Gathering at ASTRO Labs [Elseworlds/What If?]

[Lilac]

Lila slowly turned visible during the ride in the SUV. First her hands and feet, then her body, and finally her head. During the final few moments when she was still headless, Lila caught a bad case of the giggles. The scientists glared at her several times, at her obvious inability to grasp the the seriousness of the situation. Lila tried to be quiet, but she couldn't stop the giggles. Finally,when one of the scientists barked, "Young lady!" at the headless girl, she stuck our her invisible tongue at the scientist, before mumbling, "Yes, sir." She managed to stifle the giggles for the remainder of the trip.

When the SUVs stopped, she piled out behind Sean and Bailey, shielding her eyes against the wind with her arm.

[cosmicarus]

The wind, that was ok. Sure, the many people inhabiting Liberty park - the police officers, scientists, men in black suits and the civilians who were prompty being ushered out of the park - were being buffeted about quite healthily, but at least nothing was yet being damaged...

...that was until the lightning began. It started with a sharp crack echoing through out the black clouds in the sky. Then the electricity came. A streak of octarine energy struck the ground, blackening the area and causing the ground to shake momentarily. It was worrying. Three more cracks of this octarine onslaught followed, and then more intermittantly. People had begun shouting long ago, and now the hysterics were settling in. Dr. Maclean was still rushing this way and that. It seemed he was trying to set up some devices around the perimeter of Libery park. They looked like large silver plates attached to metal stakes, but they obviously had to be more than that. In any case, he was ordering whoever was in earshot to get them placed in a perimeter around what looked to be the centre of the rather turbulant disturbance.

As he did this, he looked into another device he was holding at odd intervals. It looked like the thing Egon used in Ghostbusters to detect things that needed busting, and now it was flashing as Dr. Maclean lamented over whatever it was telling him. After a few moments it hissed with an alarm and Dr. Maclean cried out, "Oh dear! Oh my... oh, dear!" He began waving the device around - the alarm would speed up or slow down depending on where it was pointed. He began to walk, following where the device signalled with it's increased warnings. To the visitors suprise (or perhaps, not so), he walked directly for them. That said, Dr. Maclean didn't seem to notice this fact until the device seemed to have a fit while he waved it in front of R.J. His eyes left the device and went to the visitors, "Oh my - what have I don't? I shouldn't have brought you here. I... any of you! What have I done?" The octarine flashes continue in the sky, and there is an unearthly sound that seems to reverberate through the heavans. The winds pick up and the lightning grows more violent. Dr. Maclean turns back to his people, "Please! You need to get the floaters in place! I... you need to - the energy, it's found an anchor!" All of the stakes seem to be in place, and a yellow glow begins to form around them. One nearby, however, was placed loosely into the ground, and the wind blows it over. A young scientist runs forward, picking it up - before he can place it, however, a bolt of lightning strikes next to him, and his body falls inside the perimeter of the circle, unmoving. The stake lays near him as the yellow glow the stakes were creating begins to recede.

[cosmicarus]

The wind, that was ok. Sure, the many people inhabiting Liberty park - the police officers, scientists, men in black suits and the civilians who were prompty being ushered out of the park - were being buffeted about quite healthily, but at least nothing was yet being damaged...

...that was until the lightning began. It started with a sharp crack echoing through out the black clouds in the sky. Then the electricity came. A streak of octarine energy struck the ground, blackening the area and causing the ground to shake momentarily. It was worrying. Three more cracks of this octarine onslaught followed, and then more intermittantly. People had begun shouting long ago, and now the hysterics were settling in. Dr. Maclean was still rushing this way and that. It seemed he was trying to set up some devices around the perimeter of Libery park. They looked like large silver plates attached to metal stakes, but they obviously had to be more than that. In any case, he was ordering whoever was in earshot to get them placed in a perimeter around what looked to be the centre of the rather turbulant disturbance.

As he did this, he looked into another device he was holding at odd intervals. It looked like the thing Egon used in Ghostbusters to detect things that needed busting, and now it was flashing as Dr. Maclean lamented over whatever it was telling him. After a few moments it hissed with an alarm and Dr. Maclean cried out, "Oh dear! Oh my... oh, dear!" He began waving the device around - the alarm would speed up or slow down depending on where it was pointed. He began to walk, following where the device signalled with it's increased warnings. To the visitors suprise (or perhaps, not so), he walked directly for them. That said, Dr. Maclean didn't seem to notice this fact until the device seemed to have a fit while he waved it in front of R.J. His eyes left the device and went to the visitors, "Oh my - what have I don't? I shouldn't have brought you here. I... any of you! What have I done?" The octarine flashes continue in the sky, and there is an unearthly sound that seems to reverberate through the heavans. The winds pick up and the lightning grows more violent. Dr. Maclean turns back to his people, "Please! You need to get the floaters in place! I... you need to - the energy, it's found an anchor!" All of the stakes seem to be in place, and a yellow glow begins to form around them. One nearby, however, was placed loosely into the ground, and the wind blows it over. A young scientist runs forward, picking it up - before he can place it, however, a bolt of lightning strikes next to him, and his body falls inside the perimeter of the circle, unmoving. The stake lays near him as the yellow glow the stakes were creating begins to recede.

[Barnum]

Bailey was hanging onto the SUV and to Lila for dear life. She was trying to think like a comic book character, but that was harder than it sounded, especially while standing in the middle of a hurricane. Ready to do something, Bailey staggered forward and grabbed Sean's arm and yelled so as to be heard over the wind, "DO YOU THINK THAT IS SOME KIND OF PORTAL HOME? WHAT IF WE JUST JUMPED IN?" It sounded like a really stupid idea, but the comics were filled with crazy bits of science like that.

[Barnum]

Bailey was hanging onto the SUV and to Lila for dear life. She was trying to think like a comic book character, but that was harder than it sounded, especially while standing in the middle of a hurricane. Ready to do something, Bailey staggered forward and grabbed Sean's arm and yelled so as to be heard over the wind, "DO YOU THINK THAT IS SOME KIND OF PORTAL HOME? WHAT IF WE JUST JUMPED IN?" It sounded like a really stupid idea, but the comics were filled with crazy bits of science like that.

[Lilac]

Lila walked forward behind Bailey, trying to hear what she was saying, but before she could reach the pair a strong gust of wind blew her off her feet. Lila hit the ground hard, and it knocked the wind out of her. As she gasped for air another strong gust sent her rolling toward the vortex. Lila screamed as best she could and flailed around for a handhold or something to stop her progress toward the vortex. She managed to get two fist fulls of grass, but it was far too little. The tufts of grass came up by the roots as Lila was sucked toward the vortex by another powerful gust.

[Lilac]

Lila walked forward behind Bailey, trying to hear what she was saying, but before she could reach the pair a strong gust of wind blew her off her feet. Lila hit the ground hard, and it knocked the wind out of her. As she gasped for air another strong gust sent her rolling toward the vortex. Lila screamed as best she could and flailed around for a handhold or something to stop her progress toward the vortex. She managed to get two fist fulls of grass, but it was far too little. The tufts of grass came up by the roots as Lila was sucked toward the vortex by another powerful gust.

[cosmicarus]

Sean held onto the young woman for dear life, straining against the wind.

"DO YOU THINK THAT IS SOME KIND OF PORTAL HOME? WHAT IF WE JUST JUMPED IN?".

Sean looked worried. He wasn't sure what to think. If he let go, this girl could fly to her 'oh so squelchy' death. That said, he could also be stopping her from using her only ticket home. His mind raced with possibility, each scenario seemed to end in ultimate failure. When the other lady, Lila, began to get sucked away Sean began to despair all over again. What to do, what to do?

[cosmicarus]

Sean held onto the young woman for dear life, straining against the wind.

"DO YOU THINK THAT IS SOME KIND OF PORTAL HOME? WHAT IF WE JUST JUMPED IN?".

Sean looked worried. He wasn't sure what to think. If he let go, this girl could fly to her 'oh so squelchy' death. That said, he could also be stopping her from using her only ticket home. His mind raced with possibility, each scenario seemed to end in ultimate failure. When the other lady, Lila, began to get sucked away Sean began to despair all over again. What to do, what to do?

[Barnum]

"LILA!"

Bailey started to run to Lila's aid, but Sean was holding on for dear life. "LET GO!" she yelled and jerked her arm free. She took off toward where Lila was trying to hang on for dear life, but another gust of wind sent her tumbling across the grass, speeding toward the vortex.

BAM!

Bailey slammed into Lila as she was carried along by the wind. Both girls flailed wildly trying to grab each other, but another gust of wind pulled them ever closer to the dimensional vortex.

[Barnum]

"LILA!"

Bailey started to run to Lila's aid, but Sean was holding on for dear life. "LET GO!" she yelled and jerked her arm free. She took off toward where Lila was trying to hang on for dear life, but another gust of wind sent her tumbling across the grass, speeding toward the vortex.

BAM!

Bailey slammed into Lila as she was carried along by the wind. Both girls flailed wildly trying to grab each other, but another gust of wind pulled them ever closer to the dimensional vortex.

[Lilac]

Lila grabbed Bailey around the neck in an attempt to keep them both on the ground, but as the vortex grew more violent, the gusts of wind became increasingly irresistible. Bailey and Lila were hit with another burst of the tornado like winds. It lifted them both off the ground and sucked them right into the center of the ever-widening vortex. There was a flash like lightning, a clap of thunder that was barely audible over the wind, and the two girls were gone.

[Lilac]

Lila grabbed Bailey around the neck in an attempt to keep them both on the ground, but as the vortex grew more violent, the gusts of wind became increasingly irresistible. Bailey and Lila were hit with another burst of the tornado like winds. It lifted them both off the ground and sucked them right into the center of the ever-widening vortex. There was a flash like lightning, a clap of thunder that was barely audible over the wind, and the two girls were gone.

[cosmicarus]

In an answer to the girls disappearing, the whole scene seemed to clear up a little. Sure, there was still strong wind and the constant clap of thunder, but the whole effect was lessened somehow. Sean considered, lessened by about half! That was a way home! Sean ran out into the wind and leapt upward... and came crashing down against the ground. He got up quickly and tried again - the same result. It seems the winds weren't nearly strong enough to carry him to where the girls had gone. He lay there for some moments, going over the last few minutes in his head; what if he'd let go and gone with them? What if he'd kept them here, and now they'd all be stuck? He didn't know which eventuality affected him more. He lay there, the wind buffeting his hair and just thought for some time. It was until the winds finally receded that he looked up. He turned behind him, and there was Dr. Maclean securing the final stake device thing. In a wide arc around Sean there was a ring of pulsing yellow, which he followed with his gaze, before looking up. The winds were dying, almost back to normal, and the black clouds were disappearing, as far as Sean knew they were taking with them Sean's only hope to return home. He slumped back down to the grass before he was startled by someone grabbing his shoulder - he looked up into the dishevelled face of Dr Maclean, "Well, son, I suppose you had better come back with us." At that moment in time, there was nothing Sean would have liked less. He didn't want to go back, he was sore at the world. Without thinking about it, he got up and ran. Dr. Maclean called out from some nearby scientist types to catch him, but Sean avoided their lunges and made it to the edge of the park. There was a crowd around it, watching to see what was going on. Sean managed to get in amongst them, disappearing in the sea of faces...

[cosmicarus]

In an answer to the girls disappearing, the whole scene seemed to clear up a little. Sure, there was still strong wind and the constant clap of thunder, but the whole effect was lessened somehow. Sean considered, lessened by about half! That was a way home! Sean ran out into the wind and leapt upward... and came crashing down against the ground. He got up quickly and tried again - the same result. It seems the winds weren't nearly strong enough to carry him to where the girls had gone. He lay there for some moments, going over the last few minutes in his head; what if he'd let go and gone with them? What if he'd kept them here, and now they'd all be stuck? He didn't know which eventuality affected him more. He lay there, the wind buffeting his hair and just thought for some time. It was until the winds finally receded that he looked up. He turned behind him, and there was Dr. Maclean securing the final stake device thing. In a wide arc around Sean there was a ring of pulsing yellow, which he followed with his gaze, before looking up. The winds were dying, almost back to normal, and the black clouds were disappearing, as far as Sean knew they were taking with them Sean's only hope to return home. He slumped back down to the grass before he was startled by someone grabbing his shoulder - he looked up into the dishevelled face of Dr Maclean, "Well, son, I suppose you had better come back with us." At that moment in time, there was nothing Sean would have liked less. He didn't want to go back, he was sore at the world. Without thinking about it, he got up and ran. Dr. Maclean called out from some nearby scientist types to catch him, but Sean avoided their lunges and made it to the edge of the park. There was a crowd around it, watching to see what was going on. Sean managed to get in amongst them, disappearing in the sea of faces...