ABERRANT: WEIRDER STUFF - CHAPTER II "Sometimes Eating the Cake Just Isn't Enough"

[WS ST]

Pryor took a deep breath and his brow furrowed with annoyance as he cut a sharp glare at Dr. Rashoud. She in turn looked back a little sheepishly before averting her gaze and began studying her shoes intently.

"New York? Do you know who this person is and where in New York they are?" He asks clenching his jaw.

The other adults are quiet though Mizuki is watching the Colonel concernedly.

[Abel Cross]

"Not exactly, no.   I realize it's looking for a single needle in a rather large haystack but understand it took some doing to find out that much.   The person we suspect is female, and that's really all we can tell you.  Now, would you kindly answer Sean's question?"

[WS ST]

Everyone looks at Abel. Col Pryor opens his mouth to reply but is interrupted by Dr. Mizuki.

"Several things, it seems, were occurring at the same time a sort right hand not knowing what the left was doing."He walks over and picks up the hard drive Sean had pushed toward them, then he walks over to the window beside Alec. "Please everyone sit down everyone standing around is nerve racking.

Colonel. Twice now these children have rescued what would have otherwise been untenable situations. Obviously we did not know or realize the extent of they're abilities. We need to rectify our opinions of them and they're capabilities and we need to take them into our confidence." He looks to Col Pryor for permission to go ahead.

Pryor heaves a sigh and finds a chair, the other officers follow suit.

Once everyone is seated Dr Mizuki moves to the center of the office and faces the kids who have chosen seats all around the same two desks. "To answer your question Sean, no we believe that other factors led to the collapse of the portal. According to the theory supplied by the Guatul Feem, via Blitz, the Asheen had to Use our existing portals that the Project had created, to hijack so to speak. We and they were under the impression that they could only use our own portals, we were blind to the obvious.

The Project originally only had a set of portals operating at a secret facility at Groom Lake Nevada. A place you probably have heard of as Are 51. When the first QEHs appeared it was believed that the portals were responsible so new protocols were needed. 

While the exact mechanism to cause the enhancement was unknown they theorized that it was brought about by proximity to the receiving portals. Whenever something comes out of a portal there is a massive release of energetic particles in the quantum scale most of the particles are benign and very short lived but not all of them have been identified or probably even discovered yet. So the project decided to use drone shuttles to host the next phase of testing and that's when they decided to put the receivers here at Bulwark.

In the Original incursion the Asheen Hijacked control of two of the drones which gave them access to both bases. A third drone, a larger one went missing. After Blitz and Sgt Sanchez closed the Invasion portal we regained control of the captured drones and shut them down. But we were unable to shut down the portals from the missing drone. So we moved those receiving portals to heavily shielded and placed automatic guns to blast anything hat could come through. We thought they had to us our portals and completely over looked that they had already proved that they could open independent portals like they did when they attack you kids at the camp.

We were blindsided

Today the missing drone reappeared. Around the time you witnessed your fellow students acting oddly the Air Force launched an attack to destroy the drone. We know that that was accomplished we will have to compare the timeline but i am sure that it si what cause the collapse of the portal. It is the only explanation we have  that is reasonable." 

[Kia Mizuki]

"So...that's it then, right?" Kia asks, a little timidly. She was way out of her depth here, and knew it keenly. "There's no more portals? The invasion's over?"

[WS ST]

Dr Mizuki shakes his head, "I wish that it were so Kia. But as Blitz has informed us our presence here is known, even if they don't know precisely where in this galaxy we are located the Aliens will look for us with conventional means and we need to prepare. At the same time we cannot rule out that the spy creature may have gotten our position out in it's signal."

[Alexander Cordeaux]

Alec let out a sigh.

"I doubt we would be so lucky. No, I really doubt that we're anywhere close to being finished with this. We have time to prepare, that's about all. They know we are out there and have a rough idea of where we are."

He nods as Dr. Mizuki agrees with his own conclusion.

"So, we know they're coming. Question becomes; what are we going to do about it? Much as you want to keep us sidelined." he nods at Colonel Pryor "I doubt we will have that luxury. Unless things improve drastically, you're going to need our help. Not that I don't appreciate the attempts to keep us safe."

[WS ST]

Col. Pryor stands up. "We don't know for certain that they are coming, and if they are," he cast a glance at Blitz sitting next to Abel,"we don't know when they will arrive.

But Alec is right we are going to need you, but we are going to need you to act responsibly and you are going to have to be trained and you will have to follow orders.

We...I, was wrong in treating you like children, today proved that. But if you ...kids," he shrugs not really knowing what to call the Irregulars gathered here, "want to have any sembelance of a normal life, if you want to have any kind of freedom, you are going to have to listen to what we," he gestures indicating himself and Dr Mizuki and Dr Rashoud, " say. you will have to do things the way we want you to do them.

That doesn't mean we won't listen to you but you have to leave the decision making to us."

He leaves the unsaid that if the Irregulars don't some one will make them.

[Abel Cross]

<Or else, someone will make us do so, in case any of you miss the implied promise there.> Abel sent to Guild chat.  "So it's join up as some sort of paramilitary operatives, or what you'll deny us our freedoms?   Thus far you've all shown you're on our sides, but when push comes to shove, if the order came down to detain us indefinitely, as research specimens on the effects of quantum enhancement, would you do it?   Having seen us in action, if the order came down to terminate all of us as a potential threat to the nation, Would you order your men to carry out that order?"

<I know he is your Father, Lily, and that counts for alot, but he is a military man, and these are extraordinary circumstances.   I want to hear his answer from his own mouth, We all deserve to know exactly where we stand.>

He looked at Dr. Mizuki, and Dr. Rashoud.  "The same is something I ask of the two of you.   I don't yet know what sort of experience the government has with quantum enhanced individuals like us, That Information hasn't been shared yet, simply that others exist, which frankly is something we already knew.  You want us to trust your judgement, so we're not told everything.   Yes biologically we're all teenagers, but we are all so much more now.   I ask you to trust in us as much as we trust you.  To that end, I'm going to tell you something nobody else here knows."

He took a breath, gathering himself.  Outing himself like this, well it was a huge risk, but he asked for their trust, and it was time for him to reciprocate.   

"I am a Telepath.  I have been for two years.   I got my powers the day Blitz disappeared.    More than that, I am Constantly reading the surface thoughts of Everyone around me, all the time, not because I wish to, but because my ability does not have an off switch."

There he said it out loud, and had rolled the dice in the biggest fashion he could.  

<i am sorry, and apologize to all of you for keeping this a secret for so long.   I just wanted to preserve what normalcy I had.   it was selfish of me."

[WS ST]

Shock rolls through guild chat, then...

<you read minds? Our mind? All this time? All this time you have been reading our fucking minds!> Sara's anger is felt by all and echoed by some.

"No Abel," Said Lilly's father without hesitation, "and I don't think anyone here would. But others will if it comes to that. I know your not stupid son. And knowing that, I know that you know that the second after we told our superiors about you that someone somewhere is studying every single thing we do and that there are plans being made, have been made probably to hold you  or eliminate you should your existence prove a threat to the nation or hell the world."

 

[Abel Cross]

"Of course I've know that.  But since you are the man in charge of this facility, I wanted to hear your answer.   I'm not so crass as to dig through minds to find the answers from people I consider friends, and allies."  it was true he didn't have to hear it said, if he'd wanted he could have gotten the answer himself, but this way Everyone knew where they stood.

<Yes Sara, whatever has been on everyone's surface thoughts, I've known.  Everyone at school, everyone in town, all the time.  A Deluge of mental noise that I have had to endure alone, every day, for two years.  Trust me, Sean's first day has been rather unpleasant for me too.  Same goes for Alec.  Just as you both cannot help but draw attention, I cannot help but know the surface thoughts of everyone around me.>

[Sean Cassidy]

Like Sara, Sean was growing to believe they should help as they could. They all had power and they would inevitably use it. With her brains, her body, her voice and her presence, Sean had not the slightest doubt she would be successful in whatever she chose to pursue. What she was pondering as the others went back and forth was what she should pursue, how best to do that, and how much time they had to do it.

The world itself faced an alien invasion, it couldn't afford continuing or growing international conflict. Public revelation of Quantum Enhanced Humans and actual proof of extraterrestrial life would cause incredible chaos, and society would have to navigate those waters swiftly to provide a united front against the threat.

Could she direct the path social development of the entire Earth towards that? She could take into account and follow innumerable variables and had advantages no other person in history ever had, but even with dozens of PHDs worth of knowledge and experience crammed into her head, there was still much she didn't, variables she might not be aware of yet.

She could develop a multinational corporation of immense influence, a world leader in military hardware, power generation, and technology. She was sure she could seduce a national leader or tech icon and wield political power through them, if she could stomach it for the benefit of all. But would she have the time? More importantly, would she be willing to make that much of a sacrifice?

Fabulous wealth and recognition, while still of idle consideration, seemed so... little of concern under the treat the Asheen posed. Perhaps working with Project Stepping Stone, they could negate the threat of the Asheen with a more limited but focused organization and give Earth a more gradual amount of time to adjust to their and extraterrestrial existence. It worked reasonably well in Stargate. Okay, to some degree, anyway...

When Abel made his surprising revelation, Sean turned to glance at him, lips pursed and eyes slightly narrowed. Looking back at the last two years with remarkable clarity, it was obvious to her now the changes in Abel in that time. She gave him a minute shrug, holding no real grudge about his secrecy. <Don't be too hard on Able. As far as he knew, he was the only one, Sara,> Sean sent to her directly, not without sympathy for her deserved anger. <It might feel like an invasion of privacy, but he couldn't control it and to be fair, he doesn't seem to have unduly taken advantage of it. And what else would you have had him do? Tell us and risk losing his friends?>

Sean's eyes returned to Col. Pryor as she folded her arms beneath her breasts. "I am willing to work with you, for the moment at least, and speaking on my own behalf," Sean said, modulating her tone to convey her determination and the validity of her considerations. "But the relationship has to work both ways, completely. If you expect us to trust you and follow your orders, you have trust us too that if we don't, we have a very good reason, especially if we are in the field and don't have the time to explain all the variables of the situation."

Or that you would even have the capacity to understand them, she thought, but it would have been unpolitic to voice it that way. "If you expect full disclosure from us so you can make the best decisions given the information available to you, I expect the same. With the capabilities available to us, we may able to find or develop solutions you simply cannot conceive of, not when you don't live, experience, these powers and enhancements on a constant basis as we do."

[Lilly Pryor]

< Dude! What the fuck?! That's my DAD. > she thought to guildchat with more than a little surprise and outrage, though it was clear she was talking to Abel.

< Hell yes it counts for a lot! He'S MY DAD. HE'S ON OUR SIDE, just like Kia's dad. They've been PROTECTING US. > 

Oddly, Lilly did not seem so surprised by Abel's admission of her prior enhancement, though she was not enthused to hear he had been reading their surface thoughts for two years now.

< Yeah, he was enhanced well before us. I've suspected.. well.. pretty much known for over a week now, but didn't want to put him on blast about it and we've been dealing with other stuff so I'd not brought it up yet. Remember what he said after we got enhanced and met Blitz and Kia was freaking out a little not sure how she was gonna deal with this all? "You'll adapt to this, You all will. It might take a little time,  but I know it can be done." Not "We'll." I wasn't sure how he was enhanced him though, until we now, when we found out we got enhanced when the portals opened near us. Remember. he had told us that one opened near him when Blitz vanished. > 

< Now I wasn't sure what his abilities were, aside from what he's shown so far. I mean, I might have on some level, I guess. Some things make sense now. >

< But dude. WTF? You've been mind reading us for two fucking years? Thoughts are as private as it gets and you've just... > Lilly's combination of outrage, frustration and hurt was evident to all through the link.

< I'm sure we have ALL thought about things that we'd never tell another soul, and here you are listening in? That's just... I mean, unable turn it off or not, even if it's not your fault, that's still seriously fucked up. SERIOUSLY. > She commented to guildchat, feeling almost betrayed.

< And yes Sean, I WOULD have had him tell us. Hmm. Let's think about. Risk losing friends by being honest to them (you know, your FRIENDS) and allowing them to make a choice about even being around him knowing we would have little to no true privacy while around him, or lie to them and constantly invading their privacy, even he he had no control of it? The choice is pretty fucking clear if it were me. > she thought to Sean over the guildchat in immense irritation.

By this point, it was clear that Lilly was not her usual self. Between the hurt from Alec's suggestion that she could let people die just to change clothing to the way Abel was talking to her dad, and Abel's admission that he had been reading their surface thoughts for two years, all in just a few minutes time, Lilly was clearly on edge, feeling a mixture offended, hurt and betrayed. It was odd to see the normally laid back, or even upbeat, Lilly like this. Though trying to keep her composure, under the barrage of the last few minutes she was beginning to show physical agitation, something even her father had very rarely seen in his little girl as she sat, eyes closed with elbows resting on the table as she rubbed her temples while her jaw clenched and her muscles subtly tensed and relaxed, over and over again. 

[Kia Mizuki]

Kia had issues of her own at the moment...revelations that she had no idea what to do with, or how to feel about. But there was one thing she did have a clear course of action on, and it was a welcome thing to be able to focus on someone else's problems other than her own.

She pulled her chair over next to Lilly's and scooted up to lean gently against her. No words occurred to her immediately, so Kia didn't try to say anything. She just wanted Lilly to know that she had her support.

[WS ST]

"

10 hours ago, Sean Cassidy said:

Sean's eyes returned to Col. Pryor as she folded her arms beneath her breasts. "I am willing to work with you, for the moment at least, and speaking on my own behalf," Sean said, modulating her tone to convey her determination and the validity of her considerations. "But the relationship has to work both ways, completely. If you expect us to trust you and follow your orders, you have trust us too that if we don't, we have a very good reason, especially if we are in the field and don't have the time to explain all the variables of the situation."

Or that you would even have the capacity to understand them, she thought, but it would have been unpolitic to voice it that way. "If you expect full disclosure from us so you can make the best decisions given the information available to you, I expect the same. With the capabilities available to us, we may able to find or develop solutions you simply cannot conceive of, not when you don't live, experience, these powers and enhancements on a constant basis as we do."

"That young lady," Dr Mizuki, still holding the fried hard drive turns to face Sean, "is precisely the thing you should not say. No matter your intentions, no matter how smart you may be now, any demands you make and ultimatums will be viewed as a threat to the status quo. Even if you do not mean them to be threats or ultimatum, it is what they sound like, not by us here, but by those we answer to. You are inexperienced and while you are not children you are children, and you still see things with a child's perspective that only time and experience can temper. Just from watching the video of what happened today you have all shown while not poor judgment, inadequate judgement. You think of yourselves as immortal, infallible. No one is either." he hefts the hard drive like a pointer as he talks.

Mizuki pauses as his daughter scoots her chair close to Lilly a gesture he is very familiar with from his sensitive and loving daughter, he frowns a bit.

"As for the matter of the other enhanced, until your arrival that was not something i was overly involved in. Dr Rashoud?"

She stands absent mindedly brushing back her hair. "Well There are no other enhanced like you," she pauses remembering the one Abel said was in New York,"at least not that we knew of. Prior to two weeks ago all of the enhanced were while astounding when compared to the group gathered here they were barely above normal. Most had manifested enhancements like all of you of physical and or mental attributes and a few had show some, what we at the time thought was amazing, levels of measurable psychic phenomena.

At first we didn't know why but we are forming a theory."

[Lilly Pryor]

 

Lilly relaxed somewhat as she felt Kia comforting her. She leaned her head against Kia's and sighed. She was still irritated, but she was reminded that she was not alone. After a moment of hearing the exchange between Sean and the Doc, she spoke up.

"These are two of our dads. They have always cared about us, protected us, taught us and looked out for us. That hasn't changed. We have to work TOGETHER people. It's not 'them vs us' or 'us vs them'. We're all on the same side. It's all of us vs the Asheen. So please, drop the attitudes and mistrust. The quicker that happens, the quicker we can all move forward. " she encouraged.

[Sean Cassidy]

Sean's lips tightened faintly. She could have suppressed the tell, but she wanted them to know she was feeling slightly annoyed. They had said they were wrong to treat them as children, then proceeded to treat them as children. 'Trust us.' 'Do as we say.' 'We know best.' She had no doubt that Col. Pryor was right about his superiors already considering contingency plans in regard to her and her friends, based on any criteria they deemed necessary. Necessity not necessarily based on what was best for the country or the world, either. These were politicians after all.

"I'm well aware of who two of these men are, Lilly," Sean said, arching a brow at her. "And I understand why you implicitly trust them. It's on that basis that I'm willing to extend my trust to them as well, if not the people they answer to, without knowing who they are and getting some sense of the type of people they are. And I have been advocating working together, but trust is a two-way street and I don't see it as out of line to ask they extend it our way when they are demanding it from us, potentially in exchange for our freedom. Though you do bring up a good point."

Sean turned her attention back to Col. Pryor and Dr. Mizuki. "All of us versus the Asheen? Who does that include exactly? Project Stepping Stone? The Airforce? The entire Military? Anyone outside of the US government or military? What happens when they try to establish a beachhead in an even more remote area, or in another country? Who knows about..." Sean stretched out her arms and gestured towards all her friends, somehow including Sara, even though she was in the infirmary, "... us?"

[WS ST]

Dr. Rashoud stands there looking blankly at Sean and Lilly. She looks at first Dr Mizuki then Col Pryor for rescue.

"Just us, Sean," Col Pryor answers for rashoud. "Us, the Project, The Pentagon, The President, and select members of Congress.  This isn't the best time for this to be happening. The world is in turmoil with  well you know, we are about to have a major change in our own government and neither of the persons about to step into the presidency has been informed of any of this yet. So There is no policy. I think that's why we have been able to make things up as we go along.

All of that is something that the people above us have to figure out. Blitz has informed us that if invasion is by spaceship that the invasion will come in a few years..."

"Eight to ten by the estimate of the Guatal Feem," injects Blitz.

Pryor gives Blitz a sharp look. "But if they have our address, so to speak, invasion can come at anytime, presumably anywhere. We have to be ready. But getting ready takes time and planning and so far we have only  had a few weeks.

And like it or not. You ...young men and women are most likely going to be the tip of our spear."

"And it isn't just the Asheen you are forgetting the larger threat...The Oppressors. If The invasion is by portal then we will face the Asheen and any other slave race they can throw at us. That is a daunting thought all by itself. But if they come by ship then It will be the Oppressors themselves for they do not allow any other race to travel between the stars directly.

That is why it will take so long.

They will have to gather they're fleet from the other six galaxies and then come here." said the doberman his voice growing graver as he spoke.

[Kia Mizuki]

"That's crazy," Kia said softly. "We can do a lot, but we can't stop something like that. What are we going to do?"

[WS ST]

"You will not be alone, Kia," Her father quickly jumped in, "You will have the full support of the military and the scientific community. I think what Col. Pryor meant was you Enhanced individuals are obviously equipped to deal with this like the Special Forces, the Navy Seals."

Nodding Pryor takes over, "What Dr. Mizuki says is basically what I meant but right now your like raw recruits. You need to be trained. Not in how to use your powers you obviously know that. But in how to know when to use them and how to use them most advantageously. There are a lot of things to learn."

<some one ask him if we get any say in this> comes Sara's thought over guild chat where she had been following the discussion.

[Lilly Pryor]

 

< You wanted to help people, right? Well, protecting the world from alien invasion is helping, like, six billion plus people. >

[Alexander Cordeaux]

Tamping down the anger at Abel's deception, that was something he would need to think on and he'd already hurt people enough by speaking without thinking, Alec turns his thoughts to the Guild link. <Aye, I'm certainly for it, but I'll ask for you.> 

Clearing his throat he had to wonder what the byplay of all of their mental communication looked like to the outside observer.

"IF I may ask? Do we get any say in all of this? I don't have any problem with helping out, but what if one of us doesn't want to? A lot of what you've been saying assumes that we're willing to sign on. And if so, what sort of say would we have overall?"

He smiles ruefully

"Putting aside the fact that we've already shown a willingness to do stuff by sticking our nose into it even when told to sit tight."

[Sara Hutchins]

<That's not what I meant and you know it. It's one thing to help people, to do what you know is right. It sounds like your dad wants us to be his soldiers.> Sara's anger flared.

<I'm not anybody's tool. Not my father's, not your father's, and not the fucking governments>

In the infirmary more than a mile away Sara sat up and pulled the IV and other attachments from her arm. As she was pulling her sneakers on a nurse came.

"Ms. Are you alright? You need to lie back down. Ms.Hutchins" She said in a calm soothing voice.

Sara finished tying her shoes in silence. <Sean Where are you guys? Lead me in.>

"I'm done here." Sara brushed past the nurse.

"M's Hutchins..."

Sara wheeled on the nurse and in full veiw of everyone in the emergency room, held up her hand which was now holding a baseball sized sphere of fire.

"I said I' done here."

The nurse back away and Sara left the building taking to the air as soon as she cleared the door.

[Sean Cassidy]

They were asking them - though it sounded too much like telling them for Sean's taste - to join the military as an elite - if untrained and inexperience - force. They all had the right to accept or decline as their conscience and beliefs dictated. And Sara was perfectly in her rights to be here with the rest of them as the Colonel and the Doctors explained things so she could make her decision face to face.

Sara had been rather emotional and volatile for the last bit, but Sean could understand why. They had faced danger and death straight on and Sara, among them all, had been the closest when she had overexerted herself in freezing the alien. Super-powers or not, they were still teenagers and most of them were not equipped, trained, or experienced in dealing with such situations.

Still, it was better Sara got it out now rather than tramping down on it and letting it fester.

Sean had flawless recollection of every step she had taken on base and had been to the infirmary the day after her transformation. <Follow the dotted line, Sara,> Sean sent over their private channel, a part of her elated at having Sara at her side while part of her still worried about her health and well-being. <Leading you in to the hanger. We're in this officer right... here.>

"That's a fair enough concern, Col. Pryor, our lack of official training and working together as an unit, besides for school projects and the football field for two of us," Sean admitted with a wry smile of acknowledgment, even if she still believed she would surprise them with the breadth and depth of skill and training she had garnered with her own specific transformation. "Now for a matter of somewhat more, delicacy, shall we say? Perhaps it was not your intent, but it doesn't seem like there are many other options being offered or discussed. What if any of us decide we rather not be volunteered for Project Stepping Stone?"

[WS ST]

Sara flew low she was having trouble with her emotions just too much all at once. She landed on the side of the hanger out of sight and made her way inside, pausing to make sure the ice was still frozen. Then she joined her friends up stairs just as Sean was finishing up.

She look across the room at Abel a flash of fire in her eyes. <How can we trust them when we can't even trust each other?>

"Glad you could join us Ms. Hutchins." remarked Col Pryor as Sara went across the room and sat by Sean.

"To answer your question Sean, I don't know," He shrugged, "in a perfect world there wouldn't be any question, but we are not in a perfect world as you can very well see." He takes a deep breath, "we can oly do so much, in the end the government is going to decide and more than likely they are going to look at all of you  as assets not as people. It's the same way they look at anyone in uniform, just that none of you volunteered."

<We are so fucked> thought Sara

[Lilly Pryor]

< Well, if we are, and if we don't really have a choice, then going along with this will be in our best interest. It will have the best chance of mine and Kia's dads overseeing us instead of some douche. If the military sees something is working, they generally do not screw with it. So then it looks we do have a choice then... to a degree. We either go along with it and keep the best possible people directly over us. People who care and look out for us. Or we resist and either all hell breaks loose or we end up being forced to join and have some douche directly over us. Who knows, maybe even both. >

< Either way it seems like we are gonna end up doing this one way or the other. So if that's the case and the only two options we are given, then I say we go along with it. At least for now, and make it easier on ourselves and our families. I am sure My dad and Dr. Mizuki will do everything they can for us, give us more liberties than anybody else would, and keep looking for a way to do this without us. >

< So that's my vote between those two options. >

[Kia Mizuki]

<Plus,> Kia added, <once we get through this invasion thing, we'll be heroes. Then we can retire or do whatever and they won't mind too much because by then they'll trust us. We want to help protect the country and the planet anyway...this just helps us do what we'd be already be doing.>

[Sara Hutchins]

<sigh> Sara's thought was deflated. <Alright if this is what everyone want to do, I'll go along. At least to a point>

She looks at Sean and slips her hand into hers intertwining fingers.

[Lilly Pryor]

Lilly sighed and stood up. She looked around the room, at her friends who were now more than just friends, at her father and Kia's, at Blitz and Julio and Dr. Rashoud as she thought to herself for a moment before she spoke, addressing the Irregulars (mostly).

"I know this might not be ideal and it feels like we have no choice, but really, who else is going to stop these aliens? We have been gifted these abilities and they make use the best suited to fight them. There are many thousands of brave men ad women in the US military alone, who will fight and lay down their lives for this nation, and indeed the world if it came to it. But today showed that they are outclassed here. Even if they had managed to somehow bring down the scout and all of the centaurs, they would still all be dead now when those failsafes went off. Instead, they get to go home and see their husbands, wives, kids, families and friends. Why? Because of us."

"Yeah, you can say that we saved who knows however many other lives today, and that is hard to gauge and see, but for a fact we saved the lives of those soldiers on that island. And we stopped these failsafe bombs from detonating AND recovered one for study and maybe reverse engineering. Why? Because of what we are able to do with these abilities, and do as a team. We did good today. We saved lives.. again.. just like we did at the cabins, and maybe got our side a leg up in this struggle, or at least a start of one, especially with our help studying their tech and physiology." she says, motioning to the frozen centaur in the hangar below.

"But things would not have gone as well as they did without their help too. They destroyed the satellite, closing the portal to stop more from coming though and stopping that thing from escaping. Hell, they even managed to kill that scout. And they have access to resources we can't even touch. Neither the six of us, nor the thousands of them, can do this alone. We have to drop the distrust, fear or whatever, as hard as it is to do, and work together, for all our sakes. I know it feels like we are being forced into this, but really we never had a choice from the moment we got these abilities, because we all have good hearts and can not stand by and let this invasion happen."

< Choosing to work with them now is going to yield much better results and up the cooperation and trust considerably. I know some of you would love to get a crack at that alien tech, well imagine doing it with the full support and resources of the US? We can use our powers, and work well as a team so for, but they can help with that considerably and rapidly. And then you have all the gear.. armor, guns, and everything else that we will likely have access to. You all know that when there is some huge problem like this, that money becomes no object. >  she thought to the others over guildchat in an instant.

< I know you feel like we are backed into a corner, but we don't have to be. Let's make the best of it, at least for now. And like I said, if we are going to be forced into this anyways, then it's best having mine and Kia's dads overseeing us. They will do more for us than anybody else. > she added.

"So let's work together, protect our world, save countless lives and prepare to kick some more alien ass."

[Sean Cassidy]

Sean gave Sara's fingers a comforting squeeze and she glanced down at her and nodded, then gave her shoulder a small bump with her own. <Of course, only to a point,> Sean agreed over their private channel. <Though I have to agree, initial cooperation will hopefully go further in us developing trust and a working relationship we can all deal with.>

Despite that thought, Sean was already considering what other options would be or could be available to them and began sketching out plans if the military starting seeing them more as assets - regardless of how valuable and unique - they could use to destruction than as people. But there was much still to define with them becoming members of Project Stepping Stone, both officially - such as things as mundane as salary and benefits - and unofficially.

"I have no intention of letting a hostile force take over our planet," Sean declared with steely resolve, her entrancing eyes firm and clear. "And Lilly has made some valid points. There are still a great many details that have to be brought up and agreed on, but for my part, I'm at least willing to agree for the moment and see how it goes."

[Abel Cross]

Abel nodded once.  "Of course I'm in.  I've got friends and Family I want to protect same as anyone else."   he knew his friends were mad at him, and in a way he understood why.   He couldn't tell them, despite wanting to several times.  All he could do now was regain their trust, and if not well, he'd have to live with that too.   He seemed to shut down emotionally, allowing the cold logical side of his brain to hold sway, his way of withdrawing, such as it was.

[WS ST]

Nods and a few words of agreement from Sara and Alec seemed to satisfy Col. Pryor.

"Alright then we all need to get on the same page and that means all of us, together. My men have secured the Island and locked down the entire lake area. We have reinforcements coming in from Malmstrom, but we need to secure that thing," he indicates the ice block outside the office window, " and make sure it posses no more threat.

Sean, since you seem to be the brains here..."

It was a long night.

Spoiler

This is the end of this scene I will be posting an interlude later today. this interlude will probably be rather large and may be posted in more than one part. I envision one more scene then the end of this chapter. also keep an eye on OOC i may have some questions and will need your answers. As usual please refrain from posting until further notice. Thank you for playing.

 

[WS ST]

Indeed it was a very long night.

The Air Force in response to the calls from locals who had seen the smoke from the battle and heard the explosions Released a statement detailing a tragic mid air collision during a training excessive between two Black Hawk helicopters, that had resulted in the deaths of ten servicemen.

 

For Sean, Alec, Abel, and Sara explanations were made to their parents so that none of them were worried about the safety of their kids, details were omitted of course. Eventually the kids all returned home and hard as it was to believe Tuesday had arrived. They and the adults had decided that they should return to their normal activities at home and school while plans and arrangements could be made. Accommodations would be made for them to return to base in the evening if they so desired at least until those aforementioned plans could solidify.

Each irregular was given a cell phone so that Col Pryor and the Doctors could call on them when needed.

 

Tuesday morning dawned early and by the time the Irregulars all got to school and made their way to the lunch room for breakfast, they noticed, that while several of the kids from the practice incident hadnt come to school Tuesday, outside of those who had been there, no one seemed to know it had occurred and those people that did weren't talking.

 

As had become the norm Alec's sister picked up Talena and brought her and her brother to school. So the two arrived at school together just in time to see Lilly and Kia pull into student parking.

Sandy was there waiting and as the girls were getting out of truck, Abel's jeep pulled into the parking lot followed by Chet's camaro.

 

As everyone exited their vehicles looks were exchanged and then Courtney, who had arrived with Chet again, and Chet quickly moved toward the school building seeming to want to avoid any form of confrontation.

Sandy waved at His friends but his eyes were locked on Lilly and he waited for her to come over. She could see by the look on his face that he wanted a chance to see her alone.

Spoiler

ok I will still be working on the interlude but it will likely not happen today since i had intended to skip ahead some time, so for now you may resume posting. In game it is Tuesday morning the next day it is probably between 7AM and 7:30 AM. first bell is at 8:30 i am available in PM if there are any questions

 

[Sara Hutchins]

I'm not smart like Sean and the boys. Sara Hutchins sat on the edge of her bed smoking the first cigarette she had had in almost two weeks. The craving was gone but it still calmed her and helped her think. The pot did absolutely nothing to her anymore so she had thrown out her private stash in a fit of rage.

Hmm rage she was feeling more of that too it was like along with her body her emotions were tuned to a higher order it was hard to keep control.

She took a long drag and stood up, walked to her closet. She stood there for several minutes looking at the clothes she had bought last week. They were cute and girly. What the fuck had she been thinking.

This is never going to work. She pushed those to the side and pulled out an old pair of jeans, ripped and perma stained, a sleeveless white t-shirt and a new studded belt. She slipped the jeans on they were loose the way she liked them. She took the sleep shirt off and tossed it in the corner looked at herself in the mirror and wasn't all that happy with what she saw. She pulled the shirt on and finish with an old pair of work boots that had seen better days. Throwing on a hoodie and and not bothering to fix her messy hair, she put her earbuds in, cranked the harshest Amon Amarth songs she had and she left the sanctuary of her room.

 

As she made her way out of the house she ignored her dad who was still drinking his coffee, not even hearing his offer to drive her to school. She paused right there at the end of the drive looked up and down the road not seeing anyone she bent her knees then straightens up and launching herself like a rocket into the sky. Like a bullet she zoomed the couple of miles to the school shaking house and spilling coffee with the sonic booms. She came down fast but landed gently at the back of the building where she made her drugs deals and where nobody went because they all knew it was the Hutch's stoop. The flight had shot adrenaline, her new drug of choice, into her system, but the risk of being seen had added a different kind of thrill. One that left her tingly.

Sara entered the school and grabbed her books and moshed her war to the lunch room and breakfast with the Irregulars.

[Lilly Pryor]

 

Lilly slung her satchel on cross-body and closed the door to her rusty, old pickup as Kia came around the other side and together they started exiting the parking lot. Lilly noted that Courtney had arrived with Chet again and grinned, giving them a wave that she would, at best, be ignored. She chuckled about it along with Kia as they spotted Sandy.

< I have no clue how I am going to explain our disappearance to Sandy. > she thought to Kia while maintaining her warm smile.

"I'll catch up with in a minute. See you guys inside." she said to Kia as she peeled off and headed over to Sandy.

"Hey. Whar's up?" she said with a smile ad she gave Sandy a hug.

[Kia Mizuki]

<Don't worry, I got your back,> Kia sent back, and then called after her, "Okay, see you inside! Thanks again for helping me out the other day!"

As she hurried in, she completed the thought.

<Just tell him I asked you to help me out with something. Like...we were doing renovations and had to throw out a bunch of furniture and dad was at work...something like that.>

[WS ST]

Sandy waved at Kia as she headed on toward the school.

17 minutes ago, Lilly Ann Pryor said:

"Hey. Whar's up?" she said with a smile ad she gave Sandy a hug.

Sandy returns Lilly's hug, marveling at how good it felt to hold her, How solid and string she was compared to... dammit stop thinking like that, he mentally kicked himself.

"Just waiting for you, Captain," he gave her that toothy All American smile but there was a seriousness in his eyes, " I wanted a chance to talk with you about last night."

He reaches out to her, "Here let me carry your books."

Lilly shrugs the satchel off and hands it over smiling.

"So That was a weird practice to say the least, I thought Alec and Chet were gonna kill each other and then..I don't know. What happened Lilly? Where did you go?"

 

[Lilly Pryor]

 

Lilly shrugged, brushing it all off a bit.

"Yeah, Chet had a hard on for trying to put me in the dirt for some reason, even though I was red shirted. He couldn't sack me though if his life depended on it. So he decided to go after Alec, and Alec, being red shirted like me, didn't appreciate it. It's just Chet being even more of a douche than usual." Lilly shrugged.

"I know, right! Like, everybody zoned out and then that fog rolling in out of nowhere was super weird. Must have been some temperature inversion or something. Hey, you were zoned out too for a minute. What happened to you?"

[WS ST]

Sandy kept walking beside Lilly for a few seconds then stopped, putting his hand out to touch her arm stopping her too.

His mouth was suddenly dry, last night had been so confusing, he liked his lips tryiny to get some moisture back.

"Yeah...I forgot about the fog, I...," He shakes his head, "they gave me a shot."

He shakes his head and takes a deep breath, "Doesn't matter, I just had wanted to talk with you about us going out Saturday, just the two of us."

[Lilly Pryor]

 

"Do you feel okay now though?" she said, lifting her hand and placing it on his forehead, as if checking for a fever would somehow help.

"Saturday? I think I'm free. Not sure if we are gaming or not since Sean.. our Sean, not his cousin Sean, left. Not sure who will step in to GM now. Hmm.."

"But If I'm free, sure. I might still kinda be on call though."

[WS ST]

"Yeah sure, if you free of course." It was obvious that he was disappointed.

"We better get inside if you want to get something to eat before class."

 He nodded and started back toward the building.