Iceball

Iceball 2018/04/25

Harlequin Radical Raven Timewarp 1

Is That Possible?
Amelia contacts Connor, "I'm going off dimension on a rescue mission. I'm wondering if you would like to come along. You could be useful."

Amelia also contacts Tali, "I'm heading off dimension on a rescue mission. I need your help."

Tali says, "Ok! Where and when?"

Amelia tells Tali, and Connor if he agrees, to come to meet her in her penthouse in Steinberg Tower.

Connor nods, "Sure. I'm happy to help. Though...I really don't have any powers of any sort right now." He shows up at the building at the appropriate time.

Tali is there in no time. Well, not *quite* literally.

Amelia greets Tali and Connor. Does the standard introductions, "Have you met? Tali, this is Prof Connor Duran. Professor, may I call you Connor, allow me to introduce Tali."

Tali says, "Hey! How treats?"

Amelia says, "Chill." Amelia grins, "I was the typical nerd. I never did pick up on teen slang. Did I get that right?"

Tali grins. "I think you mean 'mild'. Unless I've got muddled in all my wanderings through time!"

Amelia smiles, "I'm sure you're right. Anyway, drinks before I explain what prompted me to ask you here?"

Tali says, "Sure!"

Connor shakes his head, "No, we haven't met. It's nice to meet you."

The penthouse lounge has a fantastic view out over the west of city. It's furnished in a french baroque style.

Amelia pours Tali a drink, "Connor? What would you like?"

Connor smiles. "Umm...just some water. Thank you."

Tali looks at the view and comments, "Must be arid to be rich! Guess I should have put some money in a bank account with good interest when I was stuck back in time, huh?

Amelia pours a bottle of highland mineral water for Connor. "Thank you for coming." She gestures toward a huge wall mounted display screen. It comes to life and shows an image of a city under snow and ice. The city looks very much like a 1950's historical photo of Colonial Bay. "That image was taken on a dead world. A Earth that engaged in a nuclear war, and the resulting nuclear winter triggered an ice age. Humanity, and most land and flying species are extinct."

Tali is rather thrown by the sudden shift in mood. "... oh ..."

Connor takes the water and sips it while he looks at the screen. "Hmm. Okay. Cold War must have gone awry, based on the architecture."

Amelia nods, and drops her bombshell. "I want to change that."

Tali says, "Change it? You mean...?"

Amelia says, "I want to stop the war that led to this."

Connor raises a brow, "Is that possible? Last I heard, time tried to fix itself. At least that was the theory I read."

Tali says, "Um, you know that the standard theory is you can't really change something, just start a divergent timeline? (Though not everyone can really believe that, or a lot of their time meddling doesn't make sense.)"

[To Connor] Tali says, "Oh, that's kind of the thing! What if time doesn't want the world war to happen in the first place? Then maybe it can be changed. There's a theory that time *can* be changed. Just it's really hard, because you have to make sure that time gets used to the new course and doesn't go back to the old one, kind of thing."

Amelia looks at Tali, "On that I'll defer to the expert. If the standard theory is right all we can do is start a new timeline with a Earth full of living people? I'd consider that a win. If I'm wrong I'm willing to be convinced otherwise."

Tali says, "I wouldn't say I'm an expert! But yeah, it seems to me that saving kind-of-half-of all those lives is a good thing to do.... so how do we start?"

Connor still looks confused at the potential implications. "You've found a crux point of some kind?"

Amelia shakes her head, "No. I'm hoping you can, Connor. I'm fairly smart but I'm not a student of anything except magic theory. I've never had to do systematic study of a topic. I tend to flit from one idea to another. But a mathematics professor? I'm guessing that's absolutely right down your street." she says. "We can travel there, research what we can from the documents and records still surviving. Then once we know how it happened, we can go back in time and prevent it."

Tali says, "If the records survive! Or I guess we could go back in time to look for the documents, but obviously that could be dangerous!"

Connor nods slowly, "There might be some records available. The technology was pretty limited back then, though. So there might not be much to go on. I can't imagine that they'd have had time to say...print books on the subject with bombs falling."

Amelia nods, "Yes. I'm a cyberpath as well as a witch but back then Hollerith Card Indexers were the height of technology. Maybe newpapers?"

Tali nods. "Unless it all went wrong *really* fast. But we'd need to find the right papers!"

Connor says, "It's...possible? But they'd need to be someplace where they wouldn't have decayed."

Tali says, "I can maybe undecay them? I mean, if there's still enough left there's something to undecay."

Amelia says, "It may prove to be impossible. Are you willing to invest time in at least trying. This is mainly a question for you, Connor. Tali and I have all the time in the world."

Connor nods. "I'm willing to give it a try."

Amelia nods to Tali, "I can also do much the same."

Tali says, "Ok - let's do this!" Amelia nods, "Gather here tomorrow morning? We'll need Arctic survival clothing. I can gather that here by then."

Tali says, "Oh - is there radiation?"

Connor chuckles. "Given that we'll be using time travel, I suppose tomorrow is as good as any other day."

Tali grins. "I can't remember how good a day tomorrow is."

Amelia says, "The background count is slightly higher but not dangerously so. The war probably happened over a hundred years ago. the dangerous isotopes have decayed in the intervening time."

Back to the Past
Amelia is waiting the next morning. One of the couches in the penthouse is nearly invisible under a pile of thick heavy Arctic clothing.

Tali appears - already trying on the clothing.

Connor arrives shortly thereafter. He tries out some of the clothing, "I was thinking...for winter to set in like that overall, it would require a massive amount of debris in the atmosphere, right? That would indicate a full nuclear exchange, but probably not even just two countries going at it. I bet it was more. I seem to remember there were something like four countries with nuclear weapons by the end of the 1950s?"

Amelia nods, "The US and Great Britain. And Russia of course. Who else?"

Tali shrugs. "Don't ask me. I always get the order of history muddled up!"

Tali is suddenly not in the arctic clothing any more, finding it's rather too hot.

Connor thinks about it, "I was thinking either France or Israel, but I might be wrong. That might be the following decade.

Tali says, "Oh! When was the bikini named? Cos it got called that when France blew up Bikini Atoll, right?"

Amelia nods, and starts getting into the heavy clothing. "When we're ready I'll open a portal to the Iceball. Connor, where would you suggest as a physical location?"

Tali puts the heavy clothing back on again.

Connor rubs his neck as he thinks about it. "I'd have suggested D.C. but that's likely to be a crater. Library of Congress. Perhaps a smaller city. A smaller target, but still decent size. Phoenix? Austin?

Connor says, "The best newspapers tended to be in the larger cites, but we just need a brief idea what the spark was."

Tali says, "A big city in a neutral country, maybe?"

Amelia nods, "Whereever Connor says, Tali. We can always move if the first site doesn't pan out."

Connor nods, "Alright, so...let's pick someplace closer, but still on the east coast. Let's go with Richmond, Virginia. Not too far from here. And it's the state capital.

Amelia nods. Putting on a backpack she hands Connor a Geiger counter. "There's no significant radiation in the Colonial Bay location. But let's not take any chances elsewhere." she says.

Amelia asks, "Ready?"

Tali says, "Uh-huh!"

Connor nods, "I'm all set."

Amelia doesn't bother with gestures or an incantation. She just looks at a spot near the couch and a portal appears. Looking through the portal we can see another city under snow and ice. Except this city shows signs of extensive blast damage.

Tali says, "Um - I guess they thought this was more of a target than Colonial Bay!"

The geiger counter clicks but at a low level. Safe for an exposure of a day or so. Not a good place to stay for longer.

Connor looks at the counter, "Looks like we're okay for a bit. Let's be quick about it, though."

Tali says, "I always am!"

Amelia steps through the portal into the icy scene.

Tali goes through too. "So, where do we look?"

Connor steps through as well. "If this was a target, there were lots of bombs thrown. It wouldn't be on my top ten list of targets. Or even top fifty."

Amelia says, "I wonder if there were any military targets here? Heck, I don't even know if there were on our Earth in that time and place."

Tali shrugs. "Me neither."

Amelia looks to Connor, "Where to now?"

Connor says, "I think...we need to find a library. If there is one still standing."

Tali says, "Oh! Or something underground? I think I read that the best way to survive a nuclear blast is to be below ground level?"

Connor nods. "It's possible. Not sure if there was a subway line here or not."

Amelia far reaches. Her hand vanishes up to her wrist into a small portal and then comes back holding a street map. "This is for a nearby dimension's Richmond. Let's hope it's similar enough to be helpful." She hands the map to Tali. "Could you take a look around and see if you can find a library or the like?"

Tali says, "OK!" and goes to explore the city with the map!

The map turns out to be fairly accurate and Tali is able to find the Public Library.

Tali pops back in under a second. "Found it! It's this way!"

Amelia nods, "Tali, how long did it take you. I don't know how your time powers interact with the radiation."

Tali says, "3 hours, 4 minutes and 13 seconds. And yeah, me neither. I guess there shouldn't be any more radiation except if I sped up the source, though?"

Tali says, "It's putrid out there. Not everyone died at once but it looks like they were hungry and cold and fighting each other....."

Amelia nods, "Lets count that as your exposure to be safe. So twenty hours remaining."

Amelia nods, "I forget who said it. Civilisation is three meals away from barbarism."

Connor nods. "Better to be safe about it."

Amelia nods to Tali, "Lead on."

Tali says, "Yeah. Speaking of, did you bring any food? Cos I'm halfway to lunchtime now."

Tali leads the way to the library.

Amelia grins, "Just in case, yes. Energy bars in the pockets of my backpack. Grab whatever you need."

Connor follows toward the library. "I wonder what the nuclear exchange was over? I'm trying to guess based on our personal history, but I can't think of anything."

The Library has taken a fair bit of damage. Both from the bombing and also it appears from fighting around and in it. The above ground floors are stripped. Books, shelves, anything burnable has been burnt.

Tali says, "I hope there's useful stuff underneath! Can you get down there? I mean, it would take me ages to move all this junk...."

Connor looks around, "That doesn't look promising. Any paper likely would have been burned, I think. But...let's see if there's a basement. Technology might have moved at a differnet pace. Microfilm or microfiche wouldn't be burned, if it was here."

Amelia nods, and points to a spot on the rubble cluttered ground. Thousands of beetles appear and start eating their way downwards, chewing a hole about two meters deep before they break into a basement.

Tali says, "Um - those bugs don't eat paper, do they"

Amelia waves and the beetles vanish, "Yes. If I let them."

Tali looks cautiously down the hole. Amelia leans over the hole and casts a floating candles spell down in the basement, illuminating a large chamber with shelves full of microfilm rolls.

Amelia says, "Bingo."

Connor looks down, "That might work. Depending on what's on it. The only issue is going to be showing what's on the film. Then again, you might be able to direct light through it to show it on a wall or something."

Amelia says, "I might be able to repair a reader. I was in the electronics club in school."

Connor chuckles. "Only if you have a power source, too."

Amelia far reaches for a car battery, and 12v to mains power inverter once down in the basement. She wires the items together untidily but effectively, and after an hour or so has one of the readers working again. "Up to you now, Connor."

Tali shakes her head. "Things were so complicated before USB-F!"

Connor uses his PDA to light up the labels on the microfilm and aims for the most recent ones he can find. Often news articles will reference older events, after all. He starts to go through the film, looking primarily at the major headlines.

It takes him a few minutes to figure out how to thread the film. It's not like this kind of thing is common in 2068, but he manages to pull it off with a little trial and error.

The events leading up to the war can be pieced together with Connor's dilgent focused study. He discovers that in 1958 their date it was discovered that Russia had based several squadrons of nuclear capable bombers on the island of Cuba.

Tensions escalated.

The President was handling the crisis with skill despite the Vice President, who's name was Joseph McCarthy, advocating an immediate first strike. Then President Harrison was assassinated and McCarthy took office. McCarthy gave the Russians 24 hours to surrender unconditionally or he would attack with all 23,074 nuclear weapons in the US arsenal.

Tali says, "I'm really wishing I paid more attention in history now. Or maybe I did pay attention. I can't really remember, it was so long ago!"

Connor whistles quietly. "This here. The people who were President at the time were different than in our world. In our world it was...Eisenhower? I think? And the Cuban Missile Crisis didn't happen until a few years later, during Kennedy's administration."

Tali says, "Oh yeah, I remember that!"

Connor chuckles. "And it's a well known fact that McCarthy was a jerk. So...seeing him become President would be..pretty bad."

Tali says, "So maybe if we can stop the President being killed?"

Connor nods. "Based on the description, this guy Harrison was doing a reasonable job. So, we need to stop the assassination." He looks for the associated film to get a description of what happened on that particular day, and loads it up into hte viewer.

Amelia nods. What Connor finds out is the President was travelling in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas, when he was shot in the head by a concealed sniper. The sniper was identified as Lee Harvey Oswald. But Oswald was himself shot while in custody the day after the assassination.

Tali says, "So in this timeline they shot the wrong president!"

The newspaper article gives the details released by the police of where the sniper fired from. A tenth floor window in a apartment block on the route.

Of course the date and time of the assassination is also revealed in the article.

Connor raises a brow, "All similar to the Kennedy assassination. Just earlier. Weird. It matches up with some theories on commonalities across dimensions. Very curious." He points to the location. "Well, we have a place and time."

Tali says, "Yeah, but what if there's another gunman like some people say there was in our world?"

Jumping Back In Time
By the morning of the next day Amelia has collected garments of a suitable nature to pass in the 1950's on the Iceball world in addition to the heavy winter clothes.

Radical shows up in costume this time. "Sure, I finally create nifty tech to help out, and I won't be able to wear it, I'm guessing. So I can blend in."

Amelia has a pot of hot chocolate on hand at the time Tali and Connor are invited to return for the second trip to the Iceball Earth.

Timewarp says, "I dunno - did that world have metas then? And did they do the whole costume thing?"

Amelia offers Connor a large mug of the hot chocolate. "Bring it anyway, Connor. You never know. You might need it and it won't do any good if it's left behind."

Timewarp changes in an instant to 1950s clothes and stuff her own costume into the backpack she's brought.

Amelia also offers Tali some hot chocolate, "I don't know. We didn't look for that in the records. But... well, if there were metas I would have expected some to have survived."

Timewarp says, "Yeah, maybe - how common are metas? Across different worlds I mean?"

Timewarp accepts the hot chocolate.

Radical nods and disappears briefly to do something similar. He returns with a backpack to store his gear and armored costume in.

Amelia looks at Radical, because he'll have his own experiences, as she says, "Surprisingly rare in my experience. I was in a discussion with a mage friend not long ago where we noted that even in dimensions where there was strong Mana so few ever managed to use it."

Timewarp says, "Huh. I didn't know that. But I guess even on Earth the number of metas varies a lot in different times. Or at least, the metas who are visible."

Connor changes in the bathroom to the appropriate street clothes and he puts his gear in his pack. "It's another Earth, though. Metas typically start to appear around the second World War in most worlds I've visited. It's the drive of the ubermensch movement and all that."

Timewarp says, "Yeah. It's usually mostly magicians and non-humans before then, I guess."

Amelia listens to Connor. "So if that pattern holds there may be a few Metas and they'll be a fairly recent, in their terms, arrival on the scene. That could make our task both easier, if we need to use powers, and more difficult if we encounter one or more of the native Metas." she says

Connor nods. "Most of the costumed heroes will be people with...special guns. And good fighting skills. Not too many powers, most likely. And those with powers will often be mystic based, as Timewarp mentioned. Science-based powers likely haven't taken a huge hold yet."

Amelia has her backpack stuffed. "There's energy bars in the backpack if you need them, Tali. Winter gear first. I can get us across but not back in time. That's up to you, Tali."

Timewarp grins. "Most of what's in my backpack is food too. Didn't want to risk running out of energy this time. Though once we're back in time hopefully that won't be a problem."

Connor suits up. "I'm all set."

Timewarp says, "Me too. So, warm clothes over these clothes, I guess?" Amelia dons heavy winter clothing. And without any fuss just opens a portal to the Ice world. It's blizzard conditions on the other side and Amelia winces as driving sleet and snow comes through the portal to soak the expensive lounge carpet. "Oops."

Timewarp waits till the instant the portal opens to put on the winter clothes. She heads through the portal, shoveling the snow back through as she goes with a small spade.

Connor steps through quickly with his pack to try to minimize the amount of snow coming through.

Amelia steps through and closes the portal. We're in the alternate Colonial Bay. Not that anything can be seen. It's a whiteout blizzard. Driving snow and sleet searching out every seam and opening of the heavy winter clothing and fierce winds threatening to bowl the characters over.

Connor waits moderately patiently for the second step...the jump back in time.

Amelia asks, "Dallas and jump back or jump back and then Dallas?"

Timewarp shouts over the howling wind, "I'd better do this right away. Take my hands!" She holds out her hands to make the message clear even if she can't be heard.

Connor takes Timewarp's hand.

Amelia grips Tali's hand.

Timewarp figures jump back first, to get out of the storm!

Timewarp screws up her face in concentration. It takes a second or two before the storm suddenly vanishes and the trio appears to be moving rapidly though an ever-changing tunnel of strange lights - for a moment. Then (relative) normality is restored.

So, three heavily bundled figures appear on a street outside a bank. In the cross fire zone as police crouched behind patrol cars are shooting it out with a gang of bank robbers firing out of the door and windows of the Colonial Bay First Trust Bank.

Amelia mutters, "Great timing." But she's laughing.

The firing stops, at least temporarily, as both police and bank robbers are stunned at the inexplicable arrival of strangers from nowhere.

Connor also doesn't have any armor, given that he's not wearing his gear. "Crap."

Timewarp ushers the heroes out of sight about three seconds after their arrival.

Timewarp pants for breath in the nearby alley where she's hidden the heroes.

Amelia blinks. She'd think she'd be used to this kind of thing by now.

Timewarp says, "Ugh. Just glad they didn't shoot us before I could recover from the time jump...."

Connor blinks again and lets out a long breath. "We're in the right time, at least? I'm guessing we still need to zero in on the location?"

Timewarp gives the time down to the second. Dead on target.

Amelia glances back as the sound of gunfire resumes, a couple of shots at first but quickly building up to a fusillade. "Uh... Do you think we should help out?" she asks.

Timewarp says, "I guess so? I mean, if we're changing history anyway it's not going to do any more harm and might do some good?"

Timewarp does an instantaneous scout of the scene.

Connor thinks about it. "I'm...not sure, honestly. It will definitely have an impact on their timeline if we exhibit powers."

Timewarp peeks round the corner so she can see the bank. Then she slips into accelerated time, ties up the five robbers and blindfolds them, and returns to her starting position.

Amelia is still considering what Connor said, "I see your point but my sister is a street cop. I'd feel bad if I let a police officer get shot when I could stop it."

Connor nods. "I understand. This is the kind of decision I had to make all the time as the Cartesian."

Amelia nods, "Let do it then," she says.

Timewarp says, "I already did!" The gunfire halves as Timewarp disables the robbers, and then tails off as the police move in when the shots from the bank stop.

Connor chuckles, "Well...that's taken care of."

Timewarp says, "We should probably get to Dallas before they start looking for whoever did that."

Amelia laughs, "Okay. Dallas then." She opens a portal to the vicinity of Dallas. "I'll refine our position when we're closer."

Timewarp has a quick look around as she steps through the portal.

Connor nods and takes a cautious step through the portal. It takes Amelia several portals to close in on the intended location. Using borrowed senses to scout each jump except the first to make sure the arrival is unseen. Finally we're all at the rear entrance of the apartment block where the shooter, Lee Harvy Oswald, was said to have fired the fatal shots.

Timewarp rests up during the series of portal jumps.

Timewarp says, "I'll scout the building!" The noise of a large crowd can be heard as the main street is lined multiple rows deep with people waiting for the President.

Connor nods. "I guess I should likely change into my gear, if we're going to have to move quickly. Half the apartments are locked. Including apartment 1041. There's no sign of anything amiss in the areas Timewarp can scout out.

Timewarp reappears. "Apartment 1041 is locked. Didn't see anything fishy anywhere."

Connor changes into his costume, stuffing the winter gear in his backpack.

Radical says, "I'm afraid I can't just see through walls like I used to be able to. But I can get in the apartment without a problem."

Amelia tries her borrowed senses. Sighs. "This would be one of the few apartment blocks that have controlled the vermin issue. There's nothing living in this building I can use to remote see through."

Timewarp says, "Sounds like a plan! I just hope the news reports were right about where the assassin is."

You say, "How long before the assassination is it, assuming the news reports are right, Timewarp?"

Radical raises a brow, and looks to Amelia, "Can't piggy-back off of a human's eyesight? Just mice and rats and the like?"

Timewarp says, "64 minutes, 13 seconds."

Amelia nods, "That's right, Radical. I'm a witch. Animal affinity."

Radical nods. "I suggest we wait a little bit, if we have an hour. We should have someone on the roof to look for a potential second shooter, I think. But otherwise, I'm inclined to go into that apartment with 20 minutes to go.

Radical chuckles. "On the bright side, if this doesn't work, we likely can go back and try again. Might get confusing, though.

Amelia looks at Timewarp, "Uh, can we? Is that even feasible?"

Timewarp says, "Um - in theory? In practice Bad Things tend to happen if people try to cross their own timelines that closely."

Radical sighs and nods, "I was afraid of that. Time travel isn't one of the things I managed to learn about."

Timewarp says, "It's like changing our own past then, not that of a different timeline."

Amelia nods, "The only thing I was taught about time magic was 'DON'T MESS WITH IT!' with my tutors speaking in all capitals."

Timewarp nods. "That's good advice. It's messy even for an expert!"

You say, "Rather than have someone on the roof, where they might be seen and misunderstood by the Secret Service people that are bound to be on some of the roofs, maybe you could have a scout around, Timewarp?"

Timewarp says, "Ok!"

Radical nods. "Makes sense. I don't remember how thorough the Secret Service was in this time period. The Kennedy Assassination changed some of their procedures, unsurprisingly.

Timewarp goes to scout the whole area - widely enough that it doesn't appear instant!

Decoy and Killers
It's fortunate that Timewarp decides to scout such a large area. She spots a couple of secret service snipers on rooftops within 200 meters of the route the President is going to be travelling. However it's well outside that distance, almost 800 meters away, that Timewarp spots a pair of young teens, about twelve or thirteen years of age; on a rooftop overlooking the route; with a impressive looking rifle. The kids are boys, seem to be identical twins, and are dressed in black leathers with silver Nazi SS patches on their sleeves. One is peering through the scope of the rifle. The other is keeping watch on the rooftop.

Timewarp considers handling them herself - but if they're Wolfguard or the equivalent that might be harder than it looks. So she hurries back to the others. "I found some snipers - look like Wolfguard kids, kind of!"

Radical nods, "Let's check the apartment, just to make sure no one is there. Then deal with the snipers you mention. We still have time."

Timewarp says, "Ok."

Amelia nods, "Apartment now?" she asks.

Radical nods. "Let's do that first."

Timewarp says, "So, you said you could get in there?"

Radical nods, "Just myself, though. I can't carry anyone. I'll be right back."

Amelia nods, "Okay. But just in case, if you and Timewarp can deal with the snipers we know about, I'm think I ought to fly over the car invisible. If there's a shot I can put a force barrier up around President Harrison."

Amelia offers a hand to Radical, and a hug to Timewarp. "Good luck and be careful."

Radical nods. "I'll be right back. Then we'll check out the potential shooters."

Radical shakes Amelia's hand and then teleports, expecting to not find much in the apartment.

Radical activates his correspondence harness and teleports a couple of times to get into the apartment in question.

Timewarp hugs - then gets ready to run to Radical's help if he calls for it. Inside apartment 1041 is Lee Harvy Oswald. He's slumped in a chair by the window with a scoped rifle across his knees. He's unshaven, dirty, with an unbuttoned shirt and creased pants held up by suspenders. There's a strong stink of booze in the air. He's drinking from a mostly empty whiskey bottle. An empty whiskey bottle is on the floot by his feet. And unless he was inside a barn he likely couldn't hit it with a shot given how badly he is shaking with DTs.

Radical doesn't feel like taking the chance anyway that Oswald might hit. Instead, he walks over and aims to destroy the rifle with a quick focused singularity, grabbing it if possible to make sure he doesn't miss and hit Oswald.

The drunken Oswald doesn't hear or see Radical until the grab is made.

Radical takes a hold of the rifle and releases a singularity inside it, destroying the rifle. "Lee Oswald. Renounce your ways. You would have sinned here. Make it up in your life. Now is your second chance."

Oswald makes a belated wild grab for the rifle as Radical takes it away and overbalancing falls out of the chair knocking his head on the floor rendering himself unconscious.

Radical checks to make sure Oswald is going to be okay. Then he checks for further firearms before he teleports back outside. "Oswald was going to fire, but there was no way he was going to hit. I destroyed his rifle anyway."

Radical says, "The man was completely ripped. I'm not sure how much alcohol he drank, but it was a lot. He was being set up. I bet our snipers are the real shooters."

They Saved The World
Amelia remembers something. She pulls a trio of earbud communicators out of a pouch on her backpack. "Do you want to take one of these? Limited range, a couple of miles. And no encryption. But UHF, so I doubt anything on this Earth can pick the transmissions up."

Timewarp says, "Huh, why wouldn't they be able to pick up UHF?"

Radical tilts his head, "Television existed at this point in time. They might be able to pick it up.

Amelia sighs, "I didn't realise that, Radical. Well lets hope and keep the chatter to a minumum?" she says.

Radical nods. "Sounds good. I still think it's a good idea. We just need to be cautious."

Radical slides the communicator into his ear, but under the mask.

Timewarp accepts the communicator and places it in her ear.

As plans are made, Sasha rejoins the group at the apartment block after dealing with another issue. Of course that means a short delay as Tali and Radical explain what's happened so far in their activites. Amelia has left to do her overflight protection detail.

Timewarp explains to Sasha, "We stopped Oswald. But it looks like he's not the real assassin - too drunk. And I spotted what looks like some Wolfguard twins way over there...."

Radical nods, "Up on a neighboring building. The current theory is that they pinned it on Oswald after the fact. That certainly won't happen this time, though." He indicates the pieces of Oswald's rifle on the ground.

Timewarp says, "But since it's who's president that seems to matter, we have to stop whoever really did it!"

Radical nods. "I'm set if you are. Let's deal with this. I know they're Wolfguard, but hopefully we'll have the element of surprise.

Sasha murmurs, "Yes, an element of surprise would be nice. Shall we proceed?"

Timewarp says, "Um -do we want a plan then? I know about Wolfguard but don't really have much experience with them...."

Radical shrugs, "I'm afraid I don't know much either. Uh...twin assassins who are...presumably good in hand to hand combat?"

Timewarp says, "So - handle at a distance if possible. Ok. Anythng else?"

Sasha hmms. "Very quick, physically strong and tough, trained extensively in martial arts and armed with cutting edge weaponry. At this point in time, if a parallel to our Earth, they are aligned with the remanants of Nazis and other nationalist powers." the youth taps his cin as he continues in his rather thick russian accent. "They are agents provacteurs and yes, assassins. Good with all weapons. In our time and world, they have energy whips. Here? Who knows."

Radical chuckles. "Apparently they do have a sniper rifle, at least. So...they may use that."

Sasha smiles slightly. "And yes, getting into hand to hand conbat might be a bad idea."

Timewarp says, "Well, I don't have much choice if I'm going to fight, but hopefully I can run away again before they can do anything!"

Radical says to Timewarp. "How far away is it?"

Timewarp says, "Um - half a mile that way, maybe less?"

Radical nods. "It'll take me several jumps to get there, unless we can create a gate or something to close the distance quicker?"

Timewarp holds up a map she just sketched to show where they are.

"Give me a moment," murmurs Sasha as he then appears to simply gaze into the air. In actuality, he is scrying out the location indicated on Timewarp's map, trying to find a good location to open a Gate to.

The assassins are on a rooftop. There's a elevator housing block on the roof that gives a blind spot from the position of the sniper. But the other WG is moving around. Good timing might get you there while it's out of their sight.

Timewarp says, "SMGs as well as the rifle.... so range isn't too good either. Oh well."

The Russian youth sighs, "The assassins are 12-13 years old, they are dressed in black leathers with SS skulls on their sleeces. I think I can get us intp a blind spot behind them wth luck. Tell me when you all are ready and I shall open a Gate."

Radical nods. "I'm ready whenever you are."

Timewarp pulls a couple of paper bags out of the bachpack she came with. "Ready!"

Radical has to remind himself...yes, these are kids...but they're still deadly assassins. He takes a deep breath and steps through the gate, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Timewarp steps through and does a too-fast-to-see-scout to check on the location of the kids.

The two kids are at the edge of the roof. One looking through the scope of the rifle, the other scanning the rooftops between their position and the route the President is scheduled to take.

Sasha steps through the Gate last and let's the opening in space/time close behind himself once on the rooftop. He then waits for the action to begin.

Timewarp dashes out from cover and runs to stick the paper bags over the Wolfguard boys' heads, before tying their hands together with cord from her backpack and dashing to cover again.

Timewarp surprises the twins and so blinds and disables them - at least momentarily.

The two wolfguard kids are taken by surprise but react with trained reflexes. They strain againt the cords and tear their hands free, then pull the bags off their heads. Hands go to the holstered SMGs and they search for targets. But everyone is in cover.

Radical reaches around a corner and fires off a simple singularity at one of the kids. The one who is closest to the rifle.

The wolfguard kid uses his regained freedom to attempt to dodge the attack, assessing the situation as unknown number of attackers so priority is to maintain options until the situation is clearer.

Sasha crooks his fingers in an odd position as simultaneously a grey mist soots from his eyes to briefly engulf the twins. As this occurs, he murmurs, "Interesting. Someone is rather clumsily scrying us at the moment, it seems."

Timewarp says, "Maybe being here isn't such a good plan, then?"

Radical raises a brow at the mention of scrying. He laments that he can't sense such any longer.

The Wolfguard assassin kids freeze in place. Not only are they locked in place, but because of the shared mind they are doubly affected as Sasha's power enveloped both physical brains.

Radical blinks. "Nice. How long is that likely to hold them?"

"It won't last very long," murmurs Sasha as he casts his gaze upwards. "Either of you have handcuffs?"

Timewarp shakes her head. "And they broke the rope. But I can do something about the rifle anyway...."

But an instant later a glowing portal opens on the rooftop and two people step through it. One is a slender male in his late sixties wearing black pants, white shirt, and a high collared red cape. The other is a well built muscled man of maybe mid-twenties, wearing a red, white, and blue costume of stars and stripes and carrying a round shield on his right arm. The shield is white with a large red star on it.

Radical sighs and mutters to himself. "Local heroes?"

Captain USA steps forward, "What's happening here?" he asks in a firm heroic presence filled voice.

Timewarp says, "Trying to stop an assassination attempt!" as she runs forward to age the sniper rifle to rust.

Radical takes a deep breath. "Those...two Nazi kids were about to shoot the President. With that rifle on the rooftop. And I suspect if you were the ones scrying on this roof, you likely already know that."

Sasha mentally debates whether to snark or not snark. It is a good question. The mage nods. He gestures and chains envelop the two wolfguard kids.

Timewarp says, "Hang on - were you already about to stop them? Before we turned up?"

Radical nods at Timewarp's question. That had occurred to him as well. There could be another assassin someplace. Or historically Oswald did get lucky with his shot.

The Russian youth goes still for a moment as he scries the surrounding rooftops with a good view of the area.

Captain USA looks at the two kids with disgust, "That's a uniform I hoped we're seen the last of. I'm Captain USA. My companion is Mysterio the Magician. Who are you? I thought I knew every talented person on the planet."

Timewarp says, "Hey, I'm Timewarp. We're... not from around here, exactly. Hang on, I want to look for another shooter."

Mysterio shakes his head. "No. Our attention was drawn here by the use of magic. Until then we were unaware of this attempt." He then looks at the distance to the President's car just coming into sight. "Could they have hit President Harrison at this range?"

Radical takes the role of speaking to the Captain in the meantime, while the others are busy. "It's...complicated? There's no point in not telling you, honestly. We're from an alternate Earth. And from the future. We're trying to keep your world from going through with a nuclear war."

Radical adds in Atlantean, figuring that will pique Mysterio's attention. << I used to be known as the Cartesian. An agent of the Lords of Order. >>

Mysterio looks blank at Radical's comment, "Whatever language that is I don't speak it." he says.

Radical nods slowly, "That was Atlantean. I thought you might speak it, being a spell caster. In the future, as things stand, without our interference... President Harrison is assassinated. McCarthy takes over, and not being a good diplomat, he helps start a nuclear war."

Timewarp returns momentarily, takes off her boots and massages her feet. "No assassins I can find." She sighs. "Too much walking....."

Captain USA is not slow on the uptake. He nods to Radical. "An asassination of President Harrison. The VP steps in and things go to hell? Excuse my language."

Radical nods. "That's correct."

Mysterio asks, "How bad was it? And has what you've done stopped it?"

Sasha murmurs absently in his thick acccent, his gaze distant, "Hmm, seems clear to me as well. Well, it is nice that this Earth does not become an iceball, no?" His gaze turns to Captain USA. "Yes, or so the future of this world was. It is not now so." He gestures to the Wolfguard twins. "Sign of a new age. Genetics turned to evil purposes."

Timewarp says, "Can you tell if we've done it, then, Sasha? I can't without going back to the future."

Captain USA looks at the imprisoned kids, "Who are they? What are they? You seem to know something of them."

Radical says, "So...we're trying to stop any potential assassins. The one who historically took the fall was really too drunk to shoot straight, though I did destroy his rifle. Then we found these two Wolfguard assassins. In this time period their organization was connected to the SS. They look like kids, but don't underestimate them." He nods to Sasha, "The nuclear exchange is bad enough that the world becomes uninhabitable. We found out about this historical event by getting into a sealed library."

Radical says, "As for whether or not this is the actual cause of the assassination...we don't know. Lee Harvey Oswald was the original person blamed, but it's pretty clear he was just a fall guy."

Timewarp says, "We did stop him too, just in case."

The wolfguard kids finally break free of the mental freeze. But they are secured in heavy chains.

Timewarp says, "I suggest you keep a careful eye on the President. Someone might try again - which could, I suppose, have the same result. History has an annoying habit of trying to reassert itself."

Mysterio nods, "Yes. Security will need to be stepped up."

"Also, diplomacy, even with enemies, is better than end of world," says Sasha with a slight smile. "No one wins if all are dead...well, cockroaches."

Radical says to Sasha and Timewarp, "No luck spotting anyone else?"

Timewarp says, "If anyone's out there, they're well-hidden. I went *everywhere*!"

Timewarp is still rubbing her feet.

Captain USA smiles, "So I've never met a time traveller before. That I know of. On behalf of us all thank you for what you're done here."

Timewarp smiles. "Just make sure it sticks. I don't think we can try again if it doesn't work - time's not *that* flexible...."

Mysterio asks, "What can you tell us about whoever these people are?" He points to the kids. "Why were they trying to assassinate the President?"

Radical chuckles. "We were...hoping to do this without being noticed. There's no telling what our appearance here will cause in terms of ripples in your time stream. But...I figured that I should be honest, rather than evasive." He looks to the Wolfguard twins, "They're Wolfguard, like I said. Genetically engineered assassins. Always in pairs. Linked to each other, from what I understand. I don't know much about the history of the organization, other than that in the future, they go more or less freelance." One of the kids answers that. "If Russia and the United States destroy each other nothing can stop the Reich from rising again and dominating the world." he boasts.

Timewarp says, "Except nuclear winter than not even the Reich survives. This is a really bad idea."

Radical nods. "They clearly don't understand waht the effect of a nuclear exchange will be."

Sasha murmurs softly, "As if the Zerstoiten care about the Reich. Power is the goal, child, not Aryan purity and domination." He looks over at Captain Star and Mysterio. "They are children, but one's raised to a certain world view. Be careful of and for them. they will try to escape and not care who is harmed and may harm themselves."

Mysterio shakes his head, "Does anyone? Let's hope we never have to find out." Then he looks at the three heroes. "Except you do, don't you? And it's about as bad as it can be it seems."

Radical nods. "It didn't happen on our world, but we could see the result on yours."

Timewarp takes out her sketchbook. "Maybe I shouldn't show these, but... I drew some pictures. Make sure it doesn't happen." She show them to the heroes. And the Wolfguard kids, if they'll look.

Captain USA and Mysterio look distressed. The kids glance at the sketches and sneer. "If the Reich falls better everything falls with it." one states flatly.

Timewarp looks at the kids. "There's brainwashed, and there's stupid. You don't have to be the second."

Amelia rejoins you after the Presidental parade is finished. "That went well." she says in a pleased voice. "Who are the newcomers?"

Radical is relieved that they apparently didn't miss anything. "These are two local heroes. Captain USA and Mysterio the Magician."

Radical says to the two heroes, "I'm Radical. These are...Harlequin, Timewarp, and Raven." He figures he would use the hero names, which are likely safer.

Amelia says hello to the two locals. Then turns to Timewarp, Radical, and Sasha. "We did it! I think we worked well together. How about becoming a team? I even have a team name I'll suggest. The Travelers."

Timewarp grins. "I kind of like that!"

Radical nods. "That works for me."

Mysterio asks, "Where do you come from? In your own world I mean?"

Radical says to Mysterio, "Colonial Bay, Virginia. At least currently."

Sasha looks over at the Wolfguard kids then back to Mysterio. "I am a man without a country, myself. But, I live in a part of Colonial bay."

When you return to Alternate Colonial Bay and make the time jump back... you arrive in the square in front of the city library. Pride of place in the square is a many times life-sized statue of Timewarp, Radical, and Harlequin. The inscription on the base of the statue reads, "They saved the world.'

Radical gets a little teary-eyed at that. "Well...I guess we may have...impacted the timeline a little, huh?"

Timewarp says, "Um - yeah - does my nose really look like that?"

"A little, yes, tovarsich," murmurs Sasha.