[PSL] time travel, time travel

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Martin had always known that Lukas would kill him in the end. If not along the way, then surely at the end, once he'd gotten what he wanted out of Martin, whatever that turned out to be. When the Lonely rose up to swallow him, he'd accepted his impending death with ... what?

What did he have left, really? Numbness, mostly. A hallucination of Jon in the Lonely, looking for him, but - but that was impossible, ridiculous. His mind playing cruel tricks. He settled himself down in the frigid surf, knees drawn up close to his chest, unshed tears frozen to his cheeks and lashes.

And then. A door. A door that shouldn't exist, that couldn't exist. That he shouldn't take at all. The Lonely was terrible, yes, but it was quiet, and it was peaceful. Martin was aligned enough with it by now to very nearly enjoy it, in a strange and terrible way. The Spiral would be infinitely worse than this quiet beach.

But ... it was hope, too. In a strange way. Hope enough that Martin found himself turning the door handle and stepping through, leaving the false comfort of the Lonely behind him.

The transition was unpleasant. Long. But Martin couldn't remember it after; he only remembered stumbling out through the door of a supply closet somewhere deep in the Archives, blinking up at the dim bulbs that pretended to be sufficient. What time was it? Had he escaped? Where were Lukas and Elias now?

And where was Jon? ]

Comments

[curriculum_fictae]

Okay, okay! I'm just establishing things! I'm having a slightly bad day myself--!

[ Deep breaths, Martin. Deep breaths. ]

In - in a few months from now, you're going to meet Jurgen Leitner. For all of twenty minutes, anyway, until Elias comes along and murders him with a pipe. I still don't understand why he did that, except that he would have interfered with his grand plan, but ...

You end up out in the world for months after while the others and I try to keep the Institute running. Taking statements and - and trying to not die. Also, quickly figuring out that we're all bound to this hell job and will die if we try to quit.

[eyediot]

[Oh. His spine straightens the moment Jurgen Leitner leaves Martin's lips. He not only meets him, but Elias kills him?

Great for the world that Leitner's gone, but... Why frame himself? Besides the obvious, of course Elias wouldn't want to go to jail.

But they'll... die? If they quit?

What the hell is this place.]

What the hell is this place.

[curriculum_fictae]

A stronghold of the Eye. Part of - part of something, I'm sure of it, but I never found out what Jonah's planning. I got - got removed before that happened.

[eyediot]

[This is too big. It's too much and it's not cohesive or coherent and he really needs Martin to just start at the beginning and tell him everything in one go.

On the other hand, he said Elias - Jonah - is probably listening. Something that kept tapping at the back of his mind comes back now. He reaches to turn off the recorder, sets his mug of tea down, and grabs his torch.]

Come with me.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Oh? Oh. The tunnels, of course. He should have thought of that to begin with, but everything has been such a mess, and --

He follows behind Jon quietly. ]

Right. Okay. I'm right here with you.

[eyediot]

[Yep, the tunnels. He leads the way, making sure the rest of the team don't see them going in. It's hard when he's even more paranoid of Sasha now.

But they get down there, and Jon leads the way. He's sort of gotten the hang of them. Not enough to still know where he's going, but enough to know.... where not to turn. And to leave markers.

They get a reasonable way through before he finally stops and heaves a sigh.]

All right. From the beginning. I get framed for murdering Leitner because Elias, who is actually Jonah Magnus, kills him. And the Archive is part of the Eye which is part of something bigger, and if any of us try to leave we'll die.

Am I with you so far.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ At least they seem to be off elsewhere. And if Elias knows what's going on, he at least doesn't seem to have done anything yet, which is something. At some point Martin is going to have to figure out what to do about his alternate self existing, but - but that's a bridge to burn down later.

As he follows Jon in the dimly lit darkness, his footsteps seem to fade again, until it sounds very much as though there's no one behind him. Maybe he hallucinated this whole thing?

And then Martin is there again at his side, seemingly having come out of nowhere. ]

Yes, that's. That's accurate. So far.

[eyediot]

[Deep breath.

Okay.

Okay.]

What then.

[curriculum_fictae]

After you come back, the Stranger tries to end the world with a ritual. Through the Unknowing. There's - there's a circus, the same one that killed Tim's brother. So we all decided to try and interrupt it with some of, ah. With some of Gertrude's old arsenal.

At least - at least that's what half of us were doing. You and Tim and Daisy and Basira. Melanie and I stayed behind to get Elias thrown into jail.

[eyediot]

[A couple small tiny details click into place, but he doesn't say anything yet. He wants to confirm what he thinks when he goes back upstairs. Or wakes up. Which ever happens first.

Instead, outwardly, he nods.]

All right. Then what.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Now they're getting into the worse half of this story, aren't they. Martin looks rather defeated. ]

It - it all works. The Unknowing gets blown up. I manage to distract Elias enough for Melanie to get the evidence she needs to send him to jail.

[ A deep breath. ]

But you and Tim both die in the explosion, and Daisy ends up in the buried. And ... and Peter Lukas takes over the Institute.

[eyediot]

[Man, his eyes are so moisturized from how much Martin is making him blink in disbelief.]

Peter-- Peter Lukas? From the Tundra? The Lukas family?

[Christ.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Sorry, Jon. It only gets worse from here. ]

Yes. That's the one. He's - he's not a pleasant man.

[eyediot]

Considering how he and his family put an immediate stop to all our investigations they're a part of, I would assume so.

[curriculum_fictae]

Worse than that. So much worse. If I'd known --

[ Well. He's not sure what he would have done. ]

You spent six months in hospital. And the Institute was - was so much worse than it had ever been. We got attacked by the Flesh at some point. Jared and his bodybuilders. Would have killed all of us if Melanie hadn't stabbed his followers to death and shoved him into Helen's corridors. After that, I ... I agreed to join up with Lukas.

[eyediot]

[Most of that he doesn't... He can't fully parse out. The Flesh? Jared and body builders? Why was Melanie even involved in any of this, Melanie hates him.]

Helen's corridors?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Oh, Melanie definitely still hates you. Don't worry about that. ]

Yes. She - ah - took over being the Distortion. From Michael. I think after you got kidnapped? That was before the Unknowing.

[eyediot]

[His head's spinning, and maybe going underground after just being injured and losing blood wasn't the smartest of his ideas. But he feels a bit dizzy and he rests his head in one hand.]

All right, all right. Circle back to that thing you said at the very beginning. That "man I love" and being tormented thing.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Oh shit. He had said that, hadn't he? Martin goes utterly pale for a moment, distracted from Jon's discomfort by ... well. All of that. ]

I ... I worked for Lukas. Like I said. His endgame was to make me control the Panopticon for him. A-and when I refused, he tossed me into the Lonely.

[eyediot]

[Okay now both hands are cradling his aching head. His skull is pounding and his stab wound aches. But if what Martin's saying is true, then this is the safest and only place to discuss any of this.

But he still doesn't know if it's true. The only proof so far is the recording of. Of Sasha.]

This is ...a lot to process, Martin.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Sorry, Jon. At least now he sees Jon's face and realises what kind of pain he must be in. ]

I know. I know. I - look, why don't you sit down? You don't seem well.

[eyediot]

It's fine, I'm all right.

[He's not.]

I just want to get to the bottom of this.

[He does, but he won't. He's already lilting to one side.]

I can't... Stop until I know.

[Know that he's sliding down against the tunnel wall. Yeah he's out cold.]

[curriculum_fictae]

-- Jon!

[ At least Martin is there to keep him from thwacking his head against the side of the wall. Or the floor. He cradles Jon down the rest of the way, tugging him gently against his own soft (if rather chilly) torso. ]

You - you idiot. What am I even going to do?

[eyediot]

[Why are you asking him? He's the unconscious guy.

But hey, at least it was all recorded on his handy-dandy tape recorder! Which is. Still going, unfortunately.

What's up, Martin.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Rude as hell, Jon. Just. Completely. He sighs a moment and just looks down at him, checking to make sure he didn't bump his head. ]

Why did I ever fall in love with you? You're the worst.