WAR: NNPack - Three Strikes & You're Out  (1/1)
By: Susan B. & NNPack
Time: 1:00 P.M., November 9th, 2004
Place: NNP HQ
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"Hmmm... I wonder if the tickets are here yet," Susan wondered aloud as TBD
pulled the car into the Theatre parking lot.

"What tickets?" her friend asked.

"The ones for the Ratpack show tonight. I used the phone at your apartment
this morning while you were busy filling up the cats' food and water
dispensers. I spoke to Emily, but she said she hadn't seen them."

"I thought you saw that show in Vegas the last time you went," TBD remarked
as the two women got out of the car and headed for the theatre.

"I wanted to, but Michelle gave me a choice between that or 'The Thunder
From Down Under'. You can guess which one I picked! Anyway, I have three
tickets for tonight's show for me, Michelle, and Mary; but if neither of
them are interested you might..."

"Busy tonight," TBD replied. "I'm going to the party at The Hive that the UF
are having in Janette's honour! Can't wait to meet Janette!"

"That party doesn't even start until ten. You'll have plenty of time. Soul
told us all to enjoy ourselves tonight, because tomorrow we'll be busy
hunting for the sacred rock!"

"Nah, thanks anyway." TBD turned around and headed off towards the far side
of the theatre, "Gotta go find Pat."

***

Sitting in front of the computer, Mel flipped over the keyboard and firmly
patted it. "Just look at all this crap falling out," she complained, "not to
mention the dust!"

Ang, standing right next to her, agreed. "We've got to tell Soul we need new
equipment. This thing is years out of date. We don't even have a DVD burner
for crying out loud!"

At that moment, Casey, having been stricken with a severe case of internet
withdrawal the moment her flight left Portland, popped her head in the
doorway. "Is it up and running yet?" she asked.

"No," Mel and Ang replied in unison, this having been the tenth time this
morning Casey asked that question.

"Anything I can do to help? I could go find Emily! She's good with computers
too!"

"Emily can't help us with this, " Mel told her, knocking yet another piece
of unidentifiable crud from between the keys. "It's covered in dust and
dirt, the battery's probably dead... there's something wrong with the power
switch.... If we could at least get the thing operating, we might be okay."

Ang immediately stepped away from the desk and approached Casey. "Why don't
you go tell Soul we need a new computer?" she asked sweetly.

"I'm not going to do it," Casey replied, "she's already worried about the
grocery bill. Not to mention the beer tab - and Boomer hasn't even started
stocking the wine cellar yet..."

"Tell you what," Mel shouted from the desk. "You get Soul to come up with
some new equipment, and I'll keep working on this thing. If I can get it up
and running, you can play Everquest to your heart's content... as long as it
doesn't conflict with any of your duties here, of course."

"Deal!" Casey agreed, before running off to find Soul. Casey stopped in the
hallway for a few minutes to talk to Brennan, Lisa, and Carrie who were on
their way out.

All of a sudden, Soulseeker appeared from nowhere. "Where are you three
going?" she asked.

"We're going to see the Diehards," Lisa announced.

"Why?" Soul asked.

"To complain, you know, about the BW script. About letting it out of their
hands, or not burning it, or whatever. Susan said during the last War, she
had to leave Nat's prop license plate as collateral until she returned the
AMPH script."

"I told you all during our first meeting that it was the BW Treaty.
Treaty... TREATY... TREATY!"

"Uh... you said "Script", Barbara gently reminded her.

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Enough!" Brennan interrupted in her sternest PLEASE BE QUIET Librarian
voice. "It doesn't matter where the information came from, only that it
came."

Casey decided that maybe now wasn't the best time to ask Soul for new
computer equipment. She drifted off to find Emily.

"You're absolutely right, Brennan," Soulseeker agreed. She stared at the
other three N&Ners. "No one is going anywhere!" she said, waving them off
with her hand. Soul turned back to Brennan. "Now, tell me about that Library
you're planning."

The downcast threesome left Soul and Brennan to themselves. Lisa was
particularly disappointed, she had been looking forward to meeting the
Diehards. "Well, the Treaty's a prop, isn't it?" she whispered. "Can't we go
ask them how a copy of it ended up on E-Bay or something?"

"What, you think the Diehards set us all up?" Barbara asked.

---The End---