[MV] The Super Wizard From Space #23: The Super Funeral Of Sharkasaurus Rex, Part 2

Andrew Perron pwerdna at gmail.com
Tue Nov 22 16:47:39 PST 2011


On Nov 18, 12:37 am, Wil Alambre <wilalam... at gmail.com> wrote:

> "Oh, cut that out. You can look at me. I will not tolerate old ways for
> the sake of old ways."
>
> "But... but this is tradition! It is the great honor bestowed upon the
> guardians of heaven, earned by the Invisible Monks long..."
>
> "Not earned by me. For no service bestowed upon you. If I am to have
> honors, it will be honors gained in the now, by my own hands," came a
> reply that made attempts to be scholarly but was painted with a thin
> coat of disgust.

I kinda like Andy Dharma, have I mentioned? Brody is awesome too, tho.
The relationship between the two somewhat reminds me of Miles and Mark
Vorkosigan.

> They gathered in groups and shared super-tales of the dead
> constellation, how they too had been visited by the Star Beast. Such
> amazing beings from across unimaginable stretches! Barons that explore
> the sometimes-pasts and possible-futures! Great informational humanoids
> who modify reality around them in new and inverse ways! Vicious looking
> humanoids that reminded him of majestic samurai but spoke so foully and
> obscenely that even he cringed, despite not knowing their elite
> language.

*snaps pictures*

> "Sir? Hardly!" was the cheerful reply as the great figure kneeled down.
> It was over three times Hanaya's own height and made of odd steel
> angles, but moved with a surprising grace. "Though I'm certain we all
> seem constructed the same to your lot, I was manufactured with much more
> feminine lines, I'll have you know. I am called Aqua Marine. Well, in
> actuality, my full designation is Second Series Power Combo Connecter
> Edition Aqua Marine, but you look like you may have a restrictive
> character count in your variable-character columns, so you may refer to
> me as just Aqua Marine."

This is literally the best thing. <3

> "Hanaya? I've logged that username before, haven't I? Searching... yes.
> Yes! I recall now, you are the unit readying the feast!" Hanaya nodded,
> though the metal giant rambled on regardless. "I had the good fortune to
> have been in full operational efficiency when the ghost shark and his
> school interfaced with the Citizenship! It was only a short filler
> adventure, released on fifth-week schedules, but one fondly recalled by
> enthusiastic collectors." { Solar Sails Generation R #5 }

Oh man, I have that whole run *plus* the collection of the black-and-
white four-panel strips that only ran in Estonia!

> "There she is, trying to chat up another of those stone avatars again!
> Trying to negotiate for collapsiron no doubt, like even that could
> reinforce her lopsided stern!

XD

> Stumbling away from the group, along the curving edge of the table, it
> wasn't until he was seated again that Hanaya caught his senses and
> recognized his neighbor. "Yohei! Thank our unseen guardians, another
> normal person at last! I thought I would be overwhelmed by all this
> strangeness!"
>
> "Yohei, yes. Good help little farmer is," was the slurring reply as
> Yohei sat beside him. Hanaya's smile dropped as he saw the soaked
> clothes, the strange swirling spirals in the depths of his pupils, and
> the half-dozen floating jellyfish clinging to his shoulders. They looked
> like misted balloons filled with water, their tendrils all curled around
> his forehead.

Oh goodness that's creepy.

> "Long worry hive-mind not capable send here event representatives. Long
> history spectral shoal and astro hydroza. Trading secrets freely, of
> sharing thinking outside and moving without water, of finding blue
> waters far away for spreading." { Cosmic Tales Of The Incredible #6 }

I'd definitely read a series written from their perspective.

> "I learned something. Even in his dying wake, I learned something new.

Now *that*'s a good eulogy.

> "I have a brother now. His name is Andy. He has his own order monks,
> soon to be ascending the great mountain on the opposite side of the
> valley. He has found my hospitality disagreeable and plans to carve a
> new monastery. Plans to carve a new order of monks. One not so hidden
> from the eyes of men.

Ahhhhhh, very good.

> "I do not agree..." was the clipped response, but it was followed by
> another long sigh and a calmer resigned voice, "I do not approve. His
> way is too blunt, too naive, too shallow. It lacks dignity and it lacks
> founding. But I too would be at fault to reject all his arguments out of
> hand. Just as he would be at fault to reject my experience and and long
> history. The truth of all things, however, will probably be found
> somewhere in the middle.

How appropriately Buddhist.

> Brody had a great grin, obviously pleased at the feast before him. And
> pleased that his guests were equally agreeable. He pulled a pair of
> chopsticks from inside his cloak. "It was Rex's way to not just give
> generously, but to also take graciously. To not just provide, but to
> indulge. Teacher and student. To cook and to eat. Today, we honor him in
> the way of the shark. Today, we feast.
>
> "Bon appetite."

*applause*

> When originally writing this arc, I wanted it to be a short capstone
> to this whole planet-of-the-shaolin-monks series of stories. However,
> I found that if I let it flow out as I usually let this fiction go, it
> was going to bloat out to three or four parts. Though there is usually
> nothing wrong with letting a story breathe, especially if each issue
> is limited to only 1500 words, I find that something the result is
> a little unfocused, a little rambling. So I made a concentrated effort
> to wrap this one in only two parts, even going as far as to squash
> issue 24 mid-way and posting issue 23 late.

It worked well!  These two issues made a tight story.

> This issue ticks off a couple checkboxes, including a few dangling
> high-concept challenges I've been meaning to participate in. Better
> late than never. Also, it acts as a thank you for all the RACC
> contributors, posting stories throughout the years. I do not post or
> critique a lot, but I have enjoyed everything I've read. I snuck
> in a couple cameos as a show of appreciation.

Aw! Well, we appreciate you too!

> As a quick thanks to a few people who let me use some of their
> characters for this funeral:
>
> Citizens of the Silver City created by Andrew Perron

Yaaaaaaaay!  And you did an excellent job with 'em, too.

Andrew "NO .SIG MAN" "Juan" Perron, imagining a combination of the
live-action versions.


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