[Story] Fenspace Infinities: Strange New Worlds

[robkelk]

Office of the President
Core Module, Stellvia
03:03 GMT 1 June

"... and that's what we have to work with, milady. I can't see how any of our ships can possibly get you to the surface of the new Earth without being spotted."

Skuld frowned at Noah's words. "I wanted to check out your universe's brand-new planet before I took a look at what's happened to your Mars, but if you can't get me there without being seen, I'll have to do things the other way around."

"Maybe if we got somebody to distract the people of the new Earth, we might be able to slip Skuld in while they're looking elsewhere?"

Noah shook his head at his wife's words. "It would take a lot of distractions to divert the attention of an entire planet's observation grid. We need a stealth ship of some sort, and I know just where to find one." He picked up his phone, punched in a number from memory, and waited for the call to complete. "Hello, Jess, this is Noah Scott. Could I speak with Ben, please? ... Well, that's a happy coincidence. Could I impose on you to ask him to divert to Stellvia, please? ... Trust me, Jess, they'll want to meet my current guest. ... Not over an open comm-channel, no. ... Thanks, Jess. I owe you a favor. ... Okay, another favor. 'Bye." He hung up and turned to Skuld. "Your ride will be here within the hour, milady."

---

(This sets up BA's scene...)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Black Aeronaut]

thanks Rob. That sets me up perfectly... Now to arrange all those wonderful fireworks he was saving for the vacation.... *evil grin*

[DeputyJones]

It's up to rob as to just when Jarvis arrives at Stellvia. Read bellow to find out what I'm talking about.~~~
The Drunkard’s Walk Forums present
A Fenspace Alternates production
In association with some people withtoo much time on their hands
Strange New Worlds
Episode 3: “Hard Day’s Night”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In Morse code." – Emo Phillips
~~~
Seele Council Chambers, NERV HeadquartersMost Serene Republic of Pavonis, Mars2:31pm GMT, 2 June 2025
It had been a hectic past thirty-eight hours.
Between the Red Planet apparently deciding it no longer liked that name, the near crash of the Interwave, and so many small things that they could only be called a plethora of problems, the nine council members and three associates present in the meeting room were running on fumes, so to speak. They had been surviving on catnaps for the past day and a half.
“Search parties from the settlements keep reporting back with more discoveries,” muttered Kazuo, removing his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. “Random streets in the middle of forests – some just the streets, some with either houses or businesses, some occupied or unoccupied, and every combination of them. The largest appearance seems to have been that theme park town in the Hellespont Mountains… if you don’t count the new mountain ranges that appeared, of course.”
“Actually, there’s a city adjoining Herschel Crater now,” corrected Mary Gamblin. “It was actually found before that park, but the people who found have been too busy exploring to report it in to anybody before now.”
“A city?” Treasurer Jarvis questioned.
“Well, an amalgam of a whole bunch of pieces of various cities really,” explained Mary. “And no one seems to be in it other than a few stray animals. From the photos the search part sent in it looks like every few blocks the location and time period of construction changes. After looking at the images, I’d say the time periods for the construction of the various sections range from the mid 19th Century to the present. We’ve got tarmac and concrete roads connecting with dirt and cobblestones, and one picture showed a Turkish bathhouse alongside – and I kid you not – what looks like the images I’ve seen of Philadelphia Station. In terms of place of origin, that’s equally eclectic, with signage and styles in the photos and reports ranging from Chinese and Indian to English and Russian to…you get the idea. The discovering team has been referring to the city as ‘Patchwork’ on several message boards and the name seems to be catching on.”
“The search teams will probably continue to report back with such new findings for some time to come. We’re talking about the entire freaking planet having changed, after all,” the Yamato Nadeshiko named Biwa responded.
“While they’re just as confused as the rest of us, the Elies are ecstatic about the biosphere outside. None of them were expecting to see the ability to walk around on their ‘promised land’ without an environmental suit or a dome overhead inside their lifetimes. Elysium is beckoning, and the MTP is now essentially pointless,” threw in Jimmy Blake.
“Hardly pointless,” countered Joseph Fenette. “For one thing, instruments still indicate that the planet cannot produce a strong enough magnetosphere of its own. That means the continued construction, placement, and maintenance of the magnetic field satellites remains critical. For another thing, while the floral biosphere that appeared makes sense – there aren’t any tropical environments that appeared in the polar regions, for example – we still have no idea if the faunal part of the biosphere is self-sustaining. There may be animals present, but do they have stable breeding populations or sources of food and population control? The Mars Terraforming Project may have taken one hell of jump in terms of stages, but is certainly isn’t complete or defunct. It simply has a new set of goals challenges in front of it.”
“Going back to the subject of people,” Kazuo continued, “We’re now having to put up several hundred people who I can only describe as refugees in the arcology and they’re still trickling in as the exploration teams based here return. Right now we’re putting as many people as we can in the Sheffield Community Centre and a couple empty hangars at H.G. Wells. Helium, Lowell, and other settlements are handling these people in similar fashion.”
He sighed in slight relief. “Fortunately, the Nikaido Foundation is offering some minor funds to help support the refugees – a term that I’m hearing more and more used to describe them is ‘The Displaced,’ by the way – until a way can either be found to send them home or they can find a way to support themselves here. I’ll bring that up at the Gehirn meeting later tonight. I’m currently thinking of bringing up the idea of shipping a few generators over to that Patchwork place and having the Displaced stay there until a solution is found. We can’t put them up forever, you know.”
Lana Izavia snickered. “You ever feel like you were in a bad, made-for-TV movie? Hey, with transfictionality it’s possible.”
Alex snorted. “TV? Movie? Please! A dime store novel at best. We’re more likely some group of people who have too much time on their hands’ attempt at fanfiction.”
“At least we have an idea of why all this is happening,” Jimmy inserted. He then adopted a wry smirk. “Even if we can’t tell anyone about it.”
The O laughed weakly. “We call ourselves Seele, run NERV, and are now keeping divine-level secrets from everybody else. What the hell kind of cosmic irony is this?”
“If we tell anyone, I’ll be the one under a shitload of spotlight. I do NOT want that to happen,” Alex said, shuddering. “We all know what happens when someone claims to have had a divine experience, let alone when they have proof of it.” He said the last part while idly waving a certain flash drive in his hand.
Everyone else at the table shuddered. Whether it was at the idea of what would happen or remembrance of what they’d seen during the conversation between Alex and Death was anyone’s guess.
“And here I thought I’d end up happily teaching minor magic abilities and occasionally consulting on related issues in this second chance of mine,” drawled the bemused, English-accented voice of one of the council’s guests that afternoon, one Rupert Giles. He chuckled with just a hint of self-defeat present in his tone, “Once a Watcher, always a Watcher, I suppose.”
“I have to admit,” began the woman next to Giles who was reading over the as-detailed–as-possible notes Alex had written down of the part of his experience not covered in the video they had all watched earlier. “For someone having their first meeting with a being of power, you did rather well.” Janna Kalderash-Giles grinned a little. “And it’s nice to see that all those talks the three of us had about using careful, precise language when doing so came in handy, Alex.”
Xanatos snorted. “’Talks.’ You and Rupert telling me horror stories about what happened to people who weren’t super careful in those situations over a pint of Guinness hardly counts as detailed instruction, Janna.”
“I have to agree with my wife, Alex,” started Giles. He ignored The O and Blake chorusing ‘Of course you do’ and continued. “If we can logically deduce that what happened to the planet is the result of the Struve’s own first boon, then I can only surmise that your own acted as a sort of filter for it. We’ve all seen what and what not has changed about the world, but imagine just what might have happened to the people on Mars had you NOT placed these restrictions on just what he could have done.”
This time there was no question where the shudder came from.
“Speaking of said proof,” began Kazuo. “I agree that we should not let the information we have go public, even just within the foundation. In fact, we should not react to what we know about this… ‘Counter-Earth’ at all until some other people notice and start talking about it first. Still, while it won’t go public, is there anyone that any of us thinks we should share the information we have with?”
There was silence for a moment.
I believe that I may have something to add,” the third non-councilperson at the table spoke up. He spoke English, but the origin of his accent was unidentifiable to just about anyone.
“Yes, Lelouch?” Kazuo asked.
“I believe I can recommend someone we should share the information that we have with,” continued the former head of the Black Knights and present head of the secret U.N. Mars Force. “I also believe that we should request that anyone whom we share the information with now and in the future destroy whatever information medium we send them – whether paper or media – as soon as they are finished with it so as to maintain our security.
“My recommendation is someone we all already know can keep a secret so long as it isn’t blown for him. Noah Scott. We know he has already had experience with extradimensional visitors, and by informing him of what we know so soon in all of this happening we engender feeling of good will between the NERV Foundation and Stellvia Corporation for future endeavors.”
He continued: “I believe that we should send President Scott a copy of both the recording and the notes covering the portion of the Mr. Xanatos’ meeting not covered by it via courier and to be delivered to him and only him. We further request that he shares the information only with those whom he implicitly trusts and that he destroys his copies of the information as soon as possible.”
There was debate for about ten minutes.
“Alright, alright!” called out Kazuo. “It has been decided to follow through with Covert Operations Director Lamperouge’s suggestion. A courier will be dispatched with copies of the relevant information as soon as letter from this council can made to explain just what we’re sending him.”
“I’ll write the letter,” offered Jarvis. “I also volunteer to deliver it. I’ll simply dress casual and make it look like all I went to Stellvia for was to get away from all this madness for a while and grab a bite to eat while I was at it.”
The rest of the table stared at him.
“You just want to mess with Scott’s head by flirting with him again, don’t you?” deadpanned The O.
The former butler’s innocent expression fooled no one.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock* Went the meeting room door.
“““Come in,””” offered several of them.
A redheaded woman in a STARS Security Division uniform – the beige UN uniform form NGE – with lieutenant’s markings entered the room. She looked rather put-off.
“Um,” she started. “Sorry for the interruption, but a recon party from the PKG just landed at H.G. Wells. This one brought back two Displaced and…” she trailed off, biting her lap.
Mary frowned. “Just show them to some cots in one of the hangars. What’s the problem?”
The redhead continued. “The thing is, ma’am. The recon party spotted them while one was flying on the other one… which is a fairly large dragon.”
Jimmy Blake spoke up, stunned. “Don’t tell me we got rifters from Pern?!”
The lieutenant laughed slightly. “Not quite, sir. At least, I don’t recall the dragons from that series being able to change into a human form.”
“…Well damn,” muttered Jimmy.
“What about the rider?” asked Lana.
“Well, that’s the main reason I was sent here, ma’am. You see, the rider appears to be in his late teens or early twenties, is missing his left eye, and…” she looked at one of the non-councilpersons in the room. “looks an awful lot like Nicholas Brendan.”
Everyone in the room slowly turned to look at Rupert Giles.
“Oh, bloody hell,” he muttered, pulling off his glasses to polish them.
~
Next Episode: Either "Mr. Bad Guy" or "Spirit in the Sky"
A look into either Harry Struve or the divine side of things.

[Bob Schroeck]

Oh, fun installment. There appear to be a couple spellchecker mistakes -- the wrong "right" spelling -- but the only thing other those that I think really needs fixing is this clumsy sentence:

We’re more likely some group of people who have too much time on their hands’ attempt at fanfiction.

I'd recast it as

We’re more likely fanfiction by some group of people who have too much time on their hands.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[robkelk]

(blows dust off thread)

Since BA's scene is still in development (I hope), here's the start of what happens after Skuld leaves and Jarvis visits. More later, if anyone else cares enough to contribute to this alternate...

"Mr. Scott, I've detected an unauthorized signal on the Halcyon network, from a terminal we didn't issue."

"Shit! Somebody's cracked the security... no, wait. Patch it through to my terminal, Takami."

She blinked and nodded, then typed for a few seconds. A new window - titled "VIDWINDOW" - appeared on Noah's desktop, then showed Skuld's face. "Took you long enough."

"Sorry, we just noticed your signal. I gather the insertion went smoothly?"

"As smooth as silk, yes. Let Ben and Mayonaka know I look forward to seeing them again, but not for at least a week. Longer if nii-san's local avatar shows up."

"Which reminds me - who is Paradox's avatar in this universe?"

"I don't really want to find out whether there even is one, Mr. Scott."

He took the hint. "We have a data packet for you, milady."

"Oh? Where did it come from, and what's in it?"

"We've been asked to keep the source secret, but I expect you'll figure it out quickly enough. As for what's in it, I'm hoping you can tell us. It looks like somebody's idea of how a meeting with a Higher Power is supposed to take place. Somebody who's never met you, that is."

"Maybe what's described in the data packet is how the local Manifestations do things. It would explain why you've never met any of them. Assuming you've never met any of them."

--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[DeputyJones]

A man in a lab coat is working at a Frankenstein's operating slab-esque table. He seems to be singing... badly
"The hip bone's connected to the - leg bone. The -" *Notices audience* "Oh! Hello, everyone! DeputyJones here, er..." *looks down and covers pixilated monstrosity with bed sheet* "He he, let's just ignore that, shall we?
"Anywho! I know that three years is quite a while, but I have most certainly NOT forgotten about this fic. Life's just been beating about a little. I actually had hoped to have something done recently, but between a job hunt, and helping my parents look for a new house, and my mother breaking her hip and getting it replaced yesterday morning... well, I'm a bit swamped by Real Life right now.
"Eh? 'Stressed?' Why would you ask that? Of course I'm not stressed."
*laughs slightly unhinged as Jacob's Ladders spark in the background*
"At any rate, I fully intend to have a new chapter - if not several! - out before Christmas. I will, however, be doing what Heinlein considers to be very evil - a retcon. I just have several changes for the basic history of Counter-Earth that I want to make for more fun in the future.
"Well, that's all, folks! I was just feeling rather ashamed I hadn't posted anything in a while and didn't want anyone who actually liked where I was going with all of this to be disappointed. Ja ne!"