Title: Concourse
Author: Lady Primrose Roxton
Series: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World
Date: 8/2002
Part: 8 - We Happy Few
Rating: R
Codes: M/R, N/V
Category: Romance, Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi
Summary: Starts where HotS left off. Danger Will Robinson! Mushy shipper alert, cliffhanger resolution alert, grandfather paradox alert, and hey, I even like Finn.
Spoilers: Tapestry, Finn, HotS
Disclaimer: As a matter of fact, in the shifting planes of my own reality, I *do* own TLW ;)
Feedback: Tell me -- primrose4@canby.com
Website: http://www.canby.com/ryukyu4
Posting: ff.net, tlwfix.com, others please let me know first.
***
A/N: Thank you for bearing with my glacial writing speed and all the encouragement to continue. It has been a great joy writing this story.
A/N2: I have taken great liberties regarding the properties of Iridium in order to further my story. It is an actual element, very rare and valuable, and is a member of the Platinum Metals Group. As a point of interest, I did a little digging about the value of Iridium during WWI. If the box seen in 'Tapestry' contained 100 bars at 12 Troy ounces each, its value would have been 37,815 in 1917 British Pounds!
To put it in perspective that would be the equivalent of 1,021,005 British Pounds at today's valuation, or $1,560,866 US ! It started me thinking just what *was* Challenger going to do with that much Iridium, and what the devil was the British Government doing giving him something of that much value during wartime? For that matter, where did they get it? Sounds like a whole 'nother fic to me ;)
***
Say, shall my little bark attendant sail,
Pursue the triumph and partake the gale?
Alexander Pope (1688–1744)
And now for something completely different.
John Cleese, Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969 -1974)
***
"The timing will be critical," Challenger stated in a whisper, as they made their way through the entrance of the cave to an alcove near the directional controls. "We must enter the transport field at the same time as Finn."
"Won't we see ourselves, and couldn't that be a problem?" Roxton asked softly, peering around the wall of rock to see their earlier selves going to their circles on the cave floor.
"I don't believe so," Challenger replied. "The disassociation from the radiant waves in addition to the temporal flux should render their vision incapable of registering our current selves; additionally, Finn will be contraposing our position."
"In other words, they'll be blinded by the light," Marguerite said with asperity. "And Finn will be facing away from us."
"That's what I said," Challenger noted blinking. Finn and Marguerite shrugged and shook their heads as they looked at each other. Roxton refrained from saying anything, but a smile quirked at the corners of his mouth.
Just then, the light began to shine intensely and waves surrounded the three explorers. Finn came running in, and Challenger said, "Now!" Hand in hand, they sprang after Finn and hurled themselves into the painfully bright radiance.
It was a sensation of falling coupled with the uplift of the imagined power of flight, seasoned with the dizzying sensation of circling endlessly, while remaining yet stationary. The journey took days, weeks, years, nanoseconds, all time, no time at all. It was, and then it wasn't.
A brilliant yellow-white luminescence bathed the treehouse as the four travelers became aware of their surroundings. There, standing in the center of the main room was Veronica, holding up one hand toward which the light and power seemed to be rushing. However, she was paying no attention to the tumultuous influx of energies, because all her attention was taken up with kissing Ned Malone. The four just stood there for a moment, transfixed by the sight, each smiling.
The whirl of energies cycled faster and faster, the sounds progressed to white noise, then passed from the range registered by human ears. Atmospheric pressure fluctuated wildly, and the very air shimmered with what could only be described as a liquid solidity. At last, the kiss ended, and Ned pulled back from Veronica a bit, smiling at her. The energies rushed around the two of them, seeking the Trion in endless waves of spirals, but the two only just kept looking at each other.
"Glad to see that you made it," Ned finally called out to them, his eyes still focused intently on Veronica.
"We took the scenic route," Marguerite said airily. "I see you've been keeping yourselves occupied," she continued in a fond voice that, had she realized how she sounded, would have modified instantly.
"It's time," Ned turned to them.
"Yes, it is," Marguerite agreed, reaching one hand out for Roxton's and grasping it firmly enough to have him looking at her with concern.
"You know what comes next," Challenger confirmed.
"Yes," Marguerite and Ned answered together.
"Well, I'm kinda lost," Finn interjected.
"I'd have to agree with Finn," Roxton added with an apologetic air, glancing at Marguerite, who had an intense look on her face.
"Is Vee all right?" Finn continued, looking at Veronica, who had gone back to concentrating on holding the Trion steady, waiting for the others.
"She will be," Ned replied. "When we help her reconnect the circle. She must direct the Trion to realign the conflux of the planes."
"To be unbroken from beginning to end to beginning," murmured Marguerite. "She is the circle; we are the circle."
"All the planes of reality are forming here," Challenger said excitedly. " I would postulate that the Plateau normally acts as a gateway to and conduit for the shifting planes, and would have a normal ebb and flow of energies, but something has happened to concentrate the planes here where Veronica is holding the Trion. The Iridium, which is an excellent conductor and has an extremely dense mass, is acting as a nexus, and the very large mass and gravitational fields of the planes is affecting the phase shifts, causing the quantum singularity to collapse upon itself because of the instability. What upset the flow of the phase shifts is what I wonder about. It could have been my tele-transporter," he nodded ruefully.
"No, it was my storm," Marguerite corrected.
"Uh-uh, had to be my interference with your transport," Finn put in.
"It was the butterfly," Ned held up a hand, preventing Roxton from claiming fault. Into the silence, Malone continued, "It really doesn't matter, does it? We have to restore the balance, and we need to do it now." The strength of purpose and certainty that infused his bearing was not lost on Roxton, Marguerite, Challenger, and Finn. They saw in Ned what Veronica had just been discovering - he indeed did know what to do and how to do it. As he had told Veronica, the answer was there, he had just not known how to phrase the question.
"Speaking of butterflies, I don't see the cage that I had," muttered Challenger, looking about, but not finding the unusual specimen.
"It served its purpose," Ned told Challenger. "Now we have to serve ours."
"We must come together," Marguerite said with conviction. "In a circle with Veronica. Malone knows; he is the bard - he will tell us."
Ned nodded in agreement and gestured to Roxton, "You stand here next to Veronica." Roxton kissed Marguerite's hand and moved over by Veronica. He smiled at her and she smiled tremulously back. The pain was almost unbearable.
"Take her hand, Roxton," Ned directed. "You are a warrior, but you also have a loving heart that you share with everyone. You are the strength of the body and the greater strength of love." Roxton grasped Veronica's free hand and felt the jolt and the power swept through him, then he could feel his self melding with Veronica, giving his strength to her. She sighed, knowing now she could hold on.
"Next is Finn," Ned said. Finn looked up at him expectantly as she moved near Roxton. "You have a sense of wonder and the fearlessness of youth," he smiled at her. "You also want belonging and togetherness with everyone. You are family." Finn took Roxton's hand and likewise felt the power. She didn't notice the tears of joy falling down her cheeks as she focused on the supreme sense of welcome and comfort that seemed to emanate from herself and engulfed Roxton and Veronica.
"Challenger," called Malone. Challenger eagerly moved next to Finn, curving the circle around toward Veronica. "You possess curiosity and the desire of understanding, tempered by the experience of age and learning. You are the mind and body working together." As he took Finn's hand, Challenger felt gladness overcome him, as he was finally able to share what he knew with the others.
"Marguerite," he finally called. She move forward and to take Challenger's free hand. "You have the power and the fire within you, yet you love and appreciate all that is with such intensity. You are the soul," Ned's voice slid into a whisper and he watched the surge of energy pulse through his friends as Marguerite touched Challenger's hand.
Marguerite looked at Malone, her eyes gentle. "You are a watcher and a chronicler. You are also the connection, the link between the Protector and the circle," she intoned. "All that she is, the center, the beginning and the end of the circle, is through the strength of your conviction." She held out her hand and Malone took it, feeling the power directly. They looked at each other, realizing the magnitude of what was to come next.
"You can do it, Ned," Marguerite said at length. "You are the only one who can. Finish the circle. Let Veronica do her job." She looked over at Roxton, who had an expression that mixed pride with love and amazement in equal parts. She smiled at him, and he returned the look.
The atmosphere in the treehouse thickened again, as if to acknowledge that great power had gathered and was vying for control of the flow of the planes. Great noises began again, echoing as if from far away, but they were deep sounds, pulsating heavily, pushing at the very essence of their reality, causing distortions in their perceptions and loss of feeling in their selves.
"The last of the planes are folding in upon themselves," Challenger cried. "The singularity is collapsing. You must act now, child!" he directed Veronica.
"I love you, Veronica," Ned shouted as he grabbed her upraised hand, placing his palm firmly over the Trion and bringing their clasped hands down at their sides, completing the circle.
In the end, it was so simple, Veronica thought. All the worry, pain, and fear were reduced to meaningless memory. She saw. They all saw. It was them, all of them. So many that there was no means for their minds to comprehend; they had to trust their hearts and souls to acknowledge and deal with them. Each Veronica felt every Roxtons' strength of body and heart, all of the Finns' joy of togetherness, the multitudes of Challengers' understanding, the deep and abiding well of awareness and the meaning of being from the Marguerites, and the love and connection from all the Malones. She let go, and the rush stopped. The balance was achieved, the pain gone.
The gravitational shifts ceased, having finished their tasks. The sounds had stopped. The light was all but gone, save at the very center.
There had been, but now there wasn't.
The conflux of the realities was almost complete; each was all the others, save the tiniest of thoughts that flowed through their minds. The thoughts that they wanted *their* time, *their* chance to be and do what was theirs to come - past, present, or future. They all wanted the chance to make the next choice. And so, they all chose. Being who they were, they all chose differently. The flowing togetherness that had held them so smoothly fractured, breaking off identical pieces that spiraled away in all directions and dimensions from the center. The flooding expansion exploded with such force that they all lost awareness.
The yellow-white light that had bathed the treehouse gradually faded. The preternatural silence of the Plateau exploded in a raucous jumble. The six people who had stood at the edge of eternity holding hands gradually came to and noticed themselves and their surroundings.
After a pause of a few seconds, they all broke ranks and ran to each other, hugging, crying, laughing, living.
The end of the universe hadn't come after all.
To Be Continued
Author: Lady Primrose Roxton
Series: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World
Date: 8/2002
Part: 8 - We Happy Few
Rating: R
Codes: M/R, N/V
Category: Romance, Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi
Summary: Starts where HotS left off. Danger Will Robinson! Mushy shipper alert, cliffhanger resolution alert, grandfather paradox alert, and hey, I even like Finn.
Spoilers: Tapestry, Finn, HotS
Disclaimer: As a matter of fact, in the shifting planes of my own reality, I *do* own TLW ;)
Feedback: Tell me -- primrose4@canby.com
Website: http://www.canby.com/ryukyu4
Posting: ff.net, tlwfix.com, others please let me know first.
***
A/N: Thank you for bearing with my glacial writing speed and all the encouragement to continue. It has been a great joy writing this story.
A/N2: I have taken great liberties regarding the properties of Iridium in order to further my story. It is an actual element, very rare and valuable, and is a member of the Platinum Metals Group. As a point of interest, I did a little digging about the value of Iridium during WWI. If the box seen in 'Tapestry' contained 100 bars at 12 Troy ounces each, its value would have been 37,815 in 1917 British Pounds!
To put it in perspective that would be the equivalent of 1,021,005 British Pounds at today's valuation, or $1,560,866 US ! It started me thinking just what *was* Challenger going to do with that much Iridium, and what the devil was the British Government doing giving him something of that much value during wartime? For that matter, where did they get it? Sounds like a whole 'nother fic to me ;)
***
Say, shall my little bark attendant sail,
Pursue the triumph and partake the gale?
Alexander Pope (1688–1744)
And now for something completely different.
John Cleese, Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969 -1974)
***
"The timing will be critical," Challenger stated in a whisper, as they made their way through the entrance of the cave to an alcove near the directional controls. "We must enter the transport field at the same time as Finn."
"Won't we see ourselves, and couldn't that be a problem?" Roxton asked softly, peering around the wall of rock to see their earlier selves going to their circles on the cave floor.
"I don't believe so," Challenger replied. "The disassociation from the radiant waves in addition to the temporal flux should render their vision incapable of registering our current selves; additionally, Finn will be contraposing our position."
"In other words, they'll be blinded by the light," Marguerite said with asperity. "And Finn will be facing away from us."
"That's what I said," Challenger noted blinking. Finn and Marguerite shrugged and shook their heads as they looked at each other. Roxton refrained from saying anything, but a smile quirked at the corners of his mouth.
Just then, the light began to shine intensely and waves surrounded the three explorers. Finn came running in, and Challenger said, "Now!" Hand in hand, they sprang after Finn and hurled themselves into the painfully bright radiance.
It was a sensation of falling coupled with the uplift of the imagined power of flight, seasoned with the dizzying sensation of circling endlessly, while remaining yet stationary. The journey took days, weeks, years, nanoseconds, all time, no time at all. It was, and then it wasn't.
A brilliant yellow-white luminescence bathed the treehouse as the four travelers became aware of their surroundings. There, standing in the center of the main room was Veronica, holding up one hand toward which the light and power seemed to be rushing. However, she was paying no attention to the tumultuous influx of energies, because all her attention was taken up with kissing Ned Malone. The four just stood there for a moment, transfixed by the sight, each smiling.
The whirl of energies cycled faster and faster, the sounds progressed to white noise, then passed from the range registered by human ears. Atmospheric pressure fluctuated wildly, and the very air shimmered with what could only be described as a liquid solidity. At last, the kiss ended, and Ned pulled back from Veronica a bit, smiling at her. The energies rushed around the two of them, seeking the Trion in endless waves of spirals, but the two only just kept looking at each other.
"Glad to see that you made it," Ned finally called out to them, his eyes still focused intently on Veronica.
"We took the scenic route," Marguerite said airily. "I see you've been keeping yourselves occupied," she continued in a fond voice that, had she realized how she sounded, would have modified instantly.
"It's time," Ned turned to them.
"Yes, it is," Marguerite agreed, reaching one hand out for Roxton's and grasping it firmly enough to have him looking at her with concern.
"You know what comes next," Challenger confirmed.
"Yes," Marguerite and Ned answered together.
"Well, I'm kinda lost," Finn interjected.
"I'd have to agree with Finn," Roxton added with an apologetic air, glancing at Marguerite, who had an intense look on her face.
"Is Vee all right?" Finn continued, looking at Veronica, who had gone back to concentrating on holding the Trion steady, waiting for the others.
"She will be," Ned replied. "When we help her reconnect the circle. She must direct the Trion to realign the conflux of the planes."
"To be unbroken from beginning to end to beginning," murmured Marguerite. "She is the circle; we are the circle."
"All the planes of reality are forming here," Challenger said excitedly. " I would postulate that the Plateau normally acts as a gateway to and conduit for the shifting planes, and would have a normal ebb and flow of energies, but something has happened to concentrate the planes here where Veronica is holding the Trion. The Iridium, which is an excellent conductor and has an extremely dense mass, is acting as a nexus, and the very large mass and gravitational fields of the planes is affecting the phase shifts, causing the quantum singularity to collapse upon itself because of the instability. What upset the flow of the phase shifts is what I wonder about. It could have been my tele-transporter," he nodded ruefully.
"No, it was my storm," Marguerite corrected.
"Uh-uh, had to be my interference with your transport," Finn put in.
"It was the butterfly," Ned held up a hand, preventing Roxton from claiming fault. Into the silence, Malone continued, "It really doesn't matter, does it? We have to restore the balance, and we need to do it now." The strength of purpose and certainty that infused his bearing was not lost on Roxton, Marguerite, Challenger, and Finn. They saw in Ned what Veronica had just been discovering - he indeed did know what to do and how to do it. As he had told Veronica, the answer was there, he had just not known how to phrase the question.
"Speaking of butterflies, I don't see the cage that I had," muttered Challenger, looking about, but not finding the unusual specimen.
"It served its purpose," Ned told Challenger. "Now we have to serve ours."
"We must come together," Marguerite said with conviction. "In a circle with Veronica. Malone knows; he is the bard - he will tell us."
Ned nodded in agreement and gestured to Roxton, "You stand here next to Veronica." Roxton kissed Marguerite's hand and moved over by Veronica. He smiled at her and she smiled tremulously back. The pain was almost unbearable.
"Take her hand, Roxton," Ned directed. "You are a warrior, but you also have a loving heart that you share with everyone. You are the strength of the body and the greater strength of love." Roxton grasped Veronica's free hand and felt the jolt and the power swept through him, then he could feel his self melding with Veronica, giving his strength to her. She sighed, knowing now she could hold on.
"Next is Finn," Ned said. Finn looked up at him expectantly as she moved near Roxton. "You have a sense of wonder and the fearlessness of youth," he smiled at her. "You also want belonging and togetherness with everyone. You are family." Finn took Roxton's hand and likewise felt the power. She didn't notice the tears of joy falling down her cheeks as she focused on the supreme sense of welcome and comfort that seemed to emanate from herself and engulfed Roxton and Veronica.
"Challenger," called Malone. Challenger eagerly moved next to Finn, curving the circle around toward Veronica. "You possess curiosity and the desire of understanding, tempered by the experience of age and learning. You are the mind and body working together." As he took Finn's hand, Challenger felt gladness overcome him, as he was finally able to share what he knew with the others.
"Marguerite," he finally called. She move forward and to take Challenger's free hand. "You have the power and the fire within you, yet you love and appreciate all that is with such intensity. You are the soul," Ned's voice slid into a whisper and he watched the surge of energy pulse through his friends as Marguerite touched Challenger's hand.
Marguerite looked at Malone, her eyes gentle. "You are a watcher and a chronicler. You are also the connection, the link between the Protector and the circle," she intoned. "All that she is, the center, the beginning and the end of the circle, is through the strength of your conviction." She held out her hand and Malone took it, feeling the power directly. They looked at each other, realizing the magnitude of what was to come next.
"You can do it, Ned," Marguerite said at length. "You are the only one who can. Finish the circle. Let Veronica do her job." She looked over at Roxton, who had an expression that mixed pride with love and amazement in equal parts. She smiled at him, and he returned the look.
The atmosphere in the treehouse thickened again, as if to acknowledge that great power had gathered and was vying for control of the flow of the planes. Great noises began again, echoing as if from far away, but they were deep sounds, pulsating heavily, pushing at the very essence of their reality, causing distortions in their perceptions and loss of feeling in their selves.
"The last of the planes are folding in upon themselves," Challenger cried. "The singularity is collapsing. You must act now, child!" he directed Veronica.
"I love you, Veronica," Ned shouted as he grabbed her upraised hand, placing his palm firmly over the Trion and bringing their clasped hands down at their sides, completing the circle.
In the end, it was so simple, Veronica thought. All the worry, pain, and fear were reduced to meaningless memory. She saw. They all saw. It was them, all of them. So many that there was no means for their minds to comprehend; they had to trust their hearts and souls to acknowledge and deal with them. Each Veronica felt every Roxtons' strength of body and heart, all of the Finns' joy of togetherness, the multitudes of Challengers' understanding, the deep and abiding well of awareness and the meaning of being from the Marguerites, and the love and connection from all the Malones. She let go, and the rush stopped. The balance was achieved, the pain gone.
The gravitational shifts ceased, having finished their tasks. The sounds had stopped. The light was all but gone, save at the very center.
There had been, but now there wasn't.
The conflux of the realities was almost complete; each was all the others, save the tiniest of thoughts that flowed through their minds. The thoughts that they wanted *their* time, *their* chance to be and do what was theirs to come - past, present, or future. They all wanted the chance to make the next choice. And so, they all chose. Being who they were, they all chose differently. The flowing togetherness that had held them so smoothly fractured, breaking off identical pieces that spiraled away in all directions and dimensions from the center. The flooding expansion exploded with such force that they all lost awareness.
The yellow-white light that had bathed the treehouse gradually faded. The preternatural silence of the Plateau exploded in a raucous jumble. The six people who had stood at the edge of eternity holding hands gradually came to and noticed themselves and their surroundings.
After a pause of a few seconds, they all broke ranks and ran to each other, hugging, crying, laughing, living.
The end of the universe hadn't come after all.
To Be Continued