Shorelines

The Professor held the pan over the fire, watched the eggs and bacon cooking. Frank stood at the water's edge.

"That smells great," he said. The morning was cool and grey. 

Goner sat on one of the logs by the campfire. He felt happy. The trees around them, the stillness. Their shiny, colourful tents on the small peninsula, like UFOs from a psychedelic future landed in the Garden of Eden. Suki was cleaning her Godhammer. Angst was practicing one of her cheers in slow motion, like yoga with pom poms.

The Professor checked his chronometer. "I always believe in leaving enough time for a good meal before any Event." 

Tatter hugged a wool blanket around her shoulders. "Do you bring them with you everywhere?" she asked Angst, referring to the shaggy bundles of colour shaking in her hands.

Angst smiled, dropping into the splits on the soft earth. "The uzis are my war-talismans, these are my peace-talismans." 

Frank had joined Goner as the Professor began scooping out breakfast onto their plates. "Callan sounds like he'll be a good addition to the team," Frank said.

Goner stuffed a piece of bacon into his mouth, talking and chewing. "Max once told me that Callan was a Dragon a long time ago." 

Suki held out her plate. "Just eggs, please. Will Callan be able to help us find Max?"

"I hope so," The Professor said. "It wasn't so long ago," he said to Goner, "but in a very different Version." 

After everyone had eaten, they all gathered down by the water. The canoes had already been loaded with the tech. The Professor opened the silver pouch and emptied the offering into the breeze.

Tatter watched each of them in turn. Frank's precise movements - he would never be entirely free of LEGACY, no matter how many worlds he traveled. Goner's wistful look back at the campsite - nostalgia for his military days perhaps. Angst's permanent half-smile - she never talked about her life before Initiation, except for the cheers. Tiny Suki, who had died and been brought back, according to the logs Tatter had read. There were others she hadn't met yet - or she couldn't remember meeting yet. Darius, Dexter, Wraith, Aqua. The time-displaced Norse samurai, Akimoto. And Maggie - no one talked about Maggie since Max had disappeared. She was like a dream they had woken up from. Tatter had almost asked Angst about it, but chickened out. 

These were them, Tatter thought, as they started climbing into the canoes. "Twelve minutes until Event," The Professor said. These were the people it would happen with. Her new family.

Frank Was Holding the Camera

Dexter, Suki, Wraith, Callan, Akimoto, Darius, Goner, Aqua, Angst