Earth Victoriana: The Brit Machine (IC) (GM)

[Supercape]

GM

On 28th Avenue the traffic was still busy, even if it was past peak rush hour. Horns honked, people bustled, and occasionally shouted if an elbow was stuck out too far. It was a typical day in Freedom city.

Except now, the horns had started out in force. Those lights really had stayed red far too long. There was something a little wrong in the air, a smell of ozone, and cheap oil. Overhead, some sparks flew from the traffic lights as they shorted out. Steam blew out of several cars at the crossing, in an almost musical cacophony.

With an screeching WUMPH noise and explosion of steam, the bonnets of said cars blew open. The sounds of cogs and springs and lightning filled the air, and smoke belched from the epicentre of the chaos.

The smoke slowly cleared, revealing what could only be described as an automobile. It looked like a cross between Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and a church organ, with pipes, steam, cogwheels and various pumps and spinning things adorning it. It was made from finely wrought iron, wheels and all.

Stitting at the wheel (and various levers and dials) was a pretty lady wearing a full length dress and corset, with reading spectacles atop her nose, her hair in a tight bun, and what appeared to be a Chinese perambulator tucked under one arm. A few patches of soot did little to dispel her class and elegance.

[Avenger Assembled]

Swinging through the air on his grapple line, Edge made a neat landing as he found himself surrounded by...well, something oddly familiar! Not any of the technological stuff he was watching, naturally, given his ignorance of such things, but rather a sudden eruption of chaos that reminded him very much of how his own powers worked. He studied the bizarre figure in the weird car for a moment before he opted to make first contact. All of the damage seemed harmless enough, and could be repaired later. This was one opportunity that he couldn't pass up. "Hello!" he said, raising his hand like a cowboy in a Western serial. "Welcome to Freedom City!"

[trollthumper]

Joe was on his way back to Southside. His day at the factory was done, and he wanted to get some dinner in before he went on patrol. He looked out onto the street from the subway, admiring the flow of the city, the sounds bubbling up from the street below. He was waiting for the train to pull out of the station when the voice came over the intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are experiencing some difficulties. Thank you for your patience during this --"

That was when the PA cut out with an electronic gurgle and the lights began to flicker. A hushed murmur spread through the car as Joe turned his attention to the door of the car. There's a bathroom at this station, he recalled. If I hurry,,,

Amidst the chaos, he quickly managed to slip out of the car and rush to the bathroom. He'd started carrying the costume to work as of late -- with an excuse of "wanting to get some lifting in before my shift" -- just in case something like this happened. After about a minute of rapid changing, he was back out in the station as Cannonade.

Now he saw the patrons gathering at the rails, looking down to the street below. He followed their gaze, and saw the woman in the antique clothes standing on her strange contraption in the middle of the street.

"...huh. Don't see that every day."

Cannonade found an empty spot between the crowds and leapt from the platform to the street below. His gaze traveled from the woman in the wrought-iron car to Edge. "Hey, Edge!" he cried out. "Good to see you again. Mind if I ask who the visitor is?"

[Supercape]

GM

As the smoke and steam cleared a little, the lady gave a series of polite coughs. She looked at the two costume clad heroes beside her.

"Good heavens, I am in... the colonies? she exclaimed. Not texas, I hope. You don't sound Texan. Mind you, those... cowboys I think they are called do wear masks don't they..."

She spoke with an English accent, clipped, and very proper. She could have taught elocution at a Swiss finishing school.

She offered her hand to Edge. "Miss Henrietta Wells. You are delighted to make my acquaintance, I am sure. "

[Aoiroo]

Carrie sighed quietly as she handed over her debit card to the cashier as she glanced at the bag he had just finished folding and stuffing a deep scarlet dress, a matching scarf, and a pair of square heeled shoes with little flowers on the toes that had been dyed to match the color of the other. She hadn't bothered trying it on, she knew it fit, the previous week had been spent with her and six other women trying on the dresses, and Allison watching and appraising each one as they all stood in line. Allison had seven bridesmaids for her wedding, most of whom were friends, though there was one or two of her paternal cousins mixed in there, though Carrie could hardly keep track. Each bridesmaid had a different color of the same dress, all seven colors of the rainbow, starting with red her color by default as she was going to be the one standing next to Allison at the alter. She hadn't bought the dress then like all the others when they finally settled on a cut and style because she didn't have the money. Allison had offered to pay for her's, but Carrie had turned her down out of principle, though principle was looking pretty bad as she glanced at the dollar amount on the screen. Two hundred and sixty dollars, that to her was the equivilant of her rent plus a weeks worth of groceries down the drain for a dress she'd have gathering dust in a closet for three months before wearing it once and then probably never seeing it emerge from her wardrobe again. However she moved over to the pad and typed in her pin, except that before she could enter the last number the little electric pad blinked off along with the cash register. Staring at it for a second, she looked at the cashier who looked confused as well,

"What in the he..."

Her voice was cut off a loud screeching noise as well as an explosion of what sounded like air. Turning around towards the glass display window she caught a glimpse of some sort of vehicle buzzing down the road.

Unable to complete the transaction, she left the store and the dress almost immediately as she followed after the machine. Maybe there should of been some sort of sense of fear, but the sense of mystery overcomed it greatly. Carrie was a big fan of older cars, they had unique shapes, and builds that seperated from aerodynamic designs that made newer cars have an overly uniform feel. This vehicle however was no make she had ever seen, it looked like someone had smashed together 1940s era car with some copper plumbing and the inside of big ben, and dispite the strangeness the entirety of looked rather spectacular. It made Carrie wish she had a camera phone or something to take pictures of it and send it to half of her artsy friends as well as her sister. When it eventually stopped she made her way next to it with her hand hovering over the edge, she felt a light heat coming out of it so she didn't dare touch it but, still she glanced around following from the back then all the way to the front. The presence of two masked heroes as well as the woman bear no attention from her as she took in the whole picture of the vehicle,

"Wow."

[Avenger Assembled]

"Yes ma'am," said Mark cordially, a winning smile on his face. "Freedom City, New Jersey." Edge looked the woman over carefully, suddenly getting a nagging suspicion in his mind about where she might be from. Weird technology, talks like Mary Poppins, thinks we're a colony...Oh crap, the timestream! I might uncreate myself if I say the wrong thing; or indeed, uncreate the entire world! "Would you happen to be from the United Kingdom, Ms. Wells?" he asked politely, falling back on all his training about how to deal with people from other eras. "I'm sure everything here must seem very confusing. How did you get here?"

[trollthumper]

Cannonade took a look at the make of the machine, then at the woman's style. Dressed like Mary Poppins, calls America "the colonies," drives a iron-bed with engines attached... hmm...

"Yeah, you're in the colonies, miss," he replied. "You don't mind me asking, I haven't kept in touch with the news from Britain. How's the royalty doing?"

[Heritage]

Overall, Lynn felt a feeling of tremendous satisfaction; it had been a good days work at the main branch of the library. Her PowerPoint presentation for Intro to Criminal Justice was nearly complete, she'd gotten a ton of the research done for her Intro to Psych paper and her English Comp essay was done and done. Once she got back to the Brownstone, she'd curl up with a giant mug of hot cocoa and knock out her reading for Jewish Stories and Storytelling in the appropriately-named reading room.

Unless, of course, Julie Andrews decided to land printing press thing in the middle of 28th Avenue...

"Oh for the love of God, not now!"

With a sigh, the shapeshifter ducked into an alley and looked around for a good place to hide her messenger bag full of all her school stuff, including her almighty laptop; finding none, she conjured up a squat trash container with the words 'Do Not Haul Away' on the side, and stashed her bag in there. Now unencumbered by worldly possessions, she shrunk down to pixie size and zipped back into the street. She recognized Edge from both his costumed persona as well as her rather shameful undercover assignment at Claremont early in the year, but another hero she didn't recognize was also on the scene. However, as she drew closer to the odd device, she felt a horribly familiar feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Uh, hi guys, Edge. I'm Grimalkin from the Interceptors. Is that thing made entirely out of iron?" :shock:

[Aoiroo]

Carrie wasn't really noticed or noticing the arrival or the comments of the other heroes. She was amazingly good at ignoring other people, it was a trait she learned in high school, however, people were one thing, when a pixie came out of nowhere to see the contraption she turned to look. She didn't stare for THAT long however, if she wasn't used to weird after living for a good chunk of her life in freedom she certianly was after hanging out with Creature Feature who regularly to the form of bigger and grizzlier things then a fairy. Plus the pixie had answered a question, maybe she spent too much time with Vance because she started to answer things out of instinct,

"Looks a good bit like it, though their might be some other metals mixed into there as well. Excellant craftsmanship overall, must of taken months to make like this especially since everything here had to of been in custom parts since no auto dealership in the world would have anything like this, even in the era it's meant to mimic."

She finally faired a glance at the woman operating it and realizing she was there in her corset and dress that went perfectly with the device,

"Ohh, good afternoon."

[Supercape]

GM

The elegant lady turned to the assembled four heroes. "I am Ms. Henrietta Wells, of the Royal Metaphysical Institute. And yes, they do accept ladies on occasion, please accept my assurances on the matter. "

She wafted away some particularly acrid smoke.

"The British Empire and his Glorious Majesty Charles have something of a crisis, and we have determined that the source is not of our dimension. " With some theatre, she drew what appeared to be a Gieger counter, if a Gieger counter was made of silver sphagetti whistles, vibrating tin electrodes, and had a wind up power source. After a few rapid circulations of the wheel to crank the device into operation, she pointed the thing in the air, and noted with an arched eyebrow the clicks when it came to the four heroes in front of her.

"An unusual amount of global dimensional meta-interference" she noted. "I wonder if you are the source... or the solution?"

With a pleasant smile at Grimalkin, she answered the question. "It's not entirely made of Iron, my dear. Some zinc, tin, Londinium and Victorium. And the seats are made from the finest oak!"

[Avenger Assembled]

OMG she's from the future! Wait, what was that about dimensions?

"We're heroes, ma'am," said Edge firmly, his gold and white cape fluttering in the breeze as he put his gloved hands on his hips. "We're here to help. Just tell us what we need to do," he said, nodding with great assurance at the other heroes, only one of whom he knew at all well, "And we'll do it. If your dimension's having trouble, we can help you with that. My colleagues and I have worked on several dimensional crises in the past. With what you're reading, yes, I can tell you that our world is full of superpowered heroes fighting against injustice." It was corny even for Freedom City, but Edge believed every word.

[Supercape]

GM

"I see chivalry has not died!" smiled Ms. Wells, with great delight. "How fortunate that you four folk are willing to help the Empire. According to my speculatorum, you are positively bristling with power!. "

She consulted a few spinning dials and flashing bulbs on the automobile. "As is this entire dimension! at least from a isovibratory perimetricular perspective!".

"Now, in order to solve the crisis, I need a sample of Freezonium. Um. That would be some Ice from your dimension. "

[trollthumper]

"Freezonium"? What -- wait, ice from our dimension? What the hell is ice like over there?

"Sure thing," Cannonade said, rushing down to the nearest convenient store. He grabbed one of the larger bags of ice from the freezer, threw some money down on the counter -- "It's apparently a matter of dimensional importance. Don't ask me." -- and brought it back to the strange iron car.

"This enough?"

[Aoiroo]

Looking towards the well dressed woman's explanation of the machines build, she couldn't help but note the nonsensical metals listed among the likes, though she also mentioned the term dimensional.

Dimensional, like the Terminus stuff? Well now I feel stupid, I just thought she was a steam punk fanatic.

Well it probably helped that this happening anywhere else but Freedom City would probably have this as a response rather then jumping to anything like dimensional travel, and she needed ice. That was strange, but maybe there was something strange in the water in Freedom, it would certianly explain a lot.

Watching the otherwise normal looking man in a steel helmet run down to the store to purchase a bag of ice and run back she said quietly,

"Most fast food chains will give you cups of ice for free if you ask."

Turning back to the woman she said,

"If it's not to much trouble, could you specify why exactly you need ice from our dimension?"

[Supercape]

GM

Ms. Wells smiled at the assorted hero's. "I am afraid that in the height of British Summer, our beloved isle is in the grip of a most fierce winter. Our coal plants are at full power keeping the populace warm and dry, but the food runs dry and the people complain, and in some cases, die. We don't know what exactly has caused it."

"Our dimension is one which is very sensitive to the energies of others. Well, that's a simple way of putting decades of research from our institute. Hypothetically speaking, energies from your dimension, or others, may have seeped into ours. Or even small amounts of matter. In the latter case, what you term ice could be used as a weapon of mass destruction. Even a few molecules, we would term a hypothetical material called Freezonium. "

She put the ice in a finely wrought tube of iron and glass, with a dial at the top.

"Or, I believe, it could be used to eliminate the problem. "

She flashed a smile at the four heroes. "Especially if we have some upstanding heroes to help us with the matter. If you would be so kind as to take these seats..."

She gave an interested glance at Silhouette. "And you, dear lady, are particularly interesting from an pararefractory dimensional point of view. Your name?"

[Aoiroo]

Her eyebrows went up almost instantly as the words from the woman sitting on the machine,

Ice from our dimension can do what now, and I'm interesting in what way?

Breaking down what the lady had said, her eyes moved to the container she slipped the ice into then back to her. She wanted to ask what she meant with that nonsensical sounding puesdo latin word the woman used to describe her, but there was only one thing she could think of that it could entail and she was not comfortable discussing it in public. The thing about seeping energies was strange too, dimensional issues wasn't her forte. Relaxing her eyebrows and her face, she started again in a quiet voice,

"Umm, my name is Caroline, Caroline Wendle, though most call me simply Carrie."

She let out a breath before continuing as she turned her eyes back to the ice,

"Please correct me if I'm wrong, but is it possible that you want the ice to be used, as power source?"

[Supercape]

GM

"Not exactly a Power Source..." she gazed at Carries left hand briefly "Ms. Wendle. More, a focus for manipulating power. In this case, heat. And more particularly, in this case, weather temperature. "

She started cranking a lever on the automobile. "Best get a move on if you want to help, my colonial friends. Your aide would be most appreciated. Knighthoods for all, I should expect. "

"The colonies do still serve truth, justice, and the English way in this dimension, I hope?"

[Avenger Assembled]

Mark looked appalled at the woman's story of dimensional turmoil. "Well, we'll do all we can to help you out!" He thought for a minute at her words, then said, "Do you need more ice than that?" He hadn't quite understood all the technical talk, but then he usually didn't. At a gesture from him, amid a cloud of inky dots like a cheap CGI effect all the more unreal for their odd nature, a block of ice as high as his waist and as thick around as a tree stump appeared next to him. "Is that enough? I can make several hundred pounds more if you need it. As for the English way, uh...well, we have lots of friends in the United Kingdom. Like the superheroine Britannia! And Arrowhawk; he's like the Scottish Bowman."

[Heritage]

Perhaps one day the craziness of the heroic lifestyle would seem passe and old hat to the tiny shapeshifter, but that day was not today!

"Especially if we have some upstanding heroes to help us with the matter. If you would be so kind as to take these seats..."

It sure sounded like Miss Wells' could use the help, but just looking at the huge hunk of deadly iron made Grim queasy.

"Uh, I'd love to help, but I can't bear the touch of iron; it could actually kill me. Is this interdimensional travel fast? If so, maybe I could safely sit in someone's lap..."

Hovering in the air, she looked at the two gigantic boys and swallowed nervously.

"Preferably a female someone...?"

[trollthumper]

"The colonies do still serve truth, justice, and the English way in this dimension, I hope?"

"Well, truth and justice, yeah," Cannonade said, "or at least, a lot of folks hold 'em up. As for the British way, well... depends what you mean by that. Courage in the face of adversity? Forthrightness? The safety net for all citizens?"

[Aoiroo]

Looking from the pixie to the man in the jacket she looked up at the machine. Dimensional travel, she had never tried it before, but now was an opportunity. What would it accomplish though, going to some strange dimension with this person who may or may not be able to come back, what would it do. What harm would there be was the real question, and the answer there could be a lot of harm but no one here seemed to realize it. Was it because they were super heroes that they had confidence, or maybe they didn't understand what was happening. Actually it might of been both, no one else even bothered questioning the woman,

Am I really the only one here who has any idea what this woman hopes to accomplish?

Sighing, she let out another sigh as the thoughts came back, but one thought rung strongly,

What would happen if I didn't go?

Looking at the others she knew it was slim, but sometimes one person could tip the scales, even if they weren't exactly suppose to know she could do anything, she had to something at least, not doing anything was a choice she no longer made.

"It's fine if you have a lap to sit on right?"

Climbing quietly onto the machine, she sat herself onto the chair and looked at the other three,

If this is the only way I can help, it'll be something at least.

[Supercape]

GM

With a delightful smile, Ms. Wells invited the four magnificent heroes into the car. "No need to sit, you can just... hover" she said to the nervous Grimalkin.

She cracked her knuckles and set to work on the bewildering array of knobs, dials, and levers that arrayed themselves on what loosely passed for a dashboard. With an admiring look at Cannonade's biceps, she roped him into winding up a particularly stiff wheel. He could swear that he was priming a spring.

When finally, after a few hoots and whistles, the machine started to edge forward, it was clear that if this was spring-powered, then something most peculiar was happening to the laws of physics. The air seemed to lurch this way and that. The whole universe followed suit. Ozone and random smells, particular to each new dimensionaut, wafted into assorted nostrils.

Cogs cogged, steam steamed, springs springed, dials dialed, and pumps pumped. And then something grated.

"Oh deary me..." was all Ms. Wells could say, before there was a blinding flash of illuminating darkness, a deafening silence, and a taste that made your skin stand on its hairs.

And fumes, steam, and grating mechanical sounds wafted through a chilly air. A few cogwheels span on the snow. It was clear Ms. Wells Machine would need a little "work" to run again. The explosion had been magnificent.

And now, they appeared to be in London Town, with Big Ben in the distance, the Sun overhead, snow on the ground, in a slightly dingy side street with two open jawed beggar urchins freezing but open jawed at the sight.

[Avenger Assembled]

"Oh no, you poor little kids!" Edge didn't know much about poverty, but he knew it was really bad! Especially for poor little Victorian orphan kids in open-toed shoes with cloth hats. "Here, let me help!" As if from nothing, and indeed from nothing, he produced two gigantic ham and pimento cheese sandwiches wrapped in wax paper and handed one each to the kids. "Here's some food. It's a gift from AMERICA!" He made an expansive gesture at that.

[Supercape]

GM

"Gawd bless you sir"

"Real sandwidjes! with ham! from the colonies! how come they didn't go bad when they got sailed ovar ere then?"

The two urchins greedily tucked into the sandmidjes. As they did so, a group of a half dozen men turned the corner. "Oi, you two scruffamuffins! 'ave orf with you!"

Ms. Wells, still groaning slightly, moaned "Oh deary me, its Mr. Ludd's gang". The six men carried sledgehammers and looked like uncouth farm workers. "What 'ave we 'ere then" said their leader, snapping his trousers bracers. "Newfangled technology. Putting honest workers out of a job, innit lads? well, we know what to do with you inner'lectual types, don't we lads?"

The six men grinned and hefted their sledgehammers.

[Aoiroo]

Laying face first in the snow wasn't a sensation she'd of thought of feeling at the end of September, given, it wasn't the most unpleasant feeling she was having. In fact, even the fact that she probably had a large purple spot on her back the size of Alaska according to how very sore it was wasn't either. The sensation that bothered her the most was the sudden filling of her throat with bile that she was only holding back because of the fact that she had yet to lift her head from the snow. She waited for a minute while her body was deciding whether the sudden cold was a good thing or bad thing before she rolled over and threw up. Glancing around still a bit dizzy, her gaze met the figure of in blue presenting two kids some sandwiches, which the thought of food made her even sicker.

Hearing Ms. Wells moan she pushed herself up more to meet the gaze of the guys with the sledgehammers. It took some effort, but she pushed herself onto her feet and hurried over to Ms. Wells side,

"Who are they, and are you alright?"