Victorian Teatime
Posted on Mon Apr 18th, 2016 @ 11:48pm by
Edited on on Thu Jun 2nd, 2016 @ 11:36pm
Mission:
Time and High Society
Location: The Wells Home
Timeline: March 19th, 1896
[ON]
Monday's heart finally calmed after the mysterious jump capsule 'landed'. The surroundings were unfamiliar, a small building of some sort. She would have called it a workshop, but not one of the tools was recognizable. After a few minutes of scanning the capsule to ensure that all was stable, she slowly pushed the door open and exited. It was quiet. Daylight poured in through curtained windows.
With wristbook open, she walked a circle around the capsule and scanning with tricorder wand. No subspace chatter, no electromagnetic transmissions, no solarian satellite markers, nothing. The building structure around her was surprising. The brown material was organic in origin, a plant derivative. She had heard of wooden construction before, but never seen it. The windows were made of an ultra-viscous liquid, glass.
Readings from one of the scans startled her. She went to a table where a cloth covered something. She pinched hold and removed it. Before her was, by all scan and appearance, the beacon stone found on S.S. Sea of Saipan. Its energy state was elevated due to the proximity capsule landing.
Monday was about to look out the windows when the door opened. A woman in strange attire briskly entered, "Herbert? Are you here?" She stopped in her tracks, startled to see the girl before her. More than that, said girl had vividly glowing images hovering above her wrist. The girl somehow made the illusions go away and stared back with fearful eyes.
Apprehensiveness melted into a smile of wonderment, "You're from the future, aren't you?"
Monday returned a puzzled look, "Future?"
"Well, it is pretty obvious that you don't hail from Victorian England. You have a television in the palm of your hand without the television. You're wearing pants, which would cause quite the social gasp if you were seen in public, and you appear to be wearing equipment cases." The woman sighed, removing her scarf, "I can only assume that my husband is responsible for this. Is he here?"
"Ma'am, I don't understand your references. Future, husband... I came here by accident."
Now alarmed, the woman stepped closer, "In Herbert's time machine?"
Monday stared warily, "What is the date here?"
She calmed, "March nineteenth, eighteen hundred and ninety six."
A look of sheer horror came over Monday's face, "No! It can't be!" She quickly collected her wits and shook her head defencively, "It cannot be. Planet Archa had no environment like this five centuries ago."
"Planet Archa? This is Earth! And five hundred years?"
"No, it cannot be! A jump capsule like this requires a mothership to send and retrieve. It couldn't cross this far across the galaxy without help."
"A man was piloting this machine. Where is he?"
Monday's eyes turned aside for a moment. "He appeared aboard a civilian ship and was detained. I was investigating the capsule when latent ambient energies activated it."
"Oh no..." The woman ran to the capsule for a look inside, "No key. That means it will automatically recall soon. My husband will be able to return."
"It will? When? I need to be inside so that I can go back!"
"I beg you. Will you please help him return?"
"Ma'am, I would be more than happy to." Monday seemed more unsettled, "Although, that might be easier said than done." She met eye contact, "If this is truly is a time machine, Starfleet would confiscate it in a heartbeat."
"Star Fleet?" After a few moments of bewilderment, the woman of society collected her wits. "Look at me, standing here befuddled like this. Where are my manners? She extended her hand, "I am Mrs. Herbert Wells. Please call me Amy."
"Ensign Monday Starr, born of Herisius, citizen of the United Federation of Planets."
Amy gave a smiling bow of the head, "My pleasure." She went to the capsule and removed a vital component. "I cannot stop the machine from recalling, but it won't go until this is plugged back in. We now have plenty of time to chat."
Monday nodded, "I think that would be a very good thing, ma'am."
"Do you know what a moment like this requires? A good sit down for tea to discuss the situation. Please, come into my home next door." She stopped at the door and removed her cloak, "Here, please put this on. Like I said, you're wearing pants. If you're seen, the gossip will rage like wildfire." On their way through grass and trees, she explained, "I too come from the future, but not nearly as many centuries from now as you. I am completely envious! What I would give to wear jeans and a tank top one more time!"
The next two hours were full of lively conversation, although the tea didn't go so smoothly. Unaccustomed to processed sugar, Monday almost passed out. Then, the caffeine left her a bit hyper. Earth, Archa, time travel, husband, and situation dominated the conversation until her combadge chirped. "Starr here! Who is this?"
=/Monday! It's me!\=
"Ricki! You're here! Where are you?"
Amy anxiously whispered, "My husband?"
=/Right now? Mr. Wells and I are currently sitting on top of a tower of an English castle.\=
Monday and Amy exchanged a puzzled look, "What are you doing there?"
=/We're still arguing about that one. The important thing is, are you okay?\=
"I'm sitting with Mrs. Wells in her home. I was about to board the capsule and enable the recall function to go back."
=/Monday, let the capsule go back empty. I need your help if I'm going to make it back.\=
"Copy. We'll let it recall now." The conversation continued as they walked across the courtyard, "What do you need from me?"
=/There should be a beacon stone inside Mr. Wells' shop.\=
"It's here."
=/We need you to bring it to us as soon as possible. I don't know how long we can stall the castle caretakers from summoning a constable over this bizarre event. They keep... staring at me.\=
"You're wearing pants, Ricki."
=/What?\=
"I'll explain later. Give us your coordinates and we'll bring a shuttle... or whatever they use here."
Information was exchanged, and Amy Wells dressed Monday in some of her Victorian garb. "You look lovely, like a school girl, actually. How old are you?"
"Two years."
"Excuse me?"
Monday chuckled, "I'll explain along the way" Her shuttle, to her alarm, turned out to be a pair of living creatures hitched to a bumpy, noisy carriage. "What is that awful smell!"
Amy laughed, "Haven't been around horses, have you?"
"I've never even seen them before! Ohhh, I feel nauseous." A thought struck her, "Oh no."
"What's the matter?"
"Ricki. She can't handle non-synthetic environments."
"You're joking."
"No! We were eating the galley one time and a Klingon sat down nearby."
"Klingon?"
"Space barbarians. He had this huge fire-cooked leg of beast. The moment he ripped off a chunk of meat with his teeth, Ricki passed out from nausea."
Amy couldn't help but laugh, "I am so sorry! I apologize."
"No... no, there isn't a need. Thorians have totally forgotten nature and this is the consequence."
"Thorians?"
"She's not human." That garnered a few moments of shocked expression.
Amy sighed with raised brows, "Well! More to chat about! We're going to have a problem, feeding her. There are no synthetic foods, here."
"She might be able to handle plant matter, but I'm not sure."
As the ladies started out in their carriage, Monday flipped open her wrist book and began a tricorder scan. Amy quietly exhorted, "No-No! Hide that!"
"Why? Oh, yes, I forgot. But... I need to!"
"Why?"
"There are toxins in the air! We must acquire breathing apparati!"
Amy chuckled, "You poor thing. Welcome to the daily world of air pollution. You'll survive."
The horses trotted their way along the streets of London. "Ricki is going to throw up. I know it."
[OFF]
Monday Starr
Ricki St. Louis
Mr. & Mrs. Herbert Wells
Starbase 332 Twilight Zone
Pegasus Fleet
