Convergences and Divergences.... (Part 3)

The Doctor - This Time Lord who's life was mirrored by one actor named Jon Pertwee who portrayed the Doctor from 1969-73 in Doctor Who, a British SciFi TV show. He has gotten the nickname of "Doctor Who" to distinguish him from his "analog" brothers back on Terra Prime. A full bio of his can be found at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/doctors/doctor3.shtml

However, this Doctor in the course of things while on Terra Prime learned the ways of magic, and now is currently a student of magic to Sigin 2.

Leela - This is a young woman warrior from a tribe called the Sevateem who got banished from for speaking out against Xoanon, their god. A full bios can be found at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/doctors/doctor4.shtml

Currently wondering just what in the heck she's gotten herself into here with these other folk. However, there strangely is something....likable about them.....

Betty - (Author's Note: Much of this comes from the real Betty Ragan's website, almost word for word in the first paragraph here). Betty (last name Ragan) is a Correlator Operator with the VLBA Project at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Socorro, New Mexico, and a graduate of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (aka New Mexico Tech). She is an incurable bookworm, a lover of science fiction, and not afraid to admit to being a Star Trek fan. She also enjoys hiking and roleplaying games such as Torg (which by the way, she was recently involved in playtesting for the new edition)!.

Fell in with the Doctor when aiding one Stacy Jones in figuring a trip to the VLBA, when she actually met the Time Lord!

Currently learning the ways of magic from Sigin 2 along with the others of the Doctor's group AND the advanced scientific information known to the more futuristic members of the group.

Ragan - (Author's Note: Much of this comes from the real Betty Ragan's website, almost word for word in the first paragraph here). Ragan (first name Betty) is a Correlator Operator with the VLBA Project at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Socorro, New Mexico, and a graduate of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (aka New Mexico Tech). She is an incurable bookworm, a lover of science fiction, and not afraid to admit to being a Star Trek fan. She also enjoys hiking and roleplaying games such as Torg!.

Got sucked into Addventure, Game 2, by Author Scott Chen and turned into an exact duplicate of a tall, red headed woman named Melissa Brown in a plan by the angry jerk to get her lynched by a bunch of angry people who'd mistake her for one of the fabled "Twins of Doom!" Got used to her new form, and remained this way upon becoming a Champion to the Rules and Agents along with the others of her group.

Comes from a universe which is one year less advanced in time than Betty (i.e. Betty is one year older than her). Not that it really matters in this story, considering all that is happening here.

Presented with the chance at actually becoming a Companion to the Doctor, she gladly joined up. Presently, this Betty (in the story here) is studying under Sigin 2 along with the others in Doctor Who's group. Also followed the others here into Championship to the Rules and Agents.

Presently going by the name of "Ragan" to differentiate herself from her analogous sister, Betty.

Currently learning the ways of magic from Sigin 2 along with the others of the Doctor's group AND the advanced scientific information known to the more futuristic members of the group.

Inquirer -(Author's Note: This is an excerpt from Probe's diary). Like myself, Inquirer, my daughter, is no longer a true AI but has become a centrally active entity with a narrow band participatory interface. In other words, we can't be in two places at once anymore. This new state of being effected her career in a similar way as mine. Except she's Marquis Inquirer of Ethiopia.....and gotten sweet on that one Time Lord. Oh, not that I'm knocking Dr. Who....just a father thing not quiet satisfied with those who their children finally chose as their loves.... Along with the fact that she'd love to "roleplay" fantasy games (and play a female mage).....she's very happy with her new form and lot in life as golem and magic user..... That and likes going about with the Doctor's group and see the universes (as well as being a Champion of Rules and Agents)....

Elrondir - formerly known as Seeker, an honorable version of the villain from the Military.

This excerpt from the story explains it all:

"See....we were re-incarnated as elves after our little run in with Tesla," Seeker sighs, then pausing in a little bit of surprise when he sees the calm acceptance by the two other elves.

Both Fred and Astra weren't surprised that something like that happened to Seeker and Torres. Going against one as powerful as Tesla was generally considered to be not conducive to a long...happy life. As for the mater of reincarnation, both had heard things about it.....but like most people they just knew that the reality of it was just another point to ask about when they ACTUALLY got to go see who their actual creator was (Terans knew empirically that there was an afterlife...but nobody had been able to track down the burning question of....Which religion was correct!

They put that aside as Seeker speaks again.

"I must say you two seem to be taking this all very well," Seeker says. "Then again, from the knowledge I gained in becoming an elf tells me that elves in general have a knack at ferreting out the difference between falsehoods and reality. Better connection with reality and all that."

"Oh, is that's what's happening?" Fred asks, suddenly curious. "How come that's happening, since we weren't elves before all this. I'd think that you'd have to be born an elf to have the mystical senses of one. I might wear an elfin body, but I'd think that that would hardly be enough."

"Well, the way I figure it from what you and Astra told me that it's of a similar nature as something a strange humanoid bear mage told me," Seeker said. "See, he said that those who's Matrix....some type of magical interface between a person's soul and the physical realm....and something like the template that shapes a person's form to what he has..... Anyway, if you'd change the Matrix by altering it....say by inducing a lycanthropy shard into the mix....the Matrix would change. Since the Matrix is something of an interface between the physical world and the metaphysical world....the signals one gets through it would change. You'd even get new senses out of the deal....such as you and Astra are getting now. He also said that trying to resist the demands was a bad idea....risking insanity and such."

"Well, I don't find anything about this to be too objectionable," Fred muttered. "In fact, I rather like some aspects of it, so I'm not adverse to keeping my sanity."

"But what I'm curious about those lycanthropy shards," Fred puts in, puzzled. "I only know of the legend of lycanthropy....."

So Fred tells what he knows about his worlds version of lycanthropy. It was the curse of the Ergot mushroom (as what was told in episode 3099). The tales said that the mushrooms were brought to his homeland by gypsies, who ate them habitually. Eventually, local folk took to eating them, and a terrible fact was discovered. There was a curious taint to the Ergot, that the gypsies were apparently immune to. When eaten, it infected one with a disease of the blood, a curse. It transformed them into strange wolflike reflections of themselves when the moon was full. Savage, bestial things, that killed, yet walked on two legs.

Astra, having never heard this tale, look on with some interest (and an eerie feeling of....oddness about it all). She shakes it off, for Seeker was telling how, in this other world the Dark Mage Tesla had concocted a magical curse in an attempt to keep his subjects in line. The threat had been ignored, and the mage released it on his enemies. It proved to have been too contagious, so in a fit of anger he destroyed Atlantis like a spoiled child would destroy his toys.

"All in all an interesting diversion, but lets get down to it," Seeker said, clapping his hands in resolve before returning to the topic. "Short and sweet, I was a construct similar to a golem, but I was science based as opposed to magic based. Now, to be honest, I worked with an organization that I had grave doubts about in the first few months into my Awakening...that's where I changed from a mere automation into a real person, folks.....I found that the partners that the Military worked with in concert to save humanity from the Enemy to be greedy....vile and generally not a nice group of folks. The Company, these partners, are like a huge Merchant House, so powerful that they control governments.....economies....everything. They have made my world something of a living hell all in the name of profit.....and the Military want them to change their tune....actually do some good for the masses....even to the point of open combat if needed. Fine and well, if we weren't fighting a war with an opponent that made redressing the issue of Home impossible to resolve properly. I'd wanted to not see the bloodshed that a military solution would bring about, so when I was approached by a faction within the Company who seemed to share the same ideals that I liked, I almost did the stupid thing and joined in conspiracy against the Military....but I got my head out of my ass and saw them for the blighters that they were. "Then, after I let them rot....I came to the conclusion that terrible though the military solution to this problem would be....it was the only way. The Company is too entrenched and only force will get them out."

"Thus throwing out evil men, huh?" Astra said softly. "Sounds like you had a crisis of faith....and at such an early age (that said in a half joking voice)."

"Yep," Seeker sighed. "And since you know what happened to this other Terra when I told you about those weapons of mass destruction...and how we nuked that Terra so the Enemy couldn't use it let me tell you what happened next. We drop the super atomic, and not only vaporize Terra....but something leapt out and ensnared me...dumping my ship....the body my mind resided in.....in the middle of Nod...wondering where the heck I was. I couldn't jump out....and sensors told me that trying to go to warp....the ship's top speed....would be disastrous....collapse the whole reality around me."

"Did....that kill Tesla?" Astra asked, suddenly seeing a faint hope. Seeker's and Astra's nod nearly made her heart leap out of her chest in joy....as well as it did Fred.

Frankly, Tesla was a living (actually undead) nightmare. A bogeyman that mothers use to keep naughty children in line with....telling to be good or Tesla would get them. The fact that Tesla was dead (for it was a well known fact that one could divine the status of a magic item's creator....and that is what Torres had been).....

The mood was infectious, and thus was the reason why their elfin senses failed to detect at the last second Elf Death's bounding leap that bowled over Astra......and began to lick Astra's face like mad!

Currenly running around with Doctor Who and gang...exploring the universe and learning magic from Synizn 2. Renamed himself Elrondir to reflect his new form.

B'Elanna - This was a magical creation that had gained sentience and dared to defy it's master. Crafted to mimic the "real" B'Elanna Torres of Star Trek Voyger, this excerpt tells her tale.

The golden haired elfin lady turned and looked at the coppery maned elfin man, who give a half smile and shrug.

"Ladies first?" Seeker smiled, causing Torres' elfin heart to beat a little faster in delight.

Torres, very much a product of the 24th century, found this small display of chivalry on Seeker's part delightful. She smiles a dazzling smile and nods affirmative.

She turns to the other elves and beings to speak.

"Okay.....I have to warn you two that what I'm about to tell you about myself will sound insane....but it's the truth," Torres beings.

"After all that has happened today to us that would take some doing," Fred quipped. Astra nodded in agreement.

"Well the day is just begun....but anyway here it is," Torres says. "I wasn't born an elf. Rather, I was....er....made as something else before this." She gestures with her hands at her curvious, beautiful body.

"Oh, did that mad mage get you also?" Astra said, feeling a sudden kinship with this other female elf.

"No, that didn't happen," Torres said, looking at a loss to say this without sounding like she was crazy.

She sighed, for she couldn't think of anyway to do it diplomatically.

Dream Prop or no, she was still more of an Engineer and much less of a diplomat. In other words, she would have to do this by her usual.....no frills approach.

"I was created in an alchemical bath by a vile mage by the name of Tesla," Torres says abruptly. "I was a creation that he termed as a Dream Prop, which is what I'm told is some type of magical golem. I gained sentience, and for a while I thought I was....something other than what I was......" "TESLA OF ATLANTIS?!" both elves squeak in shock (yes squeek). Eyes look into the deep purple orbs that this elfin lass has, and see that this is not a joke (and what a poor joke it'd be if it was)! As for being a golem, both Astra and Fred were familiar with the stories of how certain settlements of those of the Jewish faith had created vaguely humanoid creations to serve and protect them from those who'd harm them (and considering the hatred that some - who both Allaria and Aqualaria found to be just a step above pond scum - such creations were a good idea).

The woman that stood before them hardly looked like something related to the animated pieces of clay. She hardly acted like something supposed originated from such as those....either. A golem was powerful. It was strong. It wasn't much in the way of....personality, however.

Then again, there had been other rumors of a sentient golems...supposedly found and befriended by Queen Alicia of Ethiopia, were true, also. It was rumored that the golems were so life like in appearance that one could not tell from looking alone. Behavior, of course, was a different matter....since they weren't human. However, they were hardly the magical automation like their Jewish counterparts. But if the other golems were....active long enough.....then what? Fred thinks to himself....and had a feeling that something special might occure.

Something like a thing becoming a person in it's own right?

Looking into the pure pools of color that were B'Elanna's eyes put to rest any doubts about the validly of her claim.

"Okkkayyy," Fred says finally, a little spooked. "You're a golem that came to life....sort to speak. I take it from the way this story seems to be going that you were going to turn on that evil bastard? And more to the point....."

"How in God did Tesla survive all these years?!" Astra put in....aghast at all this.

"He killed himself when he destroyed his nation in his rage."

First, let me tell you what I know....through the magical virtue of having been created by him," Torres says softly. "All creations by him have a working knowledge of the life of him. It's something of a mental conceit on his part....as well as a signature of his workmanship. So, through that, I know that he had faked his death, and moved himself to the a private resort he'd made for himself called Nod. Now, Nod had a few shortcomings in that while he could produce some items with although....it didn't have the right......whatever.....to be usable in as far as keeping him alive and magically going. But the dark mage was familiar with the fell practice of necromancy and....he changed himself into a vampire....that is after he killed all the other versions of himself."

Two pairs of eyes blink at that, not certain if they had heard that correctly. Other versions of himself?! That made no sense!

At least not yet, that is...

"God have mercy," Fred whispered hoarsely. Brave though he was....Tesla was WAY out of his league!

"Thus he was able to extend his life indefinitely....but in the process of becoming a vampire....he had locked himself to the land of Nod so he could never leave it," Torres sighed. "Vampires needing the dirt of the homeland where they were converted and all that. But, though bound, he could use the nature of Nod to his advantage, and he soon went back to old habits of Empire and conquest. He tortured the dreams of those he wanted to use as puppets for conquest and......he did it quiet well for a LONG time. Soon, his greed turned his eyes back to the world that had spawned him.....the place we'll just call Terra Prime for the sake of argument."

"Why should this world be Prime?" Astra asked with a touch of pique. "Why not call my Tera Prime?"

Fred looked like he wanted to ask the same thing.

"First, because this is their world and it's a courtesy gesture if nothing else," Torres said, slightly annoyed. "Also, for another thing...."

Torres told of what Seeker had told her of what had happened to the Terra that he had been on. Doing that...and getting the other elves to believe was a bit of a heroic effort, but she managed (painful as it was.....and she was half amazed a herself for not losing her patience).

Then again, she felt sorry for them when the idea of weapons of mass destruction translated to....as far a body counts go. They looked rather green around the gill.

"So the Enemy is on par with the Atlantians on that front," Fred said quietly.

"As well as the Military," Astra threw in. "But from what B'Elanna has said...and from what my intuition is telling me.....the Military is by far better in their morals than the Enemy and the Atlantians....who strike me as being rather....evil."

Seeker mentally sighed in relief. On the last world, it had been an uphill battle to get the locals to trust the Military (or the Golems as the locals called the Military....for the Cybernetic Avatar that the Military used to make their presence felt down on that world). I would have been much easier for the humans of the Military meet the natives in the literal flesh....to allay fears. But that had courted death with the mysterious Phage.

"As it was," B'Elanna continued. "Tesla could not reach out in the usual way. Something about it being against the Rules. Don't ask....I can't tell you anything about what that's about because I don't know anything more than what I've told you. However, he had hatched a plan to circumnavigate around the limitations set upon him.

"He couldn't well reach Terra Prime via his normal method but he could and did attempt to do it via accessing realms with little to no magic within," Torres said.

"How...could a civilization of any worth survive without a bit of magic?" Astra wondered aloud.

"Probably....through the use of science," Fred speculated with a distant, thoughtful look. "It's not as effective as magic is in healing and other things....but it's by far more affordable to the masses....and I always had a feeling that we haven't even begun to see it's full potential..."

Fred and Astra started to argue about the merits of science when Torres interrupted.

"That's exactly how Tesla planned on doing it," Torres said, almost smiling when she sees Astra blink in surprise...and then nod. "Tesla might not understand science as he understood magic....but he could control those who had science...so it made little to no difference! "I was fashioned after on of the crew members of a science powered ship called the Voyager, a ship capable of travel between the stars.....if you can accept that. Anyway, I was to help, along with my brother and sister Dream Props, torture the dreams of one human called Kathryn Janeway, the ship's captain. Only, something went wrong in the planning, and our....er....play got canceled. We were all called in to get reprocessed into component parts for reuse on another....better plan of attack. But....."

"But something happened and you gained you own mind?" Astra guessed, and smiled a little when the golden haired elf nodded affirmative.

"I came to myself...wondering where everyone else was," Torress continued. "See, though I had gained free will and all that....I was under the illusion that I actually was the person I was fashioned to resemble.....but that didn't last long after Seeker rescued me from a lackey Telsa had sent to eliminate the annoying Dream Prop that had dared to defy his will..."

She smiled and hugged the coppery maned male elf, who looked a bit....disconcerted still at the adore Torres seemed to have for him. He then smiled a half dreamy smile and gave her a quick peck on the check. The two smiled at each other for a few seconds and then Torres made a valiant effort to bring herself back to the task at hand.

"Seeker saved my life, and told me of himself and the Military he was part of. At first I didn't....fully appreciate the noble being he was but I soon was mor than enlightened when he risked his own existence in an attempt to freee me again from Tesla...who'd managed to magically locate me and whisk me into his clutches.

"And I owe him so much for what he tried to do and what he did to keep me sane when I found out the truth about my artificial origins." She finished, bowing her head slightly while closing her eyes....silently crying in joy at what Seeker had done and tried to do for her.

Torres then coughed and blushed at that display.

She dropped her last name but kept her first name, since in her opinion "....it sounded quiet nice for an elfin woman." Fell for Elrondir hard, and both are now married and happy together as they travel around with Doctor Who. Are apprentices in magic to Sigin 2.

B'Elanna took up her love's faith, The Church of Silocon Valley, becasue she found religon in it. Go figure.

Soon joined with Elrondir and others in Doctor Who's group in becoming Champions of the Rules and Agents.

Gilmuriel D'Honaire - This elfin man used to call himself Frederigo D'Honaire. This excerpt from his story tells it all:

Torres smiles an understanding smile as the two lovebirds blink in surprise and embarrassment. From what she saw led her to believe that.

They were still learning the ins and outs....the demands of their new bodies.

Torres, having been gifted with something of an almost instinctive data base of the new body she'd been reincarnated in, didn't begrudge them the display they just had. It was all very much part and parcel of being an elf.

"Ah....I think I'll....go next," Fred said, flustered and still seeing fireworks from kissing the heavenly lips of lovely Astra.

And so Fred did.

"Like my sweet Astra.....I won't go into my entire life biography....short as it would be," Fred said humbly. "I am the fifth son of Duke D'Honair....second in step to the throne in case something would befall the King and Heir. This means I have the title of Lord, and all the social privileges...and obligations....that come with it. But, being the fifth son means there is little chance of me having anything in the way of inheritance when.....my father dies. Thus, I find that unless I wanted to live off the gratuity of my family....I'd need to somehow make a Name for myself. Do something that would secure a future for myself....and any future offspring I hoped to have with whoever I gave my heart to......"

Fred pauses and smiles coyly at Astra, who smiles back.

"So I became a Dragon Slayer for the Great Kingdom. It was an honorable profession, and VERY needed....frankly. High turnover rate and all that." Fred coughed. "I had always been under the impression that the lot of them were fools who failed to plan properly...and thus had basically planned to fail! Dragons are dangerous, cunning creatures...and not easy meat by a long shot! I'd heard rumors of there being good dragons....even met a few in my travels! However, there seemed to be a glut of evil dragons on the grounds.....must have been fashionable for them or something...and so that's were I came in.....well prepared beforehand!

"I spent inordinate amounts of time and effort combing the Archives of the Dragonslayers on the targeted dragons I was quested to slay. At first, it earned me no little condescending nicknames....let me tell you! However, after I came back from my eighth dragon kill......twice the average successful missions completed with the slayer alive.....those names disappeared. I was making a good name for myself...and by the twentieth one....the one with what turned out to be Dragon Vellus, I had gained enough of a favor by the King to be granted a fief of land with peasants. In other words, I was within reach of gaining a secure future. I could actually think about doing something ELSE with my life....and perhaps begin to look for my other half....except I found her in chains and nothing else while hunting for the dragon. Things turned out much differently than expected....but....I have Astra...and she has me.....

"So....we all know now what happened after that. After Astra sneezed, I awoke on the banks of the river that I'd soon find her. I had been restored to my normal self, thankfully. I also found the equipment that had been laid in a corner - perhaps the myth of a warriors equipment knowing it's master is true - and as for the rest......"

Fred smiled and soon afetrwards renamed himself Gilmuriel to reflect his new form.

E'eysha D'Honaire - This elfin woman used to call herself Astra Thessamer. This excerpt from her story tells it all:

"How about we start with Astra first, eh?" Seeker smiles in a comforting smile as Astra jumps at mention of her name. "Rank may not have much privileges here, but at least we can let the warrior princess go first, right?"

Astra, elfin ears twitching a little in consternation at the words of this strange elf, just sighs and decides to humor him. Lord knows that the whole situation has gone to luney since she had been freed from the grasp of that horrible....lecherous wyrm/mage. But God help her, if she didn't get a straight answer from these other elves she was ready to kick their butts up to around where their pointy ears were!

She decides to start from the beginning of her ordeal....in order to at least tell Fred some more about herself. Her heart flutters a little bit faster at the last part about Fred. As strange as it seems, Astra felt that somehow her heart was beginning to be snared by this brave young man....and for the life of her she couldn't understand WHY! He seemed to be a man of deep honor...but like all the mysterious dwellers of Alaria....Astra found Fred to be a mystery.

Astra felt her heart flutter more in excitement at the thought of plumbing those depths.

She sighs, acknowledging that her heart seemed to have decided the matter for her. Hearts were like that, and rarely listened to their more logical....rational partner....the mind.

If this budding relationship did blossom into something serious, then if she ever DID regain her God given form (not that the thought of her being an elf for the rest of her existence really bother her....she thought, surprised at her feelings) then there really would be no real big political scandal. After all, Frederigo D'Honaire was the son of one of the great dukes of the kingdom of Alaria,or he wouldn't be Lord Fred. Certainly he'd certainly be a fine match for her if he could become a companion in arms, and in life, of her! And there seemed to be some real hope for the young man...since he hadn't done anything to hint at the rumored conceits of other Alarian nobles...who seemed to hold all woman as something less that equals.

Astra was succumbing to the nature of her now elfin body. Elven hearts were....wiser....than their human counterparts....and knew a good "catch" when they sense them. This tended to lead to what humans felt was flighty behavior on the elves part, but in all the elves had better romantic realtionship by FAR than the average, mundane human being.

As far as this budding relationship between the elves Astra and Fred, Seven of Nine said it best in regards to them trying to resist this. Resistence is futile. Just another insight into the minds and hearts of the nonhuman minds and hearts of Terra....

Anyway, her mother, the Queen and ruler of Aqualaria, had done much to bring equality to the males of her land.....perhaps the same was happening in Alaria....and they were becoming enlightened?

Astra shakes her head to focus...and begins to tell her tale.

"I'm not going to tell the life history of me, but I'll just begin from where I had been captured by the vile dragon Vellus," she begins, noticing that Seeker seems to react slightly as if he recognized the name.

Yep, sounds like a Mirror of Astra, Seeker thought to herself, nodding slightly, causing his mane of coppery hair to shift a bit to where he needed to brush it out of his way. He made a mental note to at least make a headband in order to keep it out of his eyes (his equipment seemed bereft of scissors....if not some of the other equipment that he was used too).

He brushes his hair out of his eyes, and Astra continues.

"For some reason, my mother had gotten the idea in her head that an arranged marriage between me and a Duke by the name of Zular, a man I've never met, to improve the rather strained relations between my country and Alaria,"Astra said.

1. "Now, I have nothing against this Zular, but I'd be hung if I was going to be forced into a marriage like that." Astra continued, with a bit of anger in her voice.