[06.22 Bargained well and done]
[That night we spend ashore]
"Designer Weryl" Courtney Whitmore told her boyfriend as she raised her right foot a little "Aren't they cute?"
"Ehh….yes?"
Courtney smiled, enjoying the almost question in the reply as she leaned in and gave him kiss "Good boy"
He flushed a little, being out in public, but he did as she wanted and brought his arm around her waist as they walked through the mall. She gave a contented hum, almost to herself, as they had time together, on their own, on a romantic date, and back home…for Courtney anyway. Weryl would likely never be home, and Courtney was increasingly starting to like the idea of 'home' being with him…and…Chao and Gloria. Embarrassing and weird as that may be since Courtney totally wasn't into girls. Nope. Not at all. Sharing Weryl was super weird, but Courtney actually liked her odd little family.
Despite what Dad thought. Weird was okay. Superheroes were weird anyway she'd discovered! Like, totally, totally, weird in the greater number of dimensions!
"I still do not understand dearest Courtney" he huffed back "This fellow did not make these shoes for you, and…"
"Oh, it's just the name and the showing off rights, and it makes me look gorgeous!"
"Many things make you look so; you are truly beautiful after all and it is the beauty that shines through, not some fripperies turning you so"
Courtney smiled. This was nice. This was good. And she was sooooo going to have her way with him later without Chao or Gloria playing at competition and/or embarrassing cheerleaders in the background "Ya'think?"
He was earnest and serious sometimes, nodding "I know"
Then looked around "Your home is very vivid and colourful"
"It's the Holidays…" which meant very little to Weryl beyond 'Winter Festival of Some Sort Over Baby Version of the Crucified Man', but the lights were wonderful, and it was a perfect time for shore leave, even if they'd miss most of it. 'Home Base' as the crew called, was suffering too much to have a proper Christmas, and Courtney was just glad to be able to show Weryl something approaching a proper one – one that wasn't the crew's drunk antics at the muddled-up Christmas/Midwinter/Alien-stuff party they'd soon have "…decorations are awesome. See? Lights, good food, a movie. Fun, and not always filled with crazy people fighting in costumes"
It was actually super weird how little 'home' had changed actually, like, people deliberately ignoring how things had changed it seemed to Courtney. Like, they totally should be more talk about the fact there were a super big multiverse out there, and other worlds with no Justice League, or that, terrible, terrible, place where the Villains had taken over. Lois Lane and a few other journalists had even done a big interview thing before Courtney had gone off to the dimension of space pirates and evil AT wizard cosplayers who were totally the Illuminati in Space. But…nope, it was just something on the talk shows, and occasionally brought up by idiots like LEX FUCKING LUTHOR.
Because LEX FUCKING LUTHOR had learned not to try supervillain bullshit with ANY of the heroines of the Justice League ever since Courtney, Barbara and Kara had brought back THAT FUCKING GAME and showed it their colleagues. Now he'd NEVER be able to set up a mind-control mega-brothel, EVER, on their watch, and it seemed every superheroine, and nearly every super-villainous now word had spread, beating up on him when he stepped out of line and helped make Luthor try stay legit for now. Or at least ensure he wasn't caught with anything that might get him killed off by Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, or a host of unhappy others…
Courtney put such thoughts away as she leaned in against her boyfriend, looking forward to movie, and then a nice romantic night. Even with all the hidden 'spies' following them about in disguise…
--
{Some shore leave involves work}
Lucy Chen laughed at a bad joke as she and her three old friends reunited for a short while. James was always a jokester, albeit a bad one as usual, but it was good to see everyone once again. Home had never really been home for Lucy, not with a lifetime of moving due to the nature of being a 'shrink to the heroes' as some had called it. But these times back from what had become her….strange career path were a bundle of joy, and this time she had all the stories to tell, even when she could only tell the non-secret ones. She could not say her life had become dull after all!
"And did I hear you say, ordering the groceries is part of your job now?" Lena asked teasingly as they sat around the high-priced penthouse suite she had been put in for the few days here "Not very impress for our girl of many, many, qualifications! They have turned our Lucy into a domestic haven't they!"
"I actually quite like cooking from time to time I'll have you know Lena" she replied mock primly to the other woman she'd trained with "And it is good therapy for some of my patients"
James smiled "Ah, therapist amongst the stars"
"And some cases you'd never see beyond, which is why I needed an assistant and secretary" Lucy answered, shaking her head sadly, then smirked, reaching down and pulling a bag, and then a series of carefully stored glass bottles from within "It also gives certain perks and privileges! Such as a brandy brewed by lizardpeople, and by actually dark elves"
"Oh, the Elves of Darkness" the till now silent Alwin said with a grin "Associating with the forces of kinky evil now are we Lucy, hmmm? I know my Mazes and Monsters!"
"Hush you, Breylna is a lovely girl, a little introverted and unable to express herself outside study at times, but well adjusted and her people do not ride spiders while dressed like they've escaped from a Hot Bunny magazine!" Lucy reprimanded kindly laying out the selection of drinks "And, AS I WAS SAYING, I do enjoy cooking, as well as learning how to tend a bar!"
"They made the ship's psychiatrist the bar tender?"
"Well, no James…maybe, sort of? Sharing duties is what we do, and it is good to regulate and talk to some of the crew in more relaxed and informal environments" and control their drinking Lucy didn't say as she uncorked the Argonian Brandy "Different cultures….you've all seen the draft?"
"Oh, it's all the rage dear" Lena agreed sniffing at the drink as Lucy filled her a glass "Tis the talk of the town when your ship is back. Your fame puts us all in the shade! Why, your admirers had to be beaten away from the hotel with a stick I imagine!"
Lucy made a face as James chuckled at his wife's comment, patting Lucy's arm in commiseration "It isn't that bad my dear, but with the multiverse as concerning as it has been, and the fate of the world, and particularly the Justice Alliance upon it…well, every bit of good news is broadcast loud and long"
"I've noticed" Lucy admitted with a sigh "It is a different reaction to our mirror earth actually, something of a case study in the making I suppose"
"Hmm, ah, but that Justice Group, or League, whatever, did not have a dark mirror rubbed in their face, nor the horror stories…nor the secret identities of dozens of heroes revealed" Lena murmured carefully sipping the brandy, making a confused…then pleased look "Or the cost of helping our mirror earth restore itself from decades of unbelievable horrors. Trade with those strange, hero-less earths has been a help…and perhaps a sense of shared belief that the multiverse can band together"
Lucy frowned "They weren't very interested in joining this League of Worlds before I left, has there been much of change?"
"No, not that is clear" Alwin offered sipping the brandy as well "But it wasn't a direct rejection Lucy, rather…the world is consumed with hunting down the remainder of this….Fraternity and helping rebuild our mirror world. None want to commit right now, not when so many shames are being brought into the light"
Lucy nodded slowly at that. It was a disturbing read all that was coming through from what had been the alternate Justice Alliance Earth of the likes of her patients, Debbie, S'tella, and Burt, and all but confirming they were but the tip of the horror iceberg as she'd expected. The months away had seen a further release of information held back during her months travel that hadn't been during her year back when the investigations were still going on. Then waved that away. They spoke of that too much already on the ship…
'And I have but a few days left, so relax' she told herself, smiling and raising her glass to start the tasting "Now, let us banish such dark thoughts and speak of the Christmas season and all the things I have missed in my wild voyages…"
--
[06.23 Bargained well and done]
[Departure into the Bleed]
"It's a fancy IFF then?"
I shrugged helplessly in response to my Chief Engineer's response to the addition Fortune's Chance "Well, if you want to put it that way…essentially, yes. It's a beacon system as the manual he provided indicates, along with a few minor improvements to our sensor capability in the Bleed. It's the us not getting blown up by the thing we're to investigate part of the equation that's my point of interest on it"
Anna frowned at me "I hate when you make changes to my engine room without me being there"
"That is the point of shore, and I did warn The Monitor would doing some adjustments to ensure we can move, mostly, unmolested through the part of the Bleed we're heading too" I reminded her as she scrolled through the data-pad. It'd count as property technology in a vague way, but, like a lot of the stuff on the Fortune's Chance, the entire system was the result of ad-hoc work and general evolution as we tinkered with magic, science, and psionics to create the internal controls and data-structures "That and we get a baker's dozen of Monitor sensor drones…so wasn't saying no to it"
"Fine" she muttered, shaking her head "This is what I get for having a vacation"
"This is what you get for a having a crazy life like the rest of us" I replied with a snort of amusement, though I was serious with the drones. Monitor Drones were worth thousands of our own fabricated ones, or even a great many of the 'older' Earth and Androsynth designs from the destroyed Androsynth. Full on Androsynth Hyper-dimensional sensors drones (whose designs we didn't have anyway) might have a low-level chance of similar information…but without any of the memetic defences you'd need at that level. It was clearly what had gotten the Androsynth to 'disappear' after all – the perils of knowing too much. Thirteen Monitor Drones to add to our existing stocks of drones was worth the trip by itself in some ways.
"Hmm, or I'll just blame you captain for bringing the crazy" she muttered, then nodded "Understood, I'll familiarise myself with the details….I just like the Monitor's instruction manuals to be less voluminous"
"Tell me about it" I agreed, glancing around and seeing my time had ended here "Let me know if you need anything Chief"
Anna Sanchez nodded back to me idly, turning away as she skimmed through the 'notes' provided, and I moved off to where a green skinned lady waited for me. M'gann still seemed to wear her 'hero uniform' when she was off duty, though that wasn't uncommon with a few of the others, like Stargirl and White Sorceress, or Barbara from time to time. It was just in the nature of them to cling to it, though it did worry me a bit with M'gann well over a year on now. But that wasn't for now, so I smiled, arm going around her cloaked shoulders as came over, walking rather than trying to hover.
"And, yes, I know, running late" I admitted as she gave me a psionic poke in annoyance "But we are getting ready to leave and final checks take time, and I warned about that"
"You are always busy" she pouted back to me, though it was more a feel of concern than annoyance as I allowed her psionically link past my outermost mental defences "It is not good to be always working"
"Only for now, my schedule eases off once we leave port ironically enough" I admitted "What with Kara, Babs, Burt and everyone back and it's not just me and Quinn running things"
Which really meant Quinn handling the engineering till now, and me dealing with various 'stakeholders' in our merry little expedition, along with business plans in our absence. My holiday would come when we finally got back from all this, and that would be a decently long period of rest and relation if I could manage it…and likely not on the fully inhabited earths. There we were rich and famous, and only on places like Empty Earth, despite it filling up fast, was it possible to have a nice, pleasant, and private, holiday. Someone had to organise things during the brief shore leave window, and I was fine with that being me…and kept M'gann company too as she wasn't comfortable with Kara's Earth either. It wasn't home in the end, not to me, and not to her…
--
{The Sorceress of Skartaris….or the work-your-way-to-freedom maid}
The ship was moving again, leaving port…though Jennifer Morgan could only tell that by the faint ping alert followed by announcement of that fact over the ship's decks. For her that was a minor fact as nothing much had changed, save that Supergirl, Mistress Kara, had returned, which had meant the easier schedule of the past fortnight was now over. Or would be soon anyway as Jennifer went about making sure the room of her wardens, owners in her mind, was absolutely spotless for their return later. That, the ensuite, and her own small room adjacent to their main bedroom were immaculate…well, not her own, not entirely, as Master Callum had allowed her to decorate it as she wished. Within reason at least as Mistress Kara was less tolerant of the way Jennifer 'organised' her room.
With a tired breath Jennifer finished up the last of her work, muscles aching after several hours earlier running and generally following the set exercise schedule in the restored gym. The worst part was Jennifer actually enjoyed the exercise, and the results of it and her less than exciting, but healthy, diet as she had never felt better in herself and her looks. It was just a shame no-one got to enjoy the sight of her showing it off. Instead of being a trophy, proudly displayed for the achievement of defeating a powerful, and beautiful, sorceress as was the ways of Skartaris...she was cleaning drains, reading ethics books, and being sent to her room like a misbehaving child.
The past fortnight had gotten some of the minor benefits of Mistress Kara not being around, and Master Callum allowing her some extended leisure time, and even access to arcane theory books. Nothing actually magical, but Jennifer would have gotten down and kissed his shoes in thanks after the lack of access to such things during her time serving her sentence. While things had improved a great deal from the hellish boredom and drudgery of her first months aboard, any actual chance to work magic was dependent on active monitors…and Lady Zatanna had departed, and Master Callum was often too busy. And considering the distaste the 'College Mages' showed to her as an 'Oathbreaker' and 'Backstabber' due to her story she didn't have many options.
'Stop that' she reminded herself with a tired huff of annoyance as she looked at herself in the large mirror in her wardens room 'Things are better now remember. She's back, but he'll have more free time. Maybe even some magic training'
…and it was true things were better. Getting turned into a live-in maid had been her idea, also in part because her 'prison cell' had gotten turned into storage during a recent voyage to some space pirate dimension, along with being able to amend her clothing. Lady Zatanna and Mistress Kara had dressed her like a damned nun outside of exercising, and it taken begging, literal begging to them to allow her into the current sets of clothes available to her. Attempting to seduce Mistress Kara's lover was a no-no of course, and a chastity belt had been the result…which had been a mistake, but just one of the lesser ones in Jennifer's life. But Jennifer at least got to feel like an attractive woman once more, even if it was only within the holds of the ship – hells, there were a handful of Red Orcs present aboard the ship had helped her feel a bit better with their looks.
"…and that's what she was complaining about…"
"Really? We need treat M'gann more to…"
Voices drifted to her ears as the doors opened, the arcane locks clicking silently in reality, but a soft chime in her Jennifer's mind that she couldn't use herself currently. Oh how she missed that magic, but right now she forced herself not to think about it, as usual, and moved to her knees and tried to look demure and submissive as a concubine of to her father, The Warlord, or to a Red Orc Warchief, would have "Welcome back Mistress"
"Jennifer" was the greeting from the Kyrptonian, friendly sounding, looking around "Oh, good job looks like…"
…and then promptly returned to talking to Master Callum about the green skinned alien girl, along with details about the trip ahead of them. Jennifer could leave…but instead she moved a little distance back, staying kneeling and listening in on the conversation. It was, simply put, interesting…certainly moreso than returning to her room and reading, and it appeared they were travelling for many months again, off into the Bleed. A space-time area she understood at least, now anyway, from her studies as being part of the void between dimensions of her local multiverse cluster.
Unfortunately talk wasn't much on the duos mind it seemed as they moved far too swiftly to kisses and intimacy, and a word to her to leave as clothing fell off. Jennifer did as instructed, albeit a bit slowly and eyes flickering at them as she retreated out into her small adjacent room, leaving the door slightly ajar. Regret burned within at times, like now, when she thought of what she could have done…should have done…
That could have been her there. Could have been her life. But she'd ruined it all by not thinking. All she could do now was her best…and take what amusements and such she could while learning and earning her freedom again. As something more than a hostage-prisoner Jennifer would like to travel amongst the stars…
--
[06.24 Bargained well and done]
[Sailing in still seeming, but deep, waters]
--
[Trader's Journal: Day 2172]
[Current Dimension]
DCverse, The Bleed, so many dimensions and none all at once
[Current Location]
The Bleed. I know, like saying 'The Atlantic' or 'The Pacific', but that's where we are.
[Trading Report]
N/A
[Diary Entry]
We've departed Freeport-in-the-Bleed, and I'll say it's slowly starting to evolve into an actual freeport of sorts, with trade areas and everything starting to look clean and refurbished. Most importantly the Defence Grids have been restored to full functionality, and there's a mixed-dimensional garrison in place to protect the city that wasn't there before. It's a customs area, and that's good. Most importantly it allows us resupply and reequip outside of Toulon, and long-term access to technology beyond our own. All in exchange for happy fun-time journeys like we're on now.
So, off we go into the Bleed, along the 'waves' laid out by long dead Monitors, or maybe we could call them deep roads in the Bleed. After all the 'Bleed' was, designed, for lack of better word, to be move differently in time and space, and generally be a Warp or Dimensional Construct hostile at times, but non-hostile at others, as multiversal defence mechanism. Also, a way to travel, which is what we're doing, through the ruins of an empire whose AI constructs and weapons still lurk out there in the Bleed, along with ways that move faster or slower situation dependent. We are moving on a 'fast lane' that was likely used by the Monitors when they went from being The Monitor to their species level….it's still confusing to me even, but spacetime getting bent into a pretzel and we benefit. Fine by me.
Still, sailing the Bleed is a combination of very boring and needing constant vigilance. Like sailing the calm seas, but always knowing there could be a storm on the horizon, or a kraken lurking in the depths 'beneath' our hull. Except in multiple dimensions rather than just 'under the water'. Because, yeah, there's monsters in them there waters. Thankfully as a Hunter-Killer class we are both stealthy and armed to handles certain levels of that wild-life, which includes dimensional travellers from\between DCverses, along with the sensors to see such threats. And a beacon so that Monitor defences don't shoot at us. That's very important.
Anyway, crew's back aboard, everyone's screen and healthy, and we've full supplies in case timey-wimey bullshit makes our fast boat trip a slow boat trip. In the meantime, study continues on the Battletech copy memory cores and on the Spider mech (and neuro-helmets), so there is plenty to do. For me it's more time to study once again, and work on my main project, though it's mostly been training Azula and trying to help M'gann with her sorcery. Orc love of fire and a martian girl with psionic powers, from a race that feared fire, has a strong result, but that's to be thought so she doesn't turn into a pyromanic while learning from Azula and her fire-love.
Fun-times. Best get back to it and my waterbending, slán.
--
[Trader's Journal: Day 2179]
[Current Dimension]
The Void between DCs, The Bleed
[Current Location]
In the Bleed, sailing the unreal seas
[Trading Report]
N/A
[Diary Entry]
Oh, regular, less exhausting work shifts, I love thee!
It's been a week, though that's only tellable due to our work shifts and the internal clocks of the Chance as the Bleed doesn't really change. Or, to be much more accurate, the Bleed doesn't change on any day/night cycle, or regular time cycle – it's a dimensional abyss, a weapon against unwanted travellers, and a host of other annoying things. We've spotted some of the 'wildlife' yesterday, at a distance, out in the 'slow road' so to speak. Moving like a slow-motion movie, or moving through molasses or whatever – freaky out, and I don't want to see such things up close if it can be avoided.
That was a moment of excitement for the bridge crew, but me and Kara were happily asleep at the time, and it wasn't enough to wake us. Just a freaky horror out in the abyssal seas of the Bleed. Yeah, that crimson and weird not-colour background just adds to the sunshine of this place. Oh, and the distant 'reefs' of dimensional wreckage that were probably once dimensions, though they are still a distance away on the 'maps' we have to navigate by. Potential salvage is what I imagine the Monitor thinks we'll be doing, but that's a debate for much further down stream and we know what potential threats lie ahead. Dead DC universes are still dangerous universes as whatever the feck that thing over Metropolis on that Dead World we came across about two-three years ago.
Also, we're having a Christmas party in a few days, because, yeah, it's good to relax, even it's a mixed-up mid-winter party due to cultural differences between everyone. Good for morale, even if it's a bit of work ensuring we are still safe and alert despite a chunk of us getting drunk, followed by the other half. Yeah, can't all get drunk at the same time after all, so; – drink and party time schedule to be discussed and drawn up in the next few days!
--
[Trader's Journal: Day 2187]
[Current Dimension]
The Bleed that fun place
[Current Location]
Sailin' da Bleed
[Trading Report]
N/A
[Diary Entry]
Well, while I may be a bit hungover, I am fine thanks to alchemical helpfulness. Yes, I am prepared, especially when I planned on drinking heavily, with a good long sleep afterwards. A wizard must always be prepared, especially when he gets drunk, and dealing with drunk others. Especially M'gann, who can't hold her liquor and has limited to no sense of body shame when she's drunk, along with a few others, drunken goblins. Though, I think I'm misstating there as M'gann can hold her drink, but she drank quite a lot and overindulged the half-orc constitution with Argonian bloodwine and various derived cocktails. I can't criticise, as I apparently did a lot of singing.
Also, Nuka-Cola Quantum mixed with rum is sugar flavoured sugar poison. I'm much more favourable to the Skyrim drinks like M'gann is, which is possibly orc tastes bleeding over? Dunno, it was a nice, if silly, party and it helped destress us all, even if most were reasonably destressed after shore leave. Those of us who didn't get shore leave got prioritised for no work after it at least. Hence why I'm writing this while having a late breakfast as my apprentice snores away in the corner. Apparently, she can hold her liquor, unlike some, but is actually unable to handle the day after.
Anywho, we're sailing, and we've passed one of the freakishly terrifying markers. One of the Destroyer Shiftships, serving as anchor to a 'border' of the 'inner cordon' around the 'Sacred 52' or whatever he wants to call it. I call it a terrifying hell machine, a floating deathstar in the void that exists to 'sterilise' corrupted dimensions and kill Outsider beings like Demon Gods and other horror Pantheons, as well as the likes of Spark Planeswalker from the Cult of the Planeswalker or dimensional invaders. And the things are largely on autopilot now, along with the attendant fleets of automated ships around it. No nightmarish dimensional horrors in these 'safe' waters let me tell you.
So, we transmitted updates, relayed status, and are sailing ever onwards to investigate the distant alert from the 'border fort' that many species and dimensions would run screaming from. Just in case it's gearing up to dimension nuke some universe, or is malfunctioning, or a host of other things I'd rather not dwell on as a mere mortal. Right now it's a marker on the 'road' we're sailing on – and, yeah, mixing metaphors, but the Bleed is an unreal place, both impossibly ancient as well as only recently created. Therefore we had our party, took people's mind off the death star from the depths of the hells, and are now travelling past it and into the 'wilder' parts of local multiverse. Or maybe fringe?
Not the border yet, but the older parts maybe?
It's all very confusing. Anyway, goodbye for now.
--
[06.25 Bargained well and done]
[In the shadow of titans…mindless, terrible, titans]
"That's terrifying up close" I muttered, in part to myself as I sat on the bridge of the Fortune's Chance as the spelljammer plied the stormy seas of the Bleed. Or at least that was how it looked to our eyes from the flickering lightning and passing clouds in the Bleed-Void that were generated by the titanic monstrosity serving as what I'd blithely called a 'border fort'. It was that of course, in a way, but to our vision it was beyond planet-sized thing in the Bleed, stretching into multiple dimensions, and here in the Bleed attended by a small fleet of automated vessels that outmatched ours. Hilariously so in that we were an ant sailing a leaf around the not-gravity field of the Destroyer as it bent space-time-dimensions by its very existence.
Around it…a 'storm', or 'shoal' formed from the shattered debris and energies of shattered and destroyed dimensions, not-lightning flashing between the Destroyer and the debris, and between debris of one place and debris of another. Not-storms of such energies roiled around the enormous structure, flashing in darkness, then into light, as the Fortune's Chance followed the pathways laid out by that monstrous device. It was worse knowing the thing wasn't truly sapient, but a pseudo-entity, a weapon created for a purpose now technically defunct, but very much still in effect. Even the fact it was casually breaking space and time here in the Bleed was giving me a headache just thinking on it…
"Very much yes" Quinn agreed "We are transmitting those codes from that beacon, right?"
"Yeah" I stated still looking at the screen "Oh yeah, the micro-second we got into range"
We weren't even 'near' the damned thing, and yet it loomed over us in a way the last one hadn't…because we'd stayed far out from it, unlike this structure. Now we were sailing into its wake, following a route set by the fortresses systems as our hunter-killer design with it's provided beacon sent updates to the doom-machine, and getting a 'safe' route to sail through. More data on the region we were 'sailing' through, much of it frozen in amber from our position relative to them in space-time, along with the important 'security' of the in-Bleed defence systems.
Sighed tiredly and looked to Barbara "How are we looking on transit time?"
"It's still transmitting data, but it looks to be about another week and a few days by our internal time to traverse around that….star system" she replied, all of us dressed in out SLDF naval uniform to give a sort of professionalism, and perhaps just a neutral ground between all our cultures "We're getting a route transmitted to us…under some protocol when dealing with the likes of us"
"Likes of us?"
She shrugged back to my question "Non-Monitor, Non-automated, but crewed ship"
"Good contingency by them" Quinn agreed "Especially with them supposed to have been…you know…kind of…"
"Stuck up?"
My words came out the same time as Babs "Arrogant?"
"Yeah, that" Quinn agreed, and I shrugged, helping to take -my mind off the unnatural fortress structure across multiple levels of reality we were sailing around.
"Good contingency planning, and arrogant or not they were, and the last one is, super-humanly smart and powerful as well" I agreed, sort of, as we sailed on, and I started to look through the data on the notepad in my hand "I'm not seeing any data on the thing we're investigating?"
Quinn hummed in thought, tapping at his "I think it does, it's just not very useful to us. Level Oa-Nil-Blue alert, which means…."
"Sweet feck all to us, yeah" I finished for him "Beyond it's a low-level dimensional incursion into a valuable dimension…or a 'minor' dimensional destruction on the fringes of the local multiverse cluster. That's…really helpful"
"Superhero multiverse" Babs offered with a teasing tone and a wink "Aren't they terrible sometimes?"
"Yes, yes they are actually" I muttered back, rolling my eyes as Quinn gave a smile "But, right, let's see what more data that thing sends us and see can we get more information on what awaits"
--
{Several days later…}
Travelling the Bleed tended to be…empty, but dangerous at occasional intervals due to the things that lurked within it at different 'levels'. But now, travelling through…
"Slow us to half-speed" I instructed as I came in for my shift and gazed out into the 'landscape' before me on the screens, where dimensional 'eddies' and debris mixed freely, and where the Bleed was usually an errie crimson mixed with not-colour, it was now strewn with…
Stuff? Junk? Debris?
It was hard to describe really, and what was worse there were…things…out there, alive and moving amidst that 'landscape' just like we were. Our 'fast boat route' had come to an end…
But not really as I moved to take the wheel for one of the rarer occasions, using my magic to integrate with the arcane systems to allow us to be more manoeuvrable, and stealthy, alone the route we were being directed. Off far in the distant storms was the 'lighthouse' of that titanic monster hell-machine, guiding us in and giving us a route back that wouldn't take years or decades. That was the concern with such things, as the warping of space-time made travel here very dangerous and very slow if you were deemed hostile, or merely deemed non-allied to the local dimensional cluster.
Yet there were hundreds…thousands of living dimensions out there, along with pings and alerts that indicated some level of dimensional travel or activity. Dead dimensions too, and we were getting…debris…drifting by now as we sailed rather than off in the 'distance', or frozen in space-time. Carefully I began to turn the wheel as directed by Rose and Jonathan as they called out readings from the ship's sensors, the beacon calling out to a point on the 'horizon' for us. With the nimble manoeuvrability that its class was meant for, along with destruction of things in the void and super-powered humanoids, the Fortune's Chance turned and moved around a chunk of what once been a planet, or maybe a war-machine.
The other members of the shift were coming in now, a bit early, but the extra workload was there as we neared a point, we couldn't risk sailing too easily through. What was also concerning was the pinging-tone of alert, of keening, that came to Chance from…nearby, elsewhere. Like a soft electronic wail or whisper. Other alerts were popping up now, not warnings per se…but points of concern perhaps, on energy fluctuations and a hosting things even I, with some planeswalking experience, struggled to follow. What I did grasp was…
"Monitor Shiftship" I reported without looking away from the screens, or from my arcane grasp of the systems, where I *was* the power and guidance of my spelljammer "See can you identify the signal, clear it up, but that's a Shiftship alert…I can feel it from the Chance…"
"Is it the source of the alerts…or what we're here for?"
I…listened to the whispers, to the noise, through my defences as Kara asked words in humanoid-talk. Then shook my humanoid head part as I looked around the void, feeling the flow of the Bleed "No. It's…extra, in system already…I'm not sure…we're near though, that's what separate systems are saying, right?"
She nodded to my semi-awake humanoid form "From the beacon's instructions and pinging, yeah"
"I'm going to bring us through a breach point" I replied after a moment, after Rose and Jonathan confirmed various non-arcane readings, along with data from Quinn's team down in the depths of engineering "Just…"
Shook my head "I don't know. There are a few things happening here…and see if there's data on and from that signal. But screen it thoroughly"
"Focus on your sailing Callum" she instructed "And we'll handle the other tasks"
…and I did that, the crew working as a team as the Chance began to 'navigate' the 'shallows' coming into the…dead?...dimension before us. Something out of place…
Something terrible had happened here…
'Yes, but that's a default for many of these planes' I reminded myself as the Monitor systems made breaching into the dimension ridiculously easy. Not only that…but there were great rents and tears in this plane, my spelljammer 'senses' feeling them, and the ebbs and flows of active planeswalking and magic that wasn't entirely familiar to this multiverse…
Maybe. It was hard to tell as I directed us through a 'large' gash…
The not-colour and dreadful 'feel' of the Bleed vanished.
…and into a Sol system, somewhere near Luna…
"Stealth active" I confirmed as we emerged "Emergence complete…I…is that the signal?"
Rose at sensors nodded, the images coming up on the screens and holo-displays as the old Monitor systems pinged off alerts and what might be a 'mayday' request "Confirmed Carrier-class Shiftship in dimension…in-system wow…sorry, systems are saying that there's a damaged Shiftship in the system we just came into. Also….unknown energy fluctuations?"
I nodded as the Fortune's Chance's 'mimic' drives adjusted us to realspace space travel as we looked over what was a dead earth, and likely dead dimension. But not quite dead either…
We weren't alone here it seemed to me. A feeling perhaps, but something other than this alert had drawn us here...
--
[06.26 Bargained well and done]
[The Dead speak…even when you don't want to listen]
There was lots of debris in orbit, and below lay earth…
Or, well, an earth…a sphere showing cracks in my arcane senses, as storms swirled across its surface both visible to my eyes and my other senses. It was a mess of readings on our sensors, and not all of it was 'Local' but clearly 'Outside' or 'Aberrant' in nature, with the biosphere looking to be, mostly, intact despite some rather concerning differences to 'normal'. For one the giant black cloud and haze over the ruins of a good chunk of northern Europe and the islands of Ireland and Great Britain, along with the ice frozen all the way south over the North Sea.
Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for 'hiding', that area was where our mysterious Carrier was lurking and that was our first stop before sending drones out. Investigating in this…chaos…wasn't looking pleasant off the bat, with arcane magics swirling across the globe and reality distortions surging here and there. Whatever had occurred here had been a relatively 'short' time ago, but other big problems had clearly been occurring before whatever had been the end point. Now all those fixes to problems were falling apart…and I could 'see' that other energies were here…
'Dimensional bleed? Incursion maybe?' I wondered as the Chance descended into atmosphere, down towards the swirling morass over southern England and the coast of France and Belgium. Japan…or the Japan and Korea of this Earth…was *wrong* for lack of better word – the dimensional energies weren't *correct* according to the sensors. And the magic there, a raging storm to my senses that blanketed out all other senses, wasn't *normal* for the local multiverse…unfortunately it blocked out both sensors and my own magic by its sheer activity. Even if the islands 'looked' normal to our eyes, they clearly weren't, and I wasn't liking how hard it was to 'see' anything with sensors.
"What…what do you think happened here?" Jonathan asked from the sensor station beside Rose as I kept my hands on the wheel "All this….debris?"
"Planetwide? No idea" I answered to fill the silence as we slowly moved through the darkness, the surging winds and lashing Bleed energies "Here? I think we're looking at a Shiftship impact, or at least when a really big one crashes. Like a Carrier-class, the one whose signal we're checking"
"The storm though?"
"Not sure" I replied again not looking away from my arcane sight 'outside' the ship "I'd hazard a guess it's either a breach into the Bleed causing it, or the vessel is still active, and this is a defensive mechanism. Quinn, ideas?"
"Can't say, probably a little of both" Quinn's voice came over the comms as his team work on the 'problem' along with figuring out the data from sensors that we could pull "It is very difficult to see anything with the sensors, but the energy distortions….the Chance is not happy with them Callum"
"Yeah, tell me about it" I replied as I turned the wheel of the spelljammer, a part of the ship as we descended towards what might have been the location of London "There's a massive amount of spillover"
Kara looked to me "Spillover?"
"Outside energies and material maybe? It's…like this place is hold itself together by adding bits…or it's been getting bits added from other dimensions. Honestly, it's really hard to describe. But there's others or something else here, where exactly I don't know, but this place…yeah, we had to investigate something and that something is definitely here"
Barbara gave a snort of amusement "Very useful Captain, there is something or someones, somewhere, maybe, out there"
I gave my own smile at that, needing the moment of tension to ease as we descended very carefully over the ruins of…yeah, definitely London, or a similar sized and located metropolis "I aim to please. Now, eyes on the sensors people we are approaching an impact site I think"
"Shouldn't there be more destruction?" the redhead asked back as we studied the ruined city, but she was right in that there should be…so much more destruction considering the massive storm and 'ash/debris' cloud in the skies above the landmass from Sweden out into the Atlantic, and down towards France "If that….there, see?"
"Yeah, that's the ship but…" the paused as I 'felt' activity, the Fortune's Chance being pinged "Ah, well…okay, in regards the destruction I'm not sure, but I'm more certain of active defence being the case with the storm, Quinn, was that?"
"Yes, that ship just signalled used….confirming we are who we say we were I'd bet"
Kara let out a breath "So it's active then? Are we sure this wasn't what triggered the alert?"
"I think semi-active….partly alive maybe?" I wondered trying to 'listen' to the whispering and 'noise' around us in the winds "Quinn and his team can check to be sure, but it still looks like it's not, just…something else we have to look into. Bringing us in on approach vector. I know it's not showing up clearly visually, but I can see it arcanely and sensors show it clearly on secure systems. It's hiding itself"
'Which is not an ideal thing when one considers the implications' I noted to myself for the moment as our small Hunter-Killer descended to the crashed Carrier buried into the earth, looking for a docking berth using the Monitor systems…
--
{Some hours later…}
The halls were lit, or at least under what could be counted as light gloom Eric Rommel, leader of Ranger Squad had found, and that he did not like. On a dead world the power should be out, but the activity of the ship, the massive fifty-kilometre monster of a ship, was rarely a good thing. Not when they didn't turn the power on anyway…
"No activity so far, proceeding to point Gamma" Sarah, his forward scout reported, silently to anyone not on the comms of their stealth suits. Their rifles were up and ready as they moved silently through the massive structure after the ship had docked 'near' to where the command-and-control systems should be. 'Near' of course meaning near an hour or more of walking in the stealth suits under magical 'protections' due to the energy pulses in the air. Or 'distortions in reality' as the boss man called it…and Eric really fucking hated that 'Reality Distortions' had been added to his vocabulary as an actual thing in recent years…
"Surge incoming I'm afraid people" Ops reported, Miss Gordon directing them as the other teams waited to be deployed "Thirty seconds. Counting down, 28, 27…"
"Hold position, defensive formation Beta" he ordered, and the rest of the ship's rangers halted, adjust position to cover all angles in the large corridors of this place as another pulse of 'arcane energies' or something similar was travelling through the…well, through everything. Save them owing to the protections on their suits and clothing beneath it. Then the pulse of energy rolled over them…
"Contact! Contact ahead!" Sarah called out as suddenly the ship was much brighter to them, reality more….real?...as the dullness that seemed to cling to this place was momentarily gone and everything was almost new and gleaming. Eric's rifle moved while the others held position and their lines of fire as he followed Sarah's direction on the tac-net…and there was someone standing there. A teenager in t-shirt and shorts, as if just woken from bed, south-east Asian in looks and complexion, and generally giving them a sleepy, half-awake sort of look…
And then she was gone, the halls back to their earlier gloom. Eric sighed, weapon still ready as they took stock of the situation "Ops, you seeing….saw this?"
"We did, potentially we've got ghosts"
Eric sighed again "Great…do we proceed?"
"Proceed, load blessed or empowered ammunition in case we've got hostile entities"
Eric did a mental nod as he gestured with his free right hand to move forward, then reached to change his ammunition and grenade loadout from the packs and suit bandoleers "You heard the lady people, continue scouting and switch to B-specials"
Thankfully there wasn't any more 'ghosts' on the way, though there was another 'pulse' that illuminated shiny machinery again, before it all reverted back to the dull, dead, grey it had been in reality. Eric and his team moved carefully, but swiftly, stealth drones with them and covering their entrance point as they laid in comm-links into the Shiftship as laid out by the super-powered alien called The Monitor. Their tac-net was gradually displaying more and more information, but Eric was still very concerned about this whole 'ghost-thing', as well as the 'ship might be alive, sort-of' brought up in the briefing.
Other than that, it was dull, but exhausting, work due to constant alertness mixed with lots of nothing happening in very much identical looking large corridors. No signs of fighting. No indications of any last stands or violent destruction…if wasn't for the fact he'd sent the crashed position of the massive mountain of a ship dug into the ruins of London than Eric would believe this place was sitting comfortably in port. Even if it had none of the feeling of the Chance borne of their 'minor' changes, refurbishments, and repaintings over the years since he'd first signed on back in…
"Boss, we've got skeletons and dust…" Sarah informed them over the comms "…and this is the bridge according to schematics, or the entrance to it"
"Copy that, Three scan them, Five you're guard, the rest of you with me, we move on the bridge and install command links" Eric instructed as they moved silently and invisibly into the command area, almost like the ship was guiding them there. Maybe then they'd have answers for what the hell was going on, and then when they did, they could head home or travel somewhere less dead…
--
[06.27 Bargained well and done]
[A carrier and some scavengers in the same location…]
"So" I began as we, the senior officers of the ship, sat at a nice conference table in comfortable chairs that was nicely reminiscent of medieval or 'skyrim-ic' themes mixed together, with bits of 'modern' equipment, rather than the Star Trek feel that those like Jonathan and Rose wanted. They weren't officers though, so they didn't get to decide in the end. Right now, displays of the massive vessel the Fortune's Chance was docked with…inside being honest…illuminated the room, along with data before all of us present "What do we all think?"
Quinn spoke first, probably the most knowledgeable in regards the 'science' behind the massive ship "It's salvageable…tell the truth Callum, it's not that damaged in truth. The engines…"
He shook his head, motioning at the holo-display of the massive vessel "It's mini-universe, or quasi-universe, it's hard to describe, but it's got a disturbing about of power, and I think it's been slowly repairing itself since…whatever happened"
"Have we any idea what happened?" Anna Sanchez, my Chief Engineer, asked "With the planet and the universe as much as that behemoth of a ship. Also, the haunting, do have more on that?"
"Uhh, ghosts aren't really my area" Quinn replied with a shrug "But the ship itself was probably close to the epicentre of whatever did occur, and there are literally mountains of data inside its banks. We're very sure that there was a someone usually linked into the ship, physically, mentally, however you want to see it, but an almost cyborg linkage to navigate that data. The ship, ah, is…uh, sort of alive"
"So's the Chance to some degree" I admitted, a few of the others nodding after getting used to that fact since signing onboard "But, yes, there is, and it's a fair surprising presence for…well for a crashed ship that's giving off damaged code signals"
Quinn gave a shaking motion with his right hand "Eh, hmm, it's…uhh, not quite that. We're only speculating here, it's only been a few hours, but the surface reading is that the ship was damaged a long time ago and whoever was here was using it a lot…a whole lot actually. Like years, maybe decades, of heavy use of Bleed drives and small, short term Bleed tears as teleports"
"That's…not such a great idea, right?" Kara said to Quinn, and me, as he showed up a 'pillar' of supposed data…and that looked like a lot even as indicators of us "Least from what I've seen of how the Monitor Bleed drives and systems work"
"Yeah, from my studies too, but…it's long-term, and I think, and say think not know, that they were constantly moving to nearby dimensions like opening a window or door without any concern for that. It was just a big fancy teleporter probably…" Quinn muttered, then shook his head after trailing off a moment "I'm getting off my point as that wasn't the reason for whatever happened we're pretty sure. But whatever happened it was near the ship and literally blew up this universe. Big Bang style. But the dimension also mostly held together, and then fused with a host of other debris…maybe, but whatever happened the ship crashed, hard, and soon after active emergency protocols from deep, deep, deep, within it's core programming when some threatening turned up"
I frowned "But the dimension blowing up…wasn't that threat?"
"It might, but I don't think it was" he replied hand motioning at a holo-display as he brought up a series of graphs and images that looked like a timeline "See here, I think that's the end of the world, there's the crash, then there's activation of emergency protocols, and it's lucky thing as so much of the ship's directives were overlaid and had someone else trying to fill in the gaps. So, yeah, it probably wasn't since the shiftship survived that largely intact"
"Well that's….concerning" Nathan offered as Chief of Security "Nothing on the ghosts?"
Quinn didn't roll his eyes at least. Working on those human interactions it seemed as he sighed "I said I don't know, Kara, Callum?"
Kara waved it off to me, and I nodded but made a similar 'I don't know for sure' motion with my hand as Quinn had done before "Guessing here, but we're getting reality distortions and power surges from the Bleed breach right under the carrier as well…and space-time is breaking down…"
I sighed, raising my hands helplessly "Either restless dead or we're getting past events replaying as the dimension comes apart. According to the systems we're in late-early to mid-level total dimensional collapse here. Thinks aren't going to make sense at times, and it's made worse by all the magic in the air!"
Now it was my turn to throw out the unwelcome information "Because there is a lot of arcane energies in the dimension right now, and I've spoken to the other magic users onboard, and they feel similar. Sensors already got some idea of weirdness, but we can't really…" sweet feck all to be honest "…see much because of the distortions and energies out there"
Kara nodded "We're blind"
"Almost" I supplied "And I don't think we should be very obvious in looking about till we've an idea what caused the bigger ship than ours to try hiding"
"It's less well armed that the Chance" Quinn stated blandly, shrugged "Much, much, less well armed Callum, as it's got good shields and armour is, you know, ridiculous bio-metal, but weapons…we outgun it"
Anna gave a nod "Not surprising, ours was a frigate or pirate hunter, or, hells, dimensional monster killer, originally if you consider the designs, converted into an assault ship…that big monster was a glorified grain ship or maybe, if you blink hard, an aircraft carrier of ships like ours. But I think it was simply a supply ship that someone converted at some point"
I let out a breath "Well, that's a positive I suppose…" tapped the display, bringing up a globe, showing the various rents and tears we could identify. Mostly because they were really big things "…and looking at the gashes here and here…this whole part of Asian is foreign to this dimension, and there's big, big, breaches here, here, and here all over the Americas"
"And in the Urals, and Siberia, Africa…" Quinn trailed off, shrugged at my glare "It's true Callum, it's a sliding scale of dimensional breaches, and we saw even the outline of this anywhere else we would be framing it as a really big problem. Not ones you're skipping over because these other ones are so much larger"
"Question" Azula, who'd been listening till now as my aide, asked "Could people be alive on this world?"
"No…and Yes" I answered after a moment, glancing at Quinn, who nodded slowly back in agreement with my notion "No in the sense none of the original inhabitants who were here when whatever happened…happened, are alive. They are dead, ghosts and dimension distortions aside. I'd bet strongly on that. But…the biosphere is, kinda, mostly, intact if you ignore all the freaky breakdowns that occasionally happen, and things like the giant ash clouds over here northern Europe, the ice…but, yes, in theory you could survive out there till closer to the time when the dimension finally comes apart. The real question is did others come here like us?"
I rubbed my chin in thought "And I'd say the answer is potentially yes, or came in shortly after whatever caused the dimension shattering kaboom, and then implosion, and that's what set off the emergency systems on our current salvage"
"When would that have been?"
I winced at Kara's follow up "Yesterday…a few minutes ago, a decade ago? Time is broken in-dimension as well, so it's been years relative from the End of the World, or it's been not that long at all. The Monitors very travel method here was breaking space-time for us relative to the dimensions around us…things are likely happening pretty close to simultaneously for us relative to what a more coherent dimension would"
She nodded "So don't turn off whatever's on that ship that's keeping that storm outside going?"
"Gods no! It could be anything, so we investigate with the drones while we see can we salvage this massive, massive, prize" I told them, hands together "A Carrier-class is worth this entire trip, but the fact that's haunted…well, it could be other things. We go through it's data-banks, once our hazmat teams have sealed and decontaminated the docking bay and the bridge I'll go in with a team and make sure the important areas are magically protected before we even think about physically accessing systems"
Nathan nodded, happy seeming at my plans with the security teams "And the ruins outside, with the storm it'll be best to use our own drones, the Androsynth ones, and robots to look into the buildings"
I held up a hand "We'll investigate Ten Downing Street and the underground response headquarters since they, at least from a distance, to be not totally destroyed. But priority is analysing the ship so we can restore the defences against reality distortions on it, while on getting a better understanding of the energies out there to do what the Monitor sent us to do"
--
[06.28 Bargained well and done]
[That place where the world ended]
'We really should have another priest aboard' I mused to myself as I adjust the amulet around my neck, magic swirling about me as I placed a stole around my neck, rest down my chest. Protective spells sang sweetly in the dark air as I stepped outside using my suit mixed with what bare essentials I could muster to serve as the cleric I needed to be. Coffins were rolled down the ramp we'd set up by machine hands, Quinn's and The Mechanist's robots along with drones, into 'clear' air thanks to the Fortune's Chance's drives and my own protective spells as I recited an old, but still remembered, orcish litany.
These words were as much for this world, this dimension, as for the bones in boxes hovering down behind me as I served one of my rarer purposes. But it was mine to do, and I served that role as Priest of the Shrouded Lord of Nishrek far from a home I'd been born and that I'd never see again. I'd had the others remain aboard, it was already a stretch maintaining things for myself, and should things go wrong, and the only others here for the graves were the machines. The ship might be haunted, and it was perhaps a way to put those souls to rest, to get beyond to the wider rest they deserved. If that was so…well, I could only provide what my faith gave, for I did not even know their names.
Graves waited before me, and I took a breath, planting my cane into the death earth, a protective circle singing into existence against the dying embers of the world. First one circle around me, then another a bit larger, finally a larger one around the area and graves where smaller individual circles formed interlaced with runes and symbols in draconic and orcish. Uncaring the robots followed their programming as I raised my arms, words on my lips a whisper on the dead winds, as the black rain fell on the shield and my shelter from the storm howling outside. Machines followed my directions, lowering the coffins into the graves, nameless graves, my protective spells still ringing in the air in case the restless dead….became restless, while Quinn watched as my guard reaction force.
There were no Gods here, no one to feel…just chaos and ending…
But I reached out, offer peace and rest, as much as an Orc War God could offer…
"You still owe me a day's holiday treat"
…and I startled moments after I finished the last words of the litany of rest, as the earth was shovelled unto coffins within them. There, sitting on the gravestone to the unknown heroes or villains was a pretty girl, all very goth in her looks as she held her top hand in her hand, resting it down at her chest. With a soft step she stepped forward, standing on the air, the robots unseeing, or uncaring, of her presence. I froze, then shook myself away "That was…Sean I believe…"
She laughed, softly, voice like chimes on the dead air "And you were him at the time, yes, hmmm?"
"I'm sure he's already given you that…"
"Ice-cream, liquor, and disco dancing, Lucy has a great club" the Lady told me smiling "I expect as much from you"
"I…I…okay" I agreed helplessly, confronted by Death "You shouldn't be here if I recall…or, I, ugh…"
"Remember, you have to treat this here pretty lady to the day of the century!" she chirped at me, clearly enjoying herself, then gave a sad smile "You called?"
"I…I…" I stuttered awkwardly "…didn't?"
"No, you didn't" she replied as a finger went to her lips as if in thought "But well, the workload here was very high and then eased off…"
Looked me in the eyes, bottomless, boundless, and endless that shivered my soul "And now it's just about over, time to pack up the gear and close the doors"
My heart was in my throat "But…it's a while…we estimate it's…this dimension is only mid…"
The pretty goth girl strutted towards me, fingers to her lips, and then they were on mine "Shush…don't waste words. Don't run from this place just yet. Since you did me a favour with this little thing…get to work my wandering wild rover, and do me another soon if you can, there's a problem here…"
Her face was against mine, lips to my ear "Or I'll be seeing you sooner than any party you promised me in the days to come. Just remember I like vanilla coke floats"
…oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck…
…and then she was gone, a moment in time unfrozen…
--
{Several hours later}
"So Boss, gotten over been all pissy I see?"
"Oh, feck off Babs, Death isn't having personal conversations with you" Callum muttered back to her, Barbara Gordon heard, giving an amused smirk "Anyway, look, nearly done"
"Great, I'm getting bored watching you draw squiggles on everything" she grinned back to him, trying to ease the unease, though she had been patiently listening to his teaching, just like Azula had been as they both stood guard along with the ship's Ranger squad "Any trouble?"
"No, no, we're there, Azula watch these bits here…" and Barbara fell silent as Callum laid out what he was doing to Miss Dictator for Life of her country. Whatever had happened during the burial had bothered him, and Kara had put her on 'keep Callum safe' watch immediately afterwards, as driven Captain Greenie was Scary Captain Callum as well. Whatever it was with ghostly girls it had motivated Callum into very worried mode, and that worried her as well…
'Thankfully we have other things to focus on, and all that time Bruce-wrangling has paid dividends in directing Kara's lover into constructive directions' was Barbara's immediate thoughts as magical shaman time was laid in the fancy bridge of the massive ship they were one. Far too fancy and impractical in her mind, and Barbara much preferred the organised, albeit cluttered, bridge of the Fortune's Chance to this big, fancy, nightmare of extraneous bits and pieces. Teleporting from console to console might actually have been what these people did, judging from the lack of bodies on board when they arrived and started clearing it out. M'gann hovered near Callum, looking to help with that eager, if often confused, green face of hers. Girl was desperate to help as always, that and be near to her moral support too probably…
"Okay, ready to go" Callum announced, waving an arm at them as the displays in the massive cavern-like command-and-control centre illuminated, showing data from the Fortune's Chance, that of the Monitor drones sent out to investigate. Lights brightened as power was activated, and Barbara listened as Kara laid out details from the bridge back in the Chance. Callum gave a thumbs up after a few more minutes of Kara laying out the plan again, which was rather pointless in some ways…but that might be just to Barbara because she'd spent an hour ensuring she knew every single step.
Then their Captain was chanting, generally doing his magic-join-ship-thing like with the Chance, save this time holding the hand of the half-Martian clone girl that he pretended was his sister. Barbara wasn't overly sure of that on M'gann's part, but now she focused on the ritual they were guarding, watching as the area around them…dulled, flickered, and then was humming with life and light. Like they were standing on the Justice League's Watchtower, or somewhere in Metropolis when Superman was around. Then, almost like a wave pulsing outwards, lights beyond them flickered, then sprung into life over now 'gleaming' hull plates as power reactivated to full levels.
"We good Boss?"
Callum nodded, eyes still closed, hand in hand with M'gann who was doing the same, an almost melodious tone to his voice as a display sprang into existence. A 'map' of the ship apparently "Reactivation in progress, defensive mechanisms staying operational…Quinn uplink confirmed?"
It seemed to be as Mallory confirmed to Callum judging from his reaction, the hallways on the monitors and screens illuminating like a reverse horror film, going from pitch black to brightly lit. There was a faint…almost hymnal sound in the air around them, and Barbara, as Batgirl since this seemed the sort of situation for Batgirl, listened as she stood guard. So far, nothing much, and the reality 'distortions' seemed to be hitting a defensive shield over the massive shift now as it was restored to life….or at least it seemed that way according to the holographic displays now coming online…
"Ah…no…" she heard Callum whine, and she looked to him.
"Boss?"
"Ship;- display footage alpha prior to our arrival" he instructed, and images flashed up, icons indicating Japan it looked like, along with what seemed to be a nuclear flash, followed by a 'new', but similar, landscape of shattered cities….and then focusing on a Japanese girl, running and jumping from rooftop to rooftop while dressed in a red top with black mini-skirt, a wand hovering…then flashing to what looked to be a flying golden…boat?
"Ahh, dammit…" Callum was muttering as Barbara frozen eyes rotating to a sudden, confused looking, figure standing nearby…
Not dressed to impress either. Just at the edge of the protective circle was the ghost girl Rommel's squad had encountered, standing there, rubbing her eyes sleepily while dressed in a t-shirt with a Singapore flag on it, and a pair of knickers considering it had a British flag theme to it "You're not my dads…wots dis? Who you….wait I…died? No…I…wait that Atom guy…"
"Don't shoot!" Barbara instructed to the Rangers, then turned to Callum as the ghost girl standing in her bed clothes was neither vanishing, nor making a hostile action "Boss, uh, we've got…"
--
[06.29 Bargained well and done]
[Schrödinger's Jenny]
'Well….this is just great, just fecking great!' went through my mind as came out of 'linking' with the Shiftship with M'gann, and getting a visual on the big, giant, stinking mess that was infesting Japan. Now the spelljammer was alive, alert, and….
Resurrecting the dead with latent magic, or simply allowing the manifestation to hit critical mass…or a variation thereof apparently. At least that what flashed through my mind as I turned in response to Barbara's words, as guns were levelled at a teenage girl standing in her underwear and a t-shirt before us. I *really* did not need this right now, not a reality warper that had died but might not be dead…while also being dead. Probably. But I *did* now have an idea of *who* this was as a display screen came into existence beside me at the will of my magic and the ship's intelligence.
Jenny Quantum was her name…
"Jenny, isn't it?" I asked as I held up one hand, agreeing with Barbara's order to hold to my guardsmen, while the other brought my walking-cane/sword/wand down against the metal floor. It was hardly the best way to meet a teenage girl with reality warping powers, and there was clearly something…off…about her as seemed at best half-awake, partially aware of her situation "That is your name, right?"
"I…I…am…" she was rubbing her eyes, shaking her head a little as if trying to…wake up?...or something to that effect "Yes I'm Jenny…."
Squinted at me, at the others as she reached down and scratched her right buttock with one hand, the other at her hair…
Blinked, eyes widening "You….I don't…don't know you! You're not…not….suppose' ta…"
I could feel the power building, even if it was invisible, silent words in my mind as I raised up my cane in an almost throwing up gesture as the girl's eyes flashed "NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!"
Energy erupted from her body, hands at her sides raising up with a strange sort of multicoloured lightning forming as she battled my wards…
My cane slammed down into the metal floor "Order. Prevails"
…and the girls shuddered as a 'natural order' was forcefully imposed by MY WILL, the wards and protections I'd emplaced burning brightly now as the world darkened to a shrouded gloom. Dark chains, invisible to non-arcane eyes erupted from the 'ground' beneath the reality warper like writhing snakes, shackles snapping open and hissing. Energies surged from the now awake Century Child, but the chains struck fast and merciless, biting to ankles and wrists to pin her down as the last caught her neck as she'd tried to lash out in anger at us. I stood calmly, both hands on my cane as I Willed power into it…then standing up straight as the girl slumped.
Nobody had opened fire, which was good as I took one gloved hand off the cane, taking off my white gloved hand to shake my head "That will be quite enough of that young lady"
Right now, this territory was MY domain, and I made the 'natural order' for that territory as she struggled…
Then her eyes rolled up her head and she slumped to the floor like a broken doll…
She didn't vanish this time. I starred. Barbara starred. M'gann stared. Azula starred. My guards looked for orders.
I sighed tiredly "Right. This is a clusterfuck…we need to get her…" I gestured with my cane "…aboard the Fortune's Chance, but we need to have defences up and ready beforehand. Barbara go back to the ship, get Arniel Gane and every other mage, and Asa, prepped to do that while I play nurse maid in case she wakes up before we can get her, safely, aboard. M'gann get the med kit and see that's okay while myself and Azula stand guard…"
Paused, sighed again "…and can someone give me a blanket, covering, or a pair of pants for her please?"
--
{Three hours later, aboard the Fortune's Chance…}
"God Callum, you look like shit"
I gave Quinn a mild, tired, glare "Oh, yeah, sure, I wonder why?"
"I'm sure you'll tell us" Quinn replied as we gathered again in the conference room "But I'd assume it's the little girl that you had to beat up and locked up with Nightmare Nurse"
"Yes, that would be correct, yes indeed it would. You have no idea how hard it is to contain a potential reality warper of her potential in her own, albeit broken, dimension" I mumbled, taking the strong coffee into hand and taking a solid drink before continuing as the other officers took their seats "And, yes, I know you adjusted the ships settings too…but they had a ship too, and I don't want her knowing stuff that we don't. Binding her was the logical approach"
"Is she awake?" Kara asked after coming from the bridge "I don't like we just captured her after what had to be trauma"
"Reality warper, trauma, not good idea letting run wild" I stated with an awkward shrug "And she's still unconscious and Asa's monitoring her. Physically there isn't anything wrong with the girl….considering she just spontaneously resurrected herself! Gods, and I think that's our fault"
"How?" my love asked with a frown "I'm reasonably sure you tried everything to make sure zombies or various undead didn't pop up?"
"If I had to guess….restoring the big fancy ship that likes her, and fact we had human beings walking around on it, and on the Chance" I replied taking another drink, letting out a breath as it warmed me up "How she's staying alive, or if she does…or what happens….I don't know, I'm guessing here, but she's a Century Child according to the data-banks, and between what that data says, and what I can understand, is she's essentially a defence system of sorts mixed in with a human avatar of a gestalt of human belief, with a touch of concepts I don't fully follow"
Took another drink, shook my head "Basically…she died, the world, dimension died, but only because the dimension died, or was abut to die, and therefore when she was killed she didn't get replaced or resurrected or whatever. Then we turned, and there's other here, turned on the shiftship, people aboard…she hit a critical mass to reappear. Quantum bullshit too"
"That's not how quantum theory works Callum…"
I nodded "I know, Quinn, but collective belief and a dimension trying to self-sustain despite falling apart and slowly dying. The self-defence systems are active because there's trouble nearing"
Barbara gave me a blank look as she gestured at the displays of a dead earth "Only nearing?"
"Yeah, world's kind of broken Callum" Quinn pointed out "Also, everyone's dead here, but, if we're going to leave, will she….die? cease to exist? Come with us?"
"She can leave the dimension…or she had in the past according to the Carrier, so, maybe leave?" I pointed out, motioning at the same displays "But, yes, I'm aware, and the merged dimensions is what we're going to talk about now because Jenny Quantum we've done what we can for now, and doing more requires either her waking up and talking, or getting more off the carrier. And I need a lot more sleep before I try linking in again"
"Well, in that regards" Kara said sitting forward "The databanks we have of potential universes gives an estimate of that running girl the Carrier had detected as one Rin Tohsaka, from a place called Fate, and the flying ship…"
"Gilgamesh. That name I know" I agreed as she nodded to me, trailing off as data displays came up what limited info we had on that dimension, or a potential of it, from an old database from Mass Effect "So, yeah, Holy Grail War went wrong…or something like that. Further bad news…that was only a few days ago, relative time for us. Again. Time and space, broken in broken dimension. The ship crashed months or years ago, but it also crashed days ago and days ago Japan and Korea changed out. Our big carrier's systems were tracking the arrivals…"
I shook my head "These people abused the Monitor-tech, the dimensional travel, to a staggering degree…long story made short, it had a very, very, detailed scan of recent and nearby Bleed space, even after our it crashed it's been pinging all the old Monitor drones and other functional units out there. Which was the *first* thing it…showed? Told?...it's hard explain, but the first thing the carrier did was tell-show me this…"
A display showed up showing a timeline of what looked like sound going up and down, white lines interspersed with coloured bars rising 'up' and 'down' in the dimensions that carrier had transmitted the Fortune's Chance that we hadn't understood till I'd 'linked' with it "These are the dimensional breaches, starting here just before the world's end, all that before that is activity into other dimensions. Big breach, unintentional, damaging, then intensive deliberate breaching by the ship…and then, here, world's end, followed by big, big, boom…"
Tapped at another large 'up' with minor 'down' symbols "Then here, here, and here, our post-crash arrivals, and then us…"
I held up a hand "Now, remember, time isn't entirely causal or linear with the Bleed, and breaches from Outside take longer to emerge than from…well, channels we used. The fact of a Holy Grail War…isn't what caused the alert to mayday. The ship would likely have just…let the dimension end and exit in that collapse…"
I scrolled 'forward' "Except for…see, that's us there, our entry…and then this here…" my finger touched a very, very, worrying mountain compared to the molehills of the pre-end of world breach and what had to be 'Fate' breaches "…is what caused it. Arrival maybe two or three weeks from now our time. Following in these two breaches. Which I think would be our topic of discussion"
"Something is following them in" Kara asked as everyone studied the displays "But…it hasn't happened yet, how…"
"We got the alert from the Monitor, who got the alert from the ship, which activated when it detected this happening. It's likely been years, maybe more, and from whoever or whatever that is the effect is basically instantaneous or very short in duration, but we travelled in faster like the Monitors did" I muttered tapping at the very worrying energy 'sound' or 'vibration' that was breaching reality here. Breaching it swiftly and powerfully enough it set off the deeply buried systems on the carrier "And, so, we arrive before the problem…like the Monitors were supposed to. But I'm not sure we or anyone wants to be here when whatever the hells this is breaches the dimensional boundaries. Nor do we want it following us out…"
--
[06.30 Bargained well and done]
[Are we hunting, or are we rescuing?]
"She still hasn't woken?" was my first question after a night's sleep with Kara, even as I was getting into the shower over the comms with Barbara who was on the bridge for 'night shift' as we'd done so "No alerts? Nothing?"
"No" Barbara replied tiredly over the line "The girl's stable but unconscious, brain activity…but you're better off asking Asa for details on her exact medical status beyond it's not terrible. In terms of the current plan we've got drones up and scouting, and we've a list of potential sites to investigate. Japan is a…problem, but, I was right, there might be survivors"
"Damn, this is not going to be fun" I muttered adjusting the water temperature as Kara came out, enjoying the view so to speak, even as we had to rush about rather than be romantic "The carrier systems…"
"Are sync'd and we've…well it was linked into a number of local systems. Hurry up and get dressed Boss, get your breakfast and I'll brief you and Kara when you get up here. There's nothing that can't wait a few minutes"
"Fine, fine, as you say" had been my answer to that, and I'd gotten a quick shower, followed by dressing after anointing myself with hardened and prepared defensive blessings. Little extras like warded undershirt and socks all went on, as I 'dressed for the best' rather my SLDF uniform, just in case we had to sit down and do negotiations. That and my 'formal business wear' was my best enchanted gear, and best for hiding other enchantments as well, so, as Captain, that's what I opted for as I put my chain 'pocket-watch' into place along with the prepared chronomancy spells within, just like the spells in my walking-cane/concealed blade.
With Jenny 'I Manipulate Reality!' Quantum aboard, all of us mages were on call, and I regretted not having more in the range of Zee and myself for the less direct combat applications like we saw now. With what looked to be a 'Grail War' as a potential disruption point for the Japanese Reality Disjunction as I called it…there was a wealth of concerns and things to investigate. Kara was already dressed, easier for her than me when it came to magically inclined accessories, along with a few items that were simply tech based, such as the mass effect field light armour under my white suit.
So, by the time myself and Kara arrived at the bridge, Barbara had been joined by Quinn, and had plenty of time to prepare to brief us before she went for a well-earned rest. Kara would be handling things now, as I'd be on 'Carrier Duty' and potentially 'First Contact' if need be, with only M'gann, who'd best be resting now, as my backup for interacting with the massive shiftship directly. If needed anyway, as we could interact, albeit slower, through the Fortune's Chance, but it might be necessary for direct control to get us safely out of the dimension with the ship. That was our prize after all.
There was a serious mood on the bridge as well for shift change, and I saw why as Barbara brought up displays moments after we arrived "People?"
"Potentially lots of people" Batgirl agreed after Kara spoke for both of us, using the Chance's holo-displays to unfold a map of Japan, Korea, and parts of the Asian mainland "Or, considering the countries populations before…not very many, but people nonetheless. We sent in the Monitor drones and linked in with the Carrier's pre-existing systems…did you know these people hacked their entire world's communications and military systems regularly? Well, they did, and some of it's still functional. There is no-one alive on this side of the dimension, but we're seeing this now we've breached the magical protections on the…lands that weren't part of this dimension originally"
"I see undead" was my first response as images from Japan and Korea were shown like pop-up dashes from various locations "I see lots of undead in the images Babs, and I see a lot of magic according to these readings, and not the good kind"
"Best guess there's also been a zombie apocalypse alongside the Grail War…" she told me, bringing up a long-range set of images and footage that read 'Fuyuki City' on it "…and, yes, that is a pillar of oozing blackness and wrongness rising into the sky amidst the morder-esque skies of the probably ritual site. We've accessed several military satellites to confirm this, and we are now picking up military chatter from said satellites now that we've got beyond the magical veil of whatever that stopped us before"
I frowned, looking at the data "US military?"
"US Navy mostly, and probably a few US military units in Korea" she pointed out "Mostly chatter saying everyone is dead, but talking about magic, and magicians, and all the zombies. It's very depressing, but there's a few holdouts of survivors from the looks of it scattered around these locations. Also…"
She brought up images of monsters rampaging amidst the zombies "Checked your databases, is that a Grand Beast?"
I winced, frowned "That would be Grand Beast rampaging through Kyoto, yes. How many?"
"Maybe another two…three?...based on energy signatures from the Carrier and the drones" Babs told us concisely and as best she could "We utilised the…Door…system as the previous capes here, they called themselves The Authority, by the way, to send our own drones through to get a few. They were lost shortly after we got those images, and we aren't risking letting the Monitor drones get anywhere close to anything"
'Because they are nearly irreplaceable in cost terms' was the thoughts of all of us there, but it just added layers upon layers of problems "This dimension's is fucked, even without whatever is coming"
"Very crude put Boss, but…yeah" Babs admitted, looking to Kara "We need to see can we evacuate these people and leave"
'Good call. Gang up on me' I thought accepting a mug of coffee from Barbara as she gathered Kara and Quinn to that cause with barely any words, and I nodded. Honestly, I wouldn't be inclined to simply leave so many to die without at least offering a lift jacket to them "Yes, yes, we do, but I think we need to try contact them first unfortunately"
…and figure out how many people there are, because the only way we're transporting even thousands is on the carrier shiftship we haven't even fully checked out yet. Of course, that was best left unsaid I felt as I studied the reports Barbara had spent the last several hours assembling for us to analyse. There were still active military systems, automated, across the globe, and the Carrier…well, I'd be very concerned with the level of activity it likely had with said systems. The fact that, now, after the end of the world it could still activate and access several of those systems, from still intact CCT cameras and various military automated observation and listening posts…
'That's for another time to consider. So far it looks like the undead and monsters are still, mostly, limited to Japan and parts of Korea' I considered as the magic used indicated not just the lunatics of the Grail War, but a whatever 'native' population had been there, or whatever/whoever had caused the transformation. I just hope the likes of Zelretch the Wizard Marshall wasn't one of them…or maybe we did, but whatever we did would have to be fast as the clock was ticking. All I did know was the 'aware' residents of the Fate Universes weren't exactly sane by the standards of the rest of our dimensions views on magic and other such things. Let alone if any of the bio-polar chaos God(s) that formed their dimension's earth had come through considering fucking Beasts were here.
I took the comms, preparing to try talk to a US military officer that we, on an inter-dimensional alien spaceship filled with wizards, mad scientists, and goblins might be able to save them...
--
[06.31 Bargained well and done]
[One night in Tokyo]
I didn't like the idea of these 'Doors' that the previous owners of the carrier shiftship employed, largely because I understood the mechanics to some extent, and the dangers inherent with usage over time. Or the ability to have it blocked, or simply subverted…but, sadly, needs must, and I needed to make use of it now as we were on a ticking clock. But I still took the time to lay down a rune of recall should said system be a problem at just the wrong moment. Properly paranoid, that was the way to be, especially with a zombie apocalypse, mad magi, and a reality warper running about on the same planet I was one. The one that was falling apart right now.
So, I had to use all tools available, such as the two squads of guards from my crew standing with me, along with Azula as my apprentice. Partly because she insisted on coming, and also because Isao and the 'Arcane Squad' were loyal to her as firebenders and earthbenders, so if she was insisting on walking out into zombie town, then so were they. That actual firepower came from Sergeant Durant's Heavy Squad, all in their blessed and warded power armour, and equipped with the best weapons we had available. Annabelle knew her role after being with us since the start, so I watched as the 'Door' opened before us, and she led two of her squad through before myself and Azula followed.
It was a shimmering mirror that I stepped through…
Out into the night air, or maybe it was daylight and merely blocked by the ugly black clouds rumbling in the skies above, eldritch lightning exploding between clouds, yet granting little actual illumination. The bright side was it wasn't raining, and that we weren't immediately assaulted by a horde of ravenous monsters like I'd feared we would as the rest of the two squads came through. Then formed up around me and Azula as I rested my cane on the road, looking at the Imperial Palace laid before us, along with the ring of steel that had formed around it as well. More importantly at the overlapping boundary fields and protective wards that shimmered unseen in the air…and the only reason this place had not yet fallen. Possibly. I expect the monsters lurking on the island just hadn't gotten around to cracking this particular nut.
So, I ignored the stink of death to senses, lack of bodies aside, and casually strode forward towards the desperate looking men and women behind armoured vehicles, yet some also armed with whatever had likely been available. A vast metropolis of millions, likely reduced to mere thousands here and now, though more by…
I cocked my head to the side, listening to whatever it was….A Shadow of Hate?...along with perhaps time to try evacuate. Considering the emptiness of the street before us, where we'd agreed to arrive, guns pointed at us, I was speculating at a failed evacuation attempt. But in the distance, well, I could feel the slouching march doom that our drones had picked up. That or I was just imagining what I already knew in a case of confirmation basis, something that was possible as a mage. But resisting shaking that thought off, I walked forward a few steps, cane tapping off the ground as I scanned the faces of those before me.
'Ah, no direct mages here, but they are watching with some sort of scry and by device I expect' I mused as the last of my escort, a number of Assaultrons, came through and I gave a smile and friendly wave "Hello there! Bit of an end of the world you're having, eh? I do believe we're expected!"
Nervous shuffling, communication back to people on the other end of phones…
'Poor show, poor show' I though as I saw eyes flash, something close to a possession taking place on the senior looking…SWAT officer?...as they looked me over, then motioned forward "Come forward, cross the bridge and you will be met under Truce"
Azula glanced at me, recognising the slight 'imperfection' there after our training, even if the man himself didn't seem to have, nor his fellow soldiers and policemen as he ordered them to let us crossover, the gates behind opening. I gave an 'it's fine' hand motion as I strolled forward, tipping my hat to the officer politely as I moved my cane, watching the wards and 'listening' for magic strange to my own. Not quite inviting me inside their defences, just the outermost boundary field, and I still didn't know *who* was in charge yet, as it was clear it wasn't the 'official' forces we were directed to.
So, my Apprentice flanked me, and my guards stood behind us, in a semi-circle as we moved through the gates into a crowded garden-park area, though the mass of refugees within had been clearly shoved away. It a dodge spot for us, but it was still better than risking meeting outside of any defences when the apocalypse was running around in many forms destroying things. Meanwhile I tapped the ground with my cane, confirming that weren't any traps beneath us, then weaving a simple Protection Spell around our little ground as small number of people came forward…
'Hmm, priest, magus, another magus, military officer, civilian if I had to guess' I speculated as the group came forward, led by the by a man I was sure was a mage, the soldier and civilian hovering back behind the other three. Behind, and around them, were shadows moving, trying to remain unseen to my spell of Eyes of True Seeing. I wasn't sure what level their Enforcers would be at here and now, nor their magical murder priests, but it was always a concern when negotiating as I smiled cheerfully, resting hands on my pommel of my ornate looking walking cane. Yeah, further back…that must be what a Servant feels like?
'Ooff' were my thoughts on that, but I was good at the mask, so I looked them over, vaguely recognising one, maybe, but waiting for them to speak…a little bit, before opening my mouth as they approached, but didn't say anything "Well hello there! I'm sure you all know who I am, but introductions haven't yet been made for yourselves, beyond…"
I nodded at the two non-mages "I imagine that you gentlemen are General Matsuhara and Ambassador Wainright, yes?"
"They are" the one in actual charge, or one of two in charge as the priest gave just the faintest of looks at the man who'd replied, likely having intended to respond as well "I am Lord El-Melloi II, representing the Clocktower, along with Touko, of the Aozaki Clan….and this is Father Belvedere of the Roman Catholic Church"
"Is that so, hmm?" I asked…feeling…something "Representative of the Clocktower, or, leader of all their forces in the disaster area?"
No immediate answer….well, that answered my question when 'Representative' was the answer. So, I nodded, one gloved hand under my chin as if in thought "Then, first question before we go any further then; is Zelretch here by any chance?"
They were very good at covering emotions, but…not perfect "You know the Wizard Marshall?"
"Those of us in the profession know of him" I stated politely "I'm unsure if him being here would be good thing, or a bad thing"
"Your people made some very large, and almost unbelievable claims" he replied blandly, not answering the question, but that indicated the man likely wasn't…though I actually wasn't sure of that was a good thing, as there was another here of higher rank than Waver Velvet "Though we have to admit your arrival, and nature of your guards do back up those assertions somewhat. It is the first contact we have managed to have with the world outside of the barrier, we had concerns over such a situation"
"The world beyond is dead" I kept up the smile, but let it go sad, but staying blunt "There is nothing there but corpses and ruins, this whole dimension is so, and it is not the one you are from"
"A rather large claim" the priest pointed out, and warning them in advance, or at least the military who hadn't fully believed us "We know we have trouble with the….events here, and steps were being made to resolve it, but are still alive"
"You claim we have been ejected from….our Earth to another" the magus stated "Which…is a difficult position to confirm, and madness has been observed amongst those magus caught outside by…well, as you put it – the end of the world. That you know of that man for instance, and of the Clocktower…"
"Oh, I more than claim it so, it is so" was my calm and tiredly amused, almost bitter, response "But I do understand the desire it not to be so. Unfortunately, this dimension is doomed, and going to be destroyed very soon regardless of our and your beliefs on the subject. We are currently undertaking repairs on a vessel of our sponsors, and that would be able to transport you off this earth"
"Very convenient, and we shall be delivered safely home, too? Out of the generosity of your kind magus soul"
'Yes, there's disbelief' I heard, but gave a polite shrug, cane held to my side as I tried to look non-threatening in my manners "Oh, I'm quite the humanitarian, though I'll admit our…cultures and understanding of the arts make understanding difficult. As to bringing you home…"
I winced at that "That I cannot do, because I've no idea how, and I imagine you were blasted off your earth for very logical reasons…" I gestured back over my shoulder with my cane at the now dead city "…by whoever did so. But this place is finished, and we are on a time limit…something is coming, and we don't intend to be here when it comes through and causes our sponsor to cauterise the dimensional wound"
--
