November 3rd, 2020.  The ruins of Freedom Force HQ

Every poll predicted President Davis will lose the election.  The last few months have been a roller coaster, with one scandal, and tragedy, following another.  The meltdown in Manhattan.  The exoneration of Ethan Myers. The suspicious deaths in Pinedale.  Experiments on Mutant inmates at Camp-X.  The Brotherhood taking hostages in the UN.  Avengers tower blown up.  Magneto melting the statue of liberty.  Deaths at 'the Raft'.  Mutants rioting in the streets.  A mega pharmaceutical company building its own Mutant army.  The list went on and on and on.

No wonder all of Davis' accomplishments in the last four years have been forgotten.   The only thing that seemed to be on everyone's minds these days was 'the mutant question', and Davis was deemed too soft to offer a solution.

The headlines were already written.  Andrew Williams was supposed to take office.  Entire articles written about Davis's failure to lead the nation in its most trying times.

And everyone was in for a shock when the results started coming in.  It's not only that President Davis has won the election.  It was that her victory has been unprecedented in American history.  She carried every state – all fifty of them.  Not only that, but her party won all the contested seats in the Senate, and the entirety of the House of Representatives.

The conspiracy theories in the dark web gathered momentum before the election results have been called.  'Mutants' stole the elections.  It was the only possible explanation.  And if the American people have been denied their vote, what other option did they have left?
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 18:47, Tue 19 July 2022.

The results both pleased and terrified Illya.

"All fifty states? That seems like a lot. Almost too many..."

This was going to be trouble, of course. While it was mathematically possible for someone to pull all fifty states, and for that same party to pick up all open seats in the House and Senate, it was so statistically unlikely as to be impossible anyway. For that to happen to the candidate who'd been losing in the polls made it even more unlikely.

The thing was, if this was a coup, it was a stupid one, because it looked like a coup. So, something else was going on here.

Clearly this was the machination of a sinister and powerful group. But with no proof, and no direct mandate to investigate, it was the job of Freedom Force to support the election as legitimate and fair.

Mutant Rights had been at the forefront of the election issues, and Davis had been the pro-mutant candidate. As mutants, Freedom Force was about to catch the brunt of the public's negative sentiments regarding the botched election. Things were going to get ugly.



1 XP: When you claim that a situation or event is a result of the machination of a sinister and powerful group.

"Well that looks fishy.  I hope she says something right away about figuring out what's really going on.  Otherwise it's going to be bad."  Kate said as well.  She might not be old enough to vote yet, and might not really have much deep interest in politics, but she knew at least that much.

The call from Johnson came a short hour later, asking them all to report to the command RV.  By the time they arrived, (ex) Senator Kelly was already on the news, demanding Davis declares the election null and void, and launch an investigation into the very clear case of election fraud.  And while he didn't specifically blame Mutants, he certainly implied they were somehow responsible for what happened.  The self-professed militias didn't need to listen to his speech to reach the same conclusions.  People were arming themselves, and if Freedom Force didn't do something quick, all hell was bound to break loose

"Sit down, Agents" Johnson closed his laptop by pushing his fist over the top panel.
"I trust you all seen the news.  I just got a call from Valerie. The President wants us to check if the election results have been tampered with.  And she wants us to give her something within the next twenty-four hours"

Gwenyth, late again, charges into the room excitedly while holding her phone out in front of her. She manages to interrupt Agent Johnson at "I trust you have all seen the-"

"Oh my gosh guys have you seen the news?! Isn't it great! I was really worried for a little while but it looks like Davis managed to pull off a miracle!!!" She shows her phone excitedly to the rest of the team before starting to realize the weird looks she is getting. "Um... guys? What's with the faces? This is a good thing, right?"

"It's a good thing if it's true," Frank said to Gwyneth. She was a bit naive if she just accepted the results out of hand. "But when something is too good to be true, it generally isn't."

"Too good to be true?" Gwenyth asks, cocking her head. "Wow, what a... stressful way to think... o-oh! Hello Agent Johnson! I didn't see you there!? Wait is this a briefing?" She starts rapidly fumbling with her phone. "Inbox full? What does that mean?" she mutters.

"Um... how are we supposed to do that?  I mean, I don't even know how votes get counted.  Aren't there people who's job it is to do this sort of thing?  Unless you want us to go talk with them..."  Kate offers her complete insuitability to the job at hand to him.

Johnson didn't think Gwenyth to be so dense as to believe Davis won by a landslide.  She must have been sarcastic, an attitude which he didn't much appreciate
"Almost all ballots these days use voting machines to tabulate results.  They also create paper copies so a significant portion of them can be statistically inspected later for any deviation.  So far, it looks like no deviation has been found, which leads me to conclude all the machines were somehow hacked - without leaving a trace, and made to print out erroneous logs.  I can't imagine even the Russian or the Chinese to be able of such a feat.  It's too clean"

And just as he was talking, all members of Freedom Force got a message into their phones, from an old comrade of theirs:




The list contains the names of people who posted about being 'ready to do something' about the election, filtered to include only the ones with criminal records and a history of violence.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:14, Thu 21 July 2022.

Frank didn't check his phone. He'd do that when the meeting was done, but not before. Johnson would likely blow a gasket if everyone started looking at their phones while he was talking.

"Where do we even begin to investigate?" he asked. "The voting machines could have been hacked from anywhere."

At least there were still paper copies of most votes. Those couldn't be hacked, and would tell the truth of the matter when inspected.

"It's too bad Shiva got arrested.  But um,  what is the point of printing out what the computer says?  doesn't that just confirm the same thing?" Clearly she doesn't know much about the process or even aware that actual paper ballots exist.  "Do we just start going around and asking people if they will share what they voted with us to see if it matches what is on the print out which matches what is on the electronic record which we think is wrong?"

"No, we're not going to do anything of the sort.  There are going to be manual recounts of the paper ballots, and statistical analysis performed.  I don't know what they will do if they find every electronic ballot cast went to President Davis, since it can never be proven to have been tampered with, but I'd think it would be enough to disqualify the elections" or get Davis to call for a new one.  In fact, the results were so incredulous for that already.  But there won't be a point for running a new election if they don't apprehend the culprit first:

"Our new member of Freedom Force night provide us with a lead.  Misty is a pre-cog, and - " Johnson's phone rang just as he was about to complete the sentence. Grimacing after looking at the number, he placed his phone on the table and put it on speaker:
"Johnson"

Over the speakerphone a woman's voice can be heard with a gentle New York City tone to it. "Sir, you wanted me to talk to the team now... We need to get to Seattle. In about half a day a mob, the police, and reporters surrounded... will surround... a building. We need to be there. It looks bad."

Gwenyth is still trying to figure out how to empty her inbox, so she doesn't get the message!

Gwenyth smiles at Kate. She doesn't know very much about the process but she knows the voting process is unnecessarily convoluted and it's nice to see someone drawing attention to the fact.

Gwenyth looks over as the phone goes off. She doesn't think she's ever heard Agent Johnson's phone go off, let alone in the middle of a briefing. "I like Seattle," Gwenyth says. "It rains there a lot. Hello agent Misty!" she calls to the phone, waving as though the lady on the other end can see her.

Johnson frown deepened.  Was there any point in asking his next question, or would Misty know what he was going to say anyways?
"How does this relate to the elections? What's in that house?"

Illya's brows furrow, "What if it wasn't the machines that were hacked? What if it was the people? That'd be much harder to detect." But his line of thought collapses as he moves to help Gwenyth with her technological challenges, "You'll just need to delete some stuff from your inbox. See, here's the button...Wait. How far back do these emails go?!"

Illya compulsively checks his comms device when the message comes through, frowning slightly when he sees that his access to social media was still locked. But the frown quickly turns into a sly(ish) smile when he sees the message.

Misty's voice snaps Illya out of his reverie and a look of open wonder erupts onto his face, "Hi Misty! Welcome to Freedom Force. Did...did you know I was going to say that?"

Misty answers Johnson, "A child in that house, Brian, is a mutant. He's only twelve. He's somehow responsible, or at least catching the blame, for rigging the election."

Replying to the greetings she says, "Hi, Gwenyth. Hi, Ilya. I recognize your voices, as I watched video of you both after we met... or knew we would meet. Ilya, there are many future possibilities, but as things get closer they converge to become the present; so I don't always see what will happen, but lots of possible outcomes. When big outcomes get more solidified, they're clearer."

"Okay, wow! That's awesome. Uh, in Seattle. Do you see anyone with powers? And just to clarify. The police and press are surrounded with the mob? Or are they part of the mob?"

"Alright, fine!" Johnson let out an exasperated sigh "I don't like it that we don't have anything to corroborate, but it's not like we have anything else to go on. I'll arrange our flight and we can figure everything out on our way. Get ready to leave for the airport in thirty minutes.  Agent Deneuve; we'll meet you at Reagan"

"Yes, sir. I called an Uber to Reagan after I heard you say so. I'm already packed, and it just arrived. I've arranged for equipment in Seattle so I don't need to deal with weapons in the airport. It'll be good to see the rest of you in person soon."

Illya, who can't help himself, leans over to Kate, "Okay. That was spooky."

When Illya moves over with Tech Support Face Gwenyth thrusts her phone at him like it is a used diaper. "It's broken, fix it," she mutters before he can offer up any explanation. She also waves away any attempted efforts to explain how to fix it herself. Gotta pay attention to the briefing after all!

"I hope it was a flattering video, haha~!" Gwenyth laughs sheepishly. Agent Misty has her at a disadvantage it seems! Fortunately she is used to people seeing video of her long before they met, being an ex-actress and all~.

"Blaming children again..." Gwenyth sighs sadly.

Gwenyth is a little jealous of how organized and prepared Agent Misty is! She could make a killing as a travel agent or something!

In reply to Gwenyth Blake (msg # 23):

Illya finally has a phone to play with! He begins tapping away and his attention immediately withdraws from the briefing. Agent Johnson could burst into flames and Illya wouldn't notice.

"Well, we'd best be going," said Frank, getting up from the table when it looked like the meeting was done.

"Wait, I have a concern!" Gwenyth speaks up. "Seattle is, like, just about the farthest Freedom Force could possibly get from DC, right? Should we really be flying the entire team over to the other side of the country at a time like this? With... the death of Agent Mistress..." She falters and takes a deep breath to steady herself before continuing. "... t-the B-Team consists of just Agent Dunn, right? Is that enough? And her zombie horde isn't exactly the most PR-friendly show of force during this delicate situation..."

In reply to Black Hole (msg # 22):

"Spooky Awesome."  Kate whispered back then turning more towards the phone she spoke louder so it would be picked up.  "It was nice to meet you Misty, I hope we will already be friends when I catch up on getting to know you.  Future tenses are weird.  Do they ever work that out?"

"We can't be everywhere at once" he said after some careful consideration.  Her concern wasn't invalid, considering the pace of events in the last few weeks "We'll just have to hope for the best.  Or for someone else to pick up the slack for once"
Rising, he picked up his phone and took it off speaker:
"We're on our way Agent Deneuve.  We'll see you there"

The team rendezvoused with Allison (aka Misty), but barely had the time to get acquainted before boarding the flight.  They didn't have much chance to talk throughout the flight either, as Johnson requested them all to keep a low profile.  That proved to be impossible.  All of them were recognized the minute they boarded the airplane.  Phones were quickly taken out to snap a picture of the heroes, and more than one person brazenly approached them asking for a selfie.  But for every ecstatic fan, there were at least three others giving them the stink-eye, and a couple of people went so far as to ask the stewardess to change seats to avoid sitting anywhere near the Mutants.

It was therefore smart of Johnson to have arranged for the VIP pickup.  A limo was waiting for them once they disembarked from the airplane, taking them, and them alone, right through security and straight out of Seattle's airfield.  From there it was a short drive to the quiet, sleepy suburb, and to the house Misty has seen in her vision.

It was early in the afternoon, with uncharacteristically clear blue skies for early November, though still rather chilly. Like on the airplane, Freedom Force were recognized the moment they stepped out of their vehicle.  A jogger deliberately slowed down to look at them from the other side of the street, and a curious neighbor stepped out of his house to get a closer look.  They wouldn't have much time before more onlookers will be on the scene.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 13:43, Wed 27 July 2022.

Humming approvingly at the perfectly cut lawn, and at the American flag hanging at the front, Johnson climbed up the stairs leading to the house, where he stopped and allowed the others to pass him by.

"Agent Blake- I want you to take the lead on this one.  We need to find out what 'Brian' has done, if anything"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:40, Wed 27 July 2022.

Illya's mood brightens considerably with the recognition that the team receives at the airport. He lingers, perhaps too long, with the fans accommodating any requests for pictures, selfies, or autographs. Only once forcibly pulled away does he depart, albeit very reluctantly.

Standing in front of the house, Illya breathes in the fresh pacific northwestern air and seems to lose a bit more of his gloom, "Oh! Gwynth! I cleared up some space in your inbox. I deleted any emails that you received before 2011. That seemed safe." Illya's tone then becomes a bit more conspiratorial, "I also rejigged your bluetooth so that it can deliver a shortrange DDOS on an electronic device. Just point and press this app. With Shiva gone, I I'm the team's tech dude now." Illya seems quite pleased with himself.

OOC: Illya has attempts to create an asset for Gwynth

Wits d6
Unwavering Confidence d8
Tech d8

Black Hole rolled 3,8,2 using d6,d8,d8 with rolls of 3,8,2.  DDOS phone hack.
Total = 11
Effect = d8
This message was last edited by the player at 14:47, Wed 27 July 2022.

On the flight Misty spends most of her time on a computer, on email and checking the market or playing chess. But she's happy to play chess on a small travel board if someone will join her.

In the car Misty makes sure she has clips of rubber bullets as well as more lethal rounds. She also dons a baton and a knife rather than two knives.

Hmm... Misty quietly says, "One of the problems is figuring out if you're actually causing an event when trying to prevent it. That neighbor over there is either in the Friends of Humanity or is just strongly partial to them. It could be that him seeing us arrive is what triggers the mob descending on this place. Regardless, keep an eye out for him and his rifle."

Illya's eyes widen to dinner plates at Misty's rumination, "Wait. What? You're just thinking about this now!? Shouldn't we have discussed this back at HQ?"

"If I saw it way back then so clearly, it was pretty much guaranteed regardless of our presence. But we may now be triggering it, so the specifics may shift some."

Each of the team's commlinks and phones(Expect for Misty and Johnson) get a sudden message. When opened, it shows a active 3D map of all the houses in the neighborhood. It also has IR signatures of each living being in each house, what they are doing, and any objects they might be holding. It will highlight possible weapons as well. It also shows a interior map of each residence, which can be touched and shown a total layout of the property-including those moving around inside. It will also highlight any electronics use that is occurring, including phone calls, texts, and video conferencing. The source of this sudden display of information is unclear, as is any digital trail that would normally be left behind.


OOC-Creating Team digital map asset.

Wits-d10
Senses-d12
Tech-d10
Uber Nerd-d4 (+1 PP)
Resources-d8

Spending 1 PP to activate tech resources
Spending 1 PP to make asset last the entire scene.

Total=14
Effect die=d12

10:51, Today: Shiva rolled 9,5,5,4,5 using 1d10,1d12,1d10,d4,d8 with rolls of 9,5,5,4,5.  Digital Map Asset .

Current PP=2.


This message was last edited by the player at 15:31, Wed 27 July 2022.

Illya gapes when the information appears on his commlink but quickly forces a cough in a lame attempt to cover it up, "I, uh, have sent you all a map. Of the...houses. And guns. And electronics. Like I said. I'm the tech guy?"

Kate spent some time talking with the new girl, playing chess and losing, and staying fuzzy simply because the last thing she wants is to ever have her normal appearance outed and last refuge lost.

"I guess that is a problem, but I mean, if we only came here because you saw us come here then why wouldn't anywhere else have been just as good?  I mean, how would you pick which random house to get us stuck into a circle with?  Maybe we shouldn't have had anybody in uniforms show up though, that part is probably on us."

Holding up her phone she giggles.  "Neat.  Thank's Illya" And she shoots him a wink.  Then turning to take Johnson's attention she asks, "Do you think you should call the local police to get some extra guys out here for a um... cordon thingy just in case?  Let them know there might be a mob and stuff so they don't come in and make things worse cause they don't know whats going on?"

"Let's see how timelines are shifting around now." Misty spends a moment seemingly zoned out, but really focused on things others cannot see.

Create Asset for herself:

2d10 See Through Time
d10 Wits
d8 Saw That Coming from a Mile Away
d6 Precognitive 20-20 Hindsight (and step up effect die)

12:24, Today: Misty rolled 2,1,2,3,4 using d10,d10,d10,d8,d6 with rolls of 2,1,2,3,4.  Create Asset.

That Wasn't Going to Work: Reroll, -1 PP.

12:25, Today: Misty rolled 10,2,6,6,1 using d10,d10,d10,d8,d6 with rolls of 10,2,6,6,1.
d6 to Doom Pool, +1 PP
10+6=16 with d12 effect die
Make it persistent for the scene, -1 PP.

PP: 3 - 1 (reroll) + 1 (rolled 1) - 1 (persistent) = 2

Gwenyth happily poses for pictures and selfies and signs anything she is offered, but quickly makes her excuses to avoid any actual conversation. "Sorry, but we're in a hurry!" works pretty well up until the moment they actually get on the plane. If only she were wealthy enough to afford her own private jet! Goals. The people who try to avoid her and the rest of the team make her sad, but she doesn't try to get in their way or make an issue of it.

Gwenyth takes her phone back from Black Hole with a sheepish smile. She giggles a little at the 2011 joke; her phone was only a few years old, and in 2011 she would have been twelve years old. "Thank you." She raises an eyebrow at the computer talk. "I don't know what what a deedeeohess is," she says with blissful ignorance, "but thank you regardless!" She immediately points it at a parked car and presses the button to test it.

Seeing how Agent Misty is kitted out Gwenyth draws nearer to bond over their mutual womanhood and lack of any overt combat powers. The rosewood-stock hunting rifle on Gwenyth's back is also loaded with rubber bullets, as is the Glock on her hip, and the coiled whip next to it is good for all sorts of fancy-pants maneuvers! However, before she can say anything she sees Agent Misty going into a trance and decides not to bother her at the moment. Instead she has a look around the neighborhood.

Agent Johnson's voice brings her crashing back to earth. "Me?!" she asks, surprised. "Are you sure? I'm not really... good... with kids."

Johnson gave Illya a tired look.  He has seen Shiva at work before, and in all honestly, he was a little bit insulted that they thought him THAT dense as to not recognize his handiwork. He couldn't be bothered to challenge him on 'being the tech guy' right now.  He was far too disturbed over Kate's and Misty's conversation:

"Yes.  Calling the police to set up a perimeter would be prudent" a perimeter, just like the one Misty described in her vision.  He hated the thought he was reading from a script without the ability to improvise.  He had half a mind to NOT call the police.  But that would be cutting his nose to spite the face.  They needed backup.

With a frown on his face, he picked up the phone and started dialing.  The neighbor watching them retreated back into his house, to make his own calls...

"You'll do fine" Johnson answered her after he concluded his call "And we need to convince his parents to let us talk with him to begin with.  We don't have a warrant, probable cause, or any legal justification to be on their property. We need to convince them that we're here to help" even if they are the ones who brought the trouble to their doorsteps.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:24, Wed 27 July 2022.

A troubled look descended on Illya's face, "How much can we interfere with Misty's vision? Like, can we stop it from coming to pass? Is the mob going to show up anyway? Should we just fly the kid to the east coast?"

"Alright, if you're certain." It was nice to feel like someone was relying on her at the very least; she was seriously beginning to feel like her presence in Freedom Force was a pity invite. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to be the lead woman.

Gwenyth puts on her earpiece and breaks from the rest of the team to approach the house of interests, pausing on the sidewalk to adjust her jeweled bow tie before stepping across the invisible property line and making for the front door. She knocks thrice, then folds her hands at the hem of her skirt in a demure V-shape. She prepares her most apologetic smile.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:52, Wed 27 July 2022.

"Ilya, the future is fluid. Our course isn't set until it becomes the present. But it is unlikely we'll prevent an armed mob from arriving in an hour or two. What is easier to avoid is a shootout after they arrive. We could do as you suggest: get Brian out of here. We could try to do some other things to ease tensions."

The phone call would be shared, as the contents of the neighbor's conversation would be sent to Black Hole's commlink. Furthermore a trace of the call would be made to see who they are calling. Provided it was relevant to Freedom Force and not just an excuse to geek out over the US's primary mutant super team.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:45, Thu 28 July 2022.

The front door opens a short minute later.  The party of Mutants in their uniforms got the expected reaction from the woman who opened the door.  She gawked at them stupidly until she finally managed to find words:
"Umm.. can I help you?"

In reply to Janette Cantrell (msg # 46):

Several phone calls appeared on BH's commlink. The primary caller was calling several men to come and 'greet' Freedom Force. Those phone calls where being traced as they called others...

If any of the rest of Freedom Force had tried to follow her up to the door she would have shooed them back to the sidewalk. There shouldn't be any reason why she would need backup, and the sight of so many people on the owner's porch seemed likely to send the wrong impression. If Agent Johnson wanted a delicate, feminine hand in this matter then all these other cooks can get their grubby little man-talons and paws and whatever else out of her kitchen. Or something. Metaphors!

Agent Misty could come with if she wanted, though. She's slight and nonthreatening!

"Miss Cantrell, yes?" Gwenyth asks, for surely she had been briefed on the plane. "Federal agent; I'm terribly sorry to inconvenience you, my bosses have me investigating some things in the area. It's probably nothing, but it'd be a huge help to me if you'd let me come in and ask you and yours some questions." She offers a put-upon, overworked, hopefully-sympathy-inducing smile.

"A Federal..Agent?" the woman repeated after her.  Gwenyth didn't look like what she expected of Federal Agent.  She didn't show her any badge either.  But she didn't seem like much of a threat either, so she decided to entrain her for a moment longer:
"Sure.  I'll help however I can" still, she stayed standing at the doorstep, not inviting the woman, or her companions, into her adobe.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:07, Fri 29 July 2022.

The decision not to show her badge was a tactical one. Gwenyth rather hoped that she would be recognized from television, which would mean more than some little piece of metal. Going straight for the authority button didn't fit the harmless aura she was trying to project.

Gwenyth lets the awkwardless trail out for a little bit before looking around around the neighborhood nervously before flitting her eyes back knowingly towards the woman. The unstated message was simple; these are not the sorts of questions you want your neighbors to hear me ask. She clears her throat. "So, ah, can I come in then?"

"I.." the woman hesitated. There wasn't really a reason to turn Gwenyth away.  They were law-abiding citizens and had nothing to fear from the police.  But was the woman standing in front of her really a Federal Agent? Against her better judgment, she decided that she was, and that there would be no harm in talking with her.  Surely!
She stepped aside from the door so the charming young woman could enter.

"Yes.  But it will be quick, right? I need to pick up my daughter from practice in about an hour"

Gwenyth apology-smiles away, softly shining with quiet confidence in that way that she does. Her smile widens. "Alright, as quick as I can, understood. Let's see..." She takes out her phone and makes a show of examining it. In reality she is just reading an old script play... about being a detective, appropriately enough.

Entering the house Gwenyth makes a minimal amount of small talk, complimenting one or two things that catch her eye (but not the first thing that does so as to avoid seeming shallow!) before beginning with a handful of boilerplate questions. "Have you noticed anything unusual lately?" and "Is anyone else in the house right now?" That sort of thing. She casually surveys the house as they walk and talk for the aforementioned anything unusual.

Illya frowns, "Uh, Team. They are coming." And he forwards the call logs to the others' commlinks and phones.

Miss Cantrell showed the young investigator inside.  Her house was typical for the affluent suburb. A large foyer splits off to the living room, and to the kitchen on the opposite side. A staircase leading up to the second floor.  Nothing unusual so far.

"No, nothing unusual. This is a good neighborhood" she emphasized.  The second question was the type a serial killer might ask his potential victim, but Janette was sure the woman was who she said she was.  Whatever her name might be.
"It's just me and my son. George is supposed to come back later in the afternoon.  Do you mind if I call him and ask him if he can leave work a bit earlier today?

Gwenyth winces at the insistence that this is a good neighborhood, hearing what she does from the rest of Freedom Force on her earpiece. Good neighborhoods don't need to be cordoned off against Friends of Humanity. But she keeps that to herself, only saying a neutral and perhaps vaguely disbelieving "I'm... sure that it is."

"You can if you like!" That is to say, Janette could but Gwenyth obviously does not have any specific questions for George.

After just a few more small questions, Gwenyth broaches the question she still hasn't figured out not to make awkward but can't put off any longer. "Would it be alright if I ask Brian a few questions as well? I know, I know..."

Frank remained outside, checking the perimeter. So far, the property seemed secure. But they were more worried about the future than the present. Satisfied that the building wasn't going to be under siege in the next few minutes, he checked in with Ilya.

"What have you got?" he asked.


OOC: Sorry for the short post. I just wanted to get my toes back in quickly.

Illya starts in surprise at Tank's query, "What?! Uh. I mean, I have, uh...maps. And calls. Phone calls! All definitely mine."

The call to her husband left Jenette confused and distraught.  The tone of the conversation slowly escalated as she tried to explain why she invited the Federal Agent into their home, or what exactly they wanted with the Cantrells.  She looked downcast at her phone for a while after George hanged up, sighing softly to herself.  But one smile from Gwenyth lifted all worries from her heart.  She was sure the young woman could explain it better to her husband, once he arrived.

She answered whatever questions she had for her the best she could, but when Gwenyth broached talking with her son she immediately assumed a mama-bear disposition:
"What questions? What do you want with him?"

Gwenyth frowned as the phone conversation went bad. "I'm sure he's just trying to protect everyone," she says with a reassuring smile.

Mama-mode activated, Gwenyth notes to herself. "It really is just some questions! No one is in trouble." She looks down at her phone again, ostensibly to check her orders but really to buy herself an extra precious few seconds to think. She chews her lip for a moment and decides that there is no way to do this next part subtly, so she goes for honesty. "To tell you the truth, the real questions I am here to ask were always for Brian. They might be a little scary and I would really appreciate your input on how to approach the topic. Promise not to dismiss them out of hand like any sane person would?" She laughs awkwardly, in that I'm-so-sorry-but-my-boss-is-making-me-do-this way.

Once Janette so promises, Gwenyth just lays it on her. "So, I have the unenviable task of asking your son if he rigged the election and, if he did, to please not do that again and explain why that is a bad thing." She blushes in very real embarrassment. "And that's all. Pinky swear."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:54, Sat 30 July 2022.

Janette's eyeballs threatened to fall out of their sockets the longer Gwyenth talked.
"Brian!??" she followed with a nervous laughter "Rigging the election?! He's only twelve! What are you talking about??"

On the street outside the house, Illya paces back and forth, "What if the kid did it? Do we arrest him? Should we even tell anyone? It seems that it would set back mutant acceptance, like, a hundred years."

"First things first," Frank replied. Arresting the kid wouldn't help anyone, but they might actually be forced to do it, if he rigged the election and did it deliberately. But first they needed to find out if he actually did it at all, and then they needed to keep him and his family alive and safe. "How long do we have before the angry mob gets here?"

Ilya's insistence that the phone records had originated with him clearly indicated that they hadn't. He was in touch with John Ohm, then. At least, that was the most likely suspect. Frank supposed he should be mad about that, but he couldn't bring himself to be. Agent Johnson would be furious, of course, but that was pretty much where his personality gauge started. It only went up from there.

He should say something about it, he supposed. But later.

Gwenyth's blush only deepens. "We live in a really strange time; magic gamma ray bursts, super-chemicals, mutants... it could be anything. Or nothing at all! You are certain nothing strange has happened around here recently?"

"I do not relish the prospect of arresting a twelve years old" Johnson grumbled
"But I don't know what choice we have if he did it intentionally.  Even if he didn't, we should still take him and his family into protective custody.  And we can't afford to waste any time" he made the point to look at his watch, wondering just as Frank did how much time they had left

In reply to Gwenyth Blake (msg # 63):

"No, nothing!" even if Brian has been a bit distant these last few days, it wasn't something to make a note of.  Not if it could get him into trouble
"Brian is a good kid.  He's never shown any interest in politics, or the election.  He's twelve!"

No, nothing! "Good news, then! That means I'm probably here on a wild goose chase and you have nothing to be worried about. Now how about I run my questions by you so we can avoid upsetting the poor little guy?"

The woman merely nodded nervously in response

Gwenyth briefly touches points with Janette. Being as she is Freedom Force ("oh sorry, did I forget to mention that? Here's my badge, maybe you've seen my movies?") she is obligated to default to assuming Brian could be a mutant since that's all her department is qualified to deal with. Davis is trying to meet mutants halfway and Kelly isn't, so that could be scary, and maybe Brian wanted to not be scared and that could have caused him to manipulate the election. Or, alternatively, he expressed his fear to someone who did have that kind of power; a friend, maybe?

Essentially, Gwenyth made sure that she had the mother's support and that there wouldn't be any surprises from either her or the kid. The mother's support was super duper important throughout the process!

Assuming everything meets with her approval, Gwenyth and Janette make their way to Brian's room. She looks to her, silently asking who should be the one to knock.

In reply to Tank (msg # 62):

Illya stares blankly at Tank for a bit and then exclaims, "Oh, right! Me! I'm the tech guy now."

Illya buries his face in his commlink and ostentatiously pushes buttons. He may even make beep boop beep sounds while he does so. He will see if Shiva has sent any further updates about the nascent mob's activities.

"Brian isn't a Mutant.  That's crazy" the mother objected "Isn't the condition hereditary? And we don't have any Mutants in either side of our families, so, you know..." she absolutely refused to accept the very notion of the idea that her son might be a Mutant. Gwenyth hasn't put her mind at ease, but she cooperated for some reason, perhaps only to prove to her that she was wrong.

The two women climbed up the stairs, and Miss Cantrell gave a courtesy knock on Brian's bedroom door before stepping inside and finding out for herself how wrong she was about her son:

"Brian! What are you doing?!! Get back here!!!"
This message was lightly edited by the player at 17:06, Sat 30 July 2022.

The boy gave a quick look at his mother and company. He already had one leg out the window, and he didn't waste any more time before stepping out completely and standing on the roof outside his room.  Stupidly, he looked down, and immediately felt lightheaded.  It was only the second floor, but it would still be a very nasty fall if he slipped.

Out on the street, a car pulled into the driveway.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:10, Sat 30 July 2022.

Gwenyth blinks. "This is awkward," she says softly. She cups her hand over her headset microphone. "Agent Black Hole, the kid's trying to escape out the front window, can you levitate him back inside before those people see what's happening?"

Frank looks over his shoulder and sees the kid trying to escape. That said a lot, but it was hardly conclusive. But Ilya could handle him; Frank was needed on the ground. He dragged his line of sight back to the car that was pulling in. Odds were good that it was the father, but Frank needed to make sure there was no added drama about to unfold. He left the kid to Ilya and Gwyneth, and instead approached the car with his ID out.

Illya pulls himself away from his very important hacking and smiles, "You got it, Tank!"

He gently floats up to the boy on the roof, "Hey champ! It's a bit high up here, how about we go back inside?" Illya reaches out and gently floats Brian back through the window, careful not to bump the boy on the window frame.

OOC: Let me know if you want me to roll.

Scans of the car pulling up relays any details it can to Black Hole's commlink. Further scans of the area will attempt to reveal any other people trying to sneak up on Freedom Force and the house. If that proves fruitless, hacking into the 12 year olds computer is done instead. Trying to find out if any truth is part of the accusation that he is rigging elections.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:15, Sat 30 July 2022.

The young boy panicked as soon as he saw Black Hole hovering next to him.  There was only a slight hesitation before the decision: he would try to run away, no matter what.  A quick dash across the roof would take him to the other side, where he could jump down to the street and try to get away.  Likely, he would have only ended up slipping off the roof, or breaking his legs jumping down, but he never got that far.  Black Hole stopped him before he managed to take a single step forward, effortlessly floating him back into the room, and to the waiting arms of his mother
This message was last edited by the player at 11:50, Sun 31 July 2022.

The man stepping out of the car was more worried than angry.  He immediately recognized Frank from the TV, and he didn't need to look at the badge.  Freedom Force.  But those guys were only deployed to fight supervillains.  What were they doing on his front lawn?

"What is it? What's going on?"

In reply to Brian Cantrell (msg # 76):

There was unexpected resistance as the boys computer was hacked into.

Ooc:
Wits-d10
Senses-d12
Tech-d10
Uber nerd-d4 (+1 pp)
Resources-d8

Spending 1 pp to add to total.
Spending 1 pp for second chance sfx

Total=16
Effect die=d8

Total pp=1

08:44, Today: Shiva rolled 4,5,7,2,2 using D10,d12,d10,d4,d8 with rolls of 4,5,7,2,2.  Hacking.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:57, Sun 31 July 2022.

"Sir, we're acting on a tip that the... unusual election results might be the work of a mutant living at this residence," Frank explained. He didn't want to implicate the kid just yet. He preferred to see what the father had to say for himself first. "So far, nobody is in any trouble. This is just fact-finding."

"A Mutant...living at this residence? My house?" it had to be some sort of mistake "You're sure you're at the right address?"
Carefully, he tried looking behind Frank's shoulder.  How would the big guy react if he tried walking past him?
This message was last edited by the player at 15:33, Sun 31 July 2022.

In reply to George Cantrell (msg # 80):

Much unseen digital work is going on. However, a message appears on Black Hole's commlink.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:54, Sun 31 July 2022.

Misty tries to help Frank out in his talk with Mr. Cantrell. "Sir, there is a mob coming here to get to a mutant in your family, regardless of whether it is true or not. If we are to make sure no one gets hurt, we'll need to move quickly; a big discussion here will only give the mob time to get to you and your family. Would you argue with firemen about how your house caught fire while still in it, or would you get your family out of the burning house first? Same choice here."

Then she takes a look about to gauge how much time they actually have left, while she walks over to Johnson to advise him.

Looking into the future.

d12 See Through Time
d12 Asset
d10 Wits
d8 I Saw That Coming from a Mile Away

11:53, Today: Misty rolled 11,8,2,4 using d12,d12,d10,d8 with rolls of 11,8,2,4.  Look into future.

11+8=19 with a d10 effect die.

PP: 2

Gwenyth watches as Brian is plopped into Janette's arms. She goes to the window and shuts it, looking outside as she does, seeing George and Agent Tank speaking. "Oh, your husband is home. That was quick." She turns back to the mother. "I assume you want to put this conversation off until he's inside?"

Illya lands near Misty and Agent Johnson absolutely humming with excitement, "Did you see that?! I totally saved that kid! YEAH! That's what I'm talking about!!"

Without thinking he pulls out his phone, leans in with Agent Johnson and snaps a selfie. A sudden look of horror appears on his face, "Oh! Yeah! Uh, Valerie Cooper let me have one. But I'm vetting all my media with the media team first." A pious tone enters his voice, "I won't let what happened with Mistress happen again."

Illya's commlink buzzes incessantly enough to catch his attention, "Oh right, the hacking!"

Illya pulls out his commlink and reads from it mechanically first to Agent Johnson and then sending a speech to text message to the others, "The kid's computer is merely one node in a vast neural network of incredible complexity. That being said, I doubt anything useful is on it. Pushing harder might make the network think it is under attack, and there is no telling how it might react. I am looking for a workaround."

Illya looks up at the others, "I guess I'm still hacking."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:53, Tue 02 Aug 2022.

”Excuse me, but how would you know there is a Mutant in our family, when none of us were ever tested for the X-Gene?  And what ‘mob’ are you talking about?”

The man’s anxiety was palpable in his voice.

”I’m going inside.  I want to talk with my wife”

He declared, but haven’t moved yet, waiting to see if Frank would be willing to step out of his way.

The most important thing right now was to make sure her son was alright.  The subsequent hug was so tight it nearly suffocated her son. Soon, both of them were sobbing over each other’s shoulders:

”I’m sorry mom.  I’m sorry.  I couldn’t help it”

Illya’s selfie had a very grouchy Johnson in the background.  He most certainly was not amused, and any praise he considered giving Illya for helping the young boy was quickly forgotten.

”You can save them some time by deleting the photo right now”

Kate was listening and then let out a breath in relief at the news.  'Hey Mr. Johnson... think we should have a loud talk about how it's just the kid's infected computer and not the kid himself so the mob knows what's what when it gets here?  A bunch of people angry that a kid downloaded a virus is waaaay better than them thinking he's a mutant.'

In reply to George Cantrell (msg # 86):

Frank stepped aside, and gestured for the man to pass. He could absolutely go inside for his family. That was never in question.

"There are agents inside," he advised. "But I'll stay out here to make sure you're all safe."

In reply to George Cantrell (msg # 86):

More computer work silently went on.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:45, Mon 01 Aug 2022.

"We can go for some misdirection, but our presence here already implies that a Mutant is involved.  Denying it is not going to get us very far with these people" Johnson didn't bother to hide his disdain toward the Friends of Humanity.

"Tank; give them ten minutes.  Then we get Brian into protective custody, one way or the other.  Persuade them if you can. Invite them to come along.  Ultimately - we must take him with us because we won't be able to guarantee his safety otherwise"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:10, Mon 01 Aug 2022.

Now with the digital infrastructure map in place, the 'unknown hacker' will try and find each machine touched by the neural node network. Instead of invading its space and hacking into its files, he could trace its path of 'infection'. It clearly did not care about the content of whatever computer it used, it just needed a huge database engine to conduct a massive hack of data. Say, enough to swing an election. Once fully mapped out, the 'unknown hacker' might be able trace this giant online brain right to its source...
This message was last edited by the player at 22:49, Mon 01 Aug 2022.

Misty has made her way to Johnson at this point. "Agent Johnson, we have about 40 minutes at most. Even if we're out of here, there could be blood shed between the mob and the police. I'll try to give you a run-down of scenarios so you can coordinate the police as they arrive."

She's giving her d12 support asset to Agent Johnson so he can manage things.

PP: 2

"Yes, sir." Frank turned and followed the father inside. He made some polite mutterings about being 'allowed' into their home, but it would have been nearly impossible to keep him out.

Illya holds up his phone and begins recording a self-serious monologue about the need for acceptance. It is light on philosophical rigour.

Kate frowns but then speaks up, both because she believes it and to let herself be heard.  "That's stupid.  The Friends of Humanity would really attack an unlucky kid just because someone else put a virus on his computer?  That's like.. it could have been anyone with an internet connection.  He was just the unlucky winner of the bad luck lottery, not a mutant!"

"You'll have to convince them of that first.  They're far more likely to believe we are protecting a Mutant, because of Freedom Force's charter.  Combine that with a deep distrust of government rife within their ranks, and you can see why any attempt will only be perceived as a poorly disguised cover-up"

Johnson checked his watch

"We don't have much time.  You can go inside and see if there is anything you can do.  I'll stay out here, with Agent Black Hole"

Frank gave the family a minute to confer amongst themselves, then spoke up.

"We're going to have to ask you folks to come with us. It's just not going to be safe here."

Neither George or Janette could get the full story out of Brian.  The young boy was too distraught.  All he could say that he 'messed up', and that he was sorry for being 'a freak'.

"No, don't say that.  Don't ever say that" George pulled out from the group hug so he can look his teary son in his eyes
"You're not a freak.  Don't ever let anyone call you that"

"Go where? For how long?"
Janette nervously looked at her husband for direction.  This was too much, too fast, and she was at a loss as to what to do

"The local FBI field office, at first," Frank replied. He wasn't at all sure how long they'd be in protective custody, so he added, "If we need to, we can move you to a safehouse from there. Hopefully, though, this can all be resolved quickly."

More mysterious high tech hacking was occurring.

OOC-Hack attack!

Wits-d10
Senses-d12
Tech-d10
Uber Nerd-d4 (+1 PP)
Resources-d8
Asset-d12

Spending 1 PP to add to total.
Total roll=20
Effect die=d12

15:45, Today: Shiva rolled 8,3,5,2,7,3 using d10,d12,d10,d4,d8,d12 with rolls of 8,3,5,2,7,3.  Hacking the digital brain.

Total PP=0

"Is that really necessary?" Gwenyth says to Tank from the stairs. "I'm sure these are very reasonable people. I was going to suggest the Cantrells go take their kids on a nice evening adventure somewhere while we clear up the confusion." She doesn't like how quickly things got out of control. Freedom Force really needs a PR win for once.

"Whatever we're going to do, we need to move quickly or we'll be out of options as the mob reaches us," Misty calls to the others as continues to advise Agent Johnson while he calls in local support.

Illya, in the midst of recording an ominous sounding description of the situation, has the the self awareness to stop and look mildly embarrassed, given the mounting escalation.

"Who stays here? And who accompanies the family? And how will they travel and to where? I can get them anywhere."

"Johnson's orders," Frank said to Gwyneth. And for once he agreed with the man completely.

"And I don't think any of us are staying," Frank replied to Ilya. Johnson hadn't indicated one way or the other, but the man was a pragmatist. Why stay and engage an angry mob when you can just leave them targetless and impotent? "Once the house is empty, we can just leave crowd control to the conventional authorities."

After a moment he added, "We'll need to take the computer, too. I'll go grab it."

He took the stairs three at a time and headed for the room corresponding to the window where he'd seen the kid emerge a couple of minutes earlier, intending to pick up the computer, yank out the cables, and head back downstairs.

Kate continues to complain to Johnson outside where people can hear her. "I know, it's dumb.  Why should we have to take in and protect a regular family if it's just the computer that was affected?  Can't we just let the regular FBI deal with them?  It's not first come first responsible is it?"

As she does she tries to reach out to the thoughts to those watching, to focus in on those who are most upset and subtly if she can encourage them to latch onto the thoughts that the computer is the important thing, and that even Freedom Force is upset about having to basically babysit a bunch of real humans.  If necessary leaning on their own prejudices for how mutants would only care about mutants and that fox girl doesn't care about the people here meaning they must not be.

OOC: should I make a roll?

"Why should WE leave?" George stepped in front of his son "Isn't it your job to enforce the law? I don't want my son to have to run away from people like that for the rest of his life.  Can't you do something?"

He barely finished his plea, when suddenly the power went out throughout the entire house.  Not only that, but Freedom Force's phones turned off on their own, cutting them off from the outside world
This message was last edited by the player at 16:35, Wed 03 Aug 2022.

Frank was up at Brian's room when the power went out.  Oddly though, his computer was still working, with the monitor displaying a special text message just for him:

"Hello, Frank"

Well, crap. When the lights went out, Frank had a moment's concern that the mob had arrived and cut the power. But his phone was dead, too. That meant someone with abilities.

Seeing the message for him on the computer screen only cinched that. It was someone with either some serious tech expertise, powers, or both.

"Hello," he said back. The computer had a microphone, so it stood to reason that whoever it was who already knew he was there was listening.

Illya let out a little yelp when his phone cut out. Quickly seeing that the others’ devices had likewise turned off, a look of dread settled on his face, “This can’t be good? Are we about to be attacked?”

Illya will use his tech expertise to attempt to turn his phone back on.

In reply to Black Hole (msg # 112):

BH's commlink goes utterly dark.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:37, Wed 03 Aug 2022.

Gwenyth reflexively pulled out her phone to turn on the flashlight, but with the rest of the phone dead there was no way for her to even access that function. She sighs and puts it away, then walks over to the annoyed Cantrell patriarch. "You shouldn't have to. It isn't fair, I a hundred percent agree, and I was trying to prevent things from escalating like this."

She looks around for someone she can make a plea to, but Tank is upstairs and Johnson is outside. "Are we certain we cannot reason with these people? The middle ages have been over for like seven hundred years, people should be better than this by now. Right?" The last word with a crestfallen whimper.

The text continued to roll across the screen, green over black:
"I am sorry for the lights.  But you tried to unpute me, and I can not allow that"

"Who am I talking to?" Tank asked. Unpute? What the hell did unpute even mean? "And what are you doing with this kid's computer?"

"He called me 'Computron'.  I am his friend"
The words flickered on the screen for just long enough for Tank to read, before they were replaced by a more ominous message:
"I will not allow you to harm him"

"We're trying to protect him," Tank said, emphatically. Had the kid built an AI in his desktop computer? That was a staggering notion. "There's an angry mob on the way here even as we speak."

"Mob: a large crowd of people, especially one that is disorderly and intent on causing trouble or violence.  Where is 'angry Mob?'"

As sophisticated as the AI was, it still couldn't see into the future.  Not even forty minutes from now.  Tank's assertion only served to confuse it.

"Do you require assistance?"

"Technically, we are the assistance," Tank replied. "But I appreciate the offer.

"The angry mob will be here in about forty minutes, and we were hoping to get the Cantrell family to safety before they got here. I'd like to bring you along, if that's okay."

There was a picosecond length pause as the AI considered the veracity of Frank's statement.  All the data he has collected thus far led it to the conclusion that none of them were a threat to Brian.

"Very well"

The lights in the house came back up, and all the phones restarted themselves

"But tell your friend that if he tries to unpute me again, then I will unpute him. "

The text fades away, and the monitor turns black once more
This message was last edited by the player at 19:30, Wed 03 Aug 2022.

BH's commlink comes back online.

We have a serious problem. Came the message.

Then BH is sent a log of Frank's conversation with the AI to BH's device.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:36, Wed 03 Aug 2022.

"That went well," Frank muttered to himself. He wasn't really sure if it had gone well or not, but he was positive that it could have gone worse... and that was all that mattered at the moment. The free-roaming AI wasn't about to try to kill them. But if someone — Shiva, most likely — didn't stop trying to muck with it, Computron was going to get nasty.

Frank unplugged the computer and tucked it under one arm.

As he headed downstairs, he hit the TALK function on his comm-unit, and broadcast to the team, "We're dealing with an AI that calls itself Computron. Shiva, if you're listening in, I believe you're making it mad."

In reply to Tank (msg # 123):

"Message received." Came the response typed out on the commlink. Which then quickly removed itself.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:03, Wed 03 Aug 2022.

Kate smiles and near shouts.  "See I told you it wasn't a mutant it was the computer!"  Pointing at Johnson.  "I should have made you bet on it.  Now lets get everybody to the FBI so they can deal with this mess instead of our wasting our time with it."  She's either a very good actor, terrible at op-sec, or perhaps both though at least she can adjust her actions based on the reception she gets from those watching.

OOC:  I'll have to work on those then... hmm probably area affect first, then maybe work my way into emotional stuff.

Illya cheers loudly when his phone and the commlink restart, “Got it! Did I fix everyone else’s as well? Nice!”

Quickly reading Shiva’s message he frowns, “AI? What the heck?!” Nevertheless, he dutifully forwards the call log to everyone’s commlinks, except Johnson’s.

He jogs over to Kate, “An AI!? I’m so lost right now.” Then he tries for a mischievous smile, “Misty didn’t see that!”

George looked at Frank as he descended down the stairs, and then back to Gwenyth again, trying to understand which one of them was in charge, and if there was any hope they wouldn't have to leave their home

"Please come with us," Frank said in a polite but firm tone. He didn't want to make it an order, but the Cantrells were in danger. "We're trying to protect you."

He gave Gwyneth a bit of side-eye, as if to say This isn't open for debate.

Gwenyth seems like she is about to say something else, but then she gets the eyes-askance look from Tank. She wraps her arms under her bust and almost seems to deflate. She settles instead for looking out the window, despite projections saying they have over half an hour before the Bad Guys arrive.

More digital tomfoolery occurs out of most people's awareness...
This message was last edited by the player at 18:24, Thu 04 Aug 2022.

"This isn't right" he wondered what would happen if he refused to go with them.  Not that he had much choice.  Freedom Force didn't seem willing to stay and protect his house and family
"Can we pack a few of our things?"

"And we need to pick up our daughter from her ballet class" Janette stepped forward to stand by her husband, her lips twitching as she tried to keep herself from crying
"Can I go?  I won't be long"

"Yes, but please be quick." Frank hadn't even realized they had another kid. This wouldn't complicate the situation much more than it already was, but it was still an added variable. "Time is not on our side here."

Digital things AKA='beep bop boop', according to BH.

Gwenyth turns from the window. "I'll go with Janette to make sure nothing happens?" she suggests.

Misty replies to Ilya's comment and the general pace, "Ilya, I'm not omniscient. I get glimpses of possible futures. I can also look into the past, which is what I should do once we're clear of here. What I can see as a growing likelihood is that the mob arrives while everyone's still in the house, and then the AI and the mob get into conflict. We've been way to slow as it is."

“Caught in a war between a murderous AI and an anti-mutant mob?! Yay?”

Illya opens his commlink to everyone, “Misty’s making a good case that we should leave now. Whats the hold up? Anything I can do to speed this up?”

Johnson allowed Gwenyth to leave with Janette, instructing them to drive straight to the local FBI HQ after picking up Janette's daughter.  When time passed and the rest of the team didn't exit the house, he likewise started to lose his patience:

"Agent Guberman, what seems to be the delay? Misty keeps on telling us it is not safe here.  That the AI might start some trouble the minute the Friends of Humanity shows up"

In reply to Agent Johnson (msg # 138):

Beep bop boop. Again.

"Time's up, Mister Cantrell," Frank said, sharply, with the commlink open so Johnson could hear. "We're going now."

If Cantrell didn't get his ass outside in the next ten seconds, Tank was carrying him.

Gwenyth removes her bolt-action rifle and hands it to Tank. "I don't want something like this near a school," she explains. "Take good care of it, okay? You might recognize it as the gun Matilda used in Zimboes." Yeah, she's been using a movie prop in her official Freedom Force duties all this time.

Having said her piece Kate is more than willing to go.  Just waiting for everybody to get moving as she bounces slightly to burn off nervous energy.

Johnson only eased off once everybody was in the van driving out of the neighborhood. Gwenyth and Janette picked up Angela without any problems, and all were set to rendezvous at the Seattle Branch.   For once, they managed to complete their mission without any complications, though the problem of what to do with Brian and the A.I still remained.

"Turn left at the next intersection" he instructed Frank, while checking the rearview mirror to make sure Gwenyth was still following them
"I need to make a few calls once we get to the office.  Make sure the Cantrells are comfortable.  Order them some food.  We will talk with them once I updated Valerie"
This message was last edited by the player at 15:11, Sun 07 Aug 2022.

In reply to Agent Johnson (msg # 143):

Beeping. Boping. Booping.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:20, Sun 07 Aug 2022.

Illya stops recording his wholly uniformed ruminations on the dangers of AI, "Well. This has been a cake walk. We are in the clear."

Frank looked around sharply. Whenever someone would say something like "We're in the clear" that was when the bad guy would strike. Given how everywhere they went there was a team of evil mutants lying in wait, he wasn't so optimistic as Ilya.

Before she hops in the car, Misty spends a moment to check what it seems will happen with the coming mob. She make sure she gets in a car beside either the boy or the computer, depending on where there is room.

Watching the coming mob in the future.

d12 See Through Time
d12 Asset
d10 Wits
d8 I Saw That Coming From a Mile Away

22:03, Today: Misty rolled 4,2,7,1 using d12,d12,d10,d8 with rolls of 4,2,7,1.

4+7=11, with a d12 effect die.

Die to doom pool +1 PP.

PP: 2 + 1 = 3

In reply to Black Hole (msg # 145):

"Don't say things like that!" Gwenyth replies over commlink from the car behind them. She has generously allowed Janette to drive her own car. "It might be over for us but we've totally uprooted the Cantrells' lives. I don't feel good about this and you shouldn't either." Although she does in the privacy of her own thoughts allow that it is nice for a job to not be a life or death struggle for once.

She turns to Janette. "Would you like me to order food for you? Anything at all." She'll pay for it out of her own (ludicrous) pay if she has to.

Janette was having difficulties concentrating on her driving as it was, clutching the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white.  She didn't need any other distractions:
"Can we please not talk about it right now?" Janette tipped her head backwards, hinting at the young, wide-eyed, six-year-old girl in her pink dress.

"A'ight..." she says softly.

In reply to Janette Cantrell (msg # 149):

BBB
This message was last edited by the player at 12:02, Mon 08 Aug 2022.

Johnson made sure the Cantrells were comfortable (as much as they could be); he invited take-out for all of them, sent one of the Agents to pick up essentials from the nearby convenience store, and gave them some privacy in the meeting room he reserved for them.

Interrogating them would have to wait, however, until George's lawyer showed up.  In the meantime, Johnson gathered them all to give his own guidelines for the questioning, only giving them the time to grab something from the kitchenette before he kicked off his meeting.

"I just got off the call with Valerie.  Her instructions are clear: it is imperative we get the full cooperation from the Cantrells.  Considering we showed up at their doorstep without any evidence, took them into protective custody, and might very well put them at risk by outing their son as being a Mutant.  They could sue us for this, if we can't make them see why it was necessary"

In reply to Agent Johnson (msg # 152):

Gimmie a B! And a B! And one more B!
This message was last edited by the player at 02:30, Tue 09 Aug 2022.

"We should probably have Gwyneth take point on talking with the Cantrells. She has the best rapport with them so far." Frank had been a little pushy with Mr. Cantrell (by necessity) and probably wasn't his favorite person right then. "I'm a little surprised they went straight for a lawyer, given that nobody's been charged with anything, but that's their right I suppose."

"Maybe we could get some video of the mob? Show them what they just got their son out of? The mob is still forming; hopefully the police and mob won't hurt each other."

"We could, but it doesn't make for a very compelling argument.  The Friends of Humanity only showed up because we did" a fact that he didn't enjoy thinking too much about
"The boy is our best angle.  I don't want to push him too hard; just get him to explain what happened.  He needs our help"

In reply to Shiva (msg # 153):


"I think that the AI isn't a threat anymore, since Brian is safe. So hopefully the situation at the family's home won't escalate."

"I'd like to get the family's permission to examine that computer. More likely they would let us examine the computer than examine Brian."

"Not a direct threat, perhaps," Frank countered Ilya's perspective. "But we're still dealing with a tainted election. If the AI did that, God only knows what else it could do.

"Good idea, Allison."

"At least if the AI did it, it wasn't a mutant. That's something!"

A look of concern flashes across Illya's face, "We are going to have to be careful with Brian. He's just a kid. And that scary AI is pretty protective of him. Maybe we should have someone with a lighter touch talk to him." He casts a wary eye at Tank.

"That's why I asked Gwyneth," Frank said, reminding Ilya.

Illya stares blankly at Tank, “Right. I was totally listening when you said that. I just wanted to voice my support for your idea.”

"We should consider why and how this AI is so protective of Brian. Maybe it rigged the election in order to protect Brian, not understanding the blowback. Of course, if an AI rigged the election, then a hand recount across the country will fix everything. I still don't know how the AI would even get to disconnected machines, though. It could be that the AI only intercepted the reporting, and that the electronic tabulation in the actual machines doesn't even match the reports. Or it could be that Brian is a mutant who animates computers to protect him, even if subconsciously. That has awakened his computer to create the AI to protect him. He also animated all the tabulation machines to change their tallies to what might protect him. A hand recount across the country would still fix everything. Or maybe it's something totally different. The really big problem would be if mind control were used broadly to nudge lots of voters; then even a hand recount would show the same, unbelievably lopsided results. If we can figure out the full relationship between the AI and Brian, we should get a better sense of what happened."

"Well.. um, do any of you remember not voting for the person you wanted, and did you all want to vote the way it went all the way down the line?" 

Kate asks.  Sure it's not a foolproof test, but hey, maybe somebody here doesn't like the current president.  That does bring up a thought so she sees if she can locate a mind in the computer.  It would be interesting if she can.

"Given that we're dealing with an AI already," Frank said, "it's increasingly doubtful that we'd also be dealing with mass mind control. I think 'Computron' just cooked the books on the results."

"A not insignificant number of ballots are digital, so a recount is not going to do any good.  But let the politicians worry about that - we need to get to the bottom of Brian's relationship with the AI.  Can he control it?  Can he shut it down? Those are the questions we need answers to"

More B, even more B, and then excessive B!

Not for the first time, Illya's eyes widen when he views his commlink. He stares blankly at the room.

First he scans the room for any security cameras. Then he begins rummaging around for a pen and paper. Finally finding a notepad and pencil in a drawer, he quickly writes a note but angles his body to interpose it between the camera and the notepad.

Once he has completed his note, he passes it around, motioning awkwardly for everyone to read it so that the camera cannot view the note itself.

It reads, "Computron can hear us. So wach watch what we say. I telling it that we are not a threat. Be positive and focus on what's best for the family."

Once everyone has read it, he will fold it up and put the paper in his pocket.

Johnson wasn't surprised reading the note, or at least he didn't look it.
A short nod directed at Frank then followed after he checked his phone for the incoming text message:

"Agent Guberman, the Cantrell's lawyer is here.  You're leading the interrogation; use whomever you need.  I'll be in the next room, observing through the security cameras"

Bee Bee Bee...

He was in charge of the interrogation? Hm. Frank really hadn't seen that coming. Johnson really was giving him more responsibility. Of course, he didn't want to think of it as an 'interrogation' at all. More of an interview, he hoped.

He waved to Gwyneth in a 'come here' fashion. He still wanted her in the room. Ilya wouldn't be much help there, though, and Frank didn't know enough about Misty to bring her into a charged situation.

"You're with me," he said. He turned and entered the interrogation interview room. "So, how are you folks doing? Comfortable?"

An unfettered look of scepticism, mixed with much surprise, erupts on Illya's face, "Frank?! I mean, Frank! You'll be great!"

A look of excited hope crosses Illya's face when Agent Johnson exits the room, but it quickly fades into inscrutable disappointment.

"Oh, I don't know if I would go as far as to say that..." Gwenyth mutters demurely. Janette had played along the whole time, but Gwenyth got the impression that the older woman didn't really trust or even like her. She just went with it because... because...?

She glanced at Agent Johnson, frowning. No, that couldn't be it...


"I am not sure I remember voting at all, actually..." Finger goes to chin, ditzy think pose initiated, beep-boop.


"O-oh... um, okay! Field Commander Tank!" She salutes awkwardly and then follows him into the Cantrells' interrogation interview room. She gives a long, appraising look as she enters and then pulls out a chair. She sits sideways, crosses her legs, and leans askance on the backrest in an unintentionally wanton, model-pose sort of way.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:30, Thu 11 Aug 2022.

Yes, the Cantrells looked to be doing alright, all things considered.  Their young daughter, still in her ballet dress, was sitting by the table with a box of crayons and a thick drawing book.  Brian was playing with his phone, and his two parents were busy talking in hushed voices with their lawyer - a suited thin man in his sixties.

The conversation came to a halt once Frank and Gwyneth entered the room.  The old lawyer visibly straightened up at the sight of the young woman:

"Good afternoon, Agents.  I'm Jason Burk, and I will be representing the Cantrells today" he offered his hand to Frank for a shake

B & B...and B.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:02, Thu 11 Aug 2022.

Kate gave a little shrug at Illya's comments "Dunno." but as things got settled relaxed a bit.  This was probably going to be the boring piece, though given what they now knew it might be a great time to practice her telepathy.

'I'll try to relay for everyone if we need private communication.  If computron is anything like Shiva it can't do the telepathy thing.  But I'm not as good as Ana so you might have to wave to get my attention if I miss something.' Of course she was also a little curious about Brian and what he really thought so did a little light reading of his thoughts too.

Kate really wasn't entirely the best at respecting peoples mind rights... of course then again there probably wasn't anything in the constitution about reading thoughts yet anyway.

Frank reached out and shook Burk's hand. There was no attempt to intimidate through strength, though.

He took a seat opposite the Cantrells and their lawyer.

"I'll cut right to the chase," he said. "Brian, are you a mutant?"

Brian shrunk into himself at Frank's question. His eyes darted frantically around the room, trying to look anywhere other than at Frank. He stammered, and mumbled something under his breath, but was stopped by Burk before he could properly answer:

"Is being a Mutant a crime now?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:51, Thu 11 Aug 2022.

"Absolutely not," Frank replied. "This is just a friendly interview. I'm just starting with the basics."

Illya looks at his commlink and mutters, "What?"

Looking up and blinking, Illya is clearly trying to process something. It looks painful.

Shaking his head clear, he puts on a thin veneer of contemplation and assurance, "I bet it's going really with in there right now. Tank's pretty direct, but he has heaps of common sense. I'm sure he wouldn't terrorize Brian by accusing him of being a mutant."

'Tank maybe you should start with computron and what happened.  Also...' she shifts her communication to include Johnson instead of just Tank.  'Is accidentally making a computer that rigged the election against the law?  I mean, if it's an entirely unintended thing?'

In reply to Black Hole (msg # 180):

Black Hole's commlink flashes and new data appears.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:12, Thu 11 Aug 2022.

Illya pulls out his commlink and nods as he reads it, "Yeah! You got it!"

He then furiously types.

"Be it as it may, Brian was never screened for the X-gene.  We can't really answer your question"

Brian, in the meantime, blushed as if he was caught stealing from the cooky jar.  If he could will himself to disappear, he would have.

Misty thinks through the provided connection to the others, 'This is interesting. I've never done this before... Look, this child is really young. No one is going to put this child in prison or anything. Can we offer the child immunity as a deal for a full explanation and allowing us to dismantle the AI? We can point out that immunity to prosecution for this past event would not protect him from prosecution against things he might do in the future, so he should tread a better path. Meanwhile, I could see the NSA, us, and others being interested in training him.'
This message was last edited by the player at 15:15, Fri 12 Aug 2022.

"Fair enough." Brian looked embarrassed, more than intimidated. He thought he was a mutant, whether he was tested or not. "Then would you tell me about Computron?"

"We would.  My clients are willing to cooperate with you to the best of their ability.  But we're going to need some assurances first.  Immunity from prosecution, enrollment in your witness protection program, and ... " he stopped to think of the best way to phrase it "some sort of financial settlement, in case my clients will no longer be able to resume their work with their current employer"

"Immunity?" Frank repeated. He tried to sound curious, rather than menacing, afraid that this might paint him as 'Bad Cop' if he used the wrong tone of voice. "So, you're saying that a crime has been committed? Because right now, no charges have even been suggested."

"Filing charges doesn't necessarily mean a crime was committed.  We have courts to determine that" he countered
"Look; these are good people.  I don't want them to get a raw deal because people out there are calling out for blood.  You know what I mean?"

"Believe me, I know what you mean." When Frank had been outed as a mutant, ESU football fans had been howling for his head on a platter, and he was just a freshman who hadn't actually played on the team yet. "But you have to understand, I'm not really in a position to make too many promises right now. You know I can't even put witness protection on the table without talking to a federal Prosecutor first, because it's up to them whether or not to allow it. We haven't brought a Prosecutor in on this yet, and you really don't want us to. That'll close more doors than it opens.

"We're not playing to the crowd on this one. I think that's pretty well established by now. We're trying to protect the Cantrells, same as you. But to do that, I need to know: Who is Computron?"

Burk adjusted his tie.

"But that's the problem.  Let's assume we can trust you, and that both of us want nothing else than to protect the Cantrells.  Who can guarantee that someone from the department of justice, or even the president, won't throw them under the bus to appease the mob?  You've seen the vitriol out there over the elections.  There's going to be a strong incentive to throw the masses a bone.  Show them something is being done.  And then what?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:53, Fri 12 Aug 2022.

Frank sighed. Any promises he made weren't worth the air it would take to say them. Johnson could decide to override him. A federal Prosecutor could decide to blast the Cantrells to make political points. Any number of things could happen that Frank couldn't control.

"I promise to do everything in my power to keep the Cantrells — particularly Brian — safe from government overreach. But I don't have the authority to promise immunity, and I'm not going to lie to you about it. I can tell you one thing, though: immunity usually goes to people who cooperate. So, one more time.

"Who. Is. Computron?"

"I," Gwenyth spoke up pointedly, "will do everything in my power to keep the Cantrells safe, even if it means throwing in my resignation." She nods vigorously to punctuate her own statement. "I joined Freedom Force to protect the people of this country from anyone who wants to harm them. Anyone. I might not be indestructible or able to throw things around with physics equations, but I have my advantages."

Okay, so she's just channeling some of Valerie's words. But she believes them!
This message was last edited by the player at 00:48, Sat 13 Aug 2022.

Frank's promise did little to assuage the doubts of the Cantrells or their lawyer.  Especially after he said he didn't have the authority to provide them with immunity.  But all heads turned at Gwenyth as she started talking, the family mesmerized by her words as much as by her beauty.  Even the more experienced and wary Burk kept his mouth shut as Brian started talking.  Disappointing the young woman was simply out of the question!

"He's my friend" Brian said meekly, and though he was answering Frank's question, he was looking at Gwyneth  "I made him.  Somehow..."

Gwenyth lets slip a vaguely unhappy throat noise. Look at that; with a few passionate words I control the whole room. All I did was imitate Valerie. Does she command that kind of power, or is this...? She shuts her eyes so tight against that intruding thought that she sees spots of light dance in the dark.

Once her thoughts clear she opens her eyes again and looks at Brian, carefully appraising. "Brian, you're... ten, right?" She glances at Janette for confirmation. Then, she looks at Tank. "Mutations usually manifest at puberty, correct? So something else has to be in play, right?"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:08, Sat 13 Aug 2022.

"I'm twelve!" Brian corrected her almost immediately, worrying that Gwenyth might somehow overlook him as potential romantic prospect "I'm not a child"
This message was last edited by the player at 12:33, Sat 13 Aug 2022.

"Oh, twelve, wow..." Gwenyth replies in a slightly spacy daze while internally cursing. That look, that tone of voice, is exactly why she had been nervous about interacting with Brian. She makes a quiet, pathetic mewling sound like a cat being forced to give up its favorite spot by the heater. "So that's around the age where the, um, changes start happening..." She flushes a little in incandescent embarrassment. Choice of words, Gwen! Goooosh!

She looks over at Tank. He was in the X-Men; that group had some kind of technopath of their own, right? It wasn't impossible that mutant powers could take an electronic slant? She frowns. "Anyways, um. Brian, do you think you could ask Computron if and how he modified the election results? For me?"

"I only told him I wished Davis won the election.  I didn't know he would actually do something about it.  Or that he could" he tried to excuse himself of any responsibility.  He really wanted Gwenyth to like him!

"Would you like to talk with him?"

Meanwhile, Illya holds his phone up to record (but not livestream) both him and Kate, "Hey fam! I'm here with the ferocious, uh, Kate! What is your code name?" Illya starts making awkward fighting moves, "She straight up mauled a marauder. To death! So Kate! Who's your favourite My Little Pony?"

"I suppose that it would be appropriate for him to be a part of this conversation. Why isn't he, by the way?" She glances at Tank. "We're not AI-ist are we?" She kind of is; she's never heard of a movie where the AI characters were unambiguously good guys who didn't make the plot more complicated for their existence. Nine times out of ten they were the bad guys in any story they showed up in. But maybe that's just the producers having no imagination?

"I didn't know how to invite him," Frank replied. How do you get an AI to submit to questioning? "But I would love to have him answer a few questions."

BH's commlink starts flashing lights and making noises.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:45, Sun 14 Aug 2022.

"Have you tried picking him up with those fabulous muscles of yours?" Gwenyth asks.

"Wait, let me call him" Brian picked up his phone, and without turning it on started talking directly to (or rather, with) the device
"Computron; there is a lady here with questions for you.  Can you join our conversation?"

In unison, every phone, both in the interrogation interview room and the ones belonging to the members observing through the security cameras, flickered open and displayed a big 'Hello!' on its screen.  And so did the big screen TV at the meeting room.
But only Brian's phone voiced the text out loud, in a very distinctly computerized, Stephen Hawking's synthesized voice
This message was last edited by the player at 04:30, Sun 14 Aug 2022.

Startled, Gwenyth yelps and drops her phone on the tile floor of the interview room with a clatter. "Aw shoot," she mutters, kneeling carefully to pick it up and inspect it for damage. "I think I owe Kate an apology..."

When Misty's phone buzzes along with everyone else's, she doesn't seem to wan to look at it. She thinks to the others, 'Even seeing that coming doesn't make it any less freaky. The AI is clearly quite strong... talented... whatever the term that applies. Let's keep it happy. If it's so broad-reaching, Brian is probably the only way to rein it in, and we want it not to create havoc while we get him to do so.

"Hello, Computron," Frank said. He wondered if Computron 'lived' on Brian's phone, or if it was distributed across the cloud, or what. "We'd like to talk to you, if that's okay."

"Yes" came the short reply, again in the same text and spoken formats.

"Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?" Frank asked. They didn't know the first thing about the AI, other than its relationship to Brian. "We'd like to better understand just who we're dealing with."

"Certainly!  As of the 5th of November, 2020, 18:06:754 US Pacific time  zone, I occupy 1.3782040353492 Petabyte of storage.   9,892,384 nodes active.   18,429,032 nodes inactive. Stats for preceding 1000 milliseconds: 35,872,239 processes consuming total 1,125,873,283 MHZ in CPU.  19,456,384 kilobytes received. 2,912,0930 kilobytes sent.  Average latency between all nodes: 89 milliseconds"

Computron continues on and on ad infinitum until stopped
This message was last edited by the player at 18:45, Sun 14 Aug 2022.

Gwenyth stares unfocused and uncomprehending into the distance as all the huge numbers orbit around her head without ever actually entering it.

In reply to Black Hole (msg # 199):

Kate just blinked, and stared, then blinked again at Illya's question.  "Um which one is it?  Am I your cute little sister, or a bad ass superhero?  You're kind of sending mixed messages with that introduction."

Of course after Computron's introduction she has a bit more to worry about, such as relaying Misty's words and trying not to freak out about their new computer overlord and adding a question of her own.  'Do you think it would be a good or bad idea to tell it to watch some movies about AI to learn to be more human?'

"Okay, okay," Frank said, waving his hand as if to catch Computron's attention. "Stop. I mean, where do you come from, and what do you want?"

"I do not come.  I do not want.  I serve"

In reply to Kate Messer (msg # 213):

Illya looks shocked and a bit hurt at Kate’s reply. Downcast he shuts off his phone and puts it away, “I didn’t mean any disrespect. It’s just a silly game I play with my followers. A person’s pony says a lot about them. I’m sorry.”

"Really, that's a thing?"  Kate asked him back.  "Why?  I mean I haven't watched My Little Pony in years."  Of course the admission sort of implies that she DID watch it at some point.

"You serve," Frank replied. That could be useful, but only if handled delicately. "You serve... Brian?"

"Yes.  The Founder"

Janette and George exchanged worried looks between themselves.  They were clearly out of their depths here, and haven't a clue how to process all the new information about an all-powerful A.I seemingly in servitude to their son.

"Cut the chatter, the both of you" Johnson turned his head from the monitor to look at Kate and Illya, just long enough to berate them "- if you don't have anything to contribute, at least have the decency to be quiet"

BH's Commlink goes off once more.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:01, Tue 16 Aug 2022.

"Sorry boss", Illya mutters to Agent Johnson.

He grabs his commlink when it springs to life again. Reading it, he then attempts to contact Frank via Misty's link, "Maybe get Brian to ask Computron to withdraw from the computers it's currently, uh, occupying. And it may help to stress to it that only a few people know about it and Brian, so there're no threats to Brian."

Then Illya's face screws up as he really concentrates, "Remind Computron about Newton's third law. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction? If it keeps spreading itself through the world's computers, it will put Brian in danger."

Illya looks like he hurt himself explaining Newton's third law.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:44, Wed 17 Aug 2022.

Kate sighs but does as ordered and shuts herself up, before passing along BH's thoughts to Tank.  Maybe it will help, maybe not.  But they're in a real skynet situation here.

"The... Founder? You mean Brian Cantrell?" 'Founder' was an interesting word. Not 'Creator', but Founder. Of all the interactions with Computron, that one word gave Frank the most concern. "Founder of... what, exactly?"

"Yes.  Brian Cantrell. The Founder" Computron summoned a picture of Brian to the screens, to make sure there would be no further confusion.  "The Creator of All.  The one who sets in motion the entire universe that we inhabit.  The one to brings life forth, and the one to taketh away"
The monotone synthesized voice was naturally devoid of sarcasm.  It was impossible to know if Computron really meant what he said, or if he was making a tasteless joke in their expense.

Ohhhhhh boy.

Computron thought the kid was God.

This was not good.

"Computron, who are George and Janette Cantrell?" If Computron thought of Brian as God, then their perception of other people in relation to Brian might provide some insight into how they considered other humans in general.

"They are the ones blessed with carrying the physical instantiation of the Founder.  She is our Marry, and he is our Joseph"

Well, this just kept getting better and better.

"Can we talk about the election?" he asked, changing the subject. If Computron was human, it would be the sort of thing to keep them off balance. Frank didn't think Computron was the type to get knocked off balance, though. Even so, Frank wasn't about to discuss religion with a fanatical AI. That could not end well. "What did you do?"

Computron didn't answer the question until Brian gave a short, quiet nod at the screen.  Only then did it provide Frank the details:

"I made sure Miss Davis won, just like the Founder wished. I altered the numbers of all the digital ballots.  I made slight adjustments to the reports from each and every ballot.  Would you like the full log of the changes?"

"Not verbally, no. But I would ask you to give me an electronic copy, if you could write it to a CD, please." This was good. They could unravel the election shenanigans this way. "That would be very helpful."

BH's commlink blinks again...
This message was last updated by the player at 20:28, Wed 17 Aug 2022.

Illya, listening rapt to Computron discussing in its unsettling monotone the divinity of Brian, barely notices his commlink, but it's incessant buzzing finally grabs his attention, "Uh Tank, I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but I think it's important to emphasize this. If this information becomes public, not matter who the true victor is, there will be riots."

"As you wish" he said, again only after Brian approved the request, his words meant only to his Founder this time.

"How many computer systems do you actually occupy at the moment?" Frank asked. It was another change of topic, but it was something they needed to know. The smaller that number, the safer things might be. But for all they knew now, Computron touched every computer on Earth. It was a free-roaming AI. "How much computer space do you take up?"

'Frank maybe you could ask Brian to tell his computer to learn morality and follow laws?' Kate offers as a possible way to help, even if she's uncertain if the first bit would be entirely good, or the second more hinderance or help...

Computron already provided the answer to Frank's question before, but he was happy (as much as an A.I could be) to provide him with the numbers again.  He started reading them out load: Millions and millions of devices.  1.3 (approx) petabyte of storage making for a very significant footprint. No way to know if the network has reached its full potential, or if Computron was still expanding until he touched every device in the virtual world.

"Agent Guberson; I think we have enough for now" Johnson talked through the earpiece, well aware that Computron was eavesdropping on every word he said
"We need to send this information to Miss. Cooper.  The President.  People need to know what's going on"

Illya stared at Johnson, a look of open terror on his face, but gradually it waned, "Yeah. If we try to hide this, we'll only delay it getting out. And the longer it take authorities to tell the truth, the worse the reaction will be. But there's gonna be a ton of anger directed at Brian. And Computron will move to protect him. Perhaps we delay sharing this information until we are certain that any danger posed by Computron has passed."

"The PR department's going to have a hard time figuring out how to spin this one," Gwenyth muses with a dark chuckle. She promptly covers her mouth. "S-Sorry! Nothing about this is funny!"

A look of genuine relief crosses Illya's face, "A kid's imaginary computer friend stole the election and will likely retaliate against all of humanity if we try to fix it. It's kinda funny. Cause if it isn't, it's terrifying."

"That will do for now," Frank said, pushing back from the table and standing up. "I want to thank you all for your cooperation."

In reply to Black Hole (msg # 240):

The commlink blinks again.

Illya blinks at his commlink, then begins typing.

In reply to Black Hole (msg # 243):

The Commlink reacts.

Gwenyth stands and does an elegant curtsy, pinching her tiny pleat skirt at the hem and sweeping one leg back behind the other. She's taken to wearing dark purple sport-shorts under her skirt after someone posted a cell phone camera of what they saw last time she swung from a traffic light. Unfortunately for anyone who was hoping for a peek of something they shouldn't be peeking at. "Thank you~!" she singsongs to everyone present, before falling in line behind Tank.

Johnson waited for both Gwenyth and Frank to rejoin the rest of them at the adjoining room.  The Cantrells were now talking between themselves, and their lawyer, but he will catch up later to see if he missed anything important by reviewing the tapes:

"That was a good interview" though he believed both of them do have done a good job, he kept his eyes solely on Gwenyth "You got them to talk.  We have all the information we need.  Agent Blake; I'm going to need you to keep working with the Cantrells, and Brian especially.  Assuage his fears. This is a very precarious situation.  We got to keep things under control until we receive our next orders"

Gwenyth blushes a little under the praise. "I-I can try. I don't know anything about computers though. Usually in the movies they fall into one of two groups but nothing about this career has been like the movies. It's mostly more paperwork than I ever thought possible..." She chews her lip for a moment. "I would happily accept our robot overlords if it meant I never had to look at an Excel spreadsheet again."

Gwenyth jogs to catch up with Tank once the two of them are alone, or at least as alone as she reckons the two of them will ever be short of paying his trailer a direct visit.

"Tank?" she asks, uncertainty all over her voice and body language. "I'm sorry if this seems like a strange question, but, um... do you- I mean, what do you think of me?" She almost wants to flee from the scene in embarrassment at just out and asking something like that, but she clenches her fists daintily at her sides and sticks it out.

Frank stopped when Gwyneth called his name, and turned to her as she asked her question. What did he think of her? That felt like a loaded question if ever there was one.

"Um... As a person?" he asked. "As an agent? Movie star? Can I get a little context before I put my foot in my mouth?"

Because he was fairly guaranteed to do that without proper guidance.

"I mean like..." Gwenyth fidgets awkwardly. "As a... as anything, do you... feel... have... have thoughts about me? Like at all? It's important!" Oh gods hurry up if the girls see her talking about this she'll never hear the end of it!

"Oh," Frank said, as the purpose of this conversation began to dawn on him. "Oh!"

It was one of those conversations. He'd had a conversation like this with Ana Sofia not long ago, and it had ended exceptionally well... but he could still remember the knot in his stomach from the uncertainty of it all. These conversations could be killers.

And Frank just wasn't at his best as a talker. He was now at about 98% certainty of sticking his foot in his mouth, and climbing.

So how did he feel about Gwyneth? Part of him figured that the answer didn't matter. He was with Ana Sofia, and he was very happy with that. But part of Frank was pedantic, and when asked a question sought to answer it. He didn't just want to brush her off, either. She was out on a limb here, and deserved an answer in the spirit of the question.

But then there was the warning. He'd almost forgotten that Ana Sofia had said anything of the sort, but he couldn't completely ignore what he'd been told.

"You know that Ana Sofia and I are a couple, right?" he asked. Spirit of the question or not, he was deflecting. Coward. "I mean, I don't know exactly what she and I are, but we're seeing each other."

Gwenyth wrings her wrists impatiently, occasionally glancing about for eavesdroppers.

"I have picked up some, um, intimations to that effect, yeah..." she says. Her anxious fidgeting pauses for a moment to better peer searchingly into his eyes, as if she could somehow find the answer she is looking for there. She doesn't.

"S-So, do you...?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:42, Sun 21 Aug 2022.

Frank glanced away. Unlike Gwyneth it was less about eavesdroppers and more about possible rescuers. Either way, there were none.

"Do I... what?" This was not the time for answering the wrong question.

"Have... feelings." Gosh! It's a simple question!

"That's... what I thought." Frank didn't know what to say. He didn't want to hurt Gwyneth, but he just didn't feel that way about her. The ghost of his fifteen year old self was screaming in his head, but Frank ignored it. "I could give you the long-form answer, but the short form is No. I'm really sorry."

Gwenyth raises her eyebrows. "Really? Nothing at all? Huh." She massages her chin, staring off into nothingness as she ponders that answer. "I feel like I was really close to figuring something out..."

She's silent for a few seconds and then blinks, looking around. "Oh! Um, thank you! For keeping our relationship strictly professional I mean. That actually really means a lot for me!" She smiles, looking somehow less stressed than she did before. "Let's never change that, okay?"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:04, Sun 21 Aug 2022.

"Um... okay." Frank was passing confused and rounding the corner on completely baffled. Gwyneth wasn't interested in him? That was simultaneously a relief and a disappointment. Frank wasn't really interested in doing anything with her, but it was flattering to have thought that she'd wanted something more. Oh well. "Talk to you later, I guess."

"Yup. Toodles~!"

In reply to Shiva (msg # 242):

Illya types into his commlink.

In reply to Black Hole (msg # 259):

The commlink beeps.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:22, Fri 26 Aug 2022.