This text was composed by Kevin (me) and Mattias Timm ([link]):

The Lair of the Gods – The RPG in its Entirety

The wind rustles through the trees, under the red evening sky. The moon is rising slowly, atop the fiery red clouds of the sunset. Fractal007 looks about himself, seeing the ruins of an old city. The ruins where Dun Dos used to stand. Now there is no one. Fractal007 stands in awe, knowing that just 5 hours ago, he'd been here, spoken to the people, and even bought a holster to hold his 9mm pistol. Now, however, the town is deserted. All that stands are the remains of a few splintered foundations...

A craft lands closely to Fractal007, carrying a lone soul. The Pilot, Burton, leaves his plane, and comes close to the stranger.

"It's a shame what happened to this city"

Fractal007 looks at the plane. He recognizes it as a V-42B, the Vertical takeoff version of the ever-popular F/A-42 attack/interception aircraft.

Still ruffled by the blast from the VTOL (Vertical takeoff and Landing) engines, Fractal007 stands up and says, "What the hell happened here, anyway?"

"Rebel strike," says Burton, "Have you been living under a rock or something? There's a war going on here!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Fractal007 responds, annoyed, but also with a sense of trepidation at seeing a uniform after such a long time in hiding.

"Looks like a Vanadium-213 strike," says Burton.

Vanadium-213 is a short-lasting radioactive isotope which is frequently used to level small cities and destroy all living things within the premises of the area. It has a half life of approximately 30 minutes, but has a serious punch.

"Well, the first five seconds for these people were hell, but then it all ended," Burton concludes, after a long pause....

"Which side are you on, anyway?" asks Burton, after a very long pause.

"I'm not with the rebels, if you mean that, lieutenant." Fractal007 notices the rank marks in the other man's uniform, "But I can't say I totally agree with the government side."

"Really?" Burton looks vaguely surprised, "I don't agree with the bloody massacres we are forced to wreak on the rebels' villages."

Fractal007 looks around him, as if he is looking for someone else, and tells Burton to follow him, with a sign of his hand. Silently, both men enter a now-abandoned 60-stories building, probably dating from the last century, and take the stairs to go down, into the basement. There, Fractal007 shows Burton a secret door, behind an ancient laundry machine.
"Come in, please", says the former.

Fractal007 and Burton head down a long stairway and enter a chamber at the end. The room smells very musty.

"This has been my home since the war started," Fractal007 says, half in remorse, and half with pride. He gestures to a vast array of electronic equipment, and says, "This is what I do in my spare time. Figure out disarming codes for all nuclear missiles in every military force in the world."

"You know, I should be arresting you right now, for possession of classified data," says Burton, "But what the hell would that do? You're the only person I've met in a long time, who's actually been doing something good for the world..."

"I don't care," Fractal007 says, with a look of hopelessness in his eyes. "Even if I stay doing this, what good will it do. People will just keep on killing each other using other methods. I've got nothing to lose."

"No, I like what you do," Burton says, "You're the only person I know, who's trying to stop the killing." Burton looks at Fractal007 with a sad look of hopelessness. "I know a man named Chris Michaelson, who only wants to kill 'those New Planetary Government fuckers'. He's obsessed with it. He's one of the most intelligent, yet most depressing people I know."

"Have a seat," Fractal007 motions Burton to sit in a chair beside him. "See this," Fractal007 motions toward a monitor in front of him, "That's the countdown sequence for a cruise strike that will be commencing in about an hour.

Burton stares in bewilderment, as he watches a screen he's seen hundreds of times. It was the launch terminal he used to sit at, when he worked in the administrative complex at Millas Airbase.

Fractal007 then motioned toward another screen. On it was a strategic map, with Millas in the middle.

"That's a cruise strike on Millas, by an NPG (New Planetary Government) position," Fractal007 says, "But, I know this launch key like the back of my hand."

Fractal007 taps on several keys, and both screens flash "ABORTED ABORTED".

"Dam, we're in a deadlock here," Burton says. "Although my government doesn't want to admit it, we're in a damned deadlock. It's cost me my family, friends, and everything I own..."

"I screw with those keys every day. Every hour, one on your side, and on the NPG side," says Fractal007, with a look of hopelessness in his eyes...
Burton looks around the secret room his new friend has invited him into, and sees an old military hat lying on one of the desks.
"Have you been in the military, Sir?" asks Burton.
"That's my father's. He was killed in a skirmish when I was a child, and as to my military background, I must confess that I..." Fractal007 takes some air, and some time to continue his unfinished phrase.

"When I was only six years old, I was hit in the leg by some shrapnel, from an NPG pipe bomb attack," says Fractal007, "I received reconstructive surgery on my leg, but the military deemed me not fit for service. However, I'm glad, because this war is a lot worse than everyone previously thought."

"I agree," Burton said, "The only reason I joined was because my family had been killed, and all my friends were doing it. Now I'm having second thoughts..."

One of the many radar screens glimmer, and Burton looks interested.
"What's this?"
"Oh, that's the area where the main Government base lies."
"Is that 'The Lair of the Gods'?", Burton looks surprised; "I've never been to that base. It's where the main bombers and interstellar crafts are based."
"You're right, Lt. These lights and sounds mean that a massive amount of planes are taking off right now. This probably means they'll strike the rebels again."
"What do you say we do?" Burton asks.

"I think we should get whatever we can from here, i.e. small computer equipment, and get the hell out of here, because I have a feeling people are on their way to figure out what's gone wrong with all their cruise missile and nuclear launch systems," Fractal007 says.

"I agree, and then we'll take my jet out of here."

Burton and Fractal007 gather supplies, such as old programmable graphing calculators, code charts, and floppies containing computer viruses. Fractal007 says good-bye to what has been his home for over 5 years, and they climb the stairs and leave the building, headed for Burton's jet...

Lt. Burton opens the cargo door, and puts in whatever small things both have gathered. Inside, he finds two spare uniforms.

"Hey, my friend! I think it's better to make you pass as another airman, like me, don't you agree? If you do, here you can take one of my spare uniforms. This one has not my name written on it. BTW, my name, as you can read, is Burton, Jeffrey Burton. What is your name?"
"Kieth Williamsen," Fractal007 responds. "But everybody just calls me Fractal007. And yeah, I think I ought to change into that uniform."

Fractal007 takes the spare uniform and goes back into the building and changes into it.

"Do I look convincing?" Fractal007 asks.

"Yep, if Chris Michaelson were here, he'd be telling you that you were acting too much like a pretty boy, hehehe." Burton says, laughing to himself.

Suddenly, a bolt of ionized particles tears across the sky, crackling as it goes.

"Shit," Burton says, "Somebody's here, and they're shooting off a hell of a lot of thermal lasers. We'll have to get out of here low and fast. You will probably black out on the way, but I promise, you'll be in one piece once we're out of here."

Both Fractal007 and Burton climb into the V-42, and Burton lifts the aircraft to 100 feet and applies aft thrust, and they fly off into the blood-red sky. Behind them, what's left of Dun Dos is leveled by a burst of thermal laser fire. Fractal007 says nothing, lost in a hell of flashing lights and great noises, as the battle which will decide the fate of the Dun Dos district rages on.

Finally, Fractal007 blacks out, and is lost amid a sea of faces which he so longs to forget. They appear and disappear amidst an ocean of fire and grief, the faces of the only people who ever loved him....

As the vessel rages through the heavens, and Fractal007 grasps what faster-than-sound means, Burton uses his intercom to speak: "We all lose our loved ones, Keith. Would you prefer that I call you Fractal007? And, if you don't mind my asking... Is it some kind of hacker nickname?"
"Well," says Fractal007 groggily, "I'm Fractal007 on the net, and Keith in the real world. However, I think Fractal007 would suit me better, because I'm the great grandson of Bill Williams, the creator of Williamsenair, the maker of this plane we're on.

"If that were to get out, I'd probably be captured by the NPG and pumped for information on every one of Williamsenair's secrets. Then they'd kill me once I told them for the 800th time that I'm not really interested in flying, aircraft, or weapons at all...."

As the craft keeps soaring, Burton makes a transmission:

"Attention local Base T-L-O-T-G, here reconnaissance Flight Number 167, come in, please."
Few seconds pass by.
"Attention R-F 167, here base T-L-O-T-G, over."
"We are close to the base. Permission to land requested, over."
"Permission to land granted, R-F 167, over and out."
"Copy that," Burton says.

"Circle down to angels 10, then turn left and land on runway 27 Romeo," says the tower over the intercom.

"Roger that, approach control, descend to angels 10, turn left, and land on runway 27 Romeo."

And so, Burton and Fractal007 descend into The Lair of the Gods.

Lt. Burton isn't very happy knowing that he'll have to leave the plane in a strong guarded hangar, but it is standard procedure. He and his new companion leave the machine and walk to the pilot meeting place, where more than 100 pilots can be found at any given time. There's a lot of movement, and the voice has spread that a sneak attack will be launched on several rebel bases in half an hour. Burton and Fractal007, looking like regular pilots, join two others around a small square table.

Burton speaks to one of the gentlemen: "Hello, fellow airmen, I'm Lt. Burton, and this is Lt. Gibson. We just did some air recon missions, so I'd like you to tell me the latest news, kind Sir."

The airman replies, "We were about to knock out a eugenist base when our computer systems went down." Fractal007 smirks to himself, but then the roar of an F/A-42 landing can be heard. He uses the distraction straightens his face, trying to be inconspicuous. The airman continues, "A couple of hours from now we're gonna be scrambling to take down a couple of satellites that have been sticking their noses where they don't rightly belong."

Just then someone walks over, still wearing a flight suit. It is the pilot of the F/A-42.

"Attention!" The man says. Everyone clicks his heals to attention. "Who the hell are you?" He says, as he walks toward Fractal007.

Fractal007 is just about to say "Who the hell are you?" to the man, when Burton interrupts. "Sir," Burton says, "This is my new Radio Intercept/Reconnaissance systems officer. His name is --"

"Does he have a speech problem?" the man yells.

"Sir no sir!" Burton reports.

"Then I'm sure he can speak for himself," the man says. "What's your name, son?" he barks to fractal007.

"Lieutenant Kieth Gibson, sir!" Fractal007 says.

"Drop and give me 20!" the man barks, "I don't know what the hell they taught you over in heehaw land, or wherever the hell you come from, but on any airbase in this military, the first and last thing you say to a superior officer is SIR!"

"Sir yes sir," Fractal007 says. Fractal007 drops, and begins doing the 20 pushups to the best of his ability. Trying not to grunt, as the stones on the concrete dig into his hands, he does the best he can at looking like a convincing officer. As he does this, the man says, "By the way, Lt., my name is commander Chris Michaelson." Michaelson turns to Burton, "You, whip him into shape. He's not climbing into another fighter until he can properly address and officer," he barks, and looking at the now thoroughly exhausted Fractal007, "and do 20 pushups without fainting! Is that clear?" "Sir yes sir!" "Now you two get your asses into the barracks and start training and learning! You and this Gibson kid are going up tomorrow. If he can't properly address me by morning, he goes on ground crew duty!" Michaelson barks.

Fractal007 and Burton turn and walk off toward the barracks. Michaelson then turns and begins to yell at the remaining pilots.

Burton and 'Gibson' go towards the barracks, and stop somewhere in the way, where no one is close enough to hear them. Burton: "Damn it! I didn't count on this situation. This freak won't let us in peace, it seems. Hey, Fractal007, try to do your best to impress this guy tomorrow. I'll try to help you out, but I don't know what will happen tomorrow."

Fractal007: "I'll do my best."

Burton: "SIR, I'll do my best, SIR." Fractal007: "Sir, yes, sir."

Burton: "Good! Let's go to those damned barracks!"

Fractal007 is sleeping in his bed, in a room beside that of Burton.

"Keith?" the voice says. "Keith, it's me."

Fractal007 opens his eyes, to see a strange woman standing in the doorway. She wears a gown, and looks like a fairy. "We have to leave, Keith, come on!" she whispers, her voice fragile as a stained glass window.

Keith is about to get up, when he awakes from the dream, the tender voice still echoing in his mind, "Don't forget! Leave!" It grows quieter still, finally uttering one last thing: "Keith? Remember me?" And then stops.

Fractal007 tries to ponder the dream, but is still very tired, and his body still aches from Burton's attempts at making a full-fledged officer overnight. He is about to fall back asleep when his entire room is filled with light. Seconds later, the room shakes with the shock wave.

Fractal007 instinctively rolls out of bed and hides behind the bed to shield himself from the shards of glass coming his way. Just then, his door is flung open.

"Move it!" a familiar voice yells. Christopher Michaelson grabs Fractal007 by his shirt and flings him out of the room. "By the way, I know you're fake, but we need you here. I'm pulling for you, kid. Now get your fucking ass out the door!"

Fractal007 is about to ask what's going on, but then thinks better of it. He gives a half-hearted, but shaky, "Sir yes sir!" instead.

As he runs out the door, Fractal007 sees Burton, running toward a monstrous aircraft. Fractal007 recognizes the plane. He recalls seeing its design on a Millas computer he'd hacked into. This was the king of Black Project programs. This was the B/A-2 stealth Space bomber. It could fly on for months through space to deliver an apocalyptic payload.

He hears the rumbling of the particle breakdown engines. They roar like the roar of a creature of another place, and another time. They break down the very atoms in the air, to manufacture the particles and anti-particles which will come together and give their lives to propel the bomber forward.

"This is our lifeline," Michaelson yells to Fractal007 and Burton, as another explosion rips through the end of a distant runway. "Shit, they're getting closer. That was a field cruise. Where the hell did our interceptors go?"

As they approach the B/A-2, a young ensign comes up to Michaelson, saying, "Sir, this is Lawman's aircraft!"

"Out of the fucking way, ensign! Lawman is in seven pieces on the damned admin complex right now, so this plane is mine. Now either get onboard or else stay here and die!"

"Sir yes sir," The ensign yells.

"And Fractal007," Michaelson says to Fractal007, who is now looking very frightened but also embarrassed that Michaelson has found him out, "You're staying on the bridge with me. I need somebody to work the computers on this thing. You too, Burton, You're gonna keep him in line. I have a bomber to command."

"Sir yes sir," Fractal007 and Burton say together, as they board the B/A-2.

The flight deck of the bomber looks much like the bridge of a starship, with consoles and a command chair. This is all necessary, as the aircraft is one of the most sophisticated planes in history.

Michaelson turns to the young ensign, who is now manning the helm console. "Get us off the ground and quick." He then turns to Fractal007. "Sit at a computer and start hacking. We're gonna be pretty vulnerable for the next few minutes. I want these NPG bastards to be pretty much blind to us.

Michaelson sits at the command chair, Fractal007 and Burton sit together at the best computer they can find, along the side of the aft wall of the flight deck/bridge.

Fractal007 feels the entire aircraft shake, as the engines produce their deafening roar, getting the plane moving. The flashes of explosions and thermal lasers popping molecules apart, can be seen everywhere, illuminating the computer displays.

It is going to be a long and

The bomber leaves the atmosphere, and the crew watches huge explosions on the planet's surface...
"What the f***?" yells Michaelson.

Fractal007 continues looking at the displays around him. He is getting the hang of these military computer terminals. One is conveniently displaying all other aircraft and threats around the B/A-2.

Suddenly one starts to blink and a loud deedle sounds. This indicates that the B/A-2 is being targeted.

"Shit," Burton says.

Fractal007 manages to resolve the aircraft's flight computer's IP address, and sends a trojan to infect its flight computer. The effect is almost instantaneous. The aircraft can be heard swooping out of its flight path and falling out of the sky.

Just then, Michaelson orders everyone to prepare for speeds in excess of 0.6 times the speed of light.

"We're gonna try and reach Aremus, one of our moons." Michaelson says, "My astronomer friends tell me it's probably capable of sustaining humans..."

Not long time later, the craft reaches Aremus' orbit. The crew shows its great maneuvering skill and marvelously lands the machine on Aremusian soil. The data-getting hand computers (think of Star Trek TNG's Tricorders) show good levels of Oxygen, Carbon, and various life-sustaining elements, including lots of sweet water (I don't know if this applies in English, but in Spanish we call "sweet" water to that that is not salted, as in sea-water) in giant lakes across the landscape. "This is paradise", sighs Lt. Burton, as he first sets foot on the ground, on this lovely place. Grassy plains cover all that the eye can see, occasionally interrupted by this brook or that water-spring. The temperature is nicely warm, and Burton takes his heavy officer-coat off, and wears only his T-shirt, after removing his shirt too. "C'mon, lads!", he yells to those still on board.
Everyone else leaves the craft.

Michaelson looks up, and feels tears come to his eyes. This is the first time in over six years that he has not been subjected to the constant noise of the air battles and artillery crashing of the war.

"Man, this place is awesome!" Michaelson says. After a long pause, Michaelson says, "Well, since there's not much we can do in the war now, let's set up camp and get ready to stay the night.

Night falls, and the once green and blue globe of the mother planet can be seen in the sky. Now, however, it is reddish, and small flashes can be seen on and around it.

Apocalypse of the world Fractal007 and everyone else once knew, has now been completed.

"Good-bye, Dun Dos," Fractal007 whispers to himself before walking back toward the bomber, which is now sitting with over 6 lean-tos(OOC: small tents that are usually set up to lean against a tree. These were sometimes used by the native peoples of my country) set up along its hull. Just then, he runs into Michaelson.

"Do you think anyone won?" Fractal007 asks.

"Hatred," says Michaelson flatly. "Mine, and everyone else's hatred has attained an astounding victory."

"Oh," Fractal007 responds, for lack of words.


[OOC: Although Michaelson's a very cold and indelicate individual, there still is a bit of respect for nature, and his fellow man/woman left in him, as shown here]

"I was wrong. We were all wrong......."

The men light a fire, in the middle of the zone they chose to camp in, and are roasting some meat-packs they'd brought. Probably the last semi-synthetic food they'll ever eat. Burton leaves the camp to do some nightly reconnaissance, with his superior's permission (Michaelson). As he uses his legs to put some dozens of meters between him and the camp, he hears a distant tune. Someone is whistling out there! Other survivors? Burton feels great. Soon, his 'human' sense comes back to him, and he draws his pistol - maybe the other survivors are hostile - and walks sneaking. He walks to the place where the sound comes from and...
Lt. Burton is astonished! Two Knights in armour are jousting in a field not far away, and a minstrel is playing the weird tune. Burton has to tell the others! He runs till his he pants his lungs out, and reaches the camp. Taking some time to cool down, Burton explains it all to the company. Baffled, they all wait for Michaelson's call.

"Are you serious?" Fractal007 asks, "it's getting pretty dark, you know, you may have just been seeing things." Fractal007 has always been known among his friends, as the skeptical one, looking for the strings controlling every puppet he comes across.

"And did I hear things, when I heard the lute?" Burton contends. "Besides, they had a bunch of large fires lit and torches."

Just then, Michaelson comes out of the bomber's ventral entrance hatch.

"What's up, everyone?" He asks.

"Knights, with lances up," Fractal007 says.

"Excuse me?" Michaelson says, with a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

"Sir, I saw some knights jousting in a clearing, about 400 metres from here, to the west." Burton says.

"Strange. Well, seeing as how we've got nothing better to do, let's go check em out..."

Just to be safe, Michaelson grabs 3 M-81 assault rifles from the bomber, and issues one to Burton, Lt. Pares(The aircraft's weapons systems operator) and himself.

They walk to the site, and sure enough, there are two knights getting up on horses, and preparing for battle. Several people are speaking loudly, but in a language that the B/A-2 crew is unable to understand.

"Uisosos," Pares whispers in astonishment.

"What?" whispers Fractal007.

"Isolation, it's the ancient word for isolation. I remember from my study of mythology. As I recall, an entire castle disappeared. It was said to have been taken by a great force, and sent to the stars. Could this be them?"

Everyone looks on at the historical scene being played out before them, with astonishment.......

The Medieval feast goes on, before the unbelieving eye of the last soldiers of the home planet. Fractal007 and Burton look at the people, and still can't believe. In the home planet, there had never been a medieval age... Humans had come from another planet, the original one... Ages ago... the old Star Age...

Saeger held up his hand, signaling a cessation in the tourney. He dismounted his horse and walked carefully to the pair staring at him with mouths agape.

"Prithee, sirrah, why dost thou disturb our most august and joyful frolick? If thee be a friend and a comrade in arms, then clept my outstretched hand and I shall cleave and call thee fairest coz. If thee be a base villain, then draw your mistempered steel and hie to prepare to me thy Maker before he cast you to a deserved torment."

One hand he stretched out, the other rested thoughtfully on the pommel of his blade.

"Sir?" Burton says to Michaelson. "What do we do?"

"Ah," Michaelson says, "We hath come in peace. We intend no harm. I am thy friend." Michaelson says, in his best middle English.
Burton looks at his superior and wonders at his grasp of that language of ancient times. He can't understand anything, save a few words that survived the sands of time and gained their place in the common tongue of the empire.

"Sir?" Burton says to Michaelson, "Where did you learn that?"

"I've always had a touch of an interest in ancient tongues. I used to actually write in the language in my diary." Michaelson says.

Suddenly, a yelp of surprise is heard from nearby.

"Guys! Come look at this!" Fractal007 cries.

Fractal007 points to a stone on the ground. On it are several strange symbols. The symbols are twisted around, in what appears to be a mathematical equation.

"Oh my!" Michaelson says. "Do you know what this is?"

"What?" Fractal007 says

"This is a fractalized mathematical equation. The numbers in the actual equation are arranged in such a way as to actually make up the answer to the question. I always thought these were mythical, and so did my textbooks!"

Fractal007 and Michaelson stand in astonishment.

Suddenly, Fractal007 falls into a strange lapse, and starts to remember things from long ago. Other times, other lives, other worlds.....

Burton's mind starts tripping as he realizes the designs he sees (like in HPL's tales, such as "Dreams in the witch-house"). A dream-like state is brought forth in Burton's head, and he starts seeing stuff from all times and places.

At first, he sees green vast pastures, and from there, a man wielding a staff, the number 23, carved in ancient symbols of a planet long forgotten. He sees this planet, a blue orb floating in black space, next to a small white moon, and a red planet. In this planet, he sees a cyclopean face, aligned with pyramids he now sees in the blue planet, and a vast line drawn across the greatest continent among the waters. The red planet hosts a race of intelligent beings, not unlike Burton's, and he sees the colonization and extermination of these people by the blue planet's men, only to gather some crystals. He sees other travels, but he is gradually drawn away from the scene, and falls on a green paradise-like planet, and sees yellow-eyed men take it over, and sees their bloody war with the red-eyed men, over tiny scraps of scorched land. At the end, all the paradise burns, and both races die in silence, without power. Then, he sees a race of green men being born from the rubble of the planet, and he sees the heavy work they do to re-create the paradise. Then, he witnesses the rebirth of human race, in the green people's labs. The progenitor race... That name comes to his mind. Our green masters. No... No... it is a dream! Are my ancestors the offspring of... Oh, no!

Burton head aches a lot. The last he sees before blacking out is his own face, with greenish eyes and almost purple skin... His body is covered with scales, and his mouth sprouts gigantic tusks...

Saeger looked back as the man stood dumbfounded, "Ho! Our good man doth swoon in this air! Bring him some ale and sweetbreads that we may raise his humors from the grave!"

Hands gently lowered the stranger. A cool cloth was applied to his forehead. Saeger walked over to the other stranger, noticing that the swooned man had been standing by The Image.

"Ahh, now the mystery evaporates like the Fae Queen before the rosy dawn. Your friend gazed upon The Image. Luck was surely his footman this day. It is said that those who look upon this soon find their mind divorced from their humors and body in a grave way.", Saeger's mouth narrowed to a pale split, then broke into a grin, "But fear not, we have the best physic in these kingdoms attending him. Soon, he shall arise as a Titan and will be hailed as a good and true friend! What is your name, if I may humbly ask?"

"Mine name is Christopher, son of Michael. I come from the mother world. That which was taken by the winds of hatred, not long ago." Michaelson says. He watches, as Burton is hauled away. Fractal007, he can see, is turning his head from the stone and retrieving a pocket graphing calculator, to bring his mind back to reality.

"Z = Z^2 + Ci" Fractal007 thinks to himself. The Fibberocci Series. The black beetle which appears on the screen in front of him looks almost otherworldly. "M-ma" Fractal007 starts blurting.

He could still see the visions. Visions of a massive, round city, flashed in his eyes. He watched as a man left the city, and seeing his surroundings, all covered by the savageness of nature, promptly left and returned to the city. The man then returned from the city, this time with one who was of the people working with those who had, for so long, denied the greenness of the world they entered. With the two were many others. The massive city of steel and might, fell to the awesome power of hatred, just as his own planet had.

The others who had escaped built anew. Their children founded a giant civilization. But they were crushed, only to be revived by those from another world. Those men which his friend had seen.....

Fractal007 crumples to the ground, dropping the graphing calculator. On its screen is still the beetle-shaped thing.

Fractal007 is hauled away by the soldiers.....

Burton lays on the ground in a darkened room (something very logical, considering it's the night), and dreams on.

In his sleep, he is a mighty king, holding the keys to seven great cities of ancient stone, and doors of black ebony. Each one of the cities, is a face, and each face is a name in Burton's mind... The names, he realizes, now dressed as ancient scientist, can be turned into numbers, and the equations these numbers form, bring forth a revelation. The key to the ultimate secret of reality. As he is about to take the key... Burton is woken by a guard.

Fractal007 awakes in one of the chambers of the castle. Dam, he thinks to himself, my graphing calc has been taken away. So has his gun.

He thinks now of the fractalized equation that Michaelson had told him about.

"I wonder if Michaelson was effected?" he muses, "What the hell was all that?"

He can vaguely remember the symbols on the stone. [OOC: I AM GOING TO USE PAST TENSE FOR THE REST OF THIS GAME. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE, BUT THIS PRESENT TENSE IT GETTING REALLY HARD TO REMEMBER TO DO!!!] They were so evenly arranged, and yet so chaotic. Blocks of symbols would spiral around and make odd, but familiar patterns.

Fractal007 pulls out one of his extra mother boards, from one of the military computers. Looking at it, in the light produced by the Sun's reflection off of the now dead mother planet, Fractal007 sees the very same pattern of spirals and squares on the back. So precise, yet so mysterious.....

Lt. Burton tries in vain to grasp the meaning of the oh-so-unknown speech the guard almost throws at him. He walks stumbling in the dark till he finds a hole in the floor, and falls inside. Almost 3 meters under the surface, a paved way goes from where Burton has landed to the other side. The way is too long for Burton to judge in the darkness, but, due to the moving air, it seems long. He starts walking along and his wits and senses come back. Were the meat-packs tainted? Had he been drugged all along? He felt his hands cold again. The piercing coldness embraces his whole body, and he feels truly alive again. Had there been a guard to wake him? If so, he wasn't around anymore. Was it a dream? Was this all a dream? Am I awake now? A headache grows inside his head to unbearable proportions, and he has to stop, and he must sit down. Down. The darkness. The pain. The coldness. The fear. This must be a nightmare. This is not real. This is madness. Burton feels he has lost his mind.
Michaelson watched as the knights jousted in the court. The time was 0100. Beside Michaelson sat several warriors. They were impressed with both Michaelson's knowledge and his determination with a horse.

"By what spirit didst thou resist the whisper of the stone?" one of the warriors asked.

"T'was by mine own coldness of humour" Michaelson responded. "I have been thrice afflicted in the heart, and thus, my humour and cholor are cold and no longer responsive." Michaelson struggled to translate "responsive" as the language of the Ancients never had such concepts.

"And is this why thou fighteth to such a great degree?" The warrior asked.

"Yes. I seek revenge against those who took away my family, my love, and my world."

Just then, a man approached Michaelson. "Accept this, my challenge to thee."

The man motioned to three weapons, sitting on the ground in the center of the jousting ring. One was a bola, another a spear, and another a sword.

"Pick thou the instrument of my fate," The man ordered in a harsh voice. Everyone was now cheering, wanting to see some blood.

Reluctantly, Michaelson got up and grabbed the sword. Then he turned to the man, who was now standing poised to fight, with his sword in hand, and said, as was the custom in ancient sport-fighting, "Tonight, it shall be decided".....

"You would shame me in mine own face?", Saeger hissed, clutching the arrogant knight by the arm, "My guest, the Son Of Michael will not do combat this day! By the duties of the host I claim for him sanctuary!"

The crowd muttered and booed slightly as they sat down.

"You would clutch these barbarians to your bosom and call them dearest cos, while you viewed the reaction of one catamite to the dear face of the Sigil! They do work of the blackest nature and you will remember your vows!", the knight shrugged off Saeger's grasp with a mailed fist.

"Do shame me thrice and you shall no longer enjoy the fruits my protection", Saeger brought his face close, "Kin or nay, you remain my junior and will remember the duties due to you."

Lt. Burton walks and walks, and he sees a light at the end of the tunnel. The light is bright and white, uncommon for the "setting" they all are experienced. He hears some weird noises, and as he approaches the light, a small non-android Robot greets him in Binary Speech. Luckily, this is one language Burton does know. According to the 'bot, Burton is welcome at the lab.
"Da lan!" the guard shouted down the hallway.

They were still speaking in that language. Fractal007 had to figure out a way out of here. But, everyone had been such good hosts. He didn't want to hurt them, even though he had the means necessary for escape, such as his pistol.

"Da lan, okyan!" the guard said, now right at Fractal007's room.

"I don't understand you," Fractal007 said, despite his knowledge that the guard probably didn't know what he was saying.

THe guard, now seeing that Fractal007 was in good health, said to himself, "His spirits hath arisen and doth greet me with light like the sun." However, the man kept talking in a strange language that he could not understand. And so, the guard went about grabbing Fractal007 by the shoulder, and leading him out of the room, and to Saeger.

"Best coz, it is good to see your factulties as keen as the blade by my hip! I hope that the manner of my men hath not abused you too sorely. Their hands be as rough as stone, but their tempers and hearts are as gentle as new lambs when I command."

**********************************************************************************

Saeger waved the dazed man to a chair, "Tell me, you appear to be foreign strangers to this land. What manner of conveyance brings you to my side, and what does your purpose impel you to do?"
Michaelson sat down, looking slightly roughed up from the first initial bouts of the battle. However, he was glad that Saeger had stopped the battle, as he was not as good with a sword as he'd originally hoped.

He began to tell the tale of how they'd gotten here, trying not to say too much about techology.

"We hath come by the power of a great bird. We ran from the midst of a great trauma and noise occuring on the world above, and now sit here."

Michaelson knew he'd already given too much away. "Great bird!!??" he chastised himself.

"Though we are honorable and brave fighters, I saw that the men benieth my command had to live. I did not see fit to lay down my life for the cause of the great battle, but for the health of Fractal007 and his coz, Burton."

"Great Birds?", Saegar smirked as he gently took the wine cup from his guest's hand, "I fear the the madness of the grape may be gently wooing your mind, good sir. It would be remiss of me to allow you to join the fae and their moon caravels.

"I understand the weights upon the soul that only the pains of command should grant. My cousin, Gervase,", Saeger pointed to the sulking figure who challenged him earlier, "would think that he would enjoy the crown upon my head. I can only hope that time would temper the edge of his steely ambition with wisdom."

Saeger looked to the bottom of his own cup, then slapped the table with his outstretched hand.

"By The Sigil! We will not let melancholy be the black murderer of these revelers! Jonglers! Bards! I command thee by your charge of merriment to make us laugh and sing! Bring your capering forth so that I might reward those gifts of foolery!"

Fractal007 awoke. He had been dreaming all this time. He was still in the chamber.

This time, the strange woman was there again. Glowing and casting an eerie light on the walls.

"Kieth," she said, "Don't you remember. Don't you remember Mr. Shire?"

Fractal007 had the presence of mind to actually talk to it this time:

"Who is Mr. Shire?"

"Your father! Come on, Kieth, you've got to follow me!" the woman said.

"My father is dead," Fractal007 said. "His name was not Shire, it was Duncan."

"Just follow," the woman said.

Fractal007 got up out of his bed, and proceded to walk toward the woman. He was very frightened, as she was still glowing. She looked like a ghost, or a fairy. Fractal007 could distinctly remember seeing fairies like her in the mythology texts, as a child.

The woman apeared to walk through the wall. Fractal007 didn't know what to make of it.

"Come on," she said.

Fractal007 turned around and backed into the wall. However, he did not feel it, and now found himself engulfed in a world of light....
[CONTINUED IN NEXT MESSAGE]

Fractal007 looked about himself. All around him, there were strange looking beings, each appearing to have a vertical eye on its forehead. They all walked about, carrying what appeared to be computer terminals with them, off of a large vessel.

"What is all this?" Fractal007 asked.

"These," said the woman, who was now standing beside Fractal007, "are people from an ancient alien civilization which helped to cultivate your species during its infancy."

Fractal007 was dumbfounded. Surely this was some sort of projection. One of the beings approached Fractal007 and extended his hand, grabbing his.

"Follow," said the woman.

Fractal007 followed the being, and was lead to a great wall. "Utopia," said the being, which could apparently speak english, or at least it seemed that way to Fractal007.

"This," said the being, "is where the Human empire began. It started out being peaceful, but then leaned toward conquering, but then to peace again. Out of these walls came yours and my father. John Shire."

Michaelson turned to look at the woman, but she was not to be seen any longer...

"Hey Jeff", a man inside the lab says.
Lt. Jeffrey Burton, the man that flew for the Government, is now silent and flabbergasted.
"Yes, your eyes do not betray you, SON."
Dad! He was killed in the war- Burton thinks -in a bombing... when I was a child...

"I'll explain" says Commander Burton "The Government knew of my proto-Herculean device, and they wanted me to try it on Aremus."
"What the heck is that?"
"It's a specialized holo-sim machine. Most of what you see on 'Medieval World' is a fake. Not the surroundings, and certainly not our lead character! He's a talented Government agent. He studied the Ancient Tongue, and many other cultural subjects."
"What?"
"Yes. You're here to test this machine. It seems it works. But... be careful son, there are aliens out there!"
Before Burton can understand anything that's happening, the whole room, and all within it, dissapear, and he's let alone in an empty VR room. (picture the Holodecks in Star Trek: TNG)

Lt. Jeffrey Burton rises to his feet, trembling. Something's very wrong in Aremus. Very, very wrong. In the Academy, Burton has been told Aremus is deserted, and has no athmosphere. How can this be? Something's quite wrong. He knows for sure. He runs back to the top of the place, feeling empty, and unknowing of what is real. At last, he meets, after running like a maniac thru lots of empty corridors, Mr. Fractal007...
"Hey," he says "how are you?"
"You don't wanna know what I'm guessing about Aremus"

"I know exactly what you are about to tell me. It's about this planet not having any atmosphere or anything, right?" Fractal007 said.

"Yes! How did you know?" Burton asked, flabbergasted.

"Because I just saw the founding of this moon," Fractal007 said, "At least an image of it..."

"What do you mean?" Burton asked.

"I was taken by some strange lady," Fractal007 said, "to this strange world, with humanoids which had three eyes. Two in the regular place, and another vertical one on the forehead. They told me that they evolved out of the appearance of being simply normal humans, to what they were now.
"Apparently they were responsible for colonizing this moon. They gave it an atmosphere, but kept it looking lifeless, until the time when a few people from the mother planet would be called here. They engineered this whole thing and now they want us to join them!"

"Remarkable!" Burton said, "But how do I know I can trust you, since I've just been told by a figure posing as my father, that this place is some sort of biological preserve, and that Saeger is a federal agent!"

"Hm..." Fractal007 said, "There must be more to this than meets the eye..."

"The question now is," Burton said, "Which experience was real, and which was a lie. Perhaps both are lies..."

"But hang on," Fractal007 said, "suppose for a moment that Saeger really is a federal agent. Would he not have told us by now?"

Fractal007 and Burton reached the entrance to the corridor, and passed through a door, and into what seemed to be a cave. They could just see the entrance off in the dark distance. They proceded toward it, occasionally stumbling over rocks.

Finally they reached the entrance, and found themselves near the castle they'd originally come across upon first meeting Saeger.

"Now," said Fractal007, "We need to find Saeger and MIchaelson."

"I agree," Burton said.

Just then, there came a roar in the sky.

"Shit!" Burton yelled, as they both watched as the B/A-2 roared away, through the clouds.

=================================================

"Shit!" Michaelson roared, in his native toungue.

"What?" Saeger asked.

"Tis the great and mighty bird!" Michaelson reported. "It flyeth away from this world, and unto another."

And, so Michaelson watched helplessly, as the B/A-2, the mighty, and highly classified bomber which was supposed to win the war for Michaelson's side, flew off into the great expanse of space...

<CONTINUED IN NEXT POST>

"So, the time has come," Elos said to the human next to him, seated in the navigator's chair of the B/A-2.

"Our great friend Elasya has done well in showing Fractal007 the truth." The human reported, "And what of Burton and Michaelson, Elos? What will we do with them?"

"They are of differing races," said Elos. "We must bring them together, to show both the races their common ancestry."

"In the meantime," the human, who's name was Euremos, said, "It appears that the people of the mother of Aremus have set foot in space. Now they must learn to conquer the great expanse, just as our ancestors, the escapees of Utopia, did."

"Yes Euremos." Elos said, "But what do you suggest we do with this infernal machine of death?"

"This," said Euremos, as he pulled the weapons detonation actuation lever. "Where we are taking the beings, they will not need this 'Bomber' as they call it."

The red 'eyes' of the humans glowed, as they summoned up the energy to transform into energy, and fall back to Aremus.

"You are mastering the art of phase shifting," Euremos said to Elos, his apprentice. "You needn't worry about doing it on your own this time. I will help you. There will be plenty of time to do such things on your own, in the realm before time.

And so, the world of the humans faded into a dark, but wonderful world of exstatic nothingness, as they streaked across the sky in the form of the simple elementary particles. As they did this, the MAM-4 coordinated MAM(matter-antimatter) attack system went off inside of the B/A-2, turning what was once the cutting edge technology of a now dead world, into simple individual atoms...

=================================================

"Something's happening," Burton said, "I can feel it."

Just then, there was a brilliant flash in the sky. Fractal007 and Burton watched, as the atmosphere was ripped apart by the bow wave of the MAM detonation. THunder and lightning errupted, as the gasses of the upper atmosphere were converted to ions.

Burton watched up, wondering what death would be like, as the wave started to crush the clouds down to the ground. Soon, they were scorching like steam, and he could hear the screaming of people being burned alive. Fractal007 was being burned alive, everyone was burning.

Suddenly, the screaming stopped, and Burton could see nothing. He was in a wonderful world of nothing but darkness and extatic nothinness...

"Where am I?" Burton's voice echoed in the otherwise deathly silent blackness.

"I dunno" replied Fractal007, but we seem to be together here. His voice echoed as Burton's.

"Lt. Burton! Front and Center!" the echoing barking could only come from one person, Mr. Michaelson.

"Where are we now, dammit?" Saeger's echoing voice pronounced the modern language for the very first time, revealing something new to all.

As the four men spoke, the blackness faded, giving way to a magnificent landscape view. Plain green fields, as wide as the eye could see, were revealed before them.
A face in the sky appeared. The face was pale and ghostly, and it was a man's face, but it had a third eye in its forehead. The face projected a voice that all four could hear, a loud and clear voice, yet soft and humble.
"You, men of four races, men of ancient cultures, yet young ones, compared to those that lasted for millenia, will learn something. This shall be a study in life."

"ca-" Michaelson started, in the ancient tounge, but then continued, "What are we to do?"

"Sir, front and center, sir!" Burton, who was now complying with Michaelson's orders said.

"You," said the large human face, "must go on a quest through ancient lands on worlds unknown to all of you, yet you are descendants of them. You will fight dragons, rescue maidens, and most importantly, find yourselves in this modern mess we like to euphamistically call 'The Universe'"

"But what does all this have to do with 'A study of life?'" Michaelson asked, frustrated.

"We, the ancient race, the Humans, have control over what happens in these worlds." The human said, "These quests will be a journey that will show you where you really come from."

"Where are we now?" Saeger asked.

"We are at the place before time. We are standing in space, but have taken the form of energy beings. What you see below you is a projection of Earth exactly 2 billion years before any humans ever evolved on the planet."

"What did 'Humans' look like," Fractal007 asked.

"They looked a lot like you do now," said the human. But they evolved from Primates, or monkey-type creatures."

"What you are about to witness now," said the human, as Earth faded, "is the creation event."

They all watched as the darkness was pierced by a blinding explosion of light. The human now faded, and came back in his normal size. Elos was now with him.

THey all watched, as matter pealed out from the Big Bang. The matter coalesced into small groups, to form galaxies and stars...

The four men were gently led by the face and the voice through the very first events of the history of the entire Universe. They sae the Big Bang, they saw the creation of the Milky Way, and of the Solar System, following then at the creation of the Earth's moon.
None of these events made any sense to the four 'young ones', but they paid attention anyway.
At last, they appeared, back in physical form, on the face of the Earth (a before-unknown planet in an even more so unknown star system, in an unknown galaxy), at the time of the first proto-human beings.

The proto-humans were running around near them, throwing spears and killing giant furry tusked animals.

"Are they actually physically here?" Michaelson asked.

"Yes," Euremos said, "but we are not. We are still energy."

"And what of the population of Aremus?" Saeger asked.

"They are safe," said Euremos, "on another planet."

"What planet?" Fractal007 asked.

"Your mother planet, of the past," Euremos said, "to have another chance to bring about peace."

"Now, we must take you on a journey that is as much inside of you as it is outside." Euremos said, "Your quest shall begin momentarilly, but first we will show you the assistance you will have."

Just then, Euremos turned from just a face and a voice, into the human form again. With him stood another human, and the strange woman Fractal007 had been finding in unexpected places, lately.

"This," said Euremos, pointing to the other human, "is my apprentice Elos."

Elos bowed to them.

"And this," continued Euremos, pointing to the woman, "is Elasya. I believe some of you have already met her."

Elasya bowed to the group.

"I apologize," said Euremos, "for the this confusing string of events which you have beheld. Some of you may think that you're still under the spell of the Dreamers Rock, but I can assure you that you are completely conscious. You must also understand that most of the events on your mother planet, and even on Aremus, have been all under our influence. We specifically chose DNA from all the people on your mother planet and placed it, in its earlier form, into the people of Aremus. Somewhere, there is another Michaelson, Fractal007, Burton, and Saeger, which will live once again, and participate in yet another try for peace."

Everyone stood, looking dumbfounded.

"So what happens now," Burton asked.

"Now your quest begins," Euremos said.

The large, red, central eyes of the humans glowed and they faded from view, as did Elasya, and as did the landscape. All that was left were the four lone survivors of the Mother Planet's latest attempt at peace.

Now, emptiness was filled by yet another land. This time, with peasants moving about, in a castle courtyard. Michaelson was able to touch the ground and feel its texture. They were in a real world now. They had begun their quest...

Saeger found all this very similar to the scenario back on Aremus. Burton was suspicious about his father being there and now, anfd tricking them all once again. Michaelson didn't know what to think of all those happenings, and Fractal007 was the only believer. He knew that they were about to experience something entirely different. Their lives and their souls would change forever.
"Da Mal! Mal Amolets!!!" A man shouted, nearby.

"Oh shit!" Michaelson said.

"Sir?" said Burton.

"These guys think we're monsters," Michaelson said. "By the way, there's no point in you continuing to call me sir and all that. Since our world's dead, there's no more military for us to serve in."

"Yes sir," Burton said, "I mean, okay. What should I call you?"

"Oh, I don't give a sweet fuck!" Michaelson said, annoyed.

"ok, Chris," Burton said.

Just then, Michaelson yelled something to the man, in the ancient toungue.

"We are your friends!" Saeger said, along with Michaelson, in the language of the Early Western Empire. He then turned to Fractal007 and Burton and said, "We must be in the Western Empire of the Mother Planet. These people have just sprung free of the Empire of the Mid-South. Judging by the agracultural development we see here before us, I'd say we're about 150 years after the occupation of the Western Empire by the Mid-South."

By now, peasants were gathering around them, and Burton shiverred, as he saw that some armoured soldiers were now taking an interest in them as well. In all, they were approximately 10 well-armed men...

The four men "from the future" were in deep shit... They had no chance whatsoever to escape, but... as always, a strong leader could do miracles, as Faith can move mountains (an old saying in Burton´s land). Michaelson started to bark orders at his companions. He used the skill in hand-to-hand combat three of them posessed to overwhelm the armed enemy. Frctal007 used other techniques to bring the "enemy" down, obviously, wihout lasting harm for them.

As the men indigenous to this time saw that four unarmed men could put down 10 well-armed men, they started to look at the strangers with new eyes...
"Risal!" One among the croud shouted.

"What does that mean?" Fractal007 asked.

"It was a legendary hero of ancient folklore." Saeger said. "They think we have something to do with him. But the problem is that Risal had to fight dragons and all sorts of other monsters."

"But you don't think there are...." Fractal007 paused. "....monsters, do you?"

"Well," said Saeger, in a matter of fact voice, "we've just been transported back in time by beings claiming to be capable of making themselves into energy. What's impossible?"

"Touche," Michaelson said.

The peasants all gathered around the four men and gazed at them in awe.

"Hello," Michaelson said in the ancient toungue, "We mean you no harm." He could think of nothing else to say at the moment...

Judging by the looks of longing and anticipation that had come over the gathered crowd, it was becoming more and more obvious to the four visitors, that something was clearly wrong in this world..........
"It's all clear to me", Burton said softly into Michelson's ear, "They think we're supernatural. Probably mosters to be killed by their hero!"
"Not quite," Michaelson said, "they think we are part of the knights that often rode around with Risal."

"Yes," said Saeger, "and if my surmise is correct, I think they want us to rid them of something."
"Ok. So we're DragonSlayers now!" Burton uttered "I saw the holo-v show when I was a kid, and it wasn't an easy life for them, no sir!"
Just then, what appeared to be the king and queen approached everyone.

"Welcome to our glorious kingdom," the king said in the ancient dialect, to Michaelson and Saeger.

"We graciously and humbly accept your welcome," Michaelson said. With me is Saeger the ambassidor, Burton the soldier, Fractal007 the tinkerer, and me, the warrior."
"I remember the king, and his queen I shall never forget" (MDB quote) Burton thought, as he remembered this scene locked in a dungeon, many many centuries apart...
But he was still there, still in that reality, and he was far from realizing the unity of space and time, and the secrets of its travelling...
The queen said something to Burton and then to Fractal007. Both tried to signal their inability to understand.

Michaelson interjected saying, "These men come from a very strange and faraway land. They have come with me as great helpers. Burton is able to tame* the strange engines. Fractal007 is able to tame the rocks**"

"Very well," said the king, "Let us celebrate your arrival by having a magnificant feast! You shall be the vanquishers of a mighty and awful foe which has tormented us for generations. You shall defeat Hlothar, the dragon!"


*Tame here is the word that is the equivilant of being able to do something well and with skill. In this case it implies that he is able to use with skill, machines that were said to exist. These were later discovered by archeological parties, to be highly technological devices that did not belong even remotely to the Mother Planet's equivalent to the medieval era.

**The rocks here means the rocks with the fractal equations on them. These were an important way of decorating and symbolizing historical events.

"We... fight a dragon?" Burton said to himself. 'Hunt the dragon and bathe in flames', an ancient saying from Burton's world rings in his ears. You can't fight the undefeatable. For the first time in this planet, Burton held a lot of fear.
Fractal007 heard Burton's musings, and said, "Remember, we're from the future. We know how to make a bit of fire ourselves."

"Besides," Michaelson said, "It can't be too difficult to manufacture spears and sneak up on the creatures..." Michaelson ended the sentence with a slight amount of trepidation. "Alright, well let's just get some rest. We're obviously pretty important celebrities here. Maybe we can get more information about these dragons from the locals, and maybe even some who have fought them..."
Some two days later, the gang had their spears and iron-plates ready, besides a healthy amount of swords, shields and all that medieval war parafernalia. The crowd was singing songs of glory, and the four wheren't so sure about going anymore...
Th four men trodded along the ancient road built by the early settlers of the land. As they continued, they found more and more skulls piled along the side.

"Do you think this is some sort of scare tactic?" Burton speculated to the rest of the group.

"Possibly," Michaelson said.

"As I can recall," Saeger put in, "much of the ancient tribes in the region often used the bones of their enemies to either mark and important path or warn of danger down a certain path. But then, when the empire of the south came in, much of the roads were destroyed, in favour of their own cities. This means one thing. This road leads to something so dangerous, that the conquerors didn't want to bother with it."

Fractal007 pulled out his portable solar power collector and said, "We may be able to use this to gather sodium from the salt deposits here. If we do that, we could make a wicked explosion if we mix enough with water."

"OK," Michaelson said, but we're going to have to find some salt first, and where exactly do you plan to get the water from?"

The men walked a long while, till they saw, beyond a small hill, a beach. The sandy sea-shore blinked of salt and, of course, the sea was full of water!

The team started to gather supplies for their spectacular bomb...
"Whoa!" Michaelson said, "I don't remember there being any reference to a beach in my textbooks!"

"Neither do I, but it's here now," Saeger said. "So let's make use of it."

Fractal007 collected some salt water and got his solar power generator ready.

"This should take about an hour," he said. "First we need to get some of those white rocks over there. Then we need some sand."

"Whoa!" Michaelson said, "You know more than I thought you did. You're making a sodium bomb. That's in our field manuals! Burton, did you bring along a manual? We might be able to get more info from that..."

"No Chris, oh I mean sir." Burton responded fumblingly.

"That's ok," Michaelson said, "Remember, there's no more military for us to serve in. You can just call me Michaelson."

Burton felt uneasy, as Michaelson was getting more and more tender in his speech and general actions. He was usually much more