opnet [OpNet] Attention WCK.

[Ally]

After watching the recent events in Chicago unfold I would first like to express my condolences to all casualties involved in the tragic event. I hope that Wakinyan is brought to justice swiftly for the crimes he committed against your fair city.

With that in mind I would like to apply to membership in your ranks. I am sure I could add a resource to your group and I am willing to take orders and do what it takes to help you in future crisis.

I would like to meet for an interview soon if possible. Please let me know.

Warm regards,

Ally

[DigiGeist]

You better be serious. Quite frankly, right now think the WCK better start realizing what the odds are.

I swear to god, if I was in Chicago instead of on leave, I would have KILLED that psycho bird. He better not show himself.

He was at that party acting freaky, now he's smashing buildings and killing people? Sorry, time for the old me to come out of retirement. I'd rather take someone down than have them kill innocent people who get in the way.

[Singularity]

Quote:

Originally posted by Samuel 'DigiGeist' Davison:
Sorry, time for the old me to come out of retirement. I'd rather take someone down than have them kill innocent people who get in the way.

Killing only begets more killing, DigiGeist, and there were far less lethal ways to deal with the situation before Wakinyan hit the ground.

[z-Carver]

Quote:

Originally posted by Singularity:
Killing only begets more killing, DigiGeist, and there were far less lethal ways to deal with the situation before Wakinyan hit the ground.

Yeah, like having him stay away from Chicago, and away from me. Can you get a restraining order that covers a city?

[Ptesan-Wi]

Carver, I watched what you did. How you baited him, how you insulted him, how you goaded him into a fight. There was a time not that long ago where I thought -- despite all previous evidence -- that I could trust you. But when it comes down to it, you are the same vindictive, manipulative bitch who tried to frighten me away from Wakinyan within minutes of meeting me.

You'll get your Knights to protect you. Fine. Just stay the hell away from us. That goes for all of you -- just leave us the hell alone.

[Slattern]

Curious, why would anyone want to join such a group of amatuers trying to be superheroes?

Perhaps the media has already managed to edit it to your worst possible advantage but from what I'm hearing this sounds like a splendid little clusterfuck.

Waki sweetie? Whenever you get around to getting back here I'd like to say this, this is what you get for playing like a pussy. Time for you to really own up to what you are and could be.

[DigiGeist]

Quote:

Originally posted by Carver:

Quote:

Originally posted by Singularity:
Killing only begets more killing, DigiGeist, and there were far less lethal ways to deal with the situation before Wakinyan hit the ground.

Yeah, like having him stay away from Chicago, and away from me. Can you get a restraining order that covers a city?

You got me. That should be enough. I'll be damned before I let him harm you again.

[z-Carver]

Quote:

Originally posted by Thoughtwave:
Carver, I watched what you did. How you baited him, how you insulted him, how you goaded him into a fight. There was a time not that long ago where I thought -- despite all previous evidence -- that I could trust you. But when it comes down to it, you are the same vindictive, manipulative bitch who tried to frighten me away from Wakinyan within minutes of meeting me.

You'll get your Knights to protect you. Fine. Just stay the hell away from us. That goes for all of you -- just leave us the hell alone.

Gladly. I just hope you wake up someday and realize that you're sleeping next to a beast... and I hope you realize it before he hurts you.

[Ghostwriter]

Children, that is more than enough.

What I want to know is why the hell someone didn't think to call me in. I could have likely resolved the situation much sooner than it did - I've only snapped Wakinyan out of his rages two or three times now.

Secondly, was Jager even thinking when he put Wakinyan into a nose-dive above a busy street?

[Jager]

When Wakinyan showed up with a dying Carver, I asked him to leave immediately, no questions asked. Once he attacked the Chicago PD Aircars, I felt I had to act to bring Wakinyan to justice. My choices for non-lethal combat were limited, so I sought to limit his mobility so that he would stay and face up to what he did. I caught him as he was accelerating for whatever purpose and he crashed into the bus.

Wakinyan, if you had just left this wouldn't have happened. You chose to attack the police. I decided that action had to be answered before you took further opportunity to cause even greater harm to the city. Note, I never tried to kill you, but contain you and have you face the consequences of your actions. You attacked me with a clear intent to kill and I still avoided trying to kill you.

I was the one who trusted you to leave without resorting to further violence. You betrayed that trust.

Quite frankly, actions amongst novas can normally be resolved by novas. When you start attacking baselines in an area the WCK have sworn to protect, for our own reasons, you are picking a fight.

You knew multiple novas were around.

You attacked the cops. You broke the peace.

What did you expect us to do?

Thoughtwave, did whatever Carver do really deserve a broken neck and ruptured abdominal cavity? He nearly tore Carver in two, and I was still willing to let him leave peacefully.

The WCK are not super-heroes, or pretend super-heroes. We are a group of novas exploring our own capabilities and philosophies in our own manner. We are a group of peers, who look out for one another and are beholden to no one but ourselves. Each of us can leave the WCK whenever we like.

We chose to help people, to teach, to fight fires, to aid the police, and to create.

We do not hunt down other novas because we don't like them. We do confront novas who are attacking our dream of peaceful co-existance.

[Daniel 'Rumble' Shadowmoon]

I think you handled it as well as you could, WCK. That was a real crapstorm you had on your hands and you managed to avoid a massacre.

Wakinyan was acting more like a crazed animal and he had to be taken down. Whatever happened or didn't happen is irrelevant compared to that fact.

[Troy]

Well, I suppose now is the time to say something profound.

...

Noting comes to mind.

[Maria 'Serendipity' Fianelli]

Heh.

Sympathies an' alla that. You need any luck in catchin' this dipshit of a bird, you ask for me. Ain't got no call hurtin' no girl like that.

[Symmetry]

What is troubling Wakinyan is exactly the reason I am pursuing knowledge. If we can understand taint and what compells some of us to express ourselves so unsocially we can learn how to realign ourselves to fit better in the world in which we choose to live.

[Bahamut810]

I dunno about taint and all that, but my friend just pointed out to me what had happened (gotta love the op net).

I can take him down for you guys, no problem. I will have a nominal fee though (Sorry guys, but its in my contract with DeVries). Get the cash together and call my agent with a time and place, then tell me if you want him dead or alive.

[Tommy Tomorrow]

Taint. There's an interesting conversation gambit. Should I post here or start a new thread to explore this topic?

Its possibly related to events in Chicago but not directly.

[Ptesan-Wi]

Tell you what, Jager. When someone sticks their sharp-enough-to-carve-stone-and-metal claws into your groin and wiggles them around, you go ahead and show restraint in your response. That alone justified what Wakinyan did to Carver.

You might also note that he left her alive in your hands where she could get help, rather than pitch her into the lake. Doesn't sound like the actions of a "beast" or "crazed animal" to me.

[Ptesan-Wi]

Bahamut810, I'll tell you the same thing I told DigiGeist: if you come out here after Wakinyan, I'll fry your damned brain.

[Jager]

Bahamut, I understand the sentiments, but no thank you. At this point and time, it has become a matter for the FBI and the Directive. The WCK is not a vigilante organization. Personally, I do not the condone the murder of any person.

Thoughtwave, I am trying to leave the matter of Carver and Wakinyan to those two. He has been the one who has twice now stalked her down in her hometown. If you love him, please explain to him that when a woman says "No", it means NO.

I repeat, I acted when I thought the lives of the CPD and the surrounding civilians were endangered and people still died.

[Preston]

The CPD and the WCK need to sit down and figure out exactly what the protocols for those kinds of situations are. Preferable at the same time of the criminal investigations.

Novas fought in a populated area and innocent lives were lost. That is the point here.

[Sandcaster]

Thoughtwave, the Windy City Knights are not going to come storming out to wherever it is you and Wakinyan live -- somewhere in South Dakota, right? -- to drag him away kicking and screaming. You are outside of our jurisdiction.

That said, Wakinyan did attack five police Peregrines. While none of the officers were killed, they would have been had not a member of our team caught the cars, and others would likely have been killed when the cars hit the buildings and streets. He needs to answer for that, Thoughtwave, if nothing else.

There is a warrant for his arrest, and I imagine that it is in the hands of the South Dakota State Police by this point. I would strongly recommend that you counsel him to comply with the warrant without resistance; anything that he may do to resist the warrant at this point is only going to make matters worse. I would also strongly recommend that you counsel Wakinyan to arrange for a good attorney who has experience with matters of novas and violent crime.

Finally, if a nova does come out there without a warrant and tries to apprehend or attack Wakinyan or you, I would recommend that you maintain an open OpNet link to your local law enforcement while you defend yourselves, so that the incident is documented in some fashion.

I'm sorry that matters have come to this, but Wakinyan has largely brought it on himself by his own actions.

[Sakurako Hino]

Want my take?

1: A nova who quite frankly was in the heat of passionate rage, had an episode of temporary insanity. Now, in the baseline world, that might bode ill for a couple people, but in the Nova world, such a passion is destructive in the extreme.

2: This illustrates the need to develop restrictive technologies that can handle LARGE or HUGE novas with the ability to cleave STEEL.

3: Why the hell weren't there any Nova-Grade tranquilizers being implemented during the incident? I know of SEVERAL compounds AND materials for needles that could be made that could pierce even Waki's feathers.

4: How come the incident was allowed to get to THIS level? Why wasn't Project Utopia called in? I know there HAS to be some sort of presence of PU operatives nearby, who could have responded and ASSISTED in the crisis. How come the WCK didn't call for backup for not only themselves AND the CPD? I know I would have.

Wakinian, I'm sorry this is happening to you, but you gotta work through this now. Alot of answering has to be done. Do the right thing and turn yourself in.

[The White Rat]

Wakinyan,

Fight like hell and don't let them bring you in. Now you see why I have my reasons for disliking the Knights. The can't understand what it is like beng of the 'One Race' if they behave like baselines.

It is the weaknesses of hamanity that have caused death and destruction for more than 10,000 years. Now their nova champions have caused more.

I watched in enthralled excitement as you proved the power that a Nova posses, when unconstrained by human frailties. I only wish I could have been there to help you.

Good luck my friend.

[Tarik Ibn Ahmad]

Forgive my intrusion. I know that I am unkown to you all here but I must address the person who last posted.

Do not always assume that Utopia's army is availabe for every action of Nova violence. They have their limits. Also, from obseving your media I see that the time of the encounter was less than the respose time of Utopia's Army. The local authorities barely had time to arrive before the matter became deadly.

Also, these Fakir of the City of Winds could not possibly have know that the Gryphon would attack the local authorities. To gather the restraining devices you mentioned would probably have taken more time than the actual event.

It is most easy to judge others after the fact. but you were not there. Thus your opinion must be taken for just that. An opinion.

[DigiGeist]

You know, over the past day, I've had someone sniffing around my pad when I'm away at WCK headquarters.

I caught him digging through my trash, which was ON my property at the time, not out at the curb for collection. After asking him why he was trespassing on my property, I found out he was a PI. (Dummy forgot you gotta wait for the trash to be put out before dumpster diving.)

He told me that there is a cadre of lawyers lining up to hit the WCK in civil cases. Class Action, mind you Naming the WCK et al...

That means even I, who wasn't even there, could get slapped with a lawsuit, even though I wasn't there. I told the PI thanks, and let him on his merry way after I got what little trash he was collecting. I said "You know, I won't call the cops, if you just give me back that stuff you took."

In any case, I have now retained a Lawyer, and a resignation letter is on the door I used to call my "room" at headquarters. You'll find it empty as well. I don't need crap like this. I'm borderline broke most of the time anyways.

I'm also hiring a few technology security consultants to improve my firewalls and what not so no hacker can peer into my daily affairs. Hence, the reason why I'm borderline broke.

But Carver, again, if you need help... with anything... call me, please.

[Lemmy Chillmeister]

Wow. Mega fucked upedness all around.

Well, dumb shit happens when people do dumb shit.

And banding together like you're the fucking SuperFriends is pretty dumb shit.

[Lemmy Chillmeister]

Quote:

Originally posted by Sakurako Endeavor Hino:

3: Why the hell weren't there any Nova-Grade tranquilizers being implemented during the incident? I know of SEVERAL compounds AND materials for needles that could be made that could pierce even Waki's feathers.

Dream on, Pinky. Dream on. There are a bunch of us that shit don't work on. Bunches. Hell, you'd be hard pressed to find anything that would curl my toes and I ain't as big as an H5 SuperCommando Hummer Plus.

[The White Rat]

I find it ironic, that teams of lawyers are going to do to the WCK, what no novas or crooks could do. Bring them to their knees.

Priceless.

[Troy]

Quote:

Originally posted by Samuel 'DigiGeist' Davison:
In any case, I have now retained a Lawyer, and a resignation letter is on the door I used to call my "room" at headquarters.

You capitalized the word "lawyer".

That's never a good sign.

[Access]

Quote:

Originally posted by Samuel 'DigiGeist' Davison:
I'm also hiring a few technology security consultants to improve my firewalls and what not so no hacker can peer into my daily affairs.

Consider it done for free if you reach me at my dumpsite.

[Ghostwriter]

Why am I diagnosing a case of 'Rats off a burning ship' syndrome here?

[Tommy Tomorrow]

When a shotgun load of lawsuits is about to be discharged, it will be those who stood their ground bravely that took the blast in the guts. Those who flee, while lacking in conviction or courage, will live to fight another day. And still be able to afford opnet connections in the meantime.

[Ghostwriter]

And I thought I was cynical when it came to corporations...

[Tommy Tomorrow]

You live on a unknown, uncharted tropical island. And you're not from America. I checked. What do you know about lawsuits?

Let me share a relevant quotation with you:

"I must say that, as a litigant, I should dread a lawsuit beyond almost anything short of sickness and death."

[size:1]Judge Learned Hand, from "The Deficiencies of Trials to Reach the Heart of the Matter", in 3 "Lectures On Legal Topics" 89, 105 (1926)

[Ulysses Bailey]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tommy Micro:
"I must say that, as a litigant, I should dread a lawsuit beyond almost anything short of sickness and death."
[size:1]Judge Learned Hand, from "The Deficiencies of Trials to Reach the Heart of the Matter", in 3 "Lectures On Legal Topics" 89, 105 (1926)

Indeed.

But, rest assured, I believe Dr. MacLachlan was well educated on legal ramifications during her time with Project Utopia.

[Tommy Tomorrow]

Then she should know what I'm talking about.

Sarah "Tenor" Meeks only destroyed a bridge, by accident and through a fault in the construction material that no one knew about. We all know what happened to her, don't we.

[Madison 'Vali' West]

Quote:

Originally posted by Samhra:
Why am I diagnosing a case of 'Rats off a burning ship' syndrome here?

No. We will continue. If the past few weeks have taught me anything, it has taught me that cities like Chicago need us. We didn't make a public menace like the White Rat. We didn't bring Wakinyan to Chicago so he could abduct, attempt to rape, and nearly kill another nova, much less rain destruction down on a crowded city street.

Hell, when I started here, I didn't even want to be a Municipal Defender. It was something I did to make my Mother happy.
Now, I see the need. Now, I know what I should be doing.

I am not going to hang my head in shame over this. I work with a great bunch of novas. I have a lot to learn from them, and I get to do great things while I doing it.

[Tarik Ibn Ahmad]

I respect your conviction Vali. You honor those who lost their lives that day.

[kestrel404]

OK, I've been busy, but I've got enough time to correct a few bad assumptions.

To Lemmy & Slattern: If banding together for a common purpose means we're pretending to be superheros, then you two have been doing that a hell of a lot longer than we have. Or are Terats exempt from that sterotype because they're pretending to be supervillians? WE ARE NOT A SUPERHERO TEAM. We work for a coalition of states centered around Ilinois, and are based out of Chicago. It's a job, not a crusade. Unlike what you do.

Endeavor:

1. Obviously

2. These materials HAVE been developed (some of which have been developed using Wakinyan's own feathers, if you'll recall). They're simply too expensive to be used to build cars and busses. A technological solution to the problem is unreasonable and unlikely.

3. In fact, Wakinyan was dosed with at least 16 CCs of Moxinoquantamine, to zero effect. The conflict was over before anything stronger could be used.

4. The situation deteriorated SO FAST that it would have been useless to attempt to call Utopia. The only reason that any of it AT ALL got into an OpNet feed is that a new crew just happened to be near the WCK headquarters, prepped and ready to transmit live. Otherwise, it would have all been over before the media became aware of the situation.

Samhra: You were the first person I thought of, and you showed up just before I was going to call you. The situation really did get THAT bad THAT fast.

White Rat: ...

Digi & Bandwidth: I'm sorry to see you go.

Everyone else: Thank you for your kind words.

[Ghostwriter]

WCK,

I'm offering some of my services as a psychic and cyberkinetic until you're back on your feet. Both sides of the story need to be told - I received a psychic 'synopsis' from Wakinyan during the incident and I want to hear your viewpoint.

I will not help you hunt Wakinyan but neither will I hinder you in your job. I do this so that the whole story may come out - it isn't as black and white as people may think.