From CHM173S@vma.smsu.edu (Chris Meadows) Newsgroups: alt.pub.havens-rest Subject: [Oberon, Inc.] [Louis] [others] Winner #1: Louis?!? Date: Thu, 13 May 93 02:08:19 CDT ADMIN: The following people own characters in this story and helped me out in the writing to some extent "Department of Happy Mammals, Branch Office" "metlay" Scott 2G Kellogg skellogg@lonestar.utsa.edu (Scott S. Kellogg) fogelinc@pt.cyanamid.com (Carl Fogelin) Kevin sat back down at the console and hit the keys to start randomization of prize selection. Each prize would be given completely at random, and there were enough prizes to be sure that almost everyone took one home. First to be chosen would be the five mecha winners, then various other prizes, from gift certificates to home entertainment centers. However, the mecha would be announced last, to build suspense. Jerry was pulling out all the stops, Kevin had to admit. But the combined value of all his prizes (except for the mechabikes) was less than the profits that would be made from selling three mechabikes (or so Jerry said, he was the one with the business sense, Kevin was just around because he was his brother...and he was beginning to wonder if it had been such a good idea). If enough people bought mecha, they'd come out ahead in the long run...or so Jerry said. Kevin propped his feet up and watched Jerry's discourse on the Skylark Mod 5 hover sports speeder mech. Their fastest model, which could supposedly do 450 kph (though the fastest Kevin had ever taken it was to 360--it tended to get a bit unstable at high speeds, and Kevin didn't like it), it was also their most expensive, at 105,000 credits stripped, 165,000 credits and up with luxury options. Naturally, it was just the same as all the other mecha in that it had no weapons or armor of any kind. Kevin really couldn't see why anyone would buy it. But then, he just raced bikes for a living--or he had. After Jerry drew the demonstration to a close, he walked back over to the desk where Kevin was. "And now it's time to announce the winners of our door prizes! Kevin...hit it." A large TV screen built into one of the far walls lit up, with a picture of one of the people in the audience. "You've just won a 20-credit SereNet gift certificate...you may pick up your prize at the desk." More pictures flashed, more prizes were awarded. Kristoph won a 50-credit gift certificate for Vector Mechanics, to his combined surprise, amusement, and disgust. "Kro... Thunderbird-3 could use an engine tune..." suggested Corrazone. Kristoph just shrugged. Foxbat got a free music chip/disc of his choice from a local video store. Most members of the crowd took something home. And then it came time to award the Big Prizes--the mecha. Five Excalibur Mechabikes were being given away to the selected winners. Everyone in the audience who hadn't won something already looked at each other nervously. Who would be first? Who would win the grand prize? Elly looked around at the other people in the crowd. She recalled with a guilty start that she'd filled out a form of some sort at the door when she'd come in. "Oops," she said softly, one hand to her mouth. Corrazone looked about nervously, his fingers waved about until he remembered his opponants standing nearby. He balled up his fists and crossed his arms in an effort to keep still, but that didn't stop his tail from twitching. Louis was at the snack bar, cheeks puffed out with some more of the little triangular sandwiches (race memory?), determined to eat something. She looked up blankly, vaguely aware that something was going on. The picture digitized into existance. It was a puffy-cheeked rodentoid face on a rodentoid body, clad in a poorly buttoned short and baggy trousers. Louis looked at it vaguely for a couple of moments, and then flinched as she recognized it. "Hm," she said. For a moment she just stood there looking at it, cheeks puffed out. She swallowed with an effort, looking faintly ill as the unnecessary food hit her stomach. "What? What're you playin' at? What's that, uh, what's that big picture for?" Jerry walked over to Louis and said, "It's because you, uh..." "Louis," Kevin whispered into a microphone at the desk. "Her name is Louis." "...uh, right, Louis, you have won a brand new Excalibur bike." Jerry waved his arm at the bike in question, the one he had done the demonstration in earlier. "It's all yours. We'll be glad to teach you how to use it, and we offer a maintenance program, too." She was silent a long moment, deep in thought. Then: "Huh?" Jerry nodded, trying to figure out what was wrong with her, and said again, "It's all yours." Louis looked the bike over. It was long, low, impressive- looking. Two wheels rear, one front. Yellow and gray plastic `armor'. Funny thrust verniers towards the back in a couple of places. Looked powerful. "So, uh," she said, "what do I do with it now?" Jerry shrugged. "Whatever you want...as long as its legal." He grinned that slick grin of his that usually ingratiated him with women and made small children mistrust him. "It is officially your vehicle now." It started to sink in. She pulled on her tail, and after a time long enough for it to be kept secret it didn't want to let go of the food table leg, it came free. Fumbling through the crowd, she got to the raised platform where the thing was sitting (where it also gave the illusion of plowing through stop signs without slowing), and dragged herself up to look at it. Then she hopped on, adjusting her tail's position. "Well," she said. Elly giggled at the spectacle Louis made sitting on the big bike. "But I'm glad for her," she said. "It looks like so much fun..." She looked worried for a moment. "I hope I don't win. Ree would give me a serious nahora." After a moment, she looked wistful and whispered very softly, "I DO hope I win. I DO." Python looked at Louis on the bike, his remembered visions of her stumbling into the Rest and babbling incoherantly didn't mesh his vision of road saftey. He whispered quietly to Elly, "Uh-oh. It's the Remco Roadkill ROAD-ent." [To Be Continued, Eventually...] -- Chris Meadows || NOTICE: I will be gone for two CHM173S@SMSVMA.BITNET || or three weeks, starting on Fri- CHM173S@VMA.SMSU.EDU || day, May 14 and ending in early CMEADOWS@NYX.CS.DU.EDU || June. Sorry for any inconvenience. From CHM173S@vma.smsu.edu (Chris Meadows) Newsgroups: alt.pub.havens-rest Subject: Re: [Oberon, Inc.] [Louis] [others] Winner #2: Vedeemer! Date: Fri, 14 May 93 12:41:30 CDT Written by: fogelinc@pt.Cyanamid.COM (Carl Fogelin) skellogg@lonestar.utsa.edu (Scott S. Kellogg) Edited by: chm173s@smsvma.bitnet (Chris Meadows) Jerry looked over at Kevin with a slightly non-plussed expression. He was expecting EXCITEMENT, CRYING, something LOUD. Looking back at the rodentoid, he sighed, and then a new look crept into his eyes--there was an new angle to exploit. Yup. He nodded. Who knew what the next one would be like? Jerry once again caught the attention of the crowd as he pointed to a red and black mechabike, its keys dangling from his left hand. "Kevin, who's the lucky winner of this BRAND NEW EXCALIBUR!" All eyes shifted away from the beautiful trike and towards the large screen. The photo that came into focus was that of a young blond-haired kid wearing a _Dead Vargr_ concert tee shirt. Vedemeer imediately recognized himself and whooped with surprise. "Whhhaaaaahhhhooooo!!!!" He jumped up and down and raised both arms in victory into the air. Pirouetting around, he pointed at Corrazone and Kristoph, fired his imaginary pistols at them and laughed. Foxbat held up a massive arm, and the Dynamic Duo launched into the air for a high altitude high five. "YEAH!" Then Vedemeer quickly knelt down on one knee, reached for the sky and pumped his right arm down, his hand in a fist, while saying "Yessss!!!" Foxbat pounded on his back heavily. Jerry grinned. This was more like it! He quickly looked at Kevin who nodded, yes he was recording the kid's reaction. Suddenly Vedemeer sprung to his feet and dashed towards Jerry. He snatched the keys from Jerry's hand and slid to a halt by the bike on his knees. "Oh baby, baby" he said, reaching out to the trike. It was obviously love at first sight. Foxbat was half a step behind his pal with a huge grin. -- Chris Meadows || NOTICE: I will be gone for two CHM173S@SMSVMA.BITNET || or three weeks, starting on Fri- CHM173S@VMA.SMSU.EDU || day, May 14 and ending in early CMEADOWS@NYX.CS.DU.EDU || June. Sorry for any inconvenience. From CHM173S@vma.smsu.edu (Chris Meadows) Newsgroups: alt.pub.havens-rest Subject: [Oberon, Inc.] Winner #3: Kristoph! Date: Fri, 14 May 93 13:41:21 CDT Written by: skellogg@lonestar.utsa.edu (Scott S. Kellogg) Edited by: chm173s@smsvma.bitnet (Chris Meadows) Foxbat and Vedemeer were still lording it over the Undertakers when Jerry turned back to the crowd to announce the third winner. Ever the showman, Jerry turned out to the crowd with a flashing grin behind his shades. "Ok Kevin, let's see who our NEXT lucky winner *IS*... All faces went to the screen as people strained to see the face emerge. The picture formed slowly, like a cheshire cat in reverse, starting with a silly grin and forming into a face. A face with a loud tie and a somber jacket. Kristoph just stood there slack jawed. He didn't seem to hear his name being called. Fate had delt Kristoph very few really good hands: Vera being the dearest. He still didn't understand how he'd won that one, but he was thankful. This kinda thing just didn't happen to him. He was the one who got gift certificates to his father's garage. When he went Trick or Treating, he was always the Charlie Brown: `I got a candy apple!' `I got a stick of gum!' `I got a candy bar!' `I got a rock.' It was Corrazone that was bounding up and down beside him. The vargr was a bouncing blurry bundle of fur barking with glee. He latched onto Kristoph's arm and hauled him up to the bike, barking "Thunderbird FIVE! Thunderbird FIVE!" He danced around Kristoph singing: "I've got a bike You can ride it if you like It's got a basket, a bell that rings And things to make it look good! I'd give it to you if I could But I borrowed it!" Kristoph accepted the keys from Jerry with wonder in his eyes. He falteringly stepped closer to the bright red mechabike murmuring, "man-oh-manohmanohmanohmanohmanOhManOhManOhMan OHMANOHMANOHMAN!" Python looked on jealously. Still, he had Thunderbird-3 on more or less permanent loan... He gently pulled Elly closer to the stage, "Man oh Man, Kristoph! You're going to *KILL* yourself with that thing!" "Who moi?" asked Kristoph in an overexaggerated "master-of-the-situation" voice. "Hey, I can handle anything." For effect, he polished his nails on his coat lapels, took a step toward the bike and tripped into a somersault that nearly landed him face down on the stage. He laughed at his own prat-fall. Corrazone hauled him up with an infectious grin. "He's right you know." he said in an overexaggerated motherly tone, "You're going to poke your eye out!" Foxbat and Vedemeer just sneered at them. Kristoph turned to Jerry, "Oh MAN! Ican'tbelieveit! ThisisGreat! ThankyouThankyouThankyouThankyouThankyouThankyou ThankyouThankyou!" Suddenly, he turned and grabbed Corrazone by the shoulder, "SIMON!" Corrazone hit on the idea instantly. "SimonSimonSimonSimonSimon!" The vargr began unlooping his belt and hauled out a black box while Kristoph looked for the computer jack in. In a flash, Simon was connected up and began feeding himself into the Mech's computer. -- Chris Meadows || NOTICE: I will be gone for two CHM173S@SMSVMA.BITNET || or three weeks, starting on Fri- CHM173S@VMA.SMSU.EDU || day, May 14 and ending in early CMEADOWS@NYX.CS.DU.EDU || June. Sorry for any inconvenience. From CHM173S@vma.smsu.edu (Chris Meadows) Newsgroups: alt.pub.havens-rest Subject: [Oberon, Inc.] [New Freedom] Winner #4: Lt. Masato [DELAYED] Date: Fri, 14 May 93 14:14:54 CDT The next winner is Lt. Masato; however, the post of that has been delayed, since I haven't received it from its author yet. I will probably not get it until June, when I get back, so I hereby give the author permission to go ahead and write/post it without my in- put. He can probably figure out what to say from all the other winners' entries, anyway. Later! -- Chris Meadows || NOTICE: I will be gone for two CHM173S@SMSVMA.BITNET || or three weeks, starting on Fri- CHM173S@VMA.SMSU.EDU || day, May 14 and ending in early CMEADOWS@NYX.CS.DU.EDU || June. Sorry for any inconvenience. From CHM173S@vma.smsu.edu (Chris Meadows) Newsgroups: alt.pub.havens-rest Subject: [Oberon, Inc.] [Louis] [Others] Winner #5: Elly?! Date: Fri, 14 May 93 14:33:26 CDT Written Jointly By: metlay@netcom.com (metlay) ST214@Jetson.UH.EDU (Department of Happy Mammals, Branch Office) skellogg@lonestar.utsa.edu (Scott S. Kellogg) chm173s@smsvma.bitnet (Chris Meadows) The tension in the room was now palpable. Foxbat and Vedeemer were alternating between arguing over whose mechabike it REALLY was, interspersed with glares at Kristoph and Corrazone, who were looking over their new acquisition with a mixture of awe and discomfort while Simon was taking a look inside the mecha's computers and seemed to be enjoying his new home. Lt. Masato, like Louis, simply appeared to be in shock. "And now," Kevin announced, "The last door prize-- the final Excalibur mechabike!" He indicated the last bike in the lineup, a vision in pure white with matte black and silver trim. Its stark simplicity stood out in marked contrast to the festive colors of the other bikes. The randomizer whirled once more, and Kevin said with a flourish, "And the winner IIIIIIIIIIS....!" A photo appeared on the master viewscreen of a young girl with stringy brown hair and the beginnings of a horrid case of acne, smiling timidly. "Miss Y-y-Yale? Uh, Yale Goldenfarb," Kevin fumbled. "Yael," Elley whispered in a tiny voice, her eyes so wide you could see white all around the irises. "I won. I WON!" She flashed a huge smile, and jumped up and down in place, clapping her hands in joy. Python smiled and punched her lightly in the shoulder. Cocking her head to one side, Louis looked at her as if Elly were some sort of curious undersea creature. She glanced around. "Girls," the rat-girl said, cryptically, explaining to herself. Then, suddenly, Elly covered her mouth with her hands and began to shake. "Ree's going to kill me. I'll be grounded for life...." She raised her fists to her chin in stark terror, staring up at her photo on the wall. "I never should've filled out that form! I'm gonna get in TROUBLE! What'm I gonna do...?" Python blanched. Then he grinned evilly. Corrazone's ears went up. He looked between Kristoph, Elly and Python, something was up, and it STANK like day old fish. Her voice trailed off, and she refocused with difficulty on Kevin, who was standing in front of her with the keys in his hand, smiling down at her. Gently he took her clenched fist in his hand, opened it, and dropped the keys into it, closing it again. "She's all yours, miss," he said. "Congratulations. The on-board computer will be a big help to you as long as you leave it in tutorial mode; we'll provide maintainance and training for as long as you need it." He gently placed a hand between her shaking shoulders and gave her a gentle shove toward the gleaming white bike. "Go on," he urged. "Don't be scared." Elly crept toward the bike as if it would bite her, then reached out a trembling hand and softly touched the shining forward mudguard. She very slowly ran her hand over the cowling, the seat, the controls. She bit her lower lip, and looked over her shoulder at Python and the other Undertakers. Then, hesitantly, she managed a tiny wisp of a smile. She looked back at the bike again, and her smile widened. Very gingerly, she scrambled up onto the seat, settling in place and looking at the controls. Her brows furrowed and she pulled on her lower lip carefully, and she began to whisper to herself as she touched each gauge and switch with a fingertip. She looked up at Python again. "I think... I think can do this," she whispered. Her smile, just for a moment, became more dazzling than anything Ree could produce. "I CAN DO IT!" She squealed in delight and clapped her hands again, looking down at the bike. Louis hmm-ed a little, an ear flicking around. She pulled her tail around her waist, and fumbled the correct key into the ignition. The Ex started up with a low thrumming sort of noise. LED gauges lit up around the central crt, everything in the green. "Well," said Louis, trying to reach the footrests (the 'bike not having been calibrated down to the proper scale yet), "I can do it too, then." Heh heh, she thought, starting to grin at the idea.... As the winners sat down on their bikes and played with the controls or whatever, Jerry announced, "As an added bonus, each of the bikes also comes with a flight suit and helmet specifically custom-fitted to the rider..." He nodded to Kristoph and Corrazone, and Foxbat and Vedeemer, and said, "And in your cases, since I can see you guys are probably going to be sharing a lot anyway...yeah, I'll make it two suits and helmets for you." Foxbat and Vedeemer looked a bit rebellious at the idea of having to wear a helmet, until Jerry pointed out the holographic imaging HUD setup inside it. "It's especially handy in robot mode," Jerry added. Louis looked a bit unsure--would a helmet fit her rodentoid head? But she needn't have worried...the helmet that Jerry handed her fit like a glove. "Remember, the on-board computers will help you a great deal," Jerry said. "They have a tutorial mode, and also, for a slight fee, they can be upgraded to allow full SereNet connection. Any questions you have, you can bring to me or Kev, we'll always be here, or we should be. And our staff are also more than willing to help." Jerry walked back to the desk. "Okay...now that we have our winners, we're ready to take YOUR orders." There was a rush for the counter as about half the people in the showroom got in line. Jerry grinned at Kevin. "It's working out great!" Kevin nodded. "Yeah. But now we're going to have PW to deal with..." "Don't worry," Jerry said. "I can handle him." Kevin hoped so. He really did. ADMIN: Enjoy these posts; they're the last from me you're going to see for a while! I'm leaving in about half an hour; I won't be back until June 7th! Hopefully, I can get some writing done while I'm away, and come back with the next [Oberon, Inc.] entries ready to post. Meanwhile, I'm really looking forward to seeing how the winners deal with their new mechabikes. Remember, these are NOT combat machines. They just have an advanced plastic shell, which will protect from crashes but NOT from weapons, even small arms fire. Anyway, it's been a lot of fun writing here, and I hope I can continue very soon. Later! ---Chris Meadows -- Chris Meadows || NOTICE: I will be gone for two CHM173S@SMSVMA.BITNET || or three weeks, starting on Fri- CHM173S@VMA.SMSU.EDU || day, May 14 and ending in early CMEADOWS@NYX.CS.DU.EDU || June. Sorry for any inconvenience.