| From: | ragtag@****.caltech.edu (Robert A. Granat) |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: LaPaz |
| Date: | Tue, 19 Mar 1996 16:30:31 -0800 |
>>>>>[
+++++engage Kyuuketsuki.v2.0
Here is the recording you wanted of those, those recent events. I
have included both an edited version and the full wetware record. It
should be interesting, I think, interesting.
+++++intitiate edited.simsense.track
Dark, close space. The flicker of tiny LEDs. Thick fabric of a
flightsuit, rubbing against the skin; the sound of cloth against
cloth. The itch of a trace of stubble. Sweating palms, wiped, then
wiped again. Slow breathing.
The sound of movement, the feel of movement, and an arm flashes by,
backwards. A pause, a fumble, the catch and jerk of something
against cloth, the skin-crawling sensation as the jacks go in.
Suddenly, the transmorgification: skin stretches, becomes hard and
sleek and unyielding. Eyes branch and multiply and then coalesce,
bewildering with shapes and colors. Ears twist and register soft
static. The heart hums and purrs now, great and powerful, buried deep
within; it is the center around which all else moves.
Swiftly, the senses recover. The hiss of static is ignored, the dots
and lines before the eyes acquire meaning, and the feel of skin fades
from consciousness.
At the same time there is an awareness of surroundings, of steel
bulkheads and three like creatures, crouched nearby. They are
brethren.
A moment's pause, and then a small red word appears to one side. It
blinks, "engaging." Somewhere far away, fingers (fingers?) twitch
briefly in anticipation? apprehension? There is a moment, as flesh
intrudes on machine: the prickle of scalp, a sharp exhalation. Then
all is as before.
The heart's purr becomes deeper, more pronounced, and the whole body
is filled briefly with the sensation. More pictures scroll before the
eyes, and in the ears a voice says, "standby."
The enclosure opens, and within moments, a fellow creature leaps into
the cold morning air above. A few seconds later, the voice says,
"go," and the heart revels in a burst of power. The salt air rushes
by, laden with moisture, and gusts buffet and pound against the skin.
It is treacherous, but the heart is strong and the skin and limbs are
clever, using the tricks of the air against itself.
Moments later, the sea flashes close below, and the flight seems
underway. The others are still there, though in some strange way they
cannot be fully seen. A coastline quickly approaches, backlit ever so
slightly by the still rising sun.
Soon the sea is replaced by land; mountain valleys and ravines pass
swiftly below, their features close and sharp. It is not long before
red text flashes again. "Approaching target," it says.
A bewildering array of diagrams spew forth before the eye; several are
quickly highlighted. The belly is pressed close to the ground,
angling to match the slope beneath. There is a sensation strangely
like belching, and suddenly, less weight. The text flashes again:
"drones released."
Then there is a rush of wind, and the lip of a ridge passes below.
The scene ahead flashes alight with highlights; almost immediately
there is a series of strange jolts, and a feeling almost orgiasmic in
nature. Missles, streaming trails of exhaust, streak ahead, impacting
an intensly illuminated cluster of shapes, sending gouts of flame
skyward.
Even as this happens, the view shifts and turns aside, focusing on a
second cluster. Closing quickly, there is just a moment to make out
the shapes of helecopters, before there is another, different, jolting
sensation, accompanied by a hum and vibration. The hapless vehicles
on the ground disintegrate, throwing debris violently in all
directions. A small red number flashes, recording ammo expenditure.
Suddenly, there is an odd flash of distant, ghostly pain, and one of
three small dark icons to one side flashes brightly before subsiding
to a sullen yellow glow. The view rushes on, heedless, past the
compound on the ground.
Air pushes savagely at limbs as the body swings sharply around, and
faces the compound once again. One building in particular lights up,
sharp against its companions. Once again, there is the now familiar
jolting, along with accompanying sensation, this time even more
intense. Missles rush towards the already burning lit building,
replacing it with boiling conflagration.
A few moments later, two shapes rush up behind. Like marsupial
children, they are quickly tucked away inside. The sensation is
peculiar in the extreme, but soon fades into the background.
Then it is up, quickly, over the ridge and down. The trees below are
friends, and they are kept close, green leaves whizzing by almost
close enough to count. The diagrams fade away somewhat, becoming less
pressing, and the realization hits that there are only two companion
vehicles where there were once were three.
+++++finish edited.simsense.track
+++++include wet.record
+++++disengage Kyuuketsuki.v2.0
]<<<<<
-- Rubiy <16:24:12 / 03-19-57>
