>No ZS 4 72) >» MUat-poCeluiCoeMarraw.@uotitea vem Cony Divers Hands SC ee CeCe eae ecu with the Alcyone are, Marooned in Andromeda, A Captivity in Serpens / Lr eee Re eC ene ent em OC Bee) Captain Volmar’s cold steely eyes peered uneasily at the radar-scope as small white specks darted in and out of focus on its periphery. The space. flyer Alcyone had left earth over three decades ago to, ‘boldly go were no man had gone before’, or some such marketing hype that the captain had done his best to avoid at the time. Volmar however, had his own agenda, Rea Ce ee approaching at near light speed. Volmar slammed the ‘red alert’ button with such force that if the siren had Tee eco ee one Pe cen Cue mete eT prodigious skill with a plasma rifle had saved the crew from several otherwise fatal terrestrial encounters. Following her in a somewhat somnambulistic fashion were her five crew mates. Py cont coat) Aare Ty Sec ced aM Nicer ore Bune Sn Durie aad err CCC renee ea) Inspired by C.A.S OST Cy anne Biographies codeer ent ne oo Te ny settled in to their gray titanium seats. There was no need for orders, the seven highly trained individuals new exactly what to do, and they did it with the precision and accuracy that their lives depended on ‘The whole ship shuddered as it was hit by two meteors in quick succession, crumpling the rear half of the space-flyer as if it were tin foil. Every alarm and warning light on the flight deck wailed and flashed as those crew De ee Rc Cun acre cine cs eee cuca ace eT Cuca very existence was either their doom or saviour - the watcher grinned with cn ort ar ae) Shandor-Khall waved his thick, obscenely fat, fingers before the “sphere of seeing," causing the image of the plummeting craft to dissipate into a white, DO een ene Ue cee ee ey Peg eae eee acs etn On nee Ua ed po ‘The dark and misshapen creature scurried from his tall, master’s chambers and began to descend a twisting, onyx stairway to do as Shandor-Khall Pee Meer cc Come u cay continuance of the dark rituals that had all too soon been terminated on the Peer Oo CC cancel acu strangely formed brethren would be ecstatic at the thought of once more engaging in the deliciously perverse rites which had once filled their days Pores In the topmost floor of his dark citadel the possessor of strange power Visual Arts Bont Ric ay CaM Sure Additions Contact the ED Persie era) eer rene Cae ReOL ey Er raing coereeeeneenns irene esd Pere tora Se eashuddered in delight at the prospect of instituting the worship of his lord, ROC ae oa nC RL sorcerously teleported when events had spun out of control on his native Pee ea cue ccna ca CeT ns the followers of “The Laughing God" making Shandor-Khall's hurried flight a necessity of the highest order. So hurried was his departure that his Ce eR Cece Recher cn ecu a Pe Cae ae een a un Breet Cee cet her set eu uess Shandor-Khall gazed at the reflection of his pale, doughy face in the crystal sphere and contentedly sighed. The poor, unsuspecting travelers, even now crashing into the nearby marsh, would surely provide great amusement. The Ree a nC ace? ec Meru UC TiS) Ron Coote eae te ca casd DUR eet eae Ma et crs metal, as every loose object on the deck fell or rolled toward a lowest point which veered from one direction to its opposite, Abruptly the shriek of air escaping to vacuum ended with a reverberating See ee ace eae cart airtight sections. Back in the blasted holds lay stores of food and workshops, a hundred necessities of space travel, taken for granted until they were POOR ene cee cee and bonsai shrubs, its trellises of Martian lichen, and the tiny pond: all the PO eeanen cre Marea a cod {interstellar flight, obliterated in a moment.ern esse a an i ey Petes ner ea eae chs acceleration harness about him, he heard... Cie ene cers hear you, Captain ... bringing Engine Three beneath us ... terminal airspeed and can correct ... Attitude stable, Capin. Coe ec Me eee ha ee cs Cree Ce ee ee ee oy oe es Cee ee ec s See Se aa Seat Snes ee ng Cee Rc nese ec cna tearing, Planetary gravity asserted itself with a jolt, and there was stillness. er RO TC Sac) Chapter 4, (Laurence J. Cornford) DCU eae eeeheralding a great growling, churning wave which broke against the rushes SR ee eae eee a ces Then a clammy, revenant of cloudy steam rose up and spread out masking ees Ae Cea cr er SOS Ona eon race SO Resa eae cacy descended, cloying and deadening shocked ears. Then the planet's breath released and sound retumed with the sigh of the ether-ship rising up through the marshes to float on the surface of the water, rendered lighter CC Sane Rae mesa For the crew a moment longer was needed for their assaulted senses to recover. The Captain's voice boomed through the flight deck, demanding status reports. With the speed of the well drilled crew an assessment was re ee Stee cee ek unknown world was unlikely. Volmar chose to divide the crew into a repair PE ore ne mace Reena ee cn Se ete an Ren nad Cee a eC eee Jasper the Mate, Deming and the Engineer would remain with Volmar to repair the vessel, whilst Roverton was put in charge of the landing team Sear ewe Opening the metallic hatch Roverton looked out over a dour sea of dirty ochre water. He lowered a dirigible boat into the water and inflated it with a gas cylinder. Gradually the boat was loaded with packs of equipment and supplies. Then they pushed away from the Alcyone and watched it recede TTR eeu ee Pea Re Ce mcr)orange plant structures rose up around them. Some form of flying thing passed rapidly overhead and dropped into the water, but it not seem to Ce eee hace ee OCU kn Oe Cae COO eC ae Cece See eee ee ea aes oc Se eeren ni eae uke mune eee cries could be heard. Roverton tured the boat towards them and soon finding himself channeled into thin passages of water among the bows and overhanging branches. Then a bank of dry black earth appeared ahead, so Cee Ce eee em eo earth about their roots, the trees where straighter and the foliage more lush Petes UC eee occu ec a Rea Se aR ce Ce ce) staring intently at the shadowed undergrowth. Roverton looked cautiously about and strained to listen. It took a moment to pick out — something was pushing through the plants towards them. ce Cece GC) Ne CR ee a Ry Seen a cece cee cus ene ae eee cats ‘The other three crew members scurried off into the bowels of the ship, as. Volmar eased himself into his captain's chair. He flicked on the computermonitor and brought up the navigational program. Judging by the star Re cca ne Rem ccd Rec een Cu ea mc Cancer Ce) Pe ee Sune ae ee aC) ene kr Cm seca than Earth. If they had been hit by the meteors in any other part of this system, they would have been finished. eo ae ue RO emer d De ee ec) "Most of the damage to the interior of the ship can be repaired once were in Pee Ne cme nce gC ee oe eee atmosphere, were the result of adjacent rupturings from where the meteor’s Dre ORC ie rec aoe tas “Thank you, Deming,” Volmar said. “Engineer?” ‘Shouldn't be too much of a problem, Cap'n,” he replied. "We need to Pe eae eas cue ee ca engineering, | ran a mineral scan and there are some deposits fairly close to the surface. Overall, everything should be able to be done in our workshops. But it won't be like on Harma IV where we had access to the technology of See Re ec en ued some of our food stores," Jasper added as an afterthought. Let's get to it, then,” Volmar said. “Hopefully, Roverton’s party will find the Peace schemeNeen eee ee ae ets re Roverton laid a hand on Idanvey’s shoulder, letting her know that she PCs ear ee Ue Se ns Uae nD Ce ee eC gee eee CaO ts DS een rae CO en Raa SC acu ec eek a hadn't shaved or washed in a while. And he was unarmed. Roverton put his hand on the barrel of the plasma rifle and pushed it down toward the ground, saying, "I don't think this will be needed. BOSS Dt a eck aaa Rae Cee een ea re Se ‘The three crew members of the Alcyone visibly relaxed. Roverton could hear eure este eects AEC a Ore eae ey and stopped. DCR eee en ee crashlanded here.’ ee aoa acs ac} Pea Cn ea a eee nae a Cea castle about three kilometers to the east of here. As far as I can tell itis inhabited by some dwarfish creatures.PSS erence) Me ee se) Doro DOS nae ee ae sd this planet is concerned.” Sn cree Cem mec eC Prnea i re OT Roe) Nee Secu ea a at oc es tapping on the outer hull. As he hurriedly searched for a weapon a gruff inhuman voice called out. "My master wishes to offer thee his assistance. Sea Ea eC eked half opened hatch. Sen enn ie RC aa oR DEE eM ee erie osc Eat a flexible translucent membrane which allowed the surface to adjust to the Pee aCe cro ee] PS cm een cu mR aes Ren a eae Ur eee ean Ret ae oe nae nesccers PC eC U rani uc Cre oe i a en Ser Ree asc cae co proportions that Volmar found most sickening. Their legs where thick stumpsPee enn oe a CR oS the way to the ground. On top, where Volmar presumed the head to be, sat Be eee eC ke us ae moe volition, Volmar had to swallow hard to stop himself from gagging at their hideous visage. An animal skin covered most of the body, for which Volmar Seeman Please don't be alarmed’ the lead creature mouthed “Our benevolent Dee CS ian eee ester os Cee Oana ro eee ee Ce nn ees emg cuenta PoC ey Ce eet) be seen circling above. Volmar quickly recovering from the shock of his. ee eC ea ee eee Deas Nona ‘Oniffiretsh” came its reply and as the sun began to drop below the hills With the lights departure the ever present hum of wildlife became a Cec ete eae aCe Fe mee con ua ae aD Ree ee encuentro ca ea take your master's kind offer up at this time” Volmar knew that help from Reece nae areca eure however he was always cautious of natives with dinner invitations, in case being invited to dinner became an invitation to be dinner. And besides, how eC tee Dine ce ‘As the three crew arrived On'firetsh whispered "My master knows of your three roaming companions and has sent a number of my brethren to escortCe eae es eee for..." as if on cue one on the circling animals dived towards the group with SS occa eae Gece companions muscled arm that saved Volmar from being impaled upon a Das Volmar quickly ordered his apprehensive crew on to the assembled rafts. Although uneasy at this turn of events, the alternative of becoming a meal seemed even less desirable. With the crew onboard the rafts, without obvious compulsion from their riders, silently began to propel themselves in Beet ee ace ore eae ccd to avoid becoming a meal for the myriad of life forms which where awakening to a new night of feeding. ‘The onyx dark citadel squat ominously on the horizon, its square featureless mass punctuated by a single central spire thrusting heavenward. The crew disembarked upon a small square land, an oasis of solid earth in a desert of water, set against the citadels high outer wall. As the rafts moved off a section of wall opened to reveal a dimly tit entrance way. for ara CT) Se eC CC Cnn nace Pe oe eM eter een ce acca) now was leading the marooned space travelers into the citadel. The tall, but Bere eee eee without bringing the ire of this world’s primitive and superstitious savages down upon his head. With "The Laughing God's" blessing he might even manage to paint himself and his followers as saviors of the planet. It would be no great feat to convince the natives of this world that the unfortunate space crew had come not by accident but by design. With theproper amount of truth-twisting and some not so subtle displays of power, Shandor-khall would make this eldritch planet into a religious stronghold for the ancient and sadistically humorous diety’s worship. In but a handful of DC ea ee cee ne ee ed Ce Oe eee Cee ea eee Reece Ome Eee ner cag cc) Sena ont ee Ea eee ee Ut Sea case cee een) CO a SUE Uae a a a Sree een een eek his message. Shandor-Khall’s pale, bloated face reddened in anger as the pathetic creature almost smashed a grotesquely sculpted statuette of Chor: ae Damn you to the pits you uncouth fool!” cried the wizard. ‘Would you bring DR uR a canta ‘The chastised follower’s mockery of a head bubbled and spluttered as he er een enema ae SON Ra oS Cn) CE ‘The unsuccessful messenger stopped his thrashing about and awaited the instructions of Shandor-Khall. The corputent mage dismissed the wretch Pe tee cern Cee eee eer kc eae eee? aca OCUIC RPC em} The bloated, protoplasmic entity known to some as Chor-Tal, was deep inen ere eT) Ce Re ee Sn ec ata serene. To those who know of its existence, it is a plane unlike any other, being solely the creation of Chor-Tal, the laughing god. No mortal could breathe in the amberesque slimes of varying qualities and potencies, and live. For slime is what the first plane of Dnehr-Thosla is made of. Dnehr ‘Thosla, as known by the rictous worshippers of Chor-Tal, is a form of heaven to them. All worshippers, including Shandor-Khall, believe they are linked somewhat telepathically, pehaps even astrally to this artificially-conceived realm. But to attain the honour of Chor-Tal’s presence and sorosis, there are rituals one must perform beforehand. These rituals were the cause the Pee en CM ee eo Sica Firstly, a sacrifice must be presented upon a venerated onyx-table, at the centre of the samite circle of runes, thrice sanctified with the blood of a See a ee co a eed Mer oc eee eke ke obsequiousness required to open Chor-Tal's malefic eyes. Thirdly, the Paes ea he Ce ec ees ees Pere coe PU ee ean Ee cee ue eee ec believers of course, perhaps enticed to a meal or social gathering. Preferrably within the priests secret temples, guised as their abodes. Then a poisoned or drugged goblet of liquer should do the deed well, or if the priests are of a violent disposition, forceful seizure of the sacrifices. How the sacrifices are taken means little. Only to have them at the rituals is of Reece Tea Cao te aOR ee Rnlong, and arduous torturings of many facets. Ultimately, the choice of torture is up to the summoning party, but some included are the stretching Cet Re eC Pe aR eg err firey, levitating orbs, telekinetically controlled by the priests of Chor-Tal, that orbit the sacrifice, terrifyingly searing skin from flesh. These are but a few of the mutitudinous hurtful ways the priest of the sadistic Laughing God Seer a enna ca en eae mcs Reece eu eer eat ecm eau) Pt eae eC ce eC one above. Then finally, the Laughing God, Chor-Tal himself, will materialize to devour the offerings, and hearken to his children’s pleas and ce But for now, the Laughing God sleeps in his dark repose, awaiting anew sacrifice to devour and cackle demonically at the misfortunes of lesser Pena Ca ae eu} ee CL a eee Rec er cue ears picked up speed. "We'd been pretty well making a beeline for the Rim, by now I thought we'd be as far from Sol as anyone gets. SC Dee aaa De eee cae eek oe mC) Po aac nee on BO Cea eee nC eC See ca eee teen nd ee ec eu esc) Ce COsee hieRe enc eee meswill be out at sundown, and the marsh-crabs will be waking. Can we reach Nota Mr nara Den a Tn a ee Ek ROCCE MS URC eu a a SRE aOR ein en ee aes PoC uke ae ea are rusty: Well met, Gordon Alsace. This is Roverton, Master Spaceman; and Ali Fakhoum, scientist. Call me Idanvey.’ eee et Ce CO for five years?” Alsace nodded. ‘What a blessing! Id been afraid we would ee cue en acs With a loud splash, something exploded from the swamp and arrowed at the ecu a ee Mee the water with a powerful tail, and then it was upon him. With a curse, he Pee Cae a nea) But in the same second, Alsace dived forward, grasped the leathery creature ee Een ac Recah ues ieee kak Cee aes Oia ee cece eos exchanged approving grins. "And that's typical’, Alsace said with a shrug. "I call it a skipper-ray. Think of them as sharks, or cobras; usually avoidable - but forget theyre there and. eee cn eee Sore ec} Fakhoum spoke up. ‘What is its usual diet?”Mn see er ae ce ed from mollusks. There are all sorts; they put on quite the tournament of erty reir ene In this swamp, about twelve feet; at sea, no limit. Ive found very old Be eee te aCe CUMS eed may have ruled the seas once. But something else does now.’ UR eaUr te Tae Tomer Ra islands, except they weren't there next day.’ Tne CeCe aoa ke eg Ce eT) she knew just what kind. He was simply the first, in several thousand light: years, who registered a woman when he looked at her. It recalled years SAU ae Rice ean une esa had all sought to bind her to their own perpetuation. Tae Cece ORC eee A oag Cea aie eRe cen CO Ui occ Rock cea on See UE eee ors can Usa eee ccas Ce RRR aR Oe Re eng eas SR rE Re Ra en Rec ue aU Re CC ane Rene Gauci nc) them on. "Watch out people, thirty seconds while | adjust to infra-red.‘At the twentieth second she heard Fakhoum say, rather quietly, "Vey. ee ec is Damn." Amplified colours flashed across her vision, then settled into focus. Pee Cee nC mo don't seem to be armed. Hang on. Safety, off. Ready and armed.” “They're in our way’, Roverton said. “The ship is another six hundred yards Coes OO CR ae Cue Gordon! Shore legs, long arms, tow, domed, sort of squishy head. Friends of rate Te Ae Sec ace RC end ee ent Rog ee mas Pee ce ern acu ‘Then one clambered forward, and commenced to make sounds, as if a child were trying to make music by chomping vegetables - but which were English Sn "Am ptake you pfreeeind. SAFE place. Pleashe to poFollow. Am pFriend. You Ponsa ROS un eee Cane Ac aed Perth ec aoe Oe ene ee Re cece aaa ee)“What are the odds, of a meteor waiting for us, _exactly_ where breaking Seen On Cac miC "AS one grain of sand, on a very long beach. Daca aoe ee as Roverton nodded grimly. “That's what | thought. Very well, shipmates, until Pee enrages a ees Beets Ponce uaa ee Ree acme NL Poe Ceo One cece arm CSR ear} Dark and primal, formless, yet sentient, It moved through solid rock - passing through the core, then outer core, of the planet as if through the vacuum of space. It grinned a formless grin, then laughed at the thought. Vacuum of...space. | am there, have been there, and shall be there. rene eee ee aT) existed before time, before matter. It had touched a thousand worlds, blackened a thousand million stars, and...would do so again. But It had grown weary with its toys, its games, and had retired to the spiraling Pe ce eC nec Meare a wont of silent solitude deep in the plasma core of a forming planet. And It Src Now It had awakened, moving, gliding effortlessty through rock, throughPeer ees Were gone, replaced by the darkened depths of ocean. Still It glided through CeCe on et Ce cei ee ce eee cae chee a ore But it wasn't the sun which had awakened It, caused It to reach out - to CoD em eu Cea thought that had echoed through Its mind, thoughts of places and beings Pen ee eet cee ed the planetary core of an insignificant solitary planet in a remote and darkened comer of the material universe. Ceca hue eee ane Be cc ace a reaching out to probe, to know, to lear, to understand. It felt, touched, Cet I aon teat a Raa Ree Ce Cn eae cue Rcd sea, saw an impending confrontation in the distance - an impending confrontation between beings just barely risen from the primordial slime of Riera meena Te Re ee Ree a a Pree eI eters cae Dee Se ae eae ee ee ee ee een ced of something dark and terrible, Its mind probed the scant land masses, De a ee ea i Mee Cera ue ee i ee en shadows in a depth of fear never before known, giving the probing mind SOC Ren ei ieora er ke eee ee Cee nie ee Coo Pee erent) Pe CeCe cec Rect ee rs See me GC eee eT Ee eee ee sae a a eed Reem ances Fes se ee Re) below, saw the dark forms, the black masses slowly rising toward the PY eee es ee eta cacy And again It grinned a formless grin. Soon my children, It thought as the black masses of twinkling lights rose slowiy toward the ocean's surface. Very oe “Wait a minute!” Alsace, standing behind Roverton, suddenly shouted. Case ee Ea ete Cee ah ac ce watching the great winged beasts crying out on their hurried flight toward ea Meena rc turing his eyes back to Alsace. Atsace paused, his eyes wide as he glanced at Roverton. "I don't know, Alsace replied, his voice soft. "Theyre afraid of something. Cae aca cee ‘Good question," Alsace replied. "The point is, in five years I've never seen Deen oe an Cte eae cy Ce Se ee eee eres caseS or cee eek ee eee i Ce oC cin acc} surface, And in the dwindling light of dusk, a multitude of colored lights ce eee cy Core ae Eo CCK) ‘The strange creatures started to gabble incomprehensible and agitatedly Bris Roverton watched the flickering lights far out in the delta for a few minutes, then turned his attention to the pinkish grey creature standing on rou} CORES ae ence kee cd Coreg ‘The creature before Roverton gibbered on regardless of his speech. eC Ce a a eo kD oct COM Ree a cae ee) SES ec re Ee acon Rue I a eee eee ey mentioned then we have a walk on our hands. Reece Re Ee DO ue Renn ARCS Cues ac aC ce) eee ee uk kee adcrs Night came on apace and with it the animals grew bolder. Bestial cries pieced the darkening night and branches cracked and swayed at the passing Creme eee te ns small watery eyes and gripped tightly to staffs which they carried. The Re eg ee ae Mier ray Dea ee ca Ln ee te reat a eae ee preeminence of reds among the plant-life, Soon the trees thinned out and the group found themselves on a rocky badlands of potted gulches and hills. ete ecto ieme ag PRCA et ee eau Ce eee gen crevices reaching bony dark branches into the sky. Mosses and fungi grew in Pe ae cence Dee Ce reg eC ea ae creatures could not achieve a great speed. The strange creatures had become much quiter, only from time to time chuntering quietly to Senet SOUS tae ena cE Cue ee ota CE eee ans T've not seen them before, and the castle wasn't there when I first arrived here. I can't keep my eye on everything, so I don't know for certain how long fee aS Cee ee cua mc Pe RecA eo uated Ree Cee ene Ce a cae cc® poe!ON eg OC Cee ea Cee on sequence star like most other planets, but that star and its planets fall within the gravitational pull of a second star, the more distant red giant Se een ne eee ay primary star and one far longer cycle around the red giant. The planet is about to reach its appelhion to the red giant. Last time that happened humans had only begun to dream of space travel. What changes will occur Retr ee toe erect aero ay FERS Cus en cna ace ca De CCC asc He was distracted from his thoughts by the sudden calling of the lead conti eee eee eee ease eae See en? Re em cn He's not got English names for all the creatures around here, but there are Pee eee ee eeu acd Rome EU Ce aC Rc eD ee oe ie gn Me ae aoe es eee cerr ee ae eR ee eee eee cea ae haan cen eee ea on Un aca eee ae eee a eee ctor) Se gota UE sec Mua en the air and where they made contact with the flying rays they flashed Santee Roce meee ar See MT ee eo Cancer) stream into the night and one of the rays fell in two. But tentacles Coe one eee UC ara ec eae poe eae oa Coe ee Lomas keke Another beast, and another shot after him. Atsace cried, “They've got Roverton and Idanvey. The shapes scattered, their task accomplished Se MO ec a ene | eet Before Ali could respond the squat creatures surrounded him. They were not going to let their one remaining guest escape also, A couple waved their long forelimbs and called Alsace back, but he paid them on heed and he leapt among the rocks. Cremer Ren ree Wer EU Rect Detect ee eae a ae ae He wondered what would become of Roverton and Idanvey. Would Alsace catch them up, or were they destined to die in the jaws of those flying creatures? He could only speculate. Now he could do nothing but get the eee(rom eer) OR ae ea CL acy gully. Moving as quickly as their short legs would allowed, they shuffled along, leading their captive through a labyrinthine network of tow gullies Bee DoE ete ees Pee Desa cn The castle was big. Very big. Although at first glance it looked medevil, the closer Ali got the more apparent it bacame that it was something else. It Bee eae ere Ree ele ous ee eee eee ee Oe eee a ar cd ramparts and towers, there was an unsettling organic feel about it. ‘As they neared Ali came to understand its true scale. Blocks of stone maybe 6 meters high comprised its mighty walls. Its battlements were easily 150 Dee Se ee ne eee) meters high, opening 9 meters to each side. It looked like a castle made for giants. A castle made for mad giants. Everywhere upon its surface there were grotesque carvings, depicting demonic creatures engaged in foul, POE CCR rue eu Rear an expression of abject dispair and terror upon each one. With little ceremony they rushed through the vast doors, their feet stipping con the wet, slimey flag stones beneath them, echoing footsteps bouncing from the distant inner walls. Behind them the gate guards, more of the Se Ree Re cee oS nace ‘They slowed and stopped, in an emense hall, pitifully illuminated by a bonfire and some small torches. Darkness echoed above them. The lead dwarf whistled sharply and the guards from the gate gathered around them, Peace Ck oem cet Cu is‘Ali looked into the darkness, becoming aware of sibillent and slurping noises Cue Cree Mend From above their came a great screeching, rending shriek. Looking up in panic he saw a large, square cage dropping rapidly towards them. The dwarves were packed in around him, so he could not flee. The cage fell to the ground, its fall arrested by stout ropes attached at its corners. The ae ei ec ae cre ener Pe ee acme nao Unis Chapter 13. (Boyd Pearson) ‘The entrance way was a high roofed rectangular room some ten meters long, a een acne SRC eee Re cr) in the comers. The door closed silently, sealing them both physically and Brees aC Ret ee eae Pere ere ee ae eects but help feel entombed in this rectangular sarcophagus. ene Se gC ho ea eC eco a Cee ee ee een off, but from what | can tell there is a possibility that the same material could be used for repairing our ship.” After a pause the Engineer continued. 1 don't know if I should mention this Cap', its rather strange, but, it sounds Pee eu nce ‘What are you talking about man” Came Volmar's reply as his cold steely Beer ee ace Well Cap'n, | have worked with lon Drives all my life and I know what thePr eae EE naa Sea er peg Cour an) eet orc cee cach RU ec ei eee ate ue Peters ‘Look at this" Deming, who was examining one of the braziers, said. “It’s fake, the chain is one solid piece, and inside its some kind of light bulb.” It was some moments before the atherwise occupied crew noticed that a section of the wall had opened. There stood Shandor-Khall. Shandor-Khall, bulk filled the doorway, his bloated features, while less disturbing than Ree eee hue eke Ome Jasper was reminded of the bull sea lions he had seen in the zoo as a kid and noted that Shandor-Khalls girth could not possibly allow him though the Poe as TUS e che aa eeu asec OE Leas eases cd ea Rote eae Volamar and the others steeped in to the opulently adorned room, its vaulted ceiling and a huge open fire place were reminiscent of some Earthly mansion of a bygone era. In the centre of the room, a wooden oblong table was covered with a myriad of food stuffs which gave of a plethora of rich cos enc a ene cea) Gee eee en ane een ead space rations for the past six months they where more than eager to take in the offerings before them. Even Volmar put aside his ever present unease to Cee musa ice"You hospitality is most generous Shandor-Khall, but may | enquire as to the Re ea ee tare ecu) surprised himself for its civility. Do not worry my good captain, my sad excuse for servants have probably Pesce eee eee a Ree ne ea ee eee emma! roa How is that you have come to speak English?” Asked jasper between Dee cane aes De esate nce ae als many centuries, and in doing so learnt your language.” Came Shandor-Khall's reply. His consumption of food had been constant since the party had seated eeu eae Cae ca nn Sea SM a eee came ces It is not in the nature of my people to interfere with the development and growth of another species. We believe that all life should be allowed to Pee a ae 1 felt a strange vibration coming from below when I entered, can you tell Pee ee eta ea ee nom ep Pee ce ecu perform their rituals around this time, and you must have felt their drumming, they are very primitive even after the many years | have worked COU ea aera a servants scurrying in to the room, a silver platter held at arms length above DeSeger ee ee ECM English tones, as it placed the platter in front of Shandor-Khall, before leaving it gave the covered dish a half turn. ‘The assembled crew stared in stark horror as Shandor-Khall unveiled the platter contents. For there sat, nestled in the bed of some green vegetable, Cee noe nena nee Gn ree biologist and friend to them all. The top of his skull had been removed Ce nee Cc cd Bereta eee en et Rut ae Tenens een ace Rec cere afforded Volmar the opportunity to leap to his feet. Physically grabbing Deming and Jasper he started to pull them towards one of narrow doorways, Aenea ea) Volmar lead the flight, choosing one of the narrow passageways in order to SMe crea eyes Ue Ras Pe ee ete en cet eee ae) its occupants, for even if theses passages were for those hideous dwarfish Cease oe ns ec) dozen or so meters above. Nor did he pause when the placatory words of See oe eects Volmar. Ever downwards they fled through narrow twisting tunnels whose smell was of rotting flesh and excrement. Their destination secondary to the Cec mec Ro eu Ree am rae aD) Cm ke aCe Co Re Cd brains of every creature in a thousand miles. Minds were active in some ofPe ee Ee Eo) See ee ec ere col Beceem ran connections, and traced them. Through the unwitting medium of the priest's mind, it looked upon the Laughing God; and the God looked back. What can human words say of transcendent communion? As much as mice might say of an encyclopaedia? Perhaps only, that the two entities loathed each other on sight. The loathing between them could cause cancer; drive a Peo ee ea eee a eee a cas to volcanic ruin. That it did not do any of those things, was only because SCO ne csc eeu csc ae Ones SOLOS Ese oe eo ec ‘The communication did have one effect, however. In the brain of Shandor: Khall, there was stimulated a runaway proliferation of teleferent nerve res Of all this, the pale priest was oblivious. He dipped his prehensile tongue Se en er aoe Reng Reena cu ea ce OTS Ce ae cua eS ROC ta RO eee inconceivable form of life. At times, the echoes of a liquid slithering drove them this way or that; for a while they hastened through a lighted hall, Ree eee ea Rrra ar) Cee ee Ce ee ay halted at the door of a chamber where white and glistening flatworms, the size of pythons, hung in membranous bags and peered incuriously at the intruders. All the while, the drumming of the buried ion engine rose andom If we get to the drive, there must be workshops!" said Packard, that eon Poca eC Oe "Yes, at the least we may find something to hold to ransom’, Volmar nodded PCE ce etn ee eee esc aotcs Pore ea But it was no workshop that they discovered finally. A narrow corridor Be eo eee ance eae er eae cerca casting a pale light on the floor, which apparently was a single disk of onyx, embossed in white metal with the lines and arcs of some transdimensional See ce ne proceeding from the black disk and resonating the height of the cylinder, and a static charge lifted their hair. Sharp-eyed Jasper pointed across the chamber. Higher on the curving wall. were other balconies, where crowds of the midget slug-men were pushing ORC a Ra ncn cecum cu From above them as well, the explorers heard the shrill cries of the cet ‘Then ion thunder drowned all other sound. Electrical discharges crawled Dee ee eee Ue ee eee eat Pee one ka ce Ue a Ee) Ce aan cke cry ‘And as the thunder died, the giant rasping howl of a demon wrenched in agony from its hell-pit echoed throughout the cylinder; and the disk was See?‘There stood on six mighty legs an alien beast, shaggy black and hugely horned, like some hybrid of woolly mammoth and mountain goat, great yellow vertically-pupilled eyes glaring about in bestial panic. Its forward and DO eC a tne een Cc Ce See Cie MCC m ce acu Ce a ‘were the driving hind legs. The convoluted masses on horn upon its head SC eae Rue cco er aU tee ac ee caer Re RR ne nme ar! rolling their grappling cranes forward. The shaggy thing crouched back on its haunches. It pawed the air with its haoved front feet, and roared. ‘Then Packard gripped Volmar's shoulder, and pointed down. The lowest Cee Ee eee ce ee ee cs crowded the parapet, pale and wide-eyed, as their vision confirmed the dreadful truth. Slowly, the whole black disk was rising toward them. TCU ne cree ea chair, and raised the half-emptied cranium of the scientist in one hand, and See hee ce Cone RS thought came out of nowhere, and the Priest of the Cosmic Jest shook with eee nn Rec em ac The door flew open, and Onifiretsh burst in. "Master! The Ghell is here! (rT mE CD) Cee UR an oy moment the dark shape that held him in its grasp was a vision from a hightmare, but it was reality, and the great flying Mantis-Ray held him in its ence ae La eee re Leet eeethough he could move enough to see the ground moving rapidly beneath him BOI em oc mone ect) eae na OSCE Ree Cece Pe as Bre Sees eg ae ees ere ee ee a eee) ‘another, that of her hand creeping up, her plasma rifle held firmly in her grasp. Though Roverton knew she wouldn't dare fire it up here, they were mene Roverton,” Idanvey called, "get ready to roll.’ Without further pause she lifted the rifle and Roverton was shocked to find it pointed directly at him. A fraction of a second later though its point had Dee En ein Cr in eee ey Peer correc a kere Cue ea mg Peete ae ee ck on ce nas Idanvey parting words in his brain as he struggled to turn the Mantis-Ray Cee act een eed seemed far too close, and every second he saw his broken form falling onto Seen Pe ea Ce ue Cee era keen populated the planet. They broke beneath the combined weight of man and eee eee rca ure Coe te a coe eS UU ae Pee et ee en aera Cee eke nee Chee eee needrr eee ee eee eee eC the Mantis-Ray, burning them off whilst holding on to the ones which grasped her, slowly but surely drawing the agonised creature towards the Pearce aC aac eae an Dae hideous thing, but to see Idanvey safely on the ground was more of a relief. ONS SRS as Tee Oe eee Ce co Cn were being carried by those things, though they were carrying us away from it. | think we should head there, that's where the action’s going to be. earn aCe ney ee eee ore a ee a legs could carry him and looking on the verge of collapse. Re ae ne a eco Demre cis ues? Alsace gave a gesture which, for diplomatic reasons, had long been Cher eee Cee tcc eae ee as Volmar froze at the sight of the Ghell, the distance between them and it closing as the platform slowly rose, little could stand against that grotesque presence. His feet though refused to move even though he wished more Ce Caco eu ae Ren RD ae ane eens?Packard tugged and Volmar found himself able to break out of the fugue, they retreated away from the pit, finding themselves surrounded by the Cn ee ee CR every bit as great as that of Volmar's. Senna Ce Cm Ra) Bene eet ae aed Ce een merck ecu happening to other doors around them and they realised they were being Cee ae a ee eae ‘The beheld it now, and even though they stood well back the stench was overpowering, primal and cloying, it filled the air and made every breath an Se en Re Re Cc] Pree ee otc one eg eC R ura eae} Then the sound of a plasma rifle cut through the confusion, and above them Dene oer Laer cg ese eee ed too had noticed the Ghell, Not for long though, Idanvey wasnt legendary Pe aches Rather than wasting her time shooting at the Ghell, which looked as though eee een oC es at the platforms on which the dwarves gathered. The dwarves were able to flee, but the machines they held teetered on the edge of the broken platforms and felt with devastating force into the pit. A scream that set all eee ae ee ie ke acca a as Cc) into the creature below. Cra CL ICUEC Coan)ere Le Pe eo fell crashing to the cold ground whence it stoad. The clamorous machines had plummeted straight atop its horned skull and though it was thick and strong as neutronium steel sheets, the sheer mass and crushing power the curious gravity this planet provided proved stronger. With a final, phlegmous sigh of expiration, the immense but prostrate Ghell slumped its cumbrous head upon the floor, now pooled with bile-like blood. Ree Cu sc rae mace Cran ce Rana cad een eae aac eco pool of the goat's blood had reached the rune-adorned edges of the great pecc eet onan tenon rts Abruptly, searing, white light immediately blasted forth from the blood- ean eee Ce any evs ‘The weird, enchanted lights cast the spidery rune-shapes upon the shadowy roof, thusly creating a cage of lights around the circle that gave off a dull and directionless droning rumble. Then something happened to the body of the silent, hooved gargantuan held within the light-caged chamber. The De eee eae Ua ecu cme the tips of each individual hair that carpeted the monster, but ultimately the whole body was enveloped in black smoke. And suddenly, all went silent the lights, the drone, the noise. The corpse the size of a mid-class scout ee sits Ree etn Cha eae ee "My esteemed victims, all has proceeded accordingly as | had wished. No, better, for you yourselves swiftly took from my capable, but already full ee eee cme eee omg performing the first rite of summoning.” All eyes turned and fell uponrer a aes Jasper spoke, a tone of indignance manifest, "hey, what in the cosmic Reet eeu en ean ne ee acu e cucag eau TOR es ea Oe eS Pererarts? To everyone's disgust and shocked surprise, the face of Alsace was changing. With an audible slurp of liquid flesh and bone, Alsace’s visage melded and coalesced into an amorphous blob of meat and blood-plasma. The splayed DA EC ee oC ae oe Pee Cee ei RU Reta ec along with lengthy, spindly arms that sprouted out from the unknown mess. Bere a ae eee ee Ea) Ce Cee ae een emcee id Pea ea ere CORO em Orca Cn ca Cec} eres eee Coot cre es Deeg aren ete ame eae (et ORR ees et ene ns Rae ee pe) across the chamber, smiting a nearby dwarf instead, dashing the head from PC Eee With a parting cackle of gelatinous virtues, Shandor-Khall laughed, "you PE ere ae he ees Ta ote e ete aetna at ceca sc Seay Reece ac ee’ succeeded in ensnaring a sacrifice for my god, the only god! You are the sacrifice, all of you! You will each meet your end by being slowiy devouredby the Laughing God, but only after you have been further prepared for his, foes Sonor mame heuer une aU) ets DAR Mn to their own devices, a horde of the stunted dwarves swiftly closing in on them from all sides; each one armed with multiple barbarous torturing Coe Idanvey's plasma rifle registered ‘tow power’. Things aren't looking up, thought Volmar, grimly. amr ecc)) When the Core Dweller broke the surface of the golden water it uncoiled its Te ere cee my Poe ee a ene ee cdr eee crc ca ea Spring light of the Red Giant was changing the surface of the planet. Now the Core Dweller could quench its burning hunger! a eer an een cd only ravening hunger made them even slightly appetizing. No, the Core Dweller found only one life-force worthy of being termed a meal — the mind of Chor-Tal. The Dweller’ children could take the parasites — Chor-Tal BO ey Once this thought focused the Core Dweller turned its eons unused flesh to the task, It unfolded its strange flesh and groped and gasped in the morning evansSe ence Ce Re CeCe y eee Meee eager s) forward, savouring the anticipation. Indavey swung around, letting the eee reece a arr laughed the louder at this carnage. His lips twiched now as he uttered the Recut e Rune Cea or CoCr n nc Suddenly, shockingly, the building convulsed viotently. Shandor-Khall was thrown from his papal throne and crumpled obscenely on the floor. The crystal bounced and rolled across the chamber floor, the image it contained pitched and rolled and Shandor-khall watched as the slug-people fell down poe Cc aie Te eeu eee ue before. The Laughing God seldom appeared the same way twice, but this, Sree en eec iy Reed es Cue ae Roksan ce ea slugs were splayed about the floor, less agile than themselves, Volmar and eee ae cee ace cey Pee ks Volmar thanked the stars, for that shuddering had come at just the right moment. Quickly the crew headed for a corridor leading deeper into the castellated ere Captain,” said the Engineer, “We've got to get the Alcyone up and running‘again as Soon as possible. If we can find some sort of workshop or engine Dee Curent Recon rcg Cros Oe eis Ue er ecu ace Ur) Ree eee Cee hr Oe hace) See coeur nea chee? humans were nowhere to be seen. DO eos ey EO acne hetae Rees TOR ec ae aos es ee oe lights!” there was almost superstitious awe in Onilfiretsh’s tone. Ee Ce an se eRe Et) ec RCE ea ee oe a) startlingly. Vast new plant growths had suddenly sprung up from the airid earth. Great red flowers had sprouted from freshly grown shoots. Vast tangles of vine-tike plants had closed in around the castle. Clouds of flying creatures circled like swarming insects, crushing them in their limbs and letting the blood and pulp drip into its orifice. As he watched he noted that the plants were animate and reached to catch at the animals about them. But what arrested the attention of Shandor-Khall was half a dozen creatures Re eR seco ee ca) through ethreal space. About one hundred meters in height and nearly forty wide, the things were vast masses of fibrous vegetable matter, glistening Pee oe Eo a ET) animate mounds extended thick prehensile fronds which thrashed out at theCSTs ee ie ea ee ea Cd ers ‘The crew rocked from side to side as they advanced up the dark corridor, but the crew were used to the roll and pitch of a starship in a meteor storm and took it in their strides. The dim artificial torchlights which punctuated esac thts At the end of the corridor Volmar reached out a hand and opened the sidling door on its greasy rail. Beyond lay a dark chamber, reeking of oil, lined with long, pockmarked work benches of a deep stained wood. Many instruments filled crude shelves above the benches. CeCe ROR te a nd Cee re Rego a acs torture equipment, but the Engineer soon found engine parts. He piled them into a leather sack which Roverton had brought with him. ecm Sorry,” Packard called back, "they don't seem to go in for plasma rifles." “That's a shame. Once they catch up with us we wont stand much chance. Oden Rem Nae sec Cue Mg See Men cen es Ce CE Ce a ua morere eee nS room. This door also stid on a rail, showing a warren of dark and rust gnawed crawiways emerging into a wider walkway. The crew stepped inside Bone acaacit) ‘Again the castle shuddered then a chorus of protesting groans issued from Cee ea eect Shandor-Khall’s vast bulk quivered with raged. This was not supposed to happen in the middle of his ceremony. Within the sphere of his crystal ball the weed-creatures pressed about the citadel, New branches burst from green buds and sprang out to encircle and climb the castle walls. Three of the plant-things were gradually growing into one another. The other ete eon ae eee SR eee er eae ee RCT} Se ern eae ere aed cere Deas eo Cenc ee a source. At once he recoiled, the crystal closed with a blink. The monstrous Pie See Rae ee rea? fee te Ee cme Uns anes Cec But Shandor-Khall had witnessed the grimiest jests of Chor-Tal and was made of stronger stuff — and the fit it produced lasted only a few minutes. OTD RC aa Cai au aD aio dd De See LCi LMisn eer aaa ae cowering posture. Perhaps Shandor-Khall had made a poor decision in UU Chace Ce ame cer ‘Chor-Tal,” said the obese priest, in a startling echo of the thoughts ofOnifiretsh, "will manifest soon and will seek sacrifices. If the chosen are not present then He will seek substitutes. SRC eR eee “The Laughing Death is a wonder to behold, but less glorious to suffer. Cee ea ee ee aimee Ue esas steps. What was this terrible thing? But the god Chor-Tal was stronger and would Ree ess Cen US ea ee ara ‘The Core Dweller paused to admire its spawn feeding on the crawling animal life of this planet. It could spare a moment in its stalking of Chor-Tal. Its prey was hiding within the artificial structure. It would need to be approached with some care, lest it stip through the demensions and make a ees It shuddered and seeds sprang from their pods and fell like rain around the citadel. Some landed on the ground and sprouted among the roots of the SCs ne Cece aac battlements of the citadel and they too rapidly began to germinate, even on era Ce een ken uu eee ck of the access tunnels with a rustling slither, but as one fell dead the pipe filled with a replacement slithering forward.eR Roverton lead the group forward, leaping over the slug-bodies as they hit the ground, taking advantage of his great agility. Their footsteps echoed on eet oe ca cee ‘As Roverton turned the corner he saw a great set of double doors ahead, pained with briliant yellow symbols, and before which stood a hoard of the slug-things, each wearing a leather hamess and domed crash-hat. Many held ‘whips and other snub-noised weapons in their pudgy paws. Pe Meo OR eg Read Docu Ree ce ead feeling the pulpy bodies pressed against him as the creatures fell like nine- ce ‘The rest of the crew took advantage and had crossed to the great doors oe ee a ea DUE Or Maceo RR mC Nd Dee eae coe ee Re ee ‘The doors swung inwards to reveal a vast tower of light, glass and gleaming metal which stretched up the center of the tower. Ree US eee Cea) Se eRe aeons ‘As the others forced the door closed again, Packard stepped up to the Dee gen Ca ee teed Pulled it free of the machine, which changed its flashing mercurial tight and ie Stooeae eT See a a mee) PC an aca cess TUS Cee Ecce ee Ta cd Deu Ruse Osun Rue Ce et ee ee ier) Oe ate (eS ee Lg Orne e Cae uu fon core to the wall of the tower. "This is probably a major duct leading to eee wae Crna a Pee One Pouce emcee EC ‘They did so, soon finding themselves back in the mock stone of the main eee a ee eee Cease running across the vaulted ceilings. As they walked, ever watchful for the Atrocity Per ae ncaa eI O em Cieetcy PRUs ‘The conduit ran between two pillars and passing beyond the crew found CeCe Nano nen mL acs symbols of ancient sorcery. Frescoes of torturings were here also. A raised Ce Ceo oe ace Se sac cra is “Well, the pipe went in two directions and we seem to have gone in the wrong one, deeper into the ship rather than out of it,” muttered the Engineer. "But why on Earth does a massive ion conduit vent into a temple?”er ee eae ee Sa eet ne nen Rises "Maybe we can find out what secret lies at the heart of this strange castle? Nonruacis! Po a ene ana ae Cae Sar? ‘When Volmar looked around he noticed that Packard was still interested in the ion pipe which ran towards a curtained area at the back of the chamber. ‘As he watched Packard parted the curtain and stepped inside. Volmar started to move towards the curtain when a raucous laughter came from eee eae cee eee re Pee ee ee) See enn ie on ieee coc) Perea Cee a ee ee ec ran from his widely buldging eyes and his jaw was stretched wide open Tie cnet emcee kere eed Jaw dropped even further open, the flesh tearing at the corners of his mouth. Among the spittle he was coughing up their came red foamy blood. His chest heaved and a curious sick pause punctuated the laugh in which a painful intake of breath was gasped. Then an evil cracking sound came from Packard's rib-cage. His mouth laughed on, but as his tear-ducts ran dry Nee ceca STE UCM een eee nee Cautiously Volmar approached the body. He reached out his hand, but there vras no life to detect in Packard's body. His heart must have given out.‘Volmar raised his eyes towards the curtain and wondered what could be Cee ee oes PO ce Seem eS ao tall shadow standing at the back, its lick flabby arm around Idanvey’s throat, a long rune-carved scimitar in its other hand Suddenly Shandor-Khall spoke, “O Chor-Tal come forth! The Sacrifices are fet Then, as Idanvey struggled helplessty in his mighty grip, he too began to cy rm CO) A Ee man Re ae Ce RC cei unfolding of his life's work. Millennia of clandestine research and planning had gone in to this day. A day which had only been awaited the required sacrifices for its plans to come to fruition It was with much glee that Shandor-Khall observed the misfortune of the Alycone, a misfortune which provided the necessary antecedent for the Pres a eee a aD which Chor-Tal would rise from slime filled Dnehr-Thosla and rightfully enthrone Shandor-Khall as high priest to the Laughing God. Re ea Ce as formless Chor-Tal, but in theses enlightened times, Shandor-Khall preferred Pee eae ee et kee eee PIO ne a eee acre Cee aoe ct eee tact PC mn eee ac Caan‘Come forth Chor-Tall [have a gift for thee” Shandor-Khall cried out his grip Cee eect a nee) Dennen or ume cn noc ue aU Pee eee ee ead eee ee eae ee eC more could happen. BOS eee oe a eee crs reas Poona native slime Chor-Tal arose to take form in the fonised gas provided him. A form of such otherworldly horror, that without the filtering purple film, Pe Rhee a auc eat ct SOS cr Re ere a ead Ce ek ec ce Ce ea Ana ee cence feet. A mass of vines, trunks and other blasphemously formed vegetable De ee Recast nea ey See ee ce nue A occ ree Cane eee Cg ca ee ae Weed eee eta Cs mea Re Gee eMC eee eee aay Pe haan eae ee ce laughter so vivacious as to rip a mortal apart. The Core Dweller on the other Pe ee ee ed a territorial animal - did not look kindly on interlopers. Poe ne ker Ce cre aaa Pee eon Ce cun sera uea Pn Reet RUC nce cece aoutside of time; it could afford the energy, for the universe was its dynamo, Shandor-Khall and Idanvey joined the rest of the crew on the floor, as the Set Ue eee eur through the now dust filled gloom, Idanvey recovered the rune-carved Poe Shandor-Khall flailed and howled with rage as his lives work crumbled round De ee ae ee ee ec eas See Ce eR ner ea ee ee ee een) Peau hee) ee ee cee Revenge for the staying of Mahmoud Ali Fakhoum, revenge for the gruesome Perego ec en saa ee Rete mee ce eae Khalls's own blade in to his bloated form. Again and again she struck with rene Ct ene ence a he Like a tanced boil the amorphous form began to collapse, oozing vile vitriol Peeeeucnera ccd ‘The broken blade of the scimitar continued to strike the gore stained stone Pea aera an seed De ee Ue eect Okc ack’ remaining crew members of the space-flyer Alcyone fled Doors, stairs, rooms, all blurred in to one as the adrenaline filled crew ran.Bree em ot ec eet ney dwarfs they passed were indifferent to the speeding humans, falling over Be ea eee ma easy onslaught of organ pulping vibrations. ‘They stooped, panting, in the penultimate doorway. Their long ragged eer eae etree en eee ty exhausted they stared dumbfounded towards their goal. The bonfire Pane DN eee a coschaeueec ia) Perec Sa eee ry Penge Ce RC cnn a eee CoE Sus With a -whoosh- great chunks of rock and plaster began to fall from the Ce eC ee ee ee ec stung the flesh. The site of their salvation lost in a mire white dust. a LCC Cc Cv acc Ur apart. There was nothing left to say and with that last uttered syllable Volmar sprinted towards the doors. With in five paces he was lost from site the dust fog enveloping him. The remaining four looked briefly at each Seen Cuneta ae coe eat shared. With a cry of bravado, four frail human bodies torpedoed towards fete are seca sey ‘As each crew member was struck down by the falling ceiling they were enveloped in a cool white light. From charging through a mist of searing ee ae ogee oa aera sc) another world. Mentally aware but bodiless, they drifted in mellowrere SCE RTS Cee ec eee eo eee the ears listened to, rather one beamed directly in to the mind. Pee Cc aco Oe ae ee Dae cate ae tm eee Bre ee iaestc ECSU enrages Pree We are the council of Yutran, and we have teleported you from Shando- Poe Coe ees aca eu ee Pee ort) Sr eran ee eR ae esac cr a a Oe eee ee eons Cee ae Occ am cue ee ce Deca oe a ee aD Pees nay eRe aca Pee eure ce eee) eee ‘Shandor-khall was captured and imprisoned for his crimes. However, before ‘we were able to send him to some barren world, he escaped. Breaking in to the museum of ancient history, he used its teleporter to send it and himself Ree ies ku mee eRe ce De ea etc te mea eterna Reese a eee es Nate rr enc ee EC cee eC eee cy superstions and genetics research along with examples of architecture and early technologies. It is unfortunate that it could not be salvaged.eee ee Ee TO However, we were able to bring about the misfortune which forced you to. CE Ce eee ee Pree et eee tien ee a the opportunity to ensure its demise. The Core-Dweller awakens and feeds only during certain planetary alignments, one of which was occurring as you er Ce ec ence aie eC Chor-Tal would result in the death of Shandor-Khall, we are pleased that the Bee ence mea DO ea Caen ROC eee Rc Prat a ee et POC ea ene SCRE have repaired and placed on the outskirts of your solar system.’ ‘As the familiar hum of ships engines filled their ears, the five crew mates ne eee eee ee ecu Pe hae uegces oe cue ene ee unk? ‘Set a course for home" came Volmar's command, in a voice softened by two Sec cncaes aoa ere eer Peeves roe Printable version