EVERYONE AGAINST EVERYONE ELSE

Aug 31st 2011, 15:45 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

NIXIE broke out of Heartbreak's spell just after his final breath.  I can only imagine what she must have thought when she came to her senses and saw me.


My teeth were bared like Captain Makemake's, one spaceboot pushing Heartbreak away by the ridge of his limp spine, both hands up by my head pulling tight the entrails wrapped around his throat.

E O HATTERPOL VS HEARTBREAK, IN UTTER CHAOS

Aug 30th 2011, 11:32 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

IN THE deep black darkness of Heartbreak's gymnasium, feeble starlight bounced off Nixie's locket.  That brief glint showed me exactly where the bokor boxer was standing, chattering mechanical bug still in glove.


I dashed and dodged through the slow-motion sea of twisting supercharged female zonbi gymnast limbs, a sixth sense of silent assassinship guiding me through the shadowy chaos.

I KNOW SOMETHING HEARTBREAK DOESN'T

Aug 29th 2011, 9:04 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

Back in Heartbreak's gymnasium, I was still pleading with Nixie.


"Don't you remember?  Don't you remember the kiss we shared?  The book we read together--"

ALL SHELL BREAKS LOOSE

Aug 26th 2011, 8:57 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

"Nixie!  Stay with me!" I cried, struggling against the supercharged female zonbi gymnasts holding me back.  "Remember the bookstacks!"


"Nothing doing, E O," Heartbreak replied with syrup in his throat.  "She belongs to me now.  She IS me now."

WILL NIXIE BECOME A ZONBI?

Aug 25th 2011, 9:33 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

HEARTBREAK'S bullwhip ripped into Nixie's bloody back, snatching away another strip of flesh.  Another piece of my heart went with it.


"Don't do this, Heartbreak!  Use me instead - I'll be your zonbi!" I pleaded, struggling against the supercharged female zonbi gymnasts holding onto my arms and legs.

HEARTBREAK'S MASTER PLAN

Aug 24th 2011, 8:49 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

HEARTBREAK turned back to Nixie and dealt her another devastating bullwhip blow.  I cried out, struggling against the supercharged female zonbi gymnasts holding me back.


"Why are you doing this?" I whimpered.

CRISIS IN HEARTBREAK'S GYM

Aug 23rd 2011, 8:37 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

I BUSTED into Heartbreak's gymnasium, bookshield to chest.  I nearly lost my jaw; I couldn't even begin to process what was happening.


Some of it was bizarre; most of it was chaotic; but one bit in particular was mortifying.

MASTER BOKOR UNMASKED

Aug 22nd 2011, 9:05 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

NIXIE was gone; in her place, a single rose.  I bent down and examined it.  Why would Master Bokor leave something like that for me?


He must want to be found.

MASTER BOKOR KIDNAPS NIXIE

Aug 19th 2011, 1:56 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

I poked my head out of the hole I had dug in the mountain of books, brandishing a small tome.


"I don't believe it!  Here it is, Nixie, just like D D Mayfield said!"

I MEET D D MAYFIELD, HEAD FLYBRARIAN

Aug 18th 2011, 11:56 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

THE CURIOUS woman peered out at me from behind her lime green cat's-eye glasses.  I stared back, completely lost.  Ravi, Nixie and the Carptain watched us with bated breath.


Finally: the key to this mystery was upon us.

I CONFRONT THE COWARDLY CARPTAIN

Aug 17th 2011, 10:18 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

NIXIE gaped at Ravi, wondering what he would say next.  Ravi opened his mouth to speak.  I tried to chug the rest of my beer before he could say his first word.


Something is wrong with me, y'all.  But something is so right.

I GET MY DRINK ON

Aug 17th 2011, 08:55 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

NIXIE sipped sweet tea.  Ravi brought appletinis to his lips.  I chugged Whale Ales.


Time to get to the bottom of this outer space Starbase Octopus zonbi murder mystery, y'all.

THIS SHIP IS BIGGER THAN I THOUGHT

Aug 15th 2011, 14:15 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

I TOOK Nixie's hand in mine.  She obliged.  Ravi the Bookman smiled at the both of us.


If only I had known such good times wouldn't last much longer.

PINOCCH E O

Aug 12th 2011, 12:36 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

"So, best outer space friend," Ravi said with a smile, "have you spent my salty space booty on those rare books yet?"


I fidgeted nervously like a guilty defendant in court.  No, I hadn't gotten those rare books - in fact, I had lost all Ravi's booty gambling at the Calamari Casinos, but I just wasn't ready to tell him yet.

SHOULD I TELL THE TRUTH... OR LIE?

Aug 11th 2011, 12:36 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

RAVI the Bookman exhibited his library.  Nixie stared in amazement.  So did I.


Although the front 25% looked even better than it had before, 75% of the Flybrary's books were still in a gargantuan pile.

BUILD THE STARSHIP FLYBRARY!

Aug 10th 2011, 15:49 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

RAVI the Bookman and I are about to take Nixie on a tour of the Starship Flybrary, but there's only one problem -- the Starship Flybrary has only been partially built!  To date, we know of:


-- The Whale's Liver, (my favourite!), a proper pub with chess boards, books and good beer, located where a blue whale's liver would be


-- The Spleen Machine by @JimboRish, a holodeck located near the Whale's Liver which was originally the source of much drunken embarassment for tippling Flybrarians until a breathalyzer was installed as a requirement for entry (Lydia Binanay's yoga & "Exercise with Nature!" are held here, as well as X-Men-style "Danger Room" scenarios)

RAVI HOODWINKS THE STARBASEMEN

Aug 9th 2011, 15:49 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

The Starbasemen swung their batons.  Ravi the Bookman sent a flood of books surging across the ground towards us.  Nixie and I took cover and screamed, "Eeeeeeeek!"


And although I was glad to be saved by my best friend just in the nick of time, I dreaded telling him what I'd done.

SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS

Aug 8th 2011, 11:23 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

I shook the stars from my eyes.  Nixie gaped at the wall of books.  The Starbasemen approached!


And despite all the fantastic choices we made together on Facebook, Twitter and in the comments section below (my thanks), something still more fantastic made a choice for us.

BACK TO THE STARSHIP FLYBRARY

Aug 5th 2011, 14:44 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

That stupid cop sauntered over, jangling his keys.  Nixie explained the situation.  I whipped out my smartphone.


"Let's see, here: three Flybrarians chose the noble path - the one where I stroll out of here with swagger like James Bond - and let's see... how many of them chose the violent one?  The one where I punch this punk policeman for brutalizing me with his baton?"

I MAKE UP WITH NIXIE

Aug 4th 2011, 14:48 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

I locked eyes with Nixie.  She smiled.  So did Makemake.

I can't even begin to tell you how weird this love triangle gets.

CAPTAIN MAKEMAKE TELLS ME ABOUT THE MAN IN RED

Aug 3rd 2011, 14:29 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

CONFUSED, I frowned.  Captain Makemake leered good-naturedly at me.  We stared at each other in silence.

Then I asked a question I wish I hadn't.

I THINK CAPTAIN MAKEMAKE KNOWS TOO MUCH

Aug 2nd 2011, 22:20 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

The guard dashed through the doors.  I gripped the cell bars.  Captain Makemake laughed behind me.

If I had known what he was about to tell me, I would have wanted out even more desperately.

I GET THROWN IN A CELL WITH CAPTAIN MAKEMAKE

Aug 2nd 2011, 15:00 by E O Hatterpol | 1228 AU FROM SUN

The policeman handcuffed me.  I struggled against the chalky floor.  Heartbreak just shrugged.

If I had known who was waiting for me in that cell, I would have gladly stayed with the unnatural gymnasts.