Chapter 4a: Crossing the Threshold (Julie)

[evil_scientist]

Spoiler:

OOC,Yes! The battery holds for 20 hours. Julie approximates she used up around 6 so far.

It is 8 PM. The sun is already setting above the desert. Julie, the city girl, realizes just how used she is to the constant glow of street lights... Soon it will be dark all around here. Perhaps the moon will give some light, but as far as Julie remembers, it is in the waxing crescent phase. Just a faint, weak presence against the endless black void, peppered with blinking stars.

Elizabeth walks towards the big hangar-like building. Julie sees that one side of the double gate of that building is open, and a faint light glows inside. Some other people approach the building from the direction of the old house and the trailer. The Temple of Concordance members are gathering.

Nobody pays attention to Julie as she goes to the outhouse.

What exactly is she speaking into the microphone?

[Mr. Handy]

First Julie relieves herself, and only after that does she switch on the wire. "Hey guys," she says into the microphone, "I shut down while I took a nap to save the battery, but I'm back now. I guess I've got about fourteen hours of battery life left. I'm really concerned that that girl Sy has been exposed to radiation. If you haven't already, you should try to find out if there was some nuclear testing or something done in this area, or if there's a nuclear power plant that could be leaking. I seriously doubt they could be hiding a nuclear reactor here. There's some sort of prayer and meditation session about to start. I'm not allowed in, being new here, but I'm going to go try and listen in, and I hope you'll be able to hear it too. If I ever need you guys to pull me out, I'll say the word 'fiddlesticks.' If you ever hear me say that word again, it means I'm in big trouble and you should come get me. Wish me luck." She watches from the outhouse until there is nobody looking so that she can sneak over to the hangar and eavesdrop.

[evil_scientist]

Julie feels the adrenalin building up in her body. This is just like the derby. Nothing new. She can deal with this, easily. She is good at this. But for some reason, this empty courtyard seems more scary and menacing than a race against the meanest, baddest jammer of the league.

Julie cautiously sneaks out of the cabin, crosses the compound, and is near the hangar. Both sides of the double doors are shut, but not tight. An open padlock hangs on the right hinge - Julie recalls it being locked during the day. Sounds of people talking can be heard from the inside, through the crack of the doors. Then there is a short pause, and only one person (Cavendish, by the tone) starts talking. The sounds are muffled by something.

[Mr. Handy]

Though she knows the microphone won't be able to pick it up, Julie doesn't want to take the risk of opening the door slightly for fear of alerting those inside. She relies on her superior perception to try to overhear what Malcolm Cavendish is saying, figuring she can always report it later.

OOC,Listen roll (40% skill) to hear [b]Cavendish[/b]: [dice]0[/dice]

[evil_scientist]

Julie leans close to the hangar's entrance. As the doors are not closed properly, she can see a small fragment of the interior through the opening. Heavy curtains close off the space a few steps after the entrance. Possibly they muffle the voices. They seem to be covered with dense "oriental" patterns.

However, Julie does manage to overhear some parts of Cavendish's talk. He sounds... different. He shifted from his speaking voice to a strange, half-chanting tone. He doesn't speak, but rather draws out a long mantra, repeating the same verse over and over. There is also a constant drone: Julie thinks it might be the members of the congregation humming in unison.

"...he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock. He found him in a desert land...."

As Julie attentively listens to her surroundings, another sound catches her attention:
a small noise, perhaps footsteps against the courtyard's dirt. Coming from the side of the right wall of the hangar.

[Mr. Handy]

Julie straightens up and moves briskly and silently away from the door towards the left wall of the hangar, hoping to round the corner before whoever is coming sees her, or failing that to at least be far enough away from the door that she won't be seen to be eavesdropping.

[evil_scientist]

Julie swiftly moves into cover behind the left corner of the building.

For a split second she thinks she can hear a short, whispered conversation from the other side, but then nothing else.

Inside the hangar, the voices continue in the same manner.

[Mr. Handy]

Julie peeks around the corner to see if the person is still there.

[evil_scientist]

Julie peeks around the corner. The faint light illuminates... Ray!

He is now eavesdropping at the entrance, just like Julie a few seconds ago.

[Mr. Handy]

Julie slips over to join Ray. "Don't be alarmed, it's just me," she whispers.

[evil_scientist]

Ray is startled, but quickly recognizes Julie...

But what now?

OOC:   You can head over to Chapter 5!