Aberrant: Quantum Zero - Quantum Zero - Truth & Justice

[Heritage]

Estelle has finally managed to finish off her fourth and last plate of food, and one of her tendrils daintily wipes her mouth with a napkin.

"Oh, I hope the novelty of this all-you-can eat concept wears off fast, because this cannot be healthy."

She burps, actually fairly loudly, and her cheeks go a bit pink as she covers her mouth with her hand.

"Oof, excuse me! My grandma Fran would die if she was here right now; clearly all her hopes of my growing up to be a proper lady have been dashed."

After the new arrivals have introduced themselves, Estelle smiles, nods her head and does a little wave.

"Well, my name is Estelle de Havilland, but you can all call me 'Stelle'; I have a doctorate in organic chemistry from Harvard, but I never seem to use it these days. You may have noticed my hair is, well, very long and shiny, but the craziest part is I can do this-

And now her hair flows straight up, like she was hanging upside down on the monkey bars; she looks up at it with a mixture of fondness and embarrassment.

"It's actually pretty cool, once you get used to it, which I have not."

It separates into four thick tendrils, two of which stretch all the way up to the ceiling, grab onto an exposed ceiling beam, and literally draw her up out of her chair; the other two then twine around her ankles and pull her feet up, until she is firmly attached to the ceiling, waving down at them all.

"Hi guys! Look at me, I'm Tom Cruise!"

She gently lowers herself down, parallel to the ground Mission Impossible-style, until she gets bored with it and drops back into her seat, her hair once more floating around her like a golden patch of seaweed.

"So now I'm a huge showoff with a silly power, but they say I should be able to throw tanks, which I am really looking forward to trying. My hair limbs are also very dexterous; in the clinic, I got to be pretty good at slight of hand, card tricks, even picking pockets!" ::biggrin

[Centimane]

Lorena smiled and said 'hi' both when Saadet introduced herself and when Pyotr appeared and introduced himself. She listened politely to each of the novas as they listed their abilities, and was duly impressed with all of them (and amused by Stelle's).

When it came to her she smiled again and said, 'Actually what I said out there on the field just about summed it up, I'm very strong and very durable, but I suppose there is a little more to it. Basically, I can dramatically increase my own mass, which simultaneously increases both my strength and durability by a phenominal amount, and I can rapidly heal any injuries I sustain. I am told that, when operating at my upper limits, I am one of the strongest novas alive, but I do not know if this is true.'

Aside from that there isn't much to tell. Eruption made me faster, both in mind and body, but not to any superhuman degree. Oh, and before I became a nova I knew only my own native Lithuanian and Russian, but afterwards I found that I could speak both English and German. Strange, but true. But it certanly could have been worse, no?'

[Alex Green]

Jack gets food and tries to look at his female teammates without quite ogling them. He personally was really good looking by baseline standards and always had been, but some of these went beyond that. Obviously he was on the right team.

A prickle runs across the skins of the several of the novas present in the room as a translucent silver sillouette whispers itself into existence and pulls back a free chair. The ephemeral figure is definitely male, rail-thin and very tall, and, as it moves to sit becomes increasingly more defined...

Jack thinks, *Hello, who is this?*

...he turns to the rest of those assembled (displaying eyes so washed out at the pale blue irises are almost invisible) and speaks - his voice deep and strongly russian accented, "Hi! I am Pyotr Ivanov, and I am wery much looking forward to being a hero with you, my new Team Tomorrow friends and comerades! Oh, I am also called Haunt, but don't be afraid, I am nice really!"

Jack smoothly moves over and says charmingly,

"Greetings! I'm Jack Davidson, call me Bridger.”

The two men make quite a contrast next to each other, Pyotr’s colorlessness next to Jack’s good looking red hair.

After Ivan sits down to a friendly pat on the shoulder from Shaun, the doctor looks around at the rest of the table. "Our young new friend here has inspired me to ask what will hopefully not be too indelicate a question, but one I imagine we should really all share at some point. What, specifically, are our unique abilities? I recognize that some of us shared a bit with the charming Master Sergeant Dixon, but I fear such a public setting may have caused some abbreviation in those descriptions."

Jack listens to the Doctor talk about how smart he is, and wonders if this is going to be a repeat of high school… on the other hand if true it wasn’t the smart ones that got the girls.

"Harald here. That's with two A's."

""Oh, and I can talk to animals," he adds, seeming a little embarassed. "And plants. Don't ask me about what."

Jack says, ”Interesting.”

"Well, my name is Estelle de Havilland, but you can all call me 'Stelle'; I have a doctorate in organic chemistry from Harvard, but I never seem to use it these days. You may have noticed my hair is, well, very long and shiny, but the craziest part is I can do this-

"Hi guys! Look at me, I'm Tom Cruise!"

Jack, amused and impressed, claps out loud.

When it came to her she smiled again and said, '...Oh, and before I became a nova I knew only my own native Lithuanian and Russian, but afterwards I found that I could speak both English and German. Strange, but true. But it certainly could have been worse, no?'

Jack nods and says,

"I guess it's my turn. Mostly it’s like I said on the field, warping is most of it. The skills thing can be useful though. I’m not nova level in anything but I’m a modestly talented doctor, nurse, pilot, French major, Eagle Scout, weekend warrior, and hairdresser. I speak several Scandinavian languages and know how to run a small business. Jack of trades.”

“Maybe most importantly I’d like to sent up mental bridges to each of you over the next few days. It’s like an invisible quantum cell phone which can’t be intercepted or hacked into. It already side steps Angel’s muteness, it’d also let Haunt talk and be talked to while he invisible, etc. It’d also let me make warps where you are to bring you in or take the rest of us where you are. Otherwise, well, warping blind can be entertaining but it’s not a good thing in a crisis.”

[Expendable]

“Maybe most importantly I’d like to sent up mental bridges to each of you over the next few days. It’s like an invisible quantum cell phone which can’t be intercepted or hacked into. It already side steps Angel’s muteness, it’d also let Haunt talk and be talked to while he invisible, etc. It’d also let me make warps where you are to bring you in or take the rest of us where you are. Otherwise, well, warping blind can be entertaining but it’s not a good thing in a crisis.”

*I'm next in queue?* Angel passed on to Alex. She shrugged, putting down her fork as she looked at him and then down the table. She stretched out her wings wide, then folded them back up on her back.

*I can fly, even without my wings. But they do let me glide,* she adds, a relaxed smile coming to her face. *I can breathe fire, pull out a sword and heal with a kiss. And I can make people relax. That's all I know for sure.*

[Asbjørn]

"So now I'm a huge showoff with a silly power, but they say I should be able to throw tanks, which I am really looking forward to trying. My hair limbs are also very dexterous; in the clinic, I got to be pretty good at slight of hand, card tricks, even picking pockets!" ::biggrin

Impressed with the display Harald grins and toasts her antics in orange juice. "But..." he adds, "...I'll bet you a month's pay you're gonna have trouble with the porn industry. I hope you copyrighted that hair..." ::wink

Jack says, ”Interesting.”

Harald frowns a little, not sure if Jack's joking or not.

"I guess it's my turn. Mostly it’s like I said on the field, warping is most of it. The skills thing can be useful though. I’m not nova level in anything but I’m a modestly talented doctor, nurse, pilot, French major, Eagle Scout, weekend warrior, and hairdresser. I speak several Scandinavian languages and know how to run a small business. Jack of trades.”

The Norwegian bursts out laughing, raising an eyebrow. "Several Scandinavian languages? Who the hell needs to speak several Scandinavian languages..?" ::biggrin

“Maybe most importantly I’d like to sent up mental bridges to each of you over the next few days. It’s like an invisible quantum cell phone which can’t be intercepted or hacked into. It already side steps Angel’s muteness, it’d also let Haunt talk and be talked to while he invisible, etc. It’d also let me make warps where you are to bring you in or take the rest of us where you are. Otherwise, well, warping blind can be entertaining but it’s not a good thing in a crisis.”

"Hmm.... Sounds smart, I'll give you that... But isn't that the kind of thing Thorn should have a say in?"

[Alex Green]

"Hmm.... Sounds smart, I'll give you that... But isn't that the kind of thing Thorn should have a say in?"

Jack with a winning grin,

"I suspect we're supposed to show initiative. And the tactical advantages are huge. The team could be spread out, hidden, or even silent... and still have the advantage of complicated communication. If Angel were in New York I'd still be able to tell you that she says the following..."

(Angel says) *I can fly, even without my wings. But they do let me glide,* she adds, a relaxed smile coming to her face. *I can breathe fire, pull out a sword and heal with a kiss. And I can make people relax. That's all I know for sure.*

Jack adds,

"And if you were in Paris I'd be able to relay it to you with the bridge. And if you were in Paris and needed a healing kiss; I'd be able to Warp to New York, pick her up, then Warp to Paris and get you."

"Without the bridge she's in a hotel in New York that I've never been to and you're in a hotel in Paris that I've never been to, so even if all three of us know exactly what's going on we're still on our own."

Jack wraps that up with a charismatic grin.

[Heritage]

Stelle is suitibly impressed when Jack describes his powers.

"Wow, that will be incredibly useful once we start going on actual missions."

She then turns to Lori and Pytor, thoughtfully stroking her chin with a slender golden 'finger'.

"This is actually pretty interesting: we now have three novas on the team who speak fluent Russian."

The blonde American shrugs and smiles.

"Well, I guess we know who they're going to send in if there's trouble in Minsk. By the way, if you two ever need anything to read, I collect early edition Russian novels; the really rare stuff is mostly in storage, but I have some beautiful third and fourth editions by Tolstoy, Gogol and Pushkin if you ever get bored out here."

[knave]

{estelle}

Estelle has finally managed to finish off her fourth and last plate of food, and one of her tendrils daintily wipes her mouth with a napkin.

"Oh, I hope the novelty of this all-you-can eat concept wears off fast, because this cannot be healthy."

She burps, actually fairly loudly, and her cheeks go a bit pink as she covers her mouth with her hand.

::biggrin

*kool*

After the new arrivals have introduced themselves, Estelle smiles, nods her head and does a little wave.

Pyotr waves back. ::smile

It separates into four thick tendrils, two of which stretch all the way up to the ceiling, grab onto an exposed ceiling beam, and literally draw her up out of her chair; the other two then twine around her ankles and pull her feet up, until she is firmly attached to the ceiling, waving down at them all.

"Hi guys! Look at me, I'm Tom Cruise!"

She gently lowers herself down, parallel to the ground Mission Impossible-style, until she gets bored with it and drops back into her seat, her hair once more floating around her like a golden patch of seaweed.

"So now I'm a huge showoff with a silly power, but they say I should be able to throw tanks, which I am really looking forward to trying. My hair limbs are also very dexterous; in the clinic, I got to be pretty good at slight of hand, card tricks, even picking pockets!"

"Kool! ::biggrin

{Lorena}

'Actually what I said out there on the field just about summed it up, I'm very strong and very durable, but I suppose there is a little more to it. Basically, I can dramatically increase my own mass, which simultaneously increases both my strength and durability by a phenominal amount, and I can rapidly heal any injuries I sustain. I am told that, when operating at my upper limits, I am one of the strongest novas alive, but I do not know if this is true.'

Aside from that there isn't much to tell. Eruption made me faster, both in mind and body, but not to any superhuman degree. Oh, and before I became a nova I knew only my own native Lithuanian and Russian, but afterwards I found that I could speak both English and German. Strange, but true. But it certanly could have been worse, no?'

"Sounds to me like you get good deal! I did not learn languages during my Eruption... I was in coma for four years, and no languages. Maybe I should send back?" ::indifferent ::tongue

"I do not think Rashoud clinics would be wrong about such things. Maybe you wrestle with Dark Matter destroyer if he is ok after bomb? I check later for you. No problem."

Pyotr smiles gently and nods attentively and possibly ever so slightly over-eagerly as the team describes their powers.

{Jack}

"I guess it's my turn. Mostly it’s like I said on the field, warping is most of it. The skills thing can be useful though. I’m not nova level in anything but I’m a modestly talented doctor, nurse, pilot, French major, Eagle Scout, weekend warrior, and hairdresser. I speak several Scandinavian languages and know how to run a small business. Jack of trades.”

“Maybe most importantly I’d like to sent up mental bridges to each of you over the next few days. It’s like an invisible quantum cell phone which can’t be intercepted or hacked into. It already side steps Angel’s muteness, it’d also let Haunt talk and be talked to while he invisible, etc. It’d also let me make warps where you are to bring you in or take the rest of us where you are. Otherwise, well, warping blind can be entertaining but it’s not a good thing in a crisis.

::blink "Da. No, Jack - you have good power, but you misunderstand. I do not become invisible. I have astral body that is invisible and can go very fast like... like Cestus Pax with tummy bug. ::indifferent Only people see me when I speak to them or move things while I am in astral body. I can also do backwards - I can move real body to astral body, but I can not bring anyone with me. Perhaps I travel and you come to me with warp? We practice this maybe?"

*I'm next in queue?* Angel passed on to Alex. She shrugged, putting down her fork as she looked at him and then down the table. She stretched out her wings wide, then folded them back up on her back.

*I can fly, even without my wings. But they do let me glide,* she adds, a relaxed smile coming to her face. *I can breathe fire, pull out a sword and heal with a kiss. And I can make people relax. That's all I know for sure.*

::ohmy Pyotr smiles across gently toward Angel - she (and only she) catches a momentary flicker as a silver form crosses the space between them at the speed of thought, and then gently touches her at the temples and whispers into her mind **You speak to me also. If you want. And maybe you show me where you pull sword out of? ::tongue **

{harald}

Impressed with the display Harald grins and toasts her antics in orange juice. "But..." he adds, "...I'll bet you a month's pay you're gonna have trouble with the porn industry. I hope you copyrighted that hair..." wink.gif

::biggrin and much glancing between the two.

The Norwegian bursts out laughing, raising an eyebrow. "Several Scandinavian languages? Who the hell needs to speak several Scandinavian languages..?" biggrin.gif

::biggrin

"Hmm.... Sounds smart, I'll give you that... But isn't that the kind of thing Thorn should have a say in?"

"Thorn is smart, and was in army - I have read his Nova file! He must use for good tactics, or what is point?"

{Stelle}

She then turns to Lori and Pytor, thoughtfully stroking her chin with a slender golden 'finger'.

"This is actually pretty interesting: we now have three novas on the team who speak fluent Russian."

The blonde American shrugs and smiles.

"Well, I guess we know who they're going to send in if there's trouble in Minsk. By the way, if you two ever need anything to read, I collect early edition Russian novels; the really rare stuff is mostly in storage, but I have some beautiful third and fourth editions by Tolstoy, Gogol and Pushkin if you ever get bored out here."

::biggrin "Yes I would like to borrow. I have some Gygax if you like."

*God I hope she does not have Battleship Ptomkin.*

[Prince of Boredom]

Saadet looks up from her toast, and, noticing the lull in the conversation, wipes a bit of strawberry jam and nods to the others, "Well, like I said before, I'm Saadet... it's Turkish. I'm from Mersin, a small city on the Mediterranean coast."

Running a quick hand through her curly hair that is still being blown back by the phantom breeze that seems to follow her, she continues, "uhm, like I said before, I can basically control wind. They tell me I can do just about anything with it, but I've been practicing most on using the wind to carry me, basically fly, I guess and make sort of a wind shield, and shoot blasts of air."

Glancing in Jack s general direction she smiles, "Look, it's nothing personal, but I don't really know you, and I'm not really a fan of letting people into my head. We all just met, so how am I supposed to trust you that you can only hear what I want you to hear? I'd prefer to wait until our superiors here tell us it's safe..."

[Expendable]

::ohmy Pyotr smiles across gently toward Angel - she (and only she) catches a momentary flicker as a silver form crosses the space between them at the speed of thought, and then gently touches her at the temples and whispers into her mind **You speak to me also. If you want. And maybe you show me where you pull sword out of? ::tongue **

Angel stares at Pyotr for a long moment, then slowly touches her temple in the same place she 'felt' his touch. Was he a telepath? Was that his astral form that came at her?

She glanced down the table at the others but they seemed to not have noticed. Turning back to her plate, she continued eating mechanically, glancing down the table when someone spoke. When she noticed her plate was empty, she got up and fetched some fruit, bangers and pastries along with a hot mug of tea, blonde and sweet. This she also consumed doggedly. All too soon they'd be in their first lecture - and maybe her last.

[Alex Green]

Stelle is suitibly impressed when Jack describes his powers.

"Wow, that will be incredibly useful once we start going on actual missions."

Jack says, "Thank you." ::blush

{Jack}

::blink "Da. No, Jack - you have good power, but you misunderstand. I do not become invisible. I have astral body that is invisible and can go very fast like... like Cestus Pax with tummy bug. ::indifferent Only people see me when I speak to them or move things while I am in astral body. I can also do backwards - I can move real body to astral body, but I can not bring anyone with me. Perhaps I travel and you come to me with warp? We practice this maybe?"

Jack says, "Sure." ::confused

Glancing in Jack s general direction she smiles, "Look, it's nothing personal, but I don't really know you, and I'm not really a fan of letting people into my head. We all just met, so how am I supposed to trust you that you can only hear what I want you to hear? I'd prefer to wait until our superiors here tell us it's safe..."

Jack holds up his hands charmingly and says,

"Fair enough. The juice needed to set this up is huge, it's like two warps. This will take days to set up. But just to make things clear, while it based on telepathy, that's the technology, not the effect. Just like you can't get electrocuted by a double "A" battery, I'm never going to get into your head with this. Not just don't want to, can't. It's a quantum powered cell phone."

[Heritage]

{Stelle}

::biggrin "Yes I would like to borrow. I have some Gygax if you like."

*God I hope she does not have Battleship Ptomkin.*

Stelle frowns prettily.

"Hmm, I'm not familiar with him - is he Ukranian?"

When Jack addresses Sadaat's concerns, she chuckles.

"Well, thanks to me, all of my family's secrets have already been aired in public, but discretion is still a good idea. Oh and Harald, I don't want you to think I missed your comment about copyright infringement, which is a very legitimate concern; in fact, a few titles have actually come to mind we might want to keep an eye out for: 'Rape of the Locks', 'Hair of the Doggie Style', 'On Human Blondage'. We should probably work on a list."

She's trying to keep her tone and expression serious, but it's obviously a losing battle ::indifferent ::tongue ::biggrin

[archer]

Shaun listens and observes as everyone makes their introductions and describes their powers. As Haunt's mental voice slips inside his mind, there's a brief sense of surprise from the doctor before he responds in kind.

*Between just the two of us, I'm concerned that our superiors will want to keep me in a support role. Providing tactical analysis and suggestions, scientific and engineering information and problem-solving, and keeping me cooped up in the laboratory building whatever devices they see a need for. There is a price to be paid for being brilliant and physically fragile(as novas go).*

As conversation continues, Shaun calmly eats his own food. Having selected a variety and amount equal to any of the others, he's content to enjoy his massive meal and nearly two pots of tea as Estelle adds her own banter about hair-based pornography. Still, he can't help hiding a smile behind the rim of his cup at her light-hearted attitude and unique humor.

[Asbjørn]

"Oh and Harald, I don't want you to think I missed your comment about copyright infringement, which is a very legitimate concern; in fact, a few titles have actually come to mind we might want to keep an eye out for: 'Rape of the Locks', 'Hair of the Doggie Style', 'On Human Blondage'. We should probably work on a list."

She's trying to keep her tone and expression serious, but it's obviously a losing battle ::indifferent ::tongue ::biggrin

"Actually...", Harald grins, "I was thinking more of your likeness than infringing titles, but you're right, of course." His grey eyes shine like sunlight through clouds as he adds, his tone deadpan and serious. "I hereby volunteer for that committee..."

Meeting Stelle's eyes the Norwegian bursts out laughing. ::biggrin "Sounds like a lot of late nights..."

[knave]

{note guys - I'm using ** for mental communications and single * for private thoughts. It's probably worth establishing something like that with this many telepaths}

Stelle frowns prettily.

"Hmm, I'm not familiar with him - is he Ukranian?"

::blink *Maybe not first pick for T2M gaming group...*

"No, I think he maybe American. Is quite famous in certain places."

*Between just the two of us, I'm concerned that our superiors will want to keep me in a support role. Providing tactical analysis and suggestions, scientific and engineering information and problem-solving, and keeping me cooped up in the laboratory building whatever devices they see a need for. There is a price to be paid for being brilliant and physically fragile(as novas go).*

**You and me both my friend. Except I am not so tactical or analytical maybe. I am more reconnaissance and maybe infiltration. Probably we work together, yes?**

When Jack addresses Sadaat's concerns, she chuckles.

"Well, thanks to me, all of my family's secrets have already been aired in public, but discretion is still a good idea. Oh and Harald, I don't want you to think I missed your comment about copyright infringement, which is a very legitimate concern; in fact, a few titles have actually come to mind we might want to keep an eye out for: 'Rape of the Locks', 'Hair of the Doggie Style', 'On Human Blondage'. We should probably work on a list."

She's trying to keep her tone and expression serious, but it's obviously a losing battle ::indifferent ::tongue ::biggrin

::blink "Don't blame it on the bushy nova, maybe?" ::biggrin

[Centimane]

Jack holds up his hands charmingly and says,

"Fair enough. The juice needed to set this up is huge, it's like two warps. This will take days to set up. But just to make things clear, while it based on telepathy, that's the technology, not the effect. Just like you can't get electrocuted by a double "A" battery, I'm never going to get into your head with this. Not just don't want to, can't. It's a quantum powered cell phone."

While Stelle and Harald joked about copyright infringements, Lorena approached Jack and said, 'I have no problems with giving your 'quantum cell phone' a try if you're willing to let me. It sounds very useful to me. Anytime you're ready to... well, do whatever it is you do to get it working... ::blush , just let me know.'

'And I appreciate your willingness to operate as our psychic 'switch board', especially since it's so draining on you. Thank you.'

[Alex Green]

Lorena approached Jack and said, 'I have no problems with giving your 'quantum cell phone' a try if you're willing to let me. It sounds very useful to me. Anytime you're ready to... well, do whatever it is you do to get it working... ::blush , just let me know.'

'And I appreciate your willingness to operate as our psychic 'switch board', especially since it's so draining on you. Thank you.'

Jack reaches forward and touches Lorena's... shoulder.

{Establish Link}

*Testing… You’re very welcome.*

[Centimane]

Jack reaches forward and touches Lorena's... shoulder.

{Establish Link}

*Testing… You’re very welcome.*

'Oh! I can hear you! That was easy.', said Lorena. Then she realized she was still talking out loud and sent, *Can you hear me? This is wild!*

[knave]

Haunt nods enthusiastically - as if Bridger were handing out cookies.

"Sure, you try me too?"

[Alex Green]

'Oh! I can hear you! That was easy.', said Lorena. Then she realized she was still talking out loud and sent, *Can you hear me? This is wild!*

(With an overtone of good humor) *I can hear you fine. And if you want privacy, just will it and the link will break.*

Haunt nods enthusiastically - as if Bridger were handing out cookies.

"Sure, you try me too?"

Jack says,

"Let's do it."

{Establish Link}

*How are you doing?*

(Jack is starting to look tired).

[knave]

(With an overtone of good humor) *I can hear you fine. And if you want privacy, just will it and the link will break.*

Jack says,

"Let's do it."

{Establish Link}

*How are you doing?*

(Jack is starting to look tired).

**Yes, that is good. Tickles a bit...** ::biggrin

[Heritage]

"Actually...", Harald grins, "I was thinking more of your likeness than infringing titles, but you're right, of course." His grey eyes shine like sunlight through clouds as he adds, his tone deadpan and serious. "I hereby volunteer for that committee..."

Meeting Stelle's eyes the Norwegian bursts out laughing. ::biggrin "Sounds like a lot of late nights..."

Stelle finally breaks down and doubles over; her true unrestrained laugh is loud and comes deep from her belly, even producing a few unladylike snorts. At last she manages to catch her breath, dabbing her eyes with a napkin.

"Wow, it feels like I haven't had a good laugh in years! Ha-huh! Thanks for that."

"No, I think he maybe American. Is quite famous in certain places."

The beautiful blond nova is still grinning at Harald like an idiot when the Russian's reply finally sinks in, and she shakes her head, sending golden ripples cascading down to the floor.

"I'm sorry, what? I mean, sure, I always like to discover new writers; I'd love to read whatever you have."

Stelle looks back to Harald and raises her eyebrows just a smidgen.

"After all, it's one of the things that makes life worth living." ::wink

::blink "Don't blame it on the bushy nova, maybe?" ::biggrin

Unfortunately for Stelle, she has a big mouthful of orange juice when Haunt makes his cheerful suggestion; in an flash, a hair limb clamps around her mouth mere seconds before a major citrus explosion sprays the entire table - once again, nova powers have saved the day! Instead her eyes tear up and her face goes deep red as the mother of all laughing fits is barely contained; just before she chokes to death, Stelle releases herself and nearly falls out of her chair, clutching her sides she's laughing so hard.

"Oh god! Oh god, it hurts! Oh god!" ::laugh

She finally manages to pull herself together, and instinctively pulls a small mirror out of her eufiber to check her make-up.

"Oh dear lord, you guys are dangerous! Look at me, I'm redder than a stoplight."

She dabs at her mascara with a napkin.

"Well, I might be a bit late for Mr. Hunter's class, because this will take some fixing. And we all have to look our best on the first day of class, right kids?" ::rolleyes

When Lori and Haunt get 'connected', Gossamer looks vaguely troubled, but much more so once she notes Jack starting to look a bit peaked; two of her tendrils instinctively slide out and gently support his shoulders.

"Hey, you know what, we've got a long day of boring classes ahead of us; maybe we should wait until after lunch to play 'operator', okay?"

She leans over to him and rests a hand on the table, her deep hazel eyes large with concern.

"Are you okay, Jack? Do you need a breather, or some water?" ::unsure

[Alex Green]

Gossamer looks vaguely troubled, but much more so once she notes Jack starting to look a bit peaked; two of her tendrils instinctively slide out and gently support his shoulders.

"Hey, you know what, we've got a long day of boring classes ahead of us; maybe we should wait until after lunch to play 'operator', okay?"

She leans over to him and rests a hand on the table, her deep hazel eyes large with concern.

"Are you okay, Jack? Do you need a breather, or some water?" ::unsure

Jack looks appreciative in his eyes but says,

"Thank you Gossamer, but I'll be ok. I'm just burning through a lot of juice here. The bridge doesn't cost juice after it's set up, works for thousands of miles, is easy to use, is undetectable, and transcends languages... but it's a lot of work to set up. It's like a double warp."

[Asbjørn]

After the laughing fit ends, and Stelle suddenly is more concerned with Jack than the various dangers of life in the public eye, Harald returns to his food. Seeing that the American seems ok, he leans closer to Shaun and asks in a low voice to not interrupt Stelle and Jack:

"Juice? Warp? Do you know what he's talking about?"

[archer]

After the laughing fit ends, and Stelle suddenly is more concerned with Jack than the various dangers of life in the public eye, Harald returns to his food. Seeing that the American seems ok, he leans closer to Shaun and asks in a low voice to not interrupt Stelle and Jack:

"Juice? Warp? Do you know what he's talking about?"

Smiling a little, Shaun leans forward as well and speaks softly. "The American dialect is rather unique, isn't it? I believe he is using the term 'juice' to refer to his personal stores of quantum energies. As for 'warp'...well, it's a horribly misused term to describe opening a gateway or portal between two points, by a nova with that ability. The much-missed 'Slider' was well-known for the activity; I imagine you've seen footage of her in action before. If not, I'll be happy to show you later."

[ProfPotts]

Two hours later...

'So, h'in conclusion,' Hunter continues, pacing back & forth across the small stage of the castle's auditorium, the image on the video screen behind him matching the last page in the (thick) folder of public relations 'dos & don'ts' (mostly 'don'ts') which each of the new Nova recruits has in front of them, 'no pretendin' to be gods, no tellin' folks you 'alf-inch their bacon rinds, no claimin' to be th' second bleedin' comin' of Slider, no buildin' Quantum Derry & Toms, & strictly no slaggin' off the Project, got it?'

The Londoner pauses for a moment to take another drag of what must be his fiftieth roll-up cigarette of the session. With shirt-sleeves rolled up, tie loose, & top bottons undone he manages to appear even scruffier than he had before the Novas had gone off to breakfast - but, brutally to the point though it was, his presentation on the basics of Team Tomorrow public relations has been complete & informative, full of dire warnings about the cynical underhandedness of the world's media, & the fact that the Novas now represent something much bigger than themselves: Project Utopia (& that the livelihoods of a lot of people, himself included, depended on the Novas not, 'Makin' a bleedin' pig's ear of it all!').

Eyes scanning over the assembled Eufiber-clad hardbodies arrayed in front of him Hunter can't help grinning as he (yet again) leers at the female members of the team... although the more observant note that his leer turns to a rather guilty look as he glances at Angel, right before he turns away & coughs before continuing,

'Right... ah... Anyhow, you've all got h'appointments wif' Novation over the next bubble 'n' squeak to get scanned for your dolls... sorry, "h'action figures"... pistol 'n' shooter games, comics & stuff; but the Mae West publicity is from gettin' h'out there & doin' stuff - which brings h'us to your first dog's knob... Doc?'

Having quietly entered the auditorium ten or so minutes ago Doctor Morgan appears slightly flustered as she makes her way to the stage & Hunter takes a seat in the front row. Adjusting her large glasses the good Doctor keeps her eyes firmly on the lecturn & her notes as the video screen behind her changes to show a map,

'Right...' Doctor Morgan begins, clearing her throat a few times, '... ah... thankyou, Mister Hunter... This is, of course, Bosnia...'

... The video image zooms in until it's an aerial view of what appears to be the gutted remains of a small town somewhere in forested mountains in a rather remote part of the country...

'... & this is the town... or rather, former town... of "Kovaci" - a name it shares with many other places in the region. This Kovaci was destroyed & abandoned during the war, & has been left in that state ever since. As part of the Project's ongoing efforts to rebuild the infrastructure of the country we'd like you to rebuild the town.'

Finally glancing up at the Novas the good Doctor adjusts her glasses again, the adds,

'Obviously Doctor Impossible will be in charge of field operations & planning, but you'll all have your parts to play. You have authority to use the resources available in the area - anything you can salvage from the destroyed town, as well as the region's abundant timber & the like, but it's likely that you'll need additional materials as well. The Project database contains lists of companies across Europe which have the sort of resources you could use, but it'll be up to you to persuade them to donate those resources - the aim of this mission is to rebuild the town at zero or minimal cost, highlighting how Novas like yourselves can, & do, aid humanity. Mister Hunter,' she glances at the Londerer before continuing, 'suggested that we leave the gathering of materials to you in this way as a... "test" if you will... of your public relations skills...'

Hunter's grin is smug indeed... ::biggrin

'The town's ecomony before the war,' Morgan continues, 'was based on timber, but we leave it up to you on how you want to rebuild - there are certain criteria, of course, which you should aim to achieve: a minimum size of population the town will be able to support, school & hospital facilities, clean drinking water, etc. - but we're confident that Doctor Impossible will live up to his reputation & design something which meets all such requirements. We're hoping that this project will be a positive example to the world of Nova aid... much needed after the recent activities in Chad... as well as a strong contribution to the revitalisation of the area. We're also hoping that you finish in under a week...'

Glancing rather nervously around the assembled Novas Doctor Morgan asks,

'Any questions?'

[knave]

Glancing rather nervously around the assembled Novas Doctor Morgan asks,

'Any questions?'

Haunt has been alternatively raising his pale white brows, scratching slowly at his temple and grinning during Hunter's soliloquy.

Now he slowly, and with some trepidation raises a pale hand. At a nod from the Doctor he begins.

"I have two questions. First, can we maybe get translator?" ::unsure

"Second question: if we get doll, can we send home to our mothers so she can show to friends when we fix town?"

[SkyLion]

Somewhere high in the French Alps...

Arielle checked her iphone again. The HR people at Utopia had woken her up at 3 in the morning to let her know she had been officially accepted into the new Team Tommorow Auxillary! She had been so excited there was no way she could go back to sleep, so she had busied herself with getting everything packed and ready to go.

*Sigh*

That was hours ago, and the morning was quickly passing her by. She looked outside the lodge window.

*Damn Blizzard!* Not only was it delaying her transport but it meant she couldn't even enjoy the slopes one last time before she left. Zero visibility they had said. What about Warp Transport? No, they said...all their warpers were tied up in evac or food supply missions.

*Sigh*

*I had better be careful about my mood,* she thought. Ever since her eruption, the people around her had a tendency to mirror whatever she was feeling...with her personality that was usually a good thing and no doubt one of the reasons Utopia had selected her, but when she was in a bummer headspace it could be a real downer. She smiled her best at the ski lodge concierge, hoping it would instill some positive vibes for all his helpfulness.

Glancing out the window one more time, her restlessness finally broke through. This was silly! It could be hours before this storm broke and patience was never her strong suit.

*I'm a Nova now...best start thinking like one! Time to take matters into my own hands.*

She paced over to the concierge. "Excuse moi Monsieur. I cannot wait any longer...will you please make sure my bags..." She glanced over to her gathered luggage and precious laser crafted snowboard, "...are delivered promptly to this address when this strorm breaks?" She handed him the card the Utopian recruiting agent had given her.

"Oui Maddam, but you mustn't go outside in such terrible weather..."

"Don't worry about me..." She flashed him her most endearing and mischevious smile. "There are always clear skies above the clouds..."

"Merci!" She turned quickly and exited the door, the biting cold whipping around her in a mighty gust.

Drawing her fur hood tightly up about her and pulling her mask up and goggles down, Arielle turned her concentration inward, focusing on the warm light inside her mind. Opening the channels she focused her will, allowing raw quantum energy to flow through her body, infusing her with that warmth.

Inside, the concierge dropped his jaw as the cute snowboarder girl began to glow with a brilliant golden-white light that scintillated upon millions of snowflakes before shooting skyward like a golden flare.

Arielle had an appointment to make...

A few hours later...

The door to the meeting hall opens to admit the newest recruit to Team Tommorow Europe's auxillary. She is medium height, blonde haired, with a sporty athletic build...in fact she somewhat oddly seems to be dressed for extreme cold weather. And while she doesn't share the endowments of certain other team members, she emanates a vivacity that lights up the room. She enters, looking a little embarrased but still beaming and the other's can't help but feel a little warm tickle resonate inside themselves.

"H-Hi..." ::blush she begins, blushing sheepishly. Her voice carries the pleasant lilt of a soft French accent. "...So sorry I am late...bad weather delayed my plane so I just flew over by myself." She walks over to her new teammates and finds the first seat available next to one of the handsome men. Whomever it happens to be gets a friendly and flirty smile.

"Alo! I am Arielle. Pleased to meet you.." ::happy

(say Are-ee-ehl)

[Heritage]

"I have two questions. First, can we maybe get translator?" ::unsure

"Second question: if we get doll, can we send home to our mothers so she can show to friends when we fix town?"

In response to Haunt's first question, Gossamer nods thoughtfully as she continues to take detailed notes in her stenographer's pad; when he asks his second question, she slowly leans forward until her forehead is pressing against the desk, and slight tremors shake her shoulders. With a sharp intake of breath, her head snaps up, and she's all business again as she returns to her notes; after a moment, a gold tendril rises up as she continues working, her eyes occasionally flicking up to the podium.

"Yes, one other issue. Is the Bosnian government expecting us? And how do we handle visas or entry restictions if we fly or warp over; do we have to go through airport customs first?"

When the newcomer arrives, Stelle looks up and turns to greet her with a warm smile and a wave from a shimmering golden psuedopod.

[Centimane]

"I have two questions. First, can we maybe get translator?"

"Second question: if we get doll, can we send home to our mothers so she can show to friends when we fix town?"

After hearing Haunt's second question, Lorena giggled briefly, but she put one hand to her mouth and seemed to get a hold of herself before raising her other hand and saying, 'I speak Russian. I'd be happy to translate for him, if that's ok.'

Turning to Haunt she says, in Russian, 'I'm sorry, I should have thought to ask you about that before now. I'd be happy to help with tranlating things for you.'

[knave]

After hearing Haunt's second question, Lorena giggled briefly, but she put one hand to her mouth and seemed to get a hold of herself before raising her other hand and saying, 'I speak Russian. I'd be happy to translate for him, if that's ok.'

Turning to Haunt she says, in Russian, 'I'm sorry, I should have thought to ask you about that before now. I'd be happy to help with tranlating things for you.'

::blink

"Da, that would be excellent. It's just that I thought bubble and squeak was a famous British delicacy?"

She walks over to her new teammates and finds the first seat available next to one of the handsome men. Whomever it happens to be gets a friendly and flirty smile.

"Alo! I am Arielle. Pleased to meet you.." ::happy

Haunt smiles happily as he watches the new recruit arrive, and waves a friendly (i.e. only slightly sinister) greeting to her from across whichever of the handsome men she chooses to sit next to. ::biggrin and introduces himself.

[Centimane]

"Da, that would be excellent. It's just that I thought bubble and squeak was a famous British delicacy?"

::confused

::unsure ::ohmy

::blush 'Ah... I see. I thought you meant for English in general. I'm very sorry! How embarrassing...'

Leaning in closer, she whispered, 'I don't know what he's saying either, but it does sound deceptively like English, doesn't it? If you find someone who does understand what he says, let me know ok?'

As Lorena turned away she could be heard to mutter in (what was probably) Lithuanian under her breath, her cheeks still a noticeable shade of red.

[Expendable]

Angel nodded quietly. No pretending to be gods, no threatening people's jobs, no building quantum bombs and no bad-mouthing Project Utopia.

Hunter's leer made her blush slightly. Before, she might have flashed him a look back. But now....

She wasn't looking forward to meeting the marketing people. They'd want to touch her wings, take measurements.... Didn't Utopia have all that already?

But the job sounded interesting. Rebuilding a town.

*Jack?* she sent, glancing towards him. *Could you ask her when we're suppose to leave for this and what will we be bringing with us?*

[archer]

'Any questions?'

Scratching notes onto his own pad(already covered with tidbits gleaned from Hunter's presentation), Shaun looks up, opening his mouth just as Pyotr speaks. Grinning at the Russian nova's questions and Gossamer's reaction, he waits patiently as she gathers herself to be serious.

"Yes, one other issue. Is the Bosnian government expecting us? And how do we handle visas or entry restictions if we fly or warp over; do we have to go through airport customs first?"

One eyebrow creeps upward slightly in surprise before he can stop it. *Interesting. A very politically minded question, though she should have paid a bit more attention.*

Tapping his pen on the table in a seemingly nervous gesture, Beckett glanced around at the others before meeting Morgan's eyes directly.

"There are, of course, some specifics that I will need before I will be able to conceive a suitable design. Both Haunt and Gossamer's questions are valid too. Will we need to acquire our own translator, or will one be provided? My Serbo-Croatian is a bit rusty, I'm afraid." He smiles self-deprecatingly.

Eyes sliding very quickly to catch Estelle's before moving back to lock on Doctor Morgan, he continues in a questioning tone meant to alleviate any sting. "May I assume that since this part of an ongoing rebuild effort, the government will already be expecting us, and that T2M has arranged proper paperwork and transportation?"

[Heritage]

Eyes sliding very quickly to catch Estelle's before moving back to lock on Doctor Morgan, he continues in a questioning tone meant to alleviate any sting. "May I assume that since this part of an ongoing rebuild effort, the government will already be expecting us, and that T2M has arranged proper paperwork and transportation?"

Estelle turns to Shaun, squinting her eyes in mock-anger, and quietly shakes her fist in the universal 'I'll get you rotten kids" gesture, before smiling and facing front ::rolleyes

[Alex Green]

"H-Hi..." ::blush she begins, blushing sheepishly. Her voice carries the pleasant lilt of a soft French accent. "...So sorry I am late...bad weather delayed my plane so I just flew over by myself." She walks over to her new teammates and finds the first seat available next to one of the handsome men. Whomever it happens to be gets a friendly and flirty smile.

"Alo! I am Arielle. Pleased to meet you.." ::happy

Jack immediately stands, gives a welcoming smile and says,

"Arielle, pleased to meet you. I'm Jack."

But the job sounded interesting. Rebuilding a town.

*Jack?* she sent, glancing towards him. *Could you ask her when we're suppose to leave for this and what will we be bringing with us?*

Jack nods and says,

"Angel has a pair... of questions. When are we supposed to leave and what will we be bringing with us?"

[archer]

,,

A few hours later...

"H-Hi..." ::blush she begins, blushing sheepishly. Her voice carries the pleasant lilt of a soft French accent. "...So sorry I am late...bad weather delayed my plane so I just flew over by myself." She walks over to her new teammates and finds the first seat available next to one of the handsome men. Whomever it happens to be gets a friendly and flirty smile.

"Alo! I am Arielle. Pleased to meet you.." ::happy

(say Are-ee-ehl)

Smiling in welcome as she takes a seat next to him, Shaun extends his hand. "Hello, lass. You're just in time for our mission briefing. I'm Doctor Beckett." He takes a moment then to introduce her to everyone else, nodding at each person in turn, starting with Jack. "Mr. Bridger, who connects us all, has already said hello, I see. Harald Anker, also called Primeval, is the dashing young Scandinavian over there, with Lorena 'Ausrine' Vasiliauskiūtė,... sitting next to him. Estelle, our lady of the locks with the Gossamer hair, is next; with the seraphic Angel of St. George on her right. Saadet, also called Scirocco, is our Turkish beauty of the winds. Pyotr, here on my immediate right, is a wonderful young lad with a predilection for ghostly activities, we call him Haunt. And you of course, are Arielle."

He gestures towards Doctor Morgan and Hunter. "And these are two of our instructors. Please allow me to introduce John Hunter, our Public Relations Director, and Doctor Morgan, paraphysician and protector of the flock."

[SkyLion]

Smiling in welcome as she takes a seat next to him, Shaun extends his hand. "Hello, lass. You're just in time for our mission briefing. I'm Doctor Beckett." He takes a moment then to introduce her to everyone else, nodding at each person in turn, starting with Jack. "Mr. Bridger, who connects us all, has already said hello, I see. Harald Anker, also called Primeval, is the dashing young Scandinavian over there, with Lorena 'Ausrine' Vasiliauskiūtė,... sitting next to him. Estelle, our lady of the locks with the Gossamer hair, is next; with the seraphic Angel of St. George on her right. Saadet, also called Scirocco, is our Turkish beauty of the winds. Pyotr, here on my immediate right, is a wonderful young lad with a predilection for ghostly activities, we call him Haunt. And you of course, are Arielle."

He gestures towards Doctor Morgan and Hunter. "And these are two of our instructors. Please allow me to introduce John Hunter, our Public Relations Director, and Doctor Morgan, paraphysician and protector of the flock."

[attachmentid=311][attachmentid=312]

Arielle nods at Jack and then takes Doctor Becketts hand, her eyes squinting slightly with happiness.

"Merci!"

"Alo Jack, alo Doctor Beckett! Is that really how I should call you?" It is a pleasure to be here with you all," she adds to the others just introduced. "Since we are using our "other" names, if you like, you may call me 'Freestyle'."

She turns to the instructors. "Beaucoup d'excuses for interrupting your lessons. What is the subject?"

[ezekiel]

'Right... ah... Anyhow, you've all got h'appointments wif' Novation over the next bubble 'n' squeak to get scanned for your dolls... sorry, "h'action figures"... pistol 'n' shooter games, comics & stuff; but the Mae West publicity is from gettin' h'out there & doin' stuff - which brings h'us to your first dog's knob... Doc?''

"Sheise, have I missed anything important?"

A tall well-tanned man with slick dark hair entered the briefing room. Big blue eyes were perched under his thick eyebrows. Some gray could be found at his temples but he still seemed to be young enough, no more than late twenties or early thirties. He approaches the sitting nova and extends his hand.

"Buonasera, my name is Lukas Galfione. They call me Jigsaw."

As the novas (presumably) shake hands with the new arrival, they notice that his seems to be covered in what are either scars or just lines where he hasn't tanned as much. Upon closer inspection it seems that the lines form jigsaw puzzle pieces, as if he'd been stuck together. The nova sits down for Dr. Morgan's briefing.

'Any questions?'

"Can we lie? The hardest part will be getting the first concessions from companies, if we tell them their competitors have already contributed it could help get things moving."

[Centimane]

'The town's ecomony before the war,' Morgan continues, 'was based on timber, but we leave it up to you on how you want to rebuild - there are certain criteria, of course, which you should aim to achieve: a minimum size of population the town will be able to support, school & hospital facilities, clean drinking water, etc. - but we're confident that Doctor Impossible will live up to his reputation & design something which meets all such requirements. We're hoping that this project will be a positive example to the world of Nova aid... much needed after the recent activities in Chad... as well as a strong contribution to the revitalisation of the area. We're also hoping that you finish in under a week...'

Glancing rather nervously around the assembled Novas Doctor Morgan asks,

'Any questions?'

As Beckett made introductions on their behalf, Lorena waved at their sporty-looking new teammate and smiled.

Likewise, when the German-speaking man with the jigsaw tanlines came in, she smiled, shook his hand and introduced herself.

During an appropriate break in the questions and answers Lorena asked, 'What exactly were the criteria you mentioned regarding the size of the town, and the needed facilities? Or will we be given that information later?'