[006]

[grip_on_reality]

[Menzies arrives lying on the ground somewhere in the middle of the Plane. she's breathing hard, looking rather horrified and a little pale. she quickly sits up, looking down at herself in apparent confusion. then she starts to pat herself down, as though checking for injuries] All right... No gunshot. Fine now, then. Sure.

[taking a deep breath, she pulls herself to her feet, still looking completely frazzled. after a moment's thought, she takes hold of the ID badge that hangs around her neck. pulling it out, she briskly runs the edge of it along the back of one her hands, creating a small cut. she winces but watches with apparent interest as the cut bleeds red] And not dead. [she breathes a sigh of relief] First thing that's gone right all day... [she replaces her ID card before looking around, her expression uncharacteristically uncertain. she still looks pale and out of breath, and she clearly has no idea what to do now] Maybe this is payback for pissing off Ray.

[ooc: Menzies is in the middle of major trouble back home! See my OOC post for details.]

Comments

[holmes_fanatic]

[Conan shakes his head.] Nothing that concrete! But if we're sure what is happening is real, it seems like someone is doing something with your reality, don't you think? Maybe trying to make things come to a certain outcome by tweaking events or maybe what we're seeing is a result of worlds merging and past events changing ...

Ne, who benefits by your death?

[grip_on_reality]

[her tone is dark--mainly because she refuses to think someone did those things to Manchester for real] Or just playing games with my head. I thought that's what this place is known for.

[but she frowns thoughtfully at that] Criminals, mainly. [and he's got her looking for patterns now. after a moment's thought, she adds:] And we were in a hell of a mess both times I died. [which, considering the other officers involved, wasn't likely to go well without her. they hadn't exactly been ready to deal with aliens]

[holmes_fanatic]

Playing games with your head would be more economic ... [But could it be done on a personal scale?]

Ha ... so removing you would be a tactical advantage ... I don't know what to say, Inspector Menzies. This kind of a case is ...

[grip_on_reality]

Cliche.

[she sighs, sitting back and sipping her coffee as she continues her rather fruitless attempts to think this through] So now what?

[holmes_fanatic]

I guess we'll have to see if there are any variables we can narrow down from here.

If it's someone changing your reality -- we know that the machine can do that, but is there anyone in your world with that ability?

[grip_on_reality]

God, I hope not. [she frowns, feeling like there's something she's missing about all this, but she can't quite put her finger on it--or she can't quite remember enough to put it together]

Well, good thing there's an easy way to get more evidence.

[not that she wants to go back, but obviously just talking about it isn't getting her anywhere]

[holmes_fanatic]

You know you can take someone from here back with you.

[grip_on_reality]

[she just stares at him at that suggestion]

Did I mention that I got killed? Twice?

[holmes_fanatic]

Ah. But not your companions, right? Besides, if it is in Inspector Menzies's head, that is the quickest way to find out. And if not -- well, I'm not suggesting that Inspector Menzies would think of taking a civilian!

[grip_on_reality]

[bluntly] No. I wouldn't.

[she frowns, thinking that through. she can see his point--if this is all fake, then bringing someone else would seem to be the easiest way to find out] Some of my "companions" did die, actually. [she sighs] But you've got a point. I'll... [she hesitates] ...stay here for now. Find someone who isn't going to get themselves killed walking in on...whatever's going on.

[holmes_fanatic]

[Conan's -- well you can't say he's pleased. Relieved however ... He was afraid Menzies was going to be too self-sacrificing, refuse any help. This much of a concession is a lot.]

I'll help all I can too! Not that there's much I think I can do ...

[grip_on_reality]

[lucky for Conan, she doubts there's much she can do without help. and she has no way of knowing if this is centered on her alone or if something permanent is happening to Manchester, so she can't exactly leave things as they are. but she chuckles at his enthusiasm] Thanks, kid. I'll let you know.

[she takes another sip of coffee] But don't think you're off the hook either. [just because her memory is spotty and she's apparently caught up in a mess that's going to keep killing her doesn't mean you're going to get off without explaining forever]

[holmes_fanatic]

[Of course she wouldn't forget ... but did she really have to remember now? Conan gives Menzies an unimpressed look but its effectiveness is spoiled as a thought occurs to him.]

Ne -- the aliens and the things that happened before you died both times ... If it was you and your colleagues both that saw them, were there other people too? Civilians, a wide enough audience to get into the newspapers?

[grip_on_reality]

[nice distraction technique, Conan! she can see where you're going with that]

You'd be surprised at people's ability to cover that sort of thing up--or maybe just their capacity for denial.

I doubt the aliens would 'ave made the papers, but...something should have done. [thoughtfully] Probably officers killed in a raid in the one case. Maybe an electrical malfunction for the other. [it's surprising how easy these cover stories are to come up with at this point] Have you seen anything?

[holmes_fanatic]

I've been a little busy ... but I'll fix that! [Conan stands up.]

There's a library that has the foreign newspapers in Central Tokyo. I'm going to head over there -- I'll be back soon! Don't go anywhere, Inspector Menzies!

[And before she can argue he is -- gone.]

[grip_on_reality]

[for once, she actually wasn't going to argue. he mentioned being busy before, and she's a bit suspicious about that. she's hoping the newspapers will shed some light on that, as well as on her current situation]

[and really, Conan, where do you expect her to go? because she's definitely not leaving the Plane. for the moment, she sips her coffee, still struggling to remember more about what's happened]

[holmes_fanatic]

[The stack of papers is about half the size of Conan, and to hold them all at once means that he can't see where he's going -- luckily he just has to think to get back to the Plane. After that ... ]

Ah -- Inspector Menzies ... ?

[grip_on_reality]

[she chuckles at the sight of him, but she stands and takes about half the stack from him all the same. she sets it on the table]

Aren't we lucky time doesn't pass? [by which she means this could get tedious fast, but he was right to bring so many papers--they really don't have an excuse for not being thorough]

[holmes_fanatic]

Ha, I guess so!

[Not that Conan is adverse to the down time. He doesn't want to tell Menzies it, but after the events of the past few days, just being able to sit and read is a luxury.

Climbing back up into his chair he spreads out his first paper.]

UK -- I guess you'd be local news ...

[grip_on_reality]

[Menzies grabs a paper as well--but while he's searching for information on that, she has other headlines in mind]

They'll probably 'ave tried to hush it up, so it might not be the top headline. Especially not if London's 'ad anything going on.

[holmes_fanatic]

Mm ... Let's see, Manchester news ... --

...

[Conan was hoping to find something. But this -- seems entirely too easy.]

'5 Days Without News: Manchester Police Fears Grow for Missing Colleague.'

[grip_on_reality]

[Menzies looks up when Conan trails off, and from his expression, she knows he's spotted something]

Guess we didn't need time to stop after all! What is it?

[holmes_fanatic]

[Conan wordlessly passes the paper over. He's giving Menzies a considering look -- any signs of being held for 5 days? She doesn't seem dehydrated or weak, just tired and shaken --]

[grip_on_reality]

[she frowns back, knowing from his expression that it isn't good news. but she takes the paper and looks down at the headline--]

[--and stares, gaping at it] What the hell!? [she quickly skims the article. Detective Inspector Patricia Menzies, missing for five days, last seen by her colleagues at Longsight Police Station at the end of her shift that evening. no reported leads or suspects...] This doesn't make any sense. I only just left!

[holmes_fanatic]

Ne ... Inspector Menzies, how much time do you think elapsed between each of your deaths? I mean from leaving the station to the first time you died, and then from when the second memory started to the second death.