Lost Heroes #14 - "The Main Event"
All the posturing has been finished. Without further ado the battle between Brawn and Valteria begins!
The two combatants exchange punches, neither one taking a great deal of damage.
While the fight is going on, Eclypse and Number 6 take a position on the sidelines. Mary and Albert take positions of safety well out of the way of the battle.
Mary - "Wish I had some popcorn."
Brawn winds up and lands a tremendous punch on Val. The warrior woman is blasted across the crevice and into the ruined areas beyond. Brawn leaps across the gap and advances on Val.
She is prepared and lands a punch on Brawn's chin. The large man rockets backward and through the metallic walls into the corridor. Val follows and the two are lost from sight.
Number 6 - "I'm not sure that this is such a good idea. But that loud-mouth had it coming."
Eclypse - "We better find them before they break something."
Albert - "Excuse me, gentlemen? Does this kind of thing happen all of the time?"
Mary - "Well..."
Eclypse and Number 6 quickly relocate the two combatants. They continue to land punches, but they are both getting very tired.
Finally the two land punches at the same time. Both stagger back a few steps and then collapse to the floor.
Number 6 - "I don't believe it!"
Eclypse - "They knocked each other out!"
Both recover in moments. Valteria seems to be in a festive mood.
Val - "Well fought, male! Never before have I faced an equal in battle. Mary, summon the magic innkeeper for ale!"
Well, what are you guys gonna do? Don't forget about Albert's proposal from the last issue!
Meanwhile, at the Shrine of Spinadria, the girls have located a man, but it wasn't the one they were looking for! Just as quickly as the man regained consciousness, he passes out again.
Beth - "He is still not completely recovered. He just needs to sleep."
Chandria - "You all must be tired from the journey across the desert. Permit me to offer you all a room for the night."
Terry - "We are kind of tired and it is late in the day."
Rem - "We humbly accept your gracious offer, Holy One. We are in your debt."
Chandria - "Think nothing of it. Come, Adela will escort you to your quarters. I shall have food and drink brought to you."
The High Priestess assistant leads you deeper into the temple to a large room. The room is filled with primitive furniture, (wood tied together by rope, etc.) there are several beds, chairs and tables.
Food and drink arrive shortly afterwards. The man you found is also transferred to your quarters. He is still sleeping. Beth finds both the food and drink to be edible.
Rem lies back on one of the beds and concentrates. She uses her powers to read the thoughts of the High Priestess concerning Tarantula. She blushes slightly when she is finished.
Before Rem can explain, Chandria enters the room.
Chandria - "Sisters, I must request that you not leave your quarters on this night. We shall be engage in a temple ritual this night. Our guardians shall have free run of the temple this night. I wish no harm to befall you, so please stay inside.
A short post this week, but there is plenty of things for you to do! Rem check your mail for what you discovered in the High Priestess thoughts!
Spectrum's Comments: And here's the mail in question. After reading it, you may want to go back and re-read what the girls overheard in Lost Heroes #12. It gives some context to the dialogue there.
Mail to Rem: The sisters found Tarantula at night, but that happening is not very clear. They believed the spider man to be a sign. He was to 'breed' with the High Priestess. Tarantula is also a focal point of tonight's ceremony. You are not able to find out exactly what his part in it is.
SUBJ: BRAWN FROM: N4SIR 07/02/89 S#: 446418
"Val, you are one amazing woman but this has got to be the best time I've had since I've woke up. Ok who's next, so 6 you want some of this. You better jump me while I'm worn down. HA HA HA. A drink sounds good woman." At first Brawn finds it a little difficult to stand without weaving back and forth. But using the wall for support he manages to make it down the hall.
SUBJ: REM (R) FROM: REM9 07/04/89 S#: 405202
"That little hussy. She wants to 'breed' with the spider god. No Way not if I have any say in the matter. Let Spiderwoman find her own man. We gotta get Tarantula out of here. Terry why don't you see if you can find the temple room where they will have the ceremony in? Maybe it can give us some idea for a plan. Beth how is our manservant doing over there? We may need his help here. I'm going to try to talk to the guys and let them know that we are all right and are going to spend the night. Be back in a flash."
REM will then lie back and concentrate (private message).
Spectrum's Comments: No, Rem didn't take that very well. Her private message was reproduced below.
Mail Fro: REM9 Date: Tuesday 4-Jul-89 09:59 EDT
Rem will try to contact Brawn (figuring that his mind will be the easiest to get into). She will tell them all that has happened and not to worry, they should be back in a few days. When she sees that Brawn has been worried about her, she will create a mental illusion of herself, say 'Why you big hunk you I knew you cared!' and give him a big kiss on the cheek. (Blush indeed)
PS. If REM encounters tall dark and gruesome on her journey, she will immediately put all her powers into her force shield. She will then try to break the contact. "Not this time ugly."
SUBJ: Eclypse FROM: Panther13 07/04/89 S#: 420870
"Well, now that the festivities are over, we can get back to business. Since the women are apparently safe for now (I assume we got REM's message), that is one less concern for the night. For some reason, I believe they may still require our assistance 'ere their mission is completed.
"As for our new friend, Albert, dropping the energy dampeners permanently would be a definite boon. However, there must be some way to reach the satellite. Without some sort of ship, which would not operate in the field, we have no way to reach it. Therefore, it is still my prime concern to reach the main generator for this 'city' and get it powered up again."
"Valteria, I must commend you on your battle skills. Should you wish to remain with us for a time, I, for one, would welcome you with open arms. Your battle prowess would be a welcome addition to our forces."
SUBJ: Beth
I'll continue to see to the medical needs of the stranger we found.
'I take it that you have a plan, Rem? Good idea on calling the guys, we might need to get away from here fast!'
SUBJ: Number 6 (R) FROM: Deslock 07/04/89 S#: 426441
"I'll wait until you've recovered, Brawn. When I put you down, you're not going to have any easy excuses."
"I agree with Eclypse, our primary goal at this point should be to get this base fully functional. Then, with its resources at our command, we can address the problem of the orbiting satellites. What do you know of these satellites, Albert? Before removing them, I would like to know why they were put there in the first place. Their placement indicates that they were meant to keep something in, and without knowing what that is, I am loathe to let it out."
Spectrum's Comments: Just what are the satellites keeping in??
Lost Heroes #15 - "The Main Course"
Inside the Lounge at the base, things have quieted down considerably. Val and Brawn share a drink while, the others converse among themselves. Unexpectedly, the presence of Rem enters the thoughts of Brawn. She proceeds to tell the large man all that has occurred to the women since they left in search of Black Tarantula.
There is an additional message that shall be relayed via E-Mail.
Eclypse - "Valteria, I must commend you on your battle skills. Should you wish to remain with us for a time, I, for one, would welcome you with open arms. Your battle prowess would be a welcome addition to our forces."
Valteria - "Many thanks, but I must attempt to locate my comrades. There were four others in my main party in addition to several dozen soldiers. This unknown man your comrade spoke of may be one of the people I seek. I shall travel to this spider temple and look for myself."
Eclypse - "As you wish."
Valteria - "If my search is unfruitful, then I shall return. I shall enjoy several more ales and then begin my quest."
Number 6 - "It shall be dark soon. The journey could be dangerous."
Valteria - "You doubt that I can take care of myself?"
Brawn - "Ha! That is one thing no one here doubts! Another drink!"
Finally talk turns to Albert...
Eclypse - "Dropping the energy dampeners would be a definite boon. However, there must be some way to reach the satellites."
Number 6 - "I concur. What do you know of these satellites, Albert?"
Albert - "Only what I've read. In the early 24th century, the Earth was conquered by aliens."
Mary - "Aliens?"
Albert - "They called themselves the Kindred. The war went on for many years, until the Kindred launched a surprise attack on the planet. They placed the shield around the planet, leaving the planet defenseless. The war was a slaughter after that.
Number 6 - "I can imagine."
Albert - "The Kindred released hundreds of creatures that they made. They were essential killing machines. Most of the population died in the next few weeks.
Mary - "How horrible...."
Albert - "The beasts died out and some of the humans survived. My parents for one."
Eclypse - "That explains a great deal, but the problem of reaching the satellites still remains."
Albert - "I believe that there still is a star port that wasn't destroyed. I don't have a whole lot to do, so I spend a great deal of time reading. I uncovered a story that told about the destruction of the city of Albuquerque. There was a freak accident and the city became a radioactive graveyard. A new Albuquerque was built many miles away. The starport wasn't damaged in the disaster, but it was uninhabitable. By now the radiation levels should be tolerable. We might find our space ship there!"
Mary - "Wow, a whole city destroyed..."
Albert - "I shall return to my mansion in the morning and locate the reading materials in question."
After chatting further with Mary, Albert turns in for the night.
Mary has continued to work on the computer learning more about the base. Apparently each Sphere has it's own database and is connected to the main computer. Most of the data in the computer is Biological related. The connection to the main computer has been severed. Most likely where the tunnel has collapsed. (Where Eclypse crash landed at.)
Mary has managed to come up with a layout to the enter base. The base itself has 4 levels. Each level is about half a mile apart. Thus level 4 is 1.5 miles underground. There is one central shaft that connects each level. There is main sphere on each level. On levels 2 and 3 eight tunnels project out from the main sphere. Each tunnel is a mile long and ends in a Sphere.
Here is a rough layout:
Level 1: Hanger Deck
Level 2: Education Sphere, Mall, Activities, and 5 Living Area Spheres.
Level 3: Biological, Botany, Recreational, Quarters, Goods, Receiving, Manufacturing, and Medical
Level 4: Power Plant
Okay, so what are you guys gonna do now? If you intend to travel to the Power Plant, you need to get through the cave-in in the tunnel first. Also, the force field doesn't reach that far. If you have more questions for Albert, I'll answer them ASAP!
At the Shrine of Spinadria, Rem sits up after completing her message to Brawn.
Rem - "How's our manservant doing, Beth?"
Beth - "Still out cold. I think they drugged him before bringing him here. He'll be of no help."
Terry - "The High Priestess wasn't kidding about it not being safe out there. Here, take a look."
Terry and Rem join hands. The image of the corridor outside appears in their eyes. It appears normal at first, but then many spiders can be seen scurrying about. Together, they travel further down the corridors. Ominously, the spiders keep getting larger... A few are the size of cats!
Beth - "Have you located Tarantula?"
Terry - "I believe so..."
The scene shifts and a large room comes into view.
Rem - "Where is this at?"
Terry - "The bottom of the temple."
Almost thirty women are gathered here. They are seated at a long table. Before the table, stairs lead up to an altar. Beyond this is a pit dissects the room.
They see that Tarantula himself is lying on another table. He is unclothed, but is covered by what appears to be fungus of some type.
Rem - "What are they doing?"
The High Priestess appears next to Tarantula.
Chandria - "Let the feast begin!"
There is a knife in her hand. Suddenly, much to everyone's surprise, Tarantula sits up!
Tarantula - "Wow... That lizard can sure hit! I-- Oh... Hello? What is going on here?"
Spectrum's Comments: Tarantula was finally back. Much of what happens regarding his character from this point on was his idea. He had used the incident at the temple to further mutate his character. There was an extensive mail that goes along with this post, but that would give too many things away to reproduce!
SUBJ: BT...Back in Action!! FROM: AREION 07/08/89 S#: 77488
Propping myself up on one arm, I groggily gaze around the deep shadows of the room, a faint groan of exertion escapes my lips.
"Oh cripes, where am I now!?! And why do I feel so strange.. so.. so different? I.....HEY! Where're my clothes!? What IS going on here!?!? Who the hell are you peo...WHOA lady!! I'd drop that knife if I were you!"
I try to sound confident...hope they can't tell I'm bluffing. Still so weak, and there are so many of them. If they rush me, I've had it! Clamping down on my resolve, I stare straight into the eyes of the woman in the forefront, and try to sound as sure as I can.
"If it's trouble you're looking for, you've found it.....with a capital T!!"
If she keeps coming, I have little choice but to fight. I'll use my elevation advantage to do an acrobatic flip over her head, delivering a double fisted blow to the back of the neck as I come around. Then I'll turn around (If I land ok, I'd be facing away from her) and hammer her with a full backhanded swing (Haymaker) or an all out kick if the force of my blow knocked her off her feet. (If I struck while she was on the stairs, there wouldn't have been anywhere for her to be knocked back to) Then I'll web her up, and hoist her half off the ground.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL I TRUST ANY OF THESE PEOPLE WHILE MY DANGER SENSE IS GOING OFF!! If she continues to approach while it's doing so, I'll attack, no matter what she says or does.
BTW - If I can find anything to wrap around myself, well...I guess that goes without saying.
It's good to be home...I THINK!!
SUBJ: REM FROM: REM9 07/09/89 S#: 119469
"Oh boy Tarantula is in trouble with a capital T. Maybe I can help. Beth is there anything you can do for our guest? I think we should be getting ready to leave now." Rem will try and focus her thoughts on the head priestess. If she is able she will say, **Come closer if you dare. But before you do, let me show you my true form.** Rem will then try and give Tarantula the illusion of changing into a spider the size of a bull elephant. **If you wish to further risk my wrath, continue to approach. If not, tell your fellow sisters to move back.** If this works, I will contact Tarantula and with Terry's help, guide him back to us.
SUBJ: Beth
'I'll do what I can to get this man back on his feet, Rem.'
With a heavy sigh, I'll look into the medical kit and try to find something that will help my patient.
'Things are happening fast here, Rem. Why not call Eclypse or Number 6? I believe that both of them can fly and could be here very fast!'
SUBJ: ECLYPSE FROM: MadPanther 07/14/89 S#: 812756
"Well, I for one do not entirely believe this Albert's story. There are too many inconsistencies. However, he may prove helpful to us, and therefore we should not do anything to turn him against us, at this time.
"Since our lady, Valteria, is planning to venture to this temple where our comrades located Tarantula, perhaps Brawn would be interested in accompanying her. They may require some assistance in their endeavor.
"I still believe that our prime objective is to get the main computer back on line as well as the generator and free this entire complex. Since Mary has located the juncture point to the main computer, it should be simplicity to link everything once the main generator is back on line. A recon-mission is in order, I believe.
"I also think that Albert may prove to have some more information that may prove helpful, providing we can determine what is exactly true and what is not. I propose that one of us go with him to his mansion, with the express purpose of acquiring information. If no one else is up to this idea, I shall volunteer."
Spectrum's Comments: Things continue to get interesting at the temple. Does anyone believe Albert's story? And just who is he anyway?