Pool Area and Trophy Display

[Boikat]

Boikat could not help but notice that the Klingon's dagger was shaking. Then he noticed the Klingon was shaking. The Klingon appeared to be terrified.

A clump of weeds near where the four stood parted and a short gnome stepped into view, boikat reached out and pushed the Klingon's arm and dagger down, and said, "Relax".

Looking at the gnome, he asked, "Follow the succotash road?"

The relays on the clear dome head of the robot clicked, and it's mechanical voice said, "A road made out of succotash does not sound practical."

The gnome smiled, "It's encased in Lucite."

Meanwhile, the elf in the blue turtleneck shirt was holding a device of some sort up and waving it at the gnome. The elf was also wistling a wavering tone.

Boikat looked at him, "What are you doing?"

The elf stopped whistling and said, "Scanning", and started whistling again.

Boikat shook his head then looked at the gnome. "Why should we follow the Succotash Road?"

The gnome smiled, "Because in your venom induced dream-quest you are re-imagening 'The Wizard of Oz', so following a metaphorical road in a journey of self discovery is required."

"Then shouldn't I have landed in a house and killed an evil witch?" the felid asked.

"Oh, as to that..." A whistling noise became audiable, and grew in intencity. It was coming from above. Everyone looked up and saw a dark oval shape in the sky, and it was falling.

"The Black Pearl Three..." said Boikat. Seconds later, it hit the ground with a metal crunching thud behind a grove of trees.

"Ack!" cried Boikat, and instantly he started to run in the direction of the impact.

Puhing through the underbrush of the grove, Boikat saw the wrecked shape of the 'Pearl resting in a shallow crater. Poking out from under the wreck was a pair of feet wearing bright yellow and blue tennis shoes.

Behind him, the robot, Klingon, elf and gnome pushed through the brush. Around the crater, various other fairytale folk poked their heads out from behind bushes and tree trunks, and gasped at the sight of the yellow and blue tennis shoes poking out from under the debris.

[Boikat]

"So this is where everyone breaks out in joyous song because I killed a wicked witch with my ship as an after thought?" asked Boikat.

"No," said the gnome, "This is where they threaten to lynch you because you killed the star running back of the local football team."

As if to confirm the prediction, one of the fairy folk pointed an accusing finger at the group of four, "You killed the star running back of the Finnigor Forest Stompers!" Turning to the other fairy folk he yelled, "Someone get some ropes!!"

Boikat turned back to the gnome, "So, while they are getting some rope, could you point us towards the Succotash Road and fill us in on the objective of our quest?"

The gnome shrugged, "Why? I haven't seen a good lynching in a long time". he paused, "I think that was back when poo-poo the odorous accidentally let his mule drink from the town fountain..."

"Yeah, but it's my venom induced dream quest, and I say you need to tell me where the Succotash road is, at the very least." growled the felid.

"Okay, it's over that hill. Head westerly, towards the rising sun, and hang a right and continue south for about a day or two."

The robot's relay clicked and it said,"If we go west, then turn right, we'd be going north..."

"Whatever.." said the gnome.

"And then what?" asked Boikat.

[Boikat]

Tipper finally managed to catch up to Boikat just as they both neared the ravine's mouth that opened to the flatter desert landscape. As the two barreled towards the open ground, Tipper reached out, her hand extending through the bubble that surrounded her, and through the one surounding the sleeping felid. Grabbing an ear, she muttered another incantation, and the two began to slow down, and eventually stopped. The Drow Witch then snapped her fingers, then regretted it as both she and Boikat fell two feet to the sandy ground with a "thud!"

"I hate it when I forget to land first" she muttered as she grabbed Boikat by the fleese collar of his bomber jacked, and began to drag him towards the hulking shape of the Eldorado.

***************

Boikat looked at the crowd of angry fairy folk and said, "We'd better get going! They don't look happy."

The elf and Klingon both started to run towards the hill the gnome had pointed at, Boikat started to follow, then noticed that the bulbous robot only could manage a shuffle that barely exceeded walking speed.

"Well, this won't work out too well..."

The gnome said, "No problem." and there was a "pop", and the robot was wearing the yellow and blue tennis shoes.

As the angry mob of fairy folk approached the gnome said, "You should probably go now."

"Right!" said Boikat, and turned, just in time to see the robot disappear over the hill, having also ran past the Klingon and elf. Boikat started out after them.

[Boikat]

Once over the hill, the felid saw the other three standing beside what looked like a road, but it was made of kernels of corn and lima beens, encased in lucite.

Boikat looked at the sun, which was setting, then looked behind him, to where the sun would rise. The thing was, The Succotash Road ran perpendiculat the the path the sun would have to take.

"Okay, now this makes a lot of sense.." he said.

"Did you expect it to?" asked the robot.

Meanwhile, the elf was waving the little black box around and whistling again, and the Klingon was holding his knife in a defensive manner, and was jumping and turning as if expecting an attack at any second from every direction at the same time.

"Okay, so we need to go that way" said Boikat as he pointed to the left of the setting sun.

The robot started to shuffle off to the right.

"The other way" said Boikat. The robot spun and started walking in the opposite direction.

The elf said, "This just doesn't make sense."

"I agree," said Boikat. "We need a guide. Preferably one that don't intend to kill us."

The robot stopped, and it's top half spun to face the felid. "Why would a guide want to kill us?"

Boikat was about to explain the concept of "cliches", when the sound of galloping hooves reached the groups ears. The elf spun and raised his black box and started whistling again, the robot swivled back to face the approaching sounds, and his relays started to chatter and click.

The Klingon dove behind the nearest bush and yelled "Ambush!!".

Just then, a horse and rider appeared. The horse was at full gallop, and the rider appeared to be hanging on for dear life. He swayed to the left, to the right, then forward, then back, then a curious combinaton of all four before the horse suddenly skidded to a stop in front of Boikat. The rider tumbled head over heels over the head of the horse, and landed with a thud, like a pile of wet towels at Boikat's feet.

The mound moaned, and said, "Whoa boy! No need to run over a bunch of strangers." Then he sat up, and slowly looked over his shoulder at the horse.

Then he turned and looked at Boikat, the robot and the elf.

"Y-you're not from...from...from arrrround here, aaaaare you?" he said, squinting at the three through bloodshot eyes.

"Uh, no." said Boikat.

The strange belched. "Well, then, " he said as he staggered to his feet, stumbled to the left, then the right, then managed to steady himself. "You probably need a guide. Sheeeeleeen's the name, Kid Scheleen", Yup. That's me. Kidd Scheeeleeen." Then he belched again, saw a cowboy hat laying beside the Succotash Road, bent over to pick it up, lost his balance, and fell on his face.

"Ow."

[Ariel]

Waves at Boikat. Yep someone is reading in here.

[Boikat]

Waves at Boikat. Yep someone is reading in here.

They also need to be writing!

[Boikat]

The gun toting sot picked himself up, staggered around, looked at the three, then saw the Klingon hiding in the bushes and said", You're not from around here, are you?"

"You already asked that. No, we're not". said Boikat.

"Then you need a guide. I'm your man! Sheleen's the name, Kid Sheleen."

"You already said that, too" said the robot.

Sheleen looked at the robot, took a swig from a bottle of whiskey, and looked at the robot again.

"There's one problem though" said Boikat. "We don't know where we're going."

Sheleen spun to face Boikat and whobbled a bit, "Then you need to see The Oracle."

"So, now I'm channeling 'The Matrix'?"

Sheleen looked perplexed, took another swig of whiskey, and said, "It's your dreamquest, you can channel whatever you want." Sheleen looked at the sky, which was starting to cloud up. "Storm's a coming, time to move."

"But who's The Oracle?" asked Boikat.

Sheleen didn't answer, and jumped on his horse, which instantly went into a full gallop. Boikat and the other three watched as he disappeared down the Succotash Road.

"Some guide" muttered Boikat.

The Klingon poked his head out from behind the bushes, "Is he gone?"

The elf waved his box around and whisteled, then said, "Yes, he went that way", and pointed off in the direction Sheleen had rode off in.

"Yes, we saw that." said Boikat dryly.

There as a "splatting" noise, and the group of travelers turned to see what went "splat". It was about the size of a cantalope mellon, pinkish, and had a wrinkled surface.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked Boikat.

The elf pointed his box at the object, whistled and said "Yes, it is a brain."

More splats sounded as more brains landed near by. "I believe we are going to be caught in a brain storm." said the robot.

[The Master]

A "brains storm"?

*Gets his umbrella*

[Boikat]

The squishing of impacting brains increased, and the four began to run down the Succotash Road in the direction that Kid Sheleen had disappeared. The road led them into a dence forest full of gnarled trees, and the road began to in curve and run up and down small hills. Rounding a curve, the four saw Sheleen had stopped his horse and was looking at a light shining through the trees. As brains continued to pelt the group, they ran up and looked at the light.

Sheleen to a pull from his whiskey bottle and said, "The Oracle!" and once more the horse took off at a gallop with Sheleen flopping around like a rag doll.

Boikat looked at the other three and then ran after Sheleen. The others followed.

The light was shining from a window high on a tower attached to a large stone wall. Boikat looked left and right, It was a castle. Sheleen and his horse stood at a huge door. Boikat walked over to the door too. A few seconds later, the other three came running up.

The door was made of stout timbers, but looked very old, covered with moss, and looked like they had never been opened in years.

Sheleen dismounted his horse, staggered up to the door, looked it up, down, left and right. Then he took another jolt of whiskey. Stopped. Looked at the bottle, shook it, lifted it up and peered inside. "Empty!" He tossed the bottle over his shoulder, which landed on the glass dome of the robot and shattered. The robot's relays ckicked, and it said. "Ouch!"

[Boikat]

Sheleen walked up to the door and started pounding on it, "Hello! We're five weary travelers, and we need shelter from the brain storm, food, and whiskey!"

Boikat dodged a few more brains as they hit the ground with a sickening "splat!", "I don't think there's anyone home..."

The elf was waving his box around and began to whistle again.

"Will you stop that!" said the felid.

"I'm detecting several life forms moving towards the door. They've stopped. One life form is approaching the door."

Boikat was about to grab the box from the elf and throw it into the forest when there was a noise from the door. A small window opened an the face of an old woman appeared. "Hello?"

Sheleen put his face in the window, and leaned non-chelantly aginst the door. "Howdy mam'm. We're four weary travelers and are seeking shelter from the brain. We're also powerful hungry, and even more powerfully thirsty.." he said with a wink.

The old woman giggled, and a sound like a heavy latch being lifted was heard, and with a groan and creak of rusty hinges, the door slowly opened.

"Oh, do come in, brave travelers!" said the old woman. Boikat saw she was searing a white and grey nun's habit, and behind her, several more old nuns stood looking at the five and whispering behind cupped hands and were also giggling. Once inside, Boikat heard a "Thud" and turned to see that the door was now shut and the nun had closed the latch.

Curiously, even though the courtyard of the castle was open, no brains were falling within the walls. Boikat looked at the old nun, "We also seek The Oracle."

"The what?" asked the old nun.

"We saw a light. It was the Oracle." said the Klingon, who prompty ducked behind the robot.

"Oh, don't be silly, there is no 'Oracle here! You probably saw Sister Minxie cleaning the Beacon of Anthrax...." the nun began.

"So, now it's Monty Python and the Holy Grail?" asked Boikat, looking at Sheleen.

Sheleen's face lit up and he looked at the old nuns, "So, have you been naughty?"

The nuns giggled, "Oh, yes, so very naughty. We need to be punished. You must spank us!"

Sheleen smiled, and said, "And then?"

Boikat felt a sharp jab of pain in his left buttock.

[Boikat]

Tipper'G managed to pull Boikat into the hatch of the El Dorado, She looked around and called out, "Tucker!" Her voice echoed through empty corridors. "Tucker!" she called again. Still nothing. Sighing, she reached down and grabbed the sleeping felid and began to drag him down a corridor towards what she hoped would be the direction of the sick bay.

A while later, and not having luck finding the sick bay, she found a crew cabin, judging from the bunk bed and desks. Grabbing Boikat, she hoisted him up and onto the lower bunk, face down with his legs draped over the edge of the mattress. Then she pulled up his jacket, reached under his waist, undid his belt, and pulled down his trousers. Then she opend her small leather bag and pulled out the small crystal vial with the stinger from the "jello-fish". Then she fished around in the pouch some more, and pulled out nother vial with a purple liquid inside. She uncapped both vials and poured a drop of the purple liquid into the vial with the stinger, re-capped it, then chanted in an arcane language as she shook it.

When she was done, she looked at the stinger in the vial. It was now purple. She dumped the stinger into her hand, looked at Boikat's exposed rear end. Carefully picking the stinger up, she went over to the sleeping felid, and with a quick jab of the stinger, injected the purple fluid into Boikat's left buttock

Boikat's ears twitched, his body shuddered, then his eyes suddenly snapped open and he said, "Oral sex?!"

[Boikat]

WildCard grew bored after watching Q use his Kill-O-Zap on the Marlin model robot after he vaporized the fifteenth or sixteenth Death Star User interface Droid. Each time Q rendered a Marlin into a smoking heap of melted metal, burnt plastic and charred ceramic, several cleaning droids would appear, sweep up the fragments, then mop and polish the floor. This was followed by a replacement popping out of a closet.

"Q, how many times are you going to zap the droid?" she asked.

"Until they stop showing up." said the rogue, as he nailed another cheery cybernetic contraption.

Veneno piped up, "It looks like they just keep replicating to replace the one you zap. You can probably do this for days and never run out of Marlin robots."

"Damn, that's annoying!" said Q.

"So, you'll stop?" asked WildCard.

"No, I mean it's annoying that I have to wait for the clean-up droids to clean up before the next Marlin shows up." Q paused and watched the clean up droids remove the remains of the last Marlin, then mop and wax the floor. The next Marlin popped out of the closet. "Marlin, could you do me a favor?"

"Sure. Always happy to serve, Commander." said the droid in a cheery tone.

"Could you deactivate the Marlin replicator?"

"I'm sorry, but that is the only function I cannot comply with" said the droid with a slight touch of regret in his voice.

"Well, can you deactivate the bridge clean-up droids?"

"Easily done as said, Commander. The clean-up droids are deactivated."

"Good." said Qray as he zapped the droid. As soon as the melted metal, burnt plastic and charred ceramic bits hit the deck, the closet opened and another Marlin stepped out.

"Zap!"

"Zap!"

"Zap!"

"Zap!"

WildCard and Veneno both rolled their eyes behind the visor of their bullet headed honor guard outfits, and as one, turned and walked off the bridge.

"How long do you think he's going to be doing that?" asked Veneno.

"Probably until his "Zil-O-Zap power cell runs out".