Chapter 13 Teaser, #2 - Printable Version +- Drunkard's Walk Forums (http://www.accessdenied-rms.net/forums) +-- Forum: The Drunkard's Walk (http://www.accessdenied-rms.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=21) +--- Forum: Drunkard's Walk II: Robot's Rules of Order (http://www.accessdenied-rms.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=24) +--- Thread: Chapter 13 Teaser, #2 (/showthread.php?tid=1212) |
Chapter 13 Teaser, #2 - Bob Schroeck - 08-26-2003 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. Re: Chapter 13 Teaser, #2 - Star Ranger4 - 08-26-2003 Quote:So much for Eye of the Tiger then... Loved the 'mother instinct' bit too. "I was an Otaku before those kids came along and changed the meaning of the word." -- HM "Howling Mad" Wilson to more than one team-mate. Hear that thunder rolling till it seems to split the sky? That's every ship in Grayson's Navy taking up the cry- NO QUARTER!!! -- "No Quarter", by Echo's Children Re: Chapter 13 Teaser, #2 - Guest - 08-26-2003 Why do I get the feeling that the entire management of IDEC will need serious psychotherapy before this is over? In all an amusing tidbit, please don't get any more writers block, okay. Teaser #2 - Starbolt13 - 08-26-2003 Unless the critter was actually Godzilla ala the Blue Oster cults song.. unless Doug has any other songs to manifest large critters.. They had specified transforming something other than himself by then. Unless it's revealing too much just what song did he have in mind Bob? Re: Teaser #2 - Bob Schroeck - 08-26-2003 He was just being nasty -- he didn't really intend to manifest any animals. -- Bob --------- Then the horns kicked in... ...and my shoes began to squeak. MageCorps (because I mistyped and thought it was funny) - drakensis - 08-27-2003 "If you can at all avoid it, *never* go to work for a god." "Does that include MegaCorporations who think they are God?" Doug gave him a LOOK. "Yes" "Nice to know we're all on the same page." D for Drakensis You're only young once, but immaturity is forever. Re: MageCorps (because I mistyped and thought it was funny) - Bob Schroeck - 08-27-2003 Quote:Doug looked at him quizzically. "Doesn't that depend on what font the reader uses to print out this chapter?" Hiroe slapped him on the back of the head. "Stop breaking the fourth wall!" -- Bob --------- Then the horns kicked in... ...and my shoes began to squeak. Re: Teaser #2 - Guest - 08-28-2003 " He was just being nasty -- he didn't really intend to manifest any animals. -- Bob " I was thinking that dealing with Doug in a humotous and/or nasty mood would drive anybody insane. Re: Re: Teaser #2 - Bob Schroeck - 08-29-2003 Nasty, maybe. Humorous? Doug's usually in some variety of humorous mood, at least enough of one that he can come up with his trademark banter. -- Bob --------- Then the horns kicked in... ...and my shoes began to squeak. |