Into The Past 3

Into The Past 2018/04/25

Radical Raven Timewarp Jak Venture 3

Steinburg Tower
Steinberg Tower is a skyscraper in Old Town. It's been constructed in a style and with materials to match and blend in with the surrounding structures although it does tower over most of the buildings in the district. The building has 30 floors above ground level and two levels of underground parking. Much of the building is unoccupied at this time although that space is likely to be expanded into in the future. Occupancy of the building is organized by Floors.

The entirety of the Ground floor is given over to a spacious lobby which is often the site of various exhibitions and small stalls selling bizarre, and often other-dimensional, wares. Steinberg Tower contains the Steinberg Medical Facility free clinic, the Ashcroft Foundation, and an Arcane Studies Centre. A Mystical Portal on the 28th floor provides travel to a number of other-dimensional destinations.

The top floor contains a spacious and luxuriously furnished Penthouse Suite as well as four equally well furnished and equipped self-contained apartments. There's a helipad on the roof. However, non-emergency use of it is discouraged.

The dining room has been set up for four at the table. A side cabinet holds various drinks and glasses. A couple of days after returning from the auction Amelia sends out invitations to a dinner at her penthouse.

Tali turns up on time, at least to the millisecond. She's got a portfolio tucked under her arm.

Amelia welcomes Tali, offering her a drink and asking if Chinese cuisine is OK?"

Tali says, "Yeah, that's arid. What's treating?"

Amelia smiles, "Nothing much really. I just like the idea of us all getting together and having a diner after a trip. Plus I thought we might want to discuss what happened, what we found out, and what if anything we do next."

Connor shows up after a few minutes. He's dressed casually as well.

Tali says, "Yeah - it was pretty weird! Clearly we take at least two more trips through time. Probably lots more!"

Connor waves, "Sorry I'm a little late. I was teaching a class."

Amelia nods, and goes to greet Connor, "Hi. Thanks for coming. Whiskey, straight, right? I have a bottle of Clan Caladonain Malt. And.. chinese fine for you?"

Connor chuckles. "I think...not whiskey with dinner. Just water for the moment. But thank you for thinking of me. Chinese food works nicely."

Amelia pours a water for Connor, and refills her glass with fae wine. "Just waiting for Jak now." she says.

The contents of Tali's portfolio are rather suddenly on display: sketches from the trip through time, and a few more finished pictures.

Connor nods. He's not in costume. There was apparently little point in doing so, given that everyone here saw him without the mask on the recent trip. He looks at the art curiously, "Hmm."

Jak arrives, later than planned which would normally put him in quite a foul mood- but he's just had his favorite weapon upgraded and that makes it very difficult to sour his outlook.

He appears in the same spot he appeared before they departed to England, circa 1837.

"Sorry I'm late guys- my appointment with my gunsmith ran over." He explains, still spinning his Thunderbolt proudly.

Tali says, "'Hmm'? That doesn't sound so good. I know I am globally out of practice."

Amelia looks through the sketches and pictures. Breaking off to greet Jak. "Ale, wasn't it, Jak?" she asks, offering a bottle to Jak. "I'm planing on Chinese for our meal. Is that good with you?"

Jak nods and smiles, "Good memory! That sounds good to me. Unless you happen to have a belgian white." He holsters his weapon in his waist holster.

"Yes- Chinese is always delightful." He adds.

Amelia puts away the bottle she was offering Jak and far reaches for a belgian white. "Here we are." she says as she hands the new bottle to Jak. Once everyone has a drink she lifts her glass, "To another successful trip." she offers as a toast.

Connor chuckles. "My reaction wasn't due to the quality of your work, Tali. I was just considering your art styling. And whether or not it had similarities to the painting in question. That's all."

Amelia interjects, "I know who the artist of the painting was." she announces.

Connor raises his glass in toast as well. "I find it a little weird to find monuments to work we haven't done yet. But...that's the vagaries of time travel for you, I guess."

Tali says, "Oh! I don't really paint much. Though maybe I should get into it - paintings sell better than drawings - " She turns to Amelia. "Oh?"

Connor looks to Amelia, wondering who the person in question is.

Tali raises her glass too.

You say, "The artist was Gian Giacomo Caprotti da Oreno, also known as Andrea Salai. He was a pupil, although not a very talented one, of Da Vinci."

Tali says, "How did you find out?"

Amelia chuckles, "How else? Google search. The painting is signed."

Tali grins. "Ok. And I was thinking you'd done something clever."

"Here here!" Jak says with glee before nodding about finding monuments. "Hey- having monuments to our honor seems fitting. Its like our legend preceeds us." He smiles, part of him very happy and secured in that knowledge. As if his ego needed assistance.

"Woah- that's some lineage this Caprotti guy claims." He says before taking another sip of his beer. "This- by the way, is delicisous. Thank you Amelia." He says raising the glass once more.

You say, "If we assume the date stated in the auction description is accurate, and that is an assumption we need to check, in 1512 Da Vinci and his household were living in Milan."

Connor tilts his head, looking at the painting. "Does the architecture look like Milan? I'm not sure."

Tali shrugs. "Definitely Italian and round that time, but I can't say if it's Milan. I haven't been there. Well, not for a long time yet and it looks very different then."

"Just a bit outside of my range. I mean, we could pop over there and see ourselves if Whoogle Maps' streetsight doesn't tell us." Jak offers before looking down to his beer, noting the label for future consumption. Amelia looks at Tali, "From my google searches it seems a lot of Da Vinci's sketches and notes were destroyed by a priest after Da Vinci died. And that Da Vinci kept a record of what his pupils did. So..." she pauses, "I was thinking maybe we could go grab those and see, hopefully, where and where Salai did the painting. Plus... discover a previously secretly hidden horde of Da Vinci's work?"

Tali grins. "Now that's ARID!"

Venture looks to Connor and then back to Amelia & Tali. A slow grin spreads across his face. He seems on-board for another trip- through time or otherwise.

Connor sips his water slowly. "Hmm." He says as an aside to Venture, "What does 'arid' mean? Dry? I dont' get it."

Jak whispers back, "It means 'excellent'. She's with it." He explains, trying to avoid slang himself.

Connor nods slowly. "Ah. Got it. I'll remember that."

Amelia looks a little surprised that Tali seems on board with her suggestion. She was half expecting a 'mustn't mess with the timestream' response.

Tali guesses what Amelia's looks means. "It's not like we're messing with much if all we're doing is rescuing something that gets destroyed otherwise."

Tali says, "Heck, I could even paint some forgeries to get destroyed instead so no one knows!"

You say, "That sounds like a great idea, Tali."

Connor takes a deep breath, "I have some qualms about it. But I suspect I'll get over them. And sooner than I should."

Jak naturally has no qualms about it. In fact, he's just trying to figure out how he can help the endeavor out or make a profit off of it. He'll happily take either.

Tali says, "I don't really see the problem at all. Disrupting the timestream isn't easy, if it's even possible. Like - have you ever tried to dam a stream, say on a beach?"

Amelia looks to Connor, "If you have qualms I think we ought to listen to them."

Tali says, "The stream washes away the dam as you build it, so it's hard to do - and even once it's done it takes a long time before it prefers the new channel to the old one. If the dam is kicked down before too long mostly the water just goes back to the original course."

Connor shrugs, "It's the similar problem I had with altering the time stream at the auction. But it became clear to me that it was already...altered. There was what, a plasma pistol? Paintings of people who were out of time? Radioactive material? I'm hesitant to change the past, but I suspect...it's already been changed."

Tali says, "Of course, from the perspective of people in the future, any decision anyone takes now changes the past." Amelia says, "Does it..?" She has an intense thoughtful expression on her face. "Where we are now is the result of everything that's happened so far, right?" She is speaking slowly, developing ideas as she goes. "So... does it matter how much tampering has been done, provided the result of that tampering is this timeline?"

Connor takes another deep breath, "I think you know what I mean though, Tali." He takes a moment to look at the drawings. "My first thought was...'Who is it that is messing with the time stream?'. There's evidence of changes being made. But what if the right question is...'Are we the ones messing wit the time stream and creating this evidence of changes?'"

Tali shrugs. "The only evidence of us being in Milan or wherever seems to be being in the background of a painting. That doesn't sound like we've changed much. And anyway, we already know I'm supposed to be there because I'm in the painting and so it's definitely changing the past not to be there now. Even if maybe in some other timeline -" She shakes her head. "It hurts my head to think about this too much. Truth is, it seems, no one really knows for sure *exactly* how it works. And whether we're in our own time or another time, all we can do is try to do the right thing.

Connor nods. "I'm just saying...we should be cautious. That's all."

Connor smiles, "I am WAY less concerned about the painting. The radioactive material and an energy weapon, though? Those are much more of a problem." Amelia nods, "Our first trip. To the Iceball Earth. We changed their history. Ans whether we actually changed what happened to that Earth or instead created a new timeline where the war didn't happen, either way I'm delighted we did."

Tali says, "Yeah. You have to be more careful maybe if it's not your time - like you'd be more careful in another country where they might do things differently - but some things are just so bad - they have to be put right."

Connor reluctantly nods again, "I'm still okay with making the trip. I suspect my hesitation is still a bit of my...old personality showing through. For lack of a better explanation."

Jak does what Jak does best and that's look intensely as much larger brains discuss the high-level meanings behind the actions he'll happily take without much thought. He sips his beer, listening to the conversation all the same- secretly learning all he can about all of this. Jak is much smarter than he lets on- but lets being underestimated play to his advantage.

"Cautious sounds good to me. I don't want to have to memorize a whole different map or find out the only place to get french fries is France or something." He says finally, kind of agreeing with Connor. "Still- this is all above my head. Timeloops aren't playthings- I think I've gotten that much. But I am incredibly curious as to who left that plasma pistol in the eightteen-hundreds. So I say we go find out."

Tali says, "Before then. It was *old* by then."

Amelia nods, "Lets eat. We've settled on what to do as far as the painting is concerned. But as Connor says, that box of radioactive material and a plasma pistol is a different and more worrying issue."

"Right." Jak says. "Which lines up with this painting right?" He asks.

Amelia opens a portal. When she does a number of Chinese ethnic people come through to fill the table with bowls of a couple of dozen different chinese dishes. They speak Chinese and looking through the portal you can see the interior of a large kitchen, with a view out the windows of a Chinese street.

Connor raises a brow, "The casual use of magic is taking a bit of getting used to." He smiles, "Don't mind me. I'm just uptight normally."

Tali grins at the spectacle of the food being delivered.

The food delivery is very efficient and in less than a couple of minutes the table is laden with food and the portal is closed again.

Tali says, "Yeah. I'm not so happy about the idea of people from the 23rd century travelling through time. The rulers then will be kind of ruthless."

Amelia gestures to the table. "Don't let the food get cold." she says. Then to Tali, "23rd century?"

Tali says, "Yeah, where that gun and its power rods come from."

Jak laughs at Connor's response to the awe and wonder of having an authentic chinese restaurant open up in the middle of the dining area. "Well, somebody's got to do it and it certainly isn't in my wheelhouse." He watches, looking through the portal and restaurant to the street below. Being the vagabond he is, he can't help but wonder just where he's looking right now.

"This smells amazing. Here's to our hostess!" He says, raising his glass towards Amelia.

Then his head snaps towards Tali, "You've seen this tech before?" He asks- much more curious than he was before now that there are some answers on the table.

Tali says, "Yeah. Or after. Depending on how you look at it."

Tali says, "Sort of thing the police would carry. If 'police' is the right word."

Connor listens quietly. "I'm not sure what to make of that, then. Clearly someone went from the future into the past, and left it there by accident. I can't imagine they planned to leave it."

Tali says, "Or someone stole it from the future and took it to the past, or - there are many possibilities."

The look on his face says it all. Despite being quite a bit more intelligent than he let's on, this is still deeply confusing to him. So he just nods and plays along instead of saying something vaguely facetious.

"So 23rd Century Warlords in the ... Pre-Industrial Age? They've got to be some dress code. Imagine trying to keep all that together? Why even go through the trouble?" He asks idly as he makes himself a heaping plate of food.

"Somehow I doubt 'Police' is the word for it with how you explain it... and considering how toxic these weapons are when mishandled I'm not imagining 'Nice Guys' eager to Serve and Protect. But maybe I'm a bit biased." Jak says before shrugging.

"Can we know that for a fact? That they didn't leave it there on purpose? Right-" He says, in agreement with Tali and the infinite possibilities something like this presents.

Tali says, "Or the person from the future could have died in the past. Even having a plasma pistol doesn't stop you being taken out by a lucky guy with a pointed stick."

Tali says, "Or a snake bite or disease or... many things."

You say, "Tali, were those 23rd century types materialistic?"

Tali says, "Um yeah. Capitalism gone wild. Governments as we now know them were - kind of irrelevant vistiges and the corps had the real power, and the power at the corps was concentrated more and more at the top and in certain families. Kind of oligarchic. Or even autarchic in areas dominiated by one corp."

Tali says, "Or maybe that was later when they becamse like a new noble class. I forget exactly. I didn't stay there long."

Amelia nods, "I did a bit of research. Do you remember what you told me about the dairy entries? The 'demons of fire that enslaved the Chiquinto tribe'. Well the original tribal lands of the Chiquinto are slap bang in the middle of the Californian gold fields."

Connor listens quietly, just taking it all in. He's not really familiar with the time period Tali is talking about, though the revelations aren't that surprising, all things considered.

Tali says, "So - they went back in time to get the gold *first*?"

Amelia shrugs, "It's what I do. Except I do it on unhabited Earths and don't enslave anyone."

Tali says, "What worries me is: if they're doing *that*, what else are they doing? If one of the corp-princes got hold of time travel...."

"Ooooh... So that's how you do it." Jack says to Amelia as a sudden wave of understanding washes over him. Somehow this impresses him all more. He also expresses much more surprise in Amelia's income source than the future of mankind. Though to him, that seems like a future best aborted at any cost if possible.

Connor smiels. "Well, I suppose the nature of time travel means that we can look into that whenever. And the urgency level is...well, the same no matter what."

Amelia nods to Jak, "That's how I did it. How I got my starting capital together. Now I'm so heavily invested and diversified that money just keeps rolling in." - Tali says, "I wonder about using my powers to make money sometimes.... I'm not sure what's exactly ethical though...."

Amelia grins as she reaches over to get another pork dumpling, "I'm Jewish. My mother would tell you making money is always ethical. But there again she's also the one who used to tell me, 'Amelia, find a nice rich Jewish boy, already'."

Venture whispers: "Brilliant- Not to divert the conversation to much- but you're going to need to have your people talk to my people... and by my people I mean me. So I can learn to do that instead of spending all my time hustling." Jak says.

"Anyway- 'Corproate Princes tramping their way through time' and hopefully 'how to stop them' was the subject of conversation- though Tali, if you wanted to levverage those abilities I know my business could certainly use the help. Imagine- instant deliveries! Ok Ok- Diverted the conversation enough. Sorry!" He says, trying to backtrack before remembering Connor's point. Now he looks confused again. This might be a regular look on his face if he and Tali go into business together beyond this particular venture.

He laughs at Amelia's mother's stance on profit. "I feel like your mother and I would get along just fine... Though... I'm not Jewish. I'm not really anything. Not that I know of anyway." He shrugs as he rambles off into his plate before eating some more.

Tali says, "I kind of wondered if I could leave money with the Medicis in the 14th century and see what compound interest does with that...."

Tali grins. "Pizza deliveries with blackmail. 'Here's the pizza you're going to order. Now, don't forget to order it or you'll break time.'"

Tali says, "Ooh - or 'over 30 minutes and it's free - under 0 minutes you pay double.'"

Connor chuckles quietly, and goes about serving himself up some of the food. "Okay...so...getting back to the original topic, we'll take a look into the oil painting first? And then the cave painting?

Tali says, "I'd like to look into the oil painting first. If just because I want to meet my Dad!"

Amelia nods, "That sounds good to me. The cave painting, which doesn't exist any longer, it was bulldozed in the 1920's for a Mall construction, is going to be harder to track down to a date. But the good news is we can take all the time we need."

Tali says, "Um, I'm not good at science, but maybe we can get an estimate of when from the halflife of the power rods?"

Jak snickers to himself as he chews his food thoughtfully. "I'm good either way.

"Oh that's not a half-bad idea, Tali." Jak puns poorly.

Connor nods slowly. "Sure. I could likely do that with the right tools. I can speak to someone at the University about it."

You say, "Be careful. Berriwick's heir was dying of radiation exposure and according to his account he was exposed for less than a minute. Those rods must be hellishly radioactive."

Tali has only been picking at her food, focusing more on the conversation - then suddenly she seems to have caught up rather in her eating.

Connor nods. "I'm sure. Perhaps they were a fuel source for the person who traveled from the 23rd century?"

Tali says, "They're power rods for the gun."

Connor raises a brow, "If that's the case, did they always walk around in radiation-proof suits or something?"

Tali says, "I guess the guns must have shielding? But I don't know how they reloaded."

Tali says, "It's not like your average cop would ever have to reload in the field. At least, I hope not."

Connor nods slowly. "Sure. And presumably a single rod gives a large charge for the weapon. Which begs the question...why did the owner of the gun have a reload with him or her?"

Tali says, "Long trip? Or there were more of them with more guns?"

You say, "You're assuming only one gun. Only one was found. But the diary entry spoke of demons. Plural."

Jak swallows hard.

Tali shrugs. "And I guess they could power other things too. Probably a standard power source for many things needing lots of power made by the corp."

Connor nods slowly. "It still implies a reload. After all, if you were on a short trip. Let's say...you send four 'policemen', each witha firearm. They'd all be loaded prior to the trip. Having the box with them means they were intending to reload." He motions to Tali, "Or they needed it for something else."

Amelia nods.

Tali says, "Huh. Maybe the time machine. I dunno how much power that takes, really, since I just do it."

You say, "While I think about it, is there anything we ought to buy for our use?"

Tali says, "If it's the the sort of time machine that goes with you, you'd want some *good* portable batteries."

Amelia nods, "Yes. Wouldn't be fun getting stranded back in those times."

Tali says, "What sort of thing do you mean?"

You say, "Anything that might come in useful. Private jet maybe? Portable wine cooler?"

Tali grins. "Lots of food.... I always need that. Clothes for wherever we're going. But I guess you're thinking of more long-term things."

Connor chuckles. "Let's try to minimize the 'leaving something in the past' issue, if we can."

Jak has always been a 'clothes on your back' kind of traveller. He arrives and makes due when he gets there- but traveling 4th dimensionally is a totally different endeavor. "I can't think of anything off the top of my head."

Tali says, "Yeah. It depends so much on where and when we go!"

Amelia nods to Connor, "I am getting us some improved LPOI encypted earbuds at a minimum."

Tali says, "oh! Good idea."

Tali says, "Oh -"

Tali says, "Mine will need modifying so it turns off when I'm in accelerated time, ideally. If that can be done. Or I'll have to remember to do it manually. Otherwise I'll keep draining the battery...."

Connor nods, "Some communication would be good, yeah. I'm just not sure what else, though."

Tali says, "Maybe we'll work out other things we need as we go along!"

Jak nods. "That would be totally arid. Special ops style." He says looking pleased.

Amelia thinks for a moment and then tells Tali, "I suspect you'll have to do that manually. As I recall, apart from everything around being slow to frozen, fast time feels like like normal time to... hold that... Yes, actually I think I can do that."