The Karmora Papers

Chapter Seven

FLOSSING

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"Time-floss 14, please!" Desperation edged into her call, and as tears welled up in her eyes (despite endless Ano-Emotion Decrees from the 22nd Century Unicommand Welfare Disbursement Center), she slumped slowly against the W/Chair’s notary sojac.

"Fourteen. Acknowledged. Karmora 14Cgh98/7B Treflin."

Unbidden, she seemed to rocket toward the glimmering panel. "Yes. Yes! Karmora 14Cgh98/7B Treflin. Yes!"

The slippery panel’s green hue softened and dulled; she felt her own Sensory Seven system join the Key to Proximity which she knew must now be relinquished for the last time.

"Yes."

The rubbery panel was now blue, and its center widened into a perfectly hyperbolic arc, the seeming solidity of it giving way to a mere trembling about her flesh, drawing Treflin inwards. The seamless panel was to bring her through Time-Floss 14, through the System of Deneb and the dreaded Wadks, to Melin and Forsander’s new collective job (as they had now been protectively employed after their recent removal from the Yellow Jacket list at Unicommand).

The Lunch County Development Commission had them assembling the model of Mokus 5 being constructed on Saturn, and it was Treflin’s desire to assist them for the balance of her mu-mortal existence.

Unfortunately, and likewise unbeknownst to Treflin (her parents had hidden it from her), Time- Floss 14 was reserved for co-junctions with Preserved Entities. These Preserved Entities were insinuated into that peculiar Time-Floss until their mu-nanobits could self-restore, allowing them to resume their status and function within the Unicommand government. By entering 14, Treflin would place herself in preservation mode for the next 50 years, thus shifting herself precisely out of phase with her luckless siblings Melin and Forsander.

By the time Treflin again awoke -- reconstituted was still the legal term -- her brother and sister would be themselves entering preservation mode in Time-Floss 14.

"Fourteen achieved. Acknowledge."

Treflin’s eyes began to grow blank. "Ack... cknow... le... edg... edged...."

The last syllables slipped from her lips into the Watch Force sensors, and like the Sleeping Beauty of ages past, Treflin Karmora fell into a preserving sleep that was to last half a century.

"Mode achieved. Time-Floss 14 Digiclock in operation. Transmission suspended next 1.5778 x 10E9 seconds."

The furry panel transformed from blue to opaque black, and Treflin faded from the view of any Time-Floss, including her own.

Meanwhile, back at the 22nd Century Unicommand Welfare Disbursement Center, 20 officials and their Wadk associates burst into controlled laughter (as uncontrolled laughter had also been forbidden by Ano-Emotion Decree 35).

"Treflin Karmora. First Order Emissary of the Inter-Mutant Galactic Associated Malpractice League. Hah, hah, hah! How could a delegate in this era be so foolish, so ahumorous, so miscalculated? Her danger is past. Now, on to dinner!"

And so the officials and the Wadks gathered for another soufflé, this one made from the remains of Melin and Forsander.

"We’ve had enough of this regenerating from mu-nanobits. At Mokus 5 they will eat all the remaining crates of Melin Karmora and Forsander Karmora brand Excrecrackers! Long live the Historic Onslaught!"

At the far end of the Novaglass table, a small gentle looking human blurmed to himself, "Long live Mad Luigi!" And in a language long since outlawed, he spoke to himself, "Viva mi, viva mi... long live myself, Mad Luigi!"