Game Log "Time Trip Lunch Hour"

Week 2 – Day 4

Before class Professor Snake told Terra that plans were being set in motion to deal with the Army of Ghosts. The occult club would be asked to help, as would many of the students who had any sort of magical powers.

The day was normal and quiet during morning classes.

By lunch time there were notices all over the school announcing a special meeting that evening in the theater, held by the student council. Something had to be done about the ghosts sooner than later and it looked like the religious orders would take days to investigate and then more days to debate what should be done, so it was up to the students to act.

As lunch hour neared its end the group (with out Terra) returned the NBC suits to Doctor Watt in his lab. As a man of science he was curious about what they had seen in the ruins but did not believe in ghosts. Just as he was assuring them that there was a scientific explanation for everything, the world seemed to twist and fly apart.

When people (including a few other students) recovered from the unexpected distortion effect, they had lots of questions. But Doctor Watt was only half paying attention to them; he was mostly concerned with examining his experiment to find out what went wrong.

Meanwhile the group examined their surroundings. It seemed that the entire lab had been teleported inside an old barn, which it filled almost exactly. But that was not the biggest surprise. Outside they found what seemed to be a small European or American town, right out of the late1920s. Time travel, was this time travel? Then a rider on horse back came quickly down the road shouting “The Americans are coming, they will be here tomorrow, evacuate or be ready to fight.”

Doctor Watt explained that time travel was really a matter of moving between similar lines of reality. You can not actually go back into your own history because you would create a paradox. So even if you went to a past or future world that was almost identical, it would be another reality not another time. The students looked rather baffled, then asked the critical question; “Can you get us home?” To which the Doctor answered “Yes, but it may take a few days of work.”

At this point Aoki, being one the brightest students, asked a very odd question. “If we traveled to this alternate past and the lab is now inside a barn, where are we getting power from?” The lights immediately went out. The Doctor grumbled and quickly explained the theory of group reality construction as it related to quantum shifting mechanics. “Basically we had electricity as song as the group assumed that we should have it. When that was put in doubt, the local reality imposed itself on the lab.” Still there were looks of confusion.

After lighting up a cigarette Doctor Watt said “We need two things as soon as possible. First to find out where we are and what is going on. Second to get the power back on in here so I can fix the device.” 

Sainen volunteered to go find a newspaper and listen in to some local conversations. With his stealth suit invisibility it would be easy. He also planned to steal some clothes so it other people might blend in if they had to. The girls were the most obviously out of place, with their short skirts. Of course most of the group had no chance to pass for locals, being Japanese. Anya would be the best at passing for a native to the area.

When Sainen got back with the newspaper the gravity of their situation was reveled to the group. The year was 1933, the middle of the great depression. They were in Moncton a small town in one of Canada’s east coast provinces. ( not far from Anya’s home ) There was a war going on between America and Britain. More importantly there were American troops marching this way. They were heading for the port city of Halifax and Moncton was on the most direct land rout. In fact the small town had the only bridge on the lower Petitcodiac River. The newspaper made it clear that one way or another Moncton would try to stall the advancing army. The hope was that the Americans would be forced to detour around the town, adding many miles to their march.  Every day of delay would be precious time for the defenders at Halifax to get ready, and for the British to organize reinforcements.   

So not only was the group stuck in an alternate reality past, they were right in the middle of a war, with a few days of repair work needed on the device that would get them home. Could they stay in hiding that long?

What about the farmer who owns this barn? Anya asked. They would have to do something about him and his family. The group quickly came to the realization that simply hiding out would not work for very long. It certainly would not get them a source of power, which the Doctor needed if he was to keep working.

It was at that point that Doctor Watt pulled out his note book and wrote down a few things as he explained his plan. Sainen and Anya would pose as Royal Canadian Army officers in the special division. They would talk with the farmer explaining that the Crown was using his barn for a secret mission. Then they would go into town and talk with the local militia commander or police chief. They would pick up a few supplies and a truck, which could be used as a power generator so long as its engine kept running. The Doctor then handed over a very official looking piece of paper.

Although Sainen and Anya looked a bit skeptical, they went along with the plan. The farmer found it very odd but he was quite agreeable, his wife even offered to make the group some dinner. The militia commander hardly gave the matter a second glance. He was occupied with the defense works down by the river. Although the special agents looked a bit odd, the orders on paper seemed perfectly genuine.

So by late afternoon everything was in hand. Sainen had even managed to get 4 rifles and 2 pistols, along with a box of bullets from the militia. Aanya was not very happy with the heavy old rifle, but it did offer better long range fire than her 9mm pistols.

The group kept watch during the night in shifts, as the Doctor worked on the device. Around midnight there was a single large explosion down by the river. It was Sainen’s guess that the bridge had been blown up, most likely because the American advanced troops had reached it.

Things were quiet until the morning. That is when the exchange of cannon fire began, and the sound of airplanes buzzing overhead could be heard. The Canadians only had a few small cannons and a half dozen aircraft, all of these surplus WW I equipment. The Americans quickly amassed a dozen guns but they were slow to bring their airplanes into the fight. All through the morning there was the booming and buzzing sounds from down by the river. Then it got quiet after a particularly heavy volley of fire from the Americans.

Around noon a rider came along the road announcing the news; the invaders were putting together a raft bridge, every man with a rifle was needed down at the waterfront. 

The gunfire and occasional volley of cannon shots rang out through the afternoon. It was nerve racking to listen to the fighting while doing nothing. From the hay loft one could see more or less where the action was taking place, but that was nearly 2 miles off so few details were discernable. What was clear was that the Americans had a lot of troops on the other side of the river.

People kept asking Doctor Watt “Will it be fixed soon?” His answer was “Tomorrow, if things go well.”

By nightfall the Americans had pushed across enough men to make a solid foot hold. In desperation the Canadians launched a night attack. Of course the group in the barn could hear the fighting but it was impossible to tell what was going on.  Although Anya very much wanted to sneak down and sabotage the American bridge, Seinen talked her out of it.  

At dawn a rider came along the road announcing the invaders were coming across in full force. The town would be in their hands by noon.

“How about now doc?”

“Not quite ready yet. Soon.”

It was as the Doctor was putting the last few bits of his device back together that the Americans came marching a group of prisoners past the barn. Seinen was on look at the door and Anya was up in the hay loft. They both witnessed the attempted escape of one of the prisoners, which resulted in the brutal beating of the lot.

As it seemed one of the soldiers was intent on clubbing a prisoner to death with his rifle but, Anya could keep quiet no more. She fired a good clean head shot. Down went the trooper. Seinen growled something about “Stupid girl can’t follow orders.” then opened fire too.

The soldiers were surprised, allowing another trooper to fall before they took what little cover they could find. They returned fire into the house and barn erratically for a few seconds. But it was a losing battle for them. Anya and Seinen cut them down very fast.

The prisoners of course made a run for it.

Everything seemed to be going fine for a few minutes, until a second group of soldiers showed up, this one larger than the first. As they closed in everyone got ready to defend the barn, even Kimmy and Shin.

“That has it.” Doctor Watt exclaimed as bullets thumped into the barn at an alarming rate. Then the world seemed to spin, twist and blur. The lab with in the barn returned to its proper place and time.    

For the group it has been a grueling few days. For everyone else it has been only a few seconds. It was still the same day, the same lunch hour.