For social interaction of all sorts.  Feel free to carry on multiple interactions at once.  This will also be the primary thread for plot not involved with Missions, or HQ.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:15, Fri 30 Aug 2013.

Utopia Memo:

21 Dec 2002
Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada

The Bellagio has graciously volunteered to host a Winter Gala and Charity Dinner in conjunction with Project Utopia's T2M:A branch.  The proceeds of the evening will be divided amongst the Utopia Charity List, and towards terraforming projects throughout the world.

Entry is $10,000 for those not on the guest list, and dinners are $5,000 per plate.  Dress is formal.  All T2M:A members WILL be there, and will be on their best behavior.

The Gala is spread over several conjoining conference rooms, out-door patios, art exhibits, and the pool area.  An entire half of the building has been closed for the event, and despite the inconvenience the visitors and spectators seem to be happy, as they get the privilege of seeing the incredible novas of T2M up close as they arrive at the event.

The event starts at 1900.  The guest list includes several A-list actors that have contributed heavily to charity in the past, multiple heavily influential political figures from around the world, and a very limited selection of Utopia's corporate sponsors.  Those that purchased tickets are a much more diverse group however.  Comprised of the younger generation of moneyed elite, hopeful agents and lawyers, corporations searching for advertisement deals and technology contracts, affluent actors (and not so successful actors looking for a break), and even a few vacationers willing to spend their life savings just to associate with the movers and shakers of the world.

Food will be served at 2230, while drinks and hors d'oeuvres are offered throughout the event.  The Gala's scheduled end is 0400 the next morning.

Some pictures for ambiance:
http://www.bellagio.com/amenit...ins-of-bellagio.aspx
http://www.bellagio.com/amenit...-and-courtyards.aspx
http://www.bellagio.com/amenit...-and-courtyards.aspx
http://www.bellagio.com/amenit...otanical-garden.aspx
http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/fine-dining.aspx
http://www.bellagio.com/amenit...ery-of-fine-art.aspx
http://www.bellagio.com/amenit...chard-macdonald.aspx

At 1700 precisely, Comstock arrived at the lobby in an uncharacteristic tuxedo, his skin gleaming chrome for the benefit of photographers and the happy crowd.  He'd struck up a conversation in the elevator with a new Utopia hire from London, Peter "Thorn" Knorr.

"...I used to watch Tyson and Holyfield when they had matches out here, but now that's all past.  Tyson's manager keeps trying to get him into the ring with a Nova, but so far nothing.  No one wants to see him get killed."  Through the blinding strobe of camera flashes, Comstock noticed Thorn's boredom and changed tacks.  "So what's Utopia assigned you to?"

Thorn snapped back from his reverie.  "... actually, I think they're pulling me from my initial assignment.  There's a lot of Ecological Engineering projects around the corner and they think I'll be of greater use there then with your team.  I'm just here because they put me on the guest list."

Comstock nodded.  "Ah.  Yeah, that makes sense.  Well, I'm sorry to hear you'll be missing the action."

Thorn gave a weak smile and excused himself to find some hors d'ouvres.  Comstock held the crowd at bay with a few choice smiles and followed soon after.  There weren't many guests there yet.  "Probably a conspiracy of the stylishly late," he muttered.

---

The wait for others to arrive was tedious.  Across the room, Comstock saw some industrialists talking over wine.  A few choice words about foreign companies were said; Comstock could feel a collective icy glare from across the room, and heard the word "Un-American" at least once in reference to him.  Moments later, before confrontation could even be considered, it became necessary to endure the questions and compliments of a US Senator he could not recognize.  The Senator started asking whether there were plans to move T2M:Americas to Mexico City or whether that was just boilerplate rumor, to which Comstock responded ambiguously until an appropriate opportunity to escape arose.  "I'll be sure to get you some answers, Senator," he said with a smile as he twisted away.

Imp walked into the Gala at 1800, shiny black silk tux with tails and a golden bow tie, his silk shirt looked as smooth and soft as butter.  It was all an illusion, of course, just his eufibre taking the appearance that he required.  Buendia, while a boor, certainly had his uses.
The crowd turned as he stepped out of the elevator, he smiled, shook some hands, greeted people by name.  When the crowd got a bit too thick he kicked his, for lack of a better word, god factor up a notch and they moved back in almost religious awe.  He walked over to where he saw Comstock standing.  En route he was waylaid by a group of suits from Ford.  "Ah, Mr. Impetus, we were wondering if you'd talk with us about becoming a spokesman for Ford Motors, we want to keep it American, keep giving jobs to Americans, and keep our country strong, and we think you can help us."
"Sorry gents, but there's either nothing American about making crap products that nobody wants and that destroy the atmosphere, or it's tragically very American.  I don't want to be a part of either, my advice, make better cars."
He continued on towards Comstock.  "Hey buddy, how're the folks?"

Comstock perked up and embraced his friend.  "Doing fine.  They want to see you at the holidays, but I told them you'd be busy."  He gestured around the room.  "I think Shadow Artist showed up a bit ago.  I came down the elevator with that new guy, Thorn, and I haven't seen Pax yet.  Sunflare's doing her light show above the fountains in about half an hour to please the crowd and give everyone some hope.  And then there's all the suits and ... dignified people.  Around here."  He gave Imp 'that look,' the one that conveyed his discomfort at wearing a tux and schmoozing.  The one that said 'I'd rather be pounding dirt or building crap.'
This message was last edited by the player at 15:48, Sun 09 Aug 2009.

"God damn, I look ridiculous." Solitaire muttered, examining her reflection in the mirror-polished elevator doors just before they opened onto the hall. "Utterly impractical. Can't even fly."

In point of fact, she looked anything but, her dress was black, simple, but expertly tailored, she never did know how Kat got her measurements, the woman was devilishly clever. It was cut low, as well as high, revealing a reasonable amount skin, but at least she could move, if not for the never-to-be-sufficiently-damned high heels that went with it.

The doors opened with a 'ting' and Solitaire gazed over the party. This is going to be interminable. She groaned inwardly. She hated parties and events, didn't like the social nuances and unwritten rules that went with them. Deep down, a small part of her was still terrified she'd make some unpardonable faux-pas such as picking up the wrong fork, saying the wrong thing, blinking at the wrong time or some other of the myriad of offences this strange world had. But she put her heel on that part of her, ground it down to next to nothing. Just part of the job, just smile, and it'll end eventually. She almost believed it.

Stepping out, and spotting Comstock and Impetus, Solitaire makes a beeline for them, and concentrates on projecting just enough Awesome to part the crowd for her, but hopefully not enough to draw any real attention. She arrived in time to catch Comstock's 'look' and returned a similar one, of the 'I know what you mean' variety.

"Pax'll be here. He never misses a chance to show off." She rolled her eyes, then added more quietly, "Though I don't know if there's enough space in the hall for his ego." Then she glanced over her shoulder, making dead sure he wasn't there.

"Sunflare's doing a light show you say? At least somebody gets to have some fun. I suppose if I'm lucky, boredom might kill me, though its probably too much to hope. Nothing else has managed that yet.

Solitiare sighed, audibly this time. Every once in a while, one of these things popped up she couldn't weasel out of. They were like her own little pocket of purgatory, and she was greatful she didn't do this type of thing for a living.

Imp smiled, "Thank your folks for me, but yeah, I'm off doing goodwill stuff in Mexico during the holidays, I'd far rather be sitting with your dad talking about building custom motorcycles." He exhaled softly.  "So many empty suits, so completely focused on their own agendas that they really miss the big picture.  Did you know, for example, that the Project is trying to copyright all our names?  For some of us that's not a big deal, but copyrighting things like Solitaire, or Impetus, or Phantasm?  Get real."
After Sol joined them Imp whistled softly, "Wow, you look fantastic.  Even more so than usual, which is saying quite a bit."  He took a drink of his champagne, "I hate these shows, yes, I know they're important, but blech, It's so hard to relate to them."  He trailed off as Pax walked in, "And the icing on the cake, well, time to go make nice with plastic man."  Imp finished his glass and headed over to pax, gave him a friendly handshake and half hug before the two started working the room, Pax taking the lead, being the bravado and brimstone; Imp acting as support, smooth and sensual, playing off each other so well you'd never know that they wouldn't spit on the other if their eyebrows were on fire.  If Pax still had eyebrows.  Which he didn't.

Phantasm showed up at the event fashionably late.  Not enough to get yelled at by Pax or the rest of the crew, but enough to avoid the awkward conversation that would occur while waiting for more people to arrive.  It would suck to have to talk to some politician from the U.N. or corporate rep for 30 minutes while waiting for someone actually worthwhile to arrive.

Walking in, she maintained the image of "youthful exuberance mixed with spunky independence" that had gotten her voted Teen Magazine's #1 nova.  She never revealed how young she actually was of course, but as long as she looked somewhere between 18 and 22 she could play on the sympathies of the public while maintaining her freedom.  The fans ate it up, as did the press.  Only problem was that no one really took her seriously.  They just kept asking about pop culture... but that was a nice cover.  It prevented people from seeing the real her, and what she could do.

When she got there, Phantasm made a line straight for the rest of her team, who seemed to be in a huddle before the action.

"What's the plan guys?  Are we just supposed to hang out with the baselines and make them feel special, or did we have more of a goal in mind?"
This message was last edited by the player at 20:07, Mon 10 Aug 2009.

The Doctor arrived earlier, but was held up by a most unusual situation. Zero was dressed in a sharp tuxedo, slacks, and dress shoes, which contrasted oddly with it's mask and leather gloves. However, it's entire wardrobe was soaked when it arrived, and it had to go to the back to try to discreetly use the clothes dryer.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:11, Mon 10 Aug 2009.

"Hey P.  Still waiting on Zero and Gravitas, then I think there will be some toasts and drinking and praise for the work we've done."  The past few months Comstock had become remarkably lucid and articulate.  "Just smile a lot and enjoy the food.  It'll be like one of those charity shows we've been doing."  He ran a hand over his stubbly head in what was now a trademark gesture.

A Japanese female enters the room. Her black and purple hair held in a small bun by two jade hair pins. She wears a black kimono of scorpions fighting in blowing sakura petals with a purple obi. With her she carries a black bundle in her left hand. She pauses and bows to others as she makes her way to the the center of the room. She begins looking around the room for someone in particular.

Comstock nudged Solitaire and Phantasm.  "Hey ... who's the new face?  I don't know anyone except a Nova who could get away with wearing that to a function like this."

Solitaire turned to look at the newcomer, appraising her critically the same way she did with every other potential, she was too far away to get a good 'ping',  Nova she saw. It was nothing personal, just habit. When your enemy could do virtually anything, even the smallest details could be important. Of course, they more often told you nothing at all.

"No idea, though it may be considered formal in Japan, I don't know anything about dress codes. If your right though, I expect we'll meet her soon enough, there's not enough of us here to avoid each other."

Solitaire shrugged, turning back to the others. That mystery would be resolved in its own time, she was sure, the more pressing question was how she was going to survive the night. It could not end soon enough for her.

Quentin arrived on the next elevator car, trying not to storm out of it and instead quietly slipping to the side of the door and making his way around the edge of the room. He managed to obtain a drink somewhere along the way. He hated ultra-formal functions like this. He was fine with parties, or other social gatherings, but the black-tie everyone-in-tuxes thing really bothered him. It was so fake. He had almost portaled into the room, just to liven it up. The earful he'd get from Pax and the Utopia directors would probably deafen him, though, so he'd opted for a more discrete arrival.

There wasn't much special about Quentin's clothing. It wasn't even eufiber. It was a standard black tux with tie, he affected a gray vest. An astute observer would note that his silver cuff links bore the emblem of the Rebel Alliance. He wore no other jewelry or accessories.

He'd have to remember to keep on the move during this event. If he stayed in one place for too long he'd probably accidentally start pulling things off of nearby tables. Despite having gained considerable mastery over his abilities in the last year, he still wasn't able to entirely turn off his constant low-level gravitational field.

As he'd edged around the room, he picked out the rest of the Sierra Nevada team sans Zero. He inserted himself into the group. "I suspect that after this event I'm going to wish that the war wasn't mostly over so we never had to be here... Does that make me a bad person?"

"Yes. And I would respect you all the more for it," said a hurried Doctor as it absently adjusted it's cuff links. It's shoes where squeaking horribly and waterlogged. It's tux smelled freshly dried. "So sorry I'm late. Did I miss anything exciting?" The Doctor looked up at it's friends.

"Unfortunately no, it would have been something to do, and honestly I doubt you'd miss anything even if you showed up two hours from now." Solitaire answered, eying the doctors almost-dry suit and damp shoes, but she had stopped questioning his foibles. It had probably been something highly amusing, she wished she'd been there, and had fun speculating what it might have been. It would ruin the surprise to actually ask though.

"Did anyone actually bother to read tonight's schedule? I just skimmed when I had to be here by." the sooner it started the sooner it ended.

"Dinner's at 2230 hours.  Probably with speeches and congratulations passed around to everyone."  Comstock gave the whole room a big smile for effect.  "Yeah ... guess it's time to get back on the celebrity bandwagon.  Can't save the world without influencing some of these wealthy folks."

Sara sidles into the gala, making her way along the wall toward the food buffet.  The red dress chosen for the occasion fits the body, but overwhelms the subdued personalilty of the woman moving through the crowd.  Her eyes dart around for a bit, but she recognises no one. She takes her glass of champaign into a less populated corner of the room to wait out the evening.

By 2000, the party is in full swing, with more attendees arriving by the minute.  The event is crowded, with politicians, corporate elites, and entertainment stars vying for time with the Utopian novas.  Other, non-Utopia novas have shown up simply for the party or in the hope that the fame of the T2Mers will rub off and result in their own success.

T2M:A is lucky, in that there are so many people attempting to get their attention that they do not have to make any meaningful attempts at actual communication.  "Hi, nice seeing you here", "Thank you so much for your generous donation", and "I would love to talk to you about that later, here's my card" are the phrases repeated over and over again as the night wears on.  Of course, after about the third repetition it also gets a progressively more tedious, and by the time the first hour is up, the team is quite bored (it's even worse for those with accelerated wits or intellect).  Some of the team likely latches onto a guest or two out of desperation for something more entertaining, or make the waiters lives miserable by consuming more than their fair share of alcohol.

The other guests seem to be having a much better time though.  The nova guests are flashy and bold, attempting to attract sponsors and work, while the movie and music stars are actually rivaling the novas in charisma and flair.  The politicians and corporate execs are the odd ones out, as they attempt to keep a straight face and attend to business, but even they are beginning to be swept up in the synergistic currents of Quantum and Pop Culture.  A few even begin to smile, and talk about things other than business.

By 2030, Pax is ready for one of the "big announcements" of the night (he has a few more on the agenda for during and after dinner).  T2M:A is introducing its newest members.  Pax graciously asks all of the current roster onto the stage to great their new members, and then calls up the new members one at a time.

Slider is an mvp from the Equatorial Wars who everyone knows and loves.  She will be temporarily assigned to T2M:A for the upcoming crackdown on organized crime in the Western Hemisphere (this little announcement, embedded in the intro, causes 10 minutes of directed questions about the nature of the crackdown before Slider can even make her way up).  She comes to the front, and waves at the crowd and charms them with a sincere smile (hardened a bit since the EW). She takes her place beside the rest of T2M:A.
"Thank you everybody, thank you.  I will do my best to help, and hopefully we can make the future a brighter, safer place."

Suzukaze is a transfer from the Japanese government.  She's here to make a larger difference than she could working for a single government.  She will be joining T2M:A for the foreseeable future.  She will be brought up to speed on the Utopia way of doing things, and later may form the core of an Asian team.  She is invited up to the stage to make a small speech and take her place beside her team.

Finally, Flare is a young woman, only 18.  She had a small incident in which her powers erupted uncontrollably, but is now a great success story.  After a brief training and stabilization period with Utopias science division, she is now ready to receive the rest of her training to become a new member of T2M, and take her place as a provisional member of T2M:A.  She is invited onto the stage to take her place beside her new team (not to speak however, though the opportunity is there if she decides to take it).

After the introductions, Pax offers the floor to anyone on the pre-existing team that wants to speak (scowling as he turns around to look at everyone, a warning to be on good behavior, and smiling as he turns back to the cameras).

Suzukaze approaches the stage. She bows deeply towards the other T2M members before turning and bowing towards the guests.

 "I would like to express my thanks to Pax sama for this great honor. I am truly honored. I just hope that I may prove myself worthy to my senpais and the citizens of America."

She then turns and approaches the other members bowing again before standing beside them.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:20, Wed 12 Aug 2009.

After Flare and Suzukaze take their turns on stage Imp, sensing his teammates discomfort/disgust/disdain, nods to them and walks up to the front of the stage.  "Speaking on behalf of Team Tomorrow America I would like to extend our warmest welcome to Flare and Suzukaze.  We know that everbody working for Project Utopia is hardworking and dedicated to the cause of world stability and environmental wisdom.  Being a part of Team Tomorrow means to hold both those goals sacred, and many others, and to show the world that all aspects of humanity can and should work together to build a bright new future for our planet.  We are sure that Flare and Suzukaze will rise to the challenges of being on T2M and make it better than it could ever be without them."  Imp bows to the crowd, then turns to the two young ladies and bows to each, then walks back to his place between Comstock and Solitaire.  "Now that they think I'm a pompous ass can we get out of here and do things that don't involve tuxes and phoney conversations?  I know this great place in Puerto Penasco that we can be eating some of the best quesadillas I've ever had and drinking cheap beer sitting on the beach and watching the moon shine off the Gulf of California in less than an hour."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:08, Wed 12 Aug 2009.

Solitaire declines the opportunity to speak, the others were better at it, and she really had nothing to say except a whispered "Welcome aboard." out of the corner of her mouth. Besides, it was entirely too tempting to say something just to spite Pax, but that was unnecessary trouble.  Mostly she stood there, smiling blandly for the camera's, but in reality, her attention was focused on the newcomers.

She had met Slider once or twice during the wars, a good kid, if her first impression still held, but she knew the temper of that one, and wasn't overly concerned. It was the two unknowns that interested her. From what Pax had said, Suzukaze was ex-government, so she probably had some training at least, but Flare seemed totally green. It was a rather detached sort of analysis, as Solitaire would not allow herself to get close to them until she was certain they wouldn't go and die on her, that had happened too many times before. She wasn't sure she could take losing another friend.

Comstock pulled a crinkled piece of paper out of his tuxedo pocket, obviously deciding whether or not to read his prepared statement for the benefit of the crowd.

Phantasm not so subtly shoves Dillon out of line.  She winks at him, and grins at his discomfort.

Quentin makes a motion that declines any offer to speak. Certainly he'd like to secure more funding and investors for his own projects, but Utopia preferred if he let them handle that so that they could have more control over the cashflow. He didn't mind, as long as they provided him what he needed, and this wasn't really the place to start advertising his talents and services, besides.

After several minutes of being up on stage, he waves a hand behind his back towards  a table full of hors d'oeuvres, pushing the table's contents back more firmly onto the table. They had been slowly inching towards him as he stood still and had very nearly fallen.

Otherwise he simply tried to avoid figiting and looking as uncomfortable as he felt.

At Phantasm's urging, Comstock stepped forward for his own chance to address the crowd.  He had a speech planned out, approved and signed off on, but he wasn't sure how much of it he wanted to read.  Politics.  Misbehaving.  Pax was going to have his head, but after all that effort he was going to say something.

"Not to take away from Slider, Flare, and Suzukaze -- they deserve a round of applause -- but I have a few words I'd like to say.

"In ... in the wake of the African Conflicts, the ... what the news is calling the Equatorial Wars, there's been a current of anti-Nova sentiment around the globe.  The violence, fighting, economic turmoil and uncertainty are a predictable side-effect of the incredible, impossible things brought on by the Nova Age.  People do not know what is to come.  They are afraid.  Really, they should be.

"I am told that there are more Novas erupting each and every year.  For every Nova that becomes a scientist or celebrity in the industrialized world, there is another Nova born into poverty.  These are the Novas easily caught up in ideology, the Novas executed as servants of Satan, and the Novas drafted into violent conflicts by religious extremists.  They take their second breath in bondage and become caught up in human conflicts.  They help terrorists attack New York.  While people like that exist, there's a great deal to be afraid of.  This is the central conflict of the Nova Age: the liberation of the oppressed from the tyranny of human history.  Project Utopia is the front line of that conflict.  We're here to put the world's fears to rest and show the world what it is capable of.

"A ... a friend of mine once said that he found the Bible wrong because it made no mention of Novas.  I think I have to disagree.  Humanity has no true strict divisions, and the distinction between Nova and Baseline is no more relevant than the distinction between black and white.  Focusing on our differences perpetuates fear and hatred and keeps us from recognizing our inherent bond, our common roots, and our shared future."

Comstock fiddled with his notes, unsure of how to proceed.  Finally he just tore the paper in half and went off script.  With some concentration, he managed to draw the metal back in and make his true skin-tone stand out.  "This is what we do.  Utopia and Team Tomorrow are out there, every day, making the future reality.  We fight for the world because the world needs defenders.  Every Nova brought to an MR facility makes our future brighter by ... by giving all of us another chance to get over our differences and our conflicts.  I've been across a lot of war-zones; I've seen a lot of pain and suffering.  I've been able to do more to make the world a better place with Team Tomorrow than I ever could have as just Dillon Amargosa, some metal Nova.  This isn't a joke or a publicity stunt; we're the real deal.  Better than Superman.

"Now ... I was born here in America.  Just a little ways from here, actually.  I'm proud to be an American, too, but I'm even more proud that my country's leaders have decided to host Team Tomorrow here in Nevada and put their faith in a higher cause.  I'm proud and grateful to all of you for coming to this charity dinner and putting your money up for this dream.  It tells a lot about who we are and our aspirations for a better world.  And with your support, with America's leadership, I look forward to the day -- someday soon -- when we all can set out for the stars as one people and one planet."

He gave a half-hearted wave and thanks before stepping back from the stage.  The speech wasn't delivered particularly well, but Comstock felt that it was something that had to be said.  And, maybe even more importantly, something he could get away with saying.

Aaaaw, that was sweet.  It's nice when people actually believe in something.  It would be nice if I could have that kind of hope... Now days I just hope that we can keep the world in one piece, and stop the crazies among us from blowing up the world.

Phantasm starts a slow clap, after the moment of silence following Dillon's speech.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

4 successes on manip roll to pick just the right moment and demeanor to get everyone going.  Comstock needs a confidence booster.

---

Suzukaze moves alitte closer to Comstock, and leans in as she speaks to him adjusting the bundle in her hands.

"A very inspiring speech Senpai. It will be an honor fighting along your side."

She turns taking in all of the guests in the room. She finally seems alittle restless. She then turns to the others.

" This all seems great, but I think I need a break from everything and get some fresh air.... Do we have access to the roof? The streets are probally filled with more people."

Now that the party had started wrapping up Imp casually sauntered off the stage and over to the balcony.  He opened the doors and stepped out into the cooler night air.  The sound of cars floated up from the streets below, sort of comforting in their pervasiveness.  He stood on the balcony and undid his tie and top button, then leaned against the rail. He took a sip of the champagne he had grabbed on his way out and started out at the lights of the strip, feeling pensive.

Flare looks like she would like to flee from the moment her name is called, but composes herself during Comsock's speech. She has the shock of someone who has never left her hometown and hadn't considered that things could be horrible elsewhere. She emphatically claps at the end of the speech and manages a "Nice to meet you all." at a point when it is likely to be drowned out by other sounds. She then sidles off.

"I'm pretty sure we can go wherever we please.  You want to go up?  Some air does sound nice, Grav could probably make us a short cut.

Who else wants to go?  Someone will have to hold the fort down here of course... Draw straws?"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:22, Fri 14 Aug 2009.

"Hey.  Good to meet you.  I'm-"  A few of the audience approached to bludgeon Comstock with questions, giving Flare her chance to slip away.  Comstock made a note to get to know his new teammates better when there wasn't such a crowd.



Comstock looked over the room.  "If you want to go ahead, I think I've got the crowd's attention for awhile.  Besides ... Imp looks like he needs the break more than me."  He gave Suzukaze a thumbs up.  "And Suzukaze?  I said that right, didn't I?  I'll see you in a bit.  Welcome to the team."

The party, after a brief hiccup caused by Comstock's heartfelt speach (someone actually saying things that matter in a social gathering?  How ever shall we respond?), goes back to normal.  The conversation shifts towards a more optimistic tone, and seems to be generally positive towards Utopia and the future.

Pax eyes Dillon with a bit of irritation mixed with grudging respect, then walks off to make the rounds yet again, talking to all the politicians this time out.  He occassionaly gestures to the rest of T2M:A to get out on the floor as well, but his attempts are only half-hearted.  He doesn't really trust anyone but himself to make the RIGHT impression (though he is painfully aware that several members can quite a GOOD impression), and thus is happy to let the team be seen but not heard if that is their preference.

The party guests are rather talkative, and the party goes into full swing.  It is still a bit before dinner however, and there is more than enough time to go out on one of the many balconies, or to take a quick flight to the roof to see the amazing Las Vegas Strip with its incredible architecture, glowing lights, and strange testimony to humanity's subconscious mind.

After 5 minutes of brooding Imp smirks self deprecatingly, then heads back inside.  He saw Comstock being battered by a barrage of questions, and while it would be spectacular if the big guy actually did lose his temper and start throwing people through walls, he figured he should take the heat off.  He focused and pushed just so and the crowd of reporters and donors turned almost as one from their initial target towards Imp.  He winked at Comstock and motioned surreptitiously towards the roof then started fielding questions about T2M, The Project, terraforming, and what he felt the future held.  While he talked to the reporters he focused and his unnerving personal magnetism and raw sex appeal somehow tapped into the global energy pool, or global unconsciousness, or just became particles floating in the Opnet via the cameras pointed at him, then passed on to anyone watching now or in the future, impacting upon them as powerfully as if they were right there with him.  In the back of his mind Imp was wondering about how totally fucking strange it was that he could do things like that, but then rationalized it by remembering that Comstock could throw tanks and Gravitas could create holes in space between places.  He noticed Pax holding sway with a smaller group of reporters and grinned, then threw himself into fielding the questions, he didn't give people the corny, bottled responses he was supposed to give, he gave them the responses that he though 'Stock would have given, the truth, mixed with cautious optimism and a little bit of dread.

Flare wanders away from the main party. With more striking team members occupying the attention of the guests she meanders off to a balcony with a small plate of hors d'oeuvres and a glass of wine, her first time for both.  She responds to any questions directed to her with a startled blink and a witty 'umm...I think that guy knows,' and a gesture at the closest of Pax and Impetus.  She finally takes a breath of the heat-tinged Vegas air. Choking a bit on her filched wine Flare leans against the balcony railing and enjoys the view.  Expensive decor and crazy powers aside this party is startlingly similar to, but way way better than, prom.

"Not one for parties either? I don't blame you." Solitaire says as she sets down on the balcony beside Flare, managing it gracefully despite her ridiculous gown. Once they'd been let down off the stage she had made for the nearest balcony, then flown herself up on a ledge above it avoid anyone who came looking for her. It was good to feel the wind again.

"This isn't really what we do though. We'll get back to being productive tomorrow. I'm Solitaire." She holds out a hand, her normal one. "Good to meet'cha."

"Nice to meet you too, and its good to hear that this isn't the norm.  For a second I thought I got drafted by something disturbingly sleazy.  I've never been fond of parties, but as long as no one asks me to waste my powers lighting their cigar, I think I can handle this." She shakes with Solitaire, and then gestures to the hors d'oeuvres, "I'm starting my own mini-buffett to avoid the crowds, feel free." Flare glances back inside, where the swarm of people are still present. "How many more hours is this likely to go on for?"

"Too many, officially. The good thing about people like us is that its hard to keep us someplace we really don't want to be." Solitaire grins, eyes glinting with the light of mischief. "Course, the Project frowns on that, and this gig is a pretty good job." She sighs, "Ah well. Were stuck here till dinners over, at least, then I think we could escape. You ought to like the Base, we've got pretty much free reign there, between bouts of saving the world." Her voice softens at the last bit, and Solitaire looks out over Vegas, not really seeing it, contemplating. But really, what are we saving it from? And who for? Us? Them?

She starts at the thought, when had it become 'us' and 'them'? Nova's and baselines. Why hadn't she noticed? There had always been a divide, but it had been minor, unimportant for the most part. The same as humans divided themselves, by skin color, religion, strength, intelligence and the like, but still people, for the most part the same. She cast her mind back, trying to remember just when she had stopped considering herself one of 'Them'.

Solitaire shakes her head slowly, there would be time for that later. Turning to Flare, she asks, "So, what all can you do Flare? Your name implies pyrotechnics, if it's all right to ask."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:46, Sat 15 Aug 2009.

Flare laughs and looks a bit sheepish. "Yeah, you could say pyrotechnics, anything with fire really.  There was this incident with my school and some blowing up, so here I am."  Her gaze wanders clearly caught in a memory that is likely unpleasant before she perks back up. "So what about you? I got from the stiffs at Utopia that everyone was bad ass, but that was about it."

Quentin happily let the others that wanted to take over the politicians and investors. For his part, he started moving about again, trying to avoid staying in one place for too long so that he didn't cause a scene, and so that no one would be able to easily pin him down for interrogation. It was best, for him, to be seen, and possibly not heard. Some might think he best that he not be seen, either. His appearance was a constant reminder to those around him that novas were distinctly other. No one would mistake the black orbs that his eyes had become for contact lenses, not with the way that they utterly devoured light.

He resisted the urge to join the others out on the balcony. Undoubtedly Pax would go supernova if too many of them abandoned ship before dinner was even out.

Comstock shook his head and grinned.  "You're a marvel, Imp," he said before making his retreat.  With any luck, Pax wouldn't notice thanks to Imp's media magic.  Especially if they weren't gone long.  On his way out, he grabbed a bottle of champagne.

"Hey, Quentin," Comstock said, finding his friend in the corner, "Come on, let's get some air.  They can't fault us for taking the time for a team toast."

Solitaire laughs, it had been so long since somebody didn't know who she was and what she did, even if she did keep a bit of a lower profile than some of the others. "Not one for the news either? That's refreshing, we've been plastered across it enough for the past year. I can't really do anything flashy, just throw a tank into orbit, fly faster than sound, and shrug off small arms fire." Solitaire left out the arm, it was still too finicky to rely on, but she figured she'd get the hang of it soon.

"Yeah, I suppose Bad Ass sums it up nicely. Would you like the sparknotes on the whole team?"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:51, Sat 15 Aug 2009.

"TV rots your brain, so I ignore its idiocy whenever I can, also..." She trails off a bit seemingly mulling over her words, "its one thing to see 'Live at 5, Nova blows up Circle K' and another entirely to actually be one."  She takes a moment to shove something into her mouth from the tray, likely to stop her own depressing train of thought. She perks up quickly though, "Sparknotes would rock, its good to know who might throw the bus I'm planning to light on fire, or lob asteriods or whatever."

Zero, although nowhere Impetus' in crowed control, wines and dines the guests like a champion host. At least until it tries to use magic tricks to entertain some guests. It pushes the envelope just so to see if it can get a rise out of Pax. Along with answering questions about Zero's own books, Impetus' book is discussed with those guests the Doctor feels will not over react to it, and can appreciate some livelier discussion.

"OK then, Solitaire's guide to Team Tomorrow. Act I, Scene III. Well start with Impetus, easiest to pick out, that's him, there. The guy made of pure Sexy. He's a charmer, if you couldn't tell, can't help but like him, unless your Pax. Imp can manipulate momentum, or something, its a neat trick to see, and can fly with it. Not as fast as me, of course, but pretty fast. Solitaire waves at Impetus, then continues.

"Now, over there is Comstock, he's as close to a Team Leader your going to find here.  He can control metal, and may or may not be made of the stuff too.  When he goes 'heavy' he's actually stronger and tougher than I am, but he works out, and I don't want to bulk up.

"The man talking with him is Gravitas, smart guy, and I mean smart.  Just between you and me, I suspect he knows everything.  His thing is gravity, its pretty damn cool, he can even use it force open a wormhole. Great for getting around, let me tell you. Still, I prefer the wind in my hair."

"That girl there is Phantasm. Very nice girl, really creepy power. I don't know how she does it, but she creates, whatever she wants out of her aura? Or something, some of them are kind of cute, in a rip your face off sort of way.' She mumbles something about teddy bears, then adds "I would advise not getting on her bad side." Solitaire chuckles, smiling reassuringly

"The guy in the mask there is Dr. Zero. He... Come to think of it, I really have no idea what he does.  But whatever it is, hes very good at it."

"There's a couple others, like Pax there, just smile and nod to whatever he says, its not worth arguing with 'His Majesty'.  He's in charge, but we can get around that once he leaves to go to a press conference or something. Then there's Frostburn, I don't think she's here, lucky girl. She's our Ops officer, and backup, very cool, I like her a lot. I think that sums up most of the important people, except the other two new faces, Don't know much of anything about them."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:12, Sat 15 Aug 2009.

"No objections here, though if we stay out of the way too long we can probably expect an earful." Quentin grabbed a glass of something red as they headed outdoors.

Taking too long to make her escape from the crowd Suzukaze is bombarded with people interested is the new blood of the group. Questions ranging from "What did she do for her homeland" to "what brought her here." Yet it was one particular question that picked her interest and gave her hope to get away and get some form of privacy... "What powers do you have to contribute to the team," asked one gentleman.

"Well that is one question I would be glad to ...." She make a slight pause as she thinks. "Well how about I show one as an example."

Keeping in mind the fact of being indoors and the crowd she holds back her full speed. Her questioners feel a gust of air as she disappears from their view. In seconds she comes to a hault on the balcony in front of Flare and Solitaire.

"Umm... Hi sorry to interupt the both of you. I just had to get out of there. I'm just not ready for all their questions."

"Don't sweat it.  Imp and Zero are enjoying themselves and will probably be along in a minute.  Imp gave me one of those looks."  He gave Quentin a shrug.  "Come on, let's round everyone up."

First stop was Slider.  "Hey.  We're getting the team together for a quick toast.  Guests of honor have to follow."

Finding Phantasm again, he gave a thumbs up.  "Hey, I've got Quentin, so we can take the noisy shortcut to the roof if you still want more air than the balcony."  He kept moving, waving for everyone to follow.

Finally, with as much of the team in tow as would follow, Dillon swung by Flare and Solitaire.  "Hey, we might be heading up to the roof with Phantasm.  Imp's got a plan or something."  He looked back to see how the last two members of the team were doing in the vicious pool of socialites, celebrities and political aspirants.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:58, Sat 15 Aug 2009.

Flare lightly bounces to her feet, dusting crumbs off her now very wrinkled red dress.  "The further away from the crowds the better." She looks over the railing and then at her new team mates.  "So we can just fly up? Or will that scare the norms?"

"Probably less than one of Quetin's portals, but if you do then I've got to take the elevator."

"I've never traveled by portal, that sounds more interesting, and subjecting anyone to the elevator music is probably an act of cruelty, lets go."

"Even Heavy your not that heavy Comstock, I could give you a lift if you want."

"Err, you sure? Its kind of loud. I mean, flying is probably mostly easier, or I could reverse local gravity and sort of fly us up - kinda..." Quentin looks somewhat uncomfortable with interrupting things with a portal, for all that it was a quick and easy means of travel, it was still extremely flashy and more than a little disruptive.

"Nice! We get to have a toast on the top of the Bellagio.

I don't know why, but this just seems so surreal sometimes.  You'd think I'd be used to it, but when we sit on top of places like this, drinking things more expensive than my family, if I could remember them of course, probably made in a whole year... Well, it's like we're little demigods or something.  And then it hits me that I don't know what we're actually supposed to do.  There isn't a rulebook for this kinda thing, despite what Utopia tries to tell you.

Suzukaze [mumbles "what does that mean?" in japanese to Suzukaze] and Slider have probably already had their share of surreal moments, but you Flare are in for a ride.  Here's a pre-roof toast to NEW BLOOD!"

Phantasm seems a bit more exuberant than usual as she takes a drink from her glass.  Maybe she's finally enjoying the fact that the war is over, or maybe Comstock's little speech managed to instill a little hope for after all.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:07, Sat 15 Aug 2009.

"Yeah ... I guess that'd work."  Dillon looked over the balcony's edge at the city below.  "Some days I wish I could fly.  Get over the whole heights thing."  Shrugging, he held out the champagne bottle and poured for everyone.  "Pre-roof toast, pre-roof toast.  I've got a feeling that there will be a different sort of party somewhere else for us, but for right now we've got this.  Cheers everyone."

He paused as he came to Flare.  "Hey ... how old are you anyway?"  He grinned so she wouldn't think he was trying to narc on her.

"Eighteen, which is enough for white wine, at least in my opinion.  Also I think if I'm allowed to work, and allowed to, under big brother supervision, blow things up then I can have a glass."  Eager to have a roof party, and to make sure no one of the group will try to be 'adult' and take away her toasting glass, she downs her pre-roof toast.  Uncertain she actually is ready for weird portal travel she slips quickly and easily over the balcony railing.  A burst of flame and yip of happiness later she is blasting past (at a safe distance) up to the roof top.  It is, of course, necessary to do just a few loops and rolls as she enjoys her favorite ability.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:20, Sat 15 Aug 2009.

"It's not like most of us are able to get drunk anyway..." he muttered when Flare's age was brought up.

"Just thinking about image.  I mean, 'gives minors alcohol' is not something I want the papers saying about me.  Not when I've got that add going on TV and new computers heading out to Clark County schools.  And she'll probably get a lecture from Utopia if she lives too large in the public eye.  Even if you and I both know it's complete bullshit."  He took a quick drink himself, then left the bottle and glass on a nearby table and gave Solitaire a nod of readiness.

Slider smiles, relaxed and happy to be amongst friends and far from fighting for a while.
"It's a nice night.  All the lights, friends, the food, the music.  Easy to get lost, and I'm all for losing myself in something happy for a change. To the roof!

Whoever can't make it on their own can go with me if Grav over there isn't up for one of his big blue holes in space."

She downs her glass and makes a hole of her own.

Once there, she looks around, gazing out over the edge.  She has a smile for everyone, especially the other women new to T2M:A.

Most people know that Slider is constantly on the move, never a part of any specific team due to being primarily useful as a transporter and logistics asset.  Though she has extremely high popularity ratings across the board, her actual personal life is pretty empty, and she seems to try extra hard to make a home for herself wherever she goes, while being oddly evasive when it comes to deep connections.  Probably a way of giving herself the feeling of belonging without all the pain that comes from leaving.

Suzukaze looks towards Phantasm before entering Slider's portal.

"My name is Suzuka, and Kaze is our word for wind. I just sort of combined the two. For when I travel they would say I am like the wind..." She pauses slightly as if remembering. "Some would call me 'The Blossum in the Wind'. " She then lifts the bundle she has carried all night. "Yet soon when the time comes they shall be calling me the steel wind that fights for tomorrow. We can but live in the present day, but we fight to ensure a better tomorrow."

She then turns and goes through the portal. Once she is on the roof she pulls the pins from her hair letting it fall to her shoulders. She then makes her way towards the edge and takes in the view of the city as she waits for the others to arrive.

Zero was chatting it up with several young advertising moguls about the advertising possibilities of the opp net when it noticed Comstock's glance. "Oh! My team leader looks like he needs me. I'll be right back, gentlemen."

The Doctor daftly slips through the crowed, out a window, and scales the wall with it's squishy shoes before flipping over over the gutter and landing on the roof. "Hello!" The Doctor takes the hand of each new lady in the team and gives them a gentle shake. "Such... beautiful ladies." Zero looks genuinely speechless for a moment. "There must simply be a mistake here. I haven't done a thing in my life to deserve to work with so many lovely women. My name is Zero. Dr. Zero. At your service." The Doctor take a gentlemanly bow.

"Well, glad to have you here Suzukaze.  I think you're gonna be a big asset to the team." [translated from Japanese]

Phantasm grabs two trays from passing waiters, and hops through the portal, landing without spilling a drop.

"I brought extras guys!"

Flare giggles a bit at his gentlemanly antics. "I think we're the lucky ones.  Good to meet you."  She wanders over to the edge of the building to enjoy the view, but turns back as a portal opens and team members start meandering through.

Comstock looked to Slider's portal and shrugged, catching a lift to the roof with Solitaire just in time to see Dr. Zero working the ladies over with his charm.  "I wish I were half as smooth as you, Zero," Comstock laughed.  Away from the decorum downstairs, Dillon seemed more at ease, as though a weight were lifted from his shoulders.

"Okay, we don't have too long, so let me get this out quick and keep it informal: I'm looking forward to the next year.  I hope all three of you find a home here, and I can promise that as long as we're on the same team I've got your back.  I didn't really have a direction in life before all this, and now I don't think I belong anywhere else.

"Frostburn hasn't told me when we're supposed to get back to work, but I think we'll probably have about a week of extra training exercises and classes to 'facilitate teamwork' or whatever the hell they're calling it, so nobody panic.  Only thing I can say is this: everyone's got to have some sort of non-lethal attack for this crime-fighting project.  No one wants Pax breathing down our necks instead of touring the globe and intimidating Elites.

"Now, uh ... Imp should be along in a minute, so somebody come up with a good toast for the team since Phantasm took care of the pre-roof toast and I'm out of ideas."

After chatting up a few circles of suits Imp gives his trademark grin.  It was actually trademarked. Weird.  "As much as I would love to keep talking with you all, I fear that I must report to my team leader for a shakedown test of the new members, and a test for us old hands as well, ladies, gentlemen, a pleasure." Imp bows, then heads to the balcony and hops up to the roof.  "Finally, never thought we'd all get out of there without one lamprey or another attached."  Imp smiles at the new members of the team, careful not to put too much oomph into it, "Hello ladies, please just call me Imp, yes, I'm that guy from the tabloids, no, I'm not as bad as they say I am, and relax, if anybody catches shit for tonight, it'll be me.  Speaking of, now that this shindig is wrapping up, I know this quiet little place in Mexico that has great food, cold drinks, and a view of the Gulf of California that's just awesome, especially at sunrise.  Who wants to come and how are we gonna get there?"

"Well, I'm all in.  But we should probably wait at least until they serve the food, just so we don't get yelled at.  All these people did pay a whole lot of money to see us I guess, and it's all going to the charity fund, so as boring as it is I don't want to go too early."

"It's just a matter of pretending you know what you are doing, really."

"It matters not to me. Just as long as we go someplace where I can train. There is much more I can do to better myself."

"I think that pretty much applies to everyone, always.  But you have to take a break sometimes, or you burn out.  Trust me, sometimes you just have to relax a little.  So, what kind of work did you do before this Suzukaze?"

"As Pax sama said I had worked for the government. Mostly as a body guard for highly important individuals. Or even as security for highly classified materials." She pauses and opens the bundle she has carried revealing two sheathed katana. She holds them to her forehead then pulls them away. "I cannot part with these for it is as if we are bonded. I do not feel complete without them. And with the combination of my speed and these blades I was very good at what I did." Tears begin to run down her cheek. "Yet I felt that I was destined for bigger and better things. Word of Team Tomorrow came, and I felt this was my opporrtunity. So I left my homeland and all I knew so I can do what is right for the world, and to make a difference for a brighter future.... A brighter tomorrow."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:15, Mon 17 Aug 2009.

"That's why we do what we do, and I think that'll do for the toast too." Solitaire raises her glass. "To the Future." Then she adds with a smirk, "May it keep up with us."

"And don't worry, you'll get plenty of training. We had what, a whole week of it before we shipped out the first time? You'll do fine, I'm sure."

"Yeah, a week of getting no sleep, running through the desert, building things and basic combat.  It did help for the war though.  There's no more food coming out downstairs, and Pax likes it when he has a chance to look like he owns the place and get all the attention.  Grav, Slider, if you don't feel up to warping us to Mexico, to these coordinates,  then I suppose Sol and I can fly everybody there, like what we did with that car in Africa, only hopefully in a little more style."

Flare looks a bit disturbed by the deep commitment and humanitarianism of her companions.  "A week of no sleep. Combat. I knew I should have read the fine print before I signed up for the Nova vacation package."

"Actually, Flare, if you do this sort of thing long enough you'll start longing for the ability to sleep.  Most of us don't anymore, I try it every so often, and it works about once a month, but, really, hang onto the ability to close your eyes and be somewhere else, be someone else, dream the unimaginable and make deductive leaps impossible for the waking mind, you'll miss it when it's gone."

Downstairs, the music shifts, introducing another cut scene.  Apparently the actual dinner is being served now, while Pax makes his second big announcement.

For those that bother going down, or for those that have good hearing, there is apparently a new Bahrain facility opening up in the newly teraformed region.  It will handle novas with difficult to control powers, and help them to master their abilities.  It has already seen some tentative uses, and all the results have been very positive.

Imp's cell rings with a text from Pax.
"where the hell r u?  entertain these people!"

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Sorry if I messed up on time descriptions there, but dinner hadn't actually come up yet.  Had to get in that last announcement, as it has some considerable story impact.

You guys probably don't have to stay past dinner actually, perhaps something flashy to wow the crowd before you leave and give them something to remember the event.  Then you can head off to Mexico.

---

Zero has only just begun to network, and gladly stays for the whole event, even staying for the cleanup to hand out with the last people leaving. It even gives a few people a ride if they like. After the dinner, Zero takes some requests for songs, singing anything it is familiar with, from any genre the guests ask about. It even takes a few interested guests to a large side room with a projector and does some singing lessons with the interested, showing some of it's early practice sessions with Comstock to loosen people up, and laughing it up into the morning hours.

While networking, Zero focuses on entertainment and advertising potential in the Nova Age. It is looking for fresh ideas to back, and is very interested in becoming a mogul of media.

One of it's more memorable toasts to a large group of producers is "Vernacular! My friends, if you can't speak, then you can't expect others to know you. I want to help people communicate! I want people to let lose a little, and remember their hope! The Nova Age is ours! Let us steer it toward a Golden Age! The Producer shares the same sacred privilege as the patron of the Renaissance. Let us learn from our predecessors, and let us honor Maker, our community, and ourselves!"

It's plans are starting to take real shape.

In reply to Dr. Zero (msg #77):

Zero is a novelty to the public.  They don't know what to make of it.  But it's quite an interesting nova nonetheless, and they flock to it like it's a rockstar (well, it actually is, so perhaps it isn't so surprising).

Zero ends up with requests from several producers and pop stars for a "ride home".  Male and Female.  Given the chance, they are all over the doctor, and it requires actual effort to get them to go away...  Easier just to go with it...

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

Curious how Zero will respond... Will it be another Pat moment, or will we see some preferences emerge?  Or will a giant duck materialize in the back seat of its car.?

---

For his part, Quentin actually walked up the side of the building rather than fly or take a portal. He had left the balcony by simply planting his foot on the wall and then striding up it as if it were flat ground. [OOC: I've had adhesive grip forever, but I hadn't gotten to use it until now, whee!]



He could only smirk at this comment. It was a typically Solitaire notion, and he was forced to agree with the sentiment. At the rate novas entering into every field of human endeavor were propelling the world forward, it seemed as if anyone that couldn't adapt to the rapid changes would be left far, far behind.



Quentin harrumphs, "Speak for yourself, I'd have never made as much progress in school and on my various projects if I had to devote a third of each day to sleep. In the last 365 days, I've functionally gotten over a hundred and twenty days of extra work done. It's the best!"



"Oop, that seems to be our queue to head back down. Tell you what, survive an hour of dinner and I'll be willing to warp as many of you that want to leave out of here. I'll even take the heat from Pax. We've got to at least keep appearances up though." He puts a hand out towards the side of the building and then clinches it and pulls it up some. "There's a low-grav field between here and the balcony we left from if you just want to fall down there." He walks up to the edge and puts his arms out to his sides before falling off the edge face-first and curling into a mid-air roll before gently drifting to the balcony below to land solidly on his feet.

"Hardly, I count sleeping as the high point of my day, all 3 hours I ever seem to get..." Solitaire grumbles, it was always something, a crisis, endurance training, forgotten paperwork... "There's just something so gratifying about being done for the day. Still, today isn't done yet, and Pax bawling us out would put a damper on my night, so lets keep him happy, shall we?"

Solitaire carefully steps off the roof, floating down to the balcony below. Grav's tricks were immensely amusing, but low-G did funny things to evening gowns. Solitaire generates just enough lift to keep the damn thing in place, calling down to Gravitas jokingly, "Looking up is forbidden, by the way."
This message was last edited by the player at 09:22, Tue 18 Aug 2009.

Imp grins, "Looks like we've been missed before we could fly the coop completely, ah well, the food is gonna be great."  He jumps down onto the balcony below and swaggers through the door.  He holds it open for his teammates, as many as want to come.  then swings it shut.  "My apologies, everyone, we felt it was important to get to know each other and establish the kind of rapport T2M needs as quickly as possible." He says once everyone is in.  He sits down at his assigned seat and makes smalltalk with his tablemates during dinner, doing his best to make them feel that they're the funny, interesting, witty ones.  Once dinner is finished and the party is breaking up he poses for a few pictures, then moves over to the rest of the team and says, "Alright everybody, lets get away from all these suits, yes?"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:35, Tue 18 Aug 2009.

Flare joins main party area, likely due to the lack of a roof buffet, and with entry into the room all facets of Flare's personality is drowned out in nerves. Her witty banter consists of comments of "Umm..." and "Please pass the potatoes."

Comstock, swallowing his fear, looked over the edge.  "Okay ... okay.  Low-G."  That said, he vaulted the side of the roof and aimed for the balcony, landing safely much to his amazement.  He grinned like a kid.  "Cool."

Throughout the remainder of the party, Comstock stuck around Flare to provide the other guests a big, obvious target if she ever looked like she was drowning or about to step in a steaming pile of politics.  "Don't sweat the black ties, Flare.  And if you need to step out, go ahead."

[Private to Phantasm: "Geez, she's fresh," he muttered to Phantasm.  "I have a feeling we're going to need to keep an eye on her so Zero and Imp don't freak her out.  Want to take shifts on it?"  The big guy was wearing his heart on his sleeve like an oversized teddy-bear.]


Comstock lost all interest in networking.  "Yeah!  Lead on, man.  Can't wait."

In reply to Flare (msg #82):

Zero attempts to include the three new recruits in the conversations at the table. "So tell me, Ms. Flare, Ms. Slider, and Ms... Suzuka? Forgive my tongue, but did I say that right? What do you think of all these Elites?"

Suzukaze rebundles her katanas as she watches her teamates descend. She then follows their lead. She makes her way to her seatand slowly sits. She eats her meal silently taking in the atmosphere. Her new teamates, and all the guests in attendence. This whole evening much more than she is used to.

"Perhaps we could stop back by the Base and pick up a change of clothes? Going incognito is a bit harder when you have gown on, or a glowing arm. People tend to notice and I don't think that would be the point of our excursion. 'Sides, I don't feel right without my jacket."

[Private to Comstock: Yeah, we can keep an eye on the new people.  Not sure what to think yet, but I'm sure adjusting to our little group would be weird for anybody.]

Phantasm makes an effort to be polite and entertaining to the guests.  She talks to a few people about potential business deals, and turns down most of them (most are paths to instantly becoming old news, like getting her face on a hot topic t-shirt, or doing a pop album).  Mostly she just watches however, especially the new recruits, trying to get a feel for them.

By the time another couple hours have gone by, Phantasm is more than ready to leave.
"I'm up for leaving now too guys.  I can change on the way, but I wouldn't mind picking up some things, and getting rid of some of my junk before we go" she says as she points at the jewelry she's wearing.

"Alright, sounds like a plan. Base first, then Mexico." As he spoke he was heading towards the balcony, adroitly blowing off people who wanted to chat with him without really seeming to, once everybody was free and clear and the door shut behind them he stretched catlike, then made his eufibre to become a comfortable pair of khaki shorts and a slightly rumpled white linen button-down replete with some leather sandals.  "Are we warping to the base or flying?  Flare, Suzukaze, can either one of you fly and or make time and space your bitch?"

"I can fly in a pyrotechnic blaze, and am all for doing so." Flare follows Impetus out to the balcony and apparently perks up at the thought of going anywhere else.  "I don't know that I could manage Mexico, depending on how far south, but base I can do."

"I possess neither of those abilities. I have my super speed, and should make it to the base in no time. I'm not too sure of Mexico however. I just hope my belongings arrived at the base ok I came right here upon my arrival. "

"Ah, nice to finally be out.  I actually really like Nevada nights.  Even when it's still hot out, the humidity's so low that it feels cool.

You don't have to run all the way back Suzukaze, someone can give you a ride.  Unless you just wanna.

I would personally love a ride, its way too much juice to make my own.  Anyone up for the job?  I do believe you made an offer Quentin?  And unless Dillon starts doin' some Hulk-style leaping, I think he needs one too.  And Zero... Where'd he go?  Was that him leaving with some tv producers?  Eh, whatever."

The Doctor's limbo starts shacking back and forth at it's second stop of the night. "Madam! Please control yourself!" The door bursts open as Zero tries crawling out, but it is dragged in by several well manicured hands. "Bruce! Help me!" A tall man with long blond hair, wrestler physic, and a ponytail promptly emerges from the drivers seat in a limo driver's uniform that looks two sizes too small on his huge frame. He puts one hand on the hood, and gingerly jumps over the limbo to the passenger door, riches in, and starts pulling and throwing richly dressed people into the garbage heaps in the alley near the car. The last one he pulls and throws screams and, seemingly attached to Zero's face, get's thrown with the Doctor. Bruce turns around. "Holy...! Doctor! Are you OK?!"

"Owchie." The Doctor is sitting in a heap of garbage as Bruce quickly turns a flashlight on Zero. There is a young teen idol with his tongue stuck in the filter of Zero's mask, and he is in tears with pain. 'Pease, pease, pease...! Take it oph! It hurs! It hurs!"

"I think you need to take your mask off, Doctor!" adds a concerned Bruce.

"Never! I am nothing without my mask! What where you thinking, you spaz!?" Zero smack the young man.

"h'is is so embarousin! Ow!"

"Doc. Take off the mask."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhh..." Zero takes off it's mask, slowly, dramatically, as mysterious gray vapors are released into the air as the helmet depressurizes. The young man with his tongue stuck in it looks in awe as the mask falls off, then cries as it's falling weight tugs on his tongue, then winces in annoyance. "You wier-o."

Zero covers the cloth mask it wears under it's gas mask. "Do not look at me! I am hideous!" Bruce laughs and the young man pouts & whimpers. He was hopping to take advantage of the situation and get some good money blabbing to the tabloids about the Doctor's actual face. Now he was going to have to go to the emergency room and explain his apparent fetish for WWII gear.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
OOC: Fixed some of the rape I did to the English Language. Hopefully it doesn't read like a story of a PC getting attacked with barbecue implements, now.

---

This message was last edited by the player at 15:18, Thu 20 Aug 2009.

"I'll give anybody a ride that wants one, it should only take Sol and I 15 minutes or so to cover the distance back to the base, of course Grav can do it in 15 seconds, Waddaya say, warp man?  Up for assaulting the laws of physics to cut our travel time?"

Quentin shoot a cautious look over toward Pax, many guests seem to have already left and he has a considerably smaller crowd around him now. "I suppose we're off the hook for the rest of the night."

Ensuring that anyone that is going is gathered together, he holds his hand out and makes a twisting motion, as if turning a particularly large, shoulder-level doorknob. Space follows suit, twisting into a swirling blueish portal. The door to the barracks building of the Nevada base is visible on the other side through a short mottled blue-white tunnel.

Quentin made an elaborate bow towards remaining guests that cared to observe as his teammates made their escape. "We'll be retiring for the night, early day tomorrow, after all!" Nevermind that most of then didn't plan on sleeping - it wasn't strictly a lie. Once the others are through, he stepped through himself and allowed more conventional physics to take over.

Dillon ran a hand over his head and waved to the crowd before hopping through.  "Yeah ... still can't jump.  Harley ... now he could jump."  It was a somber thought.  "Okay, Imp.  It's your show.  Point us to this restaurant of yours."

"Excellent. Back in 5." Solitaire says, striding though the portal and into the barracks. Back in her room, she quickly discards the stupid dress and heels, climbing back into her usual attire. She zips a left sleeve onto her jacket, and adds a pair of gloves. 5 minutes later, she walks back outside, looking much more like herself, and much less unhappy.

Dillon ditched his tuxedo and returned in camo-pants and a white t-shirt.  He kept his second skin back and looked fairly normal, if muscular.  "It looks like my cell-phone ran out of power at the party."  He figured it would be good if the 'responsible' guy set the tone for the after-party.  "Guess it'll just be us tonight."

Suzukaze turns towards the remaining guests and bows. "It has been a great honor to be here this evening. Thank you all." She then turns and dashes through the portal. Once arriving in the base and seeing her bags she starts to gather them up.  She turns towards the others and asks. "Would someone like to do me the honor of helping me find a room for myself?"

The Doctor hogtied it's... exuberant travelers and finished driving them to their destinations, tossing them onto their couches until they where all home (except the young man in the emergency room with Zero's mask). The Doctor asks Bruce to fly it to the base, and they depart. They arrive far latter in the morning at the base.

"If I remember right, there's a bunch of empty rooms over here.  I usually pick one up when I'm staying for a while... Probably just take one of those.  They're actually more like nice apartments really, so you won't be short on room.  Though you're from Japan, so you probably won't be bothered by the size of the place.  Anyway, just my guess.  They might have added on some stuff since last I was here."

"So Imp, where we goin' anyway?

And yeah, you can just use the empty apartments Suzukaze... Is there a shorter name you wouldn't mind going by?  Anyway, we planned on making some more adjustments to the quarters, but we got so busy with all the other stuff on the base that we didn't get a whole lot done for the basic room and board.  If you need anything, want your room changed, whatever, just let us know and we'll take care of it."

Flare recently moved what little things she wanted to keep into one of the spare rooms. One trip to Target later and it looked just like every college dorm in America, minus the windows and smelly roommates. No one mentioned if decorating was prohibited (not anal retentive enough for a reinforced barrack) and she certainly wasn't going to ask and jinx herself, so some posters, plush pillows and one very red lava lamp makes the place cozy and trendy at the same time. Flare digs out a pair of black and gray camo shorts, red tank top, and a knock off version of military boots from a trash bag (clothing storage container).  A quick pony tail later and she is ready to rock and roll.  She then seeks out someone who knows where they are going and how. "So, Mexico? Is this some uber-secret training ground?"

Dillon laughed.  "Training ground ... no.  We do all that kind of thing here.  Imp's just found some sort of restaurant he likes and wants to take us all to so we can let loose away from the cameras and celebrity status and that stuff."

Looking at Phantasm as she gathers up some of her belongings.

"Well my real name Suzuka isn't much shorter. I believe there is a shortened version of the name Susan you use. Sue I believe. It is alright with me if you wish to call me that if you like."

Standing up with what she has Suzukaze seems like a blur as she takes off to find an empty room. Finding one she drops her belongings and makes a couple more trips. Once finished she changes from her kimono into a short denim skirt and a black tank top with the work NEKO written in purple across the chest. With a quick look in the mirror she takes back off to join the others.

"Would this be ok or should I go alittle more formal?"

"You're fine, it doesn't get much less formal than me, left to my own devices." Solitaire grins, making a gesture to call attention to her scuffed black leather boots, faded jeans, and Depeche Mode T-shirt. Her jacket is spotless as usual though, leather and zippers gleaming. "Just wear what you like, on the job too, Utopia isn't too picky as long as we deliver.  Eufiber is pretty handy, if you can wear the stuff. It doesn't like me, for some reason. Now, lets go enjoy a night of drinking and debauchery while we can, 'cause tomorrow will get here all too soon, and it'll be another disaster we have to clean up."

The Doctor wakes up in it's rented plane and shouts "ereka!" It starts to draw up some diagrams for a strang device.

Flare wanders out into the night, enjoying the warm Nevada breeze, and waiting for the others.

Quentin returns from his quarters dressed considerably more cassually in long khaki pants and a gaudy Hawaiian shirt well-suited to a tourist. "Ok, I'm ready," he announces. "I just need to know more about where we're going..."

Imp comes trotting out of the hq. "Sorry I'm late, just had to call Sophia, the proprietess, and make the arrangements.  So, Grav, the restaurant we want to go to is here," he hold out a palmtop with a geographic location marked with an "X." He pushes a button and the map starts zooming in, Imp must ahve hijacked a keyhole satelight or something, showing greater and greater detail of the region, then the town, then a city block, then a long white strip of beach with a number of what are presumably eateries and hotels lining it.  He pushes another button and a street level picture pops up of a wooden patio repleat with wicker chairs, wooden tables and stair leading down to the beach.  there's a large black X on the sand well away from any furniture or obstacles.  Then a series of pictures pop up each showing the X from a slightly different perspective untill a full 360 has been done around the landing zone. "Sophia has assured me that there are no people near the X, and that there won't be until we arrive.  Whenever you're ready."
When the team arrives on the beach the restaurant is everything Imp had promised, a cool night breeze blowing in off the sea, the soft sounds of a mariachi band playing somewhere down the beach, and delicious smells of any number of mexican delights rolling out of the kitchen behind the common area.  There's a large table on the patio with the correct number of settings, a bucket of ice with beer in it, and a petite mexican woman in her mid to late 50s with dark hair, cheerful dark eyes, and a ready grin bustling towards them when they arrive.  Imp gives her a hug and a kiss and chats for a while in spanish before gesturing to the table.  "Please, sit, this is one of my favourite places to come and unwind after work has started wearing me down.  Eat and drink as much as you want, it's on me."
This message was last edited by the player at 09:04, Sat 22 Aug 2009.

Going first through the portal, Dillon laughed at the picturesque scene on the other side.  "Dude, you weren't kidding.  Nice place."  It was beautiful.  His imagination supplied an impression of the tastes and smells as he tried to judge what to order.  It was, sadly, molecularly identical in most ways to all other Mexican food, reducing it's novelty.

"Alright, high five guys: we survived another black tie event, represented ourselves well and made a good case for humanity.  Away from all the crap, how are you holding up girls?  Not you, Landers, you're a pro at this."  He flicked some ice at Slider playfully and took a drink of beer.  "Regretting the big decision?  Utopia's big, but I hope we haven't scared you too much."

"Of course, we might tomorrow when we're back on the clock." Solitaire adds, grinning with good-humored malice. "Saving the world is hard work. Rewarding, fulfilling, sometimes even fun, but hard work.  Dangerous too, Elites play for keeps, so too with the criminal underworld, I expect, as that seems to be our next project. Live it up tonight, 'cause I doubt you'll sleep for the next week."

Solitaire leans back in her chair and props her feet up on a invisible foot stool. She swirls her tumbler of whiskey, glancing over at Imp. "This is a nice, how do you find these places?"
This message was last edited by the player at 06:15, Sun 23 Aug 2009.

Flare takes in the scenery off the patio and enjoys the ocean breeze.  She practically skips over to the beer bucket, helps herself to a bottle and some lime, and then slings herself into one of the chairs.  "Man, I was worried when I was told I had to show up at a formal event, but this I can get into."

While flying, Zero pauses and begins to make some phone calls regarding the new training facility anouced by Pax, and who is being hired to treat Novas with Quantum aberrations. And why it was not invited to be a part of the facility.

In reply to Dr. Zero (msg #113):

Most of Zero's contacts weren't aware of such a facility.  A few people in the medical community were in the know however, and it seems that some famous MD and PhD's are being recruited for the job.  Famous, but not known for their being part of the establishment per se.  Both baselines and novas are being recruited.  Doctors Mazarin and Rashoud have been recruited as advisers as well, though it is unknown how involved they will be on the whole.

Zero really doesn't have to search out reason's for not being invited, they are probably pretty clear.  Despite public acclaim, its eccentricities aggravate and worry the higher ups in Utopia, and creep Pax out.


)))))))


The little strip of beach Imp found is clear and beautiful.  Apparently it isn't a primary tourist site (though there are a few foreigners around), and manages to avoid attention from Mexico's less savory elements as well.  The people here are happy and friendly, the food is excellent, and the night sky is quite clear.  Fairly late at night, several establishments are open. Restaurants/bars that cater to local vacationers primarily.

Anyone that wants to take a walk down by the beach will be rewarded with an incredible view of waves and stars that only quantum enhanced eyes can fully appreciate.

In reply to Comstock (msg #110):

"Hey, I could be quietly dying inside, collapsing under all the pressure and no one would even know.  And you don't even care.  *Sniffle*

'Course I'm not though.  This has been an awesome ride, and even though some of the stuff we've seen wasn't great, I still like being a hero.  Sometimes Utopia bothers me... But that's discussion for another day.

I'm still not really sure why I've been assigned to you guys though.  I mean, you have a 'porter already, and both Sol and Imp are fast enough that they almost don't need one, so what am I doing here, you know?  Fine control?  All I can think of, but it still doesn't make much sense to me."

Slider's glass glows ever so slightly, and Dillon has a perfect cube of ice sitting on his head, a trickle of water slipping down over his eyebrow and the bridge of his nose.

"Response time, maybe.  First real command decision of my career almost went bad since the team was split and out of contact.  Maybe they don't want that to happen again."  Dillon shrugged and wiped the cube off of his head.

"Don't beat yourself up, we handled that all right." Solitaire offers commiseratingly. "Our intel on that Op was non-existent, and we made out much better than the other teams there. We may have god-like powers, but there were only a handful of us, and we were totally green. I figure Slider," Solitaire raises her glass in Sliders direction, "is here because taking on organized crime will require a different mindset than the Wars did. Our enemies there were mostly Nova proxies, now I expect it'll be mostly baselines, well have to hit them fast and from all sides to make sure they don't get away, since you can't 'ping' a baseline."

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself Dil, you did the best you could, and everything turned out.  We saved a lot of people that day.

Things "almost" go wrong all the time, its how you handle the situation, and what you make of things when they do go wrong, that counts.  And you've been a good field leader, not just then, but all the time since.

Flare, Sue, don't listen to Dillon when he talks about himself.  If you do, he'll have you convinced that he's a glorified piece of construction equipment or something.  He's pretty good at assessing most situations, which is why he does the whole field leader thing, but when looking at himself he has some seriously low self-esteem.

No, I think they've got double 'porter duty because we're going to be dealing with different kinds of work than before.  Criminals communicate well, and in crowded urban environments they can also get away from the police fairly easily, even nova police.  The extra 'porter, especially someone with really good control, no offense Grav, but big blue portals aren't exactly subtle, should really help with that.

And no Flare, we're anything but formal.  I think you'll have more trouble just living on our schedule.  Since most of us only sleep as a novelty, things are constantly going on.  And since a lot of us think really fast, we do odd things to keep from being bored... Well, you'll see.  It can get crazy sometimes."

"Hey," Dillon said, not sure whether to be hurt or complimented.  It wasn't exactly false.  Instead he just ran a hand over his head.  "You've got a point about the criminals, actually.  This is going to be sensitive stuff.  We'll need to maneuver a lot, corner people, that kind of thing.  And we'll need to look good doing it."  He nodded, trying to think through everything that was heading their way.  "Killing people and wrecking buildings when we're trying to help them is even more of a priority than before."

Suzukaze finishes off her drink staring out to the beach taking in the scenery. She then stands and bows.

"Please excuse me everyone."

She then strolls off going down the beach towards the water. Kneeling she unbundles her katana. She bows her head to the sheathed blades before inserting them into the sand. In one swift movement she stands drawing the blades and stepping right into her kata. Any who watch her would admire her graceful movements the moonlight reflecting off her blades. She slowly builds up to her full speed. Her movements most likely lost to those without a keen eye. The moonlight comming off her blades creating a beautiful show of light.

"Hmm, actually for the last few weeks I haven't needed much sleep or food at all, so I might be able to hand with the crew.  I'm looking forward to training and mission just to see if I can keep up." She grins at the idea of a low self-esteemed Nova "and I'll try not to take the words of out super awesome, powerful, defacto leader to heart when he slanders himself."

Imp relaxes in his chair, drinking an ice cold local beer and tucking into the huge plate of food in front of him.  "Yeah, don't listen to 'Stock when he's talking about himself, the modesty is really quite misleading.  I am curious about how we will do working against organized crime, other than Zero I'm not sure how well any of us will be able to pull stuff off like tailing someone, bugging a room, or any of that stuff I've only ever seen on Law and Order."  He looks thoughtful, but then leans back and stares up into the night sky at the millions of lights swirling over head.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:26, Mon 24 Aug 2009.

"We'll do fine.  Grav can out think them, you and Sol can charm them, me and Zero can be all tricky, and the new girls can swoop in to round them up if they bolt.

Speaking of new girls, whatcha think about Sue?  She seems nice, but a little... Driven?  I mean, we're having a drink in paradise, and she's doing sword work.  Can't say she isn't a bad ass or anything, but..."

Imp taps his nose, then grins. "Well, someone has to be Leonardo to your Raphael, my Michelangelo, and Grav's Donatello."  He takes another pull on his beer and sighs contentedly.  "Seriously though, if we really want to do this magnificent job right, we need all different types, her dedication and focus will compliment some of our other, more free-spirited and easygoing members." Imp spoke at normal volume, clearly he wasn't going to say anything about any of his teamamtes on the sly that he wouldn't say to their face.  "So, Comstock, I've seen  all sorts of stuff on the Opnet and TV about "The Real Man of Steel" and "Skin of Iron, Heart of Gold" and other more outlandish monikers.  If I'm going to refer to you as one of them, which one would you prefer?"  He smiles around a rather large mouthful of burrito, somehow still managing to look both sophisticated and sensual.

"I think we'll do okay. I can be pretty stealthy when not blasting around. I actually thought the investigative police like things would impossible with the Nova eruption. I mean, we can track normals, but can't other Novas kind of," she makes a aura/wavy motion with her hands, "just feel us out?"
This message was last edited by the player at 08:53, Mon 24 Aug 2009.

"Also, will nicknames like 'golden nugget' or 'bling' get me throw through a wall?" The cheeky grin lets Dillon know shes at least half joking.

"Oh ... oh now your asking for it," Dillon laughed and jokingly moved to put Impetus in a headlock.  "Call me Golden Nugget and the casino will probably sue me for copyright infringement or something.  Seriously, though, everyone new: I've got a little rule for myself.  Metal out, I'm Comstock.  Metal in, I'm Dillon.  Keeps stuff nice and separate.  I mean, you're free to call me Dillon all the time, I just try not to get caught up in my own mythology or any of that."

"I also like long walks on the beach and beer under a star-lit sky ..." he gave Imp the corniest, over-the-top smile and tried to mouth the words 'I love you' but could not keep a straight face.

"Another fair rule is that I try not to throw people through walls.  It never solves anything."  He gave Flare the thumbs up.  "So you could probably call me Tinkerbell and still be alright."

Soon the moonlight shimmering off the blades of the katana are replaced by a new glow. Purple energy surround the blades creating what would be a beautiful effect. Yet almost as soon as it appeared it vanishes and Suzukaze comes to an abrupt stop. The katanas fall from her hands and just as quickly she drops to her knees covering her face with her hands.

"What the ...?" Dillon murmured.  As the light show ended, he switched over to crisis management mode, put the beer down and shouted down to the beach.  "You alright, Suza-...suzuko ... you alright Sue?"  He nodded to the others that this probably warranted checking out and bands of copper and lead started to bleed over his skin.

"Personal breakdown, or some sort of assault?  Either way, someone should go over there... Imp, Dillon?"

Phantasm lights up with a phosphorescent green glow, strange half seen images flickering under the surface of her shield like drowned corpses under a thin sheet of ice.

She walks cautiously down the beach, behind whoever will take the lead and do the talking.

Solitaire groans "Ugh, less than ideal." She sets her glass of whiskey on the patio table, stands, and kicks off into a short arc that lands her next to Suzukaze. Crouching down next to her, Solitaire says gently, "Its OK kid, we're all friends here. No freaking out tonight, its strictly about off duty fun." Solitaire reaches out to put a hand on her shoulder, adding, "You don't need to talk about it or anything, but we've been doing this for a while now, we'll give  you any help you need."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:36, Mon 24 Aug 2009.

Imp reacts moments after Sol, he crosses the distance between the patio and their new teammate in seconds, but lets Sol take point.  He then waits, looking concerned, and shoots Dillon a glance when he arrives and motions to start looking around.  He then scans the restaurants, sky and water for any signs of an imminent attack, it was probably just nerves, but after Africa he wasn't going to take something like this at face value again.

There doesn't appear to be any threat, though appearances can of course be deceiving...

Looking up at her new teamates wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I'm so sorry. I'm ruining the night for everyone. Just bad memories I thought I had put past me. Yet with this big change in life for me, and the pressure of being in front of all those people earlier... It was just too much.

She looks off into the darkness over the water. New tears forming she speaks again in almost a whisper.

"Grandfather.... Will redemption ever come for me."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:57, Tue 25 Aug 2009.

When Suzakaze drops Flare takes to the sky figuring that her new teammates probably have kaze covered and checks for any sign of trouble.  After a few minutes of scanning the night sky for any planes/novas/asteroids/UFO, she drops down near the group.  "No outside attacks, at least not that I could see."

"Hmmmm..." The Doctor ponders it's situation quietly in the back of the jet as it nears the base. It wishes it could pretend it was above taking this personal, but it couldn't help but stew about it. Zero was aware that personal politics where bound to creep up, but the reality of it is disparaging and insulting. It had thought it was proving itself as a team player to Utopia, but this situation showed that it needed to reevaluate it's position.

This hit an undeniable nerve in Zero. The pathetic Baseline it had been was always odd and different, and rarely felt like it fit in. It had hoped to market it's odd demeanor as artistically eccentric, but the people in power where not impressed like the masses. They could sniff out a freak. Zero hated the feeling. It was like high school all over again. The Doctor was, again, starting to see why Ms. Fong might want to become something other than human. It was starting to find it's stubborn clinging to the identity of a hero redundant and an exercise in futility. In the end, under it's mask, it was not acceptable. It was not wholesome and family friendly. The Nova was a mass of contradictions. It liked killing people in the field of battle. It like stitching them back together. It liked the excitement of the Nova life. It liked a humble family life. Zero felt conflicted, again, but it decided it would stay the course with it's original goals and see it's larger goals through. It did finally change it's mind about one thing. It had hoped to help  mitigate the radical changes Novas would cause to human society. No more. It was now going to radically change some aspects, God willing, but just slow it down to let the masses digest it.

After mentally murdering Pax several times in it's head, the Doctor maked a phone call to schedule a meeting with Pax to 'evaluate' it's performance in Utopia.

It then made it's second call. The more important call, possibly the most important call it may ever make. Zero was feeling out a huge deal at the party, but now was the time to be bold, before it's subtractors could undermine it's standing it Utopia. It needed something that would allow it to power broke independently of Utopia. Something almost everyone needed in this society, especially most Novas. If Pax and Utopia would work around Zero in the shadows, so would the Doctor do this in tern. Zero dialed an encrypted phone.

"Yes. Yes, I have thought about your offer. I love it. Count me in. Too big? Oh no, no, no, my friend. I think you are selling yourselves too short. I think we can go much bigger. I'll tell you how confident I am. I will take a much smaller profit, for the same investment, for the first five years, if you allow me production control, and total control of a spin off station if the network holds the number one spot for one year. Oh? N? With an exclamation point. I like it. Ballsy. Let's make this thing!"

The seemingly emotional nature of the problem left Dillon feeling a bit helpless.  He concentrated on putting his metal back under control and gave Quentin a significant look.  [Private to Gravitas: "Hey, uh, Quentin ... do you think you could talk to her and calm her down?  I just don't want Imp to work his magic and make her more uncomfortable, you know?"  Dillon didn't sound like he was sure this was a good idea.]

As Flare came back down, Dillon smiled and gave her a thumbs up.  "Good instincts on flying around up there, Flare ... I'm impressed."

"Relax, Sue, we've all got things in our past that we don't like looking at, but by accepting that they are a part of us, are a part that makes us who we are and accepting that they happened they become easier to deal with.  Like me, for example, i got locked in lockers almost every day in high school, to the point where i was both afraid of opening my locker and took some sick, twisted pleasure in breaking them.  But, since it wouldn't be good for PR if, everytime I went into a school, I blew up a few banks of lockers, I've learned to accept them." Imp grinned.  "Now, enough of this serious stuff, come back and try some of the food, maybe a beer or two, and relax, there'll be plenty of time to be all stressed out and serious in the next few months."

Grabing her katanas Suzukaze stands silently and walks over to resheathe and bundle them. Standing up with the bundle she turns to the team looking at Imp.

"How will I ever be able to accept the fact that I murdered my grandfather." She pauses for a second to judge the reactions. "We were in the middle of training when my eruption happened. The combination of my speed and the energy I fill my blades with... I didn't know what happened until it was too late. Will it not matter how many lives I save or how much good I do. Even if it costs me my life. Will I ever be redeemed."

She turns and walks back up the beach her head hung low. She grabs a beer before sitting in a chair staring at the bottle.

Zero's plane gains permission to enter the base's airspace, and flies overhead. The Doctor jumps out and plummets, it's scarf and coat flapping wildly, it's fedora clenched in it's hand. The parachute opens, and the Doctor lands on his feet, holds it hands up high, and says "Ta-da! You may rejoice, you lucky people, you!" A single guard claps. Zero looks around, confused and befuddled. "Hey, where is everyone?" The parachute lands over him.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:12, Wed 26 Aug 2009.

Imp frowned, Then fell into step beside Suzukaze, "I'm sorry, I didn't know that.  If my attempts at humour offended you, I apologize.  A question for you, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to, do you think that your grandfather would blame you for what happened, or would he forgive you?  If he would forgive you, and if you can come to understand that yes, you did something terrible, something that you had no control over, and that you can never fix it, but that continuing to wallow in grief and self recrimination won't solve anything, will hinder you from becoming that which you were meant to be.  I don't mean to sound all preachy, this trip is supposed to be for fun and relaxation, so I'll stop."  He lets Suzukaze walk off to be by herself and stands staring up at the stars, with is enhanced vision he was able to see far more detail in the night sky than he would have otherwise.  He stares at Jupiter, shining brighter than all the other stars in the sky, "I wonder how long it'd take to fly there, and what it would be like to be that far from home, that alone." He muses under his breath, then he shakes himself, puts his gameface on, and projects an atmosphere of contentment and fun that is quite literally contagious.

"The eruption is both wonderful in its power and wildly unpredictable in nature. Few of us - probably none of us - erupt with the full knowledge or control of what we're able to do. To make matters worse, none of us know that it's coming, know to expect that sudden rush of power. Particularly in your case, you can hardly be blamed for his death. You couldn't have known what was about to happen." He shrugged, "Imp's right, I think if you believe he'd forgive you, then you should attempt to forgive yourself. Then move forward and do something that would have made him proud of you - that's the greatest thing you could do for him."



Quentin wandered over to where Imp was looking at the sky and identified Jupiter as the object of his focus just before he spoke. "Assuming that Jupter is as close as it could possibly be to earth and you're flying at around Mach 5 - about 11 years. I'll be entirely frank, though. It was kind of boring out there." He shot a big grin with his comment in response. "Needs more space stations."

"11 years? That does seem to be a bit long.  Of course, I've noticed that when I'm flying out in space i go faster than I can in an atmosphere, much, much faster, nothing relativistic, but still.  And you went to Jupiter and didn't tell me?  Didn't take me along for the ride?  Next time you get it into your head that you want to watch the eruptions on Europa, or drop through the atmosphere on Titan, or see if you can get your hands on some metallic hydrogen in Jupiter's atmosphere, or, or, or well lots of ors. Let me know, please.  I'm impressed that you have that kind of range, actually.  Very impressed.  And are you going to build a space station out there?  So many questions, so many delicious cold beers and a whole night to talk, c'mon Grav, you've got some talking to do."  Imp's obvious enthusiasm hides a deeper, more, for lack of a better word, avarice.  Popping around the galaxy is something that he really, really wants to be able to do.

"The theory behind wormholes technically doesn't limit the distance that they connect. In practice, it usually takes a few hops to get anywhere other than the moon." He rapidly analyzes the things Imp says and starts putting plans together - possibly without knowing he's doing it. "I haven't really done any of that in a while - nearly a year. I did a bunch right after I discovered the ability just to test myself."

One of the plans finishes formulating enough to put out for discussion. "I'm not sure what I'd do with a space station - though it isn't as if the technology for such doesn't exist - or can be created. I'd say that the main problem with it would be funding except that with the right mining equipment and such we could start mining the asteroids with relatively little set-up time - it'd practically pay for itself before too long. The main problem is transport - it isn't like I can always be there to taxi people around. That is, if we want to bring any of it back to Earth - one of the main benefits of asteroid mining is having raw materials already in space so we don't have to get them off the planet in the first place..." His eyes move rapidly back and forth as he stares at the sky, as if he's reading things off a page. Perhaps he's reading them off a mental page. "Though with the proper innovations reliable in-system travel may be a solvable problem. Fusion propulsion or solar sails would be the most practical." ... he says as if they were actually technologies that exist - which they aren't.

"So your wormholes are distortions in space, yes?  A folding or warping of distance, bringing two seemingly distant places together.  Alternately, since time and space dilate and contract with speed, theoretically it would be possible to achieve so much speed that you would, in essence teleport.  The question is, how much momentum would I have to achieve to break the boundary of infinite speed requiring infinite amounts of energy to accelerate to?  I'd have to get around that by going from zero to translight without accelerating, which seems to be on the far side of impossible, still, ten years ago it was impossible to walk on the moon unaided, or to throw a tank into orbit.  This will take some time for me to work out, Grav, but one day, mark my words, you and I will watch the sun come up from the slopes of Olympus Mons, and both of us will have gotten their under our own power."

"Glad there isn't a fight on hand, I'm really not in the mood."

Phantasm walks over to Sue, force field still lingering, and making little moans occasionally. Pays to be careful with unknown novas around.

" <japanese>If you live a life he is proud of, then you do him honor, and he lives through you.  If you spend yourself in self hatred, then his legacy is only of failure.  It is good that you care, that you remember him, but a man deserving of such honor would not want you to be in constant pain over an accident...</japanese> Trust me, you never know you're gonna erupt, or what it'll do to you or those around you.  We sure won't judge you on that, but I know its a lot harder to forgive yourself than to find forgiveness from others..."

Phantasm wanders off again, a little lost in thought, but she processes whatever it was, and joins the space-talk.

"Some sort of dimensional travel would probably work too. Shadow Walker seemed to use that.  Kind of similar to a wormhole, but maybe more achievable for you, if you could learn to pierce whatever barriers separate dimensions, and then navigate back... Hmm.  Seems harder when I say it out loud than when I was thinking it."

"Thanks, I figured we have ground trouble covered, so I'll do what I can skywards"

Flare's eyes glaze over as talk turns to...science thingies...and after a minute or two she wanders into the restaurant in the hopes of more tortillas or some loud music to dance to.  "I knew I should have stayed awake in physics class."

[Private to Gravitas: Dillon nodded appreciatively to Gravitas.  "Thanks man."][Private to Phantasm: "Hey, uh, I'll keep an eye on Flare if you'll help Quentin make sure Imp doesn't scare off Suzukaze."  The unspoken 'or worse' hung in the air; even though Impetus had left behind most of his wicked ways, he still drew people to him like a magnet.]


Dillon followed Sara back.  "Don't worry: they're gonna make sure you have a basic idea of how it all works.  Dr. Bharati's a great teacher, and the rest of us will give you a hand if you need."  He stared at the food but experienced no hunger.  "I'm not exactly a rocket scientist either, but you get used to 'em."

"So are you from around here?  I kind of missed that part at the party."  He looked around, realizing that 'here' wasn't the southwestern United States anymore, then shrugged.  "Well.  You know.  From around Vegas."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:45, Wed 26 Aug 2009.

"And who's going to build the bridge so I can see how long it'll take me to run there." Suzukaze calls over to the science geeks. She takes a sip of her beer a faint smile on her face.

"Well, theoretically, if we set up a collector with an efficient enough energy to mass transfer apparatus and figured out how to build a material strong enough and light enough to do the job and also elastic enough to stretch when the planets moved in their relative positions by up to a few million miles, I figure it'd take maybe a hundred years, give or take." Imp smiled and winked, "Of course you could always just teach yourself to fly, Sol taught me how to fly, dropped me at a few thousand feet and floated down beside me mocking my panic.  If it hadn't been for her smart ass remarks I might be grounded still. Oh, also you need to figure out how to deal with the lack of air, the freezing temperatures, and the massive amounts of radiation you'd be exposed to out in space.  Grav, here, has figured out a way to draw in ambient radiation through his orifices and then metabolize it into little brown balls that look like milk duds, which he then excretes and consumes to counteract the effects of deep space travel.  It's quite something to watch, really."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:11, Thu 27 Aug 2009.

"Nope grew up in a worthless section of Flagstaff, AZ.  I was planning to go to Vegas when I turned 21 but I got there sooner, which is pretty cool." She gives a grin that looks a bit like a grimace. "I also got to blow up my old school, which almost everyone wants to do, but never does.  So its really been a stellar couple of months.  I figured I'd be banned from town for life, but apparently it was put in the news as a gas-leak, which rocks."

Adressing the whatever crew are around:

"So whats next? Assuming the going into space and ::ehem:: excreting milk duds is some kind of vacation plan, do we go back and train for a while?"

The Doctor creeps up behind Impetus, ready to pounce and give him the wet willy promised to Crimson Dawn, when suddenly...!



Zero breaks up in laughter. "Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha! Oh Lord! That's rich! I've got money to see that!" It tries to wipe away a tear, and gets frustrated when it remembers it's mask. "God. It took me forever to find you dorks. And you missed my awesome arrival of nifty airiel daring! So, what did I miss?"

The Doctor then does a double take at Flare's comments. "Wait, you blew up your school?!"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:13, Thu 27 Aug 2009.

In reply to Dr. Zero (msg #152):

Getting up to get another beer Suzukaze turns to Zero. "Oh and you missed how I'm seeking redemption for killing my grandfather. Long story of how that came out but I'm ok now." She turns to the others. "Thank you guys. Your right he wouldn't want me killing myself over it all my life."

"Those were the days weren't they? You did look absolutely adorable, terrified and all. Still it worked out. And good lord, that's an image. You don't really do that do you Grav? Solitaire gives him a quizzical look, one eyebrow raised. "Really, I just ignore most of that stuff. It's not like it's going to bother me after all." Really, it was a lot easier to do something impossible if you didn't know the physics behind it. It was easier to do a lot of things that way really.

Solitaire gives the Doctor a wave, unsurprised he had found his way to them. It was much easier to just go with it. She'd seen weirder things and is honestly more surprised when the Doc isn't lurking somewhere nearby, but that might have just been because she hadn't spotted him yet. Perhaps he could be in several places at once? That would explain a few things. Solitaire smiled at the thought, and put it aside for future idle speculation. It was more amusing if she didn't know what he did.

At Flare's comment, Solitaire chuckles, "Got that right, that would have been the crowning moment of High School. Treasure that memory forever. But do try to avoid that in future, more collateral damage means more paperwork. Or a visit from Pax, in addition to more paperwork."

"Yeah I've tried to tone down the massive building destruction.  Oh, and it was at night, so the school was empty, so just property damage, I am good at the property damage though."

"No, I don't do that. I actually don't really entirely understand my ability to survive under extreme conditions. It seems to be a fairly common trait among novas, though hardly universal. It probably has something to do with a general subconscious desire to survive." He shrugged.

"Zero!" Imp puts an arm around it's shoulders and proffers a beer.  "I was wondering if you could indeed track us down here, you sorta vanished after the soiree. And Flare, as a member of T2M you are really discouraged from destroying schools,. Guerrilla training camps sure. Terrorist camps, you betcha, but no schools.  Even the ones where everybody has to wear a sweater around their necks and/or tennis outfits all the time.  There will be ample opportunity for you to engage in excessive property damage though, ample opportunity."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:55, Fri 28 Aug 2009.

Flare does a very toned version of a salute. "Sir, yessir, only allowable property damage."

Imp returns the salute with equivalent nonchalance.  "So, Zero, do you have any ideas how we're going to be taking on the mob?  None of us are known for our computer-fu.  Nor are we top investigators.  If you were going to guess, how do you think we'll be put to use and why?"  Imp settles back, fresh beer in one hand, soft shelled taco in the other, expectation on his face.
Zero's ideas, no matter how zany and off the wall, were usually spot on, and showed an insight into situations that only a mind teetering on the edge between genius and insane could achieve.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:25, Fri 28 Aug 2009.

"What about having someone infiltrate their organization. Take them out from the inside by learning their weak spots. Where and when to strike. Who is most important to remove." Suzukaze pauses for a moment thinking. "Or if we are just talking about your basic mob here in America... Then perhaps a set up. Say a meeting to create an alliance. Perhaps with say the Yakuza."

"Hmm, I have a bit of computer and investigation knowledge, maybe I can lend a hand in that aspect." 

"As the vets know, I've got some pretty good infiltration skills if we need that sort of thing, and I can probably con people into telling me stuff, or showing me stuff they shouldn't."

Dillon twisted his face into a contemplative expression.  "I dunno ... I mean, there's risks, but then again most of us can ignore bullets.  As long as Slider and Grav. could get the rest of us to you if something goes wrong, it sounds like a good idea to me."  He thought a little harder.  "Well, uh ... actually ... there's that public image thing.  I mean, we're supposed to be the good guys, so ... consorting with the bad guys would only work maybe once.  And it could kill our careers if it went bad."  He still didn't seem opposed.  Just cautious.

"I don't think well need to do that, Utopia probably has our targets pegged already. We just need to go in and stomp on them. I doubt it will be that difficult."

"Oh, um... I'm sorry." The Doctor looks visibly thrown at Suzukaze's random and calm admission.



"Oh. Alright. As long as it wasn't a school massacre kind of thing. I like schools. But I am odd that way. Let me guess. Eruption? I... must look into a way to help mitigate personal and property damage due to Eruption." The Doctor holds it's chin as it looses itself in thought.



"Oh, my! That is quite the challenge. It would be very different from what we have done before. The way we are trained now, they might expect to throw us at the cartels for arrests and seizes, or a show of force, bodyguard work, etc. I think we can go much, much further. I think we can get them to come to us. IO wouldn't be surprised they are already checking us out to see if one of us can become of use to them. Perhaps one of us could develop an unfortunate gambling habit and ill luck, and start owing the wrong men. They pressure that target for information, money, favors, and we draw them into our web as they draw us into theirs."

"I also think Phantasm's brilliant creations could be of incredible use for creative information gathering. My, the sky is the limit." The Doctor pauses to think some more.



"Yes. Very good strategy there. I fear our new recruits will soon be running rings around us old farts."



"I'm a little bit afraid of that. We underestimated the Elites back in the Equilateral Wars. If they already have intel on us, it could go badly. In that regard, they have a huge advantage. We are very public, while they are very secretive."

"Something I've been wondering about is why PU has decided to tackle the mob.  Yes, the mob is a social ill, but this seems to be outside of any purviews we've seen them focus on in the past.  The environment, war, starvation, disease, they have established these as things utopia can and should deal with, but this police work, it seems, well, a bit big brothery to me.  Are we going to see police task forces comprised solely of novas?  Nova spooks? Where does utopias mandate end?  Will they be tackling educational practices next?  Making governments more efficient?  Using newspeak to control the masses?"

"Uhm... Aren't they doing all that already?"

"Pretty much. That is something I wanted to talk about. Some of the people in Utopia are getting a little too ambitious. I... don't think they are evil, just controlling. They seem too scared of losing control, and too used to feeling they are right. They need a check. Since we are an odd quasi-army of sorts, we don't have a lot of direct in influence in Utopia. Not like a Director. As Pax' meltdown pointed out, they see us as soldiers to follow orders. I think we can all agree this can go a very bad direction down the road."

"I think we need to diversify our social resources. We need to make ourselves power brokers on our own, so we can steer Utopia's course a bit more. They can easily stop one of us if we offend them, but if we can get some true influence in an outside the organization, can stick together in a sort of Team Tomorrow Union, for lack of a better word, I think we can quietly get done what needs to get done."

"If each of us can do one thing that makes us synonymous with Utopia, something very, very important to their charter and core goals, then we would be integral to them, and very hard to discredit."

"I thought helping them with their public image through popular culture and books would be a good start, but I think they still feel I can be discredited and worked around. I'm going a different root, now. I say we put our higher intellects together and, outside of Utopia, create several extremely useful life saving technologies, and distribute them through Utopia. We would then hold control and main credit, and Utopia would need to treat us more as equals, and less as star soldiers to keep distribution and handling of these advancements."

"Perhaps some of our more social members could even broke a startling treaty with an enemy government of Utopia, or even convince them to change a dictatorial government into a more free one. There are so many possibilities."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:44, Sun 30 Aug 2009.

Imp finished yet another bottle of the beer, two years ago if he'd had this much to drink he would probably have been hospitalized, now, he wasn't even buzzed, he wasn't sure whether this was a good thing or not, "I don't wanna do anything quite so radical, i am slowly becoming the face for T2M, well, the male face anyways.  What I really want to happen, and i think that this can only be good for the Project, is for Pax to either be supplanted as leader, or at least have a co-head, but he'd never go for that last one.  And if you though he was a petulant power tripper before, imagine what he'd be like if he got the boot.  Who do we know that would make a far better, far more compelling leader?"  Imp smiles, well, impishly, at Comstock before heading down to the water, his clothes shifting into swim trunks, then dives in and swims out wuite a ways, flips over and stares up at the stars, letting the waves rock him gently as he thinks.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:40, Mon 31 Aug 2009.

The waitress brings by more drinks for everyone, and in Spanish asks if anyone would like anything else.  As she turns to leave the table, she smiles, winks, and then says in English "Isn't this fun?" as she walks away.

Dillon stared back at Impetus.  "Y'see, that's the kind of thing I'm talking about Imp.  It's not a good idea.  I'm not cut out for politics..."  He watched Imp wander away for a swim.  "And that ... that thing.  You toss out the little remark and walk away.  Not cool man.  You know that I'm going to be thinking about this for the next twenty minutes and you're over there, swimming, casual, can't hear a word I say."  He looked to the others.  "He keeps doing that.  I think he thinks that is he says I'm a great leader I'll be a great leader.  Doesn't even make any sense.  I mean, come on guys ... for all that Pax is a stuck up, self-absorbed dickhead he does his job pretty well, doesn't he?"

Dillon's skin got silvery and he looked to Slider.  "Jenn, if this is weird territory for you just say so.  It's pretty normal here for us to talk shop, but I don't want you to get any weird ideas that we're plotting revolution or wearing evil hats or something."  I've been spending too much time around Zero.  On some level, he realized, he suspected Landers might be here to keep an eye on the team.  On the off-chance that Frostburn or the facility staff couldn't be trusted.  He wanted some reassurance so he wouldn't have to worry about politicking inside his own team.  He looked at Flare and Suzukaze.  "That goes for you, too.  If any of you have ideas or input or a joke about our chrome-domed super-kinetic boss, say something."



Comstock stared back at the waitress, bemused.  "Uh ... "  He looked to the others, trying to gauge their response, but after the confusion his own feeling was creeping paranoia.  "What's with the winking?"  He shot a glance at Phantasm just to reassure himself it wasn't P having some fun with shapechanging again.

A chill goes down the Doctor's spine. Zero sips it's drink calmly, gets up, and walks after the lovely waitress, all the while secretly sweating bullets. The Doctor takes off it's hat, and puts it to it's chest in a gentlemanly manner. "Madam, Forgive my abruptness, but would you care to disuse this matter outside?" It was better to risk letting the monster get away during politeness than accidentally kill a brainwashed Baseline programed to parrot the beast. God. Was this all a trap? Or just a means to unnerve it's prey? Was the place about to explode? Was everyone going to attack the team? Zero was suddenly aware of how horrifically vulnerable it, and everyone around it was.

With it's back to it's teammates, and it's hand behind it's back, the Doctor desperately signs "Two." "D." "Man!"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:39, Mon 31 Aug 2009.

Phantasm's mind retreated 2 years in an instant, to a point early in her training, the second most traumatic event in her life up to that point.  A man that wasn't there was controlling the soldiers around her, and even her teammates.  It said "Isn't this fun?" as it smiled and winked at Zero, and then fled.

Rage flooded through her, a desire for revenge, and protective instinct to guard the people that had become her new family.

She shows none of this.  Instead she drops her napkin, and dives under the table to retrieve it, activating everything while she's there and hoping that the telltale glow of her field doesn't give her away too soon.  And she punches Dillon's foot hard enough to tell him something is wrong.

"Oh, trust me, I have my doubts occassionally too.  I won't be turning anyone in to the bosses.  I think its a good thing to remember that we can question the way things are going.  I mean, we're Utopia, the ones out there making the organization what it is.  So we should do our best to make sure it's going in the right direction.  I... I think it's still on the right track, but there are some weird things I think I'll look into on my off time.  I'll let you know if there's anything important...

Why's everybody acting all weird all of a sudden?"

Sensing the tension she moves silently. Leaning against the table with her back towards the waitress Suzukaze begins unbundling her katanas. Once she has just enough room she slowly begins to unsheath them. She closes her eyes and mutters an almost silent prayer. Opening her eyes again she slowly turns her head taking in the scene.

Solitaire continues to lean back and sip her drink, looking completely unconcerned. This was mainly because she was completely unconcerned, secure in the knowledge that she could probably take anybody short of Pax (she gave him about 50-50 odds) in a straight up fight. Confidence was armor, and hers was impenetrable.

"Really, you all worry too much. What're they gonna do?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:17, Tue 01 Sept 2009.

The waitress, hearing a voice directed at her, turns around and smiles apologetically.  In Spanish she says "I don't understand... More beer?"

Flares personality is pretty much proven when, oblivious to the majority of goings on she leans back and squeezes another lime into her beer glass.  "Si
more beer."

Dillon figured it out.  "Hey, Suzukaze, Flare, Slider ... follow me."  He made sure his voice had an edge of command to it, enough to signal that he expected compliance.  "Let's grab Imp."  He gave Phantasm a meaningful nod and then made sure that the recruits got outside and away from the woman.

Suzukaze grabbing her katanas moves next to Comstock as he walks down the beach. Not looking at anything but straight ahead when she speaks.

"Trouble in paradise?"

Flare looks a bit confused, but stops drinking and follows Dillon outside.  Subtly she tries to look around the bar for trouble without looking like she was doing so.

"So was this a 'lets party on the beach' kind of excursion or a 'grab the ammo' kind?"

In what seems to be a normal action for her Flare scans the area, paying more attention to the sky than the ground, looking for any trouble.

Zero sees it's teamates actions and decides to play it safe. It paid the bill with an excessive tipe and walked out carefully.

Phantasm stands as her teamates leave, little wailing shapes trying to claw their way out of her.  She is focused on building up a surge of power, but talks to the woman in fluent spanish with a small part of her mind.

"Why did you just speak to us in english ma'am?  If you can't understand it that is..."

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

joy.  1 success on maxing:
You rolled 1 success using 4d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 ((6,8,6,5)).

---

"Are we breaking up the party so soon? Pity, this is such a nice place..." Solitaire shrugs, downing the last of her glass and standing. She glances around casually, both to check if something really was a threat, and to reassure herself there wasn't one. Baselines didn't register on her threat scale in the slightest.

"If you're all going to make such a fuss, why don't we simply head somewhere else.  Rather hard to track a portal."

"Trouble.  That's pretty much it."  Once he was sure that the recruits were all a good distance from the building, he turned.  "Way back when there was some training accidents caused by a Nova terrorist.  Zero's been trying to track it ever since, and the waitress just dropped the guy's calling card.  Sorry, there hasn't been a good time to tell you about all these little things yet."  He nodded to Zero, looking for some direction on what to do next.  The glow coming from Phantasm back inside didn't bode well.  "He crawls around in people's heads.  Lot of bad blood there."

Inside, the waitress seems rather panicked upon seeing that her customer is a nova that seems to be angry, and perhaps a bit drunk.
"I... don't know what to say miss, I don't know English... Please, can I get you something?  I am sooo sorry if I offended you... I'll just go, my shift is over anyway, one of the other waitresses will take care of you..."

She backs away slowly, not taking her eyes off of Phantasm.

Outside the establishment, a few customers walking in to the building simultaneously smile and wink at the T2Mers as the walk inside.

Imp lays stretched out full length in the water, immersed except for his eyes and nose.  The water muffled all sounds from the beach, the waves disguised the flash  of phantasm's powers as neon lights reflecting off the waves.  He floats, totally at peace, staring out into the void while his teammates deal with something that may or may not be absolutely critical.  His critics would, if they were there, say this was absolutely typical behavior.

"Ah, hell..." Zero runs back and peers through the window, and does what it should have done first. The Doctor searches some of it's extra senses. It looks to see if anyone other than Phantasm in the room is emitting or influenced by Quantum. If not, it yells to Phantasm "All clear! My bad, Phantasm." It does this if there is a Quantum emission, hopping the throw off a potential attacker with a retreat. Perhaps they could regroup. Hopefully, this was a guilty case of paranoia on the Doctor's part.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:07, Wed 02 Sept 2009.

Having been largely ignoring the other goings on, it took until everyone started getting up and moving around for Quentin to catch on to what was going on. "Well, we've still got some time if we're looking to hop somewhere else," he says in casual response to Solitare's question about portalling. He moves to catch up to Comstock and the other new recruits, trying to subtly herd the others along with him.

When he catches up, he speaks again quietly, "We could just try to go elsewhere, but there's no telling what he'll do to these people if we just leave. Plus, if he can read our minds, he may be able to tell where we plan to go and might have a method of following - he found us here, after all."

Something interesting about creating a quantum construct: it totally screws up the quantum fields in an area.  With Zero's mega-enhanced perception, it can still make out some things, but its like there is a storm blocking visibility.  There are a few traces of quantum residue, for lack of a better term, especially on the waitress and the owner Imp spoke to earlier.  But the only actual node ping in the area is Phantasm's.

"Ok. I believe you.  Sorry to have bothered you.  Yeah, coming Zero."

She knew what was happening, the nova was playing games with them.  She wasn't about to let this go... Her force field gave birth to a small green sheep.  It earily bleated and followed her out the door, passing right through the door as though it were a ghost

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

Phantasm modulates the energy pattern of the construct in order to give it phasing.  Maybe a phasing attack can hit the mystery nova?

bleh roll: You rolled 4 successes using 9d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 ((1,3,1,8,8,1,1,7,7)).
+2 more for will and maxing
=6

unfortunately it takes up all remaining successes to create a quantum 3 sheep with phasing 3.  If the nova is around at least that will let us see if it can be hit that way.  If not... well, that's what chained souls are for, right?

(http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/ima...04/24/blacksheep.jpg)

---

"Well, I'm going to keep some distance this time, if the bastard is really here. I have a hard time keeping him out of my head." Solitaire grimaces as she says this, it pained her to admit she wasn't good at anything, but everyone had a weakness or two, and Psych's were one hers.

"I'll take overwatch." She kicks off from the ground, climbing a few hundred feet. Her dark clothes blend well, and soon she's nothing more than a slightly darker patch in a dark sky.

In reply to Phantasm (msg #191):

Zero walks next to Phantasm, casually, while switching in and out of several languages it knew Phantasm and itself picked up in the Equilateral Wars. *<"I'm seeing some possible traces of Quantum use on the waitress and the owner. It could be our boy, or a paranoid mistake on my part. This critter has way too much time on it's hands...">

Zero watches as Solitaire sores into the sky, and approaches the others. "I have to say, I am impressed with how everyone handled that. Very smooth. I see Solitaire is taking the initiative for reconnaissance. Let's see if we are being watched..." Zero starts looking about. It is using another special sense and it investigative talents, just in case the creature can get around Nova senses.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
* (Translated to English)

Dr. Zero is using That Creeping Feeling to see if it is being watched. It will spend Quantum if it needs to. It is also making an Awareness Roll to see if anything is odd.


15:51, Today: Dr. Zero rolled 5 successes using 11d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 5,8,7,3,4,6,10,3,9,8,4. Awareness, 1Meg.

15:52, Today: Dr. Zero failed (no successes) using 1d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 1. Reroll 10, Observant Quality.

---

Comstock nodded to Solitaire, even though she was hundreds of feet away before he completed the gesture.  "Alright.  Slider, Suzukaze, Flare.  Here's what you've got to know: the two-d man manifested like a two dimensional cut out.  He's psychic and capable of putting suggestions and brain-washing on people.  He screwed with ammo and he pushed a lot of people into berserking.  I have a feeling he's just screwing with us, but if any of you start getting a little funny I promise I will put you in a sleeper hold so no one gets hurt."

"Doc and Phantasm are working the scene, so all we have to do is wait for a bit.  Damn building could be rigged to explode for all we know."  He frowned.  It was waaay too late in the evening for this crap.  "So Quentin ... do you really think he's tracking us?  And why the heck now?"

"Urgh, I was worried that stuff would come up.  Do we have any people capable of dealing with this psy things?  I got told by Utopia that I had a decent amount of resistance, but the question is how do we find the wacko and blast him?"

"I've been improving my repertoire of extra human sense since our last encounter, waiting for this."

An eerily smooth voice echoes softly around the team. "I want his eyes."

"I'm hopping he... it hasn't done the same thing with it's ability to obscure itself. I... I have a concern that it might be able to clone itself. If we can get our hands on it, we should keep it alive to double check and make sure we get the real monster.There was some odd and subtle Quantum disturbance in the place, but that could be a lot of things."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:37, Fri 04 Sept 2009.

"If he can read minds its certainly possible. If he was looking to ambush us, you wouldn't think he'd give himself away like that first. All it did was put us on high alert," he shakes his head. "Tactically, it doesn't make much sense."

Suzukaze draws her katanas and closes her eyes. She trys to reach out with her senses to aid in finding the enemy.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Suzukaze spends a Quantum point and rolls 3 successes on 7 dice for blindfighting in order to locate an invisible enemy.

---

A beach bum, clearly a vacationer from another country (the big Australian flag tattooed on his calf hints at his nationality) fearlessly approaches the group of agitated novas.

"Hey dudes, maybe he just wants to be polite and let you know that the game's startin' up, like, you know?  Like, I think he likes you guys, you know?"

After he says his line in a strange blend of exaggerated "surfer dude" mixed with aussie accent, he stands there mildly slack jawed, clearly wondering why he said something to the hostile group of demigods standing on the beach.

Zero catches a glimmer of movement.  A cutout of a man is playing kick-the-sheep with Phantasm's construct, and when his foot passes through it without contact, he smiles sheepishly (or what passes for a smile on the flat silhouette of a human face)and shrugs at Zero.  Then he runs away.

Suzukaze catches nothing; whatever it is either isn't here, or isn't affecting the physical world.  Though anyone with mega-perception (especially Suzukaze, since she was focusing on listening at the time) hears a commotion inside the bar/restaurant, dishes breaking, grunting, slamming, that sort of thing.

Suzukaze's eyes shoot open and she takes off full speed up the beach and into the restaurant. She comes to a stop inside and begins searching for the cause of the commotion.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Rolls 4 successes fron 7 dice on an awareness roll.

---

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
As always, sexual content here is for accuracy and impact rather than any prurient interests.  The interests of the deranged criminal often tend toward power, pain, and the fulfillment of either buried desires or perversion for its own sake as a way of thwarting normative values.  If anyone is bothered, feel free to mention it either in OOC or PM, or not interact with it (likely that's what some of the characters would do anyway).

---

The entity has apparently been experimenting with other forms of manipulation aside from the rage and anger that the team veterans spoke about.

The bar, in its entirety, is engaged in a mass sexual encounter.  The participants appear to be in the throes of both animalistic lust and rage simultaneously.  And from the looks on their faces, many of them are also aware that this is not what they want to be doing, or at least not what they should be doing by their own moral standards.  Even the young bus boys and hostesses at the family ran establishment are engaged in the... events, and things are becoming more violent as time progresses.

One of the more visible couplings is occurring on the floor right in front of the door.  They both have steak knives in hand, and there is blood on the floor.  They are stabbing each other haphazardly, and as they roll one can see writing carved on both of their backs.  The man's says "meat" and the woman's say's "puppets".  Shortly, several other people join them, and the writing is obscured, thought the blood ends up coating all of them.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
As always, sexual content here is for accuracy and impact rather than any prurient interests.  The interests of the deranged criminal often tend toward power, pain, and the fulfillment of either buried desires or perversion for its own sake as a way of thwarting normative values.  If anyone is bothered, feel free to mention it, or not interact with it (likely that's what some of the characters would do anyway).

---

Not too sure on what to do Suzukaze takes a couple steps back turning towards the direction of her team members and yells as loud as she can.

"Hurry everyone I need help!"

Upon reaching the...carnage in the cantina Flare stops, mouth agape. Being one of the shy types in highschool, she is definitely not prepared for the scene that meets her.  After a few seconds to adapt to a situation more out of Animal Planet than her Harlequin romance, Flare lets rage course through her, and lifts off the ground.

"Anyone know if lighting this place up would snap them out of it? Or just crisp them?" She grinds the words out through clenched teeth, and until she gets a reliable answer knows she can't risk burning the civilians.

Knowing that this needs to stop, and now, Flare grabs the nearest couple and flys/throws them into the nearby sea.  Hoping this, or the distance from the tavern, will be enough to break whatever crazy hold some psycho has on them.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Flare spends a quantum and uses propel (flame flight) she has a natural strength 4, and should be able to hold a person for a few seconds.
Using dex athletics, she basically tosses them from the air into the sea, trying to do this as quickly as possible, but still hopefully safely for the people.
15:38, Today: Flare rolled 3 successes using 9d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 6,8,10,4,10,1,6,6,5.

---

"This was such a nice night... It's alright surfer dude, just... go surf for a while.

Zero, if you can point out where he is, I'll send my sheep after it.  You guys can take care of whatever's going on over there."

Imp, floating gently in the water, is unaware of the goings on on the beach that is, until, twin splashes from the couple that flare threw out into the water, draws his attention.  he jerks his head up, looks towards the sound, notices Phantasm's constructs, and Flare tossing people into the water. "What the fuck?"  He whispers under his breath.
He goes airborne and lands on the beach in seconds.  "Jesus Christ!" He curses when he sees the debauchery in the cantina.  That and "Holy shit that psycher's here isn't he!  Alright, everyone who can't shield themselves from his attacks we need to get as far away from here as we can, now.  'Stock, I gotta go, I'll radio in for backup!"  Imp looks around at his teammates, wondering if anybody else would be susceptible, particularly Sue, Flare, and Slider.  If anybody says they aren't able to deal with a psychic assault, Imp will carry them with him as he heads up into the sky.

Something like rage flashed across Quentin's face. Whatever it was, he is clearly unhappy about these people having their wills violated. He held his hands out towards the building palms down and then lowered them towards the ground as if he imagined he were smashing the building. In fact, he amplified gravity in the building, attempting to prevent the inhabitants from moving and further mutilating themselves or otherwise acting.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
8 Successes on Gravity Field roll means that Quentin adds 4g's to the gravity inside the building, which is now at 5g's and effectively prohibits the baselines from moving.
Gravitas rolled 7 successes using 11d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 6,7,8,8,5,7,7,10,9,1,5. Wits+Grav, 2Mega. +1, the first 7 is a mega-die.

---

In reply to Impetus (msg #205):

"No I have to stay. I need to make sure these people are saved from this monster." She takes a quick step before being grabbed by Imp, and struggles as he starts to pull her away.

The room stills to a moaning, panting, screaming halt.  People on the floor cry in thwarted rage, anger, and lust.  And the building seems to moan as well, an eerie echo of its occupants, as the support structure attempts to handle the extra gravity and begins to fail.  Someone may need to keep the building intact...

Solitaire is unfortunately all too aware of what is going on in the cafe, sometimes excellent hearing was a curse as well as a blessing... She was also aware that she was manifestly ill-equipped to deal with the current enemy.

"God, if I ever find that man, I am going to break him." She growled. But it wasn't productive, and she heard the building starting to go. "That would be Grav, most likely." Solitaire comments to the empty sky around her. "Never simple, is it." Comstock could keep it up, but he was halfway across the beach, and didn't move fast. Phantasm could make something, but that would take a few seconds. From the sounds, seconds might be all they had. Solitaire made a decision.

With a boom, she rockets down at full speed, grunting when she hit the amplified gravity field. She felt sluggish under 5 g's but she could work with that, and it didn't slow her down terribly. She then picks a central support beam and shoulders it.

"I'd get these people out in a hurry, I don't know how long this will hold." Solitaire says, then adds lightly, "And have Comstock tackle me if I do anything funny.  He has my permission to knock me out, if he can. He'll know better than to hold back."

"Got it!"

Moving as fast as she can Flare flies back and forth dragging people out as fast as she can, which is pretty darn fast with her flight abilities.  She keeps an eye on Solitaire for any signs of crazy, but other than that devotes herself to rescue.

"Oh Lord, save us," Zero speaks when it sees that the 2-D Man is not physical to Phantasm's creation. "He was just there, playfully showing he can phase through your creature. Can you create something that disrupts a Nova's power? I've seen other Novas do it, and I havn't seen any limit to what powers your creations can take. I'll see if I can spot him again."

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Zero will roll to see if it can spot 2-D Man with a mix of Q-Attunment and That Creeping Feeling. If 2-D Man is trying to hide and spy, this will ironicly make him easier to spot by the Doctor. If Zero spots him, Zero will attack using an extra action.

Total of 7 Successes.

05:32, Today: Dr. Zero rolled 6 successes using 11d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 6,4,8,4,8,4,10,9,10,4,7. Spot 2-D Man, 1 Mega.

05:33, Today: Dr. Zero rolled 1 success using 2d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 2,9. ReRoll 10's, Observant Quality.

Was 2-D Man in range of Zero's Event Horizon?

---

This message was last edited by the player at 09:34, Sat 05 Sept 2009.

Comstock dashed back, well behind the others.  Solitaire was holding up the beam and a few people were already being dragged outside.  "What's ..." he stopped short.  His skin thickened and hardened, and a low hum started deep in his chest.  "Everyone: calm down immediately!" he commanded the writhing throng.  "Do not struggle!"  That done, picked up two people and applied his now famous sleeper hold, rendering them unconscious so they could be transported outside without going berserk.

Once outside, he sits tight over the throng, intimidating them into calm and compliance and gently incapacitating anyone still interested in violent action.

He went down the check-list: Zero and Phantasm are hunting the enemy.  Flare's recovering people.  Imp's dragging Suzukaze out of here.  Solitaire's holding up the building and Gravitas is holding down the people.  That left...  "Landers!  How fast could you get us out of here?"

"As fast as you can throw people in a portal?"

2-D man isn't there any longer, and was apparently not in Zero's Even Horizon^tm.

The poor baselines are starting to come around to their normal state of mind once more, and in a way things are actually worse.  People are thinking about their current situation, panicking, crying, withdrawing, and otherwise trying to cope with a very difficult and traumatic experience.  At least the ones in the water have to concentrate on not drowning.

Flare, noting that she may have flung one or two just a bit far, begins trying to fly them back to the shore once the cantina has been emptied.  Her lack of communication likely makes it difficult, but she figures a little fright is better than drowning for them.

"Is there some Spanish speaking hospital we can take them to? Preferably one where we can call ahead, 'cause they're going to need a lot of social workers, and therapists."

Flare thinks she wouldn't mind an hour or so on a therapists couch as well.  She had prepared (as best she could) for violence, bad guys, and rescuing people.  It never crossed her mind that 'psycho driven blood orgy' was a possibility.  Hopefully no one died.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:04, Sat 05 Sept 2009.

Imp was about a mile up, Suzukaze held tight in his arms, the quiet was matched only by the starts and the moon shining in the sky and off the ocean.  If he wasn't on the ragged edge of freaking out it might have even been romantic.  "Dispatch, this is Impetus.  Code red, code red.  Hostile nova activities at coordinates X, Y, and Z.  Psychic assault of civilians, domination, sexual perversion and extreme sadism.  Suspect at large and believed to be the same individual responsible for the training incident at the nevada compound last year. We require full medical and psychiatric assistance.  Also, any control of local and international media we have must be exercised, this cannot hit the Opnet. Gravitas and Slider are on site for immediate relocation of victims.  Make this happen.  Impetus out."  Imp exhaled softly.  "How are you holding up, Sue?  This sick fuck got us once before when we were newer than you are, nothing this bad though."

"I think... it left." Zero mouths with a defeated tone.

How wonderful it would be to be like Professor X in the comics. To just touch your temple, and make everyone forget the bad memories. To have the quick fix. But Zero had none of this. It only knew hard, basic psychology. It only knew how to assist people in their walk through trauma and pain, and that took years, if the journey ever had a happy ending. How was that officer from before doing? Zero had not checked on her in a while.

How can Zero compete with a monster who can horribly traumatize people like this in less than ten minutes? Zero does it's best to try and comfort the traumatized. It grabs tablecloths from the back, and helps wrap victims in them to allow them some semblance of dignity, telling them the worst it over. Lying to them. The worst is the road back to a semblance of normality. A path the Nova that called itself Zero did not feel it had remotely come to.

With it's Quantum sight, The Doctor tries searching about for some sign of how the monster left. Perhaps some residue of Quantum powered transportation to give it a clue.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:25, Sun 06 Sept 2009.

In reply to Impetus (msg #216):

"Let me go! How can you call yourself a hero running away from an enemy when people are in danger. It dosen't matter what advantages an enemy has a hero should fight no matter what. I have my first shot to redeem my self and my honor and you shame me by dragging me away. Let me go and go back and confront him like a hero should."

Comstock nodded.  "I'll hold you to that.  Flare, you volunteered: get up there, get Suzukaze and Impetus, and find us a hospital.  Gravitas, let up on the building and help Zero and Phantasm: if they need to go someplace now, do it.  I'll take the heat if you have to wreck some buildings doing it."

Unfortunately, Comstock was about as comforting to the crowd as one would expect a robot to be.  He was inspirational, sure, but it was hard for freshly traumatized people to empathize with an indestructible man.

Dispatch (to anyone with a live radio):
"Emergency personnel in route to transport pad, please advise Gravitas or slider to open a portal at p:q:r coordinates in 45 seconds.

I am to pass on the message 'It is fortunate that we had anticipated a terrorist attack and sent T2M:A to guard the civilians in the area.  The damage if you were not there to stop the criminal would have been catastrophic.'

The nature of the attack should remain out of the press until Utopia has had a chance to investigate; the press could interfere with apprehending the criminal.  Keep the civilians sedated and/or restrained until arrival of emergency personnel.  They will be transported to a Utopia medical facility.

On site supervisor will be Shadow Walker, general operations supervisor will remain Comstock.  Frostburn will be in charge of Nevada base operations should you need further support."

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

From what it sounds like, this is going to get a very extreme cover up.  You guys can still get people to the hospital if you like, you don't have to wait on the u-pie medics.  Just expect to hear an earful from someone later.

---

This message was last edited by the GM at 21:49, Sun 06 Sept 2009.

Once instructions started to filter through and it became clear that the civilians in the building were no longer going to be hurting themselves, Quentin releases gravity, returning it to normal. Once he's done so, he begins to tend to the wounded, triaging them and trying to deal with those that are most severely injured first so as to prevent anyone from bleeding out. "Slider, you mind handling the transport from base? I've kind of got my hands full here," he requests. He does, literally, as he's carrying someone at that particular moment.

Once everyone is collected and awaiting transport/portal, Flare stands and takes in the scene.  Frustrated tears prick her eyes at the thought of having become so powerful, and yet remaining so helpless.

"How, how can anyone do such a thing? Is this what Novas are, what people are? I can't believe it."
Flare composes herself and walks up to the crowd, trying to be as calming as she can.

"I'm so sorry we weren't faster, that you were hurt." Her lack of Spanish once again likely proves difficult, but she keeps her tone as gentle as possible.

She tries, cautiously, to touch one of the victims (one of the least traumatized, if there is such a person) and some of their wounds are mended. It's not much, certainly not complete, but she does what she can.  She continues to make her way around the injured, not getting any closer than people will let her, but hopefully close enough to heal them.  She gets through 10 or so before the last of her Quantum is used up and she staggers away to slump down on the edge of the beach.

"Yeah, I've got it."

Slider pops open a portal, and reinforcements begin piling out.  She maintains it long enough for the EMT's to get the worst of the injured through.  She opens another when it appears that it's time for the rest of the victims to be moved through.

"Listen to me, Sue.  It is not heroic to kill your friends.  Nor is it heroic to feel something grab a hold of your mind and make you like it as your body starts doing things like cut civilians in half, blow helicopters out of the sky or strip naked, grab a couple of steak knives and violate yourself and others in most senses of the word.  I know the people in that cantina, the men and women in there were decent people, friendly and giving, and always made me feel welcome.  Now, because of me and mine, some sick twisted fuck has ruined their lives, perhaps to the point of catatonia.  I want to get my hands on the sick bastard who did this and force feed him through a pasta maker.  Instead here I am, floating a mile up in the sky, doing nothing save for relaying messages and hanging onto you because I know that if I go back down there I could destroy the entire town unless the rest of the team stopped me.
Being a hero is doing the right thing, regardless of how you feel, and right now, the right thing is to make sure that the people on the ground only have to deal with berserk baselines, not two novas who specialize in speed and rapid assault.  Clear?"
Reports start coming in from down below and HQ.  "What we're going to do when we go down there is to try to help those poor people as best we can until the medics can get here and get them evac'd to where the damage to their bodies and hopefully their minds can be undone.  Then I'm going to go on TV and lie to the world about what happened here, because if I don't our kind will be demonized by the masses, and the nova hunts, and exploitation that happen in dark places and never make the news will begin in earnest.  This is our job, this is what we have to do to manage the nova emergency.  Understood?"
When they touch down Imp immediately heads over to the crowd of people, including a few reporters, and starts spinning the official story in both Spanish and English.  He draws all eyes to himself, making onlookers who would otherwise be taking pictures of the rescue efforts and the bloodbath inside the cantina look at him instead.  Makes them want to turn in their video equipment so that they can be a part of the team that will capture these terrorists and bring them to justice.
While he talks Imp runs through hundreds of scenarios of what will happen when the one who did this is caught, and dozens of litanies of self recrimination.  Never again will he put baselines at risk simply because of his presence, not have a favourite haunt, unless it was among his own kind.  And most of all, he needed to develop powers that would ensure that when the team finally caught up with this monster, that he could be there and watch vengeance be carried out.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
using commanding presence, almost live, persuader, and awe inspiring to keep people riveted on me while the coverup is initiated.

---

This message was last edited by the player at 04:18, Tue 08 Sept 2009.

Solitaire gingerly lowers herself down from her chosen support beam, not entirely sure that the building would take the strain by itself, even with the gravity returned to normal. Once satisfied that the building is not going to come down on her head, or more importantly, on anybody less resilient than her heads, she heads outside to survey the damage.

This is unacceptable. Solitaire fumed internally. This should not happen. If I ever find that man... She wasn't sure what she would do specifically, but if nobody more sensible was around, it would likely be messy... She had a brief image of ripping his heart out and crushing it before his eyes, that might be a good start. Solitaire smiled at the thought, and the corner of her mouth twitched. It was perhaps the scariest smile anybody nearby had ever seen.
She made sure not to show it to the camera's.

"Ohh, hes going to pay for this, and pay dearly."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:43, Tue 08 Sept 2009.

In the hours following the attack, you are questioned by the Utopia higher-ups, Pax yells at you but seems pretty half-hearted about it, and Shadow Walker watches.  The most traumatized victims are bundled up and take to a European facility after they are stabilized, while those at the Nevada base are made comfortable and worked over by professional therapists and scene cleaners (by the time they are done, the experience will be hazy, and some might even remember it more as the loss of control that comes from inebriation than the intense mental control that it was).

Back at HQ, Frostburn is there to settle you all in, and gives you a summary of the situation... which is that there still isn't much to go off of.  This attack does have many implications that may shed light on the nova's personality, powers, and mental state however, so not everything is grim.  She ushers you off to "bed" (or whatever you do in private late-at-night time), and says she's there for anyone that needs to talk about the situation.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

Those that want to continue talking can do that.  If there is anything else people wanted to do for scene wrap up (further investigation, talking to locals, cleanup, etc.) in mexico, you can do that too, and I'll give the pertinent details.  But the action is over in mexico, and is moving to the Nevada base.

---

It probably hadn't been a good idea to fire back at Pax, still, the douchebag had it coming.  Imp had scheduled a lunch with Dir. Villareal later in the week to catch up, and to give him a chance to drop some hints about Cueball's total lack of leadership abilities.  Nothing would probably come of it but Imp was tired of taking Pax's crap just because he had erupted right after the Galatea disaster and could lift a tank just by looking at it, he had no redeeming qualities as a leader, and Imp figured that talking over the situation with his friend, occasional boss, and erstwhile bedmate Maria would be a good way to  let the higher ups learn just how unhappy T2M America was, and maybe even get Pax moved somewhere far, far away, like Africa perhaps.  That'd be awesome.
After the meeting with Frostburn Imp headed back to the scene where the team had first been attacked by the Freak, as Imp had privately begun calling him.  He spent about an hour throwing large rocks up into the sky and blasting them into pieces.  After that he called Raoul on his private cell, he was lost and looking for answers, god knows Utopia didn't have any, and maybe a talk with Raoul and or Jeremiah might do his soul some good.  After arranging to meet in Lisbon the following week he went back to pulverizing rocks, this time with his fists.
He had caused the destruction in Mexico, it has been his idea to go there, because of him those people had been turned into self flagellating puppets.  Never again.
He pounded rocks with his bare fists until every punch left a glistening red splat mark, then continued until the pain drowned out the self recrimination in his head.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:03, Thu 10 Sept 2009.

Quentin seemed to brood when they returned to Nevada. Once finally dismissed for the night, he retreated to his lab and started attempting to requisition every scrap of information that Utopia had on nova mental abilities. Most probably wouldn't even be seen until sometime the next day, which was frustrating but expected. As a substitute, he retrieved every medical text he could find detailing the human brain and began to absorb them.

There had to be some way to cancel out the effects of such control, to be able to protect the free will of people who had done nothing wrong, or at least nothing to deserve such a deep and personal violation of their person. The theory went that all nova powers worked off of the manipulation of basic quantum powers, which meant that some combination of the strong, weak, electromagnetic, and gravitational forces were what enabled this psychopath to access and control the human mind.

That, in turn, meant that there might be some why to cancel that control, through destructive interference, or some sort of shielding, or... something. He wasn't sure yet, but if there was a way, he was going to find it. And so while Impetus vented his rage in Mexico, Quintin floated alone in his lab, surrounded by dozens of floating books whose pages turned as he swept his gaze across them.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Since we're not in combat time, it probably doesn't matter, but if it does, Quentin rocks the Multitasking enhancement when he studies.

---

Comstock kept to the medical center with the victims for the most part, telling jokes and performing minor magic tricks with his power to lift people's spirits.  More than one person didn't want to see a Nova, but Comstock figured that unless they met a benevolent Nova now they'd build some long-standing grudges that would be impossible to circumvent.  And the rest of the injured just needed a friend.

He talked to Pax, if the general had some time, trying to gauge what the Project's intentions were and if they had a plan for taking on this sort of enemy in the future.  "I mean, if this guy's working just to get his kinks out that's one thing, but if he's for sale to the highest bidder than this war on crime we've got lined up is going to get ugly.  What do you want to do?"  Given the freak's interest in the team, chances were he'd reach out to the crime bosses just so he'd get another chance to play with Utopia's finest.

For better or for worse, Comstock seemed calm and in control, even to the point of alien detachment when he wasn't telling jokes or trying to make people smile.  It wasn't until two nights later that Comstock realized he'd been coping so well because he'd been clenching those new parts of his brain shut.  The emotional impact just hadn't hit him.

After this, he wasn't sure he wanted to let it go.

Anyone bothering him in his room would find a new steel-cocoon fashioned from the floor and some wall components.  In the next week, Comstock took to sealing himself inside instead of using a bed.

Suzukaze spends the days following the aftermath mostly either training or knelt before a makeshift shrine in her room. A picture of an elder Japanese man in the center of it. Pictures from her home surround it. Her daily routine seems to be pray, train, shower, and pray some more. When not doing those she is seen sitting on her bed staring at another picture. When walking through the halls she seems angry whenever comming across Impetus. Still seething from him dragging her out of the conflict. The others she seems cheerful and greets them respectfully. But once she enters her room the cheer disappears.

"Damn it to hell Frosty, I swear I am going to murder that guy if he ever shows up again." Solitaire growls, stalking around Frostburn's office, she'd been brooding over the fiasco like the others, and she was now so angry that her left arm glowed red and sparked intermittently. "I've seen Nova's that squander their gifts, fine. Let them. They're too half assed to cause trouble anyway." She reaches the side of the room, and turns around. "We dealt with the Elites after the Wars, they've reformed more or less. But what the hell are we supposed to do with a phasing psychic?" Solitaire looks down at her left hand, flexing it, But we'll get him next time won't we?

"But you know what I hate most about him Frosty? I hate the fact that I'm scared of him."

After her conversation with Frostburn, Solitaire decides that tonight the peaceful oblivion of sleep was a welcome respite, the question was if she'd actually get to enjoy it before something else blew up that they had to deal with.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:39, Tue 08 Sept 2009.

Zero asks for some time off immediately following the incident, and retreats. It literal just walks out of the Nevada base and keeps walking for days on end, curious how it's stamina could hold out, but mostly to clear it's minds. It now stood near the top of a mountain, and looked onto a bleak, snow covered land as far as it's eye could see.

"...."

It's shadow stirs. "We need to work on our teamwork. You don't channel me enough."

"Just... do your thing."

"You won't regret this."

"I had better not, or I will lobotomize you out of my cranium."

The shadow laughs to itself.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:07, Wed 09 Sept 2009.

Flare doesn't do much of anything for a day or two.  Having Wiki'd post-traumatic stress disorder, she knew why she had a new repitoire of nightmares to go with her current ones.  She doesn't think she can do anything for the victims, and instead seeks out everyone on the team at least once to see if they wish to do anything.  Getting away from the base and all the crazy might be a nice break, and she goes to the strip for at least a few hours one day.

She does ask a few pointed questions to some of the team members, such as the weird 2-d image, what was it, did it have any defining features, and does out group/team have any specific allies or enemies.  Any non-sarchastic response is jotted in a spiral notebook she has taken to lugging around.  If this psycho attacked the group before then it might be a friend, foe or just acquaintance.  Since Flare had planned to be a cop before erupting, it might be time to set aside the 'fire power' and just do a little sleuthing.

Pax helps Comstock work the room.  While he looks a little disgusted (by the weakness?  by what happened?  Hard to say with him) he does his job, and cheers people up.  His power is infectious, and gives confidence to the people.  No, you aren't powerless, yes the criminal will be caught... and so on.  After helping out with morale (some of the people from the base, those there since the beginning, are there to help as well, since they've actually been victims too), he takes Comstock aside for an extremely mild ass-chewing (what's gotten into the guy?) and then listens to what Dillon has to say.

"You're right, this could be a problem.  We don't need this shit now, we're winning the publicity war, and finally making people forget about the war.  I'll have to talk to some people.  In the meantime, you stay on guard, and make sure to keep your team under control.  And for fuck's sake, don't go on any more trips for a while.  If you have to go somewhere, stay on the strip."

:::::

The team has plenty of enemies.  Anti-nova activists, crazy NWO conspiracy theorists, people hurt in the Equatorial Wars, the guys they fought in DRC, and this psycher, to name a few.  And Crimson Dawn has a thing against Imp for sleeping with his wife, and got dumped by Phantasm after a short term relationship.

There are several nova mentalists on record with utopia.  Most are minor, capable of small tricks, hypnotism, illusions and the like.  Some are stronger, and many of those actually work for Utopia.  Most known criminal novas are actually in jail, supervised by Utopia and drugged up to the point of powerlessness.

While your investigations are generally useful and certainly informative in regards to the team and the state of the world, they reveal nothing specific to help in apprehending the psychic.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

Everyone is welcome to help with investigations btw, I just gave her results for the roll she made, but everyone can help if they feel like it.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 06:24, Thu 10 Sept 2009.

"Yeah.  Yeah, I feel exactly the same Solitaire.

When I look at this 'bright new world' we're living in, I can't help but think about the things I've seen... How are we going to deal with the bad people out there, the ones willing to do anything just to get what they want?  Or worse yet, the crazies that you can't predict, and want nothing except to get off on the pain of others?

He scares me too, but more because he's the tip of a giant iceberg, just waiting to wreck our perfect new world.  And we're going to have to decide how far we're willing to go, and what we're willing to do, to protect it.

Anyway, in the short term, we have to do something to protect the team from this guy. I'm fine, part of my job was keeping secrets before this, and it was so second nature that when I erupted, I had all the mental protection I needed.  It looks like Comstock is fine, since he's become more metal.  Phantasm is fine, her mind and past are locked up like a vault, makes you wonder what's in there... and the files on the new girl say she'll probably have some resistance as well.  Gravitas has some resistance, but he got taken over last time.  Suzukaze's file doesn't say anything about mental protection, and both you and Imp are wide open.  We need a way of protecting you three, and enhancing the others.

What about that arm of yours?  It has some sort of energy manipulation properties... Do you think you could control psychic energy with it?"

"Dunno, never tried. Getting it to do anything is kinda patchy at the moment.  There's some trick to it I just haven't got yet, but it might. Solitaire said, much more calmly, having vented most of her spite at the psych. "One thing I am certain of is that it wont let me down when I put it around his throat." Her grin was predatory and she relished the thought of getting the chance to do so.

"Ugh, the bastard isn't even here and he can still get under my skin. God I hate being angry..." Solitaire looks over at Frostburn apologetically, "Sorry for shouting at you, just had to let out my frustrations, think you could scare up one of our Brains for me to practice on?

In reply to Solitaire (msg #236):

"That could probably be arranged..."

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

You can feel free to continue such experiments in the vignettes, you can get several low level psychics and energy users.  It occurs to me that your arm has many possible xp purchases, depending on if you want to develop it further.

---

Before New Years -- inevitably a busy time of smiling, partying, and putting on official performances -- once everyone had found a chance to blow off steam or start some investigations, Comstock called a team meeting.  He didn't include Frostburn in "the team," a decision he wasn't sure about but stuck to anyway.  She could be brought in later if the they wanted.

For the occasion, he'd renovated one of the conference rooms in the base.  Black, hardened steel walls, some steel chairs finished off in different hues and patinas, and some brooding light fixtures helped express the mood.  An open space, ready to be wired and hooked up with computer monitors and interfaces, filled the wall opposite from the door, but the circular table dominated the room.  He'd used a computer to help him make a recessed relief map of southern Nevada out of a variety of metals -- parts of it were still unfinished, but his craftsmanship was improving -- and placed a glass table-top over it.  Comstock's own chair was sculpted to his body, a sort of metal throne attached to the floor that helped support him in a rigid posture instead of encouraging slouching.

"Thank you for coming everyone.  I know that business in Mexico has us all a bit on edge, so I'm glad you set aside some time for this.

"This is ... the new war room.  Publicly I guess this room doesn't exist or it's just a board room or whatever, the suits said they could probably get it struck from the video tour of the base we're doing for Op-Net sometime this year and Pax doesn't know it exists yet.  But for us it's where we're going to plan out how to catch Freak and what to do with him once we've got it.

"Before we go too much farther, does anyone have a problem with calling that psychic Freak?  Or using the gender neutral?  I managed to pull the file on it but I think someone handed me a dud.  No information worth speaking of except what Dr. Zero wrote himself.

"Also, I lined the walls with about an inch of lead and did my best to make the room bug proof.  The table's round because I was thinking King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.  Everyone's equal here.  I know I'm not the smartest guy ever, so I want you guys telling me so and I don't want anyone afraid of speaking up just because Utopia might be listening.

"Uh ... what else ... man, I don't know.  If anyone's got any ideas on what to do to get this guy, I want to hear them.  I've got one idea, but I don't like it.  I want alternatives."

Comstock seemed a bit tired, and he lacked the 'glow' of full quantum.  He'd been working on this a lot.  He fidgeted with his phone, and anyone could see that his agent had half-filled his phone with voice-mail.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Edited to add spoiler: I'm not trying to stop anyone's introspection, just trying to give a direction for the plot to progress.  If anyone wants to add some details to the room (Comstock probably tried to customize the chairs a bit ... a little way to bond with the team and show he cares) be my guest.

---

This message was last edited by the player at 21:29, Thu 10 Sept 2009.

A single, aged light flickers to life in the dry, cold basement. A clocked figure walks in. Only it's trench coat can be seen. It looks at the wall, and sees skectches of '2-D Man', along with pictures of everyone investigated in the case, taped to the wall. Red lines are drawn arous, conecting people, with mostives scribled on them. An old desk and filing cabinet are full of folders and papers on the incident, and any incedent that even remotly resembles the situation in the Nervada base, years ago.

The figure throws a think folder full of new documents and photos, and sigs heavily.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
19:52, Today: Dr. Zero rolled 2 successes using 6d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 3,3,5,9,2,9. Investigative prodigy, 1 meg, 1 will.
19:51, Today: Dr. Zero rolled 2 successes using 11d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 7,1,2,1,4,6,4,5,6,8,1. Investigative Roll, 1 meg.

5 successes, so far.

---

Imp stalked into the room, his hands still in casts, his posture still full of anger and... resentment. He looks around and nods approvingly, then settles gracefully into a sleek silver chair with mottling that seems reminiscent of waves or something similar.  He is quiet, pensive.  "I have no problem with calling this thing a freak, Dillon, no problem at all.  And I don't know how we can get our hands on it either, other than to use ourselves as bait.  One thing I do know is that we have to realize that it probably has been on this base several times in the past, has probably gotten into our private files, or into the minds of people working here, and has perhaps left subconscious programming in some base personnel to alert it if we start digging.
I don't want this to go all police state, I really, really believe that what we do is important and that we are making the world better for ourselves and for humanity via our actions, I don't know how far we'll have to go to catch this thing, but i feel frighteningly willing to do whatever has to be done.  Those people were my friends, and had done nothing to this monster save for be in proximity to us.  Also, I don't think we should tranq this one and try to get it rehab'd, i think it should be allowed to move on to its next incarnation, either before or after it gets thrown into space, or the sun, or Jupiter, I don't care, but I don't want it on my Earth."  Having said his piece Imp practices bouncing a ball in space using his mind, his control seems to be getting better.

"From what Zero said, it totally ignored my creations... and it seems unaffected by other people too.  So, either someone manages to calibrate their powers so that they can hit this thing, or we need psychics of our own, and I'm not even sure they would be powerful enough."

And I really don't want to eat this one...

"Personally, I regard 'Freak' as far too mild a label, but it should do." Solitaire comments brightly as she walks in and grabs a chair. Having gotten a few good nights sleep and helped with 'renovating' the southwest corner of the base, she felt considerably better about life. Not that she wouldn't murder the poor bastard if she ever got hands on him, but brooding or worrying was worthless. "And Comstock, since when have any of us cared if the higher ups are listening. Hell, half my comments are for nothing more than getting a rise out of Our Dear Leader. But once again you've outdone yourself."

Solitaire leans back, propping her boots up on the table and pulls her deck of cards out of her coat. You could tell she was really thinking hard about something when she did that. "As to power calibration, I've got a few idea's in that regard, but I still need to test them out to see if they're viable.  But whatever happens, Freak is not getting away again." Though she adds the qualifier "If we can find him, that is."

Sitting in her chair Suzukaze remains silent. After Phantasm's comments she pulls out her cell. She begins to open it but can't as her hands begin shaking. She closes her eyes and drops her cell to the table. She leans forward her elbows on the table she runs her hands through her hair.

"I'm not going to be a whole lot of use to us on this one.  I mean, I totally up for transporting everyone, its what I do, but as far as actually catching it, well... I didn't even see it, I don't know if my portals will work, and I don't have much in the way of psychic protection.

This one time back in the war, I froze up on the field while this guy made me think I was having a picnic in wonderland... Not something I really want to repeat.

Hey, you ok Sue?  Need some coffee or sugar or something?"

Suzukaze looks around the table before speaking. "It is as Phantasm said we really could use the help of a psychic... I know of one who has the potential to beat him. I want to call him for so many other reasons. But if I call him or if he comes it could mean alot of trouble for me in particular." She stands her hands pressing down on the table she grabs her cell and katanas and begins to walk away. She pauses in the doorway and turns back slightly. "He can kill us all." She then leaves and walks back to her room. She sits on her bed and grabs the picture by her bed. Holding it to her chest she begins to cry.

Flare looks around the room a bit, then goes back to her room for her laptop and spiral notebook, considering the metal motif Comstock favors she also grabs a greenish-blue throw pillow to prevent lower-back pain. She tosses the pillow on the lightest colored chair availible and looks for the dsl.

"I think freak covers it for the moment. I know the psychic powers were the most important thing to protect the room from, but how do we fend off hackers? Or does Utopia already have hack proof systems that we're using?"

She looks toward the doorway still contemplating Suzukaze's suggestion/outburst, "If 'kaze knows someone who can help, and they can be cleared, I'm all for it.  I'm a little worried about how he'll interact with him if she's this upset already. "

Flare gnaws on her lip a bit considering her next thought.  "If we could somehow put ourselves in harms way, without endangering baselines, I think I'd be for it to lure Freak out.  I don't ever want to see something like the Cantina happen again."  She shakes her head to try to clear the remembrance away.

"Something like that. We've got a few cyberkinetics on our side. They do to computers what I do to gravity. Its pretty neat." Once notified of the existence of the war room, Quentin does what he can to start hooking it up appropriately, requisitioning or creating equipment to fill spaces left open for such things. He also starts trying to determine a practical way to create a holographic display, reasoning that any good sci-fi movie had one in their war room, so they obviously needed one as well.

"As for the Freak, I'm a bit at a loss. I'm mildly resistant to psychic abilities, so its semi-safe for me to fight it, but I'm not sure how you fight something that doesn't even occupy all three dimensions, or that's... phased or whatever. It defies known physics, as so much about nova's does, so I have a hard time modeling an attack strategy. If he's not subject to gravity, I may be sort of useless." Quentin shrugged somewhat helplessly.

"Is there any hope of making a simulation or extrapolating from what camera footage we have of him?  Something we could practice on?  I don't think he could get to me, but I'd be worse than useless out there trying to punch him."



Comstock coughed and rubbed his chest as Suzukaze left.  "Does anyone get the idea that the Japanese are just, like, more serious about all this than we are?"  He surveyed the room for a response.  "She's, like, 110% all the time.  And says she knows the psychic equivalent of Pax."

"Anyway, Sol ... uh ... I started caring about whether the higher ups heard what we were saying at about the point that it sunk in that Freak was here before, slipping past security, and, like Zero's report says, anyone could have been screwed up and reprogrammed.  So I don't want Freak listening in."  Comstock wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling the whole truth on his mind either.  "So, Sarah, Quentin, whatever you wire into this place, try to avoid putting any microphones or cameras in.  Anything that could be hacked or compromised or whatever to look back in here."

"I'm building a lock for the door, too.  No key.  I think you'll be able to open it, Quentin, but I know P and Imp won't have a problem finding some way of popping it open.  I need to do some reading on how you do this.  Anyway, so long as at least half the team could get in here I'm not too worried.  I just don't want the regular staff poking around either."

He thrummed his fingers on the table.  "Luring him out is the best bet I've heard so far.  My first thought was ... and it's a bad plan and I don't like it ... but if we could get Zero and P to go put on a concert with their band it'd be too good a target.  But that's lots of people.  I'm ... just not comfortable yet risking a few thousand people just for a shot at putting Freak away."

"So ... Sarah's got a point.  Any ideas on how to lure him to us without people?  And, Jennifer, how ... like how big a portal can you make?"

Zero speaks up. "If we want to know more on '2-D Man,' there are actually still some lose ends. Harley was following up on some leads before... well, I'll take up the slack. Wait." Zero catches itself. "I could use everyone's eyes on this. You all have unique insight. This thing is sneaky in a way that one set of eyes will not work. I still feel we need to all review the same material. You don't need investigative training to help. Phantasm. Could you help me with following up on Harley's old work? Then we can all gather to review. I think this is critical."

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Zero is proposing an extended, shared Investigation roll into 2-D Man, hopping everyone's insight will lend a hand in finally uncovering valuable data.

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This message was last edited by the player at 01:28, Sun 13 Sept 2009.

"I'm in, doc.  I'm not sure what I can add, but let's see that file."

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
4 sux on an investigation roll

---

"Well, I guess I can look it over.  It's been a long time, and he kept a lot in his head, but he did have some notes.  And I'll look over the new stuff to, what little there is.

Quentin, I also wouldn't mind helping you out with whatever you're working on to maybe counter this thing's powers..."

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)


Investigation: You rolled 2 successes using 8d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 ((10,5,9,3,4,1,3,4)). 2 mega
=4 succ

Psychology (medicine): You rolled 1 success using 9d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 ((4,4,4,6,9,5,2,3,5)).
=1 succ (impressively bad roll)

Science: You rolled 2 successes using 12d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 ((3,2,8,5,1,2,1,3,6,6,3,9)).
=2 succ (Wow, guess i'm making up for good rolls in the past)

---

"Sure, just tell me what you want us to look into, Doc."  Comstock was eager for something to do.  "If you need, I can find a way to cover for the team missing the New-Years bash.  I think I was the only one officially signed up to be performing at the Bellagio, but I should be able to get out of it.  This team leader thing has to carry some authority sometime."

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Perception + Investigation.  Two successes.  Ah, the die-roller, she is a fickle beast.
18:50, Today: Comstock rolled 2 successes using 6d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 4,6,3,6,9,7. Perception+Investigation.

---

"Sure, I can help with this, but I don't really know what I have to offer.  I'm not trained for this sort of thing." Solitaire picks up the packet when it comes to her, flipping through it. As she had said, she was totally untrained, but perhaps that would give her a fresh perspective. She had no idea what she was really looking for, so she just points out things that catch her eye, whether or not they were useful was up to somebody who actually knew what he was doing to decide.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
11:32, Today: Solitaire rolled 3 successes using 7d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 10,3,9,7,1,1,4. raw Perception, 3 mega

That would be 6 Sux.

---

"Well, I can look over the data if you all want, but it seems I'm going to have my hands full trying to develop some sort of countermeasures. I'm really not too sure where to start with this one. Really I need to hook up some Utopia psychics to so machines and see what sort of things they're doing before I can even start trying to develop an effective deterrant. I figure it'll probably be some sort of mental interference field or radiation or something, but I have no way of knowing if such a thing won't affect us as well." He made a face as he considered the options. "Needs more study."

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Assuming he does look at the data, here's what I got:
Gravitas rolled 7 successes using 12d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 1,8,7,7,8,2,10,1,9,3,9,6. Per+Investigation, 2Mega.
Mega-dice makes the first 8 two successes, so this is actually 8 successes total.

Rolled for Inventive Genius enhancement, got nothing, here's the actual Int roll, the closest skill is engineering, but Q's got Engr/Medi/Sci all at 5, so its hardly matters which is actually used:
Gravitas rolled 3 successes using 13d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 7,7,5,6,4,3,4,6,3,3,1,4,9. Int+Something, 3 Mega, develop counters.
Total of 5 successes, since the first two 7's are mega dice.
We need to fix the dice roller, it's been switched to 'low'...

---

This message was last edited by the player at 04:32, Tue 15 Sept 2009.

The group has a long discussion over the data they have, and don't have, on Freak.  Surprising insights are made by all, some all the more surprising because of who made them...

1) Freak is in love with Dr. Zero.  Or infatuated.  Or wants him as a friend. Or something.  It has been trying to impress him, and focuses on him as a contact.  Sol pointed it out when she mentioned that none of the rest of you had ever really gotten a very good look at it, and certainly never interacted with it.

2) It probably rides around in bodies.  From what you can dig up on psychics and the powers displayed by others, this might explain why no one ever saw him at the other base.  It might also explain the strange bit of internal combustion that occurred with its first victim.  Zero gets this tidbit, remembering the weirdness from the first scene, and then remembering how it appeared out of nowhere the second time... Wait, it appeared by the group, and trailed them all the way from the party... Was it inside one of them, or just coincidence?

3) It's form is likely some strange manifestation of psychic energy, rather than mere Density Control.  It isn't a projected hologram/illusion, or people's node sense wouldn't have gone off, and he most likely wouldn't be able to effect people at that kind of range (unless he's really powerful of course...)

4) It has rules that it plays by.  With its unstable personality, it might change the rules at some point, but it clearly doesn't want to attack any of you, or to hurt you.  It does want to hurt people however, women in particular.  Though it hurts men as well, it hurts them by forcing them into egregious abuses of power, while women it merely exercises power over (first meeting especially, second meeting was more chaotic, so perhaps he's "grown" and gotten over some issues perhaps?).

5) It lived at an address 2 miles from where the walmart receipt was found.  How this connection occurred is only actually clear to Gravitas, and involved some sort of high level math combined with economic theory and botany.  Everyone stares, as the whole group gets the first inkling that their mega intelligent friend may one day become truly incomprehensible to them.  For Grav it's of course a little insulting to not be appreciated and understood, but meh... they're dumb, it isn't their fault.

6) Powers: Intangible psychic form that moves rapidly and has unnatural stealth; Possession; Telepathy, Domination, or more likely both (embedded commands/thoughts); Emotion Control, broadband.  Others possibly, but that's about all it's shown so far.

7) Simple profiling would tell you that 'it' is a white male between the ages of 25-40, with poor social skills, a history of poor/awkward relations with people, parental issues, and likely withdrawn in day to day affairs.  Flair actually gets some of this information from her books, which is filled in by Imp and Phatasm.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

Further questions are welcome.  I'm sure you will be visiting the location that he lived at as well, and we can get on that whenever.

I think it's funny who got the most successes.  Sol, randomly, and Grav, who hasn't done investigation since the game started.  Zero and several others all have it as something of a character focus... meh, dice roller really must have been set to low.

---

Zero sits at the table. It's demeanor has obviously changed to a calm peace. "Ah. United, we are invincible. This has exceed my hopes." The Doctor folds it's hands neatly. "Hmmm... what to do. The obvious move is to investigate the house. It's obvious move will be to use the situation to torture the local civilians. Or it may grow erratic and desperate. Perhaps we can set up an emergency evacuation procedure, and implement it before we land. What does everyone else think?"

"I want to see what it will do if we deprive it of easy prey. Will it let it's balls drop, and actually face us? Or will it just hide?"

"Even if it doesn't show, that just lets us investigate without any interference, I don't see how that would be a bad thing. On the other hand, I'd be against pushing him too hard until we have a actual countermeasure to what he does." Solitaire pauses her shuffling, tapping the deck on the glass table lightly. "Though, you know Doc, since he seems to, for lack of a better word, 'like' you, perhaps somebody else could get in and look around without setting off a riot. The other option would be to lure him away from any baselines, just need proper bait for it." A grin creeps across her face, then Solitaire suggests, "What if one of us less resistant types 'lets slip' the location of your 'secret lab' while we're checking out his house. We could probably build an appropriate locale in a weekend. If Grav can make a Disrupt-o-matic, it would be an ideal spot to zap him with it."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:06, Wed 16 Sept 2009.

"I like the idea of trapping it by feeding it misinformation, the problem is that for those of us who are susceptible to its powers we're going to have to actually believe that location X is indeed the secret base, and for us to have no idea that this is actually a trap, just so this sonofabitch can't pull it from our minds.  The only way that I can see of doing that is for one of us to volunteer to either be hypnotized, dominated or whatever to first off erase this conversation from their mind, then have the appropriate information written in.  I don't know if anybody here can do it, or even if anybody in the Project can, but if we can find someone with that kind of juice, I'll volunteer to be the stalking horse."

Comstock drummed his fingers on the table.  "Well, I don't know that he could get into my head.  That's good I guess.  Uh ... just some things I need cleared up:

"So, the MR Node lets us get away with all kinds of things, right?  I get to bend physics to add on mass and strength, Solitaire gets to propel herself in any direction, Flare agitates molecules until there's self-sustaining fire everywhere ... the works, right?  But some of what we do is just raw capabilities, like Gravitas' brain or my brain or P's speed and coordination."  Like clockwork, Comstock's hand went to his head.  "Now, you were theorizing something like everything we do is just fundamental physics forces?  Like, if he's reading people's minds its not because there's some psychic energy but rather that he can just read the neurons in someone's head and reshape them however he likes."

"So, uh, getting to the point, does that mean that this guy doesn't have a body anymore?  Is that even possible?  And what does that mean for capturing him?  Like, if we made a device that shut his powers down but he's got no physical body, does one just reappear?  Do we kill him?  Is there actually a body there all along he's just using powers all the time?  Can we even do anything?"

"And ... how do we keep something that affects him from affecting us?  Are we going to build something that will just kill him?  If it's something that will shut him down, how do we keep it from affecting us?  And does that mean that, like, I could shut my skin down?  Or is that genetic and permanent now?"

"And ... well ... whatever we make to capture or kill him ... would it be something that could be used against us later?  Like, suppose we make a Disrupt-o-matic that shuts down psychic Novas or something that guards a person's brain.  How long before every Utopia base has a few?  Or every military?"

The thoughts and implications were coming pretty fast.  "Christ ... I don't want to help build anything that'll just escalate things."

Quentin lets the others debate the tactics of the operation, he'd never had much of a head for such things.


"It's unlikely that it knows exactly how it is doing what it is doing. Our powers are very personal and strongly colored by our own perceptions. It may just think 'I want them to flip out and do freaky shit' and then they do. What's worse is that the brain is still poorly understood. If there is such a thing as purely psychic energy, we haven't conclusively discovered it. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist though. If it did, it would radically alter the accepted fundamental views of the universe though."



"Yeah, that's a good point. None of us have powers that are purely psychic, but that isn't to say that there's not a mental component. Current research suggests that all power stems from the MR node and that it is ultimately the key to everything. We're probably genetically capable of erupting in the first place, but they say it was the radiation from the Galatea explosion that catalyzed everything," Quentin had his own thoughts on that, like why the rate of eruption seemed to be staying the same despite the fact that background radiation had largely returned to normal already, but he didn't get into it. "Anyway, back to the point, would it shut down the rest of us? Heck if I know. If I try to build the thing in the first place, which I'm sort of getting some doubts about doing now, I'd be trying to shut down psychic powers without affecting everything else. It would be, frankly, idiotic of me to build something capable of shutting me down. I can't even imagine what sort of side-effects that might have - I mean, my hypercognition seems to be a side-effect of the eruption, would that go away? If it did, would I remember how to dismantle the stupid thing to get my powers back? That's a can of worms I don't want to open."

He thinks silently for a moment, others possibly speak, before he talks again. "Given that all power stems from the node, it would make sense that this person still has some sort of physical body, some self that still contains its node. Some people in the records might have shifted into different forms or states of being, but they still have a default 'normal' mode where they've got a node made of gray matter - this thing shouldn't be any different."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:50, Wed 16 Sept 2009.

Suzukaze returns to the room walking slowly over to her chair. She dosen't seem to show any signs of the breakdown she had earlier. She takes her seat and leans her katanas against the table next to her. She glances around at the others as she speaks.

"So what did I miss? Any decision on how to take care of this monster.

"I'm afraid some Nova or Baseline will invent it, eventually. It would be better for us to control it early on. I also have little sympathy for Nova murderers. To be honest, we Novas have it pretty good. Baseline humanity still has to deal with the risk of persecution and abuse by us, a little turn about may sober up a lot of Novas."



"Exactly. And that is why I intend to lobotomize him. A simple answer. We won't need any fancy equipment. If Phantasm can disrupt the bugger, I can cut it's Node out from it's brain pan, and we can go out and get some cake."

"Not a lot really.  Just talking, trying to decide things.  Nothing definitive.

That psychic you know, I understand it's a touchy subject, but do you think you could maybe... get in touch?  We don't have many psychics on board with us, and I'm not sure how much we can afford getting them in the same room with this thing, but if he's as powerful as you say then he might be able to give us some insight into this thing at least."




"And then I won't have to eat him!  What?! Stop staring at me, I know you were thinking it anyway... Cake sounds good... anyone want any?"

Flare pales just a bit as the implications flow over her.
"Okay, I can handle that you want and probably should just lobotomize this psycho. Thats great for this nut, but what about the long term?  If you can do this to Freak, doesn't that mean you might be able to do it to anyone?  I think this will work out to take care of the psycho murderers among the Novas, but we need to also think about the possibility of someone trying to use this to 'cure' all novas."

"Really, wouldn't it be better to just kill him?" Solitaire asked? Freak manifestly deserved whatever he got, but she found the thought of just cutting out a Nova's M-R Node incredibly repellent. Death would be far and away more preferable.

"Couldn't research him then," Comstock muttered.  From his tone, it was unclear if he thought this was a good thing or a bad thing.  "Not important right now.  We can sort it out once we've caught him."

"Sara's right though.  I mean, if we figure out how to shut him down, sooner or later ..." Comstock trailed off, shook his head, and moved onto something else abruptly.

There was something reassuring in profiling Freak.  It put things in perspective and helped clear up pronoun use and other uncomfortable abstractions.  It also put things in perspective, clearing up doubt about how people would react if Freak ever went public.  "So what do we do if he makes a public statement?  Shows off his sick tricks?  I mean, that'd be a complete fuck-up for Utopia and us."

In reply to Phantasm (msg #263):

Suzukaze's eyes widen as if she was hoping it would not come to this. She pulls out her cell. "I'll give it a try, but I think it might be best if I go through someone else." She then dials a number... "Stupid voicemail.... Paul...." The rest of the conversation is continued in Japanese. "It's Suzuka. I need to see Shiro. I feel sorry for how things ended and there is something I need to ask of him. I really need  to see him. I would also like to see you again to say a proper goodbye. Just don't let him know. Call me back." She hangs up the phone and looks down at the table. Looking up and around at everyone. "I'm sorry but that is the best I can do right now. I'll need the coordinates for someplace in the desert out of range of our base zone. If they can meet up I think I should be alone with them directly. But if anyone wants to come just remain in view in the distance."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:20, Fri 18 Sept 2009.

"Yes."



"I have no problem with the implications. I have been thinking of this for a long, long time. Novas should know fear if they abuse their power. I will lobotomize all who abuse my Baselines. They are my toys."

"Um, Sue, I don't really speak japanese, but what was the best you could do?  Were you ordering cake? Who's coming? Why? And what would our coming out into the desert do?  I know that Asian and Western thought patterns are different, but if you could please give me some information and/or context it'd be much appreciated."

"Doc, remind me never to get on your bad side..."

Flare stares at the masked team member for a minute, mouth slightly agape.

"It's hard to tell when you're joking, with the mask and all."

In reply to Impetus (msg #269):

Hesitating aliitle before she speaks Suzukaze takes a deep breath. "I never worked for the Japanese Government. It's  a cover story Pax came up with so that all the media, civilians and non members won't know the truth. It might be best if you don't know the truth just yet as well. My psychic friend was my team leader in the field as well as my lover. He didn't take my leaving very well, and neither did the guy in charge of us. He's the one I'm really afraid of. The person I left the voicemail for is the team's porter. I need the coordinates for him cause I do not want them near our base. He was a good friend and I want him to bring the psychic here secretly without himself or the other team members knowing. I want to talk to them alone face to face to see if they can help. I'm not 100% sure they will. Also it might get bad  so if someone was nearby in view it might prevent such a situation. They could demand I return if they help... Hell they could just take me if they want. Or they can just make my life a living hell. I want this monster taken care of so bad that this is the last resort I wanted to take."

She stands and bows. "I've just been a burden, and do not want to cause the team any problems. If you all want me to leave the team I will." Remaining bowed she grabs ahold of one of her katanas. "Or if you so wish I shall do the honorable thing and take my life. I don't know if I'll be able to but I'll try if it is your demand."

"uh, no... don't do that, uh... yeah, we uh...
[deep breath]
I'm sure we all really appreciate your help, and we don't feel there's any burden there.  But even if there was, taking your life would be really... bad.  And stop trying to leave, you just got here.  You're part of this team, and you seem like you really do want to help, so we're happy to help you in return.

And Dr. Zero... You worry me."

The Doctor chuckles.



"I do try."



"Thank you."

Imp blinked, then frowned slightly.  He turned to Comstock.  "If he does make a public demonstration of what he can do we do what we can to mitigate it.  I'm sure PR will be all over it and try to convince the broadcasters to not run it for public good.  They'll probably try to get a cease and desist on the grounds of race rioting and potential loss of life.  We will of course kick into high gear, be all over the tv and there'll be an upsing in stories showing novas doing heroic things, moreso than now, if you can believe it.  the story will also be minimalized, and a metric ton of money will be thrown into creating a task force specifically geared to take this guy down.  Psychers, clairvoyants, investigative geniuses like Zero will be thrown at the case.
They might also try to spin it as drug cartel or dictatorship hiring someone to spread terror.  there will, not surprisingly, be an upswing in attacks on novas, the more militant humans first groups will use it as a reason for declaring holy war on us.  In short, a total shit storm.  We need to get him before that happens."
[Private to Rydi: Imp is going to do some snooping and see if he can get his hands on Sue's psych eval, from her behaviour he believes that she is either bipolar or otherly unstable and may become a liability to the team if she begins to spiral down towards a mental breakdown. He'll try charming some office personnel first, if that fails he'll use his computer fu to get the requisite files.]
This message was last edited by the player at 03:56, Sun 20 Sept 2009.

"So... we should prepair that it will try something if we go to it's hometown. You mentioned something about brainwashing those without defenses? Who will volunteer? Wait a sec..." Zero pauses and doublechecks one of it's senses. The sense that detects hidden observation. Perhaps the thing was watching them now, perhaps inside one of them, to confuse Zero's senses.