The Ramblings of Guise Dugal

Guise looked from the phone box across the street to the sky above, lowering his shades by pressing the bridge with a finger. Around the world the symbol would be unnoticed except by the select few who knew where to look, but there on the face of the moon, projected by beacons on Amalthea’s surface was the outline of a rabbits face – the Boxsignal. The englishman pushed his shades back up and approached the man standing by the phone box.

“Sorry mate, the phone’s broken,” the man said, looking Guise up and down, “Needs repairs, you alright to wait?”

Guise smirked, “Yes. Said to be a virtue.”

The man looked in to Guise’s face, “Will, you await there hurt?”

“Until a thin veil rises”

The man nodded and stepped aside, allowing Guise to enter the phone box. He didn’t bother to lift the receiver, instead only pressing the ‘7′ button four time. “Jacpot, plus one”, he whispered to himself.

The sound of small jingling bells tinged around him, flecks of light fell before his eyes like snowflakes descending and he felt his body shifting and becoming disparate. For a few moments, Guise blinked out of existence.

A secret location
Floor Zero – Reception Area Gamma-Alpha-Two

Guise blinked as his eyes adjusted to the brightly illuminated area. He felt the watchful gaze of scanners and cameras on him. He took short steps forward, his footfalls clinking on the metal gantry until he stood before a large metal door.

Etched on the door was the outline of the same bunny face and the number ‘23′ in a square, printed below were the words Tactical Headquarters – Research, Espionage, Adventure Division.

Guise looked upwards to a camera mounted above the door, he saw the lens adjusting as it focused on him and mentally counted the seconds down as it ran all it’s scans.

He could feel the laser sights as they trawled across his body comparing his dimensions and knew that they’d be cross-referencing with the pressure plates underfoot, he hoped that the system was smart enough to take in to account that he’d been away long enough for more than just hair to change.

“Acknowledged,” an electronic voice said, “Guise Dugal. Welcome back to Advent-urer Ops Centre.”

The heavy metal blast doors slid open and the stale ante-chamber was filled with a cool breeze and the assorted smells of gingerbread, cocoa and vanilla. Guise closed his eyes, inhaling the wonderful festive smell, before adjusting his cufflinks, straightening his jacket and stepping in to the entrance corridor.

The voice followed him on his pacing, shifting along the small speakers built in to the tops of the walls, as if a secretary following a consultant on their rounds. “You have 72 outstanding messages since your last visit. Begin playback?”

“No,” Guise said to the air, he looked at his watch, glancing not at the hands but at the small date at the bottom. It was early. “Locate Dan.”

“Searching,” there was a brief pause as the system checked every camera in the complex against user profiles as well as running a sweep against absentees, “Dan is in central gallery, west balcony, floor two.”

“Perfect,” Guise said out loud and with a steady pace, he set off through the maze of corridors.

A secret location
Floor Two – West Balcony, Central Gallery

Dan stirred his coffee and gazed in to the growing number of Advent-urers assembling in the gallery. Friends coming back together, ready for mystery and intrigue, mingling with new faces. He stood alongside The Captain, listening intently to the tales of the latest conflict his crew had had against the wicked Purple Thorn Ninja Clan.

“…and that’s when his leg just fell off”, The Captain laughed, gesticulating with his hands, “Ah, what have we here?”

Guise entered through the glass automatic doors and nodded to the two men. “Dan, Will,” he said with a smile, then paused as he regarded the piratical outfit that The Captain had chosen, “you know, we need to make a decision about whether people come here in secret identity or not.”

Dan grinned, “Well, not all of us need to hide, you know.”

“Good point,” Guise grinned, “So, what’s the news?”

“Not much at this point,” Dan sighed, he indicated to a panel of tabletop monitors, “still nothing from the mansion since we lost contact after last Advent, the place just vanishes like the whole calendar. You’ve kept up with the few messages though, right?”

“Yeah, stuff from Knacks that he’s got through MySpace and those messages from our rabbit friend.” Guise rubbed his chin, “I’m still wondering about that lot though, I’m not satisfied we ever got near to uncovering much about that. I’ve got my theories, but…”

“Well, others have been looking in to a book, Dell’Arcano del Mare, after a suggestion by this fairly new face, Meepy. The book’s by a guy called Sir Robert Dudley, it’s a 17th-century maritime encyclopedia. It’s meant to feature a map to El Dorado and, get this, sea monsters.”

“Like the one that’s been popping up in our sights, the one I tracked?”

“The same,” Dan nodded, “Tres managed to track down some extra findings, nothing concrete for a link as yet, but we’re sure that it’s our strongest connection.”

“I’ve got me crew out searching for clues, even if it means hitting every port and dock around,” Will added, tapping a monitor showing a satellite image of his ship as it coarsed through open waters.

The tannoy buzzed, followed by the sound of goth music before a voice cut in. “Advent-urers, this is DJ D on Station23, we have new video to relay. Seems to come from The Rabbit.”

Guise reached across the table, shifting the mouse to bring up the video. Scenes from cheap horror advertising and circus poured forth before cutting out. The three stood in contemplation, while below in the gallery groups clumped around VDUs to do the same. Everyone studying the footage, many rewinding to repeat the viewing.

“Where is everyone?” a voice came from behind the trio as Bill entered the room.

“Not sure,” Dan said, shaking his head, “I wasn’t first here, but came before a few others, the message is going out as much as it can.”

“Doho is still MIA,” Guise said with a sigh, “not sure what’s going on, but that’s yet another mystery to crack. The Canuck is still on mission, I believe, not sure if he’s shrk wrestling or working on the Weapon Pets project…”

“Weapon Pets?” Bill asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Breeding program, animals designed to survive winter assaults and fight back. We’re working on the Boose at the moment, it’s where you take the standard Canadian Army transport Polar Bear and breed it with a rampunctous Moose.”

“Ok, who else?”

“No sign of Kneg since the police started the investigation in to his twin sisters disappearance.” Dan said, considering who he’d seen. “Hazard is here, but don’t know if you recognised him in his new costume, it took me by surprise”.

“Rob is in Research at the moment, saw him go there with Tres,” Will said, “Think he’s looking in to some arcano meanings. Frakky is trying on the Lipton3000 flamethrower packs in R&D, and think Rhino is scouting out somewhere.”

“Kittymao, Dio and Lex?” Bill asked, mentally going through a roster of familiar faces that were absent.

“Kitty, I’m not sure of. Last time I saw Lex, he was eyeing up a set of legs that went past, next moment I turned for a second and he was gone. I chose not to follow, he’ll come back when the red mark on his face dies down,” Guise said with a grin, “Dio is looking after a kid. Cute boy, sweet and innocent, blonde hair and psionic abilities.”

“Wait, what?” Dan said, blinking.

“Hm?”

“Did you just say what I thought you did?” The look on Dan’s face was complete bewilderment, “Sweet and innocent, still, after more than 10 minutes?”

“Well, it can happen!”

“Maybe we should take up posts?” Bill asked, looking between the assembled.

“You thinking of letting him help?” Will asked, slightly skeptical.

“I can keep him in check and his powers may be useful.”

“I say go for it, Bill,” Dan said, reassuringly, “Whatever happens, we need whatever help we can muster.”

Bill nodded and pulled a small voodoo doll made from a whittled potato from inside his jacket, the drawn on facial features and hair matching his own. “From within, I summon the spirit of Baron Saladi, grant me the occult power! Veggie Macaaaaaaaabre!”

In a puff of green smoke, Bill transformed from his casual attire to a dark green top hat, tattered trousers and torn jacket. His face was painted with a green skull design and around his neck hung a string of carrots and a candle-less turnip jack-o-lantern.

“Muahaha!” Veggie Macabre boomed, “I shall raise a squadron of Zombie Zucchini and see what an assembled guard can uncover.”