REPOST: RAC Challenge! #22

Tue Dec 29 14:24:01 PST 2015

Chapter by Frank W Patnaude Jr..

From: franke at indiana.edu (Jerry L Franke)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.creative
Subject: REPOST: RAC Challenge! Ch. 22
Date: 2 Dec 1995 22:00:34 GMT

Continuing the Challenge!.  Chapter 23 will be posted Sunday, Dec. 3rd, and
the all-new GRAND FINALE will be posted Monday.  Enjoy!

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                                RAC CHALLENGE!

Chapter 22: Not a real good jumping on point for new readers.

   by Frank W. Patnaude, Jr.
   Title by Michael Friedman
     _________________________________________________________________

   Paragon lay on the table as Masheik finished attaching another one of
   Paragon's requested devices. He was now more ultimate machine than he
   was ultimate man. He had a dull metallic look about him. Well, except
   for his ears.

   As he gazed down at his hands he thought <Well, I better get used to
   it. I'm going to look this way for quite awhile. I doubt that mflagler
   will be able to help.>

   Paragon, of course, could not have been more wrong. The door to the
   lab opened and in walked Pira, Malloc and Torbin. Malloc and Torbin
   each stepped on opposite sides of Paragon and Pira stood at his head.

   Masheik looked up from her console and said "You can have him in a
   little while, I'm not quite finished with these attachments yet."

   They all ignored her. Pira said in a very husky voice "Prepare
   yourself, Paragon", as she circled the four of them with a ring of
   fire.

   Masheik thought to herself <that didn't sound like Pira>. "Hey", she
   said, "what are you doing?"

   The three continued to ignore her. Paragon thought <that really cute
   redhead has a pretty husky voice. I kinda like that. It's too bad that
   the doc did not get to finishing putting on the pleasure attachment so
   that I could show her the ultimate good time.> Paragon then noticed
   that even when he didn't have his 'ultimate' attachment, he was still
   thinking with it.

   Malloc said, also in a very husky voice, "It is time." He then
   generated a stasis field around Paragon's body making him very much
   immobile.

   Paragon noticed <the guy with the blue hair has a familiar voice, too.
   Now I think about it, so did the cute redhead.> Paragon all of a
   sudden realized who was standing over him and then asked "Bob, Frank,
   Ernie?"

   "Yes", replied Tobin, "It is us, the Ultimate Collective. We are here
   to help you."

   That is when the incredible pain started. Paragon thought <damn this
   hurts! I'm glad they're not here to hurt me...> and then he passed
   out.

   A few hours later, Paragon awoke to find that he was very, very sore.
   He looked around the room to see that Pira, Malloc and Masheik were
   all out cold. Tobin was slumped up against the wall, barely awake.
   "What happened, Ernie?", Paragon asked.

   "I don't have much time. It is almost time for me to go", replied
   Tobin.

   "Go where?" asked Paragon.

   Tobin weakly said "Back to the great darkness, where we all go. We
   took over these three bodies so that we can help you. We've given you
   some of your powers back, but it has cost us dearly. We could not fix
   all of your problems, so you still have some mechanical parts. You now
   have a permanent connection to the Universal Wide Web. mflagler and
   the DIOSphere can both help you. It is time for me to... Paragon,
   don't forget... you have a weakness for..."

   "Damn", said Paragon. <I never got a chance to ask him. But one thing
   I do know is that> "I am whole once more!" shouted Paragon at the top
   of his newly formed lungs, "And I am one with the Ultimate Collective.
   I now know my duty." Paragon sat up and got off the table. <I feel
   great. Not entirely human, but I definitely feel better.> He started
   to help everyone off the floor as each one of them were starting to
   regain consciousness.

   "What the hell happened?" asked Pira. "The last thing I remember is
   walking to my room and that's it."

   "I'm not sure myself", Paragon said in his natural voice. "But I know
   someone who might."

     =- login: Paragon -=
     =- password: *********** -=
     =- chat mflagler -=
     =- mflagler, this is Paragon, are you there? -=

     >> Paragon, this is mflagler, what can I do for you. <<

     =- mflagler, thanks for your help in getting the Ultimate Collect to
     help me. -=

     >> I didn't do much, but they did let me record your transformation.
     <<

     =- Good. What happened? -=

     >> Well, let's see. They first used the redheaded woman's fire
     ability to generate extra energy that they would need. They then
     took your ears and used the genetic material within them to
     re-create parts of your body. The blue-haired guy's power enabled
     them to do that. Most muscles and some of the skeleton were cloned.
     Many of the vital organs were done, but a few of them could not be
     finished. It looks like they tried to use the old guy to allow them
     to merge from where they were to this plane of reality, but I'm not
     too sure how they did it. You will have to lubricate the mechanical
     parts of your body with oil. Your skin, hair and bad breath seem to
     be intact. As their final act, they incorporated within you the
     power of the Ultimate Marble. That's about all I have. Oh yeah, they
     did mention that the whole process cost only about six million
     dollars. <<

     =- Are you trying to tell me that I am a six million dollar man? -=

     >> Well, not including taxes, and you're not all man, either. <<

     =- Thanks mflagler. logout. -=

   Paragon noticed that everyone was up and about. "When is the next
   portal to the Earth being opened?" he asked Tobin.

   "Very soon", replied Tobin.

   A little while later, Paragon went through Tobin's portal to the
   Earth. Aridalla had entered it first and started to order Paragon
   around as soon as he got on the other side.

   "Paragon, I need you to..." started Aridalla.

   "Hold on. I'm not doing anything for you. I've got a mission to
   complete", shot back Paragon.

   "We have to get as many people off this planet as we can. The sun is
   unstable. We have to save as many innocent lives as we can."

   "Fine. You save a handful. I'm going to save the rest of the planet!"

   "You can't change the future. I have already seen it", pleaded
   Aridalla.

   "One thing that 'RAC Challenge!' has taught me is that the future is
   not set. And neither is the past, for that matter. But I have to try
   to save my home. I will not got down without a fight", Paragon
   emphasized as he flew off.

   "Should I go after him?", asked Malloc.

   "No. Let him go. We have our job to do and he has his", replied
   Aridalla.

   Paragon was flying over the old section of Dixon City. <Great! Now
   what do I do? I have to save the planet from the exploding sun, but I
   don't know were to begin. The sun is unstable, but what if it's not
   natural? Who would be crazy enough to try to experiment with their own
   sun? That's it! Dr. Malevo would! He always was a crazy bastard!
   Didn't he have a secret base somewhere around here? There it is,
   underneath the old courthouse.>

   Paragon flew into the abandoned courthouse and busted through the
   floor into the lab below. A cloud of dust and dirt flew up around him.
   <Well. I guess Dr. Malevo hasn't used this place in awhile. Let me hit
   this light switch.> The lights came on and Paragon saw that he is in
   the middle of a very large lab. A lot of boxes and half-finished
   experiments litter the place. Paragon spotted a computer console and
   started to go to work. He accessed a list of all of Dr. Malevo's
   experiments. Then one caught his eye.

   Paragon started to look around the room and spotted an advanced
   physics book next to the computer terminal. <Perfect. This book is
   just what I need. It's not a real good jumping on point for new
   readers, but luckily, I've already had a few physics courses in
   college.> After a little bit of reading, Paragon started to go through
   the experiment on the computer screen.

   Wham! Paragon got nailed in the head from behind.

   "Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert!" cried a robotic voice.

   Paragon started to turn around to see what was attacking him. Wham!
   Wham! He got hit in the ribs and on the leg. <Ouch! That hurt like
   hell!> he thought as he fell off of the chair that was in front of the
   computer console. Wham! Another hit in the chest. <I can't take
   another shot like that.> He tilted his head to the side and saw a
   ten-foot tall robot that had a two-foot wide square body. He looked at
   the top of the robot and noticed that it had a clown head. <That looks
   strange.> The clown's head then started to tilt backwards and it shot
   out a purple square missile that nailed him directly in the face. As
   Paragon started to lose consciousness, he thought to himself <Did I
   just get my ass kicked by a giant PEZ dispenser?>
     _________________________________________________________________

     * Next Issue: Chapter 23: Is that a pack of sugarless gum in your
       pocket, or are you just glad to see me?

     _________________________________________________________________

  AUTHOR'S NOTES:

   Well folks, that's it. This is my first posting to RACC, so let me
   know what you all think. I tried to give it a little direction, but
   plenty of possibilities.

    Frank W. Patnaude, Jr.

     "Those who do not learn from History are destined to repeat it. And
     the same goes for Science and Math."--Woody Boyd, Cheers

==========================================================================

-- 

Jerry L. Franke                        franke at cs.indiana.edu
Computer Science Dept.                 Indiana University
formerly from Florida State University http://www.cs.fsu.edu/~franke