Repercussions: Unseen Things, #18

By Duane L. Martin

Actions have consequences. You may have done something in the past, or perhaps even on this very day that could alter the course of a whole civilization, or simply change the fate of one individual. The gang soon discovers this as they start checking in on some people and places from their past to find out how things have ended up for them over the course of the past two and a half centuries.

Also, when Beth organizes a whole new round of exploration runs, Giles and Savaric find themselves on a sunless world in a dimension filled with energy forms that appear to be the ghosts of intelligent species from a variety of different dimensions. When they bring in Charles and Richard to help them investigate however, one of the energy forms tries to get at them so aggressively, that Richard decides to capture it and bring it back to the lab in order to see if they can use that energy to restore the entity to its original form. Unfortunately, what they end up bringing back is none other than an old enemy that none of them had ever expected to see again.

Repercussions is book 18 of the Unseen Things series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Duane L. Martin
• Release date: Sep 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311044181

Duane L. Martin

An avid reader since he first discovered the Hardy Boys books in the second grade, Duane L. Martin spent years being educated by some truly great authors. In 2013, after years of dreaming about writing a novel of his own, he finally hit upon a story idea that would ultimately turn into the 22 book Unseen Things series. Currently, aside from the series, he's also published two standalone novels. Cindy's Story, which is a humorous private investigator novel, and a superhero story called The Accidental Hero, which is both humorous, and quite dark at times. Aside from his writing, Duane is also a musician. He took his first bass guitar lesson in 1987 and has been playing bass ever since. He also plays some guitar, and a little keyboard and some percussion as well, with a particular focus on hand drums. As he's always been a great lover of music, he often has it playing quietly in the background while he writes. Born and raised in Northern California, he would later move to Idaho, where he lives the quiet life of a relative hermit with his wife Sharon, and their two dogs.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Ok now, concentrate.  Come on bro, you can do it, Derek said encouragingly as Jarrod stared across the table at Freddie.  This was their fifth game of chess in the past three days, and Freddie had won them all handily.

Yeah, come on Jarrod.  Concentrate, Freddie said with an amused look.

You shut the hell up! Jarrod said irritably as he reached out tentatively for one of his pieces and moved it into position.  Check!

So I see.  Well, how about if I just do this..., Freddie said as he took the piece Jarrod had just moved.  Check mate!

God damn it!  What the fuck man? Jarrod said as he slammed his hands down on the table.  How the hell are you so damn good at chess?

Oh, I don't know, he said innocently as he reached out to reset the pieces.  Suddenly, he shot back in his chair with his arms pinned down to his sides.  Hey!  What the hell?

Bro..., Derek said as he put a gentle hand on Jarrod's shoulder.

What?

Block it.

Block what? he asked.  Suddenly he realized what Derek was saying, so he looked down at the board and focused his mind on blocking the projection.  Suddenly, all the pieces changed position, and weren't where they had been previously.

See?  That little fucker's been cheatin' this whole time, Derek said.

Oh you fucking ass hole! Jarrod shouted as he got to his feet, sending his chair flying backward behind him.

Awww, you caught me, Freddie said with a laugh.  Jarrod stared daggers through him, but then when Derek started laughing hysterically, his anger started to melt away.

You suck!  Ass hole..., he grumbled as he picked up his chair and sat back down.

Uhhh...whoever's doing this..., Freddie said as he looked down at his arms.

Oh...yeah, Derek said as he released his hold on Freddie.

Thanks.  God, I can't believe we went five whole games, and it took you this long to figure it out, he said, accentuating it with the chittering laugh that the blue fins were well known for.  How'd you figure it out anyway?

It just didn't seem right.  I've played with him a bunch of times, and he always kicks my ass, so I know he's good.  There's no way you could beat him five in a row if you weren't cheatin' somehow, Derek said.

So I guess I won't be playin' with you anymore, Jarrod said as he slouched down and folded his arms over his chest.

"Come on, bro.  I mean, it is Freddie after all.  You should be used to this shit by now," Derek said.

Yeah, you really should, Freddie agreed as a portal flashed open about six feet away.  As they all looked over to see who it was, Jake and Lana came stepping through it, and then closed it again behind them.

Hey guys!  You're just in time to save Freddie from a good old-fashioned ass kickin', Derek said with a laugh.

What'd he do this time? Lana asked as she stepped over and gave Freddie a little nudge on the side of the head.

He was cheatin' at chess, Derek said with an amused look.  Ol' dip shit here's not too happy about it either.  Beat him five games in a row, and cheated every time.

I never did learn how to play chess.  Not really my bag I guess, Jake said as he flopped himself down on the heavily padded love seat and threw his feet up on the coffee table.

Well, if you'll all excuse me, I was supposed to meet Diana in the lab a half an hour ago to go over some reports, Freddie said as he got up and gave Lana a hug.

All right man, catch ya later, Derek said, giving him a little wave as he left.

So, what's goin' on with you guys? Jarrod asked after he was gone.

We just got back from checkin' out San Francisco and Los Angeles to see what the progress is on the rebuilding, Jake said.

And?  How's it goin'? Jarrod asked.

Utilities are back up and runnin', and the schools are operational.  They're rebuilding what they can for right now.  We helped with some of the cleanup and stuff, but they still got a hell of a long way to go, Lana said.

Lots of hot chicks runnin' around without husbands too.  Almost makes me wish I was single again, Jake said with a sleazy grin as he shot a sideways glance over at Lana.

Oh, we can arrange that mister.  You just keep it up, she grumbled.

Awww, come on babe!  It's been years since I...

Jake...how many kids do you have runnin' around out there? Lana asked.  I mean seriously, how many?

Beats me.  Maybe two or three...hundred.  Why? he asked as Derek and Jarrod both snorted and started laughing.  Jake shot them both an amused look, and then turned his attention back to Lana, who just threw her hands in the air and rolled her eyes at him in response.

Why do I even try? she asked no one in particular.

I don't know.  I kinda like it though.  Keep tryin', he said with an amused look.

Anyway...  How have things been around here? she asked as she turned her attention back to Derek and Jarrod.

Well, other than Freddie cheatin' at chess, things have been pretty quiet.  About the most excitement we ever get around here are those parties they have every three months at the capitol.

So, how are they holding up with those?  I know you said the old elders used to hate 'em.

Naelen's doin' ok with it I guess, but he was always kind of a statesman at heart.  Ally and Karth, not so much.  I think the only way Ally gets through 'em is because she's got Giles, Sav, and Steph hovering around her the whole time to run interference.  As for Karth, he mostly just hangs out with Naelen and lets him do all the talking.  It's pretty funny actually.  He'll give the standard greeting to whoever they're talking to, and then he doesn't say another word until after they're gone, Jarrod said.

Not much of a diplomat, huh? Jake asked.

The funny thing is, he'll talk your ear off when you're just hangin' out with him, or when he's all liquored up on reptilian booze, but you stick him in one of those state dinners, and it's like pullin' teeth to get two words out of him.

So what are those dinners actually like? Lana asked.

Wanna find out? Derek asked in return.

Seriously? she asked with a hopeful look.

Yeah, seriously.  You guys are part of the family now.  Just because you don't live here doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to participate in stuff.  There's one coming up again next week if you guys wanna pop over and go to it.

Oh Jakey, can we? she asked excitedly.

You said there's booze at these things? Jake asked.

Yeah, but only for us and the elders.  All the common folk have to drink either water, juice, or this other stuff they have that's kinda like wine I guess.  See, they don't really have much in the line of alcohol here.  The closest they have is this fermented fruit juice, so it's not very potent, Jarrod explained.

But there's plenty of booze for us though, right?

Hell yeah there is.  It's the only way to make it through one of those parties, Derek said with an amused look.  You know, we always make a big deal out of how boring they are, but really they're not that bad.  The food and the music are always good.  I guess it's just kinda boring because it's more of an official thing than an actual party where you can just get drunk and have a laugh.

Well, as long as there's booze, then count us in, Jake said with a grin.

Oh my god, how should we dress? Lana asked.  It's still not all that easy to get much in the line of fancy clothes back home.

Don't worry about that.  I'm sure Tina and Sarah would just love play dress up with you guys, Jarrod said.

Oh, fun..., Jake said dryly.  What's wrong with how I'm dressed now?

Nothing.  Well, nothing if you're gonna be dumpster diving behind the capitol building, Lana said dryly.

Awww, come on!  What do you guys think? Jake asked as he stood up and twirled around.

Looks fine to me, Derek said.

Yep, me too, Jarrod agreed.  Unfortunately, it's a formal event, so you're gonna have to dress up.  Believe me, when you find out how complicated it is to get into nathalis formal wear, you're gonna need some of that booze just to get through puttin' it all on.  As for the girls, they can wear whatever they want.  Tina and Sarah will take you guys out to get you all set up with everything you need.

Sounds like fun! Lana said excitedly.

I didn't know it was gonna be this much hassle just to go to a party, Jake said.  "Maybe you should bring Tyler instead.  He was a mayor after all.  He's probably used to stuff like that."

Jacob..., she said, giving him a stern look.

Oh, shit dude.  She used your full name!  You're in trouble now! Derek said with a cringing laugh.

Yeah, you're done man.  Might as well just suck it up and put on the monkey suit, Jarrod added.

Well...shit.  Ok, he said with a heavy sigh.  "There'd better be lots of booze there though."

Yeah uhhh...about that..., Jarrod said.

Come on!  Seriously?  Don't tell me you were lyin' about the booze! he said, looking really distressed at the thought of having to make it through a stuffy party without any alcoholic lubrication.

No, not at all.  Actually...we've got a little surprise for you.

What surprise? Jake asked.

Well, a few weeks ago we found out that the warehouse we've been gettin' the booze from burned down.  So, that got us to thinking, why should we bother goin' through all the hassle when we can just make it ourselves? Derek said.

So you know what's in it?  You've had it analyzed or something? Lana asked.

Yeah, we had Charles and Richard analyze it for us, and then we experimented with making it ourselves just by using our minds to convert some water.

And it worked? Jake asked.

Yeah, but it took some practice.  Remember how Sarah made all those strawberries for you that time and she said how complicated it was.  Well, it's just as complicated to turn whatever we happen to be converting into reptilian booze.  The first few attempts were pretty nasty, but then we finally nailed it.  Now we can make as much of it as we want, whenever we want.  We've been keepin' all of our old barrels to store it in too, so every time one runs out, we just refill it, Derek explained.  We got it programmed into the food synthesizers here too, but it's cool knowing how to make it ourselves, because that way, we can make it wherever we happen to be.

Oh man, what a score!  Can you teach us how to do it while we're here? Jake asked.

Yeah man, we'll totally hook you guys up.  You can whip up a whole bunch for Slappy too.  He'll be the only one in the world serving reptilian booze, Jarrod said.

Oh...uhhh..., Lana said, suddenly looking really uncomfortable.

What?  Somethin' wrong? Derek asked.

Slappy's dead, Jake answered for her when he noticed that she couldn't bring herself to say it.

Dead?  How? Jarrod asked.

Heart attack I guess.  Someone said he grabbed his left arm and looked like he was in pain, and then he just fell over and died.  By the time the medical team from the clinic got over to him, he was gone.

Oh man, that sucks.  What about that Echnid he's got workin' there? Derek asked.

It's common knowledge in town now that he's workin' there, so he pretty much took over the place and he's runnin' it now from behind the scenes.  He's got a new guy in there workin' the bar and waiting tables for him, just to put a human face on it for the out of towners who come rollin' through there.  You know how it is, Jake explained.

Man, that's rough.  Poor guy.  You want us to bring him back? Jarrod asked.

Bring him back?  Jeez, I hadn't even thought of that, Jake said as he and Lana exchanged questioning looks.

Well, we can if you want.  We can even fix his telomeres so he'll get younger for the next seven years before he starts aging normally again.  He'll probably end up being around twenty-eight or so before he starts aging again.  I mean, it's up to you guys.  We didn't even know him really, so whatever you guys wanna do is fine.

Well...yeah.  I mean, jeez.  I didn't expect that.  We knew you guys could do it, but we didn't even think to ask you, Jake said.

Just bring us his body, and we'll take care of it for ya.  God knows we've been doin' fuck all else lately, Derek said.

We really should get back out there again.  We've gotten way too lazy about that stuff, Jarrod said.

Yeah, we have.  Anyway, yeah...just bring us his body, and we'll get it all taken care of.  Probably take about six to eight hours, depending on whether or not we get any help.  I'm not sure what Charles and Richard are up to today, but Freddie owes us one now, so I'm sure he and Diana would be willing to help out with it.  The more help we have, the less time it takes, Derek explained.

Ok, we'll head back now and get him up out of the ground.  When can you get started on him? Lana asked.

We'll have to get the tank set up with the fluid we use to repair and replace everything.  Freddie can probably have that all ready to go in an hour or so I guess.  Go ahead and grab him, and then why don't you guys pack your bags and come to stay with us until after the party?  That way the girls will have plenty of time to get your clothes for you, and to school you on the proper etiquette and everything.  Plus, it'll just be nice to have you around for a while.  We don't get to see enough of you guys, Jarrod said.

Awww, that's really sweet of you to say.  We'd love to come and spend some time with you guys, Lana said with a bright smile.  We always feel like we don't get to see enough of you either.

Well, when things get more or less to a point where you're not really needed back home anymore, I guess you guys could always move here if you want.  We've got a whole extra building that's just sitting vacant at the moment.  They built us a couple of extra ones actually, just to accommodate any new people we brought in, Derek said.

Really?  God Jakey, that sounds like a dream after how we've been living for the last however many years now, Lana said with a heavy sigh.

How do we know when they don't need us anymore though? Jake asked.

Well, you said the utilities were up and running in San Francisco and Los Angeles, right? Jarrod asked.

Yeah.

Well then, I'm guessing that things are getting back to normal in other cities too, aren't they?

Yeah, I guess so.  That's what everyone says when they report in anyway.

Well then, it shouldn't be all that much longer.  It's funny how fast people can recover from major disasters when they all just work together.  You know, it was probably good that this whole thing happened, Jarrod said.

Seriously?  Do you know how many people died? Lana asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Yeah, I do.  I also know what happens when the world is overpopulated and full of people with an entitlement mentality.  You know, one of our options before we decided to move here was to just wipe out mass numbers of people...and by mass numbers, I mean enough for the human race to basically reset itself.  Obviously we didn't, even though we were disgusted with what humans had become, but that's not who we are.  That's why we just packed up our shit and got the hell out.  The thing is, it needed to happen one way or the other, and now look what's happening.  People are learning to work together again.  They're being less self-centered and more helpful to their fellow man, because their very survival depends on them working together.  Once everything's fully recovered, I think you'll find that the human race is all the better for what happened.

That was part of why we didn't just kill a whole shitload of people.  It wouldn't have taught 'em anything, or brought 'em together in any meaningful way.  There'd have just been less people in the world, Derek said.  You guys remember when China and Russia sent all those nukes at each other?

Vaguely.  Wasn't that when all the missiles turned out to be duds? Lana asked.

They weren't duds, and they'd have probably wiped out every living thing on Earth if they'd have hit.  Fortunately, Beth and Danny stopped 'em.

No shit?  That was them? Jake asked.

Yep, sure was, Derek said.  We saved their asses that day, and we thought things would get better after that, but things just kept goin' to hell in other ways that finally left us with no other choice but to head out for greener pastures.  Letting 'em attack each other like that wouldn't have fixed anything either.  It'd have just destroyed the planet and every living thing on it.  That's why he was saying that it's good that it happened the way it did.  You had a common enemy that you all had to pull together to fight, and now they're workin' together to rebuild everything.

Yeah, I see what you're saying, but we lost a whole lot of good people in the process, Lana said.

Yeah, we did.  At least there's one we won't have to lose though, Jake said as he got to his feet and walked over to put his arm over Lana's shoulders.  Let's head on back now so we can pack ourselves a bag and pick up Slappy's body.

Listen, thanks you guys.  Everyone was torn up really bad when he died.  The whole town turned out for the funeral, Lana said.

Don't worry about it.  We'll get him up and runnin' again in no time.  You realize his voice won't sound like ten miles of bad road anymore after we fix him up though, right? Jarrod asked.  We'll be fixin' up his vocal cords as a part of the restoration process.

Oh man, that voice was like his trademark!  It's gonna be so weird to hear him talkin' normal after all this time, Jake said as he pondered for a moment how Slappy would sound with a normal voice.

I don't know if I could get used to that.  It's almost gonna be kinda creepy, Lana agreed.

Well, it's preferable to being dead though, isn't it? Jarrod asked with a grin.

Yeah, I suppose it is, Lana said with an amused look.  Ok, we'll be back.  Thanks again for everything you guys.  You're the best!

Tell us somethin' we don't know, Derek said with a comically cocky smile.  Anyway, we'll make sure the tank is ready for you when you get here.

Awesome.  See ya later guys, Jake said as he opened them a portal.  A few moments later they were gone, leaving Derek and Jarrod standing there smiling at each other.

I swear to god bro..., Derek said.  He didn't have to finish either, because Jarrod knew exactly what he meant.

Oh, I know man.  Believe me...I know.  You don't know how hard it is to keep myself from gettin' wood when she's around.  I gotta think about sweaty agaronin and stuff just to keep it under control.

Think Jake knows?

Seriously?  How could he not?  You know what he's like though.  He probably loves the fact that everyone's got the hots for her.

You know, I caught him eyeballin' Tina and Sarah more than once, Derek said.

Yeah well, we're guys.  That's what we do.  We could have the hottest chicks ever, and there'd always be more to look at.  Tell you somethin' though.  We really scored with ours.  I don't even know how they do it, but it seems like they just keep gettin' hotter and hotter.  It's pretty ridiculous.

Yeah, I know.  I kinda feel like we don't deserve 'em sometimes.  It's like, we go to those parties, and they're all gorgeous and stuff, and we're like a couple of old boots they're packin' along with 'em.

Hell, it was like that when we were in high school even, Jarrod said.

What was? Martin asked as he came walking into the game room.

We were just talking about how much hotter the girls seem to have gotten over the years, and how we feel like a couple of old boots when we're around 'em, Derek said.

Yeah, I always thought that too when I'd see you guys together.  I was like, what the fuck are two hot chicks like that doin' slumming around with those guys? he said with a laugh.

Oh, shut the fuck up, Jarrod said with a breathy laugh.  You know, I noticed that Heather's gotten hotter too.  Actually, all the girls have.  Think it might have something to do with the serum?

I never really thought about it to be honest.  Tell ya what though.  I sure as hell ain't gonna look a gift horse in the mouth.  If they wanna just keep on gettin' hotter like that, then who am I to complain? Martin said with a grin.

Oh, shit.  I wonder..., Derek said suddenly.

What? Martin asked as both he and Jarrod looked at him curiously.

Well, you know how the serum allows us to adapt to stuff?  Like, how we can see like Steve and link like the blue fins and all that?

What about it? Jarrod asked.

"Well, the girls are always dolling themselves up and trying to look as hot as they possibly can.  Maybe their bodies have slowly adapted over the years to the way they really wanted to look.  I mean, when was the last time you can remember seeing any of 'em look like crap first thing in the morning?"

Dunno.  I hadn't really thought about it to be honest, Jarrod said.  Now that you mention it though, it has been a really long time.

So why doesn't it affect us? Martin asked.

Because, we're guys.  We don't give a shit what we look like, Derek said with a breathy laugh.

That's true actually.  We're not all hung up on it like they are, Martin said as he rolled it over in his head for a moment.

I think we should mention it to Charles and Richard, just to give 'em a heads up.  I don't know if they'll wanna look into it or what, but they should find it pretty interesting, Jarrod said.

Cool, we'll do that after we get Slappy taken care of.

Who's Slappy? Martin asked.

He's that friend of Jake and Lana's back on Earth.  You remember, they used to talk about him once in a while.  The poor guy had a heart attack and keeled over.  We're gonna bring him back for them, Jarrod explained.

Ah, ok.  When are you gonna be doin' that, because I actually came over to see if you guys were gonna be busy this evening?

I don't know what the girls had planned, but whatever it was we can cancel if you need us.  What's up? Derek asked.

Oh, I was just wondering if you guys wanted to go out for dinner tonight with me and Dylan and the girls.

Hell yeah we do!  Sounds like fun man.  Maybe we can rent a boat at that lake near the capitol and go for a late-night boat ride too if the others are up for it, Derek suggested.

Sounds good.  How about we meet you guys over here at six, and we'll head out?

"Check with the girls first.  We might still be workin' on Slappy then.  I don't think we will be, but you never know.  It just depends on how soon we can get started on him, Jarrod said.  In any case, we'll be close to finishing by then if we're not already, so we'll head out around there at some point I'm sure."

All right, I'll see you guys tonight then, Martin said with a warm smile.

Awesome man, and thanks for the invite, Derek said.

Hey, my pleasure.  You guys are always gonna be my kids, no matter how old you are.  Anyway, good luck with that Slappy guy, he said with a wave as he turned to leave.  As soon as he was gone, Derek and Jarrod looked at each other once again.

I fuckin' love that guy, Derek said.

Yeah, me too man.  He's just the best.  Anyway, let's go help Freddie and Diana get the tank ready, Jarrod said as he got to his feet.  Just as they were about to leave the room, the panel on the wall made a pleasant series of tones, indicating they had an incoming call.  When Jarrod walked over and tapped the panel, Patricia's face came up on the screen, and sitting on her shoulder was Sparks, the young parrot they'd brought her back from the Human dimension as a gift.

Hey fellas!  How's tricks? she said with a bright smile.

Ask Freddie, Jarrod said bitterly.

Freddie?  What's he been up to now?

Never mind.  What's up with you?  How's Sparks doin'?

He's fine.  Wish he'd stop pullin' my hair though.  Seems to be his favorite activity, she said as she brushed a beak full of hair away from the side of her head.  I'm trying to break him of it, but he's bein' a total pain.

Have you tried to blank him? Derek asked.

No, I haven't actually.  You think it'd work?

"How the hell should I know?  Try it and find out.  You're not gonna break him or anything if it doesn't.  I don't think you will anyway," he said as he and Jarrod looked at each other and smiled.  Patricia concentrated for a moment, and suddenly Sparks went totally still.  A few moments later he started moving again, but made no move at all to bite at her hair.

Holy crap!  It worked! she said excitedly.  Thanks for the suggestion!

Anyway, what's up?  We were just on our way to the lab to get the tank ready.  We gotta bring someone back for Jake and Lana, Jarrod said.

Oh, were they here?

Yep, and after they come back, they're gonna stay with us for a bit.  We invited 'em to join us at the state party next week.

Let me guess.  The first thing Jake asked was if there was gonna be any booze.  Right? she asked with a knowing grin.

How'd you know?

Woman's intuition.  Plus, I know him.  He likes to drink, and he's a total whore, which actually makes him pretty fun to be around.

Yeah it does, Jarrod agreed.  Anyway, did you need us for something?

I was just gonna let you guys know that Barb, Beth, Sheryl, and I are gonna be off dimension for a while today.  Oh, and tell Logan to watch his back.

Why?  I mean, why are you guys goin' off dimension, and why does Logan need to watch his back? Derek asked.

Mike and Jeremy are plottin' something.  I don't know what, but I heard 'em say something about Logan when I was walking back from the gardens today, and then when they spotted me, they both just clammed up.

"Ok, I'll let him know when I see him.  If I see him before it happens that is.  If not, then oh well," Derek said with a grin.

Why didn't you just link with him and let him know yourself? Jarrod asked.

Well, to be perfectly honest, I'd hate to spoil whatever goofball thing the guys have cooked up for him, but on the other hand, I kinda feel bad knowing about it and not saying anything, so I'll let you guys warn him instead.  That way, I'm totally out of it.

Patty, can I tell you somethin'? Jarrod asked as he looked at the image of her on the screen curiously.

What's that?

You look absolutely beautiful today.  In fact, you look absolutely beautiful every day.

Awww, thanks sweetie!  That's really nice of you to say.  You keep talkin' like, that and I might just have to step out on Brian some night, she said with a bawdy wink.

No...I mean, haven't you noticed lately that all you guys are just absolutely beautiful? he asked.

You say that like we used to be ugly or somethin', she said with a bit of a huff.

No, I mean...think back to how Barbara used to look before we moved here, and then picture her how she looked the last time you saw her.  Go ahead, do it.

Ok, hang on, Patricia said as she searched her memories for a moment.

Different, isn't it?

What the hell?  Yeah, she did look a little different.

Do it for the other girls now too, Jarrod said.  Patricia did as he asked, and the more of the girls she ran through her head, comparing what they used to look like to what they looked like now, the more surprised her expression became.

Holy crap!  What's up with that? she asked.

Derek thinks you guys might have physically adapted to look the way you all actually want to look, and that it didn't affect us because guys just don't care all that much about how they look.

Oh my god!  How is that even possible?

Dunno.  I think it's just the same as how our eyes adapted and what not, Derek said.  We're gonna talk to Charles and Richard about it when we get a chance.  I don't think it's anything we need to worry about, but I wanna let 'em know about it anyway, just for general information's sake.

Yeah, definitely.  Not that I'm complaining or anything mind you, but that is pretty weird.

Yeah, we ain't complaining either, Derek said as he and Jarrod stood there grinning like a couple of horny teenagers.  Anyway, where are you guys off to today?

Some of the regional leaders on the sub dimensions have some requests in for different stuff that we could take care of for 'em, or at least stuff we could help 'em out with, so Ally asked for volunteers to take care of it for her so she could get 'em off her back before they show up for the annual ass kissing parties and report sessions.  Plus, we figured it'd be fun to have a girls day out while we take care of this stuff, and sorta combine the two.  We don't get over to the sub dimensions all that often, so it'll be a good chance for us to get a little change of scenery.

Yeah, totally.  We had a change of scenery in here a bit ago, but she left, Derek said with a sleazy grin.

Oh, stop.  If Tina heard you talking like that...

Like what? Tina asked as she came bouncing in with Sarah gliding along behind her.  She trotted over and gave each of the guys a quick kiss before turning her attention to Patricia on the screen.

We uhhh..., Jarrod said as his mind suddenly went blank.

We were just sayin' how hot all you girls have been lookin' lately, Derek said in an effort to keep him from embarrassing them both.

What's wrong with that? Tina asked as she gave Patricia a curious look.

Well, we just didn't want it to go to your heads, that's all, she said with a nervous smile.

Meh...  You don't have to worry about that.  We were full of ourselves to start with.

Well, one of us was, Sarah said as she gave Tina a playful nudge.

Hey! Tina said indignantly as she spun around to give her a dirty look.  A quick second later they both broke out in a fit of giggles.

Well, you girls seem to be in a good mood today.  What's goin' on? Patricia asked.

We're...wait, how come you're on here?  Where are you at? Sarah asked.

I'm over at Beth's place.  We're gettin' ready to go off dimension for the day.

We who?

Me, Barb, Beth, and Sheryl.  Why, you wanna go too?  We're just goin' over to the sub dimensions to handle some stuff for Ally, that's all.  It's not gonna be all that fun or anything.

Nah, it's ok then.  Hey, why don't you guys take Alicia with you too, Sarah suggested.

We asked her, but her and Jeff are taking Joseph and Kira off world to some planet they found that's supposed to have all kinds of caves with really pretty crystal formations all over the place.  I'd kinda like to check that out myself at some point.

Sounds nice.  I'll have to ask 'em where it is so we can check it out too, Jarrod said.  Anything else goin' on that we're totally out of the loop on?

Not that I know of.  What about you guys?  Got anything to report that we didn't talk about over breakfast this morning?

Freddie's been cheatin' his ass at chess for like five games in a row now, Derek said with an obnoxious grin.

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