Vonash quite happily interacts with the tree frogs while the others do actual mission related stuff :-) :-) :-).
Brass nods in agreement, The Air Force will definitely pose a problem to us if they find our ship, we must make sure that they don’t find it. This seems like the largest priority at the moment.
Once Lee Reynolds has left--and, coincidentally, some of the others have left him to his work as well--Ueda pokes and prods, investigating the device both mechanically and from a simple observational point of view. He compares information with data on his pad, investigates with his tools, and eventually comes to several conclusions. "I believe I have found an option for our continued work here," he states, then looks around. Seeing some of the group aren't present, he repeats his announcement into his commlink, adding, "Discussing in person in the pool house may be prudent, to minimize distraction and outside perception."
Once everyone's ready, Ueda relays his findings. "Based on the evidence and my own understanding of the technology involved, I believe there is an open temporal anomaly or 'signal hole' through which these communications are being sent. I believe finding the source of the distress signal is important, as it may well be the cause, if indirectly, of the changes to the timeline as advised by Gabriel. However, finding the source will be difficult without a conspicuous movement of our craft, and the only method I can devise to simplify matters involves leaving behind a piece of our equipment--one of the communicators, to be precise. This of course carries its own risks."
The android pauses and turns to regard the radio again. "I also feel it will be exceedingly difficult to trace the signal should I leave this location and return again. I currently have it isolated, and attempting to relocate the source will be... difficult. Although I am not a particularly skilled navigator in any case. It was never my job."
"Umm, we have another problem," says Milo, finishing his beer. "The military of this time period seems to be looking for our ship. Some students saw they driving their cheeps all over the countryside."
Carson looks around, "Where's Vonash? Oh, and what's the plan?"
Vonash walked out saying something about animals, she should return hopefully soon but I think getting, to the ship and protecting it should be our priority. Our plan at the moment is to trace a signal we found back to through to where it came from. It seems to be the reason for atleast some of these disturbances to time. Now Milo, Carson follow me to the ship.
Brass starts walking looking around the street for any kind of travel, from taxi to maybe a parked car that nobody won’t mind if it’s missing. Over the communicator, Milo, Carson and myself are moving to the ship, it seems that the Air Force is looking for it. I will fly it over and pick up everyone before we try to trace this signal. Everyone else return to the pool house for pickup ASAP.
Leaving the poolhouse and looking around for vehicles, you see some vehicles lined along the street near the poolhouse and, across the lawn, there's a parking lot. There are more people in the parking lot than on the small street. On the street, you can see an outrageously colorful van and a less colorful wagon. Neither of them have their keys in, but an Engineering check should solve that problem.
Vonash goes to join the others
"Hi guys, anything interesting happen? I learned a cool song from my new friends. Want to hear it?"
Not waiting for a response, she starts to croak something approximating what the Tree frogs were singing
Brass stairs at Vonash as she sings her frog song, completely confused. He blinks several times before he starts to relay his plan to try and get the ship. After relaying the plan brass looks around before walking over to the less colorful wagon and opening the door. He looks at the car’s steering wheel. primitive vehicles seem to require a metal price to start them, though we don’t have it I think it should be easy to circumvent.
The vehicles roars to life with such a racket that M'ilo and Carson both duck down in the back seat. M'ilo straightens out as if his reaction was normal but Carson sits up more sheepishly.
Driving vehicles from this time period is not as intuitive as Brass thought it would be.
By the time he really has the hang of it, they are halfway back to the barn. As you crest a hill, you see newly ploughed farm fields spreading out for miles in front of you like a patchwork quilt of brown and green.
It's that time of year when the days are getting noticeably longer and there's enough light that you clearly see the police officers blocking the road at the bottom of the hill. They have just allowed one car to pass but they seem like they are stopping vehicles.
Carson quickly offers to "incapacitate them" if you'll slow down and let him out. He doesn't explain what he means by this.
"What about the timeline?" asks M'ilo.
"Are we really worried about keeping the timeline virginal at this point? It seems like we may be a bit late for that."
"Brass? Vonash? Thoughts?" asks M'ilo.
"This may be a problem." Jade says, a frown spreading over her face.
There is one police car with two officers. They are both leaning against the vehicle now that they have let the one car through.
"Let me try and talk our way through. Lets not use violence unless ABSOLUTELY necessary. Both to protect the timeline and because its the right thing to do."
When you approach the traffic stop, the police officer explains that they're doing interviews in the area and asks whether you live nearby. He looks you all over very carefully. He also asks "Just going for a drive?"
Ueda continues to fiddle slightly with his commlink, keeping it attuned to the signal from the temporal anchor. He tries to get the regular radio tuned to a local music station and hums along with any songs he recognizes (or thinks he does), having been put in a classical mood by the previous music.
And, on the radio, in both the car and in the pool, a man's voice says, "And, a new entry into our top 10 just yesterday, Archie Bell and the Drells' Tighten Up. C'mon, now, let's tighten it up." There's a burst of feminine laughter and the man's voice continues, "What you thinking!?! Quiet down now and Tighten Up!"
"Whoops. I was hoping that was weaponry. This vehicle seems to have no offensive capabilities and the 'tires' seem to be full of air so it has worse that zero defensive capabilities as well. Nice choice, Brass. Who would design a thing?"
"No, we're not from around here. Just tourists taking in the sights. Are there any good places to go near here?"
(not quite sure which that is but it doesn't matter, they're the same :-)
The police officer talking to Vonash looks her over and then steps back from the car, turns to the other police officer, and calls, "Fred, come over here ..."
Carson whispers, "Now violence?"
Does Vonash have any clue WHY the other cop was being called over?
"No, no violence. Not until its totally clear that we need to."
Vonash senses no ill intent from Artie, the first officer, at all; interest and a kind of sneering amusement, but not alarm or menace. As Fred, the other officer, walks within a couple feet of the car, Artie says, "Check her out." Artie laughs and making no attempt to keep from being overheard. "You think this lot are the aliens those Air Force guys are looking for?"
Fred, the second officer, squints at Vonash long and hard and then something in his eyes tells you there's trouble now. His hand moves towards his weapon, "Turn off the engine and step out of the vehicle."
"What is the problem? You think that I'm an alien?"
Vonash deliberately tries to accentuate her, uh, assets as she says this.
She also gets out of the car slowly, being careful to keep her hands visible.
"Do you want to search me to make sure that I'm human?"
Artie is still laughing, "They meant aliens from space, Fred, not from some other country."
"Just radio that Air Force jackass. Tell him to get down here." Fred says while staring at Vonash, seeing something off about her disguise. He says to her, "Just stay where you are."
Artie, shaking his head, returns to the police car to use the radio.
Carson is grumbling in the backseat, "Sure, let's just sit here and wait for reinforcements!"
“I’m in the middle of something …” replies the voice that has been providing instructions.
“The song, Griffin! You need to keep your audience entertained!” taunts a woman’s voice.
“Dr. Moreau, Kitty, please,…” pleads Griffin.
The man interrupting the broadcast begins to sing, "I been in the right place but it must have been the wrong time. I'd have said the right thing but I must have used the wrong line...”
“Fine!” shouts Griffin. “I’ll play the song.”
“Our THEME song!” insists the woman.
A song plays to much amusement and laughter.
“Now,” replies the voice belonging to the one they called ‘Griffin.’ “If the two of you don’t mind, we are stuck in what is objectively the WORST repeat WORST century EVER in the history of recorded time…”
“It’s the WRONG time!” interrupts the laughing woman.
“…and I’d rather not stay here forever! Please do your drinking somewhere else” finishes Griffin.
After a long pause and an exasperated sigh, Griffin continues with the instructions precisely where he left off. "If you don't have a co-variant phase glosser, you could use some kind of quantum bi-dimensional switcher for the same purpose ..."
Mentally, NOT audibly
"Should I try and charm Fred? It may work but they may also notice and that would both escalate things and let them know that something VERY strange, from their point of view, is happening"
Brass drives not used to the sluggishness of the controls until finally getting pulled over. Brass sees the cops and looks increasingly frustrated at them even though he doesn’t recognize the primitive uniforms, he does recognize authority. And nods along to the nonviolent options, until Vonash leaves the car.
At this point Brass starts to stare at the cops. He whispers in the car if this charm doesn’t work. Neutralize the cops. Fixing things is no longer possible. brass takes one hand off the wheel and slides it behind him to grab his rifle getting ready to take it out.
To the others, telepathically
"Ok, lets try this and see what happens"
With that, Vonash casts charm person on Fred
Will save DC 14 to resist
The serious Officer Fred becomes more talkative.
"Look," says the officer, "I am sorry about this. We've been asked to help out the Air Force and just let residents know that they're searching house to house. It's supposed to be for a Russian spy, but, well, .... We laughed at all that talk about space aliens. I thought it was quite the joke, but, then, here you are! So, well, ... is there anything I can do ... do you need anything? ... Do you like it here? ... Are they with you?"
Brass takes his hand off the folded up rifle and puts it back in the wheel.
M'ilo takes his hand off of the beer he has stashed in his denim jacket.
Carson mumbles something about how violence would have been faster.
"Fred, my friend, we're certainly not space aliens. I wish we were. It would be SO cool to be from space. We're not Russian spies either.
I know that sometimes I can look a little strange. Can you keep a secret. I had a small accident as a child and it left me a little scarred. The tattoos are partially to cover the scars.. But I promise that I'm as human as you are. And so are my friends, of course
I REALLY don't want you to embarrass yourself by telling the Air Force we're aliens when we're not. That would distract them from far more important things and I'm pretty sure they'd be angry at you for wasting their time. You might even get fired and I REALLY don't want to see that happen.
I think the best thing is to just let us pass and to tell the air force that you haven't seen anything strange. That IS the truth, after all."
Fred pauses for a while and then gets a sheepish grin on his face. "Well, that makes sense. I'll just let you pass and tell that Air Force jackass I haven't seen anything strange. That is the truth after all."
He allows you to leave.
Artie gets out of the car, radio in hand, and shakes his head laughing at Fred as you depart. "You sure are funny, Fred. What are you going to tell that flyboy?"
By the time you get to the old farmhouse off Steincross Road it is about 8PM. The Chariot is in the barn where you left it. You can wait longer for it to get darker or fly the modified spacecraft to Ogden now.
"We could fly it above the clouds and try to drop down on the college with the lights off, ..." offers Milo.
"... Or, we could buzz the village with the strobes on and the Sons of Mars blasting on the loudspeakers," offers Carson.
Milo continues, "So, what if one or two people see us? My people were kidnapping Earthlings right and left in this century for their ... reasons. Not that I approve of that or anything. One more UFO sighting isn't going to change the timeline, right?"
Brass climbs I to the ship, speaking to no one in particular. if we move now we risk a chance of alerting not just the locals but the Air Force now as well. But waiting puts us in a dangerous situation. It makes for a difficult solution with not clear answer. But I think waiting is the best thing. It will allow the air force’s suspicion to die down and for us to ensure we are ready to leave quickly. he finishes talking as he competes his check of the ship to ensure nothing changed while he was gone. bring in the car and shut the doors if we don’t draw any attention we can wait till dark peacefully without incident. brass then sits down in the pilots chair his rifle on his lap as he sits waiting motionless.
"You know what we forgot! The comic books! Maybe I should make a quick run into town!" says Milo after setting the last of his beer bottles (now empty) on a fence post.
Carson throws rocks at the bottle and says, "Why is Brass flying exactly? I can pilot."
Brass sees Carson throwing rocks and gets up and leaves the ship. we should avoid drawing attention to ourselves, so going to retrieve the comic books is not an option. he looks at Carson with a stare that shows no amusement for his comment. I’m flying because I’ve been flying longer than you’ve been able to throw rocks. I also now have more experience flying through the shuffle than you do, so I will fly.
"Boys, boys. Just whip them out and measure. That would be the quickest way." Vonash thinks to herself
"I agree, we should wait until full dark. Or even later. As long as we see nobody coming near us"
With that, she checks the barn looking for any animals that may have snuck in since she was last here.
Ueda, for his part, is content to keep listening to the broadcast, occasionally taking notes in his datapad. Much of the design described is slapshod and improvisational at best, but for that very reason it's fascinating, reminding him of days gone by. But then, that's what this is, isn't it?
Brass is going to find himself a place to wait in the barn and relax, calibrating his rifle over and over to pass the time.
The sun was already beginning to set when you meet the police on the road. By 10:00, it's dark. You get the ship out of the barn and into the air and can look down on the road and wonder if those lights below are Air Force or not.
If Brass wants to give us a Piloting check, that will tell us how smoothly and quietly he drops the ship down next to the poolhouse to pick up Ueda.
Vonash comes across signs of birds in the barn. When she finally locates the source, some barn owls hiding in the rafters, she realizes that she is seeing a species that went extinct over 150 years before she was born. In fact, the species became endangered only a few decades after the one she is now squatting in.
"My beautiful friends, don't be alarmed. We won't hurt you"
She looks around to see if, by some miracle, there are any eggs around.
If not, she'll get some DNA matter from the owls (fresh poop would be easy to collect and likely fairly good).
The nest has a mother and one egg.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Brass flies the ship out of the barn listening to Vonash telling him to avoid the owls again and again.
Brass sets the ship down by the poolhouse as quickly and smoothly as he can. Only the handful of students down by the water listening to the frogs are close enough to notice it. By the time they come up from the water to look, you are back in the air.
The effects on the timeline are minimal. In the weeks and months to come it gets reported as a UFO sighting in a special summer edition of the campus newspaper and then gets joked about in a Rolling Stone magazine in September, in a short article suggesting that the hippies at Ogden might have "a line on the good stuff." Ogden College gets a completely undeserved reputation for being about "as cool as it gets in rural Maine."
Vonash feels it when the last tacoma pocket gopher dies alone in 1970, and the last of the socorro elf owls dies that same year, and then the loss of dozens of fish species through the 70s and 80s, and rat and rabbit and bird species through the 80s and 90s, one after the other. Both Vonash and Jade remember learning about this--the death of Earth’s ecosystem between 1960 and 2060 is used as a case study even on other worlds--but the Shuffle affects Vonash’s telepathy in strange ways, and right now she is feeling it … feeling the death of each species like a silent little scream.
The Chariot isn’t accelerating, but the screams are coming faster. The bird species begin to die more quickly. And then the bugs blink out at an alarming rate, the largest protein source in the world just gone. In the 2040s, the few tigers, gorillas, elephants, and orangutans that were left in zoos die off. The last survivors of a dozen different species of whale die between 2010 and 2050. Vonash feels each one.
By 2050 the human population had plateaued and in the 2060s global population declined by 10% to 16.5 billion. The great die off finally began to bring down the apex predator.
By the time Brass starts to close in on the point in time and space that the signal originated from, the dying of the world is a constant scream in Vonash’s mind. Jade does not have the same psychically traumatic experience.
At one point Jade glances at a monitor screen and sees another ship moving through the Shuffle. The ship looks like a glass sphere spinning within a golden metallic cube frame. She sees a bearded man in a black tuxedo sitting in a metal chair in the middle of the spinning glass sphere. The man uses large levers to steer the strange machine and pushes on dozens of pedals with his feet. The sphere flies close to the Chariot and then bobs beside it for a moment as if the Chariot wasn’t even moving. The man touches the brim of his tall hat and seems to meet Jade’s eyes—although she is watching him through a monitor not a window. The strange man and his little ship then shoot off in a direction perpendicular to the Chariot.
The Shuffle remains as bizarre for Ueda as when he experienced it the first time. The Shuffle ignores the laws of physics Ueda has helped to record, laws the limits of which he has tested theoretically. The Shuffle simply ignores these laws. While entering the Shuffle took a tremendous amount of energy, the ship doesn’t seem to be using much energy to move within the Shuffle. While the Shuffle is supposed to be outside of time, Ueda experiences time passing. He realizes soon that he can choose to experience the trip more slowly or quickly and time is only passing at the speed he expects it to pass. Time, space, and energy all seem to vary with your expectations of them in ways that none of these things are supposed to do.
Flying in the Shuffle is a challenge in part because there are few fixed points. The signal Ueda found for you to track originates from one of the thousands of little motes of light that flow in a river of light-motes. As you approach, it sometimes gets lost among the other motes and only the computer guidance keeps you aiming toward the signal. The light-motes seem to scatter like fish as you get closer to them, which doesn't seem like a normal thing for points in time to do.
Also complicating things is how speed works in the Shuffle. How fast Brass thinks he SHOULD be going seems to affect the speed of the ship more than anything the instruments say. It seems to work best for Brass if he just pretends the laws of physics apply as normal and then flies the ship the way he was trained to fly. For the most part, while Brass is pretending physics works, physics seems to work, but when Brass gets confused by something, physics gets confused as well.
Following the signal is only going to be a DC 12 Piloting check thanks to the time Ueda took to preserve the signal while you all recovered the ship. This is not a check you can Take 10 for as there are consequences for failure (wrong time period, dimension, etc, the more you fail by the bigger the consequence).
Carson sits near the back and sulks.
M'ilo discovers that alcohol and flying the Shuffle do not mix and spends the entire trip in the washroom. Later he insists the trip took at least six hours, but for the rest of you it took closer to 45 minutes.