Chapter 37: Bound, Unbound, and Ocean Bound
Chapter 37: Bound, Unbound, and Ocean Bound
Randomizer and Zorro retreated further up the stairs as the water continued to rise. Many rats climbed or hung onto anything that floated. Many more had drowned. Their bodies mixed with the spam and other floating debris.
"Disgusting," Randomizer said.
Zorro looked at Ocean Bound in bewilderment. "Do you think this was what Icshi meant when he told me to pick up Ocean Bound. Maybe winning a game will make it so this flood will have had never happened two days ago from the day after tomorrow?"
Randomizer thought for a moment. "You mean like right now?"
"You obviously don't understand the power of the White One."
"I have a better idea." Randomizer tossed the game into the water below. Ocean Bound immediately began sucking up water.
"But... why is that working?" Zorro demanded.
"I don't know," Randomizer said, "We'll get Synergy to rationalize it later."
---
The perfected rat faced the Spiderwebbers.
Ephesos looked angry. "An undead rat? No. Not okay. REPEL SPIRIT!!!"
Ephesos's spell didn't affect the rat.
"Not undead? In that case, DIVINE RETR..."
The perfected rat hurled a firebolt at Ephesos. Ephesos dove out of the way.
The Lurker and Wanderer hauled the Deth Ray off of Dintiradan. Nioca cast a healing spell on him.
"Help me set this thing back up," Dintiradan said.
The four of them set the Deth Ray back up. Dintiradan aimed at the perfected rat.
The perfected rat was about to claw Garrison when it was zapped by the Deth Ray. It was thrown against the wall and collapsed, its remains smoking gently. Slartucker and Thuryl caught a glimpse of metal. They looked at each other.
"Do you see that?" Thuryl asked.
"Yes," Slartucker said, "It must be some sort of machinery that held the perfected rat together."
"Ha!" Dintiradan said, "That took care of..."
The white rat began to glow again.
"What?!" Dintiradan said, "No way!"
"Er, keeping it together," Slartucker said.
"But is the machinery only inside of it or mostly elsewhere?" Thuryl asked.
"It has to be elsewhere," Slartucker said, "It takes an enormous amount of power to heal itself after taking so much damage."
"Then it must be back in the Blades of Avernum Forum. Come on," Thuryl said.
Thuryl and Slartucker snuck out of the forum as the perfected rat stood back up. It charged into the Spiderwebbers, killing Dintiradan and knocking the Deth Ray over once more.
"How do we kill this thing?" Alec demanded.
"Or at least immobilize until we can think of a way to kill it," Lazarus said.
"It's a pity we can't just cast mass spineshield and let it kill itself," Synergy said.
Archmagus Micael cast slow on the perfected rat. The perfected rat hasted itself, dodged Lazarus's weapon, and killed him.
"How long do you think it will take to turn the Deth Ray into a freezing ray that will trap the perfected rat in a block of ice?" Zephyr Tempest said.
Zeviz shook his head. "Too long. I could try to web it, but that would only be temporary."
"Try it," Archmagus Micael said.
"Bind foe!" Zeviz said. The perfected rat was covered in a mass of sticky webs. The perfected rat paused to sweep them off and then launched a firebolt. Zeviz and Archmagus Micael ducked out of the way.
"Well, it will work until we run out of spell energy," Zeviz said, "Bind foe!"
As the perfected rat started to free itself, Archmagus Micael hit it with another bind foe spell.
"I know! What about summoning a perfected cat?" Zephyr Tempest asked.
"Is that even possible?" Nemesis asked.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." Zephyr Tempest moved towards the General Forum.
"Wait!" Garrison stopped him. "We don't know what happened in there to set Nikki off."
---
Randomizer and Zorro backed up a few more steps and leaned over the railing. The water was pouring in faster than Ocean Bound could suck it up.
"One of us has to shut the door somehow," Randomizer said.
Zorro and Randomizer looked at each other for a moment. Then Zorro knocked Randomizer over the railing. Randomizer hit the water with a splash, vanished under it, and came back up again. "What was that for?" he sputtered.
"So you can shut the door," Zorro said.
"Oh, all right." Randomizer started to swim towards the door. The current of water rushing in was strong and the water was far too deep for him to touch, so he kept close to the wall for support as he swam towards the door.
---
Slartucker and Thuryl practically collided with Stareye, Drakefyre, and Jumpin' Salmon in the Announcements Forum.
"Where are you doing?" Stareye asked.
"The perfected rat is being kept alive by some sort of machinery. We can't bring the rat down until we find it and destroy it," Slartucker said.
"I'll come with you and Drakefyre can help hold off the perfected rat," Stareye said.
Slartucker, Thuryl, and Stareye exited.
Jumpin' Salmon picked up the Heartstriker Bow that the perfected rat had tossed aside. "I'm ready. Let's get it, Drakey."
---
Zorro stood on the highest step now with the water almost at his feet. He watched as Randomizer reached the door and tried to push it shut against the water flowing in. Finally, Randomizer managed it and began to swim back towards the stairs. Zorro sighed in relief.
---
The four rats searched the Geneforge Series Forum for a boat.
"Ah, here we are," one of the red rats said.
"I don't know. It's so pixelated," a giant rat said.
"It will do," said the other giant rat.
The rats climbed inside and waited. A short time later, Slartucker, Stareye, and Thuryl passed through.
"So exactly where do you think the machinery will be?" Slartucker asked.
"In the passage beyond the cave where the summoning machine was. That's where the perfected rat came from," Thuryl said.
"What do you think they're doing?" one of the rats asked.
"I don't know. Let's follow them," said a second.
"And leave the boat?" asked a third.
"We've got plenty of time until the water reaches us. Come on," said the second.
The four rats followed a safe distance behind.
---
Drakefyre and Jumpin' Salmon entered the Tech Support Forum. Archmagus Micael and Zeviz were keeping the perfected rat trapped in webs while Wanderer, the Lurker, and Nioca were fixing up the Deth Ray. Everyone else stood back to avoid getting killed by the perfected rat.
"I'm almost out of spell energy," Archmagus Micael said.
"Me too," said Zeviz.
Drakefyre cast forcecage, trapping the perfected rat in a magical cage.
"That won't stop it for long, though," Garrison said.
Sure enough, the perfected rat broke free a moment later. Jumpin' Salmon aimed the Heartstriker Bow and fired. The perfected rat dodged it.
"Oh, come on!" said Jumpin' Salmon.
Drakefyre cast forcecage on the perfected rat again.
Zephyr Tempest looked around to make sure no one was watching him and yanked the door to the General Forum open.
"Zephyr!" Garrison said.
A wave of water flooded in, sweeping up everything and everyone in its path.
"Disgusting," Randomizer said.
Zorro looked at Ocean Bound in bewilderment. "Do you think this was what Icshi meant when he told me to pick up Ocean Bound. Maybe winning a game will make it so this flood will have had never happened two days ago from the day after tomorrow?"
Randomizer thought for a moment. "You mean like right now?"
"You obviously don't understand the power of the White One."
"I have a better idea." Randomizer tossed the game into the water below. Ocean Bound immediately began sucking up water.
"But... why is that working?" Zorro demanded.
"I don't know," Randomizer said, "We'll get Synergy to rationalize it later."
---
The perfected rat faced the Spiderwebbers.
Ephesos looked angry. "An undead rat? No. Not okay. REPEL SPIRIT!!!"
Ephesos's spell didn't affect the rat.
"Not undead? In that case, DIVINE RETR..."
The perfected rat hurled a firebolt at Ephesos. Ephesos dove out of the way.
The Lurker and Wanderer hauled the Deth Ray off of Dintiradan. Nioca cast a healing spell on him.
"Help me set this thing back up," Dintiradan said.
The four of them set the Deth Ray back up. Dintiradan aimed at the perfected rat.
The perfected rat was about to claw Garrison when it was zapped by the Deth Ray. It was thrown against the wall and collapsed, its remains smoking gently. Slartucker and Thuryl caught a glimpse of metal. They looked at each other.
"Do you see that?" Thuryl asked.
"Yes," Slartucker said, "It must be some sort of machinery that held the perfected rat together."
"Ha!" Dintiradan said, "That took care of..."
The white rat began to glow again.
"What?!" Dintiradan said, "No way!"
"Er, keeping it together," Slartucker said.
"But is the machinery only inside of it or mostly elsewhere?" Thuryl asked.
"It has to be elsewhere," Slartucker said, "It takes an enormous amount of power to heal itself after taking so much damage."
"Then it must be back in the Blades of Avernum Forum. Come on," Thuryl said.
Thuryl and Slartucker snuck out of the forum as the perfected rat stood back up. It charged into the Spiderwebbers, killing Dintiradan and knocking the Deth Ray over once more.
"How do we kill this thing?" Alec demanded.
"Or at least immobilize until we can think of a way to kill it," Lazarus said.
"It's a pity we can't just cast mass spineshield and let it kill itself," Synergy said.
Archmagus Micael cast slow on the perfected rat. The perfected rat hasted itself, dodged Lazarus's weapon, and killed him.
"How long do you think it will take to turn the Deth Ray into a freezing ray that will trap the perfected rat in a block of ice?" Zephyr Tempest said.
Zeviz shook his head. "Too long. I could try to web it, but that would only be temporary."
"Try it," Archmagus Micael said.
"Bind foe!" Zeviz said. The perfected rat was covered in a mass of sticky webs. The perfected rat paused to sweep them off and then launched a firebolt. Zeviz and Archmagus Micael ducked out of the way.
"Well, it will work until we run out of spell energy," Zeviz said, "Bind foe!"
As the perfected rat started to free itself, Archmagus Micael hit it with another bind foe spell.
"I know! What about summoning a perfected cat?" Zephyr Tempest asked.
"Is that even possible?" Nemesis asked.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." Zephyr Tempest moved towards the General Forum.
"Wait!" Garrison stopped him. "We don't know what happened in there to set Nikki off."
---
Randomizer and Zorro backed up a few more steps and leaned over the railing. The water was pouring in faster than Ocean Bound could suck it up.
"One of us has to shut the door somehow," Randomizer said.
Zorro and Randomizer looked at each other for a moment. Then Zorro knocked Randomizer over the railing. Randomizer hit the water with a splash, vanished under it, and came back up again. "What was that for?" he sputtered.
"So you can shut the door," Zorro said.
"Oh, all right." Randomizer started to swim towards the door. The current of water rushing in was strong and the water was far too deep for him to touch, so he kept close to the wall for support as he swam towards the door.
---
Slartucker and Thuryl practically collided with Stareye, Drakefyre, and Jumpin' Salmon in the Announcements Forum.
"Where are you doing?" Stareye asked.
"The perfected rat is being kept alive by some sort of machinery. We can't bring the rat down until we find it and destroy it," Slartucker said.
"I'll come with you and Drakefyre can help hold off the perfected rat," Stareye said.
Slartucker, Thuryl, and Stareye exited.
Jumpin' Salmon picked up the Heartstriker Bow that the perfected rat had tossed aside. "I'm ready. Let's get it, Drakey."
---
Zorro stood on the highest step now with the water almost at his feet. He watched as Randomizer reached the door and tried to push it shut against the water flowing in. Finally, Randomizer managed it and began to swim back towards the stairs. Zorro sighed in relief.
---
The four rats searched the Geneforge Series Forum for a boat.
"Ah, here we are," one of the red rats said.
"I don't know. It's so pixelated," a giant rat said.
"It will do," said the other giant rat.
The rats climbed inside and waited. A short time later, Slartucker, Stareye, and Thuryl passed through.
"So exactly where do you think the machinery will be?" Slartucker asked.
"In the passage beyond the cave where the summoning machine was. That's where the perfected rat came from," Thuryl said.
"What do you think they're doing?" one of the rats asked.
"I don't know. Let's follow them," said a second.
"And leave the boat?" asked a third.
"We've got plenty of time until the water reaches us. Come on," said the second.
The four rats followed a safe distance behind.
---
Drakefyre and Jumpin' Salmon entered the Tech Support Forum. Archmagus Micael and Zeviz were keeping the perfected rat trapped in webs while Wanderer, the Lurker, and Nioca were fixing up the Deth Ray. Everyone else stood back to avoid getting killed by the perfected rat.
"I'm almost out of spell energy," Archmagus Micael said.
"Me too," said Zeviz.
Drakefyre cast forcecage, trapping the perfected rat in a magical cage.
"That won't stop it for long, though," Garrison said.
Sure enough, the perfected rat broke free a moment later. Jumpin' Salmon aimed the Heartstriker Bow and fired. The perfected rat dodged it.
"Oh, come on!" said Jumpin' Salmon.
Drakefyre cast forcecage on the perfected rat again.
Zephyr Tempest looked around to make sure no one was watching him and yanked the door to the General Forum open.
"Zephyr!" Garrison said.
A wave of water flooded in, sweeping up everything and everyone in its path.