The Stirrings of Something...Big (FT)

"Zalenka?" Thorgood v2 asks. "So you exist here, too. Is that why the radio probe you sent failed?"

"An arse in both dimensions, then," Zalenka retorts.

"Dr. Thorgood, I presume," Thorgood says.

"Thorgood?" Thorgood v2 asks. "Really?"

"Why?"

"It's THOROGOOD."

Thorgood shakes his head. "This is absurd. And we probably shouldn't shoot him. We already have him captive. I doubt they have the capability of beaming him back now, since I've just cloaked us here." Nevertheless, he hasn't put the gun down. "So, are you an evil double?"

"I imagine if he were evil, it would be him with the gun drawn upon arrival and not you" Serviius says as he paces around Thorgood v2 and inspects him, keeping some distance naturally. That he doesn't have a weapon drawn must mean he has at least come to deliver a message first or that he is a weapon himself in which case I assume we won't have time to react." Said jokingly, Servius hoped to lighten the mood. "Regardless I believe interrogating him will provide the most immediate information over say a post-mortem examination.... assuming that weapon leaves remains once used."

"Quite," Thorogood responds. "My evilness is over 8000."

"Um, do you mean over 9000?" Thorgood responds. "Because if you're referencing the comweb meme, then it shou - never mind. Are your people trying to produce limitless energy by dumping strange matter into this galaxy?"

"Pretty much, yeah. The odds against the random parallel universe we selected being populated are, what, almost nothing?"

"Never tell me the odds," Thorgood responds. "You must stop."

"Yes. But we must find a way to get the message back to my Zalenka," Thorogood says. "And hopefully a way to get me back as well."

"I wonder if a gate similar to the one built so many centuries ago could stabilize things enough to send a probe through. We'd need a feasibility study, though, since it's a fairly large expenditure of resources and manpower."

(OOC: Pass.)

"A gate? To what are you referring?" Thorogood and Thorgood say in unison. They look at one another confusedly.

The Bastian says, "That's what you get for not paying attention. Earlier, I mentioned a gate built by the Galactic Empire that stabilized a wormhole connecting their galaxy and the alternate Milky Way as a path of invasion. An adapted version of that gate may function to push things through."

"Are you aware of how this gate was formed?" They say in unison yet again. Thorgood looks disconcerted. Or maybe it's Thorogood. But anyway, at least it's only one of them that has a disconcerted look on his face.

"I am not. However, Dr. Molotov is one of the project leaders of the gate," the Bastian says.

The Imperial Institute guys speaks up. "What that means is that we're in the process of recovering the technology of this gate as an alternative means of faster than light travel. Though we will continue to use hyperdrive, creating a network of artificial wormholes connected by these gates will greatly facilitate travel times. We believe we can do it but tests and studies for its safety are required, as these gates are large enough that it is required that they be manned. Not doing so could endanger the ten thousand or so workers operating them."

Serviius was getting a headache.....an this is the best the universe as to offer.....

"We could try my previous suggestion, unless Dr. Molotov can get one of these gates of theirs brought to us anytime soon.... As I suggested before, if we can find two stargates on either side of the black hole here created by the matter bridge, dial from one stargate to the other, and then detonate a weapon to force the signal to jump, there is a high probability the signal from our stargate will bounce through the black hole and across the matter bridge into your alternate reality Thorgood. It will be a one way trip, though given we now have you to send back, that shouldn't be much of a concern anymore. Unless, you don't have stargates in your reality."

Zakharov speaks up for the first time. "I will remind all of you that the strange matter is virulently spreading and every second you all spend brainstorming is a second where the strange matter continues to advance. Our containment measures can only hold up so long - you all need to make a decision soon, very soon."

*Deep within the bunkers under the highly classified "Ordenreich R&D Base" the leader of the Ordenreich's highly secretive intelligence agency, The Black Order, received the disturbing reports that it seemed that the milky way galaxy was collapsing in on itself. Because of the Ordenreich's break from isolation they also heard of a science team composed of the greatest minds of the galaxy was gathering to figure out the problem. While the Ordenreich was relatively new members of the galactic community they heard whisperings and rumors about why this was happening from the intergalactic science team. The leader of the Black Order, the Black Paladin Komtur, was really disinterested in the whole thing and never devoted resources from the Black Order into investigating the rumors but one rumor caught his attention and made him sit up, the rumors about a "Stargate". The Black Paladin Komtur now understood where this was going and decided to do something his predecessors would consider highly irresponsible. He sent a message to the science team. If stargates are involved then the Ordenreich needed to be involved in it as the Ordenreich's existence is owed entirely to Stargates.

To: Intergalactic Science Team
From: Black Paladin Komtur, Black Order, Hierarchy of the Ordenreich
Subject: ***CLASSIFIED***

Stargates. We have one. Will not risk more over unsecured channels. Contact Hochmeister Micah for details.

-Black Paladin Komtur

Molotov says, "I suggest we use their stargate. If we had more time, maybe a week, we could begin construction on one of our wormhole gates immediately."

The Thorgoods look at one another. "I don't think that it is possible for us to connect to a gate in the other parallel universe."

"Strange matter in the way is the first problem," Thorogood says.

"And how would you dial? That's the second," Thorgood continues.

"Perhaps my suggestion is getting lost in translation" said Servius, "so let me see if I can explain this better. First, I am making the assumption everyone understand how stargates work, basically a stable wormhole is created between two gates. Now, my suggestion is that we position two stargates or find two stargates in this position, between the black hole and matter bridge so that, when we dial gate A to gate B, we get a stable wormhole that is passing through this region of space."

"Now, as I explained before, my people have found that if enough energy is directed at the gate, say detonating a powerful explosive, that the signal between the two gates can jump, meaning that the worm hole between gate A and B will attempt to jump, connecting A to a new gate instead of B. My theory is that there could be a possibility that the wormhole signal could pass through the matter bridge and connect with a gate in the parallel universe."

"Now" Servius said in conclusion, "I realize I know very little on strange matter and its effects on wormholes and stargate travel, but unless we have time for this super gate to be built, would it not at least be worth a try?"

"If your Stargates form normal wormholes, as you loosely use the term, then your energy signature would be distorted en route -- the gate on the other side would not be able to reconstruct you correctly," Thorgood says.

"It's an interesting idea," Thorogood says. He seems to be a much nicer person than our own Thorgood. "And it would work if the ONLY path to the other universe weren't full of strange matter. The gate bridge would deflect around the disturbance if there were somewhere else to go. In the same way that a black hole warps the path of the wormhole. But we do not have time for this now.

"By the same token, I do not think we have time for the construction of a large gate, either," Thorogood finishes.

The strange message from the Sacaen group is not answered by the Burninites. Sensor command essentially discards the message by putting it in Thorgood's inbox.

"What about boom tubes?" Thorgood asks. "Have you ever tried them in the presence of strange matter? If by some fluke, they are not affected, we could just boom tube over there from right here."

*Back in the Ordenreich R&D Black Order bunker*

The Black Paladin Komtur waited patiently for an answer from the science team when one of his agents contacted him

Agent: Sir we still have received no response from the science team

Black Paladin Komtur: No matter its not our highest priority. Inform me when they respond to the Hochmeister. Its only to the science teams benefit. Continue with other operations till then

"It's risky. My mother box has told me it can access other dimensions but they've always been within the same universe. It'd be best to just send one person through and back to make sure it's safe." He stops to think for a moment and smacks himself on the forehead. "Of course! How could I have forgotten? A speedster vibrating at the appropriate frequency to break through the multiversal barrier should be able to do it. The Emperor is not fast enough for it but a short trip to Earth's Moon should fetch us somebody who can!"

(OOC: Before you ask, yes, it's the Flash. Presumably he'll have someway of figuring out which universe he should enter.)

"Well there's already a hole out there to the other universe, which is the reason I'm thinking a normal type of travel could work if it has a way to get past the strange matter," Thorogood says. Thorgood nods.

"I suppose we could try this way. Here goes nothing." He pulls out his Mother Box, activates it, and tries to walk through.

(OOC: Wow, I had completely forgotten about this.)

He seems to reach the other side without a problem.

When the boom tube closes, it nearly shatters any nearby windows. "Hello, there. I see there's another Molotov here. Thorogood made it through and he's as big an ass as Thorgood."
"Molotov? I'm Molootov."
Molotov raises an eyebrow.
"I kid. I'm also Molotov."

*Black Order Bunker*

Black Paladin Komtur: Status update

Agent: We still have no word from the meeting of the other nation's top researchers, we are trying to get eyes and ears in on the meeting but its difficult because of our recent isolationist history. Our trooper agents have penetrated the level one defenses around our stargate but they are having much difficulty. The traps around the stargate are much tougher than we thought. We already lost 5 men to them.

Black Paladin Komtur: Are they not our defenses? Don't we have plans for the defenses around the stargate?

Agent: The defenses were built by the first Black Paladin Komtur that came over in the Stargate from our old homeland. He was a master of secrets for he oversaw the building of the chamber and he ordered the deaths of all the workers and soldiers overseeing the construction. He also burned all plans for the chamber. He wanted to make sure that the stargate was never used again.

Black Paladin Komtur: I see... inform the Hochmeister of our process through the usual channels and continue with excavations. I want to be in the stargate chamber within the week.

Agent: Yes sir

Servius, by this time, was lost in the magnificent science being utilized by the other races. How they had advanced to such points was fascinating and he took mental note of everything that was being said or done in his presence though he naturally understood he would not remember everything in the end. Hoping that their boom tube experiment is a success, Servius then turns to Zakharov and Thorgood to discuss the strange matter.

"How much has the strange matter spread and is there any way we can attempt to flood it back into the black hole?"

Zakharov frowns, and says, "At least a few light years out, unfortunately. I'm not sure if we can try to flood that back in, and I don't think that would be a productive effort, but we could attempt to destabilize the strange matter. Doing so would render it harmless and unable to spread, and in fact would make it go away."