usually not here

[onceandforall]

Bella's on her way to kill a witch.

It usually hits Port Angeles, inspires arson, and then if allowed spins off a familiar that does the same in Forks. She's tracked it back far enough that she can reliably head it off before it makes that fellow set that apartment building on fire as long as she hops in the car without doing her hospital exit paperwork. If she's lucky, this time she's early enough to nab it before it lights up the bakery, too.

...The fuck is that? It's not usually there.

Comments

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"That" looks like nothing more than a vaguely cargo ship-shaped lump of burned dark spaceship straight out of a sci-fi novel, about the size of one of Forks's school buildings, sporting several large holes and a person (he looks human, but that's not necessarily reliable information) on its roof, carrying some kind of tool.

[onceandforall]

It is not usually there. She usually comes through here later, yes, but that thing would leave a fucking mark.

She stops the car. Refining her speedrun so she knows what to do with this month when she can get off the ride just took a backseat to figuring out what the deal is.

"Do you speak English?!" she calls up to him.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

He responds by yelling something unintelligible, makes a 'wait' motion, and is back twenty seconds later carrying a different gadget. He says something in the strange language, and the gadget says, "Have natural language processing computer, not ideal close enough."

[onceandforall]

"Okay, good, that's something. Where are you from?"

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"Distant dimension, name [unintelligible]. Where is this place? Dimensional navigation has unprecedented malfunction."

[onceandforall]

"This is the planet Earth. I don't think the dimension has an official name. Why are you traveling between dimensions?"

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"Seeking profit. Trade between [,,,,] and [////] very good each has resources the other lack. Also, I do not like large communities."

[onceandforall]

"So you were headed somewhere else?"

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"Yes. Unfortunately, dimensional paths rearranged during dimensional transfer. System can usually account for new path if navigation requirements change before or after, but chance of rearrangement at exact instant of transfer was deemed insignificant. After malfunction, I emerged directly above this planet and immediately crashed. Does this planet sell [dimensional drive fuel]? Ship can be restored, but my supply of [dimensional drive fuel] was destroyed."

[onceandforall]

"That's getting glossed as 'dimensional drive fuel'. I don't know if we have the substance by some other name, but we don't have dimensional drives, at least not on this planet."

[rockeye_stonetoe]

He attempts to describe the substance, but it's like nothing she has ever heard of.

[onceandforall]

"Doesn't sound familiar." Pause. "And you may have a time limit."

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"I can construct a scanner for [D-fuel]. It will take one hour. Please describe the time limit. Celestial objects in danger of collision?"

[onceandforall]

"The world's gonna end in a month, maybe sooner, and you shouldn't be here when it does."

[rockeye_stonetoe]

He looks surprised and alarmed.

After a few seconds, "Method of prediction? Proof?"

[onceandforall]

"I don't have any proof handy that I want to hand a complete stranger."

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"Then why say anything? I know this is a strange world. Most dimensions have new rules, but you are also a stranger to me. You may be issuing a friendly warning or you may be deceiving me in some way. I do not know, and warnings of the end of the world stated in absolute certainty are very dire. Might we trade information and gain trust?"

[onceandforall]

"I have no reason to deceive you about the end of the world," she says. "But I'm up for some information-trading if you've got anything worth having."

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"I wish to know how this dimension is different. If you are not lying about the end of the world, I want to leave. Would schematics for computers, navigation systems, scanners and similar devices be acceptable information to trade? If not, what information do you want? I am hesitant to sell high-energy technology such as my sublight engines, dimensional drive, and weapons to a world that is not familiar with it. Unwise use would significantly damage planets."

[onceandforall]

"I can't use anything that's not smaller than about -" She holds up her hands in a circle shape about ten inches across. "In at least one dimension. Schematics are good. Tech is better. I'm concerned you won't believe me if I share my information, though."

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"I am more likely to believe conclusions derived from evidence, especially if I can verify the evidence in some way. My scanners are very powerful. I have a relatively generic scanner with attached computer - it will give you intuitive knowledge of the structure and location of objects within about [347 feet]. While this does require a mental link, the link is purely communicative in nature. It is smaller than the described size. Does this sound useful?"

[onceandforall]

"Yeah, I can't, like, show you, most of the stuff. But that sounds potentially useful."

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"If you want physical objects instead of information I would like some tangible trade. Are you able to reshape metals or capable of lifting heavy objects? If so, you could help repair my ship and I would pay you with the scanner. However, if you can't give me anything useful I should work on the D-fuel scanner instead of talking."

[onceandforall]

"I can lift heavy objects."

[rockeye_stonetoe]

He shows her what to lift. As she holds thick metal slabs in place around the outside of his ship, he uses some tool that produces no visible heat to seamlessly join them to the rest of the wreck. The work will take about forty-five minutes.