Commander Dave Goldfish put the cup of coffee down and continued his report on the latest mission the Fringe had undertaken. They had just gone on a mission to find the new host of the their leader, Lord Darkside and had confronted him in typical style, by trashing a building and altering things slightly. What had altered was that Darkside's former host, Michael Savage - Lionna LeFevere's fomer beau - was alive and seperated from Darkside, and Dave had temporarily regained some of his avatarr powers. He had used them to restore Jo and himself to normal after Mephisto's attack on them, and consequently had them taken away by the cosmic forces of the universe. Things were now returning to normal and Dave smiled, knowing he shouldn't have written that and sure enough he was right. Jo's voice came across the comm system.
"Commander Goldfish to R&D, Commander Goldfish to R&D." As soon as he heard the announcement over the tannoy he left his penthouse office in C&C and took the lift to the basement levels of the C&C complex known as R&D. Waiting for him was Jo and the Head of Research and Development, Professor Jennifer Stone.
"Hey, sweetheart," he said to his wife. He turned to Professor Stone.
"What's so urgent that requires both the Chief of Staff and Chief of Operations?"
"Commander, we've done it."
"Done what?"
"Broken the barrier," said Jo. "Don't you read your memos? You remember
last year when we looked over the research about the idea that there are three realms, science magic and a combination of the two. You gave the go ahead to try and gain entrance to those worlds, remember?" Dave nodded. He remembered the idea but not giving the go ahead. "Well, R&D have decided that we are the combination world. The science is obvious and the magic refers to the powers that the planet's population are developing."
"And the barrier to these realms has been broken?"
"Exactly, sir," said the Professor. "We can travel to either of the two remaining realms. What we have also discovered is that the barrier also prevents the passage of time. Days may pass in the other world and we can return home the exact same instant we left it. It also works the other way round. We have sent various probes and they have all said the same thing. Also any damage done in that world is cured over here. Whether it works for
death though, we're not certain. To do that..."
"Someone would have to die," finished Dave. "Alright. How will being overthere affect us? Are they parallel universes, where events happen similar to ours?"
"No, sir. Their own history is completely different to our own, however there may be people we know here who exist differently there. It is also possible that there is no one similar over there at all. We haven't stayed there long enough."
"Well, Dave?" asked Jo. "Is this an operation for C&C?"
"It sounds like a cross between The Chronicles of Narnia, Stargate, and something else. However unlike those, this is real. We have a duty to see what's over there. It's a go."
"Thank you, sir," said the Professor. "Who'll be going on this mission?"
"That's up to Jo. She's Chief of Staff."
"Me and you, darling."
"Interesting call. What do we need to know?"
"Well," said the Professor, "the main thing you need to know is how to return home. We can keep the portal generator open at this side indefinitely, thanks to some adaptation of the stasis tubes and their bimolecular degeneration process, which converts the electricity into..."
"I just want to know how to get back," said Dave.
"Aye, sir. All you have to do is activate the red button on your control gauntlet. It'll open a portal in any vicinity. However when or if we return you, or anyone else to the realm, it will be at the same point you left it. When you get there you should appear in a safe zone. We have been testing it for some time now." She gave them both gauntlets to wear. "You can return individually. It's the gauntlets that decide where people open portals and so whoever uses wears the gauntlets appears where the gauntlets
were last in the other world. We have also perfected choosing which realm you can go to. The red button returns you home. The green button takes you to the realm of magic and the blue to the world of science. As you can see the red button is lit. This indicates where you are now."
"Seems simple enough. What if the gauntlets are damaged?" asked Dave.
"In theory that is impossible. The circuits are made of a diamond silicate coated in mixture of an adranium cloth - the adamantium/vibranium/steel alloy. To damage the circuits the cloth needs to be penetrated and the only thing that can cause that is a subatomic particle infuser which would have to be at it's highest setting. That in itself would destroy an area of two square miles. The gauntlets are quite safe."
"What if we lose them?" asked Jo.
"My only advice there is don't. No gauntlet - no return. It's as simple as that."
"So our own fate is in our own hands?"
"Literally."
"Right then," said Dave. "We'd best be off."
"Good luck," said the Professor. She stood back.
"Where to, Jo?" asked Dave.
"Magic," she said. They pressed the green buttons and the portals opened.
As they walked through they held each others hand tightly.
As they passed through the portal, they caught in a blinding light, which momentarily dazzled them both. When their vision cleared, they looked around at the new world. It was similar to their own, except for the sky.
"It's red," said Jo.
"Yes, curious isn't it?" said Dave. He felt the power in the air of this world, so much more tangible than in their own. He could feel his own powers being multiplied dramatically. It made him a little dizzy, so he sat down.
"What's wrong?" asked Jo.
"The power in this place is intoxicating. Can you feel it?"
"Yes, but my healing field must be counteracting the intoxication. Hold on a second." She reached out with her powers and surrounded him in the field.
He felt better instantly.
"Thanks, sweetheart."
"No problem. Where do we go now?"
"Nowhere just yet. I want to examine the area." He walked over to one of the trees and stared at it intently. "I wonder?" he mused.
"What?"
"Look at this tree. What do you notice about it?"
"Okay. It looks like a giant oak tree about 20 feet high. It's leaves are a golden colour, indicating that it could be autumn." Dave shook his head and pointed to the floor. "Summer flowers?" asked Jo. Dave nodded. "Hmm. That could mean the seasons are different here. Anyway back to the tree. It has a strange marking on it. It looks familiar though. If I didn't know better I'd swear it was the seal of the avatarr. That could mean many things but I believe that this tree is alive."
"Why?" asked Dave.
"Well, the way it's looking at us."
"I wondered when you'd notice me," said the tree. "Good Morning. My name is Dockleaf."
"It's a talking tree," said Dave. "I missed that when I examined it."
"Examined him, if you don't mind," said Dockleaf. "I only let people see me like this if I want to."
"Seems fair," said Jo.
"Now you two are trespassers on the Lord Avatarr's land. You're not from Staghorn or any of the other kingdoms of Stormm, as you don't know about the talking trees of the royal forest. Therefore you must come from someplace else. Until it is decided if you are friend or foe, you'll have to be taken prisoner."
"By who exactly?" said Dave. "You're just a tree."
"I might be. They aren't." Dockleaf indicated behind them. Dave turned round to see three guards.
"Come with us," they said in unison. Dave and Jo looked at each other.
"Let's dance," they said together and started at them. The guards were unprepared for this as it had been a long time since anyone had challenged them. Throughout the five lands they were known and feared. But not by these two. Dave struck first, felling one with a punch from the gauntlet. The guard fell back and hit his head and was out cold. The other two looked at Dave.
"Get him!" they said to each other and one threw a net over Dave.
"A net? How is a net gonna stop me?" he said as it fell on him. He collapsed instantly. "That's a good trick," he mumbled before he passe dout.
"Dave!" cried Jo and tried to get to him. The guards blocked her path.
"And where do you think you're going?" said one. Jo didn't reply. She stared at them and they disappeared in a blinding light, and reappeared in the top of Dockleaf.
"Oh, bravo!" said Dockleaf. "Well, executed, my dear."
"Shut up," she said and went to free Dave.
"Don't touch the net!" called Dockleaf, but Jo ignored him. She touched the net and then felt all her strength disappear. The net was draining her energy but she could not let go. As she blacked out she heard Dockleaf saying "Well, I did warn you..."
When she awoke she looked about to see her and Dave in a cell, chained to opposite walls, in a star fish state.
"D?" she asked.
"I'm okay. I woke up before they could take the gauntlets off us. I've bonded them to our skins. The only thing I could do."
"Can you undo it?"
"Yes, no problem. However in here my powers aren't working and I can't reach the buttons on the gauntlets."
"Let me try," she said and tried to teleport, but to no avail. "What do we do now?"
"We wait. It's the only option we have at the moment." They heard footsteps outside the cell. Dave nodded to Jo and they both fell silent.
The door opened and in walked four guards. They unchained them from the
walls and marched them out of the cell, saying nothing as they did so.
:::Dave::: said Jo's voice in his mind. She nodded at the success of the test. :::At least our link is still active:::
:::Good, at least we can speak to one another::: Dave sent back to her.
The guards led them in to a large room with a solitary chair in the middle of it, not unlike the state room in C&C except that it had more furniture.
:::That reminds me::: said Dave :::We have to invite some of our friends, over one of these days. I'm always down the bar and I've never really invited them over to our place:::
:::Dave, we do have more pressing concerns at the moment:::
:::Of course. Sorry. Hello, what's going on here?::: he thought back at
her. The doors to the room opened and a majestic fanfare entered the room.
"All hail the Lord Avatarr of Stormm, Lord David De Winter of Staghorn!" came the announcement and the whole room got on their knees. When Dave and Jo did not move the guards pulled them down and in walked an individual wearing what appeared to be a leather outfit, complete with a cape. Around his neck he wore a medallion with the seal of the avatarr. He made his way to the chair in the centre of the room and sat down.
"Who are these?" he demanded.
"Answer him," said one of the guards, shoving Dave in the back with his sword.
"I am Commander David Goldfish, Chief of Operations at C&C. My companion is my wife, Lady Josephine Geneva, Chief of Staff at C&C. We are travellers."
"Where is this C&C?" asked the Lord Avatarr. "I know of all the locations on Stormm, and this `C&C' is somewhere I have not heard of. I am the Lord Avatarr. Do you know what that means?"
"No," said Dave truthfully, hoping it would not get him killed.
"What!" cried the Lord Avatarr. "I am the highest powered sorcerer on Stormm and you have not heard of me?"
:::So they call this planet Stormm, as we call ours Earth. Interesting::: thought Jo.
:::Isn't it just?:::
"You can do mind speak?" asked the Lord Avatarr.
:::Uh-oh::: thought Dave and Jo.
"Only members of the Five can do the mind speak. You are not one of the Five." He turned to the guards. "I thought I said their powers were to be cancelled out?"
"Forgive me, My Lord. We cannot cancel out mind speak. Only the Five can do that."
"Yes, of course." He looked at the two prisoners in front of him. He looked at them closely. "I swear I know you from somewhere." He thought about them. "Have them taken to the Gathering. I will contact the remaining Four and we shall decided what to do with them. At the Gathering, have them tested. No being on this planet is without some trace elements of magic. I want to know what magics these two possess."
"My Lord," said one of the guards. "The female has a teleportational power."
"Aah," said Lord de Winter. "Then I shall instruct the Gathering to close off the outside world to all but the Five. Even she will not be able to teleport out of there."
"I wouldn't bet on it," said Jo.
"We shall see," said Lord de Winter. "We shall see. Take them away." The guards marched Dave and Jo out of the room and forced them in to the nets that were waiting.
"Not again," said Dave as he sank to the floor.
"I think we have a problem," said Jo as she too collapsed.
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