[peregaming] Bert exclaims, "Log on!"

[peregaming] GM says, "So, while you're waiting, feel free to offer suggestions."

[peregaming] GM says, "Or throw ideas around. Or ask provocative questions."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "For how we're going to save the other universe?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Among other things."

[peregaming] GM says, "You can think in terms of 'what questions do we need to find the answer to/what do we need to build/etc'"

[peregaming] GM,of course, has notes to fall back on, but likes giving people a little more freedom. There's more than one way.

[peregaming] Jack says, "One question we might want to look for an answer to is 'how can we go further back in time than Jack normally can'."

[peregaming] GM says, "Time travel is hard... time travel from one universe to another is even harder"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Possible answers might include: finding other people with similar powers to Jack's and synergizing with them, creating something to magnify Jack's powers, use Quellin's power amplification..."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Another question might be: how do we get into the other universe. Possible answers there might include finding whatever open door thing the Smiles guy mentioned, or tracing some innate universal frequency of the matter in Quellin's body, or summoning a power large enough to weaken the borders between universes (like, say, a Soulmonger)."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Ideally, we'd want to combine these two things, so that we don't travel to the universe after it's already been destroyed."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Of course, if we've got a device that strengthens the barriers between universes (which we used to keep out our mini-Soulmonger), maybe we can reverse it somehow to weaken barriers."

[peregaming] GM says, "These all sound dangerous (and fun!). Don't forget Remba's nifty little parting gift, the ASMR (which for the sake of Remba's moment of glory needs to play a role in the finale)"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Oh yeah! So IIRC, that's basically a weaponized version of the device that stabilized Quint and Brenda, which we're hoping can be used to 'stabilize' (i.e. weaken or disable) the Soulmonger, right?"

[peregaming] GM says, "In theory."

Roger has arrived.

[peregaming] GM says, "In practice, you might need a huge power source."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Was Quint's Cube among the things that were destroyed when the truck went over the cliff?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Yeah."

[peregaming] GM says, "You didn't know you needed to save a universe back then."

[peregaming] GM says, "Dramatic irony at its finest."

[peregaming] Jack says, "But, of course, we know where there's another one."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Or rather, where there *was* another one."

[peregaming] GM says, "Oh ho."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Of course, there was a shootout between the CIA, Ronin, Izzy and Quellin going on at the time, but surely that would be at most a minor inconvenience."

[peregaming] GM says, "Hehe."

[peregaming] GM says, "I should have known these sort of sheenanigans would happen when I allowed you to make a time-travelling herp ;-)"

[peregaming] GM says, "*hero"

[peregaming] Jack says, "With great power comes great abuse of the storyline."

[peregaming] Jack says, "I'm starting to think that lps forgot it was planned for one rather than two."

[peregaming] GM says, "I suspect so...*two*"

[peregaming] GM is ashamed of the pun.

[peregaming] Jack says, "Huh, that's a first."

[peregaming] GM draws a pentagram on the floor and summons lps.

[peregaming] Jack asks, "IIRC, we're planning to start the session in our nascent HQ in the mines that we're in the middle of building out, along with some of Quint's old friends who are joining us, right?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Well, there's going to be a brief prologue first, picking up right after the post-credit scene (so you get a chance to ease back into character)"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Oh, OK."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Then I won't worry about what I may or may not have done in between times yet :)"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Oh, also, duh."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Here I am trying to think about how it might be possible to travel into the past of an alternate universe, but..."

[peregaming] Jack | Smiles says, "The Lady sent me. 20 years too early, I realize that now."

[peregaming] GM says, "Are you going to grow your own pet Soulmonger? :-D"

[peregaming] Jack adds that to the list.

[peregaming] Jack says, "But we know that there is a Soulmonger out there that's hunting for Quellin (which I now realize I'm misspelling, but so it goes.)"

[peregaming] GM says, "That's the same Soulmonger that ate Quellin's universe"

[peregaming] Jack says, "And it can track across universes, because it knew where to send Smiles. And it's not good at controlling what point in time it goes to."

[peregaming] Jack exclaims (at GM), "Right, exactly. So we know it knows where it is!"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Oho!"

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "And we also know that if we can get back to the right point in time, that we have both A) an ASMR and B) a destabilized cube that's ready to release all of its transfinite energy!"

[peregaming] GM says, "Ingenious."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Also, further possible answers to our 'how do we go back in time?' question: there's a massive temporal beacon sitting there spewing out spatio-temporal anomalies."

[peregaming] GM says, "that too"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Even if *I* don't have the power to travel back that far, the destabilized Cube *itself* has the power to manipulate time, and possibly I could tap into that."

[peregaming] GM says, "I love this outline of a plan: mainly because of all the delightful ways it could go wrong"

[peregaming] GM says, "while still making perfect sense"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Woot."

[Setting the zoned flag.]

Rashawndra has arrived.

Rashawndra wave!

GM wave!

GM exclaims (at Rashawndra), "Wrong universe!"

Quellynne asks (of GM), "Who?"

GM says, "Some blue alien."

GM says, "She's gone now."

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "Oho!"

Quellynne says, "Phew."

GM says (to Quellynne), "You might want to recap a bit -- we arrived an hour ago"

GM says, "We didn't start without you, thankfully"

Hunter disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again.

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "OK!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I have recapped, and I'm happy to go along with whatever, because Quellynne can't manipulate time at all, but she's happy to help ;-)"

[peregaming] GM says, "aww :-)"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "So, prologue!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(also, how did I miss that we were starting an hour earlier? Sorry about that.)"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(see above re: ability to manipulate time)"

GM says, "Interior: Jack's apartment, the day after Quellynne's arrival in the current universe."

[peregaming] Jack says, "It looks like it was the last few lines before we cut the transcript; you might have already left by then without us realizing it."

[peregaming] Jack says, "I'm trying to figure out the logistics of how the four of us spent the night in this one-room studio apartment."

[peregaming] Jack says, "I'm thinking the Quints probably got the fold-out."

GM says, "It's the late afternoon, the Quints look worried, Mallory is in a special container (slightly bigger than before: she absorbed the CIA agent!) and... Remba is not back from school."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Oh, right. Five of us."

[peregaming] (from GM) ploploplo

GM exclaims, "Jack, you get a text message!"

Jack is relieved for a break from the pile of papers he was supposed to be grading.

Jack checks the message.

GM says (to Jack), "It's from Remba? It says 'hi lol wat wat guys of to sav anoter universe no biggie smell u l8er �nerds xoxo Rmba'"

Brenda says, "Is it Remba?"

Jack replies, "wait you mean ANOTHER other universe?"

Jack says, "It is -- if I'm reading this right, she's just left the universe. So I guess we'll be starting this without her."

[peregaming] Jack says, "I assume that I just get a delivery failure notice for that."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Since, y'know, not in this universe anymore."

[peregaming] GM says, "Yes indeed"

Brenda says, "ANOTHER UNIVERSE?"

Jack shows her the text.

Brenda says, "Oh, dear God."

Jack says, "Theory is, there's an infinite number of them out there. Not sure why they needed *our* Remba, but so it goes."

Quellynne asks, "Literally infinite?"

Quint says, "This isn't good. She's just a kid. We need to go find her!"

Quellynne asks, "Are they all parallel, or do they split from 'parent' universes when something goes one of two ways?"

Jack says (to Quellynne), "Well, there are several schools of thought on that. One suggests that each time any quantum event is resolved, a separate bifurcation takes place for each possible resolution of the waveform collapse, leading to an unbounded potential but still strictly speaking finite in practice number..."

Jack says, "Uh. I mean. Close enough."

Jack says, "There's this *other* theory that says that only one universe exists *until* some event occurs that would involve an inter-universe interaction, in which case the second universe immediately springs into existence, fully formed with an entire history and future of its own."

Quellynne asks, "I'm just wonderig what would happen if we managed to get back to my own universe before the soulmonger arrived--would that just split off a new universe that we could save, but the original one would still get eaten? Or could we actually undo that somehow?"

Quellynne says, "Either one would be good, though."

Quint says, "The original one would still get eaten. The only way to avoid that outcome would be to destroy the Soulmonger completely, so that it never exists."

Quellynne says, "Hunh."

Quint says, "Since it lives outside of reality as we know it."

Quellynne says, "That sounds difficult."

Quint says, "To put it this way: it'd be easier for a flea to kill an elephant with a strand of hair than for us to kill a soulmonger."

Quint says, "Not absolutely impossible, but the odds are not in our favour."

[Crows-Nest] Jack says, "Never tell me the odds."

[Crows-Nest] Jack says, "Because then I'd need to spend the next hour double-checking your figures to make sure they're correct."

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "Hee"

Quellynne says, "Well, one step at a time."

Jack says, "Well, I don't know."

Quellynne says, "At some point maybe we could coordinate a multi-universe attack on the soulmonger."

Jack says, "We did manage to *stop* a Soulmonger once, using the stabilizer device."

Jack says, "It didn't kill it, but it did stop it from using its power to infiltrate this universe."

Jack says, "And Remba has built us a version of that that's specifically designed to use as a weapon against it."

Jack says, "We'd need a power source, of course. And our Cube was destroyed with that truck..."

Jack asks (of Quint), "If I remember your notes right, the Cube taps into the fundamental quantum energy of the universe, right? So even if we had your notes, presumably just building another one wouldn't work, since we've already tapped this universe's core, right?"

Quellynne shudders. "Thank goodness."

Jack exclaims, "But... what about another universe!"

Quint says, "Another universe -- but -- Oh."

Brenda says, "If we can figure out travel between universes, we could find Remba! I don't want her to be stranded! Also, we need to check that she's really in another universe!"

Jack says, "We know that it's possible. Quellynne has *done* it."

Quellynne says, "We'd have to have a way to determine if it was your Remba."

[Crows-Nest] Jack asks, "As opposed to an evil alternate Remba who's trying to impersonate her for some reason?"

Quellynne says (to Jack), "Well, I guess. Not that I knew what was happening when I did..."

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "I see what you're doing there."

Quellynne says, "One way to coordinate between universes might be to figure out a plan, then split *this* universe a bunch of times."

Quellynne says, "Then all of them would have our duplicates in them, each with the same plan."

Jack exclaims, "I can do that! Well, for some value of 'a bunch'!"

Jack says, "At least, that's my *theory* of what happens when I do that thing."

Quint says, "So we'd fight an infinite monster via infinite recursion? Ingenious."

Quellynne blushes. "Aww.

Quint (to Quellynne) says, "I can see why alternative-me recruited you into RONIN. Quick wits."

Jack says, "When I go back in time, usually I stay in the same timeline and just alter events slightly. But if I try to paradox myself -- that is, if I see myself appear and then *don't* go back in time, then there are two of me for a little while."

Jack says, "But spacetime doesn't like that, and eventually we get pulled apart. My theory is that the two 'me's each end up following separate parallel universes that split off from that point."

Jack asks, "But if we're going to be doing that... what do we want all those alternate univers 'us'es to be doing?"

Quellynne exclaims, "I dunno!"

Quellynne says, "But we'll probably need a bigger base than this apartment to coordinate everything from."

Quellynne says, "Not that it isn't a very nice apartment."

Quellynne says, "It... reminds me of mine, actually."

Jack says, "I'm so sorry."

[Crows-Nest] Jack says, "(Jack knows what it's like to live here and pities you.)"

Jack asks, "But you mentioned... an abandoned mine?"

Quellynne says, "It's OK, it's just so weird to think that it's just *gone* now..."

Quellynne exclaims, "I did!"

Quellynne shakes her head to clear it.

Quellynne says, "I wasn't there when my Quint set it up, but I heard some of the stories."

Jack says, "So there's a good chance that it's empty in this universe."

Quellynne says, "There were some generators that still worked, and eventually our Brenda was able to convert them to run off of geothermal energy."

Jack says, "Let's do some recon, then."

Quint says, "Well, that gives us a possible base...I'll send an encrypted message to Lizzie's father, he's not a fan of the CIA either and he's got the resources we need. Quellynne, can you access remote access surveillance cameras on Remba's school to check that she really went to another universe? And Jack, I need you to start working on the theory."

Jack says, "Got it."

Quint says, "We can have Sayers' people do the recon, that way we don't expose ourselves quite yet. We're still on the run."

Quint says, "Any further questions?"

Quellynne says, "I... can try to access the cameras, but I'm not as technically minded as your Jack."

Mallory says, "*ploplopl* you'll all get yourselves killed like stupid *ploploplopl*"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Did we establish a my-universe Mallory? I forget."

Quint says, "Well, you're fast, maybe you can just run in and out of the school's security camera room?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Neither do I."

Jack asks (of Quint), "And you should make a list of things that you're going to need if we move our base of operations down there. Probably camping gear to start, until some infrastructure is built out, and then... well, that'll be your job to figure out, right?"

[peregaming] Jack says, "I didn't see one in the transcript."

[peregaming] GM says, "Nah, I didn't include her in the end."

[peregaming] Jack says, "So as far as we know, she was just a random CIA agent there. But narrativity being what it is..."

[peregaming] GM says, "...then..."

[peregaming] Jack says, "So, as for the theory:"

[peregaming] Jack says, "There are several parts to this."

[peregaming] Jack says, "The main ones seem to be 'how to get back there' and 'will destroying the Soulmonger seal up the severed universe'."

Quellynne runs over to Remba's school once Jack starts muttering to himself.

[peregaming] Jack says, "The former seems like a more immediate concern. So to break *that* down: we already know that there's a link between Quellynne and the other universe, and that it's possible to travel between universes, and it's possible to land at the wrong point in time when doing so (all per Smiley)."

GM says (to Quellynne), "OK! You need to be sneaky about this... I think I'd call for an overcome? (I won't ask for a hacking roll since once you're inside you can just rewind footage)"

[peregaming] Jack says, "So I'd like to build a scientific model for how this works, based on what we've learned about A) my own time travel and B) Quint's earlier Soulmonger research. And then I'd like to do that to predict how we can take advantage of it ourselves."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Okay, that sounds like Lore!"

[peregaming] GM says, "Create Advantage"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "OK! What's my opposition?"

Hunter arrives at home.

[peregaming] GM says, "Well, I'd say it's +5, since you're basically revolutionizing science."

[peregaming] Jack says, "OK. Before I roll *that* Create Advantage: last session, when Quellynne was telling her story about what happened, I was taking notes:"

[peregaming] Jack | Jack is talking notes halfway through it. By the end, he has several pages of roughed out equations and diagrams.

[peregaming] GM says, "Hm, I'd say that this reduces the opposition."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Is that useful for a retroactive Notice create advantage, that might help me here? :)"

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "Woo!"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "+4? +3?"

[peregaming] GM says, "+4, since you'd just come out of a gruelling road heist"

Jack rolls Good (3) + 4dF: -1 -1 -1 0 | Mediocre (0)

[peregaming] Jack says, "Yeesh."

[peregaming] Jack says, "I'm going to tag Burned Out Grad Student."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Because I may be Burned Out, but this is exactly in my field."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Rerolling:"

Jack rolls Good (3) + 4dF: -1 +1 -1 -1 | Average (1)

[peregaming] Jack says, "Um. Possibly I should cut my losses."

[peregaming] GM says, "Bad dice."

[peregaming] GM asks, "How about you ask Quint for help? Can NPC assist?"

[peregaming] Jack says, "(Also, I need to remember to never try to create advantages with science. The target numbers are always higher than my skill level, which means that statistically I'm going to be harming myself more than helping myself.)"

Quellynne, in the meantime, zips around the school, scouting it out first. (Investigate to Create Advantage, maybe?)

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(You could succeed at a cost, perhaps?)"

[peregaming] Jack says (to Quellynne), "That only works for Overcome Opposition."

GM exclaims (at Quellynne), "OK! +2!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "(Which is what I'd been hoping this roll might be, but no such luck.)"

[peregaming] GM says, "It depends on what you want:"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Hmm, only have Investigate at +1, but I'll try anyway."

Quellynne rolls Average (1) + 4dF: 0 +1 +1 0 | Good (3)

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "Yay!"

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "Woo!"

[peregaming] GM says (to Quellynne), "So, you actually stumble across some kids in Remba's class hanging out and talking about glimpsing two copies of Remba walking around the playground."

[peregaming] GM says, "One of which had an eyepatch"

Quellynne . o O ( Hunh. )

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "OK, now Stealth?"

Jack sets his current fate point total to 2.

Jack spends a fate point, leaving him with 1.

[peregaming] GM says, "+1 Stealth"

Quellynne rolls Fair (2) + 4dF: +1 0 0 +1 | Great (4)

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "These are Jack's rolls! Oi!"

[peregaming] GM says, "The ones he should have made"

Quellynne manages to slip into the control room when the guard leaves for a bathroom break, and knows exactly where to look on the cameras, thanks to the conversation she overheard.

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Heh."

[peregaming] Jack says (to GM), "Hmm. For my failed Create Advantage, an Aspect would still be created, but with the free invoke being against us..."

GM exclaims (at Quellynne), "You see the two Rembas leaving, chatting excitedly, and then they cross the playground... Then Eye-patch-Remba pulls out a piece of tech and the two disappear in a flash of purple light!"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Can we say that he did successfully create an Aspect -- i.e. he did his research correctly -- but that it just has a downside for us?"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "We can!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Harder Than It Seemed"

[peregaming] GM says, "perfect"

[peregaming] Jack says, "So I'd like to propose that he found a partial solution, but that said solution is that we need to somehow use a Soulmonger itself in order to travel between universes."

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "*A* Soulmonger?"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "Isn't there only one?"

[peregaming] GM says, "They're a species of extradimensional creatures that seem to prey on reality itself."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Oh, OK."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "That's... kind of terrifying."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Hee."

[peregaming] GM says, "The one Quellynne met was probably an adult, and the one that Jack defeated was a baby."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Also, I think that 'Harder Than It Seemed' is still a perfectly good name for this Aspect, if everyone is happy with my description of it."

[Crows-Nest] GM exclaims, "You think Captain Marvel punching old ladies was bad? Wait till you see Tesseract beating up babies!"

[Crows-Nest] GM exclaims, "Baby Soulmongers, that is... but my point still stands!"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "I'm good with it!"

[Crows-Nest] Jack says, "Hey, I don't know how I got transported back to late 1889 or why I'm suddenly in Austria, but..."

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "haha"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "So, Remba's disappearance is less mysterious, and Jack has a theory!"

[peregaming] GM says, "A *quantum* theory."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Flash forward to inside the mine, as we're reconvening and sharing information?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Indeed, that would be fantastic."

[peregaming] GM pushes the button!

Jack has a big whiteboard propped up on a crate and leaning against the wall of the mine.

Quellynne zzzzzip.

Jack draws a big circle on the left side of the board, and then a second one on the right side of the board.

Jack points to the left one. "OK. Here's where Quellynne came from." Then he draws an X inside the right one. "And this is where we are.

Quellynne fills in the Quints on what she learned of Remba.

GM says (to Quellynne), "The Quints are still worried, but grateful that at least she hasn't been kidnapped."

Quellynne says (to Jack), "Oh, and I got a reasonable look at the tech eyepatch-Remba was using, if you think that might be useful for universe-hopping."

Jack says, "We need to get from *here* back over to *there*." He draws a line starting from the X, going towards the other circle, but he stops when he hits the edge of the circle. "But we *can't*, because there's a barrier separating each universe from the rest of the multiverse."

Jack exclaims (at Quellynne), "Great!"

Jack continues to give an explanation about how there's a thread linking Quellynne to her universe, and how difficult it is to break the barrier from the inside, etc. By the end, the board looks like a cross between a particle physics lecture and a football pre-game strategy.

Mallory (who is now a bubbling vat of greenish liquid on mechanical spider legs, with a speech device) says, "*whirr ploplp* circular reasoning *grumble*"

Jack says, "...and that's why I think we need outside help. And by 'help'... I mean something that has the ability to break through the barriers into a universe."

Jack says, "I mean the Soulmonger."

Quellynne says, "Um."

Jack asks, "I don't know if that's what the other Remba was doing -- maybe she has a way to control a Soulmonger? Or maybe she's found some *other* kind of creature out there who can help?"

Jack says, "Or, heck, maybe she's built a whole trans-universal transceiver station floating out there in the middle of the nothing that she can activate by remote control."

Guy in the back says, "I don't get it. Why didn't that other Remba give us a spare transdimensidoohickey?"

Jack says, "Good question."

Quellynne asks, "I guess she had her own problems?"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Are you asking us to come up with an answer for that?"

Quellynne asks (of Jack), "Could you zip back to that point in time and ask?"

[peregaming] GM says, "No, just toying with you guys"

[peregaming] GM says, "It's actually lampshading ;-="

Jack says, "My powers are pretty limited. I can go back a few seconds, *maybe* a bit more. It would take a lot more power than I have to do that."

Jack says, "That's the other problem."

Jack erases the white board, then writes two column headers: PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS.

Jack, under problems, writes 'Back In Time', 'Exploding Cube', 'Alternate Universe', and 'Soulmonger'.

Guy in the back (who is in fact the helicopter pilot from that road heist, a cop named Jackson) says, "Why do we care about this other universe, anyhow?"

Jack, under solutions, writes the same four things. Then starts drawing arrows between the things in one column and the other one.

Quellynne exclaims, "It's my home!"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Wait, wasn't the pilot a bad guy?"

Guy in the back says, "Well, people lose their home every day. They move on."

Quellynne says, "And if a soulmonger manages to eat an entire universe, it's going to get even bigger, and could threaten other universes like this one."

[peregaming] GM says, "He was just a cop who got in the way"

[peregaming] GM says, "Since the CIA kinda hijacked their original prison transfer thing"

[peregaming] Jack says, "I am concerned about a cop whose attitude is 'enh, why do we want to save these people? bad things happen, not my problem'."

[peregaming] GM says, "Indeed."

[peregaming] Jack says, "'Armed robbery? It's not happening in *my* neighborhood. They're probably insured anyway.'"

[peregaming] GM says, "Heh. People aren't perfect."

[peregaming] GM says, "neither are NPCs"

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "If he messes up our plans, I'm going to have words with Quint for inviting him into our mine!"

Jack says, "Alright. So here's the first step in what's probably a really, really bad plan:"

[peregaming] GM says, "He's just a mine-or inconvenience"

[peregaming] GM says, "Carry on."

Jack says, "What if we try to build something similar to the other Remba's device. Something that can follow a thread outside of this universe, taking advantage of a pinhole that already exists in the barrier."

Jack points to Quellynne. "And by that, I mean you. *You're* the thread connecting us to your universe. Smiley already told us that."

Quint says, "A thread is a surprisingly good analogy, actually."

Quellynne says, "And Smiley also gave us a location."

Jack says, "But the problem with that -- well, *one* problem, of many -- is that the other end of that thread is presently in the stomach of the Soulmonger. So if we tug on it, we'll be pulling it here."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Remind me what he said about the location?"

Quint says, "We can also assume that the longer Quellynne stays in our universe, the more the thread unravels, and the wide the pinhole."

[peregaming] GM says, "Out in the desert east of San Frangeles"

[peregaming] GM says, "Near where the convoy got attacked"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Oh, right, that's the tunnel."

[peregaming] Jack says, "So: we build an interdimensional agitator, based on the other Remba's device, we go to the tunnel, and we Agitate it, in hopes that the Soulmonger appears, then we follow the tunnel but while we're doing so, we need to follow it backwards in time instead of following it straight..."

Female Swiss engineer from CERN says, "So this 'tunnel' is already a risk, no? If we do nothing, our universe could get eaten too?"

[peregaming] Jack says, "How do we do that part without inventing powers for me that exceed what I should normally be able to do? :)"

Jack says, "Correct."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Spend a fate point? ;-)"

Jackson says, "Oh. I hadn't thought of that."

[peregaming] GM asks, "Well, neither of you have Crafts, right?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Correct."

[peregaming] Jack says, "I do, but only at Average."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Because, uh, Remba had it."

Jack says, "Hmm."

[peregaming] GM says, "Well, Jack will roll, but he'll get a bonus from RONIN. And then Quellynne can add to that."

Jack says, "I think we're going to need to go down this tunnel. But we're going to need some way to steer."

Jack says, "Since if we go straight, we'll end up in its stomach."

Quellynne says, "Well, I seem to be able to boost your powers."

Jack says, "And the tunnel only goes to one place: that universe. I don't think we can control our *spatial* destination."

Quellynne says, "And by running really fast, maybe I can vibrate my way out of the 'standard' template. Somehow."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Can I Overcome to build a device to let me temporally steer within the tunnel?"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Yes!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "We already know that the tunnel is temporally unstable, since Smiley landed 20 years off-target."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "And can I get a +2 from having a couple of NPC engineers help me with the roll?"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Yes!"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "OK! What's the opposition?"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "Would Power Amplification help?"

[peregaming] GM says, "...hm. Given that the device is powered by Tesseract's powers."

[peregaming] GM says, "I'd allow it."

(From Jack) ENGINEERING MONTAGE!

Marie (to Jack) says, "No, not that circuit, the other one... *montage continues*"

GM says, "(Marie being the Swiss engineer)"

[peregaming] GM says, "I forgot the opposition"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "+3!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I don't think you had set it."

[peregaming] GM says, "Yes, I forgot to set it"

Jack aligns a series of four solenoids to all operate with their shields perpendicular to each other, by slipping one of them into the temporal dimension.

[peregaming] Jack says, "Er, fields, not shields."

Marie says, "Engineering in four dimensions? Incroyable."

[peregaming] GM says, "I'm still waiting for a roll ;-)"

[peregaming] GM says, "+3 opposition"

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "I was trying to think of more engineering montage stuff, but I'm coming up blank!"

[peregaming] GM says, "Perhaps awkward romance? *evil laugh*"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Power Amplification is a Boost, right?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Yep"

Jack rolls Superb (5) + 4dF: +1 -1 +1 0 | Fantastic (6)

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "You succeeded with style!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Invoking it, and the +2 from Marie and friends."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Which means I get a boost attached to the device, right?"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Yep!"

Jack lowers the device's core into the hollowed-out shell of an electric motorcycle, linking it up to the steering column.

Jack exclaims, "There! I think that'll do it!"

Jack sides on the saddle. When he comes into contact with it, it immediately starts to purr without even needing to be turned on.

Mallory says, "Lame-ass *plplopl* *skitters away on robot spider legs*"

[peregaming] Jack says, "(Sits on. Not sides on. C'mon, brain, operate the fingers. They can't type without you.)"

[peregaming] Quellynne RTA 'slides'

[peregaming] Jack says, "Yes, that's what I'll pretend I meant to type."

[peregaming] GM says, "He's so groovy"

Jack says, "Alright. If all of this works..."

Quellynne says, "So, this should drop us off before things went haywire in my universe, and we can maybe split it so that the split doesn't get eaten."

Quellynne asks, "?"

Jack says, "Right. Well..."

Jack asks, "'Before' might be more than I can manage. Would you settle for 'during'?"

Quint says, "Wasn't there also something about killing it?"

Jack says, "Oh, right."

Jack points to the ASMR. "Could someone hand us that?"

Quint says, "And are you sure the two of you can handle this alone? The two of you, I mean?"

Quellynne says, "It has to be early enough so that we can prevent the cube from summoning the soulmonger."

Quellynne asks, "Right?"

Jack exclaims (at Quellynne), "No! We need it to summon the Soulmonger!"

Quellynne asks, "That... already happened?"

Quellynne says, "And it was the size of the moon, and ate my home."

Jack says, "Well, right. But this time we'll be there to fight it."

Jack says, "If we prevent it entirely, we'll just be going down a second parallel world."

Quellynne says, "I don't... I don't think we can fight it with this little device thingy."

Jack says, "And the Soulmonger will still destroy it in the *original* world."

Jack says, "But if we can destroy the Soulmonger, then it won't be able to consume your universe in *any* timeline."

Jack asks (of Quellynne), "What do you suggest, then?"

Jack says, "I've only had to fight one Soulmonger before."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I may be off, but I did not get the impression that two of us could take on a moon-sized soulmonger by ourselves."

[peregaming] GM asks, "Didn't you see the infinite recursion bit?"

[peregaming] GM asks, "Jack's crazy scheme?"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "That was my idea! We're doing that there?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I though we were doing that *here*, later."

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "Sure!"

[peregaming] GM says, "Oops, I misattributed the idea, silly me"

[peregaming] Jack says, "I mean, I had forgotten about it, but it's a really good idea."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Ha"

[peregaming] Jack says, "So if we've been working on this device for several days, and if I've been bifurcating every so often all that time..."

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "There could easily be, say, 2^100 different version of *this* universe, each one containing a Jack, a Quellynne, and an ASMR!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "All of whom are getting ready to drive down the tunnel into your original one."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "And we all descend on Quellynne prime at once? Sure, why not."

[peregaming] Jack says, "I admit, this isn't something that crossed my mind before just now, but I now really like the idea."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Hee"

[peregaming] Jack says, "(Also, I need to go AFK for a moment.)"

[peregaming] GM says, "Get your plan straight. We're talking universe-scale apocalypses here :-D"

[peregaming] GM says, "ok! see you in a sec, then"

[peregaming] GM says, "yay! I managed to not write 'sex' instead of 'sec!'"

[peregaming] Quellynne applauds.

[peregaming] Jack says, "Back."

[peregaming] GM says (to Quellynne), "OOC, I hope this wasn't too slow for you: devising such intricate plans can take time"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Nah, I'm good."

[peregaming] Jack says, "So, we go down the tunnel, and meet up with all the other versions of us who successfully survived the trip."

[peregaming] Jack says, "We'll each have an ASMR with a cheapo battery in it -- enough to help a bit if there are thousands of them, but even still not enough to stop it..."

[peregaming] GM says, "That's where the CUbe comes in"

[peregaming] Jack says, "...but there'll also be the Cube, and if one set of us plugs our ASMR into that, then -- timing."

[peregaming] Jack asks (of Quellynne), "Do you think that thousands of us with weak ASMR's and one of us with a Cube-powered ASMR will be enough to stop a moon-sized Soulmonger?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Well, in my expert opinion..."

[peregaming] Quellynne looks at the GM.

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Actually, I am going to roll Investigate."

[peregaming] Jack says, "I mean, *obviously* something will go wrong."

Quellynne rolls Average (1) + 4dF: +1 +1 0 -1 | Fair (2)

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I have a Fair answer to that question."

[peregaming] Jack says (to Quellynne), "I guess another question might be:"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "If this plan isn't sufficient, then what do you think might help?"

[peregaming] Jack says (to Q), "Also, one important factor in whether or not a plan like this will succeed:"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "Something involving running really fast and being annoying?"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Ha."

[peregaming] GM says, "A diversion might help."

[peregaming] Jack asks (of Quellynne), "Which of us were you thinking would be using the ASMR?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "If getting to the cube is going to be an issue, that seems like a me job."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Agreed."

[peregaming] GM says, "The Council of Smiles will be your biggest problem, exceeded only by the Lady of Smiles herself."

[peregaming] GM says, "Getting to the cube is pretty much the biggest hurdle."

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "On the plus side, once you get inside, Quellyne, Quint and Izzy will be there to help you!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Or possibly to just be really, really confused."

[peregaming] GM says, "They'll try to disconnect the Cube, thus giving you guys a time limit."

[peregaming] GM says, "It's going to be a question... of speed."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Hee."

[peregaming] Jack asks (of Quellynne), "So, is there anything else you can think of that we can or should do before we go for the tunnel?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I'll give you another boost ;-)"

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "OK!"

[peregaming] GM asks, "I think it got lost in recap, but Quint asked if you guys were sure about going it alone, just the two of you -- what's your in-game reply?"

[peregaming] GM says, "(just so we can jump back into the narrative ;-) )"

Quellynne asks (of Jack), "How many more of us can we fit on this thing?"

Jack points at the sidecar half in shadows over in the corner. "How many you need?"

Quellynne says, "I dunno, but it seems like the more the merrier. Where by 'merrier' I mean 'terrifying'."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Any skillset in particular you're looking for?"

Quellynne asks, "We could choose randomly whether to have Quint and/or Brenda come with us, if they want?"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Maybe mooks with Shoot to be cannon fodder against the Smiles?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Poor mooks. :-D"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Oh, sure, put the important NPC's in danger, why not."

Quellynne asks, "So that some of our multiples are different from us?"

Jack says, "I like the randomness idea."

Quint says, "Well, it's your plan, Jack, and we've worked hard on it."

Jack goes over to the kitchenette station and pours a cup of hot coffee.

Jack dips a Brownian motion detector in it. It reads: 723!

Jack says, "There, some good quantum-level randomness. Better than a coin flip."

Quint gets a call on his walkie talkie. 'Oh, no.'

Quellynne asks (of Quint), "What is it?"

[Crows-Nest] (from Jack) Quint says, "Brenda and I suddenly have a very important wedding to attend. You'll have to take the mooks instead."

Quint says, "We're running out of time! Jackson was patrolling out in the desert and he spotted some military helicopters coming our way. He says there was a man in a flying eagle suit?"

Quint says, "We'll have to defend the base while you're away."

Quellynne says, "Oh, hey, we ran into him earlier."

Jack chugs his coffee, then drags over the sidecar. "Alright, pick your passengers, Quellynne!"

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "It's up to you who '723' translates to!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "(Whom.)"

Mallory skitters past on robot spider legs, purely randomly.

Mallory says, "*plolpolp* why are you looking at me *whirr*"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "I'm assuming we get two people total?"

[peregaming] Jack says, "That seems fair."

[peregaming] GM asks, "So two in the sidecar and two on the motorbike?"

[peregaming] Jack says, "I mean, I remember an adventure where you go, IIRC, five humans, a robot, a rottweiler and a cappuchino machine into a small sports car."

Quellynne, completely randomly, chooses herself and Jack (from *this* iteration, at least.)

[peregaming] Jack says, "And your GM at the time allowed that, so."

[peregaming] GM says, "haha"

[peregaming] GM says, "I remember that"

[peregaming] GM says, "So, if you're done, go ahead and enter a multiverse... OF MADNESS"

Jack exclaims, "Let's roll out!"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "Oh, if we get four, then let's say, I dunno, Mallory and Brenda?"

Jack revs the... spatio-temporal fluxing core... and rolls out!

[peregaming] GM says, "Say it, don't spray it :-)"

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "Sounds good!"

[peregaming] GM says, "Brenda takes her Mindbender suit with her! Upgraded with iceskates."

[peregaming] GM says, "(Don't worry, I won't make her roll init :P)"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Hee."

Mallory says, "*plplplpl* this is a baaaad idea *whirr*"

Jack exclaims, "Yep!"

Brenda says, "Ted, guard the fort for me! I'll be back!"

Jack takes off out the opening of the mineshaft, onto the open road crossing the great desert toward Smiley's GPS coordinates!

GM asks (of Jack), "A helicopter launches a missile at you along the way! Can you dodge it?"

[peregaming] GM says, "It's their Shoot vs your Drive"

GM rolls Average (1) + 4dF: -1 -1 +1 0 | Mediocre (0)

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "Maybe!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I actually *have* drive."

Jack rolls Average (1) + 4dF: -1 +1 -1 -1 | Poor (-1)

[peregaming] Jack says, "Wait, maybe you should be the one driving."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Why didn't you say something? :)"

[peregaming] GM says, "Let's say she's super fast and takes the wheel"

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "Yes!"

Quellynne sees Jack steer into the path of the missile and yells, "Ack! Not that way!" and yanks the wheel!

Quellynne rolls Fair (2) + 4dF: 0 -1 -1 -1 | Poor (-1)

[peregaming] GM says, "why"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Ha ha ha."

Quellynne can't manage to steer out of the way in time!

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Okay, everyone takes 1 stress!"

Jack asks, "Wait, have you driven one of these things before?"

Quellynne exclaims, "Yeah!"

Quellynne exclaims, "Here, scoot over!"

Jack exclaims, "Why didn't you say something!"

Jack teleports behind Quellynne!

Quellynne relaxes into the driver's seat and zips ahead!

Quellynne . o O ( Man, this thing is way too slow. )

GM asks (of Quellynne), "As you near the location of the tunnel, you see a lone silhouette right next to it. It's... no, can it be... the Smiles guy? Waiting for you?"

GM asks, "Out under the desert sun?"

Jack asks, "Who's that?"

Quellynne says (to Jack), "Here, take the wheel for a sec."

Jack asks, "Uh. OK?"

Jack reaches around Q to steer.

Quellynne hops off, runs up to the guy and tries to move him out of the way for a bit.

[peregaming] GM asks, "Can I compel something?"

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "Probably!"

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "Probably!"

[peregaming] GM says, "Your drawback is that you sometimes phase out..."

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "It is!"

Quellynne sets their current fate point total to 2.

[peregaming] GM says, "...so perhaps you try to push him, but..."

[peregaming] GM says, "you see what I mean"

Quellynne grabs at the guy, but her arms phase right through him!

Quellynne sets their current fate point total to 3.

Smiles says, "You don't belong here any more than I do, Ronin."

Quellynne exclaims (at guy), "Oh, come on. Get out of here!"

Quellynne says, "Yeah, that's why I'm going back."

Quellynne exclaims, "But you have to go!"

Smiles says, "After you."

Quellynne swipes at him a few more times, phasing through him every time.

Quellynne says, "Oh, come *on*..."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Is he blocking the tunnel?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Yep."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Is it obvious to me that Quellynne considers him a bad guy?"

[peregaming] Jack says, "(Probably Q can best answer that question.)"

Quellynne zips back to the cycle. "It's the Smiles guy from my universe. I guess we'll have to drive over him; he's out of phase with me."

Jack asks, "The one who tried to kill you?"

Jack says, "I have no objection to this."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Good thing Remba isn't here!"

[peregaming] GM asks, "Wait... is that what Eyepatch-Remba was counting on all along?"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Carry on!"

Quellynne re-takes control of the cycle and zooms at the guy, playing chicken!

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "Maybe a Provoke?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Sure, opposed by his will"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Perfect."

Quellynne rolls Good (3) + 4dF: -1 +1 0 +1 | Great (4)

GM rolls Fair (2) + 4dF: 0 -1 0 -1 | Mediocre (0)

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Woo!"

[peregaming] GM says, "(I assume Q is typing)"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Oh, I wasn't."

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "But I can!"

[peregaming] GM says, "Amazing what you can do with fingers."

Quellynne zooms at Smiles, unwavering. Smiles' cool demeanor becomes a little shaky. He's waited a long time for this moment, but, uh, maybe he's not ready to die right now after all? At the last second he dives out of the way!

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "Did yout want to bring in Eagle here?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Or duplicates of Eagle could show up on the other side ;-)"

[peregaming] GM says, "Nah, his time hasn't come yet."

[peregaming] GM staples his fingers together.

GM exclaims, "Purple flashes of light!"

GM exclaims, "This is the tunnel of madness!"

Quellynne grits her teeth. . o O (I hate this part.)

Quellynne lets Jack steer again!

Jack looks for the Unshacked Cube. That's probably the brightest point in the other universe's spacetime.

GM says (to Jack), "It shines like a lighthouse in a hurricane."

Jack says, "There. That's where we're going."

Jack steers straight for it!

GM says, "There is a rush of air! A chorus of whispers! And then..."

GM exclaims, "... you find yourselves in freefall above the city, high up, skydiving in a motorbike!"

Jack exclaims, "Woah!"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "How many zones away from the ground?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Two zones."

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "Collective Teleportation!"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Woo!"

Jack grabs Q around the waist and *blip*

Quellynne slaps Jack with a boost!

[peregaming] GM says, "What an odd couple."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Do I need any kind of an Overcome to do this successfully?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Will Overcome +2"

[peregaming] Jack says, "(I can teleport without a roll, but I mean, do I need a roll to not die.)"

Jack rolls Superb (5) + 4dF: 0 0 +1 0 | Fantastic (6)

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "How many can you teleport at once?"

Brenda (in suit, holding Mallory) I'm fine, I can fly!

[peregaming] Jack says, "Oh, phew, I forgot the sidecar."

[peregaming] Jack says (to Q), "I think just one. But if she hadn't been able to fly, I might have been trying multiple trips."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Well, there may well be other groups arriving that can't fly ;-)"

[peregaming] GM says, "Oh, that reminds me:"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "You teleport some and I'll catch some! ;-)"

[peregaming] GM asks, "When you land on the ground, and look up, you see specks in the sky: other people are skydiving? Loads of people. You can't tell from here, but they look like you guys?"

[peregaming] GM says, "RP as you wish"

[peregaming] GM says, "(I'm not going to do a case per case, it would take many sessions to resolve, haha)"

Jack *blips* into place on the ground, Perfectly Positioned for their assualt (the boost).

Jack exclaims, "It looks like we're the first team to make touchdown -- let's take the lead!"

Bystander says, "Blast! Aliens! Aliens are falling from the sky!"

Jack asks, "Do you want to make a run for the Cube with the ASMR, and I'll take a stand out here?"

Quellynne and some other Quellynnes zip around Boosting people as they land, which happily comes with a Forced Movement, which she/they use to convert vertical momentum to horizontal momentum.

Quellynne, at some point, realizes that she's one best positioned to make a run for the cube, and grabs the ASMR and heads out!

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Okay, so this is going to be an Athletics challenge!"

[peregaming] GM says, "(Unless you want it to be a single roll with a massive opposition)"

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "Whatever you want!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "The former sounds interesting ;-)"

[peregaming] Jack says, "I'm not sure if those will even really be different things, to be honest."

[peregaming] GM says, "So, basically you need to get inside the Smiles lab: that's Burglary. Run past the guards without being gunned down: Athletics. Make it to the Cube on time: Athletics."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Given someone's particular special effects..."

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "Also, when did we arrive? Is the soulmonger already here?"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Good question!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "My guess would be that we arrived just as you cut the cable."

[peregaming] GM says, "Or just before."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "The city is beginning to feel a strange temporal anomaly already!"

[peregaming] GM says, "It's the late evening, and the moon is rising"

[peregaming] GM says, "Time is running out."

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "OK!"

[peregaming] Jack says (to GM), "Ah, so that's why we were the first team to arrive! Because we all aimed for the moment the Cube was destabilized, but our team happened to be off slightly and landed a bit earlier than we intended."

[peregaming] GM says (to Jack), "Makes sense."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "OK, TN for Burglary? I don't actually have that, so this is the most difficult part."

[peregaming] GM says, "You know the place, so +1"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "How did you get in last time?"

Quellynne runs into the Biology building, heading for the trap door yet again!

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "We waited for someone to come out, and bonked them on the head."

Quellynne rolls Mediocre (0) + 4dF: -1 0 0 0 | Poor (-1)

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Ah, and the door probably closed behind you?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "fp for coincidence:"

[peregaming] Jack says (to Quellyne), "Remember, when we landed, you were Perfectly Positioned."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Do you think that would affect your timing here?"

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "Oh, sure!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Perfect."

Quellynne tags Perfectly Positioned.

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "Darn kids and their graffiti tags"

Quellynne maanges to slip in just as the trap door begins to close again, zipping through just as it closes!

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(if that works?)"

[peregaming] GM says, "Works for me"

[peregaming] Jack says, "(We also had a boost on the bike, which I only just now remembered. Too bad I didn't think of it when we were trying to avoid being missiled...)"

Quellynne then sprints at superhuman speeds towards the cube, where the firefight is already happening!

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "TN?"

[peregaming] GM says, "+8."

Quellynne rolls Legendary+2 (+10) + 4dF: +1 -1 +1 +1 | Legendary+4 (12)

[peregaming] Jack says, "..."

Quellynne zips her way past bullets pirouetting gracefully around bullets and guns.

[peregaming] GM says, "Final challenge: connecting the ASMR fast enough."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I would like to split that into two actions, and use one of them to move Izzy to safety ;-). This may well be a high TN in and of itself."

[peregaming] GM says (to Quellynne), "aww"

Quellynne sees Izzy just before he gets gunned down!

[peregaming] GM says, "Moving him to safety is +8 (equal to the shooting ability of the people who killed him)"

[peregaming] GM says, "Time to split your shifts."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Hmm. If you only need to tie for each, then one fate point would be enough."

[peregaming] GM asks, "She's Shadowed by her failure, right?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I think I should just take a 2-point stress."

[peregaming] Jack says, "(12 + 2 = 14 = 7 + 7, and you get to add a shift to each when splitting, which ties 8 and 8.)"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "So, 8/6?"

[peregaming] GM says (to Quellynne), "that works for me"

[peregaming] GM says, "and narratively appropriate too"

Quellynne detours out of her way to shield Izzy from a bullet, which rips into her leg! She stashes him behind a bank of computers, pats him on the head affectionately, then leaps for the cube!

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "And the final athletics! TN?"

[peregaming] GM says, "RP that, if you like, then it'll be time for a final Athletics test: also +8, but I'll boost that up to a +10 by invoking her drawback (the ASMR keeps falling though her flickering fingers)"

[peregaming] GM says, "(sorry, timing)"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Perfect."

Quellynne rolls Legendary+2 (+10) + 4dF: -1 +1 -1 -1 | Legendary (8)

[peregaming] GM asks, "Aren't you... Prepared For The Worst?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Hrm hrm. Yeah, I think I'll spend a fate point this time."

[peregaming] GM says, "Whatever it takes. :-)"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "But, wait, does invoking the drawback mean it's a compel?"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "Or is it something else?"

[peregaming] GM says, "I'm spending my own fate point."

[peregaming] GM says, "I get two per scene."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Ah, got it."

[peregaming] Jack says, "It's an invoke, but it's an invoke against an aspect attached to you."

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "Which means that after the scene, you get the fate point!"

[peregaming] GM says, "Good point! *After* the scene."

[peregaming] Jack says, "(I think it's called something like an 'adverse invoke'? They don't come up a lot.)"

[peregaming] GM says, "Anyway, with that, you get a tie! (A nifty bow tie.)"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Minor drawbacks?"

Quellynne leaps past the bullets once more, and lands on the cube! The flickering energies mean that the ASMR device starts to phase out of her fingers, but fortunately, she was Prepared! She quickly slips on some gloves which had a different phasing quotient, letting her keep hold of the device!

Quellynne spends a fate point, leaving them with 2.

[peregaming] GM says, "So, minor drawback..."

[peregaming] GM asks, "Ideas?"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "Awkward Position? Prime Target?"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "The other Q is in her way?"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "Flooded by Spatio-Temporal Energies?"

[peregaming] GM says, "I like that last one."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "The soles of her shoes have evaporated?"

[peregaming] GM says, "hahaha"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "The soles of Q's shoes are turning into plasma! Ouch ouch!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Also, I assume that only *just now* are any of the other people down there noticing that she's even there."

[peregaming] GM says, "Yeah"

[peregaming] GM says, "So fast."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Boo-ya"

GM asks (of Jack), "You're leading the troops, right?"

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "Right!"

GM says (to Jack), "Because outside, something weird is happening to the moon."

Jack teleports around the soon-to-be battlefield, directing units how where to set up their ASMR devices to maximize total effectiveness.

GM says, "Several Mindbender Brendas are zipping around gracefully, evacuating civilians. 'Good thing we were in the Neighborhood!' one says."

[Crows-Nest] Quellynne says, "Every time I see that, I assume that we're planning to whisper the Soulmonger to death, a la https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_sensory_meridian_response"

Jack would tell them to aim for that moon, but they already know everything he does, so they're already on the ball.

[peregaming] GM says, "Shoot for the stars, kid"

[Crows-Nest] Jack says, "I can't believe that wasn't intentional on Taleslinger's part."

[Crows-Nest] Jack says, "(Oh, also, regarding that invoke earlier: https://www.reddit.com/r/FATErpg/comments/90qnnz/compel_vs_hostile_invocation/)"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Hmm. I'm the only one out here *without* a weapon. Should I be rolling anything for getting the rest of them to attack it?"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Perhaps Will for figuring out the right arrangement on the fly?"

[peregaming] GM says, "I'd say so. Will +5."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Is that an Overcome?"

[peregaming] GM says, "yep"

Jack rolls Superb (5) + 4dF: 0 0 -1 +1 | Superb (5)

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "Huh!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Oh."

[peregaming] Jack says, "No, I mistyped."

[peregaming] Jack says, "It is indeed a failure."

[peregaming] GM says, "Sad."

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "But if this lets them all hold the Soulmonger in place while we wait for Q, I'll succeed at a cost!"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "OK!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "(I.e., not destroying it, but just keeping it from attacking or whatever.)"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Do you have a good significant cost?"

[peregaming] GM asks, "Massive property damage?"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "I might be in the path of the beams. Maybe *I* take a consequence too?"

[peregaming] Jack says (to GM), "Property damage to a universe that's not mine seems like a pretty minor cost to me :)"

[peregaming] GM says, "snrk"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "But, um. I shouldn't be arguing against you here, should I?"

[peregaming] GM drops a building on Jack

[peregaming] GM says, "I'll go for the 'Jack gets hurt by flying debris and takes a mild consequence!'"

[peregaming] GM says, "(a building fell on you but you teleported just barely in time, perhaps)"

Jack shouts, "WAVE ONE, FIRE! WAVE TWO, HOLD... HOLD... FIRE! WAVE THREE, PULSE! PULSE! PULSE! KEEP IT UP!"

Jack blips here, there, back, as the ground shakes and debris goes flying. At some point, he takes a blow to the back and is bloodied, but he barely notices it as he blips on.

[peregaming] Jack says, "'Bloody Gash', in my back."

GM says, "The incomprehensible jaws of the Soulmonger fill the sky, its teeth like shooting stars. The army of Jacks, Q's, Brendas and even grumpy Mallories on robot spider legs fire their ASMRs, holding off the creature, slowing it down."

[peregaming] GM says, "ok"

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "And some Quints and Maries as well!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Remember, we randomized our choice of sidekicks."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "True!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "There might even be a Jackson or two."

[Crows-Nest] Quellynne says, "Even a few CERN physicists ;-)"

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "Wait, she was Marie. Carry on!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Hee."

(From GM) A Jackson flies a helicopter into the jaws of the beast, yelling as he fires two ASMRs at it.

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(helicopter pilots, though.)"

GM says, "(You're not sure which version of Jackson this is :-D )"

GM exclaims, "Anyway, it's suitably epic!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "I'm assuming one of our Jacksons got here, saw the helicopter being piloted by the Jackson from *this* universe, and pulled him out of the pilot seat to hijack it himself."

[peregaming] GM says, "That is exactly what happened."

[peregaming] GM says, "It's canon."

[peregaming] GM says, "Speaking of canon, it's time to fire the killing shot"

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "Time for Q to plug it in!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "(Hmm. Will she need to get it outside? Does she need to aim?)"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "Do I need to get the cube and ASMR out of the basement? Or will it work from down here directly?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(timing!)"

[peregaming] GM says, "You need to get them out, very quickly, and aim."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "See, super speed will still be useful!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "This is when a cruel GM would decide that once you plug it in, the ASMR needs time to charge before you can fire it."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "w00t"

[peregaming] GM says, "I'm not cruel."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "If you want to not have to charge it, you can take the Cube too, but it makes your Athletics roll harder!"

[peregaming] GM says, "Just describe what you do and I'll give you the TN"

Quellynne leaves the ASMR charging on top of the cube, isolated from it by the gloves, and zips down to the poor scientist they were interrogating before. "Hey! How do I move the cube? It summoned some sort of interdimensional monster, and I need to kill it!

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Is this scientist a part of the Council of Smiles?"

[peregaming] GM says, "They work for them."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "He was distressed to discover we had cut the cords."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "So I assumed he'd be amenable."

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "And if not, I'll improvise something!"

Scientist says, "Hahahahahahahaha *rolls eyeballs*"

Quellynne says, "Bah, you are useless."

[peregaming] GM says, "Removing the cube would be a physique overcome, +2"

[peregaming] GM says, "Taking it out would be Athletics, +8"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Here's a thought:"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "There are lots of cables here, right?"

[peregaming] GM asks, "Yes?"

[peregaming] Jack says, "And very, very soon the vast majority of them will no longer be needed for anything."

Quellynne grabs the cut cables, wraps them around the cube, grabs the ASMR, still plugged in, and drags the whole bundle behind her!

[peregaming] Jack asks, "If you were to connect them all from end to end, would they be long enough to reach the surface?"

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims (at Jack), "Timing!"

[peregaming] Jack says (to Q), "Ha, your solution is much more Gordian than mine :)"

[peregaming] Jack says, "I was just imagining making a super-duper extension cord."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "That also works ;-)"

[peregaming] GM says, "If you want, let's retcon this via a temporal instability that reversed time a few seconds"

[peregaming] GM says, "Since time is kind of going weird at the moment in this place"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Nah, I'll just drag everything behind me. If somethign fails, I'll try the extension cord plan."

[peregaming] GM says, "Then you must overcome Athletics +10! (the +2 comes from the weight of the cube)"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(I was imagining the cube hovering in space, FWIW)"

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "Sounds good!"

Quellynne rolls Legendary+2 (+10) + 4dF: 0 -1 -1 +1 | Legendary+1 (9)

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "The cube shakes and twists, but you overcome!"

[peregaming] GM says, ";Wait"

[peregaming] GM says, "That's a failure by one shift, sorry"

Quellynne spends a fate point!

[peregaming] Jack asks, "How exactly do we use this Cubified ASMR? Is it a Shoot roll? Or do we need to get it up close to the Soulmonger? Or what?"

[peregaming] GM says, "A shoot roll"

[peregaming] GM says, "And in case you're thinking 'how can you miss? it's huge!', I have the answer:"

[peregaming] GM says, "the Soulmonger is distorting reality so much that it can dodge things Matrix-style"

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "This would be a perfect opportunity for someone in the party who knows how to Shoot to help out!"

Quellynne, as she pulls, sees the cube start to shift out of the mess of cables, but at the last second, Izzy reaches out and stabilizes them, letting Quellynne pull the whole thing up the stairs. "Thanks for saving me," he says, and Quellynne's heart lifts again, Shadowed by Failure for too long.

[peregaming] Jack says, "Someone like, say, Remba."

Quellynne spends a fate point, leaving them with 1.

[peregaming] Quellynne asks (of Jack), "You want to spend something to find a Remba in the group?"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Ha ha. It's a great idea, but I don't think it's possible."

Quellynne dashes out of the room, leaving a bunch of confused soldiers and scientists in her wake.

[peregaming] Jack says, "Since she left us before these other universes split off from ours."

[peregaming] GM says, "Jack is correct"

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "In *one* of the splits, she got back early!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Hee."

[peregaming] GM says, "Oho."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "One version of us was testing out a prototype of the bike that yoinked her home?"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "Wait, can Izzy shoot?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(nope)"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "How far is the Soulmonger from us?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Alternatively, I'm sure *someone* in Ronin can shoot."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Like, it's close enough for the other ASMR devices to hit it, so it can't be too many zones away, right?"

[peregaming] GM says, "It's hard to tell: but in game terms, two zones"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "If you can find this-universe Quint and ask him."

[peregaming] Jack says, "So, um."

Jack teleports to Quelynne when he sees her coming out of the building.

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Who was carrying out an unconcsious Quellynne about now last time."

Jack says, "This thing is distoring space -- it's like something from MC Escher."

Jack says, "I don't know if anyone here is a good enough shot to make it from the ground."

Quellynne exclaims, "You're telling me! I had to drag this thing up the same set of stairs three times!"

Jack says, "But if you can handle a little bit of pain, I can get us to point blank range."

Jack asks, "Are you up for it?"

Quellynne exclaims, "Of course!"

Quellynne is just glad Izzy is still alive now, honestly.

Jack grabs onto the other part cable with one hand, so that Q doesn't have to hold the whole thing alone, and puts his other one on Quellynne's shoulder.

Jack says, "Get ready to fire in three... two... one..."

Jack blips to the Soulmonger!

Jack exclaims, "Fire!"

Quellynne fires!

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Everyone takes 4 stress from extradimensional energies!"

Quellynne rolls Mediocre (0) + 4dF: -1 +1 +1 +1 | Fair (2)

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "I take a Moderate consequence!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(shoot)"

[peregaming] GM asks, "Isn't it point blank?"

[peregaming] GM says, "(I thought that was Jack's idea?)"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Yeah, but I assumed I needed *something*."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Hee."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Who knows what might have gone wrong."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "OK!"

[peregaming] GM says, "I give the Soulmonger a -2 penalty."

GM rolls Mediocre (0) + 4dF: 0 +1 +1 -1 | Average (1)

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Failed by 1 shift!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Last time I was on a Soulmonger, the consequence I took was 'Unstable Atoms', so I'm going with that again."

[peregaming] GM says, "(the Soulmonger's dodge, not your shot)"

[peregaming] GM exclaims (at Jack), "Your atoms are unstable! Emotionally unstable, even!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "They're very codependent on each other."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I'll take that too, but as a Mild."

GM says, "There is a screech like the sound of reality torn apart, like the sound of the void sucked into a singularity, a blinding flash of unexistence."

GM says, "And a moan that you feel echo through the quarks and electrons of your skin."

GM exclaims, "Suddenly, it's gone. And the moon is shining. And -- hey, you're falling!"

GM says, "Brenda catches both of you! (Which Brenda? It's hard to tell.)"

Jack teleports us to the closest spot on the ground that's not already occupied by a Jack, a Quellynne, a Brenda, a Mallory, a Quint, a Marie or a Jackson.

GM says, "Wait, Brenda actually catches a different pair of Jack & Q."

[peregaming] Jack says, "I guess I took too long trying to spot a place, and she got to us first :)"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Hee."

GM says, "Brenda complains that everyone looks the same, it's confusing."

Quellynne exclaims, "Everyone *is* the same!"

Jack looks up at where the Soulmonger used to be!

Mallory says, "*whirr* speak for yourself Roadrunner *ploplopl*"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Oh, man."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Can we leave her here?"

Quellynne asks (of Mallory), "Are you casting yourself as the Coyote, here?"

GM says (to Jack), "A clear night sky. And a faint purple streak that lingers in the air, forming the saddest of smiles. Before fading away."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Or would that be unduly cruel to the Quellynne and Izzy who are already here?"

[peregaming] Jack asks (of GM), "Is there a moon?"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "There is!"

Jack says (to Quellynne), "I think we did it."

Quellynne looks out at the sea of Quellynnes, and realizes that we managed to save the place, but she can't *all* stay. She's going to have to go back to her own new universe.

Jack looks at what Quellynne is looking at.

Jack says, "Oh. Right."

Quellynne finds the Quint carrying her past self.

Quint says, "Quellynne? But -- *looks from past self to future self*"

Quint (seeing the sea of lookalikes) says, "Have I gone mad?"

Quint says, "Is this... is this what defeat looks like?"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Oh, &^@#."

[peregaming] Jack says, "I just realized:"

Quellynne says, "It's... it's a long story, but last time this happened, that toothy thing ate everything but me, and I managed to escape to another universe. I found my double, who knew a few things about time travel, and we duplicated our universe a few times and came back. But I guess I can't stay now."

[peregaming] Jack says, "A lot of the people in this crowd are Brendas."

Jack waves to Quint.

Quellynne smooths the hair on her former self as she rests peacefully.

Quint (to Jack) says, "Hello. What is it --?"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "I assume otherQ has conveniently passed out?"

Quellynne says, "Tell her Izzy survived this time. I... I at least did that for her. Well, that and kept the universe from being eaten. But that feels smaller, somehow."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Yeah, I was already passed out."

[peregaming] GM says, "It's really canon"

Jack says (to Quint), "Hey, Prof. I mean -- I guess I don't even know what your title is on this side."

Quint (to Jack) says, "Titles are just words in the air."

[peregaming] Jack asks (of Q), "For 'her'?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Myself."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Oh, I see."

Quellynne says (to Quint), "Oh, and be careful! In the universe I landed in, you almost summoned the soulmonger on your own! On purpose! He reformed, but don't forget you could be that guy."

Jack says (to Quint), "Anyway, uh. Do you do science on this side? If so, you might want to take apart a few of these fancy guns we brought with us."

Quellynne says, "Regardless of how much I respect you."

[peregaming] Jack says, "(Sorry, thought you were done talking. I won't interrupt.)"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "No, keep going; I'm done."

Jack says, "We just killed a Soulmonger -- an interdimensional being that eats universes. There are more of them out there."

Jack says, "It may be that this will be a signal to the others to keep away."

Jack says, "It may be that it'll just make the rest of them angry."

Quint says, "So that's what it was. Thanks for the warning."

Jack says, "You're welcome."

Jack says, "And good luck."

[peregaming] Jack says, "So! We followed Q's thread back to her home universe to get here."

Quint says, "Good luck to you too."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Yep!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "And we can follow yours back! Or else we can just fade away dramatically."

[peregaming] GM says, "Whichever you like"

[peregaming] Jack says (to Q), "Just what I was thinking! (To both!)"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Is there an echo of the gateway here?"

[peregaming] GM says (to Jack), "An echo, but it's fading fast."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I kind of like the fading idea, since we got here on Jack's powers, and they usually end by fading anyway."

[peregaming] GM says, "Indeed :-)"

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "True!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "And then there won't be random strays left here unless the GM wants them to do something dramatic."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Ordinarily, the fading is a result of the universe we're in splitting, but this time, we didn't *come* from this universe, so it would make sense that we'd instead fade back to where we came from."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(like, I could imagine a Brenda deciding she wanted to stay and help.)"

[peregaming] GM says, "(me too)"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(and a Mallory deciding she wanted to stay and wreak havoc)"

[peregaming] Jack says, "I think anyone who's unique won't fade."

[peregaming] Jack says, "So, e.g., exactly one of each of us will be left here."

[peregaming] Jack says, "At least, that's one logical way for it to work."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "And none of the me's would stay, since there's a native me."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Right."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(ditto the Quints)"

[peregaming] GM says, "That makes sense."

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "WHich means there'll be one Brenda left here with Quint!"

[peregaming] GM says, "Woo! So romantic."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "So the remaining Jack could *drive* back to his home universe, taking whoever was left."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Ha, true."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(unless he wanted to stay)"

[peregaming] GM says, "Let's keep it sweet and simple"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Go for it."

[peregaming] GM says, "Narrate your return, and I'll narrate what you see when you get back to base."

Quellynne wonders what might become of all the other people they've introduced to this universe, but before she can wonder about it too long, she starts to fade away! She waves goodbye and smiles at the sleeping former-her as she disappears.

Jack is looking for the remains of the bike they rode in on. He finds it, but when he turns to tell Quellynne, she's already gone! But then a moment later, so is he.

GM says, "You guys appear in the desert, where the tunnel used to be. Smiles is kneeling in the dirt, his back to you."

Smiles says, "...all that's left... all that's left..."

Jack says, "'All that's left' is a whole, living universe, now."

Quellynne goes over and kneels down beside him. "Hey, we got the thing. You want to try living, now?"

Smiles turns his face. His eyes are not human eyes, but made up of an infinite number of eyes in a spiral pattern. 'What do you think you are? *Vermin*.'

Quellynne startles, and punches him.

Smiles falls to the ground. 'I'm not... supposed to die...' he said, his tongue forking. '...You die. Not us...4

Quellynne asks, "Who's 'us'?"

Quellynne asks, "And what's 'left'?"

Quellynne says, "Look, you know you're not frightening at all, you're just *vague*."

Smiles says, "You stabbed me... with your puny weapons... and I faded... away"

Smiles says, "...hunger... cannot be postponed..."

Quellynne asks, "Oh, you're the soulmonger we just killed? In, like, human form?"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Did the ASMR fade away with us?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Yes, normally"

[peregaming] GM says, "Otherwise you guys would be naked."

[peregaming] Jack says, "And it was plugged into the Cube, so we didn't need to use its battery."

Jack picks up the big gun while Quellynne is talking to Smiles.

Quellynne exclaims, "That's pretty pathetic! You used to be the size of a moon!"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(Provoke, hoping to get some information out of him.)"

Smiles says, "I was eternity."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "(I can roll if you like)"

Jack is ready to shoot him in the back if he tries anything.

[peregaming] GM says, "Yeah, +2 overcome"

Quellynne rolls Good (3) + 4dF: -1 0 -1 +1 | Fair (2)

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I'll spend my last fate point. I'm gettting a new one soon (/now) anyway ;-)"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Wait, that's a tie."

[peregaming] GM says, "Yep it is"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "You succeed!"

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "Woo!"

Smiles says, "I was a queen... we were once lesser beings, but grew ever greater in power... and with power came the need for a higher form of food... we cannot be contained by reality alone, so we made our home inside the veins of the multiverse..."

Smiles says, "They will find you. If the Watchmakers don't catch you first."

Quellynne asks, "Oh, that's nice. Who are the Watchmakers?"

Smiles says, "They make time itself."

Jack says, "Oh, huh."

Quellynne asks, "Why would they be mad at us?"

Smiles says, "You broke the rules. You divided the flow."

Jack asks, "Rules?"

Quellynne asks, "Don't they think *you* break the rules, too?"

Smiles says, "Maybe. But we are evenly matched."

Smiles says, "We are the chaos. They are the order."

Quellynne says, "And we just showed them how to break the stalemate."

Jack says, "I think if I had to choose a side, I'd be inclined to pick the one you're not on."

Smiles says, "As you wish."

Quellynne says, "Well, if my time playing D&D with the Quints taught me nothing else, it's that there's going to be chaotic good and lawful evil factions out there, too."

[peregaming] Jack says, "Wait, I think *we're* the chaotic good faction."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "You could say that IC ;-)"

Smiles says, "Let me die in peace, Jacqueline Knight. I have given you too much attention already."

[peregaming] Jack says, "I'm not sure if Jacks' sufficiently self-aware to realize that."

Jack gives Quellynne a "should I?" look, while brandishing the ASMR.

Quellynne straightens up. "I guess you're not up for reforming your destructive ways and moving towards chaotic good instead of your old chaotic evil tendencies? 20 years of living here among us 'vermin' didn't open your eyes to how nice a normal universe can be? Ice cream? Blustery days? Kissing?"

Smiles says, "That is exactly why we find universes like these tastiest of all to devour."

Jack says, "Someone needs to learn about renewable resources."

Quellynne says, "So you *do* like it, you just like it all for yourselves."

Quellynne says, "Yeah, I mean, you could just live *in* the universes instead of just eating them."

Quellynne says, "Then you'd experience the tastiness the whole time."

Quellynne says, "That moment when you dived out of the way. You *liked* this life. You wanted it to continue."

Quellynne says, "On some level, you knew we would go through and defeat you, and that's what you *wanted*."

Smiles (slight hesitation) says, "Even if we wanted to, the Watchmakers would interfere."

Quellynne says, "Well, sure. People interfere with your life all the time. We kind of expect that. That's one of the things that makes it... tasty."

Smiles says, "*thoughful silence*"

Quellynne says, "You grew up, got super powerful, hid from the Watchmakers, grew the ability to devour universes, and the one thing you want most is to just *experience life* which you now get only vicariously when you destroy it."

[Crows-Nest] Jack says, "The only thing missing here is for Quellynne to offer him a universe full of nuts with no people living it."

[Crows-Nest] Quellynne says, "Ha"

[Crows-Nest] Jack says, "(I'm not sure if both of you have read the same comics as I have.)"

[peregaming] GM says, "That went over my head"

[Crows-Nest] Jack says (to GM), "Then remind me afterward to look up which volume of Squirrel Girl it is where she meets Galactus for you."

Quellynne says, "Your eternal form is gone. You'll probably die some day, now. But you're here, in a super tasty universe, and have the opportunity to experience that from the inside once again. Take it! Watch the sun set. Watch it rise again. Fall in love. Travel to Europe. Take up skydiving. Eat macademia nuts."

[Crows-Nest] Jack says (to Smiley), "Plus, if you reform now, then you can be there to get painfully killed by the Watchmakers as an example to show us just how dangerous and evil they are."

Smiles says, "For the second time, I must admit... you are right."

Smiles says, "For the second time, I must admit... you are right."

Quellynne grins. "I won't let it go to my head."

Smiles says, "You should go help your fellow RONIN, here in this universe. They're fighting now as we speak, struggling against a futile organization that brings only pain."

Smiles says, "I will find my own way."

Quellynne asks, "Oh. Um, right. I'll do that. Which direction?"

Jack whispers (to Quellynne), "We're just letting it go?"

Quellynne shrugs at Jack.

Mallory says, "*plolplopl* kill it *whirr*"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Hey, remember when we constructed the bike, we did so well that we got a boost that we never used?"

Brenda says, "I don't know."

Quellynne says (to Mallory), "Oh, hush, we didn't kill you."

Jack says, "Alright. Fine. Let it live."

Jack gustures with the gun. "But we're keeping this, just in case."

Smiles says, "As you wish."

Quellynne says (to Jack), "(quietly) If you can figure out some way to track him, that'd probably be a good idea."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Normally you can't use boosts to declare narrative details, but do you think we could use the boost to declare the narrative detail that it survived falling out of the sky and is still drivable?"

Quellynne asks (of Smiles), "But, seriously. Where? The mine?"

[peregaming] GM says (to Jack), "Yes, as long as it's only temporary and falls to pieces upon arrival."

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "Perfect!"

[peregaming] GM says, "(I just love that mental image)"

[peregaming] GM asks, "Also, I think we can end on a cliffhanger, since we have several possible dates for a followup?"

Jack hops on the bike. Miraculously, it starts right up as soon as he's in the saddle.

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Do we find out which direction we're going in before the cliffhanger, so that we can ride off into the sunset?"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Yes!"

[peregaming] GM says, "You know the way :-)"

[peregaming] GM says, "(are you typing something, or should I?)"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Smiles never said where we're being attacked."

[peregaming] Jack says, "I think we were just waiting for -- timing."

[peregaming] GM says, "Well, you left just as the mine was about to be attacked."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Oh! I missed that."

[peregaming] GM says, "it's okay, there was a lot going on"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I thought the spot in the desert was being attacked."

[peregaming] GM says, "You got attacked as you left"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "And was a little surprised when it wasn't."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Got it."

[peregaming] Jack says, "It's not clear who told the bad guys our location, but I'm inclined to stop trusting Quint's contacts."

[peregaming] (from GM) Crescendo of music!

Jack et al. drive off into the desert!

(From GM) CITATION NEEDED

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Et voila!"

[peregaming] Jack exclaims, "My Trouble dogs me even past the end of the session!"

[peregaming] GM says, "Heeee"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Are we planning to play again sans Remba?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Yep"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Next week?"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "And if so, what time?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Next Saturday, 2pm-6pm."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Tune in to the latest episode of the Neighborhood!"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Ah, so you don't trust lps with one o'clock start times anymore."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Ha"

[peregaming] GM says, "hahaha aw"

[peregaming] GM says, "also I nearly forgot about it myself, so..."

[peregaming] GM says, "2pm is a good tradition."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Oh, and is there any sort of milestone?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Next week works for me, but I think I'd like the *next* week off, since that's a lot of weeks in a row."

[peregaming] GM says, "that's good for me too :-) GMing is tiring"

[peregaming] Quellynne nods.

[peregaming] Jack says, "Alrighty."

[peregaming] GM says, "I will be spending a week in Poland starting on the 21rst anyhow."

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Wha?"

[peregaming] Quellynne asks, "Can you make the 21st for Bastafore?"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "You're out on September 21?"

[peregaming] GM says, "Whoops,"

[peregaming] GM says, "I meant Monday 23rd"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Phew."

[peregaming] GM says, "to Monday 30th"

[peregaming] Jack says, "(And I see the GM avoided my question about milestones :) )"

[peregaming] GM says, "Well, on one hand you saved a universe"

[peregaming] (from Jack) GM says, "On the other hand, the boss got away at the end."

[peregaming] GM says, "That's such a Tale order"

[peregaming] GM says, "I'd say... hm, Minor milestone (I don't want to overwhelm you with too much levelling up)"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Works for me :)"

[peregaming] GM says, "(and it's fairer to wait for Remba's return anyway)"

[peregaming] Jack exclaims (at GM), "Thanks for the game!"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "This game was kind of ambitious (saving a universe), so I'm glad you liked it!"

[peregaming] Quellynne exclaims, "It was fun!"

[peregaming] GM says (to Quellynne), "You are so persuasive you could be a real life D&D Bard"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "I didn't really anticipate that ending at all. I was assuming we'd get some ominous foreshadowing out of him just before he died or something, but then it kind of veered into a redemption arc instead at the last second."

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Ha, yay."

[peregaming] GM says, "Next episode: Quellynne sways the Watchmakers, and Rashawndra gives the big blob of evil a hug"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Oh, and that reminds me: it's the first volume. https://www.amazon.com/Unbeatable-Squirrel-Girl-Vol-Power/dp/0785197028"

[peregaming] Jack asks (of GM), "Also, man, is that what you're calling Mallory these days?"

[peregaming] GM says, "hahaha"

[peregaming] GM says, "she's a literal ball of pure malice"

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "now with robot spider legs!"

[peregaming] Jack asks, "Speaking of Mallory, did you intentionally have her chime in just to make sure Jack would go along with Q's decision to let Smiley go?"

[peregaming] Quellynne says, "Ha"

[peregaming] Jack says, "Because if so, it worked."

[peregaming] GM exclaims, "Yes!"

[peregaming] GM says, "Reverse psychology. It works, bitches."

[peregaming] GM says, "Anyway: great time."