SW10: December 2010 #6: Cauldron Book II Part 6 (of 7)

[Scott Eiler]

Andrew Perron wrote:
> On Fri, 8 Apr 2011 02:17:55 +0000 (UTC), Scott Eiler wrote:
> 
>> Body Up
>> Operations Report
>> Saturday, December 11, 2010
> 
> My, but I've been tardy in replying to stuff.  Time to get on it!

I'm not helping, am I.  I bet you spent two weekends not reading... while I
posted four episodes.  I might soon have to spend time on my blog instead; I
haven't written an episode *there* since January.

>> Norma told the rest of us, "Body Up was founded when evil men used mind 
>> power to control women.
> 
> ...I know what she means, but that's an oddly simplistic way of putting it.

Norma made it simple on purpose.  Really, it was an evil *monkey* from another 
universe.  http://www.eilertech.com/stories/femforce.htm

>> I raised my hand. "I don't believe in hypnotism. Is that going to stop me 
>> getting hypnotized?"
>>
>> Vince said, "It means I may not help you as much as I could. But it's probably 
>> good for you, because it means you resist mind control anyway."
> 
> Huh.  I didn't think belief itself would protect one, so much as being hard
> to hypnotize due to general mental strength.

Without quibbling over the specifics of magic vs. hypnotism and which one Vince 
practices... I think Summer qualifies either way.

>> ... Hey, wait! I hadn't been thinking! I didn't necessarily *have* the power. I 
>> just used it anyway! If I could, so could my team!
> 
> Wait.  I-- I thought they already knew they still had powers?  I'm a bit
> confused.

That's purely my fault.  I should have started that "doubt" plot element more 
blatantly during the previous two episodes.  But I figured those episodes mostly 
left Summer's team untested, while the guys with the sonic cannon and the magic 
golems carried the battle.  That might have enhanced Summer's doubts right there.

>> The man came back on the balcony. He pushed something aside and forward in the 
>> air, maybe moving his force field. Then he gestured and spoke louder: "Nooon!"
> 
> ...I'm confused.

If I hadn't put in the man's outrageous accent, you and Summer would have 
understood him better.  As for the rest, the confusion was intentional.

>> I yelled, "Spring! Liz! Invisible mind attack *and* incoming! No one can... " 
>> Oh, damn, I forgot the mystic phrase. "No one can tell you what to do! No one 
>> can tell you what to do!"
> 
> Very good flustering!

It helps that for this story I am inspired by real people instead of by, say, 
Hal Jordan.

Speaking of which, a certain woman I know is taking up comic books!  Someone 
gave her a stack.  I saw among these the first X-Men vs. Dracula story, plus the 
first appearance of Doomsday vs. Superman.  I said, "These could be valuable." 
She correctly responded, "Well, I'll let my son read them, then I'll sell them 
later."

-- 
(signed) Scott Eiler  8{D> -------- http://www.eilertech.com/ ---------

Only their myths concerned peace and contentment, and that in such a
coercive, sullen package it was obvious that the Earth humans resented
the very idea.

- from "Passing" by Elaine Radford, Aboriginal SF, May/June 1987.