A brief moment in time (IC)

[Supercape]

Supercape studied the readouts with a keen eye. 

 

"I'm not a doctor, you understand" he explained to Velocity, as he perused the various imaging and blood readouts. 

 

"But you seem perfectly able to have children. No problems there. And no horrible diseases, as far as I can see. Just your mutation comes up on the genetic scan" he said. 

 

The Lab was always willing to help the superhero community with various problems. And Daedelus himself had sent Megan over to the Lab. There were better medics in the Lab, but Supercape was the expert on theoretical physics. 

 

Plus, he had a sensitive enough mind to pick up the tiniest of energy signals, in finer detail than perhaps any machine on the planet. And very esoteric things to, like temporal or dimensional shifts. 

 

"You seem, er, uninfected" he commented, sipping his tea. "Nothing I can pick up suggests any abnormal energies. Well, relatively abnormal. You light up like some strange Christmas tree to me" he smiled, tapping his temple. 

 

"Plenty of tachyon disturbances around you. But then, you are a speedster. And, well, that can be passed on in all sorts of rather unpredictable ways. If one considers the event x will occur with a non-parabolic frequency according to multi-phase observation from eccentric quantum orbits in m-dimensional..."

 

"...yes, anyway, its certainly possible that your powers will be passed on..."

 

 

[Thevshi]

Waiting was something that could often be difficult for Velocity in even the most mundane situation.  Waiting for Supercape to run his various tests and study the results had been almost unbearable.

 

The young speedster was in costume, but she had removed her mask and wig, not really seeing a point given the help Supercape was going to be providing.  Not to mention that Daedalus had referred her to the Lab to have the rather personal testing she wanted done.

 

As the scientist began explaining what he had been able to determine, she listened closely, though Supercape's refined English accent brought to mind thoughts of Robert. 

 

"Great, something to look forward too, chasing toddlers up and down walls at MACH 1."  Megan replied with a faint smile on her face, trying to be somewhat light hearted about everything.

 

"But, while I appreciate learning that there appears to be no issues with someday having kids, and I certainly am not planning on that anytime soon, what I am hoping to learn is what possible effects passing my powers on might have on any child I do have.  It is not so much about can I have kids, but whether I ever should have kids."

 

"See, when I first got my powers, none of this was anything that I felt any real urgency to learn, after all, I was just fifteen.  But recently I was involved in a temporal incursion in Europe that made me realize that I should probably take some time to learn more about how my body might have been changed by my accident."

 

"This incident centred around me, a former boyfriend and a device that had recently come into his possession.  This Stopwatch gave Robert the ability to control time in a number of ways, including moving himself fast enough that he could out race me.  At least in some future timelines, he and I were married and had a son.  But the child possessed incredible power, power that allowed him to destabilize the space/time continuum, to the point where he was a threat to all reality, as he was also driven mad by his power."

 

"Kids that might inherit my powers might be tiring, they will at least help keep me in shape.  Kids that are a possible cataclysmic threat to everything, are a much more major concern."

[Supercape]

"Cataclysmic destruction of everything is, indeed, an undesirable outcome" smiled Supercape, as his tea warmed up, excited by microwaves that he had emitted. 

 

"I can't answer that question with any degree of confidence, without travelling to the future myself. Which I could do, technically. But, well, I have come to the conclusion that time travel is not the wisest thing to do. All sorts of horrible maths and circular tautologies can jump right at you. It is entirely possible that your little predicament is the direct result of the horrible possibilities of time travel, like a false vaccuum state of non-observed bubble universes that, if they should collide in a multi-dimensional parallel..."

 

"*Ahem* yes, well, theoretical physics is a marvellous thing, isn't it?" he interrupted himself. 

 

"Personally, I don't see anything is written in a deterministic way. All you have is probabilities. The mere fact that you are aware of the danger is potentially enough to avert it. However, from what you say, the future seems determined to make its future as probable as possible, but sending things back to this time zone to try and manipulate events"

 

"So my only advice is stay alert, and try to avoid the influence of the future. It may well, and perhaps is doing at this very moment, just that..." he mused. 

[Thevshi]

Velocity gave a slight grin as Supercape started talking about the dangers of time travel.  "Well, theoretical physics tends to be a bit above my head."  She replied.  "But I believe I understand the basic problems that can be associated with time travel well enough."

 

She then sighed at his comment about trying to avoid influence from the future.  "Well, that is part of the problem I am facing."  She stated.  "I am faced with at least two conflicting influences from the future.  There is whatever sent the Stopwatch back in time to try to bring Robert Harrow and I back together, then there is the group from the future wanting to do everything they could to keep us apart and try to get the Stopwatch."

 

"So far I have been generally following the advice of that second group, which included a future version of Robert.  Though, when they made an attempt to try to confiscate the watch, assuming it was them and not some unknown third group, Fenris and I prevented them from doing so.  So Daedalus currently has the watch, and hopefully something can be figured out about it."

[Supercape]

"I'm not entirely sure that's a good idea" replied Supercape, pressing his hands together and contemplating the problem. 

 

"If the future factions - and there are potentially a virtually unlimited number of them, want the Stopwatch, they have access to history records.  I have total confidence in Daedalus and the Freedom League, but they are not what you might call inconspicuous. Even with the best effort, information has a habit of leaking, especially under intense scrutiny. Maybe it is a secret now. But in ten years? twenty? a hundred?"

 

He shook his head. 

 

"No, it is too risky. The Stopwatch needs somewhere safe, with only one person knowing its location, and a location out of view..." he concluded. 

 

"Otherwise, the future factions can locate it with ease. They may even be trying to get it now"...

[Thevshi]

Velocity listened to Supercape as he explained why Daedalus having the watch was not the best idea.  The speedster gave a small shrug.  "Well, I cannot disagree with you really."  She replied.  "I was mainly hoping Daedalus could spend a bit of time trying to learn about it before some decision is made on how to deal with it long term."

 

"I would be thrilled if there was just some way to destroy it once he's done.  But somehow I rather doubt that would be possible."

 

"Really, now that the Stopwatch is in the hands of Daedalus and any other of you science types in brings in to help study it, I am not sure I have much to say about what is done with it anymore."

[Supercape]

"Perhaps none of us are" said Supercape, seriously. 

 

"Daedelus is one of the smartest guys around, perhaps excepting Doctor Archeville. If he can't figure it out, I'm not sure anybody can. If, however, the Stopwatch is related to this potential child of yours, then it may also exist in multiple collapsed timelines. Which would make its destruction...tricky...at the very best. Potentially impossible, without some truly exceptional multi dimensional event"

 

No, I don't think even I could do that...he acknowledged to himself. Whilst alternative dimensions and times was his speciality, he couldn't conceive away around the issue. It was very interesting, however. 

 

"I know this is a stupid question, but I'll ask it anyway. Why don't you take it? or are you planning to see your *ahem* friend again?"

[Thevshi]

"Yes, from what I was told, the theory on this watch is that it does exist in multiple timelines at the same time."  Velocity confirmed as Supercape discussed the likely difficulties in even trying to destroy it.

 

When he asked his question, the speedster was taken by surprise for a moment.  "Me?  Well, I am not sure that is the best idea.  I mean, given my connection to things, I would probably be one of the first people anyone from the future would consider when looking for the watch.  I am also somewhat afraid that it might somehow capture some of my DNA, to potentially be used later to create my potential son."

"When Robert was under the influence of the watch, and I rebuffed his attempts to convince me that we should renew our relationship, he began talking about using my DNA to create our child.  He even tried to touch me with the watch just before I knocked him out."

 

She then paused a moment before going on.  "As for whether I will see him again...well, I was sort of hoping that between you and Daedalus I might be able to learn what the risks of doing that might be.  Whether this potential son could only be created when there is the combination of me, Robert and the watch.  Or whether I should just assume the worst is likely and avoid any more contact with Robert.  At the moment, I am doing the later."

Edited May 17, 2013 by Thevshi

[Supercape]

Supercape gave a shrug, a warm one accompanied by a warm smile. 

 

"I'm, not entirely sure you should jump to any conclusions. Your powers are exceptional. That kind of force can have  consequences beyond your control. It could swing this way, it could swing that..." he waffled, his hands oscillating from left to right. 

 

"You can't control the future, you can only control what's happening right now. You really have no way of knowing what was true and what was false, perhaps this Collapse doesn't even exist!" he smiled as generously as possible. 

 

Supercape knew he wasn't being particularly helpful, and knew he was rattled. He wasn't lying, however, in his View Velocity should just get on with her life and hope for the best. 

 

Like all of them. 

 

"Call me if you need any help" he smiled, as he showed Velocity out. 

 

Back inside the Lab, he sat down heavily, and took a very strong cup of tea. He closed his eyes, frowning. 

 

Recalling his trip to the future back when he had first learned how to time travel. 

 

So. He is called Collapse. And he is real. 

 

Very real.

 

He shuddered. 

 

~ Fin ~