[RFC] Super Dimension Magical Girl Lyrical Skitter

[ECSNorway]

So, I've been reading an awful lot of Worm 'fics lately. And one of the scenarios that so rarely seems to get any interest is the post-canon situation. Sure, there's Copacetic and one of the Exalted crossovers (both of which are Awesome, by the way).
A few of you may have seen bits of this, and I'll be posting soon over on Spacebattles and SufficientVelocity, but, well, I trust folks here to give constructive criticism a bit more than I do those lunatics.
So! Episode Zero, Super Dimension Magical Girl Lyrical Skitter, hajimarimasu!
                --- * --- 0 --- * --- 0 --- * ---
The laboratory facility was brightly lit, and the walls painted a gleaming white, the better for any speck of contamination or distortion to show itself instantly. When you were working with the dimensional boundaries, instantly spotting any breach was of the utmost necessity. Especially with this particular boundary.
The Baerzen wall had sprung into being some thirty years previously, sealing off a massive swath of dimensional space. It was named after the only explorer to have returned from beyond it, who had warned his comrades of immense monsters, madness, and danger to the entire multiverse, before expiring. The facility was officially the Baerzen Memorial Dimensional Transit Research Institute, but the scientists, mages, and soldiers who worked there just called it The Hole.
Major Tiida Lanster, chief of security for the Hole, set aside his coffee mug to look over the new transfer seated across the desk from him. She was young, clearly a recent Academy graduate, with long auburn hair and wide blue eyes. Freshly polished Second-Lieutenant's tabs gleamed on the collar of her uniform. He paused a moment to look down at her file.
"So, Lieutenant... Takamachi. Let me be the first to welcome you to the Baerzen Facility security team. Given your previous experience, I suppose you were expecting something a little more exciting for your first official assignment with the Bureau?"
The girl blushed. And actually giggled. She stifled it as soon as she realized what she was doing, but still, she giggled. Charmingly young. "Ano, er, well," she said, "The Jewel Seed incident could've been pretty messy, but it ended well, didn't it? And the Book of Darkness, well, I'm really hoping nobody has to deal with anything that, er, exciting, ever again."
"... We'll see, Lieutenant, and I think we're all hoping the same. But that's why we have security at facilities like these, to make sure that kind of thing doesn't happen again. As much as we're able, that is." Tiida took another sip of coffee and watched the girl for another long moment. "Your assignment here does not mean," he finally added, "that command expects something to happen. Given the kind of research being done here, however, the possibility is all too real. That's not why you're here, though, Lieutenant Takamachi."
She nodded, sitting straighter. "Yes, Major. Colonel Grangeitz told me when he gave me the assignment that he just wanted me to learn to work with a team."
Good, she was paying attention. That was what might keep her alive long enough to realize the potential described in the reports Tiida had read. He let his eyes drift to the photograph on the corner of his desk, then forced his attention back to the Lieutenant. "More than that, you need to learn to work with a commanding officer that isn't a close personal friend. Which I'm not. And the actual director of the facility... well, her you do know. I do hope your past won't be a factor in your ability to work with Doctor Testarossa?"
Whatever answer she might have been about to give was erased by the blare of sirens and the urgent calls for security to the main research lab.
                        - 0 --- * --- 0 -
Ten minutes ago
The main research lab was active today. Consoles displayed graphs and plots of nearby dimensional space, control indicators blinked on and off, and there was a comforting soft hum of magitronics. (Mostly generated by the various machines' cooling units, really, but it was genuinely comforting. Many people found actual silence disturbing.)
At the center of the lab, several large objects that - to the untrained eye - looked vaguely like massive energy cannons of some sort surrounded a slightly-raised dais some three meters across. Each of the probes pulsed in a slightly different rhythm, lights trailing down their length to illustrate the dimensional energy they were pouring into the space tau-adjacent to the lab (which is to say, identically located in three-dimensional space, but slightly displaced along an orthogonal dimensional axis).
"Dimensional probe experiment number six four alpha three seven, cycle  six, supervising: Doctor Presea Testarossa, Doctor Lawrence Fleinhardt, Doctor Peter Bishop, security adjunct Sergeant Raymond Marlowe." The computer voice listed a variety of testing parameters, echoing the commands the scientists had previously input. "Ready to commence at your command, Doctor Testarossa."
The lead scientist on the project was tall and brown-haired, with only  faint wrinkling around her eyes to show her age. "If security concurs?" she asked, turning briefly in the direction of the black-uniformed watchdog.
"No issues here, Doctor," replied Marlowe. "Please carry on."
"Very well. Begin trial six four alpha three seven, cycle six," Presea instructed the computer.
The power began to rise in the dimensional probes, the lights growing stronger and brighter. In some the pulses quickened, in others they slowed, as the machines began to force a specifically-designed resonance onto the dimensional boundaries surrounding the dais.
The next minute or two passed as so many had before, in the hundreds of trials the research team had run, trying to find ways to peer beyond the Wall. Colors shimmered and twisted as the fabric of space-time itself was subjected to stresses and forces beyond the imagination of those who had first seen the Wall rise. Watching a series of readouts, the three scientists adjusted their equipment carefully, guiding the immense energies that stretched and twisted at the part of space-time that the Wall occupied. With a very little luck, they hoped to open a tiny breach in that wall, a way to push through a probe to examine what lay beyond.
Minutes into their experiment, something else pressed against the Wall. Something from the other side.
"We're getting flaring in the Gimel ranges," Doctor Fleinhardt said, noticing the first signs of it. "Something's pushing back against the probe."
"It's never done that before," remarked Bishop. "Whoa, that's interesting. I'm getting something in the Yod range, too. Increasing power to compensate."
Presea nodded and adjusted controls of her own. "I'm adjusting the gamma frequencies as well. This is very promising." Her pursed lips did not display pleasure, however. It reminded her too well, also, of the tragic day her first career had ended.
The experiment continued for some minutes more, the twisting, shifting colors occupying the space above the dais growing in intensity and complexity as the energy patterns built. The trio moved quickly to adapt their probes to each new variation in the resonance that built in the Wall.
And then it all came to a sudden, juddering halt. Electricity arced around the probes as energy fed back into them from the Wall, the colors started to solidify into a gleaming fractal pattern, and the room filled with the groaning hum of overstressed magitronics.
With a crash, several of the probes went dark, smoke billowing from them as their delicate circuitry overloaded and shorted out. The twisting, shifting color-space above the dais froze, glowed brighter, and then fell apart in a shower of sparks, leaving a single solid form slumped on the gleaming white surface. A closer look proved the form to be human, scarred, bleeding, and incomplete, the right arm terminating in a cauterized stump just below the elbow.
"Congratulations, Doc, it's a girl," quipped Bishop.
Sirens howled through the facility as Sergeant Marlowe pressed his panic button, and then the lights went out.
                        - 0 --- * --- 0 -
"… in short," Presea concluded, "We were able to open a small dimensional distortion, but before we could insert a probe, we apparently intersected another distortion coming from the far side. The result propelled our, ah, guest, through the breach thus created, and the resonance of that passage appears to have closed the breach. We're still measuring the effects on the Wall, but it looks like it may actually have been locally reinforced by this."
Nanoha sat at the back of the room, one of several minor officers invited to the briefing. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat; despite her assurances to Major Lanster, she was still wary of Presea. Their first meeting had gone so very poorly, after all, even if everything had worked out in the end.
"Speaking of our guest," the director added, "What can you tell us about her, Doctor Yamada?"
"Of course, Madam Director." He gestured, his Device projecting a holographic image over the table. It showed the girl who had appeared in the laboratory, now cleaned and dressed in a hospital gown, resting on a standard diagnostic bed. "The subject is, so far as we can tell, mostly human, with only the most minimal of augmentations. Female, obviously enough, and I'd put her age between sixteen and twenty-two standard years. She has several fairly significant scars, the most obvious being the severed arm, which appears to have been cauterized rather crudely by whatever event caused it. Poor girl's been through the wars," he commented.
The image zoomed in on her head, overlaying a transparent layer of internal detail, rotating to focus on the brain. "The augmentation I mentioned consists of one, possibly two, small sub-nodes added to the brain. Possibly some sort of processing support, or the like; it appears to have been directly connected to her Linker Core. I can't get much detail on the augment itself because it was mostly destroyed just before whatever event brought her here."
"This would be the injury that left her bleeding from multiple head wounds in the middle of my laboratory, Doctor Yamada?"
"Precisely, madam Director. It's…" He trailed off for a moment, reaching up to run one hand over his slicked-back black hair. "It's at once one of the most barbaric, yet surgically precise, that I've ever seen."
Nanoha frowned. That didn't sound good. It looked like Presea agreed, too.
"Explain, please, Doctor Yamada."
The medical specialist rotated the projection yet again, this time adding highlights to display the wound traces he described. "The subject was shot, twice, with a mass weapon, some sort of slugthrower. Targeted very precisely so as to do the maximum damage to the augmentation with minimal effect on the rest of the brain. Whoever did this was either incredibly lucky, or knew exactly what they were doing. Given the probabilities of such a thing happening by chance, I lean towards the latter option, no matter how incredible it seems. Someone deliberately destroyed her augmentation while taking incredible effort to do so without injuring her further… and did so using the crudest tools imaginable. I could do better with, with stone knives and bearskins."
-- tsuzuku
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Bluemage]

...okay, this, I like.  Let's see...
-Technically competent.  You're either a less sloppy writer than I am, or you've already had somebody polish it, because there are no linguistic problems in sight.-Your crossover idea works.  With one exception, everything you've established so far fits both Worm and MSLN canon.-I don't see any OOCness- again, with that one exception.
-Presea.  What's with that?  At this point in MSLN, she should be either dead, or lost... so Season 1 must've happened very differently.-Again, Presea.  How is she sane- or healthy, for that matter?  Curing her dramatic ailment is one thing, but she was sort of a basket case in canon.  I'd be tempted to assume that Alicia never got killed... but if that happened, you wouldn't have Fate, which would derail S2 and S3 significantly.  More importantly, Presea would have no reason to go to Earth, so how would she and Nanoha have history?  Best guess is that Alicia survived, she was in charge of the Jewel Seed retrieval, and the two of them... had disagreements.
-If the TSAB fixes Taylor, will she be Taylor, Skitter, or Khepri?  The dimensional barrier might have something to say about her keeping those powers, but then you also have the issue of mental contamination to deal with.  She may very well be copy-of-QA-who-thinks-she's-Taylor at that point, and isn't that an interesting can of worms?-So capes run off of magic to some degree.  Explain why the Entities haven't just started using magic as an entropy-averting power source.  Also, does this mean only mages can trigger?  Or that non-mage capes are dependent on their passenger for power?  The first would explain Eidolon- he doesn't have a power source of his own, and neither does his shard.
Huh.  Lots of questions, a lot of positives, and no negatives.  Looks like I'm all out of criticism. Good job!

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[Seraviel]

ECSNorway wrote:

---

So, I've been reading an awful lot of Worm 'fics lately. And one of the scenarios that so rarely seems to get any interest is the post-canon situation. Sure, there's Copacetic and one of the Exalted crossovers (both of which are Awesome, by the way).

You're not the only one who thinks so. I have the start of a post-Worm/PMMM story in one of my open folders, but there isn't much outside of that. As for the story, outside echoing the comments already given by Bluemage, not much pops up.
I'll check out for more, though.  
-People may die, but ideas are forever. Je suis Charlie.

[ECSNorway]

-Technically competent. You're either a less sloppy writer than I am, or you've already had somebody polish it, because there are no linguistic problems in sight.
-Your crossover idea works. With one exception, everything you've established so far fits both Worm and MSLN canon.
-I don't see any OOCness- again, with that one exception

Thanks. I'll admit I have issues with creativity, but the technical aspects are something I've had time to polish. I'm perfectly willing to serve as a copy editor for others' works if they're interested (and the work interests me, or I get paid for it, heh.)

-Presea. What's with that? At this point in MSLN, she should be either dead, or lost... so Season 1 must've happened very differently.
-Again, Presea. How is she sane- or healthy, for that matter? Curing her dramatic ailment is one thing, but she was sort of a basket case in canon. I'd be tempted to assume that Alicia never got killed... but if that happened, you wouldn't have Fate, which would derail S2 and S3 significantly. More importantly, Presea would have no reason to go to Earth, so how would she and Nanoha have history? Best guess is that Alicia survived, she was in charge of the Jewel Seed retrieval, and the two of them... had disagreements.

Yeah. The way I see it, there's very little in the way of butterflies that the Nanohaverse can insert into Worm canon unless there were ships and explorers left on the other side of the Wall, which is Scion's dimensional barrier around the set of universes selected for the experiment. And since it was focussed around Earth, which is not exactly high on the Bureau's list of interesting planets...

Presea's role I plan to explore later on, but I will say that Fate does exist, but things were rather heavily butterflied by the sudden appearance of the Wall. It took place several years before Presea's accident, and things ran a bit differently.

-If the TSAB fixes Taylor, will she be Taylor, Skitter, or Khepri? The dimensional barrier might have something to say about her keeping those powers, but then you also have the issue of mental contamination to deal with. She may very well be copy-of-QA-who-thinks-she's-Taylor at that point, and isn't that an interesting can of worms?

An excellent question. Some of which will be answered in the next chapter.

-So capes run off of magic to some degree. Explain why the Entities haven't just started using magic as an entropy-averting power source. Also, does this mean only mages can trigger? Or that non-mage capes are dependent on their passenger for power? The first would explain Eidolon- he doesn't have a power source of his own, and neither does his shard.

I love readers who think these things through.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Bluemage]

...and I just thought of a third possibility for the whole magic issue.
The connection between the Linker Core and the coronae isn't to power a cape's powers.  It's to siphon the mage's power.  Cape-power is solely provided by the shard in that approach.  The only problem with this whole line of thought is that MSLN-canon Earth has very few people with mage potential- less than the number of people who can/will trigger.  The two don't really line up.
...if you did have a more Mid-like population, the entities would be drawing power from everybody with the capacity to trigger, and only spending power on the people who do.  That's a much more reasonable deal to make, and I could see Earth as being the exception- a world that actually causes the entities (well, now just Zion) not to at least break even.
I'm mostly the same way, re: creativity.  I feel your pain.

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[Seraviel]

On the creativity issue, mine is the opposite position. I have too many ideas (and not only for fanfiction) and it makes it difficult to focus on one thing. My scrivener file has more the fifty open story in different stages of advancement.

If someone wants ideas, I can shoot them some. It's doing the work on them that ends up being an issue.
-People may die, but ideas are forever. Je suis Charlie.

[deadpan29]

The only problem with this whole line of thought is that MSLN-canon Earth has very few people with mage potential- less than the number of people who can/will trigger.  The two don't really line up.

Keep in mind that is true for the version of Earth Nanoha is from, but not necessarily every version of Earth.  Earth Aleph may have been selected as "ground zero" by the entities due to a higher proportion of mage potential than Nanoha-Earth while still having practically no actual mages.
----------
No, I don't believe the world has gone mad.  In order for it to go mad it would need to have been sane at some point.

[Bluemage]

Deadpan29 wrote:

---

The only problem with this whole line of thought is that MSLN-canon Earth has very few people with mage potential- less than the number of people who can/will trigger.  The two don't really line up.

Keep in mind that is true for the version of Earth Nanoha is from, but not necessarily every version of Earth.  Earth Aleph may have been selected as "ground zero" by the entities due to a higher proportion of mage potential than Nanoha-Earth while still having practically no actual mages.

Quite true... and that would explain a lot.  The Wall may, dimensionally speaking, be remarkably close to her Earth... and is definitely between it and the Entities' Playground.  Might've led to the TSAB having more assets in the area during S1/S2.

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[Jinx999]

I'm not enthused by having major changes to the timeline prior to the start of the story, unless the plot is about unraveling the changes.

[classicdrogn]

At the center of the lab, several large objects that - to the untrained eye - looked vaguely like massive energy cannons of some sort surrounded a slightly-raised dais some three meters across.

And once again, the higher the tech level, the more it looks like a bunch of ginormous guns...

The rest of my comments have already been brought up - Bluemage in particular is in my head again, or vice versa.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[deadpan29]

Jinx999 wrote:

---

I'm not enthused by having major changes to the timeline prior to the start of the story, unless the plot is about unraveling the changes.

Jinx has a point here.  With the current setup you are not only telling the story of Taylor getting slung across dimensions, but you are also going to have to tell the AU story of Nanoha at some point as well.  And it doesn't look like the the second storyline is actually going to add anything to the first.
Having multiple interconected storylines can be a good thing when well executed.  Having multiple storylines that don't really affect each other, not so much.   
----------
No, I don't believe the world has gone mad.  In order for it to go mad it would need to have been sane at some point.

[classicdrogn]

Eh, I can see it both ways. Since it looks like at least the first part of the story is going to be told on the MSLN side of things, having events there previously influenced by the Worm side means that there's room to explore the world through the characters' eyes and not be just going over old ground, but if doing that would be a distractyion from the story you want to tell instead of an integral part of it, it would probably be better to just use an OC and the stock setting instead of Presea and just call it an untold story from the time between A's and StrikerS, probably even well before the flashback in StrikerS when Nanoha overworked herself since that's presented as being not that long before the JS incident began, to the point that Nanoha was still recovering her top-end ability IIRC.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[ECSNorway]

I will assure you all that I do, in fact, have plans, that Presea's existence is a key part of, and specifically both her presence and that of Nanoha in this opening.

Chapter one is mostly complete at this point and I have about 500 words worth of chapter two written so far. Have a teaser:

"So, Ms. Hebert, since it looks like you're going to be our guest for a while, the director and I have authorized you for access to the base network." He produced an object from a desk drawer, once I had a clear view it looked to be some sort of wide bracelet, the sort that covers most of your forearm, made of white plastic. "This is a basic storage device, we keep a few on hand for guests or temporary replacements. If you'll press your thumb to the screen there?"

Frowning slightly, I did so, and a light passed over the screen, like a photocopier scanning a page.

"New user acknowledged," a mechanical voice stated from the armband. "Please state user name."

"Taylor Hebert." That was why it disturbed me. It was a lot like the armbands Dragon used to hand out at Endbringer fights. But apparently these people used it for, well, just about everything.

"New user initiated. Thank you, my master." it said.

--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[classicdrogn]

I look forward to the explication of your plans. Also to Taylor's reaction to the revelation of magic as a well-understood science... and to what a high-quality Device is like, rather than the basic model.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[Bluemage]

...and *I* look forward to seeing how the memetic Queen of Escalation handles mage combat.
/pulls out a notepad labeled "TNM Ideas", and stares hungrily at the page

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[ECSNorway]

For comparison... let's take cars.

The average TSAB Grunt's storage device is a Hummvee with a pintle-mounted machine-gun.

Vita's Graf Eisen is an M-1 Abrams.

Raging Heart is an Aston-Martin with the Q-Division James Bond pimp job.

Taylor has just been handed the keys to a Toyota Camry.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Bluemage]

Not one of those Smart cars, or a Fiat 500?
Wonder what that makes Reinforce Eins or Schwartkreuz- a Baneblade?
I think CD and I were talking about what happens down the road, when she's recovered, earned some trust, and enlisted/been drafted.

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[ECSNorway]

Well. Right now the Queen of Escalation is getting shown around the base by the Queen of Overkill. Later? Well, we'll see.

Schwartzkreuz... mmm. I'm thinking A-10 Warthog, myself....
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[classicdrogn]

If she ever regains access to Queen Admin... dat multitasking. Mage Taylor could qualify for signature-hat-grade danmaku in a snap.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[nocarename]

ECSNorway wrote:

---

For comparison... let's take cars.

The average TSAB Grunt's storage device is a Hummvee with a pintle-mounted machine-gun.

Vita's Graf Eisen is an M-1 Abrams.

Raging Heart is an Aston-Martin with the Q-Division James Bond pimp job.

Taylor has just been handed the keys to a Toyota Camry.

(Ex-)Parahuman with a Reasonably Priced Magic Machine?'And now comes the part of our show where we take a celebrity and see just how much of our target range they can demolish. Everyone welcome, Taylor Hebert!'

[ECSNorway]

My great battle against the Scion entity was complete. Now, I was lost, not merely in time and space, but for purpose, for destiny. I had achieved my destiny, defeated the greatest foe possible... what was I to do now? Soon, I would begin my search for an answer.

Super Dimension Magical Girl Lyrical Skitter, Episode One, hajimarimasu!

--- * --- 1 --- * --- 1 --- * ---

I've woken up in enough hospital beds to know what they're like. Cheap white sheets, bleached and washed too many times. Thin mattress. Sensor pads and IVs. The soft, plaintive beeping of a heart monitor. I actually had to pause and think for a moment, remembering how I'd gotten here. Was it Behemoth? The oil rig? No, wait, that's right. The empty Earth. My power out of control. I'd just been getting a handle on speech when Contessa found me. "Having our own pet Endbringer puts us in the 'too dangerous to live' category," I mumbled. Gunshot. Pain. Darkness. Cheap, scratchy sheets. No bugs.

No bugs.

I couldn't feel -anything- in my radius. No humans. No bugs. No other animals. Either I was in some sort of ultimate isolation, or whatever Contessa had tried had worked. I was alive, at least somewhat lucid, and - seemingly - without my powers.

It was time to get up and get moving, find out where I am and who's holding me. I started to roll to one side to push myself up and off the bed, only to discover that I was stuck to the mattress somehow. Okay, this was new.

It also meant that whoever had found me didn't want me moving. Which might mean that they knew who I was, and assumed I was dangerous even without my powers. Or that might be why I couldn't sense anyone, they were keeping out of my range to avoid being taken over.

Smart of them.

I kept pushing myself up, maybe I could break free of it, or tear the mattress free of the bed. Just had to get out of the room, find out where I was....

The door opened.

Wait. What? I hadn't sensed anything, no one in my range, but the door was open, and someone was coming in. Tall, vaguely asian, light brown hair, male. I narrowed my eyes to focus on him.

"Please, just lie back and relax, miss. Don't try to sit up. You've been through some pretty serious injuries and you're still recovering." He had an odd accent, slightly fluid, but with some strange tones. Like something Eastern European filtered through Chinese. It was actually kind of nice.

"Where am I? What is this place? And who are you? And can I get a glass of water?"

With a casual shrug, he sat down on the chair next to the bed and waved his hand at the frame. The mattress moved with a slight hum, repositioning itself so I could sit up to talk with him. I sighed softly and laid back against the pillows. He set a cup of water in a cradle near my head, with a straw that let me sip at it when I wanted to.

"Well," he started. "To answer your questions in order, you're in the infirmary at the Baerzen Memorial Research Institute. Which, to address your second question, is a research facility assigned to investigate the dimensional anomaly we call the Baerzen Wall. As for me, I'm the Institute's chief medical officer, Doctor Hiram Yamada."

I blinked. Stared at him.

"... What?"

He repeated the explanation. More slowly. And added, "I -am- sorry, miss. We had hoped you wouldn't suffer any reduced capacity from the injury. I'm going to need to run a series of cognitive tests, I hope you don't mind."

Injury. Right. I'd been shot. Twice. In the head. By fucking Contessa. "How - how serious was the damage?"

"Obviously not unsurvivable. You seem to be lucid, if slightly confused, but that's understandable." He paused for a moment, then asked, "If I could ask your own name, to start with?"

The tests took several hours, actually, and I considered myself rather fortunate that they also provided me with a meal while we worked. I was asked to solve math problems, recite poetry and tongue-twisters, answer questions about passages I'd read, and more. "Damn, I'd thought I was done with school," I muttered at one point.

"You're never done learning," Doctor Yamada told me. "Not until you're dead. And since you are clearly not dead...."

He'd mentioned a dimensional anomaly before, but I hadn't put it together yet. If they actually have people that study dimensional physics, though, then... they've got to be familiar with alternate-dimensions to begin with. Which means I'm probably nowhere near Earth Bet. Which ... might be a good thing. First things first... "I'll wait, then, Doc. You're the medical type, just how bad off am I?"

He consulted his clipboard, settling back in his seat. It wasn't really a clipboard, some sort of tablet computer.

"The biggest issues when you arrived, well, I'm sure you were aware of the amputated arm, that seems to have been some time ago?"

I nodded.

"And of course the gunshot wounds to the head. Those seemed to be much more recent," he said. "We've gotten those taken care of, mostly; they seemed to be fairly clean wounds to begin with. The cognitive tests don't show any noticeable degradation, of course, we can't really compare it to your previous state, so we can't be fully certain on that. We did have to completely remove the remains of the augmented node, however. I'm sorry, but it was unsalvageable."

Augmentation? What in - oh. My powers. Not working. Fucking Contessa must've shot me right in the Corona Pollentia. That explains that.

"It's - well, uhm," I said, then my stomach rumbled, rather loudly. "It's going to take some getting used to, operating without it."

"Well, don't worry," he said. "We may not use that kind of internal augmentation for magic use here, but we're not unfamiliar with the principles."

I paused. Blinked. Set down the water cup. "You call it magic?"

He shrugged, leaning back a bit in his seat. "I really don't know what else we'd call it. It's been the basis of our technology for centuries now."

I closed my eyes for a moment to think about it. Centuries? Magic?? I held up a hand to stop him talking while I thought about that for a minute. Magic. I suppose if we'd gotten our first parahumans before we knew enough science to understand what was happening, we'd have decided that was what was happening. But if it's the basis of their technology... yikes. And he mentioned a dimensional anomaly earlier...

After another sip of water, I asked, "So, what do you do? Or is it, uhm, rude or something to ask?"

"No, no, not at all." He made a few notes on his clipboard-tablet and nodded. "I'm a medical specialist, so of course I focused on useful spells and procedures for that. Diagnostics, tissue scanning, trauma treatment, that sort of thing. I can do basic shielding and offense - " he lifted a hand, there was a swirl of weird writing around his wrist, and a forcefield gleamed into existence in front of his hand. "Got that in 'Principles of Thaumaturgy'. Almost everybody can manage a low-level like that one."

Everybody? Powers weren't supposed to be that neat and simple. If everyone could learn everyone else's - Part of me imagined what I could've done with Tattletale's Thinker powers, or Vista's space-warping. If I could've learned anyone's powers, like some kind of new Eidolon? Damn. I'd have had the PRT and the gangs in a bidding war, or worse. And here they took it for granted. That meant I had to assume that anyone I ran into on this base would be able to pull off something like that. That upped the game considerably, and without my own powers... best to just play along, for now.

"It's... very different from what I'm used to," I said, cautiously.

"Well, don't worry," he said. "Security will issue you a basic Device; it's standard for guests. With your permission I'd like to have it include a medical monitor, so we can keep track of your vital signs in case you have any further complications."

I'd been expecting that, for certain. No way they were going to let a complete stranger walk around a secure facility.

"Tell you what, Doc, show me how to run the program, and interpret the readings, so I can see what's going on myself, and you're on."

He looked up at me for a moment, tapped something on the tablet, then said, "I'm afraid that's not a metaphor I'm familiar with, but may I assume it implies consent, subject to the caveat you named?"

"You may," I assured him, and anything else I was going to say was interrupted by my rumbling tummy.

"At the very least, we can get you a meal," he said, with a paternal sort of smile. "I don't see any reason why you shouldn't have something right away. I'll send someone down for it."

A few minutes later, courtesy of a chipper girl in a white and blue uniform, I was eating a pleasant lunch of soup, bread, cheese, and fruit, with a promise of something more substantial for dinner if that stayed down.

- 1 --- * --- 1 -

We didn't talk much while I ate. I was focussed on eating, he was contemplating whatever the medical sensors were telling him about my condition, and gofer-girl was standing guard out in the hall, apparently. (Yamada explained, when I asked, that she was Security, not Medical, and was there to keep an eye on me. Which was just good planning on their part. Not that I planned to get up to No Good, unless this "Time-Space Administration Bureau" of theirs turned out to be some sort of dimensional-conquering-army conspiracy like we'd thought Cauldron was.)

It was time to start poking around and learn what was really going on here. "Any chance I can get up for a walk around, Doc?" They'd had me walking a line down the hall during the tests, just to get a feel for my balance, and that had seemed fine. I hadn't been in bed long enough for my leg muscles to atrophy or anything like that.

"No problem at all, certainly. You will allow the Lieutenant to escort you, though, won't you? We'd appreciate it greatly. Minimizes any chance of misunderstandings."

And minimizes any chance of me getting into places they don't want me to. Which is okay, for now. I'll play along, let them trust me, and then, if I need to... "Sure, Doc, sure. No problem."

- 1 --- * --- 1 -

The all-too-chipper gofer-girl's name turned out to be Takamachi, which was a bit of a surprise as with auburn hair and blue eyes she didn't look the least bit asian. I put it down to weird dimensional shenanigans and walked on, listening to her describe each area I was going to be allowed to visit. I got to see the gym, at least, which didn't look particularly unusual. Miss Takamachi told me the medical types didn't want me stressing my system until they'd had a bit more observation time, though, so all I got to do was look. There wasn't a library; all the books were on electronic texts that could be accessed through the base computer network "and we'll get you access to that right away, soon as we get to the security office, okay?"

"Sure, sure, Lieutenant," I answered her. "When do we do that?"

"Well, the rec room's right down here," she said, "that and the cafeteria, and security's right past that."

"Why don't we do security first, then you can show me how the rec room really works, rather than just standing around looking cool?"

"Great idea!" She grinned and, practically bouncing off the walls in her eagerness, lead me down the hall to the security office. Better to find out just how secure this place is, first...

- 1 --- * --- 1 -

"... and this is my boss, Major Lanster, he's head of security for the whole facility."

I nodded and smiled. "A pleasure to meet you, Major. Do I bow, salute, or shake your hand?"

He rose from his seat with a welcoming smile. "Well, you aren't in uniform, so a salute's out of the question. And Nanoha here is the only one that bows, apparently that's how they do it where she comes from." He shrugged. "I've never heard of shaking hands before, how do you do that one?"

Right. Alien culture. Be on your toes, watch for assumptions. "Not much to it. We just clasp each other's right hands, shake briefly, and that's it." I stuck out my hand, he shrugged again and stuck out his, and we shook hands. He didn't have much trouble figuring out what to do. "What do they do where you're from?"

"Oh, it's sort of like your shaking hands, but we just touch the palms together." He sat back down and brought up one of those holographic screens I'd been seeing all over the place, this one showing my photograph, so I knew he was looking at my file.

"I'll keep that in mind," I said, taking a seat across from him, while Takamachi slipped into the other chair.

He took a few minutes to review my file, most of which consisted of information I'd provided them in the first place so it wasn't as if I was going to contradict myself and tell him it was all lies. (Most of it was, conveniently, true.)

"So, Ms. Hebert, since it looks like you're going to be our guest for a while, the director and I have authorized you for access to the base network." He produced an object from a desk drawer, once I had a clear view it looked to be some sort of wide bracelet, the sort that covers most of your forearm, made of white plastic. "This is a basic storage device, we keep a few on hand for guests or temporary replacements. If you'll press your thumb to the screen there?"

Frowning slightly, I did so, and a light passed over the screen, like a photocopier scanning a page. They're actually just handing me one of these things? Okay, it's probably minimal capabilities, security locks, and so on... I'll have to experiment, find out what I can do with it. Still... they seem to be trusting me awfully much.

"New user acknowledged," a mechanical voice stated from the armband. "Please state user name."

"Taylor Hebert." That was the other reason it disturbed me. It was a lot like the armbands Dragon used to hand out at Endbringer fights. But apparently these people used it for, well, just about everything. And, again, trusted me with one. Me who they barely know.

"New user initiated. Thank you, my master." it said.

"And there you go, it's yours for the duration of your stay with us," the Major told me. "It will serve as your primary access terminal for the base network, communications, facilities access... all you need. It will open any door you're cleared to enter... if the door won't open, please don't try to get in."

I nodded. "I wouldn't want to make more work for your department than I already have, Major. Thank you for this." I bit my lip briefly, then slid it around the stump of my arm. It locked in place with a click.

Lanster and Takamachi both eyed that for a moment, then the Major spoke up. "And I'll talk to Doctor Yamada about seeing what we can do about -that- as well, Ms Hebert. Prosthetic limbs are not cheap, but the technology is pleasantly mature. We'll get you fitted and functional within a week, I'm sure."

That would certainly be pleasant. I made sure to let them know I'd appreciate it.

- 1 --- * --- 1 -

The rec room turned out to be about what you'd expect - table games, a lounge area with holo-screens for movies and video games, that sort of thing. I spent about twenty minutes learning to play Pajang, which seemed to be some sort of cross between air hockey, ping-pong, and golf.

When my stomach started to rumble again, I promised myself I'd come back to check out the video games later. Most of them probably needed two hands anyway.

It was kind of ironic for someone who'd just woken up from a coma a few hours before, but I was actually rather tired. Takamachi walked me back to my room, pointing out her own quarters along the way - she'd been moved to a room right down the hall from mine so she could keep an eye on me, although the official story, of course, was that it was so she could take care of anything I needed.

"And these are your quarters, Ms. Hebert," she said, indicating another door (numbered four-seven-two, in that odd font that they seem to favor here). "Just hold up your Device to the lock," she said, after entering a code on the keypad. "They should synch together and it'll automatically open for you from now on."

I did as directed, there was a 'beep' and a green light, and the door slid open. "Thanks. Guess I'll settle in... any chance of some clean clothes for the morning?"

"Already taken care of," she chirped. "I had someone bring by a few spare sets of fatigues, sweat pants, and such, in your size. Just pile your laundry in the hamper by the door."

I nodded. "I assume it's all automatic from there?"

She grinned. "A lot better than cadet barracks, I swear. One crease out of place, and... brrrr!"

"I guess drill sergeants are the same no matter what the universe you're in, hm?"

"You better believe it! Well, here you go." She showed me around the small suite - I had a little sitting room, complete with a television-equivalent; a bedroom, and a bathroom with a generous tub and shower fittings. There was some art on the walls, too, a nice beachscape on one, and a planet (clearly NOT Earth) as seen from space, on another.

My friend the Lieutenant was also kind enough to take a few minutes to show me how to run things, both manually and through the Device they'd loaned me. (I could hear the capital letters on that word. And they talked back. AI's? Not on Dragon's level, certainly. But more sophisticated than anything else I'd seen before.)

"Thank you for everything, Lieutenant," I finally said, walking her to the door. "I just want to sit down and relax for a while right now, do some reading, then go to bed. I'll be fine, you can pick me up for breakfast, alright?"

"Sure thing!" Such a cheerful girl. Reminded me of Vista. They'd probably get along great.

With my helpful guardian gone to her own room, I settled into the surprisingly comfortable chair. A few taps on the Device wristband's keyboard, and I brought up the library function. A quick search later, and I had two texts to read through. One was titled A Brief History of Dimensional Civilization, by Antonin Scrya. The second was Nimue Emiya's Principles of Magic for Beginners.

-- tsuzuku
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[classicdrogn]

From the MSLN perspective, what Taylor thinks of a powers are probably more along the lines of Rare Skills like Wing Road or Summoning. Looks like QA is probably gone for good, unless it reconnects and grows a new set of coronas from scratch. Eh, that's fine, with a good quality Linker Core Taylor will keep herself quite busy learning the tricks of this wonderful new Trump power that they just gave her the key to. I wonder when she'll discover that her "gopher girl" is the local equivalent of Legend...
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[Dartz]

Antonin Scrya

Heh. Little details like this entertain me. Even it a Brief History is probably thousands of pages long, and can be summed up as And then that civilisation grew proud and dependant on their supertech and promptly destroyed themselves with their own petard.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Bluemage]

I was more amused by "Nimue Emiya".
Also, Taylor wondering what she can do with the Device.  Perfect. ^^

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[Black Aeronaut]

Wonder how she'll react when she finds that TSAB is, for the most part, a great bunch of people. I have no idea myself since I've never read Worm before. I'm very reluctant to do so because of all the grim-dark I've heard about and the sheer archive panic...