C-TPA03 (Jan 4, 1996)
Puzzle
“Herbert loves whipping a vortex and portal into shape.”
#62 Trivia | 2 Words
Clue
Hover over the clues if you require!
Clue 1: Which famous sci-fi writer is named 'Herbert'?
Clue 2: Has he written anything with the word 'Whipping'?
Clue 3: What is the term for portals and teleportation in general? There's a specific website listing science-fiction technology that might help.
Answer and Explanation
Answer: Vortal Tube
Explanation: In Frank Herbert’s Whipping Star, the main method of travelling is either the S’eye portals or the Caleban jumpdoors, which are described that way.
Summary of Receipt
62 things 53's overthinking things, believing Satan's just trying to cause another Satanic Panic, though that begs the question of why. She thinks it's likely related to the Anathema Proxy, which seemingly involves destroying Long Beach, whether that's through Miss. Andrews resurfacing and Astoria nuking the place; or a Plan B, it collapsing from a Satanic Panic. Or even a Plan C, which may be to do with Pleasant stealing a bunch of magical stuff and killing famous Long Beach community leaders. She suggests figuring out what exactly the Anathema Proxy is, and how Satan wants to activate it, since right now they know basically nothing.
Transcript
RECEIPT #003
FILED UNDER: CAFE-TPA
DATE: 1/4/96
EMPLOYEE #62
I don’t entirely disagree with Shill… but I think he’s overthinking things. Padre wants to stir up a Satanic Panic, however, counterintuitive that may be. A principal of a school where a kid died due to “satanic influences” seems like a more than reasonable target, doesn’t it? I mean, I’m sure Padre, Pleasant, Aka, and Umbra were at least aware that it’s also #35, #44, and #1313’s school, but I don’t believe that was their only reason for attacking their principal. I think the bigger question is, why does Satan want a Satanic Panic?
Well, another question is why Satan wanted to destroy all of Long Beach using a Death Wyrm. I think it has to do with the Anathema Proxy. I’m guessing the Death Wyrm was plan A, but that didn’t work, so now he’s on to plan B, which is the Satanic Panic. So somehow destroying Long Beach gets Satan his Anathema Proxy. And I feel like he’s trying to do the same, just slower and more carefully this time. Of course, summoning a giant Death Wyrm to provoke A23 into nuking Long Beach would both garner attention and an attempt to stop it. But slowly destroying Long Beach through a feverous Satanic Panic led by Satan himself? That could work.
But I can’t imagine Satan is only working on one plan at a time, either. I mean, he was having the Redman manipulate kids at Wilson High way before the whole Death Wyrm fiasco. And he’s having Mothman steal various chemicals, materials, and magical objects in addition to manipulating and killing Long Beach figureheads. What we need to figure out, in my opinion, is how exactly Satan plans to enact the Anathema Proxy. If we can do that, we might be able to finally get a step ahead of him and his parish because right now, it feels like we’re a few too many steps behind.