(Off-topic) Dystopian alternate universes are the in thing,

[Keith]

Not only do we have Mr T's <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/wink.gif"> excellent 'Phantoms', but a well-known piece of Harry Potter fanfiction that I read took an alternate-universe turn when Harry (persuaded by Voldemort) changed the past to save his mother, thus creating a dark and unpleasant new reality.<P>Also, my Dungeons & Dragons campaign has gone down a somewhat similar road, with the party being captured (my poor half-celestial elven sorceress had all her wing feathers ripped out! <IMG SRC="http://www.keenspace.com/forums/frown.gif">) and trapped in a magic mirror for 432 years, emerging to find the world overtaken by the forces of darkness, history having apparently taken the wrong direction due to our being trapped (because all prophecies since that time have been wrong).<P>------------------
*In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.* - Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy)

[T Campbell]

I'm still waiting for somebody to do the most screamingly obvious CRFH "Shadow World" story ever...<P>Specifically, what if Dave HADN'T been brought back to life?<P>(Those who have no idea what I'm talking about are invited to check out CRFH.net...)

[Nullset]

Good point, T, but I'm having trouble imagining the consquences.<P>The simple thing would be that the group would likely have fallen apart, since it really is Dave holding them together. Even the Mike/Marsha couple would have had a stunted devlopment.<P>The two possible outcomes after that would be dependant on Satan's plans for Margaret. Since her stability and strength to hold off demonic influences seems to stem from Dave, without him she'd likely succumb.<P>Seeing them in the dystopia that may occur (if the world isn't just simply destroyed) would be interesting, but as was stated in the cross-over, CRFH aren't a team. And it breaks down from there...<P>I guess we've also seen many of Maritza's stories where the group is happy to leave Dave out and do their own thing. Like going out dancing. So, I guess you're right, the alternate story of what would CRFH be with Dave death so early on in the story would be interesting. I just can't predict more than that the group would be much less organised than it currently is.<P>Nullset out.<P>P.S. That was a pointless ramble.