Path: usenet.ins.cwru.edu!lerc.nasa.gov!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!math.ohio-state.ed u!howland.reston.ans.net!spool.mu.edu!sgiblab!sgigate.sgi.com!olivea!charnel.e cst.csuchico.edu!xmission!xmission!not-for-mail From: Andrew Weitzman Newsgroups: alt.devilbunnies Subject: Re: Kralk has an idea... Followup-To: alt.devilbunnies Date: 13 Oct 1994 18:31:08 -0600 Organization: DevilBunnies News<->Mail Gateway Lines: 87 Sender: snowhare@xmission.com Approved: snowhare@xmission.com Distribution: world Message-ID: <37kjgc$5jj@xmission.xmission.com> Reply-To: Andrew Weitzman NNTP-Posting-Host: xmission > > There! Going into a storage room. Well, that would explain it. But why would > he bother, those room were empty... were they? > > Yep, empty. What's this? Minor malfunction in the automatic mechanism, > repair-daemon schdeduled servicing for 12/25/94... by Gaia, were they that > far behind? Well, Kralk was still there, so... > > A short walk, down a couple levels to the storage area... He checked the > numbers, and opened the door. > > Kralk was there, along with a pair of squirrels, a red and a gray. And > *something* else... > > "What the *hell* is that?" > "Hello, Teral." Kralk waved at the nonplussed squirrel airily. "Merely keeping myself busy. Idle hands the devil takes. Or vice versa, as the case may be." "Kralk." Teral's voice had gone ominously calm; the 'k' in his name came out on a high note. "This has been a really, really bad day. I'm not going to explain to you how bad it was [angryflick]. But [flick] if you don't [Flick] tell me what in Spirit's name you're doing with an unauthorized lab--[FLICK]" "Giving you the only advantage you have against a full-force devilbunny assault on your precious warren." He motioned to Jedda, who had snuck back in while he had been conversing with Mercan. Sparing a single terrified glance, she jumped into the hovertank prototype. Teral stared as she put it through its paces. First it went into a circuit about the room. Kralk lifted an eyebrow; Jedda, now standing in the pilot's seat, slewed the platform into a series of intricate maneuvers:bootleggers turn, 360 spin, bank. They came off as unpolished and slow--but served to show off the device's potential. "Ok." Teral had calmed down. Not by much, but enough to let a whisp of curiosity escape. "It floats above the ground. It can move. It looks like a bitch to put into a reverse. The 64,000 peanut question being, where does the 'weapon' part come in?" "Sir, are you familiar with a human device called a tank?" "This thing stores water?" "I take that as a no. A tank is a human weapon--a weapons platform, actually. It was invented by my ancestors as a way to force through heavily dug-in infantry troops. They are large armor-plated vehicles that ride on treads like a bulldozer. A revolving turret on the top carries its main armament--a cannon." "Interesting story, doctor, but how--" Teral's bushy tail stiffened as enlightenment finally came to him. "Wait. You're telling me this thing is supposed to be a *squirrel-sized* tank?" "Precisely. I was fooling around with a few bouncepacks--" "I'm surprised Chris let you have them." "Sorry to say, but they were...liberated from his attentions. I am sure he is an excellent mentat, but he can be obstinate." "No kidding. Well, I suppose we can overlook this just once." Warning glare. "Remember, I said _just_ once." "Understood." Kralk grinned; Teral's emnity to Chris could become useful in the future. "I found a means of increasing the gravity-negation effect of a bouncepack. Unfortunately, it would be impossible to duplicate in an individual 'pack; it requires a large outside power source that would make a bouncepack too heavy for infantry use. On a vehicle like a tank, this is not a problem. Suffice it to say, with further study I can design a 'hovertank' capable of supporting a hundred pounds or so. Enough for a high-powered laser, the generator to support it, and a combat crew. "They would be small enough to be transported by a small truck, making hit and run actions possible. The weaponatry would be able to deal with reinforced warren defenses, and give us an initial advantage against the devilbunny infantry. Of which, by the way, I have never heard of possessing heavy armor of their own. "I ask that I be allowed to pursue this project independently." Kralk smiled in a way that failed to reach his eyes. "Chris seems to be...preoccupied at the moment. I don't think he should be bothered with an extra burden." He waited for Teral's reply. TBC (over to you, Teral) alt.dbs off I forget, is Teral a silver or a red? alt.dbs on -- ------------------------------------------------- Andrew Weitzman aweitz@CAM.org alt.devilbunnies characters: N!klot, Jeremy Hillis, Dr. Lawrence Kralk, and the Amazing BunnyStomper(tm)!