Sime~Gen Roleplaying on IRC: Snake River Dam Scenario
Episode #27: Just So (8/13/00)
Lemuse walks down the ramp of a Tecton-marked boat that is now tied to the public wharf at Palisades.
Lemuse is, of course ~~cheerful and optimistic~~
Lemuse is always that.
Roliver is seriously considering jumping into the water and drowning. How did he get stuck up here in the first place? He zlins Lemuse and is only more depressed. No one can be that happy.
Lemuse glances back to make sure her assigned channel is coming.
Roliver: Yes, I'm coming.
Lemuse, if she were a different sort of person, might wonder why her good work is rewarded by being assigned to an endless string of depressed, morose channels who want to jump in lakes.
Lemuse isn't that kind of person at all, though. Every assignment is a reward, and every new person met is a joy.
Lemuse: Great! [smiles]
Lemuse waits for him.
Lemuse: Boy, this sure is a pretty little town.
Roliver resigns himself to another day on the water running errands and dealing with the locals.
Roliver: Humph.
Carbonne paces back and forth in the courtyard before the front door of the Palisades Sime Center.
Lemuse looks appreciatively at the rows of little houses and the church steeple, quite oblivious to the stench of fish, the dilapidation of the structures nearest the wharf, and the dead wharf rat lying directly at their feet.
Lemuse starts off in the direction of the Sime Center, or at least where it is supposed to be according to her instructions.
Roliver thinks little is the operative word. He had taken this assignment to get some space between himself and his problems but this was getting worse with each passing day.
Lemuse: Look at those red flowers in the window box.
Carbonne can remember when the so-called Sime Center was just a log dwelling built by a family who owned a general store down by the wharf.
Lemuse supports Roliver easily and automatically, as always expressing her carefree approach to life and her devotion to her work.
Carbonne remembers when the family left the area and the Tecton bought the property.
Roliver's conscience gets the better of him. He zlins the renSime waiting in front of the Center.
Roliver: [To Lemuse] Sorry Sosu Lemuse, definitely not feeling my best today.
Carbonne wonders when Hajene Klyzer is going to finish with the decontamination and serve him.
Carbonne is edgy with need; his appointment was 20 minutes ago and he knows he still has Klyzer's cleansing routine to endure before he will be served.
Lemuse: Hi! [to Carbonne]
Lemuse is always super friendly.
Carbonne 's jaw drops as the attention of an incredibly delightful Gen brushes his nager.
Carbonne: Uh.... Hi.
Roliver: [To Carbonne] How long have you been waiting out here?
Carbonne is pretty well... speechless... faced with this magnificent specimen.
Lemuse continues to support Roliver, moving slightly aside to draw Carbonne's attention to the channel rather than herself.
Carbonne tries really hard to go hypo, but he can't manage it this close to Need.
Roliver is not happy to find a Sime in need shifting from foot to foot outside the Sime Center. He should be inside being served.
Carbonne zlins in sorrow as the marvelous nager seems to gently fade into the background and realizes there is a channel there as well.
Carbonne: Oh... uh... Hello?
Lemuse watches Roliver's interaction with Carbonne keenly. It is her responsibility to report any difficulties, of course.
Lemuse takes her duties as a Donor and therapist very seriously.
Roliver goes into functional mode and gently holds the fields for the renSime. No matter what else he might want to do, he always treats the rens gently.
Carbonne shifts uncomfortably on the cobblestones. He can remember when this courtyard was a garden, but Hajene Klyzer had it paved.
Roliver: Have you been waiting long?
Carbonne: Half an hour.
Carbonne came early, knowing Klyzer's routines and hoping to get served on time if they started the scraping and bleaching early.
Roliver feel his temper rising. Half an hour in hard need is way too long.
Roliver: Well let's see what we can do about this.
Carbonne: ~~hope~~
Carbonne would like transfer as soon as possible, any way he can get it.
Roliver walks past the renSime to the door and gets ready to deal with the fields. There may be a transfer going on inside but the shielding won't let him zlin through.
Lemuse stays at Roliver's side.
Roliver finds to his great unhappiness that the door is locked.
Roliver suppresses an urge to break the lock and decides to knock very forcefully.
Carbonne: Hajene Klyzer said he wasn't ready yet.
Carbonne: He'll open the office when he's done with the preparations.
Roliver: Oh, really.
Lemuse notices Roliver's temper is starting to get out of hand, and applies a subtle ~~calming~~ that aims to calm without unfocusing him.
Roliver reminds himself that his temper is what got him posted here in the first place.
Roliver looks a thank you at Lemuse and knocks again.
Lemuse smiles and waits expectantly for the door to be answered.
Klyzer: [through the door] You'll have to wait! I'll be ready very soon now!
Roliver: Hajene Klyzer, I am Hajene Roliver. Please unlock this door!
Klyzer has completed changing his uniform and fumigating the transfer lounge. Now all he has to do is finish cleaning the wash room.
Klyzer perks his head up at the sound of an unfamiliar voice.
Lemuse: Gosh, he sure must be busy.
Klyzer: Emergency business only!
Lemuse looks around; the peaceful little village doesn't look like it would generate much emergency traffic.
Klyzer: You will have to wait until I am done with Dispensary!
Roliver had hoped to get some info from a channel who had been dealing with the locals for a long time. What could the man be doing in there?
Roliver: Is there something that we could help you with?!
Klyzer tries to speed up the wash room rituals. He hangs the new towel on the rack and tries to avoid straightening it, but-- No! Impossible! It must be hung with perfect symmetry!
Klyzer: [almost a wail] No! Don't come in! I will attend you in a few moments!
Roliver doesn't like straining to be heard through the door. Well, why not? This was just more of the same junk that he had been dealing with. Get on one Controller's bad side....
Klyzer succeeds in getting the towels right and making sure that not one bead of water remains on any surface.
Klyzer: Okay.... Okay.... I'm coming!
Roliver thinks finally! and wonders what disaster must have happened to require so much time to put right.
Klyzer unlocks the door and flings it open.
Lemuse blinks at the sudden appearance.
Lemuse adjusts her posture to balance the ambient for two rather colorful personalities... er, for two channels.
Klyzer stares wildly at the strange Channel and Donor. He is also aware of Carbonne's state of Need.
Smitty slips out of Lemuse's pants leg and tiptoes into the Sime Center, unseen.
Roliver looks at the channel's painfully clean appearance. He feels a bit shabby by comparison for all that he is a bit of a neat freak himself.
Klyzer: What is this nonsense! I have clients to serve. Whatever it is will have to wait.
Klyzer indicates the pristine white-washed bench in the cobblestone courtyard.
Lemuse's nostrils twitch as a wave of ammonia makes its way out of the building through the open door. The rumors did not exaggerate!
Roliver: The Controller suggested we stop by on the way to the next town. He thought you might be able to clue us in on the requirements of the locals.
Roliver's eyes begin to water as the ammonia and other fumes hit him full in the face.
Roliver: What happened in there?
Klyzer: Carbonne, I am ready for you now. Come on.
Lemuse thinks that what Arat really wanted was some indication of whether McSeruf was overreacting or not, but of course they don't have to tell Klyzer that.
Roliver decides to hold his peace until after the renSime gets his transfer. There will be time to find out then.
Carbonne dashes into the Dispensary/Collectorium. He hardly notices the cloud of ammonia that envelops him.
Lemuse inspects Roliver for signs of reactions to the chemicals. He's not as allergic as some, but this smells like nasty stuff.
Roliver: Go ahead and do his transfer. We will wait.
Klyzer frets at this disruption to his usual routine.
Klyzer: Carbonne, will it bother you to have these people within zlinning range? I can make them wait outside.
Carbonne: I don't care, Hajene. Just hurry up!
Klyzer gives another nervous glance at Roliver and Lemuse.
Klyzer: Very well.
Lemuse: We can wait outside.
Lemuse doesn't see any reason why not; of course, she is not thinking in terms of getting locked out again, which maybe isn't wise.
Klyzer examines Carbonne carefully. He is pleased to note that the renSime has washed before coming and will only require standard disinfection.
Klyzer: You may seat yourselves in the waiting room.
Roliver: Thank you, Hajene that will be fine.
Klyzer waves a tentacle to indicate the parlor, which has a wooden bench.
Roliver takes Lemuse by the elbow and heads towards the waiting room. The fumes are now causing major irritation.
Lemuse goes with Roliver.
Klyzer knows that the even the waiting room isn't safe during serious fumigation procedures.
Lemuse: We could go outside, if you'd prefer? [whispers to him]
Lemuse is naturally concerned for her channel's safety.
Lemuse thinks they ought to leave the front door hanging open while they are at it, and do future visitors a mercy.
Roliver: No, I want to zlin this transfer.[also whispers]
Lemuse thinks that's pretty irregular, but doesn't argue.
Lemuse: OK.
Klyzer: Come over here, Carbonne, and I'll get you ready.
Klyzer has the requisite disinfecting materials laid out on a table.
Roliver is getting major worries from the other channel's behavior. He fears for the poor renSime. He is also worried about what could require this much disinfectant to fix.
Klyzer unfortunately dares not use the same astringent upper-epidermal-layer-removal cleanser on Simes that he does on Gens. It might cause lateral damage.
Lemuse places a reassuring hand on Roliver's arm.
Lemuse can tell that he's upset, although not about what.
Lemuse has had a lot of practice at calming since she became assigned to Roliver.
Klyzer does have a bleach solution mixed as strong as he dares to use.
Carbonne holds out his arms and grits his teeth. He knows the drill.
Klyzer wipes down Carbonne's arms with cotton swabs.
Roliver feels very guilty about his earlier treatment of his Donor. It isn't her fault that she is perpetually happy. He laughs to himself; that is probably why the poor Gen got assigned to him. Sort of a foil for his surliness.
Klyzer notes with satisfaction that even though the renSime looked clean, the white cotton is picking up bits of grit.
Klyzer: Now close your eyes.
Roliver: Thank you Sosu....
Lemuse smiles at him.
Carbonne closes his eyes and holds perfectly still.
Klyzer blots at Carbonne's face, being careful to remove every scaling cell or stray hair.
Klyzer steps back to consider his handiwork.
Roliver is suddenly distracted by the goings on in the next room. What is he doing to that poor renSime? Cleaning him? With solvent? No not solvent but a really strong disinfectant. Doesn't he realize the Sime is in hard need?
Klyzer: Very good.
Klyzer: I think we may proceed.
Klyzer gestures for Carbonne to rest on the transfer lounge.
Carbonne assumes the correct position with alacrity.
Roliver zlins the relief of the renSime as the other channel finally gets around to doing his job.
Klyzer studies Carbonne critically.
Klyzer: Stretch your left leg out a bit. They have to be even.
Carbonne complies. Anything to get his transfer!!!
Roliver feels he is about to scream in frustration himself.
Klyzer relaxes a bit. Symmetrical. Excellent. He will be able to function.
Lemuse applies more ~~calm, relax~~ -- as much as she can without interfering with Roliver's ability to zlin the transfer.
Klyzer: That's just right! Don't move.
Klyzer slips into the channel's position on the lounge.
Lemuse would probably be getting better results if she did interfere with Roliver's ability to zlin the transfer, but I digress.
Klyzer extends his laterals to assume transfer position.
Carbonne grasps for Klyzer eagerly.
Roliver is grateful for Lemuse's skill. He is also aware of her desire to completely cut off his observations in the interest of keeping him calm.
Klyzer gently maneuvers Carbonne's tentacles so that the grip is the same on both sides.
Carbonne: ~~going crazy with frustration~~
Klyzer: Okay, ready?
Carbonne doesn't bother to answer, he just drives for the 5th contact.
Carbonne draws full out.
Klyzer pours forth selyn, his satisfaction with the perfection of the transfer contact damped by his uneasy awareness of the strangers in the waiting room. He does his best to put this worry aside and focus simply on serving.
Carbonne draws to satiation and relaxes, need fulfilled.
Carbonne: ~~ relief ~~
Roliver has zlinned some odd transfers in his life but this one... The poor renSime's relief is pitiful to zlin.
Carbonne thought there was an unpleasant texture to the draw, but he has had worse from Klyzer, so is not inclined to quibble
Klyzer withdraws from the transfer grip.
Klyzer zlins his patient.
Roliver: That was interesting. [to Lemuse]
Lemuse: What happened?
Lemuse can't zlin, of course.
Roliver: [whispers] Tell you later.
Klyzer can tell Carbonne does not seem to be on the verge of post-transfer hysterics, so gives into the impulse to head straight for the washroom.
Klyzer: I'll be back with you in a moment.
Smitty Roach: Rub-a-dub-dub, in my little tub.... [from the soap dish, which has some standing water in it]
Klyzer heads eagerly to where the perfect towel is waiting.
Roliver zlins the renSime. There doesn't seem to be any damage that he can zlin but he would require a full contact to be sure of that.
Klyzer snatches up the towel and turns to wash the ronaplin from his arms.
Klyzer sees... a... black blotch... in his perfect while soap dish!
Smitty Roach rolls around in the soapy water, covering all parts of him with glistening slippery moisture, and incidentally delivering thousands and thousands of germs to the soap dish.
Smitty: Ahoy! I've commandeered this yacht. You aim to wash your hands for naught.
Carbonne remains on the lounge, as the selyn diffuses through his body, and his perceptions drift down towards hypo-consciousness.
Klyzer peers closer and notices that the black blotch appears to be moving!
Smitty: A lonely place, befilled with sighs, and noxious sprays and wipes besides.
Smitty: Your home of bugs is quite bereft; perhaps a crowd I could collect?
Carbonne feels his emotions begin to unlock and is pervaded by images from his recent incarceration in the Construction Site pokey.
Smitty attempts to climb out of the slippery dish.
Klyzer focuses all his attention on this dark aberration; it may be imagination, but he thinks he zlins life in it and seems to hear a teeny, tiny voice singing.
Smitty: How you try to peer and pry. Do you like soap in your eye?
Smitty squirts water at Klyzer.
Carbonne remembers the horrible sight of the channel with no tentacles who was imprisoned with him.
Klyzer shrieks!
Lemuse jumps at the sound.
Lemuse: What was that!
Klyzer identifies the conformation of the black creature as that of a filthy, germ-infested cockroach.
Smitty: A bellow, fellow, of such a pitch, as to make the windows twitch!
Carbonne starts at the sound of the shriek, mingled with his images of the mutilated channel in the jail cell.
Roliver leaps up and head to to source of the scream.
Smitty skitters up over the edge of the soap bowl and across the vanity, leaving a straggling trail of goo.
Lemuse hurries to stay with Roliver.
Klyzer lifts the only weapon to hand, the pristine towel, but cannot bear to sully its whiteness by touching the creature with it.
Roliver finds Klyzer slapping at something with a towel. Hopes it isn't a snake.
Klyzer watches Smitty move in helpless horror. He is certainly not going to touch the creature with his hands or tentacles.
Smitty: For shame, your aim.
Klyzer: Stop it! Kill it!
Smitty: Uh-oh, my life! I'd best decide, whether I'd fare best inside.
Smitty scampers madly around the rim of the sink, then falls off in Klyzer's direction.
Roliver: Kill? Kill what?
Klyzer stares wildly in all directions for a suitable offensive weapon.
Carbonne starts crying with terror at all the yelling.
Smitty lands on the floor and runs between Klyzer's legs.
Roliver: What is it? What's wrong?
Klyzer: That thing! That... that....
Lemuse glances at Roliver and Klyzer, then turns back into the room where Carbonne is.
Klyzer can barely stand to say the word.
Lemuse thinks that Roliver should be able to handle Klyzer.
Lemuse of course doesn't know Klyzer well.
Klyzer: [whispers] cockroach.
Smitty: Tis no secret, shout it out! I am the king of runabout!
Klyzer tries to stomp Smitty.
Smitty races up Klyzer's ankle.
Roliver: A roach?! You are having hysterics over a roach?!
Klyzer: ~~terror~~
Klyzer feels the tickle of little cockroach feet.
Klyzer augments and rips his pants off.
Lemuse hurries to Carbonne's side, projecting ~~concern~~
Lemuse: There, there. Hey, everything is OK.
Klyzer stares and zlins his legs wildly, beating at them with the towel.
Klyzer: Where is it?
Roliver zlins Lemuse protecting the poor renSime. He redirects his attention to the terrified channel who is about to run over him.
Smitty: Oh my! Oh whee! What fun for him! I dash! I hide! I'm hard to zlin!
Roliver: There is nothing there Hajene! You can calm down.
Smitty tucks himself more firmly into Klyzer's navel.
Carbonne trembles, edging closer to Lemuse.
Roliver hopes his contempt isn't as obvious.
Carbonne: That poor Sime....
Lemuse sits down by Carbonne, holding out her arms to him.
Lemuse: What's the matter? Something from this last month? ~~sympathy and understanding~~
Klyzer scrubs wildly at himself with the towel.
Klyzer feels the tickle in his navel.
Klyzer: It's on me!
Klyzer rips open the top of his Tecton uniform.
Smitty: In, to be precise, although an Outie can be nice you know.
Klyzer: Find it! Kill it! Get it off me!
Carbonne: He has no tentacles....
Carbonne: They were cut off.... Nothing left at all.
Lemuse concentrates on helping Carbonne get over his apparently rather unpleasant post reaction.
Carbonne sobs harder, now that he has a shoulder to cry on.
Lemuse: There, there.
Roliver eyes the other channel and zlins him hard. There is no physical damage. The incident seems to have been more an emotional outburst than anything else.
Lemuse thinks it sounds like this guy was having some hecka needmares.
Roliver: There is nothing that I can zlin anywhere on you. Would you please calm down? You are hurting me!
Klyzer is driven past squeamishness and gouges at the thing in his navel with his fingers.
Klyzer: [shrieks] There's a bug on me!
Carbonne: And he was sitting there but he didn't want to live any more.
Lemuse pats Carbonne's back.
Carbonne happily is post enough so that he only zlins a trace of what is emanating from the washroom.
Roliver notices the channel digging in his own navel.
Roliver: Well you don't want to squish it in there!
Smitty: Thank you, thank you, such attention, though there's something else I'll mention;
Smitty: This is but one of my talents; I can also ride and dance.
Klyzer: ARGHHH!!
Klyzer tears at his middle with his perfectly manicured fingernails, ripping the skin.
Smitty pops out of the navel, runs between the fingers, and drops to the floor again.
Smitty: The neighborhood, there it went. Grasping landlords, too high rent.
Roliver tries to figure out a way to help the poor man. He has no desire to fight with a hysterical channel.
Klyzer tries to stomp the cockroach as it zips past.
Smitty: The pitterpat of little feet shall serenade you as you sleep. Every cupboard, every chair, shall join the fullness of my lair.
Klyzer wonders if he is going crazy, or did he hear the cockroach laugh at him manically?
Smitty: And every thing you eat or drink, I shall sample first I think.
Carbonne: Attrition. That's all that was left.
Smitty: My kingdom I have finally found, with not one other bug around.
Roliver tries to keep his feet from being stomped on by Klyzer's insane attempts to kill a roach.
Smitty: I shall rule forever here, the emperor of this lonely weir.
Smitty disappears into a small crack near the base of a wall.
Roliver: Will you please calm down. ~~calm, Calm, CALM~~
Klyzer grabs up a bottle filled with the very strongest ammonia and flings it at the disappearing figure of the small intruder as it vanishes into the crack.
Ammonia bottle shatters in all directions and noxious fumes rise in clouds.
Lemuse hears the sound of breaking glass following more shouting in the other room, and glances over her shoulder despite herself.
Roliver gasps as the fumes from the shattered ammonia bottle hit him. He turns and runs from the room to stand near Lemuse.
Lemuse is starting to wonder if she should abandon Carbonne in favor of rescuing....
Klyzer trembles; his whole body has been defiled and his Tecton uniform is in shreds.
Lemuse: Are you all right??
Lemuse: Excuse me for a moment, [to Carbonne]
Lemuse gets up and transfers her attention to Roliver.
Roliver: That man is nuts!
Lemuse can see that he is quite upset.
Lemuse projects ~~OK, everything is OK~~
Lemuse: Why don't the three of us get some fresh air? [to Carbonne and Roliver]
Roliver's hand goes to mouth as he realizes what he has said in front of the renSime.
Klyzer rips off what remains of his clothes to allow the cleansing fumes to surround him and permeate every pore.
Lemuse: Oh, my!
Lemuse spots a thoroughly nude Klyzer through the open washroom door.
Roliver: Great idea! Come on! Let's go!
Klyzer stands there concentrating on the ideal of perfection as the chemical starts to burn his eyes and laterals.
Lemuse follows Roliver and Carbonne in a stampede to the exit.
Notes:
1) See comments from the Sime~Gen Roleplaying Peanut Gallery about this episode.
Go on to Episode #28: Snot and Polish
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