Island of Misfit Toys 21

[23:48]	`GM	[We pick up where we left off. Ai and Ransom were getting acquainted while Colonel Walt was being miffed.]
[23:48]	`GM	[Ai leaves to return the truck she so callously stole from Wallberg]
[23:49]	ColonelWalt	turns to face Ransom Olds, having "adequately" looked over his file for the time being.
[23:49]	ColonelWalt	"So. What am I to do with you, son?"
[23:51]	Ransom	crosses his arms and then answers.
[23:53]	Ransom	"How should I know? All I was told was to get in the plane and keep quiet. Apparently we're in the Pacific, but why, who are you, and why did I get thrown in here? You don't look like a Browder loyalist so I won't hurt you, but I still don't know anything yet."
[23:54]	ColonelWalt	frowns as he recalls the data from Random's file.
[23:55]	ColonelWalt	"My name is Colonel Walt Samuelson. This island is both a military refueling station and a citizen's asylum for supernatural peoples."
[23:56]	ColonelWalt	"However... It says in your file you have been in this plane of existence only a number of days; you cannot possibly be a citizen of these United States of America. Can you explain?"
[23:57]	Ransom	looks taken aback.
[23:58]	Ransom	"That's odd. I'm answerable to the United States Constitution of 1936, and I'd defend it to my death. Often came close. Aren't you?"
[00:00]	ColonelWalt	straightens up, even though he's always pretty straight.
[00:01]	ColonelWalt	"The current year is 2014, Mr. Olds. Not 1936. Are you unaware of this fact?"
[00:03]	Ransom	"Of course it isn't 1936; that was decades ago. Wait, 2014? That's... last I checked, it was 1970."
[00:04]	ColonelWalt	sighs and breaks eye contact for a few seconds. Great, another man-out-of-time incident...
[00:06]	ColonelWalt	"In regards to your question, a handful of minor amendments only have been made since 1936. I am answerable to it."
[00:06]	ColonelWalt	"YOU, however, have not yet answered me."
[00:07]	ColonelWalt	"You are not a U.S. citizen, yet have been transferred to an asylum reserved only for U.S. citizens."
[00:07]	ColonelWalt	folds his hands behind his back militaristically.
[00:07]	ColonelWalt	"Enlighten me."
[00:11]	Ransom	"Of course I'm a U.S. citizen. I was born in a labor camp on American territory. Even if the territory was under Communist control, the legal department at Westinghouse Electric, to which the terrain corresponded, said I have every right to the office."
[00:11]	Ransom	actually looks a little annoyed by the accusation.
[00:12]	ColonelWalt	rubs his face. Out of time AND out of space? Why him, why him...
[00:14]	ColonelWalt	"Mr. Olds. I have read your file; I am aware that you hail from an alternate universe. While the world you are familiar with may bear certain similarities to the one you find yourself in now, I have been informed by my superiors that our recognition of jurisdiction and laws end with OUR universe."
[00:16]	Ransom	"Where, just like mine, the Constitution of 1936 was installed just after the overthrow of President Roosevelt. Don't we both answer to the same power, then?"
[00:19]	Ransom	"And not to brag, but it looks like the Communists lost, from what I've seen. If I wasn't around, how did you people get rid of Browder? I'm curious."
[00:24]	ColonelWalt	[Ransom notices a noticeable look of disdain and annoyance coming from the Colonel]
[00:25]	ColonelWalt	"Mr. Olds... “President Franklin Roosevelt was elected a historic four times, and died of disease in 1945, in the end days of the Second World War, which was won by America and its allies. He was not overthrown, nor at any time has any Communist party enacted authoritative control over America or her territories."
[00:26]	ColonelWalt	"As I was SAYING, before I was interrupted, you are a citizen of A United States. Not THIS United States. I cannot vouch for the integrity of another country, even if it claims to be the United States. There are too many alternate possibilities and alternate paths taken that no longer make them comparable, as is evident by your statements.”
[00:26]	ColonelWalt	"Your world was YOUR, WORLD. This is OURS, and you are in IT."
[00:27]	ColonelWalt	"Do you understand this fact? Do you understand that you are in an alternate world which took a different path?"
[00:28]	ColonelWalt	spends no real time on the pleasantries of the explanation.
[00:29]	Ransom	actually looks profoundly shocked. He talks, but the wind is clearly out of his sails.
[00:29]	Ransom	"...Yes, I understand..."
[00:31]	Ransom	"But... Browder was one of the most powerful supernatural people ever. And there have been few people as motivated. How on Earth could you have stopped him before the insurrection?"
[00:31]	Ransom	reels backward two steps, putting a hand on his head.
[00:32]	ColonelWalt	sighs yet again, and looks to the island laboratory, nearly wishing for a distraction to take him away from this painful conversation...
[00:33]	ColonelWalt	"As the name Browder holds no special significance to me, clearly in this world, he either did not exist, or was not relevant to the national stage."
[00:33]	ColonelWalt	"Again, there is no way of knowing what alternate paths your world took from ours. Many things, big and small, may be different."
[00:34]	ColonelWalt	"I must apologize if I seem curt, but I've given this speech to far too many men and women in my life; my taste for sugaring the explanation has soured, and sugar improves the flavor none when all is said and done."
[00:34]	Ransom	"Earl Browder. General Secretary of the Communist Party USA. He has to have existed! He..."
[00:34]	Ransom	casts his eyes to the ground.
[00:35]	ColonelWalt	approaches the young man, and rests a hand on his shoulders, though it seems mechanical.
[00:36]	ColonelWalt	"Take it easy, son. I know it's a lot to take in..."
[00:36]	ColonelWalt	"What I will say is this: this island is an asylum, cut off from the rest of the world. Your history, my history... It means nothing here. The world doesn't touch us here."
[00:37]	ColonelWalt	removes the hand and walks to the side, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
[00:37]	Ransom	"So... what did you do, all these years? If it wasn't against him, who did the flag of Oldsmobile lead the charge to overcome? It... it's waving somewhere, isn't it..."
[00:38]	ColonelWalt	tries to explain it a different way.
[00:39]	ColonelWalt	"All these years? All these years, the United States government has made sure that the public has no idea the supernatural even exists. They create false rumors to squelch the real ones, employ supernaturals to dispose of complications quietly, and without incident."
[00:40]	Ransom	is still looking at the ground.
[00:40]	Ransom	"And Oldsmobile?"
[00:41]	ColonelWalt	"An automobile manufacturer. Nothing more."
[00:42]	ColonelWalt	"In the history of America, there has been not one public display of supernatural power that has ever been irrefutably proven."
[00:43]	ColonelWalt	"That is the world we live in. Hidden powers. Hidden so that Mr. and Mrs. Smith can have a normal life."
[00:44]	ColonelWalt	"And when those hidden powers want to have their OWN normal life?"
[00:44]	ColonelWalt	gestures to the ground.
[00:46]	Ransom	falls to his knees. He begins to trace a shape into the ground, which displaces and is singed by the touch of his index finger. It winds up as a simple set of lines, meant to evoke a rocket taking off.
[00:47]	Ransom	"What a thrill to... take the wheel, of the... smart... new... DAMMIT!"
[00:47]	Ransom	falls again, this time to his elbows, and drives his fist straight into the ground. Smoke visibly emerges from his nose and mouth with each breath.
[00:49]	ColonelWalt	noticeably backs up; he read the file, after all.
[00:50]	Ransom	"You're... you're lying. You have to be... a Red... Otherwise... it all wouldn't..."
[00:54]	ColonelWalt	is insulted, and frowns.
[00:55]	ColonelWalt	"Don't start talking about what doesn't make any sense, son. Not in front of me."
[01:00]	Ransom	"It's a LIE!"
[01:01]	Ransom	manages to get back on his knees, fire visibly escaping his mouth upon his exclamation.
[01:01]	ColonelWalt	's hand snaps to the pistol holstered at his side as he unsnaps the buckle, but doesn't yet pull it.
[01:05]	ColonelWalt	"It doesn't matter if it is or not, boy! Hell, for all I care the whole world out there's one big lie now! What's true is that you're on this island, right here, right now, and you're not getting off, so you accept that now, or we're going to have an incident on our hands, won't we?"
[01:05]	Ransom	looks over at the Colonel, his face a mixture of mostly pain with some anger and a sneer.
[01:05]	Ransom	"You think Browder's boys didn't try to shoot me?"
[01:06]	ColonelWalt	"You think I haven't dealt with worse than Browder's boys before?"
[01:07]	ColonelWalt	isn't backing down. A threat before him, a possibility to neutralize. At least that part of his life still makes sense...
[01:07]	Ransom	balls his left hand into a fist, and it too starts to smoke. He makes no other move of any kind, however.
[01:07]	Ransom	"I thought you said you'd never heard of him."
[01:08]	Ai`	plods onto the tarmac at her usual, methodical pace. After she sees the situation, however, she hastens herself to stand beside the two.
[01:09]	ColonelWalt	"Son... You don't know me. I don't have to know who he is to know I've dealt with worse. I've been dealing with worse for as long as you've been alive."
[01:09]	ColonelWalt	"You will stand down. You WILL. And you will take this world like the man you claim you are!"
[01:10]	Jonah	was loitering a bit behind Ai, and as he sees the situation what he does is:
[01:10]	Jonah	"Whoa what the fuck people?!"
[01:10]	ColonelWalt	darts his eyes to Jonah.
[01:10]	Jonah	"I mean, what the fuck, sir?"
[01:11]	ColonelWalt	"Mr. Moors you will restrain your language!"
[01:11]	Ai`	steps in-between Ransom and the colonel, facing the former.
[01:12]	Ai`	"Ransom, there is no reason for conflict."
[01:12]	Jonah	"I think what you should restrain is from shooting each other to hell and back!"
[01:13]	Jonah	"What's the deal anyway? Dude, who are you?"
[01:13]	Jonah	grabs the weird archaic guy.
[01:14]	Ransom	"Shut UP!"
[01:15]	Ransom	shakes Jonah off but makes an effort not to hurt him. He is very hot to the touch, however, but restrains himself enough to not burn the new person.
[01:15]	Jonah	"whoa!"
[01:16]	Jonah	feels the heat and retract his hand.
[01:16]	Ransom	"I need- I need to think-"
[01:16]	Jonah	"...I suppose he's another weird rift guy again? Man, this place has no shortage of those."
[01:19]	Ransom	gets to his feet and staggers in place, hands clutching his head.
[01:19]	Ai`	"Think about what? I may be able to assist."
[01:19]	Ai`	takes a step forward as Ransom appears to stand down.
[01:20]	ColonelWalt	"Entity AI, this is a man out of time and space. He has grown up in an alternate version on this world with a similar, but different, history."
[01:21]	ColonelWalt	"As you yourself are not much better off, I ask that you restrain."
[01:21]	Ai`	"Understood."
[01:21]	Ai`	then looks up to Ransom.
[01:21]	ColonelWalt	keeps his hand on his gun, though he's relaxed a slight bit.
[01:22]	Ai`	"You will be safe here, if you calm down."
[01:25]	Ransom	"Yeah, sure, calm down! And then!? Boil the sea!? No country to build up, no authority to answer to, no loyalists to stamp out, no... no..."
[01:26]	Ransom	falls into a seating position and seems to cool down, the smoke letting up as he buries his face in his hands.
[01:26]	Jonah	"You can just, y'know, chill?"
[01:26]	ColonelWalt	"Mr. Moors, back away."
[01:27]	Jonah	"since you are always heating up all the time, you should chill the fuck out, man. Take a rest."
[01:27]	ColonelWalt	"You should get those wounds looked at, private."
[01:27]	Ai`	looks down at Ransom. Then, she steps forward, kneels, and awkwardly attempts to wrap him in a hug.
[01:27]	Jonah	"wounds? oh-"
[01:27]	Ai`	"I have observed this behavior. It seems to calm recipients."
[01:28]	Jonah	is now reminded that he has a gashing bite wounds.
[01:28]	Jonah	"Aw crap. yeah, now that the adrenaline wears off it kinda hurt like a bitch."
[01:29]	Ransom	makes only a token effort to push Ai away, favoring instead to cover his face.
[01:29]	Jonah	"permission to see the doc at the first aid station, sir."
[01:29]	ColonelWalt	"Granted."
[01:30]	Ransom	"What in REO's name am I going to do with a tomorrow...?"
[01:31]	Ai`	monitors Ransom for signs of calm: lowered heartbeat, temperature, and more.
[01:31]	Jonah	"Hey Ai. Gonna leave to see the doc for a bit. What's your plan?"
[01:34]	Ai`	"Prevent conflict, escort Ransom, and resume duties."
[01:35]	Jonah	"I guess you could show him around. Your order, sir?"
[01:35]	Jonah	asks colonel.
[01:37] ColonelWalt	"I will transport you all to the main building; I have business to attend to there."
[01:38]	Ai`	"Can you stand, Ransom?"
[01:38]	Ai`	observes significantly calmer signs.
[01:39]	Jonah	'gonna get myself a gun one of these days...'
[01:39]	Jonah	mumbles with himself.
[01:40]	ColonelWalt	pulls a jeep around to transport "the kids" back to the house.
[01:42]	Ransom	stands up, but looks distant and disinclined to make any move to acknowledge Ai. He sits in the jeep and reaches down to pat the outside, smiling wistfully.
[01:42]	Ai`	releases him and takes up her own spot in the jeep.
[01:44]	Jonah	climbs in the back.
[01:45]	ColonelWalt	[The group drives back to the house. The Colonel parks the jeep and does not immediately depart like he usually does, making sure to continue observing Ransom.]
[01:46]	Jonah	heads to the medbay, intending to leave everything to whoever that is not him.
[01:47]	Ai`	disembarks and faces the Colonel.
[01:47]	Ai`	"Shall we give him a room?"
[01:48]	ColonelWalt	's expression has be pensive and serious since he got in the jeep. It hasn't changed.
[01:49]	Jonah	glances back occasionally to see if everything is okay. The tension seems unnecessarily high over there.
[01:50]	ColonelWalt	"For the time being, he shall room with Mr. Moors. Keep him under observation."
[01:51]	Ai`	"Understood. Ransom, will you follow me?"
[01:51]	Ai`	simply looks at him, expectant.
[01:52]	Ransom	looks back, his gaze for the moment just looking empty. He decides not to be trouble, however, and climbs out to follow Ai.
[01:52]	Ransom	"...For now, yes."
[01:53]	Jonah	[good thing Moors was not there to hear it or he will flip the fuck out. Right now he's in medbay.]
[01:54]	Ai`	simply nods and begins walking to the clinic, checking over her shoulder every few moments to ensure Ransom's compliance.
[01:57]	`GM	[The clinic is all hustle and bustle right now, which it has never been before! Wallberg is busy dashing about getting various implements and chemicals, while Kitkat is busy trying to NOT let Wallberg do that. The carcass of the bite-monster is sitting wrapped up near the doors to the clinic.]
[01:57]	Jonah	"Yo. Busy day eh?"
[01:58]	`GM	Kitkat: "I said NYO, Wally! My room, my rules, get it OUT!"
[01:59]	`GM	[Wallberg is busy ignoring her]
[01:59]	Ai`	"Kitkat, can Wallberg not gather supplies and then leave?"
[01:59]	Jonah	"won't mind seeing you two getting it on, but I have this huge wounds need tending."
[02:00]	Jonah	"courtesy of that guy there."
[02:00]	`GM	[Kit turns to Ai, quite miffed.]
[02:00]	Jonah	points at the carcass with his thumb.
[02:01]	`GM	Kitkat: "NYO, because he wants to DISSECT the stupid thing!"
[02:01]	`GM	Kitkat: "And I told him he couldn't, and he's all like, 'Nyah, but science!'"
[02:02]	Jonah	"Fuck, man, Wally! there's labs for that! this is medbay, man! Gross!"
[02:02]	Ai`	analyzes the situation.
[02:03]	Ai`	"Wallberg, can it be stored?"
[02:03]	`GM	[Wallberg is busy grabbing lamps and other light sources.]
[02:04]	`GM	Wallberg: "Are you kidding, how'm I supposed to know, it's extraplanar! I'm not taking any chances, it's gotta be RIGHT NOW!"
[02:05]	Ransom	doesn't react to any of it, looking straight ahead.
[02:05]	Jonah	"Man I'm not gonna stitch my wounds right next to you dissecting extraterrestrial shit!"
[02:05]	`GM	Kitkat: "It doesn't have to be ANY nyow! Gimme that lamp, stupid!"
[02:06]	`GM	[The two tug at a stand-up lamp for about half a second before Wallberg lets go and grabs another one instead.]
[02:07]	Jonah	occupies the bed so there's no space left for wally ot dissect stuff.
[02:07]	`GM	Wallberg: "Come on, Kate, this is the only room that's set up for a dissection and you know it! You took anatomy classes, right?"
[02:07]	Jonah	"there! bed's full! now get outta here, man!"
[02:09]	`GM	[Kitkat stares at Jonah's kind, but futile, attempt; there's half a dozen beds in the clinic, and Wally's already got three of them pushed together.]
[02:09]	Ai`	looks between all parties. After a moment of focus, her pointer finger's last joint narrows itself into a sharp edge.
[02:10]	Ai`	"With assistance, all tasks can be completed. 'Dissection' will be quick and clean. Wallberg?"
[02:11]	`GM	Kitkat: "Nyo, nyo nyo NYO, myou too?! Come on, this is gross! It's a stupid alien!"