Aberrant: Quantum Zero - Quantum Zero - Truth & Justice

[Expendable]

Arielle reaches up slowly, even hesitantly towards Angel's downy white feathers. Her expression is one of genuine awe, almost child-like.

,,

As she runs her fingers across them she can't hide a smile that appears on her face. "They are so soft!" she says. "How wonderful a way to fly...I'm just a...a little glow-bug compared to you. It must feel good to stretch them, no?"

Angel turned her head and smiled, nodding. She had the same feeling of wonder when she woke up in hospital after they'd found her and they'd shown her a mirror. It was almost enough to drive the memory of pain and events she'd gone through the night before out of her mind.

Almost.

[Heritage]

Aušrinė sauntered off to her room after excusing herself from the conversation to pack her things. She returned a short while later with a surprisingly small carry-on sized bag in her hand and rejoined the others.

When Stelle came back into the room Lorena laughed. 'Wow', she said with a big smile on her face, 'You really pared it down to the essentials didn't you?' ::wink

Estelle nods, at first not quite picking up on Lori's jocular tone.

"Well, I figured if the eufiber is as miraculous as everyone says it is, warmth is not going to be such a big issue, so I brought along a few flannel sheets, an inflatable pillow, and this weird air mattress thing I picked up at the Savvy Traveler; I've never used it, so it's a bit of a gamble-"

She stops, looks over her shoulder at her guitar, and then shoots Aušrinė a crafty look.

"Wait, are you making fun of my Gibson? Because you will be thanking me when we're sitting around the campfire, enjoying the traditional Alice Cooper sing-along." ::sly

When Arielle offers the team her sticky, gooey but heavenly-smelling energi-wiches, at first Gossamer takes a step back, and her golden tresses seem to flutter nervously.

"I don't know, those look kind of messy..." ::unsure

She strokes her hair, almost as one would calm a skittish horse, as she timidly steps forward peering down at the tray.

"If I can just nab one of the less squishy ones, I might be alright."

Stelle daintily picks up the smallest sandwich she can find with her free hand, her mini-amp clutched tightly in the other, and nibbles at the edge of the crust; her hair twists itself into a tight braid that literally cringes behind her back.

"Mmm...mmm, that is tasty. I hope someone brought a Thermos of milk."

As she enjoys the tasty snack, she watches the young Frenchwoman touching Angel’s wings, like a young child petting a cat for the first time, and she can’t help but smile.

*We truly live in an age of wonders.*

But the mood quickly ends, and she turns her thoughts back to the mission at hand as she murmurs under her breath.

“Well, I hope we don’t screw this up too bad…”

[SkyLion]

"Mmm...mmm, that is tasty. I hope someone brought a Thermos of milk."

,,

Arielle holds up her gallon of milk. "Will this do?" ::wink

,,

[Heritage]

,,

Arielle holds up her gallon of milk. "Will this do?" ::wink

,,

Gossamer pauses in mid-chew, her eyes flicking between the jug and Arielle's cheerful face.

"Um...do you have a glass? Please don't make me swig; my femininity is already dangling by a thread."

[ProfPotts]

... She coats each slice with butter, peanut butter, chocolate syrup, baby marshmallows, chopped cashews and maple nut granola, all of which takes mere seconds after the toasters pop...

The sizable kitchen staff seem a little surprised to have their domain invaded by one of the Nova-types but, apart from a few side-long glances & whispered comments, manage to stay out of the way of the whirlwind which is Freestyle as she hunts high & low, ignoring all the proper food (which seems to be the vast majority of the supplies on-hand) & finally manages to find a long-forgotten cupboard containing the US-style junk she's looking for (probably left over from one of the contractors when the place was being refurbished). The huge, plump, rose-cheeked, middle-aged head cook in particular clucks her tongue & rolls her eyes in exasperation as she realises what the young Nova woman is constructing, then turns her back on the whole sorry affair & returns to her slow-roasts, wholesome stews, & freshly baked breads...

A short while later...

It takes Haunt a mere half-hour or so to astrally reach the target location a couple of thousand miles away, nestled on a remote forested mountainside in Bosnia. A quick circuit of the bombed- & burnt-out town reveals a distinct lack of life - just blackened skeletal remains of once-pround buildings.

A short way down the mountain, however, there's a small gathering of vehicles - mostly four-by-fours - one with the Project Utopia emblem on the side, & several which appear to belong to various global media networks. A group of official-looking individuals talking to the Project Utopia people Haunt takes to be representatives of the local authorities. A couple of squads of local troops stand off to one side at a discrete distance, mostly smoking or playing cards... pretty much everyone looks bored to tears...

Flying a few more passes through the town (literally), Haunt's about to call it a day when a flash of intuition causes him to stop. Following his hunch he passes through the ground into the basement of a nearby building... where his keen senses spot, buried under a pile of rubble & rotting wood, the outline of a bomb-casing... a pretty big bomb casing too... most likely something dropped in the war which failed to explode... ::unsure

[Expendable]

Angel sighed softly. What was taking so long? Maybe she should draw her sword before going through the gate or whatever it was?

[SkyLion]

The sizable kitchen staff seem a little surprised to have their domain invaded by one of the Nova-types but, apart from a few side-long glances & whispered comments, manage to stay out of the way of the whirlwind which is Freestyle as she hunts high & low, ignoring all the proper food (which seems to be the vast majority of the supplies on-hand) & finally manages to find a long-forgotten cupboard containing the US-style junk she's looking for (probably left over from one of the contractors when the place was being refurbished). The huge, plump, rose-cheeked, middle-aged head cook in particular clucks her tongue & rolls her eyes in exasperation as she realises what the young Nova woman is constructing, then turns her back on the whole sorry affair & returns to her slow-roasts, wholesome stews, & freshly baked breads...

,,

Arielle purposely ignores the matronly chef. With her boosted metabolism she could eat a whole slow roast right now and several loaves of bread for the calories. Frankly she didn't have time nor stomach capacity to spend all day eating. What the clucking cook didn't realize was that what she had just assembled was calorie dense. Not only that but it had a good deal of the fats she needed to lubricate her supercharged neurons. Arielle had heard that some novas had supercharged there metabolisms to the point that they no longer needed food in the strict sense. As much as she enjoyed her munchies, it would be nice to not always be scavanging for food...besides eating always took soo loonng...

,,,,

Gossamer pauses in mid-chew, her eyes flicking between the jug and Arielle's cheerful face.

"Um...do you have a glass? Please don't make me swig; my femininity is already dangling by a thread."

,,

Arielle looks chagrined at the jug in her hand.

,,

"Eh...sorry, just used to hanging out with the boys, I guess."

"Just a sec..."

,,

She hands Gossamer the jug and as soon as its weight transfers to the other Nova there is a flash of brilliant golden light and a gust of wind. In barely a blink Arielle is still standing there, only with 4 glasses in her hands.

She smiles. ::happy

[knave]

Flying a few more passes through the town (literally), Haunt's about to call it a day when a flash of intuition causes him to stop. Following his hunch he passes through the ground into the basement of a nearby building... where his keen senses spot, buried under a pile of rubble & rotting wood, the outline of a bomb-casing... a pretty big bomb casing too... most likely something dropped in the war which failed to explode... ::unsure

*$*&^! That is big bomb! Dr Incredible will know what to do.*

Reaching for the link forged with Bridger, Pyotr relays all of what he has seen back to those gathered in the ready-room.

[Alex Green]

Jack says,

"OK! Problem! Haunt has found a bomb. It looks like unexploded ordinance dropped in the war. It's big."

"He wants to ask Dr. Incredible what to do."

[Expendable]

Jack says,

"OK! Problem! Haunt has found a bomb. It looks like unexploded ordinance dropped in the war. It's big."

"He wants to ask Dr. Incredible what to do."

*Jack!* Angel sent with quiet urgency, stepping towards him. *I should go there, to the bomb. I'm the only one who has a shield to protect me! Tell them! You can tell me what to do.*

[Alex Green]

*Jack!* Angel sent with quiet urgency, stepping towards him. *I should go there, to the bomb. I'm the only one who has a shield to protect me! Tell them! You can tell me what to do.*

Jack says,

"Angel says she has a shield to protect herself against the bomb. Ah... it's not clear to me how big it is but if one side would fit through the gate we could just push it through and dump it somewhere. That might be safer than disarming it."

[Expendable]

Jack says,

"Angel says she has a shield to protect herself against the bomb. Ah... it's not clear to me how big it is but if one side would fit through the gate we could just push it through and dump it somewhere. That might be safer than disarming it."

*Moving it might make it explode,* Angel replied, gritting her teeth. The treat she held slipped out of her hand to fall splat on the floor while she grabbed ahold of his eufiber uniform. *And if it doesn't, someone else will have to take care of it! Let me go there! Open a gate!*

[Heritage]

Jack says,

"OK! Problem! Haunt has found a bomb. It looks like unexploded ordinance dropped in the war. It's big."

"He wants to ask Dr. Incredible what to do."

At these words, Estelle goes a little pale.

"Jesus Christ."

Without thinking, she uses a tendril to raise the jug of milk to her lips and takes a big swig; wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her eufiber, she suddenly remembers Arielle and her glasses.

"Uh, sorry."

"Angel says she has a shield to protect herself against the bomb. Ah... it's not clear to me how big it is but if one side would fit through the gate we could just push it through and dump it somewhere. That might be safer than disarming it."

Estelle shakes her head, and speaks with firm conviction.

"We need to get there and make an assessment before we take any action, see if anyone else is there and in potential danger. Also does Utopia have a bomb disposal team as part of the Peacekeeping division? We might need some expert advice, or even stand back and let them do their job."

[Centimane]

Estelle shakes her head, and speaks with firm conviction.

"We need to get there and make an assessment before we take any action, see if anyone else is there and in potential danger. Also does Utopia have a bomb disposal team as part of the Peacekeeping division? We might need some expert advice, or even stand back and let them do their job."

Aušrinė nodded her head and said, 'I agree, the town has already been blown up once, it won't change much if it happens again will it? Our first concern should be the safety of anyone nearby. Assuming there is anyone nearby. After we've secured the area, then we can try and deal with the bomb. Though we shouldn't so quickly discount our teammate's abilities', she said, looking at Angel, 'for all we know, she could be the perfect choice for disarming the bomb.'

Lorena did her best with the final part of her statement to ensure that Angel wouldn't feel discouraged, or think that the team was ignoring her suggestions, while also trying not to sound accusitive or condescending towards Estelle for disagreeing with Angel. She hoped her diplomatic capabilities were up to the task.

Looking around she said, 'I don't see - oh, what did he say his name was! ... Ah!, she said and snapped her fingers. 'Lukas!'

'He should be here as well.'

Then she turned to Arielle and asked, 'Do you think you could use that speed of yours to try find him?

[Heritage]

Aušrinė nodded her head and said, 'I agree, the town has already been blown up once, it won't change much if it happens again will it? Our first concern should be the safety of anyone nearby. Assuming there is anyone nearby. After we've secured the area, then we can try and deal with the bomb. Though we shouldn't so quickly discount our teammate's abilities', she said, looking at Angel, 'for all we know, she could be the perfect choice for disarming the bomb.'

Estelle frowns.

"I certainly didn't mean to discount them; some sort of protective shield would no doubt be useful for avoiding a potential blast. I merely meant that until we've had a chance to assess the situation ourselves, we should make no assumptions as to what powers or skills would be best suited to deal with the problem."

She offers Angel an apologetic smile.

[Alex Green]

*Moving it might make it explode,* Angel replied, gritting her teeth. The treat she held slipped out of her hand to fall splat on the floor while she grabbed ahold of his eufiber uniform. *And if it doesn't, someone else will have to take care of it! Let me go there! Open a gate!*

Jack breaks the link by shifting it to Haunt and says,

"Hands off there Angel!! And before we rush in where you should fear to tread, a little thinking is in order. It's been sitting there for months already, we have a few moments."

(To Haunt) *How big is this thing Haunt? And do you hear ticking or anything similar*

[knave]

(To Haunt) *How big is this thing Haunt? And do you hear ticking or anything similar*

*Tickinng? I didn't notice... Maybe. One second. Maybe I show you?*

Floating invisibly above the bomb Haunt turns inward - visualising the connection between himself and Bridger as a fine silver thread similar to the one connecting him to his own flesh body. Then, focussing on the image of the bomb, and his perceptions of it (spatial and otherwise), he pushes these images gently along the the thread.

Finally, listening carefully, he pushes his shimmering astral head through the bomb's casing to take a look inside - and passing these perceptions along as well...

*Pretty kool, huh?*

[Asbjørn]

Stopping just outside the door, he smiles again. "Either way, I look forward to working with you. Shall we?"

"Sure." Harald nods and follows Shaun into the room.

He steps inside, and waits for everyone's attention before addressing all of them. "Hello all. I see everyone is ready? Good. Haunt, please scout the location for Mr. Bridger here; Jack, say when."

As Haunt does his thing, Harald dumps his backpack on the floor and settles in to wait along with the others. His hair is dryer now, but he still looks like he just came in from the sea. In his lap is a battered paperback of a Lonely Planet guide to Eastern Europe, giving him something to do as he waits. He looks up with concerned interest at the mention of the bomb, eyebrows furrowing as he closes the book and quietly waits for more info and the scotsman's assessment of the situation.

[Expendable]

He disconnected, shaking her off. Angel scowled, turning away. The others' words were kind, but they didn't understand. She had to go. Needed to go. Not for glory - never for glory.

The more they sent there to secure the perimeter of an empty village were more people who could be hurt if and when the bomb exploded. It was better to risk one life, not several.

[ezekiel]

Lukas looks in from the doorway, dressed in a multi-pocketed black jumpsuit, jacket unzipped and revealing his PU uniform underneath. The Jigsaw puzzle scars on his face crease a bit as he smiles

"Hands off there Angel!! And before we rush in where you should fear to tread, a little thinking is in order. It's been sitting there for months already, we have a few moments."

Dropping his black canvas duffel bag to the ground, the latecomer chimes in:

"You know, we haven't really had time to meet, but as an old UN anti-terrorist ops member, I do have some experience in dealing with bombs. I'd be more than happy to go in an check it out."

[archer]

Lukas looks in from the doorway, dressed in a multi-pocketed black jumpsuit, jacket unzipped and revealing his PU uniform underneath. The Jigsaw puzzle scars on his face crease a bit as he smiles

Dropping his black canvas duffel bag to the ground, the latecomer chimes in:

"You know, we haven't really had time to meet, but as an old UN anti-terrorist ops member, I do have some experience in dealing with bombs. I'd be more than happy to go in an check it out."

Dr. Impossible raises an eyebrow. "Nice of you to join us, Jigsaw. I'm sure your expertise will be very helpful." Then, raising his hands to shoulder level, he gestures downwards to accompany his words. "Alright, everyone, settle down. It's only a bomb, and as Mr. Bridger so correctly pointed out, it's been sitting there for awhile without causing any trouble. It will be dealt with, but only after we have assessed the problem in its entirety." He smiles reassuringly.

"Mr. Bridger, please let Haunt know that we are on our way, and he is to safeguard the explosive device until we arrive. Then, if you would open a gateway, we shall depart. If you can, please arrange the gate a hundred yards or so from the media gathered there."

He nods, as if that's taken care of, then addresses the others. "Everyone else, please gather closely, I want us all to go through the gateway together. As silly as this may sound, I do want us to make a suitable impression on the media as we arrive on site, so, flyers please make yourselves airborne. Let's give them a decent first picture." He smiles briefly, then his expression turns serious.

"Once we are all through, I would like the flyers to immediately move to hover near and above Haunt's location. I want to make sure there isn't anyone approaching that bomb besides ourselves for now. Estelle, Aušrinė, I want you two ladies dealing with the press. Estelle, since you are more familiar with the media, please take the lead in explaining the situation to them. For now, let them know that we have discovered what appears to be leftover munitions, and we will need them to stay clear for a little while until we assess the situation and remove the items. Please steer away from actually calling it a bomb, but emphasize they need to stay clear of that area for safety's sake. Aušrinė, stick with Estelle and keep an eye out for any media types or onlookers trying to sneak off. Everyone I haven't mentioned by name will accompany me to Haunt's location; we'll further discuss how to safely deal with the device once we can see the situations for ourselves."

His speech (hopefully)ending in time with the opening of Bridger's gateway, he squares his shoulders, checks to see that everyone else is lined up or hovering and ready to go, and strides through the gate.

[Expendable]

"Once we are all through, I would like the flyers to immediately move to hover near and above Haunt's location. I want to make sure there isn't anyone approaching that bomb besides ourselves for now....

Angel scowled as she listened to Dr. Impossible's orders but reluctantly nodded. Maybe they'd see things her way when they got there. But with Jigsaw's experience, it didn't seem like they needed her.

When Bridger formed the gate and Dr. Impossible stepped through, she waited to let Estelle and Aušrinė go first, then fell in behind them.

[Alex Green]

"Mr. Bridger, please let Haunt know that we are on our way, and he is to safeguard the explosive device until we arrive. Then, if you would open a gateway, we shall depart. If you can, please arrange the gate a hundred yards or so from the media gathered there."

If Jack can do that then he will, if he can only target Haunt's location he'll ask Haunt to move away from the bomb before opening the gate.

[knave]

If Jack can do that then he will, if he can only target Haunt's location he'll ask Haunt to move away from the bomb before opening the gate.

*OK No problem!*

Haunt flits ethereally (cause it's the only way he ever flits) across to the desired location and passes back the sensory impression of it to Bridger - before flitting back to the bomb at a few thousand miles per hour.

[Centimane]

Aušrinė nodded as Doc Impossible ticked off his orders, and mentally prepared herself for what came next. Now that it came down to it, she was nervous about actually stepping out in front of the world as a Tomorrowite, even if only as an auxiliary member. What if she fell short of people's expectations?

But she couldn't worry about that now, she had a job to do. She readied herself to step through Bridger's warp, and reminded herself that it was 'leftover munitions', not a 'bomb'.

[SkyLion]

Arielle nods, smiling at the soundness of Sean's photogenic entry strategy.

She concentrates, feeling the quantum that flows ever present through her body. Focusing her will she opens the portals a little wider, increasing the current of primal enegy and as she does so, her body begins to glow from within with a golden translucent light.

Along with the light comes a feeling of warmth and buoyancy, a lightness that pulls her free from gravity's tug as she wills herself into the air. She can't help but smile and those looking at her can't help but feel a bit of that warmth and light inside of them, like the tickle before a smile or a laugh.

((Flight on, Mirroring On))