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From: [email protected] (Nightfly)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: St. Poly's Infirmary (Was: Re: What the hell is a Cyberpunk?)
Date: Thu, 07 Sep 1995 13:14:58 GMT
Organization: Access Evolution - Process the Future
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Message-ID: <[email protected]>
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[email protected] (Lisa Walton) wrote:



I apologise in advance for the distress that may be caused by an over
active err imagination.

>Nightfly ([email protected]) wrote:
>Just in time Nightfly arrives, notified of the impending game of pool
>via the sub-etha net. The other punks nod curtly, noticing the box he
>is carrying under his arm.

>>"Eight ball? Nine ball? Rotation?"
>>
>>"I'll bet it's got 'smart' pockets, too", whispers Source to Eyebrown. Lisa
>>chooses a cue and moves in for the kill.

>Opening the box the other punks look with feigned indifference at the
>contents, a black pole about a metre long...
>
>Taking the featurless object from the box, Ny points it outwards and
>away from the group, within a second it has extended and tapered at
>one end, from about third of its length a small almost unnoticable
>bump appears and a beam of pure red laser light traces down the length
>of the cue.
>
>Lisa watchs Ny's ritual preparations with a bland look completely at
>odds with the mirth bubbling up inside her...tsk tsk, what would that
>soc-head lady facinated with flying phallic symbols, uh jets, think
>about this...

>"Veerrry Nice," she murmers appreciatively. "Mind if I warm up a bit
>with some of the gamers who are less well equi...um, who need more
>prac...um, who just prefer wood?"

Noticing that Lisa was acting a bit strange, Ny gently strokes err
polishes his cue, most of the time the cue's action is helped by its
self lubricating and chalking mechanism, but it doesn't hurt to give
it a helping hand, anyway why would anyone prefer wood? When you can
have one made from a composite material which imparts an unusual
degree of stiffness both laterally and longitudily.

Btw its a "flying phallacy" to believe that all soc-head lady's are
facinating, apparently they arn't much good at pool either.

>With a bland smile of his own, Ny nods and retires, gripping his cue
>protectively and displaying it with the air of a man who intends to
>demonstrate great feats of prowess...

> Waiting patiently for Lisa to quickly eliminate allcomers, Ny shares a
> joint with some of the dejected losers, wheres Poly? he asks? I havn't
> been here for ages and I was hoping to share some stories of near
> death experiences and maybe get some ice climbing tips.
>
> Talking about near death experiences, Ny notes that Lisa is in the
> process of totally destroying Eugene, it will soon be his turn to face
> her, he hopes hes ready...

Realising that the number of punks Lisa intends to see to is getting
longer and the competition is getting progressivly harder, Ny decides
to return his cue to its box, even with its advanced form of power
source, the cue can only operate for 6 hours in every 7 before
overheating , Lisa looks like she may be going for sometime yet
anyway.

>Gene Returns:
>>Battle's lost, but the war is pressing on to a victorious
>>conclusion. Gene excuses himself, leaves Lisa, Source,
>>Eyebrown, and Nightfly to the table.
>[...]

It would appear that the climax of the day is approaching rapidly.

>>Before long Gene and Ed are haggling fiercely about hardware jumper


>Eyebrown Jumps in:

Really?

> Eyebrown shakes his head ruefully, then, "Say, Lisa, take a look at at
> that." They turn back to the pool table in time to watch Nightfly
> take a stroke. Just as he hits the cueball there is a brief flash of
> red from the tip of his stick. The white ball impacts the six ball,
> sending it into collision with three other balls. This starts a
> perfectly symmetrical chain reaction that sends all balls on the table
> into the pockets at the same time. Nightfly leans on his stick, face
> expressionless, waiting for the ball daemon to rack them up again.
>
> Lisa and eyebrown look at each other. "Y'know Lisa, seems to me there
> might be something funny about 'Fly's stick."

>Biting her lip until it bleeds to control the laughter, she mutters
>"Ok, you go ask him about it. He's very fond of his stick, very
>protective of his stick, and *I* certainly wouldn't want to be the one
>casting asperations on it..." licking the blood off her lips, Lisa
>goes in search of an anesthetic, the tasty kind...

Noticing their interest Ny explains "Of course I'm protective of my
stick anyone with one like it would be the same, but I don't mind
explaining the technical specs to anyone who doesn't mind sitting on I
mean sitting though a hour of high-tech schematical demonstrations"

Lisa declines and Eyebrown look worried saying that it was about time
we got on with the game in hand.

> Nightfly leans down and breaks the balls. Another flash of red. This
> time the balls careen around the table, finally lining themselves up
> and filing into the far left corner pocket, one after the other, in
> numerical sequence.
>
> "Doesn't look like you're going to get a shot for a while, Lisa."
> They sat back down at the card table.
>
>"That's okay. They're having fun and " (never interrupt a man
>exercising his talent she injects mentally) "I'd rather play cards
>anyway. Shall we take Gene at...uh...challenge Gene to some Euchre?"
>Peering around into the growing gloom, she mutters "Damn I'm
>thirsty.."

> "What happened to those drinks?" said Lisa.
>
> "Poly's been preoccupied, and her daemons tend to stop paying
> attention at times like these. They'll be along." Eyebrown and Lisa
> watched Nightfly shoot. On the next break, the balls formed
> themselves into a vertical pyramid, then filpped off into the pockets
> in sequence, counterclockwise.

>"Sayyy, he's awfully good with that thang, ain't he?" she says,
>drumming scarlett nails on the tabletop. "Sorry Poly's missing all the
>entertainment. Its a whomping great party..."

"Years of practice, daily, with various strokes and ball positions",
says NY, who's oblivious to any misinterpretation that may be
occuring.


"So let me get this straight once and for all,
this dystopia thingy, whats it all about then?"

/\/ightfly

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