Catching up.  Good thing C&Cing is easier than writing...

Elsa Bibat wrote on 11/4/2004, 11:01 PM:

 > Set in the "Pulp Hellsing" timeline _not_ in the "Dances
 > Set To The Music Of Time" timeline.
 >
 > *************************************************
 >
 >             DANCES SET TO THE MUSIC OF TIME
 >                        An Epic History of Humanity
 >                           From The Age of Silver
 >                            To The Age of Crystal
 >                                  And Beyond

    Title block is wrong for Pulp Hellsing.


 > **********************************************************************
 >
 >     Chapter 6 E Branch
 >
 >     "I have some things I'd like to tell you about."

    <bing>  Transition.

 >     Dr. Moira Quatermass and Dame Integra Helsing looked like two
 > opposite sides of a coin as they walked down E Branch's white sterile
 > halls. Pale skin and black hair and dressed in a feminine skirt and
 > blouse combination underneath her labcoat, Dr. Quatermass was a
 > counterpoint to Integra's mannish fashion, blonde hair and dark skin.

    Quatermass!  Haven't heard *that* name in a while.  Now all we need is 
Quartermain...

 >     For some strange reason, their opposite looks irritated her to no
 > end. Her friendship with the female scientist was one of those
 > unexplainable things in life that plagued her.

    Heh.

 >     "Moira, if this is another one of those-"
 >
 >     "Trust me, Numbers. It's not one of those things again. What? You're
 > giving me that look again."
 >
 >     "Will you find me a better nickname than 'Numbers', 'Quartermass'?"
 >
 >     "Can't find another, 'Integer'."

    Meow!  Hiss!

 >     Another one of those unexplainable things that plagued her life was
 > why she hadn't killed her yet. Sartre was right. Hell was an eternity
 > with your friends.

    And yet, if anyone ever *did* do in Moira, I bet Integra would go 
absolutely super-Saiyan...

 >     Moira Quatermass was the scion of a scientific dynasty that had made
 > great contributions to the progress of science, though most of those
 > contributions had to be kept secret because they usually meant 'the end
 > of life as we know it'. Moira had lived and breathed the sciences ever
 > since she could talk and she was probably the greatest repository of
 > profane scientific data on the planet.

    "Profane"?  Interesting way to put it.  Different from merely "arcane."

 >     She was also, in Integra's opinion, totally and completely insane.
 > Most people disagreed with her and called it 'genius', but they hadn't
 > had to room with her when they went to Oxford. The fact that they were
 > both hereditary leaders of their particular organizations didn't help
 > any.

    A pair of British secret-society princesses.

 >     Moira disdained of Integra's particular obsession with the undead
 > and, even after Alucard made an unscheduled visit at the dormitory, she
 > was still dismissive of it. Integra was equally dismissive of Moira's
 > extraterrestrials, having had to hear of Uncle Alex's stories about
 > Daleks and disappearing police call-boxes one too many times.

    Uncle Alex would be Lethbridge-Stewart?

 >     Their respective personalities were also not exactly conducive to
 > smooth interpersonal relations. To Integra's eyes, Moira was crass,
 > insulting, had no respect for her social betters and squeezed the
 > toothpaste tube in the middle, in other words, a stinking commoner. That
 > Moira should automatically bow to her superior will and breeding was a
 > given. When she didn't only made Integra more determined to break her.

    Like I said a few chapters back -- Integra can only really respect 
people who stand up to her.

 >     Moira was of the same opinion, but of a different standpoint. How
 > dare this inbred ignorant noble order her around? Superstitious little
 > bint! She even believes in vampires! How medieval can you get? Four
 > years of gibes, insults, practical jokes and other sundry events
 > followed.

    They just love to hate each other.

 >     But, even through all that and maybe because of all that, they
 > became friends. Friends who occasionally wanted to kill each other, but
 > friendships with Integra were usually like that.

    Whereas she only wants to give Ceres a "little death."  (:)

 >     They hadn't seen each other in two years, but after five minutes of
 > meeting each other again, they fell back into their usual patterns.
 >
 >     "I hope this doesn't concern those... what did you call them on your
 > last annual report? Ah, yes, your so-called 'Mysterons'-"
 >
 >     "Will you not do that!"
 >
 >     "Do what?" Integra's teasing drawl was like a purring cat's.
 >
 >     "Say Mysterons so that there is an implied quotation mark around
 > them. I don't do it with your so-called 'vampires'."
 >
 >     "Actually, you do."
 >
 >     "No, I don't."

    Um, you just did.

 >     "Moira, if we're going to start saying you-did-I-didn't we'll be
 > stuck in that particular rut for the entire day. Now let's act like
 > adults and just say you do and get on with it." One point for me.
 > Integra was doing mental backflips in her mind.

    <giggling helplessly>

 >     "I would think that you with your pair of unnatural pair of
 > 'vampires' would be sympathetic to my little pet project."

    "pair of pair"?

 >     "If you had called them a less... BBC children's show name, then
 > I'd be a lot more generous with my disbelief. The security council
 > would probably agree with me."

    But that's what the call *themselves,* yes?

 >     "But-hah! Here she comes, my little ace in the hole, to get
 > more funding-
 >
 >     "To fight the alien menace, I know, I know. Moira, Hellsing needs
 > more funding and I'd have to-"
 >
 >     Their conversation was interrupted by Moira pulling out a Beretta
 > 9mm from her labcoat and pumping its entire clip into the woman dressed
 > in a red uniform who had come up to them and was about to say hello.
 > Integra just arched an eyebrow as the woman slid down the wall

    Again, her lack of shock is telling.

 > and slumped on the ground. Motionless green eyes stared up at her from
 > behind a fan of crimson hair. She glanced to the scientist at her side
 > who was still holding the smoking gun in her hand. No one in E Branch
 > seemed to have noticed that their Director just shot one of their
 > workmates.

    "Happens all the time, guv'nor.  Occupational hazard, it is."

 >     "You have a good explanation for this?"
 >
 >     Moira reloaded the Beretta and slid it back into her shoulder
 > holster.
 >
 >     "Dame Integra Helsing, I'd like you to meet Captain Samantha
 > Scarlett, formerly of Her Majesty's Armed Forces and currently
 > attached to E Branch."
 >
 >     "She's dead, Moira. She is not going to stand up and-"

    So, of course, she is.  Of course, being Captain Scarlet(t)...

 >     "Uuuuhh..." Captain Scarlett groaned from her prone position on
 > the ground. Integra blinked and looked down at the red-haired woman as
 > she picked herself up from the ground. Integra glanced at her old
 > schoolmate and shrugged.
 >
 >     "So she's a regenerator. I can name at least one human
 > regenerator within my knowledge."
 >
 >     "Bah. I know of Iscariot's Father Anderson and I am certain that
 > he was created using 'occult' means." The quotation marks she gestured
 > with her hands were indicative of the doctor's disdain for such an
 > explanation.

    Hey, whatever works.  You can't argue with results.

 >     "Oy, doc, did you really have to shoot me? This is the fifth
 > uniform I lost this way."

    Ow.  Poor girl.

 >     "Hush, Captain. It is all in the name of science, besides, the
 > uniforms are free."

    "But do you have any idea how much that *stings*?"

 >     "But clean-up's a bitch and half, doc."
 >
 >     "Sacrifices have to be made so that we may prove to these
 > Philistines my theories are correct."
 >
 >     Integra smiled thinly and brought the conversation back on
 > topic. "I am assuming from your tirade, that the Captain here proves
 > the existence of your 'Mysterons'?"
 >
 >     "Yes. You see, Samantha's condition of immortality is the result
 > of extraterrestrial tampering. She has survived even total cellular
 > disintegration and regenerated without loss in any cognitive faculties."
 > Integra glanced with an arched eyebrow to the svelte red-haired
 > woman who was looking faintly embarassed. "The doc didn't actually
 > intend to test if I could survive it...it just sort of happened and...
 > well... I had to stop Captain Black and the Mysterons..."

    "complete cellular disintigration."  "It was an accident!"  <snicker>

 >     "Captain Black?"
 >
 >     "Captain Jeremiah Black was Samantha's former superior in the
 > Army, they were both abducted during a little expedition under E Branch
 > auspices. Unfortunately, Captain Black was subverted and now serves
 > the Mysterons as their prime agent on Earth."
 >
 >     Despite herself, Integra was starting to become interested. "And
 > these Mysterons have been doing what?"
 >
 >     Moira's face contorted into a mask of hate. "Sabotage.
 > Assasination. They have started a secret war against the human race,
 > fortunately, we have Samantha here. Fate has made her indestructible
 > and she is our greatest weapon in our war."

    But what keeps the Mysterons from making an army of Captain Blacks?

 >     Integra shifted her gaze from the passionate brunette scientist
 > to the rather embarassed red-head, who was trying to cover the holes
 > in her uniform. Captain Scarlett didn't look like any superweapon. She
 > just shook her head. Not her problem.

    Well, neither does Ceres.  Of course, she's more like the superweapon's 
sidekick.

 >     "That's all very well, Moira, but my problem is vampires. I've
 > heard you made a breakthrough with the FREAK chips."
 >
 >     Moira looked at her despairingly. "But-"
 >
 >     "Moira, I'll talk about with Diogenes and we'll try to get you

    "about with"?  Seems rather poor grammar for Integra.

 > better funding. Personally, if you need any help, you could just merge
 > E Branch with Hellsing and everything would be all right."

    ....*that's* going to go over well.  Not.

 >     That last statement made Quatermass make a face of distaste.
 >
 >     "If you think-"
 >
 >     "Really, Moira, we should get back to the business at hand.
 > Besides, I think Captain Scarlett would want to get a new set of
 > clothes."
 > And Integra Helsing makes another goal. The people in the stands
 > are going wild. Moira must be really losing her touch.

    So, the inside of Integra's head looks like a rugby pitch?  Figures.

 >     "Er...yeah...with your permission Doctor Quatermass..."
 >
 >     Captain Scarlett saluted- impressive chest that girl had- and moved
 > off.

    Well, it's necessary -- cute female superweapons need turrent guns of 
large calibre.

 >     "Now, Moira, about those FREAKs."
 >
 >     "Feh. I'll have to ask you to meet Giles down in the Arsenal."
 >
 >     "Who's Giles?"
 >
 >     "Our resident sorcerer."
 >
 >     "I didn't think you believed in 'sorcery'."
 >
 >     "'Sorcery' is just the skilled use of unknown natural law. Since
 > I still have to find a better word as a substitute, 'sorcery' is good
 > enough."

    Do I smell a rationalization here?
    Giles?  Buffy-series Giles?

 >     "So what are you waiting for? Let's go down."
 >
 >     Moira just stared at her with that resigned expression on her face,
 > a look that she had whenever she knew she was beaten.
 >
 >     "I hate you, you know?"
 >
 >     "I know."
 >
 >     The elevator pinged and they went.
 >
 >     Then they went down.

    And I won't make the obvious hentai comment, here.


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