Tempus Fugitive Pt 2
March 30, 1999
Plot by Jen Kokoski

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Setting

The 25th century Earth Federation, Earth's first interstellar government, is falling fast into decline due to overexpansion and a failure of it's communication and transportation systems. The fastest cruisers and freighters take between 2 months to 3 years to travel between star systems on the outer reaches of the galaxy. Colony worlds are rebelling and causing unrest in the mighty Earth Federation. Amidst this, the tiny rose-colored world of Venusia Colony is nestled in a star cluster between Andromeda and Earth. It's considered a gateway spaceport where Interstellar freighters and cruisers stop in for refeuling and R & R during the several month to several year journey between systems. Venusia is a barren hostile planet protected only by a self contained spaceport run by a small population calling themselves Arcadians. They are descendents of New Orleans inhabitants who hold unique festival half the solar cycle when the gold planet is in equinox. The celebration, St. Ferris Day is a combination of old Mardi Gras and remembrances of the defeat of the Cyber army.

Cast

The Doctor - (DRTUNA) - A wandering Timelord in his 10th Persona

Irish - (Irish TCat) - a green cat, the son of Trouble and protege of the TARDIS, he can morph and communicate both telepathically and by speech.

Jacie Hunter - (Jen) - 16-17 year old humanoid with short red hair, freckles and a survivalist attitude. She's a Space Time Gypsy (STiG) used to hopping the timelines with her ne'er-do'well uncle. Wears active attire or body suits, pirate-like shirts and always carries a leather drawstring pouch around her belt. In her pouch, she carries a variety of lock picking tools, herbal medicines or gas pellets and other things. She's an accomplished pickpocket who's only interest is in acquiring the time crystals needed to power her STiG time bracelet.

Nico Lazarus - middle-aged Space-Time Gypsy with colorful tongue (think Figaro) and a unique morality. He left the caravan with his niece after the great massacre and the others began following the White Phoenix. He prefers his independence and surviving on his wits. The only thing he cares for outside himself is Jacie, but he's not necessarily a good influence on her.

Sabalom Glitz - Intergalactic con man and smuggler known to the Doctor. He's frequented the Time Trap among other places and has a keen ear for time secrets.

Professor Yuri Vladimir - (David) middle-aged inventor of the famed "Glitter Gun" that saved the Earth Federation from Cybermen forces during the Cyberwars. He's recently turned his ingenious skills on a way of recamping the old Travelmate system for instantaneous interstellar transport. He only needs one more element. He's also a friend of the Doctor, one who may have received a few configuring tips from the timelord during a crucial time in Earth history.

Security Consult Maximus Brody - head of security on the spaceport Venusia. He's a glorified clerk demoted, some say, for a diplomatic error in the space corp. He is related to some high ups in the government but is considered the blacksheep of the family. He's looking for a way to resurrect his reputation and prove his worth to the Federation.

BEGINNING

BRODY IN THE LAB (The Doctor, Irish, Prof. Vladimir, Glitz, Maximus Brody)

The Doctor confers with his friends about his recent theft. As Irish explains sniffing "temporal flux" on the red-haired cyberdemon he saw picking the Doc's pocket Brody makes a surprise entry. The Security Consult interrogates, paying special attention to the terms "temporal flux". The Doctor stops Irish from explaining the term as he senses something sinister about Brody's curiosity. The two face off briefly. The Doctor dismisses the theft as a mistake, he just left some things, age makes him forget things. Brody turns his curiosity on the Doctor's identity and sudden arrival. Prof. Vladimir jumps in to vouch for the Doctor. The Prof. knows him as a traveling scientist, not from any one university or institution, who helped him perfect the "glitter gun". Brody is marginally satisfied and asks how the experiment is going. To which Glitz proudly announces it's busted. The Professor, on the defensive, explains it was a minor problem, a short in the power system. Brody then suggests the Doctor help fix it; the Federation is depending on it as are they all. The Doctor agrees and directs Glitz and Irish come with him to retrieve some of his equipment from the TARDIS. Before Brody can argue, the travelers depart.

NOW WHAT? (Jacie, Nico)

Jacie surveys the items she stole from the Doctor while Nico frets. To make matters worse, she activates the Stattenheim Device and a blue police box remats in the corridor. Nico recognizes it immediately as that "Dudley Doright Doctor's" TARDIS. Jacie doesn't remember until her uncle reminds her of the legend of the renegade timelord. She suggests they find what they need in the TARDIS then; she has the key. Nico dismisses the idea and fusses when he realizes he's lost his time bracelet. Quickly they discern it came off in the struggle with the Security goon. Jacie's starts back but her uncle stops her. Nico orders her to stay put. He doesn't want her anywhere near Brody. Something about the man bothers him. He'll get the bracelet and then they'll go after the pirate's crystals. Before she can argue, Nico departs.

MIDDLE

SEARCHING THE CONCOURSE (The Doctor, Irish, Glitz)

Outside the lab, Irish and Glitz trail the Doctor railing against him for giving Brody that fishtail. Irish wants to sniff out the cyberdemon (and may pick up her trail), but the Doctor expresses more concern over Brody. His memory says he knows the man but he can't remember from where. Then Glitz notices some guards following them. Brody is suspicious, and eager to get that ET thing working, Glitz adds. That reminds the Doctor of Glitz's coincidental arrival. He asks what he was delivering to the Professor. Glitz tries to fob off answering, but finally gets cornered into admitting it was just some crystals he won in the Time Trap. That floors the Doctor. Glitz wasn't supposed to be in a time traveler's bar. Glitz just says he gets around and likes the place for the card games the bartender runs in the back room. Irish has Jacie's trail and interrupts the conversation to encourage the Doctor to follow it. Glitz offers to distract Brody's guards and disappears into the crowd before he has to answer anymore questions.

GYPSY AND THE TARDIS (Jacie)

Left in the side corridor with the TARDIS, Jacie fumes a moment then turns her curiosity loose. She inspects the blue box, noting the scratches and dents. Then she tries to open the door with the key. The TARDIS, sensing an illegal use of a bioaligned key, activates its defense systems. Strange force fields and local spacial effects deter Jacie from getting in. Assuming the key is stuck in the lock, she tries picking it out with her tools and the sonic screwdriver. With each sonic pulse, the key loosens until the HADS demats and remats the TARDIS across the corridor. Jacie follows more curious than ever.

GYPSY IN THE LAB (S.C. Brody, Prof Vladimir, Nico)

In the Doctor's absence, Brody questions Vladimir more thoroughly about the man and the experiment. Vladimir distractedly answers as he picks through the power system of the ET much more concerned about why it malfunctioned. Brody suggests the crystals weren't the right ones. (How he knows they are crystals he was expecting is unknown.) The Professor finds the crystals are now dull and unfaceted. They're too unrefined to sustain a steady power flow unaided. He needs to configure some sort of damper system to regulate the power. Brody offers the time bracelet he took from Nico suggesting the Professor may find the parts he needs there. The device fascinates and totally stumps Vladimir. It has strange microcircuitry and a crystalline power core. Just then, the guards check in carting Nico. They're tracking the pirate but the Professor's friend headed toward guest corridors. They caught Nico lurking about. Nico demands his bracelet back exciting the Professor at the prospect of meeting the owner of the device. Vladimir asks if he knows how it works. Nico boasts children of 5 know how to sauter a temporal regulator. Brody instructs Nico to help the professor then. Nico refuses, but the SC threatens to have his red-haired female companion brought in for pickpocketing.

ENDING

AT THE TARDIS (The Doctor, Irish and Jacie)

The Doctor and Irish catch Jacie redhanded trying to break into the TARDIS. Irish threatens, but the Doctor is curious. He questions the girl, getting her name and asking why she picked his pockets. Jacie gives flippant answers, but when he starts asking how she got there she gets defensive. She claims she's a traveler, just a tourist sight seeing and surviving on her wits. Then the Doctor notices the bracelet she's wearing and identifies it as a time device. He guesses she's a STiG (space time gypsy) and lectures her about being in that time period. Travel before the 28th century is expressly forbidden by some time traveller's council edict (quote Chronotin Time Cop law). Jacie turns the accusation back on him; timelords aren't supposed to travel earlier either without a permit. The Doctor smiles in appreciation and suggests they are both renegades. Irish, anooyed they're getting chummy, returns Maker to the topic of his pilfered items. In cat, he threatens to bite Jacie. To his surprise, she retorts back indicating the universal translator in her bracelet and superior manners. Irish gets in a snappy reply and gets Jacie to hand over the Doctor's things. Turning serious, the timelord asks Jacie again why she's here. She only says her uncle was looking for a package he lost in a card game. The Doctor remembers Glitz's telling him he won crystals in the Time Trap. He gets a very bad feeling about things. Irish asks where her cohort uncle is. Just then, a pair of alarms sound: one on the Doctor's pocketwatch and the other on Jacie's time bracelet. A time rift is opening in the lab! The Doctor, with Irish and Jacie following, take off running.

IN THE LAB (Prof Vladimir, Nico, SC Brody)

Nico, blathering about this and that to stall for time, helps Professor Vladimir construct a temporal regulator device for the ET machine. Brody periodically interrupts to keep them on topic. The Professor is curious about Nico's training in electrical and temporal engineering. He didn't take him for a scientist. Nico balks at the term. The rom didn't waste time with science. They explore, or did before that White Witch showed up, he adds disgruntled. Brody dismisses the topic of the White Phoenix demanding the experiment be retried. For the Professor's benefit, Brody explains he's just as eager to help the Federation with this new prototype. Unable to delay longer, Nico finishes. The Professor activates the ET and this time it sustains a steady travel vortex. He claps his hands with glee. Meanwhile, Brody redials the instruments changing the projection of the vortex. Nico sees what he's doing and warns him to stop. It works on a fixed point and tampering with that will create a temporal rift. Brody holds Nico at bay with his gun insisting he knows exactly where the destination point is going. The vortex begins to fluctuate wildly but from an external point scaring the heck out of Vladimir. The Professor shrieks a warning as something begins to come through: glowing light bending rays of an invisible arm.

Next Week's Sim

Under Security Consult Brody's orders the Professor's Enhanced Travelmat has been activated on Venusia. Now a temporal rift has opened and some invisible entity is stepping out. Can the Doctor stop the experiment in time or become the first victim? Join us online Wednesday night to find out. To join the sim fill out our sign up form or e-mail group coordinator David.