Category Archives: MAPS

00440603 (Nomans Land)

Is that a *shoe* represented below Martha’s Vineyard’s left foot as pointed out by Gerald’s lap-dancing robot Chomp formerly Chop?

Hmm. Anyway, having successfully found the light inside the dark in the interior of the Badlands Grocery Store in Interior, Fern Stalin and Billy Clockwork decide to visit 4 Buttes while they’re up in the real world, since it’s just a hop and a skip away from them over the South Dakota line in Montana. Or so they thought. But what they viewed when they got there 7 hours and 47 minutes later surprised them (again!) and made the much longer than expected trip kind of all worthwhile. The buttes didn’t appear pointy at all now like in the photos from section 02, seemingly worn down by the erosions of time. “Something’s flat, something’s off,” Fern free associated beside the rental truck while staring, thinking of soda and fizz and the lack thereof.

After taking the last draw off her old soda in hand, Fern decides that they missed something in South Dakota which caused this alternate 4 Buttes to, er, arise. “Wall,” she said intuitively to her clockwork traveling companion. “Something about Wall.” Billy knew Fern was talking about the original Real Life town they teleported into from Our Second Life (thanks Mistress!) before making their way across the the heart of the Badlands to Interior. “Maybe something to do with the famous tourist trap drug store there also named Wall,” she continued in this vein, thinking back to their visit to it through her photographic memory. “Maybe…”

“Got it! A postcard I saw there. 420, Billy — seating capacity for the drug store’s cafe on the postcard but so much more. That’s what we’re looking for. Something at or about 420.” And another welcome sign, she also soon gleaned.

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL OT, 0044, 0603, Heterocera, Massachusetts, Montana, Rubi, South Dakota

00440602

“So here we are, Billy. Interior: beyond (The) Wall. Here we’ll find the information we need, I believe.”

“I… believe.”

—–

“Let’s pull in here and get some gas before going further. Don’t want to run out in the middle of the Badlands, ha.”

“Ha (or ho).”

—–

“Let’s now go to that Badlands Grocery Store we saw advertised beside the town welcome sign. We’ll stock up with supplies there, some proper food.”

“1/2 priced yogurt?”

“Perhaps, Billy.” But Fern didn’t think so. Billy would have to get use to more primitive life up here in the Real World, above and beyond the comforts of Our Second Lyfe.

—–

Fern parks the now filled up rental truck in front of the store 2 blocks west of the gas station, as the billboard she saw and memorized earlier indicated. “Keep in mind through all this that we’re looking for something *interior*… to Interior, even,” she said, walking up to the front door. “The town’s name is just a signifier, a pointer.”

Then in synchronicity, Billy points to something in the distance.

“Ball. Silver.”

“Good, Billy. Good.” Fern knew this was just a propane tank seen on edge but Billy was definitely on the right track. Change of perspective. They go inside.

But there was nothing within the grocery store but BLACK, which so happens to be the former name of Interior.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interior,_South_Dakota

In 1891, the former way-station was called Black with Mary Johnson as its first postmaster. In 1893, the town was renamed “Interior” by George Johnson because he did not think the name “Black” fit the description of the White River that surrounded the town.

By losing her vision, Fern had found what she was looking for here. They carefully make their way through the darkness to find the white light.

(to be continued?)

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL OT, 0044, 0602, Google Street View, South Dakota

00440508

“My first real gig as an owner of a business actually came through the vineyard. I bought out the O’Neill Brother’s crop dusting business when 2/3rds of them died in that unfortunate fire which destroyed their family home, including the only 2 of the 3 who could actually fly a plane. Like me. Only later did I learn the true culprit behind the tragedy.”

“So… you knew how to fly a plane?”

“Yeah. Learned it from my 2 uncles growing up in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.”

“Interesting.”

“Isn’t it? Anyway,  Martha — the owner of the vineyard at the time — said to come by every week to douse the vines with a special herbal pesticide she concocted herself, just like those O’Neill brothers did before me, and be sure to leave by 3, or else take a break at 2:45 and don’t resume until 3:15. Else — and the first time she mentioned this she made a throat slitting gesture with her hand and mouth, which of course I took as death. 3 o’clock — death; keep that in mind. But at the time I just took all of this as part of the peculiarities of the old woman and didn’t believe the stuff she was telling me. After all, she had a special recipe for pesticides, you see — a weird-o. But I still didn’t fly at 3. No use taking any chances, I figured. She later revealed that 3 o’clock at night would be bad for me too but didn’t mention it at first because she knew I’d only fly the plane during the day.”

“Why did you call yourself Jack Sheepe in those days?” he asked, thinking of the hanger and its sign. “Instead of Jack Shepherde, like you are now — like the LOST guy? But, let me guess: because you view yourself as a *leader* now, and not a follower. You changed the name to show this.”

“Correct. Do you even need me here? Sounds like you could have done this interview by yourself (!).”

“No, I need you here,” he says with no humor. “Now. Let’s talk about the move to the big city, how that came about.”

“First there was a detour. Through Christianity.”

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL OT, 0044, 0508, GTA, Oregon

00440503

“Gotta light?”

“Lincoln!!” both occupants of the black car in the desert or at least the very arid landscape screamed in unison, their last coherent words.

—–

“Com’n Trevor. Time to go home.” And he dumped the lifeless body in the container, determined this would be his last Badlands gig. Ever. Retirement himself, if not in body, in soul. He had a old bunker picked out he could remake as a desert home. Even had a contractor on board for the remodeling process. Cliffside dwelling. Perfection. Half an hour tops now and done with all this. He got into the make-shift hearse and put the 4 way flashers on, Tiler Church straight ahead and then turn left and another left and then a right and then a left and right. And left, he believes. Then: done. Away from the grave and reborn. This old monkey’s about to acquire a leaf and turn into a new man. Adam. And he also has an Eve picked out. Mechanism, but it was the best he could do. They would manage. Box labelled Live Cargo should be arriving any day now down at the harbour.

—–

“What do you *mean* I can’t go home?!” shot back Fern, her business done here in The Aisles with Tin and all, with much learned and much to ponder about later.

“The Cpt.’s duties have ended,” he said plainly, not going into any details.

OD, Fern assumed. Or hospitalized or fired or a combination of 2 or all three in one. Well, something had to happen sooner or later, she rationalized.

“How long till you get another cpt.?” she asked, knowing she could pilot the vessel herself back to mainland if needed. But she had to obey protocols with this officer of the Navy, Army and Air Force in one. And perhaps the Marines as well, the oft forgotten 4th. She looked at the insignia. Hard to tell from them; designed that way due to the ’68 Force Bias Wars as they became known.

“1 day, maybe 2.” She looked at the many weapons about his body. She’d have to wait. He’d stand guard until the replacement showed up, she knew from his stance and former talk.

Finally time for that drink, she supposed. Time to visit Rose, one of ’em, maybe both of ’em before the day’s ended. She heads in their general direction from the harbour, letting her feet decide which is what and who first.

(to be continued)

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0044, 0503, Badlands, Blue Feather Sea+, C2077, Maebaleia/Satori, New Mexico, Twin Peaks

00440415

Waldo indicates downtown Lost Sanos in the distance where he soon plans to get lost to continue the game, even though he’ll be redder at the time. Not sure why there’re 2 downtowns here, though, to be honest. Have to study.

In other recent Google Earth Street View news while we’re talking about it: feet again.

Giant Foot

Just One Each

Or should I say Google Earth Feet View in these cases?

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL OT, 0044, 0415, California, Google Street View, GTA

00440414 (layers)

“Do you own this house or do you rent this house?”

“Yes, we own this house.”

Pause. “Who did you buy it from?”

“Honey, who sold us the house?” Incoherent speech from the interior, but an answer to her question.

“Chalfant. A Mrs. Chalfant.”

Longer pause; the FBI agent seemed very stunned and discombobulated by now. “And… do you happen to know who she bought it from?”

“No I don’t, but… ” She turns inside to ask again. Incoherent speech, but not an answer this time.

“No.”

(to be continued?)

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL OT, 0044, 0414, Twin Peaks, Washington

00440413 (Arroyo)

“Chop!” I said, looking into the Dewdrop Inn room I’d force-opened and recognizing my dog at last. Well. At least the *map* of my dog. Martha’s Vineyard. Always wondering what it meant and why the feet were there. And the head with the two Chop names, East and West, like paired lips or ears or sumtin. Well that head is *this* head, those feet — clearly — are *these* feet.

My dog is a robot. And a sexy one at that it appears, at least to those of its kind. But maybe Chop is instead the robot in the chair — watching. Maybe the map is that of his true love, something he wants to *eat* — chomp away at. Like breakfast, hmm. Rose, I remembered. Better get back and finish my meal.

“Never mind me,” I wanted to say to the robots in parting. “Wrong room.” But I knew they couldn’t hear me. This was a spectacle, something only to be observed and that alone. Same as, er, Chop is doing here. I’m engrossed, he’s engrossed. Seems to fit, yeah. I shut what remained of the door and leave the motel and head next door again.

(to be continued)

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0044, 0413, Arroyo, Blue Feather Sea+, C2077, Maebaleia/Satori, Massachusetts, Witcher

00440411 (metals)

It was Crazy Black and Crazy Blue at once, 2x crazy. Perfect match it seemed. She had almost finished reviewing the story of Big Woods. Or he, whichever. Who is who, which is which? Black and blue once more. Oz.

And at the very end of the Big Woods story we find Lincoln again, oddly enough. Crazily enough. Desert time, me thinks. AISLE can wait.

—–

https://idyllopuspress.com/idyllopus/film/tpr8.htm

“Oh, look. I found a penny!” she says in a New Mexico location, in the desert or at least very close to it. Arid. “Oh, and it’s heads up. That means it’s good luck.” The boy says, “I hope it does bring you good luck. Penny.”

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0044, 0411, Big Woods, Blue Feather Sea+, Jeogeot, Maebaleia/Satori, New Mexico, Oz, Twin Peaks

00440406

“It’s obvious that Hellboy (as she called him) is the Man in the Middle — this Middle Slaughter. And you know what that means?”

“No,” I said, lost in Fern’s brilliance per usual.

“It means we have to get to Slaughter before *it* gets to us. Black Wall. Diversion.”

Always the Black Wall for Fern lately. Where’s lighthearted Lichen when you need her?

“Pack your bags,” she then said. “We’re heading for Auburn.”

“Alabama?” I said. “What’s there?”

“Washington,” she corrected. “Like George. C’mon, let’s eat some cereal together and I’ll lay us out a plan.” She knew I was just a fill-in for Lichen but she had no one else at the time.

(to be continued)

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL OT, 0044, 0406, C2077, City Center, Washington

00440401 (4×4)

“Will it work?” I asked her, this Lexi of brain-daze editing notoriety, currently building a robot, currently perhaps also my lover.

“I think so. Came in from Montana just yesterday. Stayed up all night putting together the thing after unpacking it. Box labelled ‘Live Cargo,’ funnily enough. I don’t know why.” She turned away from me back to the cityscape she so loved from this vantage point, her mid to upscale apartment in Kabusie. “End of the tracks, last of the train,” she’d said about this stop in her life. She expected to die here, I took it. Exploration of the network of ditches would be her magnum opus, a cumulative marriage of tech and art. Compared to that, I was just along for the ride. Sitting across from her, listening to the rails while I could. Full speed ahead.

I turned to the pseudo-flathead mechanoid on her work table. Not Arasaka quality, but she said there’d be compensations for this. Legal, obviously. But Lexi had designed some special AI components, borderline rogue she’d described them. “Approaching the Black Wall,” she said about them. “But *careful* not to cross.”

“Of course.”

—–

In another BD I found myself staring at the same scene, Lexi and her Ralph as she eventually called the robot. It was a much less smooth ride this time. Shaky, but not from nerves. Lower quality overall. A metal hit from the 60s by Everfat blared from the nearby stereo system, perhaps a remake of a Fats Domino and/or Everly Brothers song from a century before. Maybe an anniversary thing. Anyway…

“Who are you?” Still at the window, still staring out but only staring at blinds this time.

“Lincoln,” I said.

“Get out, get OUT,” she said, not wanting to hear that type of name in her apartment. Not since Madison.

(to be continued)

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL OT, 0044, 0401, C2077, Kabusie, Montana