From jmiguel@cco.caltech.edu (John Miguel Baker)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.havens-rest
Subject: [New Freedom/Oberon, Inc.] Finally I'm back!
Date: 2 Jun 1993 04:03:31 GMT


As Kevin started announcing the winners of the robot-bikes, Lt. Masato
carefully screened the crowd. All of his crewmates had already won prizes,
although the captain was looking very disappointed at his new ball-point
pen. Toshiro wasn't worried that he hadn't won anything yet, after all,
this was a gratuitous gift-giving, devoid of honorable meaning. It was
good that he did not receive anything, he would just have to decline
acceptance.

"And our fourth winner is. . . Masato Toshiro!"

Wait, was that not his name he heard? Why should he hear his name announced?
His whiskers drooped in puzzlement.

"Uh, Lieutenant," Admiral Mok advised, resplendent in his new Oberon, Inc.
baseball cap, "you are being summoned to accept a gift. A, uh..."
"a very LARGE gift," added Admiral Dut, now wearing Admiral Mok's bowl of
fruit.
"That has very high top speeds."
"It would be rude not to take it,"
"Very ill-advised."
"They might ask us to return our gifts."
"And I really like my hat."

Lt. Masato looked at the machine that loomed before him. His machine.
He decided that the diplomats were right. He had to take it. "YES! Yes!"
Wait, did he say that? He couldn't have said that, could he. Of course not.
His whiskers were twitching out of. . . uh, because he wanted them to. 
Yeah, that's it...

"Masato, my friend," said Geep-Veep, wondering what to do with new jacket that
his wings couldn't possibly fit into, "Ye're stalling. Go ahead and accept
yer gift."

Uh, yes, the gift, that's right, I won. Oh no, I'm going to start acting
like that rat over there, right? No, must contain composure, accept gift 
with honorable reverence, and party-- no, use sensibly. Relax, it's just
a vehicle. A vehicle that can become an amazing battlesuit-- uh, armor
toy. *Food* wanted something like this for spare parts. I bet you can
really get the girls with this thing. Girls with pouches that-- no, must
hold back straight.

Lt. Masato stood up, held his back straight, and passed out.

John Baker