h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*Steps out of the rift and looks around. Sees a rope ladder leading up into the sky and a small red carpet at the end of a bungee cord. The other end of the bungee cord leads towards a point somewhere just above where the rope ladder disappears. Sees several people on the ground, packing up.*


I guess the raft's camoflaging came back on once power was restored.

So, uh, who's driving?

Well, the last thing I remember is that we had entered the Temple of the Guide. All I remember is walking through a huge door, nothing more. So I must have been assimilated into the Guide. Of course I was in the Guide already or I couldn't have been contributing to the safari in the first place... Nonetheless, we left this place.

Odradek and Redbeard have disappeared. We never saw Redbeard again in regular Hootoo Space!

I was never in the raft for long, I don't think. I was riding. So I don't know anything about how it works. Do you think you have the hang of it?

*seeing the slave-no-more* Up here, Gord!

You mean.......something happened to Redbeard and Odra here?!?

Odra has reappeared once or twice, but you're right - Redbeard hasn't been heard from since. Four years.

And Red. Maybe something happened here to him too. He reappears each summer, hangs around for a month or so, then disappears without warning. Come to think of it, the same thing happens with Irving Washington and Arlecchino, but they weren't here with us before.

*Looks over at Zomnker.*

I didn't fly this thing before - Odra did most of that, but maybe there's instructions around somewhere. Have you checked the glove comparment?

*Hears a disembodied voice calling his name. Looks up, expecting to see one of those who freed him, since he recognised the voice. Sees empty space beyond the end of the rope ladder. Shakes head.*

/* With an "umph!" picks up Zeppo and tries to maneuver him into the raft. */

Just a little lower, Zomnker, if you could.

GL, (umph) maybe you came back from here to a point prior to your coming here, and changed the time continuum leaving a hole in the fabric of (umph) no Zomnker a little lower (umph) time and therefore your (umph) memory. Or maybe it was Redbeard who did (umph) that (umph) and (umph) deleted himself (umph) in the process.

*Clambers up after the others*

So are we going anywhere in particular?

To the river to fill up the fuel tank. And look around while we're high up.

I don't know, once I'm on one of these adventures I'm always wondering how I'm going to get home again.

*Has written the following on a post-it note and posted it onto the dashboard: black lever= gear, blue lever= altitude, third lever= ?*

Hold on d'E *Adjusts the altitude for d'E*

I still have not figured out what the third lever is for, kind of afraid to use it. Where is the glove compartment? I don't see anything that looks like one.

*On the forest floor, out of sight, a "Celery/WebJello....Because They Live Here!" pamphlet flutters limply*

I always wonder the same thing, Lil. But we seem to manage it in the end.

No glove box and no CD player either!

What's the 0-60 like?

*Sees others climbing up the ladder and disappearing at the top. Sees Zeppo being hoisted up. Hears voices at the top of the ladder. Doesn't understand at all, but shrugs and climbs the ladder himself. Is astonished to find himself on the raft.*

*slides into the co-pilot seat and looks at the post-it note*

I reckon it has to be left and right.

We don't seem to have brakes, though, do we.

*clambers up the ladder and drops over the side* Nice to have someone else drive.

*there being nobody else except Solnushka who is presumed to be chewing PAG and thus tagging along, Amos hauls up the ladder*

We'll just have to take it slow till we find brakes then.

*As Amos pulls up the ladder, hoofbeats can be heard approaching. The orchid people scatter and blend into the jungle. A troop of 5 gorilla guys thunder into the clearing and reign in their horses. One gets off his horse and prowls around, looking at the ground. After a few minutes, he lets out a grunt and picks something up from the ground. It's blue, snake-like and has hooks on its ends. The gorilla takes it and hands it to one of the mounted gorillas, then remounts himself. The second gorilla turns the object over in his hands and looks at it from every direction. Experimentally, he pulls on it and lets one end go. It snaps back and hits him on the wrist. Hastily he stuffs it in a saddlebag, turns his horse and gallops off, motioning the others to follow. Moments later, the clearing is empty and the sound of hoofbeats recedes into the distance.*

*the carpet, which had been twitching and flapping at the end of its leash, holds extremely still during this visitation. As soon as the riders are out of sight, it flops upward and into the raft with the rest of the party*

*Lil grabs hold of the leash and unhooks it from the tree*

Let's head for the river. *looks expectantly at GDZ*


GDZ, you're getting the hang of this just great, but I sense you're holding back. Do you see how everyone contributes something to the scenery or the action and at the same time tries to make it all flow seamlessly? I was about to use the word plausibly, but that doesn't quite do it justice.

So this is your opportunity to build a little.

*holds on firmly in case the 0-60 proves to be less than 7.0 seconds*

*Distant jungle noise. Cool front passing through above. Adventure season*