Rose checked the Alchemy Excursus. It looked like it was a sort of index documenting all the known results for punch card alchemy combinations.
There was only one slot filled in John's currently and it contained a photo of the pogo ride followed by "&&," a photo of the hammer and then "=" the pogo hammer.
This could be a convenient resource as they started to stumble on more useful card combinations. But ever since John started punching cards, Rose had been contemplating other ways this item manufacturing system could be put to use. In particular, if she obtained the code for any item at her disposal, she could theoretically send the code to John and he could make it himself.
That is, if she could think of anything that would be worth sending to him.
She did have one idea, though.
Rose ejected the SBURB server CD and captchalogued the disk. Then she took the card out of her sylladex and flipped it over to retrieve the code.
Oh God damn it.
It was blank – no code.
She slapped her face in frustration.
Outside of the mausoleum, the fire continued its rapid approach as the storm raged on. And the generator that Rose had been using to power her laptop was taking quite the beating.
It rumbled and shook as it fought to produce power, but in the end it was the storm that was triumphant. The generator was dead.
Inside, Rose's laptop immediately shut off.
"Argh!" She groaned and facepalmed for a second time.
As John slept, he dreamt of the bluest sky with the gate still above him. He saw in the sky a number of clouds floating about.
The clouds began to take shape as he watched them, one becoming an image of his dad and another a birthday cake. He saw Fruit Gushers, harlequins and slime ghosts. One of the clouds even looked like Harry Anderson!
But then he saw something else in the clouds, it looked like the shape of a girl, although he couldn't quite make out who it was.
Then the sky was gone and he saw a flashing of colors and, was that a pumpkin?
Suddenly he heard the PDA going off in his sylladex and bolted up, wide awake. What an odd dream!
He got off the bed and checked the PDA.
GG: hey!
EB: whoa, there you are!
GG: how is your adventure going john?
EB: it's ok, i am making some progress, and rose finally connected again so she is helping me now.
GG: thats good!
EB: oh but, like...
EB: i don't think i am actually saving the world here. :(
EB: i dunno what i'm really accomplishing but i guess it's not that.
GG: hmm well i think whatever it is it must be pretty important!
GG: dont lose hope john i think it will all turn out for the best if you stay positive...
GG: just keep listening to your grandmothers advice!
EB: yeah, you're probably right.
EB: but, um...
EB: i don't think i mentioned nanna to you, did i?
GG: oh uhhh...
GG: i dont know didnt you?
EB: hmm, i dunno, maybe you talked to rose or dave about it or something.
GG: yeah maybe that was it!
EB: they're really weird when they talk to me about you, like they're always trying convince me you have some spooky powers, but i'm always like no she seems like a pretty regular girl to me!
GG: heheheh :D
EB: but then when i think back maybe there are times when it seems like you know some things?
EB: like maybe you know more about a thing than you are telling me? i dunno.
GG: oh well john
GG: i want to explain lots of things to you...
GG: some things that i know
GG: im just...
GG: waiting!
EB: waiting for what!
GG: oh! john!
GG: i forgot i was messaging you about that meteor that fell near my house!
EB: oh yeah.
EB: what ever happened with that?
GG: oh boy... well...
GG: it turns out i was confused about it...
GG: really confused! o_o;
GG: see i guess i fell asleep for a while and...
GG: lost track of time
GG: that happens!
EB: yeah i know, tell me about it!
EB: maybe you should like, wear an alarm clock or something.
EB: so what was the deal with the meteor?
GG: well...
GG: its hard to explain!
GG: but...
GG: i know what it is now!
GG: and now i know everythings going to be ok!
EB: so what is it?
EB: or is this just another thing you're "waiting" to tell me?
GG: oh gosh john i really want to tell you all this stuff!
GG: but i cant yet
GG: i really think you need to wake up first!
EB: huh?
GG: well ok not literally
GG: well ok maybe KINDA literally!
EB: AUGH!
EB: stop being so confusing!
GG: lol :)
GG: anyway time for you to go john
GG: i think you have some company!
GG: x3
- gardenGnostic [GG] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at ?:? –-
John put the PDA away again and picked up the pogo hammer that was lying nearby.
An imp that had been watching from behind the bed ducked down as he did so.
He stuck the hammer back in his strife specibus and got ready to kill some more of those pesky little…
'Huh? What's that?' John wondered, thinking he saw something by the edge of the platform.
A large black hand reached over and slammed down the old copy of Sassacre's text from the safe as, whatever it was, climbed up.
John ran back and hid with the imp behind the bed in fear.
- tentacleTherapist [TT] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at ?:? -
EB: rose, why aren't you dropping something on that thing?
EB: oh no
EB: D:
But the imp was having none of it. It quickly absconded the fuck outta there and jumped off the platform, gripping an umbrella to slow its descent.
This was what weaker adversaries did whenever things got too hot to handle, which was frequently.
John figured he had done enough hiding and it was time to prepare for a boss battle. He climbed down a level and scurried over to his magic chest that he suddenly remembered was on the roof. There were some things in here that would be good to stock up on for a major battle.
But it looked like someone had plundered his chest! There was nothing left! This was so outrageous.
Meanwhile, imps continued to overrun the property. He was being ambushed!
Another giant hand smashed next to where John was standing and he jumped and yelped in alarm.
There wasn't much room to maneuver on this sloping roof. So John thought he should consider making his way to higher ground.
He ascended back up to the platform above the roof – the highest point of the house and killed the single imp that was there.
Then he peeked over the edge of the platform and looked down.
It already seemed like a long way down to his yard. Not even to speak of whatever was below.
He looked over at the tree and noticed that his trick handcuffs were no longer dangling there.
Damnit, why did imps have to be making off with all his sweet gear?
When he turned around, he was confronted with a pair of enormous foes! They looked almost like giant imps, but were in fact crude ogres. One menacingly wielded the tire swing and the other still had Sassacre's text.
This was it, John had no choice but to wage a fierce rooftop battle. This was totally going to happen now, and could in no way conceivably be interrupted by a sudden shift in our attention. It was time to do this thing.
where doing it man
where MAKING THIS HAPEN
Dave reread the note that Bro had left him, summoning him to the roof and grasped it in his fist. But before he went to go meet his bro he wanted to grab all these useless puppets he had just cut up.
He tried to take the PUPPET PILE (6) but this name conflicted with the nunchucks that were already on that card, so he instead took the MUPPET BUTTOCK MOUND (0).
Then he proceeded to do an acrobatic fucking pirouette and leapt up to the top of the fridge were Lil' Cal was perched and took him as well.
After he unsheathed his katana sword, he made his way to the stairwell that led to the roof of the apartment complex. He climbed the steps, lugging Lil' Cal with him, and emerged outside in the unbearably hot sun.
In fact, it was so hot that fire was actually shooting out of the sky in places, and buildings in the distance were melting down.
As Dave was distracted by the site of the melting city, someone came by and took Lil' Cal. It had to be Bro.
He jumped into action and hopped over to the larger adjacent rooftop, ready for whatever was about to go down.
PSYCHE
A girl stood in her greenhouse, next to pumpkin with a strange design carved into it.
OH WAIT, x2 DOUBLE PSYCHEOUT COMBO!
A Wayward Vagabond stood in his lab surrounded by a few cans and a book on human etiquette.