From alt.pub.dragons-inn Fri Jan 28 09:52:34 1994 Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Path: netcom.com!netcomsv!decwrl!concert!news-feed-2.peachnet.edu!news-feed-1.peachnet.edu!oldnews2.cis.umn.edu!zip.eecs.umich.edu!destroyer!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!sgiblab!sgigate.sgi.com!olivea!grapevine.lcs.mit.edu!think.com!hsdndev!cfanews!cfatrw.harvard.edu!rudnick From: rudnick@cfatrw.harvard.edu (Bret Rudnick) Subject: [VampQ] Journey through Hell -- Part 1 Message-ID: Sender: news@cfanews.harvard.edu Organization: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL0] Date: Thu, 27 Jan 1994 14:58:12 GMT Lines: 213 ============================================================ [VAMPQ] Journey through Hell -- Part 1 Admin [The cast of characters for the [VampQ] thread: Character Created/Managed by --------------------------------------------------------- Ja'nis arsmith@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Alan Smith) Bluestar Dreamer (in absentia) Gemini (Feline familiar of Bluestar Dreamer) Moria Runecaster Master Hawk Rathan Barbar Morning Reaper Ah (Blood spider created by Rathan) Turion "Mr. Sinister..." a salamander (Turion's Travelling Companion) Billy the Torch JGE103@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Matte Kudasai Matt Hebert Tomonobu Fujiwara rudnick@cfatrw.harvard.edu (Bret R. Rudnick) Synopsis: After retrieving specimens of the Vampire Orchid, the object of their quest, the group are forced to journey through Hell to get to the Gate back to Generica.] Admin [As always, comments/questions welcome.] ============================================================ > Matte took a deep breath. "From what I know of these > things, this path should eventually get us back to Nexus. > But if we go through other dimensions of Hell first, it could > be rough going. There's no telling what we might run into. > You shouldn't trust all your senses. The important thing to > remember is to keep moving forward." > Rathan spoke ominously. "One more thing of import. > We will be traveling through many Shadows, uh Dimensions, > of Hell. If you stop along the way you may wind up lost and > therefore stuck in Hell forever. And I don't know if we > will be able to find you again." > "There is little sense in waiting," Tomonobu said, "soon > enough those persons will be done with Pericles, and I doubt we > would be able to draw them away again." He walked up to the > Gate and, without flinching, stepped in. > Slowly, one by one, the rest of the party did the same, and > strode into the realms of Hell. As Tomonobu stepped through the portal a thick mist swirled up and all around him. For several steps he could not see where he was going, but then suddenly the way before him cleared. He found himself on a narrow path, no more than two metres wide, that extended straight before him as far as he could see. It had a strange silvery, metallic sheen to it, and he bent down to examine it. There were two thick, slightly elevated lips on the far left and right side, and it seemed very solid. It was icy cold to the touch. He leaned slightly over the edge, and noticed with astonishment that there was a sheer drop as far as could be seen. There was also no support for the metal path, it seemed to simply be suspended in the air. Tomonobu removed a coin from his wallet and threw it high into the air. The object was not lost to sight as it reached its highest point, then it fell and missed the side of the narrow path. He watched it become very small as it fell, and there was no noise to betray its striking anything, even after many moments. Looking up was also a bit disorienting, since there were no distinguishing features to be seen above, either. Left and right, up and down (except for the trail) there were no clouds, sounds, or any normal feature to be recognised. As he observed the strange surroundings he was able to detect that there was light, of a sort, but it seemed to come from everywhere all at once. If he tried to observe his surroundings from the corner of his eye rather than look directly ahead, Tomonobu fancied he could see thin, wispy banks of smoke or fog, ranging from deep purple to dark red in hue, swirling all around like an artificial aurora. He turned directly behind for the first time and was surprised to see a black, solid wall there, in the middle of a sheer rock face that extended up, down, left, and right as far as he could see. There was no sign of his companions. "So that's how it's to be, is it?" he said to himself, and began his journey forward. * * * * * * * * * * * Tomonobu couldn't be certain of the exact time, but there was no doubt that many hours had passed since he began his journey. He had set out at a brisk pace, and maintained it, but there was still no sign of any change in the landscape. More than once he had to pause to reorient himself. The monotony of the terrain almost caused him to stumble a couple of times, and to plummet over the side of the implausible trail was not regarded as desirable. One time when he paused to rest he leaned out over the track to see if there was any sort of unseen wall or obstacle, but he found none. He did fancy that, far below, he saw a deep flash of red, like lightning, and thought he heard a distant thunder. Even after walking what was surely the better part of a day (and exhausting the storehouse of tunes he was humming) he remained undiscouraged. "Hm," he said out loud, "if this is the best Hell can do, it's not much of a challenge." After beginning his favourite folk song for about the tenth time, he suddenly stopped. Far, far ahead, very faintly, he could make out another sheer rock wall, like the one behind him when he started. He squinted to see if he could make out any features, but it was still too far away. "Journey's end, perhaps?" he said hopefully. He put a spring in his step, proceeded forward, and resumed his tune with renewed vigour. Then he heard it. A deep, rumbling sound that came from behind him. Also far away, still too far to be seen clearly, something was on the path and coming toward him. Fast. Tomonobu broke into a dead run. Whatever was behind him was coming his way, and he'd rather not stand and fight in such a disadvantageous position. After a few minutes of running his breath was coming in shorter and shorter bouts, and he was starting to sweat profusely. As he neared the rock wall the air was becoming hot and moist, and wisps of moisture could definitely be seen rising up the face of it. He was still too far away to distinguish anything clearly at the end of the trail, though he thought he could make out a doorway (or obstacle) similar to the one he had seen at the far end. The rumble behind him was noticeably louder. Tomonobu ventured a quick glance behind him before he fixed his gaze once again ahead. What he saw did not inspire confidence. The thing behind him was evidently some hellish machine, belching smoke from its top and approaching him at a speed of three to five times what he himself could manage. The body of the contraption extended out from the side of the trail it rode on and shared with him. But what was worse were the blades. Protruding from the front and side of the fiendish device were a series of whirring, chopping, slicing blades. Tomonobu had considered making a jump straight up into the air to land atop the machine and avoid being ground under it, but the blades made such a manoeuvre impossible. He redoubled his effort, feeling the muscles in his legs burn. He estimated it was another 50 metres to the end of the trail. Another glance over his shoulder told him the race would be a close one. Tomonobu was now close enough to see the doorway. From here, it appeared every bit as solid and impenetrable as the one at the far end. There were no distinguishing features on it to suggest anything but a barrier. He could feel the heat of the steam that apparently drove the machine and feel the vibration its bulk made on the metal path. "I'd rather dash my own brains out than have this hellish machine cut me to pieces or grind me under its wheels," he thought to himself, and applied a final sprint of speed, his lungs about to burst. To his great (and elated) relief, the doorway was not a smooth barrier but a very dark tunnel. And short, apparently, for a moment after he entered it he came out the other side. The deafening roar of the machine that had been chasing him had stopped. Tomonobu found himself running into a huge open hall, reminiscent of some fantastic ballroom. The unseen roof of the vast chamber was supported by a number of gothic pillars, the tops of which were lost to sight in the eery light. In the chamber a number of spirits, ghosts, demons, devils, and other dead and undead things danced a frenetic and grotesque waltz upon the marble floor, the music played by an orchestra of unseen musicians. The music stopped suddenly, as Tomonobu padded to a halt as quickly as he could. Their dance stopped just as quickly, and they all turned their icy gaze as one upon him. -- |--------------------------------------------------------------------| | Who makes the rules? Someone else! -- Oingo Boingo | |--------------------------------------------------------------------|