Category Archives: 03

September 26, 2024 · 10:00 pm

00440302

Arasaka has a presence here, thought Fern while happening upon their tell tale logo on the back of a hotel in exploring more of the town, this Aisle of Breakfast and Aisle of Dairy at once. Blood red like a tempting apple.

She thinks back to the first time she saw the cursed thing while riding the magnetic levitation (maglev) rail train into Nightsity, obligatory “apple tree” prominent above the name in that case instead of to the side (put in quotes because that’s Fern’s personal name for the emblem due to the tempting aspect and not a colloquial term). Across the river but the distinct cherry red made it pop out again. And immediately afterwards, her destination for tonight, the No Tell Motel. Another hotel/motel, hmm, she ponders. Could one be the same as the other (again)?

She gets off at the next stop and makes her way back to the Kabusie motel.

They indeed fuse as she walks through the front door, past becoming present. But it took a while to match the outfit admittedly, ha.

“I’m here to see Tin,” she said to the front desk receptionist, hoping she didn’t under-dress. But this was, after all, the seedier side of town, past still mirroring present.

“Last name, please,” he said, staring at the outfit but not looking too shocked, she didn’t think. Had to blend in, she consoled herself again. She *is* at least wearing her black swimming suit under the semi-transparent shirt. All she could think of in the moment. Lichen wasn’t there to help her choose clothing, fashion buff that she is, despite the hick look she promotes with the jeans and mouth straw and all. Poor Lichen, she bemoans again. But I’ll find her. “Don’t have one,” she answers. “It’s a number not a name,” she said, even though she knew it was both, phonetically speaking. “Tin (Ten) — only gave me her room.”

“Right, okay, so… 2nd floor, last door to the right,” he says. Good luck, he thinks. That one looked pure chrome and so most likely a cyberpsycho. Probably won’t live through the night.

—–

Well. Here goes nothing *knock knock knock*.

“Come in! It’s not locked!” Ordinary female voice, phew!

Fern draws her gun and opens the door…

She turns.

“You!”

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0044, 0302, Blue Feather Sea^, C2077, Kabusie, Maebaleia/Satori, Nightsity, X-City^

Tagged as , ,

September 25, 2024 · 6:13 am

00440301 (both sides of the Aisle)

“Hey, don’t drink my drink!” commanded Fern.

“Sorry,” the small bartender apologized, no more than a kid it appears. “I was… thirsty. Not use to customers. Not use to eyes looking at what I’m doing.”

“No more, then! You haven’t got any diseases I should know about now? Seeing we’re share buddies, ha.”

“None that I know of,” spoke the boy. He continued to shake the drink and not drink. Both at once. “Soo, you here for Breakfast?” Pause. “Or Dairy?”

“Both, actually.”

“Hmm,” he said, and poured the finished martini, dry and wet as one. Perfection if he says so himself. But he prefers the unmixed version; likes to taste both flavors separately (gin and vermouth). Darn watching eyes! “Well,” he continues. “How much have you seen so far?” he asked, not wanting to go over covered ground as it were.

“Airport first obviously. Had to come in from *somewhere*.” But Fern came in on a ship, sea instead of air. Has to be both, she figured. And with the captain none other than our Philip Strevor, fresh from a cube drop. Or so he said. Interesting.

“Not much there,” said the boy with his slight Chinese accent, worn off by years of state-side existence. Or so he said. “What else?”

“Well, pretty much saw everything in the rural district close to the void.” Too close, she thinks. “The, um, downed helicopter, the swamp, the dunes, the swimming pool. Very interesting.”

“There’s a plane in the swamp too.”

“Yup, saw that as well.”

“Do you want to hear the story (about it)?”

“Oh sure. Why not. But first, the helicopter.” Philip Strevor mentioned a helicopter along with the cubes, she thinks.

“Same story, actually. Swamp attracted both. Swamp drew them in. Just like a picture it drew them in. Got a taste for aerial. Opposites attract, after all. Water and air.”

This boy’s just spouting boyish nonsense, Fern thought, looking at his mischievous expression on his small face. But whatever; don’t have any other point of information as they say. Haven’t spotted anyone else in town. Just this child. A bartending child. Doesn’t quite add up. “Go on… I’m listening.”

(to be continued)

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0044, 0301, Blue Feather Sea^, Maebaleia/Satori, X-City^

Tagged as , , ,

July 1, 2024 · 8:51 am

00430317

She was just standing there, eating her Chinese takeout. Why, Lettuce Walk, why?

It would start a chain of events leading to her stalking much later on, strangely enough. As with many places in virtual worlds, time was not what it seemed in this here J-Town of Nightsity formerly of the US of A but now with its own path to beat.

Edward knew this had something to do with what many call the Magenta Statue looming over the crime scene, a representation of which is found in V’s J-Town apartment as perhaps given to him by Mysti for a house warming gift. 2 balls again, you’ll notice.

“I don’t want to go back in there for a while, Lexi,” Edward said while shakily removing the virtual reality goggles, the violence of the moment which would register in his brain and body for days. “You can understand.”

“I can.” And with that she simply vanished from Our Second Lyfe, taking her brain-daze shop and attached bar with her. It was the only way they could get some required distance.

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0043, 0317, C2077, Hana Lei^^, J-Town, Nightsity

Tagged as , ,

June 29, 2024 · 2:48 pm

00430316

I occasionally come here to walk, almost always at night and most often in the rain when less people were around. Like tonight. As David Bowie following in the footsteps of John Lennon well knew, fame certainly comes with a price. No more anonymity, especially in my former hood.

Many things had changed since the 2 years I’d been gone. The old Hands On Car Wash behind Aunt Jen’s where I lost my cherished spool table was now the Crown Car Wash, taken over by big corp.

Fern’s old Foreign and Domestic car parts place across the street from it had been bought out by a neighboring business dealing with electronic circuits.

But Fern herself was still in the area; had herself bought a failing Crucial Fix Jamaican coffee shop nearby and turned it into a self named cafe, no possessive form this time. Just plain Fern — actually The Fern as I’m thinking of it. Drove by it during the day already…

… but try as I might, I couldn’t find it now in the dark and the driving rain.

Once found, I planned to spend time there with the smartest person I knew, black white or any other color. Except maybe for Stinch’s uncle’s cousin up in Grapeshot who could sell bacon to a policeman, ha. Fern’s a mentor for sure.

10:43. Better get back to the “mansion” and pick which of my 7 king size beds I’m going to sleep in tonight and pick one of those Red books to fall asleep by. Author a guy with Mars in his name — go figure. J. Marston. Could be John, could be Jack. But probably Jack, the son. I’m on chapter 4 now: ‘How to Deliver a Foal’. Fascinating reading; getting sleepy just thinking about it. Here’s my turn.

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL OT, 0043, 0316, GTA, RDR2

Tagged as , , ,

June 29, 2024 · 8:20 am

00430315

She came out of the dispensary beside the quick fix ganja vending machine V sipping chamomile tea and staring at the Black Star on its side and wondering how long Bowie had been dead. At least 8 years, she reckoned, maybe 8 1/2, the length of Fellini’s career up to the movie of that same title.

Her attention then shifted to the crime scene in the plaza slightly below her from this vantage point at the top of the cement steps, the heart of her po’ faux Nightsity, one of a handful I’ve found in Our Second Lyfe in the past month and a 1/2 or so. Another Blue Moon Kentucky killer victim, she gathered, 3rd this month of May’s June soon to slide into July. Should’ve shut down that so-called secret strip club behind the *sometimes* locked door weeks ago because of them, she thinks. Now another lies fallen.

Chef-inspector Petty studies the body outline and blood splatter volume and directions with rookie Dirk Bejirk, uselessly drawing a gun on the now vacant crime scene with no perpetrators in sight. Petty’s on loan from Aisle of Palms where absolutely nothing has happened since the end of the last photo-novel 2 months ago, not at the Perch restaurant in the Blue Feather complex during the day (chef 1/2 of his life), nor at the investigative agency in Cement Village at night (inspector 1/2 of his life). He’d even managed to get a proper amount of rest lately because he could now sleep on the job — both jobs — and get away with it. No more. Perch manager Percy Bidercy had to lay him off because of the lack of paying customers. The clients at the agency were also basically nonexistent. Put all this together and we have the current scene: Petty working in a different spot.

“It’s that strip club,” offered gun toting Dirk, still pointing at air. “City council should’ve shut it down weeks ago.”

“It’s not the strip club,” said Petty, defying common opinion. He gobbled another goober (peanut), trying to clear his mind of distractions. “Dirk, why don’t you go pick us up some food at that Chinese restaurant we passed on the way here. Bucket of Egg Foo Young for me. And a large Cokey Cola.”

“Shouldn’t drink sugary drinks, new boss.”

“Shut up and do the only thing you’re good for at this job. *Fetching*.” Petty kind of hated being so harsh to the rookie but tough love goes a long way. He’d know. Sgt. Petterson busted his balls enough in his early police/detective days to make them turn blue at times. Which, actually, also pertains to the current crime.

“3 Blue Moon crimes in the last several weeks,” he spoke to no one since a put-in-his-place Dirk had gone to fetch their food and drinks. He arrived on the scene for the first victim. He was just glad to get the job, glad of the income finally flowing into his bank account once more. Only after the 2nd did he start to get interested in the case itself, start to dig deeper into the facts. Then the 3rd here really took the cake. Fern arrived in “town”, also from a different dimension. Gave him information he couldn’t believe. We’re living in a simulation; none of this is real!

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0043, 0315, Big Woods, C2077, GTA, Hana Lei^^, Jeogeot, Nightsity

Tagged as , , , , ,

June 29, 2024 · 5:52 am

00430314 (hand of Tin)

I opened up the blinds to a world I never got to experience. They didn’t promise me a window in my apartment — I do remember that aspect. Food, books, art, even a woman. But not a window. It meant something to me, something deep. There was a definite backrooms vibe out there with its colorful tubes and slide-like objects. I was told this is like Japan. I couldn’t wait to get out there… and explore.

But first I had to check out more of the apartment. Food, books, art, just like the other one, the one from the *lesser* world. But not a woman — sole drawback so far that I could determine in this much more realistic one. Then in looking at a particular object I’ll get to in a moment, an image of a person named Han swam before my eyes. Lover. Left her behind when I went, yes, on tour. I was a musician in this life as well — it was all kind of flooding back on me; too much so maybe. Band named Sunami, without the T. I think. Right, without it. And maybe another letter added in in its place. Sunamai? I picked up a handily placed guitar in the apartment, sat down on a nearby ottoman and automatically started to strum a song strange but familiar about a talking horse and saying goodbye to it. I remembered more about her through the heavy metal-ish music. 1/2 Japanese, although you couldn’t tell it. She didn’t like me leaving. She did — *ohh*.”

I look down at my silver hand and arm, doing the strumming in this case. She did *this*. Maybe not literally, I realized, but metaphorically anyway. Heck, maybe literally too — couldn’t remember the details; perhaps too painful. She was trying to snatch away my livelihood if not my life.

I had to do one more thing before leaving. I went back to the bathroom, looked up from the sink.

No it was nothing like the face I had in my former existence, just left through the Black Star. But still it was recognizable from that world. Ahh, another ohh moment. The Matrix!

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL OT, 0043, 0314, C2077, J-Town, Nightsity

Tagged as , , , ,

June 28, 2024 · 8:26 pm

00430313 (enter the 3rd (Mikie))

“Say again! How the f-ck we get fired?” Laramie on the phone to Frank Lynn.

“Man, it was partly all that bullshit you pulled… and partly this repo’s old man making me crash the car into the…

“… hold on, Laramie, hold on. I’m walkn’ up to the car wash where we lost the table. Gotta go pay my respects.”

Earlier that day:

“That the place?”

“Yeah, that’s the place, man. *Whoa*.”

“Drive into it. Right through the f-cking window, and fast. Or I’ll put two rounds in the back of your skull, and do it myself.”

Frank saw his life flash before him, just like he did day before yesterday’s yesterday, Wednesday I think we determined. Syncronicity, carma, call it what you like. He floors it into the object.

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL OT, 0043, 0313, GTA

Tagged as , , , , ,

June 26, 2024 · 9:57 pm

WOW

“Do you not know me yet, Fern? I am the one you’re trying to forget.”

Fern wakes up, remembers everything.

—–

“Yellow Jack is where Philip Strevor turned back into Trevor Philips and resumed his Id role in the Grand Theft Auto game V,” explained Fern to Lichen later as the sun rose over her shoulder again. “Miss Janet was the key, and refusing to provide him service and saying he was still banned from the joint. He remembered his drug company, recalled his home in Sandy Shores. He was reassimilated, Lichen. Frank Lynn became the lead man after that, although we didn’t know it at the time. Frank Lynn, through Morro Bay, points to Nightsity. Did I explain the Morro Bay link yet?”

“I — I don’t think so, Fern.” Straw still not twirling. Still.

“But I have a new theory, Lichen my dearest,” she said, avoiding the temptation to spoon another pepper snake and mint ladder into her mouth swimming in what little was left of the now discolored milk in the bowl before her because of all the dissolved flavoring, the last of their kind. She wanted to speak as clear as a bell so that Lichen knew what was going down. “Aliens — now I believe it all points to the hippy egg camp outside of Sandy Shores and not Sandy Shores or Trevor or his trailer or business directly. A man named Night made it all — can’t be coincidence. But not with a K; with an N: the K person would not approve of equating his precious lord and savior Jesus with heretical aliens, you see.”

“I — see?”

“No, you don’t see, Lichen. But you will.”

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0043, 0312, Castle Town, GTA, Omega^^

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

June 26, 2024 · 7:36 am

00430311

“We’ve been controlling your dreams for a while, Fern, judging your actions and the consequences involved. We’ve been studying your tree in short.”

Fern knew to be quiet in the moment. Fern knew this was important.

“We see you’re *clearly* qualified to join our group, The Masters. What we, as a group again, aren’t sure of is if you should become president. It’s either me… or you.” He looks at the golden gun on the table. Fern wakes up.

—–

“Were any jokes involved?” asks fellow cereal eating Lichen that morning at the breakfast table, the sun rising over her right shoulder in the window behind her from Fern’s perspective, just like it did with her “rival” in the dream. Lichen’s usually twirling and swirling mouth straw kept still as the sun kept rising.

“No,” she answered. “It was all dead serious. The guy even had a skull for a head. Dead — serious.”

Lichen knew this was bad and that somehow someway she had to enter Fern’s dreams with her. A mind meld came to mind.

(to be continued)

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0043, 0311, Castle Town, GTA, Hana Lei^^, Omega^^

Tagged as , , , , , ,

June 25, 2024 · 4:07 pm

00430310

“What about that chick behind me, V? You stalked her around too. If you choose her instead of that orange Doofus — maybe we’ll get along better than ever.  You can see what ol’ silverhhand here can actually do.” He stares down at his metal hand and expertly wiggles each finger to emphasize his point. I’ve decided not to go with this “Hustle” girl for these very reasons. We have enough complications to deal with besides sexual attraction, at least on the part of Jonny. I told him this.

“So it’s Edward, then, hmph,” he replied, kind of lowering and shaking his head, then raising it again with a new thought. “Oh… about the Japantown girl. I remember her name — speaking of hands. It’s *Han*. And as I recall, yeah she lived over there somewhere. Mysti’s probably right about all that. 1/2 Japanese as I also recall. Couldn’t tell it by her eyes, though.”

I think: So Jonny also believes she is his missing hand come back to haunt him. Interesting. I became curious. “So… Jonny. What actually happened to your hand, your arm? I mean the real one?”

“Threw it away in that deep trash pit over in Japantown — what do I care?”

But that’s exactly where *they* found it.

(to be continued)

Leave a comment

Filed under **VIRTUAL OT, 0043, 0310, C2077, J-Town, Nightsity, Small China

Tagged as , , , , ,