Events Most Strange

“Enough is enough!”, I whispered.

My heart pounded in my chest as the statue and I regarded each other for a few passing seconds. Like a teapot about to fume, a pressured stillness had descended upon my mental being. The world shrank itself around the statues inscrutable expression and then just as quickly expanded to include an almost supernatural awareness of everything that surrounded me.

The solidity of the house, the passing sounds of children playing in the distance, the smell of coffee from the blueprints, the way the wind blew my hair slightly to the side, the ticking of the bedroom clock. Each sensation funneled into my consciousness like water whirling itself into a drain.

The next second, I dashed to the closet and snatched my Hiro sword from its place beside a party hat and a dead fern, drew it and ran quickly about the house filled with a deadly intent to catch whoever was responsible for this little mind game. At last, I flung open the front door and looked wildly about, hoping beyond hope to lay an edge to the person who had violated my space.

I suppose I must have been quite a sight, standing there with a drawn katana on the doorstop. Fortunately, no one saw me and I gradually began to recover my composure as I closed the door and walked slowly back to the statue.

It occurred to me that it might be a copy left by some jokester who was in on the game. And so, I examined my Inventory and alas, the statue was gone. Right clicking the statue I noticed that it contained no special scripts or any other features which would explain its uncanny appearance in the middle of my living room floor.

I’d just polished the floor last week as well! The statue would no doubt leave some horrific scratches for me to fix. With a small grunt, I kicked it on the wing, but all this accomplished was to make it wobble slightly and damage my floor further.

Flibber entered right on cue and, without further ado, proceeded to rub his cheek vigorously against the statue and then his sides back and forth along it.

Flibber is named Flibber, because he is both flea-ridden and a libertine. He evidently saw this as a perfect opportunity to express this duality of his nature and no doubt viewed this as a peace offering on my part.

I ran my hand along the seams of the statue, hoping to find some secret compartment or clue as to how it accomplished its feat of movement (or at least placement) without motive. I found neither and it looked to be as inert as my last encounter with it.

With a slightly regretful sigh, I right-clicked it, selected More and then chose Delete.

Nothing occurred.

I tried once more but to no better effect.

Flibber switched sides and proceeded to relive another itch.

“Of all the times for Ghosting to take effect”, I thought.

But then again, perhaps that was what this truly was… a Ghosting of sorts?

Giving a mental shrug, I selected Take and this time the statue disappeared.

Flibber meowed discontentedly and gave me a look of reproach.

I said something back which I will not repeat in polite company.

i'm enjoying the style in which you are relating your story. quite an enjoyable read!

i'm hooked now, as well.. wondering what will happen next?!?

what could possibly happen next with this hunk of stone? this coccon-esque mystery?

..i'll be sure to come back to find out!

thank you

coming:

The Knicknattery of Combobulation or Alex Builds a Combobulator With Tedious Effort and a Foolhardy Sense of Longevity

plus

the Sublimity of Bathyscaping [Let's put on an Undersea Expedition!]

(perhaps)

At two o’clock in the afternoon, I proceeded to attempt to track down the necessary components that could not be built custom for the Combobulator and it was not until half past four that I was able to retire from my initial efforts to obtain said parts. This effort was not without its risks as it involved dealing with various unsavory individuals from all walks of life whose character ranged from the merely thieving to the downright malicious – not to mention at times homicidal. Nonetheless, I was of a firm mind and resolute to obtain what was necessary, and obtain them I did, but not without some trouble, which I may detail at a later date – if time permits.

Once the elements that could be procured were acquired, it remained to create and integrate them with the those parts that needed to manufactured. Upon reflection, it occurred to me that I truly was not aware of what effect the final assemblage of the Combobulator would have upon the surrounding area, my person or SL in general.

It seemed wisest – if the word wise could be applied in this instance, given that I was basing the construction of this object upon some documents from the Department of Offence – that I try to confine any potential damage to as small of an area as possible or, at the very, least effect as few individuals as possible. It occurred to me that building the Combobulator upon a sky platform at some great altitude would greatly aid this intention and thus I moved my operations to the clouds and beyond.

I won’t bore the reader with my various attempts to interpret the blueprints and construct a viable Combobulator save to say that it took a dismal amount of time and energy to bring it forth as it permutated through version after version. Particularly, when I was wont to topple off the platform due to my engrossment in the work.

Even though the end result was still a work in progress, it appeared to achieve some measure of success in conforming to the design described in the blueprints; although it seemed to have little or no effect in the so-called Combobulation that I could observe.

Note the energy field generated around a rotating Prim root object. The two rodlike extensions may be responsible. Although, I'm not certain of this.

Note how the energy swarms around the box. It is difficult to say if the box is the motive force or the energy is the motive force for the box.

an ariel view

close ups of the inner workings

a view with myself so that one may make some sort of size comparision. the Combobulator is next to me and is considerably closer than the moon.

whew, that was quite an effort! I must rest my head upon my pillow and bid the night an exhausted farewell...

Fascinating! A fine job of construction. And the bluish energy field is beautiful... waiting anxiously to see what this device does!

Hello? Where's that guy who says," And now, for the rest of the story?"

Thank you for the compliment I was quite curious as to what would result as well...

While I stood there, contemplating the Combobulator, I asked myself why it was not performing as anticipated. Except for the rather eccentric energy lights and spinning cube, nothing much appeared to be happening. It was certainly not a “manifestation of forms existing within or along side a certain plane substrate” as described in the blueprint designs.

I walked round and round the Combobulator, circling it repeatedly, as if seeing it from different angles would somehow produce a different result.

The wind blew up against me and for a moment I felt like a fragile leaf hanging by a slender stem in a stiff breeze. It seemed as though I might be blown off the platform and into a forever sky, so in tumult was my spirit. Was I just a gullible fool? Why was I doing this? What did I hope to accomplish? All I knew was that I was swimming in something like a river of sorts, in a current that my mind did not fully grasp but which was pulled along by hooks in my heart, drawing me ever nearer to some elusive goal. A tear formed in the corner of my eye, and more flew quickly down my cheeks. I was not sad and I did not understand why I cried. It was as if it were something else, apart from me, up welled from another place entirely.

Tentatively, I reached out my hand into the swirling lights and grasped the cube. As my fingers touched it, it gently came to a slow and the lights nuzzled my arm with a faint charge, which tingled but was not entirely unpleasant. I realized this was not a wise action, but what of my actions had been wise so far? Wisdom be gone and trouble me no more! I smiled slightly.

The cube was warm, almost fleshly in its composition and indeed its surface seemed to flex and shudder as if it were someone touched.

All at once, the thought came to me. Contact! Substrate.

When one thought of substrate, one did not think of the sky or events within it. One thought of layers. Of reaching ground and shale and that settled below waters. That which is found below, beneath a shell…

A shell! Of course!

The note had said, “To the ends of the earth and the apex of the sun,
The shell that was fixed may be breached and its fruits beheld”.

Perhaps it had been referring to SL’s “earth”? Its ground plane if you will. Maybe the Combobulator had to draw upon the power or substance of the earth below? I had noticed that although one could create prims in the sky – given there was already a “substitute” ground to do this - this ability functioned under greater limitations than when executed at or near ground level.

Drawing this theory to its logical conclusion, I determined that the closest to this substrate as I could manage would be a descent into the deepest waters that I could locate. This would have an added benefit of distancing the Combobulation from other residents in the event that anything was to go “wrong”. Would I be able to withstand the great pressures involved at depth? And how would I transport the equipment necessary to this endeavor?

At once, I recalled a Forum posting, which described a bathysphere expedition mounted by Mr.Walker Spaight and Mr. Henry Random (if memory serves) via the waters of Cub.

Heartened by this thought, I contacted Mr.Spaight and inquired if he might have the bathysphere still in storage. He replied in the affirmative and graciously offered me its services in exchange for a full report of my findings. Of course, I was very enthusiastic and I accepted immediately without reservation!

With no idea if the bathyscape/bathysphere was still seaworthy, not to mention that I was decidedly lacking in bathysphere piloting experience, I concluded it would be for the best if I tested its metal (and mine) off the waters of the Forest Of Kahruvel in Rodeo. As a side note, Kahruvel is well-renown for its many mysterious structures which may be the remnants of a past civilizations. Scattered ruins echo other sites all around SL such as Dunraven in Moraine (153,70) and Great Wall of Tyta. I heartily recommend a visit to all.

Our Bathyscape/Bathysphere Test Begins! As some rust is apparent upon closer inspection, I was quite glad that I was testing the vehicle in shallow waters at first instead of diving into the Deep on first go.

In a fit of hopeful wishing, we Christen her the "Tough Nut".

Fortunately for this pilot, a license to operate this vehicle is not required.

Alex sits for fifteen minutes muddling about with the controls (actually this in jest, as it was quite straightforward to operate).

other inside perspectives

anchors away!

Dive, dive, dive, uhm...we've hit bottom...drag, drag, drag. the squeal of metal on rock is heard. Surface, surface, surface!

forward, forward, forward

we appear to be heading somewhere. where? we're unsure...

back.safe onland....whew!!!!

The Tough Nut performed admirably and was true to her name!

Alex is feeling rather smug and self-satisifed (and speaking of herself in the third-person). We're sure that shall be an extremely transient emotion.

After making as many preparations as I could and organizing my affairs for the possible eventuality that I might never return ( I put Flibber in the safekeeping of a neighborly friend), I made my way the next evening to the Isle of Alviso, also known as Lauk’s Nest.

Lauk’s Nest’s massive, ghostly ruins towered over my head as I landed on a nearby stone wharf and the setting sun lit the clouds from below creating the sensation of a distant burning inferno. I half expected to see priests intent upon some arcane ritual wending up the steps and small children dogging their heels, but this fancy remained just that, a fancy. The stones kept their secrets for now…