video;

[wandandsickle]

[A woman's voice, subtly lyrical, and with a faint Eastern-European accent (Russian, if your ear is very good), comes from offscreen.]

—and after everything we'd done for her, that I had done for her! The [Russian expletive]. And now everyone's gone and God what have we—

...Jones...what are you doing.

[A woman's voice, also with a light Eastern-European accent—Lithuanian, if you're getting specific; the communicator probably belongs to her, and is tilted away from her face so all you can see is the black fabric of her dress.]

Ah, I think I've figured out what it is supposed to do—see, it is sort of like Dr. Brown's portable telephone, except you can see people's faces, yes?  ...and also it is on your wrist, I suppose.

Well, what are you doing with it?  Are you doing something with it?  Is it on?

I thiiiiink...

[A finger taps the screen a couple times.]

Er, I think it might be broadcasting right now...

Broadcasting?  Who in God's name would it be broadcasting to?  Is mine on?  I've tried not to touch it...

That is a very good question... Oh, I think yours is off, Anna.  But, ah... hello?  Is anyone there?

Comments

[theshield_agent]

Phil is fine. It's nice to meet you, as well.

At least one person here has dealt with something like that and she knows a lot of people from my life who are all very similar, but different. Our worlds are also very similar, but with important differences. It's the best guess we've got with what information we have. No one is sure how they got here, but anything we had to call out with seems to be gone, so your guess is as good as mine.

[wandandsickle]

How peculiar... that would give one that idea, wouldn't it. What do you mean by "anything you had to call out with?"

[theshield_agent]

[Oh, jeez.]

Cellphones, radios... anything like that. Seems like it's all gone. Where did you say you were from, Jones?

[wandandsickle]

Ah, I see! ["Cellphone", wasn't that what Dr. Brown called his portable telephone? That sounds about right.] I didn't have anything such as that on my person, I suppose, so I didn't notice. It's probably good that I didn't have my radio kit with me, but it's too heavy to carry around, anyway.

But—ah, sorry, I forget myself. My friend and I hail from Chicago, Illinois, in the United States of America.

[And, she suspects, from a different time, although... really, she doesn't want to have to explain that whole situation...]

[theshield_agent]

I've lived all over, myself. Never in Chicago, but I'm usually around New York a lot now.

Do you mind if I ask what year it is where you're from. [Because radio kit?]

[wandandsickle]

Last I knew, it was June of 1932. I'm guessing it is not the same for you?

[theshield_agent]

No, I'm about 80 years ahead of you. Jeez, this must be tough. If you need help figuring anything out, I'm happy to lend a hand.

[wandandsickle]

It's actually not as strange for me as it would be usually, but I've always been fairly adaptable. My friends might need a little help, though.

...I don't suppose you've ever known a fellow called Dr. Joseph Brown, have you?

[theshield_agent]

Can't say that I have. Is he important back where you come from?

[wandandsickle]

Oh, no one of particular importance. It's rather a relief, actually. I'm not sure what I would do with that level of ridiculous coincidence. At least if I recall correctly, he said it was about eighty years ahead...

[theshield_agent]

I take it you have some experience with time... displacement?

[wandandsickle]

It is something of a long story, and I have never been, aha, temporally displaced myself, but I know someone—that is, Dr. Brown—who was, I think, from about your era. Do you have a... oh, what was it called again—an I-Phone?

[theshield_agent]

No, but I had something similar. Definitely my time. My niece has one. Her thumbs are practically attached to it.

[wandandsickle]

Oh, that's wonderful that such things will be so widely available in the future! The number of functions it could perform was quite amazing to me, as it was in such a small package, but I imagine that's perfectly normal for you.

[theshield_agent]

Well, I didn't grow up with it, so I still appreciate how convenient it is. Kids take them for granted, though.