VIDEO

[shootwithmymind]

[The viewer is greeted with a pair of huge, gold-rimmed eyes peering at them from behind a longish snout that is currently sniffing delicately at the screen. A moment later a young boy with blue eyes and shaggy blond hair desperately in need of a trim leans down over the golden-eyed creature, an almost identical expression of curiousity on his face.]

I think I've got this thing working. Guess we'll find out, huh?
[The boy clears his throat self-consciously before continuing.]

If anyone else is listening... Um. Hi. My name's Jake Chambers, and this is Oy--say hi, Oy.

[The strange, gold-eyed creature again sniffs at the screen before barking out.] I! Oy!

[The boy giggles and shakes his head.] Smartass.

[Oy grins--there's no other word for it.] Ass!

[Jake smiles again, but it quickly fades.] Is anyone else out there? I...um...I'm guessing this isn't the Clearing, after all, 'cause if it is, then somebody really needs to come up with a better name. [Another short laugh, slightly tinged with hysteria.] Anyway. If this isn't the Clearing, then could someone please tell me where we wound up this time? [He pauses, chewing thoughtfully at his lower lip for a moment before adding] I woke up on a--a spaceship, I think. I can see what looks like a village down at the foot of the mountain. Is there anybody down there?

Comments

[shootwithmymind]

Oy? He's a billy-bumbler. I found him on Mid-World--one of the other worlds I've been to. More like he found us, actually.

So...how weird is this place? Are there vampires? Killer robots? Anything like that? [Sadly, he's had to deal with both in the past.]

[redhat]

Uh... Numbuh Five don't have a clue what that is, but I guess it can't be any worse than Stanley. He's this baby skunk my teammates adopted.

It's pretty weird. And comin' from me? That's sayin' something. There's this guy who's a wizard, and these mutants. Numbuh Five's heard about a robot but hasn't met it yet - guess it's friendly, though. And, uh, no vampires as far as I know, but there are... uh, werewolves? [She rubs the back of her neck nervously. It's still a bit of a touchy subject, considering she's only recently been told she most likely is some variety of werebeast.]

What you really gotta watch for, though, are the people who live in the domed city. And the dinosaurs.

[shootwithmymind]

[He laughs at that] Well, Oy won't spray you, at least. He acts kinda like a dog, even though he doesn't look much like one.

Werewolves, huh? What're they like? [He files the rest of the information away for later.]

What's the deal with the dome people? [He'll worry about the dinosaurs later, too. In his experience, people are usually more dangerous.]

[redhat]

Stanley won't either, if he likes ya. Numbuh Five's his godmother. But that don't mean he ain't a handful.

[Abby looks more uncomfortable and ducks her head a little, letting her oversized hat hide her eyes.] Numbuh Five's only met one. He's all right, I guess. Kinda uptight. He's just... such an adult, y'know? [She still hasn't gotten used to being the only one from a world where there's such a massive divide between adults, teens, and kids.]

Numbuh Five doesn't know much about the dome. There was some sort of war, maybe? And they were the winners. Guess they have to remind everyone else about that now and then, 'cause they show up and attack the city sometimes. And they don't like people with powers. I wasn't here for the last attack. A bunch of us left town 'cause it was hit with the plague. [She's not quite so chatty, normally, but he needs to know what he's dealing with. That, and she's just so relieved to have someone else her age around here.]

[shootwithmymind]

Yeah, I know what you mean. Most grownups're uptight about something. [Even as he says that, he wonders what she'd make of Eddie, who technically was a grownup, even though he didn't always act like one.] I guess it's all good as long as he's not going around attacking people, though.

[Jake doesn't mind the chattiness--especially when she's actually giving him so much useful information.] So...there's wizards and mutants and people with powers here, the people from the domes're trying to kill us, and there was a plague, too? Sounds a lot like where I was before. Except for the dinosaurs. Don't think I've ever run into any of those before.

So...where're you from, Five? [He's assuming that's her name at this point.] I'm from New York. Have you ever heard of it?

[redhat]

You can say that again! This guy's worse than most. Seems safe enough, though. [She's perfectly glad to change the subject]

There's a lot goin' on, let me tell you. But it ain't hard to get used to, not if you're already used to vampires and killer robots and stuff like that. [Sounds a lot like her home, actually.]

'Course I know New York! Who doesn't? I'm from Sector V - 'cept that don't mean much if you ain't an operative - Cleveland. East coast.

[shootwithmymind]

Yeah, I guess you can get used to just about anything--not that we've got much choice about it. I'm guessing we're pretty much stuck here, right? [Not that he has anywhere else to go, anyway.]

[He laughs a little.] Well, I didn't know! There's a lot of worlds out there! Sounds like you're Earth is a lot different from mine. We have a Cleveland, but it's not on the East Coast.

[redhat]

If anyone's found a way out of this place, they're not tellin'. [Abby sighs] Gotta make the best of it while we're here, I guess.

Huh. Well, that's weird. [She's not sure she likes hearing that her hometown doesn't exist in other realities.] Guess if the KND ain't in every world, cities might get moved around some, too.

[She's quiet for a moment.] Numbuh Five can see the ship from here. Should meet up with you soon.

[shootwithmymind]

[He can see that once again, he's made her uncomfortable, so he lets the subject of Cleveland drop.] The really weird thing though is the little stuff that changes. Brands of soda, types of cars, stuff like that.

[And in a couple more minutes, she'll see him round a curve in the path, Oy running along a few feet ahead. When he catches sight of her, he waves.]

Hey!

[redhat]

I'm still gettin' used to this place not havin' candy, so I don't think there's soda around to be different brands. Like all the adults would let us drink any if there were.

[Yeah. There's a drinking age for soda where she's from, and it's thirteen.]

[Abby spots him easily enough, and takes off her hat to wave back with, grinning.] Hey yourself, baby!

[shootwithmymind]

[Jake is a little confused by the soda comment, but lets that pass. Instead he grins back at Abby. She would be able to see that aside from his backpack, he's also wearing a shoulder holster complete with a Ruger.]

Nice to meet you in person, Five.

[Oy takes a moment to sniff at her shoes.]

The town's down that way, right? [He nods in the direction she came from.] So, is there anywhere in particular everybody stays, or do we just camp out wherever?

[redhat]

Likewise, kid! [Abby slaps Jake on the shoulder companionably, then leans down to ruffles Oy's ears. The gun does get a sidelong glance, but she can hardly blame a kid for having something to defend himself with.]

Well, I guess there's this buildin' called the Flop. A lot of people stay there. Me, I'm buildin' a treehouse on the edge of town. And there's plenty of abandoned houses too, but not all of 'em are safe.

[shootwithmymind]

[Oy leans slightly into the ear scritching. Yep, Abby has just made a new friend.]

A treehouse, huh? Cool. If you need any help with it, let me know. Dunno if I'll be much help with building, but I can hold boards in place and stuff like that.

I guess I'll try out the Flop for tonight, at least. I don't think I'm up for house hunting right now. [He pauses a moment, frowning slightly.] Nobody's gonna bitch about Oy, are they? 'Cause I'm not leaving him outside.

[redhat]

Hey, that'll be better than the help Numbuh Five's got now. You'll do fine, if you want to come help.

[She smiles and keeps scratching the little critter.]

Hey, there's this one guy, he's got two of these big... cat lizard things. In town, if you can imagine. Numbuh Five don't think this critter's gonna cause any trouble, baby.

[shootwithmymind]

Yeah, I'll help--just wanted to let you know I'm pretty much unskilled labor.

[Oy flops over on his side, begging for a belly rub.]

Big...cat lizards... Okay, I guess Oy won't attract much attention compared to that.

So, are we ready to go, then?

[redhat]

Aw, you can't be worse than Numbuh Four. And he's had trainin'.

[Abby kneels so she can give Oy a proper belly rub now. He was kinda like a dog. She approved.]

Well, we kinda accidentally killed their mama, so I guess he felt guilty or somethin'. But still, steer clear of those things. They're gonna wind up eatin' somebody.

Yeah, come on. Town's just down this road.

[shootwithmymind]

Well, I'll try and stay out of reach, but I've gotta say, I'm kinda curious to see a couple of giant cat-lizards.

[Oy is definitely digging the belly rub. Jake laughs a little and shakes his head.] He'll lay there all day, as long as you keep doing that.

[He hitches his backpack up onto his shoulder and starts walking in the direction Abby indicated.] C'mon, Oy, let's get going.

[redhat]

Yeah, well, ask around for the froggy-lookin' teenager- [She says the word like it leaves a bad taste in her mouth] -who smells a bit funny. the little monsters are his project. Numbuh Five thinks she'll stick with the more civilized critters, like Oy here.

[Chuckling, she steps back and holds her hands up, letting the billy bumbler know that petting time was over.]

Common, Numbuh Five will point out her treehouse on the way, in case y'all want to stop by.