-- Num ---- Username ---- Category ------------- Posted -- Expires --- Pages --- | 44470 | STU_RSFURR | STORIES | 12/15/92 | 12/22/92 | 6 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Description: appropriate, no? (by ben) | ================================================================================ Tank Stories: The Final Chapter Sapien drove the tank slowly down the main street of town. Amid the deserted silence, a faint buzzing noise could be heard. "What the heck is that?" said Ivory, sitting low at his machine- gun mount. "Beats me." said ronin. "We should probably find out." said Sapien. The tank drove on through the narrow streets of the town. The buzzing became louder. All of a sudden, there He was. Bob jumped off of the back of the tank and ran, screaming like a fool. He raised himself up to his full height (a good 30 feet) and stared at them. "H.E. round, you know the place," said Ivory to ronin, who obligingly fired a shot right into the gut of He. There was a tremendous explosion. Ivory looked up. "It didn't appear to do much damage." he said in a matter-of-fact way. "Indeed it didn't" concurred ronin. "None at all," added Sapien. "Perhaps an armor piercing round of some sort would do better." wondered Ivory aloud. "I believe it might." said Sapien. "Shall we try it?" inquired ronin. He didn't wait for an answer, firing a APFSDS round at He. *BOOM* Ivory looked up again. "Again, we seem not to have affected this creature." he said. "Oh, well," said Sapien, "you win some -- you lose some." "What course of action do you suggest now?" queried ronin. Ivory surveyed the situation, taking into account the untouched condition of their foe, the fact that said foe was beginning to advance, and the fact that they weren't really sure what He could do. He looked back at his companions and in a very calm tone of voice said #3"PANIC!!!!!" #4"PANIC!!!!!" Sapien jammed the tank into reverse; ronin attempted a few desperation shots; and Ivory fired all of the auxiliary weapons. There were no visible effects on He. Ivory screamed "AAAAAH!" and fired his machine gun. ronin desperately attempted to calm him down as he continued firing his machine gun long after it had run out of ammo. He kept coming. Now it was ronin's turn to scream and fire all of his weapons. Ivory tried to calm him down. He kept coming Sapien screamed. Both of the others tried to calm him down. He kept coming. All of them screamed. The dread creature reached out his hand, grasping at the front of the tank. Its clawed fingers reached out and began prying away at the armor surrounding the driver's position. "Hey," said ronin, "he's going after the squid." The hand had now penetrated the armor. Ivory and ronin jumped off of the top of the tank as the hand of He lifted it up into the air. Sapien tried to get away. "STOP!" came a voice from the sky above. The creature halted. Ivory and ronin looked around for the source of the voice. "I APOLOGISE IF MY SERVANT HAS BOTHERED YOU!" rang the voice again. "I HAVE COME TO CLAIM THE ONE KNOWN AS SAPIEN!" "You can't take him!" protested Ivory. "WORRY NOT!" said the voice "HE SHALL NOT BE HARMED. IT IS HIS TIME TO GO!" "Go where?" asked ronin. "TO THE FABLED LAND OF COLLEGE GRADUATES!" responded the voice. "Will he be able to come back?" our heroes asked. "FOR VISITS, YES, BUT HE WILL NEVER BE ONE OF YOUR WORLD AGAIN." The creature dissapeared, its purpose done, leaving Sapien and the tank floating in midair. "Do not despair," said Sapien. "You will all make this journey sooner or later. You can't stay in college forever." "We can try!" said ronin, cheerily. "Yet, I must go," said Sapien, ignoring the last comment. For greater things await me, and you also. Farewell my friends." With that, the tank flew up into the sky, with a ray of light shining down upon it. Ivory and ronin watched it until it was out of sight. "Now what?" asked Ivory as the tank dissapeared. "We walk, I guess." answered ronin. They walked down the street and out toward the town limits, pondering what they had seen. As they reached the town limits, they passed by what appeared to be a 1962 Corvette, with the lights on. Feeling an obligation to save someone's battery, Ivory looked in to turn the lights off. The keys were in the ignition. They looked at the keychain. It was in the shape of a squid. Attached to it was a note saying, "Sorry for keeping the tank." hope this will help you get home. "Should I drive," said Ivory, suddenly much more enthusiastic. "I've seen you drive," said ronin, "but... what the heck." They opened the doors, and climbed in. The engine started on the first try. Our two heros smiled at each other, then Ivory pulled his foot off of the clutch, and the two drove off, in search of further adventures. The End?