Posted by PK on February 18, 2002 at 17:45:46:
"Oh dear me, they've killed Apophis again," the Prof said.
Buffy was never sure whether the comment was inspired by the TV show or the hash in his
briar. He had settled down in a battered armchair to contemplate the problem in his own way,
while Dr. Summerfield did it in hers. His (apparent?) lack of a sense of urgency was perhaps
due to his unconventional view of time. Not unreasonable, given his history, but a pain in the
ass at times. She had run the diagnostic a thousand times but still couldn't pin down the
source of the disturbance.. she shook her head. Cobwebs. Burnt orange peel.
"We're still destabilising," she said, trying to keep the carping tone out of her voice. Shouldn't
we DO something instead of goofing out in front of the goggle box? she didn't say.
"Sitrep," the Prof snapped. "Condensed." Then he added, more mildly, "Nice tits."
Buffy attempted to reconcile this. Contact trip? Exhaustion? Lucid dream? Refocus. She had
been working on the Annie's faulty reality anchor for how many hours? Need a drink. Half a
pint of one department of her mind almost decided to say "Chauvinist pig." The other half
was working on 'Thanks" but abandoned the idea when she saw that he wasn't looking at her.
Some bitch on the screen. Bloody hell, that rejuv, the hormones....should have known...
Definitely need a rest.
Sitrep? Where was he getting this carp? No, crap. Carp, crap, frogspawn.
REALLY, Definitely need a rest.
"Albert, we really have to do something," she said. "The Annie is looping and the recursions
are causing time branches. Anchor points are breeding, back, forth and sideways. I don't
know if Sam will be able to get back in. She's overdue."
"My name isn't Albert," the Prof pointed out. "And don't worry overmuch, Sam always finds
her way home."
What is she, a cat? Buffy wondered. Just then, the wardrobe door slammed open and our
heroine burst in.
"Okayyyy...Pops, back thirteen minutes. No, better make it..."
Sam frowned. "Fifteen? Twenty three?" She paused.
The Prof gazed at her fondly. "More alien invasions?"
Sam stared back. Her sword should have been covered in green slime. But she hadn't...not
yet. If ever. Okay...
"Timeline shock," the Prof said. "Cup of tea?"
Buffy stared at both of them as if they had transformed into grasshoppers. "You do this all the
time?" she inquired.