Glitch IV: Chapter 2 Abduction

[LadyTevar]

After about 15 minutes she had call codes for Albert and for Leah. She sighed... "I know they're going to think I'm crazy..." and dialed Al's number. After several rings, the answering machine picked up. "Hi, I hope you don't think I'm crazy, but I think we played together online this weekend. If you're the half-giant Thog, please call the goblin witch named Jules back..."
She clicked the receiver button and dialed Leah's number waiting for an answer....

Bionerd2001: Yeah, Ted and Rory are ok. I havent heard from Matt, though I dont talk to him much anyway. I havent heard from Al...

LadyArchivist54: Tell them I'm glad they're ok. We'll have to find a way to get together and talk soon. OH! PHONE! Maybe it's Al. Talk later!


Leah snagged the phone, flipping it open without looking at the number first. "Al? Are you alright? Did you get home safely?"

[Devonie]

".... um... I think I may have the wrong number.... I'm looking for a girl named Leah; we met online this weekend playing in Zion....?" Angela gripped the phone tightly, ready to apolgize for bothering this stranger and hang up. She was half-praying this *was* Leandra, and half-praying it had all been a dream.

[frigidmagi]

"Well, we could go with the good news, or the bad," He announced. "The good news is it appears we're back in our universe. The bad news is that the Enterprise is probably kibble, I have no clue how to get down from here, and this thing lacks any kind of stealthing systems. I'm not wanting to start an Incident by flying down there."

He said, prodding touchscreens to try and get a feel for the ship.

"Computer, list systems we have sufficient clearance to operate.."

"I have... had command clearence. I should remember enough to pilot this thing if nothing else." Chris said trying to disgest everything... He was... home? Was it? Was anything home anymore?

It will be alright. I will help you, with the runabout and... everything.

Thank you.

Magneto does not abadon those who need his aide

"We can go into a sleath mode, it's not cloak but the emissions get cut down to zero. I don't know if radar or anything would pick us up... It might be best to jet behind the moon, orbit is pretty covered with various systems isn't it?" Chris asked.

I remember when NATO mistook me for a Chinese missile. Those Anti-missile missiles were... determined.

[SirNitram]

"Since the thirties it's been crowded up here.. Computer, maneuver us to the dark side of the moon, put us over.. Mount Marilyn, minimum emissions." Albert tried, looking back to Chris. "Didn't think you were a player." He admitted. "You do a hell of a good Magneto, but then again, maybe the characters have a life of their own.. I know mine does."

He looked over the list again, whistling softly. "Well.. This thing at least has a way down. We'll just need a way to get back up. Um.. Computer? Can you replicate us a pair of wristwatches with buttons to beam us back aboard?" He asked, before looking to Chris. "She's a nice little ship. Don't want to not have a way back on board. And I'll never remember where we parked."

[Charon]

Matthew slowly got to his feet again, though the signs of tears were still fresh on his face he had stopped now. He was smiling now instead as he finished making his meal and sat down infront of the television, flipping it on and half-listening to the news as he got out his laptop and logged on to the internet, turning on his messenger as well. Matthew noticed that Albert wasn't on and pursed his lips. He must not be awake yet, maybe after he finished eating he'd go check up on him.

[LadyTevar]

".... um... I think I may have the wrong number.... I'm looking for a girl named Leah; we met online this weekend playing in Zion....?" Angela gripped the phone tightly, ready to apolgize for bothering this stranger and hang up. She was half-praying this *was* Leandra, and half-praying it had all been a dream.

A long silence, as Leah was embarrassed over mistaking this person for Albert... and then the voice and the words registered. "Zion... this weekend?" she repeated, cautiously. "Umm... you mean that castle run, where we got our asses handed to us?" It was a safe answer, since there were several castle quests available in Zion, and many of them were likely to get your character in over their head. "Were you the DarkElf or the Goblin?" Leah added, just to make sure.

[frigidmagi]

. "Didn't think you were a player." He admitted. "You do a hell of a good Magneto, but then again, maybe the characters have a life of their own.. I know mine does."

He looked over the list again, whistling softly. "Well.. This thing at least has a way down. We'll just need a way to get back up. Um.. Computer? Can you replicate us a pair of wristwatches with buttons to beam us back aboard?" He asked, before looking to Chris. "She's a nice little ship. Don't want to not have a way back on board. And I'll never remember where we parked."

Chris nodded his agreement.

"I was... There for a very long time. It just got easier and easier to be... Well you know that story? Where the guy's not sure whether he's a man dreaming he's a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming he's a man?" Chris said.


There is a second alternative. We could very easily be two real people sharing a single body due to outside forces. Prehaps it is the easiest way to travel between universes.

Do you really think that?

It seems a strech to me that computer games could create an entire universe out of nothing, how can it be that easy? Even I Magneto have found limits to the power of the mind

[SirNitram]

"That very koan came to my mind, yes. I kinda switched control when it got a little too much to handle, you know?" Albert shook his head, and pulled out the watches the computer had replicated. "Well... I suppose I better hurry down and check my messages. My boss is gonna kill me." He sighed, and offered the watch over.

"Right button should cause you to send up here. Anywhere you'd like dropped off, or what?"

[frigidmagi]

"I don't know... How long as it been since the Realm of Heroes crashed? That's when I got pulled in." Chris asked. How long had he been gone? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? Had anyone noticed? It had felt like years inside... or should it be over there?

For once Magneto had no comment.

[SirNitram]

"If what this thing is drawing in from news broadcasts is right, it's a six-to-one timeflow difference. Six of their days to one of ours." Albert shrugged a little bit. "Ah... The Magi party just took Congress, if that's any help? Never thought I'd live to see a third party do that, but wierd shit is normal now, I guess.."

[frigidmagi]

"They did? Man I knew I should have read that book about them." Chris muttered.

"Look you head down and for now I'll babysit the ship and the good doctor." He said.

[Devonie]

Tears began slipping down Angela's face, whether from relief or another emotion, she couldn't be sure.

"I... I was the goblin. I guess I never got to tell you her name; it's Jules... I'm Angela... Are you ok? Have you heard from any of the rest of the party? How did we get home?" she was rambling, nearly hysterical; she knew it, and yet she couldn't stop...

[SirNitram]

"Alright. I'm gonna head down and have the nervous breakdown I've been putting off." Albert nodded, fiddling with the sensors to get a lock on his apartment, and in a flash of light, was earthbound.

He eyed the answering machine.

...In a little while, he'd deal with it. Then the bed caught him.

[LadyTevar]

Tears began slipping down Angela's face, whether from relief or another emotion, she couldn't be sure.

"I... I was the goblin. I guess I never got to tell you her name; it's Jules... I'm Angela... Are you ok? Have you heard from any of the rest of the party? How did we get home?" she was rambling, nearly hysterical; she knew it, and yet she couldn't stop...

Leah started to laugh weakly, then coughed, choked up a little. "Yeah, never did get your name ... um ... Nice meeting you?" Choked laughter followed for a moment as she too tried to get her emotions under control. "You'll have to explain to me how you found my phone number so fast. So far, Justin, Ted, and Rory have checked in... that's the Druid, the Necro, and the DarkElf. I.. uh... was hoping you were Al calling back with news on himself and Matt, the Dark Paladin."

LadyArchivist54 (to BioNerd2001): Just heard from the goblin, Jules. She's home savely and wondering about us.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Justin heard his IM beeping at him, and managed to pull himself together enough to type

Bionerd2001: Oh, thank Darwin she is OK. Tell her that Justin has finally had a nervous breakdown, albeit a little one, and that Ted anmd Rory are OK.

The other IM window started to flash

Technobabbleator47 (to Bionerd2001): Perhaps... WHat exactly did you have in mind?

Bionerd2001: Well, we can start with coffee. The usual place say...half an hour. I need to shower and shave and all that happy hygene junk

Technobabbleator47: Alright, I will see you then.

Bionerd2001(to LadyArchivist54): ALright, I am going to go meet a friend of mine. Partially to keep up appearences that everything is normal, partially because I just really need to see him... It may be my last chance to do something I have been meaning to do for a while... I will talk to you later OK?

Previously, he hadn't let himself think much about this particuylar someone. Facing death was a bit of a distraction and he let it and keeping from breaking down in the process occupy most of his thoughts while in Zion. But after his little breakdown here... well, everying he had repressed fort the last week came flooding back. ANd priorities changed a bit

[Charon]

Matthew looked over at his clock. It was getting pretty late and there was still no word from Albert. Getting up Matthew turned off his television and his laptop and got on an old beat-up leather jacket he'd gotten from the local salvation army and grabbed his keys off the kitchen counter. In one of his pants pockets he'd slipped Yuffie's bandana, still covered in a little bit of her blood.

Ten minutes later he pulled up to the small apartment complex that Albert lived in. Getting out into the chilly night air Matthew quickly made his way into the apartment complex and up to Albert's door where he rang the doorbell, knocked, and then waited.

[SirNitram]

It took a moment, but Albert appeared at the door. He looked every bit like he had been having the shakes a moment later, and.. The worst part.. He had a Starfleet-issue outfit on. Given he was not at any point a Trekkie, it was a hint. He drew in a ragged breath, and nodded. "Matt." He said softly. "You okay, man?" Not a word about his own condition. He had seen what the man had done. "Come in, come in... Don't let anyone see me in this stupid getup. You need anything at all?"

[Charon]

Matt raised an eyebrow at the shirt before stepping in. His eyes briefly flashed of pain as he clenched at something in his pocket before the emotion passed, covered up by a small smile. "I'm fine, well, as fine as any of us can be after what happened. I was just wondering how you were doing. I didn't get to see much of... anything... in those last few minutes. I don't know what happened to everybody."

[SirNitram]

"I kinda grabbed you and carried you down to one of the little launches, the Runabouts." Albert explained. "We got clear of the ship as it started to come apart, then I.. Well.. Made the thingy we had to grab from the castle work, we all came back."

A pause.

"I didn't come back down here. As the clothes hint, I've.... Something's happened to me."

[Charon]

Matt sat down on a couch, shifting some books to get a better seat. "What do you mean? You mean something other than what happened to all of us right?" Something in Matthew clicked, his eyes saw Albert in the Enterprise as he ran into the room. "Al, are you talking about how you'd turned back to yourself while we were there?"

[SirNitram]

"Right." Albert nodded simply, looking down to himself. "For example." He unzipped the shirt, pulling it to one side. "You know me. Am I the sort to get this as a tattoo?" He asked, a hammer and axe crossed over his heart. "This.. I think.. Is Thog. There's.. Something else in here too. They were stronger in there, but I can hear them." He exhaled slowly.

"Something happened. I'm not sure what. But the Runabout came with me, and I saw a.. Light. Demanding champions." He looked worried. "Matt.. For me, I don't think this is over."

[Charon]

Matthew laughed, grinning madly at Albert. "I believe you man. Frankly we've both been through too much for me not to. Matthew got to his feet, the grin fading from his face as he pulled the blood spattered bandana that used to belong to Yuffie from his pocket.

"It's not over for me either Al, I don't care if all I've got to fight with is the fists of some fallen paladin asshole. This isn't over."

Matt looked to his friend and smiled again. "Please tell me you have something strong here, because I think the both of us really need to get blitzed."

[SirNitram]

"I gotta check my messages and shit before I annihilate some braincells." Albert said wearily. "But there's a bottle of tequila in the fridge. Just remember, drink responsibly, make sure there's something soft to land on."

[Charon]

Matt smiled as he jumped off the couch and headed towards the kitchen. It wasn't often that he'd drink. In fact the only times he usually did was when he'd had a bad week. And this week had indeed been pretty bad.

Halfway to the kitchen Matthew came to an abrupt stop, his hand grasping the bandana a little tighter. "I killed her, you know. I just, wanted you to know."

Matthew walked slowly into the kitchen where he began to mix a drink.

[SirNitram]

"I know, my friend." Albert said softly, sighing. "You did what you needed to... And that's why I'm not gonna demand more from you than just finding a safe place to land."