After a little while, the path ahead of him began to widen. There was obviously something up ahead. He checked the battery level on the bazookoid and proceeded cautiously. The trees were starting to thin out and it looked as if there was a clearing not far away. He pressed through the undergrowth, keeping to the shadows until he knew for certain that he was alone.
Finally, he peered out from his hiding place and his breath caught in his throat. There was a clearing all right. And in the centre of it was a gargantuan red temple that looked about the size of the Taj Mahal. God, his mind was a weird place. Surrounding the temple were the various elements of Rimmer's personality; a host of cloaked figures and among them a scattering of swordsman in feather-plumed hats – the good and bad points of his self. Normally they would be fighting but on this occasion they were all gathered around together, their eyes fixed on the temple. Rimmer swallowed hard and crept out, trying to look inconspicuous.
He tapped his self-esteem on the shoulder awkwardly, "Erm, excuse me? What exactly is going on around here? What are you all waiting for?" The figure turned to him and smiled beautifically, "You mean you don't know?"
"No," Rimmer said, "Sorry, but I only just got here and I'm a bit confused..."
"The beast is going to feed! It has happened only twice before and it is always a time of great joy in the land!"
"The beast?" Rimmer said weakly.
"It is indeed a blessing," his self-esteem told him earnestly, "Rarely has the beast been sated; and its frustration and anguish effect us all," he gestured to the large turn-out. "When the beast is hungry we all suffer; and the past few weeks it has been in a terrible fury. Worse than many can ever remember."
"And..er...this beast," Rimmer prodded anxiously, "This would be my self-loathing beast, would it?"
"What?" his self-esteem stared at him, "Of course not! He retired almost a year ago! These days he just sits in his hut muttering and shouting at passers-by. Occasionally he comes out and has a bit of a rant in the village square, but we generally just give him a cup of tea and send him back home, poor thing."
"Oh," Rimmer said, surprised and slightly pleased by the news. "So what is the...?"
Suddenly there was an ear-splitting roar from inside the temple. Rimmer felt his insides turn to runny ice at the sound and he started shaking. A sigh went up from the crowd. "At last," his self-esteem whispered with a shiver of delight.
"What's happening?" Rimmer demanded.
"It has begun," his self-esteem said, "We have waited so long for this; all of us. We have waited so long for him..."
"Him?" Rimmer exclaimed, "You mean Lister?"
"Who else?" the figure looked bemused.
"Oh Christ!" Rimmer barged past him and ran towards the temple; pushing all the different aspects of his personality out of the way as he went.