Aberrant: Children of Quantum Fire - [Interlude.Beta] A Jungle Den

[z023]

Sakura took in Morrigan's words, then spoke softly but with a deep conviction. "I am one of those children, a child of a nova. I...I do not know if all of those born from novas are like me, but I learned in my travels that even as a small child I was powerful for a nova. And when I came of age, my power increased dramatically."

"I grew up...somewhat isolated, but near a small village that had no other novas living there. I was home schooled, but I went to town with my parents - they weren't my biological parents, they were baselines and they were the the most loving people I've ever known. I agree that having exposure, having interaction with others - not just other novas - is important." She nodded to Morrigan, "From what you've said, I would suggest simply putting the complex in Kinshasa then. Perhaps on the outskirts for space, but it would provide a large population of both novas and baselines to interact with, as well as putting the complex in the safest place in the Congo. Any attack would have to be an attack on the city as well."

"A panic room....well, that could be useful in several ways. I would suggest more than one, constructed both for safety during an attack and for training the children in how to use dangerous powers." She put a hand to her stomach, already showing a slight bump even through the layers of the kimono, thinking about the trials she had put her own parents through. "Also for their temper-tamptrums. A five year old that can punch through solid concrete will need a place that is safe for them and for others."

"So...that is what I would suggest. Set up a complex like a birth-to-maturity boarding school near the city, build in reinforced and secure rooms, and ensure that there is socialization outside of the complex on a regular basis. Perhaps programs set up for excursions into the city and regular socials at the campus? That way the citizens of Kinshasa and the Congo can be involved get to know the nova children growing up with them and around them. The children also grow up getting to know each other, themselves, and the people that share the world with them."

She looked again to Ashido and Morrigan, "Is that more what you're looking to build for the Den in the Congo?"

[Adrian Moss]

'When all else fails, support you family.'

Shaman nods to his oldest Sister,

"I will volunteer to be in the rotation to guard the children of the Den then. I will also take part in the training, as my skills were acquires by exotic means. Unless Father sends me elsewhere, I will be around even on my off time. I really leave very far, I have few friends, and I remain unaddicted to the Opnet."

"When I'm not with a child, I will be within a minutes flight. I can do that for several months anyway. Until other, better replacements can be found."

[Doctor Varroxxian]

'Good ... good...', thought Starseed, taking notes of the proceedings - observing reactions - refining models ... 'finally some people actually communicating on the actual issues. Now something might be made clear'.

"I agree that the members of the Den should have the option for tactical and strategic training, and would insist that they be expected to rise in their own defense when possible. If the young aren't being taught to defend themselves in this world, they aren't going to live very long. A safe room is a logical extrapolation of the concept, and several are better given the principle of redundancy. Certainly, I will join in a defense if the safety of the Den is compromised."

"I also look forward to the liberal education options that have been suggested by many here ... as a student of the social, political, and economic spheres there are many things I must learn."

[Sailor OOC]

Kamiko adjusts her glasses. "Well... my time with the den has been a whirlwind, and I am at that 'maturity' point almost. But I believe in the cause. If there is any sort of training... emergency response, first aid, or simply to teach a basic science course... you know who to call."

She leans back in her chair. "My birth mother was a teacher. I don't dare want that legacy to go untapped."

[z-The Morrigan]

“Actually, Kamiko,” Morrigan said, “I don’t want to forget that this is a school. It should be a place where students feel safe and can learn about life. The sacrifices learned at the Den should be the sacrifices of discipline and self-control, not the loss of friends and security. The students should be able to defend themselves, but I’d rather they didn’t have to.”

“We’d all rather they didn’t have to,” Ashida quickly said. “In fact, if the matter of security is settled, I’d like to discuss curriculum for a bit.” She seemed a bit flustered and was eager to get to get back to a more comfortable topic. “Starseed, Kamiko – what topics were the most interesting for you, in the schooling you’ve had with the Den, and which the hardest? And from the others, based on what we’ve shown you of the curriculum to date, what would you add?”

[Doctor Varroxxian]

"I would say that the subjects not suited to isolated study are something to be looked at. Speaking from personal experience, I have taken all the distance learning courses one can imagine ... maybe more. Academic knowledge is easy to pick up, even if a tutor is required for those without the focus for self study. I know so much about my various fields of study because it was all I could do in relative isolation."

"Team work, social graces, languages, all the things that require lots of people to learn effectively will be something that many young Novas lack. That sort of thing should be the focus."

Star began compiling an index of all the distance learning options legally available in the Congo - which was quite a bit, except for the damned op-net zone restrictions on stuff from some places like the U.S. Then it would be a simple matter to make it self-updating, searchable, and have the app be a customizable academic access tool. Star also included estimates of what it would cost to teach these things in house, and a cost-savings indicator would show some of the rare cases where in house programs would be superior.

"Working on a distance education evaluation app for the academic stuff now, will be posted soon."

[Bombshell]

Jason sat back, listening and letting the others talk, her polite smile edged with melancholy. It was a pity, the way many of the young ones here, even Sakura, had grown up had deeply directed how they approached things. Security and safety were major issues, but for them it had been the immediate and overwhelming focus, when the focus of the Dragon's Den should have been as a place of learning and community. A place for children and the young.

Fortunately, Morri had the same thoughts on what Hanaryuko should be as she did. Jason looked down at her datapad, hiding a wry grin behind a curtain of silver hair as Ashida asked Kamiko and Starseed about their education. Both girls were clearly hyper-intelligent, even by nova standards, and would have hardly had a typical response to education. On average, novas weren't actually much smarter than the rest of humanity, it was just the capacity of the upper percentile really through off the curve.

Jason glanced over the curriculum again, though she didn't need to, already being familiar with it after enrolling Danica in the Dragon's Den on a trial basis and having taught her daughter on her own a great deal. It was quite well done, extensive and malleable, as it should be for the wildly varying capabilities of novas. Very good student-to-teacher ratio as well, which was also necessary.

"The curriculum looks quite adequate, and more," Jason said, nodding politely at Ashida, "though I think we should make sure any teachers and professors are highly adaptable. The capabilities of novas varies highly and many, most even, will need individually tailored progression patterns." She tapped her tapped datapad, flashing a smile of acknowledgment at Starseed. "The distance education is a very good idea for those who have an extremely rapid progression, but the majority will find it easier and more rewarding to learn with a teacher or tutor in a group. Which also helps in learning about team-work and social interaction."

Jason gave a soft, self-deprecating snort, a musical sound. "Also, speaking as a former high-school jock, it would like to see that phys ed stays an integral part of the curriculum. Helps greatly with developing team-work and social interaction - or at least, it should, and did for me - as well as helps kids get used to the limits and capabilities of their changing and maturing bodies. Especially important for those children who have erupted at a young age rather than being born nova, who will still make up the majority of the student body. Their powers will take them more effort to acclimate to and self-defense can easily be added to the class."

[Adrian Moss]

'If you don't have anything to say, don't say anything at all.'

'Hmmm..."

"How ... what are the age groups are we looking at here? What is the youngest the school will accept? Will they be looking at maturity, or emotional and physical development?"

'That didn't totally suck.'

"Also, when do you 'graduate' and what do you graduate to?"

'Should we even be discussing this yet?'

'The river ever flows. Learning is never consistent but never-ending as well. You can not look at a stream without looking at the creeks that feed into it and the river to which it flows. The same goes for learning.'

"Umm ... is their going to be a mechanism that creates an identity for us/them in the World, or are we looking at other options, like Space?"

[z-The Morrigan]

Ashida smiled, much more comfortable with the conversation now. “Thus far, the individual curriculums of the students have been tailored to their needs. But we’ve had social aspects too – having the students put on plays for their peers, studying art and culture. We’ve even had a student write a play! It was quite wonderful.

“In fact, that model has worked quite well,” the Japanese headmistress continued. “Tailor the ‘hard skills’ – those with immutable rules and boundaries – to each student’s skills and abilities while teaching them culture en mass. Having everyone’s perspectives on the subjects broadens each student’s perspective.” She broke off, laughing softly. “Sorry, some of those discussions have been wonderful, so enlightening.”

With a flicker of her eyes toward Jason, she said, “We haven’t enforced physical education because novas don’t suffer from obesity issues like baseline children. A nova is always physically at the prime of their abilities. We’ll certainly let those who want to do physical activities do them. We have found that forcing these activities on those novas that don’t like them causes them to invent creative ways of getting out of them.” Her smile was slightly exasperated.

[Sailor OOC]

"My issues... have been more of my physical talents. I'm not up to your level or anywhere close to where I could be. I am trained in the Naginata... not a master in my own right, but I've got a few things... I just need more training opportunities there. I am willing to volunteer on more academic educational needs for the school."

She adjusts her glasses. "Although basic physical education I got down. Ant the secret to get someone interested in it is to give it to them in an interesting way... mine was in wanting to learn search and rescue techniques. You just have to play to interests."

[Adrian Moss]

'Hmmm ... not much to offer here.'

'Nope. No one signing up for Grizzly Bear Lore 101.'

'Survival Guide?'

'Maybe.'

'Morri certainly does it better.'

' Will she have the time?'

'Hmm, yep, point.'

'Let's wait to make our silly suggestion once there is an actual instructor to ask.'

'As opposed to making a fool of myself again?'

'You do know we are the dumbest sentient in the room, right?'

'Painfully obvious.'

'So?'

'Listen, learn, select what you need, or what you like.'

'No one seems impressed with us.'

'Dude, our most impressive displays of Super-Awesomeness is to strike myself with a lighting bolt and to get Sakura a flower.'

'Sakura ... I wonder how she's doing.'

'Maybe we should go over there and check. She might be lonely.'

'She might be thinking about her movie too, dumbass. She doesn't need us.'

'...'

'I know.'

'It's so damn annoying'

'What? Being powerless, or not being with her?'

'Both.'

'It will be a smaller thing in time, as the mind opens and the individual raindrops upon the current mean less and less.'

'Oh, great.'

[Sailor OOC]

Something crosses Kamiko's mind.

"One thing... do we have anyone that is an expert in ethics when applied to Novas and their powers? I think that might be some important lesson work to include in all training."

She adjusts her glasses. "Any interaction with baseline society would be smoothed if we have a strong ethical compass or roadwork we follow as our standard."

[z023]

"You would have to decide on either which ethical code to base that on, or create a new one entirely." Sakura shrugged slightly, "In the house of my father it was ethical to beat a servant if they did not perform their duties in the time or manner that a member of standing in my family thought they should. In the house of my Mom and Dad, such behavior would have been viewed as barbaric at best."

She frowned and leaned back in her chair, her eyes far away, "And given the variations among novas, in their physical being, their social prowess, their mental capacities and so on, a singular code of conduct beyond a very simple 'be nice, respect others as their own people' might be so difficult to implement as to be impossible. Take myself, for example. I can barely walk from my rooms to here in the palace without creating chaos. I've not even dared to go much farther inside the palace and certainly not out into the city itself. After....occurances....here, that seems to be the most moral choice I can make based on even that simplistic of a statement of ethics. Everywhere else I have gone has either been restricted to novas only or in the shadow of another more experienced and...noticeable...nova." She nodded to Jason, smiling a little as she did. The times on set for Dead Rising, around baselines but in an environment controlled by novas with the power or clout to deal with the effects of her presence was a respite for her. Her time at the palace and with Chang in the Rainbow Room were nice, but they still felt like hiding. The movie set was different. Troublesome at times when people were affected strongly by her, but she still felt safe there; just one toe out into the population at large, but that was enough for now.

"When socialization is such a focus, but you have others with similar issues, matters of ethics and morality become quite...tangled."

[Sailor OOC]

Kamiko scratches her head... feeling completely ignorant on that one. "Yeah... you're right. There's so many variables that even my head spins. And I can calculate a pretty large equation."

She leans forward and cradles her head in her hands. "So... it still sounds like we have plans coming together... Once we get the particulars in place... the i's dotted and t's crossed... This should be a shining example of what the Den can do in a short period of time. We got a good group here. I'm really... enjoying this."

She finally... for the first time today, looks genuinely calm.

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Starseed felt she had contributed, even if it was just making a few doses of reality available to the people enacting this planning process. Otherwise, this meeting was starting to drag on, and she had a tablet in her hands.

So, get back on to that business plan she'd outlined a while back. Transferring the file from her data-band into an encrypted folder she set to work. Unless they were reading her mind they wouldn't notice a change, Star exhibited no outward change and er mind was very difficult to read. She was still listening, but there were other ideas she had to capture, to formalize ...

[Sailor OOC]

Kamiko carefully organizes her tablet and other things at the table. "Well, everyone. Now that we have the foundation for our plans, and we are aware of the current situation of what the Den's current status here is; do we think we have a good starting point. This pause in the dialogue seems, at least to me, that the final things to shake out are things that will be shook out in the implementation process, not here at the meeting?"

"Not to poke anyone, but I am sure we can get more done actually being out there, than just talking about our plan here."

[z-The Morrigan]

Ashido chuckled. "Actually no," she said with a smile. "We are just getting started. If you think you'd be bored, you can pop out and return later. But I estimate that Bombshell, the Morrigan and I have at least another hour or two of details to cover - funding, location, curriculum, goals, credentials... there are many things that contribute to making a school work. While I'd love to continue to have your input, I won't be put out if you have better things to do."

"Agreed," Morrigan said, though at the mention of an 'hour or two' briefly had her looking put aback. She recovered quickly, a sardonic smile on her face. "We are needed here, but I'll not consign you to this unless you're truly interested."

As the kids decided if they'd go or stay, the adults bent over the details, starting to hammer them into a plan. It would actually take three more hours, all told; the international complications slowed everything down, even with the King's cooperation. But the three of them kept at it, incorporating the input of those kids who stayed. But the rewards were well worth all the effort to everyone involved.

OOC: Start the 80's montage! The rest of the details can be settled OOC. Feel free to do a wrap up post for your PC if you want, but this could be the last post, too.

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Starseed soldiered on, and it was a bit of an ordeal. She, however, needed to to asses the actual information going into the process and not whatever might be made available later. If she was to trust this location, this school, she had to know what the real deal was. She also wanted to genuinely contribute, even if it was things that people sometimes didn't want to hear ... fortunately everyone had finally taken off their rose colored glasses and got the the work of planning ...

... that made the process very satisfying.

[Sailor OOC]

"Fair enough, Morrigan. Feel free to contact me when anything needs to be addressed. I'm attached to the Tokyo branch, but I am willing to add some manpower if necessary. Trust me... I got the... heavy moving capability as it were. And keep the datapads courtesy of my mother."

She smiles and bows with her belongings under arm. "And Star, Shaman... you have an appointment for later today with me... consider it a... team building excercise." She says as she walks out.

[Adrian Moss]

For Shaman it was a strange exercise in organization and responsibility. This was as important as working out, or exploring (or so he had been told). The young nova had nothing else to contribute, but so much to learn. Even as the meeting closed down, he was still digesting the dynamics putting ideas into reality. It was a lot to digest for such an unprepared mind. It would have been a lot to digest for any normal mind for that matter, seeing the strength of intellect and breadth of experience around him.

Still, when you are a Prince, you learn such things. It as the 'human' side of the job, even if the project was superhuman.

[Bombshell]

Jason's flowing silver hair flicked over her shoulder seemingly of its own accord as she nodded graciously at those who were taking their leave and smiled at those staying before leaning back in to work on digging through the issues of establishing the new branch of the Dragon's Den, using her own international influence and contacts to help. Beyond getting it established in the Congo, she hadn't decided on just how much involvement she was going to have in the Dragon's Den.

But the more it was discussed, the more she was considering taking a more active role. Shen asking her to take an interest in Ichigo had piqued her interest in the Dragon's Den, and enrolling Danica on a trial basis had piqued it even more. Though her daughter had received an eclectic education, for the most part, Jason had taught her herself. The idea of expanding her education to including others on a more routine basis was beginning to have a great deal of appeal.

It would be a big change, but Danica was growing up so fast - she wanted to spend as much time as she could with her before Danica spread her wings and left the nest. She had heard many parents say the same, but it took first hand experience to really understand it, and if anything, nova children seemed to grow up even faster - perhaps a necessity with the power at their fingertips. The Dragon's Den was a place for the young to learn to wield that power, and to learn to interact with those who didn't have it in a positive fashion, all the while leaving them the freedom to make their own path in the world and beyond.

It was something Jason wished to be a part of, at least for a time. And perhaps she could raise the issue of physical education once more. Stating that Novas maintained a prime physical condition seemed like a foolish reason to limit it. Education was mental improvement, why shouldn't the students persue physical improvement in tandem, body and mind together for a greater whole.

Perfect lips curved in a rueful smile as Jason wondered what the media would say about Bombshell taking a break from acting to become a teacher. But the Dragon's Den wasn't just a learning experience for young novas, it would be a learning experience for herself as well. And would grant her that much more extra time with her daughter.

[Quantum Fire]

End of Thread

XP: 4 Baseline, 4 Standard, 4 Nova

Bonus: End of of Main Thread: +4 Standard XP to all active PC's.