The Board (5)

"Hey! It's better than trapping us in here and having us dig our way out, so just listen to it." Rae sighs and rubs the back of her neck. IQ #4's chocolate has made her dizzy, although her mind remians clear.

"Okay, we know that some of the chocolates seem to have more practical aplications than others. My shrinking, Kara's camoflauge, Jila can walk through walls. These are practical and immediate.

"Others," Rae continues, "are less immediately useful. "Kay can understand foriegn languages, Mouse... well, who knows. Which brings us to the fact that, even with the labels, we don't know what some of them do..."

Rae nods and carries on. "Anyway, using all of these different powers, we are at a definite advantage, despite our small number." She looks at Ghost. "Ghost, is your vision different?"

"Maybe it's not visual at all." Rae suggests. "Close your eyes and cast out. Try and see if your mind is working any differently, if you understand things you couldn't before."

"Very good, Ghost." Rae says, smiling. "See what I mean? A small group leads the guards away from the entrance of the cavern, the others get out while the guards are distracted, and then the other team escapes as soon as it can. What do you guys think?"

Kara (with her perfect camouflage), Jila and 'Ghost (who can slip through the walls), and IQ the original (still in his werewolf form) would cause a distraction and mess with their captors heads. IQ's #4 &#7 along with Chryse, Mouse, and KayDe would follow Echo out of the caverns.

"Don't even start with me, Jila." Trying to look her most commanding Rae pulls herself up to her full five inches of recent height. "You're going to need me with you. Which one of you can understand IQ in his present condition? Kay can translate for Echo now, but you will Need someone to translate for IQ. And anyway, what's more distracting than a large voice coming from right under your feet."

"I'll carry you Rae." Walking away from the wall of the cavern, Kara holds her hand out for Rae to walk on. "It's going to look a little strange for you to be floating along by yourself so, if you don't mind, you can ride here in my vest pocket."

*We should be going in there with our frelling guns blazing! What the frell was I thinking: 'non-violent solution' my eema! This'll never work! And why the frell does my head feel all tight?*

Meanwhile, the group of escapees was moving into position itself. IQ #7, clutching Raegun tightly, was at the head of the group. Echo and IQ #4 provided a rear-guard. The rest of the Scoobs formed a tight huddle in the middle.

Jila and Ghost do this most effectively by running through different walls. To the eyes of the guards, only a wolf remains. Having never seen one before, they hesitate. Kara begins edging around them, careful not to brush against anyone.

Rae looks up at the astonished guards. "Um, hi..." She rises slowly, giving the still camoflauged Kara a chance to do the same. "Guess it didn't work, huh?" In a whisper, "Run, Kara. Meet the others."

General confusion is a very good descrition of what the escaping team percieves. Amid shouts, guards begin hurrying off in one direction, and a few minutes later, Rae is heard to curse loudly, at which point guards run off in ALL directions.

The Scoobs wait in tense silence for a few minutes, when panting heralds the arrival of Kara, who breathlessly explains what happened, adding, "Rae weighs a frelling TON!"

... The furred creatures hadn't reacted to positively to him before, and they didn't this time either. Most of them ran screaming unintelligable words in high pitched voices. A few stood their ground, not looking to happy that their comrades had deserted them.

"Oh damn." Kay says listening intently. "They've been caught. What we're hearing is IQ trying to scare off the creatures like he did the first time, but not all of them are scared enough to run."

"Do me a favor Jila." 'Ghost says from behind Jila. "Unless it's an absolute emergency don't pass through anything else solid. If that chocolate wears off while you're wholly or partially in something solid, it could kill you. Let me check through things now. okay?"

"Ok guys, let's go." Kara says. "Echo, you first. You can find them faster than we can, although I do expect that we're going to find them in the King's audience chamber. Mouse do you want to bring up the rear with Raegun or would you rather have somebody else do it?"

"They can't be any more vague than this one." #4 whispers pulling his chocolate out of his pocket. ‘Remember what the White Rabbit said.’ What the heck does that mean?"

"It's a possibility." #4 says, one eyebrow arching upwards and the left corner of his mouth curling into a smile. "If that's it then I've got the answer to their '3 who are one' prophecy."

"Hardly." Rae rolls her eyes in disgust. She knows it's not true, but she also knows that they are all outside waiting for her and IQ to come out. They couldn't possibly know that she and IQ weren't going to be coming out any time soon.

"Do it Raegun." Mouse says, then walks quietly over to where 'Ghost is. "Go transparent. Then walk in there and appear and disappear a few times. Not where the King can see you, just on the outskirts of the room. Make sure you are seen by those creatures."

'Ghost giggles softly. This was going to be fun. She hardly got the chance anymore to mess with people's heads like that. Then she fades out and goes into the chamber.

"GUARDS!" The King shouts angrily. "Take these two to the holding caves. They won't cause us anymore trouble down there." The guards approach warily, poking at Rae and IQ with their spears.

“Wait.” A voice says from behind the King. It is ‘Ghost and she’s decided to have some fun. “I am the Earth Goddess and you have angered me.” She then floats over to a place by the door.

“You See?” The King looks around worriedly but composes himself quickly. He doesn’t know anything about any Earth Goddess but the Advisors whisper to him that this is a good thing. She must be on their side. He points his hairy finger at the group of humans “You have angered the goddess. She Will punish you!” Meanwhile the Kings advisors, while still whispering in the King’s ear look around frantically to see if they can find out where the voice is coming from.

“You are Not the rightful King!” ‘Ghost says loudly, and for effect she floats about two feet off the floor. “I can see it in your heart.” (Her chocolate gave her the power to see the truth in things, remember?) “And these two who would advise you.” ‘Ghost floats over and drops down to the floor in front of the advisors. She whirls around to face the small furry creatures. “These two are not even of your Race!” Breaths are inhaled sharply at this and one of the braver beings grabs one of the advisors and pulls his hood off. The Guards who once had their spears pointed at Rae and IQ now rush over to the throne and point their spears at the King’s advisors. The cloaks are pulled off the two revealing that they are definitely not of the race of the furry creatures but more like tall goblins, with Brains!

“Now’s our chance.” #4 pulls out the chocolate he hadn’t bitten into in the other cave. “The only way that this can successfully work is if the three of us take a bite of this one chocolate. If Jila is right, then it will give all three of us the same knowledge and their prophecy comes true, ‘three who are one’.”

“With Mouse here,” #7 explains, “we can’t lose. The chocolate Mouse ate gave her the power of Justice for the Righteous. First we haven’t done anything wrong so we can be considered ‘the righteous’, and second, whatever their problem is down here it will help make it right.”

“Let’s hope we have enough time.” Jila says. “I’ve got it!” Jila snaps her fingers and scurries over to where ‘Ghost is hovering. She then kneels, bowing her head, and pleads for an audience with the ‘Goddess’. Trying not to sound to hammy she says “Oh wonderous being. Please may I speak.” Jila motions for the others to get down, and trying not to laugh out loud they also kneel.

“Yes, I see.” ‘Ghost turns toward the group. Keeping a straight face is becoming more and more difficult. “Although this one is in wolf form I know he is one of the three.”

“We have come to correct the wrongs that are happening to this community.” #4 speaks out. Behind his back #4 breaks off a piece of the chocolate and hands the rest slyly to #7 who breaks off another piece. He in turn holds the last of the chocolate low so that as the IQ wolf passes behind #7 he can take the chocolate and eat it. #4 and #7 fold their hands in front of them and then bowing over their hands in reverence to the Goddess, eat the hidden pieces of chocolate. Their eyes open wide as all of the knowledge of the community flows into them.

“This can not be!” Lady Honeydew finally speaks out from the side of the room where Kara stands. Suddenly, Lady Honeydew is getting pushed by the almost invisible Kara towards the throne, a look of absolute horror on her face.

“I… I…” Lady Honeydew looks around at peoples of her community. “My… son…. He was to be King when King Til’dar died. Kul’sin was his son.” She sighs thinking of the old king. “I know you elders remember when these two first came among us.” She said pointing to the now prisoners. “They took my son and put him in the holding caverns. He would have been dead a long time ago had I not been able to sneak him food and water.” This time she shudders remembering all of the indignities she put herself through to keep him alive. “But I don’t know exactly where he is.” During this explanation, while the room's attention is on Lady Honeydew, 'Ghost disappears. She's done her part and doesn't want to overdo it.

“The holding caverns are that way.” The guard said pointing left. Echo and IQ take off at a mad dash for the holding caverns, coming back minutes later with an extremely smelly, filthy furred creature. The humans try not to grab for their noses but the smell is nearly overwhelming.

“You have my word.” Kul’sin looks around at his people. “Let it be known throughout the community that these beings are our friends and that they are Never to be harmed.”

As the IQ's explain about the chocolate, the knowledge and their decision, the Scoobs are soon back at the cave entrance. The sun is shining brightly making them shade their eyes for a short time. The ground is dry again and the traveling looks good.

“He says,” Rae chuckles also, shaking her head. “Four get out a that writing pad and copy this. He also says that the moon is out of the full phase and he’ll be changing back soon.”

high spirits as they set off down the road towards their destination. But, was their trip complete? Were they going home? Or, were there other adventures still in store for them before they were released?

As Rae leads the group down the mountains, she reflects on the events that had taken place within. *Victory to the Righteous? Am I righteous now? When the FRELL did that happen?* Smiling, she leads the Scoobs into a wooded pass. "We're almost to the foothills."

"No." Rae shakes her head and picks up a handful of the dusty dirt under her feet. She releases it into the wind, and the Scoobs watch as it hits the invisible wall before sliding to the ground. "Yeah, I thought so."

"Must be. Odd place to have a force-field unless SOMETHING's inside." Rae frowns. "Ghost, would you mind? I'd like to see if the inside looks from the inside like it looks from the outside."

Once the scoobs had entered the force field, they found that what they had seen was actually a projection. The force field had been protecting a beautiful orchard filled with large apple trees. At the center of the orchard was a large manor. The scoobs walked towards the old manor. In front of the old house, was an old man. In his right hand was an old cane, in his left was a rake. He was puting leaves into a pile when he heard the scoobs coming.

The scoobs accepted the invitation. A short while later they were all inside, sitting around the old man's large table eating dinner. One by one the scoobs took turns telling the old man all the things that had happened to them so far. When they reached the part about the haunted tower the old man grimaced, and excused himself from the table.

Suddenly a soft breeze blows through the room, and just as suddenly each item that the Scoobs took from the tower flashes. Jila feels a hot spot on her forehead directly under the moonstone of the circlet she's been wearing since the Scoobs left the tower. She reaches up quickly to remove the circlet but stops when she realizes that the spot on her forehead is only warm now. Looking around to see what everyone else was doing Jila sees that some of the group are slumped over in their chairs.

"M-mother?" Sir Daniel asks the voice, choking back a sob. What would his father think of all these emotions running rampant in his heart. "Father?" He looks at the one called Seven who sits so very straight in his chair.

Taking his chair again, Sir Daniel listens intently as the spirits of his family fill him in on the events that took place after the duel, Lady Laurel's suicide, and Sir Daniel's hasty departure. During this, the Scoobs not affected motion to each other that they should probably leave the room and give Sir Daniel some privacy.

"No, please, stay." Sir Daniel says to the Scoobs who are trying their best to sneak out of the room. "It's hard enough to face them this way, I don't think I could do it alone."

Turning back toward their seats the Scoobs hear the sounds of quiet crying. To their complete surprise it is Rae! But she is not herself at this moment, she is the Lady Raven who has just figured out after all these years that she fell in love with Sir Daniel at first sight and was heartsick for years after he left. Chryse and Mouse, remembering the roles as Lady Raven's sisters, go to her and try to comfort her.

"My Lady." Sir Daniel says walking over to Rae's chair. Mouse moves over to the other side of the chair with Chryse to give Sir Daniel a place beside Rae. "Please, I beg you, forgive me." He says as he kneels beside Rae, bowing his head.

Lady Raven stares at Daniel through Rae's eyes. "This all lies on our heads and our hearts, my love." she whispers to Daniel. "Our thoughtlessness and our rashness... Both of our fathers paid the price for us."

"We should have known." Lady Raven says softly. "Frell that!" Rae bursts out, reclaiming her body with a start. "Daniel, this was not your fault, not Lady Raven's fault, not even the fathers' fault really."

"Magic." Rae suggests. "Or technology. Pick one, and I'll find a way: this much I owe your Lady Raven, and this much she owes you." She looks up at the Scoobs, still crying. "Guys, this is something we need to do. Do you agree?"

"If we go back in time and change everything, then we won't be able to have the adventure in the tower, and we won't find out about those poor people, (because they won't be sad anymore) and we won't even want to go back in time. And then those stupid time paradoxes come into play and I don't know where we'll be."

"We could combine magic and technology to make sure that the then-we have the adventure in the tower and that the now-we go back in time and make sure that the family is ok."

Rae assures her. "Temporal mechanics was one of my best subjects as a kid. A simple Spatio-Temporal distortion field will ameliorate the paradox effect nicely, I think, and we can meddle with relative impunity."

"No, really, it's simple. If we create a Spatio-Temporal distortion, essentially a bubble in the fabric of space-time, we'll be unaffected by subsequent changes to the fabric. It's do-able."

but, still very emotional, Kay agreed that if it would help, they should deffinately go back. Looking at Jila and IQ and the others, she shook her head. They were in for either an emotional time, or a dangerous time. But, that never stopped them before. If something could be helped. They had to do it.

Jila says coming back to her place at the table. "Isn't this Spatio-Temporal thing what you keep lecturing Four and Seven about? If it is, should We be messing around with it to this kind of extent? Also, Sir Daniel isn't going to be able to come back with us, is he? Two Sir Daniels in the same time..... wouldn't that cause a Major paradox?"

mess around with it, Jila!" Rae tells her, grinning. "It's not entirely the same thing I've been lecturing the IQ's about at all! The distortion field will minimize the effects of our tampering. The guys never even USE one!"

"Yeah, and give you ideas? I think not." Rae returns her attention to Jila. "This is about righting wrongs, Jila, it's not about exploration or experimentation... Do you believe in a higher power?"

"Maybe we were brought to that tower specifically to find out about the curse and to break it. Think about it: Echo said that lots of travelers stayed at the tower all the time, yet WE were the ones affected by the curse. Not, I think, coincidence. Consider it..."

"Please try, life has been hard with this hanging over my head. It was partially my fault that it happened, " says Sir Daniel. "My most fervent wish was to somehow do it over again and correct things, make sure that no one died...."

"I do." Rae unshoulders her pack and up-ends it onto the ground. "Wish Spyral were here. He's always got useful drenn in that wing of his. As it is, we're going to have to make do." As Rae speaks, miscellaneous objects continue pouring from her pack and, in fact, continue to do so for several more minutes.

"What?" Rae asks, shaking a few final things out of her pack. A pulse-pistol and a comm badge clatter onto the top of a pile only slightly smaller than Rae herself. "That's where you guys went!" she exclaims cheerfully, holstering the side-arm. "IQ's, help me out here." Rae orders, wading through the pile.

Rae and the IQs sorted through the amazing pile of electoinic gadgets. Frequently, one of the IQs would become sidetracked by a particurlarly interesting technological doodad but Rae, single minded as always, would quickly bring him back into line. They sorted the equipment into two piles, the stuff they planned to use to construct their time machine and the stuff they didn't.

Kara sighed. Rae only snapped this way when she was worried. This was not going to be as simple as Rae made out it would be. Kara looked at the others, chatting amongst themselves, oblivious to what was going on. Kara decided not to enlighten them.

Obediently the IQs put the part down and went over to where Rae began explaining how to put various parts together while she modified others. Kara picked up the part to examine it but, as Rae glanced toward her, she stuck it quickly in her pocket. Then, as Mouse destracted her by asking her a question and involving her in the conversation, Kara forgot it was there...

as she set to work dis-assembling the electronic devices in the 'useful' pile. Kara had no way of knowing that Sixth had thrown the signal-booster out after it had burnt three diodes, and Rae didn't bother to enlighten her to the fact that Sebacians were some of the universe's worst pack-rats. 'You never know when it might come in handy' as the saying goes, were words to live by for people like Rae.

She caught herself wishing that Sixth had thrown out some of those truly impressive weapons of hers as well, not only for thier military potential, but also because the amount of information stored in one of those little auto-transform number was close to a tera-byte. She'd always wanted a computer made completely out of weapon components.

"If you do it like that, you'll burn out the cell." Rae informed IQ #7 as he tried to pull apart a comm. She handed him a small tool that looked like a very fine bit of wire. "Just slide that under the catch and pull."

Rae ignored him. "So all of our electronics are built to resist disassembly except by someone who knows the tricks of the trade." Rae reaches into a pocket and pulls out a small role of electronics tools. "If in doubt, ask. Some of this drenn is truly expensive. I don't feel like spending a year's salary on a new gamma transmitter. Understand?"

"Don't ask questions." Rae liberates the small pill-box sized piece of equipment from IQ #4 and carefully opens it. She pulls out a small chip and puts it into the 'useful' parts pile. "Gods, but salvaging all this drenn when we're done is going to take me years..." she sighs. "Hand me the phase inductor, #7. No, the PHASE INDUCTOR..."

"Simple, I'll come back in time and get you guys once I've put it together and we can go back in time. Let's see... the me from the future should be getting here in 3... 2... 1..."

"Well, I guess that's one way of handling it... Or have you guys just been watching Bill & Ted again?" Rae shakes her head again and rapidly packs up everything the IQ's won't need. She hands Raegun to IQ #4. "Gunny can walk you through anything you aren't clear on. He'll also make sure you don't frell up any of my equipment."

"Better than creating a paradox. We're realtively safe from the effect by virtue of not existing in the time we plan to visit. You DO exist there, and here, so bringing you back would be a mistake."

"He'll cease to be." Rae says simply. "At least... THIS sir Daniel will cease to be. Another, happier man will go on in his place. Daniel, my love, is this agreeable?"

"Great." Rae hugs him and plants a quick kiss on his forehead. "Let's go, guys." She turns and climbs on the bus, then hesitates. "Who will come and who will stay, my companions? It's not to late to stand down from this venture, and no one will think the less of you for it."

"If we leave someone in the present and then change the future, what will happen to them? This is, after all, Sir Daniel's mannor house. If Sir Daniel has a different future and never comes here the house might cease to exist. We would obviously never come to a house that didn't exist so we wouldn't know where everybody was. We might never find everybody again."

the bus would blink them very close to Sir Daniel's home. But in the past. As the Scoobs sat down waiting to transport, Kay said, "Wait guys. We can't go marching in there looking like this. We have to be dressed properly. Do we still have enough of the time period clothes to go around? No one will trust us or listen to us if we don't look like them."

Kay looks around the bus, seven females including herself. Of course 'ghost wouldn't need appropriate clothing and couldn't wear it even if she had it. Or maybe she could but it might look a bit odd. She was sure that 'ghost would either stay invisible or transform her own ghostly clothing to something suitable. 'Ghost Could when needed to a pretty good imitation of being "alive".

"You're right Rae." Jila agrees. "We're going to need skirts, slips, and pettycoats <chuckle>. What if, once we get there, you and Mouse slip into the clothes that you brought, and then see if you can find a place to buy something for the rest of us."

"hmmm," Rae wrinkles her nose at the thought of shopping for frilly clothes (even though her bathroom was full of the stuff. Remember? kitten found it. lol!) "Kay, those clothes I brought fit you. Why don't you go with Mouse and pick some stuff up for us."

Rae says, stretching out on one of the bus seats and rifling through her bag for something. "We dog them, twenty-four/seven, until the wedding. No disgrace, no duel."

at the havock they could possibly create as servants, Kay said, "I know enough about teaching to pass as a governess. Are any of them young enough to still be learning? If not, then, how about a lady in waiting? Is that what it is called?" Then she grinned at Mouse. Shopping. No matter what time period, shopping was fun!

"... I don't have to be a chamber maid or scullery wench. I absolutely refuse to do that." says Chryse. "But, I'll try to get hired as a bard first. They will surely need entertainment for the wedding. I don't think you guys'll need to get me clothes for that." She says to Kay and Mouse.