New thread marker placed.

With musical accompaniment!

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Epsilon

As usual requires login, please direct all praise to Shadowjack.

In case anyone's missed it (unlikely, given the Internet), Pat Robertson is once again showing us how NOT to be a Christian by calling the earthquake in
Haiti divine retribution for a pact the Haitians made with the Devil. You
know, I'm starting to believe, in the grand scheme of things, that some people can only serve as a bad example to others. That, and fertilizer.
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com

"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."

This actually made the CBS radio news between the time I read the blog entry and now, when I actually have the chance to post it here.

Long story short: Google's just discovered that it and about twenty other companies are under cyberattack from inside China, with one of the goals
apparently being to break into the accounts of Chinese civil rights activists. Although they don't come right out and say that these attacks are being
made by the Chinese government or its agents, Google feels this violates their arrangement with Beijing and is considering its next move.

Google blog about this
here.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

...because I can't read a damned calendar.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Is Time
Travel Scientifically Possible? A comedy video blog from Time Magazine, of all places.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Sexaroid research and marketing on target.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, including shots of several of
the Apollo landing sites.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

As usual for me, it started with a slight.

"We know who you are, Uriel," said the recruiter, smiling like a shark that had
scented blood in the water.

I wrenched around at that name, a glare that could vaporize steel on my face. Granted, no one was supposed to know that name was associated with me. That wasn't the
point, though. The man went on.

"Arcus Kail, sniper, Marine Corps, code name Uriel, member of Project
Ying-Yang."

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you where you stand, pencil
neck?"

The recruiter from the RDA simply smiled at me.
"Because I'm the man holding your ticket out of this hell hole."



I had to admit. I was intrigued.

I'd heard many things about this place called Pandora, that it was a beautiful world
that evoked visions of the Earth-That-Was centuries ago. It was completely unlike Earth in that anyone could get lost
there. Or, if you had the right skill set, you could disappear and never be found - free to live out your days as
peacefully as the carnivorous jungle would allow you to be.

It sounded like my kind of place; one where I could finally forget once and for all.



Cryo is no picnic, but at least you don't dream in it.
I can't imagine doing nothing but dreaming for six years. I'm glad that I didn't. Less chance of being bothered by what I might dream of.

"You okay there, deadeye?" asked the med-tech that pulled my cryo-cell open.

"Yeah, just dandy," I grumbled, fighting off the waves of nausea. Distractedly I ripped off the protective gauze covering my left eye socket. Curious, I
looked for a mirror.

The fact that my left eye was missing was nothing new to me. I'd long since gotten used to the sight of the grizzled scar tissue that had been all that was left - a reminder that I should
stay out of things like this.

That was then, though.

I pulled myself through the null-g cryo-chamber to my locker, ignoring all the other
half-drugged bodies drifting dizzily around, and opened it. There was a mirror inside the door.

The scar tissue was gone, replaced by freshly regenerated flesh. The eye was still gone, though. In its place was a black orb, completely and totally
featureless.

It was like an empty hole that craved nothing more than your soul. I scoffed at that thought - it suited me just fine.

There was someone next to me rummaging through his locker.
I hadn't paid attention before, but the legs caught my eye - those weak looking spindly legs that simply drifted uselessly.

"You're that Sully guy, aren't'cha?"

The ex-Marine looked at me with a curious, yet jaded expression. "And you are?"

I had to grin. No matter what I'd been
through, it was still so much fun to drop bombs like this.

"You know me, Sully. My call sign was Ma
Bell."

Sully blinked then said under his breath, "'Reach out and touch
someone.' Holy shit. I never thought I'd ever get to meet
you. Did you get the guy that got me?"

I felt the bitterness wringing at my stomach, but the savage grin remained on my
face. "First thing I did, partner."

Sully nodded and went on with his business at his locker.
"Thanks. That's the trouble with being recon. You're the
first one into the shit."

"Amen, brother."

"Funny you should say that," said Sully, sounding mildly amused as he shut his
locker. "I heard I was supposed to have a partner in this mess."



I smiled again. "Yeah. I'm Arcus Kail.
I'll be your mark-element."

Traveller : Universe of Babylon 5

So, how many times will your characters be killed by the Shadows during character creation?
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012