Saturday, January 31

New Babbage Has Spoken

Mr. Mosseveno Tenk has won the election by one vote. Mazel Tov to the Mayor-Elect, and my hat is off to all three candidates for their honorable campaigns. The do take mud-slinging a bit too literally, I think.

I will hold my tongue on my lingering concerns until after the celebration is over.

Thursday, January 29

revelations

*BRRRRRINNGGG*

*klik* "Consulate of Europa in Steeltopia, Consular Liaison Ash Mason speaking. How may I direct your call?"

"Ash? This is your father."

"Hello Sir. How are you?"

"I'm a bit perplexed, truth be told. This artifact you recovered from the wreckage of the Midas is not Gematria's soul chip."

"Are you certain, Father?"

"I am now. And the fact that your soul chip grew from a fragment of Gematria's means you should have known it wasn't authentic when you first touched it. In fact, it can only be a chip from one of the Qlippothic Steel drones from New Erebus. It's inert, luckily. But then you knew that, of course."

"Correct, Sir."

"Ash? I can understand Koen's anger at being reanimated as a mortal. But YOU, Ash? Why did you deceive me?"

"This line is not secure, Sir."

"I'm flying over, then. AND YOU'D BETTER HAVE A ************* GOOD EXPLANATION!!!"

*SLAM!*

Voices in the Machine, Episode #6

A fantastic presentation by Gabrielle Riel from the Royal Mile Pub in Wheaton, Maryland. Starring Gabrielle Riel, Kiralette Kelly, Podruly Peccable, and Yours Truly.

http://www.archive.org/details/VoicesInTheMachineEpisode0006

Tuesday, January 27

Excavations

(Somewhere in the northern reaches of Winterfell)

The grinding noise of the heavy construction clank ceased as it shut off its drill appendage and an atonal, metallic baritone rose from the wide ditch. In the sleepy dusk, it rotated its carbide light to the man sitting nearby, whose face remained motionless behind his goggles.

OBJECT DISCOVERED***BEGINNING EXTRACTION

A few yards from the excavations, a figure sitting in a folding chair in a long leather coat and fur hat looked up from his steaming cup of tea through tinted goggles. He held out the cup to his side, and a half-rebuilt doll of shattered porcelain and dirt-encrusted black lace accepted the cup with an outstretched shaking saucer.

As he stood, doll tilited over with a faint crash. As a spider-like clank crawled over to the doll with a jar of glue and a roll of duct tape. He peered over at the ornate, mud encrusted coffin that the large clank placed neatly as his feet.

"Open it."

Another small spider-clank scuttled over, circling the coffin with a spinning brush until the edges of the lid shined. It rang a series of bells, and the other small clank set down the glue jar and flanked its twin. Two others of its series quickly joined them, edging excitedly around the coffin until they found slots to jam wire-thin extentions. The clicked and chattered at each other until they rotated their probing limbs in unision, and the lid flew open in a flurry of gears, slapping down on two of the spiders with a crash.

Aleister's eyes opened, pale and renslucent as he opened dry lips in a hiss, exposing his fangs.

The man drew a large knife from his equipment belt and a bottle from his pocket. In a smooth motion he popped off the cork with an upswing of the blade. Red foam seetehed from the rim and vanished in the exposed earth.

"Drink."

The vampire lunged at seized the bottle in both hands in the blink of an eye. With unbecoming noises he greedily finished the gift, and dropped the bottle as his skin assumed a warmer tone.

"Danke...I..."

His sentence was interrupted by the wooden qurrel that ripped through his tattered ruffled jacket, the fletches marking where the shaft lodged in his heart.

The other man caught him before he fell back into the ditch. He rested his pistol-crossbow on Aleister's chest. He silently mouthed the word "Marcus" as he slipped back into Torpor.

"Now, Great-six-times grandfather, we're going to have a little talk about...fermentation."

Monday, January 26

Updates on many levels

The Royal Mile Pub Meetup - Gabrielle Riel, Kiralette Kelly, Podruly Peccable and myself sat down over a few pints and talked about the Grid issues on everyone's minds.

At great risk, my sources have obtained the first verified picture of Marcus Gabriel Mason, aka Count Belhaven:


With the dissolution of Yottabyte University, my campus infirmary in New Tolouse has gone away.

Construction of Mason Labs has continued, the site has doubled in size.

While waiting for the custom parts to rebuild Gematria, I stumbled across the remains of a broken doll. It's apalling what some so-called Geniuses throw away. So of course, I rebuilt her. She's proven to be curious and eager to serve as my lab assistant.

We attended Duchess Eva Bellambi's Burns Supper in Winterfell Anodyne and Sir Edward's Australia Day festivities...

*kicks daguerreotype loader* Blast it! Supplemental images later.

Thursday, January 22

Guilty as Charged!


How strange, Mr. Cato. I thought I was "mugging" for a cup of tea...

Journey to Fusang: Supplemental - The Song of Osiris

I took a few hours to rest below deck and gather my strength. Oahu was there waiting. Unlike Koen, he follows orders. He'd kept such a low profile people had forgotten he was below, studying, guarding my belongings, and catching the occasional rat. I crawled into the hamock, and Oahu rose from where he was crouched over an Alchemy primer and stood by attentively, ears tilting in a sign of concern.

"Waz wrong wit ya, Doc? You sweatin wit fevah!"

Indeed, I was sweating profusely and my heartbeat was elevated.

"I must be mad," I said. "I must be completely mad. I've used the Staff of Ra on ground troops, burning them alive! I brought the Song of Osiris with me with full intent to use it! Not even Bloodwing dared use it in his moment of greatest spite! The King of Heliopolis uses that spell to clear the way for the Sun Barge. And I, a mere mortal..?"

"Doc, if anybody can handle dese magics, is you! Ah look out de porthole, Ah see people workin' in fields full o' rice breakin dey backs, but dey still gots no meat on dem. Ah see peoples cut up bad, lashed up an' chopped up. Ah see dem catchin' rats an cookin' dem an' sellin' dem! Ah never see humans do dat, not even me urchin friends! If dis Emperah is so bad if he don' care if his people live or die, and he gots magic makers keepin' him on, den you gotta use evry ting you gots!"

I held his paws in my hands as he leaned in closer. He guided my hands over my chest.

"Oahu...this is the strongest spell I have. Even if is works...my soul could be obliterated by.."

"Obi-wuh, Doc?"

"Destroyed. I'd be forever dead. No amount of reanimation fluid could bring me back."

"Doc...is you choice in de end...but even if you do die...all you friends gon' rememba what you did, dyin' to help you friend and free dese people."

I took a deep breath as I used my spiritual training to slow my heart down.

"You gon' bring de Vortex back. You gon' build you daughta 'gain. You gon' settle tings wit' Koen."

I felt a twinge at the mention of his name.

"He should be happy he got an' extra life, Doc. I speak to 'im for you if I gotta."

I chuckled as I closed my eyes. I felt Oahu rest his mane on my chest. He purred as I scratched it.

"A fine servant you are," I whispered. "A fine servant indeed..."

Monday, January 19

A Candidate You Can Count On

Mad Mathematician Mosseveno Tenk announced his candidacy for Mayor of New Babbage is an alternative to Europan dignitary Baron Klaus Wulfenbach and the financial maven Aeolus Cleanslate.

Since I'm not a landowner I can't vote in this election. Since I know both the Baron and Mr. Tenk to be very capable I would be torn between voting for either of them. Mr. Cleanslate, is as his name, a newcomer, at least in this form.

Choose wisely, New Babbage. Your reputation and continued existence is at stake.

Wednesday, January 14

Notes from the Doctor's desk

(since his walls have temporarily vanished there's nothing stopping you from snooping)

I joined the Babbage Ning again. Seems just slightly less mad than when I left. I sincerely hope Herr Baron knows what he's getting himself into. I will monitor events closely to see certain legacy issue is rectified.

Of particular concern is this new self-professed villain in Babbage, Baron Savitch. An asylum escapee with a clockwork brain? Watch out for this one.

I confronted the Emperor on Ash's "suicide mission" during the Steelhead Town Meeting. He told me I was a bit too pessimistic. Also the mission was postponed due to technical difficulties. Something about finding a long enough fuse...

Qli promised to rebuild the workshop. Good. It's getting chilly at night with no walls, and I can hear Dr. Alter caterwauling at the moon. Perhaps I should crash at Regency Hospital tomorrow night.

Monday, January 12

Not running for Mayor, but still...

I am competing for the Best Steampunk Avatar of 2009. My daughter Qlippothic Projects will be competing for Best Female and Best Automaton. Please visit the Russian Steam Society in New Babbage or IM Sir Roman Brandenburg for details!

Good News and Bad News

The good news is Lunar expanded my lot to cover 414 and 413 Port Harbor.

The bad news is after performing maintenance on Ash the walls seem to have vanished.

Worse news? Dr. Alter's neko DNA are in overdrive from my treatments. The same thing happened with Koen when I brought him back, but her situation is not as extreme. "Near Death" and "Charred Remains" are entirely different situations.

Qlippothic? Please restore my house ASAP, with doors and locks this time? Thank you. I'll be at an undisclosed location.

Saturday, January 10

Dr. Mason's Constructifier Kit

Some Assembly Required.

Operating Table by nichus Bermann and Poses by Greegar Hellershanks.

No constructs were damaged in the making of these photographs. Nothing that a rubber mallet couldn't fix anyway. Ash is a good sport about these things.

The Nightingale Saves New Tolouse!

The announcement is here:

Bravo to Gabrielle Riel for offering to take on the responsibility of Taloo and aligning it by her current domain of Edison.

Three Cheers for Gabrielle Riel and the future Realm of the Nightingale!!!

Friday, January 9

ENCORE!

Back by popular demand, DJ Kira plays for Novem again this Saturday from 5 to 7pm SLT, this time at the Nine Muses Brewery in Belhaven!

Wait...that's my brother Marcus' territory! I can't go! DRAT!

Thursday, January 8

DJ Kira 7-9 tonight at Port Novem

Are you worried about Civility?

We're all on a first name basis at the Muses Playhouse!

Is your castle sinking into the sea?

The Port in the Storm will keep you afloat!

Don't know who to vote for as your next Mayor?

We ALL have delusions of grandeur at Port Novem!

Has Linden Labs disabled your login for ongoing maintenance AGAIN?

Well...we can't really help with that one...but when you DO come back join us at Port Novem in Winterfell Laudanum! Same place as before!

Losing New Tolouse

Group Notice From: Carricre Wind

As much as I am pained by this, I have to sell the New Toulouse sims.

For months now I've been keeping them afloat out of pocket and I'm frankly going broke. There are several factors that have caused this, to many to really go into.

I'm listing them for sale for $350usd each, with the buyer paying LL's transfer fee. If one of you lovely residents is interested in taking over as it were, then I'd happily do everything I can to help.

I just can't upkeep it anymore.

I really wish I could...

Mama Cree


A sad development indeed. What will become of YottaByte University?

Wednesday, January 7

And then there were three

Sources tell me Aeolus Cleanslate has thrown his hat in the ring to be the next Mayor of New Babbaage.

Dance off all that fruitcake at Novem tonight!

DJ Dybbuk Denimore brings the music back to Port Novem tonight from 8-10SLT!

In memory of the recent passing of Ron Asheton we'll be playing a heavy dose of Iggy & the Stooges.

Port Novem, located by the water in Winterfell Laudanum!

And so the politicking begins!

First the Dredd Pirate Bobb throws his hat in the ring:


I'm putting myself up, not as an individual but as a face for a possible coalition. I need to talk to some backers, and have a think about this properly but it's something i wanted to work towards but didnt see the point when Babbage was already doing it well. Again, i restate, this is just a preliminary note. I do have a team in mind, which most of you would trust implicitly i think, and who are creative, organised (where i am not) and trustworthy.


And then, who could keep a good Enlightened Dictator down?

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren - dear Ladies and Gentlemen of New Babbage,

I would like to submit my name as a candidate for Mayor of New Babbage. Some of you know me well; many have not met me at all. I plan to remedy this as thoroughly as possible. As a start, I have purchased #3 Babbage Palisade and established a Consulate office there.

Those who have read the histories of my homeland, as presented by the Professors Foglio as Girl Genius, will notice this would not be far different from what I have been doing in Europa, although far more peacefully. I do not seek to take and change New Babbage into some other creature, to remake it in the image of any other land. I am, however, concerned that a valuable portion of the steamlands, and a valuable cultural addition to the grid could possibly diminish or disappear. I seek election to preserve New Babbage and encourage the growth of this vital community.

To ensure the citizens of Babbage always have contact with their government, I would create a town council to act both as advisors to the Mayor's Office and administrators for common land needs. This would be a combination of appointed and elected individuals, the exact composition to be determined. This will also ensure that Babbage looks after Babbage, for those with any concerns of excessive foreign influences.

I would also encourage more diplomatic activity between New Babbage and other lands, as a country cannot exist either in or as a vacuum. This once again applies principles I have in action at home -- standing together is much stronger than standing alone. This will encourage not only a flow of ideas, but also bolster land sales, retail and goodwill overall.

New Babbage is a proud nation of engineers and hard workers. If you are willing to stand behind me in support, I am willing to follow your example and to lead.

Any questions may be directed to me via the Ning, or the post-box in the Consulate in Palisade.

Yrs.,

Klaus Wulfenbach, Baron
Consulate of Europa Wulfenbach

Tuesday, January 6

Mad Mathematician Muses on Mayorship

Darien.Mason: So...any plans on buying Babbage?
Mr.Tenk looks up from his forge...
Mr. Tenk: did you know i was considering it, or is that a shot in the dark?
Darien.Mason: I thought it would be plausible
Mr. Tenk: Do tell....
Darien.Mason: A Mad Mathematician running New Babbage? It's poetic genius!
Mr. Tenk: It fits my character as a component of the city.
Mr. Tenk: And not one of the ingrates left a bowl of rice pudding out on Christmas Eve. I am well within my ancient rights to strangle the cattle in retribution!
Darien.Mason: I left some latkes and applesauce out...
Mr.Tenk: You don't live in Babbage.
Darien.Mason: I did for a short time.
Darien.Mason: Very short.
Mr.Tenk: Your livestock shall be spared.
Darien.Mason My stock isn't live...
Mr. Tenk smiles tightly.

For Sale: New Babbage

No, seriously.

The big question now is: Who will try to buy it? And whom would the Citizens approve as a buyer? Anshe Chung is therefore out of the running unless she buys off the entire town first. Let's go with what we know first.

Governor Shang's not interested.

Lunar-san, the Seneschelf and Herr Baron seem to have their hands full.

Dr. Obolensky seemed to have grand designs on New Babbage before his base collapsed, but he has apparently given up on the World Domination career path.

I'm not in the market for an island nation at the moment. And Marcus already has one.

A few names come to mind, but even then they'd be longshots:

Dr. Malegatto Alter - Come on, who wouldn't vote for teh Evil Tiny Kitteh?

Emperor Steelcobra Calamari - He's expansionist, by his own admission.

Agent Iason Hassanov - He'd make the trains run on time. Isn't he a train himself? More like a tank I think.

Spring Heeled Jack - He was a Babbager but no one's seen him in ages. In his timehopping backstory he was at one time the ruler of a steampowered nation. I always assumed it was Babbage.

Monday, January 5

And now a word from the Mason brothers.

A lot has been said...and I don't feel like rehashing. I'm just going to tell you how I feel.

*looks at the Founding Member plaque on the front of the Hospital*

I'm not going anywhere. Caledon and Steelhead are my two homes, and I will never forsake either. I will continue to work for the benefit of my fellow Victorians everywhere. Yes, even that other one. If Caledon were overrun with casinos full of chaircamping ageplayers decades from now, I'd be yelling at the strippers to get off my lawn.

I could tell how I've seen the sims I love go through identity crises over an over again, and come back all the stronger (except for the Wild West sims, but they don't count), but then I'd just be showing my age. I'll just continue to help where I can. If you want me to host Etiquette classes, I'll do it. If you need someone impartial to give someone a tap on the shoulder (like Lady Darkling did to me so many times) I'm more than happy to oblige.

Don't try and knight me with a fancy title either. As an American citizen I have no need of such pageantry. Furthermore as a Jew I am forbidden to kneel to anyone except the Almighty. (No, my ancestors weren't kneeling. They were just getting closer to the floor to make sure their heads hadn't been chopped off for not kneeling.) Otherwise I'd be walking around calling myself Prince of Erebus.

*BZZT* I'm claiming that title, Dear Brother.

Hold on Marcus, I'm getting to you. State your piece.

*BZZT* Good day, Ladies and Gentlemen. I am Marcus Gabriel Mason, Count of Belhaven. Do you feel that you simply don't belong where you are? Then by all means, come to the island of Belhaven! In addition to our famous Nine Muses Brewery, we have long been a haven for privateers and nobility with...exquisite tastes. Let us be your Asylum in Exile! Belhaven! What happens here stays..." *CLICK*

Alright Marcus, they get the point! Oy! You give these sim promoters a copper pipe and they build a death ray!


FIN