Research

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  *Hastie had secured a private laboratory for Lewis and himself to work in. It had been a hassle to actually find an available room, but being owner of the Society gave Hastie some privileges he liked to put to use now and then. Hastie had been halfheartedly reading a book on transcendal metaphysics, trying to understand Lewis' field of study. He was more interested what the man in question was doing at this very moment, however, and soon the book lay forgotten in his lap.* So talk me through this, doctor. You lived in another dimension where things went awry, were told that there were other dimensions than your own, sauntered into this one, and now plan on neutralising the threat that would otherwise kill our most beloved member of the Society: me. Am I wrong?

Jekyll1886:  Lewis began to heat a vial of slurry-like red phosphorus. The process required great care, but it was old hat to him by now, so he was able to answer Hastie without jeopardizing their safety. "No, you're completely right, Hast--doctor. That's a perfectly accurate summation. Did you want any further details?" he asked.

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  Yes, actually, I would. *Hastie shifted in his chair, and now leaned slightly forward towards Lewis.* Who told you about this? About me? What are things like where you come from?

Jekyll1886:  "Well, it's rather a funny story, actually. There I was, asleep in my flat in my home dimension, doing a bit of light astral traveling. I suppose I ought to explain that first. When I sleep, if I'm not lucid dreaming, I sometimes unintentionally wander out of my body. I often don't realize it until I try to do something physical, and can't--attempting open a cupboard, for example, and having my fingers pass clear through the handle. Once I become aware I'm on the astral or spiritual plane, I'll either go back to my body and wake up, or simply muck about and explore my environs. In such a state, the laws of the physical world seem not to apply. I might not be able to open a door, for instance, but that also means there's nothing to keep me from floating right through it. Does all this make sense so far?" he asked.

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  What, you just turn into a ghost at random? How? Why?

Jekyll1886:  "Based on my studies, it's probably a side effect of having...well, I suppose the phrase I ought to use here is 'near-death experiences'--which is another story. But the point is, I was out of my body...when someone took notice of me. I'd wandered about like that many a time, but never actually been contacted in such a manner as this: It felt as if something had gently beamed through my core like sunlight, warm and invigorating, but also alarming because I wasn't expecting it. And I heard a voice and saw the image of a man, who spoke to me. This was very different from the way communication typically takes place on the astral plane. Usually, any being one encounters there uses thought-emotions to convey messages. Not so this fellow. It turned out he was a genuine, in-the-flesh scientist from another dimension entirely. He'd been running some scans on my city when he picked up an 'anomaly'--my astral activity--and decided to investigate. He used his scientific equipment to project visual and auditory impressions of himself into my vicinity. That was how I first met Harry Jekyll."

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  Harry... Jekyll? * Hastie sat back in disbelief.* Seriously? ... What did he say?

Jekyll1886:  "Not your Harry Jekyll, of course, but another universe's," Weir clarified. "To make a long story short, he informed me there were many universes and many Jekylls, Hydes, Lanyons, Uttersons, Carews, etc. The problem was, nearly all of them had a troubling tendency to wind up dead--except for the Uttersons, sometimes. And me. And himself...thus far, anyway."

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  And thus you looked for the one dimension where there was a live Lanyon, and here you are. I'm flattered.

Jekyll1886:  "I lost you in mine. I'll not lose you again," he vowed, his jaw set. Though he kept his eyes on the vial in front of him, they radiated such determination that, were it possible, the glass would have shattered from the sheer strength of his will.

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  *Hastie put rose from his seat and walked towards him, leaving his book in th chair.* Weir... you never lost me. I never died. You must understand that though we may have had the same name, I am not your- *He cut himself off, unwilling to say the word. He'd only known the man for a short time, for God's sake.*

Jekyll1886:  "I know that," he acknowledged, some of the fire draining out of him. "Intellectually, I do. I know we've only just met. You don't look exactly like him, physically. And you're a bit younger than he was when he--" He cut himself off, feeling emotion begin to threaten. He took a breath. "But your voice, Hastie--Lanyon," he corrected himself. "And your mannerisms..." He spoke barely above a whisper, the sound hollow, "It's like seeing a ghost." The chemical turned a darker shade of red, and he came back to the task at hand, taking it immediately away from the heat. He poured a clear liquid over it, quelling the incipient reaction. Very carefully, he began to slowly stir the mixture with a glass rod.

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  *Hastie stood beside Lewis in silence as he watched him work. It was frightening to think that someone would go to such lengths for him. Someone Hastie himself barely knew, at that. He thought it best to lay the matter to rest, for now.* Talk me through... whatever it is you're doing right now.

Jekyll1886:  "Ah. I've taken the phosphorus and doused it--it was about to turn purple, and we don't want that just yet--and now I'm simply blending it with the alcohol in order to make a tincture. But I must do so with great care, for too much energy added at this point could cause an explosion. Once both substances are evenly distributed, I'll stopper the vial and lay it by until its contents have cooled fully. Once that's happened, all that remains will be to add a pinch of that salt over there," he cast his gaze to a small glass jar nearby which was half-full of crystalline white granules. "It will release the energy in a controlled manner, and, once the ebullition ceases, we'll have my world's equivalent of HJ7 at our disposal. Incidentally, I'll need to either administer it or seal it away within about ten minutes of its turning green; otherwise, it'll oxidize and be rendered useless."

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  How does your version of the HJ7 differ from ours?

Jekyll1886:  "Because I've not had the luxury of a sample of HJ7 to test, I'm honestly not sure whether the chemical makeup is similar. All I know is that the effects of the substance seem to be the same. Not to worry, though. Mine, at least, has a metaphysical component, and that is something I do have control over." He finished his stirring and stoppered the vial, then set it aside to cool in a small wooden rack designed to hold test tubes.

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  Well... it would seem that the first stage is completed. Have you talked to Helen yet?

Jekyll1886:  "No, I haven't. I didn't want to do so without informing you first."

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  Alright, we can go together, then.

Jekyll1886:  "Very good. Shall we go now, or would you prefer to wait until we have the finished dose at our disposal?"

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  I am hestitant to leave the potion here unguarded. Could we take it to my office first?

Jekyll1886:  "Certainly," Weir assented. He picked up the little rack with its stoppered vial to take with them.

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  *Hastie grabbed his book from the chair before he led Lewis towards the door and opened it for him.* After you, doctor.

Jekyll1886:  "Thank you." He went out into the hall.

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  *They walked in silence, passing a few Lodgers here and there. Hastie was practically bursting with questions, but he didn't want to pry into a Lewis's private life. Usually such things would only be acceptable after at least a year, at least. And even then people might talk. However, the balance in knowledge of one another was off. Lewis had known Hastie - or at least a version of Hastie - for God knew how long. Well, if he wasn't going to ask Lewis about his past, he might as well ask him about the most wonderful person he knew of: himself. He let Lewis into his office before following him inside.* So, Weir, how about you tell me some more about my doppelgänger? I do hope I'm the pretty one. Jekyll1886:  Lewis walked along with Hastie in silence, wanting to tell him so many things, but not wishing to overwhelm him with too much information, too quickly. He'd already asked the man to accept some rather fantastical facts, and didn't want to push him too far out of his comfort zone. He supposed if Lanyon desired to know more, he'd simply ask. And, sure enough, he did. "You'd be right," Weir admitted, setting the rack down on Hastie's desk. "Though he wasn't bad looking himself, in his day. We went to university together--he, Utterson, and I. I'd known John since I was a wee lad, but Hastie I met at school. We were practically inseparable. Lanyon wasn't what my father and others considered a 'good influence' back then, but it didnae--didn't--matter. He was our ringleader, after a fashion. Got up to all kinds of mischief. John was more cautious, but he'd go along if Hastie ribbed him enough. I think I was somewhere in-between." He leaned against a chair, smiling at wistful memories. Then he refocused on the Lanyon before him. "Anyhow, Hastie went into medicine, John into law, and I into both. Later, my Lanyon got religion--it really baffled me; he'd practically been an atheist or at least a heathen back when we were younger." Weir shook his head. "It seemed a bit hypocritical to me, to be honest, but I tried not to dwell on it. What's insufferable in a stranger is forgivable in a dear friend." '''Hastie Lanyon:'''  Ah, it's not easy overcoming this gorgeous face- ... did you say religion? What on earth would make me desperate enough to pursue that nonsense?

Jekyll1886:  "I really haven't the foggiest," Weir confessed. "It remains one of life's great mysteries. Though it might have been the death of your--I mean his--mother that did it. I do think her passing at least gave him pause, a bit of reflection on his own mortality, that sort of thing. He'd been drinking more and more heavily beforehand, and certainly fell down a bottle afterward." He shrugged, shaking his head. "Perhaps joining a congregation was his way of finally doing right by her. She'd always worried about him."

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  *Hastie glanced at his liquor cabinet and could not help but feel guilty. Surely no version of him would stoop that low?* For what it's worth, I'm sorry he put you through all that. I would have expected better of myself.

Jekyll1886:  "To be fair, he was going through a rough patch. And he'd had a falling out with my world's Jekyll, which didn't help matters any. People do funny things when their worldview's upset, I suppose. It's only human."

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  I do hope I did some good by you as well. One can't be all doom and gloom.

Jekyll1886:  "Oh," he said softly, "of course you did, Hastie. Never doubt that. I cherished my relationship with you, with John... You gave my life meaning. If nothing else, I've come to learn one truth: The ties that bind us can never be broken. Love is stronger than death. They may be gone, but my fondness for them survives, and always will."

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  I... am afraid I don't recognize the feeling, Weir. *Hastie unlocked one of his drawers and motioned for Lewis to put the potion inside.* Nevertheless, we shouldn't keep Helen waiting. We can leave the HJ7 in here for safekeeping.

Jekyll1886:  "It's alright...I don't expect you to. And, you're right, we'd better tend to the business at hand," he said, stowing the cooling tincture safely in the drawer. He paused, then broke into an impish grin as his thoughts turned. A small chuckle followed.

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  What are you laughing about?

Jekyll1886:  "He also introduced me to nearly all my vices, which I really should've thanked him for."

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  *Hastie gave him a sly grin in return.* Now that I can be proud of.

Jekyll1886:  Lewis nodded his amused agreement as they left the office. Once they were in the hall, his thoughts turned to the task ahead. "So..." he began, looking sidelong at Lanyon as they walked along, "is it Helen we'll see today, or Hela?"

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  Ah, that is the question. I'm afraid we won't know until we meet her. I do hope, however, that it will be Helen. It won't do for Hela to leave a bad impression on you before you get to talk to Helen. She is a brilliant woman. Kind and driven... Perhaps a bit too selfless, in my opinion. Hela... well, she is as any other Hyde - the exact opposite.

Jekyll1886:  "I see. That's not unusual, I'm afraid. I imagine if it's Helen we can simply go from there. But if it does turn out to be Hela...is there anything I need to bear in mind? Some Hydes are more reasonable or, conversely, more dangerous than others."

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  You may not know this, but Hela has had encounters with several of the people here at the Society. Some ending ... worse than others. I, too, met her. Now, I made it out with a popped seam. I'd say that's a lot better than getting my brains blown out, yes? * Hastie looked at Lewis and immediately regretted his words. The man had paled a little.* Anyway, your best defense would be to not let her get to you. Don't let her smell your fear, or something of the like.

Jekyll1886:  "Noted. Does she still have the gun?" Lewis asked. His demeanor had shifted, suddenly all business. "Or any other weapons, for that matter," he added.

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  Other than her nails? I should not think so. She has been put in confinement, as were Helen's wishes. And I must say, I do not disagree.

Jekyll1886:  "Good. That's wise," he agreed. His tone softened touch. "It should be alright, then. Which room is hers?"

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  Oh, it's just through this hallway and to the right. *Hastie paused and turned towards Lewis.* Would you give me a quick briefing on what you plan to tell them? I would advise caution if you do not want to scare either of them off.

Jekyll1886:  "Regardless of who's behind the door, I can tell them that I'm here to help them come to terms with their condition. Obviously, I'll have to approach Helen and Hela differently beyond that. I don't necessarily want to spell out for them exactly what I told you earlier, but I do plan to appeal to a desire for the greater good, in Helen's case, and the yearning for personal freedom, in Hela's. Do you find these motivations appropriate to each?" he asked, his tone professional, even clinical, as if he were discussing any other patient with any other colleague.

'''Hastie Lanyon:'''  Excellent, doctor. Now, time to meet our most famous Lodger. * Hastie knocked on the door that led to Helen's rooms. It was adorned with several locks, all on the outside, with some of them being more outlandish than others.* Helen, my dear, are you present?

Obtained From
[https://disqus.com/home/discussion/channel-theroleplayingscientists/role_playing_page_for_pg_71/ Role-playing page for pg. 71!]