Maharg67's Den (shorter works, short stories, poetry, etc.)

[Maharg67]

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Bigtropolis: Six

One 4.1[5]{7}

Lucky Eddie, free lance super-assassin turned other things, made his way through utility tunnels running beneath Bigtropolis Central Park but at its very western edge. A contract had been offered, and accepted, by Eddie for himself and his field team plus support team. Behind him, close at hand, and wearing the same kind of tight utility jumpsuit as he did, came oriental triplets. Except they looked 'good' in those outfits. Not that anybody smart, canny, would take them for granted. No, the triplets were very dangerous for former super-assassins or supersassins; if anybody could take them on, it was Lucky Eddie himself. Then there was a chimpman animan, a human chimpanzee hybrid, and two more former supersassins.

The mission was, in theory, just a 'look see' but the simple fact that Lucky Eddie was chosen, and at his high price, was enough to state that the mission was more than that. If that was not enough warning, it had a red status mark on it; only black was more dangerous.

They carried compact 3B1carbines, each with a pulsegun, a caseless slimshot cartridge using autorifle, and a grenade launcher able to fire both grenadeshells and grenadekets (grenade rockets not to be confused with bigger rocket-grenades.) along with some special ammo.

They moved to one side, quickly and with surprise, as the flood of lifeforms began to come towards them from the direction they were going in. Lifeforms were tough down there, they had to be to survive, but a strong trickle became the flood. There were rats, mice, handspiders, snapworms, crabs, ants, and much else. Then came bigger critters like cats, dogs, bats, gnashers and viperlongs.

Then the flood was gone with a strong trickle of slower creatures following them.

They were all heading away from the central area of Bigtropolis Central Park. That was where the small field team was heading towards. Lucky Eddie decided they needed better protection, a larger team, and more specialists plus some exotics. The team started seeking out a hub chamber, of the utility network they were in, that they could hack into and use to communicate with the necessary people.

They picked up a few critters along the way, in order to rescue them. Lucky Eddie had an odd influence on even savage natural creatures and a few not so natural ones.

[Maharg67]

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Bigtropolis: Seven

One 5.1[6]{8}

Scullie, Muldor, others of the XFiles Investigations Agency, entered the bunker complex along with SWAF Supertroopers and a few others from other specialist agencies with high enough security clearances to be there.

It had turned out that the supertrooper had destroyed the helicopter because it was a fake, being a remote robotic drone that was going to attack those on the ground. Why, that was not known, but the supertrooper had acted efficiently under orders. The identity, of those who had sent the machine, was unknown despite extensive efforts to discover it by many agencies.

Scullie found herself soon accompanied by one of the Rainbowbaby avatars, there now being three of them along with the Rainbowbaby proper, and from then on she would have that one with her in one way or another. Scullie simply accepted the small one that was soon comfortably sitting on her left shoulder with surprisingly little weight felt by the woman.

The plastic soldiers, and newly formed Rainbow Supertroopers unit, had unsealed an armoured door only to find the chamber beyond filled up with concrete. Clearly somebody had gone to great efforts to seal something off.

Scullie, and Muldor, looked around with her husband soon having a single coloured superbaby sitting comfortably on his left shoulder. He spoke to her after tickling his new companion's tummy, getting a chuckle in response. "Makes sense but doesn't make sense! Expected elements, of a bunker complex from the last big war, oddly arranged and mixed with unusual elements. Why this one big central chamber with all that machinery in one place? I have no idea of half those devices do. We have to get Walter down here."

Walter, Olivia, Peter, Astrid and others had worked with something called the Bigtropolis Ministry of Crime Investigations, the Fringe Division, but cut backs and political factional games had seen them transferred to the XFIA after Fringe Division was disbanded. The disbandment was bad but the transferral had taken many resources with it, much to the anger of those who had wanted to grab those resources for their own uses, misuses.

Marshal Flanxk was going to get reinforcements of Paramilitary Police Troopers in power armour suits. These were less lethal than the supertroopers but in far larger numbers. They were also very well trained, experienced, and equipped as paramilitary special forces. Others would also be sent to the complex but as yet the regular military was not requested and neither was the Bigtropolis Guardia made up of mostly military irregulars with a core of regulars.

Scullie studied metal examination tables pushed against one concrete wall. "Biological experimentation was carried out here, or at least some kind of investigative research. Those are old fashioned autopsy tables of the type I used when I was a medical student back at the Bigtropolis Saint Care Hospital."

She did not speak of the strange, and horrible events, that had taken place there that had prompted her later to join the XFIA. The same events had seen the closer of a large section of the hospital, the oldest part, that was then sealed up tightly. Since then the rest of the hospital had been closed as a medical facility though part of it was retained as a medical museum. More of it had been sealed up.

That hospital was next to Bigtropolis Central Park!

Muldor frowned. "I wonder if there is a link between what happened here and what happened at the Saint Care Hospital, especially between here and the oldest part of the hospital that is closest to the 'big park'."

Scullie shivered. "Let's hope not! I still get nightmares about what happened there but you know that."

More than once he had been woken by Scullie thrashing, and makes noises of distress, in her sleep. He had ended up comforting her for hours afterwards until she fell asleep in his arms, with her head on his chest.

They set out to find more information about that place and what had happened there but also to discover more about the Rainbowbaby and her arrival there, along with related matters.

[Maharg67]

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Bigtropolis: Eight

One 6.1[7]{9}

The Rainbowbaby had not only made the concrete 'filling' vanish but had created, from it, a defence-security barrier just outside of the armoured door. Thus when a taskteam went through the area, where the concrete had been, there were forces on the battlements of the barrier wall facing towards the next armoured door onwards.

Evidence of past horrors, great violence, was found beyond the second armoured doors. The skeletal remains of soldiers, in fatigues and body-armour, smashed machinery and other objects, damaged versions of the same and even surprisingly untouched versions of the same. Soldiers had fought a rear guard action against a great threat as the armoured doors had been sealed and the area between them had been filled with an experimental form of fast setting, very hard, concrete.

There was a big experimental prototype gateway of some kind, a transdimensional access point, but it had been sabotaged violently with explosives of some kind. Who had ever done so had known well how to destroy a machine in such a way as to make it very hard to repair, if it could be repaired at all.

Scullie examined the big damaged gateway. "They opened the gateway or it was opened from the other side, or was what happened so simple? Something could have slipped in between the gateways."

Excited, agitated, Professor Walter Bishop, strode up to them, having had a look around with a small posse of scientists, science officers, and others following behind. The group halted. He halted and stared at the gateway. "Something came through that gateway but it was more than one entity and more than one kind of entity; they fought each other, along with local humans. That is..." He shrugged. "Data that we found, surviving data that is, is of mixed help. There were big primitive TV cameras set up in this chamber. There were microphones. Reel to reel tapes recorded both audio-visual and audio data. The whole scene was fairly busy, fairly peaceful, but tense. I suggest that the people here were aware of approaching disaster, or possible disaster, and where trying to divert it before it happened; they apparently failed."

Under the influence of humans, the Rainbowbaby filled the chamber with energies and took a kind of almost total multiple scan, recording, of the chamber.

Other armoured doors were welded sealed, from the other side, so it appeared that others had escaped but where to?

The data, gained by the Rainbowbaby, became four very small rainbow patterned cubes. Scullie got one, Muldor got one, Walter got one and then Science Officer Astrid got the fourth because she was Walter's special personal assistant.

[Maharg67]

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Bigtropolis: Nine

One 7.1[8]{10}

The expeditionary machines, meant to go through a gateway to another realm, were tracked amphibious things of moderate armour and a variety of weapons with a few being heavier armed than the others. The machines appeared to be readied to go, not being in storage mode in a big chamber. Yet they were in surprisingly good condition in that they were in the very large concealed room. There were also stored spare vehicles, spare parts, other items for the vehicles, a workshop area and more. The surprise was that all the machines were quite sophisticated diesel electric transports for the time they had been manufactured.

Scullie looked around at the great chamber. "The outlay of the bunker complex, the way things are stored, placed, does not make sense somehow. It feels out of kilter."

Walter frowned. "There were outsider influences working here with scientific, technological, knowledge beyond that of the Bigtropolis experts here. I would say that the outsider knowledge was rather eccentric, exotic, like some of the experiments that William Bell and myself ran. We attempted a transdimensional gateway of sorts but it was a failure. Perhaps that was because we did not have the exotic knowledge of outsiders. Their true nature, identities, are well hidden."

The Rainbowbaby, one of them, flew past on a plastic rainbow dragon followed by single coloured dragons each ridden by a single coloured baby figure. For a moment the group of human adults watched the low flying procession with rapt amazement and amusement. Except that all of them 'sensed' that there was a serious cause at the core of what was being done.

They had 'absorbed' some data from the exotic devices given to them by the Rainbowbaby and that data had led to new discoveries such as that big chamber. Other unsealed doors had led to a crazy maze of tunnels, chambers, and other spaces including rampways and even some elevators. All of the discovered elevators were functioning but some were locked at certain levels.

A platoon of 13 supersoldiers moved in the distance along with two platoons of superworkers who could fight but who specialised as elite workers in dangerous conditions.

Muldor frowned softly. "I did not know there were so many superclones in the complex."

Peter Bishop snorted. "There weren't but despite no reinforcements coming from outside, their number has at least quadrupled with the assistance of the Rainbowbaby, or so I suspect. My guess is that those superworkers will soon begin checking the vehicles out not just to see how workable they are but how they can be upgraded. Aaahhh, yes, I was right."

The relationship between the superclones and the Rainbowbaby had changed fundamentally somehow but in what way was hard to know; this was especially true since neither the Rainbowbaby or the superclones seemed willing to discuss such matters at any depth or length.

Who did the superclones now serve? Had they become followers of the Rainbowbaby?

[Deleted54170User]

After reading your latest :thumbsup: ​ :mellow: ​I realized that you clearly cover aspects in every view and almost leave nothing for me to have to think about. Only thing left for me to do is look for signs on employment bulletin boards, and hope that a note pinned to one may afford me the luxury of finding a way to earn some bottle caps. :happy:

 

:wallbash:

 

​Hopefully someone will need my expertise for a change, instead of me having to pay for someone to teach me a new way of work for another task, just so I can find work in the Modern World of yours.

[Maharg67]

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Pagafyr, there are mysteries to ask questions about, in the story, such as what was the 'item' that the Rainbowbaby left behind in the complexes and why is the Rainbowbaby seeking to find it now, what is the changing relationship between the Rainbowbaby and superclones, what are the ramifications of those changes and more. Is there some secret, special, link between the Rainbowbaby and the superclones? How as it that such a powerful entity, the Rainbowbaby, was trapped for even a short item and something precious was taken from it? Just what faction, or faction alliance, was behind what took place in the complexes, the one officially listed and the secret one below it? There are a few other possible questions one could consider.

[Maharg67]

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Bigtropolis: Ten

Zero 3.1[3]{11}

Deep, in the Undercity most ancient, in a vast temple of distorted dimensions wrapped in dark shadows, something slowly devoured lightly fried ooooob tentacles dipped in a mixture of vanilla icecream, tomato ketchup, and ancient akakaka sauce. The ancient entity's tentacles shivered lightly with delight at the consumption of such a wondrous repast.

The human visitor tried not to focus on the meal and managed not to vomit. Instead he spoke with a smile and a smile in his voice. "I have brought chocolate bars, more rechargeable batteries for your vibrating fun device, a genuine John Wayne movie that you have not seen yet, and a selection of books, journals, and disks."

Undercity Servitor Elder Guardian Arastie never had the heart to inform the ancient tentacled one of the real use that humans put such 'vibrating fun devices to'.

The ancient one, known as OoooobusOa at times, spoke out. "You have gained information, handsome human youth?"

Arastie was 192 years old but to the ancient one was indeed a 'youth'. Arastie's grandfather had been born on the OldEarth and had remained behind to join a great rear guard action to allow very many humans to escape, along with other lifeforms. The 'handsome' bit did puzzle him a little but others got the same kind of terms be they female or male.

Arastie smiled some more. "Lucky Eddie's Team, that we hired to enter the park, has gained extra resources in the form of another team plus auxiliary elements. He has been warned that there are supersoldiers active in the park and perhaps other threats capable of damaging even the superclones. Lucky Eddie reminded one that he, and many of his people, are early generation superclones though probably of a different kind than those in the Bigtropolis Central Park."

The ancient one responded. "The Rainbowbaby is here, along with others that follow her. She came to Bigtropolis once before and got into some kind of trouble, right there in the centre of Bigtropolis Central Park. I do not know what that trouble was but it involved a mysterious dark entity of great power and the faction known as the 13Genius13."

Arastie did not ask how the ancient one knew about the presence of the Rainbowbaby; if OoooobusOa wanted to inform him, of such matters, she-he would do so. If this did not happen, then Arastie trusted that there were good reasons for matters to be that way.

Arastie nodded. "We Undercity Guardians have dealt with those brilliant, evil, fools more than once but you know that. We had hoped that our last operation, against them, had driven them from Bigtropolis."

OoooobusOa responded. "Aaahhh, delicious food but next time I will eat more human type food so you do not feel like vomiting. Also I know what humans use the vibrating fun toys for but that does not cause me any concern. You did drive the 13Genius13 from Bigtropolis, with the assistance of other factions and myself but they have been attempting to return ever since. The previous incident, with the Rainbowbaby, took place a few years before you pushed a weakened 13Genius13 from the megacity; they were weakened because of what happened with the Rainbowbaby and it was probably the Rainbowbaby that did much damage to them, along with that which protects her."

There was nothing to communicate, after that, and soon the human had departed. OoooobusOa sighed, with contentment, as she-he at the last of its meal but its mind was contemplating what was going on in Bigtropolis Central Park.

Edited December 13, 2015 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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Bigtropolis: Eleven

One 8.1[9]{12}

Marshal Flanxk studied the 3Dscreen in front of him and frowned softly. Reports coming back from the underground complex, beneath the central part of Bigtropolis Central Park, were confusing. The superclones were acting odd but not in an obviously deceptive manner; it was as if they were not sure what was happening though they were there in the complex. Flanxk had already decided not to send in any more superclones, there were very few to spare anyway, until he came to a greater understanding of what was taking place in that complex.

Scullie had spoken to him of the inexplicable number of superclones existing in the complex being many more than, in theory, should be there. There were also the 'animated plastic soldiers' and exotic robots created out of machines along with transformed machines. The Rainbowbaby simply did amazing things, sometimes, sometimes under guidance but not always.

Flanxk turned his special command chair to face a gorgeous, sexually dressed, woman who was rejuvenated to look much younger than she was. Her body was warm, her eyes were cold, and she gave him a half smile. Essarelda was an oddity even by the standards of the Exotic Forces. She was a floating trouble shooter, a puzzle solver, a hard 'arse kicker', who reported only to the mysterious Council13. That she even gave him a half smile showed that she liked him well, by her standards.

She spoke. "Hello, Ronald, did you miss me?"

Flanxk smiled, sort of. "Of course I did, Essarelda."

She came over to him and sat on his lap. "Well, you should be happy to see me, husband of mine."

Their marriage was an odd one, as much a practical political one as a romantic one, but they did spent at least a couple of nights together each month. They kissed.

Flanxk spoke. "You read the report I sent you along with the poem?"

She sighed. "Your poetry is improving, especially when it comes to describing certain features of mine, but the report is a confusing one especially considering the normally very precise nature of your reports."

The Marshal nodded. "I could say the same for those who sent the reports. The Rainbowbaby has somehow subtly influenced the superclones and we need to know just how. I can not go there, what with three other operations needing my attention and one of them proving to be rather problematic, but perhaps you can."

She wiggled around a little, in theory to get more comfortable, and her smile became richer. "Oh, that does feel better. It is always nice to feel welcome. The 'you know who' are sending me to meet the Rainbowbaby. I suspect that, with all my abilities and experience, that she will prove to be a real challenge. Scullie is there, another grand challenge though she seems to be barely aware of it. Indeed the place will be full of such interest. Come with me, marshal, for I have requested and gained a personal one on one session in that cramped little place you call a base apartment."

So they officially adjourned, to that particular place, for an officially sanctioned private meeting.

Edited December 27, 2015 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all of you!

Edited December 27, 2015 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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Bigtropolis: Twelve

One 9.1[10]{13}

Lucky Eddie let loose a burst of smart-bullets, the projectiles exploding into the glistening things coming along the utility tunnel. Around him some of his comrades were also blasting away. Others were attempting to use a local terminal to link in with command, to gain reinforcements, but 'something' was blocking attempts to do so.

The strange creatures came from two directions, a strong indication of a well planned ambush being triggered but how was that possible; the mission was supposed to be extremely top secret. Lucky Eddie was puzzled.

The exotic enemies were grotesque parodies of humans, glistening and translucent, naked but in no human fashion, sexless but endowed with long tails ending in spikes. Other spikes came out of fingers. They ran fast, dodged well enough, but were easy targets for the advanced, sophisticated, weapons of the mercenaries. They died easy enough and the deaths were as bizarre as the beings themselves for they dissolved away, fumes arising from the strange flesh as it simply vanished.

Lucky Eddie unleashed a couple of compact grenadeshells and ducked down behind a foam inflated barrier. Had it been instinct that had urged him to have the force bring such extras? He did not know but he did know it was helping them survive. The grenadeshells detonated and destroyed five of the things in twin blasts.

Then the attack was over. It stopped when the last attacking creature was destroyed and no more appeared.

He spoke his thoughts out aloud. "Something very alien, very nasty, is out there. It 'sensed' us coming and it quickly set up what was most likely a testing attack of our abilities. We need to divert so that I can meet with Shentbarb."

Shentbarb was dangerous, crazy, and none liked the idea of visiting his home territory; yet he also had an uncanny knack of knowing bizarre and improbable things. Lucky Eddie had a knack of 'sensing' what needed to be done to work out difficult situations.

They were soon on the move again, having to leave behind the special foam filled barriers.

Edited February 23, 2016 by Maharg67