Occams Razor

:: Liberty sits down, pulls a notebook and teal pen from the side pocket of her backpack, and flips open the book. She stares, unseeing at the table for a few moments, her lips moving on silent words, and then she refocuses her gaze on the notepad and starts writing ::

I know it started out with a girl riding a bike to a grove. In the grove was a lake.

:: She stops, taps the table with her finger as her gaze focuses on the wall, then she looks back at the notepad ::

The story went off track for a moment – something about a pirate and I think a monkey. I might just be adding the monkey as I like monkeys.

:: she mutters the last under her breath and puts parenthesis around the monkey reference ::

This was the Professor’s contribution.

Then we went back to the scene in the grove. When you looked in the lake you could see other worlds – possibly parallel worlds. The girl reached into the lake and travelled to another world which was polluted. She was riding a hoverbike and… hmm… I think she was a scapulamancer.

That was Eden’s section – she might be able to confirm

She was wearing a breathing apparatus as the world was very polluted. This was something Madrigus contributed and I think Vanessa added on. There was mention of yellow clouds, I think. A sense of a world in sepia. I think Sally also added more to this section.

:: Her lips screwed to the side::

I think.

Something, something. A dancing demon – dancing to Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie. The demon was from a drawing by Alice; the dancing was Eden.

Then Lou stepped in and added… hmmm… something Very Lou.

Back to me and then Eden. Darn it something about the girl, or a girl, trapped in a room. And then drowning in the lake. And Lou reached in and pulled her out. Something about him being the Custodian of the Grove.

Hmm…

:: she shakes her head and then taps the pen against her chin ::

I think I need the other people involved to add what they remember of what they wrote. I thought I had a good idea of what we wrote but now that I’m writing it down…

:: she blows a raspberry and then refocuses on the notepad ::

"It was a girl who was trying to find her way back to a hidden grove," Kelsey said. "Someone interrupted, something about a rake of a boy who broke her heart and stole her bike. It was the bike she cared about, not the rake. Because rake's were a dime a dozen, but a bike that could get you to a hidden grove...that was special."

She peered at the notepad over Liberty's shoulder. "The pirate showed up, and tossed her ex-boyfriend the rake down at her feet. I believe she kicked him and demanded to know where her bike was. Then...I don't remember the rest so well. I seem to remember the lake and the traveling, and the girl ended up...trapped? Yeah, trapped in a room like you said. At some point Sally wrote that she was a magical warrior of love and justice, hoping she would rescue herself.

"Then Lou mopped up the lake like it was a puddle, freeing the girl and saying there was no need to thank him. Once again, Lou had cleaned up somebody else's mess."

She gave Liberty a half-smile. "Maybe we can have him try to mop up the typewriter." A small shrug. "Anyway, that's what I can remember of it. Shouldn't the original be around somewhere? Somewhere in Elliot North's notes?"

:: Liberty looks up at Kelsey ::
I completely forgot that part about the warrior that Sally added. Excellent.
:: She draws a line starting in a paragraph and points it over to a note she writes along the margin and down to the bottom of the page. Then she draws another line and starts to write, only to cross that out and add a caret and a B in another section of the page, then flipping the page over and writing a B there and adding a note. Another flip and she writes a caret and a C, then back to the back of the page and another note with a C designation. That done she looks back to Kelsey ::

I don't know that we'll have access to Mr. North's notes. Last I heard him I'm pretty sure he was killing Mo, at least that's the way it sounded. I'm not certain we'll want to be dealing with him. Or...
:: she shrugs ::
maybe we will.

:: another shrug, then she says ::
Anyhow, I figure its a good idea for anyone who can remember details like you did to add it to this.
:: she indicates the page ::
I'm not sure that our story had enough realism in it, being fairly fantastical, to come to life, but as I said to Red better we know the details of each story so we can be prepared.
:: a very slight frown mars her forehead ::
Do you know everyone that was in the first *and* the second group that wrote on the typewriter?

"Iff'n I may posit something," Henry chimed in, "I think a better concern is what the typewriter will try to reach a compromise with. I think if matters of warping the fabric of time and space were easy for it, we may as well get hold of it and write some of our woes out of existence."

Henry peaked over Liberty's shoulder and let out a soft hiss. "See this part here, the bit about another world and steam...punk? That might be what we think or something subtle like a convention or impromptu gathering. Don't some go nuts for that feeling of immersion? And what if Raver's club host one of these things? Red strikes me as someone who don't do thing by halves when it comes to parties."

It was Henry's turn to shrug it off. "With most things here we have to keep our heads up on this. No real telling which way the bus is coming at us here."

"As for members of the second round of writers...well I know I'm waiting for the shoe to drop. I'm kinda with you there. Hope the story makes that damned thing choke trying to spit it back in my face."

:: Liberty looks over her shoulder at Henry, then indicates the stool next to her with a jerk of her chin ::
Interesting thought about the story fitting itself to our world. Have any of the stories that have manifested done so? Or do they stay on-script?
:: she drummed her fingers on the table ::
This is where having a clearinghouse of all the stories would help. I'd just asked Kelsey if she knew the names of everyone that typed on the typewriter. Groups one and two. I have an incomplete list of those from the first group. From the second I now know it was you, also Alexander, Billy, Red, and Sally who also was in the first group. Do you recall others?

Also, have you given Red your story?

"Mo?" Kelsey asked. "I don't think I know anyone named Mo. Is he one of ours?" She frowned. "Sounds like we might need to deal with him, if he's killing people."

She nodded to Henry as he approached. "Hey, Henry." Turning her attention back to Liberty, she said. "I'm afraid I wasn't keeping track of the others. I just have a good memory for things I read, and I read the first story after it was finished."

The medic looked thoughtful. "As to whether any of the stories have compromised...I heard Sally's story pulled in a butcher from the next town over. He wrote the Butcher in his story - it wasn't the Penance that showed up, it was someone who worked in a butcher's shop. So I think you're onto something there, Henry."

Henry smiled at the compliment. "Heh, sounds like I almost know what I'm talking about. The world must really be rocking on its heels."

"I heard about what happen to Sally from the Professor. Whatever that typewriter brought to bear was a pale comparison. A shadow of Penance. One that Prof. Tesla booted back into darkness. And a telling display of where the typewriters limits stand."

Henry took the seat offered by Liberty. "And yes, Red has a copy. Hopefully, she doesn't think less of me for it."