“I could swear I saw a tree yesterday out on that treeless slither of land over there, Stitches. And I should know. Since I was that tree.”
“Stop squeezing my neck, Penny.”
Category Archives: Omega
centr-AL
Being the super tree genius genus she-he is, Core-Alena quickly found the secret way to The Basin and its Dead Sea already traversed by players Cloe Price, Eraserhead Man, and others. But the gun toting, glossy green avatar had to be ditched in the process. And a name had been decided upon: Alfred or Alfreda Mobile — Al for short. Sometimes in caps, depending on if you’re yelling (Where’s that Mustered?).
However, it took him-her another *5 years* to find a way back to Virtual from Reality inside the game. A straightaway on Foothill Drive just outside Kamas UT, another shout out. 1800 miles from AL where Mobile started. Marion and Francis equidistantly n-s of of the quaint, tourist town were of course the keys. Swamp Fox; Hidden Village. Virtual itself, or at least the Omega continent, the one that counts right now. Rhode made sure of that. Rhode Rhoad Road.
Driving up and down the connecting straightaway (known from here on just as The Straight), Reality to left, *potential* Virtual to right, Core-Alena understood that not one but several trees could act as a portal. All probably did. For example, what looks like a willow at 2013 Foothill Drive…
… and certainly this queer, leany evergreen at 1890.
Core-Alena just decides to pull in and try it tonight. Being a tree her-himself, it would be easy to pull back out. As long as The Straight is not too far. All trees know each other.
Ahh, yes. Home again! And this strip of land obviously acts as one of those Between Places she-he’s learned about.
But Core-Alena ends up using the 3rd spotted tree portal at 1719 for the final transition — a duo this time — because he-she can take the car this way, which seems essential. Just before Foothill Drive bends away from the portal line on the north side, unlinking Virtual and Reality. Just in the nick of time, in other words.
And soon to be in the middle of it all again.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0011, 0205, Alabama, Google Street View, The Straight, Utah
Purd
Core-Alena can travel through *centres* (resonance).
But only for short stints.
Something was different today in evergreen packed Purden.
Settlers. Several precious trees missing. Core-Alena was restless in anticipation of even more.
She-he was being forced to turn into something else.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0011, 0202, Mountain Lake, Purden/Snowlands
redhanded
One prominent figure in Kamas folklore history is Thomas Rhoads. According to legend, Indian guides from an area Ute Tribe revealed to Rhoads the location of a gold mine from which he was allowed to take gold to assist in the construction of the Salt Lake Temple. The only condition the Ute guides gave for revealing the location of this mine was that Rhoads agreed not to reveal [it] to any other person. Rhoads adhered to the terms of this agreement until his eventual death from an illness. The “Rhoads Mine” is now considered lost, but its legend survives in several books which have been published on the topic.
Who was killed or murdered? Duncan pondered from his rocking chair after reading. I suppose it would have to be *this town*.
You were a good friend Baker. Everyone makes mistakes.
tnb 02
The world seemed a little haywire tonight.
And Duncan was feeling a little stupid because the actual center of the Rhodenwald sim was *not* the pumpkin cart he thought before — and which the owner of the parcel was “hiding” behind when he first met him — but, still, this *orange pumpkin* between a playground fence and the outer wall of that hedge maze also mentioned in the last post.
And the green dot representing this person on the map definitely *was* at the center. He thought… maybe he was wrong all along.
But it also seemed a little peculiar that, night of all nights, Duncan finds anomalous plane objects in these particular Rhodenwald parcels owned by Black.
Although they disappear quickly this time.
Let’s back up a bit…
—–
“We didn’t want to tell you about the anomaly quite yet but something or someone is forcing our hand. Happened April 19th of this year. Reported in the community forums — you can read details there.”
Duncan wondered why Sid/Angus Nuffin moved to the table and away from the suave chair beside him he was sitting in to pull up the appropriate interweb pages. Had he finished with it?
“Notice also,” Sid continued, “that whoever took that inworld picture of the map was standing right on the site of the Rhode Gallery, even though the gallery wasn’t yet there at the time; only built a little later. July I believe.”
“Queer,” came Duncan’s simple response. It was all a bit overwhelming, especially adding in the Rhode synchronicities concerning the Meat City-Kamas UT overlap. Hidden mountain treasure? Was that what this was all about? Pot-D as gold seekers? The Diagonal itself as a red herring?
“One more thing for now. Look at the picture before that one on the community forum post.”
Duncan tried but failed. “I– I can’t pull it up,” he admitted, embarrassed.
That’s what we suspected, Sid thought, and had to show him a little later.
Sugar House. The reason they brought Duncan Avocado into the club in the first place.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0011, 0117, Ruby's Empire/Fishers Island, Urbane Blue/Fishers Island
the new black
For his first assignment as an official member of Pot-D, Duncan Avocado was asked to check behind Indigo in investigating the Rhodenwald sim, somehow right across the *road* from Rhode Gallery just to the west. Only sim beginning with “Rhode” besides one called Rhode Islands, which is apparently under construction. Per the usual start of a particular sim investigation, he decided to teleport into its 128/128 center (standard landing point through generic search of any SL sim), but was instead directed to a preset landing point about 16 meters southwest, at the entrance to a Halloween themed maze.
He takes a seat on the bench next to his landing position.
Duncan had no desire to try to solve a maze tonight. From his notes, he knew that Indigo, through her alternate, human self Vanille (who you may remember from the Diagonal Alley scenes in Collagesity novel 10) had already investigated it and found nothing of heightened interest. Duncan was looking for new angles, per designated Pot-D leader Angus Nuffin’s suggestions.
Spying a monorail station not far behind the bench, he decides to take a car ride — Indigo didn’t mention doing this. He whirls around and around a number of Meat City sims before passing through Rhodenwald again and then ending at another station in Baylors Haunt to the south. It was at this point Duncan looked at the inworld map to see exactly where he was, and noticed an avatar at *128/128* Rhodenwald, a place he knew visiting avatars could not directly teleport into now. Thinking back to former synchs involving center of sims, especially the black man who appeared at 128/128 Gaston in, erm, Collagesity novel 7 (prompting the end of that particular story in Sansara’s Snowlands), Duncan decides to go check out this new developement, and spots an antlered, loincloth wearing figure seemingly hiding behind a cart loaded with pumpkins. 128/128: center of sim. *Had* to be there on purpose.
Checking the profile, Duncan saw the avatar was named *Black*, and also had a second life partner named the same. Surnames each. And, in fact, owner of quite a number of parcels in the sim, including the one with the maze and the pumpkin cart. This was the owner… and later Duncan figured out he was signaling offworld to someone. Not him but his mate. But why in this particular spot?
Duncan continued to scan the figure, thinking his user AFK. But, no, the avatar moves from behind the cart and faces Duncan directly. He is aware of his presence for certain. Black man confronts black man.
Duncan had found something.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0011, 0116, Ruby's Empire/Fishers Island, Urbane Blue/Fishers Island
you’ve got enough
She can’t get in but they can certainly look out.
And where was this on the shared map between Meat City and Kamas UT? I wondered.
Off the grid for Utah, I realized. No possible new synchronization between the two, like we had for the Rhode Gallery and the brown splotch in the tree and the SS high school across the street and the road sign between them, right where the route began bending away from the shared grid on its way to Samak. Mirror — E Mirror Lake Hwy.
And in the bigger picture, I’ve learned that the whole Omega continent could fit into the surrounding Marion-Francis Circle. Swamp Fox. Gives an additional, spacial sense of proportion between the two Lives, 2nd and 1st. 1st life is still *much* larger. Much remains to be explored there!
But the overlap is quite profound. Here the two interpenetrate, like apples and oranges. No, like nested dolls… no: like a hidden center. Hidden Village. Hidden Vilage.
Oh looky. What’s this over here?
hubby?
“What do you think, Brevin? Pretty good disguise, eh?”
“Haaatt!” the colorful fowl cawed. “Haaaaaaatttt!”
—–
Dearest Axis,
I miss you so much. I am sorry about the trick back at the fairy forest. Hope to see you soon.
Yours in love,
Misty.
“Misty?” she says aloud, staring at the signature line.
“Top of the day to you,” called Septimius Felton, sneaking up behind her. “See you’re using one of those fancy future machines again. Typing to your boyfriend, huh?” He laughed agreeably. “But just a friendly reminder…”
“I know, I know,” said, um — Misty (?), shutting down the window. “No future machines. No future anything.”
“Who’s the president?” Septimius tested.
“Garfield.” Pause. “Wait… Grant.”
“I know you’re funning me, Mrs. Dorn.”
Mrs.?, thought Misty(?). I’m *married*? She hadn’t turned around yet. She didn’t want him to see her scars.
“You know the presidents better than I,” he continued. “We almost didn’t make it through R.B. Hayes, though. Almost became a *socialist* country, without a true ruler. But we all got through it. But of course you’re too young to remember all that hoopla.”
“I read all about it in sex ed history class, though,” she proclaimed proudly, reverting to old, classic style bluster.
Septimius walked into the gazebo beside her. Oh it’s *you*, she thought, looking over the familiar, top hat topped gentleman, dapper in a period suit. Does he remember? Does he know? He eyed the fall leaf sugar cookies eagerly. She decides to gesture toward the opposite chair. What would it hurt?
“Don’t mind if I do,” he said matter-of-factly, scooting out the cast iron chair before sitting down, then noisily scooching it back to the table on the wood planked flooring. A sugar cookie was in his hand in no time.
Closed, thought a relieved Misty, staring at the subsequently masticating mouth. He’s at least evolved past Tin Tin, thankfully. He was really quite handsome, she thought. Despite being just a, um, prop.
He cleared his throat, and indicated the laptop with a nod of the head. “About time to put that away, don’t you think. Talk person to person, like it should be. 1920, Mrs. Dorn. And Woodrow Wilsonia is the first female president. Who would have thunk it?”
Who would have indeed, thought Misty.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0011, 0109, Heterocera, Mountain Lake, Myron
cross
“You’re changing over again.” Her voice was watery and lilting, slightly evil. “You must have stared at that chess piece too long, you *king*.”
“You said there was treasure here in the High Country,” he declared firmly with iron voice. No joking around for him now.
“There *is*.”
“But not up here.”
“No,” she admitted. “That was a trick. Did you enjoy my trick?”
Axis didn’t answer. The transformation had been completed. “Better go groundside then.”
“In just a minute. I’m going to take an (alchemical) bath first. Clean myself off of all this fairy dust.”
“Suit yourself. I’ll leave without you.”
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0011, 0108, Mountain Lake
RB Mountain 02
Ruby talks with members of the Redmoken Brabin Fan Club gathered at a pool below his looming effigy while waiting to meeting Indigo at the top of the mount. She learned some valuable information from ringleader Aidema Hill, a former Rik Blaisdale groupie, here perched before swimming, fellow Brabinites Ditsy and Zizzy Grant (twins). No big surprise for those familiar with the stuff on the mount: she’s surmised that Rik decided to come back as Red. Ruby suspected another Rhode project, but Indigo had her doubts.
—–
“Aren’t you cold Ruby? I’m freezing on top of this mountain. At least my butt is warm now.”
“This very well could have been one of Timmy’s hideouts he mentioned, Indigo. He didn’t specify RB Mountain directly, but it’s got a great view of the lake he always went on about.”
Indigo looked to her right. “Indeed it does.”
“He said his house was on the east side.” Ruby checks her inworld map. “Let’s see, it seems we’re more on the west side. But now I remember it, he said his parents’ house was burned down in the war.”
“Maybe this clubhouse or hideout or whatever it is wasn’t even built until after the war and Timmy left.”
“No,” counters Ruby to Indigo. “I feel his presence here.” She moves to the other side of the floor. “Look at this map — the Big Nope. I may have remembered him talking about such a place. Something about a well and a refusal. Proposal turned down: Big Nope.”
“Alright. I need to warm my front anyways — back getting toasty. That must have been a heated pool those girls were swimming in.”
“Or MAYBE, this map is the mountain itself. Big Nope on one side, and over here, the Safe Zone. Could be death and life itself. Rik reborn as Red, as Aidema Hill speculated. ‘X’ and ‘O’. Crossed out and then revived. Like as from an egg — womb over tomb. And in the MIDDLE: this hideout. Right on the apex of the mountain. Between death and rebirth. The Big Between.”
“Next thing you’ll be telling me, Young Ruby, is that Timmy himself planned all this to indicate his resurrection.” Ruby stared at her steadily. “Oh. That *is* what you’re telling me.”
But what as? both wondered.
Filed under **VIRTUAL SL, 0011, 0107, Mountain Lake
Sunklands 