A Fine Discussion Indeed on Finer Details . . .

The Doctor

"Well," I say, "we can do quite a lot...”

Yes, we can do quiet a bit at that! I and my Companions ARE a rather talented bunch I must say at the risk of sounding immodest! I myself helped the Brigadier and UNIT fend off a few other worldly invasions, I shall have you know! My wife and Elrondir?

You did hear of the Enemy/Alliance war, right?

. . .

Oh, granted a bit of trickery and out and out LUCK was needed on the human's side for THAT particular engagement, in the beginning (even WITH computer intrusion technology which I . . . believe came from the Borg in a round about fashion if I remember correctly). That and the humans, instead of just blowing every Enemy ship up in the opening engagement instead opted on causing the atmosphere to be vented in a LOT of Enemy ships (killing the invading crew while leaving more than a few ships to form what would become the start of the armada that is the Military fleet) . . .

. . . .

Let us just say that more than a few here have prior experience with alien invasion, if NOT exactly at this relatively LOW technology level we are dealing with here and as for the rest of my Companions . . . .

The Rules and Agents are NOT in the habit of accepting substandard specimens into the Champion ranks...

"The optimal 'solution' to our invasion problem would be to have troops with artillery standing by wherever the invader's canisters crash land," Inquirer says, taking up the conversation thread, "Incinerate them while they still are in their crater before they can deploy. That and introduce them to the idea of 'plasmafire landmines' and such . . ."

Can see that the last part leaves a lot of the League with questioning looks (all but Allan, who seems to right now trying to recall where he'd heard the name 'John Carter' bythe look of it for SOME reason).

Landmines are still not exactly something widely used, back where the League hales from (much less 'plasmafire' versions of the beasts)!

Putting questions aside for later, they instead concentrate on more . . . immediate things.

"Yes, but even though we have a general idea from your . . .sources where they shall land," Mina says, glancing briefly in consternation at our 'source material'. "It IS only a general idea."

. . .

Matrix only knows just exactly when I (or more likely one of my earlier Companions) ever picked up graphic novels from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen!

Maybe "Scarcrow" snatched it up sometime earlier and forgot about it. That or there was that one chap that . . .

Oh, nevermind! I have as yet to look inside it and see anything that should remind me if I have ever looked inside! Rassilon's rod, was it ever a surprise when Artizza and Fertal found the novels tucked away (moments ago!) in the closet where we'd bunked them on the TARDIS....

Must remember to keep Elrondir away from those books. Boy is practically drooling to look inside, what with him having only by the barest of margins opted in not buying . . .

Oh, nevermind!

Hm, speaking of looks I should have to say that both Artizza and Fertal seem a bit . . . edgy right now whenever one of the League get near the books in question. Something inside must have . . . disturbed them. The dark glances they keep giving Griffin's form (or where I take he lay . . . . I cannot see him) are darker than what spying on us would warrant, I wont! That and they keep on glancing (looking slightly aghast) at Mr. Hyde whenever he's not looking. . .

Sigh, anyway thus far the League members have been . . . reluctant in looking inside. Good, considering it must be really unsettling to actually know something that was fiction, bound up into paper binding and sold over the counter should now grace their reality and lives!

Honestly, I and Chiana could discuss that . . .odd situation. After all, we have had the same thing happen to us, you know!

But that is not for here and now!

"That and according to your sources these canisters are coming at night," Nemo adds. "Cannot say that the British military do much moving at night here on Earth."

I see that he wishes that his allies of the Indian uprising could have, what it could have been a real edge in that now failed movement....

Sighing slightly, Nemo waits for what Inquirer has to add, and who's eyes, may I add, light up at what Inquirer has to say on that matter!

"Quiet true," my wife agrees. "However, we do have the means of allowing artillery to be able to see and range find at night. Magic IS such a nice thing, you know old chap."

Nightsight provided by night-vision spells and other magicks vice other realm technology like night vision goggles! It is much less likely we shall inadvertently begin the electronic revolution decades before it SHOULD, thank you!

The landmines are . . . a bit tamper proof, shall we say. Danger of them being studied after we leave are nil, since THESE type (unlike their 20th century cousins) can be accounted for and destroyed remotely either by time and/or by a remote encoded subspace frequency that Elrondir and Inquirer are setting up (if it comes to that).

That and . . . if someone should be . . . er . . .foolish enough to attempt it, the landmine WILL detonate if one unlearned in the art tries to open it up for inspection . . . .

. . .

Uh, well. . . . Okay, if the onus of giving too much technology that mankind on this planet which could wreck things let it be on the immigrating Martians' and John Carter's heads, not my and my Companions! Soon (but not soon enough to help) they shall be coming from Mars (which is dying according to Inquirer's transcript and Artizza) to Earth to put down roots.

"More than that we cannot really plan anything concrete," Inquirer finishes up, sight slightly and waving the transcript. "Honestly, without the technical weapons data nothing more can be honestly concocted by my end beyond this is . . . iffy at best, even with our supposed 'ace in the hole'! I fear that Orson Wells was just too VAGUE for that in his novel!"

She gestures towards her leather hardbound version of War of the Worlds. Like in her version of my (and a few other's) reality, there had been "inversion" of certain names (H.G. Wells the author's name swapping out with Orson Wells the actor and vice versa). That and other "oddities" (like regional accents from Germany and North America somehow having swapped). . . .

. . .

Did you know that like on Mina's Earth that one chap named Jesus (founder of Christianity for those who are not up on Earth religion) was actually recorded as being born in the year ZERO AD (or Current Era for you politically correct chaps out there)? Meaning that the 20th century in Inquirer's (and Mina's) world ACTUALLY started/starts in at 1900?

. . . .

Well, actually that is trivial in the grand scheme of things but still you must admit . . . !

"What I would like to know is there a chance that these Martian f*cks who sent us all this wonderful 'data' about these invaders are trying to make us people their cat's paw?" Hyde rumbles, a thoughful look on his incredibly homely (almost Terran Ogre like) face). "What are the chances that this Carter wants us to do his dirty work? Wipe out this, according to you, useless wheezing blancmange who'll be mincing around in copper boilers on stilts?!"

1. "What if he wants to use us in the same way that Bond and this supposed Professor Moriarty wished to?" he finishes up, glaring at us in challenge.

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