Aberrant: The Long March - Chapter 8: Those who have strayed from the path.

[Mr Fox]

Morgan nods, "Coming right up." He looks down at his console and starts issuing commands. On the screen small automated units roll forward and extract blood and tissue samples from the unconscious telepaths. "It will take a couple hours to get a good analysis of this, meanwhile Lorean is running detailed scans of their physiology. Hate to sound like an alien invader here, but the only way we are likely to get really detailed knowledge of what has been done to them might just be autopsy. That's not a suggestion, by the way, just saying that the tests we're running might not tell us all we'd like to know."

[Ulric Reikspar]

"Since didn't detect any sub-quantum emmissions from them, we can hazard the guess that they were grabbed in total surprise. That should give us a few hours before any co-conspirators become edgy enough to act."

To Morgan,

"Let's see what interrogations yield first. I would really appreciate these guys standing trial if at all possible. It would validate all that we've been trying to do here."

Thank goodness Joani isn't here for this cold-blooded talk.

[Mr Fox]

Morgan smiled, "Like I said, it wasn't a suggestion. Just letting you all know that scans and dna testing only goes so far, and something like this has to be pretty complicated and pretty subtle, or we'd have a world of super teeps running around."

[Courier]

Steve says,

"Speaking of dead bodies, I don't think we should tell them that we have their third guy and he's dead, much less how he's died. We might still want to undo that... or not."

[Mr Fox]

Morgan nods, "They won't hear it from me. As for bringing teep-sickle back to life... I wouldn't give the odds at better than 20%."

[Andrew Murphy]

On Earth Andrew blows out a breath and all but slides out of his chair as the tension drains from him. "Well thank god that went off ok." He presses a few buttons on his command console and looks to the others, "I'm having the medical analysis streamed directly here, I'll be able to look at it in realtime. I trust Morgan but I but trust my eyes more, and better to have a pair of diagnoses in agreement."

[Joani]

Joani walked over to Andrew and took a look at his command console.

"What medical analysis?", she asked. "I thought we would take them prisoner and try to find out where the source of their manipulation originates? You can't treat them like animals, for gods sake."

[Omar]

Omar didn't really like what he was hearing. Are they talking about vivisection? He didn't know if he could go along with such a scheme. They were supposed to be moral beings who acted morally, even if their opponents were not.

"We can't just experiment on them. We are not God, nor do we make such claims." Omar leaned over Andrews other shoulder. "Is there a way to do it without harming them?"

[Andrew Murphy]

"Woah, woah, calm down both of you. We're doing a simple DNA and deep scan analysis, nothing invasive." Andrew looked at first disturbed by their presumptions and then hurt, "Do you really think I would participate in something like that? Do you think I would allow that happen?"

[Joani]

Originally Posted By: Andrew Murphy

"Woah, woah, calm down both of you. We're doing a simple DNA and deep scan analysis, nothing invasive." Andrew looked at first disturbed by their presumptions and then hurt, "Do you really think I would participate in something like that? Do you think I would allow that happen?"

"Not you Andrew... but them.", Joani nodded upwards indicating at Loreans position in Orbit.

"I don't know what's going on but we're slipping. How close is one step from the other to make a real difference between a 'simple DNA scan' and... lets say autopsy? I suppose we'd find a perfect excuse for that if it came to that. And what then? NOTHING of this can be made undone, even IF we travel back or forth in time. You can't make undone what I witness. No one can cleanse my conscience of this.", Joani stopped with her agitation and turned silent. She almost said something even more aggravating, maybe she was wrong from the very beginning. She needed to talk with her husband as soon as he came back.

[Courier]

Steve says,

"Ah, everyone? Can I point out we actually *do* have a dead body? So far we've held off autopsy because we *might* be able to bring him back... but that's a long shot. If we're unwilling to do that then I think we can safely say vivisection is also off the table."

"We need a medical exam because we know darn well they've been altered by alien technology... assuming they were ever human to begin with. We also need to know how long they'll be out, because I don't think we can only be in orbit when they wake up."

[Ulric Reikspar]

Ulric hated being blind. Blindness brought fear, fear brought rash actions, and rash actions brought regrets for the evils you could not take back.

"We are on the offensive," Ulric says spreading confidence to those around him. "We are the ones who are hunting them down now and their days of hurting us are done. We need to consider what fates await these men once we have finished with them here. The world will want some answers."

[Joani]

Originally Posted By: Courier

Steve says,

"Ah, everyone? Can I point out we actually *do* have a dead body? So far we've held off autopsy because we *might* be able to bring him back... but that's a long shot. If we're unwilling to do that then I think we can safely say vivisection is also off the table."

"We need a medical exam because we know darn well they've been altered by alien technology... assuming they were ever human to begin with. We also need to know how long they'll be out, because I don't think we can only be in orbit when they wake up."

Joani just nodded to Andrew and sent back to Steve, *Have it your way then*

Facing Omar she said, "At least I'm not alone with my worries, thanks Omar. If it wasn't for you I would start to believe that I'm all wrong about my impulses."

Then she looked back to Andrew, "I apologize, Andrew. I never assumed you'd agree to anything I had in mind. I can't seem to find my balance and it's driving me insane..."

[Andrew Murphy]

Andrew nods and takes Joani's hand giving it a freindly squeeze, "Accepted, we're all on edge anyway. I could never harm anybody out of any action other than defense of myself and my freinds." Andrew thought back to the past, to the day he had almost compromised himself. A sadness krept into his features as he recalled the tempation to kill the woman to harvest the stem cells within her unborn child.

Clenching his jaw Andrew shook off the memory and returned to the present. He quickly turned away from Omar and Joani back to the terminal screen so that they would not see the look of despair on his face. I must never forget, lest I stumble across that line and become the monster that I fear I am destined to be.

[Courier]

Steve says,

"Hmm... two of them. Ulric and Cody on one and me on the other? If so, unless someone feels strongly I call the Engineer, at least to start with."

[Ulric Reikspar]

Originally Posted By: Courier

Steve says,

"Hmm... two of them. Ulric and Cody on one and me on the other? If so, unless someone feels strongly I call the Engineer, at least to start with."

"I'm fine with that. I remember the other from a few functions I attended - Martin Abersdale."

[SkyLion]

Cody stands silent and ready as the medical bay scanners whir in 360 degrees around the "patients," occasionally inserting a surgical tube for tissue sampling.

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Ulric Reikspar

"I'm fine with that. I remember the other from a few functions I attended - Martin Abersdale."

Steve nods and comments,

"Adam Coulter is one of mine... I'm sure we've met but I can't say I remember him."

He nods towards the Earth and adds,

"No reports of power outages, no one trying to kill the president or setting fire to a building to cause a distraction... it's early yet but we may have been lucky."

Steve says that last word with a sense of irony. Even after all this time he's never gotten used to the "unfair" lucky breaks that come his way.

[Omar]

,,

Quote:

"At least I'm not alone with my worries, thanks Omar. If it wasn't for you I would start to believe that I'm all wrong about my impulses."

"They are good people. We are good people. And sometimes we need to make sure we keep our friends from straying." Omar winked at her as a big smile crossed his face. "Sometimes, speaking up is enough to remind them."

[Mr Fox]

After nearly 30 minutes Lorean's scanners and probes stopped doing their thing and she made the announcement, "I am done. From every test I can perform, I believe they are safe. I can't detect any psi activity, they should awake momentarily."

Two or three minutes go by before the two figures on the screen wake, lying on the floor of their cold sterile rooms. Neither wakes very gracefully or quickly, no doubt a side effect of the injections, but neither shows anything more than the lowest of levels of psi activity registering. "You are free to proceed."

Steve makes his way to the room holding Mr. Coulter, and enters, the door closing behind him. Coulter looks up angrily, "By what right am I being held prisoner? I demand to see my advocate!" He stands up a bit shakily and wobbles before leaning against a wall for support.

On the opposite side of the ship Cody enters the room containing Abersdale followed by Ulric. The two of them make an imposing 'good cop/bad cop' pair, but Abersdale has been around too many politicians to be very impressed. Seeing Ulric he smiles, "Mr. President, how good to see you. I am afraid, I don't understand the circumstances of our meeting, but perhaps you could enlighten me?" He is every ounce the politician as he greets you seeming to own the room rather than being intimidated by it.

[Courier]

Steve says with some amusement,

"By what authority? I've got a piece of paper signed by the President."

Steve says evenly, like he was reading from a file,

"Adam Coulter, age 45, born April 15, 1955 to Marge and Derik Coulter...." Steve continues with the well known and non-confrontational stuff for a minute.

Still as though he were reading from a file, Steve continues in a much more serious tone of voice,

"...Adam Coulter is believed to be one of the 10 strongest psions on the planet. Use extreme caution in apprehending him. He is a key member of the conspiracy to exterminate humanity. His role is to use his powers to mind rape his fellow employees into becoming mass murders by destroying the power grid."

Steve pauses for a reaction.

(OOC:

Activate Mental Prodigy: Investigative (Spend willpower on this)

Activate Trickster to make him think that Steve knows a lot more about what's going on than he does.

Activate Lie Detector.

Luck Roll please.)

EDITED: misspelled word and to activate LD.

[Joani]

Originally Posted By: Ziggurat

"They are good people. We are good people. And sometimes we need to make sure we keep our friends from straying." Omar winked at her as a big smile crossed his face. "Sometimes, speaking up is enough to remind them."

"I hope then that this is our least worry, Omar.", she smiled at him and refocused on the task at hand. This wasn't the time for uncertainty - they needed to be quick and swift to prevent the worst.

[Mr Fox]

Adam sputtered, "What? That's preposterous! I'm not one of those Novas, or a psion either. I demand to see my advocate, I say!"

(There is scorn in his voice when he says nova, and he is outright lying when he says he's not a psion.)

In the other interrogation room Martins smiles knowingly, and says, "Really, the silent treatment will avail you nothing. I have no idea why I've been brought to meet with you this way. It is highly unusual I must say, bordering on a violation of an individual's civil rights if I'm not mistaken." Again he smiles as if all the authority of the world is on his side, "I'm sure there must be a very good reason for this, perhaps if you would enlighten me Mr. President?"

[Ulric Reikspar]

Ulric sighs.

"High Treason ... State of Emergancy ... State of War ... You've betrayed the HUMAN Race here, Martin. We have the evidence. When you are handed over to the Special Courts, all that evidence will be provided."

"What I want to know from you is who ... and why? Who has been helping you and why would you do this to your own people?"

"It isn't like you weren't a man of importance and postion, Martin. You were very close to the centers of power here on Earth. Society was working to your benefit. Why betray us to an alien menace? Did you really think they were going to treat you any different in the end when it came to your turn?"

[Mr Fox]

Martin blinked, not expecting quite this. "I'm sorry, alien menace? You mean what happened to the Enteprise? I didn't have anything to do with that, why would you say such a thing even in jest? I would never betray my people to an alien threat."

(He seems to be sincere at least in part. There is just something about the first part of that which doesn't ring true.)

[Ulric Reikspar]

Sigh.

"Martin, you are a smart man. How do you think we discovered your part in this conspiracy? Why do you think other aspects of - The Plan - haven't been going off as scheduled? Please stop insulting me."

Ulric sounds very sincere.

"Help me out here and don't waste my efforts on your behalf. Tell us what your part in the conspiracy was precisely. Tell us what you know about the other conspirators, AND tell us about them."

He holds up a hand to forgo any more denials.

"The ones who made you and your fellow psions so much more powerful. If you don't help us, someone else will and reactions will be taken accordingly."

"Martin, I know you aren't someone blinded by ambition, or power. I've come to you because you are the smartest one in the bunch. You can make this right. You can still be a hero to Earth."

"You were a canidate for the President, Man," Ulric adds with a bit of bitterness, like Martin personally let him down.

"This doesn't have to end badly for you like it does for the others. You can still salvage a great deal out of this. You are one of us," referring to the political/governmental class that rules the League.

[Mr Fox]

"Let me say first of all that I have at no time, ever conspired with aliens, and I certainly have no desire to see humanity harmed in any way."

He looks slightly uncomfortable after Ulric's speech, which for someone else would be the raging sweats.

"Mr. President, I know that you have no actual authority, but you have a great deal of influence. Before I say another word, I'd like something in writing stating that if I cooperate, that I will get immunity from any prosecution, and I'd like that from the current President."

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Mr Fox

Adam sputtered, "What? That's preposterous! I'm not one of those Novas, or a psion either. I demand to see my advocate, I say!"

(There is scorn in his voice when he says nova, and he is outright lying when he says he's not a psion.)

Steve raises a finger and says,

"Ah... Adam? You're doped to the eyeballs with a drug that suppresses Psion powers. Nova and Psion drugs are poisonous to baselines, if you weren't a psion you wouldn't be alive."

"While I'm pointing out the obvious, let me also mention that the bigger the event, the more likely it is that some Pre-cog somewhere will pick up on it. And when Pre-cogs start saying things like 'destruction of the spaceyards', or 'the murder of the president', or 'massive power outages', or 'the extinction of humanity'... well... it's going to attract attention."

"I should also mention something else, we aren't going to try mentally probing you because we know it will activate your kill switch. You're not the first Proxy we've caught."

"Nor are you the only one we've got right now. Someone is going to do the smart thing and cut a deal for himself. The others are going to be lined up in front of the voters and... well... people are going to want to hold someone accountable for everything that's happened, and everything that almost happened."

[Ulric Reikspar]

For about a nano-second, Ulric thinks about things like Justice and Vengeance, Retribution and what have you. Then he remembers Joani's words. Peace is what truly matters. Kharma has its own way of working things out and perhaps Martin hasn't yet worked out what his new place might be in the Great Society. All that passes in a flash and Ulric's concerned smile never leaves his face.

"Sure thing," he says with an easy smile, happy to help a fellow politico out. "I'll get right on it."

True to his word, Ulric pulls out his communicator and calls the President. He lays out what Martin needs ... No, deserves for his cooperation and foresight and gets with one minor revision.

"Martin, the President is transmatting the Grant of Immunity here as we speak. Before I allow you to sign it, and I witness it, he wants one piece of information from you that we can confirm ... as a show of good faith."

Ulric is obviously keeping the President on the line.

[Mr Fox]

In Steve's interrogation room, Adam collapses into a puddle of fear, whimpering, and stammers out, "That's... not what... it was... about... no one... was... supposed to get... hurt." The rest is indecipherable. He clearly believes that the game is over and he has absolutely and completely lost."

__________________________

In the other room, Martin smiles feeling that he is slipping out of the noose, "Certainly, I'll be happy to help in any way I can. I believe it is obvious that some serious misunderstanding has occurred, and I'll do whatever it takes to help resolve the situation."

[z028 Riley]

Kyria stands quietly next to Cody during the interrogations, sending out a soft mental touch every couple of moments to him just to settle her own nerves and ensure that everything is alright.

[Courier]

Steve waits for a few moments (or minutes if need be) for him to see what the world might have in store for him then he says,

"Adam... look... this is obviously your first time at this sort of thing, let me suggest something."

"I'm finding it hard to believe you really wanted to kill lots and lots of people, starting with the Enterprise and working up from there. But obviously someone did."

"If you have someone to give up, someone we really should come down heavy on, now is the time to mention it. When everything is said and done, we need to lock up whoever or whatever is behind this plot. We're going to go to war. This is the point where you decide to be hero or traitor. You're a world class psion, and the world is going to need people like you. It was always pretty wasteful for you to be in middle management in a power company."

[Mr Fox]

Adam sniffles, and says, "I really didn't want anyone hurt. I know that they were planning some bad things, but they said it would all be for the betterment of Humans and Psions and that after we were in power we would make the world better. The only ones that were supposed to get hurt were the President and some of the old political leaders," realizing how that sounds he hastens to add, "but I didn't have any part in that. I was only supposed to cripple the powergrid, and then I would 'fix' it once people got scared. It was supposed to make the President and his cronies look bad that they couldn't maintain services. The people would lose confidence in them and then we would step in to give them someone to look to. No one was supposed to get hurt though."

[Courier]

Steve thinks,

*Good, now for some easy questions to build rapport before asking the tough ones.*

Steve says,

"Well, as a plan it has some flaws but it doesn't make you a mass murderer. I take it you didn't know that those lizard aliens were being given our space technology?"

"When did they first contact you?"

[Courier]

Steve sends,

*You might want to hold off on that pardon, or at least limit it to the boarder plan and not his own actions. This one knows about the plan to take out the President and he seems pretty willing to cooperate. You might tell him that.*

[Mr Fox]

On the bridge the front screen splits again and now there are 3 scenes displayed, the two cells where the prisoners are being interrogated and a third showing the NEWS!network.

A reporter is standing in front of a massive white building with a large hole in it and black smoke pouring from every window. "...explosions continue to rock the city from the government offices scattered over this 3 mile plaza. The first and largest of course was in the Forum which you can see behind me. The death toll can not even be estimated at this time, but it is believed that after the initial explosion emergency protocols were activated and thousands were saved in the other government offices that have been effected." The scene then shifts back to the lead news anchor back in the studio, "I'm sorry to interrupt but we have just received urgent news that other government buildings around the globe have also been targeted. The Capitol building in America, Parliment in England are the two most prominent that we have official word on so far, but the reports are still coming in." The man looks very sober and ashen faced as he delivers his final words before the screen switches to a stock ticker. "This is one of the darkest days in human history. Our hearts go out to all those who are suffering the loss of loved ones..."

A highlighted arrow points out particular numbers on the stock ticker, and Lorean's voice says to those in the room, "It's worse than that, someone is also making a move to cripple the economy. Someone is making a run on several important commodities including Helium3, Gold, Eufiber and several food crops, and with the government in disarray, it might succeed."

Lorean looks to Omar, Joani and the President, "Should I make the jump back to Earth immediately, or wait for the others? I haven't relayed this info to them for fear it might compromise what they are accomplishing right now."

[SkyLion]

Cody speaks up, his voice piped in over the vox systems, making it not directly obvious Cody is the one talking.

*Hold on a moment Ulric. This scum was going to assassinate the President. We have a confession from one of the other conspirators. Why should this one be held unaccountable?*

[Omar]

Alarmed at the turn of events, Omar looked first to Lorean. His deep voice booming in shock. "Lorien! Will jumping to earth compromise our ability shield the conspiratiors?!" Omar couldn't understand who would do such a thing. The loss of life. "If not, we need to go there immediately!"

Omar then turns his attention to The President. "Mr. President, I suggest you halt trading in the commodity and stock markets. It is something that has been done before when there is such an emergency." It had been done before in Omar's own time, in his universe. "That way, the atttacks will not cause an economically crippling panic. And it will give us time to track down who is trying to corner the market in these areas. Also. You need to speak to the people. They are going to be frightened and look for someone to rally behind."

Omar needed to get to the surface to help. Turning his attention to Joani. "I need to get back to earth. With your absence from the Paragons, it will fall on me to rally them to deal with this crisis." He could see the anguish in her eyes. "The president needs to be protected."

Sitting himself heavily into a chair, Omar spoke, his voice much weaker. "We should alert the others." Putting his head in his hands, the Ziggurat of the Confederation, The Rock of Babylon, Omar, cried.

[Ulric Reikspar]

Originally Posted By: The_Fool

*Hold on a moment Ulric. This scum was going to assassinate the President. We have a confession from one of the other conspirators. Why should this one be held unaccountable?*

"Because he's not like the others, dammit," Ulric replies angrily.

Ulric looks at Martin, compassion and anger warring across his features [Perform].
"The attacks have begun. The American Capitol and the Parliment in England have been hit. Thousands are dead. The commodities markets are under attack."

"Martin, the Security services are out for blood. You need to act now, while there is still something we can do for you. This is the moment you prove who you really. That other agent spills his guts and you will have nothing, and there will be nothing I can do for you."

"Believe me when I tell you I will look out for your interests in this. I'm the only real friend you have left. Act now, or it will fall to ... other men," Ulric motions with his head toward Cody, "to work out what happens."

[Note: Ulric knows they have another agent in custody so he assumes he has been told the truth about that guy breaking. He will also do his best to not have Martin executed.]

[SkyLion]

Over the link:

*Careful Ulric....we are dealing with a snake. He most certainly *is* like the others...in fact probably the most devious in the bunch. He was in position to take over the Presidents role when the assassination went ahead...might have even planned that part himself. Let him off easy and he will find a way to strike again...*