The Space Opera Working Thread

Originally posted by silo13
Though I don't know what 'firefly' is - it still makes sense.

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Did the movie "Serenity" play over there? "Firefly" was the television series that spawned that movie. It only ran 13 episodes, then was taken off the air. I think Universal bought out the franchise and decided that there would be no more tv episodes after the movie for their own reasons, and killed off two of the main characters in the movie. I hated to see them go, but it lent an air of authenticity. Just as in the real world, you don't always have a choice of who gets splatted.

Originally posted by A boy in a dress

It's quite possible that within this yarn we are 'venting' our higher-level thoughts, events and
incidents that occur in the 'real world'... here on the mainland!

It may be well time to haul the leather couch out and grab a notebook!

I'll second that and make no bones about it. What I write for neno often comes out of the real world, but gets "gussied up" for the story. Just like what I have in mind for the meeting with the Rootak, neno's reaction in my head is exactly the same as I had once upon a time during a similar event in the real world.

"Margot" is patterned after my real wife (second one), who is really deceased. Just as that relationship seems to go, ours in the real world was "Love at first fight" - and pretty much stayed that way right up to the end.

"Lieutenant James" is patterned after my real son, as are those interactions between him and neno. Call it lazy, but I thought it would be easier to write about what I know, and "dress it up" to fit the sci-fi vehicle..

I'd like my couch to have "rich Corinthian leather", please...

Speaking of the Rootak, here's what I have in mind, and please correct it if any particulars are wrong.

Silo is out cold, can't tell us where the baby is.

neno has to do his door to door search of abandoned cabins (where of course he's going to find exactly nothing).

The Rootak, since they keep an eye on the place, follow him through the deep dark woods to see what on Earth he's up to.

I haven't yet figured out just how they're supposed to recognize who he is when they do.

THEY stand up in the brush and initiate contact with HIM, rather than him tracking them down.

here's the real world nugget: neno looks at the standing Rootak, and says something along the lines of "ain't no way I'm gonna try to shoot THAT! It might just piss it off!" (yeah, really happened. November 1979.).

Neno's cat, on patrol with him, just sits there like it's an everyday thing, cocks it's head to the side like a dog when the Rootak starts speaking English of all things. (note: "real world" recordings of actual bigfoot speech speaking english sounds like folks who have never been able to hear, but still learn to speak - sort of slurred and thick-tongued, but understandable. There are recordings of it on the 'net somewhere, but I've never heard it "in the wild")

Neno is of course thinking "Yeah, some help YOU are!"

Still haven't figured out how the baby gets from "here" to 23rd century Vandalia, but the Rootak informs neno that it's gone, and that's where it went.

Closing scene is the Rootak telling neno that "you CAN'T be in the same place at the same time as the baby. That baby is YOU."

Curtain drops.

P.S.: we gotta find another name for neno's "cat". Having two cats named Sasquatch is getting confusing!

Originally posted by A boy in a dress

A humanoid with an 'olde-world High moral' view on right-and-wrong? Someone who would
shrug such access to power off and prefer to wander the worlds alone?
A man who'd prefer to answer with a clip around the lug-hole rather than teach with a carrot-leading
principle?

Now that's the challenge... either we fit him into the standard mould... or we change the mould,
Foundry and workforce to appease the bad tempered man who walks alone!!!

Onwards...?!

There's also the exploration of how the mundane becomes the divine through the story-teller's magic. Using an episode from "Gilgamesh" again, he was most likely an actual person, one of the early Sumerian kings of Uruk in Iraq ("Iraq" actually comes from the name "Uruk" - their internet network is still called "UrukNet"). One of the episodes in that epic is when Gilgamesh (demi-god in the story) kills "The Bull of Heaven", angering the full-fledged goddess Inanna. That's the story as it stands NOW, but it likely sprang from some real event where the actual (wholly human) king Gilgamesh challenged the power of Inanna (patron goddess of Uruk) in some way, through some blatantly contrary action, and actually angered the high priestess of Inanna (also wholly human) rather than any actual goddess, and sparked off a conflict between Church and State in doing so. In the actual events, it was an entirely human interaction, but after the story tellers got ahold of it and worked their magic, it was a "half-god" Gilgamesh in an epic confrontation with a "full-goddess" Inanna.

No, Gilgamesh didn't get the girl in the end - Dumuzi, a shepherd, did.

Robert Silverberg's "Gilgamesh the King" is his take on the events behind the legends, and a pretty good read if you're into that sort of thing.

Sometimes, seemingly average humans will do things so outrageous, so "superhuman", that in the repeated retelling of the tale, it grows into something more than it was at the beginning.

As another example from the real world, about 4 or 5 years after I left home, I went back for a visit, and a story was circulating about me that I had at some point lived in the woods for 2 years straight running from the law and eating buzzards which I cooked with a Bic lighter, and nothing more. That story had it's origin in several separate (and largely unrecognizable in the final product) episodes which really happened, but got blown all out of proportion and welded together. No, no actual buzzards were harmed in the production of that myth

Yes, I DID live in the woods a lot - but not two years straight without coming out!

I once passed a Bic lighter under a soy-burger - more as a joke, and unspoken statement that I didn't think it was done.

I once ran into 2 baby buzzards in a log way up in the mountains - scared the crap out of me, and I ran like hell downhill away from 'em after I got my dog out of there. Nasty critters, but I never hurt 'em. I wouldn't have gotten close enough to, even if I'd had the inclination.

I'm not sure where they got the notion that I was ever on the run from the law... never happened that I know of - and I ought to!

Thing is, sometimes the darndest things get "legendized", and what we have here are some events that would ALREADY be considered supernatural at some technological level.

Godhood ain't always what it's cracked up to be.... ... and a reluctant "god" together with the discomfort that notion produces in them, has a world of possibility!

reply to post by nenothtu

Oh I meant Adam - Just had Neno and his pocket full a slugs on the brain...

Oh - and direct me to a post about this quote - if you've got one! (I mean outside of the Space Opera)!

(yeah, really happened. November 1979.).

Since we’re headed back to Ship at some point - well - Ship’s been ‘quiet’ and awful long time, as has Deson.
Last we heard Ship sent Chumley off to find Silo and The baby.
How about we get Deson to come and ‘get’ everyone?
I’m sure either of you, BIAD or Neno can figure out a Deson built small landing craft that can find everyone and time jump??? (I’ve not a clue how to make that sound even half way realistic)...

Or - we can fall back on a CindyMars teleport - meaning Deson uses one to find us all and take who ever's willing back???

Anyway, since it’s been a while and since Ship doesn’t have all that much faith in Chumley in his new position as Captain - it would make sense Deson or Ship does something to lend a hand?

*Tosses idea into the ring - adds water and shakes*

reply to post by silo13


No, I've never posted that particular episode at ATS. It sounds pretty outlandish, but really happened.

Before you panic and cry out "Aw Creator... BIAD's gone all religious!" don't worry.
I'm setting up an idea I have that won't interfere with the plot and will prove that the
character Nenothtu is his own man.

The Cat's name is a puzzler... I'm at a loss there.

There may be a another Henge up ahead and using Tibb's amulet and BIAD's
gift with stones, the group may well be on it's way!
(BIAD had the trinket last and it's worrying me where he's stashed it!)

reply to post by A boy in a dress


Fabulous post in the story thread!
Great stuff that...
I'll sit back and watch what happens now, I don't want to mess it up and it's too much fun to watch! (Well, read)!
Really enjoyable read...

Another bit of what - insight?

CindyMars has been hopping galaxies and back again for eons - stitching time to her liking.

Keeping that in mind - she’s also a writer...

Could it be she’s left notes and instructions and information - maybe even coded - in her book ‘Serendipity’ - the one Adam likes so well?

Maybe even Adam will start to put two and two together and want to take another look at the edition of CindyMar’s book Serendipity in her Cabin? Possibly even why the Rootak watch the cabin so closely is to guard this book? You know, the 'hidden in plain sight' thing?

Could there be - maybe there is - something more to that book of hers than a nice story and a pretty cover?

The ‘Readers’ have no idea what that story is - so - couldn’t we make of it what we will to support ‘The Neno’? Or The Big Rip, or The Dark Lord? Some kind of manual?

Just wondering...

Question -

The urge to post is overwhelming, lol, but! Are we all out in the snow in/on a search for the baby and/or the Sasquatch, or, are we waiting for Tib's to do his thing? I'm just a little confused about that part.

Thanks!

EDIT TO ADD:

And if we're going to the Sasquatch 'lair' to find The Baby?

Could this be where we're going???

...Turn on the vid...then scroll down...if you dare...

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[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/3634826d6aa2.jpg[/atsimg]

Another bit of input...

I know what you said Neno about not sending Silo back to Ship alone, but, now as the story progresses and there is The Baby for you to find (???) - I was wondering if you wanted to go ahead and send Silo back with Squatch and Mili? They'd make sure she was put in her healing machine - there's really nothing anyone can do but that. Also, it would leave a character back on the Yydryl if needed???

What say you Neno and BIAD?

EDIT = And as for my last post, well, I wrapped up what happened to the baby - regardless of what you all decide to do with it we couldn't just leave the wee thing out in the cold.

And completely off the story line, just in case you missed it? I think the wolves ate the 'missing link'...

Originally posted by silo13
Question -

The urge to post is overwhelming, lol, but! Are we all out in the snow in/on a search for the baby and/or the Sasquatch, or, are we waiting for Tib's to do his thing? I'm just a little confused about that part.

Thanks!

I think we're heading into the forested wilderness to see if we can find the baby. I thought it was already IN the cave - that's where I had the impression that the birth took place. Didn't see any claims on it by ma bigfoot coming, though. I've no clue how to separate her from it, nor do I have the want-to at this point. maybe figure a way to send the both of 'em to Vandalia.

My idea was to let the Rootak approach US, since I can't think of a scarier thing than wading into a cave full of bigfeet.

I once went into a cave with a friend (we were on a peculiar mission to capture giant rats that lived there, since no one believed rats got that big). Now, going into the cave, we saw deer bones that had been rat gnawed, but didn't think much of it, thinking instead that the rats had dragged them in there by the piece off of deer kills in the woods. Got way back in the cave, still no rats. There was a small tunnel you had to crawl about 25 or 30 feet through on your belly, and it opened into a large room, dry dirt floor. Still no rats. At the far side of that room, and slightly to the right, the cave continued down a muddy slope with a fair sized pool of water at the bottom, then back upwards on another muddy slope. We went down the slope. Still hadn't seen any of the rats, but their nests were still around, unoccupied.

At the pool at the bottom of the slope, in the mud, there were a bunch of cat tracks, leading down the slope, milling around the pool, and back up it. Just regular house-cat sized cat tracks. We discussed it, decided the rats would have whooped any house cat foolish enough to go in there (these were regular gray rats, but had bodies about a foot and a half long, not counting the tails), so we decided to go onwards. Going up the slope on the other side, I saw a "cat" track interspersed among all the others that was about 4 inches or so wide, and pointed it out to my companion by saying "Don, those ain't cat tracks, they're kitten tracks. THERE is momma's track!"

In spite of the mud to be climbed and the belly crawling to be done, we got back out of that cave in far less than half the time it took us to get into it.

Once back outside, we rationalized it to one another that it was OLD panther tracks, just in out of the weather and so preserved. Fish and game insisted there weren't any panthers left around there, so there was no telling how old the tracks were. Nevertheless, I wasn't going back in there, and he wasn't, either. Something spooky about the rats being suddenly gone and finding those tracks, all at the same time.

Since it was easier to travel the hills at the top of the cliff than to climb down and travel along the river bank (too much brush there), we went up the course of a mountain brook in a hollow towards the top. In this brook, there were boulders strewn around with moss all over them, and as we went, I found claw marks on the boulders that were about the same width as the big tracks in the cave, where the cat had scratched off moss here and there scooting along on them. Evidently that was HER travel trail, too, and the tracks weren't as old as we had presumed.

Over the next couple of weeks, several dogs were attacked and hurt near my house, and one (a little pug that feared nothing) was killed. Around the pug's body, we found another of those big cat tracks in the mud, and one of my friends made a plaster cast of it, just to prove it had been there. Just a suddenly as the dog attacks had started, they stopped about a month later.

That was ONE panther, normal panther size, with babies, that we never actually saw in there. No way in the world would I want to stumble into a cave full of Rootaks!

SILO, I'll U2U you and explain why.

reply to post by silo13


I think Chumley wouldn't leave Silo for anything, since she was his mission, so he'd likely go back with her, and then we would have to find TWO ways back, one for Silo and entourage, and one for neno and whoever else stayed behind.

Now Tibbs seems to have "fixed" or "recharged" neno's little globe bauble that Cim gave him, so that's one way. Any ideas for another? I agree that it's a bad idea to leave Silo out in this cold in her condition, so we'll either likely have to send her and Chumley back, or wrap this up and send the whole crew.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now we know why neno is so messed up - suckled at the breast of a bigfoot, and his big brother eaten by wolves!

We still can't put neno and baby neno in the same place at the same time. Some folks say that can't be done, and others say there's a way around it ("many worlds" theory ala John Titor), Figuring out how to move the baby out to 23 century Vandalia kills two birds with one stone - put's neno at "home" as a baby, and satisfies the folks who say the universe would end right then and there if the two who are one ever met.

On the other hand, a meeting up with momma bigfoot would go a long way in explaining how they know who neno is.

Decisions, decisions....

Edit to add: Pecos Bill's claim to have been raised on panther milk ain't got nothin' on neno - he seems to have got his straight from the spout!

I went back and re-read the birthing post, found here.

A few points in it became apparent, which may find some use now:

1. Rootak are also telepathic.

2. a stranger called the Other is present with the Rootak just before the birth.

3. Silo is on a "cave floor" at the birth. Her tears fall on it.

4. The Other says "it's the child we want - the mother is expendable".

5. The Elder tells the Other that "this is not your world!"

6. The Other says she'll kill them both before she'll allow the child to know it's mother.

7. The Other snaps a disc and bails out before the birth, when she thinks the child is dead or dying, and already "damaged"..

Who was this "Other", what was her interest in the child, and where was she from? Initially I though we could have her spirit the baby away to it's final destination, but since she left before the birth, that's unlikely.

Animals tell who individuals are by scent - I see no reason to make the Rootak any different in that regard, so they'll no doubt be able to figure out who neno is, although it's likely to get confusing for them, since he's an adult now, just hours after the birth.

Neno seems to have a predisposition towards telepathy himself, although he tends to try to rationalize it as "hallucination" or "imagination". That could figure in to the meeting with the Rootak in some way.

I recommend re-reading that birthing post, because there appear to be nuggets in there that can be mined for use in the current situation.

I love it when a plan comes together - and wasn't really "planned out" to begin with!

reply to post by nenothtu

Ok, before I go through your posts step by step I want to say I should have emphasized the baby being 'turned out' by the family. I tried to make it obvious to readers that one, they wanted no part of the whole thing (Silo’s birth) but had no choice as 'Evil' CindyMars would expose them.

Also - the Matriarch let CM think both Silo and the baby had died - again - not wanting blood on her hands or to be involved in evil. So the best they could do was to Silo 'back' and then, in self preservation leave the baby for the wolves.

Sorry I was so unclear I'll try to define those points in future posts but again it might not be such a bad thing. Leaves room for explanations and twists.


Oh, and yeah, I agree there'd be no way to separate Silo and Chumley. Forgot about the big green guy momentarily, lol.

So you want Rootaks to come to you, and, not to have to go in the cave?

Well, we could have Bransom show up - that would bring them out...
Or...
The young female could leave the family afraid for the babies well-being... (The prophesy ofbeing 'cut in two' - she can't leave she can't stay...)
Or...
Dunno yet, lol.

Back to your post...

Neno and BIAD,

Ok here’s the thing. CindyMars and I talked outside of ATS. She wanted to do the ‘evil’ thing and I wanted to keep her ‘alive’ as much as possible in the story in hopes that soon she’ll have more time for the Opera, something she’s working towards ‘for real’.

So, I had to be a bit vague with the post - partly because it was hard for me to write a friend of mine - even their character - as ‘evil’ and also as not to nail down the plot in too many definites.

As far as I can tell there is a tie-in with ‘Evil CM’ and the Dark Lord - Or - when we can all come to terms with what we’re ultimately fighting - if it’s not the Dark Lord we’ll have to have Evil CindyMars (ECM) have a tie in to that.

4. The Other says "it's the child we want - the mother is expendable".

Ok, again ‘The Other’ is ECM (evil CindyMars).

In the story Silo is sure she hears Cindy's voice, but, there is no one there but ‘The Other’ and the Matriarch. I know, I kept it vague, but, again, I was having a real hard time making ECM ‘evil‘. But yeah, it was her.

‘Shhhhh Silo...‘ A raspy sound hollow and low pitched hissed next to her ear. ‘Everything will be alright now.’ Came the voice that was CindyMar’s, and not CindyMar’s at all...

and (later)

‘DAMNNNNNN!’ She screamed half way through the first tune. Her battery was dead.

‘Cindy?’ Silo’s eyes popped open wide sure she heard her friends voice. ‘Please Cindy, I‘m here! Help me.’ She sobbed. And waited.

5. The Elder tells the Other that "this is not your world!"

Leaving it open for interpretation in the story as we go along.
I wasn’t sure if you all wanted the Rootak in another dimension or that their home is so hidden, by 'magic' or otherwise, no one could find it without already knowing the way.

Also, calling ECM ‘The Other’ and even having CindyMars use the words ‘Others’ (when she felt Neno, BIAD, Tibs, Chumley, etc were on the way) - well - I guess I should have used what? The ‘Outsiders’ - but it’s just so overused.

I should have emphasized ‘US’= Rootak, anyone else is ‘Others’.

Like when they slide Silo up on the “Others’ cabin deck/doorstep, alluding to CindyMars (she was really there in her evil form) and ‘Others’ being ‘other’ than Rootak.

6. The Other says she'll kill them both before she'll allow the child to know it's mother.

Another ‘nugget’ (?) to build on.

Originally I had a story to go along with this but it’s gone with the winds of change now so we’ll have to build on why Silo can’t know her kid.

(I’d thought - past tense- Silo’s child was not going to be hers. Silo was only a surrogate for Ship, something Silo would find out in time. Ship’s has tried so hard to ‘materialize’ over the course of the Opera, but can’t no matter what she does. So, by impregnating Silo with her ‘essence’ - and Carpet’s and Swarg’s - it would have given Ship the ‘Capitan’ she always wanted. Her daughter, herself).

See how the story changed of it’s own violation!

7. The Other snaps a disc and bails out before the birth, when she thinks the child is dead or dying, and already "damaged"..

Again, ECM. As for damaged - the birth taking so long - but - Neno is fine. It was a ‘story’ made by the Matriarch, or,was it? Time will tell.

WAIT! A BRAINSTORM!

You’ll not have to separate the young Rootak and Neno against her will.
Her milk and warmth have kept the child from dying, but, it isn’t thriving.
The baby begins to fail (the hard birth) or milk, whatever... Neno’s wet-nurse, the young Rootak willingly gives Baby Neno to Neno (?) to ‘take to the ‘Other’s’ to make the baby better. So it survives?

Would that work?

Animals tell who individuals are by scent - I see no reason to make the Rootak any different in that regard, so they'll no doubt be able to figure out who Neno is, although it's likely to get confusing for them, since he's an adult now, just hours after the birth.

That part I like - a lot - especially since the Matriarch knew the two wolves where waiting in the shadows by their scent.

Neno seems to have a predisposition towards telepathy himself, although he tends to try to rationalize it as "hallucination" or "imagination". That could figure in to the meeting with the Rootak in some way.

Fits well.

Though, I don’t know why Neno couldn’t see his ‘youngling’ self?
I just don’t get that part.
I mean, I can understand not being able to meet his self-self (same age, time, etc) but I don’t understand why he couldn’t ‘meet’ his young baby self? You know, ‘the child is the father of the man’ and all that???

Eek! Lots huh.

I hope BIAD will give us/me some idea what’s up with Tibs so I don’t mess something up. I tried to keep the Baby Neno being saved by Rootak as a ‘story’ within the story, for that reason.

I'll catch up on the above shortly, BIAD and I posted apparently conflicting posts at the same time, and I'm fixing mine to conform at the moment. Wait a bit, don't edit anything - I'll fix it.

Edit to update: OK, I think I got it fixed. Let me know if you find any conflicts in it.

reply to post by nenothtu

Edit to add: Pecos Bill's claim to have been raised on panther milk ain't got nothin' on neno - he seems to have got his straight from the spout!

Oh damn, lol.

Rootak milk straight from the spout huh...

Ok, reading up in the thread - I came here first before checking the story, but I'm loving it!

So that means Silo, Dag, Neno and Chumley are back on Ship?

Wowza!


Ok, so, That wipes out a lot of my last post here in the working thread but I'll leave it - I like to see later how things change and flow as we go.

So, let me know if you want the young mother to bring you little Neno because he's not thriving - OR - how I can help out next with Baby Neno.

Or please - write about little Neno yourselves and I'll take care of Silo, Chumley, Dag and Adam. That might be better wouldn't you think?

Sorry for the dealy and silence... I'm Honourable Secretary for
a game here and it can get quite busy sorting out competitions
and monies at this time of year.

I've 'moved' the crew to another place and I'm sure Silo13 can
fill in the details... (I'm not up to scratch with the ship's innards!)...

I believe it's time Neno did his 'thing' and go a-hunting... his cat is
already on the case!

I hope I haven't ruined any plans.
BIAD.