From: t.fretwell2@genie.geis.com Date: Fri, 9 Sep 94 02:01:00 UTC Subject: Round Robin #1 ROUND ROBIN #1 -------------- Michael Garibaldi scowled at the people wandering Downbelow. Most of them lived here, he knew but some were from above, doing business or just slumming. Damn! but he hated this area and wished he could clear it out once and for all. But that wasn't what he was here for.... Rumor had it that there was a 'mystery' character working Downbelow. He had made contact with his informants dwelling Downbelow and they all had differing stories of this mystery man. He had something to do with the deaths of maybe a dozen different Lurkers, all wanted or suspected of a multitude of crimes. Did some alien's dirty work. Chased off a protection racket harassing Downbelow merchants. Was an assassin for hire. Smuggled in a variety of needed items. Was Human. Was Narn. Was Minbari. Was male. Was female. Was tall. Was short. Had mystical powers. Was the ultimate fighter. The only thing they did agree on was that this mystery character was dressed totally in black from head to foot save for a splash of white in the form of a headplume. Skin-close and flexible. It might even qualify as body armor, from what he heard. And weapons...sword, knives, various bladed weapons...primate by most races' standards but still very effective. How the hell did he get those onto the station?!?! The security chief made his way along the corridor. His last informant had said that the mystery man held court in what was known locally as the Crystal Court. Hundreds of crystals of every color had been hung from the naked pipes and beams, a feeble attempt to enliven a place that was more commonly used as a public meeting place. Light danced from the crystals as he stepped into the room. At first he thought it was empty then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of white that didn't come from one of the multitude of crystals and a being clad totally in black was suddenly there, lounging casually in a welter of beams and pipes, a good 12 feet above the floor. Garibaldi walked slowly forward, squinting in an attempt to see the stranger better. He....no, what!...she?...yes, she...was tall and certainty not Minbari, as there was no indication of the bony crest of that species. Maybe Narn or Centauri but he doubted it. He was aiming for Human. The figure shifted, an aura of amusement surrounding her as she spoke. Her words were English, precisely spoken, with an odd accent and made Garibaldi's jaw drop. "Garibaldi, Michael. Recovering alchoholic...maybe...on a last ditch attempt to redeem himself. Hear from Sward lately?" Garibaldi's mouth snapped shut, coldness spreading in his soul. "What do you know about that? Who the hell are you!?" The dark figure chuckled. "Call me Ocelot." She purred then seemingly vanished. It took a moment before the security chief to realize that the mystery woman had simply slipped into the darkness behind her and was now traveling via the beams and pipes, only the flashes of the white plume showing her position. Garibaldi bolted after the woman. "Hey! Hold it!!" She was headed into the wastelands of the station, where noone on legitimate business would ever go. Swearing, Garibaldi tried to follow but soon lost her amid darkly shadowed corners and bald, naked pipes hissing loudly in the silence. No white plume, no mystery woman. Next: Velmeran -------- Seas Tracer Shelley Kymberlee Sandy Allergra Date: Sun, 18 Sep 1994 01:36:54 -0700 (PDT) From: Jack Brown Subject: Round Robin Story Part 2 [Sorry this took a while. It's been one of those weeks...:( Anyway, here it is. PS, could the author of the first part email it to me again; I seem to have misplaced it...] The officer on watch in Babylon 5 Control looked up at the viewer. It showed the familiar golden flash that heralded an arrival through the jump gate. He turned to Tech #1. She looked up from her console and said, "Routine arrival, sir. The passenger liner Tolkien, bound from Earth." "Log it. When's the next arrival?" "Three hours, sir." "Slow watch." "Attention. Space liner Tolkien now disembarking at terminal two. Space liner Tolkien now disembarking at terminal two." The computer generated voice was almost lost in the general hubbub of the passenger terminal. A customs official checked his equipment while a pair of grey uniformed security personnel lounged unobtrusively nearby. He looked up as the passengers started to walk in. The third man off the liner was unremarkable, especially following the rather flamboyant Centauri. He was of average height, probably 5' 9". About 180 pounds. He wore a rather conservative business travel suit. The man handed his identification and ticket to the agent. "Welcome to Babylon 5, Mr. ... Russell. I see you have a package shipped with you. The pickup area for that would be down that corridor in Terminal area six. Enjoy your stay." He handed back the man's ID and promptly forgot Mr. Jason Russell. Then he turned to the lovely redheaded human next in line. "Welcome to Babylon 5, ma'am!" Jason Russell walked down the corridor toward pickup area. #Just an ordinary traveller,# he thought. #It's always so easy.# The lodging agent keyed the door open. She was obviously bored and delivered here speech in a bored tone of voice. "These are our standard accommodations." She pointed out the features of the small suite. "Bed, table, bath. The rates are 35 credits per day, 200 per week, based on Earth Standard Time. Well, Mr., ah, Russell, is this satisfactory." "Certainly is." Mr. Russell entered the room carrying his bag and a grey carton about 4 feet long and 6 inches square. "I'll probably be here two weeks. Would you prefer me to pay up front?" He reached into his jacket and pulled out a credit chip. "That would be most convenient, sir," replied the agent. She collected the payment and turned to leave the room. "Wait," said Mr. Russell. "Could you answer one question? I understand a Michael Garibaldi resides on this station? How would I find him?" "Just call up the public directory on your room's computer. Everyone's listed there. Is there anything else you need?" "No, thank-you." By the time she returned to her office, she couldn't remember just what Jason Russell looked like. Like every business traveler. Jason Russell walked back into the main room. His jacket was draped over one of the chair at the small table. The grey metallic carton lay in the middle of the floor. He bent down before it and removed a small device from his shirt pocket. He pointed it at the carton. After a few seconds, there was an electronic beep and the lid on the carton unlatched. #Someday they may actually figure out a way to beat that stealth field,# thought the man who was born Victor Farrell. #But until that day comes, no one knows I'm carrying you around.# He carefully, almost reverently, reached into the case and pulled out a sword that appeared to be from Earth's Japan. He sat down on the couch and began polishing it. From: hal@seas.smu.edu (Dawoud J. Al-Haddad) Subject: Round Robin 3 Date: Mon, 19 Sep 1994 21:55:54 -0500 (CDT) Round Robin 3 ------------- SEAS Hamburger days were Ivonova's favorite at the cafeteria. She couldn't explain it, but there was something about those litttle flat patties of cow meat... Ivonova looked down. A small boy, maybe fifteen, had just bumped into her. Now, he was cringing and holding his hands up defensively. "Sorry. So sorry. Wasn't watching." The boy said. "That's good," said Ivonova, with a smile, "You know, we Russians can bite a person's head off, and remove his spine with our teeth." "Yes, maam. Thank you. Thank you." The boy scuttled off. "May I join you?" Garibaldi looked up, "Certainly." Ivonova sat. "Busy day?" "Nah. Just one trip Downbelow. Nothing big." "Downbelow? I went there myself, today." Garibaldi offered her ketchup, "Business, or pleasure?" "No, thanks. Business. I was checking out the new daycare center." "Daycare? Is there something I should know?" Ivonova folded her arms. "No. I was just checking legimaticy." "What'd you find?" "It's legimate, all right. Set up so parents who normally can't afford regular day care can keep their kids out of trouble, while they try to make a living." "Get out!" Garibaldi said. "Someone does this for a living?" "Charity. He dosen't charge a dime. Gern something's his name." "Thank you, mister Blanston! I hope Anastaisa wasn't any trouble." "Not at all, maam." The woman's hand seemed so thin in his; little more than skin and bones. He didn't shake it too hard, for fear of breaking it. "She was a little angel." He handed the sleeping infant to the woman, momentarily afraid that the child's weight would overpower the woman's. "Do you have enough to eat tonight?" "Oh, yes. You've done plenty. Thank you." "See you tomorrow morning." After a smile and a polite wave, Gern finally shut down the day care for the evening. Alone at last, he sat. Volunteering was rewarding, but so much work. Still, if he could help one less fortunate person through life... Footfall. It was time. Allready. He stood, and scanned the dim room. "Blanston!" The voice was from behind. Gern spun. "Ocelot. I've been expecting you." "You are ready, then?" "I'll never be ready. But, now is as good a time as any." The woman smiled. "Excellent." NEXT UP: Tracer ------ Shelley Kymberlee Sandy Allergra Ragnarok Wolfsbane Velmeran Seas (If this came out badly, let me know... Date: Wed, 19 Oct 1994 16:57:02 -0400 From: t.fretwell2@genie.geis.com Subject: ROUND ROBIN #4 ROUND ROBIN #4 -------------- Shelley Gern and Ocelot walked out of the down below Day Care Center and turned left at the corner. Ocelot still haden't gotten used to the artificial gravity on the station. She had trained for so long to be an assassin on Earth that she was never comfortable in space, her inner ear was so attuned to the slightest change in balance or orintation that the constant spinning of the station caused her some discomfort... but she wouldn't let that deter her from her meeting with Farrell. A meeting that was *long* overdue. Ocelot allowed her mind to wander back to her first trip to the Mars colony - it was her first trip off world, her first time out of Japan actually. She was there to confront Farrell and "correct" his offenses against Nappon-Sakati. N-S had raised her from childhood (as it had her father, and his mother before that) to be a "WetWorks" operative. Farrell had also been in "The Works" until he sold out N-S to the Sony-Coke consortium. She was there to rectify the situation. Farrell had taken his generous payment and fled to Mars and established a life there as a trader in antiques. He had covered his tracks well, but not well enough... it was hard for anyone to disappear in a society where everything you did created ripples in the data constantly being stored on computers... Gern and Ocelot walked down another corridor and down a ladder covered with condensation, and emerged into the very lowest levels of the station. She was comfortable with Gern, having met him those many years ago, but there was something different about him now...it didn't seem to be anything "bad", but he was somehow different - he was a different man now than when she met him, Garibaldi and Sward. "Hold it right there Jo... or should I say 'Ocelot'" The voice came ringing from behind them. Ocelet urned slowly to to face two people, one that she knew, both of whom were pointing PPGs in her direction. "Hello Garibaldi. Who is your friend?" Next: Kymberlee --------- Sandy Allergra Ragnarok Wolfsbane Velmeran Seas Date: Thu, 27 Oct 1994 23:43:39 -0400 From: KKARICKE@delphi.com Subject: Round Robin Part 5 - Kymberlee Round Robin #5 Kymberlee ________ "Well Mr. Garibaldi, it would seem that you have more friends than I would have given you credit for," his compainion quipped. "You seem to have the advantage, would you like to do the introductions?" Ocelot smiled. Whoever this woman was, Ocelot could see that she could easily get to like her. Garibaldi didn't take his eyes off the pair as he answered her. "No thanks. Believe me, they aren't my friends - any more." "Any more?" she asked. "Well, if Michael is going to be a stick in the mud, I'll introduce myself. You may call me Ocelot. This is Mr. Blaston. He runs the charitable day care center here on the station." Garibaldi bristled at the way Ocelot was attempting to be charming. It really wasn't her style, but she *was* good at acting that way. Blaston opened his mouth for the first time since meeting the two Earth Force officers. "You're Lt. Cmdr. Ivonova, right? You were down checking on things this morning." Ivanova could see that Garibaldi didn't trust these two as far as he could throw them, but even her pesimistic - correction: realist - Russian nature refused to let her completly distrust a man who was helping people work their way out of the downbelows. "Right. I'm sorry, but I didn't seem to catch your first name." She hoped it wasn't too obvious that she was fishing for information. "Gern. Gern Blaston." The man said, trying to act as charming as his companion. He extended a hand to Ivonova. She was about to shake it when she heard Garibaldi mumble, "Gee, you look just like some one I knew when I was living on Mars. You wouldn't be *related* to a Jeremy Farrell, would you?" Hatred burned in Garibaldi's eyes like the Minbari suns. "I'm afraid not," Gern replied amiably. "You know Michael, it would be a much nicer reunion for all of us if you could point that weapon somewhere else. You know I'm faster than that anyway." Ocelot's teeth shone as white as her plume. By this time Ivonova was tired of being left out of the loop. "Would someone *PLEASE* explain to me what the hell is going on here?" She turned to Garibaldi, "We get a call saying that this "Black Angel" has been sighted down here. We coming charging down ready to blow someone's head off and then she claims to be your friend. Can you explain this Mr. Garibaldi?" ***** Well, there it is, such as it is. Sandy, the ball is in your court. _______ Allegra Ragnarok Wolfsbane Velmeran Seas Kymberlee Date: Sun, 27 Nov 94 20:40:00 UTC From: t.fretwell2@genie.geis.com Subject: ROUND ROBIN #6 I sent this once but doesn't look like it got through... Round Robin #6 -------------- Sandy Michael Garibaldi didn't exactly know where to start. Introductions were one thing, explaining who these people were was quite another. Michael said, "I met Ocelot on Mars sometime ago. We struck up quite a friendship, until I learned she was involved in illegal drug trafficking. That's how she got the name 'Black Angel'. I tried rounding up the entire gang of traffickers, but they were very organized. I teamed up with a local cop by the name of Jeremy Farrell. His sister had fallen into drugs and overdosed. We both used Ocelot to get information on the drug organization. Unfortunately, one night Jeremy got too close to a payoff and they killed him. I swore to avenge Jeremy's death and actually put some of the baddies away. My only regret is that I never got the number one pusher. Ocelot here served a few months, but was released on some technicality a few months ago." "I took the security position on Babylon 5 before Ocelot was released. I got word that she was out, but couldn't do much about it from here. I hoped I would run into her again someday," Michael said. "We have a score to settle." "When I heard that someone named 'Black Angel' was down below selling angel dust, I thought I would check it out first-hand. Who should I run into but an 'old-friend'. I think that we should take them into custody and see if there are any outstanding warrants on them. It's too bad you got involved with her Blaston. You seem to be running a wonderful service here. I don't know how you are connected, but we'll find out." "You're making a big mistake, Garibaldi", Ocelot said. "I have friends everywhere and don't have time to waste here on Babylon 5." "Now that's more like the Ocelot I remember." Michael said. "I think we can make you comfortable for a little while, anyway", Ivanova said. "Anything we can do to make sure you don't leave Babylon 5, unless it's on a prison vessel, would be wonderful. In my book, there's nothing lower than a drug pusher." Ivanova and Garibaldi took both of them to the security cell. It was far too comfortable for Michael's taste, but it would take them out of circulation for a while. He wondered how he could make it permanent, at least for Ocelot. "When we finish here, I'm going back down below to see if I can find some evidence on their selling activities." "There may be one or two brave souls that will testify and get this scum out of circulation." Michael added. "I doubt that you'll find anyone," Ivanova said, "but good luck anyway." Michael secured the door and had a guard posted, with security checks every half hour. Now that he had them in one place, he didn't want them to get away -- for any reason. Garibaldi headed off to a certain snitch he had used before. Tom was always a good source of information on anything going on down below. Garibaldi wondered how this had all started. One of those two was operating day care center? What was it a cover for? Had Blaston fallen under Ocelot's charm and not seen the darker side of her? He was determined to get to the bottom of this. ================================================ Sandra G. Bruckner U.S. Information Agency (I/STC) bruckner@usia.gov Phone: (202) 619-5674 Fax: (202) 619-6557 "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield" =============================================== NEXT UP: Allergra ------ Ragnarok Wolfsbane Velmeran Seas Shelley Kymberlee Sandy PLEASE email round robin submissions to the mailing list...not just me. Thanks.