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  Stunning stuff and love the setting, looking forward to playing this one!

[Baron]

Both were really good entries...I had an idea for this one, but couldn't swing it in time due to work travel.

Character: Baron for Jossie

Plot: Baron

Atmosphere: Baron

Background World: Blondebraid

Word Choice/style: Baron

Spookiness: Blondebraid

Congrats Stupot!

Awesome stuff so far!

Using Skorpio's LPC Sci-Fi pack (with mechs!) and Gamemaker's Sci-Fi pack, I put together a huge room that would hopefully one day be a fully realized game.  The idea is a main character was genetically designed to be a higher-level Judge Dredd type of guy in an oppressive society...He either continues to cruelly oppress all the NPCs he comes across or chooses to help them fight back.  The NPCs don't know anything else, so they would have to be told how to rebel rather than them coming to the player character.  The game would be winnable in either extreme, or even perhaps in some grey area.  I haven't messed with the game in a while, though I'm hoping to "one day" return to it.

A few screenshots...

Right Hand Side

Middle

Conversation

[Baron]

Best Character: Baron...for Dorothy Ann Maybell
Best Setting: Sinitrena...This fantastic entry was mainly setting and background world.
Best Plot: Baron...The man can spin a yarn.
Best Writing: Sinitrena...Really well written from start-to-finish; especially the opening line that sets the tone.
Best Editing: Baron...One man's "ramble" is another man's fleshed out character or setting, so I read this category more as grammar/typos.
Best Mystery: DBoyWheeler...Fine entries all-around, but I felt like his centered around a real-deal mystery.

Great job!  It looks like you used to work for Lucasarts or something.

  It seems like every time I login to Steam there is another update for a bug crushed and/or feature added...Best after-sale support I've seen on a Steam game.

  Everything looks awesome Pinback, I can't stop staring at the gun that the guy in the futuristic pickelhaube helmet is holding.

1st: 4 - Trample Pie
2nd: 7 - Riaise
3rd: 9 - Misj'

Really great entries this round!

  These entries are great, but part of me wants to vote for the trophies.

[Mandle]

Best Character: Mandle for Grabberman
Best Setting: Mandle
Best Plot: Sinitrena
Best Word Choice: Sinitrena
Best Natural Obstacle: Sinitrena
Most Substantive: Sinitrena

  Unique looking art style and Alien insurance?  I'm in, looks good man!

It was a beautiful spring day when the Jensen family trekked into the Henry Mountains.  The father, Archibald (AKA “Archie”) Jensen, checked his old school lensatic compass as his loved ones made their way up a steep slope past Dead Man's Gulch.  Robbie Jensen, the teenage son of the Jensen clan, looked up from an old map and said, “Seriously?  Does everything around here have to be Devil's or Dead Man's something?  We just passed Devil's Knob.  Over there is Dead Man's Gulch, and further up ahead is Devil's Peak.”  Sarah Jensen, Robbie's slightly older Sister and the least outdoorsy of the group, paused her gum chewing and replied. “Like who cares?  This whole place might as well be called Turdsylvania,” as she once again deftly sidestepped Bison leavings.  Archie Jensen begged, “Alright guys, please stop complaining.  Sarah, when we make camp I'll return your phone and I promise to setup the solar heated shower bag.  I'd prefer you be a camper and not a -” Sarah cut in with, “-a glamper.  Yeah yeah Dad I know...”  Robbie turned to his Aunt Christina, who was in the process of digging out a tick, and said, “Do you think we'll find any arrowheads?”  Christina Stone, a tough survivalist who was intimately familiar with nature and the Henry Mountains in particular, responded, “Not here, the Navajo were close but they didn't travel into the mountains often.”  Sarah interjected, “Hey Chief Running Sore (a dig at Robbie's minor acne problem), I'm older than you so I get the posher tent.”  Robbie responded by throwing a bison hairball at his Sister.  Archie shook his head and thought about his late wife Arial, who was much better at mediating his children's disputes than he ever was.

Christina Stone advised, “I know we'd lose a day or two Arch, but we should go around.  She's running a little rough right now.”  Archie lowered his voice and countered, “We can handle it Chris.  Just because it is called Dirty Devil River doesn't mean it's dangerous, right?”  The group stood in front of the Dirty Devil River, which was overflowing due to recent heavy downpours.  While relatively shallow in many areas, the bottom is littered with jagged shale and the river was infamous for having an unpredictable current.  Christina spied a water birch tree near the river bank covered in bear markings and said, “I know you view this river crossing as some sort of family challenge that needs to be conquered, but I just don't think it is worth the risk.  In addition to the perils of Dirty Devil, I've seen a bobcat den and multiple bear markings nearby.”  Archie locked eyes with his late wife's sister and said, “You know Arial loved the outdoors, and especially this area.  Before her passing she told me to take our kids into the Henry Mountains and toughen them up while at the same time trying to get them to appreciate nature.  They were too young before…”  Archie Jensen began to tear up, and then stared down at a quartz rock that was embedded in the clay soil.

Archie recovered, smiled at his kids and said, “So we'll cross this…uhh little stream…here, and then head over to Robbers Roost Canyon.  Which is a pretty cool spot because it's where outlaws of the Wild West would hide out and hole up when they were on the run.”  Sarah blew a bubble and said, “Is there like Wi-Fi or something there?  I hope it's not super groty.”  Robbie thought about old west outlaws and offered, “Sounds good Dad.”  Archibald Jensen added, “We may also see some bladderworts in a few of the bogs along the route.  They are the only carnivorous plants in Utah.”  Sarah began swatting at flying insects that were attracted to her perfume, and then Christina Stone took a swig from her canteen and said, “So here is how we are going to cross this river…”


Christina knew that the thin nylon rope connecting her Niece, Nephew, and Brother-in-law was only a precautionary measure, as the current turned out to be weaker than it seemed from the shoreline.  Still, it made her feel reassured.  Much like Arial had last wishes for her husband, she also had wishes for Christina to carry out.  The primary overriding task was to watch over the kids and keep them safe.  Christina let nothing get in her way of this duty, and that included not having kids of her own.  She was happy with her life working as a park ranger by day, teaching judo part-time at night, and seeing Archie and the kids on most weekends.

The unseasonably warm water came up to everyone's knees, as the Jensen kids were tall for their age.  Archie led the group in single file across the river.  He would gingerly plant a foot in the muddy bottom, ensure that there were no sharp jagged rocks, and then firmly step.  At one point Robbie asked Sarah, “You are IN nature, so why would you bring a “sounds of nature” machine to help you sleep?”  Sarah replied, “Yeah well it will prove handy when I, like, crank the volume up to drown out the sounds of you taking Fistina to the Palm Prom in your sleeping bag.”  Outside of Sarah and Robbie's occasional bickering, they continued without incident nearly making it to the other side before a small otter paddled past Archie and interrupted the procession.  Everyone chuckled at the sight, and they had just resumed traversing the river when Robbie shouted out in extreme pain. 

Christina, who brought up the rear, collected the rope as she sprinted through the water to him.  Robbie was doubled over in pain.  The expert survivalist held out her hand silently ordering Sarah and Archie to remain where they are, and then wrapped an arm around Robbie who lifted his injured left leg out of the water.  Christina saw a jagged rock sticking out of the front of the boot, briefly mulled it over, and said, “Robbie are those real Gore-Tex boots?”  Robbie muttered, “Sorry Aunt Christina, they are actually Gored-Tex.  I thought the knockoffs would be just as good…and sorry again, I uhhh…Pocketed the savings from the money you gave me.”  Christina's face reddened and she spat, “They are appropriately named.  Anyway we'll talk about that later, right now we are going over there,” while pointing at the muddy embankment just in front of Archie Jensen, whom she nodded at to continue.  Archie clambered over the bank onto the other side, and noticed his son appeared to be in reasonable overall shape despite the rock jutting out of the front of his left shoe.  He turned around and saw a large man with an equally huge beard and scarred forehead lean out from behind a redwood tree.  The man eyeballed Archie and put a finger to his closed lips.  In response, Archie glanced down, reached for his bear pepper spray, and looked back to see that the man had vanished.  Christina had warned him of homeless people that occasionally made their way out here, and Archie wondered if that was the case with this strange man.  Sarah brushed herself off and climbed up the bank.  Christina pushed Robbie over the top while Sarah pulled him up with the nylon rope, and after a few heaves he was dumped over onto the soft clay ground by the water's edge.  Christina quickly ascended the bank, in time to see Sarah say to her brother, “Glad you didn't die bro.”

Robbie plopped down on the burnt-sienna colored soil while his Aunt looked over the injury.  She said, “It's not as bad as it looks.”  Christina removed the offending rock from the low quality knockoff hiking boot, which caused Robbie to briefly grimace, and investigated the damage.  She retrieved a small first aid kit from her high-end Osprey backpack and went to work as Archie mentioned seeing the bearded stranger, and they collectively decided to move a little further into the woods and make camp for the night while Robbie recuperated.


Dusk broke, while Sarah leaned back on a large tree stump as she filed her nails and Archie gathered wood.  Christina scouted the area surrounding the makeshift camp, and paused her task briefly to watch a male sage grouse perform a series of arrogant struts while several females eating sagebrush half-watched.  Her recon uncovered more bear markings on several trees, a small copse of poison sumac, and an area littered with old shoeprints.  Tracking the shoeprints to a particular location was impossible as they seemed randomly placed which either meant this area was heavily trafficked or more likely, the person who left them knew how to leave a confusing trail.  The veteran survivalist checked that her oversized Gerber hunting knife was secured in its sheath, and walked over to where Archie had begun making a campfire.  She queried, “So Arch, this guy wanted you to be quiet?”  Archie flicked the business end of the strike anywhere match against a nearby rock, and tossed it into the kindling.  He glanced up at Christina and replied, “I don't know how else to take what is basically the international symbol for shut up.”  Christina pondered this for a moment while Archie stoked the slowly building campfire, and then said, “He might have been concerned about something nearby hearing you, or all of us as we climbed out of the river.  Damnit!  I was so focused on Robbie's foot that I should have been paying attention…”  Archie waved her off, and then observed his son's tent.  After determining that his son was safely inside resting, he said, “C'mon Chris, you can't do everything.  While Robbie takes it easy, I'm hoping to get in some stargazing tonight with Sarah.  I know that's not her thing normally, but it's a clear night and there is supposed to be a meteor shower.”  They both looked over at Sarah, who was examining an anodized aluminum cylinder with solar cells on top.  Archie sighed with a grin on his face and said, “That's a portable latte machine complete with bean grinder and milk frother.  The majority of her backpack is filled with gadgets like that.”  Christina giggled and said, “Sarah looks so much like her Mom, but they couldn't have more different personalities.” 

They returned to face the now roaring campfire.  Archie choked up and whispered, “I miss her so much Chris.  She was not only the love of my life, but the matriarch and heart-and-soul of our humble little clan.”  Christina said, “I know…Arch, I think about her every day…But you need to move on.  At least for the kids.”  Archie tossed a few large twigs in the fire and internally reminisced about the time he and Arial roasted marshmallows, and then replied, “You first.”  Christina said, “I'm happy being single, and even if my sister was around I wouldn't want kids of my own.”  They both sat quietly gazing into the fire when the sister of Archie's high school sweetheart broke the silence with, “Well it seems that Robbie's injury is relatively minor so, assuming he is up to it, tomorrow we could cautiously-“ and then abruptly stopped mid-sentence.  Christina and Archie whirled around and watched in horror as Sarah cuddled with two brown bear cubs.

Sarah cooed at the small bears, as her Aunt stalked over and her Dad quietly removed the bear pepper spray from his belt clip.  Christina hissed at her Niece, “Drop them and get over here now.”  Sarah responded, “Whatever!  These guys are like tots cut and this is like a perf photog op for my squad on Hipstergram.”  Christina continued to slowly walk over to Sarah while swiveling her had back-and-forth scanning the tree-line for the mother of the bear cubs; her main fear being that she could startle the cubs who would then call out for help.  Archie tried to get Sarah's attention by waving his hands, but to no avail and so he slowly made his way in his daughter's direction as well.  Christina was roughly ten feet away from her niece when she stopped to crouch, and warned, “Sarah, carefully set them down and make your way to the campfire.”  Archie picked up a huge 8-cell Maglite that Robbie had insisted on bringing despite the added weight, as he gradually advanced on Sarah's position.  Sarah frowned at her Aunt and said, “Chill Auntie Buzzkill.  They are like so not dangerous.  Hey get my camera out of my pack, it is in the big pocket next to the solar powered hair dryer.”  One of the cubs was eating gummy bears, while the other alternated harmlessly swiping Sarah's shirt and licking her hand.  Christina forced down the temptation to strangle her Niece, and pleaded, “The Mom is going to maul you to death if she catches you with her cubs.”  Archie, bear pepper spray in one hand and large Maglite in the other, stood guard anxiously awaiting the results of his Sister-in-law's attempts to get his daughter away from the cubs.

As Sarah considered what her Aunt had said about over-protective momma bears, the cub eating gummy bears began lolling its head around and making weird noises.  Christina glanced at the bag of gummies, recalled their recent road trip to Colorado, and face-palmed as she realized that the cub had been eating THC laced candy.  She lifted her head up in time to witness the stoned cub release a torturous scream, which was quickly answered by an alarmingly close booming roar.  The realization of what was transpiring finally hit Sarah, who hurled both cubs into the air as she scurried past her father and into the perceived safety of her tent.  Due to being thrown onto a hard cooking pot, the previously quiet cub began loudly crying and joined its sibling in a symphony of anguish.  Christina and Archie exchanged frightened glances as a fifteen hundred pound female Kodiak brown bear stood up where Sarah had been sitting, nudged one of its cubs, and then let loose a furious roar revealing a gaping maw that housed impossibly large droolly fangs.  Both Christina and Archie scattered in different directions and the monstrous bear started after Archie, but then paused to sniff the air for some unidentified scent.  It then dramatically spun around and bull charged Sarah's tent, which the enraged animal smashed into a million splinters of fabric and metal.  Archie saw his daughter land in broken heap on top of a thorny bush.  The mother bear trotted over to finish off its prey, but stopped as Archibald Jensen jumped in front.  The gigantic carnivore reared up and roared with outstretched claws swinging, and received a faceful of bear pepper spray for its trouble.  Archie kept the trigger pulled as the stream doused the now thrashing and howling bear, and due to the unlucky wind direction, was himself slightly blinded.  Christina grabbed Archie, who cursed and threw the spent spray bottle aside, and pulled him towards safety.  Through bleary vision, Archie could make out Christina checking on Sarah's crumpled form.  Sarah moaned and Christina advised, “Can't move you right now…Stay quiet.” 

The huge bear roared in anger from stinging eyes and partial blindness, and the sound of a stoned cub loudly wailing certainly added to its frustration.  Christina watched as the bear staggered backwards into Robbie's tent, which knocked it down, and then her Nephew hobbled and hopped away from his broken tent in a mad awkward dash for the treeline.  Christina could see that the big beast was recovering from the pepper spray and was now stalking Robbie.  Christina and Archie both jogged towards the bear.  The survivalist and judo expert halted to begin climbing a lone redwood and said to Archie, “I know it's crazy, but lure the damn thing over here under this tree.”  Despite the plan being totally absurd, Archie found himself following through with it as he gained on the bear.  The monstrous beast chased Robbie as he retreated behind shrubbery.  Archie's son dodged a lunging paw swipe, but tripped and was hit in the side with a follow-up swat that sent him sprawling into a small ditch.  The bear power-trotted towards its target…until something forcefully smacked it in the hindquarters.  The hulking animal was heavily panting and bleary eyed as it whipped around to see Archibald Jensen taunt, “Hey, come and get some of this!”  The bear half-charged and stumbled in the process, as Archie literally ran for his life.  He sprinted with his flashlight on and the beam bobbing up-and-down in front of him.  There was a loud crash as Archie passed the redwood, and he then spun around to see his Sister-in-law on top of the thrashing bear.  A knife was buried to the hilt in the upper back of the Jensen family's attacker, and Archie guessed that she had missed her intended target (the head).  The bear bucked, sending Christina Stone flailing through the air, and started rubbing its back up against a tree in attempts to remove the foreign object.  Archie hoped their newfound enemy would finally run off, but he braced the Maglite in both hands in preparation for a last stand…and then a loud gunshot rang out.

The bear slumped over, twitched for a few seconds, and then was still.  A tall grizzled man holding a big bore rifle walked out of the woods over to Archie and handed him a note which read, “Emergency services has been contacted and they are sending a helicopter.  Hang in there.”  Archie recognized the man, assumed that he must be deaf, and shook his hand vigorously before checking on Christina - who was now roundhouse kicking the bear corpse.  Archie asked his Sister-in-law, “Are you ok?” and was met with a stone-cold glare in response.  She stopped beating on the dead animal and ordered, “Check Robbie and I'll get Sarah.”


Robbie Jensen was holding his side when Archie found him sitting on the edge of a ditch.  The father attended to his son by wrapping a long scarf around his midsection, and assured him, “You will be ok; could have been a lot worse.  Your sister looks rough as well, but I think she will make it.”  Robbie managed a feeble attempt at patting his Dad on the back; he considered his father a hero for saving his life.  While waiting for the medics, they sat together and discussed future camping trips that would take place outside of bear country.

Sarah was lying on the ground moaning.  Christina noticed that she had fell off of the bush at some point, and said, “Don't move, you might have a broken neck.”  While examining her Niece she asked, “Where does it hurt?”  Sarah weakly replied, “I was bumrushed by a giant murderous bear, so yeah I hurt like everywhere Florence Nightingale…Hey I saw your suicidal superninja blitz dive from the tree.  Pretty rad auntie.”  Christina smiled, but it slowly dissipated as she watched the two bear cubs nuzzle their dead mother and heard their wails of despair.

  Good show all around guys, and I plan to work in the new Ponch smiley wherever possible in future posts.  Unless I hear otherwise from Baron, I'll assume it's public domain.

[Congrats Baron!]

Please someone else declare the winner.

  Baron took this one, according to my calculations which kept getting interrupted by interloping coworkers.  I'm in second, and both Sinitrena and CaptainD tied for third place.

  Congrats Baron! 

[Baron]

Best Character: Baron for Sheebor the Ravisher
Best Setting: Sinitrena, the setting/background felt like an intrigue-y cold war spy novel.
Best Style/Technique: Baron for passages like, "I found your choice of steel chastity belt laughable in your tween years...To you I leave my fastest horse and my prized magnetic saddle."
Most Interesting Will and Testament: CaptainD

Dr. Thaddeus Prescott's Lawyer (as well as close friend and general factotum), Richard Livingstone, sat down at the ornate zebrawood desk and stared at the 64K screen built into the wall on the other side of the office.  He nodded, moved both a fancy tanzanite cigar ashtray and antique globe aside, and then lowered his head slightly to match the level of the hidden microphone that was just below the monitor.  Richard said, “Sir, assuming you have no objections, I'll now go talk to our assembled guests.”  There was no audible response and so Richard Livingstone stood up and stretched.  After working his neck, he glanced at his IWC pilot's watch, flattened a few creases on the front of his Brioni suit, and then went into the adjacent Prescott hotel conference room.

Richard cleared his throat from behind the marble podium and said, “Welcome.  We've all mourned Dr. Thaddeus Prescott in our own way.  He…was…an amazing man to say the least.  Dr. Prescott â€" my good friend Thad â€" is widely considered to be the father of modern biorobotics and cybernetics.  He singlehandedly created a new field of study called biomechatronics.  And my friend Thad wâ€"“ a tousled haired gentleman in the front row broke in with, “My good long-winded man, is this a eulogy or a reading of a will?”  Richard glared at his interrupter, and said, “Yes of course…I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting earlier.  I will now impart Dr. Prescott's last will and testament via video.”  A large cameo shaped monitor in the front of the conference room flickered on to reveal Thaddeus Prescott's face.  It spoke, “Greetings friends and family.  Sadly I've moved on to another plan of existence, and therefore I must choose who inherits my estate…”

Blake Prescott half-listened as his Father's visage droned on.  He knew only immediate family would be in the running for his Dad's one hundred billion dollar estate.  Dr. Prescott's coworkers and distant friends were only in attendance in the hopes they could chisel off a piece of the fortune.  Tiffany Prescott shifted in her chair up front and eagerly waited for her famous father to mention her name.

“…and so anyone who isn't in my immediate family can leave the room.  Simply put, no portion of my estate will go to any individuals or group of individuals who don't reside at Prescott Manor,” continued the face of Dr. Prescott.  Disappointed murmurs and rumbling could be heard as the majority of the attendees dejectedly filed out the back of the room.  The tousled haired heckler was clenching his fists as he shuffled to the exit.  Chloe Prescott thought it was odd that the recording wasn't stopped or paused…It actually appeared like her Husband â€" or her Husband's face rather â€" was waiting for people to leave.

Five of the attendees remained:  Dr. Prescott's disgruntled son Blake, his reasonably well liked daughter Tiffany, his current bipolar wife/widow Chloe, an ex-trophy-wife Ivläna (ex-wife number four who still resided at Prescott Manor due to prenuptial agreement stipulation), and his much younger brother Dirk, who just recently retired from the senior circuit of professional bodybuilding and moved back in to the family mansion.

Dr. Prescott resumed, “Ahh yes, my loving family…You will reside here at the Prescott hotel for the next five days.  If any of you leaves this facility during that time, then you will be forfeiting your share of the estate.  In addition to being luxurious and comfortable, this particular Prescott hotel is state of the art and really unlike any other building in the World in nearly every way.  Everything, and I mean everything, is controlled via central computer.  Anyway, I will specify a sole heir at the conclusion of the five day period.  Mr. Livingstone will show you to your rooms.”  The face disappeared from the recessed cameo monitor.  Dirk Prescott thought it was strange how his Brother's eyes would sometimes lock on to one of the family in what he gathered was a prerecorded message.  Blake looked at Richard and asked, “How can he name a sole heir and know that the person hadn't left the hotel?”  Richard smiled and replied, “Every eventuality has been planned for in great detail young master Blake.  Now, the holobutlers will show you to your rooms.”


Richard Livingstone once again sat down at the ornate desk, and said, “Blake's room on-screen” and a panoramic view of Blake Prescott's room was displayed on the monitor.  Blake was looking through the wardrobe which had been prepared well in advance.

Richard ordered, “Dirk's room” and the monitor revealed Dirk Prescott pinning down and choking Chloe Prescott on his bed.  In a panic Richard exclaimed, “Sir!  Sir!  We have a prob-“ and then he stopped himself as he noticed his boss's wife clearly enjoying it.  She had a wicked smile on her face.  Thaddeus Prescott's right-hand man shook his well-groomed head while he silently debated the implications, and then the disembodied voice of his best friend and employer boomed, “Not a surprising turn of events, nor is it smoking gun evidence of anything other than an tryst at this stage.  Leave our mystery to me, my friend.”  Richard glanced back at the monitor to see Dirk flexing his impressive quadriceps and otherwise posing while Chloe was donning a pink gimpsuit, and he said “Roomview off” and the monitor went blank. 

With a sigh Richard opened a drawer, pulled out two coroner's reports, and set them down next to each other on top of the desk.  The official report stated “Death by misadventure” as the cause of death, while the unofficial version claimed “Internal hemorrhaging due to poisoning by yew tree seeds.”  Richard, once again, poured over the unofficial report looking for clues and said in hushed tone, “I hope you know what you are doing sir.”


Tiffany Prescott yawned and fell back with a thump onto her bed.  She looked around for real windows, but only saw one of those faux cityscape sim-windows that were becoming popular which displayed happy, idealistic depictions of what a resident would want to see outside as opposed to the reality which included toxic smog, angry commuters, and hideous holographic advertisements everywhere.  She got up and walked over to the monitor, and suddenly old home movies of Tiffany with her Dad began playing on the room's main monitor.  Tiffany watched as Thaddeus Prescott gently placed her in a crib.  The time they both went fly fishing at a fishery (no fish remain in the wild) was next, and then it was on to Tiffany and Blake, along with their father, building a tree fort together.  She watched herself as a child hit her thumb with a hammer which had caused a crying fit, and then her Dad had said, “Remain stoic honey” while patting her on the back…Tiffany started to tear up from mixed emotions, and then she turned around to see a holoavatar of Thaddeus Prescott sitting on the leather couch in her hotel room.  She yelled, “Richard, please stop this!”  The holoavatar smiled and slowly shook his head.  The daughter of the World's wealthiest cybernetics tycoon paused, and then said, “Dad?  It can't be…”  The hologram on her couch replied, “It is, in the flesh.  Actually, not really in the flesh.  The bottom line is that my consciousness transfer program works.  We got the kinks ironed out on those prisoners and now…Ok, I'm getting sidetracked.  Look, I know you always thought of me as strict and emotionally cold…”  Through tears Tiffany squeaked out, “You were…are,” as her dad continued, “…but that does NOT justify murder.”  He went on, “I know some rough details of what happened, and I'm aware that while you know something about this - you are not a ringleader.  I also know that we had some good times and you, at least at one point, seemed to love me.  Fill in the gaps in my understanding of my murder.  Explain in great detail who poisoned me and how, and I promise there will be no repercussions for you beyond a reduction in your inheritance.  Make no mistake Tiffany, anyone directly involved will be given no quarter whether they are family or not so choose your words and precisely who is implicated carefully.”  Thaddeus Prescott and his daughter glared at each other, and Tiffany dropped her gaze.  She then joined her father on the couch.

Tiffany composed herself and began, “We had good times.  But you were barely there, and when you were around, there wasn't much love.  Perhaps being a scientist, you treated me and Blake like experiments rather than human children.  I'm aware that isn't a valid excuse for what happened to you.  Anyways…Dad, I told them to keep me out of it!”  She paused, glanced down at her hands, and continued, “I'm not exactly sure who the mastermind was, but I do know that…”

Blake passed through the beam door of Dirk Prescott's room to find Dirk in a barbarian warrior getup complete with greatsword (which appeared to be real) standing over Chloe Prescott, who was dressed in a medieval bar slut costume lying on the couch.  Dirk cooed, “Grognak like wench.  Wench goooooood.”  Dirk then looked up and said, “Hey knucklehead, how about some notice before you come barging in here?”  Blake countered with, “When you idiots are finished playing faery tale dress up for your own sick and depraved private renaissance faire, we have something pressing to discuss in a secure location.”  Chloe Prescott replied, “Blow me Blake,” and then leaned over the JoyVentâ,,¢ built-in to the couch and said, “methamphetamine ultra” and inhaled fumes with a big dumb smile on her face.  Dirk said, “Ease up on that babes.”  He then eyeballed Blake up-and-down and said, “So what's going on that's so important?”  Thaddeus Prescott's only known biological son said, “He's back, and probably spying on us.” 

They all crowded into the bathroom.  Blake said, “Who knows if this is secure, but the bathrooms in Dad's other hotels were off-the-grid.  This one was recently built and is a prototype for the future of Prescott Hotels, so I don't know if…Wait, what is that stench?  Where is the sanibot?”  Chloe recoiled and Dirk admitted, “Well it IS a bathroom, and the JoyVentâ,,¢ is off…Look, I'm not in the mood for your shenanigans junior.  Get to the point and fast.”  Blake waved him off and said, “Have either of you talked to Tiffany or Dad's plastic freak of an ex?”  Dirk angrily shook his head as he flexed in the wall reflectotron.  Blake continued, “Alright, so I think Dad either copied or transferred himself into the central computer of this hotel and he (or it) might know that we were somehow involved in his demise, which explains the weird game with the inheritance.  If we can find the main terminal for the hotel then maybe we could, I don't know, delete him or something.”  Dirk looked around and said, “Uhhh…I told you that my big brother was a great guy and he shouldn't be horribly murdered and uhhh-“ and was interrupted by Chloe who cackled, “Oh save it Conan, even if Thad is listening there is no way he'll buy that line of zebrashit.”  Blake said, “Sure I got the poison with money from Chloe, but you actually did the deed Uncle Dirk.  You put it in his protein shakes, not me or anyone else.”  Dirk nervously looked around and hissed, “Be careful.”  Chloe shuffled over to the bathroom beam door.  Blake said, “You know I'm young enough to have waited out the inheritance, there was no need to rush the matter Uncle Dirk!”  The big bodybuilder unsheathed his greatsword, but couldn't maneuver due to the tight confines of the bathroom and Blake bolted through the bathroom beam door and out into the living room followed by Chloe who tackled him.

Sprawled out on the hotel room floor, Blake and Chloe Prescott noticed a holoavatar sitting on the couch.  They were rising to their feet as the realization hit them that this was Thaddeus Prescott.  Dirk charged out of the bathroom and began wildly swinging his greatsword through the hologram to no avail.  Thaddeus said, “I will endlessly ponder whether we are actually related” as the sword continued to swoosh through the hologram until it finally cleaved a slice of full grain ostrich leather out of the couch.  A brief but extremely loud piercing noise resonated through the apartment's auralwoofers, causing everyone's ears to ring to the point where they collapsed on the floor in a heap.  Dirk jumped back up to face his brother, but was tripped up by a small hooverbot which crashed into his right ankle and he went flying back down causing his humongous sword to go sailing through the air and into Chloe Prescott.

Thaddeus explained, “I find it quite ironic that seeds of the yew were used to poison me, as it is known to be the sacred tree of transformation, rebirth, and immortality in religious circles.  The yew can even grow new trunks from within the root bole, which is somewhat analogous to what I was forced to do to myself.”

Chloe Prescott passed out from blood loss due to the greatsword buried in her back.  Blake and Dirk exchanged worried glances from the floor, and then looked back at Thaddeus Prescott who sighed and said, “You know Chloe was my least favorite wife, even before she plotted my murder.”  Dirk army crawled to the front beam door, tested the beam with a finger and was rewarded with a sizzle and the loss of the tip of his digit.  He yelped, and Thaddeus offered, “Hey at least the wound is cauterized.”  Dirk then ran over to the foodprinter, picked it up, and hurled it at the sim-window where it exploded in a shower of metal and plastic.  Blake said, “It's not a real window much like you don't have a real brain” and then looked at his Dad and awkwardly queried, “So…what are your plans for me?”  Thaddeus said, “You will pay Blake, but your consciousness will be transferred.  Whereas I'm totally ending my evil brother and sicko wife.”  Blake gawked in horror as the room filled with magenta colored gas from the couch JoyVentâ,,¢.


Richard Livingstone saw the visage of his former boss congratulate Ivläna on being the primary heir of his fortune, and so he handed the moolahchip to her for what would be the richest inheritance in World history.  Of course, Ivläna had to set down her miniature cyberdog (AKA Colonel Sprinkles) and spiked appletini first before she could take the moolahchip from him.  She wasn't solely thinking of the money at that moment, as Ivläna was mentally imagining her body as an anatomy chart and considering which areas to enhance next via cosmetic surgery.  Tiffany Prescott observed the proceedings from a lonely corner of the room while clutching her only piece of the estate, which was the deed to her Dad's smallest guest house.

The sanibot slowly rolled down the hall, and then turned right into a bathroom.  It switched into hover mode, and then hovered through an opaque beam stall door and stopped directly in front of the offending toilet.  A very much aware but ultimately helpless Blake Prescott, seeing through the eyes of the sanibot, heard servo motors whirring and buzzing as he witnessed the plumber attachment arm unfolding out into an auger.

1. Blondbraid
2. Creamy
3. Mouth For War

Congrats to WHAM!  I enjoyed the entries...all were really good, diverse takes on the theme.

I like "Bard & Barbarian"!  I'd be curious to hear their story.

Welcome!