For the next entry this round, Kerriem, I think Morgan's skipped again.

But for next round...I'll have the trout out now.

So, is anyone writing or is the whole thing just kaput now?

If we do decide that it has died, let's start a new one after the beginning of the year. Personally, though I'd really like to see where we can still go with this one.

MJ, you really need to beat Mark with more than a trout! Philosophically speaking, of course.

MJ,

You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Dead fish work well too. Of course that assumes you want flies.

You know, gents...I'm very dirty minded at present.

I'm just going to whistle and go away before I get Morgan into any REAL trouble.

Such as the fact that yesterday was his birthday, and he is a very old man (compared to this sweet young thing)...;)

How old is Morgan?

I feel old too (b-day last week) so we can suffer together. Midlife crisis every week, anyone?

Well, I was going to send JD a note asking if he was ready to contribute...should we be taking a general vote on this continue-the-story issue beforehand?

Personally, there are still a lot of threads here I think have a ton of potential, but what do you, the writers at home think?

Morgan is 34.

And as I am a mere 23, I can call him old.

KerrieM-

If you can get JD to continue -- I'm all for it.

Yes...

MJ, you're only 23?! I thought you were older, like thirty-ish. Must be your high level of maturity. Boy, do I feel old. Or immature.

Come to think of it, I'm Mark's age, I think. Hang on... '68 from '02 is... (works with abacus) yup, 34.

OOPS! Sorry, everyone, I meant Morgan's age in my last post. Must be those old neurons of mine misfiring again.

Mark *IS* Morgan... Mark Morgan.

CONTINUE!!

Please! I have to make General Eberhart complex and human (and make MJ's [the character] eyes roll.)

ScottN: Yeah, I know, but he's always referred to as Morgan, so I thought I should follow along.

Unlike the story, which has gotten pretty hard for me to follow. Maybe we should just end it. (Just kidding, Blue! )

OK, OK, I've sent off that note to JD (since he seems to be otherwise AWOL these days) and will keep you-all posted.

AAAAAAH!

I haven't checked this board in too long! I guess Kerrie sent it to my old email address, sorry, folks. I'll get to work on it right away.

I'm interested to see how General Eberhart (and the other real-life characters whose names I basically pulled from military websites) are portrayed. :-)

Y'know, I'm of two minds how this story should continue, whether 'totally bizarre chaotic spin-off into wacky things' or 'let's get this back to seeming perhaps somewhat realistic'.

What do y'all think?

Yes.

Everything, if done right, can be realistic. (Even Spock's Brain [if done right. I gotta have an "out"]) The most over the top Bond villain (I can think of nothing more unbelievable) can be made "realistic". "Wacky things" shows a lack of imagination (or time to make the "wacky" "realistic"). [Note: Hitchhiker's Guide was "realistic" by my definition.]

Sorry to get on the soapbox. English majors do that on occasion.

Hitchiker's Guide makes more sense at times than my real life! Of course it's realistic!

I meant of course HG is realistic, not my life!

Tick, tick, tick...

Ah, OK...so much for my carefully-thought-out strategy of 'waiting to hear from JD or for the holidays to be over, whichever comes first.' Sorry 'bout that, everybody.

Good to hear from you, anyhow, JD - I'm looking forward to whatever you come up with, you always have great ideas! (How's that for Moderatorial diplomacy? )

Very diplomatic, Kerrie. Almost finished.

And I'd just like to announce...ladies and gentlemen...I know what's going on in the story! I mean, I know what's going on with the weird transmission and the whole setup and such.

Now, whether that's accepted or even if it works within the plot, remains to be seen.

It's sent!

And posted! Lucky I decided to run one more 'New Messages' check before bedtime.

All kidding aside, JD - I like this entry, I really like it. Craig, you've got a hard act to follow here...on the other hand, sounds like the stage is set for Marietta to make a dramatic reappearance...

Nice, JD, but it's been so long I'm a tad lost...

Does anyone have a list of dramatis personae?

Ah, I like it, JD, I like it... Very clever!

Me too, ScottN,

Who are Neville and Nelson? (Never mind that, who is this "Dawn" person and why did they just drive by the facility?)

Unless I lost track of characters (not impossible, BTW) I think they are new. Kerriem, didn't you put a restriction on new characters?

Sorry JD. I liked it. Especially the part about the transmission being off, but aliens were involved. However the introduction of new major characters (if they're new) may be a nit. New characters that just happen to know things smack of Dieu ex machina (sp?).

Neville is new, Nelson isn't. I've posted a bit of narrative involving him before but didn't bother to name him in that post.

Neville and Nelson are basically one of those jolly fellows who work for the 'fifth' branch of government (if you call the press the fourth branch). One of those goofy old shadowy secret government organizations that mess with things that would give a normal person the screaming horrors and an aversion to bleu cheese for the rest of his life. That sort of thing.

And I'll see about working up a new list of Dramatic People.

TWO of those jolly fellows. Berry, Scott, not a word, it was a slip of the typing hand. ;-)

The restriction wasn't on new characters per se, it was on new plot threads (ie. stuff that took us too far away from the main storyline).
Anyhow, yes, what JD's created is a sort of deus ex machina...but since he restricted Neville & Nelson to a framing device - having them watch from a distance rather than stepping in and explaining everything on the spot - I didn't mind much. There's still plenty of room for the rest of the cast to maneuvre.

As for the dramatis personae, Scott, I think there's one in the last thread...ahhh, yes, here we are (with many thanks to - well, whattaya know - JD! Who obviously has a lot of time on his hands...):

Now, I've marked the non-fictional characters with asterisks, but keep in mind I'm not sure if everyone so marked really exists. :-) Plus, the characters listed herein are only characters who have been named in-story and have had dialogue of some kind or another or have had sufficent narration involving them. Feedback and nits appreciated.


DRAMATIS PERSONAE

in order of appearance

*William Berry
*Carl Baumgartner
Zylax, Commander of the Cortation Battle Fleet
*TomM
John McCartney
Dave
*Machiko Jenkins
*Jason, MJ's friend
*George W. Bush, President of the United States
*Mark Morgan
Donovan
James Fredricks
Krag, Zylax's second-in-command
Tim Feldman
John 'Deke' Dekins
Marietta
*General Ralph E. "Ed" Eberhart, Commander in Chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command
Colonel Washington, NORAD Command Staff
'Mike', member of National Security Agency
*Colonel Thomas F. Deppe, Commander, 341st Space Wing, Malmstrom AFB

'Course, this is only up-to-date as of the beginning of Round Three, so we might indeed need a little update here if anyone wants to take it on. While they're at it, a small blurb beside each character name, describing their function in the plot, would be most excellent too. (I'd take it on, but y'know, updating the Kitchen Sink and all that...)

Whoops! Thanks again, JD, and I hereby take back anything I ever said about your having too much time.

One was Dawn! I knew it!

Partial Dramitis Personae with blurbs requested by Kerriem. Unfortunately only about Characters I've latched onto.

*William Berry (Dead, paranoid)
*Carl Baumgartner (not real, just a sounding
board for Berry)
Zylax, Commander of the Cortation Battle Fleet
*TomM
John McCartney
Dave
*Machiko Jenkins (Wiccan amateur who was in the
wrong place at the right time.)
*Jason, MJ's friend
*George W. Bush, President of the United States
*Mark Morgan
Donovan
James Fredricks (held by Eberhart’s people)
Krag, Zylax's second-in-command
Tim Feldman
John 'Deke' Dekins
Marietta
*General Ralph E. "Ed" Eberhart, Commander in Chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command
(Elmer Fudd, for now just a foil at first.
I'll flesh him out or kill him.)
Colonel Washington, NORAD Command Staff
'Mike', member of National Security Agency
[NSA aka No Such Agency] Tom Clancy dudes
that are like the CIA but darker)
*Colonel Thomas F. Deppe, Commander, 341st Space Wing, Malmstrom AFB
Detective Carlos Pinhero (late lead detective
investigating Berry murder)
Detective Steve (no last name) tried to cover for
Pinehero.
Lieutenant Murphy (guy who must throw Detectives
off case before they solve it.)
Detective Jim Medeiros (Pinehero's partner)
Special Agent 47 "My name is unimportant"
Homeland security (section 6 MIB fans!)
(shadowy government dude that may report
to anyone, or not)

Probably best we didn't go with Total Silliness. I actually had an idea to write a chapter unveiling a team dedicated to getting to the bottom of the mystery. A team consisting of James Bond, Velma Dinkley, and Sylvester the Cat.

Probably best we didn't go with Total Silliness...

Wow! that sounds like my idea to use Mr. Spock, Philip Marlowe, and Goku. (Hey someone has to be $tupid but do kameha-meha waves.)

Earth to JD! Earth to JD?

What?

Whoops!

Earth to Mark Morgan! Earth to Mark Morgan?

(Although JD should perhaps be ready in case Mark Morgan's segment fails to materialize shortly, eh?)

Dang, I forgot to update the 'Now writing' thingee again.
Sorry, Sparrow and Bueller, but it's actually Craig's turn to write - and he has advised me that despite some circumstances slowing him up, he's definitely working on it.

I shall try to get my entry done over the weekend, but it will probably be short... though not as short as this sentence!

I'm named for the clueless history teacher in the movie (Ben Stein), who kept calling for Bueller.

But we nitpickers all knew that, of course. Just like we all knew Simone was the girl who finally clued him in.

Oh... So... whoops...

SIMONE! ooh-hoo-hoo!!

Well, you can all rest easy (for awhile at least)...Craig's entry is now up, and it's a lot of fun.

So, Berry, you set to - erm - whatever it is you do when you write?

Uh. I've got a nit. When we last saw the d00dz, they were at the police station trying to talk with Pinhero. Now they're in the car talking to a redheaded Fed? (Stop rhyming and I mean it!Anybody want a peanut?)

They could be in the d00dz's van, Marietta's car, some basement, a bar, the Chinese restaurant, the police station, Moonbase Alpha (OK, not Moonbase Alpha)... I never established just where they are. (Gotta love ambiguity to get out of a nit! )

And just who barged in on them, hmm? (No, not Hu, the guy from China. )

Hu couldn't have barged in on them, as he's on first.

No, Hu is he!

Before I go I need a judge's (that's you kerriem) ruling. True, Scott did not say D00d was not at the precinct station with J McC, but I can't see both paranoids walking into a police station if they can avoid it.

Craig doesn't say what J McC had behind his back, but if it isn't a gun I don't know what it could be that would make Marietta stay. If it is a gun, pulling a gun at the police station would be a very bad idea.

I can marry the CR and ScottN versions but I'd prefer a decision first because divorces can be ugly.

Blue is right... I left the d00dz with John going in, and Dave (d00d) staying outside... He's a lot less reasonable regarding the authorities than J McC is.

Blue, maybe you could fill in with a quick flashback between mine and CR's entries?

After careful consideration of all POV's real and fictional, the Moderator rules:

That Craig has left it sufficiently ambiguous as to who's where and how they got there for the overall scenario not to be a nit.
It's still a pretty big plot hole, mind you - which practice I don't want to see become a habit - but given all the circs, is forgiven just this once.

Besides which, leaving the whole thing in Berry's hands strikes me as the most fun solution anyhow...

Gun? Who said anything about a gun? Must be an American thing.

1)
"I'm going."
"No, you are not," he said as he pulled something from his back. He handed her the ice pack that he keep on his bad back and bent over. "As a human being you have to at least help me to the Chiropractor."

2)
"I'm going."
"No, you are not," he said as he pulled something from his back. He handed her the eviction notice he kept in his belt. "You must pay the rent! MwuHahahah."

3)
"I'm going."
"No, you are not," he said as he pulled something from his back. "This is an ultrasound picture of your unborn child. It looks like a lobster! Before you leave do you really want us to tell everyone you are carrying Krag's child?"

4)
"I'm going."
"No, you are not," he said as he pulled something from his back. He took a swig from the flask, politely wiped where his mouth was. "You can't resist a taste of the white worm," he said.

5)
"I'm going."
"No, you are not," he said as he pulled something from his back. The comb neatly parted his previously unkempt hair. He knew that no woman could resist the power of his combed hair, that's why he usually let it go willy-nilly. This, however, was a special circumstance.
She stared at his hair. Transfixed by the combs going in and out, in and out.
"Let's stop the silly bickering," he said and they embraced passionately.
"Helloo," said Dave as they ignored him.

LOL! Saved the best for last, I see!

CR,

Well #5 is sort of a fantasy of mine, without Dave, pregnancy, and (alas) hair.

Somehow, I figured that... I kind of pictured you whipping out the comb.

Hey, everybody...just to let you know that Berry's sent in his entry - actually, he sent it in a couple days ago, but I have been literally swamped with some writing of my own and haven't had a chance to even look at it!

Sorry, Blue. I will do my level best to get in online tonight, promise.

No problem: Some characters got cut out, like Warrant Officer Belmont and Major Babe (pronounced BahBeh; the first time she corrects you the second time you get slapped by someone the US government trained to slap). They were Ebehart's MIS guys that set up MJ's computer. Warrant Officer Belmont was going to notice the chess program was too beatable so there must be a virus.

...And here it is, only twelve hours or so off schedule!

WARNING: Too-intense perusal of this entry may cause acute vertigo. But at least you'll probably go down with a smile on your face. I think.

Must... keep... brain.... from... exploding!

"You... must not touch... my brain!"

By the way, kerriem, just a nit: shouldn't we start a Nits V board?

Hopefully, ScottN, you can keep your head together long enough to get your next entry up! After Tom, that is...

I'm having major RL (what's that?) issues at the moment. I'll try to find the time to write a chapter, but I may need to ask for a pass this round. I expect that by Sunday I'll either have it ready or know for sure that I can't get it done.

RL: Regional Legislature. Real Ligaments. {i{Rivonia Legitorium}. Rasputin's Life. Riggatoni Linguini (I'm hungry).

Real Life? Hey, you can't have one of those!

Good luck, Tom.

Rush Limbaugh!! Rancid Limburger. Remote Legolas. Reviled Libertarian. Regurgitated linoleum. Repeat Lithuania. Reversed Liposuction. Reserved Librarian. Restive Libertines. Ready Liberals. Rapacious Liverwurst. Repugnant Lollipop. Repealed Law. Repellant Lawyer. Resurrected Lazarus. Repeated Libation. Regularly Lovely. Rush Live!! Romaine Lettuce. Rotten Lexus. Relaxed Lincoln.

Rich Little!

Random Liposuction! Romulan Linemen! Roving Linchpins!

Really Lame...

Recurrent leishmaniasis?
Relapsing lipodermatosclerosis?

Rampant Leukaemia?

(The) Raiders Lost?

Ricki Lake?!

Sparrow47,

Weird football team. Klingon linebackers and Ferengi Free safties. (I mean Frengi competively priced safties.) B'Joran cornerbacks? (The NFL has a rule about jewlry and the ear rings must go.)

Yeah, Blue, it gets really bad when they cloak...

Oh, and who are these B'Jorans you speak of? Do they have any relationship to the Bajorans?

I'm still dealing with some last details of the consequences of having burst a water pipe during the big freeze (the Rigid Liquid problem I mentioned) and now I've caught the Flu!

I was hoping to find some time this weekend to write, but I have to beg off this round.

ay yi yi... I guess that means I have to come up with something to drive people insane.

I'll try to have it by next sunday (or sooner).

No, no, Scott, you have it backwards. You have to come up with a clear, logical, plot-advancing explanation for all this...which will quite possibly drive you insane. Next Sunday sounds good.

Seriously, best wishes Tom. We'll look forward to hearing from you next round.

Oh crud... I completely flaked. I'll try to get something by this weekend. My bad, guys!

It's OK, ScottN, the recent snowstorm has affected everything.

What snowstorm? :-D

(ScottN and I live on the West Coast)

Shhh! You're ruining my cover

My mistake. The season here is winter it will be followed on March 31st at 2:17pm by spring. At 2:22pm the season changes to unbearably hot while you wait for the hurricane. Halloween gets the autumnal day as Nov. first begins pre-winter (freezing rain but no snow except when the Miami Dolphins come to Foxboro.)

Is it fire, mudslide, earthquake, or riot in CA?

Mudslide season.

You'd better skip me... Real Life™ just landed on me in a huge way... Details later...

Yikes, the second person in a row to pass. This keeps up we might have to have someone write back-to-back entries. Hope that Real Life problem isn't too noxious, ScottN.

Depends... anyone got a spare job opening?

Oh, no, Scott...please, accept my very best thoughts and wishes along with your pass.

Machiko and/or Mark, you guys up for the challenge?

My company just had another massive downsizing three weeks ago (over 1/3 gone). It's the fourth one I survived by the skin of my teeth. I feel for you, guy.

Thanks, guys... I've already got some irons in the fire, but I'm afraid that most of my creative writing will be going into cover letters for the nonce..

Good luck, sir!

Lots of luck to you, Scott.

I shall do my best, Kerrie. *salute*

Best of luck, Scott!

Good hunting Scott. (You don't need luck. [Although you'll take some anyway.])

So... anyone writing, or is TDEMG kaput?

Aw, -bleep-.

I totally forgot.

Absolutely, totally, plain out, forgot.

I'll rectify it ASAP. I'll stick the -bleep-ed sticky note on my forehead on my way to therapy.

Well! Always nice when these problems solve themselves!
Seriously, part of the blame is mine...I was all set to send Machiko a reminder email, but memory got sidetracked by, well, recent events.

What, did I miss something?
OK, that was lame. The war notwithstanding, I know I've been incredibly busy lately... does anyone have time anymore? I'm not calling for an end to TDEMG, but maybe a temporary halt til things in the world (and everyone's lives) settle down a bit.
Or not.

Since few are taking themselves out, I'll post a nitty post next-time. When I'm campaigning for city council (MNay to November) I won't have much time. I gota remember to change my voter registration so quotation marks are around Blue.

FINALLY!!

I have sent my piece off!!

Sorry to all who've been waiting - I've been in therapy for wrist injuries, and I had an emergency tooth yank this past Monday.

The piece is short, and really...not my normal level, but it's done.

Well, here's hoping your wrist (and mouth) recovers quickly!

Oh, and note that this board is over 100K.

Hey! You're not Butch the K Man! That's a nit!

I am the K Man, they are the K Man, I am the Walrus!

Got it, MJ. I'll have it up by noon tomorrow at the latest, promise.

OK...as a fitting sendoff to this thread and the opening of Part V I announce the posting of MJ's entry.

She's right, it is real short...which kinda disappointed me only in that I'm always eager to see what her fictional doppelganger is up to...but then again, I'm hoping that we can persuade Morgan to continue her adventures, this time.

MJ, your wrist up for some more stuffed-trout-whacking?