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Aberrant: Quantum Zero - Quantum Zero


ProfPotts

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Street Stuff:

The guy's still terrified & nods quickly,

'Yeah, yeah, sure - anything!'

'I... I don't know his name or anything. I met him at a club - the old Blackburn Hotel up in Harlem? Novas hang out there, see - it's a really tough scene to get into, but worth it - anything & everything goes on there - & there are Novas. They even have, like, a Nova-only bar & all that. I saw Count Orzaiz there once - I swear! I had to grease a lot of palms to get in...' he casts a nervous glance towards The Ghost as he realises he's starting to ramble a bit, '... Anyway - I was in there, talking to some Novaphile girl about the Nova-related stuff we were doing in bio-chem - just trying to impress her really, you know? This guy comes over - just looks like a normal guy: well-built & good looking, I guess, but not "Nova" or anything. He says he's interested & we get talking. Later on he said he could get me into one of the private rooms upstairs - that's where all the really wild stuff happens - so I jump at the chance, right? Once we get up there it's just me & him, & I'm, like, starting to freak out. Then he changes into this sort of hideous lump of flesh thing - all pulsating tentacles & sh!t. I'm about to chuck my guts up, but he talks to me, suggests the "business" & offers samples. Long story short - I took the stuff back to the lab & we found we could whip-up some major product.'

Slither decides now might be a fun time to 'manifest' herself - Ghost has the situation under control, plus it's obvious that he's still aware of her, which was somewhat annoying.

*Like I thought I could fool him?* ::rolleyes

Shifting back into focus, she opts for a menacing combination of blue-black leather and 'stainless steel' spikes, running in rows down her arms, legs and torso. Leaning forward, she playfully runs her fingers through the punk's hair.

So...what exactly does your new toy do?

Those who know Slither are fairly sure she looks different since her little date with Mike - her prescence has a little more 'kick', though it's hard to say exactly why or how.

(OOC: Yup, H spent some xp on a bit more Mega-App ::biggrin)

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The Masters Building:

"But, er... an anti-telepath implant? And that's safe?"

Calmly taking out a pocket handkerchief & dabbing away splutter, Masters says,

'Sure. At least - it's safer than not having one...' ::sly

Doctor Chen nods,

'Each implant has been bio-engineered out of your individual cells...'

'At great expense.' Adds the old man.

'... so they'll just be another part of your bodies.'

"Uhm, no offense Mr. Masters, but I'm not a huge fan of people messing around with my head. Besides, I'm fairly certain that I can keep people like Pathfinder out of my head well enough on my own."

Masters fixes Mike with a deadpan stare,

'Oh, great, good for you. You still get an implant. This isn't optional... I did mention the bit about saving humanity, right? I'm sure I wouldn't have left out something important like that... I never pretended for a second that this would be easy, or comfortable, or safe - but some things are worth a little sacrifice. The time for second thoughts was on the other side of that vault door. We can't afford to mess about.'

Shaking his head & steepling his fingers Masters adds,

'Okay - maybe you think I made all this up? Maybe I'm just a mad old man with too much money? Maybe you think this is all a lie to ensnare you all into some sort of wider conspiracy? Maybe I want to rule the freaking world? Who knows, right? But - what if I have told you the truth? Are you willing to turn your back on the future of mankind because you're squeamish? I thought you had backbone Mike - don't prove me wrong.'

Emma, meanwhile, has stopped her tears, although her dusky features seem paler than usual. She squeezes Nates hand then speaks up in a quiet voice,

'We... we can't let more like her... like Nefertiti... hurt people. We can't...' she turns to look into Blaze's firey eyes, '... I can't let you become that, Blaze, I just can't.'

Streetdeal [for CyberPunk Fixers... ::wink ]:

As he heads towards the meeting site Link notices the car Marco had said to watch out for parked outside, empty... He's late - it had taken longer than he'd thought to get away from Andrew without raising any more suspicions. Hurrying towards the door to the small electronics shop, he pauses as he spots some movement in the shadows across the street...

Behind the shop, the hawk-eyed Stranger also spots some movement round the back of the van. Carefully taking a closer look he, at first, thinks he must have been mistaken - but then he catches it again. It's like a ripple of movement in the air, as if something camouflaged & unseen had moved against its background. Then he makes it out - a vague area of distorted light, almost impossible to see at all in the darkness - like a bubble in the air... a man-shaped bubble...

As he watches, the man-shape turns towards him & he sees glowing eyes... or, rather, some sort of advanced optics. The figure reaches up, pulling back the hood of what The Stranger realises is some form of high-tech optical cloak. Underneath the camouflage the figure sports a matt black full-helm with a vaguely medieval design, even though it, like its built-in optics, is obviously constructed from some high-tech material. Behind the figure another dozen or so Dark Templars reveal themselves...

Inside...

Everyone in the room can't help but turn their attentions on the stunning appearance of Slither. The 'asshole' even giggles stupidly as she runs her finger through his hair, quickly moving embarassed hands across his lap... ::blush

So...what exactly does your new toy do?

'Toy?' it takes him a while to focus, but then he grins at the ophidian woman & says, 'Oh - the Rush? It's sort-of a metabolic accelerator. Speeds you right up. A tab is a pretty small dose, like a hit of really, really, good speed. But the neat stuff - wow, it makes you fast. Like, honestly, Nova-fast.'

The Desert:

"RRrraaaaaugggh!"
Roar, then another leap.

[Who ever said that Terats were inarticulate monsters? ::sly ]

Glacier leaps once again at Psyche, but once again she proves to be just out of reach...

As the men attack, PathFinder reaches out a hand towards the fallen, twitching, form of Eel. A moment later a warp portal opens beneath the aquatic Terat, engulfing her, as its twin opens at PathFinder's side to deposit her away from the battle.

Once again Glacier feels gravity twisting about him, but this time it seems to, again, be raising him towards his target, Psyche. Even as he comes within reach of her, the air around her is distorted by more tortured primal forces as Terry unleashes another attack. Once again Psyche grits her teeth as her body is convulsed, a small splatter of blood choking from her lips...

... But it doesn't appear to slow her down much! At Glacier's approach she flies a further fifteen or so meters into the sky, again out of reach. As she moves she fixes Terry with a glare,

'Fine. We'll play it like that.' Her words are spat through gritted teeth. With a crushing fist gesture of her own she reaches towards the gravity controller. For a moment purple-black energy swirls around him, before tightening into a vice-like grip & slamming him bodily into the desert sands below!

With Terry wrapped in protective gravitational forces Psyche's attack does little but knock the wind out of him, leaving him spluttering in the sand - although it's enough of a distraction that he loses his grip on Glacier, who, once again, tumbles back down to Earth...

Twenty-five or so meters above the two male Novas Psyche laughs out loud,

'You're pathetic, all of you! So much for your precious "One Race" - all that evolution & you're still squirming beneath my feet!'

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Calmly taking out a pocket handkerchief & dabbing away splutter, Masters says,

'Sure. At least - it's safer than not having one...' ::sly

"Good point..." Nathan nods.

Emma, meanwhile, has stopped her tears, although her dusky features seem paler than usual. She squeezes Nates hand then speaks up in a quiet voice,

'We... we can't let more like her... like Nefertiti... hurt people. We can't...' she turns to look into Blaze's firey eyes, '... I can't let you become that, Blaze, I just can't.'

Brain implants and the boss reprimanding Mike is something Nathan can handle with a smile, but his face takes on a much more serious look as he turns to Emma. Doing his best impression of a reassuring smile he says

"I won't. I promise. Besides..."

A sly smile crosses his face as he adds

"I can't wait to see the look on Pathfinder's face when she can't read my mind..." ::sly

With a wink to Emma he turns back to Masters and Dr Chen.

"So. When are we doing this?"

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Masters fixes Mike with a deadpan stare,

'Oh, great, good for you. You still get an implant. This isn't optional... I did mention the bit about saving humanity, right? I'm sure I wouldn't have left out something important like that... I never pretended for a second that this would be easy, or comfortable, or safe - but some things are worth a little sacrifice. The time for second thoughts was on the other side of that vault door. We can't afford to mess about.'

Shaking his head & steepling his fingers Masters adds,

'Okay - maybe you think I made all this up? Maybe I'm just a mad old man with too much money? Maybe you think this is all a lie to ensnare you all into some sort of wider conspiracy? Maybe I want to rule the freaking world? Who knows, right? But - what if I have told you the truth? Are you willing to turn your back on the future of mankind because you're squeamish? I thought you had backbone Mike - don't prove me wrong.'

A look of sheer anger consumes Mike's face as he stands and starts pointing at Masters, "With the shit that I have been through in the short time I have been with this company, you have NO right to speak to me that way. Need I remind you that I was the one that found Natalia in that Teragen hideout, I was the one who got her out safely, I was the one that neutralized Glacier and Eel so your troops didn't get hurt. And I know better than anyone in this room, in this world, what she went through, what they did to her when she was down there; I see it every time I close my eyes. So you don't have the right to question my loyalties or my resolve against those monsters!"

He pauses for a moment to catch his breath, then begins round two, "And this... thing you want to stick in my head? You said that its primary purpose was to scramble telepaths reading our minds. You know that no telepath is going to get into my mind. So my question is, what else does it do that makes it so important that you put one in my head? Does it control our node, lessen our chance to become tainted, what? And has anyone thought about what a telepathic scrambler stuck in my head might do to my own...abilities? I'm sorry if I'm not the blind follower that you had hoped for."

His energy spent, Mike falls back into the sofa behind him, his hands still shaking from the adrenaline rush his anger caused.

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Behind the shop, the hawk-eyed Stranger also spots some movement round the back of the van. Carefully taking a closer look he, at first, thinks he must have been mistaken - but then he catches it again. It's like a ripple of movement in the air, as if something camouflaged & unseen had moved against its background. Then he makes it out - a vague area of distorted light, almost impossible to see at all in the darkness - like a bubble in the air... a man-shaped bubble...

As he watches, the man-shape turns towards him & he sees glowing eyes... or, rather, some sort of advanced optics. The figure reaches up, pulling back the hood of what The Stranger realises is some form of high-tech optical cloak. Underneath the camouflage the figure sports a matt black full-helm with a vaguely medieval design, even though it, like its built-in optics, is obviously constructed from some high-tech material. Behind the figure another dozen or so Dark Templars reveal themselves...

*Oh, great.* ::dry Quickly running through the little he knows of them already, he sorts his options. *Pistols likely won't penetrate their armor. Spikes, same thing. Close combat...too many. Best shot is surprise and a whole lot of noise. Frag grenades are too risky...flashbangs and concussion it is.*

Minimizing his movements, The Stranger quietly removes one of each grenade from his harness. Removing the pins and leaving them dangling on his fingers to avoid dropping them, he releases the handle on the flashbang and counts down, delaying his throw. 5, 4, 3....he tosses the grenade, arcing to try landing it in the middle of the Templars, and immediately follows it with the concussion grenade, aiming for the same spot. A subtle head movement flicks down dark lenses to shield his eyes from the glare, and he turns his head to avoid looking at the explosion directly, still counting. Two...one!

On one, The Stranger leaps from his hiding place towards the building's roof, trying to get above any return fire.

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Twenty-five or so meters above the two male Novas Psyche laughs out loud,

'You're pathetic, all of you! So much for your precious "One Race" - all that evolution & you're still squirming beneath my feet!'

Glacier will expend another WP, if necessary, to do this.

The bear is enraged at his target escaping into higher ground, when suddenly its human partner asserts his will as usual. However, for once, he's trying to help, not suppress, the bear!

A flash of humanity seems to come over Glacier as his ursine head snaps towards Terry, and a harsly guttural voice bellows the words,

"Get me up there!"

After that, Glacier continues to leap for Psyche..

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Streetdeal

Everyone in the room can't help but turn their attentions on the stunning appearance of Slither. The 'asshole' even giggles stupidly as she runs her finger through his hair, quickly moving embarassed hands across his lap... ::blush

'Toy?' it takes him a while to focus, but then he grins at the ophidian woman & says, 'Oh - the Rush? It's sort-of a metabolic accelerator. Speeds you right up. A tab is a pretty small dose, like a hit of really, really, good speed. But the neat stuff - wow, it makes you fast. Like, honestly, Nova-fast.'

Slither pouts as she starts running her leather-gloved hand down his bicep.

Ooh, that sounds like fun - any side effects to worry about? Because I would love to see a guy like you...keep up with a girl like me.

*Ah, to be a living cliche!* ::rolleyes

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... But it doesn't appear to slow her down much! At Glacier's approach she flies a further fifteen or so meters into the sky, again out of reach. As she moves she fixes Terry with a glare,

'Fine. We'll play it like that.' Her words are spat through gritted teeth. With a crushing fist gesture of her own she reaches towards the gravity controller. For a moment purple-black energy swirls around him, before tightening into a vice-like grip & slamming him bodily into the desert sands below!

With Terry wrapped in protective gravitational forces Psyche's attack does little but knock the wind out of him, leaving him spluttering in the sand - although it's enough of a distraction that he loses his grip on Glacier, who, once again, tumbles back down to Earth...

Twenty-five or so meters above the two male Novas Psyche laughs out loud,

'You're pathetic, all of you! So much for your precious "One Race" - all that evolution & you're still squirming beneath my feet!'

Terry lifts himself on a one knee

"Placing yourself on such a high pedestal can be dangerous, Psyche..."

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Link, siding with his paranoia, turns and keeps going down the street without missing a beat. Wanting to alert his team inside to the possibility of danger, Link reaches with his mind to the cell phone in his pocket so that he can quickly message Ghost a warning and not alert anyone watching.

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The Masters Building:

"So. When are we doing this?"

'Well, the sooner the better. We have a lot to...' Masters stops as Mike interupts with a few choice words of his own...

"With the shit that I have been through in the short time I have been with this company, you have NO right to speak to me that way. Need I remind you that I was the one that found Natalia in that Teragen hideout, I was the one who got her out safely, I was the one that neutralized Glacier and Eel so your troops didn't get hurt. And I know better than anyone in this room, in this world, what she went through, what they did to her when she was down there; I see it every time I close my eyes. So you don't have the right to question my loyalties or my resolve against those monsters!"

Masters remains calm, raising one half-mocking eyebrow,

'Who said anything about rights? This isn't about rights - it's about responsibilities. The Whole Human Race - okay? In my book that's serious enough for me to bruise anyone's ego, Mike - even yours.'

"And this... thing you want to stick in my head? You said that its primary purpose was to scramble telepaths reading our minds. You know that no telepath is going to get into my mind. So my question is, what else does it do that makes it so important that you put one in my head? Does it control our node, lessen our chance to become tainted, what? And has anyone thought about what a telepathic scrambler stuck in my head might do to my own...abilities? I'm sorry if I'm not the blind follower that you had hoped for."

The old man actually laughs out loud,

'Blind followers? Blind...' he cracks up ::crackmeup , but manages to calm himself again, 'In what way have I suggested that I want blind followers? Haven't I just run through the entire mad little history of this thing? Aren't I, even now, putting my life, & the lives of my family, not to mention the lives & families of all Masters International employees, into your hands? I didn't just pick you guys at random out of a line-up at The Amp Room you know - you've all proved yourselves, one way or another, over the last few weeks & months. If I wanted blind followers I could have just hired a bunch of Elites or, for that matter, chosen to not tell you anything about this. I know it's a huge disappointment, but I really aren't some big bad Bond villain here.'

The boss sighs, then shrugs,

'Mike - if you want more technical details then I'm sure the good Doctor here,' he indicates Chen, 'will be more than happy to supply them. You know I'm not the most technical guy around - I pay people to handle that stuff for me. What I do know is that we don't have time to mess about any more. Getting you guys set up has a lead-in time & the clock's ticking. The implants are needed, & you've already agreed to help. Like I said, the time for doubts has passed us all by. We need to get moving.'

Before Masters can say any more, Doctor Chen speaks up,

'Mister Masters is right - I can supply you with technical details if you wish. But in essence what he said earlier is correct - the impants are designed for secured communication & for "masking" you from various types of detection. PathFinder was just an example - there are many types of Quantum powers which can detect various types of information about you. The implants modulate your Quantum signature so that it detects differently from its usual state - as well as helping to block or confuse various types of detection abilities. The secured communication aspect is vital to the technological edge we want to give you all. The implants not only allow person-to-person communication, but are your interface with the new technologies. Your "key" if you wish - by facilitating the transfer of information between you & the various devices we have constructed & have under development.'

Urban Warfare:

Ooh, that sounds like fun - any side effects to worry about? Because I would love to see a guy like you...keep up with a girl like me.

The guy grins, then squirms, hands still over his lap, as an... um... 'intimate stain'... starts to spread across his crotch... ::blink

'Oh God...' he moans... ::blush

Out the front of the building Link walks past - unmolested - & sends his text message to Vinnie.

Meanwhile, out the back, the Templars watch as The Stranger throws his grenades. The lead Templar looks from the grenades back to The Stranger & takes another step forward. None of them seem too concerned...

... The flashbang goes off! Inside, the stained guy yells & bolts under the table, while the hippy guy throws himself onto the floor in the corner of the room. The Hispanic girl swears in Spanish & ducks behind the doorframe. Marco stands - toppling his chair as he does so - & hauls out his larger gun...

... Out the front of the shop Link is also startled by the sudden fireworks. He notices another slight movement in the shadows - then it's gone...

... Meanwhile, The Stranger reaches the small shop's roof as his second grenade detonates. Glancing back he notes that neither charge seemed to have any real effect on the Dark Templars - just swaying them slightly. They do, however, disperse behind cover in an ordered & professional manner - several of them drawing rods of inscribed black metal as they do so. Half a dozen of them reactivate their stealth cloaks - blending into the darkness once more.

The lead Templar - the one who first faced The Stranger & unveiled himself - stands out in the open watching the vigilante...

The Desert:

With a great mental effort John manages to shout out...

"Get me up there!"

As Terry digs himself from the sand...

"Placing yourself on such a high pedestal can be dangerous, Psyche..."

The T2Mer sneers down,

'You haven't encountered real danger yet, terrorist!'

With that an arc of purple energy shoots again towards Terry, dissipating before it hits him, but bringing with it agony as hot needle-like pain shoots through his skull. Even as the sudden intense pain starts to fade to a more dull, but persistant, throb, Terry feels a trickle of blood run from his nostrel...

[Terry is Wounded with Bashing damage]

Once again focusing on the gravity in the area, Terry expends the last of his energy reserves as he fights to keep the fatigue at bay...

... Whether it's the pain of Psyche's attack, his own fatigue, the threat of Pax's imminent arrival, or some combination of factors, Terry loses control. For a moment the sand around him starts to slowly rise into the air - then he himself is suddenly thrown high & spun around as gravity goes wild around him! Unable to contain the riptide forces he's unleahed, Terry is buffeted about then smashed painfully into the ground. As the wild effects fade, Terry feels heavy, drained, & generally like he's been worked over (it sorta' reminds him of vomiting until he passes out...).

[All Terry's Maintenance & Concentration powers shut off, & he's out of Quantum Points... Who said that Botches weren't fun? ::sly ]

With Terry obviously in no position to help lift him, Glacier readies himself to again attempt to leap to Psyche - now far out of his reach twenty-five or so meters above them. His leap falling way short of his mark, John - in his moment of semi-control - realises that he's not going to be able to jump that high even on his best day...

Seeing Terry's fate, PathFinder reaches out towards Psyche. A warp forms simultaneously next to the two female Novas, but Psyche nimbly flies out of the way, easily avoiding the portal. Terry feels a stream of profanity running through PathFinder's thoughts...

... quickly replaced by grim determination. Glancing over Terry sees PathFinder standing, arms outstretched, white hair blowing in the desert wind, eyes fairly glowing with bright light as she attempts to build-up her power...

Psyche sees it too - sending an arc of purple energy PathFinder's way - but the mental attack appears to do nothing to the Terat as she prepares to power max...

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Glancing back he notes that neither charge seemed to have any real effect on the Dark Templars - just swaying them slightly. They do, however, disperse behind cover in an ordered & professional manner - several of them drawing rods of inscribed black metal as they do so. Half a dozen of them reactivate their stealth cloaks - blending into the darkness once more.

The lead Templar - the one who first faced The Stranger & unveiled himself - stands out in the open watching the vigilante...

Nodding to himself, The Stranger straightens from his crouch, and addresses the leader.

"What do you want?"

Waiting for the response, his senses strain for any movement coming near his position.

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Remaining silent until this point, Derek clears his throat, attempting to break the tension (to some degree).

"Aside from the unneccessary goading of Mike, I agree with Masters. I am willing to go ahead with the surgery.

"Dr. Chen, if you could provide me a copy of the technical details, I'd be grateful."

Turning back to Masters, smiling softly:

"So, boss, what's the next step? What now?"

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Out the front of the building Link walks past - unmolested - & sends his text message to Vinnie.

Vinnie picks up the phone, glances at the display, rolls his eyes and voice activates the phone...

"Link."

As soon as he's got contact, he says

"Get your ass in here now! You're the f*ckin' primary weapon, Link!"

... The flashbang goes off!

The Ghost spins to face the back of the building, quickly moving so he can see outside. Spotting the Templar facing the building he hurriedly looks for a reason not to plug the bastard in the eye.

Inside, the stained guy yells & bolts under the table, while the hippy guy throws himself onto the floor in the corner of the room. The Hispanic girl swears in Spanish & ducks behind the doorframe. Marco stands - toppling his chair as he does so - & hauls out his larger gun...

With a glance at the other operative persons in the room, Vinnie throws his gun to the girl - unless he sees that she's already armed - saying

"Aim for the eyes."

Reaching inside his coat he produces a slim and sexy assault rifle, quickly readying it while scanning the outside for other threats and getting back on the phone with Ian.

"Link? Move it. Take out their stealth and defenses first if you can, but do it now!"

If Vinnie can't spot any reason not to plug the templar - such as a conversation taking place, explosives wired to go off he dies or other tactical considerations - he won't hesitate to put an armor-piercing bullet in his eye.

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Before Masters can say any more, Doctor Chen speaks up,

'[...]The implants not only allow person-to-person communication, but are your interface with the new technologies. Your "key" if you wish - by facilitating the transfer of information between you & the various devices we have constructed & have under development.'

At this last part, Nathan suddenly leans forward, a gleam of interest emanating from behind his shades... ::cool

After Mike gives in, he raises his hand and asks

"So, er... what kind of 'various devices' are we talking about here? Anything cool?"

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The Masters Building:

"Aside from the unneccessary goading of Mike, I agree with Masters. I am willing to go ahead with the surgery... Dr. Chen, if you could provide me a copy of the technical details, I'd be grateful."

Chen nods,

'Of course. Once you're cleared for full access - after the implantation - you'll be working with me on developing the new technologies.'

"So, boss, what's the next step? What now?"

Masters looks to Mike...

"Fine."

... then gets to his feet, rubbing his hands together,

'Right - we take the elevator to the sub-basements where we're set-up, get you guys through the medical bit, then start getting you used to the toys we have for you. I'm hoping that no-one tries to read your minds between here & there...' ::sly

"So, er... what kind of 'various devices' are we talking about here? Anything cool?"

As the group heads towards the vault door again Masters grins,

'Oh yeah. Doctor Chen wanted to go for "functional", but I much prefer "cool"!' ::wink

Once everyone's in Masters' private elevator the boss says, 'Sub-level six,' & the car heads down further than anyone thought the building went...

... When the doors slide open again it's onto a gantry running around a warehouse-sized room brimming with computer screens, hi-tech gear of various sorts, & busy Masters International personnel. Several other exits from the room lead off both the gantry & the ground level: all appear to be armoured airlock-style doors. On monitors scattered around the room can be images from all over the world - from live satallite feeds, to news feeds, to street-level images which appear to be from hand-held cameras. Dedicated operators in MI uniform jumpsuits & comm's gear headsets monitor specific screens, pass information between sections, or input data into keyboards. A large main screen opposite the elevator dominates the room & currently displays a CGI map of the world dotted with small lights each tagged with a name - quite a few of which are known Novas.

Standing at the edge of the gantry Masters spreads his arms wide,

'Welcome to the "War Room". From here we do our best to monitor the world. This will be our biggest edge in the upcoming fights - knowledge power, & information is ammunition.'

Nodding to one of the doors which leads off the gantry, Masters adds,

'You can get the fifty-cent tour later - right now Doctor Chen will take you to prep for surgery.'

Taking her cue from ther old man, the gorgeous Asian scientist leads the group through the door - which opens as she approaches, & down a corridor with more doors on either side. The corridor ends in a T-junction where large windows reveals operating theatres, & more corridors lead off - the complex under the Masters Building must be vast! Staff in green surgical gowns & white doctor's coats roam the place, all seemingly busy & intent. Derek recognises several from the (more public) MI research staff, & all seem to defer to Doctor Chen.

The Novas are shown into a couple of comfortable medical rooms where Doctor Chen administers a sedative to each one in turn - measuring out a different dose for the various different Novas. Soon enough, the world fades to black...

... Eventually the Novas start to wake up, & find that they all share a small ward which looks like it's part of the medical facility they were just in. Each feels a slight soreness at the base of his skull, & has a dry mouth, but otherwise seems fine. The Novas are clad in hospital gowns, & their own clothes don't seem to be in the room. Medical equipment at the head of each bed appears to be monitoring their vital signs, & a small table besides each bed holds a jug of fresh water & a glass. Checking the cupboard under each table reveals MI uniform shorts & vests in the right sizes for each Nova.

Facing Templars:

"Aim for the eyes."

Inside the building the Hispanic girl catches & readies the gun Vinnie throws. Her smooth & natural moves suggest that she's well drilled in such activities...

"What do you want?"

Outside the building The lead Templar glances away from The Stranger & at the back window of the shop. When he speaks his voice is electronically distorted - sounding deep, echoing, & ominous,

'We seek a trade with The Ghost. Our woman for his.'

With that the armoured figure removes a braid of blonde hair from a pouch at his waist & holds it high for all to see...

Desert Rats:

With a yell, PathFinder drops to one knee & plunges her hands deep into the sand. A moment later a five meter across warp-disc snaps open, lying flat about a meter above Psyche's head, & immediately pours forth a column of sand! As the torrent of sand engulfs Psyche she can vaguely be seen struggling within. Over by PathFinder the desert in front of her dips into a bowl...

As the rushing sand falls back to Earth it blossoms up into a cloud of particles around the column. Both Glacier & Terry quickly adapt to the sudden sand-blasted environment, their Nova-bodies keeping sand from getting into their eyes or lungs. As sand-particles pop & shatter all over his aura of cold, Glacier spots Psyche pushing herself up on hands & knees from where the sudden downpour has buried her. With one swift move he buries claws deep into the T2Mer's back. Her body shudders, blood coughing from her lips, then falls still, face down, back into the mound of sand.

A few seconds after it opened, PathFinder's portal snaps shut again. Still on one knee, hands planted & supporting her fatigued body, she looks up towards the disipating cloud of particles... Next to the slain Psyche, Glacier feels a gentle caress begin to soothe his thoughts... the bear's rage begins to fade...

Pushing herself to her feet, PathFinder wipes a sweat-drenched strand of pure white hair away from her face & calls out,

'Come on - he'll be here in seconds!'

Taking a deep breath she steadies herself, holds forth a hand, & forms another portal - this one leading back to the private bar of The Blackburn Hotel.

'Someone grab Eel - I'll pick the Viruses up later.'

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... Eventually the Novas start to wake up, & find that they all share a small ward which looks like it's part of the medical facility they were just in. Each feels a slight soreness at the base of his skull, & has a dry mouth, but otherwise seems fine. The Novas are clad in hospital gowns, & their own clothes don't seem to be in the room. Medical equipment at the head of each bed appears to be monitoring their vital signs, & a small table besides each bed holds a jug of fresh water & a glass. Checking the cupboard under each table reveals MI uniform shorts & vests in the right sizes for each Nova.

Nathan sits up, rubs his neck and looks around the room. Swinging his feet out of bed he grabs a glass of water and drains it in one gulp. Then another one. Finding the clothes laid out, he snorts a laugh

::blink

"Shorts!?! Oh, great. Masters is a distant relative of Baden-Powell, and he's remade us in his image as Nova Boy Scouts!! This has got to be a bad dream." ::dry

Regardless, he puts the short and vest on, and gets up to move around the room, checking the hallway for cute nurses and the like.

"Mike? Will? Derek? Rise and shine!!"

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Lying in his bed, Will grins at the boy scout line...

"Mike? Will? Derek? Rise and shine!!"

"I'm up, have been for a little while". Bringing himself up enough to see the shorts, he laughs shaking his head.

"Damn, who knew when I got up this morning I'd have brain surgery on my ass?" Realising what he just said Will laughs even harder wincing alittle as his headache reminds him it's still there.

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"...."

"..ow.."

Derek rises, slowly, blurrly.

"um... where's my pants."

Glances around, spotting the guys and shorts.

"ok.... where's my suit?"

Derek is clearly not a morning person, and a low stream of grumbling can be heard as he tugs on the items of clothing.

".... and this won't do at all...."

He momentarily concentrates and the shorts elongate into a pair of functional, if unimaginative, pair of full-length pants.

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"Mike? Will? Derek? Rise and shine!!"

Just stirring in her own bed, Emma blinks &, like the others, rubs the back of her neck. Managing a smile as she looks over to Nate she croaks,

'What about me?' ::smile

Frowning she pours herself a glass of water & takes a few large sips, before glancing round the room, eyes lingering, & widening slightly, as she observes the male Novas getting into their standard-issue underwear... ::blink ::blush

Swinging her long dusky legs from the bed, Emma tosses her dark hair behind her shoulder. Casting the boys a half-smile, she pulls the hospital curtain around her bed, leaving them with just a blurred silhouette to watch as she slips from her gown & pulls on the issued garments.

Nate, meanwhile, steps to the airlock-style door which, like the others in the place, opens with a hiss... & nearly walks straight into the very same cute nurse he was looking for (it's entirely possible that Masters doesn't hire any other kind... ::sly ). The nurse (a pretty blonde) blushes, but manages to keep hold of the tray she's carrying. Gently ushering Nate back into the room she follows, setting the tray to one side. On it the Novas can see five filled syringes, each with one of thier names printed on a label on the side.

'Uh...' the nurse begins, quietly addressing the room, '... welcome back. How are you all feeling? Any side effects? Pain? Vomiting? Blurred vision?'

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Just stirring in her own bed, Emma blinks &, like the others, rubs the back of her neck. Managing a smile as she looks over to Nate she croaks,

'What about me?' ::smile

Frowning she pours herself a glass of water & takes a few large sips, before glancing round the room, eyes lingering, & widening slightly, as she observes the male Novas getting into their standard-issue underwear... ::blink  ::blush

Swinging her long dusky legs from the bed, Emma tosses her dark hair behind her shoulder. Casting the boys a half-smile, she pulls the hospital curtain around her bed, leaving them with just a blurred silhouette to watch as she slips from her gown & pulls on the issued garments.

Nate, meanwhile, steps to the airlock-style door which, like the others in the place, opens with a hiss... & nearly walks straight into the very same cute nurse he was looking for (it's entirely possible that Masters doesn't hire any other kind... ::sly ). The nurse (a pretty blonde) blushes, but manages to keep hold of the tray she's carrying. Gently ushering Nate back into the room she follows, setting the tray to one side. On it the Novas can see five filled syringes, each with one of thier names printed on a label on the side.

'Uh...' the nurse begins, quietly addressing the room, '... welcome back. How are you all feeling? Any side effects? Pain? Vomiting? Blurred vision?'

Derek eyes the needles.

"Well... now that you mention it, I'm feeling a little nauseous....

"What's in the needles?"

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Just stirring in her own bed, Emma blinks &, like the others, rubs the back of her neck. Managing a smile as she looks over to Nate she croaks,

'What about me?' ::smile

Frowning she pours herself a glass of water & takes a few large sips, before glancing round the room, eyes lingering, & widening slightly, as she observes the male Novas getting into their standard-issue underwear... ::blink  ::blush

Having completely forgotten about Emma's presence Nate does his best to appear cool, calm and collected as he continues getting dressed as if the woman of his dreams wasn't watching him butt naked. Unsuccesfully, of course. And the faint light from his skin only draws attention more to him... ::blush

'Uh...' the nurse begins, quietly addressing the room, '... welcome back. How are you all feeling? Any side effects? Pain? Vomiting? Blurred vision?'

"Not really, " Nathan shrugs.

Then he frowns and looks in the nearest mirror, suddenly feigning shock and horror ::ohmy ::blink

"Oh my god!!! My eyes!! What happened to my eyes?!?!"

"No, wait... That's how they normally look. Sorry about that."

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Outside the building The lead Templar glances away from The Stranger & at the back window of the shop. When he speaks his voice is electronically distorted - sounding deep, echoing, & ominous,

'We seek a trade with The Ghost. Our woman for his.'

With that the armoured figure removes a braid of blonde hair from a pouch at his waist & holds it high for all to see...

Even behind the Ghost's featureless mask Vinnie's face remains impassive, his eyes and aim still fixed on the templar while thoughts are racing through his head.

*F*ck. F*ck!!" ::brick

Out loud he says, phone still active so Ian gets the message as well

"Hold your fire."

*Ok... Looks like I don't have much choice here... They're not about to kill the girl if they get her, so if I can't shake this f*cking Dudley Do-Right complex and forget about her I can always get her back later. Letting Fabry see me give the death sentence to a woman he just had dinner with probably won't do wonders for our future cooperation. And getting your agent killed is a bad career move, I've heard...* ::rolleyes

While he's thinking it over he moves to the door and opens it, standing framed in the doorway and facing the templar with his weapon at his side.

"I'm not making any deals with a f*cking goon. Take off your helmet and show me you're even human. Then we can talk, provided you convince me we have something to talk about."

While he's talking, his eyes focus on the braid in the templar's hand - comparing it to Ms Cable's hair - and his ears on the templar's voice, alert for any signs of lies.

[if this counts as a new scene, Lie Detector is on again]

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'Someone grab Eel - I'll pick the Viruses up later.'

Leaving Psyche's corpse in the settling dust, the huge white bear drops and begins to run on all fours to the portal as Glacier's mind returns to normalcy.

Once he gets there, his anima de-solidifies, causing the caked blood and sand that had frozen onto it to fall to the ground in powder. The now-visible human form within wastes no time in hoisting Eel's torso above his shoulder, and hurtles into the darkness of the Blackburn, with her bodily in tow.

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'We seek a trade with The Ghost. Our woman for his.'

*What? Who does Ghost have hold of that they want so badly?* Eyes narrowing behind the goggles, he studies the blond braid.

*And 'his woman'? I've only seen him with one blond, but I'm sure he's got plenty of other conquests I'll never see. Still...alright, assume for the moment it's Ms. Cable. Aside from his family, she would likely be the next most important woman to him, even if only from a business standpoint.*

"I'm not making any deals with a f*cking goon. Take off your helmet and show me you're even human. Then we can talk, provided you convince me we have something to talk about."

*Wait. What's this about being human?* The Stranger's mind races, putting together what he knows with what he's seen in the past minutes. *Their equipment and armor hide their appearance well enough. Possible they're Novas, at least some of them. Terats? Unlikely, the Teragen don't operate in hiding. But all of them move with such precision, almost like they're acting as one unit. And they didn't seem affected much by the grenades, or the surprise...even the most disciplined units don't move that calmly under fire. No orders shouted or commands given, at least not verbally. Telepathy? Controlled telepathy dictating their movements? File that as possible. But that limits the likelihood of them being Novas, and doesn't explain Vinnie's demand.*

He blinks. *Robots? That would make the puzzle pieces come together...*

Letting his brain work in the background, he studies the Templars that are visible, including the leader. Switching through his goggles view-modes, he looks for anything unusual; heat signatures that don't match, for example.

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'We seek a trade with The Ghost. Our woman for his.'

*What the f@ck...*

Not knowing exactly what is going on, but not wanting to put Ghost's mysterious 'woman' in jeopardy, Slither finds a wall and blends with it, her eufiber shifting into a basic ninja suit.

(Chromatophores activated)

She creeps towards the door, but stops just short of it.

*They might have other senses going, so moving into the street might be seen as a threat. Wait for the key players to make their next moves before coming off the sidelines.*

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Terry gapes in awe at what Pathfinder just accomplished...such a marvelous feat!

"Pathfinder..." ::wub

Pushing herself to her feet, PathFinder wipes a sweat-drenched strand of pure white hair away from her face & calls out,

'Come on - he'll be here in seconds!'

Taking a deep breath she steadies herself, holds forth a hand, & forms another portal - this one leading back to the private bar of The Blackburn Hotel.

'Someone grab Eel - I'll pick the Viruses up later.'

Terry nods drowsily as sweat drips down his temples and the sheen of his black uniform dims somewhat (uses stored quantum points in EUfiber). Terry rises in the air and soars towards Pathfinder and the portal, quickly zipping through and waiting for the others to pass through!

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The last one to wake up, Mike slowly rolls over to his side, then slowly swings a leg over the side of the bed and, once he's tested his balance, stands. Noticing the pitcher of water on the table makes him realize how thirsy he is, so he grabs it and begins drinking, ignoring the glasses next to it.

Finished, he looks around and notices the others putting on clothes. Rummaging around in the drawers, he finds his and begins getting dressed and the cute nurse makes her way in.

'Uh...' the nurse begins, quietly addressing the room, '... welcome back. How are you all feeling? Any side effects? Pain? Vomiting? Blurred vision?'

"Well, I've got a bit of a headache, but other than that I guess I'm ok."

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Masters' Secret Underground Base (for peaceful purposes only, not to be used for trying to take over the world ::sly ):

"Well... now that you mention it, I'm feeling a little nauseous... What's in the needles?"

The nurse quotes a string of complex chemical details - which Derek understands but which mean nothing to the others, then she adds,

'... It's a stabilising agent, to help you through the implantation process. We've been giving these to each of you on the hour for the past three days. Now you're awake you shouldn't need any more.'

"Oh my god!!! My eyes!! What happened to my eyes?!?!.. No, wait... That's how they normally look. Sorry about that."

For a moment Emma gasps... then giggles as she realises Nates joke ::smile . The nurse just raises an eyebrow, but does smile. She then proceeds to make a round of the Novas - checking their medical readouts, as well as giving them a basic clinical once-over. Once finished she announces,

'You all seem to be fine. If you'll wait here I'll inform Doctor Chen that you're up & about. Would you like me to have some food sent down?' She glances at the unused syringes, 'That stuff helps, but I'm sure you'd all prefer a proper meal now. Mister Masters' chefs are excellent, I'm sure you can order anything you'd like.'

Hostage Negotiations:

"I'm not making any deals with a f*cking goon. Take off your helmet and show me you're even human. Then we can talk, provided you convince me we have something to talk about."

The Templar's artifical eyes stare red at The Ghost. With a flick of the wrist it tosses the blonde braid to land at the Elite's feet...

'Zanzibar Theatre, one hour. After that, she replaces what you took from us.'

On the roof The Stranger finds out that the Templar's stealth capabilities don't appear confined to their cloaks - their armour seems to dampen or disipate any tell-tale heat signatures (if they even have any to start with...), & proves impossible to ping with a laser-distancer. Even the sounds they make appear to be somehow dampened.

Mind racing the Nova vigilante quickly calculates that everything he's witnessed would be, theoretically, possible with the current level of cutting-edge technology in the world. He just finds it hard to conceive of any government or military group which would be prepared to shell out the, frankly, insane amount of money it would cost to equip what are essentially infantry in such a sophisticated manner. On the other hand, very few people other than government or military groups would have access to such levels of technology.

He also surmises that, if they are robots, then they are vastly beyond any technological capabilities he's heard of in the modern world.

As for their level of co-ordination, the idea of military training & a closed-channel sub-vocal radio link springs into his mind as an alternate to telepathy or a hive-mind... He also recalls that he didn't really surprise them with his attack - as they were looking at him when he pulled & threw his grenades. Advanced body armour could brush aside the concusion grenade's force, & sound & light dampners could easily cope with the flash-bang.

Inside the shop's back room the Hispanic girl frowns & says quietly,

'The Zanzibar Theatre has been abandoned for years - an old movie place a few blocks from here...' glancing up at The Ghost she adds, with a slight tremor in her voice, '... I could take you there if you want...'

Marco snorts & shakes his head,

'That is so a set-up, Ghost. In any case, when did you start to be the type to lose your dames?' ::sly

Incoming...:

As Glacier & Terry race for the open warp a quick glance skywards reveals the clouds high above the desert part in a circle - as if an incredible force had just burst through them. A white jetstream traces in an arc downwards & towards them, followed by a plume of sand leaping from the dunes in a line moving almost faster than they can register...

... & they're through. PathFinder's portal snaps shut the instant she dives through, collapsing on the floor in a sweat-soaked, sand-covered heap. In Glacier's arms Eel stirs - for a moment struggling, her electrical aura crackling into full glory - then realising where they are & calming down. Instead she twists in John's arms to give him a hug, her long tail coiling up to wrap around him as well,

'Welcome home stud!' she grins & winks at the man in her arms, then plants a wild passionate kiss on his lips!

Just to the side of where the group tumbled through Count Orzaiz, again settled into a leather armchair, a glass of the finest brandy cupped between his fingers, moves his tailored Italian leather shoes back slightly, away from the influx of desert which came with the Terats. Raising one eyebrow he takes a sip of his drink, then calmly inquires,

'A success I take it?' ::sly

At that point a Virus walks into the bar - from the direction of the private rooms. The hairless & genderless figure spends a moment taking in the scene, notes the lack of other Viruses, throws its hands up in exacerbation, & storms out again, swearing in Spanish about Viruses not being expendable, why can't anyone get that into their thick heads, & that one of those other Viruses owed it five bucks... ::cursing

The Count glances after the creature & smiles smoothly,

'Ah - evolution comes to each of us in such different ways...'

On the ceiling the insectile girl, Emelia, scuttles away from Glacier & Eel - as their respective damaging auras start to make a mess of the furnishings...

PathFinder's still laying on her back, recovering from the great efforts they each made, when the holographic figure of Synapse once again flickers into being - seated in a holographic chair next to the Count. He grins a rather childlike grin & asks,

'So how'd it go guys? I lost satallite images just after you got there, but by the looks of you it was some fight!' ::biggrin

Desert Aftermath...:

A muscular blue-white-gold clad figure slams into the dunes, sending a wave of sand bursting out in a wide radius. The bald figure left standing in the newly formed crater is untouched by any loose sand, even when, a second later, his trailing sonic-boom & accompanying wall of sand washes over the area. A bubble of raw kinetic energy expands outwards from the figure, clearing the air in an instant as he rises a few meters & slowly turns. When he speaks Caestus Pax's voice is like the hammer of God... or the closing of the darkest tomb...

'Well?'

The tattooed female figure looks fragile in comparison as she drifts under her own power to hover next to the great man. She flips her long purple hair over one shoulder as a sly smile crosses her lips,

'It went just as planned - you're timing was perfect, as usual.'

Pax looks at Psyche, his face a stern mask like chiseled granite,

'Of course. You're sure he doesn't remember?'

Psyche raises an eyebrow,

'Come now, Pax, remember who you're taking to. You're good at your job, I'm a true artist at mine.'

The big man nods, just barely,

'They didn't suspect?'

Psyche shrugs,

'I gave them a pretty good workout - I imagine they think they triumphed over incredible odds. Their lot are melodramatic like that sometimes.' ::sly

Pax misses, or chooses to ignore, his teammate's thinly veiled comment. Instead he starts to rise higher into the air,

'We'll see. Time to get back - I've got that children's hospital thing in ten minutes.'

Psyche watches the demi-god for a moment, then sighs & flies after him. He was right about one thing though - time would tell how successful they'd really been...

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'Welcome home stud!' she grins & winks at the man in her arms, then plants a wild passionate kiss on his lips!

Glacier laughs. ::laugh

"What was that little zap for just a minute ago? I guess you figured I was actually Team Tomorrow's killer ice bear, needed to put me down.."

His anima darkens for a moment (in the interests of modesty) as he cuts off his teasing and returns the kiss affectionately. After a moment (or two ::wub ) they separate, and Glacier pulls himself to his feet, and looks around at his rescuers more soberly.

"My God, you guys.. I have no idea how to thank you for this. How the hell did you even find me? Where are we?"

He looks around, then gives a yelp of horror as he sees what he's doing to the furniture. Facing Count Orzaiz and starting to dorm' down, he apologizes lamely.

"Um.. I'm sorry, sir.." ::blushing

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PathFinder's still laying on her back, recovering from the great efforts they each made

Terry zips down towards Pathfinder, gathering her up in his arms and holding her close. His dark orbs searched her white eyes as his thoughts congratulatied her and thankied her for her efforts and apologized for his own failings..

Just to the side of where the group tumbled through Count Orzaiz, again settled into a leather armchair, a glass of the finest brandy cupped between his fingers, moves his tailored Italian leather shoes back slightly, away from the influx of desert which came with the Terats. Raising one eyebrow he takes a sip of his drink, then calmly inquires,

'A success I take it?' 

when the holographic figure of Synapse once again flickers into being - seated in a holographic chair next to the Count. He grins a rather childlike grin & asks,

'So how'd it go guys? I lost satallite images just after you got there, but by the looks of you it was some fight!'

Stroking pathfinder's caked hair, Terry nods grimly and his voice voice rumbles gently

"It was difficult..."

Standing up with Pathfinder in his arms Terry eyes the novas around him

"We're going to rest a bit. Take care of Glacier.."

He looks at John

"I'll come and answer your questions later John. I'm glad you're okay."

Terry walks to an elevator and heads to Pathfinder's room, holding her close and collapsing on her bed once he arrives.

*I almost killed you...* ::sad ::unsure

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'You all seem to be fine. If you'll wait here I'll inform Doctor Chen that you're up & about. Would you like me to have some food sent down?' She glances at the unused syringes, 'That stuff helps, but I'm sure you'd all prefer a proper meal now. Mister Masters' chefs are excellent, I'm sure you can order anything you'd like.'

"I could kill for a pizza. No, two. Two large Sicilians from Joe's, with extra cheese. And a sixpack of cokes. And a smoke...?"

He glances around the room and adds

"And sexy as these shorts may be, I really would prefer having my own clothes back."

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The nurse quotes a string of complex chemical details - which Derek understands but which mean nothing to the others, then she adds,

'... It's a stabilising agent, to help you through the implantation process. We've been giving these to each of you on the hour for the past three days. Now you're awake you shouldn't need any more.'

Derek smiles, and nods.

'You all seem to be fine. If you'll wait here I'll inform Doctor Chen that you're up & about. Would you like me to have some food sent down?' She glances at the unused syringes, 'That stuff helps, but I'm sure you'd all prefer a proper meal now. Mister Masters' chefs are excellent, I'm sure you can order anything you'd like.

Derek involuntary rubs his stomach.

"mmm..... Food....

"Um.... Well, if you're taking the orders..." ::biggrin

"I'll have some lamb, and some chicken, with the chefs' choice on how they prepare it. I'll trust in their expertise." ::wink

"And I second Nathan's query: could I have my eufibre back?"

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::huh "We've been out for 3 days?" suprised at the notion, since errupting Will has found he has been needing to sleep less and less (though he sure does love his naps ::wink ).

"mmm..... Food....

"Um.... Well, if you're taking the orders..."

::blink Though hungry, Will realises he's nowhere near as famished as he probably should be for someone who's been unconscious for 3 days, especially with the huge amount of food he's been going through since novahood...

"...must be the drip..." He mumbles to himself.

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The Blackburn Hotel:

"What was that little zap for just a minute ago? I guess you figured I was actually Team Tomorrow's killer ice bear, needed to put me down.."

Eel grins & squirms slightly in Glacier's arms,

'Hey - if a "little zap" like that could put you down, I wouldn't be interested in you...' ::wink

"My God, you guys.. I have no idea how to thank you for this. How the hell did you even find me? Where are we?.. Um.. I'm sorry, sir.."

Eel moves up besides John, slipping an arm around his shoulders & holding him fondly. Once he's Dormed-down even the constant small electrical arcs which dance over her body jolt John quite painfully, a savage contrast to when he's the bear & can take her fully-charged field in his stride. Despite his own rugged strength, even when Dormed, her light hold also feels like the grip of a vice. Still, it's nothing the unflagging young man can't endure...

In answer to John's questions the Count smiles & says,

'Synapse here found you via one of Utopia's own satallites,' he indicates the holographic young man next to him, who winks at John as Orzaiz continues, 'we're in The Blackburn - a hotel & nightclub located in the Harlem district of New York City. It's a safe place for those who follow the philosophies of Teras... Or the "Teragen" as we're more commonly known. As for the damage,' he waves casually behind John & Eel where both ice & high voltage have done their bit to damage the carpets, bar, & nearby tables & chairs, 'spare it no more thought. I'm close friends with the owner, & besides, I'll happily pay for any damage you cause while you're a guest here. Money is, after all, only a tool. People are important, John, people like you.'

Taking a sip of brandy the Count appears to be assessing the young man before him for a moment, then asks,

'Which do you prefer by the way? "John" or "Glacier"? I know that some of us, like the lady,' he nods to Eel, 'prefer to distance themselves from their more mundane roots.'

'And some of us,' retorts Eel, 'revel in them, right Count?' ::sly

Orzaiz's charming smile remains as he replies, saluting Eel with his glass,

'Touché my dear - but I prefer to not express my personal evolution in terms of simplistic labels.'

Before Eel can react Orzaiz smoothly turns to John & adds,

'You'll find that sort of difference of opinion occuring a great deal within our movement. The path of evolution, of Teras, is an individual one, & we encourage individuality. We don't expect blind conformity like Project Utopia or that inert you had dealings with: Masters. However, although we all walk our seperate paths, we do so in the same direction - towards evolution, towards the future. We don't really consider ourselves a faction in the conventional sense, but rather a meeting of minds with a shared philosophy. Those who try to define us by simplistic baseline political or even social standards are, naturally, missing the point.'

Eel sighs,

'Orzaiz, do you ever grow tired of the sound of your own voice?'

The Count smiles,

'Ah yes... I have been told that I ramble on occasion...' placing his glass on a small side table, the charming Nova stands, shaking John's hand, & says, 'We can talk again later. For now - make yourself at home, enjoy yourself. The staff here should be able to fulfill most requests you have of them... & I'm sure that the good lady here will be more than willing to see that you're comfortable...'

Eel gives John & little squeeze & grins ::biggrin ,

'Well, maybe not too comfortable...' ::sly

Steering John out of the private bar & down the corridor to the (even more) private rooms Eel says quietly,

'He goes on a lot... & always gives me that "used car salesman" vibe, you know? Like you just know he's got the better of you... But Orzaiz is a good guy, & what he was saying about Teras... It is kind of important...'

Pausing part-way along the corridor the aquatic Terat places a webbed hand on each of John's shoulders & looks into his eyes,

'I've seen you fly off the handle, Glacier. You've got a primal rage in you. That's a good thing really, but you need to learn to accept it - not to struggle against it. If you study Teras you may be able to tame that rage, Glacier - not suppress it, but evolve to the point where it's a natural part of who you are, not the monster within which you're scared of. All Novas are evolved in physical terms, but Teras helps us to evolve our minds & spirits to match pace with what's happened to our bodies.'

She lets go of John's shoulders, smiles ::smile , & shrugs,

'It all sounds pretty heavy, I know, but it's really just a change in lifestyle - instead of living as a mutant baseline, you live as a true Nova. I really think it could help you out, Glacier. There's some practical philosophy & meditation & stuff to learn, & we have tutors who can guide you through the first steps, but ultimately it's an individual journey of self-discovery.'

Her smile splits into a grin ::biggrin ,

'Besides - who do you think knows more about the dark side of being a Nova: us or Team Tomorrow?'

Elsewhere in the hotel...

*I almost killed you...*

Collapsed & snuggled next to Terry on the bed, PathFinder's thoughts caress his mind,

*Of course not... She tried to kill me - you were a victim. For all the Tomorrowite's pretense of higher morality, she happily violated you, Glacier, & Eel in the most invasive manner possible without a second thought. Of all of them, she disgusted me the most. She used her powers to play with the thoughts of others - to move them around, to obfuscate, to edit - she was the antithesis of truth. Her existence was defined by her deceptions. She was truly evil.*

Stealing a weary kiss she adds,

*You were magnificent! You saved Glacier, you defended us all. She erupted almost ten years before you did, yet you fought her to a standstill. Glacier may have finished her - but he couldn't have done it without you.*

She smiles,

*See what we can accomplish when we work together against the puppets of the baselines? Glacier has a future - he was worth saving, Psyche had long ago chosen to become traitor to her race. Today was a great victory Terry.*

Stamina returning, the pale Terat slips from the bed & starts to peel off her sand-encrusted clothes as she heads towards the shower. Glancing back to Terry her smile matches her thoughts...

*Want to come celebrate?* ::devil

Masters' Underground Lair ('lair' has such undeserved 'evil' connotations, don't you think? ::sly ):

"I could kill for a pizza. No, two. Two large Sicilians from Joe's, with extra cheese. And a sixpack of cokes. And a smoke...?.. And sexy as these shorts may be, I really would prefer having my own clothes back."
"mmm... Food... Um... Well, if you're taking the orders... I'll have some lamb, and some chicken, with the chefs' choice on how they prepare it. I'll trust in their expertise... And I second Nathan's query: could I have my eufibre back?"

The nurse shrugs,

'Sorry - the clothes were a "security" issue - not really my department. I think you'll get them back when you leave the facility.'

Then she smiles,

'But I'll get them to send the food down, & Doctor Chen should be along any moment.'

The nurse exits &, sure enough, a while later two men in MI uniform jumpsuits enter pushing catering carts ladened with food - the ordered pizzas & Coke, plus a variety of mouth-watering chicken dishes in styles ranging from Southern Fried to fancy French, & a whole selection of other foods & beverages as well. No cigarettes though...

Emma starts on the food - taking polite small portions, but soon just digging in as she realises how hungry she is.

When everyone's had their fill, Doctor Chen enters to room. The gorgeous Asian woman is clothed in a short black dress & black suede high heels which draw the eye to her, frankly, incredible legs, but also has a rather battered-looking white lab coat casually worn over the top. She doesn't appear to really notice how amazing she looks, but just gets right down to business,

'The implantations all went perfectly. We confiscated your clothes for security purposes - you'll get them back when you return to your more conventional lives.' She doesn't appear to notice the irony of refering to the life of a Nova as 'conventional' either...

'We need to go to great lengths to conceal your identities in your new roles, & to protect Mister Masters & the company from exposure as well. If you'd all follow me, I'll show you one of the major ways we'll be doing that.'

Turning on her heel she strides off, leading the Novas to another part of the facility. Everywhere the security seems as tight as possible, but the Novas are let through without incident. As they walk Chen says,

'Our implants identify us to the facility security systems. Even if, for example, a shapeshifter were to copy one of us, they'd be detected long before they got this deep into the place.'

Finally she leads the group through an extra-thick security door, & a true airlock, into some sort of storage room. Along the walls are several clear plastic tubes, each containing what appears to be a full-body suit & hood of dark, leathery, material with sculpted muscles, suspended in a clear fluid.

'These,' Chen announces, 'are what we call "Bio-suits". They're lab-grown from tissue samples taken from each of you & genetically altered. As you can guess a complex & expensive procedure. Also totally in violation of Utopia's science & technology regulations. But these are mere details.'

Walking over to one of the tubes she continues,

'Look closely & you'll see that the suit resembles a leather skin over a musclular base layer. That observation is, essentially, correct. Each suit is individually tailored to one of you & will work in harmony with your own bodies. The internal musculature is laced with MR coils just like your own, through which your Quantum powers can be channeled, & your personal energies stored - in a manner not dissimilar to natural eufiber. These tubes contain a nutrient fluid, but once you've donned the suits they'll remain as healthy as you do. They'll heal damage as you heal, for example.'

'The primary function of these suits is to conceal who you are. Obviously they cover your entire body, but they also, in conjunction with your implants, subtly alter your distinctive Quantum signatures. Don't be alarmed if, when wearing the suits, your powers appear to manifest in a slightly different manner than normal - a different colour for example. That's just the alteration of your Quantum signature, & won't effect how your powers function.'

'Structurally the suits are quite tough - equivalent to the best advanced body armours manufactured by companies like MI or QuanTech. The leathery exterior is flexible enough so as not to restrict movement, but forms a hardened carapace where needed. Again, synchronised with your bodies & Quantum signatures, the suits will feel like a second skin. Any personal protective talents you have will also cover the suit. In addition they act as environmental suits - in theory you could live in one pretty much anywhere for as long as you like - say the vacuum of space, or the bottom of the ocean. In practice we suspect that harsher environments will cause the suit to draw energy from you to maintain integrity. You won't need to worry about that unless you get a mission to, say, the surface of the Sun or something.'

'Although the hood is externally featureless, you will be able to perceive normally from within as if you weren't wearing it. We have projects in development to add to the suits' perception capabilities, but they're yet to be completed.'

'While wearing the suits you'll be able to communicate with each other, & us here, via your implants - no need for verbalised speech.'

'The suits' musculature will boost your physical capabilites slightly, but not beyond the normal human range. Those of you with heightened physical talents may not notice much difference, but even a little can help.'

'As well as the sensory additions we have in development, there are several weaponry projects based on your individual talents, but again, these are yet to be completed.'

'The outer skin of the suits has a layer of chromatophores imbedded into it - so you'll be able to alter the suits' colours & patterns for stealth purposes. They also render you difficult to detect by various conventional & Quantum powered means.'

Pausing for a moment Doctor Chen looks over the group to make sure they're keeping up, then adds,

'Naturally all this will take some getting used to. Although tailored to your individual needs, you will need to train & practice in the use of these suits - like learning to walk for the first time. They are, in essence, extensions of you - & like any normal part of the body they need to be conditioned & developed. That's what you'll all be doing for the next few days... or weeks...'

Almost as an afterthought the good Doctor adds,

'Oh yes - you can, of course, take the suits off - we'll need you to maintain your more public identities as well.'

[The Novas can now train in a new super-dooper-custom Ability called 'Biosuit'. The rating in this Ability will determine how many QP they can store in their biosuit, how well the suit's stealth abilities work, how much it boosts their physical Attributes, etc.. The suit's Soak bonus is a flat +6 Vs Bashing & Lethal though.]

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"Excuse me Dr. Chen, would I wear my eufibre over this armour, or under so I don't spoil the disguise?"

The good Doctor turns to young William, casting a glance up & down his body, & replies,

'You need to be nude under the suits for them to function. You also can't wear your eufiber over the top - the suits alter your Quantum signature so you'd need to re-attune the eufiber each time, but beyond that there are security implications: "real" eufibre is very rare, & several groups actually track all of it - who owns & wears it, that sort of thing - even with the substance's polymorphic qualities it would be noted & investigated; more importantly we've confirmed that all Buendia secreted eufiber is still linked to Anibál Buendia himself in some manner. Eufiber's Quantum-mimetic qualities are actually highly disturbing, if scientifically curious. The substance copies the Qauntum signature of its "host", yet is still fundamentally linked to Buendia himself. The fashion designer may not even be aware of the implications, but there's every chance that he possesses a certain level of immunity to the powers of each & every Nova wearing his secretions. Beyond that, our studies also confirm that, in an increasing number of cases, eufiber is moving from a symbiotic relationship with its host to a parasitic one. That would, in turn, suggest that Buendia may have some measure of control over those Novas who use eufiber.'

With a shrug she adds,

'Projecting into the future it's quite possible that, if the Taint threshold is reached, all those Novas who use eufiber could have their Quantum signatures merged into some sort of vast colony form - it's doubtful that Buendia would have the strength of mind to control such a colony, but the eufiber itself could form a consciousness out of the fractured remnants of the minds of all the eufiber-clad Novas & its own basic instinctual urges. Needless to say, such a colony would be the greatest single - if that's the correct term - threat that humanity had ever faced.'

Doctor Chen shrugs again & concludes,

'Speculation for the most part, but worrying enough that we won't be letting you wear eufiber on missions or in this facility.'

Turning to Derek she says,

'Your own creation, Interface, may be another matter, but we're still looking into the exact reactions which may occur between the Biosuit & your "outfit". We may not have a final conclusion until we apply some practical testing.'

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Stealing a weary kiss she adds,

*You were magnificent! You saved Glacier, you defended us all. She erupted almost ten years before you did, yet you fought her to a standstill. Glacier may have finished her - but he couldn't have done it without you.*

*You were magnificent...I tried and failed. I thought I mastered my abilitities but I realize now that I still have much to learn. I was trying for something I new I should be able to do...but it backlashed. It worked against me, drained me and left me helpless...*

She smiles,

*See what we can accomplish when we work together against the puppets of the baselines? Glacier has a future - he was worth saving, Psyche had long ago chosen to become traitor to her race. Today was a great victory Terry.*

Terry nods slowly

*But she shouldn't have died...I never wanted to kill anyone until she'd done what she did. Even so, that wasn't me...*

Stamina returning, the pale Terat slips from the bed & starts to peel off her sand-encrusted clothes as she heads towards the shower. Glancing back to Terry her smile matches her thoughts...

*Want to come celebrate?* 

Terry smiles

*Well...you certainly know how to cheer me up!* ::wink

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