Before - Legends Recognition (Horror, OC) 3,000 years pre-TPM, Updated 10/14

Chapter 17

Help.

What a deceptively simple word, capable of surprisingly unpredictable and catastrophic outcomes.

There were two kinds of help, that twin-barrel carbine grinning at you, asking if you want some.

Once again, it all came back to a binary choice, just like all those years ago on Alderaan, when I chose to save the life of a scumbag named C.Q. Wikksby.

You could get help from the outside, trading self-confidence for self-doubt like an unwanted sabbac card on the gaming table. I tried that once on Carida.

On the run from a pack of jungle banshees employed by the Exchange, I went to ground with some old business partners who owed me big. We worked together and lived together for a while and that was lovely.

Apparently honor isn?t what it used to be. In my debt or not, my partners sold me out to the Exchange for a measly forty-five thousand credits. I got a blaster bolt in the thigh for my troubles; they got funerals for theirs.

That kind of help is a lot like balancing on the edge of a precipice, waiting for your center of gravity to shift and send you screaming to the bottom. You wait until the repulsorlifts are pulled out from under you and the hand of help becomes the fist of resentment.

I learned my lesson then. This time would be different, because I?d take the path less traveled. A binary choice is a lot easier to make when you?ve tried one of your options and failed.

Laying there sobbing in the sand, I decided to go with the other kind of help ? the flip side of relying on others.

I decided to help myself.

You may remember my earlier description of a very strange game I used to play when the summer hours stood on end and there was nothing else to do. I would sit perfectly still and think of first absolutely nothing ? I would focus my mind on that black void you see when your eyes are closed as tightly as you can. Once I had managed that, I would simply let go ? of everything. It was as if I was floating away, but my body stayed in the same place. I imagined myself as a different entity entirely.

It was a very bizarre and surreal feeling. Me, and everything I?d ever known, would become like a stranger. I would watch myself from afar in a distant, curious fashion?and it was like I wasn?t that person. The experience was very abstract in that I could never quite understand what it was that I was doing.

Looking back, that seems like an allegory for my childhood ? there are still days when I feel like it was someone else doing those things, someone else living that life. Indistinct and ambiguous?that?s how I?d describe my early years.

I know what you?re thinking: Did the parents Landrith feed this guy spice-laced Trandoshan Treats as a kid, or what? On most days, I?d tend to agree with you.

But face-down in sand against the sweltering sun, a prisoner of my own mind, with unwanted eyes in the back of my head and too many mysteries on the front side, I dredged up that little childhood game. I drifted away, split my consciousness, and floated on the warm Psamtiki breeze.

In a moment, everything can change.

Because, you see, in doing so I came to a very welcome result.

I broke that thing?s grip upon me. The eyes floated away, as did that uncomfortable feeling that someone ? or something ? is watching you.

Once more, I was my own man.

---

I was tired of playing half a pazaak game, sitting back while my adversary made all of the moves. Up until now, I?d been in a one-sided bar fight, taking blow after blow without anything to show for it.

Help[i]less[/i] wasn?t part of that binary choice.

I didn?t know what corner of the universe that mysterious creature came from, or what cruel twist of fate brought it to my backyard

(or you to [i]its[/i] backyard?)

but one thing was clear to me: if I didn?t start fighting for my life, I was going to lose it.

It was time to bring the battle home to that thing-that-shouldn?t be.

With a throaty growl, I thrust myself up from the beach sand and climbed

 

Whoa! It's a Recognition update!

I'm glad Kaeso has figured out a way to resist the creature... but somehow I don't think his mini-WMD collection is going to be a great help against it. Also, shooting giant illegal weapons into the water likely won't convince anyone that he is sane. And if the creature gets control of him again, isn't it possible that it could make him run amok?!

Yup, I'm pretty sure this isn't a good idea.

Also, that preview does mean the next chapter is coming soon, right?

 

Help...I decided to help myself. & everything in between.

Great opening to the chapter Ex.



I broke that thing?s grip upon me. The eyes floated away, as did that uncomfortable feeling that someone ? or something ? is watching you.

Once more, I was my own man.

Alright Kaeso, let me save my fist-pumping until after the chapter though...


Without so much as a stray glance, I let the secret armory close behind me and walked to my speeder. My destination had never been more clear to me ? it was the same one I had apparently traveled to many times recently. This time, however, it would be different.

This time I was going to blow that ugly thing right back to the hole it crawled out of.

Fist pumping commenced. Time for the merc to do what he does best!

Great update Exeter.

In fact, I expect it.

 

Apparently honor isn?t what it used to be. In my debt or not, my partners sold me out to the Exchange for a measly forty-five thousand credits. I got a blaster bolt in the thigh for my troubles; they got funerals for theirs.

That kind of help is a lot like balancing on the edge of a precipice, waiting for your center of gravity to shift and send you screaming to the bottom. You wait until the repulsorlifts are pulled out from under you and the hand of help becomes the fist of resentment.

I learned my lesson then. This time would be different, because I?d take the path less traveled. A binary choice is a lot easier to make when you?ve tried one of your options and failed.

Laying there sobbing in the sand, I decided to go with the other kind of help ? the flip side of relying on others.

I decided to help myself.

I loved these lines. I love the way the action is building. So Kaeso is ready to do something about his situation, but there's no guarantee things will go well. With his track record, I'd say that's probably out of the question. I definitely look forward to the next update. And, as usual, you author responses were as entertaining as the story, Ex.

 

Edit: Not sure how this got double-posted.

 

All right, Kaeso!! He's back! He's bad! He's packing a 'Facemelter'!

But he'll find that things have changed, eh? Now you've got me wondering what that's all about.

 

Great work as usual, Mike, and for this chapter I especially like the flow you gave Kaeso's thoughts as they moved from self-pity to a sort of self-empowerment (tinged of course with the obligatory flashbacks)as they had a certain...lyracism that just really worked well together.

Of course, the Copyrighted Recognition humor didn't hurt the reading of the tale at all. (Honestly, Trandoshan Treats?)

And I can't wait for the next chapter where I'll be sure to begin keeping a running count for all the twists you throw at us, Mr. M. Night Exeter.

See you round.

AoW, the guy who does respond before an author's death.

 

Dude. This post totally exuded coolness!

(Well, the kind of coolness that guys who like to blow **** up get into, anyway. I mean, if your definition of ?cool? is hanging out at the local park watching old people play chess, then this post sucked big-time. Anyway?.)

Cool moment number 1:

Apparently honor isn?t what it used to be. In my debt or not, my partners sold me out to the Exchange for a measly forty-five thousand credits. I got a blaster bolt in the thigh for my troubles; they got funerals for theirs.



Talk about cold! I love this guy! (I might have said that already.)

Cool moment number 2:

I broke that thing?s grip upon me. The eyes floated away, as did that uncomfortable feeling that someone ? or something ? is watching you.

Once more, I was my own man.

That?s just awesome! This damned sea-thing has been getting on my last nerve (Kaeso?s too, it seems). So it?s pretty cool that Kaeso?s got an out now. There?s nothing cooler than being your own man.

Cool moment number 4:

Seconds later I was inside the hidden room, surrounded by the tools of my trade. There were heavy blaster carbines strong enough to punch through an ion engine block and compact pistols so tiny they could fit in a jacket pocket. Explosives, ballistic armor, sophisticated equipment, you name it, and I probably had it.

Dude! I love this guy! (Is there an echo in here?) You gotta love a guy who has his own, personal arsenal. That the guy can kill you before you even know he?s there just makes him way cooler.

Coolest moment (I can?t really count past 4):

I selected a heavy electrotex flak vest, my custom-trigger, extended- barrel Facemelter (I coined that one)

Hahaha! ?Facemelter? I love it!

That?s just plain?well..cool!

Awesome job, man! Simply Awesome!!

 

raisedbywolves - Whoa! It's a Recognition update!

I was surprised as you were. The things money can buy!

I'm glad Kaeso has figured out a way to resist the creature... but somehow I don't think his mini-WMD collection is going to be a great help against it.

You're what we call an astute reader

I laughed out loud when I saw "mini-WMD collection".

Of course, the Recognition Trailer pretty much confirms your theory.

Also, shooting giant illegal weapons into the water likely won't convince anyone that he is sane.

That's the great thing about Kaeso, though. He doesn't have to prove he's sane to anyone - except himself.

And if the creature gets control of him again, isn't it possible that it could make him run amok?!

There's that astute thing, again. It's funny - you just echoed one of our characters in a future scene. You're absolutely right. Considering he's just learned that he may be responsible for what happened to Evadne, arming himself in such a state may actually make things worse.

Yup, I'm pretty sure this isn't a good idea.

This whole story is one big bad idea thrown at him.

Also, that preview does mean the next chapter is coming soon, right?

You're three for three this time around. Amazingly, yes. The new chapter is here.

Thanks for sticking with Recognition

c_ale - Great opening to the chapter Ex.

Nice opening yourself. I really like the part about my chapter being great.

Alright Kaeso, let me save my fist-pumping until after the chapter though...

You thought the creature was going to eat him, didn't you? Well, stay tuned - there's still a lot of story left!

Fist pumping commenced. Time for the merc to do what he does best!

In his words, to get his "merc mojo on."

Great update Exeter.

Thanks!

In fact, I expect it.

Suddenly I feel like Suaron after he gave all those crazy guys magic rings. The power, the power!

Or something.

Leona - Fantastic to see Kaeso able to resist, though I fear how long it may last if it's been steadily growing stonger as it is.

I think you're the first to actually comment on the creature's growing strength. You're definitely right. Even as Kaeso starts mounting a defense, the creature is gathering its own strength ever so slowly.

I really like that passage!

It was so much fun to write. I was practically drooling.

Hold on to that thought, it may not be a easy as all that.

Of course not. It never is.

Bale - I loved these lines. I love the way the action is building.

So do I. Especially since we're getting to the actual action, which I've really been looking forward to. Only took a year and a half to get there

So Kaeso is ready to do something about his situation, but there's no guarantee things will go well. With his track record, I'd say that's probably out of the question.

Poor Kaeso. Everybody thinks he's a troublemaking whackjob...

Oh, wait.

I definitely look forward to the next update. And, as usual, you author responses were as entertaining as the story, Ex.

Hey, I figure if you've gotta sit through the endless months of my laziness, the least I can do is give some attention to the replies.

What happened with the double post, dude?

Thanks for reading, Bale.

BigE - All right, Kaeso!! He's back! He's bad! He's packing a 'Facemelter'!

I know, isn't it great to see him finally in action, taking charge?

But he'll find that things have changed, eh? Now you've got me wondering what that's all about.

Read on, my friend. Things have really changed.

Andrew - I'm pretty sure you're arrival here signals the apocalypse.

Of course, the Copyrighted Recognition humor didn't hurt the reading of the tale at all. (Honestly, Trandoshan Treats? )

Well, I'd just used Wookiee Cookies in the last chapter

An

 

Yes, that's right - two Recognition chapters in the same month. A miracle, I know. This one is a bit long, but none of you should be very surprised by that. I'm a pretty long-winded guy. Hopefully, you'll all find it enjoyable.

---

[b]Chapter 18[/b]

I took the speeder through a dense series of back trails once used by Psamtiki ground vehicles in the planet?s early days of colonization. The dense undergrowth of beach vegetation, capitalized by towering stiletto palms, gave the trails the effect of being floral caves. It made me feel like I was creeping up on the creature.

It was absurd, of course. A thing that has contracted its slimy grip on your grey matter and plays creepy voyeur to your innermost thoughts can hardly be ambushed or surprised. But it made me feel more confident, and as far as I was concerned, that was all that mattered.

I brought my speeder to a stop in a small clearing about a hundred meters from the edge of the tree line and then walked the rest of the distance. I felt remarkably clear-minded ? no ?double-vision?, no pounding headaches. I did my best to push aside the fact that it appeared I had done something terrible to Evadné or that it seemed I hadn?t slept in nearly a week. They were both impossible to my rational mind, and for that reason I pushed them aside.

Besides, by destroying the creature, I was fighting a proxy battle against those impossibilities. I couldn?t face them head on, not without going insane. But I could do what I do best ? blow the kriff out of anything and everything in my way.

I reached the edge of the vegetation and took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the coming task. I looked down at the heavy duranium case in my hand, loaded with more credits worth of weaponry than the Gross Planetary Product of a dozen planets in the outer rim.

I was ready. Placing one foot in front of the other, I pushed aside the dense plants and stepped forward.

What I found was completely unexpected.

Instead of a kilometer of pristine, undisturbed beach cradling the ocean there was a nexus of bristling activity. A thick duranium perimeter fence had been erected encircling the beach, perforated at a single point of ingress where the reinforced gate rested. I counted a dozen men and women ? plus two Iridonians ? stalking the interior on some sort of pre-arranged patrol pattern. Each one was armed with a light blaster carbine.

[i]What the hell?[/i]

To the east, outside of the fence, I spotted a hulking Barabel working on concentric rings of pylons inserted into the sand. I?d used similar devices before; they were part of a sonic-defense system triggered by motion or body heat, used to deter animals or sentients, depending on their calibrated potency.

Collapsible guard towers had been erected at strategic points along the fence. Mounted along their metal struts were powerful floodlights. Almost everything appeared to be hooked into a series of efficient solar panels that were very popular on Psamtik.

It was an incredible sight to see. But [i]why[/i]?

The fact that the perimeter fence perfectly cordoned off the area that led to where Markos and I had first found the creature was not lost upon me.

I was frozen into complete immobility, gripped with the terror of an Ewok who?s suddenly realized his ridiculous fantasy of defeating legions of heavily armored and superbly trained shock troops with nothing but the ingenuity of his furry native brethren was the stupidest mistake of his life.

It wasn?t the fence or the armed guards; I?d assaulted fortresses far more heavily guarded than this one. It was the complete startling out-of-the-ocean-blue arrival of this feat of engineering the middle of backwater Psamtik, and front and center in the spot where I had planned to make my final stand against the creature.

I realized a few of the guards had spotted me and my hand tightened on the duranium case. Yet none of them seem concerned about my intrusion ? in fact, a woman with a repeating rifle slung on her back glanced at

 

Three for three? Sounds like it's time to start making wild guesses!

Ummm... The soldiers are all zombies controlled by the creature, who is bribing government officials into accepting his undead beach junta by giving them insider trading tips gleaned from his Sith visions of the future!

You, Exeter, are actually the Creature and this story is intended to bring us ever farther into your evil clutches!

Every time the Facemelter rings, an angel gets his wings!

Right?


In the summer literary masterpieces so brilliant that only the only time they?re cracked on Psamtik is by beachgoers with a few hours to kill

*stretches out on sand*

*sips frosty drink*

Yup, you've pretty much got your fan base pegged here.

The high bluffs that overlooked Adhara City were as much a social spectacle as they were a natural one.

I loved the entire description of The Bluffs (and can't you just see the tasteful little fake stone developer's signage and the pennants with "The Bluffs" on them?)

The jutting travesty of architecture loomed around a bend in the concourse, a harsh mixture of glass and durasteel that contrasted poorly with the wood and stone of the rest of the planet?s designs.

Hey! *hugs her Philip Johnson and Mies van der Rohe books* What do you have against Modernism?

?Oh, here it is!? I exclaimed jubilantly and stuffed the bore of the high-power droid disruptor into the droid?s left photoreceptor. ?Here you go, friend!?

Ahh... What SW fan hasn't had these kinds of protocol-droid destruction fantasies?

(Good work disguising Kaeso's increasing insanity by pitting him against typical targets of SW humor and making us think it's all kind of slapsticky, by the way)

I am rich but I do not wish to appear rich so I will wear what I perceive to be what the unwashed masses wear.

I think I'm gonna start a sportswear label named that.

A writer.

Self-insertion!!!!11!

But this man was solidly built, a real tank of a man ? the atoll in the sea of normal humans. The tunic underneath his cloak rippled as he moved, betraying coils of muscle that no novelist had any business developing. I was instantly wary of him.

OK, maybe not.

?My name?s Kaeso Landrith,? I told him, ?and we?re going to have a little talk.?

A trace of a sardonic smile crept across Ramsubash?s face.

?Well, isn?t this a bit of a cliffhanger.?

Dramatic irony much?

This was a very enjoyable chapter. Can't wait to figure out what's going on here.

 

?So?you have a superior I could talk to? Because ? and I say this with the utmost courtesy ? you?re a very annoying person.?

If the Weequay was offended, he didn?t show it.

This frustrating conversation was fabulous. If it drove Kaeso nuts it probably drove the readers twice as nuts.



He was nothing like what I had expected. I had imagined a slender, effeminate holo-jockey, whose bark would probably be far worse than his bite. A self-labeled intellectual. A pompous Porkins. A guy who makes up fanciful nonsense for a living. The worst sort of person.

A writer.

Ha! That was a good one...hey, wait a minute!


(Thankfully I only make stuff up for fun. If I had to make a living on it, I'd be living in a cardboard box).

 

It was the complete startling out-of-the-ocean-blue arrival of this feat of engineering the middle of backwater Psamtik, and front and center in the spot where I had planned to make my final stand against the creature.

At first, I was thinking, "oh, someone is trying to trap the beast", then as the description progressed and I figured out what was going on, I started thinking the same as Kaeso: "What the hell?"



The alien grinned back, or he may have simply been constipated. Under all of those handsome wrinkles, it was tough to say.



Yeah, that overblown holodrama personality Jac Bau-er could probably do it, but so could I if all of my adversaries conveniently had the collective aim and intelligence of a Gungan who rides the short cruiser to school.

Yeah Kaeso, I wasn't too happy with the season finale either!


A pompous Porkins.

Ah, so he's familiar with the famed Porkins leniage...


?Why are you holding a gun on me? What do you want??

?My name?s Kaeso Landrith,? I told him, ?and we?re going to have a little talk.?

A trace of a sardonic smile crept across Ramsubash?s face.

?Well, isn?t this a bit of a cliffhanger.?

Exeter!!! You *%$#(@*#$!!!!!!!

*grumbles* I just know it's gonna' be two months before another update...

... Anyway.

 

I was frozen into complete immobility, gripped with the terror of an Ewok who's suddenly realized his ridiculous fantasy of defeating legions of heavily armored and superbly trained shock troops with nothing but the ingenuity of his furry native brethren was the stupidest mistake of his life.

That is why they fail. Wait...what do you mean the Ewoks win? What the hell?


Like all Weequays, his face looked like that of a humanoid who has stuck his head directly into the main drive exhaust of a two-kilometer battleship for several minutes.

"What's happening, dude?" I grinned.

The alien grinned back, or he may have simply been constipated. Under all of those handsome wrinkles, it was tough to say.

HAHA! Too funny!


"See, here's the problem. I'm crazy as a loon. I know what you're thinking, aren't we all. But I really am! I hear strange voices. This thing in my head, I see through its eyes and apparently vice versa. Hell, I probably even kidnapped my friend and did all sorts of who knows what to her. Whackjob doesn't even begin to describe Kaeso Landrith, let me tell you. So, as I'm listening to you here, all I can see is me just wrestling that rifle away from you and repeatedly bashing you in the face with it" I illustrated in a straight-faced earnest tone. "I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like it's in the best interest of either us. Well, mostly you."

Kaeso at his best!


Wee-quay-zee,

Funny, but wrong! I love it.


Yeah, that overblown holodrama personality Jac Bau-er could probably do it, but so could I if all of my adversaries conveniently had the collective aim and intelligence of a Gungan who rides the short cruiser to school.

First the PM making fun of the Lucas exploitation machine and the Skywalkers and now Gungans. This just may qualify as the perfect update!


I rolled my eyes and turned around, walking back to the jungle path.

Failure.

Aww...poor guy.


Wow! Great ending to this update. Way to leave us begging for more. Yet again, your brilliance continues to shine.

P.S. The last update was so nice I had to respond twice. And I got the DVD rewinder you sent. It's working great. Thank you so much.

 

Mike. Seriously. I have no idea how you pull this stuff off sometimes. I?m sitting here reading, like in the middle of this mind-blowing twisty scene with shocks and surprise with serious new obstacles and mysteries for our hero, and I keep laughing so hard that my sides hurt!

?No, but really?what the hell?!?


I was frozen into complete immobility, gripped with the terror of an Ewok who?s suddenly realized his ridiculous fantasy of defeating legions of heavily armored and superbly trained shock troops with nothing but the ingenuity of his furry native brethren was the stupidest mistake of his life.

Hahaha!! Or the terror of a farm boy who, after a 20 min crash course in Jedi mumbo jumbo and a few flights in the speeder shooting womprats in beggar?s canyon as a kid, has to fly through a trench laced with blaster cannons on the biggest, most powerful battle station ever devised with a bunch of trigger happy Imperial types (including the baddest pilot in the history of the galaxy) on your tail, drop off a couple proton torpedoes in a hole the size of a your already-tight sphincter, and somehow make it out unscathed. Yeah. Like that.

The alien grinned back, or he may have simply been constipated. Under all of those handsome wrinkles, it was tough to say.



My patience has never been known as extraordinary, but something about this guy made me want to strap him to a post, smear him in exotic Felucian marinades, and then set a blindfolded 3,000 kilogram dinner-deprived Hutt crime boss upon him.

Hahah!! What an image! I love it!

I looked around again, trying to figure out why my life had to be so screwed up all the time. I?m a nice guy. The only people I?ve taken out were mean and rather unscrupulous unlikable folks who probably deserved it. I get up in the morning, and just like you, I eat Freefall Flakes (Zero-gee tested, mother approved) for breakfast and turn on the ol? holoprojector just to see which planet wiped out who and this month?s fashion trend I can?t live without (bio-engineered eyebrows from Coruscant ? the only laboratory-developed eyebrow replacement therapy guaranteed to grab the attention of the opposite sex. Literally!).

Hahaha! (I know, it?s repetitive with the ?haha?s. Too bad ) I have this awesome visual now of GFFA late night infomercials!

Man: Hon. I really think I need that hypohydrospanner.

Wife (groggy): Wha..? Huh? *yawns* We already have a hydrospanner.

Man: But babe, this is a hypohydrospanner!! This thing is amazing!

Wife: Umm?*yawns and rolls over*?Ok dear?

Man: It has a light on top?

Wife: *snores*

Man: *grumbles* Damn. *grumbles* Too dark to see the numbers on my credit chip.

Yeah, that overblown holodrama personality Jac Bau-er could probably do it, but so could I if all of my adversaries conveniently had the collective aim and intelligence of a Gungan who rides the short cruiser to school.

Any fic that makes a nod (even in parody) to the great Jack Bauer (whose otherworldly skill has now surpassed human imagination) automatically makes me a fan!

However, reality is a far more cruel thing: it doesn?t care about your bravery, or your skill. It laughs at dramatic license. The harder you try to do something great, the more reality will make certain you drown in mediocrity.

Wow. That was a downer. Not only does Kaeso have the whole eyes-within-eyes creepy thing going, he?s also got a serious case of emo, too. Maybe he should try some Paxil?

If this was one of those oft-read but soon-forgotten works of the written word, my story would be reaching its midpoint, the real meat where the characters delve into the enigmas they?re faced with before it?s too late and the bad guys take them out.

Haha! That?s better! Love the internal nod. Very nice.

Loved the whole sequence with Nolan. I love that he?s a bit of a surprise for Kaeso and I love the way he seems to just roll with the punches every time.

Great

 

raisedbywolves - Ummm... The soldiers are all zombies controlled by the creature, who is bribing government officials into accepting his undead beach junta by giving them insider trading tips gleaned from his Sith visions of the future!

Really, there's no point in finishing the story after blowing that twist. I'll just post your quick summary for the next chapter and call it a wrap.

Also, I'm going to use "undead beach junta" in this story.

You, Exeter, are actually the Creature and this story is intended to bring us ever farther into your evil clutches!

If that's the case, I'm a terrible villain. It's not too hard to escape clutches that come only every few months.

Every time the Facemelter rings, an angel gets his wings!

Right?

I laughed my ass off when I read that, and I had people over so it was especially funny explaining that one (read: I didn't try.)

*stretches out on sand*

*sips frosty drink*

Yup, you've pretty much got your fan base pegged here.



At least 50% of this story was written on or near the beach.

I loved the entire description of The Bluffs (and can't you just see the tasteful little fake stone developer's signage and the pennants with "The Bluffs" on them?)

Don't forget the natural splendor - after they drained the swamp in the area, they created a perfectly rectangular manmade lake, and after they bulldozed the grotto of hundred year trees, they planted cute little

We've got this place called MALLARD PONDS, and:

1) I would stake my life on the claim that if there were ever mallards there before, there certainly will never be again
2) It has been a grassless pile of dirt with cloned condos for the better part of two years now
3) It features a pond the approximate color of silty dung
4) There was a big outcry because the developers filled in this creek that ran through their property with sand, which then caused it to dry up further downstream where it flowed through a park, leading to the dissapearance of the beavers and other cool wildlife at the park - and why? I kid you not - they built a Community Nature Observatory over the site of the filled in creek which is basically a gazebo with windows where all the people in the condo community can overlook the nasty pond and this big overgrown field

I love it.

Hey! *hugs her Philip Johnson and Mies van der Rohe books* What do you have against Modernism?

Oh, nothing at all. Far from it, in fact. It would be pretty hard to work in my field if I did. Not impossible, but tough.

You have to remember that Kaeso isn't me - sure, a lot of personal stuff does go into his character, but his views are his own. We're two different guys, really.

For example, I rarely ever get in gunbattles during the course of my day.

Ahh... What SW fan hasn't had these kinds of protocol-droid destruction fantasies?

Some of my favorite moments of the movies are Threepio getting assaulted, either verbally or physically.

(Good work disguising Kaeso's increasing insanity by pitting him against typical targets of SW humor and making us think it's all kind of slapsticky, by the way)

Thanks. I'm so good, I apparently don't even know when I'm doing it.

I think I'm gonna start a sportswear label named that.

Reminds me of the "Derelicte" line of clothing from the movie Zoolander.

Self-insertion!!!!11!

Not quite Stephen King's level, though.

OK, maybe not.

What are you talking about? Tank of a man? Coils of rippling muscle? There have been few paragraphs in the history of literature that better defined me.

Dramatic irony much?

Really, there's no other reason to have a writer in the story.

Plus I like screwing with people who are already grappling with issues of unreliable narrator and the nature by which this story is being presented by Kaeso.

This was a very enjoyable chapter. Can't wait to figure out what's going on here.

Me too.

 

Well, after months of laziness and frustration, I finally managed to get this chapter into something I'm satisfied with.

Unfortunately, I've also decided to stop doing special update PMs for until further notice. As much fun as I've had doing them and the positive feedback they've produced, I just don't have the time to come up with them, especially since I would like to get into a better schedule of posting new chapters than as of late. I may go back to them in the future, but for right now I'll just be sendin

Of course, if you'd like to have a copy of the past PMs or you came to the story late and missed some of them, just PM me and I can send you a PDF file with all of them indexed.

Lastly, I just want to thank all of the readers that stuck with me, despite my irregular posting schedule. I know it's not easy following an epic like this, and keeping on top of what's happened. So, I really do appreciate it.

Don't get big heads about it, though

---

[b]Chapter 19[/b]

It?s been a long walk, the two of us. Storyteller and storyseeker. While I?ve never been much of a writer, this tale demands to be told. Every word is a weight cast from my shoulders, a sigh of relief at memories transcribed and buried. It is no longer my choice, but my very [i]need[/i] to convey what happened to me. You?re the only anchor I have left. A pillar that the tides can never erode.

As to where we?ve already been:

A day at the beach turned into a week of terror at the hands of my undersea nemesis, a creature that had made two sovereign mercenaries into slaves to its apparent will, a creature that simply had no business being. Markos Sunrunner was buried on sublevel six of Psamtik?s premier hospital, Adhara Trauma, in what served as their version of deep storage for the uncriminally insane. I was still at large, but for how long was anyone?s guess.

I?d overcome the vile thing?s influence for the time being and grasped the only strand of synthrope I could find. Markos had suggested I go see local novelist who had offered his help. And so I did, but not without going prepared.

As this chronicle should prove, writers are a strange breed, a shifty subset of culture devoted to pretending they?ve got it all figured out. My guns were charged and my eyes were open.

Because in a moment, everything can change.

The manor of Nolan Ramsubash was an ugly thing from the outside, a hideous contrast to the hardwood homesteads that lost themselves in the natural splendor of Psamtik rather than trying to control it. Some architects had the gift of making their unique designs beautiful [i]because[/i] they stood contrast to their surroundings, translating artistic variance into aesthetic value. Unfortunately, they hadn?t designed this place.

It was the bloodwolf in the pack of dewbacks, the wild hiding amongst the mundane. I thought it was a perfect home for a man who claimed to be a writer but acted for all the world like a predator in the wild.

That?s one of the reasons I was surprised to find the interior yet another stark contrast to the mansion?s outward appearance. Unlike the exterior, which just about oozed opulence and the wealth that separated the land owners on the bluffs from their Psamtiki counterparts in the streets of Adhara City below, the inner sanctum was a study in the planet?s fractured history.



Even in the darkened foyer I could see moss paintings perfected by the seaside natives that lived in poor coastal villages, a populace descended from humans who predated the Republic explorers that eventually colonized Psamtik. As with all such hostile encounters between the Benevolent Conqueror With Guns and Proud Humble Peoples With Smiles, the good guys won out. Whichever one they were. Or the bad guys. Story changes depending on who tells it.

It?s cliché, but life usually is.

The seaside natives are not a tribe well liked in these parts, something I had quickly learned. They keep to themselves, which is really a shame. In the few months I?d been on Psamtik, I?d been tryin

 

Whoo! Another intriguing (and bewildering) chapter.

 

And that's just for the return, I haven't even read on yet.

These are the very same curiosities I'd like to address myself...

Mundane writers.

and a tophat and cane?

I'm probably grasping at straws to connect the two stories, but I can't help but wonder if this is the beginning/basis for the Voevod religion.

So the beastie let him think the drugs worked in hopes that Keaso would bust him out, in the light of Marko being easier to control than Kaeso...


A few months aways and we easily slid right back into place. Typical of one of the boards greatest writers.

Great update my friend, I'd gladly wait another couple of months for the next. But not a moment longer!

 

?I guess my story really could get worse,? I muttered and then tossed the book back onto the desktop. ?Look, it?s really been fascinating to discuss the latest Oppurah book-of-the-month offering with you, it really has. But how about we get down to business, savvy??


Hell, I?d buy you being a Space Ranger protecting the galaxy against the evil Emperor Zurg before I?d swallow you sitting at home all by yourself, punching out some useless story on a datapad letter by letter.?

Again?

?However receptive our scientific instruments are to the anomaly, our resident Force sensitives are far more susceptible. If they know where to look, they can feel it radiating. Psamtik is a physiological lodestone in the Force, and we want to know why. The sensation is so strong that some of our people tracking the anomaly felt a sudden concentration of something, and then felt sharp pains in their head and had to withdraw their mental probes.?

I love the kind of depth you manage to give your stories.


"You pronounce it SPESH-ill-tee, not spesh-EEE-al-ihh-tee. What do they teach you people on Aquan??

So Obi-Wan spent some time on Aquan, huh?


Again?

?Because I gave him a harmless placebo,? Nolan Ramsubash explained. ?He couldn?t have been fine. Markos never ingested a drop of Eversor.?

 

Wow. You actually updated before the apocalypse. Congratulations.

Well this chapter had everything I'd come to expect from you. Classic Kaeso humor (like the EoTD bit with its archetypes and cliches ), interesting plot details ( Who could have guessed that Gentleman's clubs were still around and kicking in the GFFA?), more takes on that Barcinka Tide which is sure to come into play (especially in relation to the monster who seems to be using Marcus as a puppet of some sorts[if I'm not mistaken]and more classic humo...

Well it deserved mentioning again.

And let's take another minute to mourn the man killed in EoTD and quite possible "the greatest character ever to be devised in modern literature".

E'xeter

What a guy. He's sorely missed.

 

Persephone_Kore - Whoo! Another intriguing (and bewildering) chapter.

That pretty much describes this story down to its last drop, that's for sure. I think I'll put it on the DVD cover.

I haven't seen you around before. Would you like to be put on the PM list?

ale - These are the very same curiosities I'd like to address myself...

Sounds like OC Database challenge material to me.

Mundane writers.

We're a predictable bunch.

and a tophat and cane?



Glad I'm not the only one! The scene originally didn't have that line, but I read the guy's description of the AGC and started laughing. A lot of jokes in Recog start out that way, me laughing at my own stuff.

I'm probably grasping at straws to connect the two stories, but I can't help but wonder if this is the beginning/basis for the Voevod religion.

You're not grasping at straws at all. A great deal of Recognition ties into TGS. A very great deal. You'll see that as you get further into TGS (and come to the inexorable wall that is my sudden hiatus for that story ). In fact, you're one of the few readers who read both this and TGS so you'll probably see the threads more than most.

As for your specific question - yes, the Voevod religion will be explored before the end of Recognition.

So the beastie let him think the drugs worked in hopes that Keaso would bust him out, in the light of Marko being easier to control than Kaeso...



A few months aways and we easily slid right back into place. Typical of one of the boards greatest writers.

Well, I really appreciate you saying that. In fact, if I was a lesser man I'd put in my sig, make banners, and possibly in the promos for the Recognition made-for-TV movie.

If I were a lesser man, of course

Great update my friend, I'd gladly wait another couple of months for the next. But not a moment longer!

Just two weeks! I know, what am I trying to pull? Worse, I think the next chapter might only be two weeks away, too. Of course, then you guys will start expecting that, and...

Thanks for replying, man

Leona - Fantastic to see more here!



What a fascinating observation.

You know, when I came up with the idea of a writer character last year, most of my thoughts revolved around figuring out how many cheap shots I could take at myself, writers, and writing in general

That's just brilliant!

It's true, too. If Kaeso starts killing people off before I'm ready and leaving the script in the dust, this story is gonna get real confusing. As opposed to how clear and concise it is normally, I mean.

I nearly had soda coming out of my nose here!

Another insight to my chaotic head:

Like a lot of the jokes, that one wasn't planned at all. I wrote that line, reread the paragraph, and for some reason I pronounced it like Ewan McGregor in ROTS and was like, "Why did I say it that way? I'm not Luton_Plunder"

The actual joke came naturally after that.

Also, I've started to classify people I know on the boards by the most defining demographic known to man: soda, pop, tonic, soft drink, coke,

It's the easiest way of charting where everybody is from

I actually have a giant map showing the US and colored areas showing who says what where. As for the rest of the world, the map depicts those areas as "Here Thar Be Dragons" and therefore who the heck knows whats going on over there.

Holy crap! Really?!?

Yup! Talk about validation for all the readers who've said for more than a year now that Kaeso was crazy for trusting Markos, and that Marky Mark was off his rocker.

BigE - I love the kind of depth you manage to give your stories.

Me too, but I can't help but think all my readers need a guidebook companion to keep on top of all the confusing crap I