Aberrant: Children of Quantum Fire - (Interlude) Young Justice Two: Forging Better Tommorows (FIN)

[SalmonMax]

"I haven't been snooping through Puck's business," Alex admitted. "My projects have been keeping me busy. But tell me more about this Galactic Navigation Services thing. What's the planet? There's a big difference between habitable and ideal. Oh, and what are you using for transportation?"

[Doctor Varroxxian]

So as not to distract the general conversation, Star created a silent holographic globe near Alex with very complete information on the as yet unnamed world - designated destination one. The orbital survey had been very well done ... Star hadn't been able to resist going on ahead and doing the science literally hours after Puck discovered the world .... and the world was amazing ...

A breathable atmosphere, a little more oxygen content than Earth, and little larger and slightly higher gravity - more dense elements in the crust. No detectable sentience, or major animal life ... except early aquatic life in the oceans. One large continent and three smaller ones; a 47/53 on land to water, with oceans much deeper than on Earth. Massive plant life, ranging from large fern-like to a huge variety of what is likely lichen and moss in form. Nothing like trees either, except the largest dozen or so species of giant fern. No major chemical threats evident on the world for humans - normal range background radioactivity, no overabundance of reactive elements, no traces of danger on a wide range of sensor sweeps. Two small moons in farther orbits, so less tidal activity in a more complicated pattern.

187 Light years distant, in a system with six gas giants in outer orbits, a far outer cold planetoid field like the oort cloud but no inner belt, five other smaller rocky worlds ... main sequence star with a slightly blue spectrum ...

The details went on, sidebars displayed silently as the holographic world rotated in front of Alex ... the silent message written in the sidebars:

"I need you to keep a lid on this Alex. We are about to go there, and there is still work to be done ... media strategies that can be derailed. Several of us here are going on that first trip. This is only preliminary data ... we are going to do a more in depth orbital survey on the 25th. We won't be doing an away mission planetside on that trip ... would love to have you along."

"The others here didn't say anything because I asked them not to without my say so. I trust you though ... just don't leak any of this outside our tight circle please. Of course, that welcome includes your family too ... I am sure Warren will want to go and see. I was planning on involving you earlier, but this trip is a hard plan to pull off - delicate. There is a key social engineering effect I am working towards in the next three weeks with the release of a documentary, and so forth. This effort is my gift to all people."

Information on Star's ships - both the energy construct primary hulls and the technological backup habitats - was also provided in a sidebar. Reliable, safe, easy to fix, and durable technology - incredible security procedures evident - and all wrapped in very capable quantum layers. All in all, very comfortable too ... a great way to travel for baseline and nova alike. Inside, reminiscent of BSG and TOS Trek, with more than a bit of golden age cruise liner in the lounge area. Outside, a beautiful organic energy creation a hundred fifty odd feet long that furled up to squeeze through her warp gates for transit. Many aspects of the vessels could have been straight out of an Asimov or Heinlein novel ...

NOTE ... Anyone with mega-perception can also read the holo-globe, it is just a silent, non distracting communications option for this meeting ...

[SalmonMax]

Alex squinted at the display, her eyes tracking quickly over the information as it scrolled. After a second she nodded.

"Warren's been there. So have I. It's a good one...one of the eighty-fivers. I dinged it a little for the gravity difference, a little more for the slightly low surface water, and a whole lot for the alien life. Maybe that's unfair though. Hard to find an oxy-nitro atmosphere without some kind of life. These ships don't have interstellar drives. You're using your powers to move them?"

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Again, silently replying via holo-globe to avoid disrupting the main conversation ... and because speaking in English to communicate was seeming so clumsy ...

"Ah, perhaps we should share data sets. My Mother is Dr. Nancy Reid ... her work is well cited and I am familiar with it. Speaking from experience, she or anohter like her ... perhaps Sakura in residence at King Ein's palace ... can easily create symbiotic metazoans to allow human adaptation to this biosphere. The same way that the micro-biome of the GI tract already facilitates most any digestion in our own ecosystem."

"I am using powers to move them. I weave energy beings as outer and partial-inner hulls, those usually provide for all the functions of the ship. Sometimes I use my own powers for critical tasks, but only in rare cases. Extremely long range warps, thousands of light years for example. The technology is purely a redundant backup. Useful in case I want to leave what effectively becomes a space-hab in place. These habs are not self-sufficient though ... they stock consumables for a maximum of eight weeks operation with full baseline crews."

[Karren Gaunt]

Coraline waited for the Alex-Starseed sidebar to wind down to a reasonable pause with a mask of passive serenity on her features before interjecting further, but when she did speak, the asychronous discord dogging her chorous of voices made clear she was ever so slightly displeased and incredulous, "Pardon me, but do you mean Exalt the Teragen's, aparently, unofficial baseline recruiting group? The one that has made so much of a splash in recent days and no doubt is drawing more than it's fair share of attention from the organizations behind the Motherhunters? I don't feel comfortable marrying our efforts to Teragen poltics yet, not until we've proven we can stand on our own and make meaningful progress. And that comes from someone whose *dating* a 2nd Gen Terat at the moment. Call it childish if you want, but if we need to go to the Terats for help, I'd rather we'd do so when we've proven ourselves as a team both strategically and tactically. Allow us to forge our own identity instead of being folded into theirs with the mixed reputation that comes with it."

The young metamorph allowed herself a smile after venting her worries though, adding more gently, "Feel free to correct me though if I'm misinformed though. The minds behind the good work that is GNS couldn't be doing anything too wrong. Certainly seems like it'll draw almost as much attention as Exalt from Aeon, so be careful and don't hesitate to call on me for help if you come under fire. But on a simpler and more directly in line with with the main conversation level, safe recon for traps is simple: send in someone invisible like myself and a few of my siblings can be, or send in something expendable like an energy construct that can be destroyed with a thought if it's detected and attacked."

[Sailor OOC]

"Well, one of my familiars can do the trick there. I make one that is small, have some sort of micro-camera on it, and you'll literally will have a fly on a wall. Unfortunately I cannot extend my own senses through a paper familiar, but... I've found that to be a resolvable issue. Also my window with which to have one of my familiars in this reality may be short due to energy expenditures. It's something I got to practice with, but... paper's cheap."

She crosses her legs.

"As for GNS, it is company policy to stay neutral. Everyone is welcome at our table and we take great lengths to ensure that neutrality. Unfortunately any noble endeavor GNS undertakes will draw attention from Aeon. I sense a bit of jealousy personally, but... I digress. I can say with certainty, everyone here can trust us on my word. If we need assistance, Cora, I will give you a call. Unless Star calls first."

"Myself personally, I am starting to calculate a rescue plan to move Dragons Den members from the Congo in the case what we know is coming cannot be turned or the hammer blow strikes with it's worst as fast as the grim reaper itself. A temporary evacuation to a safe, unpopulated island or if it is arranged prior with our contacts in the Japanese Government a safe house until such a time anyone can be moved to a permanent residency in a different country."

"If a less obtrusive "evacuation point" can be found and accommodated, I will change the plan accordingly."

"It should be kept in mind I am medically trained, and can provide the necessary attention either as a nurse or an emergency responder if required of me. I sadly lack those "healing powers" some have but I make up for it with a good bedside manner and an efficient triage strategy."

Kamiko very much looks like she's trying to help. Even if it is a bit part.

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Star looks at Cora with a pensive gaze and said, "I am forced to a certain extent to maintain ties with the Tergaen. My Mother is a member, and I count several of them as good friends."

"Let me be clear ... I like certain aspects of their philosophy. As far as I am concerned, rabbid humanism is racism. That is the core issue that is driving this conflict ... humans and novas who are afraid of what novas really are. Who want to lock novas up ... literally in bars, or in convenient roles that they control. Their entire point of view is trying to justify baseline humanity as our true form because some of us were human. Thats much like pointing to a butterfly and calling it a caterpillar ... of pointing to a carton of eggs and saying chickens. It is an error you would correct a young child for making, because they do not know better. This is no different. They see us as a disease. I have seen files that refer to the node as the M-R disorder. Cora, do you see your node as a tumor? I will bet you don't ... but they do."

"That is what Proteus and Utopia and the Directive are my friends. They are racists, no different than the people who practices apartheid, of killed Martin Luther King. Humanists, they are some of the worst racists in our culture. They are ugly, and the core philosophy of the Teragen is enlightened in many ways because it accepts all novas."

"Now, there are plenty of Terats who are there because they hate humans. That is wrong too, and if you read the manual on Exalt! you will see that it is an organization that strives to treat baselines and novas equally. That is a really, really important idea. More important by far than some of the things we will do here, in this very group. Note I said some of the things we will do ... Exalt! may not work either. Both humans and Novas who hate are poison that can kill us as a culture."

"Cora, I know you do not approve of the Teragen in many ways, but if you hold hate in your heart for any group of people - even a tiny seed of hate - our efforts here will fail. I don't want to get wrapped up in their politics either, I don't like that many of them treat baselines like cattle or worse. However, I believe there are plenty of ways a society made of both novas and baselines can thrive. The Teragen are a piece of the puzzle."

... smiling again at Kami Star added "As to GNS, Kami said it well, I don't need to repeat it."

[Sailor OOC]

"I and Teras differ greatly on many things. At least all not following Exalt!'s example. I believe in two things above all others."

"One, that Transhumanism is abused to one's selfish wants very easily. I believe in order to truely be transhuman you must uplift humanity, not carelessly throw it away."

"Two, Metahumanity; that is Novakind and Humankind, if they wish to share this planet, they must view themselves as part of a larger, united community."

"The concept of people seeing our nature as a disease infuriates me. I was born this way. I didn't erupt during the Galatea accident or it's aftermath. The Node is a organ, a part of the brain. This evolutionary step is our niche that nature gave us. But we have to remember we are part of the Homo Sapiens line."

"Power corrupts. Aeon and Proteus are prime examples. But there are many Novas who also show the same corruption."

"They want to see us divided and against each other. This way... they can easily remove us from their board. To truely win this game of chess we must view each resource we have not on a ranked structure but as important, equal, and valuable - integral protions of a overall strategy that will lead... if we do it right... the birth of a new way."

"Freedom is the right of all sentient beings. It's not just a hokey catch phrase. It's bloody gospel."

[Karren Gaunt]

"Well said. Both of you. But not the reason I'm skittish about collaborating with a group like Exalt," Coraline replied, voices wry, "I'd love to have called my boyfriend and invited him to this meeting or even our first one, add the muscle of he and his friends and resources to our efforts in order to save more lives sooner and better. But, wrong or not, Aeon propaganda or not, the Teragen are viewed as trouble, primary targets just behind fertile novas, and borrowed trouble is the last thing we need as we get this thing set up. Be careful, that's all. There are lives on the line, ours least among them. We don't do anyone any good dead or forced into running to one of your 85% planets before we've even given it a try at being subtle."

There was some truth to Starseed's barb, but that was secondary beneath a whole host of the problems and ideas involved in trying to guide a nova discusion to a productive conclusion and lives saved. She would not fail in this.

[Sailor OOC]

"Of course, appearances are highly important. That's why you run two streams instead of one, and not let them cross."

"Some of us are well suited to being in the light. We extoll a vrtue or we stand for an ideal. And we do not stray from it. We need them as our vanguard. As an exemplar of the alternative to what is there now."

"Some of us will have to operate in the shadow. Making the gears move. Forging the alliances we need, and sometimes doing what has to be done."

"We have to remember if this is how we operate, we have to remember Proteus as a prime example how this can be done wrong."

"Let's not become the enemy to fight the enemy. Show them we at least have ethics and morals."

[Doctor Varroxxian]

"Thats right. Never cross the streams. Dr. Spangler says so." Star said with a lighthearted wink ...

"I think we - this group - should try to be invisible. What I do in GNS or in Exalt! is compartmentalized with regards to this group. If it helps you grasp how I live, think of me as living multiple separate lives ... but being close associates with myself."

"Essentially, this group has the option of utilizing guerilla tactics and we should take it. What we can't do is fall into a fortress mentality of trying to guard the world. We have to make our missions strikes - fast responses, flexible - an so on, with a planned approach, a tactical op, and sound exit strategies. Then rinse and repeat."

[Sailor OOC]

"Hmm... I like how you think."

She claps her hands. "Operating like this we can minimize preparation time for what we go against. They'll think we're randomly going after targets of opportunity."

"Every endeavor we do must follow the philosophy of the "flash mob". When we gather, never come from one place or gather until the moment, then with either sudden action or sudden violence we move, at once, without leaders or overt objectives. We know our goal, simply take it. Then fade itno the cracks like satiated cockroaches."

[SalmonMax]

"My reasons for using Exalt to administer the taint cure are sound," Alex said simply. "You can either believe that, or not. Either way, I'm not inclined to launch into a lengthy explanation. If you're really interested, I'll email it to you sometime. The short version is simply that they were the only organization with sufficient resources that I felt I could trust not to try to exploit the cure for its own purposes, and that had no connection to myself or any of my fronts."

"Now...because things are starting to fragment and fly off in tangents, I get the feeling we're almost done. So it seems the plan is for everyone to basically keep doing whatever they're doing...but communicate more. I'm good with that. Cora, I'll let you know when the satellite refit is done. Zephyr, we'll need to keep in touch about the spy bugs. Starseed, I'd be happy to see your ships in action."

Though Alex had seemed a bit tense when Star had first mentioned an FTL ship, she had relaxed completely.

"Anyything else that needs discussion?"

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Star nodded in agreement, everyone had offered reasonable ideas this meeting ... very productive.

"I can stay, and talk more ... but I think we need to leave here with the idea that next time we meet we should all come back with ideas for missions. We've almost got whole mission plans now - so we are doing great. Specifics, or even outlines of how certain types of missions might go are things we could use. I say that since some missions we'll be able to choose, some will be things we want to react to in a pinch. We should anticipate how common scenarios might go - and have action plans in place."

"Alex, just let me know a bit ahead. Anytime you want to visit, you are welcome. You can reach me with a fair degree of security through Exalt! Japan now ... but our enemies are still listening in where they can. Wait ... is it Alex, or Genesis? I've heard people refer to you by both. What do you prefer?"

[Karren Gaunt]

"Actually, far as common scenarios might go... I have put *some* thought into this with the way I was volunteered to be leader last time, whether or not we want to change that."

The young metamorph held her hands over Kamiko's paper table and concentrated. Eight drops of flesh fell from her hands and burbled on the table, swelling and growing into six inch tall faceless humanoids, twitching on the end of invisible quantum stings trailing from cora's fingers, the visual part of Cora's quantum puppet show. One of them developed a T on it's chest to mark it as the target fertile nova or 2nd gen, huddling in a far corner. Four of the others marked R for 'Rescue' waited on the other side of an invisible 'warp'. Two of them hopped 'through the warp', one lurking on stealthed overwatch, the other aproaching the target. Conversational gestures ensued, with the target eventually following the R through a 'new warp' and to safety.

"But if we have company..," Coraline interupted, bringing up the three remaining flesh constructs and marking them H for hunter...

The overwatch rescue comunicated to the reserve rescues as the hostiles approached from all sides. Another 'warp' and dynamic assault on the hunters by all three spare rescues while the intial contact rescue persuaded the target as before. With the departure of the target and the first rescue, the remaining three rescues fled as well. Coraline brought her hands together and let the homunculi drop like rag dolls, features going fleshy blank again.

"And no plan survives contact with the eniemy, I know, but it's best to start with a simple outline and adjust it to fit your intelligence and resources to each mission. That's what planning sessions are for, after all I believe. Keep yourselves aviable, and I, or whoever wants to take this thing over from me, will contact you when something's set to go or ask what's going with you lately that you might want to share with the rest of us."

She smiled brightly, eager for input, "Oh, and I found another potential member of our circle, a bat-winged 2nd gen nova over Tibet. He called himself Wong and expressed a willingness to help with every element of sincerity and no trace of the talents needed to lie to someone like me. If you approve and my next meeting with him goes well, I was thinking of including him in the group next roundtable we have. Thoughts?"

[Doctor Varroxxian]

"We met that fellow I think. Nice enough, likes to eat bats. Didn't see his bat wings, but his quantum profile could support them easily enough. Need to check out his background though ... a bit suspicious and we should know something of his background before letting him in. I am not kidding in saying tha he could be a Chinese operative. He fits the part."

Star gives Cora a thumbs up on the planning "Looks good. Find one of me after the 26th, and we can spend some time working mission profiles. I have also been thinking about various tactics. Troop formations, obscurement, decoys, use of suppression fire, equipping our less combat capable members with gear or setting them in support roles. Anyone else who wants in is invited too ... it wouldn't be a formal meeting of the group. We'll just have tea."

"We also need to do some combat training, in any team we plan to field. As opposed to stumbling out into battle for the first time with no coordination."

[SalmonMax]

"Alex in private, Genesis in public," Alex replied. "I'm planning on relocating some of my main research projects to the Congo, once I finalize some things with Einherjar. I expect we'll have an easy time meeting once that happens." She looked at Cora and added, "I've been working with him on a deal to share research and tech in exchange for access to some manufacturing assets. Creation ex nilho can't be applied to large scale production after all."

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan had nodded along with the conversation. He knew "Good" and "bad" teats, and called a few his friends. He'd killed a number of the bad ones, contracts weren't always clean things, and sometimes orders were indeed orders. Epoch had been someone he knew, and until his death he'd considered him "good" in his own way, after his own fashion.

Talks of real action that brought him about. "I can lead such training excercises, and if needed, I would be willing to be a part of these recovery teams."

He looked down to Sonja who nodded. "It should be done, it has to be done."

He looked to Alexandra and nodded. "If you require any help from me, if it can free you up for other things and I am able, I'm availabe to help however I'm needed."

[Sunstar]

Marina had been looking at the hologlobe, and was a bit intrigued. "Alex I have a question. How many of the planets you searched could be ideal worlds if the climate was a little different? Just out of curiosity"

She then smirks at what Kamiko's saying. She's starting to like the way this girl thinks.

[SalmonMax]

"When I'm grading planets, I weight the factors that are hardest to change higher," Alex explained. "So things like surface gravity, mineral content, presence or absence of solar radiation, magnetic fields, potentially hostile biospheres...those sorts of things count a lot. Climate isn't nearly as big a factor, unless it's really extreme, or because it's from factors that can't be controlled, like proximity to sun or similar."

She eyed Marina. "That said, if you can permanantly alter chemical composition of large volumes of atmosphere without too much trouble, then you could be of immense use in terraforming some of the planets."

[Karren Gaunt]

Coraline nodded at both Dan and Starseed in a 'you can count on me contacting you shortly' way, absently dismantling her flesh constructs into raw quantum forces again.

"If you're ruling out planets based on how the iron ball at their hearts spin, Alex, you should have come to me. It's all bodies in motion and Uncle showed me what I needed to see to dance the bones of the world into a different beat. I'm not very good at it yet, but I can help. In fact, that's one of my long term ideas. A group project to start turning all *this* into the next Earth. A gift and a promise what we can do for what Kamiko called metahumanity," responded the young metamorph, gesturing at the rust red horizon surrounding them outside of Marina's dome of ice, "When the time is right."

[SalmonMax]

"I wish you'd speak clearly," Alex said, nettled. "'dance the bones of the world into a different beat' is maddeningly imprecise. If you can help, just say so."

"As for why I rule out planets, the fact is that there are a LOT of planets to pick from, and plenty of time before the tech is ready. We can afford to be picky. And just to be sure I'm being clear...this isn't really about relocation for me. If it was just that, with Warren we could have packed up as many novas as we could get our hands on and been off to any number of planets we've found quite awhile ago. For me, this is about legacy. It's about leaving Earth, and whoever chooses to stay on it, in a better position than I found them in. That's why I'm bothering with projects other than spaceflight. That's why I'm not cutting corners on FTL travel and just letting novas do the heavy lifting. All this stuff has to work for anyone, or it's just another trophy on the 'novas only' shelf, and it means nothing."

"When the novas finally leave Earth...and sooner or later, most of us will...humanity will finally be ready to spread its own wings. I mean to help with that. What would take them centuries will take me years. That's my timeline. Everything else I'm doing is just trying to make sure that people live long enough to see that through."

She paused to think. "Terraforming Mars isn't too bad an idea though. It'd take awhile, but we could get the ball rolling. Crash a few big comets into it. Put some reflectors in orbit to give it more solar radiation. A lot of work, and only long-term payoff, but as long as it wasn't being billed as a 'by novas for novas' project, it might help..."

[Doctor Varroxxian]

"Hmmm ..." Star says of Alex's' views ... "Pretty dark future you are planning. Careful what you wish for ... as the old adage goes. I prefer to work toward a future where humans and Novas can survive and thrive together. Certainly hope it doesn't go down the way you seem to think it will ... would be a shame. Would gladly buy a stardrive or fifty from you in the first order though ... save me doing the heavy lifting when there is work that needs to be done. Of course, I hope you'd let people like us who cut corners on things put in some orders. I understand if you want to work with better operations first."

[SalmonMax]

Alex shook her head irritably.

"No...that's not what I mean. You're doing what YOU need to do, for what you're working for. For you, using powers for propulsion is fine. It's not a question of my way being better. My way is what's needed for my plan to work. Period. There's no judgement here. Our methods are different because our goals are different. That's all I was trying to say."

"As for the future, I don't see it as dark at all. Novas will leave Earth. They will do this either because they -have- to...which is dark...or because they -want- to, which isn't dark. If it's the latter, then the exodus will be gradual. But sooner or later, every nova that survives will become 'big' enough that the Earth simply doesn't cut it anymore. That's not dark...it's just...growing up. For what it's worth, the same is true of baselines. It's just that what we'll do individually, they'll do as a species."

"So whether or not it's dark depends entirely on us...nova and baseline...and what we do in the next few years."

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Star replied with absolute calm, and emotional detachment from the earlier twinge of annoyance she had felt "The implication that separation between novas and humans is inevitable ... that is the dark part to me. Leaving is fine for individuals whose beliefs run that way ... but what about novas left behind? Will that generation of eruptees be oppressed? What about their children? Or if all the novas do leave and none more erupt, what about a humanity that might be unable to defend itself? The future is mutable, and not so simplistic. All of the stakeholders involved need to be accounted for."

"I do agree with you, that action is necessary over the next few years. Vital and critical. If your vision is to be a reality they are going to need much more than the plans to a drive though. Naturally, you covered production ... and all the technological elements I am sure... but if they or we take this chaotic culture to the stars ... what then? Growing up into a mature space faring culture is much, much more than a technological advancement ... without the right wisdom and intent behind a tool that tool can be a terrible curse. Perhaps not for us, with quantum power ... perhaps not for a prepared humanity ... but what about other sentient species? If we were able to ask Oppenheimer or Einstein I am sure they would agree, given their experience and later sentiments."

"But that is all in the future ... perhaps we should focus on saving some people first."

[Sunstar]

"When I'm grading planets, I weight the factors that are hardest to change higher," Alex explained. "So things like surface gravity, mineral content, presence or absence of solar radiation, magnetic fields, potentially hostile biospheres...those sorts of things count a lot. Climate isn't nearly as big a factor, unless it's really extreme, or because it's from factors that can't be controlled, like proximity to sun or similar."

She eyed Marina. "That said, if you can permanantly alter chemical composition of large volumes of atmosphere without too much trouble, then you could be of immense use in terraforming some of the planets."

Marina grins

"I think I just about can do that, Alex. Not one hundred percent sure how well I can pull it off, after all the last thing I need is someone to want to track me down because I am the source of a anomaly in the planets atmosphere. What I do know is I can make oxygen and hydrogen with my powers and influence the climate to a extent, though as I said, I haven't really had much practice with to see the limit of it, along with my exceptional water powers. "

She shrugs.

"Of course someone else will have to deal with the Geological flaws a planet has."

[Karren Gaunt]

Marina got a sidelong look of graditude for diverting that topic of conversation completely, "Which is where I can come in. Volcanoes, magnetism, radioactive deposits... It's all objects in motion. Bones of the earth pulsing to their own beats, and given the time to lose myself synching with them, I can nudge them slower or faster. Hotter or colder. Forgive me if I was too poetic, Alex, I don't have your education and raw brains in the formal terms."

There was a chuckle in Coraline's chorus at that, an old joke spawning from an older fight over imprecise and made up words, "But more importantly, yes. We're all here to save lives first and foremost, and I think most of us are agreed about how we want to go about that without smashing the board with grand gestures. Anyone have any major things they'd like to discuss before we break up and just... get to know one another?"

She clapped her hands together and smiled widely at the gathering, alert for questions asked and unasked. Unasked questions were often the most important.

[SalmonMax]

Alex nodded absently, assimilating the new information. "Good to know, good to know. I'll have to keep all that in mind. Specially you, Marina. Mass manufacturing of oxygen would really accelerate development on some of these worlds..."

She half turned away and tapped idly on the inside of the ice shell.

"As far as the rest goes, I never said the only thing I'd be leaving behind was a stardrive," she said meditatively.

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Star thought to herself 'I really hope so Alex ... I really do hope you follow through... for all our sakes ...', but left it unsaid, letting the nano-tech nova have the last word in case she took offense ... no need to rock the boat further with someone who seemed not to like her, or even wish to cooperate in the simplest fashion ... like divulging a single radio frequency - not even for one way contact with no risk - in almost two weeks - when reliance on the op-net and terrestrial meetings was clearly risky for the entire group. Some irrational factor was at play...

Star considered what that might be in this case, thinking in a fraction of a second 'Those were definite barbs back there ... I wonder if it is something that I did or said? This group of second generations are particularly insular ... understandable and she could identify ... but this is too extreme a reaction even for that. Surely Alex can stand some critical input? She may want to be the only scientific resource for their group in order to maintain her social status. Perhaps I have to prioritize being nice instead of honest or contributory. Honesty didn't do very much for Socrates in his immediate context ... She does seem to understand that interstellar expansion is the only way. Maybe it is a failure of communication? She was unable to interpret simple statements Cora made - taking immediate offense at her for it. That could be also be a factor in this case ... I shall have to watch what I say to avoid agitating her further. Profiling is required ...'.

"I have a question ... who wants to grab some food? I want cake!" Star said with a smile.

In the proceeding small talk, Star made a definite but not obsequious effort to be nice to Alex. Engaging her on topics of conversation that she found interesting ... choosing her language with great precision and without poetry or overly humanistic elements.

[Sailor OOC]

"Well, if there are those that are hungry I'll take care of passing out the goodies. I had a particularly good meal with my recent... work that I am doing for Star. Of course we hardly eat together as part of the protocol, so I'm unaware if Starseed has eaten yet."

She adjusts her outfit as she stands, nodding to everyone. "Don't worry about the paper furniture vanishing, I'm getting good at keeping the sculptures together and multi-tasking."

"What would everyone like or require? I can warp to Earth and grab whatever is needed. Just be sure to pack your trash."

[Butch_Cole]

Butch followed the proceedings of the meeting in silence. His main goal in taking the trip to Mars was to support Cora, but a close second was a desire to size up the novas that his sister wanted to put the family in league with. Throughout the whole conversation, Butch was making mental notes regarding their allies. Afterwards, he would share his observations and any reservations he had regarding the group with Cora.

The meeting went as all meetings Butch was a part of recently went: meandering to-and-fro. Let's save people. Ok. How do we do that? Well, we...wait, I want to talk about spaceships and how to find habitable planets. Ok. Well, finding planets is a matter of...wait, now we should talk about how a mission is gonna go. But wait...et cetera. Still, it could have gone much worse, which made Butch feel as if it wasn't a total waste of his time.

There was some promise in trying to be more active in rescuing novas-in-need especially given their access to information provided by Zephyr. Being more active meant being in danger, and Butch was very wary of putting his family at risk working with novas he barely knew. All he had to go on was the spotty intel available to him from these meetings and little bits and pieces of info he could find through some research. Still, he was pleased to get a stronger sense of the older novas present at the meeting. Dan Hawkins struck him as a solid soldier and a good man, someone they would definitely want on their side when they made a ruckus. Zephyr looked like he could handle himself, too, and clearly had a good conscience given how he was risking himself while still working for Utopia. Butch was unsure about the others though based on some of what they said and some of how they carried themselves. For now he'd give them the benefit of the doubt and would certainly take part in any strategic planning and training sessions. Beyond that he was unsure still...

Butch smiled at Kamiko and said, "Well, I ain't all that hungry, but I'll eat if that's the consensus. At least I'll be able to say I had a meal on Mars. I'm good with most anything, but I've got a powerful hankering for a burger and a milkshake. Don't fret none if you can't arrange that though. I'm sure I can rustle them up later on if need be. Anyone else gonna chow down in an exotic locale or are we all movin' on?"

[Sailor OOC]

"Well... I'm not really noticing a consensus yet for a break. Seems there are issues yet to be addressed and I should not abandon dome while there still is important matters."

She smooths out her blazer. She's been trying to look more professional to her compatriots, but she seems to look more schoolgirl than anything... that's the problem being fifteen. Even with a node you're not taken as serious as an adult. Although she's being listened to, it seems her contributions are minor outside of support.

"I know we have multiple interests, everyone. But the greatest interest we have is to the greater good."

[Karren Gaunt]

"We've established that, Kamiko, and the steps to execute that good will."

"A priority to develop better intelligence and intelligence sharing between ourselves and some of those who came before us," her chorus intoned, nodding at Zephyr and Alex.

"A broad plan to find, keep track of, aproach, and rescue nova parents and children in harm's way, modifiable as needed," she continued, hitting her stride.

"Training to allow us to implement the plan with as much coordination as the Hunters will use to counter it once they start finding their victims gone before they arrive or their agents ambushed," she added with a nod to Dan.

"And finally, much as my dear brother is probably rolling his eyes inside at it, finding the easy comfort with one another to banter with one another and not storm off. Unless anyone has pressing business they'd like to further discuss or needs to run off, I think small talk over drinks and sandwiches would be lovely. I asked Aunt Serenity and our rescuees so far to put together a few trays as a surprise and a thank you for everyone who came," she finished with a grin.

[Sailor OOC]

Kamiko nods.

"I will see to what I can do on the coordination process. To be honest my best skills though are as a secondary warper and my training in emergency medicine. As far as everyone is concerned if there are injured, call me once you can get the patient to a safe location. I don't have actual healing powers per-se, but I can keep a victim stable until a more capable nova healer can arrive or at least start a victim on the way to recovery."

"It's amazing what one can pick up and learn with the right connections."

"Corra, thanks arranging the food. Tell Serentiy and the Rescued thank you for me." The thought of having the refreshments arriving soon was a welcome bit of news. "Sure beats astronaut food."

[Dan Hawkins]

"Careful using that term Kamiko, it has been on the side of the righteous and the wicked throughout history."

"Some refreshments would be nice. Though we've all agreed to work together, none of us really know that much about the others, aside from Cora and her siblings, Kamiko star and I. Getting better acquainted will aid in the long run."

[Karren Gaunt]

"Exactly what I was thinking," commented Coraline with a smile, hopeful for the future as she considered the stars above them beyond the ice dome, "And if Warren is keeping an eye on this meeting like I suspect he is, we won't have long at all to wait before they get here."

She was right, too. There was even cake to wrap up the sandwiches and drinks.

FIN.

[Quantum Fire]

End of Thread

XP: 4 Standard, 2 Baseline, 2 Nova