Aberrant: Weirder Stuff - Chapter I Homecoming

[Abel Cross]

Abel mostly remained silent, letting the others talk as he took stock of the situation, and while he was somewhat hinting at his own abilities with his warnings, he never divulged everything, as impressive as the abilities the others possessed were, he knew his own powers were quite likely to cause considerable commotion.   He knew well from scanning the two fathers that they'd not allow anything to happen, nor would he.   Seeing the vision from Sara he sent softly  And the rest of you, you all saw the bear again before you woke?  If this is so, then we can discuss it ourselves later, and just between us, for now.   While I am inclined to trust Dr. Mizuki, and Colonel Pryor, I have little reason to trust Lang, or anyone else involved with this beyond us."

He looked at Kia and smiled.  "They are trying to help, but they're not happy to be dealing with a bunch of teenagers to get real information.  That reaction is fairly natural.   Them denying proper protocol, well come on, we've all seen enough scifi and action movies, sure this is real-life, but it's not like this is a new concept to any of us?"   his own tone was fairly jovial, when he spoke, over the mental link, however, his voice was cold.  "I'm all for helping them how best we can, if we can, provided they tell us what's really going on."  Abel looked up, to where he was positive a camera was looking at them and recording everything, and smiled.

There's no real need to worry about Sean, or any of you.   At your core, you are still you, now you just have powers.  There's no reason to worry about this, you will learn to live with it.    Sean certainly might have the most difficult time, but there may be some help to be found to be of aid. The big takeaway I'd say on this is simple.  We're not alone, we all have each other, we were friends before, and we are friends now.   He smiled  "They know something happened, there's no denying Sean's changes, so we may as well play ball."

 

[Sean Cassidy]

Sean noted that Dr. Lang hadn't answered her questions either, though he had revealed they had had prior knowledge of people like them, people who had been enhanced. Though judging from Dr. Lang's near hysteria, either this situation had been totally unprecedented or their level of... enhancement was unexpected. Or both. She hadn't mentioned her drastic metamorphosis directly despite the ease it would be found out because she believed it would be more of a distraction when she wanted to learn what the 'Project' knew about all this.

Still, Lt. Col Pryor's outburst and Dr. Mizuki's obvious concern for his daughter gave Sean some faith that they at least wouldn't allow the Project trample over their needs and wants, if for no other reason than their daughters' sakes. Like Abel, while she didn't believe the Project was actively hostile towards them, and were even actually trying to help, their goals weren't necessary the same as their own.

"I just want some quid pro quo," Sean said out loud for the benefit of the recording devices. "They want to know what happened, which is completely reasonable, but I want to know what they know too. We gave them a little, they can give us something too, as I see it."

Sean had glanced at Alec when he had commented on her change in demeanor, then looked around at the rest of her friends, catching some of the same concern in their body language. Critical self-analysis told her they may have had a valid point. She wasn't freaking out as much as she should have, or at all, considering how much she had changed physically, or how she was assessing everything. Was she still herself or was she in essence a new person with everything that had been driven into her mind?

<I saw the Bear too> Sean said in Guildchat, sending them her suddenly vivid recollection of that first dream, but not her most recent vision. The dream image of her and her current appearance were strikingly similar.

She looked down, at the way her full breasts tented out her top, her long legs crossed at the knee, her feminine hands, one holding one of Sara's.<I can't say I haven't changed in some ways, inside I mean. I look at things, people, whatever, and see them in new ways, or with a clarity I have never known - think The Matrix and Trinity getting the piloting download.> That was a massive simplification of what it felt like to her, but would give everyone the gist of it. <And I don't even really feel strange despite being totally rebuilt physically - don't know if that is just me or part of my 'enhancement' - but I believe I'm the same person, at the core. I think I'm just... overcompensating at the moment for a lifetime of being small and bullied, and possibly reacting in fear to this impossible event.> She held up Sara's hand to kiss the back of it. <Which is why I'm being so challenging in wanting to know what they know. I want to know what happened to us, how it happen us.>

She glanced at Abel, arching a brow, lips curving wryly. His comment had a sense of experience to her. <As Abel said, it'll just take me, all of us, I suppose, some time to adjust.> Though I'm scared at just how easy and how little time it might actually be for me.

Sean nodded at Abel and Kia, continuing the verbal communication. "I'm not opposed to helping them, at the moment. Just, the help has to go both ways."

[Lilly Pryor]

Lilly nodded to her dad. She reluctantly broke the hug and watched her dad leave with the other men before she returned to her seat and looked at her mug of hot chocolate. She listened to the others and nodded to Abel.

"They are trying to figured out what happened and how we're involved. But my dad isn't gonna let them hurt us or anything. I'm sure Kia's dad feels the same. So just.. I dunno.. try to chill out. They're not the enemy." Lilly explained.

<They have told us stuff. Like, while were fighting those things at the camp this base and 'another facility' was under attack from 'non-terrestrial entities'. With everybody else not remembering what happened, us being unharmed, and all those.. things.. dead, they are wondering what the hell happened. And if they know about people with superpowers or 'quantum enhanced persons' as they apparently call them, which is my guess for what we are, then they are probably assuming if we are too. They got that image of Sara there. They might know who it is, but it was from the campsite and we were not mind-fuzzled, so not hard for them to put 2 and 2 together.>

<I saw the bear too, and then we saw it at the mall, remember? Heck, it's sitting on my dresser right now.>

Lilly took a sip of the hot chocolate and looked over herself and her friends in their fatigues with a sigh. It was likely to be a long night, but knowing her dad was here made it all a bit more bearable.

<I hope Sandy and Talena are okay.>

 

[WS ST]

INTERLUDE

WASHINGTON DC

THE WHITE HOUSE

02:28AM ET

 

The tall black man stepped into the situation room flanked by his security detail. He looked tired and it was clear that he had dressed rapidly he was wearing trousers and a whiite button shirt and a jacket but no tie. Is bare ankles clearly visible poking from the tops of his low sneakers.

He scowled when he saw all of the military personnel and his science advisor, who looked even more un-awake than he was.

“This better be important to get me out of bed at two thirty in the morning,” he growled at the JCS.

The General gave him a very concerned look, “Mr. President, we have a situation...”

 

Shelly Montana

12:30 AM

Sabastion Cross pulled into the Doctors parking lot at the Marias Medical Center. To say he was shocked was an understatement. He was used to being summoned to the hospital at all hours bu t this was unprecedented. Every ambulance in the county was there lights flashing, at least 4 of the 6 county sherifs patrol vehicles were there, and most alarming was the number of military vehicles.

He rushed toward the emergency room but was intercepted by an Airforce Officer dressed in camouflage.

“Dr. Cross! Sir your Dr. Sabastion Cross correct?” said the Lt.

“Yes I am. Excuse me I need to get inside.” Sabastion tried to push past bu the Lt blocked him.

“Sir I need you to come with me sir, There's nothing in there that's life threatening, and this concerns your son sir.”

“Abel? My god is my boy in there?”

“Sir please he isn't here he's at the base if you would come with me, now”

The Lt leads Cross to an ambulance being loaded with trauma equipment. He recognizes Dr Sarah Cordeaux an emergency trauma surgeon, The Hospitals chief anesthesiologist and several nurses among them Cassi Pryor.

Cassi was setting up a laptop computer in the ambulance.

“Sarah, what's going on?” asked Sabastion of his friend and colleague.

“I'm not sure exactly Sabastion. We got a call from the base, the kids were having a party on the lake and a freak lightning storm struck. I mena they were on the phone when the first trucks from the base showed up. Its really weird. The kids seem to be experiencing the short term memory loss and some of the physical effects of electrocution but there are no serious burns. It s just weird. Then they said they had some who could be brought in and were at the bases infirmary and they asked us to send a team. Hell they asked for me personally.”

“They said Abel was involved” muttered Dr. Cross worriedly.

“Dr. Cordaux, Dr. Cross, We're ready.” Nurse Pryor said urging them to board the ambulance.

As soon as the doors closed the ambulance took off a Humvee leading and one behind. Neither of the doctors had noticed that the ambulance driver had been replaced by a soldier.

 

[WS ST]

BULWARK AIR FORCE BASE

PRESENT

The door to the conference room where the Irregulars were having they're dual conversations opened and a very tired and bedraggled soldier with Latin features came. His uniform fatigues were dirty torn and bloodstained. He had a somewhat far off look in his eyes.

A large Doberman Pinscer padded into the room beside him. the soldier closed the door.

The dogs stubby tail was wagging furiously. the dog paused and looked at some spots on the wall and corners then with a bound dashed across the room and literally jumped into Abel's lap licking his face with sheer joy.

"By the Seven Galaxies I thought I  would never see you again Abe," shouted the dog excitedly!

Everyone Stared.

"Hey, I'm Julio, by the way." says the Airman by the door.

Spoiler

Airman 1st Class Julio Sanchez     Blitz

 

[Abel Cross]

Recognition of the dog cracked the icy demeanor Abel's mental voice had.  "Blitz!"   His pet doberman had been a gift from his father,  his reward for earning straight A's for an entire year.  He'd only been two years old when He disappeared, the same day Abel'd gained his powers.   He Caught his faithful pet happily, laughing.   "Damn I'm glad to see you boy.  I looked everywhere for you when I thought you'd gotten dognapped"   Then his brain caught up.  "Wait, Blitz, you can talk, and have human level sapience.   That's amazing."      When Blitz finally stopped licking him and calmed down a little, even as Abel was rubbing his ears like always liked.  They'd not had them clipped when he was young because Abel thought it cruel.   

Abel turned to Airman Sanchez.  "You found my dog?"

[WS ST]

Julio was having a hard time dragging his eyes away from the four young women sitting at the table. "Wha? No, really he kind of found us, sorta."

"Abel my good good friend, meet Airman Sanchez, Julio. He and I have been through a lot in the last half hour," said Blitz as he looked back at Julio and gave him a doggy smile.

"We have a lot of catching up, my how you have grown. And you all must be the Irregulars." Blitz said the last as he climbed down from Abel's lap and hoped into an empty chair. "It's alright I have shut down all of the recording devices in this room. we are free to speak without fear."

[Abel Cross]

Okay, so his dog had some pretty impressive abilities, beyond sapience and the ability to talk.    "Well, Blitz, You seem to know a great deal, whereas we really don't know much.   Would you mind telling us what you know?"   It was strange to treat his dog as a person perhaps, but Blitz had always been a smart dog, and Abel talked to him before, so this wasn't too out of the ordinary, for him at least.    

[Alexander Cordeaux]

Alec offered the Airman an idle, almost absentminded wave back, blinking at the Dog. That.... was not something that you saw every day. It seemed to know Abel, at least, so that was something. And judging by Abels reaction, he was familiar with the Dog as well.

"So..... the dog can talk. I'm not sure what it says about the night we've been having that I'm really not as surprised by this as I probably should be, but it bears repeating. Blitz the dog can talk. And seems to at least be familiar with us....."

He shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well. It's nice to meet you, Blitz. Even if the circumstances are what they are."

[Kia Mizuki]

Some responses are hardcoded, but Kia's 'aaaawwwwwwww' on seeing the dog come in caught in her throat when the canine spoke!

On some level she could accept flying people and laser beams and even her own body doing incredibly weird things...but a talking dog?? All that other stuff was so weird that she was sort of reacting to it as if it was pure fiction, only real. A movie. A book. It didn't feel real. But this was a DOG that TALKED. For some reason that hit her brain in a place that everything else was, so far, whiffing right over.

Kia goggled at Blitz.

"Why can he talk?" She looked at the man who'd come in with the dog. "Why can he talk??"

[Lilly Pryor]

Lilly smiled when the dog came in and ran to Able, it's tail wagging furiously as it happily licked at his face. She'd never seen the dog before, but it was very clear that the dog knew him and was quite happy to see him, especially when it said so.

Wait...

What?

The dog just...

Lilly blinked and stared at the dog for a moment before she turned to Kia. 

"What the hell kind of experiments is your father doing, Kia? Talking dogs?" she asked,totally befudddled and trying to grasp for some sense of logical explanation that could fit into her now fragile paradigm.

[WS ST]

33 minutes ago, Kia Mizuki said:

Kia goggled at Blitz.

"Why can he talk?" She looked at the man who'd come in with the dog. "Why can he talk??"

Julio, started at the beautiful girl, what am i doing in here, then silently berated himself, Man this shit is gonna land me in Leavenworth.

"Uhm I don't know miss, we thought it was the Chinese but that was before the Aliens showed up. Hey Blitz!" Julio called out to get the dogs attention.

58 minutes ago, Alexander Cordeaux said:

"So..... the dog can talk. I'm not sure what it says about the night we've been having that I'm really not as surprised by this as I probably should be, but it bears repeating. Blitz the dog can talk. And seems to at least be familiar with us....."

He shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well. It's nice to meet you, Blitz. Even if the circumstances are what they are."

 

1 hour ago, Abel Cross said:

"Well, Blitz, You seem to know a great deal, whereas we really don't know much.   Would you mind telling us what you know?"

 

10 minutes ago, Lilly Ann Pryor said:

"What the hell kind of experiments is your father doing, Kia? Talking dogs?" she asked,totally befuddled and trying to grasp for some sense of logical explanation that could fit into her now fragile paradigm.

Seeing the confusion on the young peoples faces at his ability to talk made Blitz blink. He had taken his speech for granted for so long that he forgot how odd it would be for humans. Then Julio called to him loudly.

" Hey Blitz!"

"Yes Julio?"

"Tell us man, how did you learn to talk?"

The dog tilted his head in an oh so dogish manner. "Fair enough, I suppose I should start at the beginning..."

Spoiler

This next bit will probably be long  and i have to write it lets halt posting for a bit until I can get Blit'z explanation up

 

 

[Kia Mizuki]

"No!" Kia told Lilly. "That would be...biology or something..."

She trailed off as the dog started his tale...

(Sorry, just wanted to get a quick response in so I wasn't ignoring ma BFF! :))

[Sean Cassidy]

Sean almost choked on the last of her hot chocolate as the doberman pinscher spoke then stared as Blitz began explaining, her alluring turquoise eyes wide. For the first time since her transformation, she was at a loss for words, completely dumbfounded. Her full lips parted multiple times but she made no sound. Despite all that had happened to them, what they had experienced, and all her enhanced intellect, insight, and knowledge, Sean just couldn't seem to resolve the possibility of a talking dog.

A dog she had known! Abel's dog! Talking! He doesn't - or shouldn't! - even have the physical structure to allow intelligible human speech!

[WS ST]

“The beginning... I was a normal puppy I loved to run and chase balls and sticks to Play with my human,” he gives a longing look at Abel, “and I really liked to chase rabbits. One day we, Abel and I were out hunting. I'd chase the bunnies into the open and Abel would shoot at them. He never hit any of them but damn we had fun. This day though I spooked a big ol jack rabbit, he was fast and I ran after him he was heading for a big rabbit hole I thought I could catch him if a leaped at him so I lept. Just as I left the ground a big silver circle appearing in the air in front of me and I flew right through it.

When I hit the ground it wasn't ground it was floor and there were people there who were just as surprised as I was.”

“People,” asked Sara quietly?

“People, yes, not human, but people nonetheless.

The call themselves Guatal Feem, and they are incredible technical geniuses, not very imaginative however. They didn't know what I was and didn't understand why my barking wasn't being translated. So they gave me implants that simulated speech and when they finally figured out I wasn't very smart the added more implants that well made as smart as a human smarter than most really.”

 

 

[Abel Cross]

Abel nodded.   "And after this, you began learning from them.   The silver discs, they're portals to other worlds then.   Could these Aliens you encountered create them, did they send you home, or were you forced to wait for a portal to appear?"  The fact someone Rocket Raccoon'ed his dog wasn't lost on him.  "The implants don't bother you, or cause you pain I should hope."

 

[Lilly Pryor]

Lilly waited for a break in the conversation and raised her hand a little to get the dog's attention.

"Hi. Uh, Blitz, is it? Hi. I'm Lilly. Um, this might sound weird, but like.. can I pet you?: she asked curiously and then a thought crossed her head, sending her eyes wide.

" I mean, if it's not like insulting or demeaning or anything to you. I totally wouldn't mean it like that." she said, trying to clarify.

[WS ST]

Blitz bows his head at his human, Abel, giving him a loving look, “No I am in no pain, Guatal Feem are a very peaceful and altruistic race. They would never hurt anyone or thing.”

He starts to answer the remainder of Abel's questions but before he can begin he notices that one o fthe girls has raised her hand. He turns his attention to her with a cock of his head.

 

5 hours ago, Lilly Ann Pryor said:

"Hi. Uh, Blitz, is it? Hi. I'm Lilly. Um, this might sound weird, but like.. can I pet you?: she asked curiously and then a thought crossed her head, sending her eyes wide.

" I mean, if it's not like insulting or demeaning or anything to you. I totally wouldn't mean it like that." she said, trying to clarify.

 

“I am much smarter and more capable than any other of my species but I am still a dog and I love pets.”

He gives her a big inviting grin

[Sean Cassidy]

As Blitz continued talking, Sean was finally able to reboot her brain by considering the dog's revelations about the Guatal Feem and his implants. She wanted to meet these Guatal Feem, or at least get a good look at their technology, to see how it functioned and if she could adapt it to their own use. It certainly seemed like one theory or another about the Multiverse or the Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics was valid.

A wistful smile curved her lips as she leaned forward, waiting her turn after Lilly to pet Blitz. She remembered Abel's dog, of course. She hadn't had a pet since her family's dog had died years ago, not counting the stray cat they left food out for. Dogs really were the most companionable pets, and one who could talk, with human-level sapience, that was amazing. Sean idly mused that a speaking, intelligence cat probably would still be condescending, judgmental, and kind of an asshole.

"Hi, Blitz!" Sean practically cooed. "Do you remember me, Abel's friend, Sean?" Her grin was full of self-deprecating understatement. "I was... a little different back then. Would you be able to take us to meet the Guatal Feem someday?"

[Lilly Pryor]

Lilly smiles and almost lets out a sqeee as she hops up and moves over to Blitz. She sits down, not blocking anybody;s view. It had been a long night, and any comforting or soothing gesture was a welcome respite.

Lilly reached out carefully aand  began to pet the dog with a pleased smile

[WS ST]

Blitz basked in the glow of affection, it had been so long since he had been petted and loved that he lost himself in the moment and just sucked it all in. even Sara who had never had a pet got up and went and stood behind his char and rubbed his ears the way she had seen Abel doing it.

If dogs could purr he would have filled the room with his joy.

“Hey Blitz, man, maybe you should finish your story,” Julio called from the end of the table closest to the door (same chair that Lang had occupied.) “You can have a love fest latter. The brass ain't gonna let us sit in here all night man.”

Blitz licks hands and gives kisses then nod. “you are correct Julio, it has just been so long...”

The girls return to their chair and Blitz hopped down and went and put his head in Abel's lap for a fer seconds. Abel scratched his ears. “Go on boy.”

Blitz started walking around the room.

“To answer your questions Abel, yes, the Guatal Feem are more highly advanced scientifically than your species, They are wizards with electrical devices and have long ago mastered the creation and use of Transdeminsional Portals. Opening one is child's play for them and in truth they could have returned me here to earth at any time, bu they had reasons not to which I shall get to in time.

He stops by Sean, “Yes I remember you Sean but as you say you have...changed. All of us in this room, sans Julio, have changed from what we once were.

I do not pretend to understand the way of it so let me make some explanation, then you may ask me questions and I will answer if possible.

Guatal Feem are an endangered species. The world were they originate was destroyed many many many years ago By a very war like race whom they , the Guatal Feem, call the Oppressors.

The Oppressors are tyrannical xenophobes who seek out other lifeforms and civilizations. When they find one, if there is something about the lifeforms that is usable by the Oppressors they enslave that civilization if there is nothing useful to the Oppressors they eradicate it.

These Oppressors have conquered six galaxies and a good portion of a seventh. That seventh galaxy is the one we reside in.

I said that the Guatal Feem had mastered the use of Transdemensional Portals. This had allowed them to spread through out their home galaxy and is what also brought about their downfall. The portals can be dected because of the way they effect space time. The Guatal Feem were detected and when contacted by the servants of the Oppressors they refused to submit. And so the servants of the Oppressors went to war with the Guatal Feem destroying colony after colony until they found the home world and destroyed that. One of the last acts of they're home world was to send several million citizens to a hidden colony in our galaxy. This is the group that I was with.”

Blitz ends his pacing and pauses giving the teens around the table time to digest what he is telling them and to ask any questions.

[Abel Cross]

"So they're galactic refugees fleeing before a power-mad Intergalactic Empire.   Well at least we aren't too unused to that sort of plot..."  Abel quipped softly.   "In all seriousness, they can detect the portals, so won't the creation of them here lead them to us?  Is that why they chose to send you back to us now? "

[WS ST]

"Yes and no. Yes a portal can be detected if it is used to open a long distance portal or if it is not properly tuned. The portals used by the soldiers and scientists here are not properly tuned. I have data which will allow you to properly tune your portals and then as long as they are used within a large Gravimetric field such as a planets gravity well they are very very difficult to detect.

And no that is not why i was sent back now."

The dog hops back into his chair.

 

[Abel Cross]

Abel looked at his dog, and nodded.  "Alright Blitz, please continue with your tale.   I'd like to hear more, and why they chose to send you back now."

[WS ST]

Blitz looks at all of the humans one by one, in the eye before he says anything else.

"I am back, now at this time, because of the Bear."

 

[Kia Mizuki]

In total ignorance of the absolute essentialness of her reply at this time, Kia yelps, "There's a talking bear too?!"
 

Almost all of the dog's explanation had gone straight over her head.

[Lilly Pryor]

"The bear... with button eyes?" Lilly asked.

None of this was making since. Super powers, portals, dog with speech and intelligence implants, several different aliens, and now the button eyed bear they had all seen in their dream? The same bear that was sitting on Lilly's dresser back home?

[Sean Cassidy]

Sean slowly turned from listening to Blitz's recounting to stare at Kia in surprised disbelief, her brows arched high. "The Bear that we have all seen in our... dreams?"

Like Abel had mentioned, this was turning out to sound more and more like a Sci-Fi series or RPG made real. The only reason she was able to give it credence was the fact she was personally and amply aware of the changes they had undergone, the things they had already seen. Mark Twain had it right - Truth really was stranger than fiction.

"And what, exactly does the Bear have to do with this, Blitz?" Sean asked turning back to the doberman pinscher, meaning to rest her chin on one hand in thought, but finding it awkward with her new proportions, she settled on just crossing her arms beneath her breasts.

[Kia Mizuki]

Kia suddenly felt very stupid.

"Oh, the TEDDY bear," she said wonderingly. "What is it really? Did it do something to us?"

She looked back at Abel's dog, eager to hear how THAT little piece of nightmare-fuel fit into all this.

[WS ST]

Blitz's head snapped back and forth as the girls spoke finally settling his eyes on Kia.

"Teddy? Teddy bear, hmm, yes in the dreams. I knew it was some kind of bear but don't know what a teddy bear is, but yes I knew it wasn't real, and yes it had what looked like button eyes."

The dobermans head is nodding while he speaks.

"But I am once again getting ahead of myself, you see I only saw the bear, I mean the teddy bear, a few days a go, but it was the bear, teddy bear, that is the reason I have been with the Guatal Feem for the last few years.

I only learned of this a few days ago right after I had my dream, you see many years ago, a young Guatal Feem called Knurt, had a strange dream.

Knurt was a student in an advanced scientific academy on the colony where the last of his race exist. The Guatal Feem had fled there centuries ago and one of they're most sacred laws is not using transdimensional portals for anything other than local travel, lest they cause a disturbance in space/time which could be detected by the Aneesh, the local servitor race of the Oppressors in this galaxy. In fact while there is an extensive portal network on the colony world none of the mechanisms creating and maintaining them portals were even capable of opening a portal with a range of more than a few thousand kilometers.

As you recall I mentioned that the Guatal Feem are very brilliant yet unimaginative. Their technology was never the result of intuitive leaps but rather from pure logical deduction. They have no Art no literature and while they do dream as all living things must. their dreams are a reflection of their logical reasoning.

So, many years ago before i was even born, before Abel was born, Knurt had a dream. In this dream Knurt stood on a burning planet, he watched as titans battled in the sky they did not battle the Oppressors or any other of the slave races but rather they battled each other. At Knurt's side was the teddy bear. The teddy bear told Knurt a story. He then told Knurt what he had to do. Of course Knurt believed the Teddy bear for being unimaginative he knew that what he had seen in his dream must have been real. He was told to build a full scale portal, he was told what to look for and when. and he was told that on a certain day at exactly a certin time he must open the portal.

When that day arrived He did as instructed and I was transport across the galaxy. Knurt had been told not to tell anyone of his dream until some one came to him and told him of a similar dream and described the teddy bear.

Four days ago I had a dream. It was a dream i had had many times since that day. I was chasing the Ol' jack rabbit and when he lept into the hole I lept after. Usually I wake at that point. But not this time, this time i went down the hole and the teddy bear was waiting for me. All he said to me was that it was time for me to go home and he told me to talk to Knurt and then he told me what to do when I came home.

I awoke and was bothered by the dream. Knurt and I are close so I told him of the dream. All Knurt did was nod then he told me about this dream. Then at the proscribed time that he had been instructed to he sent me home."

 

 

[Abel Cross]

"What exactly were you told to do when you came home Blitz?"  His eyes narrowed, meeting the gaze of his long missing canine companion.  "An entire race devoid of intuition, only pure logic, that sounds both boring and exciting all at once.  I wonder how they'd resolve a complex paradox."

looking at the others, he nodded.  "The Aneesh, those are the aliens we encountered at the lake, and here at the base, what can you tell us of them?"

How exactly an Alien had any sort of idea of a teddy bear, one so specific even, well it was even more puzzling. His dog's answers would reveal more he was sure, and hopefully give them something to help direct their next moves.

[WS ST]

Blitz looks at his human and blinks as Abel bombards him with questions. "Yes I know a bit about the Aneesh Knurt made sure I had information on them to pass along to the soldiers, but they are not an immediate concern.

As for the teddy bear I wish i could tell you more about it, but I can't. In my dream the bear told me it was time I went home. he told me to talk to Knurt and that when I was home to find you, Abel, and to tell you to Trust him.

You must trust the Teddy Bear."

[Lilly Pryor]

"Umm... the teddy bear is on my dresser. Or, at least that's where I left it. My house is here on base. We could probably get it if you need." Lilly offered.

Lilly pauses and blinks.

"Wait. Does that mean it was watching me change and sleep and stuff?"

[WS ST]

If a dog could shrug Blitz would in answer to Lilly's questions.

"I don't know I only had the one dream, but since it's message to me was to relay his message to Abel and that all of you have been previously contacted by this entity, that it will likely  contact all of you again."

[Abel Cross]

Able considered things.  "I have a question for everyone.  Do any of you remember what the girl who danced with Felix looked like, or that such a thing even happened?"   It had bothered him, how he couldn't scan her, how she integrated his mind, and then vanished.   He wondered if this was all connected.   "Blitz, what exactly were you told to tell the people with the portals here?"

[WS ST]

As everyone thought back to the dance which seemed like something that had happened ages ago and to other people, Abel noticed Felix's expression of discomfort.

But it was Blitz who spoke first.

"Not to use the portals until they have mastered the data I am carrying for them. As well as other data and intelligence concerning the Asheen and the Oppressors. Its all compressed data I don't know what all it encompasses  actually, and probably wouldn't understand it if I did. I'm smarter than a normal dog probably more than most Humans. But beyond that I am just home now."

[Sara Hutchins]

Sara thought back to the dance, even though she had been more concerned with Sean while there she did remember the girl.

"I saw her on the dance floor, She was blond, I think medium length hair, i guess she was pretty but i don't remember any features standing out. She was wearing a rather plain dress, black or dark blue. I do know I didn't recognize her."

She gives a glance at Felix, "I just figured she was someone Felix invited from another school."

[Lilly Pryor]

Lilly nodded.

"I'm with Sara. I remember a blond in a short dress. Cute, I guess. I really can't say for sure. Figured she was a friend of Felix' from another school. Hell, I dunno if I could even pick her out of crowd if I had to."

Lilly then looked at Blitz and asked, "Should we get the teddy bear on my dresser? Kia and Abel both saw it. We all know it was the bear from our dreams. I figured we'd just seen it someplace before, like a commercial or at a store or something, so we all knew of it. It's didn't cross my mind that it could be some... entity... hopping through our dreams."

Lilly thought for a moment before speaking again.

"The strange thing is that when I was unconscious at the camp, I saw the bear in, like, this super vivid dream and he was encouraging me.. pushing me even."

[Sara Hutchins]

Blitz shook his head, "I don't know beyond what i have told you already I don't have any idea what has happened to all of you. I fact aside form Abel and Sean I don't even have a clue who the rest of you are."

"That's alright Blitz i'm not sure we know who we are ourselves anymore. By the way I'm Sara.

Lilly, the teddy bear was in my dream too. It was telling me that I was a protector but it was warning me too.

It told me there was fine line between justice and vengeance."

She shakes her head, "You know this is all way over the top crazy weird and creepy too, but it's not freaking me out like I think it should be."

 

 

[Lilly Pryor]

Lilly looked to Sara and nodded.

"I know, right?" she said to Sara with a half grin.

"Like, I should  be just totally mind-boggled or laughing it off in disbelief, but I'm not. It's like, all of a sudden I am way more accepting of other possibilities. I mean, why shouldn't we be, really? Look at us now."