Just like back home...
(By CmptrWz)
"The more I hear about Skidmark the less I think we should eat him," Varga said as Taylor looked over more intel on Skidmark's actions. "Better to throw him in an improperly anchored abyss and save us the stomachache."
"Improperly anchored abyss?" Taylor questioned. "What can do you with a properly anchored abyss?"
"Stare into it until it stares back, of course. Plus a few other things."
"Tell me more."
A week later there was a tent set up next to the BBFO building. The tent was covered in warnings and had caution tape around it.
Lisa approached the office, still curious as to what Taylor had been doing in there. On the other hand, she wasn't sure seeing it before it was done would be a good idea, so she was avoiding it.
Amy drove up as Lisa was reaching the pedestrian door. A minute later the vehicle door was closing, Amy's truck inside the BBFO building.
"When do you think Taylor will be ready to show us what she is up to?" Lisa asked. "Has she said anything at school?"
"I think she is nearly done," Amy said. "She has gotten more smug about whatever it is."
"I finished last night," Taylor said from behind the two. Causing both to jump and scream in shock.
Lisa picked herself up off of the floor. "Did you just teleport in behind us just to deliver that line?"
"Nope," Taylor said, grinning. "I walked in next to Amy's truck while cloaked just to deliver that line."
"You suck," Lisa and Amy deadpanned in unison. Taylor suspected they had started practicing that.
"Get suited up so you can come see what I have been up to," Taylor said, waving them towards the workshop.
Ten minutes later Taylor, in Saurial guise, was holding a tent flap open for Lisa and Amy. The two entered and stood there as the flap closed, trying to figure out what they were looking at. Given the complete lack of light coming from the floor, reflected or otherwise, they weren't having much luck.
"Did you make one of those so black it is blacker than black materials?" LIsa finally asked. "The kind that doesn't let any light out whatsoever?"
"I suppose you could say that," Taylor admitted, after a moment. "But not really. See, we have been spending so much time up here that we haven't been able to gaze into the abyss back home, so I set up a smaller abyss for comfort reasons."
"You made an endless abyss next to the BBFO office just to provide more impossible evidence to the increasingly convoluted background everyone is constructing," Amy said, finally looking over at Taylor. "What did the universe do to you?"
"It stopped amusing us to the level of which we are accustomed," 'Raptaur' said from behind them, causing them to flinch. "Obviously that couldn't stand, so we need to give it a kick or twenty."
"So what do we do with this abyss?" Lisa finally asked. "I doubt you made it just for staring into, though my power wants me to do so."
"This is a standard Family abyss, size small," Taylor said, gesturing. "Perfect for staring into until it stares back, various divination techniques, garbage disposal, and 100% safe skydiving without a sky. Do not use as a garbage disposal while travelers are inside the abyss and travelers should prepare an anchor to latch onto or safe landing pad for when they exit before they enter."
"What?" Lisa and Amy said, looking at Taylor like she was nuts. Which, admittedly, she probably was, by some definitions. Still annoying, Taylor and Varga didn't like the implication in that.
So 'Raptaur' pushed them into the abyss so they could see for themselves.
"How in the world is falling through an endless black void so fun?" Amy asked an hour later. She had voluntarily jumped in another four times.
"My power likes it more than I do," Lisa said, she had gone back six times. "Or at least that is how it feels. Somehow the abyss is providing it data?"
"You two going to help me set up the cushions for visitors that are less durable?" Taylor asked from off to the side.
"You are creating them, in place, anchored to the ground," Lisa snapped back. "What help could you possibly need?"
"Testing, of course," Taylor said, jumping onto the latest cushion and bouncing into the air.
"Oh," Lisa said, looking at Amy. A few minutes later they were aiming for specific bounce patterns as they moved from the very bouncy to the less bouncy cushions.
"That is freaky," Randall said, staring at the abyss. It took him a moment to realize that Kevin hadn't said anything. A quick check showed that Kevin...wasn't there? "Kevin, man, where are you?"
"He ran back to your van and started building," 'Metis' said. "He already has three built?"
"Three?" Randall said, confused. He wandered back to the van to find that Kevin had, indeed, built three identical snitch-like devices and was halfway through what he recognized as a control unit. "Dude, what are you building?"
"Sensor system," Kevin responded. "To send into the abyss."
"Dude, your power cares more about exploring that thing than limiting dupes?" Randall said, shocked. "What the hell?"
"Dunno, don't care." He then slammed a side panel closed and booted up the control unit. Five minutes later he was staring into the output as the sensor drones 'explored' the abyss.
"What else is this for?" Randall finally asked, looking over at Lisa. "Because I can't see making a bottomless pit just because you can."
"Well," Lisa said, grinning. Randall was scared of that grin. His fright was justified a moment later as he fell into the abyss.
Lisa would be forgiven later, but only because the cushions broke his fall when he came back out.
To: Armsmaster , Dragon .ca
From: Leet .com
Subject: Abyss Readings
So, as I understand it you likely haven't seen the latest thing the Family has installed over at BBFO. Or at
least they say you haven't been by since it was installed.
I whipped up some sensor drones and sent them into the new abyss next to the BBFO office. Can't make
heads or tails of the information, though. I figured you two might like to take a look, so I have attached
a copy of the raw data and some information on the format.
Of course you can always go visit BBFO and take a look for yourself. Look for the tent outside with all the
warning signs and caution tape.
Leet
Colin looked at Dragon, then back at the email. "I am afraid to ask what he means by abyss."
"I...fully understand that," Dragon admitted. "Yet despite that I am intensely curious."
"That has become unfortunately common with the Family in general."
"That it has."