The Ghosts and the Machine (short story): Difference between revisions

|hero(es)=

|villain(s)= [[The Great Ghost]]

|setting= [[Cupid Homeworld]]

|length= 9,983 words

The ghosts' next stop is the [[Gang of the Green Gorilla]]'s secret headquarters, where the Gorillas on duty thoughtlessly open the door and let the ghosts in. The plentiful ranks of the Gorillas prove to be the source of sturdy host bodies the ghosts desired. Back in the [[Cupid Homeworld]], the [[Department of Rifts]] has successfully closed down the Rift and [[Frankenstein-818]] finished creating a [[One-Way Forced Spirit Realm Gateway]] which will send the spirits back to the Spirit Realm, if only the Cupids can find them first. This proves a nonissue when the ghostly legion rematerialises in the Homeworld in full force, intent on summoning even more spirits through the rift. Once told that the Rift has been closed, the Great Ghost, unabated, demands that Frankenstein build a new Gateway that will allow spirits out of the Spirit Realm without restriction. Thymon tries to hold the ghost off with an eldritch incantation, but, speaking in unison, they match his with one of their own while the Great Ghost bodily abducts Frankenstein into a Fog Ship.  

Once everyone is back in the Homeworld in corporeal form, Technophile, Igor and the Problem-Solvers board a [[Fog Ship]], taking the One-Way Forced Spirit Realm Gateway with them. Checking the computerized log of the [[Celestial Foam Network]], which are available from the onboard computer of every Fog Ship, they find that the Spirits have headed to the [[Prime Universe|Prime]] [[Earth]], where they have taken up residence in a derelict building. They are debating how to get passed the two posessed-Gorilla guards when Tarsa also appears and casually turns the guards into muffins using her [[Conjuring Gloves for the Magically Inept]]. Making their way in despite the possessed muffins' weak but sustained efforts to stop them, they find that it is an abandoned theatre, with a dejected Frankenstein working on the new Gateway on the mouldering stage. They also notice a few other possessed beings from other universes among the crowd of marionettes and Gorillas, including [[Alistair Neezley]].

Throwing a huge marble at the stage, Tarsa initiates a swordfight with the Great Ghost (still in the Queen's body) while the Cupids split up, trying to take advantage of the commotion to disable the machine and recover Frankenstein. As Tarsa transforms them all into useless things, the spirits leave their possessed bodies and try to help their master in their true forms; this gives the Cupids the chance to throw the One-Way Forced Spirit Realm Gateway at the swarm of spirits and send them all, save for the still-embodied Great Ghost, back to the Spirit Realm, though it breaks the One-Way Gateway in the process. The Queen manages to distract Tarsa long enough to activate Frankenstein's new [[Reverse Spirit Realm Gateway]], but it turns out to transform all the spirits into clockwork toys even as they pour out (because it was a ''wholly'' reversed version of Frankenstein's ''original'' Gateway, including with the functionality that turned Clockwork Cherubs into spirits). A delighted Tarsa scoops up the toys to use them as part of her Halloween line to make up for not having been able to finish the pumpkin toy in time, and uses a magic hat and wand she's been working on to separate the Queen from the Great Ghost, sending the latter to parts unknown. She departs as the Cupids are left to ponder what the Great Ghost meant when he implied that his ghosts were themselves ''fleeing'' something terrible in the Spirit Realm.

===Worldbuilding===

* [[Edwin-750]], recently “on the outs” with the [[Department of Zoology]], argues with them about the taxonomy of a newly-discovere creature made up of pumpkins regarding whether it's a magical construct, or a naturally-occurring entity.

* “In the middle of the Mainland Cloud”, [[Tracker-764]] is seen telling “frightening tales of his adventures in the outside worlds” to a group of youthful [[Mark XVII|Mark Seventeen]] Cupids, while, “off to the side,” [[Conspiracy-1263]] is busy “loudly disputing not only the existence of spirits, but the existence of All Hallows’ Eve itself”.

* [[Technophile-963]] helped in the construction of the [[Spirit Realm Gateway]], removing additional features Frankenstein had built into it including allowing ghosts to cross into the Homeworld, and running a 50% chance of turning living users ''into'' ghosts.

* The [[Interdimensional Tavern]]'s mashup Halloween parties includes “jack o’lanterns lin[ing] the tables as [[Rope-Bellied Sorpwhaggler]]s screeched out the traditional [[ballad of Yorp]],” [[Shangtwister]]s hanging from the ceiling, the walls being painted with “the slime of the [[Gor-gor-gor fish]]”, and performing “the traitional [[Shurukuk Dance]]” while also bobbing for apples, as well as “taking part in the [[ancient ritual of Myerbamnk]] while drinking [[Glooozethyorn]]”. Additionally, a [[werewolf (The Ghosts and the Machine)|werewolf]] has been hired to “provide entertainment”, and the [[Ancient Spirit of Gnollt]], encased in a [[prism]], is used like a disco-ball to “cast speckled patterns across the dining area”, while several live bats and similar creatures swarm through the rooms.

* [[Edwin-750]] was mentioned in [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Cupid Suggestion Box (short story)|The Cupid Suggestion Box]]'' as a member of the [[Department of Zoology]], despite his established role as a member of the [[Department of Problem-Solving]]. This story resolves the tension by mentioning that Edwin is now “on the outs” with the Department of Zoology.

* The [[Ancient Spirit of Gnollt]] is trapped inside a [[prism]], and the plot involves a [[rift]]s, continuing to sow the seeds of the [[Rifts Crisis]] story arc. The prisms had first come into play in [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Mad Cupid of the Euclidean Plane (short story)|The Mad Cupid of the Euclidean Plane]]''.

* The [[Problem-Solver]]s return to [[Lab 5|their Laboratory]], first seen as the setting of [[PROSE]]: ''[[Lord Thymon and the Department of Problem-Solving (short story)|Lord Thymon and the Department of Problem-Solving]]''.

* [[Madame Tarsa]] and [[Workshop of Madame Tarsa|her workshop]] make their second full appearance after [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Toymaker's Labyrinth (short story)|The Toymaker's Labyrinth]]''. [[Larrikin-1029]] told [[Technophile-963]] about the events of that story “a few weeks ago”, and he is also aware that she created the [[Thymon Plushy|Thymon plushies]].

* [[Edwin-750]] yawns, suggesting he is still mind-linked to [[Sloth (The Resurrection of the Wellsians)|a sloth]] as established in [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Resurrection of the Wellsians (short story)|The Resurrection of the Wellsians]]''.

==Behind the scenes==

[[Category:Featuring Celebration-665]]

[[Category:Featuring Edwin-750]]

[[Category:Featuring Tracker-764]]

[[Category:Featuring Conspiracy-1263]]

[[Category:Featuring the Queen of the Black Market]]

[[Category:Featuring Alistair Neezley]]