ADVENTURES OF BOBBY BOBALONG

[Herculine]

I've just realized who you remind me of, Maharg...

 

Have you ever read DAD'S NUKE by Marc Laidlaw?

 

If not you should. I know you'll appreciate his sense of satirical humor.

 

A wonderful read, as always. :biggrin:

[Maharg67]

Thank you Herculine

 

I have checked out a review of the novel you suggested (DAD'S NUKE by Marc Laidlaw) and will check on it further

 

Please check out SUPER MUTANTS THE MUSICAL in Zippy Zip-A-Lot and tell me what you think of it

 

Again, thank you Herculine

[dezdimona]

again,thank you for sharing your creativity with us.

[Maharg67]

You are welcome, Dezdimona!!

 

LOL and remember you are still loved and like by many folk

[Maharg67]

ELEVEN

DISCOVERING WONDER MACHINES

 

The machine was more like a great weird alien art work, a sculpture verging both on the rational and the insane. Many parts of it were false, were there to change the appearance and to reflect the designer’s own preoccupations. The central tower looked like a tall red brick lighthouse complete with revolvable spotlight at the top but going down around the outside from the top was a great big slippery dip, helter skelter fashion such as in the old amusement slide towers. But as if to add to the insanity the tower was also a windmill and four great big sail type rotors slowly turned clockwise. On the very opposite side of the tower from the windmill rotors was a big old fashioned clock complete with metal figures that came out and did various things. The whole tower was slowly turning on its base, clockwise. At the base were eight evenly spaced doors that, if any one of them had faced north, would have corresponded to the eight compass directions.

 

The strangeness was made more so by its sheer size for it reared upwards in the great chamber a full thirty metres in height.

 

Flanagan smiled. “Looks almost pleasurable.”

 

Bobby shook his head. “Looks, in this case, are definitely deceiving. This is one of President JPJ’s Randomised Transformational Exchangers or RTEs. Somebody walks through one of those doors and, about an hour later, slides out of the machine but is changed somehow.”

 

The Clanguard Captain shook her head in puzzlement. “Why do this?”

 

“Insanity!” Bobby indicated the doors of the great slowly turning tower. “Because the President used to enjoy sending prisoners into the towers to see what would come out. Prisoners were often just people snatched off the streets of the Enclaves. In the end nobody mourned his passing. Despite appearances it is not truly active but is locked down; best that it is left that way.”

 

Then he turned and pointed to a second great machine in that vast metallic chamber. “If the Shadowclanners and the invading Warlords want anything it is more likely to be something like that. A Regenerative/Replicator with a random element to it.”

 

The machine was an metallic octopus with tentacles snaking out either side to support two great disk shaped platforms and between them a smaller control platform.

 

He pointed to the big platform to their left. “Put a damaged car there and in theory it will vanish; one, two or even three fully repaired duplicates will appear on the other platform but there is always a chance of disaster, of a mangled wreck appearing or even worse. Still, there might also be less dangerous changes. In this case the World President did not want this but control factors were never quite ironed out fully though they were much improved.”

 

There was one more great machine in that vast chamber. It was shaped like a very thick metallic castle wall curving inwards half around a great big disk shaped platform. On the inside of the wall were nine big double doors and on the wall three big towers shaped like guard towers except each was topped by a metallic dome of translucent material.

 

Bobby cursed softly and looked grieved.

 

Captain Flanagan spoke to him after a moment. “What is it?”

 

Bobby sighed deeply as if with both sadness and regret. “It is known as a Reclaimer of Lost Souls. All three of these so called wonder machines will remain locked down. Of the three, this is the most dangerous. Now to do some more exploring of this place.”

 

TO BE CONTINUED

Edited May 8, 2010 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

TWELVE

THE HELPFUL VALUE OF WAYGATES

 

The Chamber of no less than eight Waygates was soon being operated. First to come through from other parts of the Clansway were Wayguardians with their Wayguard soldiers to start supervision of these teleportation gates as was their right and responsibility. Then envoys, couriers and others came through. Thankfully only two people failed to come through of the hundreds that used it.

 

Bobby went through a Waygate and eighteen seconds later came back with the two missing people. The two people could not remember what had happened including the fact that Bobby had removed their memories of their real experiences.

 

Other folks ended up at the wrong Waygate Point or at the big Central Safety Zone where people sometimes went. This seemed to be a safety system of the whole Waygate Network operating through out the Jagged Highlands and was close to the great Clanways City of Clanburgh of over five million people.

 

Heavily coded messages and packages were thrust through in various ways.

 

It was just the start of instigating the use of the huge bunkerplex and its many resources. Already it was starting to become a major base for the military forces of the Clansway.

 

At first there was no pressure for Bobby to activate the three wonder machines but he suspected that too. He wished he could destroy them but he knew of no safe way to do so. What he did do was to heavily lock and otherwise secure all the ways into the vast metallic chamber. Then, avoiding a delegation of Clansfolk scientists who wanted badly to examine the wonder machines, he returned to the settlement of Gold Right Ra’Di.

TO BE CONTINUED

Edited May 8, 2010 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

THIRTEEN

BOBBY NEGOTIATES WITH A PHANTASM MERCHANT

 

Learning that a large force of invaders and traitors was moving towards the settlement of Gold Right Ra’Di and the newly uncovered bunkerplex, Bobby helped coordinate the military forces setting up to defend both. Much of the new equipment was being taken out of storage and put into use as soon as possible.

 

Bobby also carried out a bargain and he called forth an entity of a kind that had only appeared on the world since Doomsday had taken place. The young man sat on a low big balcony of settlement and there floating what looked like a three metre tall woman of copper skin and hair plus a dark purple tunic. She looked upon Bobby with purple eyes with black irises.

 

Bobby was comfortable with such transdimensional entities but others were understandably nervous. The new temporary leadership of the settlement were there along with Clanguard officers and others including a Clansway Government Envoy from Clanburgh itself. This was a tall elegantly beautiful woman with hard eyes but a well earned reputation for strict fairness.

 

The entity spoke in an oddly muffled voice with an odd echo to it that managed to be heard by everybody anyway. “Given events and our desire for the wonder machines to be left strictly alone, my people offer 100,000 in tradecredit for the baseline tradegoods listing.”

 

A small butterflybird landed on Bobby’s shoulder and was rewarded with a cube of sugar. The birds with butterfly wings were, like wombles and morloks, creations of the Age of Technological Madness.

 

Professor McDoogle was a big man with a heavy presence both sturdy physical and in arrogant confidence. He spoke then. “Is it not better that we study the wonder machines and learn how they function? This way we could better deal with the threats against the Clansfolk.”

 

Bobby responded. “No!” Then he turned to the alien entity. “Can you give all here knowledge of the items on the listing including its content items, the cost of each and how the listing might be expanded. That is adjusted to each mind so that it can best deal with the given data.”

 

There was a flash of pale light that covered the balcony. The butterflybird made a sudden chirping noise, all eager for some reason.

 

Bobby laughed. “The butterfly bird would like to order a thousand sacks of butterflybird food, thank you. At least that is how it translates.” He stroked the small creature’s colourful feathered head and it settled down to sleeping on his shoulder. “I removed the listing from its mind before she got too excited about ordering blankets.”

 

The phantasm merchant bowed her head and smiled. “Yes, perhaps the butterflybird, the two cats and the dog did not need to know of the listing.”

 

There was another soft flash of light. A large hunting hound stopped looking so puzzled and went back to chewing on his meaty bone.

 

Bobby reached over and scratched to dog on the head. The hound went to growl, thought better on it, and focused on wagging his tail while eating. “20,000 tradecredit on food rations which comes in the form of basic Clansfolk food and drink be it wheat, dried fruit, fresh cubed fruit, fresh cubed tofu, foodbars, special drinking water, vitamineral powders, tea leaves, coffee powder, milk powder and other. That comes to 20,000 standard units of rations, each equal what one standard human would need on average per day.”

 

The Clansway Envoy spoke then. “I disagree. We should focus on the healing serums considering their amazing capacities.”

 

Bobby turned to the dusky white woman. “The tradecredit system we are using is not so straight forward as it seems on the surface. Please leave this to me. As it is only I have authority amongst us to actually negotiate.” He turned back to the phantasm merchant. “Now we turn to backpacks at one tradecredit each and I order 10,000 of such with bonuses set.”

 

The Envoy frowned hard and went to say something but an aide, who looked suspiciously like a younger version of herself, gripped her hand and silenced her.

 

The alien spoke again. “Bonuses mean in each backpack a medical kit, a litrejon of water, a hand/axe, ten flares, ten metres of finger/rope, a box of longburn survival matches and a survival longknife. 1,000 metric tonnes of cavern glowmoss to bring the current balance of 70,000 tradecredit back up to 100,000.”

 

Bobby nodded. “If taken ecosystem care wise from the Greater Moss Caverns of Taraza’Taya.”

 

The phantasm merchant nodded. “Agreed! Five greater isolated caverns are now chosen and harvesting has begun. No Clansfolk will be effected by this and the cavern ecosystems will remain healthy. First boon offered: 100 new condition ALAV vehicles being 30 AFVs, 30 APCs, 20 ALVs, 10 ARVs and 10 AAVs .”

 

Bobby nodded. “Might I suggest a boon redirection? Give over such equipment and supplies to a new unit to be called the Clanforcers who would follow the Ajanajan Guidelines.”

 

The other nodded. “Very well, 1,000 fully equipped and double supplied Clanforcer soldiers being 300 light power infantry, 200 medium power infantry, 100 heavy power infantry, 100 power gunners, 100 power sappers, 100 assorted specialists and 100 assorted officers. You will command!”

 

“I will command!” He nodded. “5,000 survival habitation toolkits at 5,000 tradecredit. 5,000 100 metre coil/packs of survival rope and 5,000 tradecredit. 5,000 special survival torch kits at 5,000 tradecredit. 5,000 portable water treatment devices at 5,000 tradecredit.”

 

She nodded. “Leaving you 80,000 in tradecredit to spend.”

 

Then he began the negotiations hidden inside the negotiations. “I offer 40,000 tradecredit for vital data pertaining to the treacherous rebellion of Warlord invasion of the Jagged Highlands.”

 

The phantasm responded. “Twenty questions are allowed. You now have 40,000 tradecredit remaining.”

 

Bobby nodded. “Question one: how many invading Warlords are there?”

 

The phantasm responded. “A baker’s dozen.”

 

Bobby was thoughtful. “Question Two: Krakataza has returned?”

 

The phantasm responded. “Yes and no!”

 

Bobby spoke again. “Question Three: the traitors are the Shadowclan?”

 

The phantasm responded. “Yes and no!”

 

Bobby frowned softly. “Question Four: are the traitors and invaders seeking the Vault of Miracles?”

 

The phantasm responded. “Yes!”

 

Bobby went on after a brief pause. “Question Five: what else do they (the Warlords and traitors) seek?”

 

The phantasm responded. “You, others like you, access to the Jagged Deepways, the destruction of the Clanways and other goals.”

 

Bobby frowned. Question Six: why me?”

 

The phantasm responded. “They seek knowledge from you and for you to do various tasks. I can speak no further on this particular issue for now.”

 

Bobby nodded acceptance. “Question Seven: how many large concentrated forces traitors are there?”

 

The phantasm responded. “Sensing intended definition parameters. Eight but of these only three are of major size. One of the smaller five is approaching this position. Adjudicator has indicated I have given you too much data. You have now used up Question Eight as well.”

 

Bobby again nodded. “Straight on to Question Nine; is there a core leader of the forces attacking the Clansway?”

 

The phantasm responded. “They call themselves the Council of Thirteen or the Shadowlords. I can speak no further on this particular issue for now.”

 

Bobby spoke. “Question Ten; where did Warlord HanLo gain his ultratechnologies?”

 

The phantasm responded. “From the Council of Thirteen?”

 

Bobby nodded. “Question Eleven: where did the Council of Thirteen get such ultratechnologies?”

 

The phantasm responded. “As previously stated I can speak no further on this particular issue for now. You forfeit… No, the Adjudicators have ruled that you may regain use of Question Eleven.”

 

Bobby sighed. “Question Eleven. Do all of the Warlords have access to such ultratechnologies?”

 

The phantasm responded. “Yes, all have limited access.”

 

Bobby changed tracks. “Question Twelve: apart from the Shadowclan, what other forces are supporting the treachery against the Clansway?”

 

The phantasm responded. “Five Shadowcults, the Crimson Blood Crimeclans, the McDraken Clan Cluster and the Claimant Clanking Estoria along with the Pro/Traditionalist Anti/Constitutionalist Factions. Small factions and cells, along with informants, make up a large network through out the Jagged Highlands. The Adjudicator states you have used up also Question Thirteen.”

 

Bobby nodded acceptance. “On to Question Fourteen: Krakataza has returned, yes and no, please clarify?”

 

The phantasm responded. “Krakataza is trapped in a phase dimensional pocket having attempted but failed to return to this dimensional zone entirely. I can speak no further on this particular issue for now.”

 

Bobby nodded. “Question Fifteen; what are the locations of three major important and hidden sites for the enemy?”

 

The phantasm responded. “The Adjudicator has indicated I can only give you clues but I will do so for nine locations. Firstly ‘where there is only dry water in abundance’, secondly ‘where the Clanking dallied fatefully too long in June’, thirdly ‘her nose smelt only the rose’, fourthly ‘two steps forward, one step back to victory’, fifthly ‘where the wild children hunt for the horned one’, sixthly ‘they invented the square wheeled wagon’, seventhly ‘the promise of queens to come’ and ninthly ‘the shadow inside the shadow is darker than darkness’.”

 

Bobby sighed after a brief pause, nodded as in response to a question and then spoke again. “I would like to trade my last five questions and a further 10,000 tradecredit for a minimi 100 page Book of Strong Possibilities and Probabilities as related to the Ajanajan Guidelines and to current events in the Jagged Highlands.”

 

The phantasm responded. “Such will cost you all your remaining questions and tradecredit but will be 1,000 pages thick with 100 subvariables.”

 

Bobby nodded. “As agreed.”

 

There was a flash, a sparkling shimmer and the phantasm merchant vanished even as a metallic golden covered and silver paged book appeared in Bobby’s hand but it vanished again seconds later.

 

The Clansway Government Envoy frowned. “That could have gone better.”

 

Bobby turned and frowned softly. “It went very well and I was able to bend the rules to allow for a wonderful few bonuses. The Clanforcers and their stuff will appear soon in the Greybariee Caverns. The book will remain with me for the moment. The clues you have heard and will remember. The other items will appear soon in the Gilded Golden Cavern below the settlement. I must go now to consider matters. What I have learned is most surprising and disturbing.”

 

Then he vanished with a sparkling shimmer.

 

The Envoy looked annoyed and the famous scientist scowled but the others seemed to accept the situation well enough.

 

TO BE CONTINUED

[Maharg67]

FOURTEEN

 

BOBBY REMEMBERS:

OLD WASHINGTON DC JUST AFTER WORLD WAR THREE

 

Bobby ran and dived behind a block of broken concrete as the hunter-killer fired off 20mm autocannon shells at him. The shells exploded against rubble and blew a human skull apart. He was at the right distance from the lumbering tracked roboremote vehicle that was armoured and had four weapon turrets. It was so big that it could carry smaller units in the back. Bobby sensed, somehow, that all of its carried secondary units had been sent out already.

 

These hunter-killers and the smaller types of the same, the hunter-seekers, had been designed to protect people but now they were killing survivors. Who was commanding this to happen; the new but not elected President was doing so. Why? Because of the unfounded fear of biological contamination.

 

Bobby moved with amazing speed. He jumped up and aimed his special launchergun, fired a beacon-dart and dived again behind more protective rubble as this time a heavy machine also tried to shoot him. The beacon-dart thudded heavily into the armoured front plate and then the small light on its butt flashed green. A special homing antitank missile was on its way.

 

Bobby turned and ran, darting into the crumbling but still standing structure of a building but moving to get out again. There was too much chance the explosion would make the unstable building collapse.

 

With a burst of speed he came out into the open again just as the building collapsed, as the hunter-killer machine exploded violently. The booming shook the ground. Bobby kept on running and scooped up the surprised black rat as he kept on moving. The rat sensed it was not good smarts to bite or claw at Bobby so it just relaxed and tried to enjoy the ride.

 

Bobby slowed and kept on the move past broken vehicles, dead people and shops with smashed fronts. Looters had already taken anything of immediate value and easy access but he entered the first of the shops knowing he could get to and use things that the looters could not. Soon he was finding cans of food and drink, bottles of drink, cans of cooking oil and many other useful or just wanted items. He touched them and they vanished with a sparkling shimmer.

 

With a sparkling shimmer the rat changed to become lightly brown with yellow brown patches, yellow teeth becoming white and eyes becoming warm brown. It rode inside his shirt and fed on a bit of foodbar. Then it licked Bobby happily before going to sleep. Soon Bobby would send it to NexiSanctuary where it was needed as all life was needed there but for now he was enjoying its company as it was enjoying his.

 

He sent people, animals, plants, resources and other things to NexiSanctuary as often as he could.

 

At the back of the shop he found a hidden wall safe stuffed with gold ingots but more importantly, also Emergency Issue Coins and Cards made to be strongly enduring to harsh conditions. The EI/coins and EI/cards added up to over a $1,000 in cash. He slipped it away.

 

He stacked the gold ingots neatly, lifting them as if they were made of lightest of materials instead of 24 caret gold, on the floor, put Ratty/32 on top along with his new toy and some food for him, then made all of it vanish with a sparkling shimmer. NexiSanctuary lacked enough of the true metals and gold was highly valued at the settlements there. Like all life, Ratty/32 would be made welcome. The rodent would find Bobby waiting there to welcome him.

 

Again he was on the move as he checked the memorised maps and other data in his mind against what he could see around himself. The destruction of the hunter-killer would bring other horror machines into the area but thanks to Bobby and the newly created Free Resistance Army, or FRA, others had been dealt with harshly. The FRA was fighting a guerrilla war against the enemy who so far had not sent out any human soldiers except for some scouts in exokevlar hazmat armour or EKHAs. Bobby had dealt with the four scouts with deadly quickness when he found them going to do something very sinister to a woman captive. The woman was now in NexiSanctuary where her skills as a nurse would be most welcome.

 

He dropped out into the open into a rampway pit and raced up the rampway to a big wide laneway sided by surprisingly intact buildings. Looking roughly westward along the laneway he noted only fine dust swirling through the air that had once been animals, plants but mainly humans. In the distance from the west-east-east, roughly, drifted the sounds of battle muffled by buildings.

 

Then he saw them, a bunch of FRA soldiers who were mostly civilians with civilian guns, coming along the laneway towards him. Some carried litters with wounded people. He flickered and then he was walking in amongst the group. They saw him come seemingly out of nowhere but but the leader quickly recognised him.

 

Naomi Walters, formerly receptionist at a fancy legal corporation, was in grey survival fatigues and carried a pump-action shotgun. Her brown hair was done up into a practical bun and she had a backpack stuffed with hopefully useful items. The black skinned woman looked exhausted. She was leading the group moving towards a reported private basement bunker.

 

Naomi spoke to Bobby whom she had met briefly two days before when he had given her a shopping trolley full of canned food, medical supplies, blankets and boxes of ammo he had found in a partly smashed in shop. “That shopping trolley of stuff helped save a few lives. When you spoke to me of this sanctuary of yours I was inclined to not believe you but considering the bizarre things I saw just a few hours ago, I think I now do. Can you send these wounded and anybody else who wants to go, to your sanctuary?”

 

He nodded. “Yes but there is a limit to how much I can send at one time, especially when it comes to the living. I sent gold ingots, a friendly rat and some items for him the last time. I simply need to calculate how much I can send this time.”

 

They kept moving along the laneway.

 

She looked at him steadily. “Why do I get the impression that while you look like a young man of indeterminate age, you are much older.”

 

Bobby shrugged. “A few thousand years old, I suppose, but I do not know for sure. Could be much older than that. I have not always appeared like this and will most likely change appearance again. Tell me of these strange things that have happened but after I see if I have some good news for you. Do you know a black teenage boy of the name of Sammy Benjamin Walters who was attending a music specialised school known as Tamberline Senior High School? He is 17 years old and has his birthday on the 15th of January.”

 

She stopped in shock and stared at him. “He is my son, my older son.”

 

Bobby sighed. “He is at the sanctuary that I dare not name. He is being healed in a kind of regenerative status pod. People at the sanctuary have some special resources they can use and your son was badly injured but in about a month they will awaken a fully healed teenager. Do you wish to go to him? We need to stop the group and I will work out who I can send and if I can get anything of use in response.”

 

Naomi nodded. “I do not want to abandon these people but also I want to go to my son. We need to rest anyway so we may as well stop as soon as we find some place good enough to rest at..”

 

They found a sheltered area inside a large partly looted shop. The group spread out to find places to rest. Naomi sat with her back against a column. Bobby went and checked on the injured, two who were walking wounded. He did some healing, regenerative and rejuvenating, which helped but he was aware that these people needed to be sent to NexiSanctuary.

 

He sat cross legged close to Naomi and then he spoke. “The fine dust caused by the N/bombs is toxic to life, especially life of reptilian or mammalian kinds. Over half of the people here are sick of the N/toxins. Some people are more immune to the effects than others, will get over it. You are one of the lucky ones but it will make you sick for some days. If I make you pregnant you will become stronger and more able in various ways.”

 

She frowned at him. “How wonderfully subtle you are, Bobby Bobalong.”

 

He gave her an odd look. “I wasn’t being subtle.” Then he sighed. “Oh, sarcasm! Recently I spent time on another world, a long time there but a short time away, where such as untruth and sarcasm are unknown. Nice little transdimensional habitat world in orbit around the Vexus/Norazi Triple Sun. I suppose in human astrological terms you might call it Vexus/Norazi II. Nice people there, much nicer than humans in general, though perhaps a little more boring.”

 

Naomi gave him an odd look. “If it was almost anybody else doing the talking, I would consider you to be quite insane but something about you tells me it’s true. Anyway so many others speak of the amazing things you can do and your amazing knowledge. They were ghostly and they looked sleepy, most of them, drifting through things and through us. When they drifted through us they caused us some discomfort.”

 

He nodded. “Victims of the N/bombs died but their spirits are trapped in a kind of limbo. The majority are sleepy N/phantoms who will automatically but not intentionally absorb a minor amount of life energies from any lifeform they come very close to.”

 

Naomi shuddered. “But some moved separate from those clumped together sleeping N/phantoms, as you call them. Their faces were twisted in rage, in grief, and they shimmered all horrible. They came racing at us as if trying to absorb our life energies and they somehow picked up small objects and hurled them at us but only with weak effect. But then came other N/phantoms with peaceful, blissful expressions and the nasty ones fled from them. The newcomers went after them.”

 

Bobby frowned. “Not good! Lucky you were saved but we have the worst situation caused by those damned experimental N/bombs that should never have been constructed let alone used. Sleepy, devouring and ecstasy N/phantoms and probably others, all insane, all harmful in various way to the natural spiritual cycle of life and death, to the natural balance of forces.”

 

The black woman scowled. “I didn’t think the Soviets had such advanced technologies.”

 

Bobby turned to her with a look of irony on his face. “It was not the Soviets who N/bombed the USA, the Soviet Union and other areas of the world. Great Britain was spared as was part of the USA, much of South East Asia, Australasia and other places. Some cities were clean nuked but most of the missiles, the ICBMs and SLBMs, were destroyed by pulselaser batteries and anti-ballistic-missile missile batteries on Skynet Orbital Platforms. It was Skynet that dropped the N/bombs from special satellites, they being orbital glider-bombs.”

 

Naomi frowned. “Skynet was not completed because of concerns over its reliability and safety.”

 

Bobby responded. “Skynet was completed enough for it to devastate much of the world. Soviet H/bomb satellites destroyed over half of the Skynet orbital platforms but many not in time to stop the harm being done. Much more of Skynet was completed than most people knew, even the Soviet and US Governments. Just how big and sophisticated Skynet got or how much of it survived World War Three and remains unknown to most. The AI/supercomputer network of network-systems that lay at the core of Skynet were attacked but how much of the AIS/NNS survived is also unknown.”

 

A terrible shudder went through the ground. Flecks of concrete fell from the ceiling overhead.

 

He managed to send four wounded to NexiSanctuary and to get a plastic shopping bag full of healing moss back from that same place. The bag of moss sparkle shimmered into existence. The exotic but amazing moss was eaten and rubbed into or against wounds or otherwise used as medicine. Luckily it was strongly concentrated because only one and a half kilograms had been sent across. Naomi and others were soon feeling much better.

 

Soon the group set out again.

 

TO BE CONTINUED

Edited May 8, 2010 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

FIFTEEN

BATTLE AT THE SUNCAVERN OF GRAND PYRAMIDS

 

Enemy fighters moved in platoon based formations across the big open suncavern of NeoNile where flowed a great blue river past great big pyramids, copies of ancient Egyptian pyramids in appearance but these were actual fortified buildings. Clanguards occupied the three Grand Pyramids and from them fired a wide variety of weapons. The great structures were built of self repairing smart materials with nanobots and microbots assisting.

 

President James Patriot Johnston had the fake Great Pyramids built and around it a landscape of palm trees and green grasses lining a big strong flowing river. While people suffered around the world because of a lack of resources, he squandered them on such projects. He ordered that nobody to live in his great floating island but they came there anyway, many times assisted to do so by rebels inside the mad president’s own government. The great suncavern was an area of farmlands but the approaching enemy was destroying abandoned farms as it came on. Thankfully everything that could be moved, was, including livestock and even as many transplanted trees as possible.

 

Artillery blasts were like brown puffs of smoke. Along with the enemy traitors and mercenaries in power armour were robotanks, tracked robotic tanks of a type known as huge Juggernauts and smaller MiniJuggernauts. Some had many turrets, bristled with energy weapons, while others carried each a big single assault gun or long range gun or a big howitzer. The huge lumbering machines moved with surprisingly quick speed for their size.

 

Bobby crouched behind sandbags close to the base of a Grand Pyramid with its white slopping sides and its great golden tip which was actually a very hard gold alloy. In truth the real Great Pyramids once had this appearance and even gold tips. He was in power armour that made him look as beautiful and elegant as a chunky hairless metallic gorilla.

 

In the distance a Juggernaut exploded savagely.

 

Radio communications chattered close at hand as Clanguard units communicated with each other and the new Clanforcers.

 

“Howitzer missiles have impacted direct on target.”

 

“Tango Squirrel Red to Home Base, we need fresh ammo up this way. We are taking heavy casualties. Medics also to assist.”

 

“Home Base to Tango Squirrel Red; we will do what we can.”

 

“Blue Betty Alpha to Home Base, the enemy is attempting to push between the pyramids to split our forces. Send that confirmation to FMIO (field military intelligence operations).”

 

A pair of modified M10AXA Warthogs flew through the air overhead towards the enemy, now firing not only its traditional antitank gun but new laser/cannons. New deflector screens helped to keep them safe as did new style armour patches. Big and impressive, the two aircraft flashed searing laser beams, GAU/8 30mm antitank/guns thundered and unleashed air/to/surface missiles. The machines scored a hit and two MiniJuggernauts exploded while a dozen power armoured mercs fell wounded or dead, the GAU/8 shells punching right through them.

 

The wing of an M10AXA exploded, the machine began to go out of control, the pilot jettisoned with both new style pilot power armour and an antigrav/pack. The big aircraft smashed straight into a Juggernaut and both exploded impressively, hurling enemy power armour infantry in all directions.

 

The other M101AXA turned gracefully and headed back the way it had come. It dropped antimissile drones as it went for it was being chased by surface/to/air missiles. The pilot from the downed machine drifted down towards clear ground. It looked like the enemy would get him but then a hole opened in the earth. Friendly wombles pulled him quickly down into the hole and under. Then he was gone! The little hairy dudes had done it again!

 

The enemy had shot at wombles from the start and had quickly, stupidly, earned them as enemies. Often power armoured fighters or even various machines would fall into pit traps lined with deadly explosives. More than one Juggernaut had become tilted down helplessly into the ground.

 

Only the vanguard enemy forces had power armour. Behind came fighters in metallic or kevlar combat body-armour and with less powerful weapons. They came in battlebuggies, battletrucks and tracked fighting vehicles of various kinds but they were smaller and less powerful, though less clumsy, than the Juggernauts and MiniJuggernauts.

 

Bobby raised and aimed his 20mm specialised snipergun, projected energies through the weapon and fired a shimmering 20mm shell. It struck a MiniJuggernaut and the whole machine disintegrated, blasting apart in flames, shrapnel and smoke.

 

Smartly enough he moved along the ditch before he raised the weapon again and fired. This time a Juggernaut exploded at the front.

 

Then he was making his way forward to go to the rescue of the unit that was rapidly running out of ammo and which, he sensed, was going to be over run. The unit was at an important strategic position and its loss would cause the defenders big problems. He also simply wanted to save the Clanguards there. As he ran he was joined by a fast running, quietly efficient platoon of Clanforcers in their power armour. Together they thudded across the muddy torn up, once grassy green ground.

 

TO BE CONTINUED

Edited May 8, 2010 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

SIXTEEN

BOBBY RELAXES WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY

 

 

Spammy, the SPAM loving killclaw, was sleeping with her head on Bobby’s lap while he gently rubbed it. A large black cat was stretched out comfortably sleeping on the back of the killclaw, a smaller cousin of a deathclaw. They were all on a big old double couch against a cut stone wall.

 

The girl was playing ‘Fishy Flip’, a children’s card game, with the womble on the floor which was covered with woven grass matting. Other children were with them and some had Bobby’s genetic inheritance in them; they had special abilities. The chamber was partly underground being part of a semi/underground structure of a large house with many extensions and two big basement chambers.

 

An elderly but youthful looking woman was busy doing some calculations with a pencil and a thick notepad. She looked up and spoke to Bobby. “We can take the whole settlement if you can open a proper gateway between us and NexiSanctuary.”

 

He sighed. “Not a direct gateway. All sent go to the Quarantine/Hub first and so will you for safety/security checking and adaptation processing. Until recently I considered you, my great plus daughter, and others with the genetic inheritance to be safe here. But now the opposite is proven to be true. We only just managed to destroy the enemy forces in the folly of the Grand Pyramids Suncavern. The enemy is still after the wonder machines in that bunkerplex we found and perhaps also after something that I have failed to discover. I Bobby am here but I am also in the NexiSanctuary so you will see far more of me there.”

 

Salatae smiled. “That would be good. Old Joe Carpenter needs to go, especially if he will be rejuvenated by the experience, because he is a master class carpenter and is also trained and experienced in plumbing, electrical work and brick laying. So far that makes 56 humans, 29 dogs, 12 cats, eight pet geepigs, four molerats, 18 brahmins of which two are bulls, eight goats, 24 chickens, 29 ducks, five geese and a pet parrot with a bad attitude.”

 

Then she changed subjects with a frown. “It is said a traitor killed you with a single shot. How is that possible with you being so powerful?”

 

He lifted his hand up, opened it with the palm upwards. There was a sparkling shimmer and there was a large half inch calibre (12.7mm) bullet but it was no normal bullet; it was made of a dark purple black glistening crystal like material except with a greasy organic aspect to it. There was something repulsive about it. The woman shuddered.

 

Bobby nodded. “Extremely evil and dangerous demonic technologies made this in another dimensional realm where such things can be made. They can not be made here thanks to our natural laws but they can exist here, these things.” With a sparkling shimmer it vanished. “The enemy made a mistake in using it against me because I captured the bullet even as I died and now I am able to trace the maker to some extent. The maker is here in the Jagged Highlands.”

 

Then he changed subjects. “You can take all that and more on your first trip, much more. Take all your horses and wagons along with that big old steamtruck. Stuff them to the gills. Stuff your pockets full. Take everything you can and I mean also luxuries, photo albums, toys and such like. You will know why I do not want you just to take necessities with you when you get to the other side. Do not worry about taking anything with you like vermin or bacteria because they will be welcomed and processed to be part of your new home. All life is welcome.”

 

She sighed. “Is there danger there in the NexiSanctuary?”

 

He shook his head. “No direct threats such as here but there are problems to be dealt with and some involve military style actions, are dangerous. It is not wise for me to say too much but NexiSanctuary itself is vast but only a relatively tiny part of a much vaster domain. NexiSanctuary is safe but volunteers go elsewhere to carry out dangerous duties. They also come to places like this.”

 

Salatae nodded. “The other small settlements around us will wonder where we are gone. We small fringe settlements depend on each other and they will suffer because we have gone.”

 

Bobby nodded. “Which is why I am sending them along with Wo’Wallace the womble and his people. I hopefully can get Sandy’s sister, Lanena, from the settlement of Twinhigh to the south.”

 

His great plus daughter frowned softly at him. “We can take many barrels, sacks, boxes and chests of goods. We can take coils of rope, skins, furs, preserved foods in bottles, clothes, tools, weapons and ammunition.”

 

He nodded. “Excellent but best of all you can send yourselves and your animals. Take as many seeds and seedlings as you can. I will send the bigger plants, the trees and bushes, in a special safe fashion. Please call a meeting of all local settlement leaders to be held as soon as possible. I will be at the meeting.”

 

With a sparkling shimmer the golden metallic covered and silver paged book appeared in his hands, glittering softly in an exotic fashion. Yet he did not open it but instead sat thoughtfully silent for a moment. The woman went back to her calculations. Then a telephone rang that was next to her. She picked up the handset and spoke to it.

 

“Yes, this is Salatae. Hello Tom. Please calm down. I can not hear you properly… that is better. They can threaten all they like to do that. I am calling a meeting of settlement leaders. Bobby Bobalong is here and he has good news for us all. Yes. Well we will have to bring people, livestock, pets, working animals, property all to this place as soon as possible. Bring everything you can including toys, books, photo albums… Because we are all leaving to go to a better place.”

 

The talking went on but Bobby got the gist very quickly. The big settlement people were using the threat of the Warlords and traitors to make a land grab for the territories of the fringer satellite settlements. They were demanding not just the lands but such as farming tools, livestock and horses. The new temporary leadership of Gold Right Ra’Di were supporting what was officially sanctioned theft.

 

She put down the telephone and looked at him. “You know already, I can sense it. They have given the fringe settlements a nasty deadline of just twenty/four hours to get out of the settlements and to move to Gold Right Ra’Di proper. They want us to go basically nothing because they consider we will not need our farming related items and they intend to pay us compensation. Except that they intend to do so in worthless promissory notes and empty promises as they have done with others in the past.”

 

Bobby sighed. “Sounds like the Farmerclans at work again trying to stretch their insane monopoly across the Clansway Territories.”

 

The woman nodded. “Sometimes I think that, in their own way, they are as bad as the Shadowclan.”

 

“That is because they are corrupted and led secretly by the Shadowclan though there is gathering resistance to their rule. Do not worry too much for I have already made steps to protect the fringe settlements.” He gently pushed the grumbly killclaw to one side and stood up. The killclaw settled back to sleep, the cat never woke up, and Bobby smiled. “I want you to take Spammy with you. Bobby will be there to welcome her.”

 

She shook her head in wonder. “I wish I knew how you do half the things you do.”

 

He smiled. “When you are in NexiSanctuary you will learn much, perhaps far more than you will be comfortable with. A baker’s dozen! Why a baker’s dozen? When I asked how many Warlords there were invading the Jagged Highlands and the Clanways, the phantasm said ‘a baker’s dozen’ when she could easily and more logically have said thirteen.”

 

Salatae shrugged. “A baker’s dozen means ‘thirteen’ by much older traditions but amongst us fringers it can also mean a deceptive trick such as when a baker pretends to sell one thirteen rock cakes but only sells twelve rock cakes and a small rock. It comes from a children’s story heard only in a few more isolated parts of the Clanways. I assumed you had heard of it.”

 

Bobby gave her a mild grin. “Believe it or not but I do not know everything about everything and I am glad of it for how tedious would that be but greatly?” Then he paused before speaking again. “So the Thirteenth Warlord is in truth not a Warlord at all but something else. What is that something else? Could he be hidden in the open? What powerful people in the Clansway could be the Thirteenth Warlord hidden in the open?”

 

The woman shrugged. “Somebody prominent but with out any real power such as the Clansking or Clansqueen.”

 

The short lived autocratic monarchy of the McGrahams had ended with the short lived but bloody Constitutional War. The Clansking and Clansqueen still held figurehead status and a fair amount of power but nothing like they had once had. They had caused the backlash with their own greed for power when the McGraham backed Housebane Dynasty had taken the Clansway Thrones by a mixture of deceit, murder and brute force. The McGrahams dwelt in an isolated region now and were also politically isolated while the Housebane Dynasty was but history.

 

He nodded. “Yes, perhaps somebody like that. I will return soon. Would you like anything from the Central Markets in Gold Right Ra’Di?”

 

She smiled and taking a list out of a pocket, she passed it to him. “I was hoping that you might be doing so.”

 

He hugged and kissed her before he departed. Of course he had to promise to get some sweets for the children and intended to get at least one can of SPAM for Spammy.

 

TO BE CONTINUED

Edited May 8, 2010 by Maharg67