LAURA

"Can I fudge it?" asked Laura, grinning wryly. "Never mind...just make me five foot, six with shoulder length auburn hair...that's the way!...and blue eyes with a golden cluster around each pupil. Can I just get aclose-up on the eyes?" The facial features of the figure on the left were enlarged until she could see the dancing flecks at the centre of each iris. "That's perfect," smiled Laura, leaving the figure at it's natural curviness. She realized that this was possibly not the most athletic shape for the world she was venturing into, but curves were their own currency.

When asked to choose her clothing, Laura began to request jeans and a T-shirt, but changed her mind. What she eventually selected was a cross between modern styles and medieval fantasy ones...all natural fibers. This, she thought, would make them easier to replace if necessary.

"Character designated 'Laura' is saved," said the voice of Bast. "Basic equipment includes food, water, and basic bedroll. You may choose one weapon and one additional item of equipment. Others may be gathered in time."

"Argh! Weapons," muttered Laura. "I hadn't even thought about that! Er...I guess a basic laser pistol will do. It shouldn't take too much talent to fire that! As for my extra piece of equipment...do you have anything technological that will analyze my environment? I don't really care to be lost in a place I don't know anything about."

"The closest approximation in the database is listed as 'enviro-scanner.' The operation of this item is not unlike the tri-corders used in the StarTrek universe."

"Hey...that sounds pretty cool...I like the high-tech stuff. I'll take it!"

"Very well," said the computer. "Please adjust your attributes."

Laura did so and looked over the offered skills. "What's 'mystic dancing'?" she asked curiously.

"Mystic dancing allows the player to perform magic through dance. Beginning levels do not allow for much more than vision seeking and protection spells, but magic becomes more complex as the player's level increases," Lady Bast informed her.

"Hmmm...that's different," mused Laura. "I think I'll try it. But I want technical knowledge as my primary skill. I'll save mystic dancing as my second, and literacy as my third."

"Attributes designated to character 'Laura' are saved," said Bast. "Thank you for joining the VR2L test group.

I hope you enjoy your stay on ThirdEarth." "I hope I find someone I know in there," replied Laura, momentarily concerned. She watched the wall rise and sheilded her eyes against the light. She took a step forward, hesitated, then took a deep breath and plunged into the bright beyond.

*********************

Demonprist took stock of her situation as the light dimmed around her. She was in the middle of the woods, surrounded by bizarre trees and strange flowers and she felt...different.

Her first attempt at movement threw her off-balance and she stumbled as sherighted herself. Looking down at herself, she realized why: her legs were longer...her body was longer. She was, in fact, taller. Taller...fitter...and quite athletic; a fact she proved to herself with aback flip. Once she was sure she wouldn't hit a tree of course.

"And the crowd goes WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILD!" she shouted to no one in particular, raising her arms in victory. Then she decided to take stock ofher situation.

Clothing-wise she was fine...provided it didn't snow. Her sandals and kilt wouldn't be much protection. Nor would her armour...which was not so much a breastplate as a padded tank-top with bronze scales. In fact, she wasn't sure that it would provide much protection as *armour*...even her bronzearm bands and faceguard felt a bit flimsy. "Not that I plan to put my self in front of a bullet," she admitted as she gathered up the articles she'd found at her feet.

She mostly ignored her pack and bedroll for the moment, entranced with the staff she found. Also bronze, but with corded hand grips, it was nearly as tall as she and twisted upward into the head of a viper which held in its jaws a glittering red gemstone. "Bitchin," she grinned, wondering how to use it. Did it obey mental command or need a magic word? She decided to experiment with it as soon as she found a more suitable place to move around in.

The only thing that bothered her was the fact that she could not find her sword. She had requested one of course, but it wasn't among the things she'd found. Frowning she tried to imagine what might have happened to it.

Then she remembered...the sword could be pulled from the ground or the air.

She looked at the tangle of roots and mulch between her feet and frowned. How the hell was she supposed to do this? The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to know. It was *her* sword, dammit! What did she have to do to get a blade around here?

"Hey!" she snapped, stomping on the ground. "Open up!" When nothing happened, she wrinkled her nose in irritation and scowled at the dirt. She had a distinct urge to bore into it with an auger, but realized that it was, after all, only dirt. It certainly couldn't give her the sword...she would have to call it out.

Concentrating her frustration on one small spot, she willed her energy up ward, reaching out with her hand. She was rewarded by a rippling effectand a long blade lept silently out of the ground and slipped easily into her palm.

"That was easy enough," she grinned, unconsciously giving the sharply curved blade a twirl before slipping it into a loop on her belt.

Now that she was fully equiped, Demonprist decided to head out and see who...or what...she could find. Hearing the sound of running water in the distance, she started walking, beating back the brush with her staff.

*********************

"Ha ha! Cower before the malevalent malice of the glorious Don Karnage, puny creatures of Third Earth!" shouted the pirate as he lept out of the light and into a world of green. His ears drooped in disappointment when he found himself alone. "Don Karnage is not impressed by this lack of lackey-type people," he informed the pack at his feet, picking it up and swinging it onto his shoulder. "It is a pity, yes, but it seems that I must carry you myself in my own paws, my terrible burden. At least my cutlass is at hand!"

The anthropomorphic canine lifted the blade and tested its heft, swinging it experimentally. Then he grinned a canine grin. "A fine blade indeed! Most worthy of a dangerous pirate-type such as myself."

It was then that his acute ears picked up the slightest of rustles in the bush. He crept over to the place from which the sound had originated, readied his cutlass, assured himself that he had easy access to his pistols, and lept forward, parting the bushes.

"I have you now, foul assassin!" cried Don Karnage, brandishing his weapon.

"AUGH! SHIT!"

The next thing Don Karnage saw was a large grey-blue fist slamming into his snout. "Mebbe not," he muttered, stumbling back. Stunned though he was, the blow had not actually hurt. Rather, it had been like being smacked in the face by a beach ball.

"Watch where you point that thing! You trying to scare the air outa me?"

Don Karnage looked up into the face of a human/panther hybrid with a distinct sheen. "Well, my balloonie friend, count yourself lucky. This time, I, the dread pirate, Don Karnage, will do nothing. You are a member of Cheezey's mailing list, yes-no?"

"Uh...yeah. I'm on the list as Axecat, but I go on IRC as Seatiger," said the vinyl tiger. "Here, I'm Axecat though. Say," he mused, "do you always talk like that?"

"There is nothing unsual about the speech of Don Karnage," sniffed the canine morph with distain.

"Suuure there isn't," grinned Axecat. "Whatever flicks your Bic. Say, Don, do you have any idea where we are?"

"Not a clue," replied Don Karnage, his façade melting slightly. "And never call me 'Don'!"

"Whatever you say, Donny," prodded the panther as Karnage gave his a dirty look. "Which way are you headed? I'm looking for the Tower of Omens. I must reunite with my master."

"I would like to find Castle Plun-darr myself," said the canine. "But, I am an air pirate, you know...it is most difficult to see through this forest for all of the leafy-type things..."

"I'm lost too."

"We are not lost! Don Karnage never gets lost! We are merely...misplaced."

Axecat considered this with one eyebrow raised questioningly. "Misplaced or not, you want to travel together until we can figure out where we are? Or find some other players?"

"The very idea that my own wonderful self was having as you were speaking it to me!" cried Don Karnage. "Yes! Pick a direction and let us be off at once!"

There was a moment of squabling as the two anthropomorphic beings chose adirection and they set off at a brisk pace with Don Karnage in the lead, breaking up branches to ease Axecat's passage.

*********************