00450601
He came back to Nawt Vaya and the Jeogeot continent of Our Second Lyfe a changed man. No more monkeying around again. He read in the red book up to the present. Retrieved the fire demon formerly named Calcifer but now called Gus from the netherworld known as The Netherlands, check. Walked out of Vijlen and toward the Vaalserberg mountain that is the highest of that realm and just winked out. Manifested here. Sitting in front of Gus, now trying to communicate with the little flamey guy. Happened once before. He puts down the book. “Didn’t it, pal?”
“Frank,” it squeaked in reply, which it’d said previously. And like before, Philip waited for more which never came. “Frank, eh?” he finally said. The fire demon seemed to nod a little to this with his burny head that was also his body but that’s all. No more words for a while.
“I know who he’s talking about,” spoke propped up Lexi from behind the counter, tired from a full day’s work and needing a break. Coffee’s run out anyway, so’s the food. Only cigarettes and other burny things left. Nada New Year also at the counter had to settle for spicy gum, which she was about to pop when I took the above photo. Later she added more spice to the picture.
“Well,” said Philip Strevor. “Speak your truths, woman… girl. Tell me who this Frank is, where he is. Is he fictional or fact? Does he dwell in a house or apartment like the rest of us or is his abode that of the mind and that alone.”
“Oh he’s real,” perked up Lexi. “Came here with him, this Juho.”
“Juho?” So Philip had a name for the place now. And perhaps a name for at least one of the residents. He wanted more.
“What’s *your* name?” So Lexi told him. “And that’s Nada over there chewing away at the only nutrition I could provide at this late hour,” she added. “I’m glad you yourself are enjoying your cigarette.”
“*Gus* is enjoying the cigarette,” said Philip. “Helps keep him lit. Isn’t that right Gus?” No answer. “But pray tell, putting the caboose back on the track, where do I find this Frank if he’s real? Does he also exist in this Juho you’ve illuminated the name for? Perhaps he even lives with you.”
“I’ll take you there,” said Lexi to this, shaking off the living together part. “Quitting time in, let’s see (she checks her watch not on her arm, actually relying on an internal clock), 15 minutes. Nada, you’ll have to take what’s left of your gum and clear out too.” Nada nods in understanding. But not before doing a dance called the Johana.
20 minutes later:
“We’ll pass through Juho proper on the way over to Frank’s. I assume you’re staying a while. Got a place to live yet?”
“Well… I…”
“Then it’s settled. You’ll stay with me. One more question. What are you reading? What’s in the red book that has you so fascinated?”
“Well… *this*.” They reach a playground on the outskirts of town which Philip remembered from section 04.
He couldn’t resist recreating history. “Here, take Gus for a minute if you don’t mind.”
00450602
Just as she was watching someone, someone was watching her.
But she didn’t care. Currently she was spying on what she called The One from the branch of a park tree with Philip, certainly a detour from the town tour she promised. “*Edward*,” she spat out with some vile. “He’s suppose to be forbidden here. She’s *married*, hmph.”
“Lexi, I hate to bring it up but you promised me and Gus that meeting with Frank.”
“Oh Frank can go -f-ck himself,” she rudely declared.
“Oh. Okay.” Philip looked at Gus on his shoulder who, wide-eyed as always through the burning, just peered back wordlessly. Hard to tell if the little fire demon was shocked at the language or not.
“Soooo… who is this again?”
But Lexi suddenly became even more preoccupied. “They better not, no they better not, no no no no NO.” Shelley and Edward looked up from their attempted kiss and scanned the environment, trying to locate the source of the call. But they were deep enough in the foliage not to be spotted. The moment, however, seemed to be ruined. Good, thought Lexi, realizing the same. They’re wrapping things up, it seems, and Edward will go his own way and Shelley her’s.
“So, who’s this couple, then?” Philip tries again, watching them get up off the bench and start moving away from each other. “Edward, you said?”
“And *Shelley*. Yeah, run your cute little ass all the way home, you bitch of a girl. You temptress.”
Philip started to come around to the idea that Lexi and he would maybe be staying together but they wouldn’t be sleeping together. Not in that way. Because this obsession revealed a shells on the other side of the beach scenario. Shells as in Shelley.
“Time to go,” she then said, starting to make her way off the branch and into the park below. Philip followed suit, being careful not to spill Gus in the process. But she wasn’t quite done with Shelley today in April’s May.
“There she goes, Philip. Back into the Tunnel of Love.”
What does *that* mean, Philip thought, but didn’t ask this time. They’d been delayed long enough.
(to be continued)
00450603
Persimmon. A seed that grew into a tree. A tree whittled down to make a club. Woods (Tiger).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_(golf)
Woods are so called because, traditionally, they had a club head that was made from hardwood, generally persimmon,[1] but modern clubs have heads made from metal, for example titanium, or composite materials, such as carbon fiber
Persimmon can also be whittled down to >sim< (Juho). Or in this case, visa versa.
In another, completely different game, a Woodman working for Tyger (Claws (gang)) with an actual last name of Forrest.
https://cyberpunk.fandom.com/wiki/Oswald_Forrest
Just some random, scattered association, but maybe soon to be more.
Woods: I’m part of the older generation that grew up playing with balata balls, and part of the last generation that played persimmon.
(to be continued?)
00450604
I never left The Sphere.
I’m still in Holland!
Philip wakes up.
—–
“I have a surprise for you today, Philip,” spoke Lexi at the breakfast table set up between their two bedrooms on the upper level of her Nawt Vaya house. “I think you’ll like it.”
—–
“Holland?”
“Yeah, you said you missed Amsterdam. So: here we are (!).”
“I said I *missed* Amsterdam. As in bypassed it, or at least skirted it. I think.”
“Well… now you have a kind of second chance. A Second Lyfe second chance. We’ll start at the northwest corner here and make our way across. Just like old times.”
“Hmmm.”
“You… don’t like it?”
Yeah. Why not, he thinks. And they head toward the center of the mocked up, 2 sim city where Lexi has another bright idea.
“Let’s get bikes, Philip (!). Like that guy over there.”
—–
Riiing riiing. “Out of our way! LOSERS.”
(to be continued)
00450605
“Ummm,” goes Philip.
“Errr,” goes Lexi. Rattled Philip moves on. Lexi decides to stay. She had a purpose now.
—–
Philip’s bike then gets destroyed in an unfortunate rail accident (see background below) so he decided to pause before getting another one and instead sell some fish from a street vendor kiosk for while. Just for fun. First customer: himself, who wandered over from the Red District, eager for a talk.
“You’re not green any more,” he began. “Last time we spoke… you were green.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, *me*.” He held up a freshly battered halibut he’d been bashing with a hammer. “Fish?”
“Fishy indeed,” The Other replied. “I want to see *you* eat it. I want to see if it will instead fall out of your mouth. Because of, I don’t know, lack of internal organs?”
Philip places a quick call to Lexi. “Hi. A little help over here? I’ll send you the coordinates.”
“I-I’m busy too right now, Philip. I found something. Golden. Auto.” She also stares over at herself.
“Well hurry up (!).”
Herself rolls down the window, starts hurling similarly based accusations as Philip’s double. “I heard, *me*, that you can’t even play the trumpet. No breath.” She held out a golden instrument from the car she’d been forging with a hammer. “Music?”
She also was a bit different in appearance from her other self, no tattoos in this case. Wi-erd. What could all this mean? both think separately and then together as they rendezvous at the Fuu Kee Chinese Restaurant, doubles tagging right along. As they do.
(to be continued)
00450606
“Such brazen display, such shocking nudity.”
“I know, Momma. But some claim the human body is the highest form of art.”
“Pffft,” said Momma Cassie to this. “The human form is made to be hidden in layers of clothing, bulges and curves smoothed over… or else camouflaged in ruffles and bagginess, hmph. I turn my back on it all.” She readjusts her position on the bench to reinforce the stance.
“Right, Momma.” Andie knew discussing the subject always led to a cul-de-sac. This kind of stuff was bad and that was the end of it.
“See? This person now entering the picture has the right idea I suppose. Just grow your hair all out and let that be the end of it instead. No shape atall remains. This might be the only nudity I would condone. Better than clothes in a way, hmmm. Who is under that hair? A hag of lowest aesthetic design? A beauty — could be a man, see — of incomparable heights of loveliness? Nobody knows. Sir, sir?!” she calls over as they start to pass by, curious to find out more. “Or ma’am?!” The sir or ma’am saunters over, takes off the hat along with the attached hair, making Cassie faint. Andie looks on pleased. Prince Julian of Droop!
(to be continued?)
00450607 (to Vaalserberg!)
“So this is what it looks like inside one of these Sphere’s, huh,” Lester says with awe in his voice, amazed he could get a plane in this far. “Well boys,” he continues after admiring the glinty surroundings a bit more, “I guess we better get down to the business that brought us here.”
“No no no, Walter,” he says, watching one of his two hired goons move toward the fake loot. “Remember what we talked about, fog for brains. Just ignore those shiny, weighty, but, in the end, worthless bricks of AU. That’s just fool’s gold. Might as well be ordinary rocks compared to what we’re *really* after.”
“And — du-huh — what’s that again, boss?” asked even more ignorant Jason from behind, dressed up like a bug exterminator with Walter for a reason. A multi-armed reason. All had extra arms for one thing, as in fire. But that was all part of the ruse, the subterfuge, the diversion.
“Just leave that to me,” Lester answered cryptically (again), finding the right way forward. “Through here, yes. This must be the passageway to the climax we seek,” he said almost religiously. “Prepare yourself for fire.”
Lester punches the correct #s into the keypad that opens the sliding door. Arms drawn, they head inside — further inside.
In a parallel dimension, Philip The Other walks with them, Gus still perched on his shoulder and suddenly burning brighter than ever, ow ow ow! (pop pop pop!) But shouldn’t be long now. Just that final rise over there.
(to be continued)
00450608
“Lester, can you hear me, Lester? I’m seeing 6’s and 9’s, just like back in grade school. Where am I, Lester?”
“Oh God, Lester! I’m falling!! Falling into a pit, AHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!” Splatt.
“Oh. That wasn’t so bad.” And Philip wakes up fully on his cushioning bed and remembers that he and Lexi have an important meeting with Princess Pinky Gumm at 10:15 over in Juho. Better not be late.
(to be continued)
00450609
If I could get up on that high hill the alien bee just disappeared into, I might gain a better perspective on the whole game situation I’m stuck in. Maybe the bee thing is an indicator — ‘nother one.
It starts raining as I approach the summit, pheh. Now my feet are wet, my clothes are getting soaked. Not fun.
But I ultimately make it and peer over the top. The Data Hall: so far away!
Ahh, better. And now my feet aren’t wet, the clothes are dry. Less resolution has its place. But I clearly see the chain link fence now and know I’ll have to return another night in another dream, wire cutters in hand. Till then!
(to be continued)
00450610
Being a poor student at the local public university majoring in psychology, Peter Melanchton often came down here to the roadside ramen shop to get a free hot meal. But he had another reason to sit on this rock and eat his noodles: Shelley Johnston (Johnson?) Struthers, seen here running into that tunnel again. He often daydreamed that she was his girlfriend, and that they would run together through the whole of the Nawt Vaya inland sea, rain or shine.
Today Lexi joined him, and then, after Shelley passed into the tunnel, gave him a good lecture about stalking young girls even though she was actually doing the same here. Hypocrite, then: just wanting to eliminate the competition. Edward was enough. No need for another, pretty faced *boy* to enter the picture.
Sufficiently spooked, Peter doubled down on his studies and eventually graduated Summa cum laude from Nawt Vaya State, which means peak of his class. Doing some modelling on the side sufficed to cover the cost of food and amenities after that, no need for free. Too tempting down on that rock overlooking the tunnel entrance. Didn’t want to get a reputation, maybe even attracting the attention of the local police force. All elements illuminated in Lexi’s lecture.
—–
Later, Lexi met Philip at the local Slurpies and started bragging about the deed. Philip checked in his red book and saw this had indeed happened but 2 weeks ago. Lexi must have skipped a chapter or two, he figured. He tells her she’s late and that she needs to recalibrate her internal clock. Just then the school bells rang (dong… dong!), signaling graduation of the 2024 class where Peter just gave his Summa cum laude speech. What is happening to time??
(to be continued)
00450611
An F near the highway outta here. Must stand for Fern. That’s me! And this is my game made for walking and traveling. Since a bus is more likely to be used than any other form of transport, I call it Fernbus. Or Ferncoach; haven’t finalized. Much like the game.
Another F in the same field. Maybe: Finished? As in, finished with this game. Just over there beyond that highway sign actually leading to nowhere, motoring cars falling like lemmings into the void sea just beyond.
A third F. France. *France*?? I playfully exclaim to myself in utter shock. But this was suppose to be the corner to The Netherlands from this here direction of Germany, golly gee whiz. Where’s Vaalserberg that I created this whole game to find Philip Strevor at and maybe Mikie and Frank Lynn along with him? Where’s one of the higher rises in the entire Dutch kingdom and the highest in The Netherlands itself where everything will reach a logical climax?
Oh well, I’ll just have to take a 500 KM trip north on another one of my many game buses to Aachen to recalibrate, maybe take in the Albrecht Durer exhibit celebrating the 500 year anniversary of his visit while I’m there. Wonder if he created the print “Melancholia” when staying in the low lands? No, I think (again, playfully with myself, because I actually knew the dates of everything, the trip, the print, the painting), that would have been pre-1521 and thus before the 1 year trip to Holland. Yes, that’s where he finished “St. Jerome in his Study” instead, one of his most famous paintings as “Melancholia” is to print.
—–
Windmills old and new entering the view. Getting close! Vaalserberg here we come.
00450612
So we come to the point in our story where we have to ask: Are any of these various lines of seemingly disparate plots and sub-plots connected to some kind of central power source? Or do they all just dead end before reaching any said source? Well, I think Our Second Lyfe or My Second Lyfe still provides the juice to all this in a strong way. It may not be where I’m heading but it’s where I’m from, the photo-novels as a whole originate. So let’s put that in the middle, like a house a toddler or child might crawl or walk out of one day to find a brave new world outside full of fresh mystery and intrigue. After that, he’s kind of finished with the house or at least he thinks he is. Out There becomes the most important, like stepping through a door and leaving an old way of life behind. Crawling to walking to running… and then back to walking and then, finally, crawling (to the grave). So what is *outside*? And what are the levels of outside? When we reach a circle around this center where real cannot be distinguished from virtual, do we stop and take in the view?
Or do we just continue down the summit to the other side? Both I think. Let’s move forward. With wire cutters.
(to be continued)
00450613
Inside the fence now, wire cutters successfully employed to fulfill the dream duty needed. Let’s find out what’s in that building.
Definitely the Data Hall, good — the right place. Now to go deeper; more inside.
Internal passageway revealed by pulling this lever? Why not? Must see this through to the end since I’ve gotten this far. Alarm clock not set to go off until 9. 8:45 now. I have a bit of time left. But what’s time in a world like this that time’s forgotten? Not much.
Ahhh! A human! Sliding out from within those banks of computers; almost woke me up 7 minutes too early with his appearance but not quite. He speaks (!):
“Jack Shepherde’s not mad at me is he?” he begins cryptically enough. “I was just looking at the computers to see where all my favorite people went to. It’s been a long time since I read computer works, though, so I can’t figure out how to get their location out of the machine. I think it’s time for me to go home. Thank you for opening the door.”
And with that he glides past me in his slidey way with no steps required and down the passageway I came in through and out the front door as I followed him as best I could. I then went back to the room with the computers but the door was closed again, and immediately when I pulled down the lever like I did before, the alarm went off, RIIIIIING. I awoke in something of a sweat, knowing I didn’t have the information I needed. 9:01. Better get dressed for breakfast. Linda coming over at 9:30. Should take a shower too but it’ll be close. And at any rate, hair will be wet when she arrives because of no time to dry. Wet’s not good. Shower can wait. Slap on some deodorant, brush my teeth, drag a comb across my head and I’m good.
(to be continued)
00450614
“I-I’ve changed my mind , fellows. I shut the door back on the whole thing. There’s nothing but bright, burny fire in there. And — sorry to call you guys stupid before. Seeing that I was the most stupidest one of all.” 6’s and 9’s, he thought. Can’t even tell them apart — worse than Philip on that front.
00450615
He finds himself going backwards, back into Vijlin and reversing from the plane that couldn’t be there, fire still on shoulder…
… but not for too much longer, as he deposits it back on the ground in Echt. Shoulder cool, shoulder cool! Thank the Gods.
Distraction absent, he realized he’d missed something. Not silver (car)…
… not copper.
At Wessem, he hops back into the canal looking for the missing thing, heading for that Ell Bridge separating 8 and 9, he knew. Rail accident; something amiss. Soon enough he was there, and leapt back up on the bridge with a reverse splooshing sound and out of the canal, back to the rail where he observed it from above, heading southeast to the corner of The Netherlands. A place he’d never reach now. No burn, no burn!
He quickly turns to find the gold car. Waiting.
Backwards talk from the car but he knew what was going on now, and that he had about 10 seconds before it reversed itself off the bridge, back back back to Amsterdam or thereabouts where it came from. Gold found, gold found! he cried within. And jumped in. Time suddenly started to move forward again, Mikie greeting him with the words: “Excellent choice, Philip. Now we can go home.”
Sunklands 