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Aberrant: Infinite Earth - Fiction - Lessons in Laws [Complete]


Terra Sonora Xia

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Time/Space Local: February 7, 2010, Tampa

Reality: Terra One

It had been about a week sense her discussion with Air Rat, and Terra felt it was time to make her point, and to make it a very public one. She wasn't going to hurt anyone while making her point, though who knew what the rest of the world would make of it, she wasn't interested in how the baseline humans reacted to it, but more the point that was being made to novas.

With a flash, she appeared on the docks of Tampa and began to walk straight toward city hall, moving at a steady pace, not too fast or too slow. Of course, between being astronomically beautiful, and no paying any attention to being dressed, she made quite a disruption as she moved forward. She found herself regarding the baseline humans and their reactions to her, with a measure of pity that they were so limited. It was, in her own mind, perhaps a touch arrogant, but she hadn't had anything to really measure herself by up to this point, and the humans seemed so... frail and slow to her eyes.

Of course, eventually the local police showed up, apprantly to arrest her for public indecency, she simply waved her hand, turning their guns into chocolate, and sealing the doors and wheels of their vehicles. She gave them a wink, a smile, and wave, as she teleported about two blocks closer, leaving them a ways behind her, knowing her alterations would return to normal in a few hours.

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She continued onward, certain that non of the baselines had any ability to stop her, though when she saw a young man in a wheel chair being pushed toward the city hall, she paused suddenly. He was by all appearances, not much past his twenties, and was only baseline, and therefore not at all the focus of what she was about, but.. her heart went out to the poor fellow. He appeared to be paralyzed from the neck down, and was in a body cast, indicating a number of broken bones.

Moved to compassion, and knowing that she could actually help him, she reached out to take the young man's hand, as he stared at her in a mixture of awe and confusion.. and the woman pushing his wheelchair looked at her in confusion. Reaching out with her powers, she repaired broken bones and his spinal cord, touching the casts and causing it to break open, she lifted him to his feet, and set him upright, even as spoke in that incredibly beautiful voice. "Be whole." The young man stood on his own, and then he broke down and began to weep, even as the woman began to stammer thanks.

At this point, however, Terra was no longer interested in them, she had healed him, but now she had more important matters to see to. Turning away, ignoring further communication with the baseline humans she didn't entirely understand, she walked up the steps of the city hall, moving at a steady pace, not rushed nor slow. Of course, by this time, there were quite a few folks who were watching, including a news crew who was taping everything, between her actions with regards to the police, and now her most recent action, no one was quite sure what to make of her. Walking into the city hall, she headed toward the mayor's office, ignoring the commotion she was causing behind her.

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From his office window John Simmons had stood watching the golden nova's approach. She was breaking the law ala indecent exposure, but that was pretty minor. He had already decided to have her fined and leave it at that. The police chief was standing next to him waiting for an order to arrest the Nova, like he could. And John was prepared to issue the command, if necessary.

The two men stood together both appreciating the sight of the approaching nova and dreading the possible outcome. For Police Chief Allen Jennson it was mostly dread. His men would get hurt trying to take down a Teragen member as powerful as this. For Mayor Simmons it was a political challenge to be faced. He had ambition and a scene like this could turn into might damage his career. He was riding high right now from facing down Geryon, he didn't want to lose that momentum. He needed to stay in the spotlight in a positive way if he were going to attain higher office and do the good he knew needed to be done.

The police chief had just made the suggestion of trying to tranq the approaching nova, but Simmons waved the idea away. "She's only breaking a minor law. You wouldn't tranq a jay walker or a speeder, so we won't do it to a nova."

"But sir, we could arrest the speeder... There's not much we can do to her." He pointed out the window at the oncoming girl.

"No. Just watch and wait. She's coming to talk, if she were going to attack she would have just appeared in my office without warning."

Simmons continued to watch until Terra stopped and healed the young man. That was it. She had done something seriously news worthy in a positive way and it had all been caught on camera. That was the deciding factor. John Simmons would meet the young woman on the steps before the door and be seen with her on camera. "Chief, order one of your men to meet me on the front steps and to issue the young lady a ticket for indecent exposure, but not to bother her in any other way. Understood?"

He was already disappearing through the floor and hurrying to meet his visitor before the Chief nodded. Less than a minute later he walked out the front doors of the City Hall building and stood waiting on the top step as Terra approached. It made a good photo op framed by the background of City Hall.

"Welcome to Tampa miss. What you just did was very commedable, but I'm afraid you are breaking one of our city's laws." He cleared his throat as if slightly embarrased and gestured at her body while maintaining eye contact. It wouldn't due to have the cameras catch him looking anywhere but the female's eyes. If he ever made that mistake his political opponents would play the footage endlessly with the message that he was a lecher. No indeed, no place to look but her eyes...

"It is a minor law, but a law none-the-less. You will be issued a fine by this officer. He motioned a uniformed man forward. Still, I personally appreciate what you just did, as I am sure does the young man you just helped, and the lady who was escorting him. Perhaps we can discuss why you have come to visit in my office and get you something to wear while you are here... If you will accompany me?" He gestured to the uniformed officer to follow and chaperon as well as to continue writing his ticket.

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At the mayor's appearance, she stopped listening and waiting for him to speak. When she was issued a ticket, she shook her head slightly, and gestured at it. "Pure foolishness, clothing is a baseline concern, meant to deal with such matters as exposure to weather, and foolishness ideas about modesty, I have no need of such things, it would be like putting a hat on a fish." It was appeared from the way she spoke, that she really and truely believed her words.

Which meant that the mayor would have to make a convincing argument to get her to wear anything and he decided to go ahead and make the attempt. "Perhaps, miss, but is a law here within this city, and besides, for an attractive young woman as yourself, it's very distracting. Surely you'd prefer our discussion to be more on the matters that brought you here, rather then a disagreement about a minor law, and distraction due to what your.. not wearing?"

She shook her head slightly, but she felt he had made an important point. "Disagreement about laws is what bought me here, but but your point is well made." She simply reached out into the air and wrapped a somewhat transparent white wrap around her body like a toga. It didn't really do all that much to hide her raw attractiveness, in fact, in some ways it only made it worse, but at least, it was something. "It still feels like putting a hat on a fish." She said at the last, somewhat disgruntled.

Of course, causal manner in which she created something from nothing, without really thinking about, seriously impressed the folks watching. It wasn't that what she had already done wasn't impressive, it was the casualness of it, as though it was nearly inconsequential to her. Several folks who had been watching, including most likely the mayor, adjusted their views of her power level up, several levels further.

When the policeman finished writing the ticket and handed it to her, she glanced at it, not taking it, instead looking at the mayor. "You really are going to be ridiculous about this, aren't you? Allow me to point out, if you can't enforce a law, it's not a good law, it's a bad one. In this case, the only way you can actually get me to pay regarding something so silly, is if I chose to do so."

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The Mayor listened seriously and nodded, but made no move yet to head into the building. "Indeed that is very true. However, I would like to point out that all laws are based on that very principle. We may not always like going the speed limit and might occasionally fudge it by a few mile an hour here or there, but in general people obey the law. To a degree it is fear of consequences that make them obey, but that isn't the only reason, and it really isn't even the most important reason. Most people keep themselves in check on the highways and streets, because they want others to obey the law. Dale Earnhardt might be able to handle driving safely at speed of 100 plus miles an hour even on the highways, but would he want an inexperienced teenager to do the same, and put everyone around them at risk?" He smiled winningly for Terra and the cameras.

"You see, the laws are not about the individual and what is best for the one, but rather for what is best for the community. And that is what I am trying to get across to my nova brethren, even though you personally might not feel the need to be part of the community, you have to respect it's laws if you wish to live within it."

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"So the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one or the few?" She responded quickly to his statement, with a quote from a movie before continuing. "That way lies tyranny, Mayor, not justice, it becomes a society weighed down by laws and customs to the point that it becomes corrupt and stagnate. One filled with corrupt politicians and bureaucracies, that is willing to sacrifice principle and honor for the sake of power."

She waved at the gathered folks who even now were listening to the discussion. "Are you saying that these people are more important as a group then they are as individuals? Even when they are individuals first?"

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"Nonsense. This isn't about bad Star Trek movies. What it boils down to is simple, for those who wish to participate in society they must obey the laws set forth by that society. If you don't wish to participate then of course the laws don't apply, but if you are in our midst as you are at this moment then you 'are' participating, and you either choose to obey the laws like any other person, or you choose to break them. What has made me a subject of the media is that I've drawn the line in the sand and said that willful breaking of our laws will be prosecuted equally, nova or not."

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"But I'm not hear to participate in your society, I stand outside of it, and I could care less about your 'society'. I am here to speak with a fellow nova, not to participate in some silly game. Go ahead and write your ticket, but don't expect me to do anything with it, or even acknowledge it. I have put something on, as a favor to you, mayor, not because I have any interest in baseline laws that hardly apply to me." She glanced at the ticket that the policeman had written as she spoke, then turned away and ignored it.

"I came to speak with the man who manipulated Geyron into exposing himself, setting him up to be taken out by the Nova Elite Air Rat."

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"No one manipulated Geyron or set him up. He made his choices and chose to end my life because I believed differently than he did. That's not acceptable in any society. And I did neither wanted him to be killed nor set him up. I did not hire the elite, nor do I condone his action. My plan was to arrest Geryon for his past crimes if he showed up, not have him killed." He returned her look solemnly.

"As for your first statement. You do not stand outside society, you stand right in the middle of it at this moment. In your castle in the desert separate from human habitation your claim to stand apart has merit, but not here." He gestured to the buildings and people surrounding them. "I do live in this society, if you choose to visit me then you are choosing to participate in this society if only briefly, and while within it you are required to obey the laws just like any other... That's where I have a problem with the Teragen philosophy. Notice I said philosophy, not with it's individual members. The Teragen suggests that novas are a law unto themselves, but how many among them live apart from human society? It's hypocritical to have an condo in New York, and buy groceries at the supermarket, and eat at restaurants, etc, and still claim to be outside the law. Regardless of your reasons for being here, you've come to Tampa and walked our streets and broken our law. When you are among us you are part of our society. Now, this has been a fascinating discussion so far, but let's go into my office if you wish to speak further."

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She inclined her head slightly to one side as he responded to her words, not indicating agreement at at, but simply listening to him, then she followed him into his office, for a more private discussion. Once there, she continued to make her own point.

"Unfortunately, I do not acknowledge your 'societies' laws or that it has any power or relevance with regards to me. Furthermore, I don't even acknowledge baseline laws at all as being relevant to me. I am free from such concerns, as I should be, as a nova, as the Manifesto declares."

"I came here to see you, personally, as a brother nova, and to make a point. You can make whatever laws you like, but without being able to enforce them, you can't make anyone follow them. If I had my way, Geryon would never have approached you, instead I would have been here to speak with you."

"Outside law, yes, outside morality, no. But then, few Terat's appear to understand the second part, they assume that being outside law means that they are able to do whatever they please, and follow any impulse. Geyron was unfortunately, one of the folks who embraced such total freedom, of course, even he had some limits, if he had known you were a nova, he wouldn't have tried to kill you."

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The Mayor gazed at her for a moment, then shook his head slightly. "If your not willing to respect this cities laws, I don't see what we have to talk about. It's all well and good to talk about a moral stance, but if you refuse to follow or respect a societies laws, then you stand in opposition to that society. I am the Mayor of this town, sworn to uphold it's laws, I am part of this society and I choose to be so. I sort of like you, but I must remain true to my words, therefor, if you chose to refuse to follow them, you are choosing to stand in opposition to my position as Mayor."

She shook her head slightly. "I am saying I do not acknowledge your rules and laws, much as England does not have to obey the laws of the United States. My authority reaches no further then where I can extend it, but where I walk, I walk in my own realm."

He blinked. "You are claiming the status of a sovereign nation, in and of your own person? Isn't that a bit arrogant? To think that your will overrides the will of millions of others?"

Again, she spoke up. "I don't override the will of anyone else, I simply do not allow their wills to override mine."

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"Well, if your a sovereign nation in and of yourself.." The Mayor began to respond. "You are bound by another nations laws, at least with respect to interacting with them, unless you are at a state of war, or refuse to acknowledge other nations?"

She shook her head again. "As a nova, I am bound to no laws or nation, all nations and laws that exist at this time are baseline laws, and corrupt ones at that. And interplay of money and power, where the wealthy rule over the poor, and work to maintain this power. Nations, religions and society exist today, to build up the wealthy and keep them strong. Nova's exist outside this paradigm, and as such they attempt to use such agencies as the Directive and Utopia to control such beings."

"Teragen rejects such controls, and the Heralds, who I speak for, call our people, nova's out of this corrupt system, to embrace a moral and spiritual dimension beyond baseline mores. Seek moral expression, not obedience to baseline laws or views, be personally responsible, rather then relying on a government or organization to tell you what to do."

"Wait, first you say you are a nation in and of yourself.. "

She cuts him off. "No, I didn't claim that, I simply claimed that your nation has no more power over me then one nation can command another upon it's own soil. It would be as if the United States told England how to govern London. But even that point is a flawed one, perhaps it should be more explained this way, it would be as if a wolf tried to tell a pride of lions what to do... I do not acknowledge baseline law as having any hold over me, anymore then the lions would pay any attention to the wolf."

The mayor raised an eyebrow slight, and folded his hands. "I see, well, perhaps I should simply hear what you have to say, and be done with it."

"First, it is a pleasure to meet a fellow nova, and to welcome you to the fold of novas, I hope that we walk in the same circles someday. Second, to make my point, Mayor.. you have no power over me, you can not even enforce your own statement regarding committing the crime and doing the time, with regards to me. Your statement was one of political calculation, not one that matches up with reality as it is, and with the death of Geryon it becomes a worldwide statement, I am now making a counter statement to yours. Or perhaps it was not yours, but more the statement Utopia was trying to make, I would counter that one instead. I am Revelation, and I would reveal a different truth then the one you or they have attempted to propagate."

With that she turned to leave, as the Mayor began to stand up and follow her out, wondering what she was going to do now. Once outside, she spoke out in a loud voice, as the cameras turned to face her. "People of the world, I am Revelation of Teragen, and I come to bring a message to my fellow Novas. Teragen does not acknowledge any baseline laws or society, do not acknowledge novas are bound by your limits, or any limits other then our own personal responsibility and morals we have taken upon ourselves. When Novas and baselines interact too closely, tragedy occurs, I challenge every Nova to stand apart from baseline society, to make their own choices, not to be slaves to corrupt baseline rules and society." With that, she vanished, leaving the city and Mayor to decide what to do with regards to this latest event.

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