Ah here we go, the next instance of the Story Board where I singlehandedly blow my entire special effects budget for the year. Enjoy. :) SB041 The Dark Crystal Orelious blinked at Red. * I thought you had left? * The young white dragon sat there grinning. "We're learning astral projection now. So I can occasionally show up even when I can't be here in person." Orelious nodded as Red suddenly looked up and away, apparently at someone or something not visible in the projection. "Yes, teacher, I'll pay attention, (now), no I'm not looking in on the sorority dragonettes again...", as his visonage flickered, then faded away. ~ Oh do I wissh I could be there, ~ mused Orelious's serpent. The other heads just hmphed at hir. Meanwhile, Matt and Jerhevon were checking their email on the HML, trying to figure out what just happened, and taking advantadge of Darwin's T1000 link to the internet. That is, after Darwin assured them that they were perfectly safe because the T1000 was kept contained in a set of aluminum cans, not that unlike soda cans, stored in a too cold Coke machine in the depths of the TURDIS. Without warning, the TURDIS, lurched, sending them tumbling across the control consoles as klaxons sounded through the vessel. Orelious lurched into a window, and clung on tight, trying to dig in hir claws to keep from going anywhere else. And even Dinosorcerer down in the McDonald's lost his lunch as it made a sudden dash for freedom, and upset itself to tumble across the floor. After a few moments of quivvering, the TURDIS settled down enough to allow the crew to regain a few of their wits. "Oh shit!", "What was that", "Did anybody get the license number of that Ultrasaurus?" They looked to the screens to find even Darwin both shaken and stirred. Dinosorceror made it back to the control room as Darwin recovered his voice. "Due to circumstances beyond our control, the TURDIS will lose structual integrity in 10 minutes. Have a Nice Day." ~*" WHAT?!? "*~ came the response of seven voices in perfect tune and harmony. "Due to circumstances beyond our control, the TURDIS will lose structual integrity in 10 minutes. Have a Nice Day." replied the dolphin AI. Dinosorceror looked boggled, and hesitated, but Jerhevon quickly reached to the console, sounding the alert. The TURDIS shook again as William Riker struck a dramatic pose calling "RED ALERT! all Hands abandon ship!" Orelious turned to Jerhevon, "I know this is a bad time and all, but what is *He* doing here?" indicating Riker. "Dramatic license," responded Jerhevon, hitting random controls on the keyboard which he had previously determined looked important, but did not do anything at all, "We only have artistic licenses, and Frakes was kind enough to step in." Matt just held on for dear life as the TURDIS shuddered again, a whining sound emanating from the console and increasing. Dinosorceror looked to Darwin commandingly "Darwin, is there anyplace to land in the next, oh, 8 minutes?" "Yes, there are 2,300 x 10^23 localities reachable in the next..." "I don't care which one, just land us on the closest!" interrupted Dinosorceror. "Re-orientating TURDIS now, touchdown in 7.5 minutes" Orelious grabbed a random console and began typing things in,*"5 minutes til she blows"* Matt, for lack of anything better than clinging cried out. "Wha-What happened? Were we attacked?" Darwin responded from his display that showed four minutes remaining. "No, the stressed gravity-flux crystal has grown inharmonious, resulting in gaps in the trans-space pocket that forms the Interior of the TURDIS. These tears in the pocket could allow loose change and tachyons to fall out. Or coelurosaurs or other visitors to gain entrance through unauthorized means. To put it simply: (insert accent here) Captain, I'm giving her all she's got, but she cannot take it anymore." Shudders ripped through the TURDIS, cracks began to race across the twisting plastics of the consoles. Orelious cried out "Brace yourselves everybody, we're coming in hard and fast." as a ruddy brown planet appeared on the broken view screen and began to grow quickly. Livingstone whined, and Benjamin tried to hold the panicked dog close as he too tried to cling on. Matt had gotten his neck and tail caught around some of the supports, but the supports were showing signs of breaking away soon as well. With a woosh they entered the unamed planet's atmosphere and the temperature began to rise within the TURDIS as the crew took up crash positions, the clock read 2 minutes. The TURDIS twitched and lurched violently. With a shattering crash the cylinder rising and falling in the midst of the control panel blew, spraying a jet of bluish steam through the console ceilingwards as Orelious valiantly tried anything sie could think of to keep them together. With a lurching groan the TURDIS crashed into the ground of the planet, twisting and gouging a path to a stop as they all held on fast, holding on with any way possible. Darwin called out a feeble "60 seconds left," as the TURDIS finally stopped, leaving everyone shaken. The clock raced down too fast as they pulled themselves together. Matt helping Ben and Livingstone up while Dinosorceror groaned and Jerhevon hastilly gathered all of the objects he could into a carrysack. Sooner then any would have liked, Darwin began to count down the final seconds. "... 10 ..." Jerhevon and Matt began to shoulder the door together. "... 9 ..." Dinosorcerer picks up Livingstone while Orelious helps Benjamin. "... 8 ..." With a snap, flames sprout from the console and race through the wreckage. "... 7 ..." The door groans and shifts under the onslaught. "... 6 ..." Dinsorceror beats at the nearby flames with his tail. "... 5 ..." One of the doors begins to buckle, and opens slightly. "... 4 ..." Jerhevon holds the battered door while Matt reaches through and works to pry them apart. "... 0 ..." ~*"BWah?!?"*~ came the startled response as everybody looked to Darwin. "Just kidding ... 3 ..." With a snap, the other door falls from its hinges and Matt throws it back into the control room. "... 2 ..." "Everybody, Let's go!" Jerhevon calls belatedly as they rushed out hastilly, stumbling over the wreckage so far. "... 1 ..." They hurl themselves from the TURDIS, racing in different directions... "... 0 ..." ...to throw themselves to the ground as a shockwave races from TURDIS. The TURDIS itself glows brightly and begins to waver and twist impossibly. Like an onion's many layers, the TURDIS seems to peel itself away again an again stretching and expanding. It ends with an anti-climatic pop and a cloud of brimstone. The only thing left in the blackened crater where the TURDIS crashed is a hatrack, and a dagger-like shard of crystal. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ On a distant hill, a vulpine figure watched through high-powered binoculars. "Shards, if any of them have been killed... no wait, one, two, three, four.. ok ok, looks like they all made it, thanks heavens. I hope they manage to stay out of the way of the rulers here," and he gave an involutary shudder. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Slowly the crew managed to pull themselves together, and Orelious tended to their wounds. For all that happened to the TURDIS, everybody except the computer, Darwin, had made it out safely, and there was not much concern shown for the AI. Dinosorceror stood looking over the devestation caused by the crash, sighed, then kicked a stone, "Well guess that is that." Jerhevon wandered to where the TURDIS had been, leaning on the hatrack, he reached down and picked up the darkened crystal shard. "Hmph, wonder where this came from?" ~Probably the front hall, no idea why we had it there,~ quipped the snake. Jerhevon rolled his eyes, "I meant this crystal." He tossed it from hand to hand as he returned to the gathering of man, dog, apatosaur and chimaera. Orelious took the crystal from Jerhevon, and looked it over intently. Testilly, the goat tasted it then spat, "Have to be thorough and see if it's a sugar or salt crystal." Finally, Orelious seemed to come to some kind of decision, the lioness and goat discussed it a moment further before revealing their consensus. "It appears to be a fragment of the gravity-flux crystal." "Hmph, may as well hold onto it and see if its useful. Anyone have any ideas? Dino doesn't seem to be much help right now." Matt raised his hand. All else looked to him aside from Dinosorcer who was off doing his own thing. Finally Orelious spoke, * Yes, Matt? What is it? * Matt looked a bit relieved, then spoke up "Well, I know I'm new here, but I'd rather sleep in a nice bed and have a good dinner, and well..." * Yes, do go on * He paused to breath then went on, "It looks like there is a town over there, perhaps we could seek for help?" * Sounds fair to me *, said the lioness, to which the goat nodded. Benjamin agreed, "After all that josseling, my tush is beat, I could use a good bed" "Alright then, sounds like we have a plan," acceded Jerhevon, "We'll head out when everyone's ready." Then Matt asked, "and what of Dino?" "Oh, we better drag him along, it's just not right to leave him wandering the countryside." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After a brief respite, the group headed towards the town. Livingstone leading Benjamin. Orelious keeping an eye on the trailing Dinosorceror. And Matt and Jerhevon discussing the apatosaur's training. All of them felt something ominous brewing though. The season seemed to be fall, and all the foliage was fallen in hues of brown, red and orange. Above them the trees curled gnarled and thickened into a cloudy sky that was darkening with falling night. And aside from the wind rustling the leaves, nothing was stirring. They shivered a bit as they approached the town for there were no sounds of birds, or the drone of insects. Nothing but the wind touseling the leaves and the feeling of something laying in wait with nothing for them to retreat to. The town was much the same once they reached it, empty, deserted, a ghost town. Leaves blew down the street unhindered. The street lamps did not light up. And the empty eyes of darkened windows watched them everywhere they went. Even Dinosorceror was beginning to take notice of their surroundings. Matt finally voiced the question running through their heads, "What happened here?" Orelious looked about * I don't know. It just feels like the people just left one day. One day fine, and the next poof.. no one left at all. * Benjamin hmmed, "Is it me, or does this place feel sort of familiar. Not all of it, just ever few blocks or so." Jerhevon chuckled hollowly, "That thought occured to me when I saw the McDonald's back there, but it can't be the same one, they exist everywhere. Just like the x-rated theatres like that one...", he trailed off as he pointed, everyone being stunned to a moment of silence as well. Certainly X-rated theatres exist everywhere, but they hardly ever looked the same, and this one seemed to be carrying a rather ecclectic set of films. 'Raptor X's Favorite Home Videos', '100 hours of Godzilla stomping', and 'Draco's in the Kitchen with Dina'. They continued on in muted silence til they came to the abandoned Pyrite Gym. They just looked to each other as Jerhevon looked at the inside of the door. They could explain away chains, they could explain movie selections by chance. But this would have been too coincidental. Jerhevon looked up, indicating the deep raking grooves on the inside of the door, "There's no mistaking this. X made these when we put her in there after we though Dino had destroyed the Objects after Cera became Ceralien." Benjamin shook his head and murmered, "But how can that be?" Matt nodded, "Yeah, we saw the TURDIS destroyed." "Maybe, maybe not," said Orelious the goat, "There may be an explanation of this. Remember that Darwin said the problems were related to the crystal that dealt with the trans-space pocket." "The what?" "The trans-space pocket.. it's how the TURDIS is bigger on the inside than the outside. If that pocket was allowed to resume its normal shape, that is, flat with respect to the universe instead of being a pocket, then it is possible that anything that was in the pocket would be forcibly merged with the area immediately outside the pocket. In this case... this entire planet." "Okiee..." The paused in thought a moment, "Well, if we can manage to find the core of the TURDIS and .... " "AUUUUGHHH!!", Benjamin cried out as a giant claw suddenly clasped around him, lifting him up above the street. "No no, not Auugh.... ER, Maybe yes...," stuttered the goat as sie suddenly focused on her surroundings again as another claw clasped around hir, lifting hir up with a startled "AUUUUGHHH!!". All around the group a cluster of giant suburban crabs[ed note: suburban crabs are much like their cousins, the hermit crabs, but are much more social] had emerged from the alleys. They snapped their large claws at at the group as they advanced, carrying Dinosorcer, Benjamin and Orelious. They looked much like walking mobile homes. Their sides were aluminum plated with the backside festooned with bumperstickers of everywhere they had been. One even sported an awning an tacky, oranamental string of pepper shaped lights. From beneath their shells emerged sets of long, spindly legs, a pair of eyes on short stalks and a pair of large and dangerous looking claws. Despite their size, the crabs advanced quickly. Livingstone nipped at what he thought to be their heels. Matt managed to grab the halves of a single claw and slowly forced it further open then was recommended. Jerhevon ducked low beneath one claw, twisting to strike with his tail. Sparks flew off the crab's carapace as his spikes struck a glancing blow the crab shook off. Matt managed to break the claw apart even as the crab's other claw clamped around his middle constrictingly. He struggled hard, tail lashing as he tried to get a grip and pry this one apart as well. Jerhevon swung again, and was blocked by first one claw. Then striking lower he managed to bash one leg of many useless. But the crab before him was tireless, pressing forward, pressing the advantadge. Both were too busy to see one of the other crabs grab up Livingstone as well as the other crabs stuff their prisoners into their mobile homes then turn and begin marching to a distant, twisted spire. Still Matt and Jerhevon fought on, tiring in their struggles, losing ground as they fought against the shelled beasts. Both missed the subtle snicker-snack of a vulpine blade wielded with expert skill that suddenly helped slice the claw imprisoning Matt in twain. Finally free, Matt punched the now disarmed crab facing him solidlly, and with a shriek, the creature died, it's shell caving-in, the string of decorative lights flickering out. Jerhevon twisted, throwing more sparks off the remaining crab's shell before kicking back at the claw that moved to block, getting tripped up by the other claw, missing entirely Matt's lunge from the side that bowled the creature helplessly over onto its back. Matt proceeded to elbow drop on the creature and squashed it into itself before moving to help Jerhevon up. "Thanks," said the battered stegosaur. "No problem, uh, except..." "Except? Except what." "Where did everybody else go?" "Uh, hmmm, good question... let's try that way," suggested Jerhevon, pointing to the twisted spire in the distance. "Why there?" Jerhevon eyed the large glow-in-the-dark arrow spray painted on the ground a paw-print near the edge from whomever it was stepping in the paint. The arrow pointed straight to the spire. "Just call it a hunch," he said as he began walking. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Fox, that nearly cost you dearly just then." chimed Beck, the computer on his wrist. Fox chuckled, cleaning his blade before sliding it back into its scabbard, "No problem, in, swish, and back out again. Clean as ever and not even so much as one hair out of place." "I was referring to your wager." Fox grinned, "Aw, C'mon, you know those two would have gotten free eventually, and headed after their friends. I merely helped with what was inevitable." Beck made a noise indicating that if it had eyes, it would have rolled them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Orelious looked up blearily through the dirty window of the mobile home, alone except for hirselves. Through the window should see one of the other crabs scrabbling bumpily along like her own ride was doing. Up above the clouds were dark and forbidding, gathering into greasy, twisted lumps. Lighting race through the clouds and boomed with thunder, but no rain fell. The lioness gasped, and the others turned to look the way sie was. Rising from the tortured plain the suburban crabs were walking was a tall and twisted tower. It rose with awkward and ragged twists and unnatural crags that defied the laws of gravity and sanity. In color it was black, a soul searing black, occasionally outlined by lightning that forked around it, but seemed reluctant to touch it. Higher and impossibly large, the blasted spire rose above them as the crabs approached it, and finally crossed a long, narrow bridge over an endless drop. Shortly their rides scrambled into the structure's cavernous entrance and sie could hear the rasping clang as the solid metal doors closed behind them and closed out the weak light of the day, dropping the area into darkness. Even in the darkness, the crabs moved forward, deeper into the spire. Eventually the flickering greasy light of torches appeared and the crabs stopped. They were greated by a deep belch, followed by a creaking, "Ah, yess, we have guesstss, the Emperor will be mosst pleassed." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Matt and Jerhevon made their way across the plain, primarily following the scuffling tracks left by the crabs and the occasional spray painted arrow when they strayed too far off the path. Matt looked down to Jerhevon, "Aren't you worried that they might be leading us into a trap?" "Not really, they may very well be, but if so, it will probably be by the same creatures that made off with our friends. It's not like we have any better place that we can go without the TURDIS anyways." "I suppose..." commented Matt, still none too confident. "Trust me." said the stegosaur with a determined grin. "That spire must be where it's at. "You mean that dark and twisted one with the pair of crabs guarding a thin bridge over a deep crevice?" Jerhevon only faltered a little. "Yes, seems the most likely place to me, even if it's a bit of a poor neighborhood if you ask me. Must be hell on the property value." Soon they arrived at the bridge, the crabs eyed them, the only signs of their attention being the following of their eyestalks until the two dinosaurs got too close, at which point the two crabs chittered and moved together completely blocking the bridge. Even though by now, the two could also see the large rusty doors blocking the other end of the bridge. "Well, doesn't this pose a conumdrum," murmered Jerhevon, looking about and scratching his head until he saw a sign on a post near the bridge. The sign read: Welcome to NF'allich Keep, Home of the Emperor of the Kegsis Empire. Now go away. No solictors. Then in small print below that: All beer deliveries recieved around back. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Inside, Benjamin, Orelious, Dinosorceror, and even Livingstone were affixed to the walls of a large central chamber. Grotesquely carved gargoyles peered from the edge of the room over the balconies of the floor above. Towards the side was a dilapidated couch facing a large TV tuned to the a rough and tumble game of rugby. In the center of the room was a large seal with a gilded rim. Mystical symbols traced around the edges and a lever stood to one side. And then there were the Kegsis. These were vile, greasy, ruddy-brown reptilian creatures with reddish necks and wrinkled, almost beaklike faces. Their eyes were small and beady. They wore various the rugby sweatshirts of their favorite teams, and loose jeans loosely secured about their large beer-bellies with a belt. Their tails hung down behind them. Occasionally they remembered to hitch up the pants that were sagging down past their butts [ed note: Remember, just say No to crack.] And they drank, and they drank, and they drank. They always had at least one beer on hand and belched frequently. And serving the Kegsis were what are best described as toadies. These poor creatures were pale, glassy-eyed, bipedal frogs with no will and resistance. They simply did any and every bidding of the bullying Kegsis. For now, the Kegsis were preoccupied with the rugby game on the tube. Which was rather fortunate for the group, there had only been time for the Kegsis to belch at them malevolently and poke and prod them with such comments as "Great!", "Make for a good meal.", "Looks like he'll have good white meat." Then the game came on and all were distracted to watch it. But now the game was ending, and one of the creatures moved to stand near the seal as the others rose and formed a loose collection looking toward this one. This particular Kegsis was dressed incongruously with a priest's whitecollar and held a bible which looked liked it had never been opened, only thumped. This one began "Praisse to the Lord.. Grudge." and to a one, they all nodded respect to a larger, and particularilly brutish Kegsis. "Now iss the time to open your heartss and extend them unto these poor daemon posssessed souls," and the creature indicated the four chained to the wall who had begun to struggle again. "We sshall sshow them the error of their ways and blesss them with the holy sscripture of the Eye of Argon!" The others groaned, except Livingstone who whimpered and Orelious who paused in hir struggles as the Kegsis began to open the seal. "Doh! I should have recognized that seal. The Eye is the Central core of the TURDIS!" >From the opening rose a darkened crystal, perfect but for a single flaw. Around it, just within the edge of the opening glowed the words of the Eye of Argon by Jim Theis. The Kegsis gathered all about the Eye and began to read in unison: The weather beaten trail wound ahead into the dust racked climes of the baren land which dominates large portions of the Norgolian empire. Age worn hoof prints smothered by the sifting sands of time shone dully against the dust splattered crust of earth. The tireless sun case its parching rays of incandescense from overhead, half way through its daily revolution. Small rodents scampered about, occupying themselves in the daily accomplishments of their dismal lives. Dust sprayed over three heavy mounts in blinding clouds, while they bore the burdonsome cargoes of their struggling overseers... In response, the crystal flashed sending out rays of light to each of the four prisoners secured to the walls. They groaned and were racked with pain as the crystal began to siphon their life essences into the Kegsis. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jerhevon and Matt made it into the spire easilly enough. When they presented themselves to the back door as beer distrubutors, even though they lacked any sort anything appropriate for credentials, the pale toadies let them in mechanically. Still they were lost in the labyrinthine interior, but then they heard snippets from the chanting Kegsis. ... Grignr's emerald green orbs glared lustfully at the wallowing soldier struggling before his chestnut swirled mount ... It made both dinosaurs grimace, but it also gave them something they could orientate on. Matt shuddered, but Jerhevon led the way, "The rulers of this keep must have them this way." ... After spilling a spout of blood from the leader of the mercenaries as he dismembered one of the officer's arms ... Soon they found themselves overlooking the grand room where the Kegsis were performing their obscene ritual on the dinosaurs' friends. Dinosorcer still looked apathetic, but the other three were squirming and whining as the crystal glowed, it's fault silhouetted and revealed as a missing fragment. The Kegsis took no notice of them as Matt and Jerhevon dropped down to the main floor. Jerhevon indicated that he circle around one way trying to free their friends while Matt should go the other way and do the same. Still the Kegsis droned on: ...Tables were clustered with groups of drunken thieves, and cutthroats, tossing dice, or making love to willing prostitutes... Jerhevon reached Benjamin who was writhing at the proceedings. The stegosaur reached up, but could not deal with the bonds. Matt ended up at Orelious first, and likewise was stumped by the bonds. As he tried to free the agonized chimaera Orelious managed to speak briefly, through clenched teeth, "The Shard... use the shard..." before almost screaming as the crystal drained more of hir essence. Matt look flustered, "Shard... what shard?" his mind racing, trying to make the connection. Then it came to him and he cried out, "Jerhevon! The Shard!" The Kegsis were shaking from their ritualistic chance, for the first time noticing Matt. As their chanting stopped, the glow left the crystal and the prisoners sagged in their bonds. Growling, they bared dirty claws. Behind them Jerhevon tried to work things out himself, shard, shard... yes, still got it... he pulled it out and held it towards thee Kegsis. Nothing happened. The Kegsis advanced on Matt as the brachiasaur took up a defensive position. With a wide sweep, he forces the Kegsis to fall back. Then they strike again baiting the poor brachiasaur one way, then sucker-punching him from the other. Jerhevon finally made the connection between the flaw in the crystal and the shard from the TURDIS. With a cry, he cjarged forward as Kegsis turned back towards his cry. But he has caught them by surprise, flattening the bible thumper in the process of using him as a stepping stool to reach up to the crystal and press the shard back into place. With an abrupt chime the crystal flashed, creating a physical force that sent Jerhevon and the kegsis soaring away from the now whole crystal that began to sink back down under the seal. Raging electrical bursts sallied forth freeing the trapped chimaera, human, parasaur and dog. Then time and space went all topsy-turvy. There was a feeling and impression of sucking and folding in. The friends felt themselves being drawn together as the light from the crystal increased to a blinding cresendo that caused them all to white out. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ When they awoke, all stiff and sore, they found themselves on the TURDIS once again. Somehow the TURDIS seemed brighter this time though, as if it was now whole in a way that it never had been before. Most of them were still marveling at what they had just experienced when Dinosorceror grumphed apathetically and said he was off to grab a cold soda. Fortunately, they were spared further problems due to a lack of pocket change on Dinosorceror's part when he tried to use the first soda machine he came across. --------------------+------------------------------------------------------- Jerhevon |"Oh I'm a Stegosaurus, and my friends all call me Pete" Stegosaur at large | - Brian Dullaghan, Dinosaur Songs brefin@cache.cow.net| http://cache.cow.net/~brefin/Sarthia/ --------------------+-------------------------------------------------------