NanoSteps -- the brainstorming thread

[Shay Guy]

The single strangest thing about this place -- room? world? -- wasn't the featureless gray-white sky and floor that stretched to the horizon as far as I could see. It wasn't the lack of a visible light source or even of a shadow underneath me.

No, the strangest thing was the fact that for some reason, I seemed to have been plugged into a telepathic feed of my own observations. Including the observation of the feed itself. It was like my own finished account of this universe had gotten transported back in time to the present and was being read to me.

For want of anything better to do, I headed for the only object I could see apart from what I'd brought. It turned out to be an irregularly-shaped patch of land -- and as though things weren't bizarre enough, it was less than four meters long, about twice my own height. Not to mention the small humanoid figures clustered together on it, having a heated discussion.

"...said 'about twice my own height'!" I heard one of them -- what looked like a living doll made from grass, small enough to fit in the palm of my hand -- say as I drew near, its back facing me. "It has to be a human! What's a human doing here? There hasn't been one since Barnacle-"

"Uh, Zadok?" interrupted what looked like, of all things, an eyeball with fangs. "Have you stopped listening to the narration?"

The eyeball wasn't looking at the grass doll. It was looking at me -- as, I realized, were most of the other figures.

The grass doll turned and looked up at me. "Uh," it said. "Hi."

So they could hear the telepathic signal, too. That settled it.

Dammit. Unwalled worlds could be a pain.

---

Pronounced "shy guy."

[classicdrogn]

The street was a wreck. From the heat and the blowing sand, combined with the architecture, I figured it was somewhere in the American Southwest, somewhere around the Civil War period, but a closer look at some of the shell casings and discarded pistols lying around meant that if it was, there was an odd bump in the technology curve. (Given what was in the sky when I got a better look at it later and what I learned after being able to ask some questions, this turned out to be even more wrong than I thought.) Given how bullet-riddled the street was, it was no surprise that the locals had all fled, though by the time I'd shaken off the usual post-portal blackout and lingering disorientation the gunfire had pretty much died down.

A tallish bald guy in goggles was lying dead in the street, still clutching a pair of very blocky machine guns, despite so many bullet wounds that he was less corpse than sponge. I'd initially thought the younger guy at the other end of battleground was dead too, until he moaned and rolled onto his belly, then started crawling away.

Well, crap. I was already giving my helmet the command as I hurried over, "System, load 'I'm Alive.' Play!"

Spoiler

Trigun (Wolfwood after the duel with his mentor)

- CD, I suggested this a while back for Drunkard's Vacation since Bob and Peggy have mentioned being W. fans, but figure it might as well see a little action now. Feel free to expand or modify as needed if desired.

Edit: fixed bonehead song error - thanks Rob!

Edit again: Since Bob gave it the nod over in The Game Everyone Loves to Play, 'Give Me Back My Bullets' is more directly applicable here, and saves 'I'm Alive' in case Doug runs into another situation where he needs a healing song in the same day. So, if desired, switch that one in for the song used.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[robkelk]

"I Will Survive" gives Doug (obnoxious) self-sufficiency. "I'm Alive" is his healing song.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[classicdrogn]

Actually, given that it was a gunfight and there's probably at least a few still lodged inside, perhaps "Give Me Back My Bullets" would be a better choice, to unshoot him. S'pose I should stick that in The Game for comment rather than it happening here, however.

- CD
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[Norgarth]

Doug looked over at the masked man with a raised eyebrow.  "Silver bullets?  I hope you're a good shot, otherwise that would be really expensive."
___________________________
"I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific." - George Carlin

[ECSNorway]

Doug looked over at the masked man with a raised eyebrow.  "Silver bullets?  I hope you're a good shot, otherwise that would be really expensive."

Lone Ranger, I presume?
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Bob Schroeck]

Oh, certainly. But that's a show that's old enough that it shouldn't be affected by the divergence between OTL and Warriors' World, so Doug would know that the Ranger has his own silver mine...
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Norgarth]

I didn't know that tidbit, though it does explain things. On the other hand, just because he can afford it doesn't mean it's not expensive. :p
___________________________
"I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific." - George Carlin

[Bob Schroeck]

just because he can afford it doesn't mean it's not expensive. :p

Taking that seriously for the moment (yes, I see the emoticon), that's why he uses them. From the http://www.endeavorcomics.com/largent/ranger/faq.html]Lone Ranger FAQ:

Silver bullets reminded the Ranger how expensive firing a gun at a man was.

Oh, and also from the FAQ -- more about the mine and one of the built-in crossovers:

The Lone Ranger had a silver mine that he and his brother, Dan, had planned on using for their retirement. A retired Texas Ranger (who knew the Ranger's secret) agreed to work it for him and make the silver bullets. The Lone Ranger and Tonto would periodically visit the old Ranger and stock up on bullets and silver to use to buy goods. (This mine would be the basis of the fortune that built the Reid publishing empire in the Green Hornet.)

Although the Ranger never had an official first name, his last name is "Reid" because his brother's name was given in the original radio show as "Dan Reid"; Brit "The Green Hornet" Reid is the great-grandson of Dan Reid.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Ebony]

The recently finished Dynamite Press comic gave him the rather predictable name of John. Good retelling, though. Not as entertaining as the comic that Joe Lansdale and Tim Truman did, but that one did have all sorts of Weird West bikinis (including a very Von Daniken-esque Incan mummy), so it's a difficult comparison.
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com

"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."

[LynnInDenver]

"Some say, that his true love has never actually seen his face... and that he can change his bath water into wine given enough time soaking in it. All we know is, he is not The Stig... but The Stig's superheroic cousin."
--

"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor

[ECSNorway]

Oh come on now.

Who can forget Pretty Magical-Girl Stig-Chan?
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[robkelk]

Oh come on now.

Who can forget Pretty Magical-Girl Stig-Chan?

Meh - she didn't have much to say for herself...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Bob Schroeck]

Of all the places to find myself after a gate transition, aboard a train was far from the weirdest. Still, there was definitely something odd in the air. I could feel it, almost twisting, as I tried to extricate the bike from what seemed to be some rather choice furniture that it'd gotten jammed up in. After a minute or so, though, the feel had gone from noticeable to fingernails-on-chalkboard annoying, and I peered out between the slats of the car walls to see what I could see.

Say, Norway, I don't recognize this one, and if you added an ID later in the thread, I've missed it. Can you clue me in? Thanks.

The kid gave me lazy, irritated look. "May I ask why you tried to kill my head butler?"

Likewise, Azunth.

The single strangest thing about this place -- room? world? -- wasn't the featureless gray-white sky and floor that stretched to the horizon as far as I could see. It wasn't the lack of a visible light source or even of a shadow underneath me.

And Shay Guy, is this the world of the Internet Oracle?
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Disruptor]

I woke up and shook my head groggily and looked around. My landing this time was a surprise since it appeared to be a football field or some sort of field for a school. This was obvious by the building set next to the field and having a flag on a flagpole waving. Of course the group of teenagers was also an obvious clue.. Did I forget to mention the kids? Well, I'm still thinking my mind is playig tricks since almost alll of them are dressed in meta-human outfits or super-hero costumes. The guy riding a surfboard in mid-air was another hint this was not a normal world. The guy who I felt was the principal of the school was another hint, since he was wearing sandals, a loincloth, a blue tie attached to a green collar, and a red cape. Yes, he was wearing that and no other clothes.
--------------------
Tom Mathews aka Disruptor

[Proginoskes]

The single strangest thing about this place -- room? world? -- wasn't the featureless gray-white sky and floor that stretched to the horizon as far as I could see. It wasn't the lack of a visible light source or even of a shadow underneath me.

And Shay Guy, is this the world of the Internet Oracle?

I'm unfamiliar with the Internet Oracle, but it sounds to me like 1/0 (read "One over Zero"). Link is to the first comic.

[Bob Schroeck]

I'm unfamiliar with the Internet Oracle

Here. The presence in particular of Zadoc suggested the Oracle. Never heard of "1/0" before now.

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

[Foxboy]

I love the Hero High bit.

Fair warning: Late 70s, early 80s Filmation Saturday Morning Cartoon. Made as cheaply as possible.


''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll

[Bob Schroeck]

Made as cheaply as possible.

In other words, Filmation. (Warning! All The Tropes link!)
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[ECSNorway]

Of all the places to find myself after a gate transition, aboard a train was far from the weirdest. Still, there was definitely something odd in the air. I could feel it, almost twisting, as I tried to extricate the bike from what seemed to be some rather choice furniture that it'd gotten jammed up in. After a minute or so, though, the feel had gone from noticeable to fingernails-on-chalkboard annoying, and I peered out between the slats of the car walls to see what I could see.

The town around the tracks looked normal, at first. I'd estimate the tech level as 1890's to 1920's at highest. Nothing seemed particularly out of place until I saw -it-. The portal, was the only word I could think of for it, arcing hugely above the buildings, and the tracks lead directly into its maw. Well, that decided -that-. I redoubled my efforts to get the bike out from where it was stuck.

Too late. The train sped up as it approached the portal, and I could feel the energy of the thing rolling over me as we approached it... and then passed through. The transition left me on the floor, emptying my guts into the furniture, hoping that I could finagle a way out of this before whoever it was intended for found out what had happened to it.

I'd just finally managed to extricate the bike from its prison when the door at the side of the car blew in. Perched on the edge, amidst the remains, were two women, twins, each with wild and spiky blonde hair. One was dressed in a rather nice duster and jeans, the other looked like a refugee from 'Barbie does Bondage', but both were sporting paired daisho and pistols. All in all, it made for an impressive sight.

The sensibly-dressed one reached out a hand to me. "Come with us if you want to live."

Since Bob asked. The world in question is Malifaux, a recent and IMO very well-done minis game. It's a Victorian Gothic/Steampunk sort of setting. A hundred years ago (ca. 1800), with Earth's magic fading, the greatest mages and sorcerors of the world gathered to punch a hole into another universe to try to find a new source of magic. They succeeded, and colonized the apparently post-apocalyptic empty world on the other side to mine for Soulstones, crystals that stored massive amounts of magical energy. A few years later, the portal was abruptly closed and the head of one of the colony leaders was tossed through with a note: "This world is ours."
More recently, the portal has mysteriously reopened, and an Earth desperate for new sources of magic has started recolonizing the other side. The natives are being a bit more cagey this time, infiltrating and skirmishing. The twins who greeted Doug are 'The Viktorias' - one of them is a mercenary from Malifaux-Earth named Viktoria, and the other is her Malifaux-borne Evil Twin. Each wields their world's version of a specific Masamune blade of particular power, and unlike most evil twin stories they've decided to combine forces for fun and profit.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Proginoskes]

I'm unfamiliar with the Internet Oracle

Here. The presence in particular of Zadoc suggested the Oracle. Never heard of "1/0" before now.

Ah, but Zadok (with that spelling) being a grass doll, the befanged eyeball, the "There hasn't been [a human] since Barnacle", the curiously small landmass, they all point to 1/0.

The only problem is that 1/0 doesn't have narration. Almost every character is medium-aware, and can converse directly with Tailsteak (the cartoonist and therefore creator of the world), but there isn't any narration.

[Bob Schroeck]

Ah. Okay, I stand corrected.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Disruptor]

I love the Hero High bit.

Fair warning: Late 70s, early 80s Filmation Saturday Morning Cartoon. Made as cheaply as possible.

And that is different from anime in what way? Drawn out transformation sequences and replaying a scene three times come to mind here.
Ah well. I wonder what Doug would think of Captain California and his smile which sends a gleam of light so intense it can cook several chickens in less than a second.
--------------------
Tom Mathews aka Disruptor

[Dartz]

Because the animated version was on television recently and, for reasons I can't possibly fathom, noticed the name of the pub and realised it shared it's name with the one mentioned in DW2....

It was England.

1950's or thereabouts at a guess, the sense of optimism following World War 2 being tempered by the continuing austerity. The roads were worn and empty, while the hedgerows were in a full summer bloom. It wasn't easy finding somewhere inconspicuous to hide the motorcycle in the village, but my curiosity had been piqued.

I went inside the pub, not expecting it to be much if anything like what I remembered. Three locals were having a conversation in a dark corner beside an unlit fire.

"That's a fairy story, Jones. I don't believe it for a moment. Pigs? Taking over a farm? I've never heard the like of it,"

"You've had too much of that stuff, mate, I think,"

"I swear on my Mother's grave it's true! The animals have taken over Manor Farm,"

Less than ten seconds after stepping inside, and I was certain I wouldn't be dissapointed.

________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[classicdrogn]

Hmm. Plainly an opportunity to get some use out of "Talk To The Animals" and the Mr. Ed themesong, but I'm coming up blank on a shapeshift-to-four-legs effect. Because they're obviously better than having two.

- CD
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows