I decided to take this week off from writing the serial, this being Christmas and all. The next chapter will be up next Sunday. I hope you are with your friends and loved ones on this sacred day.
Merry Christmas and Have a Happy New Year!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Thank You, iTunes!
This may be old news, but it's new news for me.
Mother 3, the long-awaited sequel of Earthbound (Mother 2), has two official soundtracks made, both of which are available on iTunes. Mother 3i is about an hour's worth of music from the game, nicely polished up. 3i is only available on iTunes. Mother 3 + features mostly songs performed by DCMC, with a handful of BGM from the game, all of which contain themes from past Mother games. 3 + was released on CD, but the iTunes version has a bonus song.
If you're like me, then you have trouble finding anything in the iTunes store. To find 3i, just search Mother 3, and you'll find it all right, but 3 + is labeled Mother3 +, so it won't show up with 3i. Searching for DCMC usually will turn up 3 +.
As a bonus, to get wallpapers and a PDF of 3i's linear notes (in Japanese) click here.
Mother 3, the long-awaited sequel of Earthbound (Mother 2), has two official soundtracks made, both of which are available on iTunes. Mother 3i is about an hour's worth of music from the game, nicely polished up. 3i is only available on iTunes. Mother 3 + features mostly songs performed by DCMC, with a handful of BGM from the game, all of which contain themes from past Mother games. 3 + was released on CD, but the iTunes version has a bonus song.
If you're like me, then you have trouble finding anything in the iTunes store. To find 3i, just search Mother 3, and you'll find it all right, but 3 + is labeled Mother3 +, so it won't show up with 3i. Searching for DCMC usually will turn up 3 +.
As a bonus, to get wallpapers and a PDF of 3i's linear notes (in Japanese) click here.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Rick Daring and The Brilliant 5 – Chapter Twelve: The Collapsing Building
THE SPECTRE – Has put Dr Edwards into a fiendish device in hopes to learn the secrets in the doctor’s mind.
SARA – And Daring have snuck into the Spectre’s hideout only to be ambushed by his henchmen.
As Sara started to climb the stairs in the secret passage, Daring was still struggling with Davis. Two punches to the gut didn’t even slow Davis down. His large hands would not let go of Daring’s dark shirt.
“Say goodbye to your girlfriend, Daring,” mocked Davis. “Once she reaches the top of the stairs, she’s as good as dead.” Daring kicked out as hard he could, finally tearing Davis off of him. Daring did not let Davis have time to recover as he delivered punch after punch, until one final punch laid the thug out cold.
Daring took no time to celebrate his small victory. He quickly raced up the stairs after Sara. He reached the top of the stairs just as Sara was opening the door. Without thinking, Daring grabbed Sara and pulled her back down the stairs. They fell down half a dozen stairs. Seconds later, the harpoon fired, impaling itself on the wall opposite it.
Sara helped Daring up. “Thanks,” he said.
“I should be thanking you, from the looks of it,” she replied, examining the harpoon.
“We have plenty of time for explanations later,” said Daring. “Let’s go get Edwards.”
As they entered the room, Edwards was ranting. “I give up! I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you! Please don’t kill me!”
“Relax, Edwards,” said Sara. “We’re here to rescue you.” But before either of them could do anything, the chair that Edwards was strapped into fell through the floor. Daring and Sara watched helplessly as the chair fell into the back of a large truck. A mirthless laugh echoed the room as the Spectre made his getaway with Edwards in tow.
“So, he made off with Edwards yet again,” remarked Doctor Sergoff. Sara and Daring had regrouped at the top-secret installation where Sergoff and four colleagues were building a secret device. Daring was back in his double breasted suit, and Sara was wearing her white casual clothes. With them were Junior, Old Timer, and Johnny Highpitch.
“That varmint’s slipper than an old rattlesnake,” commented Old Timer.
“Pipe down,” said Junior. “You’ve never even seen a rattlesnake before.”
“Have so,” countered Old Timer. “Why, I…”
“Now’s not the time for bickering, gentlemen,” interrupted Sara with a quiet but firm voice.
“What are we going to do next?” asked Johnny.
“It seems like the Spectre has everything he needs,” said Daring. “We may just have to wait until he chooses to strike again.”
“How will we even know that when he has all these secret passages built into this facility?” asked Junior. “It’ll take days, maybe weeks for our guys to map the sections that we found when he was here last. We don’t know how many more there are.”
“How did he even make them in the first place?” asked Johnny.
“This building was designed by five scientists,” answered Sara. “Bryant, Jones, Scott, Edwards, and Sergoff.”
“Most of them are now dead,” reminded Sergoff.
“But still you believe that one of them is the Spectre,” stated Sara.
“Indeed.”
“Why only one? Two of them could be the Spectre. Taking turn as it were,” said Junior.
“If that were the case, even Sergoff could be the Spectre!” said Old Timer.
“I don’t think that’s the case,” replied Daring, calming Sergoff. “If it was, he certainly wouldn’t be here with us.”
“Why do you say that?” asked Johnny.
“Because he’d be with his partners in crime, celebrating. After all, the Spectre’s won. He’s got what he wanted.”
“There’s still a chance that Edwards might not talk!” said Sergoff.
“Unlikely,” dismissed Daring. “Whatever he was strapped into looked nasty. I’m willing to bet that the Spectre has broken him and, as we’re talking, he’s helping the Spectre finish the top secret project, whatever it is.”
“What is the doohickey anyway?” asked Old Timer. “I sure am itchin’ to find out.”
“I can’t tell you,” said Sergoff. “I was sworn to secrecy.”
“Don’t worry yourself about it,” replied Daring. “We’ll get back to your device in a minute.”
“Holy cow!” shouted Junior, standing up. “You know what it is, don’t you?”
“I don’t,” said Daring. “But Marissa and Teresa do. I’ve had them develop theories based on what we know about the device, and I think they’ve finally cracked it.”
“We’ll let them explain it,” said Sara. “They’re back at the Institute, which is where we should be. The Spectre’s already compromised the security of this building, and we’re not safe here.”
To punctuate what Sara had just said, the lights went out. “What happened?” asked Junior. An eerie silence pervaded the room.
“I think the whole building just lost power,” said Johnny. Sara looked nexted to her and saw Sergoff was visibly agitated.
“No one else did,” said Old Timer, staring out of the window.
“What’s wrong,” Sara asked Sergoff. He didn’t reply.
There was a low, groaning sound that rumbled throughout the building. It was directly followed by a large crack that ran down the window that Old Timer was standing at.
“I think we should evacuate the building immediately,” stated Daring, voicing what everyone else was thinking. The groaning continued as small tremors started to shake the building. The other members of the Brilliant 5 ran off to alert others still in the building. Daring turned to see Sara trying to drag Sergoff out of the room. Sergoff was frozen with an unexplained fear; his face was white like someone had bleached all of the color out of it.
“What’s gotten into him?” asked Sara. “You don’t think…?”
“It’s a possible theory,” replied Daring, helping her carry Sergoff. The rumbling became louder, while the tremors increased, now powerful enough to sweep Daring and Sara off their feet. When they got back onto their feet and helped up the terrified Sergoff, they discovered that the ceiling had collapsed, barring their exit.
They made their way back to the room they had just left. The walls had crumpled, crushing all of the windows, denying them any escape route.
“What now?” asked Sara.
“I’m thinking,” replied Daring. But before Daring could come up with something, the building shuddered, and the ceiling came down on their heads.
Click Here to Go To The Next Chapter
Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.
SARA – And Daring have snuck into the Spectre’s hideout only to be ambushed by his henchmen.
As Sara started to climb the stairs in the secret passage, Daring was still struggling with Davis. Two punches to the gut didn’t even slow Davis down. His large hands would not let go of Daring’s dark shirt.
“Say goodbye to your girlfriend, Daring,” mocked Davis. “Once she reaches the top of the stairs, she’s as good as dead.” Daring kicked out as hard he could, finally tearing Davis off of him. Daring did not let Davis have time to recover as he delivered punch after punch, until one final punch laid the thug out cold.
Daring took no time to celebrate his small victory. He quickly raced up the stairs after Sara. He reached the top of the stairs just as Sara was opening the door. Without thinking, Daring grabbed Sara and pulled her back down the stairs. They fell down half a dozen stairs. Seconds later, the harpoon fired, impaling itself on the wall opposite it.
Sara helped Daring up. “Thanks,” he said.
“I should be thanking you, from the looks of it,” she replied, examining the harpoon.
“We have plenty of time for explanations later,” said Daring. “Let’s go get Edwards.”
As they entered the room, Edwards was ranting. “I give up! I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you! Please don’t kill me!”
“Relax, Edwards,” said Sara. “We’re here to rescue you.” But before either of them could do anything, the chair that Edwards was strapped into fell through the floor. Daring and Sara watched helplessly as the chair fell into the back of a large truck. A mirthless laugh echoed the room as the Spectre made his getaway with Edwards in tow.
“So, he made off with Edwards yet again,” remarked Doctor Sergoff. Sara and Daring had regrouped at the top-secret installation where Sergoff and four colleagues were building a secret device. Daring was back in his double breasted suit, and Sara was wearing her white casual clothes. With them were Junior, Old Timer, and Johnny Highpitch.
“That varmint’s slipper than an old rattlesnake,” commented Old Timer.
“Pipe down,” said Junior. “You’ve never even seen a rattlesnake before.”
“Have so,” countered Old Timer. “Why, I…”
“Now’s not the time for bickering, gentlemen,” interrupted Sara with a quiet but firm voice.
“What are we going to do next?” asked Johnny.
“It seems like the Spectre has everything he needs,” said Daring. “We may just have to wait until he chooses to strike again.”
“How will we even know that when he has all these secret passages built into this facility?” asked Junior. “It’ll take days, maybe weeks for our guys to map the sections that we found when he was here last. We don’t know how many more there are.”
“How did he even make them in the first place?” asked Johnny.
“This building was designed by five scientists,” answered Sara. “Bryant, Jones, Scott, Edwards, and Sergoff.”
“Most of them are now dead,” reminded Sergoff.
“But still you believe that one of them is the Spectre,” stated Sara.
“Indeed.”
“Why only one? Two of them could be the Spectre. Taking turn as it were,” said Junior.
“If that were the case, even Sergoff could be the Spectre!” said Old Timer.
“I don’t think that’s the case,” replied Daring, calming Sergoff. “If it was, he certainly wouldn’t be here with us.”
“Why do you say that?” asked Johnny.
“Because he’d be with his partners in crime, celebrating. After all, the Spectre’s won. He’s got what he wanted.”
“There’s still a chance that Edwards might not talk!” said Sergoff.
“Unlikely,” dismissed Daring. “Whatever he was strapped into looked nasty. I’m willing to bet that the Spectre has broken him and, as we’re talking, he’s helping the Spectre finish the top secret project, whatever it is.”
“What is the doohickey anyway?” asked Old Timer. “I sure am itchin’ to find out.”
“I can’t tell you,” said Sergoff. “I was sworn to secrecy.”
“Don’t worry yourself about it,” replied Daring. “We’ll get back to your device in a minute.”
“Holy cow!” shouted Junior, standing up. “You know what it is, don’t you?”
“I don’t,” said Daring. “But Marissa and Teresa do. I’ve had them develop theories based on what we know about the device, and I think they’ve finally cracked it.”
“We’ll let them explain it,” said Sara. “They’re back at the Institute, which is where we should be. The Spectre’s already compromised the security of this building, and we’re not safe here.”
To punctuate what Sara had just said, the lights went out. “What happened?” asked Junior. An eerie silence pervaded the room.
“I think the whole building just lost power,” said Johnny. Sara looked nexted to her and saw Sergoff was visibly agitated.
“No one else did,” said Old Timer, staring out of the window.
“What’s wrong,” Sara asked Sergoff. He didn’t reply.
There was a low, groaning sound that rumbled throughout the building. It was directly followed by a large crack that ran down the window that Old Timer was standing at.
“I think we should evacuate the building immediately,” stated Daring, voicing what everyone else was thinking. The groaning continued as small tremors started to shake the building. The other members of the Brilliant 5 ran off to alert others still in the building. Daring turned to see Sara trying to drag Sergoff out of the room. Sergoff was frozen with an unexplained fear; his face was white like someone had bleached all of the color out of it.
“What’s gotten into him?” asked Sara. “You don’t think…?”
“It’s a possible theory,” replied Daring, helping her carry Sergoff. The rumbling became louder, while the tremors increased, now powerful enough to sweep Daring and Sara off their feet. When they got back onto their feet and helped up the terrified Sergoff, they discovered that the ceiling had collapsed, barring their exit.
They made their way back to the room they had just left. The walls had crumpled, crushing all of the windows, denying them any escape route.
“What now?” asked Sara.
“I’m thinking,” replied Daring. But before Daring could come up with something, the building shuddered, and the ceiling came down on their heads.
Click Here to Go To The Next Chapter
Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Comments on Chapter Eleven
I don't always envision certain actors when I write characters, but here is a list of actors I used for the illustrations and who I think would be great in certain roles.
Richard Darington...Mark Valley (Keen Eddie, Fringe)
Sara........................Maura Tierney (News Radio, ER)
Old Timer...............George "Gabby" Hayes (Countless Westerns)
Junior.....................River Phoenix (Indy 3)
Johnny Highpitch...James Earl Jones (Voice of Darth Vader, Numerous Movies)(Voice)
Edwards.................Tristan Coffin (Numerous serials)
The Spectre............Christopher Lee (Dracula,Star Wars) (Voice)
Richard Darington...Mark Valley (Keen Eddie, Fringe)
Sara........................Maura Tierney (News Radio, ER)
Old Timer...............George "Gabby" Hayes (Countless Westerns)
Junior.....................River Phoenix (Indy 3)
Johnny Highpitch...James Earl Jones (Voice of Darth Vader, Numerous Movies)(Voice)
Edwards.................Tristan Coffin (Numerous serials)
The Spectre............Christopher Lee (Dracula,Star Wars) (Voice)
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Rick Daring and The Brilliant 5 – Chapter Eleven: One Hour To Live
THE SPECTRE – Has snuck into the high-security laboratory and kidnapped Dr. Edwards.
DARING – Set out to stop the Spectre only to be caught in the headlights of his getaway van.
The Spectre pressed the nose of the gun into Edwards’s ribs. “Start the engine,” commanded the Spectre. Edwards reluctantly agreed. As he did so, Daring came into view, falling to the ground.
“Run him over,” commanded the Spectre. “Now!” The nose of the automatic buried itself into Edwards’ ribs. Edwards again complied, and the van started to move, picking up speed. Daring did not move, as if daring them to try and run over him.
At the last moment, Edwards veered away, missing Daring by inches.
“Fool!” shouted the Spectre.
“You won’t kill me,” said Edwards defiantly. “You need me to finish the blueprints.”
“True,” remarked the Spectre, pointing the gun at Edwards’s knee. “But if you disobey me a second time, you’ll never walk again.” Edwards knew by the way he said that, that the Spectre was dead serious. “Now, get us out of here.”
The van proceeded to the exit ramp. Old Timer and Johnny Highpitch entered the parking lot just as the van whizzed by. Daring chasing after the van on foot, shouted, “Stop that van!”
Both Old Timer and Johnny knew that they weren’t going to be able to stop the van by themselves. Johnny pulled out a small device. He kneeled and carefully took aim. The device fired a small projectile that attached itself to the van’s bumper.
“Is that what I think it is,” asked Daring as he tried to catch his breath.
“Yep,” replied Old Timer. “One of Teresa’s patented tracer bullets.”
Daring smiled. “First good news all day.”
Edwards awoke with a start. The back of his neck was throbbing with pain. The last thing he remembered was following the Spectre’s direction, and after he pulled up to an abandoned warehouse, the Spectre clubbed him with the gun’s handle. Edwards found himself strapped into an odd-looking chair. Silently, the Spectre slipped into the room via another secret passage. The only door in the room was covered by a large, sinister-looking harpoon cannon.
“You have one hour to live!” hissed the Spectre. “Tell me what I need to know and I will spare your life.”
“Never!”
“You’ll soon change your mind or die!” shouted the Spectre, pointing to the large clock on the wall across from Edwards. “This clock is directly wired into your chair. Every six minutes, the chair will give an electric shock. You’ll barely feel the first one. The second will just tingle a little, while the third will give you a jolt. But the shocks will get progressively worse, and the tenth will kill you. Whenever you choose to end this, feel free to shout. This room’s wired for sound, so I’ll hear every scream of agony.”
“You can’t do this,” muttered Edwards.
“Remember, one hour,” said the Spectre. “And don’t stall because you think Rick Daring’s on his way to rescue you. Even if he managed to somehow find where you are, he would still have to enter that door, and the first person to enter that door will be impaled by this harpoon.” His eerie laughter filled the room until the master criminal left via the secret passage.
Edwards felt a tiny shock as the clock on the wall started its slow, hour-long passage to midnight.
Meanwhile, outside, Sara and Daring crouched at the edge of the warehouse’s parking lot, waiting for the armed guards to pass.
“Black suits you, Sara,” whispered Daring as they hid among the bushes. This comment referred to their stealthy all-black outfits.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” replied Sara in an equally hushed tone. They dashed across the parking lot the second the guards passed around the corner. They stopped when they reached the warehouse, pausing to catch their breath. The warehouse did not look like it had been used in decades, and yet that was where Teresa’s tracer had led them.
“Door?” suggested Daring.
“Broken window,” replied Sara, pointing behind him. They climbed up and through the shattered remains of a large window frame. They kicked up a cloud of dust as their feet hit the ground of the warehouse. The inside was quiet and dark; the only lighting coming from the outside lampposts. Looking around, they could see no immediate guards or resistance of any type.
Daring glanced at his watch. 11:20. It taken precious time to sneak into the warehouse without alerting anyone to their presence. Hopefully, Edwards was being held in a room nearby, and they would make their escape without anyone noticing.
“Let’s split up and start checking these rooms. Maybe we’ll get lucky,” said Daring. They started looking around, but found nothing but cobweb-covered offices long abandoned.
Sara and Daring regrouped, confounded by their results. “He has to be here somewhere. But where?” Daring never got to finish his thought, as Watkins and Davis walked in on them from a secret passage in the wall.
“Intruders!” shouted Watkins. Davis rushed Daring, tackling him to the ground. Daring punched Davis once, twice, but the thug would not let go of him as they rolled around on the ground. Daring kicked at Davis, but it did not weaken his grip on Daring.
Watkins grabbed Sara on the shoulder, but Sara grabbed his wrist and sent him flying, thanks to a patented judo move. Watkins picked himself up, but Sara blocked each of his punches. She hit a nerve cluster in Watkins’s shoulder, and he collapsed to the ground. Looking back, Sara saw that Daring was still struggling with Davis. She quickly entered the secret passage and started to climb up the stairs.
Meanwhile, Edwards’s body was racked with pain. His muscles were sore from convulsing, and his mouth had the taste of rubber. He had endured nine shocks so far, and true to the Spectre’s word, each was worse than the previous, and Edwards knew that he would not survive the next one. He watched with weary eyes as the clocked counted down the final until midnight. He gritted his teeth, bracing himself for the inevitable.
Edwards wanted to be strong enough to face death, rather than surrender to the Spectre. But now tested, he found that he was not that type of man, and a minute before midnight, Edwards shouted, “You win! I’ll help you!”
Just then, the door opened, and Sara walked into the room. There was a whirr of machinery, and the harpoon was launched directly at her.
Click Here to Go To The Next Chapter
Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.
DARING – Set out to stop the Spectre only to be caught in the headlights of his getaway van.
The Spectre pressed the nose of the gun into Edwards’s ribs. “Start the engine,” commanded the Spectre. Edwards reluctantly agreed. As he did so, Daring came into view, falling to the ground.
“Run him over,” commanded the Spectre. “Now!” The nose of the automatic buried itself into Edwards’ ribs. Edwards again complied, and the van started to move, picking up speed. Daring did not move, as if daring them to try and run over him.
At the last moment, Edwards veered away, missing Daring by inches.
“Fool!” shouted the Spectre.
“You won’t kill me,” said Edwards defiantly. “You need me to finish the blueprints.”
“True,” remarked the Spectre, pointing the gun at Edwards’s knee. “But if you disobey me a second time, you’ll never walk again.” Edwards knew by the way he said that, that the Spectre was dead serious. “Now, get us out of here.”
The van proceeded to the exit ramp. Old Timer and Johnny Highpitch entered the parking lot just as the van whizzed by. Daring chasing after the van on foot, shouted, “Stop that van!”
Both Old Timer and Johnny knew that they weren’t going to be able to stop the van by themselves. Johnny pulled out a small device. He kneeled and carefully took aim. The device fired a small projectile that attached itself to the van’s bumper.
“Is that what I think it is,” asked Daring as he tried to catch his breath.
“Yep,” replied Old Timer. “One of Teresa’s patented tracer bullets.”
Daring smiled. “First good news all day.”
Edwards awoke with a start. The back of his neck was throbbing with pain. The last thing he remembered was following the Spectre’s direction, and after he pulled up to an abandoned warehouse, the Spectre clubbed him with the gun’s handle. Edwards found himself strapped into an odd-looking chair. Silently, the Spectre slipped into the room via another secret passage. The only door in the room was covered by a large, sinister-looking harpoon cannon.
“You have one hour to live!” hissed the Spectre. “Tell me what I need to know and I will spare your life.”
“Never!”
“You’ll soon change your mind or die!” shouted the Spectre, pointing to the large clock on the wall across from Edwards. “This clock is directly wired into your chair. Every six minutes, the chair will give an electric shock. You’ll barely feel the first one. The second will just tingle a little, while the third will give you a jolt. But the shocks will get progressively worse, and the tenth will kill you. Whenever you choose to end this, feel free to shout. This room’s wired for sound, so I’ll hear every scream of agony.”
“You can’t do this,” muttered Edwards.
“Remember, one hour,” said the Spectre. “And don’t stall because you think Rick Daring’s on his way to rescue you. Even if he managed to somehow find where you are, he would still have to enter that door, and the first person to enter that door will be impaled by this harpoon.” His eerie laughter filled the room until the master criminal left via the secret passage.
Edwards felt a tiny shock as the clock on the wall started its slow, hour-long passage to midnight.
Meanwhile, outside, Sara and Daring crouched at the edge of the warehouse’s parking lot, waiting for the armed guards to pass.
“Black suits you, Sara,” whispered Daring as they hid among the bushes. This comment referred to their stealthy all-black outfits.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” replied Sara in an equally hushed tone. They dashed across the parking lot the second the guards passed around the corner. They stopped when they reached the warehouse, pausing to catch their breath. The warehouse did not look like it had been used in decades, and yet that was where Teresa’s tracer had led them.
“Door?” suggested Daring.
“Broken window,” replied Sara, pointing behind him. They climbed up and through the shattered remains of a large window frame. They kicked up a cloud of dust as their feet hit the ground of the warehouse. The inside was quiet and dark; the only lighting coming from the outside lampposts. Looking around, they could see no immediate guards or resistance of any type.
Daring glanced at his watch. 11:20. It taken precious time to sneak into the warehouse without alerting anyone to their presence. Hopefully, Edwards was being held in a room nearby, and they would make their escape without anyone noticing.
“Let’s split up and start checking these rooms. Maybe we’ll get lucky,” said Daring. They started looking around, but found nothing but cobweb-covered offices long abandoned.
Sara and Daring regrouped, confounded by their results. “He has to be here somewhere. But where?” Daring never got to finish his thought, as Watkins and Davis walked in on them from a secret passage in the wall.
“Intruders!” shouted Watkins. Davis rushed Daring, tackling him to the ground. Daring punched Davis once, twice, but the thug would not let go of him as they rolled around on the ground. Daring kicked at Davis, but it did not weaken his grip on Daring.
Watkins grabbed Sara on the shoulder, but Sara grabbed his wrist and sent him flying, thanks to a patented judo move. Watkins picked himself up, but Sara blocked each of his punches. She hit a nerve cluster in Watkins’s shoulder, and he collapsed to the ground. Looking back, Sara saw that Daring was still struggling with Davis. She quickly entered the secret passage and started to climb up the stairs.
Meanwhile, Edwards’s body was racked with pain. His muscles were sore from convulsing, and his mouth had the taste of rubber. He had endured nine shocks so far, and true to the Spectre’s word, each was worse than the previous, and Edwards knew that he would not survive the next one. He watched with weary eyes as the clocked counted down the final until midnight. He gritted his teeth, bracing himself for the inevitable.
Edwards wanted to be strong enough to face death, rather than surrender to the Spectre. But now tested, he found that he was not that type of man, and a minute before midnight, Edwards shouted, “You win! I’ll help you!”
Just then, the door opened, and Sara walked into the room. There was a whirr of machinery, and the harpoon was launched directly at her.
Click Here to Go To The Next Chapter
Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Review: Clone Wars "Lair of Grievous"
In the most recent episode of Star Wars: Clone Wars, Kit Fisto and his former padawan are tricked into entering Grievous's home and are forced to face the evil general if they hope to leave. Count Dooku, tired of General Grievous' continual failure against the Jedi, tests the droid army general by allowing two Jedi to enter Grievous' home under the false pretenses. The episode is well-paced with action, suspense, and character development. I can't say that I was surprised how the episode played out, but it was entertaining to the end.
Dooku is portrayed as devious and manipulative as his master, pitting both sides against each other. If Grievous succeed, then there would be two less Jedi to bother Dooku, and if the Jedi won, Dooku would just find a new pawn to lead his army. Either way, Dooku wins. When Grievous returns home and finds his home invaded by Jedi, he attacks immediately, but the two Jedi cut him down to size. A weakened Grievous then has to rely on his home's array of booby traps and secret passages, while he is being repaired.
Writer Henry Gilroy stated that inspiration for the episode came from old serials where villains lived in elaborate lairs filled with monsters and deathtraps. I applaud the episode for attempting to flesh out the character of General Grievous. Most of the series, and Episode III, Grievous is just played as a two dimensional villain. Here, we see statues of Grievous back before he became a cyborg, and we meet the closest thing to a friend, his doctor droid.
My only complaint about the episode, aside from there could have been more booby traps used, is that Kit Fisto sliced the doctor droid in half. It just seems uncharacteristic of a Jedi to attack someone from behind, much less a noncombative, like the droid doctor. B+
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Rick Daring and The Brilliant 5 – Chapter Ten: The Spectre Strikes!
THE SPECTRE – Sets his sights on Dr. Edwards, who has the last piece of the mysterious project the Spectre wants.
DEKKER – Set free by the Spectre, opens free on his captors as they supposedly enter the room.
Daring and Sara had just left the interrogation room and went down the hallway. They entered a room at the corner as the hallway continued to the left. Inside were Old Timer and Dr. Sergoff, sitting by the table where a large monitoring keep tabs of the whole level.
“Get anything out of him?” asked Old Timer.
“Not yet,” admitted Sara.
“He probably won’t buy our bluff either,” remarked Daring.
“So, what do we do now?” asked Old Timer.
“Excuse me,” asked Sergoff. “Who or what is that?” They all turned to look at the security screen. There, a shadow of a man entered the interrogation room and handed Dekker something.
“The Spectre!” gasped Sergoff in horror.
“And now we know how he can get by our security,” said Daring. “Look!” They watched as the screen switched to the hallway camera, and the Spectre disappeared into a secret passage.
“That’s impossible!” shouted Sergoff. “It was the five of us who designed this building in the first place. Only one of us…”
“Are you saying one of your colleagues is the Spectre?” asked Old Timer.
“But three of them are dead,” said Sara.
“Are they?” asked Daring. “In any case, alert security. Lock down the building. We’re going to catch that Spectre, once and for all.” He pulled two guns out of a drawer. He handed one to Sara, but she declined. “Old Timer, find Junior and Dr. Edwards and get them to a secure location. Sara and I will secure our prisoner.”
But down in Dr. Edwards’s laboratory, it was already too late, because he was face to face with the Spectre! Edwards nervously looked down at the automatic leveled at him.
“We are going for a trip,” stated the Spectre.
“Why?” asked Edwards, stalling for time.
“I know how you work,” replied the Spectre. “By now, you will have destroyed your section of the plans, but only after memorizing them.”
“But how could you know that unless…”
Edwards was interrupted as a beaker smashed into the Spectre’s hand, disarming the super-foe. Turning, the Spectre caught sight of Junior, who had slipped into the room.
“I knew you weren’t the type to talk to yourself,” remarked Junior. “Give up, Spectre. I’m not letting you out of this room.” But the Spectre had already launched himself at Junior. The two crashed against a nearby table, sending test tubes to the ground. A lucky punch from Junior bought him some breathing room as the Spectre stumbled backwards.
It was time for Junior to spring into action, but the Spectre easily dodged his tackle. The villain grabbed a nearby chair and swung it madly at Junior. Junior tried to stay out of the reach of the makeshift weapon. He tossed a couple beakers at the Spectre, but the villain batted them away.
Glancing around him, Junior noticed the gun lying on the ground. He tried to make a dash for it, but the Spectre beat him to it, and the last thing Junior would remember was the hard chair crashing down onto his head. Tossing away the remains of the chair, the Spectre picked up the automatic and jabbed Edwards with it.
“Now, as I was saying…” said the Spectre.
Meanwhile, Daring and Sara approached the interrogation room. “How do you want to play it?” asked Daring; their backs to the wall.
“Cautiously,” replied Sara. Daring reached beside them and turned the doorknob. Using his elbow, he gave the door a slight push. No sooner did he do this, than Dekker opened fire. The bullets went through the doorway, past them, and into the opposite wall across from them.
After the firing stopped, Daring listened for the rushed footsteps approaching the doorway. Sara and Daring leapt onto Dekker as he pasted the door’s threshold. Sara took away the gun as Daring pinned him down. Sara helped hold him down as Daring put the cuffs on him.
As Sara finished securing the prisoner, Daring heard a familiar buzzing sound. He pulled out a small transmitter from his pocket.
“Daring here.”
“We found Junior,” came Old Timer’s voice. “He’s out like a light. No sign of Edwards. Looks like the Spectre beat us to him.”
“Thanks,” replied Daring. “Over and out.”
Daring raced down the hall, kicking open the door to the stairs. He went down them two at a time, level by level, until he reached the bottom. Opening the door, he found himself in the basement parking lot. He scanned the area, hoping he wasn’t too late. There, a few yards away, was the Spectre herding Edwards into a unmarked van.
Unfortunately, it was at this time that the Spectre noticed Daring. The sinister man started to fire at Daring. The gunshots reverberated in the small area. Daring ducked behind a concrete column for cover. He still had his own gun, but couldn’t risk firing upon the Spectre without risk hitting Edwards. He glanced around and noticed another column closer to the van. He waited for the shooting to end before making a dash for the other column.
Halfway there, Daring tripped and fell. He expected to be shot then and there, but no shot came. Instead, he heard the van’s engine roar to life. Its large headlights blinded Daring. It lurched forward, picking up speed, intent on running him over.
Click Here to Go To The Next Chapter
Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.
DEKKER – Set free by the Spectre, opens free on his captors as they supposedly enter the room.
Daring and Sara had just left the interrogation room and went down the hallway. They entered a room at the corner as the hallway continued to the left. Inside were Old Timer and Dr. Sergoff, sitting by the table where a large monitoring keep tabs of the whole level.
“Get anything out of him?” asked Old Timer.
“Not yet,” admitted Sara.
“He probably won’t buy our bluff either,” remarked Daring.
“So, what do we do now?” asked Old Timer.
“Excuse me,” asked Sergoff. “Who or what is that?” They all turned to look at the security screen. There, a shadow of a man entered the interrogation room and handed Dekker something.
“The Spectre!” gasped Sergoff in horror.
“And now we know how he can get by our security,” said Daring. “Look!” They watched as the screen switched to the hallway camera, and the Spectre disappeared into a secret passage.
“That’s impossible!” shouted Sergoff. “It was the five of us who designed this building in the first place. Only one of us…”
“Are you saying one of your colleagues is the Spectre?” asked Old Timer.
“But three of them are dead,” said Sara.
“Are they?” asked Daring. “In any case, alert security. Lock down the building. We’re going to catch that Spectre, once and for all.” He pulled two guns out of a drawer. He handed one to Sara, but she declined. “Old Timer, find Junior and Dr. Edwards and get them to a secure location. Sara and I will secure our prisoner.”
But down in Dr. Edwards’s laboratory, it was already too late, because he was face to face with the Spectre! Edwards nervously looked down at the automatic leveled at him.
“We are going for a trip,” stated the Spectre.
“Why?” asked Edwards, stalling for time.
“I know how you work,” replied the Spectre. “By now, you will have destroyed your section of the plans, but only after memorizing them.”
“But how could you know that unless…”
Edwards was interrupted as a beaker smashed into the Spectre’s hand, disarming the super-foe. Turning, the Spectre caught sight of Junior, who had slipped into the room.
“I knew you weren’t the type to talk to yourself,” remarked Junior. “Give up, Spectre. I’m not letting you out of this room.” But the Spectre had already launched himself at Junior. The two crashed against a nearby table, sending test tubes to the ground. A lucky punch from Junior bought him some breathing room as the Spectre stumbled backwards.
It was time for Junior to spring into action, but the Spectre easily dodged his tackle. The villain grabbed a nearby chair and swung it madly at Junior. Junior tried to stay out of the reach of the makeshift weapon. He tossed a couple beakers at the Spectre, but the villain batted them away.
Glancing around him, Junior noticed the gun lying on the ground. He tried to make a dash for it, but the Spectre beat him to it, and the last thing Junior would remember was the hard chair crashing down onto his head. Tossing away the remains of the chair, the Spectre picked up the automatic and jabbed Edwards with it.
“Now, as I was saying…” said the Spectre.
Meanwhile, Daring and Sara approached the interrogation room. “How do you want to play it?” asked Daring; their backs to the wall.
“Cautiously,” replied Sara. Daring reached beside them and turned the doorknob. Using his elbow, he gave the door a slight push. No sooner did he do this, than Dekker opened fire. The bullets went through the doorway, past them, and into the opposite wall across from them.
After the firing stopped, Daring listened for the rushed footsteps approaching the doorway. Sara and Daring leapt onto Dekker as he pasted the door’s threshold. Sara took away the gun as Daring pinned him down. Sara helped hold him down as Daring put the cuffs on him.
As Sara finished securing the prisoner, Daring heard a familiar buzzing sound. He pulled out a small transmitter from his pocket.
“Daring here.”
“We found Junior,” came Old Timer’s voice. “He’s out like a light. No sign of Edwards. Looks like the Spectre beat us to him.”
“Thanks,” replied Daring. “Over and out.”
Daring raced down the hall, kicking open the door to the stairs. He went down them two at a time, level by level, until he reached the bottom. Opening the door, he found himself in the basement parking lot. He scanned the area, hoping he wasn’t too late. There, a few yards away, was the Spectre herding Edwards into a unmarked van.
Unfortunately, it was at this time that the Spectre noticed Daring. The sinister man started to fire at Daring. The gunshots reverberated in the small area. Daring ducked behind a concrete column for cover. He still had his own gun, but couldn’t risk firing upon the Spectre without risk hitting Edwards. He glanced around and noticed another column closer to the van. He waited for the shooting to end before making a dash for the other column.
Halfway there, Daring tripped and fell. He expected to be shot then and there, but no shot came. Instead, he heard the van’s engine roar to life. Its large headlights blinded Daring. It lurched forward, picking up speed, intent on running him over.
Click Here to Go To The Next Chapter
Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Review: Clone Wars C-3PO
I recently bought the C-3PO figure modeled off of the new animated series, The Clone Wars. This particular figure is a mixed bag. Let's start with what's good about the figure. Hasbro, as always, has done a good job capturing the animated look of the figure. Unlike Obi-Wan and Anakin, C-3PO has the same look as in the live-action films, only a little more streamlined and simplified. The figure has a ton of articulation: neck, shoulders, elbows, mid-chest, knees, ankles, etc.
The bad thing is that C-3PO doesn't come with anything. Nothing. He only has a "light-up" feature, thanks to a transparent spot in the back of his head, which will light up his eyes when a strong beam of light is directed through said spot. The figure also seemed small, but he's as tall as Hasbro's other C-3PO figures. His arms are very thin, and feel, at times, like they're fragile.
Hasbro also decided to make the animated C-3PO with a dark bronze finish, instead of their usual golden chrome finish. The pictures I've seen of C-3PO in the show has him as more of a bright yellow-orange sheen. I'm not sure why they did this. I'm not saying that I don't like it, but it makes the figure less accurate. C+
(The other C-3PO pictured is the 2006-2007 figure with the Ewok chair. It, in my opinion, is the best mold Hasbro has made for C-3PO. The second best would be 2005's ROTS figure which is very similar except for the lack of knee joints.)
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