The Quest: Chapter 6

[Nick Ryder]

"It's a good thing I own a wing of this hospital." Nick said with a slight smirk as he sat in the corner of the room. "Got us worried, been out cold for about oh... seven or eight hours now... I kinda dozed off myself. I'm an old man, I get tired."

"Bullshit dad." Jack said with a roll of his eyes as he handed him a cup of coffee. "It's 3 in the bloody AM. Normal people sleep now. Ah, she's awake." he cocked his head to Astrid. "The mysterious Miss Vogler. Your highness."

"She doesn't like being called that." Nick reminded Jack.

"I'm as much a bloody Brit as she is and besides, part royal on mum's side." Jack cleared his throat. "Not that we ever speak of that." he extended his hand to her. "Professor Jackson Ryder at your service. Dad said you were talking in your sleep. And from the mental impressions I am picking up, you had a vision quest of sorts eh?"

[Astrid Vogler]

"Vision quest?" She shrugged, "I suppose you could call it that." Sitting up and let her feet dangle over the side of the bed, and poured water into a cup for a decanter on the bedside table. She drank thirstily and set the cup down, "Next time, you don't need to take me to the hospital. I always come out of it."

[Jack Ryder]

"Well that sounds like ye've done this before, we do tend to be a little more cautious when someone passes out." Jack replied. "So what DID you see... I mean I could find out m'self but I like to hear your interpretation first." he inquired as he slid on a pair of glasses and pulled up a holographic 'padd' to write on. "And y'can call me Jack. Or Professor."

"Is it me or did your accent get way more British...?" Nick chuckled lightly. "You were raised in Hawaii and Chicago..."

"Oh shush pop." Jack said with an accent change and a smirk. "At least it's not Aussie like mum. In any case... as much detail as you can provide would be helpful."

[Astrid Vogler]

"You do know I grew up in Colorado don't you?" She said in her flat American accent. "You don't need to impress me. Most of North America has English lineage, and that doesn't make us British."

Sighing she stood and stretched, "Well, at least this one wasn't distressing, but the powers, what powers they precisely are I cannot say, seem to want me and the daughter of the president to go on some sort of quest."

With a defeated expression she began. She told Jack of the vast plain, the tree, and the little creek that flowed by it. She described the cat in detail, and how it was conjured in some fashion. The retelling wasn't hard. Every image, sight and smell was just a vivid as if she had been on the distant planet herself. It certainly didn't have that fleeting vagueness of a dream.

[Jack Ryder]

"Fascinating." Jack said as he made a few notes on a padd. "What's interesting is that it's my grand niece involved in all this. Not her mother, not even Seraphina."

"Trinity named her after royalty... still... interesting." Nick agreed. "The cat intrigues me."

"Of course it does dad... you love animal stories." Jack said with a slight chuckle. "But that IS interesting... it must stand for something."

[Astrid Vogler]

"That the conjurer likes cats," Astrid said flatly. "To be honest the whole damn thing is peculiar."

[Jack Ryder]

"I'll say. In many ways it resembles what my wife and my mother in law have experienced with the Pit on Xenex. They saw and experienced things out of time and space, although I don't recall them ever experiencing anything with an actual intelligence guiding it. Even the Jase'dasis, course maybe they were and never truly understood it." Jack said as he stroked his chin.

[Astrid Vogler]

"No, there is someone behind this. That I am certain of."

[Seraphina Morris]

"Well... I have a thought..." Seraphina said as she walked into the room. "Coffee grandpa... tea for you Uncle Jack." she said as she handed off the cups. "I really don't even want to say his name or even think it. Course, there are other 'powers that be' out there. Technically... we're related to them."

"Siofrans and... the Powers did intermingle." Nick said before taking a sip of his coffee.

"And if things are as bad as they are on Earth, they may be tired of... religion being used to control like that." Jack added.

"There IS more then one... you know who." Seraphina said and sat across from Astrid and looked at her. "There was always a tale that the old Knights of the Round table was aided by a powerful being. Always considered that one of Bessie's people... or even Admiral May herself back in the day. She says 'hi' by the way." she cleared her throat. "IF we do approve a mission to Earth. It'll have to be off the books and you're taking backup. State department can't negotiate with the Church on Earth. We tried once and they crucified our ambassador."

[Astrid Vogler]

"The mission isn't Earth... at least yet. We are to find Aggimar's grave. I don't believe that to be on Earth."