Aberrant: Quantum Zero - Quantum Zero

[Archer21]

"Dammit!"

Gritting his teeth, The Stranger works his way of the long coat he's wearing, tossing it to Glacier. "Wrap that around your hands, I don't want your cold to hurt him. Get over there and hold him down, you're the only one strong enough right now." Limping, he walks quickly behind the chair Will is sitting in. From his belt, he uncurls a long loop of cord, hurriedly making an impromptu lasso in case Will decides to bolt.

[Ayre el KaBeer]

As The Stranger gets close to the crimson blur in the air where Will was, a human form flashes and fades, The Stranger gets sprayed by a micromist of blood. About 2 seconds later the same thing happens, the next time a second later, then half a second. Will is now clearly visible in the the glow but he seems to fade in and out about the same rate as a strobe light, then all at once the the glow ceases and wills form stays solid, he is dripping in his own blood and still surrounded by a red mist, he caughs a bubbling caugh then an audible "Huh?" is heard just before he hits the ground, unconscious ::sleeping .

[Archer21]

Cursing profoundly under his breath, The Stranger drops the cord in his hands, and moves to kneel next to Will. Unconcerned with the blood, he reaches forward, taking Will's wrist and checking for a pulse. A mental sigh of relief washes over him as he detects the steady beat. Wearily, he lifts his head.

"Derek, what are my chances of infection from his blood? And what do we do now?"

[phoenix]

Gritting his teeth, The Stranger works his way of the long coat he's wearing, tossing it to Glacier.

\"No, stop! That's not-\" Glacier is interrupted as the trench in question flies through his anima, freezes, and hits his body. He squeezes shut his eyes and lips as it shatters, sending ice shards everywhere.

\"I'm not sure that's going to work, Mr. Stranger\", he says, his face still pursed in an expression of distaste.

He looks to Will, but doesn't dare move to restrain him.

All at once the the glow ceases and wills form stays solid, he is dripping in his own blood and still surrounded by a red mist, he caughs a bubbling caugh then an audible \"Huh?\" is heard just before he hits the ground, unconscious.

The bear anima moves forward, and Glacier walks with it as though humoring it. It stops a few feet from Will's prone form (turning the mist of blood into a fine hail) and sniffs it mournfully. Glacier's face is unreadable.

[brilyn]

\"Er... Is that supposed to happen?\"

::confused

\"Um..... maybe? This isn't something that would normally affect Novas. Looks like his system is simply going into overdrive.\"

Unconcerned with the blood, The Stranger reaches forward, taking Will's wrist and checking for a pulse. A mental sigh of relief washes over him as he detects the steady beat. Wearily, he lifts his head.

\"Derek, what are my chances of infection from his blood? And what do we do now?\" 

As The Stranger reaches for Will's body, Derek shouts out

"No! Don't Touch him!"

Realising the shout comes to late, Derek's first reaction is to smack himself in the forehead. Speaking from behind his hand:

"If his immune system beat the virus, you're fine. If the virus BEAT HIS IMMUNE SYSTEM, you are dead. I hope you're wearing gloves. 'Cause Eufibre is biological in nature, so can probably contract the disease too. Dammit....."

Moving quickly, Derek grabs some swabs, and a needle, and takes a couple samples from Will, and The Stranger.

[Archer21]

"Let's hope that Will is the healthy type then."

Covered in bloodspray, his shoulders slump slighty; in pain or weariness, it's difficult to tell. Wrapped from head to toe in Eufiber and equipment, only his body language and tone of voice indicate anything. Head bowed, he calls towards the security team.

"Would one of you be so kind as to escort me to the pool and hose me off? I'd still like a shower; cold water will have to do. Provided, of course, that the good doctor here doesn't have use for me." His muffled voice sounds odd, the almost jocular tone seeming forced.

[Ayre el KaBeer]

Wills condition apears to be improving, his heart rate and breathing are now normal and his fever is broken. His unconsciousness apears to be a normal slumber brought on by fatigue ::sleep .

[brilyn]

Seeing Will return to normal, Derek lets out a long breath of relief. Looking far more relieved than someone who expected success should! ::wink

[phoenix]

\"This isn't something that would normally affect Novas. Looks like his system is simply going into overdrive.\"

\"Wow. In that case, I am very glad that you didn't try to use me.\"

Wills condition apears to be improving, his heart rate and breathing are now normal and his fever is broken. His unconsciousness apears to be a normal slumber brought on by fatigue.

Seeing Will return to normal, Derek lets out a long breath of relief. Looking far more relieved than someone who expected success should!

Glacier looks at Derek, then at Will, then at the Stranger. "So, we didn't fatally infect anybody then?"

[brilyn]

Not looking up from the equipment:

"Give me a moment, I'm not prepared to jump to conclusions, even if Will does look ok. He could simply be harbouring a strain of the virus that he's naturally immune to."

Derek's ears catch up with his mouth:

"I mean.... um.... Just give me a couple minutes please....." ::blush

[ProfPotts]

Derek & his team continue tests & examinations for another half hour or so, during which time those who had their strength stolen by Virus feel it begin to return, until (roughly two hours after the fight) the usual power has returned to their limbs. ::thumbsup

Those in need take hosings & / or showers, & more of the MI guys check for residual nematocysts - finally declaring everyone clean (although, for some reason, they had to hose-down Janet for much longer than the rest of the Novas... ::blush ::wink ).

Soon Interface & the medics have confirmed that Will is cured of his forced exposure to the virus, & that his body has produced antibodies at a phenomenal rate - possible due to his speed-related Quantum abilities. They set about generating enough virus antidote to treat all the victims present. Soon they start to administer it. There's no immediate reaction in the baseline victims of the virus, but microscopic analysis shows that the treatment seems to be working - the victims will all need to be hospitalised in any case.

Will is cleaned-up, & eventually wakes - actually appearing refreshed after his little nap ::sleeping ! He's still glowing red [unless he chooses to shut it off], casting a crimson light across the room.

The communicator-link to Kane speaks up,

"You'll all be transported via the Skymaster to a secure facility. I've prepared an overview of Nova Vigilance for your arrival. We'll be maintaining quarantine conditions until we're sure that everyone's in the clear, but I have faith in Interface's genius."

[brilyn]

Soon Interface & the medics have confirmed that Will is cured of his forced exposure to the virus, & that his body has produced antibodies at a phenomenal rate - possible due to his speed-related Quantum abilities. They set about generating enough virus antidote to treat all the victims present. Soon they start to administer it. There's no immediate reaction in the baseline victims of the virus, but microscopic analysis shows that the treatment seems to be working - the victims will all need to be hospitalised in any case.

Derek's first notable response is a loud:

\"Thank goodness!\"

And flops into a chair, once he's confident he doesn't need to monitor people from moment to moment.

We'll be maintaining quarantine conditions until we're sure that everyone's in the clear

Derek nods in agreement.

but I have faith in Interface's genius

::blush

"Ah.... um.... Steady on..... Will was as much (if not more) integral to the cure than I was.... Um...."

::blush

Derek looks thoroughly embarrassed at the direct praise [OC: if the emotes weren't clue enough! ::wink ]

[phoenix]

\"You'll all be transported via the Skymaster to a secure facility. I've prepared an overview of Nova Vigilance for your arrival. We'll be maintaining quarantine conditions until we're sure that everyone's in the clear, but I have faith in Interface's genius.\"

Glacier hears the broadcast, and mutters almost subvocally: "A 'secure facility'.

"I just bet."

He shrugs off the paranoia though, and goes off to help the men ogle Jan drying off. He addresses one of them in passing: "Out of curiosity, it seems a bit odd that both the government and T2M decided to stand aside and let a private corporation handle the crisis response."

Then he amuses himself by making impromptu ice sculptures by letting Will blast him with the hose and freezing the water in the air.

[Ayre el KaBeer]

The communicator-link to Kane speaks up,

\"You'll all be transported via the Skymaster to a secure facility. I've prepared an overview of Nova Vigilance for your arrival. We'll be maintaining quarantine conditions until we're sure that everyone's in the clear, but I have faith in Interface's genius.\"

" ::angry Hey wait! What about Nat? We have to get her back! ::sad" Both anger and desperation can be heard in Williams voice.

"Goddamnit! ::angry I should never have left her alone!" Will stops himself from punching a hole in the wall...

He takes a deep breath and composes himself, in his most serious tone " ::hmmm How long untill we can start looking?"

[phoenix]

"If you hadn't told her to stay where she was, she'd have simply returned to the house and contracted the virus."

[Asbjørn]

As soon as Nathan feels his strength returning he gets up and starts to move around, flexing and testing his muscles. Keeping an eye and ear on the medical procedures he eventually ends up doing one-handed handstanding pushups and the like, grinning with obvious relief to be his old self again. ::biggrin

When it's clear that the procedure was a success he walks over to both Derek and Will and gives them a pat on the shoulder. "Great work, guys!" ::smile

He takes a deep breath and composes himself, in his most serious tone \"  How long untill we can start looking?\"

- "We're starting right now, buddy. We'll go on the blimp, look over the info Kane's got and then we'll know what to do. We'll get her back, man. Don't worry. Not too much, anyway..."

Unless any of the science people around protest, Nathan skips the whole shower / hosing procedure. Instead he flares his plasmafield once more, burning off whatever's left of Virus' touch. "That should do it, shouldn't it?"

As they leave to get aboard the Skymaster (which Nathan still insists on calling 'the Blimp') he asks Emma quietly "You wanna stick with me if we end up going to look for Natalia, or go with Kane? I've a feeling Kane is the safest option right now. Especially..." - he checks to see that John (glacier) is nowhere around, and whispers - "... with Glacier around. I don't want to risk her taking over just because he can't control himself..."

[Archer21]

Walking off to a corner well away from the others, The Stranger taps briefly on the side of his mask, then begins muttering.

"It's me. Don't ask any questions. Just listen. First, don't come to the house. Lots of bad stuff went down; what? I'm fine. I'm going to be taking a little side trip with some of my 'peers'. I want you to keep an eye on where I'm going, since I don't have directions for getting back. Use your 'psychic' senses we talked about. Alright, I have to go now. Stranger out."

With that done, he rejoins the group. As he walks by Janet, he whispers something that only her ears can catch.

[ProfPotts]

\"Ah.... um.... Steady on..... Will was as much (if not more) integral to the cure than I was.... Um....\"

\"Yes\", replies Kane, \"Mr Henessie's sacrifice was a noble gesture indeed.\"

There's a small pause, then he adds,

\"Although I doubt the 'old man' will consider that adequate compensation for losing Natalia...\"

He shrugs off the paranoia though, and goes off to help the men ogle Jan drying off. He addresses one of them in passing: \"Out of curiosity, it seems a bit odd that both the government and T2M decided to stand aside and let a private corporation handle the crisis response.\"

The security man's voice is slightly distorted by the armoured suit he wears, but Glacier hears him chuckle as he responds,

\"We make a great effort to ensure that those sorts of people don't get involved in company business. Don't get me wrong - me & the kids watch all the T2M stuff on the OpNet. My youngest, little Billy, collects all those 'action figure' things - y'know Pax & the other T2Mers fully posable with little accessories; his big sister Jane has a crush on one of those Teen T2Mers, whatever they're called - can't remember which one... Anyway - point is, they're great at what they do - more power to 'em I say; it's just that some things are better handled 'in house' for a company like MI - it's more efficient, & less paperwork, all round.\"

\"Goddamnit!  I should never have left her alone!\" Will stops himself from punching a hole in the wall...

\"No\", states Kane flatly, \"you shouldn't have.\"

He takes a deep breath and composes himself, in his most serious tone \"  How long untill we can start looking?\"

\"I'm looking right now - there's not a lot you can do until I have some leads for you - unless there are hidden depths to your powers that you've not shared with the rest of us?\"

As they leave to get aboard the Skymaster (which Nathan still insists on calling 'the Blimp') he asks Emma quietly \"You wanna stick with me if we end up going to look for Natalia, or go with Kane? I've a feeling Kane is the safest option right now. Especially...\" - he checks to see that John (glacier) is nowhere around, and whispers - \"... with Glacier around. I don't want to risk her taking over just because he can't control himself...\"

It takes Emma a moment to remember what Nate is talking about - her own troubles having been forgotten in her concern for those around her. For a second it looks like she's going to protest, but then she just quietly says,

\"I guess you're right. I wouldn't want you to be worrying about me when you should be looking for Natalia.\"

As he walks by Janet, he whispers something that only her ears can catch.

Jan smiles, then gives the masked Nova a quick kiss on the cheek, before catching up with Emma, escorting her away from Nate, & whispering something of her own to her. The two women glance at The Stranger & exchange a knowing glance...

Outside a large shadow flows over the lawn as the huge form of the Skymaster airship descends, it's engines vectored to thrust the ship groundwards. As it nears the ground the engines cause a great displacement of air, & those who approach the vessel hold their heads down like people boarding a helicopter. The great ship doesn't actually land, but is held steady about a foot off the ground, allowing the Novas, patients, & those MI personnel who aren't remaining to run a clean-up on the house, to easily board. Glacier is, naturally, requested to dorm-down in order to prevent damage to the vehicle. As soon as those who are traveling are safely on-board, the engines again tilt, allowing the craft to sail high into the air. Soon the airship is cruising above the clouds.

Several hours pass in the relative comfort of the luxury vehicle. Jan & Emma both elect to shower & change (Emma lends Jan some clothes - exact size not being a big issue for the shapeshifter), then return to the lounge. Others may wish to take a nap in one of the cabins, surf the OpNetr, work out in the gym, grab something to eat or drink, or whatever else they can find to do on-board.

Eventually the airship again descends, passing through the clouds to reveal it's destination - a small group of buildings, quite spread out, surrounded by countryside. As the Skymaster gets closer the passengers can make out golf-cart-like buggies & pedestrians moving between the buildings, & a high chain-link fence surrounding the complex. The buildings are arranged in a rough semi-circle, & appear to be made of concrete & glass, although none is over two stories in height, & there is an abundance of greenery on the site. Several of the buildings sport satellite dishes & other evidence of communications-type equipment. The people on the site appear to be mostly dressed in either MI security body-armour, or as medical personnel. The airship descends to a large open lawn area, clear of buildings or people, then shoots out multiple spike-headed cables that effectively anchor the mighty craft to the ground. The cables are retracted till they're the correct tension, & further minor, but neccessary, adjustments are made. Soon the passangers are allowed to disembark, & both security & medical personnel rush to meet them, & to take the patients inside.

Inside the building the Novas find themselves led to is the decor of a very pleasant private hospital, although there appear to be very few patients about (in fact, the only patient they notice is an extremely old man in a wheelchair & breathing through an oxygen mask, his skin all wrinkles & liver-spots - the attractive young nurse pushing him quickly steers him out of the way of the new arrivals). There are plenty of nurses, porters, receptionists, janitors, security guards, & doctors. For a while the Novas find themselves somewhat abandoned, as the hospital staff bustle around them to deal with the patients they've brought in - Interface is taken off to consult with his medical peers.

After the initial surge of activity passes the Novas are approached by a tall & thin black man in a smart business suit. He looks to be in his thirties & has neatly cut short hair & a small goatee beard. He greets the groups, saying,

"Welcome to The Facility - I wish the circumstances were better. I'm security chief Irons, & I've been asked to escort you to the conferance room. So, if there's no objections, would you like to follow me?.."

... After taking Jan & Emma to a waiting room, Irons leads the rest of the group to a large room, dominated by a long polished-wood table which is surrounded by comfortable looking padded-leather chairs. On the centre of the table stands a strange glass cylinder that reaches all the way to the ceiling. The top & base of the cylinder are some kind of moulded plastic & appear to be electronic devices of some kind. Irons asks the group to be seated, then offers drinks from a small side-cabinet. When everyone is settled he continues,

"Interface will join us when he's finished briefing the medical staff. Right, 'Nova Vigilance'. I guess most of you have heard of the name, but may not know the details. We never wanted to get involved with the Teragen, but their recent actions have forced our hand. I trust we can count on the help of you all in this matter?"

He pauses to look around at the Novas, attempting to gauge their reactions to everything that's happened,

"Maybe it's best if you start by telling me what you know about NV, & I'll fill-in any blank spots as best I can."

[Archer21]

Jan smiles, then gives the masked Nova a quick kiss on the cheek, before catching up with Emma, escorting her away from Nate, & whispering something of her own to her. The two women glance at The Stranger & exchange a knowing glance...

*Women's intuition...great. Mom was right.*

During the flight, unless there are any objections from the crew, The Stranger will observe the pilots for a few hours, trying to watch and learn exactly how the airship is piloted. The rest of the time, he will stay in the lounge with the others, keeping a sharp eye on Glacier, and trying to get a moment alone elsewhere with Jan, if

possible.

At one point, Jan and The Stranger disappear together to somewhere else on the ship. Jan returns to the lounge about an hour later, followed a few moments by The Stranger.

If anyone pays close attention to The Stranger, it becomes evident that his wounds are rapidly healing...by the time they land at the facility, the claw marks have disappeared, replaced by new scar tissue. Shortly after, his eufiber suit seals itself as well, covering the formerly bare skin.

Once on the ground, The Stranger takes mental notes of layout of buildings, security, and personnel, making sure to note possible escape routes as they pass by.

He pauses to look around at the Novas, attempting to gauge their reactions to everything that's happened,

\"Maybe it's best if you start by telling me what you know about NV, & I'll fill-in any blank spots as best I can.\"

His expression concealed by his mask, The Stranger responds. "I've not heard the name before, but I know Geryon is involved, possibly in a leadership position. Virus mentioned his name during my fight with the clones in the cellar."

[phoenix]

The security man's voice is slightly distorted by the armoured suit he wears, but Glacier hears him chuckle as he responds,

\"We make a great effort to ensure that those sorts of people don't get involved in company business. Don't get me wrong - me & the kids watch all the T2M stuff on the OpNet. My youngest, little Billy, collects all those 'action figure' things - y'know Pax & the other T2Mers fully posable with little accessories; his big sister Jane has a crush on one of those Teen T2Mers, whatever they're called - can't remember which one... Anyway - point is, they're great at what they do - more power to 'em I say; it's just that some things are better handled 'in house' for a company like MI - it's more efficient, & less paperwork, all round.\"

Glacier chuckles. \"Suits me just fine.\"

He then directs his attention to others.

Will: \"Goddamnit!  I should never have left her alone!\" Will stops himself from punching a hole in the wall...

Glacier and Kane respond at the same time.

Glacier: \"If you hadn't told her to stay where she was, she'd have simply returned to the house and contracted the virus.\"

\"No\", states Kane flatly, \"you shouldn't have.\"

Glacier looks at Kane. \"Will left the girl so he could fight. I don't blame him, frankly. He was the only one fast enough to nail the bastards. I could have gotten them eventually sure, but.. would you really want me to?\"

Later, the group observes the giant skyship as it approaches. Glacier stands in the ice of his own making, his arms crossed over his chest as he looks up at the sky. He appears to have lost his hair tie, and the wind blows his hair back with great force. His expression, barely discernible from outside his anima, is terrible and pained.

As the Skymaster lands, a medic in full body armor comes up and speaks to him. He nods, and concentrates, for a moment. The bear's image grows fainter, then suddenly darker, looking around frantically. Suddenly it lunges in the direction of the medic! It lets out a guttural roar, and Glacier is torn in that direction, looking on in horror - suddenly, the bear explodes, losing its form, becoming simply blue energy extending from Glacier's body. Then it withdraws into him, leaving him doubled over and panting. His right fist is clenched so tightly that the knuckles are white.

\"It's getting worse..\"

John slowly pulls himself up and forces a smile. He apologizes profusely to the medic, and the smile slowly becomes more natural, if a bit shaky.

He joins the group and boards the Skymaster with them.

On the ship, he spends some time simply sitting moodily in the kitchen, holding an ice cube in the palm of his hand and grimacing as it melts down to nothing, then going to get another one. After about a half hour of this, however, he snaps out of it, throwing his current cube into a corner. He heads into the lounge to hang out with the gorgeous women and whoever else is around, playing a few games of darts with the others, and even letting Jan braid his platinum-blond hair.

The ship lands in due time, and the company is escorted to the hospital, then swept into the board room with Mr. Irons.

He pauses to look around at the Novas, attempting to gauge their reactions to everything that's happened,

\"Maybe it's best if you start by telling me what you know about NV, & I'll fill-in any blank spots as best I can.\" 

John's face is expressionless.

"I'm familiar with the name Nova Vigilance. I've heard that they're connected to the nova Geryon, who kills people he thinks are threats to the nova population or nova rights. Nova Vigilance is connected to the Teragen, right?" Mr. Irons nods, and John continues. "And from what I've heard, the Teragen feel that novas aren't susceptible to baseline laws because they're fundamentally superior."

He shrugs. "Doesn't seem like too big a deal to me. Hell, I've met many baselines who think baseline laws are idiotic and should be ignored." He pauses. "Come to think of it, I've been one."

[Ayre el KaBeer]

Glacier looks at Kane. \"Will left the girl so he could fight. I don't blame him, frankly. He was the only one fast enough to nail the bastards. I could have gotten them eventually sure, but.. would you really want me to?\"

Will motions to Glacier \"No, he's right John...\" he's about to say something else but doesn't, though grateful for Glaciers words, he's still far too angry at himself.

Onboard Skymaster, Will goes to the gym to take his agression out on some of the equipment. He spends an additional hour working on his martial arts specifically some of the more dirty and viscious techinques, if he looses his strength again he wants to be ready to inflict some serious injury to the more tender spots on the body. Will then showers, eats and tries to nap untill they get to their destination.

The Facility:

\"Maybe it's best if you start by telling me what you know about NV, & I'll fill-in any blank spots as best I can.\"

Nothing, I can only know about that Virus guy's fighting ability and what powers I whitnessed.

[Asbjørn]

[On board 'the Blimp']

Nathan spends his time on the Skymaster bugging some of Kane's guys or some other personell until they get him a new phone, then makes sure everybody around him gets the number. Setting up the new phone he can be heard muttering something about "...that's the fifth cellphone this month! Somebody ought to come up with something plasmaproof soon..." ::angry

After spending some time in careful thought on important matters such as what ringtone to use, he instructs Emma for the n'th time to memorize the number, since she still hasn't gotten used to the idea of carrying a telephone around with her, much less programming it...

[At the MI Facility]

Nathan doesn't know the first thing about Nova Vigilance, so he just sits back and pays attention to the people who do.

[phoenix]

Setting up the new phone he can be heard muttering something about \"...that's the fifth cellphone this month! Somebody ought to come up with something plasmaproof soon...\"

Johns snorts into his coke. He realizes a few people are staring at him and explains: "I was just thinking what would happen if they did.. 'My god! I didn't even scratch my phone! I must be losing my strength.. This can't be happening! I.. I'm only 27 years old!'" His impression of Blaze is a melodramatic caricature, and he recieves a few chuckles before going back to the latest Dirk Pitt novel. ::wink ::tongue

[ProfPotts]

Irons listens to the Novas limited knowledge of NV, then sighs, & leans forward over the table,

"Ok then, the basics: Nova Vigilence is a faction of the Teragen movement - the most recognisable & well-known of the factions really; although that's mostly due to their frequent run-ins with T2M, & the media's love for 'super-battles'. Geryon is known to be in a prominent leadership position, probably the overall leader of the faction. The other 'famous' Nova that's known to be a part of NV's core membership is the Elite known as Epoch. Other well-known Teragen members, such as Leviathon, Matador, The Confederate, & Shrapnel, have all been involved in NV operations at one time or another."

As he mentions the various Teragen members three-dimensional images of them appear in the glass cylinder - the over-muscled form of Geryon, the featureless face-mask of Epoch, the serpentine monstrousity of Leviathon, the Mexican-wrestler mask of Matador, the pillar of black basalt that is The Confederate, & the metal & energy form of Shrapnel.

"Nova Vigilence claims to be a 'Nova watchdog' group - looking out for Nova rights. That sounds all fine & dandy, but their actions are brutal & excessive - such as Geryon's murders of the Mayor of Tampa, the South African Minister of Home Affairs, & many others. Like all terrorists they try to wrap-up their violence in a pretty moral package, but under their talk they're basically just declaring that they're above the rules society has made for itself, & that they're very willing to kill & maim to get what they want. The Nova Vigilance message is simple - might makes right. For a group who claim to have 'evolved' beyond petty baselines NV demonstrate that the Teragen are just a huge step backwards in moral & social evolution."

"The two Novas you encountered - Virus & PathFinder - are lesser-known members of NV. Virus is believed to have been brought into NV by Geryon himself, whilst PathFinder is a known associate of Epoch. PathFinder most often acts as transport for other NV terrorists, whereas Virus specialises in murdering baselines. Since NV appears to function in a classic terrorist cell-structure we'll need to locate & question one of these two to attempt to find what's happened to Miss Masters. Well, either that or find & question Geryon or Epoch, neither of which is a recommended course of action..." ::sly

The image of PathFinder appears in the cylinder & slowly rotates. Irons continues,

"PathFinder is our best bet, since Virus doesn't make public appearances. PathFinder is known to frequent the Amp Room, amoungst other haunts, so that's where we recommend you start your investigations. If you can't find the woman herself, chances are there's someone there who will be able to point you in the right direction."

Irons pauses for a moment, then adds,

"You better not mess around on this one, people. Our information is that Nova Vigilance believes in lex talionis - an eye for an eye - if they believe that Mr Masters is guilty of conducting medical experiments on Novas, there's no telling what they'll do to his granddaughter..."

"Questions?"

[Asbjørn]

\"PathFinder is our best bet, since Virus doesn't make public appearances. PathFinder is known to frequent the Amp Room, amoungst other haunts, so that's where we recommend you start your investigations. If you can't find the woman herself, chances are there's someone there who will be able to point you in the right direction.\"

Nathan looks a bit skeptical. "So what do we do? Just stroll into the Amp Room and ask for her? And what if we find her? It's not like we can shadow a warper..."

Letting out a sigh, he tries to be a bit more constructive. "Ok. We have to go to the Amp Room. Some of us, anyway. You" - he nods at the Stranger and Will - "are the obvious choice, of course. They're gonna recognize me the moment I walk in, and the same thing probably goes for Glacier. Unless someone can dream up a disguise that can hide these..." He looks at the people around the table, his glowing eyes resting a moment on each of them, then shrugs. "I'll just have to play backup, I guess."

[Archer21]

\"PathFinder is our best bet, since Virus doesn't make public appearances. PathFinder is known to frequent the Amp Room, amoungst other haunts, so that's where we recommend you start your investigations. If you can't find the woman herself, chances are there's someone there who will be able to point you in the right direction.\"

The Stranger sits quietly through the briefing, intently studying the images displayed. He waits till Irons is finished before speaking.

"I have a few questions. One: How will they be transported to Ibiza? Two: What sort of reaction do you expect when the friends of the people that Pathfinder was trying to kill show up looking for her? Three: How do you expect to deal with the repercussions that will follow the kidnapping and interrogation of one the Teragen?"

Shaking his head slowly, he addresses the other Novas there. "You do realize that there are likely going to be a few Teragen sympathizers at the Amp Room...what's your plan for locating Pathfinder without finding yourself on the wrong end of a Teragen trap? Remember, they know what all of you look like, too."

He lets his words hang in the air for a moment before talking to Irons again.

"If you're willing to listen to my suggestions, I have some ideas on how to safely transport the group to Ibiza, and how to find Pathfinder without taking unneccesary risks. "

[phoenix]

\"Questions?\"

"Yeah. Why don't we just wait for Pathfinder to contact us? Obviously kidnapping the girl wasn't a goal in and of itself. They've got demands."

[ProfPotts]

Nathan looks a bit skeptical. \"So what do we do? Just stroll into the Amp Room and ask for her? And what if we find her? It's not like we can shadow a warper...\"

\"You're right\", comments Irons, \"in an ideal world we could send professionals to talk to her. As it is the Amp Room is Novas only, & PathFinder is an anti-baseline bigot - so we have little choice but to send you guys, & hope you can do your best.\"

Letting out a sigh, he tries to be a bit more constructive. \"Ok. We have to go to the Amp Room. Some of us, anyway. You\" - he nods at the Stranger and Will - \"are the obvious choice, of course. They're gonna recognize me the moment I walk in, and the same thing probably goes for Glacier. Unless someone can dream up a disguise that can hide these...\" He looks at the people around the table, his glowing eyes resting a moment on each of them, then shrugs. \"I'll just have to play backup, I guess.\"

Irons frowns,

\"Look - as far as I'm aware the Amp Room is reguarded as 'neutral ground' by most Novas, Teragen included. She's most likely going to know you're around in any case (being a telepath). No-one's suggesting you go in looking for a fight - we need info' on the location of Miss Masters, & talking to PathFinder is the best option we have right now.\"

\"I have a few questions. One: How will they be transported to Ibiza?

\"If by 'they' you mean 'all of you' - then we've got a private jet fueled & waiting near-by\"

Two: What sort of reaction do you expect when the friends of the people that Pathfinder was trying to kill show up looking for her?

\"That's a tricky one - we're not dealing with normal psychology here. From the descriptions I've heard NV were only really targeting Mr Masters & the other baselines, & had no particular wish to fight you Novas. As I said, she's telepathic, so she'll probably be aware of what you want, but I doubt she'll consider you 'enemies' - you're all one big happy Nova family, right?\" ::sly

Three: How do you expect to deal with the repercussions that will follow the kidnapping and interrogation of one the Teragen?\"

\"Who the Hell mentioned kidnapping?! You just need to talk to her, try to get an impression of what they've done with Miss Masters, or, at least, find out from others the sort of places PathFinder, Virus, & pals hang-out. The last thing we need is our side going off half-cocked - we'll leave that to the bad guys!\"

Shaking his head slowly, he addresses the other Novas there. \"You do realize that there are likely going to be a few Teragen sympathizers at the Amp Room...what's your plan for locating Pathfinder without finding yourself on the wrong end of a Teragen trap? Remember, they know what all of you look like, too.\"

\"It's neutral ground, & they have no reason to consider you targets or enemies. And, 'Stranger', by your references I'm getting the impression that you're planning on bailing on this one. Is that right? You gonna' leave that little girl out their in the hands of those monsters?!\", Mr Irons appears to be getting agitated, standing & slaming his palms onto the table-top. ::angry

He lets his words hang in the air for a moment before talking to Irons again.

\"If you're willing to listen to my suggestions, I have some ideas on how to safely transport the group to Ibiza, and how to find Pathfinder without taking unneccesary risks. \"

\"Well spit it out then man! Time is of the essence!\"

\"Yeah. Why don't we just wait for Pathfinder to contact us? Obviously kidnapping the girl wasn't a goal in and of itself. They've got demands.\"

Irons sighs & sits down again, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers & suddenly looking very tired,

"Look - this isn't a normal kidnapping here. Based on what we know of Teragen 'philosophy' in general, & Nova Vigilance beliefs in particular, chances are they'll use Miss Masters as some kind of retribution for the wrongs they perceive Masters Incorporated as perpetrating. Making anti-Nova weapons & experimenting on Novas were both mentioned, right? My guess is they'll be dreaming-up something sick & twisted to do to her even now - if she's not suffering already..."

[Asbjørn]

When it finally dawns on him that Irons actually is talking about finding Pathfinder and talking to her, as opposed to "talking" to her, Nathan sits up straight. "Well? Why aren't we on that jet, then? Let's go!"

[Asbjørn]

[double post deleted]

[Archer21]

\"It's neutral ground, & they have no reason to consider you targets or enemies. And, 'Stranger', by your references I'm getting the impression that you're planning on bailing on this one. Is that right? You gonna' leave that little girl out their in the hands of those monsters?!\" Mr Irons appears to be getting agitated, standing & slaming his palms onto the table-top. \"Well spit it out then man! Time is of the essence!\"

Standing up, The Stranger places his hands on the table, leaning forward toward Irons. When he speaks, his voice is pitched low, with hint of menace behind it.

"You listen to me, Irons. I was nearly killed earlier by a member of this group, trying to save another girl from the Teragen. I'm not turning my back on any innocents caught in this mess. But look at what you're asking. These people..." He gestures at the other Novas assembled, "are brave and committed to saving the girl. Kudos for that. But how much experience do they have for this sort of situation?"

He looks around at the others, staring at each person in turn, his voice changing, expressing a desire for understanding. "Put yourself in my position. I've extended a great deal of trust already, allowing myself to be transported to this 'secure facility'. If I'm going to do this with you, you have to trust me. I can help you."

Snapping his gaze back to Irons, he continues. "Here are my suggestions. Disguises for at least some of us. I can handle myself, but Will needs something. Possibly disguises for the others as well, if needed. Jan would be especially useful, considering her abilities and skills as an actress. I'm loathe to put her in danger; but it's up to her. Plus, I trust her judgement for something this sensitive. Since you already have a jet ready, let me be the pilot. I can fly it, and there's no reason to risk anyone else. And please tell me the jet and flight plan are not listed under Master's company. If it is, change it. I don't want anyone to know we're coming till we're already there."

Still standing, he crosses his arms over his chest and lays out his plan. "Jan, Will and myself will go to the Amp Room and ask some questions, see if we can find Pathfinder. Will, you and I will be playing bodyguard to Miss Thorne. If Pathfinder is there, we'll see what info we can get. In the meantime, Blaze and Glacier can ask questions around town. Normally, I'd prefer to stick together, but time is crucial. All of us will stay in contact with each other by calling at predetermined times. If someone doesn't call in, the other group will know something is wrong. If cellphones with trackers in them can be provided to us, all the better. Once we have any info regarding Natalia's location, we'll regroup and plan the extraction. Any objections?"

[phoenix]

Irons sighs & sits down again, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers & suddenly looking very tired,

\"Look - this isn't a normal kidnapping here. Based on what we know of Teragen 'philosophy' in general, & Nova Vigilance beliefs in particular, chances are they'll use Miss Masters as some kind of retribution for the wrongs they perceive Masters Incorporated as perpetrating. Making anti-Nova weapons & experimenting on Novas were both mentioned, right? My guess is they'll be dreaming-up something sick & twisted to do to her even now - if she's not suffering already...\"

OOC: Asbjørn pointed out to me that I hadn't made a point of explaining that the attackers were after Nefertiti; I thought I had explained it but I guess I was wrong.

John furrows his brow. \"What? No. Virus and Pathfinder weren't there for revenge. During our conversation outside, she tried to recruit me - I told you that - and she also told me what she was really after. She mentioned a few interesting things about Emma *meaningful pause* they were there for her.\" This last sentence is accompanied by a look icy enough to make it clear that he resents not being told about Emma's true nature..

As I said, she's telepathic, so she'll probably be aware of what you want, but I doubt she'll consider you 'enemies' - you're all one big happy Nova family, right?\" 

Do I sense a hint of bitterness in your tone? ::sly The words are on the tip of John's tongue, but he holds it back.

\"You listen to me, Irons. I was nearly killed earlier by a member of this group, trying to save another girl from the Teragen. I'm not turning my back on any innocents caught in this mess. But look at what you're asking. These people...\" He gestures at the other Novas assembled, \"are brave and committed to saving the girl. Kudos for that. But how much experience do they have for this sort of situation?\"

\"If you don't want in, say so. But we're novas, which makes us part of the suddenly very small group of people the terrorists will acknowledge for negotiation. Besides which, we've got these gentlemen backing us up.\" He gestures at Irons and anybody else he sees that doesn't seem to be there for any ostensible purpose.

He looks around at the others, staring at each person in turn, his voice changing, expressing a desire for understanding. \"Put yourself in my position. I've extended a great deal of trust already, allowing myself to be transported to this 'secure facility'. If I'm going to do this with you, you have to trust me. I can help you.\"

\"Alright, but put yourself in our position. You show up in our building during a terrorist attack, offering no name or explanation of your presence, and wearing a mask, no less, and stick around to help fight off the bad guys. Whatever, but now lives are at stake, and there's nothing you've done so far to prove yourself - no offense. Everything you've done so far could have been easily staged once it became clear that the Viruses - capital \"V\" - were toast. I'm not insinuating that you are with them, but trust goes two ways - I, for one, think it's about time that mask came off.\"

\"In the meantime, Blaze and Glacier can ask questions around town.\"

John raises his eyebrows. "Glacier? Um, I think the 'John' persona would be a little better for information-gathering, don't you?

"Do you have any ideas of where I might start?"

[Archer21]

\"She mentioned a few interesting things about Emma *meaningful pause* they were there for her.\"

Looking at him, he notes the expression on John's face before speaking. \"And why would they be after Emma?

\"Alright, but put yourself in our position. You show up in our building during a terrorist attack, offering no name or explanation of your presence, and wearing a mask, no less, and stick around to help fight off the bad guys. Whatever, but now lives are at stake, and there's nothing you've done so far to prove yourself - no offense. Everything you've done so far could have been easily staged once it became clear that the Viruses - capital \"V\" - were toast. I'm not insinuating that you are with them, but trust goes two ways - I, for one, think it's about time that mask came off.\"

Barking a short laugh, The Stranger responds. "You either have a very short attention span, or you only hear what you want to. I have already explained my presence in Mr. Fabry's home."

Sarcasm dripping from his words, he continues. "As to your other comments; yes, you're right. I've done nothing at all to prove myself. Except, of course, saving Emma from Virus and your muderous rampage and nearly getting myself killed for it."

Unfolding his arms from across his chest, he casually resumes his seat. "As for my mask coming off... I don't think so. You're welcome to try removing it."

[phoenix]

Looking over at Emma, then back at Glacier, he notes the expression on John's face before speaking. \"And why would they be after Emma?

John looks to one of the others for an explanation.

OOC: Emma isn't there.

Barking a short laugh, The Stranger responds. \"You either have a very short attention span, or you only hear what you want to. I have already explained my presence in Mr. Fabry's home.\"

Sarcasm dripping from his words, he continues. \"As to your other comments; yes, you're right. I've done nothing at all to prove myself. Except, of course, saving Emma from Virus and your muderous rampage and nearly getting myself killed for it.\"

Unfolding his arms from across his chest, he casually resumes his seat. \"As for my mask coming off... I don't think so. You're welcome to try removing it.\"

John exhales in a manner almost like a growl, twisting his lips into an animalistic grin, clenches his fists, and rises slightly from his seat. "Maybe I will.." A slight chill wafts from him, so faintly that only those next to him or with megaperception sense it.. Then he snaps out of it, shaking his head and wincing. "No. Look, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to look at this from a logical perspective, alright? So bea- stick with me here.

"I don't find it inconcievable that Nova Vigilance had planned for our defeating them. How do we know they didn't send four assassins? The fourth could have been backup in the fight, but also insurance - i.e., if something unexpected shows up, he pretends to suddenly start fighting on our side and acts as a sleeper agent? Seems Nova Vigilance would find one of those mighty handy just about now, even if it does look like they have us by the short ones. And nobody wants Emma dead, I'd bet dollars against dimes that Virus was chosen just to force her to power up or die.

"Look. This isn't an accusation. I don't know what this is. But.. why the hell won't you just take off your mask and prove me wrong? Or just give us a name we can look up! We could do a background check in a few minutes. I want to trust you. You've earned my trust. Hell, you've earned my respect, fighting the way you did." John slumps against the back of his chair. Then he looks around at the others. "What do you guys think? Am I just being a dick, and/or overlooking some huge detail?

"I.. I really don't know.."

[Ayre el KaBeer]

Disguises for at least some of us. I can handle myself, but Will needs something.

Will interupts \"That won't be a problem, I have my eufibre\".

\"What do you guys think? Am I just being a dick, and/or overlooking some huge detail?

\"I.. I really don't know..\"

Will has a genuinely apolagetic look on his face "Sorry Stranger but John has a point, if the mask stays on or we can't get some other assurance then... I don't know maybe you'll have to be left behind or at least in the (ooc:yet to be determined) backup team, it's your call" turning to the rest "John since Pathfinder tried to recruit you, maybe she won't try to bug out so quickly if you went in. However should something go wrong in there how do you think Glacier will react? As for all this disguise talk I'm not too sure we have to worry about it" after pausing to take a deep breath "We need this one guys, it's all we have to go on to get Nat back, for her sake this has to go off without a hitch".

(ooc: is Jan willing to help? she doesn't seem the type)

[Archer21]

Will interupts \"That won't be a problem, I have my eufibre\".

"I don't think you understand. When I said disguise, I meant more than just a change of clothes."

Listening to Will's concern about his identity, he frowns under the mask. "Perhaps a compromise is in order. Currently, I am unwilling to expose my identity with so many people about. Also, I have no idea if this room is under surveillance. But...if it's necessary, I am willing to reveal myself to one of you. Someone that all of you trust with your lives. I've watched all of you, and how you work as a group. So far, the one person that you all seem to respect and listen to is Derek. If he's willing, I will show him my true identity, and he can decide whether or not to vouch for my goodwill."

With a considering look at Will, he agrees about Glacier. "That's a very good idea, Will. Except for one thing. As a telepath, we have to assume that she'll be able to detect any deception on John's part. She'll know about the rest of us, and she'll know what we're there for. That reason," here he glances at Irons, "is why I assumed that it would be prudent to capture and interrogate her."

[Ayre el KaBeer]

I've watched all of you, and how you work as a group. So far, the one person that you all seem to respect and listen to is Derek. If he's willing, I will show him my true identity, and he can decide whether or not to vouch for my goodwill.\"

\"If Derek says we can trust you, then I can\".

Except for one thing. As a telepath, we have to assume that she'll be able to detect any deception on John's part. She'll know about the rest of us, and she'll know what we're there for. \"

"Right, so we don't try to decieve her. We get in, find her and do what we have to get her to return Nat, unharmed. We can't try to capture Pathfinder at the Amp Room, we'll be stepped on in a heartbeat, so that's not an option, negotiating seems like our only shot. Since that's not much of a plan does anyone else have any ideas or do we go with it?" Will looks around the room waiting for a response.

[phoenix]

Listening to Will's concern about his identity, he frowns under the mask. \"Perhaps a compromise is in order. Currently, I am unwilling to expose my identity with so many people about. Also, I have no idea if this room is under surveillance. But...if it's necessary, I am willing to reveal myself to one of you. Someone that all of you trust with your lives. I've watched all of you, and how you work as a group. So far, the one person that you all seem to respect and listen to is Derek. If he's willing, I will show him my true identity, and he can decide whether or not to vouch for my goodwill.\"

John looks relieved. \"Thank you very much. Derek's word would be fine.\"

\"John since Pathfinder tried to recruit you, maybe she won't try to bug out so quickly if you went in. However should something go wrong in there how do you think Glacier will react? As for all this disguise talk I'm not too sure we have to worry about it\"

Thoughtfully, John replies, \"Hmm.. would they let Glacier in?

\"Glacier would be fine, but if something attacked him, the bear would take over, and mow people down until either he was taken down or there weren't any people left..\" ::confused

\"I don't think it would come to that. In fact, I see no reason for more than one person to even be involved. Pathfinder's not going to 'bug out'. She'll scan the mind of the first person that shows up, then talk to them. I think. Since we're not planning to fight her, she won't have any reason to leave.\"

\"Since that's not much of a plan does anyone else have any ideas or do we go with it?\" Will looks around the room waiting for a response.

"Yeah. I say we bribe the bartender to slip some mox in her drink, then have Will drag her ass out of there and torture her until she gives a location! We already know what her demands are going to be - they want Emma, and they want Masters dead. There's not a lot of room for negotiation there."

[Ayre el KaBeer]

"They already think Masters' is dying or dead, pitty she can read minds, it would have come in handy to have them think he's dead".

(OOC: I'd like to say "Hint Hint" but I'm not sure if we could pull off the deception)

[ProfPotts]

Snapping his gaze back to Irons, he continues. \"Here are my suggestions. Disguises for at least some of us. I can handle myself, but Will needs something. Possibly disguises for the others as well, if needed. Jan would be especially useful, considering her abilities and skills as an actress. I'm loathe to put her in danger; but it's up to her. Plus, I trust her judgement for something this sensitive. Since you already have a jet ready, let me be the pilot. I can fly it, and there's no reason to risk anyone else. And please tell me the jet and flight plan are not listed under Master's company. If it is, change it. I don't want anyone to know we're coming till we're already there.\"

Still standing, he crosses his arms over his chest and lays out his plan. \"Jan, Will and myself will go to the Amp Room and ask some questions, see if we can find Pathfinder. Will, you and I will be playing bodyguard to Miss Thorne. If Pathfinder is there, we'll see what info we can get. In the meantime, Blaze and Glacier can ask questions around town. Normally, I'd prefer to stick together, but time is crucial. All of us will stay in contact with each other by calling at predetermined times. If someone doesn't call in, the other group will know something is wrong. If cellphones with trackers in them can be provided to us, all the better. Once we have any info regarding Natalia's location, we'll regroup and plan the extraction. Any objections?\"

Irons raises an eyebrow ::dontgetit ,

\"You're kidding, right? Your 'experience' may be special forces for all I know, but that's just not the way we do things around here: Miss Thorne is valuable asset to this company, & I'm sure Mr Masters wouldn't appreciate her being put in such a potentially volatile situation. We have pilots - one's with licenses & known identities. The plane & flight plan are listed under MI - as required by international law. If PathFinder is there she's going to know all about your deceptions & disguises - she's a telepath, remember? As for asking questions around Ibiza town - I doubt that PathFinder & friends hang out with the baseline clubbers or locals much, so I don't see the point.\"

\"You may enjoy playing the vigilante, Stranger, but we have a few more responsibilities.\" ::angry

John furrows his brow. \"What? No. Virus and Pathfinder weren't there for revenge. During our conversation outside, she tried to recruit me - I told you that - and she also told me what she was really after. She mentioned a few interesting things about Emma *meaningful pause* they were there for her.\"

And nobody wants Emma dead, I'd bet dollars against dimes that Virus was chosen just to force her to power up or die.

Irons looks surprised by these comments ::blink ,

\"Wait a minute... You're saying the Nazir girl is a Nova? What's her connection to all this, why do the Teragen want her? I need all the facts here to be effective...\"

Since that's not much of a plan does anyone else have any ideas or do we go with it?\"

\"We're doing what we can, naturally - the resources of MI are being brought to bare - this is just how you guys can contribute.\"

\"Yeah. I say we bribe the bartender to slip some mox in her drink, then have Will drag her ass out of there and torture her until she gives a location! We already know what her demands are going to be - they want Emma, and they want Masters dead. There's not a lot of room for negotiation there.\"

\"Er... 'telepath', remember - even bartenders have minds...\" ::sly

\"They already think Masters' is dying or dead, pitty she can read minds, it would have come in handy to have them think he's dead\".

"Damn!", comments Irons under his breathe ::angry , then goes on to explain, "We were planning on telling you just that - but since the suggestion's now been put into your minds that it'd be an effective deception, then it won't be..." ::sly

He shakes his head & mumbles, "Bloody psychics..." ::angry