Aberrant: Children of Quantum Fire - [Children of Quantum Fire] Finding Balance [1.0]

[Maia]

Maia sighed. Her brothers were always like this.

She looked to Alex. "I'll take some, how are you cooking them?"

[SalmonMax]

Alexandra shrugged. "Down in the lab. You can cook yours however you want. How many do you want?"

She opened the carton.

[Butch_Cole]

Finished with his French Toast, Butch got up and washed his plate. When he was done, he walked over to Alex and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"You're something else, Alexandra. But I can't keep track of all your projects," he said, tapping his temple. "This brain ain't the wonder that yours is. You let me know if you need any heavy lifting done in the lab or just someone to keep you company."

[Maia]

"Three." She sighed. She'd wait to cook until everyone was gone.

She looked to the others "Anyone else doing something fun today?"

[Karren Gaunt]

Cora, having started to sample some of Darrik's food socially and not finding it completely abhorent, added between mouthfuls, "I was thinking of asking Marina to share a few hours worth of sparring, maybe trying to beat my obstacle course record in the danger room again. Shaved three seconds off my best time yesterday."

[Maia]

"Now that sounds entertaining. If you'd like another partner I'm definitely game for that."

She smiled. It had been awhile since she'd sparred with Cora as it was, and besides running the course was always more fun with more people.

[SalmonMax]

"Pfft," Alexandra scoffed. "That old thing. I keep telling you...if you want a REAL workout, let me design the obstacle course for you." She frowned. "Not in the 'danger room' though. Too small."

She scooped three eggs out of the carton and set them on the counter. "Here ya go, Maia."

[Maia]

"Thanks Alex." She nodded.

"Then why don't you do it Alex? I'm up for a new challenge."

[Toby Lupin]

Darrik sighed and ignored Butch, the key point that he was making was that Butch had only bothered to come up with this now, and not giving thought to the outside world showed a serious shortage of forethought. Besides, it evading the need for combat when possible would be better than seeking it out, he suspected Butch was angling for direct fights...

If only he could be steered away from those... In any case, affecting and testing the strength of the Teragen's sources of income wouldn't happen by itself. For that matter, studying the trend of public opinion on the Directive and Project Utopia was going to happen today. How open would the public be to charges of motherhunting?

It remained to be determined, the baseline public was an easy mark, but notoriously self-interested and cattle for advertising. A wonder to think his mother and father were once like them...

He finished his heaping plate of shrimp and pasta and started filling up another serving high.

[Kasheal]

Oz started to eat and phased out of the conversation a little, as far as he was concerned it was too early to be talking about Terat's and all that. He happily stuffed his face with whichever food he was closest to at the time.

When he heard mention of sparring his ears picked up. He wasn't one for sparring but it meant the possibility of observation. "I'll-watch. It-will-give-me-another-chance-to-observe-how-far-people-have-come." He said mostly to hiself.

Thoughts of exploring went out of his mind to be replaced with thoughts of research, so much for giving the mind a rest. Since Oz arrived the others will have got used to his curiousity regarding their abilities. Mostly its harmless questions and oservation, but sometimes he is confussed when the others don't wish to answer certain questions which any normal person would realise are much to personal. Still he had files that needed filling.

[Sunstar]

"Morning Alex. Sparring. I'm good with that. Though I was planning on seeing if you want to go diving with me again today."

She noms on more of her French Toast.

"As always, I'd ask if the rest of you want to go, but I don't want you guys to burden Alex into making equipment. Or make you all hold your breaths."

She giggles, indicating that last part was a joke.

[SalmonMax]

Alex glances at Maia and quirks an eyebrow up.

"For you too? Hmm...tricky. I think I could do it, but it'd have to be outside, and you know what our keepers think about that. Still, could be fun...I'd have to shake up the basic formula since you're so hard to stop. Maybe turn it on its head. An anti-obstacle course...hmm..."

She conjured up her little smartphone again and stated typing into it.

[Karren Gaunt]

Cora smiled at her older sister, a shrimp half way to her mouth, "Sounds like fun, Marina. Give me a chance to practise my merform. Morning dive, and then sparring in the afternoon as compomise? It'll give Alex a chance to cook up something really hellish to push us to us all to limits and beyond if she's feeling half as vindictive as my shower ambush seemed to make her."

The young metamorph gave Alexandra an amused look from her abhuman eyes, asking for forgiveness or at least mercy by the twist of her lips.

[Courier]

Warren woke and looked around. His room was… bare. The only piece of furniture was the bed and the walls were featureless white. He loved and lived for exploring, but it’d keep him up. This room was for sleeping or meditating. When he was nine listening to his hair grow relaxed him. Through the walls he could sense his siblings were up. Darrik was making pasta. Alex. Maia. Oz. Marina. Cora. Butch. Pip. Olivia. Even Traveler.

So he was last up. Warren rose, stretched, and grabbed his hair. First things first. He’d skipped cutting before sleep so it was long enough to trip over. Warren made a gate, shaved with it, and then cut his hair off at the neck. The volcano served as garbage disposal. As bathroom too if his siblings were once again hogging the facilities.

Warren wandered into the kitchen and headed for the coffee and breakfast, absentmindedly preserving his eufiber by sidestepping Maia. In a slightly distracted tone he asked, "So... anyone have anywhere they want to be today?"

[Sunstar]

"Sounds like a plan, Cora. Meet me outside an hour from now then."

She smiled at her sister before chowing down on some shrimp herself.

"And Alex just as long as you don't make the Danger Room fire bolts of lightning at us, feel free to go nuts."

She waves to Warren as her walks in

"Hey War. Just in time to eat. We got pasta, shrimp, and French Toast."

[Maia]

"I'm up for the dive too, just don't expect me to keep up at a superhuman pace. I still have to swim normally."

She smiled to Warren. "Bout time time you rolled outa bed." His offer to go out was tempting, but she really didn't feel like another shopping spree today.

[Karren Gaunt]

To be honest, Maia made Coraline feel a little inadequite at times, so she couldn't help but to chuckle at the blonde nova bombshell, "We'll do our best to not leave you behind, Maia. Might need you to drag something we find up to the beach."

"Could you pass the french toast and syrup please, Marina?" she added, having had her fill of over-flavored shrimp.

[Sunstar]

"Sure thing Cora."

She hands the plate over to her. Marina has long gotten used to Coraline's tendency to change appearance more frequently than Time Lords. Still, her eyes and voice are always a good indicator that it's her little sis in there.

"Alright, Maia. Glad to have you aboard with us today. And if worse comes to worse, I'll just pull you along with the current."

[Maia]

She smiled. "Thanks. My own trials have shown I can do it, but I haven't yet mastered flying through the water with any reliaility yet. Once I do it won't be necessary."

She chuckled. "Expecting to find a sunken ship this time?"

[Sunstar]

"In that case, this will also double as practice for you Maia."

Marina shakes her head at Maia's question.

"Nah. Just looking around for stuff. Besides If I found a ship, you and Coraline would be the first to know. Well after I break out the pirate hats"

She chuckles.

[SalmonMax]

"Won't find ships out here," Alexandra mutters, still focused on her palmtop. "Off the trade routes. Too far north for age of sail explorers. Some accounts of Cold War subs hanging out under the ice shelf doing signals intelligence from the Soviet Union, but even that's long gone now..."

She looked up at Maia, assessing her adopted sister frankly, then looking back down.

"Shaped charges. Maybe depleted uranium..."

[iGod]

"Hey, food. I smell food. Good food. Who's cooking, and did you make extra? Because you would be stone immortal awesome if you made extra."

This coming from quite possibly the most average-looking member of their group. Who had been struggling mightily to get up, cursing yet again the fates which had not seen fit to bestow upon him the inhuman stamina that all the rest of his 'tribe' seemed to have.

He shivered a bit, feeling the stray patches of chill seep in, knowing that his siblings had long since transcended noticing such things.

[Toby Lupin]

"Good morning you two." Darrik announced as the remaining members of the teenage horde trickled in. "And thank you Jeff, there's plenty. There are those who need to eat, and I aim to satisfy them. Popcorn shrimp, and pasta on the house. Also, Uncle Shen's wondering what plans people have for the day."

[LydaLynn]

Epiphany just leaned against the wall, occasionally taking a sip of tea. She wasn't interested in the danger room and while she could have easily gone underwater exploring, she hadn't been asked and wasn't going to invite herself. She couldn't really take a warp elsewhere, even being as unassuming as she was - her appearance was sufficiently notable that she didn't want to risk being out in the general public.

Pip did wince as the others tore up Butch's idea. Sure he wasn't the first to think it and maybe there were options he wasn't quick to utilize, but he didn't need to be treated like an idiot cousin. It was a good idea and he had other projects to work on, like everyone. Epiphany had always figured she'd be forced to mind-rape anyone they fought to figure out how to defeat them, but was happy to hear others had been planning for such contingencies.

When it came down to it, even after seven years here with the others, she still had a hard time feeling part of the 'family'. Her thoughts once again returned to her past, to her mother and father and 'uncle Spike'. She shook her head, clearing it of the cobwebs of the past. Epiphany had made her decision, she had chosen to come here, to leave her family and send them to a safer future.

Pip knew that part of the friction among the others had to do with everyone's age. She often fought her own body and hormones to remember how to act with dignity. It was only because she had the memories of so many others who had lived through puberty to draw upon that she could manage it. And part of managing it was keeping her distance, not allowing herself to care too deeply.

Even with her telepathy under control, she still sometimes felt the sharp edges of the emotions of the others. With everyone in the same room, it was worse, harder to keep her mind to herself. So Epiphany stayed quiet, still, withdrawn. She didn't care if the others thought her aloof or cold, Pip kept herself under control, and that was what she found most important.

[Karren Gaunt]

Cora was quietly enjoying her french toast and the company. However much she might need her private 'project time' and exalt in her private time trials pushing herself faster than any of her siblings could match, the young metamorph enjoyed her sibling's company. After all, family was the only support you could depend on at the end of the day.

She swallowed a bite and commented in her sing-song chorus, "So what do you have planned for today, Pip, while three of us comb the seafloor for inspiring objects and some of the others help Alex turn the danger room into even more of a near-death course?"

[LydaLynn]

Epiphany shrugs slightly, "I have no particular plans. I'm sure I'll find something to do. Though for a day off, everyone seems to be determined to be as busy with work type stuff as possible."

Then, as sudden inspiration struck, "You know what, we should have a picnic for lunch. Something were we can all just relax and not worry about anything productive. I'll pack it and set it up in the clearing next to the large hot pool. People can come by to eat any time after eleven, I'll stay there till two."

"That's what I'll do today. After that . . . I don't know." Epiphany shrugs, "But what ever it is will be fun and relaxing."

[SalmonMax]

"What I do, I do for fun," Alex announces irritably, coming back in from the dining room with her goggles tucked under her right arm. She picks up the carton of eggs, sans three, and carries it in her left hand.

"I mean, lets face it...none of us can do anything really meaningful while we're stuck on this island. It's just...spinning our wheels. What's the point of a day off when there's no days on?"

She shakes her head and starts to head out into the hall. "I need some labtime. Toodles."

[Krul]

"By day off, I mean a day without any training or education scheduled.. I've allowed you all some leeway there, but I have seen to it that you all have a extensive education, and some of you have taken things much further." Traveler responded to some of the statements.

He considered for a moment, then he began to speak again. "It's true that your ability to affect the world is minor from here, but that is about to change." He paused a moment, to look from face to face. "Some of you have been here sense you were little, other's only a few years, but look around, all of you are now almost adults, at least by modern day standards.. and you all have experienced much more then most folks your age. Look around, these are your allies, your friends, your family, the various factions in the world will have reason to exploit you one way or another, when you make your appearance."

He smiled slightly. "You folks stand upon the cusp of destiny, your decisions in the next few years will shape things to come for at least the next few centuries. I figure some time to rest and relax, and even play, is in order before that moment comes."

[Karren Gaunt]

Traveler had Coraline's full attention with this spiel, the young metamorph solemnly nodding at the end. This was her family, the one she had given to her after the Mother Hunters had killed her parents, and she'd protect them. No matter what. Even if they did something stupid to expose them to the grid, like Darrik's little stunt a few months ago.

"Is something going to happen, Uncle Shen?" she asked quietly, blue-on-black eyes searching his expression for clues, "Something new and dangerous?"

[Courier]

Warren nodded in agreement and thanks to Marina and started eating breakfast. After a few moments he started staring into the distance, observing god knew what. This was normal. Occasionally over the years someone would ask him and he'd talk about the orbit of the Moon or the concentration of some chemical in the air.

When Cora had mentioned exploring the ocean's floor he made a motion of I'll invite myself along if you don't mind.

When Uncle Shen spoke Warren visibly focused on him. Their 'uncle' was an amazingly wise man and anything he said deserved attention.

After Uncle was done, Warren remarked "We are going to happen."

[LydaLynn]

Epiphany made note of Traveler's words. The heavy tone of foreshadowing he was obviously trying to convey both amused and intrigued her. She knew things would eventually change and progress, but she hadn't known when.

Sitting on the urge to comb his thoughts for more details, Pip instead took another sip of tea and settled into observing the others reactions to Shen's words. Though she had kept in touch with her 'aunts and uncles' scattered around the world, Epiphany had always been careful not to tell them too much, not to reveal anything of import. It would be nice to be out in the world and really be able to talk to them. She trusted them with her own life, but she had promised when she came to the island to keep its secrets, and she had. The idea that such secrecy would soon be unnecessary was a welcome one.

[iGod]

Jeff grabbed the pasta, made a quick "Thanks," and consumed food so as to keep himself from getting visibly nervous. As much as he'd promised himself that he wouldn't get attached, wouldn't settle in, would be ready to bolt in a second's notice, he'd done all of the above except the last. Now, it was pretty obvious he was being prepped to get booted out of the nest.

His "Uncle" Sal was still out there, probably still checking the dropbox semi-regularly. their infrequent notes to each other indicated that neither one were any closer to figuring out for certain who killed his mom and dad.

Well, he might have something for the gang to do over "summer vacation." Maybe it was time to take it to the enemy.

Then again, maybe not...

[SalmonMax]

Alexandra paused as the Traveler spoke. Despite her general attitude, she really did respect the geezer. In a way it was his ability that had given her The Plan. Even so...

"Fifty points for using 'cusp' in a sentence," she decided. "Minus ten for overly melodramatic. Annnyway...I'll be in the lab. Playing and all that before we all cusp our way into destiny."

She headed off, eggs in one hand, goggles in the other. Despite her flippant tone, she was worried. Well, maybe concerned was a better word. She knew better than most that the Arctic Getaway Vacation couldn't last forever. The problem was the satellites, and heat. The island had some vulcanism in it, which would help...but sooner or later, someone would put up an IR imaging sat that had enough resolution to see that this was no magma chamber. Alex had done what she could to buy time. Water recirculators ran crazily around behind the walls and ceiling of the base, messing up its heat outline. But it was a race that could only have one end.

And then their isolation would work against them. Any level of force could be directed at this island, and who would complain? Canada? She figured the first stage would be some kind of long range visual recon. High altitude jet flyby. It would come up negative. So whoever owned the sat would hire expendable assets to get a ground-eye view. Nova, if they were smart. The right Nova assets could get to the island without being detected, track down the vents and heat sinks, even infiltrate the complex.

She was working on that. Unfortunately, the system the goggles were testing wasn't there yet, and she had no idea how much longer she had to get something workable up and running.

As she sat down at her workbench to start taking the goggles apart again, Alex absently summoned a glass container of water right on top of her little hot plate. Then she carefully spooned each egg into it and turned the plate on. She'd go get veggies for lunch. This was too important to put on hold again in the name of mere nutrition.

[Butch_Cole]

Butch leaned back against the wall, arms folded across his chest again, and listened to Uncle Shen speak. So, things were about to change. The last few years had been mostly pleasant for Butch. Safe. These were the safest years of his young life so far, and Butch wondered how that aspect of things would be altered. He was interested when Uncle Shen said they would make their "appearance".

His mind wandered a bit and Butch pictured some sort of press conference, the teenage novas sitting down, glasses of water to their side, microphones in front of them. "Mr. Cole?" "Yes, the eager looking young woman in red. And call me Butch." "Right, So-And-So from N! Butch, how does it feel to be a very rare type of nova: the child of novas." Would a reporter from N! ask that question? Maybe, but Butch doubted it. He didn't think very much of that particular network. Butch figured the question would be more like, "A bunch of teenage novas all growing up together on an island, huh...what kind of stuff do you argue about? Are there any...relationships we should know about? The public is dying to know."

Returning to the kitchen and reality, Butch nodded in agreement when Warren said, "We are going to happen." Before he did any happening though, Butch considered what Uncle Shen said about resting and relaxing. It might be difficult to clear his mind given what Uncle Shen just said, but Butch would try. He'd hit the heavy bag for a bit, and then stop by Pip's picnic maybe. Then he'd find something mindless to watch to help him unwind. Maybe zone out watching old Team Tomorrow cartoons or XWF matches, watch Core beat up on Superbeast. Whatever he chose to do, Butch's goal for the day was to relax. It felt like he might not get that opportunity as frequently in the near future.

[Sunstar]

Marina nods before getting up to put her plate in the sink.

"I'll meet you guys outside in a bit. Gonna go get ready."

She said heading towards her room. Traveler's words stayed in her head. She's a bit worried about what he means. She may not get along with all of them all the time, but they are her family. And last thing she wants to see is all of them die or get taken by Mother hunters.

She shakes her head for a moment. "Gotta stop being so pessimistic." she tells herself before she enters her room and changes into her swim wear.

[Karren Gaunt]

Seeing that the Traveler was aparently inclined to let her stew in her own concern over his vague announcement of promise and threat, her siblings prepared to accept it at face value, Coraline throughly lost her desire for social eating but finished her french toast anyway out of desire to not waste food. She got up and started cleaning the dishes, altering her eufiber's hue in tiny continual shifts she could barely notisce herself for all heraugmented senses as a sort of kata to focus her own metamorphic abilties for the dive.

[Toby Lupin]

Darrik paused as he ate another shrimp, hearing Uncle Shen and immediately placing his plans on pause until he answered Cora's question- since they were very much his own. One simply shouldn't target the Teragen yet if big decisions were soon to be looming. The worrisome part was- would interactions with the world at large come to them, or like Darrik had started doing, be entirely of his 'family's own volition? He got up once he was finished and began helping out Cora with the cleaning, but it was clear he too was waiting for an answer to the others.

[Maia]

Mai sighed and headed outside. She was already ready to go. She seemed to not care about the future, or at least gave the impression this was the case. In truth, she cared, but she was determined to have fun today, no matter what else happened.

As she waited for the others she removed the t-shirt, revealing a divine body of a teenage goddess. Despite her near invulnerability, she had managed to get a tan, and she undid her hair, letting it fall down her back.

"One thing I didn't do yet today, go swimming with my sisters. Looks like it's time to change that."

[LydaLynn]

Epiphany watched as the others followed their natures. Those who either didn't care about Traveler's future plans, or wished to appear they didn't, scattered. Those who wanted answers stuck around, finding things to keep them busy. Pip just kept leaning against the wall, sipping the last of the tea in her cup. She too was interested in what Shen had to say.

[Quantum Fire]

"Well, part of the trouble of seeing the future, Cora, is that, for me at least.. I see shades of possibilities, and they increase in number as I look further into the future. As to something new and dangerous, there is a high chance of certain things happening, but if I say to much, it changes what is going to happen, shading it from likely to unlikely, or even removing the possibility entirely, making my advice useless."

"Nevertheless, this year, as you are all coming of age, it's going to be more important to make your own choices and plans, rather then hiding here with me and Serenity. Warren is right, you folks are about to happen, but it's not just that.. matters are growing more complicated, the number of nova's in existence has continued to grow, but those lost to taint, are also increasing. There is a chance, moderate to high, that Divis and Pax will meet once again, and some of you children will be in the midst of it. Additionally, you folks are on the edge of what I can only call Apotheosis, in the next one or two years, your powers and abilities will take another jump in strength, that will put you among the handful of most powerful nova's on the planet."