EXTERIOR: OJA DUNES FIVE MINUTES LATER.
iKtomi slowly comes out from his hiding spot looking around warily. He spots an old man stooping over Farren, who is still sprawled out on the dusty texture. A small worried beep escapes him as the old man turns to him.
Man: greetings, little bot. you may come out of there, as no harm will come to you from me.
iKtomi scoots over to the man and looks down at Farren with a beep. The man pokes at Farren, causing him to stir.
Man: have no worries. this one will be fine.
However, Farren does not yet stir from his slumber. The man looks at iKtomi and pokes Farren again, hard this time. Farren still does not move. Finally, the man begins thumping Farren on the head.
Farren: Hey! Enough, enough! I am up.
The old man continues thumping.
Farren: I said I am awake! You can stop anytime now!
Man: pardon. i was caught in the moment.
Farren rubbing his head: I can see that. So what happened anyways?
Man: the outlaws nearly had you for a coat rack. you really should turn off auto-accept when you are out in the wild alone.
Farren: That does not sound very heroic to me. Wait, are you old steuben?
steuben: i am at that. tell me what brings you out this far, young farren.
Farren points at iKtomi, who does his best to look innocent.
Farren: It’s not working, iKtomi. It is all his fault. I told him he could be my sidekick if I untied his shoes, and then he ran away. How ungrateful is that? All he cares about is his ‘quest’ and completing it. And here I thought players are the only ones who get obsessed over quests. Bla bla bla, Steubi-Van Viscooby, bla bla bla, and all that.
steuben: Steubi-Van Viscooby? Steubi-Van…. gods i hoped my ears would never be fouled by that name again.
Farren: Uncle Venge said something about him, I think. He said he was banned or inactive, or something.
steuben: inactive or banned? i should hope not.
Farren: So you know where I can find him? I really do have to get this quest thing over with. I have important heroic things to do.
steuben: oh, he is quite easy to find. in fact, he is standing right in front of you.
Farren spins in a fast circle: Where!?
steuben: me, i was talking about me. i am Steubi-Van Viscooby.
Farren: Your mother must have hated you. So, you are the one this bot is looking for. He claims you scripted him.
steuben: now that is new to me. i must say i can not remember ever scripting a bot. perhaps it would be a good side project.
iKtomi beeps in agitation, looking up at the hills.
steuben: I think our little friend would prefer we talk in a safer place. I agree. come with me.
INTERIOR: steuben’s HOUSE.
Farren and iKtomi sit comfortably in the small but very nice house carved in the side of a hill. wide landscapes adorn all the walls, showing vast hills, tall waterfalls, and high towers. steuben sits across from the two. The three look to be in mid conversation.
Farren: So, you are saying my father was a great warrior, and not the bum my Uncle Venge always claimed?
steuben: oh no. he was very much the bum your uncle venge always claimed he was. he was also a great warrior that few could match.
Farren: When I tell that story, would you mind if I left out the ‘bum’ part? It cuts down on my heroic image.
steuben: your words are your own, young farren. ah yes, that reminds me. i have something here that should help greatly with that image, bum as a father or not.
steuben walks over to a chest and stirs around for a bit before pulling out what looks like a short piece of black pipe that just barely fits in his hand. He walks back over and hands it to Farren.
steuben: this was your father’s. i am sure he would have wanted you to have it when you became old enough. your uncle did not want you to ever know about it. something about one bum in the family being enough. i suppose he thought if you ever had it, you would go off on some silly quest to be a hero.
Farren: Sounds about right. What is it?
steuben: it is your father’s Cylsaber. it is the weapon of an oldbi knight, not the random generated damage of a sword or energy arrow.
Farren pushes a button on the tube, which flips the top open. Suddenly, a very, very thin elf pops out of the end, standing very stiff and sword like, still attached to the tube by his feet. Farren stans transfixed by it. He waves it back and forth a bit.
Cylsaber: Whoosh, whoosh. Fizzle, zap. Now I am a…a sword?! First I am a rope, then this? Can’t you think of any better role for a very tall elf?
Nope.
Cylsaber: I hate you.
steuben: hush now. props don’t have speaking roles. when they are quiet, they are a fine weapon. your father used this one in the dupe wars.
Farren: My father fought in the Dupe Wars? If that how he died?
stueben: sadly, no. he lived through that awful time only to be betrayed and pawned by darth frostmourn, a noob that we were trying to teach roleplaying and the ways of the olbies. instead, frostmourn turned on us, helping the dark empire track down and ban the rest of the oldbi knights. frostmourn only obeys the closed side of the source now.
Farren pushes the button on the tube, making the Cyl vanish back inside.
Farren: The Source? What is that?
steuben: you have never heard of the source? what did your uncle teach you on that farm?
Farren: Not much that I can recall.
steuben: very well, sir. I will explain it in simple terms to you. if you open up your files you will see code there.
Farren looks in one of his pockets: in here?
steuben: no, you must look in your files, not your pocket. just search your hard drive for planeshift.
Farren: Oh, I think I found it. Are theses files?
steuben: yes, those would be the files. if you open one, you will see the code.
Farren: I see it! That is the Source?
steuben: no. that is the code. the source is what builds the code. it is the ones and zeroes that create all you can see and hear in this game. it is everything and everywhere. without the source, there would be nothing.
Farren: Oh. I think I understand. How do I close these files?
Before steuben can answer, Jayose bursts through the door.
Jayose irately: Forgeting something?
steuben: yes indeed.
steuben walks over to iKtomi and pats him on the head.
steuben: I nearly forgot about the message. thank you for reminding me. let’s see what you have in your logs.
Farren: He is glitched. You’ll never find the log.
iKtomi just smirks at the flabbergasted Jayose and pastes the image of the fenki, then starts playing the log.
steuben: oh really? it just came right up for me.
Farren has a disgruntled look as the log scrolls up.
copy/paste: General Viscooby, you probably don’t know me, but I have been told much of you. My father always told my how helpful you were to the Roleplayers in the Dupe Wars. We need your aid again to fight against the Dark Empire and its diabolical plans. I would have come in person, but we have been ambushed by noobs from the Empire who know nothing of how to RP. I fear I will not be bringing you to Kada-El’s tavern. I have stuffed the Pied Plans down this bot’s shirt to ensure that the Empire will not capture them with me. Take him to my father to have it removed for study. Please, take this bot to the tavern. This may be our final chance. You must aid us, Steubi-Van Viscooby. You’re our last hope.
steuben: why did it have to be steubi-van?
Farren looks so excited he can hardly contain himself: I am going to get to be a HERO!! Hooorah!
steuben: i guess i don’t have a choice, do i?
Nope. Farren gets to try to be the hero in this story.
steuben: rubbish and rat tails. fine. but if you are to go to the tavern with me, you are going to have to learn the ways of the oldbies.
Farren: Great! I get to be a hero AND learn cool mind powers. This day keeps getting better.
steuben: i wish i could say the same for all of us. let’s go tell your uncle we are leaving.
Farren stops jumping around practicing heroic looking jumping around poses with the Cylsaber tube: Do…we have to?
steuben sighs: i am getting too old for this crap.
