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

Um, GDZ, those orchids you're pulling off? They're sending tendrils up your sleeves as you do that.

/* Plucks an orchid off of Zeppo */

*It is still very quiet her end of the beach*

This is a little too quiet for my liking I hope all is well back at the camp.

*begins to feel *



None of that! I must stay awake until my relief comes.

*gets up and starts walking around the rock she was sat on and taking deep breaths to combat the drowsiness*

*Sleeps through everything, but begins to have weird dreams about custard creams, squirrels, mental exhaustion, raft piloting, doughnuts and an amazon-like woman.*

[Tex starts swearing, pulls his hat off, and shoots the orchid off.]

[Tex Hywind] At this rate, either the mods'll come lookin' fer us, or we'll have someone ELSE who's figured out how to scan the Orchids comin' after us ...

*ducks as the bullet ricochets*

I think we should call in all outlying members of the posse. Where's Caerwynn? Or d'E and Zeppo?

* ar the gunshot*

*As she runs towards the camp, hears the noise of the raft and heads for it*

*sees orchid infested fellower adventurers*

Oh , what stuff works on these?

*sets her carameliser on medium and the jet radius for highly focused*

*presses the ignite button and only a very small flame is visible*

*approaches Amos and frazzles an orchid*

I hope that works, it worls a treat on leaches.

[Tex Hywind] [furiously trying to tug the orchid off] And where's Cham-chan got to?

*hears some noises in the Jungle and instantly becomes alert*

I'm down here on the ground, Lil, trying to get these orchids off Zeppo. But when I pull one off, it seems two more grow back in its place. It's a losing battle, and I could use a tummy rub. I mean some help, I could use some help.

*the gunshot is heard at the rift, where Affy, Titania, Witty and the rat-ants haven't been doing much*

*the rat-ants swivel as one toward the sound then turn to the humans*

*a keen observer will notice, even in the dark, that the rat-ants are wearing orchids, but the orchids are trying to get away. The rat-ants have somehow secured the orchids to their persons*

[Rat-ant 1]*speaks in Rat* We should go where the gun went off.
[Rat ant 2] *also in Rat* It's always best in these cases.
[Rat-ant 3] *ditto* Because then we have a good chance of being where the bullets aren't.


*on the carpet, Amos mutters something squeaky and unintelligible*

[A sudden thought seems to strike Tex]

[Tex Hywind] Hey ... how good is /technology/ at detecting this invisible thing?

*Pulling Orchids off himself now and throwing them in the direction of the river.*

Jeez these things are annoying

Hey! Do you think that gunshot could have been the rest of the gang - having trouble? Worth investigating - come on, let's go!

*sets off*

*looks at Amos, looks at the carameliser, looks at the slightly singed orchid*

*hears more noises from the Jungle*

I think something is coming this way !

I'm right behind you, Titania. Come on, Affy.

*Follows the rat-ants.*

*Hears the gunshot and pulls Ivana back before she steps out of the jungle into the camp clearing. Holding one of Ivana's arms, Gord slowly parts some foliage and peers out into the clearing. Seeing the Salonistas milling about in their normal fashion, he stands up and pulls Ivana out into the clearing with him.*

Hey guys! Look what I found!

*the rat-ants have found a narrow, well-trodden path that is leading slightly downhill through the jungle, and jog along it*

*they suddenly stop*

*the point where they stop is a slight elevation looking out over a river with a stretch of beach on the other side*

*there are people on the beach and a raft hovering not too far off the ground*

Assumption:
The raft didn't go too far on its first trip cos it was almost empty and anyway one can hear the sound of the river from the rift. So the party still at the rift have not had to run very far.

*is pulled forward into a jungle clearing by the strong Gobold and immediately sees many pairs of eyes looking at her in an uncertain fashion. Decides to keep quiet and adopts an unthreatening posture until things become a little clearer*