Bugger... I hate these kinds of situations...

OOC -
<Rant mode on>
I should have known this week had all the earmarks of a really
groaner of a week when what started out as a simple gift for my dad
wound up being a exercise in futility. (All I wanted to do was help
him hookup his new vcr and give him a new DVD player as a gift. But
fate sneered at me and said - 'Noooo way, your burning extra ca$h in
cable conversion equipment, and spending the rest of your weekend
figuring out that the bloody manufacturer mislabeled the UHF & VHF
cable outputs too...')
Also on Saturday, I found out to my annoyance that I couldn't
get any of my emails! A few quick checks revealed that Qwest (in a
unexpected show of intelligence) decided they'd better shut down
their T1 connections (which my cable ISP apparently uses as part of
thier email server backbone to the internet), due to the fact thier
servers were getting hit pretty heavily with 'code red' virus
infections.
Well, 'No Problem' I figure, I'll just go read the messages
via yahoo's web interface tommorrow when I get a chance. Wrong again!
Each time I logged in for the past two days, I was presented with the
sickening message - "We're sorry, the database is busy, please try
again in a few minutes.".
And just I when I was begining to think I might have more luck
communicating with signal flares. My email finally starts gushing in
this morning, (and wow, did I have a ton of catch reading to do!!!),
so if I missed anybody's email and screwed up a subplot, please blame
it on my ham handed attempt at speed reading...
<Rant mode off>
Ok now that off my chest - I'd like to congratulate Sean M. Mayer
(did I get that right?) for being the FIRST repeater* in our merry
band of dwarfers. Way to go, Sean!!! Keep up the good work. I know
you really deserve a lot more than that for all the work you've done
on the BD Website and graphics. Especially, after what I went through
after having to convert from my old graphics pgm to something newer
(PSP) and relearning how to do just about everything. (Which is the
primary cause of my delay in some of promised graphics I've working
on - especially now that I've got some new 'toys' to fiddle with! My
being a complete screw up sometimes doesn't exactly help things
either... Yesterday, I spent four hours creating and editing a nice
graphic, and while I was messing around trying out some of the new
advanced features, I did something that caused the new program to
crash. That's when I suddenly realised my screw up of the day - I was
so used to the autosave feature in the old program - that I
*completely* forgot to save the my graphic even once with this new
program... Argh! Well, chalk that up as another lesson learned.).
(*-That's the first repeat winner of the Simmer of the Month award,
for those of you who didn't get what I meant the first time thru...)
RPG -
---------------------------
Who: Some Aeron nitwits, Kayn, Mike, Dirk, Allie, and a (still)
wacked out hamster.
Where: A cell in the Aeron Prison.
When: Would You trust a wacked out hamster to keep track of the time?
>"That was before White Wolf and Kayn had more drugs put into their
systems than
>Keith Richards, Steve Tyler, and Joe Perry ever had in their's.
Combined!
>There's no way we can lug around our pilot and a six foot hampster,
especially
>without any idea of where we're going. Unfortunately, and I really
hate saying
>this, we'll have to remain here for the moment." He turned around
and headed
>back for the bench he had been sitting on.
>
>"That's the way to take charge," the voice in his head
returned. "Take
>responsibility. Be a leader. Show your true intelligence. No more
hiding
>behind this brutish disguise."
>
>"Shut-up," Dirk muttered.
>
>"What was that?" Mike hadn't caught what it was Dirk had said, but
heard the
>scientist's voice say something.
>
>"I said make up your mind. Stay here with us, or bolt."
Mike paused at the cell door, as a Aeron guard came with a food cart.
The Aeron didn't seem concerned that cell door was open when he
arrived, and he quickly distributed serving trays to each of the
dwarfers in turn, and methodically placed a cookie, a hard biscuit,
some mashed potatos & gravy, and a chicken fried steak sandwich on
each of the tray. Finally, the guard handed each dwarfer a cup filled
with a thick geletin like substance, before he relocked the door and
started pushing the food cart away.
"What's this supposed to be?" asked Mike staring at the cup.
The guard responded, "It's your evening meal, Enjoy!"
"No, I mean this." persisted mike, as he up ended his cup, and the
gelatinous stuff plopped noisely on his tray.
"That's your drink. When your done eating, just put your trays by the
door. I'll be back later to pick 'em up." replied the guard as he
disappeared down the hallway.
The huge hamster said, "Well, I'm hungry anyways, let's eat!", while
grabbing up his cookie, he dropped it, and it *bounced* out of the
cell. The Huge hamster darted after it and spilled some of his gravy
on the cement, where it hissed and sizzled.
Dirk suddenly picked up his biscuit, tapped it against the side of
his tray it sounded hard, and dropped it to the cement where it hit
and made a small biscuit sized crater.
Meanwhile, Kayn was chomping away at his Chicken fried steak
sandwich, when he interjected, "Hey, at least this stuff doesn't
taste like chicken!"
Allie looking horrified at what she saw already from the prison food,
merely asked, "Well, was does it taste like?"
"Mmmm, well... I can't quite describe it, But it tastes kinda like
badly burned calamari." remarks Kayn.
"What's calamari?", inquires Mike looking hopeful.
"I think it's raw squid that's been battered, and fried lightly in
oil. Usually kinda rubbery, and taste a little like trepe sometimes.
Unfortunately, That's also why I can't eat calamari, as the taste of
trepe makes me bazooka barf.", Replied the huge hamster while getting
up from the floor, after giving up on retrieving his bouncing cookie.
"What's trepe?", inquired Mike looking a little green.
"French fried calf brains, I think. Man, I'm still very hungry, Can I
have yours?" muttered Kayn around the bites of his sandwich, reaching
for White Wolf's sandwich.
Dirk, Mike, Allie immediately set thier trays down apparently losing
thier appetite.
"Be my guest," The huge hamster handed Kayn the sandwich, and while
running his claws against one of the bars he continued, "I'm very
hungry too, Hmm... I wonder these taste like."
The huge hamster took an experimental bite, and looked
surprised, "Hey, this tastes kinda good!"
Dirk remarks, "Some side effect in that Aeron drug must have made
them both hungry..."
"Are hamster supposed to be able to eat metal like that?" asked Mike
while staring.
"Umm, Well, I know the hamsters in Phil's lab gnaw on just about
anything..." started Dirk.
"That's probably because their trying to get away from Phil, not
because thier hungry." Retorted Allie.
Several minutes later after a *LOT* of noise being made by White
Wolf's gnawing, another Aeron guard came to see what all the noise
was about.
He stared in disbelief as he saw the Blue Dwarfers were now sitting
in cell with no bars. The four jerked thier thumbs towards the now
pot bellied hamster, and quiped in unison, "He was hungry."
Whereupon the huge hamster lazily burped and murmured, "Excuse me.
Could I have some dessert?"
----------------
Moments later, more Aeron guards escort the dwarfers before what
looked like a Aeron leader type in some sort of war room. He
introduces himself as 'Etid', and says he's the military leader in
this area of the Aeron held territory.
He looks at the group with a critical eye, and speaks, "Obiviously
you could have escaped at any time, you had two separate
opportunities. Why didn't you escape back to your Eniram held
territory?"
"Well, maybe it's because we wanted to become money sucking welfare
recipients who intend to ruin your economy and win the war that
way... *OR* Perhaps it's really because we're actually not your
enemy, the Eniram!!!" replied Dirk sarcasticly.
The huge hamster, completely over the effects of drugs now, causally
adds, "What will it take to prove it to you that we're not your
enemy? Go out kill some Eniram for you?"
Etid nodded in thought, and then cleared his throat and spoke, "Hmm,
What you said has given me an idea. If you really are who you claim
you are, perhaps you could help us end this war between the Eniram
and us. You see, we Aerons worship the graceful soaring birds. And in
that pursuit of worshipping our beloved birds, we've perfected our
art of flying by making all kinds of flying vechicles in hopes of
becoming the dominant species on this world. Some of us take our
worship of the birds to some extremes, of course."
"We've noticed.", remarked Dirk glancing pointedly at the guard
wearing the hat with wind swept looking wings.
Etid continued without paying any attention to Dirks insulting
comment, "Where as, instead the Eniram hope to become the dominant
species on our world thru thier worship of the slimey, disgusting,
bottom dwelling sea creatures. You see, our war has gone on for quite
some time, but in all that time, we've never really gained an edge
against them. And In all the time, I'm sad to say we've never
captured any of thier people, but I'm equally glad to say they've
never caught one of ours either."
White Wolf raised his whisker like things that served as his
eyebrows, and exclaimed, "You mean you've been warring with these
Eniram and you don't even know what each other look like?"
Etid looked uncomfortable, "No, niether of us do. That's why when we
saw the way you looked, we kind of assumed you were the Eniram, and
the others were some dastardly clones. But after I reviewed Dr.
Ackphyhibits recordings & findings, I came to the conclusion that we
still don't know exactly *what* you are."
The huge hamster interupted, "So you don't think we're Eniram then? I
hope so, because we need to get back out to where you captured us,
and help keep our ship, the Blue Dwarf, from sinking to the bottom of
the ocean and stranding us on this planet."
Etid pursed his lips, and calmly replied, "That hasn't been proven to
me yet. But the fact that you have knowledge of flying craft does
work in your favor somewhat - because up until we captured you, we
were sure the Eniram did not possess such knowledge. As of right now,
my current concern is to determine if you are Eniram or not. Perhaps,
as I began saying earlier, if you were to do something an Eniram
wouldn't do, such as help us capture one of their submarines, which
would give us knowledge of the underwater craft technology and tip
the scales of this war in our favor... Then perhaps you will have
proven to me that your not the Eniram, and I could be free help you
with this 'Blue Dwarf' which you say is sinking. I leave it up to you
to decide - help us capture an Eniram sub, or you may stay as
prisoners of war until this issue of whether or not your Eniram is
resolved by the bureaucratics and scientists."
The large hamsters eyes widened, and he asked politely, "Can I huddle
with my staff alone for a few moments to get thier advice on this
decision?"
Etid smiled and replied, "You may. We'll leave you in this room for
10 minutes, and we'll return to hear your answer."
Etid exited the room, stationing the guards outside the door.
The huge hamster glanced that the group, and "Ok, you heard the git.
I realise we don't have a nifty 'non interference Prime Directive'
here to worry, but I hope you do realise what we decide here does
have import to what happens on this stupid planet. Personally, I'm
already in favor of helping them, just so we can save the Blue Dwarf
and get off this wretched planet. But I want to hear what each of you
think we should do in this moral dilemma, before I make any rash
orders."
---------------------------
OOC - The rest of you can post your
reactions/suggestions/advice/retorts/whatever and we'll carry on from
there!
Right now, I'm want to move on to a more serious topic. First off,
I'd like to say I'm sorry to hear that your leaving, Dave
Innes/Stewie. I wish you luck in whatever you decide to do next! I
respect your decision, and I will dispense with suggesting you should
try and stay, as I think it is your right to do so after such an
insulting injury.
<mother hen voice mode on>
And I wish to point out to everyone, that I *personally* think it was
bad form (by all parties involved) to exchange angry words like that
even if it was in a casual 'free for all' environment like parrots. I
think the poll was completely out of line - Not just because such
actions are devisive and not conducive to good simming or gaming.
(And for the record - if I were the moderator in parrots, I would've
tried yanking that bloody poll immediately.) Nor, simply because of
such results as these(Dave leaving), But *ENTIRELY BECAUSE* it's very
humiliating to be the subject of such a poll!
Did any of you happen to *think* what it would *feel* like if someone
did that to you?!?
I think the only proper words for that is - "Shame on you!"
<mother hen voice mode off>
In the meantime, I'll be off busily catching up with my other
RPG's... and debate a few things.
- WW