Close to the Edge, Down by the River

[Katarina Kane]

Katarina had led the headmistress out to the side of the river, trying to ignore the sensory overload that came with all the insane sights and sounds of...whatever this was. This strange future, filled with machines that beeped and booped constantly. Did quiet not exist in this time period? Very strange.

"It's down here," she was explaining to the headmistress. "About...70 meters out?" she said, glancing at the water, trying to ignore the desire to flee.

[Ashlie Minamida]

"I'll have to get a little closer." she says, holding up her scanner and adjusting a couple settings with taps to it's display. "I'm not picking up anything from here." she says and starts heading into the shallow river, kind of slowly zig-zagging her way in the direction Katarina pointed her at as she checks her device. "Normally I should be able to pick something up already. The kind of particles emitted by dimensional curvatures aren't really impeded by water. Or most regular matter, really..."

[Katarina Kane]

"Are you saying it's not there, or are you saying that this is something you haven't encountered before?" Katarina asked, peering out over the water once more. "Because I can...well, I can see it, I guess. Kind of. It's...a pull."

[Ashlie Minamida]

"Even if it had closed I should see trace amounts. This is something new. Quite exciting, really. You say you can sense it... Do you have any sensory abilities?" she asks, thinking for a moment on how many of these things used to be called before mutations and telepathy became more understood. "Psychic abilities, mediumship, ESP, aura reading, anything of the sort?"

[Toshiro Narumi]

That was when the young science major who had tagged along came down the beach, carrying a heavy piece of equipment. Oh! And he was currently a hulking shark man. You try dragging scientific equipment over rocks as a human with average strength; doesn't work very well, does it?

He turned back into Tosh as he reached them. "I hope you still need this thing. Getting it here without damaging it wasn't easy; Bruce isn't exactly gentle."

[Katarina Kane]

"It's...complicated," Katarina said, hedging. "But as I said, I have an affinity for the water. I don't...fully understand it myself, and this is the first time they've sent me on a mission close to the sea, so it's new to me as well. I've never felt anything quite like this before. But the water is wrong; that much I can tell you."

"...And you were a giant shark-man of some kind?" she said blinking at Tosh's transformation. "A water sprite of some description?"

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Nope! Nothing magical about me!" Tosh chuckled. "Other than the mythological theme of my powers, but that's mostly self-imposed."

Continuing his rambling, he said, "Basically, I'm several things. Ever hear of the Shijin or the four guardians of Asian folklore? I have my own set. I'm just missing fire."

[Ashlie Minamida]

"Looks like we might." she nods at Tosh.

"Most people with unusual abilities you'll meet here are mutants. Humans with a gene that imbues them with powers. But as Tosh points out, they often seem to run along cultural and anthropological lines and thus mimic magic or mythology. I take it your affinity for water is of a different nature?" she asks as she attaches her portable unit to the larger device Tosh had brought over.

[Katarina Kane]

"Yes...from everything you've said, this universe seems less...connected with the unknown than our own. Science coming triumphant over spiritualism and whatnot. Though I suppose it's possible our science could just be behind yours, like everything else," Katarina said, not fully answering the question.

"And I'm afraid I haven't gotten much to Asian mythology," Katarina apologized to Tosh. "I've been operating more out of the European theater."

[Toshiro Narumi]

"I mean... We have our share of the unknown. The mutant gene is still poorly understood, and our own discoveries about it have only made it that much more mysterious."

"As a scientist, I really don't like magical explanations, buuut..." The young man grinned. "I've literally punched a redcap, so..."

[Ashlie Minamida]

"I do have to begrudgingly admit that there is such a thing as 'magic' that seems to elude the scientific method. Some even seem to manage to combine the two, inexplicable as that seems to me. Though even if this turns out to be a magical fissure, asking Dr. Doom for help is... not something I would consider an option."

[Katarina Kane]

"...You know someone who calls themselves 'Dr. Doom', and have him as a potential option for help?" Katarina said, blinking.

[Toshiro Narumi]

"No, no, the crazy part is that he really is a doctor, and his last name is actually Doom. And then there's Dr. Strange. Also a sorcerer. Again, actual name. Much friendlier, though, or so I've read." Either he was really good at keeping a straight face, or his world was... kinda stupid.

[Ashlie Minamida]

"Though his expertise would no doubt be helpful, assistance is not exactly something he generally provides. The name is kind of descriptive that way." she says, continuing to adjust the machine and realigning components.

"Well, at the very least I'm picking up irregular currents of water with identical dimensional patterns, which would imply an open portal. Considering fluid dynamics, approximations of minimum time it has been active... there has likely been a significant exchange of matter between our two universes. Mainly water. Considering the amount of time some of the previously known other-dimensional matter has existed in our universe the odds of this having any ill effects is low, but it is a lot of water..."

[Katarina Kane]

"It is just H2O here too, yes? Your water isn't composed of something strange?" she asked, sticking a hand into the water.

She bent over, closing her eyes. "I do not...believe there is an unusual danger. It would be like if you dumped some of the Pacific Ocean into the Atlantic. If there was enough of it, and suddenly, it could disrupt things thanks to different properties of the water; salinity and such. But saltwater is saltwater, and freshwater is freshwater. And I believe a similar thing is happening here. It's just some sort of...tide between two bodies, that was not there before."

Bending over in her ill-fitting stolen clothes, the light reflected off of her briefly exposed scales on her back.

[Ashlie Minamida]

"Just H2O, yes. I think you're right, it won't disturb any currents or environmental factors but it might contribute to the rift remaining open."

"Your affinity, it's more than just a sense of the currents, isn't it?"

[Katarina Kane]

"It's...a bit complex. The doctors at the Society are working to keep me healthy," she said, not looking at Ashlie.

[Ashlie Minamida]

"I understand your circumstances are quite different, but by 'healthy' I assume they really mean 'human'?"

[Katarina Kane]

"I am human," Katarina said, with the forcefulness that came with the sentence not entirely being true. "I just have a condition, that's all."

[Ashlie Minamida]

"I've heard that before. Less often nowadays. There's no condition or mutation that will make you less human. Not in the ways that matter."

[Katarina Kane]

"So, you agree, then," Katarina said, standing up straight and self-consciously straightening her top. "It's just a temporary condition; you don't need to worry about it being contagious or anything."

[Ashlie Minamida]

Ashlie nods in acknowledgement. "I don't know what kind of affliction it is. You just sounded a lot like some of the mutants who come to us asking or hoping for a cure."

[Katarina Kane]

"Well, as you pointed out, our universes are different. I've never heard anything about 'mutations' in this context back home."

[Ashlie Minamida]

"I just meant to put you at ease about your condition. I apologize."

[Katarina Kane]

"Well," Katarina said, slightly abashed. "I thank you for the consideration, but as you can see, I'm fit and ready to work."

[Ashlie Minamida]

"Then work we shall. Who feels like they're a good enough swimmer to get close to the portal?" she asks, picking up a number of sensors mounted on long (dull) spikes.

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Do you really, have to ask?" Tosh asked dryly, but he was quite confident about it. "Hell, I could wade out there as Kabuto. If this thing were strong enough to pull him in, we'd have a much bigger problem."

He glanced to Kata. "Think the rock monster from Neverending Story, but smaller and looks kinda like a beetle."

[Katarina Kane]

"It pulled me in," Katarina pointed out. "And I'm a fair swimmer."

[Ashlie Minamida]

"Perhaps a safety-tether is in order. And Kabuto probably serves better at holding that than sinking like a stone."

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Oh, I can't swim as Kabuto at all. I was just thinking it wouldn't be that deep. But, yeah, I could hold a tether, or use a swimming form. Whatever you think will work best. I'm flexible." Tosh was nothing if not eager to help, especially when science was involved.

[Ashlie Minamida]

"Well, whoever feels up to it. As close as feels safe."

[Katarina Kane]

After an awkward pause, Katarina shrugged. "I'll give it my best shot," she said, taking one of the spikes. With a breath, she waded out into the water, and began swimming.

Quite...quite quickly, actually. Faster than they might have given her credit for.

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Wait! You forgot about the..." Tosh reached out, but let his arm drop as she disappeared into the water. "... safety tether..."

"Should I do something? I feel like I should do something."

[Ashlie Minamida]

"She's the one who's actually been close to this thing. I'd imagine she knows what she's doing."

[Katarina Kane]

Katarina did, in fact, not know what she was doing.

She did know to keep herself at least a little far away from the pull now that she was inspecting it, but she stuck the sensor-on-a-pole-thingy closer to the whirlpool itself.

[Toshiro Narumi]

"I'll just... man the equipment then," he said, taking up position to monitor the sensor data. But he was ready to dive in the second things went pear-shaped, and they always went pear-shaped when transdimensional physics were involved.

[Narrator]

Knowing the currents and pulls from the other side of the underwater whirlpool, Katarina probably has little issue finding a decently close distance to plant the sensors.

Meanwhile above the water data starts coming in. By now Tosh has seen plenty of readings on dimensional shenanigans; enough to be able to tell that these are different. Where normally there is a clear point where the dimensional amplitude of the two universes overlaps, here they remains separate somehow. Yet the spatial curvature clearly shows that space is twisted into a funnel of sorts and inter-dimensional matter (mainly water) is being dispensed from it.

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Well, that's... odd." Tosh frowned at the screen, as if his disapproval could change the perplexing readings. "There's no clear point where the dimensions overlap. It's almost like oil and water; they swirl around but never mix. Yet, material pops through the space between them."

[Ashlie Minamida]

"That explains why we didn't pick up on it, but raises about a dozen more questions. And most importantly it means I don't actually know how to close it..."

[Toshiro Narumi]

"There may not be an overlap, but there is a hole. And if there's a hole, then we can plug it," Tosh responded optimistically.

"And if we can't plug it with science, then we resort to more... unusual means."