Everybody Welcome and Needed! It's 2012!

[Slawbug]

Slarty: Wait a minute. Lazarus never got on the bus, and Nikki took off his Lazarus mask. What's going on?

 

Rosycat removes the Lazarus mask.

 

Rosycat: I want to pretend, too.

 

Slarty: This still doesn't explain the popcorn that Nikki was throwing at himself.

 

Nikki: Look, I have really bad aim, OKAY?

[The Mystic]

Originally Posted By: Excalibur

Excalibur looks at one of the VHS tapes: "Be Kind, Rewind."

Excalibur: Heh, and to think the ol' Blockbuster in my hometown is an attorney's office now.

Ah yes, those (in)famous "Be Kind, Rewind" stickers.... I remember over a decade ago, I rented a video game from a (now closed) Blockbuster near my house, and there was one of those stickers on the inside of the box. How the heck you'd rewind a video game cartridge, I have yet to find out.

[keira]

For awhile the local grocer put those stickers on the DVD discs they rented out.

[The Mystic]

Yeah, it's kind of silly, once you think about it; solid-state media like DVDs and game cartridges, by the definition of "solid-state," can't be rewound, so you don't need the sticker telling people to do so.

[Slawbug]

OOC: This isn't a discussion thread, folks.

[Actaeon]

Perhaps they are having this conversation in character.

[Dikiyoba]

"No, they're definitely not. Dintiradan, scale back your no-OOC field. It's affecting people who aren't even in the RP!" Dikiyoba hollers, and then goes back to taking photos of the Arena fights.

[The Mystic]

*goes back to lurking*

[Balladeer]

Jewels punches Xelgion in the arm.

 

Jewels: Hey, bro, what you say we show these guys what a real battle looks like?

 

Xelgion: Wha? You mean flame up out here? In front of all these SWers?

 

Jewels: Why not? We can call it a practice run for the final battle at CalRef.

 

Xelgion: Pfft.. As if I needed practice defeating you. HA!

 

Jewels: You didn't defeat me last time. Come on, what'cha say?

 

Xelgion: *shrugs* It's your funeral.

 

Jewels and Xelgion make their way to the center of the arena smiling smugly at each other. Both of their faces shine with an 'I'm gonna win' confidence.

 

Xelgion: Just practice huh?

 

Jewels: Don't hold anything back.

 

Xelgion: If you say so.

 

Xelgion spins, his whole body erupting into blue flame while a crazed gleam streaks through his eye. The zing of metal against metal rings through the air as he produces a long shining katana. He slashes towards Jewels but it slices only the air in the space where she had just done a backflip away from.

 

Jewels: ... I don't think I want to know where you were hiding that...

 

Xelgion laughs and advances but is forced to take evasive action as two well aimed throwing knives fly out of the air at his head. He quickly lifts his sword to a defensive position in time for the knives to make a metal clang against it rather than a sickening thud into his skull. Xelgion looks a little bit startled.

 

Xelgion: Haven't seen those before...

 

Jewels: *smirks* Picked them up at an AIMHack game while playing Casper Willis.

 

Xelgion: But that's not fair! If we're practicing for the Character Battle, you can only use stuff from your FT character.

 

Jewels: Bah... Never really did like rules. Good men don't need rules.

 

Xelgion: Is that why you have so many?

 

Jewels ignores his barb and erupts into red flame mirroring the look of Xelgion if a bit curvier. She rushes to the sidelines where a rack of weapons sits waiting for the other arena contestants and pulls out her own sword. Xelgion doesn't look happy at this evening of the playing field but he makes no further complaint.

 

The pair starts circling each other scorching the earth beneath their feet. Their red and blue fires flicker in a hypnotic invitation for everyone to watch more intently. Like an intricate dance they start to lunge and parry, jump and counter. At the same time their swordless hands form small baseball sized fireballs to be launched at each other intermittently. Both take care to avoid the end of the other's sword, but a good amount of the fireballs find their target. Other than being a seeming annoyance, though, the fireballs do little more than provide an added light show for the audience.

 

In short order both begin to float, first a few inches above the ground then a few feet. They zip across the arena floor striking and blocking, spinning and throwing, until both start to look weary from the effort. Eventually they make it back to the center of the arena with little more energy left than to continue to circle each other. Unseen by the onlookers they exchange mischievous fiery looks and nod at each other.

 

Just for show Jewels starts to grow one more fireball in her hand and Xelgion starts to do the same. The magical flames grow to be the size of basketballs. At an invisible cue, they both send their crackling projectiles towards each other at an incredible velocity. They collide in the center becoming a bright flash of purple for a second before a sonic wave rips outward in a circular ripple knocking everything that isn't nailed down backwards a few feet. The thunderous crack that accompanies the wave is almost deafening. Both Jewels and Xelgion are thrown to their backs along with quite a few spectators. Those on the sidelines groan while the pair in the arena just laugh. The force of the blast put out their flames so they get to their feet in human form.

 

Xelgion: Heh. That didn't really feel like a battle practice to me.

 

Jewels: Nope, but is sure was fun, eh?

[Triumph]

Triumphs applauds the display of martial skill / craziness on the part of Xelgion and Jewels.

 

Triumph: So is that how the famous Arena worked, back in the day?

 

He pauses to think.

 

Triumph: Hmm...you know, that entire fight sequence reminds me vaguely of fight scenes in Nineties cartoons, like...oh, what was it's name...ah yes, Dragonball-Z. Very fitting, given our current temporal location.

[Dikiyoba]

Dikiyoba rolls Dikiyoba's eyes at the fight of lights. "Dikiyoba is having flashforwards to Jeran Korak." Dikiyoba gets up and heads back towards the bus. "Also, Dikiyoba really should do something about this constant grumpiness. Do we have a medic or healer on board?"

[MMXPERT-seraph of thermodynamics]

*MMXPERT grins madly, his hands glow and his eyes become red.....and he fires out some cotton balls from his fingers*

[adc.]

After another week of cramped hibernation...What has been happening now?

begintalkstate 89;

le_peek_from_trenton's_bag = 1

text 1 = "_What has been happening now?_"

code =

reward_give = 66 //cotton balls

reward_give = 12 //pillow

[Balladeer]

Originally Posted By: Triumph

Triumph: So is that how the famous Arena worked, back in the day?

Slarty: Nah, things were more methodical back then. Might be fun to make up your own monster.

Originally Posted By: Dikiyoba

Dikiyoba really should do something about this constant grumpiness. Do we have a medic or healer on board?

Abraham Lincoln: Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

Robert Anthony: Indeed. Most people would rather be certain they're miserable, than risk being happy.

Mark Twain: Course if you're looking for a remedy the best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.

Androcles: Oh, and here, let me get that thorn out of your foot. That should probably help a bit.

[Balladeer]

Seeing no other activity at the Arena Jewels starts to walk back to the bus. She is stopped by a wailing voice.

 

Tobuscus: WAIT!! That's MY sword!

 

Jewels looks down at the sword she picked up for the fight.

 

Jewels: Oops... sorry. Didn't mean to take it with me. Here you go...

 

Tobuscus practically rips the sword out of Jewels' hand as she holds it out. His eyes get all big and round as he embraces the sword and strokes the flat of the blade. He mumbles as if talking to the sword.

 

Jewels: Ooo-kay... I'll let you two be alone now.

 

Jewels starts to leave but Tobuscus grabs her arm and starts rambling on so fast she can hardly get a word in edgewise.

 

Tobuscus: Did you see the way it shimmered in the fight? Bet you never saw that before. Made it myself with my own two hands out of diamonds; very expensive. You couldn't afford it, not that its for sale. Doesn't matter anyway 'cuz its the only one there is and no one else can make another one just like it 'cuz I have a patent! See?

 

He shoves a piece of paper in her face too close for her to read it. She politely pushes his arm away.

 

Jewels: That's okay, I don't want one. I couldn't take one with me if I did.

 

Tobuscus: Liar! You're just jealous! Everyone wants this sword! It's freakishly awesome and MADE of DIAMONDS!!!1!

 

Jewels extracts herself as Tobuscus goes back to being a bit too friendly to his

. She turns and hurries towards the bus only to reach the place where it was parked with a frown. It looks... different.

 

Jewels: Hey Slarty, what's wrong with the bus? It looks less like a spider and more like a dead horse.

 

Jewels kicks the tires a few times before climbing aboard.

[Slawbug]

Slarty (calling from underneath the bus): Sorry, Jewels, the Ooc Interference has been really strong this week. The Spiderbus should be patched up and ready to go later today.

[BMA]

The big man is sulking away at the back of the bus, for he has nothing else to do. Enough of inactivity, he thinks. He starts jumping up and down inside the bus making a nice awful noise, pulling faces, screaming like a banshee and in general trying to make as much of a nuisance of himself as is possible.

 

Big Man: Start the bus! Start the bus! Start the bus! Or I will HUFF and I will PUFF and I will BLOOWWW the bus down! What's the holdup ? Come ONNN start the bus!!!

[Harehunter]

[Slawbug]

Slarty gets back onto the bus. He is covered in spiderwebs.

 

Slarty: Well, the good news is that I've cleared up most of the Ooc Interference.

 

Nikki: What were you doing down there?

 

Slarty: Text editing, mostly. Somebody's been inserting nonsense letters, exclamation marks and numeral ones into my nice, clean coordinates.

 

JadeWolf: What's the bad news, then?

 

Slarty: We've run out of retrioactivity. Also, I'm covered in spiderwebs.

 

Slarty glares at the Big Man, as he pushes the large Ooc Rabbit back into the Beckoning Beacon from which it so gracefully emerged.

 

Slarty: I'm going to go take a shower. Meanwhile, somebody who's less of a grump than I am needs to generate some retrioactivity. Our next stop is a place of wonder and legend, but we can't get there on empty!

 

Slarty cleans webs.

[Dikiyoba]

I open up a compartment in the floor and pull out a portable stove, a propane container, several pots and pans, burlap sack of potatoes, and an enormous bottle of ketchup. "A good meal always generates goodwill." I examine the compartment again. "Also there appear to be other condiments down here for any of you who prefer to dip your french fries in weird things like ranch, BBQ sauce, and poutine."

 

Dikiyoba uses Dikiyoba's claws to start peeling the potatoes. "Someone with a knife or dagger slice these up into chips. Normally Dikiyoba would have fried fish to go with the potatoes, but since there aren't any fish around (and fish that fall from the sky won't evolve for another ten years at least), we'll have to go with rabbit stew instead. Someone catch that hare!"

[Callie]

Excalibur unsheathes his eponymous sword and dices the potatoes. Have you ever seen someone use a magical weapon as a kitchen utensil? Well... don't. You'll feel sorry for the person. It doesn't break the fourth wall very well either.

[keira]

Sylae leaps over the seat and tackles the large anthropomorphized rabbit.

 

Sylae: Got it! Wait...ugh, it smells like pun! Yuck!

 

Sylae runs to the nearest showering facilities and washes off the noxious pun odor.

 

Sylae: What did I do to deserve this punishment???

[Triumph]

Triumph looks up from the research paper he's writing and ponders "Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit" briefly. Then he locates a knife - a process which involves rummaging through improbably-placed storage compartments which likely defy the laws of physics - and starts slicing up the potatoes.

 

Triumph: Oh my! Something is woefully amiss!

 

Triumph dives the floor compartment, almost falling in, and after a few moments, triumphantly rises, holding aloft a shaker of salt.

 

Triumph: It's inconceivable to have potatoes and no salt.

 

Feeling much relieved, Triumph resumes potato-slicing.

[Sullust]

OOC: Sorry for the delayed posting. I've been busying with Avernum and the new Udacity courses.

 

The nearby commotion in the restroom wakes Lt. Sullust from his ooc-induced nap. Finally standing, he sees Sylae coming out of the bathroom, her face bright red.

 

Sylae: Someone was already in there.

 

He follows the delicious smell of potatoes towards the front of the bus.

[Actaeon]

Actaeon: Sam himself couldn't have done it better, Triumph. I'm sure Jewels will get the bus hopping soon enough, but in the mean time the simple things are enough for me.

 

He rummages until he finds a sterno burner and begins to brew tea.

[BJ Back From the Beyond]

BJ finally returns from his jaunt into BoE. He's covered in dust, cobwebs, and the occasional blob of an unidentifiable green substance. He's also dragging a large bag of trinkets behind him.

 

BJ: "Man, to bad the junk bag hasn't been invented yet. I've forgotten how annoying having to drag your loot around is."

 

BJ starts to haul the bag onto the bus when he remembers that he can't take it with him. He just shrugs and tosses the bag back the way he came for some fortunate adventurer to find.

 

BJ: "*sniff* Do I smell french fries?"

 

BJ rushes onto the bus and hovers around those cooking the potatoes. It doesn't take long for him to attract some stares. Someone asks him what happened.

 

BJ: "Huh? Oh, yeah, I did a little dungeon diving while here. It was fun... Is it really that bad? Alright, alright, I'll go wash up. And failing that, I'll just make another rainstorm."

 

BJ moves past several passengers, all of whom are telling him to not make it rain again. He eventually reaches the bathroom, only to discover it's occupied. He starts patiently waiting outside of it.

[MMXPERT-seraph of thermodynamics]

*MMX is meditating*

[Mistb0rn]

Mistb0rn begins repairing and replacing the streamers, then decides that there is altogether a severe lack of cake. She borrows and/or otherwise acquires the needed kitchen implements and spends a few hours baking.

 

Once it's finished, she brings it out to the main area and sets it on an empty seat.

 

Mistb0rn: "Hey, everyone, there's chocolate cake if you want some. Help yourselves."

[The Ratt]

The Ratt, who quietly had remained AFK for the first two stops, now springs back to life

 

The Ratt: Oh my god, this is perfect!

 

He rummages through his bag, pulls out a mortar and pestle, and places them on the seat. He then resumes digging in his bag and pulls out some avocados, salsa, salt, and a few other secret ingredients.

 

The Ratt: Okay guys, help yourself to chips and salsa while I make some guacamole!

[Dikiyoba]

While I'm eating fried potatoes, cake, tea, and chips with guacamole, I look around. I notice that the bus seems emptier than it was before. Several people are deeply asleep in the bus seats, which is part of the reason the bus seems emptier, but can't explain it completely. I step outside and call for anyone who might still be outside, but get no answer. Then I come back inside in time to see someone vanish through the Beckoning Beacon in the ceiling.

 

Dikiyoba runs back to the bathroom and hammers on the door. "Slarty! We should have enough retrioactivity to jump now. Get out here, we're beginning to lose people. Also, poor BJ has been doing the pee dance for a while now."

[Slawbug]

Slarty descends through the Beckoning Beacon.

 

Slarty: I'm back now, Dikiyoba. I apologize for the long delay. And --

 

Nikki (Aside): Here we go again...

 

Slarty: -- there will be a bit more of a delay --

 

Slarty looks around, expecting booing. There aren't enough people to boo. Dikiyoba scowls at him.

 

Slarty: Look, I got Oocbushed, and -- it's almost ready, and -- oh, gah.

 

Sylae: Wait a minute, Slarty. You just came through the Beacon.

 

Slarty: That's right. I went home and took a shower.

 

Sylae: Then... who's been in the bathroom all this time?

 

The bathroom door bursts open, knocking Tyranicus to the ground. Oddly enough, he doesn't seem to be dead, or even unconscious. Out of the bathroom walks James.

 

James: Hi, I'm James. Prazac sent me on a quest.

 

Jewels: Enough with the mask already, Nikki.

 

Nikki: I'm right here.

 

Jewels: ...Rosycat?

 

Rosycat: I'm right here, and, uh... this is the real James, and...

 

Arancaytar: If my calculations are correct, he actually is nine years old.

 

Slarty: Well, we can't leave with him here.

 

James: Prazac sent me on a quest to find Patty...

 

Slarty: Uh oh. Umm, somebody really needs to get him out of here before he violates the CoC that he has yet to mold.

[Dintiradan]

Dintiradan looks up from his laptop.

 

Dintiradan: Sorry Dikiyoba. And Slarty. I've been busy with my research. And in a non-gimmicky way, even! I've been listening in to what's been happening, but posting in an RP, even one like this, takes more effort than most posts do.

 

Dintiradan goes back to work.

 

Dintiradan: See, unlike you, Slarty, I know my limits. I would never commit to something I couldn't fini-

 

An unsellable trowel flies through the air and hits Dintiradan on the head.

 

BJ: Hey, Dintiradan, have you uploaded those scenario reviews yet?

 

Dintiradan: Not yet. Where was I? Oh, right. Never commit-

 

A soggy tea bag flies through the air and hits Dintiradan on the head.

 

Actaeon: Hey, Dintiradan, have you finished the WoT reviews for Books Six and Seven yet?

 

Dintiradan: No, I haven't. Anyway, Slarty, you're really got to-

 

A stuffed pony flies through the air and hits Dintiradan on the head.

 

Sylae: Hey, Dintiradan, are you still working on that scenario design tutorial?

 

Dintiradan: It's on my to-do list. Now if all of you could please stop interrupting me-

 

A black mark cabbage flies through the Beckoning Beacon and smacks Dintiradan right in the face. A voice can be heard from the other end of the portal.

 

TM: Your scenario was supposed to be done by November! November 2006!

 

Dintiradan: Gah!

[Niemand]

There is a loud clatter as Niemand falls through the beckoning beacon along with a number of loose items: a halberd, a backpack, some assorted short pieces of PVC pipe, a brick that appears to have been partially eaten by something, and a lantern. By luck no one is stabbed or brained. Niemand gathers up his things and pulls a folder out of the backpack.

 

Niemand: Oh good, I was hoping Slarty would lead me to where everyone else was. Anyway, since it took me a while to get these photocopied, so we'd best get started right away.

 

He begins taking papers out of the folder and handing them out to everyone nearby. Despite the mention of photocopying, no two of the pages appear to be alike.

"If a man and a camel are fined $28 for failure to salute the city hall. . . "

"You are being persecuted for your belief in the Second Coming of the Great Scurvy Epidemic . . . "

"Which drapery? (The tower is eleven stories tall.)"

"During your monthly blimp-attack drill, you notice that morale is not at acceptable levels. . . "

 

Dikiyoba looks skeptically at Niemand.

 

Dikiyoba: You know that you still haven't graded the last one of these, right?

 

Niemand: I don't see what difference that could possibly make. Anyway, I'll start grading this one five minutes ago, so it doesn't really matter if you work together on it.

 

Niemand moves to find a place to sit down, stepping over Tyranicus

 

Niemand: By the way, Slarty, are you sure that portal thing of yours is working correctly? I'm fairly certain that it's turned me into a mirror image of myself.

[Slawbug]

James: STOP IN THE NAME OF THE SARKAGRADIAN EMPIRE!!! YAHHHH!!!!

 

James charges Niemand, fails to so much as make him budge, and then glares at him angrily. He then sees the halberd and attempts to grab it out of Niemand's hand, but Niemand stops him.

 

Suddenly, James freezes. He sparkles, and then begins talking again.

 

James: I'm having a party and I'm going to bring cake and lime soda. What are you bringing?

 

Slarty does a double-take, then rushes over to the wheel.

 

Slarty: I'm now actively concerned. Will somebody please get him out of here before the -- well, look, just get him out, I'm going to input the next coordinates! Go! Somebody!

[Triumph]

Triumph stops munching tasty, salty, yummy potato slices. He attempts to force this peculiar "James" figure (of whom he's never heard) back into a beckoning beacon portal.

 

Triumph: Wow. This a lot easier than it would be in AIMHack. I'm glad real life doesn't rely on D20 rolls.

[Dikiyoba]

(OoC: James = Drakefyre)

 

"No, not into the Beckoning Beacon! That'll send him to the future! Get him outside!" Dikiyoba pushes the button to open the bus door.

[Triumph]

Triumph grumbles about how no one ever explains anything, then aids Diki in pushing young James out of the bus.

 

Triumph: Does this mean we're putting out a Fyre?

[Slawbug]

Slarty: In more ways than you realize.

[Slawbug]

Triumph finally pushes James out the door. Slarty shuts the door and turns his attention back to the dashboard. He is entering more coordinates. Rosycat stalks up the aisle. Along the way, she hops onto the Big Man's lap and paddles her legs for a few seconds. Then she gets up and goes back to the microphone.

 

Rosycat (clearing her throat first):

Little rabbit little man

Want to try this game again?

Little pixie little girl

Sleeping silent sleeping curled

 

Rosycat bows deeply.

 

Rosycat: The game is afoot -- isn't that right, Slartificus?

 

Slarty: Just do your monologue, Rosy. I don't have time for this.

 

Rosycat makes a contemptuous hacking noise.

 

Rosycat: Fine. Sit back and relax, non-cow passengers; it's time for another mooving monologue from yours truly, Rosycat Repurposedhusk.

 

September is gone, and now too we are leaving the Nineties behind. Will you miss them?

 

I don't think you will. Thirteen links, Slarty pointed you to, and many of them exploded into more if you followed them: but not so interesting were they to you. Spiderweb? Nobody cared. Zaloopa's site, the original linchpin of the Blades community? Nobody cared. The Lyceum? Nobody cared. The day the support for Blades was formally cut? Nobody cared.

 

Oh, except for the Arena. You love your blood and gore. Your so-called deathmatches.

 

But a week's vacation in this golden age from the past -- and it was too removed. The connection was too far removed. It wasn't within our grasp.

 

What does this tell us? We are watching the strange waves that have made up our community, how it has formed and frothed, undulated and diffused until ultimately finding new waters. How quickly the old is swept under the new.

 

It is the archivists' lament. But few of you would stop by the river banks to gather up what passes by. The water is old and looks weird. Surely you have better taste than that?

 

Slarty: Get to the history, Rosy. You're creeping everyone out.

 

Rosycat (wryly, at first): Our story continues from the point at which support was cut from Blades. Some of the designers had already felt cut off, after Spiderweb's scenario contest ended in late 1998. Irritation built up, slowly, and increased after support was officially cut in 2000. During this time other primitive web "bulletin boards" came and went, while activity on the Lyceum peaked. Then, in early 2001, something happened.

 

Slarty: Coordinates ENTERED! Take that, Ooc Interference! Time to take off!

 

Slarty revs the bus up and crashes through a few abandoned web sites. Outside the windows, the passengers see that the bus has rammed past a doomguard, striking it repeatedly and causing it to multiply, surrounding the bus with doomguards. But the bus keeps moving and soon enough, it's back in the blue and purple tunnel. The bus travels through the tunnel for several minutes. As it travels, Rosycat continues to speak.

 

Rosycat: Spiderweb Software created its own message board system. Even in the first incarnation, the Ikonboard, so named for its software, it was more robust than the older web forums. These message boards also attracted users in far greater numbers.

 

Some of the big names from the Blades days spurned it. Alcritas famously did. Others hopped over quickly, included most of the folks who hung out at the Arena. Some even became mods, and eventually, administrators.

 

But the crowd in those early days was very young and very rough -- not at all what we're used to in our time. The mods were young and rough, too. So fasten your seatbelts -- after we get off the bus, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

 

As Rosycat speaks, the bus slows down a bit. In between streaks of blue and purple, the passengers are able to see strange, but vaguely familiar-looking, web pages fly by.

 

Slarty: We're not going to get out here, but I wanted to give you a chance to see the original Ikonboard. It's not as different as you might expect.

 

BEHOLD:   THE ORIGINAL IKONBOARD

 

BJ Earles: Who is this Terror's Martyr character who's all over the place?

 

Dikiyoba: Dikiyoba thinks you should wait until the bus stops moving before discussing topics that might cause vomiting.

 

Rosycat: But you see, that was perfectly normal back then. What you folks are used to in your day is downright sane by comparison.

 

Indeed, we're going to stop in the most famous of all institutions on the Spiderweb Message Boards. We're going to stop in the fabled and legendary land of Misc.

 

A few gasps. The Big Man raises his hand.

 

Big Man: What is Misc.?

 

Rosycat: The Ikonboard had only a General forum, like we do in our time. But when the switch to UBB first occured, in late 2001, General was reserved for general discussion about Spiderweb Software related topics, and Misc. was created to provide a place for all other conversations. As you will see, it was not treated the same way. It attracted a different crowd and was moderated differently -- for a whole host of reasons. It was simply different.

 

Misc. only existed for about a year, but during that year it acquired an epic reputation for its humour, its memes, and its filth. It is a different place from anything that came before, or anything that came after.

 

Suddenly, Rosycat stiffens, and her whole body seems to gleam.

 

Rosycat:

 

"He who would be born, must first destroy a world."   — Hermann Hesse

 

Rosycat (back to normal): Welcome to 2002. The Age of Misc.!

 

As the bus slows to a halt, a gigantic, torpedo-shaped topic comes straight towards the bus.

 

Slarty: INCOMING!

 

When the topic hits the windshield, its pages scatter everywhere. The bus does not seem to have been impacted at all.

 

Slarty: Thank goodness the bus has implants. Okay, folks, time to get off! Don't worry, it's perfectly safe here. Oh -- as long as you don't get into arguments with mods. That was not a good idea back then. Also, keep your posts away from them, as they might edit them on a whim. But really, it's perfectly safe. Now hop out and have some fun! It's like an amusement park out there!

 

Dintiradan: An amusement park with torpedos.

 

Slarty: EXACTLY!

 

BEHOLD THE THIRD STOP:   MISC.   SEE: * Misc. * Misc.! * Misc.!!!   * Alec and Modship * Board Social Classes * The First Spiderweb Atlas   AND MORE...

[keira]

Sylae gets out of the bus and looks around

 

Sylae: I like the comics on the Misc header. Why can't we have nice things like that?

[Sullust]

Lt. Sullust: Slarty, before I leave the bus, are there any risks to me running into myself?

[Slawbug]

Slarty: The only possible risk is to your self-esteem.

[Callie]

Excalibur wanders out of the bus and finds a Scorpius topic. He rushes in only to find a serious topic about crystal souls.

 

Excalibur: Wait, there was a sane Scorpius once? ...he was a mod!

 

Excalibur pokes around the Ikonboard before heading over to the Misc. forums.

 

Excalibur: Hey, I remember the forums looking like this. Who's this Shotts person? He seems worse than TM!

 

He attempts to walk into a topic about Shotts but is deflected by a force field. He moves to a topic about dividing spiderwebbers into social classes instead. Then he stumbles into what appears to be an OS flame war but another force field deflects him.

[Triumph]

Triumph: Wow. The boards were...even more strange than they are now. What is this "karma" feature they seemed to have?

[Dikiyoba]

Originally Posted By: Triumph

What is this "karma" feature they seemed to have?

You know how we can currently rate topics on a one to five star scale and the average is displayed near the topic title? It used to be that members could be rated the same way. It was marginally useful. At times. Sort of." I pause to think for a moment. "Also, at some point the tradition of giving one star to anyone who asked about karma or posted in a karma thread developed. Therefore..."



Dikiyoba pulls a golden star off a member's profile and sticks it on Triumph's forehead. "There you are. Just remember to take it off before we go."

[Dikiyoba]

Now that I've done my mini-historianing deed for the day, I hurry out to explore Misc. I've actually used the Wayback Machine to explore Misc. before, but there are always new, interesting, and sometimes horrible things to see.

 

Dikiyoba takes photos of the best remaining threads in order to save what little history is left. Unfortunately, Dikiyoba's camera soon runs out of memory. "Noooooooooo!"

[Aran]

Arancaytar, after spending days cross-referencing obscure Arena trivia and digging in the forgotten realm of Geocities, had collapsed in his seat and fallen asleep. He awakes to find the bus has moved to another time, and looks outside to be overwhelmed.

 

"This was just before I first started lurking. It all looks so familiar. I could have sworn that the topic's title bar was brown, though, but I guess they must have changed the theme at some point."

 

"Mh... I wonder if it would be feasible to scour Wayback for Misc threads to add to the PPP..."

[Slawbug]

Slarty: Not easily. Of the threads saved, many aren't listed on any saved index page; many that appear to be listed on Wayback, actually link to nothing; and they come with a variety of irregular PHP URLs, and often only certain pages of a topic have been saved. It would be a lot of extra coding for peanuts worth of topics, compared to what you already have.

[Sullust]

Lt. Sullust sets off the bus immediately to find himself. He's not sure if his plan will work; however, it's worth a try.

 

Lt. Sullust (older): Hey you, come over here.

Lt. Sullust (younger): Who are you?

Lt. Sullust (older): That's not important, you gotta a piece of paper and a pen. I need you to write something down.

Lt. Sullust (younger): Uhhh... sure.

Lt. Sullust (older): Good, the winning lottery numbers for --

 

Before he can say anything else Lt. Sullust attacked from behind and a strangely fluffy pillowcase is thrown over his head. He manages to make out a couple voices through the fluff.

 

(voice 1): Sorry about that Lt. Sullust. This 'member' has violated the Code Of Conduct. We'll be taking care of this, please run along now.

Lt. Sullust (younger): Yes, Drakefyre.

 

The younger Lt. Sullust walks away. Confused, but not terribly interested in what just happened.

 

(voice 2): Was he one of them?

Drakefyre: Yes, I recognize him. He was on that bus a few years ago. Saunders, Schrodinger, find the rest of them and bring them to me. The bus will be mine!

[Slawbug]

Still in a haze from the fluffycase, Lt. Sullust suddenly recalls Rosycat's explanation of their time travelling:

 

In a minute we will be arriving. Before you disembark, I should give you a few warnings about retrioactive travel. You cannot change the timeline. It is fixed. We are not. So you can interact freely with all of the people and pages and other things you see about you. You can talk, joke, wrestle...