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Post by megatude on Jul 9, 2007 22:54:01 GMT -5
Continued..... Meg hadn't much time to keep track of Zebra's whereabouts. She had a major final coming up in her computer technologies class. She needed all her concentration focused on her studies.
About 2 a.m. Zebra wiped her brow, hitting a dead end. She simply didn't have the energy needed to power that blasted machine, and a big storm was brewing in the evening breeze.
A faint glow, illuminated from the computer screen, reflected off Meg's pale skin. Her nimble fingers no longer danced across the keys. Her breathing came in slow, even breaths. Her head rested atop her folded arms on the desk. Meg had once again given in to her fault; she had succumbed to sleep before her computer.
Cautiously, Zebra made her way to a pay phone, located at the end of the block. She inserted the correct amount of change and gave the operator directions for her call. "C'mon Meg, pick-up. I know you're there", Zebra grumbled impatiently to herself.
Chapter 10
The phone rang out next to the computer, shattering the darkened silence as well as Meg's nerves. She jolted awake. "But officer, I swear, his face looked like that way before!" She announced, reflecting from the dream she'd just encountered. Her eyes squinted as she took in her surroundings. As reality sank in, she realized that she wasn't being pressed by police for assault against Darren. She heard the cause of her disturbed sleep as the phone continued it's obnoxious song. She moaned as her hands searched and padded in the faint light for the receiver, knocking things about. She hit the bullseye as her hand finally grasped the phone. Her eyes still closed, she lifted the receiver from it's cradle and raised it to her ear. "Yeah?" She mumbled sleepily, still not fully awake. "Meg, it's me!" Came the voice from the other line. "Zebra?" Meg yawned, making her way clumsily towards Zebra's bedroom. "Where are you and why aren't you in your bed?" Her words slurred. Zebra rolled her eyes. "Take a guess. And I'll bet you fell asleep at your computer again, right?" Meg pressed a hand to her forehead, her eyes still trying to gain focus. "No. What're you kidding me?" Zebra shook her head, knowing the truth in the matter. But that wasn't important. "Whatever. Listen Meg, I need your help. Do you think you could come down to Homer City?" Meg glanced at the red, digital numbers, glowing 2:05 A.M. on the clock radio near the phone. "Zebraaaaa....." She whined. "It's after 2 in the morning. Can't it wait for a more reasonable time?" "No", Zebra insisted. "It has to be done tonight." She quickly thought of an convincing motive. "Look Meg. If you help me tonight and nothing comes of it....I promise I'll drop the whole time travel notion and we'll sell that thing for scrap metal, just like you said. I'll even let you keep the profits", she threw in as a clincher. Meg considered her offer. She wanted nothing more than to have Julius Sanders and his over grown toaster oven out of their lives. It would give her great pleasure indeed, to bust that contraption into a million pieces. "Alright", she sighed, giving in. "Alright, I'm coming." Zebra smiled to herself. "Oh, and bring...." "Ya, ya I know", Meg said, knowing Zebra's next request. "Bring my laptop." Zebra laughed. "Yeah, thanks. I'll see you soon and be careful." The phone clicked.
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Post by Herc's_Girl on Jul 11, 2007 5:37:53 GMT -5
Hmmm...I'm lovin it.
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Post by megatude on Jul 14, 2007 19:44:14 GMT -5
(I'm glad you like it April!)
Continued....
Meg reluctantly got up from her chair. She was still in her sleeping attire, which consisted of; a pair of flannel pants, striped with blue and lavender, and a plain white tank-top. She quickly ran a hand through her hair. Not really caring how she looked, (who would see her?) she packed her laptop into her backpack. As an afterthought, considering the crisp, Fall air, she grabbed her blue and white Penn State Lions, sweatshirt and pulled it over her head. She then slung her back over her shoulders. Before stepping out, she locked the door behind her. So not to disturb the neighbors, Meg made her way quietly to the underground parking garage to retrieve her scooter. She boarded the machine and directed it toward the brightly lit street. Just before take-off, she stopped suddenly to glance at her, so called, home. For some odd reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that this might be the last she'd ever see of it. As if some life altering event was about to take place if she chose to take this path. She shook her head, trying to physically remove the idea from her thoughts. She was freaking herself out, for no reason at all. Her and Zebra would surely be back in three hours, tops. A loud thunder bolt cracked overhead. Meg looked toward the heavens and beheld the darkest, most threatening storm cloud, she'd ever layed her eyes on. The storm it threatened was not yet upon her. But, judging by the wind and it's furious movements, it would move in range within the hour. "Looks like we're in for some rain", she commented to herself as she inserted her head into the helmet. Meg kicked the starter and headed on her way. The roads were refreshingly calm and almost empty, except for some graveyard shifters, returning home after hours of labor. Meg felt the first rain droplet slap her cheek as she picked up speed. She casually brushed it away with the back of her hand. The sky lit up briefly as an electric bolt blazoned across the city. A bit jolted herself, Meg shifted to a higher gear, more anxious than ever to reach her destination. Meg arrived in Julius Sander's driveway and took notice of the lightning rod erected upon the roof. 'What has that gal been up to?' She shifted the weight of the backpack strapped over her shoulders and approached the front door. Before Meg could grasp the knob, to let herself in, the door opened from the other side. Without even a 'hello!', Zebra swiftly pulled Meg inside. "What took you so long?" Meg pulled in her chin defiantly. "Excuse me?! Nothing was said about being prompt. Besides, I rather think I made good time." She brushed a wet strand of hair from her face. Zebra took Meg's hand and led her downstairs. Upon reaching the lower floor, Meg beheld a more 'put together', machine. For a moment, she let her imagination run amok. Perhaps there was something to this theory of traveling through time. But her common sense won over. She sighed and set her load on the cold, cemented floor. "So, where do we start?" Zebra was pleased that Meg wanted to get right to the point. "Well, for starters, we need power to wake the computer controls. This is one of the reasons I called you here. What do you suggest?" Meg plopped herself into a chair that Zebra must have carried down, herself, from the upper floor, and contemplated some solutions. "The way I see it, we have but two options", she said as she displayed the correct number of fingers. Zebra listened eagerly, ready to get things underway. "Number one; we could go and rent a small generator....." Zebra immediately shook her head, dismissing the idea. "There's no time for that." "I figured as much. I just thought you'd benefit from a variety of choices." Inside, Meg relished the pleasure of driving her best friend crazy with suspense. "Number two; we could.......'borrow' the power from the good neighbors, by transmitting it from their outdoor outlet....." She jerked her thumb in that direction. Uh oh. Zebra didn't like the way Meg had emphasized the word, 'borrow'. "But", Meg steepled her fingers. "This act, or course, is stealing, and we could face a hefty fine, or even jail time, if we're caught....." Meg let the last sentence hang in the air, giving it time to properly sink in. She was certain this 'snag' would put an end to such nonsense. Zebra considered her options. She, of course, never wanted to go against the law, it wasn't in her nature. She knew it was, especially, punishable since she was not a citizen of that city. But she'd made up her mind long ago to see this project to the end. She had to know what had happened to her missing grandfather. The possibilities seemed to out-weigh the consequences. "Do what you gotta do", Zebra gave in, though reluctant. Meg pursed her lips and nodded. "OK", she said, standing up. "Let's get to it."
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Post by Herc's_Girl on Jul 16, 2007 22:42:11 GMT -5
more,More,MOre,MORe,MORE.
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Post by megatude on Jul 20, 2007 23:39:06 GMT -5
Continued...
Taking the lantern with her, Meg rummaged through the garage, for an extension cord. After sorting through various tools, old Christmas decorations, and gardening essentials, Meg hit the jackpot. "Eureka!" A genuine, 100ft, orange colored extension cord. With some electrical tape and a length of copper wire, (also treasures of the garage) Meg constructed a make-shift connector, to plug the cable into the machine. With that end taken care of, she stepped outside to complete the chain. Zebra agreed to act as a look-out, so she could warn Meg if they got caught. Before venturing next door, Meg glanced back at her friend. Zebra's face was flush with guilt and apprehension, her eyes darting this way and that to every sound. "You know Zebra....." said Meg gently. "We don't have to do this. We could just scratch the whole thing and go home...." She was hopeful. As tempting as it sounded, Zebra didn't believe in un-finished projects. "No. I've come too far to see it end now." To ease her nagging conscience, she figured she would just send the un-suspecting neighbors, an anonymous check, for the goods they would un-knowingly provide. Silent and stealthily as a cat on her midnight prowl, Meg searched for an outdoor outlet. The rain began to pour more heavily, causing the soil to soften and shift. Meg made her way through the backyard, carefully placing her steps. Finally, she spotted her target, just above an abundant vegetable patch. She sloshed across the mud, avoiding tomato plants and Zucchinis, sitting above ground. Shielding the male end of the plug from the on-coming down pour, she inserted it snuggly into the outlet. 'Mission complete. Return to base.' Meg found her way back to the house and met Zebra on the porch. "Well, let's see what we can do with that machine of yours." Together, they returned to the basement. To Zebra's delight, the machine hummed with newly found power. As requested, Meg plugged her laptop to the monitor on the time machine, with a connector cable. She made herself comfortable, seating herself in the chair and propped her legs against a work bench. With her trusty laptop set upon, where else? Her lap. She cracked her knuckles, preparing her fingers for work, she logged onto the main screen. As she bypassed the massive security installations, she began to develop a growing admiration for the crazed scientist. He knew what he was doing, about wanting to keep his secrets hidden. After about a half-an-hour of non-stop typing and mind boggling puzzles, Meg finally reached the last hurdle. The screen before her now was the final entry to the machine's controls, but might prove to be the most difficult.
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Post by Herc's_Girl on Jul 22, 2007 3:59:27 GMT -5
Wowie Zowie!
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Post by megatude on Jul 24, 2007 16:38:24 GMT -5
Continued...
Meg bit her lip and groaned wearily. "What is it? What's wrong?" Up till then, Zebra had been making some last minute adjustments. Sensing the distressed tone of Meg's groan, she came up behind Meg, to peer over her shoulder and inspect the problem. "I'll tell you what; Your grandfather was one complex guy. This is the last screen to pass before the file can be opened." Zebra couldn't the reason to stress. "So what? Just surpass it like the others." Meg eyed her friend with some annoyance. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. You see..." She pointed out. "This screen requires a password to open the file....." "So?" Zebra repeated. "Just keep guessing till you've uncovered the right one." Meg pinched her thumb and index finger together to demonstrate. "There's a slight snag in that plan of yours though. According to the database, it will only allow us three chances to enter the correct password. If we fail to do so, the whole system will shut itself down, and lock us out for good." Zebra's heart catapulted to her throat. She couldn't imagine loosing all she'd worked so hard to gain. The keys to the mystery, only a moment ago, seemed within her grasp. Why did it have to be so complicated? "Did that journal give any hints or clues of what the password could be?" Zebra drew herself from her self-pitying gloom, to seriously ponder the question Meg had pronounced. "Special dates. Names. Places. Anything that would stand out as significant or dear to him...." Meg offered when Zebra didn't answer right away. The obvious first choice, would be the name of his deceased wife. After all, wasn't she the sole purpose of his expeditions, retrieving her from time? "Try 'Layla'" Zebra urged. "My grandmother's name." Meg looked doubtful. "His wife? It's a bit cliche, but alright." She did as she was requested, and punched the name into the computer. After hitting, 'ENTER', an obnoxious buzz sounded, like the kind you hear on various game-shows, when a contestant answers a question wrong. The screen flashed; 'INCORRECT PASSWORD!' There appear a countdown in the corner of the screen, that indicated they only had two guesses remaining. Zebra smacked her forehead with the base of her palm. "What?! How could that NOT be it?!" Zebra protested. "I was sure that would work." Meg only shrugged. "I don't know. But you'd better come up with the right password, quick." Zebra slowly lowered her hand to look at Meg. She didn't like the casual tone in her voice. "Why?" She asked. "Well......there's another, small dilemma, I never got around to tell you." Zebra's muscles tensed, dreading what other mishaps could possibly befall them. "You see, there's also a time limit to how long we have to guess." She didn't like asking, but she needed to know what they were up against. Zebra sucked in a breath to ask the all, burning question; "How long do we have, exactly?" Meg's eyes returned to the screen. "About....ten minutes. No, wait. Scratch that. Eight minutes." The blood rushed into Zebra's face, heightening her anger. "You knew this. You knew this all along, didn't you?" The right corner of Meg's mouth steadily climbed up her cheek, as her lips curled into a half-smile, finding Zebra's temper quite humorous. "Well, if you must know, then.......... yeah. I was aware of that." Zebra's jaw dropped a mile. She grasped Meg's shoulders. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" Meg coughed, hiding a chuckle. "I didn't wanna worry you." Zebra released her grip and began pacing, marching back-and-forth continually, spinning on her toes as she turned. "OK. I can do this. I can think under pressure." The panic in her voice said everything, but. She clenched her fists, urging a solution to surface. "Take it easy Zebra." Said Meg, motioning her hands downward. Only when she complied, did Meg push forward. "Now. I know you can figure out the correct password. Just try and recall anything else he would think to use to lock in his secrets."
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Post by Herc's_Girl on Jul 25, 2007 6:46:07 GMT -5
Wow...suspence. This is thrilling!
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Post by megatude on Jul 27, 2007 19:19:48 GMT -5
Continued.....
Zebra snatched up the infamous journal from the workbench, and flipped through it's pages, searching for any clue, any hint, to free them of this road block. Nothing really seemed to stand out in his writing. It appeared that Zebra was on her own. If only time wasn't constantly pushing against her. Wait a minute.....that could be it! TIME. After all, it appeared to be a common theme throughout his life. "Time!" Zebra shouted frantically. "Yes, I know we're running out of time." Meg sighed. "No!" Zebra shouted once again. "Type in the word, time! Type in time!" "Alright, alright", said Meg, sensing the diar stress in Zebra's voice. So, she did so. Again, the computer denied their attempt. 'ACCESS DE-NIGHED, INCORRECT PASSWORD!' Zebra shrieked aloud, like a mad banshee. Meg cringed at the sound of Zebra's frustration. (2 minutes left) All seemed hopeless. The man had left no trace of his hidden password. Thunder crashed loudly outside, pushing Zebra to her limits. She plopped herself down onto the workbench, holding her head between her hands in utter despair. (1 minute) So it had all come down to this. All the careful preparations were for not. Why? (49 seconds) The computer screen began to flash red, as the seconds ticked silently away. (35 seconds) Apparently, the brilliant college professor had beaten them. Zebra suddenly released her head, as a possibility crept into her thoughts. Was it sheer coincidence that she attended the very same school, where her grandfather had taught. He had enjoyed his career at the home of the 'Nittany Lions'. (18 seconds) Zebra scrambled to Meg's side. "Quickly!" She cried in haste. "Nittany!! That has to be it! There's a legend behind it, that he mentioned. I can't remember the details now, just put it in!" Prepared to enter the word in herself, if Meg didn't comply. (9 seconds.....8......7......6) N-i-t-t-a-n-y. (5 seconds.....4....3) Enter! (2 seconds) Zebra and Meg held their breaths still, awaiting the system's response. 'PASSWORD ACCEPTED. WELCOME BACK MR. SANDERS!' The screen scrawled happily.
Chapter 11
Zebra gasped for air, when she felt it was safe enough to breath. Then, she wrapped her arms around Meg's neck in jubilation and relief. "We did it!" She squealed triumphantly. Meg only nodded. 'What exactly have we done?' She pondered to herself. Things still weren't sitting right with her. She had a strong, gut feeling, that this was only the beginning of their troubles. Another thunder bolt cracked against the pouring rain. This one, shook the ground beneath the girl's feet. The cue to go was soon at hand.
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Post by Herc's_Girl on Jul 29, 2007 16:36:41 GMT -5
I can not wait for more. You have real talent in writing,Lyndsay.
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Post by megatude on Jul 31, 2007 17:58:13 GMT -5
Why, thank you! I try.
Continued...
The last screen showed different coordinates and travel destinations. 'Would you like to proceed to last entered time period?' It asked. Meg nervously looked up at Zebra for the answer, and dreading, she already knew. As expected, Zebra nodded her consent, excitement sparkling in her eager brown eyes. Meg shut her eyes tightly as she, for the final time, hit the 'enter' button. There was a brief moment, where nothing happened, only the soft patter of rain drops as they fell upon the roof. Waiting in silence for whatever fate might spring, beads of perspiration broke across Meg's forehead. A mound of pressure seemed to pulsate around them. The platform, before the time machine, started to glow. Very faint at first, but with increasing power, it brightened the entire room. The earth groaned and started to tremble. Even Zebra was growing a bit frightened by the sudden change in the atmosphere. Outside, an electric bolt of lightning found it's target and struck, directly hitting the metal rod on the house's roof. It's power traveled down, into the time machine, triggering the filament spires. A small rift appeared above the lighted platform. Opening it's mouth wide, the gap glowed a brilliant white. Electric sparks twisted throughout the ever growing hole. Meg and Zebra's eyes widened to their full expanse, not fully comprehending what was happening. Instinctively, Meg took a cautioned step back, preparing to flee. But Zebra stood frozen on the spot, unable to tear herself away from the phenomenon before her. "Zebra......." Meg's voice was barely louder than a whisper. She moved toward her friend, intending to drag her back. Suddenly, without warning, the void began to draw in anything not bolted down, like a cosmic vacuum. Zebra's feet started to slide forward, toward the rift. Without a chance to react, a stray piece of pipe came hurdling at the back of her head, knocking her unconscious. The magnetic force increased, and Zebra started flying into the void. Frantically, Meg grabbed Zebra's arm, pulling her back. Before getting herself forever lost, she scraped and clawed for a handhold. Her outstretched hand finally grasped the handle to the door leading upward. She grunted as she struggled to maintain her grip. "Zebra, WAKE UP!" She screamed over the sucking wind. Meg was pretty sure she could escape, if it were only her weight she was pulling. But she had Zebra to account for, and there was no way she would abandon her best friend to........THAT! The portal seemed determined to draw them in, for Meg's grip was beginning to slacken. Her last finger slipped from her only anchor, and they both sailed into the time rip. Meg let out a shriek as the portal closed behind them, seemingly satisfied. The power blew out, as the machine collapsed, overwhelmed by the power used.
Chapter 12
Julius Sander's neighbors, Emma and Glen Hunt, were having some odd, electrical complications. For the past half-hour, their lights periodically flickered on and off. "What's going on?" Emma asked her husband, as they watched some late night television. "I'm not sure", Glen admitted. Then, at last, the light flickered and faded into darkness. Making his way into the kitchen, Glen searched blindly through the drawers, pulled out a flash-light and flipped it on. "Blast that power company!" He cursed. "In the morning, I'm marching straight down there and demanding an explanation."
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Post by Herc's_Girl on Jul 31, 2007 19:46:51 GMT -5
This is getting to be immensely thrilling! I can't wait for more!
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Post by weirdo on Aug 1, 2007 4:28:58 GMT -5
Neither can I!
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Post by megatude on Aug 4, 2007 19:09:30 GMT -5
Continued....
Was this what it was like to die, swirling around in a mass of indescribable colors? This wasn't at all what Meg had pictured, when one's life were flashing before their eyes. She felt as if she were speeding forever backwards. Meg didn't realize that, at that moment, they were falling through time. She kept a tight grip on Zebra's hand, for fear of loosing her to the void. As the young women continued their plummet, small windows of historical past events flew by, like a kiss on the wind. Such as; the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the sinking of the Titanic, Joan of Arch- burning at the stake, numerous wars, and kingdoms conquering kingdoms. Too bad Zebra wasn't able to behold such sights, Meg knew that she would have appreciated it more than she, herself, ever could. Unfortunately, she was still out cold, a nice sized goose-egg was forming on the back of her skull. After what seemed like an eternity, the scenes abruptly stopped appearing, and Meg felt the sensation of suddenly coming down! Another portal opened a path beneath their feet, and they were headed straight for it. Meg shut her eyes tightly, bracing herself for a hard impact. To her surprise, the ground seemed to materialize under their bodies. Lying on her back, Meg looked over to right and was relieved to see her best friend beside her. She hadn't much strength to do much else. The journey seemed to have drained her of all energy. The drowsiness was overpowering, spreading to her limbs. Before her eyelids dipped, Meg did a once-over of their surroundings; Lush, green trees, and rolling hills. She scoffed and chided herself, passing it all off as a hallucination. Perhaps, she too, had been knocked out and was now laying unconsciouses in some hospital bed, a prisoner to these visions. 'Sleep', she thought for a cure. 'I need sleep. Things will become clearer....after....sleep....' Her head fell to the side as she dozed peacefully.
'What a strange dream!' Meg commented to herself, as she started to wake. She sensed the presence of another being. Of course she wasn't alone! Zebra would be in the next room. When she finally mustered enough energy, her eyes fluttered open to behold another set of eyes, staring deeply into hers. Not being able to recognize the familiar hue of Zebra's golden-brown eyes, she started to panic. The eyes before her now, were of a brilliant blue, very moist. Meg gasped and bolted upright. Curious. She seemed to have frightened away......a girl? But this seemed to be no ordinary girl, her long sky colored hair, billowed and flowed like a fast moving stream. Her skin appeared to be not skin at all, but scales, like that of a fish. She leaped away, graceful as a fawn, towards a near-by river. She giggled playfully, bubbles popping from her coral lips, and dove head first, into the river. Meg stared in dismay at the spot where the girl had vanished. Trying to make sense of it, she shook her head and blinked her eyes rapidly, expecting things to return to normal. Hoping to see the familial sightings of her bedroom. No such luck. Things were just as confusing, if not more, as they had been moments ago. Then, she remembered....Zebra! Where was she?! She looked around in a panic, then found her laying beside her, still knocked cold. Meg pulled Zebra up by the shoulders, so that she was sitting up. Her head lolled off to the side. "Zebra", she called, trying to rouse her. No response. When that didn't work, she gently slapped her cheeks. "C'mon Zebra, snap out of it!" Zebra let out a low moan. "Wha....? Ow, my head", she complained, reaching back to massage her injury. Her eyes squinted as they slowly came into focus. "Meg?" She continued to support her back. "Of course, who else would it be?" Zebra managed a small smile, then glanced around. "What happened? Where are we?" Meg looked about as well, not wanting to believe this was reality. "I was hoping you could tell me", she admitted.
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Post by weirdo on Aug 5, 2007 8:00:45 GMT -5
It's so interesting. Please continue!
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