Posted on 10/23/2010 5:17:52 PM PDT by Lrod
You have entered the realms of the *ahem* Flying Castle. One does not so much “accept terms” as “allow options.”
If you have never been here, speak up. We will provide a Guide for you. Should you choose not to have a Guide, please leave your name, number and Next Of Kin with a Verifiable Inhabitant. They can be recognized by the badge they wear, stating that they are CERTIFIED FOR CASTLE TOURS. Otherwise, good luck!
Remember how that works? You can check out, but you can never leave....
*e-vil laughter*
And we, of the Undead Thread, bow to the Badge that feeds us!
Would you care to be honored by being on one of the ping lists? We could always use a heavyweight!
Is that the VK emblem?
*bowing before VK*
Sure, please put me on a ping list.
If you could pass my name and address off to some junk mail distributors, that would be nice too.
Oh, and if I forgot to check the “email me updates and specials” box, well... just click that baby too... we old farts have little better to do than sort through everything that comes through. Add a touch of dyslexia, and presto... woo!
No, wait, what?
You jest, yes?
Don’t fool the ‘Face. She is too old to suffer young studs looking for a “Mae West.”
A ping list would be honored to have your name. Only insofar as the emblem accompanied it. ;o]
(Awesome, isn’t it, Sis?)
(Off to the side and down.)
Ahem. *sound of quietly clearing throat*
Face. I think we are being mocked for our silliness.
;-)
Brian smiled. “It almost looks like some kind of a town or city in space, with artificial lights in the “night” sections, and gardens and parks in the middle of the built-up areas. There are even trees and small lakes. Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to make themselves comfortable out here in the asteroid belt.”... and then they went shopping, and to the other Habitats.
She nodded. “It was built by a consortium of industrial, civilian, and quasi-governmental organizations. I think you’ve heard of the RKBA Corporation, and you’ve probably caught mention of the German industrial group Beeber-Stuner. There’s also a political entity called the Free Manitoba Project.”
She shifted position slightly. It was one of her mannerisms to which he had become accustomed. “The construct was launched in secret, after an extended period of subterfuge. Everyone who ever saw it thought that they were building something like a floating casino, perhaps something to take the place of the failing cruise ship industry. In fact, those cylindrical structures were taken to resemble cruise ships in an artistic extravagance. The entire world was stunned when the whole structure lit up the ocean like a second sun as the nuclear rockets blew a trail of fire nearly two miles long from hundreds of rocket exhausts, and the “casino” lifted off and went directly into orbit!”
Brian nodded. “I’ve heard the story. After circling Earth several days, they took off and made a loop around the moon, flinging themselves outward toward Mars. Didn’t they actually land there and set up a colony?”
“Yes. It was the first colony introduced on Mars, and it is the basis of much of the Martian economic activity today.” She looked again toward the structure. “We could go there.”
. . .
The shuttle landed on the rim of the habitat like a coat hung on a hook. Brian and Jade were pushed gently back into their seats. Slowly the shuttle was raised and turned into a horizontal orientation, and pulled forward to enter a small tunnel cavity. The air-locks aligned and signaled. Brian, Jade, and the other passengers and crew released their seat-belts.
Without hurry, the small group exited the shuttle and made their way through the tunnel space to a bank of circular elevator doors. Brian selected the “Grand Entrance” route and seemed surprised that only he and Jade chose it. The spherical car moved smoothly for a short time. When it stopped, and the eyelid door opened, they were greeted by a stunning panorama.
They stepped out of a rustic stone building onto a grassy plain. Behind them on each side were trees and shrubs in a forest setting. Stretching to the left and right were meadows which were marked by small fences and signposts giving directions to various activities.
But the most striking thing to appear before them was the magnificent castle in the center of the vista. Brian had seen such a castle before. In another life he had helped to build one. This one looked the same, but there were slight differences. The castle of his youth had been made of a pinkish stone. This one looked more grayish, like granite. And it had a soaring minaret on the left side, in partial counterbalance to the magnificent tower on the right.
As he took in the scene, Brian realized there was a path to follow, that would lead him to the castle gate. They began walking.
Jade was looking up. Through a slight haze, which cast the overhead in a bluish mist, Brian perceived a network of arches and struts like a bridgework, but this spanned the entire dome of the enclosure. The artificial lights emplaced on the crossbars matched the brightness of the sky, and tended to make the beams disappear. Unless one studied it, as they were doing, it was easy to accept the illusion that they were under open sky on a planetary surface. This place was enormous!
As they approached the drawbridge, Brian listened. He could hear only sounds of domesticity. Animal noises, birdcalls, voices of children filled the air. For a moment he was carried back to his early days on the island.
In crossing the drawbridge, they could see and hear that people were swimming in the moat. One bald-headed fellow was industriously swimming around the castle, but he was swimming with the current. Brian thought for a moment about how he knew that the water was circulating around the castle. He shrugged. It wasn’t at all uncommon for pieces of information to just appear in his mind. He had grown used to it.
Entering the courtyard, after the momentary darkness of the tunnel through the thick walls, they were again impressed by the scale and majesty on display. There were fruit trees and flowering shrubs in profusion, as well as a sort of parade ground where ceremonies and celebrations could be held. Many small windows faced into the courtyard from the thick wall surrounding it. In the corners, a balcony effect seemed apparent as faces appeared to look out from time to time from large sections of glass.
The main part of the castle appeared before them. A large staircase with circular steps led up to the massive main doors of the castle. They climbed up the stairs. Pausing on a terrace at the top, they again looked around at the courtyard. Brian pictured it with pennants flying, and horses and knights in shining armor on parade.
They turned toward the massive doors, which opened automatically. Inside, the room they entered was a large hall, seeming to fill the interior space. Opposite the door, a standard size desk seemed dwarfed by the scale of things around it. A girl with red hair was sitting at the desk.
She looked at Brian for a moment, then at Jade. A smile illuminated her face.
“Oh, of course! You are Brian Hawthorne and Jade Regalo! Welcome!”
“Yes. Brian Hawthorne, Jr.” He nodded at Jade. “My very good friend, Jade Regalo.” Putting out his hand, Brian inquired, “... and you are?”
“Very pleased to meet you! And my name is Pip.”
“Hi, Pip!” said Jade with a smile and a proffered hand. “Thanks for a warm welcome!”
“No problem. We like having visitors. Will you be staying overnight? We can put you up right here in the castle if you’d like.”
Jade looked at him.
“I think we’d like,” Brian answered.
Pip looked at the two of them for a moment, “Why don’t you take room E-202? It’s on the second floor, inside the courtyard walls, near the corner dayroom.” She smiled.
Brian hesitated. “No key?”
Pip looked surprised. “Whatever for?”
A slow smile spread over Brian’s face. “I like this place!”
“Stick around! It grows on you!” Pip smiled again.
It's a small world, you know.
Nope. Being series. check the other thread. Needs must have pings. Nascar season is ending!
Needs must have pings?
O’rely?
OK.
;-)
Thanks, ‘Face! I needed that after the debacle that was last night. Sionnsar’s work laptop DIED in the middle of us trying to sign up for next year’s health “benefits” - ugh!!! Always more money and less service (sigh!) and with ObamaCare it’s only going to get worse. Chronic illness is catastrophic for families’ (and single people’s) budgets. Long term care is a nightmare.
We haven’t even made simple wills or executed advanced health care directives (what to do if we are too ill to make our own decisions) or put our assets in trust - things we should take time to do... but there’s never a time that’s “good” for that sort of thing. We don’t own much but anyone we name as executor/trix will have a job for a while. Yes, I know this is sorta morbid thinking but I wonder every time he takes a flight if he will be coming back to me in one piece or in a casket.
This time, I get to sit home and wait for the call or the text that says “go get it!” - (the laptop) and ship it to him (wherever he is at the time). What a nightmare to have a work machine crap out the eve of a major trip! As I recall, the last meltdown had similar timing.
I am learning to roll with the punches ~:+
Your first post was near #50 and you waited until #800 to agitate me??? It’s a dam good thing I have had several glasses of Bob’s Really Good Red...
Wait, what? (To coin a phrase.)
'Scuse me; I gotta check my wine cellar.
Drink...If your wine stock cost over $9.00 a bottle you don’t have any BRGT.
What is a nice girl like you doing in a dive like this???
Ooppps I’ve had to much BRGR (brgt?)
If you knew me better you wouldn't accuse me of that.
I've been known to con people into stomping out the grapes for me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.