Quinn's Code 16 The Geek's Expose - Part 1

 The Geek's Expose Part 1

Lawndale

Monday,April 3, 2006

At the Morgendorffer's house, they were watching a home video, from Daria's third birthday.

 

Young Quinn blew out the birthday candle's first. “Hey! You're ruining my birthday cake!” Young Daria said.

 

“If only that were all she ruined,” Daria commented.

 

“Make her stop,” young Daria continued.

 

“Oh, Daria, she's just a baby. She wants to play too.”

 

“I was such a cute baby,” Quinn commented.

 

“Why can't I be an only child,” younger Daria said.

 

“Yeah, why can't I?” Daria repeated.

 

 

Later Daria met her friends, Jane Lane and Jennifer Burns at one of Lawndale's many small cinemas. (She wondered what it was about Lawndale that many of those businesses managed to hold on.)

“He wanted you to watch her birth? That could scar you for life,” Jane commented.

 

“Yeah,” Jennifer added.

 

“The birth itself did that,” Daria commented.

 

Jennifer sighed, but saw someone coming. “Kevin and Brittany?”

 

“I don't see any vegetables!” Kevin said.

 

“You should have my view,” Daria said.

 

“Why vegetables?” Jane asked.

 

“To throw at the screen during the big food fight?” Brittany added.

 

“A food fight?” Jennifer asked.

 

“Jen, are you thick or something? This is the Food in Film Festival.”

 

“No, you're thick!” Jennifer project back.

 

Brittany could see that Kevin had annoyed Jennifer, she decided to calm her down, by changing the subject. “Didn't you see the Rocky Horror Picture Show last month? Kevin and I wore each other's underwear.

 

Jane wasn't surprised. “Again?”

 

“I don't think this is an interactive experience,” Jennifer said.

 

“They're showing Andre Sakarynsky's Last Meal tonight,” Daria stated.

 

“A Russian art film from the 1930's,” Jane explained.

 

“Russian?” Kevin asked.

 

“Subtitles!” He and Brittany cried out and fled from the scene.

 

Daria smirked.

 

 

After the movie, they ran into their Language Arts teacher, Mr. Timothy O'Neill. “Hi, Mr. O'Neill,” Jennifer said.

 

“Hi, girls! I'm just so invigorated! Great cinema is timeless. Couldn't that movie have been made today?”

 

“I guess, if you could find someone to exhume the actors,” Daria said.

 

“Can I give you three a lift home?” O'Neill asked.

 

“We had decided to walk,” Jennifer said.

 

“It's a perfect night for a nice long stroll,” Jane said. As if on cue, some lighting flashed and it started to pour down rain.

 

 

The three girls get into the back of O'Neill's car.

 

“Doesn't anyone want to get in the front?” O'Neill asked.

 

“You know, I'd love to, but you know, I'm afraid of an airbag injury,” Daria said.

 

“Oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry, what was I thinking? Of course you must sit in the back!” O'Neill spluttered.

 

 

As he drove along, Mr. O'Neill asked. “Sometimes I think film is even more a mirror of the times than the novel. Do you think this is because of its greater verismilitude? Jennifer?”

 

“Don't ask me!” Jennifer murmured.

 

“What about you, Daria?”

 

“Let's face it. Most people would rather watch a movie than read a book. It's fast, it's easy and you don't have to worry about your lips moving.”

 

“That's a fabulous class assignment, Daria! Thank you for the suggestion!”

 

'Oops!' Daria thought. “Um, did I make a suggestion? I'd like to withdraw it!” she said with her voice raised.

 

“It's a great suggestion,” O'Neill said.

 

Daria sighed.

 

 

 

Tuesday, April 4, 2006

O'Neill had taken the 'suggestion' to heart. “...So, as an excerise in living literature, you'll all be all be making your own movies. We have Daria to thank for that exciting suggestion.”

 

“There's that word again!” Daria groused.

 

“Now, before we split into movie making teams, who would like to direct?” O'Neill asked.

 

Amost all of the class raised their hands and began shouting “Me!”

 

“Exciting isn't it?” Jane asked with thick sarcasm.

 

 

That afternoon, they borrowed a camcorder from Daria's father, Jake. “Remember, this is a precious, precise and very, very costly instrument. It's not the sort of thing one ordinarily lends a teenager,” he said.

 

“We'll be careful,” Daria said.

 

“I explained to you about the three focus modes and the depth of field override and the auto-sleep feature...”

 

“I'm about to go into auto-sleep myself,” Daria said with a yawn.

 

“Okay, Daria. Just...” Jake paused. “Try not to use it too much,” he said as he handed the camcorder over.

 

“How much is too much?” Daria asked.

 

 

They had gone to Jane's house and Jane proceded to place the camcorder in a tree... “There, Tree-Cam,” she said.

 

“You're just going to leave it running?” Daria asked.

 

“Only a day or two. It'll catch everyone passing by through the tree's totally objective point of view,” Jane explained.

 

“This is boring,” Jennifer said a minute later.

 

“Andy Warhol filmed eight hours of a guy sleeping and people thought it was brilliant,” Jane said.

 

“Those people changed their minds after they got into twelve step programs,” Daria commented.

 

“Wait... I think I just saw some leaves rustle,” Jane said.

 

“That's not enough action,” Jennifer complained.

 

“We're going to need a script,” Jane complained. They then went inside.

 

Mysteries of Lawndale - Night of the Coffee House - Part 1

 Night of the Coffee House Part 1

Lawndale

Sunday, 12 October 1997

It was late at night in Lawndale. It was quiet. It wouldn’t remain quiet for much longer. A small group of people approached a shopfront. Soon, a window was broken and an alarm went off. The group of people scattered, albeit not without a substantial load of computer hardware...

 

 

 

Monday, 13 October 1997

At Lawndale High, Language Arts teacher, Mr. Timothy O’Neil was telling his class about the previous night’s ‘disturbance’. “I thought today we would take a break from the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet to talk about the real life tragedy last night right here in Lawndale. Let's share our feelings of violation following the loss of our beloved cybercafé, alt.lawndale.com. Who would like to start?”

 

‘I wouldn’t,’ Daria Morgendorffer thought. ‘Even so, I don’t want to solve the mystery of why you are like this.’

 

O’Neil continued, looking at Kevin Thompson. “Charles? Charles did you hear me?”

 

‘You’ve got it wrong!’ Daria thought. She still wasn’t particularly interested in O’Neil’s idiosyncrasies. She had enough on her plate regarding the rest of the school, not to mention Lawndale at large.

 

“You mean, Kevin,” the quarterback said.

 

O’Neil looked at his seating chart. “Kevin. I’m sorry. You, uh look like someone else. What do you have to say about last night’s horrible event?”

 

‘You’re asking the wrong person,’ Daria thought. She had her own opinions about who might have broken into that cybercafé.

 

“I was home all night. You can ask my parents. Besides, I already have a computer,” Kevin answered.

 

“No, Kevin, I mean how did the theft make you feel?”

 

“Um... Sad?” Kevin said in confusion.

 

‘You’re definitely asking the wrong person,’ Daria thought. It was no mystery why Kevin was the way he was. He had been hit on the head too many times out on the field.

 

“Are you asking me or telling me?” O’Neil prompted.

 

“Angry?” Kevin asked.

 

The teacher decided to ask someone else. “Jodie, how about you?”

 

“I think the cybercafé served one very particular segment of the community but it pisses me off when people take what isn’t theirs,” Jodie Landon answered.

 

“That’s how I feel!” Kevin interjected.

 

“Thank you, Kevin, Jodie,” O’Neil said. “About that word, ‘Community.’”

 

Daria may not have been in Lawndale long, but she knew where this was going ‘uh oh!’

 

“Is that the whole idea of a cybercafé? To jack us into the global community? I think what’s so disturbing about this crime is the symbolism involved.” He paused. “Don’t you agree, Jane?”

 

“No,” Jane Lane answered.

 

“Suddenly we are cut off. We can’t hail our friends across the globe and say ‘It’s a beautiful day in the cyberhood.’ They didn’t just steal a few computers. They took the symbol of our virtual community. To visit alt.lawndale.com was to come together with the planet,” O’Neil continued.

 

Daria had enough. People didn’t go to cybercafés for any of those reasons! “Oh, come on!” she said.

 

“Yes?” O’Neil asked.

 

“Come together with the planet? By staring at a screen for hours? Sitting in a room with people you never say a word to?” Daria asked.

 

“Hmm, Interesting point, Dorian.”

 

“Daria.” She was annoyed that he had got her name wrong.

 

“Uh, damn spiders. Daria, you believe that while connecting Lawndale citizens to our global neighbors, the cafe was alienating us from each other.”

 

“I’m saying. If you really miss the place, put a Mr. Coffee in the computer lab.”

 

“So, in your opinion, what we really need is a return to the traditional coffee house of yore, where you’d watch some performers and share a cup with your friends face to face?”

 

“You’re a visionary,” Jane said with sarcasm.

 

“Right here and now, let’s pledge to make Daria’s dream a reality.”

 

“You mean where there is no crime?” Daria asked.

 

“The coffee house! We’ll plan it, locate it, raise the money and open it.”

 

Daria sighed again.

 

That afternoon, the Mystery Club (except Alecia Nibblett and Corey Bateman who had other commitments), Daria’s sister, Quinn and Jane’s brother Trent met at the Lane house.

 

“I’m sure you’ve heard of the break-in at the Coffee house by now,” Daria said.

 

“Yes,” Trent said.

 

“Of course,” Quinn answered.

 

“It is a crime that should be easy to solve,” Daria said.

 

“Wait,” Jane said.

 

“What?” Daria asked.

 

“You want to find who broke into the cybercafé?’ Jane asked.

 

“She has done it before,” Quinn pointed out.

 

“Yes, Jane. And, as Quinn said, I have done it before,” Daria said.

 

“Does that mean we will have to examine the scene of the crime ourselves?” Stacy Rowe asked.

 

“Yes,” Daria answered.

 

 

“Cool!” Stacy said. “But will the police allow us?”

 

“They will. I just have to make a few calls,” Daria said. “Trent?”

 

“All the phones work. I use them when I have to call the band,” Trent said.

 

“I’ll be right back.”

 

 

After several calls, Daria came back to the group.

 

“The police will meet us at the Cybercafe,” Daria said.

 

“Must have been rather effective calls,” Stacy said.

 

“She worked with several officers in Highland,” Quinn said.

 

“OK,” Stacy said.

 

“When are we going?” Jane asked.

 

“They’ll meet us in half an hour,” Daria said.

Daria Wars: Episode XXVII: A Medieval Menace

 Daria Wars: Episode XXVII: A Medieval Menace

 

Daria had had enough of the medieval fair, and she hadn’t even met Jane yet. “Where is she?” she asked aloud. She could see the Fashion Club nearby, at a pie booth.

 

“Force, Stacy, what’s wrong? You look awful,” Sandi said.

 

“Yeah, really bad,” Tiffany added.

 

“It’s Bret. He said he’d call me after our first date but he never did and I just saw him and said hi and he pretended he didn’t even see me!” Stacy bawled.

 

“Bummer!” Sandi said.

 

Usually Sandi Griffin would have come off ‘better’ after putting her fellow Fashion Club member in her place.

 

However, it wasn’t a normal situation, medieval faire notwithstanding. She hadn’t reckoned on Stacy being Force sensitive. And Stacy’s anguish was enough for her to be susceptible to the Dark Side. Thus, Stacy lashed out. “You don’t care!” she called out, and started to Force-choke Sandi!

 

Sandi was shocked. “Stacy!” she managed to get out.

 

 

Daria saw this happening.

 

“Oh no!” she said. She went over. “Stop, Stacy, that is not the answer!”

 

However, Stacy didn’t relent, and Sandi was turning blue in the face! Stacy turned to Daria. “You have the answer to everything, don’t you?” Stacy asked. Her eyes were turning yellow.

 

“Oops!” Daria murmured. But she was too slow to counter Stacy’s next move. She extended her other hand and Force-choked Daria, while keeping the hold on Sandi!

 

The next moments passed slowly.

 

“Let them go, Stacy!” Jane had finally turned up. Her voice was full of confidence.

 

Stacy didn’t do anything of the sort. “No!” She said.

 

“Then you leave me no choice!” Jane said, with regret.

 

“Quick!” Daria called out. She could see that Sandi had already collapsed from the lack of oxygen.

 

Quicker than the increasing crowd of bystanders were able to see, Jane produced a lightsaber and ignited it. “Stacy!” Jane said in a warning tone.

 

Stacy looked. Immediately she let go of both Sandi and Daria. However, in the next moment, she was trying to throw force lightning at Jane. Jane, however was effortlessly blocking that attack with the lightsaber.

 

 

This went on for a couple of minutes, before Ms. Li showed up demanding an explanation. “What is the meaning of this!”

 

“There’s a problem with Stacy, Ms. Li. Call the police!” Jane directed.

 

Stacy heard that. “Oh no!” she said. Immediately the force lightning stopped and she collapsed, crying and hyperventilating.

 

Jane turned the lightsaber off. “It should be over now...” she said.

 

Daria hoped so. But at least the medieval fair had been completely disrupted. She went over to Quinn, who was trying to comfort Stacy.

DariaBrittany - School

 DariaBrittany - School

It was days before Daria (or, rather, Brittany) was allowed to go back to school.  Days of tests in the hospital, until the doctors were satisfied that there was nothing wrong with 'Brittany' other than the amnesia. Daria considered that was the right decision, given that she remembered none of the events that had made Brittany, Brittany. Indeed, Steve had noticed the difference immediately, and had chalked it up to the amnesia.

 

Still, the days of tests were all to prove that Brittany was healthy, and while she had retained 'facts and figures', the personal memories were gone.

 

Eventually she was allowed to go back to school.

 

But first there was an interview with Ms. Li.

 

"Ms. Taylor, no doubt this has been an agonising time for you. Laaawndale High stands ready to assist you as you adjust.

 

"Thanks."

 

"Given the circumstances, we can forgo the meeting with Mrs. Manson."

 

'That's a relief,' Daria thought. "Good!" She said, her voice showing some 'pep'.

 

"You are now free to go to your first class. History, I believe."

 

"Thanks, Ms. Li."

 

 

Daria-Brittany (Brittaia?) left the Principal's office. On the way to the history class room, she saw many other people in the hallways. She could tell that they were all looking at her. There was a lot different about the person they presumed to be the Brittany Taylor they knew. She wasn't wearing the cheerleader uniform for one thing, just loose fitting clothes that shared the Lawndale High colors. In addition, she wore her hair down. It was longer than she was used to but she didn't want to cut it - yet.

 

Many of the students looked at her as she passed. Most of them had looks of pity. Somehow the 'news' had leaked. She pretended to read from the directions and soon came to the history classroom.

 

"Ah, Ms. Taylor!" Mr. DeMartino said as she came in. "Welcome back to Lawndale High. I hope that you're going to apply yourself."

 

'Brittaia' gave the teacher a questioning expression.

 

"Sorry, I forgot. You weren't one of my most attentive students, before!"

 

'Brittaia' nodded.

 

She found an empty seat, far from Kevin and from her opposite self. A glance was enough to tell her that the event had been a swap, not a duplication. The other person was still recognisable to the untrained eye as Daria Morgendorffer, but she knew that Brittany had ended up in her body. The clothes were different, like something Quinn would choose for a sister who had changed enough to ask for her help in finding clothes. She had also changed her glasses to frames that were less 'manstoppery'.

One last detail, her hair was in pigtails similar to the way Brittany had worn hers before the event. That settled it. Somehow the two were going to talk about what had happened.

 

Mr. DeMartino then asked a question. "Now, who can tell me the name of the Assassin who killed President Kennedy?"

 

Three hands went up. One of them was her. The other two were Jodie and.., her opposite self? 'You're trying to hard!' she thought.

 

"Daria," Mr. DeMartino said with a smile.

 

'Smiling?' Britaia asked herself.

 

"Lee Havey Oswald," Her opposite self answered.

 

'What!'  Now there was something up.

Star Trek: Lower Decks 2.07 Where Pleasant Fountains Lie review

 Where Pleasant Fountains Lie

The seventh episode of the second season. Mariner and Boimler take an evil computer to the Daystrom Institute. Meanwhile Cerritos is hosting a family member of one of the senior officers. Firstly the storyline with the evil computer. Agimus is well done (as any character portrayed by Jeffrey Combs would be). But it’s Boimler, rather than Mariner who outsmarts the megalomaniacal AI. That is a rather good depiction of character development! Very inspired. The ending, showing a vault full of such AIs was like a cherry on a cake.

But the other cherry related happenings were a let down by comparison.  Billups’ backstory did need some filling in but that scene was over the top! What wasn’t over the top was Tendi’s reaction when she learns of Rutherford’s (fake) fate. That is certainly leading to something. 7.9/10.

Mysteries of Lawndale - The First Party - Conclusion

 Mysteries of Lawndale 02 The First Party – Conclusion

They soon entered Steve Taylor’s home office. It was a well organised and efficient space. Two of the walls were occupied by bookshelves filled with books and folders. Opposite the door, in front of the window was a computer desk. The computer was a new model. Daria was certain that it had Windows 95. Indeed as she looked around, she saw the Microsoft sanctioned sticker alongside the ‘Intel Inside’ one.

 

“Ok, turn it on. But be sure to use the knuckle, rather than then the end of the finger,” Daria said.

 

“Sure,” Upchuck said. He turned the computer on.

 

Daria, had her cameras working, so she recorded the appearance of the office. The computer turned on. Then there was a snag. It had Windows NT 4.0 rather than Windows 95. ‘He must have installed it after buying the computer,’ she thought as she looked at the ‘use alt control delete to log in’ box. “Okay, turn it off again.”

 

“Would that be wise?” Upchuck asked.

 

“He won’t know it was us who turned it on,” Daria said.

 

“Sure,” Upchuck said. He switched the computer off.

 

“Let’s go back downstairs,” Daria said.

 

“Sure, we’ve been up here long enough,” Jane said.

 

 

When Daria, Jane and Upchuck re-entered the dining room, the party was going on. Daria noticed two people in particular were looking at Jane and herself.

 

“Those two guys are staring at us,” she said.

 

“Huh? Don’t they know that we’re from two different worlds?” Jane asked.”They’re popular. We’re regular!” Jane said.

 

“I suppose the one with the slightly large head is interesting,” Daria said.

 

“You’re just interested whether it’s a deformity or not,” Jane said.

 

“That’s part of it,” Daria said.

 

“I don’t know whether it is or not,” Upchuck said.

 

“Upchuck, thanks for the tour, but you can go now,” Daria said.

 

“Fiesty! I shall see you later,” Upchuck said. He leaned back and tried to whisper in Daria’s ear. “Confidentially, I may join the Mystery Club.” He then made a flirtaceous growl.

 

“And you would be welcome to, go!” Daria said.

 

As Upchuck left, the two boys approached. “Hey, Partying hard or hardly partying.”

 

“Hardly interested!” Jane said.

 

“So, where you girls been all our lives.”

 

“We’ve been waiting her for you,” Jane said. She smirked to Daria. “We were born here, in this room. We then grew up in this room. We thought we would die here alone! But now you’ve come, and so our lives can get started!”

 

“She likes you,” the other guy said to the big headed one.

 

Daria spotted Quinn near one of the ceramic tigers. “There’s Quinn,” she said.

 

“Where?” Jane asked, wondering what Quinn was up to.

 

Daria pointed her out.

 

Jane waved and shouted. “Hey! Quinn!”

 

 

‘What is Jane doing!’ Quinn wondered. It was embarrassing...

 

 

Meanwhile, back at the guardhouse, the guard had finished flipping through Jane’s life drawings. “I have to take this class!” He realized. “I have to find Tiffany.” He turned the book over. “I mean, Jane...”

 

He abandoned his post. Less than a minute later, some hoons found it abandoned and drove around the lowered boom gate. “Woo-hoo!”

 

“Party!”

 

 

Jane approached Quinn. “What do you want?” Quinn asked.

 

“Could be anything.”

 

“You can tell Daria, that I have been paying attention.”

 

“Sure,” Jane said.

 

“I’ll tell her either when we get home, or tomorrow morning,” Quinn said.

 

“Cool,” Jane said. “You don’t need to tell me, I’ll find out at the next meeting,” Jane said.

 

Quinn gave a smile in response.

 

 

Jane walked away from Quinn and found Tori dancing. “Beep beep,” she said.

 

“Huh?” Tori asked, wondering what Jane was doing.

 

“It’s the soul train. Get on board!”

 

“Not funny, Lane!” Tori said.

 

 

Daria emerged from the laundry room. She looked to see that no one saw her emerge and then went to find Jane.

 

 

She soon found her.

 

“What happened to Bobby Bighead?” Jane asked.

 

“I wasn’t interested in a romantic manner,” Daria answered.

 

Jane picked a sock off Daria’s shoulder. “Is this yours?” she asked.

 

Daria looked at the sock. She sighed. “He thought my head was a lollipop. It’s really not a mystery why he was so desperate.”

 

“True,” Jane mused.

 

“Almost ready to go?” Daria asked.

 

“Of course,” Jane answered.

 

“One last go through the party,” Daria stated.

 

“If you want to,” Jane stated.

 

 

Meanwhile, Quinn was speaking to her three admirers.

“This isn’t working out,” she said.

 

“What?” Jamie asked.

 

“What do you mean?” Joey asked.

 

“What are you talking about?” Jeffy asked.

 

“You deserve three good girlfriends, but I think you’re pressuring me into something I’m not ready for,” Quinn said.

 

“Huh?” Jamie asked.

 

“I don’t understand,” Joey said.

 

“What do you mean?” Jeffy asked.

 

“I don’t want a boyfriend at present.”

 

“What?” Joey asked.

 

“Let’s just be friends,” Quinn said. “I don’t have time, what with school, extracurricular activities and helping my sister with her investigations, to have a boyfriend.”

 

“You came on too strong!” Jeffy said to Joey.

 

“You didn’t give her enough space!” Jamie said to Jeffy.

“You should have brushed your teeth!” Joey said to Jamie.

 

The three then started fighting each other. Quinn was aghast. “Oh dear! Please stop fighting! Didn’t you hear what I said?”

 

‘Probably not,’ Quinn thought after a few moments of the three boys continuing to pummel each other. She then saw the police, in the company of one of the neighbors out the window. “Guys?” the police are here, we have to go!”

 

The three continued to fight over Quinn.

 

“Guys!” Quinn shouted again.

 

That got their attention. “Did you say, Police?” Jeffy asked.

 

“Yes, they’re here! Brittany is about to get into trouble, let’s go,” Quinn said.

 

“Um, sure,” Joey said.

 

 

Quinn and her posse soon met, Daria and Jane at the estate entrance, where they were talking to various estate residents as they arrived back from various activities. “Gathering information?” she asked Daria.

 

“Of course,” Daria said.

 

“That’s good,” Quinn said.

 

“Where’s Stacy?” Daria asked.

 

“She should be along shortly,” Quinn said.

 

 

Indeed, Stacy did arrive, having left shortly after Quinn did.

 

“That was a cool night!” Stacy said as she got there.

 

“Good that you enjoyed it, Stacy,” Quinn said in encouragement.

 

“How are we getting home?” Stacy asked.

 

“We’ll wait for someone to drive us home,” Daria said.

 

“Sure,” Quinn said.

 

 

Some of the people leaving the party didn’t stop. However, soon enough someone did stop for them. However, it was Upchuck. “You ladies in need of a knight in shining armor?” he asked.

 

“Can’t we just take the armor and ditch the knight?” Daria asked.

 

“Hey, it’s a package deal toots!”

 

“Sure,” Daria said, sure that Upchuck could show them some interesting areas of Lawndale on the way home.

 

“Um, OK,” Stacy said, slightly panicked.

 

“Relax, Stacy, you can get off at our place,” Quinn said.

 

“Sure,” Stacy said, reassured.

 

 

Shortly after they left the checkpoint, Upchuck did point out an interesting fact of Lawndale. “To your left, the home of the director of public works, built on unstable landfill.” Of course he continued in his annoying way. “To your right, a flattened squirrel. Straight ahead, the future!”

 

“Upchuck, less annoyingly!” Daria chided. “How do you know it’s built on unstable landfill anyway.”

 

“I have my sources. I’ll let you know once I have joined the Mystery Club,” Upchuck said.

 

“Then, don’t take too long,” Daria said with impatience.

 

Upchuck uttered a flirtatious growl. “Feisty!”