Chapter 47

The next week I made the appointment with transportation to send my personal belongings home. One nice thing, they would take care of everything. Send a crew to my room to pack everything in boxes, then pick them up a day later. I arranged to have them all sent home, figuring that way I can just grab what I needed when it was time to move to Yuma and take what I needed there myself.

The “Game Design Classes” were surprisingly popular. Each week around 25 people would show up, and starting on the second week I started to give small thirty minute lectures on my philosophies of game design. This included that the game must be fun for the winner and loser alike. And that while random chance is often a major part of a game, it should never be entirely random. “After all, how much fun is a game of coin flipping?” But I saw several nod, so I knew they got it.

The second half was normally talking one on one with the people, getting a feeling for what they were wanting to do, and offering suggestions. And I made sure that they knew it was only suggestions I was giving. Some were designing board games, one was even working out a page at a time how the Lost Worlds books worked and designing his own with artwork he was doing himself. One was a 10 year old girl that was making a board game based on Barbie. But over half were making RPG adventures or expansions.

I would normally end each session with suggestions and goals, and then suggesting companies to approach with the games or game concepts. And on Sunday afternoon I had started a second session, which included playtesting things that were closest to completion. By this time Nancy was assisting, and she promised to keep this going after I left. I called Dee and had her send me copies of every article I had written, as well as any she could find about game design. I handed Nancy this in two large notebooks, saying it might help her in helping others in improving their concepts.

But I still had a few more things I needed to do before I left The Rock. First, I had the photos of our dive, and I had ordered four copies. One I gave to Frannie, the others I removed some and sent them with a note through the base mail system to the dive locker at Hansen and Beach Inn. Hopefully, both would get use out of them, especially the dive locker, as they could show what photos really looked like from the camera. The next thing I had to do was driving back to the electronics district and getting a new computer. I had already gotten an 80386-12 right after they came out, but I wanted to get another as they were cheaper here. And once I got there, the same girl saw me and took me to the back counter and started bringing out boxes.

The 80386-20 had just come out, so that was obvious. And I added 4 megabytes of RAM, which she assured me was more than I would ever need. The largest hard drive they had was a massive 100 megabyte model, so I grabbed two of them. Also, she pulled out this thing she called a “CD-ROM”. Now I had been reading about those for a few months and asked her about compatibility. She told me that thanks to Microsoft most had finally settled on a standard, and with 650 MB of storage on a single disk, I was sold.

I asked about cases next and was expecting the standard IBM clone boxes I had been seeing for years. And was surprised when she showed me one that was standing upright! It was like a regular case, but turned on its side. I counted four drive bays, and told her it was sold. And finally, the monitor. She then took me to a display, and I saw the new VGA monitors were out now. The picture was so much better than what I had on my EGA one, so I selected one and with that and a graphics card I got a few more things and had them run my credit card.

The total bill was just under $2,000 in US money, but I considered it money well spent. This would be good for years, and was about a third cheaper than the price I was seeing in the ads in magazines from the states. I brought everything back to my room, and a few hours later had it all up and running. The graphics were so much better than they were before, even though there were no games I had that would take advantage of it yet. But there were supposed to be a few out by the end of the year, so I would be ready.

The next week the office threw Frannie and I a going away party at the club. Thankfully nobody knew of our weekend together, and I danced with most of the gals from the office. Frannie danced with most of the guys, and while PT the next morning sucked with a hangover, we got through it OK.

I asked to be put on the disk run for my last two weeks, and that was not a problem. I printed up a bunch of fliers and hung them up at every camp. I got lucky, as the second day I had a call and was soon driving up to Camp Schwab.

A sergeant who had just arrived on the island was looking for a car, and he said mine sounded perfect. While a few rust patches had started to show at the fenders in the last year and a few dents were added, I had taken good care of the engine and it ran great. We did a little dickering, and we shook hands at $1,000. Mike did not have a problem if I held it for another week, and said he would have the cash for me when I was ready to hand it over.

This was actually his second tour on the island, and soon we were at this little bar he knew out in town, singing karaoke and having a few beers. I was a bit surprised when he offered to buy me a drink, expecting a strip club. But instead, we went to this little place, and we were the only Gaijin in the place. But the bartender took my order and did not even ask what Mike wanted, so I knew he was a regular. He told me about his divorce, and deciding a return to “the rock” for a few years would be good to clear his head from a cheating wife. We were soon sharing stories, and he commiserated over my own experience while I was here.

I asked him about the place, and he said he used to come here all the time in his first tour. It seems that like most local places they tend to be unsure of Americans, but once you became a regular you were as welcome as any of the locals. He liked it because it let him “get away” from being a Marine for at least a few hours. I nodded, wishing I had discovered such a place as “Club Tokyo” during my time here. But after my limit of two beers I drove him back to the gate, and said I would be by next weekend to finish the deal.

After driving Frannie to the terminal and kissing her goodbye a few days later, I spent most of the next week checking out of the unit. Then there was a final party at Kadena, as the gamers threw me a going-away party as well. I noticed that they had put frames up on the wall behind the register, and along with Fred there was one of me also, and above our heads was a sign that said “Founders”. I was touched and knew that this was something that would last here long after I left. Along with the display case with copies of six of my trophies now.

I went back to my room that night, and sat down and wrote a three page letter. Which was both a thank you to the group, as well as a kind of coda. Enjoy games and have fun playing, neither winning or losing is important so long as the game was fun, and to pass along this love to others and strive to teach others how to have fun.

“The ultimate goal of a ‘game’ is to have fun. Like in sports, where even the losing team members can have fun, strive to be that way in all games. If you lose at chess, take what you might have learned in the game itself and apply it later. Do not be afraid of losing, in fact sometimes strive for it! Try new things, even if it does not work! So long as you had fun you accomplished the goal of the game. Experiment! In fact, make it a game to play at a game. Try something crazy, if nothing else it might be fun watching your opponent’s reaction at your silliness as they destroy you. But first, last, and always, enjoy the game.”

During the disk run the next day I stopped by and handed it to Nancy, and she read through it and hugged me. “Trust me, this is probably going to be framed under your photos. This is almost a perfect manifesto as to why we play. God, I wish you were staying, I could have learned so much from you Pete.”

“Well, I am only a letter away, you have my address. And I have two copies of Collective Wargames coming here each month. Just read through it, hopefully that will help you also. Oh, and that boss at the end, try making it something like a Lich, but not evil. Give them a way to talk their way out of a fight.” She nodded, and I left as she was deep in thought and writing notes.

Then it was time for the packers. I had put everything I still needed into a seabag and suit bag, and within three hours everything I owned was inventoried and packed up for shipping. They were even surprised I was sending back three computers, as most guys sent back stereos and large TVs instead. I had already sold my TV and stereo to other guys I worked with.

On Sunday Mike took the bus down to Butler, and an hour later I was waving goodbye. I was going to miss that car, but I was sure it was in good hands. Now I had my last week, and was restricted to bus and foot for the first time in years. But that was not a problem. I did make a stop at the Butler facility, and gave them a copy of my “Farewell Address”, and it got the same reaction. I had a feeling that within a few weeks they also would have my photo on the wall. I just hope they continued it for each of the “Group Leaders”. I did not want shrines left to me, I had done nothing special really. Just helped share with others how I lived games.

The last week was mostly sitting around, I was all checked out and the Lieutenant each day by noon was telling me to take off. Most days I just headed over to the game facility and hung out until the chow hall opened, then when it closed headed back to my room and read until I went to bed.

Although I did stop by the Steam Bath one final time. And Yuki did not even pretend to give me a massage, almost as soon as I was dry from her shower we were both naked on the pallet and I was balls deep inside of her. She knew this was my final visit, and she did make it memorable. Shortly after I came in her, she washed me off, then took me into her mouth until I was hard again. Then rolling on another condom she rode me completion a second time. Which I enjoyed, as it showed me that at least I was not just another customer to her. She even gave me a long kiss when I handed her an extra $40, and thanked her for all she had done for me.

Finally, it was the day to leave. The Lieutenant had the disk run drop me and my luggage off at Kadena, and I had four hours to kill until my flight time. So I got checked in and headed to the Kadena game facility until an hour before flight time. Indeed, my “Game Manifesto” was in three frames inside the trophy case. One of the volunteers drove me back to the terminal, and it was another Flying Tiger 747 to LAX. We had two stops on the way, the first outside Tokyo, and the second at Anchorage. I called Dee and told her my flight time when I was in Anchorage, and she said she would meet me at the airport.

Finally, tired after almost a day and a half of flying I landed at LAX. Georgie ran and gave me a hug as soon as I walked out the gate, and Dee did right after. George sure had grown in the last year, and he was happily babbling away as I carried him as we went to get my bags.

As we drove back home, Dee told me that the movers had called the day before, and my personal goods would be there on Friday. I thanked her, and she filled me in on what was new. Her second module for XX-XY was selling well, and asked if I could make a commitment to work the con over Labor Day weekend. It was the forth through the seventh of September, and I sighed. “Maybe, maybe. I have to report in on the first, so I can try to make it. But I would not count on it, as I will probably be busy checking in and getting everything set up once I get there.”

“Yeah, I kinda figured that, but Brad wanted me to ask. So what are your plans now? You have about a month to kill until then.”

“Well, tomorrow I was going to go and visit Peggy’s uncle, and see if he had a car I might like. I need a new one, and I figure I would go see him first.”

“Well, it’s early enough. Let’s just stop there on the way home. It’s not even noon yet, we can stop and get some lunch, then swing by on the way home. That way if you see something you like you can drive it home.”

I told her that sounded great, so after lunch at the pizza place with the robot rat, we were pulling into the car lot. Peggy’s uncle came over, and seemed a bit curious as to why a Marine was wandering his lot in uniform. Especially as I had flown as conventional “Space Available”, and had chosen to wear my “Delta Blues”. Khaki short sleeve shirt, Dress Blue trousers, and the white dress cap. But as soon as I reminded him who I was, he smiled. “Yes, I remember now, Peggy told me you had joined the Marines. You are back?”

I told him that I was, after three years in Japan. “I actually just arrived back about two hours ago, and I need a new car. My old girlfriend wrecked my last one a couple of years ago, and now that I’m back I am not going to walk or take the bus if I need to go somewhere.”

“Yes, I think we can do that. Let me see, you still want a larger vehicle, 4-wheel drive?”

“Yeah, or something similar. Maybe like a Bronco or Blazer. Nothing as big as my old Wagoneer. But 4-wheel drive is not required though.”

He smiled, and told us to follow him. “We just got this in last week. My mechanic just finished giving it a tune-up and oil change, and fixed a few dings in the body. I am gonna have my detailer come by tomorrow, but other than that it is pretty much ready to go.”

We walked around the corner, and I stopped. I looked at it, trying to figure out what it was in front of me. “OK, it looks kinda like a Toyota truck. Is that what it is?”

“Mostly. This is a 4Runner. Basically, they took a truck and added a back like a Blazer or Bronco. This black part over the back, it’s fiberglass. Just a few bolts and it comes off. This is a 1985 model, less than 40,000 miles. The original owner added a sunroof, and it has a really good stereo. It was a college kid, he died in a surfing accident and his parents sold it to me. If you want, I can sell it to you for $8,000.”

I looked over at Dee, and she smiled at me. I spent the next hour, looking at it inside and out, under the hood, then taking it for a test drive. And I loved it! It handled much more like a small Toyota pick-up than a boat like the Blue Whale, and had bucket seats in the front and a bench in the rear that could be removed. And there was still room in the back for some more cargo.

We went into the office to do some dickering, and I got him to throw in a new set of all-terrain tires. He could not come down on the price, I think it really was only a little more than he had paid for it. He told me it would be ready on Wednesday, and I asked if I could just take it now and come back on Wednesday for the tires. He said that was fine, and when I asked Dee to take me to the bank to get a cashiers check, Charlie just shook his head.