The Wonderful Visit

Posted on Tue Dec 17th, 2019 @ 2:47pm by Civilian Jessica Haugen & Lieutenant Helena Wells

2,944 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: The science of stars
Location: Holodeck 1
Timeline: 7th March 2395 mid afternoon

ON:

HG looked around at the setting analyzing the setup. She always had a thought of exactly what her ancestor had in mind and the description was pretty good but one never knew exactly.

The parlor was typical Victorian, stuffed full of overstuffed furniture, knickkinaks of all kinds from small decorations, statues and what for all the world would look like the setting for a gentleman adventurer. What really set it apart was the myriad of clocks on the walls, tables, a couple of large standing ones. Their mechanical business lending an almost crazy incessant ticking sound.

As for herself, HG while in reality hardly ever wore much more than a while blouse with tweed trousers and worn leather shoes, this time was decked out in full late Victorian finery. HG herself tended to favour that Gibson girl look, though she refused to have those impossibly tight corsets. The one she wore was tight enough to give the impression for the scenario without cutting off the blood supply or the breath. Her hair was done up in the fashion of the time, the long straight skirt fashioned at the waist with a wide fabric belt. The blouse had modest mutton sleeves not the coming into fashion gigantic ones that she thought made the women look like would be proto-American football players. As was the fashion in some spots she sported a men's like tie, all set off by a short jacket. A boater hat sat at a jaunty attitude on her head to complete the outfit.

She nodded and then stepped out of the place for a moment and pressed her communicator. "Well Jessica, care to join me for a bit of a romp on the holodeck?"

"A romp you say, I'll be there, do I need anything specific?" Came Jessica's reponse.

"Oh say dress appropriate to late 19th century Earth if you wish to get really into it. Thought something based off 'The Time Machine' might be a little fun!" HG replied.

"19th century, I think I can do that." Jessica replied, "I'll see you soon."

Several minutes later the holodeck doors opened and Jessica walked through, she wore a green one peice dress with modest shoulders and a modest number of pleats embroided with a floral pattern from shoulder to waist and around the legs, topped off with a hat adorned with ribbons to cover some of her long pleated ponytailed hair.

"Hows this Miss Wells?" She asked seeing the woman waiting nearby.

HG turned and smiled and nodded, "Very nice, maybe take you out for dinner later. Wouldn't that raise an eyebrow or two? Well welcome to my uncle's parlor. Tea? or would you like to see the machine?"

"Tea would be great but I would say let's see this mystical machine of yours." Jessica replied.

HG smiled and indicated the direction. "While the one he had his adventures with was eventually destroyed, he did entrust me to his notes and thus have rebuilt another. There is a small difference though." She opened the curtains blocking off part of the back parlor. There was a wide bay window with the windows stretching from top to over 6ft, more of solarium then anything else. Instead of plants and flowers though there were benches scattered with all sorts of tools, sheets with drawings and mathematical notations, clocks whose workings were scattered as though forgotten project. That however was not the main focus for sitting in the direct middle of the room was a machine. It was an odd thing, looking a bit like a sleigh but with all sorts of brass bits, gauges, piping. In the back and the front extended two largest glass like structures.

HG continued, "my uncle realized that not only was the machine a time machine, able to navigate through time but that it had to be a space machine as well. The earth, solar system, the very galaxy moves at high speeds. In order for the machine to be in what was this workshop many years in the future it had to travel through space as well. Thus by altering the mechanism a bit while in a time bubble one could slow or speed the rate the machine kept up. He never used it as such but I have made the modifications and think it will work to transport one not just in time but elsewhere as well."

"That is a space ship?" Jessica asked amazed at the contraption, it was like nothing she'd seen before. "A most unusual device you have there Helena."

"In a way, yes. It cannot travel like say like a ship on the sea wherever you wished but what it can do is stay steady in a spot and allow the galaxy to shift around it. As long as the time bubble remains intact one is perfectly safe. Want to see?"

Jessica hesitated a little. "I've travelled the sea's and it wasn't the safest journey I've ever had, are you sure it is safe?"

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Tell you what, just how about a short time jump, no traveling that way you can just get a feel for it." HG suggested.

"If you're sure about it, then let us give it a try." Jessica said although there was still a hint of nervousness in her voice.

HG waved her arms inviting Jessica to take a seat. HG waited and then joined her. The seat was just wide enough and HG produced a short rod looking thing topped with a crystal ball that was faceted. She placed in it a slot and then asked, "Future or past?"

"I have always dreamed of what the future would be like." Jessica replied and gave her answer. "Where this industrial revolution would take us and what amazing things it could result in."

"Very good, the future it is, or what ever it might be. There is some indication that things are not always fixed." HG replied and then pushed the crystal rod forward. As she did so there was a sort of odd hum and slowly it seemed as if a luminous bubble formed around them. Shadows and light suddenly seemed to pass by but HG knew that these were days, weeks, years. The laboratory long vanished in a blink as the machine seemed to move faster and faster through time. Slowly HG brought the control back to neutral and the days slowed and . A plain of flowing grass stretched away from horizon to horizon and overhead the sun had a more reddish tint to it.
HG sat back and smiled looking at the dials in front of her. "Well welcome to the future, about 3 million years worth."

"3 million years.... just like that? incredible." Jessica remarked although the scenery was nothing like she'd even imagined it would be.

"Indeed, some improvements over the first one. It would appear that the land masses have begun to merge together again. It is frightfully still though, I do not hear much in terms of wildlife. I know for certain that we are past the time of the Morloks and Eloi or at least from the one journal entry. Shall we have a look around anyway?"

Jessica stood up in the machine and looked off into the distance, "There does not appear to be much too look at, these plains seem to go on forever."

"Well let's have look shall we?" She turned back toward the machine and clambered in. "Come on," she said. "Remember I told you that this has to be a space machine as well as a time one. We just go real slow in time and let the Earth rotate under us and stop when we spot something interesting."

Jessica sat back down. "Lead on Miss Wells, you know how this machine works."

"Very good," HG replied and got back in and scooted over. She waited while Jessica got settled and then manipulated the controls explaining a bit on what controlled what.

There was a faint glow but nothing like before and it seemed the machine began to glide across the landscape moving in a westerly direction. The machine glided across the plains and finally some herds of animals looking something like very large antelope appeared. The herd was large and machine seemed to be invisible to them as they passed by closely overhead. At least it seemed that way when all of the sudden heads came up and turned but the animals gaze was not focused on them but elsewhere. A trumpeting sound came from a couple of big bulls and the herd turned and began to move quickly turning into a gallop. Out of even taller grasses at the edge appeared humanoid forms mounted on large two legged birds almost resembling very very large ostriches.

HG leaned over and said, "Oh! Looks like we have found somebody."

"What on earth are they." Jessica asked though she presumed that Helena would have no idea too, they may have been humanoid but they certainly weren't humans.

"Not sure, seem to have some rodent like features. I would not be surprised, the creatures are pretty resilient and adaptable." As she said those words there was a commotion amongst the riders and several now pulled their bird mounts around and pointed with spears toward them jabbering in a language that was incomprehensible.
"Oh I do think we have made an impression!" HG said with excitement. "Shall we introduce ourselves? Hello, we are your goddesses?"

"Probably not the best approach," Jessica told her. "and I doubt they speak any language we'd understand."

HG laughed, "Ah, I always thought it would be great to just say, I am your goddess, fall to your knees and worship me, but then again you get all that messy let me hear your prayers and know there is little you can do about them." She watched the riders circle around, their hunt forgotten by the strange machine. They did not attack but looked curious if wary.

"So what is your suggestion ma'am?" HG asked.

"The slow and careful approach," Jessica said as she stood up in the sleigh with her arms out to her sides. "Hello." She said to the assembled riders.

The riders formed a sort of semi-circle and jabbered away for a moment before one finally said in a sort of broken English, "Divine ones?"

"Divine ones?" Jessica asked very surprised at the riders attempt at english. "We're humans, Jessica and Helena."

The riders turned and conferred for a moment and then the first one that had spoke did so again, "Old ones, those that we find in the rocks, along with pictures and metals. The Teacher is like you but different. Come!" The creature pointed its spear and jerked the bird thing around expecting them to follow. The rest of the riders followed the lead.

"Well guess that means us as well," HG replied. "Feel like an old one?" she quipped.

Jessica chuckled slightly, "Years behind a bar takes it's toll but I'm not old yet. Can this thing move itself or do we have to walk?"

"I have changed a few things, think I want to traipse through the grass with this outfit on?" She made some adjustments and with a whoosh of steam the contraption they were on began to move still a good double man height off the ground. Thankfully it seemed that the terrain only gently undulated. It was difficult to keep the riders in sight and mostly it was only because one could see the grass being trampled down. Fields of grass, oceans of grass, it seemed that all other species of plants had perished at some time except seemingly the Family Poaceae. HG spotted several very tall specimens that she was pretty sure might be descendants of barley. She pointed them out, "Think those are barley or close enough, look at the size though! Wonder if these creatures have not learned the art of beer making maybe we might make it a gift to them?"

"Home brewing is simple enough if you have the stuff," Jessica remarked, "But we should see what they have to show us before we think of doing anything."

"Be prepared though to teach the art of zymurgy it might come it handy." HG manuvered the machine to pull some of the seed heads off. She then continued to follow the riders for a bit and just as she thought it would never end the grass stopped abruptly and a village sat in a clearing by a streams edge. There were corrals and small round huts and as they appeared the village life abruptly halted as the inhabitants young and old jabbered and pointed at them. HG set the machine down and turned to Jessica, "Well let's introduce oursselves. Obviously someone knows some of the old language."

"It'l be interesting to see this teacher they mentioned." Jessica said as she stepped out of the machine. "Assuming we don't get swamped by inquisitive villagers."

The later was not a problem, if anything the people or whatever they were formed a sort of stand offish semi-ring instead though they talked amoung themselves. The riders had all dismounted and the animals put away but the one that had spoken was returning and in his wake with a lurching gait came a figure. It was tall and made of metal.

HG looked at Jessica and nodded her chin, "Well let me guess the teacher is some sort of automaton from the looks of it."

Jessica looked at the unusual metal figure. "It definitely doesn't seem like something they would be able to create themselves, the must have found it.. or it found them."

The contraption stopped a few feet away. It had been humanoid or android at one time as bits of artificial flesh clung to the face and exposed arms but in other spots it had come away exposing the machinery underneath. One arm hung without movement and face was missing a nose and an eye leaving just deep looking caverns.

It spoke finally, the voice seemingly having troubles finding a steady pitch. "Humans? Are you humans?" It asked.

"Indeed, I am HG and this is Jessica. We are visitors from the past." She waved at the machine behind them.

The automaton seemed to regard them for a moment and the time machine behind them and then raised its good arm. "They have knowledge, seize them." There was no emotion in the words, just as flat as the rest of the language.

The group of whatever they were began to move forward.

"What do you think Helena? run away?" Jessica said balling her fists, while she was only a bartender she knew how to fight and fight dirty if needs be but they were very outnumbered.

"I would say a hasty retreat is order!" HG said starting to back up. "Once on the machine we can move both time and distance."

The group moved slowly as though they were not sure what other oddities these strange beings had which gave the two of them a space to get a good start. The mechanical being lurched forward and some sort of sound or language which they did not understand but the intention was clear. It was to urge the group to capture the two ladies.

"RUN!" HG exclaimed! She picked up the skirt and turned and did just that.

Hoisting up her own dress Jessica quickly followed Helena as they ran back towards the time machine.

Jessica was definitely faster and HG spared a thought she needed to get her exercise routine up. She could hear the shrills of whatever creatures chased them as they called one to the other. She pulled the crystal knob that helped control the machine out and turned and waved it suddenly at the nearly upon them group. The sunlight caught the facets and set scintiallating flashes of light.

There were screams of panic as the group turned or dived for cover not knowing what the thing was or what it was gong to do. The chaos was added to by the automation that was waving one good arm and lurching along screeching in a metallic voice for the villagers to continue the pursuit. As the confusion reigned HG followed Jessica back to the machine and put the crystal knob in and started the machine. A golden bubble soon formed around them and HG turned to Jessica and said, "We are safe, we are out of the time line. Well enough for one day?"

"I think so, that was certainly an interesting experience Helena." Jessica said breathing a sigh of relief they'd esaped capture."

"Perhaps a visit again for another day, it might be interesting to see what happens in this future or perhaps how it all came about. However," HG said with a wink, "a nice smooth scotch sounds like a perfect wrap up to the day, what say you?"

"It would be interesting to see where this goes but for now I agree." Jessica stood up and stepped out of the machine. "Come on, lets end the program and I'll treat you to something out my special stash."

"Sounds like a perfect idea!" HG said scooting over and getting out herself. "Computer end HG Time Machine scenario."

[Scenario ended] came the reply and the room and everything but the two of them in their rather quaint outfits faded away to be replaced by a black with white line room.

HG turned and waved a hand and said, "Lead on madam."

OFF:


OOC: No problem I am going with another HG title

Jessica Haugen
Lounge Manager

HG Wells
Scientist

 

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