Circling Up (Part 1)

Chiana

Later, Artizza will tell ya that it was she and Fertal who spotted that . . . gizmo thing in the grass first before the rest of us. Sharp elfin eyes like hers had made out what appears to be some kind of mystical, strange device with . . . a crushed and broken cigar sitting in a doll sized seat.

. . .

Dren! I'd spotted that frellin' thing just as SHE and the others had! But . . . well . . . .

Why bother arguing the point, eh? Not like there is a cash prize for spotting things first! It is the one who can secretly snurch said item for later . . . examination (if only to figure out how many credits can be gotten for pawning it). Do it when nobody is LOOKING so of COURSE I cannot be blamed for it having gone missing! Not like it's dangerous, if it hadn't blown up and killed the guy who'd tripped over it!!

Heh!

. . .

Then again . . . given my friends here that would be next to frelling impossible, getting something like that past them!! I could TRY, but I'd have to be VERY smooth about it!

That or . . .I think it would look just DRAD in my collection, an area set aside for my and Sigin's Hoard for the more delicate but beautiful items of art! Just pick it up (after the others are done looking it) and just do it. No sneaking, just do it in plain sight.

Whoever made this trinket not only made it intricate, but rather lovely as well! And it's not like this fahrbot who can barely seem to be able to DRESS himself right made it!! If he had then he'd have been expecting it and not fallen over this lovely piece of machinery!!

The others aren't making a move to pick up the thing, right now. More like interested in helping up the fallen guy who'd tripped.

. . .

Hm, that B'Elanna must be rubbing off on me more than I figured if I'm findin' machinery striking my fancy! Gems, fine clothing, and jewelry are the usual stuff I like! That and money (lots of it)!

Hm, just goes to show ya that I guess I can change (except in the most important and basic things about myself). I AM still Chiana and will stay that way, thank YOU! Not even those bastards from the defunct Establishment (my homeworld's old ruling body) could catch me to brainfrell me into being someone ELSE, like say an obedient zombie...

....

Still some changes I rather DO like, in a way. Oh, when I had saved those Replicant's lives back on that one island(re: 45513) --the Island of Dragoness Moreau -- accidentally (had actually dove in the way of that bolt to save my sister, Aeryn Pip) it had . . . still felt so good doing that.

Saving lives....

Hm, maybe this "hero" dren is catching? Who knows? At least it felt good having Leon thanking me for saving his life (and I didn't want to embarrass him in correcting his mistaken impressions of me).

With trinket in hand and all THAT running through my head, I turn back to the others. They've tended to his hurts but somehow his head had managed to make a FINE impression on a field stone. He's out COLD!

"So, do you have any idea what all this is about?" I ask them.

"Oh, it's nothing much," Artizza sighs and then waves her hand at the dark woods. "Just a bunch of hybrid animal/humans and H-142, maybe! Though I hope to God that this isn't that mess!"

"And that fancy toy you got there is none other than the Time Traveler's," the Doctor adds, placing an odd glance towards Artizza before being interrupted.

Allan

Oh bloody Hell, yet another name that I swear I have heard somewhere before! Somewhere before!!...

Without quit jumping on Artizza and the Doctor, I ask as politely as I am able to just what they are talking about. I KNOW that somewhere in here there are connections to that -those "comicbooks" and that penny dreadful with MY name in it's title!

So they both, both verbally and mentally (mentally for some of the more personal details involving me, to spare embarrassing me in front of Mina) they explain what happened in the second LXG novel ( http://en. wikipedia.org/ wiki/The _League_ of_ Extraordinary_ Gentlemen #Volume _two). I have the distinct impression that some details were left out, if only to spare some other League members (either present or recently departed) embarrassment. Oh, I do not speak of Griffin (though the elves don't reveal mentally just HOW he died at Hyde's hands), naturally. Must say that none of the Doctor's Companions really cared for that madman!

That explains the bit about H-142, though! By GOD! I cannot . . . .I do not want to believe that my country would stoop so low as to create such a beastly . . .! Mina looks aghast as well, but mutters something about not being TOO surprised if it was somehow involved with Bond (and the former M)!!

. . .

She does have a point. After all, Mycroft Holmes hadn't been in charge of MI-5 during this affair with Dr. Moreau (I shudder when I hear HIS and this poor sleeping chap's tale). Yes, in the future . . . er . . . in this comicbook things had gone TERRIBLY bad for England and perhaps an argument could be made that with things getting so desperate that H-142 WAS justifiable . . . . Though you shall NOT hear me agreeing!! Yes, the invaders used their versions of "weapons of mass destruction" (that term Inquirer uses) so we use whatever means we can . . . using OUR own "biological" weapons. But in the middle of a London suburb that still has humans in it?!

I tell you, I do rather feel a bit better about being given the boot by Mycroft! Don't care to be . . .associated with such who'd do such . . .

Bloody!

Er, anyway the Doctor then goes onto explain who this Moreau fiend is and just how this unconscious man (an Edward Prendick I find out later from the man himself when he awakens) what THIS is all about (http://en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/The_ Island_of_ Doctor_ Moreau). Can see that this Moreau chap, while brilliant, seems to be a bit . . . .barmy!!

And poor Mr. Pendick isn't in a very good way either, when you get down to it!

Even have to feel for these proto-humans!

Oh don't LOOK at me like that in disgust. Some of my best friends are non-humans, you know!! What do you think the Doctor and the rest of his Companions are? Yes, that is right, not human! Must admit being taken ABACK when I first saw images of that one chap (some kind of "analog brother" of Fertal) named Frederigo D'Honaire (nicknamed "The Manfox"). However, it became quickly clear through Fertal that the Manfox and his species may LOOK like mere beast who walk about in their hind legs and such, they had been human beings and still ARE people.

Hm, must say that Chiana was rather RIGHT about English. It really does NOT lend well to the idea of intelligent folk other than human beings, what when you say "people" you are speaking of human and all that.

Something to contemplate later on, I wont....

I am just saying about Moreau's proto-humans is that from what I hear of them from the others that the "good" Dr. Moreau . . . did NOT do a very good job. They are NOT as intelligent as peopl...

Oh bloody HELL!....

They are not as intelligent as human beings. Not as capable as human beings through no fault of their own but rather a mad scientist playing GOD! So we have his creations who are neither here nor their, not quiet beast nor man. Not quiet as lowly as mundane (unaltered) animals but not quiet up to snuff as human beings go. This doctor has handicapped his "children" and . . . keeps on handicapping his "children". Should have perfected his techniques beforehand before cranking out a lot of . . .!

It is TOTALLY irresponsible behavior for a scientist!

Do not even ask me what I thought about Dr. Moreau's "House of Pain" . . .

Then the Doctor explains who (as far as he knows from Victorian literature) just who this Time Traveler chap is and what his story is (http:// en.wikipedia .org/ wik i/The _Time _Machine) and pointing to the . . . toy? . . . in Chian's hands saying that it was a miniature of the same device that the Time Traveler had used to explain to his friends (and his reading audience) the basic concepts of time travel!

The hair on the back of my neck begins to stand up when I take a closer look at the miniature because I KNOW I've seen something like it before. Fertal and Artizza confirm I HAVE! Finally . . . finally they tell me about the penny dreadful (and just why MY name was in it's title)....

. . .

That . . .that rather explains a few things, eh old chap?

Heh . . .

Uh, excuse me if I don't really recount the tale. I . . .

I don't want to right now. Go off and read it yourself if you like (can't really stop you). Just don't . . . ask me to tell you.

. . .

Poor Lady Ragnall . . . I failed you . . .

Hurmph, well that aside I still have to ask just WHY and how this miniature time machine has landed HERE and now and just what it has to do with Dr. Moreau.

I even ask that aloud after having collected my wits a bit, only to have it answered in a most unsettling manner! See, after Pendick finally recovered his consciousness, he soon scampers away from us in delusional/paranoid fright (screaming something about traps for us and Mina whispering "What an peculiar fellow." in pity) the answer soon came.

"Hsst, people approaching," Inquirer says softly pointing back towards the woods. She doesn't use her "tricorder" because she complains that it is acting up again to my reality's physics still acting up . . .

Later she shall say she heard them approaching....

Preparing for animal/human hybrids we instead . . .get something else.

A rather well dressed Victorian Englishman dressed in contemporary Victorian clothing comes stumbling out of the woods, coughing and gasping like a VERY sick fellow indeed, being lead by a woman who's the mirror image of Chiana!!

"Do I know you?" I find myself asking him, not quiet ready to approach the poor chap who . . . looks rather under the weather.

I've . . . met this chap somewhere. Same bloody sense of knowing but not knowing yet AGAIN?

. . . .

The Time Traveler?

"Allan?" he whispers hoarsely, trying to see me in the poor lighting of the night skies. "Did . . .did you come back to aid me with stopping those 'outsider' monsters from tearing a hole in time?!"

1. "H-hey? I found him wondering around in the woods like this," the gray girl who is Chiana's mirror image says, taking the weak and sick man by the hand. "He needs help!"

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