Question Blast from the Past

What is Mrs. Carson trying to decipher, sounds like something magical and highly complex. Whatever it is must be connected to something serious, for her to work herself to that level of exhaustion. Bwahaha, got hooked on gourmet coffee beans by Ayla. All that about coffee beans, complex business from the sound of it. Thinking by the time Lanie and Kayda graduate she will have a few gray hairs, priceless.

Using Star Trek references and Liz learned them just to deal with those two, bwahaha. Langley Paulson, plus Louis forcing her to confront a horrible past event that still haunts her months ago. And the answer or at least the key suddenly comes to her, just right when she tries to stop thinking about it. Interdimensional and time based aspects to a puzzle, no wonder it took her so long.

All devisors including Jobe, plus Ribbon and Roulette, what does she have planned. Whoa, willing to upset the trustees to see this project through. A mission they have to do before Sunday evening or won't have another chance for 7 years, yikes. 4 heavy hitters for this mission, this is the most serious I think we've ever seen Mrs. Carson about something. Wait a minute, just thought of what this might be about. Her friend that disappeared years ago, is this a rescue mission perhaps?

Whoa, bringing in Rachel for this project, thus need Ribbon to deal with her, this is beyond huge. Bunny, Jobe and Belphoebe, Koala, Moebius, Hazmat, Eruption, Flashbang, Goodvibes, Fixx, Dredz, Less-than-three, Kew, Keystone, Spark, Techno-Devil, and Slapdash, that is a lot of devisors. They have a lot of work to do in a very short amount of time. Darn, Spark is out. Dredz, Less-than-three, Techno-Devil, Slapdash, and Keystone as well, ouch.

A selective bio-agent based on limited information and it is a weapon of last resort, yikes, those always seem to be needed. Good lord, this mission into an alternate dimension sounds almost like a trip to Hell if not worse from all they need and that last option Carson is having Eruption and Fixx work on.

Shortcut there and yeah, if Ribbon can't control Lady Havoc a security squad would be torn through easily. Mystery Woman there as well. Awww, got me tearing up alongside Alyss upon seeing Rachel. Set them up in a guest cottage, but Rachel wants to sleep in the labs, stubborn. D'oh! Calling Aylss her darling daughter, she is never going to live it down now. Needs Roulette to be on the phone with her when she ask her mom to deliver a very special devise, calling in everything possible for this mission.

Dang, a job even Jobe is finding that difficult, never thought I would see the day. Busy little beavers, all working so hard, hope they don't collapse from exhaustion. And always smart to know the limits of what can be done in the time needed and change plans to adapt.

Jericho close to the labs and wondering what is going on, overhearing things that make him curious why he wasn't asked to help even more. Carson upset about Jericho's curiosity, having him make that promise, you know not to question her when Carson gets like that.

Point-critical-mass from a very small amount of material, just what kind of weapon is that! Deuterium and tritium, good lord, plus if it passes the gadgeteer test it could be sold to the Department of Energy, that is a powerful source of energy.

Rachel and Pinncale caught kissing by Mrs. Carson, too funny how they act like a couple of embarrassed teenagers. An energy rifle like that, dang, that is some devise. A slime that hardens into an unbreakable shell and capable of holding an Exemplar 5, if that passed the gadgeteer test it could be marketed. Carson insist on Rachel taking care of herself, if not I fear how Rachel might push herself.

Mal trying to confirm who Lady Havoc is, naughty, naughty. Spying on them like that, Mal jumps to conclusions and he is going to get in trouble if caught. And taking this info to the other Bad Seeds, Mal needs to learn to use some common sense in these kind of situations.

Recall crystals and a focus being made by Caitlin and from the sounds of it Silver and Seraphim as well. They are using a ton of resources for this mission, almost sounds like between the devises and magical items and artifacts in the order of millions or more. Psi shields based on Nikki's psi blocking spell, *eyes bug out*

And she heard whispers about the devisors and high-level gadgeteers working on the projects from various students, a lot of rumors going on. Caitlin thinks it is a threat to the school, it is a personal issue though and Mrs. Carson is paying for everything out of personal funds, yikes.

What did she discover that has Mrs. Carson so freaked out now. Wanting Circe to look it over and getting Ms. Grimes to, portal opens every 7 years and 4 months and will close in an hour, two tops, darn it! Gathering everything up, even the stuff that hasn't been tested yet, she is desperate now.

All this planning and ruined because she missed one thing and miscalculated how much time she had left, talk about crunch time. And I have the feeling if Carson tries to do this alone that Caitlin won't let her, among other students and staff. And yup, Caitlin is going, Langley is going, and he suggest they get Lanie and Kayda to go as well. Rush job now to beat the clock, this is going to be brutal.

If they could get some of the other Outcasts, I think Diamondback would volunteer as well at least, if not the rest of them. Mr. Paulson's outfit sounds like something out of Silverhawks almost. Dang, sorcerer's contract to get Lanie and Kayda to agree to return if in over their heads or ordered to by Carson. Lose both the shield spell or charm and PFG, if it has gotten that bad you would want to leave.

Yikes, alien world seems like an understatement for the alternate dimension they just went into. Good lord, a creature right out of nightmares coming at them already. Crystalline trees and branches that shatter like flechettes, it is like the whole environment can be used as a weapon against them. Her machine gun not feeding, things have already gone from bad to worse for the Whateley crew.

Even injuring the creature is dangerous to them, it is attacking them intelligently and regenerates that rapidly, anyone have a dragon they can fight instead, that seems easier at this point. Adapting as it needed, no single vital organ to put it down, this is like the perfect threat. Frozen by a cryo-grenade, hit by an explosive arrow from Lanie and then an essence-laden arrow from Kayda, hitting it hard yet it shuts down their PFGs as well, nightmare!

And Caitlin sent out as one of the claw-missiles crushes her recall crystal, darn it! And now a mist from the crystal trees to hide the creature, as if things aren't bad enough already. And now more creatures join in the attack, at least the girls, Mrs. Carson and Tin Man are holding their own for now. And it seems like an unlimited number of the flying threat are there, one taken down and two take its place, how to end this.

Carson calls for an abort on the trip, but the girls are still fighting, Lanie gets a broken leg and cracks a rib yet still gets up to keep fighting. Ouch, Kayda hurt by the claw-spears and they have poison on them, brutal. What the! A high-pitched woman's voice calling for help, who I'm guessing is the reason for this trip, if they can get her and escape it will have worked out.

Tin Man finds a clearing, but is 120 meters from where they are fighting, in this situation that might as well be miles away. And Lanie won't leave despite Kayda trying to remind her of what Carson made them promise, stubborn girl. Violating a sorcerer's contract to help out Carson save whoever is calling for help, guessing this adventure is one of the reasons Carson owes Lanie favors in the future.

And what type of grenade did Carson give the girls, must be powerful to have a chance against that demon. A singularity bomb! She gave them that, that is one of the most destructive grenades I can think of. And I was right! It is Donna, Mrs. Carson's long-lost friend, still alive after all these years stuck in this dimension. And Donna is rescued and they are out of there, that was brutal for such a short amount of time.

Why are the lights off, what happened? Dimmed lights and silence, Kayda's wounds seemed to be on fire, and they get to Doyle. Know what they are dealing with due to dealing with Caitlin's injuries...last evening!?! They were in there for minutes, yet hours passed out here, yikes. No more than 10-15 minutes in that nightmare dimension, and if Caitlin hadn't been sent back she could have died due to her essence flow being stopped, whoa.

Pain at 11.5 and Carson keeps it together that well, dang, total badass. Time-dilation between the two dimensions of at least 75, just over 23 hours out here, yikes. Donna is still around 20 years old, didn't age in all these years. Ushering them out and promising to tell Carson if Donna's situation changes.

And now talk to Kayda and Lanie about how they disobeyed Carson's direct order and broke a sorcerer's contract. And they are wondering how it is possible for Donna to not have changed after all these years. Only 6 or 7 months older since she last saw her, so it has only been that long for Donna, still a long time in that dimension. And this time they swear to keep what they just learned a secret. Complicates life a lot, that sounds like a huge understatement.

Poor Donna, to find out so much time has passed, plus to hear how Liv has been looking all this time for her. Donna has true faith in her best friend, that is rare to see.

Oh boy, Donna not talking to Dr. Bellows, only talking about Liz, yeah, they need Carson to be in there to get Donna to open up. Oh boy, attracted to Liz and held onto it all this time for her, and now letting it out, not good. Oh boy, until Kayda and Lanie reminded her Liz forgot about Donna for 20 years, ouch.

Grimes, Tenent, and Dr. Bellows, okay. But why are Dr. Hewley and Dr. Aranis there as well. Kidney failure from the pain meds, yet that won't matter much, sounds like the toxics in the other dimension did permanent damage to Donna and she has a limit amount of time to live without a miracle. Dying and can't purify her as it sends her into cardiac arrest, yikes. Time dilation effects tearing apart her cellular structure, this sucks. Rescue her and now she is dying. Carson breaking down and crying, this isn't fair. That short amount of time left, arrgggh!

Ouch, parents dead, one brother died in a war in Korea in the 50s, other brother in Florida but has Alzheimer's, suck fest all around. And finding out she has 2 days, 3 at most left, this is painful to watch. Crying and Liz promising to remember Donna, to keep her spirit alive. Like a punch to the gut seeing this unfold.

Keep her spirit alive, it gave Carson an idea that might just work. Bind a spirit to Donna, this is desperate talk, a powerful spirit to hold her body together while the toxin is purged, yikes. And getting Kayda to bring a powerful spirit to bind to Donna, Carson is breaking her own rules for this one. And Wakan Tanka won't have any part of it, if it doesn't work the spirit will be destroyed, risk all around. Break off a piece of the Astarte Force, good lord, she is risking her own life now. And it is going to hurt Carson to do this, less risky than the dimension the rescued Donna from, so they have a chance. Seeing Carson in that state, I doubt any student who cares for her wouldn't help if they could.

Guide them to Carson's hallow, 20 minutes to separate a piece from her and Carson is that bad of shape, yeouch. Doing all that and Liz pumping healing essence into Donna, and Tenent leaving it to Grimes best judgment, this is going to be harsh.

Create a bubble around the hallow so Kayda can do her work, talk about delicate and risky. Struggling just to get a hold on the hallow and it is too small, expanded after all that and stable, now to get the piece of Astarte Force in her. Have to squeeze it in like that, and they couldn't get it all in, hope it was enough. After all this, it better be enough.

Donna's a lot more stable, but yet she is unstable, great. At least they got her pulse back down to 90, that was close. Now they can start slowly getting the toxin out, way too close, stressful to watch all this. After all that some tea made by Kayda hits the spot, they've done all they can. Please let this work.

They think she is out of danger, looks stable, plus she has a part of the Astarte Force in her now. Telling Donna how she forgot about her and how Lanie and Kayda helped her remember, made her realize she had to try again. And she forgives Liz for forgetting about her, saved her from that pain and saved her life, no better friend can be found. And they are sister, dang, got me tearing up Donna here.

Introducing Kayda to Donna, bwahahaha, not wanting to be called ma'am and teasing Liz about how old she is. Leaving her with Kayda since she has days of paperwork to catch up on, worth it after all this. Clothes from Lanie and Kayda is to talk to Donna about something. Bwahaha, that reaction to Kayda saying she is a lesbian too, Donna would fit in Poe if she was younger.

Taking her to the Gearhead's private workshop because Donna is a gearhead, that would be a dream come true. Ford Model 40 Deluxe, now that is a classic. Seeing Aylss carrying a crankshaft like that for the first time, priceless. That look in Aylss' eyes, wonder if Donna will ask about it sometime later on. And Kayda is right, have to start somewhere to catch up on car technology and other things as well.

And Lanie's Baby Girl is over 600 horsepower, knew she had a lot of power under that hood but hearing it in those terms, *whistles* And seeing what the kids of Whateley can do would be a bit of a shock at least. Oh boy, talking to Donna about that, rape and Donna doesn't think anyone could understand. Revealing that to Donna, getting Donna to open up and join the group that can help her with this, poor girl lived through a literal nightmare for 6-7 months. Kayda was the perfect person to talk to her about this.

Staying so trim while eating like this, one of the reasons some people hate mutants, jealous of that. Introducing her to Maria, talk of arrangements for Donna to stay, plus Maria and Donna checking each other out, Carson knows what she is doing. Maria insisting Donna stay in her spare room so she isn't allow, can see the direction this is going. Teasing her about being a gearhead and checking her out some more, Maria has designs on Carson's best friend and I don't think Liz likes that. Seeing what a mannequin wears and shocked at what girls where nowadays, hehe, talk about shock.

Maria gawked at the girl, and then beamed as she took Donna's arm. "You know," she said with a grin, "this could be the start of a beautiful friendship."

Perfect way to end the story.

That was a rollercoaster of emotions, from the frantic prep to get ready to go into the other dimension, to the rush once they found out their time was a lot less than originally believed. The brutal fight in the other dimension, that demon was a true nightmare, plus finding out how much had passed once they returned. Rescuing Donna and then finding out she was dying, the scramble to find a fix, all the work to save her, and now her alive and having to adjust to a world where over 60 years have passed. It was a great story and I hope not the last we see of Donna and her interactions with others at Whateley.