The story cave had been quiet for a couple of days, although no-one had really noticed because they were too busy making final preparations for Christmas. SL4ever was busy working on the torch, in-between mouthfuls of pizza; ThomasMalthus was making special Christmas cocktails behind the bar; Mychand and Tigs were decorating the tree in one corner of the cave; and the others were sitting around wondering what on earth they could buy for that one awkward relative that everyone has.SL4ever: Say, where's Brit got to, it's his go.
HurriKain: I know, I told him about it three days ago; I hope he isn't trying to stretch this game out just through spite!
ThomasMalthus: I think I heard him say that he had to go out for something, but I don't know what. Something special for the game, if I recall correctly.
It was at that moment BritSlider walked into the cave. Over his shoulder he carried what appeared to be a length of wood. He strode purposefully towards the writing desk, apparently eager to get on with his turn.
Blinker: What's Brit got over his shoulder, I can't see it from here.
Nobuyuki: I don't know, it's some kind of wooden thing.
SL4ever: Hang on, I think it's a cricket bat! Yes, I've seen them before on television.
TM: He doesn't expect us to play a game does he? We've got far too much going on at the moment, and besides; no-one even knows the rules!
Slider_Sarah: I do, but it's not the kind of game I want to play.
HK: I don't know why he's got it, but who cares; just so long as he's finally going to write his part of the game!
As BritSlider approached the writing desk he took the cricket bat from his shoulder, and gripped it in both hands. Suddenly it became apparent to the members of the cave what he was about to do.
Tigs: NOOOOOOO!!! Someone stop him!
But it was too late. Brit already had the bat arching towards the apex of it's back swing. As if he were on the playing fields back home, facing an off-break that had too much loft; Brit took two quick steps forward, and in one fluid motion the bat was swinging downwards with great speed. The bat connected with the timer on the desk, and the cave was filled with the sound of the explosive impact. The glass shattered, scattering sand and shards of glass everywhere; whilst the top half of the wooden casing was sent flying over the bar; causing TM to duck quickly or face possible decapitation. Brit surveyed the damage, and smiled. He turned to face the others in the cave.
Brit: Democracy has spoken, this game will be finished when it's finished, and not before.
TM: Geez Brit! You nearly took my head off there, have a care!
Tigs: Look what you did to the timer! How am I going to know when my self-imposed deadline is here?
HK: And what's more important; who's going to clean up the mess?
Brit: Don't worry about the mess, I'll take care of it when I have written my part. How are the repairs to the torch coming?
SL4ever: I've nearly got it; someone had implanted a voice-pattern chip into the wiring, so that poor Sabrina's voice was transmuted into that of random Sliders people. It should be fine now.
SL4ever handed the torch to Brit, who waited patiently to see if the repairs had been successful.
Torch <voice of Sabrina Lloyd>: Will you get on with it!
Brit: Welcome home sweetie, it's good to have you back. Good work SL4ever, at least you got it fixed before we had JOC's whiny voice! But what's the big idea, ending your part of the story with a "You!!"? Don't you know that I have copyright on that ending?
SL4ever: Sorry dude, but it was a dramatically appropriate moment, I had to slip one in.
Brit: Fair enough, but leave it for me next time, there's only so many "You!"'s to go around.
ColinMallory: Hey, I know I'm the new guy, but don't I get to take part in the skits?
Blinker: You just did!
Brit carefully placed the torch in her rightful place on the desk, and wandered over to the bar. Taking one of TM's Christmas cocktails, he sat down in front of the manuscript.
Brit: Care to say it one more time my dear?
Torch <voice of Sabrina Lloyd>: Will you get on with it!
And with that, Brit began to write.....................
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Quinn couldn't wait for Remmy to get his breath back, he wanted answers and he wanted them now! "Where did they go? Which direction? Was Wade hurt? Come on Remmy, tell me!"
Remmy finally managed to suck enough air into his lungs to form a complete sentence. "This thing just came crashing through the window, hit Ryan, grabbed Wade and ran off. I think it must have been some kind of robot, the way it smashed that maid like that. I ran after it down into the car park, and saw Logan waiting by the taxi for them. They jumped in, and sped away!"
The Professor had a concerned look on his face, why couldn't they ever find time to enjoy the worlds they slid to these days? "Did you see which direction they went in Mr. Brown?"
Remmy looked up at the Professor with scorn in his eyes. "Well of course I did, but it ain't going to help us none because we don't have a car to follow them with!"
Quinn decided that now was not the time to be concerned with little things like 'the law', and so he smashed the side window of the nearest vehicle, and unlocked the door. Slipping into the driver's side, he had the steering wheel casing off in a flash, and began working on the exposed wires. Within a few short moments the car roared into life, as Quinn successfully hot-wired it.
"Get in!" He shouted to the others. "We might still catch them!"
Remmy and Arturo got into the car as quick as they could, and Quinn slammed the accelerator to the floor. The tires squealed in protest, but soon they found their grip, and the car shot out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell. Remmy told Quinn the direction he had seen the taxi go, down towards the docks it had seemed. They hadn't caught sight of the taxi as they hurtled through the city, although Quinn was just as concerned with keeping an eye out for any police patrol cars. Curiously enough he didn't notice any as they sped through the red lights; narrowly avoiding the other cars.
After five minutes, they approached the docks, and Quinn finally slowed the vehicle. If this was indeed Logan's destination, then the taxi would have to be around here somewhere. They crawled along the quayside, looking at all the warehousing units for telltale signs of life. Just as they were wondering if Logan had given them the slip, Remmy spotted the taxi he had seen Wade being taken away in. Quinn stopped the car a good hundred yards away from it, and they approached the warehouse on foot.
There didn't appear to be anyone keeping watch from the outside, but Quinn didn't want to take any chances where Wade's safety was involved. He crept along, keeping to the shadows, motioning for the others to imitate his stealthy approach, and slowly made his way to the door of the warehouse with the taxi outside. As he stood there, debating whether or not to charge in, he heard voices from inside.
"What do you want with me Logan? You know that the others will come for me!" Said Wade, trying to sound tough, but with a hint too much emotion in her voice to make it convincing.
"I don't really want you Wade," sneered Logan. "I'm just using you as my bargaining chip. What I need is the help of your boy genius friend to make me a proper timer. Once he completes that then I'll let you go. The more you keep your mouth shut, the better chance you have of getting out of here unharmed"
Quinn listened hard, but he couldn't hear any other people in the warehouse apart from Wade and Logan. He knew that he could probably take Logan before she could do anything to hurt Wade, but what if there were more people in there? He had to hope that the Remmy and Arturo could handle them if need be. He motioned to them that he was going to burst in, and that they should follow him. Like a coiled spring exploding into life, Quinn grabbed the door, and was inside in a heartbeat. But the scene that confronted him was not what he had expected.........
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Brit stood up from the desk, took the torch from it's mounting, and handed it to ColinMallory.
Brit: There you go, it's all yours now.
ColinMallory: Oh man! Why did you have to leave it like that? Couldn't you have given me something a little easier to deal with, it is my first time!
DMD: Don't kid yourself, you want to see the crap that I was left with for the last game! Don't expect any mercy from this lot!
Torch <voice of Sabrina Lloyd>: Okay newbie; will you get on with it!
ColinMallory: Okay, okay, I'll get on to it right away!
Brit took his customary place by the bar, and waited for TM to pour him a cold one as he munched on slice of pepperoni pizza.
Brit: Oh, SL4ever there's something I have to tell you.
SL4ever: What's that?
Brit: Sarah seems to have miscounted on the number of times that I have taken part in the story game. This part is my seventeenth time. I took part in the first two games, and have had an unbroken run since game eleven.
SL4ever: No!!! You can't be serious! Man that sucks!
HK: What's wrong with that dude?
SL4ever: It means that I'm one game behind Brit!
Brit: And always will be my friend! Here, have some pizza...
