Then the viewer lights up and you see the stars of the Rigel system ahead. Before you shines a brilliant blue-white star with another, fainter star of similar hue close by. Looking closely at the second star you see that it is a double, as well. The whole star system seems enveloped in a gaseous haze which seems be coming from the bright star. The constellations in the Rigellian sky are vastly different from what you see from Earth or Alpha Centauri, and seem to be dominated by a number of enormous, multi-coloured nebulae. "I am detecting one world in this star system," reports Steve Jobs. "Earth-sized, but very young." "Lord Vardui, did you want to visit this world? Steve Jobs, any signs of any space stations in this system?" "Lord Darian, why don't we go and take a closer look?" replies Vardui. "I do not detect any space stations," says Steve Jobs. "My historical records indicate that there were a number of space stations in this star system in times passed." "Interesting. It must take something very big to move or remove a space station." "The passage of time could do it," replies Steve Jobs. "Especially in a hostile environment such as this star system." "What do you mean hostile environment? Due to the elements or something else?" Tully asks. "There is a very strong solar wind blowing out from Rigel A," Steve Jobs explains. "Consisting of ionized particles which would prove fatal to unprotected beings in short order, and would erode unshielded matter away after a few years of exposure. Not to mention the strong ultraviolet radiation coming from the stars as well." Darian shrugs. "If you say so, Steve Jobs. Lord Vardui would like to get a closer look at the planet. Please proceed closer." "Thanks, Saint Darian," says Vardui, as the ship seems to leap forward. Suddenly there is a planet before you, a sphere glowing a mottled red in the darkness of space. Darian chuckles. "Scanning..." says the voice of the ship. "This planet is only a few million years old, like the stars it orbits. It is still cooling from the heat that was generated when it coalesced out of the stellar nebula. However, since it orbits three stars it is inherently unstable and so the tidal forces exerted by those stars will probably keep it from ever solidifying completely. So, it is mostly molten. There are several large islands of lighter rocks and minerals that have solidified and are floating atop the magma. The atmosphere is thin and unbreathable to your kind, consisting mostly of carbon dioxide, ammonia and methane. However, I am detecting evidence of several constructs or buildings on the floating islands." Darian frowns. "So, that would mean that whomever built them would have to have superior technology, right? Could you possibly zoom in on these constructs, Steve Jobs on your view screen?" Tully says, "Also, what kinds of minerals are floating on the lava. Hmm, they are probably fire-based creatures to be on that planet." "The islands appear to be mostly of igneous materials, such as granite." The viewer wavers, then zooms in and focuses. You are looking down onto what can only be a castle. You see tall ramparts, towers and battlements, red-grey and streaked. "This building appears to be constructed of iron," Steve Jobs says. "Egads," says Vardui. "I've seen a castle like this, before." Tully says, "Where? Who lived there?" "In the Abyss." "Hmm, what are the odds of you having seen something like that and then wanting to come to Rigel?" "I would say about one," replies Vardui with a smile. "Clue us in, please, Vardui. I don't like being in the dark. Who lives down there?" "What?" says Vardui. "Aren't I Lord Vardui anymore?" Darian nods. "My apologies. Lord Vardui. Could you enlighten us, please?" "Enlighten you about what, Saint Darian? I've never been here before. I don't know what lives down there. All I said was that I once saw an iron castle, similar to that one, on one of the planes of the Abyss. THAT castle - the one I saw - was filled with demons and daemons. Who knows what is in the one on the world below?" "But when Tully asked what were the odds, you said they were about one. That would seem to mean that you expected this, right?" "He asked me after the fact, Saint Darian," smiles Vardui. "At that point it had already happened, right?" Darian shakes his head, clearly frustrated. "Remind me never to play a game of chance against you." "Saints shouldn't partake in such activities, should they?" Darian gives Vardui a wry smile. "You dubbed me a saint. I never claimed to be one. And, I suppose it would depend on the god as to what activities or attributes are part of a saint." Vardui keeps smiling. "And you dubbed me a lord. I never claimed to be one." Darian laughs. "Fair enough. When I dropped the title, thinking I erred, you questioned me, so I put it back." Vardui laughs. "Talk about a small universe. Anyway, it is a castle. Probably something we could explore if you all are game." He hands Vardui a shield belt. "This will protect you from the atmosphere and extreme heat." He looks to the others. "What do you think, guys? Interested in a little adventure?" "Let's find out what all of this is about, first," replies Darian. "BOH-RING!" Lo and Wang say at the same time. "Giddyup gentlemen," Lo says. "Let's explore," Wang finishes. Vardui regards Wang. "Oh, I'll bet you're popular with the ladies!" Tully says, "Best not to enter into conversation with the member." "Steve Jobs, take us down to the island near the castle. Please approach low and behind any hills our mountains so that they don't see us land." Zanax asks, "Steve Jobs, do you have the ability to become invisible?" "No, but I can become transparent," Steve Jobs replies, as the ship descends towards the planet. The X class scout drops quickly beyond the horizon of the iron castle and then approaches it rapidly at a supersonic speed, keeping mere meters above the hilly surface. Finally it stops and hovers a foot above the stony ground, in the lee of a low ridge. "The building is on the far side of the ridge," Steve Jobs explains. Tully asks, "Shall we try to sneak in or try to find a way in besides going to the gate?" "Yes," replies Darian. "DOES NOT COMPUTE," says the robot. "Steve, are there any detectable computer networks on this planet, either working or dormant?" Lo asks. "I am detecting nothing of the sort," Steve Jobs replies. "Not even Appletalk." Darian asks out of the blue. "What about Token Ring?" "One Ring to rule them all and in the darkness bind them," replies Steve Jobs. Tully says, "I will scout the area, then." He will use his thieving skills to sneak around and scout out the grounds around the castle. On his command, the door fades away and Tully steps through it and through the energy field that keeps the hostile environment outside. After little more than an hour, Tully reenters the Steve Jobs. Darian wakes up from his nap. "What did you find out, Tully?" "We're bored," Lo and Wang say at the same time. Tully says, "I can't find a way in. There are no doors around the entire thing. I could climb it, but I thought it might be wiser to rejoin you, get my jet pack so I can fly up and invite all of you along." He puts on his antigrav pack. "Shall we go?" "I can cast fly on a few of us and I can levitate myself." Tully says, "Oh, that would probably work better. I tried shape changing into a bat, but there isn't enough atmosphere to fly." "Oh, Steve Jobs, will the Jet Pack work through the shield belt? If not, do you have another technology to recommend to us for flying up the wall?" "The antigrav pack will work in concert with the shield belt," replies Steve Jobs. "Ah, that is what I meant." He chuckles. "Vardui, are you coming with us?" "Of course." An antigrav pack appears before him. Zanax inquires, "What about having Steve Jobs blasting a hole in the wall? Or are we not yet at that stage, yet?" Tully laughs. "I like it, but it might be a contained building. That would ruin any atmosphere inside and alert everyone there." "Suit up!" Lo says as he puts on a shield belt and an antigrav pack. Tully says, "Ok, let's go. Steve Jobs, be ready to come in for a hot pickup if we encounter massive resistance. If we do, we will probably fly upward and meet you a few hundred feet above the castle." "Very well." Zanax sighs, but suits up and gets ready to go. Tully says, "Why the sigh, Zanax? Sure, we are aimless and randomly going hither and yon, but what else can we do? We need to find a clue and we have no way to do so. So until we find something, we should just search randomly, I think." "It's just his paladin-pig-headedness," says Vardui. "He hates aimlessness and randomness. Me, I kind of like it." Tully shrugs. "I don't mind it, although I would prefer having a direction for this quest. I am sure it will happen." Zanax nods. "Agreed...all this searching around has not proved to be very fruitful." All of you head outside, then, the robot bringing up the rear. As soon as you step out of the Steve Jobs, you are aware of the heat. The shield belts protect you from any damage, but let just enough warmth through to let you know that it is hot outside. You feel the heat of the stone that you stand on through the soles of your shoes, and as your eyes adjust to the harsh blue-white light you realise that the land around you is actually glowing a dull red with the heat. In the sky above the stars of Rigel dazzle you with their brilliance, but the atmosphere is still thin enough to let a few of the brighter and more distant stars be seen. A slight breeze blows across the landscape. You make your way up the ridge, which seems to be composed of a loose scree which makes traversing very difficult. Reaching the top you look over the crest and behold the castle below. It is actually circular, about 200' in diameter. The outer walls are about 50' high, and punctuated by four towers about 75' high. The walls and towers are battlemented, but you see no sign of life. The area within the walls is covered by an iron dome which conceals whatever is under it. From your current vantage point you see no doors or entrances into the castle. Zanax looks at the structure. "I guess we go up." All of you but the robot take flight and fly across to the structure. You land on one of the walkways which encircles the nearest tower. In the harsh shadow cast by Rigel on the inner side of the central structure of the tower you immediately discern a closed iron door. Tully goes and checks to see if it is locked and trapped. Inspecting the door, he finds no sign of any traps. He cannot detect any locks,either...but this side of the door is absolutely blank: no knob, keyholes or anything; just a slab of iron with rivets around its perimeter. "Vardui, do you happen to have a knock spell?" "I never leave home without one." Tully steps to the side. "Then be my guest." He says to the others, "Stand back in case it is pressurized inside. If it is, then we should try to rush in and seal it back up asap." Vardui speaks a few words and suddenly the door flies open. Beyond is a circular shaped landing. In the centre is a flight of iron steps going down. Zanax cautions, "I sense an evil presence in the dome..." Zanax draws his long sword. Darian draws his blaster. "Who's going first?" he whispers. He prepares his psionics to absorb energy. Tully pulls out his blaster rifle. "Let me see if I can sneak in." He creeps inside and down the steps to see if he can find the source of evil. The rest of you follow. The steps spiral downwards and then come out at a landing which faces inwards towards the interior of the iron dome. However, your view is blocked by the bulk of a large efreet, standing with his back to you, arms crossed. He is muttering to himself and does not seem to be aware of your presence. "Boring, boring, boring," he rumbles. "Why do I have to stand guard duty? Nothing ever happens here. Boring, boring, boring..." Zanax points at the efreet and then gestures with a slash across the neck. Tully nods and sneaks up on the Efreeti. With his Sinclair sword activated at the last second, he back stabs the Efreet attempting to kill it with one blow. As the bard advances he trips over Wang, whom Lo has left laying around. "Ow!" says Wang. The efreet turns around just as Tully tries to make his attack. "Ouch!" he says, as the Sinclair blade lops off a leg, leaving him hopping about. "Not bored anymore!" Then Vardui steps out of the shadows, and with a flash of his frost brand he kills the monster. You are standing on a small balcony on the perimeter of the underside of the iron dome. Several hundred feet below you is a swirling mass of flames, but your attention is attracted to the other three balconies spaced around the perimeter. For, on each of these, stands another efreet, and they have all noticed you making short work of their companion. Zanax grins. "Prepare to meet your maker, evil creatures!" He draws his sword. Darian fires his blaster at the efreet furthest away. Tully targets another efreet with his blaster rifle set on automatic! "Kill them quick before they sound the alarm." The elf fires and grazes an efreet without effect. The bard opens fire at another one, hitting it squarely...also without doing any damage. The efreeti vanish. Zanax frowns. "Oh, oh...may I suggest we retreat temporarily?" Darian looks around. "Back to the ship?" Tully shrugs. "Maybe we should see what kind of resistance they mount or would you rather flee?" Lo and Wang shriek and yell, "RETREAT!" Wang withdraws back into Lo's robes. Tully says, "I guess we will retreat...it sounds like the most favored idea." He heads back the way they came. "I guess this way we can see what kind of response they have." Darian follows, keeping an eye out for returning efreets. As you turn away and start heading back up the stairs you see a movement from the whirlpool of flames, as over ten efreeti come flying up and out of it. You hurry back up the iron steps to the landing at the top. There, waiting on he battlement for you, are four more efreeti! Tully charges forward firing his blaster rifle as rapidly as possible. "Break through the line!" Lo and Wang start to shriek like two little girls and fires at one of the efreet with a blaster rifle, following to the side of Tully. Zanax halts his forward momentum temporarily and warns the others to do so as well. Lo and Wang come to a halt. Tully halts and grabs Darian to hold him back as well. He turns and aims at the corridor behind them to open up on any Efreeti that come into view! Darian fires at one of the efreets flying at them from below. Meanwhile, the largest efreet at the top holds up his hands palms up. "Parley?" he asks. Behind him, rising above the ridge, you see the Steve Jobs approaching slowly. Zanax stares at the largest efreet. "We don't parley with evil! Prepare to be vapor dust!" "Suit yourselves," says the efreet, stepping back. "I wish you were all transported to the Planet of the Sex-crazed Amazon Girls." Suddenly you are standing in a grassy meadow under a warm yellow sun. Tully sighs. "I keep forgetting you are a paladin, Zanax. You do realize that Efreeti might have been able to direct us to a Nernal or used a wish to help us find one? Aaaargh!!" Tully tries to communicate with the Steve Jobs. "Steve Jobs, can you read us? We have no idea where we are. Come in Steve Jobs!" There is no reply. "Can we leave the Paladin here, PLEASE!" Lo says with a sigh. "Wait, did I hear sex crazed amazons?" Wang asks from below. Tully says, "Awesome. I can't raise the Steve Jobs. Shall we walk or fly here?" "Zanax, are you capable of having a telepathic conversation with Steve Jobs?" asks Darian. "I can teleport, if you like," offers Vardui. "Ok, let's do that then...unless you guys want to look around. However, if we get back there, we might still be able to parley." "I don't know that we should go back to the same spot. After all, Zanax's ethos doesn't allow him to parley with evil creatures." "We can leave him here!" Lo repeats. "I'll stay with him!" adds Wang. Suddenly he adds, "Look!" He points at a group of attractive young women in leather bikinis, making their way across the meadow towards you. "Well, then to the Steve Jobs? Or should we look around here? There could be technology here. Who knows?" Tully says, "Ok, Vardui, can you get us back inside the Steve Jobs?" "I don't see why not," the elf says. "Hello Ladies!" Lo and Wang say in concert. The women smile as they approach. "Look at all the men!" they exclaim. "Oh, and in several species!" adds one of them. "It looks like at least one of them is glad to see us!" Lo and Wang approach them. "Ladies, ! how are you?" as Lo puts his arms around two of them. "How about the rest of us?" pouts one of the other four, as the lucky two snuggle into Lo's arms and Wang's...whatever. "Can we go, now?" asks Vardui. "No!" say the ladies, and the four start to converge on the charismatic paladin with the big sword. Tully says, "Yes, let's get out of here before this gets out of hand." Zanax responds, "I don't understand, it's not like these ladies are evil or anything." "All we want is for you to add to our gene pool," says one of the ladies, a buxom blonde. Lo and Wang jump in happily!! "How about it, you big man?" asks the blonde, running her hand down Zanax's arm to his...blade. "And what about you?" a brunette asks Tully. "Are you man enough?" Tully sighs. "I suppose I could help, although I am a bit concerned about Robot. How about we come back as soon as we make sure the Steve Jobs and Robot are ok?" "Our needs are urgent!" she says, squeezing her legs together. "Yes, I am sure they are, but your needs aren't a matter of life or death." Darian nods, clearly desiring to be away from this place. Zanax pulls away from the blonde. "Sorry, but there is evil out there that needs slaying." "I don't think he likes girls," says the muffled voice of Wang. Tully looks over to Vardui. "Can you get us out of here?" He turns to the brunette. "We will be back shortly. Wait for us here." You all hold hands and Vardui teleports. Suddenly you all appear in the cabin of the Steve Jobs. With you, however, is the young woman that Lo and his Wang were...getting to know better. "Ah! Ah!" gurgles Wang. "Oh! Oh!" gasps the girl. "Welcome back," says Steve Jobs. "I have just finished reducing those creatures to ashes." Through the viewer you can see that the tower of the castle where you were battling has been slagged. Tully says, "Good job, Steve Jobs. Let's pick up Robot next." He looks over at the girl. "I guess she made the trillion-mile-high club today." He says to her. "Welcome to the final frontier." He motions to the forward windows of the ship so she can take in the beauty of space. Wang is done in 30 seconds. "Next!" he says, pulling out. "That's it?" says the amazon girl. "No wonder we don't allow men to stay on our world." Tully nods. "I figured that might be the case. Well, welcome aboard. Do you have any abilities and wish to join us on our journey?" "I have only one ability, and that is to make babies. Can you take me home, now?" Tully chuckles. "I am afraid so, my dear. What do you do with the men of your world? Do you have space travel?" She just smiles. "Better you not know," she says cryptically. He points at the battlement. "Do you guys want to go in again now that the first round of opposition has been slagged?" Zanax nods. "Of course we do. We need to kill all the evil creatures on this world." "I think I need to rest and memorise spells," says Vardui. "Ok, let's get Robot. Steve Jobs?" The ship turns about and flies low over the crest of the ridge. There you find the robot, lumbering along and looking dejected. He perks up as soon as he spots the scout, though. You land and he comes aboard. "DOES NOT COMPUTE," says the robot. The girl gasps. "A machine!" she says. Tully perks up at this. "You know about machines? Are there machines on your world?" "Oh yes. We have wonderful machines...though we don't call them machines." "What do you call them?" "Vibrators." Tully laughs out loud. "That is funny. Any others...what about the weather on your planet?" "Oh, it's perfect bikini weather every day." "Any other machines on that planet?" "I can't think of any." Tully says, "Ok, very well." He looks to the rest of the group. "So, what now? We rest and then back into the Efreeti fort?" Zanax nods, "Sounds like a wise decision. After we've rested, we can smite the rest of those evil creatures." "Steve Jobs, can you provide us with more powerful weapons or equip Robot with them?" "I am sorry but I cannot. I am equipped and programmed as a scout ship, not a military vessel or assault ship." The Steve Jobs rises again and leaves the gravitational well of the planet, taking up an orbit on the outer fringes of the Rigel star system. There, you eat, rest and relax. The Sex-crazed Amazon girl is willing to take on all comers, so the night is as entertaining as you want it to be.
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