Far Pangaea 93: Lord Knows

Hearing noises Sophia peers out of the tent to see the evolution and waves her Mother and friends to see the sight.

"SR71 Blackbird?" James marches out with palms over his ears expressing awe, "No way."

"We can get out of this TV Dinner?" Sophia jumps hopefully.

"Slow down Piper Sophia." Maddy shivers, "I think our new friend just realized the situation himself. Let's wait for a verdict."

SeVen ceases fire and walks over to his drone. Looking up at its feathered chest he searches for a much needed access point. Within the drone were functioning parts that could withstand the cold. Power cells that kept its motor functions in flight. Gravitational relays. Basically it's brain box. Touching a particular spot, a compartment door slides back then to the inside left. Within was a large open space SeVen could conceive as room to be seated if not in seats themselves. At least room to hold up in for travel. Joining him James as Moe admires the interior.

"Better than nothing?"

"Agreed."

SeVen turns to the women, "As Ser'Ena might say...Your chariot awaits."

The very far future...things...heat up...

"You can seriously hear my words Judith?"

"I told you I can hear you Desmond."

"Not Desmond. Well, his body my mind. I think. It's me James Ian Pryce. I need to warn you of Stan and Desi here. They're the Devil and the Antichrist."

"Oh there's our Limo." Judith ignores him and waves at the driver. Realizing her oblivious response James growls and reaches out to tug at her skirt just as she turns. In gripping it so hard the material easily tears and dangles in his grip. Her shriek led to anger, "WHAT IN THE WORLD?"

"Exactly. That's what I'm trying to tell you Judith. The World is going to end." James through Desmond's gaze notes Judith without panties beneath her skirt. Just as she pulls herself together he spots a birthmark upon her thigh. At first he thought nothing of it then rapidly processed its shape, "Big Dipper?"

Judith hearing that much narrows her eyes, "Do you know how much this dress cost your Father?" She shakes off her temperament realizing he had noticed her birthmark, "It does resemble the Dipper. Now quit ogling my thigh. Desmond what has come over you of late?"

"Did you not hear me Judy? It's James Ian Pryce."

"Price? Of my dress? As if your allowance could buy a new one."

"I should have known. Harpea tried but something is interfering with my newfound control over Desi."

"Of course IanChrist. My Daddy knows everything I think. What you think. He was never going to let you ruin things for our own family tree."

"Great!" Closing the eyes of Desmond James chants, "No place like home. No place like home. Ruby's slippers. No place like home."

"You're a dork."

"Shut up Desi. Just shut up."

"Alright."

A blinding flash of light inside of Desmond's mind leads to another jump in time. Waking up James discovers himself in a Hospital bed with monitors hooked up all around him.

"Where am I?"

Beside him a familiar Nurse smiles at James/Desmond, "You're back. It's been awhile."

"How long have I been out?"

"You missed a birthday. Let me just go get your Father."

"Okay...WAIT! Where's my Mom?" He struggled but found his limbs bound to his bed. As the Nurse vanished James resorts to Desmond, "Desi?"

"Took you long enough to wake up Sleepyhead. I was getting bored in here all alone."

"What happened?"

"Daddy forced you forward to avoid telling Mommy everything. Now your story will seem as if you dreamt it up."

"Devil in the details...dang that didn't come out right."

"Sounded fine to me."

"It would. I'll find a way to get through to Judith if it's the last thing I do."

"Keep dreaming IanChrist."

In steps the Man of the Hour. He was still dark and intimidating to James but no matter what Stan Devlin was charismatic. No Tom Ellis but still. As if James would know the Actor.

"Daddy lets me watch reruns of Lucifer. We laugh really hard. It's funny."

"Whatever."

"There's my growing boy. Welcome back."

"Where is Judith?"

"She will be here shortly. I believe it is time we had a chat Mister Pryce." Stan stands at the foot of his bed, "If you persist in warning Judith Lamb I'm afraid I'll have to commit her to a Psych ward. She not only has been drinking since your coma but she's been under a great deal of pressure on the job. REGION can be one hell of a place to work at.

I should know."

"How would you know?"

"Why I created REGION many, many, years ago of course. What better way to keep things quiet until the time was right. Sending foolish people on errands into the past to reset things in motion for my triumph over my Father."

"How much longer does Earth have before you take over?"

"That varies. The moons are lining up as we speak. It is all a MATTER of Time is it not?"

"Your Horsemen . Have they ridden?"

"Ridden? While I fancy horses I think you put too much thought into simple imagery. There are no Four Horsemen riding horses. That was the only explanation that naïve prophets could envision and describe so they scribbled it down. My...Agents are out there indeed but riding Equine? Hardly. You have missed much this past year." Stan retrieves a television remote and points it at a TV. Clicking it on to a News Channel James is forced to watch the events being relayed. Fires raging. Planes in the sky fighting. Destroyed crops leading to Famine. Yet another Horseman.

"War is coming. The Chinese have removed their masks of loyalty. Death has arisen. Note on the TV..." James bares witness to North Korea going up in nuclear fire. Two large detonations that separate North from South, "Just like parting Heaven from Hell isn't it?"

"Oh my Lord."

"My Father has nothing to do with this. It is all me. My Father is off in Pangaea or whatever you humans call the beginning of Earth. Scientists are a silly breed."

"I'll find a way to stop you Satan."

"Stan. Daddy's name is Stan."

"Fuck off Desi." Desmond pouts in isolation. James was just trying to sort things out.

"Dig as deep as you like Mister Pryce. I'll always be one step ahead of you."

"You're looney tunes Stan. We all know God wins in the end."

"Absolutely." Stan smirks when a familiar face arrives. Behind him steps Judith Lamb who races to hug her son. James felt compelled to hug her back even though he hears Desmond calling her a "Sympathetic Cow."

"Thank the Lord. I was so worried when you passed out and never woke up. What in the world did you see down below REGION that traumatized you so?"

"I...I can't remember." James swallows looking over her shoulder at Stan. Approving of the sacrifice decision to save Judith from herself. Sacrificial Lamb indeed.

Easing away from Desmond Judith fawns over him before turning to look at the TV and its disturbing stories. Frowning at Stan she claims the remote control, "Why are you letting him watch such violence?" She swiftly switches channels until she finds cartoons. Not even caring that the toons were violent in their own right.

"Looney Tunes? That's ironic." James rolls Desmond's eyes.

As his parents bickered James could only stare at the TV. Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd were at it again. In a strange twist of events Bugs Bunny turns to the viewer with a wink and a chomp to a carrot. As both eyes open his eyes turn blue. Followed by another wink and a well versed, "What's up Doc?"

Frozen in perception James Ian felt as if a warm hand had caressed his cheek. Desmond's cheek that is, sharing his perception and pain. In the past Ruby Goddard was caressing the cheek of elder James body. Coincidence?

Wascully Wabbit indeed.

The desert of Pangaea where a graveyard of fallen Transportation has collected dust for years.

Dawn approaching Elle Franklin led her weary walkers toward Eden. They had travelled a good twelve miles since leaving the smoldering husk of the Ganthorian Hilton.

"Keep up Annie." Elle extends her hand to her girlfriend while holding Greta Winston up. The Cowgirl was regaining her strength now that her severe wounds had been healed up by Doc Franklin. Animahni although damp within her life fiber wetsuit still succumbed to fatigue. She was amphibious yes but most of her life was spent swimming not floundering in a desert on two feet.

Beside them the Ganthorian Commander Harpea halts in step to attempt yet another try telepathically to link with her crew aboard the X'Orr. Snarling at her lack of success she snaps, kicking dirt three separate times before noticing her friends looking at her with narrowed eyes.

"It is useless. Orin Ridge is too powerful within the body of James Ian Pryce. I cannot disrupt his connection with them."

"Just take a breath Harpea. Luck is coming our way." Elle had to maintain confidence in her girls.

"Miss Elle?" Greta tilts her Stetson a bit squinting, "Is that there our luck you just called for?"

"What the heck?" Elle releases Greta stepping ahead of them by ten paces. Utilizing her gemlike eyes she explores her talents further by embracing a telescopic image of a flickering light in the far distance. To her shock she discovers something that makes her heart beat faster, "Lady Luck just rolled the fuzzy dice Girls."

Filling them in on her witnessed arrival they sit down and relax laughing. It wasn't until they heard music that they rose up grateful.

"Mississippi Queen from Mountain. Best song in the world." Elle laughs. She of course was the only one that even knew the song. Greta Winston grinning thinking of a riverboat. Harpea hearing Mountain shivers, a vision of a large Black Mountain in her dreams of late.

Circling them in a cloud of dust the car doors pop open on a 1971 Dodge Charger that had left Eden thirty minutes prior and stormed across the desert on its mission. Protecting Cameron Scott's friends covered a lot of territory. Even a mystical car had to make choices.

"Who's riding shotgun?" Elle gets behind the wheel.

"Why would I ride my Winchester?" Greta snaps a queer expression at Elle.

"Just get in."

That they did. Harpea in the backseat irritated by the speakers. Animahni sharing in her distress. Regardless it was better than walking.

The City of Gold...slag...Half the City melting after a Dragon's attack now over with.

"Go I said." Psi Chii mentally nudges Obadiah just as he feels his mind tugged in three directions at once. Psi pushing his body. Dorsey forcing him back into the battle. His own thoughts wanting to help get Jimmy Jack to safety. Even for a strong willed General he was succumbing quickly to Dorsey. As was Renee Ramse, she too trained to take mental punishment being a soldier in her time. Her baby in her arms meant everything but he was still drugged losing his ability to move as easily as he once could.

"Get out of my head." Renee gnashes her teeth shaking it off, "I won't let you take my baby. God help us?" She pleads, although not very religious in times of need even she gave in to requests. Falling to her knees she carefully lays her son in the sand. Before her eyes a portal shimmers in the air next to her. Tossing out a pair of pistols that she just knew were left in Lost Horizon. Resisting Dorsey she crawls to claim them in defense of Jimmy Jack. In a last ditch effort to save her son she yells out, "Whoever you are...take my son to safety."

As the portal starts to shrink large fingers reach out as if scissors and plucks up Jimmy Jack pulling him inside the portal. In a flash they were gone. Renee relieved hears Dorsey in her mind.

"What just happened? Who? What was that creature? Where was Jack's son taken?"

"Somewhere safe I hope. Just like you Jew. Because I'm coming for your ass."

"Ohhh? I could easily make you shoot yourself in the head. Or have you fire upon your friends. But, I think I might need you alive a bit longer. Then you can face Jack while you execute yourself."

"I've come too far to let you force that on either Jack or I. Don't you dare think I'm that easy to control Wanderer."

"Perhaps not. However the General over you might think differently." She looks up to see Obadiah with his hunting rifle primed at her. In the background Psi Chii somersaulting to avoid the clutches of the Sumo Wrestler Buku.

"I thought you didn't want me dead?" She scowls.

"I don't. Wounded however?"

"That close with a rifle? There's no wounding."

"Of course not." Obadiah Ridge repositions his rifle around and uses the butt to knock her unconscious. Just before impact Renee noted Obadiah's sadness for lack of control. At least she was alive. Guns were collected by Natives and both Renee and Obadiah were taken prisoner. It was very little effort to take down Psi Chii. Even as she began to get through to Buku by starting a dance that he knew very well.

"Dance Dance Revolution Big Brother?"

Buku pauses in step watching her foot falls as if lights on the floor. It brought him out of his trance. He himself began dancing with her, stomping lights on the ground that were only imaginary. She had flooded his mind with choices. Hearing the song Always on my Mind as performed by the Pet Shop Boys. Buku loved Brenda Lee just as equally.

However cut short Psi Chii felt her body go numb. Blow darts stinging her hip and shoulder. Falling Buku groans under his breath and picks her up. Carrying her his mind returned to Dorsey's control.

"Change of plans Big Fella. No kill the sexy Samurai. Bring her to me with the others. Oh, and that sword on the ground over there. Bring that as well. Something familiar about that. We can call it my wedding gift in a few hours."

A Native retrieves the blade and they all file away. Over the mountain paths they went. Off to see the Wizard.

Up on the further mountain, the Cerberian Hellhound as the alien Grey Milo once called him had given chase to the Dragon Cano but somehow lost his scent. Pausing in the dark to console the air a portal opens in front of him and a large furry hand extends, lowering baby Jimmy to the ground exceptionally careful not to drop him. Whining the dog looks puzzled. Didn't he just save this kid? As the portal retreats the dog nudges the boy's hip. Again Jimmy points out toward the City in the distance weakly muttering, "Daa!" Tired the dog just lays beside Jimmy and takes a nap. Jimmy did as well. Warmth shared.

Dad had finally reached his destination without a hitch thus far. Circe's illusion over he and the Angel's seemed full proof. The rings were an amazing feat of technology it seemed. Eying his own ring Jack wondered just what his own capabilities were. He would explore it once they infiltrated this Celestial City further. There was too much at stake to screw up and let Dorsey become aware of their ruse. If he were to lose his secret army he himself was not even certain of his next move.

"We have docked Jack Ramse." The Hordakian Tuskorog informs, "Commander S'Lopp will leave me behind with you. Once we unload what Lord Dorsey believes to be only you he must depart on a secondary mission. He asks me to prepare you for his inability to aid you at this time."

"He held his end of our bargain. I'll leave the ring I offered him as reward on my end. He may need it at a future time. Who knows we might need his services later in defeating Dorsey. Until I ascertain exactly how powerful he is I can't form any real strategy. It's good to have you by my side Tuskorog. Someone who knows the layout of the land here."

"I will do what I can. Even I am not allowed in certain sectors of the City. While all are under the influence of Lord Dorsey, there are races here that do not approve of my kind. Should I cross into their territory I could face my own demise."

"As long as I'm at your back I refuse to let that happen." Looking behind him seated the Polish woman, witch she might be called even if she had never dabbled in dark magic, none that she was aware of. She had never used all of the rings. Some might have made her a darker version of whom she is today. She was manipulative enough as it were, "Circe? Olga. Stay behind me. As we're extracted from the warship I need you to keep the illusion stronger than before. One error and we're all toast. The Angels need to appear as Hordakians."

"There lie trouble Jack Ramse. Should our numbers leave the ship it will look obvious we could not do our secondary job."

"S'Lopp healed at least a dozen of your people on that island. I sent a sizable band off into the jungles out there. Those missing numbers should keep us even."

"Twenty five Angels Jack." Circe adds.

"Twenty four. Razorhide is with Lowball. Godshadow on a mission."

"Comforting. The Pig is correct. The count will still be questioned should someone take note."

Ramse nods in agreement, "Suggestions?"

"Carrying out body parts of your allies?" She coughs up.

"That would make them immobile. I somehow doubt the Angel's will want to remain confined much longer. I can see they're itching for battle as it is."

"You are God to them are you not?" Tuskorog recalls the mind switch earlier that weirded him out.

"Only for short periods of time it seems. Is that enough to rein them in?"

"They have no leader outside of me should that change." Circe tries not to grin.

"After what you did I think they'd rather follow Lowball. We both know that won't go well."

"It is possible they will be loyal to you due to another...factor."

"Let's not bring that up right now. My real son...sons are out there somewhere. One much closer and I need to find him as soon as possible. I just hope my...his Mother can keep him safe until I'm freed up to do so."

"A pity we never had a chance to..." Jack halts Circe with a palm over her lips.

"Not the time. Let's get this ship unloaded and take our chances out there. Tuskorog take the lead."

"Are we certain our thoughts will not betray us? Dorsey would direct troops at us from all sides."

"Ring should mask our thoughts as long as we stay close together. To be honest I don't know what kind of range these baubles have."

"Let us find out together. Gather your forces I shall unlock our departure ramp."

As Tuskorog leaves his side Jack grips both of Circe's shoulders, "Do not ruin this Circe. Power is not the key to everything. We all know this world could be ending soon. Even Dorsey probably has higher hopes than even he can handle. I want to trust you Circe. You've made it very difficult to do that."

"I will not betray you Jack. You have my word."

Her eyes told him differently.

Higher above the gleaming ships of Celestial City loomed the great Tower. At the halfway point resides the true Lucas Dorsey and his captive bride Princess of Ganthor, Kym'Ani. After the sacrifice going so awkwardly Dorsey was torn by success and stress. Things should not have taken so long. His time table was running behind. Luckily he had factored in any lost moments way ahead of time. Lucas was smarter than others.

"I'm sorry Princess. So many distractions. Do you need your ankles rubbed? I can get you a hand maiden."

"That would be nice."

"Of course. I will need to leave you for a bit. Last inspections of the tower. It must be perfectly aligned."

"To do what exactly?"

"Why to capture the gravitational frequencies of multiple dimensions My Dearest. The black mountain will need a specialized focus of dimensional energies to be absorbed into me."

Her face turns pale, "Into you? I do not understand."

"Power beyond any one universe Sweetheart. Once extracted and directed into me...well...God I will be. I will ascend you and our child into greatness. All future generations will bow before us."

Haunted she refrains from replying. He could have told her of this madness before now in the final hours. In less than a day the world would change. In his image.

"Oh! Get this...God, the Creator of all is right here in Pangaea to see it all."