Lazy Day
So far, I've done nothing today. I didn't wake up until noon and I've spent all day on the Internet.
But I plan to get some stuff done tonight.
No, really.
In any case, I'm getting very close to being up-to-date with Suburban Jungle, and I'm up to level 9 in Adventure Quest. I also worked some more on "Rebirth". You can read it if you want:
“I still say this is a waste of time.”
“Oh, Xena…” Gabrielle’s only reply was to sigh lightly and roll her eyes. The warrior princess gave no sign that she had heard her friend, but continued to stare out the monorail’s window sullenly. Gabrielle turned back to her holocomp, shaking her head. “You ask me, the only reason you’re complaining is because you don’t want to zoom there.”
“Well, can you blame me?” Xena retorted, finally turning away from the window. “They only came up with this stuff five years ago! How safe can it be?”
“Xena, the last zoom accident was over three years ago, and that was because someone fell asleep at the switch.” Gabrielle reminded her.
“The last reported accident anyway,” Joxer piped up suddenly, pulling off his TVS. “You know how ZoomTech is about keeping things quiet. And lots of other stuff can go wrong besides people coming through with their arms sticking out of their sides or something. They have connection malfunctions all the time, with people winding up in a completely different area than where they were supposed to land originally or…” He trailed off suddenly at Gabrielle’s frigid glare. “And that’s not really a problem anyway,” the would-be warrior started again quickly. “I mean, all you have to do is catch another zoom back; usually they’ll even let you go free of charge!”
“Thank you Joxer,” Xena replied dryly. “That takes a real load off of my mind.”
“No problem,” Joxer smiled obliviously before putting his TVS back on.
“Y’know,” Gabrielle commented quietly once she was sure Joxer’s earpiece was back in, “I’m starting to forget what he looks like without that thing. He’s got it with him all the time now…when he’s not watching it, it’s strung around his neck.”
“I can’t blame him, to be honest,” Xena responded with an indifferent shrug. “That’s a brand-new model. He had to save up for a long time to get it. Besides,” she finished as she turned back towards the window, “have you seen what the feed looks like off that thing? It’s incredible.” Gabrielle didn’t bother replying but stole another glance over at Joxer.
To someone not familiar with the technology of the 36th century, the Television Specs (or TVS for short), looked a lot like a pair of especially dark sunglasses, mainly black in color with strips of silver and metallic purple on the sides. However, Gabrielle knew better. The TVS was the best selling product of Gloomco, and the newest wave in communications technology. Basically a highly portable version of television, the TVS employed the very best in digital imagery and satellite technology, offering over 3000 high-definition channels on the global network. On a personal level, Gabrielle was less-than pleased with the overwhelming popularity of the TVS, which she thought was only worsening the problem she saw nowadays of people becoming increasingly addicted to the simulated life of television programming. At the same time however, at least with something as portable as a TVS coach-potatoes could actually go out into the real world once in awhile.
“Not that I’m any better,” the bard admitted to herself, glancing down at her holocomp. A laptop that physically existed as nothing more than a thin sheet of plastic and silicon that served as the touch-pad keyboard, the holocomp was another example of an ultra-portable addiction of the times. The “screen” of the holocomp was actually a 3D holographic projection, and the keyboard could be folded up to where it could easily fit in Gabrielle’s pocket. With a wireless connection to WorldNet that could be accessed from anywhere and a power supply guaranteed to last a decade, she never went anywhere without it. Right now, the contraption’s display was showing the time and destination of the next zooms coming out of the station.
“I still think you’re being paranoid, Xena,” Gabrielle spoke up again, forcing the thoughts of her holocomp from her mind. “Maybe it’s not exactly the safest way to travel, but-”
“‘Not exactly the safest way’?” Xena repeated incredulously. “Gabrielle, it’s instantaneous matter teleportation! They digitally cut your body up into billions of light particles and zap them halfway around the world, trusting the intellect of a computer network to make sure you get put back together again the right way!”
“Computers are a lot more intelligent than you seem to want to give them credit for, Xena,” Gabrielle reminded her best friend.
“I just don’t think it’s safe,” Xena muttered. “I’d rather go by hyper-jet when we have to travel across continents.”
“The only way to get to the Athens Dome in time for the convention is by zoom,” Gabrielle shook her head.
“I still don’t see why we have to go to this stupid thing at all,” Xena sighed, tapping against the monorail window with her fingertips as she spoke.
“An ancient Greek culture con?” Gabrielle exclaimed. “We have every reason in the world to go.” She snuck a quick peek at her holocomp to make sure the zoom was still on time. According to the read-out, it was still leaving in about an hour. Perfect; the monorail would be arriving at the zoom station in about twenty minutes, giving them just enough time to get through C&C (clearance and customs). “Not only will it be the perfect chance to get a taste of the good old days-”
“You honestly expect this convention to have any sort of accuracy?” Xena snorted. “I’ve read what the ‘historical experts’ say about the Trojan War, Gabrielle. We’ll be lucky if they can even dress the hoplites right.”
“Give it a chance,” Gabrielle argued. “Anyway, even if the convention stinks, if there was ever a chance to see if any of our old friends have been reborn into the present, this is it. If they’re here, they’ll be just as eager for an excuse to go back to Greece as we are.” Xena sighed wearily.
“I guess it couldn’t hurt to give it a try,” she muttered. “But just you remember; it was all your idea.”
“Actually, it was partially mine too,” Joxer put in, finally turning off his TVS.
“Even better,” Xena quipped with a wry smile.
“Aw, give it a chance, Xena,” Joxer said cheerily. “At the very least, you’ll have a chance to wear your old leathers without people staring.” Xena didn’t say anything, but shot a quick glance down at her silver and black bodysuit. She looked back up at her friends; they were both clad in similar outfits, only Gabrielle’s was green and dark orange and Joxer’s was blue-gray and dark purple. The warrior princess sighed, leaning further back against her seat with her legs stretched out into the aisle, arms and ankles crossed.
“‘The more things change’, I suppose,” she conjectured gloomily.
In case you can't figure it out, that all comes directly after the prologue I posted earlier.
Well, catch ya'll later!
But I plan to get some stuff done tonight.
No, really.
In any case, I'm getting very close to being up-to-date with Suburban Jungle, and I'm up to level 9 in Adventure Quest. I also worked some more on "Rebirth". You can read it if you want:
“I still say this is a waste of time.”
“Oh, Xena…” Gabrielle’s only reply was to sigh lightly and roll her eyes. The warrior princess gave no sign that she had heard her friend, but continued to stare out the monorail’s window sullenly. Gabrielle turned back to her holocomp, shaking her head. “You ask me, the only reason you’re complaining is because you don’t want to zoom there.”
“Well, can you blame me?” Xena retorted, finally turning away from the window. “They only came up with this stuff five years ago! How safe can it be?”
“Xena, the last zoom accident was over three years ago, and that was because someone fell asleep at the switch.” Gabrielle reminded her.
“The last reported accident anyway,” Joxer piped up suddenly, pulling off his TVS. “You know how ZoomTech is about keeping things quiet. And lots of other stuff can go wrong besides people coming through with their arms sticking out of their sides or something. They have connection malfunctions all the time, with people winding up in a completely different area than where they were supposed to land originally or…” He trailed off suddenly at Gabrielle’s frigid glare. “And that’s not really a problem anyway,” the would-be warrior started again quickly. “I mean, all you have to do is catch another zoom back; usually they’ll even let you go free of charge!”
“Thank you Joxer,” Xena replied dryly. “That takes a real load off of my mind.”
“No problem,” Joxer smiled obliviously before putting his TVS back on.
“Y’know,” Gabrielle commented quietly once she was sure Joxer’s earpiece was back in, “I’m starting to forget what he looks like without that thing. He’s got it with him all the time now…when he’s not watching it, it’s strung around his neck.”
“I can’t blame him, to be honest,” Xena responded with an indifferent shrug. “That’s a brand-new model. He had to save up for a long time to get it. Besides,” she finished as she turned back towards the window, “have you seen what the feed looks like off that thing? It’s incredible.” Gabrielle didn’t bother replying but stole another glance over at Joxer.
To someone not familiar with the technology of the 36th century, the Television Specs (or TVS for short), looked a lot like a pair of especially dark sunglasses, mainly black in color with strips of silver and metallic purple on the sides. However, Gabrielle knew better. The TVS was the best selling product of Gloomco, and the newest wave in communications technology. Basically a highly portable version of television, the TVS employed the very best in digital imagery and satellite technology, offering over 3000 high-definition channels on the global network. On a personal level, Gabrielle was less-than pleased with the overwhelming popularity of the TVS, which she thought was only worsening the problem she saw nowadays of people becoming increasingly addicted to the simulated life of television programming. At the same time however, at least with something as portable as a TVS coach-potatoes could actually go out into the real world once in awhile.
“Not that I’m any better,” the bard admitted to herself, glancing down at her holocomp. A laptop that physically existed as nothing more than a thin sheet of plastic and silicon that served as the touch-pad keyboard, the holocomp was another example of an ultra-portable addiction of the times. The “screen” of the holocomp was actually a 3D holographic projection, and the keyboard could be folded up to where it could easily fit in Gabrielle’s pocket. With a wireless connection to WorldNet that could be accessed from anywhere and a power supply guaranteed to last a decade, she never went anywhere without it. Right now, the contraption’s display was showing the time and destination of the next zooms coming out of the station.
“I still think you’re being paranoid, Xena,” Gabrielle spoke up again, forcing the thoughts of her holocomp from her mind. “Maybe it’s not exactly the safest way to travel, but-”
“‘Not exactly the safest way’?” Xena repeated incredulously. “Gabrielle, it’s instantaneous matter teleportation! They digitally cut your body up into billions of light particles and zap them halfway around the world, trusting the intellect of a computer network to make sure you get put back together again the right way!”
“Computers are a lot more intelligent than you seem to want to give them credit for, Xena,” Gabrielle reminded her best friend.
“I just don’t think it’s safe,” Xena muttered. “I’d rather go by hyper-jet when we have to travel across continents.”
“The only way to get to the Athens Dome in time for the convention is by zoom,” Gabrielle shook her head.
“I still don’t see why we have to go to this stupid thing at all,” Xena sighed, tapping against the monorail window with her fingertips as she spoke.
“An ancient Greek culture con?” Gabrielle exclaimed. “We have every reason in the world to go.” She snuck a quick peek at her holocomp to make sure the zoom was still on time. According to the read-out, it was still leaving in about an hour. Perfect; the monorail would be arriving at the zoom station in about twenty minutes, giving them just enough time to get through C&C (clearance and customs). “Not only will it be the perfect chance to get a taste of the good old days-”
“You honestly expect this convention to have any sort of accuracy?” Xena snorted. “I’ve read what the ‘historical experts’ say about the Trojan War, Gabrielle. We’ll be lucky if they can even dress the hoplites right.”
“Give it a chance,” Gabrielle argued. “Anyway, even if the convention stinks, if there was ever a chance to see if any of our old friends have been reborn into the present, this is it. If they’re here, they’ll be just as eager for an excuse to go back to Greece as we are.” Xena sighed wearily.
“I guess it couldn’t hurt to give it a try,” she muttered. “But just you remember; it was all your idea.”
“Actually, it was partially mine too,” Joxer put in, finally turning off his TVS.
“Even better,” Xena quipped with a wry smile.
“Aw, give it a chance, Xena,” Joxer said cheerily. “At the very least, you’ll have a chance to wear your old leathers without people staring.” Xena didn’t say anything, but shot a quick glance down at her silver and black bodysuit. She looked back up at her friends; they were both clad in similar outfits, only Gabrielle’s was green and dark orange and Joxer’s was blue-gray and dark purple. The warrior princess sighed, leaning further back against her seat with her legs stretched out into the aisle, arms and ankles crossed.
“‘The more things change’, I suppose,” she conjectured gloomily.
In case you can't figure it out, that all comes directly after the prologue I posted earlier.
Well, catch ya'll later!