7791/Time Variant Processing

Time Variant Processing
Date of Scene:	11 September 2021
Location:	Time Variance Authority
Synopsis:	Daniel is taken through TVA processing. Mobius comes to his rescue in the court room though and Daniel agrees to help him take down Arturo. He didn't even have to offer Daniel freedom or anything either...
Cast of Characters:	Abcde Prescelta, Daniel Sousa

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Abcde Prescelta has posed:
    The other side of that orange doorway leads in to the land of the beige. An 80s like office space with browns in all manner of form give the place structure. At the center of the room, a circular desk designed to allow people to approach from any angle. Though the person sitting in the middle of it does have to swivel their chair around.

    A man in a white shirt and brown tie sits there talking with other TVA agents dressed in their specialised riot gear. The guard holding your arm shuffles you along past this sight toward an elevator with a strange lever used to summon its carriage.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel wasn't sure what he expected on the other side of that portal but it wasn't some beaurcratic office. Not for the first time Daniel struggles against the guard's grip. "What is this place and who the hell are you people?" he demands as he's pulled toward the elevator. Sure they mentioned they were TVA but what the hell was that?

Abcde Prescelta has posed:
    The dull yellow lights manage to illuminate the space well by sheer volume rather than intensity. Tiles on the wall are similarly beige and brown with streaks of orange in curved geometric patterns. The guard holding you hmphs at you and says, "Sir we are the Time Variance Authority Sir. Okay, you will be processed by a processing professional Sir before standing trial for your crimes against the Sacred Timeline okay."

    The elevator door opens up to reveal a somewhat empty space and you are summarily pushed in to the room. "Sir, you are now being processed, thank you." The door snaps shut and an orb robot attach to the wall with four arms reaches out to grab at your clothes. It has a smiley face on its display for some reason.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"Wait what crimes against the timeline?" Daniel calls back as he staggers into the little room. Though the weird smiling screen gets his attention as it reaches for his clothes. "Hey pal, no thanks," Daniel says stepping back as far as he can go. "This place is weird enough as it is without me wandering around naked in it."
5r"Peg! Lily! Any of you guys hear me?" he calls. It's doubtful they're around but for all his training kidnapped to some weird time office was not something they covered in SHIELD training, so he was making things up as he went.

Abcde Prescelta has posed:
    The smiley face mouth becomes a squiggly line of disappointment and then a squeaky digital voice says to him, "Stay very still." In the barest of moments a beam of energy sweeps out over Daniel stripping him bare of any clothing and electronic devices he might have been carrying. Bare as the day he's born, the smiley face adjusts and becomes a very happy looking smiley face once more. It's job is complete.

    The floor gives way and Daniel finds himself experiencing the sensation of falling that ends abruptly on floor once more. In a stuffy little office with a large desk, a man sits behind it looking unimpressed. He pushes a stack of papers towards you as a cat jumps up on to the table and moves in for pets.

    "Sir please verify that this is everything you've ever said and sign on the dotted line." Oddly, you aren't naked in front of this man. Somehow a light brown onesie has found its way on to your body. It's a good fit. It has some bright orange lines on it too giving it that 'speed lines' look of the 80s. The letters TVA are printed across the left breast.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"Hey hold on a minute!" Daniel shouts as the beam sweeps over him. Then he's suddenly naked in the elevator, he covers himself as best he can. "What am I supposed to do now?" he ask the computer face reproachfully. "Jer-"

The floor drops from under him and he falls, somewhere along the line that onesie forming around him so when he lands he's clothed and shoed. He takes a breath and looks up above him and sees only ceiling before the man's question draws his attention. "Huh?" he asks staring at the papers with confusion. "How do you have everything I ever said?" he asks flipping rifling the pages to see what's written there, his thoughts going immediately to the numours classified briefings he's given, and private words he's shared with Peggy.

Abcde Prescelta has posed:
    A printer on the wall begins to churn out more paper and he tears it off, adding it to the pile, "And these sir" The new papers contain the words he just spoke on them. It's quite clear that this could go on for a while and the bored expression on the man's face seems to imply he's okay with playing this weird game of chicken.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel watches as the pages get printed his mouth opening for another 'huh' before he stops himself, an apologetic look flashed at the man behind the desk. He leans forward and starts flipping through the top pages of the stack, there were his recent questions of course then beyond that: Variant SC231: What am I supposed to do now? Jer-

Daniel blinks. "What in the-" damn it, he shoots another apologetic look at the man behind the counter as he continues to flip through the stack. He had to admit it was both frightening and facinating. Lifting the stack he looks at the bottom page reading:

Variant SC231: Papai.

His first word, father in Portugese, just like his parents said it was. He smiles faintly finding that printed word a bit of comofort in a strange place.

His mouth opens again, but he stops himself, instead picking up the offered pen and signing the sheets and scrawling at the bottom of one of them: 'Can I get a copy of this?' showing it to the man behind the desk.

Abcde Prescelta has posed:
    Another sheet is printed out and put on top for the 'What in the-' that he just said. The guy behind the desk draws the signed papers back and peers at the little question at the bottom. He takes out a stamp and stamps it next to the question and it says 'Not Part of Form'.

    The ground gives way again and Daniel drops down next to a guard holding one of those odd glowy night sticks. The room appears to be a fairly empty queueing line leading to another guard at the other end of the room.

    "Take a ticket," the guard next to Daniel says. The ticket machine is right next to him. At the far end of the room there's a man in clothing similar to Daniel's with the words 'VARIANT' on the back in orange. Daniel's probably has that too. He's arguing with the guard who keeps asking him "Sir I need to see your ticket. Sir." The guy is getting more irate by the moment and points over at the guard next to you claiming, "He wouldn't give me a ticket. I asked him for a ticket. But he wouldn't give me a ticket."

    The guard, without hesitation, reaches out and taps the guy with his glowy stick and evaporates him on the spot.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel steps into the next room and looks around at the long zig-zag of the ropes mapping out the direction of the queue. Daniel is already grabbing a ticket when the other man is apparently vaporized and cold dread clutches his stomach mixed with indignation. "Hey!" Daniel shouts as he ducks under the ropes ticket in hand. "You seriously just killed a man for not getting a ticket? What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Abcde Prescelta has posed:
    The guard looks surprised when you try to cut the line, moving between the ropes without going the right way. He lifts up a remote and presses the button. There's a flicker as Daniel finds himself propelled back to the start of the line. "Sir, it is forbidden to cut the line sir. Please follow the indicated path sir." There's orange arrows on the floor showing the very obvious zig-zag path one is meant to take.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel stumbles arms reaching out to steady himself as he finds himself suddenly thrown backwards to the start of the queue. He looks down at himself and then at the guards, jaw setting as he sniffs. He bends as if to duck under the ropes again, but stops, looks up at the guards, and then straighten and with deliberate almost mocking steps he starts to walk the zig zag laid out for him. "I don't even know what the heck I'm doing here..." he mutters to himself.

Abcde Prescelta has posed:
    At the end of the line the guard says, "Sir you are being processed for sentencing Sir. Ticket." He holds out his hand for the ticket you got at the start of the room. It's a truly bizarre request considering you're the only one in the room. But the other guy got vaporised for not having one so...

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"For what crimes?" Daniel asks, though he does hand over his ticket. "Can you at least tell me that?"

Abcde Prescelta has posed:
    The guard takes the ticket and says, "Sir you will be presented with the facts through here Sir." He motions to the door behind him and steps out of the way. Through which you enter in to what looks very much like a court room. There are several guards standing in the corners of the room and a woman seated at a taller dais dressed like a judge in a black robe and a red sash from one one shoulder to the opposite hip.

    "Daniel Sousa, Variant SC231, you have been charged with failure of sequence loop close number 17 against the Sacred Timeline. How do you plead Mr. Sousa?"

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"Great," Daniel says dryly to the guard as he steps into the courtroom, looking up at the judge he frowns, "Can you explain what a failure of sequence loop close number 17 is?" he asks. "I don't have a clue what you're asking me to plead to here."

Abcde Prescelta has posed:
    The judge looks slightly annoyed for a moment. "Mr. Sousa, did you or did you not travel from the moment of your death to the future and then fail to return to said moment, creating a temporal paradox that endangers the very nature of time and space itself?"

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel swallows. "I did your honour, but not of my own volition and I was in the process of trying to close the loop as your agents arrested me. If you can return me, we can complete the procedure and get the loop closed before there are any ill effects. I'm an Agent of SHIELD and since you apparently know everything I've ever said you know SHIELD is about protecting the world and by extention, time, reality whatever you want to call it. You have my word, if we can't close the loop some other way, I'll go back to 1956 and do what I have to, but please your honour, let me at least try to fix this in a way to ensure I survive and the timeline is preserved."

Abcde Prescelta has posed:
    A man in a dark suit sits up from one of the seats in the court room and says, "Your honour." The judge looks from Daniel to the other man and gives him a 'what now?' sort of look. "I believe Mr. Sousa's heart is in the right place and he is not pertinent to all the facts. Before you sentence him to reset, might I suggest he could help us with the other problem.. of which he is intimately entangled with."

    The judge sighs for a moment, "Mobius.." There are words on the tip of her tongue, since last time lead to even more disaster. "A tight leash.. no more screw ups." The judge hits her gavel and then shouts out, "Next!"

    The man in the suit has a nice moustache and kind eyes. He points a thumb toward the exit and then offers his hand, "Name's Mobius. If you'd kindly come with me I believe we have a few important things to talk about..."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel's head turns at the sound of the other man's voice, relief flooding through him making him realize just how alone he felt until this moment. Finally, someone seemingly on his side.

Daniel shakes the man's hand giving him a quick once over, the kindness in his eyes is encouraging. "Daniel Sousa," he says, "And please, lead the way." Anywhere had to be better than here and the prospect of being 'reset', whatever that was.

Abcde Prescelta has posed:
    The maze of corridors eventually leads down one with a large open window that looks out upon a repeating fractal of impossible citadel like structures on an infinite plane. Whatever or whereever this place is, it's seemingly infinitely big. "So, I gotta come clean. There's this other guy, you see," Mobius begins explaining as they walk, "Names Klein. When your case first landed on a desk it was his. He thought, you know, I can just get this guy to help me get the other guy, fix this whole thing up. Badda bing badda boom.. jobs done."

    "But you and this Arturo fellow? you're mystically tied at the hip, so to say. We rounded up Arturo and Klein tried to get him to help us capture you next too. Since you're surrounded by all these strong willed people, he figured you'd be hard to get."

    He opens a door for you to walk through and in is an office. Lounge chairs, a desk and chair. It's very spartan besides the coffee table which has a splash of golden trim.

    "So Arturo, first chance he gets, kills Klein and escapes our custody. Now he's off jumping about through time causing all kinds of trouble with the sacred timeline. You being my favourite SHIELD agent, I think to myself," he says and looks you in the eyes as he takes a seat on one of the two couches, "you're just the kind of guy I need to help me take Arturo down."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel is right beside Mobius until they reach the window, when his feet freeze in place and he stares at the impossible scene laid out in front of him. "What is this place?" he asks. "This is amazing." He looks to Mobius. "It's not some screen right? All that," he gestures to the window. "It's real?"

Though as always work comes first, when Mobius lays out the situation, Daniel turns from the window to face him. "Could have saved Klein and told him not to trust Arturo. The guy invented HYDRA, pretty good clue not to trust him... still sorry for your loss, and of course I'll help take Arturo down, we weren't sure what happened to him after the little ritual, but it sounds like the connection still stands?"

Abcde Prescelta has posed:
    "It's real," Mobius says, "This is the TVA. We make sure the proper flow of time flows properly." He smiles and continues on. "Well yes. I figured as much too. HYDRA bad, SHIELD good. Mostly. Some of the time. In most timelines anyway," he says with a bit of a hand waggle.

    "Yeah, the connection. You wanted to go back to your time, close the loop. That's super honourable and brave of you but while-ever you're connected to Arturo, that's just not going to fly. Normally we'd reset you and forget about it all but with him on the loose..."

    He offers his hand to Daniel, "Welcome to the team then. We've got a lot of work to do." He taps a button on his pad and a hologram appears on the wall of a line branching off in several ways. "This is the mess Arturo has made. It's our job to fix these branches and bring them all back to the sacred timeline before any of them reach the red line." Two red lines frame the main line, an outer limit to deviance.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"Impressive," Daniel says of the TVA by the look on his face he's got a million questions but he keeps them in and listens to Mobius as he lays things out. "Most timelines?" he asks of SHIELD. Though as Mobius carries on Daniel listens, "So Arturo is running around through time trying to change the past and if any of those changes hit these red lines they're permanent?" he asks looking over at the man.

Abcde Prescelta has posed:
    "Permanent?" His eyebrows raise and he grabs a bottle of scotch from a cupboard and two tumblers. He pours out two glasses and offers one to Daniel, then takes a sip of his. "No. All of space and time unravel. Well, that's what I've heard any way. It's never happened in all the time I've worked here. We do good work. We kind of have to not get things wrong or else.. pfft.. the end of everything." The stakes couldn't be higher.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel takes the offered drink and raises his glass, "Thanks for the save," he tells him, before smiling wryly. "And that bit about being your favourite SHIELD agent, guessing you were just trying to build rapport?" he doesn't seem upset by it, he knows the business of working with assets.

Though when Mobius explains what the red lines mean he blinks. "Wow," he says with a healthy drink of scotch to follow. "Okay, end of everything... so where do we begin?"

Abcde Prescelta has posed:
    Mobius smiles and points a finger to Daniel, "Okay you got me. One of my favourites. But this version of Daniel Sousa? Definitely my favourite. I was really rooting for you guys, getting back together in the future. Happily ever after, two kids and a dog. The works. I guess it just wasn't meant to be."

    He takes a sip of the whisky and says, "Where do we begin? At the beginning..." and he sets about explaining their next moves.