Nomadic:Sessions:20180602

While the group waits for the full moon to rise, Valerie suggests that Vincente attempt to contact the ghost of Adam Nicholson. He casts Seek Spirit and we all see a mist drifting toward us which coalesces into human form. It stops next to Valerie's window. She says, "Hi, Adam, how've you been?" Vicente: "Is it hot or cold where you are?" AN, in a whispery voice: "There's a lack of anything." Vincente: "Why'd they kill you?" AN: "I was looking for the right thing in the wrong place, or vice-versa... This world is a pivot point.... displacement of energy in Bodie.... I was questioned by police about a murder.... A British man followed me back to my hotel. He said he didn't want to kill me, but he had no choice." His ghost had been tethered to the statue, then "something passed through me" and he came to its source, the vehicle containing the capstones.

Valerie summarizes the two different timelines the group had experienced so far (calling Veritas "the Martini people" because of their simplistic logo), concluding "Now we're going back to create a third way." Vincente explains to AN, "There's a gate and if you program it, I can open it. If we put things back, you're dead. If things stay the same, you're dead. In a third timeline... you might live."

Both capstones are glowing gold, green, and blue. Vincente tells Valerie to concentrate on the August 27, 1880, the date of the full moon closest to the divergence of the timelines. Valerie feels a connection to the capstones, and in her mind appears the image of a three-dimensional "time cube." She pushes one edge back as far as she can, but the date only rolls back to January 1, 2010. Vincente casts Seek Gate and Valerie gets a mental request to "program and open the time portal."

The group decides they must attempt this in Bodie. Marcus is driving, and as darkness is falling he evades a helicopter and some spotters. He parks in an alleyway that offers concealment, from which we can see the stacks of ghosts near the old stamp mill. Marcus grabs his sniper rifle and sets up; not long after, he shoots a helicopter which crashes and burns some distance away. He figures that will keep emergency services away and distract nosy people.

Valerie suggests using the tiki torches. She helps Vincente set them up around the Navigator. Valerie concentrates on the "time cube" again, finding that Daisy is now a conduit; soon ghosts start flowing from the stack toward the torches, and the mana level gradually rises. Marcus warns the group that a convoy has left the stamp mill; he goes and sets up a claymore mine at the back end of the alley.

By 10:00pm Vincente judges the mana level sufficient and pulls up the tiki torches. Valerie focuses on the date August 27, 1880, ninety minutes before moonrise. Vincente opens the gate. As the group phases out, there's an explosion from the back end of the alley.

Vincente has chosen a spot above and behind the main Bodie mine. The group stashes their excess equipment and walks down into town. Since Valerie's clothing is the most "non-period," Vincente casts Illusion Shell on her.

Bodie in this time period is a bustling, lively place. Saloons, hotels, and other establishments line Main Street, and revelers wander about. Vincente sees only a half-dozen ghosts. He beckons to one of them, Orville Dalton, recently dead and angry. He had been shot and killed about a week ago by someone named Nolvert after he had "seen some people carrying odd stuff."

Realizing that the group has no spending money, Marcus walks into an alley where two men are beating up a third (whose clothing gives him away as a 'dude'). Marcus announces, "Give me all your money and I'll leave you alone." One of the men throws a punch which Marcus blocks, then starts to pull a gun and Marcus shoots him dead. Training his pistol on the other attacker, Marcus forces him to drop his wallet. Then Vincente, who has come up behind Marcus, guns the second man down. The dude, Reynold Page, stammers his thanks to them both. He had arrived in Bodie yesterday by stagecoach, riding with a man and wife, Marlon and Marian Calhoun. They checked into the same hotel as he did, the Fairmont.

Marcus and Vincente search the muggers' clothing (as their ghosts stand befuddled nearby). Marcus finds a key for the Trail Way Inn, room 210.

Marcus picks the back door lock at a general store and invites Valerie to choose an outfit. She selects a calico dress and bonnet, and insists that Marcus leave money on the counter, which he does grudgingly (and at a discount from the marked price).

The four-story Fairmont is the fanciest hotel in Bodie. Marcus goes in and asks to see the register. "It's not allowed," the desk clerk says haughtily, even though the register lies open atop the front desk. Marcus slips the man a dollar, and the clerk turns the register around where Marcus can read it. He skims the most recent entries but does not see the names Alice Chandler or David Medina (who had caused the second timeline by buying up the mines in Bodie and gaining a monopoly on the nameless ore).

The group splits into two teams, Marcus and Valerie, and Vincente and Rick. In one saloon, Vincente sees a young Michelle Dalton singing. At the end of her song, Vincente calls her over and buys her a whiskey. "I'm Vincente. We've met before. When are you leaving Bodie?" Michelle admits she plans to move on to San Francisco, but she needs to build up her nest egg. When Vincente says "Give me a dollar amount," she thinks a moment and says, "My dream number would be $150." Vincente: "Okay, we'll talk later. It's really nice seeing you again."

Carmella returns and tells Valerie that she's seen Malachi and his friend at a faro table. Malachi had been grousing about another player, a stranger named Klein who mutters to himself a lot while winning quite a bit at faro and the wheel of fortune. Overhearing this on the headset, Vincente suggests that Klein is probably a mage and should be investigated. Marcus sits down at the faro table and, with Valerie reading the deck to him, walks away with $35 in winnings.

At another saloon, Vincente's attention is drawn to a man who is seated at the bar but is listening to people at a nearby table. The man is hard to read even with Vincente's Aura spell, but he is not a mage; he is very disciplined (like a military man), greedy, holds grudges, and has a death presence about him. He is dressed as a laborer but is wearing a gun in a cross-draw holster. Vincente goes up and introduces himself, and the man replies, "I'm Patrick Rowland... I just want to chill." At Vincente's glance he quickly amends himself, "Relax, I just want to relax." Vincente: "You want to be 'cool', like in Happy Days or Dukes of Hazzard." PR, realizing the jig is up: "What are you doing?" Vincente: "I'm looking for someone." PR: "Well, I'm just being a tourist. I don't want any trouble." Vincente: "Trouble is negotiable."

Marcus has spotted a man who obviously sees him as an easy mark, so as he walks with Valerie along the street toward Miners Saloon he flashes his money and acts somewhat tipsy. Then pretending to be ill, he moves off between two buildings. The man moves in only to face Marcus' gun. "Leave behind whatever you were going to take from me." The man hands over his wallet and a purse of gold coins. "Better luck next time," Marcus says jauntily. He tosses the purse to Valerie.

Vincente: "So you're with Veritas, and I know it. I have a dilemma. I don't know what to do with you. There are at least four of you." PR says he's eavesdropping on a newspaper editor and a businessman. PR is equipped with earplugs and dermal implants. PR: "We will do whatever is necessary to complete the mission. Your group's actions had the boss, Scott V, upset." VC unholsters his weapon, keeping it under the table: "This is Diane's old gun." PR: "So it has mage loads in it." VC: "We're going to go sit with those men." PR: "I won't argue with a 9mm." Marcus leaves to go back up Vincente, and Valerie continues to the Miners Saloon.

The editor's name is McGowan; the businessman's name doesn't come up. Vincente seats himself at their table and tells them the unnamed ore is very valuable. They jeer and call it worthless dross. Vincente: "Well, then, if it's not valuable, let me purchase it all." PR speaks up: "My boss will double this man's offer!" Businessman, pleased: "Ah, a bidding war! ... I am a geologist, and I tell you the stuff is junk." Vincente: "Take the offer to your boss, and Vincente Johnson will become the King of Junk." He tells McGowan, "You should write a piece on this bidding war. This junk needs a name, so I will call it -- Vincentemite!"

Marcus warns Vincente that five rough-looking guys with sidearms and Bowie knives are heading in. As they approach, Vincente sends McGowan and the geologist to another table. The leader of the five is Ned Johnson from St Louis. Vincente: "You're all coming to work for me and Patrick. Ned, you don't look that bright; are you good at lifting?" PR: "He's an enforcer." Vincente to Patrick: "Give me all your money and you can walk out the door."

Marcus: "Four more guys coming in with guns and clubs. One has an earpiece." Vincente: "That's okay, I have 17 bullets. But guess what?" PR: "I get the first one." Vincente: "So are you going to lay your money on the table? If I get nervous, I will 'express my will' (makes trigger-pulling motion with his empty hand)." Rowland lays bills and coins on the table. As Vincente calls out "Barkeep! Drinks for everyone!" PR tells the goons, "I'll double your salary to get me out of here safely." Vincente tells Marcus to follow PR.

Outside, Marcus sees PR pull out two earpieces and hand them to two of the goons. "Shadow that man we were talking to." Marcus follows PR down the street; PR keeps looking around but doesn't spot him.

Watching Ryan Klein play for awhile, Valerie notes his mumbling and fidgeting. She waits for an opening and takes a seat at the faro table. She acts the role of an earnest but naïve player, complete with manufactured 'tells'. With Carmella's help, Valerie lures Klein into going all-in and losing to her better hand. Klein rises and stomps away. Valerie collects her winnings, $120, and goes over to one of the saloon girls, Maxine Carroll, who had seemed friendly; Maxine says that Klein had played there three nights straight and consistently won, but was ill-mannered and the regulars had come to dislike him. Valerie says simply, "He's cheating." Maxine offers to buy Valerie a drink, and she accepts a sarsaparilla.

Vincente counts his cash -- $80 in paper and $70 in coins. He informs Rick "Two people are going to follow me, and I'm going to shoot them." He heads out but doesn't see his shadows at first. He goes down an alley, turns around, and draws his gun. Sure enough, two men follow him in. "Stop right there. Where are you from?" One of the goons scratches his head and Vincente shoots him dead. "Don't leave yet," he tells the other, who has dived toward the mouth of the alley. Vincente hits him with four bullets. He disarms the two men and takes their money and earbuds. To their ghosts he says, "They did tell you I was a killer, right?"

Marcus follows PR and his seven goons to the Chinatown area of Bodie. Over the headset he says, "I'm pretty sure he's made me. Time for some fun!" Immediately he opens fire with both pistols, striking PR twice, killing one goon and wounding another. PR tries to dive out of the way, but Marcus shoots him twice more and he collapses. G1 shouts "Help!" then charges and strikes Marcus in the chest with his fist. At the shout, the other thugs turn around. Marcus fails to avoid G1's bearhug. G3 stands defensively over PR's body, G2 charges at Marcus and somehow misses, and the others draw weapons. Marcus fires point-blank into G1 and G2; G1 lets go of Marcus and stands there stunned, and G2 falls down. "Your boss is dead!" he shouts. Marcus fatally wounds G4 and says, "Last chance!" G5 and G6 accidentally shoot G3 and G7 in the back. G7 falls and G3 loses his nerve and runs away. Using G1 as partial cover, Marcus guns down G5 but G6 dodges. "C'mon, man! Come on!" G6 tries to flee and Marcus shoots him dead. Marcus finishes off G1 with a bullet to the head.

Marcus changes out his clips (one gun is empty, the other has three shots left). He walks over to PR, judges him beyond the point of saving, and takes his gun and earpiece.

A Chinese man appears and bows to Marcus. "I greet you as another master." He appears to think that Marcus has performed a good deed by getting rid of these men, and offers to dispose of the bodies. Marcus gives him $10, which he accepts as "a donation to the Temple."

Marcus hands one of the earbuds to Rick and they put them in. Marcus: "Are you going to make me search for you, all night, or are you going to tell me where you are?" A male voice replies, "How's your hearing?" Marcus: "Excellent." Both he and Rick yank out the earbuds, which emit an earsplitting screech and then burst.

Vincente goes to see Michelle Dalton. He hands her $50 and tells her, "You can leave for San Francisco tomorrow." She agrees that getting out of Bodie now will be a good thing for her, and asks for another $5 for the stagecoach fare. Vincente says she can repay him by writing a song about him. Michelle announces to the bartender "I quit" and leaves.

The group meets at the Foundation Hotel, where they will probably get rooms for the night. Vincente: "Scott Velasquez is here, in town." Marcus: "I think I heard him before he tried to blow up my ear."