"Copier…"
Summary: Paracelsus is leaving a little gift for Arthur and the gang…
Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.
Part XXVIII…
Alternate Warehouseverse…
Several groans…Agent Lattimer snapping to attention almost immediately on waking, looking round.
"People! Any injuries?! Is everyone ok ?!" he cried out.
Chorus of replies indicating all were essentially well.
"Sir…" Jinks came to him, looking a bit woosy. "I'm ready for duty."
"Good." Lattimer nodded, patting his arm. "Take anyone who's up to the job and get after them. But…" eyeing him carefully.
"Press but not too hard…" Jinks, quietly, nodding. "Will do, sir." He turned and called to two agents now on their feet, ordering them to follow as he pulled out a scanner and began moving down the corridor in the direction Myka and Claudia had gone.
"Sir…?" Lattimer had pulled a cell phone. "This is Lattimer. Alls proceeding according to plan. The Warehouse has been secured and I hope to have the device in our hands shortly. I'll be in touch, yes, sir." He closed phone.
"All right, people!" he barked to the rest of the group, some on feet now, others groggily staring about. "Lets get after our ex-agents! Keep a close guard and be ready for anything. Paralyze or shoot to wound if possible but I want them taken!"
…
Original Warehouseverse…
"The alien who provided the shielding device had the best intentions, I'm sure." Artie noted to Claudia and Nicholas. "But…"
"But…" Claudia nodded. "In the usual suspects' hands…A shielded Earth and Warehouse…The ultimate hiding place from any tag team of cross-dimensional goodies as well as baddies. Paracelsus realized he'd found the ultimate Warehouse of solitude. He must have been running from universe to universe, with the various Warehousers clustering on his tail over the centuries." Thoughtfully…
Oh, partner dearie…You did keep one niggling little thing from me, didn't you, you sob.
"But he was able to transfer here…" Nick stared.
"It's not a barrier…Just shields the Warehouse's energy, perhaps even masks our own output from industry and so on as we develop our technology. A little protective cover to keep hyperadvanced types from taking much interest in us." Artie, frowning.
"That alien must've done some real damage while visiting." Claudia,shrewdly.
"Unintentional, but yes, some…" Artie agreed. "But a creature of high moral principles, according to Mrs. Fredericks. And her opinion of anyone's good enough for me."
"Absolutely…" Claudia nodded.
Which is why she will never recover to express one on me, my darling, kind smile to the troubled-looking Artie.
Hmmn…
"Wait…Neilsen…You've seen it." Claudia eyed him, mock-frown. "Holding out on us, eh?"
Just so long as it was both of us, no problem, beloved…Just doin' yer duty. But Claudia I is here to help now, beaming at him.
"I've seen it but only Mrs. Fredericks and now, you…Hopefully…Can access it, to a limited extent."
"Only the Crell or those of us enhanced by exposure to the Big (warehouse) Machine can operate, huh?" grin.
"Seems the case…" Artie sighed. "Though even Mrs. Fredericks couldn't operate it, just see that it's working and if necessary…"
"Off-switch?" she nodded. "Always wise…"
"But if you deactivate it…" Nicholas, concerned. "Won't that cause the Warehouse to be detected by others?"
Bring that alien butt on, son… Claudia, inwardly arch, watching the two with friendly smile as she leaned against a shelf.
"It was only a precaution…In all the centuries so far as we know, only one alien was interested enough to take a look-see." Artie pondered. "And if it would alert other Warehouses to our presence…"
"Whoa…A lot of faith to place in the kindness of strangers, there." Claudia, worried look, straightening. "After all, Paracelsus has at least two evil twins by our count, even if one has probably gone to that big evil place in the dark."
Yeah, all we'd need is yet another evil Claudia, minus a passion for a certain rotund fellow or, eehew, an evil and somewhat capable Myka, popping up in our little paradise.
"I think we can risk a short exposure, it would be difficult to track our universe let alone our little Earth as it moves on in space and time after we restore the shield. Only a team from a Warehouse seeking our friend would be actively looking for us and Paracelsus' transfer traces."
Hmmn…She pondered, nodding.
Well, better I suppose to have them come in under our surveillance than they find a way to pop in unannounced…I know from personal experience how troublesome that can be. And always wise to know the potential threat before it comes stormin' in.
After all, the benevolent Queen Claudia I has the charge of this little world to protect it from all potential danger. I'd be neglectin' me duty not to know about other universes gettin' ready to pop in for visits.
Particularly the one I left, where a certain Peter Lattimer would, no doubt, like nothing better than to find a way to pay me a call…
"Well…" she beamed to Artie and Nick. "Lets go see the great whatwhosits from another world. Lead on, McNeilsen."
…..
Alternate Warehouseverse…
Amanda quietly making her way among rows, focused on Claudia's order to locate "her" hiding place…
Myka, still cloaked, making her way carefully just behind her…
Nervously periodically checking herself for any signs…Detachment, egomania…Starting to laugh at things not really very funny.
I.e., turning into my honey…She thought, wryly.
Hmmn…
No, not a bad sign. Come on.
Though now I wonder if obsessing over whether one is going nuts is…
Jeekers, pull yourself together, Bering…She fumed at herself.
Hmmn…She bumped into Amanda who'd paused at a shelf.
"Are we here?" she hissed.
"It's there." Amanda pointed at the seeming solid shelf against the wall.
"There?" Myka blinked. "But that's…Whoa…" As Amanda stepped into the shelf and disappeared.
Ok…She stared. "Amanda…? Amanda, can you hear me?" she tried to maintain a low voice.
"Yes, Ms. Bering." The voice sounding as if only a few feet away.
Fine, great…Another bit of Warehouse amusement…The fun never stops at Funhouse 13.
She stepped into the shelf…
….
"Lets see…" Claudia pondered as she and Nick cautiously moved down an aisle…
Hmmn…The original silly putty, she looked briefly at the artifact. Guaranteed to make a perfect impression of any object.
Nice for famed art forger Elmyr de Hory, not so useful for moving doppelgangers interdimensionally…
"The thing's in pieces, pulled together from other artifacts, presumably used for purposes related to the transfer, but maybe not obviously so, though to a trained eye, like yours truly..." smile.
Sheepish look to Nick's stare…
"It was meant to be a joke, son…" shrug. "Ok. It's got some kinda blue light when assembled, which Kmart shoppers has to come from one piece."
"Kmart?" Nick stared. "Is that like WMart?"
"Almost certainly…" Claudia sighed.
Kid…You're with the doppelganger of the girl of your dreams…You laugh when she makes wid the little joke.
Well, at least it's not likely he's part of some twisted love club with my other self, Paracelsus, and…
No, even she backed from using a nice boy…Wan smile…
Well, I can hope she did…Rather than just finding him a little too…
But in any case, I know whatever she was doing to make Paracelsus evil believe she was on his team, it was "and…" she was after…
And that "and…" named Artie she will never have…Long as I have anything to say about it.
Pausing at Nick's sudden, slight hand wave…
On us already? Gotta give this Pete some credit for raising capable bloodhounds…
"I heard…" Nick began, whispering…
"Hands up…" from behind. Claudia whirling…
Giggle…
"Ms Bering said to giggle when I found you." Amanda explained, flatly. Standing facing them with slightly blank expression. "She wants you, now." Giggle, smile, immediate resumption of blank look… "She told me to giggle again after saying that."
Cloak's already having its effect I see…Claudia frowned.
…
