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Message no. 1
From: Chris Short Chris@****.demon.co.uk
Subject: Reunion - Part 7
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 19:18:52 GMT
Any chance of part 8, and for that matter parts 1 & 2 as I missed
them.

Ta
Chris@****.demon.co.uk
Message no. 2
From: Chris Short Chris@****.demon.co.uk
Subject: Reunion - Part 7
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 19:18:52 GMT
Any chance of part 8, and for that matter parts 1 & 2 as I missed
them.

Ta
Chris@****.demon.co.uk
Message no. 3
From: Rand Ratinac docwagon101@*****.com
Subject: Reunion - Part 7
Date: Wed, 19 May 1999 19:16:07 -0700 (PDT)
Guys,

Sorry about leaving you hanging like that, but I plum forgot to keep
posting the story.

Anyway, here we go again with the penultimate episode.

=========REUNION - Part 7

I’m sure neither Micky, nor Big Jimmy D, had any idea what was going
on when they first awoke, and I’m equally sure that absolutely scared
the drek out of the both of them. So I suppose that could, in part,
explain how they reacted. By that point of time, however, I didn’t give
a frag for explanations –I guess that explains how I reacted too.
By the time we arrived at the old, abandoned mine, Blaze and Cerberus
were busy getting set up. Not having the resources of a mage with them,
Blaze had doped Jimmy D up with a DMSO/tranquilliser shot from his
SuperSquirt II. The slot was sleeping like a baby when we rolled up.
We quickly lugged Micky into the mine and onto the elevator. Now this
elevator used to work on an old diesel engine. A couple of chains on
either side supported the weight of what was basically a large, open
platform as it dropped into the ground – a couple of hundred METRES
into the ground. A rotten, wooden ‘safety’ rail was all that stood
between the passengers and a long drop off the sides. When we found the
mine a couple of weeks ago, the elevator was in pretty drekky shape.
The motor had burned out long ago and the chains were practically
rusted through. It was perfect.
We made a few alterations to it. We replaced the chains and pulled out
the engine. Two simple hand cranks, one on either side of the platform,
were the only way to move it up. Down, of course, was another matter.
There were only two ways to stop it dropping at full speed into the
mine. The first was to operate the cranks. The second was to step on
the foot brakes. We’d attached a couple of them, one to each of the
cranks.
The funny thing was that neither the cranks nor the brakes worked
unless they were both operated together. In other words, you were
screwed unless there were at least two people on the platform and they
were both stomping on the brakes or they were both working the cranks.
All right, I’ll admit that these were pretty elaborate alterations,
but I thought that if I could actually get Big Jimmy D and Micky
working together that they might decide not to kill each other.
We dumped Micky beside one of the cranks. Jimmy D was already snoozing
under the other one. Then Blaze, Cerberus and I pushed the elevator out
into the mineshaft and Revenant levitated it in place. And we waited.
Micky was the first one to wake up, but Blaze popped him with a small
dose of tranq and put him out again. And we waited some more.
I think I was picking my teeth with a toothpick and the others were
lying around snoozing when our sleeping beauties stirred again. This
time they woke up within seconds of each other. As they were rubbing
their eyes and climbing to their feet, I leaned over and kicked
Revenant in the ankle. "Drop the spell," I whispered. Turns out I
didn’t even need to bother. The shock of the sudden kick apparently
broke Revenant’s concentration. He sat up with a shout of pain, the
others bounced to their feet in surprise – and the elevator started
dropping into the ground.
I scrambled over to the shaft in time to see Micky and Jimmy D land on
their hoops, terror written all over their faces, as the platform began
to pick up speed. "The brakes!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "Step
on the brakes!" The pair of them looked up at me, looked down at the
hand cranks as they merrily whizzed around and then jumped on the
brakes faster than I would have thought possible for unaugmented
humans.
There was a horrendous screech as the brakes began to slow their fall.
About fifty metres below me, the elevator finally drew to a halt. It
took a few moments for them to catch their breath again, then, almost
as one, they looked up at me.
"Blood? What the frag is going on?"
"Where am I, Bobby?"
As soon as they spoke, they realised they weren’t alone on the
platform. "Frag," I muttered. This was not looking good. Even at this
distance, I could see Micky’s shocked expression, and Jimmy D’s
features drawing into lines of hatred and outrage.
"You!" Big Jimmy screeched. He shifted around, ready to throw himself
on Micky. Before he could move I jumped to my feet.
"Sit down and shut the frag up!" I bellowed. Oddly enough, that seemed
to catch their attention. "Look, you stupid bastards," I seethed, "I
have spent the last six weeks of my life trying to keep the both of you
dumb slots alive!" I jabbed a finger at Jimmy D. "Micky, I lied to you.
I took this scumbag’s contract, because it was the only thing I could
think of to stop him going out and hiring someone else. Jimmy, I lied
to you too. I’m the guy Micky hired to kill you."
Big Jimmy’s jaw was hanging open like a broken trap and Micky was
staring at me incredulously. "Why, Bobby?" he asked.
I nearly blew up at that. How stupid could two people be? "Because
you, you stupid frag, are my friend and I owe you, and because that
bastard pays me well, that’s why!"
There. You see? I told you I’m not a nice guy. The whole reason why I
tried to keep the both of them alive is because I owed one of them and
the other one was my meal ticket. If Big Jimmy D hadn’t paid me so well
for so many years, I would’ve just taken both his and Micky’s
contracts, then knocked the dumb slot off. Morals are wonderful things,
aren’t they?
"Listen up, you fraggin’ morons. I’ve got some news for the both of
you. Micky – your boss only wanted to kill you because he’s a paranoid
slot and he thought you wanted him dead. Jimmy – Micky was drunk when
he threatened you. Do you hear me? Drunk! He never meant a word of it!
The only reason he hired me to geek you was because I convinced him
that was the only way you wouldn’t off him first!
"The pair of you have been living in the most god-awful conditions for
the past six weeks, all because you’re both STUPID! Don’t you think
you’ve had enough of this? All you have to do is call off your
contracts on each other and go back to your lives and we can all live
happily ever after. Frag, I’ll even pay the both of you back every cent
you gave me for this mess!
"Now listen to me," I continued, more softly. "You two are stuck down
there together. If one of you lets off his brake, the both of you go
down. If you want to get out of there alive, then both of you – both of
you, mind – are going to have to work together. Grab a crank, start
turning it and you’ll get out of this – together!"
Maybe it would have worked. Maybe they would have worked together to
get out and found out that they could rely on each other. Maybe – if
only Jimmy D hadn’t been such a nasty, hateful slot. I could see Micky
was thinking about what I’d said. Big Jimmy, on the other hand, looked
at Micky, looked at me, looked at Micky again – then screamed and threw
himself across the platform at Micky. I groaned, the elevator started
to drop again and Micky yelled and threw a right cross that floored
Jimmy D.
I glanced at Revenant, snapped my fingers and pointed at the rapidly
descending platform. Then I turned away. I simply couldn’t take it
anymore. If the fraggers were too stupid to live, then I wasn’t about
to make them.
I started walking and I didn’t stop until I was a long way from the
mine. Then I leant against a tree and tried not to cry from sheer
frustration.
Eventually the rest of the crew pulled up in Cerberus’ van. Revenant
was the first one out. He walked up to me and quietly said, "I knocked
them out again then lowered the platform to the bottom of the
mineshaft."
I grunted.
"They were still asleep when we left. When they wake up again they
might go back to killing each other – or they might actually decide to
work together."
I grunted and shrugged.
The tall, stately mage looked at me for a long moment, then walked
away and Pepper took his place.
My crazy woman rubbed herself up against me and nibbled my earlobe. I
sighed, then reached out to her. Stroking back her spiky, fluorescent
green hair, I kissed her forehead. Sometimes I wish she’d do something
about her hairstyle. It isn’t exactly inconspicuous. "Come on, little
witch," I said. "Let’s get out of here."
==Doc'
(aka Mr. Freaky Big, Super-Dynamic Troll of Tomorrow)

.sig Sauer
_____________________________________________________________
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Message no. 4
From: Rand Ratinac docwagon101@*****.com
Subject: Reunion - Part 7
Date: Wed, 19 May 1999 19:16:07 -0700 (PDT)
Guys,

Sorry about leaving you hanging like that, but I plum forgot to keep
posting the story.

Anyway, here we go again with the penultimate episode.

=========REUNION - Part 7

I’m sure neither Micky, nor Big Jimmy D, had any idea what was going
on when they first awoke, and I’m equally sure that absolutely scared
the drek out of the both of them. So I suppose that could, in part,
explain how they reacted. By that point of time, however, I didn’t give
a frag for explanations –I guess that explains how I reacted too.
By the time we arrived at the old, abandoned mine, Blaze and Cerberus
were busy getting set up. Not having the resources of a mage with them,
Blaze had doped Jimmy D up with a DMSO/tranquilliser shot from his
SuperSquirt II. The slot was sleeping like a baby when we rolled up.
We quickly lugged Micky into the mine and onto the elevator. Now this
elevator used to work on an old diesel engine. A couple of chains on
either side supported the weight of what was basically a large, open
platform as it dropped into the ground – a couple of hundred METRES
into the ground. A rotten, wooden ‘safety’ rail was all that stood
between the passengers and a long drop off the sides. When we found the
mine a couple of weeks ago, the elevator was in pretty drekky shape.
The motor had burned out long ago and the chains were practically
rusted through. It was perfect.
We made a few alterations to it. We replaced the chains and pulled out
the engine. Two simple hand cranks, one on either side of the platform,
were the only way to move it up. Down, of course, was another matter.
There were only two ways to stop it dropping at full speed into the
mine. The first was to operate the cranks. The second was to step on
the foot brakes. We’d attached a couple of them, one to each of the
cranks.
The funny thing was that neither the cranks nor the brakes worked
unless they were both operated together. In other words, you were
screwed unless there were at least two people on the platform and they
were both stomping on the brakes or they were both working the cranks.
All right, I’ll admit that these were pretty elaborate alterations,
but I thought that if I could actually get Big Jimmy D and Micky
working together that they might decide not to kill each other.
We dumped Micky beside one of the cranks. Jimmy D was already snoozing
under the other one. Then Blaze, Cerberus and I pushed the elevator out
into the mineshaft and Revenant levitated it in place. And we waited.
Micky was the first one to wake up, but Blaze popped him with a small
dose of tranq and put him out again. And we waited some more.
I think I was picking my teeth with a toothpick and the others were
lying around snoozing when our sleeping beauties stirred again. This
time they woke up within seconds of each other. As they were rubbing
their eyes and climbing to their feet, I leaned over and kicked
Revenant in the ankle. "Drop the spell," I whispered. Turns out I
didn’t even need to bother. The shock of the sudden kick apparently
broke Revenant’s concentration. He sat up with a shout of pain, the
others bounced to their feet in surprise – and the elevator started
dropping into the ground.
I scrambled over to the shaft in time to see Micky and Jimmy D land on
their hoops, terror written all over their faces, as the platform began
to pick up speed. "The brakes!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "Step
on the brakes!" The pair of them looked up at me, looked down at the
hand cranks as they merrily whizzed around and then jumped on the
brakes faster than I would have thought possible for unaugmented
humans.
There was a horrendous screech as the brakes began to slow their fall.
About fifty metres below me, the elevator finally drew to a halt. It
took a few moments for them to catch their breath again, then, almost
as one, they looked up at me.
"Blood? What the frag is going on?"
"Where am I, Bobby?"
As soon as they spoke, they realised they weren’t alone on the
platform. "Frag," I muttered. This was not looking good. Even at this
distance, I could see Micky’s shocked expression, and Jimmy D’s
features drawing into lines of hatred and outrage.
"You!" Big Jimmy screeched. He shifted around, ready to throw himself
on Micky. Before he could move I jumped to my feet.
"Sit down and shut the frag up!" I bellowed. Oddly enough, that seemed
to catch their attention. "Look, you stupid bastards," I seethed, "I
have spent the last six weeks of my life trying to keep the both of you
dumb slots alive!" I jabbed a finger at Jimmy D. "Micky, I lied to you.
I took this scumbag’s contract, because it was the only thing I could
think of to stop him going out and hiring someone else. Jimmy, I lied
to you too. I’m the guy Micky hired to kill you."
Big Jimmy’s jaw was hanging open like a broken trap and Micky was
staring at me incredulously. "Why, Bobby?" he asked.
I nearly blew up at that. How stupid could two people be? "Because
you, you stupid frag, are my friend and I owe you, and because that
bastard pays me well, that’s why!"
There. You see? I told you I’m not a nice guy. The whole reason why I
tried to keep the both of them alive is because I owed one of them and
the other one was my meal ticket. If Big Jimmy D hadn’t paid me so well
for so many years, I would’ve just taken both his and Micky’s
contracts, then knocked the dumb slot off. Morals are wonderful things,
aren’t they?
"Listen up, you fraggin’ morons. I’ve got some news for the both of
you. Micky – your boss only wanted to kill you because he’s a paranoid
slot and he thought you wanted him dead. Jimmy – Micky was drunk when
he threatened you. Do you hear me? Drunk! He never meant a word of it!
The only reason he hired me to geek you was because I convinced him
that was the only way you wouldn’t off him first!
"The pair of you have been living in the most god-awful conditions for
the past six weeks, all because you’re both STUPID! Don’t you think
you’ve had enough of this? All you have to do is call off your
contracts on each other and go back to your lives and we can all live
happily ever after. Frag, I’ll even pay the both of you back every cent
you gave me for this mess!
"Now listen to me," I continued, more softly. "You two are stuck down
there together. If one of you lets off his brake, the both of you go
down. If you want to get out of there alive, then both of you – both of
you, mind – are going to have to work together. Grab a crank, start
turning it and you’ll get out of this – together!"
Maybe it would have worked. Maybe they would have worked together to
get out and found out that they could rely on each other. Maybe – if
only Jimmy D hadn’t been such a nasty, hateful slot. I could see Micky
was thinking about what I’d said. Big Jimmy, on the other hand, looked
at Micky, looked at me, looked at Micky again – then screamed and threw
himself across the platform at Micky. I groaned, the elevator started
to drop again and Micky yelled and threw a right cross that floored
Jimmy D.
I glanced at Revenant, snapped my fingers and pointed at the rapidly
descending platform. Then I turned away. I simply couldn’t take it
anymore. If the fraggers were too stupid to live, then I wasn’t about
to make them.
I started walking and I didn’t stop until I was a long way from the
mine. Then I leant against a tree and tried not to cry from sheer
frustration.
Eventually the rest of the crew pulled up in Cerberus’ van. Revenant
was the first one out. He walked up to me and quietly said, "I knocked
them out again then lowered the platform to the bottom of the
mineshaft."
I grunted.
"They were still asleep when we left. When they wake up again they
might go back to killing each other – or they might actually decide to
work together."
I grunted and shrugged.
The tall, stately mage looked at me for a long moment, then walked
away and Pepper took his place.
My crazy woman rubbed herself up against me and nibbled my earlobe. I
sighed, then reached out to her. Stroking back her spiky, fluorescent
green hair, I kissed her forehead. Sometimes I wish she’d do something
about her hairstyle. It isn’t exactly inconspicuous. "Come on, little
witch," I said. "Let’s get out of here."
==Doc'
(aka Mr. Freaky Big, Super-Dynamic Troll of Tomorrow)

.sig Sauer
_____________________________________________________________
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