Memoirs of a RAFian

[Cloak]

Again, new page --

• Book XIX: The Clone Wars
• Book XX: The Darwin Gun
• Book XXI: Other Side of the Tracks
• Book XXII: Pits of Terror
• Book XXIII: RAF Comix
• Book XXIV: The First Master
• Book XXV: RAF -- The Musical
• Book XXVI: Outage Outrage
• Book XXVII: Infinity and Eternity
• Book XXVIII: The Virus Rings
• Book XXIX: Soul-Suckers
• Book XXX: Mayhem of the Music Miser
• Book XXXI: The Metal-Maker
• Book XXXII: Richard is Missing
• Book XXXIII: Emotional Food
• Book XXXIV: Transformation Confrontation
• Book XXXV: Richard's Horn
• Book XXXVI: Feral Scream
• Book XXXVII: Predators and Prey
• Book XXXVIII: A Protean Problem
• Book XXXIX: The Horsemen
• Book XL: Sizeable Pain in the Necks
• Book XLI: RAF's Nightmare
• Book XLII: Unlucky Charms
• Book XLIII: The Piper
• Book XLIV: The Wishing Star
• Book XLV: A War of Armor
• Book XLVI: The Worst Plague
• Book XLVII: Little Alien Napoleons
• Book XLVIII: Go Away!
• Book XLIX: RAFian Tales
• Book L: Maul
• Book LI: Erised Orbs
• Book LII: RAFians Alive! -- an out-of-normal-continuity book
• Book LIII: The Pain Reliever*
• Book LIV: Beyond the Veils*
• Book LV: Dangerous Deals*
• Book LVI: Of One Mind*
• Book LVII: The End of Time* -- another out-of-normal-continuity book
• Book LVIII: Hematomimic*
• Book LIX: Sins of Youth*
• Book LX: The Replacements*
• Book LXI: Arachnoids*
• Book LXII: Personal Tissues*
• Book LXIII: Memory Today, Gone Tomorrow*
• Book LXIV: Appliance Armageddon*
• Book LXV: Prodigy and Composite*
• Book LXVI: The Merging*
• Book LXVII: Be A Doll*
• Book LXVIII: RAF Captors* -- yet another out-of-normal-continuity book . . . unless I change my mind.
• Book LXIX: Dinosaur Island*
• Book LXX: Corrupted*
• Book LXXI: Artificial Skins*
• Book LXXII: Separation Anxiety*
• Book LXXIII: A Thing About RAFians*
• Book LXXIV: A Planted Idea*
• Book LXXV: Vacation Photos*
• Book LXXVI: A Personal Gremlin*
• Book LXXVII: The Rust is Silence*
• Book LXXVIII: The Toyman Cometh*
• Book LXXIX: RAFian Idol* -- yes, just another excuse to put in more of the (as of writing) nearly 800 parodies.
• Book LXXX: Savage Heart*
• Book LXXXI: Slave Islands and Juggernauts*
• Book LXXXII: Shredding a King*
• Book LXXXIII: RAF -- The TV Show*
• Book LXXXIV: The Drinker*
• Book LXXXV: The Last Laugh*
• Book LXXXVI: It's A Mad, Mad, Mad Villain*
• Book LXXXVII: Sight Unseen*
• Book LXXXVIII: Don't Let It Snow*
• Book LXXXIX: The Rachel Toxin*
• Book XC: Virus Alert!*
• Book XCI: A Youthful Thief*

Again, the (*) denotes a book I have yet to do the chapter-by-chapter notes for.

Now another chapter.  Probably a long one, but don't hold me to that.

CHAPTER FOUR:
Collectibles

Noelle was roused from a drugged sleep.  When she looked around, she couldn't believe her eyes.  All four of them.  She appeared to be on the homeworld.  She hadn't seen it for so long, having decided to make her home in RAF.  But this . . . this was impossible.  Who could have possibly brought her here? Ardnalil, her ex?  Had he been stalking her?

No, that was out of character.  He was demanding, arrogant, xenophobic and brutish, but kidnapping wasn't his style.  She walked a bit looking at her surroundings, and bumped into an invisible wall.  She placed her hands on a smooth surface that, visually-speaking, should have not been there.  Then she followed this wall to a corner.  Then she folled the perpendicular wall, to what appeared to be a floor-to-ceiling glass panel.  It was as if she were some kind of prisoner . . . no, she realized as her eyes widened.  It's much worse.  She was nothing more than a zoo animal!

The mere thought was demeaning and it incensed her.  She was a sentient being!  Not existing for a bunch of alien pukes with overinflated egos to gawk at!  Then she saw someone in a white cloak enter her line of sight.  At first, her heart leaped, thinking it was Cloak or Shadow . . . but no, this Realm Walker was too short to be Cloak and too tall to be Shadow.  And he walked with the somewhat twitchy step that could only mean he was a bird-form Realm Walker.

He was mumbling to himself as he approached Noelle's enclosure.  "And this is the And-a-light specimen.  Very beautiful, in its way."

<You there!> Noelle shouted.  <Let me out of here?>

"Now why would I want to do that?" he spoke with the underlying tone of condescension.  "When I worked so hard to add you to my collection, my dear?"

<Your . . . your WHAT?!> Noelle practically screamed.  <I am not a doll or card to collect!  I'm a living, breathing being!  I am a sentient being!>

"'Sentient' being.  That's funny," he chortled.  This Realm Walker, this Collector, was one of the Realm Walkers that believed that Realm Dwellers lesser beings.  A type of Realm Walker that Cloak actively avoids himself.  "You are a Realm Dweller, silly.  Realm Dwellers are hardly 'sentient'."

Noelle was furious at this marginalization of not only her, not only her species, but everyone who could not Walk.  Noelle decided that she could morph to escape, she tried to focus, although her anger made it difficult, focus on an insect.  But nothing happened.

"Oh, by and by, you won't be able to, ah, what do you call it?  Oh, yes. 'Morph' your way out of there.  I've installed a metamorphic disabler in your exhibit." he said in an offhanded way that irritated Noelle.  "Now, if you're done, I have more specimens I've yet to catalogue."

Noelle struck the glass plating with her tail in anger, and, though Noelle was unsurprised, it did nothing.  Not even a scratch.

"Oh, got to love those ever durable ultrapolymers." Collector smirked, as he moved on to the next "exhibit".

***

Parker moaned as he raised himself into a sitting position.  He shook his head -- it felt heavy.  Then he realized his helmet was still on.  He blinked blearily, barely making out the room that he was enclosed in.

"Tyr . . . what hit me?"

Silence.

"Tyr?"

More silence.  What he offline?  Was that possible?

Parker finally looked around his surroundings and became instantly confused.  It appeared to be the SPARTAN origin, but very ship-like.  But he couldn't help but easily spot inconsistencies and errors.  Parker's eyes narrowed as he thought that someone clearly had sought to replicate -- and actually replicated it very sloppily -- a SPARTAN ship.

But Tyr's silence is what made Parker feel uneasy.  Then he noticed a glass partion which the otherside looked somewhat similar to what was in here.  He tapped on the glass.  Thick.  But he should be able to blast through it easily.  But his weapons wouldn't work.  They wouldn't come online!

"You're wasting your energy, SPARTAN." came a crisp voice that sounded rather like Tony Jay.  "The techo-suppressive patch in your enclosure deactivates any technology you possess."

"That's impossible," Parker said.

"Perhaps," said the haughty magpie, "to your limited scope of intellect."

"Hey!" Parker said, outraged.  But the Collector simply walked away.  "Hey!  Come in HERE and say that!  HEY!  I'm talkin' to you!  HEY!  GET YOUR CLOAKED BUTT BACK HERE!"

***

And so it went.  Collector checking on each of his kidnapped RAFians and taunting them each in turn.

Phoenix's enclosure was that of a stately British castle.  It was also thermically-resistant ultrapolymer keeping him in.

Aquilai's was a rather simple representation of Gallifrey -- the Time Lord homeworld that was lost long ago during a "Time War".  Collector noted that Time War made the Realm look rather congealed and ugly, before insulting Gallifrey.  Aquilai was stripped of his sonic screwdriver and there was no true earth or metal that he could bend.

Gaz's enclosure was that of a graveyard, which she didn't fancy all that much.  Collector taunted her for being a lackluster vampire, but a nice addition to his collection.  Gaz tried to go mist mode and wiggle her way out, but that didn't work -- there were little cross marking around the viewing glass.  She was effectively blocked in without the glass partition.  She couldn't even get close enough to pound on the glass.

Myitt and her human host were in an almalgam swimming pool and Yeerk Pool.  Myitt would not deign to speak to the Collector and instead was trying to figure a way out.  Even with her human host's help, they could not think of a viable way out.

Hunter's enclosure was a dark forest with high-arcing treetops.  But he was without his gun weapon, which he noted that he felt kind of naked without.  Collector just looked at him for a bit before moving on.

Horse was enclosed in basically a frozen playground for her.  She had an ice slide and everything.  But she was still unhappy with being a zoo animal, and even more so when the Collector called her a lesser being.

Yarin was enclosed in a representation of his native Nya.  He found it lacking and rather poorly constructed, personally, and he told Collector so.  Collector told him, that as a Realm Dweller, his opinions have no place here.

Dino was in a very meticulously designed prehistoric forest, but she didn't stop from trying to pummel the door down.  Collector tsked as he past by without bothering to tell her that ultrapolymer can withstand a 1-megaton explosion -- even though this had never been tested or proved.

Demos was in a very scarily reproduced habitat version of Hell.  But, unlike the other RAFians, he seemed to enjoy it -- except for the crampness.  Collector notes that he is a strange one.

Sakki was in a padded room -- shouting that this isn't what Vocaloid worlds are like at all.  Collector passes by and mentions that he just plain doesn't care.

Finally, Mithril was looking at his enclosure which was a rather crappy representation of the Great Transition.  When Mithril points this out to Collector, the Realm replied "It was a crappy transition".  Then moved on without another word.

[Underseen]

Great Chapters, I liked the Tony Parker mention although I kinda still miss him. The Collector reminds me of someone from something I watched, but I just can't put my finger on it.

[Cloak]

Simpsons?  Treehouse of Horror X?  The "Desperately Xeeking Xena" segment?

[Mithril]

There was also a Teen Titans episode like this too.

Yours is written better though.

[Underseen]

That except less fat. I actually turned on my T.V. and the episode of Teen Titans came on. O.o That's kinda creepy how you mention it and it's on, but yeah that is what the Collector reminded me of.

[Cloak]

Really?  I don't remember a Teen Titans episode . . . I got the idea from Treehouse of Horror X, I think, as well as the first episodes of Ben 10: Ultimate Alien.  It was a long time ago.  And he's a magpie because I thought people often associate magpies as hoarders.

Anyways, I was gonna post another chapter than this dank weather seemed to have just SUCKED the energy out of me.

[Underseen]

I know that feeling. It is super sunny where I am, but rained all yesterday.

You already did two chapters today, that's a lot of writing.

[Cloak]

I might actually post another chapter soon.  I might not.  I haven't quite decided.

[Noelle]

*Tries to make the rain go away so there can be more updates*

[Cloak]

Looks like we're gonna have to wait for tomorrow -- when the RAFians es-- er, never mind.  Almost let something slip.

[spoiler]Well, not really.  Okay, there'll be an escape in a chapter I write -- tomorrow, maybe.  But I ain't saying WHICH chapter.[/spoiler]

[Underseen]

Not much of a Spoiler, considering how the book is called Hostages Wild.

[Cloak]

Good -- I don't wanna give too much away.  I'm probably gonna go back to one chapter a day.  Sorry.

CHAPTER FIVE:
Breakout

Noelle nearly gave into despair, being unable to escape her unwanted and involuntary confinement.  Then a thought had occurred to her.  She could try to use a mirror-wave call in conjunction with her Mark, so that only RAFians could hear the call.  She focused her energies and sent the call out, hoping to get a response.

<RAFian brethren, I am here.> she called, repeating the message with an image of the limited view she could see outside her cell, because that is essentially what it was.  It had a rather reverberating twang to it.  Then something happened that surprised her somewhat.  She got a reply.

<Noelle?>

<Yarin?  Are you nearby?  Can you get me out of here?> Noelle said, sounding rather more desperate than she intended.

<Yes, I'm nearby . . .> Yarin said, almost reluctantly.  <But I cannot get you out.>

<What?  Why?!>

<Because I am caged in an enclosure with a rather pitiful display of Nyac culture.> Yarin replied dolefully.  <Clearly our, uh, host didn't do his research.>

<Great, how do we get out of here?> Noelle asked, when another idea occured to her.  <Are their other RAFians here, Yarin?>

<I do not know,> Yarin answered.  <Allow me to check . . . if there are, I'll link them up to this telepathically.>

Silence, but after a few minutes.

<What?  There are more RAFians in this fresh piece of hell?>  Dino.

<Hey, I take offense at that!  Hell isn't THAT bad . . . okay, it is.> Demos.

<Hi.> Mithril said, rather dolorously*.

<Hi . . . uh, where are we?> Hunter.

<Good question.> Myitt.

<I dunno, but I know that little Realm Walker is trying to bribe me with an ice slide.> Horse said.

<You get a slide?!> Sakki yelled, indignantly.  <He locked me up in a padded room!>

<Understandable,> Mithril teased.

<Don't make me hurt you,> Sakki threatened.

<Well, I suppose that it could be worse.> Aquilai commented.  <I could be in earthsight training.>

<Anyone else figured a way out?> Parker said, pragmatically.

<Just how many RAFians were taken?> Phoenix asked, taking charge, but not in a forceful way.

<I count thirteen,> Noelle said.

<Well, we'd have the advantages of numbers, then,> Phoenix said, thoughtfully, <if we could escape.>

<Hmmm . . . I want to try something,> Parker said, <give me a sec.>

Then came the sound rather like a lightsaber cutting through a wall.  Parker was taking his energy sword -- which the Collector seemed to have forgotten to strip him of.  And, soon enough Parker was out.  All his suits tech suddenly flared to life again, with Tyr seeming to a bit punch-drunk.  Then he freed the others, after finding their enclosures, one-by-one.

The all thirteen RAFians ran to a secluded area of the ship, although they were unaware of this fact.  Then Mithril looked outside a window, and gasped with a start.  "Uh, guys, I think you should see this."

The others took it in turns to look, and were quite surprised.  They were in space -- and Earth wasn't anywhere in sight. . . .

---
* "In a dolorous (solemnly or ponderously sad) manner."

[Gaz]

Good update!

[Cloak]

Thanks, Gazzy.  I might post another chapter -- but probably not, so don't get your hopes up -- got some walkin' to do tomorrow.

[DinosaurNothlit]

Caught up again!  Excellent chapters, as always.

I should note, just for the record, that as soon as I would figure out that there are thirteen RAFians aboard the ship, the real me would probably start freaking out a bit.  I quite compulsively avoid that number whenever I can. 

Those RAFians whom I've happened to spot at a certain numerical interval of karma can attest to this.  Heh, I will give karma for no other reason than to 'fix' that number.

And, Underseen, to answer your question, no, I'm not planning on animating the scene.  The larger an image is, the harder it is to animate because of all the shading.  Hence why the RAF Animorphs smileys tend to be so small.