From: Blatherbop@aol.com
Subject: Earthed Diaries fodder
Date: 2/6/2002 6:50:22 PM
To: seance@lists.no-fi.com


i leaned back i my chair. i took a long drag from my Vox Stiletto (what did 
they call them in the old books,...'peace pipes'?...'sedation tubes'?...i 
suddenly got the giggles....) and looked over at Erskine...there he was 
....waving his arms frantically (in front of a handful of innocents at the 
bar) as he gestured and pantomimed some "imaginary" conflict and recited some 
"fabricated" story about a Colony Control Squadron that defeated a band of 
defectors at the "Confrontation of the Thirsty Ear" or some such imaginary 
rot. Erskine had an overactive imagination. it's kinda funny,.
...(now that i really think about it)...here's this guy,...he's REVERED as 
the potential SAVIOUR of the ENTIRE colony and yet,..well,...the guy can't 
even read a compass
or program a Sansamp Mine Locator or EVEN pilot a basic UE405 
Torsionplaner!?..
.....BUT,..yah know,...the "right place at the right time" and all 
that,.....NOT TO MENTION  a certain charisma usually ONLY reserved for 
"profanity-spewing" Colony Cargo pilots and Colony politicians born via the 
historical lineage (and loins) of some beaurocrat named WACHTEL or MACKILLOP 
or even (bless his bones) the ubiquitous WALSH.  YEP,..there was our beloved 
Mr. Erskine....walking headlong into the fire without water,...flying 
straight into a mine-sky without armor,.
...diving straight into the acid-bath without a plated-skin suit,...walking 
right out onto the stage under the lights WITHOUT a script and making it up 
as he goes, (kinda reminded me of some microfiche i'd viewed [in my youth] of 
an old film where some balding fellow posed as a THE genius of some imaginary 
world and controlled the actions of a young girl, a man made of metal, a 
talking lion-man, and a 'being' made of straw FROM BEHIND A 
CURTAIN)........any OTHER fool would have fallen on his face, been burned to 
a crisp, been shot all to hell, been drowned to all Poseidon's fury and 
whatnot,......BUT NOT MR. ERSKINE.
he is the CHOSEN one......dammit. DAMN HIM AND DAMN THIS WHOLE COLONY AND 
DAMN THE UNDERGROUND REBELLION AND JUST DAMN IT 
ALL.......JUST.....JUST...just..........i was starting to get really 
aggitated......this
"puppet man" Erskine as the "spokesman/leader" of the ENTIRE movement?!?......
...........i took another hit on the Stiletto.........BUT,.....THEN IT HIT 
ME,.....we NEED guys like Erskine,...the "good looking/everyday" guys to take 
the heat for all this crap. WHO CARES if they get all the accolades?? we'll 
drive the Terra-Navigator and Erskine can poke his head through the roof and 
wave and wink at the masses...yeh.
we'll plot the coordinates, develop the stategems and devise the necessary 
diversions.....yeh,....heh heh,...............i ordered a second 
Stiletto.........i glanced over at Erskine,....he had two ladies on his 
arm......damn him..............strangely enough he was discussing the "Raid 
on the Lower Achilles" [a military operation he had missed ENTIRELY due to 
OVERSLEEPING].........his adoring public just "lapped it up" like droplets 
from the golden chalice........damn that Erskine.............
..............................................................................

............................................................possibly 
continued or probably not.