Aberrant: Quantum Zero - Quantum Zero

[ProfPotts]

Under the Sea:

Swimming at an impressive pace Glacier just manages to slip through Terry's gravity-twisting door in the space-time continuum before reality takes offense & pops everything back to the way it should be, closing the warp... :warp:

"Masters Incorporated again, huh Terry? Man, what doesn't he own?"

Terry rises into the air, in total disregard for the laws of physics which bind lesser beings to the ground, & floats majestically down the curving corridor. Glacier glances at the signage but, apart from the MIA logo, can't make heads-nor-tails of all the Japanese lettering ::confused - although it does seem to him that Terry knows where he's going (either that or he's just really good at bluffing... ::wink ). The usual layer of ice rapidly forms under Glacier's feet, spreading up the walls & across the small, thick, viewports to the ocean outside (where John catches a glimpse of Eel getting Medieval on the hardware outside ::getsome ...) although the undersea structure seems to have been constructed out of pretty sturdy stuff - sturdy enough not to crack under the hyperchill of Glacier's anima in any case.

Following the curve of the corridor Terry soon reaches a heavy sealed door (or 'bulkhead' if you prefer) marked 'Engineering' (again in Japanese): through the thick Vitrium©™® viewport (he can tell it's Vitrium©™® 'cos there's a little logo etched in the corner... ::huh ) he can see a largish room which appears to contain half a dozen of the latest high-tech manta-ray inspired one-man submersibles - most are suspended on mechanised racking, one is partially dismantled & surrounded by toolboxes & diagnostic gear, & another is floating in a large 'pool' in the centre of the room which (presumably) grants access to the ocean beyond. The rest of the room around the pool contains seperate little work areas, each arranged with various hi-tech looking gear, tools, & the like. Several other sealable doors (like the sorts in ships or submarines) appear to lead off from the main room.

Inside 'Engineering' Terry can make out five people - each one Japanese & wearing a uniform light blue jumpsuit. Two middle-aged men are, rather frantically, checking readings on scientific looking electronic doohickies, & shouting a lot in an excited manner. A third, slightly younger, man seems to be operating a big robotic arm which he moves into position to take the one-man sub out of the water, while a young woman unseals the front of sub & helps the pilot, a youthful & athletic looking man, climb out. Everyone appears to be quite concerned with the blaring alarms & emergency lighting...

Golden Boy:

*Hang on... Weren't these suits supposed to be telepathic or something..? Emma.. you there...?*

Suddenly Nathan feels / hears Emma's voice inside his head, although she sounds rather nervous...

*Nate? Is... is that you? This feel so strange...*

"Japan, sir..?"

Reaching the level of the booth Blaze sees Masters nod & reach for the microphone...

... Then Blaze's vision is burnt out by a blanket of pure white light, he feels the heat of the Sun trying to roast the flesh from his bones, his nostrels fill with the scent of desert air, & he hears Emma screaming in his brain for someone to save her...

::ohmy

::scared

...

...

...

::blink

... Blinking his eyes open Nathan discovers, to his shock, that he's not in Kansas (or Masters' lair) any more... ::unsure The first thing he sees is a stone ceiling, painted in an incredible scene depicting what appears to be ancient Egyptian royalty hunting crocodiles on the Nile. Pushing himself up he discovers that he's nude, & lying on a bed consisting mostly of a huge number of silk cushions. At his first breath aromas of incense fill his lungs, mingled with more distant scents of animals, straw, & fresh water. Glancing about Nathan sees that he's in a large stone room, the walls, like the ceiling, covered in ornate paintings of an Egyptian motiff. Bright sunlight streams in through one side of the room - most of which is a open to what looks like a large balcony. The only other entrance to the room is a single carved wooden door opposite the bed.

As he gazes around, trying to get his head in some sort of order, Nathan notices a lithe black cat pacing imperiously across the floor of the room. A ragged cry draws his attention back towards the balcony, where he sees a majestic hawk perched, its leg trailing a jesse, its eyes fixing him with an all-too-knowing look... Sounds drift up to the balcony from below - sounds similar to a bustling marketplace, all conversations & calls mixed together until they're a single continuous background buzz.

Suddenly the door to the room bursts open - the cat shrieks a meow & leaps away, whilst the hawk just briefly flaps its wings before settling once more to stare at Nathan. Into the room runs a dark-skinned girl, maybe thirteen to fifteen years old Nathan would estimate, dressed in a flowing dress of white linen. Her black hair is cut to just above her bare shoulders, & ornate dark eye makeup surrounds her black eyes. Around her neck is wide pectoral-style necklace of gold & deep blue lapis lazuli. Rushing through the room the girl steps onto the blancony, stopping in front of the hawk with her hands on her hips,

'Horus,' she declares with an annoyed tone, 'why did you run away like that? You know we're not supposed to be in here... if the priests catch us they'll have me whipped!'

Finally noticing the hawk's gaze the girl frowns slightly,

'What are you looking at, you silly bird?' she asks, 'There's nothing in here except that old statue...' turning to follow the raptor's stare as she speaks the girl's words catch in her throat as she spots Blaze. Eyes wide she seems at first frozen ::blink , then drops to her hands & knees & places her forehead on the stone floor,

'I beg forgiveness, Great One,' she gabbles in obvious terror ::scared , 'I knew not that you had awoken from your long slumber!'

At first he misses it, but after a few moments Nate realises both that the girl isn't speaking English, & that he can understand her perfectly never-the-less... ::confused

[ezekiel]

Under the Sea:

Following the curve of the corridor Terry soon reaches a heavy sealed door (or 'bulkhead' if you prefer) marked 'Engineering' (again in Japanese): through the thick Vitrium©™® viewport (he can tell it's Vitrium©™® 'cos there's a little logo etched in the corner... ::huh ) he can see a largish room which appears to contain half a dozen of the latest high-tech manta-ray inspired one-man submersibles - most are suspended on mechanised racking, one is partially dismantled & surrounded by toolboxes & diagnostic gear, & another is floating in a large 'pool' in the centre of the room which (presumably) grants access to the ocean beyond. The rest of the room around the pool contains seperate little work areas, each arranged with various hi-tech looking gear, tools, & the like. Several other sealable doors (like the sorts in ships or submarines) appear to lead off from the main room.

Inside 'Engineering' Terry can make out five people - each one Japanese & wearing a uniform light blue jumpsuit. Two middle-aged men are, rather frantically, checking readings on scientific looking electronic doohickies, & shouting a lot in an excited manner. A third, slightly younger, man seems to be operating a big robotic arm which he moves into position to take the one-man sub out of the water, while a young woman unseals the front of sub & helps the pilot, a youthful & athletic looking man, climb out. Everyone appears to be quite concerned with the blaring alarms & emergency lighting...

The wheel on the bulkhead turns and the door opens for the floating nova...As he flies in the people in "Engineering" freeze in their places, struggling against the Nova's gravitic forces. The alarm speaker in the room pulls off of its hinges as the nova fixes them with his black orbs in the now somewhat calmer surroundings. His baritone voice reverberates against the walls as he addresses the engineering crew in Japanese.

"Too long has humankind acted without conscience in what they've considered to be international waters. While nations may enact laws to protect their own human determined territories, corporations such as this one violate the earth where human law cannot reach them."

Terry pauses for a second, letting it all sink in.

"Perhaps human law can't...but Greenwar will. This station is going to sink...I apologize for surprising you like this and holding you fast with my powers but I do not want you to die. You are scientists, pilots, honest workers...You did not decide to create this abomination...I am here to ensure that you live despite Greenwar's wish to stop this so-called 'research' of yours. I can take you all back to Tokyo or your ship above...I do not want to leave anyone behind...but to do that I need to you to help me. We need to assemble everyone so that I can take you home before Greenwar destroys the station and drowns you all...I need you to call the others and tell them to come to engineering to evacuate...I need you to tell me where anyone may be that you cannot bring here so that I can ensure that they live through this...Help me."

The nova releases the captives...

[Asbjørn]

Glad to see that Ghost had finally shown up, The Stranger rises from his perch and quickly moves to kneel above the mercenary's position. Whistling softly to get the other nova's attention, he leaps down from the rooftop to stand next to Ghost. "Ready when you are."

The Ghost pulls his hand away from the girl in the back seat as the Stranger arrives, wasting no time (unlike his player.. sorry, guys.. ::blush ) in covering the important issues as quickly as possible. He's still unmasked as he activates his com gear and calls up the third part of this unlikely 'team'.

"Slither? Join us. Hurry."

Vinnie holds back a sigh and looks the Stranger in the eyes, his sharp, piercing gaze seeming to care very little about the mask covering his face. He gives Slither a fe seconds to get her butt down there, then starts his ad hoc briefing.

"I'm playing it their way. I have no choice but to hand her back. For now. But I don't trust these bastards not to stab me in the back, so I appreciate having you around if and when this goes to hell."

Producing two sets of earplugs from his pocket he hands one to each of his allies, explaining "They use subsonics. Panic-inducing sonic weapons that'll freak you out if you don't protect yourself. These should do the trick."

"As for what else to expect... Hi-tech security systems, but with weak spots. It's not tailored to the premises, so you'll be able to get around. I made a sketch, here..." He hands them each as detailed a map he's had time to make (Prof: PDA if possible, but sketched on the back of a parking ticket will do), and points out the various safe spots and dangers.

"Then there are the Templars. Ten to twenty of them, I'm not sure. Armored like hell, but with weak spots there too. The eyes, for one.." , he adds, speaking from experience. "Any of you need any weapons? I have some more in the back."

"And finally... I haven't been able to find the hostage. She's there, but I can't pinpoint her." He throws both Slither and the Stranger a serious look as he pulls his mask out. Then he puts it to his face, letting the featureless, blank mask cover his handsome face before finishing, "...which means they're even more hi-tech than we thought, or they have one or more novas in there."

The final few seconds till the deadline tick by... it's now or never...

"I'm going in the front to meet them. I want you to find other ways in and find good positions to get the jump on them if this goes bad. And find the hostage if they're trying to keep her out of sight. Questions?"

The Ghost opens the door and gestures for the demonic girl in the back seat to follow him, getting ready to go.

[Asbjørn]

Golden Boy:

Suddenly Nathan feels / hears Emma's voice inside his head, although she sounds rather nervous...

*Nate? Is... is that you? This feel so strange...*

*No shit... yeah, it's me.. kinda cool, though, huh..?*

Reaching the level of the booth Blaze sees Masters nod & reach for the microphone...

... Then Blaze's vision is burnt out by a blanket of pure white light, he feels the heat of the Sun trying to roast the flesh from his bones, his nostrels fill with the scent of desert air, & he hears Emma screaming in his brain for someone to save her...

::ohmy

::scared

...

"EMMA....!!!!" Nathan yells in response, shouting the name the instant he thinks it, mentally turning for her even as the world around him fades in blistering heat.

...

...

::blink

... Blinking his eyes open Nathan discovers, to his shock, that he's not in Kansas (or Masters' lair) any more... ::unsure The first thing he sees is a stone ceiling, painted in an incredible scene depicting what appears to be ancient Egyptian royalty hunting crocodiles on the Nile. Pushing himself up he discovers that he's nude, & lying on a bed consisting mostly of a huge number of silk cushions. At his first breath aromas of incense fill his lungs, mingled with more distant scents of animals, straw, & fresh water. Glancing about Nathan sees that he's in a large stone room, the walls, like the ceiling, covered in ornate paintings of an Egyptian motiff. Bright sunlight streams in through one side of the room - most of which is a open to what looks like a large balcony. The only other entrance to the room is a single carved wooden door opposite the bed.

As he gazes around, trying to get his head in some sort of order, Nathan notices a lithe black cat pacing imperiously across the floor of the room. A ragged cry draws his attention back towards the balcony, where he sees a majestic hawk perched, its leg trailing a jesse, its eyes fixing him with an all-too-knowing look... Sounds drift up to the balcony from below - sounds similar to a bustling marketplace, all conversations & calls mixed together until they're a single continuous background buzz.

"What the hell.....?"

Mumbling like the King of Hangovers and looking around in surprise, Nathan keeps blinking, then reaches up to rub his eyes. Still lying back on the soft pillows he takes a few moments to register the smells and sounds before memory hits him like a pyramid falling on his head. He winces, lying back with his eyes closed as he hears the echo of Emma's screaming voice in his head.

*OK, think, Nate. What the hell is going on? Did Masters go for a new look in the hospital wing? Am I inside Emma's head? Where the bloody hell am I...?*

Shaking his head a little, Nathan decides the first option is the most likely one. Freaky and weird, but not exactly out of character for the old man.

*Wonder what happened to Emma.. and the others..*

Suddenly the door to the room bursts open - the cat shrieks a meow & leaps away, whilst the hawk just briefly flaps its wings before settling once more to stare at Nathan. Into the room runs a dark-skinned girl, maybe thirteen to fifteen years old Nathan would estimate, dressed in a flowing dress of white linen. Her black hair is cut to just above her bare shoulders, & ornate dark eye makeup surrounds her black eyes. Around her neck is wide pectoral-style necklace of gold & deep blue lapis lazuli. Rushing through the room the girl steps onto the blancony, stopping in front of the hawk with her hands on her hips,

'Horus,' she declares with an annoyed tone, 'why did you run away like that? You know we're not supposed to be in here... if the priests catch us they'll have me whipped!'

Nathan props himself up on his elbows, absently reaching for a sheet to cover himself as he watches the girl and the hawk.

*No way.... This can't be happening...*

Shaking his head in denial the young nova's gaze is drawn to the hawk, watching him like it knows.

Finally noticing the hawk's gaze the girl frowns slightly,

'What are you looking at, you silly bird?' she asks, 'There's nothing in here except that old statue...' turning to follow the raptor's stare as she speaks the girl's words catch in her throat as she spots Blaze. Eyes wide she seems at first frozen ::blink , then drops to her hands & knees & places her forehead on the stone floor,

'I beg forgiveness, Great One,' she gabbles in obvious terror ::scared , 'I knew not that you had awoken from your long slumber!'

Nathan sits up in his bed, looking down at the terrified girl more confused than ever. He reaches out a hand and tries to calm her down a little.

"Hey, hey.. it's okay, I'm not.. I mean.. this isn't.. I.." His words are as jumbled as his thoughts as he struggles to deal with the situation, until his mind finally manages to get a hold of one word to hang on to. He shakes his head and starts over again.

"I'm sorry.. Statue...?!?" ::confused

At first he misses it, but after a few moments Nate realises both that the girl isn't speaking English, & that he can understand her perfectly never-the-less... ::confused

Only after answering does he notice the language, mentally shrugging and telling himself

*Well, of course it's not english. That would kind of ruin it, wouldn't it..?*

[archer]

The Ghost pulls his hand away from the girl in the back seat as the Stranger arrives, wasting no time (unlike his player.. sorry, guys.. ::blush ) in covering the important issues as quickly as possible. He's still unmasked as he activates his com gear and calls up the third part of this unlikely 'team'.

"Slither? Join us. Hurry."

Vinnie holds back a sigh and looks the Stranger in the eyes, his sharp, piercing gaze seeming to care very little about the mask covering his face. He gives Slither a fe seconds to get her butt down there, then starts his ad hoc briefing.

"I'm playing it their way. I have no choice but to hand her back. For now. But I don't trust these bastards not to stab me in the back, so I appreciate having you around if and when this goes to hell."

Producing two sets of earplugs from his pocket he hands one to each of his allies, explaining "They use subsonics. Panic-inducing sonic weapons that'll freak you out if you don't protect yourself. These should do the trick."

"As for what else to expect... Hi-tech security systems, but with weak spots. It's not tailored to the premises, so you'll be able to get around. I made a sketch, here..." He hands them each as detailed a map he's had time to make (Prof: PDA if possible, but sketched on the back of a parking ticket will do), and points out the various safe spots and dangers.

"Then there are the Templars. Ten to twenty of them, I'm not sure. Armored like hell, but with weak spots there too. The eyes, for one.." , he adds, speaking from experience. "Any of you need any weapons? I have some more in the back."

"And finally... I haven't been able to find the hostage. She's there, but I can't pinpoint her." He throws both Slither and the Stranger a serious look as he pulls his mask out. Then he puts it to his face, letting the featureless, blank mask cover his handsome face before finishing, "...which means they're even more hi-tech than we thought, or they have one or more novas in there."

"I'm going in the front to meet them. I want you to find other ways in and find good positions to get the jump on them if this goes bad. And find the hostage if they're trying to keep her out of sight. Questions?"

The Ghost opens the door and gestures for the demonic girl in the back seat to follow him, getting ready to go.

The Stranger accepts the earpiece, nodding as he reviews the security information and layout Ghost hands him, his enhanced memory allowing him to easily absorb the new data. Listening attentively as the other man continues, he nods again at the suggestion that he and Slither find their own ways in.

After a brief pause to make sure Ghost was finished, the gray and blue clad Nova calmly walked off into the shadows, already planning his route in. On the move, he considered the best areas of entrance with the least security...making his decision within seconds, The Stranger slunk through the shadows and began his entrance to the old theatre.

[ProfPotts]

Through the Looking Glass:

"I'm sorry.. Statue...?!?"

Remaining bowed low to the floor the girl still sounds really nervous as she stammers out an answer,

'Great One I... I beg forgiveness! You slumbered so long that I foolishly believed the priests had lied & that your inviolate form was, in truth, no more than a statue to frightened the slow-witted. I am your humble servant, Great Lord, a... a... and accept any p... p... punishment you deem fit...' ::scared ::cry

[Asbjørn]

Remaining bowed low to the floor the girl still sounds really nervous as she stammers out an answer,

'Great One I... I beg forgiveness! You slumbered so long that I foolishly believed the priests had lied & that your inviolate form was, in truth, no more than a statue to frightened the slow-witted. I am your humble servant, Great Lord, a... a... and accept any p... p... punishment you deem fit...' ::scared ::cry

"So...."

Nathan hesitates, his mind racing to catch up with current events as he studies the girl and rubs his chin in thought.

*Okay, Nate.. you know this story, don't you? Could be some sort of weird training op Masters' got set up... Ok, I'm the Great Evil or something like that. Feels like I'm trapped in Baldur's Gate or something... Gotta make her tell me more...*

Caught in this surreal situation, Nathan pinches the bridge of his nose, thankful the girl can't see the confusion on the face of her god. Calming himself, he continues in a steadier tone of voice.

"You have heard the stories, then... And deep down you believed. Look at me, girl, and say my name."

[phoenix]

"You have heard the stories, then... And deep down you believed. Look at me, girl, and say my name."

[Very smooth. ::cool ]

The usual layer of ice rapidly forms under Glacier's feet, spreading up the walls & across the small, thick, viewports to the ocean outside (where John catches a glimpse of Eel getting Medieval on the hardware outside ::getsome ...) although the undersea structure seems to have been constructed out of pretty sturdy stuff - sturdy enough not to crack under the hyperchill of Glacier's anima in any case.

Glacier glances outside casually, standing outside 'Engineering' while Terry talks to the scientists. Half to Terry, half to himself, Glacier ponders aloud,

"You know, I bet if I just punched a hole in this thing's hull, the ocean pressure would do the rest of our work all on its own."

[ezekiel]

[Very smooth. ::cool ]

Glacier glances outside casually, standing outside 'Engineering' while Terry talks to the scientists. Half to Terry, half to himself, Glacier ponders aloud,

"You know, I bet if I just punched a hole in this thing's hull, the ocean pressure would do the rest of our work all on its own."

Terry nods

"For that to work, the bulkheads would need to be torn off their hinges. Do what you must...but keep [whichever section the engineers say is best to assemble in] sealable to ensure these people live through this. I will fly over to the command centre to ensure the head speeds up general evac and helps me avoid anyone trying to be a hero..."

[Heritage]

"Slither? Join us. Hurry."

Slither makes her way over to the van as quickly as she can, dropping to the pavement from twenty feet up without a sound. She allows her eufiber mask to peel aside like a blossoming flower as she listens intently to the Ghost's briefing, her dark brown eyes attempting to absorb every detail of the layout.

"Then there are the Templars. Ten to twenty of them, I'm not sure. Armored like hell, but with weak spots there too. The eyes, for one.."

, he adds, speaking from experience. "Any of you need any weapons? I have some more in the back."

The agile beauty peers into the back of the van and whistles appreciatively at the arsenal on display, but after a moment she shakes her head.

“The guns look very tempting, but I’ve never used one; I’d probably end up shooting one of you two, or the hostages. I’d better stick with these-“

She snaps her hands outwards dramatically and unsheathes her claws; she hopes she looks badass, even though her mind is secretly racing.

*If need be, go for the eyes; these guys would kill you in a heartbeat, so don’t be afraid to do the same if it’s their life or yours.*

"And finally... I haven't been able to find the hostage. She's there, but I can't pinpoint her." He throws both Slither and the Stranger a serious look as he pulls his mask out. Then he puts it to his face, letting the featureless, blank mask cover his handsome face before finishing, "...which means they're even more hi-tech than we thought, or they have one or more novas in there."

"I'm going in the front to meet them. I want you to find other ways in and find good positions to get the jump on them if this goes bad. And find the hostage if they're trying to keep her out of sight. Questions?"

Slither shakes her head as she inserts the earplugs.

“Nothing I can think of now…which probably means I’ll think of it at the worst possible time.”

She grins nervously and brushes her hair over her ear.

“I’ll be monitoring the same frequency if you need to call me. Good luck, guys.”

She gives them both a thumbs up as her eufiber swallows her head, leaving only her eyes visible; once she backs up to the wall, she’s gone. The nova thief starts deftly making her way towards the theater, looking to find an entrance of any kind as high up as possible, especially small ducts or air vents she can squeeze her pliable body through undetected.

[ProfPotts]

Monkey Management:

As the bulkhead door 'magically' opens & Terry is revealed in all his Nova glory (not to mention the Bear standing behind him looking all casual... ::cool ) the crew of the undersea facility gape... ::ohmy then freeze in place as gravity starts to do whacky things to their bodies under the directions of its master...

"Too long has humankind acted without conscience in what they've considered to be international waters. While nations may enact laws to protect their own human determined territories, corporations such as this one violate the earth where human law cannot reach them."

The crew remain staring at Terry, seemingly enraptured by his speech (delivered in flawless Japanese no less! ::smile )...

"Perhaps human law can't...but Greenwar will. This station is going to sink...I apologize for surprising you like this and holding you fast with my powers but I do not want you to die. You are scientists, pilots, honest workers...You did not decide to create this abomination...I am here to ensure that you live despite Greenwar's wish to stop this so-called 'research' of yours. I can take you all back to Tokyo or your ship above...I do not want to leave anyone behind...but to do that I need to you to help me. We need to assemble everyone so that I can take you home before Greenwar destroys the station and drowns you all...I need you to call the others and tell them to come to engineering to evacuate...I need you to tell me where anyone may be that you cannot bring here so that I can ensure that they live through this...Help me."

For a brief moment the crew members just exchange glances ::unsure , almost as if they were each waiting for one of the others to react first. Then one of the middle-aged men steps forward & bows low & formally to Terry,

'Honourable Nova,' the man begins, his voice the low rumble often affected by successful Japanese men, 'we thank you for your... leniency... in this matter & will do as you say...'

He nods towards the young woman, who - once she manages to rip her gaze away from Terry & Glacier - rushes over to an intercom on the wall & spreads the word for everyone to gather in the engineering section. As she does so the middle-aged man continues to speak to Terry,

'Nova-san, there are twenty people assigned here: most of the others will be at their stations since the alarms sounded - the command centre & sickbay. Two of our people are outside in submersibles - they can be contacted via the command centre.' He pauses for a moment, then bows once more, 'If it pleases you, Nova-san, we would prefer to be transported to our ship above: we do not wish any to needlessly risk their lives thinking that we are still in danger & require rescuing.'

"You know, I bet if I just punched a hole in this thing's hull, the ocean pressure would do the rest of our work all on its own."

"For that to work, the bulkheads would need to be torn off their hinges. Do what you must...but keep engineering sealable to ensure these people live through this. I will fly over to the command centre to ensure the head speeds up general evac and helps me avoid anyone trying to be a hero..."

::blink

With a frown on his brow & obvious fear only just being held in check the middle-aged spokesman once more bows & speaks,

'Nova-san... You are going to destroy the facility? We are only conducting research into ways to help all of humanity...' the man's words trail off into silence as he realises what he's just said, & whom he's talking...

[ProfPotts]

Zero Hour:

"I'm going in the front to meet them. I want you to find other ways in and find good positions to get the jump on them if this goes bad. And find the hostage if they're trying to keep her out of sight. Questions?"

The Stranger quickly scans through the (actually pretty copious considering the limited amount of time The Ghost had to prepare it) information on the PDA Vinnie hands him, his own incredible brain soaking up the information like an over-eager sponge.

Slither takes a little longer to go over the data, but her own experiences & prefered techniques of entrance allow her also to pick her route into the building quickly.

“I’ll be monitoring the same frequency if you need to call me. Good luck, guys.”

As Vinnie's two Nova accomplices vanish he gestures for 'Dee' to leave the vehicle - which she obediently (as always) does, head bowed (but at least not crawling about on all fours...). A short walk down the street & round the corner & The Ghost is soon within sight of the old Zanzibar theatre - all boarded-up windows, old peeling posters, & only slightly less old graffiti. The steps up to the entrance were likely once grand, with fake pillars, gilded trim, & velvet ropes - but now it just looks decrepit & delapidated. Halfway across the street to the theatre & one of the small devices in Vinnie's pocket bleeps quietly, confirming that it has detected the subsonic phobia field in place throughout the structure... Vinnie feels Dee walking just a little bit closer to him...

Reaching the foor of the steps up to the entrance Vinnie feels the hairs on the back of his neck bristle - although it's more a feeling of entering a dangerous situation than one of immediate danger. Sure enough the front doors to the theatre swing open, revealing two fully-armoured Templars waiting just inside...

'Right on time, Ghost,' the Templar's voice is, as usual, electronically distorted into a deep, gravely, tone, 'come inside & we'll take you to your prize...' ::devil

Meanwhile, The Stranger stealthily makes his way to one of the alleys next to the theatre. Vinnie's information told him that the Templar's security set-up was pretty top-notch - any potential entrance was well covered, & all major traffic areas inside the building were watched & patrolled. So, it was time to think outside the box. Relying in his superior memory & perception The Stranger makes sure he's reached the exact part of the theatre wall he's looking for - crouching down low he runs a gloved hand over the brick surface: the schematics indicated that a hole, just large enough for a man to slip through, in the base of the wall would lead into one of the basement rooms neither monitored nor patrolled (after all, the only real entrance to the room was deep within the theatre). With a slight grunt of effort The Stranger concentrates & slowly pushes the wall in with crushing strength - & no more noise that that of the dislodged bricks landing on tarp-covered props stored within the room.

Having made himself a low entrance a few feet across The Stranger slips inside, his optics scanning the darkened room to confirm that it's filled with old broken props from various productions, but otherwise empty. Across the room is a single door, through which The Stranger can just about hear the muffled sound of quietly walking footsteps coming down the corridor...

Slither, on the other hand, goes high, crawling spider-like across the wall of the old theatre, eufiber-clad form blending perfectly into the worn-brick colour scheme, until she reaches her target - a tiny air vent no more than six or seven inches across. Of course the Templars didn't bother to alarm such a vent - it would be impossible to gain entrance to the building that way... However, 'impossible' is a relative term when dealing with the likes of Slither... Squeezing & contorting her lithe form the Nova thief slips in first one arm, then her head, shoulders, the other arm & her torso, & finally her legs, until she's fully (& quite comfortably) inside the vent! Crawling & undulating forward she moves through the building with considerable speed...

... Following the schematics supplied by Vinnie, Slither heads for the main auditorium (after all, so far the Templars have been nothing if not theatric!). Still squeezed inside the vent system she slithers (duh!) her (rather squished) head into position to peer out of one of the vents - sure enough centre-stage is an upright wooden post, to which is manacled a blonde woman, wrists drawn up over her head, ankles fastened to the base of the post. The woman is dressed in nothing but a chill-looking chainmail bikini & her blonde hair ends raggedly at the back of her neck - as if it had been crudely hacked off. Her head is bowed to her chest & her posture slumped - as if she were unconscious or, at least, exhausted. Surrounding the post & its captive is a pentacle constructed of, it appears, some sort of thin metal laid out on the stage - the surface of the metal glows with ever-twisting mystic-looking symbols... ::blink

On stage with the captive, Slither counts four Templars, with maybe a half-dozen more in the auditorium - it's difficult to count them, as they keep vanishing - shimmering from sight &, a while later, reappearing in a different place. However, it is the other figure on stage who draws Slither's attention: an attractive, well-built, man with swept-back black hair, a neatly trimmed goatee beard... & the most compelling smoldering dark eyes Carla has ever seen! ::blushing Dressed in a well-cut dark suit the man strikes Slither as one of the Devil's own... even from her hiding place she can feel an instinctual desire to serve this man... to be his plaything... anything he wants... if only he'd ask... ::ohmy

The compelling man is seated in a high-backed padded leather armchair of a distinctly Victorian style, just to one side & behind the post & its captive, so that he commands a view of both her, & the auditorium as a whole. Either side of the man is an athletic-looking, tanned, young lady with glowing green eyes & small black horns sprouting from her forehead - the two girls could be the twins of The Ghost's friend 'Dee' - only these two are clad in the same sort of impractical chainmail bikini as the captive is wearing, & sport studded leather collars around their necks: they appear to be attending their Master (for he can only be such... if only he was Slither's Master as well... ::blush ) with red wine in a crystal goblet & a box of fine cigars...

[ProfPotts]

Playing God:

"You have heard the stories, then... And deep down you believed. Look at me, girl, and say my name."

With supreme effort the awe-stuck girl slowly raises her face, then her kohl-darkened eyes, to gaze upon Blaze's 'divine' countenance,

'Great Lord,' she whispers breathlessly, 'your true, Royal, names are known only to yourself & the most trusted of your priesthood of the Sun Disc... But to humble & lowly subjects such as myself you are the Mighty Akhenaton, Pharaoh, & master of the Golden Pyramid!'

[Asbjørn]

Playing God:

Nathan nods slowly at the girl’s response, muttering ”Of course I am. Figures.” ::rolleyes

Taking a deep breath the young nova swings his feet out of the bed, silently wishing he’d studied Emma’s legendary past more than her butt. He wraps the sheet around his waist and gets to his feet, passing by the girl on his way to the balcony.

“So who’s running the place now, then? And who are you..?”

Half in disbelief and half in excitement AkheNathan passes through the doorway and steps out on the balcony, turning briefly to glance at the girl over his shoulder. With a soft smile he waves her closer, cocking his head sideways at her.

“Come here. Tell me what I’m looking at.”

[Heritage]

Zero Hour:

*So this is how toothpaste feels - cool.*

Despite the perilous nature of this operation, Slither cannot help but grin, even if said grin is smooshed flat against the wall of the duct; neither Ghost nor the Stranger could have pulled this off. She was a vital component of a team – well, a team formed out of necessity, and the Stranger would probably kick her ass if he ever met her again, but a team nonetheless.

Once she got sight of the auditorium, she sighed as deeply as space would allow; why are all the nova guys so damn sexy? And this guy was sexy in an evil way, which always trumps good sexy. With effort, Slither tears her eyes away from her future lord and master (*No, he’s Evil Guy! Evil Guy!*) and starts a whispered broadcast back to Ghost, which sounds like she’s had a stroke due to facial distortion.

“I thee her. Thee’s in thif sort of pentagam thin, chain up to potht. Fow Templahs are neah her, mebbe five or sichs movin around the theadah, all shimmahry and hod to make out. Theah’s a thone wif like a debbil guy in id, and he ith waaaaaaay too thexy; Ebil Thexy Nofa Guy lookth to be in chahge. He’z god two debil chigs wih him like tha one you had in you van. I wahn to, like, theed him khab legth and gib him a hod oil methage, so whach oud foh him.”

[Asbjørn]

Zero Hour:

'Right on time, Ghost,' the Templar's voice is, as usual, electronically distorted into a deep, gravely, tone, 'come inside & we'll take you to your prize...' ::devil

...said the spider to the wasp... ::cool

Vinnie routinely scans the two guards and his surroundings as he follows their lead, keeping the demonic teenager by his side. Staying calm and professional as he walks inside, he briefly closes his eyes and lets his senses and consciousness expand beyond the here and now.

He gives no reply to Slither's report, but mentally files the information.

[Premonition ON. Oh, and lie detector too, what the hell.]

[ProfPotts]

Basking in Glory:

“So who’s running the place now, then? And who are you..?”

Turning to keep her awe-struck eyes on her god-king, the girl replies,

'I am Tiy, Great One - named for your own honoured Royal Mother - a humble maid to my Lady Nefertiti, the Great Royal Wife, who rules in your stead.'

“Come here. Tell me what I’m looking at.”

Looking out from the balcony Blaze is witness to a large (by ancient standards) & spended city with wide avenues & many temples & palaces constructed of relatively small stone blocks; out on the periphery he can just make out rows & rows of more humble dwellings. Palms & other greenery are planted along the wide streets, & the buildings are painted in bright colours, some faced with semi-precious stones, & others with pure white stone which catches the light & reflects like gold. Colourful drapes & banners bearing the symbol of a golden circle radiating lines downwards are hung here & there adding to the overall dramatic effect. Statues & obilisks also decorate the city. Beyond the city, to the west, runs a vast river (which Nate naturally presumes must be the Nile) on which barges & fishing boats are plying their trade.

Below him Nathan sees that the streets are bustling with people - dressed in a variety of archaic-looking garb & going about various activities: from water sellers, to armed soldiers, to market stalls - the city looks to be bursting with life.

'Great One,' says Tiy quietly as she comes to stand by his side & follows his gaze across the city, 'this is the Great City of Akhetaten - Horizon of the Sun Disc - built by your own command as capital of your Empire & centre of worship of the Aten.'

Suddenly Blaze's contemplation of the living archeology is interupted by an ear-shattering boom & an explosion of fire from one of the larger-looking temple complexes: stone & bodies are scattered in flames as a gigantic figure rises up - fully fifty feet tall the figure resembles an ancient Egyptian warrior, complete with headdress & khopesh, & appears to be constructed out of earth & flame! Peering around, the figure begins to destory everything it sees, smashing its curved sword into buildings & trampling fleeing people underfoot...

::jaw

Gasping out in shock & fear Tiy points to the monstrous behemoth,

'Great One,' she exclaims, 'it is the work of the priests of Amun-Ra! They hate you & the changes you have brought to the Kingdom - they fear your words of invisible power available to all men, & the openess of your rule... Now they once more attack your people & city, trying to lay waste to all you've built!'

[archer]

Zero Hour:

Meanwhile, The Stranger stealthily makes his way to one of the alleys next to the theatre. Vinnie's information told him that the Templar's security set-up was pretty top-notch - any potential entrance was well covered, & all major traffic areas inside the building were watched & patrolled. So, it was time to think outside the box. Relying in his superior memory & perception The Stranger makes sure he's reached the exact part of the theatre wall he's looking for - crouching down low he runs a gloved hand over the brick surface: the schematics indicated that a hole, just large enough for a man to slip through, in the base of the wall would lead into one of the basement rooms neither monitored nor patrolled (after all, the only real entrance to the room was deep within the theatre). With a slight grunt of effort The Stranger concentrates & slowly pushes the wall in with crushing strength - & no more noise that that of the dislodged bricks landing on tarp-covered props stored within the room.

Having made himself a low entrance a few feet across The Stranger slips inside, his optics scanning the darkened room to confirm that it's filled with old broken props from various productions, but otherwise empty. Across the room is a single door, through which The Stranger can just about hear the muffled sound of quietly walking footsteps coming down the corridor...

Ever so quietly, The Stranger moves across the room towards the door, sliding his body flat against the wall next to it, positioning himself to be ready to attack anything that may open it. He waits, disciplining his breathing for slow, even breaths as he listens to the footsteps. If they continue on and recede, he checks the door to see if it's locked before making an attempt to open it and peek out. If they decide to come through the door...well, he had tried to avoid conflict.

[Asbjørn]

As the city life unfolds in the streets below him, Nathan's flabber is well and truly gasted. He takes in all the sights in awe, amazed at the impressions, the details, the reality of it all....

Suddenly Blaze's contemplation of the living archeology is interupted by an ear-shattering boom & an explosion of fire from one of the larger-looking temple complexes: stone & bodies are scattered in flames as a gigantic figure rises up - fully fifty feet tall the figure resembles an ancient Egyptian warrior, complete with headdress & khopesh, & appears to be constructed out of earth & flame! Peering around, the figure begins to destory everything it sees, smashing its curved sword into buildings & trampling fleeing people underfoot...

Caught by surprise, the young nova-turned-god-king stares at the giant warrior rising over the skyline. He blinks a couple of times, then chuckles at the absurd situation, shaking his head a little. Then- as he sees the destruction the giant causes - the amused smile fades and is replaced by a determined look. ::angry

Impulsive as always, he’s on his way to leap over the railing and confront the construct when he realizes he’s a few items short of a wardrobe… ::blush

”Invisible power..?” Nathan frowns, his eyes still locked on the behemoth stomping through the city.

“Guess I need to have a talk with my darling wife and go over my ruling principles again…”, he mutters to himself while he wraps the sheet tighter around his waist - like a towel or sarong - and rolls the waistline down a few times to shorten it and hold it in place.

“There… that should do the trick…”

He turns briefly to Tiy to send her off, pointing to the interior of the building as he places one hand on the railing.

“Go and tell… whoever you’re supposed to tell about this! And tell them I said no whipping!”

For a brief moment he wonders if this is all a dream, and if he’ll be able to fly at all… Then he vaults over the edge of the balcony and – hopefully – takes to the air, his half naked body shining brightly as the force field engulfs him. He shoots like an arrow towards the giant, scanning the area for a suitable open space to bring the inevitable fight to. Whether he finds one or not, he rears up in front of the earthen warrior’s face to get its attention, and yells

“Hey! King Kong!! Stop messing with my city!”

[phoenix]

Glacier frowns. He doesn't speak Japanese.

"What are they saying, Terry?"

[ezekiel]

Monkey Management:

As the bulkhead door 'magically' opens & Terry is revealed in all his Nova glory (not to mention the Bear standing behind him looking all casual... ::cool ) the crew of the undersea facility gape... ::ohmy then freeze in place as gravity starts to do whacky things to their bodies under the directions of its master...

The crew remain staring at Terry, seemingly enraptured by his speech (delivered in flawless Japanese no less! ::smile )...

For a brief moment the crew members just exchange glances ::unsure , almost as if they were each waiting for one of the others to react first. Then one of the middle-aged men steps forward & bows low & formally to Terry,

'Honourable Nova,' the man begins, his voice the low rumble often affected by successful Japanese men, 'we thank you for your... leniency... in this matter & will do as you say...'

He nods towards the young woman, who - once she manages to rip her gaze away from Terry & Glacier - rushes over to an intercom on the wall & spreads the word for everyone to gather in the engineering section. As she does so the middle-aged man continues to speak to Terry

'Nova-san, there are twenty people assigned here: most of the others will be at their stations since the alarms sounded - the command centre & sickbay. Two of our people are outside in submersibles - they can be contacted via the command centre.' He pauses for a moment, then bows once more, 'If it pleases you, Nova-san, we would prefer to be transported to our ship above: we do not wish any to needlessly risk their lives thinking that we are still in danger & require rescuing.'

Terry lands in front of the middle-aged man and bows as low as he did.

"That is very wise. Tell me, are there any novas on board or on the ship, or any members of the Masters family? We would not want them trying to surprise my associates...I would like you all to live, but I cannot control my friends' anger..."

::blink

With a frown on his brow & obvious fear only just being held in check the middle-aged spokesman once more bows & speaks,

'Nova-san... You are going to destroy the facility? We are only conducting research into ways to help all of humanity...' the man's words trail off into silence as he realises what he's just said, & whom he's talking...

The dark eyed nova smiles

"Of course you are...but are you not also destroying the habitat of unique life forms that congregate near these volcanic vents? Just ask this young pilot here...The sea here was beautiful, until this station started churning it up."

Terry nods towards the pilot that just came out of a sub before looking back at the "leader" of the group

"Already novas have turned the African desert into lush greenery, life saving drugs are being developed at record speed and research is done by novas every day that will help all of humanity. I am not saying that novas should take care of everything...but surely a nova could have collected the samples needed for this research without being as intrusive as this station...Masters' own employee, Interface, could have easily come here and secured them himself."

Terry looks at Glacier and turns back to the leader

"We don't have much time, there is another from Greenwar that is working from the outside...We need to get to the command center. Please, come with me."

Terry translates the exchange between them for Glacier and looks at the others

"Please stay here and help the sub crews as they arrive. You will all be home very soon."

The nova grabs the middle-aged man and flies towards the command center.

"Start at the far end, Glacier..."

[ProfPotts]

Spiders & Wasps:

Following his Dark Templar 'escorts' Vinnie is led through to the theatre's auditorium - where Slither's report is confirmed: Ms Cable has been dressed in a chainmail bikini & manacled to a post on stage, within a strange pentacle of thin metal & glowing mystic symbols. A quick glance at the pentacle confirms The Ghost's suspicions of Ms Cable being hidden by some hi-tech means, as he intuits that the thing is, in fact, some sort of Quantum engineered device: even from the other side of the room he can 'feel' it acting as a barrier to his powers. The thing appears to be more a threshold than a damping field - designed to stop Nova powers passing across it, rather than to drain them from their owners.

As Vinnie enters the room the seated man (with the frighteningly compelling eyes) stands & walks to the edge of the stage. Dee instantly moves as if she's about to scurry to the man's side, but he holds up his hand,

'No, child,' he commands, his voice gentle, yet easily filling the largely empty room, 'not yet.'

Turning to Vinnie the man smiles,

'Is this to be a gentlemanly occassion,' he asks, his accent American but rather cultured, 'or one of backstabbing & intrigue?' ::sly

Slither, naturally, gets a nice view of the proceedings from her 'toothpaste tube'...

Downstairs...

Waiting for the footsteps to pass & fade The Stranger tries the door to find that it's not locked in any serious fashion... a quick expert flick with one of his picks & it's open. Opening the door a crack & peeking out his sees a rather narrow & rundown corridor, the dust still swirling slightly from the passing of the individual he heard (now nowhere in sight). In the direction the individual went the corridor turns right, back the way the figure came stairs lead up (& turn left), & in the corridor wall opposite the door The Stranger is at there are two more doors: one marked 'boiler room' the other marked 'supplies' - the door to the room The Stranger entered by is marked 'props'.

Nobody Steps on a Temple in My Town!:

“Go and tell… whoever you’re supposed to tell about this! And tell them I said no whipping!”

Still both awe-struck & petrified ::ohmy Tiy manages to nod, then runs off as Blaze directs...

Swooping over the crowds in the city streets below the half-naked [having remembered to Attune the sheet / kilt so he's not fully naked, right? ::sly ] Nova is greeted with gasps of surprise, shouted prayers & praise, &, of course, lots of cheering - whoever these people are, they seem to think he's a hero... ::biggrin

“Hey! King Kong!! Stop messing with my city!”

The earth giant pauses in its destruction, its massive head swinging round to gaze at Blaze... then it bellows a thunderous cry & swings its sword at the glowing target!

Nate notes that the giant appeared in the middle of the city - even just knocking the guy over here would cause huge amounts of damage. Although there's no safe path out of the metropolis, beyond the periphery are lush, green, fields, & beyond that plenty of nice open desert... Casting his eye over the monster now trying to kebab him, Blaze reckons that - with enough juice - he could probably carry the thing that far...

Eco-Warriors:

"That is very wise. Tell me, are there any novas on board or on the ship, or any members of the Masters family? We would not want them trying to surprise my associates...I would like you all to live, but I cannot control my friends' anger..."

The Japanese man shakes his head, warily eying Glacier as he does so ::unsure ,

'N-n-n-no, Nova-san: just scientists & crew like us.'

Any semblance of resistance appears to have left the crew of the facility: listening to Terry's speech they all quickly move to do as he says...

"Start at the far end, Glacier..."

The middle-aged man yelps as Terry grabs him, but manages to contain his fear as the Nova levitates through the corridors, finally reaching the bulkhead marked 'command centre'. Once more easily opening the door Terry enters to find a cramped two-level circular room filled with radio & sensory equipment - as well as a large circular Vitrium window gazing out onto the floodlit ocean floor: outside he sees Eel smashing the last of the external modules - blinking lights & screaming alarms inside the control room protest the damage the Terat has been doing to the facility.

Several more Japanese crew members are in the command centre - one even raises a small revolver as Terry enters... then drops it to the deck plating as common sense overwhelms him...

... Back in engineering the crew give Glacier a wide berth as they hustle to obey Mr Nathanson's directions...

[Asbjørn]

[having remembered to Attune the sheet / kilt so he's not fully naked, right?

[but of course! This forum is open to minors, isn't it..? ::tongue ]

The earth giant pauses in its destruction, its massive head swinging round to gaze at Blaze... then it bellows a thunderous cry & swings its sword at the glowing target!

[i'd almost forgotten Blaze has the Lifter enhancement. Yay!]

Deciding in a breif moment of genius that being hit by the huge sword would be a Bad Thing, Nathan shoots forward, dodging the massive weapon as he closes in on his opponent. As he moves around the giant he starts building the necessary force as he looks for a solid handhold.. the figure's hair, headdress, nose, arm... anything will do.

When - or if - he manages to escape the giant's attack and find something to grab, he dives in and heaves, doing his best to get the monster off the ground and away from people...

[ezekiel]

Eco-Warriors:

The Japanese man shakes his head, warily eying Glacier as he does so ::unsure ,

'N-n-n-no, Nova-san: just scientists & crew like us.'

Any semblance of resistance appears to have left the crew of the facility: listening to Terry's speech they all quickly move to do as he says...

The middle-aged man yelps as Terry grabs him, but manages to contain his fear as the Nova levitates through the corridors, finally reaching the bulkhead marked 'command centre'. Once more easily opening the door Terry enters to find a cramped two-level circular room filled with radio & sensory equipment - as well as a large circular Vitrium window gazing out onto the floodlit ocean floor: outside he sees Eel smashing the last of the external modules - blinking lights & screaming alarms inside the control room protest the damage the Terat has been doing to the facility.

Several more Japanese crew members are in the command centre - one even raises a small revolver as Terry enters... then drops it to the deck plating as common sense overwhelms him...

... Back in engineering the crew give Glacier a wide berth as they hustle to obey Mr Nathanson's directions...

Once again the blaring alarm horns tear off their hinges as the nova enters the room, distant alarm horns still giving off their eerily blaring signals.

Setting the engineer down Terry looks at the command crew.

"You've heard what is happening. I wish you all to live, but to do that you must help me. First, please turn off the alarm and inform the crew that everyone must make their way to engineering as fast as possible. Their lives depend on it. Those that are already in or close to Sickbay should stay there, I will go there to make sure that everyone, including any wounded patients, make it to engineering. Tell them to leave their bulkhead close, I will open it when I reach them."

As they start talking on the intercom, Terry raises an arm magnanimously and a dark circle appears revealing Eel and a wall of ocean water through it.

"Leave two able bodied crewmen at the last bulkheads leading to engineering. When it gets to be too much water, they should close them and wait for my arrival. If the water reaches the engineering bulkhead and someone is stuck on the other side, restart the alarm or turn power on and off to let me know, I will be there. Now go!"

Turning back to the newly arrived Eel he addresses her in English

"I saw your handiwork...remember, I am here to make sure you let them live..."

Terry looks at the crew members scurry off and turns back to Eel

"Glacier should be tearing off the interior bulkheads as we speak. Everything will be flooded once he reaches the end and makes his own exit to the sea..."

Terry eyes the circular window

"and that looks like the perfect hole for water to come through as well..." ::sly

The dark eyes nova looks at the the electronics in the room...

"Before smashing through it though, you might want to try to rip out some hard drives as a gift for Synapse...besides the research station might have companion stations as well, information could be useful...What you can't save, fry...this stuff may be waterproof, but I'll be damned if its Eelproof! That should give them enough time to reach engineering before the water gets to them. I will make my way to the others. When you're done here find Glacier and head back to Engineering, there's an entrance underneath the station. If there are problems reaching it, meet me where I first warped us in from..."

With that, Terry zips towards Sickbay, peeping into crew quarters if its on the way.

[archer]

Downstairs...

Waiting for the footsteps to pass & fade The Stranger tries the door to find that it's not locked in any serious fashion... a quick expert flick with one of his picks & it's open. Opening the door a crack & peeking out his sees a rather narrow & rundown corridor, the dust still swirling slightly from the passing of the individual he heard (now nowhere in sight). In the direction the individual went the corridor turns right, back the way the figure came stairs lead up (& turn left), & in the corridor wall opposite the door The Stranger is at there are two more doors: one marked 'boiler room' the other marked 'supplies' - the door to the room The Stranger entered by is marked 'props'.

Taking in the scene, the masked vigilante decides onward and upward will be more likely to take him where the action is. Sliding silently through the doorway, he gently closes the door behind him and heads for the stairs, trying his best not to leave any trace of his passage. Senses primed for anyone coming near, he creeps up the stairway.

[ProfPotts]

Battling Behemoths:

Easily looping under the flaming earthen giant's massive (but rather slow) sword swipe Blaze arcs round the colossus, glow building as he focuses power into his quantum-fuelled muscles. Slamming into the small of the giant's back the comparatively tiny Blaze lifts it off its feet, heaving it overhead - all whilst still hovering in the air above the astonished citizens of Akhetaten: citizens who are now either cheering in near frenzy, or prostrating themselves before their newly awakened god! ::cool

Above him Blaze feels the giant squirming, thrashing its limbs in a desperate attempt to shake free even though its own bulk prevents it from reaching back to grab the 'little man'...

Commands in the Command Centre:

"... Now go!"

Failing to resist Terry's Nova-charms (&, in all probability, wanting to live...) the baselines scurry to perform the duties set out by their better...

"I saw your handiwork...remember, I am here to make sure you let them live..."

Slipping through Terry's warp Eel blows a raspberry at her fellow Terat ::raspberry ,

'Oooh... you're soooo serious... I bet PathFinder loves it when you're all "in charge", right Gravitoman?' ::sly

"Glacier should be tearing off the interior bulkheads as we speak. Everything will be flooded once he reaches the end and makes his own exit to the sea..."

Eel grins, undulating her long body round the small command centre - & completely freaking out the last few crewmen, who hasten to get the Hell out of there! - winking at Terry she replies,

'Hey - that's my guy: bulkhead tearing's a speciality...'

"and that looks like the perfect hole for water to come through as well..."

Moving so that her upper body is level with Terry's Eel also faces the window, webbed hand stroking her chin in mock deep thought,

'Yes,' she agrees, 'I can't see any other reason for something like that to be installed...' ::sly

"Before smashing through it though, you might want to try to rip out some hard drives as a gift for Synapse...besides the research station might have companion stations as well, information could be useful..."

Eel holds her hand up in front of Terry's face so that he gets a good view of the small electrical arcs which constantly dance through the layer of glossy lubricant which coats her entire body, even when she's not 'charged up',

'May want to rethink that one, G-Man: me & computers don't play nice...' ::rolleyes

'... What you can't save, fry...this stuff may be waterproof, but I'll be damned if its Eelproof!'

'No doubt,' Eel shrugs, 'but if you want to salvage anything, then I think you better be the one to grab it - Bear-man & I both have... intimacy issues... when it comes to not frying stuff...' with a grin she adds, playfully, '... besides - we only brought you along to do the heavy lifting...' ::biggrin

"...That should give them enough time to reach engineering before the water gets to them. I will make my way to the others. When you're done here find Glacier and head back to Engineering, there's an entrance underneath the station. If there are problems reaching it, meet me where I first warped us in from..."

Eel pantomimes a military salute,

'Sir, yes, Sir!' she exclaims, then, with a sigh, adds, 'Boy - you really are a cop, aren't you Terry? Just relax & try to have fun here - trashing expensive things can be a great salve for the soul you know...' ::sly

Backstage:

Contemplating his memorised plans of the Zanzibar The Stranger is less than surprised to find himself in the backstage area once he's stealthily negotiated the stairs: emerging from a narrow wooden door he notes the long room with a row of vanity tables all fallen into disrepair, the slightly curved steps up to the stage proper (from which direction he can hear the others talking), & the various ropes & pullies of the stage rigging all dangling down behind the curtains. At either end of the room, waiting just off the side of the stage at the bottom of the steps, he spots two Dark Templars - their hi-tech camoflage making them hard (but not impossible for the hawk-eyed Stranger) to see. They show no signs of having seen masked vigilante yet... ::ninja

[Asbjørn]

Behemoth BBQ

Easily looping under the flaming earthen giant's massive (but rather slow) sword swipe Blaze arcs round the colossus, glow building as he focuses power into his quantum-fuelled muscles. Slamming into the small of the giant's back the comparatively tiny Blaze lifts it off its feet, heaving it overhead - all whilst still hovering in the air above the astonished citizens of Akhetaten: citizens who are now either cheering in near frenzy, or prostrating themselves before their newly awakened god! ::cool

*Well, you wanted to be a hero, didn't you...? Careful what you wish for...*

Balancing the giant overhead, Nathan takes a moment to survey the gathered crowd as he starts rising higher. His glowing eyes scan the city - particularly the balconies of the building he left and the ones near it - looking for a familiar face. Until the monster on top of him demands his attention again, that is...

Above him Blaze feels the giant squirming, thrashing its limbs in a desperate attempt to shake free even though its own bulk prevents it from reaching back to grab the 'little man'...

"Hey..! Stop that!" ::angry Blaze calls out in an annoyed voice, shifting his grip on the giant a little. Then he shakes his head and grits his teeth, rising higher in the air and making for the featureless desert beyond the city, hopefully well ahead of any following crowds.

As he reaches an open enough space - having climbed high enough to ensure the giant will hit the ground with maximum force - he grins evilly and says

"You're lucky, you know... I always wanted to try this...." ::sly

Then, still holding the huge warrior overhead in both hands, Nathan lets fly a twin blast of his plasma bolts, letting the violent energy burn directly into the behemoth before he lets go and throws it to the ground.

[phoenix]

Glacier is, indeed, tearing off the interior bulkheads as they speak.

Sniffing the air, he notices the heady scent of wet Eel in the air... But he decides to ignore it as he wreaks icy destruction on the station interior.

He's trying not to lose control to the Bear as he does so, standing up straight and taking his time. However, he doesn't really care -- losing control in this context is acceptable enough to him.

[ezekiel]

Commands in the Command Centre:

Failing to resist Terry's Nova-charms (&, in all probability, wanting to live...) the baselines scurry to perform the duties set out by their better...

Slipping through Terry's warp Eel blows a raspberry at her fellow Terat ::raspberry ,

'Oooh... you're soooo serious... I bet PathFinder loves it when you're all "in charge", right Gravitoman?' ::sly

Terry Shrugs

"Whatever you say, Sheryl." ::sly

Eel holds her hand up in front of Terry's face so that he gets a good view of the small electrical arcs which constantly dance through the layer of glossy lubricant which coats her entire body, even when she's not 'charged up',

'May want to rethink that one, G-Man: me & computers don't play nice...' ::rolleyes

'No doubt,' Eel shrugs, 'but if you want to salvage anything, then I think you better be the one to grab it - Bear-man & I both have... intimacy issues... when it comes to not frying stuff...' with a grin she adds, playfully, '... besides - we only brought you along to do the heavy lifting...' ::biggrin

The Nova's eyes flare up as, somewhere in the pits of his dark windows to the galaxy, it seems like one of the stars has gone nova. :warp:

"Fine...then fry it up. I don't have time for this. Just wait a minute before cracking that thing."

Eel pantomimes a military salute,

'Sir, yes, Sir!' she exclaims, then, with a sigh, adds, 'Boy - you really are a cop, aren't you Terry? Just relax & try to have fun here - trashing expensive things can be a great salve for the soul you know...' ::sly

Terry sighs

"Wait a minute...please. I'm going to round up the last of them."

and flies out the the door, following the signs to "sickbay".

[Heritage]

Spiders & Wasps & Snakes, Oh My!:

'Is this to be a gentlemanly occassion,' he asks, his accent American but rather cultured, 'or one of backstabbing & intrigue?' ::sly

For a moment, Slither cringes up in the duct; did he know she was there, or was he just being suavely paranoid? While it is certainly possible he had super-senses of some sort, she reasons, it's also possible he had no clue anyone else was in the theater. Praying it's the latter, she decides to keep moving.

*I'm not in much of a position to help stuck up here; I need a bit more room to maneuver.*

As quietly as she can possibly manage, Carla starts worming her towards the backstage area, peering out of any more air vents she passes to both check her progress and keep an eye on the unfolding events below.

[Asbjørn]

As he follows the templars to the stage, Vinnie mentally scans the lists of possible templar nova associates fitting the description Slither gave. Entering the room and seeing the man on stage, the Ghost smiles under his featureless mask.

*Bingo…* ::sly

Vinnie takes a moment to check on Ms Cable's condition while the hypnotist on the stage addresses the girl by his side, checking that Liz is alive and breathing - unless the blocking device around her hinders his senses as well.

Turning to Vinnie the man smiles,

'Is this to be a gentlemanly occassion,' he asks, his accent American but rather cultured, 'or one of backstabbing & intrigue?' ::sly

”And here I was thinking those were pretty much the same thing…”

The Ghost remarks dryly, holding his rifle casually at his side. He makes no attempt to hide the weapons he’s carrying, but seems relaxed enough as he faces the nova on the stage.

“I’m no ‘gentleman’, Joh... I’m sorry… Adam.“ the mercenary says conversationally as he glances around the room, noting all the details. Angles, distances, cover zones… all filing away in his mental map of the building. There’s a slight challenge in his voice as he turns back to his opponent and adds

“…but I come from a long line of thugs and ruthless business men, so I guess that makes us about even.”

“Let’s make this quick, shall we? I’m here to retrieve an employee of DeVries National Tactical Solutions, and I brought the girl you asked for in return. I’ve got my guns and you’ve got your goons, but we don’t need to use them. We exchange hostages, and we leave. Don’t try to make any suggestions, don’t try any deals, and don’t even think about sweet talking me. If you do, I will kill you. Capisce?”

As he talks, Vinnie is starting to trust his instincts more. Realizing that the greatest danger to himself here is the power of the occultist’s voice and hypnotic eyes, he avoids direct eye contact if his intuition or premonitions tells him to, and is ready to put a bullet through the nova’s head at the first sign of attempted mind games or manipulations.

[archer]

Backstage:

Contemplating his memorised plans of the Zanzibar The Stranger is less than surprised to find himself in the backstage area once he's stealthily negotiated the stairs: emerging from a narrow wooden door he notes the long room with a row of vanity tables all fallen into disrepair, the slightly curved steps up to the stage proper (from which direction he can hear the others talking), & the various ropes & pullies of the stage rigging all dangling down behind the curtains. At either end of the room, waiting just off the side of the stage at the bottom of the steps, he spots two Dark Templars - their hi-tech camoflage making them hard (but not impossible for the hawk-eyed Stranger) to see. They show no signs of having seen masked vigilante yet... ::ninja

Hidden in the shadows for now, The Stranger considers his options in the few moments he knows he has before he's likely to be spotted. As much as he'd like to get one of these Templars alone, without their armor, long enough to squeeze some answers out of them, he knows rationally that such an attempt would likely end in Ms. Cable's death, if not his own as well. Remembering why he's really here causes a sudden surge of guilt...he was supposed to be here to help save someone, not continue his personal crusade.

Not wanting to attract any attention by glancing around, he mentally reviews everything he's seen of the area he's in, and tries to move somewhere that's will conceal him as well as giving him a chance to see more of the main area of the theater. So far he'd seen nothing backstage but guards; he had to assume for now that Ms. Cable was being held elsewhere. At the very least, he might be able to find Ghost, and see how the Elite was faring. He didn't dare any radio communication; even scrambled there was a good chance they'd detect the noise it generated.

[ProfPotts]

Fight Like an Egyptian:

Glancing back towards the building he emerged from Blaze sees that it appears to be a sprawling palace complex in the heart of the city, with many open-air courtyards & the like - he doesn't have that much time to focus on details though, as the monster above him does indeed demand his attention...

"Hey..! Stop that!"

Predictably the giant earthen warrior fails to comply. Blazing (natch ::wink ) into the clear skies high above the desert Nate soon leaves the city (safely) behind him...

"You're lucky, you know... I always wanted to try this...."

Fulfiling his childhood dream of blasting a giant ancient Egyptian warrior made of earth whilst flying high above the desert in an ancient landscape all whilst having an identity crisis of epic proportions ( ::confused ::tongue ::wink ), Nate blasts the titan with 'both barrels': powerful eruptions of white-hot plasma churn into... & through... the giant, blasting out of its 'stomach' & blazing a trail high into the sky! Instantly long cracks spread throughout the body of the giant, & a moment later it crumbles into boulder-sized pieces - which Nate helps to the ground by flinging them as hard as he can! The component rocks impact the desert sands like flaming meteorites, further shattering into pebble-sized bits [i think ya' got 'im, Tex ::sly ]!

Hovering above his defeated foe Nate's vision suddenly begins to dim, as the world blurs & fades around him...

...

...

...

'... anything you can do? You invented the damn things!'

'Sir, I'm doing everything I can - the link is strong... Besides you know the technology for these suits is based on the artefact...'

'Just get the damn things off of them, Chen!'

'Yes, sir - but it's not that simple: they're linked to their nervous-systems - if we try to just remove them by force then they could die.'

'You must have thought of that before now? Super-genius IQ & all that.'

'Naturally... It's just that the release enzyme isn't working how it should - I should have an alternative formulated shortly.'

'How long is "shortly" Chen? It's not like you to be vague about these things.'

'Well, sir, I... Hold on, sir - see that reading? That spike in brain activity? The memory engrams are reasserting themselves...'

...

...

...

'... that the people don't understand these proclaimations, Great Ones: your reduction of resources for the army alone leaves the Empire open to...'

The portly robed man standing before the throne Nate realises he's sitting on is cut off by the clear, confidant, words of the woman seated in the throne by his side - a woman who is the spitting image of Emma!

'My dear Lord Khepri, do you doubt the ability of my husband & I to defend these lands? The resources you speak of have been reallocated to improve hygene, build schools...'

Dusky skinned Emma appears just as exotically beautiful as ever, only she's clad in the garb of an ancient Egyptian Queen - gold-trimmed white linen dress, golden sandels, heavy royal pectoral & serpent-crown, with additional golden armlets, braclets, & rings. Her kohl eye make-up is absolutely amazing, & a fine dusting of gold power covers her skin - but it is her straight posture & commanding gaze which really makes her seems different: this version of Emma radiates a supreme royal confidence which the girl Nate knows would never be able to pull off...

Nate himself appears to be dressed in the male version of Emma's outfit - gold-trimmed white linen kilt, golden sandels, royal pectoral across his chest, & blue & gold headress proclaiming him divine royalty. In his hands he finds he's holding an ornate, styalized, shepherd's crook & farmer's flail. His personal glow seems to have an impressive effect on the whole ensemble.

The twin thrones are set on a raised dais in an large open flagstoned courtyard beneath a clear, sunblessed, day. Hordes of courtiers & officials crowd down either side of the courtyard, & a few token guards stand at the entrance, khopesh swords at the belts, spears & shields in their hands. The portly 'Lord Khepri' standing in audience is dressed in richly adorned robes of many colours, & seems to be a wealthy man of some importance. As Nate's attention is drawn back to the man, Lord Khepri is replying to the Queen's worlds,

'True, Great Queen: but schools for the masses - your schools accept anyone, not just those of the appropriate priestly bloodlines! You invite anarchy to our eternal lands! The people need order! The people...'

The Queen holds up her hand, palm out, instantly silencing Khepri,

'I doubt that you have "the people's" interests in mind, Lord Khepri, or their words in your ears: your concerns are those of the old ways, the ways of privilage & hidden gods. My husband has wrested control of this nation from the corrupt hands of the priests of Amun-Ra , the hidden one, & has brought to the land the light of the Aten, the visible sun-disc who's invisible power is attainable by all. The power possessed by my husband & I isn't our right as rulers - we have just been blessed enough to have obtained it first - others will follow, & all will eventually take one step closer to the power of the gods which you & yours, Lord Khepri, so jealously guard as your own. We live in the dawning of a golden age for mankind - where universal brotherhood will be achieved, & freely shared power will make all men equal. If you quake at the idea of education for the masses, then just imagine how you will be left behind by the greater changes which are to come...'

Khepri appears hard pressed to contain his outrage &, for a few moments, just stands there fuming. As he does the Queen turns to Blaze,

'My love,' she says quietly, 'what is your opinion on...' her words fade as she takes stock of Nate's expression, & a look of concern touches her own fine features, '... my love, what is it? Have you... have you travelled once more to the future? Do you recall anything more of that other life?'

[ProfPotts]

ER:

'Isn't there anything you can do? You invented the damn things!'

Masters' annoyance seems dangerously close to shattering his infamous personal poise as he confronts Doctor Chen. Chen, for her part, smoothly swerves around the boss to check the readings from yet another machine hooked up to the comastose Nathan & Emma.

'Sir, I'm doing everything I can - the link is strong... Besides you know the technology for these suits is based on the artefact...'

Masters quickly interupts Chen, his glance darting across Derek - busying himself with some sort of scientific instruments - & Mike - watching through the observation window of the medical lab, looking a little lost...

'Just get the damn things off of them, Chen!'

Chen seems to reply, but by then Masters has clicked off the intercom which was feeding the conversation inside the lab to where Mike is waiting outside. Even Mike's super-acute senses don't enable him to hear any more...

The activity inside the med-lab continues for a few more seconds... Mike's thoughts start to wonder to the snack machine he saw down the corridor... How much of a wait was this going to be? He'd never even gotten the chance to have a go in the training room - what with Blaze showing off to Emma when the Geryon simulation was run, then the call about trouble in Japan, & now this medical emergency. Maybe he could find someone to tell him a bit more about this 'emergency'? Just standing around waiting was so...

'Get in here Mike!'

Masters orders over the intercom. Passing through the sliding twin 'airlock' style doors to the lab Mike enters to find Chen focusing on some computer monitor covered in wildly dancing coloured lines... Derek appears to be looking intently at test-tubes full of slime... probably doing that 'sensing molecular structure' thing of his... Masters grabs Mike's elbow & steers him to one side, where he lowers his voice to a near whisper,

'We've got a situation here, Mike,' he begins, stating the obvious - then gestures towards where Nate & Emma lie, still incased in their biosuits, 'they seem to be linked through the communications function of the suit, sharing the same... dreams... thoughts... memories - to be honest Chen had a hard time dumbing it down enough for me to get that much. In any case, I think it'd be helpful for us to know what was going on inside their heads - maybe give us a clue as to why the suits aren't working properly...' Giving Mike a sly smile Masters adds, '... Getting inside heads is what I pay you for, right?' ::sly

[Prince of Boredom]

ER:

'Get in here Mike!'

Masters orders over the intercom. Passing through the sliding twin 'airlock' style doors to the lab Mike enters to find Chen focusing on some computer monitor covered in wildly dancing coloured lines... Derek appears to be looking intently at test-tubes full of slime... probably doing that 'sensing molecular structure' thing of his... Masters grabs Mike's elbow & steers him to one side, where he lowers his voice to a near whisper,

'We've got a situation here, Mike,' he begins, stating the obvious - then gestures towards where Nate & Emma lie, still incased in their biosuits, 'they seem to be linked through the communications function of the suit, sharing the same... dreams... thoughts... memories - to be honest Chen had a hard time dumbing it down enough for me to get that much. In any case, I think it'd be helpful for us to know what was going on inside their heads - maybe give us a clue as to why the suits aren't working properly...' Giving Mike a sly smile Masters adds, '... Getting inside heads is what I pay you for, right?' ::sly

Relieved that he was finally being brought into the fold, Mike quickly makes his way into the ER, though a candy bar had started sounding good...

Mike raises an eybrow as Masters explains the situation; he wasn't sure he really understood all of it, but at least it sounded more interesting than standing outside the window. Looking cospiratorially over his shoulder to make sure Derek isn't listening, Mike whispers to Masters, "Sounds doable, and kinda cool actually. Though, I thought these things in our heads were made so people like me can't get in there?"

[ProfPotts]

Breaking Things:

"Wait a minute...please. I'm going to round up the last of them."

Eel rolls her eyes ::rolleyes ,

'You've got to learn to trust your Terat brothers & sisters, Officer Nathanson,' she calls after Terry...

Ripping bulkheads off their hinges proves easy for Glacier... a little too easy to be any fun, if truth be told... but he's already done most of them when he catches the scent of Eel getting closer. A moment later & her webbed fingers slip over his eyes, as her nude torso presses close to his back,

'Guess who?' she asks, playfully, before releasing Glacier & writhing round him until she's level with his face, 'Terry-san's still playing hero,' she comments, 'although he was too superior to get his hands dirty with any info-salvage... I'm beginning to think Orzaiz is a bad influence on everyone he meets...' ::sly A smile crossing her lips Eel wraps her long tail around Glacier, squirming herself against him in a most delightful manner, '... In any case,' she adds, 'this looks to be over soon - maybe you'd like to get physical here in the depths - find out how good I can be in my element? I'm sure I can show you a few...'

'AARRGGHH!!!'

The yell comes from a technician in a crew jumpsuit who runs round the corner, just managing to stop himself before he ploughs into the Nova couple & dies from combined freezing & electrocution... Taking a couple of moments to catch his breath & steel his nerves the man's eyes dart this way & that, then eventually back to Glacier & Eel. His English highly accented he blurts out,

'Where's your leader? I need to tell him! We're all in great danger!' ::unsure ::ohmy

Meanwhile, Terry easily finds the last few crewmembers in sick bay...

Night at the Theatre:

Slithering through the vent systems Carla quickly finds herself backstage, where she can just make out the four near-invisible Dark Templars lurking there - two either side of the stage.

A brief moment of thought sends The Stranger scampering from his hiding place & up into the rigging above the stage - his skill & agility proving more than a match for the Templars' technology as he makes the acrobatic dash without them showing any signs of having noticed him. Of course, the fact that they seem focused on the action front-stage probably helps a little... From his new concealed vantage point John can clearly make out Ms Cable, bound below him, the unknown Nova on stage with his two 'demonettes', & Vinnie standing in front of the stage with his one... ::devil

“Let’s make this quick, shall we? I’m here to retrieve an employee of DeVries National Tactical Solutions, and I brought the girl you asked for in return. I’ve got my guns and you’ve got your goons, but we don’t need to use them. We exchange hostages, and we leave. Don’t try to make any suggestions, don’t try any deals, and don’t even think about sweet talking me. If you do, I will kill you. Capisce?”

The Nova, 'Adam', seems quite amused by Vinnie's little speech up to that point, even chuckling in quiet agreement at one or two points; but as The Ghost speaks this last Adam frowns & spreads his hands in an open gesture,

'Am I even allowed to speak, Vincent?' he asks, 'you say no deals, but surely this unfortunate incident has granted us a unqiue opportunity for discussion on certain pressing concerns... Or do you, perhaps, not speak for your family in such matters? As you yourself say, there's no need for guns & goons - maybe between us we can work out a way so that both our interests are satisfied... even beyond the immediate goal of securing our respective female friends safely.' ::sly

Adam's words seem extremely reasonable to Vinnie, & nothing strikes him as particularly dangerous or even 'unnatural' - the guy just makes a lot of sense... ::devil

Mindtrip:

"Sounds doable, and kinda cool actually. Though, I thought these things in our heads were made so people like me can't get in there?"

Masters smiles,

'I knew there was a reason I liked you Mike,' he replies, 'you're right - we've gone to great lengths to prevent just the sort of thing I'm asking you to do here. The catch is... & I wasn't going to tell you this until later... that since you've got a "thing in your head" too, then you're exempt. I guess I'm just the sort of guy who likes to make sure he leaves his options open, & in this case it looks like that's paid off. Now, dive in & do that thing you do...'

[Prince of Boredom]

Mindtrip:

Masters smiles,

'I knew there was a reason I liked you Mike,' he replies, 'you're right - we've gone to great lengths to prevent just the sort of thing I'm asking you to do here. The catch is... & I wasn't going to tell you this until later... that since you've got a "thing in your head" too, then you're exempt. I guess I'm just the sort of guy who likes to make sure he leaves his options open, & in this case it looks like that's paid off. Now, dive in & do that thing you do...'

Mike returns Masters' smile, "Why am I not surprised? I assume you'll come up with an appropriate story for Derek of why I'm here? ::sly "

Mike cracks his knuckles and takes a seat on one of the empty beds, lays back, arms folded across his stomach, closes his eyes and lets his mind connect with the familiar ::huh brainwaves of Blaze...

[phoenix]

"TERRY!"

Glacier's voice is really loud -- if they were outside, his yell could probably be heard clearly from a mile away. Indoors, it is nearly defeaning.

He crosses his arms and addresses the crewman.

"If you're wondering why I'm just doing what you say without questioning you, it's because if you're right, it's something my friend would want to know. And if you're lying, then I'll get to eat you alive for interrupting my girlfriend while she was saying something."

He turns to Eel and shrugs apologetically.

"I'm sorry, baby -- but actually, I'm with Terry on this one, and if something's about to go badly wrong, we need to know about it."

He turns back to the crewman.

"Start talking."

[Asbjørn]

'Am I even allowed to speak, Vincent?' he asks, 'you say no deals, but surely this unfortunate incident has granted us a unqiue opportunity for discussion on certain pressing concerns... Or do you, perhaps, not speak for your family in such matters? As you yourself say, there's no need for guns & goons - maybe between us we can work out a way so that both our interests are satisfied... even beyond the immediate goal of securing our respective female friends safely.' ::sly .'

[somewhere, in an alternate timeline, a gunfight begins... ::biggrin ]

Vinnie glances around the room, making sure he's got as good a view of the opposition as possible as he considers the man's words.

"First of all..." he calmly states, still sounding wary, "...only my grandmother calls me Vincent."

Moving closer to the stage to get a better view of Ms Cable and the pentacle, he rests the butt of his rifle against his hip and continues:

"Second: Do you really think my family would honour any.. arrangement we make here and now, under these circumstances? Not only am I talking to the FBI's most wanted con man, he's got a hostage and has me surrounded..."

The Ghost gestures around the room, indicating some of the templars. If any of them are hidden, one or two of those are the ones he points out, letting Vaughn know he sees them, but not how many he sees.

"Now, although you and me might be able to work something out..." Vinnie shrugs and adds, mimicking Vaughn's own phrase and mannerisms, "Surely you see they have no choice but to treat my opinion of you with extreme scepticism...?"

[ezekiel]

Breaking Things:

Meanwhile, Terry easily finds the last few crewmembers in sick bay...

The Nova gathers the last crewmembers together and opens a warp to engineering asking them to step through. As the last one is in he zips through before it closes and quickly counts heads. He then looks at the head engineer.

"Roll call...are we missing anyone?"

"TERRY!"

Glacier's voice is really loud -- if they were outside, his yell could probably be heard clearly from a mile away. Indoors, it is nearly defeaning.

The Dark orbed nova looks at the door and follows the track of ripped bulkheads.

If the head says they're all there but one, he'll open a port to the ship above after asking everyone to get into file, three person wide, and to run through the warp once it's opened.