The Edge of Beyond


v3.3.2


By Chris Hyduk

First Aired: October 22nd, 1997


Game: None!!

Click here to hear this episodes intro!

Ray leads the way As the saucy mare is lead to the edge of beyond by Ray Tracer, the web surfer, Captain Capacitor's second in command, Mr. Christopher, recounts the previous events. It is perfectly obvious to everyone on board that Matrix doesn't like Ray, but they need his help to get into the web. A place that the crew is not exactly excited about entering, but they will follow the captain anywhere.

The Edge of Beyond After a successful trip, they emerge in the edge of beyond. An open area of space, where many large objects can be seen floating around an enourmous tear. When they see the tear, Ray tells them to leave the stabalizing part to him, but they must prepare the ship, which will not last long in the web's dangerous conditions. He says they can create "Web armor" from the floating objects, which turn out to be hundreds of dead web creatures! The crew begins work, going out in groups to haul in the skeletal remains, many with the bodies only partly decomposed. (They almost resemble aquatic life, only dead!) They use the ship's anchor's to haul the bodies on board. Andraia has some difficulty removing one of the tough scales, and when Ray offers to help, Matrix lets them both know he isn't pleased. Andraia is getting fed up with his childish behavior, and decides to go out on her own. She grabs one of the ship's customized zipboards, and goes out into the void.

The ship undergoes an overhaul While exploring, Andraia finds an odd little spore. While examining it, Ray notices her, and starts to yell. He yells for her to get away from it, but she can't hear. Suddenly, the spore opens, and grabs her arm. When she tries to pulls away, the tendrils part to reveal a row of teeth, which sink into her arm. She screams, and immediately begins to flicker, much of her energy has been drained. The web creature takes off, and Ray catches Andraia. Matrix, who has seen Andraia scream, rushes to her aid, and when he sees the web creature leaving, he aims and prepares to fire. Ray gets in the way though, he says that deleting the creature will delete Andraia, and they need it alive. They start to chase, and Matrix gets another lock on it, but the creatur forms a portal in the tear, and vanishes. Ray assures him that they can catch it in the web.


Ray Tracer, Normal Mode Work continues on the ship, until it is hardly recognizable. Large protruding tusks now stick out of the front of the ship, and the red ball is now blue. green scale make the ship seem more like a living entity than a pirate's galleon. Inside, Matrix waits by Andraia's bedside, watching her flicker away. The ship's changes are completed, and it makes it's way into the protal. Ray gets his board, and heads for the airlock. the captain stops him, saying that if the web is so dangerous, how will he survive? Ray says he's got it covered, and enters the lock. Launched from the ship, he heads for the tear, and stops. He gives his icon a double click, and undergoes a transformation. He now looks almost reptillian, and his shiny armor has been replaced by a green skin. He gets right next to the tear, and begins to bombard it with some kind of enery. The tear begins to fluctuate, and in a bright burst, forms the all to familiar portal to the web. The ships begins to go towards it, and dissappears into the swirling patterns of the web portal.
The new and improved Saucy Mare

The ship prepares to go through We Finally get our first look at the web. It is congested with floating asteroids, and nebulas form the limitless sky. No horizon is visible, and it seems to be entirely un-populated.
Ray leads the ship forwards, keeping a carefull eye out for anything that might attack. Inside the ship, Matrix's eye comes back online, after adjusting to the web's climate. He gets a lock on the creature that took Andraia's energy, and grabs the helm, steering the ship away from Ray, and towards the creature. Ray looks back, and yells for them to follow him, and not to go that way. Matrix steers the ship towards a large vortex, which Captain Capacitor recognizes as a storm. The sensors won't hold out long in such dense data, and entering the storm could finish them. Ray lies on his board, and dives down into the firey storm. Flames are bursting at the ships hull, and bolts blow loose, they're falling apart. Ray, outside, surfs through the storm, and manages to get ahead of the ship. He start blasting energy in front of them, and clears a path through the storm.

They emerge, alive. Ray comes back aboard, and asks what went wrong. When he learns it was Matrix, he says that it was a very stupid thing to do. Matrix looks at him, and finally releases the pent up aggression that has building inside of him since he met ray. He nails him, right in the face, sending ray across the room into a pile of crates. Ray seems undamaged, but is ready to fight. The captain breaks it up before Matrix can pull the trigger on his gun, reminding Ray who the captain is, and Matrix that he is only doing this for Dot's sake.

Later, Ray prepares to go out into the web, to catch the creature. Unfortunately, the creatur is no longer alone, it has joined a pod. (Similar to a pod of dolphins, of which the creature bears a striking resemblance!) Matrix borrows Andraia's trident, promising to give it back soon to the unconsious Andraia. He goes above deck, and gives the trident to Ray. He reminds Ray that the creature has to be alive, almost apoligetic for his actions before. Ray takes off outside the ship, and joins the pod. What he doesn't notice are the web sprites.

Ray tries to steer the creature out of the pod, but is ambushed from behind. He turns just in time to see a large set of jaws.

The crew of the saucy mare wait, and are alarmed when they see an object floating around outside. They bring in the remains of Ray's surfboard, now missing a large chunk of it, it a bite shaped hole. Matrix looks around, downtrodden. Then the pirates reveal their secret weapon, a web suit. Captain Capacitor tells Matrix that they have been working on it for a while. Matrix suits up, and with trident in hand, prepares to leave. He gives his gun to Capacitor, saying it would degrade outside. He exits the airlock, and boards a small vessel. (Tis' a fine boat! equipped with an outboard and everything!) After he leaves, the bite dissappears from Ray's board, as good as new... Matrix speeds into the pod, and is also attacked by the creatures. But they are joined by an even larger one (A whale!) which distracts Matrix long enough for him to get knocked out of the boat. He falls, spiralling towards a vortex, similar to the storm they encountered earlier. He is saved at the last minute by a familiar voice, Ray's.

Ray and Matrix arrive back at the boat, and Ray told him that he had it covered. Matrix replies, "Covered my Ascii!". And we learn that Ray is a Web Search Engine, second generation, and he and the surfboard are one and the same. Matrix tells Capacitor to get his crew to battle stations. The reason, quite simple actually:

The ship is surrounded by a large group of web sprites, all mounted on waverider style vehicles



THE END

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