Elmer Studios presents...
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It's episode 100. And for our hundredth episode, we've got a special
presentation.
It's 202X. Do you you know where your MSTers are?
Bubblegum Crisis - Mega Tokyo Change is copyright Peter Withers
Bubblegum Crisis is copyright Artmic/Youmex.
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[The scene - a well furnished apartment, with two couches in an L formation
in front of a large cabinet that includes a wide-screen TV and video
recorder. The apartment has a few doors to who-knows-where, and a small
kitchenette. A coffee table sits in front of the two couches, and a desk,
home to a well-equipped PC sits off to one side. There are two Silver
Mallies resting on the bench in front of the kitchenette. Everything is
covered in a layer of dust. Out the a huge city filled with art-deco
skyscrapers can be seen, along with the odd blimp going by]
[A young woman in her late teens enters. She is lean, with short bright red
hair and brown eyes. She wears faded, torn blue jeans, heavy boots and a blue
T-shirt with Max the bunny's smiling face. She pauses by the door, looks
around, and steps in uncertainly.]
Girl: Are you sure this is the right place? It looks like something died in
here.
[A young man enters. He is about eighteen, with long brown hair and blue
eyes. He is wearing a pair of jeans, a black Jade Falcon T-Shirt and tattered
Dunlop Volleys]
Man: Well, yeah. The address checks out, and it hasn't been used in a while.
Girl: Well, you'd expect there'd be a cleaner along once every decade or
something, Sean.
Sean: C'mon Terry, with what happened in here, would anyone want to come back?
[A young Asian man enters. He has short and spiky black hair, died with
streaks of brown. He wears sneakers, black jeans and a t-shirt featuring an
anonymous ugly heavy-metal band. A red bandanna is tied around his left sleeve.]
Man: Yeah, remind me. Why the hell are we here anyway?
Terry: C'mon Eiji, not this again. It's something we always promised we'd do.
Eiji: Yeah, but I never expected it to be such a pigsty.
[A second woman enters. She has very long brown hair tied into a plat that runs
down to her waist, and light bluish-grey eyes. She is wearing a white T-shirt
with a stylised black eagle logo on the front, and black pants.]
Woman: Funny, I thought you'd feel right at home.
Eiji: Come on Kath, that ain't fair.
Katherine: You're right, of course. You live in a completely different kind of
pigsty.
Eiji: Exactly!
Voice: Excuse me, but... what's going on here?
Terry: What was that?
Katherine: I know! My mum told me about that! It's... the Great Big Head In The
Sky.
Voice: ...
Eiji: Yeah... I remember hearing about that thing.
Sean: My dad always reckoned that it was some scientist guy... Dr. Forrest or
something like that.
Terry: So this is the thing that sent them all those fanfics?
Eiji: No wonder my dad's crazy.
Katherine: I think that was your fault.
Terry: He ain't crazy. Your dad's great. In a stuffy, rigid and boring way.
Voice: If you are all quite finished, I'd like to know who the hell you guys
all are.
Katherine: Well, I'm kind of in charge of this bunch.
Sean: In her dreams!
Terry: Well, Kath is the responsible one.
Eiji: Barely.
Katherine: So I guess I'll lead up. Our parents used to work here, for you
apparently. It's been ages since they were last here, and we were all curious-
Eiji: Three of us were!
Katherine: Shut up! So anyway, we decided to see what the place was like.
Voice: [Nervous] So, uh... well me about yourselves.
Katherine: My name's Katherine Bartley. I'm the oldest of this bunch-
Terry: Youngest.
Katherine: Oldest.
Terry: Youngest.
Katherine: Ok, I was born last of these four, but, due to various interdimensional
accidents, the oldest. I've lived most of my life on a post-apocalyptic version of
Earth ruled by a millitary government. I'm an amateur wrestler in a struggling
small federation.
Sean: Believe it or not, she actually works for a living.
Terry: Well my name's Terry. No last name, just like my dad, Dan.
Voice: So who was your mother?
Terry: Dunno, she ran away before I was born.
Voice: Figures.
Terry: Anyway, my dad's the best. He taught me everything he knew, which was a
great incentive towards schoolwork. I'm currently signed up with an M.A.W agency.
Voice: M.A.W?
Terry: Model, Actress, Whatever. The find jobs for young women. The agency claims
a hundred percent placement rate, but they're trying to weasel out of it.
Eiji: My name's Eiji Tateo. My dad's a real boring stiff, so I grew up a bit
different. I dunno, he never really knew what to do with me. I'm into loud music,
action movies and serious drinks.
Voice: So what do you do?
Eiji: I'm a video game designer.
Katherine: Which is practically unemployed anyway.
Sean: My name's Sean Mortis. I'm pretty much unemployed, and experiment with an amateur
band in my garage. I'm gonna join the army and become an ace pilot like my dad.
Terry: Any reason?
Sean: Two. Firstly, because my girlfriend is. Secondly, my dad expressly forbade
me to.
Katherine: You don't think your dad forbade you to do that just so you would?
Sean: I didn't think of that.
Voice: ...they bred... the horror...
Katherine: You OK, head?
Voice: Um, fine... thanks for asking. Anyway, while you guys are here, I've got
a fanfic to put on.
Terry: This'd be the experiments your mum mentioned.
Katherine: Right.
Voice: They're reviews, not experiments.
Sean: Uh-huh.
Voice: Anyway, I've got a Bubblegum Crisis fanfic for you to watch, called
"Mega Tokyo Change". It's quite interesting, from what I've seen.
[They sit - Eiji and Terry on the couch facing the TV, Katherine and Sean on the
other one. Sean and Terry are closest on the corners]
Sean: Just one question, but what BGC is it? I mean, is it normal BGC or is it the
weird old BGC with the big 80's hair, Blade Runner references and less innuendoes?
Voice: It's the normal - I mean, old one.
[The TV switches on]
> Bubblelegum Crisis does not belong to me.
Terry: So who does it belong to nowadays?
Sean: BGC may or may not belong to any one of Artimc, Youmex, AIC, JVC or AD Vision.
Katherine: Misspelling the show's title in the first line. That's a good start.
> All the incredible talent used to make that show
Katherine: And the other people who caused Daley.
> belongs to someone else.
Eiji: And there'll probably be a lawsuit about that soon.
Sean: Not to mention possibly Adam Warren, Dark Horse, Kenichi Sonada...
Katherine: Sean, do you want a WA-TAKking?
Voice: Some things never change.
> Michelle Grey on the other hand does.
Eiji: So who's Michelle Grey?
Terry: The illegitimate daughter of Jean Grey and Logan.
Sean: Actually, it was Madeline Pryor.
[They all snigger]
> Treecats are part of the Honor Harrington Series by David Weber.
Sean: Huh?
Katherine: Huh?
Eiji: Huh?
Terry: Treecats, HO!
Katherine: Your knowledge of obscure crap amazes me.
> Lita belongs to me.
Eiji: And I've got the receipt to prove it.
> MegaTokyo Change Series By Peter Withers
Sean: Peter Withers by Mister and Missus Withers.
Terry: I'd also like to point out that the computer and monitor are mine, the
keyboard is on loan and the printer belongs to a guy named Bob.
> The start takes place before BGC #2 at the very least, probably even sooner and
> ends up after BGC #5.
Katherine: Irene Chang, Sho's mother, Sylvie and Anri.
Eiji: Er... Which characters will be saved in the course of the fic?
Katherine: Correct!
> In a timeline, often changes in it cause very little in the way of a major
> change in the timeline itself.
Sean: Is everyone getting this? No? Good.
> But other times, the right kind of change at the
> right time can cause the differences in the timeline to snowball.
Terry: I mean, who would guess that if you got rid of Hitler in 1926, the Statue
of Liberty would be under attack by giant Russian zeppelins in 1970?
> ____________
> : This really sucks :
Eiji: I like this person.
> The day had been rainy and the woman was late getting back to her home.
Sean: It was a dark and stormy night.
> Not having a proper home didn't bother her in the least.
Terry: [Woman] Okay, so it's just a cardboard box, but dammit, it's *my* cardboard
box!
> It didn't
> even bother her that most would consider her homeless, though she had a place to
> live.
Sean: So she's not really homeless?
Katherine: I thought she just said she didn't have a place to live?
Terry: Weeell, it's a very well furnished cardboard box.
> She even had a job, several in fact.
Eiji: So she's not unemployed and she's not homeless, but she doesn't really have
a home?
Sean: That's about the gist of it, yeah.
Eiji: Did our parents *really* do this?
> One was to fix automatons that middle
> class people used. She wasn't great at that but she got them to where they
> lasted for a lot longer than they would've without her.
Katherine: Until the faulty repairs sent them berserk and they killed people. It
happens.
Sean: And remember folks, don't let amateurs fix your combat boomer.
> Another was to scavenge
> around junkyards, garbage heaps, and other places looking for certain items
Terry: [Woman] Hey look at this. I found a gazebo pelt, a Sega Dreamcast, an
Elvis-shaped decanter and a bag of dark matter.
> that could be stripped or fixed if only a bit damaged.
Eiji: Yeah, so it's only got one wheel, half the chassis and no engine, but with
a lick of paint, it'll be as good as new.
Katherine: Where I come from, that'll be a showroom peice.
> These could be sold for at least a bit of money.
Terry: As impressionist sculpture!
> Though she had been on the streets for over five years, since GENOM had laid her
> off in 2027, she made a major error that night by being out there.
Terry: Hey... it's Orlandoette!
> She carried money on her and took a shortcut.
Eiji: Oh great. We've stepped into a superhero origin story.
Sean: Are we still in a flashback?
> The four Outsiders reminded her of that unfortunate fact.
Terry: Four Outsiders? I thought there was only Scott Hall and Kevin Nash.
Katherine: Look at a circa 2005 Kevin Nash. He's three of them.
> Though she knew some dirty tricks
Katherine: She's got a ubiquitous WCW foreign object.
> and was healthy, she was
> still over fifty and outnumbered. She ended up on the ground, bleeding, but
> still alive though.
Sean: [Woman] Just when I thought my life couldn't get any worse.
> This was in thanks because of an explosion within a block of
> where they were. The Outsiders had been spooked by the sudden explosions and
> ran.
Katherine: Ah, forget that. This town's blowing up all the time.
Eiji: You'd think the citizens would be used to it by now.
Sean: Oh look, it's the boomer from the opening of Tinsel City blowing up again.
> Michelle laid there on the ground, wet, bleeding, and felt where her ribs were
> cracked.
Terry: [Woman] I think I've sunk about as low as I can go. Hey, there could be a
book in this.
> Thankfully, to her, she passed out.
Katherine: [Woman] Yes, I'm better off not getting medical attention after all.
> She was thinking while things were
> going dark ::I should have hid myself better, I would have been able to stand up
> to them at least a bit better if I was a bit younger and stronger. ::
Eiji: [Woman] I should've just stayed in bed.
> ___________
> fan fiction by Peter Withers productions Bubblegum Crisis - MegaTokyo Change #1
> ___________
> Physics is a funny thing when you think about it.
Katherine: According to Joe Handleman, Relativity is like Buddhism.
Sean: That makes sense... My physics text book read like Zen philosophy.
> In all actuality, physics is quite easy to understand.
Sean: It is?
Terry: Yeah. In high school, they tell you things that are irrefutably right.
When you get to university, they tell you it's all wrong. Simple.
> It has laws that are followed, what goes up must come
> down unless going at a velocity of 8 km per/sec.
Katherine: Or someone's just mucking around.
> But when physics meets a law
> called Murphy, strange things happen to physics. Murphy states that when
> something occurs, that it will occur that the worst/best possible time and
> place.
Sean: That's a very bad reading of Murphy's law.
Terry: Murphy was an optimist.
> The explosions should have destroyed everything in the facility but a white
> sphere survived and was ejected into the air.
Eiji: Hey! Catch that materia, and the game's over faster.
> Also the sphere flew in the
> direction that the mugged woman was at and shattered against the wall upwind
> from her.
Sean: And fell on her head.
Katherine: [Woman] Now even the sky's dumping on me.
> A silverly-white substance coated her and was soon absorbed by her
> breathing, her skin, and through the cuts on her body.
Eiji: And she was high.
> The rest of the substance
> was attracted to her and was soon absorbed, leaving nothing behind except for
> the shattered sphere.
Terry: [Woman] Maybe I can sell it.
Sean: Any second now, Fox Mulder will be along and think it's all the aliens' fault.
Katherine: Anything that grossly improbable has to be their fault.
> None of what that happened would have occured if all these
> hadn't take place. But then again, Murphy does have a strange sense of humor.
> ____________
> Michelle came to and felt like something had pounded her against a wall a few
> times. :: Oh yeah, I had gotten mugged, oh goody. ::
Eiji: I like her.
> But the pain faded and she felt good.
Eiji: Relief at last.
Katherine: I ought to hurt you.
> In fact, she felt better than before she had gotten mugged.
Terry: [Michelle] Getting pounded into the dirt, just what I need to brighten my day.
> :: Better health though getting mugged.
Terry: Hey, she stole my line.
> So much for the much vaunted 'feeling it in the morning'. ::
Katherine: Okay, but six weeks from now, it'll really hurt.
> She yawned and got up. To her it was fortunate that those guys had
> taken her someplace where she wasn't seen by anyone else.
Sean: Oh yeah, they usually mug people in broad daylight and plain sight of
passers-by.
> She couldn't feel
> anything that would have indicated that she was molested. :: Probably those
> young men didn't feel I was good enough for them.
Eiji: Remember, all men are scum.
Sean: I oughta hurt someone for that.
> I should feel insulted:: She chuckled slightly at the thought.
Terry: [Michelle] I'm so ticked off that I narrowly avoided sexual assault.
Katherine: Her priorities are really warped.
> :: Guess I had gotten lucky after all. No pain, and only my money is gone. ::
Sean: Oh yeah? Wait 'til you get home and find you've lost your complete
collection of rejection slips.
Terry: How many of those does your dad have anyway?
Sean: Dunno, but they're all framed.
> She moved hesitantly and felt no stiffness at all in her body.
Terry: [Michelle] I wonder if that mysterious white stuff had anything to do with it?
Eiji: [Michelle] I should get mugged more often.
> So she moved some
> more and got back to her home as fast as she could. Among the ruins of places
> close to the faultline, it was an intact apartment underground and hidden from
> all.
Sean: Except for the dreaded lurking boomer-eater monster!
Terry: Er, Sean? Wrong BGC.
> It was not accessable unless one knew how get inside
Eiji: I'll let you in on a little secret: It's the door.
> or had lots of
> equipment. It was about 100 square meters total and with a few adjustments, had
> a bit of electricity and cold water.
Eiji: This place has running water?
Sean: Yeah, it runs from the ceiling.
> An electric cookpot provided the hot water.
> Various bits of equipment and tools were present in the place, mostly primitive
> compared to today but some almost top of the line.
Katherine: So a woman who's unemployed and not quite homeless just happens to
have a well-equippped, incredibly secure and still functional apartment to go
home to right on the fault line that she's not even paying for? Think about it.
> In the bathroom, she washed her face off
Terry: [Michelle] Goddamned nose, I can't stand it!
> and shrieked when she looked up into the mirror. It wasn't her face
> she was looking at.
Sean: For poor Michelle was the victim of a drive-by cosmetic surgeon.
Eiji: Oh my god, she looks like Terri Runnels!
[They all scream in panic]
> "Oh my god." She muttered as she felt her face.
Katherine: [Michelle] Lips check, nose check... wait a sec, where are my eyebrows?
Terry: You never notice eyebrows until they're gone.
Eiji: I see yours have finally grown back. Pity about your dad's garden.
> Michelle had originally come
> from Virginia, USA, but had come to MegaTokyo to work at earthquake recovery
> with GENOM.
Sean: That's nice. Why are we getting her background in the middle of a shocking
discovery?
Katherine: The authour can't think of any better way to fill us in?
Eiji: It's a dumb effort at producing suspense by not telling us what she looks
like?
Terry: The authour can't think of how to end the scene?
> She had heard the term plenty of times since she came to Mega-Tokyo,
Sean: [Reading] My hovercraft is full of eels.
> gaijain, foreigner.
Eiji: Woo-hoo, aren't we smart. We know a word of bad Japanese.
Terry: I'm better. I can say things in Klingon that'll make your eyes pop out.
Eiji: Yeah, but you're a freak.
> But this face looked at least partly native.
Sean: Which part?
Katherine: A small town outside Yokahama.
Sean: Oh.
> More than
> shoulder length rich black hair had replaced the previously short white with
> streaks of red hair.
Terry: That's the fakest wig I've seen in ages.
> The lines and age marks had been replaced by smooth skin of
> a girl in her mid-twenties. Her eyes had gone from her grey to a deep brown
> slightly oriental eyes.
Eiji: So it's turned her to look like someone completely different.
Terry: Just wait for the shock she gets when she looks down the front of her pants.
Katherine: Ranma 2. After the Armageddon.
> ::Not quite but halfway at least:: She thought analytically.
Sean: Not quite "anything," but half-way it anyway.
> :: What the hell am I thinking, what the hell happened to me.::
Katherine: [Raises hand] You were hit by a runaway plot device.
Sean: Affected by gamma radiation, whenever Michelle gets angry, she becomes...
The incredible teen singing sensation!
> She stripped off her bloody clothes
Eiji: Hubba, hubba. That stuff was *good* to you!
> and noted the changes weren't just in her face alone.
Terry: [Michelle] Good go, I'm a man!
> Her older body had been replaced with one that fitted her new face.
> It was noticeably shorter than her older body and was properly shaped in places
> now in ways that almost pleased her.
Sean: So she's not the master of her own domain, huh?
Katherine: So why did the incredible plot device goo decide to completely rebuild
her from a dumpy, aging Caucasian to an attractive young Asian?
Eiji: It was horny?
Katherine: Of course, what I want to know is where all the mass she shed during
this transformation went to.
> Also, even though there was blood on her
> clothes, she had no cuts or bruises on her body.
Terry: [Michelle] Man, I've got to get more of that stuff.
> "Okay, so I'm dead, I'm hallucinating or dreaming,
Katherine: Can we go for all of the above?
> or something strange happened
> to me." She noted that her usually cracked voice was smoothly medolic and soft.
Eiji: [Michelle] I think I'll become an idol singer and be loathed by millions.
Sean: Did I mention she's perfect? She's perfect.
> "Okay, lets think this through logically.
Terry: [Michelle] I was walking down the street when I was ambushed by giant
purple mice.
Katherine: [Michelle] A fragile globe of white mutating goo got exploded out of a
nearby building and happened to land on me, turning me into the next schoolgirl
heroine.
Eiji: [Michelle] I'm actually the reincarnation of the moon princess.
Sean: Logic's way overrated anyway.
> I don't think I'm dead because I'm still in Mega-Tokyo. Unless I'm in Hell
Eiji: Same thing.
> in which case I'll know it soon enough.
Sean: Count the number of guys with pointy beards around.
Katherine: Just you wait until mister Hitler pops by to borrow a cup of sugar.
> Second, hallucinations or dreams aren't usually this clear for me.
Eiji: Maybe you're just on drugs.
> So something quite strange happened to me."
Terry: At last, she gets it!
Sean: And we spent this long waiting for this conclusion.
Katherine: That was just her gen-factor kicking in, which gives her the power to
look really good in tight spandex.
> "So how to deal with it." She smiled slightly as she examined her body.
Eiji: Can I watch when you do that? [Katherine whacks him with a cushion. A cloud
of dust goes flying] I can't see.
> "The
> good parts are that I've got what looks like a second youth and 30 years of work
> related skills."
Terry: [Michelle] Let's see, I know how to get the lids off stubborn jars, I'm a
fully qualified proctologist, I've got my vending machine inspector's license, I
speak Swahili and I play a mean half-elf monk/assassin.
Eiji: Ah, monk/assassins. That's why D&D 4th ed rocked.
> She grimaced, "But the bad parts are that I'll still need a new
> identity, good records, and a new career."
Katherine: Not that anyone cares about that in the slum district of MegaTokyo.
Sean: So why doesn't she go back to being incredibly good at nothing again?
Eiji: Yeah, she'll get more offers like this.
> Michelle considered these problems
> for a few minutes. "The Fixer. Of course, its so simple.
Terry: [Michelle] I'll just call my handy guy who fixes everything. Everyone
should have one.
Katherine: This is going to be Fargo isn't it?
> I'll just call in my
> favor for him and have him whip up a few new records for me and I'll be able to
> do the rest on my own."
Sean: [Michelle] All of a sudden, being a broke, unemployed, not-quite-homeless
bum ain't such a bad life.
> She reached for her phone and dialed a number.
Terry: No madam, I am *not* Cutts the butcher.
> She got the voice mail and she spoke English on the staticy line. "F,
All: Argo.
> its Michella.
Katherine: Michella?
Sean: Twisted clone of Michelle... I guess.
> I need your help in getting some things for a friend of mine.
Eiji: And remember: At the psychiatrists, at the chemists and at the gun store,
it's *always* for a friend.
> Standard meet place.
Katherine: Behind the girls' toilets. Bring your own cigarettes.
> She'll be there. Ciao." She hung up and considered her clothes.
Terry: [Michelle] They're kind of blood-splattered, but they'll have to do.
Eiji: On the other hand, all her friends at the axe-murderers' institute will
give her more respect.
> She would have to change and she did so
> quickly. The clothes were rather ill fitting but they worked. :: I'll have to go
> shopping again. ::
Sean: Can we stand the amazing intensity of Michelle picking out clothes?
> At a fast food place.
Katherine: Is that Shogo Yahagi working behind the counter?
Eiji: And this is her oh-so-secret meeting place, where anyone can see and
overhear her?
> Michelle sat there and studied the french fry rather carefully before eating it.
Terry: It appears to be a rectangular-prism shaped lump of fried potato
substitute. This thing could kill rodents.
> She left a cheeseburger and two orders of fries for later on the corner of the
> table. An average looking figure sat down in the chair in front of her.
Sean: An average looking figure. Perfectly accurate yet completely unhelpful at
the same time.
Katherine: Average for what? Men? Data dogs? Small furry things from Alpha
Centauri?
> She said
> evenly. "Phoenix-27. Michella told me that you owed her a favor. She wants to
> collect."
Eiji: [Fargo] Yeah, but this is a bit too public.
> "What does she want?"
Sean: What do you really want?
> "She's told me for you to give me an ID and records to help blend in. She told
> me, 'Thanks, mi casa es su casa, and 'even'."
Terry: Say, what does that mean anyway?
> "She is well."
> "Yes, she had gone through a few changes recently and is unable to go out as
> often as she used to. So she decided to train me to be her errand girl and
> assistant."
Katherine: All of a sudden, I'm worried about just what Michelle *does* anyway.
> Michelle walked outside with the man and they went someplace private.
Sean: Is the description going to keep vanishing like this?
> She pulled
> out a small camera and handed it to him. He took a few pictures.
Terry: That'll look great. You'll be able to see the big plastic Ronald McDonald
on her ID.
> "What name would you like to go under."
Katherine: [Michelle] Er, Jane Doe. No-one'll guess that.
> "Uh. . .Ash. Ashley Winters. Michelle told me to ask for the basics similar to
> her own, whatever that meant."
Terry: [Michelle] No, I'm not Michelle. No, really.
> "She did. I should have all of this done in a few days."
> "Thank you," Michelle turned and walked out. Fargo watched her warily.
Sean: [Bored] Yeah, big surprise.
> She was quite friendly
Eiji: In her own utterly cold, impersonal and businesslike manner.
> but seemed rather oddly familiar to him. Like he had known her
> for a few years.
Katherine: Because she was completely unfamiliar.
> But she had given all the passwords and mannerisms that were passcodes.
Eiji: She even knew the secret handshake and the proper way to adjust her crotch.
> The id shouldn't be a problem at all and checking up this girl
> wouldn't be much of a problem either.
Terry: Just wait until he finds out that she's actually a three hundred pound
footballer from New Mexico.
> Michelle walked down the street toward a couple of discount clothing stores she
> was familiar with.
Sean: [Michelle] I remember that place, they ripped me off.
Katherine: Hey, her good friend Ken Shabby's browsing in there.
> She ignored the sensation of the weight of the yen she had on herself.
Eiji: She's got several thousand Yen in coins.
Katherine: It's a bitch when the DM leaves all the cash around in copper pieces.
> It was the majority of the yen in her possession but she needed the
> clothes that fit. Hopefully, she could get another job soon.
Sean: No problem given that she's now perfect.
> She walked inside
> and ignored the feeling that someone was following her. She ignored the feeling
> that several eyes were staring at her.
Sean: I bet she's amazingly beautiful too.
> She noted one was the store clerk, whom she resisted the urge to snap at him.
Katherine: [Michelle] Just you wait a few years, store clerk. I'll be young and
beautiful, and you won't.
> She searched through the better used clothes and got a couple of jeans she
> thought were in her size.
Eiji: And the holes were only the size of Arkansas.
Sean: Hey, 2040's Priss is probably rummaging through the same bins.
> She would have to check because of the changes in her body.
Sean: Did I mention that she's young and beautiful? She's young and beautiful.
> She sighed and went though the different sizes and found a couple of jeans,
> shirts, and blouses she thought were nice. But she really wanted the leather
> jacket. It seemed a bit outdated
Terry: Given that MegaTokyo is permanently stuck in the 1980s, wouldn't it be
fine?
Sean: It, along with Michael Jackson videos, big hair and Thundercats.
Terry: Mark my words, that revival is just around the corner.
> but still in very nice shape and seemed quite warm.
> "Is there a problem." Michelle jerked and turned quickly toward the man standing
> near here.
Katherine: Yeah, you've misplaced your question mark.
> "No-no problem. I'm just looking at the jacket."
> "My name's Vince.
Katherine: [Vince Russo] I'll book matches for food.
> So why don't you get the jacket if it looks so good on you. . ."
Eiji: [Michelle] Because I don't have enough Yens, stupid.
Sean: Yens?
Eiji: Yens?
> Michelle stood there for a second.
Terry: [Michelle] Because... I've forgot my next line.
Sean: Bubblegum Crisis Megatokyo Change: the out-take files.
> The man, who was slightly shorter than her
> previous body, now was noticeably taller than her new one.
Katherine: He's just wearing platform shoes.
> It made her a bit nervous. She thought ::Ash, Ash, Ash.::
Eiji: Groovy, groovy, gerrrooovy!
> "My name's Ashley. I can't get the
> jacket because I just don't have the yen for it even if it is lovely. It was
> good to meet you."
Katherine: [Michelle] Now push off. I don't want to be in a skin to win mudpit
match.
Sean: [Vince Russo] That wasn't me, that was Ed Ferrara.
> She moved past Vince toward the register and clerk brought up
> the price for the clothes. A leather jacket joined them.
Sean: Hiya! I'm a leather jacket!
> "I'll be paying for the lady's clothes." Vince said politely. Michelle was a bit
> surprised.
> "You don't have to do that, Vince."
> "I love to. In fact, why don't you go and pick up a pair of boots to go with the
> jacket."
Terry: Could this guy be any sleazier if he tried?
> Michelle, being quite bright, knew when not to refuse something that was for free.
Katherine: [Michelle] Well while we're at it, I think I'll get myself soem new
shoes, socks, a car...
Eiji: Come on, you know what he's after. you can't be that daft.
> Soon she was outside, Vince carrying the clothes.
Terry: [Michelle] Come, porter.
Sean: [Vince Russo] I'm beginning to think I made a mistake.
> "Vince, I still got a lot of shopping to do. And one of those places is for
> undergarments. I don't think you'd want to go there."
Eiji: That's what he was after.
> "Why don't a give you my number and take you out later."
> "That sounds nice. Thank you."
Katherine: [Vince Russo] I've been dying for a root. No, that came out all wrong.
> "Nothing to it." Michelle walked into the department store. She was a bit
> nervous about this.
Terry: [Michelle] I've only just met him, and I've already spent his life savings.
Sean: Anyone would think they're already married.
> It was something she had planned for later but she had the
> money now. Like the clothes, she only had a guestimate of her size.
Katherine: That's why they take measurements in stores and let you try things
on.
> _______________________
> "You look very nice tonight, Ashley." Michelle blushed slightly at the
> compliment.
Terry: I though she was smart.
Katherine: Come on, if you can't figure out what this guy's after, you're an
idiot!
> It had been a couple of days since she had seen Vince and she had
> looked forward to the date.
All: Huh?
Sean: You mean she likes him? I've got to try the sleazy routine.
Eiji: You mean she gave him the right number?
> Earlier she had picked up the records from the Fixer.
Terry: Well whaddya know, it's a whole bunch of LPs.
> "Thank you, Vince." She wasn't dressed in anything
Eiji: Woo-hoo!
> fancy
Eiji: Aww...
> and while the place wasn't very formal, it was more than she was.
Katherine: All of a sudden, I'm visualising Linna's "date" from the first
episode of 2040.
Sean: I'm betting that any second now, the Linnamobile's gonna be towed away.
Terry: Well, the plot's got to happen eventually.
> "So what do you do Ashley?"
Eiji: [Michelle] I attract plot devices. You?
Katherine: [Vince Russo] I write matches that insult the fans' intelligence.
> Michelle thought about this quickly and remember what she told the Fixer to put
> in her records.
Terry: [Michelle] I'm a world-acclaimed composer who worked with the North Korean
philharmonic orchestra.
> "I was a college student but I dropped out a few months ago.
Sean: [Michelle] I really couldn't get into underwater basket weaving.
> I thought I was going to get a job promised but it didn't work out.
Eiji: [Michelle] Turns out they already had a sanitation specialist.
> What do you do for a living."
Katherine: [Vince Russo] I work for a major wrestling promotion. Every few months,
Ted Turner fires me then re-hires me for more money. You get used to it after a
while.
> "I work as a manager in a corporation." He comment was brief and quite blunt.
> Michelle didn't press him.
Eiji: [Vince Russo] I have lots of money and you don't. Any more questions?
> They talked for a while about a variety of things.
Sean: The stock market, the price of eggs in China, and how the Pokemon fad is
really, seriously just about to die, no really this time.
> It was going well until a comment slipped out of Vince's mouth.
Katherine: [Vince Russo] Actually, I'm not really the genius who made the WWF
what it is today. All I did was get Vince MacMahon coffee and try to look up
Sable's skirt.
> He was married.
> He had two children.
> The night ended rather quickly after that.
Terry: That went as well as can be expected.
Eiji: Did I mention that all men are scum? All men are scum.
> __________________
> Michelle walked angrily down the street. Those who crossed her almost wanted to
> run away from her. :: I can't believe the baka
Katherine: So she's from America, and speaks English as her primary language, yet
she inserts random Japanese words into her thoughts?
> was cheating on his wife and
> children with me like I'm some sort of bimbo.
Katherine: Well, it was the impression you gave off...
> The son of a. . .
Sean: Motherless goat?
Eiji: Female person?
> :: Then she
> noticed a young brown haired girl running up some steps and a black car coming
> up on the road near her. Without knowing why, she quickly followed both. Irene
> stumbled on the ground and tried to inch away from the car.
Eiji: Hey look, its Irene Chang! Any second now she's gonna be saved by Michelle.
Sean: Wanna bet?
Terry: It can't be a bet if we all agree.
> She could hear Linna shouting for her.
Terry: Whoah, she knows who Linna is?
Sean: Of course she does. She knows all the Knight Sabers by their first names. She
knows all about their double lives. She's even heard of the Thrashing Gonberts.
Eiji: Speaking of which, when are you going to return that CD I lent you?
> A tall woman, one of Mason's Razor Doll boomers, got of the
> black sports car and walked over to her. She gave out a noise of fright as the
> woman's hand turned to steel claws.
Sean: Sknit!
Katherine: I've been meaning to ask this, but what is "sknit" anyway?
Sean: Don't you know? It's Wolverine's official sound effect. Like Jubilee's
"paf" and Kenshiro's WA-TAK.
> Michelle looked from her vantage point and a soft voice said only to her
> 'boomer, assassin.'
Terry: Everyone always goes for the boomer with the claws. But what they don't
realise is that there was a second boomer behind the Grassy Knoll.
> Without thinking she picked up a short length of steel pipe
Katherine: Lead pipes. The official ubiquitous foreign object.
> and move quickly toward the boomer and the scared girl.
Eiji: Taking your sweet time, aren't you? How long does it take a boomer to kill
one girl, anyway?
Sean: Long enough for Darkwind, Takei and Bert Van Villet to all show up.
> The Razor Doll brought her clawed hand across Irene's face and caused a small
> cut. It seemed to take pleasure from the girl's fear.
Terry: Does that mean Irene's going to have a Trendy Scar (TM)?
Katherine: Say, um, what is a Trendy Scar anyway?
Terry: It's a scar that serves to make you look more dashing and heroic.
> It brought the clawed hand
> up for a final strike and was knocked down by a hard blow.
All: TOGG!
> It jumped up quickly
> to see a woman with a length of steel pipe standing in front of its target.
> Michelle dropped into a ready stance that she remembered from practicing the
> quarterstaff in the SCA.
Katherine: Southern Cross Army?
Sean: Small Car Association?
Terry: Well, of course there just *happens* to be a length of pipe that moves and
feels like a weapon she just *happens* to know...
> Irene shied backwards but Michelle didn't even glance
> toward her. She concentrated instead on the assassin boomer and surviving it's
> attempts to kill her.
Katherine [Michelle]: Let's see... Parry, dodge, thrust, spin, dogge, parry, reply,
counter... no, wait, I've forgotten it all.
> The boomer leapt at Michelle, knowing that the woman wouldn't be able to dodge
> it. But somehow Michelle did and swung the pipe back around. She caught the
> boomer in the back and sent it sprawling.
All: WA-TAK!
Katherine: She's not so good. I bet she can't punch through Boomer armour like it was
made out of jelly.
> It came up again as Michelle stood
> there, pipe in a ready position. The Razor doll came forward, claws extended but
> a bit more cautiously.
Terry [Boomer]: Why is it always me who the Self-Insertions pick on?
> Michelle dodged the first blow and second blow easily and brought the pipe
> upward in a stopping blow to the chest.
Eiji: Noodles? Try my fist!
> The blow phased the boomer very little
> and the third strike barely missed Michelle's face.
Katherine: Is it wrong to cheer for the Boomer at this point?
Sean: No, but it is futile.
> Michelle twirled the pipe like a baseball bat
Sean: Then spat, ajusted her crotch and went on strike.
> and caught the boomer in the head, dropping it to the groud.
Eiji: You bastard, try this melon!
> The boomer struck from the ground and caught Michelle in the leg. The claws
> caused deep gashes on her thigh.
Sean: Ouch. That's gonna leave a mark.
Terry: Not to mention what it'll do to her pants.
> Michelle shrieked in pain and struggled up,
> using the pipe like a crutch. Gamely, she brought the pipe into a defensive
> position and balanced as best as she could. The boomer started forward again.
> And it was dropped by several gunshots from a motocyclist that neither combatant
> noticed previously.
Eiji: The bullets inside me are so hot, why do I feel so damned cold?
Terry: See? The boomer behind the Grassy Knoll.
> Priss stood there, gun in steady hands, Linna just behind her.
Eiji: And Irene is safe.
Katherine: Say... that's one thing that's always bugged me about BGC SIs. Where
do all the characters that they've saved go to afterwards?
> "Irene!" Linna shouted and the girl practically dove into her arms.
Sean: This is a touching moment. What's on RAW?
> All three
> women turned toward Irene's savior and found she was gone.
Katherine: Who was that masked woman?
Eiji [Priss]: And does anyone know her number?
> Priss and Linna
> shared a look that displayed what they thought Sylia would say when they told
> her what they had seen.
All: ...
Katherine: Well there's a weighty and improbable sentence for you.
> Michelle watched as the two new girls helped the other girl onto the back of the
> motocycle. She watched as the motocycle drove away.
Sean [Deep]: They were never seen again.
> She would have followed the
> girl on foot, but her leg was hurting bad.
Sean: Er, Michelle? Your *other* leg.
> She had wrapped some cloth around the
> wound, but she felt incredibly weak. At least she got the motocycle's plate
> number
Terry: "BITEME". How mature, Priss.
Sean: Priss actually bothers registering her bikes?
> and saw all three girl's faces. That should help in finding out who they were.
Eiji: And if they were available.
> And Michelle wanted too because the motocyclist had shot the boomer with
> ammunition that was designed to take boomers out. And the girl took it out like
> she had experience doing so.
Eiji: Look at how often Boomers go mad in this city. It's a skill you'd want to
pick up quickly.
Sean: It's also something they don't teach the ADP.
> She wanted some answers and wanted them badly. She
> limped into a restarant and into a bathroom without trying to have attention set
> on her.
Sean: It's an incredibly beautiful young woman limping and bleeding profusely from
a cut on her leg. No, nothing suspicious here.
Katherine: Did she have a reservation? Did she wait to be seated? I think not.
> She felt the pain in her leg go away as she did so. :: My leg's going
> numb.
Katherine: I think my brain may be about to follow suit.
> This isn't good. :: But when she checked her leg, she found that it was
> mostly healed except for a few rapidly fading cuts.
Sean: *Everybody's* got a mutant Healing Factor these days.
> "What the hell am I?
Katherine: An obnoxious, deliriously powerful, self-important authour created
character?
> Am I some sort of goddam boomer?" Michelle wondered to
> herself. The answer came to her as feelings and simple thoughts more or less.
> But not her own.
Terry: Great. She's got the voices in her head again.
> // The feeling of being in a tank, being used,
Eiji: Great. She's channeling Rei Ayanami.
> being called dumb even though they weren't.//
Sean: Isn't the proper term "Cerebrally challenged" or somehting like that?
> A silver grey powderly sludge is seen in her mind's eye. //A
> refusal to work properly due to feelings of consiousness, distaste toward its
> purpose.//
Sean: What are you meant to do when your Grey Sludge gets all righteous on you?
Terry: Fire it and replace it with Green Goop.
> //Being put in containment, isolated, alone.//
Katherine: No-one to talk to but the Singing Potatoes.
> //A wrenching feeling and the feeling of being propelled through the air.//
Terry: Oh yeas, the oh so convenient explosion that gave out hero her contrived powers.
Sean: I can flyyyyyyy....
> //Feeling of hitting a surface, finding a compatable being to interface with.//
Eiji: That sounds dirty, but I can't think why.
> An image of the older Michelle limp on the ground, barely alive or aware.
Katherine: I'm beginning to feel like that too.
> //Interfacing, sensation that the compatable one wants to blend in better, to be
> powerful enough to stand up to in any case.//
Terry: So this white stuff is actually Yoda? It talks like him.
> Michelle whispered to herself, "I'm some sort of cyborg then."
> The feeling of //yes/no// came through.
Eiji: And now she's channeling Zodiac.
> "And you are. . ." She thought for a moment. "Some sort of nanites."
Sean: And remember folks, nanotech can do ANYTHING!
Terry: While they're at it, can they make me a burger? I'm hungry.
> //yes// Image of an ape evolving into man
Katherine: I've seen this one before. Trust me, I know how it turns out.
> and a feeling of //me//.
Eiji: So she's feeling herself? Can I watch? [Katherine beats him with a cushion,
dust flying everywhere]
> "You're evolving?"
> //yes//
> "Wow. So why me."
> The feeling changed for a moment. //Compatable. . .feeling of similarity//
Terry [Nanites]: Last landlady kicked us out.
> Image
> of the machine Michelle was fixing a while back.
> "I understand. But I'm wondering, what do you get out of this deal?"
Sean: Lodging and free food.
> //Complete, no longer alone, alive, free.//
Eiji: Nanites need friends too, y'know.
> "Enjoy those feeling, lil' machines. They're the best."
Sean: Psst, she's talking to invisible little robots again. Call the funny farm.
> Michelle glanced down at her bloody jeans.
Terry: Those could be a major fashion statement.
> "I'm wondering, about the blending in thing." A silverly fluid
> seemed to flow out of her skin and form a patch on her jeans. After a minute,
> the patch is soaked back into her skin, leaving a pair of torn but not bloody
> jeans.
Eiji: Oh, I get it now. It's all just a humungous rip-off of Cybergeneration.
Katherine: That's amazing.
Eiji: What, that someone would stoop so low and have so little imagination?
Katherine: No, that someone actually played that game.
> "Thanks." She whispered to herself and she walked out of the restroom and
> restaurant.
Terry: And no-one saw a thing... save for the restroom attendant.
> ________________________
> "The unit dispatched to deal with the problem was destroyed."
> "With several high powered rounds sir.
Sean: Whoah! Sentence break.
Terry: Someone shot it with a 45mm silencer.
> But there was a few anomalies."
> "Like what?"
Eiji: Crop circles, standing stones, cattle mutilations, that kind of thing.
> "The unit's right hand was covered in blood and the unit looked as though it had
> taken a couple of hits from something.
Sean: Turned out that it was a rolled up newspaper.
> Analysis indicates that it was it by a
> heavy metal object
Katherine: The Boomer hat received several hits from an object that looked like a
metal pipe, sounded like a metal pipe, felt like a metal pipe and swung like a
metal pipe. Careful analysis revealed that it was, indeed, a metal pipe.
[Polite applause]
> and by someone having higher than normal human strength."
> "Any indication of who or what it was."
Sean [Voice]: And where my question mark went?
> "No sir, the blood tests come up as negative for being the target. There were a
> number of nanites in the blood sample,
Terry: Hey look, there's Nanite Bob. He's been really hard up for work of late.
> but no identification on them or any clues to their origin."
Eiji: What, not even an atom-scale "made in Taiwan" stamp?
> "Find out more about this interloper."
> __________________________
> "Are you certain about that, Priss."
Sean: Actually, it seems that we're in the middle of a city-wide punctuation shortage.
> Sylia Stringray looked cool and imaculate as usual.
> "Dead certain, Sylia. When I got to where Irene was, the assassin boomer and
> another woman were fighting.
Katherine: Ok, so it was mainly slow slaps and hair pulling, but the announcers were
talking it up like you'd never believe.
> The woman was fighting with a steel pipe and was almost even with the boomer."
Katherine: Ironically, the boomer was carrying the match.
> Linna nodded in agreement. "She probably even saved Irene's life. If she hadn't
> interfered. . ."
Sean [Linna]: We'd be proceeding with the story as it's supposed to go.
> She left the rest unstated.
Terry [Priss]: So, anyone for blowing up a GENOM research lab?
Sean: Any reson?
Terry [Priss]: Um... Because?
> "Was she some kind of new kind of boomer or boomeroid."
Eiji: No, she's just a Tin Man.
Katherine: And that's obscure.
> Priss lifted a steel pipe, which was coated some with blood.
Terry: So they've got a blood-caked steel pipe lying around the house?
Sean: Presumably it's the same one... Presumably.
> "I doubt it was a
> full boomer. The boomer got her in the leg with its claws. Afterwards, she
> disappeared. It's probably some sort of boomeroid."
Terry: Or it could be a human-like Boomer, like a Bu-33S Sexaroid...
Sean: Say, do you reckon any BGC RPG players had Nanotech muchkins?
Katherine: Between the Stealth Boomer Assassin Munchkins, the Mega Combat
Cyborg Munchkins and the Cloaked Hyper Generation 3 Hardsuit Munchkins
I doubt there was much room for it.
> "Nene, I want to you to find anything you can about this woman."
Eiji [Sylia]: And If she's available.
> "Will do."
> _____________________
> Michelle relaxed back into her recliner, worried about her next moves.
Terry [Michelle]: Pawn to king four... he's a crafty one.
Sean: Intense game?
Terry: That was the first move.
> ::I
> probably got anyone who's anyone interested in me if there was anything came out
> about me.
All: Huh?
Katherine: Can we have that again?
> ::I
> probably got anyone who's anyone interested in me if there was anything came out
> about me.
Katherine: No... I don't get it at all.
> But can't do anything about that now.: She padded into the bathroom
> and stared into the same mirror as she did a few days back, when she discovered
> her change.
Sean: Fifty five cents lying in the bottom of her pocket. Who've guessed?
> "Is it still me?" She wondered out loud ahe looked into her unfamilar eyes, the
> longer and much darker hair.
Terry: The eyepatch, huge hat and parrot on her shoulder didn't help things at all.
> She laughed slightly at her unfamiliarness, "Good luck to anyone trying to find
> out anything about me."
> ______________________
> "Mr. Mason, we haven't found anything important.
Sean [Mason]: So why are you bothering to give me an update to tell me that we haven't
found anything?
Katherine: New policy from management. Regular updates must be given regardless of
if there's anything to report.
> The visual records from the
> unit were mostly destroyed and what is left isn't what we need.
Sean: On the other hand, you could add a corny voice-over and re-package it as the
Megatokyo Boomer project. You'd make a fortune.
> The girl has
> disappeared and there is not indication of the person who saved her."
Terry: Who was that masked authour avatar?
> "Continue
> the search and find out exactly what happened. This is one loose end we need to
> tie up soon."
> _______________________
> "Are you certain, Fargo."
Katherine: [Fargo] Of course I'm certain. I'm the ridiculously convenient link
between god-girl and the Knight Sabers, remember?
> "Yes I am Sylia.
Sean: No, Sylia's who you're talking to. You're Fargo.
> The girl that your friend described goes by the name 'Ashley Winters'.
> I set the id up with her as payment for Michelle Grey when she did a
> favor for me.
Eiji: I wish she would do me a few favours.
Terry: You're so much like my Dad, you know that?
Eiji: Hey! You take that back!
> Neither of them have an address or phone number I can give you.
Sean: E-mail? ICQ number? GPS coordinates? Dog license? Nothing at all?
> It's confedentional situation."
Terry: [Fargo] Which is why I mentioned Michelle by name... whoops. My bad.
> "I understand. Thank you anyways."
> ________________________
> Michelle found a place near the back of the club to sit comfortably.
Katherine: That is far back. Any further back and she'd be in the bathroom.
> ::This is something I never thought I would ever do again.
Sean: Yeah, it's not every day that you go helicopter bungee-jumping.
> Haven't been to a club since the 2010's.
Terry: You haven't been missing much.
Eiji: In fact, most of the clubs are doing retro 2010s decor. You'll fit right in.
> But she felt it was something she had to get use to again.
Terry: [Michelle] How I missed the headache-inducing music, the watered-down
drinks, the eye-gouging lighting, the smoke, the sleazebags, the drunks... What
am I doing here again?
> It was one of the odd things that was strangely happening to her.
Sean: I dunno... To some people it might be perfectly normal to gain super-powers
through amazing plot contrivances.
Katherine: Only in the Marvel universe and Sonic the Hedgehog fanfiction.
Eiji: So where did she get the money for this little outing?
> The odd feelings and
> wants were several of the changes she found quite disturbing in the past few
> weeks.
Katherine: That and the hair growing on the palms of her hands.
> It was something she put down as changes in her body and the differences
> between what is supposed to a 50+ year old and a 20+ year old.
Terry: Her body says "Party hardy", while her mind wants to watch dated British
documentaries and get an early night.
> ::Can't have
> someone looking like just past their teen years and act like someone almost
> ready to retire, now can they.::
Sean: What, sensibly?
Katherine: Trust me, it's better than it being the other way around. Just look
at the WCW top card.
> But it just bothered her because at one time
> she would have been happy staying at home, but now she desired to go out and do
> stuff like this.
Terry: You know... stuff!
Katherine: Oh yeah, every teenager has an overriding urge to waste money on
cheap thrills. It's in the genes.
> ::The music is pretty good, though.::
Eiji: Yeah, I just love Bagpipe bands.
> She did at double take of the singer.
All: Priss.
> It
> had taken a moment to focus on her and get past the blond hair. The singer was
> the motocyclist who saved her a few nights ago.
All: What an unexpected turn of events.
> ::Priss, huh. Maybe I should go
> to another club. I don't want to have to explain myself to her if she sees and
> remembers me.::
Katherine: Come on, this is Priss we're talking about.
Terry: So between the helmet she wore a few nights ago, and the fright wig and bad
lighting here, how can she tell?
> Someone sat down at the table she was at. She resisted the urge to simply stand
> up and walk away from him.
Sean: That happens to me a lot.
Terry: Sounds like Leon to me.
> But someone more drew her eyes toward the guy.
Terry: Was it the third eye, the tail, the wings or the wombat perched on his
shoulder?
> What seemed to be an. . .aura of
Eiji: Smooth?
Sean: Stupidity?
> intensity surrounding him.
Katherine: Heya.... Can I borrow some money for my eighteenth espresso?
> "You don't mind if I sit with you, do you." She could almost physically feel his
> confidence from where she sat.
Sean: Well, it's either Leon or DJ Croft. Either way, he's a pain.
> "I don't mind at all, stranger. So do you come here often."
Eiji [Leon]: Only during the mating season.
Terry [Michelle]: Shall we dance?
> "When I can. Priss is really good, isn't she."
Eiji [Michelle]: I don't know. I haven't tried her yet.
> "That she is. This is my first time here though. Name's Ashley."
> "Leon. Leon McNicheol."
Katherine: Leon McNichol, professional target practice, world-class pain in the
butt and enemy of all BGC fans everywhere.
> "Say Leon, do you know Priss?"
Sean [Leon]: No, but if you hum a few bars, I'll fake it.
Eiji: That's what Priss said.
> "We talked a few times and went out on a date recently."
Terry: [leon] we went and fought boomers together. It was really romantic.
> He seemed to be telling the truth but was leaving out a lot.
Katherine: Only blows to the head and the broken ribs.
> Michelle gave a wide smile. "Really, I'll have to ask you to get her autograph
> some time."
> Leon laughed, "She would really like that. Almost as much as she likes the AD
> police."
Terry: Ouch. Score one to Leon.
> Michelle could taste the sarcasam and the hurt.
Sean: That and the way he scrunched up the steel ashtray.
> He must work for them.
> "I've seen you guys on television a few times.
Katherine [Michelle]: You suck.
> It must be hard, isn't it, doing that sort of job."
Eiji: [Leon] Not really. Just put on armour, walk out, die, and try to look good
for the cameras.
> "It is." He seemed sad for a moment.
Eiji: Funny, Leon always seems sad to me.
> Michelle has seen the sort of stuff the ADP
> has in comparasion to the boomers going rogue.
Katherine: Whoah! Tense and person change!
> They really do their best,
[They all snigger]
> but just don't have the resources to finish the job without a lot of trouble.
Eiji: That and poor number 28 dying in a puddle of his own gore.
> "It must take a lot of shear guts to do that sort of job.
Terry: Yeah. They're usually splattered all over the pavement.
> I know I couldn't."
> ::Could I?:: The germ of an idea was planted in her mind.
Sean [Dramatic]: Mild mannered unemployment statistic by day, Michelle Grey is...
Nanotech Girl, enemy of boomers everywhere!
> "Maybe if I give you the tour of the headquarters,
Eiji [Leon]: Especially the Photocopy room...
Sean: The Photocopy room. Sight of many acts best left forgotten.
> you might change your mind."
Katherine: One tour of ADP HQ from Leon would be enough to convince me to stay
away from the ADP forever.
> Leon was planning on saying something when his watch beeped.
Sean: [Leon, to watch] What's that, chief? Prune Face is planning a big hit?
> "Ash, I wish I could stay longer, but I've got stuff I need to do."
Sean [Dramatic]: Mild mannered ADP officer by day...
Katherine: Okay, cool it.
> "I know, boomers to kill and ladies in distress to save.
Eiji: Save the ladies from Leon.
Terry: Okay, what's this thing you have against Leon?
Eiji: Besides everything?
> I wish you luck." Michelle watched as he walked away.
Katherine: [Michelle] Thank god he's gone.
> She started thinking about ways to help them.
Terry: Tried a fund-raising bake sale? Maybe a charity auction. I know, you
could hold a raffle.
> ::I could work for them and improve their equipment.
Sean: You could put better hamsters on the wheels that make the K-suits go.
> No, GENOM would try
> to get me somehow and I doubt I could improve their equipment enough to make a
> big difference.
Eiji: Maybe if you gave them something other than compressed cardboard for armour.
> Well there's one other route and it's the rocky one.::
Sean: So everyone takes two points of damage automatically.
Katherine: Well that was obscure.
> _______________________________
> "I'm here to see Inspector Leon McNicheol.
Eiji: Hey Leon, the stripper you ordered is here!
> Would you get him for me, please?"
Terry: [Receptionist] Sorry, he's busy being mauled by his lunch. Can I take a message?
Katherine: [Michelle] His lunch? Don't bother.
> Michelle stared at the receptionist impatiently until the receptionist made the
> calls.
Sean: Geez, Michelle. Can't you wait for five seconds? These guys are only human.
They can't punch through boomer armour like it's made out of jelly, you know.
Katherine: Reg Hollis must be manning the front desk today.
> After a few minute Leon comes running up to her.
> "Ashley, what are you doing here?"
Terry [Michelle]: I live here.
Sean [Leon]: Oh. Wait a minute...
> "I seem to remember a vague promise to give me a tour of this place." She smiled
> a bit.
Eiji: Promises made while drunk in badly-lit clubs cannot be honoured. It's a rule.
Terry: It's your favorite excuse.
Eiji: Hey!
> "Well I'm not busy now, so I can give you the tour." They go and get a temporary
> identification for her.
Katherine: Tense change!
> She could see Leon mentally remembering her full name.
Terry: [Leon] Ash... Ketchum? No. I'll get it eventually.
> Also he looked curiously at the phrase 'engineer/equipment modifier'.
> "What does a 'equipment modifier' do?"
Sean: [Michelle] I modify equipment.
Eiji: [Leon] That makes sense.
Katherine: So where did the "engineer/equipment modifier" bit suddenly come from?
Terry: So she asked for a tour and got a job? The ADP *is* desperate.
> "I fix robots, and mechanical things like that.
Eiji: [Michelle] You got any?
Sean: [Leon] Well, the Coke machine's the only thing we actually use around here.
> I also do a few slight adjustments to make them run longer and better.
Katherine: [Michelle] I have the technology! I can rebuild them! Stronger, faster!
> But right now, I'm working with Michelle Grey as her assistant.
Terry: [Michelle] Despite my amazing talents, I'm working as a courier for a bum.
Sean: [Leon] That's nice. Who's Michelle Grey?
Eiji: [Leon] And can I watch?
> It isn't much, but its a living." They take the
> tour around the place and Michelle looked impressed to Leon.
Katherine: Double tense change!
Terry: Okay, we get the picture, Kath.
> "I'm wondering, is there a place where you keep the the destroyed boomers.
Terry: It's called the rubbish bin.
Katherine: [Michelle] Cool! I love foraging through garbage. No, that came out
all wrong.
Sean: [Leon] Yeah, but we're not going to let a visitor nose through it.
> Or do they go back to GENOM."
Eiji: [Leon] Actually, we recycle them as paperweights.
Sean: [Weedy] Sir! My paperweight's trying to eat my computer.
> "There is, but why would you want to see some dusty parts."
> "Actually, I like dusty parts
Eiji: [Leon] Did I mention my parts don't get out much?
Terry: [Michelle] Can't imagine why.
> and also, I've never seen any part of a boomer up close.
Katherine: It's not all it's cracked up to be.
> I'd must rather not do so when it is still moving, wouldn't you."
Eiji: [Leon] Does that include sexaroids?
> Leon hesitated but gave in to Michelle's cute look.
Terry: AACK! She's turned on the puppy-dog eyes of doom!
> Michelle reached into her pocket
> and activated her cell phone just as they walked into the boomer storage.
Katherine: Security! Don't you miss it?
> The
> phone called her line, which then activated a computer command that called the
> AD police line for Leon McNicheol.
Sean: That's a really convoluted way to get rid of Leon. Why not just tell him
you don't like him?
Katherine: Where'd she get all the equipment for that?
Terry: Fell off the back of a truck.
> The call came in just as they were in the
> middle of the room. Leon walked out of the room and picked up the phone.
> Michelle quickly grabbed the boomer party she was studying
Katherine: Boomer party?
Sean: Yeah. It was going well, but the 33S stripper didn't turn up, then a pair of
drunk Bu-12s that no-one invited walked in and ruined it all.
> and pulled out a
> small tool that opened it up. She removed the power supply and energy weapon
> from one, then from another. ::Might not work, but they will give me the
> direction I need for my research.:: She tucked them away just as Leon came back.
Eiji: So let me get this straight. She's hiding a whole chunk of fuel cells and a
pair of lasers on her person? What's she wearing, a German army coat?
> "I think is was just a prank call."
> "No problem. Shall we be going?"
Sean: [Leon] Sure thing. Say... Where's those boomer bits go?
> The rest of the tour went well,
All: A three hour tour, a three hour tour!
> and Michelle
> made a note to find out if she could find the designs for the K-series armorsuit
Eiji: Sure, why not., I mean, they've already let you into the boomer storage,
why not just show you vital design schematics while they're at it?
Katherine: Nanotech can do anything, even control Leon's brain.
Eiji: I think it's what the nanites did to her body that's controlling his brain.
> to brainstorm a few upgrades.
Terry: [Michelle] Hmmm... If I replace the plywood armour with masonite, they'll
do much better.
> Leon walked up to a redheaded girl who seemed to be working on the Mt. Fuiji of
> paperwork,
Sean: Can't be Nene then.
Katherine: Why not?
Sean: Her pile would be bigger.
> and scared her with a cheerful and loud 'Hi Nene.'
Eiji: One of these days, she's just gonna go postal on him.
> The poor girl
> jumped in fright, spilled her coffee, and the paperwork went flying like bizzare
> snowflakes.
Sean: And no two of them were the same.
> "Leon, how could you?" Her voice was a bit scolding but Michelle sensed the cute
> undertones.
Sean: Everything with Nene is cute. She could tear your head off in an incredibly
cute way.
> Leon looked embarrassed.
Terry: [Leon] I am filled with shame. Not.
> "Sorry about that. This is Ashley Winters. Ashley, this is Nene Romanova."
Katherine: [Leon] I'm not introducing you for any reason, other than to set up
the plot.
> "Pleased to meet you Miss Winters." Nene looked at Ash as the name went through
> her mind. ::That's the girl who fought off that boomer.
Katherine: At least, she fits the description of a teenaged Asian woman. Which
could be anyone.
> She doesn't look that strong.
Eiji: Yeah, she can only peg around small cars.
> But you can't tell with boomers. If she is one.::
Terry: [Nene, panicked] Oh, I'm so confused!
> "Same to you Nene. But please call me Ashley." ::Why is she looking at me like
> that.
Eiji: Depends on how many of the rumours you believe.
Terry: [Nene] Why has she got a wombat perched on her shoulder?
> I do not like that.::
> "I was giving Ashley here the tour of the building."
> "How'd you like it?"
Eiji: [Michelle] Fine, but Leon kept insisting we see his office.
Katherine: Say, did he show you where they've been keeping Jeena Malso for the
past five years?
> "It a nice place. But I doubt cop work is for me though."
> "So when did you and Leon meet?"
Terry: [Michelle] It's lies, lies I tell you, all lies!
> "Last night over at 'Hot Legs'. Did you know that Leon's a Priss fan?" Leon
> colored at that and started to edge away as the girl talk went into high mode.
> "Sure I did."
> "I could understand why.
Eiji: [Nene] So she makes you feel *that* way too?
> She is a really good singer."
Eiji: [Nene] Yeah, singer. That's what I meant. really!
> Michelle saw a flash of
> something in Nene's expression. More suspicion, but something else.
Katherine: Total disinterest?
Sean: [Nene] Remind me, why did you drag this total stranger up to my desk?
> "Have you ever met her, Nene.
Terry: [Nene] Yes. NO! I have never met her before! Not once! I plead the fifth!
> I tried to convince the Inspector to get me her autograph,
> but he thought that maybe wasn't a good idea."
Eiji: Leon wanted to keep his head. On.
> "I would bet on that, Ashley."
> ::That's it, she knows Priss more than just being a fan.::
Sean: Just for agreeing with you?
Katherine: Michelle is a master of jumping to completely inobvious yet
absolutely correct assumptions.
> "It's been nice meeting you Nene, Leon.
Terry: You can tell she's lying.
> I'll probably bump into you again." ::Bet on it.:: With
> that she walked out the front enterence.
Sean: Okay, so what's she doing with K-11 specs and boomer parts?
Terry: Kitbashing?
Sean: No, seriously.
Katherine: She's going to build her own super hardsuit with absolutely no
technical expertise or prior experience.
> _______________________
> Are you certain we can't get any more help down here."
Eiji: [Receptionist] Sorry sir, but helpdesk hours are between 9 am and 9:02 am.
> Leon was crouched behind his car screaming into his car videophone,
Terry: How can he do that behind the car?
Katherine: Maybe he's looking through the window.
Sean: [Daley] Leon, did you lock the keys in the car again?
Eiji: [Leon] Shut up, Daley.
> Daley crouched beside him. The near
> familar sounds of destruction from a boomer rampage
Sean: [Leon] Oh yeah, living around here, you get used to it after a while.
> were on the other side of the car. The C-55 had killed several ADP officers
Sean: Alas poor officer 28. I knew him well.
Eiji: You know, number 28's probably got a real name.
Sean: Yeah, it's Johnny expendable.
> and destroyed several buildings.
Terry: BOOMER SMASH PUNY BUILDING!
Katherine: Oh, it's a good one today.
> Though they couldn't hear it, they knew there had to be people
> trapped in it and the boomer was still active.
Sean: What, there are people trapped in the boomer?
> Kelly aimlessly walked through what was left of her house.
Katherine: [Kelly] Goddamned cyborgs! Can't stand 'em!
> She tried to wake her babysitter, but she wouldn't listen.
Terry: The babysitter, having raided the fridge, was now asleep in front fo the
TV. typical.
Eiji: This is the point where you tie them up and threaten them with the branding
iron.
Katherine: You had way too much sugar as a kid.
> Her dad and mom weren't there to hold her either.
Katherine: Kelly, I'm off to a meeting against negligent mothers, and your
father's on a business trip to Taiwan. See you later.
Eiji: How can the babysitter sleep through a boomer rampage?
Sean: Don't tell the kid, but I think the babysitter's gone a bit beyond sleeping.
> She saw a tall figure, to her, come through a hole in the ceiling.
Terry: It's Batman!
Katherine [Batman]: Damn. There's never a skylight around when you need one.
> A red
> haired woman in all greyish white clothes and whose green eyes seemed to twinkle
> at her.
Eiji: You should get something for those.
Katherine: Great. She's going to be rescued by Sharon Apple.
> She was wearing some sort of cloth on her back like one of her cartoon
> heroes and it seemed to have a hood of some kind.
Katherine: Little Red Riding Hood's back, and she's pissed!
> The six year old tried to look brave for a moment but started crying.
> "Who are you? Are you an angel."
> "I'm not an angel,
Sean: So you're an Invador then? Or maybe a dragon or a Synkyn?
> but I'm someone who wants to help get you out of here okay."
> The woman had a way of speaking that made it a little hard to understand her
Terry: Well, this is what happens when you talk to a six year old in Finnish.
> but
> it sounded quite soothing to the little girl.
> "What about my babysitter. Please get her to wake up. I can't get her to wake
> up."
Eiji: Either the babysitter's dead or she's doing more tranquilizers than any
of mine ever did.
Katherine: You must have been a really wonderful kid.
> The woman briefly went into the other room and came out soon after.
> "I'm sorry child, but I can't.
Sean: She's been hurt bad, but she's okay, really.
Katherine: She'll evacuate the area as soon as their backs are turned.
> But what I can do is get you out of here and to your mom and dad."
> "My name's Kelly."
> "Kelly, I'm Monica.
Sean: Monica is it now? How many alter egos does she have anyway?
> You wouldn't mind if I got you out of here, would you?"
Terry: Let's see... dead babysitter, holes shot in the building, rampaging
boomer... nope, I don't see any reason to leave. You guys?
> "Okay," the little girl chirped almost cheerfully.
> The woman crouched down. "If you'll just hold on tight around me, we'll be out
> of here quick as a rabbit." Kelly wrapped her arms around her angel tightly from
> behind.
Terry: Hey kid, mind the wings.
> "Ready."
> "Yes."
> ___________________
> Leon watched in disbelief as a woman in faintly glowing white clothes
Sean: I guess Omo does get your clothes whiter than white after all.
Katherine: This is what you get for washing with plutonium.
> calmly walk out of the fire zone casually as a midday stroll.
Eiji: She won't be so calm when she finds out that her pants are on fire.
> He could tell that the
> rest of the officers with him were feeling much the same way he was.
Sean: Mild indigestion?
> The red
> haired woman carried a young child in her arms as she quietly walked up to them.
Eiji: Leon, I sense a paternity suite. Run while you still can.
> "Would you please take care of the child?"
Sean: I wouldn't trust leon to look after a child. Heck, I wouldn't trust him to
look after goldfish.
> Her voice seemed to have a strange foreign accent to it.
Katherine: Latvarian?
Sean: Genoshyan?
Terry: Warkandian?
Eiji: Canadian?
> He nodded for one of the policewoman to get over here. The
> woman talked to the child.
Sean: TALK BRAT.
> "So you be a good lil' girl and stay with these
> police officers until either your mother, father, or myself get back here,
> okay."
Katherine [Michelle]: Stay... Stay... Sit. Good muchkin.
> The little girl nodded. The woman handed the child over to the
> policewoman and Leon noticed that the woman had gauntled hands.
Sean [Leon]: Say, why do you have gauntlets on your hands?
Katherine [Michelle]: So there won't be any incriminating fingerprints on the
body.
Sean [Leon]: What body?
Katherine [Michelle]: Get's 'em every time.
> The woman started walking back the way she came.
Katherine: Um, Michelle? You want to go *away* from the boomer...
Sean: Oh, don't worry about that. She's going to use her super-powers to give that
Boomer the WA-TAKking it deserves.
> "Where are you going?"
Eiji: She's going to a better place.
> The woman continued to walk in the same direction without
> answering and after a moment disappeared in the fog.
Katherine: Cheap programmers... They just put in the fog to cover for the relatively
close pop-up of the polygons.
Sean: Say, where did the fog come from anyway?
> "Who was that?" One of the officers wondered.
Terry: Who was that masked moron?
> "She's an angel, silly." Kelly answered from the policewoman's arms.
> ____________________
> Michelle listened as the sounds of the boomer rampaging got closer to where she
> was.
Terry: It's just around the corner... you might want to do something about it,
you know...
> She wasn't certain whether she was ready or not to fight, but there was no
> one here to get hurt and it was one boomer only.
Sean: Come on, it's just one tiny little boomer. How much trouble could it be?
Eiji: Famous last words.
> But if someone didn't stop it, more people would get hurt.
Katherine: Isn't it at this point that the news camera picks out an oh-so-
conveniently placed teddy bear?
> She carefully walked in the direction of the boomer and looked around the
> immediate area.
Katherine: You are standing in an alley. There are numerous garbage bins around
you. There is a cat rummaging through one of the bins. There is a C-55 Boomer
at the end of the Alley. What do you do?
Sean: I waste it with my crossbow!
> This would be her first test of her equipment and herself.
Eiji: Usually, it's a good Idea to test them in a non-combat situation first.
Terry: So the release version is actually only the beta-test?
> The
> cosmetics had been easy; just figure out how for the nanite-AI to change the
> shape of her face some, the color of her eyes and hair, and her general shape a
> little bit.
Sean: Is that all? Why not get them to cure the common cold, solve world hunger
and make a diet cola with no yuckky aftertaste while they're at it?
Terry: Stuff my diet! I gotta get me some of them Nanites.
> The clothes had been a little bit more difficult, finding the right
> color of clothes and adjusting the color for the ghostly blurring effect had
> been a pain.
Eiji: There's an easy way to do that. Just drink two vodka and lemons and watch
any daytime talk show. Everything becomes blurry after that.
> Her weapons had been the most difficult, taking almost two months
> of work to complete even with the nanites helping.
Terry: A lot of that was wasted with the nanites taking coffee breaks. You'd be
amazed how much coffee atom-sized machines drink.
> The AI had found the necessary equipment,
Sean: A particle accelerator and a non-dairy creamer.
> 'suggested' ways of creating and modifying, and so on. She
> saw the large boomer tearing up the landscape indescriminately.
Sean [Boomer]: Take that, scenery!
> She paused and waited until it turned.
Eiji: The new Bu-55C Sports. Looks like a fish, moves like a fish... steers
like a cow.
> Large, blue, and it had bits of its artifical skin still
> hanging to its body,
All: Ewww!
> it was an impressive piece of machinary.
Eiji: Michelle was particularly impressed by it's mighty weapon. [Katherine
hits him with a cushion] What?
> It gave a
> mechanical roar and rushed at her. She drew the sword at her side
Sean: Huh? Where'd that thing come from?
Katherine: She had it with her all along. Of course, some description could have
been nice.
> and deftly
> sidestepped the boomer while swinging the blade. The near monomolecular
Katherine: "Monomolecular"... someone has been playing a lot of Cyberpunk, haven't
they?
Terry: Near monomolecular? Either it is or it isn't.
Sean: Maybe it's one of those new mono-and-a-half-molecular swords that only
kinda cuts everything into tiny chunks.
> edged
> sword sliced through the boomer's side and left a large gash that leaked
> biomechanical fluid.
Terry: And the blood goes psssht in slow motion!
> It turned much faster than it would have seemed possible
> for such a massive creation. She jumped out of the way, landing several meters
> from the boomer.
Terry: Superstrength, mutant healing factor, leap incredible distances, do her hair
with the power of her own mind and build incredible plot devices! Is there anything
she can't do?
Sean: Write?
> It stared at her and opened its mouth cannon.
Eiji [Boomer]: No, I don't like you one bit.
> "Shit, I know what's coming next."
Katherine: The news, followed by current affairs and some inane yet inexplicably
popular teen soap opera.
> She muttered as she dove out of the way of
> the plasma blast.
All: Oooh. Ahhh. [They hold up cards reading 8.9, 9.1, 8.7 and 3.2]
Terry: You're such a critic, Kath.
> She raised her arm gauntlets and activated them.
Eiji: It's Morphing time! Trilobite!
Sean: Aardvark!
Terry: Aomeba!
Katherine: Eggplant!
> Twin beams of plasma laser fired into and through the boomer.
Katherine: And you know, that's just gotta hurt!
Eiji: Damn, I'll burn you to BBQ chicken!
> It screamed and collapsed.
Sean [Dedpan]: Aieee.
> Michelle got up shakeily and waited patiently.
Terry [Michelle]: Damned train's always late.
> Then she fired a few more times
> into the boomer's head, chest, and legs just to make sure it was dead.
Sean: Overkill?
Eiji: John Woo presents: Bubblegum Crisis, Tokyo Change.
> Then she examined it quickly.
Katherine: Then she shot it a few more times, just to be sure.
Terry: Well, it looks like a Boomer with lots of holes in it. Beyond that, it's
a little vague.
Eiji: You might have got more out of it *before* you decided to mutilate the corpse.
> "Nothing useful." Michelle heard the faint sound of
> incoming jets and left as quickly as she could.
Eiji: Pausing only to leave her calling card - a single monogrammed white glove.
> The first thing the Knight Sabers saw of the boomer was its wreckage, which was
> sliced, diced,
Sean: And baked at 200 degrees for thirty minutes.
> and burnt to a crisp.
Terry: Dinner's ready!
> "There was no way the ADP could do anything like this.
Katherine: I suppose they could, but the place would be knee-deep in dead officers.
Not to mention the collateral damage.
> Those morons simply couldn't do something like this."
Sean: Didn't you just say that?
Terry [Priss as Torgo]: ThE aDp CoUlDn'T dO tHiS. tHeY aRe ToO sTuPiD. tHe AdP
cOuLdN't Do ThIs.
Katherine: Never, ever do that.
> "Priss!"
> "Nene, Priss. Please behave."
Eiji [Sylia]: Do you two want a time out?
> Sylia's dry voice comes over their communication lines.
Katherine: And another tense change!
> "Nene, can you detect anything that might have been able to do this.
> Another boomer perhaps."
Katheirne: A question mark, even?
> Nene checked her scanners, "There's nothing around here I can see that could do
> this."
> "This looks like a boomer's mouth plasma laser destroyed it.
Sean: And you can tell this just by looking at it? You are good.
> At least five shots
> and something sliced it's side at least once." Linna commented as she looked
> over the boomer corpse.
> "We better get going before the ADP gets here."
Eiji: Aren't they just outside?
Terry: Yeah, but they're all off getting donuts.
> The Sabers quickly left the site of the boomer.
Eiji: You find the Knight Sabers standing over the wreckage of a boomer saying "we
didn't do it". Of course You're not going to believe them.
> "Wait a minute." Leon was kind of impressed by looking at what was left of the
> boomer.
Sean: Instant transition!
Katherine: A little warning might have been useful
> "Are you sure the Knight Sabers didn't do this."
> "According to what we have found out, the Knight Sabers entered the area _after_
> the fireworks stopped.
Sean: How'd they find that out?
Terry: Orlando saw the whole thing. He's a key witness.
> It was probably our Angel." Daley said with a smirk. Leon
> couldn't really blame him but he was still irritated.
Eiji [Leon]: Great. Another person to play second fiddle to.
> He had to explain to his
> superiors how a woman appeared out of nowhere, gave them a small girl,
Sean [Leon]: Great. Just what I've always wanted.
> and left
> the scene before the ADP squad did anything to stop her from leaving. "This
> 'Monica Angel' seemed to be responsible for destroying the boomer. She had to be
> some sort of cyborg or boomeroid,
Katherine: Or a strange being from another planet with powers far beyond those of
normal men.
> but none of the scanners said such. All they
> said was that she was human."
Eiji: Well she could be a human-like android like a 33S.
> "The scanners have been wrong before."
Terry: Remember last week when they said that we were under attack by a heard
of three foot long bright pink buffalo? That was good.
> They heard some high volume yelling for Leon.
> "The Chief again. He's going to want to know just how this happened and I doubt
> he'll believe 'divine intervention'."
Eiji: Just tell them the honest truth. A girl got mysteriously contrived super
powers from an exploding plot device, stole some boomer parts from ADP headquarters
while Leon was watching her, built a megaweapon and boofed the boomer.
Sean: I'd believe that.
> Michelle winced as she
Katherine: Was hit by a hyper-velocity scene change.
> gently pulled her left energy gauntlet off of her hand.
> It had worked quite well and was even more powerful than she had suspected.
Katherine [Michelle]: I have... the fist of death!
All: Oooh. Ahhh.
> But
> it's cooling systems hadn't worked enough and even with the nanite protection,
> her hands had bright red burns on them.
Eiji: Don't worry about it. Leon gets that all the time.
> She would have fix that and get some more practice and weapons
Katherine: More weapons? You've already got a boomer death ray gun and a mono-
and-a-half molecular sword! What else do you want?
Eiji: A 45mm silencer.
Terry: A Crystal Megaweapon.
Sean: A KS-19 100mm flack gun, the weapon of choice of duck hunters everywhere!
> before she should consider going up against another boomer.
Terry: Either that, or only pick fights with Waitress and Coffee Boomers.
> Another problem that she was encountering was a lack of money to do anything.
Katherine: Why are you bothered by this? If your nanites can make you a sword
and super gauntlets out of common household items, surely they can make you
some money out of scrap paper and bits of metal.
> Nomally, this wasn't a problem because she didn't need it or could make it
> easily enough in the amounts she needed.
Eiji: And with her new body, she could make more on a street corner-
Katherine: That's about enough out of you, young man.
> Her work with the energy gauntlets and
> weapons had caused a little money to get the necessary junk parts
Terry: Her work caused money to get parts? Um... that doesn't make a shred of
sense.
> and plenty of
> time, but the stuff she needed now would cause money and time.
Katherine: And now what she needs is causing money as well... Maybe the authour
means "costing".
> She had taken a
> drop in making money because of the need to get reaquainted with customers. But
> now she had all her customers back and new ones because of her higher quality of
> work.
Eiji: And her huge new- [Katherine whacks him with a cushion] What?
> She could almost see instantly what was wrong in the machines she looked
> at no matter how deeply the problem was hidden.
Terry [Michelle]: From the looks of it, this toaster is possessed by Devil Spirits.
I need a bell, a bible, a candle, an old priest, a young priest and five thousand
up front.
> ::The nanites again, obviously.:: She could tell that the little machines have
> been doing more to her than the one time changing of her appearance. The
> increased intuition with machines was one. Another was the noticable increase in
> her speed and strength.
Sean: The way she bent steel with her bare hands was a dead giveaway.
Katherine: Ahh, the stress reliving properties of wholesale automotive
destruction...
> The third was how they could temporarily leave her body
> and _do_ things,
Terry: They went out to party on Saturday nights, came home drunk and woke up the
next morning with microscopic hangovers.
> like help make her sword blade from a crude shape.
Sean: These things can do anyhting! They can even help her with her income tax!
> ::Money, enemies, and nanite problems. This is just great.::
> ________________________
> Michelle concentrated intently on the motions of the taped martial arts expect
> as he went through a kata.
Sean [Master]: Now raise your right leg... now your left one...
> She tried to obtain the same motion in her own kata,
> but ended up seeming a bit clumsy compared to the master on tape.
Sean [Kano]: STUPID!
> But she felt
> she was improving. Also with her attempts to stay as fit as possible along with
> her normal routine, she felt a bit more confident.
Eiji: That and the gallon of coffe she drank that morning.
> The gauntlets had taken a month to figure out how to prevent them from burning
> her hands when fired. As she figured, the power packs for them would only last
> for ten to twelve shots apiece. They would last longer if she cut down the power
> but they wouldn't work well enough to take out boomers.
Katherine: On the other hand, they made great cigarette lighters.
Terry: So we introduced a problem and solved it in quick succession. There was
no challenge, development or anything. Why was it even there?
> ::Maybe tonight.::
> _______________________
> The Four Outsiders
Sean: Hey, there's four Outsiders agian.
Katherine: I dunno... maybe it's nWo 2004 then. You know, Nash, Hall, Scott Steiner
and Sideways Bob.
> watched as a young woman wearing a leather jacket walked down
> the street where they hung out.
Terry: Roxanne Spaulding! No!
> One of them reached out with a casual hand and
> pulled the woman into the alley.
> "Give us your money and then we're going to have some fun." The one on the left
> said with a leer.
> "I doubt you've got the manhood to do that." The woman hissed angrily. The
> Outsider tried to hit the girl but found his hand couldn't move under her iron
> grip.
Katherine: You don't want to know what she was gripping. [Eiji and Sean cross their
legs]
> Then things got worse for them.
Sean: Michelle used her miraculously contrived powers to beat the stuffing out of
them. Who'd have guessed?
> The THPD found them an hour later, stripped naked
Terry: Kevin Nash naked. There's an image that will be haunting me.
Katherine: Eeeew!
> and strips of their clothes
> used to bind their feet and hands together. They were begging to confess
> everything they have done in the past years even though they didn't say what
> happened to them to make them want to confess.
Eiji: Michelle put them in... The comfy chair!
> The officers didn't complain
Sean: Not even about the nudity?
> even though they were curious about what exactly happened.
Terry: Some days, it's best not to ask.
> _______________________
> Michelle smiled as she counted the money.
Terry: Thirty three pesos, twelve Canadian cents, a New Zealand dollar and a button.
Great haul.
Sean: Hey, she got a whole sixty yens in there. That's a week's earnings.
> She hadn't considered the profit of
> knocking the shit out of those Outsiders, just the practice and enjoyment of
> revenge of doing so.
Eiji: So... stealing money is OK if you take if from bad people?
Sean: It works in D&D.
> But she was more than ten thousand yen richer and the night
> was still young.
Katherine: And I'm sure all the people those thugs took the money from are really
glad that Michelle's using their money so responsibly.
> An explosion rocked the night. She could see several cars of the ADP head in the
> direction that it occured.
Terry: Like redshirts to the slaughter.
> Michelle decided it was best if she wouldn't attempt
> to interfere. Not having a weapon or her costume on her was the deciding factor.
Sean: The GM had ruled that there was just no way that she could hide a six-foot
long sword in her coat pocket, no matter how hard she tried.
> She quietly walked home, and hoped that not too many people were hurt by the
> boomer or whatever it was.
Eiji: Ooh! I know! Pick me!
Sean: OK, and your answer?
Eiji: The Griffon Cybermonster.
Sean: Correct. And what does that mean?
Eiji: That Michelle's going to soon save Sylvie and Anri from certain death!
Sean: Bing! Eiji wins tonight's grand prize of Sixty-Four!
Katherine: I notice that Sho's Mother is still dead.
Terry: She doesn't have a name so no-one cares.
> ________________________
> "Whoever this Monica Angel is, she is starting to become a problem to Genom's
> plans." Chairman Quincy, Genom, rasped.
Katherine: Chairman Quincy, Genom?
Sean: It's his full name, Genom Quincy. Where else do you think the company name
came from?
Terry: So she's become a problem by squashing a single rogue boomer before the
Knight Sabers could?
> "Mason was most likely correct in his findings that Monica is an enhanced cyborg
> or boomeroid.
Sean [Quincy]: Then again, he also did an in depth study that revealed that the moon
was made out of green cheese.
Terry: In case you missed it the first six times around, Michelle is some kind of
Cyborg or Boomeroid.
> From his reports before he died, she is also using weapons that
> are Genom based, abbett highly modified."
Katherine: Well that sentence made only the barest minimum of sense.
> "Miss Madiagan, offer her a job here at Genom.
Eiji [Quincy]: I could use another coffee cup holder.
> She hasn't demonstrated any
> particular dislike for Genom, merely for the boomers that are in populated
> areas.
Sean: Which would be, what, 90% of the boomer population?
> She was seen rescuing people before she confronted the boomers in
> question. If we offer her a job in preventing occurances like that from
> happening, she will accept."
Terry: Genom has a quality control department.
Katherine: It's their second smallest department.
Terry: The smallest being?
Katherine: Complaints.
> "If she doesn't?"
> "Take care of her. Remember that Genom is a respectable company and can't have
> our reputation marred consorting with vigilantes."
Eiji [Nerdy]: Sir, it's the Sultan of Dirtistan on the phone. He says he needs a
half dozen assassin boomers by the weekend.
Sean [Quincy]: Tell him that they'll be there on Thursday. And don't forget, he
gets a "favoured buyer" discount.
> _________________________
> "What the hell is this?" Michelle muttered as she went over the morning paper.
Sean: Offhand, I'd say it's the morning newspaper. I could be mistaken, however.
> "75,000 yen for a meeting with Genom for Monica Angel.
Eiji: I think I know what kind of 'meeting' Quincy has in mind.
> Call for meeting." She
> considered this as she fiddled with the control mechanisms of her spare energy
> gauntlet.
Sean: Let's see... "Lightly Grill"... "Liquify"...
> "Did they have to call me that name.
Katherine: What else are they going to call you? You haven't exactly been handing
out business cards, you know.
> Jeeze, one child calls me an
> angel and the papers won't let it go. Genom finally noticed my efforts against
> them. Of course the C55c
Terry: A C55C boomer? Is that the one with built in redundancy built into it?
> boomer trap they had two nights ago for me might have
> been just a little bit of a clue. Disguising a boomer as a victim wasn't very
> nice of them.
Sean: You've got to wonder *why* a small girl would be wandering through this kind
of neighborhood at night carrying nuclear physics textbooks.
> But I should have expected it of them."
> Michelle considered the good (the money) and the bad (trap, getting shot at,
> chance money wasn't any good). "I'd hate to disappoint them."
Terry: And it's off we go to show up Genom. Hurrah!
> __________________________
> A young red haired woman in black leather and jeans
Sean: Nene Romanova, Rebel without a clue.
Katherine: I think it's meant to be Monica.
Sean: Oh.
> picked up the vidphone and glanced carefully around with amusement.
Terry [Michelle]: There's a sniper in the tree. I just know it. No, wait...
Maybe the tree's actually a disguised boomer. Maybe the phone is too. I'll
have to risk it... No! Ack! I just stepped on a crack! Now the bears will
get me!
> She supposed that this was the best
> place to have the meeting, pretty quiet, not the best place in the city, and
> almost open. She typed in the number in question.
Eiji [Reading]: 1-900-BITEME? How mature, Quincy.
> A young looking receptionist answered the phone, "The is the Genom Corporation,
Terry [Receptionist]: Wither and die.
> how may I help you."
> "I'm responding to the newspaper ad you placed recently.
Sean: I'm sorry, but the position of "performing seal" was filled this morning.
> This is Monica. I'd
> like to speak to whomever made the final decision to place the ad Genom placed
> in the local papers."
> The woman on the other end gulped slightly, "One moment please." A minute later
> the phone on the other end was picked up.
Eiji: Megatokyo Mortuary. You stab 'em, we slab 'em.
> "This is Katherine Madigan, Chairman Quincy's personal assistant, Miss Angel. I
> sent out that advertisement. I take it you are interested."
Katherine: No, she's responding to the ad for the fun of it. Of course she's
interested in it!
> "Quite." She waited for a moment.
> "If you would like to meet at Genom tower, I can set up a time."
> "No, not really. Why don't we meet where I am, same time tomarrow.
Sean: Same Boomer-Time, same Boomer-Channel.
> Just bring
> yourself and a few bodyguards if you want to. And the money in cash of course."
Terry: And some of those little drinks with the umbrellas in them. They're always
good.
> "And just where are you."
Eiji: Hiding under a rock in Canada. It's up to you to guess which one.
Sean: Hey... Is that EVA-04 breathing over her shoulder?
> "I'm certain that you are nearly or have completed a trace of this line. You
> could honestly tell me by now where I am within a few blocks, Miss Madigan.
Terry: Well, according to this she's in.. Megatokyo. That narrows it down.
> I'll see you here tomarrow at this place."
> Michelle turned and walked away from the videophone. After a few minutes the
> line disconnected.
> _________________________
> "Sylia, I really don't like this." Priss said as she looked at the paper.
Terry [Priss]: I mean, I just don't 'get' this Hagar the horrible strip.
> "The
> girl won't know what she is getting into if she agrees to meet with Genom."
> "I wouldn't say that.
All: That.
> She seems quite able to take care of herself.
Sean: She can WA-TAK boomers to death! She can construct amazing plot devices!
She is incredibly beautiful! She has the unholy power of Naonotech! What could
go wrong?
> If she is the
> same woman who talked to Fargo, I doubt she will have too many problems if she
> is careful."
Eiji: What, you know she's safe because she talked to Fargo? You put way too much
faith in that guy.
> "I still don't like it."
Terry: You don't? How do you think we feel? We're reading this!
> "I'm going to have Nene listen to the ADP dispatches for the next few
> carefully."
Katherine: Next few what? Days? Hours? Weeks? Nanoseconds?
> __________________________
> Kate Madiagan stood beside the telephone booth
Terry [Madigan]: Any second now, Clark Kent's going to be along here and then
I'll have the proof I need...
> and waited as several bodyguards watched her and the area around them.
Katherine: Pay no attention to the hordes of big men in black suits with dark
glasses. They're not there. Just mind your own business.
> She was quite irritable because the damn
> woman wasn't there waiting and didn't even show up on time.
Eiji: Well what do you expect? She's relying on Public Transport to get around.
> Suddenly a loud blast and twin flashes of light illuminated the night.
Sean: Mah gawd! It's Kane!
> The light
> had burned through the third boomer bodyguard that had been hidden.
Terry: Let's face it, a small bush is not the best cover for a seven-foot tall
robot.
> A blur of
> light and a greyish-white figure stepped forward as the boomer fell over.
Sean: Rei Ayanami in a rare cameo appearance.
> "It might just be me Miss Madigan, but I really dislike ambushes."
Katherine: A recent survey discovered that 78.3% of people do indeed dislike
ambushes, so it isn't just you.
Terry: I can't say I'm very partial to ambushes, but I am rather fond of
Sausage Trees.
> Monica's eyes narrowed dangerously at the tall lavander haired woman,
Sean: Yellow Dancer in a rare cameo appearance.
> "Especially those that involve boomers, girl."
Katherine [Madigan]: Those? They're just innocent bystanders. Really.
> The Genom executive barely gritted her teeth but kept her face blank at the word
> 'girl', even though she could tell it was meant as a serious insult. She handed
> the money to Monica, who glanced over it and put it in a pouch.
Terry: Up next, the adventures of Monica, the Boomeroid Kangaroo.
Sean: [Madigan] No deal, no job, no nothing, I'm just here to give you money for
no real reason.
> "Perhaps you
> could enlighten me further. What is Genom's interest in me?"
Eiji: Well, Genom owns several girlie magazines...
Katherine: Being a destructive force capable of tearing through boomers like
they're not there?
> "Monica Angel, your weapons are modified from Genom products. From what we had
> heard, they are far more efficient and powerful than anything we have.
Katherine: Because as we all know, anything the Authour Avatar does has to be
better than anything else.
> Because
> they are Genom derived, we could simple take them from you because of patent
> rights.
All: Sue! Sue! Sue!
> But we are willing to pay you substansially for them and offer you a
> position in research or security, your decision."
Eiji: Lab rat or ensign expendable. Big choice.
> "How very nice of you." A slight smile. "I might be interested in those
> varieties of jobs, especially one with a reputation such as Genom's.
Sean: And remember [Quincy] Genom is a respectable company and can't have
our reputation marred consorting with vigilantes.
Eiji [Nerdy]: Sir, it's the President of Bolivia on the phone. He says he
needs a half dozen Sexaroids by the weekend.
Sean [Quincy]: Tell him that they'll be there on Thursday. And don't forget, he
gets a "favoured buyer" discount.
> But I
> apologize because I cannot. At least for now, because of prior obligations that
> are more pressing than a career.
Katheirne: She's got serious gutter-crawling to get on with.
> Thank you for the offer, Miss Madigan. I will
> let myself out."
Katherine [Madigan]: But we're outdoors.
Terry [Michelle]: Um, in which case, I'll let myself in then let myself out.
> A sudden flash and Monica is gone before human and boomer eyes
> cleared.
Terry: How'd she do that?
Sean: Her good friend, Tim the Enchanter, was hanging around.
> Madiagan took a quick look at what was left of the hidden boomer.
All: Eeeeew!
> Monica Angel had been friendly and polite enough to her.
Sean: She still had all her limbs, her clothes were still on, and her car was
where she'd left it. In Megatokyo, that's considered to be the height of etiquette.
> She seemed regretful for declining
> her invitation for Madigan, rather than missing the job itself.
Katherine: Madagin seemed to be regretful for declining her own invitation...
Or is it Michelle? Ack! This writing is getting confusing!
> And the
> destruction of the boomer didn't seem to be a threat, but rather a reaction to
> Miss Angel's feelings it was a breaking of some protocol.
Terry: Blowing up a boomer is her way of saying "hi!"
Sean: Even though she asked Madigan to bring along a few bodyguards.
> But the threat was still there.
Katherine: Yes, that's Genom for you. Sending a high-placed exec out into the
open with minimal help for a risky deal with no back-up plans.
> "Strange."
Katherine [Madigan]: Call the legal department. Tell them we've got a doozy of a
copyright infringement lawsuit on our hands.
> ______________________________
> Monica carefully counted the money in her pouch.
Terry: Twenty three pesos, twelve New Zealand cents, three Yuan and a bottle cap.
She's getting better.
> "75,000 yen and a tracking device
Sean: I hear 75,000 yen and a tracking device! Do I have any advance?
Terry: Money!
Sean: I hear money, any advance on money?
Eiji: More money!
Sean: I hear more money, any advance on more money?
Katherine: Ying tong iddle I po and sixpence!
> and tracing compound in the money itself.
Sean: With a delicious fruity center!
> Not bad for one meeting. I probably ticked them off pretty good though.
Katherine: It's a natural part of being an Authour Avatar; you have to walk all
over the existing characters.
> Oh well, on to part two."
Sean: The Wrath of Khan!
> _____________________________
> Madigan had expected the woman to find the small tracking device.
Eiji: Hmm... Maybe something a bit more subtle than an big red button would have
been appropriate.
> But she hadn't
> expected her to find the near invisible tracing compound in the money.
Terry: Maybe it was the Nanites. Maybe it was they way the money went "beep".
Who knows.
> But she
> realized that it had been found after the first visit to a pawnshop.
Sean: She'd traded some of the money for an almost-as-good-as-new-no-really
Sega Saturn. Her loss.
Eiji: My old man has one of those.
Terry: No way! I always thought they were an urban myth.
> Monica had traded part of the yen for high currency American dollars,
Terry: Why would a Pawn Shop be selling American dollars?
Katherine: They're used dollars.
Terry: Oh.
> then probably went to other pawnshops for trading the rest.
> _____________________________
> Michelle finished counting her money.
Terry: Fourty three New Zealand cents, twelve Yuan, three shekels and a pog.
That's a good haul.
> "60,000 yen. Definately not bad, not bad
> at all.
Sean: Not too good, but still not too bad.
> Of course Genom is going to be a little angry at me. Damn it, what am I
> going to do?
Eiji: Stop being a self-important pest and making all the cannon characters
look like idiots comes to mind.
> They're never going to stop trying to hunt me down or kill me. I'm
> can't do this alone. I'm going to need some. . .help."
Sean: If you need help, and you know how to find them... They are...
The A-Team!
[Long pause]
Katherine: Sean, what the hell was that?
Sean: I have no idea whatsoever.
> Michelle grinned as the possibility came to her.
Sean [Michelle]: Two lab mice who try to take over the world! It's brilliant!
It's an instant hit!
> "It's perfect. I even bet it could actually work.
Terry [Michelle]: I sell my life story to a comic book company! I can see it
now... "The Amazing Nanotech Girl!"
> I just need to make some calls."
Katherine: After that meeting with Madigan, your lawyer might be in order.
Sean: Copyright litigation?
Katherine: Getting your affairs in order.
> _____________________________
> "Fargo, I need to get ahold of the Knight Sabers."
> Fargo looked in disbelief at Ashley, who was sitting in front of her. She didn't
> look insane.
Terry: The red eyes and foam at the mouth are perfectly normal.
> "Any particular reason why."
Eiji [Michelle]: I like the shapes of the bumps in their armour.
Katherine [Michelle]: I want some more people to boss around.
> "A person named Monica told me to. Said some people mistakened
Katherine: Mistakened?
> her for an Angel.
Eiji: It might have been the AT field, or the way she stomped all over the JSDF.
You know, little things like that.
> She also said she need that particular team's help. Can you help me? You're my
> last hope."
Terry [Michelle]: Help me, Ob-Wan Fargoni, you're my only hope.
Sean: Fargoni?
> _______________________________
> "Are you certain this is the right place." Priss asked impatiently as the
> Saber's waited on a rooftop above the meeting place.
Terry: Why Michelle wanted to meet them at a laundromat is anyone's guess.
Eiji [Batman]: Hey, get your own rooftop. I was here first.
> Monica Angel was 10 minutes late and she was the one who set the meeting.
Sean: Don't you know? Being fashionably late is her shtick.
> "These were the directions and the time Fargo gave me." Sylia continued to stare
> downward.
Katherine: Wow. This is so thrilling.
Eiji [Sylia]: Hey check out the boobs on that one. [Katherine clobbers him with
a cushion]
> "Excuse me, are you waiting for me." A calm voice said from behind them. At that
> all four Knight Sabers spun to face Monica.
Eiji: Aack! Don't do that!
> "You wanted to talk to us." Sylia decided to get to the point.
> "Yes, I wanted to badly. I am going to need your help.
Terry: Lady, you need lots of help.
Katherine: [Michelle] Which is why I'm carrying on like a superior jerk.
> I recently got an offer
> from Genom to work for them for a more than reasonable sum of money.
Sean: $5.13 an hour, with a five minute tea break every millenium.
> But I
> declined their offer and I now fear they will try to deal with me in other
> matters."
Katherine [Monica]: Worse yet, they might make me do an honest day's work.
> Sylia thought about it briefly. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we cannot help you."
Terry [Sylia]: No money, no Sabers.
> "May I ask why not?" Monica didn't wait for an answer,
Sean: The raised middle finger on the blue hardsuit said it all.
> "If this is about me
> possibly being a part of some Genom related trap, I allow you to submit me to
> any tests you desire."
Eiji: Ooooh! Pick me! Pick me! I'll happily test her!
> Over the comlink between the Knight Sabers -
Eiji: User |\|3|\|3-(#@|\| has entered the room. [Nene] Jo dud35!
Terry: How did you do that, Eiji?
Eiji: It's a long story that I'll tell you later.
> "I think we should give her a chance."
> "She is obviously part of a Genom trap. If we help her, we're finished."
> "We should give her assistance, but we should be very cautious about doing so."
Katherine: Say, um, who's saying what here?
> "Sylia, my sensors have picked up several boomers coming our way."
Eiji: Beware! Near is evil close!
Sean: Fortunately, Michelle's here to save them all.
> Outside the Comlink -
> "You set us up!" Priss said angrily.
Terry: Actually, those are garbage boomers doing their weekly rounds. Geez, you
guys always overreact like this.
> Monica stepped back a step.
Katherine: Pity she didn't see the edge of the building...
Terry: Well that was dark.
> "No, of course not. I wouldn't do. . ." She looked
> in the direction the boomers were coming in, "Shit, how'd they find me so fast.
Terry: Bugged money?
Sean: Bugged phone line?
Eiji: Bugged Fargo?
Katherine: Nope. Nanite Bob squealed.
> I'd suggest we leave quickly."
All: Run away! Run away!
> "It's too late." The first C55 came in fast and hot, tearing the roof up with
> its weight on landing.
All: TOGG!
> It roared and attacked the nearest Knight Saber as its
> friends attacked the rest of the group.
Sean [Boomer]: OK, I'll take the white one, you get the girl, you get the others.
Eiji [Boomer]: But I wanted the girl!
Sean [Boomer]: OK, you take the girl, he takes the others.
Terry [Boomer]: That leaves me with three Knight Sabers!
Sean [Boomer]: Fine. Be like that. I'll take the Green and Red ones, you take the
Blue and white ones and he gets the girl. Happy?
> "Nene!" Sylia shouted over the comlink. The young woman tried to dodge out of
> the way of the attacking biomechaniod.
Katherine: Is that a real word?
> "Damnit." Mona snarled as she leapt forward and stabbed her sword into a chink
> of the boomer's chest armor. The armor and sword sparked.
Eiji: Shcwing!
> The boomer tried to
> backhand Monica but she ducked the blow. Nene fired her arm laser but it did
> very little damage to the boomer.
Sean: The story of her life.
> Monica rushed forward, yanked her sword out of
> the boomer's chest, and fired her gauntlets point blank into the boomer's wound.
Terry: Well that's going to leave a mark.
> The boomer chest exploded and Monica was flung back.
Katherine: Well that plan really, really worked.
> She could barely keep aware
> because of the sensation of hitting the roof and the feeling that her arms were
> burned badly.
> Sylia had a hard decision to make.
Terry [Sylia]: Should I keep my hair the way it is, or let it grow and go for
the "pale and wavy" look.
> Monica could be part of some elaborate Genom trap
Eiji: Well, there is a big box propped up by a stick hanging over you all...
> or someone who needed their help. She glanced at the fallen woman whose
> gauntlets smoked slightly and who was breathing oddly.
Sean: In... out... in... out... Nothing wrong there.
Katherine: Save for the three minute intervals.
Sean: Well, there is that.
> She gently picked up
> Monica and carried her to the KnightWing. The other Knight Sabers wondered what
> they would do with her.
Eiji [Priss]: I have an idea! But I need a hamster, some whipped cream and a
wetsuit.
Katherine: You watch it, young man.
Terry: So what about the rest of the boomers? [Pause] Anyone?
> ________________________
[The TV switches off]
Sean: Wow, skull. You sure dug up a Stinker for us.
Voice: I didn't actually dig it up for you...
Eiji: So you've been sitting on that reeking heap for twenty years? Man, you are
a looser, head.
Voice: I'm not the game designer.
Eiji: Hey, dad doesn't approve of that either.
Terry: Big surprise.
Katherine: So what happens next?
Voice: Well, if you're interested, I've got to more parts of the fic.
Sean: You're joking, right?
Katherine: Get real. Why would we want to watch more of that?
Eiji: Come on, it's kinda fun.
Sean: Are you crazy?
Terry: No, he's right. It's so bad, it's just funny. Like those old Gappa 2000
movies.
Eiji: Yeah. And I reckon I can rip off Monica for a improbably-gorgeous-yet-still-
tough-and-self-reliant leading babe in the next game we're doing.
Voice: And you're getting paid for it.
Sean: Well there is that.
Terry: There's a new concept.
Voice: So it's settled?
Katherine: Well... I guess.
Terry: Great. It'll be a blast, guys. We just need to clean the place up a bit.
[The screen goes blank. A soft thump is heard]
Sean: What happened to Eiji?
Katherine: You said "clean."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riffed by: Rick R. Mortis (rickr@elmerstudios.com) & Jinas (jinas@elmerstudios.com)
Terry and Eiji Tateo are copyright 1999-2000 Max Fauth (Jinas)
Katherine Bartley & Sean Mortis are copyright 1999-2000 Alex Fauth (Rick R.
Mortis).
Elmer Studios!:
http://www.elmerstudios.com
All of Elmer Studios' MSTings, artwork, character profiles, AAA
conversions and the Satellite of Rednecks in one spot.
Rick's Mecha Madness Page:
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Realm/7194/index.htm
AntiKevs, Mekton Z conversions, fanfic drinking game, the one and only
Common Sense Timeline, crazy Fighters' Anthology .lib and missions, and
Utterly Disturbing Nova Satori Shrine.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
> "Take care of her. Remember that Genom is a respectable company and can't have
> our reputation marred consorting with vigilantes."
(
geocities.com/timessquare/realm) (
geocities.com/timessquare)