X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: f996b,9f289c98f289b81,start X-Google-Attributes: gidf996b,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2002-02-23 19:01:34 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!cyclone.bc.net!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed00.sul.t-online.de!t-online.de!news-lei1.dfn.de!news-ber1.dfn.de!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!213.242.128.42!not-for-mail From: "Joaquim G�ndara" Newsgroups: alt.ascii-art Subject: Nerd Boy, episodes 189-200 Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2002 04:00:57 +0100 Lines: 447 Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: 213.242.128.42 X-Trace: fu-berlin.de 1014519688 5938126 213.242.128.42 (16 [102694]) X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2600.0000 Xref: archiver1.google.com alt.ascii-art:14964 Saw bug posting and realised that I've been neglecting a.a-a a bit... Here's a whole bunch of strips. --- So do you think it's possible? What? `,,, _ , '.. (_| O || [__]_.)_| ____ |\ ______ | |d| | ____ ZeoSync's 100:1 non- Aaugh, don't get lossy compression. me started! `,,, _ , '.. (_| O .||. [__]_ )_| ______ || ____ | |d| | ____ OK. It's impossible! They're raving lunatics! I just.. Look at the website! "A chip that empowers ` ,,, _ , the world." Geez, their chairman ..' (_| O is called "St. George"! Oooh, .||. [__]_ )_| killing the big bad draconic ______ /| ____ | |d| | __ Shannon's limit, are we? Are you saying it Either that or must be a joke? a frickin' -cult-. `,,, _ , '.. (_| O .||. [__]_.)_| jg _______ || ___ | |d| | ____ --- Gotta love techno babble. --- Oh... Hi, I Hello. guess. `,,, , '.. ..~ .||. .<<. |\ || Um.. So. `,,, , '.. ..~ .||. .<<. || || ,,, '.. ..~ .||. .<<. || || ,,, '.. ..~ .||. .<<. || || Well, it's been fun. Let's never do it again sometime. Sounds great. `,,, , '.. ..~ .||. .<<. jg || || --- I realised that Fan Boy and Mandy hadn't really talked since the introduction of Fan Boy. I figured that they just might not have much to talk about. --- Ohayo! ? , ,,, ~== ..' ]] || |\ /| Oh no, not you again. ,,, , '.. --~ || .<<. |\ || Aah, Nerd Boy! You're the Did you know that a member only one here that I can class can inherit the class really communicate with! of which it's a member? It `,,, _ , looks kinda weird... '.. (_| O || [__]_.)_| ________ |\ _______ | |d| | __________ OK, forget what I You mean you were just said... saying something? `,,, _ , '-- (_| O .||. [__]_.)_| jg ______________ || _____ | |d| | ________________ --- This one is somewhere between good and mediocre. It's kind of predictable, but I didn't know how else to build up to the punchline. --- Hey Nerd Boy, I got an idea. What? `,,, _ , '.. (_| O || [__]_.)_| |\ | |d| | You know how we really want to play City of Heroes, Of course. but have to wait until `,,, _ , the beta comes out '.. (_| O like everyone else? .||. [__]_.)_| || | |d| | Maybe we could hack into That's totally illegal! Cryptic's computers `,,, _ , Are you insane?! and just steal the '.. (_| O alpha version... .||. [__]_.)_| || | |d| | Are you? Good point. `,,, _ , Let's. '.. (_| O .||. [__]_.)_| jg || | |d| | --- Well, the problem is finding the computer that has the latest version of the game, provided that it's even connected to the internet. Let's just say that it is and that they do... --- So, Fan Boy, what do ,,, __ you think about `OO '.. ..# clockless chips? (( || .|(. ___ b b ____ |\ ________________ || ___ Linda?! Hi.. , `,,, __ , OO 'oo ..# -||- .||. '|(. ____ bb ___ || ______________ || ___ How come -you- know Linda?! , `,,, __ OO oo' ..# .((- -||. .|(. ____ bb __ || _______________ || ___ I was her boyfrien- , `,,, __ OO ..' ..# .||. .||. .|(. ____ bb __ || _______________ || ___ * ,,, __ OO 'oo ..#' (( .||. .|(. jg____ bb __ || _______________ || ___ --- Surprise! Finally, she's back, and along with her some of that romance comedy that is what Nerd Boy is all about, according to some people. I like it. It's rather basic, but it works. --- Linda? Last I heard, you were in Las Vegas! ,,, ` __ '.. OO ..# .||. .||. .|(. _____ || ___ bb __________ || _____ Vegas? That's where -we- You are. I've been in Vegas met! You told me -I- was twice; once before I met your first love! `,,, __ , Nerd Boy, once after. '.. OO ..# .||. .||. .|(. _____________ || ___ bb __________ || ____________ She dumped you too, She dumped you? Well huh? Well -I- was her -I- dumped -her-! Hah! first love! Hah! `,,, , __ '.. OO ..# .||. .||. .|(. _____ || ___ dd __________ || _____ You had a girlfriend Hmm. Good and broke up! Hah! one... `,,, , __ '.. OO ''# .||- || .|(. jg____________ || ___ dd __________ || --- This one is kind of funny too. I like the "Hah!":s. There's nothing like repetition. --- So, how's the hacking Well, I've found the server where going? Any luck yet? Cryptic keeps the latest version `,,, _ , of City of Heroes... I think. '.. (_| O .||. [__]_.)_| || | |d| | So? Can you hack Well, all attempts so far into it and get the have failed... This is hard. game or what? `,,, _ , '.. (_| O .||. [__]_.)_| || | |d| | What? You usually Seems I can't concentrate. I have this hack into servers nagging feeling, like a voice in the in a matter of `,,, _ , back of my head telling me I've seconds! '.. (_| O forgotten something... .||. [__]_.)_| _________ || ___ | |d| | _______ What? -I- don't Helloo?! Long lost `,,, _ , know. __ , ex-girlfriend '.. (_| O ..# right here! .||. [__]_.)_| -|(- jg____ || ___ | |d| | ________________________ || _____ --- I realised that I had left that other story arc hanging, and decided to do some of my "plot line intertwining" (pat. pending). The result.. well, I don't know what I think, to be honest. --- I'm in! Now to copy the Hey! Are you guys going files before Cryptic to acknowledge my existence discovers the breach! or just hack computers?! ,,, _ ` __ , '.. (_| O ..# .||. [__]_.)_| .|(. || | |d| | || Well? ,,, _ __ , '.. (_| O ..# .||. [__]_.)_| .|(. || | |d| | || Hello?! I'm sorry. You're right. Nerd Boy? This is getting out of hand. `,,, _ , __ '.. (_| O ..# .||. [__]_.)_| .|(. || | |d| | || Linda, could you please leave? We require utmost concentration. ,,, _ , __ '.. (_| O --# .||. [__]_.)_| .|(. jg || | |d| | || --- That last line is meant to come as a surprise to the reader, but I still think I didn't mask it well enough. I did try though, but.. I mean, come on, it's Nerd Boy. He's like that. --- Well? Are you stealing the I'M STILL HERE! I want to files or what? Are we still talk to you two about -- oh I hacking into Cryptic? Hello? don't know -- why I disappeared `,,, _ __ , without a single trace?! '.. (_| O --# .||. [__]_.)_| .|(. ___ || _ | |d| | _______ || _____ Almost.. done. Their monitor Do you two not care about your software is tracing my connection.. mutual ex-girlfriend AT ALL?! ,,, _ ` __ , '.. (_| O --# .||. [__]_.\_| -|(- ___ || _ | |d| | _______ || _____ AUGH! I had to disconnect, it was totally on to me! Crap. HELLOOO?!? ,,, _ ` __ , '.. (_| O oo# .||. [__]_.)_| -|(- ___ || _ | |d| | _______ || _____ Haven't you ever played Uplink? ,,, _ __ , You have to bounce your '.. (_| O ..# connection! Let me see that. .||. [__]_.)_| |( jg________ || _ | |d| | _____ /| _______ --- This surprise worked a bit better, I think. If you read it once and then go back and read it again, you can see how Linda's third line is connected to her fourth, and not her two first. Ambiguity is a wonderful thing, I should use it more often. (Uplink: www.introversion.co.uk) --- There, I hacked Cryptic's But.. Linda, these servers and stole the alpha files are encrypted! version of City of Heroes. ` __ _ , ,,, NOW can I tell you about my #.. (_| O ..' mysterious disappearence?! .)|. [__]_.)_| .||. _____ || ___ | |d| | _____ || ____ Oh geez... Well, scoot over and I'll crack them. By all means. ` __ _ , ,,, #-- (_| O ..' .)|. [__]_ )_| .||. ____ |\ _ | | d| | ____ || ____ LATER... You know, I wonder where Yeah.. Where did she disappear to? Linda was all that time. Why haven't she told us already; it's .--. `,,, , not as if she hadn't had any time, / / | ,- ..' - OO ---. she's been here for weeks now! +-+-+ .-'__ || ___ )).-'| Actually.. Let's go ask her. | | | ||___//_____dd_|__| Hey.. Shh, I need utmost concentration Linda. here..! I'm -this close- to `,,, _ _ , cracking these files! OO '.. (_| .# (( || [__]_.\_| jg___ b b __ |\ _______________ | |/| | ________ --- I've always thought that the expression "this close" is amusing without any visual cue. Other than that, this strip kind of sucks, as most story arc endings do. --- Hee hee, brilliant! No.. -Please- -do- tell; You know what I really the suspense is killing me. love about SinFest? _ , .--. `O |_) ,----- ~.. ----. | \ \ |_(._[__] |`-.___.>>._____`-. +-+-+ | |b| | |__|____\\_______|| | | | There are funny subtle Oh, -subtlety-. Your details in the background "specialty"! of certain panels. _ , .--. `O |_) ,----- ~.. ----. | \ \ |_(._[__] |`-.___.>>._____`-. +-+-+ | |b| | |__|____\\_______|| | | | I like to think that I'm a connoisseur of the subtle Idiot. things in life, yes. _ , .--. `O |_) ,----- ~.. ----. | \ \ |_(._[__] |`-.___.>>._____`-. +-+-+ | |b| | |__|____\\_______|| | | | In the strip I just read, Oh, I was just I noticed that.. Wait, "agreeing". what did you just say? _ , .--. `O |_) ,----- ~.. ----. | \ \ |_(._[__] |`-.___.>>._____`-. +-+-+ jg | |b| | |__|____\\_______|| | | | --- Yeah, you have to be careful with Mandy. She can be a bit unclear at times. Times when you're an idiot. I had lots of fun here trying to convey Mandy's sarcasm. --- You know, I really hate it when people celebrate Why? "special" numbers. `,,, , '.. OO || .||. |\ dd Well, they're totally I agree. As for arbitrary. Just because base 2, however.. a number looks nice `,,, , in base 10 doesn't '.. OO make it special. .||. .||. || dd Same thing. It's stupid Isn't that what to even pay that kind you're doing now? of thing any mind. `,,, , '.. OO .||. .||. || dd Uh.. No, I'm just kind of meta-discussing it. Right. `,,, , '.. OO .||. .||. jg || dd --- I agree with Fan Boy on this one. I realised when I read this strip again later on that Fan Boy and Nerd Boy represent different parts of my psyche. Or something to that effect. -jg