Here's part 7. I hope I haven't given away too much on these last 2
chapters. No huge hurry on them, but I'll keep sending them as I finish 'em.
(hope you're not running out of disc space!)
The Tortie Papers - Part Seven - 
If That's the Little Dipper, Where's the Big One?
by Paul Kemner - pkemner@bright.net

Schroedinger closed his front door, after watching his recent guest walk 
to the gate. What was going on? He was completely confused, but then 
that must be the point. He paced through the series of rooms that led 
to his underground lab. "Calm down, focus, analyze." he told himself. 
"I must review what has gone before, and integrate this event with 
others. Start at the beginning."

He reviewed his career, from his first big success. When the Little 
Dipper had first become operational, his place in science should have 
been assured. How ironic that the size of globe he had chosen would 

resonate with common broadcast frequencies! Disaster had been averted 
only by chance. If he had not included a geiger counter with sound 
output amongst his recording instruments, he would have died of 
radiation poisoning. He had told Tortie the truth when he said the 
Little Dipper had a steering problem. It headed for high molecular 
weight mass concentrations, and his first attempt had located a large 
hunk of uranium! The angry hiss of the geiger counter had startled 
him into hitting the 'Abort' button without thinking, sending his first 
observation/retrieval back to its own potential universe before he and 
his apparatus were fried. 

After adding safety cut-offs, his second attempt was a mixed success. 
He could avoid radioactives, but the only thing he could manage to 
retrieve was gold! Spheres of gold, a half-meter in diameter. Stacks of 
gold ingots, trimmed to perfectly globular shape, sections of statues, 
the list went on. A scientific disappointment had given Schroedinger 
unlimited financial success! He was finally free of the hated grant-

begging process! No more crawling on all fours before some ignorant 
government lackey! Of course, he had to be careful with the money.

Gold spent too obviously would bring unwanted attention. If he was 
to gain any benefit from it, he must keep the Little Dipper a secret. 
Unlimited amounts of gold for every kat would only make it worthless. 
Anything that would alert the government to tax revenue would also 
raise questions about where the wealth was coming from. At least he 
could finance his hobby as well as his research.

The appearance of the gold must have brought him to the attention of 
the Erisian Brotherhood. He had given huge amounts of gold to 
Manx's re-election campaigns, both as a hedge against needing 
political clout, and because he liked the general political upheaval that 
seemed to be Manx's trademark. He had at first suspected Manx to be 
a follower of Eris, but careful study seemed to indicate that he was a 
natural talent, and had no agenda behind his policies. Gold had also 
bought timely trouble for opponents of Manx's administration, 
especially around election time. Anyone else who liked things 
unbalanced and chaotic must have observed and appreciated the effects. 

Building the Big Dipper in a specially shielded bunker had solved the 
resonance problems, and he was finally able to observe living beings 
outside of this universe. What a shame that he was no longer willing 
to publish his findings! His first retrieval had taught Schroedinger 
much. He picked a kat cowering in an underground bunker, and got 
some of his pets as well. The transition left the huge kat in a confused, 
easily interviewed state. His tales of turning his world into a howling 
radioactive nightmare drove home the differences between chaos and 
desolation, of the random exuberance of life contrasted with the silence 
of the tomb. He set his first subject loose with a 'gift' of gold to help 
him establish himself, despite his destructive tendencies, but swore to 
curb him somehow if destruction got out of hand. 

It turned out not to be necessary. That was certainly convincing 
evidence that others shared his aims! Would they work together, or be 
solitary players in a game- applauding and countering each other's 
moves without direct contact?

After the appearance of the Metalikats Schroedinger had visited 
Professor Hackle. Now there was a clever kat! Of course there was his 
war record, producing weapons of terror for the enemy. Then his work 
for Pumadyne, and yet everyone believed him to be an angel! When 
the Metalikats appeared, nobody traced them back to Hackle, even 
though he was the only scientist capable of creating them! Incredible! 
He even retrieved his creations, and unleashed them again, without 
any repercussions.

Hackle had been cordial, yet evasive. When Schroedinger had 
suggested forming an association of kats with the same goals, Hackle 
said that he regretted that work on 'other projects' was taking up his 
time.

"Other projects, my tail!" said Schrodinger, hopping off his seat. 
Hackle must have been referring to the Brotherhood, already in 
existence! It was if he had walked up to Feral and suggested that he 
form a paramilitary organization to protect the city!

Yet Hackle and the others must be considering him as a member. 
Hackle's timing in sending Tortie could not be a coincidence!

It took a long time to find a subject for retrieval. Even after locating 
one that would be worth the trouble, the subject had to already be 
confined or restrained somehow. Schroedinger could not help being 
squeamish, and the thought of retrieving a partial subject, who had 
walked out of the retrieval field, was not something he wanted to clean 
up.
   
His best course of action now was observation, to wait and see if he 
was contacted again. He would need to get a subscription to that 
newspaper and read it carefully, in case it contained hidden messages 
for him. Schroedinger laughed at the sheer audacity of the Erisians- 
using a second-rate newspaper to send their instructions! 

********************* end of part 7 **************************