#technically esau related but like

[emelinstriker]

Paladin!Nezha, just because he seemed to have caught the interest of some peeps when I mentioned that he'd be a paladin.

Tried a bit of a different brush style and I'm not sure if I'll ever do it again cuz omg that took way too long for my liking-

Also I'm so not used to drawing armor, so I'm tryna force myself more out of my comfort zone rn by trying my hand at other designs fhgnfhgnf I really wanted to keep some kinda Lotus petal theme on him though. so he somewhat got that going still :D

Decided not to do a bloody version- Not on this one at least- Mainly cuz I wanted to play around with his design-

#lmk dnd #doodle #lmk fanart #lmk nezha fanart #nezha fanart #lmk nezha #paladin nezha #monkie kid nezha #nezha #li nezha #lego monkie kid nezha #lego monkie kid fanart #monkie kid fanart #lmk au #monkie kid au #lego monkie kid au #technically esau related but like #could also just be him playin dnd outside esau #like i could deffo imagine the group having normal eyes in esau's dnd tho #cuz like they wouldn't be infected in the game #unless they rly dig the void black eyes ig #or maybe this is ss!nezha playing dnd with his s/o idk

[cottonflareon]

I’m just going to be rambling about my TBOI headcanons and what not because my hyperfixation is going brrr right now

I feel like Judas is just the type to keep to himself and act like he doesn’t care about others, but in reality, he is terrified of being alone and does care but he’s just scared of others getting to close.

Keeper and Edith are the oldest (18) and Isaac + Blue Baby is the youngest (5). If I were to put the kids from youngest to oldest It’d look something like this Isaac, The Lost, Lazarus, Azazel, Bethany, Eve, Jacob + Esau, Cain, Judas, Samson, Lilith, The Forgotten, Apollyon, And then Keeper + Edith. Then there’s Eden who is ageless. Technically Lost, Edith, Forgotten, Blue Baby, and Keeper are ageless too, but they were once human.

A lot of the younger kids look up to Samson, even when his temper can get the hand of him, he does his best to look over the younger ones. 

Eden, Azazel, Lilith, and Keeper didn’t get trapped in the basement, considering they were either born or created in the basement.

Maggy was one of the first kids to discover you can befriend a few of the monsters,or spare them and they’d let you go past them. Baby Plum was one of the examples of this, though very few of the kids take this advice and stick to their usual way of dealing with monsters. 

And by that, a lot of the demon bosses tend to not get aggressive with Lilith or Azazel, considering they’re most likely related. And that Azazel is Satan’s son, Even though The Adversary took mostly care of him and Lilith, they’re usually free to go by them if any of the demon bosses are in the boss room. However, there may be times were the two are forced to fight. Due to the basement and how it works. 

Loki also watched over Azazel when he was young, and occasionally Lilith. Since I see Loki as being a teen when Azazel was introduced to the basement, who is now a young adult. 

Keeper is obviously related to Greed, though the two don’t talk to each other much they still care about each other and rarely ever fight if either of the two run into each other. 

Greed doesn’t like hurting the children, they actually despise fighting them all together. Though he will defend his shop, and occasionally can get pissed off if the kids just so happen attempt to steal from the shop or blow up a shopkeeper. I’m looking at you Cain.

This, however, can quickly become over run if the basement isn’t happy with Greed’s deviance against it’s rules. So, fights do come up with them against the children. Though they tend to go easier on them and usually lets them win the fights. 

Shopkeepers are created when a kid’s run is failed, mummifying them in the process. Greed can see and hear through the mummified corpses, though they don’t enjoy it at all. 

Actually, Greed may be one of the only friendly sins out there. The second friendly sin being Pride surprisingly. 

 Envy is made up of mostly fabric and staples or stitches holding them together. Making them mostly a plush like creature, though it is recommended not to disturb their sleep as they float around the room they resided in. 

Rain Maker and Clutch are probably the only ship you will see me talking and drawing about. They’re getting married and you cannot stop me.

Rain Maker and Scourge are ex’s on friendly terms. 

[sebastianshaw]

I realised that all of Shaw's ancestors have a biblical origin to their name, so what two biblical names would you choose for him? One for its meaning, and one for the way it sounds and suits him. I found out that Esau means hairy, it's a shame his uncle took that one.

Omg you’re right! I was going to say that Cornelius isn’t but I looked it up and it is! Guess Sebastian is the c-c-combo breaker! Ummm, I went through a lot of possibilities, but if we’re just talking two...Samson or Solomon? They’re Biblical, they’re something I could see a guy being named in the modern era (as opposed to, say, Nebuchadnezzar), they start with S, and they have a strong “sound” as well as being after strong figures---Samson is LITERALLY super-strong, he’s “hairy” in a different way, and, like Shaw, he was something of a “Puzzle Boss” who couldn’t be physically bested by ordinary means and his enemies had to figure out the trick to his super-strength. It might be a LITTLE too on the nose for a guy named Samson to end up being super-strong, but Marvel did it with Doc Leonard Samson.  As for Solomon, he was a powerful ruler, incredibly wealthy, and holy shit HE FUCKED. Like. A lot. Goddamn.  For a third, non-S option, there’s also Elijah or Elias, who was a total badass that took shit from NOBODY and ascended to Heaven alive in a chariot of fire. He was also described as a hairy man with a leather belt, so there you go. My concern with Elijah and Solomon is that from what I understand, they are important figures in Judaism, and common names in the Jewish community, so associating them with a super-greedy money-grubbing rich guy who is part of a secret organization trying to control the world is...probably NOT the most advisable of ideas, so I might ultimately go with Samson. Also I REALLY LOVE THE REGINA SPEKTOR SONG like it’s just HAUNTING.  Others I considered, but did not make the cut: - Job : Went through a ton of adversity and still came out on top. Seems very Shaw. I feel like readers might read it as pronounced like “job” though. Also “Job Shaw” doesn’t sound right. - Silas, Thaddeus, Abram: No reason, I just thought they had “strong” sounds, even vaguely threatening/villainous. Like some names just sound a little more suited to bad guys than others.  - Tobias: Tobias really does not sound strong or scary on its own, I actually think it’s sweet, but Tobias Shaw sounds a bit tougher somehow? But then you could shorten it to Toby which is definitely NOT a tough name, lol. Toby is a beagle name to me. It just is. That’s what you call a beagle. It just is. I couldn’t take him seriously with a cute name like that. - Jethro: Strong sound, means  "abundance" so I felt like that related well to the empire he’s built and his decadent lifestyle. I knew a nice horse once named Jethro. - Eli:  Means "ascension" which I thought fit how he started from impoverished origins and built his way up. I wasn’t sure it had a strong enough sound though. Shaw’s name NEEDS a strong sound.  - Enoch: Means  "dedicated" which fits his work ethic. It’s a little...esoteric though? Like I can see meeting a guy named Samson, I’d be a bit more surprised to meet a guy named Enoch. I feel like his name should sound...honestly, kinda like what you might expect an Amish guy to be named? I know that’s a weird way to put it, but---Cornelius, Esau, Jacob, Hiram, Obadiah, those are the names of his ancestors, you know? And I guess Enoch fits in well enough with them but hmmm just didn’t seem RIGHT somehow, idk.  - Achim:  Means "he will establish" and was an ancestor of Jesus. As with Eli, I thought it fit how Shaw built a fortune despite coming from nothing, but as with Enoch it doesn’t sound right. Like I think most people, if you asked them, would think it sounds Middle Eastern (which....technically all Biblical names are, but...) and I think the Shaw type of Biblical name should sound very “white” in a very specific way? Like not “McKayla and Aiden and Brayden” white but like...well like I said, a name you might expect from a Pennsylvania Protestant (which he is, or at least grew up around most likely) or maybe a hillbilly (which he is NOT but they stereotypically draw from the same name pool---Jebidiah, etc. ) And like Achim Shaw just...didn’t seem right, especially on him.  Of these runners-up, I’d go with Silas. Actually, shit, I might replace the Solomon option with Silas! It also sounds extra-villainous to me because of the Gothic novel UNCLE SILAS

[breakingarrows]

Far Cry 5 is trash for many reasons but let me break down the top bullet points of why

1. Each ending conveys to the player that their attempt to stop the cult was incorrect and the correct thing to do was to let them continually kidnap and torture people

2. By default the UI display allows even a brain dead player to complete the assigned tasks. All you do is go to the yellow Waypoint, kill everyone there, and boom mission complete. Repeat this for 24 hours and you've completed the game.

3. Do you like religious allegories or references? Well Far Cry 5 tries and fails to make them. The lead character is Joseph (referencing the son of Israel from the OT aka Jesus) but is referred to as the Father (aka God). He has an older brother named Jacob (known as Israel in the OT aka God). Joseph should have been Jacob if they're going to fall him the Father and Jacob should have been Esau given that he is the older brother and a veteran which is related to Esaus warrior and burly status in the OT. The cult make vague allusions to both OT and Revelations because those sound the coolest to quote when talking about end times. They also sing Amazing Grace because religion am I right?

4. Do you enjoy characters who have the depth of a puddle? Well don't worry all the characters in this game exist to give you missions and that's it. They may have replaced the radio towers with humans but both are about on the same level of liveliness which is to say they have none.

5. First person vehicle controls.

6. The shooting.

7. The silent protagonist can be customized but you never see that. You aren't even a character you're simply a camera for the game to show stuff to.

8. Small changes could have made John and Faith more sympathetic or at least more interesting. Lean into the fact that Faith was most likely sexually exploited by Joseph just like cult leaders sexually exploit the women and children of their cult. With John give him a sin he hasn't confessed (which myself and my partner inferred to be homosexuality) and justify his rage by showing that everyone hated him which pushed him to Joseph but even Joseph wouldn't fully accept him which is why John takes pleasure in harming others for their sin because he can't come to terms with his own. He takes that inward rage and processes it outwards on others instead.

9. https://youtu.be/FCeEvQ68jY8

10. The game is a technical mess. Flying a plane over the river reveals its inability to process and render interactive elements because it will plainly spawn boats and NPCs in the air that drop down into the water and then begin moving. Companions will blow up the mission goal such as a truck. Enemies can T-pose after death. You can get stuck in the world. NPCs will block doorways. Companions you are supposed to follow will stay in place keeping you from progressing in the mission until you restart or fail out. The list goes on.

#Criticism #writing

[rafi1228]

In 2019, build a beautiful responsive WordPress site that looks great on all devices. No experience required.

What you’ll learn

Install WordPress on your PC or Mac computer, so you can learn without having to pay hosting or domain fees.

This course will teach anyone to build a functional, beautiful, responsive website with WordPress.

Navigate around the WordPress dashboard, know what everything does and how to use it.

Understand the main features of WordPress

Create pages and posts, and most importantly, know the difference between the two.

Create custom menus and navigation systems that both visitors and search engines will find useful.

Correctly use post categories and tags, and understand why these can cause you problems at the search engines if used incorrectly.

Know how to configure WordPress for best results

Understand plugins & themes and how to find/install them

Protect their WordPress website from hackers and spammers

Create a static homepage useful for most websites, or a blog like homepage useful for bloggers.

Create an affiliate site for passive, recurring income

Create a Responsive Website that looks good on any browser

Requirements

No prior knowledge of WordPress is required as everything will be covered in this course.

You will need a working computer and a web browser connected to the internet..

You don’t need any coding experience at all. That is the beauty of WordPress.

Description

WordPress for Beginners – A Complete Guide to WordPress!

In 2019, it’s never been easier to build a fantastic, responsive website that looks great on computers, tablets, and mobile phones.  

You can learn WordPress WITHOUT having to buy web hosting or a domain name.  I’ll show you how you can set it all up on your own computer using free tools. 

NOTE: This course will always be updated to cover the latest version of WordPress.  Covers WordPress 5.0 and earlier.

The primary goal of this course is to teach anyone, even a complete beginner, how to become a Wordpress guru in a few short hours, without lots of technical jargon.  I’ll guarantee that after taking this course you’ll have the knowledge you need to build a responsive, beautiful website with the latest version of WordPress.  Not only will you know more than 99% of WordPress users out there, but you’ll actually enjoy using WordPress too.

This course is taught by WordPress author and teacher, Dr. Andy Williams, who has over a decade of experience using and teaching WordPress to people of all skill levels.

About the Course

This course will guide you through every single step from installation to finished website.  I’ll show you how you can install WordPress on your own computer for free, so you don’t have to pay for a domain name or hosting fees while you complete this course.  Once you’ve got WordPress installed on your computer, you will learn how to build and run a successful, beautiful, responsive-design website you can be proud of.

After taking you through all of the main options in WordPress, explaining what each one does and how you set it up, I’ll let you watch over my shoulder as I build a WordPress website.  It will be an affiliate site that I hope will make me passive income for many years to come.  Go and check out the free preview tutorials in Section 13.

Who is this WordPress course for? 

Have you ever wanted to build a professional looking website, but didn’t know where to start?  Now you can.  Wordpress for Beginners is a complete course for anyone, no matter what your technical ability.  This course assumes no prior knowledge!

At the start of the course, I’ll walk you through setting up WordPress on your own computer so that you don’t need to pay for a web host (or a domain name) while you master wordpress.  When you decide you want to put a website online, you can then watch over-my-shoulder as I buy a domain name and hosting, and install WordPress online.

Whether you decide to host your site on your own computer, or at a web host, you’ll be ready to start mastering WordPress.  We’ll start at the very beginning by logging in to have a look around to familiarize ourselves with the main areas of the Dashboard.

Once you are happy navigating around your new tools, we’ll go through the main features you will need as you create your site, including:

The WYSIWYG Editor.  This is where you enter all of your website content.

The Media Library, to manage your images, videos, sound files and other media you want to share on your site.

WordPress Settings, and I’ll take you step by step to set those up just right.

We’ll look at the differences between WordPress posts and pages, and I’ll give you a simple way of knowing which one to use on any occasion.

We’ll look at post excerpts, categories and tags, and how to use them on a well-structured site to maximize visitor experience and search engine ranking benefits.

You’ll see the two main ways you can set your homepage up.

We’ll create a contact form on the site so visitors can get in touch.

We’ll setup an About us page, and I’ll explain why this page is important and what information to include on it.

We’ll cover the legal pages you need.

We’ll discuss the navigation system on your site, and how you can set up customized navigation in the header, sidebar or footer of your site.  We’ll also talk about internal site linking.

We’ll cover WordPress security, and set up a system that will keep the site safe from hackers.

We’ll check out some great free plugins.

Finally, I’ll give you a 20 step plan for creating your site.

By the end of this course, you will have a website that you are truly proud of.

Just of few of the many Student Reviews

This is a fabulous course, and I would it give it six stars if such a rating were available! Everything is very clearly explained, and Andy promptly answers any question you might have. If you are interested in using and learning WordPress, you owe it to yourself to take this outstanding course. Robert Weiser

Lectures are well-structured with lots of details given. The instructor is extremely knowledgeable and communicates very effectively. I’ve been able to set up my first website based on what I’ve learned here. A definite plus is that questions posted via the course are answered quickly! Susan Worms

I love this course. I have spent a few hours today and I have already learned so much. Really excited about the potential for when I am done. Great Course! A. Luis Acosta

I learned a lot more than how to use WordPress in basic terms. Andrew shares a lot of insider knowledge and tips that would take you countless hours of doing your own research to learn…and answering questions you may not have thought to ask. Couldn’t have asked for a better course to help me jumpstart into WordPress. Nathaniel Stephens

What a fantastic share of knowledge. I really appreciated and loved how a “real” site was used for the lectures, real world examples of everything. I would definitely take this course – highly recommended! Glen Schafer

This course is perfect for people who want to start a blog or info page with wordpress. He covers all the basics and sometimes goes even a little deeper, to give you an idea what to look for. The provided documents are gold and very helpfull. I can’t wait to go public with my site. Thank you for the great lectures. Andreas Lackmann

I really wish I had access to a course such as this four years ago when I first started dabbling with WordPress as a hobby in my retirement. The learning process at the time, for a non-techy like me, was painstaking. Andy’s course was the ideal step-by-step teaching method. I’m now much more confident about starting a new affiliate marketing website. Leon

Well delivered, well structured. Easy to follow and logical. Developed my own website in parallel with the course, and had it up and running within two weeks of starting. Looking forward to undertaking a couple of the course developers other courses now. Highly recommended. Steve Laing

Excellent instructor. Andy is great. He used visuals for everything he say. I was able to pause him and go to my site and test my understanding in all areas that I did know. The results and excitement are fantastic. Esau Khan

A fantastic course. Thank you Andy. This is a great course and it has helped me start to build my own WordPress website. I was very impressed when I had a problem with viewing my site that you took time to check for me. That shows what a great teacher you are. I have booked up another course by to and can’t wait for more. Once again. Thank you. B Brown

Many of the courses I’ve been through related to learning WordPress are either too complicated or the author doesn’t spend enough time explaining concepts so that you can understand what’s being said. Andy strikes a nice balance with this course in that all the modules are broken up into easily digestible pieces. I like that he takes enough time to explain each new concept or module without being repetitive or using jargon that’s difficult to follow. I also love being able to follow along with Andy as he explains each new module as well (as opposed to just talking off of slides all the time). He literally walks you through everything, so it’s like you’re right there looking over his shoulder. For anyone wanting to understand all the fundamentals of WordPress, I think you’ll absolutely love this course. It will save you tons of time by having all this information in one place. And you’ll even learn some additional features like setting up affiliate links (not that everyone needs to know this but I like that Andy included it so it’s there if you ever want to know). Truly a fantastic course! Lance Gross

Superb Course – Extraordinary Instructor!! Andy’s WordPress for Beginners-Master WordPress Quicky course is by far the best WordPress course I’ve seen. And I definitely wouldn’t say it’s just for beginners. I’m not a beginner – I thought I knew WordPress pretty well, but I learned SO MUCH MORE from this course! I’ve always had a lot of questions about the many settings and various options in WordPress and most courses just skip over them or tell you to check this box and move on with no explanation. I never really got my questions answered until now. Andy is very detailed in his instruction. He walks you through step by step and tells you what each setting or section is for, how it is used (or not used) and why. I got more out of Andy’s course than any other course I’ve ever taken. He has an extensive teaching background and it is evident in his clearly produced videos. After taking this course, you’ll find your confidence level will soar. Carol

Who this course is for:

If you want to learn WordPress without paying for a web host, this course is perfect. I’ll show you how you can install WordPress on your very own computer while you learn.

This course is for you if you want to build a website, whether for personal or business reasons.

If you want to learn to master WordPress without getting bogged down with technical jargon, this course is for you.

If you want to get step-by-step, over-the-shoulder tuition from an ex-school teacher who has been using and teaching WordPress since 2004.

This course is perfect for you if you are taking over an existing WordPress website, or want to build one from scratch, but don’t know where to start.

This course is for anyone that wants to be the WordPress goto guy or gal.

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[ericbarkman]

Chrono Hustle #42 Limited Information

     Melinda Summers paced back and forth on the bridge of the UES starship Destiny as it was travelling through superspace.      “Could you do me a favor and not wear a hole in the floor of my bridge?” Captain Bonnie Jefferson asked.      “Sorry,” Melinda said.  “I’m just feeling a bit impatient.  It’s been a few days since we lost contact with our people, and I’m just getting worried.”      “We’re getting you there as fast as we can,” Bonnie said.  “I know it sucks not knowing what happened, but there’s not much you can do until we get there.  How much longer until that is, Lieutenant Gilden?”      “We’ll be there in about another fifty minutes or so,” Lieutenant Nicole Gilden said.  She was the pilot.      “Fifty minutes,” Bonnie said.  “The rest of your team is relaxing in other areas on the ship.  Feel free to do so yourself.  We have various different recreation rooms aboard.”      Elsewhere on the Destiny, in one of said rec rooms, Jack Masterson was bowling with Mary Bishop and Imhotep.      “So, you had bowling back in ancient Egypt?” Jack asked as Imhotep went up and picked up a bowling ball.      “It wasn’t exactly the same game, but throwing a ball to hit a target, or targets, isn’t exactly an uncommon game in various different cultures,” Imhotep said as he threw the ball and it went down the lane, before knocking down some of the pins.      “What about the wild west?” Jack asked.  “Did you have the game there, Mary?”      “I know of the game,” Mary said.  “Although I’ve never actually played it.  I wish Abigail was here, she’d probably be enjoying this.”      “Yes, well, that situation is definitely complicated,” Jack said.  “I certainly hope she won’t actually have to stay in the Cretaceous until she leaves the long way, but until we understand more of the situation of how she replaced Sesla we don’t want to risk jeopardizing the timeline.”      “Yeah, I know, I know,” Mary said.  “I just feel bad for her having to stay back at base while we’re out here on a mission.”      “Eh, it’s not too boring back at base,” Jack said.      “Why is it so boring here at base?” Abigail Esau asked as she sat down in the cafeteria.      “I think it’s nice, personally,” Philip Wilson said as he looked up from eating his macaroni and cheese.  “It’s good to get a break from going out on crazy dangerous missions.”      “Well sure, but not when you can’t leave,” Abigail said.  “I mean, I understand why I should stay here, because otherwise it will alter the already altered timeline in ways we can’t possibly predict.  But that doesn’t make this any easier.”      “I thought your big thing was research.  Can’t you do more of that while being stuck here?”      “I mean, I suppose.  Back home I would spend days in my room just reading stuff on my computer, only occasionally stopping for sleep.”      “And food?”      “If I remembered to.”      “So, what’s different now?” Philip asked.  “I mean, other than working for a time travel organization headquartered in the Cretaceous?”      “The fact that I have a girlfriend now, and she’s out on an adventure, and I’m stuck here.  Like, if Dorian was off doing some mission and you were stuck here, wouldn’t you hate that?”      “I mean, I probably wouldn’t be bored, but maybe worried.”      “Yeah, I’m a bit of that too,” Abigail said.  “I mean, I know Mary can take care of herself, but you keep getting into danger and eventually you’ll get yourself killed.  Unless you’re me apparently, and will live for tens of millions of years.”      The Ghost of the temporal duplicate of Jack Masterson was holding the punching bag in place as Ohm was pounding away at it.  They too were on the Destiny.      “So, what do you think we’ll encounter when we get there?” Ghost Jack asked.      “I have little idea,” Ohm said.  “You probably have a lot better idea than me.  I’m not sure why I’m even on this mission.”      “What do you mean?”      “I’m just the big, dumb muscle.  And I don’t think punching Chronos into submission is going to work.”      “I mean, technically we don’t know for certain that it’s Chronos that’s behind the planet Kyklos disappearing.”      “A planet, which he possibly created in the first place, disappeared after he was asked about it,” Ohm said.  “I’m dumb, but not that much.”      “You’re really not though,” Ghost Jack said.  “Like, you are a Neanderthal, and the most advanced technology where you are from is what, pointy sticks?”      “Essentially, yes.”      “And yet after just a couple years, you’ve become fluent in English, learned all sorts of stuff about more advanced technology and even have a basic understanding of time travel.”      “Very basic.”      “Maybe, but I mean, most of us only have a basic understanding of time travel.  What I’m saying is that you learn at an amazingly fast rate.  You’re not stupid.”      “You’re just saying that because you’re interested in me,” Ohm said.      “See, you’re also really perceptive.”      Melinda was still on the bridge of the Destiny when they arrived at their destination, although she had stopped pacing by this point and was sitting down at one of the auxiliary science stations.      “Report,” Bonnie said.      “We’re at the location,” Nicole said.  “But sure enough, there’s no planet here, just like long distance sensors showed.”      Melinda looked through the sensor data on the console in front of her.  “Hmm, readings seem mostly normal,” she said.      “Then what do you want us to do?” Bonnie asked.  “This is your mission.”      “Have your scientists comb through all sensor readings for this area, for anything abnormal,” Melinda said.  “They are obviously better trained with your equipment than I am, plus there’s a lot of data to go through.”      “Can you tell us what to look for?” Bonnie asked.  “Abnormal is a pretty vague description.”      “I don’t know exactly what we’re looking for,” Melinda said.  “And what I do know is classified, so abnormal will have to suffice.”      “Understood,” Bonnie said, with a frown on her face.      Jack, Mary and Imhotep had gone to an observation room, and were looking out at the empty space where a planet should have been.      “Are your knowledge powers telling you anything?” Imhotep asked.      “Not yet,” Jack said.  “I mean, not anything relevant to this anyway.  These days they are almost constantly telling me something though.”      “I know we’re assuming Chronos is behind this, but could it also be related to the alternate universe stuff Deanna was doing on the planet?” Mary asked.      “It’s certainly possible,” Jack said.  “I mean, putting a planet in another universe would be a good way to hide it.  Especially if it was a universe without people out in space.”      “Are we also assuming the planet was moved, and not just destroyed?” Imhotep asked.      “If it was destroyed, there would be debris or something left,” Jack said.  “Even if it was completely obliterated, there would have been some sort of energy discharge we would have picked up.”      “Unless it was destroyed in another era,” Mary said.      “Maybe,” Jack said.      Elsewhere, Nikola Tesla was pacing back and forth, as well as he could in the pitch dark room he was in with ERK-147 and the other scientists that had been with them on Kyklos.      “So, this room is a perfect cube,” Nikola said.      “Yes, that is what my sensors said,” ERK-147 said.      “Which means the only way in or out is teleportation,” Nikola said.  “And we don’t know who it was that appeared before us, and presumably brought us here.”      “I believe he may have been a Greek God,” ERK-147 said.  “Although more powerful than any I have ever encountered, but what little I could detect of his genetics fits that theory.”      “It’s got to be Chronos,” Nikola said.  “He could easily be behind not just this, but the creation of the planet itself.  The only question is, how does that help us?”      “Anything yet?” Jack asked Melinda as he sat down with her in the mess hall.      “Nothing, it’s like the planet was never even here,” Melinda said.  “There’s no trace of it.”      “What about in other eras?” Jack asked.  “Like, let’s say this is Chronos.  We went to talk with him in 1984.”      “Harkon sent teams to other eras, and the planet seems to be gone in all of them, but the stuff that we know that happened on the planet, still seems to be part of the timeline.”      “Hmm, so presumably he wanted to make sure that those parts of the timeline were left intact for some reason.  But we don’t know anything about his reasons for any of this.”      “Which means that has to be our next move if we can’t figure out anything else here,” Melinda said.  “We need to find out why he’s doing this.”      “How are we supposed to do that?  Talk with other Progenitors?”      “Exactly.”      “You wanted to see me, sir?” Abigail asked as she entered Harkon Smith’s office.      “Yes, please sit down,” Harkon said as he put down his computer tablet.  “I just got a report back from Agent Summers’ team.”      “Did they find anything?”      “They found nothing, which means we’re going to need to come at the problem from another angle.”      “Oh?”      “We’re going to try reaching out to other Progenitors and seeing if we can learn anything.”      “Is that wise?”      “Maybe, maybe not, but it’s the best course of action we have at the moment.  Do you want to get started on looking into the identities of other Progenitors and where we can find them?”      “Of course,” Abigail said.  “I’d be happy to.”      Melinda entered Bonnie’s office.  “Have your people found anything yet?” Melinda asked.      “Not yet, and I’m finding it increasingly unlikely that they will,” Bonnie said.  “And I know my ship is on loan to you for this mission, but how long are we expected to be out here.  Earth doesn’t exactly have a whole lot of ships.”      “If we could stay out here a few more hours,” Melinda said.  “We’re starting to look into a few other options, but we still want to be thorough in this area.”      “Of course.”      “So, we’re trying to figure out a list of Progenitors?” Dorian asked.      “Yep,” Abigail said.  “The more the better.  So far, other than Chronos, the only one we’ve encountered so far is Yahweh, I think.”      “I mean, it was just Jack and Deanna that encountered him,” Philip said.  “And based on what Jack’s said of that encounter, I don’t know if we want to go to him again if we can help it.”      “Which is why we need to figure out others,” Abigail said.  “For instance, I’m pretty sure for the Norse pantheon it’s Ymir.”      “I’m thinking Nu for the Egyptians?” Dorian said.      “Makes sense, I think,” Abigail said.  “What about, let’s say, Roman?  I mean, that’s pretty hard to track down with the complex relationship between Roman and Greek mythologies.”      “I got nothing for that,” Dorian said.      “Me neither,” Philip said.  “But maybe for Shinto mythology we have Amenominakanushi.”      “Yeah, that sounds right, other than your pronunciation” Abigail said.  “A friend of mine from back home used to date a girl who’s family practiced some elements of Shintoism.”      “It’s just hard to tell for so many of these,” Dorian said.  “In so many mythologies, especially as you get earlier into the family trees of deities, it becomes more complicated to figure out what the difference is between a being and a concept.”      “Yeah, but at least we’re making some progress,” Abigail said.  “I think.”      Back on the Destiny, Melinda joined Jack, Ghost Jack, Mary, Imhotep, and Ohm in a meeting room.      “Have we found anything yet?” Jack asked.      “Still nothing?” Melinda said.  “We’ll be heading back to Earth shortly.  Abigail, Philip, and Dorian have been attempting to put together a list of Progenitors and seeing if they can track any down.”      “I mean, if we need to, I do know where Yahweh is living,” Jack said.  “Although I’m not sure if I want to go have another chat with him.”      “How many others have they found?” Mary asked.      “Last I heard they had a short list of names,” Melinda said.  “But no locations yet.”      “They aren’t exactly easy to track down,” Jack said.  “It took a decade for me to do so.  I mean, if we want I can do some long term searching again.  With our increased time travel options, it’s even less of an issue for me to do that now.”      “If we have to, we might take advantage of that,” Melinda said.  “But for now we’ll see what we can come up with the regular way.”      “Okay, so we haven’t figured out many, but we’ve possibly figured out a few of the Progenitors,” Abigail said.  “So, we’ll work with that for now.  Next up we need to figure out where and when we might be able to find them.”      “Are we wanting to limit ourselves to after 1984, since that’s when Chronos become a problem from?” Philip asked.  “Or 2017, since that’s when we were interacting with the planet Kyklos…sort of?      “Does it even matter?” Dorian asked.  “I mean, Chronos is a God of Time.  It’s not like causality works the same way with him as with us.”      “Maybe not, but other Progenitors aren’t necessarily the same way,” Abigail said.  “So yeah, probably best to try for times of 1984 or later, 2017 or later if we can manage.”      “So, how do we figure that out?” Philip asked.  “There’s so little about them in the historical records.”      “Then let’s go outside normal historical records,” Abigail said.  “Who would know about things like this, Merlin, Aphrodite, Sesla.  Any of them might be able to help.”      “Aphrodite has rarely been helpful,” Philip said.  “But we can try questioning her, I suppose.  Don’t know about how cooperative Merlin will be, and either way we’ll need to wait for Ghost Jack to get back here to talk with him or Sesla, unless you know another way of communicating with someone in a coma.”      “All valid ideas, although we’re not just limited to actually questioning them, are we?” Dorian asked.      “With Merlin as our prisoner, somebody could go to his home and look through what he has,” Abigail said.  “That’s a good point.”      As Melinda and her team returned to Earth, she was given an update on what Abigail’s team had been figuring out.      “Jack and I will go search Merlin’s place,” Melinda said to the team.      “I should go with,” Ghost Jack said.  “There are all sorts of magical security systems in place.”      “You’ll have to just tell us about them, since you’re the only one of us that can talk to Merlin or Sesla,” Melinda said.  “So, that determines that.”      “We can take Imhotep with though,” Jack said.  “He may be able to help with disarming the security.”      “Agreed,” Melinda said.      “Okay, I’ll tell you everything I am aware of,” Ghost Jack said.  “And hopefully that’ll be enough.”      “How long have we been here by now?” Nikola asked.      “It’s been thirty-five hours,” ERK-147 stated.  “You are worried about dehydration and starvation?”      “Surprisingly no,” Nikola said.  “I am feeling neither hunger nor thirst.”      “Me neither,” one of the others said.      “Yeah, I hadn’t even noticed, but I’m fine on that,” another one said.      “Hmm,” ERK-147 said.  “A scan of your bodies does indicate that you are properly hydrated and fed.”      “Well, if Chronos can create a planet, he can surely ensure that his prisoners are kept in good health,” Nikola said.  “The question is why?”      “Hello Aphrodite,” Abigail said as she sat down on a chair outside her cell.      “You’re a new one,” Aphrodite said.      “My name is Abigail, I’ve been here for a little bit, but I haven’t had the need to talk with you as of yet.”      “Oh, I know who you are, dear.  I’ve met your father before.”      “Don’t try playing that game with me,” Abigail said.  “You’re not going to convince me that you’re my mother.”      “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that.  The woman that raised you is indeed your mother.  The man who raised you however, that’s not the father I was referring to.”      “I don’t care, that’s not what I’m here for.”      “What are you here for?  More intel?  The last time you people wanted intel you had to do a favor for me.  Are you willing to do that again?”      “How did that work out for you, anyway?  You’re still our prisoner.”      “For now,” Aphrodite said.  “Certain things can take a while, but it’s only a matter of time until I’m out of here.”      “We’re looking for one or more of the Progenitors.”      “The what now?”      “Chronos’ siblings.”      “Couldn’t help you there, even if I wanted to.  But feel free to pay me another visit if you ever want to learn who your real father is.”      Ghost Jack entered the dream of the comatose Sesla.  It was very different than the last time he had been here.  He was on a massive balcony overlooking an ocean.  The sky was sunny, with a few fluffy, white clouds dotting it here and there.  Sesla was standing by the railing at the edge, looking out at the ocean.      “Is my new body ready?” Sesla asked without even turning to look.      “Not yet,” Ghost Jack said.  “We’re still working on growing it.”      “I’m sure you are,” Sesla said.  “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit then?”      “We’re looking for information on Progenitors, the original generation of Gods.”      “Oh?”      Ghost Jack explained the situation with Chronos.      “Hmm, very curious.  I am aware of a few, but tracking them down might prove difficult.”      “Any help you can provide would be much appreciated,” Ghost Jack said.      Imhotep cast a spell to get rid of the magic lock.  It was not especially complex, although the sort of spell you would not know to cast if you had not been told.  The door opened before them.  Jack and Melinda followed him into the lab.      “So, what exactly are we looking for?” Imhotep asked.      “Notes, files, anything he might have,” Jack said.      “You don’t become one of the most powerful magic users out there without knowing at least a bit about the competition,” Melinda said.  “Hopefully in his case, that includes one or more of the Progenitors.”      Melinda quickly found a computer, which she started looking through.  Jack was mostly just looking at the various mystical artifacts.  And Imhotep located some old journals, which he started looking through.  They were in a variety of languages, but Imhotep had a simple text translation spell he could use for that.      The journals were full of a variety of different information.  A lot of it was about spells, or artifacts, but there was a bit here and there about Gods and other magical entities.  Nothing on the Progenitors that he had found yet though.      “This,” Jack said as he picked up an old oil lamp.      “What about it?” Melinda asked.      “Don’t know yet,” Jack said.  “But my knowledge powers just kicked in.  It’s something important.”  He started rubbing it, but nothing happened.  “Not a Genie, I guess.”      “I think I saw something about that in one of these journals,” Imhotep said, as he started turning back through the pages.  “Aha, here it is.  That lamp can be used to track powerful beings.”      “That could certainly help,” Melinda said.      Even though he did not need to breath, Ghost Jack took a deep breath to calm himself as he prepared to enter the cell where the comatose Merlin was being kept.      “Are you sure you want to do this?” Doctor Jeri Quill asked.      “Not really,” Ghost Jack said.  “In fact, I kind of really don’t want to do this, but we need to get as much information as we can.”      “You already got information from Sesla, and Melinda’s team may have found something as well,” Jeri said.      “Sesla gave some intel, but we need more.”      “You don’t want to wait for Melinda’s team to return?”      “It’s not like Merlin can do anything to me in there,” Ghost Jack said.  “I think,” he added before he entered the cell, and entered Merlin’s dream.      This was the first time he had entered Merlin’s dreams, so he did not know what exactly to expect.  But what he found was a small bar.  He looked around.  There were a few customers talking and drinking and eating.  He did not recognize any of them, nor did he recognize the bartender.  In the back though, there was a piano being played, and the player was definitely recognizable.      “Hello Merlin,” Ghost Jack said as he approached.      “Good day,” Merlin said without even looking up.  “I was wondering if you’d ever pay me a visit.”      “We need information.  We’re trying to track down Progenitors.”      “Who?”      “The original generation of Gods.”      “Can’t help you there.  Maybe if you wake me up, I can help you then.”      “Can’t do that, sorry.”      “You’re really not,” Merlin said.      “Yeah, you’re right, I’m really not sorry.  And if you can’t help us, then I’ll just be on my way.”  Ghost Jack tried to leave Merlin’s dream, but for some reason it did not work.      Merlin, still playing the piano, grew a rather large smile on his face.      Melinda, Jack and Imhotep returned to base, where Mary and Abigail were waiting for them.      “Did you guys find anything?” Mary asked.      Jack held up the lamp.  “This might help,” he said.      “What, is there a genie inside it?” Abigail asked.      “No, but it can possibly be used to track down Progenitors, amongst other powerful beings,” Melinda said.  “Did Ghost Jack find anything?”      “He’s talking with Merlin right now,” Mary said.  “But he got some potential leads from Sesla.  A starting location.”      “And I talked with Aphrodite, but no help there,” Abigail said.      “That’s to be expected,” Jack said.  “What kind of leads did Sesla give us?”      “What did you do?” Ghost Jack asked.      “I may be comatose, but within my mind, I am still in charge,” Merlin said.      “So, what’s your plan?  Just keep me trapped in here with you?”      “Misery does love company, but no, I have grander plans than that.”      “What kind of plans?”      “You know me better than that, I’m not going to just slip up and give you leverage.”      “Maybe not that easy, but give it time, it’ll happen.”      “Are you certain of that?” Merlin asked. To be continued…

#Melinda Summers #Jack Masterson #Mary Bishop #Abigail Esau #Harkon Smith #Dorian Winters #Philip Wilson #Ohm #Nikola Tesla #ERK-147 #Imhotep #Jeri Quill #Aphrodite #Sesla #Merlin #Bonnie Jefferson #Nicole Gilden #UES #Destiny #Cretaceous #time travel #time doors #Chrono Hustle #Eric J. Barkman

[emelinstriker]

How much of their “past selves” did the ESAU boys keep when they became servants? Like we see that Redson still has his love for cooking, and Macaque, his affinity for dramatics, but what about the others? Does MK still like to draw?

These technically aren't the only things that carried over, but one or two things that comes to mind for each... :D

Wukong still has this need of keeping MK as his successor, which is evident with how he refused to let Nezha spar with him in the MK one-shot.

Macaque is a theater kid by heart and tends to be still very much dramatic for attention, as one might be able to tell lmao- But he also still enjoys doing private shadow plays for his Master or his brother.

Mink is- I mean- I guess he's got the attitude from before, just with more sass and more of his "own main body" and personality due to his marks. He probably changed the least and just has more of a mood/relatable vibe added to him in between the champions.

Nezha still has this dutiful mindset that makes him very reliable as a guard for just about anyone or anything his Master tasks him with.

MK still likes to draw, but he usually tends to doodle his Master. Expect to see a corner in his room with just doodles of them.

Red Son still likes to cook and create his own little inventions as especially gifts for his Master, or as palace tools/decorations. Also the drive to make his Master proud of him, kinda like how he always wanted DBK's approval.

Azure's personality actually didn't change all too much considering who he's mirroring. But he is more strict about upholding rules and a bit less talkative now.

#lmk esau #eternal servants au #esau qna #esau wukong #esau macaque #esau mink #esau nezha #esau mk #esau red son #esau azure

[emelinstriker]

this is actually entertaining holdup

mini rant ahead-

i got like 2 asks in my inbox rn that are like essays on why it's wrong for me to do nezha x readers (cuz of the entire 12 y/o drama thing), the entire ESAU being disgusting and all that-

and i'm over here actually feelin entertained rn

gotta see if i'mma respond already or do it after work tho cuz it's like 6am KEKW

i could technically also send the entire rant i posted on discord about the nezha being 12 topic cuz my autistic, logical brain can't fuckin comprehend why a 2D character is suddenly supposed to be exactly this 12 y/o from the actual source, despite him being depicted fully different and literally not even being more than more of a parody- like if a character is being fully drawn and confirmed to be aged-up and all that and it's still disgusting, then well damn, guess a bunch of peeps should be in jail rn for merely just havin a crush on a 2D lego character; or even on any fully matured and aged-up character in general. like have y'all ever seen rule 34 content- the rule literally says it all-

would just answer with the rant, but that would have a bunch of cuss words and me ranging on the nitpicky shit at like 12am and i was like "nah, i'mma keep it friendly"

but then the 2nd anon ask dropped while i was asleep, from most likely the same person, which sounds a lot more personal, and now i'm actually contemplating just droppin the original bomb-

like, now for some reason wukong is also being argued over for his character and the entire servant/master thing and "young reincarnations being groomed"- despite this literally being a rather small au with literal infections of an oc species like okay, damn-?? like the actual full content ain't even out yet- i never even posted anythin nsfw related to the au, literally everything is just optional for each reader individually cuz the AU is made for the comfort of those who fuckin need it- not to disrespect shit- KEKW- like, you can literally have them all be platonic towards you in the AU if you feel more comfortable with it- the AU is supposed to comfort those who are more into the idea of gettin worshipped, loved and appreciated-

might still drop the actual initial rant after answering cuz i read through my answer again and my 12am brain was literally on the edge of strangling someone over practically snowflake ptsd of people defending their precious lil pixels in genshin and whatnot

LIKE- THIS IS LITERALLY HOW MY RANT ENDED LAST NIGHT BEFORE I FELL ASLEEP- like i was already not happy cuz i was already tired af :'D

#emelin rambles #lmk esau #eternal servants au #only gonna tag these 3 for this one cuz this is gettin into personal fuckin territory and if they wanna have a discussion war about pixels #i'm down #comparing the original nezha to lmk nezha is literally like comparing a minecraft house's gravity to irl houses #spot the difference between things you can only do in fantasy and reality

[ericbarkman]

Chrono Hustle #41 Cycles

     Harkon Smith sat back in his chair as he considered.  “Progenitor language, you’re certain of this?” he asked.      “I looked over the pictures they brought back,” Jack Masterson said as he leaned against the wall.  “And yeah, it’s definitely that.  Although, is that really what we’re calling them?  Progenitors?”      “They don’t have a name for themselves,” Melinda Summers said as she looked over the pictures of the documents.  “Seems like as good a name as any.  The more important question is how this Chloe is connected to them.”      “We didn’t find anything about that,” the Ghost of the temporal duplicate of Jack Masterson said.  “Unless it’s in the Progenitor language.”      “I can’t read most of it,” Jack said.  “I know a bit, but not much.”      “Do we know anyone that does?” Abigail Esau asked.      “I mean, I’ve met a couple of them,” Jack said.  “I’ve met Chronos and Yahweh before.  Don’t know if we can count on either of them to help with this though.”      “Is this really our primary focus right now?” Mary Bishop asked as she was pacing back and forth.  “What about the Sesla situation?”      “We’re still working on growing the clone body for her,” Doctor Jeri Quill said.      “Not present Sesla,” Mary said.  “She only even still exists because of weird time travel stuff.  But apparently Deanna is officially dead, and thus can’t become Sesla, so now Abigail will?”      “There was a lot Abigail-Sesla didn’t tell me about that situation,” Jack said.      “I mean, do we even know for certain it wasn’t Deanna-Sesla making herself look like Abigail?” Mary asked.  “I have no doubt that Deanna could have survived the destruction of that Palore ship, and even less doubt that she could make herself look like someone else.”      “It is possible, but we’ve been asked to limit our visits to that era, while the Temporal Development Division restarts their experiments there,” Harkon said.      “Which is another thing that I can’t believe we’re just letting slide,” Mary said.      “We agreed to join them,” Melinda said.  “We knew there would be compromises.”      “What weirds me out is that apparently I become Sesla after never again leaving this era, except the old fashioned way of waiting,” Abigail said.      “Yeah, that is weird,” Melinda said.  “I mean, I know you don’t age because you’re a Demigod, but we’re in the Cretaceous.  That seems more than just a little ridiculous.”      “But what happens if I just go through a time door right now?” Abigail asked.  “I mean, that right there would change the timeline.  Why would I choose not to?”      “For now, you should probably stay here,” Harkon said.  “At least until we figure more out.”      “But what if it is original Sesla, and this is just playing into her hand?” Mary asked.      “That’s why we need to figure out more,” Harkon said.  “I’ll talk with Director Teleros about this.  For now, see what we can decipher of the Progenitor writing.  And have we got an update from Tesla yet?”      “His next scheduled checkin is in an hour,” Melinda said.      On a certain rogue planet in the year 2017, Nikola Tesla was looking over what he and his team had learned about the temporal anomalies on this planet.  The bot, ERK-147, was with him, and they were going over the findings together.      “This just makes so little sense,” Nikola said.      “We have successfully mapped the anomalies on the planet,” ERK-147 said.  “And everything seems to be consistent.”      “Consistent, yes, but too convenient.  Everything fits together like a puzzle, it almost seems artificial, but who could create something like this?”      “The Clockmaker, perhaps?”      “Hmm, no.  Certainly he can create temporal anomalies, we saw that with that ship in the 1940s, but this is different.  I think this whole planet might be artificial, and he may be an expert when it comes to time travel, but I don’t know if he can create a planet.”      “I am unaware of anyone with those capabilities,” ERK-147 said.      Abigail looked at the pictures of the Progenitor writing and compared it to what little information they had on it.  “Hmm, this might be the word for planet, or it might mean apple or key or canoe or…I don’t even know.”      Mary was pacing back and forth.  “If it weren’t for you being confined to base, we could just go search for more information on the language than we have here.”      “I mean, it’s kind of annoying, but look on the bright side, we know I’m going to survive for tens of millions of years, so at least my idea about being a red shirt isn’t accurate.”      “Haha, very funny.  I don’t know why we’re just taking this at face value.”      “I mean, if it is really me, I’d like to think I had good reasons for doing what I did.  But yeah, that is something we need to figure out, if it is the real me.  Which is what Harkon is doing.”      “By going to talk with Rupert Teleros,” Mary said.  “Which is another thing.”      “You still don’t think he should be trusted.”      “I mean, I understand that the historical records of him show all these great things he did, and about how he’s such a great person.  But, I mean, people change.  Joshua Teleros, who is Rupert’s ancestor by the way, was a good friend and ally of ours, and we trusted him, as did the ESS.  And while he never betrayed us, he did betray them.”      “He did end up regretting that though, and did try making up for it,” Abigail said.  “Even after he died.”      “Ah, right, the ghost you encountered.”      “I mean, technically, I never personally encountered his ghost, I was just investigating it.”      Harkon entered Rupert Teleros’ officer, where Rupert was doing some sort of mathematical calculations on a whiteboard.      “Please sit down,” Rupert said without turning around.      “What’s that?” Harkon asked as he did so.      “I’m working on determining more time door addresses.”      “You can do that?”      “It’s why I was brought into the TDD in the first place,” Rupert said.  “I mean, it took me a while to actually get many of use.  There’s only so many unique doors out there, so mostly it’s a matter of getting through the ones we know about, but in additional time periods.”      “Fascinating.”      “Indeed,” Rupert said as he put down his marker and turned around.  “Although fairly time consuming.  So, what can I do for you?  I assume you’re here to ask for something.”      “After we returned the time door in the 2340s to the Oracle, you asked that we stay away from it.”      “I did indeed.  I know you don’t approve of the experiments we are running there, but it’s important in combating the Palore.”      “I’m not here to talk about the experiments.”      “Of course not.  You’re here to talk about the new version of Sesla that has occurred because of the changes to the timeline brought on by your team.  And who just so happens to be a future version of a member of said team.”      “We want to determine if it really is Abigail.”      “I can assure you that it is,” Rupert said.      “Forgive me if I don’t take your word for it.”      “You’re free to disbelieve me if you want.  It doesn’t really matter.”      “If Abigail uses a time door, that will change the timeline, and she might no longer become Sesla.  So we need to know if it’s really her, and if it’s important that she follows this chain of events.”      “Tell you what, Mary can go through and talk to her.  Just Mary.”      “Why just Mary?” Harkon asked.      “She is dating Abigail, is she not.  She should know her well enough to determine if it’s really her.”      “People can change quite a bit over the course of tens of millions of years.  I was thinking a more scientific method of confirming her identity.”      “Mary seems intelligent enough.  I’m sure you can demonstrate any necessary tests to her that you may have in mind.”      “So, how much have you figured out of the Progenitor writing?” Melinda asked as she sat down across from Jack at a table in the cafeteria.      He looked up from his jello.  “Not much.  Enough to know that it is most definitely about the rogue planet.  And, I’ve figured out the name of said planet.”      “Oh yeah?” Melinda asked as she starting eating her pasta.      “And it might be a hint as to which Progenitor we’re dealing with.”      “Oh yeah, what’s the name?”      “Kyklos.”      “I definitely want to go,” Mary said.  “But why just me?”      “He says he wants to limit the chance of our interfering with the experiments,” Harkon said.  “Although he’s definitely hiding something.”      “Well, no shit.”      “Which means, this Sesla is almost assuredly the real Abigail.”      “How does that follow?”      “The reason he wants you to be the only person that goes through, is because he suspects that I won’t be telling you what I’m about to tell you.  Because you can’t tell Abigail.”      “Wait, what?”      “As a Demigod, she has some powers.”      “Well, yeah, her dreams.”      “Not exactly,” Harkon said.  “Her dreams were caused by her powers, but her powers aren’t dream related.  They are probability related.  She warps probability around herself, so that unlikely things happen.”      “What?  Why shouldn’t she know this?”      “Because she already blames herself for all sorts of bad things that happen around her.  If she were to learn of this, don’t you think she would feel justified in that self blame?”      “No!  Maybe.  She still deserves to know.  But how does that confirm that it’s really Abigail?”      “Director Teleros is aware of her abilities, and wanted to study them.  I told him no.”      “But if he has a future version of Abigail that is no longer part of our group, he has free reign,” Mary said.  “Maybe.  I mean, even if this is Abigail, she’s taken the identity of Sesla, so I have to imagine she has at least somewhat equivalent magic, which would make it difficult for Teleros to trick her.”      “Yes, which means your job won’t be to determine if this is the real Abigail, so much as it will be to determine how they are planning on researching her abilities without her stopping them.”      “So, we’re thinking Chronos named the planet?” Melinda asked.      “Maybe even created it,” Jack said.  “I was skimming Tesla’s daily report earlier, and they think the planet might have been artificially created.  And I mean, I don’t know if Chronos has that kind of power or not, but if anyone does, a Progenitor would be a good guess.”      “It would also explain the temporal anomalies,” Melinda said.  “I don’t know about planet creation, but the anomalies would certainly be within his abilities.  So, do we approach him about this?”      “I mean, I know places we can go to find him.  He lives under the Vatican in the twentieth century.”      “Hmm, I wonder if that’s related to why Hercules joined the Pontifical Swiss Guard.”      “Oh, that’s right, you’ve mentioned that before,” Jack said.  “Might be related.”      Mary went through the time door, and appeared on the Oracle.  The time door had been placed in Sesla’s throne room.  There were a few TDD scientists near it, and Abigail-Sesla was seated on her throne.  A few of her followers were also present, but she waved them away and they left as Mary went up to her.      “Welcome Mary,” Abigail-Sesla said.  “I take it you’re here to determine that I am who I say I am.”      “That is correct,” Mary said, as she glanced at the scientists who were still in the room.  “Can we go somewhere more private?”      “Of course,” Abigail-Sesla said.  She snapped her fingers, and suddenly the two of them were in a room with a clear dome, giving them a view of space.      “I haven’t seen this place before,” Mary said.      “I don’t think it was actually a part of the timeline during your previous visits.  I had it constructed.”      “It’s quite a spectacular view.”      “Yes, it is.”  Abigail-Sesla had her eyes not on the stars outside, but on Mary.  “I’ve missed you quite a bit.”      “I can’t even imagine what it’s like to be so old.”      “Not many can.  The Progenitors, certainly.  Theoretically other Gods and Demigods will eventually, but most don’t have the advantage of time travel to get so old by this era.  And there was this one guy from another universe who was even older than I am.”      “Huh, so I guess it’s time to figure out if you really are Abigail.”      “So, how to you intend to do that?” Abigail-Sesla asked.      “When are you planning on approaching Chronos?” Harkon asked after Jack and Melinda had told him what they had figured out.      “We’re thinking sometime post 1970s,” Jack said.  “Just to make sure it’s after my previous meeting with him.”      “He’s a God of time, so it might not matter,” Melinda said.  “But still, better to take what precautions we can.”      “Indeed,” Harkon said.  “But you don’t want to go too much later, because as far as I know we don’t know how long he’ll continue living under the Vatican.”      “Yeah, what’s the earliest time we can visit past that?” Jack asked.      “1984 is the closest I know of,” Melinda said.      “Let me see,” Harkon said as he brought up the information on his computer.  “Yes, it is indeed 1984.”      “Then we’ll go then, and see what we can learn,” Melinda said.      “Good luck,” Harkon said.      “Scans show that your DNA does mostly match Abigail,” Mary said.  “Minus the chunks that we already know change as the result of certain high level types of magic.”      “So, are you convinced yet?” Abigail-Sesla asked.      “I mean, that sort of high level magic would also make it possible for you to mess with the scanner.”      “What if I tell you something only you and I would know?  Like the first time we kissed.  It was aboard Sandra’s ship in this very time period.”      “Hmm, the problem is I don’t know if anyone else may have found that out at some point.  Like, I haven’t told anyone, and as far as I know, my Abigail hasn’t either, but eventually one of us might.  Plus, the original Sesla knew all sorts of things that she shouldn’t.  So, if you’re just her posing as Abigail having taken your identity, you might still know that somehow anyway.”      “What reason would I have to lie?”      “I don’t know, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one.”      “What will it take?”      “If you are really Abigail, why did you become Sesla?  And why would you have got to this era from the Cretaceous the long way?  Even if you wanted to take over for her after Deanna’s future was changed, wouldn’t you have just taken over when it was changed?”      “I did do so to protect the timeline, to an extent, but in order to become Sesla I had to become a powerful wizard.”      “I thought Sesla was a mage.”      “She was, but I’m a Demigod, which means I have hereditary magic.  It’s easy enough to pretend to be a mage when you’re a wizard though.  And I mean, I did still need to learn how to use and improve my magic, so you could maybe say I’m both.  And that took time.”      “Surely not ten of millions of years.”      “I also had to spend more time learning about time, which is a lot more complicated than we give it credit for.  At this point, I possibly even know more about time than the Clockmaker, or even Chronos.”      “Did you set out to replace Sesla initially?”      “Not initially, no.  My original intent was to save Curtis’ father.  The decision to abandon that goal, and become Sesla, came later.”      “Why?”      Abigail entered the gym and saw Ohm weightlifting.  Ghost Jack was spotting him.      “Hey Abigail,” Ghost Jack said.  “I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you set foot in this gym.”      “Hello,” Ohm said.  “I haven’t seen you in here before either.”      “Yeah, I just needed to walk around a bit,” Abigail said.  “And I was tired of just pacing back and forth in my room.”      “Getting a bit restless being stuck on base?” Ghost Jack asked.      “I mean, I’d be fine with that, if it weren’t for Mary going and meeting what is possibly my future self,” Abigail said.  “That whole situation just weirds me out.”      “Did you at least tell her a code phrase before she left, so that she could determine that it is actually a future you?” Ghost Jack asked.      “No, but now I wish I had,” Abigail said.  “Wait, how much time do you spend in the gym that you’ve taken notice of the fact that I don’t ever come here?  You’re a Ghost, you don’t exercise.”      “He just enjoys my company,” Ohm said.  “I think he has a bit of a crush on me.”      Melinda and Jack were going through Vatican City, heading towards their destination.  They were using ESS credentials to get through.      “So, how much does the Catholic Church know about the ESS anyway?” Jack asked.      “Some,” Melinda said.  “The Pope is allowed into meetings with the oversight committee, but doesn’t have any authority on it.”      As they were walking, there was a voice from behind.  “Melinda, is that you?”      Melinda turned around, to see Hercules walking up to them.  “Hey Herc, long time no see,” she said.      “What are you doing here?” Hercules asked.      “I think the better question is what are you doing here?” Jack asked.  “I thought you were part of the Swiss Guard back in the forties, but this is the eighties, and you’re not dressed for the part.”      “My role here these days is a bit less official, and a bit more secret,” Hercules said.  “But it’s still related to security.”      “We’re with the ESS,” Melinda said.  “We’re authorized to be here.”      “We’re going to be seeing your great great great grandfather,” Jack said.  “At least, I think that’s the right number of greats…I don’t know, your ancestry gets a bit confusing.”      “I can’t argue with that,” Hercules said.  “But even if you’re authorized to be here, that doesn’t mean you have the authority to see Chronos.”      “I’ve met him before,” Jack said.  “And I guess technically he’s my ancestor too, just gotta add an extra great, since I’m the son of one of your siblings.”      “You’ll have to be more specific,” Hercules said.  “I have a lot of siblings.”      “Aphrodite,” Jack said.      “Oh yeah?” Hercules asked.  “Do you know where she’s been the past few decades?  It’s like she just dropped off the face of the Earth back in the 40s.”      “That’s classified, I’m afraid,” Melinda said.  “But we do need to talk with Chronos.  And you do still owe me a favor.”      “That was thousands of years ago,” Hercules said.  “I can’t believe you’re still bringing it up.”      “You know I’m a time traveller,” Melinda said.  “It was only a few years ago for me.”      “Right, right, fine,” Hercules said.  “I mean, if you piss him off too much, he’ll just erase you from existence anyway, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.”      “Why?” Mary asked.      “By the time I even got to an era where Humanity had evolved, I had already long since got over my guilt,” Abigail-Sesla said.  “You spend tens of millions of years without anyone to talk to, and it kind of changes your perspective on things.  They change even more when you start having people to interact with again, but everyone you do so with dies eventually.”      “And you don’t miss them?”      “Of course I miss people, but even still, I’ve gotten used to losing people.  And on top of that, I’ve realized that I can’t blame myself for stuff that’s out of my control, even if it is as a result of coincidences brought on by my powers.”      “So, you know about those?” Mary asked.      “I do, although I don’t imagine that will convince you anymore than the tale of our first kiss.”      “Mr. Smith thinks that you are who you say you are, and that the TDD are using this as an opportunity to study your powers.”      “Oh, they are certainly trying to, but as smart as Rupert Teleros is, he and his people have yet to figure out a way to do so.”      Jack and Melinda entered Chronos’ room.  Unlike the last visit, he was in the form of a Human this time, and appeared to be reading a book.  He looked up and smiled as they entered.  “Ah, Jack Masterson, good to see you again.  And Melinda Summers as well this time.  What can I do for you two?”      “We’re here to ask you about Kyklos,” Melinda said.      “The political cycle?” Chronos asked.      “The planet,” Jack said.      Chronos put down his book, and stood up, the smile leaving his face.  “What do you know about it?”      “Deanna was using it as a base of operations,” Jack said.  “We managed to stop her, but what with the complicated temporal mechanics in play, it may not be for good.”      “Foolish younglings messing with forces beyond your compression,” Chronos said, his voice booming, before he vanished.      “Did we play this wrong?” Melinda asked.  “Should we have built up to it?”      “I don’t know,” Jack said.  “Not quite sure what he’s left to do.”      “Mr. Tesla, I have just detected something unusual,” ERK-147 said as it entered Nikola’s office.      “What is it?” Nikola asked, looking up from his computer.      “I don’t know, but it seems to be appearing all over the base, wherever there are people, at which point they are disappearing.”      “That’s not good,” Nikola said.      Chronos suddenly appeared in the room.  “Begone, fools,” he said.      “So, I was right?” Harkon asked.      “I mean, I’m still not entirely convinced that she’s a future version of Abigail,” Mary said.  “But it definitely seems possible, maybe even likely.  But yes, she did say that the TDD is trying to study her powers.”      “Did she mention how?” Harkon asked.      “They have a lot of sensor apparatuses set up, but none that can penetrate her magical defenses.”      “Hmm, they could still be researching them in less direct ways.  Since probability is warped in proximity to her, they could be concentrating on the effects around her, instead of just directly scanning her.”      “How would they do that?” Mary asked.      “I don’t know, but if anyone could figure it out, Rupert Teleros could.”      Melinda and Jack returned to base through the time door.  Philip Wilson was on duty in the time door room.  “Welcome back,” he said.  “How was the mission?  Helpful?”      “I mean, Chronos definitely knows about the planet,” Jack said.  “Didn’t seem too happy when we brought it up though, so we weren’t able to learn much.”      “Speaking of, Mr. Tesla has missed his most recent check-in,” Philip said.      “That’s not good,” Melinda said.  “We’ll go check it out right away.  Jack, see if Imhotep is up for this mission.  Even in his new body, he’s still probably the most powerful magic user we have at the moment.”      “Yeah, I’ll get him and the Ghost of my temporal duplicate,” Jack said.      “Is Mary back yet?” Melinda asked Philip.      “Yeah, she’s talking with Harkon right now,” Philip said.      “Okay, we’ll get a team ready, and then head out as soon as we can,” Melinda said.      “What happened?” Nikola asked to the darkness surrounding him.  It was pitch black.  He started reaching around, looking for anything.      “I don’t know,” ERK-147 said.  “But I believe we were teleported somewhere.”      “Is anyone else here?” Nikola asked.      “Yes, sir,” one of the other agents, Mark Connor said.  “All of us that were on the rogue planet seem to be here.”      “I can’t see anything,” Nikola said.  “ERK-147, what are your sensors picking up?”      “Not much, unfortunately,” ERK-147 said.  “I can detect all of us, and we appear to be in some sort of cubical room, but my sensors can’t penetrate the edges of it.  Also, all of the walls and floor and ceiling appear to be completely flat and smooth surfaces.”      “How smooth?” Nikola asked.      “There are no imperfections in them,” ERK-147 said.  “I don’t know who would have put this much effort into it.”      On Earth, in the same era, Melinda and her team stepped out of the time door.  Her team included Jack, Ghost Jack, Mary, Imhotep, and Ohm.      “What can we do for you today?” the TDD agent, Robin Michaels asked.      “We need to get use of a starship to go out to the rogue planet, Kyklos,” Melinda said.  “I’ll need to talk with Admiral Teleros about that.”      “I’ll set up a comm channel right away,” Robin said.      Admiral Jon Teleros appeared on the screen on one of the walls almost immediately.  “Agent Summers, good to see you, I was just about to send you a message myself.”      “What kind of message?” Melinda asked.      “The rogue planet just disappeared,” Jon said.  “We don’t know why, or how.”      “It’s gotta be Chronos,” Jack said.  “He’s not happy with us mere mortals using his planet.”      “Chronos?” Jon asked.  “Like the Greek God of time?”      “Yeah,” Melinda said.  “We think he might have created the planet.  Either way, could we get a ride to where the planet was, see if we can maybe figure out where it went?”      “Yeah, the Unity is out on patrol, but the Destiny just returned to Earth for some repairs.  It’ll be ready to leave tomorrow, if you can wait.”      “If that’s the best you can do, I guess we’ll have to,” Melinda said. To be continued…

#Jack Masterson #Melinda Summers #Mary Bishop #Abigail Esau #Harkon Smith #Nikola Tesla #ERK-147 #Jeri Quill #Rupert Teleros #Sesla #Chronos #Hercules #Oracle #Vatican #temporal development division #Ohm #time travel #time door #Kyklos #rogue planet #Chrono Hustle #Eric J. Barkman

[ericbarkman]

Chrono Hustle #37 Dreams of the Past

     “So, what do we all gain from joining up with the Temporal Development Division,” Jack Masterson asked as he leaned against the wall.  “Because, I mean, these were the people that captured and planned to brainwash us.”      “Some of us they had already succeeded in brainwashing,” Melinda Summers said.  She was sitting at a chair near the head of the briefing room table.      “What we gain is legitimacy,” Harkon Smith said from where he was sitting at the head of the table.  “Along with that we once again gain access to all of the time doors.”      “Or we could just keep taking the time doors from them,” Jack said.  “Eventually they would be stuck at their bases.”      “With every base we’ve taken, they fortified the others more,” Mary Bishop said as she leaned forward in her chair.      “I wouldn’t have thought you’d be in favor of joining them,” Melinda said.      “I’m not, but that doesn’t make the point false,” Mary said.      “So, the other question is, what do we lose by joining the TDD?” the Ghost of the temporal duplicate of Jack Masterson asked.      “We lose our autonomy,” Melinda said.  “We would then report to Rupert Teleros.”      “Is that a bad thing?” Abigail Esau asked.  “I mean, from everything I’ve been hearing from you guys, and everything I’ve read on my own, it seems like Rupert Teleros is a good guy.  And the worst of the stuff the TDD has done was from before he was in charge.”      “There is certainly a lot to consider,” Harkon said.      “Ultimately, it’s your decision, sir,” Melinda said.      “Yes, but I want to make sure we have at least some level of agreement on it,” Harkon said.  “In the meantime, there is also the other matter to consider.”      “The alternate dimension that I led a team into,” Jack said.  “We are fairly certain that Agent Nichols is in that universe, but it’s going to take some time to track him down.”      “Mary, you are the best tracker we have,” Harkon said.  “So, you’ll be in on that mission.  I still want Jack in charge though, for when and if it becomes necessary to make contact with the locals.”      “Yes, sir,” Mary said.      “Understood,” Jack said.      Doctor Jeri Quill was doing her regular checks on Imhotep and Sesla.  They were both still healthy, other than the comas they were still trapped in.  As she was walking away though, she heard a noise, and looked back to see that Imhotep had sat up, those his eyes were still closed.      “Imhotep?” Jeri asked, but there was no response.      “Ohm is still in the alternate reality, guarding the base camp we set up, along with a few other agents,” Jack said.  “We should definitely include him in our search team, I think.”      “Makes sense,” Mary said.  “I’m thinking Philip and Dorian too, and Abigail.”      “Going with people you know best, I see” Jack said.  “Speaking of which, I’ve noticed you and Abigail have been spending a lot of time together.”      “Well, we are close to the same age,” Mary said.      “Technically she’s nearly a century old,” Jack said.  “Remember, Demigod, like me, so she doesn’t age, and we had to get back to the team the long way from 1804 to 1876.”      “Yeah, but…wait, if you both don’t age, why does she look like she’s in her twenties, and you look like you’re in your thirties?”      “No idea,” Jack said.      “And you both still mostly act like the ages you look…”      “I mean, that’s probably just psychological effects.  How we look can influence how we act.”      “He just sat up?” Harkon asked as he looked at Imhotep who was still sitting up, despite still being in a coma.      “I don’t understand what caused it,” Jeri said.  “I’ve gone over the medical scans multiple times, and there no indications of any new stimuli to have caused this.”      “Hmm, and it’s interesting that this happened to Imhotep,” Ghost Jack said.  “I can find and talk with both Sesla and Merlin by entering their dreams, but not Imhotep.  That can’t be a coincidence.”      “Go back in, and try to find him again,” Harkon said.  “Maybe this means something.”      “What about that individual that’s been in the other Jack’s dreams?” Jeri asked.  “Did you ever find out what was happening there?”      “No, and she stopped showing up a while ago,” Ghost Jack said.  “But maybe she has a connection to this, that’s a possibility I have been considering.”      “I think Jack’s starting to suspect there’s something going on between us,” Mary said as she entered Abigail’s room.      “Really?” Abigail asked.  “The guy who, aside from being a former con artist who is good at reading people, also literally has a superpower where he gains random knowledge, he suspects that we are secretly dating?”      “Well, when you put it like that, I suppose it makes sense.  But what are we doing to do about it?”      “I mean, our options are to not do anything about it, or tell him he’s right, or try to convince him we aren’t.”      “He’ll see right through it if we try convincing him we’re not dating,” Mary said.  “Like you said, he was a con artist, he’ll know if we’re pulling a con on him.”      “So, do we just not do anything, or come clean?” Abigail asked.      “For now, I guess we just don’t do anything about it?”      “Sure, if that’s what you want.”      Ghost Jack entered Imhotep’s dream.  The area he landed in was a massive wide open desert.  He had been here before in the dream.  But this time was different, there was someone here, and it was Imhotep.      “Hey, Imhotep, how’s it going?” Ghost Jack asked.      “Jack?” Imhotep asked.  “Well, it’s nice to have someone else here to talk to, even if I know you’re just a part of this dream.”      “I’m not actually, I’m a Ghost, so I can enter dreams,” Ghost Jack said.  “Also, I’m the temporal duplicate of Jack, not the original.”      “Thus explaining how you’re a ghost, assuming you are actually here.”      “Can’t you use your magic abilities to figure that out, or whatever?”      “I just expelled a bunch to try and wake up, and I’m feeling rather drained right now.”      “Hmm, that might be why you sat up, and why I’ve finally been able to find you.”      “Welcome to Earth 2,” Jack said as Mary, Abigail, Philip Wilson, and Dorian Winters followed him through the wormhole.  “Abigail was already here with me, but to the rest of you, it’s new.”      “What exactly makes it Earth 2, and us Earth 1 anyway?” Abigail asked.      “Well, it’s the second Earth we’ve been too,” Jack said.  “And ours is the first.”      “And shouldn’t it be universe, not Earth, since it’s not like this dimension just has Earth,” Abigail said.      “Fine, just take all the fun out of it,” Jack said.  “Ohm, how are things here?” he asked as Ohm approached them.      “No one has come close,” Ohm said.  “Things seem normal.”      “Good, excellent,” Jack said.  “We’ll set out shortly.”      “So, he managed to use his magic to sit up?” Jeri said.  “That would explain why I couldn’t identify the reason.”      “Yeah, but it brings up more questions than it answers,” Ghost Jack said.  “Sesla is far more powerful than him, but she hasn’t managed anything of the sort.”      “Yes, and it also brings up the question of what to do if Merlin is able to do anything with this magic, while in a coma.  We want to wake up Imhotep and Sesla, but not him.  Not unless we can find some other way to contain him.”      “That village is where we found evidence that Agent Nichols had been,” Jack said, as he pointed it out to his group.  The village was in the open plains, past the tree line, while they were staying in the forested area to avoid being seen.      “I don’t suppose we know how long ago that was?” Mary asked.      “No,” Abigail said.  “We don’t.”      “And my knowledge powers don’t work in this universe,” Jack said.  “So we can’t count on that helping us out.”      “Then I think we’re going to have to talk to them,” Mary said.  “I mean, I can scout around the area, but the trail could be long gone.”      “Deanna, do you have any thoughts on the situation?” Harkon asked.  “Any ideas why Imhotep was able to use his magic to sit up, and whether this could be a risk as far as Merlin goes?”      “Imhotep is not even as powerful of a magic user as myself, let alone my older self, Sesla” Deanna said.  “If she has been unable to do anything of the sort, then it’s clearly not the result of power alone.”      “That doesn’t mean that Merlin won’t be able to manage the same thing,” Ghost Jack said.      “No, but his magic is more similar to that of myself than it is to that of Imhotep, so it is not something I would consider an immediate threat,” Deanna said.  “Moreover, I assume it is related to whatever was keeping you from finding him within his dream in the first place.”      “Which is what?” Ghost Jack asked.      “Figuring that out is now your number one priority,” Harkon said.      “Well?” Jack asked over the comm.      “Nothing,” Mary said.  “I mean, plenty of trails, but nothing to indicate that any of them are from Agent Nichols.”      “Understood,” Jack said as he began approaching the village, with Ohm and Abigail.  “Okay, so remember, follow my lead.”      “Do you have a plan in mind?” Abigail asked.      “I’m going to wing it,” Jack said.  “Feel out the group.”      As the approached the village, they were noticed by the people there, who watched them.  Some of the people there had weapons, bows or spears.  They were at the ready, but not pointed at the group.      “Hello,” Jack said.  “Do you speak English here?”      A man came out of one of the dwellings.  His clothing was different than the others, and Jack assumed he was a person of authority, possibly the chief.  “I can speak your language,” he said.  “Who are you?”      “My name is Jack Masterson.  I believe one of our people was here some time ago.”      “Do you refer to Calvin Nichols?”      “Yes,” Jack said.  “So he was here.”      “He was, but he was taken by the Centaur.”      “I’m sorry, what?” Jack asked.      “Hey Sesla,” Ghost Jack said as he entered her dream.      “Jack, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” Sesla asked.      “I’ve finally made contact with Imhotep,” Ghost Jack said.      “That’s good.”      “It was after his still comatose body sat up.”      “That’s odd.”      “He expelled a bunch of magic energy to try to wake up.”      “That’s hard to believe.  Imhotep has decent magical knowledge, but his actual power is rather limited.”      “We suspect it’s related to why I wasn’t able to find him before, which we suspect is related to the individual that has been in the other Jack’s dreams.”      “Hmm, yes, that seems like a possibility.  I have an idea, but it will take some time to prepare.  Please come back later.”      “Right, okay.”      “The Centaur?” Mary asked after Jack and the others returned and explained what they had learned.      “A Centaur is a half man, half horse, right?” Dorian asked.      “Yeah,” Abigail said.  “But it could be that this guy’s grasp of English is incomplete.  He may have just meant someone riding a horse.”      “Or he could mean an actual Centaur,” Jack said.  “I mean, Centaurs exists in our universe, I assume.  So there’s no reason to assume they don’t exist here.”      “Why do you assume they exist in our universe?” Abigail asked.      “You and I are Greek Demigods,” Jack said.  “Centaurs are from Greek mythology.”      “Either way, how can we track this individual?” Philip asked.      “The Centaur apparently came from, and left to the east,” Jack said.      “I did see some hoof prints on the east side of the village,” Mary said.  “Looks to be a few months old, and most of them are gone, but I might be able to track them.”      “Then that’s where we’ll be headed,” Jack said.      “Hey Melinda, what’ve you been up to recently,” Ghost Jack asked as he floated into the cafeteria, where Melinda was eating a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup for lunch.      “Mostly I’ve been going over the intel we have on the TDD, and Rupert Teleros, and trying to determine the best course of action.  I’ve been talking with a lot of the TDD agents we have in custody.”      “And how’s that going?”      “Could be better, could be worse.”      “What do you think is the correct course of action?”      “Personally, I think joining the TDD might be our best course of action at the moment,” Melinda said.  “Assuming we still keep some level of autonomy.”      “Are we going to have a long distance to go?” Jack asked as Mary was looking at the ground.      “It’s hard to say,” Mary said.  “I mean, these tracks are at least a month old, which means they could be pretty far away, but we can’t really know that until we’ve followed them far enough.”      “I don’t suppose we can bring some sort of vehicle here?” Philip asked.      “We can’t fit a hovercar through the wormhole,” Jack said.      “Not to mention that Mary can’t exactly follow the tracks from a hovercar,” Abigail said.      “Ready yet?” Ghost Jack asked as he entered Sesla’s dream again.      “Just about,” Sesla said.  “Now what I need you to do is have myself and Imhotep moved right next to each other, so that our heads are touching, and then I need you to try to enter both of our dreams at the same time.”      “I’m not sure if I can do that.”      “Normally no, but I have created a magic spell that I believe will allow you to do so.”      “Are you certain?”      “Not completely certain, but relatively certain.”      “It’s getting dark,” Dorian said.  “We should probably set up camp soon.”      “We’ll go another half hour or so,” Jack said.  “See if we can’t find a more defensible location to set up at.”      “So, what exactly will entering both of their dreams at the same time do?” Jeri asked as she pushed the beds with Sesla and Imhotep next to each other.      “Sesla was kind of vague on the details,” Ghost Jack said.      “But you’re certain this is a good idea?” Jeri asked.      “Nope, but I don’t have any other ideas.”      “Right.”      “Jack definitely knows,” Mary said.  “Why else would he have us share a tent?”      “Because there’s six people, and three tents?” Abigail asked.  “So I mean, he put us women together, and then Philip and Dorian because they’re pals, and him and Ohm because they are friends.”      “Yeah, I suppose that make sense.”      “Look, Mary, I know you wanted to keep this a secret, but if you’re going to freak out every time anyone says anything about us, then I think we should just go public with our relationship.”      “But what will people think?” Mary asked.      “Most of them will be fine with it,” Abigail said.  “And those who aren’t, that’s their problem, not ours.”      “Maybe…”      Ghost Jack put one hand on Sesla, and the other on Imhotep, and then tried to enter both their dreams at once.  It was very uncomfortable, almost painful, but then he found he was essentially split into two of himself, but his mind was connected to both.      “Whoa, this is weird,” he said in both of the dreams.      “What is weird?” Imhotep asked him.      “So, it worked then?” Sesla asked him.      “Yes,” he said in Sesla’s dream.  “I’m in both of your dreams now,” he said in both.      “Wait, what?” Imhotep asked.  “What are you talking about?”      “Take my hand,” Sesla said as she offered it to Ghost Jack, who took it, and then suddenly she was in Imhotep’s dream.      “I was not certain that would work,” Sesla said.      “What did you do?” Imhotep asked.      “I used Jack as a conduit to travel into your dream,” Sesla said.  “So that I can try to determine who was keeping you imprisoned deep within your mind.”      “Everyone, we have something to announce,” Mary said in the morning as she and Abigail left their tent.      Philip was making breakfast while Dorian was taking down their tent.  Ohm was keeping watch, and Jack came out of their tent at Mary’s statement.      “Oh?” Jack asked.      “Abigail and I are…that is to say that we have been…” Mary started saying.      “We’re girlfriends,” Abigail said.      “Yes, that,” Mary said.      “I mean, obviously,” Philip said.      “Did you think no one knew?” Dorian asked.      “Wait, you two knew?” Mary asked.      “I think everyone knows,” Jack said.      “I was just worried how people would react,” Mary said.  “Especially you two,” she said to Philip and Dorian.      “Because we’re from a less enlightened time?” Dorian asked.      “We’ve been doing the time travel thing for a while, just like you,” Philip said.  “Also, we’ve been dating for a few months now.”      “Okay, that I didn’t know,” Jack said.      “We haven’t been hiding it exactly, but we haven’t really come out publicly either,” Dorian said.      “Until now, I guess,” Philip said.      Ghost Jack watched as some sort of letters started glowing in the air around Sesla, at least he assumed they were letter but they were unfamiliar to him.      “Hmm, fascinating,” Sesla said as she was reading, and manipulating the letters.      “What are you finding?” Imhotep asked.      “Someone has been messing with your mind,” Sesla said.  “It was rather sloppy work.  That’s why you escaping the dungeon they put you in caused your body to sit up.  They seem to have overloaded parts of your mind, but you got them working again, and that caused some unintended physical reactions..”      “Is that a good thing or a bad thing for us?” Ghost Jack asked.      “It’s a good thing, I believe,” Sesla said.  “I believe I may be able to trace the source.”      Mary returned to the group after scouting ahead.  “I’ve found something,” she said.      “What is it?” Jack asked.      “There’s an area up ahead that’s clearly been used as a camp multiple times,” Mary said.  “Near as I can tell, by this Centaur each time.”      “How can you tell?” Philip asked.      “Only hoof prints,” Mary said.  “No Human footprints.”      “Are there prints more recent than the ones we’ve been following?” Jack asked.      “There are,” Mary said.  “Looks to be some from only a few days ago.”      “And Sesla can just stay in there without you?” Melinda asked after Ghost Jack had told her what was going on.      “I was the bridge, to allow her to cross over to Imhotep’s dream from her own,” Ghost Jack said.  “She’ll need to use me again to get back, but until then I am unneeded.”      “Hmm, what would happen if you transferred one of them to the dream of someone not in a coma, and then that person woke up?”      “I don’t know.  Seems like it could pose some sort of risk though.”      “But what if that body was a clone that didn’t have a mind of it’s own?”      “Could still pose a risk, but yeah, I see what you’re getting at.  If we can’t wake up their current bodies, maybe we can put them in new bodies.”      The trail led Mary and the group to a small settlement.      “Okay, I’ll go into town with Mary and Abigail,” Jack said.  “Mary, I want you to try to keep following the trail in the town, but don’t make it obvious that you’re doing so.”      “Any luck get?” Ghost Jack asked as he reentered Imhotep’s dream.      “I believe so,” Sesla said.  “I will imprint the location on your mind.”      Jack, Mary and Abigail entered a saloon in the town.  Mary and Abigail went to grab a table, while Jack went up to the bar.      “Hello, we’re from out of town,” Jack said.      “Obviously,” the bartender said.      “We’d like some drinks, and some information.”      “What kind of information?”      “We’re looking for someone who maybe have been here recently,” Jack said.  “He’s pretty tall, and maybe has four legs.”      “Oh, you’re talking about the Centaur.”      “You know him?”      “A legend comes through your town, you hear about it, but you must be from pretty far away not have not heard of the Centaur.”      “We’re from out east,” Jack said.      “Oh yeah?  New York or so?  You seem like a New Yorker.”      “Yeah, that’s where I’m from.  So, do you know where we can find the Centaur?”      “Okay,” Harkon said after Ghost Jack had explained the situation to him and Melinda.  “I want you two to go to that location and investigate.  Bring a few other agents with you, just in case.”      “Yes, sir,” Ghost Jack and Melinda said simultaneously.      “Did you learn anything?” Mary asked as Jack sat down with their drinks.      “Well, for one thing I learned that the money here is at least similar enough to that of our own universe that the bartender didn’t notice anything suspicious about it,” Jack said.      “Anything relevant?” Abigail asked.      “I got an address,” Jack said.  “The Centaur is still in town.”      “Then what are we waiting for?” Mary asked.      “Well, we have to finish our drinks first,” Jack said.      Melinda pushed aside the ferns as she stepped out into the clearing, to join Ghost Jack who had just phased through the jungle.  They had brought a few other agents, but she was having them hold back for now.      “I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this is not it,” Ghost Jack said.      “Me neither,” Melinda said.      In the middle of the clearing was a small Human child.  A young girl, who was just sitting there.  She opened her eyes as Melinda and Ghost Jack approached.      “I was wondering how long until you managed to find me,” she said.      “Who are you?” Ghost Jack asked.  “And what are you doing in the middle of the Cretaceous?”      “I like dinosaurs,” she said.      “Why were you keeping Imhotep caged?” Melinda asked.  “Any how?”      “He was…I did not expect his mind to be as weak as it was.  Jack, the other Jack, he had such a strong mind.  I was just trying to communicate with Imhotep, as I had with Jack, but it overwhelmed him.”      “So, it wasn’t on purpose?” Ghost Jack asked.      “No, that is why I have since avoided dreams of those other than Jack,” she said.  “And even his I have stayed out of as of late.”      “You never answered our other question,” Melinda said.  “Who are you?”      “You can call me L, I suppose.”      “And what are you, L?” Ghost Jack asked.  “You look Human, but I assume there is more to it than that.”      “I am not Human, I have simply adopted a form that you will be comfortable with,” L said.      “Please tell me you aren’t part of the L continuum,” Ghost Jack said.      “No, I am unique,” L said.  “In this universe at least.  Although, I suppose that was a joke.”      “And what do you want?” Melinda asked.      “To play,” L said.      Jack knocked on the door.  Abigail and Mary were standing on either side of him.  After a little bit, the door opened just a crack.      “Can I help you with something?” a female voice asked.      “Hello,” Jack said.  “We’re from out of town, and we hear the Centaur is in town.  We’d really like to meet him.”      “You must be from pretty far out of town,” the voice said, and the door opened the rest of the way to reveal that the voice belonged to the Centaur, who was female, and holding a gun that was pointed at Jack.  “Now, what do you really want?”      “What exactly is playing to you?” Melinda asked.      “You people are so fascinating,” L said.  “Not as fascinating as dinosaurs, perhaps, but still so much fun.”      “This is like The Sims to you, isn’t it?” Ghost Jack asked.      “Hmm, that is a video game,” L said.  “Yes, that might be an apt comparison.”      “Can you wake up Imhotep and Sesla?” Ghost Jack asked.      “Yes, but no,” L said.  “It is within my powers, but not within the rules.”      “What rules?” Melinda asked.      “There’s someone else, isn’t there?” Ghost Jack asked.  “Someone else as powerful as you are?”      “Our game has been going on for a very long time,” L said.  “And it will continue to go on even longer.”      “How can we even know anything you are telling us is true?” Melinda asked.      “You can’t,” L said.  “It’s not like it matters anyway.”      “Why not?” Melinda asked.      “Because either you believe me or not.  If you do then you will carry on as you have.  If you don’t, you may spend some time and energy looking into and researching about me, and ultimately find that you can’t do anything to me, and you will carry on as you have.  Anyway, it’s been nice talking with you, but I have to be going now.”  And with that she vanished in an instant.      “We are looking for one of our people,” Jack said.  “Calvin Nichols.”      “Huh, so you’re from really far out of town,” the Centaur said.      “So, you know who he is?” Mary asked.      “I do,” the Centaur said.  “Cal, your people are here,” she shouted.      Calvin Nichols came to the door.  “Hey Jack, Mary, and I don’t believe I’ve met you before.”      “I’m Abigail.  I’m newish.”      “So, they are legit than?” the Centaur asked.      “They are,” Calvin said.      The Centaur lowered her gun.  “You can come in then.”      “Hmm,” Harkon said after Melinda and Ghost Jack had told him the details of their meeting with L.  “I’ve never heard of this L before.”      “I checked with Sesla and Imhotep,” Ghost Jack said.  “Sesla said that there was something familiar about my description of L, but she did not know her specifically.”      “Hmm, we’ll have to get her help in learning more perhaps,” Harkon said.  “And Agent Summers, what is your opinion?”      “I don’t think L was lying about anything, but there’s also something about her that I don’t trust,” Melinda said.  “But, like she said, I don’t know that there’s anything we can do about it.”      “So, anyway Calvin, we are here to bring you home,” Jack said.      “I am home though,” Calvin said.  “I’ve started building a life here, in the past few months.”      “But…what?” Jack asked.      “I thought I was stuck here,” Calvin said.  “Initially I was captured by that Native American tribe, but then the Centaur here purchased my freedom.  We’ve been together ever since, and have started to fall in love.”      “Oh,” Jack said.  “Well, then I suppose I’ll relay your message to Harkon.  Just so you know though, we do now have easy ability to travel between our two worlds.”      “Well, then if you really need my help, I suppose you can come ask for it, but I would still prefer to stay here,” Calvin said.      “Right,” Jack said.  “Who am I to stand in the way of love?” To be continued…

#Jack Masterson #Mary Bishop #Abigail Esau #Melinda Summers #Harkon Smith #Ohm #Jeri Quill #Imhotep #Sesla #Philip Wilson #Dorian Winters #Calvin Nichols #L #the Centaur #Deanna #Cretaceous #wild west #time travel #alternate dimension #Chrono Hustle #Eric J. Barkman