Move slowly
Beyond the colors of my eyes
Move slowly
Into the corners of my mind
Rising like the Pegasus
Each and every one of us
Released
Islands in the sea of dreams
Always searching harmony
And peace
All we find
Reject our mind
Don't you wonder why
If the war by heavens gate released desire
In the line of fire someone must have known
That a human heart demands to be admired
Cause in the Center of the Universe
We are all alone
Show me sign of paradise
A place we all would like to go to
Tell me what to sacrifice
So there's a chance for me to want you
All I find
Reject my mind
And I wonder why
If the war by heavens gate released desire
In the line of fire someone must have known
That a human heart demands to be admired
Cause in the Center of the Universe
We are all alone
I have a tale to be told won't you listen tonight
Follow me into the core of the fountain of light
Try to imagine that hope is our ship for the soul
[Over the ocean the quest of your life lies ahead]
Maybe together we'll find there's a place for us all
[Follow the star in your mind, sail along sail along]
If the war by heavens gate released desire
In the line of fire someone must have known
That a human heart demands to be admired
Cause in the Center of the Universe
We are all alone
Cause in the Center of the Universe
We are all alone
We're alone
We're alone
-- Kamelot, Center of the Universe
(If you don't know this song, and want to find out what it sounds like, you can download a free MP3 of it from the band's website on this page.)
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

I made one other discovery that day, not long after lunch ended. Among the CAD files for the brain designs were the masks used for burning the circuits of every electronic component in the design. Several were relatively new -- newer than most of the other filesthat collectively made up the brain designs; not by coincidence were they also the extra control circuitry that had been addedto the brain by GENOM. But those that didn't lay out GENOM's additions were among the oldest files in the set, suggesting that they hadn't changed since the original designer had finalized his prototype. I had been running a simulation of one of these chips, displaying its results using both a schematic and a projection of the final physical circuit. I was tracing the path of a particularly osbcure signal when something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye -- something that had gone by a little too fast for me to actually see what it was, but not so fast that I couldn't realize that I had just seen something that seemed out of place.I suspended the sim and then stepped backwards through the signal's path until I saw it again -- a couple of little swirls in the circuit material, bright against the dull black substrate on which they rested, and unconnected to anything else. I dragged a zoombox over it and maximized the selection. Yeah. Just what I thought they were.Two romanji letters, in a cursive font, written in (virtual) precious metal: "KS"."It would appear," I said to the silent and empty lab without looking up from the screen, "that our mystery genius signed his work."Then I sat back from the monitor array and wondered what manner of interesting information that little tidbit might lead me to.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

In another thread, Drakensis wrote:

Quote:

---

Those are two of my favorite AMVs, in fact the 'Right Now' AMV was what introduced me to van Halen of which I am now a fan. Others on my HD include:
Anime Lord of the Rings (a Fellowship of the Ring trailer: Kurillin as Frodo, Master Roshi as Gandalf, other scenes from Escaflowne, Princess Mononoke, Legend of Lodoss War...)
Killer Rabbit & Holy Handgrenade - the Monty Python skits set to scenes from Bastard!!!
The K Team (A-Team opening with scenes from Bubblegum Crisis 2033)

---

Quote:

---

Evangeli-horn (The Last Unicorn using scenes from End of Evangelion)

---

Quote:

---

Excelmaniacs (Excel Saga to the opening of Pinky and the Brain)
Gunsmith, PI (Gunsmith Cats to the opening music of Magnum PI)

---

It occurred to me that if Doug hadn't used 'With A Little Help From My Friends to summon the (simulated) Warriors to him, then this one might have had a similar effect. For a nasty twist, the last verse might result in him getting home dimension-wise - but only if he dies in battle while singing it.

Here our soldiers stand from all around the world
Waiting in a line to hear the battle cry
All are gathered here victory is near
The sound will fill the hall bringing power to us all
We alone are fighting for metal that is true
We own the right to live the fight we're here for all of you
Now swear the blood upon your steel will never dry
Stand and fight together beneath the metal sky
Brothers Everywhere
Raise you hands into the air
We're warriors
Warriors of The World
Like thunder from the sky
Sworn to fight and die
We're warriors
Warriors of The World
Many stand against us but they will never win
We said we would return and here we are again
To bring them all destruction suffering and pain
We are the hammer of the Gods we are thunder wind and rain
There they wait in fear with swords in feeble hands
With dreams to be a King first one should be a man
I call them out and charge them all with a life that is a lie
And in their final hour they shall confess before they die
Brothers Everywhere
Raise you hands into the air
We're warriors
Warriors of The World
Like thunder from the sky
Sworn to fight and die
We're warriors
Warriors of The World
If I should fall in battle my brothers who fight by my side
Gather my horse and weapons tell my family how I died
Until then I will be strong I will fight for all that is real
All who stand in my way will die by steel
Brothers Everywhere
Raise you hands into the air
We're warriors
Warriors of The World
"How can I be this kick ass strong?! Powerful! Handsome! Charismatic! Gorgeous! Oh, Gods... Why do you burden me with such a heavy karma!"
- Dark Schneider, Bastard!!! #20
D for Drakensis

You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.

Pointless chatter you -get-!
Anyway, this is driving me crazy, folks so here's the only clue I've got - Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to identify the Cowboy Bebop AMV that used a second or so of looped footage to make it look like Faye was tapping her fingers in time with the music.
I -think- it was an instrumental, but I won't swear by that.
Sorry, that's all I remember.
Blessed be.
-n
===========

===============================================
"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."

As you can see from the message under the banner on the main pages, Chapter 13 is about to hit 200K... If things go as I plan, I might -- might -- have the chapter done by the end of next week or the beginning of the one after that. At this point I certainly expect I'll be able to meet my earlier projection of distribution by the end of September.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

No I would not give you false hope
On this strange and mournful day
But the mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away
Oh, little darling of mine.
I can't for the life of me
Remember a sadder day
I know they say let it be
But it just don't work out that way
And the course of a lifetime runs
Over and over again
No I would not give you false hope
On this strange and mournful day
But the mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away
Oh, little darling of mine,
I just can t believe it's so
Though it seems strange to say
I never been laid so low
In such a mysterious way
And the course of a lifetime runs
Over and over again
But I would not give you false hope
On this strange and mournful day
When the mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away
Oh the mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away
Oh the mother and child reunion
Is only a moment away
-- Paul Simon, Mother And Child Reunion

One of those synchronicity things. I was thinking about the possible Sailor Moon Step, particularly of what to do with the scene on the Moon where Usagi encounters the recording of Serenity, when what should come out of the stereo but this song... What's scary is just how appropriate it is.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

As I travel in space and time
I want to stay, I want to go
You see my face, but it's not mine,
What you can't see you'll never know.
How can we meet, if I'm not there,
Our hearts may touch, our bodies close,
But time devides what we might share,
And sends us all where no one goes -
I'm just a traveller, upon the sea
Of time, of life, of fate's wide wheel,
Just a traveller in this mystery,
The me I am is all that's real to me.
We all begin this life alone,
We live, we love, all through the years,
Yet deep inside we long for home,
But it recedes, obscured by tears.
I cried a time, it falls past me,
The door of fate remains unseen,
But in my soul this hope burns free,
Oh please let there be one final leap!
I'm just a traveller upon the sea
Of time, of life, of fate's wide wheel,
Just a traveller in this mystery,
The me I am is all that's real to me.
The me I am is all that's real to me.
-- King Thunder, Fate's Wide Wheel
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Daniel Ohara lifted the handset to his ear and punched in a four-
digit sequence. Obediently, a ring tone began to sound.

He resisted the urge to mimic the 20th-Century comedienne who had
occasionally portrayed an obnoxious telephone operator. His
dignity had already suffered enough, and there was no need to
wound it further.

The ringing suddenly cut off and a tired-sounding voice blurted
"Yo?" into his ear.

"'Craig'," Ohara said with elaborate patience. "We had another
demonstration of your power scheduled for, oh... right *now*."

"Huh? We did?" Through the phone line came the mixed sounds of
a keyboard clicking and papers shuffling. "Oh, damn, we did.
'Kay, I'll be right there. Sorry."

The other end hung up before Ohara could add anything of his own.
He returned the handset to its cradle and looked up at Hiroe and
Illya. "He'll be here any..."

The outer door to the testing chamber flew open with a slam. "I'm
here, I'm here. Let the bells ring out and the banners fly," a
lackluster voice announced with a notable dearth of enthusiasm.

"...minute," Ohara concluded. Hiroe snickered and Illya
chuckled, to both Daniel and Tony's annoyance. He raised his
voice. "We're in here, 'Craig'."

Douglas Sangnoir stumbled into the control booth facing the
isolation chamber, leaned against the doorjamb, and ran a hand
through his short blond hair. "Sorry I'm late. I've been a
little out of it today."

"We know," Illya replied. "Are most interesting articles on
today's newspages."

"Joy," Sangnoir muttered as Ohara studied him. Not much had
changed since their encounter earlier in the day. For the first
time in their acquaintance, the extradimensional was not crisply
alert and preternaturally graceful. Instead, he resembled a man
who had just come out the back end of a weeklong bender and
wasn't yet sure whether or not he had survived the experience.

"You look *horrible*," Hiroe blurted out. She leapt from her
seat to seize Sangnoir by the arm. "You come here and sit down.
Last night must have been simply *awful* for you." She forced
the younger man down into the chair she had occupied as he tried
to mumble thanks.

"Ah. I see Hiroe's maternal streak has resurfaced." Tony,
impeccable in his Italian suit, had arrived, sarcasm in hand.

"No need to be quite so snide," Hiroe growled.

"All right, people," Daniel jumped in before the level of
interpersonal friction could rise any further, "let's get
started."

As agreement circled the room, Sangnoir focused slightly bleary
eyes on him and asked, "Okay, what do you want me to do?"

Ohara glanced at his people. In the wake of the morning's news,
a flurry of email memos had quickly determined the general nature
of today's tests.

"Well," Hiroe coughed and began. "We..."

"We've seen you do a state transform on your own body's matter,"
Tony interrupted. "We want to see something like the papers said
you did last night -- creating matter out of nothing."

"But we'd rather you didn't produce any... people," Hiroe hurried
to add, shooting a glare at Tony. "Something *inanimate* would
probably be better for all concerned."

"Hm." He pretended to ponder this. "So I suppose large,
dangerous animals are also out?"

Tony glared at him. "Yes," he barked.

"Pity, that." Sangnoir smiled sweetly.

"Well, you're in a hostile mood today," Ohara dryly noted.

"I think I have the right to be," Sangnoir snapped. "In the past
twenty-four hours I've played bait for a dozen combat boomers,
almost got into a screaming match with the white Knight Saber,
berserked and nearly killed the *pink* Saber, had my emotions
royally yanked around, gotten the shit kicked out of me, and been
shot three times -- <on the ceiling if you want me, twice on the
pipe if the answer is no>..." he suddenly warbled in English.
Then he winced and rubbed his temples. "Owitch. Not to mention
that I have the reaction hangover from Hell because I overdid it
with my magegift, *plus* I got thoroughly dressed down by an
avatar of my C.O. from back home." He stared with bleary eyes at
Ohara as everyone around the table blinked at the summary. "If
you can at all avoid it, *never* go to work for a god."

"I don't intend to," Ohara responded wryly.

"Good. Because they show up in the damnedest places to make your
life miserable, whether you're on duty or not." Sangnoir sighed,
rubbed his temples for a moment longer, then looked up and around
the table. "Okay, you want a solid energy projection, something
inanimate. I suppose you need me stripped to my skivvies again
for the sensors and whatnot."

"I'm sorry, but, well, yes," Hiroe stammered. *Hiroe actually
looks embarrassed,* Ohara noted with some small, private
amusement.

Sangnoir stood and strode to the entrance of the isolation room,
unbuttoning his shirt as he did. "It's a good thing I remembered
what my mom always used to say: 'Always put on clean underwear
in case you unexpectedly have to demonstrate your metagift to a
bunch of voyeuristic physicists.'"

"Like hell his mother said that," Tony muttered as Illya
chuckled.

"Did you leave your sense of humor in your other suit today,
Tony?" Hiroe hissed at him.

"The guy gets on my nerves, what can I say?" he growled back.

"I love you, too, Tonykins," Sangnoir called from the chamber as
he peeled off his jeans. Hiroe tittered behind her hand and
Illya simply smirked as Tony fumed.

"Can we please try to approximate a professional atmosphere
here?" Ohara felt like rubbing his own temples. Already.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

There used to be a greying tower alone on the sea.
You became the light on the dark side of me.
Love remained a drug that's the high and not the pill.
But did you know,
That when it snows,
My eyes become large and,
The light that you shine can be seen.
Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey.
Ooh, The more I get of you, Ooh
Stranger it feels, yeah.
And now that your rose is is in bloom.
A light hits the gloom on the grey.
There is so much a man can tell you,
So much he can say.
You remain,
My power, my pleasure, my pain, baby
To me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny.. yeah.
Won't you tell me is that healthy, baby?
But did you know,
That when it snows,
My eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen.
Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey.
Ooh, the more I get of you
Stranger it feels, yeah
Now that your rose is in bloom.
A light hits the gloom on the grey,
I've been kissed by a rose on the grey,
I've been kissed by a rose on the grey,
And if I should fall, at all
I've been kissed by a rose on the grey.
There is so much a man can tell you,
So much he can say.
You remain
My power, my pleasure, my pain.
To me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny, yeah
Won't you tell me is that healthy, baby.
But did you know,
That when it snows,
My eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen.
And now that your rose is in bloom
A light hits the gloom on the grey.
-- Seal, Kiss From a Rose
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.