[Fiction] Deep of the Ancients

[Neil Preston]

Neil will make his way to the sickbay to double check all the supplies are layed in and everything passes a diagnostic. He is whistling a baudy little song an Australian Marine taught him.

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako pokes her head into Sickbay, watching Neil preparing his supplies.

"Care to share where that tune came from, Doctor? Or should I check Napster? I do have a membership. Even though it's damned expensive to download MP6 files..."

She leans against the automatic doorjam and cracks a smile.

[Neil Preston]

Neil looks up, somewhat embarrases to see Endeavor.

"Aaahh ... let's just say it was taught to me by an old Aussie Marine. Not for the consumption of children, ladies, or ship's officers."

There is now a huge grin on Neil's face.

"On the medical side, everything looks good. Pretty of Ampwell's stocked in, and the standard array of pain-killers, as well as mox and andro. I've uploaded my medical profile into your system and noticed your's needs an update. Also, can you ask the others for some sort of medical history. It gives me a base to work from ... just in case."

"I figure since you're the Captain, you get to ask all the nosy, difficult questions."

This whiticism earns Endeavor another of Neil's patented happy grins.

[Ghostwriter]

"I'm afraid to ask," Regan asks, having just entered behind Sakurako.

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako lets off a slight giggle.

"Well, I guess I should update my physical logs...."

She then sees Codex slip in.

"Hey. Fancy meeting you here."

She then hits a button on her com-panel near the door.

"Sphere, old buddy old pal, 'port on down to sickbay. The gang seems to be congregating here. Vixen, that means you."

She then switches off the com-panel.

"So doc, you feel that this ship is ready for it's voyage?"

She then adjusts her drysuit slightly, letting it slightly creak.

"I shouldn't embark unless the chief medical officer gives his okay."

She winks.

Damn, I feel like I'm on the damned Enterprise.

[Sphere]

Meanwhile...

The bleeping hadn't stopped when Sphere had flicked switch back to it's original position. He'd just been idly tapping on the consoles on the command deck, and had inadvertently knocked it with his elbow. Somewhere on the deck a slow bleep had begun.

Sphere looked wildly around, praying that he hadn't just launched torpedoes at Endeavor Point, or something equally stupid.

Can't be a self-destruct. I mean, no-one's going to build a ship with a self-destruct so easily activated. Right? Right. I mean it's proabably just a coffee machine or something. Yeah, a coffee machine...

Is it me, or are those bleeps speeding up?

Sphere, would you join us in the medibay?

"Umm..."

Sphere looked at the console, then around the command deck.

"Umm...sure thing."

His teleport sphere wrapped around him and he was standing in the corridor outside medibay. After a quick check to make sure he'd arrived in one piece, he entered.

I'm sure it'll be fine.

[Sakurako Hino]

Endeavor turns to Sphere.

"Why did you unlock the lifepod doors? Getting second thoughts?"

She smiles.

"Trust me, the important controls are in my chair, and up here."

She taps her forehead.

"Have one eye on the world, and one on my ship. I'm good at that. Look, if you're scared of drowning, I got spare life vests in a storage closet somewhere..."

She then closes her eyes for a second, and closes the lifepod doors again. Then she resets the evacuation system, so it doesn't do anything goofy.

[Neil Preston]

So doc, you feel that this ship is ready for it's voyage?"

"I shouldn't embark unless the chief medical officer gives his okay."

In a low sotto voice,

"Medical Log: Personal Update. That damn maverick Captain of mine, Jane Hino, has just asked me to sail with this crew of renegades and madmen ... and women, into hostile, unknown space with nary a bandage or ..."

Seeing Sphere arrive, Neil returns to a normal voice for a moment.

"Oh. Hi, Sphere. You look like you just hit the death stars self-destruct sequence, or something."

Neil winks at Sphere.

Back to sotto voice,

" ... or a double-barreled scotch."

Looking up at Endeavor, sotto voice and deadpan expression,

"Damnit, Jane. I'm a Doctor, not a Freemason. What your asking me to do is shear lunacy. Hear me? Lunacy!"

Pausing for over-dramatic effect.

"Okay. What the hell, lets launch. After all, who wants to live forever?"

Back to normal-Neil voice.

"Guys, I will need some sort of base reading for each and everyone of you, just incase anything happens. FYI, I heal people by taking their wounds onto myself, so I need to know just how much I can and should take if anyone gets hurt. I'm a fast healer and can take tremendous amounts of punishment, but I have no delusions of my own mortality. Captian Endeavor already has some stuff online. You Utopians should have something I can use. Sphere, you, Hammerhead, and Walker are going to be the oddities. Share with me what you want. You know the risks."

In case you are wondering, Neil is grinning, yet again.

[Ghostwriter]

"Personal supply of adrenocilin and monoxoquantime, a medical kit and a couple of bottles of ten-year-old mead and one of fifty-year-old whiskey," Regan replies with the hint of a smile. "That should come in handy."

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako stretches a bit.

"Meh, I have an ample Sake supply. It's the only alcohol I like. I like the taste of a warm glass of Sake."

She steps over to a platform and some mehanical scanning sounds eminate from it.

"As for medical data, Neil, here it comes."

With but a thought, she activates the med-scanner pallette, and several scanning arms start reading every facet of her biology.

"It only takes a minute or two. After everyone gets scanned, that needs to be, we're gonna head off. At the dive point, I'll brief everyone on the gear we'll be using. Unless you provided your own."

[Sphere]

"Dunno what you guys are talking about." muttered Sphere sheepishly as he walked over to a storage cabinet and took a look inside. Then he grinned and pulled out a bottle of surgical anaesthetic.

"Well, that's my celebration drink sorted out. I'll chuck one of these in the fridge for when we get back."

Look, if you;re scared of drowning...

"No worries about that, Cap'n. I don't breathe anymore. Last time I went under the sea my body seemed to temporarily adapt to the conditions, so I won't need a wetsuit or anything. Although a harpoon gun'd be cool! Just in case of giant squid attacks you understand."

Share with me what you want. You know the risks.

"Scan away mate, I ain't got a problem. You might want to make a note that I'm pretty resistant to drugs 'n' stuff. Took about three times the normal recommended ammount of adrenocillin before I felt it. Fit as a fiddle other than that."

He turned back to Endeavor.

"We set to shoot? Atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed, and all that?"

[Vixen]

Five Minutes Ago

"Okay," said Vixen. "I have to ask, Mitch, and you know what the question'll be."

"Yeah." Mitch examined the walls of his cabin. "I guess I do."

"Why are you so uncomfortable? I mean... okay, I admit that they're not exactly my peer group either but I get along fine with 'em. They're good folks..."

"One of them seems to belong to an anti-Utopian group called the Aberrants and a couple of the others... they just spook me."

"Are you scared that they'll hurt you?"

"Hmmm? No. ... a little. It's like walking into a biker bar. Even if they won't hurt you, there's that aura that they can..."

"I can see that. But I can see it in your face, that's not all of it."

"Roxy, don't. Just... I hae it when you do this, when you just try and coax these things out of me..."

Vixen sighed, and without a further word, she imploded, returning to the baseline form of Roxanne Richardson. "Okay. Okay. Silver tounge's been cut out, no telepathy. None of that. Let's just talk. What's up?"

Mitch rubbed his temples. He blew out from between his teeth. "I feel like I'm competing."

A smile tugged for a moment at the side of Roxanne's mouth. "How could they?"

"Well, they have superpowers and-"

"Yeah, but so what? I don't fall in love with people 'cause of their superpowers any more than you fall in love with people because of their skillsets. They aren't the defining factor - or at least they don't have to be, and aren't for me."

"I guess so, yeah. I suppose. Just that I feel that sometimes you hang out with that crew too much... you're always on the OpNet talking to them... you go to the Amp Room and hell, we're on a sub and diving for a rescue op. You've been to the moon. I feel..."

"Left out? Aw, Mitch..." She enveloped him in a hug. "Listen, don't ever doubt how important you are to me, okay? I would be so lonely without you. I love you. I love you so much. You keep my feet on the ground. I kick myself everyday for not making a move on you earlier-"

"You're kicking yourself? You?"

"Yeah, me. Yeah. I felt it too." She steps back and smiles. "Listen, we've gotta go to sickbay. Innoculations, I guess."

"Yeah, I guess." Mitch manages a smile and hops off the bed. "Let's go."

Now

"We're here!" Vixen opens the door to sickbay and lets Mitch enter. "So what is up? We need to enter a decom chamber?"

[Sphere]

Sphere was curious. Vixen had gone from werefox to human whilst she and her fella were away. More surprising was that she didn't show up on his node's "ping sense" anymore. He'd heard of Novas that could switch between forms, but he hadn't realised you could shut off your quantum too.

Neat trick that, wonder if it's a power you can learn?

[Sakurako Hino]

"We set to shoot? Atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed, and all that?"

"Hehe. Yep. I guess that's what we'll be doing when we get our I's dotted and T's crossed. Besides, if we don't get wet, we won't have fun."

She rocks back and forth on her feet. She then notices Vixen arrive.

"Hey! Kitsune-chan! You've arrived!"

Sakurako giggles with almost schoolgirl like glee.

"So, checking out my ride?"

[Ghostwriter]

"I don't sleep and can go without food for days, even weeks," Regan replies with a chuckle. "You already know my other problems, Neil."

[Vixen]

"This is a ride and a half, Endeavor. I gotta commend you for this one." Roxanne nods her approval.

Mitch coughs. "Exactly how deep are we going again, and how suceptible is the nova physiology to the detrimental effects of deep diving, and since I'm not a nova exactly what should I be doing to keep from having a psychotic episode?"

[Hugin]

There's a momentary hum and then the air splits with an audible snap. A slightly rhombus shape hovers milimeters above the surface of the dock, bright purple with electric blue sparks arcing across it's surface.

A man steps through, dressed casually in what appear to be doctor's scrubs but made out of flowing incandescent fabric. Colors seem to flow down in him in an everchanging rainbow waterfall. His hair is mussed by the wind as he takes note of the surroundings. He drags a metallic wheeled case behind him.

He squints his eyes, disturbing the liquid like flow of blue energy that wafts from them. He peers at the ship and walks to the foot of the entry.

"Permission requested to come aboard."

[Sakurako Hino]

The Portal of the entryway opens, as a digitized verson of Sakurako's voice is heard...

"Permission granted. Welcome aboard."

Sakurako is still having her senses within the ship as she goes about her business. After discovering Prodigy's arrival, she turns to the others in Sickbay.

"Everyone, we will have a visitor shortly. I must see to him."

The scanning computer beeps.

"Luckily my scanning is complete. Everyone get your medical data inputed, and I will meet everyone on the bridge."

Sakurako heads to the main entryway to intercept Prodigy. Curios as to why he arrived.

[Sphere]

Exactly what should I be doing to avoid a psychotic episode?

Sphere could see Mitch was a little nervous. Maybe the guy was a little claustophobic or something.

Fair enough. With the possible exception of Hammerhead, I'm the only guy on board who'd be alright if we get into trouble out there. Mind you, at least I can 'port out this time. Wouldn't enjoy another long walk.

Sphere smiled at the couple.

"I reckon we'll be okay as long as we don't smoke any crack whilst we're down there? That right Doc?"

He looks at Preston.

[Matryoshka]

"Sphere,everything is alright.You will see the sun again."

She imputed her medical data.Not all of it,but enough to pass as all.After wards she placed herself out of the way.She was waiting and watching.

[Hugin]

Prodigy steps through the portal and peers around. Not wanting to be rude he stays put.

"Wouldn't want to poke my nose where it doesn't belong, now would I?" He says to no one in particular.

He reaches down and taps the case in a seemingly random manner. It clicks, hisses and of its own accord opens, revealed.

In the case is a strange little device. By appearences a miniature submersable. A single propeller at it's rear with guide fins, the device is almost organic in shape. It is a dull grey, no metallic sheen to it, but not painted either. There are no discernable seams or openings in the surface [unless of course you have MegaPerception with the microscopic vision enhancement. Then you see a number of openings and seams]

Waiting patiently he starts to whistle a jaunty little tune.

[Neil Preston]

Mitch: "Exactly how deep are we going again, and how suceptible is the nova physiology to the detrimental effects of deep diving, and since I'm not a nova exactly what should I be doing to keep from having a psychotic episode?"

"No worries, Doctor Lang, or would you perfer Mitch?"

"Anyway, I can handle the pressurization through your suit monitors, and if a problem develops with anyone, I can be there in a flash. Right Sphere?"

"Besides, I'm no more overly resistant to the elements than your average person. I don't bounce bullets, shoot quantum Death Monkeys," a wink to Sphere, " or fly."

"As for the psychotic episode; is there something about you that I should know? Any claustraphobic difficulties?"

Endeavor: "Everyone, we will have a visitor shortly. I must see to him."

"Really? Who?"

Endeavor: "Luckily my scanning is complete. Everyone get your medical data inputed, and I will meet everyone on the bridge."

As Endeavor turns to leave, Neil steeples his fingers and whispers ... evilly,

"Excellent."

Sphere: "I reckon we'll be okay as long as we don't smoke any crack whilst we're down there? That right Doc?"

"We'll be okay as long as you don't smoke any crack while we're down there. You're the Criminal Mastermind of EVIL, after all. The rest of us are purrrfectly normal."

Neil now winks at Mitch.

Signy: "Sphere, everything is alright. You will see the sun again."

Neil will look out of the corner of his eye at Signy when she says this.

After looking at the data, Neil will look over to Signy and say,

"Wow! Would you look at the node on this one."

Even Signy gets a smile from Neil's near-endless supply.

[Vixen]

"Psychotic episode? No, I just heard that people can have neurological dysfunctions from diving." Mitch scratches the back of his neck offhandedly."It's caused by gases within the body reacting to the change in pressure. Headaches, migraines, hallucinations... I'm not claustrophobic, actually, I don't mind tight spaces one bit as Roxy can attest-"

"Woah there, hon. TMI."

"Sorry." Impulsively he gives his girlfriend a hug. "And call me Mitch, Neil."

Roxanne returns the hug. "So yeah, I was concerned too. For myself, as well - I don't think I'm pressure-resistant, or rather I don't want to find out I'm not pressure-resistant the hard way." She follows Neil's gaze. "'Get a look at the node on this one?' That could be the worst pick-up line ever."

She undorms, normal human feautres dissolving into her more famous vulpinoid form. "So we have a visitor?" she speaks, with a voice as smooth as ice.

[Sakurako Hino]

"Wouldn't want to poke my nose where it doesn't belong, now would I?"

"Those places are out of reach to anyone but me, Mister Meehan..."

Sakurako says this completely deadpan, as if she was a certain pesky program...

"My security is quite tight here. I knew you had arrived though."

She leans against a wall, looking at Prodigy's toy.

[Hugin]

"I had no intention to sneak about. I know I have a reputation as a Nova not particularly concerned with legality so I decided to be as open as possible." He smiles broadly.

"I came to ask you a favor. Your little dive is quite serendipitous. I'd appreciate it if you'd release this device for me." He gestures to the submersible. "I've never been that fond of water so I'd appreciate it if you'd save me the effort."

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako giggles. She remembers all the trouble she had just going to the beach...

"What'zit do?"

Sakurako with budding curiosity looks over the device.

"Is it a probe or something?"

[Hammerhead]

Jacques lets the scanner get a reading of him and then nods to Neil: "Done."

His chip-player is now playing the original theme of Das Boot at a very low volume.

He then walks over to Mitch and Vixen, intent on getting to know them a bit.

"Hello, I'm Jacques." He offers his hand to Vixen (ladies first) and then to Mitch.

[Matryoshka]

Holding her hand out a bit to her side,she dropped a coin.Said coin would fall half to the ground,then dissapear.Again Signy opened her hand,and that coin would fall,but not hit the ground.She was looking at Neil.

"Sometimes,you forget that the anwser is not always as important,as the question."

She went on droping the coin,over and over.Still,it never hit the ground.

[Neil Preston]

Neil chuckles.

"Signy, I've brought people back from the dead, walked on the surface of the moon, and survived Alpha Kappa Gamma Hell week. A little space/time hand-eye coordination isn't going to impress me."

"Now, if you change the coin into currency from different ages while it falls, that would be a trick."

Turning to Hammerhead,

Hey, Jacques, what is that from?"

[Matryoshka]

"Young boy,the world doesn't revolve around you.With this coin,I am relaxing.Nothing more,nothing less.The only thing that was for you was the words.If I wanted to impress you,I would do so in your bed room"

Winking, to the young neil.Oh, those eyes glowed, but only for a moment.Still, dropping the coin over and over.No need to tell him,that coin was from 2020.

[Neil Preston]

Turning back to Signy, the smile a bit strained,

"I know the world doesn't revolve around me. Please, don't tell me about what you think I have forgetten, or what I remember. You don't seem to be able to pull off the Sphinx-like behavior you love to emulate. Besides, it doesn't become you."

"Lastly, if that's a come on, I'll pass. If it isn't, no worries. You have done just about everything necessary to turn me off. Thanks."

[Hugin]

Quote:

Originally posted by Sakurako 'Endeavor' Hino:

"Is it a probe or something?"

Smiling, "Thank you, thank you. Too many people would have assumed it was some horrid device of terror I was attempting to trick you into releasing. Yes, it is a probe. Very simple, very basic. Edgy tech, bleeding edge even, but not black."

"I'd just like it if you would release it at the lowest point of your dive. Preferably Neil would be the one to release it. Sphere would be good too."

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako smiles.

"Sounds good, but we're not going that deep, only 125 feet at the deepest. Will that be suitable for your needs?"

She scratches her head. She's scanning the probe with all the CK ability she can muster, and she's only getting a vague reading of it's capabilities. It's a probe, it's tech pure scientific research, but it's confusing what he's using...

[Hugin]

"More than. I truly appreciate this. I am sorry to have arrived both unannounced and requesting a boon but the design just came together so well and quicker than I expected so I thought I'd take a chance."

He squats down and taps it a few last times.

"Now, if possible, please try not to subject it directly to any further quantum expression. That is one of the recordings it is taking and I'd hate to have misleading spikes."

He stands and walks over to Endeavor, extending his hand, "Thank you again. I'm sorry to have intruded and will leave you to your guests. I'm sure that a couple of them would be less than happy to learn that I was here."

[Sakurako Hino]

"Yeah, sure. No more quantum."

She understands that part, but why look for quantum emissions in the ocean? Is there something she's missing here?

"Well, I do suppose you're a busy man, and if you need to go, that's fine. Although I do have a spot open if you'd like. But, it seems you just want to head off to whereever and wait for the probe to do it's work."

[Hugin]

"Admitedly it sounds like fun. However, I am not beloved by a few of your guests. And, one of them is baseline."

Prodigy taps his head, "My presence is not pleasent to baselines. Physcially damaging if extended beyond a few minutes. I doubt Vixen would appreciate it when her love's brains started to leak out of his ears. One of the many and varied possible side effects of being Nova. I appreciate the invite though. Perhaps another time."

Prodigy takes his phone out of a pocket and taps a few numbers. The door that had brought him here unfolds from nothingness. "If there is nothing else, I bid you adieu." he says with a bow.

[Neil Preston]

"Doctors", Neil says to Doctors Richardson and Lang, "if you could upload your data. I will be back in a few. I need to talk to the Captain."

With that, Neil heads out, whistling that damn Das Boot theme.

To the first "mobile unit" he comes across, he says,

"Take me to your leader."

He follows it to Endeavor and, perhaps, her company.

[Sakurako Hino]

"Well, I hope what I can do for you will be enough."

Sakurako decided not to see him leave. Perhaps wishing he'd stick around. He's one of the most polite peolpe she's come across, and she knows in some way she'd be able to keep the peace if he was on the team. But no matter. She has to round up the gang and get this rolling.

[Ghostwriter]

Regan settles on a seat and flips open a book, turning a page a second. It's a heavy tome, leatherbound and ancient, with flaking gilt letters.

[Sphere]

Sphere glanced across at Codex, and then reached into one of his jacket's pockets to check that the disk was still there. He'd had a feeling she'd be turning up to this little trip and had had his cell's cyberkine prepare a dossier on Utopia's shadier activities.

What he'd said earlier had been true. He wasn't about to try and recruit the woman into the Aberrants. But she'd been challenging others on the message boards to provide her with evidence of the conspiracy, and Sphere's superiors in his cell had agreed she was likely to be sympathetic to their cause if presented with evidence.

Assuming she wasn't an operative for Utopia's shadowy twin.

Sphere was waiting for the right moment to pass the disc to Codex. With his inhuman dexterity he'd have been easily able to palm it to her in a crowded room of baselines. But these were Novas of unknown capacity. He didn't want to get her into trouble with her bosses at the Project, and he certainly didn't want to be responsible for her getting "Slider'd".

//ooc. The dossier on the disc has been encrpyted by a skilled cyberkine, and contains a variety of pieces of information including: intercepted communications bewteen Utopia personnel, footage of raids on Proteus labs, chemical analysis data of possible sterility agents in adrenocillin and mox. That kind of stuff.//