ref: 7f2f5eb9c1a580e7d7fbfb821507cd982b2efcf9
dir: /troff.3ed/0222.ms/
.LP .ce .ps 16 .CW MOUNTAINS OF WHITE .R .ps 8 .CW tags: 1986, 4086, dexter_styles, gravy_needs, piro, .br shit_mold, tab2 .R .PP .ps 10 Thomas resumed haranguing Piro through the port hole. .PP .ps 10 "You have to listen to me. You have to come back with me to 1986." .PP .ps 10 "You've been talking for half an hour. Oh, the plight of the noble graphic designer." .PP .ps 10 "I'm serious, Piotr." .PP .ps 10 "I can tell. And I bet you guys are having quite a laugh at my expense. Well, .I Ramadan's .R almost over. You'll be back here soon enough and then I'll have my revenge." .PP .ps 10 "This is not a practical joke, Piro!" .PP .ps 10 "Prove it. Walk me through the challenge and response." .PP .ps 10 .I "Was there ever a God?" .R asked Piro, commencing the sequence. .PP .ps 10 .I "Once. A long, long time ago," .R answered Thomas. .PP .ps 10 They continued in this vein for some time, until Piro had satisfied himself that everything checked out. Once Thomas had successfully authenticated his identity, Piro allowed the conversation to continue. .PP .ps 10 "Why me?" he finally asked, rubbing his eyes. .PP .ps 10 Gravy Needs hovered around the corner. Piro was not aware that the King had called an early end to the holiday. .PP .ps 10 This was fucking great. .PP .ps 10 "Because we're twin brothers." .PP .ps 10 "Tom, that's impossible. You're from two thousand years ago." .PP .ps 10 "..." .PP .ps 10 "Furthermore, we look nothing alike." .PP .ps 10 "Not all twins are identical," said Thomas. .PP .ps 10 "And not all floating heads tell the truth," said Piro. .PP .ps 10 Stalemate. .PP .ps 10 .I "MAKE WAY FOR KING SHIT!" .R .PP .ps 10 Piro and Tom's brotherly reunion was interrupted by the return of the King. King Theodosius Shit Mold's entourage marched into the room, elbowing Piro away from the port hole. The flap closed and no one seemed to notice the floating head outside the window. Dexter Styles, the King's Chancellor, took up his usual position between the King and the rest of the group. .PP .ps 10 "Let it hereafter be known that King Shit has returned to the station!" he declared. .PP .ps 10 The King reclined on his portable throne, his leg dangling over an armrest. .PP .ps 10 "Indulge me," said the King to Piro. "Why did you stay behind?" .PP .ps 10 "Your Highness," Piro bowed deeply, "My duties..." .PP .ps 10 The King put up his hand, as if to punctuate Piro's excessive babbling. "Eff that noise. From now on, I want you by my side at all times. I've grand designs on your future, Piotr." .PP .ps 10 Piro bowed again. .PP .ps 10 A low rumble issued from the port hole. The flap blew back and the makeshift throne room was once again flooded with pale, colorless light. .PP .ps 10 "I wasn't finished," said Thomas Bright, Jr. through the port hole. .PP .ps 10 King Shit leaned forward as if to affirm his interest in the present goings\-on. .PP .ps 10 "By all means, do carry on," smirked the King. .PP .ps 10 Gravy Needs was delighted. He hadn't intended for the King to become involved. But now that he had, the hilarity could only increase. .PP .ps 10 Gravy punched up the others on his forearm and quickly told them all the news. Stifled laughs echoed in the close chamber. Gravy blipped off and resumed his manipulations of the Court. .PP .ps 10 "I'm here to retrieve my brother," continued Thomas. "There's trouble back home, and he's needed to help smooth over the discontent." .PP .ps 10 "Ah, I am empathetic to family problems," allowed the King. .PP .ps 10 "This is more than just a family problem. There's also a weird anomaly that threatens to engulf the entire universe." .PP .ps 10 "And only Piro can save us?" laughed the King, incredulously. .PP .ps 10 "That's my position, yes," answered Thomas. .PP .ps 10 The Court fell silent, waiting for the King to respond. .PP .ps 10 Shit Mold could see that Thomas was going to stand firm on his position. Such gallantry touched him deeply, reminding him of comic book stories from his youth. .PP .ps 10 "Very well then. It would amuse me to observe your adventures from remote. Piro! Pack up your monitoring kit. You're headed for the 1980s!" .PP .ps 10 Thomas bit his lip and slowly shook his head in affirmation of his victory. .PP .ps 10 At last, his brother was returning to him. At last, the team would be whole. .PP .ps 10 Together again for the first time. .PP .ps 10 Piro climbed into his vehicle and switched on some soft music. Vangelis, as usual. Thomas' head appeared, floating above the passenger seat beside him. The two brothers traveled sans conversation, which was fine with Piro. He needed time to think. .PP .ps 10 Gravy Needs had not anticipated that the King would send Piro away. For all his trouble, the butt of his prank had been effectively promoted to field work. .PP .ps 10 .I I hate Ramadan, .R he thought. .PP .ps 10 Moments after Piro engaged the ship's percept drive, the orbital station had begun to undergo a series of complex, unorthodox changes. As the transformations progressed, the station wobbled gradually in and out of sight. The station's engineers were befuddled by the day's events. .PP .ps 10 Within an hour of the brothers' departure, the anomaly Thomas had described had expanded to absorb the station in its entirety. No one had expected it to expand so quickly. Least of all Piro. .PP .ps 10 The King, from his vantage point atop the many phonebooks stacked beneath his posterior, had been blessed to see it all coming. Perched on his throne, he tittered and giggled at the symmetry between the waves of monochrome light on screen and the mountains of white powder piled on the table before him. .PP .ps 10 There was so much white, everywhere. .PP .ps 10 He sniffled as the station shuddered and faded from memory.