Connor's Grandmother Session 2

Travellers - Saving Connor's Grandmother 2019/02/02 	 Radical Ramona Timewarp Amelia Moonshadow Jak

2

Meeting up
Radical has contacted everyone to meet at Amelia's place to discuss the mission he wants to deal with next. He speaks to those already gathered, "As some of you know, I received a message from Elizabeth Moriarty, who gave me word about a serial killer on the loose. In 2018. It turns out that this person's target is actually my grandmother, while she was in grad school at Princeton."

Radical continues, "After this moment, she would become the Cartesian for a time. My uncle was her successor. I checked into the history of the situation, and it looks like we were there. And stopped the killer. I have a time and place, after having spoken to my grandmother a couple of days ago."

Radical says, "It also looks like Elizabeth was there. She initially drives off the killer, getting away with Ramona, my grandmother. After driving some distance, Elizabeth leaves to deal with...something, leaving my grandmother alone. The killer shows up again...and we arrive to save the day."

Timewarp has turned up in costume, what with this being officially a mission. "So she remembers us being there and we're just making sure it all goes like it already does? That sounds ok. Amelia sips her drink, "To the rescue. Sounds simple enough. Tali, up for a trip to the past?"

Radical nods. "she didn't know it was us. She just said some capes showed up. At which point, I showed her a photo of my costume, and asked if 'this person was there'. She confirmed that I was there. And that she hadn't known who I was.

Radical says, "So...no one tell her. Please."

Radical chuckles. "I mean...the modern version of her knows now. But not the person back then."

Amelia chuckles with Radical, "Yeah. I guess you turning up and saying, 'Hi, I'm your grandson' would be a bit disconcerting."

Timewarp says, "Ok. So, costumes on? Capes were plentiful by that time, so we shouldn't get too much attention!"

Radical nods. "I think costumes make sense. Her name is Ramona Cedar. Apparently the killer was known as the Phone Book Killer, as they were killing all of the 'R. Cedar's in the phone book. Based on the slightly off-kilter description I've gotten, it's possible that the killer is an agent of Chaos. Or it's something to do with our work here, since Elizabeth is involved.

Timewarp says, "Or I guess it's a different R. Cedar they want, maybe!"

Radical shakes his head. "Supposedly Elizabeth actually said to Ramona that she was the target. I'm inclined to go with the obvious."

Timewarp says, "Ok. That's less confusing, anyway. Do we know what happened to Elizabeth? Is it something she might need help with too?"

Radical shakes his head, "No idea. So, she might be in danger as well."

Amelia is using her PDA to check on historical archived media for Princeton for the year 2018. "That seems to check out, Radical. There were six R Ceders's in the Princeton Phone Book. The killer got to five of them, killing them in the order they were listed in the phone book. Surely he would have stopped if he'd already elimitated his target?"

Amelia then shakes her head. "No. That doesn't hold up. That assumes he knew which R Ceder he was after, and if he did why kill the others?"

Timewarp says, "So she's the last target? Ugh. I hate it when we can't save people...."

Radical shakes his head, "I would say that it says to me that the killer is not exactly a deep thinker, to a certain degree. Likely cunning, but not afraid of collateral damage. It was entirely a brute force method of finding his target. He knows the name, but not the person. So, he goes to kill them all, regardless of who they are.

Timewarp says, "Maybe he doesn't know which it is, then. Or maybe it's like in the ABC murders where it's a false pattern to hide which the real murder is, or something."

Moonshadow says, "Sounds like The Terminator."

[To Moonshadow] Timewarp says, "Oh, you watch old vids? Or do you mean one of the remakes?"

Jak Fortune is running late- minutes late after a delivery of materials went awry and ended up with Jak in a shootout with cyborg pirates. Once he had arranged for the safe delivery of the package he was contracted to deliver he warps to Colonial Bay as quickly as he can.

Once there, he begins leaping in ever smaller jumps until he arrived at Steinburg Tower at the appointed location though clearly not the time.

He arrives still panting, his backpocket smoking from the laser shot he took in the behind.

"Sorry I'm late guys." He says looking around at who all's beaten him. He hates being the last one anywhere unless he's trying to be fashionably late..

Moonshadow says, "I've only seen the originals."

Amelia gives Jak and nod and smile, "Hi, Jak. Let me get you a drink while the others fill you in on what's happening."

Timewarp says, "I saw the original when it first came out - I think. Of course I'd already seen most of the sequels and remakes before that."

Radical waves to Jak, "Short version: We need to head back in time to save my grandmother from a serial killer."

Timewarp says, "The good news: we can do this in costume, so we don't have to *dress* like our grandparents."

Radical says, "Not that fashion fifty years ago was that bizarre, mind you."

Jak smiles at Amelia, "You're a life-saver." he says as he tries to catch his breath. He waves to the otehrs.

Timewarp grins at Radical's comment, as if at some private joke.

Moonshadow says, "Not that different at all."

Radical chuckles. "at least if you ignore the pop stars of the time period." He looks to Jak, "My grandmother remembers seeing us there. At a particular place and time. I'd like to make sure we're there to stop the killer as she remembers it.

Amelia returns with a drink for Jak and refills for anyone else wanting one.

Amelia asks Radical, "So what do you know about the events back then?"

Amelia resumes digging into historical records.

Jak Fortune nods to Radical as he takes the drink, an icy cold Belgian Witbier- before turning back to Amelia. He lifts his glass. "And our host is as gracious as ever. Thank you."

Timewarp says, "Three years after First Contact. So it's still all alien fever and how the Guild will bring peace and prosperity. Ooh! And the first Spaceburgers."

Radical thinks about it. "I think I've covered a lot of it. The killer is a large man, who was using a gun. Ramona was leaving campus after classes, and was approached by Elizabeth. Elizabeth shot the guy who was trying to kill my grandmother, and Moriarty used an energy weapon. She pushed Ramona into a car and drove off."

Radical says, "The car got to the gas station I mentioned about halfway to Kingston. Six Mile Fillup. Elizabeth left to say she was getting food and supplies. A couple of hours later, capes...us...showed up. That's when the guy showed up again and we drive him off."

Radical says, "Given that he wasn't knocked unconscious and captured, I'm guessing the guy isn't a normal human."

Radical says, "At some point in there, Elizabeth gave my grandmother a letter. To be opened 'when the time was right'. Once she knew the killer had been dealt with. The letter read, 'This is our timeline. Don't tangle it up. What you know MUST happen. E.V.M.'"

Amelia speaks out loud, "Huge brute of a guy. Wearing black leather jacket and pants. And it was a hot June. It says here he was spotted by a patrol car, shot the car up. The two patrol officers were saved by an unknown group of capes who drove the killer off."

Jak grins and says, "Sounds just like the thing we'd do."

Radical nods. "It does. The fact that he got away though...that bothers me. Amelia, is there anything more on the guy's fate?"

Timewarp says, "Or any other mention of us at the time? We don't want to miss anything we're supposed to do."

Amelia shakes her head, "Not that I've seen so far. The case is still officially open. Cold case though, obviously. But the patrol car sighting is the last official record known publically. The killer was never caught."

Timewarp says, "Well, maybe we'll find out what actually happened!"

Radical takes a deep breath. "But she was safe after that? Perhaps...if he was summoned and sent back to where he came from?" He shakes his head, as if trying to clear cobwebs, "We'll figure it out at the time. I think we have enough to go on."

Amelia looks up, "It worries me a bit that it seems all we could do is drive him off. If the group of us couldn't take him down, well he must be pretty tough."

Timewarp says, "What about Elizabeth? Do we see if she needs help? Or would that mess up the timeline?"

Moonshadow says, "Can we find out if she knows more about what happened?" Amelia mutters, "Moonshadow, I'd bet on it."

Being the sort to 'go with the flow' Jak lets the others wax on and strategize. He's heard all he needs to. 'Save the cops. Shoot the big guy in leather.' Sounds fun to the Warping Gunslinger.

Radical shrugs, "Given that Elizabeth isn't in this time period, we can't just ask her. We'll have to do so when we get there."

Timewarp says, "Which is globally my point. If we're asking her then we have to meet her and not just show up at the time we're supposed to and shoot the bad guy."

Amelia looks at Timewarp, "Are you saying we shouldn't?"

Timewarp says, "No, I'm just asking what the plan is. Obviously if we're talking to her, though, we should do it when no one's watching, if we weren't spotted talking to her!"

Radical nods. "Yeah, you're right. It might be more complicated than we think it is. She did disappear for a couple of hours, so she could have been in danger...or getting us to help, for all we know. That's still going to require us going back there and finding her."

Timewarp says, "I suggest we go back to about when she went off by herself, and try to catch up with her then. We should still be able to make our appointment!"

Amelia shakes her head and take a long sip from her glass, "Timewarp, you and Radical figure it out and I'll go along with whatever you decide. Every time we do one of these time-shift things I get a headache."

Radical nods. "Seems reasonable to me."

[To Amelia] Timewarp says, "They make something in the 38th century that's great for that kind of headache."

Amelia lifts her glass, "They do in the 21st too."

Timewarp grins. "And now you've ruined my joke."

Jak chuckles all the same.

Moonshadow says, "Vodka?"

Timewarp says, "Sadly, I can't drink cos I'm driving....."

Timewarp says, "Ok - so can you give me the exact time I should be aiming for? Also, we want to do this somewhere where there was something to stand on 50 years ago."

Moonshadow says, "How about the Island?"

Timewarp says, "The island is probably ok. And then there are old building that we know were there..... Newtown was still all fields and stuff, of course!"

Radical says, "We could also say...go to ground level."

"Which island?" Jak asks. He isn't a native and he's assuming that the three dimensional travelling will mostly be done by him- so he figures he'd better pay extra attention now.

Amelia says, "The killings took place of the 14th and 15th of June, 2018. There's a report of a disturbance on the Princeton University Campus at about 5pm on the 16th of June. The patrol car sighting was after that, at 6pm on the 15th. Those are media reports so I wouldn't totally trust the times given." Amelia digs deeper, "The patrol car incident reportedly occured near the interception of Wharton Street and 23rd. In Wharton Park.

Radical nods. "We COULD try to stop the initial killings, but I suspect we shouldn't, based on the letter Elizabeth sent. It would...tangle things. Maybe try to show up just before Elizabeth runs into Ramona near Princeton? Say...4 PM?

Radical says, "Or we can aim for 6 PM or so by the second location, as we originally planned."

Timewarp says, "I'm inclined t go for the earlier time. Gives us more flexibility if anything goes wrong."

Radical nods.

Radical downloads a map of the roads in the time period, prior to making the jump.

Amelia has an intense look of concentration on her face. "If we do, we'll have to stay out of sight at the Campus incident, wouldn't we. Because the killer will know us?"

Moonshadow says, "I suspect our PDA's might not connect back then. We'll need a way to keep in touch if separated, and also a means of gathering data."

Timewarp says, "Yeah. We don't want to be *spotted* early. But we can do scouting if no one notices *us*."

Moonshadow says, "I can blend in, in necessary."

Amelia smiles at Moonshadow, "Thanks for reminding me." She goes out for a minute, and returns with a handfull of small chrome boxes the size of a matchbox. "New communicators. Encrypted."

Timewarp says, "Oh. That reminds me, Amelia: we really should sort out some bank accounts so we can get period money in the past."

Moonshadow takes a communicator, "What's the range?"

Amelia tells Moonshodow, "Global if they can link to the satellite array I hired Emissary to put into orbit, or about 30 miles without satellite support."

Timewarp slides the communicator into one of her many pockets.

Moonshadow tucks hers into the top of her boot.

Radical chuckles. "So...thirty miles in 2018, then."

Jak whistles appreciatively before tilting back his beer and then grabbing a communicator for himself. "great planning." He remarks.

Radical takes the communicator and slips it into a pocket. The advantage of having a long coat.

Amelia nods to Timewarp, "Suppose I give you a dozen or so millions in gold bullion and you arrange bank accounts at suitable dates?"

Moonshadow says, "Unless this 'Emissary' put the satelites up 50 years ago."

Amelia shakes her head, "Nope, Moonshadow. Last year."

Timewarp says, "Yeah, that was kind of what I was thinking. Different dates and countries. Should be able to get decent coverage for several hundred years, anyway."

Timewarp says, "We could do better if we got period PDAs. I mean, they're primitive but they can still communicate across the world. Well, except where there isn't coverage."

"But who has the pocket space for something that big?" Jak asks, clearly under the impression that 2018 tech was much more primative than it was.

Moonshadow says, "There was a choice of two major types: Apple or Android..."

Timewarp shrugs to Jak. "They had to be big because there weren't holo-screems yet. You couldn't display anything bigger than the PDA."

"Suppose it's better than the Victorian Era." Jak says with a wry smirk.

Radical says, "I think we'll be fine with these communicators."

Timewarp nods. "We're not staying long and shouldn't be far apart."

Amelia chuckles, remembering a sore posterior after a coach ride, "At least the cars have suspensions."

Timewarp says, "Though the cars all still have wheels. Still, before hovercars then at least *sometimes* they fixed the potholes."

Timewarp says, "So, are we doing this now, or do people need to get ready, or....?"

Radical says, "I'm ready now."

Timewarp says, "We should definitely appear somewhere we won't be seen, though, since we're going for the earlier time."

Jak sets his glass down on a table with one hand and unholsters & spins his Thunderbolt with the other before sliding it smoothly back into its holster. Its all done in one smooth movement, without a single thought. He nods to the others.

Moonshadow downloads data onto her PDA, weather, sunrise/set, moonrise/set etc. for the place and time under discussion.

Radical chuckles as he watches Jak, "Do you always need to show off like that?"

Amelia hesitates, then shrugs, "Sure. I can go now. I'll gather up some of the jewelry I have. We can sell it back in 2018 if we need cash."

Moonshadow says, "Watch out for artificial and alien stones..."

Jak looks to Radical and asks, "Like what?" Muscle memory perhaps?

Radical shakes his head and chuckles. "Never mind."

Amelia grabs a half dozen jewelry cases and slips them into a bag.

Radical looks to Amelia, "We're only intending to be gone a few hours."

You say, "Better to have them and not need them, than not have them and need them."

Timewarp says, "Yeah. Though watch out for pickpockets. Remember CB is THE tourist attraction in the world at this time!"

Radical nods and shrugs, "I was thinking we should just make sure Tali is okay, so we can get back."

Timewarp grins. "It's only 50 years. You can get back without me. You just have to be patient."

Moonshadow says, "I might be able to find a shortcut, if necessary."

Timewarp says, "I'm still thinking Newtown? The island's going to have visitors in June. In Newtown no one's going to see us but some cows, or a farmer at worst."

Amelia asks, "Make the time jump in Colonial Bay and then cross country to Princeton?"

Radical nods in agreement. "Newtown makes sense. Or even further out, like Green Acres."

Moonshadow says, "or Creekside."

Timewarp says, "We could go to Princeton first but then we'd have to research the geography there... and no, not Green Acres. Too many trees. And Creekside was there, even if just a village - look, I know what I'm talking about!"

Radical looks at Timewarp. "It's fine. No need to get defensive."

Amelia nods, "Your choice, Timewarp. We're in your hands."

Timewarp says, "Sorry. Didn't mean to snap!"

Once we're assembled at the designated location in Newtown, Tali asks everyone to hold hands.

Amelia grabs hold. She's getting to be an old hand, no pun intended, at this.

Radical holds hands as instructed.

Moonshadow takes Amelia's hand.

Timewarp wisks us off into the timestream, or whatever the seeming rushing tunnel of lights is. Its a fairly smooth ride, but seems somehow faster than usual, almost as if eager to get there.....

And suddenly, we're in a green field. Not even cows. The sky is blue. But for some reason we're in shadow.

Moonshadow looks for the source of the shadow.

Radical raises a brow and looks around. The city should be...well, visible from here.

The city is audible from here too. A bedlum of car horns and sirens in the distance.

The city is indeed visible, once Radical turns to the east. As is the spaceship: a huge silver saucer-shaped craft, hovering above the future Alien District.

Timewarp says, "Shick!"

Moonshadow says, "Razor?"

Radical blinks. "Umm...when did the aliens show up in Colonial Bay, again?"

Amelia stares, "Why does that sight ring a bell?" muses Amelia aloud.

Timewarp says, "Sorry! So many time travellers visit this day - it's like there are ruts in the timestream...."

Moonshadow says, "Didn't someone say something about First Contact being about now?"

Timewarp points. "I'm standing in the crowd over there somewhere, too. Make sure I don't meet me."

Amelia nods, "Yeah, that's it. First Contact. 2015. That's why it looks familar. I saw that image in school history lessons."

Timewarp says, "Yeah - look! I think you can see StarDancer there!"

Radical chuckles. "We should move on. Let's avoid the sightseeing for now."

Timewarp says, "On second thought - let's move city first. Getting *out* of this time round here is probably hard, too."