************************************************************

Blinker, Aelita, Slider Sarah and Hurrikain sat on the newly upholstered sofa in the
storygame cave. Well, actually, HK was asleep on Sarah’s shoulder, exhausted from an
all nighter (studying!!) and Sarah was gently stroking the hair of her towel boy/protector.
Aelita was quietly nagging Blinker, trying to get him to provide some clue as to his
identity.

Aelita: Is your name Tom?
<Blinker shook his head>
Aelita: Is it Mike?
<Blinker blinked, shaking his head>
Aelita: Is it.....Ralph?
<Blinker glared at her>
Aelita: nope, definitely not Ralph.....is it Jerry? <grinning>
<Blinker rolled is eyes>
Aelita: Is it Dave?
<Blinker, getting bored, started playing with the sofa cushions>
Aelita: Is it Bruce?
<Blinker, his hand between the sofa cushions, felt something and pulled it out>
Aelita: Is it Steve?
<Blinker looked closely at the object. It looked like a remote control. Probably
something SL4ever had snuck in. There was probably a TV hiding in the back of the
cave, Blinker thought.>
Aelita: Is it Mark?
<Blinker noticed a red button towards the top of the remote. He thought that perhaps if
he pressed it, the TV would turn on wherever it was and he’d be spared the litany of
names that Aelita was hurling at him>
Aelita: Is it Tracy Torm’e?
<Blinker pressed the button and a red vortex appeared above them. Before they could
jump off the sofa, Blinker, Aelita, Sarah and HK were sucked into the vortex>

They landed with a thud. Hurrikain, still asleep, fell off the sofa, banging his head.

HK: Ow!! Why’d you push me off the sofa? <he said, looking at Sarah>
Sarah: I bloody well didn’t push you off the sofa! Here, give me a hand, I’ll help you up.
<Sarah reached down and pulled her towel boy back to the sofa>

Meanwhile, Aelita was poking at Blinker.

Aelita: What do you mean that you just pushed the button? Without knowing what this
thing was?
Blinker: Welll......I thought it was a TV remote. How was I to know that sliding was
possible and that this was a real timer?
Sarah <jumping up from the sofa, toppling HK back to the floor> What do you mean
“sliding is possible”? Are you telling me that we’ve actually slid??
HK: OW!!!!!!

Sarah looked around at her surroundings. It looked like the storygame cave. There was
the desk, the torch, SL’s recliner, discarded cowboy hats from the current game.....it all
looked right. Except, not far from where she was standing, was another sofa, identical to
the one her friends were sitting on.

Aelita: Yes, we’ve slid, thanks to mystery man here!! Didn’t you notice the little ride
thought the dimensional wormhole?
Sarah: Well, it happened so fast......can this really be true? <her voice filling with
wonder>
Blinker: I don’t know.....this looks like our cave. Maybe it was just some kind of special
effect....Mychand was just talking about that thing at Universal Studios, you know, the
vortex thingy that she and Kelz went through...maybe the remote triggered something like
that.
<Aelita stared at him> You’re in denial.
Blinker: No, I just think you’re jumping to conclusions.

HK, meanwhile had gotten up from the floor for the second time and was poking around
the cave. Sarah was standing, a pensive look on her face.

Sarah: Well, if this is our cave, where’d everyone go? We had an active story game
going on, just minutes ago.
Aelita: Good question.....well, Blinker?

Blinker, ignoring both women, started looking around the cave. He ignored the identical
sofa (because he was in denial) and took in all the things that were the same about this
cave. He approached the torch. He thought perhaps the torch could shed some light (pun
intended)

Blinker: Torch.....who’s up next for the story game?
Torch <in the voice of Neil Dickson> I believe its Executive.....
Blinker <screaming in agony> NOOOOOOOOO!!!! We really have slid! What kind of
world have we landed on that would have Neil Dickson as the voice of the torch? And
let Exec play in the story game?

Aelita, Sarah and HK stood looking at the tortured face of their friend. They had really
traveled to a different dimension. What should they do?

Aelita recovered first.
Aelita: Where’s the timer, Blinker?
Blinker: the timer! I dropped it when we were in the vortex.....by the sofa, look there.

The four frantically searched for the timer, fearing that they would miss their window to
slide out.

HK: Got it! <he pulled his hand out from underneath the recliner and waved the timer in
the air>

Sarah grabbed the timer from him.
Sarah: Whew.....we still have 12 hours before the next window.
The others sighed a sigh of relief.
Blinker: Any suggestions on what we should do?
Aelita: Well, at the risk of sounding like Quinn Mallory....we should probably try and
find a way to get home.

Before anyone could reply, shock mixed with horror filled their faces as three figures
entered the storygame cave. Sarah’s palor went ghost white as she leaned into her
TP...this was definitely NOT their world........

************************************************************

The terrible trio is looking for volunteers to be the villian(s) in this skit. If you're interested, please let us know. We promise to be nice....really. :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shock mixed with horror filled their faces as three figures entered the SGC .. Sara's pallor went ghost white as she leaned into her TBP ... this was definitely not their world ....

How could this be their world? There stood the fiercly menacing figure of BritSlider. Sarah's lower lip quivered as they all took in his unshaven, unshowered appearance and even thou she was nearly 4 feet from him, she could tell he was in desperate need of a toothbrush. Sarah was speechless; he was wearing a cowboy hat and turned to spit a big wad of chewing tobaccie at a dented spitoon next to the couch; she felt faint.

To BritSlider's right, in a silver cape, stood BlazingAngelKnight.

BAK: Why are you in my cave?
HK: <gulped loudly> yyy..y..your cave?
BAK: I AM the Game Master.
HK falls to the couch cluching at his heart in shock.

Sarah slumps down next to HK, still in shock over the transformation of Brit.

The third member of the group had captured the attention of the bickering Aelita and Blinker and quickly all eyes were on her. It was SouthernSlider. But definitely not THEIR SouthernSlider. Gone was the demure southern belle that they all knew and respected. Gone was her trademark fan. In her place was a spikey haired hellion! Tight jeans covered in tanned chaps and her shirt was so revealing that the newbies to this world blushed in unison.

HK's lop-sided grin at SS's attire was followed by laughter which stopped abruptly at the
appearance of yet another familiar face entering the cave. Goldenangel muscled BAK aside, pointing him towards the kitchenette and the gleam in her eyes was enough to prod Aelita and Blinker to join their friends at the sofa.

Blinker: uh-oh
Sarah: I’ve got a bad feeling about this...
HK: dude..do you see how low-cut that shirt--oomph! <Sarah elbowed him>
Aelita: Maybe its not too late to play along. We must exsist here if they do. We just need convince them we’re our doubles.

Aelita stood and approached the group.

Aelita: Hi guys, wuz up?
Brit: <raised an eyebrow at her, and silently examined her countenance. The two “ladies” mirrored his questioning expression. BAK had seemingly disappeared>
Aelita: So, ah, where is everyone?
Blinker: Yeah, who’s turn is it on the storygame? <Brit turned his attention to Blinker>
Brit: Thought you’d been outlawed from this game....whatcha doin in this here cave?

HK and Sarah’s jaws hit the floor as they turned to stare blankly at each other. Brit’s soothing cultured British accent was history, in its place
twanged the unmistakable drawl of rural Texas.

SS: <noticed the couple on the couch and strolled over> HK? Why arent’t you at home? <her tone made them both shiver>
HK: Uh?
SS: You know you’re not allowed in the cave, not since you formed the ATL and forbid Sarah darling from wearing her towel in public ever again. <pats Sarah's slim leg as she slid to the couch between the two shocked sliders>.

The four sliders exchanged appalled glances. This world was VERY different than their world and it didn’t seem prudent to stick around the cave any longer....

Aelita: We were just leaving, now that you mention it.....I’ve got a Y2K issue I need to fix, so I’m outta here. <she headed for the door>
Sarah: <pulling HK by the sleeve> We’ve got to study...c’mon <they raced out the door>
Blinker was left, standing by himself. Part of him wanted to confront Brit, this man who was so different from his friend. But now was not the time or place. Somehow though, Blinker knew the time AND place would come, and very soon. Something here wasn’t right and he meant to find out what it was. Without a word, Blinker left the cave.

The other three were waiting for him by the entrance to the Sliders Main Board. The noise from inside was deafening.

Blinker: <shouting to be heard> Why are we here?
Aelita: Sarah figured that we could enter the main board and be fairly inconspicious. Made sense. If this board is anything like the one from our world.....
Blinker: got it, lets go in.

HK led the way into the noisy Main Board. People were everywhere. The sliders recognized people they knew in every niche of the room. SpaceTime and buffyboy were arguing with Charmed, trying to convince him that they really were different people. QBall bunchanumbers was rambling about something, but no one was paying attention to him. Hunter was doing a poll. Four different people were claiming to be Temporal Flux, but the reall TF was nowhere to be seen.

Blinker led the group to an empty corner.

HK: what was that about back in the story cave? Could you believe what SS was wearing?
Sarah: <glaring at HK> Will you get over that already? you act as if you’ve never seen a woman in a tight blouse before!!
HK: but she looked so go--
Blinker<blinking> can we focus here, please?
HK and Sarah: ooooooooo k
Blinker: Alright, now, something strange was definitely going on back in the cave.
Aelita: why do you say that?
Blinker<looking dumfounded> ah, because Brit was talking like a cowboy from a bad spaghetti western and two really great ladies were scaring me with their outlandish behavior?
Aelita: So who’s to say that thats not normal on this world? You’re judging them by our standards.
Blinker: And the fact that Brit was just about ready to run me out (or run me through!) the cave....you don’t think thats weird?
Sarah: Blinker, as much as I thought all that back there was weird....um, its possible that Aelita is right. That could’ve been the norm on this world. <HK nodded in agreement>
Blinker: I refuse to believe that! No one could be THAT different.
Aelita: what about that episode where Quinn and Wade were married and she killed hi--
Blinker: don’t quote Sliders to me, this is the real world!
HK: Well, actually, its not really our real world.....
Blinker glared at him and stormed off.
HK: What? What did I say?

Blinker headed toward what was the bathroom on his world. He was hoping to find a moment of privacy, to pull himself together. He opened the door and was about to walk in, but stopped dead in his tracks.

Blinker: <calling back to Aelita, Sarah and HK> I think you’d better come here.....

Sarah, seeing Blinker’s ghostly face, hurried over, Aelita and HK on her heels. They skidded to a halt behind him nearly pushing him into the next room. They peered around his hulking figure into what appeared to be this world's SGC mensroom. What the 4 friends saw before them turned their blood to cherry ice ......

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What did our sliders find in that bathroom? Toliet tissue put on the wrong way? No hand towels to dry their hands? Stay tuned for their next exciting episode!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sarah gasped in shock. HK gathered her in his arms, hiding the gruesome scene in the
bathroom from her. Blinker and Aelita stared at each other, speechless.

Inside the rather large bathroom lay sleepingtiger. Her body was sprawled out on the
black and white checkered floor in an unnatural position. She was wearing nothing but a
tiger-striped towel. In her left hand, she held a snickers bar, the right, a mlting cherry
Popsicle. Her eyes were sightless, staring up at the mirrored ceiling of the bathroom. A
huge grin was frozen on her face.

Aelita<whispering to Blinker> do you think she’s dead?
Blinker looked at Aelita with dazed eyes. He knew this wasn’t his sleepingtiger-- the
towel gave it away cuz tigger would never be caught in a towel--still the sight of her
dead, and yes he was convinced she was dead, body had made him nauseous.
Blinker: Oh, man....um....oh, man....yeah, I think she’s d..d..d..dead.
<Aelita grabbed his arm, trying to comfort him, but not knowing how>
Aelita: we should probably call the police or at least the bboard moderator....
Blinker: NO!
Aelita looked at him in shock.
Blinker: I want to look around first.....clearly, she was, ah, murdered <he shuddered>
Aelita: you sound so sure...why?
<Blinker looked at her in confusion>
Blinker: she’s just sprawled out...on the men’s bathroom floor...dead and you don’t think
its odd?
Aelita: not to hurt your delicate emotions Blink, but, um, she’s holding a Popsicle and a
snickers bar.....
Blinker: So? She died eating, is that what your saying? <Blinker was starting to get
mad>
Aelita: Perhaps you missed the posts from SL4....but eating is not what i think she was
doing in here...I think she was other wise engaged and maybe had a stroke or something!
Blinker: a stroke?!! What ARE you talking about?
Just then, HK pushed his way into the bathroom.

HK: Sarah’s sick...she almost fainted away. Seeing st dead and worse, wearing a towel
was too much for her. I found a corner with a chair and sat her there.....she’s just torn up
about this...<he motioned to the dead st>
Aelita: HK, look around here, what do you think happened?
<HK took a second, looking around while trying to avoid the grinning face of his dead
friend>
HK: well......I’m thinking that the Popsicle and snickers bar together were too much for
her.
<Blinker roared in outrage>
Blinker: have you two lost it completely?? <Blinker stepped into the bathroom and
began searching for a clue to prove him right>
Blinker: AHA!!
HK & Aelita: What?
Blinker: an onion loaf, thats what, and dented on the side.
Aelita: oh my....she was murdered...just like in SL4’s fanfic comedy!!!
HK: and the Popsicle and snickers bar.....you don’t think....?

He never got to finish his thought because at that moment, Chaser9 and Slider142 walked
up.

Chaser9: Hey guys!! Whats going on? Aelita, never expected to see you here at the
main board.
Slider142: Yes, this is a surprise!
Chaser9: Whats going on in the bathroom? Kinda strange place for you all to be hanging
out, isn’t it? You guys aren’t hiding one of those outlawed Peckinpah punching bags are
you? Man, if you got caught....

The three sliders gave their friends’ doubles a once-over. These two were the most
normal looking doubles they’d seen yet. What a relief. But, Blinker hesitated for a
second. He wasn’t sure he was ready to share their discovery with anyone from this
world yet. The decision was taken out of his hands. Chaser pushed his way past Blinker,
looking into the bathroom.

Chaser: NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who killed sleepingtiger's double? Is it the obvious culprit, or a more sinister plan? Stay tuned!!!