Back to top 12th nov. 2005

with stairs coming down on four sides.

"This just keeps getting weirder", Cogil remarked, "first the bizarre steps now some short bald guy."

"Hey, hey", said the bald guy, "watch the remarks."

The bald man continued to stare at the three of them, as if pondering what to tell them next.

"Are you the mysterious disembodied voice we were hearing?" asked Vincent.

"Yes, actually I was. That's my main job. Acting as disembodied voice and making a grand entrance. That's my departments whole budget for recruitment right there." Answered the bald man.

"And just who are you? What do you mean 'recruit' exactly? What is this place?" Ryan was not the one asking the questions.

The bald continued to stare at the three of them a a while longer. Then, as if coming to a decision, the bald man started to explain who he was and what he wanted from these three people.

"My name is W.B. McGee. You can just call me McGee if you want. I am part of a secret group of people who run the whole city of Towz. There's a lot more to this city than you might think after all. I'm afraid I can't tell you everything or answer all your questions right now. You'll be on a need-to-know basis for at least a week or two. That is, if you choose to accept the mission."

"Well, that was really informative. I suppose we shouldn't ask about the mind-bending gravity switch we just went through then? And this whole trans-dimensional thing we seem to have just gone through, I suppose that'd be pointless to ask about too then? Ok so just get to the mission then why don't ya?", Cogil this time was sounding a bit annoyed.

"Yes, of course", McGee started, "It seems certain elements in my organization are planning a fundamental shift in the way Towz works and feels. A shift so signficant it would have a very direct a dramatic effect on every man, woman and child in the whole city. And there would be no vote, it would simply happen. Unfortunately that is all I have learned about it so far. I am a member of a small faction who is seeking to find more information and, if necessary, stop this change from taking place."

"Ok, that's interesting I guess", Cogil started, "but what are we to do about it?"

"My small faction found the three view through a combination of mathematical formulae and necessity. Also you were the ones who went up to investigate the light in my office at the Hall of Beuracracy. Your job will be to take some positions at a local branch of my organization and gather any information about the plot you can then report back to me." McGee explained. "You can of course discuss this first if you would like."

Cogil, Vincent and Ryan all turned away from McGee and to talk amongst themselves.

"Man, this guy sounds like the real thing, I mean what an entrance." Vincent started.

"Are you kidding? That was a whole stupid production if you ask me." Responded Cogil.

"Hey you guys want to hear more of my book? I wasn't really paying attention to baldy." Ryan said.

"Would you focus Ryan? This is important. If he's telling the truth I think we should try to gather more information about this plot he spoke of. Besides, this position probably pays and we'll need more money soon. Also we should ask him about a place to stay." Cogil said.

Vincent turned around and asked "McGee, what does this 'position' entail exactly, does it pay anything and do you have a place for the three of us to stay while employed with you?"

McGee seemed to be expecting this question. "Yes, of course. We pay 10 coin an hour and will provide you with lodgings, utilities and food. In fact you'll be working quite close to where you'd be staying. Anything else?"

Cogil looked surprised. "And what is this job? What'll we have to do?"

"Ah, yes. Well basically you'll be helping other operators such as myself use the equipment that I used to communicate with you. You didn't think that was magic did ya? Oh no. That's a whole set of equipment in and of itself. So anything that seems to be wrong an operator will call you, describe the issue and it will be your job to see them through the problem and make sure there is a satisfactory resolution. This will all be covered during the short training session you will be going through. But first, lets get you to your new lodgings. Assuming you'll be taking the jobs?"

Cogil, Vincent and Ryan looked at each other than back at McGee and all once said, "We'll take it."

Chapter 5

After the conversation with McGee Cogil, Vincent and Ryan were shown how to operate the openings in the floor: there was a subtle but still apparent series of lightly colored squares on the floor. These squares could be tapped in a certain combination to make the floor do what ever one wanted such as lower down, raise up or even act as a moving sidewalk for transportation.

Cogil seemed to have picked up on the implementaion of such a thing right away while Ryan seemed to sometimes get it and Vincent seemed rather clueless.

The trio lowered themselves down from their introductory area and were then shown how to get to their particular lodging by a lovely woman in a dress skirt. The was she was dressed was completely alien the three men but none of them said anything.

The lodging provided was a generic looking building with a very templatized feel to the layout but still had a homely feeling about it. The second day of thier stay McGee called them through the voice-uh-ma-tron 42k to let them know they could do whatever they wished until they recieved a call with a start date for the job.

The area around the lodging was passingly similar to West Towz and the Government District. The main difference being the light source: where ever this strange subteranion place was the sun apparently couldn't reach it. None of them could decipher where exactly the light was coming from but decided it was a quite inviting light in any case.

"It has been three days Cogil. When do you think we are going to start this job anyway?" Vincent asked. "It's been three days already."

"Yes, I know. But relax alright? We're being paid for this time and we can learn about these surroundings. So have you read the manual on the voice-uh-ma-tron 42k yet and other operator equipment yet?"

"Yah, started it. I hope they at least give us a short refresher on it though." Vincent said.

Finally, mid-way through the third day, the voice-uh-ma-tron 42k finally signalled and the trio were told to show up a few doors down from thier lodging early the next morning.

"Ok, so what are we doing for work tomrrow exactly?" asked Vincent.

"Well if they told us that we'd be half prepared and what would be the use of that ya think?" Answered Cogil.  ¶ 9:32 AM