The Presence Of Being - a MrC CJ - The End

[Fred_Ginger 1]

okay, enough of he flooding - I know, I know - you really enjoyed it but I'm getting anxious for them to get going....

[MrCinatit 30]

And Now, A Word From Our Sponsors

Hmmm. Do I do an update, or cheat and throw in a teaser?

Update? Teaser?

Update? Teaser?

The update gets us out of the city - we need out of the city. There is a lot out there.

But, I really like that teaser shot.

The update - well, not much happens.

And the teaser is for an update that will be a few weeks ago. Then again, that is what teasers do.

They tease.

Hmmmm.

jacqulina - Thanks very much, Jacky. It is very appreciated.

Livin in Sim - hey, no fair using words I have to look up! "Raiders"...hmmm..."A team from Oakland."

"Refrigerator"...hmmm..."A man named Perry who played with Cleveland." So, they are the Oaklands of the Lost Perry!!??!! What the...

We will save the flying cows for later updates. I cannot promise it will be two cows - it just might be the same one, actually.

I wish I could tell you which building style the little house is in (NY, ect.), but I always have all of them going at the same time for a bit of diversity - unless I don't want diversity.

homeandaway - thanks very much - I was more than pleased and surprised with the way the flood turned out.

Godzillaman - did you mean the flooding, or the style of the water.

The water style - I am not sure of the name anymore, unfortunately - which is tragic, because the fellow was nice enough to point me out to improved modifications he had made whenever he released them - and I think they are quite good.

The flooding, meanwhile, can be found here thanks to Teirusu's Rain mod

Fred_Ginger - one more update, and we will be out of the village (after all, some partial closure is nice)

Thanks much for looking, folks, It is appreciated.

And as always, comments, critiques and questions are not only appreciated, but welcomed and encouraged.

Take care

why do I feel like I am missing something?

Ah. No biggie.

[jacqulina 162]

hiya MRC,Thats a beautifull shot,wonderfull effects,awesome work and pic

[Fred_Ginger 1]

Sometimes you are sooooo mean!

[MrCinatit 30]

 

   Garis, Bistrom, Timous, and The Old Man walked through the muddy streets. Streets that had, at one time, been busy, but were now filled with debris and emptiness.

     They came across a few souls here and there. As if by instinct and without invitation, they followed the quartet. The four did not mind the company.

     Slowly, they walked through the town. Almost all of it was gone.

     Almost all of it.

     Near the shore, one small area of five blocks remained – five blocks that had been untouched by the floodwaters.

     “It is a miracle of the stars!” Bistrom said. “The Stars have placed their blessings on this little place, and saved it.” He looked to the others. “It is a sign. A sign we should…” he paused, and looked at the others. “Stay?” Even when he said it, he knew it was more of a question than an answer.

     Garis looked at The Old Man, who only looked at the younger man and smiled. Garis shook his head.

     “No, my friend,” Garis said quietly. “I do not belong here. You may stay, if you wish – but you know what I must do.”

     Bistrom nodded and grinned. “I know. And you know I cannot leave your side.” He looked around. “I wonder if Ruby is okay?”

     Garis let out a small chuckle. “Just a glance, and you have been entrapped. Such is the song of the siren.”

     Bistrom grinned sheepishly.

     “AH! Yes, uh…’ello there!” A voice called out from a crowd of people at the edge of the remaining town. “It is so nice to see you have made it.” They turned to see Smidgeon walking towards them. Once he stepped on the mud, he slipped for two feet, and then fell on the edge of his pants. “Oh bloody he...!” He looked around sheepishly. “Terribly sorry, but these are new trousers.”

     Garis reached his hand out and pulled Smidgeon up. “It’s all right,” he said with a grin.

     Smidgeon looked around. “Oh, and you bought other survivors with you! Jolly good! Jolly good! We will need a lot of helping cleaning things up, after all. I mean we all can’t live here, you know. So…” he clasped his hands together in a clap and rubbed them together. “Who is ready to get their hands dirty and knees wet, if you will? We have a lot of work to do before we get this old girl looking like she was, well, yesterday, before that storm came along and buggered things up.”

     Garis shook his head. “I am afraid I and my friends will not be joining.” He shrugged sheepishly. “I have someone to look for.”

     “Oh,” Smidgeon said with some disappointment in his face. Then his face brightened up. “OH! A woman!” He nudged Garis with his elbow. “Well, you sly, dirty fox you, you go out and get her and find that woman – and bring her back, if you want.”

     Garis nodded. “I will.”

     “Um. Garis.” Timous stepped up next to him. “This…well…this has been home for me a while. And, they helped me a lot when I got kicked out.” He looked around. “I would like to stay here.”

     Garis smiled. “Of course, my friend,” he said, patting Timous on the shoulder. “And if you see Ruby again…” he glanced at Bistrom. “Tell her someone is thinking about her.”

     Timous smiled. “I will.”

     With that, Garis, Bistrom and The Old Man walked away from the others, away from the town and into the woods.

    “So, be safe, chaps,” Smidgeon said to them, almost to himself. “And come back.” He looked around and noticed he was alone, as the others had already begun their work. “Bloody hell, am I a lonely git!”

And Now, A Word From Our Sponsor

Ok, not a great update, but at least it gets us out of that coastal city and into the wilderness.

I will do replies later.

As always, I appreciate you looking in, folks.

And as always, comments, critiques and questions are not only appreciated, but welcomed and encouraged.

Take car.

[doodlea21 31]

I've just caught up on all the updates, and I can't wait to find out what happens next. I've never been so addicted to a story based journal before.

[jacqulina 162]

HI MRC, all that flooding and those buildings untouched,excellent story and pics,i also cant wait to see what happens next

[homeandaway 1]

stunning pics and work my friend! - i admire you so much! - so much indeed! - im so eager to see more!, hope you are well, be safe ~alex~

[Cleaner475 151]

I share both of Jaqulinas and homeandasways comments - great work and good luck

[Fred_Ginger 1]

For some unknown reason I can't see the first two pictures.  Don't worry the others convey the devastation.  I am glad we're getting started on the Quest......

[6underground 11]

There are some fine examples of photoshoping skills here! Very well honed skills and a good recent storyline (since i haven't read from the beginning).

I stumbled upon your signature too, seems we admire the same type of individual, an old shot from NR to show what i mean:

[MrCinatit 30]

Garis, Bistrom and The Old Man walked through the woods. They could hear the calls of strange animals in the distance, but near them, things were quiet.

     “Have you been through here before?” Bistrom asked The Old Man.

     He nodded. “But, it is different.” He looked around, a foreboding look on his face. “I am not sure what it is – but I do not like it.”

     They walked for several miles. The shadows of the trees grew long. They began setting up camp.

     Bistrom looked around nervously. “Do you think it was true what Maggie said? About the dark creature taking Mary from our village?”

     The Old Man shook his head. “I have never seen anything like it before.” He cleared his throat. “Then again, I have never seen the storms we have had recently, either. At least, not here.”

     As they sat around the campfire, they continued talking. “Timous told me something else before we left,” Bistrom said. “He said something about a knight, dressed completely in black, who roamed the woods.” He looked around, wrapping his arms around himself. “They say, whoever sees him is never seen again.”

     “Then how would anyone know he exists?” Garis asked.

     Bistrom looked at him and managed a weak grin. “Yeah. I guess you are right.”

     When Sol hid and The Stars and Luna were overhead, Garis and Bistrom lay on the ground, looking at the sky. The Old Man was asleep.

     A light slowly moved overhead.

     “Is that the dragon!!??!!” Bistrom gasped.

     Garis shook his head. “No. That is one of the Traveling Lights. I have seen them for many, many years. Way before the dragon came. They are very ancient.” He motioned towards The Old Man. “He said they watch over us, somehow.”

     “Oh,” Bistrom said. But, he was not sure he trusted them. He fell into a restless sleep.

And Now, A Word From Our Sponsor

I was debating: Do I do an update, or do I reply?

While I do need to do replies (I will hopefully tonight...or the weekend - sometime!), I thought an update would be more appreciated.

At least, maybe it would.

Thanks for looking, folks. It is appreciated.

And as always, comments, critiques and questions are not only very appreciated, but welcome and encouraged.

Take care.

[sEAhAwk fAn121 0]

ooo scary! but also very cool lol

great update Mr. C!

[Fred_Ginger 1]

Traveling Lights, hmmmmmmm, that's interesting - but what's making the old man uneasy? hmmmmm?

[The Big Z 103]

Nice! I love the pictures, and the way you've woven the story in with your region! MrC, I can't wait for your next update!

[Livin in Sim 83]

Hi, MrC,

The Oaklands of the Lost Refrigerator...yeah, that's it.    Way to pick up on the underlying symbolism, there. 

It is a pleasant journey through such verdant landscape, hopefully they are enjoying the trip as much as us, in spite of that darn "foreboding".  Something tells me they should enjoy the calm while they can.  The little tent by the lake is an affecting scene.  What could be the explanation for the Traveling Lights?  Comets?  I doubt Garis would buy comets watching over them...a satellite or some sort of spacecraft?

Time will tell.

Bye for now.

--Liv

[MrCinatit 30]

Garis woke the next morning. In his restless sleep, he thought he heard a snort, then the sound of something large running through the woods away from them as he opened his eyes.

     The Old Man was already up, cleaning up the campfire.

     “What was that?” Garis asked.

     The Old Man shook his head. “It was but a beast.”

     The trio continued exploring the woods.

     For many days, they found nothing but trees, and every once in a while streams.

     During some nights, he swore he heard a snorting and a creature walking nearby, but he never saw anything.

     He asked Bistrom and The Old Man if they had seen anything, or if they had also heard anything. Both said they had not.

     The walk became more difficult, as the land grew steeper.

     “We are heading towards the desert plains,” The Old Man said. “It will be there your travels will get most difficult. The desert is a relentless mistress.”

     “Maybe we will find Mary before we get there,” Bistrom said hopefully, but as he looked in the eyes of the others, he also knew it was doubtful.

     They came to a small lake, where they found fish plentiful to eat.

     They then began climbing a steep hill.

     Half way up, Garis paused. “I thought I heard something,” he said.

     They continued. As they reached the apex of the hill, they heard a loud yelp, and a loud crash of something running through the brush. Bistrom yelped, as a small girl darted past him and ran over the top of the hill. He ran after her, and then stopped.

     “Buildings!” he exclaimed.

And Now, A Word From Our Sponsor

Finally, I can sneak in some responses:

jacqulina - Thanks very much - I like that fog shot myself, as well. There are a few others, though the update with those are still a ways away.

Fred_Ginger - Who me?

MrCinatit - Shaddap

doodlea21 - thanks very much - though, of course, I wish I could post the updates a lot faster than I do lol

jacqulina - The area that was untouched by the flood was actually a mistake - but I kind of liked it. Adds to the mistique.

homeandaway - Thanks very much

cleaner475 - Thank you - it is appreciated

Fred_Ginger - Don't feel bad...I cannot see the first two pictures either - and there were actually supposed to be five there. Hm. I will have to re-add them after this.

6underground - Oooooo - A Carl Sagan Planetarium! Very nice! Oh, and thank you.

MrCinatit - I told you to shaddap!

sEAhAwk fAn121 - I hope I didn't make things too frightening

Fred_Ginger - Hmmmm....we will see (uh oh...there I go being evil again!)

The Big Z - Thanks very much - I have been happy with the way it has turned out so far.

Livin in Sim - The Traveling Lights satellites! Why...that's crazy talk, I tells ya!

*ahem*

Truth be told, I had the tent by a creek valley as well - I had planned on flooding it "overnight", but every time I attempted - the city crashed. Oh well.

Thanks much for looking folks, it is appreciated.

And, as always, comments, critiques and questions are not only appreciated, but quite encouraged and welcome.

Take care.

And beware of moving rocks in the desert - licking them is not the best of options.

[jacqulina 162]

hiya MRC,it seems you are getting quicker with your updates or am i getting slower with my comments lol,wonderfull terraforming,i love the rivers and lakes,do you use the shadow mod,excellent story i allways make a coffee before i come in to post lol,i cant wait to see your other fog shots,the untouched flood  might have been a mistake but what a result.excellent work and pics

[Sam 163]

Nice terraforming MrC, the terrains look great with all the colours. And I love the storyline so far, very intriguing.

[Fred_Ginger 1]

Yikes, what's in the forest??????  I hope they're careful!   Pretty scenery by the way....

[utora 0]

great story! I like the suspense that's built into it; I also like the wonderful terrainshots of the forests, hills and streams; but most of all, i wonder what's in the woods (somehow it makes me think of the black riders from lotr); and those stars... what about the stars...?

I wanna know!! 

marvellous job Mr C! I'm getting really inspired by the story...

[MrCinatit 30]

    Garis, Bistrom and The Old Man watched as the little girl ran into a building at the bottom of the hill in the distance.

     It was one of only a few. None seemed particularly well kept.

     “Have you been here before?” Bistrom asked The Old Man.

     He shook his head slowly. “I am not sure I want to be here now.”

     The girl was gone for several minutes. The trio slowly began descending the hill.

     The girl peaked from behind a doorway, and slowly walked back out.

     A large, burly man followed her.

     Then another large man walked out. And a woman.

     Slowly, others came out of the cabins as the three neared.

     “Hello!” The Old Man called out, with a friendly wave.

     There was no answer.

     As they got nearer, there were at least three people standing outside of each of the cabins. None moved from their porches.

     “We come in peace!” The Old Man said again, again waving.

     There was still no answer.

     They reached the edge of town. Garis walked towards the little girl, who backed up. Seven more men emerged from the woods, wielding axes.

    

     Another two men emerged from the insides of two nearby watch towers, wielding guns.

     They stopped several feet from the trio, looking at them, and then looking at each other, then looking back at the trio.

     One of the men took a step towards them, and then stopped suddenly. He looked towards the hills, his eyes narrow. He took a quick step back.

     Garis looked to the hills. At first, he could see nothing.

     Then, he saw it – a dark figure, on top of a dark horse, standing sideways on the hill. The figure did not move, and did not look down on the cabins. The people near the cabins did keep their eyes on the figure.

     Another man with an axe took a tepid step towards the trio, but stopped again. The figure on the hill was now, slowly and leisurely, coming towards them.

     Without a word, and without a sound, all of the people disappeared into the cabins.

     “Wh…what is going on?” Bistrom asked?

     A deep voice from within a cabin said, “Leave now!”

     The Old Man looked at the descending figure on horseback and shook his head. “I believe we should heed those words immediately,” he said, and began walking rapidly to the east. The others followed.

And Now, A Word From Our Sponsor

I will do replies later - seems to be some excitement about the future release of a new game (ok, I am one of those who is interested in seeing what is in store for us...but that is for another topic)

Thanks for looking in, folks. It is appreciated.

And, as always, comments, critiques and questions are not only appreciated, but quite welcomed and encouraged.

Take care.

[Fred_Ginger 1]

Yes, there is a lot of excitement about the 'new' game!

But, on to your update.  What is with those people?  Not very friendly are they, you'd think that any strangers might be welcome for whatever news that they might bring but not there!  And the guy on the horse?  Hmmm, I hope he's not trouble for our heros!

Looking forward to more!

Vicki

[The boy formerly known as Evil Muzz 27]

This settlement reminds me of The Village, which was an awesome film which also featured weird "creatures" in the woods. Looking forward to more, and by the way, does the title play a significant role in the story, is it just a cool sounding name?

[MrCinatit 30]

They walked briskly for many hours and many miles.

     Finally, they stopped. The trees were growing thinner. Leafy trees had replaced the pines. There was a hill nearby.

     Garis climbed up the hill, looking around for a while.

     When he returned to the other two, he said he saw nothing of the rider.

     “There is a watering hole on the hill and another in the distance,” he said. “I would feel safer if we got a few more miles behind us, so I suggest we go a bit further, then set up camp at the other water hole, if you feel safe.”

     The Old Man nodded. “We will have to rest some time, and I doubt we are coming to a metropolis any time soon. And, Sol is heading fast towards the horizon. It would be best we set up camp, before the shadows grow too long.”

     They set up camp near the pond. Fish, fruit and vegetable were less abundant, but were still to be found.

     “The rains have been sparse,” The Old Man said. “We are camping in what was once a part of the pond – but the waters are subsiding. I will suspect we will find more dry water holes than ones which are filled with water.”

     Garis nodded. “Have you ever come across the horseman before?”

     The Old Man shook his head without a word.

     The two were silent for a while.

     “Are there any other villages before we reach the desert?” Garis asked.

     “There are some. But, I am no longer sure where they are.” The Old Man grumbled to himself and looked around. “The landscape seems to be changing before us.” He looked into Garis’ eyes. “Your ‘dragon’ seems to have changed things for the worse, my young friend. I am afraid our little world will never be the same.”

     “You do not know what the ‘dragon’ was either, do you?”

     The Old Man shook his head.

     “And you don’t know where Mary is, do you?”

     The Old Man shook his head. “I only know she is probably very far from here.” He let out a loud sigh. “I know so much, but I realize so little.”

     Garis shrugged. “No one man can know everything. Then, I think his head would get too big and explode.”

     The Old Man chuckled. “That, it could.”

     After several more minutes of small talk, the two fell asleep.

     Somewhere in his restless sleep, Garis could have sworn he heard the horseman from afar.

And Now, A Word From Our Sponsor

jacqulina - you're getting slow with your comments - I am getting slow with my updates lol. Fortunately, I wrote and sorted the pictures for 14 - now I have to upload them into the ST database.

sam - Thank you very much for stopping by - and, yes, you know how I love to terra-form. Even if it is not in the new edition, I will come back here and do it a lot anyhow.

Fred_Ginger - Who knows what evil lies in the heart of the forest?

utora - It could also be the black rider from In Search Of The Holy Grail...of course, he always wins.

MrCinatit - shaddap

Fred_Ginger - There is a little town about three miles away from the town I live in which is very much like that. I made the mistake of walking through it once - I could feel everyone stopping and looking at me because "I did not belong." Yeah. I got out of there pretty quickly.

I guess some are not as friendly towards those from the outside.

Muzz - Hm - I had not thought of that. The little place DID have a "Village" quality to it, didn't it. And, hey, if Ron Howard's daughter is there, all the better!

As for the title, I just thought it sounded kind of cool, with a little bit of "it means whatever one thinks it means" meaning to it.

Thanks much for looking, folks. It is appreciated.

And, as always, comments, critiques and questions are not only appreciated, but quite welcome and encouraged.

Take care.

[Livin in Sim 83]

Hi, MrC,

The cabins portray the little village quite accurately.  Are those little outdoor showers?  Never noticed them--cute.  I must say, the village Chamber of Commerce welcoming committee was a bit remiss in their duties. 

Apologies in advance for the ramble, but your experience reminded me of a similar one of mine.  I used to live in a small village not far from here, and I always went to the community pancake breakfasts, chatted a lot at the small store/cafe, etc, and had a good friend in town.  One evening my friend and I arranged to meet at an advertised street dance, but my friend had a last minute emergency.  I wandered over.  No one was dancing, but the music was quite good.  I recognized no one, received quite lukewarm response to my "Hey-how's-it-going" 's and it just seemed like they were all lookin' at me.  I just kept getting uncomfortable-r and uncomfortable-r, so finally I just left.  Evidently it was a private party after all?

I'm enjoying the varying landscape, and changes of lighting/colors and times of day to illustrate their travel.  You have achieved a natural progression from lush to more arid countryside.  Sounds like they are headed for the dessert.  That will be a tough survival area.  The dark rider has let them go for now, but what's his motivation?  And is he one of many?

Bye for now.

--Liv

[Shadow Assassin 336]

Hmm, this story sounds very familiar. I've heard it used a couple of times in some novels, ESPECIALLY the horseman.

Not that there's anything wrong with it.

Out of curiosity, do you read a lot of fantasy novels, and if so, what book(s)/series do you like?

[jacqulina 162]

HI MRC i think im getting slow with both now lol,RL takes over sometimes as we all know,but hey im here now lol,better late than never lol.another awesome couple of updates.i love the cabins i like the way you write the story and entwine it with the pics,wonderfull pics btw,excellent colours, as allways awesome terraforming.excellent story.beautifull work and pics.

[needgames 0]

Oops, 3 am and I had intended to go to bed early today, but came across 'The Presence of Being' and just couldn't stop reading. Great story, wonderful terraforming and you also know how to build amazing cities. Pity though that the title is not going to play an important part in the story, since it was what lured me in in the first place. It would have fitted in very well with the cj I'm working on right know (not posted on Simtropolis yet, but will start soon).

Funny, one's head would explode if one knew everything. I used to think that the universe would explode if anyone would ever understand it completely, because no one can be allowed to understand it all, since, like Douglas Adams points out in the Hitchhikers's Guide to the Galaxy, something is fundamentally wrong with its design.

[Schulmanator 5,815]

Another fine update. The lighting effects on the pix really make them come alive - and look so real. Good work-- you set a high standard!