You begin to wake with dreams of all the letters in the alphabet, but C chasing you merrily across a sunny meadow, with happily talking squirrels, and wise owls full of philosophy and you begin to worry you've landed in a Saturday Morning Cartoon, and so out of breath you sit down, on a bench in the meadow.

And you wake realizing that you are sitting on a bench made of wooden slats, and painted.  Its a bit cool, but not bad.  You can hear the faint sounds of a city beyond.  A gentle beep of horn, and the rush of tires, but its at a pleasing distance.

PT

I look around a bit disoriented a first.  I shake my head to clear it an then suddenly visions of Roarke and the lab come rushing back to me.  Roarke taunting me through the glass..Roarke flicking the top of the vial..Roarke coming towards me with blood trickling through his fingers from the wound I inflicted on him..  Roarke falling on his face in front of me.  My hand unconsciously goes to my forehead but there are no sores there.  I have versed.

For a minute I am saddened. I know I will probably never see C or Henry again.  But then my training kicks in and I realize I need to get a grip and find out where I am.  I look around for my gear not sure exactly what has come with me. I do know from what John and C have told me that my belongings do verse with me.

I take a breath and concentrate on locating my things.   I need to get my stuff together and then find out what kind of place I have landed in.

You feel that inner tug in the pit of your stomach, although thats not quite it either, its more of a sense of familiarity in one direction.  Your brain can't quite seem to make up its mind what this feeling is, but you know the direction.

Unfortunately, you also know that if what you are feeling was at Parsifal House, that you versed out about seven hundred miles away, and so therefore the item would likely be seven hundred miles away in this universe.  Although from your various talks with the Walking Man and C, you gather this is not some sort of hard and fast rule, but it is the way to bet.

Still, it does not hurt to walk in that direction, and so you do figuring one direction is as good as another.

Brownstone four and five story apartments line the wide street.  The blocks are short, and there are plentiful benches, and every shoppe (for the first story of the apartments seems to be small shoppes) has an awning.

Looking in, you see people sitting at benches or on chairs, and shopping.  They look human which is a distinct plus.

A door slides electronically open, and a man in a trenchcoat (although its only sixty-five degrees out) steps out with some papers in his hand, and then sneezes into a tissue that somehow found its way into his other hand.  Its a cannonball type sneeze.

PT

I look up and down the street taking note of the types of shops there are. I make it a point to notice what people are wearing. I don't want to stand out so it may be nessecary to find some different clothes.

My stomach rumbles at the aroma coming from a nearby cafe.  I sigh a bit dejectedly I need to find out what kind of currency they use here. I look around for a newspaper or something will give me a clue as to where and when I am.

My attention is drawn to the electric door opening nearby.  I turn to look and notice a man walk out.  I bring my hand up instinctively to block anything coming my way from his sneeze.  I guess all that germ fighting has me skittish.  I quickly lower my hand when I realize what I am doing and smile at the man just in case he might look my way.


OOC: Did any of my stuff come with me? My gun, my laptop etc?

Clothes are warm, and simple.  Loose, button-up  shirts with outsized collars, and outsized buttons, kinda like a drab Hawaiian shirt predominate, with an overlayer of sweaters of the button up kind mostly, and a variety of coats, almost all with hoods, and some with loosened face masks are commonest.  Jersey's and jeans and loose slacks cover legs.

You don't see any dresses with legs showing.  And few dresses with jersey pants under at all.

You look a bit odd, but not all that out of place.

In the time of surveying, you hear four sneezes, two coughs, and one whimper.

There is four newspapers.

Vespucian National; New Amsterdam Daily; and the other two are free  --Music Hall Weekly; The Rant.

"March 19, 2704 A.D. Serving the Kingdom of Vespucia since 2672." is the tag line on the Vespucain National.

He looks back at you, with a weak and watery smile.  Not taking offense.

PT
OOC: Yes, everything you had on you at the time is with you.

"Are you ok ?"  I ask the man hoping he speaks english.

I pick up a copy of The Rant and leaf through it while I wait for him to answer.

Think Alexis...You need a plan.  You can't stand on the street all day.

I have some british currency in my pocket.  Some very old currency.  I womder if I can trade it to a dealer for some modern day currency? Something to look into.

I look back up at the man waiting for a reply...

"Oh, well no. Well not too bad.  I've got flu strain XY with the Steron Wrinkle, and a bit of Streptococci infection in my throat, and a touch of fever, with flu sores, and general congestion.  But..." hack-cough. "Not too bad.  Say, you look really healthy.  Must be nice."

You flip through the Rant.  Its an 'alternative' weekly with ads for a great many odd, unique, and occasionally demented things.  Tattoo parlours, acupuncture clinics, and bungie jumping to relieve head cold congestion swarm alongside music shows.  Your eye is caught by their version of the obituary page for famous people, and the paper's writers voting on the celebrities eternal destiny.  Add in book reviews, and an article about proper redistribution of the wealth from the robot factories.  There's another one about corruption in the Nurses for Rural Homes program.

PT

I look at him with a concerned frown "Not too bad!? It sounds like you should be home in bed.  Do you have some meds to help you get over this?""

I put the Rant down and look around  at the buildings closest to me.  Particularly the one that the man had just come out of. I look at any nearby signs and window ads for anything that would give me some useful information about this society.

"Oh, this was nothing like last week."  And then he starts regaling you with his symptoms then.  And finding a sympathetic audience he goes on to tell you about several other massive illnesses he suffered in the last year.  But he counts himself lucky.

He's only used up a third of his allotted three months of sick leave this year.  He might be able to take the whole month of December off, and avoid the winter colds in part, which would be nice.

He shows you his medicine bag.  Its full of unfamiliar names.

"But you're right. I should be taking my Dioxy. Forgot that, and forgot my reminder watch this morning."

He takes a couple pills, dry-swallowing them expertly.  Within a couple minutes, he looks almost perky.

"I'll be good for fifteen minutes, and then it tails off a bit. So, I hope to see you around the neighbourhood.  Its a friendly place, with two hospitals nearby, and a free clinic, and of course, home visits by doctors. I'm a realtor."

He hands you his card.

Its a pharmacy.

You see another pharmacy across the street.  There's some adds on walls. About half are for new wonder drugs.  The other half are for music shows, investment opportunities, and maid service, and job opportunities.

The speed limit sign on the rather broad street is fifteen mph.  The cars that drive past seem to be quiet.

PT

I look at all the hospitals, clinics and drug ads and a chill runs up my spine.  Wouldn't you know it after all that crap with Roarke and his "special" virus I end up in a world where illiness is commonplace.

I smile at him  "Yeah maybe we'll meet up again.  I shivered.  I wanted nothing but to go hide away somewhere away from all this sickness.  But I knew I couldn't do that.  Because I have to eat and there must be a reason I was put in this world.  And also I don't have anywhere to go run and hide at.

I walk over to look at the job opportunities.  I gotta get some money somehow.

Job adds:
1. Nurse. Experience needed.
2. Nurse.
3. Nurse or doctor.
4. Janitorial Services.
5. Home visitation. No experience needed.
6. Take-out driver.
7. Singer (must be reasonably free of throat colds)
8. Robot supervisor (no exp. req. will train.)
9. Medical Test Subject. (Free housing.)
10. Nurse.
11. Biowaste Disposal Technician.
12. Food preparation service.
13. Drug delivery driver.
14. Nurse.
15. Clinic worker.
16. Pharmacy tech.
17. Babysitter.
18. Dogwalker.
19. Private shopper.
20. "Your means to a quick and successful business, with hardly no work required..."

The bulletin board is in an alley, but its a very nice alley as such things go.

PT

I stare at the board getting a sinking feeling in my stomach.  There are way too many medical jobs on this board. Well I don't want any job that will put me closer to the germs so that leaves out all the doctors, nurses, Pharmacy techs and clininc workers.

Janitorial?  I wrinkle my nose maybe as a last resort.

Home visitation?  Again I want to avoid too much contact for now.

Take out driver..Maybe.

Singer..I laugh not with my voice.

Robot supervisor...Hmm...Robots don't get sick or have germs.

I write down the information for the Robot Supervisor job as well as a couple of others just in case the Robot one doesn't work out.

Private Shopper and Food Prep Service.

I also take down the information for "Your means to a quick and successful business."  Who knows I may get desperate.

After I get all the information I look around for a public phone with a phone book or someplace that I can get a map of this place.

You find a map, and a "Pubcom" which turns out to be a free public information, and conversation service (although each conversation is limited in length to five minutes.)

Several others are using their speakers and sitting at benches around the walls of the spartan room which is just a little storefront inset.

You call the robot place, and inquire about a job.

"We are on the outskirts of New Amsterdam. Its a long commute, nearly thirty minutes.  We pay daily, of course.  There's a bonus for working two work weeks in a row.  Thats, four days of five hours of course.  Your job will be to mainly observe the robots from the booth, and with the scanners, and make sure they are not following the wrong protocol.  And occasionally, you'll need to come out, and turn off the line, and the bots, and fish out of the guts of a bot some scrap.  Its mostly easy, but there is some physically challenging bits.  And I'm really sorry, but we can only afford a nurse visit to the worker once every other day, instead of daily. Our profit margins are being cut by the orbital robot factories."

You get all this with just an inquiry.  He doesn't even ask you for your resume, or skills.  If you want the job...its yours.

PT

I accept the job offer and ask for directions on how to get there.  Then I ask when I can start.  After I get done talking to my new employer I check out the information part of the Pubcom.  I also look to see if there is anyway I can download information from it to my laptop.

I look for a listing of hotels, motels and other places to stay.  I also check out restaurants and grocers.  If I can download the information I will otherwise I'll take down the information the old fashioned way with a pen and paper.

Lastly I look at public transportation options and what they cost.

You can start at your convenience,  which could mean today if you like, although that would be a little irregular, it would not bother the person, Jacob Southerland you are talking to.

He says that pubtrans will take you there, although he gives you directions as well.

The information is downloadable. There is a long, long list of formats, and one of them corresponds to your laptop.

Pubcomm asks if you want a list of patches for your computer system.

You find a list of restauraunts and grocers in the area.  ANd the same with hotels...well actually hotel.

Pubtrans is free. Its robocarts, maglev trains, and for long journeys its free-falling underground vacuum maglev's which fly about 1100 mph. You can't find any list of payments, and gradually it dawns on you that its free.  You find confirmation in a Help menu, which is very well done (much better than Windows).

It goes on to inform you that transportation is a public good, and as such is paid for by taxes.  But since robots produce most everything, only the owners of the robofactories pay any taxes.  Or people consuming luxury goods such as the electric cars.

It sounds...pretty socialist.

PT and now I think I have everyone done.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:43, Sat 04 Mar 2006.

Since I don't have any money to eat on or get a room I decide to head over to start my job today.  Maybe I can at least get enough money to get a room for the night.

I check my map and head over to the nearest pubtrans station and see about get some transportation out to the robot factory.

You get to the maglev station, and ten minutes later, you're on your way, whisked past city blocks, and tiny neighbourhoods.  If not for the omnipresent coughs and wheezes, it would be a very nice city to live in. Everything shows a great deal of thought, designed to make it easy and safe for humans to use.

You could just leave your apartment, and go less than a block in every direction, and probably find everything you need to keep life and limb together.

Four miles later, you exit the train, and follow the message on the wall in bright holographic colors..."Alexis, to go to the Robo-factory, follow the green arrows.  This will lead you to your robo-cart."

You'd had to tell the train your destination.

PT

I follow the green arrows and eventually find my robo cart.  I climb aboard and wait to be whisked to the factory.

While I'm traveling to the factory I open my laptop and look at the information I had downloaded from the pubcomm.  I'm hoping I had downloaded some information on apartments or houses available for rent. I wanted to try and get some idea what it cost to live here.

I wonder breifly if there are any other cities on this world where illness isn't so prevelant.  I shrug.  Oh well can't do anything about getting anywhere else yet.  But it's something to look into in the future....if I have a future here.

Basic living accomodations (400 square foot apartment) is free.  Prices beyond that slowly go up, in fifty dollar increments, and then acclerate a bit, topping out at 3000 dollars per month in Hayden Heights.

You arrive at the near-buried stressed concrete building, and enter a sliding glass, and electric door.  A young lady takes some fizzy medicine that smells like roses for her cough, and then escorts you to a room two stories down.

"Mr.  Henderson."  She announces at the door way, and then smiles encouragingly at you, before leaving.

You step in to the large office, although its not overly well apointed, and Mr. Henderson stands up, and does a Japanese style bow to greet you.

"I'm very glad you're here today.  I'll give you a tour of the factory, show you how to run the cameras and computers in the glass control box, and leave you at it.  Oh yes, we should probably arrange a jam, so you can see how to unjam a bot."  Then he sneezes into a large white tissue, enough to make the walls resound.

He describes pay, the medical plan, the sick leave days (4 mos. of the year), and company policy on mementoes and posters (they have to be disinfected regularly).

PT

I raise my brows and smile Free living accomodations...That's a good start to a future here.  At least I don't have to sleep outdoors or make the choice between eating and having a roof over my head.

I arrive at the factory and I am shown to the office.  I watch the receptionist drink her medicine and try not to grimace.  There is way too much illness in this place.  I smile at her as she turns to escort me to my destination.

I turn and enter the office she leaves me at and return the bow of the man there.  I nod my understanding as he talks to me and suppress a shudder as he sneezes.  It's going to take me a while to get used to this place.  I am really touchy about germs right now.

I quickly close my suddenly dropping jaw when he mentions sick days.  Four months of sick leave!   I am getting a real bad feeling about this place.  I had thought the other man had been joking when he said that earlier.

Well aside from killing myself there really wasn't anything I could do to get away from here right now.  I pull myself together and follow him to learn all about the cameras and robots.

The shift goes well.  You handle the robots adeptly, and only have to twice go down to the floor and pull a mangled part from the maw of a robot as it pauses from works on the assembly line.

The computer does not seem outrageously faster than what you are used too.  Where it shines is elsewhere.  Its extraordinarily intuitive, and its near crash proof, and glitch proof. Or so it seems from your first five hour shift.

One oddity is that there are ten minute breaks per every hour, and a sensor to check if you take your break.  You try to work through one, and the computer shuts down, and a message on screen appears.

"Surgeon's General advises mandatory rest breaks in strenous labor."

The day ends, and you get your money in electronica or in cash.  And right in the midst of counting your money, you give a body-rattling cough....

PT

I make it through my first shift and go down to collect my pay.  As I count my money I am racked by a horrible body rocking cough.  Immediately panic sets in.  What do I do now? I look around to see if anyone is about. I try to clear my head and think rationally.  I need to find out more about this place and all this illiness that seems to permeate the place.

I decide to try and talk to some of the people here.  I head back to the office to find the receptionist or Mr Henderson.  If I pass anyone else who seems like they would be willing to chat.  I will mention my cough and ask what they recommend I take for it.  Maybe it's best if I do some computer research at a library if there is one around here.  Or maybe there will be an internet connection in the free living accomodations.

If I find the receptionst or Mr. Henderson I will ask them about clinics and such places where one can go to get medical attention.

When I get the information on the clinics, doctors and medicines I will head out to catch a ride back to the city.  First to get an apartment if 400 sq feet can be called that.  Then I will see about some food and maybe some medicine if the cough persists.

There is a new receptionist.  After all, with five hour work days, the first one was on the job when you applied, and now its the second or third one.

"Ach, you poor girl."  The matronly woman stands up. "No one showed you the medicine closet have they?"

She takes you down the hallway behind her desk, more of a redoubt than a simple desk, and into a small, but packed room.  You sink into a chair as you survey the packed contents of seven large vending machines.

One of them has food. Another drinks.  The rest are medicines and other things.

The woman examines you.

"Yes, Chest-All, Throat Relief, A general pain neutralizer, and an immune booster like Zap-ex."  She takes your money, buys the items, and you take them. Ten minutes later, you feel great.

PT

I look at the machines as we walk in and get that sinking feeling in my stomach again.  This just keeps getting better and better. I take the meds and start feeling better. The receptionist leaves and I buy a few more back-up drugs then I head out myself.

I walk out and hop on a robo-cart.  It takes back to the Pubtrans station and I catch a train back to the city.  I hop off the train and sit down on a bench to open my laptop.   I look up the addresses of the apartment complexes.  After finding the address of one that looks promising I bring up the city map and look to see where it's at.  It seems to be fairly close to downtown so I begin to make my way there to see about an apartment. While I'm checking out the apartment I will ask about internet service.  Is it available with the apartment?

As I walk in the direction of the apartment building I look for any sort of carry out food service.  I don't know if they have a McDonalds or Wendy's here but a hamburger sounds pretty good right now.

Between the Shengo Hut which serves something that smells delicious, and unidentifiable, and the Mother's Chicken Noodle Soup Pot is a Burgerama.  You drive through, and a nice smiling face on a a computer screen takes your order, and then a chute slides over to your window, and two bacon cheeseburgers, plus fries, plus a grape fizzy slide into the slots on your dashboard designed for them.

You drop your cash into the receiver, and get back a little paper which says you now have 34 centavos credit at Burgerama.

The 'apartment' is neat, a bit spartan, but quite functional.  Web connections are included.  Bedding and other necessities are included as well.  The furniture and design is simple, but well-designed.  It reminds you of Shaker furniture, in a way.  Its very pretty, but in a plain and functional way.

It takes you about an hour to get moved in, and voice print your agreement to the various rules of the apartment, and then you find yourself dragging as you wander over to bed.  A quick check of the meds reveals you have another hour before you can take some more.

A prickling in your throat, and then a general malaise descends on you....

PT

I look at the bed sigh wistfully and then walk over and sit down on the plain but comfortable sofa that came with my apartment.  I sit back and close my eyes for a second as a wave of tiredness comes over me.  I really could go for a nap but I'm afraid if I fall asleep I may not wake up.  So I force myself to open my eyes and sit upright.

I open my computer and hook it up to the web service.  An odd looking service providers page pops up.  It take me a few minutes to figure out their system and then I'm surfing away on their odd but interesting internet.

I look at the address on my rental lease and type in the city name listed.  I read all the information I can find on this city focusing on the seemingly overabundance of illness that seems to be here.

Then I type in world, altas, internatinal anything that might lead me to other cities.  I want to see if this illness thing is just local or if it's worldwide.

Your research does turn up some interesting facts.  New Amsterdam does have a 10.9% higher illness ratio than small cities, but it is one of the largest cities in the world with over a million people in it.

Mortality rates seem to be perhaps higher than in your world, but not extremely so.  Its not a time of the Black Plague.  And most illnesses, while frequent, don't seem to be life-threatening.

They talk about something termed "PM" which affects diseases.  But following that leads to research papers of daunting mathematical complexity.

You also read a theory or two for why things happen as they do.  One is an evolutionary theory, it states that at one time viruses were killers, but they 'found' that not killing their hosts was more conducive to long-term success.  The other theory is that after the Flood of Noah, when Humanity was gathered together, they made war upon each other with such ferocity that the Creator was afraid they would destroy themselves, and so he cursed them with illness so they could not.

This second theory is considered silly by most because the it requires year-long wars, instead of week long wars, and armies of hundreds of thousands instead of armies of a thousand, and it can be clearly seen from the last year's death toll from war of under a thousand that such is plainly silly to imagine a species destroying war.

Oh, yes, the disease covers teh planet, and goes far back in recorded history as well.

PT

I slouch back on the sofa and rub my tired eyes.  I don't know whether to be happy that I least won't be dying from these illnesses or depressed by the fact that I will live a miserable life being sick all the time.

I get up and get my meds and swallow them down with a glass of water. Then I drag myself over to the bed.  Well as long as I know that my illnesses are most likely not life threatening I can get some sleep without fear of not waking up.  I drop onto the bed fully clothed and am asleep almost immediately

Over the next month, you gather a respectable sum of money, enough that you could upgrade to a pay apartment, and you get familiar with the medications.  Some don't affect you at all, and one--Lixordan Supreme--had you hallucinating about little orange butterfly ghosts flying through the walls of your apartment.  But most of the rest seem to work on a scale of pretty good to very good indeed.

These people have spent a lot of effort in making very fine quality cold and flu medicines.

You stay sick for three days, but workable, and then its nearly a week before you get slammed hard enough to call in sick for two days.  A lingering head cold after that for a week and a half, and then you've felt pretty good for the last week.

Everything moves slowly.  People look out for each other.  Its a quiet peaceable planet of flu-sufferers.

Please feel free to tell me what else you're interested in accomplishing in the first month here.

PT

Having gotten a routine established and figuring out what drugs work best for me I have settled into a fairly normal day to day pattern.

I walked into my apartment one day and after taking my scheduled dose of meds I decide it's time to start thinking about my next verse out and what this world has to offer that may help me in future worlds.  So I spend my off time that's not spent napping on my laptop surfing the web checking out what is unusual and maybe useful in this world. They have good drugs but what else do they have to offer...

I had already decided to stay in my small but comfortable apartment for now and use whatever extra money I accumulate to purchase things that will be beneficial to me in other places.  I go out to a department store and purchase myself a better backpack.  One that will hold my laptop plus a generous amount of other things.  I plan to keep this with me at all times as I know from experience that only items within a certian distance from you will verse with you.  I lost quite a few things that I had left in my room in at Parsifal House.

I pick up a few extra drugs everyday and put them in a pouch in my pack.  Never know they might be benefical later..these guys make some good drugs. I make it a point to go to one of the larger pharmacies to see what kind of drugs they have that I may not have seen in the vending machines or smaller pharmacies. To bad I can find a way to get some perscription drugs.

After I get more familiar with the city I decide to check out some jewelers and other sources to purchase some gems.  They are after all usually universal in their worth.  I should be able to trade them in any world.

One thing they have that is better, although its fairly expensive, is computer equipment.  There stuff is only a few years better than yours in speed and performance, but its waaaaaaay better in terms of botches and general equipment reliability.

Their laptops are designed to last for decades.  And the last serious upgrade in speed and power was fifty years  ago.  So for the time since then, they've been mostly fixing bugs, and building it sturdy.

The backpack is bought, and you begin to fill it up with meds.

You still sense those items lost at Parsifal House, and they do have intercontinental train service.

The jewelers are eager to assist you.  The prices are high, higher than you'd expect by two-fold, but then taxes on luxury items are steep.  They want to know whether you want loose stones, or jewelry. (And I'd like to know what percentage roughly, you're plannogn on using of your available funds.)

PT

I sit munching on something simalar to what I know as corn chips as I surf the web.  Suddenly all thoughts of the chips beside me go out of my head as I stare at the computer on my screen.  Wow! Was all I could think as I read the specs on it. I definately wanted to check into getting one of those.

I shut my computer down and relax back into the sofa.  My thoughts travel back to Parsifal House, C and Henry.  Man I sure do miss them. I close my eyes and let the memories flood my mind.  Meeting all the different people there. All the special equipment I was given.  I suddenly feel a tugging in my gut. I sit up and my eyes pop open.  I wonder if Parsifal house is still there.  And C....He's a verser....maybe..it's a longshot but I have to go see.

I pop my laptop open again and start checking out my options and what it cost to get to London.  I really should go see that jeweler again before I leave just in case.  I'll save enough of my savings for one of those computers and some travel expenses and then whatever is left I'll spend on gems.  Loose stones are probably best.

After buying everything, there's not much left for stones, but you do get four precious stones of rather small size.

To your surprise, you also get vacation days on top of the sick days (although only three weeks per a year.).  You could make a long weekend of it.

The train station, or more properly, the elevator station takes a small crowd of people down into the Earth's crust about a quarter of a mile.  Its a long slow trip.

Once on the train, you are given a physical examination to see if you are healthy enough for the strain of the travel.

The train accelerates at close to two gravities for a little while, and despite the face mask helping you to breathe, its not comfortable.  After that, it 'flies' or 'orbits' but inside the Earth, and through a long vacuum deprived tube that arcs unchangingly.

It takes a couple hours, but its perfectly smooth.  And then there's the deceleration which is just as bad as the beginning.

Once out, you're in London, but its not the bustling, active place you remember.  Its smaller, and quieter.

PT

I heft my pack up onto my back and start walking in the direction of Parsifal House.  I wander down the sidewalks enjoying the quiet peace of this London. I look around trying to locate some of the places that were in the London I know.


I stop close my eyes and try to sense where my things are. I am pretty sure I know where Parsifal House is but a good strong feeling doesn't hurt either.

You follow your feelings, and the direction you know, and then they start to diverge.  Uncertain, you drive by the "Parsifal House Museum of the Modern Arts", and your stuff is not in there.

So you continue in your robocart, and find it pulling up in front of the 14th Constabulary for London City.  The small, low-brick building has a couple police officers outside it, eating their lunch, and one of them is sipping soup and holding a hot pad to his aching head.

PT

I climb off the robocart and walk up to the building.  As I walk up I keep my hands in sight so that I would not seem to pose any threat to the guards.  As I approach I give a greeting to the guards.  "Hello!"  I pause thinking about what I want to say to them and giving them a chance to respond.

They smile at the pretty American, and ask if you are lost, and need assistance.  They seem to be assuming that you are a tourist, which is not exactly wrong, but not mostly correct either.

PT

My smile gets a little broader.  "No I'm not lost. I used to spend a lot of time around here. Is it ok if I go in and see if anyone I know is still hanging around here?"  I look past them at the door looking through the door (if it's glass).

I look around at the nice peaceful city Although I seem to remember the place being a nit bigger."

"Must have been when you were a child. I remember going back to my childhood home in Yorkshire. Lot smaller than I remembered."

One guy says.

The ranking person waves around his sandwhich in obvious permission to go on in.

"Tell em, Cordwainer okayed it."  He mumbles.

You walk in, talk to a person or two, but for a big city police station, its remarkably relaxed.

You find your stuff is being held in "Lost & Found".  The clerk for that function is sneezing regularly at thirty second intervals.

PT

I get my stuff from lost and found ask the guy if he knows where my stuff was found at.  Not finding anything else familiar in the place I decide to try something else.  I close my eyes and concentrate on trying to get a sense if any other versers are around.  C is a verser after all.  He may be around and I just have located him yet.

He checks his records, and says it was found in one of the upper stories of the Parsifal House Museum of Modern Arts.

Yes, there's a verser above you.  Now he's moving.  Now he's to your right...now he's level with you.

There's also another verser at a slanted angle from you.  Slanted down toward the docks.

PT
OOC: A GE roll of "3".  I didn't expect any versers, but now you have two.

The Parsifal house?  I'll have to do some research on the museum and the house itself. I shrug probably though the stuff just falls in the same approximate area where it was in the previous world.

I look to my right trying to judge what is there. Trying to see who the verser is there.  I feel a chill go up my spine as I get a little excited.  It would be so great if it was someone I knew.

Another on down towards the docks?  Oh man I can't go following both of them at once.  I decide to concentrate on the one closer to me.

A rabbit hops around the corner of the doorway.  Its a white, fluffy bunny.

As soon as it sees you, it bolts directly up to you.

Behind it, you see a young woman looking flustered and red-faced from exercise and sickness.  She's dressed in a short sleeve version of the police uniform, and without a gun.

"Fluffy!" She yells. Then she looks at the bunny sitting in front of you, looking like its begging to be picked up.  "Thats funny. Its never acted that way before too anyone. Of course, its a real unusual rabbit.  Its got my German Shepherd scared of it."

PT

I look at the rabbit and then at the woman following it.  So I wonder which one is the verser?  I smile at the the woman's comment and reach down to scratch the bunnies ears.  "Hey there little fella.  You know a friendly face when you see one don't ya?"  I look back up to the woman "I guess I just have a way with animals.  My name's Alexis. "   I jold out my hands "Nice to meet you"

As I shake her hand I try to get a sense on which one of them is the verser.

"My name's Jenna. I'm an executive assistant to Major Whitehall, who is in charge of this precinct."

You scratch his hears, and he snuggles up to your hand. When you stop for a second, a cascade of images spills into your brain.

...You rubbing the rabbit's ears...
...You snapping your fingers, and lettuce spring up from the soil, and then picking it for bunny...
...You picking up bunny, and cuddling it....

Your scriff sense says its definitely 'Fluffy' who is a verser.

"We found him a week ago. Somehow he got into our top floor office. So I took him home, and now he's master of my house.  My four cats and the dog all kowtow to him."

PT

My fingers pause breifly as images cascade over me.  I look down at the rabbit.  How, I wonder, does a rabbit become a verser?  I look up as the woman speaks.

I smile at her.  "He seems to be a nice pet.  At least he's quiet."

I stand prepared to leave.  I really want to see who or what the other verser is.   I used to hang around this area a bit.  I just thought I'd come back and see if it looked like I remembered it.  I think I'll take a walk around the neighborhood and see if anything brings back any memories."

I start to head towards the door I pause just before leaving "Perhaps one of you can recommend a good place to eat.  Things just don't seem to be totally like they were when I left."

Another image hits your brain.

...A huge, blonde and bearded giant of a man with a aura of evil surrounding him as he pricks his finger, and then advances on the helpless rabbit...

"Oh, well, you want to try Kingwater Inn. Right down the street. Built over an old royal canal.  Very nice if you like steak tender enough to melt in your mouth."

You nod, and slip out. Fluffy seems to want to go with you, but when held, he accepts it.

Walking out the police station with your stuff intact, you again note how trusting everyone is.  But then, they don't have much war or crime to teach them paranoia...

You take a walk like you had been earlier until it got too far and you hailed a robocart, and soon arrive at the docks.

You see a rather young man, loose and short black hair flipping about in the sea breeze, perhaps seventeen, and with an unprepossesing look about him.  He seems preoccupied as he loads boxes and billets onto the back of his thirty-two foot sailboat.

But then you notice, he picks up a pair of large five foot tall metal propane tanks, one under each arm, and leaps four feet across the open water to his boat which is on a long line.

PT

I stop and watch the young man for a minute trying feel if he is my verser.  "Hello..""  I raise my hand and wave a greeting. "Nice day for sailing."  I smile and pass a admiring glance over his boat.  "Nice boat."

He is.

You catch him off-guard, and he almost drops the box of food cans he is toting, but then catches it.

His eyes flicker about in a pattern you recognize, seeing as you've been taught something similiar, looking for enemies or ambushers.  But he's not very good at it.

"Hey, yes, it is.  Good wind. I'm going out for a trip to Costa del Sun along Spain."  He looks panicked for a second, as he searches his brain for something, and then he relaxes as he realized he didn't make a mistake.  "The Ruthless is a nice boat, just, ah, bought her.  You want to come on board. I'm gettng hot, and could use a break...Make some daiquiris..."

He wipes the nonexistent sweat off his brow, and acts comically pooped out, although you can tell he isn't.

PT

I stand for a minute looking at him and then cock my head a smile playing on my lips.  "I don't know..."  The smile grows "I've always been told never accept a ride with a stranger.  How do I know you won't sail off with me and abandon me on some island somewhere?"

I am tempted to accept as I want to get to know this verser a little better.  But I really wasn't ready to trust him yet.

He scrunches up his face, and thinks a bit.  Then he raises one finger, and bounds into the ship.

He comes back with a blanket, two glasses, some daiquiri mix, and an unopened bottle, and some ice in a bucket.  He lifts the lot onto the end of the dock, and sets up a small 'table' on the tartan blanket.

"You'll have to trust I haven't spiked the ice."  He says with a smile.  "Or I suppose, you don't have to, in which case, I get two daiquiri's."

PT

I smile and walk over to sit with him on the blanket.  I take the daiquiri he offers me and take a long sip.  "Ummm..This is good.  Thank you."  I set the glass down and really look at him for the first time.  "So have you been around here long?"

"Here?"  He blinks, and then suddenly like a light dawning, he gets an idea. His face turns sleepy.

And then his eyes pop open.

"Oh, you're the other verser here! No, I haven't. Two weeks. And I've already been sick twice, but I have a plan for that."

He waves at his boat.

"Out on the open seas, far from any people, I'll sail the Ruthless away from their germs. Wish I knew some bioengineering, but despite what the Slengu did to my body, I couldn't even splice some DNA together.  Let alone fix this planet."

I look over at the boat and then back to him.  "You're going to hide out at sea?  Doesn't sound like much of an idea to me.  I've been here for about a month."  I shrug "It's not so bad here as long as you take your drugs.  These people make some pretty good drugs."

I take another sip of my drink.  "Who are the Slengu? And what did they do to your body?"

"I don't like being sick.  I suppose I could read up on biology, and see if I could help these people out.  Right now, though, the thought of a nice, long cruise at sea sounds like a peaceful way to dodge a problem. I'll figure out what to do in this world sometime."

He flexes his forearm, and the muscles jump out like cables.

"The Slengu are insectoid, but nice people for all that. It seems they made some intelligent robots who feared the Slengu would make better ones, and so decided to off the Slengu in the way of elimination of future competition."

He looks out to sea, and sips his daiquiri.

"The bots called it smart. I called it ungrateful. So, I offered to help pilot a non-electronic ship because the bots were good at taking over ships electronically.  I'd take a shutdown code into the center of the robot fleet. Great plan, but the Slengu pointed out that I would not get there with my frail, slow body.  So they remade me."

He grins a bit.

"I have two hearts, and my muscle fibers are dense enough to match copper.  I can survive in 30 g's."

"And I'm boasting.  The Slengu made me to survive a pinball ride of a rocket trip, dodging and weaving like mad.  But, I'd sink straight to the bottom if I fell in the water."

PT

I look at his arms...they do look pretty muscular.  "Wow! that's pretty cool."  I look out over the water.  "It would be nice to not be sick for a while."

I look back and take another drink  "I've already got the germs though so it probably wouldn't do me any good to try and get away from the illnesses."

I pause listening to the water lapping against the boat and the pier. "So how long have you been versing? You sound like you have a little experience."

"Yeah, I'm a wimp when it comes to colds. Hate feeling like I can't breathe."

He shrugs, and his muscles which look normal, all of a sudden bulge in his shoulders.  Its a bit weird. One moment he's moderately well built but nothing special, and the next moment he's heading toward bodybuilder land. And then back again as he relaxes.

"Well, I don't know if it works like that." He nibbles on a finger, and shrugs again, pulling a face of non-comprehension. "I'm not a brainiac like some versers. The Alchemist or the Martian Terraformer weird me out."

"Me, hmmh, five years.  Ten worlds.  My first was this beach with dinosaurs and some literal space cadets who wanted to pet T-rex.  My favourite was meeting Leonardo Da Vinci who was a verser. He taught me a lot about drawing. Got burned as a witch, though. Not fun. Weirdest thing, last world I was in, I'm riding down this jungle river in the Ruthless, and all of a sudden these guys jump up out of the water around me with autopistols, and tell me to freeze. Well, I flip, toss one guy into a tree, and the rest open up on me.  ANd bam, I'm here in my boat."

PT

I listen to him wondering why I asked.  All that did was to remind of where I could end up next time I verse out.  I let him ramble a bit watching the muscles do weird things under his skin.  I look up when he mentions his boat.  "The boat is yours?  You mean it versed with you?  I didn't know vehicles would come with you too.  That's a pretty useful piece of information. "

I finish off my drink and hand him my glass.  "You look pretty healthy now.  Are you still going to take off?"

I shift my pack around so I can look into it.  As I'm pull my pack around something occurs to me.  "Hey when we first met you said "Oh your the other verser".  You already knew I was here?  Did you have any intention of seeking me out?"

"I heard from someone that he did it with his car, and so I tried it, but I heard other people couldn't. Not sure whats the difference.  But Ruthless has been with me in four worlds now.  More faithful than her namesake."  He grimaces, and for a second he looks pained, but then he buries it as well as he may.

"I've got some more packing to do. I'd thought to leave on the morning tide.  I could use some company, tho' wait a few days if you needed."  He looks at you, and you can tell, he's rather lonely.

"Well, I met Fluffy, but I could tell you were far away, and across the ocean, and I'm a pretty good single sailor, but not ready to challenge a cross-Atlantic on my own."

PT

I stare out over the peaceful water and am almost tempted to take him up on his offer.  It was fun being sick all the time.  But past experiences tell me not to take things at face value.  Despite his easily forthcoming with information I don't really know much about this guy.  Putting myself out in the middle of nowhere with no way to get away from him would be just plain stupid.

I look back to him and smile "It's a tempting offer but I have made a pretty good life for myself on this world thus far.  I think I'll have to pass on your offer for now. I'm always willing to sit down for a drink and a chat if you're ever in my part of the world look me up ok?"  I laugh "I guess I don't need to give you my address you know how to find me if you need to."

I pick up my pack and prepare to leave.  "It was good to meet you.  It's nice to talk to someone else who has been there done that if you know what I mean."

He nods, obviously trying to think of some excuse to keep you there, but in the end, he just nods again.

"Well, I'll see you around here or somewhere else. Best of luck, Alexis."

You walk away, and for a long time he stares, and then near the foot of the long dock, you hear him start tossing stuff into his boat again.

Two robocarts are sitting in the 'community pool' for individual use at the corner of Harbor and Bay about a hundred feet from you.

PT

I stop next to the robocarts and look back watching him toss things on his boat.  It would be so easy to walk back down there and join him.  Having someone that I can talk to about anything, someone who knows where I come from and what I am going through would be so nice.  But my gut was telling me to back off.  Let him make the next move.

I sigh and turn to climb aboard the robocart and with one last glance down the dock I take off down the street.  I look at my surroundings.  I need to find somewhere to stay for the night.  A hotel or something.  Some food would be good too.  I start looking for hotels and restaurants.

You find both.  A hotel, and Kingsgate Restauraunt.  The hotel is plain and solid, and Kingsgate is very expensive, but well worth it.

The steak is divine, and the ice cream is made on the premises, and the ice cream jubilee flames and flares at it comes to your table.  Of course, this being a socialist paradise, the tax rate on this luxury meal Fluffy's 'owner' recommended is 200%.

And the staff, none of them are sick.

PT
OOC: And back to monthly, I'd guess...?

After enjoy the last really good meal I'm likely to have for awhile, as I can't afford to drop that much on a meal very often, I head over to the room I'd secured for the night.

I set my pack on the luggage stand at the foot of the bed and pull out my new computer.  I look around for a internet service hookup.  If I can find one I'm going to do a search of the web for that boat.  Something about that guy keeps nagging at me.  Like there's something there I'm missing.

I start keying in different keywords hoping to hit on that boat when suddenly it hits me.  He knew my name.  I never told him my name but somehow he knew it anyway.  Also something else...he never gave me his name.  I wonder if it's some verser trick I don't know yet or is there more about this guy I should know.


ooc: What do you mean " And back to monthly, I'd guess...?"?  Sorry I'm not following you train of though.?

You set up, and search.  There are several hits for boats named "Ruthless" including the single Atlantic destroyer for the North Americas, but none of them are a 32 ft. sailboat.

Then you find one. A new account file for London Port opened two days ago.  It claims the owner Robert Wallace is staying in port, aboard ship. Stated plans to ship tommorrow.

There's another similiar file in Oslo, about a week ago where he stated his intention to come from the Scandinavian Republic to Brittania, and then the Costa del Sun.

Its interesting in their web.  Their web is inquisitive on his activities because he's doing something dangerous, and so safety is a concern, but info that would have been locked away back home is for public viewing here.

The only thing of interest is that he changed the name from "Ruth" to "Ruthless" in Oslo.  Hired a spray paint company to do the job.

Searching on other keywords, you find only one visit to the hospital in Oslo, and nothing else.

PT
OOC: I thought you might want to go back to having a month slide by with each post. I see not yet, anyways.

Hmm...since their internet seems to be so forthcoming with information I decide to check out some of the police and governmantal site.  First for Robert Wallace and then for ships named Ruth or Ruthless.  I wonder what he doing that they think is dangerous? I'm also still wondering how he knew my name.

Also I figure I might as well look at the governmental health sites might as well see how the elite crowd fights these illnesses.  And any research done into them.

It takes a couple minutes to realize that what they think he is doing thats dangerous is solo boating. Why, he could get sick! And then require a helicopter rescue that would put more people at risk!

Most of the research is in bio-engineering.  Its being done very cautiously, and you blink at one project's start date....surely they haven't been working on teh same simple thing for twenty years, bu they have.

If there is elite medical treatments, its not on the web.  Its pretty much considered a human right to get free and equal to everyone else medical care.

He doesn't call that night.

And you wake the next morning, still wondering how he knew your name.

PT

I get up the next morning no closer to solving the riddle of Robert Wallace.  I pack up my backpack and head down to find some breakfast.  While I eat I try to decide what will be on my agenda for the day.

I finally just decide to wander around London for a while and see if I find anything familiar to me.  Maybe check out Harrods see if it's as big and prestigous here as it was in my last world.

Also on my agenda today is to arrange transportation back to what is my home for now.  I simply can't afford to lose my job.  So I guess the riddle of Robert Wallace will remain just that for now.

You find much thats familiar, and much that isn't.  There's no column in Trafalgar Square commemorating Nelson's victory over the French, for one.  Less castles and battlements dot the landscape, and the walking paths are smoother and gentler.

Harrods still exists, but its about half the size it was before, and while opulent, not nearly as much as the one you remember.  In fact, its rather pedestrian.

Its just not as beautiful, or as grand as the other Harrods.

Although the prices are even worse...

You arrange transport by vacuum train back to home, and get there in a few hours.

Once back, you slip back into your life, occasionally checking on Robert's progress with your verser sense.  As close as you are able to figure, he's in the Western Mediterranean, or somewhere along the line between there, and the edge of the world, and you.

PT
OOC: And next month you....?

PT

I settle back into my daily routine.  As the days pass I try to get more familiar with the city and the world I am in.  I check around for what types of things people here do for pleasure.  I try to get to know some of my workmates and neighbors.  What better way to get information about a place you don't know than from those who have lived there for a while.  I do try to maintain some distance emotionally though.  It would be nice to have a relationship but I could verse out tomorrow so I don't want to get too attached to anyone here.

I continue to save for and pick up things that could be useful or traded for funds in other worlds.  I periodically attempt to sense if anyother versers have shown up.

I get myself more familiar with my new computer and all its special tools and extras.

You attend the World Knockball Championship which reminds you of another game, with its mallets and wooden balls, but its held in a confined space with intersecting paths so the competitors don't have to walk more than a couple steps.

Very intense according to your companions.

There is a fair bit of small-time gambling (bingo games, knockball pools, guess the number of beans in a jar...)  People need risk and excitement it seems.

You add two more gems, and a couple other items.  The computer doesn't so much have new items, although a couple, as it has the old items done right. In the months that you've owned this, it hasn't crashed, frozen up, or anything once.

And then you get sick. The meds help. But not enough. So its home. And there, despite the meds, you're shivering, dry heaving, and in terrible pain.  You hear a knocking at the door, but you can't get up.

And then the door opens.

"Are you sure this is right, my lord husband?" You hear a female voice ask from around the corner as they break and enter....

PT

Oh man I don't think this is gonna pass without some better drugs.  I should try to get myself to a doctor.  I curl up on my bed with a thick quilt wrapped around me.  I close my eyes and concentrate on getting the energy to get up and go to the clinic.

Suddenly someone knocks on my door.  My first thought is thank god someone to help me get to the clinic.  But then when they begin to come in without permission I try to hold back the cough that so desperately wants to come out of my chest. I look towards my pack sitting at the foot of my bed and start to crawl towards it and my gun inside.

You drag yourself to the gun, and have it just in hand when a lady with brilliant red hair, dressed in a thin cloak, and silver embossed armor steps around the corner.

She's got a sword up over her shoulder.

Your eyes switch to her companion. A man with a shaven head, and a shotgun sticking up over his shoulder.

Shirrrrr...

You look back and the woman has six feet of blade pointed at you.  You know  you're sick and slow, but whoaaaa, that was fast.

"I am the Lady Lilandra, Paladin of the Eye of Truth, put down your weapon, at once!"

PT

I suck in a quick breath at the sight of the blade that seemed to have just magically appeared in front of me.  Suddenly the cough I had been holding back attacks with a vengence.  I drop my gun and curl up with my arms wrapped across my aching chest as I am racked with a deep hacking cough.

It takes me several minutes to get past the cough and pull myself together.  I look up at her almost wishing she would kill me and put me out of my misery.  "Sorry but this is my home and your walking in took me by surprise.  What can I do for you?"

In the middle of your barely released sentence, another body-shaking cough escapes.  It hurts your body, some blood coming up, but you manage to finish your sentence.

The red-haired woman smiles slightly at your weakness, knowing her superiority in the situation.  You see a chuckle leave her lips as she begins to speak, not seeming sick at all.  "So, you're a verser huh?"  She laughs again, saying one word, "..weak..." as she kicks you hard accross the face.  It hurts, but the numbness from the sickness helps you not to notice it.  You feel blood trickle down your face as she picks up the gun you dropped.

I shake my head to clear the stars away and look back just in time to see her pick up my gun.  Weak? I really wish I had the strength to show her just what I can do.
I close my eyes and thank god I am numb enough that I probably won't feel this.  I suck in a breath and quickly push myself up aiming to put the back of my head right smack into her face and hoping to hit her hard enough that she will be disoriented for a few seconds.  At the same time I try to reach up and grab my gun from her hand.

She woman easily sidesteps your weak attempt at hitting her with your head.  This time, however, she doesn't hit you back.  She looks to her comrade and says, "Well, I didn't expect you to get up, infected and disoriented from a kick."  The woman smiles again, amused by Alexis' attempt at an attack.  "Well you asked what we wanted..  I want to know how long you've been here first off.  So, how long?  I just arrived a little while ago."

The man still at your bedroom door gives out a small cough, and pops a pill into his mouth.  Soon afterwards, he seems the same as he was a moment ago, arms crossed and letting the woman lead.

I jerk my head up the anger clear in my eyes.  "You had to kick the shit out me to ask me that?"  I take in another deep breath hoping my meds would kick in sometime soon.  Watching the guy pop a pill for one little cough I begin to think they are afraid of this place.  I let out the breath feeling a little better. I don't know. It's easy to lose time in this place.  I guess two maybe two and a half months.  Why do you care?"

"It's the quickest way to get what I need to know.."  The woman looked at you ice cold.  "I backed you into no other exits, and you didn't have the strength to fight your way out of this."

Looking both ways first, the woman looked nervous, as if the room she was in was dangerous.  She looks to you again.  "What do you have in here?  We want everything you've been preparing to leave with..  We might just need it..."  She was obviously not new to versing, as was the man near her.

Seeing her nervously look around I grin at her "What's the matter big tough girl like you afraid of few germs?"  I coughed a little and then straightened up a little more as I talked wanting to get myself in a better offensive and defensive position.

Knowing I've got nothing to lose and my stuff will go with me if she kills me I continue.  "You must think I'm as stupid as you look.  I'm not telling you anything.  What are you gonna do kill me?  Well go right ahead I don't have anything to lose.  But before you do a little gift from me."   I spit right in her eyes.

Two goals here: 1) If she can't see me it gives me a slight advantage and 2) It gives her a good dose of germs in an area of her body that will provide quick access to body fluids and the respitory system.

Lilandra backs up from you, though it still hits straight on her right eye.  Backing up to a wall, she frantically tries to wipe it off of her face.  After that, she looks to you once more.  "Fighting to the end huh?  I like that...I'll be back later."  She throws you your gun, not at you but merely to the floor in front of you.  Her eyes shift left and right as she speaks, as if she wasn't used to doing this.  "You're smart, but that's not enough in some worlds.."

The woman runs out of the apartment in the same amazing speeds as before as the man follows her quickly behind.  You're now left alone again, gun, bloody face, and a harsh sickness.

I grab my gun and shove everything I have into my pack then I head out the door.  I get down to the street and grab a robocart and go to the nearest clinic. I run inside and then slow down and walk up to the nurse sitting at the reception desk.  "I need to see a doctor.  I am very sick and my meds aren't working."  *cough..cough* "I need something stronger or different."  I need to get myself in better shape before she comes back.

"I see, what are you currently taking?"  The nurse in the front asks kindly, coughing a little herself.  After seeing your medication, she holds out a new bottle, opens it, and hands you a pill.  "This will slow your reactions down for a week, but it will kill any viruses you may have.  It is your choice to take it or not, because it is a serious depressant."  Evidently you'll only need one pill, because she puts the rest back under the desk.

I look at the pill and then back to her.  "What's this?  I want to see a doctor.  How  do you even know what's wrong with me without any tests or anything?.  I can't afford to have my reactions slowed down.  Is there another option."

"Please mam."  The woman looks at you expectantly.  "This is almost 100% accurate for fighting any of the common infections untreatable by the off-clinic medicines.  Your reactions will come back steadily, varying by person."

She pulls a chart out from under her desk and shows it to you.  It shows how fatal normal patients need to be to see a doctor, unless they have excess of cash to make an appointment.  "We need the doctors for those who actually need them."  She begins pulling the chart back under her desk.

"You must understand that this is the best free option that you have that isn't fatal.  However, if you work in fields including medical or robotics, you must take your next five days off, starting tomorrow.  It is reckomended that you take five more days off if you work over the weekends, but it isn't required."

I sighed, told the woman thank you and left with my pill.  I stopped and got a bottle of water out of a machine and swallowed the pill.  Then I went to see if I could find a shop where I could some additional weapons beside my gun.  I need something besides my gun.  I didn't want to be caught without a weapon again.

You soon find a gun store and that they have the same system of distribution as normal.  You need proof of working status to purchase a gun.  It seems that they, being a peaceful people, don't have worry of bank robbers or terrorists.  When you enter the gunstore, you feel like passing out and unable to gain any other information as to how to purchase a gun and lose all will to check for gun prices.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:05, Mon 20 Mar 2006.

I stare at the guns in the case and suddenly I'm very tired....exhausted.  I shake my head and try to get up the desire and energy to check out prices and information.  But it's no use.  All I want to do is curl up in a corner and rest.  I look around the shop.  The saleclerk is on the phone.  I take seat in a chair over in the corner.  I set my pack on my lap and lean my head back against the wall and close my eyes.  I'll get back to getting a second weapon.  Just for a minute...I just need to rest for a minute....

You wake up, feeling rain on your face and gravel under your other cheek.  Accross the street is the gun store and your senses feel your wallet is gone from your back pocket.  A man is standing over you saying, "Miss, are you okay?"  For a moment, you get a feeling to cough, but it is as if it is instantly neutralized and the feeling vanishes.

I sit up quickly looking around and shaking away the last dregs of sleepiness.  I look up at the man "Yeah yeah I'm fine. Thank you."  I stand up angry now as I remember the last place I was..The gunshop.  I stare over there angrily wanting to go over there and chew the guy out for letting me end up on the street.  But first...I check for all my belongings.  My wallet! .  I immediately try to sense where it and anything else missing is.

You have no idea, but at least the gems were in your backpack at home and you have a formal written document stating your occupation in robotics, rather than just a card, at your house.

I sigh. Versers are supposed to be able to sense where their stuff is right  I take a deep breath and concentrate harder on locating my missing stuff.

You focus hard.  In about two minutes, you're able to feel where your things are, the rain helping fight your feelings of sleep.  Soon, you feel that your things are to your right, down an alley or inside the edge of the building near you, but you can't tell which.

I walk down the alley slowly looking for my things.  I peer in doors andwindows trying to see it.  I'll stop periodically and see if I can get a stronger feeling of where they are.  I wipe the rain out of my eyes hoping the draining part of this medication will wear off soon.

When you're looking down the alley, you feel your things behind in the opposite direction that you felt them before.  After that, it becomes a dull sense that your things are in general somewhere behind you, not being able to calculate a precise direction anymore.

OOC:  Where were you keeping your gun?

I walk back to the street and look to see if there is anyone out on the street.  I also check out what the building is that I felt a sense of my things being in.  After I look around I walk further out into the street close my eyes and concentrate on finding my things.  If I still can't locate my stuff I'm going to continue across the street to the gunshop and talk to the clerk and not very nicely either.  I'm just a little mad at him right now.

OOC:  Am I getting some really bad rolls or what?  My gun is in a holster under my jacket.  Needed to have it handy in case the trouble makers showed up again.

You're not able to find the stuff and the only response you can really get out of the clerk is the same answer again and again.  Your instincts, though distorted because of the medicine, say that he's tellin the truth.  He keeps saying that someone saying they're your brother came in, picked you and your things up, and walked outside.

OOC:  Yes, you're getting bad rolls.  The depressant is effecting them, and the rolls you've had for shaking it off have been really bad, so you haven't been able to shake any of the sleepiness and inability to focus off.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:44, Wed 22 Mar 2006.

I walk outside and sit down on the curb frustrated, tired and confused.  Why can't I sense where my stuff is? I thought all versers could locate their stuff.

I drop my head to my hands trying to figure out what I'm gonna do now.  Suddenly I sneeze.  Great all I need is to get sick again.  I've lost all my stuff.  The nurse said I can't go back to work for a while.  What am I going to do now?

I know who it was that probably took my stuff.  But If I can't get a feeling on where they are or where my stuff is I don't know how I'm supposed to get it back?

Having no choice I get up and start walking back to my apartment.  Stopping every so often to try to get a sense of where my stuff is or where those two who broke into my apartment are.


OOC:  Did I lose my pack too?   And can I request a new set of dice lol.

OOC:  Okay, you just got a really lucky roll, still want to request for a dice switch lol?

You are walking and right behind the door entering your apartment room, you find your pack.  It is sitting there, one of the smaller front zippers opened.  For a moment, you feel like you're going to sneeze.  The feeling quicly leaves and you feel fine, just drowsy, like before.

I smile a little upon seeing my pack sitting there, but the meds are still making  me drowsy and depressed.  I pick it up and walk over to my bed.  I sit down on the bed and start looking through my pack to see what's missing.  After I get done taking inventory of my pack I put everything back into it and set it down beside the bed.  Then I lie down intending to just rest for a minute.  Wishing these sideaffects from that drug would finally wear off I close my eyes to rest for a bit.

You search your bag and find everything is there, plus a small box wrapped in plain paper.  There is a note attached under a bow reading: To the Brave.  As you open the note, it reads:

I could feel the hate in you and must commend you for never stopping your fight against me.  It is a great deed to scare me, and you succeeded.  Because of such an action, I've blessed this object so that you might be resistant to ailments.  Consider this a miniature change of heart on my part, and consider yourself lucky.  You scared me for a moment, but I still want you to get better for another reason-to see exactly what your potential holds.

-Lady Lilandra, Paladin of the Eye of Truth

As you finish reading and open the box, you find a piece of jewelry-a necklace which's center piece is a small gem.  The gem was one you had noticed at the jewelry shop and was very expensive when you last checked.  You had a small feeling in your gut that it wasn't gained how you'd gotten yours, which were still safely tucked away in your pack.

OOC:  That was an utter godly role you got lol.  Would you like for me just to roll for the general week?  If so, just post your reaction to this post and in another paragraph, what you plan on doing for the week other than sleeping off the drug.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:08, Wed 22 Mar 2006.

I sit and stare slack jawed at the necklace.  Who are those two and what do they want with me?"  I love the idea of not being sick anymore but I hesitate to put the necklace on.  I just don't trust her yet.  I'm having a very hard time believing someone would just change gears like that.  Besides there is her statement "To see exactly what your potential holds.".  If she threatens and beats on sick people I'm not sure I want to know how she treats perfectly healthy people.

I yawn and lie back staring at the necklace and fall asleep with it clasped in my hand curled up next to my chest.  I wake up the next morning feeling amazingly better.  I look at the necklace in my hand and shrug.  She didn't seem like the type to hide behind tricks.  I put the necklace on and get ready for the day.  I think I feel well enough to go back to work but thinking it might be wise to give the drug more time to wear off I decide against it.

I spend that day and everyday after that preparing for my next meeting with Lady Lilandra.  I work on everything my sensei had taught me in the previous world wanting to have it all fresh and automatic in my mind.  I also find somewhere to work on my gun skills.

When I'm not working out or doing target practice with my gun and throwing knives I am shopping. Picking up some more supplies for my backpack.  I get myself a good combat knife as well as a few smaller throwing knives.  I also get my self another gun.  I shutter to think about losing my "special" gun.  I wear it in my holster at all times, but I need a back-up just in case.  I stick to the same caliber as it makes it easier to get ammo.  Since I am working on target practice I make it a point to also get some extra ammo.

Being a person who likes to know what's available around her I take a few minutes each day to surf the net for any different or unique weapons and/or combat/survival gear available in this world.  I don't expect to find much since they are basically peaceful people but one never knows until one tries.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:32, Wed 22 Mar 2006.

OOC:  Bad roll for surfing the net.

Through the week, you feel your skills improve, but are hampered sometimes because the pill's effects haven't worn off.  You feel like there's no sickness left in you, but apparently the medication still works.  You don't have much money at all by the end of the week.

On the net, again hampered by drowsiness, you don't find any other kinds of weapons or anything.  The only thing it mentions is a theoretical meditation to help heal your ailments.  Most people find it to be a crazy concept, relying solely on the medicines around them.

I close my computer with a sigh.  I'm having no luck with the surfing.  If there is anything special in this world I'm not finding it.  I turn my attention to my money supply.  I count it one more time.  Doesn't matter how many times I count it I come to the same conclusion.  I'm going to have to go back to work tomorrow whether I feel ready to or not.  I got a little to crazy in my spending and now I'm running out of money.

I shove my money back into my pocket, slide my computer back into it's place in my pack and then double check my gun to be sure it's loaded and ready to use and the safety is on.  I carry my pack over and set it next to my bed within easy reach and then I lie down fully dressed holster and all.  I'm thinking that since I need to go to work the next day a little extra sleep wouldn't hurt. So planning for the next day to be like all the previous ones with exception of a shift at work I settle in to get some sleep.

Sleep feels great.  You get up the next day and go to work, the effects of the new drug beginning to wear off.  You go to work and through an average day there and head home.  You now have a little bit of money in your pocket, but one day's wages aren't necessarily a lot compared to what you've been saving up.

OOC:  Do you still have the gems or did you spend them on the supplies?

I bypass the drug vending machines today as I am feeling pretty good.  Besides I have some backups in my pack and I want to save my money to replace the two gems I had to give up to help buy my extra weapons.  I grab a robocart and head back to the city.  Now that I am back at work I stop at the grocery store and pick up a few things to get me buy for the week.  I try to keep my spending at about 1/3 of what I got paid that day.  The rest I will put back to get some more gems.  After I get my groceries I plan on heading home and having a sandwich and then continuing my training and searching schedule as it has been that last week or so.

Do you want me to do month-long roles for your improvements and whatnot that happens?

OOC:  Sure that's fine or we can just take a break for a few days until Playtester gets back.  He usually takes the weekend off anyway so it won't bother me to wait.

Huh...Okay.  Break it is then, if you say so.

I didn't mean to say I wanted to wait. I like rping with you.  But you seemed sort of lost.  So if it's easier to just take a break that's ok.  But if you want to keep gming my thread I'm all for it.

OOC:  I was just getting your okay to do a further-stretch of time in one post.  I don't want to take anything away from your gaming experience lol.  Trust me, I'm FULL of options lol.

OOC: ok lets go for it then and whatever way you want to go with it is fine IE day at a time or month at a time.

OOC:  At the moment, we'll do a month.  Post your plans for the month and any preparations that you make daily for it and such.

The days blend one into another as I go to work and train and educate myself on this world and what it has to offer me.  I continue to train with my guns and knives.  As well as keeping up on all the techniques I learned from my sensei.

 As I start to get better with the weapons I have I can't help but remember that sword that Ilandria carried and used so well.  I occurs to me that having that skill might be a good thing in some worlds.  So I check around for a fencing class or some type of blade weapon training .

Also with the thought that I could verse at any time I try to pick up a few more gems.

As the days pass however and I start to get comfortable in this world I start to watch people and get a little more comfortable getting to know some of the people here.  I go out for drinks with some people from work, chat with the clerks at the grocery store etc...   Just little things that naturally occor when one starts settling in.

OOC:  Sorry, the roll really, really sucked.

You manage to go for about a week of this, and you just find a weekly fencing class.  You manage to get one gem and improve your skills some.  On your way to the fencing class, which is out of town, you get off of the empty public transport and out onto a field, where the woman from before and her henchman are standing out there, the fencing building far behind her.

I notice the woman and her men as I step off the transport and my hand immediately goes to my gun.  I pull it out flicking off the safety as I do and aim it directly at her.  What do you want? Why can't you just leave me alone?" I keep the weapon on her and my eyes on all of them.  Any of them moves and I will shoot her and take a drop and evasive roll away from the others.  Also as I'm standing there if I have time I am checking for any kind of cover to ge under in need be.

There is a forest area to your left, but other than that, it's open fields.  She looks you in the eyes, unafraid of your gun.  "I gave you the amulet so you'd be at full strength...to fight me."

"Put the gun down.."  Finally, the man had spoken.  His voice was deep and demanding of you.  You look down and find he had pulled a gun out, without you even noticing it.  (He had a fantastic roll for sneaking it out: 4)  "It's not pointing at me, so just put it down.  By the time you move it, I would have shot you and you've moved on to another world.

Not suspecting anything else of you, the two wait for you to put it down or try to fight.

I look over at the man as he speaks.  I look down at his gun and then back up to his face my eyes narrowing in anger.  I turn that anger on her. " What is this?  You want to fight me fine lets do it.  But tell your shadows to back off. "  I give her a little smile that doesn't quite get to my eyes "Unless you're afraid to fight me alone? "

"Hehe.."  She looks at you, smiling.  "That's what I've wanted the whole time.  The weapons will be melee, agreed?  I don't use guns.."  She straightens her back, growing slightly taller.  The woman radiates with pride, but you aren't intimidated by it at all.

I nod without taking my eyes off of her.  I learned some pretty good moves from my sensei.  I can hold my own in melee.  "Tell you friend over there to put his gun away and then I'll do the same."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:04, Sun 26 Mar 2006.

Lilandra nods to the man and he puts the gun back in its holster, quickly moving out of the way of the fight.  Lilandra now looks at you, expecting you to throw the gun down.  You see her touch her sword.  "Actually...I'm up for everything but guns.  If you have any projectiles, you can..just no guns."

OOC:  You got a decent GE roll, so now throwing knives are allowed in the fight with her permission.

I watch and wait until he has his weapon holstered and has moved back then I flick the safety back on and reholster my own weapon.  As I am reholstering my weapon I see her touch her sword.  I look at her sword and then back into her eyes.  "Well that's right kind of you.  But as you well know I don't have anything that will compete with that sword.  You wouldn't mind losing it would you?"  I flex my fingers and loosen my arms feeling the knives in their wrist sheath preparing to use them if she makes any moves towards me.

"I mind.."  Lilandra has a look unfarmiliar to you in her eyes as she pulls her sword out, holding it at her other side with her right hand.  Her position isn't any fighting style you reckognize.  "This sword is priceless to me.  Use any tricks you want, just no guns."

I tense up at Lilandra's move but make no move of my own.  "What the....?  I don't mean lose it literally.  I mean't make this a fair fight and leave the sword out of it.  Or at least give me something halfway comparable to use."  I try to keep her talking and distracted while I try to figure out a plan.  Some way to survive this or at the very least take that sword with me when I go.  Who am I kidding?  I have no chance against that sword and her speed with it.

Lilandra smirks some, seeing your eyes move.  It's as if she knows that you're trying to think of a plan.  "Jared, give her yours.."  The massive man pulls a sword out from behind him.  His enormous build had hid its appearance from you, and he throws it to you.  Jared's throw misses you by a mile, but your quick reflexes easily catch it.

Lilandra smiles again and you notice the sword isn't that heavy, and you could probably weild it easily-if you had been trained in any swordsmanship.  Lilandra seems to be impatient with you acting first.

I look at the sword in my hand with a grin.  "Now this is more like it." I test it a little getting used to the feel of it.  Then I look at at Lilandra and lower it to my side taking up what I hope is a similar stance to hers.  I take a minute to prepare myself mentally  and then....  "Lets do this."

Lilandra keeps herself still, as if she's getting bored of waiting for you to attack.  "Indeed, we shall.  Launch your strikes..."  She was smiling at the thought of fighting you.  You sense a hint of disrespect towards you, a sense of her believing in her superiority over you.

I raise a brow at her "You expect me to attack first? I don't think so.  I'd just as soon walk away from this. I don't fight just to fight.  I only fight in defense of myself or others." I shrug "So if the first move is mine I think I'll just walk away." I start to take a step towards the building.

In a flash, you feel the wind blow behind you and the woman blur to your left flank.  Instinctively, you raise the sword to that side and find her powerful strike hit your sword.  She jumps back a meter, you two only a small distance apart now.  "If you keep your enemy on the defensive, then you can protect the important things better.  Remember this.."  She launches another attack on you before you can respond, a stabbing motion this time.

She stabs, but it easily parried to the left.  As if it was just a fake, she follows through to hit you on that flank.  You barely manage to block it and hit her sword away as you fall down, catching yourself with your available hand.  You're now balancing on your hand and feet, one hand holding the sword upwards.

Using my skills taught to me by my sensei I plan to do a quick roll out away from her and spring up to my feet.  I  will bring my sword up with both hands into a defensive stand.  Then I will look to see where she is and judge what type of move is my best option at this point.

In your memory you can hear your sensei advising you.

"There will always be someone stronger, smarter, and swifter than you. Rarely you may meet someone equally ready to die as you versers are, but this is a gift for you dare maneuvers no sane man or woman could dare.  But it will happen someday. But even then, try not to go that last measure, there is something you can do, some weapon in the setting, some weakness of tactic, or flaw in the mind of the enemy..."

You see rocks of varying size from pebbles to volleyball size on the ground and you know that speed can be turned to a disadvantage, and that Lilandara is arrogant, contemptuous, and also frightened of sickness.

You roll to your feet, fear dropping away as your mind considers the problem, looking for a solution.  Meanwhile Lilandra raises her sword for another run-by...

PT

Hearing my sensei's advice flowing through my head I watch Lilandra and try to judge her footsteps. Then I attempt to block and pary with her. Leading her in a direction that would hopefully have her stumbling over the rocks in her great speed.

You step sideways, and she comes after you.  Like a wild dog, and you slip in your own attempted trap, and she relents laughing manically.

Then up again, and she comes at you, slipping in the rocks, and evading your defense to tag you on the cheekbone.

With your head ringing, you hear her say...

"I can keep this up all day.  Lets make a deal.  You work for me, and I'll teach you how to defend yourself, and I'll even protect you from all the big meanies out there.  For there are a lot worse people than me out there."

PT

I maintain my defensive manuvuers as I think about what she said.  She is good I have to give her that much.  I could learn a lot from her.  "I'm not fool enough to just say yes without getting some details first.  What exactly would I be doing for you?"

"You don't bargain with me, little sister.  You do as I tell you."

Then Jared murmurs something in her ear, and she sighs.

"Very well. We fight evil. We seek it out, and we crush it under foot.  Other times, we train, and gather recruits. We spread the glorious truth of the Eye of Truth to all the worlds that we may leaving behind us outposts of workers determined to fight the good fight."

Then she levels her blade at you.

"Yes, or no."

PT

Keeping my sword up and ready I concider her words for a minute and then give a shrug "Yes.  Why not I could learn a lot from you I think."  And if I don't like what she stands for...The Eye of Truth...well I'll deal with that later.

I stand and wait for her reaction never letting my guard down

With your guard up, you get to move perhaps three inches before she runs you through.  About three feet of her blade goes through your right lung.

"Missed the heart. Very good, my new squire."

She yanks the blade out.

"I hated this world. Well, now we leave, and there's four new converts I leave behind to spread the truth here, if the Eye wants the benighted souls of these sicklies."

She shudders, and you collapse to the ground.

Things are going black....

=============================================================================

And next world is Heartwar...with Polly the Pschyo Paladin and her consort, and the new Squire Alexis.

PT