Today was the day. That's what Mr Diggs and the Professor had assured her;
the same as they had already done eighty-eight times before.
The Princess was feeling desperation. This was a fairy land where people
hardly ever died; yet her friend had been wasting-away now for over a year.
Neither her magic, nor charms and potions had any good effect.
She had even tried using the Belt to make a wish, but that, too, had
inexplicably failed. The belt stayed around the patient, now. It was
probably the only thing keeping her alive.
The Princess recalls a time they had both been trapped in the underwater, domed island city of the Skeezers. Faced with the prospect of lying forever, alive, at the bottom of a lake; her friend had said: "No, I'd rather die quickly."
Preceeded by waving antennae, the Professor sticks his angular head into the room and announces "We are ready, Your Majesty."
...........................
The councillors are quickly assembled as the Princess seats Herself
before the Magic Mirror. It was showing random images, as usual;
and her own, sad reflection. The palace, the City, the entire Land;
was hoping that this would work.
Even the Councillors who COULD breathe, stopped; as the Princess
tugged at the "Peri-Fear-All's" small leather bootstrap.
The new silver disk, with the engraved royal emblem, spun
faster and faster. The images change, forming into words:
"WELCOME TO WINDOZ-89. WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU TODAY?"
Princess: Our good friend, the girl in the next room, is very ill.
Find a person, item, or creature that can cure her.
*Mr Diggs crosses his fingers*
SEARCHING THE LAND...(images flicker)...NO RESULTS.
*The Professor crosses HIS fingers*
SEARCHING NEIGHBORING LANDS...(images flicker)...NO RESULTS.
SHALL I CONTACT EXTERNAL SEARCH ENGINES?(Y/N)
Princess: Yes.
*Everyone in the room crosses their fingers, if they have any*
CALLING GOOGOL....SITE NOT AVAILABLE.
CALLING YOMAMA....SITE NOT AVAILABLE.
CALLING ZERO....CONNECTION REFUSED.
CALLING MEMORY ALPHA....SITE NOT AVAILABLE.
CALLING SUPREME....CONNECTION REFUSED.
CALLING SHIVA....CONNECTION REFUSED.
CALLING DEEP THOUGHT....CONNECTION REFUSED.
CALLING PANOPTICON....CONNECTION REFUSED; TIME LORDS ONLY.
CALLING COLOSSUS....SITE NOT AVAILABLE.
CALLING BRAINIAC....GUEST LOGON REJECTED.
CALLING QUESTWORLD....SITE NOT AVAILABLE.
CALLING JEEVES....CONTACT....
JEEVES: Sorry, I don't know the answer to that;
redirecting...
CALLING GHOSTWHEEL....CONTACT....PUBLIC INTERFACE guest LOGON ACCEPTED.
The Wogglebug snatches-up the snack basket and places it
beside the spinning disk. One cookie disappears, and another
one with different icing patterns takes it's place.
COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS ESTABLISHED WITH WINDOZ.
CONSTRUCTING SHADOW SELECTION MATRIX.
POSSIBILITIES EXAMINED...(6**6)**6.
RESOURCES MATCHING SEARCH CRITERIA:....16.
RESOURCES AVAILABLE NOW:................0.
CHECK FOR UPCOMING AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES?(Y/N)
Princess: Yes.
RESOURCE P.E.D. HAS...ONE...USER AHEAD OF YOU.
P.E.D. WILL BECOME AVAILABLE IN....FIVE....MINUTES.
REVIEW RESOURCE P.E.D.?(Y/N)
Princess: Yes.
Images appear: an egg, a baby dragon, an adult flaming dragon,
Now, a bright queenly woman is seen, looking upward. She
unfolds a beautifully-decorated silk fan and waves it once, outward.
Yosho: Will he return?
Spirit: No, or yes. The road ahead of him may lead to many
places, for it is a real twister.
Yosho: Does he understand about "Divine Wind?"
Spirit: You were away, training too-young boys to be soldiers
in the last defense. That battle did not take place.
We saw the light from Hiroshima. We heard the thunderclap of doom.
Yes, he DOES understand about "Kami-Kazi."
...........................
"GAMERA-B REPORTING IMMINENT DESTRUCTION PROBABLE.
NO GYAOS ACTIVITY. DIRECTIVE 2. GOODBYE, MOM."
The Kamehameha Wave strikes the Anvil of Okayama; enveloping,
and burning inward thru all shields.
...........................
GHOSTWHEEL: THE SPECIFIED RESOURCE, P.E.D., IS NOW
AVAILABLE FOR THE NEXT FIFTEEN SECONDS.
DO YOU REQUEST TRANSPORT OF P.E.D.?(Y/N)
Princess: Yes.
GHOSTWHEEL: SPECIFY YOUR AUTHORITY TO IMPORT
EXOTIC RESOURCE FROM ALTERNATE REALITY.
Princess: I Am Princess Ozma, the ruler of this land: OZ.
GHOSTWHEEL: TRANSPORT SUCCESSFUL.
YOUR CONNECTION TIME HAS EXPIRED.
HAVE A NICE DAY. GHOSTWHEEL IS DISCONNECTING.
Stormclouds kept the citizens of Butterfield, Kansas, from
seeing the great flash, 300 miles overhead.
The tracking devices of the Strategic Air Command registered
the implosion of a meteorite. They could not measure the
Z-shaped rip in space-time that quickly closed-up, again.
...........................
The final message reachs it's target somewhere in Greenland;
under 200 meters of ice. The eyes twitch, as the Great Turtle
begins the slow process of waking from her centuries-long sleep.
The GYAOS must not be allowed to catch her, napping.
[Some of the above beings and situations have been suggested by the works of L. Frank Baum, Douglas Adams, Roger Zelazny, Gene Roddenberry, Lloyd Biggle, Robert Heinlein, and others. Some images are by Thomas Neill.]
[The characters of the Tenchi series are prop of Pioneer Entertainment]
