Aberrant: In the Beginning - Development and Dialogue

[Katalyst]

King shakes his head as he walks out looking for a phone so he can make another call to his CO, his head full of thoughts. That kid Juno was right about Sascha, and he could tell that she would have a hard time getting past that. Rich's comment was also spot on, and Jay wondered how that would play out if had to jumo his chain of command.

Almost out of nowhere, Dr. Go runs smack dab into him, the paper's he was carrying flying everwhere. "Ah sorry about that Doc. Here let me help you get this." The two quickly gather the mess, as Dr. Go fills him in on the days upcoming events. "We want to test out that field you project around yourself with, and also why you don't seem to have a need for food or sleep."

"Sure, I got no problem with that, just need to make a call first" he says. Dr. Go gives him a knowing look. "Yes about that, Dr. Mazrin has made all the proper arrangments for you to stay here. So with that you can head down to testing room 4. It's down the stairs third door on the left." Just as quickly as he showed up Go takes off again headed upstairs.

Testing Room 4

The room was setup like a mini dojo, very smilar to the one Jay trained in back home. The docs had two assitants inside with him dressed in gi's. The object for today was for him to project the field around him and see what if any effect he would sustain during sparring.

A voice over the intercom rings out inside the room. "Please begin Mr. King." The first man looks at King, deferring to him for the first move. Okay concentrate, remember how you felt when you stood in front of Fang, during Sascha's outburts. As his mind thinks back he can feel a rush of engery, it's like a wave, filling his body completely. The assitant takes a step back, eyes wide. He can feel the power building up inside. "Bring it on sucker!"

[SalmonMax]

Juno watches Sascha warily, her amiable banter ceasing the moment she catches sight of her. When Michael starts up a conversation, she shrugs and resumes eating, though doesn't resume talking.

[Wraith]

"Now, Caryn," the female doctor said, "try to grab the orange."

Caryn sighed inside. Walk through the wall Caryn, turn invisible, Caryn. Can you do both, Caryn? All damned day. If they weren't sticking her with needles or X-Raying her head, they were seeing what she could do.

Yesterday had been funny, in kind of a frustrating way. They were using the same bowl of fruit, and for four hours, they told her to move it with her mind. She tried, and tried, and tried, and kept trying until her head was about to split. She kept telling them that she didn't think she could do that, but they wanted to see something, they said. Well, now they all knew that moving things with her mind was not in her repertoire.

She tried to pick the orange up. Her hand passed through it. She solidified.

"No, Caryn, just your hand. Can you just make your hand solid?"

Christ on pogo stick.

She phased out again. She held her hand out, and started to substantiate. She willed it to start at her fingertips. When it reached mid-forearm, she... stopped. Her hand was solid. She picked up the orange.

Wow, they are teaching me stuff. Who knew?

"Now, Caryn, can you make your hand and the orange insubstantial?"

Oh, these goddamn doctors...

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Michael Peters

"So... do we know what kind of tests we're going to be going through? I imagine blood tests and the like, but where did we get our abilites? Interstellar cosmic rays?"

"Also would anyone mind sharing what they can do? I mean, I can fly and glow... but thats about it."

Rich shrugged and said,

"I don't know the 'how' of it, but I find it really odd that I got what I needed on demand. I find it even odder that it's all stuff I'd wish for and stuff I understand pretty well."

"I'm an atomic engineer and a safety inspector. My hand was crippled and my kid is in a coma." Rich wiggled his obviously functional left hand. "So now I can heal and control radiation? My wife died a few years back and I'm getting interested again... so I end up better looking than Tom Cruise? That's one heck of a coincidence."

Rich shrugs and continues, "As for tests, today we go to a hospital and treat other people like guinea pigs. Couple of cancer patients, couple of AIDS patients, if I have anything to say about it we'll try a coma type cure as well."

"You'd think all these people training us were Doctor types since I'm pretty sure they don't see the real potential for all this."

Originally Posted By: Lily

Juno hesitates, then brings her food over to the same table as everyone else, sitting in the seat that King vacated.

"They took about a gallon of blood, I think," she replies, poking at her foundation of eggs with her fork. "And did like, a complete physical...with the little knee hammer and eye test and all that. Then they're having me run a lot, and hold my breath and stuff."

She stabs a glob of egg and eats it thoughtfully. When she's swallowed she adds, "Turns out my power is 'not dying.' Which is okay, I guess, if dying is something you're worried about."

Rich replies,

"If you don't age then that will be the gift that keeps on giving."

[SalmonMax]

Juno glances up at Rich and rolls her eyes a little theatrically.

"Yeah...stuck at seventeen my whole life. A dream come true."

Still, she doesn't really sound genuinely upset. Just wry.

[maminka]

"I can see the whole thing but I can't hear what they are saying." Wes said to a group of of three men and one woman wearing lab coats and seemingly taking notes.

Wes was hooked up to all kinds fo monitors. This was very unframilair territory to be in a room with few exits and not knowing what the hell was going on. For almost 2 weeks he had been having visions of places as if he was there. The whole time he was awake. His headaches were not as frequent and he felt very fit even though he hadn't worked out in 3 weeks. Although the "tests" the people here at this London facility were putting him through were stressful and daunting. This was his time to watch and learn as well. He had no idea of what was happening to himself and the others he had watched the night of the banquet. Ever since then he had been sequestered by himself. Which was fine. The less people knew about the real him the better. Although there was that young, spunky girl who definately made her mark on him. He was glad he could watch her from afar to make sure she was doing relatively well...

"Wes, this is going to conclude todays tests. Your ability to move through space seems to be your primary ability but you visions of places appears to be part of it as well. It's almost like you can see your destination if you wish to "warp" there. One of the men said.

"Is that what you are calling it? Warping? Like the starship Enterprise?" Wes asked wryly.

The man held out his hand and gave an explaination, "something like that, only your movememnt is instantaneous. We want to start focusing on just how far you can move yourself too in the coming weeks. You up for that?"

"Sure. I want to learn as much about this as you people do. Same time tomorrow? Oh and when do think it would be a good time to start hanging out with the rest of the group?"

"Wes you can come and go as you please. we just suggested your segrigation to make sure your abilities really were what we thought. Anytime you want to go into the common areas feel free. You haven't had eaten hardly anything lately. A goodmeal with the otehrs might be a welcome treat for you." The woman who appeared a little more in charge and able to handle the PR part of things spoke up.

"Yeah it has been weird at times I am very hungry and lately I haven't been hungry or thirsty...weird. Well thanks for all your help and I am sure I am going to pay for this in some way. Nothing is for free. Just let me make payments OK?"

<Laughter from the group>

"We are just glad you found us Wes. You are a part of something very big. We are just here to help you and the others get off on the right foot with your new lives." She said.

"well I will see you all later. I don't think I have much left in me at this moment. I am going to take the stairs. See everyone tomorrow." Wes said as he grabbed his coat and walked towards the door and then exited.

The doctors huddle amongst themselves...

"Self sustaining most likely."

"Yeah we sealed his room and drained it of O2 last night for over an dhour and all he did was squirm a little in his sleep"

"Displacement, some sort of adaptaion to harsh enviroments, and he has visions."

"Well they aren't the most "sexy" abilities we have seen so far but in the right hands he could be a force."

The lady in charge spoke up, "I will expect all your notes on my desk in 2 hours. I have a meeting with Henri tomorrow am and I want to be ready with these findings. Thanks for all your hard work. it's going to pay off I promise you all.

<Cut to Wes heading to his room>

Man this is getting harder and harder to believe. They think I somehow wished myslef over here from Nevada? And now the things I can do and see. Not to mention what I have seen from the others. This has got alien DNA written all over it. I wonder what would happen if I went public and let everything I know out? Nah, I need more information, plus it wouldnt be fair to do that to the otehrs, especially that young girl, Juno. I think I am going to try and pay her a visit soon...

[Fahrenheit]

Originally Posted By: Michael Peters

Michael hears Sascha's words... his hearing had improved alot over the last 24 hours.

"Sorry for what, my dear?" He says, smiling warmly at the young woman. Seeing her food, he slides the butter-plate and knife towards her.

"I'm Michael, by the way."

Sascha’s plate wasn’t piled full of food unlike Juno's, her meal looked like the average breakfast, nothing unusual about it. Sascha kept staring at her plate and spoke in a low voice. “I mean the other girl… I think I hurt her. I know no one believes me, but I can’t remember what happened. This feels more like a nightmare than the real world.”

She took a bite of the plain toast and another sip of her juice. The way she sat there and moved was testament to years of imprisonment. She avoided any haste actions, never looked someone in the eyes and almost flinched each time someone got closer or directly addressed her.

“My name is Sascha. Are you one of the Doctors?”, Sascha looked at Michael with bright hazel eyes underneath strands of jet black hair. There was a hint of accusation in her eyes.

[Michael Peters]

Michael grins and shakes his head.

"No, I'm not a doctor. Never was. I shuffled papers for a living but I retired years ago."

He takes another bite of pancakes then speaks again.

"So, you cant remember some things? Or they seem dreamlike? I know what that's like. I went through a pretty bad spell of something called 'post tramatic stress disorder' some years back. I did things that my mind wouldn't let me remember. Now, I'm not saying I understand completely, Sascha, but I know how hard that can be."

Michael nods to Fang and waves at her with his fork. He slides the jug of orange juice into her reach.

"Good morning Miss."

He turns his attention back to Sascha.

"Would you like anymore food?" He gestures to everyone elses full plates "There's enough to go around."

[Fahrenheit]

Sascha shook her head at the offered food. “I’m not that hungry…”, she looked around scanning the room for orderlies or any other staff that might punish her if she took too much.

“It is not dreamlike. It’s a nightmare come to life. I’m scared… maybe I should leave before someone gets hurt? I don’t want to hurt anybody.”

After a short pause she added, “No one wants to tell me what is going on. They call themselves Doctors but they never helped me… the last one sent me away. He said I was getting too old for juvenile Asylum.”, she stopped suddenly and her eyes wandered around as if she saw a ghost.

“Are you an Angel?”

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Lily

Juno glances up at Rich and rolls her eyes a little theatrically.

"Yeah...stuck at seventeen my whole life. A dream come true."

Still, she doesn't really sound genuinely upset. Just wry.

Rich replies,

"Just so that's not stuck in high school." (Rich could pass for very early 20's now)

Originally Posted By: Fahrenheit

Sascha’s plate wasn’t piled full of food unlike Juno's, her meal looked like the average breakfast, nothing unusual about it. Sascha kept staring at her plate and spoke in a low voice. “I mean the other girl… I think I hurt her. I know no one believes me, but I can’t remember what happened. This feels more like a nightmare than the real world.”

Rich replies,

"I'm Rich. My memories of my first power use are a bit fried. I think it's all these physical changes we're going through. It gets better. And it might have started out as a nightmare but it's going to become a dream real quick."

"I said it before and I'll say it again, we can do a lot of good with these powers, and get absurdly rich in the process. I'll bet a year from now our average income will be 8 figures."

[SalmonMax]

Juno regards Rich skeptically.

"Why?" she asks. "What do you do?"

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Lily

Juno regards Rich skeptically.

"Why?" she asks. "What do you do?"

Rich gives a grin back and says,

"I heal and I control radiation. I'm also an Engineer so I'm used to back of the envelope calculations. Later today we're going to find out on camera whether or not I can cure someone with AIDS. With everything else I can do with healing I'm guessing the answer is yes."

"Call it 10 people a day, 200 work days a year, assume 10 thousand dollars per person. That's 20 million dollars a year and two thousand healthy people."

"Or here is a better one. Countries have a problem with nuclear waste to the tune of Hundreds of Billions of dollars. 50 work days a year, I go to a nuke waste site and clean it up. Say 10 million dollars per pop. That's 500 million dollars a year."

"Better still, it'd be worth it for them. This isn't extortion, they're already paying Billions to deal with that mess, I'm sure they'd love to pay millions."

[SalmonMax]

"Huh," Juno says, her face clouding a bit. "I guess that's a pretty good deal then," she says, though her tone suggests she's not sure of that at all.

"So what if someone has cancer, but doesn't have ten thousand?"

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Lily

"Huh," Juno says, her face clouding a bit. "I guess that's a pretty good deal then," she says, though her tone suggests she's not sure of that at all.

"So what if someone has cancer, but doesn't have ten thousand?"

Rich asks,

"How much does cancer cost insurance companies? For that matter, how much does the government pay if they don't have insurance? A lot more than ten thousand I'd bet."

"But traditionally medicine doesn't work that way. You charge 20 thousand to the people who can afford it and give it away half the time. Ten thousand is an average, not a price tag."

"And that's a moot point anyway. If I'm making half a Billion dollars with my main job then it's not worth my time to charge for Healing."

EDIT: Rich adds as an after thought, "Give it away."

[SalmonMax]

"Okay," Juno goes on. "What if there's some scuzzy country somewhere that's having trouble with nuclear waste...and you come over and give them a good price...and they say, 'eh, no thanks. We'll deal with it.' And you KNOW they're not gonna be able to do it."

She tilts her head a bit, studying Rich intently.

"Do you just walk away, knowing a lot of people are going to get sick and have deformed kids and all that? Because, you know, the people who decide whether or not to pay for it aren't the ones that'll get hurt by it."

[Courier]

Rich replies,

"First of all I don't like the idea of a country using it's people as hostages. I also don't like the idea of rewarding that kind of behavior. That's rewarding something that should be punished."

"If it's just money then the medicine model would apply. If there's some broke country who can't afford 10 million then again, it's an average, not a price tag. But again, I'm cheaper than the sane alternatives and I'm also cheaper than doing nothing."

"The problem isn't money, it's power. The country you're talking about is North Korea. They don't care about their people. We keep getting reports of cannibalism and we find it hard to get them to accept food aid."

"North Korea would try to have me shot for even suggesting that they have atomic waste, which they probably do. And yes, they're probably not dealing with it correctly if at all, and it's probably killing or deforming people. But they aren't going to admit they have a problem and they aren't going to admit inspectors or someone like me."

"The solution there is to replace the government, but I doubt China would allow it."

[SalmonMax]

Juno grins. "Actually, it's just a fake scenario. You know...made up. But if I understand you right, you're saying you wouldn't clean up the waste in that scenario."

She shrugs. "Not saying it's right or wrong, you know? Just curious...and kind of glad my powers don't come with moral quandries."

[z-Wei Fang]

Fang watched and listened quietly. Her English had improved dramatically, but that wasn't why she was silent. She was thinking.

After a moment, she turned to Sascha. "Good morning," she said with her soft voice. "I'm Fang. I don't believe we've met yet."

[Peter Bell]

Peter comes walking in hurriedly. He's starving after all. Still, he deviates from the lunch buffet and heads over to Sascha and the others at the table.

"Excuse me," he says, offering the table an apology.

"Sascha," Peter shows her his latest sketch, "this is the Lady you saw, right? This is the one in charge of the burning."

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Lily

Juno grins. "Actually, it's just a fake scenario. You know...made up. But if I understand you right, you're saying you wouldn't clean up the waste in that scenario."

She shrugs. "Not saying it's right or wrong, you know? Just curious...and kind of glad my powers don't come with moral quandaries."

Rich sighs and rubs his forehead like his node is bothering him and replies,

"No, you're right. It's a real scenario or it will be. North K. really would prefer to sacrifice thousands of it's citizens rather than pay ten million. Which implies..." Rich considers,

"Which implies I'd better not be giving free samples on that one. If I don't then I'm encouraging bad behavior and they'll take me up on it sooner or later."

"As for no moral quandaries for your powers, I suspect it's just a matter of time." Rich looks concerned, something Juno said really struck a cord with him and bothers him greatly.

[Fahrenheit]

Originally Posted By: Wei Fang

After a moment, she turned to Sascha. "Good morning," she said with her soft voice. "I'm Fang. I don't believe we've met yet."

Sascha looks a bit irritated by yet another person that joins the conversation she had with Michael. She nods briefly at Fang and almost stutters her name, "Sssascha... Sascha Kindler."

Then she saw Peter entering the breakfast area and her face lightened up visibly.

Originally Posted By: Peter Bell

"Excuse me," he says, offering the table an apology.

"Sascha," Peter shows her his latest sketch, "this is the Lady you saw, right? This is the one in charge of the burning."

As Peter handed her the picture Sascha almost froze with shock in her face. She held her breath and looked panicked at Peter. "This... this can't be real... you...", she swallowed hard gasping for air, "You saw her? Do you know her?", her voice was a mixture of fear and curiosity.

[SalmonMax]

Juno chuckles, "Come on, like what? All I do is change when something hurts me. Don't see how that could really do much outside of saving my life."

She studies Rich, taking in his discomfort, and adds, "I'd get rid of the waste, myself. If it was me that could do that."

[Peter Bell]

Originally Posted By: Sascha

"This... this can't be real... you... you saw her? Do you know her?"

"Yes and no, Sascha," Peter says holding one of her hands as he crouches before her. "When I looked back into the past, to when you were having that problem with the doctors a few minutes ago ... I saw her. I didn't see you there. In your place was this," he tapped the page, "other woman."

Peter's eyes light up and he gives her hand a squeeze.
"This means you aren't crazy. There is someone inside you that comes out and threatens and burns. She is part of this power inside of us ... inside of us all."

He rocks on the balls of his feet,
"Sascha, you are going to have to learn to control this woman yourself. I don't imagine there are any experts in this field, but we can look for someone who can help. I doubt anyone has much of a clue this early in the ... Age of the New People," he sighs. "We can still hope with as many miracles as we've already seen, maybe we can juggle up one more."

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Lily

Juno chuckles, "Come on, like what? All I do is change when something hurts me. Don't see how that could really do much outside of saving my life."

She studies Rich, taking in his discomfort, and adds, "I'd get rid of the waste, myself. If it was me that could do that."

Rich gives a disturbed smile and replies,

"Maybe I will too. No, I was just thinking... what if I *can* cure AIDS and Cancer? How many people are dying of those? A million? Ten million? More?"

"If I can cure two thousand a year... how on Earth do I pick who?"

[SalmonMax]

Juno nods solemnly.

"Quaaaandry," she says.

"Seems like the best thing to do is find out who -else- can heal those things, you know? And organize 'em. Or...or...like, work with doctors and scientists, let them find out -how- you heal people, so then anyone can do it."

She considers, then adds, "I think that's what I'd do. I wouldn't go on a press conferance and show the world I could do it though, because then...like...everyone will be all over you, and you won't be able to get anything done for anyone."

[Fahrenheit]

Originally Posted By: Peter Bell

He rocks on the balls of his feet,
"Sascha, you are going to have to learn to control this woman yourself. I don't imagine there are any experts in this field, but we can look for someone who can help. I doubt anyone has much of a clue this early in the ... Age of the New People," he sighs. "We can still hope with as many miracles as we've already seen, maybe we can juggle up one more."

Sascha's immediate response was to squeeze Peter's hands. He gave her comfort, even hope. "I'm not... crazy? But it sounds crazy... yet I know her. It's vague but it's like she's always been there. I spoke about it to Dr. Silbermann but he never believed me. He said my case was hopeless. Things got set on fire around me but I'm not a pyromaniac... then he sent me away.", her eyes unfocused and she stared past Peter into infinity.

"I saw a sea of flames dancing to the screams of a hundred men and women... a cacaphony of endless pain. Then their screams silenced but the flames burnt... they burnt everything. I can feel something underneath my skin... right now as we speak. Someone is watching, waiting...", she held her breath again and listened.

"How can I control... fire?", though her words were terrorizing her eyes and face showed pure innocence. "I'm like a haunted house, Peter... and she knows... she knows..."

[Peter Bell]

Peter didn't know what to say for a second. Everything was a new hurdle for this girl. He felt compelled to say something hopeful, even if he wasn't sure it was true.

Very calmly, Peter spoke to Sascha,

"You have the power, Sascha. It resides in you. She can only use it through you."

He hoped that wasn't a lie.

"Force her to come to grips with you."

Then something occured to him to add.

"Think about everything you've been through. You are stronger."

He squeezed her hand to emphasize the point.

"She put you through that. Don't be afraid of her. Get angry with her for all the aspects of life she's taken from you."

Peter stood up, but kept hold of Sascha's hand.

"You have to stand up for yourself. You have to find a way to master the power within you, so that you don't need her anymore. You have to find someone who can train you so that you're not afraid of her anymore."

He tries to keep eye contact.

"I can't train you. There has to be someone else who can. Let us go find them ... wait. Let's get something to eat and then go find them," he adds with a smile. "I'm starving."

So caught up in the way things were headed, Peter almost missed it.

"Sascha," he questioned," did you say you were setting things on fire before ... the Event?"

There had to be a better term than 'the Event'. The Explosion? Too negative. How about New People Day? ... no ... New Day ... to markety ... N-Day? Simple, easy to remember, yet familiar somehow.

" ... before N-Day? The day the New People came into the world, or is it? You had powers before the rest of us did?"

[Courier]

Rich gets a far off look and considers what Juno has said. Eventually he looks at Juno with considerable respect and says,

"Healing seems rare. I'm the only one here with it and there's, what?, 20 of us? But you're right about organizing us and letting the Researchers do their thing. It'd take someone super humanly smart to figure this out. That means one of us. *Everything* we do is like magic."

"As for the press conference... shoot. You're right again. It's later today and it's going to turn my life inside out." Rich drums his fingers on the table nervously and says slowly...

"...I don't see a way out of this. It's going to get out that I can do this. There's already a hundred people who know and we're going to try to reverse engineer this. If it's just a question of "when", then "now" is a good time."

"America is at DepCon 2. New people have terrified the population and created mass blackouts. Sooner or later someone is going to try to make a name for himself declaring us enemies of the state or minions of Satan. We already came within inches of a nuclear war."

"We need to prove ourselves sane and useful and we need to do it right now. Every member of Congress is going to want to get behind the cure for cancer and none of them are going to want to be known as the knuckle head who screwed it up. That plus getting rid of nuclear waste would get people to notice us and drive home what we can really do."

[SalmonMax]

Juno picks at the last of her hash browns thoughtfully.

She glances over at Peter and Sascha, then back at Rich.

"You want to know what I'd do?" she asks.

[Michael Peters]

Originally Posted By: Fahrenheit

“Are you an Angel?”

Michael grinned and was going to respond when what she said struck home.

Wouldn't that be something? What if we are fragments of some divine spark?

He shook his head at the thought.

I'm not qualified to make that kind of decision. I'll have to talk to the someone about that possibility.

He continued to listen to the conversations around him.

Peter seems to have a good connection with Sascha. Thats great. The poor woman seems so lost. Juno and Rich seem like good people too.

He continued to eat, very pleased with the company he found himself in.

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Lily

Juno picks at the last of her hash browns thoughtfully.

She glances over at Peter and Sascha, then back at Rich.

"You want to know what I'd do?" she asks.

Rich replies,

"Please."

[SalmonMax]

Juno hesitates for a moment, not quite meeting Rich's eyes, then shakes her head and looks at him.

"Make it seem like it's still being checked out," she decides. "Your power. Like, maybe we don't know if it's safe, or if there's side effects, so it's still being researched...try to take some of the miracle out, you know?"

"Maybe try to avoid saying too much yourself...get someone else to handle the questions, so they can say they don't know, and it won't be lying. You kind of want to give people hope that there's something good happening, but you don't want to tell them it's happening NOW, or everyone will want in on it."

[Michael Peters]

Michael nods at Juno's words.

"Thats actually a really good way of thinking. It would be prudent if we could reveal our abilities slowly and carefully. Continuing to use you as an example, Rich, if it became common knowledge that you could cure uncurable dieseases your safety would be in danger from everyone who needed a cure. Like that movie where that guy took over the hospital because his son needed a transplant."

Michael shrugs.

"We need to be careful."

Michael smiles at Juno, impressed.

"An excellent point of view Juno."

[Charlotte]

Nathan sat at his desk, staring at the computer screen. He'd been doing so for an hour, looking at the file and nudging the mouse every ten minutes to prevent the return of the flying toasters.

The file had a list of names, of confirmed 'extranormals' as he called them (because New People sounded so... pompous.) Who they were, what they could do, and the circumstances under which they'd found themselves able to do what they did. The task he'd set for himself in Æon's employ was to figure out why some extranormals had certain powers and others had different ones, for seemingly arbitrary reasons.

So far, he had nothing.

Part of him wanted to toss it to Wei Fang, who had "boosted extranormal intelligence" next to her entry. Most of him didn't - most of him wanted to conduct analysis, put together target profiles, and pretend he was still working at the CIA, instead of here. In the shadow of his great-grandfather, and that was something he intended to ask Max Mercer about should he see him again.

He read through the list of names, eventually stopping at his own. It had a question mark next to it.

There were witnesses that remembered him disappearing, bursting into flame, and growing wings. He didn't remember it well. He did remember seeing a tendril of black tar ooze out of his palm, which had then retreated. Wei Fang, according to translators, had mentioned "copying chaos." He'd been mulling it over.

Copying chaos. Copying. Hmmm.

He thought of Sascha bursting into flame. He remembered video of Pax picking up a helicopter and imagined what those fists could do to a human body. The first time he'd realized the full extent of what Richard could do, he'd needed a drink - and it was a fine time to realize he couldn't get a buzz anymore.

I couldn't control it, could I? Whatever it is. If I copied Sascha... or worse, Richard... no, no, I'd better not.

He thought back to that day, and tried to picture the circumstances. Extranormals out of control, and the Fireman was there, and there was a fire, and...

Hmmm.

He got up, and put on what he termed his super-suit - the one Buendia had made. It was presently in the shape of a red pair of pants, white shirt, black tie and black shoes, held together by tiny fibers. He stuck a ruby tie tack in the tie, and nodded at his reflection. Really ought to put a bug in that. It'd come in handy.

He exited his office, and walked into the common area, nodding his greeting to the others and trying not to be nervous. "Hello everyone."

[SalmonMax]

Juno shrugs and ducks her head a bit, grinning shyly.

"Thanks."

Abruptly she stands up and picks up her plate.

"I'd better get going. Tests, and I need to check on my brother." She nods. "Later."

As she turns to head out, she pauses to let Nathan by before moving on.

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Michael Peters

Michael smiles at Juno, impressed.

"An excellent point of view Juno."

Rich nodded and fell quiet considering.

*She's right about it being untested... but there's no way it wouldn't cure cancer. Cancer is created by genetic damage, radiation causes genetic damage, undoing the later means you can undo the former. OK, so I really am on the hook for this.*

*I can take care of myself. One wave of the hand and everyone in the room melts... and everyone in the building city state is contaminated. Not the sort of thing to mention on the news. Not the sort of thing you want to think about in private either. That little detail is never going to be mentioned.*

*Keep working out in the Dojo? Don't need the physical therapy any more, but it is good for me... and I'm sure some martial arts training will keep away millions of desperate people. Silly. I could turn into radiation and fly away. Sure I'd be naked, but with the kind of money I'd be making I can afford to be embarrassed in public. With the new body it wouldn't even affect my dating life.*

*The problem isn't putting pressure on me, the problem is someone might come after my family.*

*So... for right now let's keep it to first names only. The new face and just a first name might buy enough time to bring some sanity to all this. Juno was right about having the Doc's talk to. Make it very scientific, no magic, no god. We're close enough to being burned at the stake as it is.*

As Juno leaves Rich calls to her back,

"Thanks for the advise."

[Fahrenheit]

Originally Posted By: Peter Bell

Peter didn't know what to say for a second. Everything was a new hurdle for this girl. He felt compelled to say something hopeful, even if he wasn't sure it was true.

Very calmly, Peter spoke to Sascha,
"You have the power, Sascha. It resides in you. She can only use it through you."
He hoped that wasn't a lie.
"Force her to come to grips with you."
Then something occured to him to add.
"Think about everything you've been through. You are stronger."
He squeezed her hand to emphasize the point.
"She put you through that. Don't be afraid of her. Get angry with her for all the aspects of life she's taken from you."

Peter stood up, but kept hold of Sascha's hand.
"You have to stand up for yourself. You have to find a way to master the power within you, so that you don't need her anymore. You have to find someone who can train you so that you're not afraid of her anymore."

He tries to keep eye contact.
"I can't train you. There has to be someone else who can. Let us go find them ... wait. Let's get something to eat and then go find them," he adds with a smile. "I'm starving."

Sascha hung on Peter’s lips. He spoke of things she never thought possible. It sounded as if he truly believed it. She never thought about it and tried to recall a moment when she felt a connection… something she could take control of. Before she could find an answer to her inner monologue Peter asked her that she didn’t quite understand.

Originally Posted By: Peter Bell

So caught up in the way things were headed, Peter almost missed it.
"Sascha," he questioned," did you say you were setting things on fire before ... the Event?"

There had to be a better term than 'the Event'. The Explosion? Too negative. How about New People Day? ... no ... New Day ... to markety ... N-Day? Simple, easy to remember, yet familiar somehow.

" ... before N-Day? The day the New People came into the world, or is it? You had powers before the rest of us did?"

“I’m not sure what you mean… I’ve got no powers… but they kept me under surveillance. Many strange accidents happened whenever I was around… I was expelled from Private School back in Berlin when it burned down to its foundation. I was the only survivor but I couldn’t remember anything. Shortly after that they put me in an Asylum. I was 14 at that time… which year is it. I mean now?”

[Courier]

Rich takes another plate full of food, and with a plan of action decided tries to change the subject. He asks the table,

"Does anyone know of a way to prevent nudity? My powers wreck my clothes and carrying around several spares is getting old."

[SalmonMax]

At that question, Juno pauses at the door out and looks back. Perhaps just curious, perhaps taking a chance to consider the potential of some of the celebrity-scale hotties at that table being so afflicted.

[Katalyst]

Fighter 1 recovered from his intial shock and launched a brutal spinning kick at King, whipping his body around like a vicious hurricane. Jay moved unexpectedly quick to block, sweeping his right arm upwards and catching the kick before it could shatter his jaw bone. He punched out with his free hand, hoping to catch fighter 1 before he was able to fire off another kick.

He clenched his fist tightly and threw a staggering right hook that connected, snapping his enemy's head back with the force of the blow, knocoking him into dreamland. Fighter 2 meanwhile had circled around attempting a rear attack. As King turned fighter 2 managed to land a blow on him. To the observers above it was like the assitant had hit a wall. King made to roll with the blow, but instead found that he hadn't felt the blow at all. That should have knocked me on my ass. Guess this engery field act's like a coat of armour fucking sweet!.

The two fighter quickly resume their fighting stances once again, though fighter 2 looks a bit unsettled by Kings resistance to his blow and begins to move back from him. For his part King studies his remaining opponent, his mind focused on his next possible move. The power inside King is intoxicating, and years for release. A thought pops in his head. Maybe if I foucs I can project this engery inside me into some sort of blast. Raising his hand King's face is a mask of intense concentration, his head explodes in pain as he feels a burst of engery release from his hand. The unseen blast surges towards his opponent, who is completely unaware is suddendly struck. He manages a few steps, and then he to, is rendered unconscious.