Play@YSDC

Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2:20 PM - Friday, July 18, 1969

As Barney was in the final stages of his research, he noticed Bill Johns and John Yeager across the room as they were finishing up their own work. Bill noticed Barney as well.

ooc,fyi - incase it slipped your mind, the last stage of my research was finding out if Dr. Anderson's assistant had any history to speak of.

Barney waved from across the room to Bill. His toothy smile exhibited his ugly teeth quite nicely.

Bill was surprised to see Barney in the library but did his best to hide it. He raised a hand in welcome, saying quietly to Yeager, "That's the guy I told you about..."

"Yeah," replied Yeager, "I recognize him. He's that Brit, Braithwaite. He was at headquarters last night, visiting the Anderson kid. Just the fellow we need to talk to." He waved to Barney as well and spoke a little louder, though still fairly quiet - it was a library, after all. "Mr. Braithwaite, fancy meeting you here. I thought you had to catch a flight back to England last night."

OOC,Yes, I remember. This meeting happens before you can start on your second research topic, and indeed before you've quite finished the first.

Barney smiled and shook his head, "And miss all the excitement? No way man." He approached closer so they could speak without being overheard. "I was just killing some time. Dr. Anderson has agreed to keep me as a stand-in, in case some of the other test subjects don't show. I am supposed to be there later tonight to find out one way or another." He looked at John and addd, "I wanted you to know."

Bill glanced at Yeager. "Do we know anyone else who's due to be there? We could stack the odds in our favour..."

"Only what we spoke about earlier," said Yeager. He looked over at Barney. "How did you get involved in all this in the first place?"

Bill Johns,[b]Bill[/b] knew that his and [b]Mary[/b]'s younger selves would be in the experiment, as that's where they had met. He also knew that [b]Harry Sawyer[/b] would be there undercover. Come to think of it, [b]Barney[/b] seemed vaguely familiar too, so it was possible that he had been there.

Barney Brainstorm,[b]Barney[/b] knew that [b]Kathleen[/b] and [b]Maxine[/b] were also signed up for the experiment.

"It's been a pretty crazy past couple of days," Barney explained. "We were all sitting in a bar when Dr. Anderson's son was arrested. Curiousity got the better of some of us, myself included. I know two others who are attending. I can't speak for them personally, but I could probably arrange a meeting so you could talk to them - provided I can find them before the experiments begin."

Yeager raised an eyebrow. "Yes, that would help," he said. "What are their names, and where do they live?"

"Kathleen and Maxine," Barney responded. "Best if I set up the meeting than you just go barging into their house..." he took a glance at Bill. "I don't want them to think I'm some sort of narc."

"Good point," said Yeager. "Good thing we're in plainclothes then. We'll still need their last names and addresses so we can check on their backgrounds."

Barney shrugged. If he knew their last name, he wasn't telling.

"Well, try to find out when you talk to them," said Yeager.

"You don't want to think of this as being a narc," said Bill. "Anderson's could be putting people at risk - you're helping us to make sure that doesn't happen."

"I don't mind volunteering to help because I am curious, but when you ask me to draft my friends into your service, I have a little problem with it. The same thing could be said for any drug dealer," Barney retorted. "The people I interact with are very touchy about siding with the police - a lot of sore feelings there due to ... well, a difference of opinions among other things. I'm not convinced there is anything harmful about what Dr. Anderson is doing, and I haven't seen really anything concrete that supports that assumption." He shrugged and added, "Sure, his son was peddling the experimental drugs on the street, but that really doesn't make Dr. Anderson a bad man.

"You're right," said Bill, "The actions of his son don't make Dr. Anderson a bad man. We do know that he's mixed up with some shady characters though, which is why we're investigating him." He smiled wryly, "Contrary to what you might have been told, we don't just pick on people at random!"

"Right," said Yeager with a grin. "When we pick on someone, it's for a damn good reason!"

OOC,[b]Bill[/b], please don't forget that you haven't yet rolled for your skill increases.

Barney laughed... and shook his head. "I'm sure you went well out of your way to investigate my background before you broke into my home and recruited my help." The British man started turning about, saying as he was heading out, "When you decide to start treating us civilians like people rather than objects for your manipulation, let me know."

"Broke into your..." said Yeager, confused. He glanced over at Bill. "What's he talking about?"

"A bit of a misunderstanding," said Bill sheepishly, holding up his hands by way of apology. "I thought Barney was heading back to England, so I wasn't expecting anyone to be there - I didn't even realise it was his home, I thought it was an office."

Barney rolled his eyes. He said, "Look... I said I'd help, and I will. I will talk to my friends the next time I see them to see if they are interested in helping your cause. If they say no... so be it." He shrugged and added, "If they say yes, I'll introduce you when the opportunity arises. If that isn't good enough, then find some other hamsters." He looked at both men and asked, "If there's nothing else... I have someplace to be."

"Nothing from me," replied Bill.

"Just one more thing," said Yeager. "How are we going to contact you again? We can't count on running into you through sheer luck a second time."

OOC,[b]Barney[/b], when you're ready to leave, please let me know where you intend to go from here.

ooc,Barney still had some more research he was going to do, so he'll continue what he was doing in the library until it's about 4PM, then head over to where the experiment was supposed to take place.

"If you need me... you mean before tonight or ... like tomorrow? Bill knows my home address. I'll jot down my phone number for you. But I don't plan on going back to the studio tonight. From here, once I'm done, I'll be heading over to Dr. Anderson's lab," Barney explained.

"All right, then," said Yeager. "Try to contact us tomorrow during the day and fill us in on how it went." He nodded to Bill. "Back to headquarters?"

OOC,You're heading there that early? You'll be finished the first research topic at 3:00, and it will take until 7:00 to finish the second one. The experiment starts at 8:00, so there's also time to have dinner in there.

"Yeah," replied Bill, "We'll head back. Perhaps we can find a lead on the woman who seems to be behind this."

OOC,[b]Bill[/b] and [b]Yeager[/b] are moving to the thread linked below. Please stop reading the current thread at this point. [b]Barney[/b] remains in the current thread.

Friday on my Mind

After Bill Johns and John Yeager departed, Barney continued his research into the early evening. He dug into Assistant Professor Nancy Remington's background and was fairly sure he'd found out all he could about her here. She had been born in Philadelphia in 1932 to Rodney and Stacy Remington. Rodney Remington was a retired doctor who had used to work at Thomas Jefferson Hospital. Nancy had gone to Girls' High for high school and then gone to Princeton University for college, where she studied clinical psychology, excelling in her coursework and research. She had continued her education through most of the 1950s, and she had actually earned an M.D. degree by the time she finished in 1958. She had worked at a few hospitals, including Jefferson, before accepting a tenure track position at the University of Pennsylvania in 1965. She had never married.

Nancy Remington had published a number of papers on psychology over the years. Her thesis subject had been the causes of schizophrenia, and there was a copy of it here in the library. A lot of her work seemed to deal with mental illnesses that made it difficult for the patient to distinguish fantasy from reality. Barney found one of her papers particularly interesting. It concerned the account of a fireman from New York who had suffered a mental breakdown in 1964. The patient, whose name was redacted for confidentiality reasons, had claimed that he was from the year 2001. He had said that he and many other firefighters had been called out to something called the World Trade Center, a site that Nancy had noted did not exist. There had been some kind of air attack involving planes being deliberately flown into skyscrapers, and he had gone inside to rescue people. He had still been in there with a bunch of other firefighters and police when the building started collapsing on them, and the next thing he knew he had awoken in a vacant lot and it was 1964. Nancy had tried to treat him, but unsuccessfully. He had insisted on the reality of his delusion and wanted nothing more than to return to 2001 and try to save his buddies. Eventually, he had committed suicide by jumping off the roof of a tall building. Nancy had speculated that he had killed himself in the belief that doing so would return him to his imagined world of 2001.

OOC,[b]Barney[/b], please roll Psychology to see what else you understand about [b]Nancy[/b]'s research.

Psychology - success!,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3968710/]Psychology (50%) (1d100=19)[/url]

Barney's eyes widened as he read the information about the displaced mentality of the fireman, noting how similar it was to Bill. He wished Bill were still there so he could show the man, but he'd bring it up later for sure. There had to be a link between her work then and now, but he wasn't sure what it was just yet. Scratching his head, he dug a little deeper.

Barney's knowledge of psychology helped him to understand Nancy Remington's paper on a deeper level. She had diagnosed the unnamed patient as delusional based on the criteria that he believed his delusion to be absolutely true, it was just as absolutely impossible, and nothing could convince him to let go of it, thus perfectly fitting the criteria laid down by noted psychiatrist Karl Jespers in 1913. Further, she had determined that it was a bizarre delusion due to the obvious implausibility of time travel. However, it fit none of the common delusional themes, which is what particularly intrigued her about this case. She had also noted that he appeared to suffer from auditory and visual hallucinations, occasionally hearing the voices that he claimed were from people in 2001 or seeing scenes from the future on television screens. She had therefore ruled out delusional disorder, which required the absence of such hallucinations as well as the delusion being non-bizarre. Instead, she believed that he had most likely been suffering from schizophrenia. He did not have multiple personalities, but the hallucinations and delusion seemed to fit. Even so, the case perplexed her. She wrote that the patient had confabulated an entire future history from 1964 onwards, with a listing of major events. He had correctly predicted the election of President Lyndon Johnson, but that didn't exactly take a prophet or time traveler to foresee.

OOC,I've given you a check in Library Use for this chapter, as your second roll's effects came after the end of the first chapter.

ooc,Coolio. Thanks.

Barney looked back again for the date that the fireman was reported to have been afflicted with the psychosis. He didn't have a lot of time left now, but perhaps he could spend a little bit researching past newspaper articles from the same time in New York City to see if there were anything significant reported that might link then and now.

Nancy Remington's paper indicated that the man's breakdown had occurred in September 1964, but it did not give an exact date. The paper itself was published in December 1964. The Van Pelt Library did have archives of the New York Times on microfiche. However, it would take hours to wade through all of the issues from the month in question to find anything relevant, and he didn't have that kind of time before the experiment. A quick check of his watch showed Barney that it was already 7:00, and the experiment started at eight.

OOC,No problem! It would take four hours to do the research. You could start now if you forgo dinner, but you'd get only about fifty minutes done before having to leave for the experiment, so you'd have to continue on Saturday.

Barney looks at his watch and shook his head. There simply wasn't time... and his stomach growled.

He put his books/papers away and made his way out of the library to head to the lab, by way of cafeteria for a quick bite to eat.

Barney ate a quick dinner before proceeding to the lab in Room 110 of John Morgan Hall. He got there a few minutes before 8:00.


John Morgan Hall, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
7:55 PM - Friday, July 18, 1969

Barney entered the hallway leading to Room 110. The door was closed, and there were five other people waiting outside it. He recognized Kathleen and Maxine, as well as Harry, the young man who had been talking to Brian in Lenny's Bar just before the arrest. He also noticed Mary among the group. The fifth person was a man about eighteen years old who looked vaguely familiar.

OOC,[b]Barney[/b], please roll Idea.

Idea - Success!,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3978353/]Idea (80%) (1d100=17)[/url]

Barney noted all the people he recognized from before and greeted them with a smile and a nod. "Big night ahead, right?" He looked again to the locked doors, eyes scanning the interior for signs of life. "Wonder if they'll be prompt, or fashionably late?"

"Oh, they're already inside," said Mary. "I can hear them in there. We're a little early, so we just have to wait for them to open the door. Funny seeing you again here." She looked around at the gathered people. "Most of you look like I know you." She folllowed Barney's glance and focused her gaze on the young man whose name he didn't know, who had just arrived seconds ahead of him and was approaching the knot of people near the door. He was already staring into her eyes. "Do I know you from somewhere? You look so familiar."

"Sorry, I've never seen you before," he said. "I'm sure I would remember meeting a girl as gorgeous as you."

Mary laughed in an almost musical tone.

Barney also was becoming more and more convinced that he knew this young man, and then it clicked. His features looked a lot like those of Bill Johns, except about forty years younger.

Barney looked to the man with sudden reckognition and asked, "Bill?"

"Oh, call me Willie," he said. "Only my dad calls me Bill." He gave Barney a puzzled look. "Do I know you?"

Barney wondered if he should tell Willie what he knew, but figured the lad would just think he was off his rocker. "Uh... no, probably not. Lucky guess," he offered in response. He shot Mary a look that said more though.

Confusion,Little lost here. I thought Bill's mind was sent back into someone else's body. The police officers have accepted him as one of their own, which means they aknowledge a current-day police officer named Bill with Bill's appearance. Now it seems you are introducing the possibility of a time-travelling Bill from the future as well to further complicate things. Do I have this right?

Mary wasn't even looking at Barney any more, so she missed his signal. She only had eyes for Willie. "I'm Mary," she said with a twinkle in her eyes. "Mary Walters. I'm majoring in psychology."

"I'm studying history and archaeology," said Willie. "I'm very pleased to meet you."

OOC,TIme travel can be very confusing, and I'm not sure you have everything correct there. Let me try to explain without giving away anything you don't yet know. The [b]Bill Johns[/b] you met earlier is a man in his late fifties, and yes, the other cops do seem to accept him. [b]Willie[/b] here is about eighteen years old but looks very much like a younger version of [b]Bill[/b]. It isn't clear to you whether [b]Bill[/b] went back in time physically or mentally (or at all). I never explicitly said what was going on, and [b]Bill[/b] may have been making some assumptions when he spoke. His player doesn't really know what's going on any more than you do, and that's the way it's supposed to be.

"Hey Willie," Barney said stepping closer, "Do you happen to have a father in the police force?"

"Huh?" said Willie, looking confused. "My father's a professor. Why would you think he's a cop?"

This time Mary did look back at Barney. She shook her head ever so slightly from side to side.

OOC,[b]Barney[/b], please roll Psychology.

Psychology - success!,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4005742/]Psychology (50%) (1d100=49)[/url]

Barney narrowed his eyes when Mary shook her head. He looked back to Willie and said, "How about an uncle? You bear a striking resemblance to a bloke I know."

"Sorry, no," said Willie, returning his attention to Mary. She gave Barney a quick, angry glance before focusing on Willie. It was then that Barney realized what was going on with her. She didn't want him mentioning anything to do with the police, for fear it would lead to disclosing the fact that her ex-boyfriend Brian had recently been arrested if Willie was related to Bill. It was also apparent that she was attracted to Willie, and that it was mutual.

Barney shrugged with a casual, "My mistake." He looked away.

The door to the lab opened, and an attractive woman in her mid-thirties stood behind it, wearing a long green skirt and a white blouse with a plaid jacket over it. Barney remembered seeing her at Lenny's Bar two nights ago with the man in the wheelchair and the other academic type. "Good evening," she said. "I'm Assistant Professor Nancy Remington. I take it you're all here for the sleep experiment. Please, come inside." She stepped out of the way, revealing the interior. The windowless area beyond the door looked like a standard science lab, with various lab tables and cabinets, but it also had a Westinghouse refrigerator that was locked with a padlock, several cots in the back, and a television set. Also in the lab was a tall, confident man in his upper forties wearing a gray suit and maroon tie, his brown hair streaked with hints of gray. A full beard covered his chin, and he wore glasses.

Barney let the others take the lead and tried to seem as inconspicuous as possible. He looked at Nancy Remington for the first time, recalling what he had learned about her other studies not too long ago. Somehow, this was all tied together, and poor Willie was soon to be right in the middle of it.

When the opportunity seemed right, Barney introduced himself to the assistant, recalling the fake name he gave to Dr. Anderson earlier, "Barney Miller." He offered her a smile, then fell back in line with the others.

"I'm Harry Sawyer," said Harry, following Barney inside.

"Kathy Scott," said Kathleen, the next through the door.

"Maxine Grey," said the older woman, entering right behind her.

"Mary Walters," said Mary, stepping in when Willie moved aside and then followed her through.

"Willie Johns," said Willie.

"Excellent, you're all on time," said the man, approaching the group. Barney recognized him as Dr. Anderson. "I'm Dr. Gregory Anderson. Assistant Professor Remington will be assisting me in this experiment. Before we begin, are there any questions?"

Barney raised his hand slowly, "I ... uh... was a stand in, just in the event someone else didn't show. Am I in or out?"

"Oh, you're in, Mr. Miller," said Dr. Anderson. "There was a cancellation late in the afternoon, so that opened up a slot for you. Are there any other questions?"

Barney nodded with a smile to the fact that he was accepted into the studies. He wasn't sure if it was such a great idea considering all the bizarre facts surrounding Bill, but it would be an interesting trip at any rate.

Harry raised his hand. "Yes?" asked Anderson.

"What do we need to do?" asked Harry.

"For now, just relax. Hopefully you've brought something to do or something to read. You can do your coursework, or whatever you like. Talk to each other if you wish. There's a TV, plus we have snacks and soft drinks in the fridge and the cabinets that we can get for you if you ask. Professor Remington and I will observe you throughout the evening, occasionally interviewing one of you and asking questions."

"And why is the fridge locked?"

"That's also where we keep what we're testing for the dream study. At midnight you'll all be given something to drink. Half of you are part of the control group and will receive ordinary chocolate milk. The other half will receive what I like to call Morpheus. It will make you drowsy and possibly allow you to control your dream, which is called lucid dreaming. You will try to dream about what we tell you to dream about. When you awaken, we will interview you again and get the details of your dreams. It is best to get those while they are fresh, as dreams are often quickly forgotten. Breakfast will be served in the morning, and at eight o'clock you are free to go, returning again at eight in the evening the following two nights. On Monday morning, you will each receive your fifty dollars for participating in the study."

"Is this a double-blind study?" asked Mary.

"No. Professor Remington and I know which group each of you is in, though you won't know yourselves. We've assigned each of you a number from 1 to 6, and those numbers are on the labels of the flasks you'll be given to drink. In our notes and published results, we will refer to you each only by number, not by name."

OOC,[b]Barney[/b], please roll Psychology.

Psychology Failed,Man... Barney just doesn't want to know I guess.

Barney was nodding along as the conversation rolled on. He didn't know what a double-blind study was, figured someone would be putting blindfolds over their eyes if that were the case. He wasn't sure he liked that idea at all, going around blind when weird time-travelling was going about. But luckily, there would be no double-blind studies here. Whew.

Snacks were locked away... which would suck if someone had the munchies. Good thing Barney had been clean for a good long while.

As they discussed numbering everyone, Barney snapped his fingers, "I was hoping for number 9." He smiled a toothy grin, looking about seeing if anyone else grasped the Beetles reference.

Kathleen grinned back, obviously getting it, but nobody else seemed to react.

"Only if you flip it upside down," said Nancy. "You are number 6."

"Who is number 1?" asked Harry, cracking a smile.

"That would be telling." Nancy paused before continuing. "Well, this isn't The Prisoner, so I can tell you. Miss Walters is number 1, Mr. Johns is number 2, Miss Scott is number 3, Miss Grey is number 4, and Mr. Sawyer is number 5."

Barney smiled... a six would suffice. "I'll just have to stand on my head more often than not."

He asked Nancy, "So when we get tired, is there a special sleeping chamber we need to be in? Do you need to hook up wires to monitor our vitals? Is there a set bed time, or do we just let you know when we are getting sleepy?"

"You'll just sleep on that row of cots at the back there," said Nancy, pointing them out. "We will be hooking up an EEG to each of you - that's an electroencephalogram - to monitor your brainwaves as you sleep. As Dr. Anderson said, bedtime is midnight. At that point we'll turn off the TV and the lights, and you'll each get in bed and drink your flask. There are small chambers you can use to change into pajamas if you like, or you can just sleep in your clothes."

Barney wasn't sure what he felt about having a bunch of wires hooked up to him. Like he'd be part of the machine.

Barney asks, "If the control group is given regular chocolate milk, won't they figure it out when they don't get drowsy from it?"

"They might," said Nancy, "except for two things. First, we're waiting until midnight to serve it so that everyone should be tired by then. Second, and probably more importantly, we've added a small dose of a sleep aid to the chocolate milk. It's harmless, and it'll make you drowsy too."

Barney then asked, "What if there's some sort of emergency... like a building fire? Will we be shaken awake easily enough?"

"We haven't tried prematurely awakening someone who has taken Morpheus," said Nancy, "but animals did tend to stay asleep until it wore off. If there's a fire and we can't wake you, we will pick up your cots with you on them as if they were stretchers and carry you out of the building."

Barney looked at Nancy's arms, doubtful that she could help heft a heavy cot. "Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that then." He looked around the place, knowing there would be time for him to speak more privately with Nancy in hopes of getting to the bottom of the time-travelling mystery that surrounded her.

"If there are no more questions," said Nancy, "everyone can get settled in. We'll interview each of you further throughout the evening, but other than that your time is your own until midnight."

Mary smiled, glancing at Willie before looking back at Nancy. "Thanks for telling me about the experiment, Professor Remington," she said. "I'm glad I came."

"So am I. You've always been one of my best students."

Barney walked around the room, but he didn't notice anything he hadn't seen before when he first entered. The cots didn't look very heavy by themselves, but they'd be a lot heavier with someone sleeping on them. Kathleen and Maxine picked out a pair of cots at one end and sat down on them, while Harry went over to the TV and turned it on. It began to warm up.

Barney asked Nancy, "Is there anything I can help you all with to prepare for the night's experiments?" He wasn't sure how to bring up the delicate conversation that he felt he needed to have with her.

Barney asked Nancy, "Is there anything I can help you all with to prepare for the night's experiments?" He wasn't sure how to bring up the delicate conversation that he felt he needed to have with her.

"Thank you," said Nancy, "but really all you need to do is follow our directions. Dr. Anderson and I have things well in hand. Just relax, hang out, whatever you feel like. One of us will be along to ask you some questions once you get settled in."

Barney nodded, "As you wish, Nancy. I would like the opportunity to speak to you about other work you may have done. Psychology is a recent fascination of mine. I was wondering if maybe I should take up a new major. But you know... when you find time." He smiled and turned away heading off into the area for explorations.

"Well, I've got some time now," said Nancy, following Barney as he walked through the lab. "I see you've already met Mary, who's one of my students. She's just finished her first year, and she's doing very well. Psychology is a great major, and I think you'd be a good fit for it. I used to be a clinical psychotherapist until a few years ago, when I went into teaching. Is there anything in particular you'd like to know?"

Barney smirked and looked left and right making sure they were alone-ish ... at least out of ear shot before continuing their conversation. "Well, in particular, I was wondering if you think stressful jobs like an officer of the law or a fireman might suffer more from delusions than others. It is a tough life, after all... risking your skin day after day to save others, and quite often for no gratitude at all."

"Those are extremely stressful jobs," said Nancy, "and there may be something to that. Constant, ongoing stress may be one factor, but it's not the only one. I've done extensive studies on delusions, and there are a few schools of thought about what causes them. Some psychologists believe that susceptibility to delusions is hereditary. Another theory is that delusions are of a personal nature, and the manner in which a person thinks and views the world is what can open one up to delusional beliefs. There's another major theory that delusions are a mental defense mechanism for when the real world and the people in it becomes too difficult to cope with, especially in people who are already predisposed to delusions. That has more to do with a lack of self-esteem, and people who suffer from delusions are more likely to blame others for their troubles. For instance, some paranoid delusionals may cope with their problems by believing that other people are out to get them, and that therefore their problems are not their fault."

"What if the delusion isn't a delusion at all? What if the reality of it is that something has defied our understanding of reality, and the only thing we can do is deem the person who experienced it as mentally deranged?" Barney asked her and paused a little. Then he said, "I'll bet there were a few cases you can't prove were mere delusion, and only stick to that proclamation because the only other recourse is to admit that reality may not be completely defined. In which case, you are forced to start evaluating your own sanity."

Nancy blinked. "How can something real defy our undestanding of reality?" she asked, puzzled. "There may be cases where a person is diagnosed as delusional because their beliefs are implausible, only for those beliefs to actually be true, but those things are within the bounds of reality. For example, a child may accuse a parent who is a person of high standing with a sterling reputation of abuse. It's within the realms of possibility for this to actually be true. But if that child accuses the parent of secretly being a space alien, well, that's obviously impossible."

Barney smiled, the conversation was going in the right direction. "What if someone... let's say for argument's sake... thought they had been transported from the future or past. Now, I don't mean they physically came here in some sort of time machine ala H.G. Wells, but mentally their current perception of life were transported into their mind at a different point on the line of time - or even if they were transported into the head of another person. It would be impossible to tell if that were reality or delusion."

OOC,You're [b]Barney[/b], not [b]Bill[/b]. ;)

"But...that would have to be a delusion," said Nancy, confused. "That sort of thing is impossible." She narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying that this has happened to you?"

Barney smiled and shook his head, "Of course not. Such a thing would be impossible, one would think... or redefine everything we know about time. You have to admit though, we can't possibly know everything there is to know about time." He leaned in and asked the doctor, "You've ever met someone claiming to have travelled through time, not in body, but in mind?"

"Not really," said Nancy. "I have had a patient who claimed to be from the future, but he believed he had traveled in the same body. Of course, he had a life in this time, complete with a past, but delusions don't have to make sense."

Barney glanced left and right making sure they weren't being overheard as he leaned in closer to Nancy, "What if I told you ... I have too. And what's more curious... the man I met of the future, well... his past self is in our little group."

Nancy's eyes widened. "This man actually believes he's the same person as someone younger?" she asks, her voice low. "Well, I would advise you to have him seek professional help. Not me, though. I only teach and do research now. I haven't seen a patient in years. He'll need someone more qualified."

Barney chuckled, "I was thinking the same thing, but this man has some keen insight on future events... things you would not expect of a police officer. Naturally, I have no way of verifying anything he says... but everything was plausible. And if you were to see the two side by side, you'd swear they were related, maybe father and son."

He sat and thought about the situation a little longer, then said, "What if it is something in this experiment that sets forth the wheels for some future time-travel singularity?"

"You mean Bill Johns and Willie Johns?" asked Nancy, dropping her voice to a whisper. "I saw the resemblance. It's obvious they're related, but it's impossible for them to be the same person. Bill Johns really believes this? I met him a couple of nights ago, and there does seem to be something odd about his behavior. I should have recognized the signs."

Barney lifted an eyebrow when Nancy hit the nail on the head, "You're a clever lady, drawing that conclusion. I hadn't seen Willie Johns before just now. I was giving Bill the benefit of the doubt based on things he knew about where the music industry was heading. Now that I've seen Willie, I'm more inclined to believe the man, especially since Willie told me he has no relatives on the force." He leaned back and smiled. It felt nice to get that little secret off his chest. "Perhaps... you can prove it one way or another. If you can find out more about Willie, things he wouldn't likely share outside of confidence, then we could check and see if Bill has the same answers."

"I think you may be jumping to conclusions," said Nancy with a sigh. "I can see that you want to believe in time travel, but don't fall for someone else's delusion. I'm sure there's a rational explanation for all of this. Perhaps Willie knows about his relative's mental illness and doesn't want to talk about him. Perhaps Bill Johns isn't really a police officer at all."

OOC,[b]Barney[/b], please roll Persuade.

Persuade - Fail,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4131442/]Persuade (55%) (1d100=65)[/url]

Barney chuckled, "Oh, I wouldn't say I want to believe in time travel... I just like to understand what is going on around me, especially if it doesn't make any sense." He shrugged, "Perhaps you're right. Guess we may never know."

"Yes, it's probably best not to meddle in their family affairs," said Nancy. "I would like to talk to Bill Johns, though. I don't know if I can help him. Like I said, I don't see patients any more. But I can refer him to a colleague who does."

"Didn't you once have a patient... fireman I think it was... who thought he was a time traveler? Seems to me I read something about it once," Barney questioned her pointedly since she'd done a great job avoiding that historical fact thus far.

Nancy's eyes widened. "So, you've done your homework," she said. "No wonder you were asking some of those questions. Yes, I did have a patient who had that delusion. I tried to help him to overcome it, but he absolutely refused to let it go. He was utterly convinced it was true. In the end, he killed himself." She sighed and shook her head. "I failed him. Maybe if I'd been better at my job, he'd still be alive. That's the real reason I gave up my practice and went into teaching. I wish time travel were real. Then I could go back and save him."

Barney said, "Yeah... um, sorry for drudging up sore memories. But I mean... how can we know without a doubt that time travel isn't possible? A few hundred years ago, they'd have crucified you for even suggesting you could produce light from your hand without fire or speak with someone across the ocean in real time." He shrugged and said "Sometimes you have to keep an open mind even if it surpasses what you know to be the bounds of reality."

"If time travel were possible," said Nancy, "we'd be overrun by people from the future. Besides, it would violate the laws of physics. If you could travel back in time, you could use that ability to create a perpetual motion machine. Some things are just impossible."

Barney shrugs and responds, " If people are traveling back in time mentally only, then the world need not be overrun by people from the future. The people from the future merely need a brain to go to. And as for the laws of physics, as I've stated before, many things are deemed impossible until people wiser than ourselves find a way to make it happen."

"Well, I'd need solid proof before I believed in something like that," said Nancy. "Whoever's making the claim needs to back it up. Someone who's really from the future would be able to predict future events with perfect accuracy."

Barney nodded, "So long as they really paid attention to current events and past historical events, I agree." Barney smiled and shrugged, "I don't have all the answers, just a whole lot of questions. Thanks for listening to them." He looked about and then back to the woman, "So can you think of anything that might be similar to the situation with that fireman of your past and our current events? I'm wondering if there are connections... if not about time travel, then about related mental psychosis. Maybe they were both taking the same drugs or something?"

"I don't know what drugs your friend might be taking," said Nancy, "but my patient was only taking the psychiatric medications he was prescribed following his breakdown. None of them would cause hallucinations or delusional thinking. In fact, they were intended to suppress that sort of thing. There are plenty of hallucinogens out there that could have this effect. LSD is an increasingly popular one."

"Ah yes... good ole Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Something so powerful could be slipped into a meal or drink relatively unnoticed. Is it possible that had happened to the fireman fellow?" Barney asked inquisitively, leaving out his own suspicions about the government perhaps doing the very same thing to many unwilling participants in the armed forces.

"I can't say for sure he didn't take any before his breakdown," said Nancy, "but once he was committed, it wouldn't have been possible. The way he clung to his delusion so vehemently, I don't think it was caused by a one-time hallucination. He had a whole lifetime of false memories built up, and he had confabulated an entire future history."

Barney rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I suppose you have a good point there. A decent trip might give you an afternoon of fanciful recollections, not a few decades worth." He leaned back and asked, "Just out of curiousity, did you bother checking his future details to see if any of them came to fruition?"

"Most of his recollections were closer to the time he claimed to come from," said Nancy, "which was the year 2001. Like in A Space Odyssey." She cracked a smile. "That in and of itself sounds made up, but he truly believed it. He did mention that Johnson would win the election in the year I treated him, which was 1964, but it hardly took a prophet to predict that. After we lost President Kennedy, Johnson was a shoe-in. He said that President Nixon would win in 1968, but again, that's not such a stretch as an educated guess. He came pretty close in 1960, so it makes sense he'd try again. Oh, and he mentioned that we'd land on the moon in 1969, which is about to happen in a couple of days, though that could also be a good guess. President Kennedy did say we'd land on the moon by the end of the decade."

Barney nodded with interest, "But ... did he predict anything that didn't happen?"

"Well, most of what he said would happen hasn't," said Nancy, "but it isn't due to happen yet. Still, some of what he claimed would occur sounds ridiculous. He said that President Nixon would resign in disgrace after being caught in criminal acts and that Gerald Ford would be the next President. But Ford is the House Minority Leader. Agnew is Vice President, and he'd be next in line. I suppose if the Republicans get a majority Ford could become Speaker of the House. That would make him next in line after Vice President Agnew, but something would still have to happen to get Agnew out of the way. But I can't see the Republicans taking the House any time soon anyway."

"Ok... so some things haven't happened yet... but nothing that he claimed would go one way went a totally different way. So as you Americans are fond of saying, the jury is still out, yes?" Barney questioned with a smile. He nodded and added, "I'll leave you now, maybe mingle with some of my fellow lab rats. Thanks for the talk."

"Sure, no problem," said Nancy, walking off to confer with Dr. Anderson. Barney saw Willie and Mary chatting up a storm in one corner of the lab. Maxine and Kathleen were sitting on their cots talking, and Harry had gone over to the TV and turned it on. He was waiting for it to finish warming up.

Barney headed over to Harry to have a little talk with the man. "Anything good on the telly tonight?" he asked.

ooc,I'm sure you noticed my slow posting lately. Sorry about that. I wanted you to know if this is causing any problems you are welcome to either A) replace me as a player, or B) NPC me as necessary. And I'm wondering, are there any other PCs involved in this encounter?

Harry shrugged. "Dunno, man," he said. "Guess we'll see. The name's Harry Sawyer." He stuck out his hand.

OOC,It's no problem. There are no other PCs in this thread, so it can proceed at your pace. [b]Kathleen[/b] is a former PC, and while her player did return to the boards, he hasn't taken her back yet. [b]Harry[/b] was initially an NPC that was briefly taken on as a PC, but his player vanished long ago and he is again an NPC.

ooc,so alone.

Barney grabbed Harry's hand and shook it, "Barney," he answered simply then took a seat nearby the TV. "I don't really get much of an opportunity to enjoy the American entertainment, but if all we are doing here is killing time... might as well take advantage of it."

The TV finished warming up, and the image on the screen expanded to fill it, showing some sort of Western show starring Robert Conrad.



"Oh, it's The Wild Wild West!" said Harry, grinning. "I love this show. Too bad CBS canceled it, and all because a bunch of idiots say it's too violent. No more new episodes, but at least we still have reruns. What kinds of shows do they have where you're from?"

Barney found a comfortable seat and looked back to Harry answering, "Well, I'm more a radio-kind-of-fellow, but there is some decent broadcasts in the British Telly... Benny Hill and Monty Python come to mind, but I'm afraid they are a bit too brash for the sensitive pallates of you Yankees. There is a science-fiction series called Doctor Who that has caught on quite well. Have you heard of that?"

"I've heard of it," said Harry, "but I don't think they show it here. I like radio more too. I'm really into music. I know the Beatles are British, and they're really cool. But we've got some great American bands too, like the Rolling Stones, and some amazing individual artists, like Elvis and Jimi Hendrix."

Barney smiled, now delving into a familiar topic. "There are some very talented fellows singing these days. Music is transforming before our eyes with each new singer or group that hits the stage. It is an exciting time for rock-and-roll." He lifted an eyebrow and asked curiously, "What is your favorite song of these new artists?"

"My favorite?" said Harry, pausing to think. "I guess I'd have to say 'People Are Strange' by The Doors. I've never really fit in, so that song really speaks to me. Say, have you heard that new song by David Bowie, 'Space Oddity'? It was only released a week ago."

Barney had heard it, just a couple of nights ago. It had been playing at Lenny's Bar, when that bizarre incident involving Bill and Brian Anderson had happened. He recalled that Harry had been there too. In fact, he'd been sitting at the table with Brian and taken outside with him when Brian had been arrested.

Barney nodded, "Oh yes... an interesting song indeed. I know it is about an astronaut, but I can't help but wonder what sort of metaphor they are trying to make with the lyrics." Having reminding himself where he had seen Harry before, he became curious at the man's interest in the experiment. Could he be here for some ulterior motive? "So tell me, Harry... have you been interested in dream research long?"

"I think Space Oddity is about a man who's lost and doesn't know how to get back to where he's from," said Harry, "but in the end he's okay with it. I haven't really given much thought to dream research, but I saw the ad and could really use fifty bucks."

OOC,[b]Barney[/b], please roll Psychology.

Psychology-Failed!,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4251701/]Psychology (50%) (1d100=73)[/url]

Barney nodded, then smirked, "Are you sure it's not just because you want a little more of what Brian was peddling?"

"More?" said Harry. "How-" He shook his head. "I never even had the chance to buy anything, lucky for me. The fuzz turned me loose afterwards. I wasn't interested in Morpheus, anyhow."

Barney tilted his head curiously, "Really? Huh... well, forgive me old chap. I merely assumed, since you were sitting with Brian you were also engaging in his wares. So you two were friends then?"

"No, I'd never met him before that night," said Harry. "I was interested in some of the other stuff he had, just not the Morpheus."

Barney nodded, "Still quite an amazing coincidence, the both of us being here for this after what had happened." He chuckled and stood up, "I'm going to find myself something to drink. Can I get you anything?"

"Thanks," said Harry. "I'll have a Coke, please."

When Barney went over to get some drinks for him and Harry, Dr. Anderson approached Harry and began speaking to him.

OOC,[b]Barney[/b], please roll Listen.

Barney cocked an ear as Dr. Anderson and Harry began to speak, and he was easily able to overhear their conversation.

OOC,I've activated the dice roller on the boards for the games I run, so if you like you can use that while Invisible Castle is out of commission. [dice]0[/dice]

"Mr. Sawyer?" asked Dr. Anderson.

"Yeah?" said Harry.

"I'd like to hear more about your dreams. Can you recall any recent dreams you've had?" He took out a notepad and a ballpoint pen.

"Yeah, I had a really weird one a couple of nights ago. I can't remember everything about it, but there was this weird critter called a 'zoog' that chased me up a tree, but then I got rescued by a priest and a talking cat, and they scared it off."

"Interesting..." Dr. Anderson scribbled down notes. "What else can you remember about that dream?"

Barney found his own interest piqued. He tried to move closer without seeming so obvious about it so he could continue eavesdropping. He couldn't help but wonder what a zoog looked like, or how this priest and talking cat managed to chase it away.

"Well," said Harry. "The creature looked like a giant brown rat-like thing with sharp, pointy teeth. Came out of a hole at the base of a tree and came after me. It ran off when the priest and the cat came by, but I think it was mainly scared of the cat. The cat told me his name was Snookums and that the thing was called a zoog. The priest...his name was Levington. Father Nethaniel Levington. I came down from the tree...well, more like I fell out of it, and we traveled through these woods together to a graveyard. That's where we saw this other thing that looked like a man, but with rubbery skin and claws and a canine face. It was digging up a grave and eating part of a body! Snookums called it a ghoul."

"Fascinating," said Dr. Anderson, scribbling faster and with more intensity. "Tell me, did you have anything unusual to eat or drink before you went to sleep?"

"Just some Morpheus," said Harry, without realizing what he was saying. When Anderson's eyes widened, Harry slapped himself on the forehead.

Barney brought back a Coke for Harry and had one for himself as well. He knew Harry told him he wasn't interested in the Morpheus Brian had, now he knew it was a lie. The Morpheus had an effect on people's dreams, making them more vivid and less realistic apparently, and might even be addictive. "Morpheus," Barney repeated as he approached. He eyed Harry a second exchanging a knowing glance, then asked the doctor, "What's Morpheus, doctor?" Quickly, he said to Harry, "I'm sorry for interrupting. Just curious. I can go away if this conversation is somewhat ... delicate."

"Thanks," said Harry, accepting the Coke and looking grateful for the distraction.

"Morpheus is what we're testing in this experiment," Dr. Anderson told Barney. "I can't tell you how it's made or what's in it, if that's what you're asking." He then returned his attention to Harry, his eyes narrowing. "Now just how did you get your hands on Morpheus?"

"I...I got confused," said Harry. "I didn't mean Morpheus, I meant...mescal."

OOC,Fast Talk roll (50% skill) for Harry: [dice]0[/dice]

Dr. Anderson softened. "All right, I can see how you can get mixed up. You do seem the type to get easily confused. Excuse me." He moved away and went over to talk to Kathleen.

Psychology to identify lying,[dice]0[/dice] -Psychology 50%

Barney watched the doctor walk away, then looked back to Harry.

Barney figured Harry was lying. He also ascertained either Harry lied because he had unfinished business in this altered state of mind, or the drug was addictive. So he leaned in close to Harry and said quietly, "You tell me the truth and I won't expose your lies to the good doctor and get you thrown out of this experiment."

"Look, we're on the same side, man," whispered Harry. "Don't blow my cover. I'm a cop, sent by Lt. Yeager to infiltrate the experiment and look after you. I was undercover arranging the buy when Brian was arrested. That's how the cops knew to burst in and nab him. I accidentally drank the Morpheus that was with the stuff that had been taken from Brian because I didn't know what it was. I thought it was chocolate milk."

Barney got the impression that Harry was sincere about what he was saying now, and it seemed that Dr. Anderson had bought his quick recovery, at least for now. Harry also seemed embarrassed about almost giving himself away.

OOC,[b]Barney[/b], please roll Idea.

Idea (75%),[dice]0[/dice]

Barney nodded to Harry and said muttering under his breath, "You could have saved us both a bunch of aggravation and let me know that ahead of time..." his comment was more to the police in general, not just to Harry. In a whisper, he said to Harry, "Well, don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. I don't know if they told you my full name, but the doctor has me as Barney Miller... gave him a fake name so he wouldn't get wise - hopefully. Just wanted you to know so you don't accidentally blow my cover too." He said that last part with a quick grin and a wink.

"Thanks," said Harry.

Barney recalled that he had seen Father Nathaniel Levington, the priest from Harry's dream, when he had visited police headquarters on Wednesday night. He had heard his name when the priest had been talking to the police.

"You know that pastor you made mention of from your dream?" Barney asked Harry. "I've seen him in person... from the police station after Brian was arrested. Did you see him there too?"

"No, I didn't," said Harry. "I wasn't there at the time. So he's a real person? Weird. I wonder if the cat's a real cat too. His name is Snookums."

Barney shrugged, "Wouldn't know. I don't think they allow cats in the police station, do they?" He scratched his head, "Weird ... real people invading your dreams. I mean, I could understand if you've seen him before. I wonder just how real the whole experience was." He paused and looked at Harry and asked, genuinely concerned about his well being for the first time, "Are we in danger in this experiment?"

"I don't know," Harry whispered back, "but maybe. The Lou - er, the lieutenant - told me to look out for you while I'm here. I'll keep you safe."

Barney had a new reason for being interested in Harry. He urged, "Tell me more about the dream. How much control did you have? Was it someplace you recognized? Did you see anyone or anything else there?"

"Well, after I drank the...stuff," said Harry, "I suddenly found myself walking around town, only nobody seemed to notice me. I waved my hands in front of someone, and he just walked right through me! It was like I was invisible. I decided to explore, and I went into this old house where there was a strange stairway going down to the basement. Only it wasn't a basement. The stairs just kept going down and down, hundreds of them. At the bottom of the stairs, there was a huge gate and these - things guarding it. They asked me all kinds of questions I don't remember any more. I'm usually bad at tests, but I must have got them right, because they let me through the gate. I had complete control the whole time, but I don't know where the house was, and once I started down the stairs, I had no idea where I was."

"So you don't even remember drifting off to sleep?" Barney asked curiously. "Must be some heavy depressants in that stuff. When you were walking about, do you remember if you were still dressed the same? Did you take any of your items with you? I mean... if you had a handgun, and that translated into a dream state, perhaps that might be useful against would-be threats?"

"Yeah, I was still wearing the same clothes," said Harry, "and I still had my badge and my gun in the dream. I've got them now, too."

Barney showed a sparkle of hope. "Well... I'm not so fortunate. But I should be able to find something I can use for defense and have it at my bed side, or gripped tightly in my hand." He nodded to Harry, "Ok. I've got some more work ahead of me then before they drug us up." He stood and took his soda with him, looking around for the finer details of what were laying about. He might be able to find a dangerous pair of scissors, or a makeshift club. He wondered if the doctor would make them strip down to a hospital gown for the sake of the experiment. He grabbed his upper arms and decided to pretend he was feeling cold. Perhaps they'd let him go to sleep with his jacket on.

Spot Hidden - critical success,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4389348/]Spot Hidden (63%) (1d100=6)[/url]

Barney's eyes land on something interesting.

There was nothing in plain sight in the lab that Barney could see, but as he began to walk around the lab, he noticed that one of the drawers was slightly open. Inside were a number of stainless steel scalpels. While they were not involved in this experiment, this lab was doubtless used for other purposes too, and this was the biomedical building. It was logical that he'd find them here. At the moment everyone else in the lab seemed to be distracted, so he could probably swipe one without anyone noticing.

Barney did indeed grab one... and he grabbed an extra in case he needed to arm someone else once they were in the great beyond. Kneeling down, Barney began to work on his shoelace, untying it and retying it ... and then he stashed the two scalpels into his sock for safe keeping. He hoped he wouldn't accidentally slice an artery - but it seemed the safest place to hide it for the time being.

The scalpels made a slight bulge, but it wouldn't be obvious to anyone. Nobody seemed to be paying any attention to Barney at the moment, so it seemed that he had gotten away with it.

Barney milled about for a while trying to nonchalantly listen to conversations going on.

Barney found an acoustical sweet spot and listened in on a conversation.

Barney could clearly hear all of the conversations going on in the room. Dr. Anderson was talking to Kathleen, asking her about her dreams, while Maxine listened with interest. Kathleen kept telling him about dreams about sex. All kinds of sex, with men, with women, with both at the same time. She looked like she delighted in talking about it and seemed to be trying to embarrass the doctor, but he showed no signs of it. Nor did he look to be turned on. Meanwhile, Nancy was talking to Willie, and Mary sat beside them observing.

"Have you ever had any dreams about being in other times?" she asked.

"No, none that I recall, anyway," said Willie.

"Do you have any relatives on the police force?"

"I don't think so."

"Are you sure? What about a Bill Johns? He looks a lot like you, and he's about sixty years old. Could he be your grandfather or great uncle?"

"Doesn't ring a bell, sorry."

So far, everything seemed on the up-and-up. Barney smiled at the conversation the doctor was putting up with, and he was remaining very professional about it. "Good for you, old boy," he muttered to himself. Then he headed over to Nancy and waited for a pause in her questions before asking, "Are there any side effects of the drugs you intend on using for this experiment?"

"Drowsiness," said Nancy. "That's really the big one. It's possible you'll get dry mouth, but that's the case with many medications. We don't know for certain what other side effects there are, but we're hoping that these experiments will help us determine that."

"Do you suggest drinking plenty of liquids prior to sleeping since it has this peculiar dehydration effect, or would that add risk to a nighttime 'accident'?" Barney asked curious. "I don't really fancy the thought of wetting myself as I sleep."

"Dry mouth isn't peculiar," said Nancy. "As I said, it's quite a common side effect. What you'll be given to drink right before bed will be enough, but you're right, it's not a good idea to drink too much."

Barney nodded and asked, "Where can I get dressed in my sleeping attire?"

ooc,Barney would like to palm some tape and tape the scalpels he found to the flat of his back or somewhere else where he supposes he should be safe from them putting any sort of monitoring leads.

"You can go behind the screen over there," said Nancy, pointing at the far corner of the lab, where an opaque screen about five feet high stood.

Barney had noticed some tape earlier when looking through the drawers, and he was easily able to borrow some and use it to secure the scalpels to his back.