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Series 1; Epilogue: The Pleasantview Press

Page 1
The Pleasantview Press
Obituary
                                                                                                            
MORTIMER GOTH, Mayor of Pleasantview, tragically passes away from virus exposure

While you're mourning, read his biography:

Born in the Old Country to Gunther Goth, CEO of the Goth Corporation, and Cornelia Goth (née Crumplebottom), a skilled painter. The aristocratic family moved to SimCity and founded the town of Sunset Valley, where Mortimer grew up. Like all Goths, he showed great signs of intelligence and creativity, even from an early age. He took an interest in reading and painting, as well as making friends with Michael and Bella Bachelor.

By accounts, Mortimer was a somewhat pampered and moody child, but he still showed immense enthusiasm towards his role of assuming the Goth fortune. However, his father made it clear that he would need a private education at Smugsworth Preparatory boarding school in order to be worthy of inheritance, and he wouldn't be allowed in  unless he started focusing on getting good grades. Smugsworth would only permit A+ students, and Mortimer had been getting B's and lower for all his childhood.

Determined that his son enter Smugsworth (just as he had done and his father before that and his father before that), Gunther become more disciplinarian towards Mortimer, causing him to lose much of his creative interests, but Mortimer finally got an A+, and he was allowed into Smugsworth, and barely a teenager.

After settling into his new lodging at Smugsworth, Mortimer began dating Bella Bachelor, and he would often sneak out of the dormitory at night to see her. Gunther was displeased when he found out about this activity, and cut off his son's trust fund, meaning that Mortimer had no financial backing from the family.

After graduating from Smugsworth, Mortimer moved to Neighbourhood One, so he could be away from his parents in Old Town. He was infuriated at his father for pulling out his financing. As a retaliation, Mortimer took up acting. Acting was one of the creative hobbies Mortimer pursued as a child - which Gunther considered silly. However, now that a split had formed between father and son, Mortimer had returned to his old way of life, reading, studying insects and other activities his father would despise.

Doug's Declassified History of Pleasantview
Mortimer Goth, early years.
Memorial Painting by Darren Dreamer
As time went by, his acting career winded up, with little more than B - movies to tide him by. He starred in cheap flicks such as "Cannibal Girls From Space," "Reefer Dementia", and "The Chalice of Water".

Mortimer became depressed as he sought new employment, until he acquired a job at Sim State Kinetics Lab as a participant in human subject research. This was the job that would set him on a brand new path in life - the scientific field.

As a human research subject for SSKL, Mortimer was used to test human resistance to various measures of wind. But through time, he started working small odd jobs around the laboratory, cleaning cages and fixing equipment during graveyard shifts. It is believed that the humiliation, along with the stressful hours, drastically altered his personality.

In time, Mortimer became a full fledged researcher, collaborating with the team on their projects. Mortimer traveled many places across the world with the team, and was often stationed underground, or other inhospitable places. He soon grew homesick, and sorely missed Bella, and after gathering up enough money to feel secure, he returned to Smugsworth Prep, not as a student, but to teach science class. After landing this new job, Mortimer felt secure enough to ask Bella's hand in engagement.

Mortimer's teaching career was short, as he quickly returned to SSKL to become project leader. During his time in the office, he sought to make a breakthrough on weather control, which culminated in him creating the Weathernaught 57X, a machine that allowed the alteration or continuation of weather behavior. Strangely, Mortimer never patented the device, but this would mark the beginning of his career as an inventor.

Mortimer produced a series of great inventions, including the SimVac, a vacuum which allowed a person's knowledge to be transferred to another; the ReNuYuSenso Orb, a dangerous device which completely altered one's personality; and his most famous of all, the Elixir of Life, which significantly reversed the aging process. None of these inventions were patented by Mr. Goth.

The long hours Mortimer spent alone in the laboratory conducting these experiments caused much alienation between him and his fiancee, Bella, but the marriage continued, and a wedding was held at his home on Neighborhood One. Not to long after, Bella gave birth to Mortimer's daughter, Cassandra.

Mortimer was named Chairman of the Science Department at Sim State University, and he was given a large sum of money to embark on a top-secret government project, the contents of which remains unknown to this day.

After Bella became pregnant with Mortimer's second child, he began helping around the house more, as his position had allowed him to spend more time at home. He tried cooking a pork chop dinner for the family, but it burned, setting the kitchen on fire, and eventually the whole house. The family was forced to move to 165 Sim Lane, Pleasantview.

By now, Mortimer was a celebrity in the scientific world, and the family had become so financially secure around this point, that Mortimer's work consisted of little more than publishing theses; science books and selling essays to scientific journals. He also made money from lectures, as he was a sought after figure in Universities and Laboratories.

Around this time, Mortimer started paying very close attention to his children, including his new son, Alex. The family situation at this point was a rather happy one, until Bella Goth mysteriously disappeared. Mortimer stumbled into a deep depression, and Cassandra began dating Don Lothario, which only frustrated Mortimer, who had begun showing signs of superstition and paranoia. Both his parents had died recently in fires, and he felt something was trying to hurt him. He came to believe that Don Lothario was trying to steal Mortimer's fortune by marrying Cassandra.

After discovering proof that it had been Don that had kidnapped Bella, Mortimer leaked the news, and the town of Pleasantview turned against Don, who was driven to commit suicide out of guilt or fear.

Mortimer, later years. Memorial painting by Darren Dreamer
Distraught, Cassandra moved out of the house and took her little brother Alex, with her, leaving Mortimer alone at the mansion. But he chose not to dwell on the past, and soon fell in love with Dina Caliente. Reportedly, the two had a deep understanding towards each other, which led to Mortimer confiding many secrets with her, and adopting her as his scientific student. Mortimer and Dina began creating viruses in a newly constructed laboratory in their home.

The two married in the Goth manor backyard, and had two kids: twin sisters Dedra and Nevarina Goth, the former of whom is next in line for the fortune.

Mortimer had been sick for quite some time due tot he exposure to the viruses he had been creating, and he had not long to live. It was believed that the stress of being without an heir was the only thing keeping him alive, but after a healthy Dedra Goth was born, Mortimer felt secure enough to pass away peacefully in his home, leaving behind a family; a fortune and a legacy that everyone in the town will remember.

A funeral will not be held, as the Grim Reaper has personally taken possession of Mortimer's body, and claims he will give it the 'moste stringent and superfluous guardianship'.

This week will be Mourn For Mort Week, and anyone laughing for this whole week will be removed from the town. Mortimer's full 965 page biography, 'Mortimer: Mankind's Finest' will be available at all good bookstores. If your bookstore doesn't have it, it isn't a good bookstore.

Series 1; Episode 10: Parting Ways

1.
The New Heiress

Things weren't going too well for Mortimer Goth. He was far too old to deal with the many changes occurring in his life.

He had lost his entire family. He lost has wife, and his two children, meaning he was without an heir. And if that weren't bad enough, the papers and protesters were saying things about him - saying he wasn't mentally stable enough to mayor the town. They wanted him out of power. John Burb and Mary-Sue Pleasant were making his life a nightmare, and his health was deteriorating from all the frustration. 


Even the ghost of Don Lothario was harassing him, refusing to leave the Goth Mansion, which made life difficult while Mortimer gave his new wife, Dina Goth, piano lessons.

Mortimer became so fed up with the ghosts harassing him that he started spitting on the tombstones in the backyard, but this only made the ghosts angrier.



Luckily, Dina was carrying Mortimer's child. He was enthusiastic, because as long as nothing went wrong, he now had an heir of his magnificent fortune when he and Dina passed on.

But she ended up giving birth to twin girls. The first born girl, who resembled Mortimer, was named Dedra, and the second born girl, who resembled Dina, was named Nevarina.

And so, Mortimer officially declared the Dedra Goth was next in line to the fortune, after her parents passed away. It was strange for Mortimer to think that he wouldn't be around to see that happen.

'Remember, Dina,' Mortimer began, 'you are not only the current heir, you are set to be the leader of this family. I leave you these two daughters, and they shall be yours, and yours alone, to command, discipline and direct in true Goth fashion.'

But Dina wasn't listening. He could only hope that when the time comes, Dina would make the smart decision. To think otherwise would only make his passing much less comfortable.

Would Dina Goth maintain the titles, honours and styles of the prestigious Goth dynasty? All he could do is have faith in the woman he had so briskly and desperately married.




2.
The Others

With the death of Don Lothario, Cassandra had inherited his home, where she would raise her little brother Alex like a son.

Cassandra continued her scientific research for Sim State Labs to keep Alex and herself fed, but her pregnancy would slow her work down. Alex was forced to be more independent, as his sister had nobody but him to care for her.

Cassandra did not end her lament over Don Lothario. She would play 'moonlight sonata' on the piano, which would haunt the walls once reverberating the sound of hot salsa music, during the time in which Don was still alive.



















3.
Flowers in the Attic

Mortimer Goth passed away, just as he had predicted, and he chose not to drink the Elixir of Life. He didn't want to take the stress anymore, and it was, in his opinion, a better time to go than ever. With his death, it was formalised that Dina Goth was the new heiress of the Goth family fortune. She now had untold riches, far greater than anything she had seen with Michael Bachelor.

However, there was one thing that was set to interfere - the twin daughters, Dedra and Nevarina. 

Dina was worried. She couldn't bare the thought of being a solo mother. The diapers, the dummies, the caring and affection! All those things made her nauseous. She moaned and groaned... until he reminded herself of how rich she was. She was a Goth!
She had Pleasantview in her pocket.



Dina had a plan, and a most evil one indeed. She commissioned a new room to be built on the third floor attic, containing a locked fence, cribs and a changing table.






Surely the sounds of whining and crying wouldn't travel to the bottom floor...



She then hired the Nanny service to come over and take care of the twins every day. These Nannies would be the new parents to the girls. They would provide the twins with food, care and company, because Dina Goth sure didn't want to do any of that.




She didn't want the girls to exist. All she wanted to do was play the piano, continuing from Mortimer's teachings, without the whining and complaining of two baby girls. Her options were few - it was too late for an abortion, (which isn't legal in Pleasantview), but confining them to an attic was the next best thing. 

The twins would live in the mansion, but completely hidden. The nannies were forced to leave no trace of their presence, nor the girl's. They would be unknown by anyone but the moaning, whimpering ghosts that circled the grounds of Goth Manor - a place where very frightening things were going down.



4.
A Brighter Future

Meanwhile, nobody at Don's condo could spare too much time for Mortimer's death, because Cassandra had given birth to a healthy baby boy, and she named him Donald, after the father that he would sadly never meet.


Despite Alex' heavy workload, he took the time to get to know his half brother. He wanted to stay in contact with his family. Alex was feeling upset about his father's passing, and he found comfort in the kind baby Donald.


On Donald's birthday, the family hosted a party, inviting a few guests, including Mary-Sue Pleasant and Darren Dreamer. Most others were too afraid of Mortimer to go anywhere near Don Lothario's old house. It was a small party, but everyone had fun. 

It was a great thing that they could enjoy themselves, and celebrate, despite all the dark things that were happening.



















What would become of Don Lothario II? Would he grow up to be like his father, or his mother? The blood of playboys and madmen ran through his veins, but did that mean anything?


As a scientist, raised by a scientist, Cassandra had been bought up to believe so. She had been bought up to believe that you're only as good as your blood - the Goth name must be preserved and untarnished. If so, was Don Lothario II a testament of that?


No, she couldn't look at her son that way. Gone were those days. She had been banished from the Goth fortune. Throughout her whole life she had been an outcast, and now she was an outcast to even her own family. Perhaps it was time to look towards to future, and he it could be a brighter future for young Don Lothario II.

5.
Through the Looking Glass, Again


Alex had to work extra hard while his sister raised young Donald. Due to his excellent mathematical skills, he landed a part time job assisting a local detective, all the while he continued to attend Smuggsworth Prep, the same private school as his father. He would often come home from school, grab a coffee and head straight to work.










But even with his busy schedule, he still managed to find time to help around the house; as well as pursuing his interests. 

He loved to read books, and he wanted to become a novelist. His favourite genre was science-fiction, because he had a fascination with space.

At the end of a long hard day, Alex would climb up to the deck - the same deck where his Mother disappeared all those years ago, and he would gaze into the telescope, just as she had done.


What had happened to her? Where had she gone? Had Don Lothario really been behind it? Had his father been right about Don?



Why hadn't he asked either of them while they had been alive? 

Alex knew he would get no answers from old ghosts. Something told him the truth lay through the lens of the scope, through the infinite depths of space, just as his Mother had seen, on this very same deck, on the night she disappeared forever.





A once united family, torn apart by revenge and ambition. What will become of the fortune, now it is in the hands of the materialistic Dina? What will be heard of the twin girls, trapped and isolated in the attic by an unloving mother? How will young Donald grow into the strange world around him, and exactly what secrets await Alex, hidden beneath the stars, through the looking glass?

Find out in next season, because the truth is out there!

Series 1; Episode 9: Out With The Oldies

Chapter One:
An Unpleasant Farewell

Since the beginning of his affair, time had flown for Daniel Pleasant, yet a spring was still in his step. Mary-Sue had not found out, too busy with campaign work to notice her husbands naughty cheating antics.

The relationships between Daniel and his daughter Angela had rekindled, since she had gotten over Dustin, and came to appreciate that Dad had been right about him all along. Now a young lady, Angela was studying for college, and Daniel couldn't have been more supportive of this. He wished like anything that he could've had just one daughter, Angela, because Lilith was still really annoying.

But she had silenced down a bit, and the sister fighting had come to a stop, and Daniel could finally have some peace and quiet.


But all that was set to change.





Kaylynn had been sneaking into the back during the early hours of the morning, and Mary-Sue had spotted her coming back from work.

Angela watched in astonishment. He never knew her Mum could throw a punch like that!


Daniel had mysteriously gone into hiding after the fight, but that was fine by Mary-Sue. There was nothing she needed to say to him, although she did have some words for her daughters before she would move out.



'Lilith, I love you just as much as your sister, but I can't live here anymore, now that I know the truth. I am going to move in with my parents.'

'I wanna come with!' Lilith replied, 'I hate Dad!'

'No, you must stay here. I have a career, and it's very important to me. Pleasantview needs democracy, and only Mr. Burb and I can accomplish that! Your father has time for you two, but I do not.'

And then she approached Angela.

'Don't take what I just did to Kaylynn as an example, Angela,' she said, 'fighting is not a way to solve your problems!'

'Sure, Mum.'









And so, Mary-Sue left the Pleasant home, with no plans to return again.



With Mary-Sue gone, Lilith decided to skip school and visit Dustin instead, but the police caught her and brought her back.


'You can't control me! This town sucks! I'ma go live wit Dustin!'

'You know what, Lilith?' Daniel replied, 'I don't care. After all these years living with you, I just don't care.' And he walked off, slamming the door behind his daughter.  



Chapter Two
In With the Oldies

Mary-Sue had to find some new place to live, and she couldn't think of any friends to stay with. Since she was a workaholic, she hadn't made many friends. In the end she decided to go see her parents.

Mary-Sue arrived at the home of the Oldies, her adoptive parents, and there was Herb, who looked sicker than she had ever seen him. It had been so long since she had spoken with her father, and it was almost difficult to know what to say.

'Where's... Mum?' she said,

'Your mother is... passed on.'

'What? Why didn't you tell me?'

'I have been too sick to let you know. It only happened recently, but her tombstone is out there. I thought someone else would've told you. I don't have much longer to go, either.'



'You're sick too?'

'Yes, I'm afraid. But I don't want to bother you with that. I want to know how you've been. Let's have dinner. You must be hungry.'


Herb served up some rotten ham sandwiches, and Mary-Sue started talking about her career with John Burb, but more importantly, her break up with Daniel. 

'Daniel's going through a midlife crisis', she said, 'and he's angry at the whole family. He really wanted to date some new girls.'

And so, Mary-Sue was now living with her old father.

*

After Mary-Sue went off to work, Herb sat there, chewing on his mouldy sandwich, thinking about what she had said about Daniel. He always thought it'd be nice to have another go at the dating game. Sure, he was extremely old, sick and dying, but it was worth a shot!

And so, Herb got on his best slacks and prepared for a night on the town.

He met a girl at the local bar, and started up a conversation about violins. She liked violins too, and they began talking. But then he offered a dance, and she seemed to think it was time to go.





'You'll be the death of me, woman!' he screamed, as she left.



Herb also followed Daniel's advice of hiring Kaylynn as a maid, but the two just had long, drawn out conversations about literature.






Chapter Three:
Out with the Oldies

All in all: the dating plan hadn't gone too well, he thought, as he sat on the couch later that night. But at least it was worth a try, and trying is better than dong nothing at all. He just wished he could have a little while longer, and a little more strength. He thought about using that Elixir of Life he had bought from Mortimer Goth....






After all, he was getting sicker and sicker. He didn't have much longer to make a choice. He drank the elixir.



Empowered by the drink, Herb bought himself a hot tub, and within minutes, Herb got lucky with some random girl named Sandy.












And on Mary-Sue's birthday, the whole family got together. However, both Lilith and Angela saw each other, and got into a massive fight. The Sim Reaper came over, certain he would be needed.


But then he saw Herb, and set his sights on him. 

'You there!' the reaper shouted, 'I know you! You've been trying to escape from me using that potion of Mortimer's! Well, I've got you now. Time's up, buddy!'






'Aww, come on', Herb said, 'can't I just have a few more
days? I've made such progress...'

'Sorry gramps,' Daniel shouted, 'you heard the man, your time is up.'

'Hey, it's not like I love this job,' the reaper added, 'it gets rather depressing at points. Don't make it any more difficult for me. Just come along quietly, and your guests can get back to the party.'

'Ah, fine,' Herb said. 'Well, it was a good life while it lasted.'


*


And so, Mary-Sue's family was long gone. Her parents who raised her had left this world, and the family she left behind had left her life. All that remained of her was her career.




But nonetheless, she had Herb buried right next to Carol, as he had wished. And Mary-Sue would cry, because in between the times in which she was working, she would remember, she was just as much of a Sim as anyone else. 

Because in Pleasantview, family never parts. As ghosts moan and whimper in the night, they speak of the memories of the past. And the past is always there, whether you can see it or not.


Out with the oldies, and in with the newbies. That's how it is in Pleasantview...