The Message.

[DoF Archive]

Date: 10/3/1998 3:49 PM Central Daylight Time
From: RDI Deuce

His hands splashed through the water at a furious pace. Obsessively, he cleansed, like a killer removing the blood of his victim. But what, truly, was the difference? A broken neck spills nothing; it is the cleanest of kills, thus, the chosen method of Titan's leader to make his points. The washing itself, ceremony, an absolution of guilt. No longer was it murder; it was necessity, borne of want- nay, need, for
power overwhelming.

Where was his power? In whose hands did it belong? His creation, the Goon, held the Blue; safe was it there, for none knew of its existence. Soon, however, it would have to be retrieved. Not everyone in his executive council was trustworthy, certainly. Finding out precisely who would leak such information, however, would prove difficult. They were like squirrels, hiding their acorns of knowledge and traitorous activities inside the course of
their normal, everyday lives. None rose above suspicion more than any other. One would fail in keeping their facade of completely loyalty intact; patience would surely be a virtue now.

The Green, held by the druid, Walker Boh; this would prove difficult. More energy would have to be spent watching this one, for his strength was unknown. Of course, it could be taken; but to take would not suffice. Silence, surprise, and stealth were a must, for it had to be replaced before anyone would notice it was gone, even he who wore it on his arm. To kill would be to fail, for to alert the others to danger would hinder the plan far more
than desired. War with the populous over these stones was not an option, for all that was his would fall in the battle. Quiet strength was the only choice; but how much?

ShadoWeaver, Opal of the Spirit, in the hands of Matthew Simon. An adversary worthy of his best agents. Caution was required, though; contact was made by an unknown female, human. Friend or foe to the Colonel was undetermined. Their single contact could have been for any purpose, although it was undoubtedly regarding the gem. For what reason did she need to speak with him? The visit, unmarked by any signature goodbye, remained an enigma,
wrapped in the swirl of mystery surrounding the powerful artifacts of days gone by. Any move would have to be made quickly, albeit carefully, to obtain the Black.

Recent Baron of the Swords, Avery Shiv Blade, holder of Firestar. His power to protect the title object was minimal. So long as care was taken to keep things quiet, capture and replacement should not be excessively difficult. To avoid awakening the wrath of the magic-heavy Arena crowd, however, was unquestionably a priority. Titan's death would be a mere inevitability then, for the wizards and sorcerers would swarm their strongholds like locusts
in the field. Such power would surely allow all their fronts, laboratories, and headquarters to be located and vanquished, possibly within days. Perhaps a bit more time would be useful before striking at this one.

Yellow Opal, Moonberyl; held by Tarl Cabot. The only question about this one was whether the wisest move would be to obtain his title first or last. Barring a method to obtain all at once, guards would be raised upon the first attack. Cabot would be the easiest to overwhelm, based on current knowledge, were he to be made the last target. What could not be known, however, was his number of contacts; thus, data on the possible protection he could
obtain upon being seen as the last, unattacked Opal holder was unavailable. Also, were he to lose in that time, the new champion could be a far greater force. A mental note was made for more sims to be run, soon.

What about this Andrew Forcer? He had an assistant, an unassuming young lad, working with Khorien. Jordan.. there had to be more to this pair than meant the eye. But what, what could their angle be? They had made no move to take any of the Opals, outside of the elder one's failed challenge; perhaps he intended to take the stones under the guise of sportsmanship. The new test subject had failed in its mission- scaring Forcer away from his plans.
The injury had not been severe enough, nor close enough to the time of the match, to stop the fight from going on as planned. Fortunately, Cabot had proven victorious.

Under orders, Khorien did not let the boy anywhere near the powerful relics. Still, young men have a way of breaking rules.. and with the assistant Pap's aid, perhaps more would fall into their hands. Another mental note was made, this for Jordan to be watched at all times. The new surveillance bugs would receive a fine test.

A tapping at the office door brought the man back to reality. After stopping the water flow with a flick of the wrist, he grabbed a towel to dry his hands.

"Come in!"

The doorknob twisted, allowing his secretary entrance to the office. It was odd for her to actually come in the office; most times, she would page him over the intercom. As she strode to the desk, a letter in hand, the CEO's curiosity grew. Mail was delivered to him in the morning, as it was today.. what was this?

Wordlessly, the woman placed the missive on the desk, turned, and exited the room. Long ago she had learned that to speak to the rather unstable head of the company was to invite trouble, for he often looked for hidden meanings in all words. When none were present, the paranoia in his darkened soul emerged, demanding answers for questions which did not exist. More than once had a body been found on the street below. After twenty years of working
for Titan, Patricia Johanssen had no intention of ending up the same way.

A strong hand took the envelope from the table. Without hesitation, it was placed in a small x-ray machine near the desk. Careful eyes watched the screen as the letter passed upon it; all its contents were viewed.

Paper.

Confident now, the delivered message was taken from the device and opened. Shadowed eyes pored over the words within.

"A meeting..."

Pondering the note, his finger slowly depressed the intercom button.

"Miss Johanssen, please respond to this message in the affirmative."