Time loop or precognition, does it realy matter? (An alternate Power Worm Quest) (Hiatus)

[Kaiedi]

Before I begin, three brief remarks about myself:
1. English is not my first language. That's why I write with the help of translation software and artificial intelligence.
2. I haven't read Worm and only know various fanfictions. I use the wiki, but both ignorance and the altered power will make this an AU quest.
3. This is the first time I will write a longer text since school, criticism is welcome.


You wake up with the sound of medical equipment in your ears. As you reach for your glasses on the bedside table, a sharp pain shoots through your head. You have the feeling that a previously unknown void is being filled. When you try to investigate this feeling, you find two more voids.

When you try to remember the reason for your visit to the hospital, your mind recoils. You are not ready to remember that trauma.


You are Tailor Hebert. You decide how she behaves and what she does. This is done by Write-In or by choosing one of the predefined options. If several options are not mutually exclusive and there is no time limit, you can choose several options in succession (use a plan vote in this case).
If the vote is undecided, I will choose one of the options involved in the tie.
Shards are able to influence the decisions of their host. A happy Shard interferes less.


[ ] You are almost blind. Put on your glasses and look around you.
[ ] You are thirsty. Find a way to call a nurse.
[ ] Remove the machines from your body. Go to the window and climb out.
[ ] Try to interact with the filled void.
[ ] Try to interact with one of the empty voids.
[ ] Try to remember how you got here.
[ ] Write-In

 

[Kaiedi]

[x] You are almost blind. Put on your glasses and look around.
[x] You are thirsty. Find a way to call a nurse.


The glasses don't make the hospital room any more interesting. The room is lit by a window, the walls are painted a light blue, and there is a wilting houseplant in the corner. You are alone in the room.
A closer look at your condition reveals no injuries. Whatever brought you here doesn't seem to have left any external marks.
There is a call button on the wall at the head of the bed. You press it to summon a nurse to fetch some water and find out more about your situation.


[ ] Wait for the nurse. Decisions should be made with as much information as possible.
[ ] Remove the machines from your body. Go to the window and climb out.
[ ] Try to interact with the filled Void.
[ ] Try to interact with one of the unfilled voids.
[ ] Try to remember how you got here.
[ ] Write-In

 

[Kaiedi]

[x] Wait for the nurse. Decisions should be made with as much information as possible.


After a few minutes, one of the nurses arrives. A stocky woman in her 50s with short brown hair smiles at you.
"Ah, you're awake. How are you feeling, any pain?"
"All right, I think. Why am I here?
Meanwhile, the nurse comes closer to the bed.
"Taylor, you came here with abrasions and blood poisoning. But don't worry, yesterday was an unusually quiet day, so Panacea had time to look after you. Do you need anything or did you just want to signal that you're awake?"
"Something to drink would be great and maybe something to eat?"
The nurse glances at her watch.
"I'll bring you a glass of water in a minute, lunch should be ready in about an hour."
She turns away from you and starts to leave the room.
"When will I be discharged? Now that Panacea has cured me?"
"If there are no complications, your father will be able to take you home this evening."
After about 5 minutes she comes back into the room, puts a glass of water on your bedside table and leaves the room with another smile on her face. Thoughtfully, you take a sip and let your eyes wander.


[ ] Wait for dinner.
[ ] Remove the machines from your body. Go to the window and climb out.
[ ] Try to interact with the filled Void.
[ ] Try to interact with one of the unfilled voids.
[ ] Try to remember how you got here.
[ ] Write-In

 

[Kaiedi]

[x] Wait for dinner.
[x] You will be released tonight. Do not do anything to jeopardise this.

The best thing about lunch is that it is warm and edible. You get the feeling that the hospital and the school are supplied by the same supplier.
While you're waiting to be discharged and your father is coming to pick you up, you get unexpected visitors.
2 people, a man and a woman, enter the room. The man is in his early 30s, muscular and has a 3-day beard. The woman is in her early 40s, tall and has short black hair. Both are wearing uniforms that say PRT ENE.
"Good afternoon, are you Taylor Hebert?" the man asks. "I'm Joel Morris and this is my partner Katie Hudson. We're with PRT ENE."
Ms Hudson continues, "We're here because we've been told that the incident that brought you here may have been traumatic enough to qualify as a trigger event. Is there anything you want to tell us?"
You feel a little ambushed and collect yourself for a moment. Just as you are about to answer, the filled void pulsates, as if eager to be used.

[ ] Try to interact with the filled Void.
[ ] Trigger event? You don't know what that is. Ask for more information.
[ ] You can't remember what brought you here. Report what you know.
[ ] You can't remember what brought you here. Try to remember it.
[ ] You won't say anything without your lawyer or at least your father. You know your rights.
[ ] PRT ENE? That's the organisation the Protectorate and the Wards belong to. Is that strange feeling a sign that you are a parahuman? Tell them about your potential power. They will help you.
[ ] Write-In

 

[Kaiedi]

[x] Trigger event? You don't know what that is. Ask for more information.
[x] You can't remember what brought you here. Report what you know.


Ignoring the pulsation, you reply:
"I'm Taylor Hebert. Nice to meet you. What is a trigger event?"
Fau Hudson glances at her partner before answering: "A trigger event is a traumatic experience that causes a portion of the population to develop superpowers. We at PRT ENE try to help new parahumans not to endanger themselves or the public. Some powers are dangerous without proper guidance, or can inadvertently lead to the loss of your secret identity. We can give you an overview of the unwritten rules, arrange an appointment for you to test your powers or, for people your age, accept you into the Wards. Only if you are a parahuman, of course."
She looks at you questioningly.
You think about what she has said for a moment and answer: "I don't think I am a parahuman. I haven't noticed any powers yet. A nurse told me that I was admitted with abrasions and blood poisoning, but I can't remember the exact details of how I got it at the moment. I remember taking the bus to school for the first day of the new year, and the atmosphere was unusual. But everything after that, until I woke up here today, is like a blank. What day is it today?"
Mr Morris replies: "Today is the 4th of January, one day after your incident. I wouldn't worry if I were you, repressing traumatic memories is quite normal. If you notice any superpowers in the next few days, feel free to contact me at any time."
He puts a business card on the bedside table and gives you a mischievous wink.
"Well, if you don't want to tell us anything else, we'll let you recover from your exertions for now. Please let us know if you run into any problems." He gives you a friendly nod and turns to leave.
Mrs Hudson smiles at you: "Nice to have made your acquaintance, we must be on our way. Have a nice day."
"Have a nice day," you reply as they leave the room.


[x] You will be released tonight. Do not do anything to jeopardise this.


The rest of the day goes by without incident. Your father arrives in the evening, and after a big hug and a quick chat with a doctor, you are discharged. Silence falls over you on the way home. A long period of living past each other has left every word on the tip of your tongues. At home, after a quick dinner, you say good night to your father. You'll talk about everything tomorrow, Danny has taken the day off.
As you lie in bed, the conversation with Mr Morris and Mrs Hudson runs through your mind. Do you have superpowers? Are you a parahuman? Your gaze turns inwards and you see the three voids, one filled, two still empty.


[ ] Try to get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day.
[ ] Try to interact with the filled Void.
[ ] Try to interact with one of the unfilled voids.
[ ] Try to remember the incident.
[ ] Write-In


How do you react if you are a parahuman?
[ ] You keep it a secret.
[ ] You tell your father.
[ ] You call the number on the business card and tell Mr. Morris.
[ ] Write-In

 

[Kaiedi]

[x] Try to remember the incident.
[x] Try to get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day.


If you want to talk to your father tomorrow about what happened and what to do next, it's best to know what happened. So you focus your thoughts on yesterday.
You went to school with cautious hope. The last 2 months have been almost free of bullying from your 3 tormentors. The beginnings of a new friendship have developed.
As you get off the bus and enter the school building, you notice a strange atmosphere. Your classmates seem to be waiting for something. Tension hangs in the air.
When you reach your locker, you notice a bad smell. You open the door with a bad feeling and...
Your mind recoils from the memory. You're drenched in sweat and curled up tight. You are not ready to face this traumatic memory.

You find it very difficult to fall asleep afterwards. You toss and turn in bed for what feels like hours, waking up again and again from nightmares that you can only remember by mocking laughter.
When you wake up the next morning, you feel exhausted and drag yourself to the bathroom.
A cold shower revives you at least a little, and when you come downstairs in your jogging bottoms and thick turtleneck, Danny is waiting for you with breakfast and a cup of tea.

Breakfast passes without many words. But after you have cleared the table together and Danny has sat down with his coffee and you with your tea, Danny starts to talk: "What happened, Taylor?" he asks. "The school told me what happened after the ambulance picked you up. They said it was a prank that had gone too far and that they hadn't been able to find out who was responsible. They've offered to pay your hospital bill if we don't interfere with the school's disciplinary procedures. What exactly happened? Did you see who was responsible or have any idea who it might have been? When I arrived at the hospital yesterday, they said that Panacea had already visited you and that the sleep you fell into afterwards would do you good. Are you all right?"
The words just pour out of Danny and you don't know where to start. All you can remember is the smell, but if anyone is responsible, it's Emma, Sophia and Madison. So far you've managed to keep the bullying and the break in your friendship with Emma a secret, but was that the right decision? What about the visit from the two PRT ENE agents and their theory that you are a parahuman?
After a moment, you begin to answer:


[ ] Tell Danny everything you know.
[ ] Tell Danny everything you know except the visit from the PRT ENE agents.
[ ] Tell Danny only what you can remember.
[ ] Don't tell Danny anything.
[ ] Write-In

 

[Kaiedi]

[X] Tell Danny everything you know.


"Physically I'm fine. I can't remember the incident at the moment. I tried yesterday and I think it had something to do with my locker. I remember it smelling terrible, but apart from nightmares of mocking laughter, I seem to have repressed the memory".
As you say this, your hands clench into fists and a light sweat appears on your forehead.
"Don't force it," Danny replies. "It'll come back to you when you're ready."
You nod.
"To answer who it might have been, I have to go further. Do you remember my summer camp in 2009?"
Danny nods.
"When I came back, I found that Emma had made a new friend and wanted nothing to do with me. She and Sophia Hess started bullying me in September or October of that year. Over time, they made sure that I became an outsider in Winslow, and they were supported by changing classmates. In the end, it was Emma, Sophia and Madison Clements in particular who made my school life hell. If anyone played a 'prank' on me that sent me to hospital, it could only have been the three of them.
You fall silent and it feels like a weight has been lifted from your soul. You have kept the bullying a secret from Danny for over a year, not wanting to add to his depression. Then you realise that he needs to actively control his anger while you speak. You give Danny a moment to compose himself.
"And the school hasn't done anything to stop the bullying? How can they say there are no suspects when they know of three girls with a clear motive?" says Danny, stunned.
"Whenever I reported the bullying, I couldn't find anyone to support my side of the story. Emma's dad is a lawyer, Sophia's on the track team and Madison looks like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. Principal Blackwell is convinced I'm making up the bullying to get attention.

After these words, you both need a short break. Danny takes a few steps around the house while you make more coffee and tea. When you have both calmed down a little and are back at the table, you continue: "Yesterday two agents from PRT ENE came to see me in hospital. They think I might be a parahuman and that I gained powers during the incident. I haven't noticed anything physical yet, but ever since I woke up in the hospital yesterday, I've had the strange feeling that I have 3 buttons, switches or containers in my head, one of which is activated or filled. I haven't tried to interact with them yet, but Mr Morris and Mrs Hudson said that new powers are dangerous and unpredictable.
Mr Morris left me his card and I was offered to come to PRT ENE to test my powers. They also said something about unwritten rules and that if I'm a parahuman, I'm always welcome to join the Wards.
Your face contorts at the last words. You really don't need any more teenage drama right now.
Danny nods.
"We should at least use the help to test your powers and these rules. Not that you're testing your powers in the basement and suddenly everything is flooded with acid." The attempt at a smile dies on his face. "What do you think?" he asks.
"Probably for the best, but shouldn't I at least make sure I'm really a parahuman first?"
"If the experts in the field have warned you of the consequences, we'd better listen to them. Do you want to call Mr Morris right away or would you rather wait a few days? Winslow has given you the rest of the month off and, as I said, offered to pay your hospital bill. I'd much rather sue them into the ground, but when you say there are probably no witnesses to be found and we can hardly count on Allen Barns' support, I don't see much chance of success. Of course, we can still try, if that's what you want.


What are you going to do about the school?

[ ] Getting your hospital bill paid is the best you can hope for. Accept it.
[ ] Try to get a transfer to another school.
[ ] Turn down the offer. Sue the school.
[ ] Write-In

What are you doing about the PRT ENE?

[ ] Call Mr Morris immediately.
[ ] Call Mr Morris within the next few days.
[ ] You don't need any help. Do not call Mr Morris.
[ ] Write-In

How do you spend the rest of the day when you're not at PRT ENE?

[ ] Test your powers.
[ ] Spend the day with Danny.
[ ] Curl up on your bed. Conversations are exhausting.
[ ] Write-In

 

[Kaiedi]

[X] Try to get a transfer to another school.
-[X] if this fails then threaten to sue
[X] Call Mr Morris within the next few days.
[X] Spend the day with Danny.


"Do we need Winslow's money? I just want the bullying to stop. If Winslow can't do that, is there any chance I could change schools instead?"
"Let me worry about our finances. We can manage without Winslow's money. I can try to get a transfer, but the only other school in the catchment area would be Arcadia. We could try home schooling if necessary. We'll have to apply to the school district, but if Winslow can help us with that, it should work," Danny answers.
"And if that doesn't work, we can always sue the school. Maybe someone will come forward and testify," you say.
"I need a few days to recover. I'll call Mr Morris in a few days to make an appointment to test my powers. Can we try to keep my identity a secret? I feel uncomfortable if the PRT ENE knows."
Danny raises an eyebrow. "Do you have something to hide from the government? How many people do you think Mr Morris has given his business card to lately who sound and look like you? I think if you call him, he'll find out you're Taylor Hebert."
You nod, you hadn't thought of it that way.

The two of you spend the rest of the day together. You try to remember the rules of the board games that are gathering dust. Around noon, you cook lunch together and realise once again that neither of you are particularly good cooks. You end the evening in front of the television, watching a comedy. It's unusual to spend so much time with Danny, but it's nice.

The next few days Danny has to go back to work and you spend the days recovering. Night after night, the nightmares become less frequent and you work out the rules for home schooling on the computer. The two of you spend the evenings together.

On Friday, you take out your business card and call Mr Morris.
It takes him a while to answer and he doesn't seem to have expected your call, but he is happy to make an appointment for Saturday morning to test your powers. Just as you are about to tell him who pulled the prank that landed you in hospital, he interrupts.
"Taylor, the PRT ENE only investigates crimes involving parahumans. Even if you are one now, you weren't one before your trigger event. Investigations are carried out by your school or, if a crime has been committed, by the police. It's best if you contact them, there's not much I can do".
You have to get through this setback. You say goodbye and in the evening you tell Danny the result of your phone call. He offers to drive you and accompany you.
"I haven't heard anything from the police yet, but I'll ask tomorrow if there's an investigation. I told Winslow about our enquiries yesterday and your suspicions about the perpetrators. They'll be in touch within the next week.


The offer from Danny.
[ ] Come with me.
[ ] A lift would be handy.
[ ] You're travelling by bus.
[ ] Write-In

What are you revealing about your powers?
[ ] Everything you know.
[ ] Nothing.
[ ] Write-In

Anything else?
[ ] Write-In

 

[Kaiedi]

[X][Travel] A lift would be handy.
[X][Powers] Everything you know.


You wake up on Saturday morning full of nerves. A thousand thoughts run through your mind. What if you're not a parahuman at all and you're just imagining this strange feeling? Is it a good idea for the organisation that fights parahumans to know about your powers? What if your identity comes into the possession of the gangs?
But you get up and get ready, it's too late to change your mind now. You briefly consider not telling the PRT ENE about your powers, but then shake your head. How are they supposed to help you find out what your powers are and how to use them safely if you don't give them any information?

Time flies and you're already outside the PRT ENE headquarters. Danny has just let you out of the car and is on his way to the police station to check on the status of the investigation. He should be back here in about 2 hours and is waiting for you in the car park.

You enter the lobby, pass the gift shop where a woman and her two children are looking at a Vista action figure, and approach the reception desk. Behind it sits an elderly man with grey hair, a full beard and horn-rimmed glasses. Several uniformed and armed PER ENE agents stand at the sides of the room, keeping an eye on everything.
The older man addresses you: "Good morning. The next tour will take place in 40 minutes. If you like, you can browse in the gift shop until then."
"I'm not here for the tour. My name is Taylort Hebert and I have an appointment with Mr Morris," you reply.
"I'm sorry, just a moment." The gentleman turns to the computer on his desk and clicks the mouse several times.
"Ah, here it is." He waves one of the agents over. "Flynn, would you please take Taylor to Mr Morris? He should be in room seven." Mr Flynn nods. "Follow me, please."

The two of you set off, arriving at a double door after a short time. "Right through here," Mr Flynn says. You take a deep breath and step through the doors.
The room is large, painted white and filled with various pieces of sports and medical equipment. Mr Morris is standing in the room with a woman in a white coat, who turns to face you as you enter. The woman appears to be in her 20s, with long red hair pulled back in a braid and a long scar under her left eye.
"Good morning, Taylor," Mr Morris says. "This is Dr Catherine Cramer, who will be assisting us today as we try to categorise your powers. I'm glad you're here." Mrs Cramer impatiently taps her foot on the floor. "Yes, yes, if we've got the polite phrases out of the way, can we get started? What can you tell us about your powers? Have you noticed any physical changes? Strange new instincts, a new aversion to tomatoes?"
Mrs Cramer's directness catches you off guard and you have to start answering several times.
"Tomatoes? No ... Not that I have noticed. It's hard to describe, I have 3 containers, I think. One is full and the other two are empty. As the first container filled, a sharp pain went through my head, but that could be because I had just woken up in hospital. The full container pulsed for a few moments shortly afterwards, but nothing else has happened since. I haven't tried to interact with the containers yet. Mr Morris said it might be dangerous?
"Well, best to start at the beginning. Brute first, then Thinker, and then we'll try to interact with your containers more directly."

You spend the next hour hooked up to various devices that test your strength, speed and reflexes. Your resistance to external influences is also carefully examined. Mrs Cramer concludes that you are not a Brute.

The tests for Thinker are more revealing, as memory tasks show that you have a perfect short-term memory. Whether this extends to longer periods of time is difficult to say in the time available. However, you can easily find out in the future without any help.
You are surprised by the results. You hadn't noticed any change in your memory in the last few days, but you hadn't explicitly looked for it.

Finally, standing between several protective walls, you begin to interact with your containers. You begin with one of the empty containers. As you reach out with your mental fingers, a familiar stabbing pain runs through your head. The second container is now also filled and, apart from its position, is indistinguishable from the first in your mind's eye.
A quick test to see if anything has changed significantly from the previous test, with a negative result, allows you to interact with the newly filled container.

The world around you freezes. Nothing moves, all sounds have stopped. This state lasts only a moment before the world starts moving again, but now in the opposite direction, as if you were rewinding a video cassette. The state becomes faster and faster until it suddenly stops. A sharp pain runs through your head and the second full container is empty again. You are back to the exact moment you filled the container.
You lose your balance and fall, hitting your head on one of the protective walls and your eyes go black.

You wake up in a hospital room. This is becoming a bad habit. Mr. Morris is sitting in a chair next to your bed.


What are you doing?

[ ] Ask Mr. Morris what happened.
[ ] Tell Mr. Morris what happened.
[ ] Tell Mr. Morris that nothing happened except that you got dizzy.
[ ] Activate the full container (container 1).
[ ] Activate an empty container (container 2).
[ ] Write-In


Container 1: 04.01.2011 Hospital
Container 2: Empty
Container 3: Empty

 

[Kaiedi]

[x] Ask Mr. Morris what happened.


You sit up and run your hand over your head. You feel a distinct lump near your left temple.
Mr Morris looks at you. "How are you feeling, Taylor? You gave us quite a scare."
"My head hurts. What happened?"
"We're not sure. You stepped between the shields after testing for Brute and Thinker powers and tried to interact with one of your empty containers. A few moments later, you lost your balance and fell awkwardly against one of the shields. You lost consciousness and we took you to the infirmary as a precaution".
He glances at the clock on the wall, "That was about 20 minutes ago. What happened from your point of view? Did your power do anything?" A hint of doubt creeps into his voice at this question.


What are you doing?

[ ] [Hospital] Tell Mr. Morris what happened.
[ ] [Hospital] Tell Mr. Morris that nothing happened except that you got dizzy.
[ ] [Hospital] Activate the full container (container 1).
[ ] [Hospital] Activate an empty container (container 2).
[ ] [Hospital] Write-In


You are a parahuman. You can travel into the past or predict the future. Hard to say. What are your plans for the future?

[ ] [Future Plans] Become a member of the Wards. You don't know enough about your powers yet and this is some kind of training camp, right?
[ ] [Future Plans] Become a Hero. Bureaucracy and supervision will only hold you back. You're invulnerable and you know your enemies' plans. Thwart them.
[ ] [Future Plans] Become a Rogue. There must be money to be made in knowing the future.
[ ] [Future Plans] Become a Villain. Consequences are for others. Take revenge on the society that let you down.
[ ] [Future Plans] Fighting sounds dangerous. Win the lottery, persuade Danny to move to a safer city and retire.

Container 1: 04.01.2011 Hospital
Container 2: Empty
Container 3: Empty