They had moved to a conference room in part of what was now serving as offices for the Interim Government of what once been the U.S.A.
''I don't see how this is possible'' Ray Terrell said. Beside him, his partner Leo made a soft sound of assent. ''I - we - remember when you - Ray, Martin and Jax - were here before, along with Oliver, Sara and the others. We worked together on this world and on yours. That was in our past - but now you tell us it never happened in yours. I'm from Earth 1 and the timelines have always run roughly parallel when it comes to major events.''
''Those events happened here'' Eve began ''but they didn't happen on Earth 1, and they probably never will.''
Both men stared at her.
''It's a side effect of Holaristan technology - it often creates dissonance.'' Rip, Eve and the others had already filled their two hosts in on the background and purpose of their arrival here.
''Is that dangerous?'' Leo asked.
''It can be'' Eve replied. ''Which is another reason why we need to stop Savage and my two former colleagues before they use any more of it.''
''The Holaristans didn't know it was dangerous?''
''They didn't care'' Rip said succinctly.
X
General Wynn Schott was in the communications room, coming to the end of a Zoom conference with his colleagues from other parts of Earth X, when he saw that two of his senior officers were waiting in the outer room. He lifted a hand to acknowledge their presence but continued with what he was doing. Until recently such a meeting - even done remotely - would not have been so leisured - if it had been able to happen at all. For over an hour, he, Slade, Anatoly, Nyssa, Talia, Julian, Zari and sundry others had been filling each other in on what was happening in other parts of the world. He was feeling pretty good about the situation as a whole.
It was a feeling that didn't last.
Half an hour later he was sitting in his office, listening as his two sub-ordinates came to the end of what these latest Earth 1 visitors had told them. Hearing that General Laurel Lance had left the planet generated only one response in him - good riddance. He hoped she never came back. There were quite a few adversaries about whom that was true - the ones who didn't believe the Resistance's 'Surrender and you won't be killed' broadcast wasn't true. Or simply didn't care. The fighting was sporadic, but it was keeping him from all the other things that needed his attention. Just this morning, Felicity had been onto him again. She could be a nuisance, but she was right about the need to sort out the food situation. The sooner we can hold an election, the better, he told himself.
''If they want to go, let them'' he said, meaning the die-hard Nazis this Vandal Savage seemed to want to recruit. ''Just as long as we can make sure it's a one-way trip.'' He gave them both a hard look. ''As I said last time, my duty is to this planet and the people here. I'm not responsible for what happens to the entire multiverse.''
''Holaristan technology'' Ray pointed out.
''About which we know nothing - I hadn't even heard of it until you both showed up. Savage and the other two might never use it again for all we know -'' he glared at them for a moment. ''Hold on, are you two thinking of joining this circus - again?''
Plainly they had. This was going to be a long session.
