Memoirs of a RAFian

[Cloak]

What makes you think I will? I still have 144 books to write! And I add more every time I get an idea. And, don't forget, I was the main driving force behind the 800+ RAFparodies in "RAFize songs". The day I stop is the day I stop being a RAFian. Translation: never.

Granted, sometimes, the ideas might repeat. . . . But, I endeavor not to let that happen.

Anyway, got an idea for Book CLXXXIV ("The A.R.A.") . . . I don't know if I posted it before, but here's the list from Book CLXXX to Book CLXXXV:

• Book CLXXX: Go to Hell

Six RAFian souls are sent to Hell by an obscure half-brother of Demos's.

• Book CLXXXI: Schism

Out-of-continuity book. Parker and Cloak are at odds over methodology.

• Book CLXXXII: Caught in the Middle

The RAFians get caught in the middle of the Wager of the Octessence, and their Exemplars.

• Book CLXXXIII: A Fractured Mind

The RAFians meet a boy with multiple personalities whose appearance and powers depends on the currently dominant personality, who they have difficulty trying to help.

• Book CLXXXIV: The A.S.A

The RAFians must deal with an oppressive governmental action.

• Book CLXXXV: Orphanage of the Damned

The RAFians confront a "Granny Goodness" who erases the orphan's memories of their past.

Again, do not expect more than one chapter today.

EDIT: Added a new book to the above list.

CHAPTER SEVEN:
The Lowdown

Cloak had left his thread, just to clear his head. Then he caught the scent. It was an acrid odor. . . .He could tell by the scent that the creature it belinged to was dead. But that familiarity . . . what was it and why did it smell so . . .

Cloak's eyes widened as he recognized it. It wan't the first time he smelled that scent. . . .

It . . . it couldn't be. . . . Heinlins were not native to this universe he thought. But he had been mistaken before.

Cloak bursted into the lab, where Goom, Aquilai and Yarin hovered over the dissection board. The trio looked at Cloak with scandalous looks.

"Where is it?" Cloak said, urgent to see if this was an inter-realm infestation. Or the hand of another Walker was involved. "Where's the Heinlin?"

"The what?" Yarin asked.

"Its that thing you're dissecting." Cloak noticing this at once. "How long since the Heinlin perished?"

"'Bout two hours ago," Goom answered  though a little nonplussed at the intensity of this questioning. "What do you know of these creatures?"

"Everything," Cloak said, "this isn't my first encounter with Heinlins -- or Panneuros raptorcorpus heinlini, if you want to be banal about it. How long has it gestated before its death?"

"'Gestated'?" Aquilai said, "It hasn't had contact with another four several hours."

"I doesn't need to!" Cloak exclaimed furiously. "Heinlins are an asexual species -- technically what you're dissecting is just on part of a massive superorganism."

Cloak quicly scanned every were on the forum with his Earthsight. No one was sporting a hidden "backpack" that he could "see". Cloak wasn't entirely sure that the Mark would be able to stop it.

"Heinlins . . . here . . . it's not good." Cloak said, rather agitatedly. "Parker should be able to help with thermographic scans of his."

"Wait -- I confused. How could that help?" Aquilai asked.

"Heinlins run their hosts hotter than normal," Cloak said. "Unless they've changed between the other Realm and here."

"Since you know so much, how do you kill them?" Yarin said. "Other than pyrotechnical means, that is. This dissection shows that they are very difficult to put down normally . . . save for fire and blades, which would kill the host as well."

"So would separation of parasite and host -- they possess total control. And that's total control, they could stop and restart the hosts heart at will." Cloak said. "But you should be able to see that their bodies are sixty percent brain tissue. So diseases like encephalitis are a very big weakness."

Cloak considered for a moment.

"The world's governments need to be for warned." he said. "Get a RAFian to the United Nations or whatever it is called and I'll collect Parker, Helen, Sam, Gaz, and Underseen. We'll go to Washington, DC."

[theyoungphoenix]

Uh oh. Whenever you have to warn D.C., you know it's bad.

[redtailedsaffa]

So, we're finally hitting the UN.

[Cloak]

Well, next week I'll be working an additional 2¹/₂ hours (unless they run out of things for me to do). Where do I work? Let's just say, for the moment, it's plant/factory work. (The kind of legitimate, legal work my mom always looked down upon. ) And I won't say anymore on the subject.

Anyway, I finished planning out "Go to Hell", and nearly done with "Schism".

Brevity is always a chance, especially with me being this tired.

CHAPTER EIGHT:
Government Involvement

"Sir, with all due respect," Parker was speaking, "I don't think your grasping the gravity of the situation."

"What?" said the supercilious head of security with a sanctimonious little smirk. "That little green men from Mars are invading Earth? Infiltrating some backwater city?"

Cloak swore when somebody got a little too fond of power, the result was before them. Cloak's face showed no emotion, though his distaste and distain for the man was evident in his body language.

How'd did they get this far with all the increased security? Eh . . . it's not important.*

"Sir, no disrespect intended," Helen said, attempting to defuse the situation. "You should be well-briefed about the alien presence on-world."

"Especially when one stands before you," Cloak said smoothly, coolly, and silkily. Severus Snape/Alan Rickman would have been proud.** "And I am not from Mars. Not your Mars, not any Mars."

This seemed to silene the high ranking official momentarily.

"The fact is, sir," Gaz said, already irritated with this annoying little man and his Napoleon complex, "that regardless if whether or not you believe it to be happening, it is."

Sniff, sniff.

"And the President must know," Sam said. He appeared to be in street clothes, as did Helen. The whole Lantern regalia wouldn't help their cause right now. Underseen took the appearance of a nondescript human male with sandy hair who appeared to be in his early twenties.

"Mr. Douchebag --"

"It's Touchécrag!" he snarled.

"Sorry! I didn't mean that! I -- I, uh . . ."

Oh, this wasn't going well, and Cloak was suspicious of a very different kind of skullduggery. He wondered if this Touchécrag character was a closeted Knight of Humanity. He sniffed the air very quickly.

"Douchebag is clean," Cloak said.

"TOUCHÉCRAG!!" he corrected angrily.

"Might want to try not ACTING like one, little man," Cloak snarled back. "Then the confusion would not be so evident."

Then he turned to the others and said, "There's a Heinlin here. Just not the Mr. Napoleon-Complex."

Cloak scanned the area, and pointed out the secretary in a rather luridly bright green dress and a white pearl neck that disguised the top of the Heinlin's proboscis.

"Nice security, pal," Gaz spat at a thoroughly disgruntled Touchécrag.

---
*
**

[Cloak]

Well . . . let's hope that this rain doesn't make my internet go wonky on me. Again.

CHAPTER NINE:
Jockeying For Position

The RAFians go and Cloak aerokinetically restrains the long-haired, brunette woman. She gasps with shock, but Cloak's ears pricked upon hearing Heinlin's brief squeal.

"What do you think you are doing?!" the oblivious head of security demanded. He had foolishly not noticed the Heinlin. Sam gave the man a rather curious and disbelieving look.

It was easy to see why. This guy was the head of security, yet his not-so-eagle eyes had missed this major security breach. Granted the Heinlin had hudden itself well, if not haphazardly.

"Gateburst!" Cloak cursed so loudly it could be heard for aboyt two miles around. The secretary broke into convulsions and sobs, with no apparent reason why. But Cloak's keen feline eyes in conjunction with his Earthsight had seen it abandon the woman's body. He lost track of it, and related it to the others.

"Oblivion Gate! I forgot how fast the accursed things were!" Cloak said, furious at himself. "It's on the loose!"

"Ah!" Underseen shouted scared by something. There was a sparking flash and the Heinlin was forcibly thrown against the wall opposite. Underseen said, while catching breath from the sheer shock, "The Mark . . . the . . . Mark . . . it saved me."

"Well, that's comforting," Helen said. "But not by much."

Cloak inspected the carcass of the Heinlin . . . he was dismayed to discover that there was far too much fluid here . . .

Cloak's eyes widened as the realization hit him. He turned to the others. "This one was gestating! We've got a runner!"

"Wh-what?" Gaz blustered.

"Don't worry about. Parker and I will find it." Cloak said, taking charge. "The rest of you stay here and protect the president."

"That's my job!" Touchécrag protested.

"And you've done a piss-poor job of it," Parker snarled. He was through trying to be civil with this egomaniac.

"I have not!" he protested.

"Oh, yes, just wonderful. You nearly got the President to be under control of an alien parasite. Brilliant. Good job." Gaz said, with acidly crushing sarcasm.

Mr. Douchebag didn't raise and further objections after that.

"We're wasting time." Cloak said, urgently. "Parker, c'mon."

[Underseen]

Ha, Mr. Douchebag.

[redtailedsaffa]

Well, he certainly acted true to his moniker.

[theyoungphoenix]

Ya, no kidding.

[Cloak]

 Well . . . I'll post another chapter in a little while (probably not for a couple of hours). But I am going to try and make contact with Faith. . . . Dunno how it's gonna turn out.  But if it goes poorly, expect these books to get somewhat darker and moodier, I think. Maybe an exaggeration, but I'm really ready for contact -- I really miss Shadow. . . .

EDIT: . . . And I chickened out.

Anyway, here's the next chapter. May be brief -- and may be the only chapter today.

CENTER TEN:
Parasite Party

"Oblivion Gate!!" Cloak raged. "Where the Veil did it go?!"

"Yelling won't help us find it," Parker said, far calmer then he felt himself. "This area is thermographically-clean. Let's go."

"It could be anywhere," Cloak said as they moved out. "It could be on anyone."

"But they run their hosts hotter than normal, you said," Parker reminded. "We'll be able to corner it."

"Why did I never consider how large this place was?" Cloak said, then a thought occured to him that filled him with a sense of urgency. "Parker, we've got to hurry."

"Why?"

"Twelve-hour gestation, Parker. In twelve hours, we would have two. Then, after another twelve hours, four. Then, after an additional half-day, eight. And so on and so forth!"

"Oh --"

"Save your catchphrase when we have time for it, and MOVE!!"

***

Whereas watching the Prez prived to be very boring work. All he did was read and sign and stamp some papers, and make a few calls. However, Touchécrag became so irritating both Helen and Gaz slapped him, Helen using her ring hand, no less.

"Shut." Gaz snarled.

"UP." Helen finished, addressing the patheetic little man.

The lousy head of securrity -- with bright red hand marks upon both of his puffy cheeks, opened his mouth to argue, but Sam stepped and said, "I wouldn't press your luck, Mr. Douchebag."

"It's TOUCHÉCRAG!!" The head of security shouted losing all decorum.

"Whatever," Sam said offhandedly, as Mr. Douchebag launched into a tirade.

"And it's YOU -- y-y-you miscreants that are pushing your luck. I am the head of security here!"

"Who nearly let an alien hostile take over the Prez's personage," Underseen added noncommittally.

"Who nearly -- HEY!!!"

***

Meanwhile, the city was overtaken over completely by the Heinlins. They did not discriminate, and took people regardless of the gender, their age, their skin color, their religion, their sexual orientation -- none of it mattered to them. Every man, woman and child . . .

However, they stayed clear from those with encephalitis and similar diseases. But the city was under their thumb, the went to RAF but could not bypass the Code Avalon, and, instead set their sights on the Bannedlands, while the one stationed in the White house only pursued on goal -- though it had to wait another ten hours now, to reproduce. But, suddenly, a shadow falls over it's hiddening spot. . . .

[Cloak]

Well, still planning through Book CLXXXII ("Caught in the Middle") -- so far it looks like Underseen, Wild and myself will be in it (unless I decide to kill off . . . who am I kidding I would never do that).

And I came up with an idea for Book CLXXXVI -- "Remnant A.E." -- a loose parody of "Titan A.E.".

Anyway, a potentially brief chapter.

CHAPTER ELEVEN:
Aftereffects

While Sam and Helen stood sentry outside the President's door, Gaz and Underseen went to thd poor woman who had hosted the Heinlin. She wasn't convulsing so much anymore, but she was still shaking horribly. The two were alarmed at this.

"This isn't like when a Yeerk takes a host," Underseen said, clearly concerned. "They don't shake this much upon un-infestion."

"These Heinlins take host a great deal more violently," Gaz said, eyes upon the hole in the base of her neck. "It's bou d to have more psychological effects, as well as the biological."

"Biological?" Underseen asked. "What do you mean biological?"

"I'm no nurse -- which we should call for this poor girl -- by any means," Gaz said, alerting the medics -- hoping that they are under their full faculties. "But I have a sneaking suspicion, judging on her behavior (which is similar to some vampires I've seen who got addicted to killing), I swear there seems to have been some addiction."

"Addiction? To what?"

Gaz said nothing, but Underseen got the gist. He could not believe what gaz was suggesting -- it was something that Yeerks weren't known for, and they were the first alien parasites that came to his mind.

"You can't really be suggesting --" he began.

"They do secret some sort of chemical that makes their riding addictive," came a familar voice. Cloak and Parker came into view, revealing that Cloak was the one who spoken.

The four were leery, forgetting the Mark protects from Heinlin takeover.

"Guys, Mark immunity, remember?" Parker said.

"Oh, right," Sam said a bit abashed.

"Not only that, but anything that wiggles it's way underneath this hood, and they meet oblivion."

"Cloak, you were saying? About the addictive chemical?"

"Oh," he said, clearly a little mad at himself for forgetting to mention it earlier as the medical team carted the woman away. "Right, the Heinlins apparently secrete it when 'riding' someone. To make them feel that they need the parasite. In sufficient quantities, it could make the affected person to wish for death after a degree of separation."

[theyoungphoenix]

Uh oh. That's never good.

[redtailedsaffa]

This is one of your books with a lot more evil in it.

[Cloak]

Oh, this is nothing . . . I forget which, but there is a book with more, Saffa.

Oh, and a RAFparody might show up more than once.

Ouch . . . right shoulder and neck very sore . . . ugh! >.< Ow.

CHAPTER TWELVE:
If At First You Don't Succeed . . .

"What is going on out here?" said a voice, opening the door. "What are you --"

He saw the RAFians -- more specifically their Marks -- and the the change in his manner and demeanor was shocking. He suddenly spoke in a clipped professional manner.

"RAFians, hmmm? What's the situation?"

"Mayor Justice filled me in, yes. Not directly, of course," he elaborated, with a manner eeriely like that of Faerie. "But enough pleasantries, what's the situation?"

They began to convey to him the story. . . .

***

Meanwhile. the Heinlin managed to attach it itself to a handsome blond teen who could have passed for a member of a 90s boy band member. The Heinlin straightened out this teen's clothes. It was still 9³/₄ hours before it could breed again. But "he" needed to be by the president when that happens so that it could take him. If it hadn't gestated by then, it would abandon this prettyboy and take someone of substance.

Finally riding piggyback again, "he" went to find the President again. . . .

***

". . . And that really sums it up, Mr. President." Helen was saying.

"Another invasion, eh?" he said, "Well, you guys handled the Skrulls and Black Lanterns just fine. I place my trust in you with this."

Sniff, sniff.

Cloak's eye widened, before narrowing at the sight of a teen . . . but that scent. It was crystal clear. He was being ridden. Cloak let out a repressed snarl.

"Helen! Sam! The blond teen is being ridden!" Parker said, having scanned where Cloak looked.

The Lanterns incapacitated it so that the Heinlin could not escape. It squealed angrily through the teen's mouth.

"That is still SO creepy," Gaz said, with her arms folded.

[Underseen]

Neck sore? May be alien parasite.

[redtailedsaffa]

Good one Underseen Did I mention I'm getting frequent stings in the chest?