Aberrant: Trans-Dimensional Explorations - Trans-Dimensional Explorations

[Bahamut810]

Ash steps between the old man and the new nova. "Dont worry...he will not harm you. You have my protection...remember? We need to leave...now. Take us to somewhere safe, Mask. " he says as he picks up the unconsious girl.

[Expendable]

"Why, she went inside," one of the women says, and then the hum of conversation starts up again, this time with a tone of real worry.

The older woman who first spoke to you harumphs and thumps the dove pin on her sweater. "Bradley never struck me as a terribly pious type, not with him working nights. Supervisor, hah!" and she mimes a spitting motion onto the carpetted floor. "All he supervises is a bunch of fellow low-lifes who barely know how to hold the right end of a broom." Her volume trails off, though she goes on for at least a minute about how the neighborhood has gone downhill, and what a "real" husband should be doing for a job. Most of the other women seem content to annoy her.

"I better check on B.. my husband," Theo blushes, then ducks into the apartment.

*neighbors are clueless to the husband being a nova* Theo sent.

[archer]

You find the source of the smell, a skillet on the stove that is on its way to merrily charring some steak and potatoes. And laying on the floor, unconscious (you think) is a woman who kind of looks like Theo, but older. If this isn't Bradley's wife Nina, then he might have some other worries when she gets home.

Switching the stove's burner off, Brandt kneels beside the woman and checks her vital signs. At the same time, he mentally sends to Paul. *Paging Doctor Paul, please. The fiery nova with you has a wife, and she's passed out on their kitchen floor. I'm fairly sure it's just from the shock of his eruption, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. There's also a whole crew of nattering housefrau's up here, and I'm sure we'll have an easier time dispersing them if they know a doctor is here to take care of the situation. Provided we can get even an inch of privacy, we should be able to warp her away before things get too out of hand. If she wakes up, she's likely to start screaming about what happened, and I've a feeling that would be bad.*

((Medicine roll, please.))

[Alex Green]

Switching the stove's burner off, Brandt kneels beside the woman and checks her vital signs. At the same time, he mentally sends to Paul. *Paging Doctor Paul, please...*

*I'm on my way.*

Paul walks quickly to join Brandt, and puts on his no-nonsense "doctor" attitude. When he reaches the pack (herd?) of people outside the apartment he will say,

“Did someone call for a Doctor?”

[AnonCastillo]

Jonathan sends to Paul, * Ask Mask if he can take us to the caves from last world, they're likely to be uninhabited. And please let Theo and Brandt know where we're going as well, get back to us when you need someone to warp you out. *

[Alex Green]

Paul forwards all of that, or attaches to the people in question so Jonathan can say it himself.

[Expendable]

*I'm on my way.*

Paul walks quickly to join Brandt, and puts on his no-nonsense "doctor" attitude. When he reaches the pack (herd?) of people outside the apartment he will say,

“Did someone call for a Doctor?”

"Doctor!" Theo calls out from the doorway, "In here!"

[Alex Green]

"Doctor!" Theo calls out from the doorway, "In here!"

"Doctor" Paul pushes past people and moves to examine the fallen woman.

(Medical roll please)

[BlueNinja]

Ash steps between the old man and the new nova. "Dont worry...he will not harm you. You have my protection...remember? We need to leave...now. Take us to somewhere safe, Mask. " he says as he picks up the unconsious girl.

Mask opens a Warp, and reveals on the other side some kind of large, dark storeroom. Folding tables and chairs are stacked up, but there's more than enough room to move around. A single set of flourescent bulbs light the room beyond.

[Bahamut810]

Ash nods to Mask, then looks at the newborn nova. "After you."

[BlueNinja]

"Doctor" Paul pushes past people and moves to examine the fallen woman.

(Medical roll please)

From a quick look-over, you think she freaked out and fainted - probably shortly after the screaming. While you're looking her over and taking her pulse, Brandt notices that there's a mirror on the wall of the kitchen - which is now almost perfectly broken into cross-shapes and still in the frame.

[SkyLion]

For a third time the cat makes a brushing pass against the bewildered Nova's legs, purring loudly and blinking up in the cutest way you ever saw.

::Meow!::

[Alex Green]

Paul says,

"She'll be fine. Fainted I think."

*Which I gather you already believed... back home I could charge $100 for that bit of common sense.*

[Centimane]

Zhenglai sent over the link to Paul, *I am going with the other's through the Mask's portal, but if you three need either of us to come pick you up just say so*

[Expendable]

"Maybe you two can carry her into the living room and we'll put her on the couch?" Theo suggests.

"Doctor," she says, nodding towards the door, "Do you have any smelling salts or whatever to bring her around?"

*We need to know what happened here. I think he jumped out the window.*

[BlueNinja]

For a third time the cat makes a brushing pass against the bewildered Nova's legs, purring loudly and blinking up in the cutest way you ever saw.

::Meow!::

Fire-wings blinks again, looks at Ash, and moves through the warp into this storeroom, letting one of his wings drag across the cat. This gives Esteban the unpleasant feeling of hot coals being raked down his fur in a mockery of petting - though it probably wasn't intentional.

With everyone else in the storeroom, it seems like a basement of some kind. Two tables are set up near the only visible door, probably for organizing the lists of the material kept here. Folding tables, chairs, and cardboard boxes are all quite neatly stacked up in their own sections, and covered in a very thin layer of dust.

[BlueNinja]

"Maybe you two can carry her into the living room and we'll put her on the couch?" Theo suggests.

"Doctor," she says, nodding towards the door, "Do you have any smelling salts or whatever to bring her around?"

*We need to know what happened here. I think he jumped out the window.*

When Brandt and Paul move to pick her up, she comes around, staring around in shock and fright. Evidently, something in Paul's demeanor satisfies her, and she sags again - still conscious, but apparently unresistant.

[Bahamut810]

Ash follows after the Flaming-winged man closley. Once he takes in the room, walks over and places unconcious woman on a table. "Now, lets get to the brass tacks." he says, taking two of the folding chairs and flipping them open, then setting them a foot apart. "Now sit. We have a lot to talk about. My name is Ash Phoenix...whats yours?"

[Alex Green]

When Brandt and Paul move to pick her up, she comes around, staring around in shock and fright. Evidently, something in Paul's demeanor satisfies her, and she sags again - still conscious, but apparently unresistant.

Paul by this point has one of those little flashlights that the medical profession likes to carry around and point into people's eyes to check for dialation, and he will attempt to do so. After a few moments he asks,

"What do you remember last?"

[SkyLion]

Esteban-the-cat follows after fire-wings through the warp. When Ash puts the formerly invisible-girl down, he pads over and nuzzles her gently with his forehead, attempting to wake her from her faint so that when she comes to, he is the first thing she sees.

,,

::purrr::purrr::

,,

((while simultaeously checking on her condirion (medical roll please) and the state of her eruption (q-attune also with medical roll please).))

[archer]

Smiling down at the woman reassuringly, Brandt glances over at Theo. "Dear, would you mind getting the door and kindly let the neighbors know that everything is under control now? The doctor will make sure she's alright. Let's try and give her a little privacy for right now."

*And make sure no one else overhears when she starts describing her husband's eruption.*

He stands, moving to stand next to Theo. "As a matter of fact, why don't you stay here with the doctor and I'll see if I can't go find her husband.", he says, clearly enough for the onlookers in the hallway to hear him. Waiting for Theo's agreement, he smiles at the women near the door. "Excuse me ladies," he says, gently closing the door behind him, coincidentally blocking it with his body. "Perhaps one of you could help me locate the poor girl's husband? I'm sure he'd like to know what's happened here. Do any of you know where he works, or where he might be right now?"

*While I've got the door shut, you two get her out of here...hopefully to the same place they took her husband. Paul, keep her quiet. Give her something if you need to.*

[Expendable]

Smiling down at the woman reassuringly, Brandt glances over at Theo. "Dear, would you mind getting the door and kindly let the neighbors know that everything is under control now? The doctor will make sure she's alright. Let's try and give her a little privacy for right now."

*And make sure no one else overhears when she starts describing her husband's eruption.*

"Certainly..." Theo began.

He stands, moving to stand next to Theo. "As a matter of fact, why don't you stay here with the doctor and I'll see if I can't go find her husband.", he says, clearly enough for the onlookers in the hallway to hear him. Waiting for Theo's agreement, he smiles at the women near the door. "Excuse me ladies," he says, gently closing the door behind him, coincidentally blocking it with his body. "Perhaps one of you could help me locate the poor girl's husband? I'm sure he'd like to know what's happened here. Do any of you know where he works, or where he might be right now?"

*While I've got the door shut, you two get her out of here...hopefully to the same place they took her husband. Paul, keep her quiet. Give her something if you need to.*

*I thought they already knew he came home?* Theo interjected. She glanced down at the bewildered woman and wondered if it was right that they abduct her like this - but someone offical could show up at any second and they didn't quite fit in if someone started asking questions.

*We need a pick-up,* Theo sent. *Just in case, reassure the husband that we're not kidnapping her or anything, just bring her to him so they can be together.*

[Alex Green]

Paul sends,

*Where are the rest of you all at?*

[BlueNinja]

Ash follows after the Flaming-winged man closley. Once he takes in the room, walks over and places unconcious woman on a table. "Now, lets get to the brass tacks." he says, taking two of the folding chairs and flipping them open, then setting them a foot apart. "Now sit. We have a lot to talk about. My name is Ash Phoenix...whats yours?"

He looks around, clearly quite bewildered, and Ash wonders for a moment if he missed the question. "I ... I'm Bradley. Bradley O'Rielley. Where are we? How did we get here?" He trails off for a moment, then his eyes get wider and start to glow a little brighter. "My wife! What happened? Is she ... " He trails off, and two hands move up to clutch at his temples while his other two arms cross over his stomach. You're guessing he's still experiencing that eruption headache.

Esteban-the-cat follows after fire-wings through the warp. When Ash puts the formerly invisible-girl down, he pads over and nuzzles her gently with his forehead, attempting to wake her from her faint so that when she comes to, he is the first thing she sees.,,

::purrr::purrr::

,,

((while simultaeously checking on her condirion (medical roll please) and the state of her eruption (q-attune also with medical roll please).))

Her eruption seems to be fading, but as long as she's unconscious, you're not sure what she might have gained besides invisibility.

[BlueNinja]

Paul by this point has one of those little flashlights that the medical profession likes to carry around and point into people's eyes to check for dialation, and he will attempt to do so. After a few moments he asks,

"What do you remember last?"

She manages to work herself up to a sitting position, leaning back against the stove. She's probably still in shock, but after a few seconds of looking around the kitchen and staring at the broken mirror she answers. "I came home and set the groceries down on the table," and sure enough, there's some paper bags on the little table in the corner. "I heard Bradley talking to me while he was cooking before work, but when I turned around, there was some ... thing standing there, cooking and talking to me with his voice." She turns back towards Theo, her eyes side and pleading. "Am I going crazy?"

He stands, moving to stand next to Theo. "As a matter of fact, why don't you stay here with the doctor and I'll see if I can't go find her husband.", he says, clearly enough for the onlookers in the hallway to hear him. Waiting for Theo's agreement, he smiles at the women near the door. "Excuse me ladies," he says, gently closing the door behind him, coincidentally blocking it with his body. "Perhaps one of you could help me locate the poor girl's husband? I'm sure he'd like to know what's happened here. Do any of you know where he works, or where he might be right now?"

The old biddy who's done most of the talking stares at you, gape-jawed in surprise. "But ... he has to be in there. There's only the one door out of the apartment. Unless," she gasps in surprise (possibly faked, in her case, but a few of the other women seem to be following her train of thought and echo it), "he must have gone out the window! Dear Lord Jesus Christ, but the man must need a hospital, if he's not dead!" One of the women breaks away to go into the apartment across the hall from Bradley and Nina, probably to phone some kind of authority.

Which reminds you; despite the three uniforms who were gathering on the street nearly ten minutes ago now, there hasn't been any sound of sirens or official vehicles. You didn't notice anyone pulling up on the street outside, either.

[archer]

She manages to work herself up to a sitting position, leaning back against the stove. She's probably still in shock, but after a few seconds of looking around the kitchen and staring at the broken mirror she answers. "I came home and set the groceries down on the table," and sure enough, there's some paper bags on the little table in the corner. "I heard Bradley talking to me while he was cooking before work, but when I turned around, there was some ... thing standing there, cooking and talking to me with his voice." She turns back towards Theo, her eyes side and pleading. "Am I going crazy?"

The old biddy who's done most of the talking stares at you, gape-jawed in surprise. "But ... he has to be in there. There's only the one door out of the apartment. Unless," she gasps in surprise (possibly faked, in her case, but a few of the other women seem to be following her train of thought and echo it), "he must have gone out the window! Dear Lord Jesus Christ, but the man must need a hospital, if he's not dead!" One of the women breaks away to go into the apartment across the hall from Bradley and Nina, probably to phone some kind of authority.

Which reminds you; despite the three uniforms who were gathering on the street nearly ten minutes ago now, there hasn't been any sound of sirens or official vehicles. You didn't notice anyone pulling up on the street outside, either.

*Damn. Paul, we need to make an exit, and now. Just had a neighbor-lady dart into her apartment, probably to call the cops or an ambulance. It seems they've realized the husband took a nose-dive out the window and want to do their civic duty.*

Aloud, he waves his hands in a soothing gesture. "Ladies, ladies...please, stay calm. I'm sure the authorities are on their way already. Give me just a moment, and I'll check the scene from the window and send the doctor down if needed." He smiles reassuringly...then turns and re-enters the apartment, closing the door behind him. Leaning against it(to hold it closed if need be), he barely catches himself from grinding his teeth.

*We've got two options as I see it, and little time to discuss them. Leave the wife here to tell her story and take our leave, or knock her out and warp her to her husband. Thoughts?*

[Alex Green]

Paul says,

*Warp her to her husband. Their interaction will be informative, and it presents to them the option of blaming the entire mess on us. I.e. that we took both of them and we were the novas involved.*

[Bahamut810]

He looks around, clearly quite bewildered, and Ash wonders for a moment if he missed the question. "I ... I'm Bradley. Bradley O'Rielley. Where are we? How did we get here?" He trails off for a moment, then his eyes get wider and start to glow a little brighter. "My wife! What happened? Is she ... " He trails off, and two hands move up to clutch at his temples while his other two arms cross over his stomach. You're guessing he's still experiencing that eruption headache.

"Take it easy...your going to be having thoes headaches for a few weeks at least. Your wife is alright. I think they are going to bring her here. Its going to be tough though...you look a lot different then you did an hour ago. You see...you 'erupted'. All of us here have. Thats how we got here...one of us can open holes in space to connect one place to another...we walked through that hole to here. Im not sure where 'here' is though..." Ash shrugs. "Just remember when your wife gets here that you look different...she may be scared of you, but you are still you. Some white fur and a couple extra arms wont change that."

He sends to Paul. *Ask Brandt if he brought that Mox with him...*

[Expendable]

She manages to work herself up to a sitting position, leaning back against the stove. She's probably still in shock, but after a few seconds of looking around the kitchen and staring at the broken mirror she answers. "I came home and set the groceries down on the table," and sure enough, there's some paper bags on the little table in the corner. "I heard Bradley talking to me while he was cooking before work, but when I turned around, there was some ... thing standing there, cooking and talking to me with his voice." She turns back towards Theo, her eyes side and pleading. "Am I going crazy?"

Theo sighed and knelt beside her, taking the woman's hand and patting it.

"No," she said regretfully, shaking her head. "You're not going crazy." Although you may wish you had.

"I want you to stay calm," Theo tells her. "We're going to take you to your husband. He's ok, just... ok. We'll explain when we get there."

*You'd almost think they've never seen or heard of an eruption before,* Theo sent, frowning slightly. *Either we got very lucky to be here at just the right time, or... oh God, do you think the gate could have triggered an eruption?*

[Alex Green]

*You'd almost think they've never seen or heard of an eruption before,* Theo sent, frowning slightly. *Either we got very lucky to be here at just the right time, or... oh God, do you think the gate could have triggered an eruption?*

*The first is very odd. As for the second, either it's very likely that we did, or this happens all the time. And please don't mention that idea to our newly created novas here, it might cause problems.*

Paul forwards everything to everyone.

[Centimane]

Zhenglai, who had been dutifully keeping quiet and subservient in appearance since their initial confrontation with the four-armed nova, had been 'listening' to all of the mental conversation and watching all the activity going on with rapt attention. Ever since he had first heard of novas almost two decades ago he had been fascinated by them, the fact that he was one notwithstanding, and this was actually the first time he'd present for an eruption (and here was witnessing two at once!).

Now he sent over the link, *I agree, we should bring them together. One way or the other we're sure to learn a great deal from their interactions. If not about their immediate past, then at least about their culture and how they view the world. Very helpful. Just tell us when you're ready to come through Paul.*

((Whenever Paul, Brandt, and Theo are ready (and provided Jonathan doesn't interven and say 'no') Zhenglai will open a warp. So, provided that Zhenglai rolls enough successes on his roll (Warp roll please!), and no one says otherwise, there is now a warp for you guys to go through whenever you're good and ready.))

[Expendable]

*The first is very odd. As for the second, either it's very likely that we did, or this happens all the time. And please don't mention that idea to our newly created novas here, it might cause problems.*

Paul forwards everything to everyone.

*Certainly not,* Theo sent.

"There's nobody else here, right? No children or guests?" Theo asked the wife. "We wouldn't want to forget anything."

[BlueNinja]

Aloud, he waves his hands in a soothing gesture. "Ladies, ladies...please, stay calm. I'm sure the authorities are on their way already. Give me just a moment, and I'll check the scene from the window and send the doctor down if needed." He smiles reassuringly...then turns and re-enters the apartment, closing the door behind him. Leaning against it(to hold it closed if need be), he barely catches himself from grinding his teeth.

The crowd doesn't seem to be in any rush to storm the door and see for themselves, but as the conversation between Theo and Nina goes on, he can hear the faint sound of sirens kick on and start heading closer.

Theo sighed and knelt beside her, taking the woman's hand and patting it.

"No," she said regretfully, shaking her head. "You're not going crazy." Although you may wish you had.

"I want you to stay calm," Theo tells her. "We're going to take you to your husband. He's ok, just... ok. We'll explain when we get there."

*Certainly not,* Theo sent.

"There's nobody else here, right? No children or guests?" Theo asked the wife. "We wouldn't want to forget anything."

She starts to get more agitated, trying to get to her feet, though Theo bets that a kitten could hold her seated right now. "No ... no, Bradley and I still live alone, we don't have any children yet. What's wrong with him? Please, tell me!"

"Take it easy...your going to be having thoes headaches for a few weeks at least. Your wife is alright. I think they are going to bring her here. Its going to be tough though...you look a lot different then you did an hour ago. You see...you 'erupted'. All of us here have. Thats how we got here...one of us can open holes in space to connect one place to another...we walked through that hole to here. Im not sure where 'here' is though..." Ash shrugs. "Just remember when your wife gets here that you look different...she may be scared of you, but you are still you. Some white fur and a couple extra arms wont change that."

Simon could confirm that you guys are, spatially, in the shallow caves in Las Vegas that you brought the mapper to on the last world. Bradley, however, lowers his hands (all four of them) and stares closely at each of you in turn. "All ... " He pauses, gulps noticeably, and his fur seems to shrink down on itself without going away. "All of you ... us ... have ... powers?"

[Alex Green]

Paul sends,

*OK, Brandt, rejoin us and Zhenglai will warp us out. The neighbors will talk but our couple here can blame us if they half to... and I think it's already too late to contain the information that he went out the window.*

Paul says to the woman in his 'doctor' tone of voice,

"My understanding is that your husband is uninjuried. At the moment I'm concerned about you. Stay seated. You had a fall, you might have a concussion."

[Expendable]

She starts to get more agitated, trying to get to her feet, though Theo bets that a kitten could hold her seated right now. "No ... no, Bradley and I still live alone, we don't have any children yet. What's wrong with him? Please, tell me!"

*She's scared, we can't leave her, there's no telling what might happen,* Theo sends. *We can't hide what happened here, but we can use it to help ourselves and them.*

"Shhh," Theo smiles reassuringly, resting her hand gently on Nina's shoulder. "He's ok, really. Something wonderful happened and like you, he's a little frightened and confused by it all. My name's Theodora, Theodora Kier. We're just here to help."

"You're going to see a few things that look strange but it'll be ok."

Theo glances at Paul. "I think we're ready to go."

[Bahamut810]

"All ... " He pauses, gulps noticeably, and his fur seems to shrink down on itself without going away. "All of you ... us ... have ... powers?"

"Yep." Ash says as he nods, "Even if some of us dont look like it, we do. So, what do you do for a living? What was the last thing you remember before you jumped out the window?"

[SkyLion]

"All of you ... us ... have ... powers?"

,,

The Kitty jumps up into his lap.

,,

::Meow!::

,,

::biggrin

,,

[BlueNinja]

"Yep." Ash says as he nods, "Even if some of us dont look like it, we do. So, what do you do for a living? What was the last thing you remember before you jumped out the window?"

He looks at you, possibly still doubting that you have powers, or that you're serious, or both. But he does answer. "I'm the head security guard for Saint Margaret's School complex. I work the night shift, which I know isn't very prestigious, but it pays well."

The Kitty jumps up into his lap. ,,

::Meow!::

Bradley starts petting the cat automatically, then freezes as he seems to contemplate the "all of us" comment. About then is when Zhenglai opens the warp back to his apartment, and he leaps to his feet, sending Esteban flying.

"Shhh," Theo smiles reassuringly, resting her hand gently on Nina's shoulder. "He's ok, really. Something wonderful happened and like you, he's a little frightened and confused by it all. My name's Theodora, Theodora Kier. We're just here to help."

"You're going to see a few things that look strange but it'll be ok."

Theo glances at Paul. "I think we're ready to go."

The warp opens near the doorway into the apartment, and Nina lets out a brief panicked scream as she sees it open, then her eyes lock onto Bradley. She allows Theo and Paul to help her to her feet, even as fists start pounding on the apartment door.

With Nina and Bradley both in the storeroom, staring at each other and both seemingly ready to bolt at the slightest moment something goes wrong. Which, of course, is when things do go wrong.

Invisible girl wakes up. Esteban, of course, notices her scoot off the table and go invisble. Two seconds later, the fire alarms go off in the building, and the lights go out as the thunderous noise of the fire sprinklers deploying on the floor above fills the room. Bradley and Nina both jump in fright, pulling away from each other and looking for places to hide in the faint emergency lighting.

[SkyLion]

Bradley starts petting the cat automatically, then freezes as he seems to contemplate the "all of us" comment. About then is when Zhenglai opens the warp back to his apartment, and he leaps to his feet, sending Esteban flying.

,,

As might be expected, the kitty lands on its feet...

,,,,

Invisible girl wakes up. Esteban, of course, notices her scoot off the table and go to sleep.

,,

((um...she wakes up, scoots off and goes back to sleep???))

,,

As soon as she waks up, Esteban pads over to say hello...

[Expendable]

"Now what?" Theo scowls.

*we need some place quiet and remote. Anybody know a good spot in the desert?* Theo asks over the link.