Inner Universe

[Brian]

"Liandral has something, but has stumbled across an unfortunate side-effect for bringing over his full strength," Serril says slowly.  "Something was ... well, while he can do a bit, he hurts himself in the process.  It'll be a number of days before he's completely combat-ready again.  Until then, he's going to need to rely on the skills he's learned from being here."

"Side-effect?" Astryd asks.  "What weapons are they?"

"They're ... hidden inside himself," Serril says even more slowly.  "It's difficult to explain.  Removing them from inside himself means he has to tear himself apart to get them out."

[Ginrai]

"Ah, Nathan mentioned something about retrieving one's abilities if they can concentrate hard enough.  Know anything more about that?  How hard is it to retrieve one's items as well?"

[Brian]

"They'd have to be a part of you," Serril says, shaking his head.  "At least, as far as we've seen, anyway."

[Ginrai]

"Oh.  About Liandral, is the person that's in his body someone me and my friends have met before?  And is there any way someone can bring over a nuclear-powered mechanical spider because that's exactly what Phil, Nathan and the original Liandral faced on their way here."

[Brian]

"Nuclear WHAT?" Serril asks, eyes widening.  "Er ... no ... not unless they lived in the dream in the first place ... but then...."  He calms himself a bit and considers.  "Dreams are unreliable, and anacronisms can appear ... I haven't really seen any signs of technology, though.  Not to hint that there was a grea civilization that fell.  I've got no idea where it could have come from."

[Ginrai]

"That's about the same reaction I had when I first heard about it.  Any doubts were erased when I saw their part of the cave explode.  And the fact that there was something along the lines of a Manufactured by the US Army tag on it all but insures that it was from our world."

Thinking over Serril comments, Ginrai says, "So people from this world can appear in ours.  Does this also mean that anything we learn in this world can be brought back to ours?  Also, about the Liandral quesiton I mentioned before...?"

[Brian]

"Well, yes.  What we learn here, we should retain back on Earth, when we return there."  Serril frowns, and taps his chin.  "Which question was that?" he asks.

[Ginrai]

"If me and my friends met whomever is in Liandral's body before on our world."

[Brian]

"How would I know?" Serril asks, eyeing you oddly.  "I don't remember seeing you, you know."

[Ginrai]

"Ah, yes... sorry about that."  Ginrai makes a mental note to ask Liandral about it later on.

"And as I mentioned before, there's reason to believe that Ashton Newleaf might be a traitor.  After I finish talking with you I shall be going to check on him.  If I don't return in around fifteen to twenty minutes can you get backup?"

[Brian]

"I don't--"  He frowns, and his gaze hardens.  "I would," he says, glancing at Astryd and Devin.  "If it came to that.  But since my job is to make sure you don't die, how about both of us go, and if WE'RE not back in ten minutes, Mistress Astryd and Master Devin get backup?"

[Ginrai]

Ginrai thinks it over.  "Okay, that would also work.  But first, I want to try something."

Closing his eyes, Ginrai tries to concentrate on his stone knife to see if he can make it appear in his hand.

[Brian]

When concentrating, you can imagine the knife -- and it springs into your mind more clearly than you remember it being.  Almost like it's reminding you of what it looks like.

You get the idea that it's there, just out of your reach ... and when you try and touch it, your hand goes right through it.  It's odd, like it's there, but you just can't grab it.

[Ginrai]

Ginrai concentrates harder, imagining the texture and feel of the knife.

[Brian]

It's resistant to come to you ... but after a few minutes, it appears in your hand.  It feels heavier than normal, like it's an effort of will to mentally hold it in place, and if you stop concentrating, it will vanish.