[Herr D]

Hey, yeah, WMD, you’ve come a ways since I’ve checked in. I think we HAVE made a visual artist out of you.
Back when the word poet was more like poi-ee-teez, it meant ‘maker, non-specific.’ Anyhow, I forget which poet laureate said, “Immature poets ‘borrow.’ Mature poets steal.” It’s a mark of the maturity of this community in general that we encourage such stealing from each other. Let’s get back to our thieving, shall we?

[Herr D]

The people were fed up. No one could be agreed upon. No leader had been able to make good decisions in every category required, even when the best advisors were available. Worse, research scientists had discovered mathematical and genetic proof that the ambition required to suffer through BECOMING a leader would always make the people having it less fit to rule. No one ever solved the problem of how to get people to NEVER think “what’s in it for me?” or “I’M important.”

. . . but the think tank at Lab J figured it out. 3 carefully chosen and conflicting units, wired in series, would eliminate biases. They laughed at the idea that this would amount to a computer. “Ridiculous!” said their new spokesman, “a computer wouldn’t include the human factor, as we have clearly done. Our choice for candidate will be running on the ballot under the legal name, ‘The Rational Choice,’ and we will be happy to demonstrate our candidate’s superiority. The finest minds available went into it! The decisions of OUR candidate will be superior to any candidate you offer. We are looking forward to the debates.”

http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u438/jamais5/2013hm/HerrD-TheRationalChoice_zps53e880f5.png

um?

[Herr D]

“ANOTHER incident report, Ensign?”
“Yes, Captain. Another suit problem.”
“Those suits are nothing but trouble.”
“Yes sir.”
“Well, you’d better get the surgeon to remove whoever it grew shut around this time. On the double!”
“eh–“
“Well, get going, then! Get the surgeon!”
“eh–“
“Ensign! Why are you still here?!”
“There’s no one IN this suit, sir!”
“. . . what?”
“It DID grow shut. Then it left through the hatch. The suit’s software indicates the tanks weren’t even on.”
“Did you issue the recall code? The fins should deploy and the Diver Injury System should bring it right back.”
“We did Captain, but it’s not coming back. It swam away faster.“
“Oh, dear. . . well, I suppose we’d better go capture it then, before it does something untoward. Like reproduce.”
http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u438/jamais5/2013hm/HerrD-NCGSuit_zps340643a7.png
(When WILL the Naval Corps of Genengineers ever learn?)

[Herr D]

“ANOTHER incident report, Ensign?”
“Yes, Captain. Another suit problem.”
“Those suits are nothing but trouble.”
“Yes sir.”
“Well, you’d better get the surgeon to remove whoever it grew shut around this time. On the double!”
“eh–“
“Well, get going, then! Get the surgeon!”
“eh–“
“Ensign! Why are you still here?!”
“There’s no one IN this suit, sir!”
“. . . what?”
“It DID grow shut. Then it left through the hatch. The suit’s software indicates the tanks weren’t even on.”
“Did you issue the recall code? The fins should deploy and the Diver Injury System should bring it right back.”
“We did Captain, but it’s not coming back. It swam away faster.“
“Oh, dear. . . well, I suppose we’d better go capture it then, before it does something untoward. Like reproduce.”
http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u438/jamais5/2013hm/HerrD-NCGSuit_zps340643a7.png
(When WILL the Naval Corps of Genengineers ever learn?)

[Herr D]

Ah, good! Here’s the pic for ease, since I’m at home.

[Herr D]

Nice. I find myself wondering whether she chose the particular animals to kill. Ability to use ‘all’ of the animal? Kill the overpopulous for the balance of the whole? Maybe a small knife with a hilt ‘carved’ of bone would be a good touch.

[Herr D]

mmmmm Your decision won’t change if it was swimming, will it? Maybe I should have added ripples or fish silhouettes. I was imagining a maneuver where it was bending to dive to it’s right.

Okay. If I’m still it, I choose: 1. Hair/standard next to last item, the straight horn next to the unicorn horn.
2. ItemRight/Polearms 2nd spear point, first group, four across, bottom row.
3. ShoulderRight/Tech, last group, the three spikes in a curve formation.
I’m at work, so the server won’t let me make a pic of them now. If anyone has trouble finding these, PM me.
Btw, Mith? I would’ve offered to join that club–‘to talk of many things,’ had I the time.

[Herr D]

Aaugh! Nobody did one? Man—here’s one for Jednookie from my wife, if you want it.

“Now that you’re too hoarse to scream, just LISTEN. If I’d known my soul would be trapped in the sculpture I’d made, I’d have made it CUTE. But I drank the local hooch and wasn’t quite thinking. If anybody ever tells you a patch of mud is sacred, BELIEVE THEM! Now, I need you to get word to my family. I’m legally dead. My body is destroyed. The insurance policy is in a wall safe behind my second archaeology diploma. The combination is . . . “

Crediting her, you could refer to her as Sunni D . . .

[Herr D]

Ah. That makes more sense. Wait. I won? uh . . .
This was originally for a Random Character Contest. The only time I’ve entered something I felt uninspired.

Johnny Mindbreaker, felinoid wielding kitchen knife and automatic weapon. Psychic blasts to temporarily or permanently ruin others’ sanity.

I started to outfit him in black, and then my wife told me it would be much more arrogant to dress in bright colors, to advertise one’s willingness to be ‘invited’ to fight. What’s that phrase in the want ads? ‘Needs work.’

http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u438/jamais5/hm3/HerrD-JohnnyMindbreakerRND.jpg

[Herr D]

From bottom to top: watch your step, abandon all hope, dantes _ate. Fate? Dante’s Inferno? Definitely a cool effect, but I would wonder how much a rural setting would look like heaven to someone who sees a cityscape as hell.

[Herr D]

[continuation of Chapter 9]

“Four,” said Jennifer, “The working copy ready to put in the timed delays.”
“One.”
“Three more. Total run time of thirteen, forty-two, and forty-nine seconds. All the copies have fifty-seven data points.”
The door opened. Young Mike put a hand on her shoulder. “Lend me a cane.”
“What?”
“You stay here and watch. Call out if you see something behind me. I know how to call up a file list and check run times. I can run back here fast if anything happens.”
“I’m not giving you my password!”
Young Mike almost managed to not show hurt in his facial expression. “I’ll get the laptop. We’ll take it to the van.”
“Okay.”
Two minutes later they were in the van. Young Mike took his time walking around the van to lock the loading dock door. When he got back, Jennifer told him the news. “The extra copy is a minute nine seconds.”
Young Mike frowned. “Can you tell what time those files were made?”
“Why?”
“Because I think they happened while we were at the window.”
It took some doing, but they figured out he was right. Jennifer finished subtracting between time indexes, looked up to announce he was right, and frowned. “Where are you taking me?”
“The last bus probably leaves in what, one minute? We’re all the way across the square. Besides, Shelly told me I should drive you home.”
“We haven’t returned the laptop.”
“We can lock it in the van overnight. I can bring it up tomorrow morning. I have to be in at seven-fifteen.”
“Seven-fifteen?! Why so early?”
“Old Mike is borrowing an engine lift to handle Cam One. I have to return it to the mechanic that owns it.”
“Mmm.”
“Would you like to go to dinner with me?”

**Editor’s note: YAY! Chapter nine is FINALLY complete!

[Herr D]

[continuation of Chapter 9]

Jennifer and Young Mike stood at the window, she just staring, him recording, as the peculiar hexagons of smoke mixed with the air and were no more. Young Mike panned the camera around, zoomed at a couple of windows, turned it off. “So what are you working on?”
“What? Oh. I think I’m done, finally.” She reached up and shut the window. They both jumped as they heard a loud smacking sound. #*(!@#$!? Young Mike looked up from the cord he was coiling. “What the–” He froze.
“What?” said Jennifer. Young Mike reached around her, picked up the cardboard box, and showed her the 35mm camera without a word. Her eyes bulged. They both as one looked up at the ceiling to see–nothing. Their eyes met.
“We should be going, then.” His face was wooden, eyes darting around, “Slowly.” Jennifer caught her breath. She began trying to cane quietly past her computer. She glanced at the screen, frowned, and powered it down. Young Mike left everything but the 35mm camera right where it was and walked right beside her. He walked her to the freight elevator, pushed the button, and was silent until they got inside and the door closed. “What was that, Jennifer?”
She gaped at him. “What do you mean? How would I know?”
“You frowned at your computer. You usually have no expression when you’re powering down.”
SOMEbody’s been watching. “That? That was nothing. I must have saved all the final copies without remembering. I only remember saving the one working copy, but the file list said they were all saved.”
Young Mike nodded. “You’ve been helped. Just like I was just now. With the camera.”
“WHAT?!”
“Think about it,” he said, “Think hard. DID you save just once? Or did you save how ever many that was?”
As the freight elevator door opened, Jennifer jabbed her finger on the ‘close door’ button and pushed ‘2.’ “There were FIVE copies. I need to look at them.”
Young Mike pushed ‘1,’ waited for the doors to open, and held the ‘open door’ button. “Are you sure you want to go back there right now?”
Jennifer cringed. “No. But I have to. How can I be sure she HELPED me? What if she erased all my work and saved five BLANK copies? I won’t have time to do this again tomorrow. I promised it would be DONE. I HAVE to check. There doesn’t even need to be five! Why the extra?”
Young Mike frowned deeper. He pulled his finger off the button. “Well–” he said as the door closed, “How many copies do you need?”

[Continued Next Block]

[Herr D]

Leonine-Banshee-Klingons?! Excellent combo.

[Herr D]

I forgot this one too. The Rev’s questions were difficult, but I may have answered them here.

http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u438/jamais5/2013hm/HerrD-ArtistFear_zpsa97b3787.png

[Herr D]

Hey! You used my suggestion in Vain! Wait. No. I mean–uchh.
Looks good, man.

[Author]

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