# Project Genesys



## Sniktch (Feb 20, 2004)

*Project Genesys*

After the school bell rang, Jimmy Lee raced through the streets of Chinatown to get home, a wide grin pasted on his face.  The last day of school was done, and now the summer was his.  In his mind he made a list of everything he wanted to do with his vacation, and a minute later made decisions and revisions that another minute reversed.  But first he needed to train for the city kung fu championship – he’d even the score with Eddy this time or he’d eat his shorts!

He bounded up the steps to the small apartment he shared with his mother.  He had lived here with her for as long as he could remember.  His father had disappeared when he was only two, and though sometimes he closed his eyes and tried to picture him, the image was never clear.  He had tried talking to mother about him, but the discussion always made her sad, and Jimmy didn’t pursue it anymore.

His happy mood evaporated within moments of stepping in the door to the apartment.  It was obvious from his mother’s expressions that something was… off.  

“Mu?  What’s wrong?”  Jimmy ran a hair through his spiky black hair to get his bangs out of his eyes.

“Du zi, you have had visitors.”  His mother nervously clenched a piece of paper in her hands, which she tremulously pushed towards him.  “They wore black suits.  They did not have patience to show courtesy to an elderly Chinese woman.  Have you gotten into trouble, nan?”

“No, mu, I haven’t done anything.  What did they want?”

“They wanted to speak with you.  They left this, but you know my reading is not so good, and as I said, they did not have patience for an old Chinese woman and her questions.”

She pressed the paper into Jimmy’s hands and he began to read.  It was a letter of acceptance, telling him he had been given a full scholarship to attend a summer martial arts academy and training camp.  His brow furrowed, his mind was troubled.  He had never heard of this academy, and he had certainly never applied for any scholarships or programs.  Still, they were offering him a free ride; he decided he should at least check it out.

*****

A week later Jimmy climbed out of a Lincoln Towncar in Montana, wondering how he’d been talked into this.  This place was in the middle of nowhere!  It looked like he’d just given up his fun summer in San Francisco for insect bites and poison ivy.

And the ‘facility’ – what was up with that?  He hadn’t really known what to expect, but not this.  Instead of a dojo or even a building, the car was parked in front of a small mountain in the middle of Montana, with big double steel doors open wide in the side of the solid cliff face.  Currently a small stream of young people moved through the doors in single file. 

“What is this place?” he asked the man who had driven him here.

“You’ll find out soon enough.  Later rather than sooner if you don’t take your place in line.”

“I think I changed my mind; I don’t want to go to summer training anymore.  Can I just get dropped off back in San Francisco?”

“Sure, kid, if you can get someone to come get you.  I’m not driving back that way.”

Jimmy sighed and his shoulders slumped.  Whatever he’d gotten himself into, it seemed he was stuck.  Might as well make the most of it.

He scanned the line and spotted a real hottie talking to a small group of guys who had gathered around her.  She was fairly short, but very slender, and looked darn good in her tight pants and leather jacket.  Best of all, her hair was dyed with purple streaks that ran through it.  A punker; just his type.  In fact, now that he looked, there were a lot of cute girls here!  Maybe this trip wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Jimmy turned to speak but the man had disappeared.  He shrugged, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and started whistling softly as he took a spot at the end of the line.

Next: Class is in session…


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## Dougal DeKree (Feb 23, 2004)

*Sniktch is back! Yipee!*

*Dougal takes a seat in one of the rear seats of the cinema, puts his feet on the box with cold beerbottles which glint with condensed water and waits for the movie*


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## Eyas (Feb 23, 2004)

Ohhh....I'll bite. What's next? Inquiring minds want to know.


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## Sniktch (Feb 23, 2004)

Registration just made Jimmy more uneasy.  He was processed into the program along with the hundred or so other kids waiting in line.  Questioning his peers, he found them to be just as clueless about what was happening as he was.  One kid thought it was a special summer camp for advanced students, another’s parents made him come, and one girl he talked to, actually a freshman at Princeton University, had been under the impression that she was taking a summer internship.

The adults were tight lipped and not answering questions, but there was a… military feel to their uniforms and actions that just compounded Jimmy’s nervousness.  Then finally it was his turn to be processed.

He approached the desk warily and was given a numbered name tag by a squat, bulldog looking woman in a nurse’s uniform.  She tied a tag around the handle of his bag and threw it on a cart, then he was directed inside the building, all bare steel and artificial light, and then into a small room where another nurse awaited, this time a nervous, greasy looking man.

He was instructed to disrobe, and when he had, the man, still not answering any questions, collected his clothing and performed a full physical upon him.  He was then issued a plain, drab jumpsuit of a dark greenish khaki color and given a shot.  His clothing was not returned, but the contents of his pockets were: a worn leather wallet, a pack of matches, some loose change, a Bic lighter, and a pack of Marlboro Reds.  Jimmy tried again to question the nurse, about the contents of the syringe and the program in general, but once more he was rebuffed, the man assuring him that all his questions would be answered soon.

After processing, he was shuffled back into the hallways and placed in another line, this time so he could be assigned a room.  A lot of the kids were laughing and joking with each other, but here and there he could see his concerns and worries reflected in the eyes of his peers.

Jimmy shrugged.  No sense worrying over something he couldn’t control, after all, and he could either enjoy himself and start making new friends or stand in line miserable and afraid.  The nurse did assure him his questions would be answered soon, after all.  If need be, he’d start worrying again when that happened, or when he had something more concrete to alarm him.

He noticed some sort of armed guard moving down the hallway, wearing futuristic looking black body armor with a pistol holstered at his hip.  Jimmy also noticed that the man was smoking a cigarette, and that ‘No Smoking’ signs were absent in the hallways.

Jimmy grinned then, pulled a Red out of his pack and lit up.  The first drag of smoke entered his lungs and he exhaled, feeling much calmer already.  He turned to the kid next to him and started speaking, “Hey man, you have any idea what’s going on either?  By the way, name’s Jimmy Lee.”

Jimmy offered his hand and the youth shook it.  He was a sandy haired youth of medium build, dressed in the same drab jumpsuit.  The nametag on his breast read “Jeff Connelly, 035672.”  Jimmy glanced at his own: “Jim Lee, 044665.”

Jeff stared at the lit cigarette with a mixture of nervousness and longing.  “Name’s Jeff, man,” he chuckled, pointing at his tag.  “You sure you should be smoking in here?  Aren’t you worried you’ll get in trouble?”

“Nah, didn’t you see that soldier or guard or whatever?  He was smoking.  Plus I don’t see any signs.”

“Cool,” Jeff paused for a moment, then, “Can I bum one from ya?  Mine are all in my bag.”

“Sure thing,” Jimmy handed him a smoke and his lighter and they started talking.  Some of the surrounding kids gave them dirty looks, but Jimmy returned these with grins and blew his smoke at them.  They coughed and tried to ignore him.

His new friend Jeff was from a backwoods in Texas called Brenham.  He lived with his mother; his father had been a Marine but had taken off when Jeff was two.  Jeff didn’t really remember him.  He didn’t know why he was here, but thought he’d signed up for an outdoor camp – a month of living in the rough and exploring the Montana wilderness.

“That sounded like a great time.  Not so sure I like this under the mountain crap,” Jeff finished.

Jimmy started to reply when Jeff’s name was called, followed a moment later by his own.  They had reached the front of the line at last, and each approached the desk and was handed a card with a room number and a small map showing the location of the room.  Jimmy and Jeff compared cards and made the best discovery of the trip – they were roommates!

A short walk later they reached their room and decided that their ‘cell’ left a lot to be desired.  For one thing they had two more roommates: a heavyset kid named Wade who was 18 but looked more like 30 (they soon discovered that this is what happened when you started drinking beer heavily at age 10) and a thin freckled redhead named Alan.  The room was maybe 10 by 15 and had two bunk beds and a desk jammed into it, plus a door leading to a cramped bathroom and stand-up shower, and another door leading to a closet which held their bags and several extra jumpsuits.  All the clothing had been removed from their luggage.

At least they were guys, thought Jimmy.  He’d hate to be a girl in these living conditions.  Jimmy introduced himself to his new roommates, took a quick restroom break, told Jeff he’d catch him later, and set out to explore the halls.

Next: A pleasant surprise…


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## The Shadow (Feb 24, 2004)

Ummm.  Jimmy is FAR more laid-back than I would be in his shoes.   Perhaps he doesn't have an active enough imagination...

How old is he, anyway?


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## Sniktch (Feb 24, 2004)

*Notes on the Story Hour*

This story hour will actually follow the course of our ongoing M&M game, which started slowly with one player, and added PCs as it moved forward.  So the SH might start a little slow, but I'm trying to capture the same mood as the actual sessions, and my own players growing concerns, etc.  Yes, the plotline was 'lifted' from an actual comic - I knew I was safe because none of my players read it - however I'm sure some of you will recognize it as the story moves forward.  But of course, my players being less predictable than comic book writers, it soon diverges and starts to write itself.

I will update this as fast as time allows moving forward, but I can’t promise updates will be regular or often.  I certainly hope so, but you never know what life is gonna throw at you.  We should see the appearance of the second PC in the next update, and the story should start to move a bit more quickly after that 


Shadow:  Jimmy is 16.  This game started as basically a freeform between myself and Jimmy's player, and I think he was just kind of sitting back and going along for the ride to see where I took him.  He did ask a lot of questions, but I wasn't giving him any answers and he didn't push.  Yet  I recall their being rumblings and grumblings amongst the players, but none of them felt they had the power to do anything about the situation.  I had to create a crisis, and then things got interesting quickly.

Another note about the game:  When the PCs are introduced they are at PL 3, and none of them have any powers beyond an average human.  Jimmy knows a little kung fu, but he's basically your average teenager.  This may change as the story progresses...


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## Skade (Feb 24, 2004)

whoa... first post with the new boards...

Alright, I'll finally read a SH.  sheesh.


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## Sniktch (Feb 24, 2004)

The halls were crowded with other students looking for their rooms or just hanging out.  He passed an open door where a tall blonde kid sat on a bed and tuned a guitar.  A very pale youth wearing lipstick and mascara sulked in the bunk above him, pretending to be asleep.  A lot of girls were visible, too – seems the housing was co-ed.  Excellent.

Then Jimmy saw her, the girl with purple streaked hair that caught his attention outside.  She was talking to a shy looking red head, the same girl he’d talked to in line outside, and a short kid with his back turned.  The punker looked somehow just as sexy in her drab jumpsuit, her lips curled around a smoking cigarette, her face animated and cheerful.  A nearby nurse favored the trio with the occasional disapproving look.  

Jimmy approached, the other kid turned around, and he found himself face to face with…

“Eddy?  Eddy is that you?  What the hell are you doing here, man?  I thought you’d be in ‘Frisco getting ready for the tournament!”

“Jimmy!  I could ask you the same question – how’d you end up in this hell-hole?”

It was Eddy Chang, his best friend and chief rival from back home.  Eddy was a few inches shorter than Jimmy but made up for it in muscle mass, probably outweighing Jimmy by a good twenty or so pounds.  Jimmy had always gone for a nimble, agile, constantly moving style while Eddy concentrated on efficient but brutal strikes and throws.  Their fathers had been friends in the armed service, had both disappeared around the same time, and the two of them had grown up together on the streets of Chinatown, discovered martial arts at the same time, and spent the last few years trading victories in the scholastic tournaments.  And now they had both wound up here, as if it were meant to be, and Jimmy already felt a lot better seeing a friendly and familiar face.

They stared at each other until the silence started to grow uncomfortable, and Eddy ran a hand threw his short, spiky brown hair and grinned, “Well, anyway, you don’t know how glad I am to see you here, Jimmy.  Let me introduce you to my new pals here –“ he motioned to the purple haired girl, “this is Roxy from Reno, and over here is her roomy…“

“Kate, from Princeton,” Jimmy finished.  “We met outside.”  Jimmy flashed a winning smile at the two girls.  Roxy smiled back and winked, and Kate blushed and mumbled something under her breath before retreating to the relative safety of her room.  Jimmy hardly noticed her go; he was too busy staring at Roxy.  “So, uh, Reno, huh?” he started lamely.  “How’d you end up here?”

“Oh, my mom signed me up,” she sighed.  “Well, not really my mom – I never met her.  I’m adopted.  My parents’re in the middle of moving, and I guess they thought it’d be easier if I was outta the way until they had time to settle in.”

They chatted for awhile, laughing, two old friends and their new acquaintance.  Jimmy felt his eyes constantly straying in Roxy’s direction, and pleasantly, she returned his stares warmly.  Eddy seemed oblivious to the exchanged glances.

Suddenly, something clicked in Jimmy’s head, “You’re adopted?  Hmm, I wonder… do you know anything about Kate’s parents?”

Roxy thought for a moment and shook her head, “No, I don’t.  She said she was raised by her aunt and uncle.”

Jimmy frowned, “That’s weird.  Have either of you noticed?  Everyone I’ve talked to comes from some sort of broken home or strange background.  I wonder if a single kid here knows their father.”

Eddy grew serious, too.  “Yeah, and this whole place – this is more like a prison than a camp.  Have you tried any of the doors leading out of this area?  They’re locked – you need a key card to access them.  And I’ve seen a few guys in real military type get-ups - body armor, guns, that kinda thing.  I don’t like this one bit, man, but there doesn’t seem to be much I can do about it now.”

Jimmy nodded, “Yeah, except keep our eyes and ears open and try to figure out what’s going on.  I thought about trying to find a way back outside, but I don’t know if that’d help much.  Did you pay attention to the road when you came in?  We’re like twenty or thirty miles from the closest town, at least.  And I haven’t seen a phone anywhere in here - seems to me we’re stuck.”

Eddy and Roxy nodded soberly and exchanged nervous glances.  Roxy opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a squeal of static from overhead, followed by a voice on some sort of loudspeaker system:

“Dinner will be served in the cafeteria at 18:00 hours.  A strict curfew of 22:00 hours will be in place; all students should be in there rooms for the night by 22:00 hours.  I’m sure you all have many questions, but for now just remain calm and wait.  Breakfast will be served at 7 tomorrow, followed by a meeting where we will try to address your concerns.”

“I’ll believe that when it happens,” Jimmy muttered, drawing a giggle from Roxy.  The nurse standing in the hallway – the same bulldog looking woman who had been at the front door, shot him a scathing look, but Eddy was already dragging the two of them down the hallway, excited.

“Did you hear that?  Dinner in half an hour!  About time; I’m starving!  Lets get to the cafeteria early and scope out some seats – I wanna be first in line when they start serving grub.”

Jimmy laughed and allowed himself to be pulled along, letting his worries slip into the back of his mind, forgotten for now.  He would be reminded again very soon, but for now he was able to just relax and enjoy the companionship of good friends.

Next:  The morning meeting and more new friends...


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## Sniktch (Feb 24, 2004)

Oh, by the way, I'll give a fabulous No-Prize to the first person who can guess the comic book I stole the campaign idea from (except Skade - he already guessed, and received no prize  )


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## Sniktch (Feb 24, 2004)

I had enough spare time at work to type a short update.  I wanted to do more, but I've gotten stuck on an extended call and its not going to happen.  I'll get the rest of this update posted in the near future, but here's the half page I had time to complete:

*****

After dinner, Jimmy wandered back to his room with Jeff and his other two roommates.  Talking to the latter two, he soon confirmed one of his suspicions.  Wade lived alone with his mother, and Alan had been brought up in foster care as a ward of the state.  Wade’s father had been military, Navy, and had disappeared when he was very young.  Alan had no memories of his natural parents.  He had tried to find them but without success.  Curiouser and curiouser.  Jimmy dwelt on this as he practiced his forms that night, continued pondering it when Jeff produced a hidden stash and passed a joint around the room, and later fell asleep in bed, still trying to make a connection between this odd fact and his current situation.

The next morning an alarm ripped him from sleep.  He stared blearily at the clock in the room.  Six AM.  Boy, these guys didn’t know a thing about teenagers.  He hardly felt rested; he had been plagued by strange dreams that night, his head throbbed faintly, and his mouth was dry and tasted bitter and coppery.  Jeff groaned and pulled the covers over his head, and Alan stumbled out of the bathroom, looking hollow-eyed and terrible.  Wade didn’t stir at all.  At least one of them had slept well.

Jimmy rolled out of bed and headed towards the bathroom, stopping as he passed Alan.  “Hey, man, you look terrible.  You alright?”

Alan grimaced, “No, I couldn’t sleep at all.  Had a terrible headache.  Its just now fading to where I can move without feeling like I’m gonna throw up.

“You don’t look like you feel so hot, yourself.”

“Sure don’t,” Jimmy agreed, “but nothing like that.  Maybe it’s the air in this place or the food they’re serving.”  Jimmy shrugged.

“Maybe,” Alan didn’t sound convinced.  “Hopefully they tell us what we’re doing here after breakfast like they said they would.”

“Yeah, hopefully.”  This time it was Jimmy’s turn to sound uncertain.  He stepped into the bathroom and hesitated.  “I wouldn’t bet on it, though,” he finished before shutting the door and turning on the shower.

Next: Breakfast and beyond...


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## arwink (Feb 25, 2004)

Sniktch said:
			
		

> Oh, by the way, I'll give a fabulous No-Prize to the first person who can guess the comic book I stole the campaign idea from (except Skade - he already guessed, and received no prize  )




I know it, but I can never rememember the name.  Gen-X?  Gen-13?  Something like that?


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## Capellan (Feb 25, 2004)

arwink said:
			
		

> I know it, but I can never rememember the name.  Gen-X?  Gen-13?  Something like that?




The character names are definitely ripped from Gen-13, and we're up against something like them in the PbP at randomling's, so I'd say that it's the likely candidate.


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## Sniktch (Feb 25, 2004)

Give those two a prize!  

Yeah, I was looking to start an M&M game at home one Saturday as I didn't have all my regular players and didn't want to continue our Freeport campaign without 'em.  I also didn't have a lot of time to prepare something.  So I was thumbing through back issues in my comics closet and stumbled across the old Gen13 mini-series.  And it looked like it would be fun to base a game on, so I placed a few calls, verified that none of my friends knew what I was talking about, and then stole some characters for NPCs and the basic plotline, and off we went.  Now the only problem is that half of the guys would rather play M&M than Freeport.

BTW, Eddy is NOT one of the NPCs.  One of the players came up with a character concept so close to 'Grunge' that we just modified the character to fit his concept.  Oh, and Arwink and Capellan, there might be some things in this thread that you _don't_ want to know until we wrap up the current story arc of the PbP.

For your No Prize, here's a picture of Roxy in her bathing suit  







Busy day ahead of me at work - I'll try to update but don't know if I'll have the time...


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## DiFier (Feb 25, 2004)

so was it an acident that the main charachter is JIM LEE?  

Great storyhour I'm looking forward to the next update.


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## Sniktch (Feb 25, 2004)

Popping in during lunch break 

DiFier, yeah, believe it or not, its an accident - the player was naming himself "Jimmy Lee" from the old Double Dragon game.  I was greatly amused, and his reaction when I told him he was named after one of the comic's creators was pretty fun to watch


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## Sniktch (Feb 27, 2004)

Breakfast was subdued, to say the least.  None of the kids were feeling particularly well, and they picked at their food listlessly and discussed their situation in low, hushed voices.  Jimmy and Jeff found places to sit with Eddy, his roommates Bobby and Deacon, and Kate and Roxy.  Eddy seemed to be one of the few kids who hadn’t suffered from headaches or bad dreams, and packed away breakfast with great gusto, pausing only to introduce his roommates when Jimmy sat down.  Jimmy recognized Bobby as the kid he’d seen tuning a guitar the previous evening, and Deacon, who sat a few feet apart and hardly spoke, was the gloomy goth from the bunk.

After breakfast the students were taken to a large gymnasium and instructed to sit on the floor.  Jimmy felt a sense of trepidation – by this point he did not expect their “keepers” to tell them anything about what was happening, but he still found himself afraid of what they would say.

The door slid open and a stranger walked in. He was tall and well muscled, dressed in a skin-tight bodysuit of black and violet. A golden metal plate covered one eye and half of his face, puckered scar tissue surrounding it where it met and fused with his flesh. He was otherwise a good looking young man with blonde hair and (one) blue eye, perhaps twenty years old. However, the cold, cruel sneer on his face made him appear much older.  He strutted out to the middle of the gymnasium and began to speak.

“Greetings, one and all, and welcome to Project Genesys.  My name is Stephen, but should one of you find the need to address me, you will refer to me as ‘Sir.’

“I understand that you have been promised answers at this meeting; answers which unfortunately I am not fully at liberty to give.  What I can say is that you are all now involved in a government project which concerns a vital matter of national security, and I must ask that you cooperate fully with any instructions that you are given in the course of the project.  I apologize for the deceptions which were used to lure you here, but rest assured that when the project is finished six weeks from now, you will all be returned home safe and sound.

“Today you will be engaged in a variety of tests both physical and mental to establish your effective limits in each area.  Tomorrow you will return here and I will begin your… training.  Again, I must stress that cooperation is critical and that the fate of your country could rest in the balance.  Any questions?” Without pausing, he continued, “Good,” and departed the room, ignoring the few hands that were waved in his direction.

Jimmy and his friends spent the rest of the day being herded from one test to the next, being pushed to their absolute limits.  First came a series of physical tests – treadmills, obstacle courses, weight rooms, etc. – accompanied by another physical and another round of shots.  This was followed by a short break for lunch and then a series of written and mental tests, on everything from math to puzzle solving skills.  Some of the kids put up some resistance to the constant stream of orders, but most of them just went with the flow.  The few troublemakers were taken aside and brought back a little later, pale-faced and cooperative.

By the end of dinner Jimmy was so tired he returned to his room and passed out immediately, without even taking the time to practice his forms or undress.  And as soon as he was asleep he began to dream…

*****

He awoke some time later covered in a cold sweat, his temples throbbing faintly and the acrid taste of copper in his mouth.  Jeff whimpered nearby and rolled over in his sleep, and in the bunk above him Wade snored contentedly.  The bathroom door was closed and light shone from the crack under the door, and a quick glance verified that Alan was not in his bed.

Jimmy rose, groaning from the pain in his head, and knocked on the bathroom door.

“Go away,” came the feeble reply.

“Alan, you all right, man?  Headaches again?”

“Yeah, headache… Be alright, don’t worry about it…”

“Can I get you anything?  Some aspirin or anything at all?”

“’Sup to you… I’ll… be OK.”

“Alright, man,” Jimmy said, “I’ll see what I can find.”  He fumbled for his pack of cigarettes and stuck one between his lips, lighting it as he opened his door and stumbled into the hallway.

Jimmy had expected to find a guard on duty or something.  There was supposedly a curfew, after all.  But the hallway was deserted, silent save for the sound of laughter coming from Eddy’s room.  Jimmy padded silently past their room and continued on until he came to Roxy’s.  He was about to knock when the door opened and Roxy came out, also smoking a cigarette.  She jumped when she saw him.

“Yikes, Jimmy!  Try not to sneak up on me like that.”

“Sorry, just good timing I guess.  What are you doing up?”

She sighed and took a long drag, “It’ll sound stupid, but I’m just sooo tired from today that I… I just can’t sleep.”

Jimmy shook his head, “Doesn’t sound stupid at all to me.  I’ve been there before.  Go for a walk?”

She nodded and smiled at him and he felt his knees go weak.  Then she took his hand and he felt like his heart would burst.  Jimmy floated down the hallway beside her, feeling like he’d achieved heaven on earth…

Next: A fine and private place… Eddy and Jimmy make a bet…

*****

Sniktch says:  Hmm, my brain is mush.  Hopefully this update isn't as clumsy as it feels to me right now, but I wanted to get something up before the weekend.  Still, we now have the majority of the PCs introduced, although for now the story still centers on Jimmy, and we're fast approaching the point of no return, aka when all hell breaks loose.  Bear with me a little bit longer as I try to reconstruct the events leading up to the real start of the action; the payoff should be worth it (I hope)


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## ante_up (Mar 15, 2004)

Good stuff.  I've been looking through different M&M story hours (mostly on the official boards) in preperation for a game I'll be running.  So far, your SH has been my favourite.  Keep up the updates.


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## Sniktch (Mar 23, 2004)

Thanks, a lot, ante up 

I apologize for the slowness of the updates, but they'll come eventually.  I've got a short one ready now, so I'll go ahead and post it:

*****

A little while later, Jimmy and Roxy made a pleasant discovery.  Just past the cafeteria area they found a little hallway that led to an unused storage closet.  The hallway was out of sight of any of the security cameras, and contained an entrance to the ventilation system.

Jimmy dropped into a crouch right away, examining the grate in the wall.  “Hey, I bet we could get in here!” he exclaimed and started working on the screws.  About ten minutes later he crawled into the air duct, followed tentatively by Roxy.  

They didn’t get very far, discovering that they were in a closed section.  Thick bars inside the ducts prevented them from accessing the air shafts or any other parts of the building.  Except one.  The cramped tunnel led about twenty feet to the left before opening into a small area about five by ten feet.  Another grate in this area revealed that they were above some sort of computer room filled with glowing monitors and equipment.  

Luckily, the room was abandoned at this hour, leaving Jimmy and Roxy free to enjoy their fine and private place.

*****

Jimmy woke up smiling the next morning, the events of the previous night still fresh in his mind.  Wade and Jeff were slower crawling out of bed, and Alan was nowhere to be seen.  Jimmy frowned; Alan hadn’t been in the room last night when he’d returned, though he had failed to realize it then.  Well, he hoped nothing had happened.

He quickly washed his face and ran a hand through his hair to comb it, then hurried into the hallway, eager to join Roxy at breakfast.  In the hallway he bumped into Eddy and couldn’t contain a wide, cheesy grin.

Eddy knew him well, “Wassup, man?  Why are you so happy today?”

“I think I’m in love, dude.  Or at least lust,” he grinned back at his friend, then told him all about meeting Roxy last night and their walk together.

Someone chuckled and clapped him on the back, “Way to go, stud!  See, being in a government prison isn’t all bad.”  Jimmy turned to see Bobby had crept up on them unnoticed as they talked.

“Yeah,” Eddy agreed.  “And Roxy’s a babe, too, I’ll give ya that.  But I’ll take her roommate, Kate – gotta dig those bookworm girls; all quiet and shy at first but real enthusiastic once ya warm ‘em up.”

“You’re a pig, Eddy,” Jimmy snapped, but he grinned as he said it.

They reached the cafeteria and joined the girls for breakfast.  Jeff and Wade came in a little later, and then the silent goth, Deacon, showed up and sat slightly apart.  Eddy kept teasing Deacon mercilessly but couldn’t get much more than one or two words out of him the whole breakfast.  After the meal the kids were lined up and marched through the complex again, returning to the chamber where they had met Stephen yesterday.  Once there they were instructed to fan out along the walls and wait.

They did not wait long before Stephen entered, the fluorescent light glinting off of his golden faceplate.  He was wearing a simple gi tied shut with a black cloth belt, and when they saw him Jimmy and Eddy glanced at each other curiously.

“Greetings,” boomed Stephen’s voice through the hall.  “As promised, today we begin your official training.  However, first I need to know your current abilities.  

“We will start with self-defense.  One by one I will call your names.  When you are called you will step onto the mat and attempt to attack me to the best of your ability.  Do not worry about hurting me; I would be pleasantly surprised if any of you possess the skill to even touch me.  Now…  Kyle Aaronson…”

As the boy stepped onto the mat, Eddy leaned close to Jimmy and whispered, “Who the hell does he think he is?  _ I would be pleasantly surprised if any of you possess the skill to even touch me,_” he repeated mockingly.  “I bet you ten bucks I touch him.”

Jimmy grinned, “Well, if you can touch him I sure as hell can.  We both know my Kung Fu is better than yours,” he teased.  “Ten bucks says I touch him and you can’t.”

“It’s a bet,” Eddy extended his hand and they shook, then sat back and waited to be called.

Next:  The outcome.


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## DiFier (Mar 23, 2004)

woo hoo.  I'm eageraly awaiting the next update.


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## Sniktch (Mar 25, 2004)

“Edward Chang!” barked the voice and Eddy stood up and slowly approached Stephen on the mat.  When he was five feet away he suddenly sprang and spun in the air, trying to deliver a brutal kick.  Stephen sidestepped the move with laughable ease, caught Eddy around the waist, and slammed him into the mat.  Eddy hit the mat hard and had the breath forced out of his lungs.  He rolled over, gasping and trying to shake away the hit, his cheeks burning with humiliation.  Stephen had stepped away and was already calling the next person from his list, so Eddy took his place amongst the students who had already been called and stared at the floor, not meeting Jimmy’s gaze.

Jimmy waited a bit longer.  Finally, Stephen got to “Robert Lane” and Bobby stepped out, going down even quicker than Eddy, if possible.  “Jim Lee,” called the voice and Jimmy stepped forward, breathing slowly and trying to empty his mind.

He hit ‘the zone’ and started to run, charging towards Stephen and raising his fist as if to swing, only to stop at the last minute, just outside what he hoped the bigger man’s range was.  Stephen, unprepared for the feint, lashed out with his fist, striking only air and stumbling slightly as he over-extended.  Jimmy saw the opening and his foot snapped up, catching Stephen full in the chest and forcing him back a step.

It didn’t phase him.  Before Jimmy’s foot hit the ground Stephen had recovered, reached out and pulled Jimmy off-balance, driving his knee into Jimmy’s gut and sending him sprawling to the mat.  The youth groaned and held his midsection as he heard, “My, my, Mr. Lee, I am impressed.  Looks like one of you has potential after all.  Don’t expect me to underestimate you again.”

None of the other students were able to match Jimmy’s success, and Eddy grudgingly paid the bet.

*****

Later that day the kids were separated into groups and given a regular schedule.  Physical training was at a certain time, tests at another, the daily physical, etc – it was all scheduled group by group now.  Jimmy’s group included himself, Eddy, Bobby, Kate, Roxy, and the quiet goth Deacon.  They began to settle into a routine, the days blurring together.  Jimmy and Kate still complained of severe headaches and sometimes couldn’t sleep because of them, and his roommate Alan’s condition continued to deteriorate.  Jimmy and Roxy met frequently at night to crawl into the air vents and hang out in the little space, smoking and talking until weariness finally overtook them.  They let Eddy in on the secret too, and sometimes he joined them.

There were other pleasant finds along the way.  They discovered a game room near the cafeteria that had pinball machines and a pool table.  They also found out that the facility contained a swimming pool on the floor above them, and that they could request pool passes when they had free time on their schedules.  They never completely forgot that they were essentially captives – they had plenty of tests and their daily physical and shot to remind them – but overall it started to feel a little more like a camp and a lot less like a prison.

Until Saturday, that is, one week after they had arrived at the facility.  That Saturday everything would change forever: 

They had a lot of free time that day and they decided to go swimming at the pool after lunch.  As they departed the cafeteria Jimmy realized he had forgotten his towel and started heading back towards his room, promising to catch up with everyone else in a couple of minutes.

He stopped as the door to his room swung open, the smile vanishing from his face.  Alan was sitting on his bed looking worse than Jimmy had ever seen him.  Sweat gathered on his brow and trickled down his face to drip on the sheets, his skin was very pallid, and Jimmy would even swear that it was softly glowing.

“Uh… hey, man – you alright?”

Alan looked up at him with clouded features, “Hurts… so… bad… can’t… take… much… more…”  His voice trailed off weakly at the end.

Jimmy’s mind raced, “Can I help?  Should I get a nurse?”

Alan didn’t respond but Jimmy thought he saw his head nod feebly.  Jimmy backed slowly out of the room and turned, racing towards the nurses’ station, ignoring the looks of other students happening by in the hallway.  Something was seriously wrong with his roommate.  

He rounded the corner and nearly ran into the squat, bulldog looking nurse from the first day.  “Please,” he gasped.  “There’s something wrong with my roommate – he looks real sick, and I think he needs help.  Like, right now, help!”

The nurse looked at him curiously for a moment, then her eyes widened slightly as she realized he was being sincere.  She grabbed a first aid kit and started following Jimmy back through the halls.  On the way they passed two of the guards, who took one look at the nurse’s expression and fell in beside her.  As they approached the door to his room Jimmy realized he had left it cracked, and a strange magenta light was spilling through the opening and into the hallway.  Several students had gathered nearby but none had been bold enough to look inside yet.

Jimmy slowed down, a feeling of dread welling up within him, and the nurse and soldiers overtook him before they reached the room.  “Stay back,” she commanded and swung open the door, bathing the hallway in the strange sickly light

Alan looked up as she entered, his face a mask of anguish.  Jimmy stopped in his tracks – the room looked much different than a few minutes ago when he’d seen it last.  The furniture was gone, the walls blasted and dark, and Alan was sitting in the middle of the empty floor.  Some debris littered the room, but otherwise, all of the furniture, posters, chairs – everything in the room was gone.  The soldiers pulled out handguns and leveled them at the figure on the bed as the nurse withdrew a syringe and vial from her bag and began to prepare an injection.  Thus armed, the trio approached the bed as Jimmy watched in confusion and growing alarm.

“No, stay… back,” Alan rasped.  “I’m… warning… you, stay back!  Oh, please, God, stay back!  GET AW*”  *CRACK* 

Alan’s voice cut off as there was a tremendous noise and flash of light, blinding Jimmy where he stood in the doorway.  He felt several solid objects strike him, along with a sudden sticky wetness.  He blinked rapidly to regain his vision, then dropped to his knees and retched uncontrollably as his sight returned.  The nurse and soldiers… what was left of them… were strewn about the room in chunks.  Jimmy was bathed in blood and gore from head to foot.

He looked up and caught sight of Alan, one hand still holding his head, the other… the other hand held one of the soldier’s pistols, slowly bringing it even with his own head, his arm and hand shaking wildly.

Jimmy fought to control his rising gorge.  “Alan, no, don’t do it!” he cried.

“’m… sorry… Jimmy… hurts… too… much… can’t… take… anymore.”  The pistol finally steadied, Alan reaching out with his other hand to hold it.  Everything seemed to slow to Jimmy; he dove forward at the weapon, trying to knock it away; there was a loud report and Alan began to fall backwards, a sightless third eye showing in his forehead, a blossoming flower of blood, bone, and brain erupting from the back of his head.  A loud clatter and thud as the pistol slipped from nerveless fingers and fell to the ground, followed by the corpse.

Jimmy fell to his knees sobbing raggedly, his gorge rising again.  There was a flurry of movement as two more guards entered the room, one of them lifting Jimmy and half-pushing, half-throwing him into the hallway.  Jimmy collapsed and vomited on the hard metal, then pushed himself to his feet and started running, away from the horror and madness he’d just witnessed.  Ignoring the looks and shouted questions of his fellow students, the gore-spattered youth raced through the halls, past the cafeteria, to his secret hiding place.  He crawled inside, replacing the grate behind himself, crawled several feet and collapsed, curling into a fetal ball.  He did not emerge for a long time.

Next:  Consequences and changes…

*****

I hope I've captured some of the intensity of the session here.  I was very proud of the way my players were role-playing their characters at this point, and I wish I had their reactions to Alan's demise on tape.  One of the few times I've been able to bring about complete silence in our gaming room, as the players gaped at me across the table with a mixture of shock and horror.  Truly one of the best sessions we've ever had...


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## Dungannon (Mar 26, 2004)

Okay, I'm hooked.  Good to see you writing again.


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## Stone Angel (Mar 27, 2004)

Nice very nice. At first when I saw project "genesys" I was like I wonder if it is like that image mini series. Turns out it is. I'm diggin this story hour.

The Seraph of Earth and Stone


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## Sniktch (Apr 6, 2004)

“Look out belooooow!”

“Eeek!  No, Eddy, do-“ SPLASH!

Deacon slipped into the pool area to the sounds of his fellow students happy at play.  A rare smile turned his lips as he rounded the corner and observed them carrying on; he would be the bringer of doom and gloom.  This suited him just fine.

He made his way to one of the poolside chairs and flopped down into it, savoring the moment. 

“Hey, Deacon, what’s up?  You don’t look like you came to swim,” his roommate, Bobby, was pushing himself out of the pool and walking over.  In the pool, Roxy quit fussing at Eddy and turned.

“Have you seen Jimmy, Deacon?  He was supposed to be here a long time ago.”

Deacon casually inspected the black of his painted nails and ignored them for several seconds, not even listening to their mindless prattle.  Finally he looked up, making eye contact with Roxy.

“You guys haven’t heard yet?  There’s been an ‘accident’ – one of Jimmy’s roommates got ahold of a gun and killed himself.  Jimmy was right there, saw the whole thing.  Close enough to get some of the mess on him – I hear he was trying to knock the gun away.

“No one’s seen him since.”

There was complete silence for a moment, then splashing and stomping as the kids hurriedly collected their things and ran out of the pool area.  Deacon was left alone again, which really was as he preferred.

*****

“Miss, you are not allowed back there!  Please move to the cafeteria with the other students!”

Roxy and the other kids were pushed back.  The corridor to their rooms was blocked off and guarded by a group of soldiers, though behind them Roxy could see people coming in and out of Jimmy’s room.  

“Let me past, dammit!  Jimmy!  Jimmy!” she yelled and pushed at the men but they didn’t budge.  Eventually she allowed herself to be herded with the others to the cafeteria and took a seat.  

Rumors were spreading about the room like brushfire.  In addition to the event in Jimmy’s room, there was another story that some kid had torn his own eyes out during physical training.  Slowly the room filled until it appeared that all of the students had entered, though there was still no sign of Jimmy.

At last Stephen entered the room, his bionic eye flashing as he surveyed the gathered kids.  He waited patiently for the murmuring to die down before addressing them.  “Greetings,” he began.  “I’m sure all of you have heard about the tragedy that took place today.  Let me say how sorry I am for your loss.  Alan was a bright young man who was well liked and I am sure he will be greatly missed.  

“Unfortunately, it seemed that Alan had problems he was not sharing with any of us, or else this tragedy might well have been avoided.  Rest assured that a full investigation is under way.  All classes and training have been cancelled for the remainder of the weekend to honor your fallen classmate.”

With that, he turned and left the room, leaving the kids to talk amongst themselves.

*****

Hours later the students were still in the cafeteria, being held until the cleanup crew finished its task.  The task was done now, but it was dinner time.  In a dead end hallway nearby, a grate banged open and a figure stepped out, covered in dried blood and gore.  Numb, Jimmy walked back past the cafeteria and made his way towards his room.  The door was locked shut and had a ‘DO NOT ENTER’ sign plastered to its surface.

He sighed and walked to Eddy’s room, finding the door unlocked.  He entered and slowly peeled the stiff clothing from his body, dropping it into a chute labeled ‘TRASH.’  Then he went into the bathroom and started a shower, stepped inside, and closed his eyes, letting the warm water pound against his body and slowly remove the gore from his skin.  As the crimson water pooled about the drain he felt cleansed, though he would never forget the horror of the day.

Finally he stepped out and turned the water off, then went into the main room and opened the closet, grabbing one of Bobby’s jumpsuits and pulling it on over his naked skin.  He turned as Eddy entered.

Eddy stopped in the doorway, a mixture of relief and concern etched in his face as he studied his old friend.  Jimmy looked whole, thank God, but his eyes had a haunted look that he couldn’t ignore.

“Jimmy, man, you look like hell.  Roxy’s been worried sick – where’ve you been?”

“Hiding in our spot.  I couldn’t… I had to deal with it before I could face any of you again.”

“What happened?  I mean – I know the line of crap they fed us, but what really happened?  The other kids said you were in the room…”

“Get the others, Eddy – get Kate and Roxy and Bobby.  I only want to tell this once.”

He told them, and they sat up late into the night talking about what it could mean, and what they could do…

Next:  I’ve got the power!


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## Krellic (Apr 8, 2004)

I haven't read this series but this Story Hour is cool!


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## Sniktch (Apr 9, 2004)

Sunday was uneventful as the kids were given the day off and the staff basically left them to their own devices.  The next day they attempted to take a stand of sorts.  At the morning physicals they went along with the routine, until it was Eddy’s turn to take his shot.

“I’m not taking it,” he stated flatly, eyeing the nurse coldly.

“What?” she replied in disbelief.

“You’re not stickin’ that needle in my arm.  How do I know what’s in that thing?  Some kid shot out purple fire the other day and blew his own head off – how do I know it wasn’t from whatever you’ve been pokin’ us with every day?”

“Mr. Chang, this is for your own good.  Please take your shot with the rest of the students.”

“No way,” Eddy folded his arms and glared at the nurse, and failed to notice Stephen enter the room through a side door and move up beside him.

“Is there some problem, nurse?” Stephen’s voice was calm but held an underlying menace.

“Mr. Chang refuses to take his shot today, Mr. Callahan.”

“Is that so?  Well, Mr. Chang, in that case would you do me the honor of joining me?”  Stephen grabbed Eddy’s arm and led him through the side door.  Inside was a small office area with one way glass looking in upon the larger room.  Two guards stood by a second door in the back of the room with shouldered rifles.  “Please have a seat and I will be back momentarily.”

Meanwhile, Jimmy had reached the front of the line and also refused to take his shot.  Stephen stopped beside him and calmly collected him, though his smile was fraying at the edges.  Jimmy soon joined Eddy in the back room, and the door was shut firmly, finally.

Stephen sighed, “And how did I know that both of you would try to pull the same stunt together?  Nevermind, don’t answer that.

“What exactly seems to be the problem, gentlemen?”

“The problem is my roommate started shooting purple fire out of his eyes and then blew his head off the other day,” Jimmy replied heatedly.  “And you know why and you’re not telling us.  In fact, I’d say you caused it!”

“Yeah, so Jimmy and I ain’t jumpin’ through your hoops anymore until we get some sort of explanation,” added Eddy.

Stephen’s smile slipped into a mask of cold rage and he took several moments composing himself.  “OK, you want an explanation?” he shouted, jabbing his finger into Eddy’s chest to punctuate each word.  “Here it is: yes, I am sure that the injections had something to do with Alan’s death.  I am just as sure that the two of you are going to play like good little soldiers and follow the program.  Including the shots.”

“You’re wacked man – I ain’t doin’  for you, an’ I especially ain’t takin’ no more shots!” Jimmy nodded in agreement with Eddy.

“Don’t you understand?  You are both the property of the United States Government!  You are going to do as you’re told or you will be discharged from this program and shipped out –“

Jimmy interrupted, “You mean you’ll send us home?”

“Oh, yes, you’ll be going home, alright – in a box.  Accidents are not hard to arrange for punk kids that don’t follow orders.  

“If I hear of any – and I mean any – disruptions from you two, you’re gonna disappear forever.  And just so you don’t get any smart ideas – whatever happens to you, your buddies share the same fate.”

Stephen paused and loomed over them menacingly.  Slowly, his cold smile spread across his face again.  “So,” he said finally.  “Are you ready to take your medicine?”

Jimmy and Eddy looked at each other, wide-eyed, then each hung his head.

“Yes, sir,” they replied.

Next: I got the power!

*****

Thought I'd make it further, but work interfered with my writing   We should see the first powers develop next update, though.


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## tmart (Apr 10, 2004)

You fool! Don't stop now!


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## Steverooo (Apr 10, 2004)

I'm surprised it took them _this_ long to object to daily injections!  

Good going, so far!  (Now, time to crawl back into the air duct and make the ol' Bend Bars/Lift Gates roll)!


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## Stone Angel (Apr 10, 2004)

Yes must keep going! *twitches* need more

The Seraph of Earth and Stone


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## The Shadow (Apr 12, 2004)

Things are starting to heat up!  Looks very interesting.

I also would have refused the shot the very first day.

And as for Stephen... the man is a freakin' idiot.  He's setting himself up for an underground resistance movement among the kids - kids who are developing superpowers, no less.  "Property of the US Government" indeed!  Typical megalomaniac behavior, though.

If it'd been me, I would have used the honey-tongued approach: talked up national security, lauded Alan as a hero, expressed horror that he slipped through the cracks, etc.

And if they remained resistant, I would have separated them from the rest of the kids instantly.

Of course, if it were me, I'd have all the rooms bugged so I could listen in on their conversations.   Plus I'd have ringers, kids who were on my side from day one.  And that little ventilation shaft would have been deliberately set up for them to find.

... But then I'm devious.


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## Sniktch (Apr 12, 2004)

Heh - yeah, thats how Stephen is supposed to come across.  The man _is_ a freakin' idiot, with a short fuse and no self-control to boot.  He doesn't have a subtle bone in his body.  I would have liked a smarter, more cunning villain, but the first session was played with about half an hour of prep-time and I just made him stupid and shallow and easy to play (and easy for the players to hate - and they do hate him).

There are some NPCs that are smarter and truly devious walking about, though - they just haven't shown up in the story yet.  I wouldn't be surprised if some of that was set up - but not by Stephen.  

The thing I've never figured out is how cooperative the players were.  I had to keep pushing them into rebellion, and then I still had to give one final nudge before everything blew up.  Maybe they were just being tentative since they knew there wasn't a high priest with a raise dead waiting at the temple...

As for devious, I save most of that for my Freeport game, which I put most of my prep-time into developing.  Hehehehe, I'll never forget the looks on their faces when Sealord Drac showed up and gave a speech - the day after they killed him  (no raise dead magic in that game, either).  I'm gonna have to write that game up one day.  This M&M game is much less serious (sometimes downright silly) and is more like 'occupational therapy' for a tired DM.  My preparation for the session will usually consist of one or two sentences, like "Trouble at the mall" or "fight in the funhouse" and maybe a stat block or two (though I usually improvise those on the fly, too).

Edit: Of course, I'm also dealing with the problem that all this was played months ago and I'm reconstructing it as best as I can from memory.  I remember Jimmy and Eddy having a much longer with Stephen in that room, but darned if I can remember anything beyond the threats at the end of the conversation.


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## The Shadow (Apr 12, 2004)

Hmm.  So Stephen himself is a tool being manipulated by others more subtle, eh?  It has possibilities.

Of course, teenagers, and particularly this crowd, would have no chance against a truly subtle evil genius, so perhaps it's just as well that the man is rather shallow, eh? 

EDIT:  P.S.  If this campaign is your "occupational therapy", your regular game must be pretty darn intense!!


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## Eyas (Apr 30, 2004)

BUMP back to page one.....


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## ledded (Apr 30, 2004)

Man, you're doing great work here, I'm loving this SH.

I'm glad to see a few more superhero story hours here lately, it's such a fun genre to play in and the stories come out so well.


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## DMFirebow (May 5, 2004)

This is such a great story... more more more!!!!  It's been too long!


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## Eyas (May 20, 2004)

from the depths of page four comes a loud BUMP


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## Sollir Furryfoot (Jun 3, 2004)

bumpity bump bump

I know I'm addicted, how about you?


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## Hellzon (Jul 3, 2004)

Sollir Furryfoot said:
			
		

> bumpity bump bump
> 
> I know I'm addicted, how about you?



 Me too! Me too!


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