caycep: (I'm listening)
CayceP ([personal profile] caycep) wrote in [community profile] dizzy_land2008-09-26 03:19 pm

Down in space it's always 1982

((The return of Cayce and Quixote! Wide open RP. If you haven't already, catch up with the adventures of Quixote, Setsuna, Cayce, and Adam here.))

At some point after Pirate Day, an announcement came on over the park PA system.

"Hi everyone. This is Cayce Pollard. I'd like everyone to come to a meeting tonight to discuss a new discovery that's been made about the park. The meeting's in the Honey I Shrunk the Audience auditorium, at sundown. This is pretty important, so please be there if you can."

That evening ...

When Cayce felt a critical mass of audience had been achieved, she stood up, cleared her throat, and began.

"Hi everyone, and thanks for coming. For those of you who don't know him, this is Don Quixote de la Mancha, a ... a true knight and the person we have to thank for this latest discovery. In a moment, I'll let the Don tell his tale in his own words if he wishes, but for now I'll get straight to the point, since I'm sure that's what you're all dying to hear.

"Point is this: Don Quixote and Setsuna Mudou have discovered a complex of passages beneath the park, leading to a door. The door's heavily barred and all our attempts to open it—including asking politely—have met with absolutely no success whatsoever. Any contact with the door—knocking, hitting it, trying to pry off a bar, leaning on it—gets met with the 'please keep your arms and hands inside the ride' announcement that some of you may be familiar with from when people try to walk out the gates, or when ... things happen."

Cayce waited for the reactions to settle down a bit before continuing. "I've called everyone here first to tell about the discovery, and second to find volunteers to look at the door. We really need scientists and magicians." Yep, it still felt weird, saying that. "Whatever's got that door barred probably won't open to anything but sufficiently advanced science. Or magic. Insofar as there's a difference, anyway." Anyone get the Clarke's Law reference?

"So, um, there you have it. Floor's open for questions or discussion. Oh! Before that—Don Quixote, is there anything else that you would like to add?"

***

After the various discussions had settled out somewhat, Cayce finally cleared her throat.

"Okay, so here's the plan. Tomorrow at midday, anyone who wants to join the underground expedition should meet at the statue. It sounds like the time dilation or whatever it is makes time pass more slowly belowground than up here, so I think Adam and Setsuna will be fine. We should take the time to get ready with whatever we'll need to bring with us." Plus, of course, it was Adam. Of course they'd be fine. "Then, once we're at the door and ready to proceed, the—the Master will send a signal to the Doctor, who'll lead the distruption. Anyone has any other questions, find me. Thanks, everybody."

((And there will be a fresh post for the expedition when my life is a little more normal.))

[identity profile] iron-and-latin.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 05:06 am (UTC)(link)
Sam raised his hand from where he was sitting two chairs away from Starbuck. He looked vaguely nervous (due partially to some still unresolved issues with Kara and more to the presence of the Master in the back) but his voice was enthusiastic.

"I offer to rain down hell once you're ready," he said. "Walking out, or blowing something up, or just straight-up vandalism. Whatever's needed."

[identity profile] una-harlequin.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 05:08 am (UTC)(link)
Una flashed a quick smile in Sam's direction. "I've got some grenades," she said cheerfully.

[identity profile] iron-and-latin.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 05:11 am (UTC)(link)
Sam grinned back. "Sweet. Concussion or frags?"

[identity profile] una-harlequin.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 05:15 am (UTC)(link)
"F1 fragmentation grenades (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F1_grenade)," she said. "Not many, but it should be more than adequate for our purposes."

[identity profile] redo-fromstart.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 05:26 am (UTC)(link)
Ponder sensed that efforts seemed to be combined against him, and as much as he liked experimenting with the universe, he wasn't about to blow anything up, "Excuse me, but if anyone has an idea how magic might be able to fix this, it's certainly me. If you want to use an explosive, the point that was earlier made surely shows that it would be pointless, because the park does repair itself. That door, if clearly unopenable by all the forces orginally mentioned, must be sealed by magic, and therefore, must only be unlockable by magic. If nothing else, if I can't undo it, I certainly might be able to get inside of the magic of the park a little further and understand it a little better, which might just help us get out of here a little faster."

Ponder breathed in indignantly, but decided he wasn't really finished, either, "And for your information, sorry, I missed your name, but the man who made some innuendo about wand polishing, I am perfectly capable of judging what magic might be a applicable and how to apply it. I am a qualified wizard of the Unseen University, who specialises in the fabric of universes, so if you want me to go and 'polish my wand'" which, by the way, was a staff, and definately did not have a knob on the end, "I suggest you learn a little about magic before debunking it. I do not pour scorn upon your scientific methods, even if they may include explosions."

It was mainly in answer to The Master, and Ponder didn't often get angry, but if he sensed magic being insulted by anyone who wasn't a wizard, it annoyed him a little, especially if it involved people thinking they were better than him.

[identity profile] iron-and-latin.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 05:28 am (UTC)(link)
"Jesus, limonkas?" He raised his hand in a sort of long-distance fist bump. "I am so there."

[identity profile] late-born-myth.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 05:39 am (UTC)(link)
Psyche stood, from the middle row where she'd been standing, and said in a soft voice that nonetheless carried rather well:

"Have you all thought much what the consequences might be to opening that door? Aside, I mean, from traps.

"In my experience, forbidden things tend to be forbidden for a reason. You might consider whether the park security, however annoying it might be, has ever acted to harm you.

"And assuming that it does lead to a way out. And even assuming that it's a way out you'd want to take, and not a way to someplace a great deal worse. I have...a very great desire to return home. But are you all willing to take the chance of making that choice for others here who might not have that desire?"

[identity profile] hear-the-drums.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 05:50 am (UTC)(link)
"And I am a qualified Time Lord of Galifrey," the Master snapped, completely ignoring Cayce "with higher degrees in Cosmic Science, Temporal Engineering and Multi-Dimensional Astrophysics, who is in no way interested in your piddling degree. My people are older than yours, undoubtedly more learned than yours, and guardians of the Universe at large. Surely no one has any interest in you waving your qualifications about in some sorry attempt to give retort to a flat out insult. My name, upon receiving my degree, was changed to the Master, which I should point out I have no reason to inform you of, as you have offered no name in return."

The fact that this was not the time to be getting into this sort of pissing contest had apparently not occurred to the Master at all. He was at least sure that the Rani would side with him if things got ugly.
Edited 2008-09-27 05:51 (UTC)

[identity profile] a-lonely-god.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 05:55 am (UTC)(link)
"Which is all rather beside the point," the Doctor added, faux-smoothly through slightly clenched teeth. "We've already decided that we're all going to go down and look at the thing, so if it's magic, Mr. Ponder will take charge. If not, then Master, you can finally turn your destructive tendencies to good use. Doesn't matter who's degrees are in what just yet."

[identity profile] iron-and-latin.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 05:57 am (UTC)(link)
"The grenades are for the distractions," Sam assured Cayce, over the noise of Time Lords and Wizards comparing penis sizes. "I'm sure these guys don't need any more help with the door."

[identity profile] late-born-myth.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 05:59 am (UTC)(link)
"I didn't mean to reproach you, Cayce," Psyche said, smiling gently, speaking musically. "We're all excited. So many of us are, for lack of a better word, the heroes of our own stories, that we can't help wanting to do something if that's now, at last, a possiblity."

"But I would remind you that there are people here, or were, who were dead in their own worlds."

[identity profile] a-lonely-god.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 06:33 am (UTC)(link)
"It doesn't," the Doctor said suddenly, and his voice was gentler than most people in that room had ever heard it. "We don't have a choice. We stall, we wait and hash it out and discuss and discuss until our faces turn blue and we still won't have an answer. And in the meantime, that door could be moved. It could disappear. This place could be fortified a million times over in the time it took us to come to the right... the 'fair' decision."

He folded his arms over his chest.

"And if we loose this chance to do something, we may find the park changes for the worse tomorrow. The "no-killing" rule could be revoked, the food could stop replenishing; we don't know anything and that means we have to do this. Whatever the outcome." His glance in the Master's direction jsut then was rather too obvious. "Whatever the risks."
markoftherani: (Ushas)

[personal profile] markoftherani 2008-09-27 06:37 am (UTC)(link)
The Rani raised an eyebrow. There was an expression on her face that very nearly looked like respect. –little Theta grew up and learned pragmatism, imagine–

[identity profile] hear-the-drums.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 06:42 am (UTC)(link)
The Master, on the other hand, turned his gaze slowly on the Doctor. He didn't look respectful in the least.

He did look like a dim light had gone off somewhere. But he seemed content to keep it to himself.

And his eyes went just a little harder.

[identity profile] a-lonely-god.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 06:45 am (UTC)(link)
The Doctor may have been aware of the Master's glance, but he certainly appeared to be avoiding it with all his might, his own gaze now perfectly fixed on Cayce's face.
Edited 2008-09-27 06:46 (UTC)

[identity profile] una-harlequin.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 06:46 am (UTC)(link)
"Спасибо," she answered with a grin, and raised her hand in salute.

[identity profile] late-born-myth.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 06:52 am (UTC)(link)
"Well then," said Psyche, and there was a lift to her chin, an unholy and reckless glint to her eyes that her mother-in-law would have recognized. And loathed. "Then it seems to me the question of disjointed time needs an answer. How can we know if the distraction is taking place at the same time as we investigate?

"What would be the temporal equivalent to Ariadne's thread?"

[identity profile] hear-the-drums.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 07:04 am (UTC)(link)
The Master blinked and rolled his eyes a the same time.

"We do. Unfortunately."

[identity profile] a-lonely-god.livejournal.com 2008-09-27 07:15 am (UTC)(link)
"Really," the Doctor agreed. "The Master and I could establish a connection like that pretty easily." He glanced at Sam and Una. "This mean I'm paired with the rabble rousers, then?"

Of course, what he was really asking was whether the Master and Ponder could possibly hang out down in a tunnel with Ponder for any length of time and still have everyone get something accomplished. Especially because he was sure the Rani'd be down there as well.

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