[LNH/LNH2] Vel #10

[cabbagewielder at yahoo.com]

As we arrived on the bridge of the Good Ship Lollipop, Jen looked
around.  She stared at X'zchi in the piloting the ship and Starless
walking groggily.   Her eyes stabbed into her like daggers   She
quickly put two and two together and came to a staggering four.

"What's going on here?" Jen asked.
"X'zchi, prepare bulk transporter of the entire ship," I said.
"What?  Why?" Jen said. ""What about Carina?"
"This battle with Taup distracted us from the real objective.
We're here to save Haven.  Carina knew the risks," I barked.
"Let's go."
"But I just watched three people die," Jen said.
"Only two.  Carina was a super hero.  You know the rule about super
heroes.  No open casket funeral then they aren't dead," I said.

He connected the remote control the control to the ship.

"Sensors indicate little blue streaks on the tachyon monitors,"
X'zchi said.
"Oh great, turbulance.   I'm activating the time jump.   Everyone
brace for impact!" Vel said.

The Good Ship Lollipop shook back and fourth before jetting along the
timestream.

Vel #10
Schroedinger's Planet Part Seven
Interlude
By Jesse N. Willey

In a distant time, in a place even more distant, I will find myself in
an even more difficult situation.  Why I am including it at this point
in my log will one day become apparent.   Not today though.   That
would be too easy.   The sirens blared as I stepped into the control
room.   I raced into the control room.  The dorfan embassy was under
siege.

"Status report!" I shouted.
"Thousands of cyborgs have gained control of the building.  Shields
are raised blocking conventional transport.  There is some other kind
of interference blocking our scanners," Analysis said.

I stared at the screen for a moment.

"Timeport me in there a second before the shield went up," I say.
"What?"
"My son... my adopted son... is in there.   I've got to," I say.

He program in the coordinates.   I began to dematerialize and then I
reform exactly where I was.

"What happened?" I say.
"It's the interference sir.  We'll have to fight our way in,"
says Analysis.
	"If it is war they want, we will give it to them," I say.

The door behind me swooshed open. Sing Along Lass walked into the
control room nonchalantly.

"Vel, you look stressed.  Perhaps you should go talk to Sigmund,"
she says.
 "No.  There is a time for talk and a time for kicking butt.  I'll
find another way," I say.

_____________________________________



"Another way to what?"  said Ultimate Ninja on the Good Ship's
screen.
"Uh... save Haven," I turned to Starless.  "You take the
civilians home.   I wasn't responsible for my other's actions."
"The hell you weren't!" Starless said.
"It's true.  He approved of the general idea, but drew the line at
stealing your ship out right," X'zchi said.
"And I should believe that because..."
"It's the truth," she said.
"Ninja, will dock in a moment.  We'll have plans to discuss," Vel
said.

  _____________________________________


Truth be told, I don't really care for the Ultimate Ninja.  I don't
know if it's because he's a ruthless taskmaster, his raw
stubbornness or his bigotry.   That's right, the man is a bigot.  If
he kills a human being, he generally feels bad about it.   When he
kills a dorf, he doesn't give a smeg.   Don't get me wrong, I'm
no pacifist.  I can fight, maim and kill if I have to.   I care. If
it's human, dorf, benyori, or even Enobi.  The point is the battle,
not the kill.
	I walked into his ready room with trepidation.  He knew I didn't
want to be there.   I knew he didn't want to be there either.   I
dragged him into it.

	"Vel, what the hell are you doing?" Ninja asked.
	"Trying to save a planet," I said.
	"How do you intend to do that when you can't even keep your own
squad alive?" Ultimate Ninja asked.  "Damn it, Carina was one of
us."
	"I know.  I have a feeling that.."
	"Have a feeling that what?"
	"Nothing."

	They were silent for a moment.

	"Look, Vel, the Legion wants to help in anyway it can, but I need to
know what you're going to do," Ninja said.  "I can't just fly
in blind."
	"I need the schematics for Asteroid L," Vel said.
	"What?"
	"Trust me," Vel said.

   _____________________________________


That night, my dreams comforted me.   Every since Retcon Lad split the
timeline, I'd been getting flashes of my other's life. Months
earlier, Doctor Killfile aimed his ship's canons at the Planet Haven.
  For him, this was the most tragic event of his life.   He didn't
know what he was seeing.  I on the other hand, had a sense of
hindsight.   As the planet seemed to explode I smiled.   The image
pulled out to a huge screen.

"Heh, see halfling, The Great Prophet destroyed your precious
Haven," said the Dorfan guard.
"I don't believe it," said Vel.

A tall ominous figure walked into the room.   It was Killfile.

"Believe it.  It's from our own sensor logs.  Your home is
gone.." he shouted.  "... because of your repeated failures."
"You honorless piece of-" Vel said.



I lay on the bed in of the small room in LNH quarters.   The cheap
sheets were making me itch.  A glaring light came through the doorway.
 For a second or two, all I could make out were the curves of her body.
 That was all I needed to see.   I would know Jen's shape anywhere.

"Look, I wanted to say I'm sorry for..."
"No need."
"Yeah, whatever," she said.  "X'zchi is staying at the Dorfan
consulate.  She got you a new antigravity skateboard.  Something about
an honor debt."
 "Look, I'm really tired," I said. "I had the greatest dream.
Y'know, that my plan had actually worked.   Stupid idea really...
Going back and building lots of Asteroid Ls around Haven simply to get
blown up and create the illusion that the planet had gotten destroyed.
 It's even more amazing that Ninja agreed to go along with it."

Jen sighed.

"It did work," Jen said.  "You're a hero."
"What?"
"Yeah.  You saved the planet," Jen said.
"But if I saved the planet in the past, why was there a quantum
bubble around it afterward?" I asked.  "It doesn't make any
sense."
"Don't look at me.  I know squat about time travel," she said as
she closed the door.  Vel turned on the dim light by the bed side.
"Hmmm... perhaps excess time travel in the vicinity coupled with
residual energy from the recent dimensional trouble caused some sort of
alternate reality echo."

	Jen sighed.  "Just get some sleep.  Or you'll make me wish I'd
left you with guest quarters."
	"I thought these were guest quarters," Vel said.  "The rumor
mill will be churnin' in the morning.  Not that I... uh... care about
that sort of thing."
	"Me neither," she said as slowly turned of the light.



	Vel arrived in Freud's office.  It was a total mess.  Laser scorches
lined the walls.   It was a few days old at least.    He knew what had
had happened.  Someone from his time had found out about the shrink.
Someone other than Marcia, Carina and Jen.   Someone bad.   His own
curiosity might have a dangerous effect on history.

There was a blank notepad by the patient's couch.   Vel took a pencil
and began making a rubbing.   Letters became visible.

"Carina= RD-701-EA," Vel said.  "Huh?"


  The End?

Next: The Search for Carina Part One


________________________________________________________________________
Sing Along Lass created by Drizzt.   Ultimate Ninja created by wReam.
Seductress created by Marin Phipps.   Vel, Nick Starless and X'zchi
created by Jesse Willey.   This document copyright Jesse N. Willey