Carth's magical adventure, ROUND TWO, MOTHERFUCKERS!

[Anastasia]

"Of course."

In the living room, she presents you with the item. It came with a sheet of white paper, typed with "To Carthrat Tanewaki".  The tube is sleek, metallic and altogether something that probably didn't come from the common technology of this world.  The jack on the top does look to be a slot for a imaging machine to read and project the message stored inside.

[Carthrat]

Carthrat picks up the item.

"Well. This, Rachel, is a holocartridge. It contains a holographic movie that would be a recorded message to me. However, whoever chose to send it was unfortunately, quite stupid, as they failed to send with it a holoprojector.

Unless there's something else? There should be a small black box with a kind of lens in it."

[Anastasia]

"I'm afraid not, I only found this," she says. "I can show you where I found it, if you wish."

[Carthrat]

"Sure, go ahead," replies Carthrat, unconciously going over how he can hack this thing into a speaker system to at least get the voice..

[Anastasia]

She leads you into her back yard. As you look around it, you notice the damage from you Tetsuobo training has largely faded, except for one small crater. Rachel walks to the crater and points at it. "I found it here, Carthrat."

[Carthrat]

"I assume it came with the crater? Someone's playing a sick joke, clearly. You don't need to throw these things into the ground like a bloody bomb."

Carthrat shakes his head. "Did you see anything else when you found it?"

[Anastasia]

She merely shakes her head. "It was by itself, and it was not hot or scuffed. It didn't look like it belonged in the crater."

[Carthrat]

"Well. Y'konw all those UFO tales about beams of light hitting the ground? They don't project heat, but they do leave a crater. No matter, I'm too tired to work out what this thing's for. I think I'll have dinner, and then go to bed."

Carthrat nods.

"Any good restraunts around? I'll shout you."

[Anastasia]

And thus, the rest of the night goes without incident.

Rachel insists that you stay in her house instead of a hotel or whatnot, and sets you up in a rather familiar guest room. It's nicer now that Circles of Warding aren't all around.

Morning, after breakfast...(Your action.)

[Carthrat]

Carthrat takes out the holoprojector. "Right, I'll tinker with this thing and jack it into my scanner.. we'll see what happens, eh? I'll probably be all day, so you don't need to hang around."

Carthrat then heads into the basement, tools in hand..

[Anastasia]

The day passes by as you tinker with the holocartridge...

By noon, you have determined that it's surprisingly low tech inside, about as dummied down and universally compatable as possible with the technology. It's as if someone made or chose it with ease of playing it in odd formats in mind.  With some work, you could probably run the hologram on your laptop.

[Carthrat]

"It's.. exactly like a fucking Italian port. Bah.. I hate configuring transformers."

Carthrat lugs out his laptop and fiddles until the bloody thing works. "This had better be important.."

[Anastasia]

Several hours and a few cups of coffee later, you believe you have jerry-rigged it to run on your laptop. Only one way to find out, though...

[Carthrat]

Carthrat pushes the button, and looks expectantly.

[Anastasia]

After a few screen flickers, an image of Diane appears on the monitor. She is dressed differently, in a cut red tunic with long sleeves and gray, plain pants.

"Hello, Carthrat. I wonder how long it's been for you? Are you well now with White Glow?" she asks, smiling. "No matter. I'm sure you are familiar with what happened to the town that  you finally snapped at, correct? You should be, because I chased you into there." she stops smiling, and assumes a more serious expression. "I meant to come and help you, but...I stumbled onto a portal of some type. The vile abnomations that polluted the town were coming from it, so I tried to use my magic to close it." she grimaces, as if reliving a bad memory.

"Suffice to say, that was a rather large mistake. I wasn't able to close the portal, but I was able to alter it. Instead of the infernal realm, it linked between this world and another. Unfortunely, it required my passing through it to complete the spell." she breaks off, and looks ahead, as if she's expecting to look right in your eyes.

"I'm sure you are aware of the Multiverse, Carthrat? I believe I am in another universe now, one that is alien to me. High technology reigns here, far beyond that of Earth. The entire galaxy I am in is connected via portals and warp drive spaceships, and many wonderous machines control both the mundane and the profound."

She sighs and looks down. "But despite all of their skill with machines, dimensional technology is beyond them. And I do not have the power myself to open a gate large enough to bring myself home. Only one big enough to send a small object through."

"Carthrat...I ask of you a favor. In the second part of this is data, dimensional data of both magical and technological types for the world I am in. If anyone can manage to open a portal home..." she shrugs. "I merely ask of you to try."

She composes herself and smiles. "Carthrat, the next part of this message is to Rachel and is personal. Could you allow her to see it privately? Certain matters I wish to address are her business and no other's." The hologram stays still for several seconds...