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Aberrant: Phoenix Rising - Book 2: Chapter 3: Pulse


jameson (ST)

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"Well I need air, food and water," Ashley mentions dryly. "And clothes, generally. So I'd either need to go straight to the habitat up there, and that's assuming it's not all novas who live off moon rocks and breathe vacuum...or I'll need a spacesuit."

She pauses, then adds grudgingly, "Or I stay behind."

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Anna was about to say something when Doug interrupted her. She waited a moment and her eyes widened at the thought of what Doug just portrayed.

Taking a deep breath she said timidly, "I... I don't need food, but soil and water... and the sun. I don't want to stay back - but I don't want to die neither."

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Doug looked at Anna for a moment and realized she just didn't know. He said,

"You I think we should test. I could fly you up till you tell me to stop... best case is you'll get a look at the sun without the air to screen it. Feeling the sun is a different experience out there."

"How about it?"

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Doug answered seriously, "I've lifted lots heavier than you and not dropping things is one of my powers. Seriously, this is what I do."

(Assuming Anna accepts the link) *And you won't be alone out there. With the link I'll know how you're doing, even if you can't talk.*

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Doug answered Ash, "And then we could find out the hard way that she breaths through her skin like plants do."

Outside Doug picked up Anna said, "Ready?" Without waiting for a reply he zoomed up into the air at a crisp 45 mph.

*Don't look down for a moment. After we're up a bit it won't look like a 'high', it will just look different.*

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Anna squealed out of fear and from the sudden lift off. There was real panic in her eyes and tears ran down her cheeks. Anna clinged dearly on Doug almost hurting him as her hands locked tightly around his body.

Anna couldn't stop crying and didn't realise that they were already leaving the atmosphere. Doug came slowly to a halt and tried to turn her around. It seemed as if Anna was doing fine except for her trembling and fear.

*I don't need to breath!*, she realised smiling briefly.

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Doug sent, *Excellent. I proclaim you space-worthy smile *

Doug rotated them so they could see the moon, *Take a look at the moon from here, it's clearer but not any bigger. The stars don't twinkle either. It's a different world up here, more like being underwater than up high.*

Doug gave Anna a while to look around and get used to it, then he sent, *Home now?*

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Meanwhile ...

A tingle floods the room accompanied by the faint crackle of electric discharge and the distinct smell of ozone. KB, here hand wreathed in arcs of power, looks pointedly at James. "So that augment crap. That's what happened here isn't it? That's what killed Calypso?"

James, his face calm, never betraying any emotion, replied flatly, "I can only assume that to be the case. You pour enough power into a struggle for control and somebody's focus slips and," he snaps the fingers of his human hand, "Suddenly the wave forms align and instead of fighting each other you are building each other's patterns. Next thing you know you've lost control to the other person completely. I don't know for sure but it seems likely. I don't know what happened to your friend though."

KB's fist clenched tighter, sparks flitting from between her fingers as she fought to control her anger. "YOU. WILL. PAY. Maybe I'll let Doug do it, or maybe I'll do it myself, but I guarantee you will pay."

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Originally Posted By: Courier

Doug gave Anna a while to look around and get used to it, then he sent, *Home now?*


Anna nodded even though she was glad she could survive in space - at least if there was the sun around she still was terrified by the height. Doug tried very hard to distract her but she simply couldn't let go of her fears. On the way down she kept her eyes closed and wished she was small enough to fit into one of his pockets.

Once they reached the ground Anna fell to her knees and rested on all fours burrowing through the snow until she hit the ground. This was home to her. Not any of the buildings or any particular place called a city or a village. Earth was her home. Anna trembled and even though she wasn't wearing much aside from the ragged baggy top and pants she didn't freeze - it was not the temperature that make her shake involuntarily. Tears had frozen on her cheeks and she looked as relieved as someone who has just been gifted with life in the face of certain death.
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Uh Oh! Gregory flinched ionside as KB returned. She was sparking mad and ready to fry James. How James caused Calypso's death, Gregory could not be sure. It had to do with that Og-ment thing they were talking about.

Quote:
KB's fist clenched tighter, sparks flitting from between her fingers as she fought to control her anger. "YOU. WILL. PAY. Maybe I'll let Doug do it, or maybe I'll do it myself, but I guarantee you will pay."

"Wait a minute KB!" Gregory didn't know why he suddenly stood up for the tentacled aberrant. "James did not hurt Calypso. She gone because she lose control."

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James put his fork down and wiped at his mouth. It was odd how the most civil activity seemed strangely menacing. "Do it. Kill me. Strike me down." KB's head swung round at James, her eyes were wide with surprise. "You people claim to be so much better than I. Fine. Judge me guilty and kill me. Execute me for doing everything in my power to save this wretched planet from a second burn." As he spoke Courier and Anna walked into the room. Tension filled the air like static electricity cast off from KB's clenched fists.

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Raider seriously considered intervening but ruled it out. KB would harbor a hatred of James no matter what he did or said and he frankly couldn't stop her if she did try to kill him. To top that off he really couldn't blame her. James deserved whatever fate he brought on himself. Instead of asking and explaining, he had made a choice to torture and kill. The fact that he was trying to save the Earth was irrelevant.

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"Guys," Ashley said slowly, "Obviously I'm the new blood, and there's stuff here I'm not in on, but lets just hold up a second alright? Once you kill someone, you can't undo it if you find out you were wrong."

She looks at KB, and not without some compassion. It wasn't so long ago that a similarly inconsolable rage had burned in her own heart, and even now the embers were still hot.

"What did he do? Why do you want him dead?"

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Anna tensed sensing that something terrible was about to happen. She prepared herself for the worst but remained silent not wanting to cause any provocative action. For the first time she considered actually helping James should KB attack. Something about this felt wrong - she understood KBs pain but why did she decided to act now?

Anxiety made her heart beat faster and with it she subconsciously started to grow gaining size and mass.

(ooc: Sizemorph activated)

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Originally Posted By: SalmonMax
"What did he do? Why do you want him dead?"
This was a well worn thought path. Doug answered coldly, "James, or at least the crew he was heading, enslaved, raped, tortured, and tried hard to restructure her mind. They forced her to use her powers without regard to it hurting her... to 'save the world' in the creation of their rocket."

"Since this was something she would have done willingly the torture part was presumably for the shear sadistic glee of it. If it's worth doing, then it's worth torturing someone while you're doing it."

Doug pulled out a spear head but didn't point it at anyone, then he added, "Or this could have been part of an internal power struggle. Chain and torture KB so if anything went wrong she'd drop a hurricane on the project, then make sure something *would* go wrong by involving me."

Doug said to KB, "But that's old news. What's happened now?"

*KB, do you remember more of what happened?*
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Almost as soon as she was aware of Doug's prescence KB's fists opened and the nearly palpable electric field within the room died down. She stood there for a moment as Doug explained to Ashley what had happened, and then without another word she turned and walked out of the room. As she passed Doug and he tried to contact her mentally she just looked at and replied, "Stop it." The room was silent as the door banged shut behind her.

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Doug replied, *I'm going to follow her and see if I can't improve her happiness... although if she flatly doesn't want to talk I'll just keep my distance. Odds are good I'll be back in an hour and we'll do that moon thing then.*

*Oh, and Anna is space worthy.*

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Later that day ...

Adam stands well away from James, and asks Raider, "You sure you can get us up there in one go? I'm not saying I doubt you but, I dunno, this seems like a dangerous plan. What if they react poorly?" As reply Raider merely smiles and the two vanish leaving the others behind.

*****

Raider and Adam reappear in a dark, dusty, and cold corridor. The air is stale and their breath spills from their mouths in clouds. "Lovely place, is this where you want me to pop the door?" Raider nods and Adam shrugs, "I think I won't be complaining about the weather for a while." True to his word though Adam closes his eyes and concentrates.

In response a tiny ball of fire appears in the air before them and expands into a flaming portal showing Newboroughs snow drenched streets. Anna, Ash, Gregory, Courier, and James quickly pass through the warp. James looks around an comments, "Lovely place, really I must vacation here sometime."

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