Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Marlow on 08-07-2010, 22:32:04</h2>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marlow</strong> on <strong>08-07-2010, 22:32:04</strong>
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				Shit! Shit! Shit! It was the only thing running through Donovan’s mind as he flat-out ran for his life, hoping to ditch the Centrum soldiers biting at his heels long enough to activate his Home Beacon.<br><br>How did it go so totally wrong? The operation was simple! Centrum had, under the guise of Federal officials and FEMA workers, quarantined Littleridge, Montana, a no-name one-street town on Earthline-Beta. Intelligence had been monitoring Centrum activity on Beta for a while now, and had discerned that they were using that Earth’s civilians as test-beds for some kind of viral enhancement. It wasn’t until Intelligence had picked up parachronic emissions coming from Littleridge did the Patrol have a lock on a Centrum op.<br><br>So, Donovan and his unit of Infinity SpecOps, backed by regular Infinity Officers, dropped in, hoping to catch Centrum with their pants down. Initially, all went well. They had taken out the majority of guards and patrols around the perimeter of the ‘quarantine’ and had made their way inside the Littleridge Highschool , where Centrum was operating a medical facility and were engaging the last Centrum line of defense, when they were ambushed, Centrum agents dropping on top of them and attacking their rear, tearing apart the support lines, communications, and firepower before they could retaliate.<br><br>Donovan had managed to hide. The rest weren’t so lucky. Killed or captured, the entire unit was neutralized.<br><br>Now Donovan was hiding in a barn on the outskirts of town, near the quarantine line, shaking with adrenaline and fear as he desperately tried to program his Home Beacon, hoping Centrum hadn’t deployed a Sargasso Field, when the side-door burst open and a young woman, wild-eyed with fear, ran in to the room, knocking him over as the Home Beacon activated, a flash of purple-blue light enveloping both of them as they were teleported away from Earthline-Beta and, Donovan hoped, to Homeline...<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tad</strong> on <strong>08-07-2010, 22:52:19</strong>
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				Kaylee doubled over with a groan.&nbsp; Something was seriously wrong here.&nbsp; For the past few days she'd been having stomach pain and running a fever, everyone in the town had.&nbsp; The government had even stepped in, diagnosing the sickness as a severe strain of the flu.&nbsp; They'd quarantined the town and started checking on everyone, giving them some sort of shot to help boost their immune systems. The first group of folks were already showing improvement, or at least thats what the doctors said.<br><br>She'd been one of the last to catch it, and now one of the last to get help.&nbsp; Living out on a farm a few miles from town, she probably hadn't been exposed until the town physician had stopped by to see if any of them were sick.&nbsp; Within the day they all were.&nbsp; Then it'd taken a couple more days for them to find out about the cure.&nbsp; All said and done, the town had been sick the better part of a week before today.<br><br>But something else was wrong here, not just the sickness.&nbsp; Kaylee'd come in for the shot with her family, and ended up being the last of them in line.&nbsp; After her parents, brothers, and little sister got the test and the shot, they were all passed on through the building.&nbsp; However, when she'd stepped up and had the blood test, the nurse's eyes had gone wide.&nbsp; The woman had pressed a button on her radio and within seconds, men had flooded into the room and surrounded Kaylee.&nbsp; Grabbing her roughly, they'd taken her out a different exit, not even bothering to give her the shot.<br><br>She'd begged them to tell her what was going on, what was wrong, but none of them would talk to her.&nbsp; They'd thrown her into a small room and locked the door, but apparently hadn't counted on Kaylee's older brother having taught her lock picking.&nbsp; A few minutes and a couple of hairpins later, she was out and running.&nbsp; Unfortunately, she'd been spotted just at the outskirts of town.&nbsp; Darting into a nearby barn, her stomach forces her to wince and not notice the man with the strange device in his hands until she slams into him.<br><br>The light flashes and she feels like she's falling.&nbsp; It takes all she has to keep her lunch down, even as she feels herself land hard on what feels like cement.&nbsp; But the floor of the barn had been dirt... she cautiously opens her eyes and looks around.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marlow</strong> on <strong>09-07-2010, 02:11:38</strong>
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				Scrambling to his feet, blood dripping down the side of his head, Donovan let out a long, rakish sigh of relief. Looking at his palmtop, a small computer fitted around his left hand, floppy foldout screen glowing as he read through the initial scans of the area. <br><br>He noticed an uncommon amount of radiation and interference, but chalked it up to landing near a Projector facility. That also meant there should be a Patrol station close by...<br><br>Checking himself for signs of serious damage –compacted limbs, broken bones, internal bleeding– and giving himself the medical okay until he could get a Patrol Doctor to look him over, he began to survey the surroundings. <br><br>Tall, gloomy structures punched through a layer of incredible smog hanging above them, and the heat was stifling. They were clearly in an alley sandwiched between two skyscrapers. He could hear the sound of a hundred voices yelling and bartering with makeshift vendor booths, decorated in gaudy, clashing colours in a competition to attract the eye best.<br><br>Looking back at his palmtop in confusion, he tries to access the Quantum Analyser to confirm whether or not he was back on Homeline, but the thing wasn’t working. It spat out ten different signatures, none of them matching Homeline...<br><br>“Fuck, I’ll have to do this the hard way,” he cursed, turning around only to see a young woman groaning on the dirty ground. <br><br>“Uhm... hello.”<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tad</strong> on <strong>09-07-2010, 02:41:40</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				With another groan, Kaylee looks up at the man in front of her.&nbsp; "I...what.... What just happened?&nbsp; What was that light?"&nbsp; She blinks to clear her vision, then gasps as she sees the two towering buildings on either side of her.&nbsp; In a moment she's up on her feet, fear evident as she tries desperately to figure out where they are.&nbsp; "What... what the heck?&nbsp; Where are we?&nbsp; And who are you?"&nbsp; Her eyes widen even further and she takes several quick steps away from him.&nbsp; "You aren't one of those government people, are you?"&nbsp; She keeps backing up, clearly certain he is, but also reluctant to flat out run from the only person who might know what just happened.<br><br>Nearby, a trashcan lid rattles, making her twist around and look in fear in the direction of the noise.&nbsp; When she doesn't see anything, she backs up towards the wall, glancing nervously between the man and the now-silent trash can.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marlow</strong> on <strong>09-07-2010, 03:33:29</strong>
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				“Well, we <em>should</em> be in Calgary, but it isn’t this built up...” Donovan answered. “By the looks of it though, we’ve got to be in a city like Hong Kong or Singapore...”<br><br>Realising after the fact that this woman clearly wasn’t part of the Infinity Patrol or any other part of Infinity, Inc. he groaned. “An outliner... Goddamnit.<br><br>“Alright, this is going to be impossible for you to understand, but listen anyway. I’m part of something called the Infinity Patrol. We’re basically like a police/paramilitary force, but we police parallel Earths and alternate worlds, and make sure that Homeline, err, my Earth, is secure. We’re currently in Homeline, I think... although I don’t know why we’re in a crowded city slum...”<br><br>Looking to his palmtop again, he cursed. It was completely useless. “This brought you here,” he said, showing her the Home Beacon, a long slender faceted cylinder. “It’s designed to bring me back to Homeline in case of emergency. My unit being decimated by Centrum, the men who pretended to be FEMA workers and Federal agents, triggered the Home Beacon to send me home. Somehow, you got dragged along too.<br><br>“I don’t expect you to believe me, but if you want to get back to Littleridge, <em>your</em> Littleridge, you’ll need to follow me. I can take you to a Patrol facility, have your memories whipped, and send you home no worse for ware.”<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tad</strong> on <strong>09-07-2010, 05:00:28</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				For a moment Kaylee just stared at the man.&nbsp; Either he's lying, or he's insane... what he's saying isn't making any logical sense.&nbsp; Then again, she was in a small town in Montana and is now trapped between two skyscrapers.&nbsp; He could have knocked her out and transported her to some city, but that didn't make sense either.&nbsp; Plus he'd looked genuinely confused when he'd first noticed her.&nbsp; <br><br>When he mentions the fact that the medical people had killed his 'unit', she takes a tentative step towards him.&nbsp; "Wait... you mean those people weren't from the government? What were they doing there then?" She takes another step forward, then freezes as he mentions wiping her memories.&nbsp; Her will breaks and suddenly she finds herself running down the alleyway, away from this strange man and whatever he's done to her.&nbsp; As she runs, she barely registers the sounds of multiple objects falling to the concrete behind her.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marlow</strong> on <strong>12-07-2010, 19:24:37</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Yea. They always run.<br><br>Sighing in resignation, Donovan began his chase after her, knowing full well she'd end up dead if she ran off by herself. Piles of trash lined the walls, and as she ran she knocked many of them over. Donovan, as physically fit as any man could hope to be, spurred on by Homeline advances in medical treatment, had no trouble keeping up with her, even in his physically tired state.<br><br>Pulling out a small, round device, like a large marbel, Donovan rolled it in his fingers, before tossing it at Kaylee's fleeing form. As the orb struck her in the small of the back, it emmited a high-pitched shriek. The device was used for non-lethal takedowns, often in riots. It worked well enough with fleeing outliners. <br><br>As consciousness left Kaylee, Donovan caught her on her downward fall, just in time to keep her from landing face first in to a rancid pile of garbage.<br><br>"Alright. Wish that could have went better," he commented, hoisting her on to her back, his palmtop finally beginning to work, sending him a city plan from a public-archives building a few blocks to the west. Of course, Patrol safehouses wouldn't be on one of those, but there were a few abandoned buildings near by he could hold up in.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tad</strong> on <strong>12-07-2010, 19:39:07</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				The next thing Kaylee is aware of is an ache in her ears and the sensation of sitting on something hard.&nbsp; Forcing her eyes open, she blinks in the dim light that filters in through dirty windows.&nbsp; When she sees the unfamiliar room, though, all that had just happens rushes back into her mind.&nbsp; Instantly sitting up straight, she tries to ignore the mild headache she has as she takes in her surroundings. Across the room she spots the man from earlier, fiddling with something on his wrist.&nbsp; Remembering what he'd said about wiping her mind, she starts to quietly stand, only to have the old wooden floor under her chair creak with her shifting weight.<br><br>Wincing at the sound, she stands quickly but doesn't run.&nbsp; Her body clearly shows a defensive position, but she's calmed down slightly and since she isn't restrained, she doesn't feel quite as trapped.&nbsp; Looking the man over for a moment, she clears her throat and asks "What did you do to me?"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marlow</strong> on <strong>13-07-2010, 01:08:59</strong>
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				"Ah, you're up," Donovan commented upon seeing Kaylee rise from her chair, if unsteadily. "Don't worry, the headache will wear off soon. I threw a Boom-ball at you." Lifting up the small marble-like device, he pointed to it. "It releases a supersonic squeel that overwhelms the senses and renders one unconscious."<br><br>Dropping in to a musty green overstuffed armchair, Donovan let out a long, drawn out sigh. "As I said before, you got caught in my Home Beacon. It pulled you along with me to this world, which I <em>think</em> is Homeline, my world... I can't let you go home until we've gotten to a Patrol center and have you evaluated for service or memwipe. It's standard procedure when the Secret is revealed to and outliner."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tad</strong> on <strong>13-07-2010, 02:18:40</strong>
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				Kaylee glances uncertainly at the small ball, then winces again at the reference to wiping her memory.&nbsp; "Do you really have to do that?&nbsp; The memory wipe?&nbsp; I mean, I'm not even certain it's possible, or that I'm not just making this up, and if I try to tell anyone they'll just think I'm crazy.&nbsp; I'm not even sure I'm not.&nbsp; But I don't want people messing with my head.&nbsp; Especially when there's someone out there trying to lock me away when I haven't done anything."<br><br>She eyes the finger where the blood test had been drawn from.&nbsp; The small pinprick is still slightly stinging, but its no longer visible.&nbsp; After a moment of silent contemplation, she turns back to him.&nbsp; "You said those people... the ones pretending to be the government... they killed your group?&nbsp; Why?&nbsp; Why were you going after them?"&nbsp; Maybe if she understands that she'll get why they wanted to keep her.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marlow</strong> on <strong>13-07-2010, 04:10:25</strong>
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				"No Outliner is allowed to know of the Secret. There are no exceptions. The three possibilities for anyone unlucky enough to stumble on to Infinity Patrol are service with the Patrol, a Memwipe, or imprisonment in Coventry," Donovan explained from the chair, his blue eyes locked on to Kaylee's.<br><br>"Those men who ambushed my unit are from a group called Centrum. They're the only other Line that has developed parachronic travel aside from my world, Homeline. Where Infinity Patrol works for the collective betterment of all the Lines, Centrum hopes to bring them, forcefully if necessary, in to their parachronic empire. They were using your world, termed Earthline-Beta, as a test-bed for a new viral like agent that was, as far as we can tell, designed to aid Centrum field agents.<br><br>"Usually, the Patrol tends to use more clandestine and covert methods of fighting Centrum, but every once in a while we need to act without secrecy, and that's when we use the Patrol Specops. Centrum infiltrating Beta's United States Government and using its unique properties as a testing ground was a move the Patrol couldn't let go unanswered."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tad</strong> on <strong>13-07-2010, 05:05:45</strong>
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				She gives him a confused look, but nods slowly.&nbsp; So apparently there's good crazy people and bad crazy people... and of course he thinks he's one of the good ones.&nbsp; She's not so certain right now, what with all the slightly threatening words he keeps saying, but at least he isn't locking her alone in rooms.&nbsp; That puts him a step above the others... a very small step, but one nonetheless.<br><br>"Ok... so your people will decide what to do, then send me back home, right?&nbsp; All we have to do is find them, with that thingy telling you where they are?&nbsp; And what do you mean, virus?&nbsp; The flu... it wasn't just that?&nbsp; What about my family, will they be alright?"<br><br>Suddenly a new fear fills her.&nbsp; What if the shot they were giving everyone was something worse?&nbsp; What if it killed them, and she wasn't there to try and help.&nbsp; "If we get to your people, will they send another group to help my town?&nbsp; There's still a lot of people that were sick there, and if those guys are as bad as you say they are, we can't just leave them there alone!"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marlow</strong> on <strong>14-07-2010, 03:54:14</strong>
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				"A Memwipe and an escort back to Beta and you'll be none-the-wiser. Coventry is reserved for a special brand of outliners: terrorists, rebels, psychopaths, and other undesirables that could end up breaking the Memwipe and revealing our existance.<br><br>"As for your family and friends, they're fine. The shots they were being given when you were pulled aside were antidotes designed to ween the town off the virus like someone getting over a flu. Centrum and the Patrol tracked the virus independently, and you were the last one to be given the shot," Donovan explained, his eyes hidden behind his large mirror glasses.<br><br>Sitting forward in the chair, he let himself study Kaylee. "Besides, Centrum has long closed up shop on Beta. They'll know Patrol Intelligence will be monitoring it and all the other close-parallels, combing them with a fine-toothed comb for anything that so much as smells like Centrum. We'll most likely close down access to Beta while Intelligence tries to repair the damage Centrum caused..."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tad</strong> on <strong>14-07-2010, 04:13:21</strong>
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				A bit settled by his assurances of her family's safety, she doesn't even protest against his talk of a memory wipe.&nbsp; "Well, I guess if all we need to do is find your people, we might as well get around to it."&nbsp; She stands and looks around the room for an exit.&nbsp; Spotting it, she looks at him expectantly.&nbsp; <br><br>Then another thought crosses her mind.&nbsp; He'd said she was the last one to receive the shot... but she hadn't gotten one.&nbsp; She's just about to ask why that was when something flies out of the darkness right at her.&nbsp; Kaylee gasps and ducks, throwing her hands up to protect her head as the bat swoops overhead.&nbsp; But as she does so something strange happens.&nbsp; The boards above her shudder as if struck and a flurry of dust fills the air.&nbsp; The bat itself flounders in the air, then takes a tumble into a pile of old cloth near one of the walls.&nbsp; Kaylee stands back up, looking shaken.&nbsp; "What the heck was that?"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marlow</strong> on <strong>14-07-2010, 05:45:40</strong>
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				Brushing off the years of dust that fell from the suddenly cracked floor boards of the vacant apartment above them, Donovan coughed, once, before giving Kaylee a strange look. <br><br>"Well, that was a display of... psionics," he said after consulting his palmtop, which flashed with the detection of Psionic energy. "But Beta isn't supposed to have any psionics on it."<br><br>Walking over to her, he pressed a few buttons on his palmtop, which elisited a small red lazer that flitted over Kaylee's body. It came up negative.<br><br>"Well, the Database doesn't have anything on it, which means it's from an Outline Infinity hasn't encountered yet, which is very unlikely, or it's something new that's been introduced to your world. The only thing I can think of is Centrum's little foray in to genetic manipulation."<br><br>Closing up the palmtop, Donovan sighed. "Which means you're not going home as soon as you thought. You're a hot property at the moment, and, if Centrum discovers we've put you back on Beta, they will take you."
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tad</strong> on <strong>14-07-2010, 05:57:26</strong>
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				"Psionics?&nbsp; I don't understand.&nbsp; Is that some other group or something?&nbsp; I don't..."&nbsp; She pauses and stiffens as he begins his scan, her eyes showing her confusion and worry.&nbsp; "What are you doing?&nbsp; Stop that..."<br><br>He begins to spout off more words that just make her head spin.&nbsp; Then he adds the bit about her not returning home.&nbsp; Her gaze changes from confusion to disbelief.&nbsp; "But, you were jut wanting to send me home.&nbsp; Why would this change...."&nbsp; Understanding fills her face, followed closely by disbelief.&nbsp; "Wait... you think I did that?&nbsp; No way.... not possible.&nbsp; I didn't even touch the bat or the wood or anything.&nbsp; And I'm definitely not someone's property..."
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marlow</strong> on <strong>14-07-2010, 19:39:28</strong>
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				"Psionics: Telepathy, mind reading, psychokinesis, that kind of stuff," Donovan explained. Dropping to his haunches, he studdied the bat, dead on the ground. "Yup. Definitely psionics... It's ribs are fractured from a massive blow."<br><br>Looking up at the ceiling, "and that was the result of said blow."<br><br>Standing up again, he crossed his arms. "You did that, but I doubt without some sizable help from whatever flowing through your veins at the moment. I'm willing to bet Centrum was trying to create a shot that would grant their agents special abilities; magic, psionics, and other supra-sciences. So, that means Centrum <em>will</em> hunt you down if we drop you back on Beta, and the Patrol can't afford to set up a permanent Ops on Beta. Which means, for the foreseeable future, you're not going anywhere. Infinity and the Patrol will want to study you and figure out what, exactly, Centrum put in you... if we learn what it is, we can learn to synthesize it, and remove it."
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tad</strong> on <strong>14-07-2010, 20:18:47</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Kaylee groans at his prediction for her future.&nbsp; Putting her head in her hands, she tries to work out what is going on.&nbsp; "This is impossible, you realize that right?&nbsp; That some guy teleports me to another planet, and some evil people soot me up with who knows what and give me superpowers.&nbsp; And then I get to play lab rat until his people figure it all out.&nbsp; This is like a sci-fi story... not real life!"<br><br>After a couple moments she looks back up, with new determination in her face.&nbsp; "So if we need your people to get this out and send me home, then lets find them already.&nbsp; Where do we need to go?&nbsp; And how the heck does this thing work anyways?"&nbsp; She looks down at her hands, then up at the broken ceiling.&nbsp; Then she tries to mimic the same motion she'd made with the bat, only this time nothing happens.&nbsp; her brow furrows slightly, then she shakes it off and looks expectantly at Donovan.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marlow</strong> on <strong>14-07-2010, 20:38:47</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				"Not a different planet, a different version of the same planet," Donovan corrected, sitting back in his musty sofa-chair. <br><br>"As for the Patrol, I haven't been able to pick up a single frequency, or even an Infinity broadcast, which is strange. There are few places in Homeline that doesn't receive either, and none of them have built-up Urban centers like the one we find ourselves in," he explained at length, biting his lip.<br><br>"Which means we aren't on Homeline, and my Home Beacon has malfunctioned."
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tad</strong> on <strong>14-07-2010, 20:43:45</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				"So... we're not on your planet?&nbsp; And we aren't on mine... or version or whatever.."&nbsp; She brushes off his correction, not really caring about what she counts as trivial differences in term.&nbsp; "Then where the heck are we?&nbsp; And how do we get back to your people?&nbsp; Can't you just use the wrist thing again, and get us there this time?"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marlow</strong> on <strong>15-07-2010, 05:28:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"No, I can't. I just said my Home Beacon is malfunctioning. It <em>should</em> have brought me to Homeline, but it didn't. It probably couldn't take the strain of the extra body, and dumped us on the closest world it could to Homeline, but I have no idea where the fuck we are..." His words trailing off, he spied a small, unassuming door in the corner of the room.<br><br>Standing up, abruptly, he made his way to the small door, half off its hinges, and shimmied through it, dissapearing for about ten minutes before returning with two duffle-bags. <br><br>"Why the fuck didn't I think of this before! This place is way to convenient to be abandoned! It's a drug house of some kind. Man, I am an <em>idiot</em> for not checking earlier." Unzipping one of the bags, he grinned widly as he pulled out an ugly looking uzi, far more advanced than exists in Kaylees world, along with two Uzis, and enough ammo to take on a small army. Digging further in to the bag, he found credit cards, and half a dozen different ready-to-use identities.<br><br>"Ha! Definitely hit the jackpot here," he continued, moving to the next bag, finding a long, slender baralled rifle, more ID cards, ammo, and probably thirty thousand dollars in cash.<br><br>Placing the weapons on a rickety table, Donovan flipped through each digital piece of ID, testing them with his palm-top for durability. They all passed regular inspection, and even stood up to two levels of suspicion before cracking. They'd work. <br><br>"Take this one," he said, tossing her a card. When she caught it, the image of a forty-something black woman morphed in to the young image of Kaylee, the various bits of info adapting to fit her. "Your name, for the time being, is Carli Teernan. Remember that.<br><br>"And I'm Roland Hill," he said, showing her his own digital ID card, which had morphed, much like Kaylee's, to display his image and various identifiers that fit him.<br><br>"You ever use a gun before?" he asked as he handed her one of the glocks and a spare magazine of ammunition. "Just point and shoot, and don't go for any fancy shots. Aim for the chest, it's your best bet."<br><br>Tucking the remaining glock in the hem of his pants, at the small of his back, he packed the Uzi and Rifle back in to the duffle bag, along with the rest of the money and ammo. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he looked to Kaylee. <br><br>"The money is in Japanese, and sports a Samurai in front of a rising sun, which means only one thing. We're in what the Patrol calls Bonaparte-5. It's a world where Napoleon successfully cowed Egypt and Syria, and, emboldened, went through with his invasion of Britain, removing it from any future conflicts. Sweeping through Prussia after it declared war on the Empire, he installed a puppet Republic that would act as a buffer to Russia. With the naval might of Britain at his back, he looked to Spain and Portugal, doing much the same as he did to Prussia.<br><br>"By 1810 the French Empire was firmly established, and the Napoleonic Wars ended. Currently, the major powers are the French Empire, the Japanese Empire, and the Prussian Empire, which through off the French yolk at the turn of the century, but remained a powerful French ally."<br><br>Walking to a boarded up window, he glanced down through the cracks to the teaming streets below. "Which means we most definitely are in Hong Kong, Japan's main continental strong hold. It's layers and layers of city built up, burrying older buildings and leaving the streets crowded and riddled with crime."<br><br>Looking back at her and smiling wolfishly, he glanced to the glock still in her hands. "Which means we'll most definitely need these."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tad</strong> on <strong>15-07-2010, 05:57:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Kaylee just stares when Donovan brings out the dual duffel bags.&nbsp; When she catches the card, she watches in amazement as it adjusts to her.&nbsp; She can't help but marvel at it and ask "How does that work... that's incredible!"&nbsp; She's not nearly as enthused when he presents her with the gun.&nbsp; Her hands take it before her mind quite registers what it is, but once it catches up she holds the thing as far from her as she can.&nbsp; "Yeah... I've shot a rifle, but never something like this.&nbsp; This is a people killer...&nbsp; I'm a pacifist.&nbsp; I'm not gonna shoot anybody!"<br><br>She tries to hand the gun back to him, but he's busy with other things.&nbsp; With a groan, she places the spare magazine in her jeans pocket, and the gun in the outer pocket of her coat.&nbsp; Praying she won't have to use it, she watches him continue his preparations and silently marvels over how strange her life has gotten in only a couple of hours.&nbsp; She'd gone from a farm girl&nbsp; in small town Montana to some sort of experimental weapon in an alternate world's version of Hong Kong.&nbsp; Still not certain of her own sanity, she follows Donovan to the window and looks out it with him.&nbsp; This will definitely be an adventure to share if she ever makes it back home.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marlow</strong> on <strong>15-07-2010, 06:35:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Pascifism only helps the enemy, Carli. You'll use that if you need to, or you'll wind up in a Japanese Rape Camp or worse," he explained as he secured the duffle bag, which also acted as a backpack. Opening the heavy front door, he exited out in to the hallway and down to the stairwell. <br><br>"We'll need to get some new clothes, first and formost. What we're wearing hasn't been in fashion for about... thirty years," he explained as they descended the stairs. "And for the love of God, do not say anything about Centrum or Infinity or Parachronics!"<br><br>Finally on the bottom floor, at the run-down foyer of the apartment, Donovan nodded to the shady looking security guard, before exiting out in to the streets. "Let me do all the talking, please. English isn't as universal as it is in our worlds."<br><br>The crowded sidestreet the apartment opened out on to was absolutely teeming with life. Shop stands lined every length of sidewalk, and Imperial Security forces patrolled in heavily armed units of ten, turning a blind eye to all but the most heinous of crimes being committed all around them.<br><br>Finding one stand that looked margianally less seedy than the rest, Donovan approached the shopkeep, an elderly Korean lady of bad posture. &lt;Konnichiwa, ma'am. My friend and I have recently fell on hard times, and have been forced to wear these horribly outdated clothes. May I inspect your fine wares for more suitable clothing for the season?&gt; he asked the woman in flawless Imperial Japanese.<br><br>&lt;Ahh, of course, young man. My wares are of the finest silks allowed to us by the most benevolent Emperor. Come, come.&gt; Ushering the two of them in to the small shop, Donovan turned to Kaylee. <br><br>"Kaylee, pick something out from that rack," he said, pointing to a rack of odd, brightly coloured PVC dresses, many of them scandalously revealing. "Pick the most conservative one if you wish, but women in Hong Kong are given much more power than in Japan, and tend to show that freedom through flaunting their bodies."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tad</strong> on <strong>15-07-2010, 06:51:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Glowering at her 'guide', Kaylee whispers under her breath "Yeah, like they'd mean anything to these people anyways...."&nbsp; But she follows along after and is more than slightly shocked when she hears him begin to speak in some Asian language... Chinese or Japanese, most likely, from his quick world history.&nbsp; Hurrying after the woman, she stops in shock right inside the entrance of the store.&nbsp; Everything here is cut to reveal more than it hides!&nbsp; When Donovan points her in the direction of some plastic looking dresses, she shakes her head and hisses "There is no way I'm wearing this stuff.&nbsp; You like it so much, you can wear it..."&nbsp; She grabs one of the dresses and thrusts it at him, hoping him considering the style on himself would help him see how crazy it is.&nbsp; "Now, where's the real clothes?"<br><br>She begins to search through the racks, wandering from vibrant color to vibrant color like a bee in a flower garden.&nbsp; Almost everything is far too weird, but she happens to stumble across a pair of black pleather leggings that don't look too bad.&nbsp; A little more investigation turns up some white plastic boots and a red vinyl overcoat.&nbsp; Contenting herself with wearing her considerably more comfortable looking undergarments, she carries the pile over to Donovan.&nbsp; "There... a compromise..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marlow</strong> on <strong>15-07-2010, 07:08:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Looking at the clothing she gave him; pleather pants, white boots and an overcoat, he laughed. "You're going to die of heatstroke wearing this," he explained, holding up the heavy coat. "It's the middle of summer in smog-filled, overcrowded Hong Kong."<br><br>Moving through the haphazardly placed racks of clothing, he picked out something that wouldn't cause her to collapse and die. It was a red tank-top like shirt made out of an unknown, stretchy material that breathed better than cotton. To keep Kaylee from flipping at its form fitting nature, he also picked out a small pleather jacket that didn't descend below her ribs, with short sleeves with buckles of an unknown use crawling down the outside.<br><br>"There," he said with finality, giving them to the shopkeep as he moved through the racks to the clothes for men, quickly picking out a pair of loose fitting white pants and a white leather jacket fashioned out of random strips of different leathers. <br><br>Finishing the transaction, opting to use the cash that he had on him to pay, he tossed Kaylee's clothing to her, motioning to a change room in the back. Entering the adjacent one himself, he was out long before Kaylee.<br><br>When she herself came out, she would see him wearing the pants, his glock openly displayed in the hem of his pants, and the jacket draping over his shoulders, open in the front, revealing his bare, badly scarred chest. His oversized Elvis glasses hid his eyes from scrutiny, and it was clear from the tapping of his foot that he was in a hurry.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tad</strong> on <strong>15-07-2010, 18:18:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Grumbling slightly, she takes the provided clothes and enters the changing room.&nbsp; As she looks at herself in the mirror, she has to admit she doesn't mind the effect.&nbsp; The shirt and pants hug her curves quite nicely, and the colors (though modern) are fairly attractive.&nbsp; Even the strange buckles on the jacket seem to somehow fit, though she can't say why.&nbsp; <br><br>Shrugging in acceptance, she steps out of the room only to see Donovan waiting impatiently.&nbsp; Her eyes go to the mass of scars across his chest and her eyes involuntarily ask the question of their origin.&nbsp; She manages to avert her gaze quickly, though.&nbsp; Looking at his mirrored glasses, she holds up her old clothes and asks "So, can I stick these in the bag?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marlow</strong> on <strong>15-07-2010, 18:39:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Taking her clothes, he unzipped the duffel bag just enough to stuff them in, before hastily closing it back up. Turning to the elderly shopkeeper, he smiled, bowing his head. &lt;Arigato, ma'am. You are both gracious and sensible in your wares.&gt;<br><br>The shopkeep simply smiled at them, wrinkles creasing her eyes and mouth, as she waved them off. &lt;You're welcome, now out. I can't have you crowding up my place!&gt; she said with a lighthearted laugh.<br><br>Taking the glock that she had given him along with her clothes, he quickly opened up her jacket, showing her a small hidden compartment perfectly designed for such a weapon. Making sure it was snugly fit, he stared at her. "Use it if you must. Don't hesitate, or you'll be dead."<br><br>His own glock he had moved to a similar fold in his jacket, although the butt of it stuck out at its opening. "Last time I was here, the Empire was prepairing for war with Brazil. If I can figure out the world-events, I may be able to find an Intelligence team... It's a gamble, but if I can create a big enough parachronic anomaly, they should be able to pick it up. The tricky bit is trying to keep the Japanese from finding it."<br><br>As they continued through the winding maze of people, Donovan kept Kaylee within a foot of him. It was his fault she was here, now, and he wanted to get her home or help her adjust to this new, strange life. Others would have abandoned her, but not Donovan. He couldn't. Plus, it was nice to have something nice to look at every now and again.<br><br>"We can check in at a hotel and use their computer-suite to catch up on the news of the day, and possibly find any hidden encryption the Patrol have left behind for agents in need," he said when he was certain they weren't being overheard. "We can rest there tonight, and move out tomorrow. From the looks of things, you could use it."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tad</strong> on <strong>16-07-2010, 14:59:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She glares angrily at his last comment.&nbsp; 'You could use it...' Bah.&nbsp; Let's see him be dragged from his whole convention of reality, chased, knocked out, informed he's some sort of freak now, and then have to travel with a complete and total ass until they can find their way home.&nbsp; Maybe he wouldn't be looking so hot either. <br><br>Speaking of hot... it really is sweltering.&nbsp; Having never been to either Hong Kong or a major city, she's not certain the cause of it, but the buildings block any wind and reflect the light down on the people below.&nbsp; And so many people!&nbsp; She's bumped from all sides as they make their way through the crowd.&nbsp; They pass the equivalent to the whole town of Littleridge in less than a block!<br><br>Despite his jerky comment, she follows him into the hotel. Breathing a sigh of relief at the (relatively) open spaces, she glances around and tries to take in the setting.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marlow</strong> on <strong>16-07-2010, 20:15:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				&lt;Konnichiwa, sir. My compatriot and myself require the use of one of your rooms for the foreseeable future. I can pay in cash, if you wish,&gt; Donovan said to the uncharacteristically large Chinese desk clerk. <br><br>The clerk gave him and Kaylee a look, before nodding slowly. &lt;One or two beds, sir?&gt;<br><br>&lt;Two, please. She's not that kind of compatriot,&gt; Donovan grinned, eliciting a slight smile from the clerk. <br><br>&lt;The Gleaming Sun requires upfront payment for your first night, sir... seven thousand yen,&gt; the clerk stated plainly, two card keys in his hands. <br><br>Pulling out a small roll of bills from his pocket, Donovan procured the required amount and handed it to the clerk, taking the two keys with him. &lt;Arigato, sir.&gt;<br><br>&lt;You are welcome, sir. Have a pleasant night.&gt;<br><br>Walking back to where Kaylee was standing, he gave her one of the cards. "A computer system clocks each time you leave your room," he cautioned her. "So try not to leave the room once we're there."<br><br>The room itself was a marked step up from their previous single-room shithole. Two double beds and a washroom dominated the small space, but a small work-space with internet port and a mini-fridge somehow fit in to the corner. <br><br>Flipping open his palm top, Donovan did a quick, cursory scan of the room. After it failed to pick up any surveillance equipment in the immediate facility, he relaxed markedly. "Alright, some privacy."<br><br>Tossing the duffel bag at the base of the bed closest to the door, he collapsed on to it, letting the soft mattress ease his tired body. "Alright. Time to get to work," he said more to himself, as he reluctantly sat up and moved to the small desk. Connecting his palmtop to the internet hub, he began the tedious process of scanning the network for Patrol signs.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tad</strong> on <strong>19-07-2010, 05:06:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"What?&nbsp; Why would they care about that?&nbsp; And even if they do, why do we care?"&nbsp; Kaylee didn't understand why it mattered how often she went into or came out of the room.&nbsp; It seems like such a trivial idea, and if he hadn't mentioned anything she probably would have sat very contentedly in their new quarters for quite some time.&nbsp; Now that he mentioned it, though, it would be like an itch in the back of her mind.&nbsp; A rule that makes no sense, and thus begs to be broken.<br><br>Following him inside, she sighs at the size of the room.&nbsp; It'll be tight, but at least its clean.&nbsp; Flopping down onto the bed near the window, she can't help but ask "So... what exactly are you looking for?&nbsp; What kind of signs would they have left?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Forced to Run (Marlow and Tad)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Marlow</strong> on <strong>21-07-2010, 21:42:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				“Because the Empire wants to know what’s going on everywhere, anytime. There’s no such thing as privacy in Japanese territories,” Deacon replied offhand as he busied himself at the desk. <br><br>He didn’t answer her for a moment, before spinning around on the chair to regard her. “The Patrol keeps, on each world it has a Station on, a few publications that are designed to communicate vital information to agents. There’s one Japanese authorized publication online. I need to pour through the last three months worth of propaganda to find the most recent location of the safehouse.<br><br>“Once I’ve found the Station House, I can attempt to contact the Patrol officers stationed there. They should be able to get us back to Homeline, wipe your memory, and send you home, but from the looks of things, we’re on a short timeline. The Imperial military is mobilizing for an invasion of Brazil. Once that happens, the Station House goes in to blackout, and no one aside from Patrol HQ and the Station officers will be able to contact it.”
			</dd>
		</dl>
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