A Conversation for The Beta RPG – A Massively Mini-Player Online Role-Playing Game

Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 81

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

*Jamie Douglass is enjoying his lunch break*

*Not least because he gets to look away from the console for a few minutes*

*Lt Larrikin has had him typing all morning - and scratching his head a lot*

*Apparently, the new crystal directory needs its introduction translated into Romulan - and Lt Larrikin has decided that an Expert should do it*

*Not an expert in Romulan, but an expert in crystal content*

*So Jamie has been labouring over the correct word for this-and-that all morning, and is (not) looking forward to more of the same after lunch*

*But the sandwiches are tasty, anyway*


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 82

Malabarista - now with added pony

*So far as they know, Saladin and Suleiman have eliminated all the hogweed now*

*They're both still wearing the space-suit belts they'd borrowed for the purpose, as they were much safer and more practical than hazard suits would have been - they certainly didn't want to inhale any plant parts*

*Now, they hose eachother off. This is to avoid anything falling on them when they turn the belts off and the bubble collapses, but it's also a lot of fun to watch the water come within a hair's breadth of their faces and then run down harmlessly*


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 83

Malabarista - now with added pony

*Sebastian has just hurried up the stairs to the air traffic control room, and now comes hurrying back down*

*He bursts into the crew ready room*

Alright, what smegger left a chicken sandwich on my chair?

*But the room is empty, and he doesn't dare go shout at the pilots, so he just goes through to the locker room to change into overalls for the rest of the shift, as there's a large mayonnaise stain on the seat of his trousers*


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 84

Malabarista - now with added pony

*Suleiman and Saladin have decided there's no point in starting a new task this close to the end of the shift, and anyway, they've got a bit of time due for heading out in the middle of Third to corral hogweed*

*They've both changed into fresh uniforms, and headed back out. Suleiman is carrying the epad they were working on, so they can make notes on it when they try things out on the piano*

*However, they find the theatre occupied - when they ease the door open, they hear the dulcet tones of...*

A trombone!

*Saladin elbows Suleiman in the ribs*

What did Captain Picard say when he entered a jazz club and saw a trombonist on stage?
"Computer: End program!" </>

*They both laugh at this, but have the good manners to do so softly*

*With exaggerated care, they sneak around the perimeter of the theatre until they reach the side door to the backstage area, as they need to fetch the sheet music*


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 85

Otus Nycteus

* Isolde notices two figures stalking along the walls, and ends her improvisation with an elephantesk "pwèèè-ah-ep!". *

Good Vatch, Korporals.


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 86

Malabarista - now with added pony

*Suleiman has just whispered another question to Saladin - "What's the difference between a frog driving a car and a trombonist driving a car? "*

*He doesn't have time for the answer, though, as they've been noticed*

*Both men turn toward the stage and smile sweetly*

Good watch, ma'am.

*Suleiman stifles a laugh, turning it into a cough*

I hope we didn't disturb you.


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 87

Otus Nycteus

* Isolde glances at her chronometer. *

Don't vorry, Korporals. I should be goink soon. Vat are you doink here? Do you play, too?


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 88

Malabarista - now with added pony

*Suleiman mumbles an excuse and ducks into the back room - to fetch the sheet music, and to compose himself*

*Saladin has no such trouble, and walks forward to the base of the stage*

Yes, ma'am. We play piano, luckily, it's big enough for us both.


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 89

Otus Nycteus

* Isolde chuckles. *

Few pianos voudn't be. Vat kind of musik do you play?

* She lets the saliva dribble out of her trombone onto a rag she had laid on the floor for that purpose. *


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 90

Malabarista - now with added pony

*Saladin watches Isolde and decides that Suleiman was probably right about trombonists*

Oh, this and that. Just, er, the classics, ma'am. Definitely the classics.

*He winks at Suleiman, who's just entered from the wings, carrying their sheet music reader, which they'd left in the theatre so anyone wanting to practice could use it*

*It consists of a wide epad display with only a few buttons at the bottom for selecting pieces - and a very useful foot pedal, which enables the player to turn the pages*

*There's even a built-in metronome that sets itself to the appropriate speed, but they hardly ever use it*


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 91

Otus Nycteus

* Isolde picks up the rag, makes sure there's no moisture left on the floor and takes apart her trombone, drying it before storing it in its case. *

Zen I hope you'll have fun, Korporals. Good Vatch.

* She closes the case, picks it up and leaves. *


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 92

Malabarista - now with added pony

*Saladin sits down at the piano, flexing his hands*

*Suleiman turns the sheet music reader on and props the epad up next to it*

The frog might be on its way to a gig! </>

*Saladin laughs, and when his brother sits down next to him, he whispers back*

And what's the first position a trombonist learns?
Head cocked, arm above it, finger scratching scalp!

*They start to warm up, playing scales. That is, Suleiman plays scales. Saladin plays "Chopsticks" - it sounds horrible*


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 93

Malabarista - now with added pony

*MacAlpine has been waiting impatiently in the sickbay reception, and is now put in an examination room, still complaining that he'd like to see the real doctor*

*Sabian decides to let him stew for a little while, so he walks over to Isolde's office slowly*

Good watch, ma'am. I'm about to go off, nothing special you need to know about - it's been quiet today. But I've made the report anyway.

*As an afterthought, he adds*

And Lt. MacAlpine is here to see you, ma'am, I've put him in Ex 2 for now.


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 94

Otus Nycteus

* Isolde takes the report from Sabian with a smile. *

Sank you, Nurse. Leutnant MakAlpine? Again? Vat's vrong vis him now?


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 95

Malabarista - now with added pony

*Sabian shrugs*

I don't know, ma'am. But it doesn't appear to be an emergency.

*He's not going to send anyone away for crying "wolf" too often, but he's growing a bit tired of MacAlpine*


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 96

Otus Nycteus

* When he returned to his quarters last night, Eli found the mysterious message. Wondering who might have delivered it, he left for the station early that day, taking Frankie with him. *

* He has been strolling along the Concourse for hours now, pretending to do some window shopping, and occasionally having something to drink in one of the cafes, all the time keeping an eye out for anyone who could have left that strange card for him. *


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 97

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

*There is a murmur of appreciation along the Concourse - particularly from the male strollers*

*A lovely young blonde woman comes down the passage, at speed*

*Scantily dressed, and using an unusual means of locomotion*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouqPEmytz20

*It would not be noticeable to anyone but Eli, but as she passes him, she slips a card into his pocket in mid-flip*

*The crowd is watching the, er, athleticism too closely to notice the hando-off*


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 98

Otus Nycteus

* Isolde nods, puts down the report and gets up. *

I see. Neverzeless, I'd better go and have a look at him. Good Vatch, Nurse.

* She smiles at Sabian and walks over to Examination Room 2, where she finds her patient. *

Good Vatch, Leutnant. Vat kan I do for you?


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 99

Malabarista - now with added pony

*MacAlpine has been pacing the room, and now stops, spins on his heel, and looks at Isolde*

You did say to come back if it wasn't healing... It isn't.


Beta rpg, Book the Seventh

Post 100

Otus Nycteus

* Eli does notice the passing gymnast has put something in his pocket. He watches her disappear and, knowing better than to follow her, bows down to give Frankie a pet. *

You must be thirsty by now, old girl. Let's go and get you some water.

* Frankie wags her tail and together they walk towards a nearby cafe. When they passed it earlier, Eli noticed it had stalls, so he enters and takes an free one at the back. The waitress brings them tea (for him) and water (for Frankie) and leaves. He pours himself a cup while discretely making sure he's not being watched. When he's sure he isn't, he takes the object out of his pocket. *


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