Patchwork Universe

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 42 Location: The Museum

Dr. Odom stood in front of the Museum. The front steps seemed more . . . absent than he remembered.

Squinting against the unaccustomed light, Dr. Odom rolled a cigarette. He tossed his spent match to one side and tried to enjoy the day despite the slightly agoraphobic reaction he was experiencing.

Something wasn't right. Dr. Odom remembered the neighborhood of the Museum as more . . . well, urban.

Dr Jewel · Posted: 31 Jan 2004 09:10 pm Post subject:

A fox was running through the grass.

When it caught sight of the mist, and the man standing in front of it, it halted, paused, then ran the other way.

The fox was also pretty certain that things had changed, but was not waiting around to find out any more.

Dr Jewel · Posted: 31 Jan 2004 09:27 pm Post subject:

As Dr Jewel followed the wall of mist towards the South, she spotted a new figure up ahead. One that she didn't recognise.

"Hello ?"

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 42 Location: The Museum

Slightly startled, Dr. Odom swallowed a bit of smoke and had to suppress a fit of coughing. He blinked suddenly watery eyes but managed to answer the greeting with a smile and a nod that was almost a casual bow.

"Quite different since I last came out this way," Dr. Odom commented. He indicated the entire landscape with a broad wave of his cigarette. "The air is certainly cleaner but I don't know how much that compensates for the inconvenience of not having a pharmacy nearby." He extended his free hand. "Dr. Odom," he said simply by way of introduction.

Dr Jewel · Posted: 01 Feb 2004 09:44 am Post subject:

Dr Jewel Hart put her hand out, but his passed straight through it.

She pulled it back quickly.

"I'm terribly sorry." She said. "But I don't seem to be entirely here any more. Nor does the rest of the village. I'm not really sure what happened. It's possibly because of what we found. Then there's the mist of course. But I don't know which was the cause and which was the effect."

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 42 Location: The Museum

"Yes. Ah . . . Hrm." Dr. Odom wiggled his fingers and stared at his hand. "Ah . . . Yes. Village. I suppose you mean the city. And, ah, mist?" Looking around at the missing city rather than at the woman Dr. Odom saw the mist for the first time. It looked as if it must be clinging to the front of the Museum. "Yes, mist. Um." He felt decidedly out of his element.

"Dr. Jewel," Dr. Odom said with renewed brightness, latching onto something familiar, "I'm afraid I don't recognize the name. In what department do you work? It must be well above the hundred-fiftieth floor if I don't even recognize you."

Dr Jewel · Posted: 02 Feb 2004 09:09 am Post subject:

"I'm an archeologist and I usually work at Cambridge University." Dr Jewel said brightly. "I and my team came down to investigate Maypole Hill when some Roman coins and pots were found here. Unfortunately, our excavation doesn't seem to have unearthed a Roman structure. Instead it appears to have found some Victorian's collection of such things. And, there seems to be more, but we've run into what I could call 'practical difficulties'."

Dr Jewel peered through the mist.

"Is there a city beyond the mist, then ?" She asked. "I didn't think there was anything much off to the West without travelling a good ten miles or so."

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 42 Location: The Museum

"An archaeologist!" Dr. Odom exclaimed. "I was just thinking that I had never actually met one, and so much of our lives revolve around what they do!"

The incident involving the incorporeality seemed to have been forgotten. There was no visible sign of how much effort this required.

"I don't recall any 'Maple Hill' excavations, I must admit, but then I don't generally hear about much until two or more departments fight over it." Dr. Odom chuckled. "I wasn't even aware there was an archaeological expedition here in the city."

"You know," he said with less certainty. Dr. Jewel's last question finally seemed to register. "Here. In the city. Around the Museum and this park." The gestures at the world behind and around him seemed a bit frantic.

Dr Jewel · Posted: 02 Feb 2004 01:50 pm Post subject:

Dr Jewel watched him with growing concern. She decided that changing the subject would be a wise move.

"Dr Odom ?" She said gently. "I would be interested in hearing about your work. If you wouldn't mind ?"

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 42 Location: The Museum

The change of subject hardly seemed to reassure Dr. Odom.

"I'm Dr. Odom. Dr. William Odom. Surely you can't have been completely out of touch with the Museum since Dr. Eddison retired? That's over seven years!"

Dr. Odom's perplexity seemed to be turning rapidly into hysteria.

"Look, perhaps we ought to go to the commissary for a cup or ten of tea while we sort this out."

Dr. Odom crushed his cigarette with his toe and started to assemble another with slightly unsteady hands.

Dr Jewel · Posted: 03 Feb 2004 09:06 am Post subject:

"Certainly." Dr Jewel nodded her head. "Perhaps you could lead the way ? I think I might pass on the tea though."

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 42 Location: The Museum

"Ah, you remember their tea!" Dr. Odom said brightly. He turned and carefully approached the mist, determined to avoid walking into a wall beside the door or something equally humiliating.

Pushing open one of the massive slabs of oak, brass and pebbled glass, Dr. Odom stepped aside for Dr. Jewel.

Dr Jewel · Posted: 03 Feb 2004 08:27 pm Post subject:

"Thank you."

Dr Jewel paused for a second, then followed him through the mist.