The Eyes of a Stranger

Victorian Horror. A fashionable London party, a murder in mysterious circumstances...

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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Professor Powell looks around but is unable to find any place where an object might be better hidden in the bare interior of the warehouse. The cube still lies where it was discovered.

Meanwhile, perhaps surprisingly, it is Miss Siddons who recognizes the nature of the diagrams and sketches: they seem to be designs for some kind of mechanical device for transmission or detection of a signal by means of electromagnetic waves. Perhaps she recalls reading of the recent experiments conducted by the German physicist Hertz, in which the transmission of such signals was performed for the first time.

Just then there comes the noise of a disturbance from the street outside: shouts of alarm and a man's voice crying out in pain, followed by the unmistakeable sound of a police whistle.
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Ann Veronica makes another attempt at hiding their illicit findings. She grabs the cube.
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Gordon rushes outside, ready to assist the brave officers of the law, if necessary, or to run away from danger, if that would be more sensible.
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Miss Poole finds a nook in which to hide the cube.
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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"Bravo my dear, bravo!" whispers Cecil.
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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"This is amazing!" says Diane, studying the diagram. "Do you know what this is? It's a design for a device capable of sending and receiving electromagnetic signals through the air! It's like a telephone, only without wires. Imagine a telephone you could take with you wherever you go!"
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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James.png
"Good job, Miss Poole! You have a keener eye than I have!".

James goes on: "Miss Siddons, perhaps we should try to hide the manuscript as well? In for a penny..."

He quickly glances towards the entrance to make sure they are still unobserved.
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Ann Veronica can't see anywhere suitable for hiding the manuscript.
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Hurrying outside, Mr. McKerry witnesses a bizarre scuffle taking place on the street corner. Constable Baker is locked in a struggle with a young Chinese woman, who has her hands around his throat. She growls savagely -- a sound which seems eerily similar to that made by John Bidwell the previous night. A crowd of Chinese passersby look on, shouting and gesticulating.

At that moment the attacker suddenly drops to the ground at Constable Baker's feet and begins writhing violently. The policeman starts to lean down to restrain the young woman, but then he staggers backward, almost drunkenly.

Straightening, Constable Baker looks up and sees Mr. McKerry in the doorway of the warehouse, and the others inside. Yet his eyes are different somehow, as if they are no longer the eyes of the young policeman but those of a stranger instead. In the next instant he turns and runs away.

The young Chinese woman still lies upon the ground, no longer writhing. She jerks upright. Then, from out of her mouth comes a voice crying for help -- shockingly, in Cockney English. "Me body! Stop 'er! I mean, me, I mean-- 'elp! 'elp!"
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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"Good Lord!" Gordon has never been of a mystical bent, but before his very eyes there appears to be evidence of a sort of metempsychosis; a transmission of souls between bodies.

He shouts to the crowd "Stop that policeman! He's not well." He fears it is much too late.

Is it possible that Bidwell has been hopping around from body to body; that he still lives?

He helps what appears to be the Chinese woman to a standing position. He whispers to her (?) "Is that you, Constable?"
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Realizing that she'd be no good at chasing down and subduing a strapping young man, Diane goes to help the old Chinese woman. "Are you Constable Baker?" she asks. "But...how is that even possible? Swapping bodies...it's like something out of a penny dreadful! And yet...I do recall after the butler killed Bidwell in a similar attack, I looked into his eyes. They looked like Bidwell's eyes! Perhaps he wasn't even Bidwell any more at that point. Someone else may have taken over his body in Australia, where he found the cube. That's involved in all this somehow. Whoever it is, he's a vicious killer. He murdered all those aborigines to steal the cube in the first place. There's something else too. Shortly after Bidwell returned from Australia was when the Ripper murders took place. He can take over any body he likes, so he can disguise himself thoroughly and potentially live forever by trading for younger bodies. I wonder if Mulverhill was truly Mulverhill, or if it was him. He walked off with Bidwell's journal, and he seemed to know precisely what he was looking for."
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Absolom Peredue Somerhayes

Having rushed outside to see what all the commotion is about, Absolom pauses scratching his head thoughtfully. “How strange, I find the idea of the transmigration of souls frankly ridiculous. However, it would seem that the situation is, in the least, ‘odd’. Yet even if we accept the evidence as seen, what could it avail the perpetrator for they have fled empty handed if we assume that the cube and manuscript were the intended target and not the unfortunate constable?”
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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James.png
James ponders all of this transmutation of souls for a while.

"It's possible, because when I looked into Bidwell's eyes when he died, I felt like I was looking into the butler's eyes..."

He pauses a bit to collect his thoughts before going on.

"But if Bidwell's soul jumped to Mulverhill at some point, that would mean that it was Mulverhill who killed the butler, and that subsequently constable Baker killed Mulverhill, right? The only question still remaining is whether it was truly Bidwell that we saw yesterday, or if it was already another, evil soul is his body. On the one hand, I would like that thought, because it would mean that it was not really my friend who murderered these aborigines as described in the journal. But on the other hand, if an evil entity had taken over Bidwell's body, why would that entity know where Bidwell lives in England, and recognise me? Or did the entity somehow still have access to Bidwell's memories?"
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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"I don't know," says Diane, "but the killer only took Baker's body just now, having previously been in this old Chinese woman. He may have jumped into her from Mulverhill. Normally he kills the old body and whoever he swapped with, but he was interrupted this time."
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Absolom Peredue Somerhayes

Absolom pulls the spotted handkerchief from his pocket and mops his brow, this is beginning to confuse him, “So if for a moment we accept the idea of this ‘soul swapping’, which as a god-fearing Christian I do not, what is the miscreant after. For we have the cube and the manuscript safe do we not. Or should we assume that one of us is not what, or who, we believe them to be?” carefully folding the handkerchief he glances around at his companions, suspiciously.
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Several policemen arrive on the scene then and a few take off in pursuit of the fleeing Constable Baker. Yet Baker, his limbs moving with an odd, jerky gait, disappears into the warren of streets and buildings with seemingly inhuman speed, and the chase soon falters.

"I'm Bill Baker!" the young Chinese woman exclaims in Cockney English at Mr. McKerry and Miss Siddons' questioning. "She's stolen me body! I spotted 'er watching that warehouse then she attacked me and, and-- 'elp! 'elp!"

She, or he, begins to weep hysterically.

Everyone:
Spoiler:
OOC:   Discovering that the constable's mind is now in the body of the young Chinese woman requires a Sanity roll for a loss of 0/1D3 please.  
The police quickly take matters in hand. The crowd of onlookers is ordered to disperse. The young Chinese woman, whomever she may be, is led away.

Shortly, Inspector Cleveland and Detective Sergeant Craig arrive.
Spoiler:
OOC:   Inspector Cleveland Spot Hidden = 65%[dice]0[/dice]  
Entering Dunnigan's Warehouse, Cleveland emerges after a time, grim-faced.

"Well indeed, it appears our main suspect in the murder of John Bidwell is now a victim himself. And you gentlemen and ladies again seem to be involved." He holds up the crystal cube, evidently discovered in his search of the premises. "Would you perhaps care to explain?"
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Ann Veronica
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Although her head is reeling from the events and the conjectures of her companions, this is the final straw. She’s had far too many dealings with men like this, who try to deflect their failings onto others. Besides, sometimes it’s better to go on the attack.

“Involved?” she almost screams. “Involved? YOU REQUESTED OUR HELP! THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE! WHY DON’T YOU EXPLAIN TO US!”
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Cecil Copeland
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Cecil is desparately trying to make sense of the events he has witnessed. Imagine being able to transfer from one body to another. This would make you practically immortal! The things such a person would have seen! But would you be human anymore?
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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Spoiler:
SANITY = 70[dice]0[/dice]
Despite this bizarre turn of events, Gordon manages to control his nerves.

"If you question the Chinese woman, and every one of us as well, you will learn that the truth is almost beyond belief; you will hear a tale so strange that you may think us all victims of mass insanity. But I assure you that it is true. I advise you to destroy that cube; or, if you will not, lock it up where no one can possibly reach it. It is the source of everything evil that has occurred here."
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Re: The Eyes of a Stranger

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"You did ask us to come here, Inspector," says Diane, more diplomatically. She remains calm and in control of herself. "Please, I know this sounds hard to believe, but there is a simple way to test it. Ask this woman things that only you and Constable Baker would know. Quiz her about how to conduct proper police work. If she truly is a Chinese woman claiming to be Bill Baker, she won't know the answers. If she does know the answers, you may need to reevaluate some things."
OOC,Sanity roll (current level 75) for seeing evidence of body swapping: [dice]0[/dice]
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