Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 12:20:47 MDT From: Robyn Meta Herrington Subject: SUB:CONTEST: Playing with Pete And still they pour in. . . Critiques to ME: rmherrin@acs.ucalgary.ca I'll pass them along to the anonymous author. ========================================================================== Playing with Pete "what happened? I mean how did it go wrong?? all my plans and nothing worked..I just don't get it!" Sean smacks himself in the forhead, "why??" He bends over in his long white lab coat and picks up the small plastic toy soldier and shakes his head, "Just once I wish something I did went right." Sean walks over to the long stainless tell counter and places the soldier in a large pile of plastic toy figures and begins to ponder what happend. brrrnng brrrnng "Hey Pete, this is Sean I got a great idea man..." "yeah Pete another one, but this one has to work, just come over ok?" "no Pete listen to me will ya? Shit all you do is yak and yak, can't ya just listen??" "Damn it Pete no, this isn't like that I tell ya, I got a great plan, and it's sure to work..make us millions! Look I do this and they will graduate me with honors, I won't even have to take the rest of my classes." "you never do trust me pete, but this time it's for real....You coming over??" "good good I will see ya in a few then, alright, bye." Sean hangs up the phone and rushes over to the stainless tell cabinets lining the north wall and begins to pull out bottles and vials of various chemicals. As soon as he finishes witht he chemicals he rushes to a large machine which dominates the back of the room, leaving the cabinets open. The machine is huge, a contraption of switches and dials clustered in big groups around a large central cabinet. The cabinet is comprised of glass windows and doors and it is big enough for two people to stand upright in. Red, blue, and green lights all flash urgently around the top of the cab and a slight pfft sound is emitted form a thin exhuast pipe in the rear. Sean smiles proudly as he looks at his creation, "This is it man, my future!" Quickly he begins to turn dials and push buttons, setting dials and entering figures on a small keyboard that was hidden on a pull out shelf. As he types he whistles silently to himself. "OK man, what is the big deal?" Pete asks as he strides in the room. Pete is the captian of the football team and judging by his size it is easy to tell why he was chosen for such an honor. "Oh Pete, this is great just great! My machine, I am sure it will work this time, I fixed the small hyper-agnial problam that was affecting the subjects before and now I know it will work!" "damn Sean you called me up for this fuckin machine again?? You know it don't work and I told you I don't want nothing to do with it anymore, Shit, I got a free ride to this school and I don't want to ruin that or go to jail over some shitty Idea you have." Turning red in the face Sean clenches his fist and turns away from Pete punching data back into the console, "fine Pete" he huffs, "if you don't want to be apart of history then just go, I can understand your being afraid, I mean football is soooo important when compared to Science!!" "Aww come on Sean you know I don't mean it that way, but look what happend last time..Can we take the chance again?" Eyes afire Sean twirls toward Pete and thrusts his arms in the air, "Yes Pete we can, we must! I fixed the problems and I know it will work this time. I it doesn't I will never try it again ok?" "Ahh alright man, I'm in. I know how important this is too you." "Great you know the deal right." Sean asks. "Yeah we put someone in the box and wham bam presto chango they come out immortal and as strong as superman." Pete shakes his head slightly. "Exactly, but I don't have anyone to put in the box that Is why I needed you, I mean you are already so strong, and I know how important you strength is to you, so you are a prime candidate for my machine." "Whoa hold on there buddy, you want me to get in your machine??" Pete backs up slowly, "come on, I don't know if that is real smart after what happened to Bob." "I tell ya Pete, I fixed it, this thing works, freakin super mouse ran out of here just a little while ago, but I need a human subject to show the world that it works, please?" "It worked on a mouse? Shit, tonight I better warn my cat!" Pete laughes, "You sure it will work then?" "Yes yes I am sure, It works!! I know it does, the mouse proved it." Sean lies. "Ok man, what the hell, I do this and nothin will stop me from the NFL. All those QB's better watch out." Pete opens the glass door to the machine and climbs in. As the door closes he looks about nervously for a few moments then steels himself for the jolt he expects. Sean seals the door shut and moves back around to the machine and opens a small container and pours all the chemicals in before closing it and resumes typing in the terminal. With a crazed look in his eye Sean waves at Pete then pushes a big red button. "NOOOOOOO!!!!!" Pete cries. A bright flash followed by a thunderous crash and total darkness fills the room sending Sean flying haphazardly into the wall, knocking the wind out of him. Slowly the light returns along with Seans breath. Sean leaps to his feet and rushes to the machine and finds it empty. "What? oh no, it didn't work?" he breathes, "Pete? Pete? PETE!!" Looking around frantically Sean begins to rush for the door when suddenly he stops his eyes locked upon the tile floor. "OH no Pete, what did I do?" he walks to a small green object and picks up the toy soldier, "Oh no Oh Pete, I am so sorry." After putting Pete on the table beside Bob, Sarah, and all the others Sean walks to his small desk and begins once again to study his chemical formula knowing that his idea will work. The next time. ============================================================== -- -------+++++++-------+++++++ +++++++-------+++++++------- Robyn Herrington Operations Manager, Microforms Services University of Calgary, MacKimmie Library Ph: (403)220-6903 http://www.ucalgary.ca/~rmherrin rmherrin@acs.ucalgary.ca -------+++++++-------+++++++--------------+++++++-------+++++++-------