(OOC) The Scout's Guide to the Multiverse ☺

[the_matrix_walker]

Companion Thread to
Lost In Dreams [Peter]

Please refrain from posting in this thread, it is a chronicle of Peter Nichols wanderings through dreams.

My intent is to create an entry or two for each of the world's Peter has visited thus far, with a quick reference for magic, powers, notable characters and features, etc


First Posted in the Original [OCC] Lost in Dreams


Peter Nichols (Original) (Current)

History

Spoiler:  

Peter is from Burlington Massachusetts. He's had a great passion for the outdoors since he was quite small, and would spend hours in the woods behind his home exploring his own 2-acre "wilderness". When he was old enough, his parents enrolled him in the Boy Scouts of America.

He set about earning his merit badges with great fervor and made Eagle Scout at 12 years old. Peter was determined to become the youngest Eagle Scout ever but missed this goal by several months. Despite the many congratulations and high praise from his parents and troop, he found this terribly disappointing.

While on a camping trip, Peter heard a commotion in the woods, the sound of a crying animal. He decided to check it out and woke his father to help him investigate. They discovered a dog who had slipped down into a crevice, his front paws bloody from trying to scramble out and failing countless times. While Peter's father got a rope, Peter impulsively slid down into the crevice with the animal. The dog did not want him to approach at first, seeming unsure if Peter was friend or foe, but Peter tossed the animal a few chunks of the granola bar from his vest pocket, and the creature made up its mind. Peter's father had a bit of trouble finding the campsite, and Peter comforted the animal while his father found his way, and then the rope and returned. He tied the end of the rope into a crude harness, and Peter was able to put it on the dog and himself, and they climbed out together. When they were unable to find an owner in town, Peter's parents allowed him to adopt the animal. They took him to the vet, and were astonished to find that what they thought was a full-grown dog, was in fact a Leonberger puppy! Peter's parents would probably not have let the boy keep the animal had they known how much more it had to grow, but they were not prepared to break his heart once they found out. From the time of his rescue, Goliath as Peter named him, was never far from Peter's side.

With both of his parents working, Peter has learned to be quite self-sufficient. The outlook and helpfulness taught to him by the boy scouts have him often helping around the house and his neighborhood. He's taken the Boy Scout's code to heart, and he enjoys the positive feeling he gets from benefiting his community.

Date of Birth / Age: 2/29/2000 local / 14
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 122lbs
Eyes: brown
Hair: brown


Parents: David Nichols, Margaret Hammond-Nichols

Goliath

Spoiler:  

Goliath has proven to be a loyal and constant companion to Peter, and demonstrated unusual intelligence, as well as an exceptional size, even for his breed. Goliath has pale golden paws with his legs turning a reddish brown leading up into his body with a darker brown back. He has a mane matching his midsection up to his mouth with a darker upper mane and face. He is a very social animal and is generally friendly when he and Peter are relaxed.

Date of Birth / Age: Homeline 2/29/2012 / almost 3
Breed: Leonberger
Height: 32" at the shoulder
Weight: 170lbs
Eyes: brown
Hair: brown

The Travels of Peter and Goliath

IC Thread Links

Spoiler:  

Where the Riders Dwell
- The Salvation of Senarich

Doctors Without Borders - the Miracle Workers
- A pilgrim in a Savage Land (Xenarthra-1 / mammoth-3 ?)
- Homeline
- Plague In Tenochtitlán

The Karaka Circle
- Birthright

Homecoming
- Fictions and Non-Fictions

A Clockwork Sky
- Thuroman Hospitality: Thanks be to Ink-Thur
- Temples in the Sky Like Diamonds
- Portal to the Gods: The Pristine Realm
- Not the Burlington you're looking for.
- Return to a Clockwork Sky
- Return to the Divine Village
- Thuroma, His reputation precedes him
--- Weekend Holiday at Home
- Thuroma, The Emissary ruturns
- Divine Council Interrupted
--- BioTech Dreamland
- The Hunt Is On!
- Dinner with Kyridas
- The Crossroads
- Coming to America

Canned Cloners and a Cat-Girl to Go
- Howdy Campers!

Red Planet
- Peter Nichols of Mars
___________________________________________

This Guide:

Land of the Riders

[the_matrix_walker]

Home.

People of Interest-

Burlington-
David Nichols - Peter's Father
Margaret Hammond-Nichols - Peter's Mother
Marcus Crosby - Peters middle school best friend

Other-
Robert Hammond - Peter's Mother's uncle, "Grunkle Bob". With the FBI in the DC area
Mary Hammond - Robert's Wife

They have a son Luke and his wife Gracie, and their daughters Madison and Caitlin.
Peter hasn't spent much time with his second cousins: they're 3 and 6 years younger than him, respectively.

Detective Morgan Barnes - Uncle Bob's associate who has worked Missing World Jumper cases

[the_matrix_walker]

HOMEWORLD

Peter's Earth is likely a low mana world, Karana Magic works, but is more difficult.

Originally Posted by ericthered

The magic flows, and the smoke begins to twist and curl. Its harder than on the last world... but it does seem to be working. Make a Karana roll. (IQ -5 for default... failures drain 1 FP each )

The language granting magic Peter learned under the Broken Clockwork Sky worked using household ingredients as incense. No mention of a skill penalty was made. Peter has not yet attempted healing and has encountered no portal to manipulate.

Originally Posted by ericthered

He is able to give his father the language of the priests of the clockwork sky world. His father says its quite strange, and asks if the same people are teaching him all the different tricks.

[the_matrix_walker]

"Land of the Riders" AKA "How to make Friends and Merge with Entities"

People of Interest-
Senarich - The Rider Peter carries.
Mr. Bart Batty - Man who finds and takes Peter in to his home and family.
Mr Hysop - Suspected Rider who brings Peter to Boston.
Robert Maxwell Morton - Carrier of Irrodontus, Peter's employer, Assassin.
John Kissenger - Carrier of Karokan, Morton's Secretary and Peters supervisor
Reverend Cole - A Guardian and Exorcist

The Dream

Spoiler:  

Originally Posted by ericthered

Peter Nichol's dreams were eiree that night. He dreamed of an ancient, pristeen forest, still inhabited by its original creatures: deer, wolves, bears, beavers ... all were present. As were the original people of the land, dwelling in the forest, farming and hunting.

And then he dreamed of a iron city. Of europeans dwelling on a river, mining high in the hills and sending the coal down to fuel their hot bellied furnaces, creating reapers, plows, and guns.

But their was something off about both of the peoples: a wariness of the night, and a separating of their communities from the wild. Every town, every village, and indeed every camp, was marked with a clear warning: stay out. It was done in various ways, but they all did it: skulls, lines in the dirt with writing, fences, crosses ...

Peter woke up in the middle of the woods. That was normal. Goliath was next to him. That was also normal. But he was completely naked, which was not normal. At all. One glance at the stars told him that it was about an hour before dawn. Assuming it was still May and he was still in Massachusetts.

Peter's first Jump, and he soon met Senarich, who was a "Rider"

Spoiler:  

Originally Posted by ericthered

a translucent figure begins to form in the space above the bushes. Its exact features are indistinct, but it does have a human shape, with ... wings? There are certainly wings flowing out of its back. Its head has either a wild amount of hair or some sort of wreath, and its ears are massive and pointed, somewhat like a deer or horses.

Goliath's growls get lower. He's more scared than Peter has ever seen, but is trying to act brave.
a voice comes out of the bushes, incredibly unearthly:

"I am here, young man, a fallen creature seeking to exit its miserable state. will you help me?"

The voice echoes several times before dying down.

Peter allows Senarich to ride along in his body. In addition to advice, when given permission, Senarich is able to alter and even to control Peter's body for different effects...

Spoiler:  

Originally Posted by ericthered

Rider: "I did not say I was a powerful being before hand for nothing. I can change what you are: what your shape is. I can change your nose to that of a bloodhound, your eyes to that of a hawk, and your shadow all that can be seen of you. Of course, I can change you back, and this requires your permission. There was a time when I wouldn't have needed it, but as I said, I was stuck back there."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Peter looks at his hands ... and can't see them. In fact, he can't see any part of himself... except for his shadow. Goliath seems quite able to see him though. Either that or the dog has a sense of smell good enough that it didn't matter.

Feeling himself, his body had become hairier, his skin rougher, and his face had changed shape. His nose was wet. his teeth were sharper. His fingers had claws of some sort on them.

Human refugees from Earth have come via the Bermuda Triangle and other related strange disappearances have ended up on this world and are building a society. (There is also a population of natives, but Peter never encounters them)

Peter encounters a Mr Bart Batty, who gives Peter a tractor ride to town and gives him the lowdown:

Spoiler:  

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Goliath?" the farmer rubs the dogs head. "Well, boy, I hope you take to riding tractors well."

Mr. Batty drives the tractor to his home in the village: all the houses are clumped close to each other. All of them are wooden, and amenities seem limited. They do have running water, but have a preference for keeping it outside. Mrs. Batty and the children aren't home, but Bart gives Peter a shirt and pants to wear, and sits him down by a wood burning fireplace (the only brick part of the house) and explains some things.

"Son, your not home. There is a something that grabs people from old earth and brings them here. Some people say its Spirits, some think its God, others think its a just plain natural effect. At any rate, you're stuck here. You'll never see your family again, and your going to have to get used to that idea."

"There's a good number of us americans, who have been pulled into this place. We call it earth, or occasionally new earth, and where you're from is old earth. We've put back together most of civilization: Tractors, Radios, Modern ships, and so forth. At least I think it feels like civilization, but I came here in the 70's. I hear the newbies find it quite different. And I'll admit there are some things we just don't have down right: the plumbing is still unreliable, and you won't see a lot of super fancy goods, but thats just life.

"We're used to people like you coming in every so often, though most of the time there is more than just a boy and his dog. You'll be adopted into the community, or sent to one of the cities if you choose that."

"I hope that helps you understand your position."

While spending the night on the Batty's couch, Peter Dreams of Riders in the forest

Spoiler:  

Originally Posted by ericthered

Rider: "you always have choice. have a good night."

That night, Peter dreamed of wild half-men running through the woods, with bestial faces and long claws. They met in strange councils, discussing... Peter couldn't figure out what they were discussing.

Peter was woken up quite early, 5AM or earlier, by the family getting up and moving around: cooking breakfast, feeding animals, and so forth. Mr. Batty asks Peter how he slept, in a loud voice and a manner that seems to imply he let Peter sleep in.

Mr Batty takes Peter to town to register him, where he meets Mr Hysop of Boston, who Peter senses is special, in the way he can sense his own Rider. When probed, Hysop insists the spirits are real, dangerous and to be avoided. Mr Hysop escorts him to 'Boston'

Spoiler:  

Originally Posted by ericthered

Mr. Hysop notices Peter's quietness:
"Every thing all right son? you seem a little put off by my answer. Does it worry you, or do you think we're all crazy?"

They make it to town, and Peter is dropped off at a large and mostly empty building. Its somewhere between a boarding school, a hospital, and a barracks. It can easily house 100 people, but right now it seems only three older women work there and he's going to be the only boarder. Comments are made to the effect of 'No one else?' and 'They usually come in groups'.

The Women to be part time workers engaged in keeping the place up. They teach school during the rest of the time. The 'house' is right on the edge between a neighbourhood and a business part of town. Their last names are Coffin, Stove, and Bryant. Coffin is a spinster and by far the oldest (and smallest) and the other two are widows. They make good and sure Peter knows to keep the dog out of the house (there is a yard out back) and go down a list of expectations. Apparently young boys are expected to work around here. He's given the choice of helping to clean, or of finding employment for two hours after school each day.

The city of Boston is somewhere between 1900 and 1960 in feel. Cars are everywhere, but they are all the same kind, modeled after the tractors. Smog hangs over the city. Electricity is present, but Neon signs are not, though some people have done their best to imitate showy effects with other patterns of light bulbs. The streets are still that half-dirt half-roadbase, which is going to be very dirty when things get wet.

Peter is given a room, but they won't allow Goliath in the house, so he elects to sleep in the shed with his companion instead. While looking for a job the next day, he encounters a number of people with Riders, and get a job from Robert Maxwell Morton working for his Secretary, John Kissenger, at 'Morton's Freight'.

Senarich knows Robert Morton to be a Rider named Irodontus, and that his father hunted them.

There is the general impression of paranoia, that everyone is under the watchful eyes of their neighbors.

Spoiler:  

Originally Posted by ericthered

The city is large enough to give an impression of size, yet its still small enough that Peter can actually get a feel for it. The city was created around the docks and factories, and has something of a dingy feel to it. Peter also gets the impression its not just him that's being closely watched... everyone here seems to watch everyone else.

[the_matrix_walker]

Peter attends school, and learns how the original settlement were the fold from Roanoke, VA and that Riders are a more recent problem. Then at work a woman Rider shows up to speak to Kissinger who he addresses as "Master".

Spoiler:  

Originally Posted by ericthered

Most of the time people brought to this world come in large groups: towns, army camps, and ships. Ships happen particularly often.
Most of the travel coincides with wars: The last large batches of settlers came during the world wars, and have made great inroads into the local culture.
World travel seems to be limited to the east coast. While the world has been explored, new people only seem to show up around the north atlantic coast. The rest of world is bronze age or more primitive.
The first travel was the colony of Roanoke (the famous 'lost colony'). The center of civilization is still in Virginia.
Riders have only been a problem a little over 200 years. The original settlers (1600s) did not have to deal with them. The Riders actually conquered civilization just prior to the American revolution. The camps of soldiers that went through were a great help in the liberation.
Riders seem concentrated on the east coast, and while they do work with other populations, they seem to have a special taste for civilized people.
...
As he is finishing he senses a Rider come up and stand next to the door. He can't see the guy, but there is definitely a man, he's definitely got a rider in him, and the rider is definitely using some of his power... which is probably why Peter can't see him.

Peter goes on to discover a murder and the assassin, Mr Morton, who confesses, as well as a conspiracy of Riders that he's been left unaware of.

Spoiler:  

Originally Posted by ericthered

After about a week of this routine, Peter dreams of a murder.... The target is evidently a rich man, one he has noticed before, without a rider and unknown to Peter beyond his face. He does remember the man as rather self-important.

The man is in some sort of drawing room, next to a fire, reading some sort of document. There is a shimmer of light, and a transformed Rider appears: long claws, long fur, and animal ears and nose. Its next to a gun near a fireplace, which it picks up and fires into the target. The target falls backward, the bullet having struck it in the skull. screams are heard higher in the house, and the assassin dashes out the door, unlocking it from the inside.

A few people try to chase the assassin, but he goes mostly invisible and is aided by supernaturally strong legs. And yet Peter seems to follow the shadowy figure. It runs through the town for some time before climbing up a house into a window. Inside, it changes into a human. A recognizable human: Mr. Morgan.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Morgan: "He's with the Guardians. I'm being cut out of our circles. I killed him to show I'm still a player."

More murders follow in multiple cities, and a war is brewing with the Riders and the communities. Peter meets one of the guardians, a 'Reverend Cole, who comes looking for information about the goings on at Morgan Freight. Ultimately, peter is able to play innocent and dissuade the Reverend's attention.

Spoiler:  

Originally Posted by ericthered

In the next three days word comes in of other murders in other towns: Roanoke and New York have two apiece, and quite a bit of the country side has murders of their own. The Atlantic seaboard (which is the heart of the world around here) has 14 murders all told. All of them are wealthy businessmen, statesmen, and public figures. Three of them (including the first) are in Boston. Many accusations of demon possession are made, and while all of those are still in the process of trial, it adds to the upheaval, though Morgan's name does not make the list. On the third night, burglaries of shops by emboldened thieves are added to the headlines.

Senarich tries to be comforting, but he really isn't that good at it. For one, he doesn't know of any way for peter to get back home, and he's something of a brooder himself. And senarich doesn't know the whole story behind the tears.

Peter notices that riders are talking to each other quietly in the streets more and more often. Senarich is torn between Peter's policy of staying low (with which he at least partially agrees), and a desire to participate in the upcoming war and know what's going on. Kissinger seems to be taking everything smoothly -- he at least doesn't feel like he's at risk. At least one man (not a rider) asks him why he's so calm and Kissinger replies that he stays away both sides, and both sides don't bother him.

Peter's dreams feature meetings late at night, from both the brotherhood and bands of riders (who are either invisible or physically altered enough to be unrecognisable). They discuss people killed, and plan more people to kill. Peter doesn't get enough hints to figure out anything about who the people are though.

As Peter is going home on the third day, he is approached by a heavy man in a suit. Peter thinks the man is some sort of clergy or the other. The man says "Son, come on over here. I have a few things I'd like to discuss with you about your employment." The man seems quite solemn, and quite friendly.

Senarich gets tense and even a little panicked: "Its a priest. He's an exorcist. one of the enemy!"

When Peter discovers an exorcism, he goes to Kissinger and with him unites 11 of the riders to come together and rescue the captured rider as bloodlessly as possible. The Carriers lose access to their Riders and the powers that come with them in the process, and Peter is forced to fire his bow at people, but manages not to hit anyone despite his best efforts. The rescue is successful, and it turn out to be Morgan.

Peter talks them into negotiating a peace with the humans, and they decide to turn Morgan over to the authorities in a propaganda attempt to create real change with a public trial. Peter and Senarich leave them to work out the details.

Peter returned home satisfied they had possibly done some real good. He slept well and dreamed...

__________________________________________

Additional Notes:

While a native "indian" culture is referenced, Peter never encounters them.
Peter does not remain on the world long enough to determine if the negotiations are successful.
Peter thinks of Senarich often and wonders what became of him.. perhaps he will return some day.

__________________________________________

The Scout's Guide to the Multiverse, Book 1: Possible Titles

• Land of the Riders
• the Salvation of Senerich
• New Earth
• How to make Friends and Merge with Entities

__________________________________________

[the_matrix_walker]

Xenarthra-1

People of Interest-
Brian Wells - Miracle Workers Expedition Leader
Mr. Sandip - Confidant of Mr. Wells in a discussion on Centrum
Kumar Pooran - Peter's Guide from Homeline
Luisa Sanchez - Miracle Worker who turns them in for being fishy.
Elana Kozlov - New Miracle Worker from St. Petersburg


The Dream

Spoiler:  

Originally Posted by ericthered

Peter dreamed of thatched huts of a sort (the leaves were too wide to be grass) standing around a more prominent structure. The central structure was made of something more solid (brick? concrete?) and had been colourfully painted in sharp somewhat meso-american designs echoing the themes of labyrinths, something that is probably writing, and fantastic animals (wings, snakes, bears, elephants (mammoths?) and raccoons are prominent and mixed together -- and horses are conspicuously absent) . Another spot in the village is made of bricks, with a maze large enough to walk along painted on it, along with various images of the strange animals. The maze actually extends beyond the bricks, which are placed in something of a patchy manner, much darker than typical bricks, and often marked with the funny writing. The center of the maze was the blackened sight of a bonfire. Outside of the village were extensive fields, most of which were full of weeds.

There were a few people in the village, but nowhere near the number such a large village should have. There were also animals, in quite large numbers: dogs, chickens, lamas, and several beasts resembling bears but larger than a bear and seemingly peacefully grazing while small children sat and watched them with dogs at their side.

The people had brownish skin and dark hair -- If Peter had to place them he'd probably go with Hispanic rather than one of the various Asians -- but perhaps he doesn't know his geography well enough. The crop they are growing is most certainly american corn.

Peter woke up at night. He was no longer in the bed the old ladies gave him. Goliath was still there, sniffing nervously -- the dog is obviously sensing something wrong. Peter realizes he's naked, and he's lying in what appears to be yet another new england forest. Reaching out with his extended senses, he feels -- nothing. And yet he's sure he hasn't merely gone blind, he can still sense, there just isn't anything to sense. In particular, senarich is gone.

Peter arrives and discovers a recently abandoned farm where he is able to clothe himself. He moves on in search of people.

He sees his first unusual animal, a giant armadillo surpassing Goliath's size and weight.

Then there is an encounter with a crazed and possibly plague stricken native who attacks, and when Peter is able to resist, the man kills himself. On his travels the following day, he finds a similar suicide.

Spoiler:  

Originally Posted by ericthered

The man snarls something in a foreign tounge at Peter, then plunges the dagger into his chest. He falls back, breathing heavily and bleeding all over the place.

Originally Posted by ericthered

As its only about 2 PM (getting that food took a while), so Peter continues down the path. For a long time he sees no one. Then he comes across a visage more horrific than before: A man is lying in the path, dead. He appears to have taken his own life, judging from his bloody hand. His skin has a number of small red scabs/sores all over it. The man has painted himself in a specific fashion, and appears to have laid himself in line with the sun before driving the weapon in. The scabs are regular and random enough to suggest a disease or alergic reaction rather than a physical cause. Peter isn't sure what the disease is. He's pretty sure it isn't chicken pox though. A queasy feeling rises in his stomach -- what did all of the ancient diseases look like? he can't remember. He hopes dearly its an allergic reaction or the doing of some bizarre allergic reaction or poison.

Goliath barks at the death body, then looks up at Peter.

Peter encountered many natives terrified of a horrible plague and spent a great time running for his life. There was quite a bit of hiking. This would be come a theme. He is able to spy another unusual animal, much like a domesticated bear.

Spoiler:  

Originally Posted by ericthered

Its getting dark when Peter sees more people on the path, about 30 yards down it. They mounted on -- bears?, armed, and stationary. On seeing them, Goliath bristles, and not just becuase there is a dog with the riders.

The 'Bears' are grazing. They are very shaggy animals with long faces and their eyes are set a ways back in their head. Peter isn't quite sure what they are, but he's beginning to suspect they are not proper bears. The animals are heavy set, and at least horse sized (but much more heavily built).

The riders are of the ethnicity of the men he ran into before, and they are painted in the same colors as the man who killed himself. Both of them have the large-bladed spears and bows. They have seen Peter, and are getting their weapons ready for a fight.

Peter tries to disguise himself as a native in the hopes they do not attack him the next time he encounters them, and he goes to sleep and dreams...

Spoiler:  

Originally Posted by ericthered

Peter is able to find some of the paint, adorns himself, and as its late at night, goes to sleep. He might have been cold, but the dog snuggles up with him and they keep each other warm.

His dreams that night are of modern folks, mostly white but with a couple of native americans and a single african, looking at a map of what is quite clearly the Chesapeake bay (the bay of Virginia and Maryland) in some sort of tent. They have little pins all over it, with varying sizes of heads, and they seem to be dealing with reports -- it has something of a military planning feel, but these folks don't quite look military -- at least most of them don't. One of them looks and acts very military. They do speak english, and though Peter can't really follow the discussion, they are planning on sending teams to different areas and the hostility of the locals is discussed at length.

Peter wakes up in the same location, stomach growling.

Peter sets out to find the more modern looking folk her saw in his dream. He finds another village, but avoids it after his experiences with the natives thus far.

He encounters a large wolf, but is able to keep the interaction calm.

Spoiler:  

Originally Posted by ericthered

Peter is able to get by, for the most part. He's fairly hungry some days, but other days he finds the food he needs, particularly meat. The crops aren't ripe yet, but several abandoned dwellings (and some villages are completely abandoned) have stores of food lying about. His dreams are

Peter steels himself, and presents himself as confident and cool to the animal. The wolf responds by becoming a little more cautious. Peter slowly and cautiously offers it some meat. Goliath growls lightly, but stays put. the wolf gulps down the offering in a single bite. When it comes close again, Peter stands the creature off, but continues speaking in his tones.

The animal approaches within 2 feet of Goliath and Peter, sniffs, and then turns and trots away.

twice time, he veers away from a hunting party of natives. If they saw him, they didn't react. He's quite aware they are stealthier than him, but he is quite observant, and Goliath has keen senses as well.

The third time, they get wind of him first, as he is gathering food in a field. He notices them before they are able to surround him, so they have to be content with just stepping out into the field and demanding something of him in their strange tongue. It seems to be some sort of question as well. The speaker has his large spear, but of the three men standing near him, two bear only bows and large hunting knives. They have a medium dog with them as well, much smaller than Goliath and of no breed Peter can identify.

OCC: wow -- he was actually well suited for the wolf.

The last group makes demands of Peter that he doesn't understand, he runs and they fire arrows at him. He travels for several more days before he again dreams

Spoiler:  

Originally Posted by ericthered

Peter gets through the next few days with little incident. He still sees various local communities, and the modern folks. About eight days into his routine, he dreams of both of them together.

An African American (he sees quite american) wearing a medical style outfit is shown into a local hut, where a man is suffering from some sort of illness. The man looks him over, administers an injection, then calls in another man -- this one extremely weathered, and missing a lot of teeth. The two talk in english for a while (though the weathered man seems to use an archaic form of it). PEter hears it mostly as a diagnosis -- of small pox. The weathered man turns and seemingly tries to convey the issue to one of the locals -- neither of them speak the language well. Outside, other modern people start unloading crates of shining hypodermic needles.

OCC: Technically, they asked questions before they started shooting!