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

No Garius, it's not a clock's pendulum. The answer is more of a situation than an actual object, I'm afraid. If I may put in my two cents, that's the reason that this riddle is a bit more complex than most of mine.

Okay, I think I've got it. But the reflection/last breath part doesn't seem to make much sense.

The metal disc flying through the air is a coin being tossed. It can determine life and death in some circumstances, I suppose. The reflection seeing could just be the "head" on one side of the coin, but why as he takes his last breath.

I think I still haven't quite gotten this.

*The car pulls up to Suins lab and every calmly hurries inside. Once inside Ice grabs a blanket and lays it on the couch for Lauri then he dissappears back out the door for a moment, coming back in holding a chest*
Ice to Kristine- Think we can run tests without touching the manifestation?
Kristine- Probably, but it wont be as accurate.

*Ice and Kris busily get to work setting up various small camera's and pieces of scanning equipment. Ice reaches into a small icechest that was inside the bigger chest and pulls out a plasma bag that he begins sipping on while he starts running the tests*

Sea can you use your natural magic to see the ebb and flow of the energies around lauri and whitley? If they've changed or is the flow is disrupted in some way it may give us a clue as to what exactly we're dealing with and how usefull it can be.

Recash: Hmm, I didn't know they sold blood in tetrapacks these days.

(OOC: So what's the storyline, folks? I and Pack can only pop in mebbe once a wekk, but we could do with an overview. Otherwise the only input we can give is the usual vandalic nonsense we're pretty good at. :OOC)

I recommend reading the backlog from the beginning, actually. It's a pretty interesting story so far. But at the moment, GL and I are attempting to trick a group of wizards into letting us into their confidence so that we can destroy their invasion plans, whlie Sea and Ice are currently dealing with Lauri's creation Whitley which seems to have possessed her in some minor fashion. Meanwhile, this is just a sub-plot in a larger adventure that's taking place, in which we are trying to prevent the return of some big bad boss demon dude, via the use of three amulets. Garius has one of them, I have the other, and the last one is sorta up in the air. I had the impression that it is simultaneously missing and in the posession of Patrick's Line character, probably due to either time travelling that we'll be doing later on, or due to a continuity error that no one noticed. At least, I think that's what's happening.


Actually, Garius, you've got it close enough. The reflection is the heads side of the coin. But the situation, you see, is that the coin really is deciding life and death for someone, and he takes his last breath because he lost the toss. Apparantly someone was just waiting there to do him in pending the result of the coin's decision.

*Vomar looks around, wondering*

I wonder how much longer they'll keep us....

*The doors open and the one who seemed to be the leader of the wizards enters*

Well, that wasn't too long!

*blinks and looks, half dreamily, at ice*


u'rnot going to hurt my baby are you because i can'tlet you hurt my baby

*Looks at the viscous, pointy examining tool he's holding and tosses it aside*
No luv just need to do a few mesurments and such.

*They finish setting up the equipment as Ice finishes his third satchel of plasma. He squats down with a handfull of wires and sticky pads that are connected to his various electronics*

I need you to put these on Luari and since I can't touch him if you could attach these ones to Whitley for me.

*Kristine begins drawing a circle of power around the couch*

*raises her eyebrow and seems to be conferring with whitley for a moment or two*

i know my love yes i know, hush now, *looks at ice* o.k where do u want them connected?

Well this one goes here and this one around your wrist and th....
*Within a few moments nearly every one of Lauri's vital functions is monitored*
As for whitley... *Ice points out several points where electrodes and sensor pads are to be stuck*

Okie dokie. Now lets see what we have here...

*Kristine finishes the circle of power and Ice closes it by spilling a bit of his own blood at each point of the pentecle. Magic dances down thier skins like ants as Ice monitors the readings closley. Occasionaly influancing the magic to flow into Lauri or Whitley and noting the results. After a significant time Ice finnaly looks up from the small mountain of printouts and cables that he's trapped under*

Very interesting... *He grabs one of the printouts and begins tring to walk over to Lauri, nearly tripping several times and pulling many a piece of machinery with him*

Well I think I've got something. You see several years ago in a different dimension a paraphysical scientist theroized that thoughts have substance and everything we think of has a physical manifestation. The reason that we don't see these thought is that they are out of phase with every other dimension so that they live in all of them and none of them at the same time. Well... If you continue along these lines of thought then we can assume that if you have the correct powers then you could bring something from this alternate dimension fully into your reality. I think Luari dear that by focusing all your fear into a single thought you merged all of those entitys into one being in the other realm and then brought it into this one. The only problem is that because all these thoughts are linked to you and becuase you have givin them all so much power they are able to influance your thoughts, the creation controlling the creator, so to speak. The other problem is that becuase he is taking all your fear, your basicly feeding him, constantly. You may not feel fear anymore but your still afraid of everything you were before. Only now Whitley consumes that fear before you can realize it. Basicly, it's getting stronger. And I'm not sure what will happen if he continues to grow in power. He may be able to beak away from you and begin influancing and feeding off other people. I don't see anything inherintly dangerous or hostile about him now but I have no idea what his adult stage may be like. I can't penetrate his thoughts with any of my powers, or equipment so I have no idea what he's thinking other than what he's projecting. I don't see a need to destroy him, but as with all trans-dimensional entities created purely of fear and made manifest by incredible cosmic power I think we should keep an eye on him. What do you think? Lauri? Sea?

Whitley loves me, i know it loves me because i can feel it in my head telling me everything will be alright, i can understand it better now, i don't care what made it, i'll watch whitley. you don't need to worry ice, sea, i promise

I'm back, y'all! Summer jobs suck my proverbial .

Siun: *yanks the PAG out of her mouth* Yo. Why is Lauri hooked up to equipment?

Canaru: Yeah.

Siun2: Dudes, this is too heavy, even for my taste. I'm out. Canaru?

Canaru2: Hello, yes?

Siun2: We're out. *snaps, waves at Siun* Bye, clone friend!

Siun: *wave* Ja, ne?

Siun2: Ja! *Canaru2 and Siun2 leave*

Canaru: *staring at the machinery hooked near and to Lauri* They appear to be testing her.

Siun: I knew that, but I wanna know why. What's up, Lauri?

*Pulls a Disc out of one of the machines and puts it in a protective case*
You can unhook yourself and Whitley all the information I need is on this. *Taps the jewel case and slips into his coat* Hello Suin, Canru welcome back. You may want to sit down this is a fairly odd story even for us... ok well maybe not for us but its still kinda odd.
*Ice begins rolling up cables and putting stuff in cases*

*rocks whitley back and forth like a baby*

hi Siun, this is whitley *indicates big black thing* we hate spring don't we my love.

Siun: *raises an inquititive eyebrow* Ermmm... Lauri?

Canaru: *puts on his "Data" face* It appears to be her, Siun, only... She doesn't seem so...

Siun: Tense?

Canaru: *drops the "Data" act, picks up a "Wakka" act* Ya...

Siun: Sooooo, that's Whitley then? *waves*

Canaru: *apparently at a loss, waves also*

*giggles* silly silly. course i'm not tense not with my whitley around.

Siun: *nods uncertainly* I'm sure you're not...

Canaru: In hindsight, perhaps that short vacation to Alpha Centauri IV wasn't such a good idea, ya?

Siun: Ya, indeed...

Welcome back, glad to see you folks.
didja bring any presents?

(Moments later Pack unwraps a "My friends went to Alpha Centauti IV and all I got was this lousy T-shirt" shirt.)

Siun: *grins evily at Recrash*

Canaru: *ditto*

Head Wizard: Greetings. As you guessed, we have been watching and listening to you. We are sorry for this subterfuge, but we needed to be certain that you are what you seem. Or doubts have been substantially resolved, so we feel comfortable in making an offer to you.

We will show you our conquest plans and will gratefully accept any advice you can offer. In return...well, in return, we do not know what to offer. But we are willing to comply with any reasonable request that you may make.

*GL exchanges a glance with Vomar*

GL: Well, we accept, but we'll have to think about a suitable recompense. I assure you it won't be onerous for you.

Yes, Garius and I tend to take into account what our clients can afford. Just let us see these plans of yours, and we'll help however we can. I mean, we're no Ellimist or Crayak, but we take pride in our ability to help our clients deal with aquiring real eastate.