7:56 am, Monday, July 26th, 2280

Waking up from possibly the first good night's rest she'd had in a month, Rowan blinked into the ample daylight pouring into her room from various large windows.  She quickly realized her initial assessments of the space were incomplete.  Maybe it was the near-death experiences from escaping what used to be her job, maybe it had been her minimalist use of lights as she wandered in, maybe she'd just been dead tired.  Sitting up in the comfortable bed she scanned the room.  There was a second bed, two dressers of matching style but not color, and the decor seemed to skew towards children without being pure overt cartoon characters.  A tastefully done room by rich people for their rich children.  It was immaculate.

On her way to use the bathroom adjacent to her room, she got a much better look at the space she'd walked through to find a bed.  The bathroom was accessible by a larger room, and this one was packed with storage cabinets.  A peek into one or two revealed hundreds of toys varying in size, age-range, complexity, and style.  A playroom, then.  Off to the north side of the room was another door that, she couldn't resist discovering, led to the highest point in the mansion.  Another door at the top of ornate spiral stairs had a sloppily hand-written note taped to it.  "Tree House" was inscribed along with a passable drawing of skull and crossbones.  The warning door opened up to a large, square turret overlooking the surrounding forest.  The structure leaned baroque in design with high arching windows that could all be opened with the tap of a nearby panel.  The dome atop the turret was visible inside as the ceiling curved its half-sphere over the space with a clean, gold lacquer that gave the feeling of being in a castle.  Some random toys were still laying about the space but there was a telescope and a small work area that made this a very appealing lookout point should it seem needed.

Already on the ground floor she made her way to the main areas and heard conversation coming from the kitchen, a natural place to gather in any home.  Despite being massive, aggressively appointed with the highest-end equipment and suited to serve a restaurant, it still had a quality to it that lent itself to comfort and warmth.  Upon entry each of the other four members acknowledged her and somehow, despite the macabre and violent beginnings, this group already felt more cohesive than any she'd encountered during her time in S.T.A.D.S..  And it seemed she was a part of it.  She joined the conversation without reservation, though for her that just as often meant pure observation as it did contribution.

There was plenty to discuss.  Not quite finished with the previous evening's surprises or events leading up to it, the group continued where they'd left off and even had fresh perspectives with a full night's rest under their belts.  Each member even found themselves discussing some of their pasts because there seemed to be some overarching connection among them, the details of their histories were suspected to potentially shed some light.  If nothing else, they all were discovering a subconscious desire to feel closer to the other members of this cadre considering the epic levels of danger that only seemed to increase by the day.  Then there were the items immediately on hand.

Anya had responded to Vahl's text for an update by indicating a man insisted on meeting him in his office this morning, 10 am.  The man was a robotics specialist that Vahl had been courting to either create a partnership or at least swap some ideas, the possibilites for scientific advancement with him seemed very high.  The only challenge was that Dr. Aeres Kontos was eccentric and a big personality to handle.  If he wasn't so talented Vahl wouldn't have wasted his time, but the man was impossible to meet with and this provided a much desired opening to a conversation that was long overdue.  Since Anya had only been provided instructions should Vahl not reach her, she otherwise conducted business as usual and as this was a Monday, appointments were allowed.  Vahl's text confirmed proof of life, the meeting was scheduled.  After the details were provided, she sent an uncharacteristic text to ask how his friends had fared in the S.T.A.D.S. appointment and he hadn't responded as yet .

Gavin's call to the dojo last night had been too late for anyone to pick up, which he'd suspected might be the case, but he left a message for Tachira and she'd returned his message early this morning.  Just about everything from the girl was cryptic, but this voice memo was guarded even for her and he had the suspicion that a visit to his business would be worthwhile despite her confirmations that nothing was out of the ordinary. 

Kat had received a message of her own in the very small hours of the night.  A DIDC (often called colloquially a "didik") she didn't recognize invited her to join a friend at a club she'd only heard of.  The man used a different Datac Identification Code each time he contacted her, so there was no use programming any of them in, but he used a communication style that was particular and she knew who it was and likely even what he wanted.  Clip with another job was the most likely scenario.  Though she had never set foot inside the club, she could count on its ability to allow discretion if she knew Clip, the man was overly cautious.  The message seemed to infer that she had but to state a day and time, he'd meet her there.  She'd also had an idea or two of some equipment that might be beneficial to her for the team's benefit and considered the implications of procuring it. 

Rowan recognized out loud that she hadn't seen her own apartment in weeks.  Seeing as how she'd been targeted by somebody and whom that somebody actually would turn out to be still a complete mystery, the group had to discuss the merits of allowing her to return and, if so, how and with what army.  What would she find?  Would they even see evidence of others passing through? 

Aside from his concerns about what the actual fuck he'd gotten himself into, Daenus had no other pressing outside matters.  There was the standard hangover he was wrestling with, but that was practically comforting at this point.  Allowing somebody, anybody, else to figure out what was being done about breakfast, he'd surreptitiously found himself near Vahl's elbow when his friend had gotten the message from Anya asking about the group.  Otherwise he floated about, tossing in non-sequiturs, barbs, and innuendos as the conversation called for. 

Then there was dealing with Stasis, their for-now employer.  Billy had assured them that he was staving them off until they could gather the evidence necessary that the mission was completed.  He had left a message via ansible on the house comm system, a short text that didn't bring great relief.  "Still have the most of 48 hours.  Assets procured were incorrect.  Working on money.  Get answers from S.S..  Will contact again tomorrow."  "S.S." was a reference to Stokely, and they had an address.  "Working on money" seemed that he was making sure they'd get paid and he'd left a hint as to when he'd be in touch.  But "Assets procured were incorrect" left a hollow feeling in all their guts.  They'd risked life and limb to procure those assets, in most cases twice, and the idea they'd done something wrong haunted every last one of them.  Nobody really quite knew what Stasis was capable of but they'd seen what handlers could do, and though Billy seemed to be on their side it didn't comfort them to consider what Stasis might call for in terms of consequences.  They needed to obtain intel.

Last night Billy had mentioned going to Stokely's address, they'd obtained it from the titanium flash drive on Rowan's desk.  There was still a great deal of mystery wrapped up in the small drive as none of the team was a hacker.  Vahl could assess that there was more to gain from it, but he'd reached the limit of his abilities in extracting it.  Following the trail seemed a reasonable method of gaining further access.

OOC- Everybody has shared some of their background.  This is an opportunity to go into the Backgrounds thread and "uncover" (move the "Private to GM" so err'body else can see) as much as you feel you would have divulged to the group.  If you think you would have told the whole story, feel free to uncover accordingly.  Your call, but I'm leaning a little on the idea that quid pro quo would have felt present, so everybody would have told something.

Things that could get done that are up for discussion (not listed in order of importance, you guys make that call):

1. Vahl has an appointment with a long-sought-after partner today at 10a (in 2 hours).  The man is not likely to be interested in rescheduling.
   
2. Gavin could have something afoot at the dojo, it's nature is not likely to be too urgent or Tachira would have made that clear.  Might still be worth a visit at some point.
   
3. Kat may have another gig of a... clandestine nature.
   
4. Rowan's apartment could use a visit in her estimation, though the unknowns on that subject are rampant.
   
5. S. Stokely needs to be investigated, you have his address as well as a heavy suggestion from Billy to check that out.

After speaking more than she had in...well she couldn't remember the last time she'd been quite so loquacious when she wasn't presenting and even then she preferred to leave the flashy stuff to her colleagues. She found herself falling back, quiet, observing everyone. They'd moved away from getting to know each other and were now discussing the day's agenda. They moved around each other with an enviable ease. It was a scientific fact that trauma bonds people. Still, Rowan wondered if she'd ever reach that level of comfort around...well, any other human really.

She rolled a bright yellow #2 pencil under her fingertips, absently counting the ridges...1.2.3.4..4.3.2.1. Movement at the corner of her eye caught her attention. A small gray house spider was fastidiously wrapping a fly in her web. Rowan quickly twisted her hair into a knot, using the pencil as a hairpin and leaned forward, folding her legs under her to get a closer look.

She loved spiders. They were efficient, agile, practical. Sunlight highlighted the small hairs on her abdomen and Rowan's fingers itched to reach out and offer her hand as another platform. She'd had a pet tarantula when she was a teenager. She had loved the way their legs tickled her palm when she held them.

Rowan leaned back and the movement reminded her that her clothes were still stiff in spots. She hoped she'd be able to convince a couple of her new friends--when was the last time she'd called anyone "friend"-- to go with her. She needed her notes. They were labelled and color coded in file boxes in her closet which, conveniently, was where many of her clothes were. If they were quick, they could be in and out in 15 minutes. In that time, they could probably carry out everything except the furniture. She hadn't really had time to put her personal touch on the place or even fully unpack. Will I need to break my lease? It made sense, but she dreaded the hassle of having to tell her super. He was a gross, leery little man. When she'd moved in, it hadn't mattered much since she was rarely home. But he was acutely aware of the power he had to make her life infinitely more difficult.


A smile turned up the corners of her mouth as she thought about the room she'd woken up in. It had been a pleasant surprise to see the tree house. There was more in the room she wanted to explore, but she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the children the room had been built for.

Up with the sun in the upstairs bedroom nearest the staircase Gavin eyed the modern decor of the room for a few moments after waking. The room was quite nice looking, but lacked much personality - the oak dresser had been painted a deep black to match the leather of a nearby chair and desk. The rest of the room was white with a watercolor landscape of a desert on one wall. Nice, but not altogether warm or welcoming. The sun pierced the cracks in the blinds and Gavin felt slightly more averse to it's brightness than usual. Comfy in the dark these days more than ever. Not surprising with these abilities, surely there had to be unforseen side effects. Might be a good idea to pick up some really good sunglasses while we're out.

Gavin always liked to wake up with a plan and he had one for today - at least for the morning. He wanted to check in with Tachira and the dojo. While he had ample funds to keep the business running almost on autopilot at this point, he couldn't shake the feeling that she wanted to tell him something in person. Gavin had also thought he heard Rowan mention not having any fresh clothes, which should be obvious to everyone considering her predicament. While a trip to her home might be dangerous, maybe Tachira could lend Rowan some of her wardrobe in the mean time. If Rowan really wanted to go, he would consider it, but perhaps take Tachira and Kat along as backup. He momentarily thought about Daenus - but he really, really wanted just a quiet morning with no surprises and with Daenus there were always surprises.

Vahl seemed to have doctor business to attend to from the sounds of things, maybe they could split up briefly this am and meet together at lunch time before investigating this Stokely character.

With those thoughts in mind Gavin threw on his favorite hoodie with his dojo logo emblazoned on the back and headed to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:18, Wed 13 Mar.

"The important thing here is that Sweet William said he's working on our money," Daenus offered as the upside to a conversation that may have only been in his head.

After passing Vahl's shoulder, he wondered if Anya had asked about him. Later. I'll ask if she asked about me later. Let her desire for me build.

Listening and contributing to the life stories of this mismatched group, Daenus saw connections he hadn't expected. Sure, their lives took very different directions due to circumstance, but there were similarities, dot-to-dots he could draw lines to, albeit mostly squiggly ones. And mostly skipping other dots.

He had to hand it to Gavin though. Asia, the army, so much fighting. His programming was full service, really, complete with backstory including a detailed childhood. Daenus thought he saw a flaw in the story though. When the G-bot brought up his personality changes, or maybe upgrades, they were always "Dan." By the 4th Dan, Daenus had called him out on it, though Gavin explained it away as some sort of martial arts accomplishment. It was all so convincing that Daenus was inclined to believe he was actually human. Daenus was no fool though. He knew a cybernetic organism when he saw one. Probably. Either way, Gavin seemed to want to be human, or maybe didn't even realise he was man-made, apparently in Mongolia. They made all the best stuff. Daenus couldn't think of a single technological thing that he'd ever seen from there, but Gavin-the-4th-Dan-1000 was proof positive regardless. I wonder how many they made? I'll have to keep an eye on any Dan we come across from now on.

Now, Red on the other hand...

Daenus noticed her intently analyzing something and drifted closer to see what called her focus. A spider. She gonna eat it? No, that look on her face said something different. Daenus understood that look.

"I used to watch them too." He waved at the spider to avoid confusion. "I used to be afraid of them, at first. Turns out, most don't want anything to do with you, even though I read somewhere that you eat, like, a hundred of them in your lifetime while you're asleep. Anyway. When you're in a tight space, they're good at controlling the other crawlies that you don't want around. Once, I had this big black mama hanging around, over my sleeping spot in the closet. We were buds, ya know? I called her Charlotte, like the story. And just like the story, one day she wasn't in her web. Just disappeared." Daenus opened his hand and mouthed, "poof". "I woke up the next day with a massive welt. Little fucker BIT ME IN THE ASS. It's taken some time, but I've come to forgive her."

Daenus shook his head to clear the memory. "So. Science and outdoor fieldwork. You like rocks?"

Kat felt relatively refreshed after a good night's sleep, even if there were still a ton of unanswered questions and balls in the air.  She mused over the message from Clip but decided her plate was pretty full for the moment.  She sent a short reply back saying she was unavailable for the time being.  She didn't want to split her focus with the threat of an unhappy Stasis looming over them.

Despite not considering herself much of a people person, she did like to understand how the people around her operated so she knew what to expect.  Swapping stories about their backgrounds made her feel closer to, and safer with, her new team.  This was something that she'd seen happen after battles in the military.  Nothing like a near death experience (or ten) to start some group bonding.

She offered to lend Rowan some clothes after hearing the doctor's desire to go back to her apartment.  Kat figured it was almost certainly being watched.  "I'm not opposed to going over there and liberating your belongings, but I think we need to go expecting a trap and a fight.  You shouldn't go alone and think you can just waltz in and out.  We can weigh the merits of that as a team, but in the meantime, I have some stuff that should fit you.  Mostly.  My pants will be capris on you but I suspect that fashion isn't high on either of our priority lists." 

Turning to Gavin, she said, "Actually, on a related note, I wanted to ask you about your guy Brutus.  There's some equipment I'd like to get my hands on and he's the guy who gets things, right?  I've made a list of gear that'll help me for future missions.  Can you make an introduction or set up a meeting?"

Rowan's blue eyes blinked in surprise. If it weren't for the topic, she wouldn't have been sure that Daenus was even speaking to her. "I think they're fascinating. They manage to turn the brutal business of survival into something elegant and almost graceful." She paused and let the rest of what he'd said sink in. "She probably crawled into your bed to get warm. Some spiders do that. And when you rolled over, she would have taken it as an act of aggression." After another moment of watching the gray house spider wind up her meal, "I'm sure she forgave you too... if spiders could consider such anthropomorphic emotions as forgiveness. And I do like rocks, but I'd rather know what they're covering."

She turned her attention to Kat and offered her a small smile of gratitude. "That would be greatly appreciated. And as for fashion: I can appreciate the aesthetic, I suppose, but I'm far more interested in function." She was most likely correct. It was highly likely that her apartment was being watched if it hadn't already been ransacked. "If possible, I'd like to get eyes on it. Assuming they haven't already broken in and taken my journals, it would be highly beneficial for us to have them. What research I've done on my own condition could bring a clearer understanding for everyone, but it can wait for the time being. If whoever is in charge has any strategic acumen, they'll try to wait me out. What about the address the address the visitor from last night mentioned? Is that time sensitive?"

What the rocks are covering? The rocks are everything.

"In this line of work, everything is time sensitive," Daenus offered overconfidently. "And Stasis probably already has anything of yours worth having. They work kinda fast. Once they set their beady eyes on you, they just take take take. Sometimes, they give stuff back. They got all of our stuff from our places and popped them right here down in the garage. In boxes. Packed, like, professionally. Have you looked in the garage yet?" Daenus had a moment of consideration. "I would, but you never know when there might be a rabid Cuban coward waiting to assail your knees with a flaming bat, incoherent yelling and a misguided vendetta."

He looked at Kat. "Since when do you have other clothes?"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:23, Wed 20 Mar.

Sipping his coffee slowly and taking in the group, maybe Daenus is coming along after all.

To Kat he replied, "Sure I can give ole Brutus a call see if he has any availability, if he thinks he can make a good sale or has excess inventory, he usually won't turn away cash."

To the group he offered, "If we want some extra muscle before visiting Rowan's place, we can swing by my Dojo, also possibly being watched, and pick up my senior student, Tachira." Gavin already started piecing together a plan, not wanting to put Tachira in too much danger, he figured she could be the wheelwoman and lookout for the rest of the team.

As he finished he picked up his datac and dialed Brutus.

The DIDC Gavin entered for Brutus was a long shot but worth a try.  When the code returned an error it confirmed his suspicion that it had been a burner, The Brute went through datacs faster than most went through deodorant.  Being paranoid caused his clients and friends some inconvenience, but none could deny his effectiveness and it was usually worth the effort.  That meant using the landline at Gavin's dojo, another reason to stop by.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:09, Fri 29 Mar.

Vahl bounced in through the front door, barechested wearing track pants and runners. His hair was wet from sweat as if he'd come out of the shower. "Morning everyone," Vahl belted as he pulled his hair back again squeezing the water from it and whipping it in Daenus's face as he passed. He slid into the kitchen, grabbed a cup of coffee, and attempted to meld into the morning chatter.

It was good to be with people with whom you've shared a significant hardship or a trial. It warmed him a little to see everyone milling about.

       "What's everyone got on their agenda today," he said to the room. Moving to a new spot next to Rowan. "Sleep comfy?" he said as he slid next to her. "Daenus toss me an apple," Vahl said in Daenus's direction.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:18, Thu 04 Apr.

The sliding was literal in some ways, Vahl left a trail of water in his wake and actually seemed to glide at times even up to the point of prompting Rowan.

Rowan's brow furrowed slightly as the damp Vahl slid in next to her. "There's a treehouse in my room. Do you sweat like this often? I saw some coconut water in the fridge. You should drink some to prevent dehydration. I actually really like the treehouse. It's...whimsical. My sleep was adequate, but my physical and mental exhaustion from our previous adventure may have been the prime contributing factor." Her sentences chased after each other, leaving no room to process. "Ask me again tomorrow and I will be able to offer a more unbiased review."

Rowan turned her head toward Gavin, but didn't move from her scrunched position in the chair. "Where's your Dojo?" She wanted to add it to the mental map she had of the city.

Vahl concentrated for a moment, focusing on his breath, he attempted to breathe in all of the water through his pours, effectively drying himself and pulling all the water he had used to lessen the friction as he slid.

     "I'm not sure it's perspiration; I would hypothesize that it's more like effusion from my cellular walls," Vahl intoned quietly as he leaned in so only Rowan could hear. "Anyway, we can study it later, I have a more intriguing proposition for you, that may involve your research with mine. I could use your expertise on a potential solution to a problem, actually multiple problems. Interested? I'm seeing a man about a "nano-cybernetic horse" and could use some backup."

Vahl paused for a moment, then realized his audience, "Nano-cybernetic horse was meant as an idiom, figurative language, you know, saying fun things out of our vocal orifice, pie hole," smiling he grabbed some grub with his hands and shoved it in his mouth like a caveman. "Pppeeyeee hoooee."

The water around Vahl evaporated almost immediately, almost as if it were being pulled back into the man.  One might only make this connection by paying attention to the nuances of where it was coming from, his breathing exercise, and acute attention to how the water seemed to disappear.  But to the casual eye the water just seemed to dry up exponentially faster than it would as according to the common understanding of science.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:14, Fri 05 Apr.

Rowan watched the liquid return to Vahl, her furrow deepened and a small frown pulled at the corners of her mouth. Shame, the prospect of a nano-cybernetic horse is most intriguing. Her eyes stayed focused on Vahl's shoulder as she considered the offer. Viewing his research was definitely something she was interested in. The potential areas of overlap with her own would certainly shed more light on their shared affliction. Her head tilted as she corrected herself. Not affliction--evolution.

Her focus returned to the kitchen and she was acutely aware that she'd been starring. Her eyes blinked rapidly hoping no one noticed. The stiffened material of her shirt where zombie viscera had permanently melded with the fabric scratched against her skin. Shifting in her chair, she unfolded her legs. "That's an acceptable proposition. I will help you with your problem."

She turned to Kat. "I'd like to get out of these clothes." The shirt was becoming suffocating. Rowan resisted the urge to tug at the bottom hem.

Upon the prompt for an apple, Daenus resisted the urge to launch a fastball, like a pitcher on the mound. He knew, somehow, that he'd be able to propel that bit of fruit. He'd be like a missile launcher. Or a potato gun. But more like an apple gun, since it was an apple.

The apple had made it's way harmlessly to Vahl, however. Violent urges were uncommon to his being, after all, and he'd wondered where it came from. Probably from the soldiery types. Being around them was beginning to rub off on him, he figured. That, and the fact that their lives were largely violent as of late. This was a compelling reason for his decision to lay low and avoid any trouble.

As the water retreated into Vahl, Daenus pointed a lazy finger at him, waved it up and down and around as he searched for what to say, eventually ending with his palm up, uncertainty and disgust clear on his face. "That was literally just on the floor, Dude."

Without anything to add, he turned his palm out to intone that he just couldn't with him right then. Instead, he turned to Gavin and pat him on the shoulder. "I'mah sit this one out, Gavinator. Got a few things" beers "I need to do" drink "so I'm just gonna get stuff...done." And not get hit or shot or run from anything. "But you have f-"

Daenus whipped his head around back to the two doctors like he was smacked by an invisible fist, eyes wide. His hat even budged. All he'd heard was "proposition, help you with your problem, and get out of these clothes."

"Damn, Girl, you do move fast."

"God, I've worked with dogs more evolved than you," Kat directed at Daenus with a dramatic eyeroll.

Mulling over everyone's desired tasks for the day, and Daenus's fake plans (she knew what he was about, wanting to be left home alone), she offered up to the group at large, "It's not exactly the most efficient for us to knock everything out as a group, but there are some overlapping priorities and I like the idea of us sticking together while we're not yet certain that Stasis has forgiven us for kidnapping their project instead of murdering it.  Her."  She shot a sheepish look to Rowan.  "Sorry, doc."

Clearing her throat, she continued, "I really don't think anyone should go to Dr. MacKinnon's place without Gavin or me for some proper recon and soldiering if needed, and we need to visit his dojo today.  I propose we all go together to her apartment, scope the place out, and go in if we feel it's safe.  Either way, next stop would be Gavin's dojo, and then over to Vahl's lab.  Depending on whether I reach Brutus today, I can arrange a meetup after everything else is done. Does that work for everyone?"  She still found herself looking to her former commander for a nod of approval, confirming he was on board with her plans for the squad.  Old habits die hard.

She sucked in a breath and before Daenus could launch a long-winded and nonsensical monologue on why he shouldn't, couldn't, or wouldn't go with the group, she said in a surprisingly kind voice, "And don't worry, Daenus, we can pack a small cooler and bring a few beers to keep you entertained.  They're basically like your pacifier."

Watching the liquid antics with both amazement and amusement, Gavin finished his coffee, looked to Kat and nodded.

"Sounds like a good plan, and we'd all be together if anything is amiss at Dr. MacKinnon's place." Looking back to the doctors, "My dojo is downtown, near the heart of the city, Brutus may answer my call if I dial directly from there. Everyone ready?"

Looking back to Daenus for a second, "I mean after packing the beers, of course."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:12, Mon 08 Apr.

The myriad of expressions that passed over Daenus' face betrayed his rapid internal rebuttals, the last of which, however, was akin to resignation.

They're starting to get me. Daenus mused over their combined pitch. It wasn't the best he'd heard, but it'd have to do. For now. They need me. Again. They act tough but they need me to hold their hands. Fine. Either way, he was sure he was outvoted and he'd rather not have his retinas burnt out by Laser-Kitty in any attempt to further convince or encourage him. He squinted in a defensive look back at her, which could just as easily have been interpreted as contempt.

"Great!" Daenus had a pitch in his voice that belied his toothy grin. Ya, make em think that's what you wanted all along. Keep them on their toes. He moved to pack the beers before anyone could change their minds. "Family field trip. And shotgun!"

It was a shaky agreement, but it was enough to move forward with this new and tenuous crew.  Kat found clothes for Rowan that may not have fit perfectly but were clean.  Kat's more muscular build did something to mitigate Rowan's 5 inches of extra height and, though Rowan didn't pay much care to fashion, a suitably fashionable yet practical outfit was procured all the same.  Quite frankly, their tastes were similar.  Utility over aesthetic but without the desire to stand out in a crowd one way or another.

The agenda was set for Rowan's apartment, followed by Gavin's dojo, and the plan so far ended at Vahl's appointment.  The group's silence on the impending need to research Stokely was likely a reflection on all that had gone on in the past week.  As a whole, their lives had all completely changed in what felt little more than the blink of an eye.  They all knew this burden lay upon them, and the smaller errands seemed to allow for the briefest of reprieves from the weight of that yoke.

While the ladies arranged Rowan's accouterments, Daenus hunted the logical places in the house for a Compact Refrigeration Unit, in his hopes of the Lengthened Interval Relay variety -known colloquially as a "crewler"- because he wasn't sure how long they'd be out.  Considering the track record he'd experienced with the group's overall reticence to stop and get necessary supplies (read: beverages) throughout the day, he wanted to be sure they were good and stocked.  Yet again, the mansion did not disappoint.  His exploration took him towards the West wing on the lower floor of the house, in the direction of the room Rowan now stayed...did she mention a treehouse?... and across a series of three doors in the hallway.  His first guess of the three, the left, rewarded him with a storage room full of outdoor adventure gear.  A high-quality C.R.U.L.I.R. was on a waist-high shelf and he took a scan to notice plenty of other potentially useful implements.  Might be worth taking inventory at some point.  Though, knowing Stasis, this shit's probably all bugged.  He reached for the crewler, hesitated, thought about a day's worth of errands without lubrication, shrugged, and hauled the device from it's appointed space to fulfill its destiny.  As he closed the door to the storage closet he eyeballed the center door.  There was something about it that bugged.  He'd had this feeling before.  Daenus paused in the hallway, stock still, a handle of the crewler secured in one of his mitts, starting at the center door.  He raised his hand to point accusatorially at it then, suddenly, with a violent shake of his head and an expression of dismissal he said aloud "Not today, strange door.  Not today."  His mind on his booze and his booze on his mind, he marched for the Keeping room where all the good stuff was kept.  The crewler floated along behind him on basic repulsorlift technology.

Vahl confirmed with a message to Anya that he would make his appointment, albeit with an entourage, and they were off.  There was some flexibility built in to the order they'd intended, making room for the vastly unknown they could experience at Rowan's previous domicile.  Vahl made a remark or two that not even Daenus could guess if he was joking about leaving them in the middle of a skirmish to make his appointment with Dr. Kontos.  Despite the nuances of newness, the group genuinely started to feel like a team.

Rowan's apartment was in a complex designed by the late Vincenti Cardinale, one of many more recent attempts to bring some of the nature before The Implosion War into the Megacities.  It made sense to house S.T.A.D.S. scientists in a space not only teeming with life but riddled with technological updates.  Hudson seemed to want his people inspired, and the complex was a testament to inspiration.



The entire campus was solar and wind powered, water recycled through the prodigious plant life, and built to be of the building class labeled "envelope."  Entirely self-contained, nothing wasted from energy to air.



There were main entrances on all 4 sides of the large complex, each segment easy accessible on its own.  Rowan pointed out the structure that housed her place.  The team sat in the van with a good vantage point for several ingresses and egresses which at least a few of the group would be scouting instinctively.

Staring out of the window at her complex, Rowan couldn't see any Stasis operatives. Not that I would. Rowan touched each of her fingers on her right hand to her right thumb, counting. If they had broken in, it's possible they destroyed her belongings while searching for something--she still wasn't entirely clear what they'd be looking for. All of her work related data was still in the lab. Still, the thought that these strangers had rifled through her things, possibly destroying much of it, tightened her chest making it hard to breathe. 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 3, 2, 1.

If they'd damaged Toby or Greg or any of the others, she'd be devastated. Fixating on the potential damage without confirmation started a mental spiral.  She needed a distraction. Looking around the van, everyone was focused; alert to anything out of the ordinary. Except Daenus. He was leaning back in the front seat, C.R.U.L.I.R between his feet and an open can in one hand.

"You said something in the kitchen that puzzled me. You said I 'move fast'. While I am capable of significant speed for a human of my size and athletic abilities, I don't believe I moved at any great pace while in the house. Did you experience something I didn't? If I'm developing new abilities I need to make note of them. Likewise, if you find yourself developing new facets of your condition I would hope you would share that information so I can build a comprehensive case study."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:11, Mon 08 Apr.

Daenus tore his gaze away from the lush architecture and stared at Rowan, his open beer can slowly dropping away from his lips.

He stared more. Daenus wanted to believe she was a real person underneath it all, he really did. Next to her, Gavin was the T1000 and she was a T800, maybe even an earlier model.

Eventually words formed in his brain. Mostly questions.

"When you look at me, or anyone for that matter...do you just see ones and zeros? And, honestly, have you ever had a friend? By the way, yes, my condition is developing new "facets", like bewilderment and to some extent discontent due to the highly aggravated assaults happening to my person on the increasingly regular. Thanks for asking."

Swinging back around to face front, his beer only made it half way up before he fixated once again on the redhead. He pointed with the can to the buildings. "And this place is sumthin' else, Red Ranger. How much money were you on?"
This message was last edited by the player at 04:40, Wed 10 Apr.

Rowan considered his questions. Her eyes lost focus as she thought. "I don't see in binary code, though that could be beneficial in any number of circumstances. Unfortunately, I only ever learned basic coding. Enough to troubleshoot my equipment while in the forest. My areas of focus have been in organic matter. Why?" She asked, leaning closer, "Do you see the world in binary? The implications would be fascinating. Does your vision pixilate?" Rowan leaned further in, trying to get a closer look at Daenus' eyes. "If you'd be amenable, I'd love to get a closer look at your eyes..." She had leaned close enough that she could smell the beer on his breath. She retreated to her seat, uncomfortable with the sudden proximity. "Apologies."

This is so much worse than worrying about my apartment. Rowan closed her eyes and tried to still the maelstrom. It was hard to stay quiet when she was anxious. Hard to keep from saying everything that crossed her mind. Not all thoughts are outside thoughts

The silence in the van was prickly and it was making it difficult for her to stay still. It would be better if they were outside. "I did. Have a friend. When I was a kid, I had a dog. Technically it was against HOA rules, but Jack wasn't very big and he was smart. He learned not to bark or howl. My parents said it was better than watching me play by myself all the time...they didn't say that to me, of course. They didn't realize I could hear them at the time. It was fine. I got to keep him." Jack's collar was in one of her boxes. I really hope they haven't destroyed anything.

Before she fed any more of the anxiety bubbling up in her chest she turned her mind to something more comfortable. Her eyes stayed on the greenery that seemed to burst from the concrete monolith. "I would love to study you though. If you'd allow me. All of you...us, we're medically... biologically... what if we're the next stage of human evolution?" She shook her head, "That's probably too far, but there's definitely something. I need more data points before I can draw any solid conclusions." If someone else says something I could stop talking. Or if we could move. If I had something to do... If she believed in such things, waiting would be hell.

"I don't know how much it costs to live here. It was included in my employment offer. I was just glad I didn't have to find something on my own and having the urban garden makes it feel more like... home?"

After another moment where the only sound was the hollow slurping from a beer can. "You didn't answer my question."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:04, Fri 12 Apr.

The silence that filled the van between ponderings, questions, and slurps was thick like a closet.  A closet full of people.  The soldiers scanned their surroundings, peered with intensity at the structure they were to enter in search of options.  Options were always ideal.

Unfortunately, none truly presented themselves from this vantage.  There were front doors, one set per building.  The ground floor likely also had a back door that probably led to some kind of patio or grand scale quad-type of situation in the center of the complex.  Two ways in and out.  Elevators and stairs were both reasonable to assume.  At this time of morning there wasn't a lot of people traffic.  The occasional tennant or visitor coming or going, many cars in the parking lot and not a noticeable amount entering.  Some folks were on their way out for the day to work, run errands, visit something or somebody, the possible variations were endless and not relevant to their reason for being there.

Beyond that, they wouldn't get a lot more intel from outside.  No strangers to having to gather data on the fly, they made peace with what they could get for the time being.

Gavin found himself distracted by the banter between Daenus and Dr.MacKinnon. What an odd pair, speaking the same language, but in completely different worlds, hearing different things. "Dr. MacKinnon, I think the binary comment was more of a euphemism for being socially awkward, but I'm not picking that up, you seem completely normal to me." Looking to Daenus, "You don't even need liquid encouragement like your friend Daenus does."

A wry smile crossed Gavin's lips as he waited for the inevitable response from Daenus lamenting the robots were collaborating.

"Well, unless someone else notices something I missed, seems we have the standard options - front and back door. If anyone is watching comings and goings both are probably being watched, I say we just act casually and head in the front. What floor is your flat on Dr. MacKinnon?"

Gavin continued to take in the unique architecture of the space, the plants reminded him of the forest and a time not so long ago. He took in a deep breath as he turned off the Van engine.

Between the verbal barrage and being studied like the rare specimen he was, the level of discomfort Daenus was feeling in that van was becoming palpable. Opening and closing his mouth multiple times to respond or interject, and eventually giving up altogether, he cast a glance to the others in the van, a silent plead for help. No help had come. Is noone hearing this? And when she finally ended with the realisation that he hadn't answered her question, Daenus could only stare again. When his eyes finally left hers it was only to linger briefly on the crewler. Ohhh, I needed so much more.

After Gavin finally chimed in, especially with MacKinnon seeming normal to him, he nearly spit out his next sip, but refused to lose a drop which instead resulted in it trying to escape through his nose. His mirth immediately changed to pain, the can in his hand crushed in an effort not to yell. "Fffffff...nnnhhghh."

Recovering enough to speak again, he offered a suggestion, relieved to keep the discussion off of him. "You guys should probably just just speak in code. You really don't have to say it all in Common just for the rest of us." He sipped his fingers to clean them of the last vestiges of his drink and procured a new one as he added under his breath, "Beep beep clickity-beep bop."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:58, Mon 15 Apr.

Kat found surveillance oddly meditative.  She could tune out the noise of her immediate surroundings and allow her consciousness to expand, taking notice of the big picture and the minutiae at once.  Watching people enter and exit the buildings, everything seemed normal.  She hadn't clocked any classic, under-cover surveillance vehicles in the parking lot either.

Replying to Gavin she said, "If someone is watching, it's highly likely they'll be looking for MacKinnon and we don't have any way to disguise her.  Why don't you and I go inside first, and see if anything feels off.  We can even go as far as walking past her door to scan for spies or traps.  If all seems well, we can call and invite the rest of them up.  What do you think?"

"As usual, the voice of reason." Gavin nodded to Kat as he stepped outside the Van.

Vahl was intently focused on his laptop, trying to access internal camera footage, and stumbling just a bit. He realized that he hadn't been talking and that people were about to roll out when he felt the van shut off. "Hold one second, I'm trying to access camera footage. If I can access the peepshow into MacKinnon's apartment I might be able to give us some intel," Vahl quickly said as he was attempting to access the network.

Trying to multi-task, he looked up briefly at Gavin's comment "normal...huh" Well I'd sure like to get an idea of his normal parameters.

Hmm...this is a pretty sophisticated network, "Let's try seeing the hallways and lobby then..." Vahl said quietly as his voice mumbled to no one in particular.

"We don't have a way to disguise ourselves? I thought that was part and parcel of wet-works in the city Kat? You know, just thinking out of the box here," Vahl paused his work, looking up seriously, "There should be something we could do with your light Kat, and with my water manipulation. Maybe we could figure out some refraction trick to make ourselves invisible to the human eye?!?!"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:54, Mon 15 Apr.

"What happened to teleporting?"

Seeing an opportunity to escape the claustrophobic environment in the van, Rowan called to Kat and Gavin, "Wait for me." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, imagining an octopus clinging to a rock and changing their coloring and texture to blend in  with their background. Energy trickled over her skin, a not unpleasant tingle of power.

I'm no one important. No one of consequence. Look around me. Look through me... anywhere but AT me. When she opened her eyes she took a quick look in the rear view mirror to confirm the changes had held. Her vibrant red hair was now a dull dishwater brown. The same color replaced the, normally vibrant, yellow green of her eyes. New freckles peppered the bridge of her nose and cheeks. It was her and not her at the same time.

A black baseball cap was tucked into a pocket on the back of the seat in front of her. Rowan grabbed it and smoothed it over her head. She'd never tried this with the intent to disguise herself before. Here goes nothing!

"You'll be fine getting through the lobby" she said stepping out of the van. "But the elevator uses bio metrics unless you get an override from the security desk. The fewer eyes on us the better right?" She held up a hand and wiggled her fingers in the air.

Vahl had dabbled in computer-related endeavors of the clandestine nature but hadn't dedicated the kind of time he'd spent becoming a doctor and physicist.  Though able to determine the backchannels for spying on the complex by engaging with their security system, he found the firewall impenetrable.

Rowan looked notably different now that she'd significantly altered the coloring of her features.  The hat helped as well.  A casual glance would see a different woman.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:35, Mon 15 Apr.

Daenus frowned. "Oh that's it, DAMMIT! I'm gonna need a full dossier on everyone's capabilities!" He punctuated every word with a finger aiming downward. I'm sick of these surprises. Sick! "So sick of it."

Rowan turned to Daenus, "You're absolutely right! We should put together a battery of tests so we can pin down the extent of everyone's abilities and their rate of growth so we can maximize our potential."

She smiled. "I must admit. When I first encountered you, I thought you were a brusque blowhard with little more to add than a few witty quips. I am surprised." She nodded, more to herself than to him. "I look forward to seeing this more scientific side of you."

Daenus blinked. "Ya. Well. When I met you I was trying to decide on how to dispose you. So. Touché I guess. But now...now we know. Next time, don't assume, cuz it makes an ass out of you. Yup. I'm like a cake."

Daenus smiled inwardly. Damn right I got some witty quips. Whatever that means.

Vahl closed the laptop with reverence and annoyance all rolled into one little head nod. I can build nano-technology, and perform heart surgery but not breach a firewall. I'm useless. He chuckled to himself as he slid the laptop back in its case and leaned forward towards Kat. "Hey, I think we should try something here, let's hop behind the van and see if we can make Daenus disappear. I'd like to try to see if our powers might work in conjunction. If it does then we have a wonderful way of getting around without being seen," Vahl said talking into Kat's ear.

"Oh I'll disappear alright. Probably not in the way you're thinking." Vahl probably didn't know he was talking so loud, and Daenus doubted it worked both ways. Blondie only heard what he wanted to hear.

"I would love to make Daenus disappear," Kat said, leaning back away from Vahl's close talking.  "In all seriousness, I've been a soldier and a burglar a lot longer than I've been a mutant.  It honestly didn't occur to me, but that's an interesting idea.  I'm willing to give it a go."    She moved to get out of the van, musing to herself about the powers she'd exhibited so far.  There was a little nudge way in the back of her brain that suggested there may be something even more useful lurking in her new abilities.  It was hard to describe logically, but she seemed to sense that if she just concentrated in the right way, like flexing a specific muscle, she might be able to go invisible.

.]

"If that doesn't work, I might be able to do something with the shadows around us so others can't make out our features. Whatever we land on, let's hope its' reversible."

Gavin was fairly certain it would be, but he wanted to see if that would elicit another response from Daenus, as he moved to the rear of the van with the rest of the group.

Just to stiffen the jab he added, "Go ahead Kat and Vahl, see what you can cook up, Daenus seems like a good test subject. He's already partially anesthetized from the beers probably."

Daenus threw glances at each face in turn, searching for evidence of jest, fear and horror sobering up his focus.

He waved a finger at each of them, unsure of where to turn for an ally. "Not that being invisible wouldn't be great, but I'm nobody's lab rat!" Then his features softened with a new thought. "Besides, there's no telling what kind of mischief I could get up to if I was. Yes," he said, narrowing his eyes at Kat as if reading her mind, "even that." He finished with a crooked grin to land that point home.

The group found itself behind the van in a space between it and a fair amount of hedgerows and other shrubbery.  Nobody was entirely removed from lines of sight held by others in the expansive parking lot, but neither were they any particular point of attention.  The bright, late July day promised to envelop them with heat in the not too distant future, it was already hotter than strictly comfortable creeping up on mid-morning.  A light, off-bay breeze teased with the possibility of keeping things from sweltering.