moptop
10-23-2006, 06:48 PM
Well: I wrote something. As ever, lots of words. Didn't stick to the topic very well. And it is absolutely, definitely not hot - it just expects to be in the future.
Topic:
You’ve found the instructions for a time travel device. You build it. What happens after you’ve built it, do you go anywhere?
London. Circa 1901.
“Ah, Professor, may I introduce the Misses Evergood. Miss Alicia Evergood,” Alicia, all blond curls and pink cheeks, bubbled and simpered as Professor Farenfetch took her hand and kissed it, “And Miss Emily Evergood, her younger sister.”
Emily, dark, frowning, deep brown I-dare-you eyes, stuck her hand out purposefully to force the Professor to shake rather than kiss it. Her tutor Mr. Wellbeloved, who was carrying out the introductions, glanced nervously at the Professor, concerned at the impression the young woman was giving. These girls of today, all wanting to get the vote and thinking they had the right to do as they please and were as good as their menfolk! At least Alicia had not been carried down this unpleasant modern route, but Emily, oh dear me, Emily! What a problem that girl was.
Professor Farenfetch looked sharply up at Emily from beneath his shaggy brows. He took her hand in his and treated her to a brusque, strong handshake. Emily’s nostrils and lips pinched together slightly as he squeezed, but she showed no other hint that he’d hurt her. His lips twitched very slightly. Was that a smile, she wondered? Her chin stayed raised and the just-try-me look in her eyes didn’t falter. This young woman was challenging the world, and fully expected it to quail before her.
“Enchanted,” the Professor said, bowing slightly but still holding her gaze.
“Professor,” Mr. Wellbeloved intervened nervously, “I am so delighted that you permitted me to bring my charges here to meet you. I must admit that I am not entirely certain of the purpose of today’s visit. Their father advised me that you had some sort of machine that you wished them to inspect. Is that the case?”
The Professor turned away from Emily to answer, and she took the opportunity to inspect him. He was thin, obviously quite tall, but he stooped slightly; not, she thought, because he was actually stooped. It seemed more that he was leaning eagerly into the future, as though always trying to reach what was next as fast as possible. He had white hair, swept back from his forehead, eyes so deep set and narrowed in concentration that she couldn’t see their colour, and eyebrows that had long white hairs sticking out from them.
“Funny looking old duffer,” she thought. “Bit scary. One of those mad scientist types. He hurt my hand on purpose, I’m sure!”
“Indeed, Mr. Wellbeloved,” the Professor replied. “The girls’ father is most keen that both should receive a thorough and modern education, which he wishes should encompass all aspects of knowledge. Mr. Evergood is fully aware of my latest invention and its purpose, and has asked me if I would place both it and my knowledge at the young ladies’ service. I cannot say that I was, at first, entirely happy with the concept – I am a busy man, and I do not make toys,” He gave each of the girls a glare – Alicia twittered, Emily just looked back firmly. His lips moved almost imperceptibly again.
“However,” he continued, “Their father is a dear friend of mine. I do not believe, indeed, that I should have been able to complete this work without his knowledge and support. I therefore decided to fulfil his request.”
He swivelled abruptly to face the girls in such a sudden movement that Alicia gave a little shriek and leapt backwards. This time, the smile upon the Professor’s face was unmistakable.
“Why, the vicious old - !” Emily thought to herself.
“Pray, forgive me, Miss Evergood, I didn’t mean to startle you. I am not used to the company of people, and particularly not to that of the weaker sex,” There was a small but unmistakable intake of breath from Emily. How she hated being called that! The Professor’s eyes flicked very slightly towards her, but he continued to address Alicia. “I shall try to modify my movements, Miss.” He bowed minutely, looking, Emily thought, like some sort of bird of prey: that pointed nose, those hooded eyes, his head and shoulders thrust forward; yes, there was a definite predatory air about him.
“Oh, oh, well, Professor, I am extremely sorry, I was very rude,” Alicia was nervous for reasons she could not put her finger on. She twisted her gloves in her hands and wished her corsets weren’t quite so tight; she was having difficulty breathing. “You did take me by surprise! Truly, I am so pleased that Papa has arranged this for us, I am very excited – well, we both are, aren’t we, Em?” Emily dutifully nodded, although no interest showed upon her face. “We don’t of course know any more about it,” Alicia continued. “Please, would you tell us a little more, Sir?”
“Very commendable, very commendable, Miss Evergood, that you and Miss Emily should be so enthusiastic, I’m sure! But you must wait just a little, I fear. I have some preparations to do before the lesson can begin.” Professor Farenfetch leaned towards the girls’ tutor. To Emily’s surprised, stooped though he was, he was several inches taller than their tutor, who appeared to shrivel as the Professor looked down on him. “Mr. Wellbeloved, is it appropriate, do you think, that you should leave these young ladies in my charge, so that you may continue with your business?”
Mr. Wellbeloved believed it was – thought it would be quite acceptable – being such an old friend of their father’s – would take his leave – admonished Emily to attend to the Professor – allowed himself to be ushered out. As the door closed behind him, there was a moment’s silence. Both young women looked at the back of the Professors’ white jacket with some trepidation. This was the first time they had ever been in the private company of a strange man before, and Emily felt quite certain that Papa would not have considered it appropriate at all! The sensation was all the more thrilling for that.
The Professor turned slowly around to face them, and seemed in that slow rotation to have undergone a transformation. He stood erect and somehow splendid. His eyes - “They’re blue!” realised Emily. “Bright blue!” How could she not have seen that before? – His eyes, then, were no longer hooded. Nor did he seem so old. His hair was white, yes, but it was thick and full and seemed suddenly resplendent with masculine vitality. Alicia’s hand crept up to her throat to finger her crucifix, and her mouth formed a little, silent “Oh”. Emily stood straighter and stared with more determination.
“Very well, young ladies. Miss Evergood. Miss Emily.” His voice was fuller, stronger than before, more compelling. Both found themselves watching, listening with fixed eyes, unwillingly mesmerised by his presence. “Your father wished that you should be well versed in many things. I propose to give you today a truly unforgettable lesson and enriching experience, possibly in geography and history, but mostly in the unfathomable and fascinating ways of human nature.”
He stopped speaking abruptly, and before the girls had truly time to register the change in him, the Professor was suddenly thrusting through the room, once more stooped, black-eyed and irritated.
As he stalked over to a door opposite, both girls turned their bodies and faces unwittingly to follow his progress. He stopped before opening it and faced them again.
“In this room is my invention. I will not take you to it yet. I have to – prepare.” What a peculiar, disquieting tinge of menace there seemed to be to that word. Emily felt goosebumps raise up on her flesh. Alicia’s mouth remained in its open, rounded state with, strangely enough, just the tip of her tongue poking out between her shining lips.
“But, ladies, whilst I make my preparations,” he continued, “I want you both to think hard and make a choice about where I am to take you. You may each only have one journey. But that journey can be the fulfilment of your wildest dreams, your deepest desires, your strangest imaginings. Because on the other side of this door is an invention that is so revolutionary, so fantastical, that you will not believe it until you have experienced its wondrous powers for yourselves. My machine is the culmination of man’s desires, sought for centuries, and finally, complete!” His eyes blazed, triumphant, boring into them. Emily suddenly found him strangely beautiful as he announced, “For my machine can instantaneously take you, not only to any place on Earth that you wish, but also, ladies – to any time!”
Alicia obediently gasped, a rabbit caught in the glare of his luminous person. Emily found that her mouth had also dropped open, and she shook herself to break the grip he had upon her, clamping her jaw shut with a click of her teeth. Again, the Professor’s gaze flicked very briefly at her, and there was a ghost of a smile at his lips.
“Oh, Lord, Papa!” she thought. “The first time ever we are allowed out alone, and you arrange for us an audience with a lunatic!” She looked over at Alicia, silly pretty Alicia, her older sister but always the one needing to be looked out for. “What a perfect pantomime audience she is! I don’t know how I shall get her out of here.”
The Professor interrupted her thoughts. “You have ten minutes, ladies. Consider, and consider well. You think me no doubt a lunatic,” (Emily felt a mild blush rise to her cheeks) “but believe me, your father has worked with me on this project, he knows its full capabilities and that is why he specifically wished that I should permit you to travel in it. Do not take this opportunity lightly. You will not have a second chance.” He looked from one to the other of them, nodded as though confirming something to himself, and let himself into the other room.
For about three seconds, both girls remained absolutely immobile and silent. Then they let out a simultaneous ‘Ouf!’ and their bodies slumped slightly, as though they had been puppets and their puppeteer had suddenly released the strings. Emily gathered her wits about her first.
“Well! I say, Alicia, what do you think of that? What a strange person the Professor is! And what absolute bunkum he’s talking! I cannot believe that dear Papa is truly party to this. He must have been duped – the man is surely insane!”
But Alicia, turning huge round eyes on her sister and still panting slightly as she found her stays so strangely tight today, responded “Oh, but Emily, just imagine! Truly, just imagine! What if it were true? And surely it must be true – don’t you have greater faith in Papa than that? Think, think how wonderful it would be, and we the first ever to travel in it!”
“What, be the Professor’s guinea pigs, you mean? No thanks!” Emily was disturbed and, despite herself, intrigued. She shrugged, determined not to show concern or interest, and started moving about the room they were in. She appeared to inspect the furniture, the books, but her eyes were not in fact taking in any detail.
Alicia burbled on. “Emily, we could meet great heroes, we could see gallant battles fought – imagine, darling, hearing Queen Elizabeth say her great speech before the battle of the Armada! Oh, imagine, just think, I might meet Sir Frances Drake or Sir Walter Raleigh! Oh!”
Emily sneered at her older sister. “Oh yes, that would be just up your street, wouldn’t it. I know you. Another two minutes and you’ll be back in Egypt – yes, look at your little eyes light up! There, you’ll be back in Cleopatra’s time or something, you’ll be a beautiful captive princess slave, you’ll belong to some rich and evil lord who will treat you vilely. You’ll suffer all sorts of dreadful ills with great fortitude, but you won’t relinquish your pristine body.”
Alicia hung her head a little, and Emily knew she was on the right track. She relieved her own tension by attacking her sister more. “I knew it! And then some noble prince will see you and fall in love with you at first sight, he’ll rescue you and you’ll live happily ever after.”
“Oh, Em., don’t be mean…”
But Emily had only just started. “No, even better! You could go to Queen Elizabeth’s time. You could be sailing somewhere, get kidnapped by pirates, your virginity would be saved just so that you’d be worth more, then you’d be sold into slavery and you’d become a member of a sheik’s harem! Of course you’d have all sorts of vile things practised on you, you would have to give up your precious virtue, but everything would be alright in the end because the sheik would fall in love with you and marry you and you’ll live happily ever after. Oh, look at you! Every word, I’ve got every word right, havn’t I! Those wretched awful novels you read!”
Alicia’s bottom lip was trembling, and Emily spun round towards the bookcase with a stamp of her foot, angry at herself, angry at Alicia, angry at the situation. There was a pause interrupted only by Alicia’s gentle snuffling. Emily kept her back rigid, staring fiercely at the books.
“Well,” Alicia ventured at last, twisting her gloves in her hands again and poking at the rug with her foot, “Well, if I’m so silly and stupid, what would you do then, smarty pants? I mean, if it really were true, if you could, I’m sure you’d have some very clever idea, I’m sure you’d not just have romantic fantasies like silly little me. So, what would you do then, clever clogs?” She gave a petulant sniff.
Emily bit her lip. She knew perfectly well what she’d do. She didn’t want to admit to it, but as soon as the Professor had announced the powers of his machine, the thought had leapt straight into her brain. She still did not want to say it, because of course, she didn’t believe a word, it was all rubbish, but just if…
“I’d go to the future.” She finally announced, with a little lift of her chin. “I’d go forward to a point in time where women were free to do as they pleased, be as they pleased, where they didn’t have always to be answerable to men – fathers, brothers, teachers, priests, doctors, professors! They’re all men, they all think they’re so powerful and right, but they’re not! So I would go forward to a time when I could have power over my own destiny, I would have independence and respect and – and…” she faltered, grasping at something she could not put a name to, feeling a fierce strength in herself that she knew could be fulfilled, but not yet knowing how.
“And I would be in control!”
Relishing the sense of rightness she felt in saying that, she twisted round, intense, passionate, her fists clenched until her nails hurt her palms; and gave a little shriek to see the Professor standing there, listening to her with a strange grim smile on his handsome, forbidding face.
Topic:
You’ve found the instructions for a time travel device. You build it. What happens after you’ve built it, do you go anywhere?
London. Circa 1901.
“Ah, Professor, may I introduce the Misses Evergood. Miss Alicia Evergood,” Alicia, all blond curls and pink cheeks, bubbled and simpered as Professor Farenfetch took her hand and kissed it, “And Miss Emily Evergood, her younger sister.”
Emily, dark, frowning, deep brown I-dare-you eyes, stuck her hand out purposefully to force the Professor to shake rather than kiss it. Her tutor Mr. Wellbeloved, who was carrying out the introductions, glanced nervously at the Professor, concerned at the impression the young woman was giving. These girls of today, all wanting to get the vote and thinking they had the right to do as they please and were as good as their menfolk! At least Alicia had not been carried down this unpleasant modern route, but Emily, oh dear me, Emily! What a problem that girl was.
Professor Farenfetch looked sharply up at Emily from beneath his shaggy brows. He took her hand in his and treated her to a brusque, strong handshake. Emily’s nostrils and lips pinched together slightly as he squeezed, but she showed no other hint that he’d hurt her. His lips twitched very slightly. Was that a smile, she wondered? Her chin stayed raised and the just-try-me look in her eyes didn’t falter. This young woman was challenging the world, and fully expected it to quail before her.
“Enchanted,” the Professor said, bowing slightly but still holding her gaze.
“Professor,” Mr. Wellbeloved intervened nervously, “I am so delighted that you permitted me to bring my charges here to meet you. I must admit that I am not entirely certain of the purpose of today’s visit. Their father advised me that you had some sort of machine that you wished them to inspect. Is that the case?”
The Professor turned away from Emily to answer, and she took the opportunity to inspect him. He was thin, obviously quite tall, but he stooped slightly; not, she thought, because he was actually stooped. It seemed more that he was leaning eagerly into the future, as though always trying to reach what was next as fast as possible. He had white hair, swept back from his forehead, eyes so deep set and narrowed in concentration that she couldn’t see their colour, and eyebrows that had long white hairs sticking out from them.
“Funny looking old duffer,” she thought. “Bit scary. One of those mad scientist types. He hurt my hand on purpose, I’m sure!”
“Indeed, Mr. Wellbeloved,” the Professor replied. “The girls’ father is most keen that both should receive a thorough and modern education, which he wishes should encompass all aspects of knowledge. Mr. Evergood is fully aware of my latest invention and its purpose, and has asked me if I would place both it and my knowledge at the young ladies’ service. I cannot say that I was, at first, entirely happy with the concept – I am a busy man, and I do not make toys,” He gave each of the girls a glare – Alicia twittered, Emily just looked back firmly. His lips moved almost imperceptibly again.
“However,” he continued, “Their father is a dear friend of mine. I do not believe, indeed, that I should have been able to complete this work without his knowledge and support. I therefore decided to fulfil his request.”
He swivelled abruptly to face the girls in such a sudden movement that Alicia gave a little shriek and leapt backwards. This time, the smile upon the Professor’s face was unmistakable.
“Why, the vicious old - !” Emily thought to herself.
“Pray, forgive me, Miss Evergood, I didn’t mean to startle you. I am not used to the company of people, and particularly not to that of the weaker sex,” There was a small but unmistakable intake of breath from Emily. How she hated being called that! The Professor’s eyes flicked very slightly towards her, but he continued to address Alicia. “I shall try to modify my movements, Miss.” He bowed minutely, looking, Emily thought, like some sort of bird of prey: that pointed nose, those hooded eyes, his head and shoulders thrust forward; yes, there was a definite predatory air about him.
“Oh, oh, well, Professor, I am extremely sorry, I was very rude,” Alicia was nervous for reasons she could not put her finger on. She twisted her gloves in her hands and wished her corsets weren’t quite so tight; she was having difficulty breathing. “You did take me by surprise! Truly, I am so pleased that Papa has arranged this for us, I am very excited – well, we both are, aren’t we, Em?” Emily dutifully nodded, although no interest showed upon her face. “We don’t of course know any more about it,” Alicia continued. “Please, would you tell us a little more, Sir?”
“Very commendable, very commendable, Miss Evergood, that you and Miss Emily should be so enthusiastic, I’m sure! But you must wait just a little, I fear. I have some preparations to do before the lesson can begin.” Professor Farenfetch leaned towards the girls’ tutor. To Emily’s surprised, stooped though he was, he was several inches taller than their tutor, who appeared to shrivel as the Professor looked down on him. “Mr. Wellbeloved, is it appropriate, do you think, that you should leave these young ladies in my charge, so that you may continue with your business?”
Mr. Wellbeloved believed it was – thought it would be quite acceptable – being such an old friend of their father’s – would take his leave – admonished Emily to attend to the Professor – allowed himself to be ushered out. As the door closed behind him, there was a moment’s silence. Both young women looked at the back of the Professors’ white jacket with some trepidation. This was the first time they had ever been in the private company of a strange man before, and Emily felt quite certain that Papa would not have considered it appropriate at all! The sensation was all the more thrilling for that.
The Professor turned slowly around to face them, and seemed in that slow rotation to have undergone a transformation. He stood erect and somehow splendid. His eyes - “They’re blue!” realised Emily. “Bright blue!” How could she not have seen that before? – His eyes, then, were no longer hooded. Nor did he seem so old. His hair was white, yes, but it was thick and full and seemed suddenly resplendent with masculine vitality. Alicia’s hand crept up to her throat to finger her crucifix, and her mouth formed a little, silent “Oh”. Emily stood straighter and stared with more determination.
“Very well, young ladies. Miss Evergood. Miss Emily.” His voice was fuller, stronger than before, more compelling. Both found themselves watching, listening with fixed eyes, unwillingly mesmerised by his presence. “Your father wished that you should be well versed in many things. I propose to give you today a truly unforgettable lesson and enriching experience, possibly in geography and history, but mostly in the unfathomable and fascinating ways of human nature.”
He stopped speaking abruptly, and before the girls had truly time to register the change in him, the Professor was suddenly thrusting through the room, once more stooped, black-eyed and irritated.
As he stalked over to a door opposite, both girls turned their bodies and faces unwittingly to follow his progress. He stopped before opening it and faced them again.
“In this room is my invention. I will not take you to it yet. I have to – prepare.” What a peculiar, disquieting tinge of menace there seemed to be to that word. Emily felt goosebumps raise up on her flesh. Alicia’s mouth remained in its open, rounded state with, strangely enough, just the tip of her tongue poking out between her shining lips.
“But, ladies, whilst I make my preparations,” he continued, “I want you both to think hard and make a choice about where I am to take you. You may each only have one journey. But that journey can be the fulfilment of your wildest dreams, your deepest desires, your strangest imaginings. Because on the other side of this door is an invention that is so revolutionary, so fantastical, that you will not believe it until you have experienced its wondrous powers for yourselves. My machine is the culmination of man’s desires, sought for centuries, and finally, complete!” His eyes blazed, triumphant, boring into them. Emily suddenly found him strangely beautiful as he announced, “For my machine can instantaneously take you, not only to any place on Earth that you wish, but also, ladies – to any time!”
Alicia obediently gasped, a rabbit caught in the glare of his luminous person. Emily found that her mouth had also dropped open, and she shook herself to break the grip he had upon her, clamping her jaw shut with a click of her teeth. Again, the Professor’s gaze flicked very briefly at her, and there was a ghost of a smile at his lips.
“Oh, Lord, Papa!” she thought. “The first time ever we are allowed out alone, and you arrange for us an audience with a lunatic!” She looked over at Alicia, silly pretty Alicia, her older sister but always the one needing to be looked out for. “What a perfect pantomime audience she is! I don’t know how I shall get her out of here.”
The Professor interrupted her thoughts. “You have ten minutes, ladies. Consider, and consider well. You think me no doubt a lunatic,” (Emily felt a mild blush rise to her cheeks) “but believe me, your father has worked with me on this project, he knows its full capabilities and that is why he specifically wished that I should permit you to travel in it. Do not take this opportunity lightly. You will not have a second chance.” He looked from one to the other of them, nodded as though confirming something to himself, and let himself into the other room.
For about three seconds, both girls remained absolutely immobile and silent. Then they let out a simultaneous ‘Ouf!’ and their bodies slumped slightly, as though they had been puppets and their puppeteer had suddenly released the strings. Emily gathered her wits about her first.
“Well! I say, Alicia, what do you think of that? What a strange person the Professor is! And what absolute bunkum he’s talking! I cannot believe that dear Papa is truly party to this. He must have been duped – the man is surely insane!”
But Alicia, turning huge round eyes on her sister and still panting slightly as she found her stays so strangely tight today, responded “Oh, but Emily, just imagine! Truly, just imagine! What if it were true? And surely it must be true – don’t you have greater faith in Papa than that? Think, think how wonderful it would be, and we the first ever to travel in it!”
“What, be the Professor’s guinea pigs, you mean? No thanks!” Emily was disturbed and, despite herself, intrigued. She shrugged, determined not to show concern or interest, and started moving about the room they were in. She appeared to inspect the furniture, the books, but her eyes were not in fact taking in any detail.
Alicia burbled on. “Emily, we could meet great heroes, we could see gallant battles fought – imagine, darling, hearing Queen Elizabeth say her great speech before the battle of the Armada! Oh, imagine, just think, I might meet Sir Frances Drake or Sir Walter Raleigh! Oh!”
Emily sneered at her older sister. “Oh yes, that would be just up your street, wouldn’t it. I know you. Another two minutes and you’ll be back in Egypt – yes, look at your little eyes light up! There, you’ll be back in Cleopatra’s time or something, you’ll be a beautiful captive princess slave, you’ll belong to some rich and evil lord who will treat you vilely. You’ll suffer all sorts of dreadful ills with great fortitude, but you won’t relinquish your pristine body.”
Alicia hung her head a little, and Emily knew she was on the right track. She relieved her own tension by attacking her sister more. “I knew it! And then some noble prince will see you and fall in love with you at first sight, he’ll rescue you and you’ll live happily ever after.”
“Oh, Em., don’t be mean…”
But Emily had only just started. “No, even better! You could go to Queen Elizabeth’s time. You could be sailing somewhere, get kidnapped by pirates, your virginity would be saved just so that you’d be worth more, then you’d be sold into slavery and you’d become a member of a sheik’s harem! Of course you’d have all sorts of vile things practised on you, you would have to give up your precious virtue, but everything would be alright in the end because the sheik would fall in love with you and marry you and you’ll live happily ever after. Oh, look at you! Every word, I’ve got every word right, havn’t I! Those wretched awful novels you read!”
Alicia’s bottom lip was trembling, and Emily spun round towards the bookcase with a stamp of her foot, angry at herself, angry at Alicia, angry at the situation. There was a pause interrupted only by Alicia’s gentle snuffling. Emily kept her back rigid, staring fiercely at the books.
“Well,” Alicia ventured at last, twisting her gloves in her hands again and poking at the rug with her foot, “Well, if I’m so silly and stupid, what would you do then, smarty pants? I mean, if it really were true, if you could, I’m sure you’d have some very clever idea, I’m sure you’d not just have romantic fantasies like silly little me. So, what would you do then, clever clogs?” She gave a petulant sniff.
Emily bit her lip. She knew perfectly well what she’d do. She didn’t want to admit to it, but as soon as the Professor had announced the powers of his machine, the thought had leapt straight into her brain. She still did not want to say it, because of course, she didn’t believe a word, it was all rubbish, but just if…
“I’d go to the future.” She finally announced, with a little lift of her chin. “I’d go forward to a point in time where women were free to do as they pleased, be as they pleased, where they didn’t have always to be answerable to men – fathers, brothers, teachers, priests, doctors, professors! They’re all men, they all think they’re so powerful and right, but they’re not! So I would go forward to a time when I could have power over my own destiny, I would have independence and respect and – and…” she faltered, grasping at something she could not put a name to, feeling a fierce strength in herself that she knew could be fulfilled, but not yet knowing how.
“And I would be in control!”
Relishing the sense of rightness she felt in saying that, she twisted round, intense, passionate, her fists clenched until her nails hurt her palms; and gave a little shriek to see the Professor standing there, listening to her with a strange grim smile on his handsome, forbidding face.