>Part 4 > Ryan and Kain...whom he had found used to have the name Eric on >Earth, CROW: Though he preferred to be called "Bootsie." > had finally returned to their huts JOEL: With special movie posters to decorate the place. > and gotten a bit of sleep. >Even though only about three hours of sleep was right up there with >wanting to twist his ankle for the heck of it, TOM: I think that sentence is in an alternate reality. > he woke up surprisingly >refreshed. JOEL: Pepsi: The choice of a generation trapped in another dimension. > As he opened his eyes, he was aware of another person in the >room with him. CROW: A-waka-chika-waka-chika > He sat up and stared into the shadows. He saw a dark shape, TOM: In the shadows? > and >was suddenly frightened. Who could have gotten in so easily...then he >knew. JOEL: It's Howard Borden! > "Ha, ha...very funny Sonic... CROW: Not that funny. > putting a dummy in the shadows..." JOEL: [ Singing ] There's a dummy in the shadows, Dear Martha, Dear Martha... > "Actually, I consider my self rather clever..." TOM: I'm not, but... > Ryan jumped into the air, CROW: OUCHIE! That's hot. > hoped to come down back on the bed, and >missed. JOEL: Oh, just like Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. TOM: Only not. > After recovering, he quickly scrambled to his feet, and looked >toward the sound of the voice. > A fox stepped out of the shadows. JOEL: Into the unlit room? > Ryan thought to himself, "No >wonder the shape was so dark... TOM: It's night. > her fur is black." CROW: In case you missed her description. > Sandra Nightweaver stepped over to Ryan JOEL: It would've been quicker if she walked. > until only about five feet >separated them. TOM: Also a gulf of sociopolitical ideals. > "Well, well..." Sandra said. "So you're the hominid CROW: Hominid hominid hominid... JOEL: To the moon, pal. >that Packbell's raving about...and human, too." CROW: Vogue it! TOM: Humans are all the fashion in Robotropolis this spring. > Ryan regained his wits and composure, JOEL: And earned an 8.9 from the judges. > and replied to the stranger. CROW: In response. >"Who are you...and who's Packbell?" > The stranger permitted herself a light slap on the cheek. TOM: Mrrrowl! > "How >rude of me not to introduce myself." JOEL: While I was breaking and entering. > She bowed deeply, Ryan knew it was >touched with sarcasm, JOEL: He had remembered to read the script for the scenes he was in. > but not much. "I am Sandra Nightweaver, finder of >information." TOM: "Well, don't you *ever* bow at me like that again, missy." > Ryan allowed himself a small smile, CROW: [ As Ryan ] I am just *so* decadent at times. > and said, "Ah...a euphemism >for a JOEL: New World Wide Web search engine! > spy...isn't it?" > "Clever one, aren't you. TOM: No, I think you have me confused with someone else...oh, wait, I mean... JOEL: Don't be mean. You're insulting a real person there. > I suppose you could say that." > "Thank you. Don't forget, I also asked about this...Packbell >character." CROW: Yeah, but that was like over a whole paragraph ago. We can't remember everything. > "Ah, yes...Robotnik's only android. JOEL: He'd get another one but can't figure out how to make this one's clock stop blinking 12:00. > Capable of basic >emotions... CROW: Also entering sweepstakes... TOM: Changing his long distance telephone carrier... JOEL: Even forming primitive riffs on Star Trek fanfics. > no mercy, however." > "Sounds like a rather pleasant fellow...not." > "Couldn't have said it better myself." CROW: Though it was easier just to give actual information. > Ryan judged Sandra to be quite clever, TOM: This judgment was overturned on appeal. > and not one to trifle with. ALL: [ Shaking ] Trifle trifle trifle trifle trifle! >Sandra judged Ryan in the same way. The mutual respect showed. CROW: Is that mutual respect in your pocket, or... > Both >noticeably relaxed, and were less wary of each other. JOEL: Wanna...mutually respect each other? > "To whom are you loyal, anyway?" Ryan thought aloud. > "No one but myself, but thanks for asking.." TOM: We have some wonderful parting gifts for you, and thanks for playing! > Ryan smiled again, thinking. CROW: [ Nerdy voice ] Ow! That hurts! > "She's good... JOEL: Well, evil, by original affiliation, but... > gotta remember to >never get her mad at me..." > The wooden porch outside the hut TOM: It's a split-level hut, did we mention that? > creaked as someone stepped on it, >and up to my door. JOEL: My door? CROW: This story's in third person first person omniscient limited. > Sandra turned around quickly. > "So sorry. Must go." TOM: "You have a door around here?" > Ryan turned to see who was coming in. JOEL: Hey! It's Quickie Koala! > Standing at the door was >Rotor. > Rotor peered around. "I thought I heard you talking to someone in >here." CROW: Personal lives are tightly regulated here, you know. > Ryan looked around. There was no trace of Sandra. TOM: Hey! We were gonna mutually respect! > "I was, actually." > "Who?" > "I had an interesting conversation JOEL: Almost. > with someone called Sandra-" > "Nightweaver?" Rotor finished. > "Yes. Anything I should know about her?" TOM: Well, she really likes Jerry from Gym class, but won't be in the same room as Minnie from History. CROW: I can pass her a note in Intro French. > "Sally should hear about this one... JOEL: She has such a weird sense of humor. > Sounded like you two got >along... Last time we talked to her, it was for a few minutes, and she TOM: Insisted on giving all her answers as charades. >was still deciding whether to turn us in to Robotnik or not. Obviously >she didn't." > "She seemed trustworthy to me." CROW: She just broke in, admitted herself to be a spy, said she had no loyalties to anyone but herself, and sneaked out, after all. > Rotor wondered for a moment. "To you, maybe. She must be taking >a liking to you... JOEL: I can tell even though I don't know a thing about your conversation. > Still, be careful...and Sally should hear of this." > Ryan nodded. "I'll tell her right now." > Ryan headed out the door...looked left, then right, then right >again. TOM: Darn these gas station maps. CROW: Punch line coming in! > He turned back to Rotor, blushed and smiled weakly. "Which >place is Sally's?" CROW: Ooh! They nailed that one. > Some directions JOEL: It's the one with the mailbox that reads "Sally" on it. > and a few minutes later, Ryan was telling Sally >all that had happened between him and Sandra. TOM: [ As Sally ] "Did you enjoy your mutual respecting, young man?" > "Well, Sally...after I turned and saw it was Rotor...I looked back >and she was gone. No trace of her." > Sally smiled and nodded. JOEL: Whole lot of smiling going on these days. > "Yes, she tends to do that. Thanks for >telling me." > Sally was beginning to trust Ryan more and more. Despite her dark >premonitions TOM: In the part of the story we're not writing. > about the young human, she was beginning to come around, >and see him as a total and complete equal. JOEL: There's an Orwell joke in here somewhere, it's just not coming to me. > She was almost ready to ask >him the questions needed for CROW: Final Jeopardy. > him to become an official Freedom Fighter, >then send him on his first mission. ALL: White Castle run! > Ryan was beginning to like Mobius more and more, but still missed >his old home. CROW: They just can't do wide fields right here. > He couldn't wait to be initiated as a Freedom Fighter. >He knew Sally, Sonic, Bookshire, Rotor, Sir Kain, and some others TOM: Ensign Nameless, Security Guard Deadmeat, and Security Chief Anonymous. > truly >trusted him, but he also saw a few talking about him behind his back. >He realized how they must feel about him being new and human, JOEL: His shoes still squeaked. CROW: New humans do that? JOEL: Oh, sure. > and had >seen what they had been put through by a human, and understood. He just >hoped it didn't escalate. TOM: He might get publicly snubbed. >Part 5 > A few Freedom Fighters stood in a group, listening to rumors and >passing on mostly fanciful information CROW: Like rumors. > about the new addition to the >group. > One looked around quickly. "I heard he really is another android, TOM: And what's wrong with androids? >and he's hypnotized Sonic..." > More began to join in. "Yeah, sure. I'll admit, JOEL: Since that's the only way I'll get a line here. > he probably is >an android, but hypnotizing...nah. Could be that Robotnik's using him >without his knowledge CROW: Robotnik's doing stuff without his own knowledge? > to find Knothole." > "If so," came a voice from behind the group. "We all would have >been caught before this and been roboticized right now." TOM: Well, maybe they're all robots without their own knowledge. > The Freedom Fighters spun around, only to see Bookshire standing >right there. JOEL: "Hey, Bookshire, did you hear some guy talking back there?" > Bookshire shook his head. "How can you just make this all >up? What proof do you have?" CROW: I have a proof, but it's too large for the margin here. > A few glanced around, and one spoke up. "My friend over here," he >said, pointing to another, "says he saw the human talk to a SWATbot in >the woods last night..." CROW: They were necking. > Bookshire looked skeptical. "Did you, really?" He asked. > "Er...um.... No..." TOM: Oh, it's a Sonic The Hedgehog production of "Monty Python And The Holy Grail." > "There you go...nothing but cruel rumors...would you like someone >making up things about you, with no actual knowledge of the subject." JOEL: Depends what kind of things. > "But...the human-" > "He has a name." CROW: Winky. > "Never mind..." > The group wandered away in different directions, JOEL: Aw, we're not a group. Just a bunch. > and Bookshire >shook his head again. CROW: Once more. > He knew that this was going to take a lot of >getting used to...for him as well as everyone else. > Ryan looked from the shadows JOEL: And wondered what the heck he was doing on Babylon 5 all of a sudden. > at Bookshire and smiled. When he saw >Bookshire approach the group, he had moved back into the shadows. He >was very glad to know that someone TOM: Possibly a raccoon. JOEL: Or a walrus. > was helping him out. CROW: Or...not. >Part 6 > Sandra Nightweaver walked back through the forest. TOM: She had little choice as the planet was too small to allow for any other geography. > Finding Ryan >had been quick, but definitely not easy. JOEL: She had to find the house with the mailbox that said, "Probably A Traitor But We Can't Prove It Yet." > She had decided to start her search in Knothole, and was simply >quite lucky that her search had also ended. She had instantly noticed >something different, CROW: His second nose. > and it had taken her awhile to determine which hut >was new, TOM: It was the one with the fresh aluminum siding. > then waiting until everyone else had gone inside. > She rather liked the human. He was clever and quick, CROW: He was? JOEL: Don't be mean, now...we're looking at somebody projecting his self-image in here. I don't want to hurt anybody's ego. > much like >herself, and she then realized TOM: That son of a daughter stole my wallet! > it. She stopped in her tracks JOEL: You know, she actually does stop in her tracks. > and spoke >aloud. > "I...I think of him as an equal...and friend. CROW: All this mutual respect is going to lead to rock and roll, I just know it. > But...I haven't had >a...friend...in a long time." > She looked shocked for a moment, then smiled a bit TOM: Mobius: The smilingest planet in any dimension. > and continued >on. > > Packbell continued his area scan. > "There must be a power signature JOEL: "To my biggest fan, thanks a lot, signed Robbie the Robot..." > somewhere! Unless...unless since >it wasn't the main transport to here...the power was lower, and faded >faster. ARGH!" TOM: I'm getting interference from a Geordi and Data scene. > The android decided not to relieve his stress on a SWATbot, TOM, CROW: Whew! > but >hold it in. JOEL: Excuse me, where's the little android's room? > One day he'd run out of SWATbots at his disposal. CROW: Budgets just ruin all the good scenes. TOM: Budget on a fanfic? > "Hmm.." he thought. "This could work out to be much harder than I >ever expected. JOEL: It's a level 3 Revell/Monogram kit...those are so tricky. TOM: Oh, I know. I tried building a level 3 Apollo spaceship Command and Service Module, it took me like two years before I was done. JOEL: Well, you probably could've done it in half the time if your arms worked. > However, one day, the hominid will stumble across >Robotropolis, TOM: Even though there isn't any good reason to think he will. > and I'll find out more." > Packbell smiled and sat down again, patiently going over reports. CROW: "This book report is on 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,' a book written by the author, Mark Twain, on his writing of it..." > Sally looked up, and smiled. She had finally decided. JOEL: I *like* string. > Ryan would >be a Freedom Fighter. CROW: But he really wants to be a fireman. Who's also a baseball player. > She leaned out the window and called for Sonic. > A minute passed, and Sonic was there. JOEL: Sonic is the best insurance agent we ever had. > Sally smirked. "You must be getting slow...took you almost a full >minute to get here." > "Sorry, Sal. Stopped to make a quick chili dog. TOM: Characterization! > What's up?" > "Sonic, I've decided...I'll give Ryan CROW: A wedgie. > the chance." > "Alright, Sal! I seriously think he'll be a good group member. JOEL: He makes the coolest ashtrays, and he's really good with making bows out of ribbons. >Don't forget I call 'em as well as you." > "How so?" > "I supported Tolouse, CROW: The Trekkie? > didn't I?" > "I'll give you that one, Sonic. TOM: But you'll have to buy the next four at regular club prices. > Now, please get Ryan." > "No prob." > Ryan was lying back on his bed, relaxing, and looking out the >window, enjoying the fresh air and the beam of sunlight that was coming >in. TOM: This sentence brought to you by "Conjunction Junction." > He felt a stronger breeze, CROW: That slapped him in the face. > and had already figured out who it was >before the door opened. TOM: ThunderCat Cheetara! > "Heya, Sonic." > "Hey, bud. JOEL: That's "pal" to you. > Sal wants to talk to you." CROW: She found out you put the stink bomb in the teachers' lounge. > "Seriously?! Wow! I have a chance, don't I?!" > "Can't say for sure, TOM: I wasn't paying attention either. > but hurry up." > Before Sonic could even finish his last sentence, JOEL: Three to five, for malicious mischief. > Ryan was up and >out the door, TOM: His door was on the second floor. > practically running as fast as Sonic. Sonic grinned and >turned around to go find something else to do. CROW: I could alphabetize my socks...could gold-plate the cat...hm... > Ryan ran quickly up to Sally's door, JOEL: And bumped into it with his nose. > opened it, JOEL: Oh. TOM: He's too clever to fall for that. CROW: Quick, too. > and entered, >catching his breath. CROW: Which was much faster than him on the 100 meter sprints. > The heavy weight of excitement TOM: Excitement is made of concrete? > grew on his chest CROW: Oh, uh, you got something on your...ew, that's gross... >as he moved over to Sally, waiting for her to JOEL: Mutually respect him. > say something. > Sally looked up and smiled. "Sit, please." CROW: Sit! Good boy. Here's a Scooby-Snack. > Ryan did. Sally could see the mix of determination and TOM: Bisquick. > excitement >in his eyes, and knew he was going to be very helpful CROW: Moving heavy furniture. > during this awful >war. TOM: They're having a war? CROW: Well, they said something about it, sorta. JOEL: Maybe they just hold it on weekends. > She sat also, and began to ask Ryan about all she wanted to know. CROW: Is it true what they say about fur-less primates? > [[Note: The questions and answers are being kept totally > confidential, TOM: Huh? JOEL: I think we just broke continuity. > as Sally doesn't want the interview to be known by > all, CROW: Just in case somebody reads this story and later ends up being transported to Mobius and wants to fake being a freedom fighter? JOEL: Well, transport to Mobius has happened at least twice, from what this story says. > because she wants to use these questions over to ask others > in the future. See "Run with the Fox", by Kris Kelley, for more > details. TOM: Unless Kris did this same trick. > ]] > > "Well, Ryan...that was the last question. CROW: Did pick up the story's pace, though. TOM: True. Maybe we're about to hit plot. > I just want you to >promise me two things." JOEL: No hogging the peanut butter, and, like, don't be a traitor, okay? > "What's that, Sally?" > "Don't be disappointed..." > Ryan looked down at his feet CROW: Which were down. > with a little bit of a frown. TOM: I have frowny feet. > "And, Ryan?" > "Yes?" Ryan looked up. JOEL: At his nose. > "Don't tell anyone these questions... TOM: [ As Ryan ] What questions? All I got was this little authorial intrusion. > I don't want you giving hints >on how to become a Freedom Fighter." JOEL: But apparently just showing up one day out of nowhere is all it takes, really. > Ryan's face lit up, CROW: Ryan's got halogen nostrils. JOEL: It saves energy, really. > and her jumped to his feet with a shout. TOM: Hey! Who got shout all over my feet? >"ALRIGHT! I made it!" > Sally smiled. JOEL: It *is* the smilingest planet in existence. > "Good job, Ryan. Your first mission is already >coming up. TOM: I want you to return my videos to the store. > It is a bit dangerous for a new member, CROW: But we really don't care about any of the people we're sending out. > but I think you can >handle it. I'm sending you with Sir Kain." JOEL: We don't like him, either. > "Good. I trust Eric, TOM: The Half-a-Kain. > and I think he trusts me as well." JOEL: He left me a chewed-up rat carcass this morning as a gift. > "So..he told you the name he had before... CROW: Well, more like he doesn't seem to not tell anyone his name. > Anyway, exactly why I >chose him to go." JOEL: It's a mystery to me, too. > "When do we leave?" > "Tomorrow. Early morning." TOM: That way you won't have a chance of being prepared. > "What's the mission going to be, anyway?" CROW: You're to be captured, and then killed--oh, wait, forget I said that-- > "Information retrieval. JOEL: Our cable TV is down. > Sonic's uncle, Charles, [ JOEL and CROW giggle ] TOM: Charles the Hedgehog? CROW: Sorry, Charlie. We only roboticize the *best* hedgehogs. > was roboticized, CROW: Oh. >but he has control again. He's our link to Robotnik's information." CROW: www-dot-robotnik-dot-org. > "I see. Fairly easy, but be on guard for the unexpected, eh?" JOEL: Oh...yeah, guard, whatever. > "Exactly. Good luck, Ryan. I believe in CROW: Crystal Light. TOM: I believe in *me*. [ ALL get up and start leaving. ] > you." > "Thanks," Ryan said, smiling. [ BREAK ]