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Friends, there's a bunch of news this week in the field of EI studies! Ever since we realized that Lady Jayne and the Mummy is evolving for the last time this week, I've been telling my new joke around the lab ("Looks like this mummy business is WRAPPING UP!'') to ever-decreasing fanfare. There's also an exciting Modus Operandi update by artist pepper-tea that has to be seen to believed. Come look!

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    User Image Modus Operandi - Detective Wolfe's research led him to a very unusual, very old case spanning nearly a hundred years. The files describe a gorgeous mermaid-- perhaps the most beautiful of her particular clan-- with only one envy in her heart: Her particular branch of merpeople are without souls. Seeing as how she could usually get whatever she wanted, this is the first thing that had ever caused her to feel truly empty. She consulted some of her elders, and it was explained that merpeople without souls can gain one if a human shares theirs with them. With the intense need for a soul fueling her decision-making process, she made the deal to become human and find a soul to be shared.

    It wasn't long before she met a prince, and the two shared a polite but ultimately tepid date together. The prince's attention couldn't be held for long, and he looked elsewhere.

    This drove the mermaid to near-madness. She had seen enough of the prince's soul that she knew it was destined to be hers. It became clear that she'd need to make another, less noble deal. This time, she was given a special dagger that she could use to steal souls directly. She used it without much delay to slay the prince and his lover, and took possession of their souls.

    The mermaid remains human, is thought to be still active stealing souls, and is nearly immortal because of it. She stores them in precious stones on her necklace that resemble diamonds, and by the count of them, she's been quite busy over the last 100 years.

    Detective Wolfe is still brooding in a corner looking over notes and case files. Any attempt by Officer Bricks to question him about the missing officers or the case result in ominous glares and vague, half-hearted answers. Bricks is becoming suspicious of this Detective Wolfe and it's only a matter of time till he discovers what's going on.

    User Image Lady Jayne and the Mummy - Down in the pyramid, Lady Jayne is firing off shots at the mummies slowly lumbering toward her. Before long, they have her surrounded and it's horrifyingly obvious that there are far more mummies than she has remaining bullets. She didn't want it to end this way, especially before finding out what happened to Jasper...

    As the mummies close in, a forceful "STOP!" echoes from around a corner. An unusual-looking mummy approaches from around the corner. This one isn't wrapped in linen like the others, but it is decomposing slightly and wearing some sort of crown. The other mummies shuffle away in obedience to the order, and the new mummy steps into the light just a bit-- it's Jasper!

    Jayne and Jasper embrace, and he begins to explain what had happened with the cursed canopic jar he'd found in a tomb, which contained the remains of an ancient king. "It had an unnatural hold on me, and one evening I couldn't resist opening it up. I was transported back here to the pyramid, and trapped alone as king over the undead. Now that you've brought the jar back, I can free myself of the curse and finally leave this place."

    Tossing his crown back into the darkness, the two begin to walk out of the chamber unopposed. "Jayne, there's something I must confess. I've been in love with you since the day we met, and I think you may feel the same..." Lady Jayne looks up into Jasper Smyth's eyes and is about to answer when his assistant comes running down towards them. "Lady Jayne and... Professor Smyth?! I have urgent news. Professor Oliver has been kidnapped, and is being held for ransom in a jungle far south of here. The captors are asking you to personally hand over a relic in your possession, or he'll be surely dead."

    Jayne looks back up at Jasper and with a mischievous wink replies, "Looks like our adventure has just begun..."

Wow, that's a ton of stuff going on! And now you can see why my mummy wrap joke was good, right? I've got the wrap game on lock down here. Oh hey, don't forget to vote in the weekly EI poll and cast your vote! See you next time!