chest. Obviously, most of the machines you can't use. In fact, some of them look lethal.
Fri Nov 26 2010 11:28 pm #

Magnus

"I want to get stronger, tougher and faster."
Sat Nov 27 2010 12:06 am #

Tadeusz

They start training you in a magnetic resistance suit. When you stand up, the magnets are pulling down with the force of 3 gravities. When you raise your arms over your head, you're pulling ten gravities.

As to being faster, they have something like a hopscotch board in the shape of an octagon. Failing to get to the right space quick enough means a painful electric shock.

You're working at this several days.
Mon Nov 29 2010 3:06 pm #

Magnus

This should work. I think.

I'll continue with the training as long as I can.
Mon Nov 29 2010 3:16 pm #

Tadeusz

You work for a week. In that time, you see several thousand sapients of about four dozen races, and perhaps eight humans.

And then a Sawcuuth speaks to you in your head.

*You will be fighting without weapons against another of your species, or a close parallel. You are not to kill it, nor to be killed yourself. If you defeat it, you will be given the freedom of the Casino for one day. If you do not try adequately, we will subject you to sensory deprivation for one day. Understand?*
Tue Nov 30 2010 11:20 pm #

Magnus

I think at him.
*I don't care about the Casino. Can't you pay me with something else? Genetic Modifications maybe? Psychic Training? Equipment?*
Wed Dec 1 2010 12:07 am #

Tadeusz

"We know little about your species. Creating upgrades is very hard project. Its not a project you do for just one member of a species. Plus its illegal by galactic law, so that is more expense. And no, we do not wish to give you psi training. How stupid do you think we are, biped? Equipement tho'...is possible. WHat do you have in mind?"
Thu Dec 2 2010 5:16 am #

Magnus

*Power Armor*
I show him images of Samus Aran's(Metroid), master chief's(Halo), Space Marine(both Starship Troopers and Warhammer 40k) and Fallout power armor.
*or failing that weapons and equipment for exploring unknown areas*

There is a deeper thought running parallel to that
*Fine, I'll teach myself. It's your lose when I explode after messing up*
There is a small image of an explosion after I pushed a healing psi skill too far.
Thu Dec 2 2010 5:40 am #

Tadeusz

"Um, okay." The Sawcuuth then takes the next ten minutes to leave as it slowly progresses from in front of your cell to further down the alley.

You have no idea what it agreed to. And the mental feeling is roughly like talking to a used car salesman of the non reputable sort.

Later that day, you try to teach yourself psi skills, and you spend the next ten minutes throwing up.
Thu Dec 2 2010 6:37 pm #

Magnus

Well, that was painful. I'll try again tomorrow and focus on telepathy. I should be able to do it by replicating the feeling of the mental talk with the Sawcuuth
Thu Dec 2 2010 11:11 pm #

Tadeusz

The next day....more throwing up when you try the psi thing.
Thu Dec 2 2010 11:17 pm #

Magnus

Now that I think about it, he could have put some sort of psi block on me...
This is going to be difficult.

I'm going to try to break though with shear willpower.
Thu Dec 2 2010 11:30 pm #

Tadeusz

You push through with your will enough to realize its not a mental block or you'd have battered it down. Its something physical.

The next day, you're taken to an arena which is two stories deep before the glassine wall dome and the viewers on the other side.

"And here, we have a girl Prhistu fighter being, capable of mass slaughter. He will be sent up against another of his species in a digital manipulator to digital manipulator fight, no holds barred, save for killing blows to advance to the next level in the Grand Tourney. Let him choose his opponent."

Suddenly a dozen of the arches on the first level are lit, and behind glassine walls you can see...

1. Mike Tyson
2. A pudgy, but tall Englishman with a 17 ft. scarf. He's dozing.
3. Arnold Schwarzanegger
4. Spock who raises one eyebrow.
5. Kirk
6. Worf (although his name plate on the arch barrier between him and the next empty arch has him listed as 'Dock'.)
7. A skinny punk in a black and purple spandex with a gold 'M' on his suit.
8. A Victorian English gentleman looking guy.
9. A pair of green blobs about a foot high.
10. Jean Claude Van Damme
11. A scimitar laying on a bed.
12. Complete utter blackness radiating menace.
Mon Dec 6 2010 5:58 pm #

Magnus

Wow. There's a lot of strong people there. let's go with number 8.

I do whatever action is necessary to pick number 8.
Mon Dec 6 2010 6:33 pm #

Tadeusz

You touch his name plate, and the crowd of several thousand sapients above you smiles. So does the man.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Henry Millens." You realize its a deeply unpleasant smile. He pulls out a razor-edged shaving knife of silver with a singular ease. "I told the aliens who rescued me from the In Between that that pretentious moralizing coward, H.G. dumped me in, that this blade was a religious item. I needed it."

He laughs scornfully.

"And it is a religious item. I will now baptize you in blood."

Now he roars mockingly as he steps out into the arena.
Mon Dec 6 2010 6:50 pm #

Magnus

"I'm called Magnus."

As I step into the arena, I attempt to draw in a large amount of chi and use it to boost the strength of my entire body.
I did something similar with Oak, except I used a ridiculously large amount of chi to boost just my legs to do a super jump

After that I will try to use 1@1 alter perception of time flow and charge him with a flying side kick.

If an action doesn't work, I'll ignore it and continue with the next action.

OOC:Sorry for my procrastination with writing the summery. I'll get on it soon.
Mon Dec 6 2010 7:35 pm #

Tadeusz

You pull in the chi, and you start glittering. He looks frightened, and darts forward, his blade flashing as it snaps out, and cuts back slicing into your left thigh near your femoral artery, he shoves you, and you fly off your feet as he still rushes inward a maniacal look on his face.

In the background, you can hear the alien announcer remonstrating with the doctor about his deception.
Wed Dec 8 2010 1:09 am #

Magnus

I attempt to regain my footing and kiai at him.
I'm going to attempt to grab the arm with the knife and try to break the arm at the elbow with a chi charged elbow strike.
After that I use a round house kick to his torso.
Wed Dec 8 2010 1:25 am #

Tadeusz

You scramble to your feet, and he waits for the perfect moment, and then slices open your left cheek right under the eye with a grin of savage victory. Pain flashes through your mind, so that you don't remember breaking his elbow, and its only as your foot hits his ribs that you can see again.

He flies back, and gasps laying on the ground.

"Multiple ribs broken, elbow shattered." He diagnoses himself.
Wed Dec 8 2010 4:18 am #

Magnus

I keep my guard up
"I suggest that you give up, Unless you want more broken bones"
As I'm saying that, I focus the chi into my skin to attempt to harden it.

If he attacks me, I throw a round house kick to the thigh to break it.
I'm charging it with 1@2 Explosive kick.
Wed Dec 8 2010 4:32 am #

Tadeusz

"Of course, of course." He says.

Aliens swarm out, retrieve his weapon, scold him for his deception, and inform him he will be given truth drugs in his food from now on. They bundle him off.

Meanwhile, other aliens tend to your cuts. They do something with a glowing stick that stops the bleeding.

One of the raises the hair on top of your head, and yanks it a bit.

"In the best traditiions of your people." He gobbles in your ear. Then he turns and his voice echoes from the walls as he talks to the crowd.

"Uncontested WINNER! Magnus, the girl Prshiuto vs. Dr. Henry Millens Human aka Jack the Ripper with Magnus winning. Pay your bets, pay your bets."

He then turns to you and speaksin a softer voice which can still be heard around the arena.

"Well, Magnus, you can at this point, retire to a well earned several days off. Or you can attempt to jump in line. See, if you take on another o fthe contestants, and win, that win will count as two victories toward the Grand Tourney, and the Trillion Credit Prize. Why, if you beat everyone in the wait list today, you could jump straight to the Finals. I've seen it done...once. Kal-El, son of Jor-El. He did it. So Magnus, rest or glory?"
Wed Dec 8 2010 4:46 am #

Magnus

"Why are you calling my a girl Prshiuto?
I'm a male human.
I'm going for Glory.
I'll face number 5, Captain James T. Kirt."
Wed Dec 8 2010 5:23 am #

Tadeusz

"You're listed in the database as one of them. Hmmm, IT messed up again. We'll get it fixed."

"Sorry, folks, the Male Human Magnus...small computer error. He has graciously consented to give you another fight."

There is a lot of stomping and shouting and smarcking of tentacles against the upper glassine windows this time.

The announcer leaves. You walk over to Kirk's cell and tab his name.

He comes out with a lazy grin, and a deft balance to his feet that lets you know he's going to be very quick indeed.

"So who are you, Magnus? You've got a killer kick. My name's Kirk, James T. Kirk, captain of the Starship Enterprise."
Wed Dec 8 2010 6:16 am #

Magnus

"I'm no one that you have heard about. But I heard of some of your exploits aboard the Enterprise. It'll be an honor to face you."

As I'm talking, I'll try to shift the focus of the chi from strength to speed.
I get into my stance and give him a moment to reply.

If he doesn't reply or he goes for an attack, I charge him and throw five punches as fast as I can.
Wed Dec 8 2010 3:22 pm #

Tadeusz

"Even more of an honor to dine on escargot, you think?" He slips sideways, making you turn to your left, your weaker side. He keeps his distance, circling, bouncing a half step forward, and then back, getting a feel for your abilities, and making you work harder than he is.
Fri Dec 10 2010 4:38 am #

Magnus

heh, He trying to exhaust me before the fight.

I rush him and throw five punches and a hook kick followed by a flip kick.

I'm going to attempt to draw in more chi while I attack and use it to make myself go faster.
Fri Dec 10 2010 4:56 am #

Tadeusz

You charge him, and he easily slides your first punch, counterpunching with a solid left jab to the chest. You keep on going, and miss, and then hit him a jolting punch in the cheekbone.

You and he trade blows, and you try to suck in more chi, as his blow sent your head ringing. Nothing.

You send out your last blow of the pre-planned flurry, and he ducks it smoothly, taunting you with a smile. The hook kick catches him off guard, and he barely has time to dodge back so you catch his forearm with the kick. You follow with a flip kick, and hammer him to the ground.

While you're getting your feet back solid, he's rolled to his feet, and is up.

"First round to you, Magnus. Let's try that again."

Magnus

    "Yes, Let's."
    I rush in with a slide side kick and then throw a flip kick, a hook kick, a round house kick and two punches.
    Fri Dec 10 2010 2:13 pm #

Tadeusz

    You come in with a nice slide kick, and he leaps in the air, and does his own aerial side kick to the side of your face. You somehow spin in the air, so that by the time you hit the ground, you're facing the other direction. Blinking back the stars, you hear him speaking from behind you.

    "Round to me. Try again?"

    He's waiting for you to get up. If you hadn't toughened your skin, it would certainly have a bootheel shaped bruise on your face.
    Fri Dec 10 2010 2:58 pm #

Magnus

    I get up and face him.
    "Nice kick! Of course I'll try again!"
    I'll throw a flip kick, a hook kick, a round house kick and three punches.
    Fri Dec 10 2010 4:40 pm #

Tadeusz

    You run up to him, and spin into your flip kick. He gets up a block and catch, but too slow, and you power through it and slam him in the chest. Gritting his teeth, he lands a sloppy right hook on your face, and you try to hook him, but good.

    Your leg goes toward his leg, and drops him to one knee.

    You follow with a soft, short punch to his shoulder, and he leaps to his feet, powering into your chest, lifting you off the ground on his shoulder. He's bolting forward.
    Fri Dec 10 2010 8:06 pm #

Magnus

    I'll gather more chi as I hit his back repeatedly with my elbow.
    once I have a large amount, I'll use it to push myself away from Kirk.
    Fri Dec 10 2010 10:37 pm #

    Tadeusz

    You hit him again and again so that he fumbles his attempt to dump and dive on you, and you land relatively softly which means its only majorly painful. And then you hammer him again, and drive the air from his lungs.

    He rolls over and lays spread-eagled on the ground next to you.

    "Your round." He whispers.
    Fri Dec 10 2010 11:16 pm #

Magnus

    "Do you want to continue or call the match now?"
    I'll wait for him to get up or reply.
    As I wait, I'll draw in more chi.

    OOC: Good job predicting the follow up kick. That's exactly what I would do in that situation.
    Fri Dec 10 2010 11:45 pm #

Tadeusz

    "Enough for now. You're using some sort of bioelectric force, I take it?"

    The alien comes over, and Kirk walks slowly back to his cage. The alien pulls your hair up, proclaims you the "Undisputed WINNER!", and asks if you want to try another.
    Sun Dec 12 2010 7:45 pm #

Magnus

    I reply to Kirk
    "That's close, but that's not it. I'll explain it to you if we get a chance to talk."

    I ask the alien "What happens if I lose?"

    After it answers, I go over and pick Spock.

    "Greetings Spock of the Enterprise. It's an honor to meet you. Although I'm sorry it's in this situation."

    Throughout all of this, I'm gathering more chi.
    Mon Dec 13 2010 4:37 am #

Tadeusz

    "Back to the bottom of the tourney. Right now, you're in position 62."

    "It will not be so easy for you to use bioelectric force on me, Magnus." He says, and gives you a small bow before he steps out and assumes a razor-handed position. You can feel his presence through the chi like a solid blob of mollasses or a fortress or a steel knife, his calmness, his solid thought, his clear reason all drag chi out of you.

    Just standing ten feet away from him, you're finding it hard to hang on to what you have.

    "Vulcan mental disciplines." He explains calmly. "What time period were you drawn from?"
    Tue Dec 14 2010 2:00 am #

Magnus

    I smile when I feel him drag the chi out of me and try to forcibly increase the flow of chi until it is barely under control

    "Your right, It wont be easy, But that makes it interesting.
    Originally, I'm from Earth circa 2009 A.D. . I wasn't drawn here, I think. I just showed up."

    I go into my stance and go in with three punches and a round house kick.

    OOC:should we move this thread to the new forums?
    Tue Dec 14 2010 2:51 am #

Tadeusz

    "Fascinating." He pauses. "The Age of the Great Classical Musicians, such as American Idol. I assume this is after the New Years' Nukes when President Hilary Clinton nuked Baghdad and Damascus in response to the Christmas Day biostrike on San Francisco. I've been to the Great Prism Memorial in San Francisco remembering the fallen dead. The Great Rainbow shines every hour to remember the fallen homosexuals who had no defense against a bioweapon. Its right across from Star Fleet Hospital One, and not coincidentally, the finest counter-bio facility in Starfleet."

    You're teetering a bit with your chi, and Spock's face goes even more remote as he counters your new draw. You're still losing a bit, but not as bad as before.

    He palm catches your first punch, and with a jolt you feel a substantial loss of chi. He staggers back as well, and your second hit misses wildly even as he blinking his eyes throws up his other arm in a weak block.

    "Interesting."
    Tue Dec 14 2010 4:19 pm #

Magnus

    "Right era, wrong parallel."

    After the two punches, I use enough chi to jump 40 ft. back.

    The way that Spock's mental disciplines seem to work, reminds me of a game I played on my home world. Magic the Gathering... He acts just like a blue/white player. Let's see how he deals with green magic!

    I remember the forests of my home in Tennessee. I attempt to draw in the essence of nature and growing thing. It's primal forces and raw power.I'm attempting to draw green mana.

    Let's see if that works.
    Wed Dec 15 2010 3:53 am #

Tadeusz

    You become aware that you're on an asteroid with little life compared to a dessert. Compared to Tennessee, where there is enough green to hurt your eyes in the spring, well, let's just not go there.

    Spock is walking toward you with quick, purposeful strides, being careful not to lose control.
    Wed Dec 15 2010 5:25 am #

Magnus

    Well that didn't work...I'll lose to Spock without my chi. Let's see if he can handle more chi!

    I'm increasing the chi flow until the only control I have over it is the ability to turn it off.

    I'm using all the chi I've gathered up to this point to try to destroy Spock's molasses field by burning it away.

    Once he gets close I'll throw four punches at him.
    Wed Dec 15 2010 6:06 am #

Tadeusz

    GE Roll: 26. Yippee!

    The power roars through you, and you see Spock look frightened and then you see him sprinting away from you.

    "Please reduce your power levels, girl Prshiuto Magnus." You hear the alien announcer blare. You're burning in your own fires.

    You see the man with the seventeen foot long scarf, his eyes keenly alert, walking toward you. Its almost like he's been waiting for this moment.

    "You're going to rip a hole in the space-time continuum if you keep this sort of unbalanced power blasting up." He says. And suddenly you're outside the asteroid, looking out into the depths of interstellar space orbitting the asteroid casino as he orbits you in a telephone booth sorta thing with the door open. "Dreadfully sorry about this, Magnus, old chap."

    You verse out.
    Thu Dec 16 2010 5:51 am #

Magnus

    oppps...
    Thu Dec 16 2010 5:57 am #