You're working on a computer program for the student government when someone breaks the lab rules by bringing in a 44. oz. Big Gulp drink. Worse they trip over something,a nd the carbonated fruit punch lands on you, and on your computer.

You see a spark, and then a flash....

===================================================

High pitched whistling and hooting wakes you. You're damp, hot, and itchy. A rank aroma of rot fills the air. Something scurries past your head.

PT

I slowly slip back into consciousness, my head aching, and my body sore. I feel so light-headed that it seems like I'm going to throw up, or pass out...again. If I drank, I'd say that it feels like I have the hangover from Hell.

Then I realize that something is terribly wrong here.
'Wha...what's...going on...?' I think to myself.
'...what...happened to me...am I dead? I must be...' I struggle to recall the events that happened before I ended up like this. 'Oh yeah...I was in the lab, on one of the PCs...then Jacob walked in with his soda...then he spilled it all over me and the computer...that idiot! He should've known better than to bring that stuff into the class! He knew the risks...'
I then notice the sounds around me...and the stench. 'Oh God, what died?'

When I feel something move past my head, I grunt in surprise. My voice is deep, and raspy. '...I gotta get out of here.' I force my arms to move, grasping the ground and pushing myself up. I still feel sore, and my eyes are still closed. Once I lift myself up onto my knees, I will force my eyes to open, and examine the area so I can try to get my bearings.

Once you stagger to your feet in the midst of the wet greeness, you feel a lot better. And then you feel better still, until you feel normal. Well, normal except the humidity must be at least ninety-five percent, and the heat is near a hundred degrees, and you have a line of small welts running down your left arm, along with the culprit...a beetle that seems intent on sampling your blood every three or so inches.

Its bite is what is making you so ferociously itchy.

A throat-cracking roar stills the jungle, and then the jungle spills back into raucous noise. A brilliant blue and gold parakeet with a several foot wingspan flies over your head, and lands on a vine about two feet above your head. It then squarks ferociously at you.

Looking down, after you felt something touch your foot, you see a line of very large (three inch long) ants traipsing into the small place you have between the trunks of the trees and the hanging vines.

PT

I can't believe my eyes. I'm not in the lab, or a hospital, or even heaven...I am in what looks like a jungle! A JUNGLE! 'My...my God...where AM I?!'
I try to convince myself that I'm dreaming. This proves to be unsuccessful when I feel an intense itching sensation on my left arm. When I check, I am shocked to see some sort of beetle chewing away at my skin. I yelp in surprise and wipe it off immediately.

'This can't be real...it CAN'T be!!' I feel that I should be dead, but this environment and all this wildlife prove otherwise. I then hear an ear-splitting roar from further in the jungle that makes my heart skip a beat. When the creature flies over me and lands near me, my eyes widen with shock and terror. I am stunned by it's sheer size, and by the fact that it looks just like a parakeet! It doesn't look very friendly either.

Things get even more unreal when I find these unusually large ants around my feet. I almost let out another yelp, but then I remember about the giant parakeet. I don't want to provoke it. I don't know if the ants are a threat, but either way, I'm not going to stick around to find out.

I realize that I can't just stand here and get myself killed. Standing completely still for the moment, I check to see if I still have my backpack with me. If I have it, or if I find it, wherever it may be, I will slowly step away from the parakeet and over the line of ants, being careful not to make any sudden movements. Once I reach one of the trees, I will dash behind it and sprint off into the jungle, using the trees for cover in an attempt to lose the parakeet.

When I believe that I've found a safe place to hide (that is, if I manage to live), I will check my backpack (if I have it) to see if I am still retaining any of my possessions. I especially hope that I still have my SIG P229 pistol. If I do have it, I will check to see if it has a full clip inside, reload if necessary, and place it in my pocket so that I'm ready to defend myself against anything that comes after me.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:30, Thu 15 May 2008.

You knock the beetle off, and it hits the trunk of a tree. Something happens which doesn't fit into your understanding of the world, and your brain simply refuses to function for a second. It looked like it vanished. But that's impossible. Still you don't see it anywhere.

You slip away from the giant parakeet, and then book feet over fallen logs slimy with wet moss, and under vines, and through vines, and over sudden pitfalls in the ground that look like animal holes until you're stopped in place by a ten foot long snake hanging from a tree in your path.

Its head is at your head level, about two feet in front of you.

Its tongue flicks out.

Its got yellow skin with light brown diamond patterns  in the midst of the yellow.

You're plastered with green leaves, and soaking wet from head to toe. But you do have your backpack. Hopefully you brought a towel.

PT

For a moment, I am slightly relieved, glad that I was able to lose the parakeet. Unfortunately, my relief soon turns back into terror as I find myself face to face with a large snake. One probable threat after another. Great. I feel like I'm losing my mind, but I struggle to keep my composure.

I relax a little when I discover that I still have my backpack with me, and as I back away slowly from the snake, I will take it off and search it for my SIG P229. If I do find it, I will equip it and aim it at the snake, though I won't fire. YET. I've never tried to kill a living being before, and I don't want to start now, though I will defend myself if need be.

As soon as I reach a point that I find safe to escape from, I will sprint off to the right and head through the Jungle. I obviously won't know where I'm going, but anywhere is safer than here. If the snake tries to attack me before I attempt to flee, I will fire two rounds at it (if I have my gun), then run off.

All the while, I'm thinking: 'This is insane...first a giant bird and now this?! What is going on here?! I can't take it anymore...someone, ANYONE...get me OUT of this place!!'
This message was last edited by the player at 01:10, Fri 16 May 2008.

The snake moves as you move, and so you fire. You miss, and fire again. The second shot hits, and it falls out of its tree with a thump. And then with another few steps, you're far enough away to feel safe. It does not follow you. It may be dead.

You sprint off, and go about fifty feet until you break through a line of bamboo, and plunge into a river.  You go in over your head.  There had been no warning that on the other side of the greenery there was water.

You pull yourself to the surface, and gasp for air.

PT

'Ok, snake's dead, now I just need to get out of he-agh!!!'

My feelings of relief and triumph are squashed as I now find myself being thrown about in a river. I frantically examine my surroundings, trying to find a strong branch or rock I can grab on to. If I manage to find one, I will try to make my way to the other side of the river, and if I make it, I will quickly check to see if I still have my belongings, then I'll continue to move forward.

The river is about ten feet wide, and it sweeps you down about ten feet before you grab for a branch. It breaks.  But another twenty feet, and you see a pair of branches.

You choose the more stout one, and grab.  Your arms stretch, and your fingers whimper, but you hold.  Then you pull yourself, hand over hand, to the shore.

Behind you, you hear a large plop.

You see disappointed looking crocodile turn, and head back to shore.

Here you stand, in the extreme thickness of the water edge.

"Don't ye move, laddie. I'll shoot you without a moment's thought. I know what ye are, so don't be trying anything funny cause I got other men with me."

The mouth of an automatic rifle extends from a bush across the river to point unblinkingly at you.

The oddest thing is you could swear, that the man with the autorifle is scared of....you.  And not just a little bit either.

PT

When I make my way to shore, I let out a deep sigh, relieved that I was able to make it safely. Maybe I can finally find a way to get out of here...

I suddenly freeze when I hear a voice come out from behind some bushes. My heart suddenly leaps with joy for a moment. 'Oh my God...that's a HUMAN voice!! I'm not alone! Maybe I'm still on Earth...somehow.' However, when I see a rifle barrel poking out from one of the bushes, I realize that he views me as a possible enemy.

As soon as the human finished his sentence, I notice something weird about him. For some reason...I get a strong feeling that he is afraid of me. I don't know why; if anything, I should be more scared than he is. And what does he mean by: "I know what you are"? This is too strange.

No time to think about that. This guy's armed and he has backup. It doesn't look like they have any qualms about killing me, either. I'll have to take a diplomatic approach.

I start to speak for the first time since I came here: "Y-You're human? *sigh* Thank God, I was starting to lose my mind... listen, I don't want to hurt anyone, I'm friendly. Here, I'm putting my weapon down..."
If I still have it with me, I will place my SIG P229 on the ground in front of me and raise my hands as a gesture of surrender. "...I surrender. Hold your fire, please...just tell me what's going on here. I don't know where I am, and I sure don't know how and why I came here! Just don't shoot..."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:04, Tue 20 May 2008.

"A newb?" There's some relief in the rifleman's voice until another voice mildly observes from in front of you, but out of your sight.

"Remember Joachim Sanchez. Butter wouldn't melt....and the aftermath."

"Yes, sir." The rifleman says.

A pair of manacles lands in front of you.

"Put them on." The rifleman says coolly after you've put the gun down. "Protocol is to say 'I am authorized to use lethal force to blow you into the next world if you resist in any way my legal commands.'" There is a slight pause. "Now. Put them on."

The manacles look to be extremely sturdy.

'Blow me into the next world? Me, a newb? A newb at what? What are they talking about?' This whole thing is making absolutely NO sense to me whatsoever. I am completely dumbfounded. When a pair of manacles land in front of me, I nearly jump in surprise.

'They want to place me under arrest...I don't understand. Why are they acting so hostile towards me?' I can't help but wonder as I stare at the manacles for a moment. 'Well...might as well come quietly. Don't wanna tick them off...' I sigh, defeated, as I reach down to pick up the manacles. I reluctantly put them on and stand there, patiently waiting for them to act.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:55, Tue 20 May 2008.

They click on, and five men in camoflage slip up out of the jungle.  They keep their automatic weapons aimed at you, and as if dancing, no one stays long in another's line of fire.

"I'm Salamander, leader of this little soiree'." The voice of authority says.  He looks to be in his thirties with short-cut light brown hair, and a weathered face cut by crow's feet.  He steps like a gymnast.

He takes you by the arm, and gently as he can assists you through the jungle to a black helicopter two hundred yards away.  Once there he tabs a comm in the copter as the blades silently spin up.

"C, the package is wrapped up. Yes sir, the Predictive worked very well."  Pause. "Thank you, sir. I'm still remembering Wall's team though."

The others seem to have relaxed, and offer you smiles as the copter lifts off with you between two soldiers on a back bench.  But you can tell they still are afraid of you despite a set of manacles that would daunt a world-class bodybuilder.

Salamander sits down across from you, and offers you a juice box as a medic treats your scratches.

"Some nasty diseases in the Amazon Rain Forrest. Got to treat the cuts." He pauses. "Otherwise you could die, and you know how annoying that is." He laughs and the others join in. Its a knowing laugh.

PT

When the 6 armed men step out of their cover towards me, I finally figure out just who they are. 'Special Forces. I figured as much. They look like SAS, too...'

When the team leader identifies himself by his apparent code-name, Salamander, I give him a slight smile and reply back: "Salamander, eh? Heh. Well, I'm Shane. Man, you're a sight for sore eyes. Thought I was gonna die out here..."

When the team leads me to the chopper, I can't help but smile. 'A chopper...I'm finally getting out of here! Thank God... I step in the chopper and take a seat right across from Salamander's.

When Salamander offers me a juice box, I gladly oblige. It's a little difficult with these manacles on, but I manage to drink it, anyway. "Thanks...you guys saved my life out there. You boys SAS? Sure seem like it."

When the medic makes a comment about how annoying it is to die, I look at him strangely. 'What is UP with these people?! These guys have been making weird remarks about me this whole time! Ok, that's it. I'm tired of being left in the dark. Time to find some answers.

I then look at Salamander, my expression dead serious, and start to speak: "Ok, I'm starting to get sick of this. What do you guys mean by that? What do you mean by: 'I know what you are'? What do you mean by 'blowing me into the next world'? Forgive me, but I have absolutely NO idea what's going on here, so tell me: what in God's name are you guys talking about?" I say, my voice sounding quite annoyed.

Then it hits me. They know what happened to me. They know how I came here. No wonder they've been acting so strangely! "You...you know how this happened, don't you?! I want the truth, now! Why am I here? How DID I get here? What the Hell happened to me?!" I say, not quite yelling, but close.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:40, Thu 22 May 2008.

They giggle when you say 'save my life', and one says 'sure sounds like a newb, and I know Sallie, stay on my guard.'

"Right, Anaconda." Salamander says back to the man who looks as if he could bench press a small car. "Shane, I'm pure SAS. Others here are Delta, and SOG or Soggies as we call them, and the Aussies saw fit to grace us with one of the ASF. But everyone has also ran the Sass course."

"It was easy." Says one man with a strong Austrailian accent. "I slept through most of the so-called exercises."  He flashes you a smile, and winks. "I'm Cobra."

"You weren't sleeping, you were laying on the ground gasping for breath." Another man replies with a smirk. "And I see our esteemed leader forgot to mention the Rangers."

"That's cause Rangers don't count, Rattler." Anaconda gibes.

"I thought it was because Rangers couldn't count, not without their fingers anyhoo." Cobra adds.

During this byplay, you try to make sense of things, and nothing makes sense. You burst out with your questions, and the team looks at each other.

"Ah." Salamander says. "Well, stop me if anything sounds familar....King Robert of England? Jeb Bush, President of the United States? Albert Gore, ex-president of the same country? Maggie Thatcher? Winston Churchill? America? The British Empire?" Astonishment has kept your tongue still until now, and they are starting to glance at each other with some interest.

"Remember that worldwalker who spoke English, but had never heard of England because it had been sunk by volcanoes in pre-history? That was weird." Anaconda says softly.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:41, Fri 23 May 2008.

'SAS...Delta Force...SOG...ASF. So this group is some sort of international Joint Task Force made up of SF operatives...' I am also curious at the fact that all of their code-names are named after reptiles. Maybe I should ask Salamander about this stuff later...

I cock an eyebrow when I hear Salamander mention current political figures. Some of them aren't in the positions that Salamander says they are in, and I have never heard of this King Robert. Of course, I obviously nod when he mentions Churchill, Thatcher, the US and the UK, though I am a bit perplexed when Salamander calls it the British Empire rather than the UK.

"...King Robert? What are you talking about? There is no King of England right now! Jeb Bush, the President? He...he hasn't even run for President...Al Gore never became President! He lost to George W. Bush...and the British Empire is defunct now...You're not making any sense..."

I lower my head and ponder for a moment, desperately trying to make sense of this whole situations. When the operative called 'Anaconda' mentions something about some 'Worldwalker' guy that claimed England was sunk by volcanoes in pre-history, it confounds me even more. That's when it hits me again. King Robert...President Gore...British Empire...these things never happened back when I was...no way...it can't be...

My head suddenly snaps back up, eyes widened. It couldn't be true...could it?
"Hold on...none of these things happened before I woke up here...but for you...these things DID happen?! Ha-have I been transported to some...alternate universe or something?! Is THAT what happened to me?!!"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:58, Sat 24 May 2008.

"Welcome to the Multiverse, worldwalker." Salamander says with a small smile. "Yes, Robert is King of England, and Jeb Bush is POTUS. The senior Bush ran for two terms, and then the Democrats won with Al Gore who ran for one term, and then in a hard-fought election that balanced on a dime, Jeb Bush won.  We're not the British Empire any more, that kind of dissolved after World War 2, but I was searching for common ground, to see how deeply the differences ran. We're not that far from you. There are, I'm told, lots of universes much further from your home than this one." He smiles gently.

"Some people call you lot 'versers' as in Multiverse, and others say 'gatesmen', and others call you 'immortals'." Anaconda says. "When we get back to HQ, you can talk to C who's one of you lot, and we've got a couple others there too, helping out."

They are watching you with a mixture of sympathy, and wariness as if they are afraid you'll flip out.

PT

'Multiverse...Worldwalker...oh God...' This story is too unbelievable to be true for me, yet somehow...it all matches up. How else would I have ended up in the middle of the Amazon in a blink of an eye? I'm shocked and confused as I try to make sense of all this.

I sigh deeply, and after a few moments, I look up and say: "So...multiple universes...ok...this is all a bit too much, but...I guess I have no choice but to believe you. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you guys some questions."

I think for a moment, then I speak up again: "What year are we in now? Do you guys have ANY idea how I managed to get here? And uh...heh...who ARE you guys, why are you all the way out here in the Amazon, and what's the status of the world today?"

When Salamander mentions C and some others, I immediately perk up. "Woah woah woah...this C and some others you're talking about...they're like me? You're saying there are other...'Worldwalkers' here like me?!" I am mostly surprised, but I also feel a little ecstatic. 'Other worldwalkers...finally, I'll talk to someone who can actually make sense of all this.'

"Its May the 10th, 2011 A.D. or Anno Domini," the medic speaks. "I'm Krait. And we don't have full details on it. Need to know and all that. However, we're the Reptile House Action Team. Our primary job is to retrieve versers, and our secondary job is to go and break whatever C  thinks needs breaking. In that respect, we often serve as back up to versers."

"And mate, as backup, I've seen things no sane man would believe without at least four pints of Guiness first." Cobra speaks, and by the wildness in his eyes, you can see he's reliving memories that still shock him.

"C recruits versers. The world has lots of problem spots, and versers make excellent secret agents. As to why we're in the Amazon, that's two-fold. One we can track versers anywhere on the planet. Two, well, there's this lady verser working for us for the last two months....she's a...."  Salamander pauses and Anaconda pipes up.

"Dedicate Predictive for House Rising Plasma, the Green-Bannered Lady." Anaconda says this while shrugging afterwards. "She won't tell us her real name. Says it would give us power over her. So we call her Lady Green. Anyways, she is a precognitive, and she told us a verser was going to arrive near hear."

"Yeah, there's Lady Green whose a total loon if you ask me. Roger Bradley, who's got these weird muscles and sleeps in a sailboat on the Thames, and Tara who looks like your kid sister, and hasn't gone on a mission yet." Cobra finishes.

PT

"Huh...2011? Well, where I come from, it's May 2008!"

When Krait finally tells me just who they are, I raise an eyebrow at him questioningly. 'Reptile House Action Team? The Hell kind of name is that? Sounds like a name for some cheesy band of superheroes or something...'

After Salamander and Anaconda explain their unit's purpose, I stare at them for a moment, confused. "C recruits versers. The world has lots of problem spots, and versers make excellent secret agents." Salamander's words echo in my head for a few moment, then I understand just what they want with me. When they finish, I speak up:

"Wait a minute...you want ME to become a special agent? Y-you misunderstand! I'm no warrior... I'm just a regular college student! I may carry a weapon around with me, but I only want to use it for self defense. Don't get me wrong, I do hate terrorists and the like with a passion, but still..." I rest my head on my hand. I struggle to keep myself from breaking down. "...I'm just a normal guy...I didn't want any of this to happen to me...look, jus-...just give me a moment."

I close my eyes and mentally tell myself to calm down and that I'll be all right.The juice that Salamander gave me helps, too. I open my eyes once again, a bit calmer and more collected than before.

I wonder about this 'Lady Green' and the other 'versers', and so I ask the team about them: "So, this...'Lady Green', is the one who found out about me? She can see the future? Well, I find that a bit hard to believe. This Bradley guy sounds weird, too, and you say this Tara looks a bit like me? Tell me a bit more about C and Tara."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:17, Fri 30 May 2008.

Suddenly there is no helicopter sound, not even the muted sound you've been hearing. You look out and see frozen waves beneath you.

And then the doorway from the pilot's area opens.

A lady enters, and she is dressed in an old-fashioned dress.  Behind her comes a man with red hair and blue eyes.

"Ah, I recognize these guys. Darling, this the Reptile House team, and see here's the place I cracked Cobra's skull. He  healed up nicely."

"My apologies. My husband can sometimes get overenthused. My name is Annie, and his is Christophe, and you're..." She pauses her mouth going wide.

"Oh excellent indeed. Sir, its a privilege to meet you. I was there on the wall when you and the Alchemist rode out against the Lords of the Abyss and slaughtered them by the dozen fold. I think that was twenty years ago on my personal timeline. I'm recruiting for a small mission, some other versers involved, and I'll return you to this space and time when its done.  It would be really a great honor to have you on it."

PT
OOC: I'm taking a two week vacation, and this is your chance to join Krillis' temporary gather. As to your other concern, easily done. You'll soon see C, see? And from there, I understand a date with a nuke is not far away.

When the world around me seemingly freezes, I just stare for a second, confused. A few moments later, I panic, looking all around me and frantically searching for my pistol. 'Wh-what?! What IS this?!'

Immediately after I ask my mental question, the unknown lady and the man emerge from the pilot's door. All I am able to do is gawk at them. "Who...who are you?! Where'd-" They interrupt me before I get the chance to finish.

When they finish their statements, I look away, thinking about their offer. Why'd they come for me? Where'd they come from? What was this "mission"? What did they mean about me, some alchemist and these Lords of the Abyss?

Either way, it doesn’t look like this Annie and Christophe are going to let me off so easily. They wanted an answer, here and now. The questions could wait until later.
"...All right...I’ll do it. I have no idea what’s going on here, but...I guess I have no other choice. Name's Shane, by the way. So...what must I do?"

OOC: Cool. I'm in. And a nuke? Awesome.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:33, Fri 30 May 2008.

"Of course, Shane the Unstoppable, we both know you. Perhaps its in your future timeline that we met, but its our past."  He holds out a hand, and you retrieve your pistol form Anaconda's backpack where you see it poking out.  Nervously, you take his hand, and the world wavers around you....

PT