Aberrant: Infinite Earth - Fiction - Just another day at Stonehenge [FIN]

[The Traveler]

Sarah quirks an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be resting?" She says, pushing Mech into the captain's chair. "Although I'm sure The Professor has a plan, I wager The Professor would welcome the second option." She says, patting Mech on the shoulder. "You know... you look kinda cute."

[Mech]

"Thanks, So are you." The way he smiled was exactly how movie stars did, and conveyed appreciation, and affirmation.

"I'm not quite bone-dry anymore, I definitely don't won't to go into a full engagement, but I think I could manage transport. Still resting abit more would be a good thing."

[Karren Gaunt]

"Don't panic. I'm just going to get us in there a little quicker," Irma commented to Heather before resting one hand on the other woman's shoulder and concentrating. There was the brief ticking of a stopwatch, the stuttering of the universe in Heather's awareness, and they vanished from the England grass without so much as a flicker of light.

They reappeared in the cargo bay of a futuristic ship. A BIG cargo bay, one that apparently doubled as a hanger. Cars, crates, even an old airplane. The chronopath was impressed and convinced even more she needed to make use of this. Distorting this much space took work, lots of work. It was only after a bit of further fascinated stareing that she turned back to the Innocent. "You okay? It can be a little bit much first time I give someone a lift," she asked, smile all practised manipulation and reassurance.

[Heather 10093]

Heather experiences a brief moment of disorientation that passes rapidly, before finding herself in a cavernous room with all sorts of interesting craft. "Hmm? Oh, it was no problem. Felt a lot like when I was standing in Stonehenge, really." So saying, she wondered off to take a closer look at all of the nifty things surrounding her.

[Dash Carpenter]

Amused at the chance to get a trip out of here, Dash ditched the motorcycle and moved up the ramp into the ship. Most interesting to say the least.

[The Traveler]

The Professor pulls out her watch and moves a couple dials around the clock face, and the Motorcycle Dash was on disappears and reappears in the cargo bay area near everyone. She then runs through the front flaps of the time raft and closes them behind her. Soon after the raft turns invisible again.

She catches her breath in front of everyone, a smile on her face. "So... what sort of trouble am I in this time?" She says, a grin larger than the Cheshire Cat's a full tattle-tail that she loves getting in trouble like this from time to time. "Murder? theft? Being a Nova in Human territory? What?"

Back on the Bridge, Sarah looks over Mech. "You know, now that everyone's in the roost, we should head to the cargo bay and see what's going on." She says, looking over Mech. "Think you're up to it?"

[Mech]

He nodded, "Sure no problem." He stood up from the chair, drawing himself up to his full two meter height and nodded. "You lead the way, since I only followed you here."

Sarah was taken aback by him when he stood, butt recovered enough to lead the way to the cargo bay, dragon in hand, while the other followed behind the pair.

"I see there's more people than when I went to sleep. You work pretty fast."

His rich voice carried well in the bay, and everyone got a good look at the young male nova. Standing at two meters, he was perfectly sculpted in every way, with rich dark brown hair and uniquely Yellow eyes looking at them. No human could be as attractive as he was, immediately pegging him as another nova. He was still somewhat weak and exhausted, but did his best to downplay it, not so much from bravado, but so it didn't worry anyone.

[The Traveler]

The Professor straightens herself out. "Ah! I see our passenger's awake... how are you?" She says, walking over, looking over his tall, muscular frame. "And how is the memory?" She says with concern to Mech.

"Sarah, head over to the Mess Hall and get some seating set up for us. We shouldn't leave our guests standing round."

Sarah nods, with a smile, slightly smitten by Mech. "Yes I know, Sarah, you'll see him some more in a bit."

She adjusts her brown with copper pinstripe vest, flustered she whispers "I'm impressed myself..."

[Heather 10093]

Heather turned at the sound of the two people entering the room. Hands on her hips, she snaps, "Glahad, Ariel! What have I told you about bothering strange people? And about wondering off?" Her voice calms to cheerful exasperation as she finishes, "Whatever am I going to do with the two of you?"

Sarah noticed that a warm feeling of contentment that had built in the back of her mind as she scratched the little dragon's chin quickly switched to a feeling of guilt at the stranger's scolding.

Click to reveal..

The dragons use a very weak form of empathic manipulation to communicate with strangers. He isn't trying to actually control her, though she can react that way if she wants to, of course.

[Mech]

He just nodded, not replying to the whisper. "I'm feeling fine, still tired, still drained, but good other than that. Seems like you made some friends."

He shook his head. "As to my memory, I'm affraid it is as blank as before."

He looks over to Heather and nods. "They're your pets?"

[The Traveler]

"That's unfortunate..." The Professor says with some concern. "But... I'm glad you're alright otherwise. As for these... people... I thought it'd be a good way to figure out what's happening here by inviting them all together. Things did get interesting outside, so I want to observe their response..."

[Mech]

"It's your ship."

[Heather 10093]

Heather was quick to correct Mech's misapprehension, "Oh, they're my friends, not my pets. They just don't always think the way humans do and don't understand our boundaries. That and they're pretty young. They are so sweet though, and they never mean any harm."

[Mech]

"Okay. I wasn't particularlly worried. I wouldn't expect them to think like humans, since they aren't. They're that sized and they're young, how big are the adults?"

[The Traveler]

"So, while we wait for Sarah to get things set up, why don't you guys tell me a little about yourselves?" Sakurako says, sitting up on a crate, swinging her legs a bit.

"Perhaps I should start. I'm Sakurako Hino. I've been travelling for a little while, and only recently found a universe to call home. Had my old one pretty much sucked dry of every bit of energy.

But, I make my home elsewhere. Maybe someday I can show some of you."

[Karren Gaunt]

Part of Irma had burnt out a long time ago, so when Irma looked at Mech, she didn't so much see a potential love interest as another high-powered nova to be made use of, avoided, or destroyed. That said, she hid it well, quirking her lips in an interested manner.

"You can call me Melody. I'm a traveler of the worlds and have been one the last nine years of my life when I left behind a homeworld cooking itself to death in an all-out war between Novas and Baselines, mostly because of the insanity of one woman and her backers," she commented, voice becoming a promise as she leaned foward from her perch, black hair catching the gleam of the light and growing in dark animation, "I intend to stop as many of her copies across the multiverse from doing the same as I can before I die. If this vessel could help me do that, I will pay my way aboard it."

[The Traveler]

Sakurako turns to Melody. "Even if the copy you hunt... is completely the opposite of the one you encountered? The one from my universe... died a hero defending all life. She organized the last stand against The Hive, regardless of the cost. She was a great humanitarian before the crisis, and a bold leader during."

She straightens out her coat. "On the other hand... any... less desirable ones I have to quarrel with stopping."

She adjusts her glasses. "Violence is generally not my way but if it's necessary for the greater good I'm not afraid to take my stand."

[Mech]

John nodded. "I can't tell you who I am, I honestly don't know. I do know Sakurako and Sarah saved me when they found me in Orbit."

He looked to Melody. "Though I admit part of your story sounds true to my past. I do remember The beginnings of a war

[Karren Gaunt]

Irma's pale green eyes flashed with anger at the professor for a few heartbeats before being smothered by her self-control, "You are mistress of this vessel, and I am Devries-trained. I will protect your interests until such time as it no longer profits us both and we then seperate in peace, two travelers unlikely to ever meet again."

And that was an honest oath, the best she'd give when even she'd hesitate to trust them with her powers, her name, or her past.

"But you can rest assured, the closer to *my* history you can place us, where she is a monster without redemption or justification, the swifter I'll be able to find Director Thetis and remove her before we move on," she concluded with a smile tinged in dark happiness, "My speed reccord is a week."

[The Traveler]

"Well... I don't have many universes mapped, that's the thing. Sometimes I'm leaping blind. Although... if I'm using my jump-allignment system I can guide the ship using my powers. I can jump between universes on my own, but this ship makes it so I can jump with my home accompanying me... with guests. Not to mention I can slip through time to various points. Thing is it can only go to points in time that are quantum anchored. I guess it's the machine's way to time-travel safely without having a chance of changing history."

She adjusts her glasses. "That's the be-all and end-all of it."

[Heather 10093]

The gold dragon flitted over to land on Heather's shoulder. Reaching up to scratch under her chin, Heather answered Mech, "I don't really know. These are the first I've ever seen, and the books disagree. Some say they don't get much bigger than this, others that they can get big enough to carry a person. This little sweetie is Ariel, and the bronze fella' over there is Galahad."

Click to reveal..

To clarify for anyone wondering why her description doesn't quite match her posted history: Remember that she doesn't have much of a concept of 'fiction.' She thinks they got turned into real creatures from somewhere else, but isn't certain which book is right about them.

Listening to the others discuss their various worlds, Heather decided to chime in, "War? We haven't had one of those for nearly 200 years, not since Enlightenment. I've read about them, but never seen one. What are they like?"

[Mech]

"War is Hell."

"People suffering and dying, the sky literally seeming to burn."

There was a look in his eye that gave credence to him having seen war. He didn't know why he knew these things but not others. "It's a plague upon humanity, one they've likely spread to our kind as well."

[The Traveler]

The professor brings her knees up to her chest on her crate perch. The descriptions of skies aflame and the suffering of others brings back painful memories of her own Armageddon.

"I've spent my time in hell. If I can stop a war, I'll do whatever it takes."

[Karren Gaunt]

A world without war? This Innocent truely was innocent. Irma felt bad for the other female Nova, not that she told herself she'd let that get in her way. No, she'd gone too far for that.

"We are human. All of their flaws writ large on the world so that we literally can make the sky burn if we go to war. If Baselines and other threats in their fear *push* us to war in numbers enough anyway," commented the chronopath softly, voice conveying that she'd seen the truth of that statement time and time and time again until the latent horror of that promise no longer moved her at all.

[Dash Carpenter]

"Well," Dash broke in suddenly, after having quietly listened to the others talking, "There is a war on this planet. And I'm sorry to ask this of you, but feel free to say hell no if you so desire." He got up off the crate and began slowly pacing back and forth.

"In this world, it's 2011. Novas are largely banded into medieval nobility style Houses, and they effectively, whether de jure and de facto like the House of Peace in East Africa, or hold industry control like the House of Beauty... they control this world. The only force capable of fighting them, that IS fighting them, is the Directive. Our shadow organization that fights the tyrants. For I a nova myself, am well aware that they are no more or less than that. But there are few Directive novas. We could use a few more."

[The Traveler]

"Interesting. Fortunate the royal families of my new home aren't as obsessed with power." Sakurako says with a re-assured sigh. "It would be interesting to see exactly what is going on. Since I and Sarah came by error and are still recharging our drive, I guess us two can assist you." She says to Dash, nodding. "It seems my services may be needed."

[Mech]

"Are you so sure you wish to embroil yourself in a civil War?"

Mech's question wasn't condescending, simply cautionary.

[The Traveler]

"I've not wished for Novakind to control humanity and the planet. This to me smells of a elitist state of affairs. I have to state it plainly, I don't like it when free will is taken away."

She straightens her vest. "On the earth I live on, while there are no longer any nations, everyone has free will to choose how they wish to live their life. It's an even playing field for all. Novas don't interfere in Human affairs and Novas generally aren't interfered with unless it comes into direct threat of Humankind. This... this to me is unacceptable. It's facism with a node."

[Karren Gaunt]

Irma personally didn't think this world sounded that bad off compared to some she'd visited, almost ideal in a wouldn't want to live there way, but the prospect of finding a Thetis who hadn't yet had the chance to cast Novakind into blight and war kept her engaged.

"Assuming this doesn't involve getting your 'Directive' the keys needed to launch a nuclear strike to kill the planet they're unable to win, I'm... interested as long as the Professor is interested," commented the chronopath, gauging how much time she'd need to learn just how useful this craft was, "I try and prevent holocausts on my travels, not cause them."

[The Traveler]

"God help the Directive if they're the wrong side, I will state that now. I know in dealings with other universes, what appears one way ends up another in another universe."

She adjusts her glasses. "And if I see one... just one nuke fly... I will personally see to it that this earth has no weapons of mass destruction."

[Heather 10093]

The momentary quiet is interrupted by a *scritching* sound, causing all eyes to turn to the up til then silent Heather... who was apparently taking notes on what everyone had said.

She looked up as the silence grew. "Hmm? Oh, I have no real preference. Things are so different here, and that IS what I set out to see."

[Dash Carpenter]

Dash had been growing visibly angry at their words, as he had no idea of what had been more common among the other universes, and resented the implication that the others were bringing into this. The note scribbling of Heather and the break therein allowed him to regain his cool, though he wondered if this girl would last five minutes here.

"I resent the implication, no matter what happened in your worlds, that the Directive would nuke the planet. We want to free people, not wipe them out. Am I clear?"

[The Traveler]

Sakurako reads him like a book... Honor is honor and it always rings true. "Agreed." She says, walking over and extending her hand. "Then you have the assistance of the Ministry of Powers, Section T special operations."

She smiles. "I think you're on the right page, and so is your Directive. I'm sorry for the accusations."

[Dash Carpenter]

Dash smiled wanly and shook her hand slowly. "Thank you. You have no idea what they did to me, me personally. Not that I want to speak about it. Why don't you take this rig to another hiding spot, and then I'll figure on how to safely rendezvous with the nearest Directive base."

[The Traveler]

Sakurako adjusts her glasses and pulls out her computer pocketwatch, and starts moving some dials. "Well, I can move us to a spot on the Thames. I know of several alcoves the exterior of this ship can hide in. I'm sure even cloaked right now things are probable we'll get caught if we stay here. Luckily we got enough energy in the drive to get us there easily. We can recharge while we figure out what our first move is."

She straightens her vest. "Unless there's any other suggestions?"

[Heather 10093]

Heather smiles brightly. "Does this world have a Paris? I've always wanted to see Paris."

[Mech]

"So be it then."

He looked around. "Just let me rest abit more before I have to go all out."

[The Traveler]

"Very well... looks like the majority is in on this..." Sakurako says, taking her coat off and slinging it over her shoulder. "What do you think, Melody? Care to join us?"

She thinks her next words carefully, knowing that hunting a specific person for being who they are is counteractive to her usual ethical and moral compass. "We should see if the Thetis of this world is a douche like the ones you've gone after."

"I'll head to the bridge and start taking off then if there are no objections from Melody. You guys are welcome to the Mess Hall and it's environs. Including the food."

[Karren Gaunt]

'Melody' merely nods agreement in reply, grimly amused inside. Just because the tool *believed* it's wielders were honorable didn't mean that it's wielders *were* honorable. She'd watch the Professr's back on this one. Just in case.

The chronopath rose and waited to follow the others to the Mess hall, always willing to take advantage of free food if she could.

[Heather 10093]

Heather heads off into the warren of interconnecting rooms, gets distracted by something off to the side, and then spends a couple of hours happily lost in the bowels of the craft before the Professor manages to track her down and bring her to where she is supposed to be.