Below are the 5 most recent journal entries recorded in Void Dogs' InsaneJournal:

Monday, August 3rd, 2009
6:19 pm	102: Pointing Fingers http://www.void-dogs.com/book02/102 http://www.void-dogs.com/?p=363 After taking his leave of his estranged fiancee, Fortunato made his way out of The Meadows the same way he had come… backtracking to his office, in the section of the station that had originally been his little tramp ship, so very long ago. When he arrived there, he did three things. The first was to start running the program he’d created for uncoupling his ship, the original Finger, from the rest of the complex. It would take a while for even the necessary maintenance checks to be completed. He then opened up his personal console interface, unlocked a shortcut icon he’d previously disabled, and then activated it. The program it ran was completed before he could even begin the third thing, which was to open up a line on the internal address systems of all the casinos and businesses. “Attention, Gaming Commission, mobsters, and assorted lackeys… the last time my little partnership with the casino syndicates was reviewed, we left the door open for either side to buy the other one out… until quite recently, I’d hoped to come up with the funds to take back my station,” he said. “When that fell through, well… I went a little crazy. I admit it. I overstepped some boundaries. Well, now it’s time for me to step back. After much introspection, and having given the matter careful thought, I have decided to exercise my exit option. “I know you’ve been eager to see me go for some time… even to the point of keeping a standing offer open in the hopes that I’d been enticed by it. I once laughed that off as being foolish optimism, but I’m man enough to admit that I was wrong and you were all right. Your foresight has paid off: I’ve sent my identity signifier to the escrow agent, and the funds have already been transferred. I was afraid that the value attached to the offer might have been based on an outdated figure of the Finger’s collective worth, but I see it was updated just a week ago… just one week. I’m sure things haven’t changed all that much in six days.” He laughed, then glanced at the screen showing the progress of his decoupling program. It was fully initialized and ready to go. He gave it the final okay with a flick of his finger. “Now under the terms of the deal, I am taking my ship and leaving you with the brand name and all that goes along with it. Yes, that’s right… I’ve decided to give you all the Finger,” he said. “I know you all have much to discuss in terms of new divisions of power, shares of profit, any deals that may have been made… and of course, crisis management, so I won’t be sticking around. I will, of course, wish you all the same good fortune that the Fickle Finger brought to me.” Discuss this story on the Livejournal feed. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
7:04 pm	101: Controlled Detonations http://www.void-dogs.com/book02/101 http://www.void-dogs.com/?p=360 “Mass hysteria’s always a good start… what are you doing for an encore?” Lilliana asked Dick as she supported a still rather dazed Leo. “And do we have to pick Handy back up on the way?” “If it all goes according to plan, she’ll be dropping in on us on the way out,” Dick said. “If not, there may be another rescue mission coming.” “Not likely,” Cicada said. “If we manage to not botch this one, it’ll be a bleeding miracle.” “Don’t you have another weapon with more ammo?” Lilliana asked her. “I’ve a dozen,” Cicada said. “Do you have any with you?” “I do,” Cicada said. “But I don’t usually have to pop them out… Gossamer’s a ‘fire-and-forget-it’ kind of a gun. Before this new little to-do, the undead boarding party was the most ammo I’ve ever used in one go.” “Don’t you think you should at least have a backup out?” Lilliana asked. “So it’s ready?” “You’re worried over nothing,” Cicada said. “A cyborg’s never unarmed.” All aboard the Finger, confusion and chaos grew. The fact that two of the main attractions really were already shut down didn’t help anything. The reports that came from those who had been present at the sight of Regan’s drinksplosion in The Meadows and from those who’d made it out of the waterpark before the quarantine also didn’t help. Panic was quickest to take hold in the mall, where individual shops were owned and operated by tenants who weren’t employees of the casinos. Real estate within the mall was a prized commodity, and had to be paid for with steady profits… for any store to shut down for more than a fifteen minute cleaning and restocking cycle was unusual. The sight of multiple stores shuttering themselves unannounced… or simply being abandoned as staff hurried to get out… sparked interest that was quick to grow into concern, especially as those departing were not in a mood to wait around to explain themselves. Store managers who had not heard the rumors or who had heard and dismissed them as not being substantial enough to risk losing profits only spread the panic further and faster, by dint of prompting loud arguments with employees who wanted out but didn’t want to risk their jobs if they could avoid it. The fire was a little slower to spread in the Royal Casino of Mount Charles of the Single Occupancy, where all employee-customer contact was monitored and controlled by a single source and all inquiries about overheard rumors and witnessed hasty departures could be met with bland dismissals. But each such inquiry was itself capable of being overheard, and as the casino management recognized the trend and set out alerts to try to catch any similar rumors that might be germinating elsewhere, the panic started to spread throughout the rest of the complex as employees of each separate institution spread their own nervous rumors. Within ten minutes of the Nicks’ initial bomb-dropping, things were already primed for when Handy, positioned at an abandoned switchboard and guided by Galatea, started randomly activating security bulkheads and locking entryways. Discuss this story on the Livejournal feed. (Comment on this)
Monday, July 27th, 2009
2:41 pm	100: Word Bombs http://www.void-dogs.com/book02/100 http://www.void-dogs.com/?p=358 “Hold on,” Dick said. “Adams… tell the twins to drop the bombs.” “Bombs?” Lilliana repeated. “I determined it would be easier fighting in than out, so I undertook to arrange for the powers that be to have other things to worry about on our way out,” Dick said. “Aren’t you worried you’ll have a hard time getting out?” Lilliana asked Nick. “No, don’t worry,” Nick said. “These are slow-burning fuses… we’re taking a page from your playbook.” “Thank you for visiting Mount Charles,” the cashier told Nick Bradley as she transferred the meager balance of his credits. “Can I interest you in a discount suite?” “No, thank you,” he said. “Honestly, I’d love to stay a few more hours, but I kind of just want to get out while I still can.” The cashier laughed a mischievous, unofficially sanctioned laugh. “Probably a good call,” she said. “Mount Charles encourages you to gamble responsibly. Would you like to talk to an associate about setting up a regular pre-set daily limit for the remainder of your stay? We can arrange to put the credits into an account now.” “Oh, no, it’s not… it’s just, I heard that the waterpark was put under medical quarantine,” Nick said. “I kind of want to get out before it spreads here.” “Dihydrogen Monexcitement World has its own self-contained biosphere with its own water and air filtration systems,” the cashier said, reciting words from a scrawl across her eye lenses. “The situation in there, while inconvenient for our guests, is not in danger of inconveniencing anyone within the Mount Charles Casino or any of our other fine entertainment and shopping establishments.” “Yeah, I’ve heard that,” Nick said. “I’ve also heard that The Meadows is locked down and armed guards are turning people away from it.” He picked up his credit transfer slip. “Well, thanks all the same.” He turned and headed for the exit, leaving the cashier looking worried and puzzled beneath her standard-issue smile. She had just opened her mouth for her greeting when the next man in line said, “What was he saying about The Meadows being quarantined, too?” In a busy clothing boutique a short ways away from one of the exits of the mall, Nick Bradley lingered near a rack of expensive leather jackets made from the duplicated hides of several celebrities of the past few centuries. He caught a sales associate’s eye and shuffled towards her a little nervously as he approached. “Yes, can I help you find something?” the associate asked. “Yeah, um… I’m supposed to be meeting my co-clone here so I can see how these new jackets would look,” he said. “But I’m not sure how quick I can get here… do you have any idea how much longer you’ll be open?” “Oh, certainly, sir… we’re open twenty-eight hours a day, six days a week. And if you’re a cloner, you’ll be interested to know that the entire Celebrity Skin line is buy one, get one half off. We know how popular that brand is with…” “Well, yeah, I know you don’t normally close,” Nick said. “But they’ve already closed the waterpark and the Meadows, and I’ve heard that Mount Charles or Atlanticity might be next. I really wanted to get some jackets, but I don’t want to risk exposure… have they announced an emergency closing schedule for the shops, or are they just going to keep the mall open until the first signs show up here?” “Signs?” the associate repeated. “You know, I don’t need jackets that badly,” Nick said. “Thanks for your time, and you know, good luck.” Discuss this story on the Livejournal feed. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009
2:25 pm	99: Leaving A Door Open http://www.void-dogs.com/book02/99 http://www.void-dogs.com/?p=356 “You left Leo locked in there with Fortunato?” Dick said. “Understandable,” Cicada said. “What?” Nick said. “Shipmate, deadly enemy, locked door,” Cicada said. “She was just doing what came naturally to her. Obviously it’s a reflex.” “I’m fixing this,” Lilliana said. “Right now.” She went over to the console and undid her last lock on it, re-enabling communications between it and the interior one. Fortunato was ready and waiting to jump on the line as soon as it was open. “Did we forget something?” “Quite possibly,” she said. “Are we having some regrets about walking out?” “Are you?” she said. “Because you let me do it… you watched me go and you let it happen. I think if you look deep inside your… self… you’ll find that was the moment of your victory.” “I think you’re right,” he said. “Because now I have one of your shipmates as a hostage.” “Before, you had me and that shipmate,” Lilliana said. “Your victory was in learning to let me go. You could complete that victory by…” “Oh, just shut up and get me out of here,” Fortunato said. “I don’t even care anymore.” Lilliana was already working the keypad. “I’m going as fast as I can, but I was trying to hobble the system so it would take longer to undo the lock then it would for… oh, there we go,” she said, and the door slid open. Cicada leveled her GSMR at the opening as Fortunato came through, his sword out and his electrolaser pointed at the hulking woman. “Your move,” Lilliana said. “The hell it is,” Cicada said. “I’m hardened against electrics, and that sword’s not doing shit to my endoskeleton. I could drop him without spending a round.” He shifted the gun to Lilliana. “You’re still not doing anything especially worrying to me,” Cicada said. “I mean to get the hell out of here,” Fortunato said to Lilliana. “I’m not saying you’re right… I’m not giving anything up and I’m not letting anything go. What’s mine is mine. I just don’t feel like fighting over it at the moment.” “Are you talking about the Finger, or about me?” “I’m talking about what’s mine,” he said. “Exact boundaries thereof to be established later, when I do feel like fighting about it.” “You’d be an idiot to let him go after he says something like that,” Cicada said. “You’ll never have a moment’s peace as long as he’s out there.” “Go, then,” Lilliana said, ignoring her. “Idiot,” Cicada said. Fortunato slid around the outside of the small office, keeping his back to the wall and his weapons out until he disappeared through the door. Cicada aimed her pistol after him. “I could save you so much trouble, even now. I’ve got a siglock on the distinctive bastard.” “Save your ammo instead,” Dick said. “We’ll need to make every last shot count.” “I could make the last shot count now and get it over with,” she said. She put up her gun. “But I suppose he’s one more thing for everyone else to be shooting at, isn’t he?” She looked at Lilliana. “Get your fallen.” “Nick, why don’t…” Lilliana said. “Why don’t you?” Cicada said. “I’ve got one boomy bullet left, and right now I’m more confident of my ability to get myself out of here without it than I am of my ability to get the whole group out with it. I think that puts me in charge… ma’am, captain.” She nodded to Lilliana and Dick in turn. “Hop to it.” Discuss this story on the Livejournal feed. (Comment on this)
Monday, July 20th, 2009
10:28 pm	98: Exit Lines http://www.void-dogs.com/book02/98 http://www.void-dogs.com/?p=351 “I’m growing tired of this,” Fortunato said. “Yes, and you aren’t the only one,” Lilliana said. She lowered her arms. “I can’t do anything to stop you from shooting me, if that’s what you want to do.” “You’re admitting you’re helpless?” “No, I would have kept my arms up if that were the case,” Lilliana said. “I’m admitting that I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. Now it’s time to find out if you can do the same thing.” She started walking for the door. “Stop!” Fortunato yelled. “Stop it, or I will blast you!” Lilliana didn’t slow down. She didn’t even run. She just kept walking. “Damn,” he said under his breath when she’d stepped outside. He hadn’t expected her to call his bluff, not with her life on the line… Not that he’d been bluffing, per se. He’d had every intention of killing her if she proved obstinate, he was sure of that. He simply hadn’t expected to need to make good on the threat. It was a moment’s work to summon up the anger he’d need to correct that mistake, but in that moment, the door to the security cell slid shut. Lilliana’s voice filled the room. “I’m giving you the chance to experience what it’s like to have absolutely nothing for five minutes,” she said. “Nothing to hold onto, nothing to control, nothing to worry about… you especially won’t have to worry about hacking your way out of there. I know where all the little pathways and workarounds are and I’m blocking them as we speak. When the five minutes are up, the door will slide open and I’m sure by that time you’ll have plenty of things to worry about, but I won’t be one of them. Goodbye, Fortunato. Here’s hoping you learn something.” She finished destroying his access as she finished the little speech… no coincidence, as she’d kept talking while she worked and wrapped it up when she was almost finished. Though he knew that talking to keep people distracted was one of her favored methods, that didn’t mean it wasn’t effective on him. If he’d fallen in love with any part of her, it had been her voice. She turned around as the gleaming silvered arm of Cicada came into the security office, scoping the room out via her gun’s barrel sensors. Lilliana tensed when it lingered on her, but then the cyborg stepped all the way into the room. “Where’s himself?” she asked Lilliana. “Dealt with,” Lilliana said. Dick and one of the Nick Bradleys came into view. “Where’s Regan?” “Clearing a path back, I hope,” Cicada said. She hefted her gun. “Gossamer here’s just about spent. It’s going to be a hell of a time getting out of here.” “Yes, well, I’ve had a few brainwaves on that subject,” Dick said. He held up an empty satchel. “It means we’ll have to make a stop on our way out, but if it works out, it should make our trip a bit easier.” “Let’s get a move on, then,” Lilliana said. “Right,” Dick said. “Where’s Leo?” Discuss this story on the Livejournal feed. (Comment on this)