Aberrant: Quantum Zero - Quantum Zero - Elites

[ProfPotts]

MASKS:

Heading into the Elite bar Guy notes that several of the others from the 'assault' have also drifted in, but none seem too much like they're in the mood to talk - it's attempting to drink enough to drown both Nova metabolisms & sorrows all round... ::beer30

... Ordering his beverage of choice Guy glances up to see that his own mask has joined the previous owners of The Samurai name in the ranks of the fallen mounted behind the bar. Following his gaze the baseline bartender double-takes, then asks,

'Er... so you're alive again now, sir? I guess I should take that one down, huh..?' ::confused

Spawn:

"Huh?... Now what?"

Joe does, indeed, note that although there's a representation of his own 'mask' design in the display case, it's not like he could wear it - there's some comfort in knowing he has the right to paint the thing on again though...

"There was a reason I didn't open that before, genius. We came to get Verse's eufiber-critter, remember? And from what I remember from when he got squished after the Korea job, this thing is grabby and mean."

"You could have warned me. I didnt know what to expect. Where the hell is Verse? He could take care of this right now."

As Andy responds Joe matches 'grabby & mean' with 'Nova-strength & a big stick' (luckily there's a couple of tons of debris scattered around the place from the remains of OMA's home & vehicles - a big stick isn't hard to locate), & proves that 'grabby & mean' just can't cut it - although the eufiber colony makes a damn good attempt to, squirming & thrashing about as it tries to fight being stuffed back into the crate. However, it doesn't take long for Alloy to get the thing secured once more.

Walking over to Joe & Andy Jetstream glances at the case & sneers,

'Sure glad my eufiber never did that,' he says, patting the rolled up grey garment he appears to have retrieved from the remains of OMA's trailer, along with the display of masks. Stretching & looking around the Elire flyer shrugs,

'You're right about Verse though, Lodestone - he seems to have vanished. I'm too bushed to fly right now - I vote we call a cab back to civilisation, & hand the "goods" over to DeVries for storage until the guy comes back to claim them...' looking thoughtful for a moment he adds, '... we were, uh, paid in advance for this one, right?' ::huh

Rapidly proving to be the resourceful one Jaguar flips open his satellite phone & makes the call...

... Half an hour later a DVNTS helicopter arrives & picks up the Elites; after that it's a short hop to the Dallas offices to drop off the 'prize', & Jaguar's footage of the battle, then the Elites go their seperate ways - Jaguar heading back to the New York branch, Jetstream getting back to his vacation with his friends & family, & Alloy & Lodestone catching the first sub-orbital back to DVNTS HQ in Namibia...

Hospital:

“So the potential problem is from monsters from the id and not from Lovecraft.”

'Right,' Alinski agrees, 'real "Forbidden Planet" stuff.' ::sly

“Hello?”

Heading into Mani's room Alex finds it empty... Alinski wouldn't have made a mistake, would she..? ::unsure Deciding not to panic just yet Alex looks around, asks after his 'house guest', & is soon pointed in the right direction...

... Walking into Zip's room Alex finds Mani sitting next to the mutilated Elite: although Benoit still looks like he's been through the wringer, Alex recalls what he looked like when he first met him - the figure now in the bed is a vast improvement. All the minor wounds - the bite marks & ragged ends - have healed, his teeth have grown back, as has his hair, his complexion is good, & his body, generally, looks like that of a slender athlete or swimmer... he's still missing the lower half of his body (Alex can't be certain under the sheets, but there does appear to be some evidence of regeneration to his pelvis & legs), his eyes are still covered in bandages (to help protect his healing optics), & his tongue has begun the long process of reforming - he can't yet speak coherantly, but it seems he'll be able to do so in a few more weeks. Benoit has the small white-board he uses to write on in hand (they tried a computer, but he kept pulling all the juice out of it) & it appears that he & Mani have been 'talking'...

... Glancing up at Alex's entrance Mani blinks, then turns her face away & blushes, then stands & walks over. For a moment the young Native American woman seems incertain whether to hug or kiss Alex, or to just shake his hand, & in the end just keeps her hands behind her back. Still avoiding meeting his eyes she says,

'I... uh... I'm glad you're okay, Alex.' Glancing back towards the bed she adds, 'I... we... Benoit & I have been talking... he... he told me what you've been doing for him, coming in here to "donate" power to help him heal. I didn't... I didn't know you did that Alex. I'm... I'm sorry if I've doubted you - you are a good guy, aren't you? I... I think this thing... this things with the baby & all... I think it's going to be okay...' Suddenly she does hug Alex, pressing her face tight into his muscular chest. Looking over her head Alex sees Zip grinning & giving him a 'thumbs-up' from the bed... ::thumbup

[Alex Green]

Zip’s Room:

... Glancing up at Alex's entrance Mani blinks, then turns her face away & blushes, then stands & walks over. For a moment the young Native American woman seems uncertain whether to hug or kiss Alex, or to just shake his hand, & in the end just keeps her hands behind her back. Still avoiding meeting his eyes she says,

'I... uh... I'm glad you're okay, Alex.' Glancing back towards the bed she adds, 'I... we... Benoit & I have been talking... he... he told me what you've been doing for him, coming in here to "donate" power to help him heal. I didn't... I didn't know you did that Alex. I'm... I'm sorry if I've doubted you - you are a good guy, aren't you? I... I think this thing... this things with the baby & all... I think it's going to be okay...' Suddenly she does hug Alex, pressing her face tight into his muscular chest. Looking over her head Alex sees Zip grinning & giving him a 'thumbs-up' from the bed... ::thumbup

Alex holds Mani for a long moment and says to both of them,

“Thank you.”

*Well now, you just never know when a good deed is going to… wait a moment, what happened here? ::confused I thought this was already a settled issue?*

Alex weighs what to say for a moment then he asks,

“Mani, are you all right? They told me you saw something that shook you? Did one of the rodents get lose?”

*Women really are afraid of rats?* ::huh

[Prince of Boredom]

Bruised Injured Ego:

Swearing colourfully Thor pushes the smaller Aaron off him & struggles to his feet, brushing dirt, debris, & assorted plantlife off himself as he does so,

'Odin's beard!' he mutters, 'He makes us look like drunken children!' ::huh ::angry

Thunderbolt quickly takes to the air again, hovering just above the ground, and looks at Thor, and then Hannibal.

[*Drunken children is right! How the F*** are we supposed to beat this guy when he knows what we're gonna do before we do?*

"Thor, he knows what we're thinking before we do, so let's screw thinking and just beat 'em the old fashioned way; pound the sh** out of 'em!"

Aaron then takes off, flying at an angle in the direction farthest away from where Shockwave and Jolt are to put himself at the same altitude as Hannibal but a couple of hundred yards away, and waits.

(essentially holding action to dodge using flight for the dodge dice, and waiting to see what Thor and Hannibal do)

[knave]

MASKS:

Heading into the Elite bar Guy notes that several of the others from the 'assault' have also drifted in, but none seem too much like they're in the mood to talk - it's attempting to drink enough to drown both Nova metabolisms & sorrows all round... ::beer30

... Ordering his beverage of choice Guy glances up to see that his own mask has joined the previous owners of The Samurai name in the ranks of the fallen mounted behind the bar. Following his gaze the baseline bartender double-takes, then asks,

'Er... so you're alive again now, sir? I guess I should take that one down, huh..?' ::confused

Guy nods slowly to the barman... "Yes... You can take it down, mate... "

*Guess masks travel in more than one direction... *

*Wif the forces these buggers are frowing about, anyfing is possible...*

*You 'aveta stop blaming yourself... Zanshin mate... time to find your center. Do somefing for those people... high time...*

Guy leans over the bar...

"Mate, you know where I can find Decay? I got some fings to ask 'im..."

*Somefings about time travel...*

[ProfPotts]

Storm Warning:

"Thor, he knows what we're thinking before we do, so let's screw thinking and just beat 'em the old fashioned way; pound the sh** out of 'em!"

Thor grins up at Thunderbolt,

'I think I can manage that...' ::biggrin he agrees, hefting the mass of his hammer in his hand & calling swirling winds to carry him aloft.

Suddenly, as Aaron flies into position, there's another clap of thunder, & the heavens open: in a matter of seconds a torrential downpour churns the battlefield to mud - the driving rain is so heavy that it's impossible to see more than vague shapes through it. Casting his eyes about Aaron realises that he's lost track of where Hannibal is... ::unsure

'Hah!' Thor's cry sounds over the noise of the rain, & Thunderbolt manages to trace it to a vague Thor-shaped sillhouette hovering in the air a little way off, hammer held aloft, 'This is no matter - I am the god of thunder! I shall quickly dispell this little...'

The thundergod's words are rudely cut off as a huge dark mass - which Aaron can only presume to be one of the trucks he & Shockwave wrecked earlier - slams into the sillhouetted Thor, & carries on to imbed itself in the wall of the villa - Thor & all! Glancing this way & that Aaron still can't spot his enemy...

... Before he knows what's going on Thunderbolt is grabbed from behind & hurled to impact, face-first, into the now mud-strewn ground! Reacting quickly he just manages to roll onto his back before he finds Hannibal's foot on his chest, forcing him to stay down! Thunderbolt's lightning discharges with fizzles & pops into the surounding rain-soaked earth, & runs across Hannibal's foot & up his leg - but the black-skinned Nova seems able to just ignore it. Pounding rain glistening off the jet black skin of his muscular torso, winds whipping his long white hair around his shoulders, Hannibal strikes an imposing figure - no less so when Aaron spots that he now hold's Thor's hammer in his hand! Following Thunderbolt's glance Hannibal fixes him with his all-white eyes,

'I figured out that one's weakness in our last battle - he was never any threat. You, on the other hand, you managed to hurt me. I'm impressed. It won't happen again. It's a pity you proved so resilient to my initial lightning strike - I really wasn't thinking with that one, now, was I? I apologise for not giving our fight my all - I'll rectify that now...'

As Hannibal speaks, Aaron notices another figure, also sillhouetted by the driving rain, leaping through the air towards Hannibal's back: Shockwave! However, seconds before she lands her blow a line of lightning bursts forth from the clouds above, cutting the Aussie Elite down mid-leap & slamming her, steaming & still, into the mud. Not missing a beat Hannibal says,

'... Of course, unlike your own powers, your friend's wonderful ability to absorb & channel kinetic energy leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to lightning.'

Keeping Aaron pinned Hannibal raises Thor's hammer above his head with both hands...

... then goes stiff & shudders: Thunderbolt can barely make out the blur of twin spear-heads emerging rapid-fire from his assailant's chest as Hannibal's blood mists the rain-soaked air. As suddenly as it began the attack stops - Thor's hammer slips from Hannibal's dead fingers as his body slumps to one side to splash heavily into the mud. Behind the fallen Nova Aaron sees only where an invisible, skull masked, figure is outlined by the rain. The distinctive twin spears - one held in each hand - fade from sight as the figure turns & walks away. As the rain stops falling & the sun pierces the rapidly disappearing stormclouds the figure vanishes completely, but Aaron hears the words,

'Ich bin der Hammer, der Dolch, die Sichel, die alles niedermächt...'

::blink

Sun shining, rapidly drying blood & mud alike, Thunderbolt hears Shockwave moan - glancing over he sees the redhead push herself into a sitting position, then curse as she realises that the lightning bolt left her costume top in charred tatters & her (rapidly healing) blast-blackened chest exposed. Covering herself with his hands she glances about, eyes widening when she spots the fallen Hannibal, then calls over to Aaron,

'Great going mate, but do ya' think ya' could find a gal' somethin' t' wear?' ::sly

A moment later the remians of the truck imbedded into the wall of the villa explodes in a shower of shrapnel & Thor emerges, bellowing Nordic battlecries & charging forward - only to skid to a halt & fall on his rear in the mud when he spies the scene. Laughing heartliy he gets to his feet, picking up his hammer, & offers Aaron his hand,

'Congratulations, Thunderer,' he says, 'you have won a great victory here today.'

Dark (Matter) Revelations:

“Mani, are you all right? They told me you saw something that shook you? Did one of the rodents get lose?”

Mani looks a little confused ::confused ,

'Why would that shake me?' she asks, 'No... if it had gotten loose that would have been okay... It... it sort of... it was... "consumed"... the one with the black tail? The "dark matter" stuff seemed to... I don't know... kind of... kind of "eat" it...' she offers Alex a rather nervous sidelong glance, 'That's... I mean... something like that's not going to happen to... to you... or...' she chews a little on her lower lip, 'or... the baby... you know... if there is one...' ::unsure

Masks:

"Yes... You can take it down, mate... "

The bartender shrugs & does so... best not to question the antics of the Elites...

"Mate, you know where I can find Decay? I got some fings to ask 'im..."

'Decay?' the bartender's brow creases a little with thought, then he replies, 'If he's not on assignment then I think he usually spends most of his time alone in his quarters - he's a bit like that, if you catch my drift, sir - prefers his own company. I guess it's something to do with his powers & all... he's the reason we stopped trying to brighten the bar up with plants...'

[Alex Green]

Dark (Matter) Revelations:

,,

Mani looks a little confused ::confused ,

'Why would that shake me?' she asks,

*OK, so all women aren’t afraid of mice.*

'No... if it had gotten loose that would have been okay... It... it sort of... it was... "consumed"... the one with the black tail? The "dark matter" stuff seemed to... I don't know... kind of... kind of "eat" it...' she offers Alex a rather nervous sidelong glance, 'That's... I mean... something like that's not going to happen to... to you... or...' she chews a little on her lower lip, 'or... the baby... you know... if there is one...' ::unsure

::blink There’s a pause as Alex debates what to say,

*Whoops, another rodent sacrificed on the altar of science.*

*Fascinating. Only teleportation and telepathy normally have effects with this kind of range.*

*Poor specimen number three, I really cared about him or her.*

*I wasn’t expecting this and have no clue how dark matter works.*

*The rat with the dark matter tail managed to gain a sliver of my power, just like our child would.*

*Monsters from the ID….*

Alex says,

”I think it did happen to me. I was trying to disarm a quantum bomb when it went off. I’ve been running attunement experiments on those rats. That means making them so my powers treat them like they’re part of me. I guess he caught a piece of the effect.”

“As for kids, no, it doesn’t work like that. Injuring a father doesn’t hurt his son, and I’m not going to be running physics experiments with people, much less kids, much less my own kid. That’s what rats are for. It’s like testing drugs, something has to see if it has harmful effects. Besides, my child will probably have her own powers, and she’ll be as immune to them as I am to mine.”

[Prince of Boredom]

Calm After the Storm:

Sun shining, rapidly drying blood & mud alike, Thunderbolt hears Shockwave moan - glancing over he sees the redhead push herself into a sitting position, then curse as she realises that the lightning bolt left her costume top in charred tatters & her (rapidly healing) blast-blackened chest exposed. Covering herself with his hands she glances about, eyes widening when she spots the fallen Hannibal, then calls over to Aaron,

'Great going mate, but do ya' think ya' could find a gal' somethin' t' wear?' ::sly

A moment later the remians of the truck imbedded into the wall of the villa explodes in a shower of shrapnel & Thor emerges, bellowing Nordic battlecries & charging forward - only to skid to a halt & fall on his rear in the mud when he spies the scene. Laughing heartliy he gets to his feet, picking up his hammer, & offers Aaron his hand,

'Congratulations, Thunderer,' he says, 'you have won a great victory here today.'

Aaron looks up at Thor and gives a strained grin as he winces at the pain that is shooting through his body. Taking the proffered hand, he slowly raises himself up from the ground,

"I'm glad Hannibal has been defeated, but it was not my victory..."

His inflection hinting that perhaps he is dissappointed that he was incapable of avenging Jolt himself.

Turning to Shockwave, he can't help but let her reaction lighten his mood,

"Right, let's see what we can find. You definitley need to keep those weapons of mass destruction concealed, otherwise we'll be beating every man, and woman, in this city down with sticks ::laugh "

Not seeing Jolt as he looks around, he turns back to Shockwave, "Where is Jolt, is she safe?" and then continues to search for some 'coverage' for Shockwave.

[ProfPotts]

Family Talk:

”I think it did happen to me. I was trying to disarm a quantum bomb when it went off. I’ve been running attunement experiments on those rats. That means making them so my powers treat them like they’re part of me. I guess he caught a piece of the effect.”

'Ah...' Chumani manages, looking a little uncertain whether to be relieved or not. ::confused ::unsure

“As for kids, no, it doesn’t work like that. Injuring a father doesn’t hurt his son, and I’m not going to be running physics experiments with people, much less kids, much less my own kid. That’s what rats are for. It’s like testing drugs, something has to see if it has harmful effects. Besides, my child will probably have her own powers, and she’ll be as immune to them as I am to mine.”

'Her own powers...' the Native American girl echos Alex's words & gets a far-off look in her dark-brown eyes... a moment later she looks back at Alex &, seeming nervous once more, moistens her lips before asking,

'You know a lot about this stuff... about how people become Novas? Do you... do you think that... do you think that I'd ever be able to erupt?'

Post Storm Calmness:

"I'm glad Hannibal has been defeated, but it was not my victory..."

Thor seems to ignore Thunderbolt's comment, instead taking the time to boot Hannibal's corpse a couple of times... just to make sure... But Shockwave offers Aaron a confused expression before shrugging & saying quietly,

'Tell me later.'

"Right, let's see what we can find. You definitley need to keep those weapons of mass destruction concealed, otherwise we'll be beating every man, and woman, in this city down with sticks "

'Oh yeah,' Shockwave grins, giving her ample breasts a playful squeeze in emphasis, 'I was thinking of changing my Elite name to "The Bazooka Gal"...' ::laugh

"Where is Jolt, is she safe?"

Becoming slightly more serious Shockwave nods,

'Yup - she went for help, like we discussed... which is good, 'cos I for one don't wanna' walk home...'

... Soon enough a DVNTS hyperjet makes a landing in the grounds of the wrecked villa & the operatives on-board wave the Elites over - Shockwave's 'honour' protected by a fatigue shirt pulled off one of the soldiers & tied tight under her bosom. Climbing on-board Thunderbolt is pleased to see Jolt - alive & well (& still clad in that harem girl outfit... ::blush ): she jumps up to embrace both him & Shockwave, tears in her eyes as she thanks them both repeatedly. Coughing to get the Elite's attention one of the DeVries operatives says,

'We need to go now - Utopia has taken "control" of the situation... now that the work's done, of course... & we don't want to be here when they arrive. We should probably give your friend a lift too...' he nods towards Thor...

... Less than an hour later the sub-orbital aircraft touches down at the DVNTS base. The operatives on-board filled the Elites in on the 'city levelling' incident on the way, so even Shockwave & Thor were quite subdued during the flight. Stepping out of the plane Shockwave stretches & takes a deep breath,

'It's good to be back,' she declares, then winks at Thunderbolt, '& I guess we're off the hook for disobeying orders - all things considered...' ::wink Aiming a thumb at Thor she adds, '& I guess we better buy the big guy a drink before we send him on his way - let's hit Masks!'

[Prince of Boredom]

Post Storm Calmness:

'It's good to be back,' she declares, then winks at Thunderbolt, '& I guess we're off the hook for disobeying orders - all things considered...' ::wink Aiming a thumb at Thor she adds, '& I guess we better buy the big guy a drink before we send him on his way - let's hit Masks!'

Aaron nods to Shockwave and then turns to Thor, "Yeah, I agree. Thor, would you care to join us in toasting our victory over a tankard of ale?"

As they head off towards Masks, Aaron stops and turns to Jolt, "Are you okay? I mean, really okay? I was afraid I'd never see you again..."

As he waits for Jolt's reaction, Aaron feels the weight of the last several hours finally take its emotional toll on him, a wave of total physical, mental and emotional exhaustion washing over him.

[Alex Green]

Family Talk:

,,

'Her own powers...' the Native American girl echos Alex's words & gets a far-off look in her dark-brown eyes... a moment later she looks back at Alex &, seeming nervous once more, moistens her lips before asking,

'You know a lot about this stuff... about how people become Novas? Do you... do you think that... do you think that I'd ever be able to erupt?'

Alex says,

“You’ve got the blood, blood relatives who erupt, a passed blood test. So yeah, you can erupt. Problem is that might mean today, tomorrow, next decade, or even never. Given you’re a pre-nova it’s not clear how we get you to erupt. Exposure to quantum, meaning novas and their powers, seems to play a part with lots of eruptions. The other common theme seems to be a sensory shock of some sorts.”

"In my case I..." *...miswired an experiment and caused a black out then dropped a hammer on my foot.* “...was in a black out and dropped a hammer on my foot. It’s back at my place if you want to use it.” ::biggrin

“Let’s make an eruption date. Close contact with a nova, sensory stimulation, put those together and we get…”::wub ::wub

"Tandem Skydiving (Link).”

Alex gives Mani a wink.

“They’d strap me to your back and then off we go. First time freefall gives total sensory overload, it’s indescribable.”

[archer]

DVNTS HQ, Namibia:

Stepping onto the landing stairs of the sub-orbital jet, Joe shaded his eyes with his hand for a moment, giving them a chance to adjust to the bright sun. Looking around at the base before him as he descended the stairs, he watched the scurry of activity, mentally identifying different Elites as they went about their daily business.

It felt weird, coming here. It wasn't just another place anymore. On the jet, he'd found himself looking forward to returning, and he wasn't sure how to feel about that. Grunting, he tried to dispel the beginnings of any deeper thoughts on the subject, and stopped in the middle of the road, looking around. Permitting himself a small smile as he read the sign above him and a few feet away, he walked into Masks.

Catching sight of Samurai talking to the bartender, his smile expanded, then slowly contracted into a frown as he crossed the room. Everyone in here was down; he could see the pensive expressions, and every pair of eyes seemed to be staring into a drink. Stopping to slide onto a stool next to his Japanese friend, he orders a beer, then glances sideways. Knowing that the Samurai will speak up if he wants to, Joe decides to keep his mouth shut, avoiding the obvious question and simply offering quiet company if it's needed.

[knave]

DVNTS HQ, Namibia:

Catching sight of Samurai talking to the bartender, his smile expanded, then slowly contracted into a frown as he crossed the room. Everyone in here was down; he could see the pensive expressions, and every pair of eyes seemed to be staring into a drink. Stopping to slide onto a stool next to his Japanese friend, he orders a beer, then glances sideways. Knowing that the Samurai will speak up if he wants to, Joe decides to keep his mouth shut, avoiding the obvious question and simply offering quiet company if it's needed.

Guy glances across at Joe, and for the first time in what seems like a very long time indeed he cracks a smile. This man killed him... sorta. It's just that compared to the stress of his most recent experiences that seems like some sort of passing, well intentioned, faux pas and that he (Guy) needs to show that there are no real hard feelings.

"'Ey mate. 'owya doing? Listen, I know you prolly busy an' all, but I just 'elped blow up a city, an' I'm wondering hif I can't make it right some'ow... I was planning on talking to Decay cause Maelfi' put me back togevver hafter y'... er 'E took me apart. Fought 'e might 'ave some idea on 'ow it all works. Fink 'e might be able to shed some light y'know. Wanna join me?"

Regardless of Joe's answer Guy heads off to find Decay.

[ProfPotts]

Hail the Conquering Heroes:

"Yeah, I agree. Thor, would you care to join us in toasting our victory over a tankard of ale?"

Thor grins ::biggrin ,

'Indeed - let us toast our victory...' he trails off & his grins fades as he adds, '... & raise a flagon to the fallen...'

Taking the lead Shockwave claps Thor on the shoulder & tries to raise the mood a litte,

'Come on big fella' - I'll buy the first round: then we can see if I can't drink a god under the table!' ::beer30

For a moment Aaron & Jolt hang back...

"Are you okay? I mean, really okay? I was afraid I'd never see you again..."

Pressing her head to Thunderbolt's chest Jolt sighs,

'I'm okay now that I'm back with you. He...' there's a slight tremour in her voice as she obviously steels herself to continue, '... Hannibal, he... he kind of got inside my head... I hated him so much, wanted so much to leave, but... but I also wanted him, wanted to be near him, to worship him... it was awful - the more I wanted him, the more I began to hate myself... but the feelings just wouldn't go away... then... after he... we... uh... afterwards he told me that I was worthless - barren - that I couldn't give him children like the rest of his "wives"... that's what he wanted, Aaron - he was trying to become the father of a new pantheon of gods - that's what he told me. He boasted about his plans, about how he was going to rule the future through his progeny. I saw... it was true... some of it, at least - I saw dozens of women who were pregnant by him, he said there were hundreds already. Those left with me, when you rescued me - they were his next "batch"... He said I was worthless, Aaron, only fit to be a casual plaything... that he'd just keep me around for fun, like a pet or something... I... It devestated me, that rejection - even though I knew I should, that I did, hate him... I just couldn't help it. Even being his pet, even... when he... when he let his soldiers...' Jolt breaks down into tears for a few moments, then manages to compose herself once more. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand she continues, gazing up at Thunderbolt, '... Then you came - you rescued me. Thor... when he spoke to me... his voice... he said... he said that I was going to be okay, that my man - that you - were there to rescue me. I know he's not a god, not really... but his voice... he dispelled what Hannibal had done to me, allowed me to think for myself once more; & you were there, & I was in your arms, & I knew he'd spoken the truth, that everything was going to be okay...'

Tandem Style:

“You’ve got the blood, blood relatives who erupt, a passed blood test. So yeah, you can erupt. Problem is that might mean today, tomorrow, next decade, or even never. Given you’re a pre-nova it’s not clear how we get you to erupt. Exposure to quantum, meaning novas and their powers, seems to play a part with lots of eruptions. The other common theme seems to be a sensory shock of some sorts.”

Mani nods, seeming a little resigned...

"In my case I... was in a black out and dropped a hammer on my foot. It’s back at my place if you want to use it.”

Mani laughs.

“Let’s make an eruption date. Close contact with a nova, sensory stimulation, put those together and we get…”

Mani raises an eyebrow...

"Tandem Skydiving... They’d strap me to your back and then off we go. First time freefall gives total sensory overload, it’s indescribable.”

Mani smiles, & sighs,

'Sounds great,' she agrees, 'but I doubt it'll help me erupt. I dated... you're going to think this is so lame... but I dated a guy in "The Flying Elvises" for a short while back in Vegas - the offer of skydriving kind of clinched it for me, & it was as good as you said. But...' she looks up at Alex with her big, dark, eyes, '... but another date sounds nice. I mean, if you want... maybe we could... you know, forget all this stuff about the "study" & just... just date for a bit..?' she casts Alex a hopeful (& nervous) expression...

MASKS:

Heading out of Masks, Guy (& Joe..?) bump into Shockwave & Thor.

'Leavin' the party so soon, boys?' Shockwave asks in an (only slightly forced) upbeat manner, 'You could give a gal a complex doin' that...' ::wink

Running her fingers rather suggestively down Joe's washboard stomach she adds,

'Besides, ya' never know what sort o' trouble a gal could get into after a few drinks...' ::devil ::sly

[Prince of Boredom]

Hail the Conquering Heroes:

For a moment Aaron & Jolt hang back...

Pressing her head to Thunderbolt's chest Jolt sighs,

'I'm okay now that I'm back with you. He...' there's a slight tremour in her voice as she obviously steels herself to continue,

...

As Aaron listens, the rage inside him begins to burn once more; first at Hannibal for the unspeakable violation of Jolt and his immense depravity, and then at Totentanz for not allowing him the pleasure of destroying Hannibal. And now he would never be able to gain revenge for Jolt.

Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand she continues, gazing up at Thunderbolt, '... Then you came - you rescued me. Thor... when he spoke to me... his voice... he said... he said that I was going to be okay, that my man - that you - were there to rescue me. I know he's not a god, not really... but his voice... he dispelled what Hannibal had done to me, allowed me to think for myself once more; & you were there, & I was in your arms, & I knew he'd spoken the truth, that everything was going to be okay...'

As Jolt looks into his eyes, Aaron realizes that his fist is clenched from his anger. Making a concerted effort, he relaxes his hand and gently brings it up to touch her face,

"I'm... I'm sorry for leaving you there. I'll never do that again. I'm... I'm here now, and everything is going to be ok."

He leans forward and soflty kisses her forehead and then hugs her close; delighting in the comingling of the blue and yellow electricity that now flows around them.

[knave]

MASKS:

Heading out of Masks, Guy (& Joe..?) bump into Shockwave & Thor.

'Leavin' the party so soon, boys?' Shockwave asks in an (only slightly forced) upbeat manner, 'You could give a gal a complex doin' that...' ::wink

::huh

"Blimey! Wot 'appened to you 'en?!"

Running her fingers rather suggestively down Joe's washboard stomach she adds,

'Besides, ya' never know what sort o' trouble a gal could get into after a few drinks...' ::devil ::sly

*Oh Bleedin'ell* ::blink

"Joe mate, 'ow about you update these folks on your adventures... I'm sure 'ey'll see mine on N bleeding hexclamation mark soon enuf."

To Shockwave and Thor: "Scuse me folks... I really got some business ma''ers to attend to."

Guy nods out his leave taking apology and heads off to quickly consult the map of the complex.

Once he's reminded himself where Decay's quarters are he'll head over there, bash on the door, and if he gets any response at all - he'll launch into his most articulate speech yet!

At Decay (should the opportunity arise): "Listen mate, I know we was just on different side o' the war an' stuff - no 'ard feelings an' all. I don't wanna go 'ere. I just got some stuff I need to know about your power - right. I need to know hif you can go backward and unbreak the stuff you break... I'm guessing from your general hattitude 'at you can't, but bleedin' Maelfius fished me hout of your time fingy after steely bonce frew me out, han 'en 'e went on to make a bleedin' big unstable quantum bomb fing 'at blew up a BLEEDIN' CITY, 'an I can't believe 'ey're not related. I know it's a bleedin' longshot, an' I know you're prolly just as confused has me, but frow me a frickin' bone 'ere mate - is 'ere anyfing you can tell me hat all 'at might 'elp?"

"please?" ::confused

"I mean you must 'ave investigated your power a bit, right? 'oo knew anyfing about it? Maybe one of 'em could 'elp me now? I'm maybe not to blame, but I was 'ere and I'm sane and 'at makes me a bit responsible, y'know. I gotta try to put it right... "

"some'ow..."

[Alex Green]

Tandem Style:

Mani smiles, & sighs,

'Sounds great,' she agrees, 'but I doubt it'll help me erupt. I dated... you're going to think this is so lame... but I dated a guy in "The Flying Elvises" for a short while back in Vegas - the offer of skydriving kind of clinched it for me, & it was as good as you said.

::blink Alex realises,

*She's not just trying to erupt, she's really trying to erupt. I think I'd better mention The Major to her first chance I get. Guy lost his face from the injury that caused his eruption and eruption didn't cure it.*

But...' she looks up at Alex with her big, dark, eyes, '... but another date sounds nice. I mean, if you want... maybe we could... you know, forget all this stuff about the "study" & just... just date for a bit..?' she casts Alex a hopeful (& nervous) expression...

Alex gives a relieved smile and says,

"Great minds think the same. I'd like that a lot." In a question/statement tone of voice he says, "Long walks, candle light dinner, perhaps dancing?" Another thought occurs to him and he adds, "Starting tonight or tomorrow. I'm keeping a bunch of docs waiting right now, that q-bomb did something to my powers and they need to check me out and see if I'll heal right. Mostly I feel fine if a little beat up, but I can't seem to access my dark matter." ::unsure

[archer]

Guy glances across at Joe, and for the first time in what seems like a very long time indeed he cracks a smile.

"'Ey mate. 'owya doing? Listen, I know you prolly busy an' all, but I just 'elped blow up a city, an' I'm wondering hif I can't make it right some'ow... I was planning on talking to Decay cause Maelfi' put me back togevver hafter y'... er 'E took me apart. Fought 'e might 'ave some idea on 'ow it all works. Fink 'e might be able to shed some light y'know. Wanna join me?"

Joe blinks. *Blew up a city?!* His outward expression doesn't change, however; he's had years of practice at keeping a smooth face before this. "Uh, sure man, I'll go with ya. Whatever you say." He stands up, nodding thanks to the bartender for the drink, and follows Guy.

Heading out of Masks, Guy (& Joe..?) bump into Shockwave & Thor.

'Leavin' the party so soon, boys?' Shockwave asks in an (only slightly forced) upbeat manner, 'You could give a gal a complex doin' that...' wink.gif

Running her fingers rather suggestively down Joe's washboard stomach she adds,

'Besides, ya' never know what sort o' trouble a gal could get into after a few drinks...'

Joe clears his throat roughly. Already watching as her fingers trail down his stomach, he keeps his eyes nearly pinned to the floor to avoid looking up at her. Incredibly embarrassed and not sure what to do, he's still trying desperately to come up with a response that'll get him out of staying without upsetting her when Guy speaks up. But it isn't quite what Joe wanted to hear.

"Joe mate, 'ow about you update these folks on your adventures... I'm sure 'ey'll see mine on N bleeding hexclamation mark soon enuf."

"Scuse me folks... I really got some business ma''ers to attend to."

::huh "Uh...right. See you later man. Good luck with that...um, thing." Managing a weak smile, he glances back at Shockwave, and is immediately overwhelmed with the memories of their previous encounter. She was so damn hot! Turning a few shades darker than usual, he forces the smile to a grin and leads the way back to the bar. Eyeballing Thor with a bit of question in his eyes, he takes the orders for whatever they want and puts it on his own tab.

As the drinks arrive, the big Elite finally comes to a realization that really should have been obvious to him earlier: Shockwave couldn't really get drunk, which meant that her wanting to sleep with him was...::blink something she really wanted to do! Quickly scanning Thor again for any horrible maladies or bad breath the god-like nova might have and finding none, he shook his head while glancing down at his own shifting, crackling metal skin. *I am never gonna understand women.*

[ProfPotts]

Sparks:

"I'm... I'm sorry for leaving you there. I'll never do that again. I'm... I'm here now, and everything is going to be ok."

For a long while Jolt seems quite content to just remain, safe & secure, in Thunderbolt's arms...

... Eventually she looks up at him &, in a much lighter tone, says,

'I... I think I should probably get changed...' she glances at the harem costume she's still wearing & blushes ::blush , then looks back to Aaron, '... & I could really do with a long, hot shower...' turning her face away her flush deepens & she adds in a voice barely above a whisper, '... maybe you'd like to join me?' ::blushing

Masks:

"Blimey! Wot 'appened to you 'en?!"

Shockwave shrugs,

'Let's just say Jolt invites us to the wildest parties...' ::sly

"Joe mate, 'ow about you update these folks on your adventures... I'm sure 'ey'll see mine on N bleeding hexclamation mark soon enuf... Scuse me folks... I really got some business ma''ers to attend to."

"Uh...right. See you later man. Good luck with that...um, thing."

Watching Guy exit Shockwave raises an eyebrow ::huh ,

'I guess that being dead thing make a bloke a party pooper, huh...'

Heading into the bar Thor begins to quaff ale (at Joe's expense) as he regales the establishment with what can only be an ancient Norse drinking song of some kind... No-one can understand the words, but Thor's demeanor is pretty catching, & the tune is rhythmic, so after a while most of the patrons have perked up & are starting to join in as best they can. Shockwave, quaffing a fair bit herself, smiles at the Norse god's antics, a certain level of respect in her expression which Joe can't recall seeing before... then she catches Joe's glance, her grin widens, & her eyes narrow. The whole bar being dragged kicking & screaming into a more jovial mood around them ::beer30 the Aussie Elite steps closer to Alloy, her ample bossom pressing against his manly chest, & whispers in his ear,

'So, big fella', wanna' tell me about those "adventures" somewhere a little more intimate?' ::devil

Time Trials:

Guy locates & bashes on the door to Decay's quarters. After a moment the door swings open to reveal the guant Elite standing there in the faded, worn, clothes he usually wears...

"Listen mate, I know we was just on different side o' the war an' stuff - no 'ard feelings an' all. I don't wanna go 'ere. I just got some stuff I need to know about your power - right. I need to knooooooooooo...

Managing to mask his surprise at finding The Samurai alive & well on his doorstep Decay, with the briefest moment of concentration, slowed time to a crawl - Guy's words drawing out long, slow, & deep as he - to Decay's perceptions - went into extreme slow motion.

Free from the normal passage of time the 'elder statesman' among Elites took a moment to allow himself that surprise, & relief, he'd instinctively hidden when he'd opened the door. He'd heard the rumours, of course, but actually seeing the young man standing there... he couldn't remember the last time the feeling of burden his powers brought had been eased like that. So it was one who lived against the countless deaths he'd been responsible for - hardly a balancing of the cosmic scales or anything - but it did feel good. No need to let the youngsters know that though... after all, the old man thought to himself, he had a reputation to uphold.

Glancing about the bare room he lived in - his destructive powers making actually owning property pretty pointless - Decay sighed, the sound lost to the uneven flow of time he'd generated, & walked over to the closet. Sliding the door open he brushed past the rows of identical sets of new clothes, each sealed away in its plastic cover, ready for him to wear when his latest set rotted too much (usually after no more than a day), & pulled out the (new) folding camp chairs & table he'd stashed in there in case of company. Setting up the table & chairs he headed next into the kitchen to throw a few cans of beer into a cooler, which he set on the table - hoping that they'd still be okay, despite his touch. Finally he stepped back into place at the front door & allowed time to catch up with him...

... oooooooow hif you can go backward and unbreak the stuff you break... I'm guessing from your general hattitude 'at you can't, but bleedin' Maelfius fished me hout of your time fingy after steely bonce frew me out, han 'en 'e went on to make a bleedin' big unstable quantum bomb fing 'at blew up a BLEEDIN' CITY, 'an I can't believe 'ey're not related. I know it's a bleedin' longshot, an' I know you're prolly just as confused has me, but frow me a frickin' bone 'ere mate - is 'ere anyfing you can tell me hat all 'at might 'elp?"

Decay raises an eyebrow in a rather cynical expression, but steps aside to let Guy in anyway. Inside the old Elite's bungalow is almost completely bare - just an old, worn, set of folding camp chairs & table in the middle of the room, along with an equally aged cooler full of beer. Decay gestures for Guy to sit...

"please?"

Seating himself opposite The Samurai, Decay takes a beer, & indicates that Guy should follow suit, but then shrugs as he leans back in the chair,

'Not sure what it is you expect me to do, youngster,' he admits.

"I mean you must 'ave investigated your power a bit, right? 'oo knew anyfing about it? Maybe one of 'em could 'elp me now? I'm maybe not to blame, but I was 'ere and I'm sane and 'at makes me a bit responsible, y'know. I gotta try to put it right... "

'I guess I "investigated" my power, yeah, you could say that...' the old man scowls, '... sure, I manipulate time: but only in a negative way. Around me things age, turn to dust... decay... hence the name...' he shakes his head, '... the people I talked to said that "time travel" - that is, the whole "go back & fix your mistakes" thing which you seem to want... that part, that's just not possible. Best we can do is try to learn from our mistakes, try not to make 'em again... or, at least, make 'em smaller the next time...'

"some'ow..."

Decay shakes his head again & scowls at disgust at the foul tasting, out of date, beer (but keeps drinking it anyway). Finally he sighs & looks over to Guy,

'Look kid,' he says, 'this is just setting you up for a fall, but if you really want to waste your time with this nonsense, then the fella' you want to talk to is a Chinaman named Hu - some sort of big-brained quantum physics professor they got at Cambridge University over in merry ol' England. They reckon he's the top man for temporal physics in the world - he's the guy they called in to study my powers. He's the only one I know of who ever said that he could do it - that he could, in theory at least, one day build a "time machine". You ask me if he could do it, he'd have already done it, right? But I guess it's your dollar, kid... You do what you feel ya' need to so that you can sleep at night. That's what counts in the end, son - trying to keep the nightmares quiet.'

[ProfPotts]

Check-up:

"Great minds think the same. I'd like that a lot... Long walks, candle light dinner, perhaps dancing?"

Mani smiles, seeming somewhat reassured by Alex's reaction,

'That sounds lovely...'

"Starting tonight or tomorrow. I'm keeping a bunch of docs waiting right now, that q-bomb did something to my powers and they need to check me out and see if I'll heal right. Mostly I feel fine if a little beat up, but I can't seem to access my dark matter."

The Native American beauty backs away, a little guiltily,

'Oh, right, yes - of course, you better go: make sure you're okay - that's the most important thing. I'll... I guess I'll see you later then?'

Leaving Mani & Zip, Alex soon finds Doctor Alinsky & her team of meta-physicians: what follows is a whirlwind of poking, proding, testing, scanning, & machines with far too many blinking lights & complicated readouts...

... Several hours later Alex, now thoroughly violated by scientific exam, is getting dress again when Alinski approaches him,

'Preliminary results are mixed,' she says, coming straight to the point, 'although you still possess your "normal" levels of enhanced physicality, that part of your Quantum signature which enabled your transformation into "dark matter" is gone. Although we've known Quantum signatures to change over time, to grow & develop, I've never seen anything quite like this - it's almost as if part of your power make-up is just missing. The good news is that it's in no way life threatening. The bad new is... no more Dark Matter Destroyer. I was hoping your powers were just supressed, or exhausted, or burnt-out, but that's not the case - they're missing altogether. There are a few Novas who can steal the powers of others, so the incident isn't totally without precident, but it's unusual enough that it needs further study...' turning & heading out, tapping things ito her PDA, Alinski adds, as an afterthought, '... I'll let you know if I need to see you again.'

::blink

[knave]

Time Trials:

Decay raises an eyebrow in a rather cynical expression, but steps aside to let Guy in anyway. Inside the old Elite's bungalow is almost completely bare - just an old, worn, set of folding camp chairs & table in the middle of the room, along with an equally aged cooler full of beer. Decay gestures for Guy to sit...

The words *Not 'alf creepy...* register somewhere in the back of Guy's mind - despite being in full flow.

Seating himself opposite The Samurai, Decay takes a beer, & indicates that Guy should follow suit, but then shrugs as he leans back in the chair,

Sitting (somewhat gingerly) Guy continues.

'Not sure what it is you expect me to do, youngster,' he admits.

'I guess I "investigated" my power, yeah, you could say that...' the old man scowls, '... sure, I manipulate time: but only in a negative way. Around me things age, turn to dust... decay... hence the name...' he shakes his head, '... the people I talked to said that "time travel" - that is, the whole "go back & fix your mistakes" thing which you seem to want... that part, that's just not possible. Best we can do is try to learn from our mistakes, try not to make 'em again... or, at least, make 'em smaller the next time...'

Decay shakes his head again & scowls at disgust at the foul tasting, out of date, beer (but keeps drinking it anyway). Finally he sighs & looks over to Guy,

Guy drinks as well... ::ohmy ::indifferent keeping his face inscrutable after momentary surprise at the taste.

'Look kid,' he says, 'this is just setting you up for a fall, but if you really want to waste your time with this nonsense, then the fella' you want to talk to is a Chinaman named Hu - some sort of big-brained quantum physics professor they got at Cambridge University over in merry ol' England. They reckon he's the top man for temporal physics in the world - he's the guy they called in to study my powers. He's the only one I know of who ever said that he could do it - that he could, in theory at least, one day build a "time machine". You ask me if he could do it, he'd have already done it, right? But I guess it's your dollar, kid... You do what you feel ya' need to so that you can sleep at night. That's what counts in the end, son - trying to keep the nightmares quiet.'

Guy nods - but it's really a bow - "My uncle used t' say, 'A good deaf is one you can live frough.' I know I'm just a snot-nosed little shite to someone like you, but I fink I'm starting to understand 'im. Y'see you killing me wasn't the first time I died... "

Guy takes a breath before continuing. Something in him needs to confess to this man. This poor, cursed, old man.

"Y'see, I was a little shite 'oo joined the army to play wif bombs. My uncle 'ad whipped some sense inta me, but I was still a child inside. I wanted exitement. For hit's own sake. 'en Eblis came along and blew my Unit to kingdom bleedin' come... And I died - 'an came back to this...

'an I 'ate 'im. I 'ate 'im for the mates 'e took. For the life 'e took. My life. If we'd met during the war... well, maybe hit's better 'at we didn't. ::unsure

I can't 'andle someone feeling like 'at about me."

"Maybe I didn't try t' kill anyone for some bleedin' ideology, but I was 'ere an' people died. I mean I did my fing an' got out... Maybe if I'd stayed... maybe I could'a done somefing more... "

"'an I figure everyfing we do is himpossible."

Guy shrugs and rubs his eyes as he stands to shake the old man's hand.

"Fankyou for Hu. 'An the warning. An' for giving me the hoption when we met before."

Then Guy leaves and makes arrangements to go to Cambridge in search of the mysterious professor Hu.

*Back to ol' bligh'y for you, 'eh mate. Back 'ome. Maybe meet Mum, and maybe George hif 'e's in town... an' try do the himpossible.*

[Alex Green]

The Native American beauty backs away, a little guiltily,

'Oh, right, yes - of course, you better go: make sure you're okay - that's the most important thing. I'll... I guess I'll see you later then?'

Alex gives her a wink and says,

”I’m sure 70% of what’s wrong with me is no-juice and the rest is got-beat-up. A couple of hours to heal and I’ll be good again.” ::wink

”Tell you what; after you’re done here, go back to my place and we’ll meet there. I was serious in what I said earlier, consider it your place. I suspect with waiting and everything I’ll be about three hours but who knows? You know how Doctors are.” ::rolleyes

Leaving Mani & Zip, Alex soon finds Doctor Alinsky & her team of meta-physicians: what follows is a whirlwind of poking, proding, testing, scanning, & machines with far too many blinking lights & complicated readouts...

Alex thinks randomly,

*And that must be the machine that goes bing. ::rolleyes If it weren’t for Doc Alinsky’s presence I’d think someone was just manufacturing billable hours. No doubt this is Karmic punishment for my little white rats.* ::unsure

*I wonder if Mani found the candles and matches above the stove? The candles are white and red if I remember correctly, they’d be nice for a candle lit dinner. ::wub I bought them for a special occasion… in a few days I was going to confirm that dark matter converted rats are fire proof.*

... Several hours later Alex, now thoroughly violated by scientific exam, is getting dress again when Alinski approaches him,

'Preliminary results are mixed,' she says, coming straight to the point, 'although you still possess your "normal" levels of enhanced physicality, that part of your Quantum signature which enabled your transformation into "dark matter" is gone.

::huh *What did she say? I couldn’t have heard that correctly.* ::confused

Although we've known Quantum signatures to change over time, to grow & develop, I've never seen anything quite like this - it's almost as if part of your power make-up is just missing. The good news is that it's in no way life threatening. The bad new is... no more Dark Matter Destroyer. I was hoping your powers were just supressed, or exhausted, or burnt-out, but that's not the case - they're missing altogether. There are a few Novas who can steal the powers of others, so the incident isn't totally without precident, but it's unusual enough that it needs further study...' turning & heading out, tapping things ito her PDA, Alinski adds, as an afterthought, '... I'll let you know if I need to see you again.'

::jaw

Alinski leaves the room.

*Replay that conversation.* ::blink

*OK, here you go. <replay>.* ::ohmy

*No. Do that again, but correctly this time.* ::nono

*OK, here you go. <replay>.* ::wacko

*…This is a problem. ::scared What do I do?*

Alex picks up a scalpel that was lying on the counter and places it against his wrist.

*Aren’t you going to try to talk me out of this?*

*Why bother? You aren’t serious.*

*I’m not?* ::confused

*No. And it’s way too soon even if you were. You’re in shock. Your world has been shattered twice in the last 24 hours. Go home. Cry on Mani’s shoulders. Sleep with her if she’ll let you and you feel up to it.*

*…sure.*

Alex goes home.

[archer]

Heading into the bar Thor begins to quaff ale (at Joe's expense) as he regales the establishment with what can only be an ancient Norse drinking song of some kind... No-one can understand the words, but Thor's demeanor is pretty catching, & the tune is rhythmic, so after a while most of the patrons have perked up & are starting to join in as best they can. Shockwave, quaffing a fair bit herself, smiles at the Norse god's antics, a certain level of respect in her expression which Joe can't recall seeing before... then she catches Joe's glance, her grin widens, & her eyes narrow. The whole bar being dragged kicking & screaming into a more jovial mood around them ::beer30 the Aussie Elite steps closer to Alloy, her ample bossom pressing against his manly chest, & whispers in his ear,

'So, big fella', wanna' tell me about those "adventures" somewhere a little more intimate?' ::devil

Feeling a hot shiver run all the way down his neck to areas below his torso ::sly, Joe slides a hand around to rest in the small of her back, and pulls her in tighter. Pulling his head away to look her in the face, his stone-faced demeanor slowly cracks into a wide grin. "Yes ma'am!"

[Prince of Boredom]

Sparks:

For a long while Jolt seems quite content to just remain, safe & secure, in Thunderbolt's arms...

... Eventually she looks up at him &, in a much lighter tone, says,

'I... I think I should probably get changed...' she glances at the harem costume she's still wearing & blushes ::blush , then looks back to Aaron, '... & I could really do with a long, hot shower...' turning her face away her flush deepens & she adds in a voice barely above a whisper, '... maybe you'd like to join me?' ::blushing

Aaron leans in close, his lips barely touching Jolt's ear,

"I think we could both use a long and hot shower..." ::wink

After a light kiss on her cheek, Aaorn gently picks Jolt up and carries her off to her bungalow and the waiting shower.....

[ProfPotts]

Six Weeks After the 'Quantum Bomb'

Cambridge, England:

Jean Winters walked down the narrow street next to the ancient seats of learning which were the colleges of Cambridge university, her high heels clipping out a stacatto rythmn as she went. As usual eyes turned on her from all sides - something she'd come to expect since her eruption had transformed her skin to grey lizard-like scales - but she was still not used to the way the English tried to politely hide the fact they were staring... back home in the States they tended to just openly gape & point... she was still undecided which she prefered. Of course, she told herself, this stylish little black number & high heels don't help matters any: lizard-skin or not, she knew her figure was Nova-perfect now, & was usually quite happy to show it off... this time, however, she was starting to think she'd gotten her wires crossed a little - they'd told her than the university tended towards 'formal' dress, but now she was there it seemed to mean stuffy old professors in full academic robes, rather than a dress suitable for a dinner party... For the millionth time since Chad she fervantly wished she still had her Eufiber outfit... ::unsure

Taking a moment to step back out of the way of yet another group of students on bicycles (which seemed to be the primary mode of transport around the university town - especially considering how slowly the cars moved on the over-taxed medieval road system) Jean glanced up through her gargoyle sunglasses at the nearest ornate bastion of academia - a building older than her own country (as the taxi driver had been more than happy to point out ::rolleyes ) - & tried to figure out if it was the one the 'porter' had mentioned: the elderly gentleman had first approached her yelling for her to not walk on the grass - which had been confusing, because several robed individuals had been doing just that, & he didn't seem annoyed with them - but on discovering that she was an American he'd switched to the rather forgiving, & more than a little patronizing, tone she'd found that many English took with their cousins from across the pond. She'd liked him though, he'd taken her unusual skin & the fact that her eyes blazed with light from behind the sunglasses totally in stride - as if he'd seen such things every day of his life - which was a nice change of pace for her. After taking a long, rambling, time explaining that only faculty members were allowed to walk on the grass (& that they were robed not so much to teach, but because it entitled them to a free three course meal every day... ::confused ) he'd finally pointed her in the direction of her prey... no, she chided herself, she mustn't think like that - this was meant to be a negotiation, not a conflict...

Eventually finding the correct building Jean turned into another corridor to spot the man she was there to see, apparantly already having a confrontation of his own with a member of staff...

... The musty old professor rolls his eyes & sighs as he responds to Guy's questions once more,

'I'm sorry, sir,' he says - not bothering to hide his exasperation, 'we have no "Time Lords" in this department - or any other, as far as I'm aware! Maybe you should try Cardiff? I believe that's where they film it nowadays..? But I really am rather busy, so if you'll excuse me...' with that the academic backs through the door into his office & closes it in Guy's face... ::rolleyes ::angry

... Turning, Guy is rather surprised to see the grey lizard-skinned figure of Basilisk approaching him down the corridor, looking rather attractive in a 'little black dress' & high heels, wrap-around sunglasses hiding her glowing eyes. Stopping next to him the female Elite glances at the closed office door, then looks back at Guy,

'Sorry to interupt, Samurai,' she says, 'but your people said I'd find you here... If you're finished, then maybe I could have a word? Oh...' she adds, a smile spreading across her lips, '... I nearly forgot: welcome back from the dead!' ::sly

New York, USA:

Alex stepped out of the meeting not sure whether to be happy or not: it had all gone a lot quicker than he'd expected, & the board asking the questions had seemed eager to get it over with... & possibly a little nervous as well..? Still, he guessed it was official now - Doctor Alex Green... he'd just expected more... fireworks... ::unsure

'All done?'

The business-suited man pushed himself up from where he'd been leaning against the wall in the corridor outside the room & offered his hand & a business card: he was a shade under six feet, with an average build, in, perhaps, his thirties, with neatly styled brown hair & quick grey eyes. The name on the card announced the individual as 'Dominic Hayes', the business in question - Alex realised he should have known - was DeVries...

Hayes glanced at the door Alex had just exited through & smiled,

'Congratulations, Doctor Green,' he offered, gesturing for Alex to join him as he walked towards the exit, 'I take it your generous donations for re-building the campus went down well? We've been allocating some of your pay towards that end - just to make sure they weren't bias towards you over that little... incident... you understand.' ::sly

Stepping out into the New York air Hayes reached into his inside jacket pocket & produced a plane ticket, which he handed to Alex: the destination read Mumbai, India.

'Your next "assignment" will, I understand, meet you at the airport. Have a nice flight, Doctor.'

Alex's Bungalow, Namibia:

'I... uh... no...' Mani stammered as she sat perched on the edge of an armchair, opposite Joe - it'd been hard enough explaining this to Alex, let alone her cousin... Still, she guessed if he couldn't handle this, then he'd never be able to handle... her hand strayed unconsciously to her stomach as her thoughts turned to the confirmation the DeVries Doctors had given her just days beforehand... Why did Alex have to be away now, of all times? Glancing up briefly at Joe Mani found herself looking away once more, unable to meet his eyes as she tried to continue, '... no I... I'm not a financial "whizz", sorry... I... ah... they asked me to lie about that... I'm... or rather, I was... a... um... "exotic dancer" on the Vegas Strip...' Cringing slightly Mani waited for Joe's responce... ::unsure

Thunderbolt & Jolt's Bungalow, Namibia:

Yuriko couldn't help smiling as Aaron finished moving the last piece of furniture - she'd been bowled over when he'd asked her to move in but, after the initial shock had worn off, had leapt at the suggestion. She felt so safe when he was around, so loved... it was something she'd not felt since before her eruption, & now... well, now she was making sure that the bungalow was well & truly 'theirs' & not 'his'... ::biggrin

... It was almost enough to make her forget what had happened to her in Chad... so similar to the fate she'd ran away from Japan to avoid in the first place - Yakuza or Hannibal, they'd both just wanted to own her as some sort of prize... She'd thought she was better than that, stronger than that - an Elite... but Maelfius had captured her so easily, & Hannibal... well, he was dead, wasn't he - it didn't serve any purpose to dwell on that monster...

... But she wouldn't let it happen again: kissing Aaron on the cheek she slipped into the bedroom to lay her new gear out on the bed - DeVries made the best toys, after all, & she'd always been something of a computer geek - right up until that power surge through her Virtual Reality rig had caused her to erupt. She cast her eyes over the equipment: silver-lace invisibility suit, laser electroshock pistol, carbon-fiber garotte, VR goggle & glove interface for the two surviellance 'bots - her 'babies' - the cute little high speed stealth explorer, & the 'dragon' urban infiltrator with mounted maser gun. The DeVries techs had made everything to her specifications: the personal gear was all coated with the same 'stealth' fibers as the suit, & was all within her limits of attunement. She'd not be caught unprepared again...

Slipping out of her casual cut-off jeans & T-shirt Yuriko stepped into the invisibility suit, the sheer fibers clinging to her trim figure like a second skin. Grinning she called into the other room,

'I'm trying out my new gear, lover - want to come & zip me up?' as Aaron entered the room she couldn't resist planting another kiss on his lips, her body, clad in nothing but the partially-worn invisibility suit, pressed close to his rock-hard chest & abs... looking up at her lover from under her lashes she added, 'So what new toys did you buy with your last paycheck?'

[Alex Green]

Alex stepped out of the meeting not sure whether to be happy or not: it had all gone a lot quicker than he'd expected, & the board asking the questions had seemed eager to get it over with... & possibly a little nervous as well..? Still, he guessed it was official now - Doctor Alex Green... he'd just expected more... fireworks... ::unsure

All that prep-work and it was like pushing through a paper wall. ::huh

It’s because of all that work that it was so easy.

I don’t feel any different right now than I did two hours ago.

What? Expecting a ‘Kaboom’? Maybe a beam of light from the heavens? The point of a degree is largely to prove you have the intellectual prowess and the mental fortitude to go through the process. The research itself, as normal for a PhD thesis, turned out to be esoteric. Only 25 or so baselines can even understand my work, and maybe a third of them care. ::rolleyes

And that’s before factoring in leveling the physics building. ::ninja

It wasn’t leveled! Well, not by me. Is it my fault they had too tear the thing down? ::ohmy

Considering the DMD knocked down a load bearing wall in the basement? Yes! And if they hadn’t approved your thesis you might have to hang around on campus… ::glare

Hey, I earned that degree. ::angry

Very true. So now that you have the right to call yourself Doctor, and as the DMD doesn’t appear to be coming back, you need a new name? Green is a color, maybe Dr. Spectrum? Or we could just replace Dark Matter with “Doctor”…. Doctor Destroyer? Um… Or maybe the Wizard of Oz has a better idea.

::confused

'All done?'

The business-suited man pushed himself up from where he'd been leaning against the wall in the corridor outside the room & offered his hand & a business card: he was a shade under six feet, with an average build, in, perhaps, his thirties, with neatly styled brown hair & quick grey eyes. The name on the card announced the individual as 'Dominic Hayes', the business in question - Alex realised he should have known - was DeVries...

Hayes glanced at the door Alex had just exited through & smiled,

'Congratulations, Doctor Green,' he offered, gesturing for Alex to join him as he walked towards the exit, 'I take it your generous donations for re-building the campus went down well? We've been allocating some of your pay towards that end - just to make sure they weren't bias towards you over that little... incident... you understand.' ::sly

::jaw *So that’s where my money has been going? DeVries has been bribing the University… with my money?*

*And it worked too. And technically that mess was your fault. Who did you think should pay for it?* ::sly

*Um… OK. So should I be upset over this or not? Or maybe upset I didn’t think of it myself?* ::unsure

Stepping out into the New York air Hayes reached into his inside jacket pocket & produced a plane ticket, which he handed to Alex: the destination read Mumbai, India.

'Your next "assignment" will, I understand, meet you at the airport. Have a nice flight, Doctor.'

Alex nods, quickly looks at the departing time on the ticket, and gets his thoughts in order.

*Leaving tonight. Left enough time to deal with a long thesis defense, so they aren’t all knowing. I’ll still have time to met up with Rori… actually I should call and see if she’s free earlier.::wub I’m ahead of schedule so… wait a moment.*

Alex says,

“Thank you, Mr Hayes. Ah… I left my gear is in Africa. This…” Alex waves his hands at the campus “…isn’t the sort of place that one usually needs that sort of thing. Will what's needed be supplied on site or should I be trying to obtain it here?”

[knave]

Six Weeks After the 'Quantum Bomb'

Cambridge, England:

Jean Winters walked down the narrow street next to the ancient seats of learning which were the colleges of Cambridge university, her high heels clipping out a stacatto rythmn as she went. As usual eyes turned on her from all sides - something she'd come to expect since her eruption had transformed her skin to grey lizard-like scales - but she was still not used to the way the English tried to politely hide the fact they were staring... back home in the States they tended to just openly gape & point... she was still undecided which she prefered. Of course, she told herself, this stylish little black number & high heels don't help matters any: lizard-skin or not, she knew her figure was Nova-perfect now, & was usually quite happy to show it off... this time, however, she was starting to think she'd gotten her wires crossed a little - they'd told her than the university tended towards 'formal' dress, but now she was there it seemed to mean stuffy old professors in full academic robes, rather than a dress suitable for a dinner party... For the millionth time since Chad she fervantly wished she still had her Eufiber outfit... ::unsure

Taking a moment to step back out of the way of yet another group of students on bicycles (which seemed to be the primary mode of transport around the university town - especially considering how slowly the cars moved on the over-taxed medieval road system) Jean glanced up through her gargoyle sunglasses at the nearest ornate bastion of academia - a building older than her own country (as the taxi driver had been more than happy to point out ::rolleyes ) - & tried to figure out if it was the one the 'porter' had mentioned: the elderly gentleman had first approached her yelling for her to not walk on the grass - which had been confusing, because several robed individuals had been doing just that, & he didn't seem annoyed with them - but on discovering that she was an American he'd switched to the rather forgiving, & more than a little patronizing, tone she'd found that many English took with their cousins from across the pond. She'd liked him though, he'd taken her unusual skin & the fact that her eyes blazed with light from behind the sunglasses totally in stride - as if he'd seen such things every day of his life - which was a nice change of pace for her. After taking a long, rambling, time explaining that only faculty members were allowed to walk on the grass (& that they were robed not so much to teach, but because it entitled them to a free three course meal every day... ::confused ) he'd finally pointed her in the direction of her prey... no, she chided herself, she mustn't think like that - this was meant to be a negotiation, not a conflict...

Eventually finding the correct building Jean turned into another corridor to spot the man she was there to see, apparantly already having a confrontation of his own with a member of staff...

... The musty old professor rolls his eyes & sighs as he responds to Guy's questions once more,

'I'm sorry, sir,' he says - not bothering to hide his exasperation, 'we have no "Time Lords" in this department - or any other, as far as I'm aware! Maybe you should try Cardiff? I believe that's where they film it nowadays..? But I really am rather busy, so if you'll excuse me...' with that the academic backs through the door into his office & closes it in Guy's face... ::rolleyes ::angry

Guy nods slowly to himself. Finally. It was always going to come to this. He sighs, shrugs his broad shoulders and turns away from a hopeless quest.

*You knew 'at old bastard spun you a load of Jacksons mate, but you done it hanyway. You gone an' punished yourself for no-one's benefit. Well... maybe you felt be'er for it... Maybe you'll learn your lesson. The past is wot you... 'ello!*

... Turning, Guy is rather surprised to see the grey lizard-skinned figure of Basilisk approaching him down the corridor, looking rather attractive in a 'little black dress' & high heels, wrap-around sunglasses hiding her glowing eyes. Stopping next to him the female Elite glances at the closed office door, then looks back at Guy,

*Oh bleedin' 'ell* ::ohmy Guy manages to stop himself from dropping to a combat crouch - his instincts just aren't screaming COMBAT IMMANENT, but he almost wishes he could *Christ onna bike... woddaya say to a bird 'ose clothes you 'alf inched! Hafter beating 'er somefing 'orrid.*

'Sorry to interupt, Samurai,' she says, 'but your people said I'd find you here... If you're finished, then maybe I could have a word? Oh...' she adds, a smile spreading across her lips, '... I nearly forgot: welcome back from the dead!' ::sly

For a moment Guy looks utterly stricken ::unsure

*Right - she's ignoring it - you just ignore it! Grand. I can play 'at one!*

"Oh, Hi. Um. Right. Fanks. Sure. I'm done 'ere."

"Nice to see you." ::huh

"Oh nice rolland, good job... just 'arp on about 'seeing 'er' - 'atll get you some mileage done.*

"Well. I mean. Nice to see you well. " ::blush

"If you like I know a place nearby 'at does a decent cuppa."

If Basilisk is amenable, Guy leads her across to a nearby greasy spoon where he proceeds to order English Breakfast Tea (it may be a greasy spoon, but THIS IS ENGLAND AFTER ALL!) and whatever Basilisk wants.

Finally, after seating her at a reassuringly wonky table (*'at's it mate... don't forget your manner's - she might take hoffense*) Guy sits down, leans back on his chair and takes a sip of tea.

"Right luv, wot can I do for you?"

[ProfPotts]

The Right Tool for the Right Job:

“Thank you, Mr Hayes. Ah… I left my gear is in Africa. This... isn’t the sort of place that one usually needs that sort of thing. Will what's needed be supplied on site or should I be trying to obtain it here?”

Hayes smiles but says nothing, as if waiting for the punchline... then, when the silence starts to get awkward, blinks ::blink , coughs, & can't help his gaze slipping down to Alex's nether-region for a brief second,

'Oh...' he begins, carefully, 'I... ah... I was under the impression you had all the... um... "equipment" you needed, Doc. If you're looking for... er... little blue pills or anything... then I guess we can find someone to supply a few out there...' ::unsure

More Tea Vicar?:

"Oh, Hi. Um. Right. Fanks. Sure. I'm done 'ere... Nice to see you."

Basilisk frowns, the glow behind her shades brightening just a little... ::angry

"Well. I mean. Nice to see you well. "

The frown & glow both soften somewhat, but the female Elite still looks like she's gritting her teeth... ::unsure

"If you like I know a place nearby 'at does a decent cuppa."

Unable to supress a small sigh Basilisk nods,

'Okay,' she agrees, 'that sounds fine...'

In the greasy spoon...

"Right luv, wot can I do for you?"

The lizard-skinned woman looks around the small café...

'This place is...'

*tiny... cramped... old... filthy...*

'... "quaint"...' she finally seems to settle on, gingerly sipping the mug of black coffee she's ordered... before pushing it away... Fixing her shaded gaze on Guy she leans forward across the table (which, he notices, does interesting things to her bust in that dress... ::blush ), 'What you can do for me... "luv"...' she responds, with a healthy touch of aggression in her tone which Guy is pretty sure she didn't mean to be there, '... is give me back my mask... & my Eufiber...'

Leaning back in her chair Basilisk returns the glances of several of the patrons who couldn't help but stop & glance over at her rather anrgy tone... they quickly return to their eggs 'n' bacon (& black pudding!) & chatting about the footie, making out as if nothing had happened. Basilisk sighs, rubbing her temples, then glances back at Guy,

'Okay,' she says in a softer tone, 'I didn't mean that to sound so... bitchy... I didn't think it'd bother me so much, but...' she looks out of the café's plate glass window at the students cycling by, & the punts floating on the nearby river Cam, '... I take it you know that ninety-six percent of OpNet searches on me now bring up that damned footage of me after you removed my outfit...'

Sighing again she glances back at Guy before returning her gaze to the window,

'... Not your fault, I know that... after all, you spared my life, right? That's the whole point of un-masking... So I guess I should thank you for that, at least... It's just... well, I need to get back in the game, so I need my mask... & that Eufiber cost me... well, a lot... have you met Buendia? Man's a total prick... even if I manage to earn the cash, I do not want to go through that again...'

Shaking her head slightly she once more glances at Guy... just as he's starting to wonder if she's picturing blowing his head off, she shrugs & adds,

'Look - when you were MIA I was going to go see if I could swop the DMD's mask for mine with that Decay guy, the one you "killed" you? Now you're flesh & bone again, I was wondering if you'd go for the same deal? Or another deal? That's why I'm here... I'm not meant to be venting... I'm here to, you know, negotiate & stuff...'

[Alex Green]

The Right Tool for the Right Job:

Hayes smiles but says nothing, as if waiting for the punchline... then, when the silence starts to get awkward, blinks ::blink , coughs, & can't help his gaze slipping down to Alex's nether-region for a brief second,

'Oh...' he begins, carefully, 'I... ah... I was under the impression you had all the... um... "equipment" you needed, Doc. If you're looking for... er... little blue pills or anything... then I guess we can find someone to supply a few out there...' ::unsure

::blink There's a pause and then Alex laughs, after a moment he pauses and says... ::laugh

"Oh. That project. I meant I left my firearms in Africa. I really..." *...have to stop thinking of myself as an elite...* "...never mind."

"Thanks but I think I can take it from here." ::wink

[knave]

More Tea Vicar?:

'Okay,' she agrees, 'that sounds fine...'

In the greasy spoon...

The lizard-skinned woman looks around the small café...

'This place is...'

*tiny... cramped... old... filthy...*

'... "quaint"...' she finally seems to settle on, gingerly sipping the mug of black coffee she's ordered... before pushing it away...

Guy grins slightly. "Yeah, I like quaint." *'at'sa problem wif coffee drinkers... always wif the bleedin' standards.*

Guy takes another sip of his English Breakfast tea.

Fixing her shaded gaze on Guy she leans forward across the table (which, he notices, does interesting things to her bust in that dress... ::blush ), 'What you can do for me... "luv"...' she responds, with a healthy touch of aggression in her tone which Guy is pretty sure she didn't mean to be there, '... is give me back my mask... & my Eufiber...'

::huh Placing the cup down neatly on its cracked plastic saucer, Guy tries to compose himself in response to Basilisk's br... bitterness. "Blimey. I..." *Stay h'on target mate. No... target's up a bit. Right - face. Mince pies to die for, remember. Bleedin' 'ell. Nezumi. Remember 'er. Sandy bird. Remember 'er. You 'ave a problem wif the ladies, mate. 'ey're bad news for you. Up a bit!*

Leaning back in her chair Basilisk returns the glances of several of the patrons who couldn't help but stop & glance over at her rather anrgy tone... they quickly return to their eggs 'n' bacon (& black pudding!) & chatting about the footie, making out as if nothing had happened. Basilisk sighs, rubbing her temples, then glances back at Guy,

*Oh Blimey* Guy glances around - and shrugs resignedly for the benefit of any good patrons who're still peeking - clearly saying to every Englishman who ever walked the Earth 'women trouble eh - can't be helped - you KNOW what they're like' and to every Englishwoman 'Don't mind me, I'm a complete tosser who's going to be sleeping on the couch till I weasel back into my darling's good graces'

Turning back into the face of the ire.

'Okay,' she says in a softer tone, 'I didn't mean that to sound so... bitchy... I didn't think it'd bother me so much, but...' she looks out of the café's plate glass window at the students cycling by, & the punts floating on the nearby river Cam, '... I take it you know that ninety-six percent of OpNet searches on me now bring up that damned footage of me after you removed my outfit...'

*Bleedin' 'ell. No wonder she's upset.*

Sighing again she glances back at Guy before returning her gaze to the window,

*h'it's been a while since you did h'any OpNetting Guy me old mate.* He tries to keep the smile inward.

*Seriously though mate, you can use 'is.*

'... Not your fault, I know that... after all, you spared my life, right? That's the whole point of un-masking... So I guess I should thank you for that, at least... It's just... well, I need to get back in the game, so I need my mask... & that Eufiber cost me... well, a lot... have you met Buendia? Man's a total prick... even if I manage to earn the cash, I do not want to go through that again...'

Shaking her head slightly she once more glances at Guy... just as he's starting to wonder if she's picturing blowing his head off, she shrugs & adds,

'Look - when you were MIA I was going to go see if I could swop the DMD's mask for mine with that Decay guy, the one you "killed" you? Now you're flesh & bone again, I was wondering if you'd go for the same deal? Or another deal? That's why I'm here... I'm not meant to be venting... I'm here to, you know, negotiate & stuff...'

Guy picks up his tea, and "Mmmm"s to himself before taking a sip, brain obviously in overdrive. He scratches at the scraggly stubble trying to find purchase on his chin.

"Um. Right, look, first, I didn't meant to 'umilitate you. h'It just seemed the safest way to make sure you weren't getting back into 'at fight. 'an 'at fight was pretty bleedin' 'orrible."

He lifts his free hand up a little as if to say 'hear me out, please'.

"But you've come h'all 'is way to make a deal. 'at tells me you want back in pretty bad. I respect 'at, but I also need the suit. "

He rubs a hand over his mouth thoughtfully, before continuing, "Ok, tell you what, Alex is a mate, so yeah, you give 'im back 'is mask - 'at's a start, but I also want somefing from you.

*Steady mate... Let 'er fink the worst of you, an' 'en let 'er burn 'er self down wif guilt... just don't get a face full of bleedin' deaf in the process, right*

"'at being h'information on some of 'ose nasty beggers 'ose side you 'appened to be fighting on... So - 'ere's the deal, right: Your mask in exchange for DMD's, and everyfing you know on Maelfius and Iblis - and Swarm for 'at matter - 'e killed some of ours too."

*Now sweeten it*

{Prof - I assume she's not working for DVNTS}

"But I'll also 'ave a word wif a few people at DeVries 'bout you. Could be I could get you a sweeter deal wif the agency 'at's got h'its very own wizard o' the wardrobe to take care of outfit procurement for ya."

He shrugs.

"Waddaya say?"

[archer]

Alex's Bungalow, Namibia:

'I... uh... no...' Mani stammered as she sat perched on the edge of an armchair, opposite Joe - it'd been hard enough explaining this to Alex, let alone her cousin... Still, she guessed if he couldn't handle this, then he'd never be able to handle... her hand strayed unconsciously to her stomach as her thoughts turned to the confirmation the DeVries Doctors had given her just days beforehand... Why did Alex have to be away now, of all times? Glancing up briefly at Joe Mani found herself looking away once more, unable to meet his eyes as she tried to continue, '... no I... I'm not a financial "whizz", sorry... I... ah... they asked me to lie about that... I'm... or rather, I was... a... um... "exotic dancer" on the Vegas Strip...' Cringing slightly Mani waited for Joe's responce... ::unsure

Joe raises a hand to cover his eyes. "Aww dammit, Mani.", he half mutters, leaning back in his chair. Sighing heavily, he grumbles under his breath, seemingly arguing with himself. After one or two tense minutes, he finally sits back up and grips both of the chair arms hard. The wood creaks dangerously, and he loosens his hands. Looking down at the floor, he swallows and tries to continue. "Alright, well, I guess I can understand lyin' about something like that. And I know you wouldn't of done it if you didn't need to. But, y'know, you're here and I'm here now, and I could...uh, y'know, take care of you, um...financially. Maybe you could go to college for real, and uh...maybe become a finance whiz or something. I mean, that way you wouldn't have to hang onto Alex for everything."

He pauses uncomfortably, then looks up at her, his expression more open than she'd seen in years. "What are you doing with him, anyways?"

[Prince of Boredom]

Thunderbolt & Jolt's Bungalow, Namibia:

Slipping out of her casual cut-off jeans & T-shirt Yuriko stepped into the invisibility suit, the sheer fibers clinging to her trim figure like a second skin. Grinning she called into the other room,

'I'm trying out my new gear, lover - want to come & zip me up?' as Aaron entered the room she couldn't resist planting another kiss on his lips, her body, clad in nothing but the partially-worn invisibility suit, pressed close to his rock-hard chest & abs... looking up at her lover from under her lashes she added, 'So what new toys did you buy with your last paycheck?'

Reaching his hand behind her back, Aaron slowly zips up the invisibility suit, his index finger gently tracing her spine as he does so. Glancing over her shoulder at the gear on the bed, he looks down into her beautiful eyes,

"Well dear, apparently my paycheck isn't quite as large as yours, perhaps I should renegotiate... ::tongue I actually did put an order in about a week ago for one of these nifty suits, and I asked 'em to keep a look out for a suit of eufiber for me. Nothing as cool as your new toys though... can I play too? ::devil "

[ProfPotts]

Hooray for Bollywood:

"Thanks but I think I can take it from here."

Several hours later...

The commercial jet touches down in Mumbai, India: with DeVries paying for first class all the way, Alex has had a pretty comfortable trip, & his own Nova metabolism means that while other passengers are stumbling blinking into the harsh sunlight, looking a lot like death warmed over, he's feeling fresh as the proverbial daisy & ready to take on the world. Taking the VIP route through customs also greatly decreases the usual frustration which results from incessent queing. Still, he can't help but compare the hours-long trip with the lightning-fast suborbital hyperjets he's been passenger on a few times...

Mumbai airport is a bustling place: wall-to-wall people, all going about their various business, with the constant chatter of confusing language, & the usual awkwardness of luggage bashing everyone left & right... VIP trip or not, Alex is quite relieved when he spots a man holding up a sign with 'Doctor Alex Green [DeVries]' printed neatly on it in large letters. The man looks local, early thirties, & is dressed in a smart short-sleeved shirt & tie, but otherwise sports the traditonal uniform of a limo driver - complete with peaked cap. Spotting Alex the man quickly takes what must be a photo out of his pocket, checks it, puts it away, then tries to get the Nova's attention...

Deal or No Deal?:

"But you've come h'all 'is way to make a deal. 'at tells me you want back in pretty bad. I respect 'at, but I also need the suit... Ok, tell you what, Alex is a mate, so yeah, you give 'im back 'is mask - 'at's a start, but I also want somefing from you.... at being h'information on some of 'ose nasty beggers 'ose side you 'appened to be fighting on... So - 'ere's the deal, right: Your mask in exchange for DMD's, and everyfing you know on Maelfius and Iblis - and Swarm for 'at matter - 'e killed some of ours too... But I'll also 'ave a word wif a few people at DeVries 'bout you. Could be I could get you a sweeter deal wif the agency 'at's got h'its very own wizard o' the wardrobe to take care of outfit procurement for ya... Waddaya say?"

Basilisk waits until Guy's finished his pitch then, frowning once again, leans across the table & shakes her head,

'What do I say? How about this: if I wanted to work for DeVries, I would - I'm not a frickin' charity case... some of us like being independent, while some of you like to be told what to do all the time... each to their own I guess. I'd happily tell you about Maelfius, Iblis, & Swarm if I knew anything, but I'm pretty sure you could get more information off the OpNet - we were hired by the same people, we're not "best buddies" or anything. As for the suit... of course you think you "need" it, just like I'm sure you'd "need" a Rolls-Royce if you stole that... This isn't the Middle Ages - it's not "the spoils of war" - you stole my property & I'm giving you the chance to return it... before things get nasty. I'm trying to do the right thing here, but if you want to play it the merc way, then by all means I'll happily sheer your head from your shoulders from a dozen kilometers away - it's not like I haven't had any practice or anything. Circumstances were in your favour in Chad - if I'm gunning for you, things will be different... but as I said... I'm trying to do the right thing here...' ::angry

By the end of her monologue the glow behind Basilisk's shades has intensified to the point where it's accompanied by little wisps of steam from each eye... ::unsure

Family Matters:

"Alright, well, I guess I can understand lyin' about something like that. And I know you wouldn't of done it if you didn't need to. But, y'know, you're here and I'm here now, and I could...uh, y'know, take care of you, um...financially. Maybe you could go to college for real, and uh...maybe become a finance whiz or something. I mean, that way you wouldn't have to hang onto Alex for everything."

From looking rather concerned over Joe's reaction, Mani's mood suddenly swings to one of anger,

'What? So you get to be a living god while I run off & become an accountant? How's that fair, Joe? We're family - why should you get to erupt, whle I'm stuck as a nobody? Worse than a nobody - a stupid little girl who needs to be looked after by some big, bad, Nova man! When do I get my shot Joe? Answer me that!' ::angry

"What are you doing with him, anyways?"

Answering the question (& going a long way to explaining the mood swing), Mani yells,

'I'm having his baby! I'm pregnant! Okay?! Or are you going to get all pissy & wreck the furniture over that too?!'

::ohmy

Electric Love:

"Well dear, apparently my paycheck isn't quite as large as yours, perhaps I should renegotiate... I actually did put an order in about a week ago for one of these nifty suits, and I asked 'em to keep a look out for a suit of eufiber for me. Nothing as cool as your new toys though... can I play too?"

Jolt smiles back at Aaron,

'Eufiber's difficult to get hold of, even for DeVries - the living stuff anyway. I lost my suit back in Chad - could be anywhere now I guess...' she shrugs, 'I'm hoping that this "nifty" replacement will work out better for me anyway: I always was more of a recon type - guys like you & Shockwave handle the more direct stuff. But I thought you were in the company's good books, after all that stuff with... you know... Hannibal...' she shudders slightly, but shakes it off, '... worked out in the end... I bet you could even get some of Doc Alinsky's new nano-bots if you asked nicely!'

While it's nice to see Jolt so excited & happy, Aaron is somewhat troubled that he seems to have managed to bring out her inner geek... the thought of introducing her to Taz, & the techno-babble conversations which would follow, is enough to make his head hurt just thinking about it... Zoning out as his new live-in girlfriend goes on to describe the details of some new processor or something, with schoolgirl-like glee no less, at great, word-heavy, length, Aaron is probably privately thankful when his DeVries issue phone starts to ring...

'Thunderbolt?' the cultured English voice on the other end asks, 'John Potter here - you probably don't know me, but I'm one of the contracts managers here at DVNTS: if you have a spare moment I've got a client who's seen you on the OpNet & could be interested in hiring - but first he'd like a demonstration to see how well you can deal with tanks... Any chance you'd be able to head over to the testing range sometime today? Could be a big contract, high profile, worth a lot of cash. If not, that's fine, I'll steer him towards someone else - but since he asked for you by name I thought I'd give you a chance for first refusal.'

[Prince of Boredom]

Electric Love:

'Thunderbolt?' the cultured English voice on the other end asks, 'John Potter here - you probably don't know me, but I'm one of the contracts managers here at DVNTS: if you have a spare moment I've got a client who's seen you on the OpNet & could be interested in hiring - but first he'd like a demonstration to see how well you can deal with tanks... Any chance you'd be able to head over to the testing range sometime today? Could be a big contract, high profile, worth a lot of cash. If not, that's fine, I'll steer him towards someone else - but since he asked for you by name I thought I'd give you a chance for first refusal.'

"Of course, I'm always interested in meeting a fan ::cool . How about an hour from now? Meet in your office, or at the test range?"

After the particulars are settled, Aaron turns back to Jolt and (to get her to stop the geek talk ::cool ) gives her a passionate kiss, his hands gently caressing the smooth curves of her tight ass.

"So, my first by-name request. I've got to head over to the range in an hour to throw some tanks around or something, so I'm gonna take a shower and get cleaned up... care to join me?"

[archer]

Family Matters:

From looking rather concerned over Joe's reaction, Mani's mood suddenly swings to one of anger,

'What? So you get to be a living god while I run off & become an accountant? How's that fair, Joe? We're family - why should you get to erupt, whle I'm stuck as a nobody? Worse than a nobody - a stupid little girl who needs to be looked after by some big, bad, Nova man! When do I get my shot Joe? Answer me that!' ::angry

Answering the question (& going a long way to explaining the mood swing), Mani yells,

'I'm having his baby! I'm pregnant! Okay?! Or are you going to get all pissy & wreck the furniture over that too?!'

::ohmy

Joe's face resumes its normal expressionless mask so quickly Mani could almost wonder if the openness he'd shown only seconds ago had ever been there at all. His response is very quiet. "You'll get your chance as soon as you stop blaming the world for your life, and take responsibility for it instead. Good luck with the baby."

Standing, he turns and makes his exit. Closing the door behind him, he stares at the ground, unaware of the single tear rolling down his cheek. "I tried. I tried, Mani." The whisper is pained. Without another word or a glance back, he heads back to his own bungalow and sends off an email, asking for the next earliest assignment.

[knave]

Deal or No Deal?:

Basilisk waits until Guy's finished his pitch then, frowning once again, leans across the table & shakes her head,

'What do I say? How about this: if I wanted to work for DeVries, I would - I'm not a frickin' charity case... some of us like being independent, while some of you like to be told what to do all the time... each to their own I guess. I'd happily tell you about Maelfius, Iblis, & Swarm if I knew anything, but I'm pretty sure you could get more information off the OpNet - we were hired by the same people, we're not "best buddies" or anything. As for the suit... of course you think you "need" it, just like I'm sure you'd "need" a Rolls-Royce if you stole that... This isn't the Middle Ages - it's not "the spoils of war" - you stole my property & I'm giving you the chance to return it... before things get nasty. I'm trying to do the right thing here, but if you want to play it the merc way, then by all means I'll happily sheer your head from your shoulders from a dozen kilometers away - it's not like I haven't had any practice or anything. Circumstances were in your favour in Chad - if I'm gunning for you, things will be different... but as I said... I'm trying to do the right thing here...' ::angry

By the end of her monologue the glow behind Basilisk's shades has intensified to the point where it's accompanied by little wisps of steam from each eye... ::unsure

Threats… ice water rushing through the Samurai's thoughts.

Basilisk's words stretch out and distort. Motes of dust shimmer in the air as they drift though patches of weak British sunlight.

,,

Guy hears his breath - feels it in his lungs - hears his heart beat once - experiences the inner rush of that other energy that he draws on – beat again - that ethereal something that makes him a nova twists inside him. His defences are powering up, and still she is hardly moving - her lips bending to form her next word, whilst coronas flame behind the deadly woman’s sunglasses.

He grins at her, darkly. Looks away, at the people all around – barely moving into the in the rush of Guy’s zanshin – total focus. His hand blurs – colliding with a cup of tea – his body flows off his chair, kicking it away into nearby patrons, taking them down out of harm’s way, even as his free hand grabs and lifts the edge of the table, not expecting it to protect him for a moment, but only to screen his direction of motion as he pivots onto the balls of his feet and spins about the table – even as hot tea is splashing into her face.

Fingers bent at the second knuckle, Guy’s left hand drives into the scaled Elite’s throat with bone-crushing force, even as he dodges out of her line of sight, grabs a handful of her hair and pulls down hard, forcing her face up toward the ceiling with his right. Two fingers extend like a blade as he draws his left arm back once more before diving them forward through the thin bone around her temple and deep into her frontal lobe, closing around slick wet gray matter… drawing it back caked and bloody…

Too much death…

Guy blinks and looks across at the livid Elite, one thought now dominating all others * Women should not be allowed to drink coffee*

He grins at her, trusting his unusual combination of African and oriental features to cause her to pause for a few moments to work out if she’s actually being mocked before she does shear his head from his body.

He shrugs - ”Can’t blame a bloke for trying. Ok… let’s review this deal ‘en. You swap Alex’s mask for yours, an’ your h’outfit an’ you don’t off me from the next county… an’ of course let’s not forget the ultimate satisfaction I get from knowing I done the right an’ ‘onrable fing or face dire consequences…”

He gives her a hard, appraising look.

”Right… I’ll agree to your somewhat unreasonable, in my ‘umble opion, demands, one conditions…”

He grins again.

”You let me take out for a night on the town… No funny business… On me.”

He shrugs then and continues almost apologetically ”It’s ‘ard enough making friends in this business when you’re working for a big bunch of bastards like DeVries - must be a right pain in the bottle when you’re all ‘ard an’ independent like.”

[Alex Green]

Hooray for Bollywood:

The commercial jet touches down in Mumbai, India: with DeVries paying for first class all the way, Alex has had a pretty comfortable trip, & his own Nova metabolism means that while other passengers are stumbling blinking into the harsh sunlight, looking a lot like death warmed over, he's feeling fresh as the proverbial daisy & ready to take on the world. Taking the VIP route through customs also greatly decreases the usual frustration which results from incessent queing. Still, he can't help but compare the hours-long trip with the lightning-fast suborbital hyperjets he's been passenger on a few times...

*Doctor Green.*

*Doctor Green.*

*Doctor Green. *

*Doctor Green.*

*Doctor Green.*

*Doctor Green.*

*Isn’t making a big deal about titles a sign of insecurity?*

*And the point is?*

*Never mind. Look at the others, for that matter, look at the plane. At least two of the current theories of Dark Matter would allow for teleportation.*

*How does the phrase go? And as long as I’m making wishes, I’d also like a pony?*

Mumbai airport is a bustling place: wall-to-wall people, all going about their various business, with the constant chatter of confusing language, & the usual awkwardness of luggage bashing everyone left & right... VIP trip or not, Alex is quite relieved when he spots a man holding up a sign with 'Doctor Alex Green [DeVries]' printed neatly on it in large letters. The man looks local, early thirties, & is dressed in a smart short-sleeved shirt & tie, but otherwise sports the traditonal uniform of a limo driver - complete with peaked cap. Spotting Alex the man quickly takes what must be a photo out of his pocket, checks it, puts it away, then tries to get the Nova's attention...

Alex effortlessly picks up his luggage and decides being able to carry luggage is yet another reason to feel good about being a nova in general and Doctor Green in particular. A year ago just his laptop’s shoulder strap would have been hard to manage. He waves back to the driver, and walks over. Nodding to the sign he says,

”Well Hello! Yep, that’s me. This is all the luggage I have.”

Alex holds up a large and deceptively light looking piece of luggage with one hand and taps his carried on laptop in it's case with the other.

[ProfPotts]

Proving Ground:

"Of course, I'm always interested in meeting a fan . How about an hour from now? Meet in your office, or at the test range?"

'The range would be ideal,' replies Potter, 'see you there.'

"So, my first by-name request. I've got to head over to the range in an hour to throw some tanks around or something, so I'm gonna take a shower and get cleaned up... care to join me?"

'Well I really need to check out this new gear...' Jolt responds, although as she does so she's pressing herself close to Thunderbolt & running her fingers across his sculpted muscles. After another passionate kiss she murmurs, '... hmmm... I really should... ah... what was I doing..?' ::wub

An hour later (post-shower & hanky-panky ::wink )...

Thunderbolt arrives on the testing range (actually just a large open stretch of Namibian desert with buildings, vehicles, targets & similar things set-up for 'war games' & overlooked by a high observation tower) to see the tech boys moving the last of several target tanks (basically real tanks with simple remote control systems retro-fitted into them) into position. As the Elite watches the tanks being loaded which what look suspiciously like genuine 105mm tank shells a smart white man, in his early forties Aaron would judge, with neatly styled short dark hair & a pencil moustache, dressed in a short-sleeved linen safari suit, walks over to him & offers his hand,

'John Potter,' the man confirms, & Aaron recognises the voice from the earlier call, 'thanks for coming.'

Turning slightly Potter indicates an athletic-looking black man, maybe a little older than Potter himself, dressed in the uniform of a high-ranking military officer who's standing by the techs, watching them as they go about their work, & asking the occassional question.

'That,' explains Potter, 'is Colonel Mbaïki of the Central African Republic - his people have a slight tank problem... well, tank & Nova problem to be accurate. It seems like your old friend Magda & the remnents of the FSS army have managed to limp their way across the border into the Republic, where they've joined forces with some of the local rebels. The FSS troops brought several tanks with them - nice new main battle tanks - & the Colonel is reluctant to send his own people against them, especially with the possibility of Nova interference on the books. He's got the funding to hire three or four Elites, but he's a smart old warhorse, so he's not going to start spending until he's seen for himself that he's got the right men for the job. Hence the fact he's checking our boys are loading those guns with live rounds...'

Potter smiles at Aaron & shrugs,

'In any case, he's studied the files - he asked for you by name. I'm hoping to sell him on a few others too, but it's up to you to make a good impression so that the good Colonel is in more of a mood to part with his people's money... Hmmm...' Potter looks thoughtful for a moment then adds, '... do you know any other good "tank busters" you've worked with in the past? If he likes you, then a recommendation from you might be the way to play it.'

Happy Families:

"You'll get your chance as soon as you stop blaming the world for your life, and take responsibility for it instead. Good luck with the baby."

'That's it?!' yells Mani to Joe's back as he exits, 'That's your answer? You just walk out? You run away? Well I guess that's your answer for everything, isn't it Joe - run away, pretend you're dead, forget your family... Damn... you just like him, aren't you Joe..?' ::angry

Closing the door behind him & pausing just a moment Joe hears the all-too distinct sounds of his cousin sobbing from inside...

Back at his own bungalow Joe's e-mail receives a quick automated reply stating that contracts manager John Potter is currently negatiating for three-to-four front-line Elites to work as representatives of the Central African Republic on a short-term, high-risk, basis. A follow-up enquiry tells Joe that Mr Potter & guest are currently at the testing range to watch a live-fire Elite demonstration.

Talking Smooth:

”Can’t blame a bloke for trying. Ok… let’s review this deal ‘en. You swap Alex’s mask for yours, an’ your h’outfit an’ you don’t off me from the next county… an’ of course let’s not forget the ultimate satisfaction I get from knowing I done the right an’ ‘onrable fing or face dire consequences…”

'Uh...' Basilisk seems rather caught off-guard by Guy's sudden reasonability in the face of her own tirade, '... right...'

”Right… I’ll agree to your somewhat unreasonable, in my ‘umble opion, demands, one conditions... You let me take out for a night on the town… No funny business… On me.”

::blink

'I... uh...' Basilisk goes from 'off guard' to 'stunned' - the steam has gone & the glow in her eyes has died to its more usual levels...

”It’s ‘ard enough making friends in this business when you’re working for a big bunch of bastards like DeVries - must be a right pain in the bottle when you’re all ‘ard an’ independent like."

The female Elite slumps back in her seat, frowning slightly as she runs her lizard-scaled fingers through her hair. It's hard to judge her emotions with the shades & glowing eyes & all, but Guy's pretty certain that the woman's trying to decide how to react, trying to fathom Guy's own reasons & motivations... but whatever her misgivings, in the end it's too good a deal to turn down. Moistening her lips slightly she nods,

'O-okay,' she stammers a little before frowning again & regaining her composure, 'Okay, you're on: my mask & eufiber for the DMD's mask &... er... a "night on the town"...'

Casting a glance up & down Guy's body Basilisk's frown turns into a smile as her confidence seems to return,

'Yeah, okay,' she says, 'I guess that's not too much of a sacrifice to make... So... you'll drop off the outfit & pick me up from my hotel tonight then? I'd rather get this done sooner than later, if you don't mind...' ::sly

[ProfPotts]

Bollywood Shuffle:

”Well Hello! Yep, that’s me. This is all the luggage I have.”

Stepping out of the airport Alex quickly realises that the bumper-to-bumper Mumbai traffic seems to alternate between immobility & suicidal bursts of space-grabbing fury - all the while contending with pressed masses of pedestrians, bicycles, & even free-roaming cattle! Thankfully hyper-combustion engines have reduced the threat of death by pollution, but the aromas of sweat, spices, cows & other things still assault the senses of the American-born visitor as he follows the limo-driver to his waiting vehicle - which, Alex notes with some relief - turns out to be an air-car limo, rather than one of the ill-fated rabble of Earth-bound transports. Making sure Alex is comfortable inside the car the driver proceeds to yell at & shoo away the surrounding crowd, before jumping inside & quickly breaking free with a vertical take-off burst from the car's ducted fans.

Rising above the level of the surrounding buildings the limo driver angles the car & zooms off across the city. Banking slightly he calls Alex's attention to an impressive pyrotechnic display off in the distance to his left,

'Bollywood films,' he explains, 'use many Novas for special effects - all real, not like the computer-generated effects of your American Hollywood movies.'

After a while the crowded scenes below the flying car begin to thin out, the buildings becoming more luxurious & spacious. Piloting the car down towards a medium-sized villa with a rather spectacular courtyard garden & swimmingpool the driver explains,

'Mrs Gonzales maintains this small home for her stays in Mumbai - to be close to the film industry. Her husband rarely comes here - he spends a majority of his time in Brazil, I understand.'

A few moments later the car alights on the road just outside the rather fortress-like heavy studded-wooden villa doors. As the driver runs round to open Alex's door for him, & gather his few bags, the villa doors swing open to reveal an elderly Indian man dressed in smart traditional-style robes.

'Doctor Green?' the elderly man asks in a perfect high-class English accent as Alex steps from the car, 'Welcome to Mumbai. Mrs Gonzales asked to meet you as soon as you arrived - if you'd like to follow me...'

The elderly man leads Alex through the main house - which appears to be full of tasteful (as far as Alex can tell) artworks, with a preference for sculpture in a variety of styles from around the globe. Stepping out into the courtyard garden Alex is led towards an absolutely gorgeous woman reclining next to the pool dressed in the briefest of (designer) string bikinis & a pair of (designer) sunglasses. Alex knows from her file that Mrs Gonzales is twenty-seven, although he'd probably have pegged her as five years younger than that looking at her perfectly toned, dusky skinned, model's body stretched out in front of him. Luxurious dark hair flows in graceful waves past her shoulders, & high cheekbones & full lips complete an overall package of beauty which has landed the woman on the covers of several fashion magazines & more than a few (minor) acting roles... Alex suspects that if it wasn't for the proliferation of Nova models & actresses this woman would be one of the best-recognised faces on the planet - as it is her beauty, although incredible, is still 'only' baseline...

Glancing up as the elderly butler coughs politely Mrs Gonzales peers over his sunglasses at Alex for a moment before a smile touches her ample lips. Sitting up she offers her hand,

'Señor Green,' she says, 'I'm Bonita Gonzales - welcome to my home; I am so very pleased to meet you at last.' ::biggrin

[archer]

Happy Families:

'That's it?!' yells Mani to Joe's back as he exits, 'That's your answer? You just walk out? You run away? Well I guess that's your answer for everything, isn't it Joe - run away, pretend you're dead, forget your family... Damn... you just like him, aren't you Joe..?' ::angry

Closing the door behind him & pausing just a moment Joe hears the all-too distinct sounds of his cousin sobbing from inside...

Back at his own bungalow Joe's e-mail receives a quick automated reply stating that contracts manager John Potter is currently negatiating for three-to-four front-line Elites to work as representatives of the Central African Republic on a short-term, high-risk, basis. A follow-up enquiry tells Joe that Mr Potter & guest are currently at the testing range to watch a live-fire Elite demonstration.

Sitting in front of the computer in his bunglaow, Joe absentmindedly scrubbed the wetness from his cheeks, then stared at his damp fingers in surprise. He hadn't cried in years, that he could remember anyway. "Huh.", was all he could manage. Quickly wiping the rest away, he dried his fingers on his jeans and went back to reading the auto-response. His mind had already shut down any thoughts or feelings unrelated to what he was working on, avoiding anything that might interfere. He'd moved on.

Tapping out his own question, he waited. Grabbing a beer from the fridge, he sipped at it until the terminal beeped at him. Reading it over quickly, he chugged the rest of his beer and tossed the can in the trash on his way out the door. Impatient suddenly, he switched up to Big Joe and sped towards the testing range.

[Alex Green]

Bollywood Shuffle:

Upon seeing the "streets" of Mumbai, one thought predominated in Alex's mind,

*I'm still tough enough to survive a car crash, right?*

Then he saw the air car and two thoughts came to mind,

*Serious money. And I'm still tough enough to survive a crash in this thing, right?*

Rising above the level of the surrounding buildings the limo driver angles the car & zooms off across the city. Banking slightly he calls Alex's attention to an impressive pyrotechnic display off in the distance to his left,

'Bollywood films,' he explains, 'use many Novas for special effects - all real, not like the computer-generated effects of your American Hollywood movies.'

Alex says,

"Impressive." *Hmm. Those novas have real jobs... and looks to match. Odd that only Janet and a few others come over as over the top on film. That must be why Hollywood shot itself in the foot by letting Bollywood take the lead in recruiting novas. Or maybe it was a union thing.*

After a while the crowded scenes below the flying car begin to thin out, the buildings becoming more luxurious & spacious. Piloting the car down towards a medium-sized villa with a rather spectacular courtyard garden & swimming pool the driver explains,

'Mrs Gonzales maintains this small home for her stays in Mumbai - to be close to the film industry. Her husband rarely comes here - he spends a majority of his time in Brazil, I understand.'

Alex evaluates, *So he's not on site. Probably a good thing. Maybe it's a cultural thing but my understanding of the interpersonal dynamics here is limited. Wait a moment, he's normally in Brazil and she's normally here? No, wait, she's not all that successful in film and probably only stays here when she's working.*

Alex struggled for a moment to remember her file,

*Bonita Gonzales. Married. High level model at the end of her career, struggling actress, married a guy 50 years older than her a few years back. Don't remember exactly what he does, details were sparse; most of the file was about her. He does something related to banking. Shows what a middle America type I am. Say 'connected to banking' to me and I reflexively think 'head of the local branch', i.e. middle management. He's sterile... file didn't say if he's ever had kids but she has not.*

A few moments later the car alights on the road just outside the rather fortress-like heavy studded-wooden villa doors. As the driver runs round to open Alex's door for him, & gather his few bags, the villa doors swing open to reveal an elderly Indian man dressed in smart traditional-style robes.

'Doctor Green?' the elderly man asks in a perfect high-class English accent as Alex steps from the car, 'Welcome to Mumbai. Mrs Gonzales asked to meet you as soon as you arrived - if you'd like to follow me...'

The elderly man leads Alex through the main house - which appears to be full of tasteful (as far as Alex can tell) artworks, with a preference for sculpture in a variety of styles from around the globe.

Alex thinks, *Banking? More like owns a few banks I think. Hold it, I'm getting side tracked. I still look pretty fresh, like I'm starting a trip rather than ending it, but I can do better.*

Alex concentrates for a moment and enhances his physical prowess and (probably uselessly) his senses.

Stepping out into the courtyard garden Alex is led towards an absolutely gorgeous woman reclining next to the pool dressed in the briefest of (designer) string bikinis & a pair of (designer) sunglasses. Alex knows from her file that Mrs Gonzales is twenty-seven, although he'd probably have pegged her as five years younger than that looking at her perfectly toned, dusky skinned, model's body stretched out in front of him. Luxurious dark hair flows in graceful waves past her shoulders, & high cheekbones & full lips complete an overall package of beauty which has landed the woman on the covers of several fashion magazines & more than a few (minor) acting roles... Alex suspects that if it wasn't for the proliferation of Nova models & actresses this woman would be one of the best-recognised faces on the planet - as it is her beauty, although incredible, is still 'only' baseline...

*Good GOD!* ::jaw For just a moment Alex was pole-axed and felt his hormones carbonate. In truth Alex had, once, met a more attractive woman wearing less. But Shockwave hadn't been a potential mate and it made a difference. *Well that settles whether she’s really interested in this program. She sent her car so she’s been waiting for me. That outfit is… ah… Dress for success I think is the phrase.*

Glancing up as the elderly butler coughs politely Mrs Gonzales peers over his sunglasses at Alex for a moment before a smile touches her ample lips. Sitting up she offers her hand,

'Señor Green,' she says, 'I'm Bonita Gonzales - welcome to my home; I am so very pleased to meet you at last.' ::biggrin

Recovering quickly, Alex formally bends, takes her hand, and kisses it. He says, ”I am pleased an honored to make your acquaintance Señora Genzales.” Less formally Alex continues, in Portuguese, ”But please, call me Alex.”